An efficient multi-class classification of skin cancer using optimized vision transformer.

Skin cancer is a pervasive and deadly disease, prompting a surge in research efforts towards utilizing computer-based techniques to analyze skin lesion images to identify malignancies. This paper introduces an optimized vision transformer approach for effectively classifying skin tumors. The methodology begins with a pre-processing step aimed at preserving color constancy, eliminating hair artifacts, and reducing image noise. Here, a combination of techniques such as piecewise linear bottom hat filtering, adaptive median filtering, Gaussian filtering, and an enhanced gradient intensity method is used for pre-processing. Afterwards, the segmentation phase is initiated using the self-sparse watershed algorithm on the pre-processed image. Subsequently, the segmented image is passed through a feature extraction stage where the hybrid Walsh-Hadamard Karhunen-Loeve expansion technique is employed. The final step involves the application of an improved vision transformer for skin cancer classification. The entire methodology is implemented using the Python programming language, and the International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) 2019 database is utilized for experimentation. The experimental results demonstrate remarkable performance with the different performance metrics is accuracy 99.81%, precision 96.65%, sensitivity 98.21%, F-measure 97.42%, specificity 99.88%, recall 98.21%, Jaccard coefficient 98.54%, and Mathew's correlation coefficient (MCC) 98.89%. The proposed methodology outperforms the existing methodology.

APTES monolayer coverage on self-assembled magnetic nanospheres for controlled release of anticancer drug Nintedanib.

The use of an appropriate delivery system capable of protecting, translocating, and selectively releasing therapeutic moieties to desired sites can promote the efficacy of an active compound. In this work, we have developed a nanoformulation which preserves its magnetization to load a model anticancerous drug and to explore the controlled release of the drug in a cancerous environment. For the preparation of the nanoformulation, self-assembled magnetic nanospheres (MNS) made of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were grafted with a monolayer of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). A direct functionalization strategy was used to avoid the loss of the MNS magnetization. The successful preparation of the nanoformulation was validated by structural, microstructural, and magnetic investigations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to establish the presence of APTES on the MNS surface. The amine content quantified by a ninhydrin assay revealed the monolayer coverage of APTES over MNS. The monolayer coverage of APTES reduced only negligibly the saturation magnetization from 77 emu/g (for MNS) to 74 emu/g (for MNS-APTES). Detailed investigations of the thermoremanent magnetization were carried out to assess the superparamagnetism in the MNS. To make the nanoformulation pH-responsive, the anticancerous drug Nintedanib (NTD) was conjugated with MNS-APTES through the acid liable imine bond. At pH 5.5, which mimics a cancerous environment, a controlled release of 85% in 48 h was observed. On the other hand, prolonged release of NTD was found at physiological conditions (i.e., pH 7.4). In vitro cytotoxicity study showed dose-dependent activity of MNS-APTES-NTD for human lung cancer cells L-132. About 75% reduction in cellular viability for a 100 µg/mL concentration of nanoformulation was observed. The nanoformulation designed using MNS and monolayer coverage of APTES has potential in cancer therapy as well as in other nanobiological applications.

Pulsed laser deposited CoFe2O4 thin films as supercapacitor electrodes.

The influence of the substrate temperature on pulsed laser deposited (PLD) CoFe2O4 thin films for supercapacitor electrodes was thoroughly investigated. X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopic analyses confirmed the formation of CoFe2O4 phase for films deposited at a substrate temperature of 450 °C. Topography and surface smoothness was measured using atomic force microscopy. We observed that the films deposited at room temperature showed improved electrochemical performance and supercapacitive properties compared to those of films deposited at 450 °C. Specific capacitances of about 777.4 F g-1 and 258.5 F g-1 were obtained for electrodes deposited at RT and 450 °C, respectively, at 0.5 mA cm-2 current density. The CoFe2O4 films deposited at room temperature exhibited an excellent power density (3277 W kg-1) and energy density (17 W h kg-1). Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the series resistance and charge transfer resistance were found to be 1.1 Ω and 1.5 Ω, respectively. The cyclic stability was increased up to 125% after 1500 cycles due to the increasing electroactive surface of CoFe2O4 along with the fast electron and ion transport at the surface.

Studies on interstitial carbon doping from a Ti precursor in a hierarchical TiO2 nanostructured photoanode by a single step hydrothermal route.

Carbon doping from a Ti precursor in TiO2 synthesized by a hydrothermal method was studied. The structural, optical and morphological study of the deposited material was carried out using X-ray diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy characterization techniques. The elemental composition of the TiO2 deposited with different precursor concentrations was studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The amount of elemental carbon in the TiO2 matrix is found to be increased as the Ti precursor concentration is increased, which strengthens the proposed idea of carbon doping via a Ti precursor.

Monolayer grafting of aminosilane on magnetic nanoparticles: An efficient approach for targeted drug delivery system.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with higher magnetization are highly desirable for targeted drug delivery (TDD) systems, as it helps accumulation of drug at the target site. However, functionalization of MNPs for drug binding reduces the magnetization which affects the efficacy of TDD. Herein we report direct functionalization of MNPs with (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) which preserves the magnetization. Grafting density estimated by TGA and BET analysis showed monolayer grafting of APTES on MNP surface. MNPs were comprehensively characterized by XRD, HR-TEM, SQUID-VSM and FTIR. Anti-cancerous drug telmisartan (TEL) was loaded on monolayer APTES grafted MNPs. In-vitro controlled drug release and cytotoxicity study on PC-3 human prostate cancer cell line of TEL conjugated MNPs are also discussed. This functionalization strategy can be extended to other biomedical applications where higher magnetization is desired.

Impact of collected sunlight on ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for photocatalytic application.

In the present investigation, a series of zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles were synthesized using a facile, reproducible and scalable chemical co-precipitation route for sunlight assisted photocatalytic degradation application. In the present work, we have prepared ZnFe2O4 with 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 M ratio of zinc chloride and ferric chloride respectively. This work reports the photodegradation of organic methylene blue dye molecules using ZnFe2O4 under both normal sunlight, and collected sunlight. Among other annealing temperatures, particularly the ZnFe2O4 annealed at 600 °C with a molar ratio of 1:3 showed the highest photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. Interestingly close to 99% degradation in less than 60 min of collected sunlight illumination has been achieved indicating maximum photocatalytic activity under investigation. This expounding study will open new way of light harvesting in the field of photocatalysis which is different from common praxis.

Magnetic nanoparticle decorated graphene based electrochemical nanobiosensor for H2O2 sensing using HRP.

To utilize synergetic effect of graphene's higher conductivity and magnetic nanoparticles biocompatibility, an electrochemical nanobiosensor is constructed based on magnetic nanoparticle decorated graphene (MRGO) using Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for H2O2 sensing. Sensors based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) are studied for comparison. MNP, RGO and MRGO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD studies have confirmed successful synthesis of Fe3O4 MNPs, RGO and MRGO. TEM micrographs revealed uniform decoration of MNPs on graphene. FTIR confirmed the immobilization of HRP on MNP, RGO and MRGO. The MRGO based sensor exhibited higher sensitivity (48.08 µA µM-1 cm-2) compared to MNP (39.08 µA µM-1 cm-2) and RGO (41.08 µA µM-1 cm-2) based biosensors.

Mimicking the Synaptic Weights and Human Forgetting Curve Using Hydrothermally Grown Nanostructured CuO Memristor Device.

In the present investigation, we have fabricated copper oxide (CuO) thin film memristor by employing a hydrothermal method for neuromorphic application. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the films are polycrystalline in nature with the monoclinic crystal structure. The developed devices show analog memory and synaptic property similar to biological neuron. The size dependent synaptic behavior is investigated for as-prepared and annealed CuO memristor. The results suggested that the magnitude of synaptic weights and resistive switching voltages are dependent on the thickness of the active layer. Synaptic weights are improved in the case of the as-prepared device whereas they are inferior for annealed CuO memristor. The rectifying property similar to a biological neuron is observed only for the as-prepared device, which suggested that as-prepared devices have better computational and learning capabilities than annealed CuO memristor. Moreover, the retention loss of the CuO memristor is in good agreement with the forgetting curve of human memory. The results suggested that hydrothermally grown CuO thin film memristor is a potential candidate for the neuromorphic device development.

In-vitro effect of human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37 on dengue virus type 2.

Human Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is known to have antiviral activity against many viruses. In the present study, we investigated the in-vitro effect of LL-37 on dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) infection and replication in Vero E6 cells. To study the effect of pretreatment of virus or cells with LL-37, the virus was pretreated with different concentrations of LL-37 (2.5µM-15µM) or scrambled (Scr) LL-37(5µM-15µM) and used for infection or the cells were first treated with LL-37 and infected. To study the effect of LL-37 post infection (PI), the cells were infected first followed by addition of LL-37 to the culture medium 24h after infection. In all conditions, after the incubation, the culture supernatant was assessed for viral RNA copy number by real time RT-PCR, infectious virus particles by focus forming unit assay (FFU) and non structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen levels by ELISA. Percentage of infection was assessed using immunoflourescence assay (IFA). The results revealed that pretreatment of virus with 10-15µM LL-37 significantly reduced its infectivity as compared to virus control (P<0.0001). Moreover, pretreatment of virus with 10-15µM LL-37 significantly reduced the levels of viral genomic RNA and NS1 antigen (P<0.0001). Treatment of virus with 10-15µM LL-37 resulted in two to three log reduction of mean log10 FFU/ml as compared to virus control (P<0.0001). Treatment of the virus with scrambled LL-37 had no effect on percentage of infection and viral load as compared to virus control cultures (P>0.05). Pretreatment of cells before infection or addition of LL-37 to the culture 24h PI had no effect on viral load. Molecular docking studies revealed possible binding of LL-37 to both the units of DENV envelope (E) protein dimer. Together, the in-vitro experiments and in-silico analyses suggest that LL-37 inhibits DENV-2 at the stage of entry into the cells by binding to the E protein. The results might have implications for prophylaxis against DENV infections and need further in-vivo studies.

An experimental and theoretical study on a novel donor-π-acceptor bridge type 2, 4, 5-trimethoxy-4'-chlorochalcone for optoelectronic applications: A dual approach.

In this article the authors aim is to investigate and analyze the various key parameters of an organic D-π-A type novel nonlinear optical material 2, 4, 5-trimethoxy-4'-chlorochalcone (2,4,5TMCC) through experimental and quantum chemical studies. The Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction mechanism was applied to synthesize the 2,4,5TMCC compound and its single crystal was grown by a slow evaporation solution growth (low cost) technique. The crystal structure was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. The robust vibrational study has been done using FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra and its NLO activity was discussed. The factor group analysis was also performed. The optical absorption spectrum was recorded and the band gap was calculated to be 2.8eV. In photoluminescence spectrum, an intense emission band at ~540nm has been observed which shows that the grown crystals can be used in green organic light emitting diodes and laser applications. To achieve the stable ground state molecular geometry of 2,4,5TMCC, the computational techniques were applied at different levels of theory using 6-31G* basis set. The calculated geometrical parameters and vibrational spectra are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. To probe the optical properties of the title compound the time dependent density functional theory was applied. The excitation wavelength was observed at ~398.63nm calculated at B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory and found close to experimental value (i.e. 396nm). The static first hyperpolarizability value is found to be 136 times higher than prototype urea molecule. Additionally, the molecular level approach was attained as HOMO-LUMO gap and electrostatic potential maps. The DSC study reveals that the titled material is stable up to 149°C. The photophysical and nonlinear optical properties suggest that the titled material could be a better choice for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices.

Immobilization of invertase on chitosan coated γ-Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles to facilitate magnetic separation.

Industrially important invertase enzyme was immobilized on chitosan coated sol gel derived γ-Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to enable it for repetitive use by magnetic separation. MNPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer and magnetic measurements. FTIR studies confirmed successful immobilization of invertase on MNPs. The ability to convert sucrose into invert syrup was enhanced in immobilized invertase compared to that of free enzyme. Further it was found that invertase immobilized on MNPs (IIMNPs) were more stable at varying pH and temperature conditions. Magnetic separation technique was successfully employed for reuse of the IIMNPs for 20 times without significant loss of activity.

Studies on effect of temperature on synthesis of hierarchical TiO2 nanostructures by surfactant free single step hydrothermal route and its photoelectrochemical characterizations.

Exotic hierarchical rutile TiO2 nanostructures are synthesized by surfactant free single step hydrothermal route. The effect of reaction temperature, ranging from 140°C to 200°C on the properties of the synthesized rutile-TiO2 is investigated. The synthesized rutile-TiO2 nanostructures are characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The deposited TiO2 samples are found to be photoelectrochemically active and the best photoelectrochemical performance (0.95±0.05%) is obtained for the sample deposited at 180°C. A possible temperature dependent growth mechanism resulting in photochemically active TiO2 nanostructure thin films is proposed.

Orgasm Induced Seizures: A Rare Phenomenon.

A variety of stimuli can cause reflex seizures, Some triggers include light, music and cognitive phenomenon. There are case reports however where the phenomenon of sexual activity has been a trigger for epileptic seizures. Most of these cases reported are in women so far, and were found to be localized to right cerebral hemisphere. We report a case of a 36-year-old male with orgasm-induced seizures, with other atypical features compared to majority of previous reports.

Prevalence of oral malodour and its relationship with oral parameters in Indian children aged 7-15 years.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of oral malodour in Indian children and also to assess the relationship of oral malodour with oral hygiene, gingival health, dental caries, tongue coating, mouth breathing and frequency of tooth brushing. METHOD: A total number of 900 school children (7-15 years) were included in the study. Children were assessed for the oral malodour, oral hygiene, gingival health, dental caries, tongue coating, mouth breathing and frequency of tooth brushing. RESULTS: The prevalence of oral malodour in Davangere school children was found to be 40.9%. Oral malodour was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with age, mouth breathing, tongue coating, oral hygiene status, gingival status and tooth brushing frequency. Oral malodour was not significantly correlated with gender and caries status. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of malodour in the population studied was 40.9% and oral health status and oral malodour were associated with one another. The prevalence of oral malodour was considerably high and should not be neglected in children.

Role of NF-κB as a Prognostic Marker in Breast Cancer : A Pilot Study in Indian Patients.

The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a superfamily of transcription factors. It plays an important role in development & progression of cancer. This study was conducted in a tertiary care centre to investigate the significance of NF-κB as a prognostic marker in breast cancer and study its relation with established prognostic markers such as tumor grade, lymph node status, hormone receptor & HER-2/neu expression. We measured NF-κB expression of breast cancer tissue as a test sample & from fibroadenoma as a control. Measurement was done by Western Blot Technique using p65 protein of NF-κB super family of transcription factors. ER,PR and HER-2/neu were measured by immunohistochemistry methods. NF-κB/p65 is significantly associated with large tumor size (≥5 cm), high grade tumors, negative ER, negative PR, positive HER-2/neu and high NPI (≥5.4) scores. NF-κB/p65 expression implies aggressive biological behaviour of breast cancer & this study validates significant association of NF-κB /p65 overexpression with large tumor size, negative estrogen & progesterone receptor status and overexpression of c-erbB2 oncoprotein.

Investigations on silver/polyaniline electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitors.

Polyaniline (PANI) and silver doped polyaniline (Ag/PANI) thin films were deposited on stainless steel substrates by a dip coating technique. To study the effect of doping concentration of Ag on the specific capacitance of PANI the concentration of Ag was varied from 0.3 to 1.2 weight percent. Fourier transform-infrared and Fourier transform-Raman spectroscopy, and energy dispersion X-ray techniques were used for the phase identification and determination of the doping content in the PANI films, respectively. The surface morphology of the films was examined by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, which revealed a nanofiber like structure for PANI and nanofibers with bright spots of Ag particles for the Ag/PANI films. There was decrease in the room temperature electrical resistivity of the Ag/PANI films of the order of 10(2) with increasing Ag concentration. The supercapacitive behavior of the electrodes was tested in a three electrode system using 1.0 M H(2)SO(4) electrolyte. The specific capacitance increased from 285 F g(-1) (for PANI) to 512 F g(-1) for Ag/PANI at 0.9 weight percent doping of Ag, owing to the synergic effect of PANI and silver nanoparticles. This work demonstrates a simple strategy of improving the specific capacitance of polymer electrodes and may also be easily adopted for other dopants.

CdS-sensitized TiO2 nanocorals: hydrothermal synthesis, characterization, application.

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticle-sensitized titanium oxide nanocorals (TNC) were synthesized using a two-step deposition process. The TiO(2) nanocorals were grown on the conducting glass substrates (FTO) using A hydrothermal process and CdS nanoparticles were loaded on TNC using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The TiO(2), CdS and TiO(2)-CdS samples were characterized by optical absorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-Raman, FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and contact angle. Further, their photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance was tested in NaOH, Na(2)S-NaOH-S and Na(2)S electrolytes, respectively. When CdS nanoparticles are coated on TNCs, the optical absorption is found to be enhanced and band edge is red-shifted towards visible region. The TiO(2)-CdS sample exhibits improved photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance with maximum short circuit current of (J(sc)) 1.04 mA cm(-2). After applying these TiO(2)-CdS electrodes in photovoltaic cells, the photocurrent was found to be enhanced by 2.7 and 32.5 times, as compared with those of bare CdS and TiO(2) nanocorals films electrodes respectively. Also, the power conversion efficiency of TiO(2)-CdS electrodes is 0.72%, which is enhanced by about 16 and 29 times for TiO(2), CdS samples.