Novel Au nanorod/Cu2O composite nanoparticles for a high-performance supercapacitor

Metal–oxide nanomaterials have attracted great interest in recent years due to their novel characteristics such as surface effect and quantum confinement. A fascinating Au nanorod (NR)/cuprous oxide core–shell composite (AuNR/Cu₂O) was directly synthesized using a moderate one-pot facile green redox method and further utilized for energy storage applications in a supercapacitor. The synthesis mechanism is based on the use of reducing agents to form the core shell. The resultant composite was deposited on the surface of nickel foam as a result of redox reactions between Au and Cu via a hydrothermal method. AuNR/Cu₂O composite nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, including UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis, X-ray diffractometry, and transmission electron microscopy. The AuNR/Cu₂O composite NPs grow via the depositing of a 20–50 nm Cu₂O shell on an AuNR core with dimensions of 5–20 nm in width and 40–70 nm in length. The as-synthesized AuNR/Cu₂O composite NPs were effectively used as electrode materials in a supercapacitor, and their electrochemical performance was determined by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 2 M KOH aqueous solution as an electrolyte. The composite NPs showed excellent average specific capacitance of 235 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 2 A g⁻¹ and durable cycling stability (96% even after 10 000 cycles). The higher efficiency of the AuNR/Cu₂O composite NPs can be attributed to the presence of AuNR in the core. The AuNR/Cu₂O composite NPs exhibit a high surface area and high electrical conductivity, which consequently result in their excellent specific capacitance and outstanding rate as an all-solid-state supercapacitor electrode.

Synthesis of an Au/Cu₂O composite and its supercapacitor behavior.     

Colloid cyst of third ventricle presenting as pseudoeclampsia

A 32 years old omani woman G6P4A1 at 39 weeks of pregnancy presented with complaints of headache and picture of eclampsia. Emergency caesarean section was done for maternal and foetal distress. Post caesarean section patient could not be extubated from general anaesthesia. Emergency computed tomography scan of the brain was done which revealed colloid cyst of the third ventricle with severe acute obstructive hydrocephalus leading to irreversible brain damage and death. Colloid cyst of the third ventricle is a rare benign intracranial tumour, and pregnancy often masks the symptoms. High index of suspicion and early detection of tumour may be life saving.     

Comparison of the effectiveness of amblyopia treatment with eye-patch and binocular Occlu-tab for the same treatment duration

Purpose:This study aimed to compare the conventional eye patch with Occlu-tab—a binocular open-type amblyopia training device—and evaluate their effectiveness in amblyopia treatment.Methods:In this prospective, multi-center study, 40 patients between ages 3 to 12 years, diagnosed with anisometropic amblyopia (refraction difference of both eyes ≥ 2 D, best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA] of the amblyopic eye ≤ 0.1 [logMAR]) were treated with Occlu-tab or conventional eye patch for 1 h per day thrice a week. We compared the visual acuity of both groups before and after 6, 7, and 8 weeks of amblyopia treatment. One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and Tukey’s test were used to compare the visual acuity of both groups pre- and post-treatment.Results:Both groups had significantly improved visual acuity at 6, 7, and 8 weeks compared to that before treatment (all P < 0.001). The improvement in BCVA of the Occlu-tab group (0.33 ± 0.25) was significantly greater than that of the eye patch group (0.16 ± 0.17) after 8 weeks of treatment (P = 0.02).Conclusion:Amblyopia treatment using binocular open game training with Occlu-tab led to greater improvement in visual acuity than that with a conventional eye patch for the same treatment duration.     

Effect of clear aligner wear protocol on the efficacy of tooth movement:: A randomized clinical trial

ObjectivesTo compare the efficacy of orthodontic tooth movement with three aligner wear protocols: 7 day, 10 day, and 14 day.Materials and MethodsEighty patients were randomly allocated into three groups: group A (7-day changes), group B (10-day changes), and group C (14-day changes). The posttreatment scans were compared with the final virtual treatment simulations through digital superimposition. The differences between predicted and actual achieved treatment outcomes were computed in six angular and six linear dimensions. Differences >0.5 mm for linear measurements and >2° for angular measurements were considered clinically relevant.ResultsWithin groups, and irrespective of wear protocol, all linear discrepancies in both jaws were deemed clinically insignificant (<0.5 mm) while nearly all angular discrepancies were considered clinically significant (>2.0°). When the three groups were compared, group C (14-day changes) showed significantly greater accuracy in the posterior segment for maxillary intrusion, distal-crown tip and buccal-crown torque, and mandibular intrusion and extrusion. The mean treatment duration in the 7-day aligner change group was nearly half that of the 14-day aligner change group (5 months vs 9 months).ConclusionsFourteen-day changes were statistically significantly more accurate in some posterior movements. However, this difference in accuracy did not exceed the threshold for clinical significance (>0.5 mm/>2.0°). Achieving a clinically similar accuracy between the 7-day protocol and 14-day protocol in half the treatment time suggests a 7-day protocol as an acceptable treatment protocol. Clinicians may consider slowing down to a 14-day protocol if challenging posterior movements are desired.     

Objective and Subjective Evaluation of Larynx in Smokers and Nonsmokers: A Comparative Study

The deleterious effects of smoking on laryngeal mucosa are indisputable. Smoking not only causes histologic (microscopic) alterations in the vocal fold epithelium but also affect the acoustic property of voice. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of smoking on the laryngeal structures and phonatory physiology via videostroboscopy, acoustic voice analysis and electroglottography. Cross-sectional and observational study was carried out in Department of ENT, Pt. J. N. M. Medical College, Raipur, in 100 male volunteers (50 smokers and 50 nonsmokers) between the ages of 18 and 60 years with no voice complaints. All subjects were analyzed for detailed history and underwent videostroboscopic, acoustic voice analysis and electroglottographic examination. Videostroboscopic examination results showed significant relationships between smoking and abnormal vocal fold edge, abnormal texture, edema, erythema, abnormal mucosal cover, abnormal phase symmetry and abnormal pliability/stiffness. Voice analysis showed that smoking has a clear effect on some acoustic voice and electroglottographic parameters. The parameters most commonly affected by smoking are fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, shimmer, F0 tremor, normalized noise energy, signal noise ratio, maximum phonation time (MPT), s/z ratio, opening rate and closing rate. The results indicate that smoking has a significant effect on laryngeal structures and phonatory physiology.     

Demographic and Videostroboscopic Assessment of Vocal Pathologies

Successful treatment of bilateral vocal fold lesions depends on the accuracy of the diagnosis. The application of stroboscopy to the study of vocal fold vibration has led to dramatic advances in the understanding of vocal fold physiology. Laryngeal stroboscopy is the state of the art diagnostic tool and this technique provides valuable information about the nature of the vibration and a visual image that can be used both for immediate analysis and as a permanent record for comparison of repeated examination at a later date. In this study we are presenting demographic analysis and videostroboscopic assessment in 112 cases of different vocal pathologies. Stroboscopic parameters like glottic closure, amplitude, vocal fold edge, symmetry, periodicity and mucosal wave pattern were studied and statistically significant relationship with different vocal pathologies were obtained.     

Frequencies of Region of Difference 1 Antigen-Specific but Not Purified Protein Derivative-Specific Gamma Interferon-Secreting T Cells Correlate with the Presence of Tuberculosis Disease but Do Not Distinguish Recent from Remote Latent Infections

The majority of individuals infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis achieve lifelong immune containment of the bacillus. What constitutes this effective host immune response is poorly understood. We compared the frequencies of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-secreting T cells specific for five region of difference 1 (RD1)-encoded antigens and one DosR-encoded antigen in 205 individuals either with active disease (n = 167), whose immune responses had failed to contain the bacillus, or with remotely acquired latent infection (n = 38), who had successfully achieved immune control, and a further 149 individuals with recently acquired asymptomatic infection. When subjects with an IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay response to one or more RD1-encoded antigens were analyzed, T cells from subjects with active disease recognized more pools of peptides from these antigens than T cells from subjects with nonrecent latent infection (P = 0.002). The T-cell frequencies for peptide pools were greater for subjects with active infection than for subjects with nonrecent latent infection for summed RD1 peptide pools (P ≤ 0.006) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) antigen (P = 0.029). Individuals with recently acquired (<6 months) versus remotely acquired (>6 months) latent infection did not differ in numbers of peptide pools recognized, proportions recognizing any individual antigen or peptide pool, or antigen-specific T-cell frequencies (P ≥ 0.11). The hierarchy of immunodominance for different antigens was purified protein derivative (PPD) > CFP-10 > early secretory antigenic target 6 > Rv3879c > Rv3878 > Rv3873 > Acr1, and the hierarchies were very similar for active and remotely acquired latent infections. Responses to the DosR antigen α-crystallin were not associated with latency (P = 0.373). In contrast to the RD1-specific responses, the responses to PPD were not associated with clinical status (P > 0.17) but were strongly associated with positive tuberculin skin test results (≥15-mm induration; P ≤ 0.01). Our results suggest that RD1-specific IFN-γ-secreting T-cell frequencies correlate with the presence of disease rather than with protective immunity in M. tuberculosis-infected individuals and do not distinguish recently acquired asymptomatic infection from remotely acquired latent infection.The immune response is responsible for both bacillary containment in latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and immunopathology in active tuberculosis (TB). Comparing key immune responses for these two states may therefore help us dissect which responses mediate or correlate with disease and protection. It is therefore of particular interest to compare the immune responses in individuals with latent infection, who have successfully achieved immune control, and individuals with active disease, in whom the immune response has failed to contain the bacterium but immunopathology is present.Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is essential for controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (11, 17), and CD4⁺ IFN-γ-secreting T cells specific for mycobacterial antigens play a pivotal role (16, 31). Responses to region of difference 1 (RD1)-encoded antigens are of special interest because of the unique features of early secretory antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) (1, 30) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) (3, 5), which appear to be both virulence factors and putative targets of protective immunity.In a primary bovine TB infection, ESAT-6-specific IFN-γ production, although not a proliferative response, correlated with the severity of disease pathology (39). Likewise, increased ESAT-6 expression and CFP-10 expression in Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) or Mycobacterium microti infections were associated with increased pathogenicity in susceptible mice and correlated with increased RD1-specific T-cell responses (9). However, RD1-specific responses induced by vaccination are associated with protective immunity against subsequent challenge with virulent organisms. Thus, mice infected with M. tuberculosis were resistant to reinfection (2), and protection correlated with accelerated accumulation of IFN-γ-secreting effector T cells responding to Ag85 and ESAT-6 (1). Mice (27) and guinea pigs (8) vaccinated with BCG::RD1 developed strong CD4⁺ IFN-γ and proliferative responses to ESAT-6. When challenged, these animals had superior protection compared with BCG-vaccinated or unvaccinated mice, as well as less severe pathology and reduced dissemination of the pathogen (32).However, the relationship between the magnitude of ESAT-6 responses and disease in humans is unclear; little is known about CFP-10, and almost nothing is known about the other RD1-encoded antigens. The chaperone protein α-crystallin (“Acr1,” “Rv2031c,” “HspX,” “16-kDa antigen”) is upregulated under oxidative stress conditions (41) and is important for growth in macrophages (12). Encoded by the M. tuberculosis “dormancy regulon” expressed during natural infection (25), this protein is upregulated during conditions of in vitro stress (35). For these reasons, it has been postulated that Acr1-specific T-cell responses may correlate with latency (12, 41).We recently recruited a cohort of 389 individuals suspected to have TB as part of a prospective study of the diagnostic utility of enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) responses to RD1 antigens. (13). A total of 205 patients were given a definitive diagnosis of active or latent TB and had not received antituberculous chemotherapy. We enumerated IFN-γ-secreting T cells specific for ESAT-6, CFP-10, Rv3879c, Rv3878, Rv3873 (10), and purified protein derivative (PPD) and, in a subset, IFN-γ-secreting T cells specific for Acr1. We compared responses to these antigens in patients with active TB and patients with LTBI in a blinded, prospective manner to address the following questions. Are the frequencies of IFN-γ-secreting T cells specific for RD1 antigens, PPD, and Acr-1 different in patients with active TB and patients with LTBI? Do the breadth of the response to RD1-derived peptides in patients with active disease and the breadth of the response to RD1-derived peptides in patients with latent infection differ? Are the hierarchies of immunodominance similar? Do these responses vary with the tuberculin skin test (TST) results? Do responses differ between recently and remotely acquired latent infections?(Part of this work was presented at the winter meeting of the Acid Fast Club, United Kingdom, on 12 January 2007.)     

Uterus didelphys with obstructed right hemivagina, ipsilateral renal agenesis and right pyocolpos: a case report

Uterus didelphys with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis (OHVIRA Syndrome) is a rare congenital anomaly of the female genital tract. Uterus didelphys occurs when the midline fusion of the mullerian ducts is arrested, either completely or incompletely. Women with didelphic uterus may be asymptomatic and unaware of having a double uterus. They may present with complaints of dysmenorrhoea and dyspareunia. A 25 year old woman attending the infertility clinic at Nizwa regional referral hospital presented with history of dysmenorrhoea and foul vaginal discharge with right cystic pelvic mass. She was diagnosed as a case of double uterus with obstructed right hemivagina and right pyocolpos with ipsilateral renal agenesis after routine ultrasonography in the clinic followed by MRI. Excision of the right vaginal septum with drainage of 200 ml of purulent discharge was performed. She was relieved of her symptoms and conceived promptly after the surgical excision of the partial vaginal septum.     

'Always between two cultures': young British Bangladeshis and their mothers' views on sex and relationships

This paper presents data on the sexual health perspectives of young British Bangladeshis and their mothers. It discusses the implications of these data for the development of appropriate sexual health education. Between April and September 2006, 36 young people and 25 mothers of Bangladeshi young people were interviewed through seven focus group discussions. Groups were gender and age specific (16-18 years, 19-20 years and mothers). Recruitment took place in community-based organisations in an inner city London borough. Mothers expressed concern about pre-marital sex but felt unable to control out-of-home activity. Feelings of isolation, lack of control and communication difficulties were key issues for them. Young people had varied perspectives on pre-marital sex. Some experienced emotional conflict between what was expected of them in terms of their faith and their engagement in intimate relationships. Both the young people and mothers highlighted the need for sex and relationship education to take account of cultural perspectives and the involvement of parents and the wider community. However, parents and community representatives require information and communication support to enable this involvement. Sex and relationships education content needs to be inclusive, have both secular and faith perspectives and engage where relevant with local communities.     

Carotid intima-media thickness and coronary artery disease: an Indian perspective

To determine whether carotid intima-media thickness is associated with coronary artery disease and cardiovascular risk factors in the Indian population, carotid intima-media thickness was measured using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography in 101 patients with coronary artery disease and 140 control subjects. Carotid intima-media thickness was measured at 3 predefined sites on each side. The maximum carotid intima-media thickness was significantly higher in the coronary disease group compared to the controls (1.02 vs. 0.80 mm). The average intima-media thickness was also significantly higher in the coronary disease group (0.82 vs. 0.67 mm). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, carotid intima-media thickness was the only factor found to be an independent predictor of coronary artery disease. There was a significant association between risk factor count and the average and maximum intima-media thickness values in the combined study population. These results indicate that raised values of average and maximum carotid intima-media thickness are significantly associated with the presence of coronary artery disease and this association is independent of the presence of other conventional cardiovascular risk factors.