Initial results from near-infrared spectroscopy on ADITYA-U tokamak

Spectroscopy in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and visible ranges plays an important role in the investigation and diagnosis of tokamak plasmas. However, under harsh environmental conditions of fusion grade devices, such as ITER, VUV-visible systems encounter many issues due to the degradation of optical components used in such systems. Here, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has become an effective tool in understanding the edge plasma dynamics. Considering its importance, a NIR spectroscopic diagnostic has been developed and installed on the ADITYA-U tokamak. The system consists of a 0.5 m spectrometer having three gratings with different groove densities, and it is coupled with a linear InGaAs photodiode array. Radiation from the ADITYA-U edge plasma has been collected using a collimating lens and optical fiber combination and transported to the spectrometer. The spectrum in the NIR range from the ADITYA-U plasma has been recorded using this system, in which Pa_β and Pa_γ along with many spectral lines from neutral and singly ionized impurities have been observed. The influxes of H and C have been estimated from measurements. The H influx value is found to be 2.8 × 10¹⁶ and 1.9 × 10¹⁶ particles cm^-2 s^-1 from neutral hydrogen lines H_α and Pa_β, respectively, and the C influx value is found to be 3.5 × 10¹⁵ and 2.9 × 10¹⁵ particles cm^-2 s^-1 from the neutral carbon and singly ionized carbon, respectively. A good agreement is seen between these results and the results obtained by using a routine photomultiplier tube based diagnostic.

Introduction to the AQ-WATCH Project and the AQ-WATCH Toolkit to fight air pollution

Background

WHO states that 9 out of 10 persons in the world do not breath clean air and 8 million people die prematurely from air pollution each year. The problem is well understood, but actions to mitigate it are lacking. The purpose of the EU-funded AQ-WATCH Project is precisely to develop effective tools based on the most advanced science technologies to help decision-makers in government and the private sector to address air pollution issues in regions of the world where they operate.

Objectives

AQ-WATCH aims to develops a supply chain to generate innovative downstream products for improving air quality forecasts and attribution based on existing space/in-situ observations to improve public health and to optimize renewable energy in regions of the world. The project consortium includes research and business-oriented partners, who brings together the required expertise to define the optimal functionalities of these products to bring them to the market.

Results

The AQ-WATCH products are organized into 5 modules: (1) Air quality atlas, (2) Air quality attribution & mitigation, (3) Dust and fire forecast, (4) Fracking analysis, and (5) Air quality forecast. They are developed for 3 target regions (Beijing, Colorado and Santiago de Chile) and are integrated into a unified user-interface, the AQ-WATCH Toolkit. Product developers and prime users in the target regions are constantly interacting, and the user feedback is collected, analyzed and included during the product development.

Conclusions

Collaborative work done in AQ-WATCH shows strategic interaction between our research and business-oriented partners. Contributions from local parties are proven to be valuable for regional adaption of the products. A throughout dissemination including regional workshops is essential to ensure proper knowledge uptake by the target audience. Constant exchange with the private sector is required for a smooth transfer from scientific results to commercialized marketable products.

Key messages

• The AQ-WATCH Project follows EU’s initiative to utilize its space observations with added values to develop easily-accessible tools to fight air pollution applicable to regions of the world.

• The AQ-WATCH Toolkit is developed with iterative feedback exchanges between product developers and local users to address air pollution issues, and will be eventually exploited to the market.

Security analysis on an interference-based optical image encryption scheme

In this paper, the security strength of the improved optical cryptosystem based on interference has been evaluated. Compared to the previous interference-based cryptosystems in which the plaintext is encoded into two phase-only masks (POMs), here the plaintext is encoded into a POM and an amplitude mask (AM). Since the information of the plaintext cannot be recovered directly when one of the masks is released in the decryption process of the improved cryptosystem, it seems that it is free from the silhouette problem. However, we found that the random phase mask (RPM) serving as the encryption key is not related to the plaintext. Thus, it is possible to recover the RPM first by using the known-plaintext attack (KPA). Moreover, the POM and the AM generated in the encryption path only contains the phase and amplitude information, respectively. Thus, these can be utilized as additional constraints in the proposed iterative process. Based on these findings, two kinds of hybrid attacks, including a KPA and the iterative processes with different constraints, are proposed to crack the improved cryptosystem. In the designed KPA with a pair of the known plaintext and its corresponding masks, the RPM is recovered first. With the aid of the recovered RPM, two iterative processes with different released masks are proposed to recover the information of the plaintext without any knowledge of another mask. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the existence of the silhouette problem in the cryptosystem under study has been reported. Numerical simulation has been carried out to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed hybrid attacks.

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 on glycemic control in post-COVID-19 diabetic patients

Aim

To study the clinicodemographic profile, outcomes, and post-COVID change in glycemic control among treated COVID-19-infected patients with poorly controlled or well-controlled diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods

Adult COVID-19-infected patients who tested positive with rapid antigen test or RT-PCR admitted were included in this prospective observational study. Patients were divided into well-controlled and poorly controlled diabetes group based on HbA1c values at admission. Telephonic follow-up and HbA1c estimation was done after three months. Clinical and laboratory investigations performed were compared between both groups. Hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality risk in both well-controlled and poorly controlled COVID-19 patients with DM was done by Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Out of 260 patients, 140 (53.84%) and 120 (46.15%) were poorly and well-controlled diabetics respectively. One hundred sixty-three patients (62.69%) were male, and the mean age was 52.67 ± 15.69 years. Severity, duration of hospital stay, steroid duration, insulin requirement and mean HbA1C, both at admission and after three months, were significantly higher in poorly controlled group than the well-controlled group (P < 0.005). With increase in age, the HR for all-cause mortality increased by 1.15 times (95% CI, 1.05-1.25; P = 0.0025) in well-controlled than poorly controlled group, whereas with increase in FBS at admission, the HR for all-cause mortality increased by 1.03 times in poorly controlled than well-controlled group (95% CI, 1.01-1.06; P = 0.0044).

Conclusion

Our results show that well-controlled blood glucose levels or improved glycemic control are associated with a better outcome in patients with COVID-19 and pre-existing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Using Heterostructured Cu2O-TiO2 Nanotubes, Kinetics, and Toxicity Evaluation of Degraded Products on Cell Lines

This study first reports on the tetracycline photodegradation with the synthesized heterostructured titanium oxide nanotubes coupled with cuprous oxide photocatalyst. The large surface area and more active sites on TiO₂ nanotubes with a reduced band gap (coupling of Cu₂O) provide faster photodegradation of tetracycline under visible light conditions. Cytotoxicity experiments performed on the RAW 264.7 (mouse macrophage) and THP-1 (human monocytes) cell lines of tetracycline and the photodegraded products of tetracycline as well as quenching experiments were also performed. The effects of different parameters like pH, photocatalyst loading concentration, cuprous oxide concentration, and tetracycline load on the photodegradation rate were investigated. With an enhanced surface area of nanotubes and a reduced band gap of 2.58 eV, 1.5 g/L concentration of 10% C-TAC showed the highest efficiency of visible-light-driven photodegradation (∼100% photodegradation rate in 60 min) of tetracycline at pH 5, 7, and 9. The photodegradation efficiency is not depleted up to five consecutive batch cycles. Quenching experiments confirmed that superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals are the most involved reactive species in the photodegradation of tetracycline, while valance band electrons are the least involved reactive species. The cytotoxicity percentage of tetracycline and its degraded products on RAW 264.7 (-0.932) as well as THP-1 (-0.931) showed a negative correlation with the degradation percentage with a p-value of 0.01. The toxicity-free effluent of photodegradation suggests the application of the synthesized photocatalyst in wastewater treatment.

Chemical and Redox Speciation of Uranyl with Three Environmentally Relevant Bifunctional Chelates: Multi-Technique Approach Combined with Theoretical Estimations

Carbon and phosphorous are two primary elements common to the bio-geosphere and are omnipresent in both biotic and abiotic arenas. Phosphonate and carboxylate are considered as building blocks of glyphosate and humic substances and constituents of the cellular wall of bacteria and are the driving functionalities for most of the chemical interactions involving these two elements. Phosphonocarboxylates, a combination of both the functionalities in one moiety, are ideal models to dig deep into for understanding the chemical interactions of the two functional groups with metal ions. Phosphorous and carbon majorly exist as inorganic/organic phosphate and carboxylate, respectively, in the bio-geosphere. Aquatic contamination is a major concern for uranium, and the presence of complexing agents would alter the uranium concentrations in aquifers. Determination of solution thermodynamic parameters, speciation plots, redox patterns, E_h-pH diagrams, coordination structures, and molecular-level understanding by density functional theory calculations was carried out to interpret the uranyl (UO₂²⁺) interaction with three environmentally relevant phosphonocarboxylates, namely, phosphono-formic acid (PFA), phosphono-acetic acid (PAA), and phosphono-propanoic acid (PPA). UO₂²⁺ forms 1:1 complexes with the three phosphonocarboxylates in the monoprotonated form, having nearly the same stability, and the complexes [UO₂(PFAH)], [UO₂(PAAH)], and [UO₂(PPAH)] involve chelate formation of five, six, and seven membered rings, respectively, through the participation of an oxygen each from the carboxylate and phosphonate, strengthened by an intra-molecular hydrogen bonding through the proton of the phosphonate moiety with uranyl oxygen. The complex formations are favored both enthalpically and entropically, with the latter being more contributive to the overall free energy of formation. The redox speciation showed an aqueous soluble complex formation over a wide pH range of 1-8. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and extended X-ray absorption fine structure established the coordination modes, which are further corroborated by density functional calculations. The knowledge gained from the present studies provide potential inputs in framing the cleanup, sequestering, microbial, and bio-remediation strategies for uranyl from aquatic environments.

Macrophage TGFβ signaling is critical for wound healing with heterotopic ossification after trauma

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) plays a central role in normal and aberrant wound healing, but the precise mechanism in the local environment remains elusive. Here, using a mouse model of aberrant wound healing resulting in heterotopic ossification (HO) after traumatic injury, we find autocrine TGFβ1 signaling in macrophages, and not mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MPCs), is critical in HO formation. In-depth single cell transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses in combination with immunostaining of cells from the injury site demonstrate increased TGFβ1 signaling in early infiltrating macrophages, with open chromatin regions in TGFβ1 stimulated genes at binding sites specific for transcription factors of activated TGFβ1 (SMAD2/3). Genetic deletion of TGFβ1 receptor type 1, (Tgfbr1;Alk5) in macrophages, results in increased HO, with a trend toward decreased tendinous HO. To bypass the effect seen by altering the receptor we administered a systemic treatment with TGFβ1/3 ligand trap TGFβRII-Fc, which results in decreased HO formation and a delay macrophage infiltration to the injury site. Overall, our data support the role of the TGFβ1/ALK5 signaling pathway in HO.

AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO FIND RELATIONSHIP OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS TO MENSTRUATION CYCLE IN NORTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN PART OF INDIA

Background. Diagnosing acute appendicitis correctly in a female patient is a challenge for a practicing surgeon. Rate of misdiagnosis of acute appendicitis is very high among female patients. There are many studies carried out to find incidence of acute appendicitis as per various phases of menstruation cycle but the results were conflicting. Objective. The study was conducted to find the relationship of acute appendicitis with the different phases of the menstruation cycle. Methods. This research was an observational study carried out in two regional hospitals in northern and north-eastern part of India. Duration of study was 24 months between 01 June 2019 and 31 May 2021. Inclusion Criteria were for all female patients, non-pregnant and menstruating, who were histopathologically confirmed as acute appendicitis. All pathologically proven negative appendectomy patients were excluded from this study. All female patients taking oral contraceptive pills (OCP) were excluded from the study. Results. A total of 96 females were hospitalized in both hospitals during the study period; 12 of them did not attain menarche (12.5%), 6 had menopause (6.3%) and 78 were menstruating (81.25%). Of those 78 patients, who had physiological menstrual cycles, 6 were in menstrual phase (7.6%), 18 were in proliferative phase (23%), and 54 in luteal phase (69.2%). In our study, there were only 6 cases of acute appendicitis during menstruation. therefore, the expected ratio of cases was 6/14=0.42. The corresponding expected rate for the proliferative phase was 2.78×9=25 cases, whereas for the luteal phase it was 2.78×14=38.92. The expected ratio was 18/25=0.72 for the proliferative phase and 54/39=1.38 for the luteal phase. There was a significant increase in number of cases of acute appendicitis among the menstruating women in luteal phase with p value <0.05. Mean age of the study participants was 28.31±9.56. Conclusions. According to the result of the study, the incidence of acute appendicitis significantly differs in different phases of menstruation cycle with highest incidence in luteal phase. Hence, female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are significant in causing acute appendicitis.

Induction of reactive oxygen species by mechanical stretch drives endothelin production in neonatal pig renal epithelial cells

Vasoactive endothelin (ET) is generated by ET converting enzyme (ECE)-induced proteolytic processing of pro-molecule big ET to biologically active peptides. H2O2 has been shown to increase the expression of ECE1 via transactivation of its promoter. The present study demonstrates that H2O2 triggered ECE1-dependent ET1-3 production in neonatal pig proximal tubule (PT) epithelial cells. A uniaxial stretch of PT cells decreased catalase, increased NADPH oxidase (NOX)2 and NOX4, and increased H2O2 levels. Stretch also increased cellular ECE1, an effect reversed by EUK-134 (a synthetic superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetic), NOX inhibitor apocynin, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of NOX2 and NOX4. Short-term unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), an inducer of renal tubular cell stretch and oxidative stress, increased renal ET1-3 generation and vascular resistance (RVR) in neonatal pigs. Despite removing the obstruction, UUO-induced increase in RVR persisted, resulting in early acute kidney injury (AKI). ET receptor (ETR)-operated Ca2+ entry in renal microvascular smooth muscle (SM) via transient receptor potential channel 3 (TRPC3) channels reduced renal blood flow and increased RVR. Although acute reversible UUO (rUUO) did not change protein expression levels of ETR and TRPC3 in renal microvessels, inhibition of ECE1, ETR, and TRPC3 protected against renal hypoperfusion, RVR increase, and early AKI. These data suggest that mechanical stretch-driven oxyradical generation stimulates ET production in neonatal pig renal epithelial cells. ET activates renal microvascular SM TRPC3, leading to persistent vasoconstriction and reduction in renal blood flow. These mechanisms may underlie rUUO-induced renal insufficiency in infants.

Osteitis Condensans Ilii: A Case Series

Osteitis condensans ilii (OCI) is a rare self-limiting low back pain syndrome. It is an incidental imaging discovery around sacroiliac joints with distinctive sclerotic lesions. We present three case reports as a series. In the first case, a 38-year-old female presented with unresolved chronic low back pain for eight years. She had bilateral triangular sclerosis of the ilium abutting sacroiliac joints and other causes of back pain were ruled out. Non-operative management was successful. In the second case, a 38-year-old female presented with acute exacerbation of low back pain for one year. She suffered low back pain during her pregnancy and postpartum period 16 years ago and intermittently after that. Bilateral radiodensity around sacroiliac joints was noted in the radiograph and she had successful remission with non-operative management. In the third case, a 45-year-old female presented with chronic low back for six years. On radiographs, she had bilateral sclerotic lesions around sacroiliac joints and responded well to non-operative management. OCI is a benign, idiopathic cause of axial low back pain. It is a diagnosis of exclusion and the pelvic radiographs classically show areas of sclerosis in the ilium adjacent to sacroiliac joints bilaterally. Treatment for OCI is essentially non-operative.

Exercise-Induced Rhabdomyolysis Causing Acute Kidney Injury: A Potential Threat to Gym Lovers

Rhabdomyolysis, by definition, means the breakdown of muscles. The common causes are trauma, immobility, illicit drug use, medications, toxins, infections, potassium imbalance, hypothyroid or hyperthyroid states, hypothermia or hyperthermia, and some congenital muscular dystrophy. Exercise or exertion-induced rhabdomyolysis is a very uncommon entity and potentially rising among young generations amid getting perfect body shape as influenced by social platforms. However, rhabdomyolysis can lead to lethal complications, most commonly acute kidney injury leading to dialysis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and acute compartment syndrome. Here we report a case of exertion-induced rhabdomyolysis causing acute renal failure in a young patient who presented to the emergency room at The Kidney Center, Karachi, after exercising at the gym. The patient was subsequently treated with hemodialysis and was discharged after six days of hospital admission.

Parsonage-Turner Syndrome Following Covishield (AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) Vaccination: A Case Report

Parsonage-Turner Syndrome (PTS) is a rare neurological disorder involving brachial plexus and periscapular muscles following viral infection, surgery, and vaccination. We hereby describe the first case of PTS from India following Covishield (AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) COVID-19 vaccination.

A 21-year-old healthy male presented to us with complaints of pain and weakness in the right shoulder five weeks after Covishield vaccination on the contralateral deltoid. There was no history of injury or constitutional symptoms. On examination, hyperalgesia over the area innervated by the axillary nerve and wasting of the deltoid, supra, and infraspinatus muscles were noted. An MRI scan of the shoulder, cervical spine, and brachial plexus neurogram were normal. Decreased motor amplitude in right axillary and musculocutaneous nerve was recorded in the nerve conduction study (NCS). High titers of SARS-COV-2 IgG neutralizing antibodies were noted after a single dose of vaccination and SARS CoV-2 IgM antibodies were negative. Having been diagnosed with post-vaccination PTS, the right shoulder was splinted and an intravenous injection of 1g methylprednisolone was administered for three days followed by oral steroids for three weeks. NCS and electromyography at 10 weeks showed insignificant differences between the two sides suggesting early neurological recovery.

Currently, the patient is being followed up regularly for complete neurological recovery. PTS is a known side effect of vaccination. We report the index case of PTS following the administration of Covishield vaccination from India to aid in early diagnosis and management, further evaluation, and public health safety.

Tailoring nanoparticles design for enhanced heating efficiency and improved magneto-chemo therapy for glioblastoma

Development of multifunctional magnetic nanomaterials (MNPs) with improved heat-generating capabilities and effective combination with localized chemotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic regime for solid tumors like glioblastoma. In this regard, the shape-dependent hyperthermic and chemo-therapeutic potential of nanomaterials, has not been extensively explored. Here we present, development of various morphological designs of MNPs including spherical, clusters, rods and cubic; to compare the effect of shape on tuning the properties of MNPs that are relevant to many potential biomedical applications like drug delivery, cellular uptake and heat generation. The study includes extensive comparison of morpho-structural characteristics, size distributions, chemical composition, surface area measurements and magnetic properties of the variable shaped MNPs. Further the heating efficiencies in aqueous and cellular environments and heat triggered drug release profiles for successful magneto-chemotherapy were compared among all in-house synthesized MNPs. Under biosafety limit considerations given by Hergt's limit (H*f value <5 × 10⁹ Am^-1 s^-1), cuboidal shaped MNPs demonstrated highest heating efficiency owing to magnetosome-like chain formation along with sustained drug release profile as compared to other synthesized MNPs. The mechanism of cancer cell death mediated via magneto-chemotherapy was elucidated to be the oxidative stress-mediated apoptotic cell death pathway. In vivo studies further demonstrated complete tumor regression only in the magneto-chemotherapy treated group. These findings suggest the potential of combinatorial therapy to overcome the clinical limitations of the independent therapies for advanced thermotherapy of glioblastoma.

Deep learning uncovers distinct behavior of rice network to pathogens response

Rice, apart from abiotic stress, is prone to attack from multiple pathogens. Predominantly, the two rice pathogens, bacterial Xanthomonas oryzae (Xoo) and hemibiotrophic fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, are extensively well explored for more than the last decade. However, because of lack of holistic studies, we design a deep learning-based rice network model (DLNet) that has explored the quantitative differences resulting in the distinct rice network architecture. Validation studies on rice in response to biotic stresses show that DLNet outperforms other machine learning methods. The current finding indicates the compactness of the rice PTI network and the rise of independent modules in the rice ETI network, resulting in similar patterns of the plant immune response. The results also show more independent network modules and minimum structural disorderness in rice-M. oryzae as compared to the rice-Xoo model revealing the different adaptation strategies of the rice plant to evade pathogen effectors.

Security analysis on the interference-based optical image cryptosystem with a designed amplitude modulator

The security strength of an interference-based optical image cryptosystem with a designed amplitude modulator (AM) is evaluated. Compared to previous improved interference-based cryptosystems in which iterative or post-processing algorithms are involved, to remove the silhouette problem, a pre-designed AM is placed at the image plane to modulate the plaintext directly, which eliminates this drawback. Moreover, the AM is used as an additional private key, which enlarges the key space and further enhances the security system. However, we have noticed that one of the designed parameters in the AM has a low key sensitivity, which is fault-tolerant and is not required for precise reconstruction. Additionally, the AM is plaintext-independent, which means that the AM can be recovered first by using a pair of chosen plaintexts and the corresponding ciphertext. Based on these findings, we propose a hybrid algorithm that includes two chosen-plaintext attacks (CPAs) and a ciphertext-only attack (COA) to break the enhanced cryptosystem. Specially, CPAs with an impulse function and an arbitrarily given plaintext are proposed to retrieve two parameters in the AM. With the retrieved AM, information on the plaintext can be recovered from the corresponding ciphertext by two kinds of COAs without any knowledge of the private keys. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the interference-based cryptosystem with a designed AM has been cracked successfully, which may provide potential evidence for further security improvements. Numerical simulations are carried out to validate the feasibility of the proposed attacks.

The Use of Auricular Cartilage Grafts in Septorhinoplasty: A Dual-Centre Study of Donor Site Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

Objectives

The use of autologous grafts is a key aspect of contemporary septorhinoplasty. When septal cartilage is deficient, auricular cartilage serves as a biocompatible, readily accessible alternative. Our study aimed to assess donor site patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) where auricular cartilage has been harvested for use in septorhinoplasty, adding to the limited existing literature on this topic.

Design

A dual-centre, single-surgeon retrospective analysis of patients undergoing septorhinoplasty surgery with augmentation using auricular cartilage grafts was conducted. Grafts were harvested using an anterior anti-helical approach. Patients were followed up at one week, three months and 12 months post-operatively. Donor site outcomes were assessed across several physical and psychological domains by adapting the EAR-Q questionnaire, which was administered via telephone consultation. Responses were quantified using a Likert scale.

Results

A total of 22 patients met our inclusion criteria. Four were lost to follow-up, five were non-responders and one case was excluded due to documentation of body dysmorphic disorder. A significant proportion of patients reported no reduction in quality of life (QOL) or confidence attributed to donor site cosmesis. High satisfaction was noted with anti-helical donor site scars. Although noticeable differences in shape and symmetry were reported, these had negligible effects across psychological domains.

Conclusions

Preliminary results suggest high levels of patient satisfaction, with minimal physical and psychological donor site sequelae following auricular cartilage harvest in septorhinoplasty. Subsequent studies should involve the use of validated questionnaires, coupled with larger patient cohorts in order to provide further data for statistical analysis.

Button batteries in the ear, nose and throat: a novel survey of knowledge of UK advanced nurse practitioners

BACKGROUND

Button battery (BB) impaction in the ear, nose and throat can result in significant morbidity. Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) are increasingly responsible for initial patient assessment and prompt escalation to otolaryngologists for definitive management.

AIM

Our novel national study aimed to assess ANPs' knowledge with respect to the assessment and management of patients with BBs in the ear, nose and throat.

METHOD

A national 13-point survey was disseminated among ANPs over a 2-week period. Knowledge was assessed through eight multiple choice questions with a maximum attainable score of 21.

FINDINGS

A total of 242 responses were analysed. Knowledge deficits were identified in all domains (mean overall score 8.5/21), including presenting clinical features, preliminary investigations and intervention strategies. The overwhelming majority of respondents (97%; n=234) advocated for further training.

CONCLUSION

A need for further education has been highlighted by this surveyed cohort of ANPs. Implementation of standardised protocols, virtual resources and simulation platforms may address knowledge deficits.

Nonlinear Reconstruction of Images from Patterns Generated by Deterministic or Random Optical Masks-Concepts and Review of Research

Indirect-imaging methods involve at least two steps, namely optical recording and computational reconstruction. The optical-recording process uses an optical modulator that transforms the light from the object into a typical intensity distribution. This distribution is numerically processed to reconstruct the object's image corresponding to different spatial and spectral dimensions. There have been numerous optical-modulation functions and reconstruction methods developed in the past few years for different applications. In most cases, a compatible pair of the optical-modulation function and reconstruction method gives optimal performance. A new reconstruction method, termed nonlinear reconstruction (NLR), was developed in 2017 to reconstruct the object image in the case of optical-scattering modulators. Over the years, it has been revealed that the NLR can reconstruct an object's image modulated by an axicons, bifocal lenses and even exotic spiral diffractive elements, which generate deterministic optical fields. Apparently, NLR seems to be a universal reconstruction method for indirect imaging. In this review, the performance of NLR isinvestigated for many deterministic and stochastic optical fields. Simulation and experimental results for different cases are presented and discussed.

Bidirectional Actuation of Silk Fibroin Films: Role of Water and Alcohol Vapors

Three-dimensional (3D) shape morphism observed in nature inspires the development of stimuli-responsive soft actuators. Vapor-responsive actuators are promising among the different stimuli-responsive materials due to their capability to produce macroscale movements in response to a minuscule amount of specific chemical vapor. Here, we report unusual multiple vapor-responsive bidirectional macroscale actuation behaviors of single-layer regenerated silk fibroin films. The vapor-responsive silk fibroin actuator exhibits antagonistic actuation characteristics in a reversible manner to both water and ethanol vapors. For instance, it produces an upward bending in the presence of water vapor and downward bending in ethanol vapor, which demonstrates the chemical vapor-specific actuation. However, the actuation characteristics remain largely invariant upon changing the polarity of alcohol molecules. The silk fibroin actuators effectively utilize the vapor-induced minuscule expansion and contraction of the film surface to produce large-scale actuation, which is fully reversible. The intrinsic water content of the films and the vapor pressure of the stimulants are exploited to control the actuation performance. Further, we demonstrated the 3D shape morphing ability of the actuator by generating an undulating wavelike motion via preprogrammed water and ethanol vapor exposure conditions. The change in the actuation direction is instantaneous, which ensures the sensitivity and rapid response of the fabricated actuators.

Integrating bio medical sensors in detecting hidden signatures of COVID-19 with Artificial intelligence

Today COVID-19 pandemic articulates high stress on clinical resources around the world. At present, physical and viral tests are slowly emerging, and there is a need for robust pandemic detection that biomedical sensors can aid. The utility of biomedical sensors is correlated with the medical instruments with physiological metrics. These Biomedical sensors are integrated with the systematic device to track the target analytes with a biomedical component. The COVID-19 patients' samples are collected, and biomarkers are detected using four sensors: blood pressure sensor, G-FET based biosensor, electrochemical sensor, and potentiometric sensor with different quantifiable measures. The imputed data is then profiled with chest X-ray images from the Covid-19 patients.Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), an AI model, is deployed to identify the hidden signatures with biomarkers. The performance of the biosensor is measured with three parameters such as sensitivity, specificity and detection limit by generating the calibration plots that accurately fits the model.

Insights into the role of F26 residue in the FMN: ATP adenylyltransferase activity of Staphylococcus aureus FAD synthetase

The bifunctional flavin adenine dinucleotide synthetase (FADS) synthesizes the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) co-factors essential for the function of flavoproteins. The Staphylococcus aureus FADS (SaFADS) produces FMN from riboflavin (RF) by ATP:riboflavin kinase (RFK) activity at its C-terminal domain. The N-terminal domain converts FMN to FAD under a reducing environment by FMN:ATP adenylyltransferase (FMNAT) activity which is reversible (FAD pyrophosphorylase activity). Herein, we investigated the role of F26 residue of the 24-GFFD-28 motif of SaFADS FMNAT domain, mostly conserved in the reducing agent-dependent FADSs. The steady-state kinetics studies showed changes in the K_m^ATP values for mutants, indicating that the F26 residue is crucial for the FMNAT activity. Further, the FMNAT activity of the F26S mutant was observed to be higher than that of the wild-type SaFADS and its other variants at lower reducing agent concentration. In addition, the FADpp activity was inhibited by an excess of FAD substrate, which was more potent in the mutants. The altered orientation of the F26 side-chain observed in the molecular dynamics analysis suggested its plausible involvement in stabilizing FMN and ATP substrates in their respective binding pockets. Also, the SaFADS ternary complex formed with reduced FMN exhibited significant structural changes in the β4n-β5n and L3n regions compared to the oxidised FMN bound and apo forms of SaFADS. Overall, our data suggests the functional role of F26 residue in the FMNAT domain of SaFADS.