Antimicrobial efficiency against fish pathogens on the green synthesized silver nanoparticles.

Fish-borne pathogens such as A. hydrophila and F. aquidurense are the most resistant strains in pisciculture farming. Removing the aforementioned pathogens without antibiotics presents a formidable challenge. To overcome this problem, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are synthesized using silver nitrate, water medium, and as an AzadirachtaIndica leaf extract via the green synthesis route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern results authenticate the synthesized material is the face-centered cubic structure of silver. The optical absorption edge of the synthesized product was found at the wavelength of 440 nm from the UV-visible spectra, which is confirmed to relate to the Surface Plasmon Resonance peaks of silver particles. In addition, the optical band gap value of the synthesized Ag sample is measured to be 2.81 eV from the obtained optical absorption spectra. EDX spectrum of the synthesized product also supports confirming the silver particle formation. The FT-IR spectra of the neem extract and silver nanoparticles showed their characteristic functional groups, respectively. The presence of bands between 1000 cm-1 to 500 cm-1 indicates to the formation of silver particles. Spherical particles appeared in the synthesized Ag using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The particle size of Ag NPs was measured as 40 nm and 62 ± 10 nm by TEM and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The zeta potential was also measured as -12 mV showing the synthesized sample's stable nature. Using the DPPH assay, synthesized AgNPs were taken along with the various concentrations of ascorbic acid (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 µg/mL) to examine the free radical scavenging activity (RSA). RSA value is higher (84 ± 2 %) for synthesized AgNPs at higher concentration (100 µg/mL) than 21 ± 2 % at low concentration (100 µg/mL). The antimicrobial efficacy of the AgNPs against A. hydrophila and F. aquidurense was performed through the agar diffusion method and its results showed the inhibitory zones of the F.aquidurense and A. hydrophila were measured as 25 ± 3 mm, and 28 ± 4 mm respectively. The synthesized Ag particles showed excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties confirmed by antimicrobial and DPPH experiments. It implies that the green synthesized silver nanoparticles could be a good alternative for antibiotics in aquaculture farms. The exposure of low concentrations of silver nanoparticles to zebrafish and brine shrimp does not affect the viability and morphology. The exposure of silver nanoparticles in the fisheries in optimized concentration and time could control the fish-borne pathogens without antibiotics.

Regulating Oxygen Configuration in Hierarchically Porous Carbon Nanosheets for High-Rate and Durable Na+ Storage.

Surface oxygen functionalities (particularly C-O configuration) in carbon materials have negative influence on their electrical conductivity and Na+ storage performance. Herein, we propose a concept from surface chemistry to regulate the oxygen configuration in hierarchically porous carbon nanosheets (HPCNS). It is demonstrated that the C-O/C=O ratio in HPCNS reduces from 1.49 to 0.43 and its graphitization degree increases by increasing the carbonization temperature under a reduction atmosphere. Remarkably, such high graphitization degree and low C-O content of the HPCNS-800 are favorable for promoting its electron/ion transfer kinetics, thus endowing it with high-rate (323.6 mAh g-1 at 0.05 A g-1 and 138.5 mAh g-1 at 20.0 A g-1 ) and durable (96 % capacity retention over 5700 cycles at 10.0 A g-1 ) Na+ storage performance. This work permits the optimization of heteroatom configurations in carbon for superior Na+ storage.

Mass Equilibration and Fluctuations in the Angular Momentum Dependent Dynamics of Heavy Element Synthesis Reactions.

Mass and angle distributions for the ^{52}Cr+^{198}Pt and ^{54}Cr+^{196}Pt reactions (both forming ^{250}No) were measured and subtracted, giving new information on fast quasifission mass evolution, and the first direct determination of the dependence of sticking times on angular momentum. TDHF calculations showed good agreement with average experimental values, but experimental mass distributions unexpectedly extended to symmetric splits while the peak yield remained close to the initial masses. This implies a strong role of fluctuations in mass division early in the collision, giving insights into the transition from fast energy dissipative deep-inelastic collisions to quasifission.

Evolution of Hair Transplant Surgery in India: A Plastic Surgeon's Perspective.

This article is mainly aimed to delve into the history of hair transplant and its evolution in India. As a plastic surgeon in practice for the past 35 years, I have seen hair transplant surgery undergoing various transformations starting with initial use of plugs and flaps. Scalp reduction surgery also played an important role. Plugs slowly gave way to mini- and micrografts. With the incorporation of the microscope and popularizing of strip surgery and improved slivering techniques, mega sessions came to the fore thereby covering large areas. Follicular unit extraction and use of body hair have also been discussed.

Exploring Zeptosecond Quantum Equilibration Dynamics: From Deep-Inelastic to Fusion-Fission Outcomes in

Energy dissipative processes play a key role in how quantum many-body systems dynamically evolve toward equilibrium. In closed quantum systems, such processes are attributed to the transfer of energy from collective motion to single-particle degrees of freedom; however, the quantum many-body dynamics of this evolutionary process is poorly understood. To explore energy dissipative phenomena and equilibration dynamics in one such system, an experimental investigation of deep-inelastic and fusion-fission outcomes in the ^{58}Ni+^{60}Ni reaction has been carried out. Experimental outcomes have been compared to theoretical predictions using time dependent Hartree-Fock and time dependent random phase approximation approaches, which, respectively, incorporate one-body energy dissipation and fluctuations. Excellent quantitative agreement has been found between experiment and calculations, indicating that microscopic models incorporating one-body dissipation and fluctuations provide a potential tool for exploring dissipation in low-energy heavy ion collisions.

Efficiency enhancement of cubic perovskite BaSnO3 nanostructures based dye sensitized solar cells.

Cubic perovskite BaSnO3 (BSO) is an important photoelectron transporting material due to its electronic structure that competes with TiO2 in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Separately, BSO/TiCl4 treated and BSO/scattering layer photoelectrodes have been used in DSCs that effectively increase the photoexcited charge carriers collection resulting in superior photovoltaic performance. In the present work, the different TiCl4 treatment time (1, 3 and 5 min), different scattering layer (tetragonal anatase TiO2 and hexagonal wurtzite ZnO) and different combinations thereof are successfully used on BSO nanocuboids/nanoparticle morphological structure photoelectrodes, and then we systematically inspected their performance in DSCs. Under the optimized conditions, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.88% is obtained by a BSO/TiCl4 treated photoanode. Furthermore, the BSO photoanodes made using a scattering layer such as anatase TiO2 and hexagonal ZnO i.e., BSO/anatase TiO2 and BSO/hexagonal ZnO, exhibited PCEs of 1.14% and 1.25% respectively. In the end, one of the highest PCEs (5.68%) was achieved using BSO/TiCl4 treated/TiO2 scattering layer photoanode. Another photoelectrode such as BSO/TiCl4 treated/ZnO scattering layer exhibited a PCE of 4.28% that is also higher than the BSO/TiCl4 treated/BSO scattering layer photoanodes. Electron lifetime versus current density studies illustrate the stability of the BSO photoelectrode in DSCs. From the observed results, it is realized that BSO is one of the most important future technological materials.

Serum GADD45a methylation is a useful biomarker to distinguish benign vs malignant prostate disease.

BACKGROUND: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer results in a large number of unnecessary prostate biopsies. There is a need for specific molecular markers that can be used in combination with PSA to improve the specificity of PSA screening. We examined GADD45a methylation in blood DNA as a molecular marker for prostate cancer diagnosis. METHODS: The study included 82 men, with PSA levels >4 ng ml(-1) and/or abnormal digital rectal exam, who underwent prostate biopsy. We compared GADD45a methylation in DNA from serum and buffy coat in 44 patients (22 prostate cancer and 22 benign). GADD45a methylation in serum DNA was examined in 82 patients (34 cancer and 48 benign). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in buffy coat GADD45a methylation between cancer and benign patients. Serum GADD45a methylation was significantly higher in cancer than in benign patients. Classification and regression tree predictive model for prostate cancer including risk groups defined by PSA, free circulating DNA (fcDNA) level and GADD45a methylation yielded specificity of 87.5%, sensitivity of 94.1% and receiver operator characteristic curve area of 0.937. CONCLUSIONS: Serum GADD45a methylation in combination with PSA and fcDNA level was useful in distinguishing benign from prostate cancer patients.

Biosynthesis of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) from glycerol by Paracoccus denitrificans in a batch bioreactor: effect of process variables.

In this study, the kinetics of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthesis from glycerol by Paracoccus denitrificans DSMZ 413 were explored in a batch bioreactor. Effects of inorganic and organic nitrogen source, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and other process variables such as pH, aeration, and initial glycerol concentration on PHB production were investigated in a 2.5-L bioreactor. Yeast extract was found to be the best nitrogen source compared to several organic nitrogen sources tested. At pH 6, specific growth rate, product formation rate, and accumulation of PHB within the cell were maximum. Specific growth rate increased with increase in oxygen transfer rate, but moderate oxygen transfer rate promoted PHB production. High glycerol concentration inhibited specific product formation rate but not growth. High initial carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio favored PHB accumulation and its productivity. At a C/N ratio of 21.4 (mol mol(-1)), 10.7 g L(-1) of PHB corresponding to 72% of cell dry weight was attained.

Eggshells & Eggshell Membranes- A Sustainable Resource for energy storage and energy conversion applications: A critical review.

As the world strives to achieve a sustainable future, the exploration of alternative and renewable raw materials for energy storage and energy conversion has gained significant attention. A growing trend on "Waste to Energy" approach has attained prominence. Accordingly, chicken eggshells, a residual from poultry industry, have emerged as a promising candidate due to their abundant availability, low cost, and unique physical and chemical properties. This review article presents an overview of recent advancements in utilizing eggshell waste for energy storage and energy conversion applications. It discusses the transformation of eggshells usage into functional materials, along with their performance in various energy-related applications. The potential of eggshell-based materials in improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact is highlighted, providing insights into the future prospects of this sustainable resource.

Electromagnetic transition from the 4+ to 2+ resonance in 8Be measured via the radiative capture in 4He + 4He.

An earlier measurement on the 4+ to 2+ radiative transition in 8Be provided the first electromagnetic signature of its dumbbell-like shape. However, the large uncertainty in the measured cross section does not allow a stringent test of nuclear structure models. This Letter reports a more elaborate and precise measurement for this transition, via the radiative capture in the 4He + 4He reaction, improving the accuracy by about a factor of 3. Ab initio calculations of the radiative transition strength with improved three-nucleon forces are also presented. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of the alpha cluster model and ab initio calculations.

Engineering Escherichia coli with acrylate pathway genes for propionic acid synthesis and its impact on mixed-acid fermentation.

Fermentation-derived products are in greater demand to meet the increasing global market as well as to overcome environmental problems. In this work, Escherichia coli has been metabolically engineered with acrylate pathway genes from Clostridium propionicum for the conversion of D-lactic acid to propionic acid. The introduced synthetic pathway consisted of seven genes encoding the enzymes propionate CoA-transferase (Pct), lactoyl-CoA dehydratase (Lcd) and acryloyl-CoA reductase (Acr). The engineered strain synthesised propionic acid at a concentration of 3.7 ± 0.2 mM upon fermentation on glucose. This low production level could be attributed to the low activity of the recombinant enzymes in particular the rate-limiting enzyme, Acr. Interestingly, the recombinant pathway caused an increased lactate production in E. coli with a yield of 1.9 mol/mol of glucose consumed along with a decrease in other by-products. Down-regulation of the pfl (pyruvate formate lyase) genes and a possible inhibition of Pfl activity by the acrylate pathway intermediate, acryloyl-CoA, could have reduced carbon flow to the Pfl pathway with a concomitant increase in lactate production. This study reports a novel way of synthesising propionic acid by employing a non-native, user-friendly organism through metabolic engineering.

In-situ and airborne hyperspectral data for detecting agricultural activities in a dense forest landscape.

Maintaining rich biodiversity and being a habitat and resource for humans, tropical forests are one of the most important global biomes. These forest ecosystems have been experiencing a host of unregulated anthropogenic activities including illegal tourism, and shifting cultivation. The presence of human-habitats in the restricted zones of forest ecosystems is a direct indicator of the human activities that may accelerate deterioration of forest quality by area and tree species composition. Remote sensing data have been extensively used for mapping forest types, and biophysical characterization at various spatial scales. Several remote sensing datasets from multispectral, hyperspectral and LIDAR sensors are available for developing and validating a host of methodologies for remote sensing application in forestry. However, quantifying the quality of forest stands and detecting potential threats from the sporadic and small-scale human activities requires sub-pixel level remote sensing data analysis methods such as, spectral mixture modelling. Generally, most of the studies employ pixel-level supervised learning-based analysis techniques to detect infrastructure and settlements. However, if the settlements are smaller than the ground sampling distance and are under the canopy, pixel-based techniques are not suitable. Reinvigorated with progressive availability of hyperspectral imagery, spectral mixture modelling based sub-pixel image analysis is gaining prominence in the contemporary remote sensing application development. However, there is a paucity of high-resolution hyperspectral imagery and associated ground truth spectral measurements for assessing various methodological approaches on studies related to anthropogenic activities and forest disturbance. Most of the studies have relied upon simulating and synthesising the hyperspectral imagery and its associated ground truth spectra for implementation of methods and algorithms. This article presents a distinct dataset of high-resolution hyperspectral imagery and associated ground truth spectra of various vegetable crops acquired over a tropical forest ecosystem. The dataset is valuable for research on developing new discrimination models of forest and cultivated vegetation, classification methods, spectral matching analysis techniques, and sub-pixel target detection methods.

Transcription analysis of hyaluronan biosynthesis genes in Streptococcus zooepidemicus and metabolically engineered Lactococcus lactis.

The has operon genes in the hyaluronan (HA) producer, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, encode for some of the critical enzymes in the HA biosynthetic pathway. Heterologous expression of different combinations of multiple has genes has resulted in increasing HA production to varying degrees in different recombinant strains. In this work, a recombinant Lactococcus lactis strain (SJR6) was constructed, with insertion of three has operon genes (hasABD) from S. zooepidemicus. The SJR6 strain was found to be a better HA producer than two previously constructed recombinant L. lactis strains (SJR2 and SJR3), containing hasAB and hasABC genes, respectively, but exhibited lower HA production than the native HA producer S. zooepidemicus. To understand the differences in HA yield between the various strains, transcriptions of the HA biosynthesis genes (has genes and their homologues) were compared at different phases of exponential growth of the L. lactis and S. zooepidemicus cultures. The mRNA levels of all the heterologous has genes were expectedly far higher than their corresponding homologues in the L. lactis strains. The relative mRNA level of the hasB-homologue, viz. ugd (encoding UDP-glucose dehydrogenase), was found to be much lower than that of other homologues, corroborating earlier reports which indicate tight transcriptional regulation of the ugd gene in L. lactis. Interestingly, all the has gene homologues were found to be up-regulated in all the recombinant L. lactis strains, when compared with the corresponding genes in the untransformed strain, L. lactis NZ9000. A transcription analysis of S. zooepidemicus cultures revealed that the has operon was down-regulated in the mid-exponential growth phase in comparison to the early- and late-exponential growth phases. The transcription analyses in this study have provided insights for the design of recombinant strains with higher HA productivity.

Quantification of intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoates by virtue of personalized flow cytometry protocol.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural polyesters produced by microbes, a potential alternative to synthetic plastics. Various methods ranging from gravimetry to spectrophotometry are routinely used for qualitative analysis of extracted PHA. There is a great need for accurate quantification of intracellular PHA during bioprocess. Hence, the present study aims to improvise the existing Nile red-based flow cytometry protocol. It was achieved using respective cells in a non-PHA accumulating state as gating control to minimize non-specific staining. The optimal Nile red concentration required for PHA staining is 5 × 10(3) pg mL(-1), which is ~10(3)-fold less than that of earlier reports. Further, it was inferred that flow-based quantification was more accurate than the gravimetric method. The intracellular PHA content was highest in Pseudomonas sp. MNNG-S (52.06 %) among the Pseudomonas strains tested by the flow-based method. Both gravimetric and flow-based cell cycle analyses revealed that DNA synthesis (S phase) and PHA production (log phase) are synchronous at 24-48 h of culture. This study supports flow-based PHA quantification for real time online measurement of intracellular PHA for bioreactor monitoring, control and optimization enduing industrial applications.

Trophic state index of a lake system using IRS (P6-LISS III) satellite imagery.

Water pollution has now become a major threat to the existence of living beings and water quality monitoring is an effective step towards the restoration of water quality. Lakes are versatile ecosystems and their eutrophication is a serious problem. Carlson Trophic State Index (CTSI) provides an insight into the trophic condition of a lake. CTSI has been modified for the study area and is used in this study. Satellite imagery analysis now plays a prominent role in the quick assessment of water quality in a vast area. This study is an attempt to assess the trophic state index based on secchi disk depth and chlorophyll a of a lake system (Akkulam-Veli lake, Kerala, India) using Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) P6 LISS III imagery. Field data were collected on the date of the overpass of the satellite. Multiple regression equation is found to yield superior results than the simple regression equations using spectral ratios and radiance from the individual bands, for the prediction of trophic state index from satellite imagery. The trophic state index based on secchi disk depth, derived from the satellite imagery, provides an accurate prediction of the trophic status of the lake. IRS P6-LISS III imagery can be effectively used for the assessment of the trophic condition of a lake system.

Study of photo induced charge transfer mechanism of PEDOT with nitro groups of RDX, HMX and TNT explosives using anti-stokes and stokes Raman lines ratios.

The paper reports the charge transfer mechanism between poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and high energy materials such as RDX, HMX and TNT, respectively in terms of ratios of anti-stokes (AS) and stokes(S) Raman lines of NO2 bands. Generally it works as an effective sensing medium for the detection of explosives when mixed in an equal proportion and are subjected to 532 nm wavelength without any chemical treatment [1]. The pristine PEDOT is less sensitive to 532 nm wavelength (2.33 eV) but influences the Raman S and AS lines of explosives in the mixture. The study also reveals that a small quantity (one milligram) of PEDOT is sufficient to initiate the positive charge transfer mechanism between its oxidized state to the lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen atoms of the nitro group of the explosive molecules. Consequently, the intensity of the Raman spectra of RDX, HMX and TNT is dropped by an order of 22.5, 11.45 and 17.2 times, respectively along with the shift of the NO2 vibrational modes. It is also attributed to Photon-electron-phonon interaction. Finally, we have estimated the reduced mass of the functional group to ascertain the force constant and the intensity ratios of AS /S lines to confirm the charge transfer mechanism. The effect of charge transfer mechanism is also reflected in drastic change in transmission /absorption characteristics of FTIR spectra of same PEDOT and explosive mixtures.

Introgression of bacterial leaf blight (BLB) resistant gene, Xa7 into MARDI elite variety, MR219 by marker assisted backcrossing (MABC) approach.

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) is one of the major rice diseases in Malaysia. This disease causes substantial yield loss as high as 70%. Development of rice varieties which inherited BLB resistant traits is a crucial approach to promote and sustain rice industry in Malaysia. Hence, this study aims were to enhance BLB disease resistant characters of high yielding commercial variety MR219 through backcross breeding approach with supporting tool of marker-assisted selection (MAS). Broad spectrum BLB resistance gene, Xa7 from donor parent IRBB7 were introgressed into the susceptible MR219 (recurrent parent) using two flanking markers ID7 and ID15. At BC3F4, we managed to generate 19 introgressed lines with homozygous Xa7 gene and showed resistant characteristics as donor parent when it was challenged with Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae through artificial inoculation. Recurrent parent MR219 and control variety, MR263 were found to be severely infected by the disease. The improved lines exhibited similar morphological and yield performance characters as to the elite variety, MR219. Two lines, PB-2-107 and PB-2-34 were chosen to be potential lines because of their outstanding performances compared to parent, MR219. This study demonstrates a success story of MAS application in development of improved disease resistance lines of rice against BLB disease.

Hyaluronic acid production is enhanced by the additional co-expression of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in Lactococcus lactis.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) production was metabolically engineered in Lactococcus lactis by introducing the HA synthetic machinery from the has operon of the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus zooepidemicus. This study shows that the insertion of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose pyrophosphorylase (hasC) gene in addition to the HA synthase (hasA) and UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (hasB) genes has a significant impact on increasing HA production. The recombinant L. lactis NZ9000 strain transformed with the plasmid pSJR2 (co-expressing hasA and hasB genes only) produced a maximum of 107 mg/l HA in static flask experiments with varying initial glucose concentrations, while the corresponding experiments with the transformant SJR3 (co-expressing hasA, hasB, and hasC genes) gave a maximum yield of 234 mg/l HA. The plasmid cloned with the insertion of the full has operon comprising of five different genes (hasA, hasB, hasC, hasD, and hasE) exhibited structural instability. The HA yield was further enhanced in batch bioreactor experiments with controlled pH and aeration, and a maximum of 1.8 g/l HA was produced by the SJR3 culture.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising from long-standing perianal fistula.

Perianal fistula is a very common problem in general population. Ninety percent of perianal fistulae arise from infected anal glands, and they often give rise to perianal abscesses. Very rarely perianal fistulae and abscesses undergo malignant transformation and give rise to carcinomas, mainly adenocarcinomas. We are reporting a case of squamous cell carcinoma arising from long-standing perianal fistula and how we managed it surgically.

Exploring fusion at extreme sub-barrier energies with weakly bound nuclei.

Results of measurement of residues formed in fusion of (6)Li with (198)Pt in the energy range of 0.68 < E/V(b) < 1.3 using a new sensitive off-beam technique are reported. The fusion excitation function and the derived average angular momenta do not indicate a change of slope at deep sub-barrier energies, contrary to recent observations. The present results for a system with weakly bound projectile confront the current understanding of the fusion hindrance at these low energies, underlying the role of internal reorganization on the dynamical path towards fusion.