Bacteria-Responsive Self-Assembly of Antimicrobial Peptide Nanonets for Trap-and-Kill of Antibiotic-Resistant Strains

Bacterial trapping using nanonets is a ubiquitous immune defense mechanism against infectious microbes. These nanonets can entrap microbial cells, effectively arresting their dissemination and rendering them more vulnerable to locally secreted microbicides. Inspired by this evolutionarily conserved anti-infective strategy, a series of 15 to 16 residue-long synthetic β-hairpin peptides is herein constructed with the ability to self-assemble into nanonets in response to the presence of bacteria, enabling spatiotemporal control over microbial killing. Using amyloid-specific K114 assay and confocal microscopy, the membrane components lipoteichoic acid and lipopolysaccharide are shown to play a major role in determining the amyloid-nucleating capacity as triggered by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria respectively. These nanonets displayed both trapping and killing functionalities, hence offering a direct improvement from the trap-only biomimetics in literature. By substituting a single turn residue of the non-amyloidogenic BTT1 peptide, the nanonet-forming BTT1-3A analog is produced with comparable antimicrobial potency. With the same sequence manipulation approach, BTT2-4A analog modified from BTT2 peptide showed improved antimicrobial potency against colistin-resistant clinical isolates. The peptide nanonets also demonstrated robust stability against proteolytic degradation, and promising in vivo efficacy and biosafety profile. Overall, these bacteria-responsive peptide nanonets are promising clinical anti-infective alternatives for circumventing antibiotic resistance.     

Organometallic L-Alanine Cadmium Iodide Crystals for Optical Device Fabrication

Single crystals of L-alanine cadmium iodide (LACI) were grown by the slow evaporation technique at room temperature. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) model was used to evaluate the crystal structure of the as-grown LACI crystal. The energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) transmittance studies were carried out, and the results reveal the presence of elements in the title compound. From the transmittance data, the optical bandgap as a function of photon energy was estimated, and the different optical constants were calculated. A fluorescence study was performed for the LACI crystal. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses have also been studied to investigate the thermal property of the LACI crystal. The efficiency of the second harmonic generation (SHG) of the title crystal was investigated. The magnetic and electrical properties were estimated by the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis and impedance study, respectively.     

Plasma spheroidization of nickel powders in a plasma reactor

Thermal spray coatings of surfaces with metal, alloy and ceramic materials for protection against corrosion, erosion and wear is an intense field of research. The technique involves injection of the powder into a plasma flame, melting, acceleration of the powder particles, impact and bonding with the substrate. Feedstock powders of metals, alloys and ceramics for thermal spray applications have to meet several requirements. Particle shape, size and its distribution, powder flow characteristics and density are the important factors to be considered in order to ensure high spray efficiency and better coating properties. For smooth and uniform feeding of powders into plasma jet, the powder particles have to be spherical in shape. High temperatures and steep temperatures present in thermal plasma is exploited to spheroidize particles in the present investigation. Nickel powder particles in the size range from 40–100 μm were spheroidized using plasma processing. SEM and optical micrographs showed spherical shape of processed particles.     

Anaerobic co-digestion of hazardous tannery solid waste and primary sludge: biodegradation kinetics and metabolite analysis

Generation of solid waste is inherent to manufacture of leather from skin and hide. Solid wastes generated at various unit operations of the tanning process considerably vary in quantity and composition. Fleshing is a type of animal tissue waste generated during the preparatory leather processing stage in relatively larger quantities as compared to other types of solid waste in the tanning industry. Fleshing mainly contains fat and protein and residual chemicals such as lime and sulphide used in the ‘unhairing’ process of beam house operation. Another type of solid waste in tanning industry which requires safe disposal is the primary sludge from tannery wastewater treatment plant. This study shows that both fleshing and primary sludge contains a significant quantity of volatile solids amenable for biodegradation. Different proportions of waste fleshing and primary sludge were subjected to anaerobic digestion. The studies were carried out in a laboratory scale reactor with an aim of developing an appropriate technology for recovery of bioenergy from the waste and subsequently ensure their safe disposal. Volatile solid destruction between 41 and 52%, specific gas production between 0.419 and 0.635 l/g volatile solids feed and methane yield between 71 and 77% were achieved. Further, the biomethanation potential of animal fleshing and substrate specific kinetics of the reaction process were also examined.     

Temperature dependence of the dielectric response of BaZrO3 by immittance spectroscopy

Electrical measurements using AC immittance spectroscopic technique over the temperature range of 25-300°C, on sintered compacts of pure BaZrO₃ and those containing 5 wt.% BaSnO₃ sintered in the temperature range of 1600-1700°C for up to 12 h are reported. Data analyses revealed that the capacitance and the derived dielectric constant remained invariant over more than three decades of frequency in the kilo to megahertz regime. Typically, the average dielectric constant was 15 and the TCK values were P3 and P186 ppm/°C for pure and 5 wt.% BaSnO₃-added BaZrO₃, respectively, in the range 25-300°C.     

Power Quality Enhancement Using Linear Quadratic Regulator Based Current-controlled Voltage Source Inverter for the Grid Integrated Renewable Energy System

This paper presents an optimal control strategy using linear quadratic regulator (LQR) applied in current-controlled voltage source inverter (CCVSI) to control the real and reactive power flow between the renewable energy system (RES) and the grid. It also compensates harmonic current components drawn by the load from the grid terminal. A simplified equivalent circuit is used to develop the reduced order state space model of the three-phase grid connected renewable energy system. This makes the analysis and design of control law simpler by reducing the number of weighing variables used in LQR. The extension real–reactive power (p–q) method implemented in a–b–c frame is used to generate the reference current for controlling the real and reactive power to the grid to minimize the total harmonic distortion (THD) and to achieve unity power factor (UPF) operation at the grid side. The stated technique makes the grid current sinusoidal even under unbalanced grid voltages and the harmonic distortion factors are well within the IEEE limits. The system is simulated under changes in the real power fed from RES to the grid for both balanced and unbalanced grid conditions. The simulation results are validated by the experimental results.     

Kinetics of reduction of ilmenite with graphite at 1000 to 1100 °C

Pellets prepared from mixtures of synthetic ilmenite and graphite were heated in argon at 1000 to 1100 °C and the rate of reduction was followed gravimetrically. No measurable reaction was obtained at 1000 °C but the rate was high at 1100 °C. An inflection in the reduction curve at about 2 pct weight loss at 1050 and 1100 °C was due to the difficulty in nucleating iron. The rate is increased significantly by the addition of ferric chloride which promotes the nucleation of iron. The addition of rutile decreases the rate of reduction and the addition of manganese stabilizes a pseudobrookite phase.     

Testosterone increases and estradiol decreases middle cerebral artery occlusion lesion size in male rats

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of estrogen and testosterone on cerebral ischemic lesion size induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in male rats. Rats were gonadectomized and treated with testosterone, estrogen, or testosterone plus estrogen filled Silastic pellets. The animals were divided into 6 groups: intact, intact + estrogen (E2), castrate, castrate + testosterone (T), castrate + E2, and castrate + T + E2. One week after treatment, cerebral ischemia was induced by MCA occlusion for 40 min, followed by reperfusion. After 24 h, rats were sacrificed and slices were then stained to assess lesion size. The presence of testosterone increased and the removal of testosterone decreased lesion size. A strong positive correlation (r2 = 0.922) between plasma testosterone concentrations and ischemic lesion size was observed. Estradiol treatment reduced ischemic area. In summary, the present study provides evidence that testosterone exacerbates and estrogens ameliorate ischemic brain damage in an animal model of cerebral ischemia.