Biobased heterogeneous renewable catalysts: Production technologies, innovations, biodiesel applications and circular bioeconomy.

The growing population and waste biomass accumulation are leading to increased environmental pollution and climate change. Waste biomass comprising of nutrient rich components has promising potential to produce value-added products for sustainable environmental solutions. This review explores the critical role of bio-based heterogeneous catalysts in enabling sustainable waste biomass utilization. In industrial chemical transformations, over 95% involve catalysts, with more than 90% being heterogeneous systems, prized for their robustness, ease of product separation, and reusability. Bio-based heterogeneous catalysts address the pressing need for sustainable waste biomass management, allowing the conversion of diverse waste biomasses into biodiesel as valuable products. Research on these catalysts, particularly for biodiesel production, has shown yields exceeding 90% with enhanced catalyst reusability. This surge in research is evident from the increasing number of published articles, notably in 2022 and 2023, highlighting growing interest and importance in the scientific community. The synthesis of these catalysts is examined, including novel approaches and techniques to enhance their efficiency, selectivity, and stability. The challenges with their feasible solutions of heterogeneous catalysts in catalyst-based processes are addressed. Altogether, this review underscores the immense potential of bio-based heterogeneous catalysts in sustainable waste biomass utilization, aligning with resource efficiency and environmental conservation goals while offering distinct insights and perspectives on the latest innovations in the field.

Multifunctional Cu:ZnS quantum dots for degradation of Amoxicillin and Dye Sulphon Fast Black-F and efficient determination of urea for assessing environmental aspects.

This work is particularly aimed at the preparation of ZnS and Cu doped ZnS (Cu:ZnS) QDs by facile and easy technique, chemical precipitation method for the degradation of water pollutants and a simple scheme was proposed to prepare the urea-sensing system. The morphological and optical properties of the synthesized QDs was studied using high resolution transmission and scanning electron microscopes, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. The photocatalytic performance was systematically assessed by the photodegradation of an important pharmaceutical water pollutant, Amoxicillin (AMX) and a dye Fast Sulphon Black F (SFBF) in aqueous medium under UV light irradiation. Also, a very sensitive system was prepared by depositing the dots over an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass substrate for the sensing of biologically active molecule urea as it is an important monitor of public health in water and soil productivity. The results illustrated excellent photocatalytic efficiency (86.46% for AMX and 99.41% for SFBF) with stability up to four cycles of degradation reaction. The optimal photocatalyst dosage for achieving maximum removal of AMX was found to be 70 mg at a pH of 9.5, with a treatment time of 40 min. Similarly, for SFBF, the optimal photocatalyst dosage was determined to be 60 mg at pH 9, with a treatment time of 60 min. Further, the electrochemical analysis was done by fabricating Urease enzyme (UR)/Cu:ZnS QDs/ITO bioelectrode and then the fabricated bioelectrode, was utilized to determine the different concentrations of urea by cyclic voltammetry. Thus, the obtained limit of detection and sensitivity of the fabricated biosensing device for urea detection was obtained to be 0.0092 µM and 12 µA µM-1cm-2, respectively; under the optimized experimental conditions. Hence, it is anticipated that Cu:ZnS QDs can also successfully be applied as a promising material for fabrication of novel bioelectrode for urea determination and the biosensing platform is desirable and viable.

A Novel Decentralized Blockchain Architecture for the Preservation of Privacy and Data Security against Cyberattacks in Healthcare.

Nowadays, in a world full of uncertainties and the threat of digital and cyber-attacks, blockchain technology is one of the major critical developments playing a vital role in the creative professional world. Along with energy, finance, governance, etc., the healthcare sector is one of the most prominent areas where blockchain technology is being used. We all are aware that data constitute our wealth and our currency; vulnerability and security become even more significant and a vital point of concern for healthcare. Recent cyberattacks have raised the questions of planning, requirement, and implementation to develop more cyber-secure models. This paper is based on a blockchain that classifies network participants into clusters and preserves a single copy of the blockchain for every cluster. The paper introduces a novel blockchain mechanism for secure healthcare sector data management, which reduces the communicational and computational overhead costs compared to the existing bitcoin network and the lightweight blockchain architecture. The paper also discusses how the proposed design can be utilized to address the recognized threats. The experimental results show that, as the number of nodes rises, the suggested architecture speeds up ledger updates by 63% and reduces network traffic by 10 times.

Plant Secondary Metabolites as Defense Tools against Herbivores for Sustainable Crop Protection.

Plants have evolved several adaptive strategies through physiological changes in response to herbivore attacks. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are synthesized to provide defensive functions and regulate defense signaling pathways to safeguard plants against herbivores. Herbivore injury initiates complex reactions which ultimately lead to synthesis and accumulation of PSMs. The biosynthesis of these metabolites is regulated by the interplay of signaling molecules comprising phytohormones. Plant volatile metabolites are released upon herbivore attack and are capable of directly inducing or priming hormonal defense signaling pathways. Secondary metabolites enable plants to quickly detect herbivore attacks and respond in a timely way in a rapidly changing scenario of pest and environment. Several studies have suggested that the potential for adaptation and/or resistance by insect herbivores to secondary metabolites is limited. These metabolites cause direct toxicity to insect pests, stimulate antixenosis mechanisms in plants to insect herbivores, and, by recruiting herbivore natural enemies, indirectly protect the plants. Herbivores adapt to secondary metabolites by the up/down regulation of sensory genes, and sequestration or detoxification of toxic metabolites. PSMs modulate multi-trophic interactions involving host plants, herbivores, natural enemies and pollinators. Although the role of secondary metabolites in plant-pollinator interplay has been little explored, several reports suggest that both plants and pollinators are mutually benefited. Molecular insights into the regulatory proteins and genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites will pave the way for the metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathway intermediates for improving plant tolerance to herbivores. This review throws light on the role of PSMs in modulating multi-trophic interactions, contributing to the knowledge of plant-herbivore interactions to enable their management in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner.

Isolated Oculomotor Nerve Palsy - A Rare Initial Manifestation of Tuberculous Meningitis.

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a sub-acute / chronic meningitis known for its diverse manifestations which may lead to delayed diagnosis. An isolated oculomotor nerve palsy as an initial presentation of TB meningitis is quite rare. One such case has presented here; A 18 year female presented to us with ptosis of the left eye. Complete neurological examination revealed it to be a case of isolated 3rd cranial nerve palsy. Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain revealed no significant abnormality. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis was done and diagnosis of Tuberculous Meningitis was confirmed. This case report focuses on the fact that tuberculous meningitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy.

Exploitation of reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatics as promising platform for genome-wide screening of new effective vaccine candidates against Plasmodium falciparum.

BACKGROUND: In the current scenario, designing of world-wide effective malaria vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum remain challenging despite the significant progress has been made in last few decades. Conventional vaccinology (isolate, inactivate and inject) approaches are time consuming, laborious and expensive; therefore, the use of computational vaccinology tools are imperative, which can facilitate the design of new and promising vaccine candidates. RESULTS: In current investigation, initially 5548 proteins of P. falciparum genome were carefully chosen for the incidence of signal peptide/ anchor using SignalP4.0 tool that resulted into 640 surface linked proteins (SLP). Out of these SLP, only 17 were predicted to contain GPI-anchors using PredGPI tool in which further 5 proteins were considered as malarial antigenic adhesins by MAAP and VaxiJen programs, respectively. In the subsequent step, T cell epitopes of 5 genome derived predicted antigenic adhesins (GDPAA) and 5 randomly selected known malarial adhesins (RSKMA) were analysed employing MHC class I and II tools of IEDB analysis resource. Finally, VaxiJen scored T cell epitopes from each antigen were considered for prediction of population coverage (PPC) analysis in the world-wide population including malaria endemic regions. The validation of the present in silico strategy was carried out by comparing the PPC of combined (MHC class I and II) predicted epitope ensemble among GDPAA (99.97%), RSKMA (99.90%) and experimentally known epitopes (EKE) of P. falciparum (97.72%) pertaining to world-wide human population. CONCLUSIONS: The present study systematically screened 5 potential protective antigens from P. falciparum genome using bioinformatics tools. Interestingly, these GDPAA, RSKMA and EKE of P. falciparum epitope ensembles forecasted to contain highly promiscuous T cell epitopes, which are potentially effective for most of the world-wide human population with malaria endemic regions. Therefore, these epitope ensembles could be considered in near future for novel and significantly effective vaccine candidate against malaria.

Genome based screening of epitope ensemble vaccine candidates against dreadful visceral leishmaniasis using immunoinformatics approach.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a dreadful protozoan disease caused by Leishmania donovani that severely affects huge populations in tropical and sub-tropical regions. The present study reports an unbiased genome based screening of 4 potent vaccine antigens against 8023 L. donovani proteins by following the criteria of presence of signal peptides, GPI-anchors and ≤1 transmembrane helix using advanced bioinformatics tools viz. SignalP4.0, PredGPI and TMHMM2.0, respectively. They are designated as genome based predicted signal peptide antigens (GBPSPA). The antigenicity/immunogenicity of chosen vaccine antigens (GBPSPA) with 4 randomly selected known leishmanial antigens (RSKLA) was compared by simulation study employing C-ImmSim software for human immune responses. This revealed better immunological responses. These antigens were further evaluated for the presence of B- and T-cell epitopes using immune epitope database (IEDB) based recommended consensus method of MHC class I and II tools. It was found to forecast CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in genetically diverse human population worldwide as well as different endemic regions through IEDB based predicted population coverage (PPC) analysis tool. The worldwide percent PPC value of combined (HLA class I and II) epitope ensemble forecast was found to be 99.98, 99.96 and 50.04, respectively for GBPSPA, RSKLA and experimentally known epitopes (EKE) of L. donovani. Therefore, these potential antigens/epitope ensembles could favor the design of prospective and novel vaccine constructs like self-assembled epitopes as nano vaccine formulations against VL. Overall, the present study will serve as a model framework that might improve the effectiveness of designed vaccine against L. donovani and other related pathogens.

Biomedical applications of microbially engineered polyhydroxyalkanoates: an insight into recent advances, bottlenecks, and solutions.

Biopolymeric polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are fabricated and accumulated by microbes under unbalanced growth conditions, primarily by diverse genera of bacteria. Over the last two decades, microbially engineered PHAs gained substantial interest worldwide owing to their promising wide-range uses in biomedical field as biopolymeric biomaterials. Because of non-hazardous disintegration products, preferred surface alterations, inherent biocompatibility, modifiable mechanical properties, cultivation support for cells, adhesion devoid of carcinogenic impacts, and controllable biodegradability, the PHAs like poly-3-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate co-polymers, 3-hydroxybutyrate and 4-hydroxybutyrate co-polymers, etc., are available for various medical applications. These PHAs have been exploited to design in vivo implants like sutures as well as valves for direct tissue repairing as well as in regeneration devices like bone graft substitutes, nerve guides as well as cardiovascular patches, etc. Furthermore, they are also emerged as attractive candidates for developing effective/novel drug delivery systems because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability with the ability to deliver and release the drugs at a specific site in a controllable manner and, therefore widen the therapeutic window with reduced side effects. However, there still remain some bottlenecks related to PHA purity, mechanical properties, biodegradability, etc., that are need to be addressed so as to make PHAs a realistic biomaterial. In addition, innovative approaches like PHAs co-production with other value-added products, etc., must be developed currently for economical PHA production. This review provides an insight toward the recent advances, bottlenecks, and potential solutions for prospective biomedical applications of PHAs with conclusion that relatively little research/study has been performed presently toward the viability of PHAs as realistic biopolymeric biomaterials.

Enhanced Quantum Cutting via Li+ Doping from a Bi3+/Yb3+-Codoped Gadolinium Tungstate Phosphor.

The Bi3+/Yb3+-codoped gadolinium tungstate phosphor has been synthesized through a solid-state reaction method. The structural characterization reveals the crystalline nature of the phosphor. The Bi3+-doped phosphor emits visible radiation from the blue to red regions upon excitation with 330 and 355 nm. The addition of Yb3+ to the Bi3+-doped phosphor reduces the emission intensity in the visible region and emits an intense near-infrared (NIR) photon centered at 976 nm through a quantum-cutting (QC) phenomenon. This is due to cooperative energy transfer (CET) from the 3P1 level of Bi3+ to the 2F5/2 level of Yb3+. The presence of Li+ ions in the Bi3+/Yb3+-codoped phosphor enhances the emission intensity in the NIR region up to by 3 times, whereas the emission intensity in the visible region is significantly reduced. The energy transfer (ET) from the Bi3+ ions to the Yb3+ ions is confirmed by lifetime measurements, and the lifetime for the 3P1 level of Bi3+ decreases continuously with increasing Yb3+ concentration. The ET efficiency (ηETE) and corresponding QC efficiency (ηQE) are calculated and found to be 29% and 129%, respectively. The presence of Li+ enhances the QC efficiency of the phosphor up to 43%. Thus, the Bi3+/Yb3+/Li+-codoped phosphor is a promising candidate to enhance the efficiency of a crystalline-silicon-based solar cell through spectral conversion.

New perspective in garnet phosphor: low temperature synthesis, nanostructures, and observation of multimodal luminescence.

Herein, we report a new concept for garnet materials in terms of the synthesis of nanocrystalline structure at low temperatures and its multimodal luminescence processes. Terbium- and ytterbium-ion-codoped yttrium gallium garnet nanophosphors have been synthesized via solution combustion technique; nearly pure phase nanophosphor samples were obtained. The synthesized nanophosphor shows efficient multimodal upconversion (UC), downshifting (DS), and quantum cutting (QC)/downconversion (DC) luminescence, which is a new paradigm in garnet material. The garnet nanophosphor shows strong green emission through DS and UC processes both. Furthermore, cooperative energy transfer (CET) has been described in detail, and a possible mechanism for the QC process is also proposed. A UV/blue photon absorbed by Tb(3+) ion splits into two near-infrared photons (wavelength range 900-1040 nm), emitted by a Yb(3+) ion pair, with an efficiency of more than 100%. The Yb(3+) concentration dependent ET from Tb(3+) to Yb(3+) has been verified using time domain analysis. An ET efficiency as high as 28% and a corresponding QC efficiency of about 128% (for 15 mol % of Yb(3+) concentration) have been attained. Such a multimode emitting nanophosphor could be very useful in display devices and for enhancing the conversion efficiency of next generation solar cells via spectral modification etc.

Electromyographic Assessment of Masticatory Muscles & their Asymmetries in Adult Indian Population.

Objective: To study the surface electromyography (sEMG) and it is asymmetry under resting and dynamic conditions in masticatory muscles. Materials and Methods: sEMG of the masticatory muscles (bilateral masseter & temporalis) was done in 61 healthy subjects (mean age 28.5 ± 8.8 years) with bilateral functional molar occlusal relationship. Root mean square (RMS) values sEMG for each activity (rest, clenching, maximum mouth opening (MMO), left and right excursion) for a 10 s period were recorded and analyzed. Indices for asymmetry of muscles, relative activity and resultant torque were assessed and analyzed. Results: RMS values of sEMG during clenching were significantly higher for all masticatory muscles in males compared to females (p < 0.05). During excursive mandibular movement a statistically significant difference seen in ipsilateral temporalis muscle in males. sEMG of masticatory muscles during rest as well as functional activities of mandible was asymmetrical. A predominant masseteric activity was observed for all functional activities of mandible except during rest for which temporalis muscle activity was higher. Right sided torque was observed during rest, MMO and right lateral movements while a predominant left sided torque was present during left lateral movement and clenching. Conclusion: sEMG values of masticatory muscles obtained in our study can be used as reference for healthy Indian population. A perfect muscular symmetry might be illusive and a controlled asymmetry criterion appears to be more useful which corresponds to reality.

Evidence-based effectiveness of Ozone therapy in the treatment for oral lichen planus - A systematic review.

Oral lichen planus is a common, chronic mucocutaneous condition of uncertain origin. Early treatment of OLP can dramatically reduce the risk of further development, which in turn reduces the risk of developing cancer. Numerous methods can be used to treat OLP. Since the significance of ozone in treating this disease is still uncertain. This systematic review was conducted based on english databases, including PUBMED, SCOPUS, Embase, Ovid, and Journal of Web up to July 2022. We used the search phrases "ozone," "ozone in the treatment of oral lichen planus," "oral lichen planus," and "ozone therapy." Finally, five papers were selected for qualitative analysis. This review included a total of five papers, four of which were clinical trials and one was a longitudinal study. All studies included the erosive form of OLP, also ozone therapy was applied to patients who did not respond to conventional treatment. Ozone showed significant therapeutic effects in terms of reduction in pain and size of the lesion. The signs and symptoms associated with OLP such as burning sensation, lesion size, and scarring all considerably improved with ozone therapy.

Effect of mandibular advancement therapy on inflammatory biomarkers in obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review.

To review the literature on the effect of mandibular advancement therapy (MAT) on inflammatory biomarkers in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The present systematic review addresses the following focus question: What is the effect of MAT on inflammatory biomarkers in OSA? Electronic and manual literature searches were conducted on databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies published until September 2021 to collect information about the effect of mandibular advancement therapy, a non-continuous positive airway pressure alternative measurement of OSA. A systematic literature review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines to identify studies evaluating the effect of MAT in patients suffering from OSA. Randomized clinical trials were included, and case reports, retrospective studies, literature reviews, in-vitro studies, observational studies, authors' opinions, letters to the editor, and engineering articles were excluded. Fifty-nine articles published before September 2021 were identified. Fifty-four articles met the inclusion criteria. After assessing inclusion criteria, three clinical trials were included with 148 patients suffering from OSA and treated with mandibular advancement therapy. The follow-up period ranged from two to three months, with the average follow-up being 1.66 months. The mean age of the patients was observed to be 53.11 ± 2.65 years. The mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale observed in patients in all three clinical trials was 9.75 ± 0.89. MAT in patients with moderate or severe OSA reduced apnea-hypopnea index but has less effect on inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers.

The surgical outcome of sutureless skin closures using Octyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Dermabond™) versus Steri-Strip™.

Introduction: Cosmesis is the primary concern for the patient undergoing facial surgery and there are numbers of well proven materials that are available such as adhesive tapes, subcuticular suture, skin adhesive or glue to achieve better cosmesis. The objective of our study was to assess the surgical outcome of sutureless skin closures using Octyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Dermabond™) versus Steri-Strip™. Method: The present prospective study was conducted in 20 patients. Patients were divided into two groups. After subcutaneous closure of wounds, either Dermabond™ or Steri-Strip™ was placed. The patients were assessed for wound complication (erythema, tenderness, dehiscence or any discharge), scar hypertrophy and cosmetic appearance also time consumed in surgical skin closure was evaluated. Wound assessment, scar hypertrophy and cosmetic appearance were assessed by using Chi-square test. Time closure was assessed by using Mann-whitney U test. Result: Twenty patients belonging to all age group were included in study. Ten patients undergone closure with Dermabond™ and ten with Steri-Strips™. Assessment of wound complications, cosmetic appearance and scar hypertrophy was done. There was no significant difference found between both the groups, but 2 patients had fair cosmetic outcomes at one month and 1 patient had fair scar hypertrophy at 6 month. However, excellent cosmetic outcome in terms of scar hypertrophy at 6 month was significantly more among group II. Conclusion: Octyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Dermabond™) and Steri-Strip™ provide similar outcomes in terms of wound complications. Cosmetic outcomes in terms of scar hypertrophy with steri-strip wound closure seem to be better and more economical.

Volumetric analysis of mastoid air cells in orthodontic malocclusions in 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Objectives: To determine age- and sex-related changes in mastoid air cells volume in orthodontic malocclusions (class 1, class 2, class 3) in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), morphometric analysis, and age prediction on the basis of mastoid air cells. Methods: In total, 150 3D CBCT scans of study subjects having class 1, class 2, and class 3 malocclusions have been analyzed retrospectively for the estimation of volume of mastoid air cells by Dolphin imaging software V11.9, and measurement data of volumes have been recorded and analyzed using SPSS software 24.v. Results: The volume of mastoid air cells was highest in age group of 14-28 years which was statistically not significant (P value >.05). The volume of mastoid air cells in the right side of cranium is greater than mastoid air cells in the left side. The mastoid air cell volume was higher in males than females. The volume of mastoid air cells (right side) was highest in class II malocclusion (2404.53 ± 1737.50 mm3) followed by class III and was least in class I malocclusion (1842.09 ± 1263.78 mm3). However, the volume of mastoid air cells in the left side was highest in class III malocclusion (2368.03 ± 1853.00 mm3) followed by class II and was least in class I (1920.52 ± 1285.34 mm3). Conclusions: The volume of mastoid air cells varies in different class of orthodontic malocclusions. The mastoid air cells volume is higher in males than females. On the basis of mastoid air cells volume, we are able to predict the age, sex, and class of orthodontic malocclusion.

Effect of Mn2+doping and DDAB-assisted postpassivation on the structural and optical properties of CsPb(Cl/Br)3halide perovskite nanocrystals.

Cesium lead halide perovskite (CsPbX3; X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals showing intense band-edge emission and high photoluminescence quantum yield are known to be a potential candidate for application in optoelectronic devices. However, controlling toxicity due to the presence of Pb2+in lead-based halide perovskites is a major challenge for the environment that needs to be tackled cautiously. In this work, we have partially replaced Pb2+with Mn2+ions in the CsPb(Cl/Br)3nanocrystals and investigated their impact on the structural and optical properties. The Rietveld refinement shows that CsPbCl2Br nanocrystals possess a cubic crystal structure withPm3̅mspace group, the Mn2+doping results in the contraction of the unit cell. The CsPb(Cl/Br)3: Mn nanocrystals show a substantial change in the optical properties with an additional emission band at ∼588 nm through a d-d transition, changing the emission color from blue to pink. Here, a didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) ligand that triggers both anion and ligand exchange in the CsPb(Cl/Br)3: Mn nanocrystals have been used to regulate the exchange reaction and tune the emission color of halide perovskites by changing the peak position and the PL intensities of band-edge and Mn2+defect states. We have also shown that oleic acid helps in the desorption of oleylamine capping from the CsPb(Cl/Br)3: Mn nanocrystal surfaces and DDAB, resulting in the substitution of Cl-with Br-as well as provides capping with shorter branched length ligand which led to increase in the overall PL intensity by many folds.

Persistent facial pain in post-stroke patients, a hospital-based cohort study; experience from North India.

Background: Post-stroke pain is common after a stroke and might be underreported. We describe Persistent Facial Pain (PFP) developed in post-stroke patients. Method: ology: This was a prospective hospital-based cohort study of stroke patients, and patients were followed up. Out of 415 stroke patients, 26 developed PFP. Result: Out of all PFP patients, six patients had an ischemic stroke, and 20 had a hemorrhagic stroke. 57.7% of patients had hypertension, while 34.6 patients had diabetes. The stroke location was left-sided in 12 patients and right-sided in 14 patients. 46.15% of patients responded to venlafaxine, 30.77% responded to amitriptyline, and 23.08% responded to pregabalin. Conclusion: Persistent facial pain is a pain syndrome that might be missed in patients post-stroke. It might be more common in hemorrhagic stroke patients than in ischemic stroke patients. It responds adequately to antidepressants. A high index of suspicion is required to diagnose and appropriately manage these patients.

Quality of Life Assessment and Comparative Analysis of Anterolateral Thigh Flap and Pectoralis Major Myo-cutaneous Flap for Reconstruction of Post Excision Defects of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Present study is a comparative evaluation of the financial impact on choice of flap, clinical results as well as post resection quality of life assessment of cancer patients reconstructed with anterolateral thigh(ALT) flap and pectoralis major myo-cutaneous(PMMC) flap. Ethical clearance was obtained from institutional ethical committee. In this non-randomised, prospective study design among 49 oral squamous cell carcinoma cases, 39 cases were reconstructed using PMMC flap and 10 using ALT flap from year 2020 to 2022. These 2 flaps were compared in terms of parameters like time utilised for reconstruction, hospital stay, overall survival and Washington University Quality of Life index(UW-QOL) for head and neck cancer. Patients were followed regularly for post-operative complications. The University of Washington Quality of Life score (UW-QOL) questionnaire, version 4, was completed at six months post-operatively. Obtained data was statistically analysed using IBM® SPSSⓇ. Washington University Quality of Life index scores and esthetics are better with Antero-lateral thigh flap, with less overall post-operative complications. On the other hand Pectoralis myocutaneous flap has less surgical time and more salvage potential. Despite of Antero-lateral thigh flap having Good Washington University Quality of Life index scores, lesser post-operative complications and better esthetics; scale of developing nations is still tipping towards economical, less time consuming and less technique sensitive Pectoralis major myocutaneous flap.

Biotechnological innovations in nanocellulose production from waste biomass with a focus on pineapple waste.

New materials' synthesis and utilization have shown many critical challenges in healthcare and other industrial sectors as most of these materials are directly or indirectly developed from fossil fuel resources. Environmental regulations and sustainability concepts have promoted the use of natural compounds with unique structures and properties that can be biodegradable, biocompatible, and eco-friendly. In this context, nanocellulose (NC) utility in different sectors and industries is reported due to their unique properties including biocompatibility and antimicrobial characteristics. The bacterial nanocellulose (BNC)-based materials have been synthesized by bacterial cells and extracted from plant waste materials including pineapple plant waste biomass. These materials have been utilized in the form of nanofibers and nanocrystals. These materials are found to have excellent surface properties, low density, and good transparency, and are rich in hydroxyl groups for their modifications to other useful products. These materials are well utilized in different sectors including biomedical or health care centres, nanocomposite materials, supercapacitors, and polymer matrix production. This review explores different approaches for NC production from pineapple waste residues using biotechnological interventions, approaches for their modification, and wider applications in different sectors. Recent technological developments in NC production by enzymatic treatment are critically discussed. The utilization of pineapple waste-derived NC from a bioeconomic perspective is summarized in the paper. The chemical composition and properties of nanocellulose extracted from pineapple waste may have unique characteristics compared to other sources. Pineapple waste for nanocellulose production aligns with the principles of sustainability, waste reduction, and innovation, making it a promising and novel approach in the field of nanocellulose materials.

Unusual crystal structure evolution, multiple phase boundaries and phase coexistence in (1 - x)Ba(Cu1/3Nb2/3)O3-(x)PbTiO3 perovskite solid solution.

Exploring the functionalities of materials requires a profound understanding of the crystal structure. In this paper, room temperature crystal structures of a new solid solution (1 - x)Ba(Cu1/3Nb2/3)O3-(x)PbTiO3 have been investigated in the entire compositional span and different crystallographic phases and phase coexistence regions have been discovered. The confirmation of the symmetry of these crystal structures has been done with the help of Rietveld analysis of the high-resolution XRD data. Despite both the end components, Ba(Cu1/3Nb2/3)O3 and PbTiO3, having tetragonal (P4mm) symmetry, new cubic and monoclinic phases have been discovered for the intermediate compositions with multiple phase boundaries. The composition region 0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.55 exhibits a cubic crystal structure and increasing PbTiO3 concentration to 0.62 results in a unique coexistence of two tetragonal phases with different tetragonalities. This transformation is mediated by coexisting cubic and tetragonal phases, for 0.59 and 0.60. The crystal structure of the solid solution later transforms into coexisting monoclinic and tetragonal phases for a wider compositional span i.e., 0.65 ≤ x ≤ 0.85. This composition region is very fascinating, as two phenomenologically different monoclinic structures have been observed in it. Finally, a tetragonal phase at x = 1 is achieved through the mediation of two coexisting tetragonal phases, for the region 0.85 < x ≤ 0.975. The evolution of different crystallographic structures and the coexisting phases are critically comprehended using the variations in the lattice parameters and unit cell volume. The presence of multiple phase boundaries spread across a wide range of compositions makes this solid solution very intriguing and a viable choice for exploring different properties with compositional tuning.