Search

Summary: Background and Aims: Low muscle strength is strongly tied to poor nutrition status, and nutritional interventions are likewise linked to maintenance and restoration of muscle strength and functional status. Nutrition plays a vital role in muscle mass, strength, and function, and losses in muscle (strength, function, and mass) are associated with poor health outcomes and added costs for healthcare services. For this study of outpatients, the main objective was to identify those at risk for low muscle strength, as evidenced by low handgrip strength (HGS) measures with risk stratified by age and sex. Methods: This was a two-part study on HGS measures in adults attending outpatient clinics in India. In part one, we conducted HGS tests on dominant and non-dominant hands of patients who qualified for the study. For HGS measures, we used a validated tool, the SQUEGG device, a smart handgrip trainer, along with its companion Bluetooth-connected app, the Muscle Strength Assessment Tool (MSAT) app. In part two, we collected Healthcare Practitioners' (HCPs) feedback via a short digital survey on the use of the SQUEGG device + the MSAT app to do HGS risk screening as an indicator of needed nutritional intervention. Results: Nearly a third of community-living adults in India exhibited low HGS among the 3036 sampled. At each age stratum, dominant-hand HGS in women was lower by 25%–35% compared to men. Among 353 HCPs, 293 (83%) provided insights via survey, and 85% of surveyed HCPs (n = 249) strongly agreed or agreed that the SQUEGG device + MSAT app helped them identify HGS issues among their patients, and 85% (n = 248) agreed or strongly agreed they would like to continue using the SQUEGG device + MSAT app to inform their practice. Nearly all surveyed HCPs (98%, n = 288) recommended an oral nutritional supplement (ONS) to their patients with identified low HGS. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that HCPs would like to continue use of the SQUEGG device + MSAT app as it helped them identify adult patients who had decreased HGS (about 30% of the study population), in turn identifying opportunities to use nutritional interventions such as ONS to address nutrition shortfalls and to restore functional status.

Using the Plastino-Plastino (PP) equation, we calculate transport coefficients of the heavy-quarks traversing inside the quark-gluon plasma, and generalize their relationship with differential energy loss. The PP equation indicates anomalous diffusion of the probe particles and yields a quasi-exponential stationary distribution obtained also from the nonadditive statistics proposed by C. Tsallis. We estimate energy loss in a nonadditive quark-gluon medium, and calculate the jet quenching parameter (qˆ) for the PP dynamics. With the help of the estimate of qˆ, we calculate the nuclear suppression factor (RAA) of the heavy-quarks passing through a nonadditive quark-gluon plasma using the model proposed by Dokshitzer and Kharzeev. In many a case, the parameters in the analysis are fixed from the experimental results to minimize arbitrariness. There is a good agreement between the theoretical calculation and experimental RAA data, indicating that fast heavy-quarks may be subjected to anomalous diffusion inside the QGP.

In this work, it has been indicated that the key features requisite for preserving causality and stability of the popularly existing relativistic hydrodynamic theories, can be translated into each other. It has been shown here, that a generic ‘fluid frame transformation’ including all orders of gradient corrections can recast a stable-causal hydrodynamic theory that (i) only includes fundamental fluid variables (velocity and temperature) but requires to be in a general hydrodynamic frame other than the Landau or Eckart, to a theory that is (ii) pathology free in Landau frame but needs newer degrees of freedom. Since frame choice provides the first principle field definitions and degrees of freedom indicate the number of conserved quantities, the causality and stability of a theory seem to require a consensus between the two unless the derivative correction goes to infinity. The key finding of this work is to indicate a connection between these different formalisms, that lead to a causal and stable hydrodynamic theory.

Fluorescence microscopy is an important tool for cell biology and cancer research. Present-day approach of implementing advanced optical microscopy methods combined with immunofluorescence labelling of specific proteins in cells is now able to deliver optical super-resolution up to ∼25 nm. Here we perform super-resolved imaging using standard immunostaining protocol combined with easy stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (easySTORM) to observe structural differences of two cytoskeleton elements, actin and tubulin in three different cell types namely human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), human glioblastoma (U87MG) and breast cancer (MDAMB-231) cells. The average width of the actin bundle obtained from STORM images of stem cells is observed to be larger than the same for U87MG and MDAMB-231 cells. No significant difference is however noticed in the width of the tubulin within the same cells. We also study the functional effect on the 2D migration potential of MDAMB-231 cells silenced for NICD1 and β-catenin. Although similar migration speed is observed for cells with the above two conditions compared to their control cells, easySTORM images show that widths of the actin in MDAMB-231 cells in β-catenin silenced is significantly lower than the same in control cells. Such minute differences however are not observable in widefield images. The outcome of our easySTORM investigation should benefit the researchers carrying out detailed investigations of the cellular structure and potential therapeutic applications.

Twenty-five promising salt-tolerant mulberry germplasms from different Morus species were evaluated for growth under varying salinity levels (10.20–25.60 dS m−1) typical of the coastal regions in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Evaluations were conducted using in vitro axillary bud culture and field experiments under natural conditions to identify superior salt-tolerant germplasms. Soil sample analysis revealed significant variation in salinity levels (34.37–17.09 dS m−1) across different areas, with the highest in Kultali and the lowest in Canning I and II. Among the 25 germplasms, 6 were identified as highly salt-tolerant, 6 as moderately high salt-tolerant, 11 as salt-tolerant, and 2 as salt-sensitive. Survivability rate and root length were found to have the highest correlation with salt tolerance during early development. The six highly salt-tolerant germplasms, including English Black, Kolitha-3, C776, Rotundiloba, BC259, and S1 were further tested in field trials. English Black showed the highest survivability rate of 69.2 % in soil salinity of 18–20 dS m−1. Results from in vitro and field trials were consistent, with a strong positive correlation between survivability rate and root length. This study establishes an effective method for evaluating salt tolerance in mulberry, providing a foundation for more efficient assessments.

Deciphering how hesperadin, a repurposed mammalian aurora kinase B inhibitor, affects the cellular pathways in Leishmania donovani might be beneficial. This investigation sought to assess the physiological effects of hesperadin on promastigotes of L. donovani, by altering the duration of treatment following exposure to hesperadin. Groups pre-treated with inhibitors such as EGTA, NAC, and z-VAD-fmk before hesperadin exposure were also included. Morphological changes by microscopy, ATP and ROS changes by luminometry; DNA degradation using agarose gel electrophoresis and metacaspase levels through RT-PCR were assessed. Flow cytometry was used to study mitochondrial depolarization using JC-1 and MitoTracker Red; mitochondrial-superoxide accumulation using MitoSOX; plasma membrane modifications using Annexin-V and propidium iodide, and lastly, caspase activation using ApoStat. Significant alterations in promastigote morphology were noted. Caspase activity and mitochondrial-superoxide rose early after exposure whereas mitochondrial membrane potential demonstrated uncharacteristic variations, with significant functional disturbances such as leakage of superoxide radicals after prolonged treatments. ATP depletion and ROS accumulation demonstrated inverse patterns, genomic DNA showed fragmentation and plasma membrane showed Annexin-V binding, soon followed by propidium iodide uptake. Multilobed macronuclei and micronuclei accumulated in hesperadin exposed cells before they disintegrated into necrotic debris. The pathologic alterations were unlike the intrinsic or extrinsic pathways of classical apoptosis and suggest a caspase-mediated cell death most akin to mitotic-catastrophe. Most likely, a G2/M transition block caused accumulation of death signals, disorganized spindles and mechanical stresses, causing changes in morphology, organellar functions and ultimately promastigote death. Thus, death was a consequence of mitotic-arrest followed by ablation of kinetoplast functions, often implicated in L. donovani killing.

Despite major advances in biosensing, quick, dependable, and effective on-site detection of bacterial infections remains a serious issue, owing to a lack of acceptable or appropriate diagnostic platforms. To address this gap, we presented a new colorimetric gold NanoZyme aptasensor for rapid sensing of Aeromonas veronii, an infectious bacterial disease in fish. The A. veronii-specific aptamer (AVS01) was developed through Cell-SELEX. The sensing mechanism involves inhibition of AuNPs induced peroxidase-mimic catalytic activity through surface adsorption by AVS01 which in the presence of the A. veronii desorb from the AuNPs allowing recovery of the catalytic activity leading to colorimetric response, whereas the sensor is insesnsitive to other nontarget bacterial cells. This method is very specific and sensitive, allowing for the quick and visible sensing of A. veronii with a detection limit of 1281 CFU mL−1 within 15 min. The method has great potential for rapid diagnosis of bacterial infection in fish caused by A. veronii.

An accurate and efficient semi-vectorial mode solver, examining Electric (E) and Magnetic (H) fields, is utilized to explore the communication characteristics of various slab waveguides. This approach relies on the Finite Difference Method (FDM) using uniform grid points, employing a Higher (Fourth) Order Compact type technique coupled with Conjugate Gradient (CG) iteration. The present study is an extension of the previous work where various aspects of E- and H-field propagations through rib-strucured waveguide was analyzed successfully. By incorporating the refractive index profile of the slab structure, excellent functionality of the waveguide is demonstrated here in Electric field by utilizing the concepts of normalized index and effective or modal index, confinement factor, and the modal birefringence properties which proves to be critical for potential applications in photonic integrated circuits. The materials chosen for the purpose are AlGaAs-GaAs and GeSi which play a vital role in characterizing the waveguides’performances through simulation using MATLAB. The use of surface and contour plots aids in visualizing the distribution of corresponding field within the guided modes. This analysis significantly contributes in understanding the waveguide's behavior and confinement capability during the field propagation. Most importantly, the variations of the waveguides’performance indices with their structure parameters help to identify their optimized values for fabrication to enhance the transmission efficiency of the waveguide.

Background: In our study, we examined the 5-year survival of OSCC patients with HPV positive or negative status along with p16 protein expression. Method: A total of 72 biopsy tissue specimens from histologically confirmed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients were collected. HPV detection and genotyping were performed using HPV E6/E7 and HPV- type-specific multiplex primer for nested-PCR. Immunohistochemistry evaluation of pl6 was conducted. SPSS statistical software (ver 20) was used for data analysis. Results: High risk-HPV (hr-HPV) DNA positivity was found in 27.7% (n = 20) of OSCC patients. Stage III OSCC patients were 7.80 times more likely to survive 5 years than stage IV patients (OR-7.80 CI-95%; P-0.03). Among the hr-HPV positive OSCC patients, we found that the median survival time for the 1st year (95%), 3 years (78.5%), and 5 years (38.5%) was significantly higher than that of the hr-HPV negative [1st year (78.6%), 3 years (45.2%) and 5 years (38.5%)] OSCC patients (P-0.03 The survival of male patients with hr-HPV positive OSCC is 9.75 times greater than the survival of patients with HPV negative OSCC (OR-9.75; CI-95%; P-0.05). The p16 expression level (low to overexpression) group and negative P16 expression group of OSCC patients have not demonstrated a significant association with 5-year survival. Conclusion: We conclude that in OSCC cases of North-East India, the presence of hr-HPV in OSCC cases could be a good predictor of 5-year survival rate. Expression of p16 does not appear to have any significant association with 5-year survival.

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology has made it possible for the semiconductor industry to construct systems and devices on silicon substrates. Nanocomposite Si-C-N coatings must have reliable characteristics for MEMS as well as in the form of protective coatings for heavy-duty industries like aerospace, automobiles, reactors, etc. Vickers indentation was used to study the fracture response of Si-C-N coatings that were deposited on silicon substrates. Images of the fractured regions which consisted of different types of cracks were analyzed and used for qualitative fracture analysis. The Drucker-Prager (DP) model and subsurface layer distributions were used to evaluate the fractured zones. Microscopic evaluation and supporting image analysis were used to study the growth nature of the coatings.

The vestibular system connects the inner ear to the midbrain and subcortical structures and can affect cognition. Patients with vertigo often experience cognitive symptoms such as attention deficits, memory problems, and spatial perception difficulties. This study aimed to explore the cognitive impairments associated with Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and Meniere's Disease (MD). A non-experimental group comparison design was used with 107 participants divided into three groups: Group I (clinically normal), Group II (BPPV), and Group III (MD). Participants completed a questionnaire with 10 cognition-related questions, and their responses were scored. The data were found to be non-normally distributed. The analysis revealed a significant difference in scores between Group I and both Group II and Group III. Chi-square tests showed that the responses to cognition-related questions varied among the groups, with Group II exhibiting more cognitive problems. Associated conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and hearing loss did not significantly influence the responses within each group. This study suggests a significant relationship between cognitive problems and patients with BPPV and MD. However, there was no association found between the cognitive problems experienced in BPPV and MD patients. These findings align with previous research indicating that vestibular disorders can lead to deficits in spatial memory, attention, and other cognitive functions. By understanding the link between cognition and vestibular disorders, we can improve diagnosis and rehabilitation services to enhance the quality of life for these patients.

Summary: Background: Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is the most common repeat-mediated disease in humans. It exclusively affects corneal endothelial cells (CECs), with ≤81% of cases associated with an intronic TCF4 triplet repeat (CTG18.1). Here, we utilise optical genome mapping (OGM) to investigate CTG18.1 tissue-specific instability to gain mechanistic insights. Methods: We applied OGM to a diverse range of genomic DNAs (gDNAs) from patients with FECD and controls (n = 43); CECs, leukocytes and fibroblasts. A bioinformatics pipeline was developed to robustly interrogate CTG18.1-spanning DNA molecules. All results were compared with conventional polymerase chain reaction-based fragment analysis. Findings: Analysis of bio-samples revealed that expanded CTG18.1 alleles behave dynamically, regardless of cell-type origin. However, clusters of CTG18.1 molecules, encompassing ∼1800–11,900 repeats, were exclusively detected in diseased CECs from expansion-positive cases. Additionally, both progenitor allele size and age were found to influence the level of leukocyte-specific CTG18.1 instability. Interpretation: OGM is a powerful tool for analysing somatic instability of repeat loci and reveals here the extreme levels of CTG18.1 instability occurring within diseased CECs underpinning FECD pathophysiology, opening up new therapeutic avenues for FECD. Furthermore, these findings highlight the broader translational utility of FECD as a model for developing therapeutic strategies for rarer diseases similarly attributed to somatically unstable repeats. Funding: UK Research and Innovation, Moorfields Eye Charity, Fight for Sight, Medical Research Council, NIHR BRC at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Univerzita Karlova v Praze, the National Brain Appeal’s Innovation Fund and Rosetrees Trust.

The incorporation of nitrogen during sputtering of silicon carbide (SiC) target facilitates formation of different technologically significant phases. The bonding nature in these phases serve as the means of enhancing the hardness and toughness of the overall film getting deposited as shown by nanoindentation tests. Raman spectra gives the carbonaceous point of view based on existing models. A heterogenous crystallization was evident from getting a G-peak doublet. The experimental evidence of theoretically predicted SiC2N2 and Si2CN4 phases as per the phase diagram were found and confirmed by EDAX studies. These stable phases provided enhanced mechanical properties of the coatings

Summary: The human genome has many short tandem repeats, yet the normal functions of these repeats are unclear. The 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene contains polymorphic CGG repeats, the length of which has differing effects on FMR1 expression and human health, including the neurodevelopmental disorder fragile X syndrome. We deleted the CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene (0CGG) in human stem cells and examined the effects on differentiated neurons. 0CGG neurons have altered subcellular localization of FMR1 mRNA and protein, and differential expression of cellular stress proteins compared with neurons with normal repeats (31CGG). In addition, 0CGG neurons have altered responses to glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation, including FMR1 mRNA localization, GR chaperone HSP90α expression, GR localization, and cellular stress protein levels. Therefore, the CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene are important for the homeostatic responses of neurons to stress signals.

Medical diagnostics and, to a lesser extent, pharmacy is two of the most prominent applications of organic conducting polymers (CPs). Polymers that conduct electricity, such as polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPY), polythiophene (PTh), and poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, are frequently employed in sensor and biosensor design. Some unique CPs are used in the design of electrochemical biosensors, such as polypyrrole-based functional layers. Sensors based on conducting polymer composites have been fabricated which can detect brain hormones like Dopamine (DA), microorganism like bacteria, cancerous growth apart different gases and environmental parameters like humidity, pressure etc. CPs also find application in fabrication biochips and molecular electronics. The purpose of this communication is to discuss the manufacturing and applications of these CPs in medical diagnosis and associated applications.

The rapidly expanding older population across Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) underscores the urgent need to strengthen the health systems. However, the extent of service coverage and healthcare workforce allocation strategies for geriatric and palliative care in LMICs remains inadequately explored. To address this, we conducted this systematic review, following the standard guidelines, to synthesize available data from four databases spanning 2011 to 2022. Utilizing the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non-randomized studies (ROBANS) for quantitative studies and the JBI (formerly known as Joanna Briggs Institute) checklist for qualitative research, we assessed the risk of bias and the quality in the included studies. Despite a comprehensive search, only three eligible studies were found, revealing a scarcity of research. The identified challenges include deficiencies in leadership, governance, financing, and essential resources, leading to compromised service coverage. The health workforce, often limited and lacking inadequate training, exacerbates the situation. Our evidence synthesis proposes some potential solutions such as telemedicine and cross-country collaboration through distance learning mechanisms to address these issues. The findings and recommendations from this review offer valuable insights applicable across various healthcare service contexts within LMICs and advocate for more health systems research in this topic area.

Summary: Background: Emerging research indicates growing concern over long COVID globally, although there have been limited studies that estimate population burden. We aimed to estimate the burden of long COVID in three districts of Haryana, India, using an opportunity to link a seroprevalence study to follow-up survey of symptoms associated with long COVID. Methods: We used a population-based seroprevalence survey for COVID-19 conducted in September 2021 across Haryana, India. Adults from three purposively selected districts (Rohtak, Gurugram, and Jhajjar) were eligible to participate; 2205 of 3213 consented to participate in a survey on health status. Trained investigators administered a structured questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, self-reported symptoms of illness in the last six months before the survey, mental health, and history of COVID-19. Findings: Unadjusted regression estimates indicated positive correlations between symptomatic complaints and COVID-19 exposure, suggesting lingering effects of COVID-19 in this population. The overall physical morbidity index was higher among those who tested positive for COVID-19, as was the incidence of new cases. However, both morbidity and incidence became statistically insignificant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Cough emerged as the only statistically significant individual persistent symptom. Sex-stratified analyses indicated significant estimates only for physical morbidity in women. Interpretation: This study is one of the first from India that uses a large population-based sample to examine longer term repercussions of COVID infections. The burden of long COVID should primarily be addressed in clinical settings, where specialised treatment for individual cases continues to evolve. Our analyses also provide insight into the size and nature of studies required to assess the population-level burden of long COVID. Funding: This paper was produced under the auspices of the Lancet COVID 19 Commission India Task Force, which was supported financially by the Reliance Foundation. The Lancet COVID 19 Commission was set up in July 2020 and submitted its final report by October 2022. This report by the India Task Force was prepared during the same period.

Carbon-Nitride (CNx) coatings deposited using plasma-based physical and chemical vapor deposition led to the formation of g-C3N4 phase in crystalline and mainly amorphous forms respectively, Nanoindentation was performed on these coatings deposited on 304 SS (stainless steel) substrates. The positioning of the indentation i.e. inside the grain formed and at the boundary showed prolific features about the understanding of the extension of plastic volume and variations in interfacial fracture energies and the role played by ductile substrates in preventing damage to a component. The softer CVD-grown g-C3N4 phase, due to its larger grain size provides lubrication, wear resistance, and protection against chemical attack to the steel substrate underneath at the same time causing nanoindentation-induced strain hardening in it. The grain boundary regions as compared to grain center regions. were susceptible to failure due to their amorphous nature found in both PVD-grown g-C3N4 coatings. This inhomogeneous behavior is detrimental to the overall performance of the system as confirmed by the strain rate variations. A heat treatment post-deposition leading to crystallization and grain growth can improve the coating quality.

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women. Breast cells develop into malignant, cancerous lumps, the first signs of breast cancer. Breast cancer can be discovered by the automated diagnostic system when it is still too little to be found by conventional medical methods. Early breast cancers identified with automated screening and diagnosis technologies are generally treatable. This study proposes an enhanced multi-scale deep Convolutional Capsule Neural Network (CapsNet) optimized with Orchard Optimization Algorithm for breast cancer detection. The proposed system consists of preprocessing, feature extraction, segmentation, and classification process. Two input images are taken initially: the Breast Cancer Histopathology Images dataset and the Infrared Thermal Images dataset. The quality of the collected data is improved, and unwanted noises are removed. The features are extracted to segment the image to derive a Region of Interest for effectively segmenting the affected region. Finally, the images are classified as benign/malignant for histopathology images and healthy/cancer for thermal images. The proposed CapsNet is implemented in Python, run for 200 epochs, and compared with existing methods in terms of evaluation metrics. The result shows that the proposed CapsNet attained 99.74 % accuracy, 0.0482 binary entropy loss on the Breast Cancer Histopathology Image dataset and 97 % accuracy, 0.2081 binary entropy loss on the Infrared Thermal Images dataset while incrementing the epochs at each level.

A positive parity sequence of ΔI=2 γ transitions has been identified above Iπ=9/2+ state (Ex=2019 keV) in 115Sb through in-beam γ ray spectroscopic technique. Rotational features of this sequence are found similar to a low-K decoupled band. Observation of this newly identified low-K decoupled band, along with the earlier reported strongly coupled high-K band in this nucleus, provides the first experimental evidence for prolate-oblate shape coexistence associated with g9/2 proton-hole configuration around Z=50 shell closure. Experimental results are reproduced reasonably well in the frameworks of the projected shell model and the total Routhian surface calculations.

Anandamide (AEA) is an important modulator of nociception in the spinal dorsal horn, acting presynaptically through Cannabinoid (CB1) and Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV1) receptors. The role of AEA (1 µM, 10 µM, and 30 µM) application on the modulation of nociceptive synaptic transmission under control and inflammatory conditions was studied by recording miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) from neurons in spinal cord slices. Inhibition of the CB1 receptors by PF514273, TRPV1 by SB366791, and the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) by URB597 was used. Under naïve conditions, the AEA application did not affect the mEPSCs frequency (1.43±0.12 Hz) when all the recorded neurons were considered. The mEPSC frequency increased (180.0±39.2%) only when AEA (30 µM) was applied with PF514273 and URB597. Analysis showed that one sub-population of neurons had synaptic input inhibited (39.1% of neurons), the second excited (43.5%), whereas 8.7% showed a mixed effect and 8.7% did not respond to the AEA. With inflammation, the AEA effect was highly inhibitory (72.7%), while the excitation was negligible (9.1%), and 18.2% were not modulated. After inflammation, more neurons (45.0%) responded even to low AEA by mEPSC frequency increase with PF514273/URB597 present. AEA-induced dual (excitatory/inhibitory) effects at the 1st nociceptive synapse should be considered when developing analgesics targeting the endocannabinoid system. These findings contrast the clear inhibitory effects of the AEA precursor 20:4-NAPE application described previously and suggest that modulation of endogenous AEA production may be more favorable for analgesic treatments.

Automotive components involving glass are coated with hard materials for protection against, UV glaze, EM interference, abrasion, and thermal shock. Thermally resistant nanocomposite hard Si–C–N coatings deposited on glass for that purpose, where subject to scratch testing to check the damage tolerance and wearability. The change in loading rate and coating thickness showed variation in adhesion strength and wear, The Boussinesq, Hans and Blister stress distribution beneath the indenter had on effect of the failure processes. Elastic recovery was prevalent in coatings of higher thickness and higher rate of loading. The increased loading rate although caused early failure but resulted in less wear. A transition between tensile and compressive nature of stress confined strictly to the coating was found using finite element modelling (FEM).

Novel carbon capture systems are necessary to help natural gas power plants approach net zero CO2 emissions. We propose a hybrid carbon capture system attached to a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant that consists of a membrane system and a solid sorbent system, with this work focusing on the design of the solid sorbent system. We modeled fixed bed adsorbers that are packed with metal-organic framework (MOF) solid sorbents that adsorb CO2 and undergo temperature swing desorption using steam from the power plant. Parametric simulation of adsorber conditions showed that ten 5-m diameter beds adsorbing in parallel with 4.9 bars inlet gas pressure and 1.5 bars of steam pressure at a flow rate of 0.15 kmol/s led to optimized performance. This study enabled us to determine that the MOF bed adsorber can attain 86.6 % and 85.4 % carbon capture during peak and off-peak operation, respectively. When combined with the membrane capture system, this results in overall capture rates of 98.4 % and 98.9 % during peak and off-peak operation, respectively. Although we were unable to attain net-zero or net-negative emissions in this study, we are confident that net-negative operation could be obtained in future work by selecting a solid sorbent better suited to direct air capture conditions so that more air could be processed by the solid sorbent system.

Renewable energy from the sun has been a rapidly expanding field in recent years, because to its many advantages as a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly power source. Energy drives economic growth and industrialization today. Air heating is a prominent solar energy utilization for space and process heating including washing, desalination, crop drying, and others. To improve energy efficiency, this study examined several designs of novel hybrid tape within an affordable solar-powered air heater. Solar air heaters can improve their heating efficiency by adding additional novel swirl generator. Many research have been done in this subject, however novel geometries are being proposed to better the heat transfer enhancement (HTE)-blowing power penalty tradeoff. Hybrid turbulator tapes are new, and there is no parametric investigation on their advantages. To cover this gap in this research, utilized air as the working fluid to investigate the pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics inside a uniformly heated circular tube with hybrid turbulator tape inserts. The aim was to cover the turbulent flow regime by varying the Reynolds number from 10,104 to 73,788. The thermohydraulic performance with pitch, length, and width ratios is investigated in this work. In comparison to a plain tube, it is observed an average increase of 91% and 39% in the Nusselt number and friction factor, respectively. This indicates a significant improvement in the tube's performance. It is also found that the important thermal performance factor exceeded one for all tape combinations. Novel correlations have also developed. With such encouraging results, using the tested turbulator in a solar air heater for improved performance is feasible.

New research shows that gut microbes have a role in the management of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, with underlying processes involving mucosal and/or systemic inflammation or metabolic abnormalities. However, the gut microbiota profile in cisplatin-related nephrotoxicity patients has not been fully investigated. Databases were rigorously reviewed for investigations contrasting the gut microbial profiles on effective probiotics against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity from 1998 to 2023. Cisplatin's use is often restricted due to adverse effects like nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, neurotoxicity, and vomiting. Probiotics, or gut microbiota, are crucial for maintaining health and treating diseases, particularly kidney damage. The current study reviewed that patients with cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity can be protected by using supplementation of probiotics. Scientific research has focused on the active participation of natural supplementation on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity issues. Different preclinical studies showed that the probiotics treat cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, but further clinical tests are needed for full confirmation.

Search for one dimensional (1D) van der Waals materials has become an urgent need to meet the demand as building blocks for high performance, miniaturized, lightweight device applications. Polyyne, a 1D atomic chain of carbon is the thinnest and strongest allotrope of carbon, showing promising applications in new generation low dimensional devices due to the presence of a band gap. A system of two carbon chains held together by van der Waals interaction has been theoretically postulated and shows band gap tunability under structural changes which finds applications in the realms of resistive switching and spintronics. In this study, we use first principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) to show a sharp semiconductor to metal transition along with the emergence of an asymmetry in the spin polarized density of states for single and two polyyne chains under a transverse electric field. The thermodynamic stability of the system has been substantiated through the utilization of Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) simulations, phonon dispersion curve analyses, and formation energy calculations. Furthermore, in addition to its dynamic stability assessment, phonon calculations have served to identify Raman-active vibrational modes which offers an invaluable non-destructive experimental avenue for discerning electronic phase transitions in response to an applied electric field. Our study presents a predictive framework for the prospective utilization of one and two polyyne chains in forthcoming flexible nano-electronic and spintronic devices. The future prospects of the system are contingent upon advancements in nano-electronics fabrication techniques and the precise construction of circuitry for harnessing spin-related applications.

Carbon capture & storage (CCS) with high capture rates (90-99%) will be necessary to keep natural gas around in a low-carbon future. Furthermore, as intermittent renewable energy expands, natural gas power plants will have to operate at low-load conditions more frequently. To meet these demands, we propose a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant with a hybrid CCS system that can attain high capture rates and easily cycle between high-load and low-load conditions. More specifically, we propose an integrated system where natural gas exhaust is first processed by a membrane CCS system and then by a solid sorbent CCS system. We integrated models of an NGCC plant, a membrane carbon capture system and a solid sorbent carbon capture system into a single optimization platform to maximize the net present value (NPV) and carbon capture rate of the integrated system. The optimization results indicate a 99.3% carbon capture rate from the inlet natural gas stream at high-load conditions, and a 99.6% carbon capture rate from the inlet natural gas stream at low-load conditions. Compared to a baseline NGCC system without carbon capture, the integrated system has a higher NPV, which indicates that performing carbon capture is more profitable than operating an NGCC system without carbon capture in a future with CO2 taxes. Compared to a baseline NGCC system with an amine-based CCS system that performs 90.7% carbon capture, the proposed integrated system captures more carbon and emits less CO2, while still maintaining a competitive CO2 capture cost.

With the proliferation of Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs), ensuring the security and integrity of communication within these networks has become a paramount concern. This paper elaborates on the architecture, characteristics, security services, and various threats in the VANET. Moreover, this paper presents a comprehensive review of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) designed for VANETs, aiming to thoroughly understand the challenges, existing solutions, and future directions in this dynamic field. A discussion of the current practices on the evaluation techniques, tools, and datasets is shown. The paper emphasises the need for adaptive and resource-efficient IDS mechanisms, real-world validation, and a deeper exploration of the practical impact of security threats on specific vehicular functionalities. This review serves as a foundation for future research directions to enhance the security of VANETs, contributing to the evolution of intelligent transportation systems.

Study region: Metropolitan stations in India with distinct climatic conditions, namely, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai were selected for this study. Study focus: Rainfall disaggregation models were studied based on four models, namely Neyman-Scott Rectangular pulse (NSRP) process, Microcanonical Multiplicative Random Cascade (MMRC) process and its variant MMRC-K, and one Deep-Learning based process (ANN-K), using metrics like dry periods, event rainfall volumes, extreme rainfall characteristics, etc. New hydrological insights for the region: The study successfully established individual rainfall volume, event rainfall volume, and event durations are all within 10% of each other for the four stations. Delhi due to its continental climate showed a higher percentage of dry periods and longer dry periods, which were most successfully modelled by MMRC and MMRC-K. Kolkata and Mumbai stations displayed a higher number of extremely intense and cloudburst types of rainfall, which were modeled effectively by the Deep-Learning Model. Chennai has a different rainfall pattern due to returning monsoon which was also captured by the models. Generally, for extreme rainfall parameters, the ANN-K model performs significantly better, successfully reproducing the characteristics at all quantiles, especially with rainfall above 100 mm/hour intensity or cloud bursts, while 50% of the models overestimated these. NSRP on the other hand performs reasonably well for most considered parameters, without being exceptional at any of them. MMRC and MMRC-K most accurately modeled the dry period parameters.

Copper (Cupric) oxide is a readily synthesized, non-toxic metal oxide with a wide range of uses, including the treatment of water, the manufacture of electronic devices, solar cells, cathodes for lithium-ion primary batteries, gas sensors, electrochromic devices, supercapacitors, and field effect transistors. The effects of Zn doping in CuO in three different concentrations (weights %) were investigated. The band gap and carrier concentration were altered due to the formation of defect energy states, lattice stresses, and the formation of ZnO, and Cu2O in addition to CuO. Temperature increases from room temperature resulted in the production of metal oxides with preferred crystal growth in specific orientations. An increase in temperature, from 300 °C to 500 °C, generated residual strain release and atomic diffusions, resulting in grain growth and a reduction in the band gap. The changes in UV and PL spectra predicted the growth kinetics involved

Hexavalent chromium or Cr(VI) is highly toxic for humans as it causes high oxidative reactions inside cells, leading to diseases like chronic ulcers and damage to the kidneys, mucous membranes, throat, skin, and respiratory tract. Due to rapid urbanization, Cr(VI) comes into our food chain through unmonitored and uncontrolled application in agriculture fields, refineries, mills, the tanning industry, automobiles, road works, etc. Presently, the standard Cr(VI) detection is done using conventional processes, which, though accurate, has severe drawbacks in on-the-spot rapid detection in the field. Here, we have represented a handheld potentiostat towards trace-level Cr(VI) detection in aquatic environments. A Cr(VI) specific DNA aptamer immobilized screen printed electrode (SPE) has been used as the main biosensor. The device operates on an electronic peak current dumping event through mass deposition in the presence of an aptamer coupled with Cr(VI) onto the working electrode. The working range of the developed prototype is in the range of 0–1000 ppb Cr(VI), where the maximum linearity has been observed in the range of 0–500 ppb with a limit of Detection (LOD) as low as 10 ppb. The device has exhibited an excellent correlation with commercially available electrochemical workstations with a coefficient of 0.972. Moreover, the applicability of the developed device has been validated for 7 different types of water samples. To our knowledge, this is the first-ever reported simplistic resource-limited on-spot aptasensing device for Cr(VI) detection in an aquatic environment.

In the current study, one new quercetin-based Zn(II) complex [Zn(Qr)(CNNCN)(H2O)2] (Complex 1) which is developed by condensation of quercetin with ZnCl2 in the presence of NaN(CN)2 and Cu(II) complex [Cu(Qr)N3(CH3OH)(H2O)] (complex 2) which is developed by the condensation reaction of quercetin and CuCl2 in presence of NaN3, are thoroughly examined in relation to their use in biomedicine. The results of several spectroscopic studied confirm the structure of both the complexes and the Density Functional Theory (DFT) study helps to optimize the structure of complex 1 and 2. After completion of the identification process, DNA and Human Serum Albumin (HSA) binding efficacy of both the investigated complexes are performed by implementing a long range of biophysical studies and a thorough analysis of the results unveils that complex 1 has better interaction efficacy with the macromolecules than complex 2. The binding efficacy of complex 1 is comparatively higher towards both macromolecules because of its pure groove binding mode during interaction with DNA and the presence of an extra H-bond during connection with HSA. The experimental host-guest binding results is fully validated by molecular docking study. Interestingly complex 1 shows better antioxidant properties than complex 2, as well as quercetin, and it has strong anticancer property with minimal damage to normal cells, which is proved by the MTT assay study. Better DNA and HSA binding efficacy of 1 may be the reason for the better anticancer property of complex 1.

This study delves into the interplay between magnetic fields, heat transfer, and fluid behavior within a 3D mini-channel. Exploring the effects of a magnetic field on a hybrid nanofluid (Fe3O4–TiO2) under varying intensities (1000–2000 Gauss) and positions. Using numerical simulations (finite volume method), key parameters like Nusselt number (Nu), Friction factor (f), and Thermal Enhancement Factor (TEF) have been analyzed to uncover how magnetic fields and nanofluids interact in complex geometries. Results showed that the application of a magnetic field significantly enhanced heat transfer performance, with a maximum Nusselt number enhancement of 230%. Moreover, it was shown that greater magnetic field intensities were associated with elevated friction factors, whereas friction factors exhibited a declining trend as Reynolds numbers increased. The thermal enhancement factor initially increased with Reynolds numbers, but declined after reaching a peak. However, higher magnetic field strengths mitigated this decline, intensifying heat transfer enhancement effects reaching a maximum of 2.18 at 2000G magnetic field. These findings provide quantitative insights into the effectiveness of magnetic fields in enhancing heat transfer in Fe3O4–TiO2 hybrid nanofluids.

Chemo-selective heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation was employed to synthesise 6-amino-N-methyl-2-quinolone (AMQ) and 6-amino-N-ethyl-2-quinolone (AEQ) to establish its structure-activity relationship (SAR) by 1H NMR,13C NMR, FT-IR, LC-MS/MS. AMQ (MIC = 18.2, 16.5 mg/mL) and AEQ (MIC = 19.2, 20.5 mg/mL), were more effective against Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavous. Both were tested on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants to assess residual profiles, dissipation patterns, and yield effects. Acetonitrile and methanol (9.5:0.5, v/v), and modified buffer QuEChERS were used for extraction and analysed by LC-MS/MS. For AMQ, LOD and LOQ were 0.0065 and 0.017 mg kg−1, respectively, whereas, for AEQ, 0.0031 and 0.017 mg kg−1. The 5-point calibration curves of both compounds were constructed with R2 in the range of 0.99. Average recoveries at LOQ and higher ranged from 82.50 -114.27%. According to first-order kinetics, the half-lives (T1/2) for the T1 and T2 of AMQ were 2.11, and 2.34 days, and for AEQ were 1.66 and 2.13 days, respectively. Estimated pre-harvest intervals (PHIs) for AMQ and AEQ were 8,6 days (T1), and 11,10 days (T2) respectively. Their application enhanced fresh tomato production 21.36–26.55%. Developed compounds have excellent in vitro and in vivo fungicidal action and could treat plant fungal infections.

Background: The relationship between plasma brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2) with structural adaptions and exercise capacity remains incompletely described in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Methods: Peripheral venous blood samples were drawn for 99 patients with repaired TOF, 59 patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and 40 patients with no or mild PR. NT-proBNP was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN). Soluble ST2 levels were assessed on Aspect-plus ST2 quantitative rapid test. Results: The mean value of NT-proBNP was 160 ± 137 pg/ml, and sST2 was 29 ± 13, ng/ml in the entire population. 58 % had an elevated NT-proBNP, while sST2 was abnormal in 40 %. Mean NT-proBNP was significantly higher in patients with severe PR (169 ± 150 vs145 ± 118, pg/ml, p 0.05). NT-proBNP and sST2 levels were higher in patients with transannular patch when compared to other RVOT intervention (174 ± 145 vs 107 ± 100, pg/ml, p

We aimed to identify community-based interventions to prevent stroke in low-and-middle-income countries. A comprehensive search in Medline through PubMed, Web of Science (core collection), and Scopus was conducted in October, 2021 and updated in August, 2023. Studies published only in English between 1st January, 2000 and August 26, 2023 were included in the review. The screening and data extraction were performed by two reviewers independently. Two authors independently evaluated the included papers' Risk of Bias; we utilized the Cochrane ROB (Risk of Bias) tool for randomized controlled trials (RCT) and non-randomized studies were assessed using ROBANS (Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non-randomized studies). Meta-analysis was not conducted due to the heterogeneity of the included studies in terms of methods and outcomes. A narrative synthesis was performed to report the results. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) – CRD 42021283670. A total of six studies were included in the review. Most of the studies highlighted community-based educational intervention to improve knowledge regarding stroke, it's signs, and risk factors. An important component of community-based intervention found in the review was involving community health professionals in educating the local population about health. Educational interventions were found effective in reducing stroke risk factors such as blood pressure, and cholesterol level. To lessen the enormous burden of stroke, effective community-based programs for prevention can be expanded and incorporated into resource-poor health systems.

In the present research, a bio-based flame retardant (FR) was prepared using a biopolymer derived from wastewater sludge to improve the fire performance of polypropylene (PP). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which were extracted from wastewater aerobic granular sludge, were absorbed into cellulose-based fibres, such as flax and toilet papers. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicated that the EPS-cellulose fibres played a significant role in enhancing the char formation of PP composite. Furthermore, the incorporation of the bio-based FR into PP restricted its vertical burning characteristics, and at the same time enhanced the tensile moduli of the composites. The reaction between phosphoric acids from EPS and hydroxyl groups of cellulose fibres improved dehydration and char formation of the composites to enhance the overall fire reaction properties. This study opens up new possibilities for the wastewater-derived biopolymer “EPS” to prepare the bio-inspired FRs for cellulose-based fibres and composites, and enhance sustainability of wastewater sludge treatment.

In composites' secondary/machining process, there is still a requirement for a comparative assessment of microstructure features of tool wear and machined surface mechanisms while machining natural fiber against glass fiber-based composites. This experimental study uniquely investigates the dry-end milling of two polypropylene (PP)-based composites made of 30 wt.% discontinuous reinforcements - kenaf and glass fibers (GF). Surprisingly, though, GF are much harder (GF:5.84 GPa > kenaf:0.15 GPa) and abrasive (silicon content, GF:24.16% > kenaf:0.57%) than kenaf inclusions, cutting GF/PP resulted in relatively lower tool wear (≈0.08 mm) but contrarily showed adverse machined surface finishes (>8 μm) depicting tearing-dragging mechanisms with fuzzy textures. This cautions on the appropriate consideration for the tool's life-determining criterion – i.e., whether it should be based on the tool wear or surface finish. While machining GF/PP material, the tool wear growth on the cutting edges was significantly restricted by the formations of continuous-robust microstructural transfer protective film (TPF) characterized by strong Si + O, Al + O, and Fe + O tribo-chemical reactions through the interesting wear mechanisms associated with tribological phenomena. However, thin-patch type microstructural TPFs consisting of weak Si + C bonds occurred on tool edge regions while machining kenaf/PP. Better mechanical properties and fiber-matrix adhesion of GF/PP influenced by fiber dimensions and their higher aspect ratios (GF:27.60 > kenaf:7.20) decisively seem to have a dominant effect on limiting the tool wear. Chip micrographs clarified the cutting of GF/PP and kenaf/PP occurred by predominant melt-extrusion and shearing respectively.

The present article explores flow of ternary hybrid nanofluid (THN) between two parallel plates in which upper one is in squeezing motion. The study of squeezing flow has its importance in industrial applications, like the flow between pistons and nozzles in the engine of vehicles. THN (graphene-graphene oxide-silver/water) is used to improve the efficiency of heat carrier fluid by the synergetic effects of nanoparticles. Magnetic field and thermal radiation effects are also included in the problem. Governing mathematical form of the problem is constructed by using a modified Buongiorno nanofluid model. Dimensionless system of ODEs reduced from PDEs through transformations and further simplified towards the solution with the numerical approach ‘bvp4c’, a MATLAB based solver. The reliability of the outcomes is confirmed by matching them with the previously published works. The findings reveal that the nanofluid velocity reduces with squeezing and magnetic parameters in the mid-section between the plates and its temperature can be controlled by the amount of nanoparticles dispersed into it, Prandtl number and the radiation effect. Overshoot in the concentration is attained for higher temperature gradient forces. Also, local Nusselt and local Sherwood numbers show contrasting trends for the upper and lower plates with the types of nanofluid (ternary/binary/unary), Prandtl number and radiation effect, but remain stationary with compression and magnetic effect. That means better transfer characteristics are found for ternary nanofluid, radiation and magnetic effects for the lower plate, but drag also intensifies; so suitable choices are considered for practical purposes. By the comparative analysis, it can be concluded that the performance of ternary hybrid nanofluid is relatively more efficient than binary and unary for heat transfer applications.

Background: There is an urgent need to assess sources of toxic metals in highly urbanized environments, to identify high risk areas for testing to enable planning to minimize exposure to residents. Notable toxic metals identified in this study were Antimony (Sb) and mercury (Hg), listed as priority pollutants by USEPA that can cause a variety of diseases in humans, and cobalt (Co), compounds of which have been shown to be carcinogenic in animal studies. Objectives: Objectives of this study were to measure the level and spatial distribution of toxic metals in roadside soil and road dust across a large area of Delhi. Toxic metals with notably high levels were identified and assessed for potential environmental exposure, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to the population in the study area. Research methods: A sampling scheme was designed to collect soil from a wide range of roadside environments across the urban region of Delhi. The soil and dust fractions were separated and selected toxic metals extracted and analyzed on Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectroscopy (ICP–MS) adopting USEPA methodology. Results: Mean concentrations of Sb (2.62 and 3.59 in μgg−1) were 13 and 18 times higher than background level (0.2 μgg−1) in fine fractions of roadside soil and road dust, respectively in all areas sampled. The Hg and Co were moderately and minimally enriched in a fine fraction of soil and dust, respectively. The fine fraction of soil and dust showed a significant decrease in the Cu/Sb ratio compared to the coarse fraction suggesting an anthropogenic addition of Sb from vehicular brake pads. This study is the first of its type to calculate the cancer risk assessment of Sb from inhalation exposure. Conclusion: Measurements of Sb, Hg and Co in roadside soil and dust are mapped to highlight regions where testing of the population would be advisable. In addition, toxic levels of Sb may enter the human body via a dermal route and cause various diseases including diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus. Finally, our results suggest an immediate change to antimony free brake pads for all vehicles is recommended.

This research article proposes a unique planning strategy of reactive power (VAr) considering static load model in power transmission system. An exponential static load model of active and/ or reactive power is considered during the study of load flow solution through Newton-Raphson method. This load model is designed with active and reactive exponents on the flow of active and reactive power through the transmission network. The power losses from load flow solution is measured and minimized through the proper placement of compensation devices. Here two types of FACTS (flexible ac transmission systems) are used in order to compensate reactive power. The separate and collective effect of active and reactive power modeling on load flow is also observed during the calculation of total operating cost (TOC) of the system. The TOC is formulated mathematically by adding different cost components such as cost due to real power loss, VAr generation cost component, compensation device cost component. To validate the impetus of the proposed planning strategy small, medium and large transmission systems are considered in this research work.

A completely new study of forward-backward multiplicity fluctuation of produced pions in nuclear emulsion detector has been carried out by the method of strongly intensive quantity ΣFB for 16O-AgBr, 28Si-AgBr and 32S-AgBr interactions at 4.5 AGeV/c. Experimental analysis has been compared using MC-RAND events and UrQMD simulated events. UrQMD model could not reproduce the experimental results. Outcome of this analysis supports the presence of dynamical fluctuations in multiparticle production at 4.5 AGeV/c. The results on strongly intensive fluctuation measures at a lower energy show much larger fluctuations in comparison to the higher energy data studied so far.

Risks of radiation exposure necessitate the development of radioprophylactic drugs. We have reported the efficacy of CDX-301, a recombinantly developed human protein form of Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L), as a radioprophylactic and radiomitigatory agent. Here, we performed global microRNA profiling to further understand the mechanism of action of CDX-301. We find that CDX-301 administration 24 h prior to total body irradiation prevents radiation-induced dysregulation of microRNA biogenesis and expression in murine serum and spleen samples in a time- and tissue-dependent manner. Further analysis shows that activation of the HOTAIR regulatory pathway has a prominent function in radiation-induced injury responses, which is inhibited by pre-treatment with CDX-301. Moreover, CDX-301 attenuates radiation-induced dysregulation of several cellular functions such as inflammatory and immune responses. In corroboration, we also find that pre-treatment with CDX-301 restores the expression of bone marrow aplasia markers and inflammatory cytokines and growth factors, as well as the expression of genes associated with MAP kinase and TGF-β pathways that are altered by radiation. Our findings provide new insights into CDX-301-mediated molecular and cellular mechanisms and point to a possible novel radioprotective drug for the prevention of irradiation-induced injury and hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome.

The aim of this study is to comprehensively analyze previous viral vaccine programs and identify potential challenges and effective measures for the COVID-19 vaccine program. Previous viral vaccine programs, such as those for HIV, Zika, Influenza, Ebola, Dengue, SARS, and MERS, were evaluated. Paramount challenges were identified, including quasi-species, cross-reactivity, duration of immunity, revaccination, mutation, immunosenescence, and adverse events related to viral vaccines. Although a large population has been vaccinated, mutations in SARS-CoV-2 and adverse events related to vaccines pose significant challenges. Previous vaccine programs have taught us that predicting the final outcome of the current vaccine program for COVID-19 cannot be determined at a given state. Long-term follow-up studies are essential. Validated preclinical studies, long-term follow-up studies, alternative therapeutic approaches, and alternative vaccines are necessary.

Background: A recent increase in the prevalence of mucormycosis of the head and neck in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 following hospitalization has been reported. A Majority of the cases have been reported from India. Conditions such as diabetes mellitus, use of corticosteroids for other autoimmune conditions, organ transplant, immunosuppression, immunodeficiency, and malignancies especially hematologic ones, are all known risk factors for mucormycosis. Recently, hospitalization for COVID-19 has been added to the list of risk factors for opportunistic mucormycosis infection. This is likely attributable to the high doses and prolonged use of corticosteroids in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Case Description: Two patients with post-COVID-19 associated rhinocerebral mucormycosis presented with profound unexplained dental disease including tooth mobility and dental abscess mimicking periodontal disease. The patients were previously hospitalized for COVID-19 and received prolonged treatment with high doses of corticosteroids. The patients responded well to the surgical debridement with or without antifungal therapy. Conclusion: Oral healthcare providers including oral and maxillofacial surgeons, dentists, dental hygienists, and other dental practitioners can play a vital role in the recognition and early diagnosis of rhinocerebral mucormycosis given the large number of patients with severe COVID-19 infection who have recovered following hospitalization and/or received long-term high doses of immunosuppressive treatment.

We consider an incarnation of left-right symmetric model with a local gauge symmetry of SU(3)C⊗SU(2)L⊗U(1)L⊗SU(2)R⊗U(1)R. Heavy scalars and fermions present in the 27 of E6 are included in the matter sector along with the Standard Model (SM) fermions. Two such colour singlet fermions, N and LS, transforming as bi-doublet and singlet under SU(2) s respectively, can be potential candidates for Dark Matter (DM). Assignment of U(1) charges for the matter fields restricts some of the exotic fermions to interact with the SM fermions. We study in some details the prospect of such fermionic dark matters by calculating relic densities and direct detection cross-sections by treating both these particles as relics. In such a two component Dark Matter scenario, LS having smaller interaction with the SM, will dominantly contribute to relic density. However, it cannot be detected at earth bound experiments with their present sensitivity. On the contrary, N having higher rate of interaction with the SM particle has too large annihilation cross-section thus contributes very little to relic density. In fact, its interaction with the SM is too high such that N-nucleon cross-section for a wide range of N mass is higher than the experimental limits from XENON, LUX or PICO. However, such a high N-nucleon cross-section can be tamed by assuming additional dimension-6 operators involving N and SM quarks. We derive limits on the strengths of such interactions from experimental data.

Freshness-aroma or sweet “popcorn”- like aroma of white bread was enhanced by increasing the formation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), a key food odorant by addition of its precursor molecule, viz. L-proline (1.2% w/w) to the bread-dough. Overall sensorial acceptability scores, physico-chemical properties, aroma and freshness-stability were all significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced in bread; while the acrylamide content was concomitantly reduced consequent to this amino acid enrichment. Employment of hurdle technology resulted in a 4-fold enhanced freshness-stability of bread (E-7 with 1.2% L-proline added) vis-à-vis the experimental control and commercially available bread samples. In this investigation, electronic nose along with artificial neural network (ANN) was employed to effectively discriminate the test sample (E-7) from the experimental control ones with respect to freshness-stability, for a large number of sample sets. The optimum topology (ANN network) of 8-15-5 rapidly and accurately predicted the shelf-life of E-7, with high correlation (R2 = 0.9785) between the predicted and experimental values. Mahalanobis distance method was adopted to determine ‘freshness index’ of bread by correlating it with its 2-AP content (quantified by gas chromatography) which allowed unambiguous-cum-rapid prediction of this freshness molecular marker in the bread samples during storage. We envisage that ANN coupled with e-nose technology would allow rapid-cum-accurate detection of freshness status of bread for bakery industries forgoing invasive, time-intensive, conventional biochemical analysis.

The shipping industry is a major enabler of globalization, trade, commerce and human welfare. But it is still heavily served by fossil fuels, which make it one of the foremost greenhouse gas emitting sectors operational today. It is also one of the hardest to abate segments of the transport industry. As part of the economy-wide climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, it is necessary to consider a low carbon energy transition for this segment as well. This study examines the potential role of nuclear power and cogeneration towards greening this sector and identifies the associated techno-commercial and policy challenges associated with the transition. Quantitative estimates of the economics and investments associated with some of the possible routes are also presented. Alternatives such as nuclear-powered ships along commercial maritime trading routes, ships working on nuclear derived green hydrogen, ammonia or other sustainable power fuels will enable not only decarbonization of the shipping industry but also allow further diversification of the nuclear industry through non-electric applications of nuclear power and new sector coupling opportunities. In the run-up to the UNFCCCCOP28 meeting in 2023 in UAE, nuclear equipped nations heavily engaged in and dependent on maritime trade and commerce should definitely consider nuclear driven decarbonization of shipping and some of the options presented here as part of their climate action strategies.