Need for operational simplicity and timely disbursal of benefits-a qualitative exploration of the implementation of a direct benefit transfer scheme for persons with tuberculosis in India.

BACKGROUND: Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) is a direct benefit transfer scheme of the Government of India introduced in 2018 to support the additional nutritional requirements of persons with TB (PwTB). Our recent nationwide evaluation of implementation and utilization of NPY using programmatic data of PwTB from nine randomly selected Indian states, reported a 70% coverage and high median delay in benefit credit. We undertook a qualitative study between January and July 2023, to understand the detailed implementation process of NPY and explore the enablers and barriers to effective implementation and utilization of the NPY scheme. METHODS: We followed a grounded theory approach to inductively develop theoretical explanations for social phenomena through data generated from multiple sources. We conducted 36 in-depth interviews of national, district and field-level staff of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) and NPY beneficiaries from 30 districts across nine states of India, selected using theoretical sampling. An analytical framework developed through inductive coding of a set of six interviews, guided the coding of the subsequent interviews. Categories and themes emerged through constant comparison and the data collection continued until theoretical saturation. RESULTS: Stakeholders perceived NPY as a beneficial initiative. Strong political commitment from the state administration, mainstreaming of NTEP work with the district public healthcare delivery system, availability of good geographic and internet connectivity and state-specific grievance redressal mechanisms and innovations were identified as enablers of implementation. However, the complex, multi-level benefit approval process, difficulties in accessing banking services, perceived inadequacy of benefits and overworked human resources in the NTEP were identified as barriers to implementation and utilization. CONCLUSION: The optimal utilization of NPY is enabled by strong political commitment and challenged by its lengthy implementation process and delayed disbursal of benefits. We recommend greater operational simplicity in NPY implementation, integrating NTEP activities with the public health system to reduce the burden on the program staff, and revising the benefit amount more equitably.

Corn cob nanocellulose packaging for increasing the shelf life of food products.

Studies were carried out to develop eco-friendly Packaging material for the extended shelf-life of food products. The current study sought to improve the coated bioactive film's hydrophobicity and antimicrobial properties by preparing active packaging based on biodegradable Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) containing 1 wt% Nanocellulose (NC) and various loadings of essential oil-prepared nanocomposites. Nanocellulose (NC) from Maize Cob was used as filler in the synthesis of nanopolymers enriched with Thyme oil, Cinnamon oil, clove oil, and Rosemary oil. Characterization of nanopolymer-coated bags and their effect on enhancing the shelf-life of food products in different temperature conditions was also studied. The fabricated nanocomposite and nanocellulose were characterized using FTIR, SEM, XRD, Contact angle, TGA, and Tensile mechanical properties. The fabricated nanocomposite-coated paper cum bag shows good hydrophobic properties as well as antimicrobial and insecticidal properties. The results showed that adding essential oils and dispersing nanocellulose to the PLA matrix strengthened its mechanical qualities as well as its efficacy for biodegradation and antimicrobial properties. The current work provides extremely promising materials for future applications in food packaging applications using sustainable nanocomposite-based biodegradable and antimicrobial coated paper cum bags.

Effect of gamma-ray irradiated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on environmental health: An in-vitro and in-vivo studies.

The unique properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have drawn the attention of scientists worldwide since the last decade and it is explored for a wide range of applications. However, the rapid expansion of rGO use in various products will eventually lead to environenal exposure and rises a safety concern on the environment and humal health risk. Moreover, the utilization of toxic chemicals for the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) into rGO is not environmentally friendly, warranting the exploration of non-toxic approaches. In the present work, rGO was synthesized using a different dose of gamma-ray irradiation and characterized. The in-vitro and in-vivo analysis indicated that the gamma-irradiated rGO induced toxicity depending on its degree of reduction and dosage. In the L929 cells, rGO-30 KGy significantly induced cytotoxicity even at low concentration (1 mg L-1) by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme production, nuclear fragmentation and apoptosis. The change in morphology of the cells like membrane blebbing and cell rounding was also observed via FESEM. In the in-vivo model Caenorhabditis elegans, rGO-30 KGy significantly affected the functioning of primary and secondary targeted organs and also negatively influenced the nuclear accumulation of transcription factors (DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf2), neuronal health, and antioxidant defense mechanism of the nematodes. The real-time PCR analysis showed significant up-regulation (ced-3, ced-4, cep-1, egl-1, and hus-1) and down-regulation (ced-9) of the gene involved in germ-line and DNA damage-induced apoptosis. The detailed toxicity mechanism of gamma irradiated rGO has been elucidated. This work highlights the toxicity of rGO prepared by gamma-ray radiation and paves way for understating the toxicity mechanism.

Benthic foraminifera as an environmental proxy for pollutants along the coast of Chennai, India.

Benthic foraminifera are increasingly used as an indicator of environmental disturbance. Their sensitivities to pollutants can be reflected by changes in assemblage, which can provide useful information about ecosystem health. This study aimed to investigate the impact of organic and inorganic pollutants on the benthic ecology of the Chennai coast, with a focus on the 2017 oil spill caused by the collision of two ships. Sediment samples collected from five distinct zones along the coast were analysed for pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb) and total organic carbon (TOC). The maximum concentrations of Cr (137 µg/g), Cd (6.93 µg/g) and Pb (34.2 µg/g), as well as TPH (84.3 µg/g) and PAHs (227 ng/g), were observed. A total of 47 species of foraminifera were identified in this study, of which 12 were morphologically abnormal. In the low-impact zone, the species diversity index (H') was higher. TPH and PAH concentrations were positively associated with abnormal species. Pollution-resistant foraminifera species include Ammonia tepida, Elphidium discoidale, and Quinqueloculina lamarckiana, while opportunistic foraminifera include Pararotalia curryi, Nonionella stella, Rosalina globularis, and Spirillina vivipara. PAHs and heavy metals were adversely correlated with foraminiferal abundance, while TPH was positively correlated. To assess the response of the benthic ecosystem to hydrocarbon pollution, indices such as the Foraminiferal Index of Environmental Impact (FIEI), Exponential (H'bc) index and the Foraminiferal Abnormality Index (FAI) were used as environmental health proxies. FIEI, exp(H'bc) and FAI values show the impact of hydrocarbon pollution to an extent along the northern Chennai coast.

Electrochemical impedimetric immunosensor based on stabilized lipid bilayer-tethered WS2@MWCNT for the sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen.

An innovative and ultrasensitive electrochemical impedimetric immunosensor was developed for the quantitative detection towards carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). CEA is a widely utilized tumour biomarker that is generated in a wide variety of cancers and it is a frequently used biomarker for clinical research and early detection of cancer. Novelty of the present work is the utilization of biomimetic membrane comprising gold nanoparticle-stabilized lipid bilayer (SLB) containing DOPE (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine) and DOTAP (N-[1-(2,3-Dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium Propane) for easy protein insertion, bio-affinity, and bio-functionalization towards the detection of CEA. The SLB is tethered on stable tungsten disulfide decorated MWCNT (WS2@MWCNT) surface for the sensitive and selective detection of CEA. The WS2@MWCNT surface has been chosen to tether SLB due to its numerous unique characteristics such as greater surface area, high conductivity, and excellent electronic conductivity, which in turn leads to the improvement of the superior electrochemical sensing ability towards CEA. The lone SLB when used for protein insertion lacks space and impedes the functional incorporation of transmembrane proteins with hydrophilic domains on both sides and biosensing applications. The SLB-tethered WS2@MWCNT surface (SLB-WS2@MWCNT) was examined by studying the electrochemical changes in the existence of redox probe K3/K4 [Fe(CN)6] through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The combined excellent properties of WS2@MWCNT and SLB have shown to amplify the sensitive detection of CEA with a LOD value of 0.2 pg mL-1. The developed sensor provides higher stability, sensitivity, and excellent reproducibility towards the detection of CEA with relative standard deviation (RSD) of < 5%. The encouraging results demonstrate that the CEA impedimetric immunosensor has potential in practical analysis and lays a solid platform for additional biomarker detection in early clinical diagnosis.

One-step preparation of N-doped grapheme quantum dots with high quantum yield for bioimaging and highly sensitive electrochemical detection of isoniazid.

Conventional techniques for synthesizing GQDs have a poor quantum yield (QY) that restricts their biological applications. Herein, we present a rapid, cost-effective and high quantum yield synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) through a scientific microwave reactor. The reaction parameters like microwave irradiation time, temperature, precursor concentration and pressure were optimized for achieving high quantum yield. The prepared N-GQDs exhibit bright blue fluorescence and excitation independent emission property with a quantum yield of 42.81%. In-vivo investigations on C. elegans revealed that the as-prepared N-GQDs are exceptionally biocompatible and maintain the normal physiological functioning of the primary and secondary targeted organs in nematodes. The synergetic effect of intestinal barrier and defecation behavior mitigates N-GQDs translocation into reproductive organs of nematode. In addition, the N-GQDs modified GCE was tested for electrochemical sensing characteristics towards the anti-tuberculosis drug isoniazid (INZ). The N-GQDs showed appreciable electrocatalytic performance towards INZ with high sensitivity (3.76 µA µM-1 cm-1). The differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analysis of N-GQDs exhibit a lower detection limit of 10.91 nM for INZ. The N-GQDs modified sensor exhibits good reproducibility, excellent anti-interference ability and excellent analytical performance for INZ in real samples like human blood serum and urine samples.

Rapid one-pot synthesis of PAM-GO-Ag nanocomposite hydrogel by gamma-ray irradiation for remediation of environment pollutants and pathogen inactivation.

Designing a cost-effective, high potential and recyclable catalyst remains a challenge. In the present work, a monolithic PAM-GO-Ag hydrogel is prepared by a facile, eco-friendly method using gamma-ray irradiation. The formation of GO-Ag composite by gamma radiation is also investigated and it is authenticated by XRD, FTIR, Raman, XPS and TEM analysis. The PAM-GO-Ag hydrogel exhibits excellent catalytic activity to different catalysant like methylene blue, Rhodamine-B, and pharmaceutical compound ciprofloxacin. The high catalyst carrying capacity and rapid electron shuttling ability of GO plays a significant role in the high performance of PAM-GO-Ag hydrogel. The PAM-GO-Ag hydrogel also exhibits excellent antibacterial activity. The damaged cell membrane, protein leakage, and increased ROS level contribute to the antibacterial activity of PAM-GO-Ag. The monolithic structure of PAM-GO-Ag hydrogel makes it easy to handle, recover, and reuse for several runs without significant loss of catalytic and antibacterial activity. All these results showed the possible application of PAM-GO-Ag hydrogel as a promising catalyst for the reduction of different pollutants and antibacterial agents on a large scale with good reusability.

NiCo2O4 nanoparticles inlaid on sulphur and nitrogen doped and co-doped rGO sheets as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution and methanol oxidation reactions.

The present work depicts the fabrication of NiCo2O4 decorated on rGO, and doped and co-doped rGO and its electrocatalytic activity towards the oxygen evolution reaction and methanol oxidation reaction. The NiCo2O4 catalyst with S-doped rGO outperformed the other catalysts, indicating that the sulphur atoms attached on rGO possess low oxophilicity and optimum free energy. This results in facile adsorption of the intermediate products formed during the OER and a rapid release of O2 molecules. The same catalyst requires an overpotential of 1.51 V vs. RHE to attain the benchmark current density value of 10 mA cm-2 and shows a Tafel slope of 57 mV dec-1. It also reveals outstanding stability during its operation for 10 h with a minimum loss in potential. On the other hand, NiCo2O4/S,N-rGO reveals superior activity with high efficiency and stability in catalyzing methanol oxidation. The catalyst delivered a low onset potential of 0.12 V vs. Hg/HgO and high current density of 203.4 mA cm-2 after addition of 0.5 M methanol, revealing the outstanding performance of the electrocatalyst.

Enhanced electrochemical activities of morphologically tuned MnFe2O4 nanoneedles and nanoparticles integrated on reduced graphene oxide for highly efficient supercapacitor electrodes.

The morphology of a nanoparticle strongly controls the path of electronic interaction, which directly correlates with the physicochemical properties and also the electrochemical comportment. Combining it with a two-dimensional (2D) material for a layer-by-layer approach will increase its possibilities in applications such as energy conversion and storage. Here, two different morphologies of MnFe2O4, nanoparticles and nanoneedles, are developed by a facile hydrothermal approach and sandwiched with reduced graphene oxide for constructing a 2D/3D sandwiched architecture. The rGO planar structure with abundant hierarchical short pores facilitates the thorough utilization of the utmost surface area to permeate the electrolyte within the structure to minimize the accumulation of rGO nanosheets laterally. The ferrite composited with rGO manifests high specific capacitance as the EDLC behaviour surpasses the faradaic pseudocapacitance boosting electrical conductivity compared to the as-synthesized MnFe2O4 structures. Benefiting from a 3D structure and the synergetic contribution of the MnFe2O4 nanoneedles and electrically conductive rGO layer, the MnFe2O4 nanoneedles@rGO electrode exhibits a high areal capacitance of 890 mF cm-2 and a remarkable specific capacitance of 1327 F g-1 at a current density of 5 mA cm-2. 93.36% of the initial capacitance was retained after 5000 cycles in 1 mol L-1 Na2SO4 indicating its high cycling stability. The synthesis route proves to be beneficial for a comprehensive yield of MnFe2O4@rGO nanosheets of different morphologies for use in the sophisticated design of energy-storing devices. This research strongly suggests that nanoparticle geometry, in addition to two-dimensional carbon-based materials, is a critical factor in a supercapacitor design.

Correction: NiCo2O4 nanoparticles inlaid on sulphur and nitrogen doped and co-doped rGO sheets as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution and methanol oxidation reactions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1NA00135C.].

Fe2O3/polyaniline supramolecular nanocomposite: A receptor free sensor platform for the quantitative determination of serum creatinine.

Precise estimation of Creatinine (CRE) is an indispensable analysis used in the clinical settings for early stage detection of kidney dysfunction. In the present work, we described the non-enzymatic detection of serum CRE using ellipsoidal nanostructured Fe2O3 integrated polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite sensor platform. Hydrothermally derived Fe2O3 was distributed on the PANI matrices to form supramolecular nanocomposite via simple oxidative polymerization method. The Fe2O3 coordinated PANI composite showed better complex formation ability towards CRE with improved active surface area and charge transfer efficiency compared to pristine Fe2O3 and PANI. Further, the scan rate analysis confirmed the quasi-reversible diffusion controlled electrochemical kinetics of the reaction. The differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) outcomes evidenced the higher sensitivity with wide linear detection range (1 µM -13 mM), lower detection limit (144 nM) and enhanced selectivity. The blood serum sample analysis of pre and post dialysis patients ensured that our prepared Fe2O3/PANI-1 composite exhibited better recovery percentage (91.9%) and Bland-Altman plot showed statistical bias is laid within the 95% confidence interval (CI). The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) index calculated from Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation from our experimental results and the values have been validated with the commercial Jafee's method. The overall analysis confirmed that the prepared Fe2O3/PANI nanocomposite modified electrode has improved sensitivity and selectivity towards target molecule without the aid of any bio receptors and binders in real time CRE quantification with better accuracy.

Marker Assisted Development and Characterization of Herbicide Tolerant Near Isogenic Lines of a Mega Basmati Rice Variety, "Pusa Basmati 1121".

BACKGROUND: Direct-seeded rice (DSR) is a potential technology for sustainable rice farming as it saves water and labor. However, higher incidence of weed under DSR limits productivity. Therefore, there is a need to develop herbicide tolerant (HT) rice varieties. RESULTS: We used marker assisted backcross breeding (MABB) to transfer a mutant allele of Acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) gene, which confers tolerance to imidazolinone group of herbicides from the donor parent (DP) "Robin" into the genetic background of an elite popular Basmati rice variety, Pusa Basmati 1121 (PB 1121). Foreground selection was done using the AHAS gene linked Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) marker RM6844 and background selection was performed using 112 genome-wide SSR markers polymorphic between PB 1121 and Robin. Phenotypic selection for agronomic, Basmati grain and cooking quality traits in each generation was carried out to improve the recovery of recurrent parent phenome (RPP). Finally, a set of 12 BC4F4 near isogenic lines (NILs), with recurrent parent genome (RPG) recovery ranging from 98.66 to 99.55% were developed and evaluated. PB 1121-HT NILs namely 1979-14-7-33-99-10, 1979-14-7-33-99-15 and 1979-14-7-33-99-66 were found superior to PB 1121 in yield with comparable grain and cooking quality traits and herbicide tolerance similar to Robin. CONCLUSION: Overall, the present study reports successful development of HT NILs in the genetic background of popular Basmati rice variety, PB 1121 by introgression of mutated AHAS allele. This is the first report on the development of HT Basmati rice. Superior NILs are being evaluated in the national Basmati trials, the release of which is likely to provide a viable option for the adoption of DSR technology in Basmati rice cultivation.

Magnetic graphene/chitosan nanocomposite: A promising nano-adsorbent for the removal of 2-naphthol from aqueous solution and their kinetic studies.

In this study, magnetic/graphene/chitosan nanocomposite (MGCH) is prepared through facile solvothermal process and employed as an adsorbent for the removal of 2-naphthol from aqueous solution. The physico-chemical characteristic results of FESEM, Raman, FTIR, XRD and VSM confirms that the MGCH nanocomposite is effectively prepared. The FESEM and EDS analysis reveals that the high density of spherical-like Fe3O4 nanoparticles and chitosan are successfully assembled on the surfaces of the graphene sheets. VSM result of MGCH composite exhibited higher saturation magnetization of 46.5 emu g-1 and lower coercivity (Hc) of 50 Oe. This result discloses that MGCH possesses enough response required for the separation from aqueous solution. The batch mode adsorption studies demonstrates that MGCH based adsorbent showed almost 99.8% adsorption of 2-naphthol with a maximum adsorption capacity of 169.49 mg g-1 at pH 2. Moreover, the kinetic studies of the samples are performed by fitting adsorption models to ensure the nature of the adsorption system. This work proves that MGCH nanocomposite can be used as high-performance adsorbent for removing of phenolic pollutants from contaminated wastewater.

Mesoporous nickel oxide nanostructures: influences of crystalline defects and morphological features on mediator-free electrochemical monosaccharide sensor application.

Morphological and surface features are the key tools used to tune the catalytic performance of any metal oxide. In the present study, nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) with three different morphologies were prepared using a simple hydrothermal method. The electrocatalytic performance of the prepared NiO NPs was evaluated with regard to the detection of monosaccharide glucose. The physicochemical properties of prepared NiO nanostructures were confirmed using different conventional characterization techniques. The flower-like morphological NiO NPs with nanosized petals have a high surface area and a more defective surface, resulting in improved heterogeneous catalytic activity compared to hexagonal and spherical morphological NiO NPs in glucose oxidation. The anionic and cationic vacancies on the mesoporous surface of NiO nanopetals endorsed an enhanced charge transfer efficiency compared to other NiO morphologies. The effect of scan rate, confirmed by cyclic voltammetry analysis, ensured the diffusion-controlled quasi-reversible electrochemical reaction between surface-modified electrodes and analyte. The NiO petals showed a wide linear detection range (100 nmol L-1-12 mmol L-1) and a lower detection limit of 57 nmol L-1. In addition, the anti-interference ability, repeatability, stability and real sample analysis further affirmed the enhanced catalytic features of NiO nanopetals. The results showed that defective surfaces and surface features of the NiO nanostructures could be used to tune their overall sensor performance in future applications.

Engineering the surface of graphene oxide with bovine serum albumin for improved biocompatibility in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Graphene oxide (GO) has been extensively studied for its potential biomedical applications. However, its potential risk associated with the interactions of GO in a biological system hampers its biomedical applications. Therefore, there is an urgent need to enhance the biocompatibility of GO. In the present study, we decorated the surface of GO with bovine serum albumin (GO-BSA) to mitigate the in vivo toxic properties of GO. An in vivo model Caenorhabditis elegans has been used to study the potential protective effect of BSA decoration in mitigating GO induced toxicity. The BSA decoration on the surface of GO prevents the acute and prolonged toxicity induced by GO in primary and secondary organs by maintaining normal intestinal permeability, defecation behavior, development, and reproduction. Notably, GO-BSA treatment at 0.5-100 mg L-1 does not affect the intracellular redox status and lifespan of C. elegans. Reporter gene expression analysis revealed that exposure to GO-BSA (100 mg L-1) did not significantly influence the nuclear accumulation and expression patterns of DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf2 transcription factors and their downstream target genes sod-3, hsp-16.2, ctl-1,2,3, gcs-1, and gst-4 when compared to exposure to pristine GO. Also, quantitative real-time PCR results showed that GO-BSA did not alter the expression of genes involved in regulating DNA damage checkpoints (cep-1, hus-1 and egl-1) and core signaling pathways of apoptosis (ced-4, ced-3 and ced-9), in contrast to GO treatment. All these findings will have an impact on the future development of safer nanomaterial formulations of graphene and graphene-based materials for environmental and biomedical applications.

A nanocomposite of NiFe2O4-PANI as a duo active electrocatalyst toward the sensitive colorimetric and electrochemical sensing of ascorbic acid.

A non-enzymatic ascorbic acid sensor using a nickel ferrite/PANI (NF-PANI) nanocomposite and based on colorimetric and electrochemical sensing methods was investigated in this study. The nanocomposite was prepared by an in situ polymerization and utilized as an electrocatalyst to sense ascorbic acid (AA) through the peroxidase mimic sensing of H2O2 in the presence of 3,5,3,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a coloring agent. It was also utilized to detect AA present in real samples prepared from fruit extracts, commercial beverages, and vitamin-C tablets. The limit of detection (LoD) for AA sensing by the peroxidase mimic method was found to be 232 nM. The relative standard deviation (RSD) calculated for analysis of the real samples analysis ranged from 1.7-3.2%. Similarly, the electrochemical sensing of AA by NF-PANI was examined by cyclic voltammetric, chronoamperometric, and differential pulse voltammetric analyses. The LoD for the electrochemical method applied to AA sensing was 423 nM. The nanocomposite functioned as an effective electrocatalytic sensing agent in both methods to selectively detect AA due to the combined effect of NF and PANI. Thus, it was shown that the nanocomposites could be utilized for the laboratory-based detection of AA by various methods and could give rapid results.

α-MoO3 nanostructure on carbon cloth substrate for dopamine detection.

Orthorhombic molybdenum oxide (α-MoO3) nanostructures were deposited on the surface of carbon cloth (CC) as a flexible and high conductive scaffold by reactive RF magnetron sputtering technique. Structure and morphology of the as prepared molybdenum coated carbon cloth (MoO3CC) were thoroughly characterized with field emission scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray and Raman spectroscopy. Benefiting from high surface area and superior conductivity of CC as well as electrocatalytic activity of α-MoO3 nanostructures, an electrochemical sensor was fabricated. The electrochemical behavior of this new sensor toward determination of dopamine was studied in detail by cyclic voltammetry, amperometry (AM) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). Results reported here reveal that using SWV not only enhances the sensitivity of sensors to dopamine by more than 14 times compared to AM, but also offers higher linear dynamic range (1-700 µM compared to 5-550 µM). Limit of detection, for signal to noise ratio 3, was calculated to be 0.48 µM. Applicability of the proposed sensor for measurement of dopamine in real samples, like urine and pharmaceutical formulation, was also evaluated that concluded to satisfactory results.

Carbon fiber based electrochemical sensor for sweat cortisol measurement.

This study examines the use of a conductive carbon fiber to construct a flexible biosensing platform for monitoring biomarkers in sweat. Cortisol was chosen as a model analyte. Functionalization of the conductive carbon yarn (CCY) with ellipsoidal Fe2O3 has been performed to immobilize the antibodies specific to cortisol. 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) chemistry has been used to immobilize the antibodies onto the Fe2O3 modified CCY. Crystallinity, structure, morphology, flexibility, surface area, and elemental analysis were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FE-SEM/EDS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Mechanical properties of the fiber such as tensile strength, young's modulus have also been investigated. Under optimal parameters, the fabric sensor exhibited a good linearity (r2 = 0.998) for wide a linear range from 1 fg to 1 µg with a detection limit of 0.005 fg/mL for the sensitive detection of cortisol. Repeatability, reliability, reproducibility, and anti-interference properties of the current sensor have been investigated. Detection of cortisol levels in human sweat samples has also been investigated and the results were validated with commercial chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) method.

Tumor markers: myths and facts unfolded.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review the most commonly used tumor markers in abdominal and pelvic tumors, describe their limitations and explain how to use them in the context of known cancer in order to optimize multidisciplinary care of oncologic patients. CONCLUSION: Tumor markers are important for the diagnosis, staging, monitoring of treatment and detection of recurrence in many cancers. This knowledge is crucial in the daily interpretation of images of oncologic and non-oncologic patients. However, radiologists should also be aware of the limitations of the most commonly used tumor markers and they should not be used solely, but interpreted in conjunction with diagnostic imaging, clinical history and physical examination that will help optimize the multidisciplinary care and management of oncologic patients.

The natural diet of the mud crab Scylla olivacea (Herbst, 1896) in Pichavaram mangroves, India.

Food and feeding habits of mud crab Scylla olivacea (Herbst, 1896) in Pichavaram mangroves was investigated quantitatively and qualitatively for a period of two years from June 2010 to May 2012. Gut contents from 1737 specimens comprising 843 males and 894 females in the size range between 45 mm and 148 mm were examined. Crustaceans form the predominant food item in a majority of size groups in terms of percentage wet weight and frequency of occurrence, while molluscs showed a preference in few size groups. The other dietary items includes fishes, detritus, mud and sand and miscellaneous. Gut content analysis revealed no significant variation between the quantities of food consumed by both sexes. Feeding intensity was higher in juveniles and subadults of both sexes than that of adults, revealing a greater preference to feed on fast moving prey such as crustaceans and fishes. The results of the present study indicate that S. olivacea in Pichavaram mangroves exhibited a clear preference for crustaceans.