Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad&nbsp;(IIT Palakkad or IIT PKD) is a public autonomous&nbsp;engineering&nbsp;and&nbsp;research&nbsp;institute located in&nbsp;Palakkad,&nbsp;Kerala. It was&nbsp;one of the five new&nbsp;IITs&nbsp;proposed in the&nbsp;2014 Union budget of India. The campus was inaugurated on 3 August 2015. The institute has 94 faculty, 978 students, and 63 non-teaching staffs.

IT Palakkad currently offers four-year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and two years MS programmes in 8 different engineering disciplines including&nbsp;Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil among others.

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IIT Palakkad

Discharge of organic dyes from various industries into water bodies have polluted the resources appallingly which made them unsafe to use. Various materials developed for the removal of these dyes often lacks from cost effectiveness, good removal capacity and fast kinetics. On account of the imperative need for a cost-effective and efficient system for this purpose, we have developed a facile approach for the synthesis of Covalent Organic Polymer (COP) in a two-step strategy by incorporating a versatile functional group dithiocarbamate. This dithiocarbamate-based covalent organic polymer (D-COP) could remove multiple dyes (both cationic and anionic) simultaneously within a flash time with high uptake capacity. Out of five dyes, Eriochrome black T was removed with exceptional uptake capacity of > 4000 mg/g triumphing the existing reports followed by Congo red (1013 mg/g). On top of that, the removal was ultrafast, within 5 s with pseudo-second-order rate constant value 156.25 g/mg.min which is the highest ever reported. The selective adsorption of these dyes over methylene blue and Rhodamine B make D-COP applicable for the separation and purification of these dyes from the mixture. The material was also completely recycled and reused up to several cycles without hampering the performance under different pH, and ionic strength conditions too. The ultrafast and high removal efficiency even in real water samples makes the material more competent. This material, being efficient in terms of low-cost synthesis, removal efficiency, kinetics, and regeneration capability, can be further employed for higher scale water treatment applications. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

World University root node

Department of Chemistry

European Polymer Journal

Removal of cationic and anionic dyes from waste water in five seconds by a facile synthesis of a covalent organic polymer

The present study utilized a chemical reaction to create (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized Nb2CTx MXene nanosheets (Nb2CTx-APTES), which were then employed to modify carbon cloth yarn (CCY). The APTES modification of Nb2CTx MXene nanosheets improved the colloidal stability and electrochemical activity, ultimately resulting in the development of a more effective sensing platform for the electrochemical detection of the immunosuppressant drug mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) from artificial human serum samples. The sensor developed in this study exhibited a reliable range of detection for MMF, ranging from 10 to 100 μM, which is consistent with the typical dosage levels prescribed to patients (approximately 18 μM). This capacity to accurately quantify MMF concentrations within this range holds significant potential for improving patient care, particularly for organ transplant surgeries, by enhancing the electrochemical sensing of immunosuppressant drugs. The sensor also showed very high selectivity, reproducibility and good recovery percentage in human serum samples, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 μM. The results of this study are of great importance for biomedical research and clinical applications. © 2023 American Chemical Society

Biological Sciences and Engineering

ACS Applied Nano Materials

Carbon Cloth Yarn Modified with Amino-Functionalized Nb2CTx Nanosheets for the Electrochemical Detection of Mycophenolate Mofetil

Detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from cell cultures is important for monitoring different diseases. Here, g-C3N4 (gCN) was incorporated into well-defined clusters of RuW (RuW-gCN) through monomer complexation of Ru-substituted phosphotungstate and melamine for electrochemical detection of H2O2. RuW-gCN exhibited enhanced electrochemical sensing properties in comparison to its constituents due to the synergic effects between RuW and gCN. The characterization of RuW-gCN revealed successful complexation to form the composite in addition to the presence of a layered structure of gCN. The electrochemical sensor made of RuW-gCN was able to detect H2O2 with a detection limit of 46 nM in the linear ranges from 100 nM to 50 μM and from 50 μM to 1 mM. The developed sensor was employed for the selective detection of H2O2 in the presence of analytes like ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine and glucose in addition to being stable even after a week of storage at room temperature. It has also been verified for real sample application by detecting H2O2 produced by cancer cells as a result of an AA trigger. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Analytical Methods

Ru-W modified graphitic carbon nitride by a monomer complexation synthesis approach from a tailored polyoxometalate: towards electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide released by cells

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) actively involves in modulation of various cancer progression related mechanisms including angiogenesis, differentiation and migration. Therefore, targeting EGFR has surfaced as a prominent approach for the treatment of several types of cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma. Various first, second and third generation of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have demonstrated effectiveness as an anti-cancer therapeutics. However, rapid development of drug resistance and mutations still remains a major challenge for the EGFR-TKIs therapy. Overcoming from intrinsic and acquired resistance caused by EGFR mutations warrants the further exploration of alternative strategies and discovery of novel inhibitors. In this review, we delve into the breakthrough discoveries have been made in previous 20 years and discuss the currently ongoing efforts aimed to circumvent the chemo-resistance. We also highlight the new challenges, limitations and future directions for the development of improved therapeutic approaches such as fourth-generation EGFR-TKIs, peptides, nanobodies, PROTACs etc. © 2023

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Reviews on Cancer

20 years since the approval of first EGFR-TKI, gefitinib: Insight and foresight

The phenomenon of ‘T cell exhaustion’, a state of T cell dysfunction observed during chronic infections and cancers, has been a major obstacle in mounting appropriate immune responses against infectious agents or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/tumor-antigen">tumor antigens</a>. The exhausted T cells are characterized by poor effector functions mainly due to the overexpression of inhibitory receptors such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/programmed-death-1-receptor">programmed cell death protein 1</a> (PD-1), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing 3 (TIM3), lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG3), and T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) domain (TIGIT), commonly referred to as immune checkpoint (ICP) molecules. ICP blockade, especially of PD-1 that can potentially reverse T cell exhaustion and thereby re-stimulate the impaired immune system, is widely used in clinics as a promising therapeutic strategy for various cancers and is more recently being investigated in infectious diseases as well. In fact, cancer patients represent a population of immunocompromised individuals who are more susceptible to infections and associated complications, and thus the need for protective vaccinations against these diseases is of prime importance in this category. When it comes to vaccinating anti-PD-1-treated cancer patients against infectious diseases including COVID-19 and influenza, a special focus should be brought on the revived immune cells, which could be dynamically affected by the antigenic stimulation. However, since cancer patients are not generally included in clinical trials for designing vaccines against infectious diseases, the possible interaction between vaccine immune responses and ICP therapy is largely unexplored. Mechanistically, the reversal of T cell exhaustion by ICP in an otherwise immunocompromised population could be beneficial for the vaccine's efficacy, helping the immune system to mount a robust immune response. Nevertheless, patients with cancer undergoing anti-PD-1 blockade are known to experience immune-related adverse effects (irAEs). The risk of increasing the irAEs due to the overstimulation of the immune system during vaccination is a major concern. Therefore, while routine vaccination is indispensable for the protection of cancer patients, the impact of PD-1 blockade on vaccine responses against infectious agents requires careful consideration to avoid undesirable adverse effects that could impair the efficacy of anti-cancer treatment.

Pharmacology & Therapeutics

The implication of anti-PD-1 therapy in cancer patients for the vaccination against viral and other infectious diseases

Severe obesity accelerates the decline of neutralizing antibodies to COVID-19 vaccines contributing to increased risk of hospitalization from breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections.1 These findings have repercussion on the vaccination policy for SARS-CoV-2 variants and other infectious diseases like influenza in obese population.

Cell Reports Medicine

Obesity negatively impacts maintenance of antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is the mainstay of therapy for humoral immune deficiencies and numerous inflammatory disorders. Although the use of IVIG may be supplanted by several targeted therapies to cytokines, the ability of polyclonal normal IgG to act as an effector molecule as well as a regulatory molecule is a clear example of the polyfunctionality of IVIG. This article will address the mechanism of action of IVIG in a number of important conditions that are otherwise resistant to treatment. In this commentary, we will highlight mechanistic studies that shed light on the action of IVIG. This will be approached by identifying effects that are both common and disease-specific, targeting actions that have been demonstrated on cells and processes that represent both innate and adaptive immune responses.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In Practice

Intravenous Immunoglobulin: Mechanism of Action in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Conditions

In the published article, there was an error in the plasmid number and website link. A correction has been made to Materials and methods, Mice. This sentence previously stated: “In order to obtain an Il3 “2 in 1” allele (tm1a, Figure S1), we acquired and modified an IMPC plasmid PG00140_W_3_C02 (https://www.mousephenotype.org/data/genes/MGI:1923649)” The corrected sentence appears below: “In order to obtain an Il3 “2 in 1” allele (tm1a, Figure S1), we acquired and modified an IMPC plasmid ETPG00275_W_2_F02 (https://www.mousephenotype.org/data/genes/MGI:96552)” The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated. Copyright © 2023 Hachem, Marschall, Hener, Karnam, Bonam, Meyer, Flatter, Birling, Bayry and Li.

Fulltext

Frontiers in Immunology

Corrigendum: IL-3 produced by T cells is crucial for basophil extravasation in hapten- induced allergic contact dermatitis (Frontiers in Immunology, (2023), 14, (1151468), 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1151468)

The growing privacy concerns and the communication costs associated with transmitting raw data have resulted in techniques like federated learning, where the machine learning models are trained at the edge nodes and the parameter updates are shared with a central server. Because communications from the edge nodes are often unreliable, a hierarchical setup involving intermediate helper nodes is considered. The communication links between the edges and the helper nodes are error-prone and are modeled as straggling/failing links. To overcome the issue of link failures, coding techniques are proposed. The edge nodes communicate encoded versions of the model updates to the helper nodes, which pass them on to the master after suitable aggregation. The primary work in this area uses repetition codes and Maximum Distance Separable (MDS) codes at the edge nodes to arrive at the Aligned Repetition Coding (ARC) and Aligned MDS Coding (AMC) schemes, respectively. We propose using vector codes, specifically a family of layered MDS codes parameterized by a variable ?, at the edge nodes. For the proposed family of codes, suitable aggregation strategies at the helper nodes are also developed. At the extreme values of ?, our scheme matches the communication costs incurred by the ARC and AMC schemes, resulting in a graceful transition between these schemes. © 2023 IEEE.

Department of Data Science

IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory - Proceedings

Hierarchical Coded Gradient Aggregation Based on Layered MDS Codes

Resource-constrained, wearable and continuous health-monitoring devices require automatic electrocardiogram (ECG) signal quality assessment (SQA) (ECG-SQA) to reduce false alarms and optimize energy consumption. In this paper, the ECG signals are classified as clean and noisy. The performance and computational complexity of convolutional neural network (CNN) based ECG-SQA models are compared for the derivative of ECG (dECG) and Fourier magnitude spectrum of ECG as input. We have evaluated 19 dECG-based and 16 Fourier magnitude spectrum-ECG-based CNNs to find the optimal CNN for ECG-SQA. The CNNs are analyzed for kernel sizes 3 × 1, 4×1, 5 × 1 and 6×1; convolution layers 2, 3 and 4; dense layers 3, 4 and 5; exponential linear unit (ELU) activation function. The proposed CNN-based SQA method with Fourier magnitude spectrum-based ECG-SQA is lightweight and less computationally complex, with a model size of 852 kB and 67,697 parameters. The robustness of the CNN-based ECG-SQA method is tested with two unseen datasets, such as the PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2011 (PCCC2011) database and the St. Petersburg Institute of Cardiological Technics (INCART) 12-lead arrhythmia database. The method achieved the sensitivity of 99.30% and 98.41%, respectively and specificity of 95.40% and 99.3%, respectively, with unseen PCCC2011 and INCART datasets. For the assessment of 5 s ECG signal, the proposed method has a processing time of 62.6±12.6 ms. © 2023 IEEE.