Metal-Acid Synergy: Hydrodeoxygenation of Anisole over Pt/Al-SBA-15

Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Karen Wilson and Adam Lee at RMIT University. The image shows platinum nanoparticles and Brønsted acid sites working cooperatively to catalyse the efficient hydrodeoxygenation of phenolic lignin residues to produce sustainable biofuels. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.202000764

Hydrodeoxygenation of anisole over Pt/Al‐SBA‐15: metal‐acid synergy

Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Karen Wilson and Adam Lee at RMIT University. The image shows platinum nanoparticles and Brønsted acid sites working cooperatively to catalyse the efficient hydrodeoxygenation of phenolic lignin residues to produce sustainable biofuels. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.202000764

Development of mosquito repellant gel formulations from various natural volatile oils: comparative study with the marketed formulation odomos®

DEET based mosquito repellents were found to be comparatively harmful to the person suffering from urea cycle disorders such as ornithine transcarbamylase (OTD) deficiency and, are therefore, contraindicated in individuals. These situations lead to the budding necessity of natural mosquito repellents which will have inexpensive, effectual, non-toxic, environment-friendly, and biodegradable attributes. Inspired from the upcoming global need, a carbopol 940 based mosquito repellant gel formulation was prepared from the essential oils of Cymbopogon nardus, Murraya Koenigii, Cymbopogon citratus, Tridax procumbens, Eucalyptus globules, and Azadirachta indica, and further evaluating them for their appearance, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, swelling index, and accelerated studies. The mosquito repellent potential was evaluated and simultaneously compared with the positive control (Odomos®). In several developing nations, where the majority of the people do not have access to mosquito net, high-cost mosquito repellant creams, and miscellaneous physical methods, this gel formulation may be an effective, inexpensive, and easily accessible way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, dengue, etc. in the lower sections of the society. Keywords: Mosquito, Repellent, Malaria, Gel, Formulation, DEET

Understanding the effect of milk composition and milking season on quality characteristics of chhana

The quality characteristics ofchhanavaried due to the milk composition (cow-, buffalo-, and mixed- milk) which in turn was affected by the milking season (summer and winter). Upon heating and acidification of milk samples water holding phenomena and denatured protein association within and with other components lead to variation in both macroscale properties (color, texture, and rheology) and molecular bonding patterns (FTIR character). Yield, lightness (L* value), textural firmness, and elastic modulus ofchhanaincreased with increasing proportion of buffalo milk in mixed milk due to higher total solids and less moisture content in both the seasons. Total protein, fat, water, and interaction between them and extent of hydrogen bonding significantly affected the rheological and textural properties ofchhanasamples

Hypoxia and hypoxia inducible factor-1α are required for normal endometrial repair during menstruation

About a quarter of pre-menopausal women will suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding in their lives. Here, Maybin and colleagues show hypoxia and subsequent activation of HIF-1α during menses are required for normal endometrial repair, and identify pharmacological stabilisation of HIF-1α as a potential therapeutic strategy for this debilitating condition

Genomic Approaches to Enhance Stress Tolerance for Productivity Improvements in Pearl Millet

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], the sixth most important cereal crop (after rice, wheat, maize, barley, and sorghum), is grown as a grain and stover crop by the small holder farmers in the harshest cropping environments of the arid and semiarid tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Millet is grown on ~31 million hectares globally with India in South Asia; Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali in western and central Africa; and Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania in Eastern Africa as the major producers. Pearl millet provides food and nutritional security to more than 500 million of the world’s poorest and most nutritionally insecure people. Global pearl millet production has increased over the past 15 years, primarily due to availability of improved genetics and adoption of hybrids in India and expanding area under pearl millet production in West Africa. Pearl millet production is challenged by various biotic and abiotic stresses resulting in a significant reduction in yields. The genomics research in pearl millet lagged behind because of multiple reasons in the past. However, in the recent past, several efforts were initiated in genomic research resulting into a generation of large amounts of genomic resources and information including recently published sequence of the reference genome and re-sequencing of almost 1000 lines representing the global diversity. This chapter reviews the advances made in generating the genetic and genomics resources in pearl millet and their interventions in improving the stress tolerance to improve the productivity of this very important climate-smart nutri-cereal