Effect of deficit irrigation combined with Bacillus simplex on water use efficiency and growth parameters of maize during vegetative stage.

The production of crops depending on many factors including water, nutrient, soil types, climate and crops types, water stress and drought is in one of the important factors affecting crop productivity. The experiment was conducted in pots to evaluate the effect of biofertilizers (Bacillus simplex) with deficit irrigations on the early development and growth of maize crop under greenhouse condition. Pre sowing seed was inoculated with strain of bacteria (B+/B-) and different irrigation levels (no stress: 100% (I1) and deficit irrigation: 75 (I2), 50 (I3), 25 (I4) % of required water amount to reach pot capacity) was performed. Data was collected on different morphological characteristics and root characteristic of maize crop. Highest plant height (125 cm), stem diameter (18.02 mm), leaf area (350 cm- 2), plant weight (180.42 g in fresh, 73.58 g in dry), root length (92.83 cm) root ((91.70 g in fresh, (28.66 g in dry) weight were recorded in pots applied with 100% irrigation followed by 75%. Bacillus treated plants showed significant increase in leaf area (214.20 cm- 2), plant fresh weight (91.65 g) and dry weight (42.05 g), root length (79.20 cm), root fresh (53.52 g) and dry weight (16.70 g) compared with control (without bacteria). Likewise highest relative water content of leaf was observed with I3 followed by I2 and I1 respectively. Highest water use efficiency was recorded as 0.67 g pot- 1 mm- 1 in I1 with B + treatment. Likewise, Bacillus inoculated pots resulted in increased water use efficiency (0.44 g pot- 1 mm- 1) compared with no application (0.36 g pot- 1 mm- 1). It can be endorsed from the outcome that Bacillus inoculation increased plant biomass, root biomass of maize and water use efficiency during early growth stage of maize despite of water stress and can be used under limited water condition for crop combating during moderate to lower stress conditions.

Quantitative analysis of solid dosage forms of Atenolol by Raman spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a Raman spectroscopy-based analytical model for quantification of solid dosage forms of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of Atenolol.Significance: For the quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical drugs, Raman Spectroscopy is a reliable and fast detection method. As part of this study, Raman Spectroscopy is explored for the quantitative analysis of different concentrations of Atenolol. METHODS: Various solid-dosage forms of Atenolol were prepared by mixing API with excipients to form different solid-dosage formulations of Atenolol. Multivariate data analysis techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial least square regression (PLSR) were used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively. RESULTS: As the concentration of the drug increased in formulation, the peak intensities of the distinctive Raman spectral characteristics associated with the API (Atenolol) gradually increased. Raman spectral data sets were classified using PCA due to their distinctive spectral characteristics. Additionally, a prediction model was built using PLSR analysis to assess the quantitative relationship between various API (Atenolol) concentrations and spectral features. With a goodness of fit value of 0.99, the root mean square errors of calibration (RMSEC) and prediction (RMSEP) were determined to be 1.0036 and 2.83 mg, respectively. The API content in the blind/unknown Atenolol formulation was determined as well using the PLSR model. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, Raman spectroscopy may be used to quickly and accurately analyze pharmaceutical samples and for their quantitative determination.

Quantitative analysis of cephalexin in solid dosage form by Raman spectroscopy and chemometric tools.

OBJECTIVE: To use Raman Spectroscopy for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of pharmaceutical formulations of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of Cephalexin. SIGNIFICANCE: Raman Spectroscopy is a noninvasive, nondestructive, reliable and rapid detection technique used for various pharmaceutical drugs quantification. The present study explores the potential of Raman Spectroscopy for quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical drugs. METHOD: For qualitative and quantitative analysis of Cephalexin API, various standard samples containing less and more concentration of API than commercial tablet was prepared. To study spectral differences, the mean plot of all the samples was prepared. For qualitative analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and for quantitative analysis Partial Least Square Regression analysis (PLSR) was used. Both of these are Multivariate data analysis techniques and give reliable results as published in previous literature. RESULTS: PCA model distinguished all the Raman Spectral data related to the various Cephalexin solid dosage formulations whereas the PLSR model was used to calculate the concentration of different unknown formulations. For the PLSR model, RMSEC and RMSEP were determined to be 3.3953 and 3.8972, respectively. The prediction efficiency of this built PLSR model was found to be very good with a goodness of the model value (R2) of 0.98. The PLSR model also predicted the concentrations of Cephalexin formulations in the blind or unknown sample. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that the Raman spectroscopy coupled to PLSR analysis could be regarded as a fast and effectively reliable tool for quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical drugs.

Lactated Ringers Use in the First 24 Hours of Hospitalization Is Associated With Improved Outcomes in 999 Patients With Acute Pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION: Recent pilot trials in acute pancreatitis (AP) found that lactated ringers (LR) usage may result in decreased risk of moderately severe/severe AP compared with normal saline, but their small sample sizes limit statistical power. We investigated whether LR usage is associated with improved outcomes in AP in an international multicenter prospective study. METHODS: Patients directly admitted with the diagnosis of AP were prospectively enrolled at 22 international sites between 2015 and 2018. Demographics, fluid administration, and AP severity data were collected in a standardized prospective manner to examine the association between LR and AP severity outcomes. Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the direction and magnitude of the relationship between the type of fluid administered during the first 24 hours and the development of moderately severe/severe AP. RESULTS: Data from 999 patients were analyzed (mean age 51 years, female 52%, moderately severe/severe AP 24%). Usage of LR during the first 24 hours was associated with reduced odds of moderately severe/severe AP (adjusted odds ratio 0.52; P = 0.014) compared with normal saline after adjusting for region of enrollment, etiology, body mass index, and fluid volume and accounting for the variation across centers. Similar results were observed in sensitivity analyses eliminating the effects of admission organ failure, etiology, and excessive total fluid volume. DISCUSSION: LR administration in the first 24 hours of hospitalization was associated with improved AP severity. A large-scale randomized clinical trial is needed to confirm these findings.

Cobalt oxide modified sulfur and phosphorus Co-doped g-C3N4 for screening of urinary human albumin.

The fabrication of a heteroatom-doped nanocomposite based on cobalt oxide modified sulfur, phosphorus co-doped carbon nitride (Co3O4/SP-CN) with increased active sites is reported. The synthesized nanocomposite offers surprisingly high electrocatalytic oxidation efficacy toward human albumin (HA) despite its agglomeration. This improved efficacy of Co3O4/SP-CN nanocomposite could be attributed to its increased adsorption sites and surface defects, fast charge transportation capability, and conductivity. Additionally, morphological and compositional analysis of the fabricated Co3O4/SP-CN material has been performed  through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. The fabricated electrode shows remarkable amperometric response against the HA with a limit of detection of 8.39 nM and linear range of 20-4000 nM at applied potential of 0.25 V versus Ag/AgCl in 0.1 M PBS (pH 8.2). The designed Co3O4/SP-CN electrode has been successfully applied to monitor HA in  urine samples of diabetic patient with recovery percentage from 94.1 and 92.1% and with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 5.8 and 7.8%. According to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to use a Co3O4/SP-CN-based graphitic pencil (GP) electrode for monitoring of HA for early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.

The Modified Pancreatitis Activity Scoring System Shows Distinct Trajectories in Acute Pancreatitis: An International Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The aims of this study were to: (1) assess the performance of the Pancreatitis Activity Scoring System (PASS) in a large intercontinental cohort of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP); and (2) investigate whether a modified PASS (mPASS) yields a similar predictive accuracy and produces distinct early trajectories between severity subgroups. METHODS: Data was prospectively collected through the Acute Pancreatitis Patient Registry to Examine Novel Therapies In Clinical Experience (APPRENTICE) consortium (2015-2018) involving 22 centers from 4 continents. AP severity was categorized per the revised Atlanta classification. PASS trajectories were compared between the three severity groups using the generalized estimating equations model. Four mPASS models were generated by modifying the morphine equivalent dose (MED), and their trajectories were compared. RESULTS: A total of 1393 subjects were enrolled (median age, 49 years; 51% males). The study cohort included 950 mild (68.2%), 315 (22.6%) moderately severe, and 128 (9.2%) severe AP. Mild cases had the lowest PASS at each study time point (all P < .001). A subset of patients with outlier admission PASS values was identified. In the outlier group, 70% of the PASS variation was attributed to the MED, and 66% of these patients were from the United States centers. Among the 4 modified models, the mPASS-1 (excluding MED from PASS) demonstrated high performance in predicting severe AP with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.88 (vs area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.83 in conventional PASS) and produced distinct trajectories with distinct slopes between severity subgroups (all P < .001). CONCLUSION: We propose a modified model by removing the MED component, which is easier to calculate, predicts accurately severe AP, and maintains significantly distinct early trajectories.

The relationship between pre-existing diabetes mellitus and the severity of acute pancreatitis: Report from a large international registry.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The relationship between pre-existing diabetes mellitus (DM) and acute pancreatitis (AP) severity has not been established. We assessed the impact of pre-existing DM on AP severity in an international, prospectively ascertained registry. METHODS: APPRENTICE registry prospectively enrolled 1543 AP patients from 22 centers across 4 continents (8 US, 6 Europe, 5 Latin America, 3 India) between 2015 and 2018, and collected detailed clinical information. Pre-existing DM was defined a diagnosis of DM prior to AP admission. The primary outcome was AP severity defined by the Revised Atlanta Classification (RAC). Secondary outcomes were development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or intensive care unit (ICU) admission. RESULTS: Pre-existing DM was present in 270 (17.5%) AP patients, of whom 252 (93.3%) had type 2 DM. Patients with pre-existing DM were significantly (p < 0.05) older (55.8 ± 16 vs. 48.3 ± 18.7 years), more likely to be overweight (BMI 29.5 ± 7 vs. 27.2 ± 6.2), have hypertriglyceridemia as the etiology (15% vs. 2%) and prior AP (33 vs. 24%). Mild, moderate, and severe AP were noted in 66%, 23%, and 11% of patients, respectively. On multivariable analysis, pre-existing DM did not significantly impact AP severity assessed by the RAC (moderate-severe vs. mild AP, OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.63-1.18; severe vs. mild-moderate AP, OR = 1.05, 95% CI, 0.67-1.63), development of SIRS, or the need for ICU admission. No interaction was noted between DM status and continent. CONCLUSION: About one in 5 patients with AP have pre-existing DM. Once confounding risk factors are considered, pre-existing DM per se is not a risk factor for severe AP.

Janus Biopolymer Sponge with Porous Structure Based on Water Hyacinth Petiole for Efficient Solar Steam Generation.

Solar-driven steam generation for desalination is a facile, sustainable, and energy-saving approach to produce clean freshwater. However, the complicated fabrication process, high cost, potential environmental impact, and salt crystallization of conventional evaporators limit their large-scale application. Herein, we present a sustainable Janus evaporator based on a biopolymer sponge from the water hyacinth petiole (WHP) for high-performance solar steam generation. The freeze-dried WHP maintained its original porous structure and aligned channels well, and therefore holds the capability for rapid water transport due to strong capillary action. The WHP coated with carbon nanotubes/ethyl cellulose paste on its surface (WHP-C) gains a good photothermal property, thus achieving an efficient solar steam generation with a rate of 1.50 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun irradiation. Moreover, the WHP-C after hydrophobic modification by fluorocarbon (WHP-CH) is endowed with high water repellency and exhibits good salt resistance during long-term solar desalination. Additionally, we demonstrate that a stable wet surface that enables efficient water supply and vapor escape is also significant to the successive desalination of a solar evaporator. Our work provides new insights into the high-value utilization of biomass waste, i.e., water hyacinth, and the development of sustainable interfacial solar evaporators for the environmentally friendly production of freshwater.

Dynamic changes in the pancreatitis activity scoring system during hospital course in a multicenter, prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The primary aim was to validate the Pancreatitis Activity Scoring System (PASS) in a multicenter prospectively ascertained acute pancreatitis (AP) cohort. Second, we investigated the association of early PASS trajectories with disease severity and length of hospital stay (LOS). METHODS: Data were prospectively collected through the APPRENTICE consortium (2015-2018). AP severity was categorized based on revised Atlanta classification. Delta PASS (ΔPASS) was calculated by subtracting activity score from baseline value. PASS trajectories were compared between severity subsets. Subsequently, the cohort was subdivided into three LOS subgroups as short (S-LOS): 2-3 days; intermediate (I-LOS): 3-7 days; and long (L-LOS): ≥7 days. The generalized estimating equations model was implemented to compare PASS trajectories. RESULTS: There were 434 subjects analyzed including 322 (74%) mild, 86 (20%) moderately severe, and 26 (6%) severe AP. Severe AP subjects had the highest activity levels and the slowest rate of decline in activity (P = 0.039). Focusing on mild AP, L-LOS subjects (34%) had 28 points per day slower decline; whereas, S-LOS group (13%) showed 34 points per day sharper decrease compared with I-LOS (53%; P < 0.001). We noticed an outlier subset with a median admission-PASS of 466 compared with 140 in the rest. Morphine equivalent dose constituted 80% of the total PASS in the outliers (median morphine equivalent dose score = 392), compared with only 25% in normal-range subjects (score = 33, P value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted that PASS can quantify AP activity. Significant differences in PASS trajectories were found both in revised Atlanta classification severity and LOS groups, which can be harnessed in AP monitoring/management (ClincialTrials.gov number, NCT03075618).

Cadmium, chromium, nickel and nitrate accumulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using wastewater irrigation and health risks assessment.

The wastewater utilization for irrigation purposes is common practice in peri-urban areas located in vicinity of developed cities. This water contains elements like chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd) and nitrate (NO3-N) that poses health risk when exposed to human. In this study effect of wastewater irrigation from Chakara wastewater plant, Faisalabad on growth of wheat and health risks was assessed. Pot experiment was conducted at Institute of Soil and Environmental, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad using different concentration of wastewater as treatment 100% tap water, 25% wastewater + 75% tap water, 50% wastewater + 50% tap water, 75% wastewater + 25% tap water, 100% wastewater. The results indicated that the wastewater irrigation negatively effects the plant growth and physiological parameters. The minimum plant height, grain weight, spike length, osmotic potential and SPAD values were recorded 50.33 cm, 1.47 g plant-1, 7.00 cm, 423 and 38.91 respectively in 100% wastewater irrigation. The risk quotient (RQ TEs) for each toxic element and cumulative risk index (RI TEs) values were calculated. The cadmium risk quotient (Cd RQ) for adults was on margin and value was >1 for in 75% wastewater + 25% tap water and 100% wastewater irrigation, while the RQ for Ni and Cr was <1. Maximum RI TEs values calculated in 100% wastewater irrigation 0.424 and 0.294 for children and adults respectively. Hence it was concluded that wastewater irrigation significantly increased the accumulation rate of metals and nitrate in wheat and cause potential health risks for children and adults.

Effect of milk or milk replacer offered at varying levels on growth performance of Friesian veal calves.

The objective was to determine the growth performance of Friesian calves given milk or milk replacer (MR) at varying levels. Forty-eight male Friesian calves were divided into four groups of 12 animals each. Calves were offered either milk or MR at either 10 or 15% of body weight (BW), with upper limits of 5 and 6 L/d, respectively until week 8. The calves were weaned at 10 weeks of age by gradually reducing the offered liquid to zero. In addition, from the second week, calves were offered calf starter ration (CS) until each calf reached 120 kg. The calves raised on milk had better growth rates (610 ± 25 vs. 487 ± 25 g/d; P < 0.05), displayed higher weaning weights (71 ± 1.5 vs. 55.9 ± 1.5 kg; P < 0.05) and reached the target weight of 120 kg earlier (20.9 ± 0.8 vs. 24.1 ± 0.8 weeks; P < 0.05) than those on MR. However, growth rate was not affected (535 ± 25 vs. 568 ± 25; P > 0.05) by liquid feeding level. Cost per kg live weight gain was not affected (325 ± 8 vs. 319 ± 8; P < 0.05) by feeding source or feeding levels (317 ± 8 vs. 328 ± 8). Thus, feeding milk at 10% of body weight saves time and labour required to achieve target weight in veal calves.

Ultra-Low-Power, High-Accuracy 434 MHz Indoor Positioning System for Smart Homes Leveraging Machine Learning Models.

Global navigation satellite systems have been used for reliable location-based services in outdoor environments. However, satellite-based systems are not suitable for indoor positioning due to low signal power inside buildings and low accuracy of 5 m. Future smart homes demand low-cost, high-accuracy and low-power indoor positioning systems that can provide accuracy of less than 5 m and enable battery operation for mobility and long-term use. We propose and implement an intelligent, highly accurate and low-power indoor positioning system for smart homes leveraging Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) model using information-theoretic gain based on reduction in differential entropy. The system is based on Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) and uses ultra-low-power radio transceivers working at 434 MHz. The system has been deployed and tested using indoor measurements for two-dimensional (2D) positioning. In addition, the proposed system provides dual functionality with the same wireless links used for receiving telemetry data, with configurable data rates of up to 600 Kbauds. The implemented system integrates the time difference pulses obtained from the differential circuitry to determine the radio frequency (RF) transmitter node positions. The implemented system provides a high positioning accuracy of 0.68 m and 1.08 m for outdoor and indoor localization, respectively, when using GPR machine learning models, and provides telemetry data reception of 250 Kbauds. The system enables low-power battery operation with consumption of <200 mW power with ultra-low-power CC1101 radio transceivers and additional circuits with a differential amplifier. The proposed system provides low-cost, low-power and high-accuracy indoor localization and is an essential element of public well-being in future smart homes.

Worldwide Variations in Demographics, Management, and Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Few studies have compared regional differences in acute pancreatitis. We analyzed data from an international registry of patients with acute pancreatitis to evaluate geographic variations in patient characteristics, management, and outcomes. METHODS: We collected data from the APPRENTICE registry of patients with acute pancreatitis, which obtains information from patients in Europe (6 centers), India (3 centers), Latin America (5 centers), and North America (8 centers) using standardized questionnaires. Our final analysis included 1612 patients with acute pancreatitis (median age, 49 years; 53% male, 62% white) enrolled from August 2015 through January 2018. RESULTS: Biliary (45%) and alcoholic acute pancreatitis (21%) were the most common etiologies. Based on the revised Atlanta classification, 65% of patients developed mild disease, 23% moderate, and 12% severe. The mean age of patients in Europe (58 years) was older than mean age for all 4 regions (46 years) and a higher proportion of patients in Europe had comorbid conditions (73% vs 50% overall). The predominant etiology of acute pancreatitis in Latin America was biliary (78%), whereas alcohol-associated pancreatitis accounted for the highest proportion of acute pancreatitis cases in India (45%). Pain was managed with opioid analgesics in 93% of patients in North America versus 27% of patients in the other 3 regions. Cholecystectomies were performed at the time of hospital admission for most patients in Latin America (60% vs 15% overall). A higher proportion of European patients with severe acute pancreatitis died during the original hospital stay (44%) compared with the other 3 regions (15%). CONCLUSIONS: We found significant variation in demographics, etiologies, management practices, and outcomes of acute pancreatitis worldwide. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03075618.

Clinical features of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis in an international, multicenter, prospective cohort (APPRENTICE consortium).

BACKGROUND: The clinical features and outcomes of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) are not well-established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of HTG-AP in an international, multicenter prospective cohort. METHODS: Data collection was conducted prospectively through APPRENTICE between 2015 and 2018. HTG-AP was defined as serum TG levels >500 mg/dl in the absence of other common etiologies of AP. Three multivariate logistic regression models were performed to assess whether HTG-AP is associated with SIRS positive status, ICU admission and/or moderately-severe/severe AP. RESULTS: 1,478 patients were included in the study; 69 subjects (4.7%) were diagnosed with HTG-AP. HTG-AP patients were more likely to be younger (mean 40 vs 50 years; p < 0.001), male (67% vs 52%; p = 0.018), and with a higher BMI (mean 30.4 vs 27.5 kg/m2; p = 0.0002). HTG-AP subjects reported more frequent active alcohol use (71% vs 49%; p < 0.001), and diabetes mellitus (59% vs 15%; p < 0.001). None of the above risk factors/variables was found to be independently associated with SIRS positive status, ICU admission, or severity in the multivariate logistic regression models. These results were similar when including only the 785 subjects with TG levels measured within 48 h from admission. CONCLUSION: HTG-AP was found to be the 4th most common etiology of AP. HTG-AP patients had distinct baseline characteristics, but their clinical outcomes were similar compared to other etiologies of AP.

Visual and Precise Detection of pH Values under Extreme Acidic and Strong Basic Environments by Cellulose-Based Superior Sensor.

Precise determination of pH values with an instrument-free mode is challenging and practical in industry processes, life science, and environmental monitoring. Here, taking advantage of the intramolecular charge transfer process, we construct a cellulose-based superior pH sensor, Phen-MDI-CA, which contains a highly sensitive, pH-responsive, and extended conjugation structure by combining phenanthroline moiety as a chromophore with urea group as a bridge. The resultant Phen-MDI-CA can precisely and visually determine pH values under extreme acidic and strong basic environments, depending on the different colors. In visible light mode, Phen-MDI-CA can readily discriminate the pH values of 14.0, 13.0, 12.0, and 11.0 and distinguish pH 2.0 from 1.0 by the naked eye. In fluorescent mode, Phen-MDI-CA can recognize more accurate pH values of pH 11.6-13.2 at a 0.2-0.4 pH interval by the high-contrasting color change. After addition of pH-irresponsive dyes as the reference, the corresponding ratiometric systems exhibit different colors at a 0.2-0.4 pH interval during the pH values of 11.0-14.0 and 1.0-2.0. Benefiting from the excellent formability, the Phen-MDI-CA was readily fabricated into pH test strips by coating method. To our knowledge, this is the first study to monitor extreme acidity and strong basicity in such precise pH values with an instrument-free mode.

Ba2ScHO3: H- Conductive Layered Oxyhydride with H- Site Selectivity.

Hydride (H-) conduction is a new frontier related to hydrogen transport in solids. Here, a new H- conductive oxyhydride Ba2ScHO3 was successfully synthesized using a high-pressure technique. Powder X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments investigated the fact that Ba2ScHO3 adopts a K2NiF4-type structure with H- ions preferentially occupying the apical sites, as supported by theoretical calculations. Electrochemical impedance spectra showed that Ba2ScHO3 exhibited H- conduction and a conductivity of 5.2 × 10-6 S cm-1 at 300 °C. This value is much higher than that of BaScO2H, which has an ideal perovskite structure, suggesting the advantage of layered structures for H- conduction. Tuning site selectivity of H- ions in layered oxyhydrides might be a promising strategy for designing fast H- conductors applicable for novel electrochemical devices.

Assessment of trace elements in urban topsoils of Rawalpindi-Pakistan: a principal component analysis approach.

Assessment of trace elements is inevitable to reduce stress on environment due to urbanization and industrialization. Rawalpindi, the fourth largest city of Pakistan, rapidly moving towards industrialization and has a large number of automobiles. In the present study, the urban area of Rawalpindi was divided into five parts: Gawal Mandi, Pir Wadhai, Soan Adda, Chah Sultan, and Central Ordinance Depot (COD), to determine distribution of trace elements. Soil samples were collected from 5 to 20 cm depth. After drying and sieving, samples were digested using di-acid (HNO3 and HClO4 at 2:1). Concentrations of heavy metals were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to reduce multidimensional space of variables and samples. Observed mean concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were 164, 33.4, 295, 336, 634, 236, 1572, and 546 mg kg-1, respectively. Mean concentrations of all the heavy metals in urban area soil were higher than the WHO permissible limits. Correlation coefficient analysis showed positive correlation among Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, and Pb, whereas no obvious correlation for Cr and Mn was found with any other heavy metal. Zn was positively correlated with Co, Ni, and Mn, whereas negative correlation was found with Cr. Results showed that Pir Wadhai and COD were the most and least contaminated parts of the city, respectively, and this is attributed to the presence and absence of heavy traffic loads and industrial effluents. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Teaching residents to put patients first: creation and evaluation of a comprehensive curriculum in patient-centered communication.

BACKGROUND: Patient-centered communication is essential for successful patient encounters and positive patient outcomes. Therefore, training residents how to communicate well is one of the key responsibilities of residency programs. However, many residents, especially international medical graduates, continue to struggle with communication barriers. METHODS: All residents and faculty from a small community teaching hospital participated in a three-year, multidimensional patient-centered communication curriculum including communication training with lectures, experiential learning, communication skills practice, and reflection in the areas of linguistics, physician-patient communication, cultural & linguistically appropriate care, and professionalism. We evaluated the program through a multipronged outcomes assessment, including self-assessment, scores on the Calgary-Cambridge Scale during Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), a survey to measure the hidden curriculum, English Communication Assessment Profile (E-CAP),, the Maslach Burnout-Inventory (MBI), and residents' evaluation of faculty communication. RESULTS: Sixty-two residents and ten faculty members completed the three-year curriculum. We saw no significant changes in the MBI or hidden curriculum survey. Communication skills as measured by Calgary Cambridge Score, E-CAP, and resident communication improved significantly (average Calgary-Cambridge Scale scores from 70% at baseline to 78% at follow-up (p-value < 0.001), paired t-test score from 68% at baseline to 81% at follow-up (p-value < 0.004), average E-CAP score from 73 to 77% (p-value < 0.001)). Faculty communication and teaching as rated by residents also showed significant improvement in four out of six domains (learning climate (p < 0.001), patient-centered care (p = 0.01), evaluation (p = 0.03), and self-directed learning (p = 0.03)). CONCLUSION: Implementing a multidimensional curriculum in patient-centered communication led to modest improvements in patient-centered communication, improved language skills, and improved communication skills among residents and faculty.

Investigations of Structural Requirements for BRD4 Inhibitors through Ligand- and Structure-Based 3D QSAR Approaches.

The bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4) recognizes acetylated histone proteins and plays numerous roles in the progression of a wide range of cancers, due to which it is under intense investigation as a novel anti-cancer drug target. In the present study, we performed three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) molecular modeling on a series of 60 inhibitors of BRD4 protein using ligand- and structure-based alignment and different partial charges assignment methods by employing comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) approaches. The developed models were validated using various statistical methods, including non-cross validated correlation coefficient (r²), leave-one-out (LOO) cross validated correlation coefficient (q²), bootstrapping, and Fisher's randomization test. The highly reliable and predictive CoMFA (q² = 0.569, r² = 0.979) and CoMSIA (q² = 0.500, r² = 0.982) models were obtained from a structure-based 3D-QSAR approach using Merck molecular force field (MMFF94). The best models demonstrate that electrostatic and steric fields play an important role in the biological activities of these compounds. Hence, based on the contour maps information, new compounds were designed, and their binding modes were elucidated in BRD4 protein's active site. Further, the activities and physicochemical properties of the designed molecules were also predicted using the best 3D-QSAR models. We believe that predicted models will help us to understand the structural requirements of BRD4 protein inhibitors that belong to quinolinone and quinazolinone classes for the designing of better active compounds.

Effect of solvent polarity and extraction time on in vitro antioxidant properties of Brassica oleracea Convar Capitata Var L. seeds.

Effect of solvent polarity and extraction time on antioxidant properties of Brassica oleracea seeds was optimized by response surface methodology using central composite design. A significant linear negative effect of solvent polarity on total extractable components (TEC), total phenolic acids (TPA), linoleic acid reduction capacity (LARC) and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (HRSC) and significant positive effect on iron chelating activity (ICA), reducing power (RP) and (DPPH RSC). Linear effect of solvent polarity on total antioxidant activity (TAOA) was also found to be positive but not significant. Significant linear negative effect of extraction time was observed on ICA and HRSC. Only RP was found to be significantly increased with increase in extraction time. Quadratic effect of solvent polarity was found to be negative on TAOA, DPPH RSC and HRSC. However, quadratic effects of both variables were found to be positive on TEC, TPA, ICA and LARC. The polarity dependent increase in TAOA indicates the extraction of phytochemicals with comparatively stronger antioxidant properties in polar solvents. The decrease in antioxidant properties in response to increase in extraction time may be attributed to the time dependent loss of antioxidant activity of extracted compounds.