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In present work, we have synthesized a novel quaternary Se 76 Te 20 Sn 2 Cd 2 glass in bulk form. Four laser light sources from UV–Vis-IR region have been used to investigate the laser-induced effects on the dielectric properties to check the candidature of this material for possible application in optoelectronics. The temperature and frequency dependence of dielectric constant ( ε ′) and dielectric loss ( ε ″) of unexposed and laser-exposed exposed samples are studied over audible frequency range (1–10 kHz). The comprehensive investigation proves the applicability of the Guintini's theory of dielectric dispersion for the present dielectric loss data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunctions with superior redox capability have recently emerged as one of the most promising materials for cleaning up of contaminated environments. Herein, we synthesized g-C 3 N 4 /NiFe 2 O 4 (NFC) heterojunction photocatalyst via a hydrothermal route for the degradation of Cephalexin (CPX). The integration of g-C 3 N 4 and NiFe 2 O 4 into heterojunction with an effective S-scheme transfer which prevents the recombination of essential photoexcited electron-hole pairs leads to excellent 99.3% of photocatalytic degradation of CPX within 60 min under visible light. The scavenging experiments suggested •OH and •O 2 - radicals generated on high potential bands of S-Scheme g-C 3 N 4 /NiFe 2 O 4 as active species responsible for high performance CPX removal. The degradation intermediates were examined by Liquid Chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and a probable pathway of CPX degradation was proposed accordingly. The inherent work function between g-C 3 N 4 and NiFe 2 O 4 leads to bending of conduction and valence bands which subsequently forms an built-in electric field across the interface facilitating the superior separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. The five subsequent recycling tests demonstrated the catalyst's strong photocatalytic stability and the easy recovery process because of its magnetic characteristic. This research may bring fresh insights for constructing magnetic photocatalysts based on g-C 3 N 4 , which are both highly effective and stable. Additionally, it also paves a path for the designing of S-scheme heterojunctions with great performance for environmental remediation applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study highlights the forest fire hotspots based on daily forest fire occurrence during 2000–2020 and its subsequent long-term impacts on different vegetation types in Central India. The MODIS (MCD14DL) based study exhibited the recurrence of fire incidences in central and southern parts of forests and affected substantial parts of the deciduous broadleaf forest (31.56% of select forest type) and deciduous needleleaf forest (30.23%), shrubland (7.52%), mixed forest (9.80%), with the major forest fire peaks during March and April, while negligible fire incidences were observed in plantation and grassland. 72% of field transects (157 out of the 218 field transects) were observed under high anthropogenic influences as evidenced by a large number of cut stumps. Six species (out of 106 studies tree species) including Tectona grandis L.f. (occurrence in 98% of fire hotspots), Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taubert (66%), were observed to be highly fire-resistant, recorded in >50% of the forest fire hotspots regions. The major forest fires hotspots (p < 0.01) were observed in the Malwa plateau, Vindhyan ranges, and Satpura range during 2000–2020, as observed with high fire intensity. While the forest in the northern parts attributed a cold spot with reference to forest fires (p < 0.01). The study elucidated the high susceptibility of forest fire in deciduous forests in Central India and necessitated proper management of forest fires by encouraging fire-resistant species, and prioritization of regions under fire hazards through the adoption of preparedness and response strategies to minimize the forest fire impacts. • High incidences of forest fire recorded in the recent decades (2010–20: 55.91%) compared to 2000–2010 in Central India. • Eastern, Western, and Central Madhya Pradesh state recorded as high forest fire hotspots. • Fire affected deciduous broadleaf forest (82%), deciduous needleleaf forest (12%), shrubland (3%), & mixed forest (3%). • High forest fire hotspots zones have the least tree density (228 ind. ha-1) and low dominance (8.76 m2 ha-1). • T. grandis is the most fire-resistant tree species recorded in 98% fire hotspots in Central India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ni 5 P 4 /g-C 3 N 4 S-scheme dual-function heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared. • 25NP/CN junction shows 40.1 mmol g-1h-1H 2 evolution and 94.4 % CBZ removal in a coupled process. • Holes and OH radicals for CBZ degradation and electrons for H 2 generation via e-/H 2 O and 2e-/2H+. • Intermolecular H+ transfer via cyclic intermediate between Ni and degradation products. • Junction works in oxic/anoxic mediums- detailed mechanisms analysed. With a goal of waste-to-energy conversion, herein we report synchronous hydrogen evolution and pollutant degradation via photocatalysis utilizing novel Ni 5 P 4 /g-C 3 N 4 S-scheme (Step scheme) heterojunction. The 25 %Ni 5 P 4 /g-C 3 N 4 (25NP/CN) sample generates 40.1 mmol g-1h-1hydrogen evolution and 94.4 % carbamazepine degradation simultaneously under visible light and anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, the hydrogen evolution with carbamazepine, bisphenol A, sulfamethoxazole and rhodamine B is manifolds higher than in water. From The in-situ XPS results confirm the S-scheme transfer between Ni 5 P 4 and g-C 3 N 4. The presence of Ni0@Ni 5 P 4 where strong covalent interactions between Ni0 and Ni-P single layers on Ni 5 -P 4 not only enhanced the visible absorption, charge transfer but also leads to hydrogen formation by H+ transfer via a cyclic intermediate in a co-ordinate complex of degradation intermediates with Ni. This route is in addition to obvious e-/H+. The CBZ degradation and hydrogen evolution in aerobic/oxic conditions was also studied and 25NP/CN performs well under this atmosphere, inferring that oxidised intermediates act as electron donors and maintains the H 2 evolution in longer run too. The photogenerated holes directly oxidized the pollutant in addition to OH radicals in anoxic medium and separated/accumulated electrons leads to hydrogen evolution. The scavenging experiments reveal that photogenerated holes directly oxidized the pollutant in addition to OH radicals in anoxic medium and separated/accumulated high potential electrons (via S-scheme transfer) leads to hydrogen evolution. The clean energy production and pollutant mineralization are synchronously achieved. Henceforth, a waste-to-energy route is proposed by coupling photocatalytic hydrogen evolution to environmental restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fungal oxidoreductases and CAZymes were produced in a bioreactor. • Laccase isozymes removed lignin up to 33.9 % from switchgrass. • Microscopic and spectroscopic analysis clearly indicated lignin degradation. • Laccase treatment improved 22.47 fold sugar hydrolysis over untreated biomass. • Fermentation studies showed high ethanol yield (78.32 % of theoretical yield). Ganoderma lucidum , a basidiomycetous fungus, has enormous potential in the co-production of diverse extracellular oxidoreductases and CAZymes. In the present study, G. lucidum MDU-7 produced 510 U/ml of laccases, xylanase (3.0 IU/ml) and cellulase (3.1 FPU/ml) in a lab-scale bioreactor. Laccase pretreatment of switchgrass in a laboratory-designed bioreactor resulted in better phenol degradation (64.27 %), lignin removal (33.9 %), and increase in cellulose crystallinity (12.66 %). The pretreatment efficacy was validated using various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques (SEM, FTIR, and XRD). The hydrolysis of laccase pretreated biomass using diverse cellulases from Aspergillus oryzae MDU-4, Aspergillus flavus MDU-5, Trichoderma citrinoviride MDU-1, and Trichoderma longibrachiatum MDU-6 resulted in 162.7 mg/g, 120.4 mg/g, 157.3 mg/g, and 176.25 mg/g release of sugars, respectively. The enzymatic hydrolysates containing 3.37–5.11 g/L sugars were fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCIM-3640 strain which resulted into 1.32–1.96 g/L ethanol, with high production yield (31.42–39.16 %). Our findings suggest that laccase pretreatment technology may provide a promising and environmentally benign alternative for the sustainable development of lignocellulosic biorefinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Thirty-two benzylidene derivatives of Glycyrrhetinic acid were synthesized as photoprotective agents against UV-B -induced skin photoageing. • In vitro biological evaluation on Human Dermal Fibroblast (HDF) cell lines. • Compounds A01, A05, A15, A22, A23, A25, A26, A28, A29, A32, A33, and A34 significantly enhanced cell viability of HDFs. • Compound A33 at 10 μM and 25 μM showed a significant photo-protective effect against UV-B (10 mJ/cm2) –induced damage in HDFs. • A33 at 25 μ M significantly restored the UV-B -induced damage via its potent anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic effects and ability to prevent collagen degradation. These findings pave the way for further development of A33 as a photo-protective skin agent. • Molecular Modelling against MMP1 protein. Excessive exposure to sun can harm the skin, causing sunburn, photo-aging, and even skin cancer. Different benzylidene derivatives (A02-A18 and A19-A34) of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (A01) were designed and synthesized in an effort to discover photo-protective compounds against UV-B -induced skin aging. The synthesized derivatives were subjected to cellular viability test using MTT assay in primary Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDFs). The results indicate A01, A05, A15, A22, A23, A25, A26, A28, A29, A32, A33, and A34 significantly enhanced cell viability of HDFs. Compound A33 at 10 and 25 μM showed a significant photo-protective effect against UV-B (10 mJ/cm2) –induced damage in HDFs. A33 at 25 μ M significantly restored the UV-B -induced damage via its potent anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic effects and ability to prevent collagen degradation. These findings pave the way for further development of A33 as a photo-protective skin agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New chemical scaffolds with novel mechanism of action are urgently needed for the treatment of drug resistant tuberculosis. The oxidative phosphorylation pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis consists of multiple clinically validated drug targets. This pathway can function through any one of the two terminal oxidases-the proton pumping cytochrome bc 1 -aa 3 supercomplex, or the less energy efficient but high affinity cytochrome bd oxidase. Inhibiting the bc 1 complex alone has been found bacteriostatic and not bactericidal. On the other hand, inhibition of both these oxidases turns lethal to the pathogen. In the present study, we used a bc 1 complex mutant of M. tuberculosis to screen (Quinazoline 4-yloxy)acetamide and (4-oxoquinazoline-3(4 H)-yl)acetamide derivatives against the alternate oxidase, i.e., cytochrome bd oxidase. Two molecules, S-021-0601 and S-021-0607 were found to inhibit the mutant with MICs 8 and 16 μM respectively, compared to MICs of 128 and 256 μM against the wild type M. tuberculosis. In the wild type, one of the compounds showed synergism with Q203, an inhibitor of bc 1 complex, in inhibiting growth under aerobic conditions. Both compounds showed synergism with Q203 in depleting bacterial ATP and inhibiting oxygen consumption. Both the compounds at 32 μM (one-fourth or one-eighth of their MICs for wild type) were bactericidal to wild type bacteria under hypoxic condition, causing ∼1.9 log 10 reduction in viable counts which increased to ∼4-log 10 when combined with Q203. [Display omitted] • Quinazolines as cyt bd oxidase inhibitor. • Synergism with Q203. • Bactericidal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The work provides evidence that the Heusler alloy Mn 1.2 Fe 1.18 V 0.62 Al system is half metallic partially compensated ferrimagnet, and it turns into nearly fully compensated magnetic state with lowering of temperature. We report experimental and theoretical studies of magnetization compensation phenomenon in quaternary Heusler alloy Mn 1.2 Fe 1.18 V 0.62 Al by employing dc magnetization, neutron depolarization, neutron diffraction, specific heat, electrical resistivity, and electronic structure calculation. In this ferrimagnetic alloy system with ordering temperature T C = 360 K, the asymmetric thermal variations of the site magnetic moments provide an evidence of the partially compensated magnetic state of the system down to ∼ 48 K. However, below 48 K, the system exhibits its magnetic ground state with the negligibly small ordered moment of 0.05(5) μ B /f.u. at 10 K, as obtained from the neutron diffraction study. Nearly full recovery of neutron beam polarization at 4 K in the neutron depolarization study also infers a nearly fully compensated magnetization state in this Heusler alloy. Temperature dependent specific heat and resistivity measurements also corroborate with the dc magnetization study representing 48 K as a turning point at which the system reaches its ground state. The electronic structure calculations, using the SPR-KKR Green's function approach, verify the half-metallic nature of the present system. The net magnetic moment (0.06 μ B /f.u.) obtained from the theoretical calculations as well as neutron diffraction experiments (0.05 μ B /f.u.) is in good agreement with the Slater-Pauling rule (0.06 μ B /f.u.). This small magnetic moment of the system (Mn 0.82 Fe 1.18)(Mn 0.38 V 0.62)Al proclaims to be a nearly compensated ferrimagnetic system with 23.94 valence electrons. Such magnetically compensated systems with finite spin polarization could be favorable for spintronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve good living standards, it is critical to make high-performance toxic gas sensing devices for public safety, environmental pollutant control, industrial operations, and other applications. For this purpose, we demonstrate CuO anchored SnO 2 nanostructures for H 2 S gas sensors. The selectivity was improved by anchoring with CuO for a total 60 s duration at four equal consecutive cycles to achieve good selectivity towards H 2 S molecules. The pristine CuO shows instability and metallic behaviour when it is exposed to H 2 S for a longer time. Furthermore, the proposed gas sensor shows good selectivity toward H 2 S as compared to other gases H 2 , NO 2 , CO 2 , and NH 3. The sensing response was measured at around 69 % at the optimal operating temperature of 150 °C. It is observed that CuS formation has better selectivity as compared to pristine SnO 2 and a slight improvement in sensitivity is observed. As a result, a promising strategy for designing and producing good-performance H 2 S gas sensors would be to CuO anchor on SnO 2 nanostructures. The proposed sensors may be integrated with IoT platforms and used for the detection of H 2 S in the sewer line and leak detection in the petroleum industry. [Display omitted] • SnO 2 thin film was anchored with CuO at different time duration using RF sputtering for H 2 S gas sensing. • The sensor exhibits higher sensing response of 69 % at 150 ºC for 100 ppm of H 2 S with a LoD of 1 ppm. • Comparative analysis was performed for H 2 S gas detection for both SnO 2 and CuO/SnO 2 based sensors. • Excellent selectivity and slight improved sensitivity was observed with CuO/SnO 2 based gas sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present late-time optical follow-up observations of GRB 171010A/SN 2017htp (z = 0.33) and low-luminosity GRB 171205A/SN 2017iuk (z = 0.037) acquired using the 4K × 4K CCD Imager mounted at the 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope (3.6 m DOT) along with the prompt emission data analysis of these two interesting bursts. The prompt characteristics (other than brightness) such as spectral hardness, T 90 , and minimum variability time-scale are comparable for both the bursts. The isotropic X -ray and kinetic energies of the plateau phase of GRB 171205A are found to be less than the maximum energy budget of magnetars, supporting magnetar as a central engine powering source. The new optical data of SN 2017htp and SN 2017iuk presented here, along with published ones, indicate that SN 2017htp is one of the brightest and SN 21017iuk is among the faintest GRB associated SNe (GRB–SNe). Semi-analytical light-curve modelling of SN 2017htp, SN 2017iuk and only known GRB associated superluminous supernova (SLSN 2011kl) are performed using the MINIM code. The model with a spin-down millisecond magnetar as a central engine powering source nicely reproduced the bolometric light curves of all three GRB–SNe mentioned above. The magnetar central engines for SN 2017htp, SN 2017iuk, and SLSN 2011kl exhibit values of initial spin periods higher and magnetic fields closer to those observed for long GRBs and H-deficient SLSNe. Detection of these rare events at such late epochs also demonstrates the capabilities of the 3.6 m DOT for deep imaging considering longitudinal advantage in the era of time-domain astronomy. • Optical and prompt analysis of GRB 171010A/SN 2017htp and GRB 171205A/SN 2017iuk. • Plateau in X-ray light curve of GRB 171205A supported a magnetar central engine. • Semi-analytical light-curve modelling for GRB-SNe is performed using MINIM code. • MINIM modelling suggested magnetar as a powering source for discussed GRB-SNe. • Demonstrated the capabilities of the 3.6m DOT for deep imaging of such transients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review paper is to provide the compact overview of experimental synthesis route, crystallography of perovskite (ABO 3) hexagonal polytypes and their related physical properties. Structural stacking sequence of the oxygen deficient hexagonal perovskite oxides (ABO 3-δ) is briefly discussed. The fundamental aspects of magnetic and electrical properties involved in hexagonal polytypes are elaborated using reported systems. The magnetic field induced effect such as magnetocaloric effect, magnetoresistance and magneto-dielectric effect in perovskite hexagonal polytypes are also discussed for their possible application in magnetic refrigeration, magnetic sensors and memory devices. • Crystallography of perovskite (ABO 3) hexagonal polytypes. • Magneto-Structural properties of ABO 3 -based hexagonal polytypes. • Electrical and dielectric properties of hexagonal polytypes. • Magnetocaloric effect of hexagonal polytypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a pigment-binder recipe was created by adding micro/nano-sized Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) particles in two distinct concentrations of 10% and 5% to an adhesive binder and water mixture. Spray coating was used to apply the mixture directly to the cotton cloth. The modified cotton demonstrated excellent bacterial reduction against E. coli and S. aureus. The 10% MoS 2 coated fabric reduced E. coli and S. aureus by about 98%, while the 5% MoS 2 coated fabric reduced E. coli and S. aureus by 96 and 98%, respectively, during a 2 h bacterial contact period. The fabric's antibacterial function showed impressive laundry endurance, with bacterial reduction of more than 89% after 20 washing cycles. The fabric's natural properties, such as water vapor permeability, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance remained unaffected due to the loading of MoS 2 on the cotton surface. The photocatalyst MoS 2 coated cotton could be used as a viable treatment against bacterial infections and holds great promise for usage in medical textiles and everyday clothing. [Display omitted] • MoS2 particles were coated on cotton fabric by spray coating. • Coated cotton exhibited excellent bacterial reduction against E. coli and S. aureus. • MoS2 loading did not affect the inherent qualities of the cotton. • The usage of the product in technical textile is quite promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower, which contributes to around 16% of global electricity and more than 72% of renewable electricity, is expected to play an important role in the deep decarbonization of the energy sector. However, the idea that hydropower is a carbon-neutral energy alternative on par with solar and wind is controversial. Research, mainly from limnology and climate modeling, shows that depending on the characteristics of the hydro project, it could be a significant source of GHG emissions. This aspect has been ignored in most life cycle assessment (LCA) studies, affecting the effective use of LCA results, especially in comparative assessments. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and critical review on this topic by conducting a systematic literature review on hydropower LCA studies published since 2010. We found that there is inconsistency in how LCA is used for hydropower projects. While the emissions associated with the engineering work are well addressed, efforts to accurately estimate and model reservoir GHG emissions are constrained by limited data availability, difficulties in accurately quantifying highly variable carbon fluxes, and inconsistent modeling approaches. A huge range of emissions values is reported in the reviewed literature, from 1.5 to 3747.8 g CO 2 eq per kWh. Reservoir-based hydropower shows high variability, which is mainly dictated by reservoir-related GHG emissions. Reservoir GHG emissions could be more than 90% of the life cycle emissions, especially for hydropower in a tropical region. The regionalized aspect is a key factor to be considered in extrapolating reservoir GHG emissions. • There is inconsistency in how LCA is used for hydropower projects. • A wide range of emission intensities has been reported (1.5–3747.8 g CO 2 eq/kWh). • The high variability in the emissions is due to major differences in key reservoir characteristics. • Data limitations are the main cause for over- or underestimation of hydropower emissions. • Harmonization of data is vital to effectively conduct LCA and to generate useful results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A group of bacteria (UB1) with the function of inducing carbonate precipitation was domesticated from soil. • UB1 perform well (Cd2+ removal rate > 90%) at low concentration and vice-versa. • MICP treated sewage has a strong inhibitory effect on plant growth. • Using phosphoric acid (to adjust the pH of the MICP treated sewage to neutral), can enhance soil fertility and improve plant growth. In recent decades, microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology has been widely used to treat heavy metal contamination in wastewater. However, the ammonia nitrogen produced by the MICP process and the high pH value of the treated wastewater is the critical drawbacks and challenges in the scientific domains. In this study, MICP was used to treat wastewater containing Cd2+. Thereafter, the treated wastewater is adjusted with phosphoric acid to make the suspension neutral and used for agricultural irrigation to improve soil fertility and promote plant growth by utilizing the ammonia nitrogen as a by-product. Results revealed that Urease - producing flora UB1 screened from soil have rich urea hydrolysis genes (UreA, UreB, UreC, and UreG) and effectively remove more than 90% of Cd2+ whose initial concentration is less than 0.5 mmol/L but its activity was inhibited at higher concentration (Cd2+ >0.5 mmol/L). Besides, cadmium carbonate (CdCO 3) formed during the process of Cd2+ removal was confirmed by instrumental analysis (TEM and XRD simultaneously). The simulated irrigation experiment showed that MICP-treated sewage regulated by phosphoric acid can solve the purposes of efficient utilization of sewage water for irrigation and is firmly capable to improve soil fertility and enhance plant growth. This study provides new insights for solving the problems of ammonia nitrogen and high pH in MICP-treated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium fluoride (CaF 2) nanoparticles were combined with a stock paste consisting of crosslinkable acrylate copolymer. Screen printing technique was used for coating the prepared mixture on cotton fabric. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) were used to characterise the coated cotton fabric. Excellent antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus were observed in the coated cotton. Furthermore, the fabric demonstrated remarkable laundering durability of antibacterial property with a bacterial reduction of over 93% after 15 consecutive washing cycles. The embedding of CaF 2 nanoparticles on cotton surface did not affect the intrinsic qualities of fabric, such as water vapour permeability, tensile strength and abrasion resistance. The finished product has a lot of potential and might be used in medical textiles and everyday clothing as an alternative to antibiotic materials. • CaF 2 nanoparticles were coated on cotton fabric by utilizing screen printing technique. • Coated cotton (Cot-CaF 2) exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus. • CaF 2 embedding did not affect the intrinsic qualities of fabric. • The product has a lot of potential for use in medical textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domain Adaptation (DA) has been a well-known transfer learning algorithm used in Neural Machine Translation (NMT) task. Adding domain-related corpora in training data to train the model boosts the performance of NMT. Many low resource language pairs such as Hindi–Nepali and Spanish–Portuguese, for which sufficient parallel data are not available to train the model, face in-domain data scarcity issue. Non-availability of in-domain training data leads to the use of unrelated corpus in training the model, which degrades the NMT performance. This domain mismatch between training and test data results in a domain shift problem. To tackle the challenge of the domain shift problem in NMT, we propose REINFORCE-based Sentence Selection and Weighting (RSSW) method, which selects pseudo in-domain sentences from out-of-domain data and learns their weights based on Reinforcement Learning. The proposed method leverages the similarity between language pairs by encoding the source and target languages into a common encoding script for language model training. RSSW uses minimum risk training and maximum likelihood estimation as an objective function to train NMT on selected pseudo in-domain sentences. Furthermore, we employ multi-domain and fine-tuning approaches to compare proposed method on Hindi ↔ Nepali and Hindi ↔ Marathi language pairs through extensive experimental analysis. From the experimental results, we find that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art and baseline approaches by ∼ 2 BLEU points in all translation directions of language pairs. • REINFORCE-based sentence selection and weighting method for domain adaptation. • Handling domain shift problem in neural machine translation. • Different languages encoded into a common script for language model training. • Maximum likelihood estimation and minimum risk training function are used. • Proposed method outperforms the existing state-of-the-art approach by ∼ 2 BLEU points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cr–Mo steel containing 9% Cr is generally preferred in producing high-temperature operating components (lower than 620 °C) like steam pipes and headers due to their outstanding combination of elevated temperature mechanical properties and creep strength. The components with an operating temperature of more than 620 °C (superheater and reheaters tubes) are mainly produced using stainless steel or Ni-based superalloy. Hence due to economic aspects of boilers, joining of P92 steel with Ni-based superalloy is inevitable in advanced ultra-supercritical (AUSC) plants. Thus the development of joining technology without diminishing the high-temperature mechanical properties of the weldments becomes essential. The present work introduces the microstructure evolution in gas tungsten arc welded (GTAW) dissimilar joint of P92 steel and Inconel 617 alloy produced by using the P92 filler. The microstructure study along weldments was examined using an optical microscope (OM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The mechanical properties of welded joint and joint integrity were determined by using the microhardness measurement, cross-weld tensile tests, and impact toughness test. The effect of the post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) on mechanical properties and microstructure evolution was also performed. The residual stresses were also examined using the blind hole drilling methods, and the effect of PWHT on the nature and magnitude of the residual stresses were also conducted. The microstructure observation showed the martensitic lath structure in the weld metal, which resulted in poor impact toughness (36 ± 5 J) and high hardness (458 ± 25 HV) of weld metal in the as-welded condition. A considerable increase in impact toughness (90 ± 4 J) and a decrease in hardness (371 ± 11 HV) of weld metal were observed after the PWHT. A wide region of the unmixed zone at the interface of weld metal and Inconel 617 was formed due to the difference in chemical composition and structure. The unmixed zone formation led to the poor tensile properties of the welded joint, and failure was observed both in P92 BM and at the interface of weld metal and Inconel 617 interface. The tensile tested sample failed from the interface region and showed the presence of Ti(C, N) particles, while secondary phase M 23 C 6 particles were obtained from the tensile sample fractured from P92 BM. The impact test results also showed the variation in impact toughness along the weldments. The P92 BM was found the strongest zone, while weld metal was noticed as the weakest zone in terms of impact toughness. The variation in residual stresses was also measured along with the thickness of the plate, and the peak magnitude of the residual stresses was measured in the capping pass, which was compressive in nature. • Study the microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar welded joints of P92 steel and Inconel 617 alloy. • Study the effect of PWHT on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties. • Through thickness residual stress study in weld metal using the deep hole drilling method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediments released from high altitude glaciers exhibit varying evacuation patterns and transport characteristics owing to the presence of thick debris cover over the glacier. Despite the recent needs for integrated hydrometeorological studies in the Himalaya, little is known about the impacts of suspended sediment on hydropower generation, reservoir sedimentation, and abrasion of turbine components. Present study involves analysis of particle size distribution of suspended sediments to understand sediment evacuation patterns and transport characteristics in variable energy conditions during the ablation season. Peak suspended sediments were evacuated during extreme rainfall events. The estimated seasonal modern sediment erosion rate varies from 0.6 to 2.3 mm y − 1 for the study period (2009–2012). The analysis shows dominance of medium silt-sized to fine sand-sized particles having sediment size of 0.0156–0.25 mm corresponding to 70–80% without any significant seasonal variation. These transported sediments show that they are poorly sorted, coarser in nature with a nearly symmetrical to coarse skewed texture and kurtosis analysis suggesting mesokurtic distribution of sediments. The particle size fraction ranges between 4.65 and 5.23 ϕ , which is dominantly medium to coarse silty in texture. Results indicate that suspended sediments are evacuated in highly variable energy conditions through subglacial transport pathways because of increase in availability of meltwater with the progressive ablation season. Bulk geochemical characterization has been carried out to differentiate the source of suspended sediments and intensity of weathering. Chemical Index of Alterations (CIA) values of sediment flux range from 54.68 to 55.18 compared to the Upper Continental Crust (UCC) ~ 50, indicating moderate intensity of weathering. Mean seasonal (2009–2012) elemental fluxes and their contribution to the suspended sediment flux reflect that Si and Al are responsible for about 85% of the total detrital elemental flux. Trace elements show high concentrations of radioactive elements like U, Th, Pb, and Rb that suggest their high anomalous presence in the catchment lithology. An overall study indicates that the hydroclimatic conditions over the debris-covered glacier play a dominant controlling factor in erosion, transportation, and evacuation of suspended sediments during the ablation season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AB 5 type toxin produced by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium is the causative agent of the cholera disease. The cholera toxin (CT) has been shown to bind specifically to GM1 glycolipids on the membrane surface. This binding of CT to the membrane is the initial step in its endocytosis and has been postulated to cause significant disruption to the membrane structure. In this work, we have carried out a combination of coarse-grain and atomistic simulations to study the binding of CT to a membrane modelled as an asymmetrical GM1-DPPC bilayer. Simulation results indicate that the toxin binds to the membrane through only three of its five B subunits, in effect resulting in a tilted bound configuration. Additionally, the binding of the CT can increase the area per lipid of GM1 leaflet, which in turn can cause the membrane regions interacting with the bound subunits to experience significant bilayer thinning and lipid tail disorder across both the leaflets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is a key input to industrial processes. In western Canada, there is a significant demand for hydrogen for industrial purposes, both to upgrade bitumen and as a chemical agent. The key driver for this research is the need to assess options for the energy industry to lower its carbon footprint by using hydrogen produced from renewable sources. The environmental impacts associated with hydrogen production through water electrolysis using the electricity generated from a wind power plant are evaluated in this paper. A life cycle assessment was done to determine the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit mass of produced hydrogen by considering the emissions starting from the extraction of wind energy to the production of hydrogen. An uncertainty analysis was conducted to assess the effects of variations of different input parameters on the GHG footprint of hydrogen produced from wind. The total GHG emissions of a wind-based hydrogen production plant are estimated to be 0.68 ± 0.05 kg CO 2 eq./kg H 2 , 65% of which are from the construction of the wind power system. The results are compared with those of conventional fossil fuel-based systems. The overall GHG emissions from wind-based hydrogen production are about 94% lower than those associated with hydrogen production through steam methane reforming (SMR). Natural gas-based hydrogen production emissions are mainly found in the plant operation stage. For wind-to-hydrogen systems, the manufacturing and installation of the systems have significant environmental impacts. However, the hydrogen produced from wind energy can significantly reduce the GHG footprint of the energy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production via steam methane reforming (SMR) dominates the supply to refining complexes worldwide, resulting in significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is a considerable demand for clean hydrogen pathways that are economically competitive with SMR. The development of a 563 MW integrated wind-hydrogen model with energy storage is proposed. The model utilizes real-time wind energy data to ascertain the optimal size of the electrolyser, the number of electrolyser units and the battery (energy storage) capacity that will yield a minimum hydrogen production cost, whilst functioning in a liberalized electricity market with dynamic prices. The optimal plant configuration consists of 81 units of a 3496 kW (760 Nm 3 /hr) electrolyser and 360 MWh (60 units) of battery capacity. For the minimum hydrogen production cost determined ($9.00//kg H 2 ), the wind farm accounts for 63% of this cost. Hence, if existing wind farm assets are used, such that the investment cost of building the wind-hydrogen plant does not include the wind farm costs, the hydrogen production cost is reduced to $3.37/kg H 2 . For a particular electrolyser-battery configuration, it was observed that the minimum hydrogen production cost occurs when their respective capacity factors are approximately equivalent. The benefits of energy storage are limited by the decrease in overall plant efficiency, which results from the use of the battery. For the techno-economic conditions considered in this paper, hydrogen production costs from wind powered electrolysis ($3.37 to $9.00/kg H 2 ) are uncompetitive with SMR/SMR-CCS ($1.87 to $2.60/kg H 2 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the scarcity of fossil fuels and to population increases, there is an urgent need for renewable energy sources that can replace petroleum-derived fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass, a renewable resource, can be converted to bio-oil by fast pyrolysis and further upgraded to renewable diesel through hydroprocessing. The upgrading of oil by fast pyrolysis is the main focus of this paper. Bio-oil has a higher energy density and heating value than biomass, but it cannot be used in place of petro-diesel as it is highly unstable, polar, and immiscible with hydrocarbons. Thus upgrading is necessary as it removes oxygen-containing compounds from bio-oil. Hydroprocessing was chosen for this review paper as the method of upgrading bio-oil because there are hydrotreating units in place in refineries. To upgrade bio-oil, hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) in the presence of both a catalyst and hydrogen can replace hydrodesulfurization (the removal of sulfur compounds from crude oil). A sulfided NiMo/CoMo catalyst supported on gamma alumina is used as a benchmark catalyst for a hydrodesulfurization reaction in refineries and is considered the reference catalyst for HDO in the production of renewable diesel. The properties of renewable diesel made through hydroprocessing are similar to those of petro-diesel. Catalyst deactivation and techno-economic assessments of the whole pathway are areas that need more attention before renewable diesel can be commercialized. This review paper concentrates on the reaction mechanism in bio-oil upgrading, process parameters, and the limitations of hydroprocessing technology. This paper will be helpful for further modeling of techno-economic analysis in renewable diesel production from lignocellulosic biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetic proximity effect has been observed in core–shell structure of molecular magnet, Mn 1.5 [Cr(CN) 6 ]· m H 2 O@Ni 1.5 [Cr(CN) 6 ]· n H 2 O, synthesized using a ferrimagnetic core of Mn 1.5 [Cr(CN) 6 ]·7.5H 2 O surrounded by a ferromagnetic shell of Ni 1.5 [Cr(CN) 6 ]·7.5H 2 O. The values of Curie temperature ( T C ) are found to be of ∼65 and ∼60 K for the bare–core and bare–shell compounds, respectively. However, an enhanced T C (∼70 K) has been observed for the core–shell structure. The proximity effect (due to presence of interface exchange coupling) between core and shell is responsible for the observed enhancement of T C . A neutron depolarization study also confirms finite depolarization below ∼70 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing use of lanthanides/actinides in nuclear and civil applications, understanding the impact of these metal ions on human health and environment is a growing concern. Hemoglobin (Hb), which occurs in all the kingdom of living organism, is the most abundant protein in human blood. In present study, effect of lanthanides and actinides [thorium: Th(IV), uranium: U(VI), lanthanum: La(III), cerium: Ce(III) and (IV)] on the structure and function of Hb has been investigated. Results showed that these metal ions, except Ce(IV) interacted with carbonyl and amide groups of Hb, which resulted in the loss of its alpha-helix conformation. However, beyond 75 μM, these ions affected heme moiety. Metal–heme interaction was found to affect oxygen-binding of Hb, which seems to be governed by their closeness with the charge-to-ionic-radius ratio of iron(III). Consistently, Ce(IV) being closest to iron(III), exhibited a greater effect on heme. Binding constant and binding stoichiometry of Th(IV) were higher than that of U(VI). Experiments using aquatic midge Chironomus (possessing human homologous Hb) and human blood, further validated metal–Hb interaction and associated toxicity. Thus, present study provides a biochemical basis to understand the actinide/lanthanide-induced interference in heme, which may have significant implications for the medical and environmental management of lanthanides/actinides toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural and magnetic properties of thermal plasma synthesized Fe 1− x Ni x ( x = 0.25, 0.33, 0.50, 0.67 and 0.75) alloy nanoparticles have been investigated using x-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dc magnetization, and Mössbauer spectroscopy techniques. High temperature gas phase nucleation and growth environment inside thermal plasma reactor facilitate stabilization of the disordered γ-FeNi ( fcc ) phase throughout (except for x = 0.25) the composition range under investigation. For x = 0.25 composition, a small (∼8%) amount of the disordered bcc phase along with prominent fcc (∼92%) phase is present, as inferred from the neutron diffraction data analysis. The spherical shaped nanoparticles possess high crystallinity. The average crystallite size (in 30–40 nm range) as well as particle size distribution show insignificant change as a function of composition. The observed value of the saturation magnetic moment for these nanoparticles are very close to that for their bulk counterparts, indicate highly crystalline nature of the thermal plasma synthesized nanoparticles. Room temperature Mössbauer spectroscopic data reveals that the alloy nanoparticles contain two different sites for Fe corresponding to high moment/low moment states. The neutron diffraction data indicates ferromagnetic ordering for all the compositions of the series. The average magnetic moments/f.u., derived from neutron diffraction and dc magnetization, are found to match with each other as well as with the values reported in the literature for bulk Fe 1− x Ni x alloys. The highest ordered magnetic moment was found to be 1.4 μ B per f.u. for Fe 0.50 Ni 0.50 composition. Overall, thermal plasma based synthesis is found to be an excellent route to produce high-quality nanoparticles of the binary metallic alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human serum albumin (HSA), the most abundant soluble protein in blood plays critical roles in transportation of biomolecules and maintenance of osmotic pressure. In view of increasing applications of lanthanides- and actinides-based materials in nuclear energy, space, industries and medical applications, the risk of exposure with these metal ions is a growing concern for human health. In present study, binding interaction of actinides/lanthanides [thorium: Th(IV), uranium: U(VI), lanthanum: La(III), cerium: Ce(III) and (IV)] with HSA and its structural consequences have been investigated. Ultraviolet–visible, Fourier transform-infrared, Raman, Fluorescence and Circular dichroism spectroscopic techniques were applied to study the site of metal ions interaction, binding affinity determination and the effect of metal ions on protein unfolding and HSA conformation. Results showed that these metal ions interacted with carbonyl ( C O . . : ) / amide ( N . . –H ) groups and induced exposure of aromatic residues of HSA. The fluorescence analysis indicated that the actinide binding altered the microenvironment around Trp214 in the subdomain IIA. Binding affinity of U(VI) to HSA was slightly higher than that of Th(IV). Actinides and Ce(IV) altered the secondary conformation of HSA with a significant decrease of α-helix and an increase of β-sheet, turn and random coil structures, indicating a partial unfolding of HSA. A correlation was observed between metal ion's ability to alter HSA conformation and protein unfolding. Both cationic effects and coordination ability of metal ions seemed to determine the consequences of their interaction with HSA. Present study improves our understanding about the protein interaction of these heavy ions and their impact on its secondary structure. In addition, binding characteristics may have important implications for the development of rational antidote for the medical management of health effects of actinides and lanthanides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been known to produce an antibacterial effect on various pathogenic bacteria. To extend this application to foods, blue 460-nm LEDs were evaluated for their antibacterial effect on Salmonella in orange juice. A cocktail of Salmonella enterica serovars Gaminara, Montevideo, Newport, Typhimurium, and Saintpaul was inoculated into pasteurized orange juice and illuminated with 460-nm LEDs at irradiances of 92, 147.7, and 254.7 mW/cm² and temperatures of 4, 12, and 20°C. Subsequently, linear, Weibull, and Gompertz models were fitted to the resultant survival curves. The color of the orange juice during illumination was also monitored. It was observed that irradiance and temperature both influenced the inactivation of Salmonella, which ranged from 2 to 5 log CFU/ml. The inactivation kinetics was best described by the Weibull model. An irradiance of 92 mW/cm² and temperatures of 12 and 20°C were the most bactericidal combinations, with D-values of 1,580 and 2,013 J/cm², respectively. Significant color changes were also observed after illumination; these changes could be minimized by choosing appropriate irradiance and temperature. These results demonstrate the potential of 460-nm LEDs for the preservation of fruit juices in the retail markets and their utility in minimizing the risk of salmonellosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental investigation of diffusion flames spreading along thin solid fuels in concurrent and opposed configurations in a gravity induced flow is presented in this study. Flame spreading over one side as well as on both sides of the fuel is studied. MATLAB is used to post process high definition flame videos to obtain flame spread rate as a function of inclination angle of the fuel surface, number of fuel sheets and separation distance. For one side burning, present results are compared with those from literature. For double side burning, the inclination angle is varied from 90° (upward spread) to −90° (downward spread), measured with respect to the horizontal (0°). The spread rates in double side burning are higher and the maximum spread rate is observed for 90° case, as opposed to 120° in single side burning. The upward flame spread displays a non-uniform temporal variation, especially when the orientation angle is greater than 20°. Fuel cracking was noted to be most severe at 90°. However, the downward flame spread rate is almost steady. The multiple fuel sheets (2 and 3 sheets) are kept parallel to each other with the separation distance between them varied from 0.5 to 3 cm. In upward flame spread, for a small separation distance of 0.5 cm, multiple sheets produce spread rates lower than the single fuel case due to insufficient oxygen supply. At 1.5 cm separation, maximum flame spread rate is observed for multiple sheet cases, due to increased availability of oxygen and enhanced heat transfer from neighboring flames. At 3 cm, the spread rate is almost the same in all cases indicating that the interference effects have become weaker. The variation of flame-spread rate in multiple fuel sheets with respect to inclination angle is almost similar to that of single sheet cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background aims. Cell replacement therapy is considered a promising alternative in the treatment of degenerative diseases, and in this context, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been proposed for transplantation in Parkinson disease (PD). Thus far, the results of animal studies are found to be inconsistent and inconclusive regarding the therapeutic ability of the cells. This study investigated the efficacy of fetal liver (FL)-MSC-derived dopaminergic (DA) neuronal primed cells for correction of parkinsonian symptoms in mice. Methods. FL-MSCs were differentiated for 21 days in the presence of a combination of neurotropic factors. The extent of cellular reprogramming was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for DA-specific neuronal gene expressions and protein expressions by immuno-cytochemistry. The functionality of the cells was determined by electrophysiology and dopamine release assays. Ten-day-primed neuron-like cells or unprimed MSCs were transplanted into the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned striatum using a stereotaxic device. Dopamine-secreting properties and behavioral studies were used to assess improvement of parkinsonian symptoms. Results. The differentiated cells expressed DA-specific genes and proteins, while exhibiting a high level of voltage-gated potassium current. Furthermore, neuronal primed cells differentiated into tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive and dopamine-secreting functional neuronlike cells. Symptomatic correction of PD in the recipient mice within 2 months of transplantation was also observed. Discussion. FL-MSC-derived primed neuron-like cells integrated into the striatum of PD mice, improving parkinsonian symptoms. This study demonstrates an effective cell-based therapy for PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the prevalence and determinants of prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, and diabetes among Mexican adults from a subsample of the Mexican Health and Aging Study.Methods: We examined 2012 participants from a subsample of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. Measures included sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, central obesity, medical conditions, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, and vitamin D. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, and self-reported diabetes.Results: Prevalence of prediabetes, undiagnosed, and self-reported diabetes in this cohort was 44.2%, 18.0%, and 21.4%, respectively. Participants with high waist-hip ratio (1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-2.45) and high cholesterol (1.85, 95% CI = 1.36-2.51) had higher odds of prediabetes. Overweight (1.68, 95% CI = 1.07-2.64), obesity (2.38, 95% CI = 1.41-4.02), and high waist circumference (1.60, 95% CI = 1.06-2.40) were significantly associated with higher odds of having undiagnosed diabetes. Those residing in a Mexican state with high U.S. migration had lower odds of prediabetes (0.61, 95% CI = 0.45-0.82) and undiagnosed diabetes (0.53, 95% CI = 0.41-0.70). Those engaged in regular physical activity had lower odds of undiagnosed diabetes (0.74, 95% CI = 0.57-0.97).Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes among Mexican adults in this subsample. Findings suggest the need for resources to prevent, identify, and treat persons with prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key objective of this paper is to develop a benchmark for water demand coefficients of the complete life cycle of natural gas-fired power generation. Water demand coefficients include water consumption and water withdrawals for various stages of natural gas production as well as for power generation from it. Pathways were structured based on the unit operations of the types of natural gas sources, power generation technologies, and cooling systems. Eighteen generic pathways were developed to comparatively study the impacts of different unit operations on water demand. The lowest life cycle water consumption coefficient of 0.12 L/kW h is for the pathway of conventional gas with combined cycle technology, and dry cooling. The highest life cycle consumption coefficient of 2.57 L/kW h is for a pathway of shale gas utilization through steam cycle technology and cooling tower systems. The water consumption coefficient for the complete life cycle of cogeneration technology is in the range 0.07–0.39 L/kW h and for withdrawals ranged 0.10–14.73 L/kW h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffalopox virus, a zoonotic Indian vaccinia-like virus, is responsible for contagious disease affecting mainly buffaloes, cattle and humans. H3L gene, encoding for an immunodominant major envelope protein of intracellular mature virion of orthopoxviruses, is highly conserved and found to elicit neutralizing antibodies. Therefore in the present study, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the recombinant H3L protein of buffalopox virus in laboratory animal models has been evaluated. A partial H3L gene encoding for the C-terminal truncated ectodomain of H3L protein ( 1 M to I 280 ) of BPXV-Vij/96 strain was cloned, over-expressed and purified as histidine-tagged fusion protein (50 kDa) from Escherichia coli using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The purified rH3L protein was further used for active immunization of guinea pig (250 μg/dose) and adult mice (10 μg and 50 μg/dose) with or without adjuvants (alum, Freund's Complete Adjuvant and CpG). Subsequently, a gradual increase in antigen specific serum IgG as well as neutralizing antibody titres measured by using indirect-ELISA and serum neutralization test respectively, was noted in both guinea pigs and mouse models. Suckling mice immunized passively with anti-H3L serum showed 80% pre-exposure prophylaxis upon challenge with virulent buffalopox virus strain. An indirect-ELISA based on rH3L protein showed no cross-reactivity with hyperimmune sera against sheeppox virus (SPPV), goatpox virus (GTPV), orf virus (ORFV), foot- and- mouth disease virus (FMDV), peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) and bluetongue virus (BTV) during the course of study. The study highlights the potential utility of rH3L protein as a safer prophylactic and diagnostic reagent for buffalopox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a novel route for the synthesis of high-performance bio-polyimides (PIs) microbially-derived from photo-responsive aromatic diamine 4,4′-diaminostilbene (DAS) and its reduced counterpart 4, 4′-(ethane-1,2-diyl)dianiline (EDDA). DAS and EDDA were condensed with various commercially-available dianhydrides to obtain a series of poly(amic acid)s (PAAs) and PIs which were characterized in terms of their thermal, mechanical, and photo-functions. These bio-based PAAs showed a very high viscosity of 6.62 dL/g, and the PIs showed ultrahigh thermal resistance with T d10 values over 600 °C, which were higher than that of any bio-based plastic reported thus far. They also showed T g values above 250 °C, and tensile strength of over 132 MPa, which is higher than that of Kapton™. The PIs also showed photo-functional behavior based on stilbene-based photoreactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method has been proposed for the detection of ischemia using an isoelectric energy function (IEEF) resulting from ST segment deviations in ECG signals. The method consists of five stages: pre-processing, delineation, measurement of isoelectric energy, a beat characterization algorithm and detection of ischemia. The isoelectric energy threshold is used to differentiate ischemic beats from normal beats for ischemic episode detection. Then, ischemic episodes are classified as transmural or subendocardial. The method is validated for recordings of the annotated European ST-T database (EDB). The results show 98.12% average sensitivity (SE) and 98.16% average specificity (SP). These results are significantly better than those of existing methods cited in the literature. The advantage of the proposed method includes simplicity, ruggedness and automatic discarding of noisy beats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis, characterization, DNA and protein binding as well as anticancer activity of the organometallic complexes [(η 6 -C 6 H 6 )RuCl(APBI)]Cl ( 1 ), [(η 6 - p -MeC 6 H 4 Pr i )RuCl(APBI)]Cl ( 2 ), [(η 6 -C 6 Me 6 )RuCl(APBI)]Cl ( 3 ), [(η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )RhCl(APBI)]Cl·H 2 O ( 4 ) and [(η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )IrCl(APBI)]Cl·H 2 O ( 5 ) containing 2-aminophenyl benzimidazole (APBI) have been described. The complexes 1 – 5 exhibited strong DNA, protein binding and anticancer activity against cervical cancer (SiHa) cell line. Their binding with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been examined by absorption and emission spectral studies. Strong interactions between complexes and CT-DNA have been affirmed by absorption spectral and EthBr displacement studies, while interaction with BSA via static quenching explored by fluorescence titration, synchronous and 3D fluorescence spectroscopy. The interactions between 1 – 5 and DNA has also been scrutinized by 1 H NMR spectral studies using guanosine as a model for DNA. These results have been supported by DFT calculations and molecular docking studies. Cytotoxicity, apoptosis and in vitro anticancer activity of 1 – 5 toward SiHa cell line have been investigated by MTT assay and acridine (AO)/ethidium bromide (EthBr) fluorescence staining. Overall results revealed that DNA and protein binding, as well as anticancer activity of 1 – 5 follows the order as 5 > 3 > 2 > 1 > 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein secretion and vesicular trafficking in mammalian cells rely on several key lipids including sphingolipids, phospholipids, and neutral lipids crucial to protein processing and other intracellular events. Proteins interact with these lipids to alter the shape of lipid bilayer, thereby playing a pivotal role in cellular sorting. Although some efforts have elucidated the role of these components, extensive studies are needed to further decipher the protein–lipid interactions along with the effect of membrane curvature and rafts in sorting of proteins. The regulatory role of proteins in subcellular localization and metabolism of lipids also needs to be described. Recent studies on the role of lipid–protein interactions in modulating membrane shape, signal transduction, and vesicular trafficking are presented in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genotyping the sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (SP) genes will help in identifying the genes under drug selection and the emergence of resistance in dhfr and dhps genes. India is an important hotspot for studying malaria due to the immense climatic diversity prevalent in the country. The central and eastern parts of the country are most vulnerable sites where malaria cases are reported throughout the year. From different regions of the country 173 field isolates were genotyped at various loci in dhfr and dhps genes collected between 1994 and 2013. This encompasses the period before antimalarial resistance emerged and the period after the use of combination therapy was made mandatory in the country. We observed the rise of resistant SP alleles from very low frequencies (in the year 1994) to steadily rising (in the year 2000) and maintaining this increasing trend subsequently (in the year 2013) as shown by the sequence analysis of dhfr and dhps genes. This study assessed the prevalence of mutations in dhfr and dhps genes associated with SP resistance in samples indicative of increase in resistance levels of Plasmodium falciparum to SP even after the change in malaria treatment policy in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern definitions of epigenetics incorporate models for transient but biologically important changes in gene expression that are unrelated to DNA code but responsive to environmental changes such as injury-induced stress. In this scheme, changes in oxygen levels (hypoxia) and/or metabolic co-factors (iron deficiency or diminished 2-oxoglutarate levels) are transduced into broad genetic programs that return the cell and the organism to a homeostatic set point. Over the past two decades, exciting studies have identified a superfamily of iron-, oxygen-, and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases that sit in the nucleus as modulators of transcription factor stability, co-activator function, histone demethylases, and DNA demethylases. These studies have provided a concrete molecular scheme for how changes in metabolism observed in a host of neurological conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer׳s disease, could be transduced into adaptive gene expression to protect the nervous system. We will discuss these enzymes in this short review, focusing primarily on the ten eleven translocation (TET) DNA demethylases, the jumonji (JmJc) histone demethylases, and the oxygen-sensing prolyl hydroxylase domain enzymes (HIF PHDs). This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Neuroprotection . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contaminated by oil, dyes and micropollutant as Bisphenol A (BPA) pose challenges to the management of water resources. In this small scale laboratory experiment we report the synthesis of superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPION) and their nanocomposite with β-cyclodextrin (SPION/β-CD). Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), small area electron diffraction (SAED), photoluminescence (PL), UV–vis spectroscopy, Mossbauer and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Visible light assisted photo-oxidation of BPA was investigated in presence of SPION and SPION/β-CD. The treatment performances were evaluated in terms of BPA degradation using UV–visible spectrophotometer, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), total organic carbon analysis (TOC), chemical oxygen demand analysis (COD) and CO 2 emission. 82.55% degradation was achieved through photodegradation under solar illumination. The magnetic nanocomposite was capable of scavenging oil from water as determined from oil sorption studies and magnetic separation thereof. An oil retention capacity of 7.2 g/g of nanocomposite has been observed. In addition 94.22% degradation of Malachite Green dye was also achieved in a 2 h sunlight driven photocatalysis process. Interestingly, the higher removal efficiency and reusability studies confirm the suitability for oil spill remediation. Magnetically recoverable, photocatalytic, bio-compatible nanocomposite of SPION and with β-cyclodextrin were prepared by the simple technique and utilized for multi pollutant removal and has a higher reusability and potential biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we have used a.c. conductivity measurements as a powerful tool to estimate density of defect states in some glassy alloys. For this, we have studied the temperature and frequency dependence of a.c. conductivity of binary glasses of Se 98 M 2 (M = Ag, Cd and Sn) system. The a.c. conductivity, σ ac ( T , ω ) is found to obey the universal law σ ac ( T , ω ) ∝ ω s . The agreement between experimental and theoretical results of a.c. conductivity suggests that the thermally activated a.c. conduction in binary glassy Se 98 M 2 (Ag, Cd and Sn) system can be successfully explained using correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model. The optimum values of different electrical parameters are obtained in case of glassy Se 98 Sn 2 alloy. The results confirm the dominance of bi-polaron hopping over single-polaron hopping in present glassy alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are known to inactivate foodborne pathogens. However, the effect of food acidulants on the antibacterial effect of LEDs is unknown. In this study, the influence of organic acids on the photodynamic inactivation of four foodborne pathogens ( Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus ) by blue LEDs was investigated. Each pathogen was illuminated by 10-W 461 nm LEDs (22.1 mW/cm 2 ) at 15 °C for 7.5 h in tryptone soya broth of pH 4.5 adjusted with citric, lactic or malic acids. The total energy dosage imparted by the LEDs over the course of the illumination was 596.7 J/cm 2 . Our results showed that at the same pH, the nature of the acids significantly influenced the bacterial inactivation due to the LEDs, irrespective of the bacterial strain. Lactic acid was found to be the most effective in aiding the photodynamic inactivation of the pathogens, followed by citric and malic acids. The reparameterized Gompertz equation was fitted to the inactivation curves to determine the lag phase duration (λ) and the maximum inactivation rate (μ max ) under each condition. The λ values for E . coli O157:H7, S . Typhimurium, L . monocytogenes and S . aureus with lactic acid were 3.68, 3.29, 2.25 and 2.27 h, respectively. The corresponding μ max values were 1.46, 1.31, 1.07 and 1.21 log CFU/h. The combination of organic acids and LEDs also caused significant sublethal injury to the bacterial cultures with trends similar to those of the inactivation tests. This study showed that food acidulants greatly enhanced the antibacterial effect of LEDs, suggesting the potential of LEDs in preserving acidic foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffalopox virus (BPXV) , an Indian variant of vaccinia virus (VACV), is a zoonotic agent and affects buffaloes, cattle and humans. A27L is one of the conserved major immuno-dominant envelope proteins of orthopox viruses (OPVs) involved in viral entry/maturation and elicits neutralizing antibodies. In this study, the A27L gene of BPXV-Vij/96 strain encoding recombinant mature A27L ( 21 S to E 110 ) and C-terminal truncated A27L-LZD ( 21 S to N 84 aa) proteins were cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins. Structurally, A27L of BPXV was similar to that of VACV and found to contain four regions including a potential coiled-coil motif (CCM) in the centre (43 to 84aa). Oligomerization of recombinant A27L fusion protein (∼30 kDa) leads to the formation of dimer/trimers/tetramers under non-reducing conditions. Further, the purified rA27L protein was used for active immunization of rabbit (250 μg/rabbit) and adult mice (10 μg and 50 μg/mice) with or without adjuvants (FCA, alum and CpG). Immune response measured by using indirect-ELISA and SNT revealed a gradual increase in antigen specific serum IgG as well as neutralization antibody titers. Upon challenge with virulent BPXV strain, a protection of 60% was observed in suckling mice passively administered with anti-rA27L sera. No cross-reactivity of rA27L protein with hyperimmune sera against ORFV, GTPV, SPPV, PPRV, FMDV and BTV was noticed in indirect-ELISA. The study indicated that the rA27L protein is a safe and potential prophylactic as well as diagnostic antigen for buffalopox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ezzati et al. (2013) proposed a method for comparing triangular fuzzy numbers and using it, propose a new algorithm to find the fuzzy optimal solution of fully fuzzy linear programming problems with equality constraints. Ezzati et al. also claimed that the fuzzy optimal solution of fully fuzzy linear programming problems with inequality constraints can also be obtained by the same algorithm by transforming it into fully fuzzy linear programming problems with equality constraints. In this note, it is proved that the fully fuzzy linear programming problems with inequality constraints cannot be transformed into fully fuzzy linear programming problems with equality constraints and hence, the algorithm, proposed by Ezzati et al. to find the fuzzy optimal solution of fully fuzzy linear programming problems with equality constraints, cannot be used for finding the fuzzy optimal solution of fully fuzzy linear programming problems with inequality constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background During protein-folding reactions toward the native structure, short-lived intermediate states can be populated. Such intermediates expose hydrophobic patches and can self-associate leading to non-productive protein misfolding. A major focus of current research is the characterization of short-lived intermediates and how molecular chaperones enable productive folding. Real-time NMR spectroscopy, together with the development of advanced methods, is reviewed here and the potential these methods have to characterize intermediate states as well as interactions with molecular chaperone proteins at single-residue resolution is highlighted. Scope of review Various chaperone interactions can guide the protein-folding reaction and thus are important for protein structure formation, stability, and activity of their substrates. Chaperone-assisted protein folding, characterization of intermediates, and their molecular interactions using real-time NMR spectroscopy will be discussed. Additionally, recent advances in NMR methods employed for characterization of high-energy intermediates will be discussed. Major conclusions Real-time NMR combines high resolution with kinetic information of protein reactions, which can be employed not only for protein-folding studies and the characterization of folding intermediates but also to investigate the molecular mechanisms of assisted protein folding. General significance Real-time NMR spectroscopy remains an effective tool to reveal structural details about the interaction between chaperones and transient intermediates. Methodologically, it provides in-depth understanding of how kinetic intermediates and their thermodynamics contribute to the protein-folding reaction. This review summarizes the most recent advances in this field. This article is part of a Special Issue titled Proline-directed Foldases: Cell Signaling Catalysts and Drug Targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation networks are often subjected to perturbed conditions leading to traffic disequilibrium. Under such conditions, the traffic evolution is typically modeled as a dynamical system that captures the aggregated effect of paths-shifts by drivers over time. This paper proposes a day-to-day (DTD) dynamical model that bridges two important gaps in the literature. First, existing DTD models generally consider current path flows and costs, but do not factor the sensitivity of path costs to flow. The proposed DTD model simultaneously captures all three factors in modeling the flow shift by drivers. As a driver can potentially perceive the sensitivity of path costs with the congestion level based on past experience, incorporating this factor can enhance real-world consistency. In addition, it smoothens the time trajectory of path flows, a desirable property for practice where the iterative solution procedure is typically terminated at an arbitrary point due to computational time constraints. Second, the study provides a criterion to classify paths for an origin–destination pair into two subsets under traffic disequilibrium: expensive paths and attractive paths. This facilitates flow shifts from the set of expensive paths to the set of attractive paths, enabling a higher degree of freedom in modeling flow shift compared to that of shifting flows only to the shortest path, which is behaviorally restrictive. In addition, consistent with the real-world driver behavior, it also helps to preclude flow shifts among expensive paths. Improved behavioral consistency can lead to more meaningful path/link time-dependent flow profiles for developing effective dynamic traffic management strategies for practice. The proposed DTD model is formulated as the dynamical system by drawing insights from micro-economic theory. The stability of the model and existence of its stationary point are theoretically proven. Results from computational experiments validate its modeling properties and illustrate its benefits relative to existing DTD dynamical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton beam therapy is a cutting edge modality over conventional gamma radiotherapy because of its physical dose deposition advantage. However, not much is known about its biological effects vis-a-vis gamma irradiation. Here we investigated the effect of proton- and gamma- irradiation on cell cycle, death, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and “stemness” in human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells (A549). Proton beam (3 MeV) was two times more cytotoxic than gamma radiation and induced higher and longer cell cycle arrest. At equivalent doses, numbers of genes responsive to proton irradiation were ten times higher than those responsive to gamma irradiation. At equitoxic doses, the proton-irradiated cells had reduced cell adhesion and migration ability as compared to the gamma-irradiated cells. It was also more effective in reducing population of Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) like cells as revealed by aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and surface phenotyping by CD44 + , a CSC marker. These results can have significant implications for proton therapy in the context of suppression of molecular and cellular processes that are fundamental to tumor expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline hydro-transport, an economically viable means of delivering large volumes of biomass, can replace conventional modes of transport – road, rail, and river - to improve the economy of pulp and paper mills, as well as bio-based energy facilities. This paper is a review of experimental and theoretical studies conducted by various sectors on the transport of wood and non-wood biomass-water mixtures (slurries) in pipes. The aims were to collect technical challenges, governing mechanical equations, and associated economic issues, as well as to identify the gaps in knowledge in the area. There have been several experiments conducted on pipeline hydro-transport of wood chips over a wide range of pipeline materials, lengths, and diameters. However, pipeline transport of non-wood agricultural residue slurries, as well as the performance of the centrifugal slurry pump handling such mixtures, has recently been investigated in a single lab-scale pipeline facility. Several researchers have proposed empirical correlations to estimate friction loss in wood chip slurries flowing in pipes and also recommended technically and economically optimum pumping velocities. Those correlations, however, are reported to come with noticeable deviations from one another and from experimental measurements. One empirical correlation has been also proposed to predict, with an uncertainty of less than 10%, the longitudinal pressure gradients in pipeline hydro-transport of agricultural residue biomass. All the experimental measurements and empirical correlations based some studies on the economic feasibility of pipelining wood chip-water mixtures. These studies proved the concept of economy of scale to be highly applicable to biomass pipeline systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of solid oxidizer (AP) mixed fuel grain (HTPB) on regression rate and performance in GOX hybrid rocket motors is numerically studied. Here the pyrolysis products of AP and the fuel forms a premixed flame very close to the grain surface in addition to the fuel–oxygen diffusion flame located further away from the grain surface. The presence of premixed flame increases heat feedback to the grain and consequently increases the local regression rate throughout the grain length. This is contrary to the locally limited influence observed while using other regression rate enhancement techniques like swirling oxidizer, or transverse diaphragms/protrusions. Scaling of motors with AP mixed grain of a given composition follows that of a pure fuel grain where the grain geometry and the inlet oxidizer mass flux need to be maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]