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Corrosion protection efficiency of gum exudates of Astragalus genus (AG) on mild steel surface in 1N HCl medium was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements. The results show that AG acts as an effective green inhibitor for mild steel corrosion in 1N HCl and their inhibition efficiency increases with increasing concentration. Tafel's measurements showed that AG behaves as a mixed-type inhibitor with a predominant cathodic character. The impedance parameters confirm that AG is adsorbed in the form of a protective film on the mild steel surface. The DFT theory at the B3LYP/6-31G (d) basis set level was also performed for the identification of active constituents of AG to investigate the correlation between their molecular structure and corrosion protection efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the first work was carried out to manufacture MgO-based metal matrix composite containing 3 wt%. Sintering parameters, such as temperature, pressure, and time were subjected to Taguchi analysis to identify the most significant effect on magnesium oxide physical and mechanical characteristics. The impact of each sintering parameter explores using the analysis of variance-structure and microstructure analysis using XRD and EDS-equipped FE-SEM. The mechanical properties of the composite are evaluated by testing its Rockwell hardness (HR) and Vickers hardness (HV). The results showed that sintering temperature was the most influential of the sintering factors on microhardness. Densification at its peak was 100%, while it peaked at 62.19 Rockwell hardness and 58.7 Vickers hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles of titanium diboride (TiB2) coated with a conductive polymer and subjected to an oxidizing agent was carried out in this research. TiB2 nanoparticles coated with polypyrrole (PPy) were studied using XRD and TEM techniques. Nitrogen adsorption and desorption properties of nanoparticles are covered with modified polypyrrole to understand better the surface zone, structural features, and pore geometries of the nanoparticles. The water-based hazardous anionic Congo red (CR) dye was removed using polypyrrole-coated titanium diboride (PPy@TiB2) nanoparticles. Numerous cutting-edge experimental techniques, including FTIR, FE-SEM, EDXS, and element mapping analysis, were used to confirm the CR color's adhesion to the PPy@TiB2 nanoadsorbent study. While conducting batch experiments, coated TiB2 nanoadsorbents with polypyrrole enhanced the adsorption behaviour. One of the factors evaluated in the adsorption tests was pH; another was contact time, and a third was dose. At pH = 4 , 98.75% of Congo red dye was detached using 60 mg of PPy-coated TiB2 nanoadsorbent. Several sorption-desorption cycles were performed on this nanoadsorbent to determine its reusability. An excellent adsorption capacity for water treatment is reported in PPy-coated TiB2 nanoadsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural-based composite's progress as carriers has revealed many benefits in biomedicine, notably in the construction field, synthetic biology, and genetic engineering. Compared to analogous composites without nanoparticles, incorporating nanoparticles into polymeric materials improved architectural performance, physiological connections, and ecological features. The major goal of the current investigation is to determine the impact of nano-/micro-TiO2 on the mechanical characteristics of kenaf/glass/epoxy hybrids. The samples have been created using a hand layup method and a variety of filler loading and stacking sequences. The addition of nano-/microfiller significantly improved the mechanical performance of the epoxy/hybrid composite material. It was discovered that nanofiller-added composite materials fared better when composites were compared to and without microfilter-added composites. SEM was used to investigate the microstructure of the interfaces to ensure a good understanding of interfacial adherence between the reinforcement and their matrix. Compared to pure epoxy resin, the 15 wt% of microfiller additions of glass-kenaf-kenaf-glass type composites exhibit a 39.48% improvement in tensile and a 42.88% improvement in flexural. Similarly, 5 wt% nanofiller addition reveals a 44.214% improvement in tensile and a 50.50% improvement in flexural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas spp are the most common devastating fish bacterial pathogens associated with a wide range of cultured freshwater fish resulting in mass mortality. The present study plots the Aeromonas research output in fish during 1998–2020 by means of the Web of Science (WoS) database. A total of 1944 publications were used for this investigation to evaluate the scientific productivity in this selected subject area. Global publication share, rank, and its development in terms of research and bibliometric indices such as overall citations, h-index, and average citation per paper were also analysed. China ranked first in terms of total publications among the most productive countries and accounted for 26.18% of the total publications. The network visualisation map revealed that the lead collaborating country was China; however, the collaboration between countries was found to be very less. Lokta's law was noticed not to be valid for Aeromonas research. The study showed that the funding granted to the research investigations and their research productivity in terms of total publications were correlated positively. The results of the current study displayed the trend of "Aeromonas infection in fish" related research investigations published during 1998–2020. This study also highlighted the focused research areas on this topic on which the future areas of research can be determined by fellow researchers in this specific field. This study also suggests enhancing the research efforts on this bacterial pathogen which has the potential to implicate huge economic loss to the fish farming population in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe the clinical and histopathological features of post viper bite anterior segment ischemia.Methods: Seven patients with ocular complications following viper bite referred to uveitis clinic had slit-lamp examination, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, and fundus evaluation. Iris and fundus fluorescein angiography was performed on 2 patients. Histopathological examination was performed on iris tissues collected during cataract surgery.Results: Strikingly similar clinical findings were noted, including circumpupillary superficial iris atrophy, mid dilated fixed pupil, marked pigment dispersion, low IOP, and cataract. All clinical signs were noted only in the anterior segment; the posterior segment was normal. Histopathology of iris revealed atrophy of iris stroma, necrotic iris pigment epithelium, and infiltration of T lymphocytes and fibrous membrane. Poor visual outcome was noted in patients with low IOP.Conclusion: Viper bite victims presented with clinical and histopathological signs of anterior segment ischemia and secondary inflammatory signs mimicking uveitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe the ocular features of West Nile virus (WNV) infection proven by serology and molecular diagnostic techniques. Design: Prospective case series. Participants: Fifty-two patients who presented to the uveitis clinic with ocular inflammatory signs and history of fever preceding ocular symptoms between January 2010 and January 2012 were enrolled for laboratory diagnosis. Serum samples were collected from 30 healthy controls from the same geographic area. Methods: Patients were tested for all endemic infectious diseases that can cause ocular inflammation by serology or molecular diagnostics. When patients had positive antibodies for WNV, serum/plasma samples were tested by real-time reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RT loop-mediated isothermal gene amplification assays. The PCR product was subjected to nucleotide sequencing. Fundus fluorescence angiography (FFA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and indocyanine green angiography were performed. Visual prognosis was analyzed. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical signs (retinitis, neuroretinitis, and choroiditis) and ocular complications (decrease in vision). Results: A total of 37 of 52 patients (71 %) showed positive results for at least 2 laboratory tests for WNV. Fundus examination revealed discrete, superficial, white retinitis; arteritis; phlebitis; and retinal hemorrhages with or without macular star. The FFA revealed areas of retinal inflammation with indistinct borders, vascular and optic disc leakage, vessel wall staining, or capillary nonperfusion. Indocyanine green angiography confirmed choroidal inflammation in 1 of the patients who was diabetic. The OCT scan of the macula revealed inner retinal layer edema in active inflammation and retinal atrophy in late stage. At the final visit, 43% of patients had visual acuity better than 6/12. Conclusions: In addition to previously reported clinical signs, retinitis, neuroretinitis, and retinal vasculitis were seen in this population. Atrophy of the inner retinal layer was seen on OCT after resolution of inflammation. Visual prognosis was good in patients with focal retinitis and poor in patients with occlusive vasculitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meenatchi, S.; Iburahim, S.A.; Nayak, B.B.; Rathinam, R.B.; Paul, T.N.; Seenivasan, P.; Ramteke, K.; Ramanan, S.S.; and Anantharaja, K., 2024. A meta-analysis of artemia global research over seven decades (1949–2021). Journal of Coastal Research, 40(2), 395–407. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Brine shrimp are little planktonic crustaceans found all over the world in hypersaline habitats. Brine shrimp populations are found in numerous inland salt lakes and coastal salterns across the world. Scientometrics is a branch of statistics concerned with measuring and analyzing scholarly publications. The current study used a Web of Science database to thoroughly analyze and document the Artemia research output over the last seven decades. For this study, 9738 papers were examined using R software to evaluate the scientific productivity in this specified topic area. The global publishing share, rank, and evolution in terms of research and bibliometric indices, such as total citations, h index, and average number of citations per paper, were analyzed. The United States ranks first among the most productive nations in terms of total publications, accounting for 18.895%. India came in sixth place, accounting for 5.812% of total publications. The findings of the current study revealed the trend of artemia-related research studies published between 1949 and 2021. This study also highlighted the focal areas on this issue, about which future topics of research can be chosen for conservation and sustainable utilization of these vital resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombination activating genes (RAGs) mediates the process of rearrangement and somatic recombination (V(D)J) to generate different antibody repertoire. Studies on the expression pattern of adaptive immune genes during ontogenic development are crucial for the formulation of fish immunization strategy. In the present study, Nile tilapia was taken to explore the relative expression profile of RAG genes during their developmental stages. The developmental stages of Nile tilapia, i.e., unfertilized egg, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 days post-hatch (dph) and kidney, blood, gill, liver and spleen tissues from adult fish were collected and the cDNA synthesis was carried out. Gene specific primers for RAG-1 and RAG-2 of Nile tilapia were designed and their annealing temperature (Tm) was optimized by gradient PCR. Consequently, PCR was performed to confirm the specific amplification of RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) gene expression of RAG-1 and RAG-2 were noticed in all the developmental stages; however, a significant increase was observed after 12 dph and peaked at 24 dph, followed by a gradual decrease until 30 dph. Tissue-specific gene expression profiling revealed that the highest expression of RAG-1 and RAG-2 was observed in the kidney, followed by spleen, gill, liver and blood. The findings of the study explored the suitable timing of lymphoid maturation that could be technically used for the adoption of strategies to improve disease resistance of fish larvae for mitigating larval mortality. • The expression of RAG-1 and RAG-2 starts from the twelve days post hatch. • Kidney shows the abundance of RAG- 1 mRNA. • The expression of RAG-1 is higher than RAG-2 across the tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hg concentration in fish was below the maximum residual limit (MRL) • Hg levels in fish found in the following order: pelagic > benthic > demersal. • Both Se and Hg levels biomagnified in the food web along the Gulf of Mannar coast. • Se: Hg molar ratio was > 1, suggesting a protective effect of Se on Hg toxicity. • Health risk analysis (THQ/HI < 1) indicates fish collected from this region was safe. • Se-HBV and HBVse showed fishes were the surplus source of Se and mitigating Hg toxicity. This study aimed to explore the concentrations of Se and Hg in marine fish along the Gulf of Mannar (southeast coast of India) and to assess related risks and risk-based consumption limits for children, pregnant women, and adults. Se concentrations in pelagic and benthic fish ranged from 0.278 to 0.470 mg/kg and 0.203 to 0.294 mg/kg, respectively, whereas Hg concentrations ranged from 0.028 to 0.106 mg/kg and 0.026 to 0.097 mg/kg, respectively. Se and Hg contents in demersal fish (Nemipterus japonicus) were 0.282 and 0.039 mg/kg, respectively. The lowest and highest Hg concentrations in pelagic fish were found in Scomberomorus commersoni and Euthynnus affinis whereas the lowest and highest Se concentrations in benthic fish were found in Scarus ghobban and Siganus javus. Se concentrations in marine fishes were found in the following order: pelagic > demersal > benthic whereas Hg concentrations were found in the following order: pelagic > benthic > demersal. The presence of Se in fish was positively correlated with trophic level (TL) and size whereas that of Hg was weakly correlated with TL and habitat and negatively correlated with size. Se risk–benefit analysis, the AI/RDI (actual intake/recommended daily intake) ratio was > 100 % and the AI/UL (upper limit) ratio was < 100 %, indicating that all fish have sufficient levels of Se to meet daily requirements without exceeding the UL. Hg level was below the maximum residual limit (MRL) of 0.5 mg/kg for most fish but it was 1 mg/kg in E. affinis and Lethrinus lentjan. The target hazard quotient (THQ < 1) and hazard index (HI < 1) imply that the consumption of fish poses no noncarcinogenic health risks. However, all examined fish had a mean Se/Hg molar ratio > 1, indicating that human intake of fish was rather safe relative to Hg content. Health benefit indexes (Se-HBV and HBVse) with high positive values in all fish supported the protective effect of Se against Hg toxicity, suggesting the overall safety of fish consumption. The high Se/Hg ratio in fish could be attributed to the replacement of Se bound to Hg, thereby suppressing Hg toxicity and maintaining normal selenoprotein synthesis. This insight is useful for a better understanding of food safety analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that causes viral encephalitis. Recent epidemics of WNV around the world have been associated with significant rates of mortality and morbidity in humans. The early confirmatory diagnosis of WNV infection is important for timely clinical management and epidemiological control in areas where multiple flaviviruses are endemic. Objective: The aim of this study is to develop an monoclonal antibody based antigen capture ELISA for early confirmatory diagnosis of WNV infection with high degree of specificity and sensitivity having no cross reactivity with any of the closely related members of other circulating viruses. Study design: The gene coding for the NS1 protein of WNV was cloned and expressed in pET-28a expression vector. Purified recombinant protein was then utilized for generation of mice monoclonal antibody (Mab) and hyper immune sera (HIS) in rabbit. The sandwich ELISA was developed using the rabbit HIS and mice Mab as capture and detector antibody respectively and the results were compared with real time RT-PCR by evaluating 105 suspected clinical samples. Results: The comparative evaluation of the sandwich ELISA with real time RT-PCR revealed 97% concordance with sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 98% respectively. Conclusion: The WN NS1 antigen was detectable in the blood from the first day up to day 9 after the onset of symptoms. The higher sensitivity and specificity of this monoclonal Antibody based sandwich ELISA makes it useful for early diagnosis of WN infection in endemic areas during outbreaks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]