Thapar University

The growing threat of bacterial resistance has significantly reduced the efficacy of conventional antibiotics, necessitating the development of novel antibacterial agents with distinct mechanisms of action. In this study, we report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a new class of quinoline-thiazolidinone conjugates as potent antibacterial agents. Employing a molecular hybridization strategy, a series of conjugates was synthesized by incorporating various aryl and heterocyclic derivatives into quinoline and thiazolidinone scaffolds with 62-80 % yield. The antibacterial activity of these compounds was assessed against eight Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Notably, compounds 12 and 27 demonstrated potent activity, particularly against Escherichia coli, exhibiting low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), i.e. 1.56 μg/mL. Mechanistic studies revealed their ability to inhibit biofilm formation by over 85 % inhibition, disrupt bacterial membranes, induce oxidative stress, and cause metabolic and DNA damage. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed their safety in normal mammalian cells, ranging from 3.72 to 6.80 % and 2.32-4.96 % for derivatives 12 and 27, respectively, while time-kill kinetics indicated rapid bactericidal effects within 120 min for conjugate 12 and 90 min for conjugate 27. Furthermore, spectroscopic and computational analyses confirmed strong binding interactions with DNA (K_b = 1.02 × 10⁵ M^-1 for 12 and 3.3 × 10⁵ M^-1 for 27) and human serum albumin (K_b = 2.49 × 10⁵ M^-1 and 4.14 × 10⁵ M^-1), supporting their potential for effective bioavailability and systemic transport. Overall, these findings position quinoline-thiazolidinone conjugates, especially compounds 12 and 27, as promising lead candidates for addressing antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections.

This paper investigates an efficient UWB biosensor that employs monostatic radar-based microwave imaging (RBMI) to identify cancerous cells in human breast tissue.

The proposed FSS-loaded lens applicator biosensor assembly combines three designs, including a UWB radiator, a frequency selective surface (FSS) reflector, and a square-shaped split ring metamaterial cell (SSR-M). In Computer Simulation Technology-Microwave Studio (CST-MWS) simulator, a lens applicator (UWB transceiver with SSR-M at its front side) when loaded with an FSS reflector is simulated with a breast phantom (BP), then the system performance is assessed in the context of backscattered parameters, penetration depth (PD), and specific absorption rate (SAR). Experimental validations of the fabricated prototype are captured using the Vector Network Analyzer (VNA).

Signal processing steps are applied over the S11 signals using MATLAB, to detect the depth/location of the malignant tissue. The proposed system is capable of detecting a minimum tumor size of 4 mm up to a maximum localization depth of 30 mm. The proposed system has an isotropic gain of 3.6 dBi and a SAR of 1.07 W/kg over 1 g of tissue.

As a result, the proposed biosensor configuration is suitable option for microwave imaging applications.

Uranium contamination is a growing concern due to its inherent toxicity, which poses a significant threat to human health.The health risk assessment due to uranium contamination in groundwater of Mansa district, Punjab (India) is investigated.The LED LF-2a Fluorimeter model by Quantalase (Indore) was used for measurement of uranium concentration in groundwater collected in Oct. 2021 from twenty-six locations.A comparison is conducted between the deterministic and probabilistic approaches since the deterministic approach might either underestimate or exaggerate the risk estimationMonte-Carlo simulations are used to curtail the associated uncertainties in the data.The simulations are carried out in MATLAB for risk assessment and sensitivity anal.The deterministic and probabilistic approaches are used to calculate hazard quotient, excess cancer risk and annual ED.Using probabilistic approach, the hazard quotient for male and female at 5th percentile is 4.36 and 3.81, resp.Similarly, the hazard quotient for male and female at 95th percentile is 38.95 and 34.26, resp.The mean hazard quotient is 18.45 and 15.68 for male and female, resp., using deterministic approach.The hazard quotient is greater than 1 for both genders (male and female) and excess cancer risk is also higher than 10-4 using both deterministic and probabilistic approaches.The annual ED using deterministic approach is 0.23 mSv year^-1 whereas using probabilistic approach, the 5th and 95th percentile is 0.56 mSv year^-1 and 4.33 mSv year^-1, resp.The sensitivity anal. indicated that the overall risk is more sensitive to concentration of uranium in groundwater and the exposure frequency.This study emphasizes on the hazards posed to humans by the ingestion of uranium contaminated groundwater, hence stressing the urgency for taking actions to protect the population of the study area.