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A series of N-(substituted benzylidene) thiazol-2-amines (3a-3d) and N-(substituted benzylidene) pyridyl-2-amines (3A-3D) were synthesized and individual structures were confirmed by several spectral techniques. Antibacterial activity of synthesized Schiff-base derivatives were performed by agar-diffusion method. These compounds were screened by in vitro antibacterial activity against uropathogenic bacteria, Escerichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The compounds 3a, 3b and 3d had the best inhibititory activity against K. pneumonia, whereas, the other derivatives had moderate activity. The compounds, 3A and 3D exhibited significant inhibitions against E.coli, while other compounds were resisted by both pathogens. It is probable that the presence of 4-nitrophenyl substituted and azomethine functionality having been connected either to thiazole or pyridine nucleus might have contributed to the antibacterial activities of the derivatives. Those were computationally assessed for drugable properties with molecular docking using E.coli DNA gyrase, PDBID-1KZN and Lipinski's rule of five (RO5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MapReduce has emerged as a paradigm where massive amounts of data are parallel processed with the help of clusters. Hadoop, as an open source implementation, has been used in a variety of applications such as social networking, video and image processing, log analysis and search indexing etc. For enterprises, providing MapReduce as a service in the cloud becomes an attractive model. Cloud Systems providing MapReduce as a service will allow users to access large number of machines in a cost-effectively manner without creating the infrastructures of their own. Moving MapReduce to the virtualized environment will incur new challenges, because the computation model is strongly bound to data, its storage, and location which make its behavior rather a batch processing. We consider cloud centers where tasks arrive in batches or groups of random size and task service times are assumed to follow an exponential distribution. This paper also examines the cases where the arrival group size has a geometric distribution or a deterministic distribution. We examine a new analytical model for evaluation of performance of such large scale systems and compute the performance benchmarks such as mean waiting time in the queue, mean request response time, mean system length and the mean number of busy servers in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the pattern of corporate risk management practices through financial derivatives in top Indian non-financial companies and explores different dimensions corporate use of derivatives by using an array of financial derivative contracts to hedge against a number of business risks which are responsible for non/under-performance of business objectives. On the basis of the research results it can be concluded that forwards and swaps are by far the most important derivative instruments in India. Futures as representatives of standardised derivatives are the next best alternative of risk management tool for the Indian companies. Foreign currency risk is the most widely hedged risk through derivatives in Indian economy whereas the international derivative outstanding position reveals that interest rate risk holds the largest chunk of the total derivative exposures. The industry classification states that information technology is the sector where highest proportion derivative use is recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-tier architecture style has become an industry standard in modern data centers with each tier providing certain functionality. To avoid congestion and to adhere the SLA under fluctuating workload and unpredictable failures of Mission Critical Multi-tier applications hosted in the cloud, we need a Dynamic admission control policy, such that the requests must be processed from the first tier to the last without any delay. This paper presents the least strict admission control policy, which will induce the maximal throughput, for a twotier system with parallel servers. We propose an optimization model to minimize the total number of virtual machines for computing resources in each tier by dynamically varying the mean service rate of the VMs. Some performance indicators and computational results showing the effect of model parameters are presented. This model is also applicable to priority as well as real-time based applications in Cloud based environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superlattices from twisted graphene mono- and bilayer systems give rise to on-demand many-body states such as Mott insulators and unconventional superconductors. These phenomena are ascribed to a combination of flat bands and strong Coulomb interactions. However, a comprehensive understanding is lacking because the low-energy band structure strongly changes when an electric field is applied to vary the electron filling. Here, we gain direct access to the filling-dependent low-energy bands of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) and twisted double bilayer graphene (TDBG) by applying microfocused angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to in situ gated devices. Our findings for the two systems are in stark contrast: the doping-dependent dispersion for TBG can be described in a simple model, combining a filling-dependent rigid band shift with a many-body-related bandwidth change. In TDBG, on the other hand, we find a complex behavior of the low-energy bands, combining nonmonotonous bandwidth changes and tunable gap openings, which depend on the gate-induced displacement field. Our work establishes the extent of electric field tunability of the low-energy electronic states in twisted graphene superlattices and can serve to underpin the theoretical understanding of the resulting phenomena.

Background: An importance of tillage, inorganic and organic nutrient sources in the mustard - soybean cropping system lies in their ability to enhance soil fertility, improve nutrient availability, optimize crop growth and yield, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Any cropping system's sustainability could be increased by implementing better management techniques like zero and reduced tillage with residue retention and better nutrient sources., Results: A field experiment was conducted for four consecutive seasons (Winter 2019 to Rainy 2021) to compare the two enhanced management practices, zero and reduced tillage to conventional tillage across four levels of nutrient sources: 75 and 100% recommended dose of nitrogen through FYM and 75 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers through urea, single super phosphate and muriate of potash in a two years experiment. Experiment results were evaluated in terms of nutrient status, profitability and productivity of Mustard-Soybean cropping system. The results show a substantial improvement in yield, nutrient status, and overall yield performance of mustard and soybean when using the full recommended dose of fertilizers combined with reduced tillage and mulching, compared to other treatment methods. The implementation of reduced tillage practices recorded significantly higher yield of mustard and soybean over conventional and zero tillage., Conclusion: System productivity and profitability i.e. mustard equivalent yield, productivity, gross returns, net returns, profitability and B: C (benefit: cost) was found to be improved with reduced tillage and 100% recommended dose of fertilizer under reduced tillage practices. To enhance cropping system productivity in various sub-humid regions worldwide, farmers can adopt reduced tillage techniques combined with the full recommended dose of fertilizers (100% RDF)., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethical approval The experiments did not involve endangered or protected species. The plant materials in this study were used after getting the permission from Head Department of Agronomy CSK HPKV, Palampur, India. The experimental research on plants carried out in this work complies with institutional, national, and international guidelines. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The Kayakalp guidelines for public healthcare facilities under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) focus on improving sanitation, cleanliness, and infection control at public hospitals in India. This study was conducted in a 960-bed tertiary-level teaching hospital in eastern India. Housekeeping has been a challenge in public institutions, with factors like overcrowding and resource constraints. Tobacco and betel nut chewing, spitting, poor sanitation practices, and open urination are major challenges in ensuring sanitation at the hospital. The research objective was to study the implementation of the Kayakalp guidelines for quality improvement in housekeeping services at the institution., Methods: A pre- and post-interventional study was conducted using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) quality tool. Plan phases included the gap assessment using the Kayakalp checklist with numerical scoring. Necessary interventions were done under three headings: structure, processes, and outcomes in the "Do" phase. The "Check" phase included monitoring of the activities followed by the "Act" phase, which included a review of the action plan. External experts nominated by the government conducted the final assessments and recommended it as one of the cleanest hospitals., Results: A 360-degree improvement was observed in hospital services, with assessment score improvement from 73.68% to 95.0%. The institution received the first prize in 2020 and 2021 and runners-up Kayakalp National Award under category "B" (Institute of National Importance) Hospitals in 2019., Conclusion: The implementation of Kayakalp guidelines of the Government of India proved to be efficient in the improvement of housekeeping and infection control practices in the institution., Competing Interests: Source of Support: None. Conflict of Interest: None.

Background: The rice-wheat cropping system is the prevailing agricultural method in the North-Western states of India, namely in the Indo-Gangetic plains. The practice of open burning of rice residue is frequently employed for expedient land preparation, but it has significant adverse impacts on both the environment and human health. These include the emission of greenhouse gases, loss of nutrients, elevated concentrations of particulate matter (PM), and disruption of the biological cycle. This research aims to investigate the implementation of effective management strategies in the rice-wheat cropping system, namely via the use of tillage-based crop cultivation techniques, stubble retention, and integration approaches. The objective is to enhance soil health features in order to augment crop yield and improve its attributes., Results: The research was carried out using a split plot experimental design, consisting of three replications. The main plot consisted of four different cultivation methods, while the subplot included three genotypes of both rice and wheat. The research demonstrates the enhanced efficacy of residue application is significantly augmenting soil nutrient concentrations compared to standard tillage practices (P < 0.05). This was accomplished by an analysis of soil nutrient levels, namely nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and organic carbon (OC), at a depth of 0-15 cm. The implementation of natural farming, zero tillage, and reduced tillage practices resulted in decreases in rice grain yields of 34.0%, 16.1%, and 10.8%, respectively, as compared to conventional tillage methods. Similarly, the implementation of natural farming, zero tillage, and reduced tillage resulted in reductions in wheat grain yields of 59.4%, 10.9%, and 4.6% respectively, in comparison to conventional tillage practices., Conclusion: Regarding the individual crop genotypes investigated, it was continuously observed that Him Palam Lal Dhan 1 and HPW 368 displayed considerably greater grain yields for both rice and wheat during the two-year experimental period. Furthermore, when considering different cultivation methods, conventional tillage emerged as the most effective approach for obtaining higher productivity in both rice and wheat. Additionally, Him Palam Lal Dhan 1 and HPW 368 exhibited superior performance in terms of various crucial yield components for rice (such as panicle density, grains per panicle, panicle weight, and test weight) and wheat (including effective tiller density, grains per spike, spike weight, and 1000-grain weight)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cinnamomum tamala , commonly known as "Indian bay leaf" or "Tejpat", is an economically important plant widely used in medicine, food and cosmetic industries. Growing demand for its leaf and bark in the herbal trade and non-availability of quality materials lead to large-scale species admixture and adulteration in the global market. The present study aims at developing a validated HPLC-DAD (High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection) method and multiple markers-based chemical fingerprints for quality evaluation of C. tamala leaf extracts. Five bioactive compounds, viz ., coumarin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamyl acetate, were identified and quantified in 28 samples collected from the western Himalayan region of India. The chromatographic separation was achieved on Shimadzu Shimpak C18 column (dimension 250 × 4.6 mm, pore size 5 μm) with a gradient elution of mobile phase using acetonitrile and 0.1 percent phosphate buffer and the chromatograms were obtained at a wavelength of 265 nm. The method validation was done by analyzing the linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, stability, repeatability and recovery rates of standard compounds for quantitative analysis. The values of coefficient of correlation (R 2 ) were found to be close to 1 for linearity and similarity analysis; and standard deviation was less than 3 percent in case of precision, stability, repeatability and recovery rates. The content of target compounds such as coumarin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamyl acetate varied in the range of 0-1.09, 0-0.05, 0.07-0.51, 0.39-1.27 and 0-0.27 percent, respectively. In the chemical fingerprint of C. tamala leaves, a total of 13 peaks were assigned as common peaks. The results of the study indicated that the HPLC method now developed combining chemical fingerprint with quantification of analytes could serve as a useful tool for quality evaluation of herbal raw materials of C. tamala and a valuable reference for further study., Competing Interests: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Inflammatory diseases contribute to more than 50 % of global deaths. Research suggests that network pharmacology can reveal the biological mechanisms underlying inflammatory diseases and drug effects at the molecular level. The aim of the study was to clarify the biological mechanism of Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil (CZEO) and predict molecular targets of CZEO against inflammation by employing network pharmacology and in vitro assays. First, the genes related to inflammation were identified from the Genecards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) databases. The CZEO targets were obtained from the SwissTargetPrediction and Similarity Ensemble Approach (SEA) database. A total of 1057 CZEO and 526 anti-inflammation targets were obtained. The core hub target of CZEO anti-inflammatory was obtained using the protein-protein interaction network. KEGG pathway analysis suggested CZEO to exert anti-inflammatory effect mainly through Tumor necrosis factor, Toll-like receptor and IL-17 signalling pathway. Molecular docking of active ingredients-core targets interactions was modelled using Pyrx software. Docking and simulation studies revealed benzyl benzoate to exhibit good binding affinity towards IL8 protein. MTT assay revealed CZEO to have non-cytotoxic effect on RAW 264.7 cells. CZEO also inhibited the production of NO, PGE 2 , IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α and promoted the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, CZEO inhibited intracellular ROS generation, NF-kB nuclear translocation and modulated the expression of downstream genes involved in Toll-like receptor signalling pathway. The results deciphered the mechanism of CZEO in treating inflammation and provided a theoretical basis for its clinical application., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:No If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The genus Hedychium of family Zingiberaceae comprises several perennial rhizomatous species widely used in perfumery and traditional folk medicine to treat diseases related to asthma, diarrhoea, nausea, stomach disorders, inflammation and tumours. Several species of Hedychium have remained under-explored with respect to their chemical composition and biological activities., Aim of the Study: The current research aimed to explore the chemical composition and evaluate the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities of rhizome essential oil from four Hedychium species (H. coccineum, H. gardnerianum, H. greenii and H. griffithianum)., Materials and Methods: Compound identification was accomplished using a Clarus 580 gas chromatography system in conjunction with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The multivariate data statistics using chemometrics (PCA, PLS-DA, sPLS-DA) and cluster analysis (Dendrogram, Heat maps, K-means) were used to compare the similarity and relationship among Hedychium metabolomes. MTT assay was employed to visualize the antiproliferative property against MCF7, HepG2 and PC3 cancerous cell lines. The toxicity of essential oils was determined using 3T3-L1 non-tumorigenic/normal cells. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of Hedychium essential oils by measuring the production of nitric oxide (NO) using the Griess reagent method. Furthermore, the levels of prostaglandin (PGE 2 ) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β) was assessed using the ELISA technique., Results: In total, 82 compounds were identified in four targeted species of Hedychium from which 1,8-cineole (52.71%), β-pinene (32.83%), α-pinene (19.62%), humulene epoxide II (19.86%) and humulene epoxide I (19.10%) were the major constituents. Monoterpenes (8.5-59.9%) and sesquiterpenes (2.87-54.11%) were the two class of compounds, found as the most prevalent in the extracted essential oils. The multivariate analysis classified the four Hedychium species into three different clusters. Hedychium essential oils exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against MCF7, HepG2 and PC3 cancer cell lines with IC 50 values less than 150 μg/mL where H. gardnerianum exhibited the highest selective cytotoxicity against human breast and prostate adenocarcinoma cells with an IC 50 value of 44.04 ± 1.07 μg/mL and 56.11 ± 1.44 μg/mL, respectively. The essential oils on normal (3T3-L1) cells displayed no toxicity with higher IC 50 values thereby concluding as safe to use for normal human health without causing any side effects. Besides, the essential oils at 100 μg/mL concentration revealed remarkable anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages by inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators, with H. greenii exhibiting the maximum anti-inflammation response by significantly suppressing the levels of NO (84%), PGE 2 (87%), TNF-α (94.3%), IL-6 (95%) and IL-1β (85%) as compared to LPS treated group., Conclusion: The present findings revealed that the Hedychium species traditionally used in therapeutics could be a potential source of active compounds with antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a worldwide epidemic caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Newer medicines for eliminating the viral reservoir and eradicating the virus are urgently needed. Attempts to locate relatively safe and non-toxic medications from natural resources are ongoing now. Natural-product-based antiviral candidates have been exploited to a limited extent. However, antiviral research is inadequate to counteract for the resistant patterns. Plant-derived bioactive compounds hold promise as powerful pharmacophore scaffolds, which have shown anti-HIV potential. This review focuses on a consideration of the virus, various possible HIV-controlling methods and the recent progress in alternative natural compounds with anti-HIV activity, with a particular emphasis on recent results from natural sources of anti-HIV agents. Please cite this article as: Mandhata CP, Sahoo CR, Padhy RN. A comprehensive overview on the role of phytocompounds in human immunodeficiency virus treatment. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(4):332-353., (Copyright © 2023 Journal of Integrative Medicine Editorial Office. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Heterostructures composed of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi 2 Te 4 and its nonmagnetic counterpart Bi 2 Te 3 host distinct surface electronic band structures depending on the stacking order and exposed termination. Here, we probe the ultrafast dynamical response of MnBi 2 Te 4 and MnBi 4 Te 7 following near-infrared optical excitation using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and disentangle surface from bulk dynamics based on density functional theory slab calculations of the surface-projected electronic structure. We gain access to the out-of-equilibrium charge carrier populations of both MnBi 2 Te 4 and Bi 2 Te 3 surface terminations of MnBi 4 Te 7 , revealing an instantaneous occupation of states associated with the Bi 2 Te 3 surface layer followed by carrier extraction into the adjacent MnBi 2 Te 4 layers with a laser fluence-tunable delay of up to 350 fs. The ensuing thermal relaxation processes are driven by phonon scattering with significantly slower relaxation times in the magnetic MnBi 2 Te 4 septuple layers. The observed competition between interlayer charge transfer and intralayer phonon scattering demonstrates a method to control ultrafast charge transfer processes in MnBi 2 Te 4 -based van der Waals compounds.

Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre of family Magnoliaceae, is a perennial tree with aromatic, ethnobotanical, and medicinal uses. The M. champaca leaf is reported to have a myriad of therapeutic activities, however, there are limited reports available on the chemical composition of the leaf essential oil of M. champaca . The present study explored the variation in the yield and chemical composition of leaf essential oil isolated from 52 accessions of M. champaca . Through hydrodistillation, essential oil yield was obtained, varied in the range of 0.06 ± 0.003% and 0.31 ± 0.015% ( v / w ) on a fresh weight basis. GC-MS analysis identified a total of 65 phytoconstituents accounting for 90.23 to 98.90% of the total oil. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (52.83 to 65.63%) constituted the major fraction followed by sesquiterpene alcohols (14.71 to 22.45%). The essential oils were found to be rich in β-elemene (6.64 to 38.80%), γ-muurolene (4.63 to 22.50%), and β-caryophyllene (1.10 to 20.74%). Chemometrics analyses such as PCA, PLS-DA, sPLS-DA, and cluster analyses such as hierarchical clustering, i.e., dendrogram and partitional clustering, i.e., K-means classified the essential oils of M. champaca populations into three different chemotypes: chemotype I (β-elemene), chemotype II (γ-muurolene) and chemotype III (β-caryophyllene). The chemical polymorphism analyzed in the studied populations would facilitate the selection of chemotypes with specific compounds. The chemotypes identified in the M. champaca populations could be developed as promising bio-resources for conservation and pharmaceutical application and further improvement of the taxa.

Objective  An observational study was conducted to evaluate (1) the incidence rates of infection-related ventilator-associated complication (IVAC) and possible ventilator-associated pneumonia (PVAP) among mechanically ventilated patients of adult medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) and (2) the pathogen distribution in patients with PVAP. Materials and Methods  The IVAC and PVAP rates of medical and surgical ICUs, between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2021, per 1,000 mechanical ventilator (MV) days were calculated. The significance of difference in IVAC and PVAP rates between medical and surgical ICUs was calculated. The level of significance was set at less than 0.05. Results  MV utilization ratios of adult medical and surgical ICUs were 0.32 and 0.26, respectively ( p  < 0.001). About 8 and 7 episodes of IVAC and 14 and 6 episodes of PVAP were reported from adult medical and surgical ICUs, accounting for IVAC rates of 3.17 and 1.8 per 1,000 MV ( p  > 0.05) and PVAP rates of 2.46 and 1.59 per 1,000 MV days in medical and surgical ICUs, respectively ( p  > 0.05). Acinetobacter baumannii complex either singly or in combination was isolated in 11/20 PVAP cases. Conclusion  IVAC and PVAP were more in medical compared with surgical ICUs. The most common pathogen in patients with PVAP was A. baumannii complex. More studies are warranted to monitor the significance of ventilator-associated event on patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None declared., (The Indian Association of Laboratory Physicians. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Interlayer excitons (ILXs) - electron-hole pairs bound across two atomically thin layered semiconductors - have emerged as attractive platforms to study exciton condensation 1-4 , single-photon emission and other quantum information applications 5-7 . Yet, despite extensive optical spectroscopic investigations 8-12 , critical information about their size, valley configuration and the influence of the moiré potential remains unknown. Here, in a WSe 2 /MoS 2 heterostructure, we captured images of the time-resolved and momentum-resolved distribution of both of the particles that bind to form the ILX: the electron and the hole. We thereby obtain a direct measurement of both the ILX diameter of around 5.2 nm, comparable with the moiré-unit-cell length of 6.1 nm, and the localization of its centre of mass. Surprisingly, this large ILX is found pinned to a region of only 1.8 nm diameter within the moiré cell, smaller than the size of the exciton itself. This high degree of localization of the ILX is backed by Bethe-Salpeter equation calculations and demonstrates that the ILX can be localized within small moiré unit cells. Unlike large moiré cells, these are uniform over large regions, allowing the formation of extended arrays of localized excitations for quantum technology., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

An exciton, a two-body composite quasiparticle formed of an electron and hole, is a fundamental optical excitation in condensed matter systems. Since its discovery nearly a century ago, a measurement of the excitonic wave function has remained beyond experimental reach. Here, we directly image the excitonic wave function in reciprocal space by measuring the momentum distribution of electrons photoemitted from excitons in monolayer tungsten diselenide. By transforming to real space, we obtain a visual of the distribution of the electron around the hole in an exciton. Further, by also resolving the energy coordinate, we confirm the elusive theoretical prediction that the photoemitted electron exhibits an inverted energy-momentum dispersion relationship reflecting the valence band where the partner hole remains, rather than that of conduction band states of the electron., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

Resolving momentum degrees of freedom of excitons, which are electron-hole pairs bound by the Coulomb attraction in a photoexcited semiconductor, has remained an elusive goal for decades. In atomically thin semiconductors, such a capability could probe the momentum-forbidden dark excitons, which critically affect proposed opto-electronic technologies but are not directly accessible using optical techniques. Here, we probed the momentum state of excitons in a tungsten diselenide monolayer by photoemitting their constituent electrons and resolving them in time, momentum, and energy. We obtained a direct visual of the momentum-forbidden dark excitons and studied their properties, including their near degeneracy with bright excitons and their formation pathways in the energy-momentum landscape. These dark excitons dominated the excited-state distribution, a surprising finding that highlights their importance in atomically thin semiconductors., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

By using monosubstituted 2,2'-bipyridine asymmetric ancillary ligands with different electron donor moieties and an arene ligand ( p -cymene), we successfully designed and synthesized six Ru(II) compounds ( RuBPY1-6 ) that belong to a piano-stool-type system. The NLO properties of the synthesized complexes have been studied in both solution and the solid state. The electronic spectra of these compounds show a broad feature with two absorption bands in the visible window (350-650 nm). RuBPY1-6 complexes exhibit NIR emission spectra in the solution state (at >720 nm), the maxima of which are bathochromically shifted in comparison to those of the concerned ligands. Interestingly, compounds RuBPY1-6 show NIR emission in their solid state too. Title compounds RuBPY1-6 have lifetimes in the range of 0.2 to 0.9 ns. An important feature of this work is the π-association of the p -cymene ligand to Ru(II) in the synthesized complexes; the π complex is formed by breaking the symmetry of p -cymene, found in the starting precursor (Ru 2 dimer). This has been established by NMR spectral studies along with DFT calculations on the 1 H NMR spectra. We could derive the molecular structure of the cationic part of this system by density functional theory (DFT), associated with 1 H NMR spectral studies. The minimum energy structures for RuBPY1 and RuBPY2 have been optimized at DFT/B3LYP along with the LANL2DZ basis set for ruthenium atoms. These optimized structures are further considered to calculate the excited state properties using the TDDFT method. The electrochemical studies of the complexes, investigated in acetonitrile solution, show that this system is associated with a well-defined Ru(III)/Ru(II) reversible couple, rarely observed for a Ru(II) piano-stool-type compound, along with a feature of irreversible ligand oxidation. The absorption cross-section values, obtained from the two-photon absorption studies of title compounds RuBPY1-6 , are worth reporting and lie in the range of 3-28 GM (in the femtosecond case).

Wide-field temporal focused (WF-TeFo) two-photon microscopy allows for the simultaneous imaging of a large planar area, with a potential order of magnitude enhancement in the speed of volumetric imaging. To date, low repetition rate laser sources with over half a millijoule per pulse have been required in order to provide the high peak power densities for effective two-photon excitation over the large area. However, this configuration suffers from reduced signal intensity due to the low repetition rate, saturation effects due to increased excitation fluences, as well as faster photobleaching of the fluorescence probe. In contrast, with the recent advent of high repetition rate, high pulse energy laser systems could potentially provide the advantages of high repetition rate systems that are seen in traditional two-photon microscopes, while minimizing the negatives of high fluences in WF-TeFo setups to date. Here, we use a 100 microjoule/high repetition rate (50-100 kHz) laser system to investigate the performance of a WF-TeFo two-photon microscope. While using micro-beads as a sample, we demonstrate a proportionate increase in signal intensity with repetition rate, at no added cost in photobleaching. By decreasing pulse intensity, via a corresponding increase in repetition rate to maintain fluorescence signal intensity, we find that the photobleaching rate is reduced by ~98.4%. We then image live C. elegans at a high repetition rate for 25 min. as a proof-of-principle. Lastly, we identify the steady state temperature increase as the limiting process in further increasing the repetition rate, and we estimate that repetition rate in the range between 0.5 and 5 MHz is ideal for live imaging with a simple theoretical model. With new generation low-cost fiber laser systems offering high pulse energy/high repetition rates in what is essentially a turn-key solution, we anticipate increased adoption of this microscopy technique by the neuroscience community.

Novel photonic microresonators with enhanced nonlinear optical (NLO) intensity are fabricated from polymer particles. As an additional advantage, they offer band gap tunability from the visible to near-infrared regions. A special protocol including (i) copolymerization of 4-(1-pyrenyl)-styrene, styrene, and 1,4-divinylbenzene, (ii) extraction of a dispersible and partly dissolvable, lightly cross-linked polymer network (PN), and (iii) treatment of the blue-emitting PN with electron acceptor (A) molecules such as 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) furnishes orange- and red-emitting D-A charge-transfer (CT) complexes with the pendant pyrene units. These complexes, here named PN-TCNB and PN-TCNQ, respectively, precipitate as microparticles upon the addition of water and subsequent ultrasonication. Upon electronic excitation, these spherical microparticles act as whispering-gallery-mode resonators by displaying optical resonances in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra because of light confinement. Further, the trapped incident light increases the light-matter interaction and thereby enhances the PL intensity, including the two-photon luminescence. The described protocol for polymer-based CT microresonators with tunable NLO emissions holds promise for a myriad of photonic applications.

An anionic triphenyl methane dye, methyl blue ((disodium;4-[4-[[4-(4-sulfonatoanilino)phenyl]-[4-(4-sulfonatophenyl)azaniumylidenecyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene]methyl]anilino]benzene sulfonate) was degraded photocatalytically with undoped micro-TiO2- and Ag(+)-doped micro TiO2 in a slurry-type batch reactor under UV irradiation and the efficiency was compared with that obtained using nano-TiO2- and Ag(+)-doped nano-TiO2. The influence of different parameters, i.e., photocatalyst loading, dye concentration, initial pH, temperature, depth of solution, interfering ions and electron acceptors on the dye degradation was investigated. The decolorization and mineralization efficiency was better for Ag(+)-doped micro-TiO2 than undoped micro-TiO2. Nano-TiO2 was more efficient than micro-TiO2, while Ag(+)-doped nano-TiO2 was the most efficient of all. Cost analysis showed degradation using micro-TiO2- and Ag(+)-doped micro-TiO2 are much cheaper than that using nano-TiO2 and Ag(+)-doped nano-TiO2. Therefore Ag(+)-doped micro-TiO2 was used for the detailed study. The degradation products formed were identified using GC-MS analysis after photocatalytic degradation for 180 min with Ag(+) -doped micro TiO2. Ion chromatography analysis was carried out for anions to identify the end products of degradation.

Commercially available microcrystalline TiO2 was doped with silver, ferrous and ferric ion (1.0 mol %) using silver nitrate, ferrous sulfate and ferric nitrate solutions following the liquid impregnation technology. The catalysts prepared were characterised by FESEM, XRD, FTIR, DRS, particle size and micropore analysis. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared catalysts was tested on the degradation of two model dyes, methylene blue (3,7-bis (Dimethylamino)-phenothiazin-5-ium chloride, a cationic thiazine dye) and methyl blue (disodium;4-[4-[[4-(4-sulfonatoanilino)phenyl]-[4-(4-sulfonatophenyl)azaniumylidenecyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene]methyl]anilino]benzene sulfonate, an anionic triphenyl methane dye) under irradiation by UV and visible light in a batch reactor. The efficiency of the photocatalysts under UV and visible light was compared to ascertain the light range for effective utilization. The catalysts were found to have the anatase crystalline structure and their particle size is in a range of 140-250 nm. In the case of Fe(2+) doped TiO2 and Fe(3+) doped TiO2, there was a greater shift in the optical absorption towards the visible range. Under UV light, Ag(+) doped TiO2 was the most efficient catalyst and the corresponding decolorization was more than 99% for both the dyes. Under visible light, Fe(3+) doped TiO2 was the most efficient photocatalyst with more than 96% and 90% decolorization for methylene blue and methyl blue, respectively. The kinetics of the reaction under both UV and visible light was investigated using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Kinetic measurements confirmed that, Ag(+) doped TiO2 was most efficient in the UV range, while Fe(3+) doped TiO2 was most efficient in the visible range.

The objective of this report was to evaluate the transcorneal permeation of diclofenac potassium (DCP) as a function of temperature from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) matrix film containing triethanolamine (TEM) as plasticizer and benzalkonium chloride (BKC) as preservative. Activation energy (Ea), enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and free energy (ΔG) of permeation, diffusion and partition were evaluated to understand the underlying mechanism of permeation. Permeation improved with the presence of both the plasticizer and preservative compared to preservative alone. Further, increased amount of TEM in the film increased drug transport across the cornea. Decreased Ea value of the film supported the fact. Rise of temperature from 26 to 30, 34 and 40 °C increased permeation in all the films. Ocular residence of the film in vivo in the rabbit revealed that the film swelled by pronounced lachrymal fluid uptake and traces of hydrogel remained still at the end of 6 h of application. Absence of characteristic exothermic peak of the drug in the thermogram of film formulations indicated the molecular dispersion of drug in polymer matrix. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the drug crystal size decreased with increasing concentration of TEM in presence of BKC due to effective wetting of drug particles by the polymer., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A three-factor, three-levels Box-Behnken design combined with response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the photocatalytic degradation process of Methylene blue (MB), a cationic thiazin dye, using Agdoped TiO₂ under UV irradiation in a batch reactor. The individual and interaction effects of three operational parameters, photocatalyst dose (1.5-2.5 g/L), initial dye concentration (10-50 ppm) and pH (5-9), selected based on single factor study, on the colour removal (decolourization) and COD removal (mineralization) of the dye were determined by fitting the results of the experiments to two quadratic polynomial models relating the parameters to the response variables. Design Expert software version 8.0.6.1 was used to determine the effects of the parameters on the two responses and the optimum values of the parameters. The initial dye concentration was found to have a higher negative effect on the two responses, while photocatalyst dose and pH had lower positive effect. Under the optimum conditions (dose of Ag⁺ doped TiO₂ 1.97 g/L, initial concentration of MB 22.86 ppm and pH of reaction mixture 6.68) the decolourization and mineralization rate of MB were predicted as more than 96% and 71%, respectively. The high correlation between adjusted and predicted R values indicates goodness of fit of the model.

Real textile wastewater collected from the cotton dyeing bath of a fabric dyeing and finishing plant was subjected to heterogeneous photocatalysis using Ag(+) doped TiO(2) under UV irradiation in a batch reactor. The photocatalysts were characterized by FESEM, XRD, EDS, FTIR, DRS and BET analyses. The kinetics of the reaction was also evaluated. Colour removal was more than 88%, 94% and 99%, respectively for undiluted, 2 times diluted and 5 times diluted wastewater with Ag(+) doped TiO(2) (2.5 g/L) after UV irradiation for 360 minutes. The COD removal for undiluted, 2 times diluted and 5 times diluted wastewater was 47%, 70% and 92%, respectively under similar conditions. The reaction followed Langmuir-Hinshelwood pseudo first order kinetic model and the data fitted well to polynomial regression analysis.

Methylene blue dye (MB) was degraded photocatalytically in aqueous solution using Ag(+) doped TiO(2) under UV irradiation. The degradations of the dye using untreated TiO(2) and Ag(+) doped TiO(2) were compared. Ag(+) doped TiO(2) was found to be more efficient. Using Ag(+) doped TiO(2) the filtration process was eliminated, as the particles became more settleable. The effect of various parameters such as catalyst loading, initial dye concentration, depth of solution, degree of adsorption, pH and O(2) on dye degradation was studied. The extent of mineralization was studied by observing the COD removal at different time intervals. The effects of various interfering ions such as Cl(-), NO(3) (-), CO(3) (2-), SO(4) (2-), Ca(2+) and Fe(3+) and electron acceptors such as H(2)O(2), KBrO(3) and (NH(4))(2)S(2)O(8) on the dye degradation was also studied. The degradation kinetics fitted well to Langmuir-Hinshelwood pseudo first order rate law. An aqueous solution of MB (20ppm) degraded by more than 99% after UV irradiation for 180 min with Ag(+) doped TiO(2) (2 g/L) and by more than 95% with untreated TiO(2) (2 g/L)(.) The COD removal was more than 91% with Ag(+)doped TiO(2) and more than 86% with untreated TiO(2) after 240 min. The degradation and COD removal of 5 times diluted textile wastewater was more than 98% and 79% respectively with 1 g/L Ag(+) doped TiO(2) after UV irradiation for 420 min.

Wild type Aeromonas hydrophila (Strain AO1) isolated from the lesions of ulcerative disease syndrome (UDS) affected fish bears a 21 kb virulence plasmid. With plasmid curing the isolates became attenuated and failed to induce fatal haemorrhagic ulcers in fish. The objective of the present work was to check the immunogenicity of these plasmid-cured derivatives and determine whether such strains could be used as candidate antigens for eliciting protective immunity to A. hydrophila infections in the Indian catfish Clarias batrachus L. It was observed that the plasmid-cured strains were immunogenic since infection with live plasmid-cured AO1 isolates generated effective T cell responses and led to increase in serum antibacterial agglutinin titres in C. batrachus. Plasmid-cured AO1 strains injected into C. batrachus could disseminate into head kidney (HK) and spleen but never attained the same bacterial loads obtained with wild type AO1 and were cleared rapidly from the host. Immunisation with plasmid-cured bacteria prevented systemic spread and conferred protection against lethal challenge (10 x LD(50)) with wild type A. hydrophila as well as other pathogenic strains of Aeromonas sp. These results demonstrate the potentials of plasmid-cured A. hydrophila derivatives as candidate antigens for eliciting protective immunity in fish and the possibility of using such isolates as shuttle vectors in aquaculture.