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Background: The development of periodontal diseases has multifactorial causes including genetic factors. Limited investigations have been conducted to explore the association between ABO blood groups and the development and progression of periodontal diseases. Aim: To evaluate and assess the association of ABO Phenotype and Rhesus factor with oral hygiene status, severity of chronic periodontitis and blood parameters like hemoglobin level and Platelet count in localized and generalized chronic periodontitis. Material and methods: Study was carried out on 100 patients, out of which 80 patients of Generalized Chronic Periodontitis and 20 patients of Localized Chronic Periodontitis. Patients were categorized into Mild, Moderate and Severe Periodontitis. Result: A highly significant association was found between severity of periodontitis and blood groups with blood group B and O were found to be at a greater risk to develop moderate to severe form of chronic periodontitis. Also subjects with blood group B and O showed worst oral hygiene among all the blood groups. Also patients suffering from chronic periodontitis showed a general trend towards lower limit of both hemoglobin level and platelet. Conclusion: Genetic factors such as ABO blood group antigens may act as a risk influencer that plays a role in progression and severity of the chronic periodontitis, with blood group B and O being worst affected. Another observation was that a long standing case of chronic periodontitis can lead to anemia thus having systemic implications.

Background and objective: Visfatin, a pleotropic mediator mostly produced by visceral fat, is crucial in controlling the immunological and defensive systems. It serves the roles of a cytokine, an enzyme involved in energy metabolism, and a growth factor. The objective of the present study was to assess the impact of non-surgical periodontal therapy (scaling and root planing) on visfatin concentrations in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid in individuals with Periodontitis (stage-II grade-A) Materials and methods: 54 individuals were divided into Group A (Periodontally Healthy) and Group B1(Periodontitis baseline) based on periodontal parameters including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and radiographic parameters. After NSPT (SRP), Group B1 patients were recalled after 4 weeks, constituting Group B2 (post NSPT group B1). At baseline and 4 weeks after non-surgical periodontal therapy (SRP), all clinical parameters, salivary and GCF samples were recorded. An ELISA kit was used to measure the levels of visfatin. Using the paired t-test, unpaired t-test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient, data were analysed using SPSS 15. Results: After non-surgical periodontal treatment (SRP), the mean salivary and gingival crevicular fluid concentration of visfatin considerably decreased to a level comparable to periodontal health. In all groups, GCF visfatin concentration was higher than salivary concentration of visfatin. In periodontitis patients, visfatin concentration in GCF was 1.5 times higher than in saliva. Conclusion: The results of this investigation suggest a direct correlation between salivary and gingival crevicular fluid visfatin concentration and periodontal tissue inflammation and disease activity.

The field of biology offers a complete structure for studying intricate molecular interactions and the strength of bonding between molecules but with an emphasis on developing treatments and discovering markers in medicine research that hold promise for targeting specific diseases like cancer subtypes effectively by pinpointing crucial signals and pathways crucial for tumor development growth, alongside network analysis as a potent tool to foresee how small molecules interact with proteins linked to cancer and determine promising new treatments. This methodical strategy enables the evaluation of potential medications by assessing their capacity to bind effectively to cancer causing targets for enhanced treatment accuracy.'' Additionally integrating machine learning methods with multi dataset analyses greatly enhances the thorough examination of cancer associated molecular connections ultimately streamlining drug development and biomarker discovery. This underscores the importance of molecular docking in forecasting interactions, between drugs and their targets within the realm of cancer bioinformatics.

The work presents the design and performance evaluation of an all-optical AND logic gate exploiting the light beam interference effect. It showcases a novel configuration of oriented air-holes meticulously drilled into a silicon substrate, forming an easy-to-fabricate two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D-PC) arrangement. The comprehensive examination of the proposed gate has been carried out using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Results demonstrate the gate’s capability to accurately satisfy its truth tables at a calculated wavelength of 1550 nm, which is imperative for C-band fiber-optic communication systems. The device’s structure boasts a unique 60-degree bend geometry to obtain a compact structure with minimum device area of 40.8μm2 and a substantially high contrast ratio (CR) of 8.15. The response time of 0.12 ps is the lowest among the state-of-the-art 2D-PC AND gates, as per the authors’ knowledge.

This paper presents a novel framework of demand response (DR) scheme in order to get the optimum design and operation of Solar PV/Diesel Generator/Grid based hybrid system. Hybrid system economic model has been developed incorporating different decision variables of each system component. Further, a shifting based DR scheme is proposed in the paper to reduce the peak load demand of a remote region of India. HOMER software is used to simulate and optimization of hybrid system with and without shifting based DR scheme. Furthermore, a comparison of system sizes, economic metrics and environmental metrics has been made. It has been found that system economic parameters and system component sizes have been significantly reduced with DR. Amount of emissions generated from the system such carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are also reduced with DR. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of hybrid system has been performed for various system parameters to recognize the most sensitive parameter.

Pozzolans such as fly ash (FA) and nano-metakaolin (MK) are the two industrial wastes that have attracted the attention of researchers due to their pozzolanic action that improves the performance of cementitious materials in an aggressive environment and can reduce global cement demand and lessen the emission of greenhouse gases. This study analyzes the strength and durability properties of cement mortar with partial substitution of cement with MK in the presence of FA. The effect of substitution of MK in binary and ternary blends on strength and durability has been studied by varying the dosage of FA (5‐20%) as well as MK (2.5‐10%) and optimization of MK content has been carried out. A comparative analysis of beneficial aspects of FA and MK, along with their combination in optimized content at a fixed water/binder ratio of 0.5, has also been performed in terms of corrosion resistance through electrical resistivity and half-cell potential measurements. Further, the results have been correlated by microstructural analysis. The study reveals a significant increase in strength and durability of mortar at a dosage of 10% FA+7.5% MK with an increase in chloride, sulfate and corrosion resistance due to improved microstructure owed to the better pozzolanic action of the substituents with synergistic action. Thus, the partial substitution of cement with optimized content of MK (7.5%) in the presence of FA (10%) can not only help in solid waste management but can also reduce the cement consumption leading to sustainable construction.

The global coronavirus pandemic has burdened the human population with mass fatalities and disastrous socio-economic consequences. The frequent occurrence of these new variants has fueled the already prevailing challenge. There is still a necessity for highly effective small molecular agents to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Here, we targeted the human transmembrane surface protease TMPRSS2, which is essential for proteolytic activation of SARS-CoV-2. Camostat is a well-known inhibitor of serine proteases and an effective TMPRSS2 inhibitor. A virtual library of camostat-like compounds was computationally screened against the catalytic site of TMPRSS2. Following a sequential in-depth molecular docking and dynamics simulation, we report the compounds that exhibited promising efficacy against TMPRSS2. The molecular docking and MM/PBSA free energy calculation study indicates these compounds carry excellent binding affinity against TMPRSS2 and found them more effective than camostat. The study will open doors for the effective treatment of coronavirus disease 2019.

Background and aim: The management of the worldwide spreading COVID-19 consists of amelioration of its symptoms but no cure is yet available. Herbal medicines supplemented with the Western medicine have been applied for COVID-19 treatment in India, China, Iran, and other countries. This systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs evaluates the effect and safety of herbal intervention in the management of COVID-19. Experimental procedure: RCTs from databases like PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Science Direct, CTRI, AYUSH Research Portal, India, were reviewed and the data were extracted for study sample demographics, intervention details, clinical effect, inflammatory markers and safety monitoring. Outcomes were expressed as Risk-ratio (RR) with 95% CI for dichotomous data, and Mean-Difference (MD) with 95% CI for continuous data. Result and conclusion: From the 32 eligible studies, a total of 3177 COVID-19 patients were included in the review. Herbal intervention as an adjuvant to Western medicine causes significantly higher improvement compared to Western medicine alone [Fever (RR = 1.09 CI 1.03, 1.15), Cough (Risk-Ratio = 1.22 CI 1.08, 1.37), Fatigue (Risk-Ratio = 1.27 CI 1.11, 1.44), Chest CT Improvement (Risk-Ratio = 1.15 CI 1.08, 1.23)]. The laboratory parameters were also better in the herbal medicine group compared to standard care group only WBC (MD = 0.36 CI 0.16, 0.55), Lymphocyte percentage (MD = 5.48 CI 3.05, 7.92), Absolute lymphocyte count (MD = 0.23 CI 0.07, 0.39), CRP (MD = −5.66 CI -7.96, −3.37). However, duration of hospital stays (MD = −1.82 CI -3.84, 0.21); IL-6 (MD = −3.67 CI -8.76, 1.43), ESR Level (MD = −10.38 CI -25.96, 5.21) were statistically insignificant. No significant adverse events for herbal medications were noted in the included RCTs, during the time of the studies. (n = 665, RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.76, 1.14).

Biosurfactants are widely used in many industrial settings ranging from cosmetic to petroleum industries. Among various biosurfactants available in the market, rhamnolipid is a well-known bacterial biosurfactant produced by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. However, despite its wide applications, no detailed and systematic study is available on the rheological characterization of this biosurfactant solution, which is an essential property to investigate for many practical applications. Therefore, this study aims to present a thorough and complete investigation of this biosurfactant's shear and extensional rheological behaviours. While steady shear and small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) measurements were conducted to investigate the shear rheological behaviour, the dripping-onto-substrate (DoS) extensional rheometry technique was used to understand its extensional rheological behaviour. A chemically derived surfactant (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)) was also used in our analysis to show and discuss the qualitative and quantitative differences in their rheological behaviours. Along with the detailed rheological study, some studies on the physicochemical properties, such as surface tension, contact angle, particle size analysis, thermal stability, etc., were also conducted to make an overall comparison between the two surfactants. Both surfactants show strong shear-thinning and extensional hardening behaviors in shear and extensional rheological flows, respectively. However, the zero-shear rate viscosity and extensional viscosity are found to be larger for rhamnolipid surfactant solutions than for CTAB. The corresponding shear and extensional relaxation times also follow the same trend. Furthermore, the surface tension is found to be less, and the contact angle is found to be more for rhamnolipid biosurfactant than that for CTAB. Rhamnolipid shows more excellent thermal stability, particularly at high temperatures than CTAB. Therefore, the results and discussion presented in this study will help to choose the present rhamnolipid biosurfactant for any particular application, particularly where the knowledge of the rheological responses of a surfactant solution is essential.

Visible light-driven photocatalysts have attracted considerable attention as these photocatalysts can effectively utilize visible light and are cost-effective. This study reports the synthesis of silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) and 1, 3, and 5% La, Zr co-doped Ag3PO4 via precipitation method. The synthesized materials were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). No impurities were observed in all the synthesized materials as shown by the XRD analysis. FTIR measurements of the synthesized materials displayed the presence of several functional groups in the synthesized materials. The band gap energy of Ag3PO4 decreases as more La and Zr were incorporated into the Ag3PO4 lattice. The SEM images of Ag3PO4 displayed tetrapod-shaped particles whereas La, Zr co-doped Ag3PO4 showed irregular particles. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized materials were determined through photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes as well as photoreduction of Cr(VI). Results showed that 1% La, Zr co-doped Ag3PO4 exhibited superior photocatalytic properties in both photocatalytic processes when compared to Ag3PO4.

This study is centered on the practicality of used cooking oil-based biodiesel (UCOB) as the dielectric for electrical discharge machining (EDM). To establish the usefulness of used cooking oil-based biodiesel as a dielectric for EDM, the essential properties of UCOB were determined and compared with ST EDM oil. Used cooking oil is an important source that can be employed for biodiesel production. Biodiesel was extracted by the process of transesterification. EDM performance was evaluated by applying a “one factor at a time” approach while machining Inconel-625 using EDM oil and bio-dielectric fluids. For both dielectric fluids, the material removal rate was observed to increase with discharge current. The lowest value of TWR was observed at 50 µs while the highest value was observed at 1000 µs. Thus, the performance trend for both fluids was similar. However, the performance of UCOB was slightly better than that of EDM oil. This variation is due to the difference in chemical composition of both dielectric fluids. The highest material removal rate 20.333 mm3/min was observed for UCOB operation at a discharge current of 12.48 A and the lowest material removal rate (0.123 mm3/min) was obtained with a discharge current of 1.56 A for EDM oil. It has been established that UCOB can be suitably utilized as dielectric fluid to increase the sustainability of the EDM process.

In this study, AgNbO3, 1%, 5%, and 10% La, Zr-codoped AgNbO3 photocatalyst were synthesized by the solid state method. The synthesized AgNbO3 was codoped with La and Zr to enhance its effectiveness in photocatalytic dye degradation. The as-synthesized materials were also characterized via XRD and SEM analysis to determine their structural and morphological properties. The vibrational bands of the photocatalysts observed in FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of NbO6 octahedra which can be found in AgNbO3. Furthermore, all the photocatalysts showed high crystallinity and are single-phase materials with an orthorhombic crystal structure. It was observed that the particle size decreased with the increasing concentration of La and Zr codopants. The calculated lattice parameters showed that codoping AgNbO3 with 10% La and Zr had caused its unit cell volume to expand. The UV–Vis absorption spectra showed a slight band gap widening and a decrease in surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) effect with increasing La, Zr-codoping. The photocatalytic RhB and MB degradation results of undoped AgNbO3 and La, Zr-codoped AgNbO3 were compared and they showed that there are improvements in the photocatalytic performance. The highest degradation (98.1%) of RhB was achieved by 5% La, Zr-codoped AgNbO3 while the highest MB degradation (48.3%) was achieved by 1% La, Zr-codoped AgNbO3. Last but not least, La, Zr-codoped AgNbO3 is a promising material for water remediation application as it showed enhanced performance for photocatalytic dye degradation under visible light irradiation.

Biodiesel is a chemically modified eco-friendly fuel mainly used as a fuel in compression ignition engines. It is prepared from vegetable oil or animal fat. It is gaining worldwide popularity because it is a renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-flammable fuel. This paper gives an insight into various aspects of biodiesel. Literature review of biodiesel production, its performance in diesel engine, and the electrical discharge machining process are discussed along with other applications. An innovative biodiesel production plant of 20 L capacity has been designed and developed successfully. The conversion reaction was carried out for 20 L of used cooking oil and 4 L of methanol. The biodiesel production yield of 95.8% was observed for a 1:6 M ratio of methanol and used cooking oil using 200 gm of KOH catalyst at 60 °C for 1 h. In the second phase of the work, a framework for using biodiesel as a dielectric fluid during spark machining is presented. Using biodiesel during the spark machining process can reduce pollution and also enhances the sustainability of the process.

Sol-gel-assisted synthesis of silver niobate, 1%, 5%, and 10% Zr, La-dual doped silver niobates were carried out. Analysis done using XRD showed that increasing Zr and La dual doping caused the synthesized materials to adopt an AgNbO3-like structure. This is also supported by FT-IR results. FESEM revealed that the silver niobate has a prism-like morphology while Zr, La-dual doped samples are irregular in shape. EDX mapping of the 10% Zr, La dual silver niobate confirmed the presence of Nb, Ag, Zr, and La metals. When compared with the silver niobate, the band gap energy of Zr, La-dual doped silver niobates are narrower, as shown by UV-Vis DRS measurements. It was revealed that dual doping of silver niobates with Zr and La has significantly improved the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) dyes. The 1% Zr, La-dual doped silver niobate showed the best photocatalytic results in terms of degrading MB while 10% Zr, La-dual doped silver niobate achieved the best performance when degrading RhB.

Photocatalysis can be used in water remediation, by which, toxic pollutants are removed from the water and converted into harmless products. In this study, silver niobate and 1% to 10% La-doped silver niobates were synthesized by the sol-gel method. FESEM studies showed that the morphology of the photocatalysts changed from prism-like to small cube-like particles with increasing La-doping. Also, the EDX mapping confirms the presence of Ag, Nb, and La within the silver niobate and La-doped silver niobates. XRD analysis verified the presence of AgNbO3 and AgNb3O8 in the samples. Furthermore, results from the Tauc plots showed that La-doping resulted in a slight decrease in band gap energy as compared to the silver niobate. The photocatalytic properties of the silver niobate and La-doped silver niobates were investigated for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and Rhodamine B dyes. It was shown from the experiment that La-doping can improve the photocatalytic performance of the silver niobate.

Objective: To isolate and characterize a novel phytocystatin from walnut and investigate it for biopesticide development. Methods: A battery of methodology was employed. Initially, phytocystatin was extracted and purified from walnut using ammonium sulfate saturation (60–80%), followed by gel filtration chromatography on the Sephacryl S-100 HR column. Further characterization studies including pH and temperature stability, molecular weight, secondary structure, protease inhibitory assay and antimicrobial activity were carried using various techniques viz: spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and circular dichroism (CD) techniques. Results: Thiol protease inhibitor from walnut (WCPI) was isolated and purified with high (71.4%) yield and 184-fold purification. The molecular weight of the purified inhibitor was found to be around 11.2 kDa. Kinetic tests revealed that the inhibitor competitively inhibited papain and other cysteine proteases such as ficin and bromelain. It also exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against bacterial species. Conclusion: Walnut cysteine protease inhibitor (WCPI) from Juglans regia (Kashmiri walnut) was isolated to homogeneity and had features of other members of the phytocystatin family. It demonstrated potential antimicrobial activity and may serve as an initial step towards developing enhanced pest control methods based on natural molecules.

This paper studied the effectiveness of a slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the slaughterhouse effluent treatment plant (SETP) in eliminating impurities, as well as the variables that affect performance. The SETP consisted of a dissolved air floatation (DAF) system with an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed by two activated sludge processessing (ASP) stages. The removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS) were 74.7%, 76.8%, and 90.14%, respectively. The study proposes constructing a tertiary treatment facility, installing two dung squeezers, and commissioning the UASB.

Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is involved in immune response, cancer progression, and Alzheimer's disease. However, an understanding of the mechanistic basis of its function in this wide spectrum of physiological and pathological processes is limited due to its poorly characterized interaction networks. Here we present the first systematic characterization of the CIP2A interactome by affinity-purification mass spectrometry combined with validation by selected reaction monitoring targeted mass spectrometry (SRM-MS) analysis in T helper (Th) 17 (Th17) cells. In addition to the known regulatory subunits of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), the catalytic subunits of protein PP2A were found to be interacting with CIP2A. Furthermore, the regulatory (PPP1R18, and PPP1R12A) and catalytic (PPP1CA) subunits of phosphatase PP1 were identified among the top novel CIP2A interactors. Evaluation of the ontologies associated with the proteins in this interactome revealed that they were linked with RNA metabolic processing and splicing, protein traffic, cytoskeleton regulation and ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation processes. Taken together, this network of protein-protein interactions will be important for understanding and further exploring the biological processes and mechanisms regulated by CIP2A both in physiological and pathological conditions.

Objectives: There is an extensive incidence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), principally in the hospital environment across the world. The present study was designed to discover the frequency of ESBL-production among the clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study also focused on determining their liability to the selected antimicrobials. Methods: Two hundred ten (210) clinical specimens were tested for the occurrence of ESBL using the double-disc synergy test. The molecular, physicochemical, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity were checked through an online server. Results: Among the screened clinical isolates, E. coli (n = 44), K. pneumonia (n = 34) and P. aeruginosa (n = 14) were ESBL markers. The ESBL producing isolates exhibited co-resistance to diverse categories of antibiotics. It was observed that all the ESBL-producing isolates were sensitive towards imipenem and faropenem with minimal proportion of resistance. Conclusion: The imipenem and faropenem can be recommended as the drugs of selection due to a lesser amount of resistance as compared to other antibiotics in this study.

The microbial model of mammalian drug metabolism, Cunninghamella elegans, has three cytochrome P450 reductase genes in its genome: g1631 (CPR_A), g4301 (CPR_B), and g7609 (CPR_C). The nitroreductase activity of the encoded enzymes was investigated via expression of the genes in the yeast Pichia pastoris X33. Whole cell assays with the recombinant yeast demonstrated that the reductases converted the anticancer drug flutamide to the nitroreduced metabolite that was also produced from the same substrate when incubated with human NADPH: cytochrome P450 reductase. The nitroreductase activity extended to other substrates such as the related drug nilutamide and the environmental contaminants 1-nitronaphthalene and 1,3-dinitronaphthalene. Comparative experiments with cell lysates of recombinant yeast were conducted under aerobic and reduced oxygen conditions and demonstrated that the reductases are oxygen sensitive.

Polyethylene glycol-6000 supported copper-molybdenum nanoparticles (CuO–MoO3@PEG) has been synthesized as a highly efficient, novel and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst by simple impregnation method. The catalyst was characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, elemental mapping, TEM, TGA, EPR, ICP-AES, UV–visible DRS and XPS analyses. The catalyst was successfully applied for the enamination of pyrimidine dione and dimedone (1,3- dicarbonyl compounds). The catalyst was found to be efficient up to five cycles with minor loss in catalytic activity. The recovered catalyst (5th run) retained its structure integrity which was confirmed by FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, and ICP-AES analyses. The products (β-enaminones) were obtained in excellent yield (92%) and short reaction time period (30–35 ​min).

Aim of the study: The role of pterostilbene against induced neurobehavioral alterations in global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and oxidative damage was studied. Materials and methods: Male SD rats (180–200 g) were exposed for 30 min to bilateral carotid artery occlusion accompanied by 60 min reperfusion to cause cerebral injury. Pretreatment with pterostilbene (200 and 400 mg/kg, orally) was given to the animals for ten days followed by ischemia-reperfusion injury. Various behavioral tests (locomotor activity, neurological score, transfer latency, hanging wire test) were studied. The brain tissues of animals were used for both the biochemical parameters (lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase activity) and histopathological study. Result: The pterostilbene as given orally significantly improved neurobehavioral alterations compared to control ischemia-reperfusion. Treatment with pterostilbene (200, and 400 mg/kg, orally) also significantly attenuated oxidative damage as indicated by reduced lipid peroxidation, nitrite concentration, restored reduced glutathione, and catalase activity as compared to control (ischemia-reperfusion) animals. Overall, pterostilbene treated animals showed non significant histological alteration as compared to ischemia-reperfusion control. Conclusion: This work suggests the beneficial effect of pterostilbene and its therapeutic potential against reperfusion-induced ischemia and associated behavioral changes in rats due to the stabilization of DNA damage with significant free radical scavenging properties.

Green sand is used for making molds to obtain the desired casting in foundries. The process is associated with solidification of molten metal that results in the evolution of the latent heat of fusion. The clay used for binding purpose is decomposed to various forms depending on the local temperature. It is thus necessary to determine temperature distribution in the molds such that much of the sand that is intact can be saved and recycled as it is. This paper studies the heat transport in the mold to obtain the spatio-temporal temperature profile in the green sand mold. Furthermore, the impact of the heat of molten metal on sand properties (loosely bound clay/oolitic deposits) was also quantified as it is known that clay decomposes at a temperature >773 K. The clay and oolitic content were found to be varying across the used mold. The values of loosely bound clay and oolitic content were found to be 1.8% and 9.2%, respectively, at a distance of 0.1 cm away from the casting face while at a distance of 12 cm they were 10.95% and 0.6%. It was observed that only 15% volume of the mold was affected owing to the heat of the molten metal for a 10 kg casting. COMSOL-Multiphysics software was used to predict and validate the temperature distribution in the mold. The results agree reasonably well with the experimental findings. A careful demolding process would thus prevent a huge amount of sand from going to dumping land.

Fungi belonging to the genus Cunninghamella are often used as microbial models of mammalian metabolism owing to their ability to transform a range of xenobiotic compounds. Furthermore, under specific growth conditions species such as Cunninghamella elegans and Cunninghamella echinulata grow as biofilms enabling a convenient semi-continuous production of valuable drug metabolites. However, the molecular mechanism of biofilm regulation is not understood, thus controlling biofilm thickness limits the productive applications of it. In this paper we describe the identification of two molecules, tyrosol and tryptophol, that were identified in C. blakesleeana cultures, but not in C. elegans and C. echinulata. The molecules are known quorum sensing molecules (QSMs) in yeast and their potential role in Cunninghamella biofilm regulation was explored. Both were present in higher concentrations in C. blakesleeana planktonic cultures compared with biofilms; they inhibited the growth of the fungus on agar plates and selectively inhibited biofilm growth in liquid cultures. The molecules had a comparatively minor impact on the biofilm growth of C. elegans and C. echinulata and on the growth of these fungi on agar plates. Finally, when exogenous tyrosol or tryptophol was added to previously grown C. blakesleeana biofilm, detachment was visible and new additional planktonic culture was measured, confirming that these molecules specifically regulate biofilm growth in this fungus.

Numerous incidents of food adulteration, fraudulence and foodborne disease outbreaks have shaken the consumer confidence towards the food they consume. These incidents compel the Food Supply Chain (FSC) partners to implement an appropriate traceability system in their respective supply chains to sustain the consumer confidence. The objective of this research is to identify the drivers (major factors) which play a significant role in the successful implementation of the traceability system in FSC and evaluate the causal relationships developing therein. Twelve drivers are identified towards implementation of the traceability system in FSC through literature review and supported with expert’s opinion. The grey-based DEMATEL approach is identified to evaluate these relationships among the drivers according to their net effect. Further, these drivers ranked based on the prominence and effect score. The finding of this research shows that the drivers are clustered into two groups namely: influential (cause) and influenced (effect) group. Four drivers belong to the influential group, and remaining eight are from the influenced group. The most influential driver is the “food safety and quality” which provide a significant effect on the implementation of a traceability system. This research can be a building block to develop a framework to implement the traceability system within FSC and assist the policymakers, and practitioners to identify and evaluate drivers related to the implementation of traceability system in FSC. This paper also provides a useful insight & support to the practitioners and managers in decision making for traceability implementation related issues. Keywords: Drivers, Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), Food safety and quality, Food Supply Chain (FSC), Traceability

Summary: Th17 cells contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancer. To reveal the Th17 cell-specific proteomic signature regulating Th17 cell differentiation and function in humans, we used a label-free mass spectrometry-based approach. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the proteome and transcriptome of cells during human Th17 differentiation revealed a high degree of overlap between the datasets. However, when compared with corresponding published mouse data, we found very limited overlap between the proteins differentially regulated in response to Th17 differentiation. Validations were made for a panel of selected proteins with known and unknown functions. Finally, using RNA interference, we showed that SATB1 negatively regulates human Th17 cell differentiation. Overall, the current study illustrates a comprehensive picture of the global protein landscape during early human Th17 cell differentiation. Poor overlap with mouse data underlines the importance of human studies for translational research. : Immunology; Components of the Immune System; Omics; Proteomics Subject Areas: Immunology, Components of the Immune System, Omics, Proteomics

Summary: Here, we present a protocol for the fabrication of inverted (p-i-n)-type perovskite solar cells, unraveling its electrical merits via immittance spectroscopy. The immittance spectroscopy is a prevailing technique for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of charge carrier dynamics in working devices. This technique integrates the temperature-dependent capacitance–frequency (C-f) spectra, impedance spectra, and Mott-Schottky analyses. This protocol is also applicable for typical (n-i-p) perovskite solar cells and other multilayer semiconductor devices.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Khan et al. (2019, 2021).

Chlorpyrifos (O, O-diethyl O-3, 5, 6-trichloropyridin-2-yl phosphorothioate) is a toxic and chlorinated organic contaminant in soils across the globe. The present study examines the chlorpyrifos (CP) degrading potential of gram-negative bacterium Dyadobacter jiangsuensis (MTCC 12851), to be a promising and sustainable remedial approach. The proliferation of D. jiangsuensis in the chlorpyrifos spiked minimal salt media indicated the ability of this strain to utilize CP as a sole carbon source and also confirmed the utilization of 3,5,6- trichloro-2-pyridinyl (TCP) through silver nitrate assay. The strain 12851 degraded 80.36% and 76.93% chlorpyrifos (CP) in aqueous medium and soil environment, respectively. The water dispersible granules (WDG) of 45% (v/w) inoculum (bacterial suspension) were developed using talcum powder, acacia gum and alginic acid as key ingredients. The formulated strain (12851) achieved 21.13% enhanced CP degradation in soil under microcosm condition as compared to the unformulated one on 15th day of the treatment. The intermediate metabolites namely 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), tetrahydropyridine, thiophosphate and phenol, 1, 3-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl) were detected during the CP degradation. The current investigation reveals D. jiangsuensis as a potential microbe for CP degradation and opens up the possibility of exploiting its formulations to remediate the CP polluted soils.

Summary: We have unlocked the mechanistic behavior of negative capacitance in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by analyzing impedance spectra at variable photovoltage and applied bias, temperature-dependent capacitance versus frequency (C-f) spectra, and current-voltage (J-V) characteristics. We noted that p-i-n type PSCs having PEDOT:PSS or PTAA as hole transport layer display negative capacitance feature at low and intermediate frequencies. The activation energies (Ea) for the observance of negative capacitance were found to be in a similar order of magnitude required for the ionic migration. Moreover, the kinetic relaxation time (τkin) estimated to be in the same order of magnitude required to activate the halide ion migration. Our investigation suggests that the primary reason for the appearance of negative capacitance in PSCs with a p-i-n configuration is associated with the migration of halide ions and vacancies in the perovskite layers.

A simple method for the reduction of 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-Aminophenol (4-AP) has been described using ionic liquid incorporated graphene nanosheets (IMD-Si/FeCl4ˉ@GNS). The material was also tested for nonenzymatic glucose sensing and found to be a promising material as glucose sensor with very high sensitivity (0.57 ​mA ​mM-1.cm-2) and low detection limit (1.2 ​μm).

Background: Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) protects against atherosclerosis and participates in the removal of excess cellular cholesterol from peripheral organs. Several naturally occurring apoA-I mutations are associated with familial systemic amyloidosis, with deposition of amyloid aggregates in peripheral organs, resulting in multiple organ failure. Systematic studies on naturally occurring variants are needed to delineate their roles and involvement in pathogenesis. Methods: We performed a comparative structure–function analysis of five naturally occurring apoA-I variants and the wild-type protein. Circular dichroism, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thioflavin T and congo red fluorescence assays, thermal, chemical, and proteolytic stability assays, and 1,2-Dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine clearance analyses were used to assess the effects of mutations on the structure, function, stability, aggregation, and proteolytic susceptibility of the proteins to explore the mechanisms underlying amyloidosis and hypercholesterolemia. Results: We observed structural changes in the mutants independent of fibril formation, suggesting the influence of the surrounding environment. The mutants were involved in aggregate formation to varying degree; L170P, R173P, and V156E showed an increased propensity to aggregate under different physiological conditions. β sheet formation indicates that L170P and R173P participate in amyloid formation. Compared to WT, V156E and L170P exhibited higher capacity for lipid clearance. Conclusions: The selected point mutations, including those outside the hot spot regions of apoA-I structure, perturb the physiochemical and conformational behavior of the protein, influencing its function. General significance: The study provides insights into the structure–function relationships of naturally occurring apoA-I variants outside the hot spot mutation sites.

Herein, the effects of field-induced polarization on electrical charge transport of poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OT) thin films are elucidated. The current-density versus voltage (J-V) characteristics of P3OT thin films were studied as a function of temperature (110–290 ​K), thickness (120–800 ​nm), and field-induced polarization in the hole-merely device setup. The data, so-obtained, were examined in terms of space charge limited conduction (SCLC) theory with the inclusion of shallow traps. The logJ-logV curves reveal explicitly two conduction regions, (i) Ohmic at low fields, and (ii) non–Ohmic at higher fields. The charge transport at higher-fields is credited to SCLC phenomena in the presence of shallow hole traps. The trap-density of 200 ​nm thick P3OT films is evaluated to be 8.04 ​× ​1023 ​m−3, which decreased with the increase of film thickness. The hole mobility is estimated to be 1.65 ​× ​10−6 ​cm2/V⋅s from the quadratic part of the SCLC region.

Summary: Cancerous Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is an oncogene and a potential cancer therapy target protein. Accordingly, a better understanding of the physiological function of CIP2A, especially in the context of immune cells, is a prerequisite for its exploitation in cancer therapy. Here, we report that CIP2A negatively regulates interleukin (IL)-17 production by Th17 cells in human and mouse. Interestingly, concomitant with increased IL-17 production, CIP2A-deficient Th17 cells had increased strength and duration of STAT3 phosphorylation. We analyzed the interactome of phosphorylated STAT3 in CIP2A-deficient and CIP2A-sufficient Th17 cells and indicated together with genome-wide gene expression profiling, a role of Acylglycerol Kinase (AGK) in the regulation of Th17 differentiation by CIP2A. We demonstrated that CIP2A regulates the strength of the interaction between AGK and STAT3, and thereby modulates STAT3 phosphorylation and expression of IL-17 in Th17 cells. : Molecular Interaction; Immunology; Systems Biology; Omics Subject Areas: Molecular Interaction, Immunology, Systems Biology, Omics

In recent years, the decreased efficacy of existing antibiotics toward management of emergent drug-resistant strains has necessitated the search for novel antibiotics from natural products. In this regard, Bacillus sp is well known for producing variety of secondary metabolites of potential use. Therefore, we performed an investigation to isolate and identify Bacillus sp from oral cavity for production of novel antimicrobial compounds. We extracted, purified, and identified a novel bioactive compound by B. megaterium (KC246043.1). The optimal production of compound was observed on de Man Rogosa and Sharpe broth by incubating at 37 °C, and pH 7.0 for 4 days. The bioactive compound was extracted by using n-butanol (2:1 v/v), purified on TLC plates with detection at Rf 7.8 cm; further characterized and identified as a cyclic ploypeptide sharing structural similarity with bacitracin. Minimum inhibitory concentration of bioactive compound was found to be 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 3.125 and 6.25 μg/ml against Micrococcus luteus ATCC10240, Salmonella typhi ATCC19430, Escherichia coli ATCC35218. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 respectively, with no activity against Candida albicans ATCC10231. Our findings have revealed a novel cyclic peptide compound from B. megaterium with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Keywords: Antibacterial, Bacillus megaterium, Bacitracin, Drug discovery, Peptide antibiotics

The objective of this study was to isolate a potent dye-degrading microbe that can be used to reduce the pollution caused by industrial dyes. Reactive red 198 is an extensively used textile dye and is a major environmental pollutant in water bodies. In this study, a bacterial strain was isolated from sea sediments and identified as Acinetobacter baumannii with 16S rRNA sequencing. The isolated bacteria were immobilized in calcium alginate and decolorization studies were carried out to determine the optimum pH, temperature, dye concentration, inoculum volume, and static/agitated condition using the one factor at a time (OFAT) approach. The Box-Behnken design, a type of response surface methodology, was adopted to improve the degradation efficiency. At 37°C using an inoculum volume of six beads, 96.20% decolorization was observed in 500 mg/L of reactive red 198 after 72 h. Dye degradation was confirmed with UV-visible spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy studies of the dye and degraded metabolites. Microbial toxicity studies using Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and phytotoxicity studies using Vigna radiata proved that the toxicity of the dye was significantly reduced after degradation. We can conclude that the isolated A. baumannii strain is an efficient dye-degrading microbe that can be used to reduce the pollution caused by industrial dyes. Keywords: Immobilization, Box-Behnken design, Response surface methodology, Microbial toxicity, Dye degradation

Due to rapid depletion of fossil fuels availability and huge environmental pollution, focus is now changing from traditional method of power generation to the non-conventional DERs located at distribution voltage level. Technological advancement and more researches in the use of DERs result in the formation of microgrids and active distribution network. Small DER units when placed in a network near to load, makes the network stable as it can work in islanding mode in case of any fault outside the network. This paper proposes a scheme for reduction in losses and improvement of bus voltages in the active distribution network. A DG in the form of small renewable energy resources such as solar PV, wind, biomass, is placed optimally for reduction of losses in the network. However, placement of DG does not result in fulfilment of reactive power needs of the network, resulting in under voltage at several buses. This under voltage problem is solved by the optimal placement of DSTATCOM. DLF technique is used in this paper for load flow calculations and LSF along with voltage deviation is used in objective function for optimal location of DG on MATLAB platform. The methodology is tested on 33-bus radial distribution system. Keywords: Distributed generation, DSTATCOM, Loss Sensitivity Factor, Direct Load Flow, Optimal location

Emergence of Amphotericin B (AmB) resistant Leishmania donovani has posed major therapeutic challenge against the parasite. Consequently, combination therapy aimed at multiple molecular targets, based on proteome wise network analysis has been recommended. In this regard we had earlier identified and proposed L-asparaginase of Leishmania donovani (LdAI) as a crucial metabolic target. Here we report that both LdAI overexpressing axenic amastigote and promastigote forms of L. donovani survives better when challenged with AmB as compared to wild type strain. Conversely, qRT-PCR analysis showed an upregulation of LdAI in both forms upon AmB treatment. Our data demonstrates the importance of LdAI in imparting immediate protective response to the parasite upon AmB treatment. In the absence of structural and functional information, we modeled LdAI and validated its solution structure through small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis. We identified its specific inhibitors through ligand and structure-based approach and characterized their effects on enzymatic properties (Km, Vmax, Kcat) of LdAI. We show that in presence of two of the inhibitors L1 and L2, the survival of L. donovani is compromised whereas overexpression of LdAI in these cells restores viability. Taken together, our results conclusively prove that LdAI is a crucial metabolic enzyme conferring early counter measure against AmB treatment by Leishmania. Keywords: Leishmania donovani, L-asparaginase, Amphotericin B resistance, Metabolic target

Birds are among the best indicators of environmental changes. Given the significance of birds for conservation planning and environmental assessments, there is a need to develop a better ecological understanding of avian community structure. In southeast Asia, the association among tropical birds with their habitat is poorly studied. To investigate the influence of different habitats on the avifauna, we studied the composition of local bird communities along habitat gradients characterized by environmental factors such as vegetation type and extent of anthropogenic pressure, using the open-radius point count method. This is the first attempt to document the status, composition, and distribution of avifauna in Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary, Bihar, India. A total of 147 avian species belonging to 58 families and 20 orders were recorded during the study. It was found that the forest range Lakhisarai, with 50% of habitat heterogeneity, supports the highest avian density (6,428 individuals/km2) in the sanctuary, whereas the lowest bird density was recorded from the Munger forest range i.e. 3,847 individuals/km2, which also has the least habitat heterogeneity (i.e. 20%). The forest range Dharara (p = 0.006), and habitat categories degraded bamboo forest (p = 0.005) and forest edge with cultivation (p < 0.001) were found to support significantly higher bird diversity.

Nutraceuticals have been widely explored for promoting health outcomes and in management of various diseases. They are considered to be neutral and safe and are extensively used to promote overall health. They play a vital role in modifying and maintaining normal body physiological functions. However, the bioactives present in nutraceuticals are unable to achieve their potential outcomes due to limited aqueous solubility leading to poor bioavailability profile and interaction with gastro-intestinal fluids. Majority of conventional products in market are unable to show their therapeutic outcome. Nanotechnology has tremendous potential to revolutionize the nutraceutical market. Recent progress in field of nutraceutical delivery has incorporated nanotechnology to overcome the drawbacks accompanying nutraceuticals. This review focuses on issues associated with nutraceuticals and various nanoscale formulation approaches like liposomes, nanoemulsions, nanocrystals, lipid and polymeric nanoparticles to obtain an insight to recent developments in nutraceuticals segment.

An ecofriendly itinerary for the synthesis of newly substituted chromene-3-carboxamide derivatives was undertaken to avoid impurities, usage of toxic solvents, toxic catalyst, and having improved quantitative yields. The green synthesis involves the condensation of substituted salicylaldehyde with N-(substituted)phenyl malonic acid in the presence of a base catalyst, piperidine. All reported compounds were assessed for their antimicrobial activities which clearly suggested their therapeutic implications to address antimicrobial pathogenesis. The synthesized coumarin compounds were examined for their antimicrobial activity against 7 fungal strains and 2 bacterial strains at concentration 125–1000 μg/mL. In particular, the compounds 4 and 5 showed lower minimum inhibitory concentration value (125 μg/mL) against maximum microbial strains. Further, docking of all the synthesized compounds was performed with the enzymes lanosterol 14α-demethylase and glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase and a significant binding affinity was observed which supports in vivo antimicrobial study. In addition, the thermal analysis revealed good thermal stability of compounds up to 250 °C. The compounds showed abroad absorption spectrum between 280-550 nm establishing them to be good UV absorbers.

The present paper deals with the application of natural dyes extracted from powdered henna (Lawsonia inermis) leaves and madder (Rubia cordifolia) roots on woolen yarn and assessment of effect of stannous chloride mordant on dyeability, color characteristics, fastness properties and antifungal activity of dyed woolen yarn. Sixteen shades have been developed for the characterization of their color characteristics and fastness properties. The color strength (K/S value) has been found to be very good in all dyed woolen yarn samples. The color fastness with respect to light exposure, washing and rubbing was quite satisfactory for both henna as well as madder dyed samples. Henna leaves extract was found very effective against Candida glabrata both in solution as well as after application on wool substrate but no antifungal activity is reported in case of madder both in solution as well as on wool substrate.

A reference monoclonal antibody IgG1 and a fusion IgG protein were analyzed by top- and middle-down mass spectrometry with multiple fragmentation techniques including electron transfer dissociation (ETD) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization in-source decay (MALDI-ISD) to investigate heterogeneity of glycosylated protein species. Specifically, glycan structure, sites, relative abundance levels, and termini structural conformation were investigated by use of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) or high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization (HPLC-ESI) linked to an Orbitrap. Incorporating a limited enzymatic digestion by immunoglobulin G-degrading enzyme Streptococcus pyogenes (IdeS) with MALDI-ISD analysis extended sequence coverage of the internal region of the proteins without pre-fractionation. The data in this article is associated with the research article published in Journal of Proteomics (Tran et al., 2015) [1].