Poor Recovery Rate Research Articles

Enhancing the thermal stability and recoverability of ZrCu-based shape memory alloys via interstitial doping

ZrCu-based shape memory alloys (SMAs) are regarded as emerging smart materials with high phase transformation temperatures. However, unfavorable thermal stability and poor strain recovery rate hinder commercial applications. Herein, these issues were addressed by doping interstitial B atoms, and the impacts of B content on microstructure, martensitic transformation behavior and properties of ZrCu-based SMAs were systematically investigated. It was shown that (Zr50Cu25Ni7.5Co17.5)99.98B0.02 SMAs possessed excellent thermal stability and shape memory effect. The change of martensitic transformation temperature for this alloy was 15.7 °C after several cycles. The shape recovery rate reached 92.5 % at 8 % compressive pre-strain, which was attributed to the de-twinning of (0 0 1) compound twins and the appearance of (1 1 1) type I twins. Furthermore, it was elucidated for the first time by first-principles calculations that B atoms were covalently bonded with Zr and Cu atoms occupying the octahedral interstitial positions in the B19′ and Cm phases. This study offers an available pathway to exploit efficient and advanced products.

Efficient transformation and regeneration of transgenic plants in commercial cultivars of Citrus aurantifolia and Citrus sinensis.

Citrus is one of the major horticultural crops with high economic and nutraceutical value. Despite the fact that conventional research has developed numerous improved varieties, citriculture is still susceptible to various stresses and requires innovative solutions such as genetic engineering. Among all the currently available modern approaches, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is the most efficient method for introducing desired traits in citrus. However, being a non-host for Agrobacterium, various citrus species, including Citrus aurantifolia and Citrus sinensis, are recalcitrant to this method. The available reports on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of commercial citrus cultivars show very low transformation efficiency with poor recovery rates of whole transgenic plantlets. Here, we provide an efficient and reliable procedure of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation for both C. aurantifolia and C. sinensis. This protocol depends on providing callus-inducing treatment to explants before and during Agrobacterium co-cultivation, using optimum conditions for shoot regeneration and modifying in-vitro micrografting protocol to combat the loss of transgenic lines. As transgenic citrus shoots are difficult to root, we also developed the ideal conditions for their rooting. Using this protocol, the whole transgenic plantlets of C. aurantifolia and C. sinensis can be developed in about ~ 4months, with transformation efficiency of 30% and 22% for the respective species.

A YSZ-based mixed potential sensor achieving fast detection and complete recovery to SO2 through combining a high-temperature pulse and Pd catalyst in sensing electrode

Detection and prevention of some hazardous gas pollutants has always been a challenging problem. SO2, as a typical toxic and dangerous gas, is extremely difficult to be monitored stably because of its toxicity to gas detecting equipment. In this work, we report a high-performance YSZ-based mixed potential sensor to realize continuously on-line detection of SO2. In view of shortcomings of high temperature SO2 sensors such as poor stability, slow response and recovery rate and easy deterioration, Pd/Al2O3 catalyst was mixed thoroughly with Mn/Ce composite oxide and sintered to construct sensing electrode and an improved scheme combining high-temperature pulse and catalyst was proposed to decompose sulfate deposit and improve recovery characteristics. EDS and XPS measurements were used to verify the reason for improvement of SO2 sensing performance. Through the strategy proposed in this study, recovery time of the high temperature SO2 sensor to 5 ppm SO2 was reduced from 665 s to 73 s, indicating its fast-detecting ability. The detection range is 0−20 ppm (resolution ratio:1 ppm), meeting SO2 detection requirement. Moreover, stability of SO2 sensor during 10 days was significantly enhanced. This SO2 sensor is suitable for application in hazardous gas detection field due to its miniaturized, cost-effective, satisfying stability and selectivity, and fast response and recovery features.

Effect of Ag NPs-decorated carbon nanowalls with integrated Ni-Cr alloy microheater for sensing ammonia and nitrogen dioxide gas

Carbon nanowalls (CNWs), which have high mobility, high surface area and high porosity, generally have high potential as gas sensing materials, but poor gas detection performance has been reported due to low response and recovery. To enhance the sensing performance of a chemiresistive gas sensor based on CNWs, a metallic catalyst and micro heating system have been used. Ag NPs were decorated onto CNWs patterned for fabrication of a gas sensor platform with microheater. Diverse characteristics of functionalized CNWs by Ag NPs were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. Ag NPs or clusters were optically observed among a significant number of pores on the surface of CNWs, resulting in change in pore size. Also, a certain evidence of Ag NPs was demonstrated by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), causing a positive and negative shift in the Raman band of CNWs. In terms of gas-sensing performance, a greater amount of Ag NPs showed highly improved sensing signal for NH3 and NO2 gas from 25 to 100 ppm compared to pristine conditions. The microheater also improved the poor recovery rate of CNWs. Consequently, the combined gas sensing platform with metallic catalyst and microheating system showed significantly enhanced gas sensing performance.

Neurorehabilitation through Hippotherapy on Neurofunctional Sequels of Stroke: Effect on Patients' Functional Independence, Sensorimotor/Cognitive Capacities and Quality of Life, and the Quality of Life of Their Caregivers-A Study Protocol.

Background: Stroke is a high burden illness and the second leading cause of worldwide disability with generally poor recovery rates. Robust benefits of hippotherapy, a novel neurorehabilitation approach, in functional recovery following various severe neurological disabling conditions has been shown. In the present study, we will analyze the effect of a hippotherapy program on the outcome of post-stroke patients in the first year post-stroke. Method: A randomized controlled clinical trial on the effectiveness of hippotherapy (4 weeks/18 weeks hippotherapy/conventional neurorehabilitation) versus conventional neurorehabilitation alone (22 weeks) will be conducted over 48 weeks. In the treated group, one-hour daily hippotherapy sessions will be exclusively conducted during the hippotherapy’s cycles, alternated with periods of conventional neurorehabilitation. A test battery will measure both the functional and psychological outcomes. The primary endpoint will be the patient’s functional independence. The secondary endpoints will measure the sensorimotor function, autonomy, and quality of life, as well as the caregivers’ quality of life. Results and conclusion: Individual brain connectome, life history and personality construct influence the brain’s functional connectivity and are central to developing optimal tailored neurorehabilitation strategies. According to our current practice, hippotherapy allows the enhancement of substantial neuroplastic changes in the injured brain with significant neurological recovery. The protocol aims to confirm those issues. Trial registration in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04759326 accessed on 19 February 2021.

SARS-CoV-2 Dysregulates Neutrophil Degranulation and Reduces Lymphocyte Counts.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has given rise to one of the largest pandemics, affecting millions worldwide. High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios have been identified as an important correlate to poor recovery rates in severe COVID-19 patients. However, the mechanisms underlying this clinical outcome and the reasons for its correlation to poor prognosis are unclear. Furthermore, the mechanisms involved in healthy neutrophils acquiring a SARS-CoV-2-mediated detrimental role are yet to be fully understood. In this study, we isolated circulating neutrophils from healthy donors for treatment with supernates from infected epithelial cells and direct infection with SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Infected epithelial cells induced a dysregulated degranulation of primary granules with a decrease in myeloperoxidase (MPO), but slight increase in neutrophil elastase release. Infection of neutrophils resulted in an impairment of both MPO and elastase release, even though CD16 receptor shedding was upregulated. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2-infected neutrophils had a direct effect on peripheral blood lymphocyte counts, with decreasing numbers of CD19+ B cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD4+ T cells. Together, this study highlights the independent role of neutrophils in contributing to the aberrant immune responses observed during SARS-CoV-2 infection that may be further dysregulated in the presence of other immune cells.

Prevalence of Microplastics in the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica in the Chesapeake Bay: The Impact of Different Digestion Methods on Microplastic Properties.

This study aimed to determine the microplastic prevalence in eastern oysters (C. virginica) in three sites in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and optimize the digestion methods. The digestion results illustrate that the lowest recovery rate and digestion recovery were related to enzymatic, enzymatic + hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and HCl 5% treatments, while the highest digestion recovery and recovery rate were observed in H2O2 and basic (KOH) treatments. Nitric acid digestion resulted in satisfying digestion recovery (100%), while no blue polyethylene microplastics were observed due to the poor recovery rate. In addition, nitric acid altered the color, changed the Raman spectrum intensity, and melted polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In order to determine the number of microplastics, 144 oysters with an approximately similar size and weight from three sites, including the James River, York River, and Eastern Shore, were evaluated. Fragments were the most abundant microplastics among the different microplastics, followed by fibers and beads, in the three sites. A significantly higher number of fragments were found in the James River, probably due to the greater amount of human activities. The number of microplastics per gram of oyster tissue was higher in the James River, with 7 MPs/g tissue, than in the York River and Eastern Shore, with 6.7 and 5.6 MPs/g tissue.

Set free: an evaluation of two break-away mechanisms for tracking collars

Context One of the welfare and ethical challenges with tracking animals is ensuring that the tracking device is removed from the animal at the conclusion of the study. However, for animals that are not readily re-trapped, the impact of devices and alternatives for their retrieval are rarely examined. Aims We compared the retention time of two types of break-away mechanisms for tracking collars deployed on mainland quokkas (Setonix brachyurus). Methods We tested a cotton thread (CT) weak-link, where the collar was cut and then a looping stitch was made to link the cut ends of the collar. We compared collar retention time of this simple mechanism with a lightweight automatic micro timed-release device (mTRD, Sirtrack). Key results Of the 17 radio collars with CT, the fates of 15 collars contributed to retention time data. Seven collars released: six fell off and were recovered 148 ± 64 (s.d.) days after deployment and another collar fell off 136 days after deployment but could not be recovered. Eight quokkas were recaptured (161 ± 109 days after deployment) and collars removed. Two quokkas were each tracked for over a year but then disappeared. Of the 11 GPS collars fitted with a mTRD, the fates of nine collars contributed to retention time data. Two released early at 16 and 29 days and were recovered. Seven fell off around the scheduled release date. There were two unknown fates. Re-trapped collared quokkas did not show evidence of injuries from wearing collars or any significant change in body mass (P = 0.442). Conclusions The timing of release for the CT weak-link was unpredictable, with a third of the collars releasing within 1 year and 7/15 lasting only about 6 months. Over two-thirds (7/9) of the GPS collars fitted with timed-release device released on schedule while 2/9 released early. Implications Tracking devices equipped with break-away mechanisms are essential for safeguarding animal welfare outcomes for species where the chance of recapture is not certain. For both break-away types examined in this study, the release timing was unpredictable and poor collar recovery rates show the importance of adding camera traps to monitor the outcomes for collared animals.

The Specification and Impact of Prior Distributions for Categorical Latent Variable Models

ABSTRACT Latent class models can exhibit poor parameter recovery and low convergence rates under the traditional frequentist estimation approach. Bayesian estimation may be a viable alternative for estimating latent class models–especially when categorical items are present and priors can be placed directly on the categorical item-thresholds. We present a simulation study involving Bayesian latent class analysis (LCA) with categorical items. We demonstrate that the frequentist framework and the Bayesian framework with diffuse (non-informative) priors are unable to properly recover parameters (e.g., latent class item-thresholds); a substantive interpretation of the obtained results would lead to improper conclusions under these estimation conditions. However, specifying (weakly) informative priors within the Bayesian framework generally produced accurate parameter recovery, indicating that this may be a more viable estimation approach for LCA models with categorical indicators. The paper concludes with a general discussion surrounding the advantages of Bayesian estimation for LCA models.

A LC-MS/MS method with electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source for analysis of pesticides in hemp

BackgroundPesticide testing for hemp has traditionally focused on techniques like QuEChERS with dSPE and SPE which demand time-consuming sample preparation, typically resulting in poor recovery rates for some pesticides, and requires the use of both LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS based instruments to cover the analysis for all regulated pesticides. In this study, we describe a streamlined approach for working with LC-MS/MS featuring a dual electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) sources using solvent extraction for faster and easier sample preparation and with 80–120% recovery for the analysis of all of 66 pesticides (regulated by California state in cannabis) with low detection limits in hemp.MethodsA simple solvent extraction with acetonitrile was used to extract pesticides from hemp. A LC-MS/MS system with dual ESI and APCI source was used to determine sensitivity for the analysis of 66 pesticides in hemp matrix, 62 pesticides were analyzed using an 18-min LC-MS/MS method with an ESI source and the other 4 pesticides were measured using a 6-min LC-MS/MS method with an APCI source.ResultsThe limit of quantitation (LOQ) of all 66 pesticides in hemp was in the range of 0.0025–0.1 μg/g which was well below the California state action limits of these analytes in cannabis products. A simple, fast, and cost-effective solvent extraction method was used for sample preparation to get good recovery in the range of 80–120% with RSD less than 20%. The unique ionization mechanism of chlorinated pesticides such as pentachloronitrobenzene using the LC-MS/MS system with an APCI source was elucidated. The proficiency test report generated with the LC-MS/MS method showed acceptable results for all of 66 pesticides in hemp with all of th z scores less than 2 with no false positives and negatives. The stability data collected over 5 days showed RSD less than 20% for 66 pesticides in hemp, and this demonstrated the robustness of the LC-MS/MS system used in this work.ConclusionsA LC-MS/MS method with dual ESI and APCI sources was developed for the analysis of 66 pesticides in hemp. The recovery of all pesticides from a hemp matrix was in the acceptable range of 80–120% with RSD less than 20%.

Olfactory recovery following infection with COVID-19: A systematic review.

Olfactory loss has been identified as one of the common symptoms related to COVID-19 infection. Although olfactory loss is recognized, our understanding of both the extent of loss and time to olfactory recovery following infection is less well known. Similarly, knowledge of potential impactful patient factors and therapies that influence olfactory recovery is desirable but is not overtly clear in the literature. Our systematic review sought to fill this knowledge gap. We included studies that: involved either an observational or an interventional design that reported data on patients with olfactory dysfunction due to Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) diagnosed COVID-19 infection; and reported data regarding olfactory recovery measured by an objective olfactory test, Likert scale and/or visual analog scale (VAS). The study methods were determined a priori and registered in PROSPERO (Registration Number CRD42020204354). An information specialist searched Medline, Embase, LitCovid and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials up to March 2021, and two reviewers were involved in all aspects of study selection and data collection. After screening 2788 citations, a total of 44 studies of assorted observational designs were included. Patients had undergone objective COVID-19 testing, and most were adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Olfactory recovery was found to occur as early as 7 days, with most patients recovering olfaction within 30 days. Few studies included prolonged follow-up to 6 months or longer duration. Poor olfaction at initial presentation was associated with poor recovery rates. Only a small number of studies assessed olfactory retraining and steroid therapy. Additional trials are underway.

Length of Cervical Stenosis, Admission ASIA Motor Scores, and BASIC Scores Are Predictors of Recovery Rate Following Central Cord Syndrome.

A retrospective cohort study. This study aims to determine whether quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters and radiological scoring systems could be used as a reliable assessment tool for predicting neurological recovery trajectory following acute traumatic central cord injury syndrome (CCS). Controversy remains in whether CCS should be managed conservatively or by early surgical decompression. It is essential to understand how clinical and radiological parameters correlate with neurological deficits and how they predict recovery trajectories. We identified patients with CCS admitted between 2011 and 2018 with a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Cervical MRIs were analyzed for cord/canal dimensions, Brain and Spinal Injury Center (BASIC) scores and sagittal grading as ordinal scales of intraparenchymal cord injury. Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) recovery rates (≥50% as good, < 50% as poor) were analyzed against these variables by logistic regression and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. Additionally, we evaluated American Spinal Injury Association motor scale (AMS) scores/recovery rates. Sixty patients were included, of which 30 were managed conservatively and 30 via surgical decompression. The average follow-up duration for the entire cohort was (51.1 ± 25.7) months. Upon admission, sagittal grading correlated with AMS and JOA scores (P < 0.01, β = 0.48). Volume of the C2 to C7 canal and axial cord area over the site of maximal compression correlated with AMS and JOA scores respectively (P = 0.04, β = 0.26; P = 0.01, β = 0.28). We determined admission AMS more than 61 to be a clinical cutoff for good recovery (area under the receiver operating curve [AUC] = 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61-0.85, sensitivity 80.9%, specificity 69.2%, P < 0.01). Radiological cutoffs to identify patients with poor recovery rates were length of cervical spinal stenosis more than 3.9 cm (AUC = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.87, specificity 91.7%, sensitivity 52.2%, P < 0.01), BASIC score of more than 1 (AUC = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.56-0.81, specificity 80.5%, sensitivity 51.1%, P = 0.02). Surgical decompression performed as a salvage procedure upon plateau of recovery did not improve neurological outcomes. Clinical and radiological parameters upon presentation were prognosticative of neurological recovery rates in CCS. Surgery performed beyond the acute post-injury period failed to improve outcomes.Level of Evidence: 3.

Risk factors for acute exacerbation following bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with suspected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A retrospective cohort study.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is useful for diagnosing diffuse lung disease and excluding other conditions. However, acute exacerbations (AEs) are recognized as important complications of BAL in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study aimed to identify risk factors for BAL-induced AEs in patients with IPF. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 155 patients with suspected IPF who had undergone BAL between January 2013 and December 2018. BAL-related AE was defined as the development of AE within 30 days after the procedure. We compared clinical features and parameters between patients with AE (AE group) and without AE (non-AE group). We also reviewed the relevant reported literature. Among the 155 patients, 5 (3.2%) developed AE within 30 days after BAL. The average duration from BAL to AE onset was 7.8 days (2-16 days). Results from the univariate analysis revealed PaO2 < 75 mm Hg (p = 0.036), neutrophil content in BAL ≥ 7% (p = 0.0061), %DLCO < 50% (p = 0.019), Gender-Age-Physiology (GAP) stage III (p = 0.034), and BAL recovery rates < 30% (p < 0.001) as significant risk factors for post-BAL AE. All five patients who developed AE recovered and were discharged. Disease severity, high neutrophil levels in BAL, and poor BAL recovery rates may be risk factors for BAL-induced AEs.

Impact of Perceived Inappropriate Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Emergency Clinicians’ Intention to Leave the Job: Results From a Cross-Sectional Survey in 288 Centres Across 24 Countries

The rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts in patients with high disease burden and frailty has been increasing since the early 2000’s despite the known poor 1-year functional recovery rate in these patients. These heroic measures have the potential to lead to not only increased emotional strain on patients and their families but also could lead to greater rates of burnout among emergency physicians and emergency department staff. This international multi-center cross sectional survey was conducted to evaluate whether moral distress caused by the frequent perception of inappropriate resuscitation efforts was associated with the intention to leave the job amongst clinicians in the emergency department.

Suckermouth armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) menace in freshwater aquaculture and natural aquatic systems in Andhra Pradesh, India

Suckermouth armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) which is popularly called “Devil fish” in Andhra Pradesh, was recorded in 93.33% of fish ponds out of 600 ha surveyed in Krishna and West Godavari districts including mesohaline ponds wherein salinity ranges from 2 to 20‰. Pterygoplichthys spp. have ranged from 150 to 600 kg/ha that accounts to 2.01-7.50% of total biomass of fish harvested in aquaculture ponds leading to escalation of feed conversion ratio by 25.76%. Consequently, carp production has diminished by 18.88% to 22.92% leading to economic losses to fish farmers up to 13.40%. Food chain disruption by this alien fish is not only confined to benthic algae and periphyton but also foraging on supplementary feeds leaving primary fishes deprived from availing feed. Abundance of Pterygoplichthys spp populations in culture ponds as also in canals was high in monsoon season when compared to winter. Invasion and abundance of Pterygoplichthys spp in various river systems in Andhra Pradesh has become major concern for fishers causing extensive damage to nets and gears as also retarded catch per unit effort resulting in minimization of their income by 30%. Efforts to extract fish hydrolysate from Pterygoplichthys spp were futile due to intense bony skeleton and poor recovery rate which projected utilization of this fish for allied activities to minimum. Abundance of Pterygoplichthys spp is increasing in confined and open water bodies due to their tolerance and ability to grow and breed in variety of aquatic habitats including polluted environments as also lack of effective predators thus poses a high risk and threat to native freshwater species in any ecosystem in which they get established.

The short-term outcomes of minimally invasive decompression surgery in patients with lumbar ossification or calcification of the ligamentum flavum.

Although minimally invasive endoscopic surgery techniques are established standard treatment choices for various degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine, the surgical indications of such techniques for specific cases, such as segments with ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) or calcification of the ligamentum flavum (CLF), remain under investigation. Therefore, the authors aimed to demonstrate the short-term outcomes of minimally invasive endoscopic surgery in patients with degenerative lumbar disease with CLF or OLF. This is a retrospective cohort study including consecutive patients who underwent microendoscopic posterior decompression at the authors' institution, where the presence of OLF and CLF did not influence the surgical indication. Fifty-nine patients with OLF and 39 patients with CLF on preoperative CT were identified from the database. Subsequently, two matched control groups (one each matched to the OLF and CLF groups) were created using propensity scores to adjust for age, sex, preoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and Oswestry Disability Index, and diagnosis. The background, surgical outcomes, and changes in clinical scores were compared between the matched groups. If there was a significant difference in the improvement of clinical scores, a multivariate linear regression model was applied. On performing univariate analysis, patients with OLF were found to have a higher body mass index (Mann-Whitney U-test, p = 0.001), higher incidence of preoperative motor weakness (chi-square test, p = 0.019), longer operative time (Mann-Whitney U-test, p < 0.001), and lower improvement in the JOA score (mixed-effects model, p = 0.023) than the matched controls. On performing multivariate analysis, the presence of OLF was identified as an independent variable associated with a poor recovery rate based on the JOA score (multivariate linear regression, p < 0.001). In contrast, there were no significant differences between patients with CLF and their matched controls in terms of preoperative and surgical data and postoperative improvements in clinical scores. Although the perioperative surgical outcomes, including the surgical complications, and the in-hospital period did not significantly differ, the short-term improvement in the JOA score was significantly lower in patients with degenerative lumbar disease accompanied by OLF than in the patients from the matched control group. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the short-term improvement in clinical scores and perioperative outcomes between patients with CLF and their matched control group. Thus, the surgical indications of minimally invasive posterior decompression for patients with CLF can be the same as those for patients without CLF; however, the indications for patients with OLF should be further investigated in future studies, including the other surgical methods.

Seasonality and photoperiod influence in vitro production of buffalo embryos.

Buffalo is considered short-day breeder in tropical and subtropical part of the world and seasonality and photoperiodism impart major influence on its fertility. However, its impact on in vitro embryo production (IVEP) remains elusive. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of seasonal variations and photoperiodism on morphological and molecular parameters of IVEP in buffalo. For this purpose, we conducted two different experiments on the oocytes obtained by aspirating follicles from abattoir derived ovaries. In Exp. I, retrospective analysis was performed for oocyte recovery, blastocyst and hatching rate, during four consecutive seasonal periods (i.e. January-March, April-June, July-September and October-December). In Exp. II, oocytes from peak breeding and non-breeding seasons were subjected to 24hr in vitro maturation and evaluated for polar body extrusion to assess maturation rate. Results showed that embryo development was markedly low during second quarter (April-June) and maximum during fourth quarter (October-December) of the year; referred as non-breeding and breeding seasons, respectively. Comparative data analysis demonstrated that poor oocyte quality is major reason for lesser efficiency of embryo production during non-breeding season than peak breeding season as suggested by poor oocyte recovery (2.31±0.10 vs. 3.65±0.27) and maturation rate (33.32±2.1 vs. 63.15±7.31). Subsequently, comparative gene expression analysis of blastocysts during peak breeding season significantly upregulated pluripotency gene (OCT-4) and downregulated heat shock protein 90, as compared to non-breeding season. Therefore, it could be divulged from the present study that seasonal variations and photoperiodism have profound effect on oocyte quality and subsequent embryo development. It is recommended to find suitable additives for in vitro maturation that could mitigate seasonal effects.

PMS61 DISABILITY AND DEPRESSION IN LOW BACK PAIN. EVIDENCE FROM A COHORT STUDY

Despite widespread global research endeavors, Low Back Pain (LBP) remains a troublesome issue both for clinicians as well and patients due to substantial socio-economic burden and poor recovery rates. LBP as the leading cause for years lived with disability. The aim of this study is to assess the disability and depression in a cohort with positive diagnosis of LBP at one year of follow up in India. This study is based on data from a cohort study conducted in northern parts of India to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for developing LBP. Adult population of either gender between 18-65 years of age were enrolled. The outcomes assessed were self-reported depression, functional disability, and the risk factors associated with depression among the cohort of LBP positive patients by employing Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (MODQ) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scale. A total of 871 patients were identified positive for LBP which were followed for one-year duration and the response rate of 805 (92%) was reported. The mean (SD) age of total population was 33.0 (11) years, females (60%) and Body Mass Index 22.5 (4.4) kg/m2. Amongst LBP positive cohort, 68% of the subjects had a minimal/moderate disability, and 32% suffer with severe disability, crippled or bed bound. Majority of the patients were normal 620 (89%), 51 (7%) suffered mild depression and 14 (2%) each with moderate or severe/very severe depression. Being male OR (95%CI) 2.14 (1.30-3.55), p<001 was a significant factor for depression. Low back pain causes significant disability in the patients, which critically impacts the quality of life. Depression was reported in a quarter of patients.

Recovery of LiCoO2 and graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries by cryogenic grinding and froth flotation

A novel method of cryogenic grinding and froth flotation is proposed to recover LiCoO2 and graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries. After 9 min of cryogenic grinding, the grade of LiCoO2 concentrate was up to 91.75%, with a recovery rate of 89.83% after flotation, but the materials that have not been cryogenic grinding, the grade and recovery rate of LiCoO2 after flotation only 55.36% and 72.8%, respectively. Analysis of the surface properties and morphology of electrode particles was performed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and field emission-electron probe micro-analysis. Results indicate that the organic binder on the surface of the raw materials resulted in a poor recovery rate and grade of the flotation concentrate. Cryogenic grinding, on the other hand, caused the organic binder on the surface of electrode materials to peel off, with spherical graphite changing into a scaly layer structure that revealed a new surface. The hydrophilicity of LiCoO2 and hydrophobicity of graphite were obviously improved by cryogenic grinding, and in turn contributed to an excellent flotation separation. This work provides an efficient and environmentally-friendly process for recovering LiCoO2 and graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries.

Financial Frauds on Financial Performance of Banking Industry

The growth of Indian Economy is a combination of contribution of different sectors. The banking industry is the back bone of Indian Economy and its growing role in the Global Economy. Since, nationalization banking industry has witnessed many ups and downs in its sustainability. Though the banking industry is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India and policies of the Government from time to time towards its sustainability it needs to bring reforms in the strict implementation of Banking Regulation Act. During last two decades, banking industry has been reeling under financial crisis, losses and debts due to liberal loan sanction policies and poor recovery rate. This was due to frauds and corrupt practices due to some or other reason. This leads to financial burden not only on the Government but also on the people of the country. The present research paper examines the reasons for financial frauds and necessary suggestions are being made to mitigate the frauds and to develop strong and efficient control mechanism.