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The Indian textile industry, a significant contributor to economic growth, is interconnected with trade, gender and environment. However, it generates significant waste, particularly for women, who bear a disproportionate burden of environmental degradation, given their positioning within the textile manufacturing chain. Trade policies that promote sustainable practices and gender equality can mitigate environmental risks and provide economic opportunities for women. Initiatives like fair trade and eco-labels can ensure women's labour is valued and environmental standards are upheld. Policies that promote women's access to resources, such as land and credit, can contribute to more sustainable and equitable economic development outcomes. India is promoting sustainable trade practices to minimize environmental impacts, including stringent environmental regulations, eco-friendly products and circular technologies. This thematic review of literature study analyzes existing studies on the Indian textile sector, focusing on female workforce, employment types and the relationship among gender, trade and environment. The main finding is the ambiguous linkage among trade and the socio-economic condition of female employees in the Indian textile sector, given its environmental underpinnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apigenin (APG) is a plant-based flavonoid that possesses antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and modulates P38 MAPK as well as tyrosinase. Hydroquinone (HQ), a phenolic compound was used to induce vitiligo in C57BL/6 mice. The present study was performed to check the therapeutic potential of apigenin in HQ-induced vitiligo via targeting P38 MAPK pathway. In the present study, 41 C57BL/6 mice were divided into six groups containing seven animals per group except normal group. (I) normal group, (II) HQ group, (III) to (IV) APG with (1%, 2.5%, 5%), and (VI) tacrolimus (TAC) group. Topical application of HQ was performed from day 1 to day 20 to, (II), (III) to (IV) APG with (1%, 2.5%, 5%), (VI) tacrolimus (TAC) group, and then APG; tacrolimus (TAC) was applied from day 21 to day 60 after removing the hair. In the case of (I) normal group and (II) HQ group, we smeared them with water for 60 days and HQ for 20 days in their individual group. On day 61 after anesthesia, a part of the target skin was peeled and blood serum was taken to check the level of malondialdehyde, cholinesterase, catalase, tyrosinase, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and expression of P38 MAPK, histology of melanin containing hair follicles and depigmentation evaluation. Applying HQ topically had a noticeable impact on depigmentation, inflammatory indicators, oxidative stress, and lowered tyrosinase activity. Further HQ reduced melanin containing hair follicles and increased expression of P38 MAPK was confirmed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, application of APG and TAC after day 21 to 60 significantly reduced depigmentation, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, and increased tyrosinase. Furthermore, APG increased melanin containing hair follicles and decreased expression of non-phosphorylated P38 MAPK, as confirmed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Our finding demonstrated that APG significantly prevented HQ-induced vitiligo by acting as an anti-inflammatory, increasing tyrosine, and reducing the expression of non-phosphorylated P38 MAPK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial for all biological processes and offer insights into protein functions, including their activity state, subcellular location, solubility, folding, trafficking, and protein−protein interactions. Amino acids modified by PTMs act as molecular switches, influencing protein function and characteristics, and increasing proteome complexity. Krüppel-like transcription factors (KLFs) are a family of transcription factors that regulate essential cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, programmed cell death, and various cancer-relevant pathways. In this study we investigated the effect of phosphorylation on the binding affinity and stability of KLF6-SV1 (Krüppel-like factor 6 splice variant 1) interactions with its binding partners, potentially revealing a mechanism for its oncogenic activity. KLF6-SV1 and binding partners interactions were computationally analyzed to evaluate the role of phosphorylation in KLF6-SV1 on their binding affinity and stability. In the present study, it was found that despite a decrease in the binding force between KLF6-SV1 and TWIST1, KLF6-SV1 and MMP9, KLF6-SV1 and SNAI1 upon phosphorylation, the overall energy of each complex decreased, resulting in increased stability. This suggests that phosphorylation plays a significant role in activating KLF6-SV1 and its partner's oncogenic activities by making the complex stable. This study provides valuable insights into the underlying molecular mechanism of cancer pathogenesis and suggests that KLF6-SV1 phosphorylation is one of the critical events in cancer pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamarindus indica L. is a multipurpose monotypic agroforestry species, possessing numerous domestic and industrial applications. It grows naturally in subtropical and semi-arid tropical regions of the world. Sixteen quantitative traits of T. indica were used in this study to unravel the phenotypic diversity on a large scale (422 accessions sourced from 12 districts of 8 Indian states) using multivariate analysis. Significant difference between the provenances were recorded for all the traits (P < 0.001). In terms of total pod weight, shell weight, fiber weight, pulp weight, real pulp value, and seed weight, Karnataka outperformed the other states. There were strong positive associations between real value of pulp (RVP) and all pod size traits ranging from 0.37 to 0.93. Titratable acidity was found to have a significant positive relationship with pod size and pulp recovery (r = 0.513–0.742); sugar/acid ratio with seed percent (r = 0.718) and shell percent (r = 0.537). According to the principal component analysis (PCA), the first five principal components accumulated 98.61% of the variation. Morphological cluster analysis revealed four distinct clusters with high diversity. A unique accession from Karnataka was selected by participatory breeding, enabling the farmer to establish a successful nursery and conserve the valuable genotype. Our study provides valuable information about phenotypic diversity, in situ evaluation, selection indices for plus trees and conservation of tamarind genetic resources in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The partial ionisation cross-sections are reported for cations formed due to electron-impact dissociative ionisation of ethanol by invoking a variant of binary-encounter-Bethe (BEB) model. Being an important molecule in astrophysical and combustion plasma, the cross-sections are required to model this process over an extensive energy range. These are the only theoretical calculations to validate the experimental data. The approach followed is extremely simple and appears effective to estimate the cross-section data for any molecule or its cation. The electron ionisation mass spectrometry data are indispensable in the modelling of electron–molecule interactions. The work is important in several fields of pure and applied physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) management during pregnancy is challenging. In this retrospective study, hospital records of CML patients treated between 2000 and 2021 were screened to identify patients who tried to conceive/got pregnant (planned and unplanned) on TKIs (tyrosine kinase inhibitors)/were pregnant at CML onset/fathered a child. We found ninety-three pregnancies involving thirty-three women and thirty-eight men, and they were analyzed for the pregnancy outcomes and the strategies utilized for CML management during pregnancy and the pre-conception period. There were two women and four men with primary infertility and five women with secondary infertility. TKIs were discontinued before conception in four planned pregnancies and at the time of recognition of pregnancy in unplanned pregnancies (n = 21). Unplanned pregnancy outcomes were two miscarriages, eight elective terminations, and eleven live births. Planned pregnancies led to four healthy babies. Outcomes of pregnancies at CML onset (n = 17) were six live births, one stillbirth, five elective terminations, and five abortions. Except for one child with congenital micro-ophthalmia, no other child born to the women on TKI had any malformations. Thirty-eight men fathered 51 healthy children. All but two patients (one planned and one unplanned pregnancy) lost their hematological responses during pregnancy and gained their previous best response after restarting TKI. In women who were pregnant at CML onset, complete cytological remission (CCYR) was achieved between 7 and 24 months (median:14 months) after starting TKI. During pregnancy, intermittent hydroxyurea ± TKI (in the second and third trimesters) was used to keep WBCs less than 30,000/mm3. Outcomes of pregnancies in CML patients can be optimized with our approach. TKIs (Imatinib and Nilotinib) can be safely used in the second and third trimesters. Delayed initiation or interruption of TKI during pregnancy does not negatively affect response to TKIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupational exposure to toluene causes serious health problems ranging from drowsiness to lethal diseases such as cancer. Paint workers are exposed to toluene through inhalation or the dermal route, which can induce genetcic damage. The increased DNA damage could be linked to genetic polymorphism. Therefore, we evaluated the association of glutathione-S-transferase polymorphism with DNA damage in paint workers. Methods: First, we included skilled paint workers (n = 30) as exposed and healthy individuals (n = 30) as control belonging to the same socio-economic strata. The genotoxicity biomarkers, Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN), and single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE)/Comet assay were used to assess genotoxicity while Multiplex-PCR and PCR-RFLP were used to assess polymorphism in glutathione-s-transferase (GST) genes. Using linear curve regression analysis, we assessed the association between genetic damage and polymorphism in the glutathione-s-transferase (GST) gene in the exposed and control subjects. Results: A significantly higher frequency of CBMN (4.43 ± 1.50) and tail moment (TM) (11.23 ± 1.0) respectively in paint workers as compared to the control(1.50 ± 0.86 and (0.54 ± 0.37) underlined significantly high genetic damage in paint workers.Regression curve analysis reveals that polymorphism in the GST gene is significantly associated with higher MN and TM in paint workers. Conclusion: Overall, our study provides a strong rationale for identifying a clear association between glutathione-S-transferase polymorphism and genetic damage in paint workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In parallel to the continuous rise of new cancer cases all over the world, the interest of scientific community in natural anticancer agents has steadily been increased. In the past decades, numerous phytochemicals have been shown to possess a strong anticancer potential in preclinical conditions. One of such interesting compounds, derived from different plants such as ginkgo, hinoki, and St. John's wort, is amentoflavone. In this review article, a wide range of anticancer properties of this natural biflavone are described, revealing its ability to suppress the malignant growth and lead tumor cells to apoptotic death, besides impeding also angiogenic and metastatic processes. Therefore, amentoflavone can be considered a potential lead compound for the development of novel anticancer drug candidates, definitely deserving further in vivo studies and also initiation of clinical trials. It is expected that this plant biflavone might be important, either alone or in combination with the current standard chemotherapeutics, in providing some alleviation for the continuous rise of global cancer burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer is one of the highly lethal forms of cancer whose incidence has worldwide rapidly increased over the past few decades. About 80–85% of all lung cancer cases constitute non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma as the main subtypes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to significant advances in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors, significantly improving cancer patient survival rates. Methods and Results: The cytotoxic drugs in combination with anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies is a new method that aims to reduce the activation of immunosuppressive and cancer cell prosurvival responses while also improving direct cancer cell death. The most commonly utilized immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with non–small cell lung cancer are monoclonal antibodies (Atezolizumab, Cemiplimab, Ipilimumab, Pembrolizumab etc.) against PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. Among them, Atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ) and Cemiplimab (Libtayo) are engineered monoclonal anti programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies that inhibit binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 and B7.1. As a result, T-cell proliferation and cytokine synthesis are inhibited leading to restoring the immune homeostasis to fight cancer cells. Conclusions: In this review article, the path leading to the introduction of immunotherapeutic options in lung cancer treatment is described, with analyzing the benefits and shortages of the current immunotherapeutic drugs. In addition, possibilities to co-administer immunotherapeutic agents with standard cancer treatment modalities are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ROS include hydroxyl radicals (HO.), superoxide (O2..), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). ROS are typically produced under physiological conditions and play crucial roles in living organisms. It is known that ROS, which are created spontaneously by cells through aerobic metabolism in mitochondria, can have either a beneficial or detrimental influence on biological systems. Moderate levels of ROS can cause oxidative damage to proteins, DNA and lipids, which can aid in the pathogenesis of many disorders, including cancer. However, excessive concentrations of ROS can initiate programmed cell death in cancer. Presently, a variety of chemotherapeutic drugs and herbal agents are being investigated to induce ROS-mediated cell death in cancer. Therefore, preserving ROS homeostasis is essential for ensuring normal cell development and survival. On account of a significant association of ROS levels at various concentrations with carcinogenesis in a number of malignancies, further studies are needed to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms and develop the possibilities for intervening in these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Garciniamangostana Linn (Mangosteen) is also called as "Queen of Fruits" in Malaysia. It is found in the region of Southeast Asia. It is a medicinal plant that has been used to treat cancer in a variety of cell lines. The mangosteen pericarp possesses distinctive biological properties like anticancer or antitumoral and antioxidant. It has a distinct sweet and sour taste, rich in biological compounds like xanthones. It exhibits various properties like apoptotic in tumor cells which leads to the suppression of their growth and results in their various sizes. The primary purpose of this review article is to summarize the valuable results covered by the researchers so far in the Garcinia mangostana extract and its compound like xanthones. Our focus was to explain the role of the phytoconstituent molecules in invading the cancer pathways to combat the expansion of cells. Furthermore, we still feel that there is a scope for more in silico and in vivo studies to understand and identify the specific site of action in tumoral cells and their mechanistic pathways. In conclusion, Garcinia mangostana can act as an anticancer agent by attacking various molecular pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1-butanol molecule is one of the most promising sources of biofuel, having the potential to replace fossil fuels. It can be used in combustion engines as fuel. During the combustion, plasma is created in which the electron interactions with neutral targets result in the formation of cations via dissociative ionization process. The energy-dependent cross sections are reported for different cations up to 5 keV in a very simple and efficient way within the framework of the binary-encounter model. The computation approach requires the binary-encounter-Bethe input parameters, ion energetics, and electron ionization mass spectrometry data. A good agreement is observed between the computed cross sections and experimental measurements for various cations. The work emphasizes the role of electron mass spectrometry in the study of the ionization process. The electron collision data would be useful to model the combustion process to develop efficient combustion engines. The present work provides the only available theoretical results for 1-butanol over an extensive energy range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron impact cross sections like elastic, dissociative ionization, and the total are computed for acetylene from ionization threshold up to 5 keV. The dissociative partial ionization cross sections of various cations are reported using the binary-encounter-Bethe (BEB) model. The elastic cross sections are calculated within molecular framework modified by invoking the single-centre expansion formalism. The total cross sections at these energies are estimated by summing the ionization and elastic cross sections incoherently. The cross sections obtained for different processes are in high degree of convergence with the experimental and theoretical data. The work underlines the role of mass spectrometry data in the study of ionization process as well as the diverse nature of BEB model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected more than 261 million people and has led to more than 5 million deaths in the past year and a half1 (). Individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection typically develop mild-to-severe flu-like symptoms, whereas infection of a subset of individuals leads to severe-to-fatal clinical outcomes2. Although vaccines have been rapidly developed to combat SARS-CoV-2, there has been a dearth of antiviral therapeutics. There is an urgent need for therapeutics, which has been amplified by the emerging threats of variants that may evade vaccines. Large-scale efforts are underway to identify antiviral drugs. Here we screened approximately 18,000 drugs for antiviral activity using live virus infection in human respiratory cells and validated 122 drugs with antiviral activity and selectivity against SARS-CoV-2. Among these candidates are 16 nucleoside analogues, the largest category of clinically used antivirals. This included the antivirals remdesivir and molnupiravir, which have been approved for use in COVID-19. RNA viruses rely on a high supply of nucleoside triphosphates from the host to efficiently replicate, and we identified a panel of host nucleoside biosynthesis inhibitors as antiviral. Moreover, we found that combining pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibitors with antiviral nucleoside analogues synergistically inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro and in vivo against emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting a clinical path forward.A combination of pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibitors and antiviral nucleoside analogues can boost the antiviral effect of nucleoside analogues against SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bidirectional movement of lysosomes on microtubule tracks regulates their whole-cell spatial arrangement. Arl8b, a small GTP-binding (G) protein, promotes lysosome anterograde trafficking mediated by kinesin-1. Herein, we report an Arl8b effector, RUFY3, which regulates the retrograde transport of lysosomes. We show that RUFY3 interacts with the JIP4-dynein-dynactin complex and facilitates Arl8b association with the retrograde motor complex. Accordingly, RUFY3 knockdown disrupts the positioning of Arl8b-positive endosomes and reduces Arl8b colocalization with Rab7-marked late endosomal compartments. Moreover, we find that RUFY3 regulates nutrient-dependent lysosome distribution, although autophagosome-lysosome fusion and autophagic cargo degradation are not impaired upon RUFY3 depletion. Interestingly, lysosome size is significantly reduced in RUFY3 depleted cells, which could be rescued by inhibition of the lysosome reformation regulatory factor PIKFYVE. These findings suggest a model in which the perinuclear cloud arrangement of lysosomes regulates both the positioning and size of these proteolytic compartments. Lysosomes move along microtubule tracks, and Arl8b is known to stimulate their anterograde transport. Here, the authors identified RUFY3 as an Arl8b effector that interacts with dynein-dynactin to drive retrograde transport and perinuclear lysosome positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we use human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived symNs [[3]] to demonstrate that the cellular components that are necessary to trigger SARS-CoV-2 infection are present on symNs and contribute to imbalance of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), thus potentially exacerbating COVID-19 symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 generally infects cells by binding and internalizing ACE2, which reduces available receptor levels on the cell surface. Human mesenchymal stromal cells do not express ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and are not permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection. [Extracted from the article]

The electron impact partial ionization cross sections (PICSs) of methyl alcohol fragments are reported from ionization threshold to 5 keV. The calculations employ use of electron impact mass spectrometry data and a modified form of binary-encounter-Bethe (BEB) model. In the modified-BEB approach, the binding energy of each occupied molecular orbital is incremented by an amount such that the highest occupied molecular orbital reflects the appearance potential of a particular fragment. The PICSs are then obtained by appropriately scaling the cross section data using the branching ratios (BR). The BRs can either be obtained from the cross section data or using the mass spectrometry data at an energy at which the mass spectrum is recorded. The PICSs are summed to obtain the total ionization cross sections (TICS) of the methyl alcohol. The results are in good agreement with the experimental results and are superior to the existing theoretical results. A simple approach like this in conjunction with mass spectrometry would be of immense help in modeling and interpretation of ionization data. The study reveals the need for more consistent ion energetics and mass spectrometry data for an accurate modeling of PICSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CYP27B1, a cytochrome P450-containing hydroxylase enzyme, converts vitamin D precursor calcidiol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) to its active form calcitriol (1α,25(OH)2D3). Tyrosine kinase inhibitor such as imatinib is reported to interfere with the activation of vitamin D3 by inhibiting CYP27B1 enzyme. Consequently, there is a decrease in the serum levels of active vitamin D that in turn may increase the relapse risk among the cancer patients treated with imatinib. Within this framework, the current study focuses on identifying other possible kinase inhibitors that may affect the calcitriol level in the body by inhibiting CYP27B1. To achieve this, we explored multiple machine learning approaches including support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and artificial neural network (ANN) to identify possible CYP27B1 inhibitors from a pool of kinase inhibitors database. The most reliable classification model was obtained from the SVM approach with Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.82 for the external test set. This model was further employed for the virtual screening of kinase inhibitors from the binding database (DB), which tend to interfere with the CYP27B1-mediated activation of vitamin D. This screening yielded around 4646 kinase inhibitors that were further subjected to structure-based analyses using the homology model of CYP27B1, as the 3D structure of CYP27B1 complexed with heme was not available. Overall, five kinase inhibitors including two well-known drugs, i.e., AT7867 (Compound-2) and amitriptyline N-oxide (Compound-3), were found to interact with CYP27B1 in such a way that may preclude the conversion of vitamin D to its active form and hence testify the impairment of vitamin D activation pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IL-3, a haematopoiesis regulatory factor, has previously been shown to inhibit both mouse and human osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Here, the role of rat IL-3 on rat osteoclast differentiation was evaluated to address whether the inhibitory action of IL-3 on osteoclastogenesis is conserved in various species. It was observed that IL-3 inhibited rat osteoclast differentiation induced by both TNF-α and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL). TNF-α is known to induce bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporotic women and it also synergise with many pro-osteoclastogenic cytokines to cause huge pathological bone loss. Importantly, it was found that rat IL-3 inhibits the synergistic action of TNF-α with RANKL and IL-1β, TGF-β1 and TGF-β3. IL-3 downregulates the TNF-α-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB-p65 and c-fos without affecting c-jun. Interestingly, we observed that IL-3 also inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vivo in rats induced by TNF-α. All these results suggest that inhibitory action of IL-3 on osteoclastogenesis is conserved in various species including mice, rats and humans. Thus, our results clearly indicate that IL-3 has therapeutic potential to treat pathological bone loss in important skeletal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The speedy development of digital imaging and computer vision has extended the potential of using these technologies in ophthalmology. Image processing systems are increasingly prominent in medical diagnostic systems and especially to modern ophthalmology. The retinal images give information about the health of the visual system. Retinal diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and many other diseases that can lead to blindness, manifest themselves in the retina. An automated system offers standardized large-scale screening at a lower cost, reduces human errors, and provides services to remote areas. Extensive research has been done since the last two decades in developing automated methods. Due to the fast evolution of new techniques, a comprehensive review is needed on such technique and algorithms present to date. This survey paper provides the reader a comprehensive review of the existing research in automated retinal image analysis. In this paper, automated computer aided methods used to diagnose retinal diseases have been reviewed. Several state-of-the art techniques and algorithms used to localize and segment features, such as optic disc and optic cup, macula and fovea, retinal blood vessels, detection of retinal lesions (microaneurysms, haemorrhages, exudates), are discussed and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upregulation of endogenous utrophin offers great promise for treating DMD, as it can functionally compensate for the lack of dystrophin caused by DMD gene mutations, without the immunogenic concerns associated with delivering dystrophin. However, post-transcriptional repression mechanisms targeting the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of utrophin mRNA significantly limit the magnitude of utrophin upregulation achievable by promoter activation. Using a utrophin 5′3′UTR reporter assay, we performed a high-throughput screen (HTS) for small molecules capable of relieving utrophin post-transcriptional repression. We identified 27 hits that were ranked using a using an algorithm that we designed for hit prioritization that we call Hit to Lead Prioritization Score (H2LPS). The top 10 hits were validated using an orthogonal assay for endogenous utrophin expression. Evaluation of the top scoring hit, Trichostatin A (TSA), demonstrated utrophin upregulation and functional improvement in the mdx mouse model of DMD. TSA and the other small molecules identified here represent potential starting points for DMD drug discovery efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermolecular interactions of seven polymorphs of a model organic compound were elucidated through electronic structure-based local descriptors, derived from conceptual density functional theory, and their correlations with interaction energies. Visual and statistical analyses were conducted to inspect the underlying connections between interacting modes and electronic properties. It was found that Fukui function and Fukui potential determine interactions especially where π–π stacking is predominant in a contacting motif. The overall large regions of negative and positive values of electronic properties on interacting motifs unveil the significant correlation of the local electronic properties with the intermolecular interactions. This study further confirmed our previous reports that local softness and hardness descriptors, such as Fukui functions, are capable of characterizing the locality and strength of intermolecular interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid trilayered transparent conducting electrode (TCE) based on graphene oxide (GO) in the form of GO/Ag/GO multilayer synthesized using GO suspension in water and polyethylene glycol (PEG) is investigated for their suitability as TCE. The GO layers prepared from modified Hummer's method were suspended in water and EG solution separately and spin coated on a glass substrate. Ag film (~ 8 nm) was DC sputtered coated on these films before a second spin coat of GO layer to prepare two variants of trilayered structure (GO/Ag/GO). AFM/SEM images verified the smooth surface topology. Structural analysis by Raman spectroscopy showed shifting and broadening of GO peak, which represents defects/disorder with obtained ID/IG ratio as 0.70 and 0.98 for EG and DI water-based trilayered structure, respectively. Hall measurements concluded superior electrical and optical properties; with an average transmittance of ~ 75% in visible region, sheet resistance Rs = 24.43 Ω/sq, and high charge carrier concentration (n = 2.11 × 1022 cm−3) in films prepared with GO suspension in EG. The other combination prepared with DI water showed transmittance of ~ 73% and sheet resistance of 34.73 Ω/sq. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique was further used to determine quantitative and chemical state information of elements by depth profile measurement of the trilayer electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the pattern of India's growth during the last decade, and its implications for poverty reduction. In particular, we focus on the role played by generation of productive employment opportunities in reducing poverty. The paper is first of its kind in analysing these issues at a granular level by focusing on 9 major sectors of the economy and focusing at a sub-state level, as the large size of Indian states masks significant heterogeneity. We decompose overall productivity growth into sectoral productivity growth and productivity increases arising from workers moving into high-productivity sectors as well as from workers moving to sectors experiencing productivity growth. We find that while improving sectoral productivity is important for poverty reduction, there is a significantly stronger link between shift of workers into sectors witnessing productivity growth and poverty reduction. Thus, generating jobs in sectors witnessing productivity growth is vital to accelerate poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nb-doped TiO (referred hereafter as NTO) thin films were deposited by sol-gel spin coating method to investigate their use as transparent conducting electrode (TCE). A range of NbTiO ( x = 0, 0.003, 0.005, 0.008, 0.01, 0.015, 0.02) compositions were synthesized and deposited as thin films via spin coating. The films were deposited at room temperature and showed crystallization on annealing at 550 °C for 1 h in air. The X-ray diffraction confirms formation of anatase TiO by showing dominant peak at 2 θ ~25.5° corresponding to (101) reflection plane. Raman spectroscopy shows the characteristics modes of TiO. Surface topography and morphology measured by atomic force microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy exhibit smooth and uniform deposition of films. Optical transmittance reduces from 85 to 70% as Nb content increases from 0 to 2 at.%. Meanwhile, electrical resistivity attained a minimum value of 3.65 Ω cm for 2 at.% Nb doping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis exhibits shifting of Ti 2 p peak which confirms substitution by Nb in TiO lattice and Nb-O-Ti bond formation. Transmission electron microscope and selected area electron diffraction patterns reveal that films consist of Nb and crystalline phase of TiO. All films were characterized by Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Present study reports low-cost and effective fabrication of TCE for optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteases are hydrolytic enzymes capable of degrading proteins into small peptides and amino acids. They account for nearly 60% of the total industrial enzyme market. Proteases are extensively exploited commercially, in food, pharmaceutical, leather and detergent industry. Given their potential use, there has been renewed interest in the discovery of proteases with novel properties and a constant thrust to optimize the enzyme production. This review summarizes a fraction of the enormous reports available on various aspects of alkaline proteases. Diverse sources for isolation of alkaline protease producing microorganisms are reported. The various nutritional and environmental parameters affecting the production of alkaline proteases in submerged and solid state fermentation are described. The enzymatic and physicochemical properties of alkaline proteases from several microorganisms are discussed which can help to identify enzymes with high activity and stability over extreme pH and temperature, so that they can be developed for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All over the world, people have been debating about associated health risks due to radiation from mobile phones and mobile towers. The carcinogenicity of this nonionizing radiation has been the greatest health concern associated with mobile towers exposure until recently. The objective of our study was to evaluate the genetic damage caused by radiation from mobile towers and to find an association between genetic polymorphism of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes and DNA damage. In our study, 116 persons exposed to radiation from mobile towers and 106 control subjects were genotyped for polymorphisms in the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes by multiplex polymerase chain reaction method. DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined using alkaline comet assay in terms of tail moment (TM) value and micronucleus assay in buccal cells (BMN). There was a significant increase in BMN frequency and TM value in exposed subjects (3.65 ± 2.44 and 6.63 ± 2.32) compared with control subjects (1.23 ± 0.97 and 0.26 ± 0.27). However, there was no association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms with the level of DNA damage in both exposed and control groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental venous anomaly (DVA), formally known as venous angioma, is a congenital anatomic variant of the venous drainage of the brain. Although they typically have a benign clinical course and a low symptomatic rate, thrombosis of a drainage vein may occur, leading to potentially debilitating complications. We report a unique case of spontaneous thrombosis of a posterior fossa developmental venous anomaly with cerebellar infarct in a 61-year-old man who presented with acute onset cerebellar ataxia. DVA thrombosis was well-depicted on CT and MR studies. Patient was put on anticoagulant therapy and complete recanalization was seen on follow-up imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coping with pressure and anxiety is an ineluctable demand of sports performance. Heart rate variability (HRV) Biofeedback (BFB) shall be used as a tool for self regulating physiological responses resulting in improved psycho physiological interactions. For further analysis, the present study has been designed to examine the relationship between anxiety and performance and also effectiveness of biofeedback protocol to create stress-eliciting situation in basketball players. Thirty basketball players of university level and above (both male and female) aged 18-28 years, who scored a minimum of 20 in state trait anxiety inventory, were randomly divided into three equal groups- Experimental (Biofeedback) group, Placebo group and Control (No Treatment) group. The BFB group received HRV BFB training for 10 consecutive days for 20 min that included breathing at individual's resonant frequency through a pacing stimulus; Placebo group was shown motivational video clips for 10 consecutive days for 10 min, whereas No Treatment Control group was not given any intervention. Two way repeated measure ANOVA was applied to analyze the differences within and between the groups. Anxiety, coping self-efficacy, heart rate variability, respiration rate, and performance (dribbling, passing and shooting) at session 1, 10 and 1 month follow up were statistically significant in each group along with interaction of group and time ( p < 0.001). Also, all the measures showed statistically significant inter group difference ( p < 0.05). The findings are harmonious with existing data on HRV BFB as a strategy for dealing with anxiety. The Placebo group showed improvement in self efficacy and performance post training. The Control group showed no change in any variable except performance. The results of the study support the idea that HRV BFB lowers the anxiety and thus there seems to be a potential association between HRV BFB and performance optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]