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Human polyglutamine [poly(Q)] disorders such as Huntington's disease, different types of ataxias, etc. are devastating brain illnesses which are characterised by the presence of neurotoxic protein aggregates in the affected neurons. We have recently reported that S6K/4E-BP mediated growth promoting branch of insulin signalling pathway alleviates human poly(Q) induced neurotoxicity in Drosophila disease models. Since, the S6K/4E-BP sub-pathway can be stimulated by various amino acids; we extended our investigation to examine if oral feeding of amino acids delivers rescue against human poly(Q) toxicity in Drosophila. We utilised Drosophila models of two different poly(Q) disorders to test our hypothesis. Glutamine was fed to the test flies orally mixed in the food. Control and treated flies were then tested for different parameters, such as formation of poly(Q) aggregates and neurodegeneration, to evaluate glutamine's proficiency in mitigating poly(Q) neurotoxicity. Our study, for the first time, reports that glutamine feeding stimulates the growth promoting S6K/4E-BP branch of insulin signalling pathway and restricts pathogenesis of poly(Q) disorders in Drosophila disease models. We noted that glutamine treatment restricts the formation of neurotoxic poly(Q) aggregates and minimises neuronal deaths. Further, glutamine treatment re-establishes the chromatin architecture by improving the histone acetylation which is otherwise compromised in poly(Q) expressing neuronal cells. Since, the insulin signalling pathway as well as mechanism of action of glutamine are fairly conserved between human and Drosophila, our finding strongly suggests that glutamine holds immense potential to be developed as an intervention therapy against the incurable human poly(Q) disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major rice mills of Bangladesh are gradually running out from the paddy processing subsector, a serious concern for national food security. This study investigated the paddy drying methods of 22 rice mills to device a sustainable solution for major rice mills. Weather dependency and high sun drying time (48–96 hours) of paddy are responsible for low capacity utilization of major rice mills. Despite of high demand, appropriate dryer size for major rice mills was still unexplored. Present capacity utilization of major rice mills (27.6%) can be optimized to 72.5% with a 12 ton dryer. Analyzing drying mechanism of recirculating dryers, the study also proposed for a single dryer for both parboiled and aromatic paddy rather than following existing practice. This will make mechanical dryer affordable to major rice mill owners and new investors in this subsector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual evidences undeniably appear more convincing since they can be interpreted easily, though may not be always accurate. The electron microscopy techniques not only allow examining the ultra-structure of various cell/tissue types but also help in proposing the in-depth mechanisms of biological processes. Similarly, comprehensive analysis of the neuronal and synaptic communications, and overall integrity of the brain not only helps us to understand its intricate functioning, but also aids in deciphering the complex human brain disorders. The Drosophila brain and the pair of compound eyes have emerged as favoured organs to investigate the fundamentals of nervous system development and disease biology. Various types of electron microscopy techniques have assisted the Drosophila neurobiologists to generate significant insights about the development, structure and function of different neuronal cell types and their contribution in the aetiology of neurodegenerative disorders. The present review provides a snapshot of the applications of various electron microscopy methods in Drosophila neurobiology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocompatibility and transient nature of electronic devices have been the matter of attention in recent times due to their immense potential for sustainable solutions toward hazardous e-wastes. In order to fulfill the requirement of high-density data-storage devices due to explosive growth in digital data, a resistive switching (RS)-based memory device could be the promising alternative to the present Si-based electronics. In this research work, we employed a biocompatible enzymatic protein lysozyme (Lyso) as the active layer to design a RS memory device having a device structure Au/Lyso/ITO. Interestingly the device showed transient, WORM memory behavior. It has been observed that the WORM memory performance of the device was very good with high memory window (2.78 × 10 2 ), data retention (up to 300 min), device yield (∼73.8%), read cyclability, as well as very high device stability (experimentally >700 days, extrapolated to 3000 days). Bias-induced charge trapping followed by conducting filament formation was the key behind such switching behavior. Transient behavior analysis showed that electronic as well as optical behaviors completely disappeared after 10 s dissolution of the device in luke warm water. Cytotoxicity of the as-prepared device was tested by challenging two environmentally derived bacteria, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa , and was found to have no biocidal effects. Hence, the device would cause no harm to the microbial flora when it is discarded. As a whole, this work suggests that Lyso-based WORM memory device could play a key role for the design of transient WORM memory device for sustainable electronic applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)