A novel turn-on fluorescence sensor based on the Nd (III) complex for the ultrasensitive detection of 6-mercaptopurine

6-mercaptopurine (6MP) is a chemotherapeuticdrug widely used for treating inflammatory bowel diseases and several cancers. Nevertheless, determining and monitoring its concentration in the human body is highly important because over or under-doses of 6MP can lead to critical health issues. In this paper, we have developed a turn-on fluorescent probe for the determination of the anticancer drug 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) based on coordination complex [Nd (Anth)3 (H2O)3]. [Nd (Anth)3 (H2O)3] has been synthesized through a simple precipitation process taking the stoichiometric ratio of Nd (III) nitrate hexahydrate and 2-aminobenzoic acid (2-ABA), commonly known as anthranilic acid (Anth). The synthesis and structure have been investigated and validated by different characterizations like UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, HRMS, XPS, and SEM. The synthesized complex displayed excellent fluorescence properties, and the fluorescence intensity was enhanced with the addition of 6MP in the form of a [Fe (6MP)3]2+ mixed complex (Fe-6MP), which is formed by dissolving it in FeCl3. The fabricated sensors displayed the best linear response in a wide range of concentrations from 2.55 μM to 45.51 μM of 6MP. The lower limit of detection (LOD) of the developed sensor was found to be 0.26 μM with a linear correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.99. The synthesized probe gives an acceptable response for the sensing of 6MP in the presence of several interfering agents.

Differential Pharmacokinetic Interplay of Atorvastatin on Lacosamide and Levetiracetam on Experimental Convulsions in Mice

BACKGROUND

The beneficial effects of statins, other than their hypocholesterolemia role, have been well documented, however, their use as an adjuvant drug with other antiseizure drugs, in the treatment of epilepsy is poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the symbiotic effect of ATOR along with either lacosamide (LACO) or levetiracetam (LEVE) on experimentally induced epilepsy (Maximal electro-shock-MES or pentylenetetrazol- PTZ) in mice models.

METHODS

Conventional elevated-maze (EPM) and rotarod methods were performed to observe the behavioral effects.

RESULTS

In both the animal models, we found that co-administration of ATOR along with LACO showed a significant reduction in hind-limb extension (HLE) and clonic convulsion (CC) responses, respectively, but not in the ATOR+LEVE treated group. Intriguingly, comparable Straub tail response and myoclonic convulsion as the diazepam (DIA) group were observed only in the ATOR+LACO treated group. Moreover, a significant muscle-grip strength was observed in both groups. Also, pharmacokinetic analysis has indicated that the mean plasma concentration of ATOR peaked at 2nd hr in the presence of LACO but marginally peaked in the presence of LEVE. An Insilico study has revealed that ATOR has a higher binding affinity toward neuronal sodium channels.

CONCLUSION

This study has demonstrated that the plasma concentration of ATOR was potentiated in the presence of LACO, but not in the presence of LEVE and it has provided significant protection against both the electro and chemo-convulsive models in mice. This could be due to the symbiotic pharmacokinetic interplay of ATOR with LACO, and possibly, this interplay may interfere with sodium channel conductance.

Feasibility of using polytetrafluoroethylene flexible implant tube for interstitial brachytherapy patients

PURPOSE

To design the different Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based flexible implant tubes using an in-house developed device and to evaluate them for High dose rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy using computer tomography images.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

PTFE hollow tube having a 2 mm (6 French) outer diameter (OD) and 1.4 mm inner diameter (ID) was used to design in-house single and/or double leader flexible catheters for interstitial brachytherapy implant. An in-house Plastic Wire Drawing Plate (PWDP) machine was developed. Customization of PTFE hollow flexible implant tube (FIT) was done through PWDP. Different percentages of BaSO₄ (5%, 10%, & 15%) were added to Nylon 6 to make radiopaque button. Various quality assurance tests were performed with the PTFE tubes implanted in the brinjal (phantom) before using them on the patients. That is, coupling of brachytherapy machine transfer tube with flexible PTFE Tubes, CT scan artifacts, tube kinks, breast template, and free-hand compatibility.

RESULTS

With the help of the PWDP machine, plastic wires of different lengths were made for single leader and double leader tubes. The different plastic leader ends of 1 cm to 50 cm lengths having 1 mm diameter were created. The radiopaque button of Nylon 6 in circular shape having 1 cm diameter and 0.5 cm thick was created. Developed radiopaque buttons were visible on CT scan images as well as on radiograph images.

CONCLUSIONS

PTFE tubes of the desired length can be made depending upon the size of the brachytherapy implant and are inexpensive than commercially available flexible implant tubes.

Eldfellite-structured NaCr(SO4)2: a potential anode for rechargeable Na-ion and Li-ion batteries

Recent global concerns over continuously increasing air pollution and the related health risks due to automobile exhaust have shifted our attention towards green transportation. Recent decades have witnessed a revolution in portable energy-storage systems, mainly lithium-based energy-storage devices. However, the uneven distribution of global lithium reserves and its scarcity lead to huge price differences and geopolitical imbalances, and hence the research in energy-storage materials has shifted towards the development of cost-effective, abundant electrode materials. Here, NaCr(SO₄)₂, a transition metal-based polyanionic layered material with low cost and high stability during the charge/discharge process vs. Na, operating on the basis of the Cr³⁺/²⁺ redox couple, is presented. The test materials were characterized by techniques like XRD, FTIR, SEM, UV, XPS, TGA-DTA, and a detailed electrochemical analysis of the charge/discharge capacity of the materials is presented here. Here, the findings provide insights towards achieving a Cr³⁺/Cr²⁺ redox-couple-based sodium-ion battery with a specific capacity of 75 mA h g^-1 and 150 mA h g^-1 at operating voltages of 0.95 V vs. Na and 1.05 V vs. Li, respectively, with 100% coulombic efficiency. Cr²⁺ is a very special oxidation of Cr that cannot be obtained easily and CrTa₂O₆ is the only known oxide where Cr exists in the 2+ state. Here, a shift in the redox energy of the Cr^3+/2+ couple was obtained due to its bonding with (SO₄)^2- polyanions in eldfellite that made the accessibility of Cr^3+/2+ possible, resulting in the superior intercalation/deintercalation of Na and Li and the superior energy-storage capacity of the NaCr(SO₄)₂vs. Na/Li cell.

A cross sectional observational study on the effect of music on the anxiety state of patients admitted for COVID 19 in a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi

Introduction

COVID 19 has led to dramatic changes in the lives of people leading to an increase in stress and anxiety. Music intervention is a non-medicated method for relieving anxiety. This current study aims to understand whether music can be effectively used to alleviate anxiety in admitted COVID-19 patients.

Objectives

To study the effect of music on anxiety in patients admitted for COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi

Methods

34 patients (17 females &17 males) were randomly divided into two groups, a control (N=17) and a music group (N=17). Vitals of all the patients were noted. Patients of the music group were asked to listen to relaxing instrumental for 30 minutes, while patients of the control group were asked to relax for 30 minutes. Vitals of all the patients were noted again. Patients were asked to fill State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before and after intervention.

Results

The post-intervention mean scores of STAI after the music session were lower in the music group than the control group [95.06 (SD 8.5)) versus 102.37 (SD 10.3)]. The differences in mean values of pre- to post-intervention changes between both groups after music session were statistically significant.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that listening to music lowers anxiety. As music is non- invasive and free of side-effects we recommend that music intervention service should be used to improve health care quality.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

NASICON-structured Na3Fe2PO4(SO4)2: a potential cathode material for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries

The cost-effective and abundant availability of sodium offers an opportunity for rechargeable Na-ion batteries as an ideal replacement for rechargeable Li-ion batteries. However, the larger size and strong Na⁺-Na⁺ interaction create multidimensional phase instability and transformation problems, especially in layer-structured Na_xMO₂ (Mn, Co, Fe, and Ni) that inhibit the direct transformation of rechargeable Li-ion battery technology to Na-ion batteries. However, framework structures offer superior structural stability due to the interconnection of polyanions or polyhedra forming cationic octahedra. Sodium superionic conductor (NASICON)-type structures are well known for their superior Na⁺ ion transport and are identified as intercalative hosts as electrodes for rechargeable Na-ion batteries. Here, we report the synthesis of Na₃Fe₂PO₄(SO₄)₂ in a NASICON framework structure and its investigation as a cathode in a Na/Na₃Fe₂PO₄(SO₄)₂ cell working on the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ redox couple. The cell provides a single-phase reaction having a capacity approaching 70 mA h g^-1 at 0.1 C after 50 cycles in the voltage range of 2 to 4.2 V, with a columbic efficiency approaching 100%. The large availability of Na and Fe with the stable redox and charge/discharge performance of NASICON-type Na₃Fe₂PO₄(SO₄)₂ make it a possible cathode candidate for next-generation rechargeable sodium-ion batteries.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics and risk evaluation of potential toxic elements in groundwater from Shanmughanadhi, Tamilnadu, India

Hydrogeochemical and Health Risk Assessments of trace elements are integral to groundwater resource assessment, utilization, and human health. Investigation of groundwater chemistry and trace elemental impact on local inhabitants were attempted in Shanmuganadhi basin, Tamilnadu, India. About 60 groundwater samples were collected during the pre-monsoon period and analyzed for hydrochemical composition, including major and trace elements (Fe, Cr, Ni, Cu Pb, Mn, and As) to isolate chemical characteristics and human health risk assessment. Groundwater geochemistry is prejudiced by geochemical reactions uniting cation exchange, dissolution and precipitation, adsorption, and anthropogenic contributions. About thirty-two percent of groundwater samples recorded higher F^-(>1.5 mg/L) than the prescribed limit suggests sources from rock weathering and silicate dissolution. Nitrates (>45.0 mg/L) suggest sources from agricultural influences. Water types indicate alkalis (Na⁺ + K⁺) dominating alkali earth (Ca²⁺ - Mg²⁺) and strong acids (Cl^- and SO₄^2-) looming weak acid (CO₃^2- and HCO₃^-) irrespective of water samples. The geochemical stability diagram suggests precipitation of silica, carbonate, and magnesium and dissolution of sulphate minerals along the groundwater flow path. Significant correlation between major ions and trace elements (Pb, Mn, Ni, and Cu) suggests origin from rock weathering, human impacts, and cultivation practices. Non-carcinogenic human risk for trace elements was higher in children compared with adults via ingestion and dermal exposure. The carcinogenic result suggests that Cr in CHK (7.1 × 10^-2) and HBG (4.3 × 10^-2) have the most excellent chance of cancer risk. The environmental risk category attempted using Comprehensive risk factor (CRI) suggests Pb (3.2-CHK, 2.6-HBG) with potential cancer risk. The comprehensive evaluation index recommends environmental damage between mild to moderate, indicating continuous exposure of traceable elements might result in cancer cause to the inhabitants. The study suggests water quality seems to be prejudiced by various geological and anthropogenic causes and endorses counteractive measures and proper execution of existing laws to protect groundwater resources in the study area.

An enhanced whale optimized fractional order piλ controller based power quality improvement for sensorless brushless dc motor under dynamic operating conditions

This paper presents an Enhanced Whale Optimization Algorithm (EWO) approach for tuning to perfection of Fractional Order Proportional Integral and integral order Controller (FOPI λ) is used to sensorless speed control of permanent magnet Brushless DC (PMBLDC) motor under the operating dynamic condition such as (i) speed change by set speed command signal (ii) varying load conditions, (iii) integrated conditions and (iv) controller parameters uncertainty. On the other hand, it deals with a reduced THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) under dynamic operating conditions to improve the power quality for the above control system. Here present are three optimization techniques, namely (i) Enhanced Whale Optimization (EWO), (ii) Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO), and (iii) Social Spider Optimization (SSO) for fine-tuning of the FOPI λ controller parameters with reduction of THD. The proposed optimization algorithm optimized FOPI λ controller are compared under various BLDC motor operating conditions. Based on the results of MATLAB/Simulink models, the proposed algorithms are evaluated. Here, both the simulation and the results of the experiments are validated for the proposed controller technique. It demonstrates that the effectiveness of the proposed controllers is completely validated by comparing the three intelligent optimization techniques mentioned above. The EWO optimized FOPI λ controller for speed control of sensorless PMBLDC motor clearly outperforms the other two intelligent controllers by minimizing the time domain parameters, THD, performance Indices error, convergence time, control efforts, cost function, mean and standard deviation.

Electrochemical Sensing of Roxarsone on Natural Biomass-Derived Two-Dimensional Carbon Material as Promising Electrode Material

Herein, we report the electrochemical detection of roxarsone (ROX) on a two-dimensional (2D) activated carbon (AC)-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Meso/microporous 2D-AC is synthesized from a natural biomass Desmostachya bipinnata, commonly known as Kusha in India. This environment-friendly material is synthesized by chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) and used as a sensitive electrochemical platform for the determination of ROX. It is an arsenic-based medicine, also used as a coccidiostat drug. It is widely used in poultry production as a feed additive to increase weight gain and improve feed efficiency. Long-term exposure to arsenic leads to serious health problems in humans and demands an urgent call for sensitive detection of ROX. Therefore, the green synthesis of 2D-AC is introduced as new carbon support for the electrochemical sensing of ROX. It provides a large surface area and efficiently supports enhanced electron transfer. Its electrocatalytic activity is seen in potassium ferri/ferrocyanide by cyclic voltammetry, where the 2D-AC-modified GCE delivered five to six times higher electrochemical performance as compared to the unmodified GCE. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is also performed to show that the prepared material has faster electron transfer and permits a diffusion-controlled process. It works well in real samples and also on disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes, thereby showing great potential for its application in clinical diagnosis. Our results exemplify a modest and innovative style for the synthesis of excellent electrode material in the electrochemical sensing platform and thus offer an inexpensive and highly sensitive novel approach for the electrochemical sensing of ROX and other similar drugs.

SrFeO3–δ: A Novel Fe4+↔Fe2+ Redox Mediated Pseudocapacitive Electrode in Aqueous Electrolyte

Pseudocapacitor offers both high energy and high power making them suitable for grid scale electrochemical energy storage to harness the renewable energy produced through solar, wind and tides. To overcome...

Gd3+ and Bi3+ co-substituted cubic zirconia; (Zr1−x−yGdxBiyO2−δ): a novel high κ relaxor dielectric and superior oxide-ion conductor

The high polarizability of the Bi3+ ion coupled with synergistic interaction of Bi and Gd in the host ZrO2 lattice seems to create the more labile oxide ion vacancies that enable high oxide ion conductivity at lower temperatures.

A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Self-Perceived Orthodontic Treatment Needs Amongst Tribal Adolescent With Remote Access to Orthodontic Treatment Using a Simplified Malocclusion Index

Background:

Self-perceived orthodontic treatment need is strongly influenced by what is perceived to be the esthetic norm amongst a community, and reluctance toward treatment amongst adolescents with clinically ascertained malocclusion may often be due to readily remediable factors. Of particular interest is the prevalence of malocclusion amongst such communities as a probable indicator of the role of diet and genetics in establishing a predominant clinical phenotype that may also play a role in the construct of what is perceived as the esthetic norm amongst the community, thereby influencing the self-perceived need for treatment. Studies aimed at evaluating the association between self-perceived esthetics, and self-perceived treatment need have not been performed amongst a population with no prior exposure to orthodontic treatment

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the self-perceived orthodontic treatment need amongst the tribal adolescents belonging to regions with remote access to orthodontic treatment by way of a verbally assigned index and to also identify the reasons of reluctance toward treatment to better understand how to make orthodontic treatment readily accessible to such populations.

Participants, Materials, and Methods:

The agency areas of Paderu located at 18.0833°N 82.667°E and Parvathipuram located at 18°46'N 83°25'E are 2 revenue districts of Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram, respectively, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, that are home to various tribal populations with remote access to orthodontic treatment. A total of 2,016 school-going tribal adolescents of the Paderu revenue division and 819 tribal adolescents of the Parvathipuram revenue division were examined to ascertain the prevalence of malocclusion. Necessary consent and permissions were obtained from the tribal authorities, the school authorities, parents, and the institutional ethical clearance committee. The screening was done utilizing natural daylight in compliance with infection prevention and control protocol. Clinical examination aimed at categorizing the observed occlusion into either ideal occlusion or one of the three classes of Angle’s class I, II, and III malocclusions. The Simplified Malocclusion Index For Layperson Evaluation (SMILE) was verbally assigned in the vernacular language while interacting with each child and the findings made note of for calculation of relevant scores related to their orthodontic awareness, self-esteem as related to self-perceived esthetics, and their self-perceived need for treatment. Reasons for reluctance to undergo treatment were noted down if expressed. An initial group of 31 adolescents categorized as presenting with clinical malocclusion were randomly picked up and assigned the SMILE index a second time to assess the reliability of the index by way of Cohen’s kappa statistic.

Results:

The initial test group of 31 individuals assigned the SMILE twice showed a Cohen’s kappa of 0.93 validating almost perfect intraoperator agreement. The SMILE index revealed that 80.95% of the adolescents of Paderu revenue division had orthodontic awareness and 79.51% had self-perceived esthetics but only 15.97% felt a need for orthodontic treatment. Pearson’s Chi squared statistical analysis indicated a gender bias related to the self-perceived need for orthodontic treatment ( X 2 [1, N = 1,371] = 19.71, P < .001). The Index assigned to the Parvathipuram division revealed that 77.04% had orthodontic awareness and 78.38 had self-perceived esthetics but only 6.95% felt the need for orthodontic treatment. Pearson’s Chi squared statistical analysis indicated a gender bias related to the self-perceived need for orthodontic treatment ( X 2 [1, N = 764] = 4.95, P = .02).

Conclusion:

The self-perceived need for orthodontic treatment is often based on the self-perceived esthetics of an individual or the self-esteem as influenced by the perceived esthetic norm of the community. Orthodontic treatment of adolescents with borderline malocclusion derangements requires careful ascertaining of the actual perceived need of the patient to enable the rendering of a justifiable orthodontic treatment with the complete trust of the young patient. This helps build community trust in regions where orthodontic treatment has not yet made in roads and may help ensure higher end of treatment satisfaction levels.

Intuitionistic fuzzy stability results of additive functional equation by two different approaches

In this current work, we examine the Hyers-Ulam(H-U) stability results for a finite variable additive functional equation (Ref.[6]) in Intuitionistic Fuzzy Normed space(IFN-space) is discussed by means of direct and fixed point methods.

Unfolding photophysical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-MoS2organic-inorganic hybrid materials: an application to self-powered photodetectors

Self-powered photodetectors have grown as inevitable members of the optoelectronic device family. However, it is still challenging to achieve self-powered photodetection with good responsivity in the visible spectrum region. Herein, we report solution-processable poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) organic-inorganic hybrid material, which can be used as the active layer in self-powered photodetectors. The morphological and structural properties of the synthesized P3HT-MoS₂hybrid material has been discussed using atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The hybrid material loaded with 1 wt% MoS₂has shown an enhancement in the self-assembly of polymer in the form of fibrillar formation and excellent structural features in terms ofπ-conjugation. The self-powered photodetectors have been fabricated in indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass/P3HT-MoS₂/Al configuration. The merit of P3HT-MoS₂hybrid photodetectors is measured under the illumination of 470, 530, and 627 nm light in ambient conditions. P3HT-MoS₂photodetectors show significantly higher responsivity and detectivity. The photo responsivity and detectivity in P3HT-MoS₂devices are found to be 271.2 mA W^-1and 4.4 × 10¹⁰jones at zero bias, respectively, for 470 nm light with the optical power density of 74.1μW cm^-2. Furthermore, the photocurrent switching behaviour at periodic illuminations of 1 Hz has also been examined for P3HT-MoS₂self-powered photodetectors.

Electrochemical sensing of pioglitazone hydrochloride on N-doped r-GO modified commercial electrodes

In this paper, we explain the electrochemical sensing of commercially available pioglitazone hydrochloride (PIOZ) tablets on a nitrogen (N) doped r-GO (Nr-GO) modified commercial glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and a commercial screen printed graphite electrode (SPGE). Nr-GO is synthesized by the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and simultaneous insertion of an N-dopant by hydrazine monohydrate. Pristine GO itself is prepared by chemical exfoliation of bulk graphite. Upon chemical reduction, the exfoliated GO sheets restack together leaving behind the doped N-atom as evidenced by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The N-atom exists in the pyrrolinic and pyridinic form at the edge of graphitic domains which is confirmed by XPS. The as-synthesized Nr-GO is used for the preparation of electro-active electrodes with the help of the GCE and SPGE. These electrodes have the capability to oxidize PIOZ by a diffusion dominated process as evidenced by the impedance spectroscopic technique. The differential pulse voltammetric responses of different concentrations of PIOZ are assessed over the Nr-GO modified GCE and SPGE, which exhibit better limits of detection (LODs) of 67 nM and 29 nM, respectively, compared to those from earlier reports. These assays exhibit non-interfering capability in the presence of various body interferents at pH = 7.0.

The utility of Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale amongst patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM): An experience from a teaching hospital in Southern India

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of diabetes-specific psychological distress (DSPD) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using the “Problem areas in diabetes” (PAID) scale at a teaching hospital in southern India. Other objectives included observing the relationship between socio-demographic factors and DSPD and, finally exploring the level of acceptance of the PAID scale by Asian–Indian patients.

Methods:

The patients with T2DM aged >18 years attending the diabetes outpatient clinic were recruited. They completed two sets of questionnaires; PAID and a satisfactory questionnaire, which included socio-demographic characteristics and questions relating to the acceptance of PAID. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 13.1 and Excel.

Results:

A total of 253 questionnaires were completed, including 157 (62.1%) male and 96 (37.9%) female patients. The prevalence of DSPD was 32.8% (83/253). Younger age (OR 3.65, 95% CI 1.36–9.80) and presence of retinopathy (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.12–6.04) were significantly associated with DSPD. However, it was observed that one-third of the patients had an elevated level of distress regardless of socio-demographic or clinical factors. PAID was well accepted by the participants and 84.6% (214/253) were pleased to complete it again.

Conclusion:

About one-third of the patients with T2DM had DSPD. Psychological distress was higher in the younger age group and those with retinopathy. PAID is an easy, well-accepted questionnaire and would serve as a useful tool to screen for DSPD.

An Emphasis on Engineering Controls and Administrative Controls in the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 in an Orthodontic Setting: Thinking Beyond Tomorrow

Introduction: Most of the initial focus in handling COVID-19 had been based on avoiding exposure by refraining from rendering most treatments other than those considered an emergency or urgent. Post-lockdown, with the resumption of most activities, there has been concern over the possibility of transmission scenarios if sufficient care is not taken. The control and prevention of the spread of infections when elimination of exposure is not possible is chiefly achieved through the judicious use of engineering controls and administrative controls in a clinical setting in addition to the standard protocols and transmission-based protocols. True safety lies in being one step ahead. There have been mentions of the possibility that COVID-19 could be opportunistic airborne in its spread, in addition to being spread via saliva, droplets, and contaminated surfaces or objects.

Method: A literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and advisories released by such organizations as the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOFHW), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), American Dental Association (ADA), Canadian Dental Association (CDA), French National Dentists Association, Dental Council of Belgium, National Health Service, England (NHS UK), National Health Service Scotland (NHS Scotland), and International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) was performed, with search parameters aimed at gathering information pertaining to infection control and cross infection control in dental settings as related to orthodontics.

Result: There have been numerous articles and advisories published over the last 20 years, but the main focus has been on safe practices and to an extent on personal protective equipment, with relatively less emphasis on the need for respiratory protection by way of engineering controls and administrative controls. This review highlights the engineering and administrative controls that can be put into effect to make infection control and prevention much more effective.

Conclusion: Any health care facility must be able to prevent, contain, and control infections with no risk of nosocomial infections. For this, an assumption has to be made that every individual in a health care setting is either at risk or a risk, depending on whether the person is infected or not. Meticulous attention to stringent policies of hygiene and infection control and prevention, coupled with suitable supporting engineering and administrative controls, is to be made a standard way of life in such facilities.

Facile synthesis of doped CxNy QDs as photoluminescent matrix for direct detection of hydroquinone

In this work, we are reporting facile hydrothermal synthesis of a highly photoluminescent doped carbon nitride quantum dots (C_xN_yQDs) and implied it for direct detection of hydroquinone (H₂Q) by photoluminescence quenching phenomenon. Oxygen and sulphur moieties are regarded as dopant species in C_xN_yQDs and sourced from cheap solid precursors viz. cysteine and maleic acid. Morphological studies of C_xN_yQDs have done by SEM and TEM techniques, while structural analysis has carried out using FTIR, XPS, EDS and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The strong tendency of dispersivity of this QD in water has revealed by its zeta potential value of -32.4 mV. Optical properties of the as-prepared QDs have optimized at different excitation wavelengths. The photoluminescence stability of the dispersion is tested in various pH solutions and under continuous UV irradiation (365 nm). After that, sensing property is observed in quenching of photoluminescence feature of as-prepared QDs by direct addition of various concentrations of H₂Q. We obtained lower detection limit (LOD) of 50 nM (S/N = 3) in linear range from 12 to 57.5 μM. The reduction in photoluminescence of QDs may be attributed to electron transfer from QDs to oxidized H₂Q via -S^- and -COO^- groups present at its surface. Further, as-prepared QDs matrix exhibited high selectivity for hydroquinone over a range of potential interfering agents. Thus, the present work shows cost-effective facile synthesis of highly stable O- and S-doped carbon nitride (C_xN_y) quantum dots as promising photoluminescent sensor for pollutant hydroquinone without help of any enzyme or polymer assisted system.

Hydrochemical and statistical techniques to decode groundwater geochemical interactions and saline water intrusion along the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India

The study attempts to decipher saline water invasion and aided geochemical influences activated along the coastal zones of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Total 76 groundwater samples representing pre- and post-monsoon seasons were collected and examined for various parameters like Ca²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, HCO₃^-, NO₃^- and SO₄^2-. Multiple techniques such as hydrochemical ionic changes, hydrochemical facies evolution model and seawater mixing index were incorporated to decipher the salinization process in the study area. Hydrochemical facies suggests 38.00% of groundwater samples representing CaHCO₃ facies indicating fresh groundwater, mixed Ca-Cl groundwater by 26.00% of samples and about 36.00% samples suggest Na-Cl indicating saline water. Hydrochemical facies evolution diagram differentiated groundwater facies into freshening and intrusion phase irrespective of seasons. About 23.60% and 21.00% of samples during pre- and post-monsoon suggest samples influenced by seawater intrusion. Hydrochemical ionic changes of samples signify the positive fraction of seawater in both seasons, which shows the mixing of fresh groundwater with saline water. The seawater mixing index confirms a greater percentage of samples during post-monsoon (42.00%) have been influenced by seawater with values greater than one. Principle component analysis extracted three factors with a total variance of 67.31% and 62.03% during pre- and post-monsoon seasons, respectively. Factor 1 replicates the natural processes such as saline water intrusion and ion exchange, whereas factors 2 and 3 signify anthropogenic actions such as improper sewage disposal, use of fertilizers, domestic and industrial waste discharge influencing groundwater chemistry.

Chemical weathering and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) consumption in Shanmuganadhi, South India: evidences from groundwater geochemistry

Chemical weathering in a groundwater basin is a key to understanding global climate change for a long-term scale due to its association with carbon sequestration. The present study aims to characterize and to quantify silicate weathering rate (SWR), carbon dioxide consumption rate and carbonate weathering rate (CWR) in hard rock terrain aided by major ion chemistry. The proposed study area Shanmuganadhi is marked with superior rainfall, oscillating temperature and runoff with litho-units encompassing charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneiss. Groundwater samples (n = 60) were collected from diverse locations and analysed for major chemical constituents. Groundwater geochemistry seems to be influenced by geochemical reactions combining dissolution and precipitation of solids, cation exchange and adsorption along with minor contribution from anthropogenic activities. The SWR calculated for charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneiss was 3.07 tons km^-2 year^-1 and 5.12 tons km^-2 year^-1, respectively. The calculated CWR of charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneiss was 0.079 tons km^-2 year^-1 and 0.74 tons km^-2 year^-1, respectively. The calculated CO₂ consumption rates via silicate weathering were 1.4 × 10³ mol km^-2 year^-1 for charnockite and 5.8 × 10³ mol km^-2 year^-1 for hornblende-biotite gneiss. Lithology, climate and relief were the key factors isolated to control weathering and CO₂ consumption rates.

Submarine Groundwater Discharge from an Urban Estuary to Southeastern Bay of Bengal, India: Revealed by Trace Element Fluxes

Submarine groundwater discharge and associated trace element fluxes from the Coleroon River estuary to south bay, India, has been attempted, because increasing trace elements could result in harmful algal blooms and eutrophication. Trace elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Mo, Ba, Pb, Th, and U) in surface water, pore, and groundwater samples were monitored for 10 days in three locations (A, B, and C) by considering tidal fluctuations. The trace elements Al, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, Sr, Mo, Pb, Th, and U were greater and found to be influenced by processes, such as fresh groundwater discharge and seawater intrusion. Lower Mn, Cu, and Ba signifies impact due to sediment adsorption, mixing, and elemental exchange during fresh groundwater and seawater mixing. Salinity versus trace element plot infers greater trace element mobility with cumulative salinity influenced by the conformist behavior of freshwater, seawater, and mixing. The calculated submarine groundwater discharge supported dissolved trace elements fluxes were 107,047.8 n mol d^-1 m^-1 for location A, 183,520.2 n mol d^-1 m^-1 for location B, and 181,474.4 n mol d^-1 m^-1 for location C, respectively. Variations in dissolved trace elements fluxes are attributed to variations in pH, free redox environment in the aquifer, adsorption or desorption by sediments, and the environmental cycle of marine organisms.

Ultrasound Medical Image Denoising Using Threshold Based Wavelet Transformation Method

Ultrasound imaging is most commonly used and secure medical diagnostic approach its low cost, noninvasive nature of real time image construction. However because of signal dependant noise existence, ultrasound imaging gets degraded: A baseline phase in image processing is removing diverse noise types from image. Noise sources of image generally occur during storage, transmission and image acquisition. Image denoising is an issue determined in diverse computer vision and image processing crisis. There are diverse prevailing approaches to denoise image. The significant property of finest denoising of an image model has to remove noise while preserving edges. For wavelet thresholding paradigm, Fisz transformation method is brought-in in the current work. Furthermore, it has problem with poor denoising performance and hence the quality of image is minimized considerably. In this paper, Improved Threshold based Wavelet Transformation Method (ITWTM) is suggested to rectify above mentioned crisis, to enhance the better denoising images, the soft threshold method is introduced. To enhance visual quality of noisy image, it simply changes coefficients with help of softthresholding method. Speckle noise, additive noise, Gaussian noise and multiplicative noise factors affect the ultrasound images, which minimize the image quality and effects the human interpretation. So, ITWTM helps to minimize the noise rate considerably for the provided US image. The experimental result confirms that the proposed ITWTM provides better performance with respect to higher PSNR, SSIM and lower MSE, execution time rather than the previous Fisz transformation and DWT methods.

Submarine groundwater discharge as sources for dissolved nutrient fluxes in Coleroon river estuary, Bay of Bengal, India

Groundwater contributed nutrients aided with increasing population threaten the global coastal ecosystems. In this study, attempt has been made using major ions and nutrients to evaluate the significance of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in a semi-arid estuary of south India. Surface, seepage and groundwater chemistry altered from fresh (NaK-CaMg-NO₃Cl) to mixed (NaK-NO₃Cl) to saline water (NaCl) type from upstream to outlet that connects Bay of Bengal. We predicted abundant nitrate (NO₃^-) along upstream and towards the bay due to application of fertilizers and aquaculture activities, respectively. Elevated ammonium (NH₄⁺) observed in the recirculated groundwater/sea water suggests contribution from sea water intrusion and higher phosphate (PO₄^3-) noted at the outer bay suggests sources from phosphatic nodules. Decreasing Redfield ratio towards the bay suggests anoxic aquifer condition due to salinization. The SGD driven nutrient fluxes were 40.0-47.0% for NO₃^-, 43.0-51.0% for NH₄⁺ and 9.0-32.0% for PO₄^3- from the total input fluxes. The estimated nutrient fluxes showed that NO₃^- and PO₄^3- discharges to the sea due to SGD and NH₄⁺ removed from the coast due to consumption by microorganisms that creates toxic algal blooms in the study area.

Perioperative intravenous contrast administration and the incidence of acute kidney injury after major gastrointestinal surgery: prospective, multicentre cohort study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the impact of preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast for CT and the risk of developing postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

This prospective, multicentre cohort study included adults undergoing gastrointestinal resection, stoma reversal or liver resection. Both elective and emergency procedures were included. Preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast was defined as exposure to contrast administered for the purposes of CT up to 7 days before surgery. The primary endpoint was the rate of AKI within 7 days. Propensity score-matched models were adjusted for patient, disease and operative variables. In a sensitivity analysis, a propensity score-matched model explored the association between preoperative exposure to contrast and AKI in the first 48 h after surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 5378 patients were included across 173 centres. Overall, 1249 patients (23·2 per cent) received intravenous contrast. The overall rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery was 13·4 per cent (718 of 5378). In the propensity score-matched model, preoperative exposure to contrast was not associated with AKI within 7 days (odds ratio (OR) 0·95, 95 per cent c.i. 0·73 to 1·21; P = 0·669). The sensitivity analysis showed no association between preoperative contrast administration and AKI within 48 h after operation (OR 1·09, 0·84 to 1·41; P = 0·498).

CONCLUSION

There was no association between preoperative intravenous contrast administered for CT up to 7 days before surgery and postoperative AKI. Risk of contrast-induced nephropathy should not be used as a reason to avoid contrast-enhanced CT.

The fabrication of an MoS2 QD-AuNP modified screen-printed electrode for the improved electrochemical detection of cefixime

Herein, we report a voltammetric method for the nanomolar detection of cefixime, a third-generation antibiotic. The determination of cefixime is validated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as well as on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). In the present study, we have reported a facile "one step simple hydrothermal synthesis" of MoS2 quantum dots and with the oxidation of aurochloric acid for the further formation of an MoS2 QD-AuNP composite. The as-synthesized nanocomposite was characterized via UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, TEM and EDX techniques, and further applied in the modification of working electrodes, showing excellent electroactivity. The sensing of cefixime was done via cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry techniques. The presence of the only anodic peak in the voltammogram reveals the irreversible oxidation of cefixime in the potential range of about 1.3 ± 0.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The study was also performed at different scan rates, which indicate a diffusion-controlled mechanism. The proposed cefixime sensor showed a linear response in the concentration range of 0.33-90.82 μM (at S/N = 3) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.9-4.5 nm. The electrochemical sensitivity is calculated as 8.63 μA μM-1 cm-2 and 7.07 μA μM-1 cm-2 in buffer and pharmaceutical formulation (commercially available cefixime tablet), respectively. The effects of several interferents were also investigated. The proposed sensor is effectively used for estimating cefixime in phosphate buffer and the commercially available cefixime tablets with no cross-reactivity or matrix effects and shows a promising prospect for real applications.

Large Area Vertically Oriented Few-Layer MoS2 for Efficient Thermal Conduction and Optoelectronic Applications

Large area growth of MoS₂ can show great advances in optoelectronic devices due to its unique optical and electronic properties. Here, we directly grow vertically oriented and interconnected few-layer MoS₂ over 1 × 1 cm² of p-type Si substrate using CVD technique. We report for the first time the thermal conductivity of vertically oriented few-layer (VFL) MoS₂ using the optothermal Raman technique. The reduced phonon-defect scattering due to minimal defects and strains in VFL MoS₂ results in excellent thermal conductivity of 100 ± 14 W m^-1 K^-1 at room temperature. The photoluminescence and DFT study confirm the semiconducting behavior of VFL-MoS₂. The VFL-MoS₂/Si photodiode shows high photoresponsivity of 7.37 A W^-1 at -2.0 V bias under 0.15 mW cm^-2 intensity of 532 nm laser. The enhanced light trapping and highly exposed edges of VFL MoS₂ due to vertical orientation, formation of efficient p-n junction at the MoS₂/Si interface and effective charge separation leads to the excellent performance of grown VFL-MoS₂ for optoelectronic applications.

Tracing groundwater salinization using geochemical and isotopic signature in Southeastern coastal Tamilnadu, India

Attempt has been made to discriminate groundwater salinity causes along the east coast of India. A total of 122 groundwater samples (61/season) were collected for two diverse seasons (Pre Monsoon and Post Monsoon) and analyzed for physical and chemical components along with stable isotopes. The Piper diagram proposes samples along the coast predisposed by saltwater incursion. Ionic ratio plots recommend groundwater discriminatory by changing geochemical signatures. The statistical correlation suggests impact of saltwater incursion, anthropogenic and rock water interaction as sources for dissolved constituents in groundwater. The thermodynamic stability plot suggests higher silicate dissolution, weathering and ion exchange prompting water chemistry nevertheless of seasons. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H increases towards the sea suggesting enrichment attributed to the sea water influence and rainfall influences along the southwestern parts of the study area.

Nanonetwork of Coordination Polymer AHMT-Ag for the Effective and Broad Spectrum Detection of 6-Mercaptopurine in Urine and Blood Serum

Nanocrystalline coordination polymers (NCCPs) have been considered as an incredible electrochemical sensor for the effective detection of biologically dynamic drug 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). In the present report, a significantly stable infinite arrayed coordination polymeric network was self-assembled via metal with efficient organic tecton 4-amino-3-hydrazino-5-mercapto-1,2,4,-triazole (AHMT) in which silver(I) ions are coordinated by AHMT via hydrazino and exocyclic thiol linkage to form AHMT-Ag NCCP. An efficient and highly sensitive detection of 6-MP is attained owing to eminent electron channeling via polymeric nanocrystallite pores. An effective charge transfer leads to an interface of the AHMT-Ag nano-pores and electrolyte anchored electrode via π-π electron coupling and hydrophobic interaction. The voltammogram exposes acute redox behavior of 6-MP and discloses an impeccable illustration for the AHMT-Ag facilitated oxidation of 6-MP. This unique signature was applied in voltammetric detection of 6-MP in blood serum, human urine, and pharmaceutical formulation (tablet) by a considerable high sensitivity of 0.074, 0.058, and 0.036 μA/μM and a detection limit of 87, 97, and 37 nM, respectively. Thus, the prepared AHMT-Ag NCCP can provide a valuable platform for fabrication of highly sensitive electrochemical devices to assay biologically essential drug molecules.

Corrosion prevention of commercial alloys by air-water interface grown, edge on oriented, ultrathin squaraine film

Copper is one of the most demanded commercial metal/alloys in world market. The demand for copper in industries such as electrical, electronics, automobile, telecommunications, defence, etc. as well as in daily life has escalated in the recent years due to its versatile physical and chemical properties. However destruction of copper surface by any means, preferably corrosion, can limit its vast application. For protection from corrosion, various techniques are used to coat metal substrates with passivating materials. These techniques are either complex as well as expensive, or provide incomplete protection in acid media. To address these issues, floating film transfer method (FFTM) is utilized in this work for obtaining ultrathin film of squaraine (passivating molecule) as well as their easy and fast transfer over copper substrate. The squaraine film is deposited on copper substrate in layers, viz., 1 to 4 layers. The corrosion behavior is examined in 0.1 M HCl using electrochemical techniques as well as surface characterization techniques, which portray that copper corrosion is hampered in harmony with the layers deposited. Nearly 40% corrosion protection is reached for copper coated with 1 layer of squaraine. However, the protection is amplified up to 98% with 4 layers of squaraine, which clearly substantiates the supremacy of this coating method over reported methods of protection. This technique and the material (squaraine) are both for the first time being used in the field of corrosion protection. The easy growth of ultrathin film at air-water interface as well as its rapid transfer over substrate promotes use of FFTM for efficient corrosion protection on industrial scale.

Edge Detection of Images Using Improved Fuzzy C-Means and Artificial Neural Network Technique

Edge detection (ED) is an embryonic development, which is essential for any intricate image processing and recognition undertaking. This paper proposed another system to upgrade the method and Artificial neural network for speaking to vulnerability in the image slopes and collection. The vulnerability in the image inclination distinguishes the genuine edges which might be overlooked by other systems. This e is valuable in the field of restorative imaging applications, for example, MRI division, cerebrum tumor, filtering and so on. Attractive reaction imaging connected in restorative science to analyze tumors in body parts by creating great images of within the human body, by utilizing different edge identifiers. There exist many edge finders yet at the same time, requirement for inquire about is felt improve their execution. And furthermore, this paper distinguishes the edges in the broken bones, edge ID, satellite edge detection ID. An exceptionally basic issue looked by many edge finders is the decision of limit esteems. This paper presents fuzzy and ANN based edge detection utilizing Improved Fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) strategy. Enhanced FCM approach is utilized in producing different gatherings which are then contribution to the Mamdani fuzzy surmising framework. In this, we are utilizing versatile middle separating for evacuating commotion; this strategy adequately expels the clamor and gives better outcomes. This entire procedure results in the age of the limit parameters which is then encouraged to the established sobel edge locator which helps in improving its edge detection capacity utilizing the fuzzy logic. This entire setup is connected to Images. The recovered outcomes express to that fuzzy and ANN based Improved Fuzzy C-means clustering enhances the introduction of customary sobel edge identifier in associate with retentive information around the tumors of the mind.