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We investigate how the Raychaudhuri equation behaves in the $k$-essence geometry. As far as we are concerned, both the early and current epochs of the universe are relevant to the $k$-essence theory. Here, we have studied the $k$-essence geometry using the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) variety of non-standard action. The corresponding $k$-essence emergent spacetime is not conformally equivalent to the usual gravitational metric. We assume that the background gravitational metric is of the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) type in this case. We have found that both the conditional singular and non-singular cosmological models of the universe through the modified Raychaudhuri equation are possible where we have used the spacetime as the flat $k$-essence emergent FLRW-type. We have also addressed to the Focusing theorem and conditional caustic universe construction. These conditional effects are caused by the additional interactions that arise as a result of the coupling that exists between the gravity and the $k$-essence scalar field., Comment: 5 figures

Microbial Biodegradation and Bioremediation: Techniques and Case Studies for Environmental Pollution, Second Edition describes the successful application of microbes and their derivatives for bioremediation of potentially toxic and relatively novel compounds in the environment. Our natural biodiversity and environment is in danger due to the release of continuously emerging potential pollutants by anthropogenic activities. Though many attempts have been made to eradicate and remediate these noxious elements, thousands of xenobiotics of relatively new entities emerge every day, thus worsening the situation. Primitive microorganisms are highly adaptable to toxic environments, and can reduce the load of toxic elements by their successful transformation and remediation. This completely updated new edition presents many new technologies and techniques and includes theoretical context and case studies in every chapter. Microbial Biodegradation and Bioremediation: Techniques and Case Studies for Environmental Pollution, Second Edition serves as a single-source reference and encompasses all categories of pollutants and their applications in a convenient, comprehensive format for researchers in environmental science and engineering, pollution, environmental microbiology, and biotechnology. Describes many novel approaches of microbial bioremediation including genetic engineering, metagenomics, microbial fuel cell technology, biosurfactants and biofilm-based bioremediation Introduces relatively new hazardous elements and their bioremediation practices including oil spills, military waste water, greenhouse gases, polythene wastes, and more Provides the most advanced techniques in the field of bioremediation, including insilico approach, microbes as pollution indicators, use of bioreactors, techniques of pollution monitoring, and more Completely updated and expanded to include topics and techniques such as genetically engineered bacteria, environmental health, nanoremediation, h

Environmental pollutants are of serious ecotoxicological and health concern worldwide. To cope with these, bioremediation technologies utilizing microorganisms is currently viewed as an excellent cost-effective and ecofriendly strategy for the environmental management. However, a strategic execution of the bioremediation technology requires the knowledge of microbial metabolism, key enzymes, and genes involved and nature, dynamics, and composition of microbial communities, which can be easily understood by applying molecular techniques. Conventional or culture-dependent molecular techniques are currently being applied to characterize the potential pollutants degrading/detoxifying microbes, but these techniques are sometimes biased and do not actually provide the accurate information. However, the currently emerging metagenomic approaches including next-generation sequencing technologies can provide the reliable information and reveal very useful information about the metagenome of environmental microorganisms, which play an important role in the biogeochemical cycles and degradation and detoxification of environmental pollutants using culture-independent molecular techniques. Therefore, this chapter provides an overview of the metagenomic approaches and their applications in microbial ecology and bioremediation.

Environmental pollutants are of serious ecotoxicological and health concern worldwide. To cope with these, bioremediation technologies utilizing microorganisms is currently viewed as an excellent cost-effective and ecofriendly strategy for the environmental management. However, a strategic execution of the bioremediation technology requires the knowledge of microbial metabolism, key enzymes, and genes involved and nature, dynamics, and composition of microbial communities, which can be easily understood by applying molecular techniques. Conventional or culture-dependent molecular techniques are currently being applied to characterize the potential pollutants degrading/detoxifying microbes, but these techniques are sometimes biased and do not actually provide the accurate information. However, the currently emerging metagenomic approaches including next-generation sequencing technologies can provide the reliable information and reveal very useful information about the metagenome of environmental microorganisms, which play an important role in the biogeochemical cycles and degradation and detoxification of environmental pollutants using culture-independent molecular techniques. Therefore, this chapter provides an overview of the metagenomic approaches and their applications in microbial ecology and bioremediation.

In the present review, we discussed the concept of metallothionein (MT) and analyzed the structural and functional diversity of microbial MTs, grouping them into three main groups; bacteria, fungi, and protists. Structural diversity is analyzed based on the primary, secondary, and/or tertiary structure of the proteins. Their ability to bind different metals is also analyzed in each microbial group. An in silico and phylogenetic analysis of MT sequences from the main microbial groups has been carried out. The wide functional diversity of these proteins and the regulation of the MT gene expression are also discussed. The presence of several paralog genes in many microorganisms provides a coordinated and multiple response against different types of environmental stressors. Likewise, the main possible biotechnological applications of these proteins are explored, such as molecular tools to design biosensors for evaluating metal contamination and in metal bioremediation.

Anumita Chaudhury1, Surajit Das1, Ralph M Bunte2, Gigi NC Chiu11Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 2Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Republic of SingaporeAbstract: Intraperitoneal (IP) therapy with platinum (Pt)-based drugs has shown promising results clinically; however, high locoregional concentration of the drug could lead to adverse side effects. In this study, IP administration was coupled with a folate receptor-targeted (FRT) liposomal system, in an attempt to achieve intracellular delivery of the Pt-based drug carboplatin in order to increase therapeutic efficacy and to minimize toxicity. In vitro and in vivo activity of FRT carboplatin liposomes was compared with the activity of free drug and nontargeted (NT) carboplatin liposomes using FR-overexpressing IGROV-1 ovarian cancer cells as the model. Significant reduction in cell viability was observed with FRT liposomes, which, compared with the free drug, provided an approximately twofold increase in carboplatin potency. The increase in drug potency was correlated with significantly higher cellular accumulation of Pt resulting from FRT liposomal delivery. Further evaluation was conducted in mice bearing intraperitoneally inoculated IGROV-1 ovarian tumor xenografts. A superior survival rate (five out of six animals) was achieved in animals treated with FRT carboplatin liposomes, injected intraperitoneally with a dose of 15 mg/kg and following a schedule of twice-weekly administration for 3 weeks. In contrast, no survivors were observed in the free drug or NT carboplatin liposome groups. The presence of cancer cells in lung and liver tissues was observed in the saline, free carboplatin, and NT carboplatin liposome groups. However, there was no sign of cancer cells or drug-related toxicity detected in tissues from the animals treated with FRT carboplatin liposomes. The results of this study have demonstrated for the first time that the approach of coupling IP

Anumita Chaudhury1, Surajit Das1, Ralph M Bunte2, Gigi NC Chiu11Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 2Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Republic of SingaporeAbstract: Intraperitoneal (IP) therapy with platinum (Pt)-based drugs has shown promising results clinically; however, high locoregional concentration of the drug could lead to adverse side effects. In this study, IP administration was coupled with a folate receptor-targeted (FRT) liposomal system, in an attempt to achieve intracellular delivery of the Pt-based drug carboplatin in order to increase therapeutic efficacy and to minimize toxicity. In vitro and in vivo activity of FRT carboplatin liposomes was compared with the activity of free drug and nontargeted (NT) carboplatin liposomes using FR-overexpressing IGROV-1 ovarian cancer cells as the model. Significant reduction in cell viability was observed with FRT liposomes, which, compared with the free drug, provided an approximately twofold increase in carboplatin potency. The increase in drug potency was correlated with significantly higher cellular accumulation of Pt resulting from FRT liposomal delivery. Further evaluation was conducted in mice bearing intraperitoneally inoculated IGROV-1 ovarian tumor xenografts. A superior survival rate (five out of six animals) was achieved in animals treated with FRT carboplatin liposomes, injected intraperitoneally with a dose of 15 mg/kg and following a schedule of twice-weekly administration for 3 weeks. In contrast, no survivors were observed in the free drug or NT carboplatin liposome groups. The presence of cancer cells in lung and liver tissues was observed in the saline, free carboplatin, and NT carboplatin liposome groups. However, there was no sign of cancer cells or drug-related toxicity detected in tissues from the animals treated with FRT carboplatin liposomes. The results of this study have demonstrated for the first time that the approach of coupling IP

Probiotic supplementation of live microorganisms in aquaculture aids in preventing disease, thereby increasing production and decreasing economic loss. In the present study, Streptomyces cells were incorporated in Penaeus monodon (Fabricius) laboratory culture for 25 days. Streptomyces was inoculated into the feed in different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 g/kg feed) on days 1, 10, and 20. Growth was monitored on days 5, 15, and 25. Experimental culture tanks provided with Streptomyces had better water quality parameters than the control tank. At the cell concentration of 10 g, the pH was 7.9, ammonia 0.00067 ppm, nitrate 0.00285 ppm, phosphate 0.00224 ppm, silicate 0.00836 ppm, total heterotrophic bacteria 3.279 x 105 CFU/ml, and total Vibrio 0.2 x 102 CFU/ml. Growth increased as the Streptomyces cell con- centration increased. At 10 g concentration, growth in length and weight was 15.79% and 57.97%, respectively, and the interval between molts was 12.5 days.

Probiotic supplementation of live microorganisms in aquaculture aids in preventing disease, thereby increasing production and decreasing economic loss. In the present study, Streptomyces cells were incorporated in Penaeus monodon (Fabricius) laboratory culture for 25 days. Streptomyces was inoculated into the feed in different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 g/kg feed) on days 1, 10, and 20. Growth was monitored on days 5, 15, and 25. Experimental culture tanks provided with Streptomyces had better water quality parameters than the control tank. At the cell concentration of 10 g, the pH was 7.9, ammonia 0.00067 ppm, nitrate 0.00285 ppm, phosphate 0.00224 ppm, silicate 0.00836 ppm, total heterotrophic bacteria 3.279 x 105 CFU/ml, and total Vibrio 0.2 x 102 CFU/ml. Growth increased as the Streptomyces cell con- centration increased. At 10 g concentration, growth in length and weight was 15.79% and 57.97%, respectively, and the interval between molts was 12.5 days.

Probiotic supplementation of live microorganisms in aquaculture aids in preventing disease, thereby increasing production and decreasing economic loss. In the present study, Streptomyces cells were incorporated in Penaeus monodon (Fabricius) laboratory culture for 25 days. Streptomyces was inoculated into the feed in different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 g/kg feed) on days 1, 10, and 20. Growth was monitored on days 5, 15, and 25. Experimental culture tanks provided with Streptomyces had better water quality parameters than the control tank. At the cell concentration of 10 g, the pH was 7.9, ammonia 0.00067 ppm, nitrate 0.00285 ppm, phosphate 0.00224 ppm, silicate 0.00836 ppm, total heterotrophic bacteria 3.279 x 105 CFU/ml, and total Vibrio 0.2 x 102 CFU/ml. Growth increased as the Streptomyces cell con- centration increased. At 10 g concentration, growth in length and weight was 15.79% and 57.97%, respectively, and the interval between molts was 12.5 days.

Recently, digitalization of the supply chain is gaining huge attention. In this space, blockchain technology is being explored in the supply chain by different industries for its immutability, transparency and traceability functions. This research aims to investigate the usefulness of blockchain technology in the fragrance industry’s supply chain to make the supply chain activities traceable and transparent to its stakeholders. This research specifically focused on the ability of blockchain to support provenance, sustainability, ethical, and authenticity of the fragrances and fragrance raw materials (RMs). An extensive literature review has been performed on relevant claims in the fragrance industry, its supply chain complexities, current solutions on traceability, and needs on robust supply chain transparency and traceability. Additionally, detail literature review on blockchain technology and its utility in supply chain management has been performed. This study has adopted mixed research method (quantitative and qualitative). It is wise to first find out whether provenance, sustainability, ethical sourcing/manufacturing, and authenticity are important in fragrance industry. Fragrances are used in different types of product, such as Perfume, Cosmetics, and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Fragrance companies/houses supply fragrances to these industries and ultimately consumers use these products. Hence, an online consumer survey (quantitative) has been conducted to know the importance of provenance, sustainability, ethical sourcing/manufacturing, and authenticity claims of the products. The survey clearly shows that provenance, sustainability, ethical sourcing/manufacturing, and authenticity of the products and its RMs are very important to them. As fragrance is important part of these products, provenance, sustainability, ethical sourcing/manufacturing, and authenticity of the fragrance and fragrance RMs are also similarly important to them. These factors influe