Self-assembled hydrogel fibers for sensing the multi-compartment intracellular milieu

Targeted delivery of drugs and sensors into cells is an attractive technology with both medical and scientific applications. Existing delivery vehicles are generally limited by the complexity of their design, dependence on active transport, and inability to function within cellular compartments. Here, we developed self-assembled nanofibrous hydrogel fibers using a biologically inert, low-molecular-weight amphiphile. Self-assembled nanofibrous hydrogels offer unique physical/mechanical properties and can easily be loaded with a diverse range of payloads. Unlike commercially available E. coli membrane particles covalently bound to the pH reporting dye pHrodo, pHrodo encapsulated in self-assembled hydrogel-fibers internalizes into macrophages at both physiologic (37°C) and sub-physiologic (4°C) temperatures through an energy-independent, passive process. Unlike dye alone or pHrodo complexed to E. coli, pHrodo-SAFs report pH in both the cytoplasm and phagosomes, as well the nucleus. This new class of materials should be useful for next-generation sensing of the intracellular milieu

An inflammation-targeting hydrogel for local drug delivery in inflammatory bowel disease

There is a clinical need for new, more effective treatments for chronic and debilitating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Targeting drugs selectively to the inflamed intestine may improve therapeutic outcomes and minimize systemic toxicity. We report the development of an inflammation-targeting hydrogel (IT-hydrogel) that acts as a drug delivery system to the inflamed colon. Hydrogel microfibers were generated from ascorbyl palmitate, an amphiphile that is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. IT-hydrogel microfibers loaded with the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid dexamethasone (Dex) were stable, released drug only upon enzymatic digestion, and demonstrated preferential adhesion to inflamed epithelial surfaces in vitro and in two mouse colitis models in vivo. Dex-loaded IT-hydrogel enemas, but not free Dex enemas, administered every other day to mice with colitis resulted in a significant reduction in inflammation and were associated with lower Dex peak serum concentrations and, thus, less systemic drug exposure. Ex vivo analysis of colon tissue samples from patients with ulcerative colitis demonstrated that IT-hydrogel microfibers adhered preferentially to mucosa from inflamed lesions compared with histologically normal sites. The IT-hydrogel drug delivery platform represents a promising approach for targeted enema-based therapies in patients with colonic IBD

Radish: A Cross Platform Meal Prepping App for Beginner Weightlifters

With the increasing ease of access and decreasing price of most food, obesity rates in the developing world have risen dramatically in recent years. As of March 23rd, 2019, obesity rates had reached 39.6%, a 6% increase in just 8 years. Research has shown that people with obesity have a significantly increased risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, among other life-threatening diseases. In addition, 42% of people who begin weightlifting quit because it’s too difficult to follow a diet or workout regimen. We created Radish in an attempt to tackle these problems. Radish makes it easier for people to achieve fitness goals without having to do a large amount of diet and fitness research that generally overwhelms beginner weightlifters. Our contributions in this field are unique because we make decisions for the user so they have fewer disinhibitions from starting and continuing on their fitness journey. Our target demographic for this app are people with limited fitness experience who want to attempt to improve their health and aesthetics. We believe we’ve successfully created a strong proof of concept in the scope of this senior project. We will be continuing our work with this app after the completion of this quarter and we hope to release the app on the App Store and Google Play by the end of the year

Lithium storage mechanisms in purpurin based organic lithium ion battery electrodes

Current lithium batteries operate on inorganic insertion compounds to power a diverse range of applications, but recently there is a surging demand to develop environmentally friendly green electrode materials. To develop sustainable and eco-friendly lithium ion batteries, we report reversible lithium ion storage properties of a naturally occurring and abundant organic compound purpurin, which is non-toxic and derived from the plant madder. The carbonyl/hydroxyl groups present in purpurin molecules act as redox centers and reacts electrochemically with Li-ions during the charge/discharge process. The mechanism of lithiation of purpurin is fully elucidated using NMR, UV and FTIR spectral studies. The formation of the most favored six membered binding core of lithium ion with carbonyl groups of purpurin and hydroxyl groups at C-1 and C-4 positions respectively facilitated lithiation process, whereas hydroxyl group at C-2 position remains unaltered

A New Efficient Approach for Melioration of Power Quality in Grid Interfacing with PV/Battery Hybrid System

This paper proposes grid integration of solar (PV)/Battery hybrid energy conversion system with (i) multi-functional features of micro grid-side bidirectional voltage source converter (μG-VSC) (ii) tight voltage regulation capability of battery converter (iii) MPPT tracking performance of high gain integrated cascaded boost (HGICB) dc-dc Converter with quadratic gain and less current ripple. The PV side HGICB Converter is controlled by P&O MPPT algorithm to extract the maximum power from the variable solar irradiation. This paper proposes a modified Instantaneous symmetrical components theory to the μG-VSC in micro-grid applications with following intelligent functionalities (a) to feed the generated active power i n proportional to irradiation levels into the grid (b) compensation of the reactive power, (c) load balancing and (d) mitigation of current harmonics generated by non-linear loads, if any, at the point of common coupling (PCC), thus enabling the grid to supply only sinusoidal current at unity power factor. The battery energy storage system (BESS) is regulated to balance the power between PV generation and utility grid. A new control algorithm is also proposed in this paper for the battery converter with tight DC link voltage regulation capability. The dynamic performance of battery converter is investigated and compared with conventional average current mode control (ACMC). The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies for HGICB converter and μG-VSC with battery energy conversion system are verified through MATLAB/SIMULINK results

Line × Tester analysis for sustainable yield and dry fodder contributing traits in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) under rainfed conditions

Selection of parents to maximize hybrid performance requires a clear understanding of the combining ability. 101 ICRISAT bred B-lines and two R-line testers were crossed using a line × tester design to develop 202 F1 hybrids and evaluated at four locations in an alpha-lattice design. The environments, hybrids and variance partitions due to lines, testers and their interaction (lines × testers) were found significant. Contribution of lines to the combining ability variance was very high for days to 50 % flowering (DF) (84.3 %), plant height (PH) (71.9 %), panicle girth (PG) (89.8 %), blast severity score (BS) (59.4 %), panicle yield (PY) (64 %), grain yield (GY) (61.8 %) and dry fodder yield (FY) (65.2 %). High percentage contribution of line × tester for panicle yield plot-1 (32.6), threshing percentage (43), grain yield (38.1), fodder yield (34.8) and blast score (28) revealed an interplay of additive and non-additive gene action in their inheritance, thereby emphasizing the potential for pedigree breeding in combination with harvesting the heterotic potential of crop for these traits. Several seed- parents were identified as good general combiners for DF (ICMB 88004, ICMB 04222), PH (ICMB 08888), PL (ICMB 09333, ICMB 09555) and GY (ICMB 93222, ICMB 94444, ICMB 07666). Inbreds ICMB 08666, ICMB 08888 and ICMB 09333 were identified good for biomass production. Hybrids like ICPH021, ICPH023, ICPH107, ICPH175, ICPH007 and ICPH083 were identified as top performing hybrids for different segments and agro-ecological zones. Grain and fodder yield showed a significant and positive correlation with GCA and SCA suggesting that combining ability estimates are reliable predictors of hybrid performance, aiding in the effective exploitation of heterosis

Identification of promising hybrids and opportunities for rapid selection through trait association, combining ability and gene action in the pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L. R. Br) gene pool under rainfed conditions

The ICRISAT pearl millet B-line gene pool, crucial for Indian NARs partners and private seed companies, was assessed through 218 Line × Tester crosses using an alpha-lattice design alongside four hybrid checks. The study explored combining ability, gene action, hybrid selection and accelerated product advancement using trait associations and interdependencies. ANOVA revealed strong genotypic and location effects and genotype × environment interactions were significant. Grain yield correlated positively with plant height, panicle length, threshing ratio and days to 50 % flowering. Panicle yield per plot had a strong direct effect (0.962) on grain yield, with very high phenotypic (0.95) and genotypic (0.94) correlations. Key yield traits, including days to 50 % flowering (0.164), plant height (0.491) and panicle length (0.414), influenced grain yield indirectly through panicle yield per plot. Significant genetic variability among parental groups emphasized the role of both additive and non-additive genetic variance. Narrow-sense heritability was highest for productive tillers (84.00 %), days to 50 % flowering (65.67 %) and panicle girth (62.81 %). Inbreds ICMR 08888 (2.87), ICMB 10555 (2.81), ICMB 01666 (2.71), ICMB 08888 (2.41) and ICMB 11111 (2.16), exhibited strong positive GCA for grain yield. Hybrids ICPH213, ICPH265, ICPH273, ICPH321 and ICPH166 exhibited high SCA for grain yield and reduced days to 50 % flowering, indicating superior per-day productivity. A total of seventeen hybrids including ICPH033, ICPH189, ICPH197 and ICPH206, have been identified for large-scale evaluation based on their high yield potential and desirable market-specific traits, such as adaptation to the A1 Zone, medium maturity, dual-purpose suitability, short plant type suited for the B Zone, large panicle size and excellent fodder yield. To optimize selection efficiency, “Product Rating,” a metric combining flowering duration and grain yield, is proposed for assessing broader adaptability. Additionally, prioritizing panicle yield per plot and threshing ratio over direct grain yield measurements is suggested, particularly in early-generation hybrid evaluations

GNAQ (guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein), q polypeptide)

Review on GNAQ (guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein), q polypeptide), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

GNA11 (guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein), alpha 11 (Gq class))

Review on GNA11 (guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein), alpha 11 (Gq class)), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Design of PV fed single-switch transformer less topology powered electric vehicle

As a result of an increase in the availability of resources that were not harmful to the environment, solar energy applications shot to popularity. Photovoltaic cells power systems that necessitate DC-DC converters because of their low voltage output. This investigation uses photovoltaic cells (PV) to power a high-voltage gain design with just one switch and no transformer. The proposed circuit utilizes a single regulated switch, which contributes to a reduction in switching losses. It requires fundamental pulse regulation. The network used a switched capacitor cell and an LC passive filter to provide an accurate step-up voltage. We can obtain the equation for the step-up voltage gain from the steady-state continuous conduction mode. The equations used for the theoretical design of converters include energy. To show that the topology is comparable with other modern converters that have been published, a comparison was made between it and other converters. In order to validate the converter's effectiveness, simulations built in MATLAB and Simulink are used