Relationship between M100 Auditory Evoked Response and Auditory Radiation Microstructure in 16p11.2 Deletion and Duplication Carriers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Deletion and duplication of chromosome 16p11.2 (BP4-BP5) have been associated with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, and deletion subjects exhibit a large (20-ms) delay of the auditory evoked cortical response as measured by magnetoencephalography (M100 latency). The purpose of this study was to use a multimodal approach to test whether changes in white matter microstructure are associated with delayed M100 latency.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty pediatric deletion carriers, 9 duplication carriers, and 39 control children were studied with both magnetoencephalography and diffusion MR imaging. The M100 latency and auditory system DTI measures were compared between groups and tested for correlation.

RESULTS

In controls, white matter diffusivity significantly correlated with the speed of the M100 response. However, the relationship between structure and function appeared uncoupled in 16p11.2 copy number variation carriers. The alterations to auditory system white matter microstructure in the 16p11.2 deletion only partially accounted for the 20-ms M100 delay. Although both duplication and deletion groups exhibit abnormal white matter microstructure, only the deletion group has delayed M100 latency.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that gene dosage impacts factors other than white matter microstructure, which modulate conduction velocity.

JAK-STAT and G-protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways are frequently altered in epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma

Epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma (EITL, also known as type II enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma) is an aggressive intestinal disease with poor prognosis and its molecular alterations have not been comprehensively characterized. We aimed to identify actionable easy-to-screen alterations that would allow better diagnostics and/or treatment of this deadly disease. By performing whole-exome sequencing of four EITL tumor-normal pairs, followed by amplicon deep sequencing of 42 tumor samples, frequent alterations of the JAK-STAT and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways were discovered in a large portion of samples. Specifically, STAT5B was mutated in a remarkable 63% of cases, JAK3 in 35% and GNAI2 in 24%, with the majority occurring at known activating hotspots in key functional domains. Moreover, STAT5B locus carried copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity resulting in the duplication of the mutant copy, suggesting the importance of mutant STAT5B dosage for the development of EITL. Dysregulation of the JAK-STAT and GPCR pathways was also supported by gene expression profiling and further verified in patient tumor samples. In vitro overexpression of GNAI2 mutants led to the upregulation of pERK1/2, a member of MEK-ERK pathway. Notably, inhibitors of both JAK-STAT and MEK-ERK pathways effectively reduced viability of patient-derived primary EITL cells, indicating potential therapeutic strategies for this neoplasm with no effective treatment currently available.

Expression and purification of recombinant H5HA1 protein of H5N1 avian influenza virus in E. coli and its application in indirect ELISA

The PCR amplified HA1 fragment of H5N1 (H5HA1) avian influenza virus (AIV) hemagglutinin gene was cloned into pET28a (+) expression vector and expressed in Rosetta Blue (DE3) pLysS cells. The recombinant H5HA1 (rH5HA1) protein purified by passive gel elution after SDS-PAGE of the inclusion bodies reacted specifically with H5N1 serum in Western blot analysis. A subtype specific indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using the rH5HA1 protein as the coating antigen was developed for detecting antibodies to H5 subtype of AIV. The assay had 89.04% sensitivity and 95.95% specificity when compared with haemagglutination inhibition test. The Kappa value of 0.842 indicated a perfect agreement between the tests. The iELISA developed can be used for serosurveillance of avian influenza in chickens.

Iridescent graphene/cellulose nanocrystal film with water response and highly electrical conductivity

The co-assembly of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and thermal reduced graphene (TRG) leads to composite films with highly ordered, layered structures at submicrometer level, which can be reversibly changed by the hydration or dehydration process.

Amantadine resistance among highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (H5N1) isolated from India

Emergence of antiviral resistance among H5N1 avian influenza viruses is the major challenge in the control of pandemic influenza. Matrix 2 (M2) inhibitors (amantadine and rimantadine) and neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir and zanamivir) are the two classes of antiviral agents that are specifically active against influenza viruses and are used for both treatment and prophylaxis of influenza infections. Amantadine targets the M2 ion channel of influenza A virus and interrupts virus life cycle through blockade of hydrogen ion influx. This prevents uncoating of the virus in infected host cells which impedes the release of ribonucleoprotein required for transcription and replication of virion in the nucleus. The present study was carried out to review the status of amantadine resistance in H5N1 viruses isolated from India and to study their replicative capability. Results of the study revealed resistance to amantadine in antiviral assay among four H5N1 viruses out of which two viruses had Serine 31 Asparagine (AGT-AAT i.e., S31N) mutation and two had Valine 27 Alanine (GTT-GCT i.e., V27A) mutation. The four resistant viruses not only exhibited significant difference in effective concentration 50% (EC50) values of amantadine hydrochloride from that of susceptible viruses (P < 0.0001) but also showed significant difference between two different types (S31N and V27A) of mutant viruses (P < 0.05). Resistance to amantadine could also be demonstrated in a simple HA test after replication of the viruses in MDCK cells in presence of amantadine. The study identifies the correlation between in vitro antiviral assay and presence of established molecular markers of resistance, the retention of replicative capacity in the presence of amantadine hydrochloride by the resistant viruses and the emergence of resistant mutations against amantadine among avian influenza viruses (H5N1) without selective drug pressure.

Spectroscopic investigation (FT-IR, FT-Raman), HOMO-LUMO, NBO analysis and molecular docking study of 4-chlorophenyl quinoline-2-carboxylate

FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra of 4-chlorophenyl quinoline-2-carboxylate were recorded and analyzed. The vibrational wavenumbers were computed using DFT quantum chemical calculations. The data obtained from wavenumber calculations are used to assign vibrational bands obtained experimentally. Potential energy distribution was done using GAR2PED program. The geometrical parameters obtained theoretically are in agreement with the XRD data. NBO analysis, HOMO-LUMO, first hyperpolarizability and molecular electrostatic potential results are also reported. The calculated hyperpolarizability of the title compound is 77.53 times that of the standard NLO material urea and the title compound and its derivatives are attractive object for future studies of nonlinear optical properties. Molecular docking results suggest that the compound might exhibit inhibitory activity against GPb.

Vibrational spectroscopic and molecular docking study of 4-Methylphenylquinoline-2-carboxylate

FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra of 4-Methylphenylquinoline-2-carboxylate were recorded and analyzed. The structure of the molecule has been optimized and structural characteristics have been determined by density functional theory. The geometrical parameters (DFT) are in agreement with the XRD results. HOMO and LUMO and other chemical properties are reported. Nonlinear optical properties are also reported. A detailed molecular picture of the title compound and its interactions were obtained from NBO analysis. The negative (red and yellow) regions of the MEP are related to electrophilic reactivity and the positive (blue) regions to nucleophilic reactivity, as shown in the MEP plot and the carbonyl group and the phenyl rings are observed as electrophilic. PASS analysis predicts that the 4-Methylphenylquinoline-2-carboxylate might exhibit anti-diabetic activity. Molecular docking results suggest that the compound might exhibit inhibitory activity against GPb.

Eosinophilic annular erythema: successful response to ultraviolet B therapy

Eosinophilic annular erythema (EAE) is a rare and relatively newly described eosinophil-rich dermatosis. Debate still exists as to whether it represent a subtype of Well syndrome or a separate disease entity. We report an 8-year-old boy with a 4-year history of recurrent, asymptomatic annular lesions, which were diagnosed after clincopathological correlation as EAE. This condition usually runs a relapsing and remitting course with resistance to multiple treatments. Prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine have been reported as successful but the response to these was limited in this case. Complete resolution occurred after treatment with ultraviolet B (UVB) therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a favourable response of EAE to such therapy.

Early vs. Late Chemoradiation Therapy and the Postoperative Interval to Adjuvant Therapy Do Not Correspond to Local Recurrence in Resected Pancreatic Cancer

Objective

Standard postoperative therapy for pancreatic cancer consists of both chemotherapy alone and chemoradiation. We sought to investigate whether the sequence of chemotherapy and chemoradiation and overall time to initiation of adjuvant therapy would impact local vs. distant recurrence.

Methods

After Institutional Review Board approval, resected pancreas cancer patient charts were evaluated for medical background, surgical, pathological, chemoradiation (CRT), and follow-up. Local recurrence (LR) was defined as failures occurring in the postoperative bed and regional lymph nodes. Early vs. late CRT was defined by whether CRT was given early (within 1–2 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy) or late in the course of adjuvant chemotherapy (after the 3rd cycle of chemotherapy). The postoperative interval variance was compared to LR factors such as progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Of the 34 eligible patients, 47% (n=16) underwent early CRT and 41% (n=14) underwent late CRT. 12% (n=14) did not undergo any induction chemotherapy. At median follow-up of 22 months, 53% (n=18) had metastases, 24% (n=8) had LR, and 24% (n=8) were disease free. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that early vs. late CRT did not appear to significantly impact OS (p=0.63), PFS (p=0.085) or LR (p=0.19). Postoperative interval did not affect PFS (p=0.42) or OS (p=0.93).

Conclusions

Early vs. late CRT and the time to initiation of adjuvant therapy were not significantly associated with LR in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Future prospective studies are required to determine if sequencing of chemotherapy, CRT, or the postoperative interval impact survival and patterns of recurrence.

Pathology of a H5N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, in two Indian native chicken breeds and a synthetic broiler line

In this study, susceptibility to H5N1 virus infection was studied in two Indian native chicken breeds viz. Kadaknath and Aseel (Peela) and an Indian synthetic broiler strain (Synthetic dam line (SDL-IC). Fifty birds from each genetic group were infected intra-nasally with 1000 EID50 of a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) strain A/chicken/Navapur/India/7972/ 06 (H5N1) and observed for a period of 10 days. Significant differences in severity of clinical signs, gross lesions and time for onset of symptoms were observed. The overall severity of clinical signs and gross lesions was less in SDL-IC broilers as compared to the other two genetic groups. The mortality percentages were 100, 98 and 92% with Mean Death Time (MDT) of 3.12, 5.92 and 6.96 days, respectively for the two native breeds Kadaknath and Aseel (Peela), the and SDL-IC broiler strain. Comparison of histological lesions revealed differences in disease progression among the genetic groups. Vascular lesions such as disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) were predominant on 3 days post infection (dpi) in Kadaknath, and on 5 and 6 dpi in Aseel (Peela) and SDL-IC broiler. The mean log2 HA titres of the re-isolated virus from various organs of H5N1 AIV infected birds of the three genetic groups ranged from 2.32 (lung, trachea and bursa) to 5.04 (spleen) in Kadaknath; 2.32 (lung) to 6.68 (brain) in Aseel (Peela); and 2.06 (liver) to 7.01 (lungs and kidney) in SDL-IC broiler. These results suggest that the susceptibility to H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection differed among the three breeds; Kadaknath being highest followed by Aseel (Peela) and synthetic SDL-IC broiler. This is possibly the first report on the differences in the susceptibility of the India native breeds to H5N1 virus infection and its severity.

An ionic liquid catalyzed reusable protocol for one-pot synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one under mild conditions

This article describes an efficient protocol for the syntheses of 2,3-dihydroquinazolinones. The synthetic utility of this methodology has been demonstrated with 30 different substrates. The reaction showed good functional group tolerance and high levels of catalytic activity.

Influence of thermal processing on the volatile constituents of muskmelon puree

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L) is an important tropical fruit cultivated widely in different parts of India. Fresh muskmelon has a delicate but characteristic flavor rendering the fruit with highly acceptable flavor. Processing and preservation of muskmelon puree requires thermal processing, which affects the volatile constituents. It is imperative to understand the flavor changes during thermal processing which would affect the quality of the processed and packed muskmelon puree. Muskmelon puree was subjected to different methods of thermal processing viz., heating, canning and packing in retort pouches and the volatile constituents were analyzed. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated the presence of more than 49 volatile components in the muskmelon puree samples. Major volatile components identified using GC-MS analysis showed the presence of esters (27.29 %), aldehydes (18.57 %), Heterocyclic compounds (16.63 %), aliphatic alcohols (11.72 %), phenolic compounds (6.03 %) and sesquiterpenes (0.25 %) in the fresh samples. Aldehydes decreased and ester content increased in thermally processed muskmelon puree packed in cans and retort pouches. Aliphatic alcohols, Heterocyclic compounds and phenolic compounds decreased in puree processed in tin containers and retort pouches.

2,5-Di-methyl-phenyl quinoline-2-carboxy-l-ate

In the title compound, C₁₈H₁₅NO₂, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the quinoline ring system and the phenyl ring is 78.8 (1)°. The mean plane of the carboxyl­ate group is twisted from the mean planes of the quinoline ring system and phenyl ring by 1.5 (9) and 77.6 (4)°, respectively. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by weak C—H⋯O inter­actions, generating C(8) chains along [001]. Weak π–π stacking inter­actions are also observed [centroid–centroid separation = 3.6238 (12) Å].

2-Isopropyl-5-methyl-cyclo-hexyl quinoline-2-carboxyl-ate

In the title compound, C20H25NO2, the cyclo-hexyl ring adopts a slightly disordered chair conformation. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of the quinoline ring and the carboxyl-ate group is 22.2 (6)°. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯N inter-actions make chains along [010].

Scientific Insights in the Preparation and Characterisation of a Lead-based Naga Bhasma

Naga bhasma is one of the herbo-metallic preparations used in Ayurveda, a traditional Indian System of Medicine. The preparation of Naga bhasma involves thermal treatment of 'Naga' (metallic lead) in a series of quenching liquids, followed by reaction with realgar and herbal constituents, before calcination to prepare a fine product. We have analysed the intermediates obtained during different stages of preparation to understand the relevance and importance of different steps involved in the preparation. Our results show that 'Sodhana' (purification process) removes heavy metals other than lead, apart from making it soft and amenable for trituration. The use of powders of tamarind bark and peepal bark maintains the oxidation state of lead in Jarita Naga (lead oxide) as Pb(2+). The repeated calcination steps result in the formation of nano-crystalline lead sulphide, the main chemical species present in Naga bhasma.

4-Chloro-phenyl quinoline-2-carboxyl-ate

In the title compound, C₁₆H₁₀ClNO₂, the dihedral angle between the quinoline ring system and the benzene ring is 14.7 (5)°. The carboxyl­ate group is twisted from the mean planes of the quinoline ring system and the benzene ring by 17.7 (5) and 32.1 (4)°, respectively. In the crystal, inversion dimers are formed with the molecules linked by pairs of weak C—H⋯O inter­actions arising from an activated aromatic C atom adjacent to the C—Cl bond, generating R₂²(14) loops.

3,4-Di-methyl-phenyl quinoline-2-carboxyl-ate

In the title compound, C₁₈H₁₅NO₂, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the quinoline ring system and the phenyl ring is 48.1 (5)°. The mean plane of the carboxyl­ate group is twisted from the mean planes of the latter by 19.8 (8) and 64.9 (5)°, respectively. The crystal packing features weak C—H⋯O inter­actions, which form chains along [010].

4-Chloro-3-methyl-phenyl quinoline-2-carboxyl-ate

In the title compound, C₁₇H₁₂ClNO₂, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the quinoline ring system and the benzene ring is 68.7 (7)°. The mean plane of the carboxyl­ate group is twisted from the latter planes by 14.0 (1) and 80.2 (4)°, respectively. In the crystal, weak C—H⋯O inter­actions are observed, forming chains along [001]. In addition, π–π stacking inter­actions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.8343 (13) and 3.7372 (13)Å] occur. No classical hydrogen bonds were observed.