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Fabrication and Applications of Wrinkled Soft Substrates: An Overview
Morphology of soft materials, including those of natural systems has great influence in controlling their surface functionalities and responses to external stimuli. Surface morphological features of natural soft systems are produced through controlled cell growth and tissue growth. Artificial systems capable of emulating the morphology-dependent physicochemical responses of natural soft substrates can be prepared through various methods such as surface oxidation, thermal stress, compressive stress, etc. Wrinkling is an important morphological irregularity on soft substrates which can be leveraged in this direction. Wrinkling in artificial soft systems can be achieved through several experimental strategies such as compressive stress, thermal stress, surface oxidation, etc. The tunable, reversible and responsive nature of wrinkled soft substrates make them a potential tool for numerous applications in electronics, optics, adhesives, etc. In this review, have briefly summarized and commented on recent developments in different types of wrinkled soft substrates, their preparation, and emergent applications. 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH. -
Fabrication of anchored complexes as electrodes for sensing heavy metal ions by electrochemical method
Anchored coordination complexes as electrochemical sensors play a significant role in the modern era. It is evident that this becomes a fact on account of their practical convenience. Furthermore, they have unlimited scope in ecological, therapeutic, experimental and biomedical applications. It has been observed that 165 such papers have reported on anchored complexes for electrochemical sensing during the past two years. While human vitality is rigorously threatened by heavy metal ions today, numerous trials are restrained for screening these in nature. This retrace highlights the electro analytical methods and the masterpiece contribution of anchored coordination complexes as electrochemical sensors for the identification of heavy metals such as indium, uranium, lead, beryllium, and mercury in 2015 and 2016. 2017, Oriental Scientific Publishing Company. All rights reserved. -
Factors affecting luxury brand consumption and its impact on consumer purchase intentions: An India fashion luxury goods sector perspective
This study identifies and analyses the psychographic and demographic factors that influence luxury brand purchase intention in the Indian context. It discusses the existing knowledge pertaining to luxury brand consumption and a conceptual framework is developed based on the review of literature. India's favorable demographic profile, the growing middle class, high disposable income and young population, has helped the Indian luxury market witness a tremendous growth. The research identifies what drives the luxury brand purchase intention for the Indian consumers amidst this growth and analyses how it differs based on demographic variables such as age, gender and income. Based on the model thus created, the research seeks to segment the Indian luxury fashion brand consumers according to the significant demographic and psychographic variables thus identified. A questionnaire on a Likert scale was administered to 250 respondents of different age, income and gender groups within the city of Bangalore. The data was then analyzed using correlation, regression, cluster and frequency analysis in SPSS. The functionality is the major value factors effecting purchase intention of Indian luxury fashion consumer. The other identified value factors are correlated to self and others directedness. Age and income also have a significant influence of purchase intention. It was also found that purchase intention varies between different age and income groups. Finally, it was found that Indian consumers can be segmented as Superficial Luxury seekers, Luxury-Indulgers, Luxury-Avoiders, Attention and approval seekers. 2021 Ecological Society of India. All rights reserved. -
Family Factors Associated with Problematic Use of the Internet in Children: A Scoping Review
Background: Problematic use of the internet (PUI) is a growing concern, particularly in the young population. Family factors influence internet use among children in negative ways. This study examined the existing literature on familial or parental factors related to PUI in children. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in EBSCOhost, PubMed, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, Biomed Central, VHL Regional Portal, Cochrane Library, Emerald Insight, and Oxford Academic Journal databases. Studies reporting data on family factors associated with PUI in children, published in English in the 10 years to July 2020 were included. The following data were extracted from each paper by two independent reviewers: methodology and demographic, familial, psychiatric, and behavioral correlates of PUI in children. Results: Sixty-nine studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Three themes emerged: parenting, parental mental health, and intrafamilial demographic correlates of PUI in children. Parenting styles, parental mediation, and parentchild attachment were the major parenting correlates. Conclusion: Literature on significant familial and parental factors associated with PUI in children is scarce. More research is required to identify the interactions of familial and parental factors with PUI in children, to develop informed management strategies to address this issue. 2022 Indian Psychiatric Society - South Zonal Branch. -
Feature extraction and classification techniques of modi script character recognition
Machine simulation of human reading has caught the attention of computer science researchers since the introduction of digital computers. Character recognition is the process of recognizing either printed or handwritten text from document images and converting it into machine-readable form. Character recognition is successfully implemented for various foreign language scripts like English, Chinese and Latin. In the case of Indian language scripts, the character recognition process is comparatively difficult due to the complex nature of scripts. MODI script-an ancient Indian script, is the shorthand form for the Devanagari script in which Marathi was written. Though at present, the script is not used officially, it has historical importance. MODI character recognition is a very complex task due to its variations in the writing style of individuals, shape similarity of characters and the absence of word stopping symbol in documents. The advances in various machine learning techniques have greatly contributed to the success of various character recognition processes. The proposed work provides an overview of various feature extraction and classification techniques used in the recognition of MODI script till date and also provides evaluation and comparison of these techniques. 2019, Universiti Putra Malaysia Press. All rights reserved. -
First Aid Kit to Solve Mental Health Crisis in India: Mental Health First Aid to the Rescue
India has a large population with the prevalence of many mental health concerns but faces a shortage of mental health professionals. This paper deals with this mental health crisis in India and how Mental Health First Aid and developing a first aid kit for mental health would help to address the issue. Mental health and mental illness in India additionally face stigma and backlash from the society. Due to this, very few people with mental ailments come forward to seek professional help. While we are aware of and trained in first aid for physical health, the concept of first aid for mental health is in its infancy. Hence, a review of literature was done to find the benefits of Mental Health First Aid and how it could benefit in solving the crisis in India. Creating a Mental Health First Aid Kit on a similar basis to its physical counterpart can also come in handy while administering mental health first aid. Results show that an individual trained inmental health first aid might act as a bridge between people with mental ailments and mental health professionals and assist in providing timely help. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to National Academy of Psychology (NAOP) India 2023. -
Fish waste valorisation through production of biodiesel and biopolymers for sustainable development: A mini review
Fish processing waste accounts for one of the major classes of food waste generated worldwide in terms of the high volume of waste generated. The presence of high amounts of organic compounds (proteins: 1530 %, lipids: 520 %) in fish waste makes them highly susceptible to autolysis which when not managed properly pose adverse effects on the environment like production of offensive odor, generation of hydrogen sulfide, higher biological oxygen demand (1000 mg/L to 12,000 mg/L or even higher) (BOD), and multiplication of pathogenic bacteria. Fish waste is rich in lipids and polysaccharides that can be channelized for biodiesel and biopolymer production respectively. Biodiesel refers to the biofuel produced from transesterification of plant and animal fats. Extraction of oils from fish waste followed by transesterification reactions can yield biodiesel through a biorefinery approach. Biorefinery concept emphasizes the conversion of biomass into commercially important byproducts. Biopolymers refers to the natural polymers that can be extracted from the natural sources or produced through microbial fermentation process. Furthermore, commercially important biopolymers like chitosan and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) can be used as biorefineries. This review work presents the sequential strategies for conversion of fish waste to biodiesel, PHA and chitosan through various physicochemical and biological methods. The review also presents the existing challenges and the future in the fish waste biorefinery concept. The scope of this review is to present a broader concept of integrating fish waste biorefinery for production of multiple value added products like biodiesel and biopolymers. 2025 Elsevier Ltd -
Flavonoids as Potential Anti-Inflammatory Molecules: A Review
Hydroxylated polyphenols, also called flavonoids, are richly present in vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, herbs, seeds, stems, and flowers of numerous plants. They possess numerous medicinal properties such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammation. Studies show that flavonoids activate antioxidant pathways that render an anti-inflammatory effect. They inhibit the secretions of enzymes such as lysozymes and ?-glucuronidase and inhibit the secretion of arachidonic acid, which reduces inflammatory reactions. Flavonoids such as quercetin, genistein, apigenin, kaempferol, and epigallocatechin 3-gallate modulate the expression and activation of a cytokine such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1?), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8); regulate the gene expression of many pro-inflammatory molecules such s nuclear factor kappa-light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-?B), activator protein-1 (AP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM), and E-selectins; and also inhibits inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and lipoxygenase, which are pro-inflammatory enzymes. Understanding the anti-inflammatory action of flavonoids provides better treatment options, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, obstructive pulmonary disorder, arthritis, Alzheimers disease, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and cancer. This review highlights the sources, biochemical activities, and role of flavonoids in enhancing human health. 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. -
Fluorescein Based Fluorescence Sensors for the Selective Sensing of Various Analytes
Fluorescein molecules are extensively used to develop fluorescent probes for various analytes due to their excellent photophysical properties and the spirocyclic structure. The main structural modification of fluorescein occurs at the carboxyl group where different groups can be easily introduced to produce the spirolactam structure which is non-fluorescent. The spirolactam ring opening accounts for the fluorescence and the dual sensing of analytes using fluorescent sensors is still a topic of high interest. There is an increase in the number of dual sensors developed in the past five years and quite a good number of fluorescein derivatives were also reported based on reversible mechanisms. This review analyses environmentally and biologically important cations such as Cu2+, Hg2+, Fe3+, Pd2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, and Mg2+; anions (F?, OCl?) and small molecules (thiols, CO and H2S). Structural modifications, binding mechanisms, different strategies and a comparative study for selected cations, anions and molecules are outlined in the article. 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Fluorescent Mechanism in Zero-Dimensional Carbon Nanomaterials: A Review
Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have acquired growing interest from different areas over decades. Their fascinating property of tunable fluorescence by changing the excitation wavelength has attracted researchers worldwide. Understanding the mechanisms behind fluorescence is of great importance, as they help with the synthesis and applications, significantly when narrowed down to applications with color-tunable mechanisms. But, due to a lack of practical and theoretical information, the fluorescence mechanisms of CDs remain unknown, preventing the production of CDs with desired optical qualities. This review focuses on the PL mechanisms of carbon dots. The quantum confinement effect determined the carbon core, the surface and edge states determined by various surface defects and the connected functional/chemical groups on the surface/edges, the molecular state solely determined the fluorophores in the interior or surface of the CDs, and the Crosslink Enhanced Emission Effect are the currently confirmed PL mechanisms. Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Food additives and contaminants in infant foods: a critical review of their health risk, trends and recent developments
The infant food market has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. However, the industry faces significant challenges, including concerns over the health effects of infant food additives and issues with food safety. However, new evidences suggest that certain food additives, such as those used to preserve and transport infant formula to keep it fresh for longer, should be avoided. Science into the effects of additives on human behavior makes up a sizable sector of the additives market. Problems such as hypernatremic dehydration, malnutrition, and obesity in infants are directly linked to faulty formula production. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established the toxicity types and chemical tests necessary for evaluating the safety of food additives and GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) compounds. These tests are crucial in understanding the food safety aspects of food additives. The health effects of different types of food additives on infants are discussed in this context. The article gives an outline of various national and global agencies that provides recommendations and standards to gauge the quality of baby food. The immunological responses, allergic reaction pathways and other related health hazards among the infants and young children caused by the food additive are discussed in this article. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.) The Author(s) 2024. -
Food Additives and Evolved Methods of Detection: A Review
Food additives are essential constituents of food products in the modern world. The necessity of food processing went up rapidly as to meet requirements including, imparting desirable properties like preservation, enhancement and regulation of color and taste. The methods of identification and analysis of such substances are crucial. With the advancement of technology, a variety of techniques are emerging for this purpose which have many advantages over the existing conventional ways. This review is on different kinds of additives used in the food industry and few prominent methods for their determination ranging from conventional chromatographic techniques to the recently evolved nano-sensor techniques. 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Food wastage and consumerism in circular economy: a review and research directions
Purpose: Considering food waste as a global problem resulting from the wastage of valuable resources that could fulfil the requirements of malnourished people, the current research focusses on understanding consumerisms impact on this phenomenon. Additionally, the circular economy (CE) approach can be critical in reducing food waste and promoting sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted using bibliometrics and network analysis. The study reviewed 326 articles within 10 years, from 2013 to 2023. Findings: The findings reveal four prominent factors behavioural, environmental, socioeconomic and technological in managing food waste (FW). Reducing FW at a holistic level can benefit individuals and the environment in several ways. Research limitations/implications: Consumers are encouraged to be more responsible for their food consumption by reducing food waste, as it affects societies and businesses both economically and environmentally. This can help promote a responsible consumption culture that values quality over quantity and encourages people to make more informed choices about what they eat and how they dispose of it post-consumption. All stakeholders, including firms, the government and consumers, must examine the motives behind inculcating pro-environmental behaviour. Originality/value: Addressing consumerism and the ability to decrease FW behaviour are complex issues that require a multidimensional approach. This study seeks to fill the gap in understanding consumerism and the capacity to reduce FW using the CE approach and understand the research gaps and future research trends. 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Forensic toxicological and analytical aspects of carbamate poisoning A review
Pesticides play a pivotal role in modern agricultural practices and effective domestic pest control. Despite their advantages, pesticides pose a great danger to humans and animals due to their toxicity. Pesticides, particularly carbamates, are extensively used all over the world in crop protection and domestic pest control, however, also causing morbidity and mortality on a larger scale, which is of great significance in both clinical and criminal justice management.Carbamates are derived from a carbamic acid (NH2COOH) that are commonly used as insecticides. Ethienocarb, Sevin, Carbaryl, Fenoxycarb, Furadan, Carbofuran, Aldicarb, and 2-(1-Methylpropyl) phenyl N-methylcarbamate are examples of insecticides that include the carbamate functional group. By reversibly inactivating the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, these insecticides can induce cholinesterase inhibition poisoning.Chromatographic methods, notably gas and liquid chromatography have traditionally been employed to analyse carbamate pesticides and their metabolites in various matrices. These approaches are employed due to their ability to separate the chemicals contained in a sample; as well as identify and quantify these compounds utilizing advanced detection systems. Aside from these GC and LC conventional methods, other detection and/or hyphenated techniques such as single-quadrupole, ion-trap, triple-quadrupole, or tandem mass spectrometry, have been used in carbamate analysis to provide quick results with excellent sensitivity, precision, and accuracy.The objective of this review is to describe various analytical techniques used to detect and determine carbamate pesticides in various matrices which include urine, blood, and tissues that are commonly encountered in emergency hospital laboratories and forensic science laboratories. 2022 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine -
From Waste to Strength: Unveiling the Mechanical Properties of Peanut-Shell-Based Polymer Composites
Peanut-shell-based polymer composites have gained significant attention as sustainable and cost-effective materials with potential applications as food packaging films, ceiling tiles, insulation panels, supercapacitors, and electrodes in various industries like the packaging industry, construction, furniture, and electronics. This review article presents a systematic roadmap of the mechanical properties of peanut-shell-based polymer composites, analyzing the influence of factors such as filler content, surface modification techniques, interfacial adhesion, and processing methods. Through an extensive literature review, we highlight the mechanical properties of peanut-shell-based polymer composites. Furthermore, challenges and ongoing research efforts in this field are discussed. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights for researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers, promoting the development and utilization of peanut-shell-based polymer composites for various applications. 2023 by the authors. -
Functional Foods: Exploring the Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds from Plant and Animal Sources
"Let food be the medicine"(Hippocrates) is a historic quote that became the basis of food science and nutraceuticals. Due to their possible therapeutic advantages, extracts from food have attracted much interest in the medical community. These extracts are abundant in bioactive compounds, which are natural molecules that may be found in various foods and have been demonstrated to affect health positively. Food components have lots of bioactive components, including primary and secondary metabolites and nutritional components, for example, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, antioxidants, phenolics, and flavonoids. This study's primary focus is on the make-up and purpose of these bioactive components found in food extracts. This review aims to give readers a thorough grasp of the bioactive substances found in food extracts and their possible physiological uses. These bioactive substances' functional traits, such as their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and neuroprotective actions, are also studied. Further research is required to create new functional foods, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements with specific health advantages that can benefit from understanding these molecules' structure and function. 2023 Versha Dixit et al. -
Fungal Mushrooms: A Natural Compound With Therapeutic Applications
Fungi are extremely diverse in terms of morphology, ecology, metabolism, and phylogeny. Approximately, 130 medicinal activities like antitumor, immunomodulation, antioxidant, radical scavenging, cardioprotective and antiviral actions are assumed to be produced by the various varieties of medicinal mushrooms. The polysaccharides, present in mushrooms like ?-glucans, micronutrients, antioxidants like glycoproteins, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and ergosterols can help establish natural resistance against infections and toxins. Clinical trials have been performed on mushrooms like Agaricus blazei Murrill Kyowa for their anticancer effect, A. blazei Murrill for its antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects, and some other mushrooms had also been evaluated for their neurological effects. The human evaluation dose studies had been also performed and the toxicity dose was evaluated from the literature for number of mushrooms. All the mushrooms were found to be safe at a dose of 2000mg/kg but some with mild side effects. The safety and therapeutic effectiveness of the fungal mushrooms had shifted the interest of biotechnologists toward fungal nanobiotechnology as the drug delivery system due to the vast advantages of nanotechnology systems. In complement to the vital nutritional significance of medicinal mushrooms, numerous species have been identified as sources of bioactive chemicals. Moreover, there are unanswered queries regarding its safety, efficacy, critical issues that affect the future mushroom medicine development, that could jeopardize its usage in the twenty-first century. Copyright 2022 Chugh, Mittal, MP, Arora, Bhattacharya, Chopra, Cavalu and Gautam. -
GalNAc-siRNA conjugates: Prospective tools on the frontier of anti-viral therapeutics
The growing use of short-interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapeutics for viral diseases reflects the most recent innovations in anti-viral vaccines and drugs. These drugs play crucial roles in the fight against many hitherto incurable diseases, the causes, pathophysiologies, and molecular processes of which remain unknown. Targeted liver drug delivery systems are in clinical trials. The receptor-mediated endocytosis approach involving the abundant asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPRs) on the surfaces of liver cells show great promise. We here review N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-siRNA conjugates that treat viral diseases such as hepatitis B infection, but we also mention that novel, native conjugate-based, targeted siRNA anti-viral drugs may also cure several life-threatening diseases such as hemorrhagic cystitis, multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by coronaviruses and human herpes virus. 2021 Elsevier Ltd -
Gender justice and women empowerment: Legal measures in India
Educating the girl child, creating job opportunities, putting women in decision making roles, and making pro-women laws protecting them from oppression were some of the many steps that were designed for women's empowerment. But many years down the line the quest for a just society that values women and accords them the necessary dignity and respect is still on. A paternalistic approach with the assumption that women were victims of the social divide was adopted to rid women of their troubles. Being vulnerable they required protection; and so a number of measures were required and adopted to empower her. The authors argue that the flaw in the law is in its paternalistic approach, which does not accord autonomy of self-governance or self-direction. The autonomy needs to be redefined as a relative idea where a just and compassionate society nurtures its members and creates social conditions that strengthens autonomous decisions, instead of impeding them, for the realization of their full potential. It can neither be a masculine versus feminine argument nor be attained in isolation. 2016 Journal of Dharma: Dharmaram Journal of Religions and Philosophies (DVK, Bangalore). -
Genetic causes of male infertility and emerging potential of stem cell therapeutics
Infertility has haunted mankind from ancient times. In 40 to 50% of the cases resulting in failure to conceive, the cause can be attributed to male infertility. The rates of infertility have risen in the past few decades among both among men and women. The reasons can be attributed to life style changes and environmental pollution apart from genetic causes. Scientists have found out few possible causes of male infertility and there are few treatment measures currently being carried out. The success of these depends on the primary cause of the infertility problem. In the past few decades, a number of genes playing roles in different stages of sperm development and differentiation were functionally analysed. This knowledge coupled with the advancements in stem cell technology and in vitro gametogenesis has led to new frontiers in possible therapeutic measures of male infertility, especially those with genetic causes. The present study focuses on the causes and treatment of male infertility focussing mainly on important genetic regulations and emerging stem cell-based therapeutics. 2021 World Research Association. All rights reserved.