Manipur University is a central university located in Imphal, Manipur, India. It was established on 5 June 1980, under the Manipur University Act, 1980 (Manipur Act 8 of 1980), as a teaching cum-affiliating university with territorial jurisdiction over the state of Manipur. It was converted into a central university under the Manipur University Act, 2005 w.e.f. 13 October 2005.
Bacterial cellulose (BC), an exopolysaccharide, is known for its unique physicochemical properties, including high purity, tensile strength, and biocompatibility. These features have sparked growing interest in its use as a sustainable alternative to synthetic polymers in agriculture and the food industry. This review highlights the cellulose biosynthetic machinery, sustainable BC production from agro-industrial waste, and advancements in bioreactor design for scaling up production, aiming to reduce costs and improve yield. The review also explores the emerging applications of BC in food packaging, where it serves as a biodegradable, edible, antimicrobial film and as a carrier matrix for probiotics, ensuring viability during storage and gastrointestinal transit. In agriculture, BC has shown promise in controlled-release systems and as a soil moisture-retention aid. Analysis of recent studies indicates that the use of low-priced feedstocks and process optimization are key factors for improving the economic viability of BC production. Regardless of its potential, challenges such as high production cost, scalability issues continue to limit commercialization. Future research should focus on developing cost-effective production strategies, green purification methods, and multifunctional BC composites to enhance their applicability across different sectors. An overview of current research gaps is also provided to guide future development. Bacterial cellulose represents a versatile, eco-friendly material with wide-ranging applications, and thus, continued research is encouraged to fully explore its agricultural and industrial potential and support global sustainability efforts.
Amino acid-nucleobase complexes provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms of biomolecular interactions, particularly those underlying drug-DNA and drug-protein binding. Understanding these interactions is essential for the rational design of therapeutics, especially anticancer agents that target nucleic acids or disrupt key DNA-protein complexes. The second most common disease diagnosed in men globally is prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we investigate the interaction mechanism in the DL-phenylalanine-adenine complex, both of which are known for their anticancer properties and are being investigated as a possible active pharmaceutical ingredient for PCa. Spectroscopic techniques, density functional theory (DFT), and dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D3) methods were employed to elucidate the molecular interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electronic properties of the complex. Analyses such as molecular electrostatic potential mapping, frontier molecular orbitals, NCI-RDG, NLO, ELF, LOL, and vibrational studies confirm the presence of stable non-covalent interactions and a strong correlation between theoretical and experimental spectra. XRD analysis reveals the complex's monoclinic crystalline nature, and solubility tests show enhanced adenine solubility upon complexation. Toxicity and drug-likeness assessments support its potential as a drug candidate. Molecular docking with androgen receptor proteins (1E3G and 3RLJ) yielded strong binding affinities of -8.17 and -8.37 kcal/mol, respectively, indicating that the complex may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy against prostate cancer.
We employ an all-particle multireference Fock-space relativistic coupled-cluster (FSRCC) theory to study the 5s2 1S0 - 5s5p 3P0o clock transition in both fermionic and bosonic isotopes of Sr. We compute the excitation energies for several low-lying states, E1 and M1 transition amplitudes, hyperfine reduced matrix elements, and isotope shifts using FSRCC theory. Further, using our results on E1, M1, and hyperfine structure (HFS) reduced matrix elements, we calculate the lifetime of the metastable clock states for 87Sr and 88Sr. Furthermore, we employ perturbed relativistic coupled-cluster (PRCC) theory to compute the ground state electric dipole polarizability of Sr. To improve the accuracy of our results, we incorporate the corrections from the relativistic and quantum electrodynamical (QED) effects, and perturbative triples to all our calculations. Moreover, we employ large bases to ensure the convergence of the computed properties. Our computed excitation energies are in good agreement with the experimental data for low-lying excited states. Our results for E1, M1, and HFS reduced matrix elements are within the experimental error bars, however, with slight difference from the previous calculations due to more accurate treatment of electron correlations in FSRCC theory. Our computed lifetime of the clock state for 87Sr is within the error bars of the available experimental results, whereas for 88Sr it is an order of magnitude smaller than the only available calculation [R. Santra et al., Phys. Rev. A 69, 042510 (2004)] using model potential. Our PRCC result for the ground state polarizability is in good agreement with the experiment, and smaller than previous calculations. Our results on isotope shift factors are consistent with available experimental results for intercombination transitions. From detailed analysis of the results, we find that the corrections from the Breit interaction, QED effects, and perturbative triples are crucial to get accurate clock transition properties in Sr. Moreover, valence-valence electron correlation is important to get accurate energies and properties of Sr.
Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HApNPs) were fabricated through valorization of unexplored snailshell biowaste of Brotia costula and Filopaludina bengalensis, mediated with nitrogen-fixing aquatic biomass, Azolla pinnata extract, via calcination and chemical precipitation methods to illustrate their beneficial effect as a seed priming and nanofertilizer agent for white and black rice. The biosynthesized HApNPs possess irregular rod-shaped nanoparticles (22.5–93.7 nm), with appreciable stability as per FESEM and DLS analysis. EDX, UV–Vis, TGA, and XRD confirmed the formation of nitrogen-impregnated calcium- and phosphorus-rich HApNPs, with high thermal stability, degree of crystallinity, and phase purity. FTIR shows phosphate and hydroxyl peaks, along with amide and C–O/C–N bands, indicating successful incorporation of Azolla-derived biomolecules. The hydroponic method investigates the impact of seed priming with different HApNPs concentrations (5–100 mg/L) compared to control hydroprimed (0 mg/L) seeds treated with distilled water under identical conditions. The results revealed that at 50 mg/L HApNPs concentration, 100
Rapid urbanization significantly influences the quantity and quality of natural water resources. This study investigates the impact of urban growth on the water quality of the Balason and Mahananda rivers in Siliguri. To evaluate the Water Quality Index (WQI), water samples for eleven physicochemical parameters were collected from seventeen selected sites. An upper - urban - downstream gradient approach was adopted, integrating statistical and GIS-based techniques for comprehensive analysis. WQI results indicated a marked decline in water quality during the lean season, particularly in densely populated urban stretches. Average WQI scores ranged from good to poor, with the most degraded sites located within the central urban zone. Statistical assessments revealed significant spatial variation in water quality across upstream, urban, and downstream segments. This research highlights that improving urban water quality aligns directly with SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), suggesting the urgent need for integrated water resource management and sustainable urban planning.
