Xpert MTB/RIF assay in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children in tertiary care setting in South India.

Xpert MTB/RIF is recommended for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in children. We determined the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in children. The characteristics of children influencing Xpert MTB/RIF positivity were explored.

Public Health System's Preparedness to Address Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Rapid Assessment Survey of Health-care Providers in India.

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders largely affecting women of reproductive age group.

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the Indian public health-care systems' preparedness in addressing PCOS.

Materials And Methods: A multicentric rapid assessment cross-sectional study was undertaken among 173 health-care providers serving across various public health-care facilities in India.

Synchronization through frequency shuffling.

A wide variety of engineered and natural systems are modeled as networks of coupled nonlinear oscillators. In nature, the intrinsic frequencies of these oscillators are not constant in time. Here, we probe the effect of such a temporal heterogeneity on coupled oscillator networks through the lens of the Kuramoto model.

Simple enzyme based fluorimetric biosensor for urea in human biofluids.

As an important biomarker for renal related diseases, detection of urea is playing a vital role in human biofluids on clinical diagnosis concern. In this work, a synthetic salicyaldehyde based imine fluorophore was synthesized using sonication method and conjugated with urease which was used as fluorescent biosensor for the detection of urea in serum samples. This enzyme based biosensor has shown a good selectivity and sensitivity towards urea with the linear range from 2 to 80 mM and the detection limit of 73 µM.

A surface-engineered contact lens for tear fluid biomolecule sensing.

The eyes provide rich physiological information and offer diagnostic potential as a sensing site, and probing tear constituents the wearable contact lens could be explored for healthcare monitoring. Herein, we propose a novel adhesive contrast contact lens platform that can split tear film by natural means of tear secretion and blinking. The adhesive contrast is realized by selective grafting of a lubricant onto a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based contact lens, leading to high pinning zones on a non-adhesive background.

Investigation of antimicrobial and anti-cancer activity of thermally sensitive SnO nanostructures with green-synthesized cauliflower morphology at ambient weather conditions.

A tin oxide (SnO) nanostructure was prepared using Matricaria recutita leaf extract to investigate its anticancer activity against SK-MEL-28 cells. The tetragonal crystal structure of tin oxide nanoparticles with an average crystal size of 27 nm was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The tetragonal crystal structure of the tin oxide nanoparticles, with an average crystallite size of 27 nm, was confirmed by XRD an absorbance peak at 365 nm was identified by UV-visible spectroscopy analysis as belonging to the bio-mediated synthesis of SnO nanoparticles.

On relaxation times of heteroclinic dynamics.

Heteroclinic dynamics provide a suitable framework for describing transient dynamics such as cognitive processes in the brain. It is appreciated for being well reproducible and at the same time highly sensitive to external input. It is supposed to capture features of switching statistics between metastable states in the brain.

Comparative evaluation of frictional characteristics between nano coated and non coated orthodontic brackets and arch wire configuration-An experimental study.

Objective: To compare and assess the coefficient of frictional resistance between nano-coated orthodontic brackets and orthodontic archwires with conventional orthodontic brackets and archwires.

Methodology: In this experimental study, 128 samples were divided into 4 groups consisting of 32 orthodontic wires and brackets in each group. The samples were randomly allocated into GROUP A- ZNO nanoparticle coated archwires and brackets, GROUP B ZNO nanoparticle coated bracket and conventional archwire, GROUP C-ZNO nanoparticle coated archwire and conventional bracket, and GROUP D- conventional archwire and bracket after positioning them on special jigs frictional resistance was studied and evaluated.

Smart City IoT System Network Level Routing Analysis and Blockchain Security Based Implementation.

This paper demonstrates, network-level performance analysis and implementation of smart city Internet of Things (IoT) system with Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) level cloud computing architecture. The smart city IoT network topology performance is analyzed at the simulation level using the NS3 simulator by extracting most of the performance-deciding parameters. The performance-enhanced smart city topology is practically implemented in IaaS level architecture.

Fluorimetric chemodosimeter for the detection of capsaicinoids in food matrices.

Capsaicin is a major pungent capsaicinoids in chili pepper and it causes duodenal, liver, stomach and gastric cancer in human. Hence, the detection of capsaicinoids becomes important on health issues concern. Here we are reporting, the first organic molecule based fluorimetric sensor for capsaicin detection using simple fluorophore 4-3-(pyren-2-yl-acryloyl) phenyboronic acid (PAPA), which was synthesized via greener microwave method.

Hydrothermally synthesized Ag-TiO nanofibers (NFs) for photocatalytic dye degradation and antibacterial activity.

This work successfully utilised eco-friendly green synthesis to produce Ag-TiO nanofibers (NFs). As pollution and energy limitations have become global issues, there is an ongoing need to develop more effective catalysts through straightforward and environmentally friendly methods. The Ag-TiO nanofibers (NFs) XRD pattern exhibits an anatase TiO and FCC crystal structure of Ag nanoparticles.

An Assessment and Comparison of Root Resorption With Two Different Corticotomy Techniques During Anterior Teeth Retraction: A Split Mouth Prospective Clinical Study.

Aim The aim of this prospective split-mouth clinical study is to determine the apical root resorption of anterior teeth in patients with two different methods of corticotomy namely indentation and vertical corticotomy techniques. Methods Sixteen adult patients with bimaxillary protrusion requiring the need for extraction of the first premolars were included in the study. For each patient, the particular method of corticotomy technique was assigned randomly along with the side and the procedure was performed following which retraction forces were applied with the help of a closed coil Niti spring.

Evaluation of Clinical Efficacy Between Forsus and Advansync Fixed Functional Appliance for the Treatment of Skeletal Class II Malocclusion Using 3D Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT): A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objectives: The objective is to assess and compare whether AdvanSync gives better skeletal, dental, and soft tissue outcomes than Forsus fixed functional appliance in post-pubertal skeletal Class II malocclusion patients.

Methodology: A prospective study was conducted using 3D-CBCT of patients taken before and after fixed functional appliance therapy. The sample consisted of 16 patients divided into two groups: Group 1 was treated with Forsus and group 2 with AdvanSync appliance.

Oil-Grafted Track-Assisted Directional Transport of Water Droplets and Submerged Air Bubbles on Solid Surfaces.

Wettability-tailored tracks are emerging as an efficient approach to collecting and transporting underwater air bubbles as well as water from the mist. However, tailoring the surface wettability by modifying the surface structural features via physiochemical methods to create superhydrophilic-superhydrophobic contrast tracks suffers from long-term durability issues, while the emerging liquid-infused slippery surface has inherent design engineering limitations and issues from infused oil depletion. Herein, we demonstrate that by selective silicone oil grafting onto the glass substrate, it is possible to create a wettability contrast of ∼ 43°.

Review on rewiring of microalgal strategies for the heavy metal remediation - A metal specific logistics and tactics.

Phycoremediation of heavy metals are gaining much attention and becoming an emerging practice for the metal removal in diverse environmental matrices. Still, the physicochemical state of metal polluted sites is often found to be complex and haphazard in nature due to the irregular discharge of wastes, that leads to the lack of conjecture on the application of microalgae for the metal bioremediation. Besides, the foresaid issues might be eventually ended up with futile effect to the polluted site.

Non-adhesive contrast substrate for single-cell trapping and Raman spectroscopic analysis.

Droplet splitting by exploiting tailored surface wettability is emerging as an important pathway to creating ultralow volumes of samples that can have applications in bioassays, tissue engineering, protein chips, and material synthesis. Reduction of droplet volumes enables the encapsulation of single biological cells which allows high throughput screening. In this work, we demonstrate a facile fabrication approach to create a non-adhesive contrast quartz substrate that allows droplet splitting under gravitational force and its utilization to trap single biological cells for Raman spectroscopic studies.

Regulating dynamics through intermittent interactions.

In this article we experimentally demonstrate an efficient scheme to regulate the behavior of coupled nonlinear oscillators through dynamic control of their interaction. It is observed that introducing intermittency in the interaction term as a function of time or the system state predictably alters the dynamics of the constituent oscillators. Choosing the nature of the interaction, attractive or repulsive, allows for either suppression of oscillations or stimulation of activity.

Bioengineered magnetic graphene oxide microcomposites for bioremediation of chromium in ex situ - A novel strategy for aggrandized recovery by electromagnetic gadgetry.

Novel magnetic microcomposites consisting of graphene oxide and iron oxide was synthesized to immobilize metabolically versatile Paracoccus sp. MKU1 and Leucobacter sp. AA7 and tested for the simultaneous adsorption and enhanced biological detoxification of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from tannery wastewater.

Probing marine brown macroalgal phlorotannins as antiviral candidate against SARS-CoV-2: molecular docking and dynamics simulation approach.

Over the past year, owing to the emergent demand for the search for potential COVID-19 therapeutics, identifying alternative candidates from biological sources is one of the sustainable ways to reinforce the drug discovery process. Marine macroalgae have numerous advantages because of the richest availability of underexploited bioactive compounds. Polyphenolic compounds like phlorotannins obtained from brown macroalgae are reported as proven antiviral and immunostimulatory agents.