Stability & durability of self-driven photo-detective parameters based on Sn1-ß Sb ß Se (ß = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) ternary alloy single crystals.

In the present investigation Sn1-ß Sb ß Se crystals are grown using the direct vapor transport method. The crystals after growth were analyzed by EDAX and XPS to confirm the elemental composition. The surface morphological properties were studied by scanning electron microscope, confirming a flat surface and layered growth of the Sn1-ß Sb ß Se crystals. The structural properties studied by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirm the orthorhombic structure of the grown Sn1-ß Sb ß Se crystals. The Raman spectroscopic measurements evince the presence of B2g and Ag vibration modes. The PL intensity peak at ∼400 nm to 500 nm confirms the energy band gap. The indirect energy band gap of 1.18 eV was evaluated using Tauc plot by employing UV-visible spectroscopy making it a promising candidate for optoelectronic and photonic applications. The pulse photo response of pure and doped samples was studied under a monochromatic source of wavelength 670 nm and intensity of 30 mW cm-2 at zero biasing voltage firstly on day one and then the same samples were preserved for 50 days and the stability of the photodetectors was observed. Photodetector parameters such as rise time, decay time, photocurrent, responsivity, sensitivity, and detectivity were observed, and evaluated results are presented in this article.

Starch bio-based composite active edible film functionalized with Carum carvi L. essential oil: antimicrobial, rheological, physic-mechanical and optical attributes.

In the present study, the antimicrobial, rheological, mechanical, barrier and optical properties of Carrageenan and Manihot esculenta (composite) starch biobased edible film incorporated with caraway (Carum carvi L.) essential oil (EO) were investigated. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of caraway oil against B. cereus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were found to be 0.6, 1.4, 1.4 and 0.8% respectively. The Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) of caraway EO expressed a distinct chromatogram peak for phenolic compounds. Rheological results of Film-Forming Solution (FFS) revealed solid-like viscoelastic behavior. Incorporation of caraway EO in the film caused significant (P < 0.05) increase in moisture, moisture absorption, bio-degradability in terms of film solubility, L value, total color difference (ΔE), haziness and transparency value, however, significantly (P < 0.05) decreased tensile strength and whiteness index were observed. The zone of inhibition of caraway EO incorporated films against all test bacteria were highly significant (P < 0.01) than control whereas antibacterial activity was found more towards gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative bacteria. No significant (P>0.05) changes in thickness, density, water activity, swelling, elongation at break, water vapor transmission rate, a and b value were observed with increasing caraway EO concentration. These results with some good rheological, physic-mechanical, antimicrobial and optical characteristics suggest the application of such active film into a variety of foods with improved food safety and quality. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05028-1.

Flexible paper based piezo-resistive sensor functionalised by 2D-WSe2 nanosheets.

High-performance electronics demand extremely sensitive piezo-resistive sensors with important features such as low-fabrication cost, easy implementation, low power consumption and high-pressure sensitivity over broad pressure range. Herein, we report a flexible piezo-resistive paper-based device functionalised by WSe2 nanosheets. An efficient and low-cost fabrication strategy using Whatman filter paper and tissue paper is adopted for versatile sensing applications. The WSe2 nanosheets were synthesized by high-yield and size-controlled liquid phase exfoliation technique. The flexible WSe2 nanosheets-paper sensor shows excellent response in broad pressure range of 1 Pa-100 kPa with exceptionally high sensitivity of 29.24 kPa-1, current responsivity of 70 and response time of 100 ms. The pressure sensor is also employed to recognize the pressure generated due to finger tapping. Encouragingly, the piezo-resistive sensors can also sense extremely small pressure differences of about 1.4 Pa generated by water drops.

Novel dual incretin agonist peptide with antidiabetic and neuroprotective potential.

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic hormone (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are incretin hormones that exert an array of beneficial actions on metabolism and cognitive function. GLP-1-based therapeutics have been highly successful in terms of obesity and diabetes management, however GIP therapies have found no clinical utility to date. In the present study we describe, for the first time, the therapeutic effectiveness of a novel GIP/GLP-1 hybrid peptide based on the amino acid sequences of GIP, GLP-1 and the clinically approved GLP-1 mimetic, exendin-4. The hybrid peptide, N-ac(d-Ala2)GIP/GLP-1-exe, was enzymatically stable for up to 12 h when incubated with DPP-4. N-ac(d-Ala2)GIP/GLP-1-exe significantly (P < 0.001) stimulated insulin secretion from BRIN-BD11 cells and isolated mouse islets, and evoked dose-dependent increases (P < 0.001) in cAMP production in both GIP-R and GLP-1-R transfected cells. In mice, injection of the hybrid in combination with glucose significantly (P < 0.001) reduced glucose and increased insulin concentrations, with metabolic actions evident (P < 0.05) 8 h post-injection. Twice-daily injection of N-ac(d-Ala2)GIP/GLP-1-exe to high fat fed (HFF) mice for 28 days significantly (P < 0.05-P < 0.001) reduced body weight, HbA1c, circulating glucose and insulin concentrations. Furthermore, both oral and i.p. glucose tolerance were improved (P < 0.001) and insulin sensitivity enhanced. The hybrid peptide also increased (P < 0.05-P < 0.001) beta cell number, islet area, pancreatic insulin content and islet insulin secretory responsiveness in HFF mice. Finally, N-ac(d-Ala2)GIP/GLP-1-exe treated mice exhibited improved (P < 0.01) recognition memory which was accompanied by enhanced (P < 0.05-P < 0.001) hippocampal neurogenesis, synapse formation and reduced neuronal oxidative stress. These data demonstrate for the first time the beneficial actions of the novel GIP/GLP-1 hybrid, N-ac(d-Ala2)GIP/GLP-1-exe, on glucose homeostasis and memory function in diabetes.

Stable multi-GeV electron accelerator driven by waveform-controlled PW laser pulses.

The achievable energy and the stability of accelerated electron beams have been the most critical issues in laser wakefield acceleration. As laser propagation, plasma wave formation and electron acceleration are highly nonlinear processes, the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) is extremely sensitive to initial experimental conditions. We propose a simple and elegant waveform control method for the LWFA process to enhance the performance of a laser electron accelerator by applying a fully optical and programmable technique to control the chirp of PW laser pulses. We found sensitive dependence of energy and stability of electron beams on the spectral phase of laser pulses and obtained stable 2-GeV electron beams from a 1-cm gas cell of helium. The waveform control technique for LWFA would prompt practical applications of centimeter-scale GeV-electron accelerators to a compact radiation sources in the x-ray and γ-ray regions.

Experimental and kinetics study for phytoremediation of sugar mill effluent using water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) and its end use for biogas production.

In present study, the performance of phytoremediation by Pistia stratiotes on sugar mill effluent (SME) and its end use for biogas production are investigated. The objectives of the study are to determine the nutrient and pollution reduction efficiency of P. stratiotes from SME and evaluation of its biomass as a feedstock for biogas production. Various concentrations of SME (25, 50, 75, and 100%) were remediated by Pistia stratiotes (initial weight; 150 g) outdoor for 60 days under batch mode experimental setup. The results showed that P. stratiotes achieved marked reduction in nutrient (TKN, 72.86%; TP, 71.49%) and pollutant load (EC, 25.69%; TDS, 57.26%; BOD, 69.40%; COD, 61.80%; Ca2+, 56.79%; Mg2+, 55.01%; Na+, 42.86%; K+, 54.38%; MPN, 78.13%; SPC, 60.13%) from 75% SME at the end of the experiment. The highest biomass (328.48 ± 2.04 g) and chlorophyll content (3.62 ± 3.04 mg/g) were also achieved with 75% SME. The dried biomass of P. stratiotes (from 75% SME) was inoculated with cow dung (10% w/v) and diluted with distilled water (1:10). The whole content was used as a substrate for the biogas production within hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 30 days at room temperature. Substrate parameters such as pH, TS (%), COD (mg/L), TKN (%), TOC (%), VS (%), and C/N ratio were reduced from 7.85 to 6.0, 66.65 to 28.65%, 12,900 to 2800 mg/L, 0.95 to 0.75%, 45.54 to 19.5%, 76.87 to 28.78%, and 47.94 to 26.00, respectively, in 30 days of HRT. About 8478.6 mL of cumulative biogas production was evaluated by modified Gompertz equation. Thus, the present investigation not only achieved efficient nutrient and pollution reduction from SME but also proved the potential of P. stratiotes for biogas production.

Control of campylobacter in poultry industry from farm to poultry processing unit: A review.

Campylobacter is an emerging zoonotic bacterial threat in the poultry industry. Most of the human cases of campylobacteriosis recorded have revealed their poultry origins. Various control measures have been employed both at the farm and processing levels to combat with it. The antibiotic treatment, phage therapy, competitive exclusion, and vaccination have been adapted at the farm level to reduce colonization of Campylobacter in poultry gut. While prevention of intestinal spillage, scheduled slaughter, logistic slaughter, chemical decontamination of carcasses are recommended to reduce contamination during processing. The postharvest interventions such as heat treatment, freezing, irradiation of contaminated carcass can effectively reduce Campylobacter contamination. Thus, integrated approaches are required to tackle infection of Campylobacter in humans.

Development and quality assessment of carrageenan incorporated low fat chevon patties.

The present study was conducted to develop and assess the quality of carrageenan incorporated chevon patties with the objective of reducing fat content. Efficacy of carrageenan as fat replacers (0.3, 0.6 & 0.9 %) was assessed for development of low fat chevon patties. Emulsion stability and cooking yield increased with the increase in levels of carrageenan. Significantly (P < 0.05) lower fat and cholesterol contents and higher moisture and fat retention were observed in formulation with carrageenan. No significant difference in the mineral content in either of the treatment was recorded. Incorporation of fat replacer in chevon patties demonstrated significant effect on all the textural parameters except adhesiveness. Results of color value illustrated that lightness (L*) value differ significantly. Sensory scores were higher or comparable for patties containing 0.6 % carrageenan as compared to control. Hence, carrageenan was observed to be suitable as fat replacer for producing low fat chevon meat patties.

Beneficial metabolic actions of a stable GIP agonist following pre-treatment with a SGLT2 inhibitor in high fat fed diabetic mice.

The purpose of the present study was to examine if a stable glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) agonist could exert beneficial metabolic control in diabetic mice which had been pre-treated with sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin (DAPA). High fat fed mice administered low dose streptozotocin (STZ) received vehicle, DAPA once-daily over 28 days, or DAPA once-daily for 14 days followed by (DAla(2))GIP once-daily for 14 days. Energy intake, body weight, glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at regular intervals. Glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance test, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and pancreatic histology were examined. Once-daily administration of (DAla(2))GIP for 14 days in high fat fed diabetic mice pre-treated with DAPA demonstrated significant decrease in body weight, blood glucose and increased insulin concentrations which were independent of changes in energy intake. Similarly, glucose tolerance, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and HOMA-ß were significantly enhanced in (DAla(2))GIP-treated mice. DEXA analysis revealed sustained percentage body fat loss with no changes in lean mass, bone mineral content and density. Pancreatic immunohistochemical analysis revealed decreased islet number and increases in islet area, beta cell area and pancreatic insulin content. The DAPA-induced increase in alpha cell area was also reversed. Additional acute in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that the impaired action of (DAla(2))GIP under hyperglycaemic-induced conditions was significantly reversed by DAPA treatment. These data demonstrate that (DAla(2))GIP can exert beneficial metabolic control in high fat fed diabetic mice pre-treated with DAPA. The results highlight possibility of a targeted and personalized approach using a GIP agonist and SGLT2 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.