A 4D printed nanoengineered super bioactive hydrogel scaffold with programmable deformation for potential bifurcated vascular channel construction.

Four-dimensional (4D) printing of hydrogels enabled the fabrication of complex scaffold geometries out of static parts. Although current 4D fabrication strategies are promising for creating vascular parts such as tubes, developing branched networks or tubular junctions is still challenging. Here, for the first time, a 4D printing approach is employed to fabricate T-shaped perfusable bifurcation using an extrusion-based multi-material 3D printing process.

Cheminformatics approach to identify andrographolide derivatives as dual inhibitors of methyltransferases (nsp14 and nsp16) of SARS-CoV-2.

The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak has accelerated tremendous efforts to discover a therapeutic strategy that targets severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to control viral infection. Various viral proteins have been identified as potential drug targets, however, to date, no specific therapeutic cure is available against the SARS-CoV-2. To address this issue, the present work reports a systematic cheminformatic approach to identify the potent andrographolide derivatives that can target methyltransferases of SARS-CoV-2, i.

Impacts of recent rainfall changes on agricultural productivity and water resources within the Southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India.

Significant changes in rainfall patterns are critical to agriculture, and the dependency of cropping systems on rainfall variability would engender appropriate farming practices and agriculture policies for a climate-resilient agriculture system. This study analyses the significance of rainfall variability on agriculture productivity in the Wayanad district of Kerala (India) using time series data on rainfall (1989-2019) and crop yield (2000-2019). The spatial variability of rainfall patterns reveals a dichotomy between the rain gauge stations in the northern and southern parts of the region.

Repurposing the in-house generated Alzheimer's disease targeting molecules through computational and preliminary in-vitro studies for the management of SARS-coronavirus-2.

Covid-19 was declared a world pandemic. Recent studies demonstrated that Covid-19 impairs CNS activity by crossing the blood-brain barrier and ensuing cognitive impairment. In this study, we have utilized Covid-19 main protease (Mpro) as a biological target to repurpose our previously reported multifunctional compounds targeting Alzheimer's disease.

Effective gene delivery using size dependant nano core-shell in human cervical cancer cell lines by magnetofection.

Biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles are effective for gene delivery in vitro and in vivo transfection. These mediators are mainly used to deliver drugs and genes. It can also be used as probes to diagnose and treat various diseases.

Terrain Characterization via Machine vs. Deep Learning Using Remote Sensing.

Terrain traversability is critical for developing Go/No-Go maps for ground vehicles, which significantly impact a mission's success. To predict the mobility of terrain, one must understand the soil characteristics. In-situ measurements performed in the field are the current method of collecting this information, which is time-consuming, costly, and can be lethal for military operations.

Extraction, isolation, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel piperic acid derivatives for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

In this paper, we developed a series of piperic acid (PA) analogs with the aim of overcoming the limitations associated with the natural products for the management of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A comprehensive SAR study was performed to enhance cholinesterase inhibition of PA. The acetylcholinesterase inhibition and its kinetic data suggested 6j as the lead molecule (AChE IC = 2.

Integrated molecular and quantum mechanical approach to identify novel potent natural bioactive compound against 2'-O-methyltransferase (nsp16) of SARS-CoV-2.

With the advent of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, efforts are still in progress to find out a functional cure for the infection. Among the various protein targets, nsp16 capping protein is one of the vital targets for drug development as it protects the virus against the host cell nucleases and evading innate immunity. The nsp16 protein forms a heterodimer with a co-factor nsp10 and triggers 2'-O-methyltransferase activity which catalyzes the conversion of S-adenosyl methionine into S-adenosyl homocysteine.

Nonspecific protection of heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis against Salmonella Choleraesuis infection in pigs.

Trained immunity is the capacity of innate immune cells to produce an improved response against a secondary infection after a previous unrelated infection. Salmonellosis represents a public health issue and affects the pig farming industry. In general, vaccination against salmonellosis is still facing problems regarding the control of distinct serovars.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in wildlife: a systematic review.

Animal tuberculosis (TB) is a multi-host disease caused by members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). Due to its impact on economy, sanitary standards of milk and meat industry, public health and conservation, TB control is an actively ongoing research subject. Several wildlife species are involved in the maintenance and transmission of TB, so that new approaches to wildlife TB diagnosis have gained relevance in recent years.

Development and Challenges in Animal Tuberculosis Vaccination.

Vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) constituted a major advance in the prevention of human tuberculosis (TB) in the beginning of the past century. BCG has also a clear potential for use in animals and, in particular, in the main domestic species subjected to TB control programs, cattle. Nowadays, the use of BCG vaccination against TB in cattle is not permitted by European Union legislation because BCG can induce a cellular immune response producing diagnostic interference in the eradication programs based on tuberculin single and comparative intradermal tests imposed worldwide.

Validation of a new serological assay for the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex-specific antibodies in pigs and wild boar.

Background And Objectives: Animal tuberculosis (TB) is a multi-host disease involving a wide variety of domestic and wild mammals and causing a significant economic burden and sanitary problems. Wild boar and domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) are indicators of the circulation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) and can play a role in its maintenance. The proper diagnosis of MTC contact in these species is, therefore, a key factor as regards controlling TB.

Cloning and sequence analysis of a partial CDS of leptospiral gene in pET-32a - DH5α system.

Aim: This study aims at cloning, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of a partial CDS of gene in pET-32a - DH5α system, with the objective of identifying the conserved nature of the gene in the genus .

Materials And Methods: A partial CDS (nucleotide 1873 to nucleotide 3363) of the gene was amplified from genomic DNA of serovar Canicola by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR-amplified DNA was cloned into pET-32a vector and transformed into competent DH5α bacterial cells.

Development and evaluation of an interferon gamma assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in red deer experimentally infected with Mycobacterium bovis.

Background: Red deer (Cervus elaphus) is regarded as an epidemiologically relevant host for Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) and closely related members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that cause animal tuberculosis (TB). The standard antemortem screening test for the detection of TB in deer is the intradermal tuberculin skin test, but the detection of interferon-gamma (IFNγ) produced by white blood cells exposed to M.

FPGA implementation of adaptive beamforming in hearing aids.

Beamforming is a spatial filtering technique used in hearing aids to improve target sound reception by reducing interference from other directions. In this paper we propose improvements in an existing architecture present for two omnidirectional microphone array based adaptive beamforming for hearing aid applications and implement the same on Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA using VHDL coding and Xilinx Vivado 2015.2.

The response of red deer to oral administration of heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis and challenge with a field strain.

Deer species (family Cervidae) are often part of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex maintenance host community, and tuberculosis (TB) control in deer, including vaccination, is consequently an area of ongoing research. However, most research into deer vaccination against TB is focused on using the live bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG). Oral inactivated vaccines represent an interesting alternative to either oral or parenteral BCG, since neither diagnostic cross-reactions nor vaccine strain survival are likely to occur.

Effect of supplementation of recombinant Regucalcin in extender on cryopreservation of spermatozoa of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

Elevated intracellular calcium concentration and oxidative damage are two major factors contributing to the poor fertility of cryopreserved spermatozoa. Regucalcin (RGN), also known as Senescence marker protein-30 (SMP-30), is a calcium-binding protein with multiple roles that include calcium homeostasis, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptosis, and anti-proliferation. In Drosophila, RGN is reportedly a putative cold-tolerance gene and a cytoprotective role for RGN against intracellular calcium elevation and oxidative stress was reported in P19 cell lines.

Determination of immune status in dogs against CPV-2 by recombinant protein based latex agglutination test.

Canine parvoviral enteritis is a highly contagious viral illness caused by canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) which affects puppies of mainly 6-20 weeks of age. Vaccination is pivotal in preventing and controlling CPV-2 infection. Determination of antibody status is a critical determinant for successful vaccination.

Calcium Binding Ability of Recombinant Buffalo Regucalcin: A Study Using Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy.

Regucalcin is a calcium regulating multifunctional protein reported to have many important functions like calcium homeostasis, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic and anti-cancerous functions. Although it is demonstrated as a calcium regulating protein, the calcium binding ability of regucalcin is still a controversy. The main reason for the controversy is that it lacks a typical EF hand motif which is common to most of the calcium binding proteins.

Purification of Regucalcin from the Seminal Vesicular Fluid: A Calcium Binding Multi-Functional Protein.

Regucalcin is a multi-functional protein having roles in calcium homeostasis as well as in anti-apoptotic, anti-prolific and anti-oxidative functions. Recently, it has been reported from the male reproductive tract, but its role in male reproduction needs further investigation; for which the native regucalcin of reproductive origin will be more appropriate. The gel exclusion chromatography followed by diethyl aminoethane cellulose chromatography and two-dimentional cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis used for its purification are time consuming and less specific.

Discriminant analysis for characterization of hydrochemistry of two mountain river basins of contrasting climates in the southern Western Ghats, India.

Discriminant analysis (DA) was performed on river hydrochemistry data for three seasons (i.e., monsoon (MON), post-monsoon (POM), and pre-monsoon (PRM)) to examine the spatio-temporal hydrochemical variability of two mountain river basins (Muthirapuzha River Basin (MRB) and Pambar River Basin (PRB)) of the southern Western Ghats, India.

Effect of nutrients on bioaccumulation of heavy metals in a tropical urban coastal lacustrine system.

The study on bioaccumulation of heavy metals in a lake reveals that during the nonrainy season, accumulation of cadmium in plankton is high in the upstream of the lake where anoxic freshwater condition exists resulting from inflow of urban wastes. Stern action is required to stop the bypass of sewage from the old sewer system especially in the commercial areas of Thiruvananthapuram city, either by augmenting the sewerage system or by treating sewage at the source. During monsoon season, the accumulation of heavy metals-namely lead and nickel, followed by cadmium and chromium-is high in phytoplankton resulting from high nitrate content caused by heavy rainfall.

Identification of hot spot area of sediment contamination in a lake system using texture characteristics.

Texture plays an important role in the identification of polluted stretch in a lake system. The organic matter as well as toxic elements get accumulated in the finer sediments. The aim of the work is to show the spatio-temporal distribution of texture of the lake sediment (Akkulam-Veli lake, Kerala) and to identify the hot spot areas of contamination.

Heavy metal concentration in the coastal wetlands of Thiruvananthapuram district, southern India.

Levels of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn, Fe and Mn) in the surficial sediments of the four coastal wetlands, viz. Poovar, Poonthura, Akkulam-Veli and Kadinamkulam-Anjengo-Akathumuri of Thiruvananthapuram are presented in this study. Further the statistical tools like contamination factor (CF), index of geoaccumulation (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI) are used to assess the heavy metal pollution.