Using Office-Based Zero-Degree Rigid Laryngoscopy to Predict Glottic Exposure in Microlaryngoscopy.

OBJECTIVES: Poor glottic exposure in microlaryngeal surgery can result in difficult instrumentation or incomplete surgery affecting surgical outcomes. Anticipating poor glottic exposure preoperatively allows surgeons to prepare adequately, ensuring successful surgery. This study aims to determine the diagnostic utility of 4-mm zero-degree rigid endoscopic laryngeal examination as a tool to predict glottic exposure in microlaryngoscopy (MLS). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, conducted from March 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023 at the ENT department of a tertiary care hospital in North India. A total of 35 adult participants who underwent MLS were consecutively enrolled. Participants in whom the lesion was obscuring the anterior commissure and in whom gag reflex prevented complete zero-degree laryngeal examination were excluded from the study. All enrolled participants were evaluated preoperatively with a 4-mm rigid zero-degree laryngoscopic examination and the Laryngoscore. The total score on the Laryngoscore proforma was calculated and recorded. The visualized glottis on zero-degree laryngoscopy was graded as follows: grade 1, anterior commissure and the entire glottic plane can be seen; grade 2, glottis can be seen but not the anterior commissure; grade 3, only the posterior half of the glottis can be seen; grade 4, only the arytenoids can be seen. The glottic exposure on MLS was also assessed using the same grading system. Depending on the exposure of the anterior commissure, the cohort was divided into two groups: good laryngeal exposure and difficult laryngeal exposure. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was done to evaluate the predictive accuracy of zero-degree laryngoscopy and to compare it with Laryngoscore. RESULTS: A total of 35 adults participated in the study, of which 28 were men (80%) with a median (range) age of 45 (24-76) years. The area under the curve for zero-degree laryngoscopy and Laryngoscore were 0.97 and 0.83, respectively. The optimal cut-off value (sensitivity, specificity) to identify difficult laryngeal exposure for zero-degree laryngoscopy and Laryngoscore were 1.5 (93.3%, 100%) and 4.5 (80%, 85%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Zero-degree laryngoscopy is an excellent predictor of glottic exposure on MLS. Its accuracy surpasses that of the Laryngoscore in identifying an ideal candidate for MLS.

Computed Tomographic Study of Frontal Sinus Cells and Opacification as Per the International Frontal Sinus Anatomy Classification.

INTRODUCTION: International frontal sinus anatomy classification (IFAC) was introduced in 2016 to standardize the nomenclature of the cells in the frontal recess region, facilitate better communication between surgeons and precision in surgical planning, and improve surgical teaching. This study aims to estimate the radiological prevalence of the different frontal recess cells according to the IFAC and to evaluate the relationship of these cells with the frontal sinus opacification in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. METHODS: In this study, 90 participants diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) who underwent computed tomogram (CT) of the para nasal sinuses were enrolled consecutively. The CT images were were studied in detail using RadiAnt DICOM viewer. The frontal recess cells were grouped as per the IFAC guidelines and their respective prevalence was calculated. The frontal recess cells were grouped as per the Opacification or mucosal thickening within these cells and the frontal sinuses were noted. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to evaluate the association between frontal sinus opacification and presence of various IFAC cells. RESULTS: A total of 640 IFAC cells were documented in 180 sides, of which 326 were anterior cells, 263 were posterior cells and 51 were medial cells. The most prevalent cell was the agger nasi cells(ANC), present in 91.7% of 180 sides, the supra agger nasi cells(SANC), Supra agger nasi frontal cells(SAFC), supra bulla cells(SBC), supra bulla frontal cells(SBFC), supra orbital ethmoidal cells(SOEC) and frontal septal cells(FSC) were present in 47.8%,37.8%, 65.6%,28.9%, 51.1% and 28.3% respectively. There was no significant association of presence of IFAC cells and frontal sinus opacification except for SBFC(p = 0.038). A significantly higher number of diseased frontal recess cells were seen with involved frontal sinuses when compared with non-involved frontal sinuses across all types of IFAC cells. CONCLUSION: The ANC were the most prevalent among all the IFAC cells and the FSC were the least prevalent. There was no significant association with the presence of different types of IFAC cells and frontal sinus opacification except for SBFC. However, there was a significantly higher number of diseased IFAC cells associated with frontal sinus opacification than in those without frontal sinus opacification.

Which is Better in Predicting CT Scores in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis after Medical treatment-Baseline Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) or Endoscopic Score?

Introduction: Rhinosinusitis disability index (RSDI) questionnaire is used to assess the severity of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) from the patient's perspective. The severity of CRS can be measured objectively with the endoscope and computed tomogram (CT) using the Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score and Mackay-Lund scores respectively. The objective of the study is to evaluate whether baseline RSDI and Lund-Kennedy (LK) endoscopy scoring can help predict the Mackay-Lund CT (MKLCT) scores after medical treatment in patients with CRS. Methodology: This is a prospective, observational study, carried out from 1st October 2017 to 30th September 2019 in the ENT out- patient department at a tertiary hospital in Northern India. 90 patients diagnosed with CRS were enrolled consecutively in the study. RSDI questionnaire was filled out for all the participants. They all underwent a diagnostic endoscopy and CRS was graded according to the Lund-Kennedy endoscopic scores. All participants were given medical treatment. Patients underwent CT of the paranasal sinuses after medical treatment and the MLKCT scores were calculated. The baseline RSDI and Lund-Kennedy scores were correlated with the MKLCT scores using Spearman's Rank correlation tests. The diagnostic ability of the RSDI and LK endoscopy scores to predict the least MKLCT scores was compared using the receiver operator characteristics curves (ROC). Results: A statistically significant correlation was seen with LK endoscopy scores and MKLCT scores (r = 0.396, p < 0.001) Among the individual parameters of the LK endoscopy scores only the polyp score had a statistically significant correlation with MKLCT scores (r = 0.593, p < 0.001). A weak negative correlation (r = - 0.058, p = 0.586) was seen between the RSDI scores and MKLCT scores. AUC in ROC curves for a LK endoscopy scores and RSDI scores were 0.690 and 0.462 respectively. Cut-off for predicting a MKLCT score of one or more for RSDI score was 25, with a sensitivity of 61% and specificity of 38.5%. Similarly, the cut-off for LK endoscopic score was 4.5, with a sensitivity of 68.8% and specificity of 61.5%. Conclusion: Statistically significant (p < 0.001) association was found between baseline Lund-Kennedy endoscopic scores and Mackay-Lund CT scores post medical treatment. No significant association was found between RSDI scores and Mackay-Lund CT scores. ROC analysis indicated that Lund- Kennedy endoscopy score is a more accurate tool than RSDI score to predict a Mackay-Lund CT scores after medical treatment. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-024-04708-6.

Sponge-shaped Au nanoparticles: a stand-alone metallic photocatalyst for driving the light-induced CO2reduction reaction.

Coinage metal nanoparticles (NPs) enable plasmonic catalysis by generating hot carriers that drive chemical reactions. Making NPs porous enhances the adsorption of reactant molecules. We present a dewetting and dealloying strategy to fabricate porous gold nanoparticles (Au-Sponge) and compare their CO2photoreduction activity with respect to the conventional gold nanoisland (Au-Island) morphology. Porous gold nanoparticles exhibit an unusually broad and red-shifted plasmon resonance which is in agreement with the results of finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. The key insight of this work is that the multi-step reduction of CO2driven by short-lived hot carriers generated by the d → s interband transition proceeds extremely quickly as evidenced by the generation of methane. A 3.8-fold enhancement in the photocatalytic performance is observed for the Au-Sponge in comparison to the Au-Island. Electrochemical cyclic voltammetry measurements confirm the 2.5-fold increase in the surface area and roughness factor of the Au-Sponge sample due to its porous nature. Our results indicate that the product yield is limited by the amount of surface adsorbates i.e. reactant-limited. Isotope-labeled mass spectrometry using13CO2was used to confirm that the reaction product (13CH4) originated from CO2photoreduction. We also present the plasmon-mediated photocatalytic transformation of 4-aminothiophenol (PATP) into p,p'-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) using Au-Sponge and Au-Island samples.

Adoption of the international classification of vestibular disorders criteria in cases of Benign positional paroxysmal vertigo: a single-center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Benign positional paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV) stands as the commonest cause for vertigo. It accounts for 20% of all cases of vertigo, even with its high prevalence rate it often goes underdiagnosed and undertreated. Development of the consensus document by the Bárány society's International Classification of Vestibular Disorders (ICVD)significantly facilitates the diagnosis of BPPV and its variants. This study assesses the utilisation of ICVD criteria for managing BPPV. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Northern India spanning from November 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023. A total of 110 participants diagnosed with BPPV were enrolled consecutively. All participants underwent Dix-Hallpike and supine log roll positional maneuvers. Diagnosis was made based on the history and type of nystagmus seen, and classified as per the ICVD criteria. RESULTS: Posterior semicircular canalolithiasis (pc-BPPV) accounted for 25.45% of cases and horizontal canal canalolithiasis (hc-BPPV) accounted for 20.91% of cases. Probable BPPV, spontaneously resolved (pBPPVsr) was diagnosed in 16.36% of participants and possible BPPV(pBPPV) was diagnosed in 18.18% of participants. Multiple canal BPPV (mc-BPPV) accounted for 17.27% of cases. One participant was diagnosed with horizontal canal cupulolithiasis and anterior canal canalolithiasis respectively. No participant was diagnosed with posterior canal cupulolithiasis. CONCLUSION: The most common type of BPPV was pc-BPPV followed by hc-BPPV. The affected canal in possible BPPV, can be identified, and appropriate repositioning maneuvers are effective in treating them as well as aids in confirming the diagnosis. The diagnostic clarity provided by ICVD, aids in effective management of BPPV. More studies with larger sample size are required to further validate its clinical utility.

Investigation of fire regime dynamics and modeling of burn area over India for the twenty-first century.

The characteristics of the vegetation fire (VF) regime are strongly influenced by geographical variables such as regional physiographic settings, location, and climate. Understanding the VF regime is extremely important for managing and mitigating the impacts of fires on ecosystems, communities, and human activities in forest fire-prone regions. The present study thereby aimed to explore the potential effects of the confounding factors on VF in India to offer actionable and achievable solutions for mitigating this concurring environmental issue sustainably. A global burn area (250 m) data (Fire-CCIv5.1) and fire radiative power (FRP) were used to investigate the dynamics of VF across seven different divisions in India. The study also used the maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, population density, and intensity of human modification to model forest burn areas (including grassland). The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-6 (CMIP6) was used to predict the burn area for 2030 and 2050 future climate scenarios. The present study accounted for a sizable increasing trend of VF during 2001-2019 period. The highest increasing trend was found in central India (513 and 343 km2 year-1 in the forest and crop fire, respectively), followed by southern India (364 km2 year-1 in forest fire), and upper Indo-Gangetic plain (128 km2 year-1 in crop fire). The FRP has varied significantly across the divisions, with the north-eastern Himalayas exhibiting the highest FRP hotspot. The maximum and minimum temperatures have the greatest influence on forest fires, according to Random Forest (RF) modeling. The estimated pre-monsoonal burn area for 2050 and 2050 future scenarios suggested a more frequent forest fire occurrence across India, particularly in southern and central India. A comprehensive forest fire control policy is therefore essential to safeguard and conserve forest cover in the regions, affected by forest fire periodically.

India Hypertension Control Initiative: Blood Pressure Control Using Drug and Dose-Specific Standard Treatment Protocol at Scale in Punjab and Maharashtra, India, 2022.

Background: Hypertension treatment coverage is low in India. A stepwise simple treatment protocol is one of the strategies to improve hypertension treatment in primary care. We estimated the effectiveness of various protocol steps to achieve blood pressure (BP) control in public sector health facilities in Punjab and Maharashtra, India, where the India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) was implemented. Methods: We analyzed the records of people enrolled for hypertension treatment and follow-up under IHCI between January 2018 and December 2021 in public sector primary and secondary care facilities across 23 districts from two states. Each state followed a different treatment protocol. We calculated the proportion with controlled BP at each step of the protocol. We also estimated the mean decline in BP pre- and post-treatment. Results: Of 281,209 patients initiated on amlodipine 5 mg, 159,292 continued on protocol drugs and came for a follow-up visit during the first quarter of 2022. Of 33,450 individuals who came for the follow-up in Punjab and 125,842 in Maharashtra, 70% and 76% had controlled BP, respectively, at the first step with amlodipine 5 mg. In Punjab, at the second step with amlodipine 10 mg, the cumulative BP control increased to 75%. A similar 5% (76%-81%) increase was seen in the second step after adding telmisartan 40 mg in Maharashtra. Overall, the mean (SD) systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased by 16 mmHg from 148 (15) mmHg at the baseline in Punjab. In Maharashtra, the decline in the mean (SD) SBP was about 15 mmHg from the 144 (18) mmHg baseline. Conclusion: Simple drug- and dose-specific protocols helped achieve a high control rate among patients retained in care under program conditions. We recommend treatment protocols starting with a single low-cost drug and escalating with the same or another antihypertensive drug depending on the cost and availability.

Unlocking translational machinery for antitubercular drug development.

Targeting translational factor proteins (TFPs) presents significant promise for the development of innovative antitubercular drugs. Previous insights from antibiotic binding mechanisms and recently solved 3D crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) elongation factor thermo unstable-GDP (EF-Tu-GDP), elongation factor thermo stable-EF-Tu (EF-Ts-EF-Tu), and elongation factor G-GDP (EF-G-GDP) have opened up new avenues for the design and development of potent antituberculosis (anti-TB) therapies.

CO2 Photoreduction Activity Enhancement and Unexpected Observation of Carbon Monoxide Adsorbates on the Surface of TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Synthesized in Formamide Electrolytes.

TiO2 nanotube arrays grown through electrochemical anodization in a formamide-based electrolyte (TNTA-FA) exhibited a whole host of unusual properties compared to nanotubes grown in the conventional ethylene glycol-based electrolyte (TNTA-EG). TNTA-FA exhibited shorter phonon lifetimes, lower lattice strain, more visible light absorption, lower work function, and a highly unusual adsorbate structure consisting of physisorbed and chemisorbed CO along with linearly adsorbed CO2 and various monodentate and bidentate carbonate species. The observation of adsorbed CO in the dark is highly unusual and indicates spontaneous deoxygenation of CO2 on the surface of TNTA-FA. The significance of this finding is that the formation of CO2•- is no longer the rate-limiting bottleneck for the reduction of CO2 on TNTA-FA surfaces as it is for all TiO2 surfaces. TNTA-FA samples are strongly colored (inclusive of a fluorescent green color) and consist of rounded, vertically oriented hollow cylinders as opposed to the honeycomb-like morphology of TNTA-EG arranged in an approximate triangular lattice. The photocatalytic activity was tested through the CO2 photoreduction and dye degradation tests. Formamide-based nanotubes outperformed the EG-based nanotubes by almost 1.7 and 2 times, respectively, in CO2 reduction and dye degradation tests done on methylene blue, brilliant green, and rhodamine B dyes. These results are attributed to stronger surface band bending in TNTA-FA which facilitates more efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.

Utility of Smart Phones as a Voice Acquisition Device for Assessing Pre and Post Treatment Voice Using PRAAT.

Voice assessment before and after treatment helps the clinician to assess the effectiveness of the treatment given and facilitates comparison between different treatment modalities. Voice handicap index -10(VHI-10) questionnaire is a tool which allows the voice to be evaluated subjectively from the patient's perspective. PRAAT is a freely available, software programme that acoustically analyse voice signals. Smart phones are widely used and the high quality of the embedded microphone in it makes it a suitable and easily available voice recording device. This study aims at using PRAAT and VHI-10 questionnaire in evaluating voice before and after treatment. The utility of smart phones as a voice acquisition device is also explored in the study. Prospective, observational study, carried out from 1st November 2019 to 30th September 2021in the ENT out- patient department at a tertiary hospital in Punjab. 58 patients complaining of dysphonia were enrolled consecutively in the study. All patients underwent detailed history, examination of the larynx using 70-degree rigid laryngoscope. The voice handicap was scored by (VHI-10) questionnaire and acoustic evaluation of voice was done using the PRAAT software. Patients' voice was further evaluated 3 months post-therapy with VHI 10 questionnaire and acoustic analysis. The parameters measured on PRAAT were mean pitch, jitter (local), shimmer (local), and mean harmonics to noise ratio (HNR). The voice was recorded using a smart phone and later transferred onto a laptop for analysis. The pre and post treatment acoustic parameters and VHI-10 scores were compared and correlated. There was significant difference (p < 0.001) between the pre and post treatment VHI-10 scores and all the acoustic parameters measured except for median pitch (p = 0.995). A poor positive correlation was found between the pre treatment VHI-10 scores and jitter(r = 0.188, p = 0.157) and shimmer (r = 0.288, p = 0.028) values. A negative correlation was observed between pre treatment VHI-10 scores and pitch (r = - 0.151, p = 0.259) and HNR(r = - 0.424, p = 0.001). Post treatment VHI-10 scores showed positive correlation with jitter (r = 0.302, p = 0.021) and shimmer (0.162, p = 0.225) values and negative correlation with pitch (r = - 0.10, p = 0.457) and HNR (r = - 0.356, p = 0.006) values. We found significant differences in the VHI-10 scores and PRAAT voice analysis results before and after treatment in patients complaining with voice change (dysphonia). VHI-10 questionnaire and PRAAT are good and convenient tools for assessing the voice subjectively and objectively. Only a poor to fair correlation was found between VHI-10 scores and PRAAT analysis results. More studies must be done to confirm the utility of smart phones as a voice acquisition device and PRAAT software in voice analysis.

Determinants of Cochlear Dysfunction in Chronic Otitis Media: Mucosal Disease.

The nature of association between chronic otitis media (COM)-mucosal disease and sensorineural hearing loss is controversial. Identifying the risk factors which influence the bone conduction threshold in these patients can help the clinician in counselling the patients for surgery at the earliest to achieve optimum hearing outcomes. The present study was undertaken to determine the association between COM-mucosal disease and cochlear dysfunction. The study also aimed at identifying the determinants and their influence on the bone conduction thresholds of the diseased ear. In this study, 72 patients with unilateral chronic otitis media-mucosal disease were enrolled consecutively. All patients were enquired in detail about their presenting ear symptoms. All the patients underwent a pure tone audiogram in a sound treated room. Patients were categorised into two groups according to the presence of conductive hearing loss only or with a sensorineural component. The bone conduction thresholds were calculated and compared for frequencies at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz. The average hearing threshold for air conduction and bone conduction were calculated across 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz. Bone conduction threshold more than 20 decibels (dB) in any of the frequencies were considered significant and indicative of having sensorineural hearing loss component. The contralateral healthy ear served as control to cancel out the confounding factors such as presbyacusis, noise induced hearing loss, congenital hearing loss, etc. Multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate the relationships between bone conduction thresholds and chronic otitis media-mucosal disease. In the present study, 18.05% of participants had a sensorineural component. The difference between the bone conduction threshold in the diseased ear and normal ear ranged from 5.41 dB at 0.5 kHz to 3.77 dB at 4 kHz (p < 0.001). Bone conduction thresholds at 4 kHz were greater than that for speech frequencies (p < 0.5). 84.6% of participants with sensorineural component had a disease duration of less than 5 years and the remaining 15.4% had a duration of greater than 15 years. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of sensorineural component based on the site of the perforation (p = 0.341). 21.9% of participants who used topical antibiotic drops developed a sensorineural component, while 15% of participants who did not use antibiotic ear drop preparation developed a sensorineural component. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that increasing age was the only factor associated with increase in bone conduction thresholds of the diseased ear (p = 0.002). Chronic otitis media- mucosal disease appears to be associated with higher bone conduction thresholds, signifying cochlear dysfunction. A statistically significant higher bone conduction thresholds are seen across 0.5 to 4 kHz in the diseased ears compared to the normal ears, signifying the vulnerability of the inner ear against chronic otitis media. In our analysis increasing age is the most significant predisposing factor associated with higher bone conduction thresholds. Higher frequencies are more affected than lower speech frequencies. Sensorineural hearing loss can occur early in the disease process and early surgical intervention in COM-mucosal disease is recommended to prevent increase in bone conduction thresholds and achieve optimum hearing outcomes.

Lateral Stenosis of External Auditory Canal Secondary to Corrosive acid Injury: A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature.

Acquired external auditory canal (EAC) stenosis is an uncommon condition with an incidence of 0.6 in 100,000 population. Road traffic accidents and otology surgeries are the frequently reported causes for it to occur. The high rate of restenosis makes this condition difficult to manage. A 50 year old lady presented with history of accidental instillation of acid in her left ear at 6 months of age by the care giver. The patient developed stenosis of left EAC with hearing loss. Examination revealed pin point stenosis of left EAC. Puretone audiogram revealed a moderately severe conductive hearing loss. Computed tomogram showed soft tissue lesion obliterating the entire EAC and extending into the middle ear and antrum. Intra operatively only the cartilaginous EAC was stenosed. Surgical excision of the fibrotic scar with a tympanomastoidectomy and wide meatoplasty was done. Regular post operative aural toileting, packing with merocele strips and application of topical antibiotic -steroid preparations was done. 6 months post-surgery a patent EAC and healed tympanic membrane was achieved. In this report, we present a rare case of lateral EAC stenosis secondary to corrosive acid injury, highlighting the surgical steps, post operative care and surgical outcomes. A limited review of literature is also presented.

Performance and stability enhancement of perovskite photodetectors by additive and interface engineering using a dual-functional PPS zwitterion.

Hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites (HOIPs) have gained significant research interest due to their tunable optoelectronic properties and ease of fabrication. Enhancing the stability and efficiency of perovskite materials can be achieved through the passivation of defective surfaces and the improvement of interfacial properties. In this study, we introduce a zwitterionic compound, PPS (3-(1-pyridinio)-1-propanesulfonate), as a bifunctional material that serves as an additive and an interlayer. Incorporating PPS into the perovskite film effectively reduces both positively and negatively charged defects, leading to improved surface morphology and a reduction in undesired charge carrier recombination. Additionally, the formation of a PPS interlayer on SnO2 improves the SnO2/perovskite interfacial characteristics, thereby enhancing charge carrier extraction. As a result, the photodetector exhibits a low dark current of 6.05 × 10-11 A, an excellent responsivity of 5.93 A W-1, a detectivity of 1.51 × 1013 J, and an on/off ratio of 1.2 × 104 under open-air conditions. Moreover, the device demonstrates outstanding stability, retaining 80% of its original responsivity in an ambient environment. This work highlights the great potential of dual-functional materials for defect passivation in future optoelectronic devices, emphasizing the importance of surface modification and interface engineering for improved performance and stability.

Rationally Designed Naringenin-Conjugated Polyester Nanoparticles Enable Folate Receptor-Mediated Peroral Delivery of Insulin.

Receptor-mediated transcytosis of nanoparticles is paramount for the effective delivery of various drugs. Here, we report the design and synthesis of highly functional nanoparticles with specific targeting toward the folate receptor (FR) for the peroral delivery of insulin. In doing so, we demonstrate naringenin (NAR), a citrous flavonoid, as a targeting ligand to FR, with a similar affinity as folic acid. The NAR-decorated nanoparticles indicated a 4-fold increase in FR colocalization compared to unfunctionalized nanoparticles. The NAR-conjugated precision polyester allows for high insulin loading and entrapment efficiencies. As a result, insulin-laden NAR-functional nanoparticles offered a 3-fold higher bioavailability in comparison to unfunctionalized nanoparticles. This work generated a promising contribution to folate-receptor-mediated peroral delivery of insulin, utilizing polymeric nanoparticles decorated with a natural ligand, NAR.

Exergo-enviro-economic and yearly productivity analyses of conical passive solar still for sustainable solar distillation.

This paper focuses on exergo-enviro-economic and yearly productivity analyses for conical passive solar still having the potential to fulfil the sustainable development goal of the United Nations. A new approach for thermal modelling of conical passive solar still has been carried out with experimental validation in the present work, wherein different weather conditions have been considered for the analysis of the proposed system. The carried out work has been done for each month of the year. In further methodology, the computational code in MATLAB has been used for the computation of hourly freshwater production, exergy, and energy followed by the estimation of their annual values. Thereafter, exergo-enviro-economic parameters, yearly productivity, payback period, and freshwater cost have been estimated, and the obtained results have been compared with the earlier published research. Concludingly, the exergo-economic parameter, enviro-economic parameter, and yearly productivity for the proposed system have been found higher by 44.25%, 25.68%, and 44.07%, respectively, than the conventional solar still. The comparative freshwater cost is 13.56% less than the conventional solar still for 0.025 m water depth. Additionally, the payback period for the proposed system will remain at 2.75 years, which is 13.82% less in comparison to the conventional solar still considering a 2% interest rate.

Carbamate as a potential anti-Alzheimer's pharmacophore: A review.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative brain disorder, which leads to loss of memory and other cognitive dysfunction. The underlying mechanisms of AD pathogenesis are very complex and still not fully explored. Cholinergic neuronal loss, accumulation of amyloid plaque, metal ions dyshomeostasis, tau hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are major hallmarks of AD. The current treatment options for AD are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine) and NMDA receptor antagonists (memantine). These FDA-approved drugs mainly provide symptomatic relief without addressing the pathological aspects of disease progression. So, there is an urgent need for novel drug development that not only addresses the basic mechanisms of the disease but also shows the neuroprotective property. Various research groups across the globe are working on the development of multifunctional agents for AD amelioration using different core scaffolds for their design, and carbamate is among them. Rivastigmine was the first carbamate drug investigated for AD management. The carbamate fragment, a core scaffold of rivastigmine, act as a potential inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. In this review, we summarize the last 10 years of research conducted on the modification of carbamate with different substituents which primarily target ChE inhibition, reduce oxidative stress, and modulate Aß aggregation.

Target validation and structure-based virtual screening to Discover potential lead molecules against the oncogenic NSD1 histone methyltransferase.

The aim of the study was to validate Nuclear receptor-binding SET Domain NSD1 as a cancer drug target followed by the design of lead molecules against NSD1. TCGA clinical data, molecular expression techniques were used to validate the target and structure-based virtual screening was performed to design hits against NSD1. Clinical data analysis suggests the role of NSD1 in metastasis, prognosis and influence on overall survival in various malignancies. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression profile of NSD1 was evaluated in various cell lines. NSD1 was exploited as a target protein for in silico design of inhibitors using two major databases including ZINC15 and ChemDiv by structure-based virtual screening approach. Virtual screening was performed using the pharmacophore hypothesis designed with a protein complex S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as an endogenous ligand. Subsequently, a combined score was used to distinguish the top 10 compounds from the docking screened compounds having high performance in all four scores (docking score, XP, Gscore, PhaseScreenScore, and MMGBSA delta G Bind). Finally, the top three Zinc compounds were subjected to molecular dynamic simulation. The binding MMGBSA data suggests that ZINC000257261703 and ZINC000012405780 can be taken for in vitro and in vivo studies as they have lesser MMGBSA energy towards the cofactor binding site of NSD1 than the sinefungin. Our data validates NSD1 as a cancer drug target and provides promising structures that can be utilized for further lead optimization and rational drug design to open new gateways in the field of cancer therapeutics. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-023-00158-0.

Micro-mechanical and tribological behavior of Al/SiC/B4C/CNT hybrid nanocomposite.

The aluminum nanocomposite is fabricated through squeeze stir casting method where CNT, SiC/B4C powder has been used as a reinforcement in an aluminum matrix. Squeeze action in stir casting opted due to proper reinforcement of 2 vol% of CNT in the matrix. The boron carbide and silicon carbide have been added by 8 and 12 vol% in the matrix. Uniform distribution of reinforcement and phase analysis has been shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XRD analysis. The formation of intermetallic compounds like Al3BC and Al4C3, dislocation forests, and the interaction of the reinforcement with the matrix are all confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The micro-mechanical behavior of aluminum nanocomposites was investigated using nano indentation. The nano hardness, Vickers hardness, and Young's modulus of 12 vol% B4C compared with 12 vol% of SiC are increased by 12%, 23%, and 16%, respectively, and the same trend has been observed for the 8 vol% B4C reinforced composite. The model analysis for Young's modulus has been done and the experimental value for the modulus of elasticity of the composite are validated and not find such differences significantly. The surface topography was determined, furrow scratches and wear scars, and it was discovered that B4C reinforced composites have reduced stripping pits inside the wear marks, as well as lower wear width and depth. Wear analysis is essential because abrasive encounters result in substantial damage owing to larger pits and bigger wear scars.

Cell cycle dysregulation on prenatal and postnatal arsenic exposure in skin of Wistar rat neonates.

This study explores the effects of prenatal and postnatal (until weaning period) arsenic exposure given via pregnant females on Wistar rat neonates. Pregnant female rats were divided in four groups - control, low dose, moderate dose and high dose groups of sodium arsenite exposure during gestation and weaning period. Half of the neonates were sacrificed at day 1 of birth and other half at day 21 of birth. Cell cycle analysis in epidermal keratinocytes using flowcytometer revealed that there was a consistent increase in number of cells in G2/M phase from 0.04% in control group to 0.88%, 1.59% and 2.77% in low, moderate and high dose groups respectively for neonates sacrificed at day-1. Whereas, the increase in number of cells with increasing doses in G2/M phase of neonates sacrificed at day-21 was from 3.44% to 5.1%, 6.82%, and 9.17%. At postnatal day 21, mRNA expression of Cyclin A and B1, p53, Caspases 3, 7 and 9, and Bax were found to be up-regulated. Whereas that of Cyclin E, CDK 1 and 2 and Bcl2 were down regulated consistently in skin tissues of arsenic exposed groups.

Rehydration modeling and characterization of dehydrated sweet corn.

The increasing demand of rehydrated foods is due to its better storage stability at ambient conditions and not requiring refrigeration. Prior to drying at 55, 60, 65, and 70°C in a hot air tray dryer, hot water blanching (HB), steam blanching (SB), and microwave blanching (MB) were employed as pretreatments. Rehydration of dried pretreated sweet corn kernel was performed in boiling water. The pretreatments and drying temperatures were independent factors that affected the dependent factors such as rehydration ratio, total sugar, ascorbic acid, geometric mean diameter, color, sensory evaluation, water absorption, mass, and geometric mean diameter. Peleg, Weibull, and newly proposed models were considered to describe the change in moisture content during rehydration. The proposed model performed better than other models and indicated the rise in equilibrium moisture content of rehydrated sweet corn with an increase in dehydration temperature of sweet corn due to higher R 2 (0.994), and lower chi-square (0.005) and RMSE (0.064). The rehydrated sweet corn obtained from samples processed with microwave blanching and dehydration at 70°C showed higher retention of total sugar, ascorbic acid, geometric mean diameter, and color.