Challenges in Drug Discovery against Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadly diseases in the present era caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Principally, this bacterium attacks the lungs, however, MTB Has been observed affecting any part of the human body including the kidney, spine, and brain. Drug-resistant progression and other associated properties of MTB become a major hurdle in drug discovery to fight against tuberculosis. Moreover, some of the challenging situations such as the low range of chemical agents, the time-consuming process of drug development, the shortage of predictive animal models, and inadequate information of the physicochemical evidence required for effective bacterial penetration, are additional hindrances for the pharmaceutical scientist. In the current chapter, we focus on challenges encountered during drug discovery and need to be overcome as M. tuberculosis has a substantial barrier in its lipid-containing cell wall to inhibit the influx of drugs which is the initial requirement of the drug to show its therapeutic effect. There is also an immediate need for efficient vaccine development which may show its effect on adolescents and adults along with infants. Investigation on key bacterial targets has been troublesome, in light of the vulnerability around the microenvironments found in vivo and subsequently, the importance of exceptional metabolic pathways. The manuscript is prepared after the extensive literature survey to explore the vigorous approaches in novel drug designing and in proposing potent drug targets. The re-engineering and repositioning of prominent antitubercular drugs are required to attain viable control

Automated analysis of internal quantum efficiency using chain order regression

Spectral analysis of internal quantum efficiency (IQE) measurements of solar cells is a powerful method to identify performance-limiting mechanisms in photovoltaic devices. This analysis is usually performed using complex curve-fitting methods to extract various electrical and optical performance parameters. As these traditional fitting methods are not easy to use and are often sensitive to measurement noise, many users do not utilize the full potential of the IQE measurements to provide the key properties of their solar cells. In this study, we propose a simplified approach to analyze IQE curves of silicon solar cells using machine learning models that are trained to extract valuable information regarding the cell's performance and decoupling the parasitic absorption of the anti-reflection coating. The proposed approach is demonstrated to be a powerful characterization tool for solar cells as machine learning unlocks the full potential of IQE measurements

Thermal and electrical performance of uncooled, nature-cooled, and photovoltaic thermal module

The experimental study is aimed at analyzing photovoltaic module's thermal and electrical performance (PV) with back surface cooling under Malaysian tropical climate conditions. The performance of a passively cooled PV module integrated with biomaterial (moist coconut fiber) was compared with a photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system with water circulation at the rate of 0.02 kg s-1 and a reference PV module. The study observed that the passively cooled PV module succeeded in reducing the module surface temperature by more than 20%. However, the PVT system reduced the temperature only by less than 17%. The electrical energy efficiency was improved remarkably in the passively cooled PV module by almost 11%, but the PVT system managed to increase the electrical efficiency by 9%, approximately. It can be concluded that nature-inspired coconut fiber-based cooling can be one of the potential alternatives to active cooling methods

Television as a Tool of Memory and Identity in Khaled Hosseini’s Novels

Globalization epitomizes the convergence of diverse cultures, economies, and communities on a worldwide scale, engendering the exchange of ideas, technology, inventions, and import and export services across nations and societies. Technology, as a pivotal agent, assumes a vital role in building bridges among the global economies by overcoming information disparities and thereby empowering people. Specifically, television, a very influential medium, assumes the function of capturing, collating, and disseminating personal and cultural memories. Its significance is especially pronounced in the context of Khaled Hosseini’s literary works, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, where television’s role as a tool for constructing memories and shaping the identities of the characters is scrutinized. The ramifications of the Taliban’s television ban are examined in this paper, highlighting how this drastic measure has significantly impacted the nation’s culture

Comparison of salivary immunoglobulin A levels in children delivered by cesarean section with those delivered via vaginal delivery

Background: Salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA) is an important factor in the oral defense mechanism. SIgA levels in infants have shown to vary widely. Mode of delivery may influence SIgA levels. The present study was conducted to evaluate levels of SIgA in infants at different ages, and to compare it with the mode of delivery. Methodology: The study group consisted of 279 healthy neonates and infants up to the age of 9 months. They were divided according to age: Group I: 6–10 days; Group II: 6–8 weeks; Group III: 6 months, and Group IV: 9 months. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from the floor of the mouth and buccal sulcii by means of sterile polyethylene pipettes. Saliva was collected 1 h after feeding. All salivary samples were collected in disposable sterile vials and transferred suitably to a laboratory for estimation of SIgA level using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: There were 146 infants that were delivered by cesarean section and 133 vaginally delivered infants. There was a significant difference in the SIgA levels between vaginal delivery and cesarean section infants (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Mode of delivery appears to have influence on the levels of SIgA in saliva of neonates and infants

Deep Learning Model to Denoise Luminescence Images of Silicon Solar Cells

Abstract Luminescence imaging is widely used to identify spatial defects and extract key electrical parameters of photovoltaic devices. To reliably identify defects, high‐quality images are desirable; however, acquiring such images implies a higher cost or lower throughput as they require better imaging systems or longer exposure times. This study proposes a deep learning‐based method to effectively diminish the noise in luminescence images, thereby enhancing their quality for inspection and analysis. The proposed method eliminates the requirement for extra hardware expenses or longer exposure times, making it a cost‐effective solution for image enhancement. This approach significantly improves image quality by >30% and >39% in terms of the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and the structural similarity index, respectively, outperforming state‐of‐the‐art classical denoising algorithms

Effect of pomegranate and aloe vera extract on streptococcus mutans: An in vitro study

Introduction: The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the antibacterial effect of pomegranate and aloe vera extracts on Streptococcus mutans. Materials and Methods: Hydroalcoholic extracts of pulp from both Punica granatum (pomegranate) and Aloe barbadensis miller (aloe vera) were prepared to concentrations of 5, 25, 50 and 100%. Pure sorbitol powder dissolved in distilled water was taken as the negative control. Streptococcus mutans (S mutans) was isolated from saliva by inoculation on to Mitus Salivarius Bacitracin (MSB) agar, which was then streaked onto agar plates containing Brain Heart Infusion. In each petridish, wells were prepared and using a sterile micropipette, 125μl of the specific concentration of the extract (pomegranate/ aloe vera/ sorbitol) was deposited in each well. This was done in triplicate for each concentration of the extracts. The effect of different concentrations of the extracts on S mutans was observed and the data was subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Pomegranate extract showed significantly higher inhibitory effect on S mutans at all concentrations (P≤0.05). On comparison of all three extracts at different concentrations, a significant difference (P≤0.05) was observed only at 50 and 100% concentrations. The inhibitory effect of pomegranate extract was significantly different when compared to aloe vera and sorbitol extracts. (P≤0.01). Discussion: Pomegranate extract has a significant antibacterial effect on S mutans at all concentrations