The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS) will be held in Washington DC, USA, from Saturday, 26 August, 2023 to Friday, 1 September, 2023, inclusive. The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery will be the largest and most comprehensive scientific meeting dedicated to paediatric and congenital cardiac care ever held. At the time of the writing of this manuscript, The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery has 5,037 registered attendees (and rising) from 117 countries, a truly diverse and international faculty of over 925 individuals from 89 countries, over 2,000 individual abstracts and poster presenters from 101 countries, and a Best Abstract Competition featuring 153 oral abstracts from 34 countries. For information about the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, please visit the following website: [www.WCPCCS2023.org]. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the activities related to global health and advocacy that will occur at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

Acknowledging the need for urgent change, we wanted to take the opportunity to bring a common voice to the global community and issue the Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action on Addressing the Global Burden of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Diseases. A copy of this Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is provided in the Appendix of this manuscript. This Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is an initiative aimed at increasing awareness of the global burden, promoting the development of sustainable care systems, and improving access to high quality and equitable healthcare for children with heart disease as well as adults with congenital heart disease worldwide.

Measurements of local plasma parameters in dusty plasma are crucial for understanding the physics issues related to such systems. The Langmuir probe, a small electrode immersed in the plasma, provides such measurements. However, designing of a Langmuir probe system in a dusty plasma environment demands special consideration. First, the probe has to be miniaturized enough so that its perturbation on the ambient dust structure is minimal. At the same time, the probe dimensions must be such that a well-defined theory exists for interpretation of its characteristics. The associated instrumentation must also support the measurement of current collected by the probe with high signal to noise ratio. The most important consideration, of course, comes from the fact that the probes are prone to dust contamination, as the dust particles tend to stick to the probe surface and alter the current collecting area in unpredictable ways. This article describes the design and operation of a Langmuir probe system that resolves these challenging issues in dusty plasma. In doing so, first, different theories that are used to interpret the probe characteristics in collisionless as well as in collisional regimes are discussed, with special emphasis on application. The critical issues associated with the current–voltage characteristics of Langmuir probe obtained in different operating regimes are discussed. Then, an algorithm for processing these characteristics efficiently in presence of ion-neutral collisions in the probe sheath is presented.

In a quasineutral plasma, electrons undergo collective oscillations, known as plasma oscillations, when perturbed locally. The oscillations propagate due to finite temperature effects. However, the wave can lose the phase coherence between constituting oscillators in an inhomogeneous plasma (phase mixing) because of the dependence of plasma oscillation frequency on plasma density. The longitudinal electric field associated with the wave may be used to accelerate electrons to high energies by exciting large amplitude wave. However when the maximum amplitude of the wave is reached that plasma can sustain, the wave breaks. The phenomena of wave breaking and phase mixing have applications in plasma heating and particle acceleration. For detailed experimental investigation of these phenomena a new device, inverse mirror plasma experimental device (IMPED), has been designed and fabricated. The detailed considerations taken before designing the device, so that different aspects of these phenomena can be studied in a controlled manner, are described. Specifications of different components of the IMPED machine and their flexibility aspects in upgrading, if necessary, are discussed. Initial results meeting the prerequisite condition of the plasma for such study, such as a quiescent, collisionless and uniform plasma, are presented. The machine produces δnnoise/n ⩽ 1%, Luniform ~ 120 cm at argon filling pressure of ~10−4 mbar and axial magnetic field of B = 1090 G.

Pigeonpea is an important legume crop of the semi-arid tropics. In India, pigeonpea is mostly grown in areas prone to waterlogging, resulting in major production losses. It is imperative to identify genotypes that show tolerance at critical crop growth stages to prevent these losses. A selection of 272 diverse pigeonpea accessions was evaluated for seed submergence tolerance for different durations (0, 120, 144, 168 and 192 h) under in vitro conditions in the laboratory. All genotypes exhibited high (0·79–0·98) survival rates for up to 120 h of submergence. After 192 h of submergence, the hybrids as a group exhibited significantly higher survival rates (0·79) than the germplasm (0·71), elite breeding lines (0·68) and commercial varieties (0·58). Ninety-six genotypes representing the phenotypic variation observed during laboratory screening were further evaluated for waterlogging tolerance at the early seedling stage using pots, and survival rates were recorded for 8 days after completion of the stress treatment. Forty-nine of these 96 genotypes, representing the phenotypic variation for waterlogging tolerance, were chosen in order to evaluate their performance under natural field conditions. The following cultivated varieties and hybrids were identified as tolerant after three levels of testing (in vitro, in pots and in the field): ICPH 2431, ICPH 2740, ICPH 2671, ICPH 4187, MAL 9, LRG 30, Maruti, ICPL 20128, ICPL 332, ICPL 20237, ICPL 20238, Asha and MAL 15. These materials can be used as sources of waterlogging tolerance in breeding programmes.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK, EC 4.1.1.32) is an essential regulatory enzyme of glycolysis in helminths in contrast to its role in gluconeogenesis in their host. Previously we have reported that phytochemicals from Flemingia vestita (Family: Fabaceae), genistein in particular, have vermifugal action and are known to affect carbohydrate metabolism in the cestode, Raillietina echinobothrida. In order to determine the functional differences of PEPCK from the parasite and its avian host (Gallus domesticus), we purified the parasite enzyme apparently to homogeneity, and characterized it. The native PEPCK is a monomer with a subunit molecular weight of 65 kDa. The purified enzyme displayed standard Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Km value of 42·52 μM for its substrate PEP. The Ki for the competitive inhibitors GTP, GMP, ITP and IMP for the carboxylation reaction were determined and discussed. In order to identify putative modulators from plant sources, phytochemicals from F. vestita and Stephania glabra were tested on the purified PEPCK, which resulted in alteration of its activity. From our results, we hypothesize that PEPCK may be a potential target site for anthelmintic action.

The effect of oxyclozanide, hexachlorophene, nitroxynil, rafoxanide and diamphenethide on malate dehydrogenase activity of homogenates of Fasciola gigantica, Fasciolopsis buski and Paramphistomum explanatum was investigated. The ratio of oxaloacetate reduction to malate oxidation in homogenates of Fasciola gigantica, Fasciolopsis buski and P. explanatum was 4·5:1, 3·6:1 and 5·2:1 respectively. Oxyclozanide and rafoxanide at 10−3 M inhibited enzyme activity by 100% in homogenates from all three species while hexachlorophene at 10−3M also caused 100% inhibition in homogenates from Fasciola gigantica and P. explanatum but only 65% of malate oxidation in Fasciolopsis buski homogenates. Nitroxynil at 10−3M produced 60% inhibition in F. buski homogenates yet had little effect at this concentration on preparations from the other species. Little inhibition was seen with diamphenethide, even at high concentrations. Rapid death of Fasicola gigantica and P. explanatum resulted in vitro when 10−3M oxyclozanide, hexachlorophene, nitroxynil or rafoxanide, were added to the incubation medium. Fasciolopsis buski was killed by 10−3M oxyclozanide but at this concentration the remaining compounds only caused reduced activity. Assay of malate dehydrogenase following drug treatment in vitro failed to show any appreciable reduction in enzyme activity in Fasciola gigantica and P. explanatum but oxyclozanide and hexachlorophene produced inhibition in Fasciolopsis buski. The mode of action of these compounds is discussed.

The optical degradation of polysilane copolymer has been studied in spin cast thin films and solutions using light source of 325 nm wavelength. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of these films show a sharp emission at 368 nm when excited with a source of 325 nm. However, the PL intensity deteriorates with time upon light exposure. Further the causes of this degradation have been examined by characterizing the material for its transmission behaviour and changes occurring in molecular weight as analysed by GPC data.

Conflicts between local people and protected area managers are a common problem in developing countries, but in many cases there has been little attempt to comprehensively characterize the underlying problems. Resource uses, management practices, economy and people's perceptions of problems and likely solutions were analysed in two villages near and two villages away from the core zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in the Indian Himalaya. Agriculture, although practised on less than 1% of the area, was the primary occupation of local people. Six annual crops of a total of 22 and all four horticultural crops on private farms were damaged by wildlife, but Reserve management provided compensation only for livestock killing by wildlife and compensation amounted to only 4–10% of the total assessed monetary value of killed livestock. A variety of wild plant products were used locally but 27 were marketed by more than 50% of surveyed families; income from wild products was substantially lower than that from crops and livestock. A sociocultural change from a subsistence to a market economy, together with changes in traditional land/resource rights and institutions, has led to a number of changes in land-use and management practices. The livestock population has declined, agricultural area has remained the same and people have started cultivating medicinal species in the last 20 years. These changes seem complementary to the goal of conservation. However, changes such as abandonment of some traditional food crops and stress on cash crops lacking fodder value, requiring substantial manure inputs derived from forest litter and livestock excreta, and causing severe soil erosion, seem to counter the goal of environmental conservation. Some government-managed Reserve Forest sites were similar to the Community Forests in terms of species richness, basal area and soil physico-chemical properties. Two Reserve Forest sites showed basal areas of 160.5–191.5 m2/ha, exceeding the highest values reported so far from the region. The formal institutional framework of resource management seems to be not as effective as the traditional informal system. The Reserve Management Plan lays more emphasis on legal protection than on the sustainable livelihood of local communities and has led to conflicts between local people and reserve managers. Plantation of fodder and medicinal species in degraded forest lands, suppression of economic exploitation of local people in the market, enhancement of local knowledge of the economic potential of biodiversity, incentives for cultivation of crops with comparative advantages and lesser risks of damage by wildlife, and rejuvenation of the traditional involvement of the whole village community in decison-making, could be the options for resolving conflicts between people and protected areas in this case.

A modular approach to CMOS process development requires an understanding of individual process modules (channel, gate etc.) and their interactions. The reverse short channel effect (RSCE) in NMOS devices is one such interaction between the channel and source/drain (S/D) modules. Similarly the interaction between the S/D and silicide modules affects the contact and gate sheet resistance. This paper presents (a) an investigation of the effects of S/D processing (As and P implant conditions) on the RSCE, (b) effects of S/D and silicide processing on the contact and gate sheet resistance, (c) the use of an integrated system to optimize process modules and their interactions and (d) the validity of the modules and system in process development by obtaining a 4% improvement in drive current of a 0.25 micron NMOS device.

A modular approach to CMOS process development requires an understanding of individual process modules (channel, gate, etc.) and their interactions. The reverse short channel effect, (RSCE) in NMOS devices is one such interaction between the channel and source/drain (S/D) modules. Similarly the interaction between the S/D and silicide modules affects the contact and gate sheet resistance. This paper presents (a) an investigation of the effects of S/D processing (As and P implant conditions) on the RSCE, (b) effects of S/D and silicide processing on the contact and gate sheet resistance, (c) the use of an integrated system to optimize process modules and their interactions and (d) the validity of the modules and system in process development by obtaining a 4% improvement in drive current of a 0.25 micron NMOS device. The outputs of the S/D module include the doping profiles as a function of implant and anneal conditions. The interaction between the channel and S/D is caused by the damage created during the S/D implants, leading to channel dopant redistribution during subsequent thermal anneals. This interaction causes the RSCE in NMOS devices and has to be taken into account before the modules can be used for process optimization. The interaction is studied by varying the dose and energy of the As and P S/D implants and observing their effect of the RSCE. Further, to model this interaction, parameters of a 2D dopant profile model are extracted from device data and form a part of the S/D module in addition to the doping profile information. The system integrates the outputs from the process modules and their interactions and allows for a rapid search of the process space. The search criteria can be varied to include performance (e.g. drive and off current) and manufacturability criteria.

Conessine, the steroidal alkaloid of Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall, possesses a wide range of activities against four insect species viz. Aedes aegypti, Dysdercus koenigii, Spodoptera litura and Pieris brassicae. In D. koenigii the compound inhibits the egg hatching of treated adults and nymphs. In Ae. aegypti the larval developmental periods are extended, resulting in a high mortality rate. Such effects are produced at very low dosages of 0.5 to lOppm. Antifeedant activity is observed against larvae of S. litura and P. brassicae at concentrations of 0.005 to 0.2 % of conessine.

Although initially considered safe for the foetus, lithium has been shown to have teratogenic effects if used during the first trimester of pregnancy. Its use is also associated with a higher than expected frequency of still births and perinatal deaths. Our patient, in whom lithium prophylaxis was considered essential for clinical and social reasons, continued to take lithium without medical supervision throughout her pregnancy and had a still birth. We suggest avoiding the use of lithium at least during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Five types of haemocytes were identified in Poecilocerus pictus (Fab.) and their ultrastructural details and differential counts were studied. The types identified are the prohaemocyte, plasmatocyte, granular haemocyte, oenocytoid and coagulocyte. In response to the injection of yeast cells into the haemocoel, changes in haemocyte morphology and differential counts occurred. The predominant cell involved in phagocytosis is the plasmatocyte, followed by granular haemocyte.

In an earner paper ((6), p. 209) the author has given a generating function for the Jacobi polynomials defined by ((5), p. 254)

In the present note we obtain another generating function for these polynomials. The results given earlier by Manocha and Sharma ((4), p. 432) in these proceedings and Brafman in (2) follow as a particular case of our result.

The problem discussed is the formal solution of certain dual integral equations involving H-functions. The method followed is that of fractional integration. The given dual integral equations have been transformed, by the application of fractional integration operators, into two others with a common kernel and the problem is then reduced to solving one integral equation. In the first case the common kernel comes out to be a symmetrical Fourier kernel given earlier by Fox and the formal solution is then immediate. In the second case the common kernel is a generalized Fourier kernel and dual integral equations of this type have recently been studied by Fox.

Recently Fox ((5)) has given an inversion formula for the transform whose kernel is xνKν(x), where Kν(x) is the modified Bessel function of the second kind, by the application of fractional integration theory. In the present paper it has been shown that the integral equation

can be thrown into the form of a Laplace integral, with the help of fractional integration, which can be solved by known methods.

The following notations will be employed throughout this note.

The object of the present note is to obtain a new generating function for the Jacobi polynomials defined by [4, page 268]

1. Introductory. In this paper certain infinite integrals involving products of four Bessel functions of different arguments are evaluated in terms of Appell's function F4 by the methods of the operational calculus. The results obtained are believed to be new.

As usual, the conventional notation will be used to denote the classical Laplace integral relation

In the proofs of the formulae the following results will be required [1, pp. 281, 284], [3, pp. 78, 79].