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Abstract Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is the leading cause of excruciating lower back pain and disability in adults worldwide. Among the current treatments for DDD, cell-based therapies such as the injection of both disc- and non-disc-derived chondrocytes have shown significant improvements in the patients’ condition. However, further advancement of these therapies is required to not only ensure a supply of healthy chondrocytes but also to promote regeneration of the defective cells in the injury site. Here, we report that the incorporation of gelatin microparticles coloaded with transforming growth factor beta 3 and matrilin 3 promoted chondrogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell spheroids while preventing hypertrophy and terminal differentiation of cells. Moreover, these composite spheroids induced the release of chondrogenic cytokines that, in turn, promoted regeneration of degenerative chondrocytes in vitro. Finally, injections of these composite spheroids in a rat model of intervertebral disc disease promoted restoration of the chondrogenic properties of the cells, thereby allowing regeneration of the chondrogenic tissue in vivo.

The current study explores the magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transport enhancement due to convection in a ferrofluid stream across a permeable vertical plate with thermal radiation, thermal diffusion, and a magnetic field. This examination considers the suspension of magnetite and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles in water as a base liquid. Strong magnetic capabilities are exhibited by cobalt ferrite and magnetite nanoparticles, which makes them attractive options for uses requiring magnetic manipulation of liquid flows. Understanding the relationship between the fluid flow and external magnetic fields requires the ability to regulate and modulate the fluid behaviour, which is made possible by the existence of a magnetic field in the system. Understanding the trajectory of drug-loaded particles and enhancing targeting efficiency need a knowledge of how ferrofluid flow behaves when subjected to an external magnetic field. The modelling equations are transformed into dimensionless form and solutions for flow and thermal fields are attained by applying the regular perturbation method. The outcome of physical factors on the flow and derived quantities has been introduced as tables and graphs. The heat transfer rate of magnetite is higher than that of cobalt ferrite due to the large thermal conductivity of magnetite particles. The thickness of the fluid increases by increasing the Grashof number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles of barium zirconate were prepared by sol–gel method and used for the preparation of nanocomposites. Polyaniline fibers and its nanocomposites with barium zirconate were prepared by in‐situ polymerization at various percentages of 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, and 5 wt%. The prepared polyaniline nanocomposites were subjected for determination functional group by FTIR spectra and XRD analysis. The surface morphology is important aspect of sensor studies, which is illustrated by SEM and TEM image. DC conductivity of the pristine PANI and its nanocomposites increases with increase in temperature up 200°C. It is evident that the increase in conductivity is due to the hopping of charge carriers from valence band to conduction band. Among all the nanocomposites, 3 wt% of polyaniline nanocomposite shows the high conductivity of 18.6 S/cm. It is also noted that 3 wt% polyaniline nanocomposites have a higher sensitivity of 86.2% at 300 ppm when compared with other compositions. This could be because of formation strong connections between the polyaniline fibers and nano‐oxide as a resulted of enhanced node connections, high surface area and porosity through optimized nanomaterials doping. The nanocomposites sensitivity restored in 89 s after the gas was removed, responding in 23 s at 300 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A split plot experiment was conducted at research farm of Agronomy Section, ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana during kharif 2018–19 to evaluate various jeevamrutha formulations under the varying nutrient levels in fodder maize (Zea mays L.). In main plot four nutrient levels [Control (0), 50, 75 and 100% RDF] and in sub-plot, five jeevamrutha formulations [Control (without jeevamrutha), water based jeevamrutha @1000 l/ha, water based jeevamrutha @1500 l/ha, whey based jeevamrutha @1000 l/ha and whey based jeevamrutha @1500 l/ha] were taken as treatments and replicated thrice. Better growth attributes, viz. plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem girth and leaf:stem ratio were observed with increased nutrient levels. Application of 50, 75 and 100% RDF resulted in 35.01, 61.21 and 74.19% higher green fodder yield (GFY) over control. Jeevamrutha (whey/water based) formulations significantly improved growth. Significantly higher dry matter yield (DMY) (11.65 t/ha) was obtained with 100% RDF. Whey based jeevamrutha formulation @1500 l/ha ((52.83 and 11.09 t/ha) closely followed by water based jeevamrutha formulation @1500 l/ha (51.38 and 10.79 t/ha) resulted in higher GFY and DMY, respectively. The highest gross returns and net returns were obtained in 100% RDF with whey based jeevamrutha @1500 l/ha (`94.89 and 70.32 × 103/ha, respectively). Maximum benefit:cost ratio (2.89) was recorded in 100% RDF and water based jeevamrutha formulation @1500 l/ha. Interaction effect between jeevamrutha formulation and nutrient levels suggested that application of jeevamrutha formulation @1500 l/ha in both forms (Whey and water) can save 25% nutrient dose.

For the first of its kind ZnAl 2 O 4 : Ag (1–11 mol % ) nanomaterials (NMs) are synthesized using Tulsi leaves extract (calcination at 500 ∘ C) and subjected to characterization. Structural and electrochemical properties are analyzed. Cubic structure is verified by the Bragg reflections. Both crystallite size and direct energy band gap was found to decrease with an increase in dopant concentration. On the surface morphology, there are numerous pores and hollows. The galvanostatic, CV, EIS spectra, Discharge profile and Cyclic life profile was performed for ZnAl 2 O 4 : Ag (1 and 11 mol % ) NPs. The CV analysis showed only a pair of oxidation peaks and only one reduction peak. According to records, the precise discharge and charge capabilities are 242/214, 196/184, 161/151, 140/126 and 126/115 at 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2.5 C respectively. Additionally, at 2.5 C, the ZnAl 2 O 4 : Ag (1–11 mol%) anode exhibits the greatest cycle stability and Columbic efficiency even after 1000 cycles of cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the analysis of the flow and heat transfer performance of ternary nanofluid flowing past a stretching sheet under the influence of quadratic convection. The ternary nanofluid is formed by suspending three different nanoparticles, namely, titanium dioxide (TiO2), silver (Ag) and graphene (Gr) in the base fluid water (H2O). Thus, the ternary nanofluid obtained is Gr–Ag–TiO2/H2O where the hybrid nanofluid Ag–TiO2/H2O forms the base fluid for the resulting ternary nanofluid. The addition of TiO2 nanoparticles enhances the photocatalytic nature of the base fluid and makes it useful in various applications concerning the medicinal field. The presence of Gr helps in intensifying the thermal conductivity of water while the suspension of silver nanoparticles ensures chemical stability. Meanwhile, the thermophysical properties of the ternary nanofluid are mathematically defined and the system of equations that describe the flow of a ternary nanofluid past a stretching sheet is framed using differential equations. The outcomes of this study are interpreted through graphs for velocity and temperature profiles of the ternary nanofluid. It was mainly observed that the thermal conductance of ternary nanofluid was higher than the monophase and hybrid nanofluid. Also, the presence of quadratic convection had a prominent impact on the ternary nanofluid flow. The Nusselt number was found to be greater for spherical nanoparticles and it was found to be least for blade-shaped nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present communication aims to discuss the impact of viscous dissipation on MHD flow, heat and mass transfer of Casson fluid over a plate by considering mixed convection. Nonlinear partial differential systems are reduced to the ordinary ones through transformation procedure. The modelled nonlinear systems are computed implementing RKF-45 scheme. Convergent solutions for velocity and temperature and concentration fields are given diagrammatically. The obtained results are compared with published literatures and reasonable agreement is found. It is found that, temperature profile increases by increasing values of Dufour parameter, whereas on opposite trend is observed in concentration profile for increasing values Soret parameter.