Search

Regioselective reactions of biologically significant quinones are challenging. An unprecedented advancement in quinone monoacetal (QMA) chemistry is proposed for constructing regioselective and less explored α-alkylated QMAs through the Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction. Electrophilic QMAs were transformed to nucleophilic umpolung reagents for aldol-type condensation with several electrophiles. Mechanistic studies reveal that solvent (TFE:water (1:1)) and in situ-generated potassium acetate accelerate the reaction. The ensuing MBH adducts were scalable and underwent several post-synthetic transformations and late-stage functionalization.

One of the few synthetic resins from petroleum-based sources that are biodegradable and can reduce the environmental pollution is polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). PVA film is non-toxic, transparent, and biocompatible in line with green ecologically friendly requirements. It is completely biodegradable and possesses good mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and gas barrier. PVA’s hydroxyl groups, however, decrease its mechanical and thermal properties and make it water-soluble, which limits its use. However, it is possible to control the water solubility or absorption by partially cross-linking the polymer chains. This work aims to enhance the mechanical properties while making an insoluble film through cross-linking with oxalic acid (OA). In the present investigation, PVA film was cross-linked with OA (with variable weight percentage (wt%) of OA) to limit its ability to absorb moisture. Tensile testing was utilized to evaluate the mechanical properties of the films, revealing their ultimate tensile strength, % elongation, and Young’s modulus. With increase in wt% of OA, % elongation of PVA-based films decreases, whereas maximum tensile strength was observed at 10 wt% of OA configuration. In comparison to neat PVA, the differential thermo-gravimetric analysis peak migrated towards the higher temperature side with an increase in the OA concentration. The peak value of tan δcurve also increased and shifted towards higher temperature side as the OA concentration increased. This concludes that prepared films have high damping coefficient and can absorb impact load. Finally, the films’ creep-recovery behaviour was also examined in detail. To represent the potential application of these films as packaging materials, anti-microbial tests were also conducted.

Byline: Abhinav. Dhami, Pragya. Sharma, Nimrata. Dhami, Gobinder. Dhami Purpose: To evaluate the functional and anatomical outcomes for autologous retinal autograft with Finesse[TM] Flex Loop for failed macular holes. Methods: [...]

Byline: Pragya. Sharma, Abhinav. Dhami, Nimrata. Dhami, Gobinder. Dhami Purpose: Comparison of patient satisfaction with red-free (green) versus yellow light using binocular indirect ophthalmoscope for retinal examination. Methods: This is [...]

To reduce the hydrophilicity of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), various methods are employed. Acid cross-linking is one technique, but it decreases the polymer's strength. To address this, different reinforcements are utilized to enhance the polymer's strength while mitigating the side effects of acid cross-linking. The present research intends to improve the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of PVA by cross-linking it with fumaric acid and reinforcing it with modified graphite particles. The particles were prepared through oxidative acidic treatment and added in different weight proportions (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt.%) to the PVA matrix. Water absorption (WA) tests were conducted to affirm the formation of cross-linked bonds, and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy was employed to confirm the oxidation of the graphite particles with acid. The composites were examined using scanning electron microscopy, which revealed a robust interfacial adhesion between the modified graphite and cross-linked PVA, resulting in better mechanical characteristics. The highest ultimate tensile strength was observed when using 1.5 wt.% of modified graphite particle reinforcement, resulting in a 31% increase in comparison to pure cross-linked PVA. Moreover, the thermal stability increased from 358°C (PVA alone) to 375°C (composite with 2 wt.% treated graphite particles). Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed an increase in glass transition temperature from 68.2°C to 72.9°C, and activation energy from 604.84 to 1028.21 kJ mol−1(neat PVA to composite with 1.5 wt.% modified particles). The damping coefficient of the cross-linked composite was 0.257, making it suitable for acoustic damping applications like speakers.

Immunogenic peptide epitopes that cause celiac disease are present in both the gliadin and glutenin fractions of the gluten protein found in cereals like wheat, rye and barley. Aptamers as a promising alternative to antibodies were developed only against the gliadin fraction and its constituent immunogenic peptide. However, for accurate assessment of the immunogenic peptides in food products through aptamer-based detection methods, there is a scope for developing aptamers against celiac disease epitopes in glutenin fractions. Here we report the development of aptamer against the immunogenic peptide sequence GQGQQGYYPTSPQQ of high molecular weight glutenin having celiac disease epitope. The aptamer was selected using magnetic bead-based SELEX (Mag-SELEX) method and characterised by ITC and circular dichroism. ITC experiment reveals that the dissociation constant (Kd) of selected aptamer Apt_J91P for primary binding site is 2.26 μM, and for secondary binding site, it is 4.385 mM in aptamer binding buffer. The binding mechanism of the aptamer with target was found to be enthalpy and entropy driven. Circular dichroism experiments show that aptamer forms stem and loop secondary structure. The limit of detection (LOD) of aptamer calculated by direct-ELAA method was found to be 16.0875 µM. We conclude that aptamer Apt_J91P can be successfully used for detecting celiac disease epitopes in glutenin and further improvement/modification would help in the development of sensitive aptasensors.

Sustainable development has become a global agenda that was institutionalized through the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration in 2000 and was later promoted by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda emerged as a comprehensive global framework for fostering universal development, with a vision of ‘leaving no one behind’. Both India and Germany are committed towards the 2030 Agenda. In light of this commitment, this article attempts to understand the initiatives taken by both the countries and by Europe to monitor the progress towards the achievement of the targets at the local/city level. It tries to understand the challenges in an urban data ecosystem for monitoring the progress (or regress) of the SDGs within the geographies. Lastly, the article puts forward recommendations for the timely assessment of sustainability measures and it advocates for the generation of granular data on a regular basis.

Background: Family accommodation (FA) is defined as a family members’ involvement by doing certain behavior in response to the daily rituals of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). FA is associated with more severe symptoms of OCD. Similarly, poor insight is associated with high severity of OCD symptoms. FA and insight are also related to each other, as more accommodative behavior of family members is associated with poor insight.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study assessed 103 adult OCD patients with an illness duration of at least one year. Participants were assessed using Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) symptom checklist, Y-BOCS to assess severity, and Family Accommodation Scale-SR (Hindi) to evaluate FA. Insight was assessed with the 11th item of Y-BOCS.Results: FA was common in the families of our participants. The mean±SD Y-BOCS score was 28.72±5.09, and the mean FAS-SR score was 44.1±12.03. A significant positive correlation existed between the FA and YBOCS scores, that is, with the increase in FA, YBOCS scores also significantly increased. A considerable number reported poor insight, and had high scores on YBOCS and their caregiver had high FA scores.Conclusion: FA is indicative of high symptom severity of OCD and higher FA is associated with poor insight, so FA needs further research for its interplay with OCD symptomatology and role in the maintenance of symptoms.

It is imperative to explore the gigantic available chemical space to identify new scaffolds for drug lead discovery. Identifying potent hits from virtual screening of large chemical databases is challenging and computationally demanding. Rather than the traditional two-dimensional (2D)/three-dimensional (3D) approaches on smaller chemical libraries of a few hundred thousand compounds, we screened a ZINC library of 15 million compounds using multiple computational methods. Here, we present the successful application of a virtual screening methodology that identifies several chemotypes as starting hits against lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDHA). From 29 compounds identified from virtual screening, 17 (58%) showed IC50values < 63 μM, two showed single-digit micromolar inhibition, and the most potent hit compound had IC50down to 117 nM. We enriched the database and employed an ensemble approach by combining 2D fingerprint similarity searches, pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics. WaterMap calculations were carried out to explore the thermodynamics of surface water molecules and gain insights into the LDHA binding pocket. The present work has led to the discovery of two new chemical classes, including compounds with a succinic acid monoamide moiety or a hydroxy pyrimidinone ring system. Selected hits block lactate production in cells and inhibit pancreatic cancer cell lines with cytotoxicity IC50down to 12.26 μM against MIAPaCa-2 cells and 14.64 μM against PANC-1, which, under normoxic conditions, is already comparable or more potent than most currently available known LDHA inhibitors.

Biometric identification (ID) has become increasingly prevalent in the digital era. Static biometric methods, such as fingerprint and facial recognition are widely accepted, yet generally vulnerable to targeted presentation attacks. Current development has expanded to dynamic biometrics, such as gait and electrocardiogram, that enable continuous authentication and are significantly more resistant to presentation attacks. However, dynamic biometrics often involve cumbersome acquisition which restricts their widespread use. Here, we introduce Heart ID, a novel dynamic biometric system that uses near-field coherent sensing (NCS) with a multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) radio-frequency (RF) antenna setup to non-invasively acquire detailed recordings of internal cardiac dielectric boundary motion over clothing. NCS couples localized energy to the heart to derive interpersonal structural differences, while MIMO significantly increases the biometric entropy compared to single-point observation. We performed a human study of 20 subjects as well as 2 longitudinal evaluations, and employed an unsupervised feature extraction method to explore the ID performance of this new biometric. We found an ensemble classification approach using features derived from unsupervised learning can achieve accuracy exceeding 99% at a 40-second epoch.

INH Preventive Therapy (IPT) substantially reduces the risk of incidence of TB disease in pediatric household contacts of TB patients. The National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) of India prescribes a daily regimen of Isoniazid to all under-6 pediatric contacts for 6 months duration.

This study (August–September 2021) estimated the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in the general population of Delhi and correlated it with their anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels. Samples were selected by simple random sampling method. The neutralizing capacity was estimated by performing a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) (GenScript), Piscataway, NJ, USA.

ABSTRACTMinimizing vaccine wastage and associated costs is considered a key target for appropriate vaccine management. In India, the Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) (2019) and the fractionated injectable polio vaccine (f-IPV) (2016) are more prone to wastage with high procurement costs.In this operational research study, we determined the effectiveness of a (self-designed) dose based reporting tool (DBRT) in reducing vaccine (f-IPV and RVV) wastage at primary care facilities in India during December 2019 to March’ 2020.Data reports of all the immunization sessions conducted at three primary care facilities were analyzed to calculate the wastage rates of the RVV and the f-IPV for the following periods: (1). Period of initiation (August-November’ 2019) (2). Pre-intervention with sensitization of healthcare providers (December’ 2019-January’ 2020) (3). Post-intervention after application of the DBRT.Intervention: The DBRT is a paper-based reporting format that assigns a unique code to each RVV and IPV vial. The health facility is required to report the total doses administered from each coded vial during every immunization session by updating it on the assigned reporting format.Pre-intervention, the average monthly wastage of f-IPV was 23.5% and of the RVV ranged from 18%-31%. Post-intervention, on using the DBRT, the monthly wastage of both RVV and f-IPV dropped significantly to 8.6% and 11.4%, respectively. During the subsequent month, the IPV wastage further decreased to only 4.7%.In conclusion, the DBRT reduces vaccine wastage in government primary care facilities by enabling a paper audit trail that promotes responsiveness and accountability among healthcare workers directly involved in vaccine administration.

Urbanization is considered as the key driver for land use and land cover (LULC) changes across the globe and Delhi is no exception to this phenomenon. The population of Delhi has almost doubled from 8.4 million in 1991 to 16.3 million in 2011. Correspondingly, the built-up area has also increased from 336.82 to 598.22 km2during 1999–2018. This urban expansion has led to emergence of serious ecological risk and fragmentation of the landscape. In this context, it is imperative to analyse the level of risks induced by such urban expansion and its underlying associations with other factors. This article quantifies the LULC changes in Delhi during 1999–2018 using Landsat 5 (TM) and Landsat 8 (OLI) data. A spatio-temporal sprawl induced risk assessment index has been developed by combining landscape fragmentation score and land use land cover vulnerability score. The landscape fragmentation score was based on four landscape metrics, whereas the vulnerability score was computed from LULC data. The article also assesses the association between risk areas and economic activities, environmental and infrastructural amenities that are considered key drivers of urban expansion in Delhi. To estimate spatio-temporal variability between risk areas and key drivers, ordinary least square regression and geographical weighted regression (GWR) were used. The GWR results reveal that sprawl-induced ecological risk in Delhi is strongly associated with economic activity, infrastructural accessibility and environmental amenities. This spatial empirical assessment also shows that urban growth incentives or services such as roads, metro rail, schools and hospitals can also create pressure on the landscape if local authorities arbitrarily provide these services across space without considering the associated risks.

Nanoshuttles are unique structures that resemble double-headed arrows or a nanorod with sharp tips for better penetration into the tumor cells, reduction of toxicity and minimization of off-targeting effect. These biologically- inspired multimetallic or bimetallic nano swimmers are capable of transporting cargoes from one end to another via self-propulsion in an efficient manner. Encapsulation with pH- and heat-sensitive polymers allows nanoshuttles to release cargos at the targeted site in a controlled fashion. This review article focuses on the methods of preparation and characterization of nanoshuttles with applications in the field of antineoplastic, antibacterial, erectile dysfunction, electrochemical biosensing, anticounterfeiting, on-demand and targeted delivery system for imaging as well as cell ablation therapy. Magnetic nanoshuttles exhibit modified optical properties for utilization in diagnostic imaging for sensitive and early diagnosis of diseases. Smart drug delivery is achieved when nanoshuttles are combined with nanomotors to exhibit distinctive, rapid and unidirectional movement in the bloodstream. Cost-effective synthesis of nanoshuttles will extend their applications in the commercial sectors by overcoming the limitations like scale-up and regulatory approval. In the near future, nanoshuttles will diversify in the fields of energy conversion, energy storage, 3D printing, stem cell fabrication and theranostics.

We present a low-power wireless radio-frequency (RF) sensor to perform continuous vital-sign monitoring for chelonians in various stages of brumation. Due to their unique body structure, vital signs of chelonians cannot be recorded without substantial animal handling in previous methods, which would severely bias the brumation condition. In contrast, our sensor on harness can couple significant RF energy into various body parts to evaluate the heartbeat, respiration and activity levels. The self-contained unit is lightweight for ease of wearable deployment and low power to avoid unnecessary heat generation as well as frequent battery replacement. We recorded the shell temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and activity levels of a Russian tortoise during the entire brumation cycle and found that the heart rate correlated with the ambient temperature well, while the breath rate did not significantly reduce during brumation. This experimental study is minimally invasive and thus least biased.

Cubosome is a biocompatible, thermodynamically stable and bioadhesive drug carrier that is prepared from certain amphiphilic lipids and surfactants when mixed in a definite ratio. Structurally, they are selfassembled nano-constructed liquid crystalline particles comprising three-dimensionally arranged bicontinuous as well as nonintersecting lipid bilayers that give them a honeycomb-like appearance. Morphological characterization through SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering) and cryo-TEM (cryo-transmission electron microscopy) revealed that they are square and round shaped particles in the nanometer range. These carriers have two separate aqueous regions and a large interfacial area that allow them to carry a variety of bioactive molecules having hydrophobic, hydrophilic or amphiphilic behavior. One of either two strategies i.e., top-down or bottom-up methods can be adopted to prepare these cubic structures. A number of dispersion techniques like sonication, spray drying, high-pressure homogenization or spontaneous emulsification can be adopted to prepare cubosomes. Their characteristics and benefits like multicompartmental structure, high drug loading, simple and convenient method of preparation, use of biodegradable lipids such as glycerol monooleate, encapsulation of hydrophilic, hydrophobic and amphiphilic moieties, targeted and controlled release make them versatile bioactive carriers that can be administered through multiple biological routes like topical, transdermal, parenteral, and oral. Cubosomes have appreciable applications in various fields especially in the pharmaceutical industry where they are used as potential bioactive carriers. Molecules like paclitaxel, oligonucleotide, δ-amino-levulinic acid, bovine serum albumin, etc. can be easily delivered through this system. This article provides a detailed note on the structure of cubosomes, ingredients and techniques used for their preparation, mechanism of drug release, applications and routes of drug administration, their formulations, patent review and market scenario.

More than one in two healthcare workers (HCWs) in developing countries have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), an asymptomatic condition signifying persistent tubercular infection in absence of disease.

Madurai city, in the state of Tamil Nadu, is one of the ancient temple cities of India and has been existing since two millennia. It is the second largest city in terms of area and the third largest in terms of population in the state. Despite this, the city’s population and economy is shrinking. In 2010, the city’s boundary expanded to cover the entire urban agglomeration. But even after 9 years of integration, differences exist between the newly merged areas and the old city. The spatial division in provision of basic services coupled with the characteristics of a shrinking city has posed fundamental challenges in the path of sustainable development. This article discusses the development of Madurai city with regard to its history, demography, economy, health and education infrastructure. It also offers insights into the unique challenges faced by the city and discusses the policy implications for reversal of the retardation of the city to that of holistic progress.

Tuberculosis and undernutrition is a well-known association and form a vicious cycle. A nutritional support scheme under the name of NIKSHAY POSHAN YOJANA (NPY) was launched in April 2018 where a direct bank transfer of INR 500 was made to the patients enrolled in the NIKSHAY portal monthly to support the nutritional needs of the patients. The study was undertaken to study the implementation and utilization of the benefit among tuberculosis patients.

Eating disorders significantly impact the current and future health and quality of life of affected persons, their caregivers, and society. Young people are persistently flooded with social media conceptualizations of what beauty should look like. The current study explored the relationship between how we perceive our body, perceived stress, maladaptive eating behaviours and quality of life among female medical students (n=777). Measurements included those measuring perceived body shape and body image, quality of life, eating attitudes, and self-esteem. We found that a preoccupation with weight and food, crash diets, fasting, binge eating, and purging behaviours was related to how we perceived our body shape, our quality of life and self-esteem among the study participants. This is important for female medical students and healthcare professionals because it enables them to identify students at risk of eating disorders and assist them in obtaining timely medical help, thus promoting early prevention.

ABSTRACTBackground: Different strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) are known to have different epidemiological and clinical characteristics. Some of them are widely distributed and associated with drug resistance, whereas others are locally predominated. Molecular epidemiological investigations have always been beneficial in identifying new strains and studying their transmission dynamics. Sahariya a primitive tribe of North Madhya Pradesh, India, has already been reported to have high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) than their non-tribal neighbours. However, the information about MTB genotypes prevalent in Sahariya tribe and their non-tribal neighbours is not available.Methods: A total of 214 clinical isolates representing Sahariya tribe and non-tribes were analyzed by spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing.Results: The EAI3_IND/SIT11 genotype was observed as major genotype in Sahariya tribe followed by CAS1_Delhi/SIT26 genotype. A 3.04 fold higher risk of getting TB with EAI3_IND/SIT11 genotype was observed in Sahariya as compared to the non-tribal population. The EAI_IND/SIT11 genotype also found to have more number of MDR-TB cases in Sahariya as well as true and possible transmission links. In Sahariya tribe, 3 clusters (6 isolates) reflected true transmission links, whereas 8 clusters consisted of 26 isolates revealed possible transmission links within the same geographical location or nearby houses.Conclusion: The present study highlighted the predominance of EAI3_IND/SIT11 genotype in Sahariya tribe followed by CAS1_Delhi/SIT26 genotype. Combined approach of MIRU-VNTR typing and spoligotyping was observed more favourable in discrimination of MTB genotypes. Further, longitudinal studies using whole genome sequencing can provide more insights into genetic diversity, drug resistance and transmission dynamics of these prevalent genotypes.

A novel automated system for the identification of alcoholic subjects using electroencephalography (EEG) signals is proposed in this study. The proposed system employed dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT)-based features and sequential minimal optimization support vector machine (SMO-SVM), least square support vector machine (LS-SVM), and fuzzy Sugeno classifiers (FSC) for the automated identification of alcoholic EEG signals. The EEG signals are decomposed into several sub-bands (SBs) using DTCWT. The features extracted from DTCWT-based SBs are fed to FSC, SMO-SVM, and LS-SVM classifiers to evaluate the best performing classifier. The tenfold cross-validation scheme is used to mitigate the overfitting of the model. We have obtained the highest classification accuracy (CAC) of 97.91%, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AU-ROC) of 0.999 and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.958 for our proposed alcoholic diagnosis model. Our alcoholism detection system performed better than the existing systems in terms of all three measures: CAC, AU-ROC, and MCC.

As there are no data available regarding the strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosiscirculating in Kashmir Valley, India, the current study aimed at describing the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosisstrains in this region, by spoligotyping and 12-locus-based MIRU-VNTR typing (Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit-Variable Number Tandem Repeat).

Different parts of Murraya paniculatahave been used traditionally for treating several ailments including mental disorders. The present study was designed to evaluate the antianxiety and antidepressant potential of M. paniculataleaves using elevated plus maze model and forced swim test, respectively.

This study aims to understand trends in spoligotype patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) in Central India. Elucidation of these trends may provide baseline information to understand the transmission dynamics of strains of MTB in the region. Spoligotyping was carried out on 340 MTB strains isolated from clinical samples received from 2007 to 2011. The prevalence of ST26/CAS1_Del, ST11/EAI3_IND, ST288/CAS2, ST25/CAS1_Del and Beijing lineages showed waxing and waning trends. ST26/CAS1_Del and ST11/EAI3_IND lineages were consistently present and were predominant. Well-established lineages showed a consistent presence in the community. New orphan lineages appeared to be less capable of establishing themselves.

Herein, we develop a metal-free, nondirected, site-selective, one-pot approach to meta-arylation of arylamines. This Brønsted acid-catalyzed, direct C–C bond formation offers a broad substrate scope and scalability and creates the ideal conditions for overriding the conventional site-selectivity to furnish meta-substituted anilines. Additionally, the protocol applies to the meta-allylation of anilines and has been extended to afford late-stage functionalization and synthesis of medicinally privileged arylated diamines and densely functionalized anilines. The control experiments and density functional theory studies provide evidence for the proposed mechanism and selectivity.

The facile and efficient synthesis of a unique class of 4-aryl-hydrocoumarins having enormous applications in medicinal chemistry and natural products is presented. We have for the first time developed a Brønsted acid-catalyzed, multicomponent, one-pot approach for producing various 4-aryl-coumarin derivatives. The feedstock availability of these precursors allowed access to a wide range of 2-chromanone derivatives in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. The practicality of this protocol was justified by the synthesis of bioactive compounds, late-stage functionalization of natural products, and gram-scale synthesis.

Energy generation using solar photovoltaic requires large area. As cost of the land is growing day by day, there is a strong requirement to use the available land as efficiently as possible. Here, we explored the potential of energy generation using the land above national road highways by constructing a roof structure. This space can contribute to the energy generation without extra cost for the land. It also results in energy efficiency, for example, improved vehicle movement and minimum energy for air conditioning of vehicles. Additionally, it also helps in minimum road repairs and longer vehicle tire life due to the effect of sun shade. Thus, the expenditure for wear and tear for road repairs is reduced considerably. From our modelling study, it is observed that the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway can generate 104 MW of electricity (163 GWh of annual energy generation) and the Ahmedabad-Vadodara highway space can generate 61 MW of electricity (96 GWh of annual energy generation) for single-layer solar panels. If there are two layers of solar panels one over the other, the annual energy generation of the same highways, Ahmedabad-Rajkot and Ahmedabad-Vadodara, can be increased to 229 GWh and 140 GWh, respectively. If our concept is implemented throughout India, it not only increases the power generation to more than a few gigawatts of electricity but also has other various fringe benefits including longer road life, employment generation, reduced CO2emission in environment, etc.

Here, we report the novel use of the ethonolic leaf extract of Piper betlefor gold nanoparticle (AuNP) synthesis. The successful formation of AuNPs was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, and different parameters such as leaf extract concentration (2%), gold salt concentration (0.5?mM), and time (18?s) were optimized. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized with different biophysical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). TEM experiments showed that nanoparticles were of various shapes and sizes ranging from 10 to 35?nm. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that AuNPs were functionalized with biomolecules that have primary amine group –NH2, carbonyl group, –OH groups, and other stabilizing functional groups. EDX showed the presence of the elements on the surface of the AuNPs. FT-IR and EDX together confirmed the presence of biomolecules bounded on the AuNPs. Cytotoxicity of the AuNPs was tested on HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, and they were found to be nontoxic, indicating their biocompatibility. Thus, synthesized AuNPs have potential for use in various biomedical applications.Here, we report the novel use of the ethonolic leaf extract of Piper betlefor gold nanoparticle (AuNP) synthesis. The successful formation of AuNPs was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, and different parameters such as leaf extract concentration (2%), gold salt concentration (0.5?mM), and time (18?s) were optimized. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized with different biophysical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). TEM experiments showed that nanoparticles were of various shapes and sizes ranging from 10 to 35?nm. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that AuNPs were functionalized with biomolecules that have primary amine group –NH2, carbonyl group, –OH groups, and other stabilizing functional groups. EDX showed the presence of the elements on the surface of the AuNPs. FT-IR and EDX together confirmed the presence of biomolecules bounded on the AuNPs. Cytotoxicity of the AuNPs was tested on HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, and they were found to be nontoxic, indicating their biocompatibility. Thus, synthesized AuNPs have potential for use in various biomedical applications.

Abstract: The enhancement of energy using solar photovoltaic in a limited space is important in urban areas due to increased land cost in the recent years. Although there exist different procedures and methodologies to focus the sunlight on solar panels, we have suggested a new approach to enhance the energy generation from the photovoltaic panels, i.e., by keeping the two layers of photovoltaic panels as collectors of energy one above the other with the same size and orientation. Our results of two layer solar panels have shown about 75% increase in efficiency as compared to a single layer solar panel. This study can also be extended to n number of photovoltaic layers piled up one above the other, if the cost economics are justified with respect to the land cost.

Abstract: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized by sonication using ethanolic leaf extract of Andrographis paniculata. We investigated the optimum parameters for AuNP synthesis and functionalization with polycaprolactone-gelatin (PCL-GL) composites. The AuNPs were characterized with various biophysical techniques such as TEM, XRD, FT-IR and EDX spectroscopy. TEM images showed that nanoparticles were spherical in shape with a size range from 5 to 75 nm. EDX analysis revealed the presence of molecular oxygen and carbon on the surface of AuNPs. The synthesized AuNPs were tested for their effect on HeLa (human cervical cancer) and MCF-7 (human breast cancer) cell lines and found to be nontoxic and biocompatible, which are potential carriers for hydrophobic drugs.

In the globalized arena, managers need to play a great variety of roles and in order to be effective performers on such roles, they need to sharpen their creative abilities as well as maintain the various blocks thereto at low level. A preliminary step is to make an assessment of existing state of the strengths and weaknesses regarding the same. As independent investigators, the authors initiated such an assessment with reference to managerial personnel in the selected Indian organizations. The generalized findings of such an assessment will provide some direction to the organizations and their managers for the formulation/re-formulation of appropriate strategies so as to develop creative abilities within themselves. In the present study, creative abilities of the managerial personnel, by and large, have been found at high level. Such a high level of creative abilities is also because blocks to creative personality were found only at moderate level (not at high level). Such a climate favours the initiation and promotion of creativity and innovation. The study also revealed that managerial personnel need to improve their creative abilities in terms of ‘sensitivity’ and ‘entrepreneurship’. The managerial personnel of the selected organizations have perceived themselves as having greater level of ‘allergy to ambiguity’ and they also perceived the other studied blocks to creative personality as having at moderate level (desirably not at low level) which may appear as barriers in the process of nurturing creative abilities and promoting innovation capabilities in the given set-up. Organizations are complex social, political and technical systems and there is no simplistic formula for becoming more creative and innovative in practice.

Abstract: This report describes the use of ethnolic extract of Fagopyrum esculentum leaves for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. UV-visible spectroscopy analysis indicated the successful formation of gold nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM (HRTEM) and were found to be spherical, hexagonal and triangular in shape with an average size of 8.3 nm. The crystalline nature of the gold nanoparticles was confirmed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) suggested the presence of organic biomolecules on the surface of the gold nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity tests against human HeLa, MCF-7 and IMR-32 cancer cell lines revealed that the gold nanoparticles were non-toxic and thus have potential for use in various biomedical applications.

Raika are pastoral nomads of Western Rajasthan who move from one place to another in collective camps of hundreds and thousands in search of fodder for animals. In this paper, using secondary data as well as fieldwork in Manpur Bas and Raika-ki-Dahni, two Raika villages in Pali district, an attempt has been made to study the effect of economy on Raika Community. It is found that the culture of Raika is predominantly influenced by their economy of cattle-herding.

This paper is based on a technique of Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors (CNTFET) for Arithmetic Logical Unit (ALU) using 10nm technology. For the past few decades, global demand for smaller dimension transistors with ultra-speed and low power consumption processor is a challenge for device designers. According to Moore’s law, the number of transistors on an integrated circuit (IC) doubles every two years. Traditional Si transistors, scaled down to its limit sub 10nm, suffer from short channel effects, direct tunneling from source to drain, drain induced barrier lowering, and hot carrier degradation. Hence device designer is looking for nano devices which can replace traditional Si. Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistors (CNTFET) are promising Nano device for the next generation. A parametric analysis has been performed for various measurements such as delay, power, and PDP by varying chirality vector. Here we discuss four Different configurations such as Single channel Single chirality (SCSC), Single Channel Dual chirality (SCDC), Double Channel Single Chirality (DCSC), Double Channel Dual chirality (DCDC). Based on the results it was observed that as the chirality vector increases delay decreases. It is also observed that the delay in Double channel configuration is less than in Single-channel configuration.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in low income countries. Multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) is seen as the reason for many TB outbreaks globally and is also a threat to control programmes. India accounts for 27% TB cases worldwide. Our study was undertaken to understand the outbreaks related to MTB. All the sputum samples were subjected to microscopy and smear positive samples were cultured on Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) media. Identification was carried by biochemical analysis. A total of 57 isolates were subjected to Drug Susceptibility testing (DST) and spoligotyping, where eleven MDR-TB isolates were confirmed, of which ten were SIT1/Beijing and one SIT53/T1. Spoligotyping results showed that the predominant lineage in this region was SIT1/Beijing followed by SIT124/U and the strains which did not match spoligodatabase were named as orphans. In this study, MDR-TB was associated with SIT1/Beijing and mono resistance belonged to CAS1_DEL.

The Aarogya Setu (ASA) is an open-source Indian smartphone application for contact tracing developed by the government of India.

Molecular epidemiology methods are very useful for differentiating between strains, assessing their diversity, and measuring the prevalence of the most circulating strain in an area. Various molecular typing methods using different molecular markers have been utilized worldwide, such as restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), spoligotyping, Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit – Variable Number of Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR), and Double repetitive element-PCR (DRE-PCR) typing, for simultaneous detection and epidemiologic typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.The present study is conducted to assess the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosisby IS6110-RFLP and spoligotyping in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in eastern Uttar Pradesh, North India.

In this study, we report a novel method of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) synthesis using aqueous fruit extract of Dillenia indica. The phytochemicals present in the fruit extract act as an effective reducing and capping agent to synthesize AuNPs. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized by spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. TEM studies revealed the particles of various sizes and mainly spherical in shape. Selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images confirmed the crystallinity of the particles. The XRD patterns showed peaks at (111), (200), (220) which exhibited preferential orientation of the AuNPs as face-centered cubic crystal. FTIR measurements confirmed the coating of phenolic compounds on the AuNPs indicating a possible role of biomolecules for the capping and efficient stabilization of the AuNPs. The synthesized AuNPs did not show any form of cytotoxicity in the normal fibroblast cell line L929.

To measure the prevalence of pre-hypertension (PHT) and undetected hypertension (UHT) among adults aged ≥20 years and assess their association with other cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors.