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Kaustav Banerjee,1 Subhasish Pramanik,2 Lakshmi Kanta Mondal3 1Decision Sciences Area, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226013, India; 2Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700020, India; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College Campus, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, IndiaCorrespondence: Lakshmi Kanta Mondal, Department of Ophthalmology, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College Campus, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, India, Tel +9830830216, Email Lakshmi.mondal62@gmail.comIntroduction: The focus is often on the best and worst eyes to detect early predictive and non-invasive biomarkers of diabetic retinopathy. Typically, such data have been dealt with in a case-control setting, which applies two-sample tests and ignores the correlation between the fellow eyes. Practitioners are mostly unaware that such measurements hide the labels of the fellow eyes, which rules out standard tools, such as paired t or signed-rank tests.Methods: This report discusses the problems with such data on best and worst eye measurements, and illustrates alternative paired tests for equality of means or locations using a case-control dataset.Results: This report illustrates that methods which ignore the correlation between fellow eyes result in grossly conservative tests. A battery of Z-tests which consider this correlation can resolve this issue.Discussion: This finding emphasizes the importance of selecting an appropriate control group for the detection of possible markers. Further, it cites an example to show that using data from fellow eyes and adjusting for their correlation may not always be the best option, contrary to common perception.Keywords: best eye, worst eye, unordered pairs

Krishnendu Manna,1,* Zareen S Khan,2,* Moumita Saha,3,* Snehasis Mishra,3 Nilesh Gaikwad,4 Jatindra Nath Bhakta,1 Kaushik Banerjee,2 Krishna Das Saha3 1Department of Food & Nutrition, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India; 2National Referral Laboratory, ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune, Maharashtra, 412307, India; 3Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700032, India; 4ICAR-National Research Centre on Pomegranate, Solapur, Maharashtra, 413255, India*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Krishna Das Saha, Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700032, India, Tel +91 33 2499 5810, Fax +91 33 2473 5197, Email krishna@iicb.res.in Kaushik Banerjee, National Referral Laboratory, ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune, Maharashtra, 412307, India, Email kbgrape@yahoo.comObjective: Grape Seed Extract is a natural source of various polyphenols, which have been shown to possess potent antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities. The earlier studies have reported that grape seed extract exhibits broad-spectrum pharmacological activities. Therefore, studying the hepatoprotective effects and elucidation of mechanisms of action of the Indian Variety, Manjari Medika grape seed extract (GSE), may give an insight into therapeutic benefits. Methotrexate (MTX) is the first-line pharmacological therapy for different rheumatic diseases. The major adverse events such as hepatotoxicity are evident even in the low doses used for the treatment. The present study investigated the role of MTX on hepatic damage in murine liver and the plausible protective effects of the Indian grape variety, Manjari Medika grape seed extract, in ameliorating it.Methods and Results: To assess the hepatological modulation, mice were divided into eight groups to investigate the ameliorative potential of this GSE (75 and 125 mg/kg) and correlate the experimental findings. The active components of the extract were assessed through UPLC-(ESI)-QToF-MS analysis. On the other hand, various biochemical and immunological indices were carried out to correlate the experimental data. The result demonstrated that the prophylactic administration of GSE reduced MTX-induced hepatic toxicity indices, which subsequently restored the hepatic morphological architecture. Moreover, the application of GSE in a dual dosage (75 and 125 mg/kg) suppressed MTX-induced reactive oxygen species generation, followed by lipid peroxidation and cellular nitrite formation. MTX-induced inflammasome activation through the redox-assisted cascade of TLR4/NF-κB signaling was further reduced by applying the GSE. The results showed that the activation of cytoprotective transcription factor Nrf2 enhanced the level of endogenous antioxidants. Furthermore, through the regulation of TLR4/NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 axis, this extract could reduce the MTX-mediated hepatic damage.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Manjari Medika seed extract could be used as a therapeutic agent to relieve the side effects of MTX and other hepatic disorders.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: hepatic fibrosis, Kupffer cells, Manjari Medika grape seed extract, proanthocyanidins, inflammasome, antioxidant response

The β-delayed neutron emission in the 85,86As β-decays has been measured at the IGISOL facility of the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä (JYFL-ACCLAB). The complete β-decays have been studied with a complex setup that consists of a plastic scintillator, the MOdular Neutron time-of-flight SpectromeTER (MONSTER), and two types of γ-ray detectors—an HPGe clover and four LaBr3 crystals. The β-delayed neutron energy distributions have been determined by unfolding the TOF spectra with an innovative methodology based on the iterative Bayesian unfolding method and accurate Monte Carlo simulations.

Krishnendu Manna,1,* Snehasis Mishra,1,* Moumita Saha,1 Supratim Mahapatra,1 Chirag Saha,1 Govind Yenge,2 Nilesh Gaikwad,2 Ramkrishna Pal,2 Dasharath Oulkar,3 Kaushik Banerjee,3 Krishna Das Saha1 1Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research–Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India; 2Postharvest Technology Laboratory, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre on Pomegranate, Solapur 413255, Maharashtra, India; 3National Referral Laboratory, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune 412307, Maharashtra, India *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), an end-stage renal disorder, has posed a menace to humankind globally, because of its complex nature and poorly understandable intricate mechanism. In recent times, functional foods as potential health benefits have been gaining attention of consumers and researchers alike. Rich in antioxidants, the peel and seed of pomegranate have previously demonstrated protection against oxidative-stress-related diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and cancer.Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative role of pomegranate peel extract–stabilized gold nanoparticle (PPE-AuNP) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN in an experimental murine model.Methods: Following the reduction methods, AuNP was prepared using the pomegranate peel ellagitannins and characterized by particle size, physical appearance, and morphological architecture. Modulatory potential of PPE-AuNP was examined through the plethora of biochemical and high throughput techniques, flow cytometry, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence.Results: The animals treated with PPE-AuNP markedly reduced the fasting blood glucose, renal toxicity indices, and serum TC and TG in a hyperglycemic condition. As evident from an increased level of plasma insulin level, PPE-AuNP normalized the STZ-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. The STZ-mediated suppression of endogenous antioxidant response was restored by the PPE-AuNP treatment, which reduced the generation of LPO as well as iROS. Furthermore, the hyperglycemia-mediated augmentation of protein glycation, followed by the NOX4/p-47phox activation, diminished with the application of PPE-AuNP. The histological and immunohistochemical findings showed the protective efficacy of PPE-AuNP in reducing STZ-induced glomerular sclerosis and renal fibrosis. In addition, it reduced proinflammatory burden through the modulation of the MAPK/NF-κB/STAT3/cytokine axis. Simultaneously, PI3K/AKT-guided Nrf2 activation was evident upon the PPE-AuNP application, which enhanced the antioxidant response and maintained hyperglycemic homeostasis.Conclusion: The findings indicate that the use of PPE-AuNPs might act as an economic therapeutic remedy for alleviating DN. Keywords: pomegranate polyphenol, gold nanoparticle, diabetic kidney disease, advanced glycation end-product, NF-κB, STAT3, Nrf2

Kokila Banerjee,1 Priyadharshini Sekar,2 Padma Krishnan,2 Alice Rebecca Wattam,3 Subhendu Roy,1 John P Hays,4 Godfred A Menezes5 1Department of Microbiology, Drs Tribedi and Roy Diagnostic Laboratory, Kolkata, India; 2Department of Microbiology, Dr ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, India; 3Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory, Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; 4Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; 5Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, RAK College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU), Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Abstract: Salmonella species are frequently associated with gastrointestinal infections such as diarrhea. However, extraintestinal Salmonella infections, including burn infections, have been described. Here, we report the first case of a carbapenem-resistant and metallo-β-lactamase (New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (SHV-12), and AmpC β-lactamase (CMY-4) coproducing Salmonella Typhimurium isolated from a fatal case of burn wound infection. The publication highlights the necessity for the rational use of antibiotics (particularly the rational use of last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems) in hospitals and burn units, as well as the need for systematic screening of Salmonella spp. (including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium) for resistance to carbapenem antibiotics. Keywords: Salmonella, metallo-β-lactamase, extended-spectrum and AmpC β-lactamase, coproduction, whole genome sequencing, fatal burn wound

Nuclear physics in the 21st century is driven by a quest to understand the properties of ever more exotic nuclear systems. Unusual structural phenom- ena are observed to arise in light weakly bound nuclei such as 8Li. 8Li has a cluster structure core of 7Li surrounded by a loosely bound neutron which is observed to influence reaction mechanisms near the fusion barrier. Elastic scat- tering provides a vital step towards understanding more complicated reaction mechanisms. In this work, elastic scattering was measured for 8Li + 2°9Bi at energies 2% to 34% above the barrier, allowing extraction of reaction cross- sections. The systematics of the reaction cross-sections of 8Li compared to neighbouring nuclei 6,7,9,11Li are discussed.

The reaction 27Al(d,t) at 25 MeV was utilized to study the excited states of 26Al. The angular distributions of the observed excited states of 26Al were analyzed with zero range distorted wave Born approximation as well as by incorporating finite range correction parameters to extract spectroscopic factors. The two sets of extracted spectroscopic factors were compared with each other to see the effect of using finite range correction in the transfer form factor.

The excited states of 26Al have been produced and studied using 27Al(d,t) reaction with 25 MeV deuteron as projectile. Optical model potential parameters were extracted from the measured elastic scattering angular distribution. Zero range distorted wave Born approximation analysis for the ground and 0.223 MeV states of 26Al have been done. The spectroscopic factors calculated for these states are found to be in good agreement with the previously reported values.

Using the major accelerator facilities available in India, detailed experimental studies have been made to understand the mechanism of quasi-fission and role of nuclear shell effect in heavy nuclei. Fission fragment mass distribution has been used as the probe to explore the role of entrance channel effects on fusion-fission and quasifission dynamics. Fission fragment mass distribution has also been demonstrated to be useful to identify the phenomenon of ‘washing out’ of nuclear shell effect with excitation energy.

Fragment emission mechanisms have been studied in 12C on 12C and 13C on 12C reactions at same excitation energy. The inclusive energy distributions of the complex fragments (3≤ Z ≤ 5) emitted from the composite system have been measured in the angular range 14° to 36°. The present experiments have been performed with the motivation to study the isotopic dependence of fragment yields in these two reactions. From the preliminary analysis, it has been observed that fragments are emitted from a completely equilibrated and long lived composite system for both 12C + 12C and 13C + 12C reactions. It has also been observed that the emission of neutron-rich fragments are more in 13C + 12C compared to 12C + 12C reaction.

Neutron evaporation spectra alongwith γ-multiplicity has been measured from the 185Re* compound nucleus at the excitation energies ~27 and 37 MeV. Statistical model analysis of the experimental data has been carried out to extract the value of the inverse level density parameter k at different angular momentum regions (J) corresponding to different γ-multiplicity. It is observed that, for the present system the value of k remains almost constant for different J. The present results on the angular momentum dependence of the nuclear level density (NLD) parameter ã (=A/k), for nuclei with A ~180 is quite different from our earlier measurements in case of light and medium mass systems. The present analysis provides useful information to understand the angular momentum dependence of NLD at different nuclear mass regions.

An excited state of 12C having excitation energy (Ex) 9.65 ± 0.02 MeV and width (FWHM) 607 ± 55 keV, which decays to three α particles via Hoyle state (Ex = 7.65 MeV), has been directly identified in the exclusive inelastic scattering of 60 MeV 4He on 12C, measured in coincidence with the recoiling 12C Hoyle state (decaying mostly as 12C* → 8Begs → α → α + α + α) by event-by-event kinematic reconstruction of the completely detected (4α) events. This state is likely to be a candidate for 22+ first excited of Hoyle state.

The high-spin states in 197Tl were studied by populating them using the 197Au(α, 4n)197 Tl reaction at 48 MeV of beam energy. γ−γ coincidence data were taken using a combination of clover, LEPS (low energy photon spectrometer) and single crystal HPGe detectors. The polarization and DCO measurements were performed for definite spin and parity assignment of the excited states. The πi13/2 intruder state has been identified for the first time in this nucleus. The total Routhian surface calculations have been performed to study the shape and deformation of 197Tl for different configurations.

The quantitative contributions of various direct three alpha decay mechanisms in the decay of the famous Hoyle state, the 02+ resonant excited state of 12C at excitation energy of 7.65 MeV, has been estimated using 60 MeV α inelastic scattering on 12C target in complete kinematical measurement. Simultaneous optimisation of three different distributions (the relative energy of 8Be like pairs, the root mean square energy deviation and the radial projection of symmetric Dalitz plot) derived from the experimental data with those generated from the Monte Carlo simulated event sets, have been done to arrive at a consistent estimation of the contributions of various direct decay modes.

Doped-multilayer-graphene (DMLG) interconnects employing the subtractive-etching (SE) process have opened a new pathway for designing interconnects at advanced technology nodes, where conventional metal wires suffer from significant resistance increase, self-heating (SH), electromigration (EM), and various integration challenges. Even though single-level scaled graphene wires have been shown to possess better performance and reliability with respect to dual-damascene (DD) and SE-enabled metal wires, a multi-level graphene interconnect technology (with vias) has remained elusive, which is of paramount importance for its integration in future technology nodes. This work, for the first time, addresses that need by engineering a CMOS-compatible solid-phase growth technique to yield large-area multilayer graphene (MLG) on dielectric (SiO2) and metal (Cu) substrates and subsequently demonstrating multi-level MLG interconnects with metal vias. Using rigorous theoretical and experimental analyses, we demonstrate that multi-level MLG interconnects with metal vias undergo < 2% change in the via resistance under accelerated stress conditions, demonstrating its superior reliability against SH and EM, making them ideal candidates for sub-10 nm nodes.

Fission fragment mass distribution has been measured in two reactions to populate compound nucleus 246Bk. Both the target nuclei were deformed. However, entrance channel mass asymmetry of the two systems was on the either side of the Businaro Gallone mass asymmetry parameter. Near the Coulomb barrier, at similar excitation energies, the width of the fission fragment mass distribution was found to be significantly different for the 14N+232Th reaction compared to the 11B+235U reaction. The entrance channel mass asymmetry was found to play a significant role in deciding the fusion process.

Since the discovery of graphene in 2004, which proved the existence of 2-D crystals in nature, layered materials also known as van der Waals solids have received extensive reexamination, especially in the single-layer and multilayer forms because of their van der Waals type structure and unique properties that not only benefit many existing electronic components but also enable novel device concepts and design architectures. Numerous research efforts have been invested in these materials, and enormous quantities of results have been generated during the past 14 years. This paper provides an overview of the key physics and technology issues along with the most promising nanoelectronic applications of these materials and also identifies the challenges in this rapidly evolving field.