A bio-inspired approach for the synthesis of few-layer graphene using beetle defensive gland extract.

Graphene exhibits remarkable properties and holds substantial promise for diverse applications. Its unique combination of thermal, chemical, physical, and biological properties makes it an appealing material for a wide range of uses. But, the lack of an economical and environmentally friendly approach to synthesize good-quality graphene represents an immense challenge for the scientific community. What makes this research unique is the utilization of the defensive gland extract from the beetle species Luprops tristis (Order: Coleoptera, Family: Tenebrionidae) to synthesize a few layers of graphene (FLG). This innovative incorporation of natural resources and exploration of biologically inspired methods provides an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to conventional graphene production techniques. The exfoliated graphene displayed antimicrobial effects against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, with particularly potent bactericidal activity. Additionally, the cytotoxicity assay demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of biosynthesized graphene against Daltons Lymphoma Acetic (DLA) cells.

Changing dynamics of COVID-19 deaths during the SARS-CoV2 B.1.617.2 (Delta variant) outbreak in England and Wales: Reduced COVID-19 deaths among the Care Home residents.

ObjectivesCare Homes faced crisis during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic with increased mortality and various corrective interventions were undertaken. The impact of current SARS-CoV2 B.1.617.2 (Delta variant) outbreak on COVID-19 deaths in Care Homes is not completely known. DesignObservational study Setting and ParticipantsWe included nationwide data of deaths from all causes and COVID-19 in England and Wales during March 7, 2020-November 26, 2021. MethodsImpact of COVID-19 deaths in Care Homes, Hospital and Homes relative to total deaths from all causes was investigated. ResultsDuring March 7-August 28,2020; 15,414 (29.8%) of the 51,740 COVID-19 deaths occurred in Care Homes. During August 29, 2020-May 28, 2021, there were significant decrease in COVID-19 deaths in Care Homes ([19.2%]; RR 0.64; 95%CI 0.63-0.65;p<0.0001], which significantly declined further ([8.9%]; RR 0.46; 95%CI 0.43-0.48;p<0.0001) during May 29-November 26, 2021. During the March 7-August 28, 2020; 20.0% (15,514/76,906) of all Care Home deaths were caused by COVID-19, which significantly declined to 18.5% (RR 0.92; 95%CI 0.90-0.93; p<0.0001) during August 29, 2020-May 28, 2021 and declined further to 2.5% (RR 0.13; 95% CI 0.12-0.14;p<0.0001) during May 29-November 26, 2021. Increased percentages of COVID-19 deaths occurred in Hospitals ([72.3%]; RR 1.14; 95% CI 1.1-1.15;p<0.0001) and Homes ([6.3%]; RR 1.33; 95% CI 1.27-1.40; p<0.0001) during August 29, 2020-May 28, 2021 and further increases in the Hospitals ([80.8%]; RR 1.11; 95% CI 1.10-1.12; p<0.0001) and Homes ([8.8%]; RR 1.39; 95% CI 1.31-1.47; p<0.0001) during May 29-November 26, 2021. Conclusions and ImplicationsThere was a significantly lower number of COVID-19 deaths occurred in Care Homes and a significantly lower number of Care Homes deaths caused by COVID-19 during the Delta variant surge in England and Wales than the prior surges. Care Home residents are at highest risk for mortality, continuous monitoring and research on COVID-19 preventive interventions are essential.

Dosimetric comparison of manual forward planning with uniform dwell times versus volume-based inverse planning in interstitial brachytherapy of cervical malignancies.

AIM: Dosimetic comparison of manual forward planning(MFP) with inverse planning(IP) for interstitial brachytherapy(ISBT) in cervical carcinoma. BACKGROUND: Brachytherapy planning by MFP is more reliable but time-consuming method, whereas IP has been explored more often for its ease and rapidness. The superiority of either is yet to be established. METHODOLOGY: Two plans were created on data sets of 24 patients of cervical carcinoma who had undergone ISBT, one by MFP with uniform dwell times and another IP on BrachyVision 13.7 planning system with a dose prescription of 600 cGy. Isodose shaper was used for improving conformity & homogeneity. Dosimetric parameters for target and organs at risk (OARs) were recorded. Conformity index (COIN), dose homogeneity index (DHI), overdose index (OI), Coverage index (CI) and dose nonuniformity ratio (DNR) were calculated. RESULTS: Mean high risk clinical target volume: 73.05(±20.7)cc, D90: 5.51 Gy vs. 5.6 Gy (p = 0.017), V100: 81.77 % vs. 83.74 % (p = 0.002), V150: 21.7 % vs. 24.93 % (p = 0.002), V200: 6.3 % vs. 6.4 % (p=0.75) for IP and MFP, respectively. CI: 0.81(IP) and 0.83(MFP) (p = 0.003); however, COIN was 0.79 for both plans. D2cc of OARs was statistically better with IP (bladder 54.7 % vs. 56.1 %, p = 0.03; rectum 63 % vs. 64.7 %, (p = 0.0008). CONCLUSION: Both MFP and IP are equally acceptable dosimetrically. With higher dose achieved to the target, for a similar OAR dose, MFP provides greater user flexibility of dwell positions within the target as well as better optimization. Isodose shaper may be carefully used for fine tuning. Larger sample sizes and clinical correlation will better answer the superiority of one over the other.