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Various studies published in the literature around the world indicate a significant prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC). Treatment of early childhood caries (ECC) using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has become a viable alternative, particularly for young and anxious children, because traditional restorative treatments is unlikely to combat this prevalent condition. Arrested caries is identified by the hardening of teeth and it changes its color from dark brown to black. More restorative treatments can be performed if necessary. Traditional ECC restorative treatments are not always inexpensive or feasible, as they involve patient cooperation to achieve a satisfactory result. Japan was the first country to promote silver diamine fluoride in 1960. SDF has been used to prevent the spread of caries in various Asian nations, including Japan and China. It was enacted as a fluoride to treat sensitive teeth in the United States by Food and Drug Administration ( FDA). For young children or individuals with specific needs, it is painless and simple to use .The fluoride in SDF stimulates remineralization while the silver ions act as an antimicrobial agent when applied to carious lesions and stop cariogenic biofilms from growing. SDF also prevents future degradation of the dentin's collagen. With a 38 percent use rate, SDF has been utilized in a number of nations. According to a review, SDF is a harmless, economical caries control agent with a wide utilisation in dentistry, and it may meet the WHO Millennium Development Goal (MDG) as well as the United States Institute of Medicine's criteria. The applications of SDF in dental treatment are discussed in this article.

To assess the cariogenic potential of almond milk, soya milk, coconut milk and bovine milk, was evaluated to check ability to enable Streptococcus mutans association formed, acid manufacturing, as well as their ability to buffer pH transforms. The baseline non stimulated whole salivary sample (2.5-5 ml) will be collected from the students in the morning at least 1 hr after breakfast. The salivary samples (pre-test and post-test) will be collected and tested for the CFUs. Salivary samples are transported in a plastic container to the microbiological laboratory. They were then tested for the number of CFUs for S. mutans using mitis salivarius bacitracin agar. Soya milk promoted much more biofilm development, whereas sugar free almond milk promoted a little. When pH test was performed, sugar free almond milk had the lowest cation exchange capacity, whereas bovine milk had the maximum cation exchange capacity.

Background: Smokeless tobacco is one of the most common causes of preventable death. It is a big social and health issue. Smokeless tobacco utilization is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in India, with more than 20% of the world's tobacco-related mortality occurring in India. The Chronic Care Model is a guide for the principal care management of higher-quality chronic diseases. The Chronic Care Model gives a structure that redirects health care resources to better meet the demands and issues of individual with chronic illness. Objectives: To explore the effectiveness of chronic care model for smokeless tobacco cessation in patients reporting to Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital. Methodology: The study will be conducted among patients reporting to Out Patient Department of Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital who are chronic smokeless tobacco users. This study will be conducted between two groups, in one of the groups chronic Care Model will be used and behavioural counselling will be given and in other group only behavioural counselling will be given. Urinary cotinine level test will be performed on both groups of patients consuming smokeless tobacco. Results: The chronic care model would be advantageous for the smokeless tobacco cessation. In India, there appears to be an immediate need for the promotion of awareness and informing people about the health problems associated with the use of smokeless tobacco through the model of chronic care. Conclusion: The utilization of Chronic Care Model (CCM) helps patient realize that not only it is a habit to use smokeless tobacco, but a chronic condition that requires long-term treatment to cure it.

Introduction The renoprotective effects of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) have been established as non-inferior to other classes of antihypertensive drugs. Studying their effect on renal outcome parameters, specifically for amlodipine as monotherapy, in real-world settings can further help in expanding its usage among Indian patients. This study was performed to assess the effects of amlodipine and other dihydropyridine CCBs (cilnidipine, benidipine and azelnidipine) on renal parameters and effectiveness in blood pressure reduction in Indian patients. Methods The retrospective data of adult patients (> 18 years) with essential hypertensive who were prescribed amlodipine (n = 92), cilnidipine (n = 91), benidipine (n = 70) or azelnidipine (n = 71) as monotherapy were analyzed. The renal outcomes, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), microalbumin, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), sodium and potassium levels, and mean changes in BP were analyzed from baseline to 12 months. Appropriate statistical methods were used to determine the significance (p value 0.05). No significant changes were observed in BUN, sodium or potassium levels. Overall, for all CCBs, the mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values were reduced from baseline to the end of the study (p = 0.002). At the end of the study, the average dose of amlodipine was 7.25 mg, and the average reduction in SBP and DBP per mg dose was 1.54 and 0.57 mmHg. The corresponding numbers for the other CCBs were as follows: cilnidipine, 14.28 mg, 0.26 and 0.01; benidipine, 5.71 mg, 0.41 and 0.11; azelnidipine, 15.88 mg, 0.13 and 0.06. Conclusion Amlodipine and other CCBs demonstrated good efficacy and similar effects on renal parameters from baseline to end of study. Amlodipine also showed higher potency by demonstrating greater BP reduction at a lower dose. Thus, amlodipine can remain a preferred choice among CCBs, even with the advent of the newer CCBs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40119-021-00224-8.

The sensing behavior of chlorobenzene quantum dot (QD)-based single electron transistor (SET) towards the ammonia (NH3) gas has been explored within the density functional theory (DFT) framework implemented through Synopsys-QuantumATK and Gaussian09 package. It has been observed that the NH3 molecule gets physisorbed on the chlorobenzene QD and consecutively alters the electronic properties, which is verified through the variations in the DOS profiles. The strength of adsorption has been analyzed by evaluating the adsorption energy and adsorption distance. Furthermore, the line scans on the charge stability diagram for isolated and NH3 adsorbed chlorobenzene SET have been performed along the various axes to realize the variations in the conductance states on adsorption.

A fluorobenzene based single electron transistor (SET) has been investigated for the detection of toxic gases viz. NH3, HCN, AsH3, and COCl2, within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) formalism based first-principles approach. Initially, the adsorption mechanism between the fluorobenzene quantum dot and the toxic gases (NH3, HCN, AsH3, and COCl2) has been analyzed in terms of adsorption energy, distance of adsorption, DOS profiles and the charge transfer analysis. Later, the exclusive property of charge stability diagram of SET has been utilized to provide the necessary electronic fingerprints for detection of toxic gases. The results suggest that the fluorobenzene SET can be a potential sensor for proposed toxic gases based on the wide operational temperature range and high detection ability as witnessed from the electronic fingerprints.

Thymidylate synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP) synthesis from substrate deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP). Thymidylate synthase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtbThyX) is structurally distinct from its human analogue human thymidylate synthase (hThyA), thus drawing attention as an attractive drug target for combating tuberculosis. Fluorodeoxyuridylate (F-dUMP) is a successful inhibitor of both MtbThyX and hThyA, thus limited by poor selectivity. Understanding the dynamics and energetics associated with substrate/inhibitor binding to thymidylate synthase in atomic details remains a fundamental unsolved problem, which is necessary for a new selective inhibitor design. Structural studies of MtbThyX and hThyA bound substrate/inhibitor complexes not only revealed the extensive specific interaction network between protein and ligands but also opened up the possibility of directly computing the energetics of the substrate versus inhibitor recognition. Using experimentally determined structures as a template, we report extensive computer simulations (∼4.5 μs) that allow us to quantitatively estimate ligand selectivity (dUMP vs F-dUMP) by MtbThyX and hThyA. We show that MtbThyX prefers deprotonated dUMP (enolate form) as the substrate, whereas hThyA binds to the keto form of dUMP. Computed energetics clearly show that MtbThyX is less selective between dUMP and F-dUMP, favoring the latter, relative to hThyA. The simulations reveal the role of tyrosine at position 135 (Y135) of hThyA in amplifying the selectivity. The protonation state of the pyrimidine base of the ligand (i.e., keto or enolate) seems to have no role in MtbThyX ligand selectivity. A molecular gate (consists of Y108, K165, H203, and a water molecule) restricts water accessibility and offers a desolvated dry ligand-binding pocket for MtbThyX. The ligand-binding pocket of hThyA is relatively wet and exposed to bulk water.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, salt- and alkali-tolerant, pear to oval shaped, rosette-forming, white coloured, bacterium, designated as strain JC646T, was isolated from a sediment sample collected from Chilika lagoon, India. Strain JC646T reproduced through budding, grew well at up to pH 9.0 and tolerated up to 7 % NaCl. Strain JC 646T utilized α-d-glucose, fumarate, lactose, sucrose, fructose, d-galactose, mannose, maltose and d-xylose as carbon sources. Peptone, l-isoleucine, l-serine, l-lysine, l-glutamic acid, l-aspartic acid, dl-threonine and l-glycine were used by the strain as nitrogen sources for growth. The respiratory quinone was MK6. Major fatty acids were C16 : 1 ω7c/C16 : 1 ω6c and C16 : 0. The polar lipids of strain JC646T comprised phosphatidyl-dimethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified amino lipid and two unidentified lipids. Strain JC646T had highest (97.3 %) 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to the only species of the genus Gimesia , Gimesia maris DSM 8797T. The genome of strain JC646T was 7.64 Mbp with a DNA G+C content of 53.2 mol%. For the resolution of the phylogenetic congruence of the novel strain, the phylogeny was also reconstructed with the sequences of 92 housekeeping genes. Based on phylogenetic analyses, digital DNA–DNA hybridization (19.0 %), genome average nucleotide identity (74.5 %) and average amino acid identity/percentageof conserved proteins (77 %) results, chemotaxonomic characteristics, and differential physiological properties, strain JC646T is recognized as representing a new species of the genus Gimesia , for which we propose the name Gimesia chilikensis sp. nov. The type strain is JC646T (=KCTC 72175T=NBRC 113881T).

Antibiotic and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have frequently detected in the effluent from wastewater treatment plants. Biological activated carbon (BAC) filter as a tertiary process was used to study the influence of tetracycline (TC) on nitrogen removal efficiency during exposure to tetracycline at different concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 5 mg/L) in an easily separated biofilm (interstitial organism) and inner biofilm (carbon-attached organism). High throughput sequencing and QPCR showed that exposure of 5 mg/L tetracycline increased the denitrifying genes (DNGs) and genera containing denitrification function (e.g., Acidovorax, Flavobacterium, unclassified_f_Comamonadaceae). Moreover, DNGs were mainly located in carbon-attached organisms, while the resistance genes were primarily found in interstitial organisms. The presence of TC stimulated the generation of resistance genes and DNGs, leading to enhanced nitrogen removal. Approximately 90% of the total resistance genes in interstitial organisms and 85% of the TC were effectively removed in the developed biofilm system. Overall, the results indicated that the biofilm system was a good choice for treatment of sewage treatment with a certain amount of TC and control over the contamination of resistance genes.

Seizures are a common challenge in neurosurgery practice. The risk of post‐craniotomy seizures varies from 3% to 92% over five years...

The conducting polymers are the highly studied class of functional materials for their applications in the various technological field. Trans-polyacetylene is a conducting polymer having n repetitive units of $(-\mathrm{C}=\mathrm{C}-)_{n}$ , indicating inherent conjugation in nature. In the present work, a two-probe model of pristine and defects (hybridization and torsion) induced trans-polyacetylene with the semi-infinite zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) electrodes have been modeled and employed to analyze the transport properties, within the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Non-Equilibrium Green's Function (NEGF) formalisms. We report that the incorporation of hybridization and torsion defects decreases the drive current. Moreover, the hybridization defect has caused about 75 times reduction in the drive current at 2V, whereas both hybridization and torsion defects shows a reduction by about 21 times with respect to the pristine model. The computed transmission spectrum, transmission pathways, and molecular projected self-consistent Hamiltonian (MPSH) eigenstates, very well comprehend the degradation of drive current in the altered models.

The conductance and switching behaviour of acene series derivative `Acridinium' based organic molecular single electron transistor have been assessed in the vicinity of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Non-equilibrium Green's Function (NEGF) formalisms based ab-initio approach. Computationally, acridinium has been obtained by nitrogen substitution of its parent molecule anthracene. Our analysis of structural and chemical properties predicts relatively high electrical conductivity for acridinium than anthracene owing to the high degree of delocalization associated with the former. The performance of acridinium as a quantum dot of SET has been studied by calculating charging energies and charge stability diagram. It has been observed that acridinium SET is power efficient and possesses better switching behaviour than anthracene and other acene derivative SETs reported so far. Moreover, the negative gate bias operation of acridinium SET is observed to be energetically more favourable than the positive bias operation.

Sustainable agronomic practices are tried all over the world to promote safe and eco-friendly crop production. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of seed endophytic bacteria and its consortia on soil biochemical property, soil nutrient, and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under field and pot conditions are investigated. Both the experimental results proved a significant increase in total soil organic carbon (OC), electric conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), soil nutrient like available N, P and K content and important soil enzymes like dehydrogenase (DHA), beta glucosidase, alkaline phosphate, and urease was observed under the Enterobacter hormaechei BHUJPCS-15 (T1), Enterobacter cloacae BHUJPCS-21 (T2) and combined T3 (consortia of T1 and T2) treatments. Similarly, a significant increase in the grain yield (27-45% and 57-73%) in microbial treatment was found in pot and field experiments, respectively than control. In addition, whereas the higher plant biomass (14-38% and 42-78%) was recorded in the treated plant over the control plant. Similarly, the plant photosynthetic pigment (Chl a, b, total Chl) were also increased in the microbial treated plant than the control untreated chickpea plant. Our present study highlights the significance of sustainable agronomic practices for improving the soil quality and agricultural yield while reducing adverse impacts of chemicals by the use of seed endophytic microbes and their consortia.

A novel assay technique that involves quantification of lysozyme (Lys) through machine learning is put forward here. This article reports the tendency of the well- documented Ellington group anti-Lys aptamer, to produce aggregates when exposed to Lys. This property of apta-aggregation has been exploited here to develop an assay that quantifies the Lys using texture and area parameters from a photograph of the elliptical aggregate mass through machine learning. Two assay sets were made for the experimental procedure: one with high Lys concentration between 25–100 mM and another with low concentration between 1–20 mM. The high concentration set had a sample volume of 10 μl while the low concentration set had a higher sample volume of 100 μl, in order to obtain the statistical texture values reliably from the aggregate mass. The platform exhibited an experimental limit of detection of 1 mM and a response time of less than 10 seconds. Further, two potential operating modes for the aptamer were hypothesized for this aggregation property and the more accurate mode among the two was ascertained through bioinformatics studies.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered as a potential energy-yielding crop which may respond to compost application for arsenic (As) phytoremediation depending on soil type and compost application levels in soil. Here, we explored compost-mediated As phytoremediation potential of maize in the two different textured soils (sandy loam soil and clay loam soil) at varying As (0–120 mg kg−1) and compost (0–2.5%) levels under glasshouse conditions. Results revealed that in the absence of compost maize plants grown at different soil As levels (0–120 mg kg−1) accumulated 1.20–1.71 times more As from sandy loam soil than that of clay loam soil. The compost addition in soil at all levels, with 120 mg kg−1 As enhanced As accumulation in maize plants in the clay loam soil by 13%, while it reduced As phyto-uptake by 27% in sandy loam soil. This may be due to an increase in phosphate-extractable (bioavailable) soil As content from 2.7 to 3.8 mg kg−1 in clay loam soil. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of As (0.03–0.15 μg g−1 of body weight day−1) was above the US EPA’s standard value. Arsenic phytoremediation potential of the maize plants was found to be economical for sandy loam soil with 1% compost level and for clay loam soil at 2.5% compost level, suggesting soil type specific dose dependence of compost for As phytoremediation programs. Novelty statement: To our knowledge, the role of compost in economic feasibility of energy crops at contaminated soils in general, and in the growing of maize at As-contaminated soil in particular, has not been addressed, so far. Moreover, it is the first time to evaluate environmental and health risk of compost-mediated As phytoremediation in different soil types. This study provided new insights of economic evaluation and risk assessment in the phytoremediation and mechanisms of compost in biomass production of energy crop at different As concentration. These aspects in phytoremediation studies are imperative to understand for developing safe, cost-effective and soil specific remediation strategies.

The aim of present work is to develop and validate two simple and specific methods for the estimation of alprazolam hydrochloride (a psychoactive drug) in pharmaceutical formulations. The first method involves HPLC separation on the Cosmosil C-8 column using acetonitrile and potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0±0.1) (40:60 v/v) as mobile phase. The peak was obtained at 3.01±0.02 min. The effluent was monitored at 254 nm. The second method is based on HPTLC using Acetic acid: water: methanol: ethyl acetate (2:15:20:80 v/v/v/ v) as mobile phase and detection of the spot was carried out at 254 nm. The Rf value was found to be 0.76±0.02. The methods were validated as per ICH guidelines. The linearity curves were found to be linear over the concentration range 50-150 μg/ ml for HPLC and 50-400 ng/spot for HPTLC with a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.991 and 0.9987 respectively). The limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 1.66 and 5.04 μg/ml for HPLC and14.84 and 44.097 μg/ ml for HPTLC, respectively. The proposed methods are successfully used for the quality control of alprazolam in commercial form. Statistical analysis results confirmed that the methods are selective and precise.

The biological denitrification in the presence of gC3N4 doped TiO2 composite was investigated through series of batch experiment. gC3N4 doped TiO2 was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM-EDAX and the prepared composite used as electron donor for the enhancement biological denitrification. The role of extracellular polymeric substances in the biological nitrate reduction and electron transfer process has been elucidated. The XRD result confirms that TiO2 nanoparticle has 80% anatase and 20% rutile phase. The gC3N4 shows the diffraction peaks at 27.57°, corresponds to the diffraction planes of (002) the hexagonal graphitic carbon nitride. The SEM image of modified gC3N4/TiO2 nanocomposites showed agglomerated small spherical TiO2 nanoparticles attached on the surface of gC3N4. The highest level of nitrate removal was 90% (from 100 mg/L to 10 mg/L nitrate) in gC3N4/TiO2 nanocomposite in the 15% wt TiO2 doped gC3N4. The nitrate reduction in the biofilm with gC3N4 doped TiO2 composite have significantly enhanced the nitrate reduction than the control. Photoexcited electrons were generated from gC3N4 doped TiO2 photocatalyst act as excellent electron donor to the microbial communities. Extracellular polymeric substances acted as a passing media for microbial extracellular electron transfer and protective barrier for microbes. The electroactive microbes were harvested electrons from the gC3N4 doped TiO2 composite under irradiation and enhancing the biological nitrate reduction. Overall, the present study suggests that insight into the mechanism of photoexcited electron facilitated biological nitrate reduction and role of extracellular polymeric substances. The successful integration of gC3N4 doped TiO2 photocatalyst and biofilm is a promising technology for nitrate removal.

The electrostatics-based dsDNA binding activity in TbRAP1 NLS can be diminished by phosphorylation of NLS-adjacent S residues., Localization of Repressor Activator Protein 1 (RAP1) to the telomere is essential for its telomeric functions. RAP1 homologs either directly bind the duplex telomere DNA or interact with telomere-binding proteins. We find that Trypanosoma brucei RAP1 relies on a unique double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) binding activity to achieve this goal. T. brucei causes human sleeping sickness and regularly switches its major surface antigen, variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), to evade the host immune response. VSGs are monoallelically expressed from subtelomeres, and TbRAP1 is essential for VSG regulation. We identify dsDNA and single-stranded DNA binding activities in TbRAP1, which require positively charged 737RKRRR741 residues that overlap with TbRAP1’s nuclear localization signal in the MybLike domain. Both DNA binding activities are electrostatics-based and sequence nonspecific. The dsDNA binding activity can be substantially diminished by phosphorylation of two 737RKRRR741-adjacent S residues and is essential for TbRAP1’s telomere localization, VSG silencing, telomere integrity, and cell proliferation.

In the emerging scenario of increasing antibiotic resistance and pathogen transmission channels, the grave danger posed by bacterial endospores in critical fields like food industry, health and medicine highlights the urgent need to develop efficient probes for their detection; their sturdy and impermeable multilayer coat makes desirable methods like fluorescence imaging extremely difficult. Selective imaging of the endospores in the presence of the bacteria is even more challenging. Furthermore, it is preferable to maintain the dormant state of endospores through the imaging process, if extended monitoring is required; many of the available techniques involve lethal germination or destruction of the endospores. We show that simple zwitterionic diaminodicyanoquinodimethane (DADQ) molecules with selected functionalities are efficient dyes for fluorescence imaging due to their dipolar structure that facilitates the penetration into the endospore system, and the enhanced fluorescence in their rigid/aggregated state. The facile structural tailorability allows DADQs with various appendage moieties to be synthesized; a derivative with ionic substituents (BT2), and another with optimally long alkyl chains and the resultant hydrophobic character (BHADQ) are shown to be excellent fluorescent probes for endospores. Nanomolar amounts of dyes provide effective staining; while BT2 stains bacteria and endospores, most significantly, BHADQ stains endospores selectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of selective fluorescence imaging of endospores in their dormant state. A range of spectroscopy, microscopy and calorimetry studies provide insight into the molecular level interactions that enable efficient staining and bright images. DADQ fluorophores are photostable and non-cytotoxic, hence useful in practical applications. The versatile structural tailorability of these dye molecules holds great promise for targeted imaging.

We propose a new fluorescent stain “sporotan” and staining protocol which aid in the identification of cryptic endospores which are otherwise mistaken as poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate granules.

The present world economy is highly dependent on the stocked natural resources of the Earth, which are being used for the production of fuel, electricity, and other needs. The very high level of fossil fuel consumption has generated a high level of pollutants in the atmosphere, with the scenario being worse in urban areas. Because the level of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere has drastically increased, bioethanol has received worldwide interest. Bioethanol is a major second-generation biofuel. The global market for bioethanol has entered a phase of rapid, transitional growth. Many countries around the world are shifting their focus toward renewable sources for power production because of depleted crude oil reserves. The trend is extending to transport fuel as well. Most of the environmentally aware countries across the globe consider biomass for its economic utilization, and have directed state policies regarding the same, to meet future energy demands and also to meet carbon dioxide reduction targets. The primary focus is on reducing the emissions and thereby complying with the Kyoto Protocol for specified targets and also meeting energy demands. As well as the production of bioethanol, lignocellulosic biomass is also used in the production of both power and heat through combustion. Petroleum-based fuels can be replaced by bioethanol and other biofuels if biomass materials such as sugarcane bagasse, corn stover, switchgrass, and algae are effectively utilized. As a matter of fact, lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant biomass present on the surface of the Earth. Among biomass sources, agricultural wastes are the most plentiful and cheapest, especially wheat straw, which is the most plentiful in Europe and is second worldwide after rice straw. As well as wheat, several other crops produce plentiful waste such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, and rice straw.

Mixed phase metal oxide photocatalysts at optimised phase ratio are known to perform better than their monophasic counterpart in visible spectrum. In tungsten oxide (WO3) too high visible activity is seen in multi-phasic systemhaving dominant hexagonal phase and is attributable to its superior photon harvesting characteristicsthan other phases. In a hetero-composite with ceria due to suitable band edge position further enhancement in the photoactivity is seen mainly with its monoclinic(m-WO3) phase. In this work, h-WO3/Ce3+/Ce4+based hetero-composites have been realized with different molar ratio of W/Ce.While h-WO3 dominates all the systems,m-WO3appears in the system at low concentration of Ce and disappears at higher concentrations. The resultant sharp increase (13.66X) in the visible photocatalytic performance of mixed phase-WO3/ceria composite compared to pristine h-WO3 shows a further jump (44X) in the monophasic-WO3/ceria composite with the highest concentration of ceria synthesized. The characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS spectroscopy (UV-VIS DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, transmission electronmicroscopy(TEM), and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) reveal the complex role distinct phase junctions of homo-/hetero-composites. The mixed-phase h-WO3/m-WO3homojunction, h-WO3/Ce3+ composite heterojunction and h-WO3/Ce3+/Ce2+ with both hetero-composite (h-WO3/Ce3+ and h-WO3/Ce2+) and homo-composite(Ce3+/Ce4+) heterojunction in the samples has been identified, and their roles have been analyzed to correlate with their respective visible light photoactivity.

An organic molecular single-electron transistor (SET) based on a tetracene quantum dot has been modeled and employed for sensing of chlorine gas, within the framework of density functional theory. The sensing behavior of the SET is estimated through a charge-stability diagram and total energy as a function of gate potential (TE vs. Vg) for varying distances of chlorine from the SET quantum dot, which could be used as an electronic fingerprint for detection. The better sensing ability, high power efficiency and large operational temperature range of tetracene SET, in comparison to conventional sensors, makes it a very powerful candidate for a chlorine gas sensor.

Bioretention has been increasingly used recently to treat heavy metals contaminated stormwater. However, less is known about how metal accumulation influences microbial performance and organics removal mechanisms in different layers of the bioretention system. Two lab-scale bioretention columns (i.e., control and Cu treatment) were designed and filled with soil and fillers (zeolite and ceramsite). The results obtained from the time-series experiment of 121 days showed that the removal of organics markedly affected by Cu accumulation and microbial activities, varied between soil and filler layers of bioretention system. The overall organics removal rate was higher in filler than soil. However, at the individual level, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate was higher than total organic carbon (TOC) in the soil, while the opposite trend was observed in fillers. Mixed media (soil + fillers) significantly reduced the bio-available and labile fractions of Cu from 33.5 to 8% and 67.5 to 33.4%, respectively. The bioretention column treated with Cu lost 14% more microbial biomass in soil than filler over the 121 days study period. Therefore mixed media in bioretention system can offset the substantial negative impacts of long-term metal accumulation on pollutant removal and microbial degradation function in the bioretention. The present study advanced our understanding to resolve the complex metals-impacted microbial pollutant biodegradation mechanisms and highlight importance of mixed media in the long-term maintenance of the bioretention system, which is imperative for developing effective and stormwater-specific remediation strategies.

Four strains of Planctomycetes, (JC636, JC649, JC650T, JC657T) which are all salt and alkali tolerant, pink coloured, with spherical to oval shaped, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile cells were isolated from different regions of Chilika lagoon, India. All strains have obligate requirement for N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and share highest 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with members of the genus Tautonia ( 99.5%. Respiratory quinone for all the strains was MK6. Major fatty acids of all the strains were C18:1ω9c, C16:0 and C18:0. Major polar lipid of the strain JC650T was phosphatidylethanolamine, while, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol for strain JC657T. Spermidine was the only common polyamine for all the four strains. Strains JC657T, JC636 and JC649 shared highest phenotypic similarity along with 100% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity. Strains JC657T, JC636 and JC649 differed from strain JC650T phenotypically, chemotaxonomically and genotypically, thus belong to a different species. The genomic size of strain JC650T and JC657T are 7.06 Mb and 6.96 Mb with DNA G + C content of 63.9 and 62.7 mol%, respectively. Based on phylogenetic, genomic (ANI, AAI, POCP, dDDH), chemotaxonomic, physiological and biochemical characteristics, we conclude that strains JC650T and JC657T (together with strains JC636, JC649) belong to the genus Tautonia and constitute two novel species for which we propose the names Tautonia marina sp. nov., and Tautonia rosea sp. nov., respectively. These two novel species are represented by the type strains JC650T (=KCTC 72177T = NBRC 113885T) and JC657T (=KCTC 72597T = NBRC 113883T) respectively.

Kamini Vidrawan Ras is a classical Ayurvedic medicine, referred to in Bhaisjya Ratnavali, a book recognized by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of India. Its usefulness has been stated in erectile dysfunction, impotence, and premature ejaculation. Opium is the major ingredient of formulation which is highly addictive as it contains narcotic alkaloids (morphine, codeine, and thebaine). Opium is a natural product; hence, the morphine content varies from 4–21%. The aim of this study was to develop a simple, precise, rapid, and reliable high-performance thin-layer chromatography— densitometry method for the quantitative estimation of morphine in the tablets of the said Ayurvedic medicines. Aluminum-backed silica gel F254 (20 cm × 10 cm) was used as the stationary phase and ethyl acetate, methanol, and ammonia (85:10:5, v/v) as the mobile phase. The RF value for morphine was 0.36, and the quantitative evaluation of the bands over plates was performed in the reflectance—absorbance mode at 280 nm. The regression anal...

A feed-forward loop (FFL) is a common gene-regulatory motif in which usually the upstream regulator is a protein, a transcription factor, that regulates the expression of the target protein in two parallel pathways. Here, we study a distinct sRNA-driven FFL (sFFL) discovered recently in Salmonella enterica. Unlike previously studied transcriptional FFLs (tFFL) and sRNA-mediated FFLs (smFFL), here the upstream regulator is an sRNA that activates the target protein and its transcriptional activator. Such sFFL has not been subjected to rigorous analysis. We, therefore, set out to understand two aspects. First is a quantitative comparison of the regulatory response of sFFL with tFFL and smFFL using a differential equation framework. Since the process of gene expression is inherently stochastic, the second objective is to find how the noise affects the functionality of sFFL. We find the response of sFFLto be stronger, faster, and more sensitive to the initial concentration of the upstream regulator than tFFL and smFFL. Further, a generating function based analysis and stochastic simulations lead to a non-trivial prediction that an optimal noise filtration can be attained depending on the synthesis rate of the sRNA and the degradation rate of the transcriptional activator. We conclude that in sFFL, sRNA plays a critical role not only in driving a rapid and strong response, but also a reliable response that depends critically on its concentration. Given the advantages of sFFL brought out in this work, it should not be surprising if future work reveals their employment in different biological contexts., Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures

The main aim of this study is to investigate the toxicity of organophosphate (OPs) insecticides monocrotophos (MCP) and chlorpyrifos (CLS) on plant growth promoting (PGP) properties and seed germination of brinjal, tomato and okra vegetables inoculated by Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans (BHUJP-P1), Stenotrophomonas rhizophila (BHUJP-P2), Bacillus licheniformis (BHUJP-P3) and Bacillus cereus (BHUJP-P4). Maximum increase in microbial growth (52.6% & 47.9%) with enhanced EPS production (447.67 mg/ml & 75.00 mg/ml) was showed by BHUJP-P4 and BHUJP-P3 at 10× dose of MCP and CLS over control, BHUJP-2 and BHUJP-P1 respectively. Simultaneously, both strains recorded minimum reduction in PGP activities and seed germination at 3× dose of both insecticides as compared to BHUJP-2 and BHUJP-P1, respectively. Strains BHUJP-P3 and BHUJP-P4 showed 83 and 81% of monocrotophos degradation at 50 mg/kg concentration; 81 and 80% at 150 mg/kg concentration within 5days respectively. Concurrently, these strains BHUJP-P3 and BHUJP-P4 were recorded 53 and 90% of chlorpyrifos degradation at 50 mg/kg concentration; 49% and 87% at 100 mg/kg concentration within 72 h, respectively. The OPs insecticide degrading gene opdA and opd was found in strain BHUJP-P3 and BHUJP-P4, respectively. The multifarious biological activities of strain BHUJP-P3 and BHUJP-P4 showed maximum tolerance against insecticide, and minimum reduction in P-solubilisation, IAA, siderophore and HCN production for plant growth promotion and biological control under insecticide stress. Thus, these novel isolates may be used as biodegradation of organophosphate insecticide and plant growth promoting bacterial (PGPB) inoculum for enhancing seed germination of vegetables under stress insecticide. These novel strains will be environment friendly, socially acceptable and economically viable.

The polymers are usually insulators by nature, however those with inherent conjugation take an exception, hence called conducting polymers. Trans-polyacetylene is a conducting polymer with a HOMO-LUMO gap comparable to the band gap of silicon semiconductor. Thus, this conducting plastic is been widely studied to gain a better understanding of its properties, so as to revolutionize various technological fields. In this work, we provide a comprehensive report of the transport phenomenon (electrical as well as thermal) through trans-polyacetylene conducting polymer in presence of hybridization and torsion defects. Moreover, in order to gain insights of the polymer behavior in real time device environment, it has been subjected to external tensile stress and studied for the transport properties. Our analysis revealed that this conducting polymer is very sensitive to hybridization and torsion defects, with about 66 times reduction in drive current for hybridization defect, while the torsion defect has caused a further current degradation by 1.45 times. The defects are observed to cause lesser degradation in thermal conductance in comparison to the electrical conductance. Interestingly, the simultaneous induction of hybridization and torsion defects in the polymer has resulted a negative differential resistance (NDR) effect. It has been observed that subjecting this polymer to external tensile stress not only reduces its stability but also greatly influences the drive current.

We have covalently grafted fullerene molecules to graphene oxide using hydrolyzed PCBM as fullerene precursor via very mild process without the use of metal catalysts and comprehensively studied the charge transfer interactions in ground and excited state. For the evidence of covalent grafting of fullerene on graphene oxide sheets different spectroscopic studies have been performed like, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption, cyclic voltammetry, XRD and XPS. Amount of loading of fullerene on graphene oxide is calculated by thermogravimetric analysis and morphological study was performed by AFM and TEM. Covalently attached fullerene molecules act as excellent electron acceptor for ultrafast electron transfer from graphene oxide sheets and established by photoluminescence and ultrafast pump-probe transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. From the TA measurements, we reveal ultrafast charge separation and long lived charge separated species formation in fullerene functionalized graphene oxide.

Cu thin films were deposited on Si(111), glass, and quartz substrates by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction, SEM, and photoemission electron microscope studies were carried out to characterize the films. An influence of the nature of substrate on the Cu2O and CuO phases formed was observed. Copper silicide formation in case of silicon substrates aided in formation of Cu2O rather than CuO unlike glass and quartz substrates. Formation of nanocrystallites was observed by SEM and X-ray diffraction. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Purpose To study the structural changes occurring in the dental porcelain mass fired at various firing temperatures using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. Also, additional tests, namely compressive strength, abrasion resistance analysis, and the amount of oxides released, were conducted at different firing temperatures. Materials and Methods Six groups (40 specimens in each group) of porcelain mass were prepared. The dimensions and weight of all the specimens were kept constant. The specimens were then heat treated at different firing temperatures (660°C, 760°C, 860°C, 900°C, 960°C, 990°C). Half of the specimens of each group were subjected to a compressive strength test on a universal testing machine and then finely ground using an electrochemical grinder to prepare for XRD analysis. The other half of the specimens was weighed to analyze the amount of oxides released after each firing cycle. Following this, the specimens underwent an abrasion resistance test on a Nanovea Tribometer. The unaltered surface was scanned using SEM. The data (numerical and graphical) for all the tests were recorded and analyzed using one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test. Results The specimens fired at 900°C exhibited superior compressive strength and abrasion resistance. The quantity of oxides released by the specimens fired at 900°C was the least compared to specimens heat treated at the other firing temperatures. XRD analysis proved that the oxide released by the porcelain mass was calcium aluminum chromium oxide. Also, the fewer peaks obtained in the XRD graphs of specimens fired at 900°C signified lesser porosities in the porcelain specimens. SEM analysis depicted a homogeneous mass of porcelain at 900°C. Conclusion All the above findings validate the objective of studying the physical and internal structural changes of dental porcelain when subjected to an increasing firing temperature gradient. The specimens fired at 900°C exhibited superior strength and abrasion resistance. SEM analysis depicted a homogeneous mass of dental porcelain, implying that firing was complete at 900°C.

Multiphasic crystallite complex of the most popular photocatalyst – TiO2 has consistently shown better UV and/or visible photoactivity than its pristine monophasic counterparts. An identical behaviour is reported in the studies conducted on ZnO as well. This motivated the present study i) to explore the possibility to establish this as generic behavior for all such materials, and ii) to look for a better material with high photocatalytic activity. The choice of niobium pentoxide for the purpose lies in its uniqueness in terms of its existence in different oxidation states and crystalline phases. Additionally it offers a novel and promising alternative to the existing photoactive nanomaterials due to its apposite band gap, band edge location, stability, sorption characteristics and recyclability. Herein, an attempt has been made to prepare niobium pentoxide with different crystalline phases, including mixed, and analyze their photoactivity in UV and visible ranges. The results show that niobium pentoxide, calcined between 500-800°C, crystallizes predominantly in orthorhombic and 900 °C and above in monoclinic phase. The results reveal that under both UV and visible radiation the monophasic (monoclinic phase) niobia has high photoactivity as compared to the other phases in degradation of aqueous probe pollutant. This result is contrary to the expected result. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), UV-VIS spectroscopy (UV-VIS DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) to arrive at a conclusive explanation of the results. The sorption characteristics of the hydrocolloid system, among others, have been found to be responsible for this behavior.

Introduction: With the rising incidence of noncommunicable diseases such as stroke in low- and medium-income countries like India, it has become imperative to identify the potentially modifiable risk factors and focus on prevention. Microalbuminuria (MA) is now gaining recognition as an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. It has also been studied as a prognostic marker for acute ischemic stroke. Thus, it was intended to study MA in acute ischemic stroke and its correlation with stroke severity. Methods: A single-center case–control study was done after enrolling seventy cases of ischemic stroke with age between 40 and 65 years, satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria during a span of 2 years. Fifty patients in the age group of 40–65 years with no history of stroke and transient ischemic attack and fulfilling the exclusion criteria were taken as control. All cases were subjected to detailed history, systemic clinical examination, and biochemical and radiological investigations with assessment of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) for grading of severity of ischemic stroke with semi-quantitative measurement of MA (urinary albumin: creatinine ratio). Results: Hypertension (62.86%), diabetes mellitus (34.29%), and smoking (27.14%) were found to be the major risk factors for acute ischemic stroke. MA was present in 48.57% of cases, whereas in the control group, MA was present only in 18% of patients. Our study showed MA as an independent risk factor for acute ischemic stroke. On multivariate logistic regression analysis of risk factors of acute ischemic stroke, odd ratio for MA was 4.312 with P = 0.005. In our study, cases with mean NIHSS 17.71 and median NIHSS 18 were positive for MA, while cases with mean NIHSS 13.03 and median NIHSS 12 were negative for MA, that is, cases with higher mean and median NIHSS were positive for MA. This association of MA with NIHSS was statistically significant (P = 0.036). Conclusion: MA was found in approximately half of the patients studied with acute ischemic stroke, and there was a significant association between MA and higher NIHSS.

Background & objectives: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is rarely diagnosed in patients with HIV infection, in spite of autopsy studies showing very high rates of adrenal involvement. This study was aimed to determine the presence, patterns and predictors of AI in patients with HIV infection. Methods: Consecutive HIV patients, 18-70 yr age, without any severe co-morbid state, having at least one-year follow up at the antiretroviral therapy clinic, underwent clinical assessment and hormone assays. Results: From initially screened 527 patients, 359 patients having good immune function were analyzed. Basal morning cortisol

Water quality assessment has become a challenge for the scientific community. Nitrate is one of important parameters, which contributes in quality assessment. In this paper, UV spectroscopic technique is employed for quantitative determination of nitrate in water at its characteristic wavelength ∼ 200 nm, using spiked samples with known nitrate concentration in deionised water. The detection range for nitrate using this technique is 0.2 ppm - 4 ppm. Since nitrate detection is hindered by the presence of interferents viz. dissolved organic matter, nitrite, hexavalent chromium and surfactant, herein, we discuss the effect of non-ionic surfactant, TritonX 100, on determination of nitrate in water. The range of non-ionic surfactant (TritonX 100) is taken from 1 ppm-20 ppm whereas cationic and anionic surfactant is not taken into consideration because of their null effect on nitrate determination in water.

Graphene oxide with high conductivity is today's demand not only for high quality graphene synthesis but also for direct applications in electronic devices. Here we demonstrate a milder bulk synthesis approach for graphene oxide (mGO) from tattered graphite showing long range ordering and much higher conductivity (27 S m−1) compared to Hummers graphene oxide (H-GO) (0.8 S m−1). A two step mild oxidation process is adapted instead of excessive oxidation of graphite based on Hummers method which creates permanent defects in carbon sheets. This work demonstrates the mild oxidation process for highly conducting GO preparation without use of NaNO3 inhibiting the evolution of toxic gases and also possessing bulk synthesis possibilities.

Because of the world energy crisis, many countries have initiated a series of measures to resolve this problem through alternative energy resources. Biodiesel as an alternate fuel has received much attention in recent years. A number of reports are available on the production of biodiesel from vegetable oils and related sources but its production from microalgae is a highly prospective field. Microalgae can produce and accumulate lipids within their cells. These lipids on transesterification yields biodiesel. Hence, microalgae have the capacity to produce more biodiesel per acre land than any other plants or living organisms. This manuscript deals with chemical and biochemical aspects of microalgae-based biodiesel and methodology of its production.

The compound 4-methyl (2′-hydroxy,4′-n-hexadecyloxy) azobenzene was synthesized by Prajapati and co-workers (Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 369 (2001), pp. 37–46). Subsequent experiments (D. Pal, [PhD thesis], University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India, 2007) confirmed that the compound exists in nematic phase for a small range of temperature (72°C–80°C). In the present work, optimization of molecular geometry has been carried out by employing the Gaussian 03 suit of programs without any constraint using density functional B3LYP along with 6-31G** basis set and checked for imaginary frequencies. A detailed investigation on intermolecular interaction energy at various interacting configurations has been carried out. In order to study the mesogenic characteristics of the molecule, an attempt has been made to estimate the variation of order parameter with respect to the change in temperature as well as degrees of freedom. These studies will be helpful to understanding the mesogenic character of any molecule prior to syn...

Two pyridine derivative “2-(4-butoxyphenyl)-5-hexyl pyridine” (Cpd 1) and “3-(4-butoxyphenyl)-6-hexyl pyridine” (Cpd 2) differing only in the relative position of nitrogen have been examined quantum mechanically to understand the possible reason of their different mesogenic character. The studies include geometry optimization, evaluation of interaction energy between a molecular pair at minimum energy configuration and tendency of ordering at various interacting conditions. It has been found that in Cpd 1, the phenyl and pyridine rings are almost coplanar with the butoxy tail while Cpd 2 differs significantly from planarity. Cpd 1 therefore stacks more closely than Cpd 2. An attempt has been made to correlate the results of intermolecular interaction energy calculation with the mesogenic behavior of the respective molecules.

Measurements of dielectric constant and dielectric loss at various frequencies have been carried out on the title compound for the entire smectic range of temperature. Dielectric strength, distribution parameter, and activation energy as evaluated from the experimental data are reported in the article. To obtain a deeper insight, the intermolecular interaction between a pair of 6CB4HPD molecules has been analyzed using quantum mechanically optimized molecular geometry and electronic structure with the help of the Gaussian 03 program (Gaussian, Inc., Wallingford, CT) along with B3LYP/6-31G** basis sets. An attempt has been made to correlate the molecular structure, relative energy, and configuration of various interacting pairs and the observed experimental findings.

The development of beta-lactam antibiotics has been a continuous battle of the design of new compounds to withstand inactivation by the ever-increasing diversity of beta-lactamases. Semisynthetic cephalosporins like cephalothin were synthesized from 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid (7-ACA), and thiophene-2-acetic acid using cephalosporin-C acylase enzyme was studied. The production of cephalosporin-C acylase by Pseudomonas diminuta was used and the growth kinetics studied. The optimum condition of enzyme activity was determined by using response surface methodology. A 2(3) full-factorial composite design was employed for experimental design and the result analyzed. The pH value and temperature for optimum activity were 6.5 and 32 degrees C, respectively. The structural analog compound similar to the side-chain of semisynthetic cephalosporins, e.g., thiophene-2-acetic acid, was added. HPLC data analysis indicate that the concentration of cephalothin was 1.6 mg/mL.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of interrelated common clinical disorders. The role of resistin in insulin sensitivity and MetS is controversial till date. So, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship of plasma resistin levels with markers of the MetS in Indian subjects. In a case control study, total 528 subjects were selected for the study. 265 (194 male and 71 female) were cases (with MetS) and 263 (164 male and 99 female) were controls (without MetS). Required anthropometric measurements and calculations were carried out accordingly. All the Biochemical estimations were carried out according to standard protocol. Resistin level was measured by the standard protocol (By ELISA i.e. enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) as illustrated in the kit. Insulin level was also measured by the standard protocol as illustrated in the kit and insulin resistance was calculated by the standard procedures. Plasma resistin levels were significantly higher in cases compared with controls (male = 13.05 ± 4.31 vs. 7.04 ± 2.09 ng/ml; p ≤ 0.001 and female = 13.53 ± 4.14 vs. 7.42 ± 2.30 ng/ml; p ≤ 0.001). Plasma resistin levels were well correlated with waist circumference, glucose, triglycerides, waist/hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, serum low density lipoprotein, serum very low density lipoprotein, insulin and insulin resistance. Plasma resistin levels were elevated in presence of the MetS and were associated with increased metabolic risk factors.

Cephalosporins are ┚lactam antibiotics. In cephalosporin C, four membered ┚lactam ring (which is mainly responsible for the activity) is fused with six membered dihydrothiazine ring to form the basic nucleus, 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) and to which ┙aminoadipic acid side chain is attached through an amide bond (Fig 1). (Mandell and Sande,1991)Although cephalosporin was found to be active against large number of pathogenic bacteria (Medeiros, 1997) but the main hindrance in its application is its low stability. Also, occurrence of bacterial strains that are resistant to already existing antibiotics such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin resistant E. faecalis (VRE) has led to the search of new semisynthetic cephalosporins with better solubility and new mechanism of action. Only cephalosporin C is found naturally, so it’s chemical modification allowed production of a whole series of semisynthetic cephalosporins which can be used as therapeutics to fight organisms that have become penicillin resistant. Chemical modifications of cephalosporin C resulted in new cephalosporin derivatives. These semisynthetic cephalosporins are classified based on their activity profile, the antibacterial spectrum. Each newer generation of cephalosporin has significantly greater Gram –ve antimicrobial properties than the preceding generations, (Stan,2004; Jones,1994; Jacoby,2000; Babini and Livermore, 2000) in most cases with decreased activity against Gram +ve organism. Fourth generation cephalosporins are known to have true broad spectrum activity. (Wilson,1998; Tzouvelekis et al., 1998) In the past decade, even though the cephalosporin antibiotics have made remarkable progress and contribution in the treatment of acute diseases originated from pathogenic infection in clinics, many efforts still exist to achieve the well balanced broad spectrum and to improve beta-lactamase stability. 7┙formamido cephalosporins were isolated as fermentation product of various gram negative bacteria. The development of a new antibiotic focuses mainly with the study and characterization of its mechanism of its activity (Table 1). The ┚-lactam antibiotics like penicillin, cephalosporins, vancomycin, etc. are specific inhibitor working against bacterial cell wall (peptidoglycan) synthesis but newer strains have ┚-lactamase activity which destroys most of the ┚-lactam antibiotics and thus make them resistant to it. However, cephalosporins proved to be more stable to ┚-lactamase. Cephalosporin-C (CPC) shows similarity to in structure with the penicillin in having an acyl side chain attached to an