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Crop residues are valuable sources of lignocellulosic biomass that will continue to be available as long as food production for humanity continues. Maize, a cereal crop that serves as a staple food in many parts of the world and is cultivated in numerous countries, holds great importance. The surge in maize production generates substantial amounts of corncobs which can be used as feedstock for the production of xylitol, a compound with a rapidly growing market, and ethanol. In this study, hemicellulose was extracted from the corncobs to obtain xylose by subjecting them to acid hydrolysis with 1 % H2SO4. Non-conventional yeast strain Candida tropicalis Y6 isolated from rotten vegetables was tested for growth and xylose utilization potential on synthetic and acid pre-hydrolysate medium supplemented with mineral salts. Candida tropicalis Y6 exhibited high growth and sugar utilization. On synthetic medium with xylose as the sole C source it produced 6.71 g/L and 0.38 gg-1 of xylitol showing maximum conversion efficiency (53 %) at 24 h, and also produced 0.3 g/L ethanol at 48 h. When cultured on undetoxified corncob hydrolysate, C. tropicalis Y6 produced 0.41 g/L xylitol and 0.74 g/L ethanol. Its xylose conversion was severely affected in acid hydrolysates possibly due to the presence of inhibitors. This C. tropicalis Y6 strain was distinct from other reports in producing a higher level of ethanol than xylitol during fermentation of corncob acid prehydrolysate pointing towards the ratio of XR and XDH enzymes activities under studied conditions.

Linz-Donawitz Slag is regarded as a soil conditioner and can be exploited for its mineral and nutritional value in agriculture, however, it is necessary to check the Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) which could impact the soil rapidly and crop production adversely. Environmental hazards associated with mounting piles of Linz-Donawitz slag emanating from the steel producing industry and its sustainable management are a major challenge. A research study was carried out using different chemical chelating agents to achieve reduction in PTEs' concentration in Linz-Donawitz slag and to study the effect of transfer of PTEs’ from the treated and untreated LD Slag applied to the spinach. Optimization was done using response surface methodology, and the highest extraction efficiency for Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) removal was observed using a concentration of 10 mM, liquid-to-solid ratio of 5:1, and shaking time of 60 min to obtain Low heavy metal Linz-Donawitz slag (Low HM-LD Slag). The highest chelation was observed while using the chelating agent Ethylene diamine-N, N'-Di succinic acid (EDDS) followed by Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) then Diethylene triamine penta acetate (DTPA), and the least extraction was observed using the Citric acid (CA). The Low HM-LD Slag so obtained was assessed for its response on Spinach under the varied level of Recommended Dosage of Fertilizer (RDF) under field soil in pot culture. A significant difference in the growth of spinach was observed between 100% RDF treated Low HM-LD Slag and 50% RDF treated Low HM-LD Slag derived using different chelating agents The PTE analysis of soil and plant showed an undetectable level of Cd, Pb in both the shoot and root samples Under Low HM-LD Slag treatments @ 100% and 50% RDF condition. The present work advocates the use of chemical chelators reducing PTEs' load in Linz-Donawitz slag before using it for application in agriculture as a soil conditioner or as a fertilizer.

The past decade has witnessed a change in landscape of cancer management with the advent of precision oncology. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment and have played an important role in improving patient survival. While the patients are living longer, treatment with ICIs are sometimes associated with adverse effects, some of which could be fatal. Radiologists can play a crucial role by early identification of some of these adverse effects during restaging scans. Our paper focuses on the imaging features of commonly occurring ICI toxicities based on organ system.

A 63-yr-old woman, known case of ulcerative colitis, was diagnosed with sclerosing cholangitis 2 years back. She was admitted for investigation of abdominal discomfort, fatigue with elevated alkaline phosphatase and deranged liver function test. Imaging studies (computerised tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) demonstrated a normal biliary tree with focal hepatic lesion which was showing features of cholangiocarcinoma. Ultrasound guided biopsy of the lesion surprisingly revealed non caseating granulomata. Granulomatous hepatitis occurs in less than 1 percent of cases of inflammatory bowel disease. A clinical diagnosis of isolated granulomatous hepatitis was established as the lesion remained stable on follow up and no other cause for it was identified on further investigation. Although the differential diagnosis of focal hepatic lesion in patients with ulcerative colitis with sclerosing cholangitis is wide, granulomatous hepatitis presenting as focal mass lesion mimicking cholangiocarcinoma has never been described previously.