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In India, agriculture serves as the backbone of the economy, and is a primary source of employment. Despite the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture and allied sectors in India exhibited resilience, registered a growth of 3.4% during 2020–2121, even as the overall economic growth declined by 7.2% during the same period. The improvement of the agriculture sector holds paramount importance in sustaining the increasing population and safeguarding food security. Consequently, researchers worldwide have been concentrating on digitally transforming agriculture by leveraging advanced technologies to establish smart, sustainable, and lucrative farming systems. The advancement in remote sensing (RS) and machine learning (ML) has proven beneficial for farmers and policymakers in minimizing crop losses and optimizing resource utilization through valuable crop insights. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of studies dedicated to the application of RS and ML in addressing agriculture-related challenges in India. We conducted a systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and evaluated research articles published from 2015 to 2022. The objective of this study is to shed light on the application of both RS and ML technique across key agricultural domains, encompassing "crop management", "soil management", and "water management, ultimately leading to their improvement. This study primarily focuses on assessing the current status of using intelligent geospatial data analytics in Indian agriculture. Majority of the studies were carried out in the crop management category, where the deployment of various RS sensors led yielded substantial improvements in agricultural monitoring. The integration of remote sensing technology and machine learning techniques can enable an intelligent approach to agricultural monitoring, thereby providing valuable recommendations and insights for effective agricultural management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,2,4-triazole and Schiff bases are active against antimicrobial and antitubercular activities. Isoniazid itself reacts as antitubercular drug. The two dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship study was used to predicts the antitubercular activity of the synthetic derivatives. Two dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship generated model using partial least squares regression method which predict the statistically significant r²=0.8940, q²=0.8197, pred_r²=0.6675 and F test=50.6234. Two dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship generated equation of pMICs is denoted the antitubercular activity correlated with thermodynamic descriptor XAMostHydrophilic. Pharmacokinetic properties absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion were also predicted which useful for design the derivatives. A designed derivatives of 1-(3-(substitutidene)amino)-5-(2,3,4,5-tetrafluoro-6-substitutedphenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)-3-(pyridin-4-yl)urea (B1-B10) were synthesized and spectrally evicted from fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H Nuclear magnetic resonance, 13C Nuclear magnetic resonance and Mass spectra as well as biologically evaluated against antitubercular and antimicrobial activities. From the biologically evaluated derivatives, compounds B2, B4, B7, B8, B9 and B10 were found to be active against the different antimicrobial species. Where as compound B2 also active against antitubercular species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after hemorrhage is potentiated by aortic occlusion or resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA). Given the central role of mitochondrial injury in shock, we hypothesized that Elamipretide, a peptide that protects mitochondria, would mitigate IRI after hemorrhagic shock and REBOA. Twelve pigs were subjected to hemorrhagic shock and 45 min of REBOA. After 25 min of REBOA, animals received either saline or Elamipretide. Animals were transfused with autologous blood during balloon deflation, and pigs were resuscitated with isotonic crystalloids and norepinephrine for 4.25 h. Elamipretide-treated animals required less crystalloids than the controls (62.5 [50–90] and 25 [5–30] mL/kg, respectively), but similar amounts of norepinephrine (24.7 [8.6–39.3] and 9.7 [2.1–12.5] mcg/kg, respectively). Treatment animals had a significant reduction in serum creatinine (control: 2.7 [2.6–2.8]; Elamipretide: 2.4 [2.4–2.5] mg/dL; p = 0.04), troponin (control: 3.20 [2.14–5.47] ng/mL, Elamipretide: 0.22 [0.1–1.91] ng/mL; p = 0.03), and interleukin-6 concentrations at the end of the study. There were no differences in final plasma lactate concentration. Elamipretide reduced fluid requirements and protected the kidney and heart after profound IRI. Further understanding the subcellular consequences of REBOA and mitochondrial rescue will open new therapeutic avenues for patients suffering from IRI after hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-season crop production forecasts at the regional or sub-regional scale are essential to aid in food security through early warning of harvest shortfall/surplus, tailoring crop management decisions and addressing climatic shock. Considering the efforts to establish a framework towards quantifying the crop yield prediction at regional scales are limited, we investigated the utility of combining crop model with the regional weather prediction model to forecast winter wheat yields over space. The exercise was performed for various lead-times in the regions of Punjab and Haryana for the years 2008–2009. A numerical weather prediction (NWP) model was used to generate micro-meteorological variables at different lead times (1-week, 2-weeks, 3-weeks and 5-weeks) ahead of crop harvest and used within the CERES-Wheat crop simulation model gridded framework at a spatial resolution of 10 km. Various scenarios of the yield forecasts were verified with district-wide reported yield values. Average deviations of −12 to 3% from the actual district-wise wheat yields were observed across the lead times. The 3-weeks-ahead yield forecasts yielded a maximum agreement index of 0.86 with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 327.75 kg/ha and a relative deviation of −5.35%. The critical crop growth stages were found to be highly sensitive to the errors in the weather forecast, and thus made a huge impact on the predicted crop yields. The 5-weeks-ahead weather forecasts generated anomalous meteorological data during flowering and grain-filling crop growth stages, and thus had the highest negative impact on the simulated yields. The agreement index of the 5-week-ahead forecasts was 0.41 with an RMSE of 415.15 kg ha−1 and relative deviation of −2.77 ± 5.01. The proposed methodology showed significant forecast skill for extended space and time scale crop yield forecasting, offering scope for further research and practical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin were isolated from the dried root powder of Curcuma longa through the combined application of flash chromatography and open column chromatography. Isolated constituents were identified using spectral methods. An analytical method was developed for simultaneous quantitative estimation of curcuminoids from fast dissolving tablets containing ethanolic extract of Curcuma sp., as an active ingredient. The separation was achieved in a C18 column using an isocratic mobile phase comprised of acetonitrile:water (aqueous phase containing 4 % v/v glacial acetic acid) (50:50 % v/v), with the flow rate set at 2.0 ml/min. The chromatogram was recorded at 425 nm, using a photodiode array detector. The developed analytical method was validated as per international conference on harmonisation guidelines. The developed analytical method was found to be linear in the concentration range of 5-120 µg/ml, precise and robust to minor modifications in selected chromatographic parameters. The average of recovery was found within the range of 98 %-102 %. Limit of detection and limit of quantification value for curcumin was determined to be 0.35 and 1.06, respectively. The tablets containing 100 mg Curcuma ethanolic extract were formulated using the directly compressible vehicle. Each tablet was found to contain 20.77 %±0.22 % w/w curcumin, 3.18 %±0.03 % w/w demethoxy curcumin and 0.33 %±0.006 % w/w bis-demethoxy curcumin when estimated using developed analytical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, CO2 exchange over sugarcane and wheat growing season was quantified by continuous measurement of CO2 fluxes using eddy covariance (EC) system from January 2014 to June 2015. We also elaborated on the response of CO2 fluxes to environmental variables. The results show that the ecosystem has seasonal and diurnal dynamics of CO2 with a distinctive U-shaped curve in both growing seasons with maximal CO2 absorption reaching up to −8.94 g C m−2 day−1 and −6.08 g C m−2 day−1 over sugarcane and wheat crop, respectively. The ecosystem as a whole acted as a carbon sink during the active growing season while it exhibits a carbon source prior to sowing and post-harvesting of crops. The cumulative net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Reco) were −923.04, 3316.65, and 2433.18 g C m−2 over the sugarcane growing season while the values were −192.30, 621.47, and 488.34 g C m−2 over the wheat growing season. The sesbania (green manure) appeared to be a carbon source once it is incorporated into soil. The response of day-time NEE to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) under two vapor pressure deficit (VPD) sections (0–20 h Pa and 20–40 h Pa) seems more effective over sugarcane (R2 = 0.41–0.61) as compared to the wheat crop (R2 = 0.25–0.40). A decrease in net CO2 uptake was observed under higher VPD conditions. Similarly, night-time NEE was exponentially related to temperature at different soil moisture conditions and showed higher response to optimum soil moisture conditions for sugarcane (R2 = 0.87, 0.33 ≤ SWC < 0.42 m3 m−3) and wheat (R2 = 0.75, 0.31 ≤ SWC < 0.37 m3 m−3) crop seasons. The response of daily averaged NEE to environmental variables through path analysis indicates that PAR was the dominant predictor with the direct path coefficient of −0.65 and −0.74 over sugarcane and wheat growing season, respectively. Satellite-based GPP products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (GPPMOD) and Vegetation Photosynthetic model (GPPVPM) were also compared with the GPP obtained from EC (GPPEC) technique. The seasonal dynamics of GPPEC and GPPVPM agreed well with each other. This study covers the broad aspects ranging from micro-meteorology to remote sensing over C4-C3 cropping system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigallocatechin gallate is a potent phytomolecule with wide biological activity and is a class III drug. The therapeutic effect is limited, owing to poor stability and limited membrane permeability across the intestine. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate colon-targeted microspheres of epigallocatechin gallate, using natural polymers. Water-in-oil emulsion crosslinking technique was used to prepare microspheres of epigallocatechin gallate using interpenetrating network of chitosan and gum acacia and glutaraldehyde was used as a crosslinking agent. Prepared microspheres were filled in capsules coated with Eudragit S100. The prepared microspheres were evaluated in vitro for preformulation studies, encapsulation efficiency, micromeritic properties, dissolution studies and stability studies. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry studies had proved that the drug and polymers are compatible. The good flow property of microspheres show that the microspheres are not aggregated. Scanning electron microscope micrographs of microspheres show a rough and folded surface morphology. The microspheres are spherical and uniform in shape. Formulations show good encapsulation efficiency. Formulation F1 to F6 show sustained release of drug for 10 h. The in vitro drug release of batch F1 to F6 were best explained by Higuchi models due to diffusion mechanism of drug release from polymeric matrix system. The selected formulation batch for a period of 3 mo at 40±2°/75±5 % RH show no significant changes. The current approach was helpful to develop polysaccharide based microspheres of epigallocatechin gallate to enhance colonic drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetics and crop improvement aspects of medicinal plants in Ashwagandha should be taken consideration to meet the accelerating pharmaceutical demands. For a better understanding of the genetic basis of root yield and related traits, a 9 × 9 diallel analysis excluding the reciprocals was carried out using SKA 27, SKA 11, SKA 6, SKA 24, SKA 10, SKA 26, JA 20, JA 134 and AWS 1 as parents. The s2gca/s2sca denotes that the majority of the traits considered except plant height and the number of secondary branches were governed by non-additive gene action. The fresh root yield was governed by almost equal proportions of additive and non-additive gene actions with a slight increment in additive proportion. Even though none of the parents was a good general combiner for all the traits considered, SKA 27 and SKA 11 appeared to be the best general combiners for root traits. The crosses JA 20 × AWS 1, SKA 24 × SKA 26 and JA 134 ×AWS 1 were found to be appropriate for the heterosis breeding on the basis of the estimates of SCA effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major worldwide problem is the degradation of energy sources and the wide amount of waste products from industries, households, or from any other human activities. But what if both problems can be solved by one solution? Extensive data show that validation of bioresources increases the production of the value-added product. The assessment is based on a scenario approach. A vast literature review was performed, to investigate the alternative application pathways for various types of non-primary bioresources. Multicriteria analysis is considered as the current gold standard technique for bioresources valorisation and is proved for two cases. Firstly, we present tests that evaluate the performance of different pre-treatment methods in order to extract fibre from Hogweed biomass. Secondly, we assess the resilience of our approach using Multi-criteria analysis for brewers’ spent grain to find out the best value-added product. The results demonstrate the adequacy of the method for Hogweed biomass and brewers’ spent grain valorisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COMPASS upgrade (COMPASS-U) is a high-magnetic field, medium-sized tokamak with high-temperature (< 500 °C) operation. The scientific program is aimed to address the topics of plasma exhaust, liquid metals, enhanced confinement modes, and edge plasma physics. The plasma current is up to 2 MA and the toroidal magnetic field is up to 5 T. Therefore, plasma disruptions can produce large electromagnetic forces on the vacuum vessel (VV) and other conducting structures. This article presents the study of different VV design concepts, which were considered during the COMPASS-U conceptual design phase. This article describes the electromagnetic forces exerted during plasma disruption, high-temperature operation requirements, and other design constraints. INCONEL 625 is selected as a reference material for VVs. FE simulations of the 45° sector of the vacuum vessel were carried out for various load combinations. This article summarizes the wall thickness optimization that limits the vessel deformation and minimizes the stress in the shell. The results are broken down into different categories of stress according to the ASME code and compared with material limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal dystrophies (RDs) are hereditary blinding eye conditions that are highly variable in their clinical presentation. The remarkable genetic heterogeneity that characterizes RD was a major challenge in establishing the molecular diagnosis in these patients until the recent advent of next‐generation sequencing. It remains unclear, however, what percentage of autosomal recessive RD remain undiagnosed when all established RD genes are sequenced. We enrolled 75 families in which RD segregates in an apparently autosomal recessive manner. We show that the yield of a multigene panel that contains known RD genes is 67.5%. The higher yield (82.3%) when whole exome sequencing was implemented instead was often due to hits in genes that were not included in the original design of the panel. We also show the value of homozygosity mapping even during the era of exome sequencing in uncovering cryptic mutations. In total, we describe 45 unique likely deleterious variants (of which 18 are novel including one deep intronic and one genomic deletion mutation). Our study suggests that the genetic heterogeneity of autosomal recessive RD is approaching saturation and that any new RD genes will probably account for only a minor role in the mutation burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted for the analysis of combining ability of some yield and quality taits in a set of 10 durum wheat genotypesfollowing a diallel mating design excluding reciprocals. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed that mean square values due to parents and hybrids were significant for the traits days to 50% heading, days to maturity, plant height, number of effective tillers per plant, length of main spike, peduncle length, number of spikelets per main spike, grain yield per main spike, grain yield per plant, test weight, biological yield per plant, harvest index, specific sedimentation volume, protein content, sedimentation value and β carotene which revealed that existence of differences among the parents and hybrids. Significance of both σ2 GCA and σ2 SCA for the characters days to 50% heading, days to maturity, length of main spike and number of spikelets per main spike suggested that importance of both additive and non-additive gene effects for the inheritance of these characters. The value of average degree of dominance was close to one for days to maturity and length of main spike which revealed complete dominance behaviour of interacting alleles for these characters. The parents GDW 1255, GW 2007-112 and GW 1 were good combiners for multiple traits viz., days to 50% heading, days to maturity, length of main spike, number of spikelets per main spike, number of grains per main spike and spike density in F1 generation. The crosses (give best crosses for grain yield) GW 2002-51 x GW 1 and GW 2007-77 x GW 1277 was good specific combiners for multiple traits along with grain yield in F1 generation and these crosses may be utilized in the development of high yielding progenies in durum wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty different varieties of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) were evaluated for character association. The findings showed that the genotypic correlation was higher than the phenotypic correlation coefficient for most traits. Strong positive correlation was observed between the number of fruits per plant, branches per plant, and fruit yield per plant. Positive correlation was observed between moisture content and fruit characteristics, such as fruit volume and average fruit weight. The path coefficient analysis revealed that high positive direct effect on fruit yield was exerted by fruits per plant, followed by moisture content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Window-of-opportunity trials (WOT) are a study design that have been used to investigate drug activity in endometrial cancer (EC). Recruitment to cancer clinical trials by patients from ethnic minority groups is reported to be lower than for patients of White ethnicity. Methods: A verbal questionnaire was conducted with White and Asian/Asian British ethnicity patients who had undergone treatment for EC. Strategic purposeful sampling was used to recruit patients from diverse social/educational backgrounds. Questions explored: background knowledge of clinical research, WOT study design, and views on medications that might be investigated. Thematic analysis was used to explore motivations for WOT participation and perceived barriers. Results: In total, 21 patients were recruited to the study (15 White and 6 Asian/Asian British). Views on optimum time to receive trial information differed, preferences ranging from 'at the time of diagnosis' to 'a few days after diagnosis'. The choice of medication under investigation had a strong influence on potential willingness to participate, with greater interest reported in medications derived from vitamins or food supplements rather than hormone-based drugs. Potential barriers to participation included concern over potential side-effects and the emotional/physical burden of a cancer diagnosis prior to major surgery. Discussion: This study provides important insights into patients' views on WOT participation in EC and raises issues that need to be considered for future trial design and participant recruitment materials. The timing and format of study information and type of substance under investigation were factors influencing potential participation. Future studies should consider using multi-lingual visual information videos to address information needs, as this may encourage participation by ethnic minority patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microphthalmia is a developmental eye defect that is highly variable in severity and in its potential for systemic association. Despite the discovery of many disease genes in microphthalmia, at least 50% of patients remain undiagnosed genetically. Here, we describe a cohort of 147 patients (93 families) from our highly consanguineous population with various forms of microphthalmia (including the distinct entity of posterior microphthalmos) that were investigated using a next‐generation sequencing multi‐gene panel (i‐panel) as well as whole exome sequencing and molecular karyotyping. A potentially causal mutation was identified in the majority of the cohort with microphthalmia (61%) and posterior microphthalmos (82%). The identified mutations (55 point mutations, 15 of which are novel) spanned 24 known disease genes, some of which have not or only very rarely been linked to microphthalmia (PAX6, SLC18A2, DSC3 and CNKSR1). Our study has also identified interesting candidate variants in 2 genes that have not been linked to human diseases (MYO10 and ZNF219), which we present here as novel candidates for microphthalmia. In addition to revealing novel phenotypic aspects of microphthalmia, this study expands its allelic and locus heterogeneity and highlights the need for expanded testing of patients with this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently evolved satellite-based sun-induced fluorescence (SIF) spectroscopy is considered as a direct measure of photosynthetic activity of vegetation. We have used monthly averages of satellite-based SIF retrievals for three agricultural year cycles, i.e. May to April for each of the three years, viz. 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 to assess comparative performance of SIF and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for predicting net primary productivity (NPP) over the Indo-Gangetic Plains, India. Results show that SIF values for C4 crop-dominated districts were higher than C3 crop-dominated districts during summer and low during winter for all three years. SIF explained more or less above 70% of variance in NPP. The variance explained by integrated NDVI ranged from 60% to 67%. Thus the present study has shown the potential of SIF data for improved modelling of agricultural productivity at a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominant SCN1B mutations are known to cause several epilepsy syndromes in humans. Only 2 epilepsy patients to date have been reported to have recessive mutations in SCN1B as the likely cause of their phenotype. Here, we confirm the recessive inheritance of 2 novel SCN1B mutations in 5 children from 3 families with developmental epileptic encephalopathy. The recessive inheritance and early death in these patients is consistent with the Dravet-like phenotype observed in Scn1b−/− mice. The 'negative' clinical exome in one of these families highlights the need to consider recessive mutations in the interpretation of variants in typically dominant genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous Co–Ni–B nanocatalyst with high electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in wide pH range was successfully synthesized. The content of Ni was varied by adjusting the molar ratio Ni/(Ni + Co) in Co–Ni–B from 10% to 50% to identify the most suitable composition for HER. Co-30Ni–B (with 30% Ni/(Ni + Co)) showed the highest catalytic activity and could reach a current density of 10 mA/cm 2 at just 170 mV in pH 7 and 133 mV in pH 14. It also exhibited a Tafel slope value of 51 mV/dec in pH 7 suggesting Volmer-Heyrovsky reaction mechanism for HER. The role of each element in improving the activity was justified with results from XPS, XAS and DFT calculations. It was observed that the presence of Ni promotes higher electron density at Co active sites of Co–Ni–B which in turn facilitates efficient reduction reaction to enhance HER rate. Co-30Ni–B could sustain 1000 cycles and prolonged hours of operation for about 40 h without losing activity making it an excellent low-cost electrocatalyst material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cumin is an important spice that has been used for centuries in various cuisines around the world. Two cumin varieties (GC 3 and GC 4) were subjected to mutation to understand macromutational modifications. Ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) @ 0.6% and gamma rays (190 Gy) significantly reduced germination and plant survival percentage as compared to 0.2% EMS and 130 Gy. Physical mutagens showed higher plant suravival than chemical mutagens. However, chemical mutagen treated plants showed more sterility than physical mutagens. Chlorophyll mutations were confined to rare albinos and small number of xanthas in the M2 generation. Morphological changes viz., miniature, loosly branched and thick stem were effective with seed treatment of 0.4% EMS for GC 3 and with 0.6% EMS for GC 4. The estimates of mutagenic efficiency varied with 0.6% EMS and 160 Gy for GC 3, while it varied with 0.6% EMS and 190 Gy for GC 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lattice location of B in TiO 2 is tuned to determine its effect on the photocatalytic activity of Co-B codoped TiO 2 . Sol–gel method was used to synthesize the samples. The concentrations of Co and B were first optimized by maximizing the photocatalytic activity for the monodoped (Co or B)-TiO 2 . In addition to the DFT calculations for discovering new energetic levels introduced in TiO 2 by codoping, various characterization techniques were used to determine the dopant lattice sites in TiO 2 and interactions between them; and also determining their consequences on electronic, morphological, structural, and optical properties. At low concentration of B-doping (1 at.%), B occupies the interstitial site (B int ), but as the concentration increases (2 at.% and 3 at.%) B also occupies substitutional O position (B sub ) in addition to B int to form TiO 2 containing B int+sub . Both these B-doped TiO 2 showed improved photocatalytic activity attributed to effective charge separation obtained for TiO 2 –B int due to the formation of shallow energy level while higher visible light absorption is achieved with TiO 2 –B int+sub owing to the presence of two deep energy levels in the band gap as confirmed by DFT calculations. In the case of Co doping, the band gap of TiO 2 is reduced but the recombination rates are always high and are caused by the formation of Co states in the band gap. For Co monodoped TiO 2 , the photocatalytic activity is low for all the concentrations considered, except for very low concentration of Co (0.1 at.%). Two opposite effects were observed when small amount of Co (0.1 at.%) was codoped with B int or B int+sub . In particular, the photocatalytic degradation rate of organic aqueous pollutants ( p -nitrophenol and rhodamine B dye) reduces for TiO 2 –Co–B int whereas it is enhanced remarkably for TiO 2 –Co–B int+sub as compared to (Co or B) monodoped (∼2.1 times) and undoped (∼7.8 times) TiO 2 . Higher photocatalytic activity observed in Co-doped TiO 2 –B int+sub is discussed in terms of the interactions of Co with B at two different lattice positions in TiO 2 and the synergistic effect created by higher visible light absorption and the improved charge separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight parental lines of okra and their 28 F1 hybrids obtained from half diallel were studied to investigate the extent of heterosis for yield and yield attributing characters. The magnitude of heterosis varied from cross to cross for all the characters studied. Maximum positive heterosis for fruit yild per plant over better parent and standard check (JOH 2) was observed to be 62.12 and 44.11 per cent, respectively. The cause of heterosis may be due to its component traits, mainly, days to first flowering, nodes per plant, length of internode, fruit weight and fruits per plant. The best performing hybrid AOL 09-25 x AOL 09-26 which recorded 44.11 per cent heterosis for yield over standard check may be exploited for commercial cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Splenectomy is an uncommon procedure in children, and data on children who underwent splenectomy in South Africa are sparse. Objective. To describe the profile, operative management and outcomes of children undergoing splenectomy. Methods. The records for all children aged 0 to 16 years who underwent splenectomy at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic (CMJAH) and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic (CHBAH) hospitals between 2000 and 2015 were reviewed. Student's t-tests and ϰ² tests were used to analyse the data. Results. The mean age at surgery was 9.9 years (range 3-16). Most splenectomies (91%; n=30/33) were performed for haematological disorders and were open (67%; n=22/33). The mean post-operative length of stay (LOS) was shorter in the laparoscopic (4.5 days) than the open (7.1 days) groups (p<0.05). Surgical complications were more common in the laparoscopic (36%, 4/11) than open (9%; n=2/22) group, and in children older than the mean age at time of surgery. No cases of overwhelming post splenectomy infection (OPSI) were noted. At study completion, 61% (n=20/33) of patients were alive, 9% (n=3/33) had demised, and 30% (n=10/33) were lost to follow-up. Conclusion. Local indications for paediatric splenectomy mirror those found in international literature. Mean and median postoperative lengths of stay (LOS) were shorter in the laparoscopic than open group, but relatively longer for both groups than reported internationally. Laparoscopy is not currently the preferred technique for splenectomy in our setting. All mortalities were due to progression of underlying disease and no cases of OPSI were recorded. The high loss-to-follow-up rate in this study is a significant barrier to accurate data collection, analysis and reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Atherosclerosis has been recognised as inflammatory conditions which involves activation of MMPs of which increased MMP2 & MMP9 expression has been correlated with the development of human aortic plaques.The Sympathetic Nervous System exerts complex control over inflammation in atherosclerosis both: on systemic scale and at the regional level.Protein gene product9.5 (PGP9.5) is a cytoplasmic neuron & is a reliable marker for visualisation of the cardiovascular system innervation.There have been no studies in the existing literature on the expression of PGP 9.5 and MMP2, MMP9 on human aorta.Aim:To study the expression of MMP2, MMP9 and PGP9.5 in the human aorta & gain insights into atherosclerosis & neural modulation in the aorta.Materials & Methods This is a single centre, prospective cohort, pilot study with a sample size of 87 patients,done over 2 years at AIMS,Kochi.During CABG, punch biopsy of the aorta taken & processed.One paraffin embedded section used for routine H&E staining & others used for IHC.IHC detection kits use 3, 3'-DABChromogen as a substrate of HRP for visualisation of antigenic structures in the tissues.Positive & negative control tissue were run for all 3 Antibodies.Interpretation done as Diffuse/Focal & Intense/Moderate/ Weak classification based on intensity signals observed on IHC by an experienced Cardiac Pathologist.Results:7 Controls with well matched baseline characteristics: Controls-Aorta samples taken from patients who were undergoing Aortic Valve Surgery for Aortic Valve disease with normal coronaries documented on a coronary angiogram.65.9% of patients with Positive MMP2 & 28.6 % of patients in the Control group was found to have significant difference when compared to positive & negative outcomes amongst the 2 groups.89.3% of patients with positive MMP2 had significant co-relation with PGP9.5 levels expressed in the same specimen analysed.MMP9 also had a p value of 0.002 suggesting a significant co-relation between MMP9 & PGP9.5.Statistically significant Co-relation seen between the Age, CRP & the levels of MMP 9 expressed in the Aorta observed.MMP2 & MMP9 expression have a definite & significant co-expression with PGP9.5 expression in human aorta,suggesting a novel marker of neuromodulation in atherosclerotic process in human aorta. Expression of MMP2, MMP9 and PGP 9.5 in human aorta in patients with coronary artery disease Open in new tab Download slide Cases vs Control [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Frailty is associated with poor outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Rockwood is the widely used score for this population. In a recent trial, a more objective score, the Essential Frailty Toolset (EFT) outperformed Rockwood's in predicting mortality and disability 1-year post-TAVI. Whether it predicts in-hospital length of stay (LOS) and discharge destination post-TAVI remains unclear. Method A cohort of patients undergoing TAVI for aortic stenosis was recruited, demographic characteristics collected, and frailty assessed with EFT and Rockwood scores. Primary outcomes were LOS post-TAVI, categorised as 'not prolonged' (≤2 days) or 'prolonged' (>2 days) and discharge destination, characterised as 'home' or 'non-home'. Results 86 patients were recruited, with median age 82 years (IQR 78–86). 54% were male. EFT identified 35% and Rockwood 11% as frail. 19% were cognitively impaired. 5 chair rises were completed by 70%, with 30% managing under 15 seconds. Median haemoglobin was 121 g/L (IQR 109.5–136). Median albumin was 36 g/L (IQR 33–39). 84% of procedures were transfemoral. 20% had moderate–severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Median LOS post-TAVI was 2 days (IQR 2–5). 94% were discharged home, 6% to referring local hospital or rehabilitation centre. 46% were NYHA class III-IV. A model for prolonged LOS including comorbidities, showed frailty determined by EFT (OR 4.80, CI 95% 1.52–15.2, p = 0.008) but not Rockwood (OR 5.00, CI 95% 0.865–29.0, p = 0.072) was the only significant independent predictor for prolonged LOS. A model adjusting for comorbidities also showed EFT to be an independent predictor for non-home discharge destination of borderline significance (OR 2.57 CI 95% 0.994–6.66, p = 0.051) but Rockwood was not (OR 1.38 CI95% 0.485–3.91, p = 0.548). Conclusion In a real-world elderly population, EFT score was a stronger, more independent predictor of prolonged LOS and non-home discharge post-TAVI, than Rockwood's. EFT would be an effective pre-operative assessment tool for LOS and discharge destination for TAVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A porous coating assembled with hierarchical 3D Co 3 O 4 urchin-like particles was synthesized by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and thermal oxidation. Laser ablation of Co B powder, used as the target material, in oxygen atmosphere formed core–shell particles on the coating surface with mainly a metallic Co core and a mixture of Co, B and O accommodating the shell. The thermal oxidation of these core–shell particles in air at 600 °C induces the morphological transformation to urchin-like particles consisting of nanowires (NWs) (diameter: 30–60 nm and length 1–3 μm) grown radially from the core surface. The extrusion marks on the surface of NWs indicate that the stress induced growth process is caused by difference in the thermal expansion coefficient. XRD, Raman, EXAFS and HRTEM analysis confirmed that the NWs are polycrystalline consisting of pure Co 3 O 4 phase. A wet-chemistry hydrothermal procedure was also employed to synthesize nanostructured urchin-like particles which are hollow and the structure is held together by the radially oriented nanorods (diameter: 40–150 nm). During photocatalysis, urchin-like particles synthesized by PLD displayed significantly higher (∼5 times) degradation rates when compared to chemical urchins for degradation of methylene blue dye via a photo-Fenton reaction in presence of H 2 O 2 and visible light. This is mainly attributed to poor stability of the nanorods in the chemical urchin structure. Features such as high surface area, enhanced stability against agglomeration, polycrystalline nature of the NWs, porous surface and superior adhesion, are responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of Co 3 O 4 urchin-like particles assembled in a porous coating synthesized by PLD and thermal oxidation. Reusability tests also demonstrate the robust nature of the catalyst coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruthenium nanoparticles (NPs) supported over carbon thin films (Ru/C thin films) catalysts were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition and used as catalysts for hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB). Highly irregular and porous carbon films with high surface area were deposited by varying Ar gas pressures during the deposition. By taking the advantage of phase explosion phenomena, occurring at high laser fluence, the surface of the carbon films were decorated with crystalline Ru NPs with size below ∼10 nm. Ru/C thin film catalyst produced H 2 with 6 times higher H 2 generation rate as compared to unsupported Ru NPs assembled film, and with a high turnover frequency value of 70.5 mol H 2 mol −1 Ru min −1 . A combination of morphological features and high content of sp 2 bonded C atoms provides good dispersion of Ru NPs over a large surface area. Both these features contribute in generating large number of active sites leading to the increase in catalytic efficiency. A possibility of using the present form of catalyst as an ON/OFF switch for H 2 production was also tested. Although the catalytic activity decreased with the number of hydrolysis cycles, Ru/C thin film catalyst was able to generate the expected amount of H 2 gas in each cycle when it was reused several times. The observed low activation energy (∼28 kJ mol −1 ) and high H 2 generation rate (15.5 L H 2 min −1 g −1 of Ru) by hydrolysis of AB suggest that Ru/C thin film catalyst is highly efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty five inter specific hybrids between tetraploid species, G. hirsutum x G. barbadense derived involving nine diverse female parents of G.hirsutum and five pollen parents of G.barbadense were evaluated to study heterosis and combining ability for seed cotton yield and other characters viz., days to 50% flowering, number of monopodia/plant, number of sympodia/plant, seed index, lint index and oil content. The hybrid G. 67 x GSB 19 exhibited positively significant standard heterosis for seed cotton yield/plant, seed and lint index. Combining ability analysis suggested preponderance of nonadditive gene action for all the characters under study except for days to 50% flowering. The female parent,G. 67 and male parent GSB 19 depicted positive significant gca effects for seed cotton yield/plant, seed and lint index; while, hybrid G. 247 x Suvin had significant positive sca effects for seed cotton yield/plant, number of monopodia/plant, number of sympodia/plant and oil content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooking quality of dehusked splits is influenced by the dehulling method, in particular, by the pre-milling treatments. The effects of four enzymatic hydrolysis parameters, i.e., enzyme concentration (2-60 mg/100 g dry matter), incubation time (3-15 h), incubation temperature (40-60°C) and tempering water pH (4.0-6.0) on cooking time of pigeon pea dhal were optimized using response surface methodology. Three kinds of enzymes, i.e., xylanase, pectinase, and cellulas were used in combination for enzymatic pre-treatment. A quadratic model satisfactorily described the dehulling efficiency with high value for the coefficient of determination R2 (0.9062). It predicted a minimum cooking time of 21.91 min at enzyme concentration of 37.8 mg/100 g dry matter, incubation time 8.69 min, incubation temperature 48.5°C and pH 5.49 of tempering water. Cooking time at optimum condition was observed to be 21.50 min and the predicted values of cooking time showed 2.19% deviation from the experimental values. Results of the study revealed that cooking time of enzyme treated dhal could be decreased by 19.77% compared to the oil treated dhal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Breath testing is becoming an important diagnostic method to evaluate many disease states. In the light of rising healthcare costs, is important to develop a simple non-invasive tool to potentially identify paediatric patients who need endoscopy for suspected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aim To analyse exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and investigate the presence of a unique breath patterns to differentiate paediatric patients with (IBD) from healthy controls. Methods A cross-sectional, single-centre study included paediatric IBD patients and healthy controls (age range, 5-21 years). The diagnosis of IBD was confirmed by endoscopic, histological and radiographic data. Exhaled breath was collected and analysed using a selective ion flow tube mass spectroscopy (SIFT-MS) to identify new markers or patterns of IBD. Results One hundred and seventeen patients (62 with IBD and 55 healthy controls) were included in the study. Linear discriminant analysis and principle component analysis of mass scanning ion peak data demonstrated 21 pre-selected VOCs correctly classify patients with IBD or as healthy controls; P < 0.0001. Multivariable logistic regression analysis further showed three specific VOCs (1-octene, 1-decene, (E)-2-nonene) had excellent accuracy for predicting the presence of IBD with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93-0.99). No significant difference in VOCs was found between patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and no significant correlation was seen with disease activity. Conclusion These pilot data support the hypothesis that a unique breathprint potentially exists for paediatric IBD in the exhaled metabolome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the depleting resources of fossil fuels and the increase in their price, in the recent past a lot of interest has been given to the use of plant oil specially the non-edible oil and its ester (biodiesel). Although the use of biodiesel in place of diesel has resulted in much lesser tail pipe emission, a substantial increase of NOx is reported by several researchers. It may be due to low cetane number and fuel radical's formation during the combustion. Literature reported that mixing of an anti- NOx additive, such as di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) in the bio-diesel before feeding to the nozzle, may reduce the NOx concentration in the CI engine emission. Considering this, a study was conducted on single cylinder four stroke diesel engines using blended soya methyl ester (B50) to optimize the NOx emission with the addition of DTBP cetane improver. The engine was first run on petroleum diesel (B0), followed by B50 and combination of B50 and DTBT. A number of combinations, 50% biodiesel (B50) and 50% petroleum diesel along with di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBT) such as B50/D0.5, B50/D1.0, B50/D1.5, B50/D2.0, B50/D2.5 and B50/D3, were used in this study. For each test, engine performance and emission were measured. The addition of cetane improver could reduce the NOx emission significantly with the penalty of BSFC, CO and unburned hydrocarbon. The addition of DTBP by volumes of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3% to B50, the NOx reduction was found as 3.57, 5.0, 5.0, 4.29, 4.88 and 4.9%, respectively as compared to B50 without additive. It was also noted that CO and SOx reduce up to 25% and 33.33%, respectively, compared with petroleum diesel when 1% of DTBP is used. Considering the emission parameters, and the cost of the additive, 1% DTBP would give the optimum results for NOx reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: A toxico-pathological study was undertaken to assess the effects of Methotrexate administration in Wistar rats by performing the hematology, serum biochemical analysis and associated histopathological changes in visceral organs. Materials and Methods: Rats in 4 treatment groups with 6 male and 6 female rats each were administered methotrexate (Group II to IV) at the dose rate of 0.062, 0.125 and 0.250 mg/kg body weight respectively and distilled water (Group I) as vehicle control for 28 days. Hematological parameters viz., total erythrocyte count, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, MCV, MCH and MCHC, total leukocyte count and differential leukocyte count and serum biochemical parameters viz., aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, total protein, albumin, globulin (Calculated) were estimated after 28 days. Necropsy examination was performed in all sacrificed animals and gross lesions were recorded. Tissue samples (lung, liver, kidney, intestine, testes and heart) were collected in 10% formalin solution for histo-pathological examination. Results: The dose dependent reduction in body weight, feed consumption, RBCs count, packed cell volume, haemoglobin, total leucocyte count, neutrophil count, total protein and albumin was observed in animals of group II, III and IV along with significant increase in lymphocyte count, AST, ALT, AKP, creatinine and BUN in animals of methotrexate treated group IV followed by group III. No significant change in monocyte, eosinophil and basophil counts were observed in any treatment groups. All the rats exposed to methotrexate at three different dose levels revealed dose dependent pathological changes characterized by degeneration, necrosis, congestion, haemorrhage and vascular changes. The main target organs affected were liver, kidney, lungs and testes. Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that sub-acute exposure to methotrexate produced no appreciable changes at recommended 0.062 mg/kg body weight dose level. The findings observed at 0.250 mg/kg body weight methotrexate dose level are of public health significance and regulatory importance due to its hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three accurate, sensitive and reproducible methods are described for the quantitative determination of alprazolam ( ALP) and propranolol hydrochloride ( PNL) in their combined dosage form. The first method involves an RP-HPLC separation on the C column using acetonitrile-25 mM ammonium acetate buffer and 0.2% triethylamine (pH of buffer adjusted to 4 with glacial acetic acid) in the ratio of 35: 65 (v/v) as mobile phase. Symmetrical peaks with good separation, ALP at 9.3 min and PNL at 3.5 min, were achieved. Quantification was done with photo diode array detection at 255 nm over the concentration ranges of 0.5-50 and 10-250 μg/mL for ALP and PNL, respectively. The second method is based on the separation of drugs by HPTLC using chloroform-methanol-ammonia 7: 0.8: 0.1 (v/v/v) as mobile phase. Quantification was achieved using UV detection at 248 nm over the concentration range of 100-600 ng/spot and 5-30 μg/spot for ALP and PNL, respectively. The third method involves dual wavelength UV-visible spectrophotometric method. It is based on the determination of PNL at 319.4 nm using its absorptivity value and ALP at 258.2 nm after deduction of absorbance due to PNL. Quantification was achieved over the concentration range of 1-40 and 80-200 μg/mL for ALP and PNL, respectively. All methods were validated according to ICH guidelines and successively applied to marketed pharmaceutical formulation, and the results of all three methods were compared statistically as well. No interference from the tablet excipients was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] V–N-codoped TiO2 thin films have been prepared using RF-magnetron sputtering. [•] The band gap was narrowed up to 2.5eV when V and N were codoped in TiO2. [•] V–N-codoped TiO2 thin film was able to degrade organic water pollutants much faster than mono-doped and undoped TiO2. [•] Increased visible light absorption and charge separation are mainly responsible for enhanced photocatalytic activity for codoped-TiO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open simple prostatectomy (OSP) is an effective treatment for patients with symptomatic BPH and larger volume prostates; however, it is associated with substantial risks of bleeding, transfusion and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS). Robotic-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) potentially offers improved perioperative outcomes for these patients. We systematically reviewed published data on RASP outcomes and analyzed our experience at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). We identified eight published studies, all non-comparative case series (Level 3 evidence), reporting a total of 109 RASP cases from 2008 to 2012. Indications included acute urinary retention (n=48), persistent obstructive symptoms (n=51), failure of medical management (n=9) and recurrent urinary tract infections (n=2). The mean ages ranged from 65 to 77 years. More than 75% of the studies reported a mean LOS <3 days and a transfusion prevalence of 0%. The mean resected prostate weights ranged from 51 to 301 g. For UCSD, indications for surgery included urinary retention (n=11) and failure of medical management (n=5). The mean age was 68 years, transfusion prevalence 0%, mean resected prostate weight 94 g and mean LOS 1 day. All nine series observed substantial postoperative improvements in urinary symptoms and retention. These data suggest that RASP is a safe and efficacious treatment for BPH in select patients with larger prostates. Although LOS and transfusion prevalence for RASP are markedly lower than the published OSP series, comparative studies are needed to verify these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present research work was undertaken to study the patholomorphogical changes induced by repeated doses of aceclofenac. Materials and Methods: 100 BV-300 day old layer chicks were randomly divided into four equal groups and treated with aceclofenac at the dose rate of 0, 10, 20 and 30 ppm orally through feed for 21 consecutive days. Results: The abnormal behavioral clinical signs like dullness, lethargy, lameness, anorexia, feather plucking and uneven growth were noticed only in chicks of treatment groups III and IV with varied severity. Maximum mortality was observed in group IV (16%) followed by group III (4%). Adose dependent reduction in body weight was found in all the treatment groups. Grossly, on surface of visceral organs white chalky urate deposits of varying degree were observed in chicks which died during experiment from treatment groups III and IV. Histopathologically, the lesions were characterized by congestion, degeneration, haemorrhage and deposition of uric acid crystals. Kidney was the main target organ affected. Conclusion: The present study indicates that aceclofenac is hepatotoxic as well as nephrotoxic which causes visceral gout in layer chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Copper NPs with average size of ∼7.5nm were synthesized. [•] Cu NPs quench the fluorophore of BSA by forming ground state complex in the solution. [•] Binding between Cu NPs and BSA occur spontaneously by involving hydrophobic forces. [•] α-Helicity of the BSA decreases due to the interaction with Cu NPs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective activity of ethanol extract of Pongamia pinnata stem bark in monosodium glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Neurotoxicity was induced by intraperitoneal injection of monosodium glutamate 2 g per kg body weight daily for 7 days. Ethanol extract of Pongamia pinnata stem bark (200 and 400 mg/kg) was administered orally after 1 h of monosodium glutamate treatment. Dextromethorphan (30 mg/kg, p.o.) was used as standard drug for the comparison. The degree of protection was determined by various behavioural, locomotor, muscle grip activity, lipid peroxidation and measurement of antioxidant status of glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase. Estimation of calcium, sodium and potassium ions in brain tissue and gamma aminobutyric acid level in serum was carried out. The histopathological study of brain tissue was also carried out. Treatment with Pongamia pinnata significantly improved monosodium glutamate-induced alteration in behavioural and locomotor activity and muscle strength. Significant decrease in lipid peroxidation and increase in glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase was observed in Pongamia pinnata treated group. Further, Pongamia pinnata also significantly reduced the monosodium glutamate-induced excitotoxicity by decreasing the level of Ca+2 and Na+ with concomitant increase in the level of K+. Serum gamma aminobutyric acid level was also increased in Pongamia pinnata treated animals. Further, the histopathological evidence supports the neuroprotective activity of Pongamia pinnata. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the ethanol extract of stem bark of Pongamia pinnata possesses significant neuroprotective activity in albino rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Co-B catalyst particles were supported over three type of mesoporous silica of different pore sizes. [•] Co-B supported over SBA-15 showed highest H2 generation rate for hydrolysis of AB. [•] Confinement of Co-B within the pores creates smaller NPs (6nm) with uniform size distribution. [•] Thicker pore walls of SBA-15 avoid agglomeration of Co-B NPs at elevated temperature (873K). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study evaluated the effects of water stress on rice yield over Punjab and Haryana across North India by integrating Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) and Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) models. Indian Remote Sensing Satellite datasets were used to define land use/land cover in WRF. The accuracy of simulated rainfall and temperature over Punjab and Haryana was evaluated against Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and automated weather station data of Indian Space Research Organization, respectively. Data from WRF was used as weather input to DSSAT to simulate rice yield in Punjab and Haryana for 2009 and 2014. After simulated yield has been evaluated against district-level observed yield, the water balance components within the DSSAT model were used to analyze the impact of water stress on rice yield. The correlation (R2) between the crop water stress factor and the rice yield anomaly at the vegetative and reproductive stage was 0.64 and 0.52 for Haryana and 0.73 and 0.68 for Punjab, respectively. Severe water stress during the flowering to maturity stage inflicted devastating effects on yield. The study concludes that the regional climate simulations can be potentially used for early water stress prediction and its impact on rice yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Co3O4 nanoparticles assembled coatings have been synthesized by physical (pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and electron beam deposition) and chemical (sol–gel and electroless) techniques. The morphological, structural, and optical properties of all the coatings were analyzed by SEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The catalytic activities of the several Co3O4 heterogeneous catalyst coatings have been compared by looking at their efficiency on degradation of methylene blue dye that occurs via photo Fenton reaction in presence of H2O2 or oxone oxidants. The coating synthesized by PLD exhibits the best photo-degradation rate of dye in presence of H2O2 (4h) or oxone (8min). The NPs produced by PLD process exhibit smaller average size (18nm), narrow size distribution (σ =3nm), perfect spherical shape, low degree of agglomeration, and mixed amorphous-nanocrystalline phase. These special features of NPs, along with better visible light absorption, are the main factors responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the PLD Co3O4 NPs assembled coating. It is also observed that although the concentration of oxone (0.5mM) was very small as compared to H2O2 (100mM) the photo-degradation of MB dye solution is much faster for oxone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Ectopic fat deposition in the pancreas and its association with hepatic steatosis have not previously been examined in patients with biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD). Aim To quantify pancreatic fat using a novel magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) technique and determine whether it is associated with hepatic steatosis and/or fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Methods This is a cross-sectional study including 43 adult patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD who underwent clinical evaluation, biochemical testing and MRI. The liver biopsy assessment was performed using the NASH- CRN histological scoring system, and liver and pancreas fat quantification was performed using a novel, validated MRI biomarker; the proton density fat fraction. Results The average MRI-determined pancreatic fat in patients with NAFLD was 8.5% and did not vary significantly between head, body, and tail of the pancreas. MRI-determined pancreatic fat content increased significantly with increasing histology-determined hepatic steatosis grade; 4.6% in grade 1; 7.7% in grade 2; 13.0% in grade 3 ( P = 0.004) respectively. Pancreatic fat content was lower in patients with histology-determined liver fibrosis than in those without fibrosis (11.2% in stage 0 fibrosis vs. 5.8% in stage 1-2 fibrosis, and 6.9% in stage 3-4 fibrosis, P = 0.013). Pancreatic fat did not correlate with age, body mass index or diabetes status. Conclusions In patients with NAFLD, increased pancreatic fat is associated with hepatic steatosis. However, liver fibrosis is inversely associated with pancreatic fat content. Further studies are needed to determine underlying mechanisms to understand if pancreatic steatosis affects progression of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helminth infection can prevent type 1 diabetes (T1D); however, the regulatory mechanisms inhibiting disease remain largely undefined. In these studies, nonobese diabetic (NOD) IL-4−/− mice were infected with the strictly enteric nematode parasite, Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Short-term infection, 5-7 weeks of age, inhibited T1D onset, as late as 40 weeks of age. CD4+ T-cell STAT6 phosphorylation was inhibited, while suppressed signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 phosphorylation was sustained, as were increases in FOXP3−, CD4+ T-cell interleukin (IL)-10 production. Blockade of IL-10 signaling in NOD-IL-4−/−, but not in NOD, mice during this short interval abrogated protective effects resulting in pancreatic β-cell destruction and ultimately T1D. Transfer of CD4+ T cells from H. polygyrus (Hp)-inoculated NOD IL-4−/− mice to NOD mice blocked the onset of T1D. These studies indicate that Hp infection induces non-T-regulatory cells to produce IL-10 independently of STAT6 signaling and that in this Th2-deficient environment IL-10 is essential for T1D inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]