Decolonization of Mind in Amitav Ghosh’s Writing: A Postcolonial Study of The Shadow Lines

The present paper is an attempt to explore the spirit of decolonization through the representation of the characters’ sensibility that creates the room in their mind for the sense of nationalism against the Eurocentric culture. Ghosh in The Shadow Lines has tried to restore the national identity of the characters with a sense of liberalism and universal brotherhood. Through the presentation of the characters with their sentiments, he obliquely satirizes the lines that create the gap among the nations. In this novel, Tha’mma, a major figure, tries to free her own nation from the despotic clutch of British rule by showing her earnest desire to contribute in the activities of national leaders, where as Tridib and the narrator believe in their intellectual imagination that is far beyond the grip of all kind of boundaries constructed by the imperialistic demand of the Eurocentric zeal. Again, Ila, another character of the novel, tends to adopt the western culture but is criticised by Tha’mma for her blindly following nature of western culture. However, the characters in their presentation bring forth the sense of nationality to strengthen the decolonizing spirit of mind.

Metal-driven folding and assembly of a minimal β-sheet into a 3D-porous honeycomb framework

This research was supported by the DST Inspire Faculty Fellowship (No. DST/INSPIRE/04/2020/002499), and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S. A. S. Nagar. S. B. thanks SERB, Govt. of India for the Ramanujan Fellowship (ref. no. RJF/2022/000042) and Ashoka University.In contrast to short helical peptides, constrained peptides, and foldamers, the design and fabrication of crystalline 3D frameworks from the β-sheet peptides are rare because of their high self-aggregation propensity to form 1D architectures. Herein, we demonstrate the formation of a 3D porous honeycomb framework through the silver coordination of a minimal β-sheet forming a peptide having terminal metal coordinated 4- and 3-pyridyl ligands.Peer reviewe

Peptide hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks

This research was supported by the DST Inspire Faculty Fellowship (No. DST/INSPIRE/04/2020/002499) from the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi. R. M. is also thankful to the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S. Nagar, for providing the research facilities. T. V. thanks Tel Aviv University for the postdoctoral fellowship. E. G. thanks European Research Council PoC project PepZoPower (101101071). A. I. N. thanks the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (62285-DNI). S. B. thanks SERB, Govt. of India, for the Ramanujan Fellowship (Ref. no. RJF/2022/000042), and Ashoka University, Sonipat, Haryana, for the infrastructure. S. N. acknowledges Vellore Institute of Technology Chennai for the funding and infrastructure.Hydrogen-bonded porous frameworks (HPFs) are versatile porous crystalline frameworks with diverse applications. However, designing chiral assemblies or biocompatible materials poses significant challenges. Peptide-based hydrogen-bonded porous frameworks (P-HPFs) are an exciting alternative to conventional HPFs due to their intrinsic chirality, tunability, biocompatibility, and structural diversity. Flexible, ultra-short peptide-based P-HPFs (composed of 3 or fewer amino acids) exhibit adaptable porous topologies that can accommodate a variety of guest molecules and capture hazardous greenhouse gases. Longer, folded peptides present challenges and opportunities in designing P-HPFs. This review highlights recent developments in P-HPFs using ultra-short peptides, folded peptides, and foldamers, showcasing their utility for gas storage, chiral recognition, chiral separation, and medical applications. It also addresses design challenges and future directions in the field.Peer reviewe

Profile of hemoglobin D trait in West Bengal, India

Hemoglobin (Hb) D Punjab is one of the most commonly observed abnormal hemoglobinopathy worldwide. There was no systematic large published study to investigate the characteristic of Hb D Punjab trait in India. This study was conducted in school and college students, newly married couples and pregnant women after proper counseling in the rural areas of West Bengal state in eastern India. Complete blood count was done by Sysmax Automated Hematology Analyzer KX 21 (Sysmex Corp., Kobe, Japan) and thalassemia testing was done using high-performance liquid chromatography (Variant TM - Bio-Rad Lab., Hercules, CA, USA). A total of 46,139 individuals were screened for hemoglobinopathies. Hb D trait was found in 0.35%. Hypochromia rather than microcytosis is consistent finding in Hb D trait. Anisocytosis is absent in Hb D trait. In almost all (99.37%) cases, Hb D is within 40% of total hemoglobin. This data is likely to be helpful for screening of hemoglobinopathy in resource poor setting.  血红蛋白（Hb) D Punjab是全球最普遍的异常血红蛋白病之一。在印度，之前并没有研究D型特征血红蛋白病的大型出版物。本研究在印度东部的西孟加拉邦的农村地区进行，研究对象是接受过相关咨询后的在校生，大学生，新婚夫妇和孕妇。完整的血细胞计数由日本神户市Sysmex公司的KX21自动化血液分析仪完成，血液测试由美国加州赫拉克勒斯Variant-Bio-Rad实验室通过高效液相色谱法完成。总计46139人被筛查，D型特征血红蛋白病的发现率为0.35%。血红蛋白过少而非小红细胞症，是D型特征血红蛋白病的主要症状。红细胞大小不均没有在D型特征血红蛋白病中被检测出。在所有的情况中（99.37%），D型特征血红蛋白占所有血红蛋白总数的40%。这些数据有利于在资源匮乏地区对血红蛋白病的筛查。</p

The prevalence and characterization of β-thalassemia trait by using high-performance liquid chromatography among the rural population in West Bengal, India

Hemoglobinopathies, common genetic disorders of hemoglobin, can be prevented by population screening and genetic counseling. Identification of these disorders is immensely important epidemiologically and aid in prevention of more serious hemoglobin disorders. Thalassemia is the commonest monogenic disorder in India, which belongs to the thalassemia belt of the world. The present study was undertaken to find out the characteristics of β-thalassemia trait and spectrum of this disorder among the rural population, screened under the hospital-based screening program in West Bengal, a state in eastern part of India. This study was carried out in school and college students, newly married couples and pregnant women after proper counseling in the rural areas of five southern districts of this state. Blood samples were tested by high-performance liquid chromatography. Total 1429 β-thalassemia traits were detected by random screening from this population. The mean value of HbA2 of the study population, having β-thalassemia trait is 4.9%. The prevalence (10.5%) of β-thalassemia trait in West Bengal is higher than other parts of the country. These data are likely to help us in future planning for screening programmes in rural areas of West Bengal, India.  血红蛋白病——常见的血红蛋白遗传疾病，是可以通过人口筛查和遗传咨询的方法来预防的。鉴定此种疾病，对于其传播性及预防其导致的更加严重的血红蛋白疾患有非常重大的意义。印度所处世界地中海贫血带，地中海贫血在印度是最常见的单基因疾病。本研究的目的是通过医院筛查程序来研究印度西孟买邦农村人口有关β-地中海贫血症频谱和特征。该研究在印度南部的五个农村地区进行，研究对象是接受过相关咨询后的在校生，大学生，新婚夫妇和孕妇。血液样本通过高效液相色谱法检测。总计1429例带有β-地中海贫血症特质的样本在这些人口中被随机筛查检测出。在该人口样本中，患有β-地中海贫血症特质的HbA2的平均值为4.9%。在西孟加拉邦，β-地中海贫血症特质的患病率为10.5%，高于印度其他地区。这些数据有利于未来在印度西孟加拉邦农村地区的筛查项目。</p

Enhanced Air Stability in REPb3REPb_{3} (RE = Rare Earths) by Dimensional Reduction Mediated Valence Transition

We conceptually selected the compounds REPb$_3$ (RE = Eu, Yb), which are unstable in air, and converted them to the stable materials in ambient conditions by the chemical processes of “nanoparticle formation” and “dimensional reduction”. The nanoparticles and the bulk counterparts were synthesized by the solvothermal and high-frequency induction furnace heating methods, respectively. The reduction of the particle size led to the valence transition of the rare earth atom, which was monitored through magnetic susceptibility and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) measurements. The stability was checked by X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis over a period of seven months in oxygen and argon atmospheres and confirmed by XANES. The nanoparticles showed outstanding stability toward aerial oxidation over a period of seven months compared to the bulk counterpart, as the latter one is more prone to the oxidation within a few days

Disordered Protein Stabilization by Co-Assembly of Short Peptides Enables Formation of Robust Membranes

Molecular self-assembly is a spontaneous natural process resulting in highly ordered nano to microarchitectures. We report temperature-independent formation of robust stable membranes obtained by the spontaneous interaction of intrinsically disordered elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) with short aromatic peptides at temperatures both below and above the conformational transition temperature of the ELPs. The membranes are stable over time and display durability over a wide range of parameters including temperature, pH, and ultrasound energy. The morphology and composition of the membranes were analyzed using microscopy. These robust structures support preosteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation as well as pH-dependent cargo release. Simple noncovalent interactions with short aromatic peptides can overcome conformational restrictions due to the phase transition to facilitate the formation of complex bioactive scaffolds that are stable over a wide range of environmental parameters. This approach offers novel possibilities for controlling the conformational restriction of intrinsically disordered proteins and using them in the design of new materials

Metal-driven folding and assembly of a minimal β-sheet into a 3D-porous honeycomb framework

In contrast to short helical peptides, constrained peptides, and foldamers, the design and fabrication of crystalline 3D frameworks from the β-sheet peptides are rare because of their high self-aggregation propensity to form 1D architectures. Herein, we demonstrate the formation of a 3D porous honeycomb framework through the silver coordination of a minimal β-sheet forming a peptide having terminal metal coordinated 4- and 3-pyridyl ligands