Search

Background The purpose of this prospective observational study is to analyse posture-induced cyclotorsion in eyes undergoing conventional phacoemulsification with toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and femtolaser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) using the Verion image-guided system. Methods Cyclotorsion was assessed in patients who underwent conventional phacoemulsification with toric IOL implantation and FLACS between June 2017 and November 2017 with registration of iris architecture, limbal and bulbar conjunctival blood vessels acquired preoperatively using the Verion Reference Unit (the patient in sitting position) and intraoperatively under the microscope using the digital marker of the Verion image-guided system with the patient in supine position. Results Forty-four eyes of 30 patients (21 men and 9 women) were included with the mean age of 56.5 ± 17.1 (range, 19–89; median, 62) years. The mean cyclotorsion induced by change in posture from sitting to supine position was 5.84 ± 3.25° (range, 1–17; median, 5). Overall, clockwise (CW) rotation (59.1%) was noted to be more common than counter clockwise (CCW) rotation (40.9%). Furthermore, CW rotation was more common in men than in women, and CCW rotation was significantly more common in women. Patients who underwent bilateral sequential cataract surgery show similar cyclorotation (CW or CCW) in both eyes more often than mixed rotation (85.7% vs 14.3%). Conclusion Significant cyclotorsion can occur in supine position during cataract surgery. Accurate assessment of the amount and direction of cyclotorsion aids in appropriate alignment of the toric IOL for optimal visual outcomes.

The use of metallic nanoparticles in engineering and biomedicine disciplines has gained considerable attention. Scientists are exploring new synthesis protocols of these substances considering their small size and lucrative antimicrobial potential. Among the most economical techniques of synthesis of metallic nanoparticles via chemical routes, which includes the use of chemicals as metal reducing agents, is considered to generate nanoparticles possessing toxicity and biological risk. This limitation of chemically synthesized nanoparticles has engendered the exploration for the ecofriendly synthesis process. Biological or green synthesis approaches have emerged as an effective solution to address the limitations of conventionally synthesized nanoparticles. Nanoparticles synthesized via biological entities obtained from plant extracts exhibit superior effect in comparison to chemical methods. Recently, conifer extracts have been found to be effective in synthesizing metallic nanoparticles through a highly regulated process. The current review highlights the importance of conifers and its extracts in synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. It also discusses the different applications of the conifer extract mediated metallic nanoparticles.

Ageing is an enigmatic and progressive biological process which undermines the normal functions of living organisms with time. Ageing has been conspicuously linked to dietary habits, whereby dietary restrictions and antioxidants play a substantial role in slowing the ageing process. Oxygen is an essential molecule that sustains human life on earth and is involved in the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that pose certain health complications. The ROS are believed to be a significant factor in the progression of ageing. A robust lifestyle and healthy food, containing dietary antioxidants, are essential for improving the overall livelihood and decelerating the ageing process. Dietary antioxidants such as adaptogens, anthocyanins, vitamins A/D/C/E and isoflavones slow the ageing phenomena by reducing ROS production in the cells, thereby improving the life span of living organisms. This review highlights the manifestations of ageing, theories associated with ageing and the importance of diet management in ageing. It also discusses the available functional foods as well as nutraceuticals with anti-ageing potential.

In this study, indole-3-butanoic acid (IBA), a biologically and environmentally safe entity, has been grafted onto low and high molecular weight (1.8 and 25 kDa) polyethylenimines (PEI) mainly through primary amines to obtain amphiphilic indole-3-butanoyl-polyethylenimines (IBPs). Two series of IBPs (IBP1.8 and IBP25) were prepared which, on self-assembly in aqueous medium, yielded multifunctional nanomicellar structures (IBP1.8 and IBP25) capable of transporting genetic material in vitro and exhibiting other biological activities. Physicochemical characterization showed the size of IBP1.8 and IBP25 nanostructures in the range of ~332–234 nm and ~283–166 nm, respectively, with zeta potential varying from ~+29–17 mV and ~+37–25 mV. DNA release assay demonstrated higher release of plasmid DNA from IBP nanostructures as compared to native PEIs. Cytotoxicity showed a decreasing pattern with increasing degree of grafting of IBA onto PEIs making these nanostructures non-toxic. pDNA complexes of these nanostructures (both IBPs1.8 and IBPs25) displayed considerably higher transfection efficiency, however, IBP1.8/pDNA complexes performed much better (~7–9 folds) as compared to native PEI/pDNA and Lipofectamine/pDNA complexes on mammalian cells. CLSM analysis revealed that these complexes entered nucleus in sufficient amounts suggesting higher uptake and efficient internalization of the complexes. Besides, these supramolecular nanostructures not only exhibited excellent antimicrobial potential (MIC ~49–100 µg/ml) against clinical as well as resistant pathogenic strains but also found to possess antioxidant property. Overall, the projected low molecular weight PEI-based vectors could serve as more effective multifunctional nanomaterials having promising potential for future gene therapy applications with capability to provide protection against other bacterial infections.

Feedback and counseling are related to proper evaluation statements and regular movement. Executive provides responses and give direction to workers on a regular source to make aware about strengths and weaknesses of employees. Counseling is the process that focuses on improving the performance of employees. Counseling is the activity concerned with the evaluation of human resources and their output, and recognition of additional development. Counseling as a way helps the employee as an individual and in team to manage the huge changes at the work place.

Copper coordination complexes have emerged as a group of transition metal complexes that play important roles in solar energy conversion, utilization and storage, and have the potential to replace the quintessential commonly used transition metals, like Co, Pt, Ir and Ru as light sensitizers, redox mediators, electron donors and catalytic centers. The applications of copper coordination compounds in chemistry and energy related technologies are many and demonstrate their rightful place as sustainable, low toxicity and Earth-abundant alternative materials. In this perspective we show the most recent impact made by copper coordination complexes in dye-sensitized solar cells and other energy relevant applications. De två första författarna delar förstaförfattarskapet

Microbial enzymes have become an integral part of the industrial processes and are significantly influencing our life. Exploration of microbial enzymes has seen various improvements over the past years like directed evolution, omics studies, recombinant DNA technology and metagenomics. The major challenge with microbial enzyme is that only 1% of the microbial community has been explored for being culturable, whereas, rest of 99% still remains mystery and demands for exploration. The metagenomic approach has emerged as valuable tool to untapped the hidden microbial community. This process involves the direct isolation of the DNA from various niches, followed by construction of metagenomic library and extraction of the information via sequence and functional based approaches. Numerous novel biocatalyst and metabolites have been obtained through this approach. Hence, mining of the microbial genomes can expand our horizon to find industrially important enzymes. This chapter intends to provide the comprehensive information about metagenomics and its potential exclusively in obtaining the novel microbial enzymes.

The role of microorganisms is well-established in regulating the nature’s activities and the applications in different industries. Whole-cells as well as microbial products such as enzyme, secondary metabolites and peptides are used in bioremediation, fermentation, pharmaceutics, food, textile industries, among others. The great plate anomaly advocates that around 99% of the microorganisms in the environment are unculturable. The corollary to this statement is that the applications mentioned above arise out of the culturable fraction only, so it is only unimaginable what the other 99% holds for us. Metagenomics provides the necessary tools for exploring the diversity of the unculturable microbes and for bioprospecting the novel genes for different applications. This is possible due to the advent of modern molecular techniques and DNA sequencing and data analytics. The chapter highlights the salient aspects of the molecular methods used in metagenomic analyses and an overview of the applications of metagenomics to acquaint the readers about the new science of metagenomics.

Differentiation of stem cells into insulin secreting beta-like cells holds great promise to treat diabetes. Current protocols drive the cells through stages of maturation and produce cells that secrete insulin. However, these cells still lack many of the characteristics of native beta cells. One important influence on native cell responses is the capillary basement membrane. Whether the stem cell-derived spheroids contain basement membrane and whether it plays any role in the cell responses is unknown. Here we show the spheroids do contain basement membrane proteins as a diffuse web-like structure. We demonstrate that the beta-like cells within the spheroid do not respond to this basement membrane and show no evidence for the cell polarization that characterizes native cells. We then isolated cells from the mature spheroids and show that culture on basement membrane protein coated dishes does impose cell polarity and favourably alters glucose dependent insulin secretion. We also show that cells cultured on the inner surface of basement membrane coated polymer devices survive implantation in a mouse and retain their identity. We conclude that the introduction of basement membrane and controlling the environment around stem cell-derived beta cells is a valuable route towards better phenocopying the native responses.

Over time, sequencing determination of the unknown isolate has become the routine process to gather information about any piece of the nucleic acid. There have been significant innovations in the sequencing technique, from sequencing one nucleotide at a time to the massively parallel sequencing methods. Over the past three decades, the Sanger sequencing method has been the sole sequencing approach. From the past 15 years, there has been a significant reduction in the DNA sequencing cost which has increased the demand to a revolutionary extent as the newer techniques are providing the inexpensive, robust and precise genomic information. The conventional and next-generation techniques have tremendously progressed and created wealthy opportunities in different research areas, especially in metagenomic approaches, as sequencing play a significant role in its analysis. Therefore, this chapter intends to provide information about past applied and current DNA sequencing approaches and will discuss their limitations and strength. Moreover, the application of these sequencing techniques will also be delineated.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the association between transformational leadership and employee acceptance to change while establishing the mediating effects of innovative behaviour and the moderating effect of the use of information technology (IT) on this association. Design/methodology/approach In total, 378 employees of ten banks from Uttarakhand, India, participated in a questionnaire-based survey. The proposed hypotheses and the proposed conceptual model were tested using macro process (Hayes, 2013). Findings The results indicated that there exists a positive association between transformational leadership and employee acceptance to change. Furthermore, it was found that this association was mediated by employee innovative behaviour and moderated by the use of IT. Practical implications The findings of this study will help managers to comprehend the significance of the innovative behaviour of employees in moulding their acceptance towards change. This paper should encourage bank managers to perceive the significance of the working practice and the infusion of IT. Furthermore, this study accentuates the significance of an effective leadership style, i.e. transformational leadership, as an essential phenomenon to positively impinge on employee acceptance to change in a service-oriented industry, namely banking. Originality/value The present study enriches the extant research on transformational leadership and employee acceptance to change by demonstrating the use of IT and innovative behaviour as vital and the important factors that influence the level of persuasion that transformational leadership has on employee acceptance to change.

Organisations interact with each other for mutual benefits. Federation refers to one such interaction where each organisation functions independently yet is bound by contracts with others. Rural bu...

Analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data for the Mn(IV)-oxo complexes [Mn(IV)(O)((DMM)N4py)](2+), [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+), and [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2Q)](2+) ((DMM)N4py = N,N-bis(4-methoxy-3,5-di methyl-2-pyridylm ethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine; 2pyN2B = (N-bis(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl)methyl-N-(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)amine, and 2pyN2Q = N,N-bis(2-pyridyl)-N,N-bis(2-quinolylmethyl)methanamine) afforded Mn=O and Mn-N bond lengths. The Mn=O distances for [Mn(IV)(O)((DMM)N4py)](2+) and [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+) are 1.72 and 1.70 Å, respectively. In contrast, the Mn=O distance for [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2Q)](2+) was significantly longer (1.76 Å). We attribute this long distance to sample heterogeneity, which is reasonable given the reduced stability of [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2Q)](2+). The Mn=O distances for [Mn(IV)(O)((DMM)N4py)](2+) and [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+) could only be well-reproduced using DFT-derived models that included strong hydrogen-bonds between second-sphere solvent 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol molecules and the oxo ligand. These results suggest an important role for the 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol solvent in stabilizing Mn(IV)-oxo adducts. The DFT methods were extended to investigate the structure of the putative [Mn(IV)(O)(N4py)](2+)·(HOTf)(2) adduct. These computations suggest that a Mn(IV)-hydroxo species is most consistent with the available experimental data.

Introduction: Angiosarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract is a rare, aggressive malignant neoplasm of vascular origin. Commonly, this tumor occurs due to metastases from other sites like the head and neck region and the soft tissue. When occurring as a primary tumor of the intestines, this entity poses a diagnostic dilemma due to its non-specific clinical presentation, coupled to its infiltrative features that may occur without an obvious lesion amenable to routine gastrointestinal interventions. The findings from an autopsy and surgical case with a brief review of its diagnostic features and relevant literature are discussed.Methods: We present a 73-year-old male with a history of a recent onset of gastrointestinal bleeding who was referred to our facility for persisting bleeding. He underwent endoscopy without an identifiable source of bleeding and subsequently received a colectomy at our facility, with repeated blood transfusions for persisting gastrointestinal bleeding. He was eventually transitioned to hospice and died shortly after presentation. A complete autopsy was performed.Results: There was anasarca with hemoperitoneum and intestinal intraluminal blood. Present in the small intestinal mucosa were three hemorrhagic nodules. Histologically, the nodules demonstrated medium to large epithelioid vasoformative neoplastic cells infiltrating through the wall of the small intestine and extending to the omentum. The findings from the gross and histology examination, as well as the immunohistochemical stains were consistent with an epithelioid angiosarcoma.Conclusion: Primary epithelioid angiosarcoma of the intestine is an uncommon aggressive tumor that poses a diagnostic challenge. Although rare, this diagnosis needs to be considered in patients with intractable gastrointestinal bleeding. Due to its morphologic overlap with other benign and malignant neoplasms, the use of ancillary testing during histologic examination is key in arriving at an accurate diagnosis.

The ingestion of contaminated water and food is known to cause food illness. Moreover, on assessing the patients suffering from foodborne disease has revealed the role of microbes in such diseases. Concerning which different methods have been developed for protecting food from microbes, the treatment of food with chemicals has been reported to exhibit an unwanted organoleptic effect while also affecting the nutritional value of food. Owing to these challenges, the demand for natural food preservatives has substantially increased. Therefore, the interest of researchers and food industries has shifted towards fruit polyphenols as potent inhibitors of foodborne bacteria. Recently, numerous fruit polyphenols have been acclaimed for their ability to avert toxin production and biofilm formation. Furthermore, various studies have recommended using fruit polyphenols solely or in combination with chemical disinfectants and food preservatives. Currently, different nanoparticles have been synthesized using fruit polyphenols to curb the growth of pathogenic microbes. Hence, this review intends to summarize the current knowledge about fruit polyphenols as antibacterial agents against foodborne pathogens. Additionally, the application of different fruit extracts in synthesizing functionalized nanoparticles has also been discussed.

Bacterial blight (BB) is a major disease of rice for which host resistance is the only effective solution. The three genes pyramid xa5 + xa13 + Xa21 is recently the most utilized combination for developing resistant varieties through marker‐assisted breeding. Our study was carried out to elicit the detailed response of twenty lines possessing these three genes in five genetic backgrounds to twelve diverse BB pathotypes in India. The lines developed from ADT 47 variety showed incomplete resistance to most of the pathotypes, whereas susceptibility varied from 8.3% to 16.6% in ADT 43 and IR24, respectively. However, in IMP ASD16/60 and Improved Samba Mahsuri, complete resistance against all pathotypes was observed. The overall results confirmed that genetic background plays crucial role for the effective expression of xa5 + xa13 + Xa21 combination. Molecular studies did not reveal correlation between origin of pathotypes and their virulence potential. It is suggested to deploy Improved Samba Mahsuri, IMP ASD 16/60 and AD1306 varieties in the bacterial blight prone areas or use them as donors for realizing wider and durable resistance.

Biodiesel is a clean and sustainable fuel which has ability to replace diesel fuel used in power generation as well in transportation. This article explores Terminalia belerica Robx seed oil as an important bioresource for biodiesel synthesis. Extraction of terminalia oil from dried seeds and degumming of crude oil are also reported. Synthesis of biodiesel from waste vegetable oil and chicken fat oil as low-cost biodiesel feedstocks has also been carried out. The oils are trans-esterified using base homogeneous catalyst KOH and reaction variables were optimized for biodiesel synthesis. The biodiesel yields 89%, 89%, and 82% were obtained using feedstocks Terminalia oil, chicken fat oil, and waste vegetable oils, respectively, at individually optimized parameters such as molar ratio (methanol to oil), catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time, and agitation speed. The investigated fatty acid profile of feedstocks and different fuel properties of biodiesel were found to be as per ASTM D6751-07b and EU 14214:2003 standards. This article deliberates the possibility of T. belerica seed oil, waste vegetable oil, and chicken fat oil as promising bioresources for biodiesel production considering the recycling and conversion of waste materials to value-added products. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2017

A series of iron(II) benzilate complexes (1–7) with general formula [(L)FeII(benzilate)]+ have been isolated and characterized to study the effect of supporting ligand (L) on the reactivity of metal-based oxidant generated in the reaction with dioxygen. Five tripodal N4 ligands (tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA in 1), tris(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine (6-Me3-TPA in 2), N1,N1-dimethyl-N2,N2-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (iso-BPMEN in 3), N1,N1-dimethyl-N2,N2-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (6-Me2-iso-BPMEN in 4), and tris(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine (TBimA in 7)) along with two linear tetradentate amine ligands (N1,N2-dimethyl-N1,N2-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (BPMEN in 5) and N1,N2-dimethyl-N1,N2-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (6-Me2-BPMEN in 6)) were employed in the study. Single-crystal X-ray structural studies reveal that each of the complex cations of 1–3 and 5 contains a mononuclear six-coordinate iron(II) center coordinated by a monoanionic benz...

Mangroves are taxonomically diverse group of salt-tolerant, mainly arboreal, flowering plants that grow in tropical and sub-tropical regions and have adapted themselves to thrive in such obdurate surroundings. While evolution is often understood exclusively in terms of adaptation, innovation often begins when a feature adapted for one function is co-opted for a different purpose and the co-opted features are called exaptations. Thus, one of the fundamental issues is what features of mangroves have evolved through exaptation. We attempt to address these questions through molecular phylogenetic approach using chloroplast and nuclear markers. First, we determined if these mangroves specific traits have evolved multiple times in the phylogeny. Once the multiple origins were established, we then looked at related non-mangrove species for characters that could have been co-opted by mangrove species. We also assessed the efficacy of these molecular sequences in distinguishing mangroves at the species level. This study revealed the multiple origin of mangroves and shed light on the ancestral characters that might have led certain lineages of plants to adapt to estuarine conditions and also traces the evolutionary history of mangroves and hitherto unexplained theory that mangroves traits (aerial roots and viviparous propagules) evolved as a result of exaptation rather than adaptation to saline habitats.

Using the pentadentate ligand (N-bis(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl)methyl-N-(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)amine, 2pyN2B), presenting two pyridyl and two (N-methyl)benzimidazolyl donor moieties in addition to a central tertiary amine, new Mn(II) and Mn(IV)-oxo complexes were generated and characterized. The [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+) complex showed spectroscopic signatures (i.e., electronic absorption band maxima and intensities, EPR signals, and Mn K-edge X-ray absorption edge and near-edge data) similar to those observed for other Mn(IV)-oxo complexes with neutral, pentadentate N(5) supporting ligands. The near-IR electronic absorption band maximum of [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+), as well as DFT-computed metric parameters, are consistent with the equatorial (N-methyl)benzimidazolyl ligands being stronger donors to the Mn(IV) center than the pyridyl and quinolinyl ligands found in analogous Mn(IV)-oxo complexes. The hydrogen- and oxygen-atom transfer reactivities of [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+) were assessed through reactions with hydrocarbons and thioanisole, respectively. When compared with related Mn(IV)-oxo adducts, [Mn(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+) showed muted reactivity in hydrogen-atom transfer reactions with hydrocarbons. This result stands in contrast to observations for the analogous Fe(IV)-oxo complexes, where [Fe(IV)(O)(2pyN2B)](2+) was found to be one of the more reactive members of its class.

A mononuclear iron(II) complex [FeII(N4PyMe2)(OTf)](OTf)(1), supported by a new pentadentate ligand, bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-N,N-bis((pyridin-2-yl)methyl)methanamine (N4PyMe2), has been isolated and characterized. Introduction of methyl groups in the 6-position of two pyridine rings makes the N4PyMe2 a weaker field ligand compared to the parent N4Py ligand. Complex 1 is high-spin in the solid state and converts to [FeII(N4PyMe2)(CH3CN)](OTf)2 (1a) in acetonitrile solution. The iron(II) complex in acetonitrile displays temperature-dependent spin-crossover behavior over a wide range of temperature. In its reaction with m-CPBA or oxone in acetonitrile at −10 °C, the iron(II) complex converts to an iron(IV)-oxo species, [FeIV(O)(N4PyMe2)]2+ (2). Complex 2 exhibits the Mossbauer parameters δ = 0.05 mm/s and ΔEQ = 0.62 mm/s, typical of N-ligated S = 1 iron(IV)-oxo species. The iron(IV)-oxo complex has a half-life of only 14 min at 25 °C and is reactive toward oxygen-atom-transfer and hydrogen-atom-transfer (H...

A cryptosystem incorporating multiple chaotic maps is proposed. The use of chaotic maps for image encryption is a common procedure but this does not ensure absolute security. This paper presents encryption of novel images, a technique that incorporates three different chaotic maps—Tent map, Logistic Map and Gauss Iterative Map for encryption. Image encryption will be a two-step process involving one chaotic map to randomly rearrange the pixels of individual RGB components and other maps to reorganize another image. These two will then be XORed to provide dual security. The technique’s strengths have been analysed and presented.

This chapter covers a large number of benign entities grouped together for convenience under the broad categories of fibrous, fibrohistiocytic, and myofibroblastic lesions. Fibrous lesions generally demonstrate a conspicuous increase in collagen production and varying numbers of fibroblastic spindle cells. “Fibrohistiocytic,” a somewhat enigmatic term, is a general descriptor for tumors containing a combination of spindle cells of putative fibroblastic, myofibroblastic, and/or primitive mesenchymal cell origin and histiocytes (bone marrow-derived tissue macrophages and dendritic cells). Myofibroblastic lesions are composed of spindle cells with combined features of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts.

This chapter covers fibrous, fibrohistiocytic, and myofibroblastic tumors that have metastatic potential. Congenital/infantile fibrosarcoma is the exception to that rule, as it behaves less aggressively than its adult counterpart. Adult-type fibrosarcoma is a diagnosis in decline due to the recognition of distinct variants: low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma (myofibrosarcoma), and myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma may also present as a superficial tumor and will be briefly discussed. The chapter closes with a discussion of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas of the skin, specifically atypical fibroxanthoma and pleomorphic dermal sarcoma.

Fibrous, fibrohistiocytic, and myofibroblastic tumors of intermediate malignancy comprise a group of lesions that has a relatively high risk of local recurrence, but a limited risk of metastasis. Most of these tumors present in young adults as superficial masses. Members of this group include dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and its numerous variants, plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor, angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, giant cell tumor of soft tissue, and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.

Currently, the food and agricultural sectors are concerned about environmental problems caused by raw material waste, and they are looking for strategies to reduce the growing amount of waste disposal. Now, approaches are being explored that could increment and provide value-added products from agricultural waste to contribute to the circular economy and environmental protection. Edible mushrooms have been globally appreciated for their medicinal properties and nutritional value, but during the mushroom production process nearly one-fifth of the mushroom gets wasted. Therefore, improper disposal of mushrooms and untreated residues can cause fungal disease. The residues of edible mushrooms, being rich in sterols, vitamin D2, amino acids, and polysaccharides, among others, makes it underutilized waste. Most of the published literature has primarily focused on the isolation of bioactive components of these edible mushrooms; however, utilization of waste or edible mushrooms themselves, for the production of value-added products, has remained an overlooked area. Waste of edible mushrooms also represents a disposal problem, but they are a rich source of important compounds, owing to their nutritional and functional properties. Researchers have started exploiting edible mushroom by-products/waste for value-added goods with applications in diverse fields. Bioactive compounds obtained from edible mushrooms are being used in media production and skincare formulations. Furthermore, diverse applications from edible mushrooms are also being explored, including the synthesis of biosorbent, biochar, edible films/coating, probiotics, nanoparticles and cosmetic products. The primary intent of this review is to summarize the information related to edible mushrooms and their valorization in developing value-added products with industrial applications.

Polymeric micelle-based drug delivery systems have been extensively studied by researchers due to their nanoscopic size and low toxicity. In this study, we have designed and synthesized an amphiphilic ursolic acid-polyethylene glycol conjugate, which on self-assembly results in micellar nanostructures. We conjugated ursolic acid (UA) with polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether in a single step in the presence of a condensing reagent, DCC/DMAP, and their self-assembly was monitored by DLS and TEM. Further an anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX), was encapsulated into the hydrophobic core of the self-assembled nanostructures. Due to strong interactions between DOX and UA, high encapsulation efficiency (85.3%) was obtained. The release pattern of DOX from the loaded nanostructures showed a sustained release of drug over a period of time. The projected system showed responsiveness towards lipase and hence, biodegradability aspect of the nanostructure (UA-PEG) was also investigated by lipase-mediated degradation studies. MTT experiments were also carried out on both normal HEK293 cells and MG-63 cancer cells and showed the non-toxic nature of the projected conjugate. These results ensure the promising potential of the projected system as an efficient drug delivery vehicle specifically to cancers cells in vivo and in vitro.

Nkx2-5 is one of the master regulators of cardiac development, homeostasis and disease. This transcription factor has been previously associated with a suite of cardiac congenital malformations and impairment of electrical activity. When disease causative mutations in transcription factors are considered, NKX2-5 gene dysfunction is the most common abnormality found in patients. Here we describe a novel mouse model and subsequent implications of Nkx2-5 loss for aspects of myocardial electrical activity. In this work we have engineered a new Nkx2-5 conditional knockout mouse in which flox sites flank the entire Nkx2-5 locus, and validated this line for the study of heart development, differentiation and disease using a full deletion strategy. While our homozygous knockout mice show typical embryonic malformations previously described for the lack of the Nkx2-5 gene, hearts of heterozygous adult mice show moderate morphological and functional abnormalities that are sufficient to sustain blood supply demands under homeostatic conditions. This study further reveals intriguing aspects of Nkx2-5 function in the control of cardiac electrical activity. Using a combination of mouse genetics, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, we demonstrate that Nkx2-5 regulates the gene encoding Kcnh2 channel and others, shedding light on potential mechanisms generating electrical abnormalities observed in patients bearing NKX2-5 dysfunction and opening opportunities to the study of novel therapeutic targets for anti-arrhythmogenic therapies.

Context.— Nonuterine high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) are believed to arise most often from precursors in the fallopian tube referred to as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STICs). A designation of tubal origin has been suggested for all cases of nonuterine HGSC if a STIC is identified. Objective.— To highlight that many different types of nongynecologic and gynecologic carcinomas, including HGSC, can metastasize to the tubal mucosa and mimic de novo STIC. Data Sources.— A mini-review of several recently published studies that collectively examine STIC-like lesions of the fallopian tube. Conclusions.— The fallopian tube mucosa can be a site of metastasis from carcinomas arising elsewhere, and pathologists should exercise caution in diagnosing STIC without first considering the possibility of metastasis. Routinely used immunohistochemical stains can often be used to determine if a STIC-like lesion is tubal or nongynecologic in origin. In the context of uterine and nonuterine HGSC, STIC may represent a metastasis rather than the site of origin, particularly when widespread disease is present.

The β-Strontium silicate (β -Sr2SiO4) was synthesized by physicochemical methods and was used as a heterogeneous catalyst in biodiesel production from microalgal oil (-Spirulina platensis) by transesterification process. The physical and chemical properties of the catalyst were analysed using TGA, XRD, ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDX, and surface area analyser. XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the formation of β-Sr2SiO4 which was able to perform transeterification reaction. Several reaction parameter such as catalyst wt %, molar ratio (methanol :oil) and time have been optimized for transesterification reaction. The optimization of reaction parameters was accomplished by response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design. Reusability study of catalyst was accomplished up to six run with 76.34% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) conversion. A 97.88% maximum FAME conversion was observed at 65 °C, 600 rpm, 2.5 wt% catalyst, 1:12 methanol to oil molar ratio and 104 min reaction time. The biodiesel properties conform to ASTM standards.

Detection of pathogenic microbes as well as antibiotic residues in food animals, especially in chicken, has become a matter of food security worldwide. The association of various pathogenic bacteria in different diseases and selective pressure induced by accumulated antibiotic residue to develop antibiotic resistance is also emerging as the threat to human health. These challenges have made the containment of pathogenic bacteria and early detection of antibiotic residue highly crucial for robust and precise detection. However, the traditional culture-based approaches are well-comprehended for identifying microbes. Nevertheless, because they are inadequate, time-consuming and laborious, these conventional methods are not predominantly used. Therefore, it has become essential to explore alternatives for the easy and robust detection of pathogenic microbes and antibiotic residue in the food source. Presently, different monitoring, as well as detection techniques like PCR-based, assay (nucleic acid)-based, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA)-based, aptamer-based, biosensor-based, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry-based and electronic nose-based methods, have been developed for detecting the presence of bacterial contaminants and antibiotic residues. The current review intends to summarize the different techniques and underline the potential of every method used for the detection of bacterial pathogens and antibiotic residue in chicken meat.

In this study, Anabaena PCC 7120 microalgae is used as feedstock for biodiesel synthesis. Anabaena 7120 was cultivated in a closed photobioreactor. Oil was extracted by cell disruption process and purified by degumming process. Anabaena oil was characterized by GCMS spectroscopy. Barium titanium oxide (Ba

Any web based computer system is susceptible to attacks from hackers who intrude a system to obtain information for illegal use as well as for sabotaging a company’s business operations. This is where we need encryption techniques and image security. Image security includes visual authentication and access control based user images identification. In this paper, we propose a secured image encryption technique using Chaos-Logistic Maps. The algorithm proposed uses Logistic Map to shuffle the image and the noise and then superimposes them. Two shares of this resulting image are then created and XORed to make the image ready for transmission. The performance analysis using histograms and correlation coefficient show that the algorithm has high security, and strong robustness. The algorithm uses a logistic map and XOR gates to achieve a multi-chaos encryption effect.

Natural products obtained from microorganisms have been playing an imperative role in drug discovery for decades. Hence, rightfully, microorganisms are considered as the richest source of biochemical remedies. In this review, we represent an unexplored family of bacteria considered to be prolific producers of diverse metabolites. Myxobacteria are gram-negative bacteria which have been reported to produce large families of secondary metabolites with prominent antimicrobial, antifungal, and antitumor activities. Klaus Gerth, Norbert Bedorf, Herbert Irschik, and Hans Reichenbach observed the antifungal activity of Sorangium cellulosum against Mucor hiemalis. In 2006, Hans Reichenbach and his team obtained a novel macrolide cruentaren A from Byssovorax cruenta (myxobacteria). Cruentaren A showed inhibitory activity against yeast and filamentous fungi. It also showed selective inhibitory activity against mitochondrial F-type ATPase. Cruentaren A has been found to be cytotoxic against various human cancer cell lines.

Data objects having low value like insurance or data-entry forms are shared between a client and rural business process outsourcing (RBPO) organisations for tasks like translation, proofreading, and data entry. These data objects are first decomposed into smaller parts and then assigned to RBPO users. Each user in a RBPO has access to only a few parts of a complete data object which he can leak to unauthorised users. But since the value of these parts is low, there is not enough incentive for the user to leak them. Such scenarios need good-enough security models that can provide reasonable security to an aggregate number of parts of low value data objects. In this chapter, the authors study the secure data assignment and leakage in RBPO by modeling it in the form of an optimisation problem. They discuss different scenarios of object decomposition and sharing, penalty assignment, and data leakage in the context of RBPO. They use LINGO toolbox to run their model and present insights.

Amylopectin-g-poly(acrylamide-co- N -methylacrlymide) [AP-g-poly(AM-co-NMA)] was prepared in presence of potassium persulfate (K 2 S 2 O 8 ) as the initiator by solution polymerization technique. The synthesised graft copolymer was characterized by various characterization techniques like FTIR, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, thermal analysis and SEM. Biodegradation of the graft copolymers was carried out by enzyme hydrolysis. Flocculation performance of the graft copolymer was evaluated in 1.0 wt% coal, 1.0 wt% silica, 1.0 wt% kaolin, 0.25 wt% iron ore and 1.0 wt% bentonite clay suspensions. The flocculation efficiency of the graft copolymer was also evaluated by the colour removal capacity from aqueous solution of a synthetic dye, malachite green. A comparative study of the flocculation performance AP-g-poly(AM-co-NMA) was also made with another laboratory synthesised graft copolymer namely amylopectin-g-polyacrylamide (AP-g-PAM) and some commercially available flocculants in the same suspensions and also in the malachite green solution. The results showed that the graft copolymer AP-g-poly(AM-co-NMA) showed better flocculation performance than that of AP-g-PAM as well as to some of the commercial flocculating agents.