Theoretical Insights into the Structural and Optical Properties of D-π-A-based Cyanostilbene Systems of α and β Variants.

The π-conjugated organic molecules containing cyanostilbene motifs have been extensively investigated due to their great potential applications in several optoelectronic and biological fields. Developing efficient molecules in this respect requires strategic structural engineering and a deep understanding of the structure-property relationship at the molecular level. In this context, understanding the impact of positional isomerism in cyanostilbene systems is a fundamental aspect of designing desired materials with improved photophysical properties.

Nanosized vaterite production through organic-solvent-free indirect carbonation.

Nanosized vaterite, which exhibits characteristics such as high specific surface area, porosity, and biocompatibility, has attracted research attention for use as a drug delivery material. However, fatal drawbacks such as high costs, difficulty in mass production, and toxicity exist in conventional nanosized vaterite production owing to the use of a large amount of organic solvents to forcibly suppress the vaterite recrystallization and particle growth. Therefore, nanosized 100 % vaterite was produced in this study via indirect carbonation without using any organic solvent, which has rarely been achieved previously.

Acute insulin-responsive hyperglycemia and hypocalcemia in Theileria spp. infected goat.

Theileriosis can be manifested in appreciably variable clinical forms among domestic ruminants and may often become life-threatening. The present report narrates, the quick remarkable clinical recovery of a lactating goat infected with Theileria spp., exhibiting acute insulin-responsive hyperglycemia and hypocalcemia, by providing intensive therapy.

Enhanced electrochemical activities of morphologically tuned MnFeO nanoneedles and nanoparticles integrated on reduced graphene oxide for highly efficient supercapacitor electrodes.

The morphology of a nanoparticle strongly controls the path of electronic interaction, which directly correlates with the physicochemical properties and also the electrochemical comportment. Combining it with a two-dimensional (2D) material for a layer-by-layer approach will increase its possibilities in applications such as energy conversion and storage. Here, two different morphologies of MnFeO, nanoparticles and nanoneedles, are developed by a facile hydrothermal approach and sandwiched with reduced graphene oxide for constructing a 2D/3D sandwiched architecture.

Development of BiFeO/MnFeO ferrite nanocomposites with enhanced magnetic and electrical properties.

Herein we report the development of novel multiferroic nanocomposites for their enhanced magnetic and electrical properties by employing a simple cost-effective chemical process at low temperatures. Novel perovskite-mixed spinel nanocomposites of (1 - )BiFeO/MnFeO where = 0.1-0.

Proliferative fasciitis of the chin: A report of the rare case and review of literature.

Proliferative fasciitis is a pseudo-sarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferation characterized by the presence of unusual giant cells resembling ganglion cells, which usually occurs in the adult population with a mean age of 54 years. It usually affects the upper extremities and is rare in head and neck region with only 11 cases described in the literature so far. Because of rapid growth and histological similarity to various malignant tumors such as rhabdomyosarcoma, recognition of this benign condition is a matter of utmost importance when a pathologist is concerned.

Overcoming drug-resistance in lung cancer cells by paclitaxel loaded galactoxyloglucan nanoparticles.

Paclitaxel, an effective chemotherapeutic drug, is insoluble in aqueous solvents and is usually administered with excipients which have side effects. The use of this drug is also limited due to multi-drug resistance. In this study polysaccharide nanoparticles are used in the delivery of chemotherapeutic drug while minimizing side-effects, solubility issues and drug resistance.

Hybrid polycaprolactone/polyethylene oxide scaffolds with tunable fiber surface morphology, improved hydrophilicity and biodegradability for bone tissue engineering applications.

In the present study, we attempt to modify Polycaprolactone (PCL) by blending it with a water soluble polymer Polyethyleneoxide (PEO) having two different molecular weights (Mv ~1,00,000 and 6,00,000) using electrospinning technique. The effect of PEO molecular weight and blend ratio on fiber morphology, porosity, surface wettability, static and dynamic mechanical properties of PCL was investigated. In vitro degradation studies in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at 37 °C demonstrated formation of pores on fiber surface especially in blend scaffolds with 50:50 ratios.

An unusual presentation of ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma: A case report with review of literature.

Ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma (GCOC) is a malignant odontogenic epithelial tumor which is an exceedingly rare, highly aggressive, rapidly growing, and infiltrative tumor forming the malignant counterpart of long-standing benign cystic lesions coming in the spectrum of calcifying odontogenic cysts. To date, only a few cases have been reported in the medical literature. A case of unusual presentation of GCOC is presented and the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features are discussed along with a literature review.

Design and characterization of biodegradable macroporous hybrid inorganic-organic polymer for orthopedic applications.

We have engineered hybrid polymer products based on a hybrid inorganic-organic comacromer consisting of hydroxyapatite (HA), carboxyl terminated polypropylene fumarate (CTPPF), PEG300 and ascorbic acid (AA) as a bone graft material. The integration and the spatial distribution of HA in the polymer backbone were facilitated by silanisation and 1-ethyl-3-(-3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) coupling technique. These comacromers and crosslinked polymer products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman mapping techniques.

Predictive value of craniofacial and anthropometric measures in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Background: Most individuals with OSA remain undiagnosed, mainly due to limited access to effective screening tools and diagnostic facilities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify craniofacial and anthropometric measurements that predict OSA in an Indian population.

Methods And Findings: Male subjects (n = 76) between 25 and 50 years of age were recruited for the study from the general population.

Non-covalent intermolecular carbon-carbon interactions in polyynes.

Polyynes, the smaller analogues of one dimensional infinite chain carbon allotrope carbyne, have been studied for the type and strength of the intermolecular interactions in their dimer and tetramer complexes using density functional theory. The nature of end group functionalities and the chain length of the polyynes are varied to assess their role in modulating the non-covalent interaction energy. As seen in molecular electrostatic potential analysis, all the polyyne complexes showed a multitude of non-covalent CC interactions, resulting from complementary electrostatic interactions between relatively electron rich formal triple bond region of one monomer and the electron deficient formal single bond region of the other monomer.

Intermolecular carbon-carbon, nitrogen-nitrogen and oxygen-oxygen non-covalent bonding in dipolar molecules.

Clear evidence for the existence of intermolecular carbon-carbon (C···C), nitrogen-nitrogen (N···N) and oxygen-oxygen (O···O) interactions between atoms in similar chemical environments in homogeneous dimers of organic dipolar molecules has been obtained from molecular orbital (MO), natural bond orbital (NBO) and atoms-in-molecule (AIM) electron density analyses at the M06L/6-311++G(d,p) level of density functional theory (DFT). These X···X type interactions are mainly the result of local polarization effects, causing segregation of electron-rich and electron-deficient regions in the X atoms, leading to complementary electrostatic interactions. NBO analysis provides evidence of charge transfer between the two X atoms.

Second digit and fourth digit ratio--an adjunct tool to predict obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep related breathing disorder associated with high morbidity and mortality. Digit ratio (2D:4D) a sexually dimorphic trait is a putative indicator of prenatal testosterone exposure and adult testosterone level. Present study aimed at investigating the correlation between 2D:4D ratio and OSA based on the study conducted on 290 volunteered participants of both the sexes in the age range of 20-45 years.

Prevalence of early childhood caries among preschool children in Trivandrum and its association with various risk factors.

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a severe form of dental decay with multi-factorial origin.

Objectives: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and related risk factors of ECC among preschool children residing in rural and urban areas of Trivandrum district in Kerala.

Methods: A sample size of 1329 preschool children of <60 months of age was randomly selected from rural and urban areas of Trivandrum and decayed missing filled teeth indices were recorded.

An appraisal of physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of Nanmangalam Reserve Forest soil.

A detailed evaluation was performed on the soils of Nanmangalam Reserve Forest (NRF) in order to understand its physico-chemical, microbiological and enzymatic characteristics. The results of analysis showed that soil pH was directly proportional to the soil depth and the soil moisture content was irreversibly related to varying soil depth. Soil organic carbon was positively correlated with (p < 0.

Cooperativity and cluster growth patterns in acetonitrile: a DFT study.

Cooperativity in intermolecular interactions and cluster growth patterns of acetonitrile has been studied using M06L density functional theory. Cyclic, ladder-type, stacked, cross-stacked, and mixed patterns are studied. Total interaction energy (E(int)) and interaction energy per monomer (E(m)) show maximum stability and cooperativity in stacked clusters followed by cross-stacked ones.

Nanohydroxyapatite incorporated electrospun polycaprolactone/polycaprolactone-polyethyleneglycol-polycaprolactone blend scaffold for bone tissue engineering applications.

The present work is a comparative evaluation of physical and biological properties of electrospun biodegradable fibrous scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and its blend with polycaprolactone-polyethyleneglycol-polycaprolactone (CEC) with and without nanohydroxyapatite (nHAP) particles. The fiber morphology, porosity, surface wettability, and mechanical properties of electrospun PCL were distinctly influenced by the presence of both copolymer CEC and nHAP. The degradation in hydrolytic media affected both morphological and mechanical properties of the scaffolds and the tensile strength decreased by 58% for PCL, 83% for PCL/CEC, 36% for PCL/nHAP and 75% for PCL/CEC/nHAP in 90 days of PBS ageing.

Which density functional is close to CCSD accuracy to describe geometry and interaction energy of small non-covalent dimers? A benchmark study using Gaussian09.

A benchmark study on all possible density functional theory (DFT) methods in Gaussian09 is done to locate functionals that agree well with CCSD/aug-cc-pVTZ geometry and Ave-CCSD(T)/(Q-T) interaction energy (Eint) for small non-covalently interacting molecular dimers in "dispersion-dominated" (class 1), "dipole-induced dipole" (class 2), and "dipole-dipole" (class 3) classes. A DFT method is recommended acceptable if the geometry showed close agreement to CCSD result (RMSD < 0.045) and Eint was within 80-120% accuracy.

Formulation development, evaluation and comparative study of effects of super disintegrants in cefixime oral disintegrating tablets.

The present work was aimed at formulation development, evaluation and comparative study of the effects of superdisintegrants in Cefixime 50 mg oral disintegrating tablets. The superdisintegrants used for the present study were sodium starch glycolate and crosscarmellose sodium. The formulated tablets were evaluated for various tableting properties, like hardness, thickness, friability, weight variation, disintegration time and dissolution rate.

Microsatellites in varied arenas of research.

Microsatellites known as simple-sequence repeats (SSRs) or short-tandem repeats (STRs), represent specific sequences of DNA consisting of tandemly repeated units of one to six nucleotides. The repetitive nature of microsatellites makes them particularly prone to grow or shrink in length and these changes can have both good and bad consequences for the organisms that possess them. They are responsible for various neurological diseases and hence the same cause is now utilized for the early detection of various diseases, such as, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, Congenital generalized Hypertrichosis, Asthma, and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness.