Global Component of Sentiment in Futures Markets: Evidence from Covid-19 Pandemic

We examine the impact of the global component of sentiment on the price return and volatility of 25 major futures market indices across the globe, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The global component of sentiment causes investor overreactions. These overreactions accelerate the fall in prices and contribute to the rising volatility levels. The futures prices revert, though gradually, to their fundamental values as information from more reliable sources becomes available. This leads to price recovery and lower volatility levels

Prevalence, Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing, Beta-Lactamase Production and mcr-1 Gene Detection in Uropathogenic Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolated from A Tertiary Care Hospital in Bhopal: A Prospective Study

Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae (K pneumoniae) is an inhabitant of the nasopharynx and gastrointestinal tract and it is capable of causing a variety of infections, including urinary tract infection (UTI), pneumonia, liver abscess and septicemia. UTI in humans can be hospital and community-acquired. UTI should initially be treated with Co-trimoxazole, Nitrofurantoin, 1st generation cephalosporins, and Ciprofloxacin. Still, in India, frequent usage of broad-spectrum antibiotics such as cephalosporins, carbapenems and colistin for getting immediate response has led to resistance to these drugs. K pneumoniae possess several different mechanisms of drug resistance for survival. ESBL, MBL and AmpC beta-lactamase production is one of the dominant mechanisms to inactivate the beta-lactam antibiotics. UTI caused by MDR K pneumoniae is often treated with carbapenems and colistin. Inappropriate doses and frequent usage of these antibiotics make bacteria resistant therefore it is important to know about the susceptibility of antibiotics against K pneumoniae before giving broad-spectrum antibiotics in the local community for the better management of UTI. Methods: The present study is a prospective study. All clean-catch, mid-stream urine samples were collected in the sample collection centre from the patients suspecting UTI. Semi-quantitative culture method (SQCM) was used to isolate K pneumoniae. SQCM is a routinely used culture method as a diagnostic criterion for patients having a UTI. SQCM indicates the bacterial count present in the urine sample. Firstly, K pneumoniae was isolated and identified followed by Antimicrobial-susceptibility testing (AST). After the AST, double disc synergy test checked the production of ESBL, MBL and AmpC beta-lactamase. Lastly, colistin resistance in K pneumoniae was determined by the E-strip method and K pneumoniae strains positive by E-strip method were further screened for mcr-1 gene by PCR. Results: A total of 11740 urine samples were received and processed. 2465 (21%) samples showed significant growth of uropathogens. Out of all pathogens, 332 (13%) were identified as K pneumoniae.  Other 2133 (87%) pathogens were identified as Enterobacteriaceae members, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus, and Staphylococcus. Of all the antibiotics we tested in our study, colistin (87%), carbapenems (78-79%) were the most and penicillin (00-43%) group was the least sensitive. ESBL, AmpC and MBL were 203 (61%), 126 (38%) and 83 (25%) respectively in K pneumonia. Colistin resistance was shown by 43 (13%) K pneumonia strains and out of these 43, only 08 (19%) strains were positive for mcr-1 gene

Detection of a quasi-periodic oscillation in gamma-ray light curve of the high redshift blazar B2 1520+31

We detected a possible quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) of ~ 71 days in the 0.1 -- 300 GeV gamma-ray Fermi-LAT light curve of the high redshift flat spectrum radio quasar B2 1520+31. We identify and confirm that quasi-period by Lomb Scargle periodogram (LSP), and weighted wavelet z-transform (WWZ) analyses. Using this QPO period, and assuming it originates from accretion-disc fluctuations at the innermost stable circular orbit, we estimate the central supermassive black hole mass to range between ~ 5.4 * 10$^{9}$ M$_{\odot}$ for a non-rotating black hole and ~ 6.0 * 10$^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$ for a maximally rotating black hole. We briefly discuss other possible radio-loud active galactic nuclei emission models capable of producing a gamma-ray QPO of such a period in a blazar.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to MNRA

Possible ~ 1 hour quasi-periodic oscillation in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG--06--30--15

We found a possible ~ 1 hour quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in a ~ 55 ks X-ray observation of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG--06--30--15 made with the XMM-Newton EPIC/pn detector in the energy range 0.3 -- 10 keV. We identify a total modulation of ~ 16% in the light curve and find a $\simeq$ 3670~s quasi-period using Lomb-Scargle periodogram (LSP) and weighted wavelet Z-transform (WWZ) techniques. Our analyses of eight light curves of MCG--06--30--15, indicated the possible presence of an oscillation during one of them. The LSP indicates a statistically significant ($\simeq$ 3$\sigma$) QPO detection. A WWZ analysis shows that the signal at this possible roughly 3670s period is present, and rather persistent, throughout the observation; however, a signal around 8735s is more persistent. We briefly discuss models that can produce X-ray QPOs with such periods in narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies, as both other claimed QPO detections in this class of AGN had very similar periods.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Published in A&A Letter

Learning from Past in the Commercial Air Transport Industry: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review in the Safety Management Framework

In the commercial air transport industry, numerous accidents have occurred because stakeholders have failed to learn lessons from the past. The reactive hazard identification (HI) methodology in the current regulatory safety management framework provides a fresh opportunity to negotiate the challenges of the air transportation sector\u27s predicted growth and societal safety expectations. In the regulatory framework, ‘learning from the past’ is related to the reactive method of HI, and it is viewed as a data-driven decision-making process in this review. This literature review aims to investigate academic literature on ‘learning from the past’ in the aviation industry to comprehend an overview and identify the gaps in the scholarly approaches and regulatory provisions. The data sources for the review comprise the research articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science databases from 2000 to July 2023. This review follows a mixed methodology consisting of a bibliometric analysis using an R tool to develop a broad understanding and, for specific gap identification, a systematic literature review in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All 283 studies are included in the bibliometric analysis, while only 24 studies are found eligible based on the predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria for systematic review. The results reveal that ‘learning from the past’ has not been explored as a data-driven decision-making process for HI in aviation industry settings. The stagewise barriers in the learning process and the impact of each stage on overall learning remain unexplored. The regulatory provisions associated with safety information from aviation activities\u27 resilient (positive) outcomes for learning from the past purpose, organizational safety culture, and harmonization with the criminal justice system are vulnerable

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some novel N-substituted benzimidazoles

Synthesis of a series of new substituted benzimidazole derivatives by the condensation of     o-phenylenediamine with urea to give 1,3-dihydro-benzimidazol-2-one which reacted with phosphoryl chloride to give 2-chloro-1H-benzimidazole is reported. The product was then alkylated at the benzimidazole NH with different electrophilic reagents leading to functionalized derivatives. Structures of the newly synthesized products have been deduced on the basis of spectral and analytical data. The synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity. This exhibited some promising results towards testing organism in-vitro

Renal artery variants: a comprehensive cadaveric comparative study using morphological and corrosion casting technique

Background: Kidneys, crucial excretory organs, receive substantial blood supply through renal arteries. Variations in their anatomy are common, warranting detailed investigation. This study aims to comprehensively examine renal artery patterns using both gross dissection and the corrosion cast method. Methods: Thirty kidney pairs from cadavers were meticulously dissected at Subharti Medical College, Meerut, U.P. India. Gross features were carefully noted, and corrosion casts were meticulously prepared. Prevalence, origin, level, division, course, and variations were exhaustively recorded to provide a thorough understanding of renal vascular anatomy. Results: Main renal arteries were found to predominantly originate from the abdominal aorta in all specimens. Interestingly, a higher prevalence of origin of right renal arteries was observed, with 47% exhibiting a higher origin than their left counterparts. Further analysis revealed prehilar division in 38.3% and hilar division in 61.6% of specimens. Notably, a segmental pattern of renal arteries was observed. Accessory renal arteries (8%) were identified, including rare occurrences of bilateral and double accessory renal arteries. Of particular significance was the observation of an accessory renal artery passing anterior to the inferior vena cava, highlighting the intricacies of renal vascular variations. Conclusions: While reaffirming the conventional understanding of renal arterial anatomy, this study emphasizes the complexity and clinical relevance of variations in renal artery morphology. Such detailed insights are invaluable for surgical and radiological practice, underlining the importance of meticulous preoperative assessment to optimize patient outcomes