Reaching High Piezoelectric Performance with Rotating Directional-Field-Aligned PVDF-MoS2 Piezo-Polymer Applicable for Large-Area Flexible Electronics.

Wearable electronics and smart harvesting textile studies require a material system that resists physical stimulation. Such applications require receptive piezo-polymers, and their activation-free preparation that can translate into a continuous large-area film. In this work, it is discussed whether the ß-content of piezo-polymer is extended with no use of any activation (i.e. poling), and if the ß-content increases, it can be processed over a wide range of surfaces like large-area piezo-film. Such prerequisites within polyvinylidene fluoride-molybdenum disulfide ((PVDF)-MoS2 ) piezo-polymer are thoroughly experimented here to develop a high-performance piezo-film. A MoS2 -mediated PVDF piezo-polymer (termed as P+ -MoS2 ) is introduced, in which no extra ß-enhancement activation step is required after spin coating. Experimental results record ß â‰§ 80% which allows to harvest the voltage and current in the level of ≈17 V and 1 µA, respectively which satisfies 5 V supply voltage requirement of the current microelectronics, and internet of things (IoT). In addition, the capacitors having different capacities are charged using the developed nanogenerator to check its practical applicability. Therefore, the transition process of P-MoS2 to aligned P+ -MoS2 due to passive interlocking (PiL) through rotating directional field is novel and found to be a principal reason for ß-enhancement in fabricated devices.

Ectopic Expression of a Cell-Wall-Degrading Enzyme-Induced OsAP2/ERF152 Leads to Resistance against Bacterial and Fungal Infection in Arabidopsis.

Pathogen secreted cell-wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) induce plant innate immune responses. The expression of rice transcription factor APETALA2/ethylene response factor-152 (OsAP2/ERF152) is enhanced in leaves upon treatment with different CWDEs and upon wounding. Ectopic expression of OsAP2/ERF152 in Arabidopsis leads to induction of immune responses such as callose deposition and upregulation of both salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid/ethylene-responsive defense genes. Arabidopsis transgenics expressing OsAP2/ERF152 exhibited resistance to infections caused by both bacterial and fungal pathogens (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, respectively). Ectopic expression of OsAP2/ERF152 results in transient activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases 3/6 (MPK3/6), which could be leading to the induction of a broad range immunity in Arabidopsis.

Histiocytic lesion masquerading as papillary carcinoma thyroid-A case report.

ABSTRACT: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare clonal neoplasm derived from Langerhans-type cells that express CD 1a, langerin, and S 100 on immunohistochemistry. LCH usually involves multiple sites and multiple systems or multiple sites in a single system. Solitary LCH commonly involves the bones (especially the skull), lymph nodes, skin, and lungs. Solitary LCH of the thyroid is an extremely rare disease with a few reported cases in the indexed literature and poses a diagnostic dilemma for both the clinician and pathologist. Histopathology along with ancillary tests forms the gold standard for diagnosis. Surgical resection alone offers a good prognosis once multisystemic involvement has been ruled out. Herein is reported one such case of solitary LCH in a young male patient who remains disease-free after 2 years of follow-up.

Evaluating the Role of Glycemic Control in Modulating Pulmonary Function Among Smokers With Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) impacts multiple body systems, including lung function, and this impact can be further complicated by smoking. The connection between blood sugar control and lung health in individuals with diabetes who smoke has been extensively studied, but findings have been varied. This systematic review sought to compile and assess the research on how blood sugar control influences lung function in smokers with diabetes. METHODS: We searched several databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We included studies that looked at lung function tests in smokers with diabetes and examined the relationship with blood sugar control, as indicated by hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. We conducted thorough quality assessments, data extraction, and analysis. RESULTS: We identified five relevant studies. The data from these studies indicated a clear trend: smokers with diabetes who had higher HbA1c levels typically showed worse lung function than those with better blood sugar control. Decreases in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were the most frequently observed issues. Some studies also pointed to a complex relationship between HbA1c levels and lung function, particularly when HbA1c was below 7.0%. CONCLUSION: Our review indicates that smokers with DM who have poor blood sugar control tend to have worse lung function. These findings highlight the importance of managing blood sugar to help maintain lung health in these individuals. Further long-term research is needed to clarify the exact relationship and whether improving blood sugar control can reverse lung problems.

Machine learning based quantification of VOC contribution in surface ozone prediction.

The prediction of surface ozone is essential attributing to its impact on human and environmental health. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are crucial in driving ozone concentration; particularly in urban areas where VOC limited regimes are prominent. The limited measurements of VOCs, however, hinder assessing the VOC-ozone relationship. This work applies machine learning (ML) algorithms for temporal forecasting of surface ozone over a metropolitan city in India. The availability of continuous VOCs measurement data along with meteorology and other pollutants during 2014-2016 makes it possible to deduce the influence of various input parameters on surface ozone prediction. After evaluating the best ML model for ozone prediction, simulations were carried out using varied input combinations. The combination with isoprene, meteorology, NOx, and CO (Isop + MNC) was the best with RMSE 4.41 ppbv and MAPE 6.77%. A season-wise comparison of simulations having all data, only meteorological data and Isop + MNC as input showed that Isop + MNC simulation gives the best results during the summer season (RMSE: 5.86 ppbv, MAPE: 7.05%). This shows the increased ability of the model to capture ozone peaks (high ozone during summer) relatively better when isoprene data is used. The overall results highlight that using all available data doesn't necessarily give best prediction results; also critical thinking is essential when evaluating the model results.

An approach to determine pressure profile generated by compression bandage using quasi-linear viscoelastic model.

Understanding the stress relaxation behavior of the compression bandage could be very useful in determining the behavior of the interface pressure exerted by the bandage on a limb during the course of the compression treatment. There has been no comprehensive study in the literature to investigate the pressure profile (interface pressure with time) generated by a compression bandage when applied at different levels of strain. The present study attempts to describe the pressure profile, with the use of a quasi-linear viscoelastic model, generated by a compression bandage during compression therapy. The quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) theory proposed by Fung (Fung, 1972, "Stress Strain History Relations of Soft Tissues in Simple Elongation," Biomechanics: Its Foundations and Objectives, Y. C. Fung, N. Perrone, and M. Anliker, eds., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, pp. 181-207). was used to model the nonlinear time- and history-dependent relaxation behavior of the bandage using the ramp strain approach. The regression analysis was done to find the correlation between the pressure profile and the relaxation behavior of the bandage. The parameters of the QLV model, describing the relaxation behavior of the bandage, were used to determine the pressure profile generated by the bandage at different levels of strain. The relaxation behaviors of the bandage at different levels of strain were well described by the QLV model parameters. A high correlation coefficient (nearly 0.98) shows a good correlation of the pressure profile with the stress relaxation behavior of the bandage.The prediction of the pressure profile using the QLV model parameters were in agreement with the experimental data. The pressure profile generated by a compression bandage could be predicted using the QLV model describing the nonlinear relaxation behavior of the bandage. This new application of the QLV theory helps in evaluating the bandage performance during compression therapy as scientific wound care management.

Evaluation of harvest residues of Cyhalofop-butyl in paddy soil.

Cyhalofop-butyl is a recently registered herbicide from the aryloxyphenoxy propionate group in India to control a wide range of grass weed species at various growth stages in rice crop. Field experiment with rice variety Pusa Sugandh 5 was conducted at IARI, New Delhi. Rice crop was sprayed thrice with cyhalofopa-butyl at 40, 60 and 80 g ha(-1) at the 10, 20 and 30 DAS. Harvest soil samples were extracted and analysed for cyhalofop-butyl and cyhalofop acid residues by HPLC using CH(3)OH:H(2)O (80:20) mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL min(-1) at 240 nm wavelength using PDA detector. In harvest soil the residues were below the detectable limits.

Large scale text mining for deriving useful insights: A case study focused on microbiome.

Text mining has been shown to be an auxiliary but key driver for modeling, data harmonization, and interpretation in bio-medicine. Scientific literature holds a wealth of information and embodies cumulative knowledge and remains the core basis on which mechanistic pathways, molecular databases, and models are built and refined. Text mining provides the necessary tools to automatically harness the potential of text. In this study, we show the potential of large-scale text mining for deriving novel insights, with a focus on the growing field of microbiome. We first collected the complete set of abstracts relevant to the microbiome from PubMed and used our text mining and intelligence platform Taxila for analysis. We drive the usefulness of text mining using two case studies. First, we analyze the geographical distribution of research and study locations for the field of microbiome by extracting geo mentions from text. Using this analysis, we were able to draw useful insights on the state of research in microbiome w. r.t geographical distributions and economic drivers. Next, to understand the relationships between diseases, microbiome, and food which are central to the field, we construct semantic relationship networks between these different concepts central to the field of microbiome. We show how such networks can be useful to derive useful insight with no prior knowledge encoded.

Dataset of sodium chloride sterile liquid in bottles for intravenous administration and fill level monitoring.

We propose a dataset to investigate the relationship between the fill level of bottles and tiny machine learning algorithms. Tiny machine learning is represented by any Artificial Intelligence algorithm (spanning from conventional decision tree classifiers to artificial neural networks) that can be deployed into a resource constrained micro controller unit (MCU). The data presented has been originally collected for a joint research project by STMicroelectronics and Sesovera.ai. This article describes the recorded image data of bottles with 4 levels of filling. The bottles contain sodium chloride sterile liquid for intravenous administration. One subject of investigation using this dataset could be the classification of the liquid fill level, for example, to ease continuous human visual monitoring which may represent an onerous time-consuming task. Automating the task can help to increase the human work productivity thus saving time. Under normal circumstances, human visual monitoring of the saline level in the bottle is required from time to time. When the saline liquid in the bottle is fully consumed, and the bottle is not replaced or the infusion process stopped immediately, the difference between the patient's blood pressure and the empty saline bottle could cause an outward rush of blood into the saline.

Comparative transcriptome profiling of pomegranate genotypes having resistance and susceptible reaction to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important fruit crop, rich in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and source of different biologically active compounds. The bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodispv. punicae is a serious threat to the crop leading to 60-80% yield loss under epiphytotic conditions. In this work, we have generated comparative transcriptome profile to mark the gene expression signatures during resistance and susceptible interactions. We analyzed leaf and fruits samples of moderately resistant genotype (IC 524207) and susceptible variety (Bhagawa) of pomegranate at three progressive infection stages upon inoculation with the pathogen. RNA-Seq with the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform revealed 1,88,337 non-redundant (nr) transcript sequences from raw sequencing data, for a total of 34,626 unigenes with size >2 kb. Moreover, 85.3% unigenes were annotated in at least one of the seven databases examined. Comparative analysis of gene-expression signatures in resistant and susceptible varieties showed that the genes known to be involved in defense mechanism in plants were up-regulated in resistant variety. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis successfully annotated 90,485 pomegranate unigenes, of which 68,464 were assigned to biological, 78,107 unigenes molecular function and 44,414 to cellular components. Significantly enriched GO terms in DEGs were related to oxidations reduction biological process, protein binding and oxidoreductase activity. This transcriptome data on pomegranate could help in understanding resistance and susceptibility nature of cultivars and further detailed fine mapping and functional validation of identified candidate gene would provide scope for resistance breeding programme in pomegranate.

Granuloma in sputum cytology of pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Presence of epithelioid cell granuloma and Langhans' giant cells in sputum cytology in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis is of very uncommon occurrence. Only a few reports could be found in the English-language literature. CASE: A 73-year-old man, a chronic smoker for 50 years, reported to the medical out-patient department with complaints of cough and significant weight loss for the past 1 year. Routine sputum cytology revealed epithelioid cell granuloma along with Langhans' giant cells. Ziehl-Neelsen stain showed presence of multiple acid-fast bacilli (AFB). Chest radiography showed opacity of the airways and areas of cavitations in bilateral parahilar location and diffuse nodular opacity in bilateral lung fields. CONCLUSION: Albeit of very rare occurrence, presence of epithelioid cell granuloma and Langhans' giant cells, along with demonstration of AFB in routine sputum cytology, is capable of providing a conclusive diagnosis in appropriate clinical context, obviating the need of additional investigation.

Shape Memory Polyurethane-Based Smart Polymer Substrates for Physiologically Responsive, Dynamic Pressure (Re)Distribution.

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are an exciting class of stimuli-responsive smart materials that demonstrate reactive and reversible changes in mechanical property, usually by switching between different states due to external stimuli. We report on the development of a polyurethane-based SMP foam for effective pressure redistribution that demonstrates controllable changes in dynamic pressure redistribution capability at a low transition temperature (∼24 °C)-ideally suited to matching modulations in body contact pressure for dynamic pressure relief (e.g., for alleviation or pressure ulcer effects). The resultant SMP material has been extensively characterized by a series of tests including stress-strain testing, compression testing, dynamic mechanical analysis, optical microscopy, UV-visible absorbance spectroscopy, variable-temperature areal pressure distribution, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic thermogravimetric analysis, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The foam system exhibits high responsivity when tested for plantar pressure modulation with significant potential in pressure ulcers treatment. Efficient pressure redistribution (∼80% reduction in interface pressure), high stress response (∼30% applied stress is stored in fixity and released on recovery), and excellent deformation recovery (∼100%) are demonstrated in addition to significant cycling ability without performance loss. By providing highly effective pressure redistribution and modulation when in contact with the body's surface, this SMP foam offers novel mechanisms for alleviating the risk of pressure ulcers.

RNA-Seq Revealed Expression of Many Novel Genes Associated With Leishmania donovani Persistence and Clearance in the Host Macrophage.

Host- as well as parasite-specific factors are equally crucial in allowing either the Leishmania parasites to dominate, or host macrophages to resist infection. To identify such factors, we infected murine peritoneal macrophages with either the virulent (vAG83) or the non-virulent (nvAG83) parasites of L. donovani. Then, through dual RNA-seq, we simultaneously elucidated the transcriptomic changes occurring both in the host and the parasites. Through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the differentially expressed (DE) genes, we showed that the vAG83-infected macrophages exhibit biased anti-inflammatory responses compared to the macrophages infected with the nvAG83. Moreover, the vAG83-infected macrophages displayed suppression of many important cellular processes, including protein synthesis. Further, through protein-protein interaction study, we showed significant downregulation in the expression of many hubs and hub-bottleneck genes in macrophages infected with vAG83 as compared to nvAG83. Cell signaling study showed that these two parasites activated the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways differentially in the host cells. Through gene ontology analyses of the parasite-specific genes, we discovered that the genes for virulent factors and parasite survival were significantly upregulated in the intracellular amastigotes of vAG83. In contrast, genes involved in the immune stimulations, and those involved in negative regulation of the cell cycle and transcriptional regulation, were upregulated in the nvAG83. Collectively, these results depicted a differential regulation in the host and the parasite-specific molecules during in vitro persistence and clearance of the parasites.

Effect of photoperiod on the adrenal activities of male rose ringed parakeet, Psittacala krameri.

Adult male rose ringed parakeets were exposed to very long photoperiod (22 hr L: 2 hr D) and very short photoperiod (2 hr L: 22 hr D) daily for 60 days during different phases of the annual testicular cycle. Adrenal activities of the experimental birds were compared with that of parallel held natural photoperiodic birds. Marked atrophy of adrenocortical cells was noted in the glands of long photoperiod (22 hr L:2 hr D) during different phases, i.e., post-breeding, quiescent and pre-breeding phases of annual gonadal cycle. The atrophied cells were not uniformly distributed in different groups of long photoperiod responsive birds. During pre-breeding, post-breeding and quiescent phases marked atrophy of the adrenocortical cells were restricted to the sub capsular zone of the gland. The cytometric and karyometric studies also revealed significant decrease in the cortical cord width and diameter of nuclei in the cortical cells in either subcapsular zone in the gland of long photoperiodic birds considered for treatment during pre-breeding, post-breeding and quiescent phase or in both the sub capsular zone and the inner zone. The cytometric and karyometric values did not show any change from control birds.

Designing of advanced smart medical stocking using stress-memory polymeric filaments for pressure control and massaging.

Compression treatment for the patients with chronic disorders such as venous ulcers and varicose veins needs the proper and adequate level of pressure sustainability. This has been a great challenge for health practitioners and stocking manufacturers even till today. There is an imperious need of any research, where internal compression pressure can be controlled or readjusted externally. In line with this, for the first time this study is focused mainly to design and optimize the smart stocking structure by integrating the stress-memory polymeric filament as a main load bearing element. Six different structures were employed to prepare the stocking fabric tubes. All the structures were investigated for pressure analysis and studied the effect of physical parameters such as temperature, strain, and leg radius. It is possible to control the level of massage effect by varying the stocking structures. An empirical relationship is derived, which provides the knowledge for how to control the stocking pressure with structural modifications like never done before. The effect of massage function on blood flow velocity in the popliteal vein on lower limb was objectively measured by Doppler ultrasound scanning. This study also sheds the insight of stocking structural modification for pressure control and provide the benchmark for achieving the efficient compression. This advanced stress-memory polymeric filaments based multifunctional compression stocking provides static pressure, massage effect, and easy size fitting in a more controlled manner for smart compression therapy.

Noninvasive Sweat-Based Diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis and Post Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis.

The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the foremost barriers in the control of this disease, as demonstration of the parasite by splenic/bone marrow aspiration is relatively difficult and requires expertise and laboratory support. The aim of the present study was to find a noninvasive diagnostic approach using the existing recombinant kinesine-39 (rK-39) immunochromatographic nitrocellulose strips test (ICT) with a human sweat specimen for the diagnosis of VL. The investigation was carried out on specimens (blood, sweat, and urine) collected from 58 confirmed VL, 50 confirmed post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), 36 healthy control, and 35 patients from other diseases. The data obtained from this study reveal that 96.6% clinically confirmed active VL participants were found to be positive when tested against a sweat specimen. Interestingly, the scenario was similar when tested against a blood specimen (96.6% positive by rK-39). Moreover, a test of both sweats and blood specimens from 50 PKDL participants resulted in 100% positivity, whereas no healthy control participants were found to be rK-39 positive. The sensitivity of the rK-39 ICT in sweat specimen was 94.7%, whereas the specificity was 100% in healthy controls from endemic, nonendemic, and other infectious diseases, respectively. No difference was observed in sweat specimen of VL and PKDL cases which signifies its reliability. However, further evaluation of this method on a larger scale could enhance the reliability of the proposed model so that it could be used efficiently in VL management and eradication.

Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of Renal Pelvis with Abundant Heterologous Osteosarcomatous Element: A Case Report.

A 47-year-old male presented with haematuria and flank pain for two weeks. Ultrasonography and renal scan revealed a poorly functioning left kidney with multiple calculi. Simple nephrectomy was performed and the specimen revealed a mass in his renal pelvis which showed both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components on microscopy. The sarcomatous component consisted of diffuse pleomorphic osteoblasts with intervening lacy osteoid, giving an osteosarcoma-like appearance. These areas of tumour were strongly positive for vimentin and osteopontin. The carcinomatous component was transitional cell carcinoma. Patchy areas of squamous cell carcinoma which were positive for pancytokeratin on immunostaining were also seen. Few weeks later, the patient presented with metastatic lesions in the sacrum. After nephrectomy, the patient underwent palliative radiotherapy of the spine followed by sunitinib therapy. A month later, there was recurrence at the site of surgery. The patient succumbed to his illness within five months of diagnosis. This report describes an extremely rare case of carcinoma, renal pelvis with predominantly osteosarcomatous areas.

Stress-memory polymeric filaments for advanced compression therapy.

Shape memory polymers are stimulus responsive smart materials that can be applied in several forms such as films, fibers, and foams for a wide range of applications. Novel stress-memory behavior at a fiber level is yet to be uncovered, which would be favorable to control stress in the broad horizon of smart materials for numerous functions. In this work, a semi-crystalline segmented polyurethane was synthesized to prepare filaments/fibres and films. A rational experimental design was established and the stress-memory behavior of both the films and filaments was systematically studied for comparison. Tensile stress-memory programming was performed at three strain levels (20%, 40%, and 60%) to record the memory stress response as a function of temperature with time. The characterization of the thermal and mechanical properties of the stress-memory programmed specimens has objectively proven the reason behind the higher stress response in the filaments than in the films. Melt spinning has induced perfect crystallization with ordered polymer packing and enabled maximum memory stress to be retrieved in the filaments. The evolution of memory stress follows a linear trend with an increase in strain and temperature (r2 = 0.91-1). In addition, pressure related studies were also carried out for smart filament integrative fabrics to realize stress-memory behavior. This unprecedented and novel approach of unveiling the memory behavior specifically at the filament level will enable material scientists to comprehend the fundamental aspects for precise optimization and control of memory stress in smart structures for applications such as compression stockings that require stimuli responsive force.

Smart medical stocking using memory polymer for chronic venous disorders.

Proper level of pressure or compression generated by medical stocking or hosiery is the key element for successful treatment or management of chronic venous disorders such as oedema, leg ulcers, etc. However achieving the recommended compression level and, more importantly, sustaining it using stockings has been a major challenge to the health practitioners supervising the treatment. This work aims to investigate and design a smart compression stocking using shape-memory polymer that allows externally controlling the pressure level in the wrapped position on the leg. Based on thermodynamical rubber theories, we first derived several criteria that have to be satisfied simultaneously in order to achieve the controlled pressure adjustment using external heat stimuli. We then presented a case where such a stocking is developed using a blend yarn consists of selected shape-memory polyurethane and nylon filaments. Extensive experimental work has also been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and explore the influencing factors involved.

Gaucher's Disease: A Rare Case, Diagnosed By Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology.

Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) is a simple, inexpensive and innocuous diagnostic tool. It is increasingly accepted in daily medical practice. We report a case of Gaucher's disease diagnosed by FNA of enlarged spleen in a seven-year-old male presented with complaints of fever, on and off irregular bowel habits, abdominal distension and asymmetric gaze for four years and decreased vision in night for last one year. The diagnosis was based on the finding of large, macrophage like cells with abundant, pale, fibrillary cytoplasm and small nuclei. The patient had no family history of Gaucher's disease, and the diagnosis was not suspected clinically.