Polymerization of aniline hydrochloride in reverse of microemulsion by batch and semicontinuous process using ionic and nonionic surfactants.

The polymerization of aniline hydrochloride by inverse microemulsion in a batch process and the semicontinuous process was studied as a function of the surfactant ionic and nonionic. Polymerizations were carried out at 60°C for 4 h with a yield polymer of circa 67 and 27% wt. for ionic and nonionic surfactants. The conductivity of synthesized polyaniline by the semicontinuous process is higher up to three orders of magnitude than that of the batch process for both surfactants. The calculating degree of oxidation by UV-Vis showed the relative intensities of the quinoid to benzenoid unit around one. The morphology was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and observed that the formation of the different morphologies is due to the self-assembly behavior of surfactant. The diameter z-average particle size (Dz) was studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), which determined that the diameter particle in a semicontinuous state is larger than the one produced in a batch; this is due to the control of monomer addition in the system. These findings suggest that the polymerization process and the type of surfactant influence the properties of polyaniline.

Trends in maternal mortality in India over two decades in nationally representative surveys.

OBJECTIVE: To assess national and regional trends and causes-specific distribution of maternal mortality in India. DESIGN: Nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. SETTING: All of India from 1997 to 2020. SAMPLE: About 10 000 maternal deaths among 4.3 million live births over two decades. METHODS: We analysed trends in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 1997 through 2020, estimated absolute maternal deaths and examined the causes of maternal death using nationally representative data sources. We partitioned female deaths (aged 15-49 years) and live birth totals, based on the 2001-2014 Million Death Study to United Nations (UN) demographic totals for the country. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal mortality burden and distribution of causes. RESULTS: The MMR declined in India by about 70% from 398/100 000 live births (95% CI 378-417) in 1997-98 to 99/100 000 (90-108) in 2020. About 1.30 million (95% CI 1.26-1.35 million) maternal deaths occurred between 1997 and 2020, with about 23 800 (95% CI 21 700-26 000) in 2020, with most occurring in poorer states (63%) and among women aged 20-29 years (58%). The MMRs for Assam (215), Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand (192) and Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh (170) were highest, surpassing India's 2016-2018 estimate of 113 (95% CI 103-123). After adjustment for education and other variables, the risks of maternal death were highest in rural and tribal areas of north-eastern and northern states. The leading causes of maternal death were obstetric haemorrhage (47%; higher in poorer states), pregnancy-related infection (12%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (7%). CONCLUSIONS: India could achieve the UN 2030 MMR goals if the average rate of reduction is maintained. However, without further intervention, the poorer states will not. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: We estimated that 1.3 million Indian women died from maternal causes over the last two decades. Although maternal mortality rates have fallen by 70% overall, the poorer states lag behind.

Phthalimide conjugation turns the AIE-active tetraphenylethylene unit non-emissive: its use in turn-on sensing of hydrazine in solution and the solid- and vapour-phase.

Hydrazine is a vital precursor used in several pharmaceuticals and pesticide industries and upon exposure can cause severe health hazards. Herein, a new AIEgen, tetraphenylethylene phthalimide (TPE-PMI), is synthesized in a one-step solvent-free mechanochemical approach exploiting the simple condensation between TPE-NH2 and phthalic anhydride and used for the selective and sensitive detection of hydrazine. TPE-PMI with an AIE-active TPE-moiety is non-emissive in the solid phase by design. Hydrazine performs the cleavage of TPE-PMI in a typical "Gabriel synthesis" pathway to release AIE-active TPE-NH2 in an aqueous solution to emit blue fluorescence. A gradual rise in fluorescence intensity at 462 nm was due to the increasing hydrazine concentration and TPE-PMI showed a linear relationship with hydrazine in the concentration range from 0.2 to 3 µM. The selectivity study confirmed that the probe is inert to amines, amino acids, metal anions, anions and even common oxidants and reductants. The detection limit is 6.4 ppb which is lower than the US Environmental Protection Agency standard (10 ppb). The practical utilities of TPE-PMI were successfully demonstrated through quantitative detection of hydrazine vapour on solid platforms like paper strips and TLC plates. Furthermore, on-site detection of hydrazine in the solid phase was demonstrated by spiking the soil samples with measured quantities of hydrazine and quantitation through image analysis. This cost-effective sensing tool was successfully utilized in in vitro detection of hydrazine in live HeLa cells.

Water-Dispersible Rhodamine B Hydrazide Loaded TiO2 Nanoparticles for "Turn On" Fluorimetric Detection and Imaging of Orthosilicic Acid Accumulation In-Vitro in Nephrotoxic Kidney Cells.

Silica (SiO2) is the inevitable form of silicon owing to its high affinity for oxygen, existing as a geogenic element perpetrating multifarious health problems when bioavailable via anthropogenic activities. The hydrated form of silica viz. orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) excessively displays grave toxicity, attributed to prolonged exposure and incessant H+ ions generating capacity inflicting pulmonary toxicity and renal toxicity silica. The diverse deleterious potency of silica highlights the desirability of selective and sensitive detection of toxic species (mainly orthosilicic acid) bioaccumulation in affected living human cells. In this paper we have reported, the design of water-dispersible turn-on fluorimetric sensing material for the detection of orthosilicic acid in the aqueous phase and in live cells. The sensing material was prepared by adsorbing a suitable rhodamine derivative (i.e., Rhodamine B hydrazide (Rh1)) on water dispersible TiO2 nanoparticles. The function of the sensing system, which is composed of Rh1 and TiO2 (Rh1@TiO2), is accredited to H+ ion (from orthosilicic acid) induced spirolactam ring-opening of the rhodamine derivative generating orange fluorescence and bright pink colouration. The sensing system was efficiently utilized for fluorimetric detection and imaging of orthosilicic acid accumulation in-vitro in human kidney cells (HK cells). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time this sensing system (Rh1@TiO2) is reported for detection of toxic silica species accumulation in-vitro in human kidney cells. The advantages, such as good water dispersibility, the absence of organic solvents during fluorimetric studies, quick turn-on type signal transduction, low-level imaging, which are offered by the synthesized sensing material (Rh1@TiO2), make it a potential candidate to fabricate medical tool for early identification of silicainduced nephrotoxicity, which can help to reduce the burden and risk of chronic kidney disease development.

Aggregation-Induced Emission-Based Chemodosimeter Approach for Selective Sensing and Imaging of Hg(II) and Methylmercury Species.

Methylmercury (CH3Hg+) is the common form of organic mercury and is more toxic than its inorganic or elemental forms. Mercury is emanated in the course of various natural events and human activities and converts to methylmercury by anaerobic organisms. CH3Hg+ are ingested by fish and subsequently bioaccumulated in their tissue and, eventually, enter the human diet, causing serious health issues. Therefore, selective and sensitive detection of bioaccumulated CH3Hg+ in fish samples is essential. Herein, the development of a simple, highly sensitive and selective aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based turn-on probe for both inorganic mercury ions and organicmercury species is reported. The probe's function is based on mercury ion-promoted transmetalation reaction of aryl boronic acid. The probe, a tetraphenylethylene (TPE)-monoboronic acid (1), was successfully utilized for AIE-based fluorescence imaging study on methylmercury-contaminated live cells and zebrafish for the first time. Both Hg(II) and CH3Hg+ ensued a fast transmetalation of TPE-boronic acid causing drastic reduction in the solubility of the resulting product (TPE-HgCl/TPE-HgMe) in the working solvent system. At the dispersed phase, the aggregated form of TPE-mercury ions recovers planarity because of restricted rotational freedom promoting aggregation-induced emission. Simple design, cost-effective synthesis, high selectivity, inexpensive instrumentation, fast signal transduction, and low limit of detection (0.12 ppm) are some of the key merits of this analytical tool.

Role of exponential type random invexities for asymptotically sufficient efficiency conditions in semi-infinite multi-objective fractional programming.

First a new notion of the random exponential Hanson-Antczak type [Formula: see text]-V-invexity is introduced, which generalizes most of the existing notions in the literature, second a random function [Formula: see text] of the second order is defined, and finally a class of asymptotically sufficient efficiency conditions in semi-infinite multi-objective fractional programming is established. Furthermore, several sets of asymptotic sufficiency results in which various generalized exponential type [Formula: see text]-V-invexity assumptions are imposed on certain vector functions whose components are the individual as well as some combinations of the problem functions are examined and proved. To the best of our knowledge, all the established results on the semi-infinite aspects of the multi-objective fractional programming are new, which is a significantly new emerging field of the interdisciplinary research in nature. We also observed that the investigated results can be modified and applied to several special classes of nonlinear programming problems.

Angiopoietin-2 mediates thrombin-induced monocyte adhesion and endothelial permeability.

UNLABELLED: Essentials Mechanism of thrombin-induced inflammation is not fully understood. Thrombin induced monocyte adhesion and barrier loss require Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2). Ang-2 mediates vessel leakage and monocyte adhesion through SHP-2/p38MAPK pathway. Calcium dependent SHP2/p38MAPK activation regulates Ang-2 expression through a feedback loop. SUMMARY: Background Thrombin imparts an inflammatory phenotype to the endothelium by promoting increased monocyte adhesion and vascular permeability. However, the molecular players that govern these events are incompletely understood. Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) has a role, if any, in regulating inflammatory signals initiated by thrombin. Methods Assessment of vascular leakage by Miles assay was performed by intra-dermal injection on the foot paw. Surface levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were determined by flow cytometry. Overexpression, knockdown and phosphorylation of proteins were determined by Western blotting. Results In time-course experiments, thrombin-stimulated Ang-2 up-regulation, peaked prior to the expression of adhesion molecule ICAM-1 in human umbilical vein-derived endothelial cells (HUVECs). Knockdown of Ang-2 blocked both thrombin-induced monocyte adhesion and ICAM-1 expression. In addition, Ang-2(-/-) mice displayed defective vascular leakage when treated with thrombin. Introducing Ang-2 protein in Ang-2(-/-) mice failed to recover a wild-type phenotype. Mechanistically, Ang-2 appears to regulate the thrombin-activated calcium spike that is required for tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 and p38 MAPK activation. Further, down-regulation of SHP2 attenuated both thrombin-induced Ang-2 expression and monocyte adhesion. Down-regulation of the adaptor protein Gab1, a co-activator of SHP2, as well as overexpression of the Gab1 mutant incapable of interacting with SHP2 (YFGab1), inhibited thrombin-mediated effects, including downstream activation of p38 MAPK, which in turn was required for Ang-2 expression. Conclusions The data establish an essential role of the Gab1/SHP2/p38MAPK signaling pathway and Ang-2 in regulating thrombin-induced monocyte adhesion and vascular leakage.

Dimensional Changes of Alginate Dental Impression Materials-An Invitro Study.

BACKGROUND: Dentists are always looking ahead for more dimensionally stable material for accurate and successful fabrication of prosthesis in this competitive world. Arrival of newer materials and increased material market puts dentists in dilemma for selection of material. AIM: The study evaluated the effect of variations in time of pour and temperature on dimensional stability of three brands of commercially available alginates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Velplast, Marieflex & Zelgan alginate impression materials were evaluated by measuring dimensional accuracy of the master cast. A die was prepared and mounted on the apparatus for the ease of impression making. The prepared casts were categorized into five groups and made up of three brands of alginate impression material with variation in time of pour viz: immediate, 20&40 minutes interval and with varying temperature of 25(0)C, 30(0)C & 40(0)C. RESULTS: Impressions showed least distortion at varying degrees of temperature for 20 minutes, but the values obtained by storing of alginate impressions for 20 minutes at 30(0)C were found to be nearly accurate than the values obtained by storing of impression at 40(0)C. However, storing showed shrinkage of impressions. CONCLUSION: Marieflex showed better accuracy in comparison with other two materials. Maintenance of temperature and humidity play key role during storage & transport to prevent distortion. But the study suggests immediate pouring which will minimize the distortion. The manipulation instructions, temperature of mixing water, environment & water powder ratio also plays key role in minimizing the distortion.

A hollow silicone finger prosthesis with modified metal-mesh conformer.

Loss of an organ such as a finger not only imposes a functional impairment, but also leads to unaesthetic appearance and a deep psychological stigma to the patient. Hence replacement of such missing finger with the help of an artificial finger prosthesis has been very successful. The success of the prosthesis depends on the precision in meticulous planning and designing of prosthesis, technique of fabrication and the materials used. This article describes fabrication of a finger prosthesis by a modified technique, by making a metal conformer with a wire mesh. This design offers maximum retention and excellent aesthetics, thereby imparting a lifelike appearance to the hand with missing finger.

Evaluation of efficacy of commercial denture cleansing agents to reduce the fungal biofilm activity from heat polymerized denture acrylic resin: An in vitro study.

AIMS: To compare and evaluate Candida removing effects of three most commonly available varieties of commercial denture cleansers from heat polymerized acrylic resins. To compare and evaluate Candida lytic effects of denture cleansers. To assess the effect of time on ability of denture cleansers in reducing Candidal biofilm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A specially designed metal mold was fabricated to obtain wax plates of uniform dimensions which were used to fabricate heat cure acrylic resin plates. A square-shaped window of dimension 15 mm and thickness of 1.5 mm was provided in metal mould to simulate thickness of denture base. All samples used in this study were prepared using this mould. Candida albicans colonies were then cultured on this acrylic resin plates by colonization assay. Yeast removing test for samples was performed using microscope and yeast lytic test was performed using photo colorimeter. RESULTS: Denture cleanser D2 showed the highest Candida removing activity when compared with cleansers D1, D3, and control solution. Denture cleansers D2 showed increased yeast lytic ability when compared with denture cleansers D1, D3, and control solution. More time span shared a definite influence on yeast lytic ability of denture cleansers. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of cleansing agents on removal of colonized yeasts particularly fungal biofilm from acrylic resins was assessed for clinical implications. The observation indicated superior performance of cleanser D2 when compared with D1 and D3 even though they all belong to same chemical group of alkaline peroxide. The increased effectiveness may be due to presence of sodium lauryl sulphate in formula of D2.

Effect of complete edentulism on masseter muscle thickness and changes after complete denture rehabilitation: an ultrasonographic study.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine the changes in masseter muscle thickness due to the state of complete edentulism and the effect of complete denture rehabilitation on the masseter muscle. METHODS: Real-time ultrasonography of the masseter muscle at relaxed and contracted states was carried out for twelve patients (six dentulous and six completely edentulous). Edentulous patients were scanned at the time of denture insertion and at the end of 3 months' follow up. RESULTS: The mean masseter muscle thickness of the edentulous patients was significantly increased after the 3-month follow-up than the thickness at the time of denture insertion, but was significantly lower than that of the dentulous patients of the same age group. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that change occurs in the masseter muscle thickness after rehabilitation with complete dentures in the form of increased muscle thickness. However, the thickness of the muscle remains smaller than that of dentate individuals.

Prosthodontic rehabilitation of a patient with bilateral auricular deformity.

Maxillofacial prosthodontics is an art and science which provides life like appearance to the person with facial deformity. Maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation for acquired defects has become more complex and sophisticated with advancement in techniques and materials. This case report describes the clinical and laboratory procedure for fabricating an auricular prosthesis for a patient with trauma related bilateral auricular deformity. Ear prosthesis was fabricated in two parts taking retention from external auditory canal.