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.

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.

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.

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.

Comparative analysis of the catalysis and stability of the native, recombinant and metagenomic alkaline proteases in organic solvents

The effect of organic solvents on alkaline proteases was assessed for native, recombinant, and metagenomically derived alkaline proteases. Their stability and the effects of physicochemical parameters were studied in the presence of hexane. The native enzyme was comparatively more resistant against the organic solvents than the recombinant counterparts. On the other hand, the metagenomically derived alkaline protease was minimally resistant against solvents. A similar trend was apparent for the stability of enzyme in organic solvents. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the majority of the studies on the solvent tolerance have focused on the mesophilic enzymes, while those from the haloalkaliphilic bacteria have received little attention. The comparative tolerance of the native, recombinant, and metagenomic alkaline proteases against the organic solvent has practical importance. The phylogenetic relatedness among the various protease sequences will be described.

CD47 interactions with exportin-1 limit the targeting of m7G-modified RNAs to extracellular vesicles

CD47 is a marker of self and a signaling receptor for thrombospondin-1 that is also a component of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by various cell types. Previous studies identified CD47-dependent functional effects of T cell EVs on target cells, mediated by delivery of their RNA contents, and enrichment of specific subsets of coding and noncoding RNAs in CD47+ EVs. Mass spectrometry was employed here to identify potential mechanisms by which CD47 regulates the trafficking of specific RNAs to EVs. Specific interactions of CD47 and its cytoplasmic adapter ubiquilin-1 with components of the exportin-1/Ran nuclear export complex were identified and confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Exportin-1 is known to regulate nuclear to cytoplasmic trafficking of 5'-7-methylguanosine (m7G)-modified microRNAs and mRNAs that interact with its cargo protein EIF4E. Interaction with CD47 was inhibited following alkylation of exportin-1 at Cys528 by its covalent inhibitor leptomycin B. Leptomycin B increased levels of m7G-modified RNAs, and their association with exportin-1 in EVs released from wild type but not CD47-deficient cells. In addition to perturbing nuclear to cytoplasmic transport, transcriptomic analyses of EVs released by wild type and CD47-deficient Jurkat T cells revealed a global CD47-dependent enrichment of m7G-modified microRNAs and mRNAs in EVs released by CD47-deficient cells. Correspondingly, decreasing CD47 expression in wild type cells or treatment with thrombospondin-1 enhanced levels of specific m7G-modified RNAs released in EVs, and re-expressing CD47 in CD47-deficient T cells decreased their levels. Therefore, CD47 signaling limits the trafficking of m7G-modified RNAs to EVs through physical interactions with the exportin-1/Ran transport complex.

Decline in the suitable habitat of dominant Abies species in response to climate change in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region: insights from species distribution modelling

Reliable predictions of future distribution ranges of ecologically important species in response to climate change are required for developing effective management strategies. Here we used an ensemble modelling approach to predict the distribution of three important species of Abies namely, Abies pindrow, Abies spectabilis and Abies densa in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region under the current and two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP245 and SSP585) and time periods of 2050 and 2090s. A correlative ensemble model using presence/absence data of the three Abies species and 22 environmental variables, including 19 bioclimatic variables and 3 topographic variables, from known distributions was built to predict the potential current and future distribution of these species. The individual models used to build the final ensemble performed well and provided reliable results for both the current and future distribution of all three species. For A. pindrow, precipitation of the driest month (Bio14) was the most important environmental variable with 83.3% contribution to model output while temperature seasonality (Bio4) and annual mean diurnal range (Bio2) were the most important variables for A. spectabilis and A. densa with 48.4% and 46.1% contribution to final model output, respectively. Under current climatic conditions, the ensemble models projected a total suitable habitat of about 433,003 km², 790,837 km² and 676,918 km² for A. pindrow, A. spectabilis and A. densa, respectively, which is approximately 10.36%, 18.91% and 16.91% of the total area of Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Projections of habitat suitability under future climate scenarios for all the shared socioeconomic pathways showed a reduction in potentially suitable habitats with a maximum overall loss of approximately 14% of the total suitable area of A. pindrow under SSP 8.5 by 2090. A decline in total suitable habitat is predicted to be 9.6% in A. spectabilis by 2090 under the SSP585 scenario while in A. densa 6.67% loss in the suitable area is expected by 2050 under the SSP585 scenario. Furthermore, there is no elevational change predicted in the case of A. pindrow while A. spectabilis is expected to show an upward shift by about 29 m per decade and A. densa is showing a downward shift at a rate of 11 m per decade. The results are interesting, and intriguing given the occurrence of these species across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Thus, our study underscores the need for consideration of unexpected responses of species to climate change and formulation of strategies for better forest management and conservation of important conifer species, such as A. pindrow, A. spectabilis and A. densa.

Assessment of free radicals and reactive oxygen species milieu in nanoparticles adjuvanted outer membrane proteins vaccine against Salmonella typhi

In this study, calcium phosphate nanoparticles-based (STCNV) and montanide oil adjuvant vaccine (STOAV) containing outer membrane proteins (Omps) of S. Typhi were evaluated for inducing oxidative stress indicators [reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total protein] in the tissues of mice after vaccination. The GSH levels though slightly high in the liver, kidney, and lungs of STCNV group were not significantly different from STOAV and the control group (STC). There was no significant difference in LPO levels in any group for any tissue. The significantly lower activities of catalase were observed in the kidney and lungs of the STCNV group as compared to STOAV and STC group, while in the liver, STCNV group revealed lower catalase activity in comparison to the control group. No significant difference in the SOD activities between the two vaccinated groups was observed. The total protein contents in all the organs showed no significant difference in the vaccinated and the control group. The vaccines may induce long-term inflammatory response and consequently damage vital organs; this study revealed no long-term oxidative stress in all the three vital organs, suggesting that these vaccines may not cause oxidative damages in the vital organs of mice.

Microorganisms under extreme environments and their applications

Extremophiles are group of microorganisms that possess ability to tolerate and live under the extremes of physico-chemical, geological and nutritional conditions. Such microorganisms are evolutionary relics and have evolved adaptation strategies at cellular, biochemical and molecular levels. They produce enzymes that are capable to maintain stability and function under the multitudes of extremities. These organisms also produce variety of other molecules and metabolites, such as extremolytes and surface-active compounds to protect against extremes of salinity, pH, pressure, temperatures and solar radiation. Investigations on these microorganisms can further open new avenues and opportunity for research and biotechnological applications in the areas of waste water treatment, bio-plastics, biofuel, cosmetics, agriculture, food and pharmaceuticals. Further, extremophiles have potential roles to play in bioremediation, astrobiology and biorefinery.

Base pairs with 4-amino-3-nitrobenzonitrile: comparison with the natural WC pairs. Dimer and tetramer forms, Infrared and Raman spectra, and several proposed antiviral modified nucleosides

Base pairs of 4-amino-3-nitrobenzonitrile (4A-3NBN) molecule with uracil, thymine and cytosine nucleobases were optimized and compared to natural Watson-Crick (WC) pairs. The slightly greater flexibility of the -NO₂ group of 4A-3NBN than the N3-H group of the natural nucleobases together with a noticeable higher dipole moment of its pairs can facilitate disruption of the DNA/RNA helix formation. Several new mutagenic modified nucleosides with 4A-3NBN and 3-amino-2-nitrobenzonitrile (3A-2NBN) were proposed as antiviral prodrugs and their base pairs optimized. The special characteristics of these prodrugs appear appropriated for their clinical use. The counterpoise (CP) corrected interaction energies of the base pairs were calculated and compared to the natural ones. The M06-2X DFT method was used for this purpose. The molecular structure of 4A-3NBN was analyzed in detail and the crystal unit cell was simulated by a tetramer form and eight dimer forms. The performance of the B3LYP, X3LYP and M06-2X methods was tested on the vibrational wavenumbers in the monomer, dimer and tetramer forms of 4A-3NBN. The observed IR and Raman bands were assigned according to the optimum dimer II form determined by B3LYP and by the tetramer form calculated by M06-2X, which is the expected unit cell that forms the crystal net. The two best scaling procedures were used.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

CCR2 identifies two subtypes of pathogenic human type 17 Th cells and has a non-redundant role in their transendothelial migration

We have shown previously that CCR2 is expressed on highly differentiated human Th memory cells as well as mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. CCR2+ T cells typically co-express a combination of other inflammation-associated chemokine receptors, including CCR6, which is found on all type 17 T cells. We found that the CCR6+ CCR2+ human Th cell population is enriched in cells with a pathogenic cytokine and cytotoxic profile. Single-cell analysis revealed two subtypes of such CCR6+ CCR2+ cells, either biased to produce GM-CSF or IFNg. Pathogenic activity requires migration into inflamed tissue, and to understand the roles for CCR2, CCR6 and other chemokine receptors expressed on these cells in extravasation we used flow chambers containing HUVEC activated with TNFa and/or IFNg. We found that although CCR6, CCR5 and CXCR3 (but not CCR2) were capable of mediating T cell arrest, only CCR2 was active in transendothelial migration. CCR2’s activity was a function of the localization of its principal ligand, CCL2, in endothelial cells. Native CCL2 was found intracellularly but not on the cell surface. Immediate pre-treatment of cells with CCL2 or using HUVEC transduced to express a CCL2-CXCL9 chimeric chemokine that bound to surface glycosaminoglycans enabled CCR2 to mediate T cell arrest. These studies reveal the integration of transendothelial trafficking and a pathogenic effector profile in type 17 human Th cells and demonstrate redundant and non-redundant roles for the multiple chemokine receptors on these cells due to chemokine positioning. Our findings could inform more effective combinatorial inhibition or expression of chemokine receptors/ligands to regulate the migration of highly inflammatory T cells.

Supported by NIH

Calcium phosphate adjuvanted nanoparticles of outer membrane proteins of Salmonella Typhi as a candidate for vaccine development against Typhoid fever

Introduction. The conventional adjuvants used in vaccines have limitations like induction of an imbalanced Th1 and Th2 immune response. To overcome this limitation, novel adjuvants and newer forms of existing adjuvants like calcium phosphate nanoparticles are being tested.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Calcium phosphate adjuvanted outer membrane proteins vaccine may work as an efficient, safe and cost effective vaccine against Salmonella Typhi.Aim. Our goals were to evaluate the potential of calcium phosphate nanoparticles as an adjuvant using outer membrane proteins (Omps) of Salmonella Typhi as antigens for immune response, with montanide (commercially available adjuvant) as control, and its toxicity in rats.Methodology. Calcium phosphate adjuvanted outer membrane proteins nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized. The efficacy of vaccine formulation in mice and toxicity assay were carried out in rats.Results. The calcium phosphate nanoparticles varying in size between 20-50 nm had entrapment efficiency of 41.5% and loading capacity of 54%. The calcium phosphate nanoparticle-Omps vaccine formulation (nanoparticle-Omps) induced a strong humoral immune response, which was significantly higher than the control group for the entire period of study. In the montanide-Omps group the initial very high immune response declined steeply and then remained steady. The immune response induced by nanoparticle-Omps did not change appreciably. The cell mediated immune response as measured by lymphocyte proliferation assay and delayed type hypersensitivity test showed a higher response (P<0.01) for the nanoparticles-Omps group as compared to montanide-Omps group. The bacterial clearance assay also showed higher clearance in the nanoparticles-Omps group as compared to montanide-Omps group (approx 1.4%). The toxicity analysis in rats showed no difference in the values of toxicity biomarkers and blood chemistry parameters, revealing vaccine formulation was non-toxic in rats.Conclusion. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles as adjuvant in vaccines is safe, have good encapsulation and loading capacity and induce a strong cell mediated, humoral and protective immune response.

Stage specific comparative transcriptomic analysis to reveal gene networks regulating iron and zinc content in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]

Pearl millet is an important staple food crop of poor people and excels all other cereals due to its unique features of resilience to adverse climatic conditions. It is rich in micronutrients like iron and zinc and amenable for focused breeding for these micronutrients along with high yield. Hence, this is a key to alleviate malnutrition and ensure nutritional security. This study was conducted to identify and validate candidate genes governing grain iron and zinc content enabling the desired modifications in the genotypes. Transcriptome sequencing using ION S5 Next Generation Sequencer generated 43.5 million sequence reads resulting in 83,721 transcripts with N₅₀ of 597 bp and 84.35% of transcripts matched with the pearl millet genome assembly. The genotypes having high iron and zinc showed differential gene expression during different stages. Of which, 155 were up-regulated and 251 were down-regulated while during flowering stage and milking stage 349 and 378 transcripts were differentially expressed, respectively. Gene annotation and GO term showed the presence of transcripts involved in metabolic activities associated with uptake and transport of iron and zinc. Information generated will help in gaining insights into iron and zinc metabolism and develop genotypes with high yield, grain iron and zinc content.

Demographic, clinical, and service-use characteristics related to the clinician's recommendation to transition from child to adult mental health services

PURPOSE

The service configuration with distinct child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS) may be a barrier to continuity of care. Because of a lack of transition policy, CAMHS clinicians have to decide whether and when a young person should transition to AMHS. This study describes which characteristics are associated with the clinicians' advice to continue treatment at AMHS.

METHODS

Demographic, family, clinical, treatment, and service-use characteristics of the MILESTONE cohort of 763 young people from 39 CAMHS in Europe were assessed using multi-informant and standardized assessment tools. Logistic mixed models were fitted to assess the relationship between these characteristics and clinicians' transition recommendations.

RESULTS

Young people with higher clinician-rated severity of psychopathology scores, with self- and parent-reported need for ongoing treatment, with lower everyday functional skills and without self-reported psychotic experiences were more likely to be recommended to continue treatment. Among those who had been recommended to continue treatment, young people who used psychotropic medication, who had been in CAMHS for more than a year, and for whom appropriate AMHS were available were more likely to be recommended to continue treatment at AMHS. Young people whose parents indicated a need for ongoing treatment were more likely to be recommended to stay in CAMHS.

CONCLUSION

Although the decision regarding continuity of treatment was mostly determined by a small set of clinical characteristics, the recommendation to continue treatment at AMHS was mostly affected by service-use related characteristics, such as the availability of appropriate services.

Bile acids improve psoriasiform dermatitis through inhibition of IL-17A expression and CCL20-CCR6 mediated trafficking of T cells

Bile acids (BAs), produced in the liver and further transformed in the gut, are cholesterol-derived molecules involved in essential physiological processes. Recent studies suggest that BAs regulate Th17 cell function, but the underlying mechanism of this action and their therapeutic value in disease models remains unclear. Using an IL-23 minicircle DNA (MC) based murine model of psoriasiform dermatitis (PsD), we showed that oral administration of secondary BAs, including lithocholic acid (LCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA) and 3-oxoLCA, significantly improved PsD without inducing apparent hepatotoxicity. Of the BAs tested, LCA possessed the greatest potency in treating PsD. Intravenous administration of LCA at a much lower dosage (compared to oral treatment) showed a comparable anti-psoriatic effect and markedly suppressed the IL-17A response. Ex vivo experiments revealed that LCA reduced IL-17A production in IL-23-stimulated murine T cells in the absence of BA receptors TGR5 or FXR. Strikingly, BAs inhibited CCL20 expression in keratinocytes, which led to reduced migration of CCR6-expressing Jurkat cells cultured in the conditioned medium of stimulated keratinocytes. Thus, BAs improve PsD with minimal toxicity via direct inhibition of IL-17A production and blockade of CCL20-mediated trafficking, supporting the potential use of BAs in psoriasis.

CD63+ and MHC Class I+ Subsets of Extracellular Vesicles Produced by Wild-Type and CD47-Deficient Jurkat T Cells Have Divergent Functional Effects on Endothelial Cell Gene Expression

T cells and endothelial cells engage in bidirectional communication that regulates angiogenesis and T cell transmigration. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication by the transfer of bioactive molecules including RNAs. EVs produced by a given cell type are heterogeneous in their RNA content, but it is unclear how specific EV surface markers relate to their functional effects on target cells. Our previous work established that Jurkat T cell EVs bearing CD63, MHC-I, or CD47 surface markers contain distinct noncoding RNA populations. The present study reveals that CD63+ and MHC-I+ EVs from CD47-deficient Jurkat T cells are enriched in small non-coding RNAs relative to EVs from wild-type Jurkat T cells. CD47-deficient Jurkat T cells secrete more CD63+ and MHC-I+ EVs, but MHC-I+ EVs are selectively taken up more by human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Transcriptomics analysis of endothelial cells treated with CD63+ or MHC-I+ EVs showed surface marker- and CD47-dependent changes in gene expression in the target cells. Gene set enrichment analysis identified CD47-dependent, and surface marker-dependent effects of T cell EVs on VEGF and inflammatory signaling, cell cycle, and lipid and cholesterol metabolism. Thus, subsets of T cell EVs differentially regulate endothelial cell metabolism and inflammatory and angiogenic responses.

Analysis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction occurring in soldiers during strenous military training

Background

At our tertiary care cardiology center, we are receiving soldiers who sustained acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) during the strenuous Battle Field Efficiency Test (BPET) and other such activities.

Methods

This was a single-center observational study to assimilate and analyze the precipitating causes, risk factors, symptoms, and the efficacy of the management protocols in soldiers sustaining STEMI during the BPET or other forms of strenuous military training.

Results

All 25 soldiers with documented STEMI following strenuous military training presented with chest pain as the primary symptom. 88% had symptoms either during or within 1st hour of the strenuous activity. 76% underwent thrombolysis with an angiographic success rate of 95%. Primary PCI was possible in only 3/25 (12%) of the cases, of which 2 (66%) did not require stenting after thrombus aspiration; 88% of soldiers reported "training for the event" for less than four times/week.

Conclusion

STEMI precipitated by strenuous unaccustomed military training have exclusively single vessel affection with an excellent response to thrombolysis and thrombus aspiration. Thus, the timely institution of pharmacological or mechanical revascularization therapy has dramatic results in the preservation of ventricular function. The lack of training for the strenuous event provides strong evidence for comprehensive, graded, physical training prior to strenuous military activities to prevent acute coronary syndromes.

Amylases from thermophilic bacteria: structure and function relationship

Amylases hydrolyze starch to diverse products including dextrins and progressively smaller polymers of glucose units. Thermally stable amylases account for nearly 25% of the enzyme market. This review highlights the structural attributes of the α-amylases from thermophilic bacteria. Heterologous expression of amylases in suitable hosts is discussed in detail. Further, specific value maximization approaches, such as protein engineering and immobilization of the amylases are discussed in order to improve its suitability for varied applications on a commercial scale. The review also takes into account of the immobilization of the amylases on nanomaterials to increase the stability and reusability of the enzymes. The function-based metagenomics would provide opportunities for searching amylases with novel characteristics. The review is expected to explore novel amylases for future potential applications.

Infrared Monitoring of Oxygenation Process Generated by Robotic Verticalization in Bedridden People

Bedridden people, especially at home, suffer from diverse pathologies beyond the main one that brings them to a specific position. Long-term cares are suitable at home to avoid congestions within hospital facilities. There are different technologies available to improve such people's conditions in their daily life. The standing posture is the key solution to enhance people's wellness amid the psychological burden due to the almost impossibility to be completely healed. The paper proposes the use of a polyfunctional and robotic bed capable of displaying many positions namely vertical, tilting, anti-trendelenburg with necessary graduation. A three-year monitoring of a patient, using a polyfunctional and robotic bed, suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has been investigated. Different physiological parameters have been measured and, particularly, the variation of temperature has been measured in presence of body position connected to the robotic bed rotation that provokes biomechanical effort. It is demonstrated that certain body positions correspond to major and minor physical effort, hence major and minor oxygenation. An infrared camera has been used. As a positive result, the variation of posture has been delaying the increase of the pathological signs, because of better conditions.

Cigarette smoke-induced changes in the murine vocal folds: a Raman spectroscopic observation

Raman spectroscopic methods are being projected as novel tools to study the early invisible molecular level changes in a label-free manner. In the present study, we have used Raman spectroscopy to explore the earliest biochemical changes in murine vocal folds in response to time-bound cigarette smoke exposure. Mice were exposed to cigarette smoke for 2 or 4-weeks through a customized smoke inhalation system. The larynx was collected and initial evaluations using standard methods of analysis such as histopathology and immunofluorescence was performed. Concurrent unstained sections were used for Raman imaging. Two common pathological features of vocal fold disorders including alterations in collagen content and epithelial hypercellularity, or hyperplasia, were observed. The mean spectra, principal component analysis, and Raman mapping also revealed differences in the collagen content and hypercellularity in the smoke exposed tissues. The differences in 2-week exposed tissues were found to be more prominent as compared to 4-week. This was attributed to adaptive responses and the already reported biphasic effects, which suggest that collagen synthesis is significantly reduced at higher cigarette smoke concentrations. Overall findings of the study are supportive of the prospective application of Raman imaging in monitoring changes due to cigarette smoke in the vocal folds.

Starch molecular configuration and starch-sugar homeostasis: Key determinants of sweet sensory perception and starch hydrolysis in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum)

Starch-sugar homeostasis and starch molecular configuration regulates the dynamics of starch digestibility which result in sweet sensory perception and eliciting glycemic response, which has been measured in vitro as inherent glycemic potential (IGP). The objective of the research was to understand the key determinants of IGP as well as sweetness in different Pearl millet (PM) genotypes. To understand the intricate balance between starch and sugar, total starch content (TSC) and total soluble sugars (TSS) were evaluated. Higher concentrations of TSC (67.8%), TSS (2.75%), glucose (0.78%) and sucrose (1.68%) were found in Jafarabadi Bajra. Considering the role of compact molecular configuration of starch towards digestibility, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed. A-type crystallinity with crystallinity degree (CD %) ranged from 53.53-62.63% among different genotypes, where the least CD% (53.53%) was found in Jafarabadi Bajra. In vitro starch hydrolyzation kinetics carried out to determine IGP, revealed a maximum of 77.05% IGP with minimum 1.42% resistant starch (RS) in Jafarabadi Bajra. Overall our results suggest higher sweet sensory perception of Jafarabadi Bajra which is contributed by the matrix composition with least molecular compactness of starch. Also, the interdependence among starch quality parameters; CD%, IGP, RS and amylose has also been discussed.

Status of Beta Defensin-1 and its Effect on Post-thaw Semen Fertility Gene Expression in Indian Goat Breed

BACKGROUND

Defensins are antimicrobial peptides and uniformly spans the entire sperm surface and is not exclusive to a specific domain. Goat β-defensin-1 helps in initiation of motility and capacitation of sperm.

OBJECTIVE

To know the status of β-defensin-1 in blood, semen and its effect on post thaw fertility gene expression in Indian goat breeds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Semen was extended and divided for estimation of β-defensin-1 and cryopreserved having different concentrations of β-defensin-1.

RESULTS

Bet defensin-1 concentration (pg/mL) in neat semen, sperm pellet and seminal plasma was significantly higher (P< 0.05) in goat breed Barbari followed by Jamunapari and Jakhrana. β-defensing-1 was also high in Jakhrana blood followed by Barbari and Jamunapari. The post thaw motility, live sperm, acrosome intactness and hypo osmotic swelled sperms were significantly higher (P< 0.05) with 10 ng/mL β-defensin in the semen dilutor.

CONCLUSION

Beta defensin (10 ng/mL) in semen dilutor may be used as immuno-modulator to get better post thaw quality suitable for artificial insemination.

Genetic and Phenotypic Heterogeneity of the Nocardiopsis alba Strains of Seawater

This study deals with the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of the marine Nocardiopsis alba strains isolated during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The isolates were characterized for their morphological and biochemical attributes, growth media preferences, antibiotic susceptibility and extracellular enzyme secretion. Nocardiopsis alba strains were assessed against 12 different antibiotics, and the responses were expressed in terms of the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) number. The majority of the strains produced multiple extracellular enzymes: proteases, amylases and lipases. Further, the strains were characterized on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the majority were identified as Nocardiopsis alba along with few strains of Streptomyces lopnurensis, Nocardiopsis synnemataformans and Nocardiopsis dassonvillei. Neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree suggested variation among the genetically similar Nocardiopsis alba species. The study establishes significant heterogeneity with respect to genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the strains of Nocardiopsis alba. Phylogenetic tree and phenogram-based comparison reflect the heterogeneity in terms of different clustering patterns of the strains. Further, the whole genome sequence data available in the literature also confirm the observed heterogeneity. Nocardiopsis alba strains displayed a relatively regressive pattern of dependence on the environmental factors based on the canonical correspondence analysis plot. The study represents cultivation, characterization, phylogenetic analysis and enzymatic potential of the Nocardiopsis alba species of seawater origin.

Kinetics of growth and co-production of amylase and protease in novel marine actinomycete, Streptomyces lopnurensis KaM5

Amylases and proteases are among the industrially most important enzymes for food processing, animal feed, brewing, starch processing, detergents, healthcare, leather processing, and biofuel production. In this study, we investigated the growth kinetics and statistically optimized the co-production of amylase and protease in a phylogenetically novel haloalkaliphilic actinomycete, Streptomyces lopnurensis KaM5 of seawater. The Plackett-Berman design using Minitab 14.0 software was employed to assess the impact of the nutritional factors, temperature, pH, and incubation time. Further, starch, yeast extract, NaCl concentrations, and incubation time were optimized by Box-Behnken design at their three levels. The Pareto charts, contour, surface plots, and individual factorial analysis expressed the variability and levels for the optimal enzyme production. ANOVA analysis admitted the statistical fitness and significance level among the variables. A two-fold increase in enzyme production was achieved by cost-effective co-production media. The study was further extended to growth kinetics associated with enzyme production. Specific growth rate (μ), maximal cell mass (X_max), volumetric product formation (P_max), rate of product formation (Q_p), and generation time (g) were computed and analyzed. These parameters significantly improved when compared with the pre-optimized conditions, and the production economics of the enzyme was industrially viable. The initial studies on the characteristics of the enzymes suggested its ability to function under the combination of alkaline pH and high salt concentrations. The co-production of enzymes from extremophiles can be a potentially viable option for large-scale production and applications.