Tapping the Unused Energy Potential of Solar Water Pumps in India.

India seeks to deploy millions of solar water pumps to farmers who often lack access to electricity or face an unreliable power supply. Improving the use of this technology can bolster sustainable agriculture and expand clean energy services. We investigate farm-level impacts and opportunities with primary survey data (n = 292 farmers) and a large real-time pump operational data set (n = 1106 pumps). By modeling the potential solar generation of off-grid solar water pumps, we estimate 300-400 kWh/month of unutilized solar energy per pumping system, representing up to 95% of potential generation. While farmers report increased revenues and ease of pump operation, unsolved challenges concerning the lack of panel cleaning and tracking remain. Pump operational data show pump usage in the summer and monsoon seasons and an expansion of irrigation to grow crops in the winter. Relative to emissions associated with the use of diesel pumps, solar pumps that are highly utilized reduced life cycle CO2-eq emissions by 93% on average, while the pumping systems with the lowest use result in a net increase of 26% relative to the diesel alternatives. Based on observed usage rates, approximately 70% of pumps had positive environmental benefits. The high share of unutilized solar energy provides a significant opportunity to use the energy for nonpumping purposes.

Improved osteoblast function on titanium implant surfaces coated with nanocomposite Apatite-Wollastonite-Chitosan- an experimental in-vitro study.

BACKGROUND: There is a continuous research in the area of biomimetic coatings on the titanium (Ti) implant surfaces for improved survival and long-term successful outcomes in the field of dentistry and orthopedics. In-vitro approaches are ideal systems for studying cell-material interactions without complexity and interference observed in in-vivo models. PURPOSE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the osteoblast characteristics and function on Ti substrates coated with the novel composite coating of ceramic apatite-wollastonite (AW) and polymer chitosan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ti substrate coated with composite AW-Chitosan was synthesized, using electrophoretic deposition. MG-63 cells were seeded onto the coated substrates and cellular morphology and growth was assessed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Laser Scanning Microscopy (LSM). Osteocalcin expression of the seeded cells was assessed by FITC tagging and LSM analysis. Alizarin Red S staining and Confocal LSM (CSLM) analysis was used to study the in-vitro mineralization on the titanium samples. RESULTS: The AW-Chitosan coating on Ti samples by electrophoretic deposition exerted significant positive influence on cell proliferation, growth and mineralization as compared to uncoated titanium samples. Scanning electron microscopy and laser confocal microscopy experiments revealed that the coating was non-toxic to cells, enhanced adhesion and proliferation of MG-63 cells. Increased functional activity was observed by increased production of bone-specific protein osteocalcin and mineralized calcium through day 7 and 14. CONCLUSIONS: The present study underscores that optimal inorganic-organic phase nanocomposite crack-free coating created on Ti by simple, cost-effective electrophoretic deposition technique may have osteoconductive potential and may have wide application in the field of implantology. Graphical abstract.

Management of veno-occlusive disease: the multidisciplinary approach to care.

Although it is considered a relatively rare disorder, veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is one of the main causes of overall, non-relapse mortality associated with haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This article, based on the consensus opinion of haemato-oncology nurses, haemato-oncologists and pharmacists from both adult and paediatric services at the VOD International Multi-Disciplinary Advisory Board at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) meeting, Istanbul, 2015, aims to explore the multidisciplinary approach to care for the management of VOD, with an emphasis on current challenges in this area. The careful monitoring of HSCT patients allows early detection of the symptoms associated with VOD and timely treatment, ultimately improving patient outcomes. As part of a multidisciplinary team, nurses have an essential role to play, from pretransplant assessment to medical management and overall care of the patient. Physicians and pharmacists have a responsibility to facilitate education and training so that nurses can work effectively within that team.

rpoS-Regulated core genes involved in the competitive fitness of Salmonella enterica Serovar Kentucky in the intestines of chickens.

Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky has become the most frequently isolated serovar from poultry in the United States over the past decade. Despite its prevalence in poultry, it causes few human illnesses in the United States. The dominance of S. Kentucky in poultry does not appear to be due to single introduction of a clonal strain, and its reduced virulence appears to correlate with the absence of virulence genes grvA, sseI, sopE, and sodC1. S. Kentucky's prevalence in poultry is possibly attributable to its metabolic adaptation to the chicken cecum. While there were no difference in the growth rate of S. Kentucky and S. Typhimurium grown microaerophilically in cecal contents, S. Kentucky persisted longer when chickens were coinfected with S. Typhimurium. The in vivo advantage that S. Kentucky has over S. Typhimurium appears to be due to differential regulation of core Salmonella genes via the stationary-phase sigma factor rpoS. Microarray analysis of Salmonella grown in cecal contents in vitro identified several metabolic genes and motility and adherence genes that are differentially activated in S. Kentucky. The contributions of four of these operons (mgl, prp, nar, and csg) to Salmonella colonization in chickens were assessed. Deletion of mgl and csg reduced S. Kentucky persistence in competition studies in chickens infected with wild-type or mutant strains. Subtle mutations affecting differential regulation of core Salmonella genes appear to be important in Salmonella's adaptation to its animal host and especially for S. Kentucky's emergence as the dominant serovar in poultry.

Dynamics of sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit motions based on the trajectory control of the centre of mass of the body: A bond graph approach.

This paper presents a bond graph model for the dynamics of sit-to-stand (SiTSt) and stand-to-sit (StTSi) motions. It is hypothesized that, for these motions, the central nervous system (CNS) controls the trajectory of the centre of mass of the body (COMB). The model comprises two identical submodels: one submodel emulates the working of the CNS, and the other represents the human body. Reference trajectories of the COMB determined through experimentation are input to the submodel representing the working of CNS, which automatically determines the required joint angle trajectories. Based on the required and actual joint angle trajectories, proportional integral derivative controllers at the joints (j-PID) provide the required joint torques to actuate the human body submodel. Simulation results show that during SiTSt or StTSi motions, the centre of mass of the human body submodel follows the commanded trajectories. The joint angle trajectories from the submodel representing the working of CNS closely follow the respective experimental joint angle trajectories. Also, for each motion, joint angles, torques and powers are presented, which agree with earlier studies. These findings provide adequate confidence in proposed hypothesis and indicate the potential of developed model for other biomechanical investigations of SiTSt and StTSi motions.

Orchestral role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in T-cell malignancy.

The immune function of normal T cells partially depends on the maneuvering of lipid metabolism through various stages and subsets. Interestingly, T-cell malignancies also reprogram their lipid metabolism to fulfill bioenergetic demand for rapid division. The rewiring of lipid metabolism in T-cell malignancies not only provides survival benefits but also contributes to their stemness, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Owing to distinctive lipid metabolic programming in T-cell cancer, quantitative, qualitative, and spatial enrichment of specific lipid molecules occur. The formation of lipid rafts rich in cholesterol confers physical strength and sustains survival signals. The accumulation of lipids through de novo synthesis and uptake of free lipids contribute to the bioenergetic reserve required for robust demand during migration and metastasis. Lipid storage in cells leads to the formation of specialized structures known as lipid droplets. The inimitable changes in fatty acid synthesis (FAS) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) are in dynamic balance in T-cell malignancies. FAO fuels the molecular pumps causing chemoresistance, while FAS offers structural and signaling lipids for rapid division. Lipid metabolism in T-cell cancer provides molecules having immunosuppressive abilities. Moreover, the distinctive composition of membrane lipids has implications for immune evasion by malignant cells of T-cell origin. Lipid droplets and lipid rafts are contributors to maintaining hallmarks of cancer in malignancies of T cells. In preclinical settings, molecular targeting of lipid metabolism in T-cell cancer potentiates the antitumor immunity and chemotherapeutic response. Thus, the direct and adjunct benefit of lipid metabolic targeting is expected to improve the clinical management of T-cell malignancies.

Botox and Dermal Fillers in Orthodontics - A Review.

Botulinum toxin and derma fillers have made their way into dentistry in recent years for both cosmetic and medicinal purposes. They are here to stay, and with more and more intraoral applications, they are quickly becoming a standard element of dental treatment. They offer the most important, minimally invasive procedures at a cheap cost and with little to no downtime. Botox and derma fillers are used together for rejuvenation and esthetic operations nowadays. The mechanism of action and numerous uses of Botox and derma fillers in the maxillofacial areas, as well as their future implications in dentistry are discussed in this article.

Counteracting Action of Curcumin on High Glucose-Induced Chemoresistance in Hepatic Carcinoma Cells.

Along with direct anticancer activity, curcumin hinders the onset of chemoresistance. Among many, high glucose condition is a key driving factor for chemoresistance. However, the ability of curcumin remains unexplored against high glucose-induced chemoresistance. Moreover, chemoresistance is major hindrance in effective clinical management of liver cancer. Using hepatic carcinoma HepG2 cells, the present investigation demonstrates that high glucose induces chemoresistance, which is averted by the simultaneous presence of curcumin. Curcumin obviated the hyperglycemia-induced modulations like elevated glucose consumption, lactate production, and extracellular acidification, and diminished nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Modulated molecular regulators are suggested to play a crucial role as curcumin pretreatment also prevented the onset of chemoresistance by high glucose. High glucose instigated suppression in the intracellular accumulation of anticancer drug doxorubicin and drug-induced chromatin compactness along with declined expression of drug efflux pump MDR-1 and transcription factors and signal transducers governing the survival, aggressiveness, and apoptotic cell death (p53, HIF-1α, mTOR, MYC, STAT3). Curcumin alleviated the suppression of drug retention and nuclear condensation along with hindering the high glucose-induced alterations in transcription factors and signal transducers. High glucose-driven resistance in cancer cells was associated with elevated expression of metabolic enzymes HKII, PFK1, GAPDH, PKM2, LDH-A, IDH3A, and FASN. Metabolite transporters and receptors (GLUT-1, MCT-1, MCT-4, and HCAR-1) were also found upregulated in high glucose exposed HepG2 cells. Curcumin inhibited the elevated expression of these enzymes, transporters, and receptors in cancer cells. Curcumin also uplifted the SDH expression, which was inhibited in high glucose condition. Taken together, the findings of the present investigation first time demonstrate the ability of curcumin against high glucose-induced chemoresistance, along with its molecular mechanism. This will have implication in therapeutic management of malignancies in diabetic conditions.

Interplay of Nutrition and Psychoneuroendocrineimmune Modulation: Relevance for COVID-19 in BRICS Nations.

The consequences of COVID-19 are not limited to physical health deterioration; the impact on neuropsychological well-being is also substantially reported. The inter-regulation of physical health and psychological well-being through the psychoneuroendocrineimmune (PNEI) axis has enduring consequences in susceptibility, treatment outcome as well as recuperation. The pandemic effects are upsetting the lifestyle, social interaction, and financial security; and also pose a threat through perceived fear. These consequences of COVID-19 also influence the PNEI system and wreck the prognosis. The nutritional status of individuals is also reported to have a determinative role in COVID-19 severity and convalescence. In addition to energetic demand, diet also provides precursor substances [amino acids (AAs), vitamins, etc.] for regulators of the PNEI axis such as neurotransmitters (NTs) and immunomodulators. Moreover, exaggerated immune response and recovery phase of COVID-19 demand additional nutrient intake; widening the gap of pre-existing undernourishment. Mushrooms, fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, and legumes are few of such readily available food ingredients which are rich in protein and also have medicinal benefits. BRICS nations have their influences on global development and are highly impacted by a large number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. The adequacy and access to healthcare are also low in BRICS nations as compared to the rest of the world. Attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic are praiseworthy in BRICS nations. However, large population sizes, high prevalence of undernourishment (PoU), and high incidence of mental health ailments in BRICS nations provide a suitable landscape for jeopardy of COVID-19. Therefore, appraising the interplay of nutrition and PNEI modulation especially in BRICS countries will provide better understanding; and will aid in combat COVID-19. It can be suggested that the monitoring will assist in designing adjunctive interventions through medical nutrition therapy and psychopsychiatric management.

Curcumin circumvent lactate-induced chemoresistance in hepatic cancer cells through modulation of hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor-1.

Curcumin has been demonstrated to affect the chemoresistance in cancer cells of various origins. However, its ability to modulate lactate-induced chemoresistance remains unclear. The Present investigation demonstrates that curcumin inhibits the survival of HepG2 and HuT78 cells and can modulate chemo-susceptibility of HepG2 cells. Experimental simulation of simultaneous and pre-treatment suggest cooperatively between curcumin and anticancer drugs as well as the modulation of molecular regulators. Inhibition of glucose consumption, lactate production, extracellular acidity and augmented level of Nitric oxide were observed. DAPI staining revealed hyper condensation of chromatin in curcumin-treated HepG2 cells. Curcumin also diminished the lactate-induced chemoresistance against doxorubicin in hepatic cancer cells along with down regulation of lactate receptor (hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor-1; HCAR-1/GPR81). Alteration of the extracellular milieu along with inhibited expression of genes (hif-1α, ldh-a, mct-1, mdr-1 and stat-3) and proteins (HIF-1α and HCAR-1) are indicated to be involved in curcumin-induced reversal of chemoresistance in HepG2 cells. Findings of present investigation contribute to knowledge of curcumin mediated chemosensitization and its mechanism.

Curcumin, a traditional spice component, can hold the promise against COVID-19?

The severity of the recent pandemic and the absence of any specific medication impelled the identification of existing drugs with potential in the treatment of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Curcumin, known for its pharmacological abilities especially as an anti-inflammatory agent, can be hypothesized as a potential candidate in the therapeutic regimen. COVID-19 has an assorted range of pathophysiological consequences, including pulmonary damage, elevated inflammatory response, coagulopathy, and multi-organ damage. This review summarizes the several evidences for the pharmacological benefits of curcumin in COVID-19-associated clinical manifestations. Curcumin can be appraised to hinder cellular entry, replication of SARS-CoV-2, and to prevent and repair COVID-19-associated damage of pneumocytes, renal cells, cardiomyocytes, hematopoietic stem cells, etc. The modulation and protective effect of curcumin on cytokine storm-related disorders are also discussed. Collectively, this review provides grounds for its clinical evaluation in the therapeutic management of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Electrophoretic deposition of nanobiocomposites for orthopedic applications: influence of current density and coating duration.

Frequently metal implants undergo detachment from the host tissue due to inadequate biocompatibility and poor osteointegration. In view of this, bioactive porous apatite-wollastonite/chitosan nanocomposite coating was prepared using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique in the present work. The effect of coating duration and current density on surface characteristics of the nanocomposite coating was assessed using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. EPD led to the formation of thick and homogeneous coating. Adhesion of the composite coating on titanium substrate was evaluated using tape test and bioactivity of the coatings was studied by immersing in simulated body fluid (SBF). The coating with higher current density and longer coating duration was found to be suitable with improved adhesion and bioactivity for intended metal implants.

Chitosan reinforced apatite-wollastonite coating by electrophoretic deposition on titanium implants.

A novel bioactive porous apatite-wollastonite/chitosan composite coating was prepared by electrophoretic deposition. The influence of synthesis parameters like pH of suspension and current density was studied and optimized. X-ray diffraction confirmed crystalline phase of apatite-wollastonite in powder as well as composite coating with coat crystallinity of 65%. Scanning electron microscope showed that the porosity had interconnections with good homogeneity between the phases. The addition of chitosan increased the adhesive strength of the composite coating. Young's modulus of the coating was found to be 9.23 GPa. One of our key findings was sheet-like apatite growth unlike ball-like growth found in bioceramics. Role of chitosan was studied in apatite growth mechanism in simulated body fluid. In presence of chitosan, dense negatively charged surface with homogenous nucleation was the primary factor for sheet-like evolution of apatite layer. The results suggest that incorporation of chitosan with apatite-wollastonite in composite coating could provide excellent in vitro bioactivity with enhanced mechanical properties.

Osteogenic Nanofibrous Coated Titanium Implant Results in Enhanced Osseointegration: In Vivo Preliminary Study in a Rabbit Model.

A titanium implant surface when coated with biodegradable, highly porous, osteogenic nanofibrous coating has shown enhanced intrinsic osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties. This coating mimics extracellular matrix resulting in differentiation of stem cells present in the peri-implant niche to osteoblast and hence results in enhanced osseointegration of the implant. The osteogenic nanofibrous coating (ONFC) consists of poly-caprolactone, gelatin, nano-sized hydroxyapatite, dexamethasone, ascorbic acid and beta-glycerophosphate. ONFC exhibits optimum mechanical properties to support mesenchymal stem cells and steer their osteogenic differentiation. ONFC was subjected to various characterization tests like scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffractometry, thermal degradation, biomineralization, mechanical properties, wettability and proliferation assay. In pre-clinical animal trials, the coated implant showed enhanced new bone formation when placed in the tibia of rabbit. This novel approach toward implant bone integration holds significant promise for its easy and economical coating thus marking the beginning of new era of electrospun osteogenic nanofibrous coated bone implants.

Molecular characterization reveals Salmonella enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- from poultry is a variant Typhimurium serovar.

Although Salmonella remains one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses in the United States, the Salmonella enterica serovars and genetic types associated with most infections appear to fluctuate over time. Recently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an increase in cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-. Similarly, this unusual Salmonella serovar has been isolated from cattle and poultry in the state of Georgia. We examined the genetic relatedness of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-, isolated from several different poultry companies and dairy farms in Georgia, by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Several Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- isolates had PFGE patterns identical or similar to PFGE patterns of Salmonella Typhimurium isolated from numerous animal sources. We identified distinct PFGE patterns for Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- and matching Salmonella Typhimurium PFGE patterns, identifying four "distinct" strains. We focused a more specific analysis on the poultry Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- and Salmonella Typhimurium isolates and found that of these Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- isolates, 32% lacked the entire phase 2 antigen gene, fljB; 61% contained partial deletion(s); and 4% had partial deletion(s) in fljB and an adjacent gene hin, 5' to fljB. Thirteen percent contained smaller deletions or point mutations not identified by our DNA probes. The Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- isolates were positive for several genes present in the Salmonella Typhimurium, including lpfE (100%), sseI(96%), and spvC (93%). Genetic analysis indicates independent, spontaneous mutations in fljB in at least four distinct Salmonella Typhimurium strains of animal origin circulating in nature.

Demineralization adjacent to orthodontic brackets with fluoride releasing and conventional bonding agents.

BACKGROUND: Enamel demineralization is an event which is always an integral part of fixed orthodontic treatment due to which fluoride releasing bonding agents are considered to be the most effective but have lower bond strength. Thus, this in vitro study has compared the degree of demineralization and bond strength of conventional and fluoridated bonding agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and five extracted human premolars divided into Group I evaluated to study demineralization and Group II to evaluate bond strength. Group I was subgrouped into (A, B, C, and D and Group II was subgrouped into A, B, and C (n = 15 in each subgroup). All samples were bonded with metal brackets using Transbond Plus TM , Discover LC orthodontic adhesive TM , and Transbond XT TM ; the first two being fluoride releasing and the third being a conventional bonding composite. Group I samples were followed by sectioning and studied for mean depth of demineralization at the margins of the brackets using polarized microscopy. Group II samples were evaluated only for shear bond strength. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison tests. Observation and Results: The mean depth of enamel demineralization and standard deviation was compared between subgroups A and C and B and C and the P value obtained was 0.02 in each group, suggestive of a considerably lesser degree of demineralization in fluoride releasing composites compared to conventional composite. Similarly, when shear bond strength was compared between subgroups A and C and B and C the P value obtained was 0.04 and 0.00, respectively. Thus, the shear bond strength of the fluoride releasing composites was lesser than that of the conventional composite but well within the clinically acceptable range. CONCLUSION: Fluoride releasing composites can be used to avoid demineralization around the brackets.

Bioconductive 3D nano-composite constructs with tunable elasticity to initiate stem cell growth and induce bone mineralization.

Bioactive 3D composites play an important role in advanced biomaterial design to provide molecular coupling and improve integrity with the cellular environment of the native bone. In the present study, a hybrid lyophilized polymer composite blend of anionic charged sodium salt of carboxymethyl chitin and gelatin (CMChNa-GEL) reinforced with nano-rod agglomerated hydroxyapatite (nHA) has been developed with enhanced biocompatibility and tunable elasticity. The scaffolds have an open, uniform and interconnected porous structure with an average pore diameter of 157±30µm and 89.47+0.03% with four dimensional X-ray. The aspect ratio of ellipsoidal pores decrease from 4.4 to 1.2 with increase in gelatin concentration; and from 2.14 to 1.93 with decrease in gelling temperature. The samples were resilient with elastic stain at 1.2MPa of stress also decreased from 0.33 to 0.23 with increase in gelatin concentration. The crosslinker HMDI (hexamethylene diisocyanate) yielded more resilient samples at 1.2MPa in comparison to glutaraldehyde. Increased crosslinking time from 2 to 4h in continuous compression cycle show no improvement in maximum elastic stain of 1.2MPa stress. This surface elasticity of the scaffold enables the capacity of these materials for adherent self renewal and cultivation of the NTERA-2 cL.D1 (NT2/D1), pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cell with biomechanical surface, as is shown here. Proliferation with MG-63, ALP activity and Alizarin red mineralization assay on optimized scaffold demonstrated ***p<0.001 between different time points thus showing its potential for bone healing. In pre-clinical study histological bone response of the scaffold construct displayed improved activity of bone regeneration in comparison to self healing of control groups (sham) up to week 07 after implantation in rabbit tibia critical-size defect. Therefore, this nHA-CMChNa-GEL scaffold composite exhibits inherent and efficient physicochemical, mechanical and biological characteristics based on gel concentrations, gelatin mixing and gelling temperature thus points to creating bioactive 3D scaffolds with tunable elasticity for orthopedic applications.

Effects of different ligature materials on friction in sliding mechanics.

BACKGROUND: During orthodontic tooth movement friction occurs at the bracket wire interface. Out of the total force applied to the tooth movement, some of it is dissipated as friction, and the remainder is transferred to the supporting structures of the tooth to mediate tooth movement. However many factors affect friction, and method of arch wire ligation being an important contributing factor. Hence, this study was carried out to evaluate the effects of different ligature materials on friction in sliding mechanics and to compare the effect of environment (dry and wet) on friction produced in sliding mechanics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The evaluation of friction between the bracket and the archwire consisted of a simulated half arch fixed appliance with archwire ligated in a vertical position. Four 0.022" maxillary stainless steel premolar brackets having a - 0° torque and 0° angulation were aligned with a 0.019" × 0.025" stainless steel arch wire onto a rigid Plexiglass sheet. The movable test bracket was fitted with a 10 mm long, 0.045" thick stainless steel power arm on the bonding surface. Testing was performed on a Hounsfield material testing machine. A total of 100 g weight was suspended from the power arm and the load needed to move the bracket over the distance of not <4 mm across the central span was recorded separately. Fifteen representative readings were taken with one reading per test sample. RESULTS: The results showed that the mean frictional force of different groups in dry and wet state was statistically significantly different. The mean frictional force in a dry state was statistically significantly higher than wet state in elastomeric group. CONCLUSION: The type of ligation material and environment significantly affected the degree of friction generated during sliding mechanics. Teflon coated stainless steel ligatures produced the least friction among the materials tested in both dry and wet conditions and there was no significant effect on friction in this group caused due to lubrication.