Exploration of Charge Storage Behavior of Binder-Free EDL Capacitors in Aqueous Electrolytes.

Charge storage in electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) is via the adsorption of electrolyte counterions in their positive and negative electrodes under an applied potential. This study investigates the EDLC-type charge storage in carbon nanotubes (CNT) electrodes in aqueous acidic (NaHSO4), basic (NaOH), and neutral (Na2SO4) electrolytes of similar cations but different anions as well as similar anions but different cations (Na2SO4 and Li2SO4) in a two-electrode Swagelok-type cell configuration. The physicochemical properties of ions, such as mobility/diffusion and solvation, are correlated with the charge storage parameters. The neutral electrolytes offer superior charge storage over the acidic and basic counterparts. Among the studied ions, SO4 2- and Li+ showed the most significant capacitance owing to their larger solvated ion size. The charge stored by the anions and cations follows the order SO4 2- > HSO4 - > OH- and Li+ > Na+, respectively. Consequently, the CNT//Li2SO4//CNT cell displayed outstanding charge storage indicators (operating voltage ∼0-2 V, specific capacitance ∼122 F·g-1, specific energy ∼67 W h·kg-1, and specific power ∼541 W·kg-1 at 0.5 A·g-1) than the other cells, which could light a red light-emitting diode (2.1 V) for several minutes. Besides, the CNT//Li2SO4//CNT device showed exceptional rate performance with a capacitance retention of ∼95% at various current densities (0.5-2.5 A·g-1) after 6500 cycles. The insights from this work could be used to design safer electrochemical capacitors of high energy density and power density.

CO RADS grade of HRCT Thorax and RT PCR testing for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19): A descriptive hospital based study of asymptomatic planned surgery cases.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reporting and data system (CO-RADS) grade of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)-thorax scan investigation is an innovative tool for the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients. By this tool, majority of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients are screened to detect lung pathologies. Hardly any study has explored its use vis-a-vis reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in asymptomatic patients. Objectives: (1) The objective of the study is to assess the frequency COVID-19 patients among asymptomatic subjects who were admitted in the hospital for planned surgery, (2) estimate the sensitivity and specificity of CO-RADS grade of HRCT-thorax investigation for the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients where RT-PCR test was considered as "Gold Standard" test. Methodology: A descriptive retrospective study was conducted by studying the records in the case files of 150 patients who were admitted in the Department of General Surgery, Man Mohini Health Clinic, Murshidabad, West Bengal for minor surgical procedures between September 1 and December 31, 2020. Data were collected from hospital records. The CO-RADS grade of HRCT-thorax investigation and RT-PCR test were performed for the diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The MS-excel application was applied for data analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 42.58 ± 14.29 years. A total of 17 (11%) and 39 (26%) of the patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 by HRCT-thorax and RT-PCR test, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of CO-RADS grade of HRCT-thorax investigation for diagnosis of COVID-19 patients were 43.58% and 100%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of CO-RADS grade of HRCT-thorax investigation were 100% and 83.45%, respectively. Conclusions: The frequency of asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 that was missed by HRCT thorax was high, compared to the gold standard RT-PCR, reflecting its low sensitivity and low negative predictive value in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. Hence, it is difficult to conclude in favor of HRCT thorax as first-line screening modality in all individuals.

Résumé Contexte: Le système de notification et de données sur la maladie à coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19) (CO RADS) la tomographie (HRCT)­exploration du thorax est un outil innovant pour le diagnostic des patients COVID 19. Par cet outil, la majorité des Les patients COVID 19 modérés à sévères sont dépistés pour détecter les pathologies pulmonaires. Pratiquement aucune étude n'a exploré son utilisation vis-à-vis réaction en chaîne par transcriptase polymérase (RT PCR) chez des patients asymptomatiques. Objectifs: (1) L'objectif de l'étude est d'évaluer la fréquence Patients COVID 19 parmi les sujets asymptomatiques qui ont été admis à l'hôpital pour une chirurgie planifiée, (2) estimer la sensibilité et la spécificité de grade CO-RADS de l'investigation HRCT-thorax pour le diagnostic des patients COVID-19 où le test RT-PCR a été considéré comme "Gold Standard" test. Méthodologie: Une étude rétrospective descriptive a été menée en étudiant les dossiers des dossiers de 150 patients admis dans le département de chirurgie générale, clinique de santé Man Mohini, Murshidabad, Bengale occidental pour des interventions chirurgicales mineures entre septembre 1 et 31 décembre 2020. Les données ont été recueillies à partir des dossiers hospitaliers. Le grade CO RADS de l'examen HRCT thorax et du test RT PCR était réalisée pour le diagnostic du virus du coronavirus 2 lié au syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère (SRAS CoV 2). L'application MS Excel a été appliquée pour l'analyse des données. Résultats: L'âge moyen des participants était de 42,58 ± 14,29 ans. Au total, 17 (11 %) et 39 (26 %) des patients ont été diagnostiqués avec COVID 19 par HRCT thorax et test RT PCR, respectivement. La sensibilité et la spécificité du grade CO-RADS de l'investigation HRCT-thorax pour le diagnostic des patients COVID-19 étaient de 43,58 % et 100 %, respectivement. Les valeurs prédictives positives et négatives du grade CO RADS de L'investigation HRCT-thorax était de 100 % et 83,45 %, respectivement. Conclusions: La fréquence des patients asymptomatiques atteints de COVID 19 qui manqué par HRCT thorax était élevé, par rapport à la RT-PCR de référence, reflétant sa faible sensibilité et sa faible valeur prédictive négative dans le diagnostic d'infection par le virus SARS CoV 2. Par conséquent, il est difficile de conclure en faveur de HRCT thorax comme modalité de dépistage de première ligne chez tous les individus. Mots-clés: personnes asymptomatiques, tomodensitométrie haute résolution - thorax, transcriptase inverse-réaction en chaîne par polymérase maladie à coronavirus 2019.

Bio-organic fertilizer production from industrial waste and insightful analysis on release kinetics.

The present study has been designed to utilize industrial and agricultural solid waste for NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) bio-organic fertilizer production and its optimized use. The collagenic material of wet blue leather (WBL) from leather industry was used as nitrogen source, after H3PO4 acid-mediated chromium removal. Chicken meat-bone meal (CMBM) and rice husk ash (RHA) are abundantly available locally, had used as P, K, and Ca sources. The presence of N, P, K, Ca in the produced bio-organic NPK fertilizer were 10.76, 11.03, 3.41, 13.64, respectively as per mixing ratio of ingredients. In this study it was effect on the chili plant (Capsicum annuum L.) growth and revealed 1.15 and 1.03 fold higher plant growth, 1.40 and 1.18 fold higher total chlorophyll content than untreated soil (control), and chemical fertilizer. The liberation of fertilizers components from their source, transport of fertilizer components in the soil, and absorption in plant roots have been studied using mathematical models indicating the optimum fertilizer use for better productivity and to reduce loss of extra fertilizer and eutrophication. The formulation showed excellent water retention capability (3.2 L/kg), which might increase soil water availability to the plants and eventually reduce water demand and labour cost. DNA intercalation study proved there is no harm to use this fertilizer.

Adaptation of a Public-Private Partnership Model for the Implementation of Minipool Nucleic Acid Testing for Screening Routine Blood Donations and Assay Evaluation.

Background Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) for the screening of blood donations is known to improve blood safety. The decision to initiate NAT requires careful deliberation of infrastructure, skilled manpower, and financial resources. This report outlines the initiative of the Government of Odisha to implement NAT screening in government blood banks in the state of Odisha, India, through public-private partnership (PPP) and evaluates the incremental yield of minipool NAT screening over serology testing of blood donations. Methods Blood donations collected between June 2016 and September 2018 were initially screened for HBV (HBsAg), HCV (anti-HCV), and HIV (anti-HIV-1 and HIV-2) by ELISA, and syphilis and malaria. Sero-nonreactive donations were further screened in pools of six by Roche cobas TaqScreen MPX test version 2.0 (MPX2) NAT. Results On screening 3,39,472 blood donations, 1.34% seroreactive donations were detected. In all, 847 NAT-reactive donations (0.26%): 693 HBV, 58 HCV, and 96 HIV were detected. The NAT yields were 1:386 overall, 1:472 for HBV, 1:5642 for HCV, and 1:3409 for HIV. Conclusion NAT testing using the highly sensitive MPX2 assay leads to incremental detection of TTIs over serology. Implementation of NAT along with serological testing in blood centers all over India will be an important step towards providing safe blood. Our study not only highlights the benefits of minipool NAT testing but also presents a scalable PPP model that can serve as a template for application across other states.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists in prostate cancer: A comparative review of efficacy and safety.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (s) (GnRH-A) remains the backbone of advanced prostate cancer treatment. In this review, we assessed the efficacy, safety, and convenience of administration of various GnRH-A. All GnRH-A (goserelin, triptorelin, buserelin, histrelin, and leuprorelin) have comparable potential to suppress testosterone (T) levels (≤50 ng/dL in a month and ≤20 ng/dL in 3 months). However, goserelin has shown better efficacy in maintaining T levels ≤50 ng/dL compared with leuprolide. The incidences of T escape are lower with goserelin and leuprolide than buserelin. Goserelin also has maximum benefit in prostate-specific antigen suppression. In neoadjuvant setting, when only goserelin was used, the 10-year overall survival (OS) rate was 42.6% to 86%. When either goserelin or leuprolide was used, the 10-year OS rate was 62%. As an adjuvant to radical prostatectomy, goserelin had a 10-year survival rate of 87%, and triptorelin had an 8-year survival rate of 84.6%. Goserelin further showed an absolute survival rate of 49% when used as an adjuvant to radiotherapy. The survival rates further improved when GnRH-A are used as combined androgen blockade compared with monotherapy. The frequency and severity of adverse events (hot flushes, fatigue, sexual dysfunction) are comparable among the GnRH-A. Goserelin appears to be the most convenient of all the GnRH-A for administration. Lack of conclusive comparative evidence makes it imperative to have a holistic approach of considering the patient profile and the disease characteristics to select the appropriate GnRH-A for ADT in prostate cancer.

Unusual presentation of female bladder outlet obstruction- female hypospadias with urethral stenosis.

Hypospadias is a rare birth deformity characterised by shortening of urethra with dorsal ectopia of the urethral meatus. The occurrence of hypospadias in female patients is extremely rare. We present a young female complaining of recurrent urinary tract infection and voiding difficulty caused by hypospadias.

Graphene Oxide as a Dielectric and Charge Trap Element in Pentacene-Based Organic Thin-Film Transistors for Nonvolatile Memory.

In this report, the dielectric nature of graphene oxide (GO) was exploited for the successful implementation of low-power pentacene thin-film transistors suitable for nonvolatile memory applications. Two different types of devices were fabricated on indium tin oxide-coated glass substrates with two different metals, viz., gold and aluminum, as the source and drain contacts. The performance of the devices was analyzed from their field-effect characteristics. Both the devices showed dominant p-type charge transport behavior. The breakdown electric field was determined to be 1.02 × 108 V/m. The current transport mechanism was explained from the output characteristics using the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling theory. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements have been employed to determine the value of the oxide capacitance and to examine the memory effect. The hysteresis behavior observed from the C-V characteristics show the suitability of the device for memory applications with a low operating voltage of 3 V. The charge trapping behavior of GO was explained by the energy band diagram. Frequency-dependent C-V measurements in the range 100 kHz to 1 MHz were also performed to account for the memory window obtained in the devices. The charge retention and endurance characteristics were evaluated under a constant voltage stress to check the reliability of device operation.

The Urological Society of India survey on urinary incontinence practice patterns among urologists.

INTRODUCTION: The Urological Society of India guidelines panel on urinary incontinence (UI) conducted a survey among its members to determine their practice patterns in the management of UI. The results of this survey are reported in this manuscript. METHODS: An anonymous online survey was carried out among members of the USI to determine their practice patterns regarding UI using a predeveloped questionnaire on using SurveyMonkey®. A second 4-question randomized telephonic survey of the nonresponders was performed after closure of the online survey. Data were analyzed by R software 3.1.3 (P < 0.05 significant). RESULTS: A total of 468 of 2109 (22.2%) members responded to the online survey. Nearly 97% were urologists, 74.8% were working at a private, and 39.4% were in an academic institution. Almost all were managing UI. 84.2% had local access to a urodynamics (UDS) facility. 85.8% would check postvoid residual urine for all the patients. Voiding diary, symptom scores, quality of life scores, pad test, Q-tip test, stress test, uroflow, and cystoscopy were ordered as part of evaluation by 86.0%, 49.8%, 24.4%, 22.0%, 6.0%, 71.8%, 69.2%, and 34.7%, respectively. 47.6% would order a UDS for patients with urgency UI who fail conservative treatment. 36.9% would get UDS prior to all stress UI surgery. Seventy-five percent would make a diagnosis of intrinsic sphincter deficiency. Solifenacin was the first choice for urgency UI in general and darifenacin was preferred in elderly. Botulinum was the first choice for refractory urgency UI. Midurethral sling was the commonest procedure for surgical management of SUI (95.1%). 147 of the 1641 non responders were randomly sampled telephonically. Telephonic respondents had similar access to UDS facility but had performed fewer lifetime number of post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) surgeries. Combining data from both surveys, total number of artificial sphincters and PPI surgeries ever performed by USI members was estimated at 375 and 718 respectively. CONCLUSION: This survey provides important new data and elicits critical differences in management practices based on demographics.

Leydig cell tumor: a report of two cases with unusual presentation.

Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are rare testicular tumors. They constitute 1-3% of all testicular tumors. We report two cases of LCT, one benign and the other one malignant, representing both ends of the spectrum. The case of benign LCT presented with infertility and was found to have azoospermia, and subsequently underwent orchidectomy. Histopathologic examination revealed the presence of a benign LCT. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. The sperm count improved subsequently, and a year later, he fathered a child. The case of malignant LCT was seen in another 47 year old male who presented with cough. On examination, a testicular swelling was found, and after orchidectomy, he was diagnosed to have malignant LCT on histopathologic examination.

Ischiopagus tetrapus conjoined twins: 22 years after separation.

There is no record of both separated ischiopagus tetrapus conjoined twins leading normal lives 22 years after separation. We separated a pair of such twins in 1986 and have followed them up till date. Details regarding the technique of separation and the procedures required to ensure normal defecation and micturition and normal musculoskeletal function have been described by us in earlier communications. In this paper we describe their present status and ability to face the world as independent adult females. The outcome reflects the responsibilities and dedication of pediatric surgeons for infant patients with congenital problems after they have become adults, taking a pivotal role to involve surgeons of other disciplines as and when necessary.

Production and purification of a bioactive substance inhibiting multiple drug resistant bacteria and human leukemia cells from a salt-tolerant marine Actinobacterium sp. isolated from the Bay of Bengal.

Four marine actinobacteria tolerant to 200 g NaCl l(-1) were screened for antibacterial activity against eight patient-derived multiple drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. The active compound (MW 300.2, predicted molecular formula C(20)H(28)O(2)) from an actinobacterium, was inhibitory to three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative MDR bacteria, seven non-clinical Gram-positive, four Gram-negative bacteria and five fungi (MIC: 3.5-4.0 microg ml(-1)). Also, 54% of human leukemia (HL-60) cells were killed by the compound at 0.05 microg ml(-1). Bioreactor production demonstrated unusual primary metabolite kinetics. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed this typical intertidal inhabitant to be a member of the Streptomyces genus and distinct from other salt-tolerant actinobacteria. As no compound was found to match the properties in several electronic databases, our screening strategy should increase the possibility of discovering bioactive molecules from rare actinobacteria.