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Fungal infection poses a major global threat to public health because of its wide prevalence, severe mortality rate, challenges involved in diagnosis and treatment, and the emergence of drug-resistant fungal strains. Millions of people are getting affected by fungal infection, and around 3.8 million people face death per year due to fungal infection, as per the latest report. The polyene antibiotic AmB has an extensive record of use as a therapeutic moiety against systemic fungal infection and leishmaniasis since 1960. AmB has broad-spectrum fungistatic and fungicidal activity. AmB exerts its therapeutic activity at the cellular level by binding to fungal sterol and forming hydrophilic pores, releasing essential cellular components and ions into the extracellular fluid, leading to cell death. Despite using AmB as an antifungal and antileishmanial at a broad scale, its clinical use is limited due to drug-induced nephrotoxicity resulting from binding the aggregated form of the drug to mammalian sterol. To mitigate AmB-induced toxicity and to get better anti-fungal therapeutic outcomes, researchers have developed nanoformulations, self-assembled formulations, prodrugs, cholesterol- and albumin-based AmB formulations, AmB-mAb combination therapy, and AmB cochleates. These formulations have helped to reduce toxicity to a certain extent by controlling the aggregation state of AmB, providing sustained drug release, and altering the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters of AmB. Although the preclinical outcome of AmB formulations is quite satisfactory, its parallel result at the clinical level is insignificant. However, the safety and efficacy of AmB therapy can be improved at the clinical stage by continuous investigation and collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies.

ABSTRACTAn unbalanced diet and poor lifestyle are common reasons for numerous health complications in humans. Probiotics are known to provide substantial benefits to human health by producing several bioactive compounds, vitamins, short-chain fatty acids and short peptides. Diets that contain probiotics are limited to curd, yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, etc. However, exploring the identification of more potential probiotics and enhancing their commercial application to improve the nutritional quality would be a significant step to utilizing the maximum benefits. The complex evolution patterns among the probiotics are the hurdles in their characterization and adequate application in the industries and dairy products. This article has mainly discussed the molecular methods of characterization that are based on the analysis of ribosomal RNA, whole genome, and protein markers and profiles. It also has critically emphasized the emerging challenges in industrial applications of probiotics.

ABSTRACTProlonged insulin resistance is considered one of the reasons for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Upregulation of Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a negative regulator of insulin signalling, has been well studied as a key regulator in prognosis to insulin resistance. It has been widely studied as a desirable molecular therapeutic target. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of leaf extract of the medicinal plants Silybum marianum on the inhibition of PTP1B activity. It also explored the synergistic effect with extracts of Gymnema sylvestre (leaves), Momordica charantia (seeds), and Trigonella foenum graecum (seeds). The S. marianum leaves showed dose-dependent inhibition of PTP1B ranging from 9.48–47.95% (25–1000 μg mL−1). Assay with individual plant extracts showed comparatively lesser inhibition of PTP1B as compared to metformin as a control (38% inhibition). However, a synergistic effect showed nearly 45% PTP1B inhibition (higher than metformin) after the assay was done with selected four plant extracts in combination. The effect of leaf extracts of S. marianum was studied for glucose uptake efficiency in yeast cell lines which was found to be increased by 23% as compared to the control (without extract). Metformin improves glucose upake by yeast cells by ~15–31%. GC-MS analysis revealed 23 phytochemicals, some of which possessed anti-diabetic properties. A dose-dependent increase in antioxidant activity of S. marianum leaves extracts was observed (40–53%). The findings of the study highlighted the presence of various phytochemicals in leaves extracts that are effective against PTP1B inhibition and may help in reinvigorating drug development.

Recent research and reviews on CO2capture methods, along with advancements in industry, have highlighted high costs and energy-intensive nature as the primary limitations of conventional direct air capture and storage (DACS) methods. In response to these challenges, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising absorbents due to their scalability, selectivity, and lower environmental impact compared to other absorbents. However, the molecular origins of their enhanced thermal stability and selectivity for DAC applications have not been explored before. Therefore, the current study focuses on a comprehensive investigation into the molecular interactions within an alkaline DES composed of potassium hydroxide (KOH) and ethylene glycol (EG). Combining Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and quantum chemical calculations, the study reports structural changes and intermolecular interactions induced in EG upon addition of KOH and its implications on CO2capture. Experimental and computational spectroscopic studies confirm the presence of noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonds) within both EG and the KOH-EG system and point to the aggregation of ions at higher KOH concentrations. Additionally, molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) surface analysis, natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) analysis, and reduced density gradient-noncovalent interaction (RDG-NCI) plot analysis elucidate changes in polarizability, charge distribution, hydrogen bond types, noncovalent interactions, and interaction strengths, respectively. Evaluation of explicit and hybrid models assesses their effectiveness in representing intermolecular interactions. This research enhances our understanding of molecular interactions in the KOH-EG system, which are essential for both the absorption and desorption of CO2. The study also aids in predicting and selecting DES components, optimizing their ratios with salts, and fine-tuning the properties of similar solvents and salts for enhanced CO2capture efficiency.

This paper explores optimizing a dynamic bias latch comparator for deep learning accelerators in computer vision. We investigate clock gating, cross-coupled transistors, and a novel hybrid approach, all simulated in 45nm Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) with LTspice. The hybrid design surpasses individual techniques, achieving a 24.89% and 13.25% reduction in power-delay product, respectively. Compared to the original design, it offers a 46.79% decrease at 1.2V. The optimized comparator design can be integrated into hardware accelerators for deep learning models, such as custom integrated circuits or Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based solutions, to enhance their efficiency and speed in processing computer vision tasks by reducing propagation delay and energy consumption.

Here, we report the first utilization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in optical wireless communication (OWC) applications. In the solid form, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogen often shows promising emissive characteristics that augment radiative decays and improve fluorescence. We have synthesized an AIE-COFthrough the Knoevenagel condensation reaction by taking advantage of the ability to carefully design and alter the COF structure by integrating an AIE luminogen with linear building blocks. The synthesized AIE-COFexhibited a high solid-state photoluminescence quantum yield (∼39%) and a short photoluminescence lifetime (∼1 ns), crucial for achieving modulation bandwidth for high-speed OWC applications. For comparison, we constructed an aggregation-caused quenching based COF, showing a similar lifetime but almost insignificant quantum yield. The orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing modulation strategy employed by the AIE-COFdemonstrates remarkable high-rate data transmission, with a wide −3 dB modulation bandwidth of nearly 200 MHz and achieving high net data rates of 825 Mb/s, outperforming traditional materials. These results open new avenues for the ability to design and finetune new COF materials for their utilization as color converters in developing cutting-edge OWC components, enabling faster and more efficient data transfer.

Objective: To investigate which features from a patient’s history are either high or low risk that could support healthcare professionals in ophthalmic emergency triage. Methods: Prospective, 12,584 visits from 11,733 adult patients attending an Accident and Emergency department at a single tertiary centre were analysed. Data were collected by ophthalmic nurses working in triage, using an online form from August 2021 to April 2022. Multivariate analysis (MVA) was conducted to identify which features from the patients’ history would be associated with emergency care. Results: This study found that 45.5% (5731 patient visits (PV)) required a same day eye emergency examination (SDEE), 11.3% (1416 PV) needed urgent care, and 43.2% (5437 PV) were appropriate for elective consultations with a GP or optometrist. The MVA top ten features that were statistically significant (p< 0.05) that would warrant SDEE with odds ratio (95% CI) were: bilateral eye injury 36.5 [15.6–85.5], unilateral eye injury 25.8 [20.9–31.7], vision loss 4.8 [2.9–7.8], post-operative ophthalmic ( < 4 weeks) 4.6 [3.8–5.7], contact lens wearer 3.9 [3.3–4.7], history of uveitis 3.9 [3.3–4.7], photophobia 2.9 [2.4–3.6], unilateral dark shadow/curtain in vision 2.4 [1.8–3.0], unilateral injected red eye 2.0 [1.8–2.2] and rapid change in visual acuity 1.8 [1.5–2.2]. Conclusion: This study characterises presenting features covering almost 100 ophthalmic acute presentations that are commonly seen in emergency and elective care. This information could supplement current red flag indicators and support healthcare professionals in ophthalmic triage. Further research is required to evaluate the cost effectivity and safety of our findings for triaging acute presentations.

Duplex stainless steel (DSS) mainly consists of ferrite and austenite. DSS finds wide uses in offshore applications, due to its admirable mechanical properties and great corrosion resistance. The chemical and physical characteristics of the weld metal (WM) are significantly impacted by the flux compositions. In the present work, the submerged arc welding (SAW) of DSS was achieved by using an electrode wire (ER-308L). The resulting physiochemical compositions, C, Mn, Ni, Cr, Mo and W of the WM, have been examined by utilizing 21 designed fluxes. The SAW fluxes in the current study are formulated using the limited mixture design approach. Using the extreme vertices design method, 21 compositions of flux are designed and the effect of flux mixtures has been studied. Regression models were developed for the submerged arc weld of DSS-2205 by considering the different flux constituents and their binary combinations. From the study, it has been concluded that among the individual flux mixtures, Al2O3is the most significant mixture and SiO2is the second most significant flux mixture. The most significant binary mixture to change the content of WM’s composition is SiO2MgO. Regression mathematical models have been checked at a 95% significance level by using an analysis of variance (Ftest).

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), a devastating pest, poses massive threat to maize (Zea maysL.) production worldwide. This study was aimed to evaluate the status of phenolics and defensive enzymes in wild (teosinte), inbred (CML 72, LM 24) and backcross derived maize line, BC (LM 24 × teosinte) exposed to fall armyworm infestation. The activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL), β-1,3 glucanase, chitinase and protease inhibitor were determined. The contents of total phenols, flavonoids, ortho- dihydroxy phenols and lignin were also determined. The high stress tolerance efficiency of teosinte was attributed to the high activities of POD, PAL and TAL in its leaves during infestation that increased the content of total phenols and enhanced lignification. Additionally, it had high β-glucanase activity for the hydrolysis of glucans in the cell wall of pest. BC (LM 24 × teosinte) attained some of the unique features of teosinte as both the genotypes had comparable POD, β-glucanase, chitinase and protease inhibitor activities and equivalent levels of total phenols and lignin in their infested leaves that were relatively higher than those of LM 24. CML 72 differed significantly from LM 24 in its stress tolerance mechanism as it had maximum activities of β-glucanase, chitinase and protease inhibitor in its infested leaves. It may be concluded that teosinte followed by BC (LM 24 × teosinte) showed maximum tolerance to pest infestation. The inbred lines, LM 24 and CML 72 showed moderate tolerance to stress conditions by adopting varied mechanisms.

Liver cirrhosis causes high mortality and morbidity, affecting patients' quality of life (QoL) and health outcomes. Given the significant burden of liver cirrhosis, restructuring healthcare services is crucial. Nurses' involvement in secondary prevention for other chronic diseases has shown benefits, including improved symptom control, reduced hospitalisations and enhanced HRQoL. However, the nursing role in liver disease management remains understudied. This mixed-methods study proposal with an embedded sequential design will assess the effectiveness of a nurse-led virtual liver cirrhosis clinic (NLVLCC) on QoL, self-efficacy, and health outcomes in 90 patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis (60 intervention, 30 control). Health outcomes include medication adherence, performance status, dietary adherence, alcohol intake, depression, anxiety, stress and 30-day readmission. Phase one will involve a randomised controlled trial, followed by narrative analysis in phase two. Data collection will utilize standardized and structured tools, including the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire, Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-item Scale, MARS, Karnofsky Performance Scale, 24-hour dietary recall, AUDIT, DASS, and adherence logs. NLVLCC components include patient education, dietary counseling, brief alcohol de-addiction intervention, psychological support, medication adherence, physical activity guidance and regular virtual follow-ups.

Corrosion inhibition plays a pivotal role in safeguarding metal structures and equipment in diverse industrial sectors. This review paper examines the latest developments in corrosion inhibitors, focusing on organic, inorganic, and mixed-type compounds. The review synthesizes a vast body of literature, highlighting key findings from experimental studies evaluating the effectiveness of organic, inorganic, and mixed-type corrosion inhibitors. It explores the synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and corrosion inhibition mechanisms associated with these inhibitors, providing critical insights into their structural and chemical properties. Moreover, the paper delves into theoretical studies, such as computational modeling and simulations, which have advanced our understanding of inhibitor behavior at the molecular level. A significant portion of the review is dedicated to exploring the application of corrosion inhibitors in acidic environments, where metal corrosion poses a severe threat. The analysis includes a detailed examination of the inhibitors’ performance under various acidic conditions, elucidating their potential in real-world industrial applications. The review also discusses the challenges and future prospects in the field of corrosion inhibition, outlining potential avenues for further research and development.

Bioremediation of surfactants in water bodies holds significant ecological importance as they are contaminants of emerging concern posing substantial threats to the aquatic environment. Microbes exhibiting special ability in terms of bioremediation of contaminants have always been reported to thrive in extraordinary environmental conditions that can be extreme in terms of temperature, lack of nutrients, and salinity. Therefore, in the present investigation, a total of 46 bacterial isolates were isolated from the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean and screened for degradation of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Further, two Gram-positive psychrotolerant bacterial strains, ASOI-01 and ASOI-02 were identified with significant SDS degradation potential. These isolates were further studied for growth optimization under different environmental conditions. The strains were characterized as Staphylococcus saprophyticusand Bacillus pumilusbased on morphological, biochemical, and molecular (16S RNA gene) characteristics. The study reports 88.9% and 93.4% degradation of SDS at a concentration of 100 mgL−1, at 20 °C, and pH 7 by S. saprophyticusASOI-01 and B. pumilusASOI-02, respectively. The experiments were also conducted in wastewater samples where a slight reduction in degradation efficiency was observed with strains ASOI-01 and ASOI-02 exhibiting 76.83 and 64.93% degradation of SDS respectively. This study infers that these bacteria can be used for the bioremediation of anionic surfactants from water bodies and establishes the potential of extremophilic microbes for the utilization of sustainable wastewater management.

AbstractAntibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, is a common pathogen found in hospital settings and has become nosocomial due to its high infection-causing tendency amongst ICU patients. The present study explores the cyanocompoundswhich were capable to inhibit the Penicillin Binding Protein of A. baumannii through molecular docking, ADMET, and molecular dynamicssimulation strategy. A database having structural and origin details was generated for 85 bioactive compounds in MS Excel. The 3-D structures weredownloaded from the PubChem database and minimized. The receptor protein was minimized and validated for structure correctness. The database was screened against the penicillin-binding protein of A. baumannii through PyRx software. The top 5 compounds including the control molecule werefurther redocked to the receptor molecule through Autodock Vina software. The molecule pose having the highest affinity was further subjected to 100ns MD- simulation and simultaneously the in-vitro activity of the methanol extract and hexane extract was checked through agar well diffusion assay.Docking studies indicate Tolyporphine K to be a lead molecule which was further assessed through Molecular dynamics and MM/PBSA. The in-silicoresults suggested that the protein-ligand complex was found to be stable over the 100 ns trajectory with a binding free energy of -8.56 Kcalmol-1. Theligand did not induce any major structural conformation in the protein moiety and was largely stabilized by hydrophobic interactions. The bioactivityscore and ADME properties of the compounds were also calculated. The in-vitro agar well diffusion assay showed a moderate zone of inhibition of12.33mm. The results indicate that the compound Tolyporphin- K could be a potential inhibitor of penicillin-binding protein in A. baumannii. Yet furtherwork needs to be done to have a more concrete basis for the pathway of inhibition.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Introduction: Hospital-based optometrists are undertaking extended roles across ophthalmology that may require them to perform advanced skills (AS). Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH) is the largest UK employer of hospital-based optometrists, it was sought to investigate which AS are being performed at this centre and how they align to the four pillars of advanced clinical practice (ACP). Methods: An online survey was sent to MEH optometrists in May 2022 that asked about professional status, sub-specialties worked, qualifications, acquisition and validation of AS, research and leadership. Results: Ninety-six optometrists with mean post-qualification experience was 16.2 years (SD 10.4) responded to the survey. There were 84 AS that covered clinical, leadership and research, with respondents achieving a mean of 11.8 (SD 10.3). Those with independent prescribing (IP) qualifications (n= 52) had a higher number of AS compared to non-IP optometrists (p= 0.03). There were 68 clinical AS across the sub-specialties (23 clinical AS were common in ≥2 sub-specialties), 49 out of 120 clinical AS could be performed by at least 60% of staff. Twenty-six optometrists identified with leadership, 56 had undertaken research/audit, 27 had published within a peer-reviewed journal and half of the time spent in active research was funded. Conclusion: AS are being performed by optometrists within a tertiary eye hospital that supports ACP. IP optometrists had higher self-reported AS but current educational frameworks don’t accommodate for some AS. Targeted AS courses with competency-based sign-off may further support high-quality patient care. Further research is required on how advanced care practitioners can support workforce transformation.

Predicting ionic conductivity is crucial for developing efficient electrolytes for energy storage and conversion and other electrochemical applications. An accurate estimate of ionic conductivity requires understanding complex ion–ion and ion–solvent interactions governing the charge transport at the molecular level. Molecular simulations can provide key insights into the spatial and temporal behavior of electrolyte constituents. However, such insights depend on the ability of force fields to describe the underlying phenomena. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were leveraged to delineate the impact of force field parameters on ionic conductivity predictions of potassium hydroxide (KOH) in ethylene glycol (EG). Four different force fields were used to represent the K+ion. Diffusion-based Nernst–Einstein and correlation-based Einstein approaches were implemented to estimate the ionic conductivity, and the predicted values were compared with experimental measurements. The physical aspects, including ion-aggregation, charge distribution, cluster correlation, and cluster dynamics, were also examined. A force field was identified that provides reasonably accurate Einstein conductivity values and a physically coherent representation of the electrolyte at the molecular level.

The safety of soldiers is one of the main concern of defence department of every nation. However, the location and health status of soldiers are communicated over the radio line which is not an efficient method for tracking or communicating. Thus, a system is developed in this paper for automatic tracing of location using Global Positioning System coordinates and monitoring of vital body parameters based on private mesh network for a secure communication. SOS feature is also available in this system which can assist soldier in case of emergency. A portable device is made that consists of all the required sensors for health monitoring and SOS feature. Further, an application is developed to maintain the record of all the data at the base.

Globally, there remain significant disparities in the capacity and quality of kidney care, as evidenced by the third edition of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA). In the ISN North and East Asia region, the chronic kidney disease (CKD) burden varied widely; Taiwan had the heaviest burden of treated kidney failure (3679 per million population [pmp]) followed by Japan and South Korea. Except in Hong Kong, hemodialysis (HD) was the main dialysis modality for all other countries in the region and was much higher than the global median prevalence. Kidney transplantation services were generally available in the region, but the prevalence was much lower than that of dialysis. Most countries had public funding for kidney replacement therapy (KRT). The median prevalence of nephrologists was 28.7 pmp, higher than that of any other ISN region, with variation across countries. Home HD was available in only 17% of the countries, whereas conservative kidney management was available in 50%. All countries had official registries for dialysis and transplantation; however, only China and Japan had CKD registries. Advocacy groups for CKD, kidney failure, and KRT were uncommon throughout the region. Overall, all countries in the region had capacity for KRT, albeit with some shortages in their kidney care workforce. These data are useful for stakeholders to address gaps in kidney care and to reduce workforce shortages through increased use of multidisciplinary teams and telemedicine, policy changes to promote prevention and treatment of kidney failure, and increased advocacy for kidney disease in the region.