Influence of protein nativity on the stability of bovine serum albumin coated microbubbles.

Protein-coated microbubbles have become one of the emerging platforms in biomedical research as theranostic agents. In recent years, microbubbles have been extensively used as ultrasound contrast agents and carriers of molecular cargoes, pertaining to which several studies have focused on tuning the properties of these bubbles to achieve a higher degree of biocompatibility and extended stability. Synthesis of microbubbles has so far been traditionally carried out with pre-heated proteins like bovine serum albumin (BSA) as shell coatings, owing to the ease in making BSA crosslinked structures through disulfide bridge formation.

Influence of Substrate Surface Properties on Spin Dewetting, Texture, and Phase Transitions of 5CB Liquid-Crystal Thin Films.

We report how the texture and stability of a nematic liquid-crystal (LC) thin film of 5CB vary as a function of UV-ozone (UVO) exposure of the underlying poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate. UVO exposure of the PMMA substrate not only increases its surface energy, making it more wettable, but also results in the generation of oxygen-containing polar functional groups on the PMMA surface due to photolysis of ester. While the stability of the 5CB films is expectedly enhanced on UVO-exposed PMMA substrates against thermally induced dewetting, the texture of the film also changes as a function of the UV exposure time ().

Comparison between the motor function of school-aged children with normal birth weight and children with low birth weight: a cross-sectional study.

Pal A, Manna S, Dhara PC. Comparison between the motor function of school-aged children with normal birth weight and children with low birth weight: a cross-sectional study. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 374-385.

Prognostic Indicators of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and is the major public health problem in the Indian subcontinent, where it ranks among the top three types of cancer in the country. Here, we aimed to analyze the clinical and tumor characteristics which impact the survival of OSCC patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical records of all patients who underwent treatment for OSCC at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, between January 2009 and January 2012 was analyzed.

Phase transition and dewetting of a 5CB liquid crystal thin film on a topographically patterned substrate.

We report thermally induced nematic to isotropic (N-I) phase transition as well as dewetting of 5CB Liquid Crystal (LC) thin films coated on flat and topographically patterned substrates with grating geometry of different line width ( ) and periodicity ( ). On a flat substrate, the nematic to isotropic (N-I) phase transition, which takes place within a temperature range between 31.1 °C and 34.

Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Postural Stress of the Women Cultivators Engaged in Uprooting Job of Rice Cultivation.

Aims: A large number of workers including women are involved in the informal sector in India. A majority of them are engaged in agricultural sectors. The agricultural workers have to perform their jobs by putting manual labor and are exposed to different occupational stresses.

Block-copolymer assisted fabrication of anisotropic plasmonic nanostructures.

The anisotropic nanostructures of noble metals are of great interest for plasmonic applications, due to the possibility of tuning the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) across the UV-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) without sacrificing the linewidth, as well as achieving larger local field enhancement. Here, we report a simple and promising fabrication method of anisotropic gold nanostructures film using polystyrene-b-poly(2vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) block copolymers (BCPs) as a template. In this approach, PS-b-P2VP spherical micelles were first synthesized as a template, followed by selective deposition of an Au precursor inside the P2VP core of the micelles, using an ethanol solution of Au salt.

Transition from Spin Dewetting to continuous film in spin coating of Liquid Crystal 5CB.

Spin dewetting refers to spontaneous rupture of the dispensed solution layer during spin coating, resulting in isolated but periodic, regular sized domains of the solute and is pre-dominant when the solute concentration (C ) is very low. In this article we report how the morphology of liquid crystal (LC) 5CB thin films coated on flat and patterned PMMA substrate transform from spin dewetted droplets to continuous films with increase in C . We further show that within the spin dewetted regime, with gradual increase in the solute concentration, periodicity of the isotropic droplets (λ ) as well as their mean diameter (d ), gradually decreases, till the film becomes continuous at a critical concentration (C *).

Evaluation of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Postural Stress of Female "Jari" Workers.

Aims: The present investigation was aimed to assess the postural stress and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the "Jari" (golden thread) workers.

Settings And Design: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 156 female workers in different areas of the Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, and Howrah districts of West Bengal, India.

Materials And Methods: The MSDs of the workers were evaluated by modified Nordic questionnaire method.

Influence of socio-economic status and television watching on childhood obesity in Kolkata.

Obesity is fast becoming an epidemic among the urban children and it has its adverse effect on the status of health even during adulthood. In this paper an attempt is made to assess the percentage of obesity among 6-10 year children and assess the effect of different socio-economic variables and TV watching on childhood obesity. We restricted our study to primary school-going children who attended classes I-IV.

Prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors: A cross-sectional study among rural adolescents in West Bengal, India.

Background And Objectives: Malnutrition is a silent emergency and it is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescent throughout the world. The present study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition among 10 to 17 years old adolescent and its association with socio-demographic factors.

Design And Setting: This community based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between May 2014 to April 2015 on 839 subjects.

PHYSIOLOGICAL STRAIN AMONG WOMEN POTATO CULTIVATORS IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA.

The present study was aimed to evaluate physiological strain among women cultivators engaged in potato cultivation. The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 150 women participants in different districts of West Bengal State, India. The physiological strain was evaluated by working heart rate, blood lactate and oxygen consumption.

A Case of Good's Syndrome Presenting with Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Adult onset immunodeficiency associated with thymoma is a rare condition. The combination of hypogammaglobulinemia, reduced number of peripheral B and CD4+ T cells, along with thymoma constitutes Good's syndrome (GS). This immunodeficiency condition is often complicated with opportunistic infection with organisms, like bacteria (Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumonia etc), viruses (Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex etc), fungi and protozoa.

An experimental study to evaluate musculoskeletal disorders and postural stress of female craftworkers adopting different sitting postures.

This study aimed to evaluate musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and postural stress among female craftworkers. The study was carried out on 75 adult female craftworkers in different districts of West Bengal. The prevalence of MSDs, body part discomfort (BPD) rating and body joint angles of the workers were evaluated with standard methods.

Relationship of body compositional and nutritional parameters with blood pressure in adults.

Background: Obesity has been regarded as a single best predictor and major controllable contributor to hypertension. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between body compositional and nutritional parameters with blood pressure in rural Bengalee adults.

Methods: Anthropometric measures, blood pressure and nutritional parameters were measured in 522 rural Bengalee adults using standard protocols.

An ergonomic approach for designing indian traditional vegetable cutter.

Background: In India varieties of hand tools have been used to cut the vegetables. Traditional vegetable cutter is a commonly used hand tool which has been used for years in the kitchen. The tool may have some design related problems.

Development of a fast scintillator based beam phase measurement system for compact superconducting cyclotrons.

In an isochronous cyclotron, measurements of central phase of the ion beam with respect to rf and the phase width provide a way to tune the cyclotron for maximum energy gain per turn and efficient extraction. We report here the development of a phase measurement system and the measurements carried out at the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre's (VECC's) K = 500 superconducting cyclotron. The technique comprises detecting prompt γ-rays resulting from the interaction of cyclotron ion beam with an aluminium target mounted on a radial probe in coincidence with cyclotron rf.

Effect of garlic (Allium sativum) on nickel II or chromium VI induced alterations of glucose homeostasis and hepatic antioxidant status under sub-chronic exposure conditions.

Garlic (Allium sativum) has a profound effect in reducing plasma glucose and increasing serum insulin in diabetic rats. We studied the effect of a garlic extract on nickel- or chromium-induced alteration of plasma glucose and hepatic glycogen levels and anti-oxidant status in rats. Adult male albino rats (n=36) divided into six groups of six animals each were treated as follows: Group I, untreated controls; Group II, fresh aqueous homogenate of garlic; Group III, nickel sulfate; Group IV, nickel sulfate + garlic; Group V, potassium dichromate; Group VI, potassium dichromate + garlic.

Complaints arising from a mismatch between school furniture and anthropometric measurements of rural secondary school children during classwork.

Objectives: The present investigation aimed to evaluate the extent of mismatch between different dimensions of school furniture and the respective anthropometric measures of school children. Assessment of health problems as well as postural pattern among the school children while attending their classes in relation to the classroom furniture was the other aim of this study.

Methods: For this purpose, 621 male school children (age range 10-15 years) were selected at random from rural secondary schools (n = 20) in nine districts in the state of West Bengal, India.

A chelating resin containing bis(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine: synthesis and metal-ion uptake properties suitable for analytical application.

A new stable chelating resin was synthesized by incorporating the bis(2-benzimidazolyl methyl)amine into Merrifield polymer through CN covalent bond and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and thermal study. The sorption capacity of the newly formed resin for Ag(I), Cu(II), Fe(III), Hg(II) and Pb(II) as a function of pH have been studied. The resin exhibits no affinity for alkali or alkaline earth metals.

An evaluation of musculoskeletal disorder and socioeconomic status of farmers in West Bangal, India.

Rice cultivation contains several tasks and workers were compelled to adopt some harmful and awkward posture during performing those tasks. These type repetitive jobs may be related to occupational health hazards like musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). In the present investigation different MSD related problems of the workers have been assessed and also identify the socioeconomic status of the farmers considering the issues of community health development.

New oxorhenium(V) complexes with 2N2S donor sets and radiochemical behavior of their technetium analogs.

Oxorhenium(V) complexes of two thioether amines have been synthesized and characterized spectroscopically. The five-coordinated ReO(3+) moiety is satisfied by the amine compounds behaving as dibasic tetradentate (NSSN) ligands and a chloride ion. The radioanalytical studies of their technetium analogs have been carried out at different pH values in the range 3-10.

A comparative study of foot dimension between adult male and female and evaluation of foot hazards due to using of footwear.

Using footwear often becomes troublesome and creates many problems. Most of these problems are associated with the wearing of ill-fitting footwear, as it leads to biomechanical imbalance and ultimately give rise to different foot problems. In the present investigation different foot problems, viz.