SONICATION AND VACUUM INFILTRATION ENHANCED AGROBACTERIUM RHIZOGENES MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION IN SOYBEAN

AbstractObjective: The present study involved the formulation of protocol of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation for the detailed study of isoflavones metabolism in soybean.Methods: Cotyledons were separated from 4-day-old soybean seedlings and infected with three different A. rhizogenes strains under various time durations of sonication, vacuum infiltration and co-cultivated on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of acetosyringone. The induced hairy roots were established as a culture with the selection agent hygromycin B. Transgenes integrated in hairy roots were analysed at molecular level by PCR assay.Results: A. rhizogenes strain R1000 harbouring pCAMBIA1301 resulted in better transformation efficiency when compared with other strains. The optimum duration of sonication (2 min) and vacuum infiltration (2 min) enhanced the transformation efficiency up to 76.47 %.  PCR analyses revealed the integration of transgene in hairy roots lines.Conclusion:  From the present study, we could conclude that, sonication and vacuum infiltration techniques could be employed to produce genotype independent transgenic soybean hairy root lines and which could be used to study for the improved production of potent anti-cancer compounds, isoflavones in soybean.Keywords: Agrobacterium, isoflavones, soybean, sonication, vacuum infiltratio

Psychology input to an orthognathic clinic: patients' perception of service quality

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with a clinical psychology service, integrated within an inter-disciplinary orthognathic planning clinic. Method: A self-report, custom-designed questionnaire was sent to patients who had completed orthognathic treatment within the last three years. Of the 60 patients approached, 49 responded. Results: The great majority of patients agreed that there was a need for a psychological assessment and that its purpose was adequately explained. Most patients were happy with the information given during their appointment and found the experience helpful. A number of patients felt that additional appointments would have been helpful shortly before, and after, surgery. Conclusions: The group of orthognathic patients studied found the pre-treatment psychology assessment, provided for them through the combined clinic, to be very acceptable and beneficial. Some suggested that further appointments, throughout the treatment journey, as well as supportive literature, might also have been helpful

Sol-gel synthesized plasmonic nanoparticles and their integration into dye sensitized solar cells

In the present study, we synthesized silver nanoparticles in titanosilicate matrix through low cost non-hydrolytic sol-gel method using titanium isopropoxide (TIP), tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS, (Si(OC2H5)4) and ethanol (C2H5OH) as solvents. These were investigated for the plasmonic effect of nanoparticles in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The fabricated dye-sensitized solar cells with Ag: SiO2-TiO2 films coated in fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass plate with dye of amaranthus red shows an improved output voltage. The samples were optically and structurally well studied by absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The XRD studies confirmed the crystalline nature of TiO2 and Ag.publishe

Congenital Middle Mesocolic Hernia: A Case Report

Internal hernia is herniation of a viscus, usually in the small bowel, through a normal or abnormal aperture within the peritoneal cavity. Its incidence has been reported to be 1–2 per cent. Internal hernias are classified based on location, and the hernial orifice can be either congenital or acquired. Paraduodenal hernias are the most common type (53 per cent). Paraduodenal hernia is often a misnomer and is referred to as a mesocolic hernia. Left and right mesocolic hernias are common, while middle and transverse types are rare. We are reporting a rare congenital middle mesocolic hernia presenting as a complete transection of the small intestine due to blunt injury to the abdomen

Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance trends of Acinetobacter species in the United Arab Emirates: a retrospective analysis of 12 years of national AMR surveillance data

Introduction: Acinetobacter spp., in particular A. baumannii, are opportunistic pathogens linked to nosocomial pneumonia (particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia), central-line catheter-associated blood stream infections, meningitis, urinary tract infections, surgical-site infections, and other types of wound infections. A. baumannii is able to acquire or upregulate various resistance determinants, making it frequently multidrug-resistant, and contributing to increased mortality and morbidity. Data on the epidemiology, levels, and trends of antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter spp. in clinical settings is scarce in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. Methods: A retrospective 12-year analysis of 17,564 non-duplicate diagnostic Acinetobacter spp. isolates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was conducted. Data was generated at 317 surveillance sites by routine patient care during 2010-2021, collected by trained personnel and reported by participating surveillance sites to the UAE National AMR Surveillance program. Data analysis was conducted with WHONET. Results: Species belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex were mostly reported (86.7%). They were most commonly isolated from urine (32.9%), sputum (29.0%), and soft tissue (25.1%). Resistance trends to antibiotics from different classes during the surveillance period showed a decreasing trend. Specifically, there was a significant decrease in resistance to imipenem, meropenem, and amikacin. Resistance was lowest among Acinetobacter species to both colistin and tigecycline. The percentages of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and possibly extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolates was reduced by almost half between the beginning of the study in 2010 and its culmination in 2021. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. (CRAB) was associated with a higher mortality (RR: 5.7), a higher admission to ICU (RR 3.3), and an increased length of stay (LOS; 13 excess inpatient days per CRAB case), as compared to Carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter spp. Conclusion: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. are associated with poorer clinical outcomes, and higher associated costs, as compared to carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter spp. A decreasing trend of MDR Acinetobacter spp., as well as resistance to all antibiotic classes under surveillance was observed during 2010 to 2021. Further studies are needed to explore the reasons and underlying factors leading to this remarkable decrease of resistance over time

Carbon-based nanostructured surfaces for enhanced phase-change cooling

To maintain acceptable device temperatures in the new generation of electronic devices under development for high-power applications, conventional liquid cooling schemes will likely be superseded by multi-phase cooling solutions to provide substantial enhancement to the cooling capability. The central theme of the current work is to investigate the two-phase thermal performance of carbon-based nanostructured coatings in passive and pumped liquid-vapor phase-change cooling schemes. Quantification of the critical parameters that influence thermal performance of the carbon nanostructured boiling surfaces presented herein will lead to improved understanding of the underlying evaporative and boiling mechanisms in such surfaces. A flow boiling experimental facility is developed to generate consistent and accurate heat transfer performance curves with degassed and deionized water as the working fluid. New means of boiling heat transfer enhancement by altering surface characteristics such as surface energy and wettability through light-surface interactions is explored in this work. In this regard, carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings are exposed to low-intensity irradiation emitted from a light emitting diode and the subcooled flow boiling performance is compared against a non-irradiated CNT-coated copper surface. A considerable reduction in surface superheat and enhancement in average heat transfer coefficient is observed. In another work involving CNTs, the thermal performance of CNT-integrated sintered wick structures is evaluated in a passively cooled vapor chamber. A physical vapor deposition process is used to coat the CNTs with varying thicknesses of copper to promote surface wetting with the working fluid, water. Thermal performance of the bare sintered copper powder sample and the copper-functionalized CNT-coated sintered copper powder wick samples is compared using an experimental facility that simulates the capillary fluid feeding conditions of a vapor chamber. Nanostructured samples having a thicker copper coating provided a considerable increase in dryout heat flux while maintaining lower surface superheat temperatures compared to a bare sintered powder sample; this enhancement is attributed primarily to the improved surface wettability. Dynamic contact angle measurements are conducted to quantitatively compare the surface wetting trends for varying copper coating thicknesses and confirm the increase in hydrophilicity with increasing coating thickness. The second and relatively new carbon nanostructured coating, carbon nanotubes decorated with graphitic nanopetals, are used as a template to manufacture boiling surfaces with heterogeneous wettability. Heat transfer surfaces with parallel alternating superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic stripes are fabricated by a combination of oxygen plasma treatment, Teflon coating and shadow masking. Such composite wetting surfaces exhibit enhanced flow-boiling performance compared to homogeneous wetting surfaces. Flow visualization studies elucidate the physical differences in nucleate boiling mechanisms between the different heterogeneous wetting surfaces. The third and the final carbon nanomaterial, graphene, is examined as an oxidation barrier coating for liquid and liquid-vapor phase-change cooling systems. Forced convection heat transfer experiments on bare and graphene-coated copper surfaces reveal nearly identical liquid-phase and two-phase thermal performance for the two surfaces. Surface analysis after thermal testing indicates significant oxide formation on the entire surface of the bare copper substrate; however, oxidation is observed only along the grain boundaries of the graphene-coated substrate. Results suggest that few-layer graphene can act as a protective layer even under vigorous flow boiling conditions, indicating a broad application space of few-layer graphene as an ultra-thin oxidation barrier coating

Stereospermum tetragonam as an antidiabetic agent by activating PPARγ and GLUT4

Present study evaluates the anti-diabetic activity of S. tetragonam LC-MS/MS experiments showed the presence of two novel molecules C1 and C2, which were further taken for in silico study against PPARγ. Cell culture studies with A431 cells in the presence of crude aqueous extract showed the elevated level of PPARγ and GLUT4 and also confirmed using in silico studies. Thus, the present study proves the mecode of action of S. tetragonam as an antidiabetic drug

Experimental Investigation on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Friction Welded Dissimilar Alloys

High-temperature dissimilar connections built of Inconel 718 and AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel (MSS) are widely used in a range of industries, including boiler construction, the chemical industry, aerospace, and nuclear. When compared to other materials, Inconel 718 and AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel offer superior strength and corrosion resistance under a variety of environmental conditions. The rotational speed was adjusted between 1100 and 1500 RPM, while the friction pressure, friction time, forging pressure, and forging duration were all kept constant during the testing. Five sets of testing were performed, with the resultant tensile strength (both room temperature and hot tensile) and Vickers Hardness being recorded for each set of trials. To assess the structural integrity of the joints, a detailed microstructural investigation, SEM-EDS, and XRD were performed at their interfaces. Mechanical properties were revealed to be high at 1300 RPM due to the small grain size at the interface region; ultimate tensile strength and hardness were determined to be 571 MPa and 423 HV, respectively, due to the small grain size at the interface region. Additionally, a pitting corrosion study has been conducted on dissimilar welded joints at optimum conditions, and their results were discussed and compared with base metals