Infrared (8-12 um) Dome Materials: Current Status

The 8-12 um range of infrared radiation being very significant for various electrooptic applications, various materials present themselves as candidates for use as dome (window) materialsin this range. This paper discusses various thermal, mechanical and optical properties of thesematerials. Further, trends in the development of these materials are also presented

Standardization of PCR conditions for an Ancient DNA Amplification

An ancient DNA provides us a powerful tool to study the miniscule amounts of DNA present in hundreds of thousands of years old archaeological remains. Since the advent of the PCR, it became possible for the population biologists to use this scarce and rare genetic material (aDNA) to understand prehistoric population histories. Working with ancient DNA is challenging in itself as it needs a manifold attention in order to maintain the archaeological sample free from contemporary DNA contamination. Apart from that, there are several other complications associated with ancient DNA work such as the preservation of DNA itself that is in degraded state and low copy number, DNA isolation and its successful PCR amplification. Despite the critical role of PCR in this field of research, till date no study has comprehensively evaluated ancient DNA amplification.  In this paper, we have reported our results to optimize PCR component as well as PCR condition to amplify HVR1 region in 600 years old biological samples

Optical Detection of Degraded Therapeutic Proteins

The quality of therapeutic proteins such as hormones, subunit and conjugate vaccines, and antibodies is critical to the safety and efficacy of modern medicine. Identifying malformed proteins at the point-of-care can prevent adverse immune reactions in patients; this is of special concern when there is an insecure supply chain resulting in the delivery of degraded, or even counterfeit, drug product. Identification of degraded protein, for example human growth hormone, is demonstrated by applying automated anomaly detection algorithms. Detection of the degraded protein differs from previous applications of machine-learning and classification to spectral analysis: only example spectra of genuine, high-quality drug products are used to construct the classifier. The algorithm is tested on Raman spectra acquired on protein dilutions typical of formulated drug product and at sample volumes of 25 μL, below the typical overfill (waste) volumes present in vials of injectable drug product. The algorithm is demonstrated to c orrectly classify anomalous recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) with 92% sensitivity and 98% specificity even when the algorithm has only previously encountered high-quality drug product.United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Contract N66001-13-C-4025

Analysis and advanced characterization of municipal solid waste vermicompost maturity for a green environment

Rapid demographic expansion along with increasing urbanization has aggravated the problem of solid waste management. Therefore, scientists are seeking waste management methods that are eco-friendly, cost effective and produce immediate results. In the developing world, municipal solid waste (MSW) contains mostly organic substances, therefore vermicomposting could be a better and cost-effective option for waste management. In this study, vermicomposting of organic portion of MSW with cow dung (additive) was performed using Eisenia fetida. The results showed significant (p < 0.001) decline in pH (13.17%), TOC (21.70%), C: N (62.53%) and C: P (57.66%) ratios, whilst total N (108.9%), P (84.89%) and K (21.85%) content increased (p < 0.001) in matured vermicompost. Different enzymatic activities declined during termination phase of vermicomposting experiment with maximum decrease of 41.72 (p = 0.002) and 39.56% (p = 0.001) in protease and β-glucosidase, respectively. FT-IR, TGA, DSC and SEM studies suggested that final vermicompost was more stabilized as compared to initial waste mixture, characterized by reduced levels of aliphatic materials, carbohydrates and increase in aromatic groups possibly due to biosynthesis of humic substances. Both, the conventional (physicochemical and enzyme activity) and advanced techniques depict maturity and stability of the ready vermicompost. However, FT-IR, TGA, DSC and SEM were proved to be more promising, fast and reliable techniques over conventional analyses

ROLE OF MRI IN EVALUATION OF EPILEPSY IN PEDIATRIC AGE GROUP IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE OF JHARKHAND, INDIA- A PROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Background: Childhood epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder. Imaging, especially MRI of the brain, plays a pivotal role in diagnosing the underlying cause. This study aimed to assess the frequency of causative factors of epilepsy detected in MRI. Materials and Methods: This hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted in the Radiology Department at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, Jharkhand, India from November 2021 to October 2022 in 100 children of 0 to 12 years of age referred from Pediatrics department for an MRI brain scan. MRI of the brain was performed in all cases and findings were analyzed and causes of epilepsy were assessed. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was also done when required for confirmation of diagnosis. Results: Positive findings in MRI were detected in 87% of children, and no abnormalities were detected in 13%. The majority of children belonged to the age group of 10-12 years (37%) and were predominantly males (66%). The most common cause of epilepsy was infections (27%) followed by hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (22%). Tuberculoma was the most common infective cause of epilepsy in 59.3%. These were further followed by temporal lobe epilepsy and congenital malformations (11% each). The rest were other miscellaneous and idiopathic causes. Conclusion: MRI findings were specific to various conditions, helping in the localization and characterization of etiologies and playing a significant role in the evaluation of children who were newly diagnosed with epilepsy, especially those with partial seizures. Recommendation: Further research with a larger sample size and meta-analysis is recommended for more conclusive results

Molecular heterogeneity of plpE gene in Indian isolates of Pasteurella multocida and expression of recombinant PlpE in vaccine strain of P. multocida serotype B: 2

Outer membrane proteins of Pasteurella (P.) multocida have been known to be protective immunogens. Pasteurella lipoprotein E (PlpE) has been reported to be an important cross reactive outer membrane protein in P. multocida. The gene encoding the PlpE of P. multocida serotypes A: 3, B: 2 and D: 1 was amplified from the genomic DNA. The amplified products were cloned and the nucleotide sequence was determined. Sequence analysis of the recombinant clones revealed a single open reading frame of 1,011 bp, 1,008 bp and 1,017 bp encoding a protein with a calculated molecular mass of 37.829 kDa, 37.389 kDa and 37.965 kDa for serotypes A: 3, B: 2 and D: 1 respectively. The comparison of the plpE sequence in different capsular types revealed a high degree (>90%) of homology. Furthermore, the plpE gene of Haemorhhagic septicaemia causing serotype (B: 2) was expressed in E. coli and recombinant PlpE was strongly immunostained by antiserum against whole cell antigen, indicating that the protein is expressed in vivo