Effect of cooking and storage temperature on resistant starch in commonly consumed Indian wheat products and its effect upon blood glucose level.

Background/objectives: The health benefits provided by resistant starch have been well documented; however, few studies are available on the resistant starch content of wheat products in India. Moreover, few studies have examined the in vivo efficacy of resistant starch in wheat products in improving glucose levels. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cooking and storage temperature on the formation of resistant starch in Indian wheat products and its effect on blood glucose levels in humans and rats. Methods: Wheat products were prepared by common cooking methods including roasting (Chapati), boiling (Dalia), Shallow frying (Paratha), and Deep frying (Poori). They were then stored at different temperatures including freshly prepared within 1 h (T1), stored for 24 h at room temperature (20-22°C) (T2), kept at 4°C for 24 h (T3) and reheated after storing at 4°C for 24 h (T4). The products were then analyzed for proximate composition (moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash crude fibre, and carbohydrates). The effect of different cooking methods and storage temperatures on Resistant, non-resistant and total starch, total dietary fibre (soluble and insoluble), in vitro starch digestion rate (rapidly and slowly digestible starch), amylose and amylopectin content were analysed using standard operating procedures. The effect of products found to have higher resistant starch was studied on the post prandial blood glucose response of 10 healthy individuals using change in by analysing their glycemic index and glycemic load of wheat products. Further, the effect of resistant starch rich chapati on the blood glucose level of rats was also studied. Tukey's test in factorial CRD was used to assess the effect of cooking and temperature on various parameters. Results: The amount of resistant starch was found to be high in dalia (boiling, 7.74%), followed by parantha (shallow frying, 4.94%), chapati (roasting, 2.77%) and poori (deep frying 2.47%). Under different storage temperatures, it was found high in products stored at 4°C (T3), followed by products stored at room temperature (T2), reheated products (T4) and lesser in freshly prepared products (T1). The glycemic index and glycemic load were found low in chapati (43, 32.3) and dalia (41.1, 28.6) stored at 4°C (T3) compared to others. The resistant starch content found in chapati stored at T3 was found to be more effective at reducing blood glucose levels in rats from 291.0 mg/100 mL to 225.2 mg/100 mL in 28 days of study compared to freshly prepared chapati (T1) and stored at room temperature (T2). Conclusion: Cooking methods including boiling, roasting and shallow frying increased the amount of resistant starch in foods, but cooking methods such as deep frying decreased the amount of resistant starch in food. Products stored at 4°C and at room temperature for 24 h increased the amount of resistant starch whereas the products that were freshly cooked and reheated decreased the amount of resistant starch in foods. At 4°C the stored products have a high amount of insoluble dietary fibre, slowly digestible starch, high amylose and low glycemic index. They take time to digest, meaning that they slowly increase blood glucose levels. The effect of insoluble dietary fibre and resistant starch in the inhibition of glucose diffusion in the small intestine is suggested to be due to the absorption or inclusion of the smaller sugar molecules. In vivo research showed that fibre and resistant starch in the digestive system of rats acts as the main factors in slowing glucose absorption and reducing a rise in blood glucose levels by promoting glycogen synthesis and inhibition of gluconeogenesis.

Gum arabic-assisted green synthesis of biocompatible MoS2 nanoparticles for methylene blue photodegradation.

The current work reports the gum arabic-mediated greener synthesis of MoS2 nanoparticles (NPs) and its utilization for the solar light-assisted degradation of methylene blue. Furthermore, the safety analyses were performed on human-beneficial gut bacterium, L. delbrueckii, and human blood cells to confirm the biocompatibility of NPs synthesized. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were done to explore their usefulness for biological applications. Sonication and microwave treatment were used to obtain spherical 10-12 nm MoS2 NPs as characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. FT-IR characterization revealed the occurrence of gum arabic on the NPs surface. The MoS2 NPs exhibited ~ 98% MB degradation within 8 h under direct sunlight exposure. Moreover, the reusability studies have also been evaluated and free radical trapping experiments indicated that superoxide (•O2-) is the dominant active species of the reaction system. Furthermore, 98.89% MB degradation efficiency was observed within 150 min in the case of real textile industry MB effluent samples. Untreated MB inhibited the growth of L. delbrueckii on MRS agar plates, while growth was observed in the case of MoS2 NPs-treated MB samples indicating safety of current MB degradation approach. MoS2 NPs inhibited the growth of E. coli MTCC1698 and S. aureus MTCC 3160 with 26 mm and 21 mm zone of inhibition, respectively. Furthermore, MoS2 NPs have shown antioxidant properties, resulting in 82.3 ± 0.43% of DPPH scavenging activity which was comparable to ascorbic acid (81.6 ± 0.6%), a standard antioxidant molecule. The NPs have not shown any hemolytic activity at 0.0625 and 0.125 mg/mL doses to human blood proving their biocompatible nature. Gum arabic-synthesized biocompatible MoS2 NPs have good potential to treat MB released as waste from the textile industry and other biological applications.

Nanotechnology-assisted treatment of pharmaceuticals contaminated water.

The presence of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater due to an increase in industrialization and urbanization is a serious health concern. The demand for diverse types of pharmaceutical compounds is expected to grow as there is continuous improvement in the global human health standards. Discharge of domestic pharmaceutical personal care products and hospital waste has aggravated the burden on wastewater management. Further, the pharmaceutical water is toxic not only to the aquatic organism but also to terrestrial animals coming in contact directly or indirectly. The pharmaceutical wastes can be removed by adsorption and/or degradation approach. Nanoparticles (NPs), such as 2D layers materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and carbonaceous nanomaterials are proven to be more efficient for adsorption and/or degradation of pharmaceutical waste. In addition, inclusion of NPs to form various composites leads to improvement in the waste treatment efficacy to a greater extent. Overall, carbonaceous nanocomposites have advantage in the form of being produced from renewable resources and the nanocomposite material is biodegradable either completely or to a great extent. A comprehensive literature survey on the recent advancement of pharmaceutical wastewater is the focus of the present article.

Lumbar Facet Joint Fluid: A Reliable Sign of Lumbar Instability.

Lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS) is a prevalent condition among the elderly population. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often the first investigative modality if indicated clinically. However, the standard supine position used during an MRI may fail to detect dynamic instability. In such cases, the presence of facet joint fluid is a reliable sign, and further investigation, such as stress radiographs, should be conducted to confirm dynamic instability. Here, we present a typical case demonstrating the importance of this finding. A patient presented with neurological claudication, and an MRI was initially unremarkable except for the presence of lumbar facet joint fluid. This finding prompted us to conduct stress radiographs, which eventually confirmed dynamic instability.

Microwave-Induced CuO Nanorods: A Comparative Approach between Curcumin, Quercetin, and Rutin to Study Their Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Anticancer Effects against Normal Skin Cells and Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines MCF-7 and T-47D.

Herein, we explore the biological properties of curcumin, quercetin, and rutin by loading them onto porous CuO nanorods (NRs). The CuO NRs were synthesized using the microwave irradiation method through a chemical reaction between CuSO4·5H2O and NaOH in the presence of the anionic stabilizer sodium dodecyl sulfate. The shape and surface morphology of CuO NRs were examined with two microscopic techniques: high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Their average diameter was measured by TEM to be 15 ± 2 nm. The porosity and interfacial area of the fabricated material were determined by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. After successful synthesis, CuO NRs were loaded with polyphenolic curcumin, quercetin, and rutin, with the loading efficiency of 57.8, 62.2, and 81.2%, respectively, which was confirmed by UV-visible and infra-red spectroscopy and finally with a thermal gravimetric technique. Their radical scavenging activity was measured with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and compared with the control (ascorbic acid). Further, good bactericidal effects were observed against both Gram-positive bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, and Gram-negative bacterial strains, including Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Excellent anticancer activity was observed against normal skin cells and breast cancer cells T-47D and MCF-7.

Removal of inorganic toxic contaminants from wastewater using sustainable biomass: A review.

Lignocellulosic biomass is most abundant, ecofriendly and sustainable material on this green planet which has received great attention due to exhaustion of petroleum reserves and various environmental complications. Due to its abundance and sustainability, it has been opted in number of advanced applications i.e. synthesis of green chemicals, biofuels, paper, packaging, biocomposite and for discharge of toxic contaminants from wastewaters. Utilization of sustainable biomass for removal of toxic pollutants from wastewater is robust technique due to its low-cost and easy availability. In this review, we have summarized removal of inorganic pollutants by sustainable lignocellulosic biomass in their natural as well as in chemically functionalized form. Various techniques for modification of sustainable biomass have been discussed and it was found that modified biomass showed better biosorption ability as compared to natural biomass. We conclude that modified biomass biosorbents are useful for removal of toxic inorganic pollutants to deficient levels. Several modification strategies can improve the qualities of biosorbent, however grafting is the most successful among them, as demonstrated in this work. The numerous grafting methods using a free radical grafting process are also summarized in this review article. This review also gathers studies comparing sorption capabilities with and without modification using modified and unmodified biosorbents. Chemically modified cellulosic biomass is favoured over untreated biomass because it has a higher adsorption efficiency, which is favoured by a large number of reactive binding sites, improved ion-exchange characteristics, and more functional groups available after modification.

Biosynthesis of silver nanospheres, kinetic profiling and their application in the optical sensing of mercury and chlorite ions in aqueous solutions.

Pollution of water linked to microbial decontamination and extensive use of sodium chlorite (NaClO2) as a disinfectant, especially in the face of the current COVID-19 situation, is a serious water pollution issue that needs to be addressed. In this context, an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method has been developed for the biomimetic synthesis of Ag nanospheres (Ag NSs) using aqueous extract of Piper nigrum for the detection of chlorite (ClO2-) and mercury (Hg2+) ions. The strong antioxidant properties of the biomolecules present in the Piper nigrum extract reduce silver ions (Ag+) to Ag0. After optimization of the formulation parameters, it was observed that 1 mL of piper nigrum extract was sufficient to reduce and stabilize 100 mL of 1.5 mM of Ag+ in 2.5 h at 30 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of Ag NSs revealed their crystalline nature and the characteristic Bragg's diffraction peaks confirmed their face cubic crystal (FCC) lattice. The characteristic reddish-brown color and absorption surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 435 nm confirmed the successful fabrication of Ag NSs. Kinetic analysis revealed a three-phase growth pattern involving nucleation, growth and stabilization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) micrograms, showed spherical NSs with narrow polydispersity with particle size ranging from 10 to 30 nm. The synthesized NSs were exposed to various metal ions and anions. The absorption intensity of Ag NSs quenched in the presence of mercury ions (Hg2+) among the cations and Chlorite ions (ClO2-) among the anions. The limit of detection (LOD) of 7.47 µM and 1.11 µM was evaluated from the calibration curve for Hg2+ and ClO2-, respectively. Based on these promising results, it is suggested that the method reported is a low-cost and one step biogenic protocol for the synthesis of Ag NSs and their employment for the detection of Hg2+ and ClO2-ions.

Comparison of Different Ultrasound Parameters for Airway Assessment in Patients Undergoing Surgery under General Anaesthesia.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate and correlate ultrasound measurement of airway parameters with the Cormack- Lehane (CL) grading observed under direct laryngoscopy for prediction of difficult airway. METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary care institute. Ninety-six patients were scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia and tracheal intubation. They were categorised as having easy (CL grades 1, 2a, and 2b) or difficult (CL grades 3a, 3b, and 4) laryngoscopy. The sonographically measured airway parameters included anterior neck soft tissue thickness at vocal cord level (ANS-VC), hyomental distance ratio (HMDr), and tongue volume (TV). These parameters were compared and correlated with the CL grading. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 21.0. RESULTS: Difficult laryngoscopy was observed in 17.7% patients. Significant difference was noted in ANS-VC 0.28 6 0.09; 0.39 6 0.12, (P < .0001) and HMDr, 1.2 6 0.09; 1.15 6 0.13, (P » .006) for easy and difficult laryngoscopy, respectively. ANS-VC had a sensitivity of 78.9% and specificity of 71.1% (AUC-0.816) followed by HMDr (AUC-0.713) and TV (AUC-0.608). Combined ultrasound parameters had significantly higher AUC value (0.867). CONCLUSIONS: ANS-VC was the most significant parameter with a value of >0.29 cm being a sensitive predictor of difficult intubation. Combined sonographic parameters (ANS-VC, HMDr, and TV) were better predictors of difficult intubation.

Solvothermal assisted phosphate functionalized graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots for optical sensing of Fe ions and its thermodynamic aspects.

A facile method has been proposed for the determination of Ferrous (Fe(II)) and Ferric (Fe(III)) ions using phosphate functionalized graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots (Ph-g-CNQDs) in an aqueous medium. The easy solvothermal procedure using oleic acid as the solvent yielded the Ph-g-CNQDs in less than 30 min. The communication among the Fe(II) and Fe(III) with Ph-g-CNQDs caused quenching of the blue Ph-g-CNQDs fluorescence signals. The Ph-g-CNQDs have been successfully characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence spectrophotometry. The temperature dependent behavior of the Ph-g-CNQDs was also observed and various thermodynamic parameters have also been evaluated. The Ph-g-CNQDs displayed an excellent quantum yield of 60.54% using quinine sulfate as the standard reference. The developed method has been applied to water samples collected from different sources and good recoveries were observed which entitles this method as apt for real time monitoring.

Giant Warthin's Tumour of the Parotid Gland: A Rare Case Report.

Warthin's tumour was first adequately described in 1929 by an American pathologist, Aldred Scott Warthin. It is synonymous with papillary cystadenoma lymphomatosum (PCL), cystadenolymphoma or adenolymphoma. Giant salivary gland tumours are usually pleomorphic adenomas. The average size of Warthin's tumour is reported to be about 2-4 cm. In the current fascinating case, an enormous disfiguring salivary gland tumour was reported which turned out to be Warthin's tumour on histopathology, which is probably the largest PCL reported till date.

Ytterbium-Doped ZnO Flowers Based Phenyl Hydrazine Chemical Sensor.

Herein, we report the fabrication and characterization of phenyl hydrazine sensor based on ytterbium (Yb) doped ZnO flowers composed of nanorods prepared by simple hydrothermal process. The as-synthesized nanomaterial was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) attached with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) and Raman-scattering spectroscopy which revealed the large-quantity synthesis, well-crystallinity and wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure of Yb-doped ZnO flowers. The fabricated phenyl hydrazine chemical sensor, by employing Yb-doped ZnO flowers as an electron mediator, exhibited sensitivity of ∼34.2 µA·mM-1 ·cm-2, detection limit of 24 mM and linear dynamic range of 0.25-4.0 mM. The presented work demonstrates that the Yb-doped ZnO nanomaterials are promising electron mediator which can be used for the fabrication of chemical sensors to detect various hazardous and toxic chemicals as phenyl hydrazine.

Highly Sensitive Picric Acid Chemical Sensor Based on Samarium (Sm) Doped ZnO Nanorods.

Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization and picric acid chemical sensing application of samarium (Sm) doped ZnO nanorods. The Sm-doped ZnO nanorods were synthesized by facile hydrothermal process and characterized using various analytical methods which confirmed the large-scale synthesis and wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure for the synthesized nanorods. The doping of Sm ions in the lattices of the synthesized nanorods was evaluated by the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The synthesized Sm-doped ZnO nanorods were used as potential scaffold to fabricate high sensitive and reproducible picric acid chemical sensor based on I-V technique. The fabricated picric acid chemical sensor based on Sm-doped ZnO nanorods exhibited a high sensitivity of 213.9 mA mM-1 cm-2 with the limit of detection of ∼0.228 mM and correlation coefficient of R═0.9889. The obtained results revealed that the facile grown Sm-doped ZnO nanorods can efficiently be used to fabricate high sensitive and reproducible chemical sensors.

Graphitic carbon nitride QDs impregnated biocompatible agarose cartridge for removal of heavy metals from contaminated water samples.

Highly fluorescent, water-stable graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots (gCN QDs) synthesized by microwave assisted solvo-thermal technique and characterized via optical spectroscopy, XRD, HR-TEM, Fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Synthesized gCN were used for the removal of mercury ions from polluted water samples in a microcartridge format. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed a possible interaction of mercury atoms, and embedment of mercury atom onto synthesized gCN surface lead to moderate structural distortion, reduced band gap and altered dielectric response. Experimentally, the excitation dependent fluorescence of QDs is highly compromised in presence of mercuric (Hg2+) and other ions, validating the theoretical findings, and establishing their use as metal sensor probes. Hg2+ binding ability with gCN QDs was further utilized in developing bioinspired micro-cartridge via covalent conjugation to Agarose microbeads. Micro-cartridge can remove heavy metal contamination from polluted water with a binding efficiency of 24.63 mg HgCl2 for 10 mg of Agarose-gCN conjugate.

Plasmonic DNA hotspots made from tungsten disulfide nanosheets and gold nanoparticles for ultrasensitive aptamer-based SERS detection of myoglobin.

A nanohybrid mediated SERS substrate was prepared by in-situ synthesis and assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on exfoliated nanosheets of tungsten disulfide (WS2) to form plasmonic hotspots. The nanohybrid surface was functionalized with specific aptamers which imparted high selectivity for the cardiac marker myoglobin (Mb). The fabricated aptasensor was read by SERS using a 532 nm laser and demonstrated significant signal enhancement, and this allowed Mb to be determined in the 10 f. mL-1 to 0.1 µg mL-1 concentration range. The study presents an approach to synergistically exploit the unique chemical and electromagnetic properties of both WS2 and AuNPs for many-fold enhancement of SERS signals. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a nanohybrid-mediated SERS substrate prepared by in-situ assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) reduced on exfoliated nanosheets of tungsten disulfide (WS2) to form plasmonic hot spots. Specific aptamers immobilized on the SERS surface impart high sensitivity and selectivity for the cardiac marker myoglobin (Mb).

Impact of Different Approaches of Epidural Steroid Injection on Outcome of Patients Treated for Low Backache.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of epidural steroid injections through different approaches using pain relief and improvement in functional capacity as outcome measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with low backache and unilateral radiculopathy were randomly assigned to three groups of twenty patients each, for undergoing lumbar epidural steroid injection (LESI) through midline, transforaminal, and paramedian approaches under fluoroscopic guidance. All the patients were assessed at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postintervention using visual analog scale (VAS) score, Quebec disability score, and depression score. RESULTS: The primary and secondary outcome measured in terms of improvement of VAS showed statistically significant reduction (P < 0.05) when compared to preprocedure baseline readings on both intragroup analysis (Groups I, II and III) at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up. However, on intergroup comparison, the difference in improvement of VAS score noted was statistically insignificant with P value of 0.07 (Group I/II), 0.19 (Group II/III), 0.85 (Group I/III) at final 3rd month follow-up. In addition, intergroup comparison for secondary outcome showed statistically insignificant improvement (P value for Quebec score 0.73 [Group I/II], 0.34 [Group II/III], 0.79 [Group I/III] and depression score 0.78 [Group I/II], 0.67 [Group II/III], 0.98 [Group I/III]) at final 3rd month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: All three LESI approaches proved highly effective individually in terms of short-term pain relief, improvement in the quality of life, and depression; however, none proved to be better than the other.

A feasibility study to assess vallecula and pyriform sinus using protocol-based ultrasonic evaluation of floor of mouth and upper airway.

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to systematically evaluate the sonoanatomy of floor of the mouth and upper airway using protocol-based ultrasonography (USG); and to assess the feasibility of imaging the valleculae and pyriform fossae. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An institutional prospective observational study was planned on fifty volunteers of all ages and both sexes, attending outpatient department for nonairway-related diseases. Protocol for ultrasonographic systemic evaluation was designed before starting the trial. All the patients were positioned supine with neck extended (sniffing position), seven steps of ultrasonographic protocol were followed and visualization of structures denoted in each step was documented. Furthermore, time taken to complete each scan was noted. RESULTS: The USG was completed, and checklist successfully followed in all cases. Floor of mouth structures was easy to evaluate and visualized with ease in all the cases. Epiglottis was visualized in 100% cases in transverse plane. Valleculae and pyriform fossae were identified in 82% and 90% of the cases, respectively, and they appeared either as paired air-filled round structures or air-lined linear structures. Complete visualization of vocal cords was seen in 78% females and 63% males. The average time taken to complete the protocol-based study was 10.4 ± 1.4 min. CONCLUSIONS: Application of protocol-based USG for upper airway can allow the examination of structures from tongue to thyroid cartilage in a thorough, convenient, and timely manner. The air filled/lined structures such as valleculae, pyriform fossae, and vocal cords can be visualized in majority of the cases.

Three-dimensional Graphene with MoS 2 Nanohybrid as Potential Energy Storage/Transfer Device.

Portable and matured energy storage devices are in high demand for future flexible electronics. Flowery shaped MoS2 nanostructures with porous and flake like morphology was used to study the supercapacitive nature with specific capacitance (C sp ) of 169.37F/g, the energy density of 28.43 Wh/Kg and power density of 10.18 W/Kg. This nanoflower like architecture was decorated on 3D-graphene on Graphite electrode to design the solid-state-supercapacitor prototype device of dimensions of 23.6 × 22.4 × 0.6 mm3 having considerable high Csp of 58.0F/g and energy density of 24.59 Wh/Kg, and power density of 8.8 W/Kg. Four fabricated supercapacitors were connected in series for real state practical demonstration using the light emitting diode that remains enlightened for 40 s by charging it only for 25 s. This study demonstrates the 3D-graphene/MoS2 nanohybrid has a quite high overall potential window nearly about 2.7 V (-1.5 to +1.2 V) in KOH-PVA medium which can be used for the development of solid-state supercapacitors thereby completely eliminating the need for any expensive ionic liquid mediums thus building an exciting potential for high-performance energy storage/transfer devices.

Correlation of quality of life scores to clinical outcome of lumbar epidural steroids in chronic low back pain.

CONTEXT AND AIM: The assessment of severity of low back pain includes subjective questionnaires to quantify the impact on routine life. The objective of current study was to correlate various quality of life (QOL) scores to the clinical outcome measured as improvement in Visual Analog Score (VAS) after interventional treatment. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifty-one consecutive chronic low backache patients were assessed for pain intensity using VAS, revised Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Quebec's, Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ), and depression score at presentation. All subjects received interventional therapy complemented with physiotherapy; changes in scores were evaluated at 2 weekly intervals till 12 weeks. TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective, observational, cohort study. RESULTS: All scores depicted highly significant statistical improvement over baseline scores (P < 0.001). The Pearson correlation of VAS with rest of the scores showed that all variables correlate well with VAS at various time periods till 3 months. However, the best outcome predictor for VAS in QOL scores was Oswestry score as well as depression score which had an additive predictive effect. Among the QOL scores best intercorrelation was found with ODI and RMDQ scores at baseline as well as at all treatment follow-ups. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: ODI and depression score closely parallel trends of reduction in VAS indicating that these scores may be the best outcome predictor after interventional treatment of pain. Among QOL scores ODI and RMDQ evaluated in the current study record comparable degree of physical incapacity; the exception is Quebec's score.

Luminescent ZnO quantum dots as an efficient sensor for free chlorine detection in water.

Highly luminescent ZnO quantum dots (QDs) synthesized via a simple and facile route are used for the preparation of an optical sensor for the detection of free chlorine. The concentration of free chlorine greatly affects the PL emission of the ZnO QDs at 525 nm. Since hypochlorite gains electrons with high efficiency, it takes electrons from the oxygen vacancies of ZnO QDs, which gives rise to defect emission in ZnO QDs. UV-vis data analysis shows that free chlorine does not affect the optical absorption spectra of ZnO QDs. The optical sensing of free chlorine using ZnO QDs has several advantages, like quick response time, good selectivity and of course high sensitivity. The pH has very little effect on the PL emission of ZnO QDs. It does not interfere in the sensing mechanism for free chlorine. After 60 s, the response of the ZnO QDs remains stable. The present sensor shows high selectivity with respect to various common cations, as well as anions.