Cyclodextrins as a Drug Delivery Carrier for Anti-Cancer Drugs

Cyclodextrin “molecules are large with a number of hydrogen donors. Cyclodextrins are widely used as "molecular cages" in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, food and cosmetic industries. In the pharmaceutical industry they are used as complexing agents to increase the aqueous solubility of poorly soluble drugs and to increase their bioavailability and stability. Chemotherapeutic treatment for cancer has limitations such as poor drug solubility, non-specificity, poor bioavailability and poor survival rate. The lack of efficient treatment has created the need to develop and implement novel technology based on combination strategy of cyclodextrin complexation and nanotechnology with a view to make the therapy more useful and acceptable. The review deals with cyclodextrin and its applications in anti-cancer drug delivery for cancer treatment

Towards Optimizing Storage Costs on the Cloud

We study the problem of optimizing data storage and access costs on the cloud while ensuring that the desired performance or latency is unaffected. We first propose an optimizer that optimizes the data placement tier (on the cloud) and the choice of compression schemes to apply, for given data partitions with temporal access predictions. Secondly, we propose a model to learn the compression performance of multiple algorithms across data partitions in different formats to generate compression performance predictions on the fly, as inputs to the optimizer. Thirdly, we propose to approach the data partitioning problem fundamentally differently than the current default in most data lakes where partitioning is in the form of ingestion batches. We propose access pattern aware data partitioning and formulate an optimization problem that optimizes the size and reading costs of partitions subject to access patterns. We study the various optimization problems theoretically as well as empirically, and provide theoretical bounds as well as hardness results. We propose a unified pipeline of cost minimization, called SCOPe that combines the different modules. We extensively compare the performance of our methods with related baselines from the literature on TPC-H data as well as enterprise datasets (ranging from GB to PB in volume) and show that SCOPe substantially improves over the baselines. We show significant cost savings compared to platform baselines, of the order of 50% to 83% on enterprise Data Lake datasets that range from terabytes to petabytes in volume.Comment: The first two authors contributed equally. 12 pages, Accepted to the International Conference on Data Engineering (ICDE) 202

LARGE-SCALE POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS' INTEGRATED ELECTRIC VEHICLE LOAD MODELLING

A variety of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging algorithms provide various EV charging load profiles, when utilized together, has an impact on the electrical grid functions. Present-day charging an EV Models of demand are either based on level of charging when an EV arrives or smart charging algorithms strengthened with specific charging levels and/or procedures. In this work, a brand-new data-driven technique for calculating EV charging load is suggested. They start by introducing a mathematical model that describes an adaptability of demand for EV charging. The characteristics of several EV load models are then identified, and advanced simulation techniques are suggested to simulate EV charging demand under various power market realizations. The suggested EV load modeling technique may act as a benchmark system by simulating various EV operating schedules, charging levels, and consumer engagement. The suggested framework would also give EV charging infrastructure advice from transmission system operators development in contemporary power networks

Abscisic acid is a substrate of the ABC transporter encoded by the durable wheat disease resistance gene Lr34

The wheat Lr34res allele, coding for an ATP-binding cassette transporter, confers durable resistance against multiple fungal pathogens. The Lr34sus allele, differing from Lr34res by two critical nucleotide polymorphisms, is found in susceptible wheat cultivars. Lr34res is functionally transferrable as a transgene into all major cereals, including rice, barley, maize, and sorghum. Here, we used transcriptomics, physiology, genetics, and in vitro and in vivo transport assays to study the molecular function of Lr34. We report that Lr34res results in a constitutive induction of transcripts reminiscent of an abscisic acid (ABA)-regulated response in transgenic rice. Lr34-expressing rice was altered in biological processes that are controlled by this phytohormone, including dehydration tolerance, transpiration and seedling growth. In planta seedling and in vitro yeast accumulation assays revealed that both LR34res and LR34sus act as ABA transporters. However, whereas the LR34res protein was detected in planta the LR34sus version was not, suggesting a post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism. Our results identify ABA as a substrate of the LR34 ABC transporter. We conclude that LR34res-mediated ABA redistribution has a major effect on the transcriptional response and physiology of Lr34res-expressing plants and that ABA is a candidate molecule that contributes to Lr34res-mediated disease resistance

Investigating the association between tobacco use and oral health among security guards at a tertiary healthcare centre in New Delhi: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundTobacco usage is a major global public health concern, contributing to millions of deaths annually. This study focuses on security guards, an occupational group facing unique challenges, to investigate tobacco prevalence, usage patterns, and associated oral health risks.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among security guards at a Tertiary Health Care Centre, from October 2022 to February 2023. Data on demographics, tobacco habits, and comorbidities were collected via a structured questionnaire. Clinical oral examinations provisionally diagnosed Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs) based on clinical findings. Appropriate Statistical analyses were employed.ResultsAmong 696 security guards, 40.1% used tobacco, including 15.0% smokers and 74.5% engaging in smokeless tobacco. Additionally, 10.3% reported using both smoking and smokeless forms. Non-tobacco users accounted for 59.9%. Tobacco users showed a higher prevalence of OPMDs (11.4%) compared to non-tobacco users (1.4%).DiscussionSecurity guards demonstrated a higher tobacco prevalence, with smokeless tobacco being predominant. Gender disparities in tobacco use emphasize the need for gender-specific interventions. The study highlights the significant impact of tobacco on oral health, especially the risk of OPMDs.ConclusionA high prevalence of tobacco usage (40.1%), particularly smokeless tobacco, among security guards, emphasizes the importance of targeted interventions within this occupational group. Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs) were significantly more prevalent (11.4%) in tobacco users. The association between tobacco usage and OPMDs reaffirms the well-established association between tobacco and adverse oral health outcomes

Soil conservation issues in India

Despite years of study and substantial investment in remediation and prevention, soil erosion continues to be a major environmental problem with regard to land use in India and elsewhere around the world. Furthermore, changing climate and/or weather patterns are exacerbating the problem. Our objective was to review past and current soil conservation programmes in India to better understand how production-, environmental-, social-, economic- and policy-related issues have affected soil and water conservation and the incentives needed to address the most critical problems. We found that to achieve success in soil and water conservation policies, institutions and operations must be co-ordinated using a holistic approach. Watershed programmes have been shown to be one of the most effective strategies for bringing socio-economic change to different parts of India. Within both dryland and rainfed areas, watershed management has quietly revolutionized agriculture by aligning various sectors through technological soil and water conservation interventions and land-use diversification. Significant results associated with various watershed-scale soil and water conservation programmes and interventions that were effective for reducing land degradation and improving productivity in different parts of the country are discussed

Effect of intra-organisational competition on organisational performance indicators

The objective of the research is to investigate intra-organisational competition (IOC) emerging from the interactions of internal social comparison (ISC) and intra-organisational evolution (IOE) effecting organisational performance (OP). Communication between subordinates, comparing contribution, ability to perform and business management strategies resulting in IOC. The attention is on recognised social dimensions and equal emphasis is on business management practices. The literature attempts’ to recognise ISC and IOE and its effect on OP balances the conceptual paper. For the purpose Google Scholar, Emerald Insight, EBSCO Host and Science Direct database has been used. Literature relies on human tendency to compare and coordinate work activities. It identifies the response towards comparison and pressure created within work environment affecting employees ability to operate and function efficiently. The concentration is on business process and employee’s irrational behaviour affecting individual performance. The study assesses consequences of IOC on employees followed by its outcome on organisation’s performance. The application is on variables (ISC, IOE & OP) and critical factors that affects work environment due to intra-organisational strategy of competitive behaviour implemented by employers’ in encouraging “Intra-organizational competition”

Use of doubled haploid technology for development of stable drought tolerant bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) transgenics

Anther culture-derived haploid embryos were used as explants for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv CPAN1676) using barley HVA1 gene for drought tolerance. Regenerated plantlets were checked for transgene integration in T<SUB>0</SUB> generation, and positive transgenic haploid plants were doubled by colchicine treatment. Stable transgenic doubled haploid plants were obtained, and transgene expression was monitored till T<SUB>4</SUB> generation, and no transgene silencing was observed over the generations. Doubled haploid transgenic plants have faster seed germination and seedling establishment and show better drought tolerance in comparison with nontransgenic, doubled haploid plants, as measured by per cent germination, seedling growth and biomass accumulation. Physiological evaluation for abiotic stress by assessing nitrate reductase enzyme activity and plant yield under post-anthesis water limitation revealed a better tolerance of the transgenics over the wild type. This is the first report on the production of double haploid transgenic wheat through anther culture technique in a commercial cultivar for a desirable trait. This method would also be useful in functional genomics of wheat and other allopolyploids of agronomic importance