Conventional and Scientific uses of Rice-washed water: A Systematic Review.

Rice is considered the king of cereals. It is the only cereal that is being consumed by half of the population in the world. Rice and rice products have potential health benefits. One such rice aided product is rice washed water which is discussed in this article. Rice-washed water, which is commonly regarded as waste water and discarded, is a rich source of minerals and nutrients. The processing of rice washed water, nutritional analysis; edible fungi productions are detailed in this review. The article goes into detail about rice-washed water, which has been used for various purposes since our ancestors' time. The article provides a comprehensive report on the uses of rice-washed water in plant growth, Ayurveda, food, Cosmetics and a variety of other applications. Rice washed water is being utilized for various ailments since primitive times. The detailed report on the treatment utilizing rice washed water is also provided in this article. There are scarce researches with rice washed water, this article address the conventional uses of rice washed water, which can be taken up by the research community which needs more scientific validation. This review article also includes details about the composition and a variety of other important information about rice-washed water. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05722-2.

Unclonable fluorescence of MgO-ZrO2 :Tb3+ nanocomposite for versatile applications in data security, dermatoglyphics.

Latent fingerprints (LFPs) are one among the most important types of evidences at crime scenes because of the distinctiveness and tenacity of the friction ridges in fingerprints (FPs). Therefore, it is essential in forensic science to develop a reliable method to detect LFPs. Traditional detection methods still face a number of difficulties, such as limited sensitivity, low contrast, strong background, and complex processing stages. In this study, MgO-ZrO2 :Tb3+ (1-5 mol%) (MZ:Tb) nanocomposites (NCs) were prepared via a simple solution combustion (SC) method at low temperature. The photoluminescence (PL) investigation demonstrates that when excited at 379 nm, the produced NCs emits distinctive emission peaks of terbium ions (Tb3+ ). According to the photometric results, the NCs can be employed as warm light NCs and emit light in the green portion of the colour spectrum. The estimated optical band gap from diffuse reflectance spectra is found to be in the range 4.84-4.97 eV. Regardless of the type of surface being used, the optimized MgO-ZrO2 :Tb3+ (4 mol%) (MZ:4Tb) NCs has a strong ability to minimize background fluorescence interference. With high contrast LFP and I-V type of cheiloscopy, these NCs present a flexible fluorescent mark for the identification of levels 1-3 details in forensic investigation.

FT-IR fingerprinting as an Analytical tool for determination of Melamine leaching from Melamine tablewares and their Biological implications.

In recent years Melamine is upgraded as a type three carcinogen. It is a sorry fact that still; people are in the fantasy mode and abaft the melamine tableware as they are a good piece of decorative material which sets dining an opulent look. The present study focuses on the determination of melamine leaching from melamine tablewares. The food stimulants culled for this study are conventional Indian cuisines. FT-IR is used as an analytical tool to determine the leaching of melamine from melamine diners. The present study reveals melamine leaching when hot food articles are in contact with melamine wares. Microwave heating is unsuitable for melamine tablewares. This is the first report in India, on the leaching of melamine from melamine tablewares. Calf thymus (ct) DNA is added to the samples and the extent of DNA damage in vitro is analyzed by Comet assay (also called Single cell gel electrophoresis). The results from comet assay portray significant DNA damage with the treated samples. This is a vigilance study that helps the mundane man to avoid such decorative materials and to voluntarily move to our traditional dining culture.

Utilization of byproducts of sheep farming as organic fertilizer for improving soil health and productivity of barley forage.

Wool is a biodegradable fiber, rich in nutrients and can be recycled in soil as a fertilizer for maximum benefits. The present study was planned with the hypothesis that waste wool could be used as a nutrient source or manure to forage crops and aim of this study was to identify practicable recycling options of sheep based wastes in agriculture. In our study, we have compared the effect of different sheep based organic wastes on soil health, crop productivity and water use. Application of waste wool in soil significantly improved the fertility status of soil, and considerable improvement was also observed in organic carbon and nitrogen, i.e. around 30.8 and 32.6% higher over control. The activities of soil enzymes were 10-30% and 3-20% higher in waste wool treatment as compared to control and sheep based manures, respectively. Application of waste wool not only improved soil health but produced 50% higher grain and dry fodder yield of barley over control. The improvement in physical properties of soil with waste wool resulted in higher water use efficiency of the system. Our study will help in distinguishing choices for safe use of organic wastes along with up gradation of soil health and crop water utilization, particularly in nutrient poor soils of arid and semi-arid region of India.

Gaming Disorder among Medical College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown.

Background The frequent lockdown in Nepal during COVID-19 pandemic had brought various kinds of complexities such as stress among college students. This situation had created uncertainty of future academic career of undergraduate students in medical colleges. Some previously published literature showed gaming as a coping mechanism against stress. Objective To assess the gaming behavior of Medical college students during lockdown in COVID-19 pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted during lockdown period of July to August 2020. A total of 412 college students were enrolled. Online Google forms were shared to all the eligible students through email, viber and messenger with the help of class representative. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS version 20.0. Result The prevalence of gaming disorder was 8.5% among 260 internet gaming users. About 69.2% of the participants reported that their gaming behavior had increased due to stress of COVID-19 pandemic. Gender and spending more time online per day showed significant associations with greater scores on the internet gaming disorder. Conclusion During lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic, the gaming behavior of medical college students has increased.

Extraction of Y2 O3 :Cr3+ nanophosphor by eco-friendly approach and its suitability for white light-emitting diode applications.

Cr3+ -doped Y2 O3 (0.5-9 mol%) was synthesized by a simple solution combustion method using Aloe vera gel as a fuel/surfactant. The final obtained product was calcined at 750°C for 3 h, which is the lowest temperature reported so far for the synthesis of this compound. The calcined product was confirmed for its crystallinity and purity by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies which showed a single-phase nano cubic phosphor. The particles size estimated by Scherrer formula was in the range of 6-19 nm. The UV-vis spectra showed absorption bands at 198, 272 and 372 nm having band gap energy in the range 4.00-4.26 eV. In order to investigate the possibility of its use in white light emitting display applications, the photoluminescence properties of Cr3+ -doped Y2 O3 nanophosphors were studied at an excitation wavelength in the near ultraviolet (UV) light region (361 nm). The emission spectra consisted of emission peaks in the blue (4 F9/2  â†’ 6 H15/2 ), orange (4 F9/2  â†’ 6 H13/2 ) and red (4 F9/2  â†’ 6 H11/2 ) regions. The CIE coordinates (0.33, 0.33) lie in the white light region. Hence Y2 O3 :Cr3+ can be used for white light-emitting diode (LED) applications.

Consensus & Evidence-based INOSA Guidelines 2014 (First edition).

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) are subsets of sleep-disordered breathing. Awareness about OSA and its consequences amongst the general public as well as the majority of primary care physcians across India is poor. This necessiated the development of the INdian initiative on Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (INOSA) guidelines under the auspices of Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. OSA is the occurrence of an average five or more episodes of obstructive respiratory events per hour of sleep with either sleep related symptoms or comorbidities or ≥ 15 such episodes without any sleep related symptoms or comorbidities. OSAS is defined as OSA associated with daytime symptoms, most often excessive sleepiness. Patients undergoing routine health check-up with snoring, daytime sleepiness, obesity, hypertension, motor vehicular accidents and high risk cases should undergo a comprehensive sleep evaluation. Medical examiners evaluating drivers, air pilots, railway drivers and heavy machinery workers should be educated about OSA and should comprehensively evaluate applicants for OSA. Those suspected to have OSA on comprehensive sleep evaluation should be referred for a sleep study. Supervised overnight polysomnography (PSG) is the "gold standard" for evaluation of OSA. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the mainstay of treatment of OSA. Oral appliances are indicated for use in patients with mild to moderate OSA who prefer oral appliances to PAP, or who do not respond to PAP or who fail treatment attempts with PAP or behavioural measures. Surgical treatment is recommended in patients who have failed or are intolerant to PAP therapy.

Impact of Makowal type water system on crop productivity in Shivalik foothills of India.

The availability of water through community based water harvesting structure has intensified agriculture and improved livelihood of the surveyed beneficiary households in the Shivalik foothills of India. Before the introduction of Makowal Type Water Harvesting System (before MTWHS), only 83.8% farmers in kharif and 79.7% during rabi season were growing crops but after its introduction (after MTWHS) the corresponding values improved to 100% and 97.3%, respectively, thus increasing cropping intensity from 145% to 189%. Introduction of MTWHS enabled farmers to take paddy and agro-forestry during Kharif, and vegetables and fodder during Rabi season. The increase in cultivated area due to MTWHS was to the tune of 46.1% in Kharif and 36.3% during Rabi, while increase in crop productivity ranged from 55.1% to 111.3% in kharif and 8.6 to 132.0% in Rabiseason. Better availability of irrigation changed varietal spectrum in favour of hybrids and high yielding varieties and farmers started adopting improved agronomic practices targeting better input-use efficiency. The MTWHS produced positive impact on the on-farm (crops, dairy and agro-forestry) sources of income and reduced the relative dependence on off-farm activities (labour, community forest area, etc.) for earnings. This system has brought drinking water very close to hutments of rural women thus reducing their drudgery and saving time. In general, rainwater harvesting from forest watersheds has resulted in quantum jumps in crop and milk production and acted as a catalyst to tie up the economic interest of communities, along with forest protection.

Consensus & evidence-based INOSA Guidelines 2014 (first edition).

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) are subsets of sleep-disordered breathing. Awareness about OSA and its consequences amongst the general public as well as the majority of primary care physcians across India is poor. This necessiated the development of the INdian initiative on Obstructive sleep apnoea (INOSA) guidelines under the auspices of Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. OSA is the occurrence of an average five or more episodes of obstructive respiratory events per hour of sleep with either sleep related symptoms or co-morbidities or ≥ 15 such episodes without any sleep related symptoms or co-morbidities. OSAS is defined as OSA associated with daytime symptoms, most often excessive sleepiness. Patients undergoing routine health check-up with snoring, daytime sleepiness, obesity, hypertension, motor vehicular accidents and high risk cases should undergo a comprehensive sleep evaluation. Medical examiners evaluating drivers, air pilots, railway drivers and heavy machinery workers should be educated about OSA and should comprehensively evaluate applicants for OSA. Those suspected to have OSA on comprehensive sleep evaluation should be referred for a sleep study. Supervised overnight polysomnography (PSG) is the "gold standard" for evaluation of OSA. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the mainstay of treatment of OSA. Oral appliances are indicated for use in patients with mild to moderate OSA who prefer oral appliances to PAP, or who do not respond to PAP or who fail treatment attempts with PAP or behavioural measures. Surgical treatment is recommended in patients who have failed or are intolerant to PAP therapy.

Proton induced activation studies in the carbon steel composites.

The number of accelerator installations has increased significantly in the last decade and requirements are consistently increasing. In these facilities neutrons and high energy charge particle induced reactions are possible with the metallic enclosures made up of natural Fe or steel composites used as structural components or shielding materials. Present study aims to generate a dose rate profile of the induced activations and quantify the induced radionuclide concentrations in the low carbon steel composites. A comparison of the radionuclide concentrations generated in the metallic Fe and SS-304 composite is also presented for a judicious material selection to minimise the radiation concerns.

A Comparative Study of the Treatment of Oral Premalignant Lesions with Surgical Excision and Medical Therapy.

Introduction: Potentially malignant oral epithelial lesions are a group of oral conditions with an altered morphological state of the normal mucosal lining and include different lesions such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia, submucosal fibrosis, and lichen planus. Aim: To compare the outcome of premalignant oral lesions after medical therapy consisting of submucosal intralesional injection of triamcinolone with hyaluronidase and surgical excision. Materials and Methods: This was a comparative prospective interventional study and the study was conducted among 50 patients presented to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology with premalignant oral lesions from the year 2020 to 2022. Patients were divided into two groups by random allocation, group A was treated with medical therapy, and Group B was treated with surgical excision and followed for a minimum of 6 months and the outcome has been categorized. Results: All patients were divided into two groups-group A and group B, group A consisted of 22 (44%) patients who were given medical therapy, and group B consisted of 28 (56%) patients who underwent surgical excision. In group A, the clinical response was seen in 8 (36.36%) and in group B, the clinical response was seen in 18 (64.29%) patients. Conclusion: Surgical excision was found to be better with more cases of clinical response (64.29%) when compared to medical treatment (36.36%) with a p value of 0.0497 which is significant whereas malignant transformation was almost equal in medical therapy and surgical treatment which was 13.64% and 14.28%, respectively.

Ultrasound-driven facile fabrication of Pd doped SnO2 hierarchical superstructures: Structural, growth mechanism, dermatoglyphics, and anti-cancer activity.

This research introduces a novel method that leverages Spirulina extract (S.E) as a bio-surfactant in the ultrasound-assisted synthesis (UAS) of Pd3+ (0.25-10 mol%) doped tin oxide (SnO2) self-assembled superstructures. Nanotechnology has witnessed significant advancements in recent years, driven by the exploration of novel synthesis methods and the development of advanced nanomaterials tailored for specific applications. Metal oxide nanoparticles, particularly SnO2, have garnered considerable attention due to their versatile properties and potential applications in various fields, including gas sensing, catalysis, and biomedical engineering. The study explores how varying influential parameters like S.E concentration, sonication time, pH, and sonication power can influence the resulting superstructures' morphology, size, and shape. A theoretical model for forming different hierarchical superstructures (HS) is proposed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the crystalline tetragonal rutile phase of the SnO2:Pd HS. Raman spectroscopy reveals a red shift in the A1g mode, indicating phonon confinement due to various defects in the SnO2 structure. Further characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provides insights into particle size, surface morphology, elemental composition, and binding energy. The study also demonstrates the application of optimized SnO2:3Pd HS in developing latent fingerprints (LFPs) on different surfaces using a simple powder dusting (PD) method, with the fingerprints (FPs) visualized under normal light. A mathematical model developed in Python-based software is used to analyze various features of the developed FPs, including pore properties such as number, position, inter-spacing, area, and shape. Additionally, an in vitro MTT assay shows concentration-dependent anticancer activity of SnO2:3Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on MCF7 cell lines, highlighting their potential as a promising cancer treatment option. Overall, the study suggests that the optimized HS can serve as multifunctional platforms for biomedical and dermatoglyphics applications, demonstrating the versatility and potential of the synthesized materials.

A calibration method for patient specific IMRT QA using a single therapy verification film.

AIM: The aim of the present study is to develop and verify the single film calibration procedure used in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance. BACKGROUND: Radiographic films have been regularly used in routine commissioning of treatment modalities and verification of treatment planning system (TPS). The radiation dosimetery based on radiographic films has ability to give absolute two-dimension dose distribution and prefer for the IMRT quality assurance. However, the single therapy verification film gives a quick and significant reliable method for IMRT verification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single extended dose rate (EDR 2) film was used to generate the sensitometric curve of film optical density and radiation dose. EDR 2 film was exposed with nine 6 cm × 6 cm fields of 6 MV photon beam obtained from a medical linear accelerator at 5-cm depth in solid water phantom. The nine regions of single film were exposed with radiation doses raging from 10 to 362 cGy. The actual dose measurements inside the field regions were performed using 0.6 cm(3) ionization chamber. The exposed film was processed after irradiation using a VIDAR film scanner and the value of optical density was noted for each region. Ten IMRT plans of head and neck carcinoma were used for verification using a dynamic IMRT technique, and evaluated using the gamma index method with TPS calculated dose distribution. RESULTS: Sensitometric curve has been generated using a single film exposed at nine field region to check quantitative dose verifications of IMRT treatments. The radiation scattered factor was observed to decrease exponentially with the increase in the distance from the centre of each field region. The IMRT plans based on calibration curve were verified using the gamma index method and found to be within acceptable criteria. CONCLUSION: The single film method proved to be superior to the traditional calibration method and produce fast daily film calibration for highly accurate IMRT verification.

Hybrid optimization and ontology-based semantic model for efficient text-based information retrieval.

Query expansion is an important approach utilized to improve the efficiency of data retrieval tasks. Numerous works are carried out by the researchers to generate fair constructive results; however, they do not provide acceptable results for all kinds of queries particularly phrase and individual queries. The utilization of identical data sources and weighting strategies for expanding such terms are the major cause of this issue which leads the model unable to capture the comprehensive relationship between the query terms. In order to tackle this issue, we developed a novel approach for query expansion technique to analyze the different data sources namely WordNet, Wikipedia, and Text REtrieval Conference. This paper presents an Improved Aquila Optimization-based COOT(IAOCOOT) algorithm for query expansion which retrieves the semantic aspects that match the query term. The semantic heterogeneity associated with document retrieval mainly impacts the relevance matching between the query and the document. The main cause of this issue is that the similarity among the words is not evaluated correctly. To overcome this problem, we are using a Modified Needleman Wunsch algorithm algorithm to deal with the problems of uncertainty, imprecision in the information retrieval process, and semantic ambiguity of indexed terms in both the local and global perspectives. The k most similar word is determined and returned from a candidate set through the top-k words selection technique and it is widely utilized in different tasks. The proposed IAOCOOT model is evaluated using different standard Information Retrieval performance metrics to compute the validity of the proposed work by comparing it with other state-of-art techniques.

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland Mimicking Pleomorphic Adenoma on Cytology: A Case Report.

Salivary gland tumors most commonly involve the parotid gland. Among all the tumors, 80% are benign and of all the benign tumors 80% originate from the parotid gland. The pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign tumor whereas the mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most prevalent malignant tumor. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a diagnostic challenge on FNAC with a high false negative rate. A 17-year-old female presented with slow-growing painless swelling below the right ear for two years. The history and clinical examination appeared to be benign parotid swelling. The further investigation proceeded and fine needle aspiration cytology was performed. A case of the parotid lump which has shown the pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland on cytology. Surgical resection was done and a post-operative specimen of the parotid gland showed mucoepidermoid carcinoma on histopathology. FNAC is not always reliable in the case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland, especially in the low-grade type. The confirmatory diagnosis can be made only after the histopathological examination.

A Large Facial Nerve Schwannoma Presenting as a Swelling in Parotid Region-A Rare Case Report.

Extratemporal facial nerve schwannomas are rare entity. Pre-operative assessment is mostly inconclusive with differential diagnosis of parotid tumors. We hereby report a case of 28 years female who presented with painless swelling in right parotid region with normal facial nerve function. Ultrasonography was suggestive well circumscribed and homogenous mass arising from the deep lobe of parotid gland. The Fine-needle aspiration cytology came out to be inconclusive. For further characterization of the tumor contrast enhanced MR imaging was performed. The MR imaging revealed well-defined cystic, heterogeneous, pear-shaped mass lesion situated near the stylomastoid foramen. Post operatively the mass came out to be schwannoma on histopathological examination.

A novel, extreme low-cost poly (Erythrosine) modified pencil graphite electrode for determination of Adrenaline.

A simple, novel, and less cost yellow (Erythrosine) modified pencil graphite electrode (Po-ERY/MGPE) was successfully fabricated via electropolymerization method using cyclic voltammetric techniques. The fabricated Po-ERY/MGPE opted as a sensor for the detection of Adrenaline (ADR) in 0.2 M PBS (7.4 pH). This reported senor displayed excellent electrocatalytic activity, increased sensitivity, high stability, superior electron transfer kinetics in the oxidation of ADR once relative to BGPE. The significance of pH, scan rate, and impact of concentration was assessed at the sensor. As per the pH and scan rate study, redox routes carry the same number of electrons and protons, and electro-oxidation of ADR was adsorption controlled respectively. The LOD of ADR was found to be 0.499 µM. The DPV data indicate that there is a significant peak divergence among ADR and uric acid (UA) which could make it easier to determine them alone and simultaneously on the sensor. The described method has been employed for the determination of ADR in injection sample. Good recovery values indicate the efficacy and applicability of the sensor in detecting ADR.

What is in N A M E?

An interesting and rare case of name syndrome is reported here. A young patient presented with stroke (left side hemiperesis due to cardiac embolic stroke) and cutaneous lesions. Further investigations revealed that left atrial myxoma was the cause of cardioembolic stroke. Skin lesions were also present which included, nevi, ephelides and neurofibroma hence diagnosis of "NAME SYNDROME" was made.

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: A Case Series with Radiologic Findings.

Introduction: It is an autosomal dominant genetic disease presented with heterotopic ossification of connective tissues after birth and a defect of the big toes. One in ten million births is affected by it worldwide. As a result, diagnosis and management of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) can be delayed or misdiagnosed. Clinical assessment, radiographic examination, and genetic study of the Activin receptor Type 1A gene are among the diagnostic techniques used to identify this disease. Case Report: We are presenting three female cases having FOP in this article of different age groups. It presented with multiple non-tender lumps on patients' paravertebral region along with bilateral hallux valgus. The radiograph revealed ossifications of soft tissue involving spine and neck. The patient was given a conservative treatment approach and told what could be done to prevent flare-ups. Conclusion: Being a rare, progressive, and often misdiagnosed condition, early diagnosis is advocated. Long-term physiotherapy and muscle trauma prevention can delay it as much as possible to prevent future disabilities.

Structural and Morphological Characterization of Bio-templated Reduced Graphene Oxide and their Antibacterial Efficacy.

We would like to report the eco-friendly synthesis of reduced graphene oxide using aqueous extract of Acorus calamus (rhizome), dried fruit and seed parts of Terminalia bellirica, Helicteres isora and Quercus infectoria and the whole shell part of Turbinella pyrum by simple steam bath technique. The structural and morphological characteristics of prepared reduced graphene oxides were determined by UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The Surface Plasmon Resonance at 260-280 nm ensured the reduced graphene oxide formation. The antibacterial efficacy of synthesized reduced graphene oxide was evaluated against both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella paratyphi and Escherichia coli. Among the selected samples Quercus infectoria mediated reduced graphene oxide showed excellent inhibition efficiency (27 and 28 mm) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively as compared to the standard Gentamycin (29 mm). Quercus infectoria showed significant inhibition of 22 mm and moderate inhibition of 18 mm against Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella paratyphi, respectively. The results suggest selected plants and chank shell-mediated reduced graphene oxide as potential antibacterial agents for various therapeutic applications.