Assistive Technology: Creating and Engaging Collaborative Communities.

This paper outlines the remit of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council KT-EQUAL (Knowledge Transfer for Extending Quality of Life for older and disabled people) programme. Case examples drawing on the range of activities undertaken by KT-EQUAL highlight where assistive technology developments have been facilitated, the value of network activities and an underpinning model of engagement and collaboration. Given an increasing emphasis on the impact of research the model and innovative approaches deployed by KT-EQUAL are even more crucial in future developments which aim to ensure that research can be used to benefit society

Evaluation of leaf extract of Lantana camara aginast seed mycoflora - biopesticides approach

The Seed treatment with pant extract of Lantana camara does not have any adverse effect on the germinated of seeds even after the treatment for 30 minutes. The seed were treated with aqneous extract, alcoholic extract, and ethyl acetate extract of Lantana camara leavers for 5 minutes, 15 minutes and 30 minutes. It is evident that the treatment of ethyl acetate extract for 30 minutes inhibited the growth of dominant fungi like curvularia lunata A.flavus, A.niger and fusarium moniliforme. So the ethylacetate extract of leaves of Lantana camara can be utilised for the biological control of seeds borne fungi of soybean. So the seed treatment of plant extract will not cause any problem of pollution and the chemical of plant extracts are easily degraded in the soil, So the plant extract of Lantana camara can be used as biopesticide.&nbsp

Development and characterization of physical modified pearl millet starch-based films

Pearl millet is an underutilized and drought-resistant crop that is mainly used for animal feed and fodder. Starch (70%) is the main constituent of the pearl millet grain; this starch may be a good substitute for major sources of starch such as corn, rice, potatoes, etc. Starch was isolated from pearl millet grains and modified with different physical treatments (heat-moisture (HMT), microwave (MT), and sonication treatment (ST)). The amylose content and swelling capacity of the starches decreased after HMT and MT, while the reverse was observed for ST. Transition temperatures (onset (To), peak of gelatinization (Tp), and conclusion (Tc)) of the starches ranged from 62.92–76.16◦C, 67.95–81.05◦C, and 73.78–84.50◦C, respectively. After modification (HMT, MT, and ST), an increase in the transition temperatures was observed. Peak-viscosity of the native starch was observed to be 995 mPa.s., which was higher than the starch modified with HMT and MT. Rheological characteristics (storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G′′)) of the native and modified starches differed from 1039 to 1730 Pa and 83 to 94 Pa; the largest value was found for starch treated with ST and HMT. SEM showed cracks and holes on granule surfaces after HMT as well as MT starch granules. Films were prepared using both native and modified starches. The modification of the starches with different treatments had a significant impact on the moisture, transmittance, and solubility of films. The findings of this study will provide a better understanding of the functional properties of pearl millet starch for its possible utilization in film formation

Unraveling the bioactive profile, antioxidant and DNA damage protection potential of rye (secale cereale) flour

Six different solvents were used as extraction medium (water, methanol, ethanol, acidified methanol, benzene and acetone) to check their phenolics extraction efficacy from flour of two rye cultivars. Rye extracts with different solvents were further analyzed for the estimation of phytochemicals and antioxidant properties. Different tests (TPC, TAC, DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, RPA and CTC) were performed to check the antioxidant properties and tannin contents in extracts. A bioactive profile of a rye cultivar indicated the presence of total phenolic compounds (0.08-2.62 mg GAE/g), total antioxidant capacity (0.9-6.8 mg AAE/g) and condensed tannin content (4.24-9.28 mg CE/100 g). HPLC was done to check phenolics in rye extract with the best solvent (water), which indicated the presence of Catechol (91.1-120.4 mg/100 g), resorcinol (52-70.3 mg/100 g), vanillin (1.3-5.5 mg/100 g), ferulic acid (1.4-1.5 mg/100 g), quercetin (4.6-4.67 mg/100 g) and benzoic acid (5.3 mg/100 g) in rye extracts. The presence of DNA damage protection potential in rye extracts indicates its medicinal importance. Rye flour could be utilized in the preparation of antioxidant-rich health-benefiting food products

Magnetic Proximity induced efficient charge-to-spin conversion in large area PtSe2_{2}/Ni80_{80}Fe20_{20} heterostructures

As a topological Dirac semimetal with controllable spin-orbit coupling and conductivity, PtSe$_2$, a transition-metal dichalcogenide, is a promising material for several applications from optoelectric to sensors. However, its potential for spintronics applications is yet to be explored. In this work, we demonstrate that PtSe$_{2}$/Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ heterostructure can generate a large damping-like current-induced spin-orbit torques (SOT), despite the absence of spin-splitting in bulk PtSe$_{2}$. The efficiency of charge-to-spin conversion is found to be $(-0.1 \pm 0.02)$~nm$^{-1}$ in PtSe$_{2}$/Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$, which is three times that of the control sample, Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$/Pt. Our band structure calculations show that the SOT due to the PtSe$_2$ arises from an unexpectedly large spin splitting in the interfacial region of PtSe$_2$ introduced by the proximity magnetic field of the Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ layer. Our results open up the possibilities of using large-area PtSe$_{2}$ for energy-efficient nanoscale devices by utilizing the proximity-induced SOT.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Is an antireflux procedure necessary for a successful appendicostomy? The simplified Malone antegrade continence enema procedure

Aim: The aim of this study was to present the long-term institutional experience and outcomes of our Malone antegrade continence enema (MACE) procedure using the proximal appendix without any antireflux procedure. Materials and Methods: A single-center prospective study of 29 children undergoing a simplified Malone antegrade continence enema (SMACE) procedure from 2006 to 2017 was conducted using the appendix, whole or split. The mean follow-up period was 11.5 years (ranging from 5 to 16 years). Results: In 25 children, the proximal appendix was used, and in 4 cases, the whole appendix was used as a conduit. On follow-up, the MACE channel has been working well in 29/29 patients. Among the complications, seven patients had stomal stenosis, which was managed by home dilatation. There was no reflux of stools seen in any of the patients. Conclusion: The SMACE procedure, without incorporating an antireflux mechanism, is technically simpler and saves operative time. Most importantly, the results are satisfactory and comparable with procedures using antireflux techniques

Identification of stable resistance to ergot in pearl millet

hen >2500 Pennisetum americanum germ plasm accessions and c. 7300 advanced breeding lines were screened against Claviceps fusiformis all the latter were highly susceptible and only very low levels of resistance were detected in a few germ plasm accessions from India, Nigeria and Uganda. Resistant lines, developed by intermating relatively less-susceptible plants and pedigree selecting for several generations under high disease pressure, were evaluated through a cooperative international multilocational testing programme, the International Pearl Millet Ergot Nursery, to determine their resistance stability. Seven inbred lines (ICMPE numbers) and 6 sib-bulk populations (ICMPES numbers) evaluated at 8-12 locations for 2-3 yr in India and West Africa showed consistently high levels of resistance. Mean ergot severities in these lines across locations ranged from <1 to 7% compared with 30-65% in the susceptible check. These lines were also resistant to smut (Tolyposporium penicillariae) and downy mildew (Sclerospora graminicola) at ICRISAT Cent., Patancher

Natural Sources and Pharmacological Properties of Pinosylvin

Pinosylvin (3,5-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a natural pre-infectious stilbenoid toxin, is a terpenoid polyphenol compound principally found in the Vitaceae family in the heartwood of Pinus spp. (e.g., Pinus sylvestris) and in pine leaf (Pinus densiflora). It provides defense mechanisms against pathogens and insects for many plants. Stilbenoids are mostly found in berries and fruits but can also be found in other types of plants, such as mosses and ferns. This review outlined prior research on pinosylvin, including its sources, the technologies used for its extraction, purification, identification, and characterization, its biological and pharmacological properties, and its toxicity. The collected data on pinosylvin was managed using different scientific research databases such as PubMed, SciFinder, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus. In this study, the findings focused on pinosylvin to understand its pharmacological and biological activities as well as its chemical characterization to explore its potential therapeutic approaches for the development of novel drugs. This analysis demonstrated that pinosylvin has beneficial effects for various therapeutic purposes such as antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-allergic, and other biological functions. It has shown numerous and diverse actions through its ability to block, interfere, and/or stimulate the major cellular targets responsible for several disorders

Natural Sources, Pharmacological Properties, and Health Benefits of Daucosterol: Versatility of Actions

Daucosterol is a saponin present in various natural sources, including medicinal plant families. This secondary metabolite is produced at different contents depending on species, extraction techniques, and plant parts used. Currently, daucosterol has been tested and explored for its various biological activities. The results reveal potential pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and anticancer. Indeed, daucosterol possesses important anticancer effects in many signaling pathways, such as an increase in pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bcl2, a decrease in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, upregulation of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene, inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway, and distortion of cell-cycle progression and tumor cell evolution. Its neuroprotective effect is via decreased caspase-3 activation in neurons and during simulated reperfusion (OGD/R), increased IGF1 protein expression (decreasing the downregulation of p-AKT3 and p-GSK-3b4), and activation of the AKT5 signaling pathway. At the same time, daucosterol inhibits key glucose metabolism enzymes to keep blood sugar levels within normal ranges. Therefore, this review describes the principal research on the pharmacological activities of daucosterol and the mechanisms of action underlying some of these effects. Moreover, further investigation of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology are suggested