Emergence of bond-dependent highly anisotropic magnetic interactions in Sr4_4RhO6_6: a theoretical study

The quantum spin liquid states as a natural ground state of the Kitaev model has led to a quest for new materials candidates hosting Kitaev physics. Yet, there are very few material candidates in this category. Using a combination of $ab$ $initio$ and model Hamiltonian methods, we propose that Ruddlesden-Popper compound Sr$_4$RhO$_6$ belongs to this category. With a tight-binding model and exact diagonalization approach, we show that despite substantial trigonal-like distortion, the electronic and magnetic properties of Sr$_4$RhO$_6$ can be well described in terms of pseudo-spin = 1/2 states. Magnetic interactions among pseudo-spins, estimated using the second-order perturbation method are highly bond-dependent anisotropic in nature with two particularly noticeable features, antiferromagnetic Kitaev and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions. The gaped spin-wave spectra of Sr$_4$RhO$_6$ obtained with linear spin-wave theory is consistent with the underlying magnetic frustration. Additional analysis of the role of individual or a particular combination of magnetic interactions reveals that the spin-wave spectra of Sr$_4$RhO$_6$ is a combined effect of the highly anisotropic interactions and a relatively simpler minimal model may not be plausible in the current case. The crucial insights about coupling between the local structural features and magnetic properties of Sr$_4$RhO$_6$ obtained in this study may be helpful for future studies belonging to this class

Evaluation and comparison of the constitutive expression levels of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 7 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Tharparkar and crossbred cattle

Aim: This study was undertaken to assess the differential expression levels of toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2, 3 and 7 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from Tharparkar and Crossbred cattle belonging to different regions of India. Materials and Methods: PBMCs were isolated from blood samples of Tharparkar cattle from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) farm (n=30); Suratgarh farm (n=61); Jaipur farm (n=8) and cross breed cattle from Jaipur (n=47). RNA was isolated from PBMCs and cDNA was synthesized using random hexamers. The expression profiles of TLR 2, 3 and 7 were estimated by real-time PCR and normalized to the expression of β-actin. Results: PBMCs of Tharparkar cattle from Suratgarh, exhibited a significantly higher (p<0.05) constitutive expression levels of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR7 genes as compared to Tharparkar cattle from IVRI or Jaipur as well as the crossbred cattle from Jaipur. PBMCs of crossbred cattle from Jaipur showed higher expression profiles of all the TLRs than Tharparkar cattle from Jaipur and IVRI. Conclusion: Our study indicates, expression levels of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR7 are significantly higher for Tharparkar cattle from Suratgarh than the cattle from Jaipur and IVRI and crossbred cattle from Jaipur. However, crossbred cattle from Jaipur showed higher basal expression levels of all the three TLRs than Tharparkar cattle from Jaipur and IVRI. Results also indicate that PBMCs of Tharparkar cattle show a regional variation in the expression pattern of TLRs

Improving understanding of AFV market dynamics using interactive simulations

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-70).Interactive management flight simulators are becoming increasingly common as a tool for teaching key concepts in management and related fields. Advocates of flight simulators suggest that the active engagement of students with experimentation and game play may even lead to enhanced systems thinking capabilities. Through this thesis, I undertake an experiment to test this proposition, recruiting respondents from Amazon's Mechanical Turk online workforce. Using a three-group pretest-post-test design, I randomly assign respondents to complete one of the following: a) Read a report describing the results of the simulator, including actual screenshots from the simulator, to convey the same information about the AFV market in a conventional style (the control group). b) Undertake tasks using an interactive management flight simulator about the diffusion of alternative fuel vehicles given instructions but no results (treatment one) and c) Undertake the same tasks using an interactive management flight simulator about the diffusion of alternative fuel vehicles, with the aid of the report that also explains the results expected (treatment two). The simulator was built on several key concepts of system dynamics applied to alternative fuel vehicle market: the concept of consumer acceptance, platform utility, stocks and flows and the effects of time delays in a system's behavior. The results of this experiment demonstrate that the groups which used simulator (treatment 1 and 2) developed at least similar and in some cases, better understanding of the AFV market dynamics. I conclude that simulators can be an effective way to teach complex system dynamics principles and socio-technical interactions.by Shishir Tiwari.S.M. in Engineering and Managemen

Assessment of Pepper Pungency Using Real Time PCR to Evaluate the Pun1 AND Catf2 Genes Expression in Capsicum Annuum Varieties of Takanotsume Hot Pepper and Yellow Bell Pepper

The accumulation of the alkaloid capsaicin and its derivatives in Capsicum fruits results in their pungent flavor. A RT-PCR assay was used to examine the pungency levels of Capsicum annuum species by employing gene-specific primers associated with the capsaicin biosynthetic pathway. The expression of the Acyl-transferase encoded by the Pun1 and Catf2 was directly related to capsaicin accumulation. Low-abundance mRNA transcripts were measured with RT-PCR. Pun1 and Catf2 gene expression was found to be correlated with the phenotypic trait (pungency level) in our study, and has a useful method for distinguishing between Capsicum species' pungency levels. The RT-PCR results showed that the candidate capsaicin biosynthetic genes (Pun1, and Catf2) were present in Capsicum annuum species with high and moderate levels of pungency, whereas the expression levels of these two genes were low in yellow bell pepper (Non-Pungent) with low levels of pungency and high expression level was measured in Takanotsume Hot Pepper variety. In conclusion, gene specific PCR data, gene expression profile and volatile compounds analysis collectively indicate that the Pun1 and Catf2 genes in pepper encodes a acyltransferase. The Pun1 and Catf2 genes in pepper had crucial role in pungency level of peppers

Anti-Microbial Activity and GC-MS Profiling of Leaves Extracts of Hyptis suaveolens: In vitro and In silico Studies

Anti-microbial resistance turned into the main source of death universally, bringing about a critical requirement for the development of new, safe, and potent anti-microbial agents. Compounds retrieved from plants can be a fundamental source of new antibiotics. The Hyptis&nbsp;suaveolens plant is rich in anti-microbial phytochemicals. Here, we used the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) approach for the quantitative and qualitative identification of bioactive compounds in the methanolic extract of Hyptis suaveolens leaves. Subsequently, anti-microbial activity, pharmacokinetics, and toxicological properties were predicted using in silico tools. The methanolic extract of Hyptis suaveolens&nbsp;leaves was found to have anti-microbial activity against all pathogenic strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and&nbsp;Candida albicans). The methanolic crude extract shows the highest zone of inhibition against Candida albicans, Bacillus subtilis, and&nbsp;Staphylococcus aureus. The phytochemical, TLC, UV-VIS, and FTIR analyses represented the maximum absorption and functional groups of phytochemicals. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 34 secondary metabolites. In silico studies revealed that megastigmatrienone was the most active compound on dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) in different organisms. It showed the best minimum binding energy (-6.8 kcal/mol). The methanolic crude extract of Hyptis suaveolens leaves showed powerful anti-microbial action against five types of bacteria and one fungus. Megastigmatrienone was the most bioactive compound, and it passed Lipinski's rule of 5 to determine the drug-likeness properties. Therefore, the compound Megastigmatrienone is further subjected to animal testing and clinical trials for its use as an anti-microbial agent with commercial values

Applications of machine learning approaches to combat COVID-19: A survey

Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches are prominent and well established in the field of health-care informatics. Because they have a more productive ability to predict, they are successfully applied in several health-care applications. ML approaches are needed thanks to the unsatisfactory experience of the novel virus, considerable ambiguity, complicated social circumstances, and inadequate accessible data. Several approaches have been applied as a tool to combat and protect against the new diseases. The COVID-19 outbreak has rapid growth, so it is not easy to predict the patients and resources within a specified time. ML is a strong approach in the fighting against the pandemic such as COVID-19. It is found significant to predict the susceptible, infected, recovered, or exposed persons and can assist the control strategies to block the spread of infections. This study critically examines the appropriateness and contribution of AI/ML methods on COVID-19 datasets, enhancing the understanding to apply these methods for quick analysis and verification of pandemic databases. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

C. elegans protein interaction network analysis probes RNAi validated pro-longevity effect of nhr-6, a human homolog of tumor suppressor Nr4a1

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) studies are gaining momentum these days due to the plethora of various high-throughput experimental methods available for detecting PPIs. Proteins create complexes and networks by functioning in harmony with other proteins and here in silico network biology hold the promise to reveal new functionality of genes as it is very difficult and laborious to carry out experimental high-throughput genetic screens in living organisms. We demonstrate this approach by computationally screening C. elegans conserved homologs of already reported human tumor suppressor and aging associated genes. We select by this nhr-6, vab-3 and gst-23 as predicted longevity genes for RNAi screen. The RNAi results demonstrated the pro-longevity effect of these genes. Nuclear hormone receptor nhr-6 RNAi inhibition resulted in a C. elegans phenotype of 23.46% lifespan reduction. Moreover, we show that nhr-6 regulates oxidative stress resistance in worms and does not affect the feeding behavior of worms. These findings imply the potential of nhr-6 as a common therapeutic target for aging and cancer ailments, stressing the power of in silico PPI network analysis coupled with RNAi screens to describe gene function