Antimicrobial resistance and phylogenetic lineages of KPC-2-producing blood-borne subsp. from Kolkata, India during 2015-2024: Emergence of subsp. with , , and triple carbapenemases.

In view of insufficient data on the epidemiology and genomics of producing subsp. (KPC-2 ) from India, this study, first of its kind, was conducted to characterize blood-borne KPC-2 isolates according to their resistome, plasmid types, and genotypes. This study included 45 blood-borne KPC-2 isolates from ICU-admitted sepsis patients in Kolkata from 2015 to 2024.

Root-Associated Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in Mangrove Ecosystem and its Application in Sustainable Biotechnology.

Mangroves are distinguished as a unique ecotone, characterized by their specialized habitat and extreme environmental conditions, including high salinity, tidal fluctuations, elevated temperatures, low oxygen levels, and waterlogging. While these stressors impose numerous challenges on mangroves, the plants have evolved adaptive mechanisms to cope with such harsh conditions. Crucially, the root-associated microbial community, particularly plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), plays an essential role in aiding mangrove plants to withstand these adverse conditions, highlighting the symbiotic relationship vital for mangrove resilience.

Tailoring Substitutional Sites for Efficient Lanthanide Doping in Lead-Free Perovskite Nanocrystals with Enhanced Near-Infrared Photoluminescence.

The incorporation of rare earth lanthanide ions (Ln) into lead-free halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) is an effective and promising strategy to expand their optical, magnetic, and electrochemical properties. Herein, we designed and synthesized various Ln (including Yb, Er, and Nd), doped Sb- or Bi-based and Sb/Bi alloyed lead-free perovskite NCs, including vacancy-induced perovskite (AB(III)X), double perovskite (AB(I)B (III)X), and layered-double perovskite (AB(II)B(III)X) NCs with different energy transfer pathways to study the Ln dopant photoluminescence (PL). While a small size mismatch between dopant ions and host substitutional sites are critical for efficient doping of many first-row transitional metal ion doped metal chalcogenides, surprisingly, the Ln ions, including the large Nd ions (112 pm), prefer smaller isovalent Sb(III) octahedral (O) sites (90 pm) instead of Bi(III) O sites (117 pm) in these lead-free perovskite NCs.

Mixed-species Pseudomonas biofilms: a novel and sustainable strategy for malachite green dye decolorization and detoxification.

This study investigated the application of mixed biofilms formed by two Pseudomonas strains (NAA22 and NAA23) for bio-decolorization of malachite green (MG) dye. The isolated strains displayed biofilm formation and MG decolorization capabilities. Mixed biofilms exhibited significantly greater biofilm formation and MG decolorization (94.

Nanoscale Topography Dictates Residue Hydropathy in Proteins.

Proteins exhibit diverse structures, including pockets, cavities, channels, and bumps, which are crucial in determining their functions. This diversity in topography also introduces significant chemical heterogeneity, with polar and charged domains often juxtaposed with nonpolar domains in proximity. Consequently, accurately assessing the hydropathy of amino acid residues within the intricate nanoscale topology of proteins is essential.

Phosphorylation of Orc6 During Mitosis Regulates DNA Replication and Ribosome Biogenesis.

The human Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) is required not only for the initiation of DNA replication, but is also implicated in diverse cellular functions, including chromatin organization, centrosome biology, and cytokinesis. The smallest subunit of ORC, Orc6, is poorly conserved amongst eukaryotes. Recent studies from our laboratory have suggested that human Orc6 is not required for replication licensing, but is needed for S-phase progression.

Enhancement of Spontaneous Photon Emission in Inverse Photoemission Transitions in Semiconductor Quantum Dots.

Inverse photoemission (IPE) is a radiative electron capture process where an electron is transiently captured in the conduction band (CB) followed by intraband de-excitation and spontaneous photon emission. IPE in quantum dots (QDs) bypasses optical selection rules for populating the CB and provides insights into the capacity for electron capture in the CB, the propensity for spontaneous photon emission, intraband transition energies where both initial and final states are in the CB, and the generation of photons with frequencies lower than the bandgap. Here, we demonstrate using time-dependent perturbation theory that judicious application of electric fields can significantly enhance the IPE transition in QDs.

Inserting an "atomic trap" for directional dopant migration in core/multi-shell quantum dots.

Diffusion of atoms or ions in solid crystalline lattice is crucial in many areas of solid-state technology. However, controlling ion diffusion and migration is challenging in nanoscale lattices. In this work, we intentionally insert a CdZnS alloyed interface layer, with small cationic size mismatch with Mn(ii) dopant ions, as an "atomic trap" to facilitate directional (outward and inward) dopant migration inside core/multi-shell quantum dots (QDs) to reduce the strain from the larger cationic mismatch between dopants and host sites.

Interfacial B-Site Ion Diffusion in All-Inorganic Core/Shell Perovskite Nanocrystals.

All-inorganic metal halide perovskites (ABX, X = Cl, Br, or I) show great potential for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices, but the toxicity and instability of lead-based perovskites limit their applications. Shell passivation with a more stable lead-free perovskite is a promising strategy to isolate unstable components from the environment as well as a feasible way to tune the optical properties. However, it is challenging to grow core/shell perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) due to the soft ionic nature of the perovskite lattice.

In-silico study of type 'B' condylar head fractures and evaluating the influence of two positional screw distance in two-screw osteosynthesis construct.

Clinical fixation screws are common in clinical practices to fix mandibular condyle fractures. Evidence suggests significance of 'working length' that is, distance between proximal and distal fixation screws in proximity to the fracture in orthopaedic implant design. In pursuit of stable implant-bone construct, this study aims to investigate the biomechanical performance of each configuration considered in the study and provide an optimal working length between the screws for clinical reference.

3D Printing of Ti-6Al-4V-Based Porous-Channel Dental Implants: Computational, Biomechanical, and Cytocompatibility Analyses.

Loosening of dental implants due to resorption of the surrounding bone is one of the challenging clinical complications in prosthetic dentistry. Generally, stiffness mismatch between an implant and its surrounding bone is one of the major factors. In order to prevent such clinical consequences, it is essential to develop implants with customized stiffness.

DNA Damage-Induced, S-Phase Specific Phosphorylation of Orc6 is Critical for the Maintenance of Genome Stability.

The smallest subunit of the human Origin Recognition Complex, hOrc6, is required for DNA replication progression and plays an important role in mismatch repair (MMR) during S-phase. However, the molecular details of how hOrc6 regulates DNA replication and DNA damage response remain to be elucidated. Orc6 levels are elevated upon specific types of genotoxic stress, and it is phosphorylated at Thr229, predominantly during S-phase, in response to oxidative stress.

An Affordable Topography-Based Protocol for Assigning a Residue's Character on a Hydropathy (PARCH) Scale.

The hydropathy of proteins or quantitative assessment of protein-water interactions has been a topic of interest for decades. Most hydropathy scales use a residue-based or atom-based approach to assign fixed numerical values to the 20 amino acids and categorize them as hydrophilic, hydroneutral, or hydrophobic. These scales overlook the protein's nanoscale topography, such as bumps, crevices, cavities, clefts, pockets, and channels, in calculating the hydropathy of the residues.

An adaptive fuzzy logic control technique for LVRT enhancement of a grid-integrated DFIG-based wind energy conversion system.

The fast improvement of wind energy conversion technology with optimization algorithms has recently received a lot of attention. However, their slow convergence speed, huge computational load, and low efficiency are the main drawbacks and to improve these disadvantages, a new adaptive fuzzy logic controller strategy is proposed to enhance the low voltage ride-through of the grid-connected doubly fed induction generator during severe grid faults. The rotor side converter and the grid side converter are controlled using an adaptive fuzzy logic controller topology under cascaded structure to improve the performance.

Investigation of Ionization Potential in Quantum Dots Using the Stratified Stochastic Enumeration of Molecular Orbitals Method.

The overarching goal of this work is to investigate the size-dependent characteristics of the ionization potential of PbS and CdS quantum dots. The ionization potentials of quantum dots provide critical information about the energies of occupied states, which can then be used to quantify the electron-removal characteristics of quantum dots. The energy of the highest-occupied molecular orbital is used to understand electron-transfer processes when invesigating the energy-level alignment between quantum dots and electron-accepting ligands.

Design of patient specific basal dental implant using Finite Element method and Artificial Neural Network technique.

The bone conditions of mandibular bone vary from patient to patient, and as a result, a patient-specific dental implant needs to be designed. The basal dental implant is implanted in the cortical region of the bone since the top surface of the bone narrows down because of aging. Taguchi designs of experiments technique are used in which 25 optimum solid models of basal dental implants are modeled with variable geometrical parameters, viz.

Probing the Influence of Hybrid Thread Design on Biomechanical Response of Dental Implants: Finite Element Study and Experimental Validation.

This study aimed to perform quantitative biomechanical analysis for probing the effect of varying thread shapes in an implant for improved primary stability in prosthodontics surgery. Dental implants were designed with square (SQR), buttress (BUT), and triangular (TRI) thread shapes or their combinations. Cone-beam computed tomography images of mandible molar zones in human subjects belonging to three age groups were used for virtual implantation of the designed implants, to quantify patient-specific peri-implant bone microstrain, using finite element analyses.

Influence of implant parameters on biomechanical stability of TMJ replacement: A finite element analysis.

The articular disc reduces the stress distribution from the mandible to fossa. In total temporomandibular joint (TMJ) replacement, the implant is required to reduce the stress on fossa implant. Current studies lack standard and optimized parameters for the cylindrical dome on Christensen TMJ implant collar.

Orc6 is a component of the replication fork and enables efficient mismatch repair.

In eukaryotes, the origin recognition complex (ORC) is required for the initiation of DNA replication. The smallest subunit of ORC, Orc6, is essential for prereplication complex (pre-RC) assembly and cell viability in yeast and for cytokinesis in metazoans. However, unlike other ORC components, the role of human Orc6 in replication remains to be resolved.

Probing combinational influence of design variables on bone biomechanical response around dental implant-supported fixed prosthesis.

This study aimed to understand the effect of physiological and dental implant-related parameter variations on the osseointegration for an implant-supported fixed prosthesis. Eight design factors were considered (implant shape, diameter, and length; thread pitch, depth, and profile; cantilever [CL] length and implant-loading protocol). Total 36 implantation scenarios were simulated using finite element method based on Taguchi L orthogonal array.

Asymmetric response of the Indian summer monsoon to positive and negative phases of major tropical climate patterns.

The existing theories for the tropical teleconnections to Indian summer monsoon (ISM) are diverse in approaches. As a result, it is impossible to quantify the relative impacts of different tropical climate patterns on ISM, complying with a single physical mechanism. Here, we show that tropical teleconnections to ISM can be explained through net moisture convergence driven by surface pressure (Ps) gradients surrounding the Indian region.

Assessment of Jaw Bone Quality for Designing Patient-Specific Dental Implant Using Computed Tomography Data.

It is essential to assess bone density among mandible teeth as well as among patients and also to observe the variation in all mechanical parameters of the bone for accurate design of patient-specific dental implants. This information helps in the design of implants to create a more osseointegration-friendly environment at the bone adjacent to the implant. For this study, 40 patients were chosen irrespective of age, sex, and bone density.

Characterization of zinc solubilization potential of arsenic tolerant Burkholderia spp. isolated from rice rhizospheric soil.

In this study, experiments were conducted to isolate, characterize, and evaluate rice rhizosphere bacteria for their arsenic (As) tolerance ability and zinc (Zn) solubilization potential in culture media and soil. Among 20 bacterial isolates recovered, six were found to solubilize inorganic Zn salt(s) efficiently under in vitro culture conditions. 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis indicated the affiliation of efficient Zn solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) to Burkholderia vietnamiensis and Burkholderia seminalis.

The S-phase-induced lncRNA promotes cell proliferation by controlling YAP1/Hippo signaling pathway.

Cell cycle is a cellular process that is subject to stringent control. In contrast to the wealth of knowledge of proteins controlling the cell cycle, very little is known about the molecular role of lncRNAs (long noncoding RNAs) in cell-cycle progression. By performing genome-wide transcriptome analyses in cell-cycle-synchronized cells, we observed cell-cycle phase-specific induction of >2000 lncRNAs.