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Abstract Liver cancer is one of the main causes of cancer-related mortality globally. It is a rising threat with over 700,000 deaths and 800,000 new cases annually. To tackle this, deep learning (DL) artificial intelligence (AI) tools have been researched extensively to create predictive models that aid in the early diagnosis and classification of liver cancers. The liver, however, is prone to metastasis from various gastrointestinal cancers, making it difficult to correctly classify tumors present in the organ. This paper is a thorough systematic evaluation of several published studies that used deep learning algorithms to diagnose, classify, and predict common liver tumors, including but not limited to Hepatocellular carcinoma and Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Articles selected in this review have been published between 2016 and 2024 from Google Scholar, Research Gate, Science Direct, IEEE Xplore, Springer Link, and other resources as per the PRISMA guidelines. Amongst these, the highest recorded accuracy was 99.38%, with other studies showing close results at 97% and below. The highest recorded sensitivity was 100%. Selected studies were also analyzed based on their choice of dataset, DL algorithm, and preprocessing techniques. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography (CT) are by far the preferred medium for imaging data because of their high resolution; however, CT is used more often because it’s cheaper and provides a better view of extrahepatic space. Genetic datasets showed great potential in differentiating between primary and secondary liver cancers. Nonetheless, several gaps were identified across the current literature. The problem of accurately differentiating cancer types in the liver still persists. However, the use of 3D imaging datasets aids in this significantly. Though, it is clear that 3D datasets are underutilized. Dynamic imaging is also beneficial and should be considered more often. For future research, we strongly recommend the use of Gaussian Mixture Model, Watershed Transform, Sparsity classification, DLIR and Siamese algorithms as they each showed promising results. Lastly, we have shown a benchmark framework for a predictive AI model that can be referred to develop future models. Though numerous past methods have produced excellent prediction results, the prevalence of liver cancer-related deaths has not yet been reduced. To address the difficulties in the field of cancer prediction, more thorough research is required, along with the development of more efficient decision support systems using deep learning.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening genetic disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR gene. This leads to a defective protein that impairs chloride transport, resulting in thick mucus buildup and chronic inflammation in the airways. The review discusses current and future therapeutic approaches for CFTR dysfunction and airway dysbiosis in the era of personalized medicine. Personalized medicine has revolutionized CF treatment with the advent of CFTR modulator therapies that target specific genetic mutations. These therapies have significantly improved patient outcomes, slowing disease progression, and enhancing quality of life. It also highlights the growing recognition of the airway microbiome’s role in CF pathogenesis and discusses strategies to modulate the microbiome to further improve patient outcomes. This review discusses various therapeutic approaches for cystic fibrosis (CFTR) mutations, including adenovirus gene treatments, nonviral vectors, CRISPR/cas9 methods, RNA replacement, antisense-oligonucleotide-mediated DNA-based therapies, and cell-based therapies. It also introduces airway dysbiosis with CF and how microbes influence the lungs. The review highlights the importance of understanding the cellular and molecular causes of CF and the development of personalized medicine to improve quality of life and health outcomes.

The monomorphic, non-cyclic, extracellular haemoprotozoan parasite, Trypanosoma evansi leads to Surra disease in domesticated animals. Currently, diminazene aceturate (DA) and isometamidium chloride (ISM) are the most used chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of Surra in animals. There is still little knowledge on the anti- trypanosomal mechanism of action of DA and ISM. The work addresses a significant gap in the understanding of the anti-typanosomal mechanism of DA and ISM by investigating their effects on mRNA expression profiles of 13 genes of T. evansi. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DA and ISM for a pony isolate of T. evansi was estimated as 335.3 nM and 308.6 nM, respectively. Transcript analysis of DA and ISM exposed T. evansi population showed its effects on the metabolic machinery of T. evansi by down-regulating the mRNA expression of all the 13 targeted genes. However, ISM exposure did not affect mRNA expression of Expression site-associated genes 8 (ESAG8), oligopeptidase B and ornithine decarboxylase genes. The finding provides valuable insights into the molecular action of these drugs, which is crucial for developing more effective treatment of Surra disease. Further, comprehensive transcriptome and proteomic analysis could provide a deeper insight into precise molecular pathway of these medications against T. evansi.

There is a critical gap in knowledge about how Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, using survival strategies developed for other niches, cause lethal bacteremia. Facultative anaerobic species of the Enterobacterales order are the most common cause of Gram-negative bacteremia, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Citrobacter freundii, and Enterobacter hormaechei. Bacteremia often leads to sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from unregulated immune responses to infection. Despite a lack of specialization for this host environment, Gram-negative pathogens cause nearly half of bacteremia cases annually. Based on our existing Tn-Seq fitness factor data from a murine model of bacteremia combined with comparative genomics of the five Enterobacterales species above, we prioritized 18 conserved fitness genes or operons for further characterization. Mutants were constructed for all genes in all five species. Each mutant was used to cochallenge C57BL/6 mice via tail vein injection along with each respective wild-type strain to determine competitive indices for each fitness gene. Five fitness factor genes, when mutated, attenuated mutants in four or five species in the spleen and liver (tatC, ruvA, gmhB, wzxE, arcA). Five additional fitness factor genes or operons were validated as outcompeted by wild-type in three, four, or five bacterial species in the spleen (xerC, prc, apaGH, atpG, aroC). Overall, 17 of 18 fitness factor mutants were attenuated in at least one species in the spleen or liver. Together, these findings allow for the development of a model of bacteremia pathogenesis that may include future targets of therapy against bloodstream infections.

The stability of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a crucial requirement in real-time applications such as military, defense, and other surveillance systems. Clustering in WSNs is one of the most predominant techniques, offering benefits such as minimizing communication time, optimizing energy utilization, lengthening the network lifespan, and ensuring network stability. Moreover, achieving the balance between energy consumption and maintaining network stability is significantly influenced by the cluster size. This research paper addresses the challenges associated with clustered-based routing and cluster formation paradigm, introducing a novel algorithm employing the principle of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). In particular, the proposed algorithm integrates a hybrid strategy of Self Organizing Map (SOM) and K-mean clustering to form energy-efficient clusters, even ensuring the energy distribution evenly among them. The validity of the proposed algorithm has been confirmed through experimental analysis conducted using MATLAB. The simulation results demonstrate that the hybrid combination of SOM and K-means clustering is highly efficient in minimizing energy consumption and maintaining network stability. The findings also reveal an average of 80% stable network lifetime and achieve a packet reception ratio (PRR) of 98% which is much higher than two other protocols i.e. LEACH and MODLEACH protocols.

Number theorists believe that primes play a central role in Number theory and that solving problems related to primes could lead to the resolution of many other unsolved conjectures, including the prime k-tuples conjecture. This paper aims to demonstrate the existence of this conjecture for admissible k-tuples in a positive proportion. The authors achieved this by refining the methods of “Goldston, Pintz and Yildirim” and “James Maynard” for studying bounded gaps between primes and prime k-tuples. These refinements enabled to overcome the previous limitations and restrictions and to show that for a positive proportion of admissible k-tuples, there is the existence of the prime k-tuples conjecture holding for each “k”. The significance of this result is that it is unconditional which means it is proved without assuming any form of strong conjecture like the Elliott–Halberstam conjecture

Flash flood in the Himalayan River has made some catastrophic effects on the life people residing in its river banks mainly associated with extreme rainfall events/cloud bursts/the collapse of moraine-dammed lakes which significantly leads to rapid flooding and subsequently disaster in low laying areas. In the present study, we used different equations to determine the flash flood potential index(FFPI) and further, an improved Modified Flash Flood Potential Index (MFFPI) equation has been used to estimate the area with a predisposition to water accumulation. Various thematic layers prepared in the Geographic Information System (GIS) environment and integrated by providing proper weightage to each thematic layer i.e., slope, profile curvature, soil texture, geology and Land Use Land Cover (LULC), flow accumulation, slope, and profile curvature, etc. The MFFPI equation-derived map of Tawi Basin is classified into five zones such as very high hazard (100.40 km2), high hazard (971.60 km2), medium hazard (92.78 km2), low hazard (634.03 km2) and the very low hazard (254.61 km2) areas. Further, the results of the MFFPI were validated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based flood hazard zonation results which shows a very high correlation and similar trends of spatial and areal distribution with the MFFPI. The results of this study are quite useful for the local administration for futuristic planning and management of flood hazards in the Tawi River Basin and many other basins of similar terrain around the world.

Introduction As we have seen from the previous health emergencies, most recently the COVID-19 pandemic, public health education is often the first line of defense in any disease prevention. Through a short educational video intervention, this study aims to improve the awareness regarding COVID-19 infection control practices to be followed in a clinical laboratory.

In this paper, for the first time, the Laplace Homotopy Perturbation Method (LHPM), which is the coupling of the Laplace transform and the Homotopy Perturbation Method, is employed to solve non-linear time-fractional Klein-Gordon (TFKG) equations. In other words, for the first time in literature, LHPM is used to solve non-linear TFKG equations. First of all, the procedure of LHPM on TFKG with Caputo fractional derivative is developed. Further, the developed approach of LHPM on TFKG is used for two different examples. This in turn proves the versatile nature of the proposed method. In addition, the validity of the approach is proved by comparing the numerical solutions of both examples with their exact solution. Finally, the comparison of relative errors calculated in each example proves the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method on TFKG equations.

Abstract The inherent nonlinear magnetization dynamics in spintronic devices make them suitable candidates for neuromorphic hardware. Among spintronic devices, spin torque oscillators such as spin transfer torque oscillators and spin Hall oscillators have shown the capability to perform recognition tasks. In this paper, with the help of micromagnetic simulations, we model and demonstrate that the magnetization dynamics of a single spin Hall oscillator can be nonlinearly transformed by harnessing input pulse streams and can be utilized for classification tasks. The spin Hall oscillator utilizes the microwave spectral characteristics of its magnetization dynamics for processing a binary data input. The spectral change due to the nonlinear magnetization dynamics assists in real-time feature extraction and classification of 4-binary digit input patterns. The performance was tested for the classification of the standard MNIST handwritten digit data set and achieved an accuracy of 83.1% in a simple linear regression model. Our results suggest that modulating time-driven input data can generate diverse magnetization dynamics in the spin Hall oscillator that can be suitable for temporal or sequential information processing.

Brachytherapy treatment is primarily used for the certain handling kinds of cancerous tumors. Using radionuclides for the study of tumors has been studied for a very long time, but the introduction of mathematical models or radiobiological models has made treatment planning easy. Using mathematical models helps to compute the survival probabilities of irradiated tissues and cancer cells. With the expansion of using HDR-High dose rate Brachytherapy and LDR-low dose rate Brachytherapy for the treatment of cancer, it requires fractionated does treatment plan to irradiate the tumor. In this paper, authors have discussed dose calculation algorithms that are used in Brachytherapy treatment planning. Precise and less time-consuming calculations using 3D dose distribution for the patient is one of the important necessities in modern radiation oncology. For this it is required to have accurate algorithms which help in TPS. There are certain limitations with the algorithm which are used for calculating the dose. This work is done to evaluate the correctness of five algorithms that are presently employed for treatment planning, including pencil beam convolution (PBC), superposition (SP), anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA), Monte Carlo (MC), Clarkson Method, Fast Fourier Transform, Convolution method. The algorithms used in radiotherapy treatment planning are categorized as correction‐based and model‐based.

Acral lick dermatitis (ALD) is a chronic irritating skin disease in dogs caused by excessive licking of specified skin areas. The objective of the present study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and diagnostic approach and to classify the possible etiologies of ALD in dogs. Case investigation forALD included a recording of thorough history presenting, clinical signs and signs associated with the lesion, laboratory and orthopedic investigations, cytological examination, and biopsy/histopathology and hematology. Among the dermatological cases, the overall prevalence of ALD was 7.27%. Prevalence of ALD was higher in young (1-3years) age group dogs predominantly in male dogs during winter months with temperature

Abstract Biofilms are assemblages of sessile microorganisms that form an extracellular matrix around themselves and mediate attachment to surfaces. The major component of the extracellular matrix of Uropathogenic E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae are curli fibers, making biofilms robust and resistant to antimicrobials. It is therefore imperative to screen antibiofilm compounds that can impair biofilm formation. In the present study, we investigated the curli-dependent antibiofilm activity of caffeine against UPEC strain CFT073 and commensal strain E. coli K-12MG1655.Caffeine significantly reduced the biofilm formation of both UPEC and E. coli K-12 by 86.58% and 91.80% respectively at 48 mM caffeine as determined by Crystal Violet assay. These results were further confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Caffeine significantly reduced the cytotoxicity and survivability of UPEC. Molecular docking analysis revealed a strong interaction between caffeine and curli regulator protein (Csg D) of E. coli. The qRT-PCR data also showed significant downregulation in the expression of CsgBA and the CsgDEFG operon at both 24 mM and 48 mM caffeine. The findings revealed that caffeine could inhibit E. coli biofilm formation by regulating curli assembly and thus may be used as an alternative therapeutic strategy for the treatment of chronic E. coli biofilm-related infections.

Background: Jatropha curcas is a flowering plant found all over the world. It has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes and as an ornamental plant. Lately, it is being promoted for biodiesel production. Since it is a commonly grown plant with seeds that are often mistaken as edible nuts, accidental ingestion is common among children. The presence of various plant toxins results in gastrointestinal, hepatic renal cardiotoxic, and hemolytic manifestations. The general public and most pediatricians are unaware of this. Clinical Description: We report a case series of thirteen children who presented to the emergency department with lethargy, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea after acute ingestion of seeds of an unknown plant. The presentation varied in severity of symptoms as well as degree of dehydration, which seemed to correspond to the number of seeds consumed. The parents were asked to bring parts of the plant and the seeds were identified to belong to the Jatropha curcas plant after expert botanical consultation. Management and Outcome: All the children were admitted. None of them had manifestations of any specific toxidrome, however, there seemed to be isolated gastrointestinal involvement, clinically. Gastric lavage was done immediately. Intravenous fluid correction was administered based on the severity of dehydration. Supportive treatment with antiemetics and antacids was provided. Baseline investigations were planned to rule out organ dysfunction. The most common derangement was neutrophilic leukocytosis. All children recovered well without any complications or sequelae. Conclusion: Jatropha Curcas is a noxious plant that should not be grown in areas where children play. Unknown plant poisoning should be treated with the same gravity as any other poisonous substance. All efforts should be taken to look for indicators of a specific toxidrome in case an antidote is warranted, as well as identify the concerned plant.

Context: Cobalamin and folate are essential for the synthesis of nucleic acids and in the maintenance of myelin. They are required during the period of the rapid growth of infancy and childhood. Their deficiency may result in nutritional anemia and neurological manifestations. There is paucity of literature regarding the prevalence of cobalamin and folate deficiency among North Indian children aged 6–59 months. Aim: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of serum cobalamin and folate deficiency among children aged 6–59 months, attending a secondary care hospital. Settings and Design: Children were recruited from pediatrics OPD of the sub-district hospital (SDH), Ballabgarh, Haryana, through systematic random sampling. Hemoglobin was measured by an automated analyzer. Serum cobalamin and serum folate were estimated using enhanced chemiluminescence based immunoassay. Results: A total of 420 children were recruited, of which 392 provided a blood specimen. Prevalence of cobalamin, folate deficiency, and anemia were 22.3% (95% CI: 18.3–26.7), 10.9% (95% CI: 8.2–14.6), and 81.9% (95% CI 77.7–85.4), respectively. The proportion of children with cobalamin deficiency who had anemia was 97.7% compared to 95.7% among those with no cobalamin deficiency (P = 0.396). Similarly, the proportion of children with folate deficiency who had anemia was 95.2% compared to 96.2% among those with no folate deficiency (P = 0.765). Conclusion: We found that almost one in five children aged 6–59 were deficient in cobalamin, and one in ten were deficient in folate.

Cancer is a complex worldwide health concern that resulted in 10 million cancer deaths in 2018; hence, early cancer detection is crucial. Early detection involves developing more precise technology that offers information about the patient’s cancer, allowing clinicians to make better-informed treatment options. This study provides an in-depth analysis of multiple cancers. This study also exhibits a good survey of the machine or deep learning techniques used in cancer research. Also, the study proposed a stacking-based multi-neural ensemble learning method’s prediction performance on eight datasets, including the benchmark datasets like Wisconsin Breast cancer dataset, mesothelioma, cervical cancer, non-small cell lung cancer survival dataset, and prostate cancer dataset. This study also analyzes the three real-time cancer datasets (Lung, Ovarian & Leukemia) of the Jammu and Kashmir region. The simulation findings indicate that the methodology described in our study attained the highest level of prediction accuracy across all types of cancer data sets. Additionally, the proposed approach has been statistically validated. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and evaluate a prediction model that might be used as a biomarker for malignancy based on anthropometric, clinical, imaging, and gene data.

Abstract Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common infectious diseases in the world. It is becoming increasingly tough to treat because of emergence of antibiotic resistance. So, there is an exigency to develop novel anti-virulence therapeutics to combat multi-drug resistance pathogenic strains. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) discovery has revolutionized the gene editing technology for targeted approach. The greatest obstacle for CRISPR/Cas9 is cargo delivery systems and both viral and plasmid methods have disadvantages. Here, we report a highly efficient novel CRISPR based gene editing strategy, CRISPR-dots for targeting virulence factor Fimbrial Adhesion (papG gene), the bacterial adhesion molecule. Carbon quantum dots (CQD) were used as a delivery vehicle for Cas9 and gRNA into CFT073, a UPEC strain. CQDs were covalently conjugated to cas9 and papG-targeted guide RNA (gRNA) forming a nanocomplex CRISPR-dots (Cri-dots) as confirmed by DLS and transmission electron microscopy. Cri-dots-papG significantly targeted papG as demonstrated by decrease in the expression of papG.Further papG deficient UPEC had significantly reduced adherence ability and biofilm forming ability as demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Also, papG deficient UPEC had reduced virulence as shown by significantly increased survival of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worms compared to UPEC. Our findings suggest that targeting of papG gene using Cri-dots nanocomplexes significantly reduced the pathogenicity of UPEC. Thus, Cri-dots nanocomplex offer a novel anti-bacterial strategy against multi-drug resistant UPEC.

Cancer is one of the top causes of death globally. Recently, microarray gene expression data has been used to aid in cancer’s effective and early detection. The use of DNA microarray technology to uncover information from the expression levels of thousands of genes has enormous promise. The DNA microarray technique can determine the levels of thousands of genes simultaneously in a single experiment. The analysis of gene expression is critical in many disciplines of biological study to obtain the necessary information. This study analyses all the research studies focused on optimizing gene selection for cancer detection using artificial intelligence. One of the most challenging issues is figuring out how to extract meaningful information from massive databases. Deep Learning architectures have performed efficiently in numerous sectors and are used to diagnose many other chronic diseases and to assist physicians in making medical decisions. In this study, we have evaluated the results of different optimizers on a RNA sequence dataset. The Deep learning algorithm proposed in the study classifies five different forms of cancer, including kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), Breast Invasive Carcinoma (BRCA), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), Prostate Adenocarcinoma (PRAD) and Colon Adenocarcinoma (COAD). The performance of different optimizers like Stochastic gradient descent (SGD), Root Mean Squared Propagation (RMSProp), Adaptive Gradient Optimizer (AdaGrad), and Adaptive Momentum (AdaM). The experimental results gathered on the dataset affirm that AdaGrad and Adam. Also, the performance analysis has been done using different learning rates and decay rates. This study discusses current advancements in deep learning-based gene expression data analysis using optimized feature selection methods.

This study, motivated by the flood disaster that took place at the glaciated region in Rishi Ganga Basin of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), Uttarakhand on 7th February 2021, intends to identify the altitudinal and sequential changes in the glacier region using satellite imageries. Our results suggest that 21.50 km2 and 34.70 km2 glacier area was lost from the region during the period 1976–2013 and 1976–2020 respectively. Besides this, out of the 106 High Altitude Glacial Lakes (HAGLs) found at an altitude of 4500 m above mean sea level (amsl), 14 potential spots are identified which can be a reason for future calamities. Our analysis of snow cover extents for the decade 2010–2021 suggests a considerable decrease of (16–28%) in winter snow cover. The unpredictable temperature fluctuations especially during the last few decades have also affected the freezing and thawing processes in the high-altitude areas. The changing behavior of the weathering processes quite often results in landslides, a major reason for disasters in the higher Himalaya. There is, thus, an urgent need to identify the high-risk sites in higher Himalaya which may be potential zones for future landslides. In anticipation to mitigate the resulting damages, the study emphasizes developing an early warning system based on geospatial technology to minimize loss of life, particularly for the workers employed in the engineering projects in the vicinity of the risk zone.

Background and Aims: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) lead to increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and cost to the patient. This study was conducted to determine the risk factors and assess the incidence of PPC after non-cardiac surgery. Material and Methods: This prospective, observational study was conducted on 1,170 patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Details of patient, surgical, and anesthetic factors were collected and patients were followed up for the entire duration of hospital stay for the occurrence of PPC. Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia (ARISCAT) score and the length of hospital stay was noted for all the patients. Regression analysis was used to find the risk factors associated with development of respiratory complications. Results: The incidence of PPC was found to be 59 in 1,170 patients (5%) in our hospital. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients with intermediate and high risk ARISCAT scoring had higher odds of developing PPC. Higher age (>50 years), positive cough test, presence of nasogastric tube, and intraoperative pulmonary complications were identified as independent risk factors associated with the occurrence of PPC. Conclusion: We found 5% incidence of PPC in our study. Recognition of the delineated risk factors and routine use of ARISCAT score for preoperative assessment may help identify patients at a higher risk of developing postoperative pulmonary complications.

Abnormal Low Lying Implantation of Ectopic Pregnancy (LLIEP) may occur in cervix, cervico isthmic region or caesarean scar. Cervicoisthmic pregnancy remains the rarest form of LLIEP, a life threatening cause of maternal morbidity and mortality with an incidence of 1 in every 2400 to 4500 pregnancies. In isthmic implantation, the gestational sac is located more cranially and between the cervix distally and the decidualised functional endometrium cranially. Transvaginal Ultrasound (TVS), Colour Doppler and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) remain gold standard modalities for early diagnosis. Ultrasonography depicts bulging lower uterine segment with a normal cervical length and consistency. Here, the author reports a rare case of ruptured isthmic pregnancy with 20 weeks intrauterine foetus death lying in left broad ligament in a 33-year-old unbooked G3 P2 L2 with gestation of 31 weeks presenting in emergency. Ultrasonography depicted intrauterine foetus death with foetus lying in lower segment of uterus. Lower section caesarean section for failed induction confirmed hour glass uterus with empty upper uterine segment and bulging, distended, couvelaire lower uterine segment and left lateral rupture at cervicoisthmic junction. Dead 20 weeks foetus lying in leaves of left broad ligament. Peripartum hysterectomy was done as a life saving procedure. Cervicoisthmic pregnancy is rarest form of LLIEP and diagnosis may result in rupture with need of peripartum hysterectomy.

Controlled-release Nitrogen Fertilizers (CRNFs) are an effective fertilization technique by minimizing nutrient loss and making Nitrogen (N) available to plants as they grow. Biochar-based CRNF (BCRNF) technologies have been demonstrated very promising in increase of corn yield. Despite the beneficial effects of BCRNFs, their impacts on prokaryotic and fungal soil communities are not well evaluated. Different formulations of BCRNF were developed to investigate their effects on corn productivity. We analyzed the soil microbes and their functional potential under different BCRNF regimes using amplified V3–V4 region of 16s rRNA for determining prokaryotic, and ITS genes for fungal communities. The soil prokaryotic diversity was similar across the treatments, with differences in prokaryotic genera with relative abundance of 0.1% or less in the soil (p < 0.05). In contrast, the fungal community diversity was different only for unfertilized soil. It had a high relative abundance for Aspergillus. Genus level comparison showed that Pseudofabraea was higher in Bioasphalt-based BCRNF compared to other treatments. Moreover, the N-fixing communities in soil were also similar across the treatments. At genus level, Microvirga, Azospirillum, and Methyloprofundus were highest in no-fertilizer control. The functional potential predictions using PICRUSt2 portrayed a consistent N-cycling functions across the treatments. However, the predicted gene functions related to nitrous-oxide reductase (nosZ) and hydroxylamine reductase (hcp) were significantly lower in soil receiving BCRNF containing biosolid. Overall, BCRNF treatments previously identified to increase corn yield displayed minimal shifts in the soil microbial communities. Thus, such novel fertilization would enable increased crop yield without affecting soil communities leading to sustainable crop production.

In this paper, a design approach for aperture coupled modified cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (cDRA) array is discussed. The proposed radiating element is dual cylindrical ceramic blocks placed with a small gap. The proposed aperture excites dual radiating mode pattern inside modified cDRA, i.e., HEM11δ and TE01δ. The arrangement of radiating elements, i.e., dual cylindrical ceramic blocks, provides lower Q-factor (wider impedance bandwidth). Conversion from a single radiating element to an array arrangement provides the gain enhancement of 3.0 dBi in the complete operating frequency range. The proposed aperture offers circularly rotating EM wave within frequency range 4.5-5.7 GHz. Antenna prototype is fabricated for the validation of simulated near as well as far-field parameters. Practically measured outcomes confirm that it is working in between the frequency range 4.7-6.4 GHz. The 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth of the proposed radiator is about 23.52% (4.5-5.7 GHz). Directional radiation pattern and circular polarization features make the proposed radiating structure more appropriate for WLAN (5.2 GHz) and local thermal equilibrium (LTE) band 46 (5.5 GHz) applications.

Plant species detection aims at the automatic identification of plants. Although a lot of aspects like leaf, flowers, fruits, seeds could contribute to the decision, but leaf features are the most significant. As a plant leaf is always more accessible as compared to other parts of the plants, it is obvious to study it for plant identification. The present paper introduced a novel plant species classifier based on the extraction of morphological features using a Multilayer Perceptron with Adaboosting. The proposed framework comprises pre-processing, feature extraction, feature selection, and classification. Initially, some pre-processing techniques are used to set up a leaf image for the feature extraction process. Various morphological features, i.e., centroid, major axis length, minor axis length, solidity, perimeter, and orientation are extracted from the digital images of various categories of leaves. Different classifiers, i.e., k-NN, Decision Tree and Multilayer perceptron are employed to test the accuracy of the algorithm. AdaBoost methodology is explored for improving the precision rate of the proposed system. Experimental results are obtained on a public dataset (FLAVIA) downloaded from http://flavia.sourceforge.net/. A precision rate of 95.42% has been achieved using the proposed machine learning classifier, which outperformed the state-of-the-art algorithms.

Cardiac arrest in a term pregnancy is rare with a survival rate of 15-20% and mortality rate as high as 42%. Eclampsia, amniotic fluid embolism, haemorrhagic shock, sepsis, pulmonary thromboembolic events, and anaesthetic complications are significant causes of cardiac arrest. We report a rarest case of a young 26-year-old unbooked primigravida, 38+4 weeks gestation with eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, thrombocytopenia with sudden cardiac arrest-A Maternal Near Miss. Prompt resuscitation with obstetric, and anaesthetist specialist team, paved the journey to safe motherhood. An emergency Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) immediately after Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was performed. Ventilator support was continued for 72 hours. Successful CPR and immediate caesarean section paved the way to safe motherhood with discharge of healthy mother and baby on 12th post LSCS day. With increasing trends towards high-risk pregnancy and maternal near miss cases, a thorough knowledge in the management of cardiac arrest in pregnancy with advanced resuscitation skills among obstetricians, anaesthetists, and nursing staff is need of the millennium. Repeated simulation learning and mock drills in CPR in pregnancy should be advocated.

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) is an important oilseed crop in India. Among various diseases infecting mustard crop, Alternaria leaf spot also known as Alternaria blight is incited by fungus Alternaria brassicae, which majorly affects the crop production leading to a yield loss of up to 70 %. The disease is controlled by application of different fungicides prior to winter rains but it is costly and also cause pollution in the environment. This investigation was designed to explore the potential of rhizosphere bacteria to use as bio control agents for suppression of the disease. Total of sixteen bacterial isolates were isolated from the rhizosphere of mustard, tomato and brinjal and they were screened for their antagonistic activity against A. brassicae in vitro and in vivo conditions. Out of sixteen isolates, two bacterial isolates (B3 and B12) showed maximum inhibition (35 % and 38.6 % respectively) against the pathogen and also displayed high degree of secondary metabolite formation. These two bacterial isolates molecularly characterized as Pseudomonas fluorescens were further tested in green house and field conditions through seed bacterization treatment for disease suppression. Mustard seeds were treated with the bacterial solution overnight and were sown in pots and fields the next day. It was found that the disease incidence percentage of B3 and B12 was 32 % and 35 % respectively compared to control with 62.8 %. The results of the above study were highly significant in evaluation of PGPR against A. brassicae.

Amitraz is a chemical which is widely used as an insecticide in pest control. Toxicity of amitraz is seen due to its agonistic action on central and peripheral alpha receptors. Amitraz poisoning mimics organophosphate poisoning. We present a case of nine year old boy who ingested six ml of amitraz accidentally and slept. He was found having nausea, dizziness followed by vomiting. He was rushed to the hospital within 2 hrs of ingestion were gastric lavage was done and child was referred to emergency department at Pgims rohtak. He was managed supportively and symptomatically in emergency department for bradycardia and miosis. There is no specific antidote for amitraz poisoning. The mangement is supportive and symptomatic.

BackgroundInflammatory response during urinary tract infection (UTI) is mediated by innate immune defense. Nod like receptors (NLRs) have been proposed to work simultaneously beside TLR pathways to mediate pro-inflammatory response and maintain tissue homeostasis. Some in vitro reports have showed the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome during uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) mediated UTI. So we have sought to determine the status of various inflammasomes and their components in UPEC mediated UTI.MethodsA total of 186 females experiencing the first episode of UTI were recruited for the study and forty were found to be positive for UPEC (≥105 CFU/ml) in their urine (N = 40). Further, we analyzed the expression of NLRP3, NLRC4, NAIP, AIM2, ASC, CASPASE-4, and CASPASE-1 gene at mRNA and protein level in the blood of UPEC confirmed study subjects through real time qPCR and immunoblotting. Healthy females (N = 40) visiting the OPD for health checkups, family planning advice and subjects undergoing routine medical examinations, were recruited as healthy control subjects. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, TNF-α and MCP-1) were measured in the plasma of patients and controls through ELISA. For investigation of the involvement of NLRC4 and NLRP3 inflammasome, in vitro studies were performed using co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy.ResultsMost of the inflammatory regulators studied (i.e., NLRP3, NAIP, NLRC4, ASC, and CASPASE-1) were found to be up-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels in the UPEC infected UTI patients. Also, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and MCP-1) were found to be up-regulated in the patients group. However, no significant difference was observed in the expression of AIM2 and CASPASE-4 genes at both mRNA and protein levels. Further, in vitro studies have shown the involvement of NLRC4 inflammasome in UPEC infected THP1 derived macrophages.ConclusionInvolvement of NLRP3 and NLRC4 inflammasomes in UPEC infected UTI is evident from our findings. This is the first report showing levels of inflammasome and its components in UTI patients suggesting a possible role during UPEC mediated UTI. We have also reported the involvement of NLRC4 inflammasome for the first time during UTI infection.

Background and Aims: Extravasation of irrigation fluid used in shoulder arthroscopy can lead to life-threatening airway and systemic complications. This study was conducted to assess the effect of irrigation fluid absorption on measurable anthropometric parameters and to identify whether these parameters predict airway/respiratory compromise. Methods: Thirty six American Society of Anaesthesiologists physical status one or two patients aged 15–60 years undergoing shoulder arthroscopy under general anaesthesia were recruited. Measured variables preoperatively (baseline) and at the end of surgery were neck, chest, midarm and midthigh circumferences, weight, haemoglobin and serum sodium. Temperature, endotracheal tube cuff pressure, airway pressure, duration of surgery, amount of irrigation fluid and intravenous fluid used were also noted. Measured parameters were correlated with the duration of surgery and the amount of irrigation fluid used. Results: Postoperatively, the changes in variables showed a significant increase in the mean values (cm) for neck, chest, midarm and midthigh circumference (mean ± standard deviation: 2.35 ± 1.9, P < 0.001; 2.9 ± 3.88 cm, P < 0.001; 3.28 ± 2.44, P < 0.001 and 0.39 ± 0.71, P = 0.002, respectively) and weight (kg) (1.17 ± 1.24, P < 0.001). The post-operative haemoglobin (g/dL) levels decreased significantly (0.89 ± 1.23, P < 0.001) as compared to the baseline. No significant change was found in the serum sodium levels (P = 0.92). No patient experienced airway/respiratory compromise. Conclusion: Regional and systemic absorption of irrigation fluid in arthroscopic shoulder surgery is reflected in the degree of change in the measured anthropometric variables. However, this change was not significant enough to cause airway/respiratory compromise.

The effects of ion implantations through a mask on the structural and magnetic properties of Co80Pt20 films were investigated. The mask was patterned using the self-assembly of diblock copolymers. For implantation, high (40 keV for 14N+ and 100 keV for 40Ar+) and low (7.5 keV for 14N+ and 4.5 keV for 40Ar+) energy 14N+ and 40Ar+ ions were used to modify the structural and magnetic properties of these films. X-ray diffraction and TRIM simulations were performed for understanding the structural changes due to ion implantations. These results revealed the intermixing of Co atoms in lower layers and lattice expansion in Co80Pt20 magnetic and Ru layers. A lateral straggling of Co caused an increase in the exchange coupling in the masked region. Depletion of Co atoms in Co80Pt20 layer caused a decrease in the anisotropy constant, which were further confirmed by the alternating gradient force magnetometer and magnetic force microscopy results. The magnetic force microscopy images showed an increase in domain width and domain wall width confirming the above-mentioned effects.

Shoulder arthroscopy is a routine procedure performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Complications related to patient positioning and anaesthesia are not infrequent. Airway compromise is related to the duration of surgery, surgical technique and equipment, amount of irrigation fluid used and limited access to the patient. Thorough knowledge, both by surgeon and anaesthesiologist, is the key to anticipate, prevent and treat this complication early.

Background: Malaria diagnosis presents a challenge to all laboratories. In malaria-endemic areas, there is a need for rapid, sensitive and cost-effective method to effectively screen all samples, especially when the workload is very high. Various hematology analyzers have been investigated for detection of malaria in the past. Here, we present our experience of malaria detection in a cancer hospital where a large number of complete blood count requests are received either before or during chemotherapy. Fever, being a very common symptom in cancer patients, causes a suspicion of malaria. Aim: This study was conducted to assess the usefulness of hematology cell counter, viz. WBC-DIFF and WBC/BASO scatter plots and the flaggings generated in malaria-positive cases. The occurrence of pseudoeosinophilia as reported by previous studies was also assessed. The parasitic index was determined and its correlation with the abnormalities found on the Hematology analyzer was also studied. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 80 out-patient department and inpatients with various solid as well as hematological malignancies, who presented with acute febrile illness during September 2010 and January 2012, and for whom complete blood cell analysis and peripheral smear for malaria parasite had been requested. Results: Of the 80 patients who presented with fever and suspicion of malaria, 29 patients were positive for malaria and 10 cases were diagnosed incidentally by the findings on the cell counter and were confirmed by Giemsa-stained blood smears. The sensitivity and specificity of the abnormalities detected in the WBC-Diff channel in detecting malaria is 82% and 100% respectively. Using WBC-BASO channel abnormality for initial diagnosis the sensitivity and specificity is 50% and 92.5% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity with respect to pseudoeosinophilia is 18% and 100% respectively. The most common WBC and PLT flags were leukopenia, atypical lymphocytes, lymphopenia, WBC abnormal scattergram, platelet clumps, thrombocytopenia, platelet abnormal distribution flag. Conclusion: The instrument provides significantly valuable diagnostic parameters in detecting acute Plasmodium vivax malaria; however, it is not very useful for acute falciparum malaria infection. It is suggested that the laboratories using the hematology analyzers should be aware of such specific parameters, even in the absence of a clinical request.

Malaria diagnosis presents a challenge to all laboratories. In malaria endemic areas there is a need for rapid, sensitive and cost effective method to effectively screen all samples especially when the workload is very high. Various hematology analyzers have been investigated for detection of malaria in the past. Here we present our experience of malaria detection in a cancer hospital where a large number of complete blood counts requests are received either before or during chemotherapy. Fever being a very common symptom in cancer patients causes a suspicion of malaria. This study was conducted to assess the usefulness of Hematology cell counter viz. WBC-DIFF & WBC/BASO scatter plots and the flaggings generated in malaria positive cases. The occurrence of pseudoeosinophilia as reported by previous studies was also assessed. The parasitic index was determined and its correlation with the abnormalities found on the hematology analyzers was also studied. Of the 80 patients who presented with fever 29 patients were positive for malaria and 10 cases were diagnosed incidentally by the findings on the cell counter and were confirmed by Giemsa stained blood smears. The instrument provides significantly valuable diagnostic parameters in detecting acute Pl.vivax malaria however it is not very useful for acute falciparum malaria infection. It is suggested that the laboratories using the Hematology analyzers should be aware of such specific parameters, even with the absence of a clinical request

Invasive cervical resorption is entirely uncommon entities and the etiology is poorly understood. A 19 year old patient presented with fractured upper left central incisor and sinus tract opening on the distobuccal aspect in cervical region. Radiographic examination shows irregular radiolucency over the coronal one-third and it extended externally towards the external invasive resorption. After sectional obturation, the defect was accessed surgically. The resorption area was chemomechanically debrided using irrigant solution. Fibre post placement using flowable composite resin and Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) was used to fill the resorptive defect, and the coronal access was temporarily sealed. Composite restoration was subsequently replaced with ceramic crown after 4 years. Radiographs at 1 and 4 years showed adequate repair of the resorption and endodontic success. Clinically and radiographically the tooth was asymptomatic, and no periodontal pocket was found after a 4-year followup.