Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common reason for lumbar surgery in patients. The standard surgical management is decompression of the spinal canal by laminectomy and bilateral ...laminotomy. In this paper, the effect of this surgical procedures & its mechanical behaviour is determined by using a specially designed fixture for flexural testing of animal's lumber spine. By using this fixture, a constant moment generated through the axial movement of the UTM actuator is applied to the spine specimen to achieve the various degree of motions. The sliding base of this specially design fixture allows us to fix the base block and the bone at any location on the lower base plate. The bone can be fastened at any location on the plate by sliding the upper block and bottom base together. A variety of moments can be created by altering the position of the bone. The techniques for specimen preparation, fixture manufacture, testing, and result evaluation are outlined. Under diverse surgical settings, several porcine specimens have been successfully tested. Finally, the designed fixture's efficacy is assessed by comparing the outcomes obtained under various surgical situations.
Ultra-wide Band (UWB) technology has emerged as a pivotal tool for human motion detection, finding applications in diverse areas ranging from smart homes to automotive safety. This paper presents a ...comprehensive survey of methodologies employed in UWB-based motion detection, elucidating their strengths, challenges, and performance metrics. While several methods, including Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) approaches, have been explored, challenges such as motion state overlaps, the necessity for enhanced spatial resolution, and background noise interference persist. Among the various methods analyzed, the SGWO-based RMDL technique emerges as a frontrunner, offering superior accuracy, reduced mean squared error, and impressive true negative and positive rates. Moreover, its computational efficiency sets a precedent in human motion detection. This paper provides insights into the state-of-the-art Through the wall imaging and human vital signs observation for future research and realtime applications.
Spectral mixture modelling is one of the most important techniques for classifying hyperspectral data at sub-pixel resolution. The identification of spectrally pure endmembers for estimating their ...corresponding abundances is an important step in spectral unmixing. The application of spectral reduction prior to endmember extraction would optimize the process by increasing the sensitivity of the algorithms to the most distinctive and informative features of the dataset. The objective of this study is to compare different spectral reduction techniques prior to endmember extraction on six real hyperspectral datasets, including an Airborne Visible Infra Red Imaging Spectroscopy- Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) image over Indian sub-continent. The endmembers identified from different combinations of spectral reduction and endmember extraction techniques are used for linear spectral unmixing on the original datasets. The performance of such combinations after unmixing were compared in terms of pixel reconstruction error and also the computation time for each dataset. Spectral reduction by both feature extraction techniques like Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Independent Component Analysis (ICA), Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF), and a feature selection technique based on Partial Informational Correlation (PIC) measure were analysed. The PIC based spectral reduction was found to perform well in terms of reconstruction error and computation time when combined with N-FINDR endmember algorithm. This approach could be adopted for spectral reduction in unmixing of datasets with similar endmember classes.
Sulfur-containing amino acids (SAA), namely methionine, and cysteine are crucial essential amino acids (EAA) considering the dietary requirements of humans and animals. However, a few crop plants, ...especially legumes, are characterized with suboptimal levels of these EAA thereby limiting their nutritive value. Hence, improved comprehension of the mechanistic perspective of sulfur transport and assimilation into storage reserve, seed storage protein (SSP), is imperative. Efforts to augment the level of SAA in seed storage protein form an integral component of strategies to balance nutritive quality and quantity. In this review, we highlight the emerging trends in the sulfur biofortification approaches namely transgenics, genetic and molecular breeding, and proteomic rebalancing with sulfur nutrition. The transgenic ‘push and pull strategy’ could enhance sulfur capture and storage by expressing genes that function as efficient transporters, sulfate assimilatory enzymes, sulfur-rich foreign protein sinks, or by suppressing catabolic enzymes. Modern molecular breeding approaches that adopt high throughput screening strategies and machine learning algorithms are invaluable in identifying candidate genes and alleles associated with SAA content and developing improved crop varieties. Sulfur is an essential plant nutrient and its optimal uptake is crucial for seed sulfur metabolism, thereby affecting seed quality and yields through proteomic rebalance between sulfur-rich and sulfur-poor seed storage proteins.
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•A series of pyrazole linked benzothiazole-β-naphthol derivatives were synthesized by using catalyst-free reaction conditions.•The synthesized derivatives were tested for their ...anti-proliferative activity against human cancer cell lines.•Topoisomerase I inhibition assay demonstrates that these derivatives inhibit topoisomerase I activity.•Spectroscopic studies and molecular docking studies revealed that these derivatives exhibit DNA minor groove binding.
A series of new pyrazole linked benzothiazole-β-naphthol derivatives were designed and synthesized using a simple, efficient and ecofriendly route under catalyst-free conditions in good to excellent yields. These derivatives were evaluated for their cytotoxicity on selected human cancer cell lines. Among those, the derivatives 4j, 4k and 4l exhibited considerable cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging between 4.63 and 5.54 µM against human cervical cancer cells (HeLa). Structure activity relationship was elucidated by varying different substituents on benzothiazoles and pyrazoles. Further, flow cytometric analysis revealed that these derivatives induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and spectroscopic studies such as UV–visible, fluorescence and circular dichroism studies showed that these derivatives exhibited good DNA binding affinity. Additionally, these derivatives can effectively inhibit the topoisomerase I activity. Viscosity studies and molecular docking studies demonstrated that the derivatives bind with the minor groove of the DNA.
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nonthermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) on the bond strength of epoxy resin-based and bioceramic root canal sealers.
Materials and Methods: ...Freshly extracted forty (n = 40) single-rooted mandibular premolar teeth were divided into four groups (n = 10) based on the sealer used and NTAP application - Group 1: Epoxy resin-based sealer (AH Plus) without NTAP application, Group 2: Epoxy resin-based sealer (AH Plus) with NTAP application for 30 s, Group 3: Bioceramic sealer (BioRoot RCS) without NTAP application, and Group 4: Bioceramic sealer (BioRoot RCS) with NTAP application for 30 s. After NTAP application in Groups 2 and 4, all the samples were obturated using sealers according to their grouping protocols. Two-millimeter slices were obtained from each sample using hard tissue microtome, which were subjected to push-out bond strength (PBS) under the universal testing machine. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using one-way analysis of variance followed by the Post hoc tukey test. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.
Results: The PBS values were observed to be significantly higher in bioceramic sealer with NTAP application (Group 4) followed by epoxy resin-based sealer with NTAP application (Group 2).
Conclusion: NTAP application enhanced the PBS of bioceramic (BioRoot RCS) and epoxy resin-based (AH Plus) sealers compared to their control groups.
A gas sensor is a device that detects the presence of gases in a specific area. This research work demonstrates the effectiveness of gas sensors based on graphene oxide (GO) and copper oxide (CuO) ...semiconductor nanomaterials for the detection of carbon dioxide. GO and CuO were prepared by the modified Hummer’s method and precipitation method using CuCl2 as a precursor, respectively. These materials are made into a hybrid using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) polymer solutions of low concentrations and are spin coated onto the pattern-etched copper-clad substrate. The sensor is tested using a source measurement unit (SMU) to obtain the change in the resistance of the sensor in open air and in a carbon dioxide environment. The fabricated sensor with an Arduino microcontroller detection unit showed a good sensing response of 60%.
Aim: We aimed to evaluate the effect of nonthermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) on the bond strength of composite resin after using different tooth-whitening systems.
Methods: Eighty maxillary central ...incisors (n = 80) were divided into two groups based on the tooth-whitening procedure used - Group 1: bleaching (Pola Office, USA), Group 2: microabrasion (Opalustre, Australia). The samples were subdivided into four groups depending on the surface treatments - Group A: control (no surface treatment), Group B: plasma, Group C: antioxidant (sodium ascorbate), and Group D: buffering agent (sodium bicarbonate). After the surface treatments, the specimens were stored in artificial saliva for 24 h and composite resin was bonded to the labial surface of the teeth perpendicular to the long axis. The samples were then subjected to shear bond strength test under the universal testing machine.
Statistical Analysis: The results received from shear bond strength analysis were subjected to statistical analysis using a two-way ANOVA test, independent t-test, and Tukey's multiple post hoc tests. The P value set was <0.05.
Results: The highest mean bond strength value was seen in Group 2B (NTAP treatment after microabrasion) followed by Group 1B (NTAP treatment after bleaching). Mean shear bond strength values have suggested a statistically significant difference between all the other groups (P < 0.05) except between Groups 1A, 2A and 1D, 2D.
Conclusions: Within the limitations of the current in vitro study, bleaching and microabrasion followed by surface treatment using NTAP showed the highest bond strength than other groups.
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of nonthermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) on the bond strength of composite resin following plasma application at different steps of dentin bonding ...in total-etch and self-etch adhesive systems.
Materials and Methods: Ninety extracted third molars were taken, and the occlusal surfaces were removed until the exposure of the dentin. Samples were distributed into two main groups: Group T: total-etch adhesive system and Group S: self-etch adhesive system. Groups are further subdivided (n = 10) based on plasma application at different steps of dentin bonding. T1: surface etching with 37% phosphoric acid and bonding agent application. T2: plasma application and bonding agent application. T3: plasma application, etching, and bonding agent application. T4: etching, plasma application, and bonding agent application. T5: etching, plasma application, bonding agent application, and again plasma application. S1: self-etch bonding agent application. S2: plasma application and bonding agent application. S3: Bonding agent application and plasma application. S4: plasma application, bonding agent application, and again plasma application. For all the samples, composite resin buildup was done, and shear bond strength (SBS) was measured. The contact angle was measured at different steps of dental adhesive systems.
Statistical Analysis: Two-way analysis of variance and the post hoc Tukey's test were used for analysis, regarding P < 0.05 as statistically significant.
Results: Among all groups of total-etch and self-etch adhesives, Group T4 (48.81 Mpa) and Group S2 (36.59 Mpa), respectively, have demonstrated significantly greater bond strength values than the corresponding control groups.
Conclusion: NTAP enhanced the composite resin's SBS when plasma treatment was done before bonding agent application and significantly reduced the contact angles of the distilled water.
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