Salt is included in a variety of foodstuffs consumed by humans and since salt is contaminated with microplastics (MPs) causes health risk for humans. MPs can absorb pollutants that may transfer ...through organisms after the ingestion of MPs and affect the health of the human body by constantly taking the contaminated salt through food. Therefore, studies are needed to analyze the presence of MPs in salt pans. The present study was undertaken to investigate the spatiotemporal variations in the occurrence, distribution, and characterization of microplastics in water, sediment, and salt from salt pans of the Thoothukudi coastal region (October 2020–September 2021). Samples were collected from three sampling sites, viz., Tharuvaikulam (station 1), Thoothukudi (station 2), and Pazhayakayal (station 3) for analysis of the MPs throughout the year as they vary with season by Nile red staining method. The maximum occurrence of MPs in the salt was recorded as 52 MPs/kg during the monsoon season, in sediments it was 45 MPs/kg post southwest monsoon season, and in surface water samples it was 42 MPs/liter post southwest monsoon season at station 1. The dominant size of MPs for all the three samples was <0.5 mm post southwest monsoon season. White color with irregular-shaped MPs was found to be dominant throughout the study. The predominant composition of the extracted MPs was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and identified as polyethylene and polypropylene in all the samples.
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•Spatiotemporal variations of MPs were analyzed in the salt pans.•The dominant size recorded was — <0.5 mm, shape — fragment and irregular, color — white, and polymer — PE & PP.•High level of MPs was found in salt during monsoon season at Station 1 due to wind velocity and anthropogenic activity.•The outcome of this study creates awareness among people to reduce MPs pollution.
The vital role of the private sector in the overall development of a country is crucial as proven by private tertiary industries. Despite its phenomenal success all over the world, private sectors ...are facing enormous challenges due to frequent turnover of Generation Y (Gen Y). Such phenomena cause massive overt and covert losses. Gen Y workers are optimistic, practical and often have attrition tendencies at workplaces. Extensive literature indicates the turnover problem of Gen Y remains unresolved. Frustration acts as the most crucial factor contributing to frequent turnover. The employers state similar effects. Turnover studies have been performed in the Western sense, though turnover problems exist all over the world, which include a developing country like Bangladesh. Another problem is the turnover rate in the public sector is lower than the private sector. Since each company strives to achieve the best output and lower turnover to avoid brain drain, they refrain from high turnover costs and maintaining competent staff. This quantitative study discovers that there is an urgent need to establish retention-friendly approaches to mitigate Gen Y frustration and retain them in the workplace. Gen Y retention approaches, management initiatives, soft HRM, work–life balance and employee satisfaction are vital resources for Gen Y retention in the private sector.
To determine the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in a rural population of southern India.
A population-based cross-sectional study.
A total of 17,200 subjects aged 6 years or older, ...including 5150 subjects aged 40 years or older from 50 clusters representative of three southern districts of Tamil Nadu in southern India.
All participants had preliminary screenings consisting of vision using a LogMAR illiterate E chart and anterior segment hand light examinations at the village level. Subjects aged 40 years or older were offered comprehensive eye examinations at the base hospital, including visual acuity using LogMAR illiterate E charts and refraction, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, gonioscopy, applanation tonometry, dilated fundus examinations, and automated Humphrey central 24-2 full threshold perimetry; subjects younger than 40 years of age who had any signs or symptoms of ocular disease were also offered comparable examinations at the base hospital.
Visual impairment was defined as best-corrected visual acuity <6/18, and blindness was defined using both Indian (<6/60) and World Health Organization (<3/60) definitions.
Comprehensive examinations at the base hospital were performed on 5150 (96.5%) of 5337 persons 40 years of age or older. Among those 40 years of age and older, presenting visual acuity at the <3/60 level was present in 4.3% (95% confidence interval CI: 3.8, 4.9) and 11.4% (95% CI: 10.6, 12.3) at the <6/60 level. After best correction, the corresponding figures were 1.0% (95% CI: 0.79, 1.2) and 2.1% (95% CI: 1.7, 2.5). Over 70% of subjects improved their vision by at least one line, and nearly a third by three lines after refraction. Age-related cataract was the most common potentially reversible blinding disorder (72.0%) among eyes presenting with blindness.
Blindness and vision impairment remain major public health problems in India that need to be addressed. Cataracts and refractive errors remain the major reversible causes for the burden of vision impairment in this rural population.
Currently, plant fibers, acquired from several resources, have been used widely for numerous applications by textile and green composite industries. The highlights of natural fibers include ...bio-degradable, uninterrupted source, easy and safe handling. The usage of enzymes in the textile industry fosters the development of eco-friendly technologies in fiber processing and tactics to improve the final product quality. The natural fiber from the stem of Cissus quadrangularis was extracted using an amylase enzyme. In light of these aspects, this work investigated the influence of enzyme usage on the extraction of natural fibers from the surface of C. quadrangularis stem through various characterization methods. The characterization of C. quadrangularis stem fibers (CQSFs) by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted. The surface morphology of the normal and fractured samples was studied using scanning electron microscopy.
•It is a continuation work of Cissus quadrangularis fiber characterization.•Novel natural Cissus quadrangularis stem fiber enzyme treatment was characterized in this work.•Physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical analyses were performed.•Characterized fiber has the potentiality to replace the harmful artificial fiber.•Cissus quadrangularis is available in plenty and has a potential for textile and green composite industrial applications.
IMPORTANCE: An intraoperative higher level of positive end-expiratory positive pressure (PEEP) with alveolar recruitment maneuvers improves respiratory function in obese patients undergoing surgery, ...but the effect on clinical outcomes is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a higher level of PEEP with alveolar recruitment maneuvers decreases postoperative pulmonary complications in obese patients undergoing surgery compared with a lower level of PEEP. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomized clinical trial of 2013 adults with body mass indices of 35 or greater and substantial risk for postoperative pulmonary complications who were undergoing noncardiac, nonneurological surgery under general anesthesia. The trial was conducted at 77 sites in 23 countries from July 2014-February 2018; final follow-up: May 2018. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to the high level of PEEP group (n = 989), consisting of a PEEP level of 12 cm H2O with alveolar recruitment maneuvers (a stepwise increase of tidal volume and eventually PEEP) or to the low level of PEEP group (n = 987), consisting of a PEEP level of 4 cm H2O. All patients received volume-controlled ventilation with a tidal volume of 7 mL/kg of predicted body weight. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was a composite of pulmonary complications within the first 5 postoperative days, including respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, bronchospasm, new pulmonary infiltrates, pulmonary infection, aspiration pneumonitis, pleural effusion, atelectasis, cardiopulmonary edema, and pneumothorax. Among the 9 prespecified secondary outcomes, 3 were intraoperative complications, including hypoxemia (oxygen desaturation with Spo2 ≤92% for >1 minute). RESULTS: Among 2013 adults who were randomized, 1976 (98.2%) completed the trial (mean age, 48.8 years; 1381 69.9% women; 1778 90.1% underwent abdominal operations). In the intention-to-treat analysis, the primary outcome occurred in 211 of 989 patients (21.3%) in the high level of PEEP group compared with 233 of 987 patients (23.6%) in the low level of PEEP group (difference, −2.3% 95% CI, −5.9% to 1.4%; risk ratio, 0.93 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.04; P = .23). Among the 9 prespecified secondary outcomes, 6 were not significantly different between the high and low level of PEEP groups, and 3 were significantly different, including fewer patients with hypoxemia (5.0% in the high level of PEEP group vs 13.6% in the low level of PEEP group; difference, −8.6% 95% CI, −11.1% to 6.1%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among obese patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia, an intraoperative mechanical ventilation strategy with a higher level of PEEP and alveolar recruitment maneuvers, compared with a strategy with a lower level of PEEP, did not reduce postoperative pulmonary complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02148692
Abstract
Hyper-activated STAT5B variants are high value oncology targets for pharmacologic intervention. STAT5B
N642H
, a frequently-occurring oncogenic driver mutation, promotes aggressive T-cell ...leukemia/lymphoma in patient carriers, although the molecular origins remain unclear. Herein, we emphasize the aggressive nature of STAT5B
N642H
in driving T-cell neoplasia upon hematopoietic expression in transgenic mice, revealing evidence of multiple T-cell subset organ infiltration. Notably, we demonstrate STAT5B
N642H
-driven transformation of γδ T-cells in in vivo syngeneic transplant models, comparable to STAT5B
N642H
patient γδ T-cell entities. Importantly, we present human STAT5B and STAT5B
N642H
crystal structures, which propose alternative mutation-mediated SH2 domain conformations. Our biophysical data suggests STAT5B
N642H
can adopt a hyper-activated and hyper-inactivated state with resistance to dephosphorylation. MD simulations support sustained interchain cross-domain interactions in STAT5B
N642H
, conferring kinetic stability to the mutant anti-parallel dimer. This study provides a molecular explanation for the STAT5B
N642H
activating potential, and insights into pre-clinical models for targeted intervention of hyper-activated STAT5B.
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