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A systematic investigation has been performed by synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a series of SmFe1−xCuxAsO0.8F0.2 bulks (x = 0–0.2). These samples are well characterized by structural, Raman spectroscopy, microstructural, transport, magnetic measurements, and supplementary calculations within density functional theory (DFT). The parent compound, SmFeAsO0.8F0.2 (Sm1111), exhibits a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of approximately 54 K. The lattice volume (V) is increased with Cu substitution (x) without observing any impurity phase related to copper, which confirms the successful incorporation of Cu at Fe sites in the superconducting FeAs layers. These analyses are also well in agreement with Raman spectroscopy measurements and relevant DFT results. The superconducting transition is decreased systematically with copper doping and completely suppressed for 7% Cu‐doped Sm1111 (x = 0.07). A large amount of Cu substitution (x ≥ 0.07) has demonstrated the metal to insulate transition in the low‐temperature range, and no impurity phase was observed even at high Cu doping levels (x = 0.2). The calculated critical current density of the parent sample is suppressed with copper substitution, suggesting the reduced pinning centers, sample density, and grain connections, as confirmed by the microstructural analysis. Our studies suggest that the substitution of Cu in the superconducting FeAs layer, resulting the enlargement of the lattice volume, is a source of strong disorder scattering, leading to the suppression of Tc and the emergence of metal‐to‐insulator, unlike the more successful carrier doping by nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), as previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are one of the world's major staple crops. In stored potatoes, Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp carotovorum causes soft rot. As a result of the rapid spread of the disease during post‐harvest storage, potato production suffers huge losses. By detecting disease early and controlling it promptly, losses can be minimized. The profile of volatiles of plants can be altered by phytopathogens. Identifying unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as biomarkers for early disease detection has attracted considerable research attention. This study compared the VOC profiles of healthy and soft rot inoculated potatoes (cv. "Kufri Pukhraj") over a time course using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). It was found that there was a differential emission of 27 VOCs between healthy non‐inoculated potatoes and soft rot inoculated potatoes. Among 27 VOCs, only five (1‐octen‐3‐ol, 2‐methylisoborneol, 3‐octanone, 1,4‐dimethyladamantane, and 2‐methyl‐2‐bornene) were found exclusively in soft rot inoculated potatoes, suggesting them potential biomarker for non‐destructive prediction of soft rot disease in potatoes. Reactive oxygen species (H2O2) and phytohormone methyl‐jasmonate (MeJa) levels increased transiently on infection with soft rot. The analysis of the primary metabolism of soft rot infected tubers at three different stages suggests metabolic reprogramming that occurs at the early stage of infection, possibly leading to biomarker volatile emission. Based on these results, it appears that the initial potato‐soft rot bacteria interaction initiates metabolic reprogramming mainly through H2O2 and the MeJa signalling pathway. In asymptomatic potatoes, these biomarkers may be promising candidates for non‐destructive detection of soft rot at an early stage. These biomarkers can be used to develop an e‐nose sensor to predict soft rot in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical sensors offer promising prospects for real–time pollutant monitoring. In this study, copper oxide–dispersed graphitic carbon nanofibers (CuO−CNFs) grown via chemical vapour deposition were employed as a robust platform for detecting a variety of environmental pollutants. This array–based sensor adeptly identifies three different classes of analytes, i. e., antibiotics (chloramphenicol (CP) and tylosin tartrate (TT)), heavy metals (cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb)), and pesticides (quinalphos (QP) and imidacloprid (IP)). Electron collection is facilitated by a glassy carbon electrode, while various physico–electrochemical methods delve into the properties of CuO−CNFs. The CuO−CNF–modified GCE array rapidly discerns (<15 sec) a broad linear range: 1–20 ppm for CP, 1–13.33 ppm for TT, 0.66–11.66 ppm for Cd, 20–33.33 ppm for Pb, 1.6–11.6 ppm for QP, and 5–25 ppm for IP, boasting quantification limits of 1.0, 1.0, 0.66, 20.0, 1.6, and 5.0 ppm for CP, TT, Cd, Pb, QP, and IP, respectively. Notably, this sensor achieves simultaneous identification of mixed analytes, including CP and TT, Cd and Pb, and QP and IP, within real tap water. Furthermore, the electrochemical sensor exhibits robustness; heightened sensitivity, selectivity, and stability; a swift response; and impressive reproducibility in detecting CP, TT, Cd, Pb, QP, and IP within aqueous samples. Consequently, this array–based electrochemical sensor has emerged as a rapid and simultaneous detection tool for diverse pollutant residues in surface and groundwater samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power grids monitoring, operation, control, and commercialisation are transforming gradually due to technological advancements, and new frontiers of distinct applications are emerging in this field. Global emphasis on increasing the dependence on renewable sources of generation and the introduction of electric vehicles as means of transformation can potentially affect the traditional notion of grid analysis, monitoring, and control. The prevalence of communicable intelligent devices enables peers to transact and sell/buy power locally or to the grid. Ensuring security, privacy, and avoidance of double‐spending in these transactions could be manifested by utilising the developments in blockchain technologies. In this paper, modified IEEE 123 bus distribution system has been considered. The effect of incorporating the energy transactions over block‐chain in ADN on Available Distribution Capability, aggregated load profile, and load‐ability is evaluated. The effect has been quantified using blockchain efficiency factor BCef${\bf{B}}{{\bf{C}}_{{\bf{ef}}}}$ proposed in this article. It has been observed that enabling intelligent electronic devices peers to transact over blockchain can improve the performance of the ADN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that all fossil fuels will be depleted by 2060 if we continue to use them at the present rate. Therefore, there is an unmet need for an alternative source of energy with high calorific value. In this regard, hydrogen is considered the best alternative renewable fuel that could be used in practical conditions. Accordingly, researchers are looking for an ideal hydrogen storage system under ambient conditions for feasible applications. In many respects, carbon‐based sorbents have emerged as the best possible hydrogen storage media. These carbon‐based sorbents are cost‐effective, eco‐friendly, and readily available. In this Review, the present status of carbon‐based materials in promoting solid‐state hydrogen storage technologies at the operating temperature and pressure was reported. Experimental studies have shown that some carbon‐based materials such as mesoporous graphene and doped carbon nanotubes may have hydrogen storage uptake of 3–7 wt %, while some theoretical studies have predicted up to 13.79 wt % of hydrogen uptake at ambient conditions. Also, it was found that different methods used for carbon materials synthesis played a vital role in hydrogen storage performance. Eventually, this Review will be helpful to the scientific community for finding the competent material and methodology to investigate the existing hydrogen uptake issues at operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades, the productivity of the rice–wheat growing system (RWGS) in the upper Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India has come to a plateau, and, as a result, farmers are now shifting to other crop growing systems (cropping sysytems) to achieve a higher net productivity. Inclusion of other cropping systems in place of the rice–wheat system affects overall crop productivity; however, there is dearth of information with respect to nutrient index (NI), microbial diversity, and soil quality. This study was carried out to assess how NI, microbial diversity, and soil quality changed after replacement of rice–wheat by a vegetable growing system (VGS), pulse growing system (PGS), potato growing system (PoGS), and a mustard growing system (MGS). An analysis of 307 soil samples from these crop growing systems revealed a soil pH range of 6.58–8.87 with 75.3% soils falling within the low category of mineralized N, and low NI (<1.67). The highest NI, enzymatic activity, and microbial diversity was recorded under PGS, which restored 34.2, 24.1, and 10.2% greater soil organic carbon (SOC) than other systems, and had a better carbon substrate oxidation rateand mineralized N than PoGS. The diversity indices peaked under PGS followed by VGS due to greater SOC, mineralized N, higher microbial counts, and more soil enzymes. Among the different crop growing systems the soil quality index (SQI) ranged from 0.647 (for PoGS) to 0.783 (for VGS). The silt content, SOC, Zn, TN, acid phosphatase activity, available P, and total culturable fungi were the key soil indicators across all the crop growing systems. SOC is the most important and viable indicator for all the crop growing systems that affected microbial dynamics and soil quality. The greater SQI under VGS was due to the addition of organic manure and augmented SOC, P, and Zn availability. In contrast, the highest microbial and enzymatic activities, and functional diversity was recorded under PGS mainly due to greater edaphic variables. It is concluded that the pulse growing system (PGS) is the best for maintaining higher NI, and improving microbial and functional diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In article number e202400241, Pradip Kumar, Shiv Singh, and co‐workers describe electrochemical sensing of chloramphenicol (antibiotics) through the synergy of copper oxide‐anchored chemical vapor deposition grown carbon nanofibers...By Smriti Mishra; Yashmeen Budania; Ankit Tyagi; Sheelendra Pratap Singh; Pradip Kumar and Shiv SinghReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

As the distributed energy resources penetration level increases, the distribution system operator faces a challenging task of unintentional islanding detection. Besides islanding detection schemes are affected due to the presence of different types of distributed generation systems and smart inverters. The presence of these devices hinders the capability of islanding detection schemes. To mitigate these issues, this study proposes a practical methodology of variational mode decomposition‐based energy index for islanding detection. It decomposes the sampled voltage signal at the point of common coupling into four modes/intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Among these modes/IMFs, the energy index of mode two has been utilised to detect the islanding. It is an entirely intrinsic, adaptive, and variational method. The five bus and practical distribution systems have been modelled using PSCAD/EMTDC software while considering various components' practical aspects. The technique has been tested for the mixed type of distributed generation and various transient events. The test results reveal that the proposed method is capable of discriminating the islanding event from other disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive detection of extremely toxic phenylpyrazole insecticide, 'Fipronil' is presented. Currently, the advancement of approaches for the detection of insecticides at low concentrations with less time is important for environmental safety assurance. Considering this fact, an effort has been made to develop an electrospun CoZnO nanofiber (NF) based label‐free electrochemical system for the detection of fipronil. The CoZnO NF were characterized using different techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), Energy Dispersive X‐Ray Analysis (EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman Spectroscopy. Based on the experimental results, the proposed platform displayed a linear response for fipronil in the attogram/mL range despite the multiple interfering agents. The sensitivity of the device was found to be 3.99 KΩ (g/ml)−1 cm−2. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated and found to be 112 ag mL−1 and 340 ag mL−1 respectively. Further, this proposed sensor will be implemented in the fields for the rapid and proficient detection of the real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment and enhancement of transmission network capability have been one of the prime interests of power system monitoring, operation and control. Conventionally, the issue of available transfer capability (ATC) assessment has been tackled considering the transmission and distribution networks as segregated entities because they had little or no influence on each other's performance owing to the unidirectional flow of power from the transmission to distribution networks. Now, with increasing interest in smart transmission and distribution in amalgamation with a paradigm shift in sources of generation from centralised to decentralised even at distribution levels mandating the analysis of power grid while inculcating both the hierarchies simultaneously. In this study, a platform for quasi‐static operation of power transmission and distribution networks, employing a multi‐agent based system has been developed. The developed multi‐agent systembased system has been utilised for assessment of ATC considering active distribution network (ADN) whereby Modified IEEE 24 bus system at transmission and Modified IEEE 123 node system at distribution level has been considered as a test system. It has been observed that the presence of ADN considerably affects the ATC of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide area measurement system installation cost minimisation and observability maximisation using binary gravitational search algorithm have been reported. Various methods have been employed in the past to determine the optimal locations of devices to retain the observability of the system. However, the costs of communication infrastructure (CI) from phasor data concentrator to phasor measurement units (PMUs) have not been given proper attention. To address this issue, the PMU placement problem has been formulated incorporating the cost of CI also in this study. Contingency cases have also been included to improve the reliability of the system. Besides, the effects of the presence of preinstalled PMUs have been considered. The results obtained for IEEE 14‐bus, 30‐bus and 118‐bus systems have been compared with other methods in the literature. The test results reveal that the proposed methodology produced the PMU locations with higher observability and lesser distance path of establishing communication link compared to an existing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A psychrotolerant yeast strain Mrakia robertii A2‐3 isolated from cryoconites of Hamtah glacier, Himalaya, India was investigated for the production of cold‐tolerant endoglucanase. Optimum endoglucanase production was found at 15°C with an initial pH of 5.5, and potent inducers were 1% wt/vol of xylose and KNO3 and 0.1% wt/vol of NaCl. Under optimum conditions, the enzyme production was 1.81‐fold higher than the unoptimized conditions. Crude enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by dialysis. The enzyme was purified to 2.53‐fold and the yield was 6.03% with specific activity of 17.38 U/mg and molecular weight ~57 kDa. The Km and Vmax values of the partially purified enzyme were found to be 1.57 mg/ml and 142.85 U/mg, respectively. The characterization study revealed that the best temperature was 15°C for activity and stability. Furthermore, the enzyme showed the highest activity at pH 11.0 and was stable at pH 6.0. Fe2+, Mn2+, Na2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Ca2+ proved to be activators of endoglucanase. Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid showed very low effect on the enzyme activity whereas it was active with Tween‐80 and sodium deoxycholate. The present study successfully produced a cold‐active endoglucanase with novel properties making it promising as a biocatalyst for industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an efficient novel approach for achieving optimal economic operation of a standalone hybrid energy system (SHES). Optimal economic operation is obtained through a balance between power outages, carbon emission footprint left by non‐renewable resources and cost per unit of energy production of renewable energy resources. SHES with battery and without battery has been considered as two different strategies to examine the impact of the energy storage element. The resulting multi‐objective function is optimised using a novel combination of ant colony optimisation (ACO) and cuckoo search (CS) algorithms. The proposed hybrid algorithm is verified against a set of well‐known benchmark functions and the results are compared with ACO and CS optimisation techniques. To validate the performance of the proposed algorithm, simulations have been carried out using hourly meteorological data and load data for both strategies (without and with energy storage elements) called as strategies 1 and 2, respectively. It has been observed that strategy 2 exhibits superior performance. Comparative performance analysis of the proposed technique with ACO and CS technique has been analysed and better results have been exhibited with the proposed ACO‐CS algorithm. Besides the system with energy storage element yields lesser cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystals of Ce doped Li6Gd(BO3)3 (LGBO:Ce), Li6Lu(BO3)3 (LLBO:Ce), and Li6Y(BO3)3 (LYBO:Ce) are grown using the Czochralski technique. A comparison of the challenges faced in the growth of these materials in single crystalline form is discussed. The grown crystals are characterized for their thermal, structural, optical, and scintillation characteristics to explore their potential as thermal neutron detectors. Scintillator detectors based on LRBO:Ce (R = Gd, Lu, Y) crystals are used successfully to record the pulse‐height spectra from various gamma energies and thermal neutron sources in the flux range from 10 to 107 n (cm2 s)–1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper demonstrates a simple, label‐free detection methodology for detecting single point DNA mutations. Single point mutation detection is a key enabler for diagnosis and prevention of several genetic disorders that manifest into cancers. Specifically for this purpose, herein, an electrochemical biosensor utilizing electrospun graphene doped manganese III oxide nanofibers (GMnO) is developed. The charge transfer resistance offered by GMnO is extremely sensitive to the localized change in the conductivity. This sensitivity, attributed to the low band gap of Mn2O3 and high charge transfer kinetics of graphene, is explored in the proposed mutation detection platform. As a proof of concept, ultrasensitive detection of BRCA1 gene specific point mutation is demonstrated. The target specific single stranded probe DNA is immobilized onto GMnO modified glassy carbon working electrodes via chemisorption. Post target‐DNA hybridization, differential pulse voltammetry is employed to facilitate detection of targeted point mutation, wherein, difference in peak currents is used to distinguish the target DNA as normal or mutant. Efficiency of the proposed method is evaluated against a target concentration ranging from 10 pM−1 μM. With respect to the mutated target DNA, the LoD of the proposed device is found to be 0.8±0.069 pM. The proposed approach can be extended for detecting any mutation/hybridization of interest by simply adapting an appropriate functionalization protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A passive-loss accounted analytic design technique for impedance matching networks is proposed here for efficient radio frequency (RF) circuit design. The impact of component losses on matching performance is briefed initially. To overcome the matching impact due to component losses, a set of modified equations are introduced which finds the accurate inductor and capacitor values accounting component losses. The proposed technique is applied for single-frequency L-match, Pi-match, Tmatch and dual-frequency L-match networks. The improvement in matching performance by using the proposed design technique is validated through simulations and measurements in UMC 0.18 µm complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. The measurement results closely (90-95%) follow ideal component performance. Hence, the proposed passive-loss accounted design technique will be more useful in accurate low power RF circuit design [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychrotolerant yeast Rhodotorula sp. Y‐23 was isolated from the sediment core sub‐samples of Nella Lake, East Antarctica. Isolate was screened for lipase production using plate assay method followed by submerged fermentation. Production optimization revealed the maximum lipase production by using palmolein oil (5% v/v), pH 8.0 and inoculum size of 2.5% v/v at 15 °C. The potential inducers for lipase were 1% w/v of galactose and KNO3, and MnCl2 (0.1% w/v). Final productions with optimized conditions gave 5.47‐fold increase in lipase production. Dialyzed product gave a purification fold of 5.63 with specific activity of 26.83 U mg−1 and 15.67% yields. This lipase was more stable at pH 5.0 and −20 °C whereas more activity was found at pH 8.0 and 35 °C. Stability was more in 50 mM Fe3+, EDTA‐Na (20 mM), sodium deoxycholate (20 mM), H2O2 (1% v/v), and almost all organic solvents (50% v/v). Tolerance capacity at wider range of pH and temperature with having lower Km value i.e., 0.08 mg ml−1 and higher Vmax 385.68 U mg−1 at 15 °C make the studied lipase useful for industrial applications. Besides this, the lipase was compatible with commercially available detergents, and its addition to them increases lipid degradation performances making it a potential candidate in detergent formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of energy savings in distribution network through smart grid‐enabled conservation of voltage reduction (CVR) approach has been investigated in this study. To achieve higher‐energy savings, CVR operation has been carried out with deeper voltage reduction in association with photovoltaic (PV) system while keeping the node voltages within acceptable limits. The additional reactive power support has been injected by PV inverters. The injected reactive power has been controlled by droop characteristics method. Besides, the moving cloud transient effect has been incorporated in PV power output. To evaluate the energy savings, the volt‐VAR control operation has been carried out in three different modes such as without CVR, only CVR, and CVR with PV system on the modified unbalanced IEEE 123 node test system. The test system and control algorithms have been developed and simulated in open distribution system simulator interfaced with MATLAB. From simulation results, it has been demonstrated that higher‐energy savings and peak load demand reduction can be achieved through smart grid‐enabled CVR and PV system in comparison with the only CVR with proper voltage regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permafrost soils are unique habitats in polar environment and are of great ecological relevance. The present study focuses on the characterization of bacterial communities from permafrost profiles of Svalbard, Arctic. Counts of culturable bacteria range from 1.50 × 103 to 2.22 × 105 CFU g−1, total bacterial numbers range from 1.14 × 105 to 5.52 × 105 cells g−1 soil. Bacterial isolates are identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Arthrobacter and Pseudomonas are the most dominant genera, and A. sulfonivorans, A. bergeri, P. mandelii, and P. jessenii as the dominant species. Other species belong to genera Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Nesterenkonia, Psychrobacter, Rhizobium, Rhodococcus, Sphingobacterium, Sphingopyxis, Stenotrophomonas, and Virgibacillus. To the best of our knowledge, genera Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Nesterenkonia, Psychrobacter, Rhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Sphingopyxis, Stenotrophomonas, and Virgibacillus are the first northernmost records from Arctic permafrost. The present study fills the knowledge gap of culturable bacterial communities and their chronological characterization from permafrost soils of Ny-Ålesund (79°N), Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide area measurement system installation cost minimisation and observability maximisation using binary gravitational search algorithm have been reported. Various methods have been employed in the past to determine the optimal locations of devices to retain the observability of the system. However, the costs of communication infrastructure (CI) from phasor data concentrator to phasor measurement units (PMUs) have not been given proper attention. To address this issue, the PMU placement problem has been formulated incorporating the cost of CI also in this study. Contingency cases have also been included to improve the reliability of the system. Besides, the effects of the presence of preinstalled PMUs have been considered. The results obtained for IEEE 14-bus, 30-bus and 118-bus systems have been compared with other methods in the literature. The test results reveal that the proposed methodology produced the PMU locations with higher observability and lesser distance path of establishing communication link compared to an existing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the preparation of a transparent glass-ceramic from the SiO2-K2O-ZnO-Al2O3-TiO2 system containing a single crystalline phase, gahnite (ZnAl2O4). TiO2 was used as a nucleating agent for the heat-induced precipitation of gahnite crystals of 5-10 nm. The evolution of the ZnAl2O4 spinel structure through the gradual formation of Al-O bonds was examined by infrared spectroscopy. The dark brown color of the transparent precursor glass and glass-ceramic was eliminated using CeO2. The increase in transparency of the CeO2-doped glass and glass-ceramics was demonstrated by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. EPR measurements confirmed the presence of Ce3+ ions, indicating that CeO2 was effective in eliminating the brown color introduced by Ti3+ ions via oxidation to Ti+4. The hardness of the glass-ceramic was 30% higher than that of the as-prepared glasses. This work offers key guidelines to produce hard, transparent glass-ceramics which may be potential candidates for a variety of technological applications, such as armor and display panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission congestion is one of the most challenging issues in operation of deregulated electricity markets of today. This study investigates into benefit of unified power flow controller (UPFC) as a viable solution to the problem of congestion management. A comprehensive load flow model for the UPFC is presented which has the capability to control active and reactive powers and voltage magnitude simultaneously. This study discusses about two different approaches for determination of suitable location of UPFC. One of them is sensitivity‐based approach and the other is pricing‐based method. Reduction in total system losses has been taken as objective in sensitivity‐based approach. Furthermore, sensitivity of total system losses with respect to control parameters of UPFC have been evaluated using two different methods. A pricing‐based approach which makes use of locational marginal price difference and congestion rent for determination of suitable location of UPFC. Minimisation of cost of rescheduling subjected to system operating constraints is the objective to be met for congestion management. Interior point method, a mathematical tool for non‐linear optimisation, is used to obtain the solution of above‐mentioned problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacier ice and firn cores have ecological and biotechnological importance. The present study is aimed at characterizing bacteria in crustal ice cores from Svalbard, the Arctic. Counts of viable isolates ranged from 10 to 7000 CFU/ml (mean 803 CFU/ml) while the total bacterial numbers ranged from 7.20 × 104 to 2.59 × 107 cells ml−1 (mean 3.12 × 106 cells ml−1). Based on 16S rDNA sequence data, the identified species belonged to seven species, namely Bacillus barbaricus, Pseudomonas orientalis, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas syncyanea, Sphingomonas dokdonensis, and Sphingomonas phyllosphaerae, with a sequence similarity ranging between 93.5 and 99.9% with taxa present in the database. The isolates exhibited unique phenotypic properties, and three isolates (MLB-2, MLB-5, and MLB-9) are novel species, yet to be described. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on characterization of cultured bacterial communities from Svalbard ice cores. We conclude that high lipase, protease, cellulase, amylase, and urease activities expressed by most of the isolates provide a clue to the potential industrial applications of these organisms. These microbes, producing cold-adapted enzymes may provide an opportunity for biotechnological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a solution to the optimal power flow (OPF) in power systems incorporating wind power. The wind generated electricity's cost modelling is presented which owes to the stochastic nature of wind speed based on the Weibull probability density function. The wind associated costs comprise of (i) reserve cost arising out of overestimation of wind farm output and (ii) penalty cost for not using total available wind power which are included in the conventional OPF. Furthermore, the Q‐V formulation of induction generator is deduced which is incorporated through a modification in the conventional load flow solution. A modified cuckoo search optimisation technique is employed and compared with modified particle swarm optimisation for solving OPF with wind power involved. A modified IEEE 30‐bus and IEEE 57‐bus systems are used as test systems and it is observed that the cuckoo search performs better than particle swarm optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In adaptation to oncogenic signals, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process combining tumor cell dedifferentiation with acquisition of stemness features. However, the mechanisms linking oncogene-induced signaling pathways with EMT and stemness remain largely elusive. Here, we uncover the inflammation-induced transcription factor NFATc1 as a central regulator of pancreatic cancer cell plasticity. In particular, we show that NFATc1 drives EMT reprogramming and maintains pancreatic cancer cells in a stem cell-like state through Sox2-dependent transcription of EMT and stemness factors. Intriguingly, NFATc1-Sox2 complexmediated PDAC dedifferentiation and progression is opposed by antithetical p53-miR200c signaling, and inactivation of the tumor suppressor pathway is essential for tumor dedifferentiation and dissemination both in genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) and human PDAC. Based on these findings, we propose the existence of a hierarchical signaling network regulating PDAC cell plasticity and suggest that the molecular decision between epithelial cell preservation and conversion into a dedifferentiated cancer stem cell-like phenotype depends on opposing levels of p53 and NFATc1 signaling activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel 4-aminoquinolinyl and 9-anilinoacridinyl Schiff base hydrazones have been synthesized and evaluated for their antimalarial activity. All compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antimalarial activity against chloroquine-sensitive strain 3D7 and the chloroquine-resistant K1 strain of Plasmodium falciparum and for cytotoxicity toward Vero cells. Compounds 17, 20, and 21 displayed good activity against the 3D7 strain with IC50 values ranging from 19.69 to 25.38 n m. Moreover, compounds 16, 17, 21, 24, 32, and 33 exhibited excellent activities (21.64-54.26 n m) against K1 strain and several compounds displayed β-hematin inhibitory activity, suggesting that they act on the heme crystallization process such as CQ. Compounds were also found to be non-toxic with good selectivity index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miglitol, an anti-diabetic drug, has been shown to reduce plasma lipids and inhibit free radical generation. The anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects of miglitol were studied in triton-induced hyperlipidemic rats and high fat diet-fed obese rats. Plasma cholesterol and triglycerides levels were significantly lowered by miglitol at 100 mg/kg body weight doses. Miglitol inhibited generation of superoxide anion and hydroxyl free radicals by 14 and 31 % in enzymatic systems and 19 and 25 % in non-enzymatic systems, respectively. The in-vitro effect of the drug on adipogenesis using 3T3-L preadipocytes at 2-, 5- and 10-μM concentrations showed significant inhibition of adipogenesis (34.2 %) at 10-μM concentration. High fat diet-fed rat model was used to investigate anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity and antioxidant effect of miglitol. Miglitol increased the activities of lecithin-cholesterol-acyltransferase (19 %), post heparin lipolytic activity (26 %), lipoprotein lipase (26 %) and triglyceride lipase (31 %) which result in a decrease in plasma lipid levels. The antioxidant enzymes viz., catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and thioredoxin reductase were increased by the drug in the treated animals. The antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant effect of miglitol can be correlated to its effect on different enzymes and it can be used for inhibiting the development of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron impact induced fragmentation of some 1-(6′-substituted-4′-metbyI-2′-quinolyI)-3-methylpyrazoI-5-ols follows a route where the pyrazole moiety is preferentially cleaved with successive losses of two moieties of 41 u. High-resolution measurements have established that the first loss is due to the Ċ2HO moiety, which necessitates an intramolecular hydrogen transfer followed by ring fission. The resultant ion loses CH3CN in a subsequent step. The origin of many fragment ions was traced with the use of B/E linked-scan spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fragmentation of the title compounds on electron impact has been studied and the major processes interpreted. The base peak invariably appears at [M  43]+ whose origin from the butyl chain has been traced with the help of metastable ion studies and accurate mass measurements. Loss of methyl cyanide, involving the decomposition of the pyrazole moiety, is observed only from the fragment ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]