Diagnostic value of anti-VZV IgG in neurological diseases among varicella unvaccinated individuals.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a neurotropic alphaherpesvirus that causes neurological manifestations either as a complication of primary infection or reactivation. VZV induced neurological diseases have a good prognosis when confirmed early and treated with anti-viral therapy. Myelitis, encephalitis, ventriculitis or meningitis can occur without a telltale rash in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals making the diagnosis difficult. We analyzed CSF and serum samples from 30 unvaccinated study participants (17 male and 13 female) to determine the presence of VZV DNA by PCR in CSF and to estimate serum and CSF anti-VZV IgG and albumin levels in participants with neurological manifestations with/without rash. Anti-VZV IgG was detected in CSF (n = 22, [73%]) and serum (n = 29, [97%]) of pediatric and adult participants. Anti-VZV IgG were detected in CSF of participants with varied clinical presentation altered sensorium (n = 8, [36%]), meningitis (n = 4, [18%]), acute febrile illness (n = 3, [14%], encephalopathy/meningoencephalitis (n = 2, [9%]), irritability (n = 2, [9%]) and each patient from cerebrovascular stroke, demyelinating disorder and febrile seizure (n = 1, [4.5%]). VZV DNA was detected from one participant and CSF serum albumin levels were elevated in 53% of study participants. VZV DNA is present up to 1-2 weeks post onset of disease, after which anti-VZV antibody may be the only indicator of disease and therefore both VZV DNA and anti-VZV IgG need to be tested for in CSF. As VZV DNA and VZV IgG antibody are both good indicators of VZV reactivation, routine testing would result in reduced morbidity and mortality by early detection of disease and antiviral treatment.

A critical review on recent research progress on microplastic pollutants in drinking water.

Plastic pollution is an emerging issue in recent days. Persistent plastic particles reach the atmosphere, land and water by multiple pathways. Research has confirmed that the existence of plastic particles is found surprisingly everywhere, from the Artic to the Antarctic region. The probability of ingestion of plastic by all living forms is quite natural, as the whole planet's environment is polluted with microplastic particles. The bioaccumulation of microplastics is a threat and the consequences for living beings are yet to be explored. Microplastics present in different drinking water sources like rivers, lakes, treatment units etc. are studied by several researchers, covering various aspects. Research carried out by various scientists on the microplastics in different drinking water sources is highlighted in this review. In view of the previous research carried out on various aspects of microplastic particles, the necessity of a uniform protocol for qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastic is ascertained. Microplastic pollution is an ongoing environmental concern, it must be addressed and research should be expanded.

Experimental investigation of the electrochemical detection of sulfamethoxazole using copper oxide-MoS2 modified glassy carbon electrodes.

An electrochemical sensor detection of sulfamethoxazole was performed using a copper oxide Molybdenum sulfide modified glassy carbon electrode using Molybdenum sulfide (CuO/MoS2) functionalization. As part of the characterization process, materials were characterized via cyclic voltammetry (CV), Square wave voltammetry (SWV), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To optimize the performance of the experiment, parameters like the scan rate and pH, the electrolytes study, the stability, the comparative study and repeatability were optimized. In comparison to CuO, MoS2 and bare Glassy carbon electrode (GCE), an electrochemical sensor that incorporated CuO/MoS2 exhibited exceptional electrochemical performance. CuO/MoS2 modified electrodes showed a higher peak current for oxidation compared with bare, CuO and MoS2 modified electrodes, which demonstrated enhanced electrochemical conductivity for detection of SMX by minimizing oxidation potential from +0.18 V to +0.10 V. In the range of 100-800 µl SMX concentrations, the peak current linearly correlated with the concentration of SMX. In the calibration plot, the modified electrode showed linearity under ideal circumstances for SMX concentrations starting at 0.3 µM. This study investigated the presence of SMX with a detection limit of 0.34 Pg/L. CuO/MoS2 based electrochemical sensor, according to our analysis, are potentially useful in applications requiring the detection of trace amounts of SMX.

Assessment of dosimetric impact of interfractional 6D setup error in tongue cancer treated with IMRT and VMAT using daily kV-CBCT.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the dosimetric influence of 6-dimensional (6D) interfractional setup error in tongue cancer treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using daily kilovoltage cone-beam computed tomography (kV-CBCT). Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 20 tongue cancer patients treated with IMRT (10), VMAT (10), and daily kV-CBCT image guidance. Interfraction 6D setup errors along the lateral, longitudinal, vertical, pitch, roll, and yaw axes were evaluated for 600 CBCTs. Structures in the planning CT were deformed to the CBCT using deformable registration. For each fraction, a reference CBCT structure set with no rotation error was created. The treatment plan was recalculated on the CBCTs with the rotation error (RError), translation error (TError), and translation plus rotation error (T+RError). For targets and organs at risk (OARs), the dosimetric impacts of RError, TError, and T+RError were evaluated without and with moderate correction of setup errors. Results: The maximum dose variation ΔD (%) for D98% in clinical target volumes (CTV): CTV-60, CTV-54, planning target volumes (PTV): PTV-60, and PTV-54 was -1.2%, -1.9%, -12.0%, and -12.3%, respectively, in the T+RError without setup error correction. The maximum ΔD (%) for D98% in CTV-60, CTV-54, PTV-60, and PTV-54 was -1.0%, -1.7%, -9.2%, and -9.5%, respectively, in the T+RError with moderate setup error correction. The dosimetric impact of interfractional 6D setup errors was statistically significant (p < 0.05) for D98% in CTV-60, CTV-54, PTV-60, and PTV-54. Conclusions: The uncorrected interfractional 6D setup errors could significantly impact the delivered dose to targets and OARs in tongue cancer. That emphasized the importance of daily 6D setup error correction in IMRT and VMAT.

Blood ordering and utilization in patients undergoing elective general surgery procedures in a tertiary care hospital: A prospective audit.

Background Blood ordering is commonly done for patients undergoing major elective surgery. Excessive order of the blood for elective surgery leads to wastage of resources, time and workforce. Auditing preoperative blood ordering decreases the cost of medical care by avoiding unnecessary cross-match without compromising patient safety. Methods For this hospital-based audit, we collected data prospectively from July 2017 to June 2018 regarding the transfusion and transfusion indices, namely cross-match-totransfusion ratio (C/T ratio), transfusion probability (T%), transfusion index (TI) and maximum surgical blood ordering schedule (MSBOS) for elective surgeries done in the Department of Surgery. Results A total of 1151 patients were included in the study. A total of 160 units of blood were issued of which only 138 were transfused to 116 patients. Seventy-one procedures were included in the study. The C/T ratio was less than 2.5 for 16 procedures, T% was >50% for 9 procedures and MSBOS was more than 0.5 for 16 procedures. Conclusion Cross-matching is overused for elective surgical procedures. Only 16 of the 71 procedures had an ideal C/T ratio. Group and screen policy can be adopted for most of the commonly performed procedures, and cross-matching of blood may not be needed.

Continuous Pathway between the Elasto-Inertial and Elastic Turbulent States in Viscoelastic Channel Flow.

Viscoelastic plane Poiseuille flow is shown to become linearly unstable in the absence of inertia, in the limit of high elasticities, for ultradilute polymer solutions. While inertialess elastic instabilities have been predicted for curvilinear shear flows, this is the first ever report of a purely elastic linear instability in a rectilinear shear flow. The novel instability continues up to a Reynolds number (Re) of O(1000), corresponding to the recently identified elasto-inertial turbulent state believed to underlie the maximum-drag-reduced regime. Thus, for highly elastic ultradilute polymer solutions, a single linearly unstable modal branch may underlie transition to elastic turbulence at zero Re and to elasto-inertial turbulence at moderate Re, implying the existence of continuous pathways connecting the turbulent states to each other and to the laminar base state.

Viscoelastic Pipe Flow is Linearly Unstable.

Newtonian pipe flow is known to be linearly stable at all Reynolds numbers. We report, for the first time, a linear instability of pressure-driven pipe flow of a viscoelastic fluid, obeying the Oldroyd-B constitutive equation commonly used to model dilute polymer solutions. The instability is shown to exist at Reynolds numbers significantly lower than those at which transition to turbulence is typically observed for Newtonian pipe flow. Our results qualitatively explain experimental observations of transition to turbulence in pipe flow of dilute polymer solutions at flow rates where Newtonian turbulence is absent. The instability discussed here should form the first stage in a hitherto unexplored dynamical pathway to turbulence in polymer solutions. An analogous instability exists for plane Poiseuille flow.

Application of multivariate statistical techniques in microbial ecology.

Recent advances in high-throughput methods of molecular analyses have led to an explosion of studies generating large-scale ecological data sets. In particular, noticeable effect has been attained in the field of microbial ecology, where new experimental approaches provided in-depth assessments of the composition, functions and dynamic changes of complex microbial communities. Because even a single high-throughput experiment produces large amount of data, powerful statistical techniques of multivariate analysis are well suited to analyse and interpret these data sets. Many different multivariate techniques are available, and often it is not clear which method should be applied to a particular data set. In this review, we describe and compare the most widely used multivariate statistical techniques including exploratory, interpretive and discriminatory procedures. We consider several important limitations and assumptions of these methods, and we present examples of how these approaches have been utilized in recent studies to provide insight into the ecology of the microbial world. Finally, we offer suggestions for the selection of appropriate methods based on the research question and data set structure.

Utilization of in silico EST-SSR markers for diversity studies in castor (Ricinus communis L.).

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) a chief non-edible oilseed crop has numerous industrial applications. Systematic genetic diversity analysis utilizing DNA based markers has been quick and reliable method that ensures selection of diverse parents for exploitation of higher levels of heterosis in breeding programs. From NCBI database, 63,852 EST sequences of castor were mined. One thousand one hundred and five (1105) EST-SSRs and 1652 repeat motifs sequences were identified from 20,495 non-redundant unigene sequences. Repeat motifs consisted of 29.7 % mono nucleotide repeats, 24.8 % di nucleotide repeats, 27.27 % tri nucleotide repeats and 3.94 % tetra nucleotide repeats. Twenty eight primer pairs were chosen from SSR-containing ESTs to determine genetic diversity among 27 castor accessions. Twelve EST-SSRs showed polymorphism. Number of alleles detected were 2-3 with an average of 2.33 per locus. 150-400 bp was the size of an allele. Dendrogram analysis grouped the 27 accessions into two separate clusters. Genetic similarity coefficient of dendrogram ranged from 0.24 to 0.83. The polymorphic information content value of 0.28-0.49 revealed medium level of diversity in castor. Results of present study indicated that EST-SSRs to be efficient markers for genetic diversity studies. Knowledge on level of diversity existing in castor genotypes would be useful for breeders to plan efficient hybrid breeding programme.

Engineering a Spin-Orbital Magnetic Insulator by Tailoring Superlattices.

In 5d Ir oxides with an interplay of spin-orbit coupling and electron correlations, we have tailored a spin-orbital magnetic insulator out of a semimetal SrIrO(3) by tuning the structure through superlattices [(SrIrO(3))(m), SrTiO(3)] (m=1,2,3,4, and ∞). We observed the systematic decrease of the magnetic ordering temperature and the resistivity as a function of m. The transition from the semimetal to the insulator is found to be closely linked to the appearance of magnetism at m≃3. Long range magnetic ordering was realized even in the m=1 single layer superlattice, implying that the design and realization of novel electronic phases is feasible at the level of a single atomic layer in complex Ir oxides.

Generation of 1.5 W average power, 18 kHz repetition rate coherent mid-ultraviolet radiation at 271.2 nm.

This paper presents to our knowledge a first time study on the generation of 1.5 W average power, 18 kHz repetition rate coherent mid-ultraviolet (UV) radiation at 271.2 nm. The work is based on frequency summing of coherent green (G: 510.6 nm) and yellow (Y: 578.2 nm) radiations of a copper-HBr laser in a ß-barium borate crystal. Average and peak sum frequency conversion efficiencies of about 13% and 16%, respectively, are obtained. The sum frequency results are experimentally analyzed in terms of the extent of matching of green and yellow pump radiations in space, time, and frequency domains. The result is of high significance for many applications in photonics components fabrication, semiconductor technology, and spectroscopy.

Cumulative phylogenetic, sequence and structural analysis of Insulin superfamily proteins provide unique structure-function insights.

The insulin superfamily proteins (ISPs), in particular, insulin, IGFs and relaxin proteins are key modulators of animal physiology. They are known to have evolved from the same ancestral gene and have diverged into proteins with varied sequences and distinct functions, but maintain a similar structural architecture stabilized by highly conserved disulphide bridges. The recent surge of sequence data and the structures of these proteins prompted a need for a comprehensive analysis, which connects the evolution of these sequences (427 sequences) in the light of available functional and structural information including representative complex structures of ISPs with their cognate receptors. This study reveals (a) unusually high sequence conservation of IGFs (>90 % conservation in 184 sequences) and provides a possible structure-based rationale for such high sequence conservation; (b) provides an updated definition of the receptor-binding signature motif of the functionally diverse relaxin family members (c) provides a probable non-canonical C-peptide cleavage site in a few insulin sequences. The high conservation of IGFs appears to represent a classic case of resistance to sequence diversity exerted by physiologically important interactions with multiple partners. We also propose a probable mechanism for C-peptide cleavage in a few distinct insulin sequences and redefine the receptor-binding signature motif of the relaxin family. Lastly, we provide a basis for minimally modified insulin mutants with potential therapeutic application, inspired by concomitant changes observed in other insulin superfamily protein members supported by molecular dynamics simulation.

Insights from degradation studies of alpha mangostin from Garcinia mangostana: key findings.

The present study emphasises the necessity of substantiating the stability of plant-derived bioactive compounds for their therapeutic effectiveness in pharmaceutical production. The limelight is on alpha-mangostin (AM), a xanthone from Garcinia mangostana L., renowned for its diverse biological properties. Acid exposure during a forced degradation study on AM resulted in degraded alpha-mangostin (DAM) formation, with structural modifications of the two prenyl groups at C2 and C8 positions as determined by NMR and HRMS analysis. Other conditions (temperature, humidity, photolytic, oxidative, and alkaline) showed a minimal impact on AM. DAM, although showed antibacterial activity at concentration higher than AM (MIC values for AM: 0.39-1.56 µg/mL; DAM: >25 µg/mL), it exhibited potential for binding with Glucosyltransferase-SI from Streptococcus mutans and human Acetylcholinesterase in molecular docking simulations, comparable to AM. This suggests, the importance of prenyl group at C2 and C8 positions for AM's potent antibacterial activity and the decreased activity of DAM is due to lack of the prenyl groups.

Studies on the spectral purity of copper-hydrogen bromide laser radiations.

This paper presents, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the linewidth, frequency, and stability characteristics of a copper-HBr laser. These spectral purity attributes were found to be critically linked with the electrical input power and HBr concentration, unlike that of the optical resonator. Variation in green and yellow radiation linewidths from 4 to 4.5 GHz and from 6.5 to 8.8 GHz, linewidth fluctuations from 50 to 150 MHz and from 60 to 530 MHz as well as frequency fluctuations from 10 to 100 MHz and from 410 to 10 MHz were observed when varying the input power and HBr concentration. These results are comprehensively analyzed in terms of isotopic shift, hyperfine splitting, line broadening, and temperature and gain distribution effects relevant to this laser.

Soil moisture dynamics modeling considering multi-layer root zone.

The moisture uptake by plant from soil is a key process for plant growth and movement of water in the soil-plant system. A non-linear root water uptake (RWU) model was developed for a multi-layer crop root zone. The model comprised two parts: (1) model formulation and (2) moisture flow prediction. The developed model was tested for its efficiency in predicting moisture depletion in a non-uniform root zone. A field experiment on wheat (Triticum aestivum) was conducted in the sub-temperate sub-humid agro-climate of Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India. Model-predicted soil moisture parameters, i.e., moisture status at various depths, moisture depletion and soil moisture profile in the root zone, are in good agreement with experiment results. The results of simulation emphasize the utility of the RWU model across different agro-climatic regions. The model can be used for sound irrigation management especially in water-scarce humid, temperate, arid and semi-arid regions and can also be integrated with a water transport equation to predict the solute uptake by plant biomass.

Factors Associated with Prehospital Delay in Patients with Acute Stroke in South India.

Background: Early hospital presentation is critical in the management of acute ischemic stroke. The effectiveness of stroke treatment is highly dependent on the amount of time lapsed between onset of symptoms and treatment. This study was aimed to identify the factors associated with prehospital delay in patients with acute stroke. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Sri Ramachandra University Hospital, India. A total of 210 patients hospitalized in the stroke unit were included. Patients' data were obtained by interviewing the patient and/or accompanying family member and by reviewing their medical records using a standard questionnaire. Associations were determined between prehospital delay (≥4.5 h) and variables of interest by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The prehospital delay was observed in 154 patients (73.3%) and the median prehospital delay was 11.30 h. The following are the factors significantly (P < 0.05) attributed for the delay in presenting to the hospital: contextual factors like using public transport (bus), taxi, time of onset of symptoms, 7 pm-3 am; family history of stroke, perceived cognitive and behavioral factors like, wishing or praying for the symptoms to subside on its own, hesitation to travel due to long distance, delay in arranging transport, and arranging money for admission and wasting time by shopping for general practitioners, nursing homes, and hospitals. The presence of stroke symptom, headache, significantly decreased the prehospital delay. Conclusions: Prehospital delay is high in South India and influenced by clinical, contextual, and cognitive/behavioral factors.

Precision measurements of U3O8 and Ra(eU3O8) in uraniferous samples by gamma ray spectrometry using two HPGe coaxial P-type detectors (GCD30180 & GC5019 models)-a comparative study.

The precision measurements of U3O8 and Ra(eU3O8) concentrations were evaluated in 23 geological rock samples by high resolution gamma ray spectrometry (HPGe) using two P-type HPGe detectors. The use of Detector 2 (DET2) (GC5019) has increased the sensitivity by a factor of two for both the measurements in comparison to Detector 1 (DET1) (GCD30180). The Minimum Detection Limit (MDL) and Limit of quantification (LOQ) for U3O8 in DET2 has increased significantly because of negligible background counts in 1.001 MeV ϒ energy peak (0.838% gamma yield). The MDL for Ra(eU3O8) measured by 0.609 MeV and 1.760 MeV has not improved significantly due to the high background counts in these energies whereas LOQ has improved appreciably. DET 2 has given higher level of confidence in reporting the analytical results with acceptable repeatability due to the decrease in uncertainty of the measurements.

An efficient electrochemical degradation of toxic pollutants in wastewater using BiOBr/BiVO4 hierarchical structured electrode material.

The electrochemical degradation of alizarin red dye was studied using bismuth oxyhalide attached to bismuth vanadate nanocomposite synthesized via a simple solvothermal method. The electrochemical degradation of alizarin red dye was treated at current densities of 3 and 5 mA cm-1 for 30 min under different supporting electrolyte mediums (NaCl and KCl). Also, the electrochemical degradation of BiOBr/BiVO4 electrode shows higher degradation percentages of 97 and 99 for NaCl and KCl electrolyte solutions, which are higher degradation percentages than pure BiVO4 electrode (88 and 91 for NaCl and KCl). Also, the BiOBr/BiVO4 electrode shows 100% COD reduction during the 30th min of alizarin red dye using both NaCl and KCl electrolyte solutions. This may indicate that the prepared BiOBr/BiVO4 electrode shows an efficient electrode material for the degradation of textile dyes.

A synergistic consequence of catalyst dosage, pH solution and reactive species of Fe-doped CdAl2O4 nanoparticles on the degradation of toxic environmental pollutants.

Industrial wastewater treatment techniques are one of the biggest challenges of the scientific community that necessitate an increased consciousness to address water scarcity worldwide. Herein, an eco-friendly and cost-effective process was demonstrated to cope with tannery, textile and pharmaceutical dye wastes through the co-precipitation of highly reusable Fe-doped CdAl2O4 samples. The XRD studies exposed the space group R 3‾ with no secondary phase step being found for all samples. The outcomes of optical absorbance spectra demonstrate that Fe doping diminished the energy gap from 3.66 to 1.67 eV. HR-TEM images of existing spherical particles and some of the particles' rod-like structures with little agglomeration were found for Fe (0.075 M) doped CdAl2O4 nanoparticles. The PL emission outcomes show that Fe doping effectively prevented the charge carrier's recombination in CdAl2O4 during photocatalysis. All Fe-doped CdAl2O4 samples demonstrated higher photodegradation behaviors towards the effectual degradation of both dye solutions as compared to pure CdAl2O4 samples. Particularly, Fe (0.075 M)-doped CdAl2O4 samples exhibited improved photodegradation performance of 93 and 95% for both dye solutions. The amount of photodegradation was noticed to rely on dye pH, irradiation time, catalyst dosage, initial dye amount, and reactive species. The recyclability of the Fe (0.075 M) doped CdAl2O4 nanoparticles denotes that 78 and 82% of BB and BG were removed up to the 6th run of usage. The outcomes of trapping tests,.OH- and h+ radicals were the major Scavenging in the photodegradation reaction. COD studies affirmed the whole mineralization of BB and BG dye molecules. It is expected that our present examination could offer to improve various spinal oxide materials for the photodegradation activity of pharmaceutical contaminants and environmental issues and can also resolve energy storage applications.

Fabrication of an effectual, stable and reusable Mg-doped CdAl2O4 nanoparticles for photodegradation of toxic pollutants under visible light illumination.

The water contamination caused by discharging extensive organic dyes stuff into water bodies is one of the utmost significant concerns disturbing the environment and human life. CdAl2O4 spinel materials have been excellent in the elimination of emerging pollutants by the photocatalysis route. These materials, when altered through methods namely doping with Mg ions, have benefits over CdAl2O4, especially reduced energy gap and light absorbed in the visible region. The XRD established the creation of space group R 3‾ with no other phase step being found. The photoluminescence outcomes indicated that Mg-doped CdAl2O4 nanoparticles had the preventing e--h+ recombination possibility, which was favorable for the photocatalytic process. The Mg (0.075 M)-doped CdAl2O4 catalyst had higher photocatalytic performance with 94 and 96% removal of two azo (BB and BG) dyes under a mere 90 min visible light irradiation, which indicated enhanced Photodegradation behaviors when compared to other Mg (0.025, 0.050 M)-doped and pure CdAl2O4 materials. More interestingly, pH 5 was optimum for the Mg (0.075 M)-doped CdAl2O4 samples photodegradation of both dyes, and the optimum catalyst amount was 5 mg/100 mL. The doped Mg ions influenced the elimination of both dyes by inducing the manufacture of more active species. The Mg (0.075 M)-doped CdAl2O4 samples is reusable and highly stable with only a 5% reduction in degradation rate after six cycles. Based on the quencher and ESR investigations, the .OH- and h+ are described as active species in the removal reaction. We hope our present examinations highlight the possibility of using Mg (0.075 M)-doped CdAl2O4 product for a broad range of photodegradation applications, also it may be applied for several ecological remediations, surface cleaning devices, foods and pharmaceutical industry applications.