ABSTRACT
We present a novel approach to estimate the value of primordial non-Gaussianity (fNL) parameter directly from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps using a convolutional neural network ...(CNN). While traditional methods rely on complex statistical techniques, this study proposes a simpler approach that employs a neural network to estimate fNL. The neural network model is trained on simulated CMB maps with known fNL in range of −50, 50, and its performance is evaluated using various metrics. The results indicate that the proposed approach can accurately estimate fNL values from CMB maps with a significant reduction in complexity compared to traditional methods. With 500 validation data, the $f^{\rm output}_{\rm NL}$ against $f^{\rm input}_{\rm NL}$ graph can be fitted as y = ax + b, where $a=0.980^{+0.098}_{-0.102}$ and $b=0.277^{+0.098}_{-0.101}$, indicating the unbiasedness of the primordial non-Gaussianity estimation. The results suggest that the CNN technique can be widely applied to other cosmological parameter estimation directly from CMB images.
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•We report a simple, cost-effective, eco-sustainable synthesis of fluorescent carbon quantum dots derived from precursor Cissus quadrangularis.•The as-synthesized nitrogen doped-CQDs ...demonstrated a homogeneous size distribution (4–9 nm), green fluorescent nature, great photo-stability, excellent water solubility, and a quantum yield of around 5 %.•A biodegradable wheat-starch-based bioplastic was employed to fabricate an N-doped CQDs@bioplastic composite to demonstrate its potential applications in quantum dot-based optical displays and down-conversion light emitting diodes.•The influence of different CQD concentrations and pH sensitivity were investigated further utilizing fabricated optical displays and LEDs.
Carbon quantum dots (CQDs)-based composites as luminous down-conversion materials are becoming more popular due to several advantages such as steady fluorescence, ease of functionalization, tailoring of emission in the visible range, and so on. We report an inexpensive and environmentally sustainable synthesis of fluorescent nitrogen doped-CQDs produced from Cissus quadrangularis, a low-cost plant precursor with therapeutic value. The morphological, structural, and physicochemical features of the material were carefully investigated. Under UV stimulation (365 nm), almost spherical shaped N-CQDs with an average diameter of 5.1 nm were discovered to generate yellow-green fluorescence, have excellent photostability, and strong water solubility, with a quantum yield of up to 5 %. Furthermore, as a solid-phase dispersion matrix for CQDs, ecologically friendly and biodegradable bioplastic is appealing. The down-conversion of solid-state fluorescence of LEDs and UVC tubes was demonstrated by creating a nanocomposite by inserting N-CQDs into the solid matrix of a wheat starch-based bioplastic. Furthermore, employing constructed quantum dot-based optical displays, down-converted LEDs, and UVC tubes, the impacts of varied CQD concentrations and pH sensitivity were examined.
Background and Objectives: The dental caries status of a population group with permanent dentition is traditionally described using decayed, missing, and filled teeth or surface (DMFT or DMFS) index, ...and the corresponding index for the primary dentition is dmft or dmfs. dmf value alone has certain limitations; therefore, additional measures to describe dental caries are important. Poulsen and Horowitz in 1997 described a hierarchical method to determine the severity of dental caries. Aim of the Study: The aim of the study was to determine the pattern of dental caries in 3-6-year-old children using Poulsen and Horowitz hierarchical system and to assess the usefulness of this system. Methodology: Data were collected from 500, 3-6-year-old children. Dmfs was recorded according to World Health Organization criteria 2013. On the basis of the caries recordings, the dmfs score of each child was calculated and each child was assigned to one of the six zones of increasing caries severity, ranging from 0 (caries free) to 5 (most severe). Statistical Analysis Used: The collected data were tabulated and analyzed using Student's t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The overall mean dmfs for the study population was 9.10. The distribution of children according to the severity zones of Poulsen and Horowitz indicates a very low percentage (17.8%) of caries-free children and also a high percentage of children with caries in severity zone 2 (33.4%) and 4 (18.6%). Conclusion: The Poulsen and Horowitz model gives broader aspect for the assessment of severity of dental caries in 3-6-year-old children.
Introduction: In India, even with planned health services, it is difficult to reach the health goals without community participation. While Community needs assessment approach (CNAA) tools like ...Focussed group Discussion (FGD), Village mapping and matrix ranking have been effective in quickly gathering information, surveys have been conventionally preferred. Aim & Objective: The present study compares qualitative and quantitative methods to understand feasibility of using CNAA tools in place of survey as an alternative tool Methodology: Mixed Method research employing Survey and CNAA methods of FGD, Village Mapping, transect walk and Matrix ranking score was carried out as a part of academic activity of National Service Scheme(NSS). Data was represented in form of percentages and frequency tables. Association was measured using Chi Square using Epi Info TM version 7.2.1software. Results: Using quantitative survey, we found that 71% used piped supply and 93.1% of the households used toilets. But 6.9% of them still preferred open fields for defecation. Amongst the participants of FGD, it was found that 90% participants preferred going to government hospitals. Comparable data found for variables like Maternal and child health indicators, Sanitation practices and burden of Non communicable diseases. Partially comparable results were found for burden of communicable diseases. Conclusion: CNAA research tools demonstrated comparability with survey in most areas of health concern and reduced the time required for conducting research without compromising the quality of results
Deep learning has gained a tremendous influence on how the world is adapting to Artificial Intelligence since past few years. Some of the popular object detection algorithms are Region-based ...Convolutional Neural Networks (RCNN), Faster-RCNN, Single Shot Detector (SSD) and You Only Look Once (YOLO). Amongst these, Faster-RCNN and SSD have better accuracy, while YOLO performs better when speed is given preference over accuracy. Deep learning combines SSD and Mobile Nets to perform efficient implementation of detection and tracking. This algorithm performs efficient object detection while not compromising on the performance.
Aim: The present study is an attempt to compare and evaluate postoperative assessment of diode laser zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) pulpotomy and diode laser mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) pulpotomy ...procedures in children. Materials and Methods: Forty carious primary molars indicated for pulpotomy within the age group of 4-9 years were selected and divided into two groups of 20 each using simple randomization, Group 1: Diode laser MTA and Group 2: Diode laser ZOE pulpotomy. The teeth were evaluated clinically for 1 year at 3, 6, and 12 months interval and radiologically for 6 and 12 months. Results: Clinically and radiographically, 100% teeth treated with diode laser MTA and 94% treated with diode laser ZOE were considered successful after 12-month follow-up interval. No significant difference was seen between two groups. Conclusion: Despite the success rate, the cost factor of diode laser and MTA could be the limiting factor in its judicious use in pulpotomy procedure.
Persistent idiopathic facial pain can be extremely difficult and significantly challenging to manage for the patient and the clinician. Pharmacological treatment of these painful conditions is not ...always successful. It has been suggested that the autonomic reflex plays an important role in the pathophysiology of headaches and facial neuralgia. The key structure in the expression of cranial autonomic symptoms is the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), also known as the pterygopalatine ganglion. The role of the SPG in the pathophysiology of headaches and facial pain has become clearer in the past decade. In this case report, we describe a 30 year-old woman with insidious onset of right facial pain. She was suffering from daily pain for more than 9 years prior to her visit at the pain clinic. Her pain was constant with episodic aggravation without a predisposing trigger factor. The patient was evaluated by multiple different specialties and tried multimodal therapy, which included antiepileptic medications, with minimal pain relief. A SPG block using short-acting local anesthetic provided significant temporary pain relief. The second and third attempt of SPG block using different local anesthetic medications demonstrated the same responses. After a thorough psychological assessment and ruling out the presence of a correctable cause for the pain, we decided to proceed with SPG electrical neuromodulation. The patient reported significant pain relief during the electrical nerve stimulation trial. The patient underwent a permanent implant of the neurostimulation electrode in the SPG region. The patient was successfully taken off opioid medication and her pain was dramatically responsive during a 6 month follow-up visit. In this article we describe the SPG nerve stimulation and the technical aspect of pterygopalatine fossa electrode placement. The pterygoplatine fossa is an easily accessible location. This case report will be encouraging for physicians treating intractable facial pain by demonstrating a novel therapeutic option. This report shows a minimally invasive approach to the SPG.
New Findings
What is the central question of this research?
Does acute spinal cord stimulation increase vascular conductance and decrease muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the lower limbs of ...humans?
What is the main finding and its importance?
Acute spinal cord stimulation led to a rapid rise in femoral vascular conductance, and peroneal muscle sympathetic nerve activity demonstrated a delayed reduction that was not associated with the initial increase in femoral vascular conductance. These findings suggest that neural mechanisms in addition to attenuated muscle sympathetic nerve activity might be involved in the initial increase in femoral vascular conductance during acute spinal cord stimulation.
Clinical cases have indicated an increase in peripheral blood flow after continuous epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and that reduced muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) might be a potential mechanism. However, no studies in humans have directly examined the effects of acute SCS (<60 min) on vascular conductance and MSNA. In study 1, we tested the hypothesis that acute SCS (<60 min) of the thoracic spine would lead to increased common femoral vascular conductance, but not brachial vascular conductance, in 11 patients who previously underwent surgical SCS implantation for management of neuropathic pain. Throughout 60 min of SCS, common femoral artery conductance was elevated and significantly different from brachial artery conductance in millilitres per minute: 15 min, change (Δ) 26 ± 37 versus Δ−2 ± 19%; 30 min, Δ28 ± 45 versus Δ0 ± 26%; 45 min, Δ48 ± 43 versus Δ2 ± 21%; 60 min, Δ36 ± 61 versus Δ1 ± 24%; and 15 min post‐SCS, Δ51 ± 64 versus Δ6 ± 33%; P = 0.013. A similar examination in a patient with cervical SCS revealed minimal changes in vascular conductance. In study 2, we examined whether acute SCS reduces peroneal MSNA in a subset of SCS patients (n = 5). The MSNA burst incidence in response to acute SCS gradually declined and was significantly reduced at 45 and 60 min of SCS (in bursts per 100 heart beats: 15 min, Δ−1 ± 12%; 30 min, Δ−14 ± 12%; 45 min, Δ−19 ± 16%; 60 min, Δ−24 ± 18%; and 15 min post‐SCS: Δ−11 ± 7%; P = 0.015). These data demonstrate that acute SCS rapidly increases femoral vascular conductance and reduces peroneal MSNA. The gradual reduction in peroneal MSNA observed during acute SCS suggests that neural mechanisms in addition to attenuated MSNA might be involved in the acute increase in femoral vascular conductance.
The shoulder joint is an enarthrodial or ball-and-socket joint. A complex network of anatomic structures endows the human shoulder with tremendous mobility, greater than any other joint in the body. ...Many pathologies can been found in those patients with chronic shoulder pain. The painful limitation of shoulder motion affects hand and arm motion as well; therefore, it significantly influences work performance and everyday activities as well as the quality of life. Therefore, the treatment of patients with chronic shoulder pain has major social and health economic implications. In this article we present a patient with a complex history of shoulder pathology including 7 surgeries that left the patient with chronic debilitating shoulder pain. She was suffering from chronic pain and limited mobility of the shoulder joint due to adhesive shoulder capsulitis. She was treated with a multimodality approach with the goals of increasing shoulder range of motion and decreasing her pain. This did not provide significant improvement. The suprascapular nerve supplies motor and sensory innervation to the shoulder, and can be easily accessible in the supraspinatus fossa. A suprascapular nerve block dramatically decreased her pain. This clinical observation along with confirmatory nerve block play an important role during the decision-making process for a trial period of electrical neuromodulation. She was followed for 3 months after the permanent implantation of a suprascapular nerve stimulator. Her pain and shoulder range of motion in all planes improved dramatically. Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) of the suprascapular nerve, in addition to multimodality pain management, is one approach to the difficult task of treating adhesive capsulitis with accompanying pain and the inability to move the shoulder. We conducted a literature review on PubMed and found no case describing a similar patient to our knowledge.
Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a more common than previously noted condition (1–2.5 per 50,000 persons) typically caused by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. Initial treatment ...involves conservative therapies, but the mainstay of treatment for patients who fail conservative management is the epidural blood patch (EBP). Subdural hematoma (SDH) is a common complication occurring with SIH, but its management remains controversial.
In this report, we discuss a 62-year-old woman who presented with a 5-week history of orthostatic headaches associated with nausea, emesis, and neck pain. Despite initial imaging being negative, the patient later developed classic imaging evidence characteristic of SIH. Magnetic resonance imaging was unrevealing for the source of the CSF leak. Radionuclide cisternography showed possible CSF leak at the right-sided C7-T1 nerve root exit site. After failing a blind lumbar EBP, subsequent targeted EBP at C7-T1 improved the patient's symptoms. Two days later she developed a new headache with imaging evidence of worsening SDH with midline shift requiring burr hole drainage. This yielded sustained symptomatic relief and resolution of previously abnormal imaging findings at 2-month follow-up.
A literature review revealed 174 cases of SIH complicated by SDH. This revealed conflicting opinions concerning the management of this condition.
Although blind lumbar EBP is often successful, targeted EBP has a lower rate of patients requiring a second EBP or other further treatment. On the other hand, targeted EBP has a larger risk profile. Depending on the clinic situation, treatment of the SDH via surgical evacuation may be necessary.
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