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Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among human populations and account for around 17% of the total global burden of communicable diseases and around 0.7 million deaths are caused annually. Mosquitoes of the genera Anopheles, Aedes,and Culexare the major vectors that transmit diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and filariasis. To combat the effects of such diseases, vector control, by insecticides or through biological control, is one of the key options. Chemical control is the major intervention used to control vector populations. However, due to the continuous overuse of insecticides, mosquitoes are becoming resistant to insecticides. New techniques, such as nanotechnology-based insecticidal formulations and insecticide paint, are being developed to increase the efficacy of insecticides and reduce the frequency of application. Insecticide paint might be advantageous in terms of residual efficacy, cost, and acceptability due to its easy application. In the present review, we discuss the currently used vector strategies, their limitations, and the advantages of insecticide paint utilization over present strategies in the Indian context. Further, different insecticidal paint formulations developed against different mosquito species and their future prospects for vector control in India are presented.

ABSTRACTAluminium and aluminium alloy MMCs (AAMMCs) tend to be the most explored materials in MMC development due to their broad range of properties such as wear resistance, light weight, strength with durability, and improved damping capabilities for automobiles, aerospace, and marine at reasonable production costs among other materials. However, the reinforcements chosen will have an impact on the properties of the composite, bridging the gap between the research problem and the desired specialised application. In that effort, numerous researchers have subsequently explored the influence of AAMMCs with various reinforcements aimed at increasing damping properties. In this work, MMCs alloy as matrix and copper particles as reinforcement sat 0 to 15% were synthesised using stir casting route. MMCs/Cu MMC samples were then investigated using SEM to ensure the dispersion of Cu particles in MMCS MMC before being exposed to a frequency response function to determine the modal frequencies and damping ratios. The acquired results on the influence of Cu particles in MMCs matrix on frequency responses and damping ratios were clearly presented.

A simple and atom economic protocol for the construction of C–X/C–C bonds via catalytic aminium radical-cation salt (Magic Blue)-initiated SN2-type nucleophilic ring-opening transformations of racemic and nonracemic aziridines with different hetero and carbon nucleophiles to afford various amino ethers, thioethers, and amines in up to 99% yield, and with perfect enantiospecificity for some substrates but reduced ee with others (for nonracemic aziridines), is developed. This aminium radical-cation salt-initiated, SN2-type nucleophilic ring-opening strategy, along with various cyclization protocols, is employed to synthesize various biologically significant compounds.

A metal-free, conjugated organic polymer (TPA-PQ)-catalyzed intramolecular C–H functionalization strategy for the synthesis of imidazolidines in the presence of light and O2is reported. This heterogeneous catalytic protocol is an alternative to the traditional metal-based photocatalysis strategy. DA-COP (TPA-PQ) contains TPAas the donor unit (D) and a phenanthrenequinone derivative as the acceptor unit (A), thus helping the electron movement in the conjugated system. TPA-PQhas shown excellent catalytic activity, stability, and reusability.

The current study aimed to assess the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using Alternanthera sessilisleaf extracts to control Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles stephensimosquito larvae. The leaf extract of A. sessilisand 1 mM silver nitrate solution was used to initiate the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The confirmation of AgNP synthesis was done through visual inspection and further confirmed by various instrumental analyses including UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED). SEM and TEM analyses revealed that the synthesized AgNPs have an average size of 40–70 nm with spherical, hexagonal, and triangular shapes. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) revealed various compounds which might be responsible for larvicidal activity. These biosynthesized AgNPs exhibited significant larvicidal activity after 72 h of exposure against three types of vectors, namely, An. stephensi(LC502.9 ppm and LC903.82 ppm), Cx. quinquefasciatus(LC502.82 ppm and LC907.21 ppm), and Ae. aegypti(LC502.93 ppm and LC907.63 ppm). After 72 h of exposure, moderate activity was seen in hexane extract with LC50values of 17.02 ppm, 30.22 ppm, and 16.02 ppm and LC90values of 31.63 ppm, 32.63 ppm, and 59.98 ppm against the larvae of Ae. aegypti, Cx. quinquefasciatus, and An. stephensi, respectively. The synthesized AgNPs were non-toxic against non-targeted species, Poecilia reticulata. This study demonstrates a rapid, cost-effective, eco-friendly, and single-step approach for the synthesis of A. sessilis–derived AgNPs. The improved larvicidal activity and their safe use against the non-target species present them as a promising candidate for vector control.

Force-sensitive resistor (FSR) sensors have been playing a central role because of their endless applications in the robotics and healthcare sectors. They can be used for detecting abnormalities in respiration systems, contact force estimation, and human–machine interaction. Traditionally, the dynamic of the FSRs is modeled analytically to capture the change in resistance. However, these traditional approaches face a critical challenge because of the presence of uncertainty in measurement, violation of saturation limits, bias, and hysteresis. To address these issues, a Gaussian process regressor (GPR)-based probabilistic model via Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) called Gaussian process Monte Carlo (GPMC) is proposed for capturing the dynamics of the FSRs. In addition, the two models are developed for breaking the force measurement into the low and high regions with a range of ~0.2–10 and 10–98.8 N, respectively. To demonstrate the uncertainty in force measurement, a 95% prediction interval is drawn for the developed models. The experimental analysis advent that the presented model for the force measurement outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in terms of mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean square error (RMSE). It was noted that the presented model achieves an accuracy in the sequence of [MSE, MAE, RMSE] as [8.3063, 2.0763, 2.8820] and [0.0755, 0.2132, 0.2748] for high and low regions, respectively.

ABSTRACTHigh demand of bioactive molecules (food additives, antibiotics, plant growth enhancers, cosmetics, pigments and other commercial products) is the prime need for the betterment of human life where the applicability of the synthetic chemical product is on the saturation due to associated toxicity and ornamentations. It has been noticed that the discovery and productivity of such molecules in natural scenarios are limited due to low cellular yields as well as less optimized conventional methods. In this respect, microbial cell factories timely fulfilling the requirement of synthesizing bioactive molecules by improving production yield and screening more promising structural homologues of the native molecule. Where the robustness of the microbial host can be potentially achieved by taking advantage of cell engineering approaches such as tuning functional and adjustable factors, metabolic balancing, adapting cellular transcription machinery, applying high throughput OMICs tools, stability of genotype/phenotype, organelle optimizations, genome editing (CRISPER/Cas mediated system) and also by developing accurate model systems via machine-learning tools. In this article, we provide an overview from traditional to recent trends and the application of newly developed technologies, for strengthening the systemic approaches and providing future directions for enhancing the robustness of microbial cell factories to speed up the production of biomolecules for commercial purposes.

Activated aziridines react with propargyl alcohols in the presence of Zn(OTf)2as the Lewis acid catalyst following an SN2-type ring-opening mechanism to furnish the corresponding amino ether derivatives. Those amino ethers further undergo intramolecular hydroamination via 6-exo-digcyclization in the presence of Zn(OTf)2as the catalyst and tetrabutylammonium triflate salt as an additive under one-pot two-step reaction conditions. However, for nonracemic examples, ring-opening and cyclization steps were conducted under two-pot conditions. The reaction works well without any additional solvents. The final 3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-oxazine products were obtained with 13 to 84% yield and 78 to 98% enantiomeric excess (for nonracemic examples).

Gait generation for biped robot is a tedious task for locomotion in an uncertain environment. In this research paper, the authors have developed the deep learning approach for modelling the human locomotion kinematics dataset on an uneven surface which can be further used as a reference trajectory for the biped robot. However, choosing the right activation function for deep learning is a very challenging task. This research work has proposed the universal activation function for the kinematic modelling which is adaptive in sense of application. Twenty-five different activation functions from the literature are compared with the presented activation function in term of mean and maximum model prediction error along the gait trajectory. It shows that the universal activation function-based gait model outperforms others by large margins. Additionally, the parameter sensitivity of the presented activation function is discussed in detail. Moreover, the complexity analysis and running time are also investigated. Furthermore, two cases of 5% and 10% variation in the input are analysed to evaluate the prediction ability of the developed gait model with a 95% prediction interval.

Human lower limb activity recognition (HLLAR) has grown in popularity over the last decade mainly because to its applications in the identification and control of neuromuscular disorders, security, robotics, and prosthetics. Surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors provide various advantages over other wearable or visual sensors for HLLAR applications, including quick response, pervasiveness, no medical monitoring, and negligible infection. Recognizing lower limb activity from sEMG signals is also challenging owing to the noise in the sEMG signal. Pre- processing of sEMG signals is extremely desirable before the classification because they allow a more consistent and precise evaluation in the above applications. This article provides a segment-by-segment overview of: (1) Techniques for eliminating artifacts from sEMG signals from the lower limb. (2) A survey of existing datasets of lower limb sEMG. (3) A concise description of the various techniques for processing and classifying sEMG data for various applications involving lower limb activity. Finally, an open discussion is presented, which may result in the identification of a variety of future research possibilities for human lower limb activity recognition. Therefore, it is possible to anticipate that the framework presented in this study can aid in the advancement of sEMG-based recognition of human lower limb activity.

Price and time are two major concerns in the industry which encourages the development and manufacturing of new dies for sheet metal forming applications. Additive manufacturing (AM) and rapid tooling (RT) are now emerging techniques for producing cost-effective and fast production of sheet metal forming dies with excellent mechanical and wear resistance properties. The paper gives an insight into AM processes that were implemented in the tooling industry to enhance moulding efficiency and sheet metal forming processes. The advantages and challenges observed in using AM are highlighted and discussed as opposed to traditional tooling. The RT processes used in moulding and sheet metal formation are addressed, and their limitations are highlighted. The paper also discusses several possible application areas in which AM technologies can be used further to enhance the efficiency of the devices. Finally, discussion on current issues related to the use of AM in tooling has been presented.

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to create an overview of sun on track system that can enhance the power of photovoltaic panel on a tracker. Its functioning idea is to maintain the solar panel aligned every time, maximising the solar cell exposure to the Sun rays and allowing it to create more output power. The project’s work includes hardware implementation, as well as Arduino based programming for the solar tracker’s Arduino unit. An audio was used to control the action of two step up motors that rotates the solar panel in two different directions. The Arduino calculates the sum of motion based on data collected from four photo sensors near the solar panel.A working solar tracking system is designed and implemented at the end of this project. It can also maintain the solar cell combined with the sun. The solar tracker made from this research serves as a model and a beginning point for the developments in the upcoming future.

AbstractThe rising demand of EVs has been increasing the burden on the power grid in the southern Asian countries because of the high energy consumption of the same. Problems like rapid energy consumption, effect on environmental and energy shortages leads to the investigation of other energy resources that can be easily accessible and are environmentally friendly. The country has great potential when it comes to renewable resources like biomass and biogas. In this paper, the design of a 20kW electric vehicle charging station utilizing a renewable resource (biomass) is proposed. A comprehensive efficiency studies has also been done of HOMER model and MATLAB SIMULINK. Results indicate that the proposed ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS saves monthly $ 16.31 and $ 29.46, respectively, on lightweight electric bicycles and auto-rickshaw models in southern Asian countries compared to grid charging.

Carbon nanotube-based solar thermal fluids are being studied in this field for their thermo-physical characteristics. Using TiO2and water as the basic fluids in 100:0, 75:25, and 50:50 ratios, nano-fluids were generated. The MWCNTs were dispersed in these three base fluids at a weight fraction of 0.25, and 0.5% and 0.75%, respectively. For the duration of two months, the zeta potential variation is studied to determine the stability of dispersion. The hot disk method and Anton Paar viscometer were used to measure thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity. Adding MWCNTs to the basic fluids resulted in a 12–21% increase in thermal conductivity. Although viscosity was shown to increase in the 50–70 °C range, it was found to have a less impact at higher temperatures.

This paper presents the predictive models for biped robot trajectory generation. Predictive models are parametrizing as a continuous function of joint angle trajectories. In a previous work, the authors had collected the human locomotion dataset at RAMAN Lab, MNIT, Jaipur, India. The MNIT gait dataset consists of walking data on a plane surface of 120 human subjects from different age groups and genders. Thirty-two machine learning models (linear, support vector, k-nearest neighbor, ensemble, probabilistic, and deep learning) trained using the collected dataset. In addition, two types of mapping, (a) one-to-one and (b) many-to-one, are presented for each model. These mapping models act as a reference policy for the control of joints and prediction of state for the next time instant in advance if the onboard sensor fails. Results show that the deep learning and probabilistic learning models perform better for both types of mappings. Also, the probabilistic model outperforms the deep learning-based models in terms of maximum error, because the probabilistic model effectively deals with the prediction uncertainty. In addition, many-to-one outperforms the one-to-one mapping because it captures the correlation between knee, hip, and ankle trajectories. Therefore, this study suggests a many-to-one mapping using the probabilistic model for biped robot trajectory generation.

AbstractThis paper presents the mathematical model of practical DC-DC converters using state space analysis. The work illustrates the effect of coil resistance on the output voltage of Buck converter and Boost converter. For checking the validity of the mathematical model, it has been compared to the existing Buck Converter and Boost Converter based models of MATLAB Simulink. The small-signal analysis of DC-DC converters aids in the steady-state determination of the operating point of high gain DC-DC converters.

AbstractThis research paper tells about the different types of defects faced by the motors used in electric vehicle such as cost of the motor and it also discusses about the solutions to reduce the problems. In recent years the sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions have forced the population to move towards electric vehicle. This target can only be achieved by removing the drawbacks such as cost and mileage of electric vehicle. Electric motors play a huge role in electric vehicle and motors that are used in EVs are quite costly and efficiency of the motor affects the mileage of electric vehicle. In this context, this paper tells about the defects or challenges of the motors in the vehicle. Mainly three motors are used in electric vehicle such as induction motor, switched reluctance motor and permanent magnet synchronous motor. This research paper discusses different solutions, and control strategies of EV motors in order to achieve the low cost and better responses as motor plays a huge part in electric vehicle and also the future scope of these motor is forecasted. Above investigation of control strategies is carried out by MATLAB/Simulink Software.

The present article attempts to explore one of the most pertinent issues of livelihood among tribals in India. In this context, the following two key issues have been examined: (a) whether tribal people are still engaged primarily in agriculture or forestry related activities for their livelihood or they have moved to non-farm and industrial activities over the years and (b) whether the government affirmative action like reservation policy has helped the tribal people in joining more government/public/formal sector jobs. This article is based on analysis of last two decades secondary data from National Sample Surveys (NSS) and Census of India. On the basis of the analysis of the data it has been observed that the participation of tribals in public sector or formal sector jobs has increased over the years, which may be due to various affirmative actions by the governments’ reservation policy. However, the human capital base of tribals is still much below the other social groups. Another important fact has been revealed through probit regression analysis that the government reservation policy is exclusionary in effect. Maximum benefits have been derived by those who are highly educated and those who belong to high income group. These issues need urgent policy interventions for creating better livelihood conditions for the tribal population particularly for those who are relatively less benefitted which may need further investigation.

AbstractThe CD6 molecule, a cell surface marker, is involved in immunological synapse formation between T cell and antigen-presenting cell and T lymphocyte activation for adequate immune response. Geriatric individuals fail to mount a satisfactory immunological response against pathogens thus, insights into the functionality of CD6 may provide information for competence building in elderly immune cells. However, limited information is available regarding the status of CD6 in geriatric individuals. In this study, various isoforms of CD6 were analysed in aged mononuclear cells (MNCs) and compared with young individuals. In geriatric individuals, protein and mRNA expressions of CD6 molecule/isoforms were found to be decreased compared to their young counterparts. Furthermore, geriatric MNCs failed to show any change in CD6 levels and its isoforms upon polyclonal activation compared to young MNCs, marked by reduced Ca++release and IL-2 expression. We suggest an overall decrease in CD6 levels in geriatric MNCs and T cells with suboptimal T cell activation in aged individuals.

Nanorefrigerant are used extensively in refrigeration applications due to their improved heat transfer properties. It requires a working fluid with high heat transfer coefficients to achieve maximum thermal performance. In the present work, a mixture of R600a-CuO nanorefrigerant is used as a working fluid for a direct cooled refrigerator. The heat transfer rate is increased by 83 % using R600a-CuO instead of a pure refrigerant. The objectiev is to test the performance as per Indian Standards of a direct cooled refrigeration system using nanorefrigerant R600a-CuO. The system is tested with pure R600a and CuO nanoparticles; at two concentrations (0.04 g and 0.08 g). Nanoparticles improve results from thermal performance concerns than a pure refrigerant, and the saving is higher at higher ambient temperatures. The energy consumption is reduced by 4 % and 8.2 %, with lower concentrations at 27 °C and 38 °C, respectively. The pulldown time is also significantly reduced. The highest pull-down reduction reductions and energy consumptions are 13.18 % and 12.89 % with 0.08 g nanoparticles and at 38 °C ambient temperature. The system functions efficiently with the modified medium.

Pesticide leaching and soil contamination are major issues in the present agriculture formulations. Hence, here 2D graphene oxide in combination with cationic, anionic, or nonionic polymers were tested for runoff resistance and targeted release behavior. Cationic polymer supplemented the binding of rGO on leaf surface by 30% more than control and reduced off-target leaching in soil by 45% more than control. Further, to enhance the fruit rot control caused by Colletotrichum capsiciin chili crop, the rGO was decorated with Cu2–xSe nanocrystals, which provided combined disease control with captan. The chitosan coating in the nanocomposite added targeted pH-responsive fungal inhibition behavior and could reduce the C. capsicigrowth by ∼1/2 times compared to captan control.

ABSTRACTAmong the emerging new welding technologies, friction stir welding (FSW) is used frequently for welding of high strength aluminium alloys, which are difficult to weld by conventional fusion welding techniques. In the same context, AA2024-T351 is welded using FSW technique with square shaped tool pin profile. FSW of AA2024-T351 are done on different transverse speed to understand the influence of transverse speed on microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties. The microstructural characterisation is done using optical microscope to understand the grain size and grain morphology. The mechanical properties are obtained by hardness and impact test. From the obtained microstructure, it is found that the grain size is decreasing as transverse speed increases. The impact strength also reduced as a function of transverse speed, whereas maximum hardness is observed on 100 mm/min transverse speed.

Background: Valeriana jatamansi Jones (Syn. V. wallichii DC.; Fam. – Valerianaceae) is a medicinal plant species, endemic to the Himalayan regions of India and rich in presence of iridoids. This plant species possessed antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: The shade-dried roots were powdered, percolated with 95% ethanol for 36 h at room temperature (3-times) and filtrate used for isolation of iridoids. The isolated compounds identified based on physical and spectral data analysis. For the enhancement of production of iridoids, the callus cultures established on Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium with variable concentrations of growth hormones. The isolated iridoids estimated by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLCSPD- M10A photodiode array detector) and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity of iridoids assessed by using carrageenan and Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA-induced adjuvant) models in experimental rats. The total eight bacterial and five fungal strains used for determination of antimicrobial activity. The activity assessed by using microdilution method. Results: Total seven iridoids were isolated from ethyl acetate fraction and their production estimated in cell cultures. The maximum accumulation (69.39±0.45 mg/g) of jatamanvaltrate S was observed in 2, 4- D (4.0 mg/l) and kinetin (1.0 mg/l) supplemented MS culture medium. Maximum anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated by jatamanvaltrate R (46.8%) at the dose of 20 mg/kg body weight (bw) at 8 h after carrageenan injection. Similarly, the jatamanvaltrate R also displayed maximum inhibitory activity (49.9%) to CFA-induced adjuvant arthritis in rats on day 8. The strongest antibacterial activity was exhibited by jatamanvaltrate S (21 μg/ml) against Staphylococcus aureus while maximum antifungal efficacy displayed by jatamanin B (30 μg/ml) against Penicillium chrysogenum. Conclusion: In this study, all the isolated iridoids found as bioactive molecules and exhibited promising anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities.

ABSTRACTIn the present short review of manufacturing techniques of metal matrix composites (MMCs), aluminium and magnesium MMCs are reviewed in terms of their application and properties. Additionally, the various manufacturing techniques are elaborated to develop the MMCs. It is found that the global demand of MMCs is increasing year by year due to their major application in most of the industries. The application of MMCs in various industries are based on the desired properties of end component. The desired properties of MMCs can be achieved with the shape and type of reinforcing materials along with their physical conditions. Additionally, the selection of manufacturing method is also an important factor to achieve desired properties. Therefore, the various section of present manuscript compiles the details about A and Mg MMCs and their methods of manufacturing.

AbstractThis paper offers idea of orthogonal moments (OM) such as, Zernike Moments (ZM), and Pseudo Zernike Moments (PZM) for the analysis of melanoma images. Scale and phase invariance have been tested by varying the image sizes 32x32, 64x64, 128x128, and 256x256 and by varying phase angle from 10θ to 80θ degrees for the melanoma images. Magnitude of moment features have been extracted up to 32 orders for the cases m=0 and m=2. These extracted moment features are optimized by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and classified by Support Vector Machine (SVM) and resultant achieved accuracy is 91.24%, sensitivity is 86.78%, and specificity is 88.76% which is better than existing techniques.

This article deals with the design and development of a seaweed-based paper battery, synthesized using different material coatings. Batteries have a high potential to power up the next generation of medical devices, electronics and hybrid vehicles but it require high working capacity. With the presence of several deficiencies like a regular, fluctuating voltage, spill out and damage issues, itching and irritation during human direct contact with wet and non-paper batteries, a need for dry and paper-based batteries has arisen. The design and fabrication of paper-based batteries with enhanced electrochemical and structural stability play a pivotal role to fix the above-mentioned problems. A battery made up of seaweed paper offers remarkable capacity with better performance and also helps to avoid the use of wood-based paper. The battery has been prepared with different materials of cathode and electrolyte, which are further tested for identifying an optimum match in terms of generated voltage. A biodegradability test and toxicity test were performed which ensured the eco-friendly nature of the proposed battery. The proposed battery is made of nanocomposites, which can pack more power into smaller spaces. Moreover, it is found that there is a reduction of weight by 58%, an enhancement of 16.7% in voltage capacity and eco-friendly compared to conventional AA 1.5–3.5 V Li-on battery.

The secreted proteomes of a three week old culture of an Indian (190/96) and a German (DAYA) Aspergillus fumigatusisolate were investigated for reactivity with IgG and/or IgE antibodies derived from pooled allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) patients’ sera. Two dimensional Western blotting followed by mass spectrometric analysis of the reactive protein spots revealed 35 proteins from the two A. fumigatusstrains. There were seven known A. fumigatusallergens among them (Asp f1−4, Asp f9, Asp f10, and Asp f13/15), whereas three proteins displaying significant sequence similarity to known fungal allergens have been assigned as predicted allergens (Dipeptidyl-peptidase-V precursor, Nuclear transport factor 2, and Malate dehydrogenase, NAD-dependent). Eight IgG and IgE reactive proteins were common in both strains; however, 12 proteins specifically reacted in 190/96 and 15 in DAYA. Further testing with sera of 5 individual ABPA patients demonstrated that 12 out of 20 immunoreactive proteins of 190/96 strain of A. fumigatushad consistent reactivity with IgE. Seven of these proteins reacted with IgG also. The 25 of 35 identified proteins are novel with respect to immuno-reactivity with ABPA patients’ sera and could form a panel of molecules to improve the currently existing less-sensitive diagnostic methods. Through expressing recombinantly, these proteins may also serve as a tool in desensibilization strategies.

Aspergillus fumigatusis the common cause of allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and most of the allergens have been described from its secreted fraction. In the present investigation, germinating conidial cytosolic proteins of A. fumigatuswere extracted from a 16 h culture. The proteome from this fraction was developed, and immuno-blots were generated using pooled ABPA patients’ sera. Well separated Immunoglobulin-E (IgE) and Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) reactive spots were picked from corresponding 2DE gels and subjected to mass spectrometric analysis. As a result, 66 immuno-reactive proteins were identified from two geographically different strains (190/96 and DAYA) of A. fumigatus. Only 3 out of 66 proteins reacted with IgG, and the remaining 63 proteins were found to be IgE reactive. These 63 IgE-reactive cytosolic proteins from germinating conidia included 2 already known (Asp f12 and Asp f22) and 4 predicted allergens (Hsp88, Hsp70, malate dehydrogenase, and alcohol dehydrogenase) based on their homology with other known fungal allergens. In view of this, the panel of presently identified IgE-reactive novel proteins holds the potential of providing a basis for the wider diagnostic application in assay for allergic aspergillosis. We could demonstrate that recombinantly expressed proteins from this panel showed consistent reactivity with IgE of individual sera of ABPA patients. The recombinantly expressed proteins may also be useful in desensitization therapy of allergic disorders including ABPA.

Covellite (CuS) is a mineral sulfide with a multitude of potential applications in various technical fields. While it possesses a basic formula, its structure is complex, featuring alternating layers of planar CuS3 triangles and CuS4 tetrahedrons interconnected by S–S bonds. To gain a deeper understanding of Covellite's structural, mechanical and electrical properties, as well as its chemical bonding, extensive research utilizing X-ray diffractometer, FTIR and first-principles calculations have been conducted on its covalent Structure (CuS). The DFT and DFT + U methods were employed, revealing their sensitivity to the correlation treatment (U value). Although a universal U value cannot be determined, this investigation identifies U = 5.5 eV as an appropriate quantity. The examination of the electronic structure uncovers a significant metallic character attributable to the p(S)-d(Cu) orbital interactions up to the Fermi level. Moreover, the estimated density of states illustrates that the atomic contribution primarily arises from the 3d1 orbitals, which ultimately induce the [2D] plane conductivity anisotropy of Covellite. Additionally, the electron density underwent a topological analysis using the Quantum ESPRESSO PW software, leading to the computation of two distinct topological charges associated with Cu. This finding substantiates the presence of an iconic model featuring mixed charges. The covalent nature of the S–S bond receives support from the DFT analysis, and it is plausible that the preferential cleavage of CuS occurs at the [2D] surface, specifically at the CuS bond. It is worth noting that the S atoms constitute the majority of the cell volume and possess a dominant influence on the crystal's compressibility.

The machining of aluminium metal matrix composites (aluminium MMCs) presents a dynamic landscape of opportunities and challenges, with electrical discharge machining (EDM) emerging as a promising technique. This review article systematically navigates the intricate interplay between AMMCs’ unique characteristics and the EDM process. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, we uncover the underlying mechanisms that govern the machining dynamics of AMMCs, exploring their compositional variations, reinforcement distribution and thermal properties. The article delves into the opportunities offered by EDM, such as precision machining of intricate geometries, inherent thermal control and the ability to navigate the varying hardness levels in AMMCs. Furthermore, the review addresses the challenges that arise, including electrode wear, surface integrity preservation and the influence of reinforcement particles on material removal rates. The authors highlight the role of parameter optimisation in achieving desirable machining outcomes, underlining the need to strike a balance between material removal efficiency and surface finish quality. Additionally, environmental considerations in EDM of AMMCs are discussed, emphasising sustainable machining strategies in line with contemporary ecological concerns. As the field of advanced materials and manufacturing continues to evolve, this review article provides valuable insights for researchers, engineers and industries seeking to harness the potential of EDM in machining AMMCs. By navigating the intricate landscape of opportunities and challenges, this article contributes to a holistic understanding of the nuanced relationship between EDM and AMMCs, laying the foundation for future advancements in precision machining of these composite materials.

A simple one-pot, two-step strategy for the synthesis of tetrahydro-1H-azepino[4,3,2-cd]indoles via Lewis acid-catalyzed SN2-type ring opening of activated azetidines with 4-bromoindole, followed by a Pd-catalyzed intramolecular C–N cyclization reaction, with good to excellent yields is described. Utilizing this protocol, the vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist precursor has been synthesized easily. Enantioenriched tetrahydro-1H-azepino[4,3,2-cd]indoles were obtained by starting from enantiopure azetidine.

A transition metal-free, atom-economical, and highly stereospecific synthetic approach to Friedel–Crafts-type alkylation of arenes/heteroarenes has been developed. The protocol involves the catalytic aminium radical-cation salt (Magic Blue)-initiated SN2-type nucleophilic ring opening of activated aziridines with arenes/heteroarenes to give the corresponding 2,2-diarylethylamines up to 99% yield and 85% ee (for nonracemic aziridines) in a very short reaction time. Moreover, on reaction with 1,3-dimethylindole and benzofuran, aziridines undergo domino-ring-opening cyclization (DROC) to give the various biologically significant heterocyclic scaffolds in moderate to good yields.