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The last few decades have emerged as a remarkable era for exploring and employing electromyography (EMG) signals and their attributes in various applications such as clinical assessment and rehabilitation engineering. An EMG signal-based system encapsulates different domains of signal acquisition and processing, statistical analysis, and control systems in a single framework. This survey attempts to highlight and distinguish the time- and frequency-based signal processing according to the applications of EMG signals. When EMG signals are used for clinical assessment, time–frequency analysis involves transforming the signals in different domains and extracting useful physiological information. On the other hand, the concept of time and frequency deals with extracting time, frequency, or time–frequency-based features when EMG signals are used for pattern recognition-based control applications such as robotics and augmented reality. It is often very difficult and confusing to distinguish and establish a clear understanding between these domains reported in various literature. Hence, this study first presents different signal acquisition systems and pre-processing techniques, followed by comprehending the concepts in time, frequency, and time–frequency-based approaches based on the applications. Next, the review of various post-processing techniques, different feature extraction routines, and a survey of different classifiers used in the pattern recognition step is done. The work concludes with a study of innovative applications of EMG signals reported in recent years, provides an overview of EMG signal-based limb prosthetics, and suggests a few futuristic research ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the first to examine the efficacy of the Cumulative Prospect Theory value of the past return (CPTV) to explain fund flow in emerging markets funds by considering the impact of fund managers’ characteristics and behavioural biases on fund investors’ investment decisions. Besides, this study also investigates the impact of fund investors’ ability to identify fund managers’ skills. The findings suggest that CPTV has a significant and positive association with subsequent fund flow and emerging market funds’ performance. Notably, the study documents a negative relationship between fund flow and fund size and also highlights that newer funds generate greater fund flows. Furthermore, the findings indicate that investors investing in emerging market funds tend to behave differently, allocate money for alpha, and avoid giving distorted income for factor-related returns to fund managers. The results demonstrate that managers’ skill and portfolio concentration decision affects fund flow and CPTV relationships. The findings illustrate that fund managers who concentrate their portfolio and invest in high CPTV stocks tend to generate higher fund flow than their diversified counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivated crop is frequently subjected to a variety of environmental challenges including drought, salinity, extreme temperature and low moisture levels. In which, drought stress is major factor, which significantly reduces crop survival and productivity, particularly in semi-arid region of the Vindhyan highlands. In response to this stress, millets and traditional crops have evolved a range of morphological and physiological adaptations to withstand these phenomenon. Therefore, the aim of this study is to characterize the morphological and physiological traits of underutilized crops under different nutrient amendments towards the dry conditions. A plot experiment with four treatments viz. control, compost, fertilizer and compost + fertilizer was conducted for eight crop landraces. The results demonstrate plant morpho-physiological traits as well as production were develop in accordance with following trends such as compost + fertilizer > fertilizer > compost > control. This trend was continued in percentage change of production and highest in white maize (41.97%) and ramrahar (36.93%) compared to control. Soil total nitrogen, organic carbon and available phosphate contents were shown a consistent increase from pre-sowing to post-harvest conditions for both cropping seasons in all the treatments. In the context of eco-physiological traits relation, PSR (Photosynthetic rate) was positively associated with plant height in black maize (R = 0.69 P < 0.01), baturi (R = 0.79 P < 0.01), masoor (R = 0.74 P < 0.01) and senduri (R = 0.78 P < 0.01). However, photosynthetic pigment such as, chl a (R = 0.66 P < 0.05) chl b (R = 0.78 P < 0.01) carotenoids (R = 0.71 P < 0.01) in white maize, while chla (R = 0.84 P < 0.001), chlb (R = 0.82 P < 0.01) and carotenoids (R = 0.76 P < 0.01) in baturi positively related with PSR. This study can help policymakers to make a climate-adaptive crop system for better production in dry climatic conditions and livelihood improvement of the local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects individuals' ability to regulate their attention, impulses, and activity levels. It is commonly diagnosed in childhood but can persist into adolescence and adulthood. Children with such type of disorder are having copious problems related to social skills. Understanding these core symptoms is crucial in recognising and addressing the challenges faced by children with ADHD. Hence, some interventions has to be introduced in the form of a play toolkit, which has a significant effect on ADHD children's prosocial behaviour and empathy. This play toolkit includes two components: play therapy and doodle therapy. Using play-based activities to enhance social skills, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and cooperation skills in a supportive and engaging environment is essential. Utilising creative activities like drawing, colouring, and art-based projects to facilitate self-expression, communication, and emotional understanding can indirectly improve social interactions. By incorporating these interventions into a comprehensive treatment plan, nurses and healthcare professionals can help children with ADHD develop essential social skills, improve their relationships with peers and adults, and enhance their overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall development and sustained growth of any economy depend heavily on its infrastructure provisioning. Emerging economies are usually characterised by constrained public investments in infrastructure. Budgetary constraints of the governments are one of the major hurdles to these investments. Due to these reasons that governments of emerging economies continuously seek collaborations with the private sector for additional sources of funding infrastructure. Economies with solid institutional and governance frameworks are known to provide a conducive environment for enhanced private sector attraction in the sector. However, emerging economies face greater institutional and governance issues than developed economies, and they sometimes fall short of luring private investments in the infrastructure sector. The objective of this study is to empirically evaluate the role of institutional and governance aspects in private sector attraction in emerging economies. This study provides empirical evidence with a sample of 114 emerging economies over a period of 20 years. Various econometric estimates were developed to explore the interplay between public‐private partnership investments and governance factors. The results of the study provide an evidence of a positive association between these factors and private investments in public‐private partnership arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a special class of almost contact metric manifolds known as cosymplectic manifolds, the current study aims to establish the existence result and a few inequalities for sequential warped product submanifolds. These results and inequalities represent fruitful connections between the primary intrinsic and extrinsic invariants. Furthermore, findings related to Dirichlet energy have been addressed. Finally, some exceptional cases resulting in several inequities are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research paper, the results of the numerical investigations on combined surface radiation and natural convection heat transfer in a square enclosure with partition are presented. The vertical walls of the square enclosure are differentially heated, with the left wall at a higher temperature and the right wall at a lower temperature. The partition is placed parallel to these isothermal vertical walls while the horizontal walls are adiabatic. The simulation is done for a Rayleigh Number ranging between 103 and 106, Prandtl number of 0.7 (air). In this research work, the numerical simulation is carried out using the software ANSYS FLUENT 2022R1 in which the governing equations of fluid flow and heat transfer with surface radiation are solved using finite volume-based solver and coupled algorithm. Discrete Ordinate (DO) is used as the radiation model. The thickness of the partitioned is fixed and is equal to one twentieth of the length of the square enclosure. An analysis from the obtained streamlines, temperature contours and Nusselt number values shows the significant influence of surface radiation on natural convection heat transfer. It has been observed that increasing the length of partition reduces the Nusselt number, when the height of partition is varied from h = L to L/4, the value of Nusselt number increases to 7.2% for Ra 103 and 30.3% for Ra 106. It is also established that increasing the distance of partition from hot wall increases the Nusselt number. Likewise, an increase in emissivity leads to an increase in total Nusselt number which can be noted that when emissivity is changed from 0.25 to 1, the increase in total Nusselt number is found to be 24.9% and 97.1% respectively when compared with pure convection for Ra = 103. For Rayleigh number 106 the increase in Nusselt number is 32.6% and 170.9% sequentially when compared with pure convection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condensed and hydrolyzable tannins are secondary metabolites present in almost every plant part. Tannase enzyme acts on hydrolyzable tannins to produce gallic acid and tannase‐mediated end‐products with immense therapeutic potential. Seven different fruits with significant presence of hydrolyzable tannin content were selected to check for phenol, tannin, and hydrolyzable tannin contents. Prunus domestica had the maximum phenol content, that is, 85.4 ± 0.207, followed by Syzygium cumini, Fragaria ananassa, Rubus fruticosus, and Psidium guajava. Plum showed the maximum number of hydrolyzable tannins. Fruit extracts were subjected to tannase hydrolysis and their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were determined. There was a significant increase in the antioxidant abilities of the fruits with Punica granatum extract, displaying the highest decline of 132 units of IC50 followed by F. ananassa hydrolyzable extract, showing a decrease from 224.75 to 119.98 μg/mL. The extracts also depicted a significant increase in antibacterial activity after hydrolysis against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus with Rubus idaeus aqueous extract observed to be most effective against E. coli. The increase in antioxidant and antibacterial activity can be attributed to the production of tannase‐mediated products formed after the biotransformation of hydrolyzable tannins present in the aqueous extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant nutrients are chemical elements necessary for plant growth and its metabolism. The external application of mineral nutrients modifies as well as regulates the physiological processes when applied directly to leaves in small concentrations. Plants can absorb essential elements via stomata and epidermis present in leaves. Plant nutrients applied to leaves are more rapidly absorbed as compared to soil application. Foliar application for supplementing the nutrient requirement of fruits crop appears to be more practical method being target-oriented as well as environmentally friendly. Fruits are high-value crops being perennial in nature are exposed to abiotic stresses during their life and even a little alteration in productivity, quality, or improved cosmetic appeal can increase fruit value immensely. Foliar application of various nutrients like potassium, calcium, and boron proved to be efficacious in increasing fruit set, retention, yield attributes as well as quality apart from reducing fruit drop in fruit crops. In this review, the role of macronutrients, that is, potassium and calcium in addition to micronutrient boron in fruit crops such as foliar sprays are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article deals with the study of generalized curvature equality and inequality. We first derive equality involving mean curvature vector and second fundamental form for sequential warped product submanifolds of a nearly Kähler manifold and then present Lawson-Simons type inequality (Lawson and Simons, Ann. of Math. 98:427–450, 1973) in generalized complex space form that extends the result derived by Sahin in Sahin (Period Math. Hung., 2021). Meanwhile, some special cases and a numerical example in support of inequality are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Quality of Life (QoL) is a main alarm of patients with life-threatening cancer. Symptoms have an effect on their QoL. There are many standardised tools which measure the QoL among cancer patients. But there is no specific questionnaire or tool available to evaluate the chemotherapy patients in Indian context. Aim: To develop and validate a QoL tool for chemotherapy patients. Materials and Methods: This was a sequential exploratory mixed-method study, pilot. In qualitative stage, the data was gathered by involving in detail interview of 15 chemotherapy patients. Interview data were analysed by utilising conventional content analysis method and themes, and subthemes were formed. Based on it, a pool of items for the questionnaire was prepared. In quantitative stage, psychometric properties of the questionnaire were assessed by using face, content and construct validity. The reliability of the tool was evaluated by internal consistency and Cronbach's alpha. Overall 15 patients participated in qualitative and quantitative phase separately. Results: At the end of phase I, a draft of 104 questionnaires was formed. In phase 2, a specialist panel reviewed 84 items relevant with the domains and 20 items were erased on the basis of expert opinion, Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI). At this time, 84-item tool were given to 15 chemotherapy patients. In view of the patient's opinion, researcher drew a screen plot based on Eigen value of above 1. These four domains showed 53.846% of the total variance. Last 84 items were scrutinised as per specific domain. The end draft had a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.932. Conclusion: The newly develop tool will help the chemotherapy patients and healthcare team to evaluate the QoL. This QoL tool will also impact the cancer treatment and implement strategies accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondrosarcoma of the cervical spine is an extremely rare tumour. The indolent course and neglected behaviour of the patient often give enough time for tumour expansion. The surgical management of these types of tumours is challenging. En bloc resection is a proven ideal treatment but it is not always feasible in this region because of the proximity to vital neurovascular structures which explains the recurrence and poor prognosis of this tumour. The role of radiation and chemotherapy in these tumours is limited. We are highlighting unique huge cervical chondrosarcoma which is not mentioned in literature and its management along with a review of 34 cases, published so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The composite films of compact ZnO and ZnO nanorod (NR) with polymer are fabricated. • ZnO NR composite films exhibit enhanced thermal conductivity. • Enhancement occurs mainly due to grain boundary phonon scattering. • The thermal diffusivity of ZnO NR composite film at room temperature is 0.53 mm2/s. Herein, we have investigated the thermal properties of compact and vertically grown ZnO nanorods (NRs)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxithiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) composite film. The ZnO NR arrays with length 885 ± 5 nm have been grown using the sol–gel method. Furthermore, composite films of compact-ZnO and ZnO NR with PEDOT:PSS have also been grown. The temperature-dependent thermal conductivity for both the composite films has been investigated in the temperature range of 273–353 K. The thermal conductivity of compact-ZnO/PEDOT:PSS is found to be in between 1.43–1.49 W/mK. The thermal conductivity is found to be enhanced significantly in the case of ZnO NR/PEDOT:PSS composite film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology is an emerging novel and sustainable technique for soil stabilization and remediation. MICP, a microorganism-mediated biomineralization process, has attracted interest for its potential to enhance soil characteristics. The inclusion of biochar, a carbon-rich substance formed by biomass pyrolysis, adds another degree of intricacy to this process. The study highlights the impact of the combination of biochar and MICP together, using a bacterium, Sporosarcina ureae , on soil improvement. This blend of MICP and biochar improved the soil in terms of its geotechnical properties and also enabled the sequestering of carbon safely. It was observed that addition of 4% biochar significantly increased the soil's shear strength parameters (c and φ) as well as its stiffness after 21 treatment cycles. This improvement was because the calcium carbonate precipitate, which acts as a crucial binding agent, increased significantly due to microbial action in the soil-biochar mixture compared to the pure soil sample. The excess carbonate precipitation on account of biochar addition was verified through SEM-EDAX analysis where the images showed noteworthy carbonate precipitation on the surface of particles and increment in the calcium mass at the same treatment cycles when compared with untreated sand. The collaboration between MICP and biochar effectively increased the carbon sequestration within the sand sample. It was observed that at 21 cycles of treatment, the carbon storage within the sand sample increased by almost 3 times at 4% biochar compared to sand without any biochar. The statistical analysis further affirmed that strength depends on both biochar and the number of treatment cycles, whereas carbon sequestration potential is primarily influenced by the biochar content alone. This strategy, as a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach, has the potential to reform soil improvement practices and contribute to both soil strength enhancement and climate change mitigation, supporting the maintenance of ecological balance. • Innovative approach to merge MICP method with biochar for soil strengthening. • Biochar-MICP fusion strengthens soil: cohesion up 12-fold, strength 4 times. • Combined method boosts soil carbon storage, tripling sequestration at 4% biochar. • Microstructural study confirms precipitation of enhanced carbonate precipitation. • Statistical study confirms biochar's impact on soil strength and C sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous and indiscriminate use of synthetic acaricides contribute to the development and establishment of acaricide-resistant tick populations. Monitoring of acaricide resistance in field ticks and use of suitable practices are essential for managing tick populations, infesting animals. In the present study, adult immersion test (AIT) was used for evaluation of resistance against commercially available synthetic pyrethroids (deltamethrin and cypermethrin) in Rhipicephalus microplus ticks collected from various villages of Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, India. All the eight isolates of R. microplus were found resistant with deltamethrin and their resistance factors (RFs) were between 3.91 to 57.92, whereas, seven isolates were found resistant with cypermethrin and their resistance factor ranges from 0.56 to 9.98. Lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC95), confidence intervals (CI) and slope(s) were estimated by probit analysis and the highest and lowest level of resistance appeared in Sagra Bekchera and Silpara isolates of R. microplus for both deltamethrin and cypermethrin. It was observed that of the two compounds used for tick management, the resistance to deltamethrin was comparatively higher than cypermethrin. Data generated on pyrethroid resistance status of ticks in this region will provide new insights in acaricidal resistance scenario particularly from remote areas of this region and will help in formulating suitable tick management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti-tick efficacy of eight commercially available essential oils (EOs), viz., Neem (Azadirachta indica), castor (Ricinus communis L.), lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), curry leaves (Murraya koenigii), garlic (Allium sativum), sage (Salvia officinalis), and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), was screened in vitro against Rhipicephalus microplus ticks. Each of the EOs were diluted in 2% Triton X-100 and 10% ethanol to prepare working concentrations and were tested against IVRI-I strain of Rhipicephalus microplus. The mortality, egg masses, and inhibition of oviposition (IO) were used to determine treatment effectiveness. The EOs of C. flexuosus, E. globulus, S. officinalis, and R. officinalis showed more than 95% efficacy at the tested concentrations. While, EOs of A. indica, R. communis, M. koenigii, and A. sativum were found 16–33% efficacious. Six different combinations of the most effective EOs (C. flexuosus and E. globulus) were prepared and tested for anti-tick activity. The combination C, F, and H showed 100% mortality at 4% concentration. The combination H was found more economical than ivermectin for animal treatment indication that it can be used effectively for the development of potent antitick formulation for the management of tick populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Requirement Engineering has radicalized data analytics by playing a pivotal role in planning requirements strategies and activities. It has emerged as a leading domain of software engineering that branches into 2 categories namely functional requirements (FRs) and non-functional requirements (NFRs). Functional Requirements have gained eminence and prominence while NFRs have always faced a step-sisterly treatment. It is a lit large in the literature review that NFRs are very crucial and never considered appropriately and consequently, the systems have failed. The present study presents an automated system for efficient NFRs prediction. The proposed system consists of 4 layers for the prediction of NFRs significance including Data acquisition layer (DA), feature selection and extraction layer (FSE), data extraction and mining layer (DEM), and data analysis and visualization layer (DAV). Moreover, the current research considers the probability measure of the level of NFR significance in terms of LoNFRS, which is cumulatively quantified as NFRs significance measure (NFRINDEX). NFRINDEX has been quantified for prediction purposes using an convolution neural network (CNN). Additionally, the existence of NFRs is visualized based on a self organized mapping (SOM) procedure. To validate the proposed system, a primary dataset is collected from several IT professionals and academicians. The NFRs dataset of 312 IT professionals and academicians has been gathered for 17 attributes resulting in 5304 instances. Numerous experimental simulations were performed to assess performance in terms of classification, reliability, stability, feature selection, and prediction efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued exhaustive use of chemical fertilizers and environmental changes led to a decline in soil fertility and production efficiency, which eventually results in land degradation. The application of beneficial microorganisms and organic fertilizer may be an effective measure for sustainable agriculture production. Thus, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of mineral and organic fertilizers (vermicompost/farm yard manure) supplemented with microbial inoculants on growth and soil health parameters of apple (Malus domestica cv. Oregon Spur) under medium density (4 m × 4 m) plantation. Nine integrated treatments of different combination of organic, inorganic and microbial inoculants were studied with four replications. Results revealed that plants received 75% of recommended (RD) NPK + Azospirillium had maximum increase in trunk cross section area (TCSA) and canopy volume (14.3 and 19.3%, respectively), average fruit yield (17.1 t ha−1) and production efficiency (0.92 g cm−2 TCSA) of apple during experiment period (2012–2015). Continuous 3 years of organic fertilization and microbial inoculants enhanced nutrient status of soil. Microbial biomass carbon, N and dehydrogenase activity of soil increased by 37%, 48% and 76%, respectively, in 50% of RD NPK + 25% N through FYM + 25% N through VC over control. Deviation from optimum percentage (DOP) index revealed 50% substitution of inorganic to organic fertilization (FYM and VC) is appropriate to correct deficiency of primary and secondary nutrients in leaves. Canonical correlation analysis revealed yield of apple was negatively correlated with DOP indices. In conclusion, 50% of inorganic fertilizers substituted through VC and FYM, and 25% inorganic fertilizers substituted through inoculation of Azospirillium, resulted higher fruit yield of apple in north west Himalayan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfortunately, some young authors mistakenly confuse sincere neurosurgery publications with sensational neurosurgery newspapers. Sir, Neurosurgery is a unique art! Either he is not standing in the neurosurgery theater, or what he is watching is not neurosurgery. Neurosurgery is a soul filled with a never-say-die attitude, and the surgeon's Brain is his best navigation tool to dive into the patient's diseased Brain. [Extracted from the article]

Internet of Things (IoT) technology is a revolutionary paradigm that aims to transform physical objects into connected devices that can be accessed ubiquitously. Due to heterogeneous manufacturers and supported infrastructures, IoT technology introduces a wide range of communication protocols. Device interoperability is a significant problem when two or more IoT applications are developed using different application-layer protocols. Conspicuously, a formalization of the system design is proposed using the Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach for IoT interoperability. Specifically, a comprehensive MDA-based approach is proposed that reduces the processing time and effort to develop IoT interoperable systems. Metamodel, UML profile, and transformation rules are developed to make heterogeneous application-layer protocols interoperable using devices as intermediates. The objective is to elucidate the extent to which various layers of the MDA framework are encompassed. Furthermore, the smart home-based power consumption analysis environment is presented as the application scenario. For validation purposes, the proposed model is simulated using a challenging dataset obtained from an online UCI repository. Results depict that the proposed technique is more effective as compared to state-of-the-art techniques in terms of Temporal Delay (109.68s), Data Classification Accuracy (92.06%), Statistical Efficiency (92.36%), Reliability (86.23%), and Stability (71.23%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Urea secreted in the sweat is important for skin moisture. Similarly, ocular surface moisture is maintained by the conjunctiva. Based on this, the level of urea in tear film can be used as a potential diagnostic test for dry eye disease (DED). One of the standard tests for DED is Schirmer's test (ST). The aim of this study was to compare tear film urea to values of ST. Methods Fifty patients symptomatic for DED having ST≤10 mm/5 min were enrolled in the study. Fifty age- and sex-matched asymptomatic subjects with ST>10mm/5min were taken as controls. All patients were subjected to an estimation of tear film urea, collected using micropipettes, and analyzed by an Erba Chem 5 semi-autoanalyzer. Based on the ST reading as per the Dry Eye Workshop 2007 (DEWS) classification, dry eye was classified as dry eye (≤10 mm/5 min), severe dry eye (≤5mm/5min), and very severe dry eye (≤ 2mm/5min). Tear film urea values were compared with ST values that were considered standard. Statistical analysis was done using Medcalc version 19.7. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results The mean tear film urea levels in cases were (26.78≤5.70 mg/dL) signifi- cantly lower compared with controls (41.72≤6.86 mg/dL). The area under the receiver characteristic operator curve (AUC) for tear film urea in diagnosing DED was 0.936 (p<0.0001) with a cutoff of ≤37.2mg/dL, yielding a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 76%. For diagnosing severe DED, the AUC for tear film urea was 0.824 (p<0.0001) with a cutoff value of ≤ 23.4mg/dL, yielding a sensitivity of 60.8% and a specificity of 92.59%. For diagnosis of very severe DED, the AUC for tear film urea was 0.972 (p<0.0001) with a cutoff value of ≤ 19.8mg/dL, yielding a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93.62%. On comparing ST values to tear film urea, the regression coefficient was 0.85 (p<0.0001), suggesting a linear relationship between ST and tear film urea. Conclusion The study demonstrates that tear film urea can be a potential diagnostic marker for DED. The study also indicates that tear film urea level is linearly related to Schirmer's test values and provides an approximate diagnostic cutoff level for the design of future large-scale studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only three cases of pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) of ectopic lacrimal gland mass in deep orbital location have been reported in the literature. This report describes a case of PA of the ectopic lacrimal gland situated deep in the orbit leading to proptosis, which was managed successfully by supraorbital orbitotomy via eyebrow incision. A 60-year-old female presented with complaints of gradually progressive, painless proptosis of the right eye. Imaging revealed a well-defined circumscribed mass lesion in the right orbit located predominantly in the postero-superior aspect of the globe. The patient underwent complete excision through supraorbital orbitotomy approach, using eyebrow incision. There was no clinical evidence of recurrence at eight months follow up. In orbit, PAs of the ectopic lacrimal gland are extremely rare, and the success of the treatment depends on the removal of the tumor with its capsule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medication management to monitor blood glucose levels and reduce complications has been the focus of care for this disorder. In recent research, however, glycemic regulation enhancement and avoidance of long-term complications have been driven by self-care behavior. Materials And Methods: This method was used to remove certain cases where diabetes screening was conducted using a single HbA1c test. This criteria may have contributed to the omission of such diabetes cases (i.e., people with diabetes who had not had an HbA1c test). Results: The first two columns identified the question number and a small description of the question. The table was divided by frequencies and percent correct pre-intervention and post-intervention answers. Conclusion: This study had similar conclusions as previous research studies identified in the literature. A similar longitudinal design with a larger sample size has been recommended. Health care provider education serves as a foundation for maintaining and improving the health and well-being of persons with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A study to see if scleral tunnel based sutureless extracapsular cataract extraction with superior quadrant approach can correct pre-existing corneal astigmatism in soft cataracts of non-structural protein 1 (NS1) grade nuclear sclerosis in patients of younger age profile having "with-the-rule" pattern of corneal astigmatism. Material and Methods: 47 eyes of 41 patients who underwent scleral tunnel based sutureless extracapsular cataract extraction were taken as the study group and a second group of 44 eyes of 38 patients who underwent clear corneal incision based phacoemulsification surgery formed the control group. Soft cataracts of NS1 grade nucleus having "with-the-rule" corneal astigmatism were included in the study. Keratometry measurements were done preoperatively and at 6 weeks post-operative follow-up by Zeiss IOLMaster. Results: Sutureless scleral tunnel based extracapsular cataract extraction was found to neutralize pre-existing corneal astigmatism if it was in range of 1.0-1.5 D. It was also found to change the pattern of astigmatism from "with-the-rule" to "against-the-rule" if the pre-operative astigmatism was in the range of 0.5-1.0 D with little change in the absolute value of the astigmatism. Conclusion: Patients with pre-existing with-the-rule corneal astigmatism undergoing scleral tunnel based sutureless extracapsular cataract extraction had reduced corneal astigmatism. Phacoemulsification, on the other hand, was found to be an astigmatically neutral surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

prevalent in all age group irrespective of gender, religion, ethnicity and geographical area. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a brief treatment consists of cognitive therapy, acupoint stimulation on selected meridians of the body. The EFT is a self-help therapeutic tool to reduce the distress level. However, existing literature may not be sufficient to demonstrate effectiveness of adding adjuvant therapy EFT will enhance the outcome among depressive patients along with conventional treatment. Aim: To determine effectiveness of add-on EFT on treating depression among patients with depression and to find out the effect of predictive variables on depression level. Materials and Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design, involving a control group, conducted among patients admitted in open ward for observation and treatment in Hospital for Mental Health, Vadodara, Gujarat, India, with in this study, 100 samples were selected by convenience sampling technique and data collection was done from March 2019 to July 2019. The Beck Depression Inventory was administered on 1st day to all the patients. In one group EFT was administered for 40 minutes for three consecutive days along with routine treatment. The other group {Treatment as usual (TAU) group} received only conventional treatment. Depression level was evaluated on third day after intervention by an independent assessor among both the groups. Data were analysed using frequency distribution, Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney test. Results: Total 100 subjects were included in study. Mean age (years) of EFT group was 44±12 and 42±13 among TAU group. In EFT group 24(48%) were males and 26(52%) were females; while it was 26(52%) males and 24(48%) females in TAU group. Mean depression score was 30.82±2 before intervention and after intervention it was found 27.20±4 among TAU group. Mean depression score was 30.96±3 before intervention and after intervention it came down to 24±4 in EFT group. On univariate logistic regression analysis, significant association was found with age less than 29 years {Odds Ratios (OR) 2.68; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) =0.398- 18.1}, primary education (OR 6.759; 95% CI=1.106- 41.296), secondary education (OR 2.95: 95% CI=0.56-15.66). Conclusion: Study concludes that adding EFT as an adjuvant therapy along with conventional treatment antidepressant and psychotherapy will enhance the outcome of depression level among patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The role of cardioplegia cannot be underrated in cardiac surgery. St Thomas solution is the most widely used cardioplegic, but needs repeated dosing. Del Nido solution provides long duration of asystole with adequate protection; but has been used mainly in paediatric patients. This study was aimed to compare Del Nido cardioplegia with St Thomas cardioplegia in adult cardiac surgeries, requiring double valve replacement and compare the outcomes. Methodology: This retrospective, observational, descriptive study was conducted over a time period spanning from January 2016 to December 2019. A total of 209 patients were included and were separated in two groups DC group (n = 114) and BC group (n = 95) on the basis of cardioplegic solution used. Del Nido solution was administered as single dose. Parameters noted were CPB time, cross clamp time, wean off bypass time, DC shocks given, inotropic support required, ventilation duration, duration of ICU and hospital stay. Results: There was significantly shorter aortic cross clamp time (72.6 ± 10.2 vs. 98.2 ± 9.2), CPB time (92.1 ± 12.3 vs.129.5 ± 11) and wean off bypass time (19.4 ± 5.9 vs. 31.3 ± 7.6) and less requirement of DC shocks (21.2% vs. 65.9%) in DC group. Inotropic requirement in immediate post-operative period was significantly less in DC group both on day of surgery (5.35 ± 1.44 vs. 7.52 ± 3.8) and 24 hours later (3.4 ± 2.12 vs. 2.18 ± 0.72). There was no significant difference in duration of ventilation, ICU and hospital stay. Conclusion: Del Nido can be used safely in long duration adult cardiac surgeries and in a single dose with better intra operative and immediate post-operative outcomes as compared to St Thomas solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is lot of stress and stress associated mental illness among the traffic police fraternity. Many environmental factors are responsible for this development. Measurement of the stress levels and implementation of coping strategies are very important to maintain the health of the traffic police. Aim: To assess the level of stress, depression, coping strategy and respiratory health status of traffic police at Anand district, Gujarat. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by the Department of Mental Health Nursing, Manikaka Topawala Institute of Nursing, Charotar University of Science and Technology, Anand, Gujarat, India from December 2019 to February 2020. Validated tool Job Stress Scale, standardised tool beck depression inventory, coping strategy scale were used to assess the level of stress, depression and coping strategy respectively. Spirometer was used to assess respiratory function. Analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software version 20.0 and Spirometry Longitudinal Data Analysis (SPIROLA) software version 3.0.3. Results: The study reveals that majority (69%) of the traffic police were facing extreme stress, 11% of traffic police were suffering from mild mood disorder, 73%were having adequate coping skills, 88%were non smokers and 97% traffic police were not using any substances, 65% demonstrated expiratory Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) of 2.6%-3.5%, 66% demonstrate 2.6%-3.5% forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1), 76% experiences 96-100 FEV1/FVC ratio1, 53% experience 6%-8% peak expiratory flow. Pulmonary function test found to be normal however, it is declined in smokers comparative to non smokers. Conclusion: The study concludes that stress and depression were observed in traffic police which they were managing with adaptive coping strategy. However, pulmonary function is found normal in comparing to predictive value, necessary precautions need to be taken by Traffic Police Department by offering protective device like mask to decrease the respiratory health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working Memory provides a mental workspace for tasks requiring both processing and storage. Working memory is a cognitive system whose essential function is to facilitate and beautify the potential of encoding, storage, and retrieval functions that are imperative for gaining knowledge and processing of facts. It has been prompted that various mediations applied within day-today contexts of children have the potential to improve working memory and generate transfer to real-world skills, anyway little is known about the effectiveness of these interventions among children. This review focuses to detect deliberately the adequacy of intervention or interventional package on working memory performance of children to identify their effects on Working Memory, advantages extended to near-and far-transfer capability of interventions, and gains sustained overtime and dosage of it. Literature searches were conducted across 10 electronic data bases using consistent keywords. Papers were screened by title and abstract (n=964) and judged against predefined eligibility criteria (n=63). Eighteen papers were included in the appraisal. Different working memory interventional approaches were included such as adapting the surroundings to decrease working memory loads; direct working memory training with and without tactics mandate and coaching competencies which circuitously effect on working memory (athletics, lexical apprehension, astonishing man-made play, and self-possession). Both direct training on working memory undertakings and rehearsing certain abilities that may likewise affect randomly on working memory which delivered refinement on working memory errands. Hardly, any research articulated dosage impact, estimated outlying shift of outcomes (n=4), or tried the solidness of valid statements after added time (n=4). The absence of an unmistakable hypothetical structure brought about uncertain forecasts about instructing and switch impacts. Methodological difficulties likewise compel the intensity of the proof, including: small-scale sample sizes; oversight of blinding of members and result assessors; and shortfall of active control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picroside-I, andrographolide and silybin exhibit manifold biological activities, present as bioactive components in Picrorhiza kurroa (roots), Andrographis paniculata (aerial parts) and Silybum marianum (seeds), respectively. A validated HPTLC method was developed for the simultaneous determination of picroside-I, andrographolide and silybin in the combined hydroalcoholic extract of the plants as per ICH guidelines. On silica gel F254 HPTLC plates, the combined hydroalcoholic extract of plants and standard solutions were applied. The plates were run in twin chamber consisting n-butanol: glacial acetic acid: water (6:1:3, v/v/v) as a mobile phase and documented at 254 and 366 nm using Camag TLC scanner III with WinCATS software. The analysis revealed that a good linear relationship was established between response (peak area) and amount in the range of 60–600 ng/spot. The LOD (ng/spot) and LOQ (ng/spot) for estimation of picroside-I, andrographolide and silybin were found to be 15.089, 21.969, 25.702 and 45.725, 66.573, 77.885, respectively. Recovery experiments showed 97.75–103.74%, 99.75–101.12% and 98.96–101.69% for picroside-I, andrographolide and silybin, respectively. The HPTLC method showed good linearity, recovery and high precision of all the three bioactive components, which can be applied for the routine analysis of polyherbal formulations containing these plants as their ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that T-2 toxin has cytotoxic radiomimetic like effects on the immune system. Because of scant research data demonstrating the chronic effects of low doses of the T-2 toxin on humoral and cellular responses in rats, the present experiment was undertaken. The animals were divided into four groups, namely, group I (0.5 ppm), group II (0.75 ppm) and group III (1.0 ppm) and group IV (control) were given toxin-free diet for 12 weeks and eight animals each were sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12-week of the experimental period. The humoral immune response was evaluated based on hemagglutination test (HA), and levels of serum immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) while the cell-mediated immune response was evaluated by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to ovalbumin, lymphocyte stimulation index, analyses of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes and mRNA expression levels of selected cytokines like IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 by quantitative Real-time PCR in experimental groups. T-2 treatment caused suppression in both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses as evidenced by a decrease in all these parameters in toxin fed animals compared to the control in the dose and duration-dependent manner. This dose-dependent effect on the immune system has been further reflected largely by the depletion of lymphocytes from lymphoid organs as observed histopathologically in the spleen, thymus, and Peyer's patches in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parthenium hysterophorus, a noxious weed of tropical America, had relocated to Indian plains and rapidly encroached on northwestern Himalayas Mountain regions. Earlier, the plant was primarily found in wastelands, but it now thrives in cultivated fields, pastures, and roadsides. Parthenium weed threatens human and animal health, destroys vegetation, lowers the diversity of native plant groups and causes significant financial damage to individuals and their significance in numerous nations worldwide. Parthenin, a sesquiterpene lactone found in P. hysterophorus, is harmful to livestock and poses a serious health risk to people, e.g., dermatitis and skin rashes, emaciation, tissue rupturing, internal organ haemorrhages and death are the hazardous side effects. Several studies are being conducted to determine the most efficient and reasonable method to control this harmful weed worldwide, including physical, chemical and biological ones. The study revealed that biocontrol of P. hysterophorus was a costeffective, safe and viable technique and poses no threat to non-target organisms, environment and biodiversity, e.g., some allelopathic plants are used to curb the growth of congress grass. The combined effects of biocontrol agents like insects, fungi, nematodes, snails, slugs, and competitive plants decrease the density and vigour of congress grass and increase its production. The work done over the past 20 years on screening and evaluating both insect and fungal agents and the actual and potential employment of natural enemies as traditional biological control agents has been discussed. The study concludes that biological control, because of its affordability, environmental safety and sustainability, could be a significant constituent of an effective strategy for managing weed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study was carried out to investigate the micrometrical characteristics of oviduct in adult goats during follicular and luteal phases of the estrous cycle. Study revealed that the mucosa of oviduct of goat was highly folded during both the phases. The number, height, and thickness of the primary mucosal folds were more during follicular phase and the values of these parameters were decreased significantly from infundibulum to isthmus. The lining epithelium of all the segments of goat oviduct was pseudostratified columnar, with ciliated and non-ciliated cell, during both phases of the estrous cycle. The average height of the epithelium was higher during the luteal phase and showed a decreasing pattern from the infundibulum to the isthmus during both the phases. The thickness of propria submucosa was higher in luteal phase and difference was significant only in isthmus segment. Thickness of tunica muscularis of all parts of oviduct was significantly higher in luteal phase than the follicular phase. The thickness of propria submucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica serosa increased significantly from infundibulum to isthmus during both the phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Epilepsy is a neurological condition in which child has a recurrent seizure. It results in imbalance of neurotransmitter. It has an impact on various aspects of a child like physical, social, behaviour, psychological and intellectual. Epilepsy is one of the common disease which present among children. Existing Quality of Life (QOL) tool do not cover the issues significant to Indian children. Aim: To develop a QOL tool for children diagnosed with epilepsy. Materials and Methods: This study was a sequential exploratory mixed method study. It included qualitative and quantitative study. In qualitative phase, the information was collected by using in-depth interview of participants. Interview data were analysed by using conventional content analysis method and themes, subthemes were created. On the basis of it, a pool of items for the questionnaire was developed. In quantitative phase, psychometric property of the questionnaire was evaluated by using face, content and constructs validity. The reliability of tool assessed by internal consistency and Cronbach's alpha. Total 15 and 20 subjects were involved in qualitative and quantitative phase respectively. Results: Qualitative method consist of 3 steps-in-depth review of literature, participant's interview and expert opinion. At the end of phase I, a draft of 84 questionnaires as item pool generation developed. In phase 2, an expert panel reviewed 84 items for relevance, language, wording and duplication. 30 items were deleted on the basis of expert opinion, Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI). Now, 54 items were administered to 20 participants. Based on the participants responses investigator draw a scree plot based on eigen value of above 1. These 5 domains explained 76.42 % of the total variance. Total 9 items were deleted from pool of 54 items on the basis of item total correlation coefficient and interitem correlation. Final 45 items were classified as per specific domain. The final draft had a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.876. Conclusion: Majority of QOL tool are not applicable to Indian population due to geographical and cultural differences. So the aim of this study was to develop a tool which benefited to Indian population. In this study, the final draft consists of 5 components with 45 items as per analysis. This newly developed tool will help the health care provider to assess the QOL of epileptic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bryophytes are potent metal absorbers, thriving well on heavy metal (HM)-polluted soils. Mechanisms controlling uptake, compartmentalization and impacts of HMs on bryophytes life cycle are largely unknown. The current study is an effort to decipher mechanisms of nickel (Ni) excess-induced effects on the phenological events of two bryophytes, Asterella wallichiana and Plagiochasma apendiculatum growing in natural habitats. Observations revealed Ni-excess induced negative impacts on abundance, frequency of occurrence of reproductive organs, population viability and morphological traits, spore viability and physiological attributes of both the liverworts. Results led us conclude that P. appendiculatum survived better with the lowest impact on its life cycle events than A. wallichiana under Ni excess in natural habitats. Our findings collectively provide insights into the previously unknown mechanisms of Ni-induced responses in liverworts with respect to phenological attributes, as well as demonstrate the potential of P. appendiculatum to survive better in Ni excess habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the use of urease-producing bacteria for microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) to enhance the mechanical properties of coal fly ash (CFA). Sporosarcina pasteurii was employed to treat CFA with cementation solutions over 7, 14, and 28 days. Biotreated samples exhibited improved compressive strength, shear strength, stiffness, and cohesion. Calcite precipitation increased, and permeability decreased with treatment cycles, resulting in a 78% reduction in permeability and 8% calcite precipitation in a 28-day cycle. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations support the improved engineering properties of bioengineered coal fly ash (BCFA) samples. • Coal fly ash was mixed with ureolytic bacteria and cementation solutions under controlled conditions. • Significant improvement observed in compressive strength, shear strength and stiffness of bioengineered coal fly ash. • More calcite precipitation and lower permeability with an increase in the biotreatment cycles. • Successful stabilisation of coal ash by bio-modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The human body is a home to more than 1 trillion microbes with a diverse variety of commensal microbes that play a crucial role towards the health of the individual. These microbes occupy different habitats such as gut, skin, vagina, oral etc. Not only the types and abundance of microbes are different in different organs, but also these may differ in different individuals. The genome of these microbiota and their ecosystem constitute to form a microbiome. Factors such as diet, environment, host genetics etc. may be the reason behind the wide microbial diversity. A number of studies performed on human microbiome have revealed that microbiota present in healthy and diseased individuals are distinct. Altered microbiome is many a times the reason behind the overexpression of genes which may cause complex diseases including cancer. Manipulation of the human microbiome can be done by microbial supplements such as probiotics or synbiotics, diet or prebiotics and microbial suppression strategies using antibiotics. Recent advances in genome sequencing technologies and metagenomic analysis provide us the broader understanding of these commensal microbes and highlighting the distinctive features of microbiome during healthy and disease states. Molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE) studies have been very helpful in providing insights into the pathological process behind disease evolution and progression by determining the specific etiological factors. New emerging field of research targets the microbiome for therapeutic purposes by which personalized medicines can be made for treating various types of tumors. Screening programmes might be helpful in identifying patients who are at the verge of developing cancer and in delivering appropriate approaches according to individual risk modes so that disease could be prevented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous-oxide emission and nitrate addition from agriculture to earth's environment are two main agriculture related anthropogenic causes of environmental degradation that needs greater attention. For addressing the aforesaid issue, new techniques/practices need to be developed and implemented. The present investigation, which was focused on this issue, resulted in developing a new mode of nitrogen (N) placement, i.e. 'mid rib placement upper to corms in two splits (MRPU-2S)', that could reduce nitrous oxide N emission by around 70.11% and, nitrate N leaching and runoff by around 68.26 and 67.09%, respectively, over conventional method, in saffron growing soils of northwest Himalayas. Besides plummeting environmental degradation, MRPU-2S further resulted in enhancing saffron yield by 33.33% over conventional method. The findings of the present investigation were used to develop new empirical models for predicting saffron yield, nitrate N leaching and nitrous-oxide N emission. The threshold limits of nitrate N leaching and nitrous oxide N emission have also been reported exclusively in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing complexity of ventral incisional hernias being operated on, the treatment strategy has also evolved to obtain optimal results. Hybrid ventral hernia repair is a promising technique in management of complex/difficult ventral incisional hernias. The aim of this article is to review the literature and analyse the results of hybrid technique in management of ventral incisional hernia and determine its clinical status and ascertain its role. We reviewed the literature on hybrid technique for incisional ventral hernia repair on PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar database published between 2002 and 2019 and out of 218 articles screened, 10 studies were included in the review. Selection of articles was in accordance with the PRISMA guideline. Variables analysed were seroma, wound infection, chronic pain and recurrence. Qualitative analysis of the variables was carried out. In this systematic review, the incidence of complications associated within this procedure were seroma formation (5.47%), wound infections (6.53%) and chronic pain (4.49%). Recurrence was seen in 3.29% of patients. Hybrid ventral hernia repair represents a natural evolution in advancement of hernia repair. The judicious use of hybrid repair in selected patients combines the safety of open surgery with several advantages of the laparoscopic approach with favourable surgical outcomes in terms of recurrence, seroma and incidence of chronic pain. However, larger multi-centric prospective studies with long term follow up is required to standardise the technique and to establish it as a procedure of choice for this complex disease entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We first introduce a natural definition of the pointwise PR-pseudo-slant submanifolds M in para-Kahler manifolds M and then investigate the existence of M by presenting some numerical examples. Finally, we derive some necessary and sufficient conditions for the integrability and foliation of the distributions involved with the definition of such submanifolds in M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

8503071 7 Schmedt CG, Sauerland S, Bittner R. Comparison of endoscopic procedures vs Lichtenstein and other open mesh repair techniques for inguinal hernia repair: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Leading Hernia Societies globally (International Endo-Hernia Society IEHS, European Hernia Society EHS, Asia Pacific hernia Society APHS, The HerniaSurge Group) continue to advocate endo-laparoscopic hernia repair in appropriate settings. Comparison of conventional anterior surgery and laparoscopic surgery for inguinal-hernia repair. Endo-laparoscopic surgery rates for inguinal hernia repair vary from 0 to 55% in some high resource countries. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The use of minimally invasive approaches in the management of cerebral aneurysms continues to evolve and a purely endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) for cerebral aneurysm has its own advantages. The purpose of the present study is to perform a detailed anatomical dissection study to test the usefulness of the extended EEAs for selected anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm. Materials and Methods: Nine human cadaveric heads were used for this study, and all dissections were performed through the endonasal corridor. Endoscopic endonasal surgical dissections were carried out, and surgery was simulated in all specimens to reach the ACoA region. The ACoA complex, its neural and osseous relations, degree of vascular exposure, and the ability to perform clip placement were observed and analyzed. Results: The transplanum and transtuberculum approaches exposed the A1 and A2 segments of the anterior cerebral artery and the ACoA in all specimens. This route allowed clip ligation of the distal A1 branches, ACoA and proximal A2 branches to the level of the pericallosal segment. Proximal and distal control was most readily achievable at the level of the ACoA complex. Conclusion: The present cadaveric study on nine specimens with bilateral dissection has demonstrated that the endonasal transplanum transtuberculum approach to the ACoA region provides excellent visualization of the vasculature. When selected prudently, such lesions may be favorable targets for an extended endoscopic endonasal (EEA) in comparison to transcranial approaches that may provide a suboptimal exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cancer is the second commonest explanation for death subsequent to heart diseases and it represented 8.8 million deaths worldwide during 2015. Quality of Life (QOL) is all about personal satisfaction, degree or the standard to which an individual, gathering of individuals or community people can appreciates the significant inclination and experience of life like physically, mentally, socially, etc. Aim: To identify the existing tools or instrument for QOL among chemotherapy patients. Materials and Methods: A systematic search of literature for QOL tool among chemotherapy patients was conducted. Electronic databases were looked: Pubmed, proquest, PsycINFC Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINHAL). Results: Researcher found 673 research papers from electronic data base: from that 353 articles were excluded bases on exclusion criteria. So total retrieved articles were 320 among all 51 duplicate articles, 88 No full text available, 58 not relevant and 47 abstracts were excluded. Final retrieved articles were 75; among them 38 full articles were excluded based on inclusion criteria. Finally, according to 38 studies, out of 14 investigations utilised European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QOL-C 30) survey, four studies used the Health Related Quality Of Life (HRQOL) tool, four studies used World Health Organisation Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) is a self-report questionnaire which assesses 4 domains of quality of life (QOL): physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment, Twelve studies used self administered questionnaire, four studies used other method like face to face validity, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) etc. The most-normally utilised instrument was a QOL tool for use in universal clinical preliminaries in oncology having a place with EORTC QOL C-30 survey, HRQOL tool and WHO BREF tool. Conclusion: In this review study variety of instruments has been used by the researcher that explores the QOL of chemotherapy patients. The significance of psychometric properties of the instruments and its effect on discoveries rising up out of various examinations, it appears to be fundamental that more thought be paid to the validity and reliability of tool before conducting the research studies. Literature suggested that the analysts contribute enough consideration regarding the choice of standard instruments and organise the instruments' validity and reliability of their outlook explores. Finding of study suggested that tools along with ideal psychometrics properties which were good with the socio-cultural setting of particular country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida is a kind of yeast that exists in the human body also and can cause infections if it grows in high amount. Solanum surattens also known as Solanum xanthocarpum is distributed to plains/lower hill region of India. The study was to assess invitro antifungal activity of methanolic root extract of Solanum surattens against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei and Candida tropicali. Candidiasis is the most common infections. Based on the results, methanolic root extract of Solanum surattens might be a promising antifungal agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we prove that there are no non-trivial PR-semi-slant warped product submanifolds with proper slant coefficients in para-Kahler manifolds M. We also present a numerical example that illustrates the existence of a PR-warped product submanifold in M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the major cause of deaths in women worldwide. Detection and treatment of breast cancer at earlier stages of the disease has shown encouraging results. Modern genomic technologies facilitated several therapeutic options however the diagnosis of the disease at an advanced stage claim more deaths. Therefore more research directed towards genomics and proteomics into this area may lead to novel biomarkers thereby enhancing the survival rates in breast cancer patients. Phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway was shown to be hyperactivated in most of the breast carcinomas resulting in excessive growth, proliferation, and tumor development. Development of nanotechnology has provided many interesting avenues to target the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway both at the pre-clinical and clinical stages. Therefore, the current review summarizes the underlying mechanism and the importance of targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, novel biomarkers and use of nanotechnological interventions in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3D numerical study on coolability of heat generating core debris by multiple passive jets in a liquid metal pool has been carried out. The computational domain considered is a cylindrical enclosure, which resembles the lower plenum of a typical 500 MW LMFBR. The plenum has provisions to ensure the coolability of the core debris resulting from the hypothetical core disruptive accident. The arrangement avoids settlement of core debris on the main vessel and ensures safe retention of destroyed core on core catcher within the main vessel. The enclosure is filled with liquid sodium and is considered as an incompressible fluid. The transient form of governing equations for flow and heat transfer are solved numerically. The k − ε model is used for closing RANS equations while the pressure velocity coupling is done by PISO algorithm to obtain smooth convergence. The developed model is validated against benchmark results on natural convection in low Prandtl fluid available in the literature and also using in-house experimental data. The Rayleigh number based on heat generation rates is varied from 1012 to 1015. Different orientations and angles of passive cooling pipes with time dependent heat generation rate are analyzed. Three different bend angles viz 90°, 135° and 180° with bend orientations of inward, outward and opposite are considered. Also, the influence of central chimney on heat removal is brought out clearly. The fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics are described using isotherms, velocity vectors and in terms of Nusselt number. It is found that cooling pipes with 1800 bend having inward orientation provides favorable cooling capability over all other configurations. The central chimney is found to have profound influence in the heat removal from heat source. A useful correlation for Nusselt number is also proposed for thermal design purposes. • A 3-D turbulent natural convection analysis in a cylindrical enclosure. • Cooling of heat generating debris bed by multiple passive jets. • Effect of orientations and angles of cooling pipes on coolability of corium. • A correlation for Nusselt number is proposed for design purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • SARS-CoV-2 mediated cytokine storm is associated with the mortality and morbidity of COVID-19 patients. The key cytokines implicated in the onset of disease severity include TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-1β, GM-CSF, and G-CSF. • This review emphasizes the role of GM-CSF and G-CSF in COVID-19. • Emerging therapeutic interventions involve antibodies against TNF-α and IFN-γ, blocking IL-1 production, anti-IL-6 receptor antagonists, JAK-STAT inhibitors, and employment of mesenchymal stem cells and therapeutic plasma exchange. COVID-19 has claimed millions of lives during the last 3 years since initial cases were reported in Wuhan, China, in 2019. Patients with COVID-19 suffer from severe pneumonia, high fever, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and multiple-organ dysfunction, which may also result in fatality in extreme cases. Cytokine storm (CS) is hyperactivation of the immune system, wherein the dysregulated production of proinflammatory cytokines could result in excessive immune cell infiltrations in the pulmonary tissues, resulting in tissue damage. The immune cell infiltration could also occur in other tissues and organs and result in multiple organs' dysfunction. The key cytokines implicated in the onset of disease severity include TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-1β, GM-CSF, and G-CSF. Controlling the CS is critical in treating COVID-19 disease. Therefore, different strategies are employed to mitigate the effects of CS. These include using monoclonal antibodies directed against soluble cytokines or the cytokine receptors, combination therapies, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, therapeutic plasma exchange, and some non-conventional treatment methods to improve patient immunity. The current review describes the role/s of critical cytokines in COVID-19-mediated CS and the respective treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, livestock owners manage tick infestations using chemicals, but the method is increasingly losing effectiveness as resistant tick populations have established in the field conditions. Thus, to develop effective tick management strategies, monitoring of resistance in most predominant tick species, Rhipicephalus microplus was targeted. The ticks were collected from eleven districts of Madhya Pradesh and one district of Punjab and tested against deltamethrin (DLM), cypermethrin (CYP), coumaphos (CMP), ivermectin (IVM) and fipronil (FIP), through adult immersion and larval packet tests. The field isolates were highly resistant to DLM [Resistance factor (RF) = 3.98–38.84]. Against CYP, resistance was observed in BWN (Barwani; RF = 2.81) and MND (Mandsaur; RF = 3.23) isolates. Surprisingly, most of the isolates were susceptible to CMP (0.34–1.58). Emerging level of resistance against IVM (1.05–4.98) and FIP (0.40–2.18) was also observed in all the isolates. Significantly elevated production of esterases (p < 0.01) was 90% correlated with RF of DLM while no positive correlation between production of monooxygenase and Glutathione S-transferase with RF to DLM was noted. Multiple sequence analysis of S4-5 linker region of the sodium channel gene of all the isolates revealed a point mutation at 190th position (C190A) which is associated with DLM resistance. Treatment of resistant LDH (Ludhiana) isolate with IVM resulted in upregulation of RmABCC2 gene and insignificant upregulation of RmABCC1 and RmABCB10 genes indicating the probability of linking IVM resistance with over-expression of RmABCC2 gene. The possible tick management strategies are discussed. [Display omitted] • Use of deltamethrin for tick management in Madhya Pradesh is to be restricted. • The OP compound, coumaphos can be reintroduced. • Over-expression of RmABCC2 gene was noted in Ivermectin resistant ticks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]