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Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state welding technique widely employed to join materials such as Aluminum (Al), Copper (Cu), Magnesium (Mg), and their respective alloys. These materials find extensive use in industries like transportation, where lightweight materials with superior mechanical properties are in demand due to their reduced mass. Conventional fusion welding methods can adversely affect the mechanical properties of these welds.Over the last two decades, FSW has emerged as a specific and significant advancement in welding technology. Various parameters, including shoulder diameter, shoulder profile, pin length, pin diameter, tool angle, rotating speed, feed rate, and weld speed, play crucial roles in determining weld strength, quality, heat generation, and material mixing.The current research focuses on investigating the process variables that influence the characteristics of welded products. Furthermore, it includes an in-depth exploration of FSW fundamentals, recent advancements, and comprehensive literature reviews.

Almost 100 yrs. after the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic, world is witnessing “Covid-19”, another Pandemic of similar scale. Interesting, parallels are being drawn between these two pandemics –occurring a century apart; on their scale of spread, potential impact, global scare and attention, containment measures and even people are framing similar projections on possible course of the pandemic. While world was equally unprepared on many terms to safeguard itself from such a pandemic from SARS Cov-2 Virus, one scenario quite distinct from the previous pandemic scenario, is the current status of laboratories with advanced tools. Ground breaking genomic technologies such as NAAT (Nucleic acid Amplification technologies) or PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), which currently exist can be positioned as crucial weapons strategically for both community level operations and patient level care. We have the opportunity for cross learning from the experiences of the laboratories involved in Covid testing while informing our peers across policy, diagnostic and research domains, exciting the newcomers to join forces and educating all our associates who can be involved in supportive roles and the large numbers of innovators / supporters who can offer to improvise and strengthen on our current solutions.

Kislay Roy,1 Rupinder K Kanwar,1 Subramanian Krishnakumar,2,3 Chun Hei Antonio Cheung,4 Jagat R Kanwar1 1Nanomedicine-Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biomedical Research (NLIMBR), Molecular and Medical Research (MMR) Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine (SoM), Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia; 2Department of Nanobiotechnology, 3Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Ocular Pathology Department, Vision Research Foundation, Kamalnayan Bajaj Institute for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Chennai, India; 4Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: Endogenous survivin expression has been related with cancer survival, drug resistance, and metastasis. Therapies targeting survivin have been shown to significantly inhibit tumor growth and recurrence. We found out that a cell-permeable dominant negative survivin (SurR9-C84A, referred to as SR9) competitively inhibited endogenous survivin and blocked the cell cycle at the G1/S phase. Nanoencapsulation in mucoadhesive chitosan nanoparticles (CHNP) substantially increased the bioavailability and serum stability of SR9. The mechanism of nanoparticle uptake was studied extensively in vitro and in ex vivo models. Our results confirmed that CHNP–SR9 protected primary cells from autophagy and successfully induced tumor-specific apoptosis via both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. CHNP–SR9 significantly reduced the tumor spheroid size (three-dimensional model) by nearly 7-fold. Effects of SR9 and CHNP–SR9 were studied on 35 key molecules involved in the apoptotic pathway. Highly significant (4.26-fold, P≤0.005) reduction in tumor volume was observed using an in vivo mouse xenograft colon cancer model. It was also observed that net apoptotic (6.25-fold, P≤0.005) and necrotic indexes (3.5-fold, P≤0.05) were comparatively higher in CHNP–SR9 when compared to void CHNP and CHNP–SR9 internalized more in cancer stem cells (4.5-fold, P≤0.005). We concluded that nanoformulation of SR9 did not reduce its therapeutic potential; however, nanoformulation provided SR9 with enhanced stability and better bioavailability. Our study presents a highly tumor-specific protein-based cancer therapy that has several advantages over the normally used chemotherapeutics. Keywords: nanoparticle, chitosan, mucoadhesive, cytotoxicity, xenograft

Sushma Kalmodia,1,2 Jaidev Harjwani,3 Raguraman Rajeswari,1 Wenrong Yang,2 Colin J Barrow,2 Sundara Ramaprabhu,3 Subramanian Krishnakumar,1,* Sailaja V Elchuri1,* 1Department of Nanobiotechnology, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India; 2Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; 3Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Lab, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: In this paper, we report a simple, rapid, and robust method to synthesize surface-enhanced Raman-scattered gold nanoparticles (GNPs) based on green chemistry. Vitis vinifera L. extract was used to synthesize noncytotoxic Raman-active GNPs. These GNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light-scattering, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The characteristic surface plasmon-resonance band at ~528 nm is indicative of spherical particles, and this was confirmed by TEM. The N–H and C–O stretches in FTIR spectroscopy indicated the presence of protein molecules. The predominant XRD plane at (111) and (200) indicated the crystalline nature and purity of GNPs. GNPs were stable in the buffers used for biological studies, and exhibited no cytotoxicity in noncancerous MIO-M1 (Müller glial) and MDA-MB-453 (breast cancer) cell lines. The GNPs exhibited Raman spectral peaks at 570, 788, and 1,102 cm-1. These new GNPs have potential applications in cancer diagnosis, therapy, and ultrasensitive biomarker detection. Keywords: GNPs, SERS, SPR, Vitis vinifera L., stability

Purpose: To study the clinical and histopathological characteristics of uveal melanomas in Asian Indians and compare them with other ethnic groups. Materials and Methods: One hundred and three enucleated eyes with clinical diagnosis of uveal melanoma were retrospectively studied (1987-2001) and the clinical and pathological features analysed. Results: Uveal melanomas constituted 0.02% of outpatients in a referral eye hospital in India over a 12-year period. The patients were predominantly males. Uveal melanomas tended to occur in the younger age. The mean age was 45.7±14.2 years. Melanoma involved the choroid in 90 (87.37%) patients, and both choroid and ciliary body in 13 (12.62%) patients. Mean basal diameter of the tumour was 13.43±5.32 mm. Mixed cell type was more common. Conclusion: Uveal melanomas are rare in the Asian Indians compared to those in the West. They occur in younger persons, have a greater mean basal diameter than that of Caucasians and are predominantly of the mixed cell type.

Removal of the entire eyeball or a portion of it is required in many ophthalmic conditions. The gross features of such specimens provide valuable information. Gross photography of an intraocular tumour, ruptured eyeball or other pathological specimens including lid lesions, orbital tumors, intraocular lens implants, intraocular and extraocular parasites, retinal pathology such as haemorrhages and peripheral degenerations, establishes a permanent documentation. We herein describe the technique of gross photography of such valuable specimens, using a dissecting microscope with a special arrangement. This technique is currently used by us with gratifying results.

Myxomas are rare, benign neoplasms of mesenchymal origin that usually develop in soft tissues. As the clinical manifestations are non-specific, it is difficult to diagnose the tumour without biopsy and histopathological examination. We report a case of orbital myxoma with histopathological correlation.

A rare case of oncocytoma of the caruncle in a 75-year-old female is reported. Clinical differential diagnosis and histopathologic features are discussed