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Chicken eggshells are the 15th major food waste and contain about 94% calcium carbonate and some other components in trace amounts. Almonds (Prunus amygdalus) are nuts that are very rich in essential nutrients which are used extensively in baking purposes for their sweet nutty flavor and also for their general acceptance. The current study was conducted to address food waste problems and dietary calcium deficiency issues by using waste eggshells when grounded and added in the biscuit formulation giving special attention towards its acceptance among the consumers by utilizing almond flour. The results indicated that the developed biscuits with different combinations of wheat flour, almond flour, and eggshell powder showed high levels of calcium and antioxidant contents along with phenolic acids and fatty acids. The treatment T4was considered best among all treatments as it contained high calcium and antioxidant contents and was also equally acceptable among consumers. The treatment T4contained 76% wheat flour along with eggshell powder and almond flour replacement at 4% and 20% respectively making it the most desirable one. Based on the current study’s findings, it can be concluded that biscuits can be used as an attractive food fortification tool to overcome food waste and dietary calcium problems by utilizing chicken eggshell powder up to 4% level in combination with almond flour for consumer acceptance.

We showed in past work that nanopatterned monolayer graphene (NPG) enables spectrally selective thermal emission in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) from 3 to 12 μm. In that case, the spectral selection is realized by means of the localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonances inside graphene. Here, we show that graphene decorated with metallic nanoparticles, such as Ag nanocubes or nanospheres, also realizes spectrally selective thermal emission but, in this case, by means of acoustic graphene plasmons (AGPs) localized between graphene and the Ag nanoparticle inside a dielectric material. Our finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations show that the spectrally selective thermal radiation emission can be tuned by means of a gate voltage into two different wavelength regimes, namely, the atmospherically opaque regime between λ = 5 and 8 μm or the atmospherically transparent regime between λ = 8 and 12 μm. This allows for electrical switching between a radiative heat trapping mode for the former regime and a radiative cooling mode for the latter regime. Our theoretical results can be used to develop graphene-based thermal management systems for smart fabrics.

This work investigated the functional properties, anti-nutritional compounds, functional groups, phytochemicals profile, and antioxidant potential of melon by-products of two different varieties namely T-96 and white ball using standard methods. Melon peels possessed better functional properties while melon seeds showed a lower concentration of anti-nutritional compounds. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed distinct absorption band properties of functional groups attached to amine, phenol, ketones, and halo compounds, among others. Phytochemical profile (total phenolic and flavonoid content), and antioxidant assay (DPPH, FRAP) were evaluated using different solvent systems (water, methanol, ethanol, and acetone 50% v/v). Ethanol opted as the best solvent for both peel and seed powder and bioactive compounds were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Nine different compounds including quercetin, syringic acid, benzoic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, and caffeic acid were found. Peel extracts presented a higher concentration of bioactive compounds and elevated antioxidant activity as compared to seed extracts. These findings demonstrated that a significant amount of nutrients was present in both parts, particularly the peel. Therefore, it is plausible that by-products derived from melons possess the capacity to serve as a promising reservoir of bioactive chemicals.

Dihydropyran (DHP) compounds are not only found in natural products and bioactive molecules, but also serve as important precursors in organic synthesis. Nonetheless, traditional methods for the construction of such compounds are usually limited to disubstituted DHPs. To address this synthetic challenge, reported here is an efficient electrochemical strategy toward the selenated and trifluoromethylated DHP compounds. The reaction proceeded smoothly under mild electrolysis conditions. The broad substrate scope (>50 examples) and scalable synthesis demonstrated the complexity-building potential of the strategy. Initial mechanistic studies reveal that cyclization may involve a radical process. This protocol may promote the further development of diversified synthesis of multi-substituted dihydropyran.

Gallibacteriumspp., particularly G. anatis, have received much attention as poultry pathogens in recent years. We report here the presence and antimicrobial resistance profile of 69 Gallibacteriumisolates obtained from 2,204 diagnostic submissions of broiler and layer chickens in 2019–2021. Gallibacterium-positive chickens had lesions primarily in the respiratory tract, reproductive tract, and related serosal surfaces. Gallibacteriumspp. were initially identified based on their typical cultural characteristics on blood agar. The isolates were confirmed by a genus-specific PCR spanning 16S-23S rRNA and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed distinct clades. Of the 69 isolates, 68 clustered with the reference strains of G. anatisand 1 with Gallibacteriumgenomospecies 1 and 2. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 58 of the 69 isolates by a MIC method showed variable responses to antimicrobials. The isolates were all susceptible to enrofloxacin, ceftiofur, florfenicol, and gentamicin. There was a high level of susceptibility to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (98.0%), streptomycin (98.0%), amoxicillin (84.0%), sulfadimethoxine (71.0%), and neomycin (71.0%). All of the isolates were resistant to tylosin. There was resistance to penicillin (98.0%), erythromycin (95.0%), clindamycin (94.0%), novobiocin (90.0%), tetracycline (88.0%), oxytetracycline (76.0%), and sulfathiazole (53.0%). A high rate of intermediate susceptibility was observed for spectinomycin (67.0%) and sulfathiazole (40.0%). Our findings indicate a potential role of G. anatisas an important poultry pathogen and cause of subsequent disease, alone or in combination with other pathogens. Continuous monitoring and an antimicrobial susceptibility assay are recommended for effective treatment and disease control.

The present article investigates the effects of heat and mass transfer on the pulsatile flow of blood through a tapered artery under atherosclerotic conditions. The blood is treated as Sutterby fluid. The wall of the artery is considered to be time-invariant having overlapping stenosis in its lumen. The fully coupled momentum, energy and concentration equations in conjunction with the constitutive equation of Sutterby fluid are simplified by applying the mild stenosis assumption. The governing equations together with the prescribed boundary conditions are discretized and solved by using the finite difference method. The results highlighting the effects of various emerging parameters on the heat and mass transfer are also displayed through graphs. The effects of stenosis height and Prandtl number on the axial variation of Nusselt number are also discussed in detail. A comparison of Sutterby fluid with the Newtonian fluid is also presented to highlight the effects of the Prandtl number on the heat and mass transfer. The present study reveals that the distribution of temperature in the constricted region of the blood vessel is closely associated with the viscoelastic nature of blood. It is also observed that the rate of heat transfer at the wall of the artery can be enhanced by reducing the thermal conductivity.

European Union (EU) countries are confronted with the integration challenges of an increasing number of immigrants from non-EU states who intend to stay because they find better economic conditions and quality of life. Poor integration creates problems for both, immigrants and the host society, policymakers are committed to fostering appropriate conditions. This requires sound databases to explore the situation. Our article contributes to that by considering the integration challenges of the Pakistani diaspora in Germany. It applies a gender-sensitive analysis as males and females face different forms of integration challenges. Our survey among 264 Pakistani immigrants revealed that English language competencies; interaction with other nationals; and the welcoming attitude of the host society are the most significant determinants of integration. The results are relevant beyond the narrow empirical context of the country focus considered here.

Approximately 5 % of all seeds at a seed company are discarded because of their underutilization. Bitter gourd contains a large number of seeds that are discarded, which are difficult to treat and cause severe environmental pollution. However, these seeds are a rich source of bioactive metabolites (such as glycosides, saponin, alkaloids, triterpenes, steroids, dietary fibers, essential oils, and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) with antioxidant, antimicrobial properties, and health-promoting effects. So, it is important to find ways to treat this waste and use it in various food products and health-promoting effects to benefit humans and prevent environmental pollution as per Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. This review discussed the extraction of different functional compounds by using traditional and modern extraction techniques, nutraceutical and food applications, as well as the toxicological effects of the bitter gourd seeds, aiming to give a new research direction to the researchers of concerned fields to find more potential applications of this natural waste. Both in vivo and in vitro study results showed that bitter gourd seeds in powder, extract, and oils can be used as antioxidant and antitumor agents and showed antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Bitter gourd seeds also have healthy and technological compounds that could be used in food industries to improve food products' quality, stability, and nutritional characteristics. Bitter gourd seeds can also be used to purify drinking water. Further studies are needed to find more applications of this natural by-product in developing functional and nutritious foods.

We showed in past work that nanopatterned monolayer graphene (NPG) can be used for realizing an ultrafast (∼100 ns) and spectrally selective mid-infrared (mid-IR) photodetector based on the photothermoelectric effect and working in the 8–12 μm regime. In later work, we showed that the absorption wavelength of NPG can be extended to the 3–8 μm regime. Further extension to shorter wavelengths would require a smaller nanohole size that is not attainable with current technology. Here, we show by means of a theoretical model that nanopatterned multilayer graphene intercalated with FeCl3(NPMLG-FeCl3) overcomes this problem by substantially extending the detection wavelength into the range from λ = 1.3 to 3 μm. We present a proof of concept for a spectrally selective infrared (IR) photodetector based on NPMLG-FeCl3that can operate from λ = 1.3 to 12 μm and beyond. The localized surface plasmons (LSPs) on the graphene sheets in NPMLG-FeCl3allow for electrostatic tuning of the photodetection wavelength. Most importantly, the LSPs along with an optical cavity increase the absorbance from about N× 2.6% for N-layer graphene-FeCl3(without patterning) to nearly 100% for NPMLG-FeCl3, where the strong absorbance occurs locally inside the graphene sheets only. Our IR detection scheme relies on the photothermoelectric effect induced by asymmetric patterning of the multilayer graphene (MLG) sheets. The LSPs on the nanopatterned side create hot carriers that give rise to the Seebeck effect at room temperature, achieving a responsivity of R=6.15×103V/W, a detectivity of D* = 2.3 × 109Jones, and an ultrafast response time of the order of 100 ns. Our theoretical results can be used to develop graphene-based photodetection, optical IR communication, IR color displays, and IR spectroscopy over a wide IR range.

Crises that occurred due to unexpected incidents significantly influence the society. Therefore, the availability of appropriate implementation programs in a truly critical context will strengthen the foundation of society in all areas, in one hand and, greatly reduce the financial losses, human casualties, and social, economic and environmental disruptions, on the other hand. Dispatched units should effectively be allocated and scheduled to reduce economic losses during the response phase. This article addresses the crisis logistics, including the processes of estimation, storing and distribution of goods, equipment, services affected people and relief teams, which must be delivered at the right time and in the right place to the appropriate extent and in a scientifically accurate manner with the least problems. This research presents a mathematical multi-objective model for managing natural disasters with a dispatch and control approach in emergency situations. Different emergency situations are discussed with crisis management.

Hypothetical proteins (HPs) are non-predicted sequences that are identified only by open reading frames in sequenced genomes, but their protein products remain uncharacterized by any experimental means. The genome of every species consists of HPs that are involved in various cellular processes and signaling pathways. Annotation of HPs is important as they play a key role in disease mechanisms, drug designing, vaccine production, antibiotic production, and host adaptation. In the case of bacteria, 25-50% of the genome comprises HPs, which are involved in metabolic pathways and pathogenesis. The characterization of bacterial HPs helps to identify virulent proteins that are involved in pathogenesis. This can be done using in-silico studies, which provide sequence analogs, physiochemical properties, cellular or subcellular localization, structure and function validation, and protein-protein interactions. The most diverse types of virulent proteins are exotoxins, endotoxins, and adherent virulent factors that are encoded by virulent genes present on the chromosomal DNA of the bacteria. This review evaluates virulent HPs of pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Chlamydia trachomatis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Yersinia pestis. The potential of these HPs as a drug target in bacteria-caused infectious diseases, along with the mode of action and treatment approaches, has been discussed.

AbstractBrucellosis is a zoonotic disease of great animal welfare and economic implications worldwide known since ancient times. The emergence of brucellosis in new areas as well as transmission of brucellosis from wild and domestic animals is of great significance in terms of new epidemiological dimensions. Brucellosis poses a major public health threat by the consumption of non-pasteurized milk and milk products produced by unhygienic dairy farms in endemic areas. Regular and meticulous surveillance is essentially required to determine the true picture of brucellosis especially in areas with continuous high prevalence. Additionally, international migration of humans, animals and trade of animal products has created a challenge for disease spread and diagnosis in non-endemic areas. Isolation and identification remain the gold standard test, which requires expertise. The advancement in diagnostic strategies coupled with screening of newly introduced animals is warranted to control the disease. Of note, the diagnostic value of miRNAs for appropriate detection of B. abortusinfection has been shown. The most widely used vaccine strains to protect against Brucellainfection and related abortions in cattle are strain 19 and RB51. Moreover, it is very important to note that no vaccine, which is highly protective, safe and effective is available either for bovines or human beings. Research results encourage the use of bacteriophage lysates in treatment of bovine brucellosis. One Health approach can aid in control of this disease, both in animals and man.

The ferrite materials are emerging as a promising material to overcome the global energy crisis. To address these issues a new series of cerium (Ce+3) substituted nickel zinc ferrites with general formula of Ni0.5Zn0.5CexFe2-xO4(x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1) has been fabricated employing solgel auto combustion technique. The urea and glycine are used as reducing agents and sintered at 1000 °C for 4 h. The structural, optical, dielectric, magnetic and electrochemical properties have been evaluated using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), UV–Visible spectroscopy, Inductor Capacitor Resister (LCR) meter, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) techniques respectively. The structural analysis reveals the formation of single-phase cubic spinel structure. The optical analysis shows the absorption peak arises in ultraviolet (UV) region. The dielectric study at room temperature reveals the significant changes in dielectric constant, tangent loss and AC conductivity with increasing frequency and Ce+3concentration. The investigation of magnetic behavior shows the superparamagnetic behavior of all the samples. The saturation magnetization decreases and coercivity varies with the addition of Ce+3. The specific capacitance (Csp) of prepared electrodes increases with increasing Ce concentration. The highest Cspis obtained at x = 0.1 which is ~2056.9 Fg−1at the lowest scan rate of 5 mV/s. The pseudocapacitive contribution of the sample at x = 0.1 is 94.49 % at scan rate of 5 mV/s. Hence these electrodes may be suggested as a promising candidate for supercapacitor. This study is unraveling a new tactic for improving the energy storage properties of a given material.

Aim:The purpose of current study is to find out relationship between cas9gene and antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter jejuniNCTC11168. Materials & methods:The involvement of the cas9gene in antimicrobial resistance of C. jejuniwas determined by assessment of minimum inhibitory concentration, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-cas gene expression in standard strains, in vitroresistance development and transcriptome analysis of a cas9deletion mutant and wild strains. Results:Increased expression of CRISPR-related genes was observed in standard strains. We also observed that Δcas9mutant strain is more sensitive to antibiotics than its wild strain. Transcriptome analysis revealed that cas9gene regulate several genes to promote antimicrobial resistance in C. jejuni. Conclusion:CRISPR-cas system plays role in the enhancement of antimicrobial resistance in C. jejuni.

The research purpose is to identify which security factors that influence customer trust towards the intention to continue using Internet banking in Malaysia. The primary participants are internet banking users in Malaysia. A total of 227 respondents completed the questionnaires as requested. The results show that direct relationship of perceived privacy, perceived confidentiality, perceived data integrity, effectiveness of biometrics are significant factors influencing customer trust towards intention to continue using internet banking. This result shows the significant mediating effect between perceived privacy, perceived confidentiality, perceived data integrity, effectiveness of biometrics with customer trust. Trust is a significant effect towards intention to continue using internet banking. Security factors and effectiveness of biometrics have strong relationship towards increasing customer trust using internet banking. This is a strong signal to internet banking providers to enhance their security level towards multi factor authentication using biometrics solution.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test the student engagement scale and to understand the factors that contribute to student engagement at higher educational institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The investigation started with a rummage for variables, available in the literature, 59 in numbers, which were then used to collect data from a sample of university students in Lahore, Pakistan. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to develop an initial structure of the construct. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then conducted to confirm the reliability and validity of these factors for the student engagement construct. Findings: It has been found that factors, predominantly social and exogenous to the classroom environment, such as campus atmosphere and facilities, are more responsible for creating engagement among students at higher educational institutions of Pakistan. Originality/value: This is one of the pioneer studies for developing a student engagement scale for measuring the students' engagement in higher educational institutions. The authors believe that the scale developed in this study contributes substantially to the student engagement literature. Limitations, future research directions and implications are discussed.

DNA sequencing is among the most important techniques in biology to decipher the key genetic players of health and disease. The existing laboratory instruments for DNA sequencing are well established and reliable. However, these instruments are still out of reach of most laboratories in the world due to very high equipment and running costs and require trained personnel to keep them running. These instruments are also large and bulky making them unsuitable for analysis in remote settings away from laboratories. Here we describe a proof-of-concept of a DNA sequencing device LoopSeeq using a simple approach to address the said problems without minimizing the quality of results. The device was designed to perform pyrosequencing by iterative addition of dNTPs by contact dispensing through a loop pipette (loopette) and detection of chemiluminiscence with the cheapest sensor in the market, a light dependent resistor (LDR). Two small geared motors drive the moving parts in a controlled and coordinated manner with the help of a motor driver circuit, an Arduino Nano microcontroller and two small neodymium magnets. The real-time light intensity data from the LDR were transferred to a laptop computer for further analysis. Pyrosequencing was optimized using 55 nt self-primed oligo. In order to demonstrate the DNA sequencing ability with real samples, molecular genetic analysis was performed for a previously identified novel mutation from our lab in exon4 of the OCA2 gene. LoopSeeq successfully identified the homozygous normal (c.408-409_AA), homozygous mutant (c.408-409_delAA) and heterozygous carrier (c.408-409_AA/delAA) alleles in three individuals of a family affected with oculocutaneous albinism (OCA). Further, this can be implemented for molecular diagnostic applications for bacterial, viral or other pathogen detection and genotyping among different subtypes following some reports described earlier. A few drawbacks in the current implementation including the evaporation of liquid reagents, possible loopette contamination, etc.associated with use for longer times are also described along with suggestions to rectify these problems in future designs. With the described capabilities, the LoopSeeq device can be implemented in routine labs as well as in several real-world situations where conventional DNA sequencing instruments are unfeasible, for example, diagnostic testing at remote settings or at the point-of-care.

This study aims to get a deep understanding of the causes, effects, and remedies of information overload (IO) phenomenon among postgraduate scholars in the era of advanced internet technology. In-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews and focus group interviews were implemented. Majority of the participants in this study exposed that IO represents real inescapable suffering that severely affects their research performance in different stages of their research. Time-consuming, cost, inferior research work, and poor personal health, isolation, low level of creativity and productivity are some of the major drawbacks resulted from IO. The collected data were thematically analysed using NVivo 12 software; the results were introduced five main themes that described information overload's forms, causes, consequences, and the ways to overcome IO phenomenon. Some practical insights and implications were provided to the decision-makers and professionals in higher education institutions to manage information overload and to reduce its negative effects among postgraduate students.

Background: Francisella tularensis is a stealth pathogen fatal for animals and humans. Ease of its propagation, coupled with high capacity for ailment and death makes it a potential candidate for biological weapon. Objective: Work related to the pathogen’s classification and factors affecting its prolonged existence in soil is limited to statistical measures. Machine learning other than conventional analysis methods may be applied to better predict epidemiological modeling for this soil-borne pathogen. Methods: Feature-ranking algorithms namely; relief, correlation and oneR are used for soil attribute ranking. Moreover, classification algorithms; SVM, random forest, naive bayes, logistic regression and MLP are used for classification of the soil attribute dataset for Francisella tularensis positive and negative soils. Results: Feature-ranking methods concluded that clay, nitrogen, organic matter, soluble salts, zinc, silt and nickel are the most significant attributes while potassium, phosphorous, iron, calcium, copper, chromium and sand are the least contributing risk factors for the persistence of the pathogen. However, clay is the most significant and potassium is the least contributing attribute. Data analysis suggests that feature-ranking using relief produced classification accuracy of 84.35% for multilayer perceptron; 82.99% for linear regression; 80.27% for SVM and random forest; and 78.23% for naive bayes, which is better than other ranking methods. MLP outperforms other classifiers by generating an accuracy of 84.35%, 82.99% and 81.63% for feature-ranking using relief, correlation and oneR algorithms, respectively. Conclusion: These models can significantly improve accuracy and can minimize the risk of incorrect classification. They further help in controlling epidemics and thereby minimizing the socio-economic impact on the society.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the firm's specific, opacity and economy-specific variables to explain the variation in South Asian market returns and indicate that how the difference in adoption of accounting standards refers to the effect of the movement in stock returns. Design/methodology/approach: Following the scope of the study, factor analysis, fixed effect, Driscoll and Kraay standard errors (DKSE) and Panel Corrected standard error (PCSE) models have been inducted to determine the influence of firm-specific, opacity and economy-specific variables on stock returns. The sample of study comprises 1,885 firms from five countries located in the South Asia region with the period 2005–2018. To ensure the reliability of data, firm-specific data have been collected from DataStream International, while an international country risk guide was used to compile the data for economy-specific variables. Findings: This study concluded that firm-specific variables showed a consistent and significant association with stock return except for beta, accrual and momentum while earning aggressiveness was the only factor in opacity measure to capture the variation in stock return. The implementation of international accounting standards seemed to be significant and proves to be helpful to enhance the quality of accounting information. Research limitations/implications: The limitations of this study comprised the estimation error by avoiding the firm's observations with negative equity in case of earning opacity and majority (more than 50%) of the observation belongs to a single market as India out of final sample which leads to having biasedness in findings. Practical implications: This study helps the investors to consider the firms with smaller market capitalization and lower book to market ratio and avoid the momentum strategy under firm specific factors. Moreover, earning aggressiveness under opacity domain capture the variation in stock return and must be considered while investing funds. Originality/value: The influence of adoption of international accounting standards along with firm and economy specific variable in South Asian Equity Markets return was the major contribution. Moreover, the inclusion of DKSE and PCSE models to examine the relevance of the financial and economic informational environment was also considered as a part of major contribution of this study.

AbstractAlkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (ALKV) causes a fatal clinical disease in human beings of different tropical and sub-tropical regions. Recently, the ALKV epidemics have raised a great public health concern with the room for improvement in the essential therapeutic interventions. Despite increased realistic clinical cases of ALKV infection, the efficient vaccine or immunotherapy is not yet available to-date. Therefore, the current study aimed to analyze the envelope glycoprotein of ALKV for the development of B-cells and T-cells epitope-based peptide vaccine using the computational in silicomethod. Utilizing various immunoinformatics approaches, a total of 5 B-cells and 25 T-cells (MHC-I = 17, MHC-II = 8) epitope-based peptides were predicted in the current study. All predicted peptides had highest antigenicity and immunogenicity scores along with high binding affinity to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles. Among 25T-cell epitopes, three peptides were found alike to have affinity to bind both MHC-I and MHC-II alleles. These outcomes suggested that these predicted epitopes could potentially be used in the development of an efficient vaccine against ALKV, which may enable to elicit both humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Although, these predicted peptides could be useful in designing a candidate vaccine for the prevention of ALKV; however, it’s in vitroand in vivoassessments are prerequisite.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

AbstractIn search of achieving less toxic and more potent chemotherapeutics, three novel heterocyclic benzimidazole derivatives: 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-4-chlorophenol (BM1), 4-chloro-2-(6-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol (BM2) and 4-chloro-2-(6-nitro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol (BM3) with DNA-targeting properties, were synthesized and fully characterized by important physicochemical techniques. The DNA binding properties of the compounds were investigated by UV–Visible absorption titrations and thermal denaturation experiments. These molecules exhibited a good binding propensity to fish sperm DNA (FS-DNA), as evident from the high binding constants (Kb) values: 1.9 × 105, 1.39 × 105and 1.8 × 104 M‒1for BM1, BM2 and BM3, respectively. Thermal melting studies of DNA further validated the absorption titration results and best interaction was manifested by BM1with ΔTm = 4.96 °C. The experimental DNA binding results were further validated theoretically by molecular docking study. It was confirmed that the molecules (BM1–BM3) bind to DNA viaan intercalative and groove binding mode. The investigations showed a correlation between binding constants and energies obtained experimentally and through molecular docking, indicating a binding preference of benzimidazole derivatives with the minor groove of DNA. BM1 was the preferential candidate for DNA binding because of its flat structure, π–π interactions and less steric hindrance. To complement the DNA interaction, antimicrobial assays (antibacterial & antifungal) were performed. It was observed that compound BM2showed promising activity against all bacterial strains (Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenesand Escherichia coli) and fungi (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatusand Fusarium solani), while rest of the compounds were active against selective strains. The MIC values of BM2were found to be in the range of 12.5 ± 2.2–25 ± 1.5 µg/mL. Thus, the compound BM2was found to be the effective DNA binding antimicrobial agent. Furthermore, the preliminary cytotoxic properties of synthesized compounds were evaluated by brine shrimps lethality assay to check their nontoxic nature towards healthy normal cells.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

AbstractSince its first report in 1942, peste-des-petits-ruminants virus (PPRV) has caused several epidemics in a wide range of susceptible hosts around the world. In the last 30 years, the evidence of natural and experimental infections and virus isolation were reported from novel but unusual hosts such as camel, cattle, buffalo, dogs, Asiatic lion and pigs. In addition, PPRV in a potential vector, biting midges (Culicoides imicola), has been reported. Either presented as clinical and/or subclinical infections, the presence of the virus in an extended range of susceptible hosts highlights the cross-species transmission and supports the hypothesis of an endemic circulation of PPRV among susceptible hosts. However, the potential role of large ruminants, camels and unusual hosts for PPRV epidemiology is still obscure. Therefore, there is a need for molecular and epidemiological investigations of the disease among usual and unusual hosts to achieve the goals of disease control and eradication programmes initiated by national and international organisations, such as the FAO and OIE. This review is the first to summarise the scattered data on PPR in large ruminants, camels and unusual hosts to obtain the global scientific communities’ attention for further research on epidemiological aspects, not only in its native hosts, but also in large ruminants, camels and other unusual hosts.

Supercapacitors (SCs) are considered remarkable energy storage technology because of their prolonged cycling longevity and power density (Pd). However, the constrained energy density (Ed) of SCs presents a notable barrier to their widespread adoption. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize developing and exploring novel electrode materials to improve their electrochemical performance within SCs usage. The use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in SCs has been subject to thorough investigation by researchers, primarily due to their noteworthy attributes, including but not limited to high porosity, customizable pore structure, and substantial specific surface area (SSA). The main objective of this review is to provide a compressive overview of the latest developments in the realm of pure MOFs and their associated composites, encompassing both MOF composites and MOF derivatives. Particular emphasis is placed on their utilization in the context of SCs applications. Furthermore, we provided individual viewpoints concerning the current challenges and prospective developments of these materials within the framework of SCs application.

Women with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have a higher burden of symptoms, are older at the time of the TAVR procedure, and have unique anatomic features that increase the periprocedural risk. However, long-term outcomes including mortality are favorable for women compared with men. Careful attention is needed in considering the vascular access route and choice of valve platform to mitigate complications. Large prospective trials dedicated to women undergoing TAVR are needed to investigate individual female-specific factors determining outcomes.

p-Diphenol oxidases (PDO) are copper-containing enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of a wide range of non-phenolic substrates and phenolic compounds utilizing oxygen as the acceptor of electrons released during enzymatic reactions. In this study, we aimed to develop a simple method using ion sensing to measure the PDO activity obtained from locally isolated fungus Schizophyllum communeMF-O5 against an ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) substrate. The ion sensing system comprised ISFET, an Ag/AgCl reference electrode and a temperature sensor. The maximum PDO activity with this system was monitored for 10 min in citrate phosphate buffer (50 mM) at pH 3.0. A standard curve was generated to calculate the PDO units. The assay was validated by comparison with the spectrophotometric method. The ISFET-based assay could detect the PDO activity accurately with a fast response and was cost effective and in portable format. The developed method can be used to monitor PDO activities in processes where the enzyme is produced and can be useful in the development of PDO biosensors for environment monitoring.

•T. bellericabased novel bioactive edible film was developed for cheese.•Addition of T. bellericaimproved antimicrobial properties of the film.•Developed film improved lipid stability and sensory quality of the product during storage.•The film can be used commercially for improving the storage quality of cheese.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major threat to public health being the leading cause of chronic liver disease with 92 to 149 million people affected worldwide. A rapid and accurate diagnosis is a key to prevent viral transmission and the management of disease progression. Here we describe a hand-held device for rapid detection of HCV infection called as STALLION (Single Tube Analysis using LAMP, LED and ION-sensing). A custom detection probe was designed to dip into a PCR tube. The probe comprises an ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET), a micro-capillary based Ag/AgCl reference electrode and a temperature sensor. In vitroreplication of HCV genomic RNA was performed by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and detected in real-time by ISFET bio-sensing of released H+ions. Incubation at 60 °C was provided by a novel low-cost concept based on heat dissipated from power LED(s). With this system, HCV positive samples with 101, 102, 103copies per ml were detected in as less as 30, 18 and 13 minutes respectively compared to no-template control (NTC). The detection limit was comparable to those of available methods such as nested PCR. No significant false positive signal was observed for HCV negative samples. The results can be viewed on an accompanying LCD screen or alternatively can be transferred to a computer or smart phone. The STALLION system provides analysis in a conventional PCR tube format avoiding any complex fluidics or instrumentation requirements. Such a system will be particularly useful for rapid and reliable clinical diagnosis of HCV RNA by users with no prior expertise and provide the basis for point-of-care (POC) testing in limited resource settings especially for developing countries.