Low Cost Research Articles

A review on sustainable management of biomass: physicochemical modification and its application for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants-challenges, opportunities, and future directions.

Adsorption is one of the most efficient methods for remediating industrial recalcitrant wastewater due to its simple design and low investment cost. However, the conventional adsorbents used in adsorption have several limitations, including high cost, low removal rates, secondary waste generation, and low regeneration ability. Hence, the focus of the research has shifted to developing alternative low-cost green adsorbents from renewable resources such as biomass. In this regard, the recent progress in the modification of biomass-derived adsorbents, which are rich in cellulosic content, through a variety of techniques, including chemical, physical, and thermal processes, has been critically reviewed in this paper. In addition, the practical applications of raw and modified biomass-based adsorbents for the treatment of industrial wastewater are discussed extensively. In a nutshell, the adsorption mechanism, particularly for real wastewater, and the effects of various modifications on biomass-based adsorbents have yet to be thoroughly studied, despite the extensive research efforts devoted to their innovation. Therefore, this review provides insight into future research needed in wastewater treatment utilizing biomass-based adsorbents, as well as the possibility of commercializing biomass-based adsorbents into viable products.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Carbon Dots for Determination of Pharmacological and Biological Samples: A Review.

Carbon dots (CDs) are a novel category of carbon-based nanomaterials characterized by their small size, often less than 10 nm. CDs physical, chemical, and optical properties can be tuned using one-pot assembly. Because of their non-toxicity, biocompatibility, chemical and physical responsiveness, photo- and chemical-bleaching resistance, and low cost, nanoparticles have become incredibly versatile. They find various applications in detecting inorganic substances, bio sensing, visualizing cells, studying biological processes in live cells, and aiding in medication delivery. Additionally, CDs exhibit versatility in electronics and energy storage, making them promising candidates for applications in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and supercapacitors. CDs are more photo stable for hours than typical fluorescent semiconductor quantum dots. Before applying CDs, they must be characterized. Techniques such as UV-VIS spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrophotometry, FT-IR, TEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and NMR are commonly used to assess their photophysical and structural properties. This article review explores the synthesis, characterization applications of CDs in analytical techniques for the determination of various analytes. The article provides a detailed analysis of the different methodologies used to make nanomaterials and devices for the characterization of CDs. It also discusses the challenges that arise when using CDs in analytical techniques for detecting different analytes. The focus of this review is on accurately determining pharmaceutical and biological samples using CDs as sensing probes.

Liquid crystalline elastomer self-oscillating fiber actuators fabricated from soft tubular molds.

The self-oscillation of objects that perform continuous and periodic motions upon unchanging and constant stimuli is highly important for intelligent actuators, advanced robotics, and biomedical machines. Liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) materials are superior to traditional stimuli-responsive polymeric materials in the development of self-oscillators because of their reversible, large and anisotropic shape-changing ability, fast response ability and versatile structural design. In addition, fiber-shaped oscillators have attracted much interest due to their agility, flexibility and diverse oscillation modes. Herein, we present a strategy for fabricating fiber-shaped LCE self-oscillators using soft tubes as molds. Through the settlement of different configuration states of the soft tubes, the prepared fiber-shaped LCE oscillators can perform continuous rotational self-oscillation or up-and-down shifting self-oscillation under constant light stimuli, which are realized by photoinduced repetitive self-winding motion and self-waving motion, respectively. The mechanism of self-oscillating movements is attributed to the local temperature oscillation of LCE fibers caused by repetitive self-shadowing effects. LCE self-oscillators can operate stably over many oscillating cycles without obvious performance attenuation, revealing good robustness. Our work offers a versatile way by which LCE self-oscillators can be conveniently designed and fabricated in bulk and at low cost, and broadens the road for developing self-oscillating materials for biological robotics and health care machines.

Big data analytics for quality variation over work shifts in manufacturing systems

ABSTRACT In the manufacturing industry, mass production enables manufacturers to produce parts with high precision and lower costs. Multiple shifts operate production processes to maximize efficiency. Several researches have been conducted on the impact of shift work on labor’s health and habits. However, there have been few studies on the influence of shift work on the consistency of product quality. This paper provides a methodology to analyze the impact of different work shifts in a real electronic board manufacturing industry. The study uses big data and analytics to assess product quality from data. Non-parametric kernel density estimation is used to approximate the distribution of good products in each work slot. Then several metrics are used to measure the dissimilarity between the estimated densities. The approach can be leveraged in various problems related to process performance and quality. The obtained results show that there is no significant difference in terms of product quality between work shifts. These prove the consistency of the manufacturing processes and the homogeneity of performance across work shifts in the studied factory. Compared to the literature, the paper presents the first quantitative analysis to compare production process performance and product quality over shift works.

Exploring Flower-Structured Bifunctional VCu Layered Double Hydroxide and its Nanohybrid with g-C3N4for Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Seawater Electrolysis.

Seawater electrolysis holds great promise for sustainable green hydrogen generation, but its implementation is hindered by high energy consumption and electrode degradation. Two dimensional (2D) layered double hydroxide (LDH) exhibits remarkable stability, high catalytic activity, and excellent corrosion resistance in the harsh electrolytic environment. The synergistic effect between LDH and seawater ions enhances the oxygen evolution reaction, enabling efficient and sustainable green hydrogen generation. Here, we report a synthesis of low cost, novel 2D Vanadium Copper (VCu) LDH first time in the series of LDH's as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst. The electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) study of VCu LDH and VCu LDH/Graphite Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4) nanohybrid was performed in 0.5 M H2SO4 (acidic), 1 M KOH (basic), 0.5 M NaCl (artificial seawater), 0.5 M NaCl + 1 M KOH (artificial alkaline seawater), real seawater and 1 M KOH + real seawater (alkaline real seawater) electrolyte medium. It was found that VCu LDH shows a remarkable lower overpotential of 72 mV hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 254 mV oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at current density of 10 mA/cm2 under alkaline real seawater electrolysis exhibiting bifunctional activity and also showing better stability.

A Systematic Review of Simulation in Burn Care: Education, Assessment, and Management.

Assessment and management of burns require nuanced, timely interventions in high-stake settings, creating challenges for trainees. Simulation-based education has become increasingly popular in surgical and nonsurgical subspecialties to supplement training without compromising patient safety. This study aimed to systematically review the literature on existing burn management-related simulations. A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Articles describing burn-specific surgical and nonsurgical simulation models were included. The model type, study description, simulated skills, assessment methods, fidelity, cost, and outcomes were collected. Of 3,472 articles, 31 met inclusion criteria. The majority of simulations were high-fidelity (n=17, 54.8%). Most were immersive (n=17, 54.8%) and used synthetic benchtop models (n=13, 41.9%), whereas none were augmented/virtual reality. Simulations of acute and early surgical intervention techniques (n=16, 51.6%) and burn wound assessments (n=15, 48.4%) were the most common, whereas burn reconstruction was the least common (n=3, 9.7%). Technical skills were taught more often (n=29, 93.5%) than non-technical skills (n=15, 48.4%). Subjective assessments (n=18, 58.1%) were used more often than objective assessments (n=23, 74.2%). Of the studies that reported costs, 91.7% (n=11) reported low costs. This review identified the need to expand burn simulator options, especially for burn reconstruction, and highlighted the paucity of animal, cadavers, and augmented/virtual reality models. Developing validated, accessible burn simulations to supplement training may improve education, patient safety, and outcomes.

Understanding individual experiences with stick-built and modular cleanrooms: Lessons learned and a call to action.

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. The purpose of this study was to assess the real-world experiences of cleanroom managers and specialists who have designed, installed, and maintained stick-built and/or modular cleanrooms, delineate the advantages and disadvantages of each type of cleanroom, and gather sterile compounding cleanroom design and installation advice and lessons learned. This study was conducted via surveys and semistructured interviews of individuals with cleanroom experience in the previous 5 years. Qualitative analyses were conducted on participants' survey and interview responses to assess their satisfaction with each type of cleanroom and to determine what they perceive to be the pros and cons of each type based on their own experiences. Key lessons learned and advice from these individuals were also extracted from their survey and interview responses. Fourteen individuals from 13 US states completed the survey; twelve participated in follow-up interviews. Fifty percent of the participants (n = 7) had installed 5 or more cleanrooms in the previous five years and over half (n = 8; 57%) had 7 or more years of cleanroom experience. The average satisfaction scores for each type of cleanroom, on a 1 to 10 scale, was 5.3 for stick-built (n = 11) and 9.3 for modular (n = 4). The pros of stick-built cleanrooms included greater design and material flexibility and lower up-front costs. The pros of modular cleanrooms included the cleanroom experience and expertise of modular vendors, quick and easy installations, guaranteed certification, and high-quality and durable design features and materials. Additionally, modular cleanrooms had fewer long-term maintenance issues, greater long-term flexibility, and lower indirect and long-term costs than stick-built cleanrooms. Key pieces of advice from the participants included the following: do your homework before beginning a cleanroom project; make sure heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system(s) and air handlers are adequate for your needs; and remember that the ultimate purpose of a quality cleanroom is patient safety. Participants also advocated for industry-wide cleanroom standards that go beyond USP regulations. The findings of this study confirm many of the purported pros and cons of each type of cleanroom, with further insight gained into the relative quality and costs of each type. Modular cleanrooms were considered by most participants to be a better long-term option, based on quality and lifetime costs, if feasible to install. Study participants also emphasized that designing and installing pharmacy cleanrooms is a complex and time-intensive process that often comes with a steep learning curve. While there are federal and state cleanroom standards available and consultants for hire, a comprehensive resource or manual that could provide guidance, insight, and collective lessons learned on cleanroom design and installation is needed.

Trace Selenium Doping for Improving the Reaction Kinetics of ZnS Cathode for Aqueous Zn-S Batteries.

Aqueous Zinc-sulfur (Zn-S) batteries are promising for the field of energy storage due to their low cost, high theoretical capacity, and safety. However, the large volume expansion and the inherently poor conductivity of sulfur would result in electrode cracking and sluggish reaction kinetics, limiting the practical application of Zn-S batteries. Herein, commercial zinc sulfide (ZnS) is employed instead of S as cathode and proposed a doping modification strategy to solve the above problems. The designed ZnS0.93Se0.07 cathode shows good cycle stability and much-improved reaction kinetics, which is due to the smaller bandgap of ZnS0.93Se0.07 (1.40eV) compared to ZnS (1.86eV). As a result, the obtained ZnS0.93Se0.07 cathode exhibits a high specific capacity of 552 mAh g-1 (1672.6 mAh g-1 based on S) at 0.1 A g-1 and 330 mAh g-1 (1000 mAh g-1 based on S) at 2 A g-1. Moreover, the ZnS0.93Se0.07 cathode can provide a high areal capacity of 3.8 mAh cm-2 at a high mass loading of 10mg cm-2 and limited electrolyte (4µL mg-1). This work provides a simple and effective cathode modification strategy, which is conducive to promoting the practical application of Zn-S batteries.

Square-planar Tetranuclear Cluster-based Alkaline Earth Metal-organic Frameworks with Enhanced Proton Conductivity.

Alkaline earth (AE) metal complexes have garnered significant interest in various functional fields due to their nontoxicity, low density, and low cost. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation into the structural characteristics and physical properties of AE-metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this research, we synthesized isostructural MOFs consisting of AE4(μ4-Cl) clusters bridged by benzo-(1,2;3,4;5,6)-tris(thiophene-2'-carboxylic acid) (BTTC3-) ligands. The resulting structure forms a truncated octahedral cage denoted as [AE4(m4-Cl)]6(BTTC)8, which further linked to a porous three-dimensional framework. Among the investigated AE ions (Ca, Sr, and Ba), the Ca4-MOF demonstrated good chemical stability in water compared to Sr4-MOF and Ba4-MOF. The N2 adsorption and solid-state UV-vis-NIR absorption behaviors were evaluated for all AE4-MOFs, showing similar trends among the different metal ions. Additionally, the proton conduction study revealed that the Ca4-MOF exhibited ultra-high proton conductivity, reaching 3.52×10-2 S cm-1 at 343 K and 98 % RH. Notably, the introduction of LiCl via guest exchange resulted in an improved proton conduction of up to 6.36×10-2 S cm-1 under similar conditions in the modified LiCl@Ca4-MOF. The findings shed light on the regulation of physical properties and proton conductivity of AE-MOFs, providing valuable insights for their potential applications in various fields.

N-Doping-Induced Amorphization for Achieving Ultrastable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Vanadium-based oxides, known for their high capacity and low cost, have garnered significant attention as promising cathode candidates in aqueous zinc-ion batteries. Nonetheless, their poor rate performance and limited durability in aqueous electrolytes present a challenge to the realistic implementation of vanadium-based aqueous zinc-ion batteries. Here, we synthesized nitrogen-doped V2O3@C (N-V2O3@N-C) via ammonia treatment of V2O3@C derived from vanadium-based metal-organic framework (V-MOF), aiming to achieve outstanding rate and cycling performance. The N-V2O3@N-C electrode exhibits notable in situ self-transformation into an amorphous state. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the distorted N-V2O3 structure and uneven charge distribution result in the creation of an amorphous state. As expected, Zn/N-V2O3@N-C aqueous zinc-ion batteries can achieve remarkable specific capacity (349.0 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), along with impressive rate performance, showcasing a capacity of 253.5 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 and exceptional durability at 5 A g-1 (96.4% after 1350 cycles). The employed induced amorphization approach offers novel perspectives for designing high-performance cathodes that exhibit both sturdy structures and extended cycling lifespans.

Industrial-scale Hard Carbon Designed to Regulate Electrochemical Polarization for Fast Sodium Storage.

Given the merits of abundant resource, low cost and high electrochemical activity, hard carbons have been regarded as one of the most commercializable anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, poor rate capability is one of the main obstacles that severely hinder its further development. In addition, the relationships between preparation method, material structure and electrochemical performance have not been clearly elaborated. Herein, a simple but effective strategy is proposed to accurately construct the multiple structural features in hard carbon via adjusting the components of precursors. Through detailed physical characterization of the hard carbons derived from different regulation steps, and further combined with in-situ Raman and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) analysis, the network of multiple relationships between preparation method, microstructure, sodium storage behavior and electrochemical performance have been successfully established. Simultaneously, exceptional rate capability about 108.8 mAh g-1 at 8 A g-1 have been achieved from RHC sample with high reversible capacity and desirable initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE). Additionally, the practical applications can be extended to cylindrical batterywith excellent cycle behaviors. Such facile approach can provide guidance for large-scale production of high-performance hard carbons and provides the possibility of building practical SIBs with high energy density and durability.

Polymer-based cascaded waveguide Bragg grating for blood glucose sensing.

Waveguide Bragg grating (WBG) blood glucose sensing, as a biological sensing technology with broad application prospects, plays an important role in the fields of health management and medical treatment. In this work, a polymer-based cascaded WBG is applied to glucose detection. We investigated photonic devices with two different grating structures cascaded-a crossed grating and a bilateral grating-and analyzed the effects of the crossed grating period, bilateral grating period, and number of grating periods on the sensing performance of the glucose sensor. Finally, the spectral reflectance characteristics, response time, and sensing specificity of the cascaded WBG were evaluated. The experimental results showed that the glucose sensor has a sensitivity of 175 nm/RIU in a glucose concentration range of 0-2 mg/ml and has the advantages of high integration, a narrow bandwidth, and low cost.

High-sensitivity vector magnetic field sensor based on a V-shaped multimode-no-core-multimode fiber structure.

This work proposes and investigates a bent multimode-no-core-multimode optical fiber structure for vector magnetic field sensing applications. The bent no-core fiber (NCF) serves as the sensing area, and the gold film is deposited on its surface to excite the surface plasmon resonance effect. Due to the strong evanescent field of the unclad and bent NCF, the as-fabricated sensor exhibits a high sensitivity of 5630 nm/RIU in the refractive index range of 1.36-1.39. Magnetic fluid is employed as the magneto-sensitive material for magnetic field sensing, exhibiting a high magnetic field intensity sensitivity of 5.74 nm/mT and a high magnetic field direction sensitivity of 0.22 nm/°. The proposed sensor features a simple structure, low cost, point sensing, and excellent mechanical performance.

Electrochemical ocean iron fertilization and alkalinity enhancement approach toward CO2 sequestration

Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 requires the development of effective negative emission techniques, including ocean-based approaches for CO2 sequestration. However, the implementation and testing of marine CO2 removal (mCDR) techniques such as ocean iron fertilization (OIF) or ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) face significant challenges. Herein, a novel self-operating electrochemical technology is presented that not only combines OIF and OAE, but also recovers hydrogen gas (H2) from seawater, hence offering a promising solution for achieving quantifiable and transparent large-scale mCDR. Experimental results show that the electrochemical OIF (EOIF) can not only increase the concentration of ferrous iron (Fe+2) by 0–0.5 mg/L, but also significantly increases the seawater pH by 8% (i.e., a 25% decrease in the hydrogen ions concentration). The release of iron (Fe+2/Fe+3) can be regulated by adjusting the magnitude of the electric current and its form (e.g., pulsed current and polarity reversal), as well as by optimizing the electrode material and geometry. In certain ocean regions, enhanced iron concentrations stimulate the naturally occurring biological carbon pump (BCP), leading to increased phytoplankton growth, CO2 uptake, and subsequent export of carbon to the deep ocean. Simultaneously, the system increases seawater alkalinity and the buffer capacity, enhancing CO2 solubility and storage in the shallow ocean through the solubility pump. The obtained measurements demonstrate the scalability of EOIF and its ability to operate using solar energy at a lower cost. Overall, the proposed EOIF technology offers a practical, effective, and sustainable solution for addressing climate change on a large scale.

Iron Recycle-Driven Organic Capture and Sidestream Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Revolutionizing Bioenergy Generation in Municipal Wastewater Treatment.

The practicality of intensifying organic matter capture for bioenergy recovery to achieve energy-neutral municipal wastewater treatment is hindered by the lack of sustainable methods. This study developed innovative processes integrating iron recycle-driven organic capture with a sidestream anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). Iron-assisted chemically enhanced primary treatment achieved elemental redirection with 75.2% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 20.2% of nitrogen, and 97.4% of phosphorus captured into the sidestream process as iron-enhanced primary sludge (Fe-PS). A stable and efficient biomethanation of Fe-PS was obtained in AnMBR with a high methane yield of 224 mL/g COD. Consequently, 64.1% of the COD in Fe-PS and 48.2% of the COD in municipal wastewater were converted into bioenergy. The acidification of anaerobically digested sludge at pH = 2 achieved a high iron release efficiency of 96.1% and a sludge reduction of 29.3% in total suspended solids. Ultimately, 87.4% of iron was recycled for coagulant reuse, resulting in a theoretical 70% reduction in chemical costs. The novel system evaluation exhibited a 75.2% improvement in bioenergy recovery and an 83.3% enhancement in net energy compared to the conventional system (primary sedimentation and anaerobic digestion). This self-reliant and novel process can be applied in municipal wastewater treatment to advance energy neutrality at a lower cost.

Comparative analysis of GoPro and digital cameras in head and neck flap harvesting surgery video documentation: an innovative and efficient method for surgical education

BackgroundAn urgent need exists for innovative surgical video recording techniques in head and neck reconstructive surgeries, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where a surge in surgical procedures necessitates more skilled surgeons. This demand, significantly intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights the critical role of surgical videos in medical education. We aimed to identify a straightforward, high-quality approach to recording surgical videos at a low economic cost in the operating room, thereby contributing to enhanced patient care.MethodsThe recording was comprised of six head and neck flap harvesting surgeries using GoPro or two types of digital cameras. Data were extracted from the recorded videos and their subsequent editing process. Some of the participants were subsequently interviewed.ResultsBoth cameras, set at 4 K resolution and 30 frames per second (fps), produced satisfactory results. The GoPro, worn on the surgeon’s head, moves in sync with the surgeon, offering a unique first-person perspective of the operation without needing an additional assistant. Though cost-effective and efficient, it lacks a zoom feature essential for close-up views. In contrast, while requiring occasional repositioning, the digital camera captures finer anatomical details due to its superior image quality and zoom capabilities.ConclusionMerging these two systems could significantly advance the field of surgical video recording. This innovation holds promise for enhancing technical communication and bolstering video-based medical education, potentially addressing the global shortage of specialized surgeons.

Impact of accelerated aging cycles on the performance of extruded cement-based composites reinforced with non-bleached eucalyptus fibers.

Thermo-mechanical pulping produces well-individualized fibers compared to wood particles and less fragile fibers compared to Kraft pulping, besides presenting higher volume, higher yield, and lower production cost, which can be an exciting alternative for the fiber-cement industries. This study evaluated the impact of soak and dry-aging cycles on the performance of extruded composites reinforced with non-bleached eucalyptus fibers. The cement matrix comprised cement (70%) and limestone (30%). Composites were reinforced with 1 to 5% of eucalyptus fiber by cement mass and tested on the 28th day of cure at 99% relative humidity and after 400 accelerated aging cycles. The water absorption and apparent porosity gradually increased with the reinforcement level. Composites with 4 and 5% fibers showed the highest toughness (0.21 and 0.23kJ/m2, respectively). The aging by 400 soak-dry cycles reduced the composites' water absorption and apparent porosity. The modulus of elasticity (MOE), rupture (MOR), and toughness increased, except for toughness for composites reinforced with 1 and 5% fibers, explained by the cementitious matrix's continuous hydration, fiber mineralization, and natural carbonation. In general, eucalyptus thermo-mechanical fibers were suitable for producing cementitious composites. Cementitious composites with 3% fibers presented a higher MOR, MOE, low water absorption, and apparent porosity after 400 accelerated aging cycles. In addition, the composites with 4% fibers also presented remarkable improvements in these properties. The aging cycles did not result in composites with less resistance, a positive fact for their application as tiles and materials for external use in civil construction.

Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation and laparoscopic adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism: a meta‑analysis.

To compare the efficacy (including blood pressure, medication reduction, serum potassium, and clinical success) and safety parameters (including operative time, length of hospital stay, blood loss, hypertension crisis rate, and complication rate) of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) in the treatment of primary aldosteronism (PA). Literature search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library (Issue 8, 2023), Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang from inception to August 2023. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The Stata 12.0 software was used for statistical analyses. Pooled odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for categorical outcomes, while mean difference (MD) with corresponding 95% CI were calculated for continuous outcomes. A total of 5 studies involving 204 patients (LA, n = 127; and RAF, n = 77) were included. LA had better diastolic blood pressure control than RFA (WMD = 5.19; 95% CI 0.96-9.43); however, the RFA demonstrated better shorter operative time (WMD = - 57.99; 95% CI - 116.54 to 0.57), and shorter length of hospital stay (OR - 1.6; 95% CI - 2.37 to - 0.83) compared to LA. All remaining parameters were comparable between the interventions. While grossly comparable in efficacy as treatment options for PA, RFA may allow for shorter operative time and hospital stay, less intraoperative blood loss, and lower hospitalization costs. However, LA has better diastolic blood pressure control. Even so, we still need larger prospective studies, specifically with comparative hypertension response (short and long term) and number of post-procedural antihypertensive medication requirement.

Insulin amyloid fibril formation reduction by tripeptide stereoisomers.

Insulin fibrillation is a problem for diabetic patients that can occur during storage and transport, as well as at the subcutaneous injection site, with loss of bioactivity, inflammation, and various adverse effects. Tripeptides are ideal additives to stabilise insulin formulations, thanks to their low cost of production and inherent cytocompatibility. In this work, we analysed the ability of eight tripeptide stereoisomers to inhibit the fibrillation of human insulin in vitro. The sequences contain proline as β-breaker and Phe-Phe as binding motif for the amyloid-prone aromatic triplet found in insulin. Experimental data based on spectroscopy, fluorescence, microscopy, and calorimetric techniques reveal that one stereoisomer is a more effective inhibitor than the others, and cell live/dead assays confirmed its high cytocompatibility. Importantly, in silico data revealed the key regions of insulin engaged in the interaction with this tripeptide, rationalising the molecular mechanism behind insulin fibril formation reduction.

Low-cost Nursery Media for Improving Germination of Chip Budded Seedlings for SSI

The quality and vigour of the chip budded seedlings are important components in SSI technology which in turn, depends on the nature of growing media. The most commonly used media for chip budded seedlings is pure coco peat which is a costlier one and availability is also restricted. Hence an alternate organic media to pure coco peat compressing low cost organic sources viz., Press mud, Coco peat, Coir pith, Town Compost and Vermicompost are essential to widespread this technology. Hence, an experiment was conducted at Sugarcane Research Station, Sirugamani in 2013-14 to find out suitable low cost media for producing vigorous seedlings of chip budded seedlings of Sugarcane. The experiment was conducted in RBD with 11 treatments comprising of different media with three replications. The treatments include Composted Coir pith :Vermicompost @2:1 ratio (T1), Composted coir pith + press mud @ 2:1 ratio (T2),Composted Coir pith :Vermicompost @3:1 ratio (T3), Composted coir pith + press mud @ 3:1 ratio (T4), Bagasse + Press mud @ 1:1 ratio (T5), Banana leaf compost: Press mud @1:2ratio (T6), Sugarcane trash Compost + press mud @ 1:1ratio (T7), Municipal Waste (Town Compost) + Sugarcane trash compost + Press mud @ 1:1 ratio (T7), Municipal waste (town Compost) + Sugarcane trash compost @ 1:1 ratio (T8), Composted Coir pith clone (Coco peat) (T9), Press mud alone (T10), Farm boon (composted press mud) (T11). Single budded chip buds from the healthy mother canes o TNAU Sugarcane Si 7 variety were prepared using bud chipper machine and the same was treated with 0.05% Carbendazim, Malathion 2% and Urea @ 1 for 15 minutes. The chip buds were shade dried for 2 hours and then planted in the pro trays filled with the media as per the treatments. The nursery media in different treatments were prepared using bud chipper machine and the same materials as per the treatments, half filed in the pro trays and the treated chip buds were planted in slanting position in the canes of the trays and then covered with the respective media. The trays were incubated for 5 days to induce sprouting and then kept under 50 % shade ned and water was sprinkled every day on the pro trays the grown up seedlings were observed for different growth parameters viz., Germination %, Survival percentage, Root and Shoot length, Shoot and root dry weight, dry matter production and vigour index.The results revealed that there was a significant difference on germination recorded at 20 DAS due to different nursery media tried. Higher germination of 66.93% was observed with T3 treatment (coir pith + Vermicompost @ 3: 1 ratio) It was on par with T6 treatment (Banana leaf Compost: Press mud % 1:2 ratio) and T10 treatment (Press mud alone). Regarding survival % recorded at 30 DAS, the higher revival % was recorded with T3 treatment. However, it was on par with T4, T5 & T10 treatments (Bagasse: press mud @ 1:2 ratio). The lower shoot length was recorded with T11 treatment where the nursery media of farm boon was used. There was no significant difference in influencing root length and number of leaves / seedling and root / shot ratio due to different treatments (nursery media) tried.