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The structural investigation of the a-Si:H material, deposited at different pressures by PECVD process, has been carried out to analyze the signatures of diffused intermediate sort of crystalline phases within the amorphous silicon matrix. Raman characterization along with the Photoluminescence (PL) and spectroscopic ellipsometry studies were carried out to understand the microstructuree of these films. From Raman analysis the material was found to have indistinguishable crystalline phase, which can also be named as “intermediate amorphous phase” (a phase defined between amorphous and ultra nano-crystalline silicon) with crystalline volume fractions as 56 % and 62 % for 0.23 Torr and 0.53 Torr respectively. Here the contribution of ultra nano-crystallites results in higher crystalline fraction, which is not visibly revealed from the Raman spectra due to its sub nano-crystallite characteristics. For the film deposited at 0.53 Torr stable photo-conductance in conjunction with high photo-response under 10 hour light soaking has been observed, which is as expected due to high crystalline volume fraction. The presence of these phases might be the possible reason for the distinct device characteristics though having nearly the similar electrical properties (photo-response ~10 4 ). These studies will help to make improvement in the individual layer properties, other than the interface effect, in the fabrication of efficient p-i-n solar cells. Copyright © 2016 VBRI Press

ObjectiveMucormycosis is a rapidly progressive and fulminant fungal infection mainly affecting the nose and paranasal sinuses and often requiring aggressive surgical debridement, which commonly includes inferior maxillectomy. Conventional inferior maxillectomy involves removal of the bony hard palate and its mucoperiosteum. This can lead to formation of an oroantral fistula and thereby increase the morbidity in these patients leading to prolonged rehabilitation. Subperiosteal inferior maxillectomy involves sparing of the uninvolved mucoperiosteum of the hard palate. This flap is used for closure of the oroantral fistula, which preserves the functional capabilities of the patient, such as speech, mastication and deglutination.MethodThis case series describes the experience of using the technique of mucosa-preserving subperiosteal inferior maxillectomy in five patients with mucormycosis.ResultsWith the technique used in this study, complete oronasal separation was achieved in all six patients. The overall surgery time was also decreased when compared with free tissue transfer. Patients also did not have to bear the weight of prosthesis.ConclusionMucoperiosteal palatal flap-preserving subperiosteal inferior maxillectomy is an excellent approach for all patients with mucormycosis and healthy palatal mucosa.

In times when everything is online, one thing which is common in every application is the use of data. Data is being generated every second, when applications are generating exponentially larger data sets every second it’s the big data which comes into effect. The major objective of this paper is to state the meaning of big data, figure out various ways as how to digest this data. Further this paper will also focus on the applications of Big Data in multiple segments: Finance, Banking and Securities and Health Care Sector .

Summary Background Zoonotic tuberculosis is defined as human infection with Mycobacterium bovis. Although globally, India has the largest number of human tuberculosis cases and the largest cattle population, in which bovine tuberculosis is endemic, the burden of zoonotic tuberculosis is unknown. The aim of this study was to obtain estimates of the human prevalence of animal-associated members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) at a large referral hospital in India. Methods We did a molecular epidemiological surveillance study of 940 positive mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) cultures, collected from patients visiting the outpatient department at Christian Medical College (Vellore, India) with suspected tuberculosis between Oct 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019. A PCR-based approach was applied to subspeciate cultures. Isolates identified as MTBC other than M tuberculosis or as inconclusive on PCR were subject to whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and phylogenetically compared with publicly available MTBC sequences from south Asia. Sequences from WGS were deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive, accession number SRP226525 (BioProject database number PRJNA575883). Findings The 940 MGIT cultures were from 548 pulmonary and 392 extrapulmonary samples. A conclusive identification was obtained for all 940 isolates; wild-type M bovis was not identified. The isolates consisted of M tuberculosis (913 [97·1%] isolates), Mycobacterium orygis (seven [0·7%]), M bovis BCG (five [0·5%]), and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (15 [1·6%]). Subspecies were assigned for 25 isolates by WGS, which were analysed against 715 MTBC sequences from south Asia. Among the 715 genomes, no M bovis was identified. Four isolates of cattle origin were dispersed among human sequences within M tuberculosis lineage 1, and the seven M orygis isolates from human MGIT cultures were dispersed among sequences from cattle. Interpretation M bovis prevalence in humans is an inadequate proxy of zoonotic tuberculosis. The recovery of M orygis from humans highlights the need to use a broadened definition, including MTBC subspecies such as M orygis, to investigate zoonotic tuberculosis. The identification of M tuberculosis in cattle also reinforces the need for One Health investigations in countries with endemic bovine tuberculosis. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canadian Institutes for Health Research.

The pig industry is growing rapidly in India and contributes a major share of growth in the livestock sector. Over the last few years, there is a gradual increase in the adoption of pigs for production by economically weaker sections of the country. However, this production is affected by many respiratory diseases which are responsible for significant economic loss. The occurrence and impact of these diseases are still under-documented. The four important pathogens including porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), swine influenza A viruses (SIV) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) are documented here. These diseases are highly devastating in nature and frequent outbreaks have been reported from different parts of the country. The rapid and specific diagnosis, effective prevention and control measures are required for the eradication of these diseases which is urgently required for the growth of the pig industry. This review highlights the prevalence, epidemiology, diagnostics and information gaps on important respiratory viral pathogens of pigs reported from different parts of India. This review also emphasizes the importance of these viral diseases and the urgent need to develop vaccines and effective measures for the eradication of these diseases.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can infect approximately 250 avian species and causes highly contagious Newcastle disease (ND) in domestic poultry, leading to huge economic losses. There are three different pathotypes of NDV, i.e., lentogenic, mesogenic, and velogenic. Wild resident (wild) and migratory birds are natural reservoirs of NDV and are believed to play a key role in transmitting the virus to domestic poultry. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NDV in wild and migratory birds in the state of Haryana, India, during two migratory seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20). In total 1379 samples (1368 choanal swabs and 11 tissue samples) were collected from live (in/i= 1368) or dead birds (in/i= 4) belonging to 53 different avian species. These samples belonged to apparently healthy (in/i= 1338), sick (in/i= 30), and dead (in/i= 4) birds. All samples were tested for NDV by real-time reverse transcription-PCR using M gene specific primers and probe. Of the 1379 samples, 23 samples from wild birds [iColumba livia domestica/i(in/i= 12, 52.17%),iPavo cristatus/i(in/i= 9, 39.13%), andiPsittaciformes/i(in/i= 2, 8.69%)] were found positive for NDV. Only one of the 23 samples (fromiP. cristatus/i) was positive for F gene, indicating it to be a mesogenic/velogenic strain. These results indicate that both lentogenic and velogenic strains of NDV are circulating in wild birds in Haryana and that further studies are needed to characterize NDV strains from wild/migratory birds and domestic poultry to determine the extent of virus transmission among these populations. This study considers the disease transmission risk from domestic pigeons and parrots to commercial poultry and vice versa, and the results emphasize the need for strict biosecurity strategies to protect commercial poultry in the region.Prevalencia del virus de la enfermedad de Newcastle en aves silvestres y migratorias en Haryana, India. El virus de la enfermedad de Newcastle (NDV) puede infectar aproximadamente a 250 especies de aves y causa la enfermedad de Newcastle (ND) altamente contagiosa en la avicultura comercial, lo que genera enormes pérdidas económicas. Hay tres patotipos diferentes del virus de Newcastle, que incluyen, lentogénico, mesogénico y velogénico. Las aves silvestres residentes (silvestres) y migratorias son reservorios naturales del virus de Newcastle y se cree que desempeñan un papel clave en la transmisión del virus a las aves domésticas comerciales. El presente estudio se realizó para determinar la prevalencia del virus de Newcastle en aves silvestres y migratorias en el estado de Haryana, India, durante dos temporadas migratorias (2018-19 y 2019-20). En total, se recolectaron 1379 muestras (1368 hisopos coanales y 11 muestras de tejido) de aves vivas (in/i= 1368) o muertas (in/i= 4) pertenecientes a 53 especies de aves diferentes. Estas muestras pertenecían a aves aparentemente sanas (in/i= 1338), enfermas (in/i= 30) y muertas (in/i= 4). Todas las muestras se analizaron para detectar al virus de Newcastle mediante transcripción reversa y PCR en tiempo real utilizando iniciadores y una sonda específicos del gene M. De las 1379 muestras, 23 muestras de aves silvestres [iColumba livia domestica/i(in/i= 12, 52.17 %),iPavo cristatus/i(in/i= 9, 39.13 %) yiPsittaciformes/i(in/i= 2, 8.69 %)] resultaron positivas para el virus de Newcastle. Solo una de las 23 muestras (deiP. cristatus/i) fue positiva para el gene F, lo que indica que se trata de una cepa mesogénica/velogénica. Estos resultados indican que tanto las cepas lentogénicas como las velogénicas del virus de Newcastle están circulando en las aves silvestres de Haryana y que se necesitan más estudios para caracterizar las cepas del virus de Newcastle de las aves silvestres/migratorias y de las aves domésticas para determinar el alcance de la transmisión del virus entre estas poblaciones. Este estudio considera el riesgo de transmisión de la enfermedad de las palomasdomésticas y loros a las aves comerciales y viceversa, y los resultados enfatizan la necesidad de estrategias estrictas de bioseguridad para proteger las aves comerciales en la región.

Background: Senecavirus A (SVA), is a positive sense small non-enveloped RNA virus which belongs to Picornaviridae family and is responsible for porcine vesicular disease. The disease has been reported in many countries since late 2014, 2015 and 2016 like USA, Canada, Brazil, China and Thailand. Methods: In this study, the metagenomic study was performed on faecal samples of pigs/piglets suffering from diarrhea in Haryana, India with the help of next generation sequencing. The cDNA library was prepared from the faecal samples and run on the Illumina MiSeq instrument followed by identification and genomic characterization. Result: This study revealed the presence of SVA in the samples. The characterization of complete genome sequence of this strain showed complete nucleotide identity (100%) with SVA genomes reported from Canada, however, the polyprotein shares 98-99% amino acid sequence similarity with the genomes currently available in the GenBank. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of SVA infection in pigs/piglets of Haryana, India. It demonstrates that an active and urgent surveillance of the swine population is required in the region. Additionally, the veterinarians must pay immediate attention to this vesicular disease and adopt preventive measures for its control.

Microbial amino acid biosynthetic pathways are underexploited for the development of anti-bacterial agents. N-acetyl glutamate synthase (ArgA) catalyses the first committed step in L-arginine biosynthesis and is essential for M. tuberculosis growth. Here, we have purified and optimized assay conditions for the acetylation of l -glutamine by ArgA. Using the optimized conditions, high throughput screening was performed to identify ArgA inhibitors. We identified 2,5-Bis (2-chloro-4-guanidinophenyl) furan, a dicationic diaryl furan derivatives, as ArgA inhibitor, with a MIC99 values of 1.56 μM against M. tuberculosis. The diaryl furan derivative displayed bactericidal killing against both M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis. Inhibition of ArgA by the lead compound resulted in transcriptional reprogramming and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. The lead compound and its derivatives showed micromolar binding with ArgA as observed in surface plasmon resonance and tryptophan quenching experiments. Computational and dynamic analysis revealed that these scaffolds share similar binding site residues with L-arginine, however, with slight variations in their interaction pattern. Partial restoration of growth upon supplementation of liquid cultures with either L-arginine or N-acetyl cysteine suggests a multi-target killing mechanism for the lead compound. Taken together, we have identified small molecule inhibitors against ArgA enzyme from M. tuberculosis.

There are few scenarios in one’s life when we feel that “my life is out of Control”. These feelings are at the extreme when we are a student especially a college level. A college level student is forced to decide the course of their life and career during their stay at campus. Therefore they are left battling with so many emotional, career and social feelings which unknowingly pushes the student towards adverse situations. These mixed feeling and situations are a main reason behind stress and anxiety among students. In order to identify the factors which are associated with the level of stress especially among students a study (Online Survey) was conducted among various college level students studying in the geographical area of Punjab (Banur). In this study a few factors have been highlighted which although are very insignificant but can be a major cause behind creation of feelings which leads to stress and anxiety. Four categories of academic stressor (i.e. personal frustration, learning hours, financial issues, and health related issues) and four categories describing reactions to these stressors (i.e. Behavioral, Psychological, Social and Cognitive effects) were examined. The online survey sample consisted of 158 students studying in four different colleges falling in the geographical area of Punjab region. The findings emphasized on various factors like pressure of studies, poor knowledge on how to live a balanced life etc. The findings of this study can further be used by various researchers and motivational speakers who are working on designing of certain program along with workshops on how to live a balanced life which is healthy, happy and successful.

Bromelain, a dietary supplement of cysteine protease family having promising results against thrombosis, is gaining attention. Yet poor mechanical stability, gastric instability, high oral dose and poor patient compliance restricted its clinical application. Therefore, acid stable bromelain loaded hybrid solid lipid nanoparticles (Br-HNPs) were fabricated and characterized for their contribution to in-vivo stability and therapeutic efficacy in thrombosis management. Comprehensive optimization of various process and formulation variables ensued the formation of nano-sized (120.56 ± 40.12 nm) Br-HNPs with entrapment efficiency of 86.32 ± 5.56%. Spherical core shell framework of Br-HNPs prolonged drug release and provided in-vivo and storage stability at room temperature. Br-HNPs significantly inhibited platelet aggregation without affecting bleeding time and dissolved thrombus at 1.91-fold higher efficacy compared to bromelain. Furthermore, Br-HNPs prevented hypercoagulation states and suppressed cytokines production significantly (P.05) contributing to its antiplatelet activity. These findings indicated that Br-HNPs could serve as a promising alternative to commercial therapies for management of thrombotic disorders.

The major objective of transforming traditional cities into smart cities is to make elementary life easier and effortless. In developing countries, the challenges of managing the development of cities when the resources are limited and are having a system of social coherence are not new. Nowadays when every city wants to transform itself into smart city elements like water management, transportation, and waste management are the major areas of concern. The objective of this paper is to present a novel design of the waste bin and also to showcase the role of data in reshaping the infrastructure and facilities in resource-constrained environments to provide quality life to the citizens and find the solutions for these challenges by using the power of data analytics and IoT.

Although data mining and machine learning are among the popular technologies still very few people are aware of the impact which these technologies play in our daily lives. The role of data mining and machine learning is not only limited to discovering the hidden patterns or predicting a new algorithm or a model but these technologies also play a vital role when it comes to national security and surveillance systems. This paper is an attempt to present the role of data mining and machine learning in national security and disease surveillance. In this study, the two important software paradigms Non-Obvious Relationship Awareness (NORA) and Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance (RODS) would be discussed. These systems can be used as a weapon against terrorism and anti-terrorism. The research outcome of this is to (a) Give the introduction of these two terms (b) Present a systematic literature review (c) Highlight the role of these paradigms in National Level Security and Surveillance.

Methionine biosynthetic pathway, essential for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the host, represents an attractive target for the development of novel anti-tuberculars. Here, we have biochemically characterized homoserine acetyl transferase (HSAT viz. MetA) of Mtb, which catalyses the first committed step of methionine and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) biosynthesis. High-throughput screening of a 2300 compound library resulted in identification of thiram, an anti-fungal organosulfur compound, as the most potent MetA inhibitor. Further analysis of thiram analogs led to the identification of orally bioavailable disulfiram (DIS, an anti-alcoholism FDA approved drug) as a novel inhibitor of MetA. Both thiram and DIS restricted the growth of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Mtb strains in a bactericidal manner. ThermoFlour assay demonstrated direct binding of DIS with MetA. Metabolomic and transcriptomic studies showed DIS mediated perturbation of methionine and redox homeostasis, respectively, in Mtb. In concordance, the effect of DIS on Mtb growth was partially rescued by supplementation with either L-methionine as well as N-acetyl cysteine, suggesting a multi-target killing mechanism. In Mtb-infected mice, DIS administration restricted bacterial growth, increased efficacy of isoniazid, ameliorated lung pathology, modulated lung immune cell landscape and protective immune response. Taken together, our results demonstrate that DIS can be repurposed for designing an effective anti-tubercular therapy.

Methionine biosynthetic pathway, essential for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the host, represents an attractive target for the development of novel anti-tuberculars. Here, we have biochemically characterized homoserine acetyl transferase (HSAT viz. MetA) of Mtb, which catalyses the first committed step of methionine and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) biosynthesis. High-throughput screening of a 2300 compound library resulted in identification of thiram, an anti-fungal organosulfur compound, as the most potent MetA inhibitor. Further analysis of thiram analogs led to the identification of orally bioavailable disulfiram (DIS, an anti-alcoholism FDA approved drug) as a novel inhibitor of MetA. Both thiram and DIS restricted the growth of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Mtb strains in a bactericidal manner. ThermoFlour assay demonstrated direct binding of DIS with MetA. Metabolomic and transcriptomic studies showed DIS mediated perturbation of methionine and redox homeostasis, respectively, in Mtb. In concordance, the effect of DIS on Mtb growth was partially rescued by supplementation with either L-methionine as well as N-acetyl cysteine, suggesting a multi-target killing mechanism. In Mtb-infected mice, DIS administration restricted bacterial growth, increased efficacy of isoniazid, ameliorated lung pathology, modulated lung immune cell landscape and protective immune response. Taken together, our results demonstrate that DIS can be repurposed for designing an effective anti-tubercular therapy. Funding Statement: The research fellowship to D.C. and T.P.G. from Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India is acknowledged. Ava.S. fellowship was supported by the University of Grants commission. R.B. acknowledges Department of Science and Technology India and FICCI for providing C.V. Raman International fellowship. R.S. acknowledge THSTI, and Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India (BT/PR29075/BRB/10/1699/2018) for funding. This research was supported by SIgN A*STAR, A*STAR JCO-CDA grant (#1518251030), and Singapore-India Joint grant (#1518224018) to A.S. Declaration of Interests: None. Ethics Approval Statement: The proposed animal experiments were approved by the institutional animal ethics committee of Defence Science Organization (DSO), Singapore.

Present work discusses the structural modifications in intrinsic layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited using Pulsed Wave Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PW-PECVD) technique which highlights the crystallite formation within the boundaries of nano crystallite silicon thin films. These investigations were carried out for the films deposited under the variation of applied pulsed power from 10 W to 60 W. The resultant film phases were generalized as sub-nano crystalline silicon phases. The evolution of such phases has been effectively probed using various spectroscopic and structural characterization techniques including Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The observed sub-nano crystalline volume fraction varies from ~ 28–46%. This marks the modification in crystallite growth from the partial nucleation to coalescence phase. From this the importance of pulsed wave PECVD (PW-PECVD) has been discussed in terms of high growth rates as well as the extended transition zones with the formation of sub-nano crystallite structures. The study found to be specific for understanding the sub-nano crystalline phases in the film silicon having high photo-stability and photo-response like in µc/nc-Si:H (micro/nano crystalline silicon) and a-Si:H respectively.

Nature has always inspired us all the waggle dance of Honey bee, the school of whales and the swarm of ants, each element when observed carefully has the abundance of teachings. If we carefully observe nature, we find that although Nature seems to be very simple and systematic, it hides many complexities underneath it. As technology also follows the same principle of ‘simple-yet-complex’, the researchers have always tried to apply the learning from Nature to complex technological Algorithms used to solve few real life human problems. Since the past decade, there has been a rapid increase of research in this field. Today Nature Inspired algorithms have permeated into almost all areas of sciences. Although it had been applied to various areas of sciences, the scope of this paper is limited to its application in the domain of The Semantic Web. The main objective of Semantic web applications is to obtain, manage and utilize the huge amount of information that is available in either structured semistructured or unstructured databases in distributed environment. This is an emerging domain and is advancing towards more and more intelligent and human oriented applications. This paper presents a survey of vital nature-Inspired techniques that can be used for optimizing various areas of Semantic web applications such as knowledge base, content filtering, Information Retrieval and Inference mechanism.

Parapharyngeal space is an infrequent site for foreign bodies to lodge. Presence of neurovascular structures in this space mandates immediate and meticulous removal of the foreign body to prevent any complications. In this case report, we present a rare case of metallic foreign body (sewing needle) in the parapharyngeal space that was removed using external approach without any complications after appropriate imaging (contrast-enhanced computed tomography). Only one case has been reported so far in the literature and ours is the second one.

Aim: The aim of present study was to determine seroprevalence of bluetongue virus (BTV) in Haryana state of India. Materials and Methods: A total of 803 serum samples, 408 of cattle and 395 of buffalo origin, respectively, were collected from different villages of Haryana. Sampling was done randomly to obtain unbiased results. The samples were evaluated by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of BTV antibodies. Results: Overall seroprevalence of BTV antibody in cattle and buffaloes for all 21 districts of Haryana state was found to be 75.49% and 92.91%, respectively. The prevalence of BTV in different agroclimatic zones ranged between 72-77% and 90-94% for cattle and buffalo, respectively. In buffaloes, the BTV seroprevalence was comparatively higher than in cattle. Conclusion: The study showed that BTV is circulating in cattle and buffalo populations in the Northern part of India.

Objective: To present a reasoner based on the hybrid approach which integrates the Description Logic (DL) reasoner with Rule Logic (RL) based reasoner for optimizing the reasoning process in ontology's. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The idea here is to integrate the capabilities of both atomic reasoners. This hybrid reasoner will first load the ontology and make this ontology active; it will then separate the Terminological axioms (Tbox) from the Assertion axiom (Abox). It will thus call the Description Logic (DL) based reasoner for Tbox reasoning which will perform reasoning by classifying and realizing the elements of a given ontology. Afterwards it will upload the rules set for performing Rule based entailments. It will thus perform the assertion reasoning based on rules set and the given axioms. Findings: This approach integrates the effective and efficient inferencing capability of a DL algorithm based reasoner with the scalability of rule based reasoners. The experimental research shows that by following the hybrid approach the entailments can be made more efficient and scalable as compared to the other reasoners. This framework was successful in performing the Tbox entailments by calling the Pellet reasoner and it achieves a faster execution of Abox queries through the use of Generic Rule Reasoner of Jena Framework which perform the entailments in the RDF Schema and the rule set. This approach enriches the reasoning task in two ways first it separates the two schemas of any given ontology and secondly it handles the memory more efficiently. Applications: This framework gives us an efficient way for performing entailments in any kind of ontology whether it is a simple ontology or ontology based on OWL2 profile languages.

BackgroundZoonotic tuberculosis (zTB) is the transmission ofMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex (MTBC) subspecies from animals to humans. zTB is generally quantified by determining the proportion of human isolates that areMycobacterium bovis. Although India has the world’s largest number of human TB cases and the largest cattle population, where bovine TB is endemic, the burden of zTB is unknown.MethodsTo obtain estimates of zTB in India, a PCR-based approach was applied to sub-speciate positive MGIT® cultures from 940 patients (548 pulmonary, 392 extrapulmonary disease) at a large referral hospital in India. Twenty-five isolates of interest were subject to whole genome sequencing (WGS) and compared with 715 publicly available MTBC sequences from South Asia.FindingsA conclusive identification was obtained for 939 samples; wildtypeM. boviswas not identified (95% CI: 0 – 0.4%). There were 912M. tuberculosis sensu stricto(97.0%, 95% CI: 95.7 – 98.0), 7M. orygis(95% CI: 0.3 – 1.5%); 5M. bovisBCG, and 15 non-tuberculous mycobacteria. WGS analysis of 715 MTBC sequences again identified noM. bovis(95% CI: 0 – 0.4%). Human and cattle MTBC isolates were interspersed within theM. orgyisandM. tuberculosis sensu strictolineages.InterpretationM. bovisprevalence in humans is an inadequate proxy of zTB in India. The recovery ofM. orygisfrom humans, together with the finding ofM. tuberculosisin cattle, underscores the need for One Health investigations to assess the burden of zTB in countries with endemic bovine TB.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canadian Institutes for Health Research

Bromelain, a cysteine protease exhibits promising potential in amelioration of wide variety of inflammatory disorders. Its denaturation or aggregation in gastric milieu depletes its therapeutic potential along with unpredictable prophylactic hypersensitivity reactions. Hence, efficient carrier system to improve bromelain's stability and avoid related side effects is of utmost importance. Therefore, present investigation was undertaken to prepare bromelain loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (Br-NCs) with high drug loading, stability and efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis management. Br-NCs fabricated via double emulsion solvent evaporation method were characterized for physical properties, morphology and stability. Optimized batch exhibited spherical shape, nanometric size (298.23 nm) and entrapment efficiency ~77% with sustained release behavior and improved gastric stability. Br-NCs exhibited 4.63-folds improvement in shelf-life compared to bromelain at room temperature. The protective potential of orally administered Br-NCs in rheumatoid arthritis was evaluated via assessing arthritis severity in wistar rats along with biochemical, hematological and immunological parameters. Br-NCs remarkably (p 0.05) diminished paw edema, joint stiffness, mechanical allodynia and tissue damage along with alleviation of oxidative stress and immunological markers. Radiological joint alterations were also notably preserved with Br-NCs. Thus, preclinical studies distinctly manifested that Br-NCs formulation opens new avenue for development of novel effective therapeutic modality for rheumatoid arthritis management.

The present study was aimed to examine and compare the antibacterial activity of hot methanolic extract of medicinal plants viz. Portulaca oleracea (purslane), Syzygium cumini (L.) (jamun), Psidium guajava (L.) (guava). Antibacterial activity was carried by using agar well diffusion method, against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). Results indicated that all the three plant extracts possess antibacterial property against Gram-positive bacteria and no activity was found against Gram-negative bacteria. Moderate zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis was exhibited by S. cumini (L.) (11mm and 12mm) and P. guajava (L.) (10mm and 11mm) and weak zone of inhibition was exhibited by P. oleracea (5 mm and 6mm). In conclusion, S. cumini (L.) and P. guajava (L.) possess bettercapabilities of being a good candidate in search for natural antibacterial agent against infections and diseases causing Gram-positive bacteria as compared to P. oleracea.

In this study, we revisited the significance of the p/i interface for hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells. Initially, intrinsic and extrinsic (p and n type) a-Si:H layers were grown in a low pressure regime (0.5–0.1 Torr) using the conventional RF plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process and their opto-electronic properties were optimized for the fabrication of p–i–n a-Si:H solar cells. Subsequently, we obtained new insights in terms of the activation energy and band gap at the p/i interface in these solar cells. The absorber layers deposited at pressures of 0.23 Torr and 0.53 Torr had the highest photosensitivity with a band absorption edge at ~700 nm. Furthermore, the photosensitivity was shown to be correlated with the estimated diffusion length, which effectively defined the carrier transport within the solar cell layers. Moreover, the cell efficiency increased from 1.53% to 5.56% due to the improved p/i interface as well as the higher photosensitivity of the intrinsic/absorber layer.

Investigation of carrier transport in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films deposited at various pressures (0.03 - 0.53 Torr) using 27.12 MHz assisted high frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical vapor Deposition (PECVD) process is presented. From results of Steady State Photocarrier Grating (SSPG) the carrier diffusion length was found to vary from 0.098 - 0.189 μm. Moreover a direct influence of ambipolar diffusion length was observed with the transport mechanism for deposition pressure in the range (0.13 - 0.53 Torr). There was a correlation observed for photosensitivity and microstructure parameter with mobility lifetime (μ τ) product and diffusion length of carriers. Diffusion length and μ τ product were observed to be maximum (0.189 μm and 0.471 x 10 −8 cm 2 V −1) for the film having high photosensitivity (7.2x10 3) deposited at a rate ∼1.39 A/s at 0.53 Torr deposition pressure. In addition to electrical transport properties, the effect of deposition pressure on structural and optical properties was also studied using various characterization tools such as Raman, UV-Vis and infrared spectroscopy.

Recent novelties in diverse diagnostics and therapeutic tools in animal health sector have paved a brighter and clearer way ahead. These are proved to be better in detection, management, control and eradication of animal sufferings caused by various infectious and non-infectious diseases. These innovations have potential impact that extends beyond the animal health and welfare. The advancements have significantly contributed towards improvement in the economy of the country as well as food security. In the present competitive era of evolution, the organisms have inculcated a number of new strategies for survival and spread. Therefore, science needs to continuously evolve more sensitive, specific and high-throughput tools to overcome pathogen cleverness to escape from host immune surveillance.

In this work, through modeling we propose how the choice of the TCO material, its texturing and optimization of band gap of a-Si:H layers help to increase the efficiency of a-Si:H solar cells. While selecting plane and textured indium tin oxide (ITO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) as TCOs, the solar cell parameters and performance are examined as a function of band gap of different a-Si:H layers. The optimum band gap values of 2.1 eV, 1.9 eV and 1.85 eV are obtained for p, i and n-layers of a-Si:H with maximum efficiencies of ~ 15.5 % and 17.7 % using plane ITO and ZnO contacts respectively. Interestingly, the conversion efficiency is further increased to ~ 16.3 % and 18.6 % when textured ITO and textured ZnO are used as TCOs. Moreover the higher efficiencies with ZnO-based contact than ITO-based contact can be explained due to slightly higher drift velocity of holes nearer to the junction and little improved optical properties which may also attributes to the enhanced trapping of the light. These results are very encouraging and may help in developing a-Si:H based solar cell technology for thin films.

Salinity stress severely affects growth, nodulation and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). However, inoculation with Mesorhizobium strains containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase improves the plant growth by reducing the level of ethylene induced by salt stress. Fifty (50) Mesorhizobium isolates were obtained from nodules of chickpea plants on yeast extract mannitol agar (YEMA) medium. Mesorhizobium isolates were screened for ACC utilization and growth at different salt concentrations in YEMA medium. Six salt tolerant Mesorhizobium isolates were checked for their role in plant growth promotion under pot house conditions in chillum jar assembly. Mesorhizobium strains having ACC utilization ability caused an increase in the nodule number, nodule weight and shoot dry weight after plant growth for 50 and 80 days, both with and without NaCl. Mesorhizobium isolate MBD26 showed 294 mg/plant shoot dry weight without salt condition after 50 days of plant growth. Mesorhizobium isolate MBD26 increased shoot dry weight by 49.52% (without salt) and 41.53% in the presence of salt (40 mM NaCl) after 80 days of plant growth. It was observed that inoculation with Mesorhizobium isolates containing ACC-deaminase improved nodulation and plant growth of chickpea over ACC deaminase lacking isolates. Thus, inoculation with Mesorhizobium strains possessing ACC utilization ability could be a sustainable approach to improve plant growth under salinity stress. Key words: 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) utilization, salt stress, Mesorhizobium, chickpea, nodulation, plant growth.