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Background Non-enveloped viruses, which lack a lipid envelope, display higher resistance to disinfectants, soaps and sanitizers compared to enveloped viruses. The capsids of these viruses are highly stable and symmetric protein shells that resist inactivation by commonly employed virucidal agents. This group of viruses include highly transmissible human pathogens such as Rotavirus, Poliovirus, Foot and Mouth Disease Virus, Norovirus and Adenovirus; thus, devising appropriate strategies for chemical disinfection is essential. Results In this study, we tested a mild, hypoallergenic combination of a denaturant, alcohol, and organic acid (3.2% citric acid, 1% urea and 70% ethanol, pH4) on two representative non-enveloped viruses – Human Adenovirus 5 (HAdV5) and Feline Calicivirus (FCV)– and evaluated the pathways of capsid neutralization using biophysical methods. The conformational shifts in the capsid upon chemical treatment were studied using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), while the morphological alterations were visualized concurrently using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We found that while treatment of purified HAdV5 particles with a formulation resulted in thermal instability and, large scale aggregation; similar treatment of FCV particles resulted in complete collapse of the capsids. Further, while individual components of the formulation caused significant damage to the capsids, a synergistic action of the whole formulation was evident against both non-enveloped viruses tested. Conclusions The distinct effects of the chemical treatment on the morphology of HAdV5 and FCV suggests that non-enveloped viruses with icosahedral geometry can follow different morphological pathways to inactivation. Synergistic effect of whole formulation is more effective compared to individual components. Molecular level understanding of inactivation pathways may result in the design and development of effective mass-market formulations for rapid neutralization of non-enveloped viruses.

Simple hygiene behaviour such as washing hands is key to improving health of individuals and reducing community transmission of communicable diseases such as respiratory and enteric infections. Consistent and relentless messaging by global and local health authorities had resulted in heightened hygiene awareness amongst the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, many of the hygiene behaviours practiced during the pandemic have proven to be unsustainable in the immediate period following the pandemic. While CDC guidelines suggest washing hands with soap for a minimum of 20 seconds to prevent the spread of germs, a hygiene intervention's effectiveness must be evaluated in context of the prevalent hygiene behaviour. Here we report our findings from an observational study conducted across India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates focusing on handwashing habit of individuals in the post-pandemic period. Across all geographies, the time spent for lathering product on skin (contact time) for a significant majority of individuals recruited for the study was found to be 10 seconds and less. To ensure that marketed hygiene formulations such as liquid cleansers and sanitizers are efficacious in inactivating pathogens under conditions practiced by the majority as a part of their daily hand washing practices, we have investigated the in-vitro antimicrobial efficacy of several hygiene cleansing formulations at 10 seconds of contact time. Our results show that well-formulated cleansing solutions can reduce the input titre of both bacterial and viral pathogens by 99.9% or more, even with brief contact. With the global resurgence of both existing and emerging pathogens in the post-pandemic world, promoting sustainable handwashing practices for infection prevention remains a challenge as it is deeply rooted in the socio-economic fabric of many countries. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct regular studies like this to reassure end-users and combat complacency regarding the composition of everyday hygiene products.Competing Interest StatementSBP, SA, JS, UT, LS, NK, HWJ, AM and SM are employees of Unilever and its affiliates.Footnotes* Order of authors has been changed in the form to match the order in the manuscript draft. In the Conflict of Interest statement \"MH\" (typo) is removed.

Non-enveloped viruses, which lack a lipid envelope, typically display higher resistance to disinfectants, soaps and sanitizers compared to enveloped viruses. The capsids of these viruses are highly stable and symmetric protein shells that resist inactivation by commonly employed virucidal agents. This group of viruses include highly transmissible human pathogens such as Rotavirus, Poliovirus, Foot and Mouth Disease Virus, Norovirus and Adenovirus; thus, devising appropriate strategies for chemical disinfection is essential. We tested a mild combination of a denaturant, alcohol, and organic acid on two representative non-enveloped viruses – Human Adenovirus 5 (HAdV5) and Feline Calicivirus (FCV)– and evaluated the molecular pathway of capsid neutralization using biophysical methods. The transition temperatures signifying conformational shifts in the capsid were established in the presence and absence of chemical treatment using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), while the corresponding morphological alterations were visualized and correlated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We found that while chemical treatment of purified HAdV5 particles resulted in increased thermal instability, followed by large scale particle aggregation; similar treatment of FCV particles resulted in complete collapse of the capsids. The distinct effects of the chemical treatment on the morphology of HAdV5 and FCV suggests that non-enveloped viruses with icosahedral geometry can follow different molecular pathways to inactivation. Further, while individual components of the chemical formulation caused significant damage to the capsids, a synergistic action of the whole formulation was evident against both non-enveloped viruses tested. Molecular level understanding of inactivation pathways may result in the design and development of effective mass-market formulations for rapid neutralization of non-enveloped viruses. formulation consisting of 3.2% citric acid, 1% urea in 70% ethanol, pH4 effectively inactivates HAdV5 and FCV. inactivation pathways with complete formulation, are different for the two viruses. effect of whole formulation is more effective compared to individual components.

Metoprolol, characterized by its chemical nomenclature as 1-[4-(2-Methoxyethyl) phenoxy]-3-[(propan-2-yl) amino]propan-2-ol, possesses a mol. weight of 267.3g/mol., is recognized as a selective blocker of the β1 receptor. It is frequently prescribed for managing hypertension, alleviating chest pain resulting from insufficient Enhancing the circulation of blood to the heart and managing diverse conditions linked to an abnormally elevated heart rate. The objective of the research is to produce essential impurities of metoprolol. In the course of drug development, it is crucial to regulate impurities and ensure they remain within specified limits to achieve high-quality drugs. Numerous studies have been undertaken to synthesize impurities and examine their structures, supporting the purification methods. The integrity of compounds which are synthesized was verified through analyzing the spectral data, including (IR) infrared, (NMR) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and (MASS) Mass Spectrometry. Additionally, the purity of these compounds was affirmed through microanalysis.

The magnetised 51 kton Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector proposed to be built at INO is designed with a focus on detecting 1-20 GeV muons. The magnetic field will enable the measurement of the momentum of the \\(\\mu^-\\) and \\(\\mu^+\\) generated from the charge current interactions of \\(\\nu_\\mu\\) and \\(\\bar\\nu_\\mu\\) separately within iron in the detector, thus permitting the determination of the neutrino mass ordering/hierarchy, among other important goals of ICAL. Hence it is important to determine the magnetic field as accurately as possible. The mini-ICAL detector is an 85-ton prototype of ICAL, which is operational at Madurai in South India. We describe here the first measurement of the magnetic field in mini-ICAL using Hall sensor PCBs. A set-up developed to calibrate the Hall probe sensors using an electromagnet. The readout system has been designed using an Arduino Nano board for selection of channels of Hall probes mounted on the PCB and to convert the analog voltage to a digital output. The magnetic field has been measured in the small gaps (provided for the purpose) between iron plates in the top layer of mini-ICAL as well as in the air just outside the detector. A precision of better than 3% was obtained, with a sensitivity down to about 0.03 kGauss when measuring the small fringe fields outside the detector.