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Zinc is an essential trace element next to iron in the human system. Its central role in the synthesis, storage, and functional aspects of insulin is well established. Ever since the insulin-mimetic activity of zinc was recognized, several zinc complexes have been synthesized and studied for their antidiabetic and other pharmacological properties. However, its clinical application is narrow due to poor absorption, toxicity associated with prolonged use. Hence, endeavors are being made for the advancement of zinc complexes with various organic ligands of known therapeutic values to avert the toxicity of zinc. Avicularin, a bioactive flavonol originally isolated from the leaves of Polygonum aviculare Linn., is a quercetin derivative in which the α-L-arabinofuranosyl residue is linked at position 3 of quercetin via a glycosidic linkage. It is non-toxic and reported to possess a wide range of pharmacological properties. Though Avicularin is a glycoside of quercetin, it is hydrophilic while quercetin is lipophilic and hence they may differ in absorption rate. In view of the beneficial and pharmacological properties bestowed with Avicularin, recently we have reported the synthesis, spectral characterization and evaluation of antidiabetic properties of a new Zn-Avicularin complex in HFD fed low dose STZ induced experimental type 2 diabetes in rats. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the antioxidant properties of the Zn-Avicularin complex by analyzing the levels of oxidative stress markers such as lipid peroxides, hydroperoxides and protein carbonyls in the plasma, pancreas, hepatic and renal tissues. The status of enzymatic antioxidants such as SOD, catalase, Glutathione peroxidase as well as non-enzymatic antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and ceruloplasmin were assayed. Oral administration of the Zn-Avicularin complex at a concentration of 5mg/kg b.w/rat/day for 30 days significantly ameliorates the hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress in the diabetic groups of rats and the efficacy was comparable with metformin.

Digital disruption has been the most used and discussed topic in the last 6 years and has been a trending topic on the Google trends, only second to the remote working searched on Google search engines. Most business continuities have been put at risk due to significant reasons like COVID-19, Social distancing norms, and technology disruption to name a few. Businesses especially in UAE higher education sector need to take a holistic view that considers potential threats to an organization and look at providing a resilience framework to respond effectively to safeguard the key stakeholder’s interests. The research study looks at combining the business continuity maturity model and the digital disruption models and suggests a framework that business managers and owners can consider mitigating the risks and enhancing the resilience of their organization for the future. The organization might be able to enhance its brand value and look at creating more value in its services. This study can help managers and top management look at the factors that can improve performance after the disruption. The participants can be trained to work during disruption to mitigate the risk or crisis, reducing major losses in business.

Protein-ligand binding free-energy calculations using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have emerged as a powerful tool for in silico drug design. Here, we present results obtained with the ARROW force field (FF)─a multipolar polarizable and physics-based model with all parameters fitted entirely to high-level ab initio quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. ARROW has already proven its ability to determine solvation free energy of arbitrary neutral compounds with unprecedented accuracy. The ARROW FF parameterization is now extended to include coverage of all amino acids including charged groups, allowing molecular simulations of a series of protein-ligand systems and prediction of their relative binding free energies. We ensure adequate sampling by applying a novel technique that is based on coupling the Hamiltonian Replica exchange (HREX) with a conformation reservoir generated via potential softening and nonequilibrium MD. ARROW provides predictions with near chemical accuracy (mean absolute error of ∼0.5 kcal/mol) for two of the three protein systems studied here (MCL1 and Thrombin). The third protein system (CDK2) reveals the difficulty in accurately describing dimer interaction energies involving polar and charged species. Overall, for all of the three protein systems studied here, ARROW FF predicts relative binding free energies of ligands with a similar accuracy level as leading nonpolarizable force fields.

Neem oil is a promising alternative for synthetic chemicals in food preservation and an active functional agent in food packaging. Drying studies were conducted on neem seeds using different drying methods, and the oil yield profile and nutritional content such as azadirachtin content, functional groups, and elemental composition were analysed. Tray drying at 60°C showed a faster drying rate with a minimum quality of the oil. The process parameters were statistically optimized by analysing the effect of drying methods and thickness (15 and 30 mm) on azadirachtin content and oil yield. Maximum oil yield and azadirachtin content of 42.1 and 0.053% were obtained in solar drying with 15 mm bed thickness. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that there is no change in the functional group when the neem seeds were dried, and the peak absorption wavenumber confirmed the presence of O-H stretching, C-H stretching, C-O stretching, C-H bending, O-H bending, C=O stretching, and N-H stretching. Sun- and solar-dried neem seeds showed maximum retention in elemental composition when compared to the tray-drying method.

Preeclampsia affects 3-10% of pregnancies worldwide. It has significant adverse effect on both the fetus and the neonate. Hence there is a need to study the impact of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) on the fetus and the neonate. Databases like PubMed and Cochrane are searched independently by two authors to identify relevant studies. Data were collected for outcomes like birth weight, gestational age, fetal death/stillbirth and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Preeclampsia is associated with significant increase in the incidence of low birth weight (LBW), IUGR and prematurity compared to normotensive women. Also, there is an increased rate of fetal death/ stillbirths in preeclampsia. In addition, there is an increased need for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission in neonates born to PIH mothers. Maternal preeclampsia results in significant adverse effect on the fetus and neonate. There is an increased incidence of stillbirth, LBW, IUGR and preterm deliveries in neonates born to preeclamptic mothers. There is an overall increase in the composite outcomes of neonates of PIH mothers. The objective of the study is to compare the neonatal outcomes of preeclamptic or women with gestational hypertension with that of normotensive women.

Angiogenesis is crucial to the development of cancer because it allows the transport of oxygen, nutrients, and growth factors as well as the spread of tumors to distant organs. Inhibitors of angiogenesis prevent the formation of blood vessels that allow tumor cells to shrink, rather than promote tumor growth. Chitosan acts as a carrier for many drugs, since the compound has various properties such as biodegradable, less toxicity, more stable, simple, easy to prepare, and biocompatible. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticles encapsulated with troxerutin (Chi-Trox NPs) against angiogenesis and cancer in ova chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Chi-Trox NPs were synthesized using a nanoprecipitation method and were characterized by various analyses. 24 hours’ fertilized eggs (6 eggs/group) were treated with native Trox and Chi-Trox NPs for 5 days. The antiangiogenic activity was evaluated by morphometric, histopathological, immunohistochemical (CD104 and vimentin), and mRNA expression of MMP and FGF2 using RT-PCR. The anticancer activity was evaluated by histopathological, immunohistochmical (CD44), and mRNA expression of FGF2 and MMP. The synthesized chitosan NPs were successfully encapsulated with troxerutin, and the loading efficiency of chitosan NPs was found to be 86.4 ± 0.12 % and 13.2 ± 0.16 % respectively. Morphometric analysis of Chi-Trox NPs showed a considerable decrease in the number of blood vessels compared with control and native Trox. The histopathological observation of CAM confirmed that Chi-Trox NPs induce a significant reduction in inflammatory cells and the thickness of blood capillaries compared to control and native Trox. The immunohistochemical evaluation of CAM revealed Chi-Trox decreased CD104, vimentin and CD44 protein levels were compared with control and native Trox. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of FGF2 and MMP were significantly downregulated compared to their native forms. From the obtained results, Chi-Trox NPs possess significant inhibition of angiogenesis and can be used as therapeutic agents for cancer in the future.

Background: A home exercise program is an important part of recovery from musculoskeletal injuries and can improve pain, quality of life, and self-efficacy. However, there are often challenges with patient adherence and measuring compliance. Mood and pain can have a positive and negative affect on a patient’s adherence and performance. Digital health, such as Recupe, provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between pain, mood, and exercise adherence outside the clinic. Methods: A total of 864 subjects were retrospectively analyzed to assess mood and reps completed per session, mood and time spent exercising per session, and mood and pain level. Mood was measured using three categories: “Happy,” “Neutral,” and “Sad.” Pain was measured using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) of 0-10. Results: The subject population included 331 males, 359 females, and 174 not stated. The average reps completed per session was 218.2 (130.0) for the “Happy” group, 163.3 (101.4) for the “Neutral” group, and 140.0 (95.7) for the “Sad” group with p-values

The human cervical spine is the most essential support system of the whole body. It consists of vertebras, tissues, facet joints, intervertebral discs and ligaments. The problems in the cervical spine is more frequent, it can be due to accident or increase with the age. The objective of this study is to develop the interbody fusion cage with different porosity size and study the behavior of the cage for the compression loads. The bone graft introduced in the cage will provide osteointegration with the adjacent vertebra. For the biomechanical analysis we created the cervical level cervical 6- cervical 7 and inserted the cage in the functional spine unit and analyzed using finite element analysis for compression loadings. In this study by introducing the semi spherical shape porosity in the inferior and superior surface of the cage will reduce the cage stress and in the same porosity we introduced the bone graft for the better osteointegration. So, the reduced stress in the cage structure will reduce the occurrence of the subsidence and migration of the cage.

Objective: The current work aimed to prepare and characterize epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)+berberine-loaded chitosan nanoparticle (EBNP). Methods: The ionic gelation method was adopted. A batch of 17 nanoformulations was prepared by using chitosan as a natural biodegradable polymer and EGCG+berberine as active drug content and characterised. Results: The SEM data proved that the chitosan-based nanoparticles were formed successfully with a spherical shape at 272 nm along with PDI 0.346. The FT-IR spectra confirmed that no drug-polymer interaction was observed. The DSC data proved that the formation of nanoparticles due to the presence of endothermic sharp melting points at 246 °C and 332 °C for EGCG and berberine in the pure form of the drug, whereas the same is absent in nanoformulation. The optimized formulation showed a percentage entrapment efficiency (% EE) for EGCG is 83.91 % and berberine at 90.62%, ZP of the nanoparticle is 11 mV. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that box–behnken designs can optimize the formulation and the process variables to achieve favorable responses. Hence, it can be concluded that the best-optimized nanoparticle formation was confirmed and characterized.

Background: Patients with eye disease have an increased risk for developing neurodegenerative disease. Neurodegenerative proteins can be measured in the eye; however, correlations between biomarker levels in eye fluid and neuropathological diagnoses have not been established. Objective: This exploratory, retrospective study examined vitreous humor from 41 postmortem eyes and brain tissue with neuropathological diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease (AD, n = 7), chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE, n = 15), both AD + CTE (n = 10), and without significant neuropathology (controls, n = 9). Methods: Protein biomarkers i.e., amyloid-β (Aβ 40,42), total tau (tTau), phosphorylated tau (pTau181,231), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and eotaxin-1 were quantitatively measured by immunoassay. Non-parametric tests were used to compare vitreous biomarker levels between groups. Spearman’s rank correlation tests were used to correlate biomarker levels in vitreous and cortical tissue. The level of significance was set to α= 0.10. Results: In pairwise comparisons, tTau levels were significantly increased in AD and CTE groups versus controls (p = 0.08 for both) as well as AD versus AD+CTE group and CTE versus AD+CTE group (p = 0.049 for both). Vitreous NfL levels were significantly increased in low CTE (Stage I/II) versus no CTE (p = 0.096) and in low CTE versus high CTE stage (p = 0.03). Vitreous and cortical tissue levels of pTau 231 (p = 0.02, r = 0.38) and t-Tau (p = 0.04, r = –0.34) were significantly correlated. Conclusion: The postmortem vitreous humor biomarker levels significantly correlate with AD and CTE pathology in corresponding brains, while vitreous NfL was correlated with the CTE staging. This exploratory study indicates that biomarkers in the vitreous humor may serve as a proxy for neuropathological disease.

In order to analyse the bioactive constituents of spikes of Zizyphus Mauritiana/ Beri spikes of Bikaner, Rajasthan, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and added Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (FESEM-EDAX) were carried out initially. The authors too demonstrated Cell line studies via MTT Assay for MOLT4 (Blood cancer) in different concentrations and found Beri spikes as toxic with Validated IC50 via Graph Prism Software. Concluded by the result, phytochemicals present in the spikes reflects it as bioactive compound which may act as antimicrobial, anti-cancerous, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory agents. On an all, Indian Jujube is all set to form a traditional medicine because of the effects it got via cell death when experimented for in-vitro trials on Blood Cancer cells.

State estimate serves a crucial purpose in the control centre of a modern power system. Voltage phasor of buses in such configurations is referred to as state variables that should be determined during operation. A precise estimation is needed to define the optimal operation of all components. So many mathematical and heuristic techniques can be used to achieve the aforementioned objective. An enhanced power system state estimator built on the cuckoo search algorithm is described in this work. Several scenarios, including the influence of load uncertainty and the likelihood of false data injection as significant challenges in electrical energy networks, are proposed to analyses the operation of estimators. The ability to identify and correct false data is also assessed in this regard. Additionally, the performance of the presented estimator is compared to that of the weighted least squares and Cuckoo Search algorithm. The findings demonstrate that the Cuckoo search algorithm overcomes the primary shortcomings of the conventional approaches, including accuracy and complexity, and is also better able to identify and rectify incorrect data. On IEEE 14-bus and 30-bus test systems, simulations are run to show how well the method works.

Objective The incidence of inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with/without malignant portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is increasing in India for the last decade; thus, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, India, developed diethydithiocarbamate (DEDC), a new transarterial radionuclide therapy (TART) agent. 188Re-N-DEDC lipiodol is an emerging radiotherapeutic agent for inoperable HCC treatment due to its simple and onsite labeling procedure, cost-effectiveness, and least radiation-induced side effects. This study aimed to evaluate in-vivo biodistribution and clinical feasibility of 188Re-N-DEDC lipiodol TART in HCC and optimization of labeling procedure to assess post-labeling stability and radiochemical yield of labeled lipiodol with 188Re-N-DEDC complex. Materials and Methods DEDC kits were obtained as gift from BARC, Mumbai. Therapy was given to 31 HCC patients. Post-therapy planar and single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging were performed to see tumor uptake and biodistribution. Clinical feasibility and toxicity were decided by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (CTCAE v 5.0). Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics was done for data using SPSS v22. Values was expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median with range. Results Post-therapy planar and SPECT/CT imaging showed radiotracer localization in hepatic lesions. Few patients showed lungs uptake due to hepato-pulmonary shunt (lung shunt Conclusion Human biodistribution showed very high retention of radiotracer in hepatic lesions with no long-term toxicity with this therapy. The kit preparation procedure is ideally suited for a busy hospital radio-pharmacy. By this procedure, 188Re-N-DEDC lipiodol can be prepared in high radiochemical yield within a short time (∼45 minutes). Thus, 188Re-N-DEDC lipiodol can be considered for TART in advanced and/or intermediate HCC.

Combining several additive manufactured (AM) parts to larger parts by welding may be required due the limited building volume of powder bed AM methods. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) has a great potential because it enables the production of nearly full-density components through AM processes; however, additional residual stresses and production defects are induced by LPBF. These residual stresses affect the residual stress state of welded AM parts. In combination with the production related defects, both alter the mechanical anddin particulardthe fatigue behavior of these welded joints. In this study, various tests are performed to characterize the butt joints of 316L AM steel plates made by gas metal arc welding. To this goal, joints are produced with weld seams parallel and vertical to the layer orientation of AM plates. The results are compared to joints of conventionally rolled steel plates produced with the same welding parameter. The residual stress states in initial (unloaded) condition and after cyclic loading were determined by X-ray diffraction techniques for AM and rolled plates. Complex residual stress states were determined at the welds made of AM steel plates compared to the welds made of rolled steel plates; however, the residual stress level in the heat affected zone of the butt-welded AM steel plates was similar to the welds made of hot-rolled steel plates. After cyclic loading with a high load level, high residual stress relaxations were observed in the parent materials. The fatigue design curve for butt joints from international standards is exceeded by all three test series, but the fatigue strength of the butt joints made by LBPF and hot rolling vary significantly. This is thought to be related to differences between the AM and coventional joints in microstructure, static strength, residual stress level, and small crack-like defects that partially interact with stress concentrations at the weld transition.

Organophosphates (OPs) are an integral part of modern agriculture; however, due to overexploitation, OPs pesticides residues are leaching and accumulating in the soil, and groundwater contaminated terrestrial and aquatic food webs. Acute exposure to OPs could produce toxicity in insects, plants, animals, and humans. OPs are known for covalent inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme in pests and terrestrial/aquatic organisms, leading to nervous, respiratory, reproductive, and hepatic abnormalities. OPs pesticides also disrupt the growth-promoting machinery in plants by inhibiting key enzymes, permeability, and trans-cuticular diffusion, which is crucial for plant growth. Excessive use of OPs, directly/indirectly affecting human/environmental health, raise a thoughtful global concern. Developing a safe, reliable, economical, and eco-friendly methods for removing OPs pesticides from the environment is thus necessary. Bioremediation techniques coupled with microbes or microbial-biocatalysts are emerging as promising antidotes for OPs pesticides. Here, we comprehensively review the current scenario of OPs pollution, their toxicity (at a molecular level), and the recent advancements in biotechnology (modified biocatalytic systems) for detection, decontamination, and bioremediation of OP-pesticides in polluted environments. Furthermore, the review focuses on onsite applications of OPs degrading enzymes (immobilizations/biosensors/others), and it also highlights remaining challenges with future approaches.

A variety of plant species, especially woody plant species, can be micropropagated using the crucial technique of in vitro micrografting. In vitro micrografting has developed over the past few decades into a method to speed up shoot recovery and adaptation of horticultural species cultivated in vitro. This review analyses studies on horticultural crops that address the development of in vitro micrografting, factors influencing its performance, and the contribution of micrografting applications to the field of micropropagation. The potential application of this technique is based on the significant contributions that micrografting makes to the recovery of vigour and rooting competence, the promotion of shoot recovery following somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis, and the facilitation of shoot regrowth following cryopreservation. This technique facilitates the genetic engineering and preservation of horticultural crops are highlighted.

Frozen shoulder is a chronic disabling disease of the shoulder. The management of the frozen shoulder are numerous, but the studies show their own limitation. Biomechanically, it was noted that the cause of the frozen shoulder is capsular tightness. However, previous studies are not explained this well. So, this study was designed to identify the effect of capsular stretch on a frozen shoulder. Study was conducted at the OPD of physiotherapy, Chettinad Super Specialist Hospital, Chennai. Two hundred and twenty participants were selected for the study. Screening was conducted for these participants, and eighty were recruited for the study. They were all randomly allocated into two groups, with twenty-five (25) in each. Group I, with 25 subjects,, was given capsular stretching for 15 minutes and moist heat therapy for 10 mins. Group II, with 25 subjects, was given general shoulder exercises for 15 minutes and moist heat therapy for 10 mins. All the subjects were taught with Codman’s pendular exercises as a home programme. Study was conducted for eight (8) weeks. The outcomes selected in this study are pain and range of motion (Abduction & External rotation). This was assessed using a Numerical pain rating scale and Goniometer. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0. The NPR and ROM variables were examined using the unpaired ‘t’-test with the 0.05%. The result of the study shows that the ‘t’ value for the NPR is 20.25 ± 0.15 with p< 0.05%, the Abduction range of motion is 15.6 ± 2.77, and External rotation is 15.04 ± 1.53. This indicates a marked difference obtained among Group I and Group II, as well as a substantial variation between the pre-intervention and post-intervention values. This study concluded that capsular stretching had significantly improved pain and shoulder range of motion more than shoulder exercises.

In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), treatment of common iliac artery (CIA) aneurysm disease necessitates safe operative repair while simultaneously maintaining candidacy for future renal transplant. We present the case of a patient with a type B aortic dissection and aorto-biiliac aneurysmal degeneration who has a previously failed right kidney transplant. Initial operative planning was approached with three goals: 1) endovascular repair as possible; 2) minimize paraplegia risk; 3) maintain renal transplant candidacy. As such, a three-stage operation was planned. Endovascular repair of the R CIA aneurysm was followed by thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The third stage, repair of AAA and left CIA aneurysm, was performed open using an aorto-biiliac graft with a surgically modified prosthetic bypass to preserve the left internal iliac artery to reduce paraplegia risk and the left external iliac artery (EIA) for future kidney transplantation. This novel technique successfully allowed for surgical repair of the Type B aortic dissection and the CIA aneurysms, while maintaining the patient’s future redo transplant candidacy with minimal paraplegia risk.

This study investigated the effect of different drying methods on nutrient composition and quality of three edible insects from East Africa. Ruspolia differens (grasshopper), Gryllus bimaculatus (cricket) and Bunea alcinoe (caterpillar) were freeze dried, oven dried, sun dried, direct solar cabinet dried, boiled before sun dried or direct solar cabinet dried. Proximate composition, available lysine, and protein digestibility were not significantly affected by drying methods. The protein digestibility corrected amino acid score was lower in boiled dried cricket and caterpillar than the other dried forms. Boiled and dried insects had lowest proportions of linoleate and α-linolenate. Despite these losses in boiled dried insects, the essential amino acid scores and lipid quality indices of differently dried insects were within desirable limits for human nutrition. Sun drying and solar cabinet drying on their own or with prior boiling could be cost-effective and affordable alternatives to freeze drying and oven drying for preserving edible insects.

Amritotharanam Kashyam, a specific Ayurvedic drug, was the focus of the current inquiry to evaluate its efficacy. For liver and digestive-related issues, this medication is suggested. This was obtained from a standard Ayurvedic vendor in Chennai (India), and GC-MS analysis was carried out according to the standard procedure. A few critical biomolecules include benzoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, 6,9-octadecadienoic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester (E)-, heptadecanoic acid, 16-methyl, methyl ester, methyl 18-methylnonadecanoate, tetracosanoic acid, distearin, hexadecanoic acid, and 1-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2-ethanediol ester. The obtained biomolecules exhibited some significant therapeutic functions, including acidification, inhibition of arachidonic acid formation, increase in the aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, suppression of uric acid generation, inhibitors of catechol-O-methyltransferase, urine acidifiers, etc. The anticancer and antiviral potential of these phytocompounds were investigated using molecular docking and dynamics. The phytocompounds pharmacokinetic characteristics were investigated using ADME analysis. Through docking and dynamics simulation, in silico tests demonstrated the phytocompounds' inhibitory efficiency against the target proteins. These functions reasonably relate to the medicinal function of Amritotharanam Kashyam. The MTT assay findings demonstrated this medication’s anticancer effects. The ability to be an effective drug is demonstrated by its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and membrane-stabilizing properties.

Machine learning (ML) refers to computer algorithms that predict a meaningful output or categorize complex systems based on a large amount of data. ML is applied in various areas including natural science, engineering, space exploration, and even gaming development. This review focuses on the use of machine learning in the field of chemical and biological oceanography. In the prediction of global fixed nitrogen levels, partial carbon dioxide pressure, and other chemical properties, the application of ML is a promising tool. Machine learning is also utilized in the field of biological oceanography to detect planktonic forms from various images (i.e., microscopy, FlowCAM, and video recorders), spectrometers, and other signal processing techniques. Moreover, ML successfully classified the mammals using their acoustics, detecting endangered mammalian and fish species in a specific environment. Most importantly, using environmental data, the ML proved to be an effective method for predicting hypoxic conditions and harmful algal bloom events, an essential measurement in terms of environmental monitoring. Furthermore, machine learning was used to construct a number of databases for various species that will be useful to other researchers, and the creation of new algorithms will help the marine research community better comprehend the chemistry and biology of the ocean., 58 Pages, 5 Figures