National Academy Science Letters最新文献

The global shift towards coffee consumption has resulted in a significant increase in spent coffee grounds (SCG) waste. The potential biological activities of SCG, however, remain underexplored. This research investigated the cosmeceutical application potential of SCG, exploring the phytochemical composition, radical scavenging activity, anti-melanogenic activity, and photoprotective properties of SCG extracts obtained from both conventional and cold brewing methods. SCGs were extracted using ethanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane; after conventional and cold brewing methods, revealing differences in phytochemical yields. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extractions in both conventional and cold brew SCG exhibited the highest total phenolic content. Conversely, there was no difference in total steroidal content among different solvents. Cold brew SCG ethanol extract presents the highest antioxidant capacity, owing to its ability to scavenge neutral radical [1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl] (DPPH^•), cation radical [2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] (ABTS^+•), and metal ions, followed by the cold brew SCG ethyl acetate extract. Nevertheless, none of the extracts exhibited inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase, suggestive of the absence of anti-melanogenic activity. UV absorption spectra indicated relatively effective UVB protection in cold brew ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts, with determined Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 7.74 and 5.39, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis revealed significant correlations between total phenolic content and radical scavenging assays (p < 0.05). In summary, this study underscores the potential of cold brew SCG ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts as a sustainable source of cosmeceutical ingredients, offering good antioxidant and mild photoprotective benefits for skincare formulations and sustainable waste management.

In this work, we give some new properties of Frank matrices (F[a_n]=[a_{ij}]_{i,j=1}^n) such that (a_{ij}=M_{n+1-max{i,j}}) or (R_{n+1-max{i,j}}), where (M_n) ((R_n)) is the nth Mersenne (Fermat) numbers. Here, we obtain some algebraic properties of these matrices such as determinants, matrix norms, characteristic polynomials, spread, etc. In support of the results, we provide numerical validations.

Skin cancer is a major global public health concern. Early diagnosis of skin cancer is essential for better patient outcomes and lower mortality rates. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to increase the precision of skin cancer prediction and help doctors with diagnosis. This short communication reviews the recent advances and future directions in AI-powered skin cancer prediction. A comprehensive assessment of the literature is conducted to evaluate papers published between 2016 and 2022. The proposed research methodology explored Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant studies according to proposed research questions. A total of 780 studies were found, of which 62 were from Scopus and 20 were from Web of Science These studies were selected for study as per the research question constraints. The study examined how well AI could distinguish between benign and malignant lesions and diagnose skin cancer, including melanoma and non- melanoma skin cancers. The analysis showed that deep learning algorithms showed good rates of sensitivity and specificity in predicting skin cancer, suggesting that they could be a useful tool for dermatologists. However, the small sample sizes and lack of real-world testing limited the generalizability of these findings. Additional research is needed to assess how well AI works on people with various skin tones under different environmental conditions. Future research should also focus on developing AI algorithms that can be used to diagnose other types of skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Advancement of system-on-chip (SOC) design technologies has sparked a significant interest in intellectual property core (IP core) reuse among very large scale integration (VLSI) circuit designers. Reusing IP cores can save tedious work and significantly speed up the semiconductor development. The acquisition and utilization of IP Cores is appreciably replacing HDL modules for designing arithmetic circuits. Prefix adders are the most efficient circuits for binary addition which is a crucial functionality of arithmetic circuits in any processor. The parallel prefix adder (PPA) family of prefix adders is a descendant of the widely used carry look-ahead adders. In the proposed work, Sklansky PPA has been constructed utilizing user-defined i.e. custom IP cores for a wide range of input vector length. These custom IP cores have been synthesized using VIVADO tool targeting (xc7z020clg484-1) field programmable gate array (FPGA) device from Zynq family. The methodology adopted in the proposed work can be applied to construct PPA structures with any topologies.

Endophytic microbes are an outstanding bioresources of bioactive metabolites. Cellulases have a great potential in industrial sectors including textile wet processing, biostoning of denim fabric, biopolishing of textile fibers, softening of garments, and removal of excess dye from the fabrics. In the present investigation, endophytic mushroom was isolated from leaves of the medicinal plant Cannabis sativa. The strain EU-FB-14 was screened for production of extra-cellular hydrolytic enzymes including cellulases, amylases, pectinases and proteases as well as secondary metabolites including siderophores, IAA and pigments. The isolated macrofungus showed cellulase activity and produced other enzymes as well. The isolated endophyte Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata EU-FB-14was checked for its anti-microbial activity against pathogenic Bacillus cereus (MTCC-430), E. coli (MTCC-1687) and Yersinia enterocolitica (MTCC-4912).Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata EU-FB-14 thus could be used for bioactive compounds production for industrial sustainability.

Piled Raft Foundations (PRF) are a popular solution for supporting heavy structures on weak soils, but their design and analysis can be complex due to interaction between subsurface, raft and piles. In this study, finite element analysis is employed to examine the effect of various parameters on the ratio of load-sharing (χ_pr) for a square raft with circular cross-section piles beneath it. The analysis considers a uniformly distributed surcharge applied over the entire top surface of the raft. The parameters varied are spacing to diameter ratio, S/D (2–20), diameter of piles, D (0.4–1.6 m), length to diameter ratio, L/D (8, 12 and 16), and raft-soil stiffness ratio, K_rs (0.069, 0.558 and 1.88). The present study concluded that load-sharing behaviour is good for lower S/D ratio (3–4) and an average pile group to raft width ratio, W_g/W_r of approximately 0.4 or more. The χ_pr improves as L/D increases and this increasing trend is more pronounced at higher W_g/W_r ratio. For an increase in D, χ_pr first increases and after certain point it start decreasing. The results can be implemented to the construction and analysis of PRF for industrial structures, bridges, and tall buildings, among other uses.

In the current investigation, pattern of behavioural action and social hierarchy of Rhesus monkey in human dominated site of Bahu Fort and its adjoining park Bagh-e-Bahu of Jammu and Kashmir has been analysed for a period of six months. The study described the variations in behaviour of these macaques in urban settings as compared to their wild counterparts such as differences in feeding preferences. The monkeys in the study sites receive provisioned foods which they supplement with a few wild and garden plants obtained from a public park nearby whereas wild macaques subsists largely on natural vegetation as well as crops which they raided in open agricultural fields. Urban adapted macaques spend more time resting and grooming and since they are dependent on provisioned foods year round so they waste less energy on finding food where as the wild relatives are generally predicted to spend more time feeding and less time resting and grooming. Other general ethological aspects noticed in macaques were locomotion, play, resting, monitoring, mother-infant instinct, mating etc. The present study also disclose the interactions among different individuals of the troop (intraspecific interactions) and in fact the interactions within different species (interspecific interactions). These macaques have adapted to the man-made environment in the park and fort to such an extent that they tolerate human existence without any fear which is not commonly found in the wild macaques as they generally avoid any conflict or direct communication with human beings.

A disease survey was conducted on incidence of Plumeria alba rust caused by Coleosporium plumeriae at Chakdaha (23° 4ʹ N; 88° 32ʹ E) location, situated in the Nadia district of West Bengal, India, during end of November, 2020. Symptoms included patchy yellow dusting of spore masses on the lower leaf surface due to the development of uredo-pustules, which exhibited colonization by a whitish fungal growth. Leaves displaying the presence of the whitish fungal growth on uredo-pustules were carefully collected and transported to the laboratory for a detailed investigation into the growth and colonization of the mycoparasite under stereo-binocular microscopy. Microscopic and histopathological studies confirmed the mycoparasitic colonization of the uredo-pustules of Coleosporium plumeriae. Through extensive analyses involving cultural, morphological, molecular, and pathogenicity testing assays, the isolated mycoparasite was conclusively identified as Trichothecium roseum. As per our thorough investigation and comprehensive literature review, this discovery is believed to be the first reported instance of Trichothecium roseum acting as a mycoparasite on Coleosporium plumeriae, a rust pathogen specifically affecting Plumeria alba.

This letter proposes a compact ultra-wideband bandpass filter with notched band. The filter consists of modified multimode resonator and interdigital coupled lines. The modified multimode resonator is constructed using an open-ended step impedance resonator connected to an interdigital uniform impedance resonator. By incorporating an E shaped resonator below the uniform impedance resonator one notch is generated at 10.67 GHz. The proposed filter exhibits exceptional performance in various key characteristics including good fractional bandwidth (115.88%), insertion loss (0.1 to 0.8 dB), and flat group delay (0.23 ns to 0.37 ns) etc.

Eighteen Vrindavani male calves aged 5–6 months with a mean body weight of 33 ± 0.15 kg were divided into three treatments of six each as: T0 (control) fed with concentrate feed mixture (CFM) without inclusion of sugarcane press mud (SPM); T1 fed with CFM containing 10% SPM and T2 had 20% SPM substituting wheat bran on a physical (w/w) basis. All the three isonitrogenous CFM were prepared in mash form and offered to animals along with wheat straw in a proportion of 60:40 for 180 days. Blood samples were drawn to estimate biochemical and immune responses of experimental calves. Haematological indices like haemoglobin and packed cell volume did not vary (P > 0.05) among the three groups. Similarly, blood metabolites like glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin: globulin ratio, total cholesterol, urea and creatinine were not different due to dietary treatments. Furthermore, no effect was detected on serum enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. In addition, serum minerals like calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and iron remained unchanged across three groups. Also, the data on immune competence revealed that the effect of treatment was non-significant (P > 0.05) for both humoral- and cell-mediated immune responses among three groups of calves. Based on these findings, it is concluded that dietary utilisation of SPM up to 20% of CFM equivalent to 12% of the total diet of calves has no adverse effects on blood biochemistry and immunity.