Molecular and physiologic changes in the SpaceX Inspiration4 civilian crew.

Human spaceflight has historically been managed by government agencies, such as the NASA Twins Study1, but new commercial spaceflight opportunities have opened spaceflight to a broader population. In 2021, the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission launched the first-ever all civilian crew to low Earth orbit, which included the youngest American astronaut (age 29), novel in-flight experimental technologies (handheld ultrasound imaging, smartwatch wearables, and immune profiling), ocular alignment measurements, and new protocols for in-depth, multi-omic molecular and cellular profiling. Here we report the primary findings from the 3-day spaceflight mission, which induced a broad range of physiological and stress responses, neurovestibular changes indexed by ocular misalignment, and altered neurocognitive functioning, some of which match long-term spaceflight2, but almost all of which did not differ from baseline (pre-flight) after return to Earth. Overall, these preliminary civilian spaceflight data suggest that short-duration missions do not pose a significant health risk, and moreover present a rich opportunity to measure the earliest phases of adaptation to spaceflight in the human body at anatomical, cellular, physiologic, and cognitive levels. Finally, these methods and results lay the foundation for an open, rapidly expanding biomedical database for astronauts3, which can inform countermeasure development for both private and government-sponsored space missions.

Automated Analysis of Nuclear Parameters in Oral Exfoliative Cytology Using Machine Learning.

BACKGROUND: As oral cancer remains a major worldwide health concern, sophisticated diagnostic tools are needed to aid in early diagnosis. Non-invasive methods like exfoliative cytology, albeit with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), have drawn additional interest. AIM: The study aimed to harness the power of machine learning algorithms for the automated analysis of nuclear parameters in oral exfoliative cytology. Further, the analysis of two different AI systems, namely convoluted neural networks (CNN) and support vector machine (SVM), were compared for accuracy. METHODS: A comparative diagnostic study was performed in two groups of patients (n=60). The control group without evidence of lesions (n=30) and the other group with clinically suspicious oral malignancy (n=30) were evaluated. All patients underwent cytological smears using an exfoliative cytology brush, followed by routine Hematoxylin and Eosin staining. Image preprocessing, data splitting, machine learning, model development, feature extraction, and model evaluation were done. An independent t-test was run on each nuclear characteristic, and Pearson's correlation coefficient test was performed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 28.0. IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS:  The study found substantial variations between the study and control groups in nuclear size (p<0.05), nuclear shape (p<0.01), and chromatin distribution (p<0.001). The Pearson correlation coefficient of SVM was 0.6472, and CNN was 0.7790, showing that SVM had more accuracy. CONCLUSION: The availability of multidimensional datasets, combined with breakthroughs in high-performance computers and new deep-learning architectures, has resulted in an explosion of AI use in numerous areas of oncology research. The discerned diagnostic accuracy exhibited by the SVM and CNN models suggests prospective improvements in early detection rates, potentially improving patient outcomes and enhancing healthcare practices.

17-Beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 13 Loss of Function Does Not Confer Protection to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Indian Population.

Background: A splice variant in HSD17B13 gene is demonstrated to protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and mitigate the effect of Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3-I148M). It is being explored as a putative drug target and in polygenic risk scores. Based on whole exome sequencing (WES) in our cohort of biopsy proven NAFLD and limited data on the variant in our ethnicity, we sought to explore its role. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that recruited 1,020 individuals with ultrasound/biopsy-confirmed NAFLD and matched controls. Liver enzymes and lipid profiles were estimated (Beckman coulter LX750/DXH800); WES was performed in NAFLD patients and controls (Illumina; HiSeqX); HSD17B13-A-INS/I148M-PNPLA3 variants were genotyped (sequencing/qR T-PCR); HSD17B13 protein expression was estimated (immunohistochemistry); the Student's t-test/Mann-Whitney U/Chi-square test and odds ratio (95% confidence interval) were used. Results: There was no significant difference (Odds ratio = 0.76; 95% CI -0.57 to 1.03; P = 0.76) in the frequency of the rs72613567-A-INS between controls and patients (17.8% vs. 14.4%). No difference in the ALT (Alanine transaminase; 72.24 ± 65.13 vs. 73.70 ± 60.06; P = 0.51) and AST levels (Aspartate aminotransferase; 60.72 ± 55.59 vs. 61.63 ± 60.33; P = 0.91) between HSD17B13-wild and variant carriers were noted. Significantly elevated liver enzymes were seen in PNPLA3-148-variant/HSD17B13-wild compared with PNPLA3-148-variant/HSD17B13-variant (90.44 ± 59.0 vs. 112.32 ± 61.78; P = 0.02). No difference in steatosis (P = 0.51) between HSD17B13-wild and variant carriers was noted. No other variants in the intron-exon boundaries were identified. Although, protein expression differences were noted between wild and variant carriers, no difference in the extent of steatosis was seen. Conclusion: Our study reports lack of association of the splice variant with reduced risk of NAFLD, and mitigating the effect of PNPLA3 variant. Ethnicity-based validation must be carried out before including it in assessing protection against NAFLD.

Tracking hybrid viability across life stages in a natural avian contact zone.

Hybrid inviability is an important post-zygotic reproductive barrier between species, but emerging signs of reduced viability can be difficult to study across the lifespan of natural hybrids. We use a combination of long-term monitoring, extra-pair paternity, and mitochondrial DNA identification in a natural hybrid zone of Ficedula flycatchers to detect emerging signs of intrinsic hybrid inviability across their entire lifespan. We evaluate possible evidence of Darwin's corollary to Haldane's rule, predicting asymmetries in inviability between hybrids resulting from reciprocal crosses, due to incompatible genetic factors with sex-specific inheritance patterns. We found higher hatching failure among mixed-species pairs, possibly indicating early developmental impairments associated with specific parental genetic combinations. Adult hybrids had a higher basal mortality rate than both parental species and different age-specific mortality trajectories. There were signs of differences in age-independent mortality rates between the reciprocal hybrid crosses: hybrids with a pied flycatcher mother experienced slightly increased mortality later in life. Using an exceptional dataset with many natural hybrids tracked across life stages, we provide evidence for several emerging signs of reduced hybrid viability. Incompatibilities between alleles located on autosomes and uniparentally inherited factors such as Z-linked and/or mitochondrial genes are strong candidates underlying intrinsic hybrid dysfunction in this system.

Comparing rare variants versus common in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a whole exome sequencing approach.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Genome-wide association studies have reported the association of common variants with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in genes, namely, PNPLA3/TM6SF2/MBOAT7/HSD17B13, across ethnicities. However, the approach does not identify rarer variants with a higher effect size. We therefore sequenced the complete exonic regions of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and controls to compare rare and common variants with a role in the pathogenesis. METHODS: This is a prospective study that recruited 54 individuals with/without fatty infiltration. Patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and persistently elevated liver enzymes were included. Controls were with normal CT/MR fat fraction. DNA was isolated from whole blood, amplified (SureSelectXT Human All Exon V5 + UTR kit) and sequenced (Illumina). Data were filtered for quality, aligned (hg19), and annotated (OpenCRAVAT). Pathogenic (Polyphen-2/SIFT/ClinVar) variants and variants reported to be associated with NAFLD based on published literature were extracted from our data and compared between patients and controls. RESULTS: The mean age of controls (N = 17) and patients (N = 37) was 46.88 ± 6.94 and 37.46 ± 13.34 years, respectively. A total of 251 missense variants out of 89 286 were classified as pathogenic. Of these, 106 (42.23%) were unique to the patients and remaining (n = 145; 57.77%) were found in both patients and controls. Majority (25/37; 67.57%) patients had a minimum of one or more rare pathogenic variant(s) related to liver pathology that was not seen in the controls. CONCLUSION: Elucidating the contribution of rare pathogenic variants would enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis. Including the rarer genes in the polygenic risk scores would enhance prediction power.

Recent Advances in Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Technology for Detecting Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers.

Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, mainly due to a lack of early detection and screening methods. Advanced immunoassay techniques, such as Luminex and proximity extension assay (PEA) technology, show promise in improving EOC detection by utilizing highly sensitive and specific multiplex panels to detect multiple combinations of biomarkers. However, these advanced immunoassay techniques have certain limitations, especially in validating the performance characteristics such as specificity, sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), and dynamic range for each EOC biomarker within the panel. Implementing multiplexing in point-of-care (POC) biosensors can enhance EOC biomarker detection, with Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) being a versatile option among optical biosensors. There is no study on multiplex SPR biosensors specifically tailored for diagnosing EOC. Recent studies have shown promising results in the single detection of EOC biomarkers using SPR, with LOD for cancer antigen 125 (CA125) at 0.01 U/mL-1 and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) at 1pM. This study proposes a potential roadmap for scientists and engineers in academia and industry to develop a cost effective yet highly efficient SPR biosensor platform for detecting EOC.

Visible and angular interrogation of Kretschmann-based SPR using hybrid Au-ZnO optical sensor for hyperuricemia detection.

Uric acid is a waste product of the human body where high levels of it or hyperuricemia can lead to gout, kidney disease and other health issues. In this paper, Finite Difference Time Doman (FDTD) simulation method was used to develop a plasmonic optical sensor to detect uric acid with molarity ranging from 0 to 3.0 mM. A hybrid layer of gold-zinc oxide (Au-ZnO) was used in this Kretschmann-based Surface Plasmon Resonance (K-SPR) technique with angular interrogation at 670 nm and 785 nm visible optical wavelengths. The purpose of this study is to observe the ability of the hybrid material as a sensing performance enhancer for differentiating between healthy and unhealthy uric acid levels based on the refractive index values from previous study. Upon exposure to 670 nm wavelength, the average sensitivity of this sensor was found to be 0.028°/mM with a linearity of 98.67 % and Q-factor value of 0.0053 mM-1. While at 785 nm, the average sensitivity is equal to 0.0193°/mM with slightly lower linearity at 94.46 % and Q-factor value of 0.0076 mM-1. The results have proven the ability of hybrid material Au-ZnO as a sensing performance enhancer for detecting uric acid when compared with bare Au and can be further explored in experimental work.

Geriatric Services Hub - A Collaborative Frailty Management Model between The Hospital and Community Providers.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is an important geriatric syndrome especially with ageing populations. Frailty can be managed or even reversed with community-based interventions delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. Innovation is required to find community frailty models that can deliver cost-effective and feasible care to each local context. OBJECTIVES: We share pilot data from our Geriatric Service Hub (GSH) which is a novel frailty care model in Singapore that identifies and manages frailty in the community, supported by a hospital-based multi-disciplinary team. METHODS: We describe in detail our GSH model and its implementation. We performed a retrospective data analysis on patient characteristics, uptake, prevalence of frailty and sarcopenia and referral rates for multi-component interventions. RESULTS: A total of 152 persons attended between January 2020 to May 2021. Majority (59.9%) were female and mean age was 81.0 ± 7.1 years old. One-fifth (21.1%) of persons live alone. Mean Charlson Co-morbidity Index was 5.2 ± 1.8. Based on the clinical frailty risk scale (CFS), 31.6% were vulnerable, 51.3% were mildly frail and 12.5% were moderately frail. Based on SARC-F screening, 45.3% were identified to be sarcopenic whilst 56.9% had a high concern about falling using the Falls-Efficacy Scale-International. BMD scans were done for 41.4% of participants, of which 58.7% were started on osteoporosis treatment. In terms of referrals to allied health professionals, 87.5% were referred for physiotherapy, 71.1% for occupational therapy and 50.7% to dieticians. CONCLUSION: The GSH programme demonstrates a new local model of partnering with community service providers to bring comprehensive population level frailty screening and interventions to pre-frail and frail older adults. Our study found high rates of frailty, sarcopenia and fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults who were not presently known to geriatric care services.

Geometrical Characterisation of TiO2-rGO Field-Effect Transistor as a Platform for Biosensing Applications.

The performance of the graphene-based field-effect transistor (FET) as a biosensor is based on the output drain current (Id). In this work, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was investigated to obtain a high-performance device that produces a higher Id value. Using the finite element method, a novel top-gate FET was developed in a three-dimensional (3D) simulation model with the titanium dioxide-reduced graphene oxide (TiO2-rGO) nanocomposite as the transducer material, which acts as a platform for biosensing application. Using the Taguchi mixed-level method in Minitab software (Version 16.1.1), eighteen 3D models were designed based on an orthogonal array L18 (6134), with five factors, and three and six levels. The parameters considered were the channel length, electrode length, electrode width, electrode thickness and electrode type. The device was fabricated using the conventional photolithography patterning technique and the metal lift-off method. The material was synthesised using the modified sol-gel method and spin-coated on top of the device. According to the results of the ANOVA, the channel length contributed the most, with 63.11%, indicating that it was the most significant factor in producing a higher Id value. The optimum condition for the highest Id value was at a channel length of 3 µm and an electrode size of 3 µm × 20 µm, with a thickness of 50 nm for the Ag electrode. The electrical measurement in both the simulation and experiment under optimal conditions showed a similar trend, and the difference between the curves was calculated to be 28.7%. Raman analyses were performed to validate the quality of TiO2-rGO.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Environment: Current Surveillance and Effective Data Management of COVID-19.

Since diagnostic laboratories handle large COVID-19 samples, researchers have established laboratory-based assays and developed biosensor prototypes. Both share the same purpose; to ascertain the occurrence of air and surface contaminations by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the biosensors further utilize internet-of-things (IoT) technology to monitor COVID-19 virus contamination, specifically in the diagnostic laboratory setting. The IoT-capable biosensors have great potential to monitor for possible virus contamination. Numerous studies have been done on COVID-19 virus air and surface contamination in the hospital setting. Through reviews, there are abundant reports on the viral transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through droplet infections, person-to-person close contact and fecal-oral transmission. However, studies on environmental conditions need to be better reported. Therefore, this review covers the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in airborne and wastewater samples using biosensors with comprehensive studies in methods and techniques of sampling and sensing (2020 until 2023). Furthermore, the review exposes sensing cases in public health settings. Then, the integration of data management together with biosensors is well explained. Last, the review ended with challenges to having a practical COVID-19 biosensor applied for environmental surveillance samples.

Recurrent Aneurysmal Bone Cyst of Proximal Femur with Pathological Fracture - A Case Report.

Introduction: Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a rare, benign, and cystic lesion. The most common sites are the femur, tibia, humerus, and spine. It is more common in females and usually occurs during the second decade of life. Case Report: A 5-year-old female child had a trivial fall, following which she developed pain in her left hip. Radiographs revealed an expansile, lytic lesion in the metaphysis of the left proximal femur. Cortical breach was present resulting in a pathological fracture. Biopsy of the lesion showed blood filled cystic spaces confirming the diagnosis of ABC. We performed an extended curettage of the lesion, bone grafting, and angle blade plate fixation. The angle blade plate was removed 1 year after the surgery. Two years later, she complained of pain in the left hip. Radiographs showed a geographic lytic lesion surrounding the previously inserted bone graft. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple blood fluid levels. We performed an extended curettage with high speed burr. We filled the cavity with bone substitute and stabilized the region using a proximal humerus internal locking system plate. The histopathological examination of intraoperative samples confirmed the diagnosis of recurrence of ABC. We found no further recurrence of the tumor after 3 years of follow-up. Conclusion: ABCs can present with pathological fractures and requires management of the cyst and stabilization of the bone. Recurrent ABCs can be managed by re-curettage of the lesion and prophylactic internal fixation. The curettage has to be extensive through a large cortical window and using a high speed burr.

Congenital anterior urethral valves and diverticulum: A case series and association with posterior urethral valves.

INTRODUCTION: There is limited data regarding long-term results and associated complications in patients with anterior urethral valve (AUV) and diverticulum (AUD). We retrospectively reviewed AUV/AUD cases managed by us between the year 2002-2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Presentation, investigations, management, concomitant posterior urethral valves (PUV) and pre-operative characteristics predisposing to long-term poor renal outcome were assessed. RESULTS: There were 27 patients [AUV (n = 11); AUD (n = 16)] with 5 having concomitant PUV. All presented with poor urinary stream and dribbling at a median age of 1-year (5 days-12 years). More patients with AUD (9 of 16, 56.3%) especially with concomitant PUV presented at ≤1-year-age as compared to those with AUV (4 of 11, 36.4%). Concomitant PUV and AUD cases (n = 3) had characteristic micturating cystourethrography (MCUG) features. (Fig. 1A) Retrograde urethrography delineated the valve and distal urethra dimensions better (Fig. 1B, C). Urethral hypoplasia distal to the valve (n = 4) urethral duplication (n = 1) were associated (Fig. 1D). Syringocele was ruled out in proximal AUD by absence of filling defect on MCUG and appearance of urethral walls on urethrocystoscopy. Serum creatinine > 1 mg/dL (n = 5), trabeculated bladder (n = 12), and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) (n = 12) was noted at presentation. Diverticulum/valve excision (n = 13, 48.2%), fulguration alone (n = 12, 44.4%) and primary urinary diversion (n = 2, 7.4%) were performed. Follow up (range:3 mo-19 years), showed deranged renal function tests (n = 6), VUR (n = 4), impaired renal function on scans (n = 8), and lower urinary tract dysfunction (n = 7). Outcome with and without associated PUV was similar. Long term results were better in AUV compared to AUD. Pre-operative raised serum creatinine (>1 mg/dL), trabeculated bladder, non-dilated posterior urethra on MCUG and bilateral impaired renal function on scans had significant association with follow up eGFR less than 60 ml/kg/min. CONCLUSIONS: Co-existing PUV and AUD present earlier and have specific imaging findings. In proximal AUD, possibility of syringocele should be kept in mind, as they have similar presentation and imaging. Concomitant PUV did not alter prognosis. Secondary effects on bladder and renal function were more with AUD. Follow up eGFR less than 60 ml/kg/min was associated with pre-operative elevated serum creatinine, trabeculated bladder, non-dilated posterior urethra, and bilateral impaired renal function on scans.

"Stay Back Technique" of scleral fixation of decentred intraocular lensbag complex.

Background: Even though rare, posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL)-bag complex dislocation is a serious complication following cataract surgery. Preoperative trauma or zonular weakness, capsule contraction syndrome, and surgical or postoperative trauma to the zonules have been proposed as the causative mechanism. Various risk factors have been described such as pseudoexfoliation (PXF), aging, high myopia, uveitis, trauma, previous vitreoretinal surgery, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetes mellitus, and connective tissue disorders, among which PXF is the most common risk factor. The management of late IOL-bag complex dislocation poses a challenge even for an experienced surgeon. Purpose: To demonstrate the "stay back technique" of scleral fixation of decentered IOL-bag complex. Synopsis: We demonstrate three cases of scleral fixation of anteriorly dislocated IOL-bag complex. The first two cases are traumatic subluxation of IOL-bag complex and the third case is late decentration of both the haptics in a case of PXF. A scleral flap/groove is made along the area of haptic dislocation. Dislocated haptic is allowed to stay in the same position and one arm of 9-0 prolene suture is passed between the optic-haptic junction and docked in a 26-gauge needle passed beneath the scleral flap, 2 mm from the limbus. Haptic is then repositioned beneath the iris and the second arm of prolene suture is passed above the haptic. Sutures are pulled underneath the scleral flap and secured with 5 to 6 knots. Highlights: This is a simplified approach of scleral fixation of anteriorly dislocated IOL-bag complex. This novel technique gives better visualization of the optic-haptic junction during the passage of prolene suture. Online Video Link: https://youtu.be/vKQCR0fow68.

Peri-operative management of a child with ROHHAD-NET syndrome undergoing neural crest tumour excision.

A nine-year-old girl diagnosed with ROHHAD-NET (rapid-onset obesity, hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, autonomic dysfunction and neuroendocrine tumour) syndrome was scheduled for excision of a large paravertebral ganglioneuroma under general anaesthesia. Her comorbidities included hypothyroidism, diabetes insipidus and autonomic dysfunction. Intra- and postoperative complications included intra-operative hypotension, long surgical time and prolonged postoperative ventilation. Complete weaning from ventilation was initially unsuccessful and she was ultimately discharged on domiciliary nasal BiPAP therapy. The peri-operative care of children with this syndrome is challenging due to the involvement of multiple organ systems. In this report, we describe how pre-operative optimisation, well-planned intra-operative management and intensive postoperative care are essential for a favourable outcome.

Enhanced resonances by waveguide wrapping of a bulbed microring resonator.

A high Q-factor novel bulb design, to the best of our knowledge, inspired by the well-studied pulley microring resonator (MRR), is demonstrated and compared with circle and racetrack MRRs at wavelengths of 1.45-1.65 µm. A wrapping of 60% around the ring showed a three times Q-factor increment (Q=828) compared to a standard circle MRR (Q=206) at a telecom wavelength of 1.55 µm with a fixed ring radius of 2 µm, while further increasing the wrapping at 80% shows a decrease in its Q-factor (Q=454). A comparison of the wavelength dependence of the bulb design with other typical MRR designs suggests that bulb designs are highly sensitive to wavelength and have very high Q-factors at lower wavelengths.

"Penetrating Neck Injuries: A Comprehensive Study".

Penetrating neck injuries are defined as injury to the neck associated with breach in the platysmal muscle layer. All penetrating neck injuries are potentially dangerous and require emergency intervention due to its proximity to airway, important blood vessels, nerves and other organs in the neck. A complete evaluation, rapid airway intervention and proper surgical repair are highly essential to prevent complications. Clinical evaluation and management of penetrating neck injuries at a tertiary care hospital. In this study, 66 cases of penetrating neck injuries who presented to the emergency department from October 2018 to September 2020 were included. The particulars of the insult like type of instrument causing injury and zone of injury were compared. An analysis of the management of penetrating neck injury with respect to exploration and wound repair and the need for tracheostomy, vascular repair, esophageal repair, laryngeal framework repair and pharyngeal repair was made. The maximum incidence was observed for the age group between 21 and 30 years. The object causing the maximum number of neck injuries was knife, in 36 cases. The distribution of cases according to zone of injury revealed that the zone II was most commonly affected in 43 cases. The structures injured in the study indicated that platysma was involved in all the cases, followed by thyroid cartilage in 33 cases. Wound exploration and repair was done in all cases and tracheostomy was done in 44 cases. Complications were vocal cord palsy in 19 patients, 15 had tracheal stenosis, 13 had hoarseness of voice, 7 developed pharyngocutaneous fistula and 1 developed pharyngeal stenosis. There were 2 deaths. 16 patients who attempted suicide had depression. All penetrating neck injuries are potentially dangerous and require emergency treatment because of the presence of important vessels, nerves andorgans in the neck. Thorough knowledge of the anatomy of neck, clinical assessment and diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are necessary for appropriate management.

Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Tarda with Progressive Arthropathy Associated with Early-onset Hip Arthritis - A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda with progressive arthropathy (SEDT-PA) is a rare inherited dysfunction with autosomal recessive inheritance. SEDT-PA is also named as progressive pseudorheumatoid arthropathy of childhood as it is associated with multiple joint contractures and arthritis. We report a case of SEDT-PA managed with bilateral stage total hip arthroplasty. CASE REPORT: A 22-year-old lady presented with severe bilateral hip arthritis. Based on her clinical and radiological features described in this article, she was diagnosed as having SEDT-PA. She was managed with bilateral stage total hip arthroplasty. The pre-operative planning and technical challenges of performing this procedure have been described. CONCLUSION: Dysfunctions originally of genetic origin like spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda mimics and is commonly misdiagnosed as juvenile chronic arthritis. These patients have disabling early-onset hip arthritis which requires surgery. Arthroplasty is challenging in these patients because of the low proximal femur offset but good results can be obtained after thorough pre-operative planning to tackle intraoperative difficulties.

First-Principles Studies for Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of Strontium Doped ß-Ga2O3.

The crystal structure, electron charge density, band structure, density of states, and optical properties of pure and strontium (Sr)-doped ß-Ga2O3 were studied using the first-principles calculation based on the density functional theory (DFT) within the generalized-gradient approximation (GGA) with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE). The reason for choosing strontium as a dopant is due to its p-type doping behavior, which is expected to boost the material's electrical and optical properties and maximize the devices' efficiency. The structural parameter for pure ß-Ga2O3 crystal structure is in the monoclinic space group (C2/m), which shows good agreement with the previous studies from experimental work. Bandgap energy from both pure and Sr-doped ß-Ga2O3 is lower than the experimental bandgap value due to the limitation of DFT, which will ignore the calculation of exchange-correlation potential. To counterbalance the current incompatibilities, the better way to complete the theoretical calculations is to refine the theoretical predictions using the scissor operator's working principle, according to literature published in the past and present. Therefore, the scissor operator was used to overcome the limitation of DFT. The density of states (DOS) shows the hybridization state of Ga 3d, O 2p, and Sr 5s orbital. The bonding population analysis exhibits the bonding characteristics for both pure and Sr-doped ß-Ga2O3. The calculated optical properties for the absorption coefficient in Sr doping causes red-shift of the absorption spectrum, thus, strengthening visible light absorption. The reflectivity, refractive index, dielectric function, and loss function were obtained to understand further this novel work on Sr-doped ß-Ga2O3 from the first-principles calculation.

MoS2/h-BN/Graphene Heterostructure and Plasmonic Effect for Self-Powering Photodetector: A Review.

A photodetector converts optical signals to detectable electrical signals. Lately, self-powered photodetectors have been widely studied because of their advantages in device miniaturization and low power consumption, which make them preferable in various applications, especially those related to green technology and flexible electronics. Since self-powered photodetectors do not have an external power supply at zero bias, it is important to ensure that the built-in potential in the device produces a sufficiently thick depletion region that efficiently sweeps the carriers across the junction, resulting in detectable electrical signals even at very low-optical power signals. Therefore, two-dimensional (2D) materials are explored as an alternative to silicon-based active regions in the photodetector. In addition, plasmonic effects coupled with self-powered photodetectors will further enhance light absorption and scattering, which contribute to the improvement of the device's photocurrent generation. Hence, this review focuses on the employment of 2D materials such as graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with the insertion of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and plasmonic nanoparticles. All these approaches have shown performance improvement of photodetectors for self-powering applications. A comprehensive analysis encompassing 2D material characterization, theoretical and numerical modelling, device physics, fabrication and characterization of photodetectors with graphene/MoS2 and graphene/h-BN/MoS2 heterostructures with plasmonic effect is presented with potential leads to new research opportunities.