Pred-AHCP: Robust Feature Selection-Enabled Sequence-Specific Prediction of Anti-Hepatitis C Peptides via Machine Learning.

Every year, an estimated 1.5 million people worldwide contract Hepatitis C, a significant contributor to liver problems. Although many studies have explored machine learning's potential to predict antiviral peptides, very few have addressed the problem of predicting peptides against specific viruses such as Hepatitis C.

Deciphering the functional role of clinical mutations in ABCB1, ABCC1, and ABCG2 ABC transporters in endometrial cancer.

ATP-binding cassette transporters represent a superfamily of dynamic membrane-based proteins with diverse yet common functions such as use of ATP hydrolysis to efflux substrates across cellular membranes. Three major transporters-P-glycoprotein (P-gp or ABCB1), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1 or ABCC1), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP or ABCG2) are notoriously involved in therapy resistance in cancer patients. Despite exhaustive individual characterizations of each of these transporters, there is a lack of understanding in terms of the functional role of mutations in substrate binding and efflux, leading to drug resistance.

Modulation of Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) interaction with their binding partners in cancers through acetylation and phosphorylation.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of transcription factors regulate transcriptional activity and play a key role in essentially all biological processes and generate indispensable insight towards biological function including activity state, subcellular localization, protein solubility, protein folding, substrate trafficking, and protein-protein interactions. Amino acids modified chemically via PTMs, function as molecular switches and affect the protein function and characterization and increase the proteome complexity. Krüppel-like transcription factors (KLFs) control essential cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, migration, programmed cell death and various cancer-relevant processes.

Study of Wear, Stress and Vibration Characteristics of Silicon Carbide Tool Inserts and Nano Multi-Layered Titanium Nitride-Coated Cutting Tool Inserts in Turning of SS304 Steels.

Cutting tool characterization plays a crucial role in understanding the behavior of machining operations. The selection of a suitable cutting material, the operating conditions for the work piece, is necessary to yield good cutting-tool life. Several pieces of research have been carried out in cutting-tool characteristics for turning operation.

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles: a novel nanomedicine approach with advantages and challenges.

Background: Many eukaryote cells produce membrane-enclosed extracellular vesicles (EVs) to establish cell-to-cell communication. Plant-derived EVs (P-EVs) contain proteins, RNAs, lipids, and other metabolites that can be isolated from the juice, the flesh, and roots of many species.

Methods: In the present review study, we studied numerous articles over the past two decades published on the role of P-EVs in plant physiology as well as on the application of these vesicles in different diseases.

Role of key point Mutations in Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein.

The recent outbreak of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 or 2019-nCoV) and its worldwide spread is posing one of the major threats to human health and the world economy. It has been suggested that SARS-CoV-2 is similar to SARS-CoV based on the comparison of the genome sequence. Despite the genomic similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, the spike glycoprotein and receptor binding domain in SARS-CoV-2 shows the considerable difference compared to SARS-CoV, due to the presence of several point mutations.

Enhancement of light harvesting efficiency of perovskite solar cells by using one-dimensional photonic crystals.

We present methyl-ammonium lead iodide perovskite solar cells coupled with one-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) to achieve enhancement in light harvesting and photocurrent efficiencies. The introduction of PCs as a light reflection layer in the solar cells attributes to the increase in light harvesting efficiency and photocurrent density, which can be tuned by controlling the PC parameters such as the number of layers and layer thickness. Another important feature of the design is the introduction of a thin Au/Ag layer on top, which lets through more than 70% sunlight incident on it into the device, protects the hole transporting layer, and also helps in containing the light reflected from the PC layer into the device for further harvesting.

Chitooligosaccharide binding to CIA17 (Coccinia indica agglutinin). Thermodynamic characterization and formation of higher order complexes.

CIA17 is a PP2-like, homodimeric lectin made up of 17 kDa subunits present in the phloem exudate of ivy gourd (Coccinia indica). Isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) studies on the interaction of chitooligosaccharides [(GlcNAc)] showed that the dimeric protein has two sugar binding sites which recognize chitotriose with ~70-fold higher affinity than chitobiose, indicating that the binding site is extended in nature. ITC, atomic force microscopic and non-denaturing gel electrophoresis studies revealed that the high-affinity interaction of CIA17 with chitohexaose (K = 1.

Identification of Clinical Immunological Determinants in Asymptomatic VL and Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis Patients.

Background: Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) caused by protozoa belonging to the genus usually have anthroponotic mode of transmission and is issue of great public health importance in Indian subcontinent. Asymptomatic cases of VL and PKDL are subject of keen interest to find their role in the transmission of VL in epidemic areas. We evaluated the immunological cytokine determinants expressed in most clinical suspects of asymptomatic VL and PKDL (IL-10, IFN-γ, and TNF-α).

Tunable temperature-dependent THz photonic bandgaps and localization mode engineering in 1D periodic and quasi-periodic structures with graded-index materials and InSb.

We present the tunability of terahertz (THz) photonic bandgaps and localization modes in one-dimensional (1D) periodic and quasi-periodic structures based on alternating layers of graded-index materials and InSb. These configurations show that operation frequencies of photonic bands and localization modes can be tuned by controlling temperature, structural and grading parameters, grading profiles, and different quasi-periodic arrangements. The number of photonic bands and localization modes can also be modulated with layer thickness and quasi-periodic arrangements.

Effects of point mutations on the thermostability of B. subtilis lipase: investigating nonadditivity.

Molecular level understanding of mutational effects on stability and activity of enzymes is challenging particularly when several point mutations are incorporated during the directed evolution experiments. In our earlier study, we have suggested the lack of consistency in the effect of point mutations incorporated during the initial generations of directed evolution experiments, towards conformational stabilization of B. subtilis lipase mutants of later generations.

Effect of temperature on terahertz photonic and omnidirectional band gaps in one-dimensional quasi-periodic photonic crystals composed of semiconductor InSb.

Engineering of thermally tunable terahertz photonic and omnidirectional bandgaps has been demonstrated theoretically in one-dimensional quasi-periodic photonic crystals (PCs) containing semiconductor and dielectric materials. The considered quasi-periodic structures are taken in the form of Fibonacci, Thue-Morse, and double periodic sequences. We have shown that the photonic and omnidirectional bandgaps in the quasi-periodic structures with semiconductor constituents are strongly depend on the temperature, thickness of the constituted semiconductor and dielectric material layers, and generations of the quasi-periodic sequences.

Conical photonic crystals for enhancing light extraction efficiency from high refractive index materials.

We propose, analyze and optimize a two-dimensional conical photonic crystal geometry to enhance light extraction from a high refractive index material, such as an inorganic scintillator. The conical geometry suppresses Fresnel reflections at an optical interface due to adiabatic impedance matching from a gradient index effect. The periodic array of cone structures with a pitch larger than the wavelength of light diffracts light into higher-order modes with different propagating angles, enabling certain photons to overcome total internal reflection (TIR).

Understanding the thermostability and activity of Bacillus subtilis lipase mutants: insights from molecular dynamics simulations.

Improving the thermostability of industrial enzymes is an important protein engineering challenge. Point mutations, induced to increase thermostability, affect the structure and dynamics of the target protein in several ways and thus can also affect its activity. There appears to be no general rules for improving the thermostabilty of enzymes without adversely affecting their enzymatic activity.

Evaluation of holmium laser versus cold knife in optical internal urethrotomy for the management of short segment urethral stricture.

Objectives: SACHSE COLD KNIFE IS CONVENTIONALLY USED FOR OPTICAL INTERNAL URETHROTOMY INTENDED TO MANAGE URETHRAL STRICTURES AND HO: YAG laser is an alternative to it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of urethral stricture treatment outcomes, efficacy, and complications using cold knife and Ho: YAG (Holmium laser) for optical internal urethrotomy.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective study included, 90 male patients age >18 years, with diagnosis of urethral stricture admitted for internal optical urethrotomy during April 2010 to March 2012.

Contrast enhancement in X-ray phase contrast tomography.

We demonstrate phase contrast enhancement of X-ray computed tomography derived from propagation based imaging. In this method, the absorption and phase components are assumed to be correlated, allowing for phase retrieval from a single image. Experimental results are shown for liquid samples.

Evaluation of Leishmania donovani disulfide isomerase as a potential target of cellular immunity against visceral leishmaniasis.

In Leishmania species, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) - a redox chaperone is primarily associated with virulence and survival. The precise mechanism, especially in relation to redox changes and its effects on immunological responses in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is not completely understood as yet. Therefore, we purified a recombinant PDI from Leishmania donovani (r-LdPDI) which was of ∼15 kDa molecular size and examined its effects on immunological responses in peripheral blood (PBMC) of human VL cases.

High-speed detector for time-resolved diffraction studies.

There are a growing number of high brightness synchrotron sources that require high-frame-rate detectors to provide the time-scales required for performing time-resolved diffraction experiments. We report on the development of a very high frame rate CMOS X-ray detector for time-resolved muscle diffraction and time-resolved solution scattering experiments. The detector is based on a low-afterglow scintillator, provides a megapixel resolution with frame rates of up to 120,000 frames per second, an effective pixel size of 64 µm, and can be adapted for various X-ray energies.

High resolution helium ion scanning microscopy of the rat kidney.

Helium ion scanning microscopy is a novel imaging technology with the potential to provide sub-nanometer resolution images of uncoated biological tissues. So far, however, it has been used mainly in materials science applications. Here, we took advantage of helium ion microscopy to explore the epithelium of the rat kidney with unsurpassed image quality and detail.

A hand-held beta imaging probe for FDG.

Objectives: Advances in radiopharmaceuticals and clinical understanding have escalated the use of intraoperative gamma probes in surgery. However, most probes on the market are non-imaging gamma probes that suffer from the lack of ancillary information of the surveyed tissue area. We have developed a novel, hand-held digital Imaging Beta Probe™ (IBP™) to be used in surgery in conjunction with beta-emitting radiopharmaceuticals such as (18)FDG, (131)I and (32)P for real-time imaging of a surveyed area with higher spatial resolution and sensitivity and greater convenience than existing instruments.

Orthotopic VX rabbit tongue cancer model with FDG-PET and histologic characterization.

Background: We present our experience with the use of an immunocompetent medium-sized animal model of tongue cancer that may be suitable for imaging and surgical studies.

Methods: A New Zealand white rabbit model of tongue cancer was created by injecting a VX tumor cell suspension grown in culture into the tongue of our model. The tumor was examined 7 days following implantation by physical examination, photography, and (18) fluoro 2-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

Modular high frame rate detector for synchrotron applications.

The development of detectors often lags the development in X-ray sources. However, advanced detectors are critical for fully utilizing and exploiting the capabilities of the new bright sources. We report on the development of a modular high frame rate detector for synchrotron applications such as small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS).