Chemical composition, source characteristics, and hygroscopic properties of organic-enriched aerosols in the high Arctic during summer.

Arctic regions are extremely sensitive to global warming. Aerosols are one of the most important short-lived climate-forcing agents affecting the Arctic climate. The present study examines the summertime chemical characteristics and potential sources of various organic and inorganic aerosols at a Norwegian Arctic site, Ny-Ålesund (79°N). The results show that organic matter (OM) accounts for 60 % of the total PM10 mass, followed by sulfate (SO42-). Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) contributes 62 % of OC. Photochemical processes involving diverse anthropogenic and biogenic precursor compounds are identified as the major sources of WSOC, while water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) aerosols are predominantly linked to primary marine emissions. Despite being a remote pristine site, the aerosols show a sign of chemical aging, evidenced by a significant chloride depletion, which was about 82 % on average during the study period. Nitrogen-containing aerosols are likely stemming from migratory seabird colonies and local dust sources around the sampling site. While biogenic, crustal, and sea salt-derived SO42- account for 37%, 8%, and 5% respectively, the remaining 50% is attributed to anthropogenic SO42-. Through chemical tracers, Pearson correlation coefficient matrix, and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), the present study identifies soil biota (terrestrial biogenic) and marine emissions, along with their photochemical oxidation processes, as potential sources of Arctic aerosols during summer, while biomass burning and combustion-related sources have a minor contribution. The chemical closure of hygroscopicity highlights that while organics predominantly control aerosol hygroscopicity in the Arctic summer, specific inorganic components like (NH4)2SO4 can significantly increase it on certain days, affecting aerosol-cloud interactions and climate processes over the Arctic during summer. The present study highlights the high abundance of organics and their vital role in the Arctic climate during summer when natural aerosols are conquered.

Two decades of ceria nanoparticle research: structure, properties and emerging applications.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) are versatile materials with unique and unusual properties that vary depending on their surface chemistry, size, shape, coating, oxidation states, crystallinity, dopant, and structural and surface defects. This review encompasses advances made over the past twenty years in the development of CeNPs and ceria-based nanostructures, the structural determinants affecting their activity, and translation of these distinct features into applications. The two oxidation states of nanosized CeNPs (Ce3+/Ce4+) coexisting at the nanoscale level facilitate the formation of oxygen vacancies and defect states, which confer extremely high reactivity and oxygen buffering capacity and the ability to act as catalysts for oxidation and reduction reactions. However, the method of synthesis, surface functionalization, surface coating and defects are important factors in determining their properties. This review highlights key properties of CeNPs, their synthesis, interactions, and reaction pathways and provides examples of emerging applications. Due to their unique properties, CeNPs have become quintessential candidates for catalysis, chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), sensing, biomedical applications, and environmental remediation, with tremendous potential to create novel products and translational innovations in a wide range of industries. This review highlights the timely relevance and the transformative potential of these materials in addressing societal challenges and driving technological advancements across these fields.

Revolutionizing heart disease prediction with quantum-enhanced machine learning.

The recent developments in quantum technology have opened up new opportunities for machine learning algorithms to assist the healthcare industry in diagnosing complex health disorders, such as heart disease. In this work, we summarize the effectiveness of QuEML in heart disease prediction. To evaluate the performance of QuEML against traditional machine learning algorithms, the Kaggle heart disease dataset was used which contains 1190 samples out of which 53% of samples are labeled as positive samples and rest 47% samples are labeled as negative samples. The performance of QuEML was evaluated in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, F1 score, and training time against traditional machine learning algorithms. From the experimental results, it has been observed that proposed quantum approaches predicted around 50.03% of positive samples as positive and an average of 44.65% of negative samples are predicted as negative whereas traditional machine learning approaches could predict around 49.78% of positive samples as positive and 44.31% of negative samples as negative. Furthermore, the computational complexity of QuEML was measured which consumed average of 670 µs for its training whereas traditional machine learning algorithms could consume an average 862.5 µs for training. Hence, QuEL was found to be a promising approach in heart disease prediction with an accuracy rate of 0.6% higher and training time of 192.5 µs faster than that of traditional machine learning approaches.

Periosteum-Augmented Soft-Tissue Graft for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Soft-tissue grafts are an option for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. One of the major drawbacks of soft-tissue grafts is the delay in the osteointegration and ligamentization of the implanted graft. Enveloping the ends of the graft with periosteum sleeves can hasten the osteointegration process and help in quicker rehabilitation of the patient. This article describes a simple and unique way to augment the soft-tissue graft with periosteum for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Operando neutron diffraction reveals mechanisms for controlled strain evolution in 3D printing.

Residual stresses affect the performance and reliability of most manufactured goods and are prevalent in casting, welding, and additive manufacturing (AM, 3D printing). Residual stresses are associated with plastic strain gradients accrued due to transient thermal stress. Complex thermal conditions in AM produce similarly complex residual stress patterns. However, measuring real-time effects of processing on stress evolution is not possible with conventional techniques. Here we use operando neutron diffraction to characterize transient phase transformations and lattice strain evolution during AM of a low-temperature transformation steel. Combining diffraction, infrared and simulation data reveals that elastic and plastic strain distributions are controlled by motion of the face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic phase boundary. Our results provide a new pathway to design residual stress states and property distributions within additively manufactured components. These findings will enable control of residual stress distributions for advantages such as improved fatigue life or resistance to stress-corrosion cracking.

Assessment of submicron aerosol liquid water content and mass-based growth factors in South Asian outflow over the Indian Ocean.

Aerosol-bound water, a ubiquitous and abundant component of atmospheric aerosols, has an impact on regional climate, visibility, human health, the hydrological cycle, and atmospheric chemistry. Yet, the intricate relationship between aerosol liquid water (ALWC) and chemical composition and relative humidity (RH) was not well understood. The present study explores ALWC derived from the ISORROPIA II model using real-time, high-resolution data of non-refractory submicron chemical species and meteorological parameters (temperature and RH) collected over the Indian Ocean as part of the ICARB (Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases, and Radiation Budget)-2018 experiment. Results show that ALWC values over the South Eastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) were found to be higher by 4-6 times than those observed over the Equatorial Indian Ocean (EIO) due to a large decrease in aerosol loading from SEAS to EIO. ALWC peaked in the early morning hours (4:00-7:00), with greater values during the nighttime and lower values during the daytime across SEAS, which is comparable with RH variation. While the ratio of organics-to-SO42- mass fraction linearly decreased with increasing mass-based growth factors (MGFs) over EIO, such a scenario was not observed over SEAS. The latitudinal gradient of mass fraction of ALWC had shown a decrease towards EIO, consistent with organic fraction. The extinction coefficient of the dry mass of submicron particles is noticeably increased by 40 % by ALWC over SEAS and EIO. Moreover, ALWC could enhance the aerosol negative forcing by an average of 66 % (64 %) over SEAS (EIO) at the top of the atmosphere during the cruise period. These inferences imply that ALWC is the key factor in assessing the role of aerosols on atmospheric radiative forcing. Overall, the present study highlights the serious need to consider the ALWC in climate forcing simulations, particularly in moist tropical environments where their effect can be significant.

Water-soluble organic aerosols over South Asia - Seasonal changes and source characteristics.

Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) has been identified as a key component in atmospheric aerosols due to its ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) owing to their highly hygroscopic nature. This paper discusses about the spatio-temporal variability in WSOC mass concentration, sources (primary and secondary contributions), the role of long-range air-mass transport in modulating their abundance, at distinct sectors over South Asia. We found from our observations that, photochemical ageing of primary organic aerosols that are derived from biomass emissions, significantly contribute to the total WSOC budget over South Asia. The wide range of water-soluble compounds released by biomass burning can contribute directly to the WSOC fraction or undergo further atmospheric processing, such as oxidation or ageing, leading to the formation of additional WSOC. WSOC/OC (organic carbon) ratio and the correlation between the WSOC and secondary organic carbon (SOC) are used for assessing the contribution from secondary sources. The three different ratios are used to delineate different source processes; OC/EC (elemental carbon) for source identification, WSOC/OC for long-range atmospheric transport (ageing) and WSOC/SOC to understand the primary and secondary contribution of WSOC. The present investigation revealed that, the primary OC that have undergone significant chemical processing as a result of long-range transport have a substantial influence on WSOC formation over South Asia, especially in Indo Gangetic Plain outflow regions such as southern peninsular and adjacent marine regions. Overall, oxidation and ageing of primary organic aerosols emitted from biomass burning was found to serve as an important source of WSOC over South Asia.

The effect of different decontamination processes on the residues of fipronil and its metabolites in chili fruits (Capsicum annuum L.).

Fipronil is a broad-spectrum phenyl pyrazole insecticide that has a high degree of environmental toxicity. Commonly available chilies in the market are treated with fipronil insecticides. Demand for insecticide-free chili has thus been increasing globally. This needs various sustainable and economical methods to remove insecticides from chilies. The present study examined the effectiveness of several cleaning methods to remove pesticide residues in chili fruits. A supervised field trial was conducted in randomized block design at Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur, India. Chili samples were subjected to seven different household methods. The samples were extracted using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method. The residues were analyzed using a gas chromatograph-electron capture detector and confirmed by GC-MS. Of the seven methods, the acetic acid treatment removes the maximum residue effect of fipronil and its metabolites (desulfinyl [MB046513]), sulfide (MB045950), and sulfone (MB046136) on chili fruits. By contrast, the tap water treatment was the least effective. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have set the maximum residue limit value of 0.001 mg kg-1 for fipronil on green chili.

Efficacy of intraosseous saline injection for pain management during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars: a randomized double-blinded clinical trial.

Background: Surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is the most common procedure performed by oral surgeons. The procedure cannot be performed effectively without achieving profound anesthesia. During this procedure, patients may feel pain during surgical bone removal (at the cancellous level) or during splitting and luxation of the tooth, despite administration of routine nerve blocks. Administration of intraosseous (IO) lignocaine injections during third molar surgeries to provide effective anesthesia for pain alleviation has been documented. However, whether the anesthetic effect of lignocaine is the only reason for pain alleviation when administered intraosseously remains unclear. This conundrum motivated us to assess the efficacy of IO normal saline versus lignocaine injections during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of IO normal saline as a viable alternative or adjunct to lignocaine for alleviation of intraoperative pain during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, interventional study included 160 patients who underwent surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars and experienced pain during surgical removal of the buccal bone or sectioning and luxation of the tooth. The participants were divided into two groups: the study group, which included patients who would receive IO saline injections, and the control group, which included patients who would receive IO lignocaine injections. Patients were asked to complete a visual analog pain scale (VAPS) at baseline and after receiving the IO injections. Results: Of the 160 patients included in this study, 80 received IO lignocaine (control group), whereas 80 received IO saline (study group) following randomization. The baseline VAPS score of the patients and controls was 5.71 ± 1.33 and 5.68 ± 1.21, respectively. The difference between the baseline VAPS scores of the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between the numbers of patients who experienced pain relief following administration of IO lignocaine (n=74) versus saline (n=69) was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between VAPS scores measured after IO injection in both groups was not statistically significant (P >0.05) (1.05 ± 1.20 for the control group vs. 1.72 ± 1.56 for the study group). Conclusion: The study demonstrates that IO injection of normal saline is as effective as lignocaine in alleviating pain during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars and can be used as an effective adjunct to conventional lignocaine injection.

A micro-costing analysis of nutritional support for persons with TB and their families in India.

Undernutrition is the leading risk factor for TB infection and death in India. We undertook a micro-costing analysis of a nutritional intervention for household contacts of people living with TB in Puducherry, India. We found that the total 6-month food cost for a family of four was USD4/day. We also identified several alternative regimens and cost-lowering strategies to encourage wider adoption of nutritional supplementation as a public health tool.

La sous-nutrition est le principal facteur de risque d'infection et de décès dus à la TB en Inde. Nous avons entrepris une analyse de micro-coût d'une intervention nutritionnelle destinée aux contacts familiaux des personnes atteintes de la TB à Puducherry, en Inde. Nous avons constaté que le coût total de la nourriture pendant 6 mois pour une famille de quatre personnes était de 4 USD par jour. Nous avons également identifié plusieurs régimes alternatifs et stratégies de réduction des coûts pour encourager une adoption plus large de la supplémentation nutritionnelle en tant qu'outil de santé publique.

Role of South Asian outflow on the oxidative potential of marine aerosols over the Indian Ocean.

Oxidative potential (OP) of fine marine aerosols (PM2.5) over the northern Indian Ocean (N_IO) and equatorial Indian Ocean (E_IO) were studied using shipborne measurements conducted as part of the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB-2018). During the study, an enhanced concentration of PM2.5 was found over N_IO (27.22 ± 14.29 µg.m-3) compared with E_IO (15.91 ± 2.58 µg.m-3), as N_IO experiences continental outflow from anthropogenically dominated South Asian region. However, E_IO received pristine air masses from the middle of the Arabian Sea, implying a reduced concentration. The OP of PM2.5 was evaluated using a dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The mass (DTTm or intrinsic OP) and volume (DTTv or extrinsic OP) normalized DTT exhibited a significant spatial variation over the Indian Ocean (IO). Intrinsic OP showed ∼2 times higher values over N_IO than E_IO, indicating aging of aerosols during long-range transport impacts OP of marine aerosol. Similarly, increased concentrations of anthropogenic species such as non-sea sulfate (nssSO42-), nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), non-sea potassium ion (nssK+), water-soluble transition metals (Fe, Ti, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr), elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), were also observed over N_IO compared with E_IO. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis revealed that combustion sources, chemical processing and co-transportation of anthropogenic species during long-range transport are the main drivers of intrinsic OP in the outflow region.

Mechanical, microstructural and fracture studies on inconel 825-SS316L functionally graded wall fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing.

This paper presents a novel method that uses the cold metal transfer based wire arc additive manufacturing process to fabricate functionally graded Inconel 825-SS316L walls. The optical micrograph of Inconel 825 exhibits continuous and discontinuous dendritic structures. The SS316L region comprises 5% of δ-ferrite in primary austenitic (γ) dendrites which was confirmed by the Creq/Nieq ratio of 1.305. The functionally graded interface reveals a partially mixed zone with a transition from the elongated dendrites to fine equiaxed dendrites. The tensile properties of the fabricated wall were determined at room temperature using specimens extracted from Inconel 825, SS316L, and the interface regions. The morphology of the tensile tested specimens revealed significant plastic deformation, indicating ductile failure. The fracture toughness of the wall was experimentally investigated by employing the crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) test. The fracture morphology exhibited a ductile mode of fracture with striations perpendicular to the direction of crack development. Elemental mapping revealed that there was no evidence of elemental segregation on the fractured surfaces, and the elements were uniformly dispersed. The CTOD measures 0.853 mm, 0.873 mm on the Inconel 825 side and the SS316L side respectively. The test results confirm that both the Inconel 825 and SS316L sides have good fracture toughness.

Health inequities around gender, disability and internal migration: are local governments doing enough.

SETTING: The Kerala health system in India has more than 25 years of decentralised implementation experience. Decentralization could assist in addressing health disparities such as gender, disability, and migration. OBJECTIVE: To explore how inequity issues comprising gender, disability and internal migrations were being addressed at present by the decentralised Kerala health system. DESIGN: Our approach was qualitative, using document review, key informant interviews and in-depth interviews with policy makers, health staff and other stakeholders. RESULTS: Gender aspects were incorporated into planning and budgeting, with 10% funds earmarked for women. Projects were gender-specific to women, and within conventional social roles of livelihood, welfare or reproductive health. Recently, transgender focused projects were also initiated. Schemes for people with disabilities remained welfare-centric and driven by top-down policies. The local governments performed beneficiary identification and benefit disbursal. Migrant health aspects were focused on infectious diseases surveillance and later living conditions of migrant workers. CONCLUSION: The importance that health systems place on socioeconomic determinants of health and fundamental human rights is reflected in the health interventions for marginalised communities. In Kerala, there is now a passive application of central rules and a reluctance to utilise local platforms. Changing this is a necessary condition for achieving equal development.

CONTEXTE: Le système de santé du Kérala en Inde possède plus de 25 ans d'expérience de mise en œuvre décentralisée. La décentralisation pourrait aider à lutter contre les disparités en matière de santé, telles que le genre, le handicap et la migration. OBJECTIF: Examiner comment les questions d'inégalité, notamment le genre, le handicap et les migrations internes, sont actuellement abordées par le système de santé décentralisé du Kérala. MÉTHODES: Notre approche qualitative s'est appuyée sur une analyse documentaire, des entretiens avec des informateurs clés et des entretiens approfondis avec des décideurs politiques, du personnel de santé et d'autres parties prenantes. RÉSULTATS: Les aspects liés au genre ont été intégrés dans la planification et les prévisions budgétaires, en réservant 10 % des fonds aux femmes. Les projets s'adressaient uniquement aux femmes et s'inscrivaient dans le cadre des rôles sociaux conventionnels de subsistance, de bien-être ou de santé génésique. Récemment, des projets axés sur les transsexuels ont également été lancés. Les programmes destinés aux personnes porteuses de handicaps restaient axés sur l'aide sociale et dictés par des politiques descendantes. Les gouvernements locaux se chargeaient de l'identification des bénéficiaires et du versement des prestations. Les aspects de la santé des migrants étaient axés sur la surveillance des maladies infectieuses, puis sur les conditions de vie des travailleurs migrants. CONCLUSION: L'importance accordée par les systèmes de santé aux déterminants socio-économiques de la santé et aux droits fondamentaux de l'homme se reflète dans les interventions sanitaires destinées aux communautés marginalisées. Au Kérala, on constate aujourd'hui une application passive des règles centrales et une réticence à utiliser les plateformes locales. Changer cet état de fait est une condition nécessaire pour parvenir à un développement égalitaire.

Genome wide identification and evolutionary analysis of vat like NBS-LRR genes potentially associated with resistance to aphids in cotton.

Nucleotide Binding Site - Leucine Rich Repeat (NBS-LRR) genes play a significant role in plant defense against biotic stresses and are an integral part of signal transduction pathways. Vat gene has been well reported for their role in resistance to Aphis gossypii and viruses transmitted by them. Despite their importance, Vat like NBS-LRR resistance genes have not yet been identified and studied in cotton species. This study report hundreds of orthologous Vat like NBS-LRR genes from the genomes of 18 cotton species through homology searches and the distribution of those identified genes were tend to be clustered on different chromosome. Especially, in a majority of the cases, Vat like genes were located on chromosome number 13 and they all shared two conserved NBS-LRR domains, one disease resistant domain and several repeats of LRR on the investigated cotton Vat like proteins. Gene ontology study on Vat like NBS-LRR genes revealed the molecular functions viz., ADP and protein binding. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed that Vat like sequences of two diploid species, viz., G. arboreum and G. anomalum, were closely related to the sequences of the tetraploids than all other diploids. The Vat like genes of G. aridum and G. schwendimanii were distantly related among diploids and tetraploids species. Various hormones and defense related cis-acting regulatory elements were identified from the 2 kb upstream sequences of the Vat like genes implying their defensive response towards the biotic stresses. Interestingly, G. arboreum and G. trilobum were found to have more regulatory elements than larger genomes of tetraploid cotton species. Thus, the present study provides the evidence for the evolution of Vat like genes in defense mechanisms against aphids infestation in cotton genomes and allows further characterization of candidate genes for developing aphid and aphid transmitted viruses resistant crops through cotton breeding.

Efficacy of intraosseous saline injection for pain management during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars: a randomized double-blinded clinical trial

Background@#Surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is the most common procedure performed by oral surgeons. The procedure cannot be performed effectively without achieving profound anesthesia. During this procedure, patients may feel pain during surgical bone removal (at the cancellous level) or during splitting and luxation of the tooth, despite administration of routine nerve blocks. Administration of intraosseous (IO) lignocaine injections during third molar surgeries to provide effective anesthesia for pain alleviation has been documented. However, whether the anesthetic effect of lignocaine is the only reason for pain alleviation when administered intraosseously remains unclear. This conundrum motivated us to assess the efficacy of IO normal saline versus lignocaine injections during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of IO normal saline as a viable alternative or adjunct to lignocaine for alleviation of intraoperative pain during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. @*Methods@#This randomized, double-blind, interventional study included 160 patients who underwent surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars and experienced pain during surgical removal of the buccal bone or sectioning and luxation of the tooth. The participants were divided into two groups: the study group, which included patients who would receive IO saline injections, and the control group, which included patients who would receive IO lignocaine injections. Patients were asked to complete a visual analog pain scale (VAPS) at baseline and after receiving the IO injections. @*Results@#Of the 160 patients included in this study, 80 received IO lignocaine (control group), whereas 80 received IO saline (study group) following randomization. The baseline VAPS score of the patients and controls was 5.71 ± 1.33 and 5.68 ± 1.21, respectively. The difference between the baseline VAPS scores of the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between the numbers of patients who experienced pain relief following administration of IO lignocaine (n=74) versus saline (n=69) was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between VAPS scores measured after IO injection in both groups was not statistically significant (P >0.05) (1.05 ± 1.20 for the control group vs. 1.72 ± 1.56 for the study group) @*Conclusion@#The study demonstrates that IO injection of normal saline is as effective as lignocaine in alleviating pain during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars and can be used as an effective adjunct to conventional lignocaine injection.

Decorating MnO2 nanosheets on MOF-derived Co3O4 as a battery-type electrode for hybrid supercapacitors.

Metal-organic framework-derived materials are now considered potential next-generation electrode materials for supercapacitors. In this present investigation, Co3O4@MnO2 nanosheets are synthesized using ZIF-67, which is used as a sacrificial template through a facile hydrothermal method. The unique vertically grown nanosheets provide an effective pathway for rapidly transporting electrons and ions. As a result, the ZIF-67 derived Co3O4@MnO2-3 electrode material shows a high specific capacitance of 768 C g-1 at 1 A g-1 current density with outstanding cycling stability (86% retention after 5000 cycles) and the porous structure of the material has a good BET surface area of 160.8 m2 g-1. As a hybrid supercapacitor, Co3O4@MnO2-3//activated carbon exhibits a high specific capacitance (82.9 C g-1) and long cycle life (85.5% retention after 5000 cycles). Moreover, a high energy density of 60.17 W h kg-1 and power density of 2674.37 W kg-1 has been achieved. This attractive performance reveals that Co3O4@MnO2 nanosheets could find potential applications as an electrode material for high-performance hybrid supercapacitors.