Injectable biocompatible RAFT mediated nitroxide nanogels: A robust ROS-reduction antioxidant approach

This work introduces novel nitroxide-based nanogels (NGs) crafted through controlled RAFT (Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer) polymerization, showcasing over 85% improved shelf-life compared to native superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes. These 30-40 nm NGs hold great promise for injectable delivery, effectively reducing foam cell formation and displaying potent antioxidant behavior against various reactive oxygen species (ROS), revolutionizing antioxidant therapy. Featuring a meticulously designed core-shell structure via precise RAFT polymerization, these NGs mimic SOD enzymatic activity with nitroxide-based antioxidants, providing unprecedented defense against ROS. Combining methacrylated 2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-4-piperidyl methacrylate (PMA) and Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomers with precisely synthesized nitroxyl radicals results in exceptional properties. Validated through comprehensive analytical methods, these NGs exhibit remarkable stability, halting foam cell formation even at high concentrations, and demonstrate notable biocompatibility. Their ability to protect low density lipoprotein (LDL) from oxidation for up to a month positions them at the forefront of combating cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis. This study pioneers injectable antioxidant therapy, offering an innovative approach to cardiovascular ailments. Targeting narrow plaques signifies a promising intervention, reshaping cardiovascular disease treatments. It highlights the potential of advanced drug delivery in biomedicine, promising more effective cardiovascular disease treatments.

Detection of Quinolone resistance Qnr genes and its association with Extended Spectrum β-lactamase and AmpC β-lactamase genes in Qnr Positive Enterobacteriaceae in Bangladesh

This cross-sectional study was conducted to explore quinolone resistant Enterobacteriaceae followed by searching the prevalence of three groups of quinolone resistance genes (QnrA, QnrB and QnrS) from January 2015 to December 2015 at Dhaka Medical College hospital, Bangladesh. Then genes for ESBL and AmpC β-lactamase were detected among Qnr positive strains for better understanding the role of these genes for multiple drug resistance. Total 340 urines, sputum, wound swab and blood samples were collected from DMCH. Total 270(79.41%) Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from 340 samples. Out of 270 Enterobacteriaceae, 225(83.33%) were quinolone (ciprofloxacin) resistant strains. Qnr genes were detected in 141(62.67%) of the 225 quinolone resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Total 187 Qnr genes [84(59.57%) QnrS, 70(49.64%) QnrB and 33(23.40%) QnrA] were detected from 141 quinolone resistant strains. Total 48(34.04%) ESBL producers were detected by DDS test and 47(33.33%) ESBL producers were positive by PCR among 141 Qnr positive strains. QnrA was co-existed with CTX-M-15. QnrB was co-existed with TEM, CTXM-15 and OXA-1. QnrS genes were also associated with TEM, CTX-M-15 and OXA-1. Among 52 cefoxitin resistant Qnr positive strains, 22(42.31%) AmpC β-lactamase producers were detected by Modified three-dimensional test (MTDT) and 45(86.54%) AmpC β-lactamase producers were detected by PCR. QnrA had been identified with DHA, ACC, EBC and CIT while QnrB had been identified with DHA, ACC, EBC and CIT. QnrS had also been co-existed with DHA, ACC, EBC and CIT. The results of this study provided insights into the high proportion of Qnr genes among isolated Enterobacteriaceae. Simultaneous presence of Qnr genes and genes for extended-spectrum β-lactamase or AmpC β-lactamase were observed in multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Catalytic polymer nanocomposites for environmental remediation of wastewater

The removal of harmful chemicals and species from water, soil, and air is a major challenge in environmental remediation, and a wide range of materials have been studied in this regard. To identify the optimal material for particular applications, research is still ongoing. Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), which combine the benefits of nanoparticles with polymers, an alternative to conventional materials, may open up new possibilities to overcome this difficulty. They have remarkable mechanical capabilities and compatibility due to their polymer matrix with a very high surface area to volume ratio brought about by their special physical and chemical properties, and the extremely reactive surfaces of the nanofillers. Composites also provide a viable answer to the separation and reuse problems that hinder nanoparticles in routine use. Understanding these PNCs materials in depth and using them in practical environmental applications is still in the early stages of development. The review article demonstrates a crisp introduction to the PNCs with their advantageous properties as a catalyst in environmental remediation. It also provides a comprehensive explanation of the design procedure and synthesis methods for fabricating PNCs and examines in depth the design methods, principles, and design techniques that guide proper design. Current developments in the use of polymer nanocomposites for the pollutant treatment using three commonly used catalytic processes (catalytic and redox degradation, electrocatalytic degradation, and biocatalytic degradation) are demonstrated in detail. Additionally, significant advances in research on the aforementioned catalytic process and the mechanism by which contaminants are degraded are also amply illustrated. Finally, there is a summary of the research challenges and future prospects of catalytic PNCs in environmental remediation.

Bismuth sulfoiodide (BiSI) nanorods: synthesis, characterization, and photodetector application

The nanorods of bismuth sulfoiodide (BiSI) were synthesized at relatively low temperature (393 K) through a wet chemical method. The crystalline one-dimensional (1D) structure of the BiSI nanorods was confirmed using high resolution transmission microscopy (HRTEM). The morphology and chemical composition of the material were examined by applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The average diameter of 126(3) nm and length of 1.9(1) µm of the BiSI nanorods were determined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that prepared material consists of a major orthorhombic BiSI phase (87%) and a minor amount of hexagonal Bi₁₃S₁₈I₂ phase (13%) with no presence of other residual phases. The direct energy band gap of 1.67(1)  eV was determined for BiSI film using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Two types of photodetectors were constructed from BiSI nanorods. The first one was traditional photoconductive device based on BiSI film on stiff glass substrate equipped with Au electrodes. An influence of light intensity on photocurrent response to monochromatic light (λ = 488 nm) illumination was studied at a constant bias voltage. The novel flexible photo-chargeable device was the second type of prepared photodetectors. It consisted of BiSI film and gel electrolyte layer sandwiched between polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. The flexible self-powered BiSI photodetector exhibited open-circuit photovoltage of 68 mV and short-circuit photocurrent density of 0.11 nA/cm² under light illumination with intensity of 0.127 W/cm². These results confirmed high potential of BiSI nanorods for use in self-powered photodetectors and photo-chargeable capacitors.

Revolutionizing Food Safety with Quantum Dot-Polymer Nanocomposites: From Monitoring to Sensing Applications

The present review article investigates the prospective utilisation of quantum dot-polymer nanocomposites in the context of ensuring food safety. The text pertains to the advancement of nanocomposites, encompassing their distinctive optical and electrical characteristics, and their prospective to transform the detection and perception of food safety risks. The article explores diverse methodologies for producing nanocomposites and underscores their potential utility in identifying impurities, microorganisms, and harmful substances in food. The article provides an overview of the challenges and limitations associated with the utilisation of nanocomposites in food safety applications, encompassing concerns regarding toxicity and the necessity for standardised protocols. The review article presents a comprehensive examination of the present research status in this area and underscores the potential of quantum dots-polymer nanocomposites in transforming food safety monitoring and sensing.

Common Signaling Pathways Involved in Alzheimer's Disease and Stroke: Two Faces of the Same Coin

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and stroke are two interrelated neurodegenerative disorders which are the leading cause of death and affect the neurons in the brain and central nervous system. Although amyloid-β aggregation, tau hyperphosphorylation, and inflammation are the hallmarks of AD, the exact cause and origin of AD are still undefined. Recent enormous fundamental discoveries suggest that the amyloid hypothesis of AD has not been proven and anti-amyloid therapies that remove amyloid deposition have not yet slowed cognitive decline. However, stroke, mainly ischemic stroke (IS), is caused by an interruption in the cerebral blood flow. Significant features of both disorders are the disruption of neuronal circuitry at different levels of cellular signaling, leading to the death of neurons and glial cells in the brain. Therefore, it is necessary to find out the common molecular mechanisms of these two diseases to understand their etiological connections. Here, we summarized the most common signaling cascades including autotoxicity, ApoE4, insulin signaling, inflammation, mTOR-autophagy, notch signaling, and microbiota-gut-brain axis, present in both AD and IS. These targeted signaling pathways reveal a better understanding of AD and IS and could provide a distinguished platform to develop improved therapeutics for these diseases.

SbI3·3S8: A Novel Promising Inorganic Adducts Crystal for Second Harmonic Generation

In the past twenty years, the basic investigation of innovative Non-Linear Optical (NLO) crystals has received significant attention, which has built the crucial heritage for the use of NLO materials. Fundamental research is essential given the scarcity of materials for NLO compounds, especially in the deep ultraviolet (DUV) and middle- and far-infrared (MFIR) regions. In the present work, we synthesized high-quality MFIR SbI₃·3S₈ NLO crystals having a length in the range of 1-5 mm through rapid facile liquid phase ultrasonic reaction followed by the assistance of instantaneous natural evaporation phenomenon of the solvent at room temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results ratify the hexagonal R3m structure of SbI₃·3S₈ crystal, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) demonstrates that the elemental composition of SbI₃·3S₈ crystal is similar to that of its theoretical composition. The direct and indirect forbidden energy gaps of SbI₃·3S₈ were measured from the optical transmittance spectra and they were shown to be 2.893 eV and 1.986 eV, respectively. The green sparkling signal has been observed from the crystal during the second harmonic generation (SHG) experiment. Therefore, as inorganic adducts are often explored as NLO crystals, this work on the MFIR SbI₃·3S₈ NLO crystal can bring about additional investigations on this hot topic in the near future.

A Simplified Approach for the Aqueous Synthesis of Luminescent CdSe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots and Their Applications in Ultrasensitive Determination of the Biomarker 3-Nitro-l-tyrosine

In contrast to the hot-injection organometallic routes, synthesizing stable and highly luminescent core/shell nanocrystals with encapsulation of biocompatible groups through an aqueous route is a long-standing challenge. In recent years, relatively high quantum efficiency and unique properties of core/shell nanostructured materials (quantum dots) have contributed toward enhancement in sensing capability. The present work reports a facile aqueous synthesis process of core/shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with encapsulation of glutathione (GSH). The optimal conditions for the synthesis of the most stable particles were ascertained, and the different experimental analyses suggest that the stable core/shell QDs in question have good crystallinity with a size around 4.7 nm with a shell thickness of 0.7 nm and a photoluminescence quantum yield of about 35%. Further, it is demonstrated that the as-synthesized material has great potential in detecting as low as 0.28 nM 3-nitro-l-tyrosine (3-NT), an important marker for oxidative stress, the level of which in our body signals several chronically diseased conditions. The enthalpy-driven interactions of CdSe/ZnS-GSH QDs with 3-NT were characterized through steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy and isothermal microcalorimetry. The devised method of probing 3-NT was further validated with human serum samples. Thus, the proposed strategy may provide a protocol for selective determination of 3-NT under different pathological conditions.

Antifungal and defense elicitor activity of Potassium phosphite against fungal blast disease on ptxD-OE transgenic indica rice and its acceptor parent

In rice farming, the blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (T.T. Hebert) M.E. Barr. is one of the primary production constraints worldwide. The current blast management options such as blast-resistant varieties and spraying fungicides are neither durable nor commercially and environmentally compatible. In the present study, we investigated the antifungal and defense elicitor activity of potassium phosphite (Phi) against M. oryzae on elite rice cultivar BPT5204 (popularly known as Samba Mahsuri in India) and its transgenic rice variant (ptxD-OE) over-expressing a phosphite dehydrogenase enzyme. The Phi was evaluated both preventively and curatively on rice genotypes where the preventive spray of Phi outperformed the Phi curative application with significant reductions in both rice blast severity (35.67-60.49%) and incidence (22.27-53.25%). Moreover, the application of Phi increased the levels of photosynthetic pigments (Chlorophyll and Carotenoids) coupled with increased activity of defense enzymes (PAL, SOD, and APx). Besides, Phi application also induced the expression of defense-associated genes (OsCEBiP and OsPDF2.2) in the rice leaf. Furthermore, the Phi application reduced the reactive Malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation) to minimize the cellular damage incited by Magnaporthe in rice. Overall, the present study showed the potential of Phi for blast suppression on rice as an alternative to the current excessive use of toxic fungicides.

A Quaint Collation of Childhood Renal Neoplasms- Wilms and Beyond: Perspective of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Eastern India

Paediatric renal neoplasms are rarely encountered entities. Histopathology is essential in most of the cases, where there is significant degree of clinical and radiological overlap. Present series has 32 cases which aimed to evaluate clinical and pathologic spectrum of renal tumours in children. Nephrectomy specimens of renal neoplasms of children below 12 years of age were included. Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) were done. Findings were tabulated in a master sheet along with other demographic variables, clinical histories and imaging findings. Abdominal lump was the commonest presentation. Wilms tumour was the major histologic variant (66%), followed by Congenital Mesoblastic Nephroma (13%). Anaplasia and advanced Children's Oncology Group (COG) staging were the adverse prognostic indicators. Clear Cell Sarcoma and Rhabdoid tumours were seen to have adverse outcomes, whereas Congenital Mesoblastic Nephroma, Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney and Paediatric Cystic Nephromas had overall favorable prognosis. Histopathology plays a key role for confirmatory opinion on nature of the neoplasm. Better understanding of these cases will increase the diagnostic accuracy with early implementation of definitive therapy.

Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor Profile in Association with CK 5/6 Immunohistochemical Status in Proliferative, Preinvasive and Malignant Epithelial Neoplasms of Breast

Introduction: Breast carcinomas have shown increasing incidence across the world over the recent few years. The different epithelial cells play a role in the pathogenesis of different breast lesions consistent with the varying cytokeratin (CK) expression profiles. The luminal cells express CK 8 and 18 while myoepithelial cells show CK 5/6 and CK 17 expression. Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBC) (hormonal receptors and Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2)/neu negative) express basal cytokeratins and histopathologically show metaplastic to medullary features while luminal breast cancers with glandular differentiation show hormonal receptor or HER2 expression. Also basal cells are characteristic of benign lesions like epithelial hyperplasia, fibroadenoma etc while being absent in atypical hyperplasia and preinvasive lesions. Aim: To study cytokeratin 5/6 and Estrogen Receptor/Progesterone Receptor (ER/PR) expression pattern in proliferative, preinvasive and malignant lesions of breast. Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was undertaken in the Department of Pathology in a tertiary care hospital in East India, from January 2019 to June 2020. A total of 41 samples diagnosed as proliferative (Usual Ductal Hyperplasia (UDH)/Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH), preinvasive Ductal carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) and invasive breast carcinomas were selected by systematic random sampling. Immunohistochemical examination was done using monoclonal antibodies against Cytokeratin 5/6 and ER/PR/HER2 after obtaining thin sections from formalin fixed paraffin embedded blocks and retrieval of antigen. The data was interpreted by light microscopy using a semi-quantitative method with respect to prefixed parameters and statistical analysis was done by Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 25.0. Results: Of the 41 case three were of proliferative lesions (UDH+ADH), one of the case (UDH) constituting 33.3% of total showed positive CK 5/6 expression and two of the cases (ADH) mounting to 66.7% of total showed negative CK 5/6 expression. Of two preinvasive lesions (DCIS), 100% of them showed negative CK 5/6 expression. On categorisation of carcinoma cases into molecular subgroups as indicated by surrogate immunohistochemical expression, it was found that majority of the cases (20) exhibited Luminal-A Like molecular profile constituting 55.6% of total. This was followed by an equal incidence of HER2/neu enriched (non luminal) and triple negative phenotypes, both being five in number, individually constituting 13.9%. Both Luminal B-like (HER2-positive) and Luminal B-like (HER2-negative) were three in number contributing to 8.3% of total each. Out of 36 malignant cases, five of them showed positive CK 5/6 expression constituting 13.9% of the total while rest of them showed (31) negative CK 5/6 expression constituting 86.1% of total. All these five cases showing positive CK 5/6 expression belonged to triple negative molecular subtype and this association between the molecular subtypes and CK 5/6 expression pattern was statistically significant as the p-value was 0.0034 (<0.05). Of total five TNBC cases, two of the cases (40%) were reported to have weak positive CK 5/6 immunostaining, while three (60%) of the cases had moderate intensity. Still none of these cases exhibited strong immunostaining. The single UDH case reported in present study, exhibited strong positive immunostaining with CK 5/6. Conclusion: The proliferative lesions consisting of both luminal and myoepithelial cells like UDH showed strong membranous and cytoplasmic expression while ADH, DCIS, and invasive breast carcinoma comprising primarily of luminal epithelial cells were negative for basal cytokeratin 5/6 expression. These group of breast carcinomas belonged to other immunophenotype categories apart from TNBC. However, a special immunophenotype TNBC group, negative for ER/PR and HER2/neu was strikingly positive for CK 5/6 and a statistically significant association was found.

Review on the Use of Heavy Metal Deposits from Water Treatment Waste towards Catalytic Chemical Syntheses

The toxicity and persistence of heavy metals has become a serious problem for humans. These heavy metals accumulate mainly in wastewater from various industries' discharged effluents. The recent trends in research are now focused not only on the removal efficiency of toxic metal particles, but also on their effective reuse as catalysts. This review discusses the types of heavy metals obtained from wastewater and their recovery through commonly practiced physico-chemical pathways. In addition, it covers the advantages of the new system for capturing heavy metals from wastewater, as compared to older conventional technologies. The discussion also includes the various structural aspects of trapping systems and their hypothesized mechanistic approaches to immobilization and further rejuvenation of catalysts. Finally, it concludes with the challenges and future prospects of this research to help protect the ecosystem.

Non-coding RNAs and their bioengineering applications for neurological diseases

Engineering of cellular biomolecules is an emerging landscape presenting creative therapeutic opportunities. Recently, several strategies such as biomimetic materials, drug-releasing scaffolds, stem cells, and dynamic culture systems have been developed to improve specific biological functions, however, have been confounded with fundamental and technical roadblocks. Rapidly emerging investigations on the bioengineering prospects of mammalian ribonucleic acid (RNA) is expected to result in significant biomedical advances. More specifically, the current trend focuses on devising non-coding (nc) RNAs as therapeutic candidates for complex neurological diseases. Given the pleiotropic and regulatory role, ncRNAs such as microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs are deemed as attractive therapeutic candidates. Currently, the list of non-coding RNAs in mammals is evolving, which presents the plethora of hidden possibilities including their scope in biomedicine. Herein, we critically review on the emerging repertoire of ncRNAs in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, neuroinflammation and drug abuse disorders. Importantly, we present the advances in engineering of ncRNAs to improve their biocompatibility and therapeutic feasibility as well as provide key insights into the applications of bioengineered non-coding RNAs that are investigated for neurological diseases.

Antifungal activity of glyphosate against fungal blast disease on glyphosate-tolerant OsmEPSPS transgenic rice

Weeds, pests, and pathogens are among the pre-harvest constraints in rice farming across rice-growing countries. For weed management, manual weeding and herbicides are widely practiced. Among the herbicides, glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is a broad-spectrum systemic chemical extensively used in agriculture. Being a competitive structural analog to phosphoenolpyruvate, it selectively inhibits the conserved 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzyme required for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids and essential metabolites in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. In the present study, we investigated the antifungal and defense elicitor activity of glyphosate against Magnaporthe oryzae on transgenic-rice overexpressing a glyphosate-resistance OsEPSPS gene (T173I + P177S; TIPS OsmEPSPS) for blast disease management. The glyphosate foliar spray on OsmEPSPS transgenic rice lines showed both prophylactic and curative suppression of blast disease comparable to a blasticide, tricyclazole. The glyphosate displayed direct antifungal activity on Magnaporthe oryzae as well as enhanced the levels of antioxidant enzymes and photosynthetic pigments in rice. However, the genes associated with phytohormones-mediated defense (OsPAD4, OsNPR1.3, and OsFMO) and innate immunity pathway (OsCEBiP and OsCERK1) were found repressed upon glyphosate spray. Altogether, the current study is the first report highlighting the overexpression of a crop-specific TIPS mutation in conjugation with glyphosate application showing potential for blast disease management in rice cultivation.

Soft Tissue Sarcomas with Enigmatic Clinical Presentation- Unveiled by Histomorphology and Immunohistochemical Picture

Soft Tissue Sarcomas (STS) are aggressive neoplasms of dismal outcome, predominantly occurring in elderly age group. Synovial Sarcomas (SS) show preponderance in adolescents and poorly differentiated histological variants need exhaustive work up employing Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular pathology. Pleomorphic liposarcomas have short preoperative period and hence necessitates early identification despite being rare. Rhabdomyosarcomas are often diagnostic with skeletal muscle differentiation on histology even in the absence of embryonic or alveolar pattern. However, while dealing with small blue round cell tumours of adolescents in the absence of any specific differentiation and pattern, molecular analysis including PAX-FOXO1 fusion, FUS-ETS fusion, EWSR1-non ETS fusion, CIC and BCOR fusion is of paramount importance. In this series, we have compiled a set of four cases with diversified histomorphology, presenting at extremely uncommon sites with varying clinicoradiological profiles yet biologically behaving aggressive almost to a similar extent necessitating adjuvant therapy. An intriguing case of biphasic SS in the axilla, an uncommon site was discussed where narrowing the differentials was an uphill task. Another case of monophasic SS at yet another uncommon site (inguinolabium) with overlapping histology warranted the need to rule out the other probabilities employing IHC. The next case of pleomorphic liposarcoma encountered here needs special mention owing to low incidence and labelling it with certanity required meticulous analysis including extensive sampling and IHC. Another interesting case of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma with striking histology where role of IHC was only supplementary further reinforced the vital role of histopathological examination in the diagnostic work up of sarcomas.

Expression of p16 and Galectin3 in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Uterine Cervix, in Relation to the Histomorphological Variants: A Cross-sectional Analysis

Introduction: Cancer of uterine cervix comprises a big chunk of cancer registration worldwide. Now-a-days the immunohistochemical marker p16 has emerged as the surrogate marker of high risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection in cervical tissue. Galectin3, a ubiquitous agent likely to modulate different pro-survival properties necessary for neoplastic cells, is recently emerging as the guardian of tumour microenvironment. Aim: To study the expression of p16 and galectin3 in different histomorphological variants of cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and their association with grade and stage. Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was undertaken in the Department of Pathology in a tertiary care hospital in East India, from January, 2019 to June, 2020. Fifty three samples diagnosed as invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) of uterine cervix were taken by systematic random sampling. Immunohistochemical examination was done using monoclonal antibodies against p16 and galectin3 after obtaining thin sections from formalin fixed paraffin embedded blocks and retrieval of antigen. The data was interpreted by light microscopy using a semiquantitative method with respect to prefixed parameters and statistical analysis was done by chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test using SPSS version 25.0. Results: Fifty two out of fifty three cases (98.1%) of squamous cell carcinoma in this study showed almost 100% block posivity of p16 in the tumour cells -strongly corroborative with high risk HPV infection. The non-keratinizing and the basaloid variant showed the strongest intensity of staining (3+). Only one case showed complete negativity of p16 expression. In galectin3 positive cases, strong expression of this marker is found in the invasive tongues of the tumour cells at the junction of tumour stromal interface, consistent with our knowledge regarding the importance of galectin3 in regulating the tumour microenvironment. The strongest galectin3 positivity(3+) was found in the single case of Lymphoepithelioma like squamous cell carcinoma and showed almost 100% positivity among the neoplastic cell population; whereas the non-keratinizing and Basaloid variant showed almost negative expression. Significant association (p=0.00021) found between tumour grade and p16 intensity. Conclusion: The non-keratinizing and basaloid variants of squamous cell carcinoma have shown statistically significant association with highest intensity of p16 staining along with diminished expression of galectin3. Increased tumour grade is also significantly associated with strong staining intensity of p16 and decreased galectin3 expression. However, no significant association is found between galectin3 expression or intensity of p16 expression and the stage of tumour.

Physicochemical Understanding of Protein-Bound Quantum Dot-Based Sensitive Probing of Bilirubin: Validation with Real Samples and Implications of Protein Conformation in Sensing

Precise and rapid determination of free bilirubin (BR), a key biomarker of pathological conditions of the liver, is important clinical issue. The present study demonstrates that the combination of the strong specific affinic properties of protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), toward bilirubin and luminescence of well-characterized semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) can offer a simple, fast, and sensitive technique for the determination of free bilirubin through quenching analysis. Here, BSA molecule not only stabilizes the quantum dots in an aqueous environment but also helps bring BR closer to QDs during the interactions of CdSe-BSA QDs with BR. Further, it is revealed through photophysical investigation that the conformation of protein molecule may play an important role in biomolecular sensing considering bilirubin as a model target molecule. The luminescence of CdSe-BSA QDs was highly responsive toward bilirubin, where nearly 90% of emission intensity was quenched on adding only 40 μM bilirubin, suggesting strong interactions involved between synthesized QDs and bilirubin. Solvent polarity dependence on luminescence changes confirms strong electrostatic interaction between the QDs and BR. The applicability of the synthesized quantum dots in sensing bilirubin has been checked in the presence of different possible interfering agents and also with plasma isolated from real blood samples of both normal and hepatitis patients. It was observed that bilirubin as control sample as well as in human serum sample can be optimally measured at pH 7.5, 25 °C. Thus, the proposed strategy being able to measure free BR even at least two orders of magnitude lower than bilirubin level in normal blood may provide a reasonable protocol to determine BR in the pathophysiology of many critical human diseases, like hepatitis and Gilbert's syndrome in the near future.

A Multifunctional Smart Textile Derived from Merino Wool/Nylon Polymer Nanocomposites as Next Generation Microwave Absorber and Soft Touch Sensor

In recent times e-textiles have emerged as wonder safeguards due to the great potential background in space, military, healthcare, or portable electronics. As a result, widespread research and development have been done to make significant advancement in this field, but it still remains a key challenge to use one single product with multifunctional attributes with the past performance of key characteristics. In this work, phase-separated PEDOT:PSS ornamented with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets, deposited on the newly fabricated ultralightweight, superhydrophobic, and mechanically enriched merino wool/nylon (W-N) composite textile followed by the dipping and drying strategy. The open edges-layered structure of rGO helping uniform deposition of PEDOTs clusters, which allows the formation of a stacked layer of PEDOTs/rGO-PEDOTs/PEDOTs for robust three-dimensional electrical transforming channel network within the W-N textile surface. These dip-coated multifunctional textiles show high electrical conductivities up to 90.5 S cm^-1 conjugated with a flexible electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency of 73.8 dB (in X-band) and in-plane thermal conductivity of 0.81 W/mK with a minimum thickness of 0.84 mm. This thin coating maintained the hydrophobicity (water contact angle of ∼150°) leading to an excellent EM protective cloth combined with real-life antenna performance under high mechanical or chemical tolerance. Interestingly, this multiuse textile can also act as an exceptional TASER Proof Textile (TPT) due to a short out of the electrical shock coming from the TASER by its unique conducting network architecture. Remarkably, this coated textile can get a response by the soft touch to lighten up the household bulb and could establish wireless communication via an HC-05 Bluetooth module as a textile-based touch switch. This developed fabric could perform as a new potentially scalable single product in intelligent smart garments, portable next-generation electronics, and the growing threat of EM pollution.

Room temperature synthesis of NIR emitting Ag2S nanoparticles through aqueous route and its influence on structural modulation of DNA

Near infra-red (NIR) light emitting nanomaterials had shown great promise in clinical imaging in view of negligible absorption by skin or tissue of mammalian. Thus, it demands for synthesizing stable NIR emitting nanomaterials in water environment. The present work presents synthesis of biologically acceptable luminescent near-IR emitting silver sulfide nanoparticles through an aqueous route using 2-mercaptoethanol. The prepared as-synthesized Ag₂S nanoparticles exhibited bright photoluminescence with quantum yield of ca. 4%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the products were monoclinic α-Ag₂S. Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis revealed that the stretching vibration at 2560 cm^-1 responsible for S-H bond of thiol group disappeared suggesting the conjugation of 2-mercaptoethanol with Ag₂S nanoparticles. In view of investigating any possible effect on genetic materials, interactions of the synthesized particles with calf thymus DNA was investigated employing Ethidium bromide (EB) as structural probe. To understand the binding mechanism, the UV-vis absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic, as well as DNA melting studies measurements were carried out. The observed results confirm that nanoparticles interact with DNA through groove binding.

Acoustic cavitation assisted destratified clay tactoid reinforced in situ elastomer-mimetic semi-IPN hydrogel for catalytic and bactericidal application

Ultrasonicaion is non-chemical process where acoustic waves have been targeted to aqueous medium dispersed precursor materials. In situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles anchored in hydrogel matrix has been opted via ~20 kHz frequency assisted (bath sonication) synthesis having the ultrasonication power intensity (UPI) of ~10⁶ J/m². Power intensity is inversely proportional to the surface area of the clay tactoids. The hydrogel have been prepared by in situ 20 kHz assisted sonochemical destratification of laponite clay tactoids which could be terminologically stated as 'top-down method'. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been deposited in the surfaces of the porous matrix of hydrogel via 'soak and irradiate' method. Soaking of silver ions into the gel matrix is welcomed due to their efficient stabilization and fast transformation towards AgNPs. AgNPs played the key role in catalytic reduction and bactericidal activity. Moreover, the prepared hydrogel has enough robust to withstand cyclic stress, uniaxial stress and oscillatory stress which have been extensively justified by the physico-mechanical characterizations. The gel supported catalyst showed first order reaction kinetics and less time consuming period during reduction of 4-nitrophenol as a model pollutant.

Curcumin Downregulates GSK3 and Cdk5 in Scopolamine-Induced Alzheimer's Disease Rats Abrogating Aβ40/42 and Tau Hyperphosphorylation

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation and tau hyperphosphorylation are the key drivers of AD. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) and cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) have been known as leading applicants arbitrating abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation. Thus, we evaluated the efficacy and underlying mechanism of action of curcumin in scopolamine-induced AD rats in our study. We found that curcumin-treated AD rats markedly reduced the levels of Aβ₄₀ and Aβ₄₂ in the brain and in the plasma in comparison to untreated AD rats. Moreover, the levels of phosphorylated tau at Ser396 (PHF13), Ser202/Thr205 (AT8), and Aβ_40/42 (MOAB2) were decreased significantly in AD rats treated with curcumin. Phospho-GSK3β (Tyr216), the active form of GSK3β, and total GSK3β were significantly decreased in AD rats treated with curcumin. Furthermore, Cdk5 and its activators p35 and p25 were significantly decreased in curcumin-treated AD rats. The reduced levels of Cdk5, p35, p25, and GSK3β in curcumin-treated AD rats may result decreased Aβ aggregation and tau hyperphosphorylation, thus ameliorating AD. Impaired spatial memory and locomotor activity in AD rats were partially reversed by curcumin. Therefore, curcumin, as a natural compound present in turmeric, may be a more effective therapeutic agent in the treatment of AD in humans.

Antioxidant defense in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of MRS studies of anterior cingulate glutathione

BACKGROUND

Glutathione [GSH] is a major intracellular antioxidant that disposes peroxides and protects neurons and glial cells from oxidative stress. In both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, atypical levels of GSH have been demonstrated, particularly in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), though no consistent results have emerged due to limitations in sample size. Our objective was to evaluate if GSH levels in the ACC are abnormal in these 2 disorder, when compared to healthy controls.

METHODS

We reviewed all 1H-MRS studies reporting GSH values for patients satisfying DSM or ICD based criteria for (1) the psychotic disorders - schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder or (2) bipolar disorder in comparison to a healthy controls (HC) group in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) published until June 2018. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled effect size. A meta-regression analysis of moderator variables was also undertaken.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 18 studies with a total sample size of 581 controls, 578 patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. There is a small but significant reduction in ACC GSH in patients with schizophrenia compared to HC (N = 13; RFX SMD =0.26; 95% CI [0.07 to 0.44]; p = 0.008; heterogeneity p = 0.11). There is a significant increase in the ACC GSH concentration in bipolar disorder compared to HC (N = 6; RFX SMD = -0.28, 95% CI [-0.09 to -0.47]; p = 0.003; heterogeneity p = 0.95).

CONCLUSIONS

We report a small, but significant reduction in GSH concentration in the ACC in schizophrenia, and a similar sized increase in bipolar disorder. A notable limitation is the lack of sufficient data to examine the moderating effect of the symptom profile. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have notably different patterns of redox abnormalities in the ACC. Reduced ACC GSH may confer a schizophrenia-like clinical phenotype, while an excess favouring a bipolar disorder-like profile.

Curcumin Ameliorates the Impaired Insulin Signaling Involved in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease in Rats

To date, dysregulation of the insulin signaling pathway in the brain has not been demonstrated unequivocally in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The purpose of the study was to examine the possible dysregulation of insulin signaling pathway in an AD rat model. Furthermore, the present study investigated the effect of Donepezil and Curcumin on insulin signaling, insulin, and glucose levels in AD rat brain. The rats were induced to develop AD by intraperitoneal administration of Scopolamine. We found that glucose levels in plasma and brain were decreased in AD rats, whereas the insulin levels was increased in plasma but decreased in brain in AD rats. In addition, insulin signaling proteins IR-β, IGF-1, IRS-1, IRS-2 p-Akt (Ser473), and Akt were markedly reduced in the AD rats. Furthermore, GLUT3 and GLUT4 levels in the brain were markedly reduced in AD rats. All these data were compared to Saline-treated control rats. Curcumin significantly increased glucose levels in plasma and in brain. However, insulin levels was decreased in plasma and was increased in AD rats' brain. Moreover, GLUT3 and GLUT4 levels were significantly increased in Curcumin-treated AD rats. All these data were compared to Scopolamine- induced AD rats. Thus amelioration of impaired insulin signaling and improved glucose regulation in AD rats by Curcumin may be beneficial in the management of AD.

Prognostic Utility of Multivariate Morphometry in Schizophrenia

Background: Voxel-based morphometry studies have repeatedly highlighted the presence of distributed gray matter changes in schizophrenia, but to date, it is not clear if clinically useful prognostic information can be gleaned from structural imaging. The suspected association between gray matter volume (GMV) and duration of psychotic illness, antipsychotic exposure, and symptom severity also limits the prognostic utility of morphometry. We address the question of whether morphometric information from patients with drug-naive first-episode psychosis can predict the linear trajectory of symptoms following early antipsychotic intervention using a longitudinal design. Method: Sixty-two first-episode, drug-naive patients with schizophrenia underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline, treated with antipsychotics, and rescanned after 1-year follow-up. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess their clinical manifestations. A multivariate approach to detect covariance-based network-like spatial components [Source Based Morphometry (SBM)] was performed to analyze the GMV. Paired t tests were used to study changes in the loading coefficients of GMV in the spatial components between two time points. The reduction in PANSS scores between the baseline (T0) and 1-year follow-up (T1) expressed as a ratio of the baseline scores (reduction ratio) was computed for positive, negative, and disorganization symptoms. Separate multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict the longitudinal change in symptoms (treatment response) using the loading coefficients of spatial components that differed between T0 and T1 with age, gender, duration of illness, and antipsychotic dose as covariates. We also tested the putative "toxicity" effects of baseline symptom severity on the GMV at 1 year using multiple regression analysis. Results: Of the 30 spatial components of gray matter extracted using SBM, loading coefficients of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), superior temporal gyrus (STG), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), precuenus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) reduced with time in patients. Specifically, the lower volume of insula and IFG at baseline predicted a lack of improvement in positive and disorganization symptoms. None of the symptom severity scores (positive, negative, or disorganization) at baseline independently predicted the reduced GMV at 1 year. Conclusions: The baseline deficit in a covariance-based network-like spatial component comprising of insula and IFG is predictive of the clinical course of schizophrenia. We do not find any evidence to support the notion of symptoms per se being neurotoxic to gray matter tissue. If judiciously combined with other available predictors of clinical outcome, multivariate morphometric information can improve our ability to predict prognosis in schizophrenia.

Exploiting the biomimetic and luminescence properties of multivalent dendrimer-semiconductor nanohybrid materials in the ultra-low level determination of folic acid

In view of the enhanced generation of folate receptors in cancerous cells and diseases linked to the deficiency of folic acid, such as anemia, mental devolution, congenital malformation, etc., the development of a simple method for the ultra-sensitive determination of folic acid remains a long-standing issue for practical applications in medicine and biotechnology. Thus, the proposed luminescence based strategy involving multifunctional poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer encapsulated quantum dots (QDs) as a probe provides a simple, fast and efficient method for the selective determination of folic acid at the nano-molar level. Absorption and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy provide evidence of the binding of folic acid with dendrimer amine groups. The emission quenching of dendrimer encapsulated CdS QDs follows a linear Stern-Volmer plot with an exceedingly high value of the Stern-Volmer constant (K_SV = 8.4 × 10⁶ M^-1) facilitating a higher detection efficiency. Similar quenching analysis with dendrimer-ZnS QDs showed a slightly lower Stern-Volmer constant (K_SV = 2.29 × 10⁶ M^-1). The lower probing efficiency of the protein or amino acid capping of QDs has been explained through zeta potential measurements. The solvent polarity dependence suggests a charge transfer process responsible for the emission quenching of CdS QDs, which is static in nature as revealed by lifetime measurements. The determination of folic acid at this low level is not affected by possible interfering molecules, such as vitamin C, vitamin B₁₂ and uric acid. Calorimetric measurements showed that the exothermic binding of folic acid with a dendrimer follows enthalpy-entropy compensation. The detailed mechanistic aspect of interactions of folic acid with the QD probe helps in a better understanding of the detection process, which in turn can assist in developing a dendrimer based material for image analysis and drug delivery in folate receptor rich cells.

Fluoride-associated ultrastructural changes and apoptosis in human renal tubule: a pilot study

The susceptibility of the kidneys to fluoride toxicity can largely be attributed to its anatomy and function. As the filtrate moves along the complex tubular structure of each nephron, it is concentrated in the proximal and distal tubules and collecting duct. It has been frequently observed that the children suffering from renal impairments also have some symptoms of dental and skeletal fluorosis. The findings suggest that fluoride somehow interferes with renal anatomy and physiology, which may lead to renal pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fluoride-associated nephrotoxicity. A total of 156 patients with childhood nephrotic syndrome were screened and it was observed that 32 of them had significantly high levels ( p ≤ 0.05) of fluoride in urine (4.01 ± 1.83 ppm) and serum (0.1 ± 0.013 ppm). On the basis of urinary fluoride concentration, patients were divided into two groups, namely group 1 (G-1) ( n = 32) containing normal urine fluoride (0.61 ± 0.17 ppm) and group 2 (G-2) ( n = 32) having high urine fluoride concentration (4.01 ± 1.83 ppm). Age-matched healthy subjects ( n = 33) having normal levels of urinary fluoride (0.56 ± 0.15 ppm) were included in the study as control (group 0 (G-0)). Kidney biopsies were taken from G-1 and G-2 only, who were subjected to ultrastructural (transmission electron microscopy) and apoptotic (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling) analysis. Various subcellular ultrastructural changes including nuclear disintegration, chromosome condensation, cytoplasmic ground substance lysis, and endoplasmic reticulum blebbing were observed. Increased levels of apoptosis were observed in high fluoride group (G-2) compared to normal fluoride group (G-1). Various degrees of fluoride-associated damages to the architecture of tubular epithelia, such as cell swelling and lysis, cytoplasmic vacuolation, nuclear condensation, apoptosis, and necrosis, were observed.

Putative Astroglial Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis of 1H-MRS Studies of Medial Prefrontal Myo-Inositol

Background: Several lines of evidence support a role for astroglial pathology in schizophrenia. Myo-inositol is particularly abundant in astroglia. Many small sized studies have reported on myo-inositol concentration in schizophrenia, but to date these have not been pooled to estimate a collective effect size. Methods: We reviewed all proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies reporting myo-inositol values for patients satisfying DSM or ICD based criteria for schizophrenia in comparison to a healthy controls group in the medial prefrontal cortex published until February 2018. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled effect size using metafor package. A meta-regression analysis of moderator variables was also undertaken. Results: The literature search identified 19 studies published with a total sample size of 585 controls, 561 patients with schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly reduced medial prefrontal myo-inositol compared to controls (RFX standardized mean difference = 0.19, 95% CI [0.05-0.32], z = 2.72, p = 0.0067; heterogeneity p = 0.09). Studies with more female patients reported more notable schizophrenia-related reduction in myo-inositol (z = 2.53, p = 0.011). Discussion: We report a small, but significant reduction in myo-inositol concentration in the medial prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. The size of the reported effect indicates that the biological pathways affecting the astroglia are likely to operate only in a subset of patients with schizophrenia. MRS myo-inositol could be a useful tool to stratify and investigate such patients.

Synthesis of Excitation Independent Highly Luminescent Graphene Quantum Dots through Perchloric Acid Oxidation

We demonstrate a facile liquid phase exfoliation method by only using perchloric acid to synthesize graphene quantum dots (GQDs) having excitation independent strong emission with a quantum yield of about 14%. The proposed simplified synthesis strategy can help in overcoming the limitations of existing aqueous routes which produce GQDs with excitation dependent emission and of low quantum efficiency. Photoluminescence (PL) properties of GQDs have been studied in detail to understand the origin of emission. As-synthesized GQDs show excitation independent photoluminesce (PL) which suggests that the synthesized materials do not have any significant defects. Spectral analysis suggests that the PL emission of the well-defined GQDs originates mainly from the peripheral functional groups conjugated with carbon backbone planes. We also demonstrate a relatively longer PL lifetime (average lifetime of about 10 ns) of the synthesized GQDs determined by time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurement and this high lifetime suggests that the synthesized GQDs may be suitable for biomacromolecular probing. In addition, as-synthesized GQDs interestingly show delayed fluorescence and steady state anisotropy, which make the material an appropriate candidate for application in sensing and bioimaging of cells and organisms.

Determination of Drinking Water Quality: A Case Study on Saline Prone South-West Coastal Belt of Bangladesh

This research integrates quantitative data of underground and sub-surface sources of drinking water from two coastal union Gabura and Munshiganj of Shyamnagur upazila of Satkhira district. Four drinking water sources have been selected and sampled during dry season when the salinity rate is generally high. A total of 22 water samples have been collected of which 6 from protected pond, 6 from tube well, 6 from rainwater and 4 from pond sand filter (PSF). The average pH of tube well water, protected pond water, pond sand filter water and rain water were 6.59 (±.05), 6.46 (±1.03), 6.60 (±.52), 5.95 (±.87), respectively. The average EC (μs cm-1) range of tube well water, protected pond water, pond sand filter water and rain water were 2059.16 (±49.43), 1756 (±14), 769 (±94.27), 64.33(±59.91) while the TDS (ppm) range were 1319.97 (±31.69), 1125.64 (±913.46), 492.94 (±60.43) and 15.38 (±118.59) respectively. The maximum concentration of salinity was found in tube well water which was 1.37 (±53) ppt. Most of the protected ponds were highly contaminated with sulphate and it ranges from 84.64 to 218.25 ppm. The average number of fecal Coliform in protected ponds were 1650 100 m l-1 of water while in PSF source pond 2350 100ml-1 and collection point 1.5 100ml-1.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 10(1): 101-108 2017

Sonochemical green reduction to prepare Ag nanoparticles decorated graphene sheets for catalytic performance and antibacterial application

The emerging popularity and wide acceptance of green chemistry and environmentally benign/ecofriendly approaches have comprehensively considered for catalyst synthesis methods. Natural resource derived carbogenic quantum dots has been used in assistance with ultrasonic shock wave to graphene oxide (GO) aqueous dispersion in order to prepare reduced graphene oxide decorated with silver nanoparticles following the 'top-down' method. The total reduction process is done without using any toxic external reducing agents and any surfactants or stabilizers, thus it can be accepted as green method. Sonochemical destratification of the GO layers provides green attributes due to scalable, non-hazardous and relatively fast reduction to enhance surface area of the GO. Arresting the silver nanoparticles onto basal planes of graphene oxide can act as an efficient solid state support catalyst for fast reduction of toxic nitro aryls. Besides this work also reports bactericidal feature exhibited by the catalyst. Thus a dual functioning nanomaterial has been successfully developed which can be a suitable alternative for reductive forthcoming specialty/multifunctional membrane and other high-end medicinal or industrial applications.

Release behavior and bioefficacy of imazethapyr formulations based on biopolymeric hydrogels

Controlled release formulations of imazethapyr herbicide have been developed employing guar gum-g-cl-polyacrylate/bentonite clay hydrogel composite (GG-HG) and guar gum-g-cl-PNIPAm nano hydrogel (GG-NHG) as carriers, to assess the suitability of biopolymeric hydrogels as controlled herbicide release devices. The kinetics of imazethapyr release from the developed formulations was studied in water and it revealed that the developed formulations of imazethapyr behaved as slow release formulations as compared to commercial formulation. The calculated diffusion exponent (n) values showed that Fickian diffusion was the predominant mechanism of imazethapyr release from the developed formulations. Time for release of half of the loaded imazethapyr (t_1/2) ranged between 0.06 and 4.8 days in case of GG-NHG and 4.4 and 12.6 days for the GG-HG formulations. Weed control index (WCI) of GG-HG and GG-NHG formulations was similar to that of the commercial formulation and the herbicidal effect was observed for relatively longer period. Guar gum-based biopolymeric hydrogels in both macro and nano particle size range can serve as potential carriers in developing slow release herbicide formulations.

Adaptive nitrogen and integrated weed management in conservation agriculture: impacts on agronomic productivity, greenhouse gas emissions, and herbicide residues

Increasing nitrogen (N) immobilization and weed interference in the early phase of implementation of conservation agriculture (CA) affects crop yields. Yet, higher fertilizer and herbicide use to improve productivity influences greenhouse gase emissions and herbicide residues. These tradeoffs precipitated a need for adaptive N and integrated weed management in CA-based maize (Zea mays L.)-wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend Fiori & Paol] cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) to optimize N availability and reduce weed proliferation. Adaptive N fertilization was based on soil test value and normalized difference vegetation index measurement (NDVM) by GreenSeeker™ technology, while integrated weed management included brown manuring (Sesbania aculeata L. co-culture, killed at 25 days after sowing), herbicide mixture, and weedy check (control, i.e., without weed management). Results indicated that the 'best-adaptive N rate' (i.e., 50% basal + 25% broadcast at 25 days after sowing + supplementary N guided by NDVM) increased maize and wheat grain yields by 20 and 14% (averaged for 2 years), respectively, compared with whole recommended N applied at sowing. Weed management by brown manuring (during maize) and herbicide mixture (during wheat) resulted in 10 and 21% higher grain yields (averaged for 2 years), respectively, over the weedy check. The NDVM in-season N fertilization and brown manuring affected N₂O and CO₂ emissions, but resulted in improved carbon storage efficiency, while herbicide residuals in soil were significantly lower in the maize season than in wheat cropping. This study concludes that adaptive N and integrated weed management enhance synergy between agronomic productivity, fertilizer and herbicide efficiency, and greenhouse gas mitigation.

A comparative evaluation of the activity modulation of flavo and non-flavo enzymes induced by graphene oxide

Graphene, and its water soluble derivative graphene oxide, has shown great promise in various biomedical applications, such as cancer therapeutics, drug delivery, etc. and in industrial applications such as enzyme immobilization, etc. Thus, modulation of the activities of different classes of enzymes by graphene materials is an important aspect in the formulation of different biological applications. We have demonstrated here how flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) moieties protect the binding site from conformational change in the presence of an inhibitor, graphene oxide, and also explore differences in the mode of interactions between flavo and non-flavo enzymes. It was shown that there was a much greater loss of activity with the non-flavo enzyme, l-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), of ∼74% compared to that with the flavo-enzyme, glucose oxidase (GOX), of ∼45%, in the presence of equal concentrations of GO. Furthermore, GO acts as an enzyme inhibitor and the mode of inhibition is uncompetitive for GOX and competitive for LDH. Circular dichromism measurements showed a 21% decrease in the α helix of GOX and a 31% decrease in the α helix of LDH in the presence of a given concentration of GO (0.5 mg mL^-1). There was a slight change in the average emission lifetime of tryptophan in GOX in the presence of GO from 3.2 to 2.6 ns. In contrast, there was no change in the average emission lifetime of tryptophan in LDH in the presence of GO. The extents of fluorescence quenching for GOX and LDH were 39% and 70% upon addition of a certain amount of GO. The present study provides insight into the development of sensors through the immobilization of enzymes and the possible formulation of a multifunctional protein and graphene composite system for various biomedical applications such as bio-sensing, gene and drug delivery, etc.

A Study on Association between Common Haematological Parameters and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

INTRODUCTION

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease where assessment of disease activity is essential for management of patient. Currently, many composite scoring systems are used for evaluation of disease activity but they are mainly clinical-based. As several haematological parameters are altered due to systemic inflammatory process in RA, this study was intended to evaluate role of common haematological parameters to assess disease activity in RA.

AIM

To find out the association of disease activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with platelet count, Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) and Haemoglobin (Hb) level so that these cost-effective haematological parameters can be used as additional factors to assess disease activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This hospital based cross-sectional study was done on newly diagnosed patients of RA along with age and sex matched healthy control population. Patients suffering from malignancies, renal failure, diabetes mellitus or RA patients on drug therapy were excluded. Clinically, disease activity of RA was measured using DAS 28-3 Score (Modified Disease Activity Score using three variables- tender joint count, swollen joint count and ESR). Haematological parameters were measured by automated cell counter.

RESULTS

Total 80 cases were selected (60 female and 20 male). 48 patients with high disease activity (DAS 28-3>5.1) were labelled as Group-A and 32 with low to moderate disease activity (DAS 28-3 ≤5.1) as Group- B. Mean platelet count of patients of group A and group B were 4.53 lac/cmm and 2.17 lac/cmm respectively (p <0.001). MPV mean in group A and B were 11.86 fl and 10.19 fl respectively (p <0.001). Mean Hb (g/dl) was 10.05 and 12.25 for group A and B respectively (p=0.001) for male patients while in females it was 10.12 and 11.91 for group A and B, respectively (p=0.003). Mean platelet count and MPV in control population were 2.07 lac/cmm and 9.4 fl, respectively while mean Hb (g/dl) was 13.31 (male) and 12.01 (female).

CONCLUSION

In our study it was observed that Hb is significantly lower in patients with high disease activity whereas platelet count and MPV are significantly higher with high disease activity compared to patients with low to moderate disease activity.

Synthesis of polydopamine-coated halloysite nanotube-based hydrogel for controlled release of a calcium channel blocker

A stimuli-triggered drug delivery vehicle has been synthesized by self-polymerization of dopamine (DA) on the outer surface of halloysite nanotubes (HNT) followed by gelationviaalginate.

Behavior and bioefficacy of tribenuron-methyl in wheat (Triticum astevum L.) under irrigated agro-ecosystem in India

Possible bioaccumulation of pesticides in crop produce may cause ill effects on animals and humans. Tribenuron-methyl is a new post-emergence herbicide and is highly efficient to control the broad-leaf weeds in cereals, pasture, and plantation crops. There are scarce studies on its bioefficacy, sensitivity to weeds, tolerance to wheat, and persistence in crop produce, which are important information required before recommending an herbicide for use by the farmers. Weed control efficiency of an herbicide is dose-sensitive and site/soil-specific. Tribenuron-methyl (75% DF) was applied at 22.5 and 45.0 g a.i./ha along with the surfactant 300.12 mL/ha as a tank mixes after 30 days of sowing in wheat as post-emergence herbicide. The samples of wheat foliage, soil, and grains at harvest were processed and analyzed for residues by high-performance liquid chromatography using a UV detector at 240 nm. The study revealed that there was a significant reduction in weed population and dry matter accumulation due to tribenuron-methyl application at a higher dose (45.0 g/ha) compared to a lower dose (of 22.5 g/ha). The weed density was found to be from 16.1 to 44.3 no/m(2) for application rate of 22.5 g/ha while at the 45.0 g/ha application, the weed density was 5.3-5.9 as compared to untreated control, where 184.3-120.5 no/m(2) was observed. The yield varied from 4.30 to 4.80 t/ha as compared to 2.25-3.55 t/ha in unweeded control with the LSD value being 21.5-16.3 to 0.27-0.19. Residues were below detectable level (BDL, <0.005 mg/kg) of tribenuron-methyl since they were detected in wheat grains at 22.5 g a.i./ha rates. However, 0.012 μg/g residues were detected in wheat foliage at an application rate of 45.0 g a.i./ha. It can be concluded that it is safe to use tribenuron-methyl at 22.5 g a.i./ha on wheat crop as post-emergence herbicide.

Plant Pathogenic Microbial Communication Affected by Elevated Temperature in Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum

Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria regulate specific gene expression in a population density-dependent manner by sensing level of Acyl-Homoserine Lactone (HSL) molecules which they produce and liberate to the environment, called Quorum Sensing (QS). The production of virulence factors (extracellular enzyme viz. cellulase, pectinase, etc.) in Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) is under strong regulation of QS. The QS signal molecule, N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-Homoserine Lactone (OHHL) was found as the central regulatory system for the virulence factor production in Pcc and is also under strict regulation of external environmental temperature. Under seven different incubation temperatures (24, 26, 28, 30, 33, 35, and 37 °C) in laboratory condition, highest amount of OHHL (804 violacein unit) and highest (79 %) Disease Severity Index (DSI) were measured at 33 °C. The OHHL production kinetics showed accumulation of highest concentration of OHHL at late log phase of the growth but diminution in the concentration occurred during stationary phase onwards to death phase. At higher temperature (35 and 37 °C) exposure, OHHL was not at detectable range. The effect of temperature on virulence factor production is the concomitant effect of HSL production and degradation which justifies less disease severity index in cross-inoculated tomato fruits incubated at 35 and 37 °C. The nondetection of the OHHL in the elevated temperature may because of degradation as these signal molecules are quite sensitive and prone to get degraded under different physical factors. This result provides the rationale behind the highest disease severity up to certain elevated temperature and leaves opportunities for investigation on mutation, co-evolution of superior plant pathogen with more stable HSL signals-mediated pathogenesis under global warming context.

Are alterations of tight junctions at molecular and ultrastructural level different in duodenal biopsies of patients with celiac disease and Crohn's disease?

Abnormalities of transmembrane and cytoplasmic proteins of tight junctions (TJ) have been implicated in pathogenesis of both celiac (CeD) and Crohn's diseases (CD). Since disease pathogenesis in CeD and CD are different, we planned to study if there is any differential expression pattern of TJ marker proteins and ultrastructural changes, respectively, in duodenal villi vs crypts. Endoscopic duodenal biopsies from treatment naïve patients with CeD (n = 24), active CD (n = 28), and functional dyspepsia (as controls, n = 15), both at baseline and 6 months after treatment, were subjected to light microscopic analysis (modified Marsh grading); immune-histochemical staining and Western blot analysis to see the expression of key TJ proteins [trans-membrane proteins (claudin-2, claudin-3, claudin-4, occludin, and JAM) and cytoplasmic protein (ZO-1)]. Transmission electron microscopy and image analysis of the TJs were also performed. There was significant overexpression of claudin-2 (pore-forming) and occludin (protein maintaining cell polarity) with under-expression of claudin-3 and claudin-4 (pore-sealing proteins) in treatment naïve CeD and active CD with simultaneous alteration in ultrastructure of TJs such as loss of penta-laminar structure and TJ dilatation. Normalization of some of these TJ proteins was noted 6 months after treatment. These changes were not disease specific and were not different in duodenal villi and crypts. Overexpression of pore-forming and under-expression of pore-sealing TJ proteins lead to dilatation of TJ. These changes are neither disease specific nor site specific and the end result of mucosal inflammation.

An operational epidemiological model for calibrating agent-based simulations of pandemic influenza outbreaks

Uncertainty of pandemic influenza viruses continue to cause major preparedness challenges for public health policymakers. Decisions to mitigate influenza outbreaks often involve tradeoff between the social costs of interventions (e.g., school closure) and the cost of uncontrolled spread of the virus. To achieve a balance, policymakers must assess the impact of mitigation strategies once an outbreak begins and the virus characteristics are known. Agent-based (AB) simulation is a useful tool for building highly granular disease spread models incorporating the epidemiological features of the virus as well as the demographic and social behavioral attributes of tens of millions of affected people. Such disease spread models provide excellent basis on which various mitigation strategies can be tested, before they are adopted and implemented by the policymakers. However, to serve as a testbed for the mitigation strategies, the AB simulation models must be operational. A critical requirement for operational AB models is that they are amenable for quick and simple calibration. The calibration process works as follows: the AB model accepts information available from the field and uses those to update its parameters such that some of its outputs in turn replicate the field data. In this paper, we present our epidemiological model based calibration methodology that has a low computational complexity and is easy to interpret. Our model accepts a field estimate of the basic reproduction number, and then uses it to update (calibrate) the infection probabilities in a way that its effect combined with the effects of the given virus epidemiology, demographics, and social behavior results in an infection pattern yielding a similar value of the basic reproduction number. We evaluate the accuracy of the calibration methodology by applying it for an AB simulation model mimicking a regional outbreak in the US. The calibrated model is shown to yield infection patterns closely replicating the input estimates of the basic reproduction number. The calibration method is also tested to replicate an initial infection incidence trend for a H1N1 outbreak like that of 2009.

Effect of fly ash on persistence, mobility and bio-efficacy of metribuzin and metsulfuron-methyl in crop fields

Field evaluation of two fly ashes (40t/ha) on persistence, mobility and bioactivity of metribuzin and metsulfuron-methyl was studied in soybean and wheat crops, respectively. Metribuzin was applied as pre-emergence at 0.5kg/ha, while metsulfuron-methyl was applied post-emergence at 8g/ha. Results suggested that metribuzin in surface (0-15cm) soil of fly ash unamended plots reached below detectable limit in 60 days, while herbicide persisted till 112 days in surface soil of fly ash amended plots. No metribuzin leached down to subsurface (15-30cm) soil in fly ash amended plots, while traces of metribuzin (0.6-1.2μg/kg) were recovered in subsurface soil of fly ash unamended plot. Metsulfuron-methyl in surface soil persisted till 15 days in control and 20 days in fly ash amended plots and no metsulfuron-methyl leached down to subsurface soil. Fly ash amendment had no adverse effect on the bioactivity of herbicides and yield of soybean and wheat. The study suggested that fly ash amendment to soil can be exploited to retain applied herbicides in surface soil.

Spectrum of histopathological lesions in the fallopian tubes

Background: Fallopian tubes are common surgical specimen in the pathology laboratory; still there is a lack of data to describe the frequency of various histological fi ndings. The aim and objectives of this study was to describe the various histopathological fi ndings of fallopian tubes. Materials and Methods: Two thousand fi ve hundred and seventy fi ve cases where fallopian tubes were removed either separately or along with other female genital tract organs were studied retrospectively and their histopathological fi ndings documented. Results: Ectopic pregnancy comprised maximum number of cases closely followed by salpingitis. Primary neoplastic lesions were rare as compared to secondary malignancies. Serial sections of fallopian tube and sections from representative areas are essential for a pathologist so that the diagnosis of these pathological entities is not missed. Conclusion: Though the fallopian tubes remain unremarkable in majority of the surgical pathological specimens, it must be subjected for histopathological examination to demonstrate the pathological lesions. Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2013) Vol. 3, No.1, Issue 5, 356-360 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpn.v3i5.7858