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Background: Mitochondria are semiautonomous cell organelles having its own nucleic acid. Mitochondrial DNA (Mt-DNA) remain in hypomethylated (CpG) state and impose an immunogenic response by binding to the toll-like receptor (TLR-9) through the NF-kB pathway. Innate immune cells recognize the hypomethylated pattern of mt-DNA and quickly trigger the innate immune response. The immunomodulatory effects of urinary mt-DNA derived from renal transplant recipients with COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) have not been studied. Materials and Methods: Healthy donor peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) was cultured with the urinary Mt-DNA derived from the renal transplant recipients, who previously developed SARS-CoV-2 infection associated AKI. Cell activation was measured by the flow cytometry. In cell pellets, interleukin IL-6, IL-10, and Myd88, TLR-9 mRNA transcript expression was measured by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The IL-6 and IL-10 cytokine levels were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in culture supernatants. Results: The urinary mitochondrial DNA (umt-DNA) significantly induces the activation of > 75% of PBMCs. The m-RNA transcript expression of the inflammatory gene in control versus umt-DNA treated PBMCs was for IL-6 (0.99 ± 0.05 vs. 2.18 ± 1.15 au; P = 0.004), MYD88 was (1.00 ± 0.05 vs. 1.55 ± 0.31; P < 0.001), TLR-9 (1.00 ± 0.05 vs. 3.33 ± 1.37 au; P < 0.001) was upregulated, and the IL-10 (1.00 ± 0.13 vs. −1.73 ± 0.58; P < 0.001) level was downregulated. However, in PBMC culture supernatants, IL-6 level in control versus umt-DNA-treated groups were (37.50 ± 13.79 vs. 186.9 ± 15.50 pg/mL; P < 0.001), which was significantly higher in umt-DNA-treated groups and the IL-10 (8.80 ± 2.16 vs. 7.60 ± 3.12 pg/mL; P = 0.32) level was similar between the control- and umt-DNA-treated groups. Conclusions: Urinary Mt-DNA significantly induces the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 secretion from the PBMCs through the Myd88-dependent pathway.

Background: The cabbage webworm, Hellula undalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a significant pest of brassicas and other cruciferous plants in warm regions worldwide. Transcriptome analysis is valuable for investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the insect development and reproduction. De novo assembly is particularly useful for acquiring complete transcriptome information of insect species when there is no reference genome available. In case of Hellula undalis, only 17 nucleotide records are currently available throughout NCBI nucleotide database. Genes associated with metabolic processes, general development, reproduction, defense and functional genomics were not previously predicted in the Hellula undalis at the genomic level. Methods & Results: To address this issue, we constructed Hellula undalis transcriptome using Illumina NovaSeq6000 technology. Approximately 48 million 150 bp paired-end reads were obtained from sequencing. A total of 30,451 contigs were generated by de novo assembly of sample and were compared with the sequences in the NCBI non-redundant protein database (Nr). In total, 71 % of contigs were matched to known proteins in public databases including Nr, Gene Ontology (GO), and Cluster Orthologous Gene Database (COG), and then, contigs were mapped to 123 via functional annotation against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database (KEGG). In addition, we compared the ortholog gene family of the Hullula undalis, transcriptome to Spodoptera frugiperda, spodotera litura and spodoptera littoralis and found that 391 orthologous gene families are specific to Hullula undalis. A total of 1,913 potential SSRs was discovered in Hullula undalis contigs. Conclusions: This study is the first transcriptome data for Hullula undalis. Additionally, it serves as a valuable resource for identifying target genes and developing effective and environmentally friendly strategies for pest control.

AbstractIn this study we have proposed the SIAQR model with time-dependent infection rate. The model’s well-posedness is demonstrated, and the proposed model is then extended to the fractional mathematical model by employing the Caputo-Fabrizio fractional derivative operator. We have also used the Lipschitz condition and the linear growth condition to determine the conditions under which the model has a unique solution. The numerical solutions are presented. Furthermore, using graphical representations we will see how the number of infected, recovered individuals vary as the order of fractional derivative varies.

In this article, a diffusion component in an SIR model is introduced, and its impact is analyzed using fractional calculus. We have included the diffusion component in the SIR model. in order to illustrate the variations. Here, we have applied the general fractional derivative to analyze the impact. The Laplace decomposition technique is employed to obtain the numerical outcomes of the model. In order to observe the effect of the diffusion component in the SIR model, graphical solutions are also displayed.

A five-dimensional hyperchaotic system is a dynamical system with five state variables that exhibits chaotic behavior in multiple directions. In this work, we incorporated a 5D hyperchaotic system with constant- and variable-order Caputo and the Caputo–Fabrizio fractional derivatives. These fractional 5D hyperchaotic systems are solved numerically. Through simulations, the chaotic behavior of these fractional-order hyperchaotic systems is analyzed and a comparison between constant- and variable-order fractional hyperchaotic systems is presented.

The paper aims to utilize an integral transform, specifically the Khalouta transform, an abstraction of various integral transforms, to address fractional differential equations using both Riemann-Liouville and Caputo fractional derivative. We discuss some results and the existence of this integral transform. In addition, we also discuss the duality between Shehu transform and Khalouta transform. The numerical examples are provided to confirm the applicability and correctness of the proposed method for solving fractional differential equations.2010 Mathematics ClassificationPrimary 92B05, 92C60; Secondary 26A33.

Abstract Background As a biological control agent, entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) can give an alternative to high-risk pesticides. Metarhizium anisopliae is one of the most promising pest controls EPF in the worldwide. Result On fungi-specific selective media, the EPF isolate SVPUAT was isolated from Western Uttar Pradesh, India. The isolate was identified as M. anisopliae (GenBank accession no. OP962431) after molecular screening utilizing PCR amplification with the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region primer. In a contact toxicity experiment, the isolate SVPUAT was tested against the 4th instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) at concentrations ranging from 103 to 1010 spores ml−1. The lethal time LT50 and LT90 values for the 4th instar larvae of H. armigera injected with 1 × 1010 spores ml−1 were 3.46 and 5.54 days, respectively. Conclusions The present M. anisopliae isolate SVPUAT was identified using the ITS-5.8s rDNA region from GenBank and has showed significant pathogenicity to H. armigera. More research is needed to prove the efficacy against various pests of economic important as a legitimate choice for an integrated pest management program.

In this study, we present the generalized form of the higher-order nonlinear fractional Bratu-type equation. In this generalization, we deal with a generalized fractional derivative, which is quite useful from an application point of view. Furthermore, some special cases of the generalized fractional Bratu equation are recognized and examined. To solve these nonlinear differential equations of fractional order, we employ the homotopy perturbation transform method. This work presents a useful computational method for solving these equations and advances our understanding of them. We also plot some numerical outcomes to show the efficiency of the obtained results.

In the context of fractal space, this study presents a higher-order nonlinear local fractional Bratu-type equation and thoroughly examines this generalized nonlinear equation. Additional analysis and identification of particular special situations of the generalized local fractional Bratu equation is performed. Finally, the Adomian decomposition method is utilized to derive that solution for the generalized Bratu equation of local fractional type. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of these equations and provides a practical computational approach to their solutions.

Abstract Background Cholecysto-enteric fistula is a rare complication of cholelithiasis and cholecystitis. Another even rarer complication is proximal impaction of gallstone(s) in gastric pylorus leading to gastric outlet obstruction, known as the Bouveret Syndrome. Only a few cases have been reported in the available literature. It can be confused with a malignant thickening at the pylorus, knowledge of this syndrome helps in arriving at the right diagnosis. Case report A 52-year-old female patient, who was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of recurrent vomiting and abdominal pain. She was investigated with various imaging modalities including upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, abdominal ultrasonography as well as Contrast Enhanced Computerized Tomography (CECT) scan of the abdomen. On the outside scan, it was given as a malignant thickening at the pylorus. However, current radiologists felt that imaging findings were not of a typical malignant mass, and suspicion of Bouveret syndrome was given. Intraoperative findings confirmed the diagnosis of Bouveret syndrome. The patient has not experienced any postoperative complications till now. Conclusion Bouveret syndrome is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Being familiar with the imaging appearance of this condition, and differentiating it with malignant thickening can help radiologists avoid unnecessary invasive procedures in such patients. Being a benign etiology, it also helps in a better prognosis.

SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus that has caused the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ACE2 and other genes utilized by SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells have been shown to express in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. However, their expression pattern in different subtypes has not been investigated. Hence, in the current study, we have analyzed the expression of ACE2, TMPRSS2 and FURIN in 649 HNSCC patients from two independent cohorts. Our analysis showed significantly lower expression of TMPRSS2 while significantly increased expression of ACE2 and FURIN in HPV-negative HNSCC. Comparison of expression of these genes in the three subtypes of HNSCC patients (basal, classical and inflamed/mesenchymal) showed no significant difference in the expression of ACE2 among the three subtypes; however, the basal subtype showed significantly reduced expression of TMPRSS2 but significantly increased expression of FURIN. Comparison of expression of these genes between the HPV-negative patients of basal subtype vs all others confirmed significantly lower expression of TMPRSS2 in HPV-negative patients of basal subtype as compared to all others. Our study shows that the different subtypes of HNSCC patients have different expression patterns of genes utilized by the SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells, and hence, their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 may also be different. As the expression of TMPRSS2 is significantly lower in the HNSCC patients of the basal subtype, we predict that these patients would be less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection than the patients of other subtypes. However, these findings need to be further validated.

Plasticized Poly (vinylidene chloride- co- acrylonitrile) [P(VdC-co-AN)] polymer electrolytes comprising of Lithium Perchloride (LiClO _4 ) as complexing salt and plasticizers such as Propylene carbonate (PC) and β -butyrolactone ( β bl) is prepared by solution casting technique. Polymer electrolytes were prepared in the ratio [(x)PVdC-co-PAN+(100-x-z) Plasticizer+(z) LiClO _4 ] and were subjected to various characterizations. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were carried out to study the structural and functional groups present in the material. Impedance spectroscopy to find the ionic conductivity of the material. The maximum ionic conductivity at room temperature was exhibited by the samples containing 68% PC (9.237 × 10 ^−4 S cm ^−1 ) and 66% of β bl (2.284 × 10 ^−4 S cm ^−1 ). Samples exhibiting higher ionic conductivity (68% PC and 66% of β bl) are subjected to Linear sweep voltammetry and transference number measurements. The electrochemical stability is 4.5 v for the both films, whereas transference number is 0.955 and 0.94, respectively. Thermogravimetry/Differential Thermal analysis (TG/DTA) shows the prepared films doesn’t not undergo any weight loss till 220 °C (thermally stable). The surface morphology of the polymer membrane was explored through Atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Cancers are the leading cause of death, causing around 10 million deaths annually by 2020. The most common cancers are those affecting the breast, lungs, colon, and rectum. However, it has been noted that cancer metastasis is more lethal than just cancer incidence and accounts for more than 90% of cancer deaths. Thus, early detection and prevention of cancer metastasis have the capability to save millions of lives. Finding novel biomarkers and targets for screening, determination of prognosis, targeted therapies, etc., are ways of doing so. In this review, we propose various sialyltransferases and neuraminidases as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of the most common cancers, along with a few rare ones, on the basis of existing experimental and in silico data. This compilation of available cancer studies aiming at sialyltransferases and neuraminidases will serve as a guide for scientists and researchers working on possible targets for various cancers and will also provide data about the existing drugs which inhibit the action of these enzymes.

In this paper, several new integral inequalities are established by using Katugampola integral operator.

In the present paper, we give the best estimates for the norm of pre-Schwarzian derivatives $||{T_f}(z)|| = \mathop {\sup }\limits_{|z| < 1} (1 - |z{|^2})\left| {\frac{{f''(z)}}{{f'(z)}}} \right|$ for subclasses of bi-univalent functions.

In this paper, we have extended the model of HIV-1 infection to the fractional mathematical model using Caputo-Fabrizio and Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative operators. A detailed proof for the existence and the uniqueness of the solution of fractional mathematical model of HIV-1 infection in Atangana-Baleanu sense is presented. Numerical approach is used to find and study the behavior of the solution of the stated model using different derivative operators, and the graphical comparison between the solutions obtained for the Caputo-Fabrizio and the Atangana-Baleanu operator is presented to see which fractional derivative operator is more efficient.

Abstract The growing importance of human–machine interfaces and the rapid expansion of the internet of things (IoT) have inspired the integration of displays with sound generation systems to afford stretchable sound‐in‐display devices and thus establish human‐to‐machine connections via auditory system visualization. Herein, the synchronized generation of sound and color is demonstrated for a stretchable sound‐in‐display device with electrodes of strain‐insensitive silver nanowires (AgNWs) and emissive layers of field‐induced inorganic electroluminescent (EL) phosphors. In this device, EL phosphors embedded in a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) emit light under alternating‐current bias, while audible sound waves are simultaneously generated via DEA actuation along with input sound signals. The electroluminescence and sound‐generation performances of the fabricated device are highly robust and reliable, being insensitive to stretch‐release cycling because of the presence of the AgNW stretchable electrodes. The presented principle of integrating light emission and acoustic systems in a single stretchable device can be further expanded to realize sound‐in‐display electronics for IoT and human–machine interface applications.

In this paper, we extend the Burger’s equation to the time-fractional Burger’s equation based on different derivative operators as Yang-Abdel-Cattani, Atangana-Baleanu, Caputo-Fabrizio, and Liouville-Caputo. The analytical solutions for these different time-fractional Burger’s equation are determined by employing the δ-Homotopy Analysis Transform Method. Further, we study the comparison of analytical solutions obtained from different derivative operators numerically and graphically.

Metastatic bone pain is among the most commonly reported pain conditions in cancer patients. Conventional therapy for metastatic bone pain is multidisciplinary, for example, radiotherapy, systemic treatment, and supportive care, which sometimes does not give adequate pain relief. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) neuromodulation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is a minimally invasive and an effective alternative procedure in treating symptomatic bone metastases in regard to pain reduction, safety, and quality of life. Although cervical DRG PRF has some evidence in pain relief, there is paucity in the literature evaluating the efficacy of lumbar DRG PRF for metastatic bone pain.

In this manuscript, the time-fractional diffusion equation in the framework of the Yang–Abdel–Cattani derivative operator is taken into account. A detailed proof for the existence, as well as the uniqueness of the solution of the time-fractional diffusion equation, in the sense of YAC derivative operator, is explained, and, using the method of α-HATM, we find the analytical solution of the time-fractional diffusion equation. Three cases are considered to exhibit the convergence and fidelity of the aforementioned α-HATM. The analytical solutions obtained for the diffusion equation using the Yang–Abdel–Cattani derivative operator are compared with the analytical solutions obtained using the Riemann–Liouville (RL) derivative operator for the fractional order γ=0.99 (nearby 1) and with the exact solution at different values of t to verify the efficiency of the YAC derivative operator.

Biopolymers are materials obtained from a natural origin, such as plants, animals, microorganisms, or other living beings; they are flexible, elastic, or fibrous materials. Polysaccharides and proteins are some of the natural polymers that are widely used in wound dressing applications. In this review paper, we will provide an overview of biopolymers and synthetic polymer-based nanocomposites, which have promising applications in the biomedical research field, such as wound dressings, wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and medical implants. Since these polymers have intrinsic biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, non-toxicity, and biodegradable properties, they can be used for various clinical applications. The significant advancements in materials research, drug development, nanotechnology, and biotechnology have laid the foundation for changing the biopolymeric structural and functional properties. The properties of biopolymer and synthetic polymers were modified by blending them with nanoparticles, so that these materials can be used as a wound dressing application. Recent wound care issues, such as tissue repairs, scarless healing, and lost tissue integrity, can be treated with blended polymers. Currently, researchers are focusing on metal/metal oxide nanomaterials such as zinc oxide (ZnO), cerium oxide (CeO2), silver (Ag), titanium oxide (TiO2), iron oxide (Fe2O3), and other materials (graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNT)). These materials have good antimicrobial properties, as well as action as antibacterial agents. Due to the highly antimicrobial properties of the metal/metal oxide materials, they can be used for wound dressing applications.

Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. Preliminary studies have evaluated the association between innate immunity including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and airway samples of patients with COPD. The role of TLRs in peripheral blood neutrophils is poorly understood. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of TLR2 and TLR4 in peripheral blood neutrophils of COPD patients. Methods: A total of 101 COPD cases and an equal number of healthy controls participated in this case-control study. Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated from all participants and cultured for 24 hours through lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. The gene expressions of TLR2 and TLR4 were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The protein levels of interleukin (IL)-8 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 were measured in neutrophils cell culture supernatants using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The levels of IL-8 and MMP-9 were significantly higher in patients with COPD compared to healthy controls. Similarly, the gene expression of TLR2 and TLR4 were increased in LPS stimulated peripheral blood neutrophils of patients with COPD. Smoke pack years was positively correlated with IL-8 levels and negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in the first second % (r = -0.33; p = 0.023) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) (r = -0.27; p = 0.011). Conclusions: The increased expression of TLR2 and TLR4 suggests its role in disease pathogenesis of COPD. Smoke pack years was negatively associated with spirometric parameters in COPD patients. This may help to predict the smokers without COPD who risk developing the condition in the future.

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by partially reversible airflow obstruction and chronic inflammation in the pulmonary as well as in systemic compartment. Interleukin 8 (IL-8) is one of the most potent inflammatory mediators and it is involved in the migration and activation of neutrophils. Previous studies demonstrated the increased levels of IL-8 in plasma and sputum of COPD, but peripheral blood neutrophils mediated IL-8 level including their relationship to smoking pack years and spirometric parameters is still unknown. Aim: To assess the levels of IL-8 in sputum and peripheral blood neutrophils of COPD patients and to compare them with healthy controls. Materials and Methods: This case control study was done from March 2014 to November 2016 in the department of respiratory medicine KGMU. A total of 81 COPD patients and 81 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated from COPD patients and healthy controls and stimulated with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The neutrophils cell culture supernatant was assessed for IL-8 level using ELISA techniques, whilst IL-8 mRNA expression was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Induced sputum was obtained from all participants and processed. The sputum supernatant was also assayed for IL-8 level. Results: COPD patients had significantly higher protein level of IL-8 in peripheral blood neutrophils (p=0.018) and sputum supernatant (p=0.011) compared to healthy controls. Gene expression of IL-8 was also significantly higher in peripheral blood neutrophils of COPD patients (p=0.001). In the patients with COPD, the smoke pack year was significantly correlated with the level of IL-8 in peripheral blood neutrophils (r=0.42; p=0.009) and sputum (r=0.48; p=0.002). The smoke pack years was found negatively correlated with FEV1 % predicted (r=- 0.37; p=0.044) and FEV1 /FVC (r=-0.47; p=0.007) in the COPD patients. Conclusion: The increased level of IL-8 in peripheral blood neutrophils and sputum support the hypothesis that COPD is a multicomponent disease. IL-8 level may be helpful in predicting development of COPD in smokers.

Ferritic/martensitic steels and austenitic stainless steels are high‐strength steels, and highly recommended in high‐temperature and high‐pressure application. In general, multimetallics with different Inconel alloys are used for joining. This is quite a complex and time‐consuming procedure. The current work demonstrates the efforts made to weld 8 mm‐thick P91 steel and 316L SS plates in a single pass using activating flux tungsten inert gas (A‐TIG) welding process without any interlayers. The main challenge is to get the symmetric weld bead profile. Flux coating is optimized in terms of flux composition, coating density, and coating pattern to get the full penetration with symmetric appearance. The current work discusses the possible cause and their solution of asymmetricity during dissimilar welding. Differential flux coating density is found to be very effective in controlling the arc column shape, fluid flow, and consequently the bead geometry. High coating density is used in the P91 side compared to 316L side. Symmetric weld profile with full penetration is achieved by applying multicomponent flux (33–38% TiO2, 38–43% SiO2, 13–17% NiO, and 8–10% CuO) during A‐TIG welding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a diffusion component in an SIR model is introduced, and its impact is analyzed using fractional calculus. We have included the diffusion component in the SIR model. in order to illustrate the variations. Here, we have applied the general fractional derivative to analyze the impact. The Laplace decomposition technique is employed to obtain the numerical outcomes of the model. In order to observe the effect of the diffusion component in the SIR model, graphical solutions are also displayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A five-dimensional hyperchaotic system is a dynamical system with five state variables that exhibits chaotic behavior in multiple directions. In this work, we incorporated a 5D hyperchaotic system with constant- and variable-order Caputo and the Caputo–Fabrizio fractional derivatives. These fractional 5D hyperchaotic systems are solved numerically. Through simulations, the chaotic behavior of these fractional-order hyperchaotic systems is analyzed and a comparison between constant- and variable-order fractional hyperchaotic systems is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]