Base pairs with 5-chloroorotic acid and comparison with the natural nucleobase. Structural and spectroscopic study, and three suggested antiviral modified nucleosides

A structural and spectroscopic study of 5-chloroorotic acid (5-ClOA) biomolecule was carried out by IR and FT-Raman and the results obtained were compared to those achieved in 5-fluoroorotic acid and 5-aminoorotic acid compounds. The structures of all possible tautomeric forms were determined using DFT and MP2 methods. To know the tautomer form present in the solid state, the crystal unit cell was optimized through dimer and tetramer forms in several tautomeric forms. The keto form was confirmed through an accurate assignment of all the bands. For this purpose, an additional improvement in the theoretical spectra was carried out using linear scaling equations (LSE) and polynomic equations (PSE) deduced from uracil molecule. Base pairs with uracil, thymine and cytosine nucleobases were optimized and compared to the natural Watson-Crick (WC) pairs. The counterpoise (CP) corrected interaction energies of the base pairs were also calculated. Three nucleosides were optimized based on 5-ClOA as nucleobase, and their corresponding WC pairs with adenosine. These modified nucleosides were inserted in DNA:DNA and RNA:RNA microhelices, which were optimized. The position of the -COOH group in the uracil ring of these microhelices interrupts the DNA/RNA helix formation. Because of the special characteristic of these molecules they can be used as antiviral drugs.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Bacillus tequilensis influences metabolite production in tomato and restores soil microbial diversity during Fusarium oxysporum infection

This study evaluates cellular damage, metabolite profiling, and defence-related gene expression in tomato plants and soil microflora during Fusarium wilt disease after treatment with B. tequilensis PBE-1. Histochemical analysis showed that PBE-1 was the primary line of defence through lignin deposition and reduced cell damage. GC-MS revealed that PBE-1 treatment ameliorated stress caused by F. oxysporum infection. PBE-1 also improved transpiration, photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance in tomato. qRT-PCR suggested that the defence-related genes FLS2, SERK, NOS, WRKYT, NHO, SAUR, and MYC2, which spread infection, were highly upregulated during F. oxysporum infection, but either downregulated or expressed normally in PBE-1 + P treated plants. This indicates that the plant not only perceives the bio-control agent as a non-pathogen entity but its presence in normal metabolism and gene expression within the host plant is maintained. The study further corroborated findings that application of PBE-1 does not cause ecological disturbances in the rhizosphere. Activity of soil microflora across four treatments, measured by Average Well Colour Development (AWCD), showed continuous increases from weeks 1 to 4 post-pathogen infection, with distinct substrate usage patterns like tannic and fumaric acids impacting microbial energy source utilization and diversity. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and diversity indices like McIntosh, Shannon, and Simpson further illustrated significant microbial community shifts over the study period. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that B. tequilensis PBE-1 is an ideal bio-agent for field application during Fusarium wilt disease management in tomato.

Efficacy of maturase K and rpL20 protein extracted from C. procera leaves on Anophelesstephensi

The present work is carried out to protein isolation, purification, and characterization from leaves, stem, and seed of C. procera and to evaluate the larvicidal potential on Anopheles stephensi. The whole protein was isolated using protein extraction buffer and precipitated by ammonium sulphate and larvicidal active protein was purified by the column chromatography. The homogeneity of larvicidal protein was confirmed by the SDS-PAGE. The identification of protein was done by the HPLC and LC-MS/ESI-MS. The crude protein from leaves showed 100% mortality of 3rd instar larvae of An. stephensi at the concentration of 5.5 mg/ml after 24 h of exposure. The crude protein from stem showed 25% mortality and no mortality observed was observed in seed protein. The leaves crude protein was further purified by ion exchange chromatography and eluted fractions were tested for larvicidal potential. The purified single protein fractions L2 and L3 from C. procera leaves showed 100% mortality at concentration of 0.06 mg/ml. The homogeneity of purified protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and two bands of 26 kDa and 15 kDa protein were observed. The peptide sequence "R.SQMLENSFLIENVMKR.L" was identified in the trypsin digested homogenous protein fraction L2 and "R.DRGSQKR.N" peptide sequence in L3 fraction by LC-MS/ESI-MS. The CprL2 peptide showed the sequence similarity with the protein maturase K and CprL3 peptide showed the sequence similarity with ribosomal protein L20 of C. procera. The conserved functional domain was also identified in both the CprL2 and CprL3 peptide. The identified proteins showed strong larvicidal efficacy at very low concentration. The identified proteins are novel and natural larvicidal agents against An. stephensi and hence can be used to control the malaria.

Omics-driven utilization of wild relatives for empowering pre-breeding in pearl millet

MAIN CONCLUSION

Pearl millet wild relatives harbour novel alleles which could be utilized to broaden genetic base of cultivated species. Genomics-informed pre-breeding is needed to speed up introgression from wild to cultivated gene pool in pearl millet. Rising episodes of intense biotic and abiotic stresses challenge pearl millet production globally. Wild relatives provide a wide spectrum of novel alleles which could address challenges posed by climate change. Pre-breeding holds potential to introgress novel diversity in genetically narrow cultivated Pennisetum glaucum from diverse gene pool. Practical utilization of gene pool diversity remained elusive due to genetic intricacies. Harnessing promising traits from wild pennisetum is limited by lack of information on underlying candidate genes/QTLs. Next-Generation Omics provide vast scope to speed up pre-breeding in pearl millet. Genomic resources generated out of draft genome sequence and improved genome assemblies can be employed to utilize gene bank accessions effectively. The article highlights genetic richness in pearl millet and its utilization with a focus on harnessing next-generation Omics to empower pre-breeding.

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of unexplored, potential cattle population of Madhya Pradesh

Bawri or Garri, a non-descript cattle population managed under an extensive system in Madhya Pradesh state of India, was identified and characterized both genetically and phenotypically to check whether or not it can be recognised as a breed. The cattle have white and gray colour and are medium sized with 122.5 ± 7.5 cm and 109.45 ± 0.39 cm height at withers in male and female, respectively. Double-digest restriction site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing was employed to identify ascertainment bias free SNPs representing the entire genome cost effectively; resulting in calling 1,156,650 high quality SNPs. Observed homozygosity was 0.76, indicating Bawri as a quite unique population. However, the inbreeding coefficient was 0.025, indicating lack of selection. SNPs found here can be used in GWAS and genetic evaluation programs. Considering the uniqueness of Bawri cattle, it can be registered as a breed for its better genetic management.

Effects of a humanized CD47 antibody and recombinant SIRPα proteins on triple negative breast carcinoma stem cells

Signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα, SHPS-1, CD172a) expressed on myeloid cells transmits inhibitory signals when it engages its counter-receptor CD47 on an adjacent cell. Elevated CD47 expression on some cancer cells thereby serves as an innate immune checkpoint that limits phagocytic clearance of tumor cells by macrophages and antigen presentation to T cells. Antibodies and recombinant SIRPα constructs that block the CD47-SIRPα interaction on macrophages exhibit anti-tumor activities in mouse models and are in ongoing clinical trials for treating several human cancers. Based on prior evidence that engaging SIRPα can also alter CD47 signaling in some nonmalignant cells, we compared direct effects of recombinant SIRPα-Fc and a humanized CD47 antibody that inhibits CD47-SIRPα interaction (CC-90002) on CD47 signaling in cancer stem cells derived from the MDA-MB- 231 triple-negative breast carcinoma cell line. Treatment with SIRPα-Fc significantly increased the formation of mammospheres by breast cancer stem cells as compared to CC-90002 treatment or controls. Furthermore, SIRPα-Fc treatment upregulated mRNA and protein expression of ALDH1 and altered the expression of genes involved in epithelial/mesenchymal transition pathways that are associated with a poor prognosis and enhanced metastatic activity. This indicates that SIRPα-Fc has CD47-mediated agonist activities in breast cancer stem cells affecting proliferation and metastasis pathways that differ from those of CC-90002. This SIRPα-induced CD47 signaling in breast carcinoma cells may limit the efficacy of SIRPα decoy therapeutics intended to stimulate innate antitumor immune responses.

Sparse Deep Neural Network for Encoding and Decoding the Structural Connectome

Brain state classification by applying deep learning techniques on neuroimaging data has become a recent topic of research. However, unlike domains where the data is low dimensional or there are large number of available training samples, neuroimaging data is high dimensional and has few training samples. To tackle these issues, we present a sparse feedforward deep neural architecture for encoding and decoding the structural connectome of the human brain. We use a sparsely connected element-wise multiplication as the first hidden layer and a fixed transform layer as the output layer. The number of trainable parameters and the training time is significantly reduced compared to feedforward networks. We demonstrate superior performance of this architecture in encoding the structural connectome implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) from DTI brain scans. For decoding, we propose recursive feature elimination (RFE) algorithm based on DeepLIFT, layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP), and Integrated Gradients (IG) algorithms to remove irrelevant features and thereby identify key biomarkers associated with AD and PD. We show that the proposed architecture reduces 45.1% and 47.1% of the trainable parameters compared to a feedforward DNN with an increase in accuracy by 2.6 % and 3.1% for cognitively normal (CN) vs AD and CN vs PD classification, respectively. We also show that the proposed RFE method leads to a further increase in accuracy by 2.1% and 4% for CN vs AD and CN vs PD classification, while removing approximately 90% to 95% irrelevant features. Furthermore, we argue that the biomarkers (i.e., key brain regions and connections) identified are consistent with previous literature. We show that relevancy score-based methods can yield high discriminative power and are suitable for brain decoding. We also show that the proposed approach led to a reduction in the number of trainable network parameters, an increase in classification accuracy, and a detection of brain connections and regions that were consistent with earlier studies.

Comparison of cosmesis, mydriasis, fundus visibility, and anterior chamber depth following single-pass four-throw pupilloplasty in congenital and traumatic iris defects

PURPOSE

To compare postoperative cosmesis, mydriasis, fundus visibility, and anterior chamber depth (ACD) in congenital and traumatic iris defects after single-pass four-throw pupilloplasty (SFTP).

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

Hospital-based non-randomized interventional study.

METHODS

SFTP was done along with phacoemulsification in six patients each with congenital and traumatic iris defects, and the patients were followed for a minimum period of 3 months. The postoperative pupil shape, size, mydriasis, and ACD were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Tissue approximation was successful in 11 out of 12 patients (91.7%), whereas it failed to do so in one patient with traumatic iris tear (8.3%). A central round pupil was attained in all six patients with congenital defects (group 1), whereas in the traumatic group (group 2), a central round pupil was attained in four cases. Group 1 did not show a significant reduction in horizontal pupil diameter, but group 2 had a significant reduction in pupil diameter postoperatively. Mydriasis and fundus visibility were satisfactory in all cases. There was a significant deepening of ACD in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Traumatic mydriasis usually requires SFTP at two opposite poles to achieve a central pupil with a significant reduction in pupil size, whereas congenital coloboma requires SFTP to be done at the site of coloboma with occasional enlargement at the opposite pole if the pupil is eccentric.

Epigenetic Silencing of p16INK4a gene in Sporadic Breast Cancer

Epigenetic alterations of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) involved in the onset and progression of Breast Cancer (BC) may serve as biomarkers for early detection and prediction of disease prognosis. We have herein tried to determine the methylation status of TSG, p16INK4a, in our 50 BC patients and their association with clinicopathological parameters. The methylation status of the p16INK4a gene in fresh tissue samples from 50 patients with BC was assessed by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR). The mean age of BC patients was 49.30 ± 9.75 years. Of 50 BC samples tested, 21 (42%) had methylated p16INK4a gene. p16INK4a gene hypermethylation was significantly associated with age ≤ 50 years, premenopausal status and advanced BC stage. Multivariate analysis revealed a strong association between advanced BC stage (Stage III and Stage IV) and p16INK4a hypermethylation (P = 0.008, RR = 5.996, 95% CI = 1.581-22.739). p16INK4a methylation was significantly associated with Triple Negative BC (TNBC) (P = 0.045, OR = 4.181, 95% CI = 1.030-16.981). These findings indicate that p16INK4a hypermethylation frequently occurs in BC. Hypermethylation of p16INK4a in young, premenopausal, TNBC and with advance stage in BC patients suggests its association with aggressive BC.

Efficacy of the Fruit and Vegetable Peels as Substrates for the Growth and Production of α-Amylases in Marine Actinobacteria

Enzymes from haloalkaliphilic microorganisms have recently focused attention on their potential and suitability in various applications. In this study, the growth and production of extracellular amylases in the marine actinomycetes, using kitchen waste as the raw starch source, have been investigated. Actinobacteria were isolated from the seawater of the Kachhighadi Coast near Dwarika, Gujarat. Seven Actinobacterial isolates of pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons belonging to different strains of Nocardiopsis genera were screened and selected for amylase production. The amylase production was initially assessed on the solid media supplemented with the extracts of different fruits and vegetable peels as a substrate by agar plate assay. The strains Kh-2(13), Kh-2(1), and Kh-3(12) produced maximum amylase with potato peel as a substrate, while no significant differences were found with the media containing other peels. Nevertheless, all strains produced amylases at a significant level with other raw substrates as well. For the optimization of the growth and enzyme production, the selected two isolates Kh-2(13) and Kh-3(12) of the monsoon and winter seasons were cultivated in a liquid medium under the submerged fermentation conditions, with potato peel as a substrate. In both organisms, the optimum amylase production was observed in the stationary phase of growth. For amylase production, the effect of different physical and chemical parameters was evaluated. The optimum growth and amylase production was achieved in 2% inoculum size, at pH 8.0, 28℃, and 5% salt concentration. On the basis of the amylase production index (API) (a ratio of the amylase units and cell growth), both isolates produced significant amylase with the only extract of potato peels, without any other supplements. The trends further indicated that while additional complex sources, such as yeast extract and peptone can enhance the cell growth of the actinobacteria, the amylase production remained unaltered. The study projects the significance of waste raw materials for the production of enzymes in extremophilic microorganisms.

Heterologous Expression and Structural Elucidation of a Highly Thermostable Alkaline Serine Protease from Haloalkaliphilic Actinobacterium, Nocardiopsis sp. Mit-7

A highly thermostable alkaline serine protease gene (SPSPro, MN429015) obtained from haloalkaliphilic actinobacteria, Nocardiopsis sp. Mit-7 (NCIM-5746), was successfully cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 under the control of the T7 promoter in the pET Blue1 vector leading to a 20-kDa gene product. The molecular weight of the recombinant alkaline protease, as determined by SDS-PAGE and the Mass Spectrometer (MALDI-TOF), was 34 kDa. The structural and functional attributes of the recombinant thermostable alkaline serine protease were analyzed by Bioinformatic tools. 3D Monomeric Model and Molecular Docking established the role of the amino acid residues, aspartate, serine, and tryptophan, in the active site of thealkaline protease.The activity of the recombinant alkaline protease was optimal at 65 °C, 5 °C higher than its native protease. The recombinant protease was also active over a wide range of pH 7.0-13.0, with a maximal activity of 6050.47 U/mg at pH 9. Furthermore, the thermodynamic parameters of the immobilized recombinant alkaline protease suggested its reduced vulnerability against adverse conditions under which the enzyme has to undergo varied applications.

IGF-1 stabilizes goat sperm mitochondrial transmembrane potential and reduces dna fragmentation

BACKGROUND

Antioxidant present in sperm cells protects them from oxidative damage. However, sperm are more susceptible to peroxidative damages due to the loss of these enzymes during cryopreservation and their survival and fertility may be compromised. Insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has an antioxidant effect and could maintain sperm motility.

OBJECTIVE

To improve seminal parameters, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), oxidative status and DNA integrity of buck semen after freeze-thawing by fortification of goat semen diluent with various concentrations of IGF-1.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty ejaculates were collected and were extended with tris- citric acid- fructose diluent with 10% egg yolk and 6% glycerol with sperm concentrations of 1×108 mL-1. Post-cryopreserved sperm were assessed for motility and a range of other functional parameters.

RESULTS

In post-thaw semen sperm motility, live sperm count, acrosome integrity, hypo-osmotic swelling positive spermatozoa, malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl content (PCC), TUNEL positive sperm differed significantly (P<0.05) with the various concentrations of IGF-1 used. Sperm functional parameters post-thawing were significantly (P<0.05) better in 250 ng/mL IGF-1. IGF-1 protects against lipid peroxidation by lowering MDA and PCC production, thus reducing the harmful effect of reactive oxygen species. The kidding percentage using the artificial insemination technique was significantly higher ( i.e., 40%) in the group supplemented with 250 ng/mL of IGF-1 than in the non-supplemented group (i.e., 30%).

CONCLUSION

IGF-1 may be used to improve post-thaw semen quality and fertility as measured by actual kidding rate. Doi.org/10.54680/fr23610110312.

Esophagogastrectomy for Long-Segment Recurrent Esophageal Stricture Following Hyperemesis Gravidarum

An esophageal stricture is an abnormal tightening of the esophageal lumen. Benign strictures are often caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and are more common in patients over 40 years. When caused by GERD, these strictures develop when acid from the stomach regurgitates into the esophagus, leading to inflammation, fibrosis, and eventual narrowing of the lumen. This case report aims to highlight the importance of obtaining a detailed history in discovering the underlying cause of these strictures. We present a unique case of a young female presenting with dysphagia several months after experiencing Hyperemesis gravidarum. She was found to have a long esophageal stricture that would eventually recur within a few weeks of therapeutic intervention. The pathological report confirmed benign disease, but she ultimately would require surgical intervention for her condition.

Human CCR6+ Th Cells Show Both an Extended Stable Gradient of Th17 Activity and Imprinted Plasticity

Th17 cells have been investigated in mice primarily for their contributions to autoimmune diseases. However, the pathways of differentiation of Th17 and related Th cells (type 17 cells) and the structure of the type 17 memory population in humans are not well understood; such understanding is critical for manipulating these cells in vivo. By exploiting differences in levels of surface CCR6, we found that human type 17 memory cells, including individual T cell clonotypes, form an elongated continuum of type 17 character along which cells can be driven by increasing RORγt. This continuum includes cells preserved within the memory pool with potentials that reflect the early preferential activation of multiple over single lineages. The phenotypes and epigenomes of CCR6+ cells are stable across cell divisions under noninflammatory conditions. Nonetheless, activation in polarizing and nonpolarizing conditions can yield additional functionalities, revealing, respectively, both environmentally induced and imprinted mechanisms that contribute differentially across the type 17 continuum to yield the unusual plasticity ascribed to type 17 cells.

Studies on the breeding potential and entomological indices of dengue vector Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in the district Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh, India

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES

The female Aedes mosquito is a vector of many arboviruses-borne diseases. The evidence and information regarding their breeding habitats are vital for implementing appropriate control policies.

METHODS

An entomological survey was done at three sites in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India viz. Indirapuram, Vasundhara, and Vaishali to generate the first boundary line information of breeding sites of Aedes aegypti larvae for the early prevention and control interventions for dengue management.

RESULTS

A total of 2994 containers were checked in 1169 households at the time of the survey for breeding sites of Aedes mosquito during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon period, out of which 667 containers were found positive in 518 positive households. The total HI, CI, and BI were 44.31, 22.27, and 57.05 respectively. The maximum and minimum breeding indices were found during monsoon and pre-monsoon respectively. The most preferred containers for Aedes breeding were cement tanks for lotus plants in nurseries, drums, and small and large size pots for storage of water and ornamental plants mostly in 8 plant nurseries.

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION

Breeding of Aedes was found in nurseries and desert coolers which were the primary breeding containers found during the survey. The containers found positive during surveys were emptied or destroyed with the help of the local community and the breeding status of nurseries was informed to the health authorities of Ghaziabad to take necessary action against the breeding sites of the Aedes mosquitoes.

Spatio-temporal investigation of physico-chemical water quality parameters based on comparative assessment of QUAL 2Kw and WASP model for the upper reaches of Yamuna River stretching from Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur district to Cullackpur, North Delhi districts of North India

An accurate investigation of bio-physical and chemical parameters as proxy of in situ water quality conditions in the Himalayan region is highly challenging owing to cumbersome, strenuous, and physically exhausting sampling exercises at high altitude locations. The upper stretches of Yamuna River in the Himachal Pradesh are typical examples of such sampling locations that have rarely been examined in the past studies. A widely accepted and recognized QUAL 2Kw model is applied for estimating the water quality parameters on the upper segment of the Yamuna River from Paonta Sahib to Cullackpur. These water quality indicators mainly included electric conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, carbonaceous biological oxygen demand (CBOD), inorganic suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and alkalinity, which were systematically investigated for predicting the spatio-temporal trends during the year 2018. A total of 12 distantly located river sites were identified for sample collection and data validation using QUAL 2Kw model. The present investigation attempts to reveal long-term degraded impact of untreated wastewater and biased agricultural practices on the water quality conditions over the upper stretches of Yamuna River. The QUAL 2Kw-derived values for selected variables were inter-compared with in situ values, and any deviation from measured values was ascertained based on meaningful statistical measures. The lower error of RMSE, MRE, and BIAS, corresponding to < 15%, ± 10%., ± 20%, and ~ 1 slope evidently indicated better matchup of values, wherein, higher slope correlation coefficient (R²) of ~ 90% indicated the robust performance of the QUAL 2Kw algorithm in accurately predicting the chosen variables. A comparative assessment of QUAL 2Kw and WASP has been performed to justify aptness of water quality model in scenarios of lean flow.

Solvent tolerant enzymes in extremophiles: Adaptations and applications

Non-aqueous enzymology has always drawn attention due to the wide range of unique possibilities in biocatalysis. In general, the enzymes do not or insignificantly catalyze substrate in the presence of solvents. This is due to the interfering interactions of the solvents between enzyme and water molecules at the interface. Therefore, information about solvent-stable enzymes is scarce. Yet, solvent-stable enzymes prove quite valuable in the present day biotechnology. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the substrates in solvents synthesizes commercially valuable products, such as peptides, esters, and other transesterification products. Extremophiles, the most valuable yet not extensively explored candidates, can be an excellent source to investigate this avenue. Due to inherent structural attributes, many extremozymes can catalyze and maintain stability in organic solvents. In the present review, we aim to consolidate information about the solvent-stable enzymes from various extremophilic microorganisms. Further, it would be interesting to learn about the mechanism adapted by these microorganisms to sustain solvent stress. Various approaches to protein engineering are used to enhance catalytic flexibility and stability and broaden biocatalysis's prospects under non-aqueous conditions. It also describes strategies to achieve optimal immobilization with minimum inhibition of the catalysis. The proposed review would significantly aid our understanding of non-aqueous enzymology.

An innovative approach to improve oil production and quality of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) with multi-nutrient-rich polyhalite

Polyhalite popularly known as POLY4 is a multi-nutrient fertiliser containing K, S, Mg, Ca, and micronutrients. POLY4 has a low carbon footprint, is certified for organic agriculture, and has the potential to improve crop productivity and quality attributes Indian mustard which often faces challenges due to imbalanced nutrition supplied in the current fertilisation schedule. The hypothesis of the study was that the multi-nutrient fartiliser POLY4 can ensure balanced nutrition for Indian mustard. Considering this, a field experiment was conducted during the winter seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 to evaluate the effect of POLY4 on Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) with respect to its yield, quality, and nutrient uptake. POLY4 along with conventional sources of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) was compared to recommended fertilisation practices from conventional sources of N, P, K namely urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), and muriate of potash (KCl). With the application of POLY4, seed yield was significantly improved by about 600 kg ha^-1 compared to NP control (no application of K and S) across the two seasons. Compared to recommended practice of NPK, the yield was increased by about 450 kg ha^-1 with the application of POLY4. Mustard seed oil and protein percent were also improved with the use of POLY4. POLY4 did not have any adverse effect on the content of anti-nutritional factors and improved the omega-3 fatty acid content of mustard oil. Higher uptakes of macro and micronutrients in the crop were also recorded with POLY4 along with an improved soil nutrient status. From the economic point of view, it was also observed that the application of POLY4 resulted in an increment of net returns of USD 45-60 comparing cultivating mustard with the conventional N, P, K, and S fertilizers only. Therefore, the use of POLY4 as a source of multi-nutrient for balanced nutrition helped to increase the efficiency of applied nutrients which ultimately improved the yield and quality of mustard. This study exhibits the pioneer findings of polyhalite (POLY4) based balanced nutrition in Indian mustard.

Chemokine positioning determines mutually exclusive roles for their receptors in extravasation of pathogenic human T cells

Pro-inflammatory T cells co-express multiple chemokine receptors, but the distinct functions of individual receptors on these cells are largely unknown. Human Th17 cells uniformly express the chemokine receptor CCR6, and we discovered that the subgroup of CD4+CCR6+ cells that co-express CCR2 possess a pathogenic Th17 signature, can produce inflammatory cytokines independent of TCR activation, and are unusually efficient at transendothelial migration (TEM). The ligand for CCR6, CCL20, was capable of binding to activated endothelial cells (ECs) and inducing firm arrest of CCR6+CCR2+ cells under conditions of flow - but CCR6 could not mediate TEM. By contrast, CCL2 and other ligands for CCR2, despite being secreted from both luminal and basal sides of ECs, failed to bind to the EC surfaces - and CCR2 could not mediate arrest. Nonetheless, CCR2 was required for TEM. To understand if CCR2's inability to mediate arrest was due solely to an absence of EC-bound ligands, we generated a CCL2-CXCL9 chimeric chemokine that could bind to the EC surface. Although display of CCL2 on the ECs did indeed lead to CCR2-mediated arrest of CCR6+CCR2+ cells, activating CCR2 with surface-bound CCL2 blocked TEM. We conclude that mediating arrest and TEM are mutually exclusive activities of chemokine receptors and/or their ligands that depend, respectively, on chemokines that bind to the EC luminal surfaces versus non-binding chemokines that form transendothelial gradients under conditions of flow. Our findings provide fundamental insights into mechanisms of lymphocyte extravasation and may lead to novel strategies to block or enhance their migration into tissue.

CD47-Dependent Regulation of Immune Checkpoint Gene Expression and MYCN mRNA Splicing in Murine CD8 and Jurkat T Cells

Elevated expression of CD47 in some cancers is associated with poor survival related to its function as an innate immune checkpoint when expressed on tumor cells. In contrast, elevated CD47 expression in cutaneous melanomas is associated with improved survival. Previous studies implicated protective functions of CD47 expressed by immune cells in the melanoma tumor microenvironment. RNA sequencing analysis of responses induced by CD3 and CD28 engagement on wild type and CD47-deficient Jurkat T lymphoblast cells identified additional regulators of T cell function that were also CD47-dependent in mouse CD8 T cells. MYCN mRNA expression was upregulated in CD47-deficient cells but downregulated in CD47-deficient cells following activation. CD47 also regulated alternative splicing that produces two N-MYC isoforms. The CD47 ligand thrombospondin-1 inhibited expression of these MYCN mRNA isoforms, as well as induction of the oncogenic decoy MYCN opposite strand (MYCNOS) RNA during T cell activation. Analysis of mRNA expression data for melanomas in The Cancer Genome Atlas identified a significant coexpression of MYCN with CD47 and known regulators of CD8 T cell function. Thrombospondin-1 inhibited the induction of TIGIT, CD40LG, and MCL1 mRNAs following T cell activation in vitro. Increased mRNA expression of these T cell transcripts and MYCN in melanomas was associated with improved overall survival.

Microbial community and predictive functionalities associated with the marine sediment of Coastal Gujarat

Marine sediments are complex ecosystems where structures and functions constantly change due to natural and anthropogenic influences. In this investigation, a comprehensive and comparative analysis of the bacterial communities and their functional potential of the pristine and polluted marine sediments were carried out using MiSeq. The phylum Proteobacteria was dominant in all study sites. Other phyla were Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Cyanobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Tenericutes, and Chlorobi. Interestingly, about 50% of genera belong to the unclassified categories. The key genera were identified as Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomona, Idiomarina, Thalassospira, and Marinobacter, Halomonas, Planctomyces, Psychrobacter, and Vogesella. PICRUSt analysis revealed that major functions are associated with the metabolism category. Additionally, metabolism related to amino acids, carbohydrates, energy generation, xenobiotics degradation, nitrogen, sulfate, and methane were prominent. Similarly, the predicted metabolisms by COG and KEGG were observed in the microbial communities of the marine sediments. To date, a comprehensive description of the microbial life with metabolic potential in these study sites has not been investigated. This study therefore significantly adds to our understanding of the microbiome and its functional attributes of marine sediments.

Human CCR6 + Th cells show both an extended stable gradient of Th17 activity and imprinted plasticity

Th17 cells have been investigated in mice primarily for their contributions to autoimmune diseases. However, the pathways of differentiation of Th17 and related (type 17) cells and the structure of the type 17 memory population in humans are not well understood; such understanding is critical for manipulating these cells in vivo . By exploiting differences in levels of surface CCR6, we found that human type 17 memory cells, including individual T cell clonotypes, form an elongated continuum of type 17 character along which cells can be driven by increasing RORγt. This continuum includes cells preserved within the memory pool with potentials that reflect the early preferential activation of multiple over single lineages. The CCR6 ⁺ cells' phenotypes and epigenomes are stable across cell divisions under homeostatic conditions. Nonetheless, activation in polarizing and non-polarizing conditions can yield additional functionalities, revealing, respectively, both environmentally induced and imprinted mechanisms that contribute differentially across the continuum to yield the unusual plasticity ascribed to type 17 cells.

Eustachian tube dysfunction in an intensive care unit: A prospective observational study

Background

Eustachain tube (ET) dysfunction can aggravate the morbidity in ICU patients, but is often ignored. In this prospective observational study we followed a cohort of patients (without pre-existing ET dysfunction) requiring in-patient management, hospitalized either to ICU or to non ICU wards, for any development of ET dysfunction during hospitalization.

Methods

Patients requiring hospitalization to ICU or non ICU wards from Dec 2018 to Jun 2019 were included. Those with pre-existing ET dysfunction, disease of ear/nose or sinuses, head neck tumours and history of radiotherapy or glucocorticoid therapy were excluded. All patients were evaluated by serial tympanometry. Type A curve was considered normal while type B, C1 and C2 were considered as ET dysfunction.

Results

There were 385 patients, 258 (67.01%) males and 127 (32.99%) females in the ICU group; while non ICU group comprised 129 patients, 86 (66.67%) males and 43 (33.33%) females. ET dysfunction developed in 107 (27.79%) patients in ICU group, but only in 3 (2.3%) in non ICU group (Relative risk 11.95, 95% CI 3.86 to 36.99, P < 0.0001). Within ICU, ET dysfunction showed significant positive association with endotracheal intubation, Ramsay sedation score and number of days on tracheostomy; but not with age, male gender, number of days in ICU, mechanical ventilation or route of feeding.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates high incidence of ET dysfunction in patients admitted to ICU.