Observation of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Transition in a Two-Dimensional Bose Gas via Matter-Wave Interferometry.

We probe local phase fluctuations of trapped two-dimensional Bose gases using matter-wave interferometry. This enables us to measure the phase correlation function, which changes from an algebraic to an exponential decay when the system crosses the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition. We determine the temperature dependence of the BKT exponent η and find the critical value η_{c}=0.17(3) for our trapped system. Furthermore, we measure the local vortex density as a function of the local phase-space density, which shows a scale-invariant behavior across the transition. Our experimental investigation is supported by Monte Carlo simulations and provides a comprehensive understanding of the BKT transition in a trapped system.

Forecasting groundwater level of karst aquifer in a large mining area using partial mutual information and NARX hybrid model.

Predicting the groundwater level of karst aquifers in North China Coalfield is essential for early warning of mine water hazards and regional water resources management. However, the dynamic changes of strata structure and hydrogeological parameters driven by coal mining activity cause challenges to the process-oriented groundwater model. In order to achieve accurate prediction of groundwater level in large mining areas, this study was the first to use the data-driven Nonlinear Autoregressive with External Input (NARX) model to predict the groundwater level of six karst aquifer observation wells in Pingshuo Mining Area. Three variable input scenarios were set up, solely considering meteorological factors, anthropogenic disturbance factors, and considering both meteorological and anthropogenic disturbance factors. The novel partial mutual information (PMI) screening algorithm was adopted to determine optimized input variables in each scenario. The input and feedback delay coefficients of NARX model were determined by using Seasonal-trend Decomposition Procedure Based on Loess (STL) algorithm and auto- and cross-correlation functions. The results showed that PMI algorithm can effectively screen out the optimal input variables for predicting groundwater level, the NSE coefficients of the PMI-NARX models under the three scenarios were 38.81%, 4.26% and 41.46% higher than those of the corresponding control experiments, respectively. In addition, the prediction performance of the PMI-NARX built on the basis of meteorological factors is poor (NSE <0.63). However, in scenarios which solely use anthropogenic disturbance factors and both use meteorological and anthropogenic disturbance factors, the PMI-NARX coupling models exhibit good prediction performance (NSE and R2 are all greater than 0.8). Especially under solely considering anthropogenic disturbance factors scenario, the model still exhibited good prediction accuracy with a negligible number of input variables. The results can provide technical and theoretical support for the prediction of groundwater level in other mining areas.

Comparative evaluation of shear bond strength of calcium silicate-based liners to resin-modified glass ionomer cement in resin composite restorations - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the difference in shear bond strength between calcium silicate-based liners to resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) in resin composite restorations.Materials and methods The protocol was registered in PROSPERO following which primary research was carried out on Medline, Scopus and Cochrane library. To assess the risk of bias, a customised tool was used. Among the 194 records retrieved from the databases, only ten articles qualified for qualitative and quantitative synthesis after meeting all the requirements of the eligibility criteria. Covidence software was used to record the decisions. Studies published until 31 March 2021 were taken up for the review. The articles showed a low-to-moderate risk of bias. I2 test was used to check the percentage variation due to heterogeneity.Results RMGIC showed a higher shear bond strength value compared to the three calcium silicate liners MTA, Biodentine and TheraCal LC. However, TheraCal LC and MTA showed better bond strength than Biodentine. Cohesive failure was seen predominantly in liners followed by adhesive failure. RMGIC shows mixed mode of failure in some studies.Conclusions RMGIC is preferred over calcium silicate-based materials as the liner to be used under resin composite restorations. Among calcium silicate-based materials, TheraCal LC showed a better bond strength value. The mode of failure was predominantly cohesive in all the liner groups in majority.

Comparison of crack formation induced by ultrasonic tips and burs during root-end preparation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction The main objective of root canal treatment is to achieve apical seal. Crack formation during root-end preparation promotes bacterial penetration, thereby leading to failure. This systematic review aims to examine the literature and summarise studies that compare the crack formation induced by ultrasonic tips and burs during root-end preparation.Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis were reported and conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The online databases PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were used for data search. In vitro and ex vivo studies conducted up to March 2021 in the English language were included in the review. The risk of bias in the present study was assessed using a customised tool. A random-effects model was used for meta-analysis, χ² values and I² values were used to assess statistical heterogeneity. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software Version 5.4.Results A total of 317 records were found from all of the databases and one article was added following hand-searching. Twelve articles were included in the study after the application of the eligibility criteria of which ten articles were included for the meta-analysis. Nine studies showed a medium risk of bias while three studies showed a high risk of bias. The analysis of the crack formation showed a statistically significant difference between the ultrasonic tip and the bur (P = 0.0002). The odds ratio was 2.72 (1.60, 4.65) with a confidence interval of 95% suggesting higher odds of crack formation in the ultrasonic group.Conclusion This review concludes that ultrasonic root-end preparation resulted in higher crack formation than burs.

Low-dose ACTH test for evaluation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis preoperatively and 3-month follow-up in non-functioning pituitary adenomas.

BACKGROUND: Peri-operative glucocorticoids are routinely administered to patients undergoing trans-sphenoidal surgery for non-functional pituitary adenomas (NFPA) irrespective of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis status. PURPOSE: Evaluation of HPA axis before and 12 weeks after endoscopic trans-sphenoidal adenomectomy (E-TSA) utilizing low-dose (1 µg) ACTH stimulation test (LDACTH) to determine the need for glucocorticoid administration in patients with NFPA. We also determined the factors that can predict occurrence of hypocortisolism at 12 weeks after surgery. METHODS: Sixty-three consecutive patients with NFPA requiring surgical excision were enrolled in this study. Glucocorticoids were administered to patients with demonstrable hypocortisolism [preoperative peak cortisol < 16 µg/dL during LDACTH test, postoperative day 3 (POD-3) 0800 hrs Cortisol < 8 µg/dL or stimulated cortisol (LDACTH) < 16 µg/dL at 12 weeks]. RESULTS: Hypocortisolism was present in 43 patients (68.2%) pre-operatively and persisted in 33 patients (52.4%) on POD-3. Thirty-three patients (52.4%) had hypocortisolism at 12 weeks after surgery. Eleven patients (17.4%) did not require glucocorticoids during the entire study period and 30 patients (47.6%) did not require glucocorticoids after 3 months. None of the patients developed adrenal crisis during the study. Hypocortisolism on the third post-operative day was the single significant predictor of hypocortisolism at 12 weeks after the surgery. There was a significant correlation between POD-3 0800 hrs cortisol ≥ 8µg/dL and stimulated cortisol (LDACTH) ≥16µg/dL at 12 weeks (r = 0.62, p < 0.0001). POD-3 0800 hrs cortisol ≥ 8 µg/dL had 73% sensitivity and 79% specificity in predicting eucortisolism at 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: HPA function is preserved in significant proportion of NFPA patients undergoing E-TSA. Perioperative glucocorticoids should be given only in patients with demonstrable preoperative hypocortisolism on 1 µg ACTH test. Postoperative day 3 0800 hrs cortisol is a reasonable predictor of HPA axis status at 12 weeks after surgery.

Gamma-ray attenuation properties of some NLO materials: potential use in dosimetry.

Mass attenuation coefficients ([Formula: see text]) for some nonlinear optical materials such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, zinc tris-thiourea sulphate, and zinc thiourea chloride were measured using a [Formula: see text] NaI(Tl) scintillation detector at gamma energies of 122 keV, 356 keV, 511 keV, 662 keV, 840 keV, 1170 keV, 1270 keV, and 1330 keV. In addition, GEANT4 simulations were carried out to mimic the experiment at these energies. As a result, good agreement between the experimental and GEANT4 results was observed. The measured [Formula: see text] values were used to compute effective atomic numbers ([Formula: see text]) for the selected materials. It was found that the [Formula: see text] values were in the range typical for dosimetric materials.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus induces concurrent elevation of High Mobility Group Box-1 protein and pro-inflammatory cytokines in experimentally infected piglets.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV), is one of the most important devastating diseases of pigs, characterized by reproductive failure in sows, and respiratory disease with heavy mortality in piglets. PRRS virus has been reported to elevate the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the serum of infected pigs. High Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB-1) protein is a cellular biomolecule belonging to the Danger Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMP) family, which stimulates immune cells to release pro-inflammatory cytokines upon release out of cells. The role of HMGB-1 in the pathogenesis of PRRSV remains largely unknown. In the present study, HMGB-1 levels in serum samples collected from six-week-old piglets infected intra-nasally with 2 × 105.75 TCID50/mL of Indian PRRSV (Ind-297221/2013) was estimated by ELISA up to 21 days post infection (dpi). Pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA (IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF- α) expression in PBL was estimated by SYBR green based real time PCR. Mean HMGB-1 concentration in serum was found to be significantly elevated in PRRSV infected piglets on 6 dpi as compared to uninfected control piglets. At mRNA level, significant increase in expression of HMGB-1 was observed from 4 to 5 dpi and from 11 to 13 dpi. IL-1ß and IL-6 mRNA were significantly upregulated between 4 and 6 dpi. Significant increase in TNF-α gene expression was seen only on 7 and 9 dpi. Higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and HMGB-1 could be correlated with fever which was observed within 7 dpi in all the infected piglets and additionally around 13 dpi in the animal that died on 17 dpi. Thus, elevated HMGB-1 level in PRRSV infected piglets could be correlated with concurrent increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) mRNA. In-vitro studies were conducted in PRRSV infected Porcine Pulmonary Alveolar Macrophages (PAM) to ascertain HMGB-1 role in PRRS pathogenesis. The results of both in-vivo and in-vitro studies showed that HMGB-1 plays an important role in mediating the pro-inflammatory cytokine responses in PRRS pathogenesis.

Evaluation of antiviral activity of Ocimum sanctum and Acacia arabica leaves extracts against H9N2 virus using embryonated chicken egg model.

BACKGROUND: In the view of endemic avian influenza H9N2 infection in poultry, its zoonotic potential and emergence of antiviral resistance, two herbal plants, Ocimum sanctum and Acacia arabica, which are easily available throughout various geographical locations in India were taken up to study their antiviral activity against H9N2 virus. We evaluated antiviral efficacy of three different extracts each from leaves of O. sanctum (crude extract, terpenoid and polyphenol) and A. arabica (crude extract, flavonoid and polyphenol) against H9N2 virus using in ovo model. METHODS: The antiviral efficacy of different leaves extracts was systematically studied in three experimental protocols viz. virucidal (dose-dependent), therapeutic (time-dependent) and prophylactic (dose-dependent) activity employing in ovo model. The maximum non-toxic concentration of each herbal extracts of O. sanctum and A. arabica in the specific pathogen free embryonated chicken eggs was estimated and their antiviral efficacy was determined in terms of reduction in viral titres, measured by Haemagglutination (HA) and real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. RESULTS: All the extracts of O. sanctum (crude extract, terpenoid and polyphenol) and A. arabica (crude extract, flavonoid and polyphenol) showed significant virucidal activity, however, crude extract ocimum and terpenoid ocimum showed highly significant to significant (p < 0.001-0.01) decrease in virus genome copy numbers with lowest dose tested. Similarly, therapeutic effect was observed in all three extracts of O. sanctum in comparison to the virus control, nevertheless, crude extract ocimum and terpenoid ocimum maintained this effect for longer period of time (up to 72 h post-incubation). None of the leaves extracts of A. arabica had therapeutic effect at 24 and 48 h post-incubation, however, only the crude extract acacia and polyphenol acacia showed delayed therapeutic effect (72 h post-inoculation). Prophylactic potential was observed in polyphenol acacia with highly significant antiviral activity compared to virus control (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The crude extract and terpenoid isolated from the leaves of O. sanctum and polyphenol from A. arabica has shown promising antiviral properties against H9N2 virus. Future investigations are necessary to formulate combinations of these compounds for the broader antiviral activity against H9N2 viruses and evaluate them in chickens.

Control of campylobacter in poultry industry from farm to poultry processing unit: A review.

Campylobacter is an emerging zoonotic bacterial threat in the poultry industry. Most of the human cases of campylobacteriosis recorded have revealed their poultry origins. Various control measures have been employed both at the farm and processing levels to combat with it. The antibiotic treatment, phage therapy, competitive exclusion, and vaccination have been adapted at the farm level to reduce colonization of Campylobacter in poultry gut. While prevention of intestinal spillage, scheduled slaughter, logistic slaughter, chemical decontamination of carcasses are recommended to reduce contamination during processing. The postharvest interventions such as heat treatment, freezing, irradiation of contaminated carcass can effectively reduce Campylobacter contamination. Thus, integrated approaches are required to tackle infection of Campylobacter in humans.

Efficacy and evaluation of environmental management system to control sandfly vector of Kala-azar.

The established vector for visceral leishmaniasis, Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae) breeds inside the human dwellings and cattle shed under crevices at the base of the wall. P. argentipes was controlled by plastering the base of wall (9″height × 9″base). The study was conducted in two phases: (i) Screening of plastering materials (ii) validation of the most suitable material. During the first phase (2014); four intervention materials were evaluated in four different arms: (i) cement (ii) brick chimney fly ash (BCFA i.e. waste material from an oven for backing raw earthen brick in charcoal) mixed with lime (95:5) (iii) wire mesh (25 holes/cm2) and (iv) glazed tiles. Ten houses were selected as test and same as control in four different villages for each arm having similar ecotype and similar density of sandflies. The pre and post intervention density of sandflies were evaluated. Significant reduction in sandfly density was found with cement (46.2%) and BCFA (29.6%) plastering (P < 0.05). In the second phase of the study (2015); the two most effective interventions were validated at village level with one control. A significant reduction in the density of P. argentipes was found with cement; 60.2% (Mean ± S.D. = 2.48 ± 2.78, 95% CI = 1.93-3.02) and BCFA; 48.2% (Mean ± S.D. = 1.98 ± 2.20, 95% CI = 1.55-2.41) (P < 0.05). BCFA was found easily accessible, acceptable and cost effective that can be used in any type of wall materials at own cost. This can be implemented as one of the integrated vector control approach in the programme.

Traffic noise mapping of Indian roads through smartphone user community participation.

Road traffic noise pollution is a global hazard, and rapid urbanization has aggravated the problem. This paper explores a novel approach which involves a smartphone user community to monitor the prevalent noise. The system involves a client application on smartphones that records noise, processes the information and communicates to a server and shares the information as visual noise levels on Google® Maps. A fuzzy logic-based classification of noise is proposed. Results from residential, commercial, and industrial areas of the northern region of India are demonstrated. The noise levels are generally found to be higher than the prescribed standards. The experiment demonstrates the huge potential of user community participation in monitoring noise pollution.

First report on serological evidence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in farmed and free ranging mithuns (Bos frontalis).

Despite reports of BVDV infection in several domestic and wild ruminants, no information exists for mithun (Bos frontalis) species. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine prevalence of BVDV infection in mithuns, which contribute significantly to local economy in the North Eastern region of India. Blood and serum samples were collected between 2013 and 2016 from mithuns (n = 466) belonging to the states of Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. Serum samples were tested for BVDV antibodies by a commercial ELISA and leukocytes were tested for BVDV by real-time RT-PCR. The overall true seroprevalence rate was 13.1% (95% confidence interval, CI: 6.9-17.8%) with higher prevalence in mithuns reared under semi-intensive system (27.5%) than in free-ranging mithuns (7.6%). Among the three states, seroprevalence (16.2%) was highest in Nagaland, while prevalence rates varied markedly among geographical locations. Age-wise data showed highest seroprevalence rate in >6-year-old animals (20.6%) than 2-6 years old (16.9%), 6 months-2 years old (8.5%), and <6-month-old animals (11.3%). The seroprevalence was higher in males (20.9%) than in females (12.1%). Among the four mithun strains, higher prevalence was evident in Manipur (30.3%) than Arunachal (21.3%), Nagaland (11.7%), and Mizoram strain (10.2%). However, no BVDV genomic RNA could be detected. The results provide first serological evidence of BVDV infection in mithun species and extend the knowledge on BVDV host range. The baseline data will help further investigations on epidemiology of BVD in mithun and its impact on mithun production.

Differential accumulation of ß-carotene and tissue specific expression of phytoene synthase (MaPsy) gene in banana (Musa sp) cultivars.

An experiment was conducted with twelve major Indian banana cultivars to investigate the molecular relationship between the differential accumulation of ß-carotene in peel and pulp of the banana fruit and carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes. The high performance liquid chromatography showed that all banana cultivars accumulated two-three fold more ß-carotene in non-edible portion of the banana fruit. However, Nendran, a famous orange fleshed cultivar of South India, had high ß-carotene content (1362 µg/100 g) in edible pulp. The gene encoding Musa accuminata phytoene synthase (MaPsy) was successfully amplified using a pair of degenerate primers designed from Oncidium orchid. The deduced amino acid sequences shared a high level of identity to phytoene synthase gene from other plants. Gene expression analysis confirmed the presence of two isoforms (MaPsy1 and MaPsy2) of MaPsy gene in banana fruits. Presence of two isoforms of MaPsy gene in peel and one in pulp confirmed the differential accumulation of ß-carotene in banana fruits. However, Nendran accumulated more ß-carotene in edible pulp due to presence of both the isoforms of MaPsy gene. Thus, carotenoid accumulation is a tissue specific process strongly dependent on differential expression pattern of two isoforms of MaPsy gene in banana.

Flexible anodized aluminum oxide membranes with customizable back contact materials.

Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes were fabricated using flexible substrate/carrier material. This method facilitates the use of AAO templates with many different materials as substrates that are otherwise incompatible with most anodization techniques. Thin titanium (Ti) and tungsten (W) layers were employed as interlayer materials. Titanium enhances adhesion. Tungsten not only helps eliminate the barrier layer but also plays a critical role in enabling the use of flexible substrates. The resulting flexible templates provide new, exciting opportunities in photovoltaic and other device applications. CuInSe2 nanowires were electrochemically deposited into porous AAO templates with molybdenum (Mo) as the back contact material. The feasibility of using any material to form a contact with semiconductor nanowires has been demonstrated for the first time enabling new avenues in photovoltaic applications.

Acute Subperiosteal Hematoma of the Orbit with Visual Impairment: An Unconventional Presentation.

Acute subperiosteal hematoma of orbit is a rare condition and its presentation with rapid severe diminution of vision is even rarest. Urgent intervention is required for these patients presenting with visual compromise. Needle aspiration is safe and simple procedure for management of such hematoma provided the patient presents early and does not have any associated complications. We present one such rare case highlighting the importance of timely diagnosis and urgent management to overcome functional complications in acute subperiosteal hematoma. To best of our knowledge this is the first pediatric case presenting with acute subperiosteal hematoma accompanied by severely diminished vision within few hours of trauma.

Towards quantification of vibronic coupling in photosynthetic antenna complexes.

Photosynthetic antenna complexes harvest sunlight and efficiently transport energy to the reaction center where charge separation powers biochemical energy storage. The discovery of existence of long lived quantum coherence during energy transfer has sparked the discussion on the role of quantum coherence on the energy transfer efficiency. Early works assigned observed coherences to electronic states, and theoretical studies showed that electronic coherences could affect energy transfer efficiency--by either enhancing or suppressing transfer. However, the nature of coherences has been fiercely debated as coherences only report the energy gap between the states that generate coherence signals. Recent works have suggested that either the coherences observed in photosynthetic antenna complexes arise from vibrational wave packets on the ground state or, alternatively, coherences arise from mixed electronic and vibrational states. Understanding origin of coherences is important for designing molecules for efficient light harvesting. Here, we give a direct experimental observation from a mutant of LH2, which does not have B800 chromophores, to distinguish between electronic, vibrational, and vibronic coherence. We also present a minimal theoretical model to characterize the coherences both in the two limiting cases of purely vibrational and purely electronic coherence as well as in the intermediate, vibronic regime.

Control of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, the vectors of dengue and chikungunya, by using pheromone C21 with an insect growth regulator: Results of multicentric trials from 2007-12 in India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Aedes mosquito control has gained much importance nowadays in view of rise in number of reported cases of dengue and chikungunya in India and other countries. In the present study, C21 attracticide (containing a pheromone and an insect growth regulator­IGR, developed by Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior, India was tested for its feasibility for surveillance and control of Aedes mosquito in a multicentric mode from October 2007 to June 2012 in urban (Delhi, and Bengaluru district, Karnataka) and suburban (Alappuzha district, Kerala) settings of the country in three phases. METHODS: Across the randomly selected households in each study area, two to four containers treated with attracticide (experimental) and untreated (control) were placed and monitored by trained surveillance workers on weekly/ fortnightly basis for determining the presence of eggs, larvae and pupae. Container positivity, percent larvae, egg and pupae collected were determined during different phases and analyzed statistically using SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: Container positivity was found statistically significant at Bengaluru and Alappuzha, Kerala while in Delhi, it was found non-significant. Eggs collected from experimental containers were significantly higher in comparison to control at all the locations except Delhi. Also larvae collected from control containers were significantly higher at all the locations except Bengaluru. Pupae collected from control containers remained significantly higher at all the locations as no pupal formation was recorded from experimental containers. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The use of C21 attracticide hampered pupal formation, thus inhibiting adult population in the study areas. The study established that C21 attracticide was efficacious in the field conditions and has potential for use in surveillance and management of dengue and chikungunya mosquitoes.

Identification and Stratification of Diabetic Kidney Disease Using Serum Cystatin C and Serum Creatinine Based Estimating Equations in Type 2 Diabetes: A Comparative Analysis.

Background: Cystatin C is a low molecular weight protein produced by all nucleated human cells, with a stable production rate. Its levels are not influenced by inflammation, infections, hepatic or renal diseases, or by dietary or constitutional factors. We compared serum cystatin C and serum creatinine based predicting equations to estimate glomerular filteration rate (GFR) in type 2 diabetes mellitus, using the staging of chronic kidney disease (CKD) defined by the National Kidney Foundation. We also explored the relationship of urine albumin, GFR, serum creatinine and cystatin C concentrations. Methods: : A cross-sectional study was performed at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi. Consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus above the age of 35 years were enrolled. Fasting and 2-hour-postprandial blood glucose, fasting lipid profile, lipoprotein(a), haemoglobin, microalbuminuria, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), liver and renal function tests were assessed. Serum levels of Cystatin C were measured using immune-turbidometric method (Dade Behring analyzer BN2). Estimated GFR (eGFR) was calculated using Cockcroft-Gault formula, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology (CKD-EPI) Cys C formula. The three sets of eGFR were compared using repeated measure ANOVA. Linear regression analysis was performed to find the factor that affects the albumin excretion rate (AER) and e-GFR levels using all three equations. Results: We assessed 172 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mean age of the patients was 61.4 ± 9.6 years with mean duration of diabetes of 11.40 ± 7.5 years. Approximately 70% of patients had hypertension. A family history of diabetes was present in 53.4% of subjects and a history of CAD in first degree relatives in 20.9%. The prevalence of coronary artery disease was 17.4%. Albumin excretion correlated with e-GFR estimated using each of the three equations. The best correlation was seen with the CKD-EPI equation derived e-GFR. The CKD-EPI equation also identified the maximum number of patients in the normo-albuminuria group as having CKD. Albuminuria correlated with blood urea levels (p = 0.014) and serum cystatin C levels (p < 0.005). Conclusion: The new cystatin C based Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology equation identifies more patients in early CKD and also patients with normo-albuminuric CKD compared to the creatinine based Cockcroft-Gault equation or the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formulae.

Quantum neural network based machine translator for Hindi to English.

This paper presents the machine learning based machine translation system for Hindi to English, which learns the semantically correct corpus. The quantum neural based pattern recognizer is used to recognize and learn the pattern of corpus, using the information of part of speech of individual word in the corpus, like a human. The system performs the machine translation using its knowledge gained during the learning by inputting the pair of sentences of Devnagri-Hindi and English. To analyze the effectiveness of the proposed approach, 2600 sentences have been evaluated during simulation and evaluation. The accuracy achieved on BLEU score is 0.7502, on NIST score is 6.5773, on ROUGE-L score is 0.9233, and on METEOR score is 0.5456, which is significantly higher in comparison with Google Translation and Bing Translation for Hindi to English Machine Translation.

Impact of deforestation on known malaria vectors in Sonitpur district of Assam, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: An alarming rate of deforestation has been reported from Sonitpur district of Assam, India therefore, a study was initiated during 2009 using remote sensing (RS) to assess deforested areas in the district and to study the impact on malaria vectors in order to formulate appropriate control strategy. METHODS: RS imageries of 2000 and 2009 were used to assess deforested areas in the selected district. Entomological data were collected in four surveys during 2009-2011. The data were analyzed statistically using test of single proportions (χ 2 ) and pair-wise comparison. Vector incrimination was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and entomological inoculation rate (EIR) was calculated to estimate transmission intensity. RESULTS: The deforested areas were identified in north-western parts of Sonitpur district falling in Dhekiajuli Primary Health Centre (PHC). The forest cover of the PHC decreased >50% during 2000-2009. Five species of anopheline vectors were collected. Anopheles minimus sensu lato (s.l.) was collected least abundantly while An. culicifacies s.l. prevailed most abundantly and significant difference was observed between proportions of the collected vector species. Pair-wise comparison between An. culicifacies s.l. and An. minimus s.l. was also found statistically significant indicating that An. culicifacies s.l. is establishing its population in deforested areas. An. culicifacies s.l. was found ELISA positive and EIR was measured as 4.8 during transmission season. CONCLUSION: An. culicifacies s.l. replaced An. minimus s.l., the vector of malaria in northeast India and was found ELISA positive, therefore could have possible role in malaria transmission in the deforested areas of the district.