The Microbiome and Its Implications in Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer is responsible for ~18 million deaths globally each year, representing a major cause of death. Several types of therapy strategies such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and more recently immunotherapy, have been implemented in treating various types of cancer. Microbes have recently been found to be both directly and indirectly involved in cancer progression and regulation, and studies have provided novel and clear insights into the microbiome-mediated emergence of cancers. Scientists around the globe are striving hard to identify and characterize these microbes and the underlying mechanisms by which they promote or suppress various kinds of cancer. Microbes may influence immunotherapy by blocking various cell cycle checkpoints and the production of certain metabolites. Hence, there is an urgent need to better understand the role of these microbes in the promotion and suppression of cancer. The identification of microbes may help in the development of future diagnostic tools to cure cancers possibly associated with the microbiome. This review mainly focuses on various microbes and their association with different types of cancer, responses to immunotherapeutic modulation, physiological responses, and prebiotic and postbiotic effects.     

Cosmetic Electrochemistry II: Rapid and Facile Production of Metallic Electrocatalytic Ensembles

We demonstrate a facile methodology for the production of metallic electrocatalytic microdomain ensembles for a range of analytical sensing challenges. A commercially available off‐the‐shelf cosmetic product can change the voltammetric characteristics of a metallic macro‐electrode created electrolytically into that of a random ensemble of metallic microelectrode domains. Proof‐of‐concept is shown for three examples: a palladium ensemble for hydrazine sensing, a gold ensemble for arsenic(III) detection via anodic stripping voltammetry and platinum ensembles for the direct oxidation of arsenic(III). Last we demonstrate that the fabrication of metallic microdomains can be simplified by sputter coating screen printed electrochemical sensing platforms which are beneficially constructed using this cosmetic methodology. Given the facile fabrication and low cost of the underlying electrode substrate and the cosmetic modifier, the widespread implementation of this novel fabrication methodology is expected.     

Ab-initio calculations of electronic structure and optical properties of TiAl alloy

The electronic structures and optical properties of TiAl intermetallic alloy system are studied by the first-principle orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbitals method. Results on the band structure, total and partial density of states, localization index, effective atomic charges, and optical conductivity are presented and discussed in detail. Total density of states spectra reveal that (near the Fermi level) the majority of the contribution is from Ti-3d states. The effective charge calculations show an average charge transfer of 0.52 electrons from Ti to Al in primitive cell calculations of TiAl alloy. On the other hand, calculations using supercell approach reveal an average charge transfer of 0.48 electrons from Ti to Al. The localization index calculations, of primitive cell as well as of supercell, show the presence of relatively localized states even above the Fermi level for this alloy. The calculated optical conductivity spectra of TiAl alloy are rich in structures, showing the highest peak at 5.73 eV for supercell calculations. Calculations of the imaginary part of the linear dielectric function show a prominent peak at 5.71 eV and a plateau in the range 1.1-3.5 eV.     

Self-injection length in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-YBa2Cu3O7-δ ferromagnet-superconductor multilayer thin films

We have carried out extensive studies on the self-injection problem in barrierless heterojunctions between La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO) and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films. The heterojunctions were formed in situ by sequentially growing LCMO and YBCO films on 〈100〉 LaAlO₃ (LAO) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. YBCO micro-bridges with 64 μm width were patterned both on the LAO (control) and LCMO side of the substrate. Critical current, I _c, was measured at 77 K on both the control side as well as the LCMO side for different YBCO film thickness. It was observed that while the control side showed a J _c of ∼ 2 × 10⁶ A/cm², the LCMO side showed about half the value for the same thickness (1800 ?). The difference in J _c indicates that a certain thickness of YBCO has become ‘effectively’ normal due to self-injection. From the measurement of J _c at two different thicknesses (1800 ? and 1500 ?) of YBCO films both on the LAO as well as the LCMO side, the value of self-injection length (at 77 K) was estimated to be ∼ 900 ?. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first time that self-injection length has been quantified. A control experiment carried out with LaNiO₃ deposited by PLD on YBCO did not show any evidence of self-injection.     

Chiral prostanoid intermediates from aucubin

Several potentially useful prostanoid intermediates have been prepared from aucubin. Dry DMSO-NBS converts enol ethers to α-bromoesters in one step.     

Regioselective,intramolecular oxyselenation as a route to the tetrahydrofuran units of boromycin and aplasmomycin

A substance possessing the functionality and absolute configuration of the C(1′)-C(17′) half of boromycin has bean synthesized, employing an intra-molecular oxyselenation for construction of the tetrahydrofuran moiety from an olefinic diol.     

Triads of Integers with Equal Sums of Squares, Cubes and Fourth Powers

This paper provides a method of generating infinitely many integersolutions of the simultaneous equations where r is equal 2,3 or 4. Three numerical solutionsof this system of equations have also been given in this paper.2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 11D41.     

Hyperfine measurement of magnetic compensation in ferrimagnetic (GdCe)Fe2 and (GdY)Fe2 compounds

Magnetic compensation in the ferrimagnetic series of compounds (Gd_XY_1?X)Fe₂ and (Gd_XCe_1?X)Fe₂ has been observed by Mössbauer measurements of the hyperfine field at Gd and Fe nuclei in external fields (B_app) up to 6 T. The hyperfine field shows a sharp change of 2B_app at the compensation composition x_C due to the alignment of the magnetization of the compound with the external field. Strong compositional dependence of this change allows an accurate determination of x_C in the two systems.     

Magnetoelectric effect in cobalt ferrite-barium titanate composites and their electrical properties

CoFe₂O₄-BaTiO₃ composites were prepared using conventional ceramic double sintering process with various compositions. Presence of two phases in the composites was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. The dc resistivity and thermoemf as a function of temperature in the temperature range 300 K to 600 K were measured. Variation of dielectric constant (ɛ′) with frequency in the range 100 Hz to 1 MHz and also with temperature at a fixed frequency of 1 kHz was studied. The ac conductivity was derived from dielectric constant (ɛ′) and loss tangent (tan δ). The nature of conduction is discussed on the basis of small polaron hopping model. The static value of magnetoelectric conversion factor has been studied as a function of magnetic field.