A systematic first-principles investigation of the structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, and thermodynamic properties of Half-Heusler ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) for spintronics and optoelectronics applications.

This paper is the first to look at the structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, and thermodynamic properties of the ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) half-Heusler (HH) using DFT based first principles method. The lattice parameters that we have calculated are very similar to those obtained in prior investigations with theoretical and experimental data. The positive phonon dispersion curve confirm the dynamical stability of ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn). The electronic band structure and DOS confirmed that the studied materials ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) are direct band gap semiconductors. The investigation also determined significant constants, including dielectric function, absorption, conductivity, reflectivity, refractive index, and loss function. These optical observations unveiled our compounds potential utilization in various electronic and optoelectronic device applications. The elastic constants were used to fulfill the Born criteria, confirming the mechanical stability and ductility of the solids ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn). The calculated elastic modulus revealed that our studied compounds are elastically anisotropic. Moreover, ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) has a very low minimum thermal conductivity (Kmin), and a low Debye temperature (θD), which indicating their appropriateness for utilization in thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications. The Helmholtz free energy (F), internal energy (E), entropy (S), and specific heat capacity (Cv) are determined by calculations derived from the phonon density of states.

Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury in Thyroid Surgery: One Year Prospective Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

This prospective, cross sectional study was carried out in the Department of Otolaryngology & Head-Neck Surgery, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh from August 2010 to July 2011. One hundred & twenty eight (128) patients with thyroid swelling who underwent surgery were purposely included. The study was designed to determine the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury during thyroid surgery. Among the 128 patients, female were predominant 78.90%, majority of the patient were in third decade, 96.87% patients were biochemically euthyroid. Total 5.46% patient had recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Among them 14.28% had transient and 85.72% had permanent injury. Injury was more in total thyroidectomy done for extensive malignancy.

Gitelman's Syndrome Presenting with Hypocalcaemia - A Case Report.

Gitelman's syndrome is an autosomal recessive renal tubular disorder characterized by severe hypomagnesaemia, hypokalaemia, metabolic alkalosis and hypocalcaemia. It is caused by defective NaCl transport in the Distal Convoluted Tubule and presents in adolescence or adulthood, with a distinctly more benign course than Bartter's Syndrome. The dominant clinical features are muscle weakness, fatigue, carpopedal spasm, cramps and tetany. We report the case of a 26 year old male who presented with flaccid quadriparesis and carpopedal spasms, hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypocalcaemia and severe urinary magnesium wasting. He was treated with potassium and magnesium supplementation and regained full function of all limbs.

GIS-based spatial analysis for lightning scenario in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has witnessed alarmingly rising lightning frequency, particularly during pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. This has resulted in significant annual death tolls from lightning strikes over the past decade. Recognizing this crisis, the country officially declared lightning casualties a natural disaster in 2016. This study delves deeper into the landscape of lightning fatalities and causalities in Bangladesh. Utilizing secondary data sources, this research introduces a unique approach by integrating Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) data and NASA's Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data from the International Space Station's (ISS) Near-real Time (NRT) mission. This combined dataset allows for a more comprehensive analysis. Furthermore, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was employed to analyze spatial distributions and generate maps. The Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation tool was used to create detailed spatial distribution maps of lightning fatalities, thunderstorm days (TSDs), and lightning flash frequency (LFF) across Bangladesh. The analysis revealed that farmers and fishermen were the most vulnerable populations, with the northeastern regions experiencing the highest impact. Sylhet division emerged as the area with the most fatalities, highlighting the northeastern zone's susceptibility. The study also identified monsoons as the period with the highest occurrences of lightning deaths and injuries. By combining innovative data integration and spatial analysis, this study offers valuable insights into the alarming trend of lightning fatalities in Bangladesh. These findings can inform targeted prevention strategies and interventions to safeguard vulnerable populations and communities.

Enhancement of reproductive performances of Gangetic leaffish, Nandus nandus through up regulation of serum Ca²âº concentration, improved morphological alteration of liver and ovary with dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as biofunctional compounds with feed is an effective way for gonadal maturation without any hazardous effects on animal health, and thus it is possible to save the vulnerable species from the danger of extinction. In the present study sperm quality, level of Ca(2+) concentration in serum, histological structure of the liver and developmental stages of ovary of an endangered fish species, Nandus nandus were investigated for the confirmation of the positive effects of PUFAs in reproduction and gonadal maturation. Fishes were collected from Brahmaputra River, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Treated group was fed 1% squid extracted phospholipid supplemented diet that was mixed with silver carp fish muscle where as controlled group was fed the same except phospholipid. For histology of liver and gonads, samples were dehydrated, cleaned and infiltrated, embedded in paraffin wax and sectioned. After that, the samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The photomicrographs of the stained samples were taken by using light microscope. In comparison with the control group, treated group exhibited higher gonadal maturation which resulted in spontaneous spawning. Treated female demonstrated advanced gonadal developmental stages in comparison with the controlled female during different months. During spawning season, lipid granules and normal morphological alteration were observed in case of treated fish liver, whereas less lipid granules with more histological alteration of liver were observed in control group. Serum Ca(2+) concentration in treated female was found significantly higher (P < 0.01) in contrast to the controlled female during the breeding season which was an indicator of the augment of estrogen secretion during ovarian maturation. Better sperm quality, early maturation of oocytes, less histological alteration of liver hepatocytes and spontaneous spawning performances of PUFA-treated fish were as a result of the efficiency of PUFAs in enhancing maturation. The experiment suggests that supplementation of dietary PUFAs improve the spawning performances of fish.

Surgical Outcome of Cauda Equina Syndrome Secondary to Disc Herniation Presenting Late in Developing Countries.

Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a serious neurologic state in which neurological dysfunction affects the lumbar and sacral nerve roots within the vertebral canal. The nerves of the cauda equine provide the muscles that manage the bladder, bowel and the legs and the dysfunction producing impairment of bladder, bowel or sexual function and perianal or saddle numbness. Identification of CES is not only important to neurosurgeons and spine surgeons, but also to prime care practitioners, emergency room physicians, physiotherapists and allied health care professionals concerned in management of back pain. It is a significant diagnosis from a clinical and medico-legal outlook. Early surgical decompression is endorsed by most authors to best support patient's revival and trim down long term disability. This cross sectional observational study was conducted at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospitals, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2015 to January 2021 and the aim of this study was to find the predictors and the clinical outcome of cauda equina syndrome after spinal decompression with delayed presentation. Among 680 patients of degenerative disc diseases; 32 cases (4.7%) had CES, those presenting late in course of disease. Time interval between bladder and bowel dysfunction and admission to hospital varied from 2-64 days with mean delay of 15.4 days. The average follow-up was 22.6 months, ranging from 12 to 34 months. There was significant positive correlation (p<0.05) between duration taken for total recovery and delay in surgery and between delayed decompression and a poor outcome. Also there was a clear correlation between the presence of complete perineal anaesthesia and absence of anal wink as both univariate and multivariate predictors of a poor outcome. There was significant association between a slower onset of CES and a favourable outcome. There was no significant correlation found between initial motor function loss, bilateral sciatica and level of the lesions as predictors of a poor outcome.

Perovskite-structure TlBO3 (B = Cr, Mn) for thermomechanical and optoelectronic applications: an investigation via a DFT scheme.

First-principles-based DFT calculations have been carried out to analyze the structural, mechanical, elastic anisotropic, Vickers hardness, electronic, optical, and thermodynamic properties of TlBO3 (B = Cr, Mn) for the first time. We determined the lattice parameters, which are in good agreement with the previous results. The Born criteria was ensured by the elastic constants, which also confirms the ductility of the solid. The elastic constants were also used to evaluate and analyze some related physical properties. The values of Vickers hardness were calculated to determine the hardness and relative application of both TlCrO3 and TlMnO3. Though the metallic characteristics were evaluated via the investigation of the electronic band structure and density of states, both TlCrO3 and TlMnO3 reveal semiconducting behavior under spin-orbit polarization with up-spin and down-spin configurations. Significant constants such as absorption, conductivity, reflectivity, dielectric, loss function, and refractive index were also considered and determined without spin and with spin. As a result, various possible electronic, optical, and optoelectronic applications were predicted. TlBO3 (B = Cr, Mn) was also found to be reliable for thermal barrier coating (TBC) as indicated by the evaluated values of thermal conductivity and Debye temperature.

Multi-soliton, breathers, lumps and interaction solution to the (2+1)-dimensional asymmetric Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov equation.

In this work, we consider a (2 + 1)-dimensional asymmetric Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov (ANNV) equation, which has applications in processes of interaction of exponentially localized structures. Based on the bilinear formalism and with the aid of symbolic computation, we determine multi-solitons, breather solutions, lump soliton, lump-kink waves and multi lumps using various ansatze's function. We notice that multi-lumps in the form of breathers visualize as a straight line. To realize dynamics, we commit diverse graphical analysis on the presented solutions. Obtained solutions are reliable in the mathematical physics and engineering.

In vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of ferrocene derivative compounds.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the biocidal activity of four new ferrocene derivative based coordination complexes, [1,2,3-trithia-/3/-ferrocenophane, C1]; [disodium-1,1'-ferrocenedithiolate, C2]; [1,1'-(ferrocene-1,1'-diyl)-diethanol, C3]; [ferrocenyl(ethyl-phenyl)-methanol, C4]; against microbes (bacteria and fungi) and brine shrimp (Artemia salina Lech.) nauplii. C2 showed modest antibacterial activity at the concentration of 200 microg disc(-1) and gave its Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values at 32-64 microg mL(-1) against the tested bacteria. These complexes gave comparatively better antibacterial activity against the Gram-positives than the Gram-negatives. C3, C1 and C4 showed moderate antifungal activity at concentration of 200 microg disc(-1). Brine shrimp eggs were hatched in artificial sea water and exposed to the complexes. Median lethal concentration (LC50) values were calculated. Both complexes showed toxicity against brine shrimp but complex C3 explored its potent cytotoxicity having LC50 values at 6.031 microg mL(-1) (ppm).

How best to fight that nasty itch - from new insights into the neuroimmunological, neuroendocrine, and neurophysiological bases of pruritus to novel therapeutic approaches.

While the enormous clinical and psychosocial importance of pruritus in many areas of medicine and the detrimental effects of chronic 'itch' on the quality of life of an affected individual are widely appreciated, the complexity of this sensation is still often grossly underestimated. The current Controversies feature highlights this complexity by portraying pruritus as a truly interdisciplinary problem at the crossroads of neurophysiology, neuroimmunology, neuropharmacology, protease research, internal medicine, and dermatology, which is combated most successfully if one keeps the multilayered nature of 'itch' in mind and adopts a holistic treatment approach - beyond the customary, frequently frustrane monotherapy with histamine receptor antagonists. In view of the often unsatisfactory, unidimensional, and altogether rather crude standard instruments for pruritus management that we still tend to use in clinical practice today, an interdisciplinary team of pruritus experts here critically examines recent progress in pruritus research that future itch management must take into consideration. Focusing on new insights into the neuroimmunological, neuroendocrine, and neurophysiological bases of pruritus, and discussing available neuropharmacological tools, specific research avenues are highlighted, whose pursuit promises to lead to novel, and hopefully more effective, forms of pruritus management.

Involvement of histamine H3 receptors in scratching behaviour in mast cell-deficient mice.

BACKGROUND: Although the roles of histamine H3 receptors have been studied in several tissues such as the brain, lung, spleen, colon and peripheral sensory nerve endings, the involvement of H3 receptors in skin responses particularly in relation to scratching behaviour are not well documented. OBJECTIVES: This work was performed to study the effects of histamine H3 antagonists on scratching behaviour in mast cell-deficient mice. METHODS: Histamine H3 antagonists iodophenpropit and clobenpropit, histamine and substance P were injected intradermally into the rostral part of the back of mast cell-deficient (WBB6F1 W/Wv) and wild-type (WBB6F1+/+) mice and scratching behaviour was measured for 60 min. The effects of H1 antagonists on scratching behaviour induced by H3 antagonists were also investigated. RESULTS: Intradermal injection of iodophenpropit and clobenpropit at doses of 10 and 100 nmol per site caused significant increases in scratching behaviour in both mast cell-deficient and wild-type mice. Histamine also caused a dose-related increase in the incidence of scratching behaviour, and a significant effect was observed at a dose of 100 nmol per site in both mast cell-deficient and wild-type mice. Substance P was also effective in causing scratching behaviour in both mast cell-deficient and wild-type mice. However, histamine H1 antagonists diphenhydramine and chlorphenamine failed to inhibit H3 antagonist-induced scratching behaviour in both types of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that intradermal injection of H3 antagonists induces scratching behaviour and that chemical mediators other than histamine seem to be involved in the response.