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Organ donation is the gift of life… but I have sometimes found it to be soul-wrenching. I wrote this story after a paediatric organ donation. Names and details have been changed.

Although Zika virus (ZIKV) can be transmitted sexually and cause congenital birth defects, immune control mechanisms in the female reproductive tract (FRT) are not well characterized. Here we show that treatment of primary human vaginal and cervical epithelial cells with interferon (IFN)-α/β or IFN-λ induces host defense transcriptional signatures and inhibits ZIKV infection. We also assess the effects of IFNs on intravaginal infection of the FRT using ovariectomized mice treated with reproductive hormones. We find that mice receiving estradiol are protected against intravaginal ZIKV infection, independently of IFN-α/β or IFN-λ signaling. In contrast, mice lacking IFN-λ signaling sustain greater FRT infection when progesterone is administered. Exogenous IFN-λ treatment confers an antiviral effect when mice receive both estradiol and progesterone, but not progesterone alone. Our results identify a hormonal stage-dependent role for IFN-λ in controlling ZIKV infection in the FRT and suggest a path for minimizing sexual transmission of ZIKV in women. Zika virus infections can cause devastating congenital birth defects but the underlying interactions with the host immune system are not well understood. Here, the authors examine the immune basis of vaginal protection and susceptibility to Zika viral infection, and identify a hormonal dependent role for interferon-lambda-mediated protection against disease.

Protecting the fetus from the hematogenous spread of viruses requires multifaceted layers of protection and relies heavily on trophoblasts, the fetal-derived cells that comprise the placental barrier. We showed previously that trophoblasts isolated from full-term placentas resist infection by diverse viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV), and transfer this resistance to nonplacental cells through the activity of paracrine effectors, including the constitutive release of type III interferons (IFNs). Here, we developed 3D cell-line–based models of human syncytiotrophoblasts, cells that lie in direct contact with maternal blood, and show that these cells recapitulate the antiviral properties of primary trophoblasts through the constitutive release of type III IFNs (IFNλ1 and IFNλ2) and become resistant to ZIKV infection. In addition, using organotypic human midgestation chorionic villous explants, we show that syncytiotrophoblasts isolated from the second trimester of pregnancy also constitutively release type III IFNs and use these IFNs in autocrine and paracrine manners to restrict ZIKV infection. Collectively, these data provide important insights into the defense mechanisms used by syncytiotrophoblasts at various stages of human gestation to resist ZIKV infection and new human models to study the role of type III IFNs in the vertical transmission of ZIKV and other viruses associated with congenital disease.

The traditional Local binary pattern (LBP) compares the central pixel with all 8-neighboring pixels in a 3 × 3 pixel window to generate LBP codes. However, its circular structure may result in similar LBP codes for different structural patterns. The technique also resulted in high-dimensional feature vectors, which cause a computational burden. Researchers have proposed several LBP variants; however, none of them addressed the aforementioned issues. This paper proposes a Hyperbolic local binary pattern (HLBP) that follows the hyperbolic structure to extract the discriminative features. In particular, HLBP combines 3 × 5 Horizontal hyperbolic-LBP (HHLBP) and 5 × 3 Vertical hyperbolic-LBP (VHLBP) movements. Experiments are conducted on facial and texture image databases to test the robustness of HLBP. The experiment outcomes demonstrate that HLBP with comparative low-dimensional feature vector outperforms the state-of-the-art descriptors.

BackgroundNon-extraction treatment protocol has gained a lot of popularity over extraction for orthodontic treatment. Interproximal enamel reduction is one such method that makes it possible to do orthodontic treatment without extractions. This procedure, which can be done by various techniques, leads to a rise in the temperature of the pulp of the teeth. Previously, studies have been done which have evaluated the temperature changes inside the pulp chamber of extracted teeth, during interproximal enamel reduction. However, no documented literature exists that has evaluated these changes in the live pulp of the teeth whilst interproximal enamel reduction (IPR) is being performed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the temperature changes inside the live pulp of the teeth during various interproximal enamel reduction techniques in vivo.AimsEvaluation of temperature rise in the pulp during various interproximal enamel reduction techniques, done in vivo.Material and methodThe study was performed on patients for whom extraction of premolars had been advised for their orthodontic treatment. Fifty-one premolar teeth were randomly divided into three groups of IPR, i.e. using airotor and bur, handheld metal strip and orthodontic IPR kit (oscillating system). IPR was performed on the mesial and distal sides after access opening, temperature change was recorded during IPR and the readings were compared. The Shapiro-Wilk test was utilized for checking whether the data satisfied the requirement of normal distribution.ResultsThe highest temperature rise was seen in group 1 in which interproximal enamel reduction was performed using airotor and bur. The minimum temperature rise was observed in group 2 in which interproximal enamel reduction was done using the handheld metal strip, whereas the temperature rise observed in group 3, in which interproximal enamel reduction was done using IPR kit, was between the range of group 1 and group 3. The temperature change was in the following order—group 1 (2.08 °C) > group 3 (1.22 °C) > group 2 (0.52 °C).ConclusionNone of the methods used to perform interproximal enamel reduction caused a temperature increase more than 5.5 °C, beyond which pulp necrosis may occur. Therefore, all three methods used in the study for IPR were found to be safe.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the effect of variation in storage temperatures and duration on a tensile load at failure of elastomeric modules. Methods: In total, 140 modules were used in the study, 20 of which were tested on day 0 as received from a company using a Universal testing machine for baseline estimation of tensile load at failure. The rest 120 modules were divided into 6 groups. Groups I, II, and III modules were stored at low (T1 = 1-5°C), moderate (T2 = 20-25°C) and high (T3 = 35-40°C) temperatures, respectively, for 6 months. Groups IV, V and VI modules were stored at temperatures T1, T2 and T3 for 1 year, respectively, and were tested for tensile load at failure. Results: The tensile load at failure for the control group was 21.588 ± 1.082 N and for 6-month interval at temperatures T1, T2 and T3 was 18.818 N ± 1.121 N, 17.841 N ± 1.334 N and 17.149 N ± 1.074 N, respectively, and for 1 year, it was 17.205 N ± 1.043 N, 16.836 N ± 0.487 N and 14.788 N ± 0.781 N, respectively. The tensile load at failure decreased significantly from 6 months to 1 year among each temperature group. Conclusions: Maximum force degradation was seen in modules at high temperature followed by medium temperature and low temperature at both 6 months and 1 year intervals, and tensile load at failure decreased significantly from 6 months to 1 year storage duration. These results conclude that the temperature and duration at which the samples were exposed during storage produce a significant change in the forces exerted by the modules.

Here we adapt and evaluate a full-face snorkel mask for use as personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers, who lack appropriate alternatives during the COVID-19 crisis in the spring of 2020. The design (referred to as Pneumask) consists of a custom snorkel-specific adapter that couples the snorkel-port of the mask to a rated filter (either a medical-grade ventilator inline filter or an industrial filter). This design has been tested for the sealing capability of the mask, filter performance, CO2 buildup and clinical usability. These tests found the Pneumask capable of forming a seal that exceeds the standards required for half-face respirators or N95 respirators. Filter testing indicates a range of options with varying performance depending on the quality of filter selected, but with typical filter performance exceeding or comparable to the N95 standard. CO2 buildup was found to be roughly equivalent to levels found in half-face elastomeric respirators in literature. Clinical usability tests indicate sufficient visibility and, while speaking is somewhat muffled, this can be addressed via amplification (Bluetooth voice relay to cell phone speakers through an app) in noisy environments. We present guidance on the assembly, usage (donning and doffing) and decontamination protocols. The benefit of the Pneumask as PPE is that it is reusable for longer periods than typical disposable N95 respirators, as the snorkel mask can withstand rigorous decontamination protocols (that are standard to regular elastomeric respirators). With the dire worldwide shortage of PPE for medical personnel, our conclusions on the performance and efficacy of Pneumask as an N95-alternative technology are cautiously optimistic.

This study aims to analyze the impact of three demographic variables (gender, age, and work experience) on the commitment levels of employees in the Indian thermal power sector. 379 responses were collected through convenience sampling from the executives of NTPC Ltd, a major power utility in India. The facets of organizational commitment (affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment) were assessed using a standard scale. The quantitative research was done using statistical instruments of one-way ANOVA and independent sample t-test. The findings revealed a positive correlation between the three components of organizational commitment: affective, continuance, and normative. Further, the results highlighted that age plays an essential role in organizational commitment levels; it is found that commitment increases with the age of employees (F = 5.781, p < 0.01). However, gender is not making any variation in organizational commitment (F = –0.502, p < 0.01). Therefore, male and female employees enjoy equal commitment levels toward their work. The study further indicated that work experience significantly influences organizational commitment (F = 4.800, p < 0.01), and it is found to be greater for more experienced employees.

COVID-19 has proven to be a humanitarian crisis. The global economy has come near about a standstill with the spread of coronavirus, as restrictions are imposed to impact the spread of virus. The problem is a terrific problem, which has many unforeseen consequences. And we require a commander or a leader who can steadily see us through this. Leadership is very important element for crisis management. Leadership is the key component factor in shaping the crisis management. This paper provides a view and understanding of pandemic style of leadership. It is realized that COVID-19 is a complex problem, which represents varied challenges, and with challenges comes opportunities and strategies for the leaders. In this paper, researcher has proposed practices to be exemplified by the leaders (with the perspective of COVID-19 pandemic). The aim of this paper is to provide insights on the aspects of leadership in context of COVID-19 pandemic.

While many studies suggested the isolated effects of plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises on physical performance variables, only few studies have compared the acute effects of plyometric and whole-body vibration on the occurrence of post-activation potentiation and the resultant improvements in performance. Therefore, we aimed to compare the acute effects of plyometric exercises and whole-body vibration training on physical performance in collegiate basketball players. Twenty-four collegiate male basketball players (age 20.8 ± 2.02 years, height 1.79 ± 0.7 m, and weight 71.2 ± 7.6 kg) participated in this randomized crossover study. Subjects were received both plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises after a 48-h washed-out period. Countermovement Jump height, sprint, and agility time were measured at baseline, 4- and 12-min post-plyometric, and whole-body vibration exercises. The result suggests a positive effect of both the plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises on countermovement jump and agility time ( p  = 0.001). While the countermovement jump height and agility were higher in the plyometric group (mean difference 1.60 cm and 0.16 s, respectively), the sprint performance was higher in the whole-body vibration group. However, these differences were statistically non-significant between the two groups ( p  > 0.05). This study suggests that both plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises may improve post-activation potentiation, which leads to better physical performance. Trial registration CTRI/2019/05/019059. Registered with the Clinical trials registry, India on 10/05/2019. http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/advsearch.php .