Clinical profiling, treatment characteristics and outcome in Behcet's Disease (BD)-A retrospective cohort study from Karnataka Rheumatology Association (KRA).

BACKGROUND: Behcet's disease (BD) has a heterogeneous and unpredictable phenotype that differs in various geographical areas. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical phenotype & outcome of Behcet's disease(BD) from Karnataka, India and compare them with large cohorts from endemic regions. METHODS: Databases of practising rheumatologists from Karnataka were reviewed to retrieve clinical characteristics, course of illness, prescribing information and outcome at last follow-up of patients clinically diagnosed as BD. The classification criteria, namely revised International criteria for Behcet's disease (rICBD) and International study group (ISG) criteria were applied. Outcome was defined as complete or partial remission, persistent disease or relapse. RESULTS: We included 72 patients, equal gender distribution and mean age 37.4 ± 12.8 years from 8 rheumatology centres. Commonest presentations were recurrent oral aphthosis 58(80.6%), genital ulcers 36(50%) and ocular manifestations 40(55.6%). Three-quarters [51/72(70.8%)] fulfilled rICBD criteria whereas only half [36/72(50%)] fulfilled ISG criteria. Apart from glucocorticoids [53/72(73.6%)], frequently prescribed therapies were colchicine 39(54.2%) and azathioprine 35(48.6%). Eleven-patients received biologics(anti-TNF-α) and JAK inhibitors to treat severe organ involvement. HLA-B*51 and pathergy tests were positive in 27/45(60%) and 12/34(35.3%) patients respectively. Outcomes were documented in 94.4%(68/72) patients at median follow-up of 24 (12;36) months. Majority [46/68(67.6%)] had complete remission, 17/68(25%) had partial remission, 4/68(5.9%) had persistent while 1/68(1.5%) had relapsing course. CONCLUSION: Majority of BD patients had orogenital aphthosis and ocular manifestations and an excellent response to treatment. Key Points • In our region, Behçet's Disease primarily manifests with recurrent oral aphthae and ocular involvement, with comparatively lower incidence of severe genital ulcers and neurological involvement than in endemic regions. • Apart from glucocorticoids, colchicine and azathioprine are the most commonly used agents. Biologics and JAK inhibitors are prescribed infrequently, primarily in cases of severe organ involvement. • A significant proportion of patients achieved either complete or partial remission during follow-up, with no observed mortality suggesting a milder disease course and better outcome compared to endemic regions. • Gender, HLA-B*51 status, and pathergy response did not exert any significant influence on the clinical profile or outcome in BD patients in Karnataka.

Apoptosis induction capability of silver nanoparticles capped with Acorus calamus L. and Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. Ex DC. against lung carcinoma cells.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared using a one-step reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping agent. Plant extracts from D. sissoo (DS) and A. calamus L. (AC) leaves were incorporated during the synthesis process. The crystalline nature of the AgNPs was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), confirming the face-centered cubic structure, with a lattice constant of 4.08 Å and a crystallite size of 18 nm. Field Emission Gun Transmission Electron Microscopy (FEG-TEM) revealed spherical AgNPs (10-20 nm) with evident PVP adsorption, leading to size changes and agglomeration. UV-Vis spectra showed a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 417 nm for AgNPs and a redshift to 420 nm for PVP-coated AgNPs, indicating successful synthesis. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) identified functional groups and drug-loaded samples exhibited characteristic peaks, confirming effective drug loading. The anti-cancer potential of synthesized NPs was assessed by MTT assay in human adenocarcinoma lung cancer (A549) and lung normal cells (WI-38) cells. IC50 values for all three NPs (AgPVP NPs, DS@AgPVP NPs, and AC@AgPVP NPs) were 41.60 ± 2.35, 14.25 ± 1.85, and 21.75 ± 0.498 µg/ml on A549 cells, and 420.69 ± 2.87, 408.20 ± 3.41, and 391.80 ± 1.55 µg/ml respectively. Furthermore, the NPs generated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and altered the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Differential staining techniques were used to investigate the apoptosis-inducing properties of the three synthesized NPs. The colony formation assay indicated that nanoparticle therapy prevented cancer cell invasion. Finally, Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis predicted the expression pattern of many apoptosis-related genes (Caspase 3, 9, and 8).

Low-Cost Sensor Performance Intercomparison, Correction Factor Development, and 2+ Years of Ambient PM2.5 Monitoring in Accra, Ghana.

Particulate matter air pollution is a leading cause of global mortality, particularly in Asia and Africa. Addressing the high and wide-ranging air pollution levels requires ambient monitoring, but many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain scarcely monitored. To address these data gaps, recent studies have utilized low-cost sensors. These sensors have varied performance, and little literature exists about sensor intercomparison in Africa. By colocating 2 QuantAQ Modulair-PM, 2 PurpleAir PA-II SD, and 16 Clarity Node-S Generation II monitors with a reference-grade Teledyne monitor in Accra, Ghana, we present the first intercomparisons of different brands of low-cost sensors in Africa, demonstrating that each type of low-cost sensor PM2.5 is strongly correlated with reference PM2.5, but biased high for ambient mixture of sources found in Accra. When compared to a reference monitor, the QuantAQ Modulair-PM has the lowest mean absolute error at 3.04 µg/m3, followed by PurpleAir PA-II (4.54 µg/m3) and Clarity Node-S (13.68 µg/m3). We also compare the usage of 4 statistical or machine learning models (Multiple Linear Regression, Random Forest, Gaussian Mixture Regression, and XGBoost) to correct low-cost sensors data, and find that XGBoost performs the best in testing (R2: 0.97, 0.94, 0.96; mean absolute error: 0.56, 0.80, and 0.68 µg/m3 for PurpleAir PA-II, Clarity Node-S, and Modulair-PM, respectively), but tree-based models do not perform well when correcting data outside the range of the colocation training. Therefore, we used Gaussian Mixture Regression to correct data from the network of 17 Clarity Node-S monitors deployed around Accra, Ghana, from 2018 to 2021. We find that the network daily average PM2.5 concentration in Accra is 23.4 µg/m3, which is 1.6 times the World Health Organization Daily PM2.5 guideline of 15 µg/m3. While this level is lower than those seen in some larger African cities (such as Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo), mitigation strategies should be developed soon to prevent further impairment to air quality as Accra, and Ghana as a whole, rapidly grow.

Isolation, identification, and characterization of α- asarone, from hydromethanolic leaf extract of Acorus calamus L. and its apoptosis-inducing mechanism in A549 cells.

Due to the presence of several active secondary metabolites, the traditional Indian and Chinese medicinal herb Acorus calamus L. has been utilized for both medical and culinary purposes since ancient times. A recent report has underscored the promising cytotoxic effect of A. calamus leaves extract against non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Thus, we want to separate the bioactive substance from the hydromethanolic extract of A. calamus leaves in the current investigation. Thin-layer chromatography was used to separate the compounds and different spectroscopic methods (UV, FTIR, NMR, and LCMS/MS) were used for the structure prediction. α-asarone was found to be the main bioactive compound present and it was isolated from A. calamus leaves extract. It exerted a good cytotoxic effect with an IC50 value of 21.43 ± 1.27 µM against A549 cells and IC50 value of 324.12 ± 1.32 µM against WI-38 cells. The induction of apoptosis in A549 cells by α-asarone was reaffirmed by the diverse differential staining methods including DAPI, Acridine Orange/Ethidium Bromide, and Giemsa staining. Additionally, α-asarone induced mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) dissipation with a concomitant increase in the production of ROS. Furthermore, it also increased expressions of caspase-3, caspase-9, caspase-8, DR4, and DR5 genes in A549 cells. In conclusion, α-asarone-induced apoptotic cell death in non-small lung cancer cells (A549) as a result of loss of mitochondrial function, increased ROS production, subsequent activation of an internal and extrinsic caspase pathway, and altered expression of genes controlling apoptosis. As a whole, α-asarone is a plausible therapeutic agent for managing lung cancer. HIGHLIGHTSIsolation of bioactive compound from hydromethanolic leaves extract of Acorus calamus L. by thin layer chromatography.Structural elucidation of the bioactive compound was carried out using different methods like UV analysis, FTIR, NMR, and LC-MS/MS analysis.A plausible mode of action revealed that α-asarone can induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells (A549).Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PGB02 Improved Serum Cholesterol Profile by Tweaking Genes Involved in Cholesterol Homeostasis in Male Swiss Albino Mice.

The effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PGB02 isolated from buttermilk on serum cholesterol profile of normal and hypercholesterolemic mice was evaluated. Further changes in the expression of mice genes were determined. The hypercholesterolemia was induced in experimental mice by feeding high cholesterol and fat diet. Serum cholesterol parameters, physical parameters, cholic acid excretion, and cholesterol metabolism related gene expression analysis was carried out. L. plantarum PGB02 efficiently reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol and improved HDL-cholesterol in hypercholesterolaemic mice. Body weight was reduced and fecal cholic acid increased in probiotic treatment groups. Gene expression analysis revealed that L. plantarum PGB02 up-regulated the expression of LDL receptors, CYP7A1, ABCA1, ABCG5, ABCG8, and down-regulated the expression of FXR and NPC1L1 genes. Summarizing the mechanism, L. plantarum PGB02 improved hypercholesterolemia by increasing bile acid synthesis and excretion, reducing exogeneous cholesterol absorption from the intestine, and increased LDL clearance through upregulation of LDL-receptors. The present study has given insight into the mechanism of serum cholesterol reduction by bile salt hydrolase positive L. plantarum PGB02 in mice. L. plantarum PGB02 reduced the serum cholesterol level through increased bile acid synthesis and deconjugation and reduced absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. Isolate PGB02 shown cholesterol removal potential as good as statin.

Organophosphate pesticides an emerging environmental contaminant: Pollution, toxicity, bioremediation progress, and remaining challenges.

Organophosphates (OPs) are an integral part of modern agriculture; however, due to overexploitation, OPs pesticides residues are leaching and accumulating in the soil, and groundwater contaminated terrestrial and aquatic food webs. Acute exposure to OPs could produce toxicity in insects, plants, animals, and humans. OPs are known for covalent inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme in pests and terrestrial/aquatic organisms, leading to nervous, respiratory, reproductive, and hepatic abnormalities. OPs pesticides also disrupt the growth-promoting machinery in plants by inhibiting key enzymes, permeability, and trans-cuticular diffusion, which is crucial for plant growth. Excessive use of OPs, directly/indirectly affecting human/environmental health, raise a thoughtful global concern. Developing a safe, reliable, economical, and eco-friendly methods for removing OPs pesticides from the environment is thus necessary. Bioremediation techniques coupled with microbes or microbial-biocatalysts are emerging as promising antidotes for OPs pesticides. Here, we comprehensively review the current scenario of OPs pollution, their toxicity (at a molecular level), and the recent advancements in biotechnology (modified biocatalytic systems) for detection, decontamination, and bioremediation of OP-pesticides in polluted environments. Furthermore, the review focuses on onsite applications of OPs degrading enzymes (immobilizations/biosensors/others), and it also highlights remaining challenges with future approaches.

Uncommon Yet Noteworthy: A Clear and Comprehensive Case Report on Pediatric Hip Dislocation.

Introduction: Children, especially those under the age of five, seldom get hip dislocations. Young children may sustain dislocations from minor accidents such as slips or falls from low heights, whereas adolescents typically do so from high-intensity events such as car crashes or collision sports. Posterior dislocation occurs 8-9 times more frequently than those in the anterior. Here, we describe about the acute posterior hip dislocation suffered by a 5-year-old boy in this case report. Case Report: A 5-year-old girl reported to ER with left hip pain and difficulty to walk after slipping and falling while playing football at home. About 90 min after the fall, she presented at the hospital. The injured hip showed internal rotation, adduction, and flexion. An immediate pelvis X-ray revealed a right hip posterior dislocation. Under intravenous anesthesia, the dislocation was successfully reduced utilizing the Allis technique in the emergency room 3 h after the accident. Post-reduction radiographs verified that the reduction was successful. After 15 days of immobilization and 2 weeks of bilateral skin traction, the youngster was able to resume full weight-bearing walking with excellent tolerance. Conclusion: To reduce the risk of avascular necrosis (AVN), pediatric hip dislocations require prompt reduction within 6 h. Soft-tissue injuries are found using post-reduction magnetic resource imaging. AVN requires constant observation for at least 2 years. Since traumatic hip dislocations in children under the age of five are rare, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential.

Influence of distributive justice on organizational citizenship behaviors: The mediating role of gratitude.

Distributive justice is known to have important emotional and affective outcomes. The present study explores the role of distributive justice as an antecedent to feelings of gratitude toward the organization. Borrowing from social exchange theory, we investigate the mediating role of gratitude in the relationship between "perceived fairness in distributive justice" and "employees' organization citizenship behaviors (OCB)." Time-lagged, multi-source data was collected from 185 employees and their supervisors employed in a large manufacturing organization based in East India. Two significant findings emerge. First, the results indicate that feelings of gratitude signal fair distribution of benefits such that the employees go beyond the call of the duty to invest in OCB. Second, engagement in such acts seems to nullify their social debts highlighted in the social exchange perspective. Thus, a strong moral emotion, gratitude is a powerful vehicle that drives employees to act in the organization's interests because doing is desirable and rightful. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Effect of feed particle size and solvent flow rate on soybean oil extraction in a percolation type extractor.

The influence of particle size and solvent flow rate on the kinetics of oil extraction from soybean (eight fractions from 0.433 to 0.122 mm) was studied using hexane, simulating commercial percolation type extractor. The reduction in particle size from 0.433 mm to 0.141 mm showed an increase in the oil yield. However, further reduction to 0.129 mm and 0.122 mm affected the yield due to bed compaction, reducing porosity and contact area. The yield (21.5%) of the ground mass was similar to the major mass fractions (0.239-0.353 mm). The rate of extraction increased drastically with the solvent flow rate. The highest flow rate (9.67 mL/min) exhibited the highest mass transfer coefficient (km) 1.62 × 10-3 s-1 and the diffusion coefficient (De) 1.77 × 10-12 m2/s. At 7.33 mL/min, the yield and the rate of extraction were optimal and no potential benefits were obtained at higher flow rates. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05554-6.

A novel organophosphate hydrolase from Arthrobacter sp. HM01: Characterization and applications.

Bioremediation systems coupled to efficient microbial enzymes have emerged as an attractive approach for the in-situ removal of hazardous organophosphates (OPs) pesticides from the polluted environment. However, the role of engineered enzymes in OPs-degradation is rarely studied. In this study, the potential OPs-hydrolase (opdH) gene (Arthrobacter sp. HM01) was isolated, cloned, expressed, and purified. The recombinant organophosphate hydrolase (ropdH) was âˆ¼29 kDa; which catalyzed a broad-range of OPs-pesticides in organic-solvent (∼99 % in 30 min), and was found to increase the catalytic efficiency by 10-folds over the native enzyme (kcat/Km: 107 M-1s-1). The degraded metabolites were analyzed using HPLC/GCMS. Through site-directed mutagenesis, it was confirmed that, conserved metal-bridged residue (Lys-127), plays a crucial role in OPs-degradation, which shows âˆ¼18-folds decline in OPs-degradation. Furthermore, the catalytic activity and its stability has been enhanced by >2.0-fold through biochemical optimization. Thus, the study suggests that ropdH has all the required properties for OPs bioremediation.

Delineation of molecular interactions of plant growth promoting bacteria induced ß-1,3-glucanases and guanosine triphosphate ligand for antifungal response in rice: a molecular dynamics approach.

BACKGROUND: The plant growth is influenced by multiple interactions with biotic (microbial) and abiotic components in their surroundings. These microbial interactions have both positive and negative effects on plant. Plant growth promoting bacterial (PGPR) interaction could result in positive growth under normal as well as in stress conditions. METHODS: Here, we have screened two PGPR's and determined their potential in induction of specific gene in host plant to overcome the adverse effect of biotic stress caused by Magnaporthe grisea, a fungal pathogen that cause blast in rice. We demonstrated the glucanase protein mode of action by performing comparative modeling and molecular docking of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) ligand with the protein. Besides, molecular dynamic simulations have been performed to understand the behavior of the glucanase-GTP complex. RESULTS: The results clearly showed that selected PGPR was better able to induce modification in host plant at morphological, biochemical, physiological and molecular level by activating the expression of ß-1,3-glucanases gene in infected host plant. The docking results indicated that Tyr75, Arg256, Gly258, and Ser223 of glucanase formed four crucial hydrogen bonds with the GTP, while, only Val220 found to form hydrophobic contact with ligand. CONCLUSIONS: The PGPR able to induce ß-1,3-glucanases gene in host plant upon pathogenic interaction and ß-1,3-glucanases form complex with GTP by hydrophilic interaction for induction of defense cascade for acquiring resistance against Magnaporthe grisea.

Degradation insight of organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos through novel intermediate 2,6-dihydroxypyridine by Arthrobacter sp. HM01.

Organophosphates (OPs) are hazardous pesticides, but an indispensable part of modern agriculture; collaterally contaminating agricultural soil and surrounding water. They have raised serious food safety and environmental toxicity that adversely affect the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and therefore, it become essential to develop a rapid bioremediation technique for restoring the pristine environment. A newly OPs degrading Arthrobacter sp. HM01 was isolated from pesticide-contaminated soil and identified by a ribotyping (16S rRNA) method. Genus Arthrobacter has not been previously reported in chlorpyrifos (CP) degradation, which shows 99% CP (100 mg L-1) degradation within 10 h in mMSM medium and also shows tolerance to a high concentration (1000 mg L-1) of CP. HM01 utilized a broad range of OPs pesticides and other aromatic pollutants including intermediates of CP degradation as sole carbon sources. The maximum CP degradation was obtained at pH 7 and 32 °C. During the degradation, a newly identified intermediate 2,6-dihydroxypyridine was detected through TLC/HPLC/LCMS analysis and a putative pathway was proposed for its degradation. The study also revealed that the organophosphate hydrolase (opdH) gene was responsible for CP degradation, and the opdH-enzyme was located intracellularly. The opdH enzyme was characterized from cell free extract for its optimum pH and temperature requirement, which was 7.0 and 50 °C, respectively. Thus, the results revealed the true potential of HM01 for OPs-bioremediation. Moreover, the strain HM01 showed the fastest rate of CP degradation, among the reported Arthrobacter sp.

Characterizing the Aging of Alphasense NO2 Sensors in Long-Term Field Deployments.

Low-cost NO2 sensors have been widely deployed for atmospheric sampling. While their initial performance has been characterized, few studies have examined their long-term degradation. This study focused on the performance of Alphasense low-cost NO2 sensors (NO2-B42F and NO2-B43F) over 4 years (2016-2020). A total of 29 NO2 sensors from 10 batches were collocated 78 times at two sites with reference instruments. Raw signals from "functional" NO2 sensors correlated linearly with reference NO2 concentrations. After long-term deployment, sensor raw signals started to deviate from reference NO2 concentrations due to sensor aging, an accumulated effect after sensor unpacking. Several sensors eventually became "non-functional" as sensor raw signals showed no correlation with reference NO2 concentrations. Sensor aging and non-functionality may be primarily caused by expiration of the ozone (O3) scrubber built into these sensors so that sensors responded to both ambient NO2 and O3. The influence of O3 on sensor response is quantified through the permutation importance method. Most of the sensors are non-functional after approximately 200-400 days of deployment, and no sensor was functional after 400 days of deployment. This result agrees well with the estimated lifetime of the built-in ozone scrubbers considering the ambient ozone concentration in the Pittsburgh area where these sensors were deployed. To ensure reliable data quality in long-term field deployments, we recommend collocating NO2 sensors with reference instruments regularly after 200-400 days of deployment to identify and replace non-functional sensors in a timely manner.

Safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy used for the management of COVID 19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials

BackgroundCOVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, which is highly contagious and a threat to human health, spreading across nearly 235 countries, affecting 33.8 million and causing 1.01 million fatalities as of 22 September 2020. Researchers have invested tremendous efforts to develop vaccines or effective drug therapy but have not yet been fruitful. Hence, we planned to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis to supplement the readers with comprehensive data and credible information on the safety and efficacyof essential pharmacotherapy during the pharmacological management of COVID-19. MethodsTheprotocol will be designed based on the updated PRISMA-P 2015 guidelines. An elaborate search of electronic databases such as PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar, Medrxiv and other potential databases for articles published during January 2020 to 10 October 2020 is planned to be conducted. Following this,randomized control trials published in English language that assess the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy versusplacebo or standard of care or usual care will be evaluated for inclusion. The primary outcomes will include time to clinical recovery and the probability for the negative conversion of COVID-19. Secondary outcomes will quantifythe proportion of patients relieved of symptoms, the all-cause mortality, morbidity, detection of viral RNA, time needed to achieve a negative viral load, ordinal scale changes, ventilatorand oxygen requirements,length of hospital stayand the incidence of adverse and serious adverse events.RevMan V.5.3 computer software packages will be utilised to conduct an accurate statistical analysis of the study. Thebinary random-effects model will be used at a 95 % confidence interval to estimate the weighted effect size ofdichotomous data and continuous data studies. The results of statistical analysis will be considered statistically significant whena p-value <0.05 is attained. ResultsSelected studies will be used to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy used during the management of the novel COVID-19. ConclusionThis study will be a qualitative and quantitative pool of comprehensive evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy on COVID-19. PROSPERO registrationCRD42020205433

Using a network of lower-cost monitors to identify the influence of modifiable factors driving spatial patterns in fine particulate matter concentrations in an urban environment.

BACKGROUND: There is substantial interest in using networks of lower-cost air quality sensors to characterize urban population exposure to fine particulate matter mass (PM2.5). However, sensor uncertainty is a concern with these monitors. OBJECTIVES: (1) Quantify the uncertainty of lower-cost PM2.5 sensors; (2) Use the high spatiotemporal resolution of a lower-cost sensor network to quantify the contribution of different modifiable and non-modifiable factors to urban PM2.5. METHODS: A network of 64 lower-cost monitors was deployed across Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Measurement and sampling uncertainties were quantified by comparison to local reference monitors. Data were sorted by land-use characteristics, time of day, and wind direction. RESULTS: Careful calibration, temporal averaging, and reference site corrections reduced sensor uncertainty to 1 µg/m3, ~10% of typical long-term average PM2.5 concentrations in Pittsburgh. Episodic and long-term enhancements to urban PM2.5 due to a nearby large metallurgical coke manufacturing facility were 1.6 ± 0.36 µg/m3 and 0.3 ± 0.2 µg/m3, respectively. Daytime land-use regression models identified restaurants as an important local contributor to urban PM2.5. PM2.5 above EPA and WHO daily health standards was observed at several sites across the city. SIGNIFICANCE: With proper management, a large network of lower-cost sensors can identify statistically significant trends and factors in urban exposure.

Impact of physicochemical properties on duration and head rice yield during abrasive and friction milling of rice.

The physicochemical properties of four rice varieties representing high amylose (Jyothi and IR64), intermediate amylose (Taraori Basmati) and waxy (Agonibora) were evaluated to understand their influence on milling. Based on the grain dimensions, Jyothi and Agonibora were classified as long and medium, IR64 as long and slender, and Basmati as extra-long and slender. The head rice yield (HRY) was higher with abrasive milling (61-75%) compared to friction milling (10-60%) although it required longer milling duration. Lower grain thickness, hardness and, amylose and higher bran fat content reduced the friction milling duration while these properties prolonged the duration in abrasive milling. Agonibora variety with low amylose content and high-fat content exhibited the highest HRY in both the types of milling. The study revealed that the selection of milling process should be made with due importance to grain geometry as well as its chemical properties.

Demonstration of a Low-Cost Multi-Pollutant Network to Quantify Intra-Urban Spatial Variations in Air Pollutant Source Impacts and to Evaluate Environmental Justice.

Air quality monitoring has traditionally been conducted using sparsely distributed, expensive reference monitors. To understand variations in PM2.5 on a finely resolved spatiotemporal scale a dense network of over 40 low-cost monitors was deployed throughout and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Monitor locations covered a wide range of site types with varying traffic and restaurant density, varying influences from local sources, and varying socioeconomic (environmental justice, EJ) characteristics. Variability between and within site groupings was observed. Concentrations were higher near the source-influenced sites than the Urban or Suburban Residential sites. Gaseous pollutants (NO2 and SO2) were used to differentiate between traffic (higher NO2 concentrations) and industrial (higher SO2 concentrations) sources of PM2.5. Statistical analysis proved these differences to be significant (coefficient of divergence > 0.2). The highest mean PM2.5 concentrations were measured downwind (east) of the two industrial facilities while background level PM2.5 concentrations were measured at similar distances upwind (west) of the point sources. Socioeconomic factors, including the fraction of non-white population and fraction of population living under the poverty line, were not correlated with increases in PM2.5 or NO2 concentration. The analysis conducted here highlights differences in PM2.5 concentration within site groupings that have similar land use thus demonstrating the utility of a dense sensor network. Our network captures temporospatial pollutant patterns that sparse regulatory networks cannot.

Preparation, characterization and functional properties of Moringa oleifera seed protein isolate.

Moringa seed protein isolate (MPI) was prepared by aqueous salt extraction followed by watering-out to precipitate proteins. Extraction and precipitation steps were optimized to achieve maximum MPI yield. Besides, MPI was characterized based on its composition and functional properties. Among the multiple salts examined, Na2SO4 (69.9%), KCl (66.2%), NaCl (65.4%), and NaBr (63.5%) displayed better protein extractability as well as higher MPI yield (~ 52%) with a protein content of > 90% d.b. However, NaCl was preferred considering its wider acceptance. Based on response surface methodology analysis, solvent-to-flour ratio, 22:1 (v/w), NaCl concentration, 0.4 M and temperature, 55 °C were found optimal for maximum protein extractability of 70.3%. Subsequent watering-out resulted in a maximum MPI yield of 56% (protein basis). MPI contained all the protein subunits (6.5, 14, 29 kDa) present in its source. It also scored over commercial soy protein isolate in many of the functional properties.

Quantifying high-resolution spatial variations and local source impacts of urban ultrafine particle concentrations.

To quantify the fine-scale spatial variations and local source impacts of urban ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations, we conducted 3-6 weeks of continuous measurements of particle number (a proxy for UFP) and other air pollutant (CO, NO2, and PM2.5) concentrations at 32 sites in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the winters of 2017 and 2018. Sites were selected to span a range of urban land use attributes, including urban background, near local and arterial roads, traffic intersections, urban street canyon, near-highway, near large industrial source, and restaurant density. The spatial variations in urban particle number concentrations varied by about a factor of three. Particle number concentrations are 2-3 times more spatially heterogeneous than PM2.5 mass. The observed order of spatial heterogeneity is UFP > NO2 > CO > PM2.5. On average, particle number concentrations near local roads with a cluster of restaurants and near arterial roads are roughly two times higher than the urban background. Particle number concentrations in the urban street canyon, downwind of a major highway, and near large industrial sources are 2-4 times higher than background concentrations. While traffic is known as an important contributor to particle number concentrations, restaurants and industrial emissions also contribute significantly to spatial variations in Pittsburgh. Particle size distribution measurements using a mobile laboratory show that the local spatial variations in particle number concentrations are dictated by concentrations of particles smaller than 50 nm. A large fraction of urban residents (e.g., ~50%) in Pittsburgh live near local sources and are therefore exposed to 50%-300% higher particle number concentrations than urban background location. These locally emitted particles may have greater health effects than background particles.