Deciphering genetic factors contributing to enhanced resistance against Cercospora leaf blight in soybean (Glycine max L.) using GWAS analysis.

Cercospora leaf blight (CLB), caused by Cercospora cf. flagellaris, C. kikuchii, and C. cf. sigesbeckiae, is a significant soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] disease in regions with hot and humid conditions causing yield loss in the United States and Canada. There is limited information regarding resistant soybean cultivars, and there have been marginal efforts to identify the genomic regions underlying resistance to CLB. A Genome-Wide Association Study was conducted using a diverse panel of 460 soybean accessions from maturity groups III to VII to identify the genomic regions associated to the CLB disease. These accessions were evaluated for CLB in different regions of the southeastern United States over 3 years. In total, the study identified 99 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) associated with the disease severity and 85 SNPs associated with disease incidence. Across multiple environments, 47 disease severity SNPs and 23 incidence SNPs were common. Candidate genes within 10 kb of these SNPs were involved in biotic and abiotic stress pathways. This information will contribute to the development of resistant soybean germplasm. Further research is warranted to study the effect of pyramiding desirable genomic regions and investigate the role of identified genes in soybean CLB resistance.

Development of cell-laden photopolymerized constructs with bioactive amorphous calcium magnesium phosphate for bone tissue regeneration via 3D bioprinting.

The synthesis of ideal bioceramics to guide the fate of cells and subsequent bone regeneration within the chemical, biological, and physical microenvironment is a challenging long-term task. This study developed amorphous calcium magnesium phosphate (ACMP) bioceramics via a simple co-precipitation method. The role of Mg2+ in the formation of ACMP is investigated using physicochemical and biological characterization at different Ca/Mg molar ratio of the initial reaction solution. Additionally, ACMP bioceramics show superior cytocompatibility and improved osteogenic differentiation of co-cultured MC3T3-E1 cells. Regulation of the microenvironment with Mg2+ can promote early-stage bone regeneration. For this, bioprinting technology is employed to prepare ACMP-modified 3D porous structures. Our hypothesis is that the incorporation of ACMP into methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) bioink can trigger the osteogenic differentiation of encapsulated preosteoblast and stimulate bone regeneration. The cell-laden ACMP composite structures display stable printability and superior cell viability and cell proliferation. Also, constructs loading the appropriate amount of ACMP bioceramic showed significant osteogenic differentiation activity compared to the pure GelMA. We demonstrate that the dissolved Mg2+ cation microenvironment in ACMP-modified composite constructs plays an effective biochemical role, and can regulate cell fate. Our results predict that GelMA/ACMP bioink has significant potential in patient-specific bone tissue regeneration.

Noninvasive wearable sensor for the continuous monitoring of human sound and movement signals in real-time.

Recently, with the development of non-invasive human health monitoring technology including wearable devices, a flexible sensor that monitors 'human sound and movement signals' such as human voice and muscle movement is attracting attention. In this experiment, electrospun nanofibers were mixed with highly conductive nanoparticles and coated with polyaniline to detect the patient's electrical signals. Due to the high piezoelectric effect, nanofiber-based sensors do not require charging through a separate battery, so they can be used as self-powered devices. In addition, the LCR meter test confirmed that the sensor has a high capacitance due to its high conductivity and high sensitivity to electrical signals. The sensor produced in this study can visually estimate the electrical signal of the actual human body through real-time comparison with electromyography (EMG) measuring equipment, and it was confirmed that the error is small. This sensor is expected to be widely used in the medical field, from simple sound and movement signals to disease monitoring.

Characterization of QoI-Fungicide Resistance in Cercospora Isolates Associated with Cercospora Leaf Blight of Soybean from the Southern United States.

Cercospora leaf blight (CLB) of soybean, caused by Cercospora cf. flagellaris, C. kikuchii, and C. cf. sigesbeckiae, is an economically important disease in the southern United States. Cultivar resistance to CLB is inconsistent; therefore, fungicides in the quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) class have been relied on to manage the disease. Approximately 620 isolates from plants exhibiting CLB were collected between 2018 and 2021 from 19 locations in eight southern states. A novel polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay based on two genes, calmodulin and histone h3, was developed to differentiate between the dominant species of Cercospora, C. cf. flagellaris, and C. cf. sigesbeckiae. A multilocus phylogenetic analysis of actin, calmodulin, histone h3, ITS rDNA, and transcription elongation factor 1-α was used to confirm PCR-RFLP results and identify remaining isolates. Approximately 80% of the isolates collected were identified as C. cf. flagellaris, while 15% classified as C. cf. sigesbeckiae, 2% as C. kikuchii, and 3% as previously unreported Cercospora species associated with CLB in the United States. PCR-RFLP of cytochrome b (cytb) identified QoI-resistance conferred by the G143A substitution. Approximately 64 to 83% of isolates were determined to be QoI-resistant, and all contained the G143A substitution. Results of discriminatory dose assays using azoxystrobin (1 ppm) were 100% consistent with PCR-RFLP results. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first report of QoI resistance in CLB pathogen populations from Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. In areas where high frequencies of resistance have been identified, QoI fungicides should be avoided, and fungicide products with alternative modes-of-action should be utilized in the absence of CLB-resistant soybean cultivars.

Chitin Nanofibrils Enabled Core-Shell Microcapsules of Alginate Hydrogel.

An engineered 3D architectural network of the biopolymeric hydrogel can mimic the native cell environment that promotes cell infiltration and growth. Among several bio-fabricated hydrogel structures, core-shell microcapsules inherit the potential of cell encapsulation to ensure the growth and transport of cells and cell metabolites. Herein, a co-axial electrostatic encapsulation strategy is used to create and encapsulate the cells into chitin nanofibrils integrated alginate hydrogel microcapsules. Three parameters that are critical in the electrostatic encapsulation process, hydrogel composition, flow rate, and voltage were optimized. The physicochemical characterization including structure, size, and stability of the core-shell microcapsules was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), FTIR, and mechanical tests. The cellular responses of the core-shell microcapsules were evaluated through in vitro cell studies by encapsulating NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells. Notably, the bioactive microcapsule showed that the cell viability was found excellent for more than 2 weeks. Thus, the results of this core-shell microcapsule showed a promising approach to creating 3D hydrogel networks suitable for different biomedical applications such as in vitro tissue models for toxicity studies, wound healing, and tissue repair.

L-cysteine aided polyaniline capped SrO2 nanoceramics: Assessment of MC3T3-E1-arbitrated osteogenesis and anti-bactericidal efficacy on the polyurethane 2D nanofibrous substrate.

Fabricating bioartificial bone graft ceramics retaining structural, mechanical, and bone induction properties akin to those of native stem-cell niches is a major challenge in the field of bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Moreover, the developed materials are susceptible to microbial invasion leading to biomaterial-centered infections which might limit their clinical translation. Here, we successfully developed biomimetic porous scaffolds of polyurethane-reinforcedL-cysteine-anchored polyaniline capped strontium oxide nanoparticles to improve the scaffold's biocompatibility, osteo-regeneration, mechanical, and antibacterial properties. The engineered nanocomposite substrate PU/L-Cyst-SrO2 @PANI (0.4 wt%) significantly promotes bone repair and regeneration by modulating osteolysis and osteogenesis. ALP activity, collagen-I, ARS staining, as well as biomineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells, were used to assess the biocompatibility and cytocompatibility of the developed scaffolds in vitro, confirming that the scaffold provided a favorable microenvironment with a prominent effect on cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Furthermore, osteogenic protein markers were studied using qRT-PCR with expression levels of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (Spp-I), and collagen type I (Col-I). The overall results suggest that PU/L-Cyst-SrO2 @PANI (0.4 wt%) scaffolds showed superior interfacial biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, load-bearing ability, and osteoinductivity as compared to pristine PU. Thus, prepared bioactive nanocomposite scaffolds perform as a promising biomaterial substrate for bone tissue regeneration.

Genetic Characterization of the Partial Disease Resistance of Rice to Bacterial Panicle Blight and Sheath Blight by Combined QTL Linkage and QTL-seq Analyses.

Bacterial panicle blight (BPB) and sheath blight (SB) are major diseases of rice and few cultivars have shown a high level of resistance to these diseases. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population developed from the U.S. cultivars Jupiter (moderately resistant) and Trenasse (susceptible) was investigated to identify loci associated with the partial disease resistance to BPB and SB. Disease phenotypes in BPB and SB, as well as the days-to-heading (DTH) trait, were evaluated in the field. DTH was correlated to BPB and SB diseases, while BPB was positively correlated to SB in the field trials with this RIL population. Genotyping was performed using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) assays and whole-genome sequence (WGS) analyses. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and bulk segregant analysis using a set of WGS data (QTL-seq) detected a major QTL on the upper arm of chromosome 3 for BPB, SB, and DTH traits within the 1.0-1.9 Mb position. Additional QTLs associated with BPB and SB were also identified from other chromosomes by the QTL-seq analysis. The QTLs identified in this study contain at least nine candidate genes that are predicted to have biological functions in defense or flowering. These findings provide an insight into the complex nature of the quantitative resistance to BPB and SB, which may also be closely linked to the flowering trait.

Antibiotics Use among Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Department of Internal Medicine of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a life-threatening condition triggered by infections or non-infectious agents. Antibiotics use in such cases prevents severe deterioration and treatment failure. Past studies have shown inappropriate use of antibiotics in different health care settings. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of antibiotics use in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Department of Internal Medicine of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with acute exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease admitted to Department of Internal Medicine of a tertiary care centre from 12th February, 2022 to 15th April, 2022 after taking ethical clearance from Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 417). Convenience sampling was done. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage for binary data along with median and interquartile range for continuous data. Results: The prevalence of antibiotics use among study participants was 106 (98.15%) (95.61-100 at a 95% Confidence Interval). Penicillin 82 (75.93%) was the most commonly used antibiotics group. Conclusions: The use of antibiotics in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was higher as compared to other similar studies. Keywords: anti-bacterial agents; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; guideline adherence.

A bimetallic load-bearing bioceramics of TiO2 @ ZrO2 integrated polycaprolactone fibrous tissue construct exhibits anti bactericidal effect and induces osteogenesis in MC3T3-E1 cells.

Bioactive mesoporous binary metal oxide nanoparticles allied with polymeric scaffolds can mimic natural extracellular matrix because of their self-mineralized functional matrix. Herein, we developed fibrous scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL) integrating well-dispersed TiO2@ZrO2 nanoparticles (NPs) via electrospinning for a tissue engineering approach. The scaffold with 0.1 wt% of bioceramic (TiO2@ZrO2) shows synergistic effects on physicochemical and bioactivity suited to stem cell attachment/proliferation. The bioceramics-based scaffold shows excellent antibacterial activity that can prevent implant-associated infections. In addition, the TiO2@ZrO2 in scaffold serves as a stem cell microenvironment to accelerate cell-to-cell interactions, including cell growth, morphology/orientation, differentiation, and regeneration. The NPs in PCL exert superior biocompatibility on MC3T3-E1 cells inducing osteogenic differentiation. The ALP activity and ARS staining confirm the upregulation of bone-related proteins and minerals suggesting the scaffolds exhibit osteoinductive abilities and contribute to bone cell regeneration. Based on this result, the bimetallic oxide could become a novel bone ceramic tailor TiO2@ZrO2 composite tissue-construct and keep potential nanomaterials-based scaffold for bone tissue engineering strategy.

Nanoscale layer of a minimized defect area of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride on copper for excellent anti-corrosion activity.

In this work, we synthesized a monolayer of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) using chemical vapor deposition. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the materials were evaluated to determine their morphology. High-purity materials and their atomic-scale coating on copper (Cu) foil were employed to prevent fast degradation rate. The hexagonal two-dimensional (2D) atomic structures of the as-prepared materials were assessed to derive their best anti-corrosion behavior. The material prepared under optimized conditions included edge-defect-free graphene nanosheets (∼0.0034µm2) and hBN (∼0.0038µm2) per unit area of 1µm2. The coating of each material on the Cu surface significantly reduced the corrosion rate, which was âˆ¼2.44 × 10-2/year and 6.57 × 10-3/year for graphene/Cu and hBN/Cu, respectively. Importantly, the corrosion rate of Cu was approximately 3-fold lower after coating with hBN relative to that of graphene/Cu. This approach suggests that the surface coating of Cu using cost-effective, eco-friendly, and the most abundant materials in nature is of interest for developing marine anti-corrosion micro-electronic devices and achieving surface modification of pure metals in industrial applications.

Biomimetic Cell-Substrate of Chitosan-Cross-linked Polyaniline Patterning on TiO2 Nanotubes Enables hBM-MSCs to Differentiate the Osteoblast Cell Type.

Titanium-based substrates are widely used in orthopedic treatments and hard tissue engineering. However, many of these titanium (Ti) substrates fail to interact properly between the cell-to-implant interface, which can lead to loosening and dislocation from the implant site. As a result, scaffold implant-associated complications and the need for multiple surgeries lead to an increased clinical burden. To address these challenges, we engineered osteoconductive and osteoinductive biosubstrates of chitosan (CS)-cross-linked polyaniline (PANI) nanonets coated on titanium nanotubes (TiO2NTs) in an attempt to mimic bone tissue's major extracellular matrix. Inspired by the architectural and tunable mechanical properties of such tissue, the TiO2NTs-PANI@CS-based biofilm conferred strong anticorrosion, the ability to nucleate hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, and excellent biocompatibility with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). An in vitro study showed that the substrate-supported cell activities induced greater cell proliferation and differentiation compared to cell-TiO2NTs alone. Notably, the bone-related genes (collagen-I, OPN, OCN, and RUNX 2) were highly expressed within TiO2NTs-PANI@CS over a period of 14 days, indicating greater bone cell differentiation. These findings demonstrate that the in vitro functionality of the cells on the osteoinductive-like platform of TiO2NTs-PANI@CS improves the efficiency for osteoblastic cell regeneration and that the substrate potentially has utility in bone tissue engineering applications.

Engineering 2D approaches fibrous platform incorporating turmeric and polyaniline nanoparticles to predict the expression of ßIII-Tubulin and TREK-1 through qRT-PCR to detect neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.

The bioengineering electroactive construct of a nerve-guided conduit for repairing and restoring injured nerves is an exciting biomedical endeavor that has implications for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury. In this study, we report the development the polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous substrate consisting of turmeric (TUR) and polyaniline nanoparticles (PANINPs) exhibits topological and biological features that mimics the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) for nerve cells. We evaluated the morphology of 2-dimensional (2D) fibrous substrates, and their ability of stem cell adhesion, growth and proliferation rate were influenced by use of various concentrations of turmeric in PCL-TUR substrates. The results showed that 0.62 wt% of TUR and 0.28 wt% of PANINPs in PCL nanofibers substrate exhibited the optimal cellular microenvironment to accelerate PC12 cellular activities. The in vitro experiments revealed that PCL-TUR@PANI substrates significantly stimulated the proliferation, differentiation, and spontaneous outgrowth and extension of neurites from the cells. The substrate has the capacity to respond directly to neuronal markers with significant upregulation of ßIII-Tubulin and TREK-1 through myelination, and also trigger neurotrophic protein expression, which was confirmed via immunocytochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. This study provides a new technique to design substrate of nerve tissue-specific microenvironment for peripheral nerve cell regeneration and could offer promising biomaterials for in vivo peripheral nerve repair.

Para-substituted sulfonic acid-doped protonated emeraldine salt nanobuds: a potent neural interface targeting PC12 cell interactions and promotes neuronal cell differentiation.

Structural parameters, such as metal-like semiconductor and electrochemical properties of functionalized polyaniline, hold great potential especially for the development of the cell-substrate interface due to its ion/electron transfer ability. We report the one-step synthesis of sulfonic acid-doped polyaniline nanobuds (s-PANINbs) with controlled shape/size under various oxidation potentials. The different oxidation states of s-PANINbs are used to investigate the cell-specific platform for the induction of neuronal networks in PC12 cells, including the growth, proliferation, and differentiation of cells. The unique structure of one-dimensional (1-D) s-PANINbs enhances its intrinsic conductive properties, and facilitates the dispersibility and electrochemical activity via covalent bonding with dopants. The protonated emeraldine salt nanobuds of s-PANINbs synthesized at 0.18 V anodic potential demonstrated low resistivity (∼81.18 mΩ) and charge transfer resistance (∼3253 Ω). The most biologically compatible protonated emeraldine salt was used in vitro to induce PC12 cells associated with neurite outgrowth, contributing to the electrophysiology of neuronal cells under an external electrical stimulation. The western blotting analysis and qRT-PCR results show that ß-III Tubulin, synapsin I, and TREK-1 are highly expressed in PC12 cells, confirming their successful differentiation into neural-specific cells. Our approach demonstrates the promising role of the self-standing framework based on the s-PANINbs of the protonated emeraldine salt in peripheral nerve repair for the future in vivo cell-interface.

Engineered cellular microenvironments from functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes integrating Zein/Chitosan @Polyurethane for bone cell regeneration.

A biomimetic-based approaches, especially with artificial scaffolding, have established great potential to provide tissue regeneration capacity and an effective way to bridge the gap between host cell responses and organ demands. However, the synthesis of biomaterial is most efficient when the functional behavior involved most resembles the natural extracellular matrix. Here, a fibrous scaffold was engineered by integrating zein and chitosan (CS) in to polyurethane (PU) associated with functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (fMWCNTs) as a bone cell repair material. The chitosan-based, tissue-engineered scaffold containing 0.1 mg/mL fMWCNTs shows potent synergistic results where improved biomechanical strength, hydrophilicity and antibacterial efficacy produce a scaffold akin to a truly natural extracellular matrix found in the bone cell microenvironments. The scaffold enables rapid cell-to-cell communication through a bio-interface and greatly promotes the regenerative effect of pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) which is reflected in terms of cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation in our in vitro experiments. Alizarin red staining analysis, alkaline phosphatase activity, and Western blotting also confirm the nucleation of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals and the expression of osteogenic protein markers, all of which indicate the scaffold's excellent osteoinductive properties. These results suggest that this precisely engineered PU/Zein/CS-fMWCNTs fibrous scaffold possesses suitable biological behavior to act as an artificial bone extracellular matrix that will ensure bone cell regeneration while contributing numerous benefits to the field of artificial bone grafts.

Nanographene enfolded AuNPs sophisticatedly synchronized polycaprolactone based electrospun nanofibre scaffold for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Herein, we report the bioactivity of monodispersed nanosized reduced graphene oxide (RGO) enfolded gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) engineered polycaprolactone (PCL) based electrospun composite scaffolds. The 2D patterns of PCL based nanofibers prepared by the homogenous distribution of RGO-AuNPs exhibited unique topological and biological features such as mechanical properties, porous structure, large surface area, high electrical conductivity, biodegradability, and resemble the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) that supports the adhesion, growth, proliferation, and differentiation of stem cells. The prepared composite nanofibers based scaffolds containing RGO-AuNPs accelerated neuronal cell functions and confirmed that the optimized concentration showed cytocompatibility to PC12 and S42 cells. The 0.0005 wt% loading of RGO-AuNPs on PCL has a huge impact on neurite growth which leads to an almost one-fold increase in neurite length growth. The present study provides a new strategic design of highly efficient scaffolds that have a significant direct impact on cell activity and could be a potential bioimplant for peripheral nerve repair.

Covalent Surface Functionalization of Bovine Serum Albumin to Magnesium Surface to Provide Robust Corrosion Inhibition and Enhance In Vitro Osteo-Inductivity.

Herein, we describe precisely a covalent modification of pure magnesium (Mg) surface and its application to induce in vitro osteogenic differentiation. The new concept of a chemical bonding method is proposed for developing stable chemical bonds on the Mg surface through the serial assembly of bioactive additives that include ascorbic acid (AA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). We studied both the physicochemical and electrochemical properties using scanning electron microscopy and other techniques to confirm how the covalent bonding of BSA on Mg can, after coating, significantly enhance the chemical stability of the substrate. The modified Mg-OH-AA-BSA exhibits better anti-corrosion behavior with high corrosion potential (Ecorr = -0.96 V) and low corrosion current density (Icorr = 0.2 µA cm-2) as compared to the pure Mg (Ecorr = -1.46 V, Icorr = 10.42 µA cm-2). The outer layer of BSA on Mg protects the fast degradation rate of Mg, which is the consequence of the strong chemicals bonds between amine groups on BSA with carboxylic groups on AA as the possible mechanism of peptide bonds. Collectively, the results suggest that the surface-modified Mg provides a strong bio-interface, and enhances the proliferation and differentiation of pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) cells through a protein-lipid interaction. We therefore conclude that the technique we describe provides a cost-effective and scalable way to generate chemically stable Mg surface that inherits a biological advantage in orthopedic and dental implants in clinical applications.

A conducting neural interface of polyurethane/silk-functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes with enhanced mechanical strength for neuroregeneration.

A fibrous scaffold, fully assimilating polyurethane (PU) and silk fibroin associated with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (fMWCNTs) was developed by electrospinning technique. Herein, we engineered the PU/Silk fibroin-fMWCNTs-based biomaterial that shows great promise as electrospun scaffolds for neuronal growth and differentiation, because of its unique mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and biodegradability, with outstanding biocompatibility in nerve tissue engineering. The morphology and structural properties of the scaffolds were studied using various techniques. In particular, the presence of fMWCNTs enhances the electrical conductivity and plausible absorption of sufficient extracellular matrix (ECM). The in vitro tests revealed that the aligned scaffolds (PU/Silk-fMWCNTs) significantly stimulated the growth and proliferation of Schwann cells (S42), together with the differentiation and spontaneous neurite outgrowth of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells that were particularly guided along the axis of fiber alignment. The conductive PU/Silk-fMWCNTs scaffold significantly improves neural expression in vitro with successful axonal regrowth, which was confirmed by immunocytochemistry and qRT-PCR analysis. Inspired by the comprehensive experimental results, the fMWCNTs-based scaffold affords new insight into nerve-guided conduit design from both conductive and protein rich standpoints, and opens a new perspective on peripheral nerve restoration in preclinical applications.

Layer - Structured partially reduced graphene oxide sheathed mesoporous MoS2 particles for energy storage applications.

Mesoporous architectures are remarkable electrode materials for energy storage system due to their large number of active sites and high surface area. Here we report, mesoporous MoS2 particles (pore diameter 34.04 nm) well attached to the surface of thin layered reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via an ultrasonic chemical method for supercapacitor applications. The rGO not only increases the conductivity of MoS2 but also provides a substrate for the attachment of MoS2 with low aggregation. The porous MoS2 provides a large surface area and sufficient way for the fast transport of electrolyte ions toward electrode materials. As a result, the synthesized MoS2/rGO composites exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance 314.5 F/g in 2M KOH aqueous solution at a scan rate of 10 mV/s and excellent specific capacitance retention (80.02%) after 1000 cycles in a three electrode system for energy storage applications.

Drug use, injecting behaviors, and survival sex among street children and youths in Kathmandu valley, Nepal.

A disproportionate number of street children use and inject drugs and engage in survival sex as coping mechanisms. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of drug use, injecting drugs, survival sex, and condom use and determinants associated with these behaviors among street children. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2016 with an aim to sample 350 street children and youths in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Information about sociodemographic characteristics, injecting drugs, sexual risk behaviors, and biological specimens for HIV testing were obtained. The logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants associated with drug use, injecting drugs, survival sex, and condom use during last sex. Variables that were significantly associated with being a current drug user (versus never) in the presence of other variables included being a rag picker (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.2; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.73-5.9), history of imprisonment (AOR = 2.21; 95% CI = 1.21-4.04), alcohol consumption (AOR = 2.66; 95% CI = 1.46-4.84), and solvent sniffing (AOR = 5.12; 95% CI = 2.74-9.59). Variables that were significantly predictive of injecting drugs (versus never) in the presence of other variables include being 17 years old (AOR = 3.42; 95% CI = 1.11-10.55) and being a rag picker (AOR = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.25-9.75). Variables that were significantly associated with having survival sex (versus never) in the presence of other variables include being 17 years old (AOR = 3.58; 95% CI = 1.31-9.81) and having forced sex (AOR = 9.62; 95% CI = 3.21-28.8). Drug use and survival sex are major coping mechanisms among street children in Kathmandu Valley and are associated with many risk behaviors. Targeted programs should be implemented to meet their special needs.

Globular Shaped Polypyrrole Doped Well-Dispersed Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes/Nafion Composite for Enzymatic Glucose Biosensor Application.

Herein, we report preparation of a bio-nanohybrid material of homogenously dispersed functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (fMWCNTs) in Nafion (Nf) doped with polypyrrole (PPy) and followed by one-step in situ electrochemical polymerization along with glucose oxidase (GOx) on a platinum (Pt) electrode. The bioengineered Nf-GOx-fMWCNTs-PPy/Pt electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic performance to detect glucose with a high sensitivity (54.2 µAmM-1 cm-2) in linear range of up to 4.1 mM as well as a low detection limit of 5 µM (S/N = 3), response time within 4 s, good selectivity, stability, and practical applicability. It is our hope that the comprehensive results will contribute to design an efficient glucose biosensor with practical prospects for biomedical applications.