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Among the mental health outcomes and disaster types (determined by damage to life, property, long-term consequences, displacement, and unpredictability), floods are associated with anxiety and sleep problems, mudslides with anxiety and mood disturbance, volcanic eruptions with acute stress reactions, and earthquakes with anxiety, depression, and physical complaints. Disasters such as tunnel collapse are unique as it involves the healthy, without loss of personal property or displacement; hence, they can have very different health-related outcomes. In this study, we explore mental health and sleep-related issues in workers rescued from an under-construction collapsed tunnel trapped for 17 days. After the initial triage and stabilization and a detailed evaluation of their physical and mental health status, the participants responded to self-administered scales for assessing anxiety [Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7], depression [Patient Health Questionnaire-9], and insomnia [Insomnia Severity Index] in the local language (Hindi). A separate research team conducted open-ended interviews to explore daily routines and concerns, circadian rhythm, orientation to time and day of tunnel collapse to day of rescue events, and sleep routine (and other nuances such as sleep quality and daytime napping) during the 17 days of entrapment. Thirty-three workers consented and hailed from the northern and eastern states of India. They report a mix of hope and worry in the initial days. On the assessment of anxiety, depression, and sleep, only 2-5 scored above the cut-off value, and scales correlated with each other, though clinically it had no bearing. One-third were disoriented to the passage of time, which was related to difficulty falling asleep and more napping. Daytime napping was associated with delayed waketime. Those depressed had more difficulty in the onset, maintinance, and termination of sleep, and reduced total sleep time. Victims of tunnel collapse experience a different set of mental health and sleep problems compared to those reported in other disasters. The findings can partly be attributed to the disruption of light-dark cycles. As only a fraction develops these problems, there is a need for triaging while providing mental health and sleep-related interventions in such circumstances. Lastly, there is a need to establish a light-dark cycle to prevent disorientation among victims., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Phosphole and azaphosphole derivatives with triazole functionalities, [C 6 H 5 {1,2,3-N 3 CC 6 H 4 C(PPh)}] (L1) and [C 6 H 4 {1,2,3-N 3 C(Ph)C(PPh)}] (L2) were synthesized by reacting [(C 6 H 5 )(1,2,3-N 3 C = CH- o -Br-C 6 H 4 )] and [( o -Br-C 6 H 4 )(1,2,3-N 3 C = CHC 6 H 5 )] with n BuLi followed by the addition of dichlorophenylphosphine. The reactions of L1 and L2 with an excess of 30% H 2 O 2 afforded phosphole oxides [C 6 H 5 {1,2,3-N 3 CC 6 H 4 C(P(O)Ph)}] (L1O) and [C 6 H 4 {1,2,3-N 3 C(Ph)C(P(O)Ph)}] (L2O) as white crystalline solids. Stoichiometric reactions of L1 and L2 with [Ru(η 6 - p -cymene)Cl 2 ] 2 in CH 2 Cl 2 yielded [RuCl 2 (η 6 - p -cymene)(L1-κ 1 - P )] (1) and [RuCl 2 (η 6 - p -cymene)(L2-κ 1 - P )] (2), respectively. Similar reactions of L1 and L2 with [Pd(COD)Cl 2 ] and [Pd(η 3 -C 3 H 5 )Cl] 2 produced the corresponding complexes, trans -[PdCl 2 (L1-κ 1 - P ) 2 ] (3), trans -[PdCl 2 (L2-κ 1 - P ) 2 ] (4), [Pd(η 3 -C 3 H 5 )Cl(L1-κ 1 - P )] (5), and [Pd(η 3 -C 3 H 5 )Cl(L2-κ 1 - P )] (6). Treatment of L1 with [AuCl(SMe 2 )] in dichloromethane afforded [AuCl(L1-κ 1 - P )] (7). Ruthenium complex 1 showed moderate to good catalytic activity towards benzylic C-H oxidation, and the proposed mechanism for the catalysis was supported by spectroscopic data.

Isothiocyanates (ITCs), found in edible plants such as cruciferous vegetables, are a group of reactive organo-sulfur phytochemicals produced by the hydrolysis of precursors known as glucosinolates. ITCs have been studied extensively both in vivo and in vitro to define their therapeutic potential for the treatment of chronic health conditions. Therapeutically, they have shown an intrinsic ability to inhibit oxidative and inflammatory phenotypes to support enhanced health. This review summarizes the current evidence supporting the observation that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of ITCs temper the pathogenic effects of a group of reactive metabolites called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGE exposure has significantly increased across the lifespan due to health risk factors that include dietary intake, a sedentary lifestyle, and comorbid conditions. By contributing to a chronic cycle of inflammatory stress through the aberrant activation of the transmembrane receptor for AGE (RAGE), increased AGE bioavailability is associated with chronic disease onset, progression, and severity. This review debates the potential molecular mechanisms by which ITCs may inhibit AGE bioavailability to reduce RAGE-mediated pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory phenotypes. Bringing to light the molecular impact that ITCs may have on AGE biogenesis may stimulate novel intervention strategies for reversing or preventing the impact of lifestyle factors on chronic disease risk.

Present study aimed to identify arsenic (As)-resistant bacterial strains that can be used to mitigate arsenic stress. A bacterium Bacillus mycoides NR5 having As tolerance limit of 1100 mg L -1 was isolated from Nag River, Maharashtra, India. It was also equipped with plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes like phosphate solubilization, siderophores, ammonia, and nitrate reduction, with added antibiotic tolerance. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron micrograph (TEM) suggested biosorption as possible mechanisms of arsenic tolerance. A strong peak in FTIR spectra at 3379.0 corresponding to amine in As-treated NR5 also indicated metal interaction with cell surface protein. Amplification of arsenic reductase gene in NR5 further suggested intracellular transformation of As speciation. Moreover, As tolerance capability of NR5 was shown in spinach plants in which the bacterium effectively mitigated 25 ppm As by producing defense-related proline molecules. Evidence from SEM, TEM, and FTIR, concluded biosorption possibly the primary mechanism of As tolerance in NR5 along with the transformation of arsenic. B. mycoides NR5 with PGP attributes, high As tolerance, and antibiotic resistance mediated enhanced As tolerance in spinach plants advocated that the strain can be a better choice for As bioremediation in contaminated agricultural soil and water., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), comprising hydatidiform moles (HM) and gestational trophoblastic tumors (GTT), is extremely rare. HM originate from villous trophoblast and are considered preneoplastic. GTT originate from the intermediate, largely extravillous trophoblast and includes choriocarcinoma, placental site trophoblastic tumor, epitheloid trophoblastic tumor, and mixed trophoblastic tumor. The abnormal (non-molar) villous lesions, non-malignant tumour-like conditions, and non-gestational tumors add to the diagnostic dilemma. The correct diagnosis and classification of these rare conditions are important. This review intends to provide an update on changes in the World Health Organization classification and focusses on the morphologic aspects in diagnosis of GTD., Competing Interests: Disclosure None declared., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Endophytic fungi, as plant symbionts, produce an elaborate array of enzymes for efficient disintegration of lignocellulosic biomass into constituent monomeric sugars, making them novel source of lignocellulolytic CAZymes with immense potential in future biorefineries. The present study reports lignocellulolytic enzymes production potential of an endophytic halotolerant Penicillium oxalicum strain isolated from Citrus limon, under submerged and solid-state fermentation (SmF & SSF, respectively), in the presence and absence of salt (1 M NaCl). The comparative QTOF-LC/MS-based exoproteome analysis of the culture extracts unveiled differential expression of CAZymes, with the higher abundance of GH6 and GH7 family cellobiohydrolase in the presence of 1 M salt. The strain improvement program, employing cyclic mutagenesis and diploidization, was utilized to develop hyper-cellulase producing mutant strains of P. oxalicum. The enzyme production of the developed strain (POx-M35) was further enhanced through statistical optimization of the culture conditions utilizing glucose mix disaccharides (GMDs) as an inducer. This optimization process resulted in the lignocellulolytic cocktail that contained high titers (U/mL) of endoglucanase (EG) (146.16), cellobiohydrolase (CBHI) (6.99), β-glucosidase (β-G) (26.21), xylanase (336.05) and FPase (2.02 U/mL), which were 5.47-, 5.54-, 8.55-, 4.96-, and 4.39-fold higher when compared to the enzyme titers obtained in wild HP1, respectively. Furthermore, the lignocellulolytic cocktails designed by blending secretome produced by mutant POx-M35 with xylanases (GH10 and GH11) derived from Malbranchea cinnamomea resulted in efficient hydrolysis of unwashed acid pretreated (UWAP) rice straw slurry and mild alkali deacetylated (MAD) rice straw. This study underscores the potential of bioprospecting novel fungus and developing an improved strain for optimized production and constitution of lignocellulolytic cocktails that can be an important determinant in advancing biomass conversion technologies., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Organic thermoelectric materials would be ideally suited for wearable thermoelectric devices but currently are not efficient enough for practical applications. Previous research efforts have tailored the composition, oxidation status, or doping levels of organic thin-film thermoelectrics to maximize their thermoelectric performance typically measured by the thermoelectric figure of merit ( ZT ). This study demonstrates that the thermoelectric ZT of the organic thin-films can be significantly boosted by increasing the surface roughness of the films. A simple soft-templating method that can produce nanorough thin films of organic thermoelectrics was developed and used to fabricate nanorough poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Tosylate (PEDOT:Tos) thin films. The performance of the nanorough PEDOT:Tos films was compared to that of the smooth PEDOT:Tos films. The ZT value of the nanorough films was estimated to be 0.99, which is 83% higher than that of the smooth films and one of the highest ever reported for organic thermoelectrics. The flexibility and durability of the nanorough PEDOT:Tos films were also proved. A proof-of-concept thermoelectric device that used 5 strips of nanorough films, as the p-type thermoelectric elements, and five strips of bismuth thin films, as the n-type elements, produced 118.7 nW when Δ T = 50 K., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The increasing trend of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pathogens in aquaculture makes it is imperative to find control measures for AMR pathogens causing high economic losses in aquaculture. In the present study, a multidrug resistance (MDR) Aeromonas hydrophila bacterium was isolated from kidney samples of diseased carp originating from a fish farm in Awankot, Rupnagar, Punjab, India. Moribund-infected fish exhibited large irregular hemorrhages on the external body surfaces, exophthalmia and fin-rot-like lesions. Phenotypic characterization using Rimler-Shotts (RS) media showed characteristic yellow color colonies and beta hemolysis on sheep blood agar. Genotyping using species-specific primers for the rpoB and gyrB genes characterized the isolate as A. hydrophila. The Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index analysis showed that the isolated A. hydrophila had an MAR score of 0.29 signifying its resistance to more than three antibiotics, which underscores the need of finding treatment methods for MDR A. hydrophila isolates causing disease in aquaculture. Bacteriophages are considered a better eco-friendly alternative to antibiotics because of their inherent properties of not causing drug residues and resistance. Of the 13 phages tested, the Aeromonas veronii phage designated as AVP3, initially isolated against Aeromonas veronii, showed lytic activity against the MDR A. hydrophila isolated from diseased carp in this study. In addition, it also showed the lytic activity against Aeromonas spp. And A. caviae indicating that it had lytic properties against a wide host range within the Aeromonas species. This finding points to the potential efficacy of bacteriophages in mitigating pathogenic infections in aquaculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Arsenic-induced neurotoxicity, with dose-dependent effects, is well-documented in rodents. Curcumin (CUR), a cost-effective plant polyphenol, shows neuroprotective effects by modulating oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neurochemistry. This study evaluates curcumin's neuroprotective potential against arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) in the mouse striatal region., Methods: Healthy adult male mice were chronically administered with varying concentrations of As 2 O 3 (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg bw) alone and along with CUR (100 mg/kg bw) orally for 45 days. Towards the end of the experimental period, the animals were subjected to behavioural paradigms including open field task, novel object recognition, rota-rod, and Morris water maze. Striatal tissues were freshly collected from the animals on day 46 for biochemical analyses (MDA, GPx, and GSH). Additionally, perfusion-fixed brains were processed for morphological observations., Results: Behavioural study showed an apparent decrease in certain cognitive functions (learning and memory) and locomotor activity in mice exposed to As 2 O 3 compared to controls. Simultaneous treatment of As 2 O 3 (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg bw) and curcumin (100 mg/kg bw) alleviated the As-induced locomotor and cognitive deficits. As 2 O 3 alone exposure also exhibited a significant increase in oxidative stress marker (MDA) and a decrease in antioxidant enzyme levels (GPx, GSH). Morphological alterations were noted in mice subjected to elevated doses of As 2 O 3 (4 and 8 mg/kg bw). However, these changes were reversed in mice who received As 2 O 3  + CUR co-treatment., Conclusions: Collectively, our findings indicate that curcumin offers neuroprotection to the striatal region against As 2 O 3 -induced behavioral deficits, as well as biochemical and morphological alterations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Lumpy skin disease (LSD), a viral disease of cattle, can be acute, subacute, or inactive. It is distinguished by fever and the abrupt emergence of firm, confined cutaneous nodules that usually necrotize. Similar lesions may occur in the skeletal muscles and the mucosae of the digestive and respiratory tracts. It is an enzootic, rapidly explorative, and sometimes fatal infection, characterized by multiple raised nodules on the skin of infected animals. LSDV has a large genome, it is employed as a vaccine carrier, generating a new complex with other viral genes by homologous recombination. This review summarizes our current knowledge of lumpy skin disease (LSD), its impact on animal health, host-pathogen interaction, etiology, signs or symptoms, prevention, and treatment strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is a fatal disease occurring in 3rd trimester. The safety and efficacy of plasmapheresis/plasma exchange (PP/PE) as an adjunctive treatment in patients of AFLP has been studied. We performed systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the clinical parameters that included mortality rates and improvement of the biochemical parameters including Liver and Renal function enzymes, coagulopathy factors of AFLP patients., Methods: We searched PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL and Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov. RevMan statistical software was used for meta-analysis., Results: Pooled survival proportion for AFLP patients treated with PP/PE was 87.74% (95% CI: 82.84 to 91.65). Efficacy of PP/PE was studied by its effect on mortality. PE/PP was associated with the reduction in the mortality with pooled odds ratio of 0.51 (95% CI: 0.08 to 3.09) with I 2 = 86%. Sensitivity analysis after excluding outlier study, yielded a pooled odds ratio of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.02 to 1.52) with reduced heterogeneity (I 2  = 63%). Biochemical parameter analysis demonstrated significant improvement post-PP/PE treatment, including decreased bilirubin (MD: 8.30, 95% CI: 6.75 to 9.84), AST (MD: 107.25, 95% CI: 52.45 to 162.06), ALT (MD: 111.08, 95% CI: 27.18 to 194.97), creatinine (MD: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.39 to 1.93), and Prothrombin time (MD: 5.08, 95% CI: 2.93 to 7.22)., Discussion: Despite some heterogeneity, PP/PE shows promise in improving biochemical parameters in AFLP patients. PE can serve as a therapeutic approach for AFLP particularly in severe or refractory cases. PE provides the time for organ to recover and helps in creating a homeostatic environment for liver. Large RCTs and propensity matched studies are needed to better understand the safety and efficacy of the treatment., Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022315698., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Siwatch, De, Kaur, Lamba, Kaur, Singh and Periyasamy.)

NH 2 -functionalized metal-organic frameworks (NH 2 -functionalized MOFs) can abate organic pollutants, predominantly favored by their chemical, mechanical, and thermal stabilities. The present review stated the chemistry of identifying NH 2 -functionalization and its role in enhancing the properties of bare MOFs. The integration of the amine group bestows several advantages: 1.) enabling band structure modification, 2.) establishing strong metal-NH 2 bonds, 3.) preserving MOF structures from reactive oxygen species, and 4.) shielding MOF structures against pH alterations. Consequently, the NH 2 -functionalized MOFs are promising materials for the photodegradation of organic contaminants. The following section illustrates the two approaches (pre-synthetic and post-synthetic) for NH 2 -functionalized MOFs. Nevertheless, specific intrinsic limitations, entailing a high recombination rate of charge carriers and inadequate optical adsorption, restrain the applicability of NH 2 -functionalized MOFs. Accordingly, the succeeding segment presents strategies to elevate the photocatalytic activities of NH 2 -functionalized MOFs via heterojunction fabrication. The importance of the NH 2 -functionalized MOFs-based heterojunction has been evaluated in terms of the effect on the enhancement of charge separation, optical adsorption, and redox ability of charge carriers. Subsequently, the potential application for organic pollutant degradation via NH 2 -functionalized MOFs-based heterojunctions has been scrutinized, wherein the organic pollutants. Eventually, the review concluded with challenges and potential opportunities in engaging and burgeoning domains of the NH 2 -functionalized MOFs-based heterojunctions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Considerable evidence indicates that the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays key roles in human pathophysiology, suggesting it as a potential drug target. Currently, studies have yet to develop compounds that are promising therapeutics in the clinic by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome. Herein, we aim to further biologically characterize a previously identified small-molecule inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome from our group, YM-I-26, to confirm its functional activities. We showed that YM-I-26 is highly selective toward the NLRP3 inflammasome and binds to NLRP3 directly. A systemic analysis revealed YM-I-26 with inflammation-related and immunomodulatory activities by the Eurofins BioMAP Diversity PLUS panel. In addition, studies using the mouse microglia BV2 cell model demonstrated that YM-I-26 is not cytotoxic, improved the phagocytotic functions of BV2 cells toward beta-amyloid, and suppressed the production of cytokines of IL-1β and IL-10 upon the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Collectively, our studies support the functional activities of YM-I-26 as a NLRP3 inhibitor in physiologically relevant cell models, and warrant future studies of YM-I-26 and its analogs to advance the drug development as potential therapeutics.

Mango is considered one of the most important tropical fruits worldwide in terms of its consumption and consumer acceptability. Its processing generates huge quantities of mango byproducts, which is often discarded unscrupulously into the environment and, therefore, needs effective waste management practices. The extraction of mango peels' dietary fiber using enzymatic method can be a useful valorization strategy for management of mango by-products. In the present investigation, dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble fraction) was extracted by enzymatic hydrolysis using α-amylase, protease, and amyloglucosidase. Highest yield of dietary fiber (67.5%, w/w) was obtained at 60 °C temperature using recommended enzyme concentrations including α-amylase (40 µL), protease (110 µL), and amyloglucosidase (200 µL) after a treatment time of 60 min. SEM analysis indicated the increased porosity of dietary fiber samples caused due to the hydrolytic effect of enzymes on its surface structure, whereas FTIR analysis confirmed the functional groups present in dietary fiber. The coexistence of crystalline and amorphous nature of polymers present in soluble and insoluble fractions of dietary fiber was assessed by XRD analysis. Further, the analysis of functional properties including WHC, OHC, and SC revealed the suitability of using extracted mango peel's dietary fiber in the food systems., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Assessing children's pain using patient-based pain scales can be challenging. Hence, there is a need of new version Artificial Intelligence Child Dental Anxiety Scale (AI-CDAS) to scale and test its psychometric properties (validity and reliability). This study was conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of Artificial Intelligence version of the Child Dental Anxiety Scale (AI-CDAS) for anxiety detection scale in children using face as a response set from October 2022 to December 2023. Aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of Artificial Intelligence based Child Dental Anxiety Scale (AI-CDAS) using a wide range of age samples in dental clinics. A total of 100 outpatients (Age 03-09 years) from Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University Dental College and Hospital, Pune, India participated in this study. Dental anxiety was assessed using the Artificial Intelligence Child Dental Anxiety Scale (AI-CDAS) and comparing with a valid and reliable scale of Colored Version of Modified Facial Affective Scale. Reliability and validity was good and significant correlations were found between the AI-CDAS and the Colored Version of Modified Facial Affective Scale. This study suggests that the Artificial Intelligence based Child Dental Anxiety Scale (AI-CDAS) is a valid and reliable measure for assessing children's dental anxiety and may help encourage dentists to formally assess dental anxiety scale in day to day practice. Self-report measures are commonly employed in dental anxiety assessments. One advantage of self report measures is the ease of administration, taking relatively short period of time to complete. They can also assess the reaction to different aspects of the dental experience.

Purpose: Complex anal fistulas can recur after clinical healing, even after a long interval which leads to significant anxiety. Also, ascertaining the efficacy of any new treatment procedure becomes difficult and takes several years. We prospectively analyzed the validity of Garg scoring system (GSS) to predict long-term fistula healing., Methods: In patients operated for cryptoglandular anal fistulas, magnetic resonance imaging was performed preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively to assess fistula healing. Scores as per the GSS were calculated for each patient at 3 months postoperatively and correlated with long-term healing to check the accuracy of the scoring system., Results: Fifty-seven patients were enrolled, but 50 were finally included (7 were excluded). These 50 patients (age, 41.2±12.4 years; 46 men) were followed up for 12 to 20 months (median, 17 months). Forty-seven patients (94.0%) had complex fistulas, 28 (56.0%) had recurrent fistulas, 48 (96.0%) had multiple tracts, 20 (40.0%) had horseshoe tracts, 15 (32.0%) had associated abscesses, 5 (10.0%) were suprasphincteric, and 8 (16.0%) were supralevator fistulas. The GSS could accurately predict long-term healing (high positive predictive value, 31 of 31 [100%]) but was not very accurate in predicting nonhealing (negative predictive value, 15 of 19 [78.9%]). The sensitivity in predicting healing was 31 of 35 (88.6%)., Conclusion: GSS accurately predicts long-term fistula with a high positive predictive value (100%) but is less accurate in predicting nonhealing. This scoring system can help allay anxiety in patients and facilitate the early validation of innovative procedures for anal fistulas.

Background and Aims: Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are critical mediators in chronic pancreatitis with an undefined role in acute pancreatitis (AP). PSCs consist of a heterogenous group of cells and are considered interchangeable with pancreatic fibroblasts. This study explored the heterogeneous nature of PSCs by characterizing pancreatic collagen-expressing fibroblasts (PCFs) via lineage tracing in mouse normal and AP pancreas and determining the effect of PCF depletion in AP., Methods: Tandem dimer Tomato (tdTom + ) PCFs in collagen type 1 (Col1)a2CreER tdTomato (Tom) mice receiving tamoxifen were characterized via fluorescence, Oil Red staining, and flow cytometry. AP was induced by cerulein, AP injury was assessed, and tdTom + PCFs were monitored. The effect of PCF depletion on AP injury was evaluated in Col1a2CreER diphtheria toxin A mice., Results: Approximately 13% of pancreatic cells in Col1a2CreER Tom mice were labeled by tdTom (tdTom + PCFs), which surrounded acini, ducts, and blood vessels, and stained with Oil Red, collagen type I, vimentin, and desmin. tdTom + PCFs increased 2-fold during AP, correlating with AP score, amylase, and alpha-smooth muscle actin + and Ki67 + staining. PCF depletion in Col1a2CreER diphtheria toxin A mice receiving tamoxifen resulted in enhanced inflammation compared to control., Conclusion: PCFs may constitute a subset of PSCs and can be activated during AP. PCF depletion aggravates AP, suggesting a protective role for PCFs., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Synthesis of a potentially polydentate, phosphine and pyridine embedded 1,2,3-triazole, o -Ph 2 P(C 6 H 4 )C(CH)-1,2,3-N 3 (CH 2 )(Py) ( 1 ) (here onward referred to as "P ∩ N 3 ∩ N") and its copper complexes are described. Reactions of 1 with CuX yielded mononuclear [Cu{(P ∩ N 3 ∩ N) 2 -κ 2 - P,N }]X ( 2 - 4 ; X = I, CuBr 2 and CuCl 2 ) and dinuclear [Cu 2 {(P ∩ N 3 ∩ N) 2 -κ 4 - P,N,N,N }]X ( 5 X = OTf, 6 X = BF 4 ) complexes. Interestingly, the cationic complex [Cu{(P ∩ N 3 ∩ N) 2 -κ 2 - P,N }]I ( 2 ) in acetonitrile changes into neutral complex [Cu 3 (μ 2 -I) 2 (μ 3 -I)(NCCH 3 ){(P ∩ N 3 ∩ N)-κ 4 (μ 2 - P,N )(μ 2 - N,N )}]( 7 ), which on addition of dichloromethane reverts back to the cationic form. The photoluminescent characteristics of cationic complexes are significantly impacted by the nature of counteranions and hence the corresponding photoluminescence quantum yields. Cationic complex 2 showed an increase in quantum yield and lifetime on changing over to neutral complex 7 . TD-DFT calculations also assisted in assessing the photophysical properties.

Background: Individuals with high blood pressure in India often miss essential follow-up visits. Missed visits contribute to gaps across the hypertension care continuum and preventable cardiovascular disease. Widespread misconceptions around hypertension care and treatment may contribute to low follow-up attendance rates, but to date, there is limited evidence of the effect of interventions to debunk such misconceptions on health-seeking behavior. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to measure whether combining information debunking commonly-held misconceptions with a standard reminder reduces missed follow-up visits among individuals with high blood pressure and investigated whether any observed effect was moderated through belief change., Methods: We recruited 388 patients with uncontrolled blood pressure from the outpatient wards of two public sub-district hospitals in Punjab, India. Participants randomly assigned to the intervention arm received two WhatsApp messages, sent 3 and 1 days before their physician-requested follow-up visit. The WhatsApp message began with a standard reminder, reminding participants of their upcoming follow-up visit and its purpose. Following the standard reminder, we included brief debunking statements aimed at acknowledging and correcting common misconceptions and misbeliefs about hypertension care seeking and treatment. Participants in the control group received usual care and did not receive any messages., Results: We did not find evidence that the enhanced WhatsApp reminders improved follow-up visit attendance (Main effect: 2.2 percentage points, p-value = 0.603), which remained low across both treatment (21.8%, 95% CI: 15.7%, 27.9%) and control groups (19.6%, 95% CI: 14.2%, 25.0%). Participants had widespread misconceptions about hypertension care but our debunking messages did not successfully correct these beliefs (p-value = 0.187)., Conclusions: This study re-affirms the challenge of continuity of care for chronic diseases in India and suggests that simple phone-based health communication methods may not suffice for changing prevalent misconceptions and improving health-seeking behavior., Trial Registration: The trial began on July 18th. We registered the trial on July 18th (before recruitment began), including the main outcomes, on the German Clinical Trial Register [Identifier: DRKS00029712] and published a pre-analysis plan in the Open Science Framework [osf.io/67g35]., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The FDA approval of oncolytic herpes simplex-1 virus (oHSV) therapy underscores its therapeutic promise and safety as a cancer immunotherapy. Despite this promise, the current efficacy of oHSV is significantly limited to a small subset of patients largely due to the resistance in tumor and tumor microenvironment (TME)., Methods: RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to identify molecular targets of oHSV resistance. Intracranial human and murine glioma or breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) tumor-bearing mouse models were employed to elucidate the mechanism underlying oHSV therapy-induced resistance., Results: Transcriptome analysis identified IGF2 as one of the top-secreted proteins following oHSV treatment. Moreover, IGF2 expression was significantly upregulated in 10 out of 14 recurrent GBM patients after treatment with oHSV, rQNestin34.5v.2 (71.4%; P = .0020) (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03152318). Depletion of IGF2 substantially enhanced oHSV-mediated tumor cell killing in vitro and improved survival of mice bearing BCBM tumors in vivo. To mitigate the oHSV-induced IGF2 in the TME, we constructed a novel oHSV, oHSV-D11mt, secreting a modified IGF2R domain 11 (IGF2RD11mt) that acts as IGF2 decoy receptor. Selective blocking of IGF2 by IGF2RD11mt significantly increased cytotoxicity, reduced oHSV-induced neutrophils/PMN-MDSCs infiltration, and reduced secretion of immune suppressive/proangiogenic cytokines, while increased CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) infiltration, leading to enhanced survival in GBM or BCBM tumor-bearing mice., Conclusions: This is the first study reporting that oHSV-induced secreted IGF2 exerts a critical role in resistance to oHSV therapy, which can be overcome by oHSV-D11mt as a promising therapeutic advance for enhanced viro-immunotherapy., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.)

Purpose: Retinal detachment (RD) leads to photoreceptor (PR) hypoxia due to separation from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Hypoxia stabilizes retinal hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1α), crucial for PR survival during RD. This study explores the regulatory role of HIF1α in PR cell survival pathways during RD., Methods: Experimental RD was created in C57BL/6J and HIF1αΔrod mice by injecting 1% hyaluronic acid into the subretinal space. The 661W photoreceptor cells were exposed to hypoxic conditions. Markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), mitophagy, and accumulation of polyubiquinated proteins were evaluated using RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Cell death of PR cells was quantified using trypan blue exclusion assay and TUNEL staining. Retinal cell death was assessed using a DNA fragmentation assay., Results: In C57BL/6J mice and 661W cells, there were increases in HIF1α protein levels: 2.2-fold after RD (P = 0.04) and threefold after hypoxia (P = 0.057). Both the in vivo and in vitro RD models showed increased protein expression of ERS markers (including BIP, CHOP, and IRE1α), mitophagy markers (Parkin, PINK, and FUNDC1), and polyubiquitinated proteins. In 661W cells, hypoxia resulted in a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, an increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and a decrease in intracellular adenosine triphosphate levels. Lack of HIF1α in rods blocked the upregulation of mitophagy markers after RD., Conclusions: RD results in the activation of ERS, mitophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, and accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins. Results suggest a role for HIF1α in activation of the mitophagy pathway after RD, which may serve to protect the PR cells.

Ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) originates in the fallopian tube, with secretory cells carrying a TP53 mutation, known as p53 signatures, identified as potential precursors. p53 signatures evolve into serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) lesions, which in turn progress into invasive HGSC, which readily spreads to the ovary and disseminates around the peritoneal cavity. We recently investigated the genomic landscape of early- and late-stage HGSC and found higher ploidy in late-stage (median 3.1) than early-stage (median 2.0) samples. Here, to explore whether the high ploidy and possible whole-genome duplication (WGD) observed in late-stage disease were determined early in the evolution of HGSC, we analysed archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from five HGSC patients. p53 signatures and STIC lesions were laser-capture microdissected and sequenced using shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS), while invasive ovarian/fallopian tube and metastatic carcinoma samples underwent macrodissection and were profiled using both sWGS and targeted next-generation sequencing. Results showed highly similar patterns of global copy number change between STIC lesions and invasive carcinoma samples within each patient. Ploidy changes were evident in STIC lesions, but not p53 signatures, and there was a strong correlation between ploidy in STIC lesions and invasive ovarian/fallopian tube and metastatic samples in each patient. The reconstruction of sample phylogeny for each patient from relative copy number indicated that high ploidy, when present, occurred early in the evolution of HGSC, which was further validated by copy number signatures in ovarian and metastatic tumours. These findings suggest that aberrant ploidy, suggestive of WGD, arises early in HGSC and is detected in STIC lesions, implying that the trajectory of HGSC may be determined at the earliest stages of tumour development. © 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: EM – has received grant funding from BGCS, Orion Corporation, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, East Genomic Medicine Service Alliance, North East London Cancer Alliance, Intuitive Surgical Ltd, East Midlands Clinical Research Network and Medical Research Council (MRC). AT − Has received financial support to attend meetings from Merck & Co., Inc (MSD). AA − None to declare. CA − None to declare. RA − None to declare. SB – Has received grants to her institution from Astrazeneca and Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), and consulting fees from Astrazeneca, Epsilogen, GSK, Immunogen MSD, Mersana, Myriad, Novartis, Oncxerna, Seagen, Shattuck Labs, Regeneron and Verastem. She has received honoraria payments for lectures from Abbive, Astrazeneca, GSK, Immunogen, MSD, Mersnae, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda and Novacure, and financial support for attending meetings from Astrazeneca, GSK and Verastem. She is on the Ovacome advisory board (unpaid). RB – Has received honoraria for lecturers and presentations from GSK, Astra Zeneca and EISAI; support to attend meetings from GSK and PharmaAnd. She is an advisory board member for MSD, Clovis, Astra Zeneca, and GSK.She has unpaid board roles for NCRI Gynae Deputy Lead (GTGUK), UKGOM (co-chair) and is the BGCS Medical Oncology Representative. LB – is a director of Buckley Consultants Ltd. NB – Has received financial support from RanD for travel to meetings. SC – None to declare. RE – Has received consulting fees from GSK; honoraria for lecturers from GSK and Astra Zeneca and sits on the for Advisory Board for International Rainbo Study. ME-B – None to declare. CF –Has received payments for participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board for GSK, Roche, Ethicon, Astra Zeneca, MSD. JF – Has received consulting fees from ASTELLAS ASP5354 Advisory Board and is a BGCS Council member (unpaid). RG – Has received honoraria payments for lectures from Astra Zeneca, on topics unrelated to this document. AG – has received honoraria for lectrures/presentation from GSK. LH – Has received royalties from Cambridge University Press, support from Mims and Roche and Tata Medical Center to attend meetings, and is an unpaid board member to the Royal College of Radiologists. BK – Has received funding from NIHR Imperial BRC. RM – has received research grant funding from Rosetrees Trust, Barts Charity, NHS England, NHS Innovational Accelerator, Yorkshire Cancer Research and GSK. He has received honoraria from GSK and Astrazeneca for lectures and presentations. He is Chair Trial of the Steering Committee BRCA DIRECT trial, a member NICE National Standards Quality Assurance Board for Ovarian Cancer and Topic Advisor NICE Guideline – [NG241] −- Ovarian cancer: identifying and managing familial and genetic risk. He is a scientific advisor to GO Girls, BRCA Umbrella and acted on an Expert Advisory Group NHS Jewish BRCA Programme. HM – In a trustee of GO Girsls Gynaecological Cancer Charity. AM – has received National Institute for Cancer Research (NCRI) and MERCK received research funding from MDS. She has received payment from EUSA Pharma and Clovis Oncology for advisory board roles and consulting. She has recived payment from GSK for invited lectures and manuscript writing. She has received educational support and support for meeting attendance from MSD and IPSEN. TM – Project lead for NHS transformation project to embed mainstream BRCA testing into practice for breast, ovarian cancers. Nurse advisor to The EVE APPEAL gynae cancer charity. CN – None to declare. SN – has received research grants from GSK, AstraZenenca, North Central London Cancer Alliance and BGCS via her institution. She has received consulting fees from GSK, AstraZeneca and Biontech, and honoraria payments from lectures from GSK and AstraZenca. She has received financial support for attending meetings from MSD. She is an data safety monitoring/advisory board member to AstraZeneca, GSK and Biontech. She has stock options with GSK and AstraZeneca, and she is chair of the GynaeOncology Trials Group UK (previously NCRI) (unpaid). NR – None to declare. NRy – has received grants from the Chief Scientist Office Scotland (NES/CSO Postdoctoral Clinical Lectureship Scheme) and Academy of Medical Sciences to his institution. He has received honorariao payments from GSK for lectures. He is an European Hereditary Tumour Group (EHTG) Board member (unpaid). SS – has received a research grant to University of Birmingham from AoA diagnostics. She has received consultancy fees from GSK and Immunogen, and honoraria for lecturers from Astra Zeneca, Merck and GSK. She is Surgery Lead for the National Ovarian Cancer Audit, England and Wales and Co-Chair Scientific Program, International Gynaecological Cancer Society conference 2024. KV – Councillor for British Association of Gynaecological Pathology (unpaid). AW – has received honoraria for lecturers and presentaions from GSK, Astra Zeneca and Clovis. JW – is President, British Association of Gynaecological Pathologists (unpaid). JM – has received grants to her institution from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and MRC. She is BGCS guidelines subgroup co-chair (unpaid), sitting on BGCS Council in this role, and a NHS Cervical Screening Research Innovation and Development Advisory Committee Member (unpaid). She was an unpaid council member to Cochrane Collaboration (2019–2023) and received financial support to attend a meeting from Cochrane.

Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (APDT) has received increased attention as a treatment for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections caused by antibiotic abuse. However, photosensitizers used in APDT have disadvantages such as water insolubility, self-aggregation, and photobleaching. To address these limitations, metal complexes have been explored. However, the use of such complexes tends to confine their antibacterial effectiveness specific bacterial strains. In this study, we report iron (Fe)- and copper (Cu)-based metallosurfactants as unique moieties for antibacterial photodynamic therapy (PDT) under the illumination of visible light. Briefly, our formulated Fe and Cu metallosurfactants, when combined with a fluorescein photosensitizer, exhibit nearly 100% antibacterial efficacy. This high efficiency is primarily attributed to the enhanced generation of singlet oxygen using FL in the presence of metallosurfactants when targeting bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus under laser light. In vitro experiments further confirmed the superior antimicrobial activity of these metallosurfactants against a diverse range of microbial cultures, encompassing Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as fungi. This performance outpaces conventional surfactants like cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and cetylpyridinium chloride. The compelling results from MTT assays and flow cytometry endorsed the substantial enhancement in antimicrobial properties achieved through Fe and Cu doping, all without the need for additional secondary agents. Notably, this synergistic antibacterial approach using metallosurfactants in PDT holds significant promise for the elimination of various bacteria in vivo, with the added advantage of mitigating the emergence of multidrug resistance.

Background: Protozoal pathogens pose a considerable threat, leading to notable mortality rates and the ongoing challenge of developing resistance to drugs. This situation underscores the urgent need for alternative therapeutic approaches. Antimicrobial peptides stand out as promising candidates for drug development. However, there is a lack of published research focusing on predicting antimicrobial peptides specifically targeting protozoal pathogens. In this study, we introduce a successful machine learning-based framework designed to predict potential antiprotozoal peptides effective against protozoal pathogens., Objective: The primary objective of this study is to classify and predict antiprotozoal peptides using diverse negative datasets., Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to gather experimentally validated antiprotozoal peptides, forming the positive dataset for our study. To construct a robust machine learning classifier, multiple negative datasets were incorporated, including (i) non-antimicrobial, (ii) antiviral, (iii) antibacterial, (iv) antifungal, and (v) antimicrobial peptides excluding those targeting protozoal pathogens. Various compositional features of the peptides were extracted using the pfeature algorithm. Two feature selection methods, SVC-L1 and mRMR, were employed to identify highly relevant features crucial for distinguishing between the positive and negative datasets. Additionally, five popular classifiers i.e. Decision Tree, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, and XGBoost were used to build efficient decision models., Results: XGBoost was the most effective in classifying antiprotozoal peptides from each negative dataset based on the features selected by the mRMR feature selection method. The proposed machine learning framework efficiently differentiate the antiprotozoal peptides from (i) non-antimicrobial (ii) antiviral (iii) antibacterial (iv) antifungal and (v) antimicrobial with accuracy of 97.27 %, 93.64 %, 86.36 %, 90.91 %, and 89.09 % respectively on the validation dataset., Conclusion: The models are incorporated in a user-friendly web server (www.soodlab.com/appred) to predict the antiprotozoal activity of given peptides., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Pearl millet bran is rich source of dietary fiber and several other bioactive compounds and is an unexploited by-product of millet processing industries. The utilization of pearl millet bran for extraction of dietary fiber can be an effective method for its valorization. Hydrothermal extraction of dietary fiber from pearl millet bran is a simple eco-friendly technique in terms of minimal consumption of toxic solvents, increased extraction yield, high purity and considered as an economically viable technique. In the present investigation, extraction and optimization of dietary fiber from pearl millet bran was performed using hydrothermal technique. The highest yield of dietary fiber (74.5%, w/w) was obtained under optimized conditions of water to solid ratio (20:1), temperature (90 °C) and time (15 min). The extracted dietary fiber from pearl millet bran was further assessed for its physico-chemical, functional and structural properties. The studies of functional and physico-chemical properties presented the water holding capacity (6.50 g/g and 3.99 g/g), swelling power (2.0 g/g and 2.05 g/g), oil holding capacity (4.91 g/g and 2.42 g/g), solubility (70%), total phenolic content of 4.24 mg GAE/g and 4.32 mg GAE/g, DPPH reduction of 86.6% and 83.9%, respectively. The results indicated that pearl millet bran can act as rich source of dietary fiber with health enhancing properties and can be utilized as potential food component in preparation of functional food products., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Pregnancy brings numerous physiological changes to the body of the pregnant woman. Liver diseases in pregnancy contribute to increased oxidative stress, disrupting the delicate balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defence. Antioxidant supplementation may have potential benefits in addressing pregnancy-related liver disorders, such as HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) and preeclampsia-associated liver dysfunction in pregnancy. The purpose of this narrative review is to review the evidence regarding oxidative stress in liver disorders during pregnancy and the role of antioxidants in alleviating oxidative stress and its effect on maternal and foetal outcomes. A narrative review study design involved a comprehensive search across three scientific databases: PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE, published in the last 20 years. The searches were performed up to January 2024. Thirty-two studies were included in the narrative review. The most studied antioxidants were vitamins (vitamin C and E) for their role in clinical treatment, prophylaxis, and clearing surrogate oxidative stress markers. The majority of studies were on preeclampsia. Though the existing literature is not robust, available evidence suggests that antioxidant supplementation may have potential benefits in addressing pregnancy-related liver disorders, such as HELLP and preeclampsia-associated liver dysfunction in pregnancy. However, there is a need to establish consistent protocols, ethical standards, and well-designed clinical trials to clarify the timing and dosage of antioxidants in pregnancy. Antioxidants may alleviate the oxidative stress in various liver disorders during pregnancy, which still needs to be studied further for their clinical relevance., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: We would like to disclose that the article publication charges for this manuscript are funded by the Indian Council of Medical Education and Research, New Delhi. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Kaur et al.)

Wheat is an essential food commodity cultivated throughout the world. However, this crop faces continuous threats from fungal pathogens, leaf rust (LR) and stripe rust (YR). To continue feeding the growing population, these major destructors of wheat must be effectively countered by enhancing the genetic diversity of cultivated germplasm. In this study, an introgression line with hexaploid background (IL sp3603 ) carrying resistance against Pt pathotypes 77-5 (121R63-1), 77-9 (121R60-1) and Pst pathotypes 46S119 (46E159), 110S119 (110E159), 238S119 (238E159) was developed from donor wheat wild progenitor, Aegilops speltoides acc pau 3603. To understand the genetic basis of resistance and map these genes (named Lr sp3603 and Yr sp3603 ), inheritance studies were carried out in F 6 and F 7 mapping population, developed by crossing IL sp3603 with LR and YR susceptible cultivar WL711, which revealed a monogenic (single gene) inheritance pattern for each of these traits. Bulk segregant analysis combined with 35 K Axiom SNP array genotyping mapped both genes as separate entities on the short arm of chromosome 6B. A genetic linkage map, comprising five markers, 1 SNP, 1 PLUG and three gene based SSRs, covered a genetic distance of 12.65 cM. Lr sp3603 was flanked by markers Tag-SSR14 (located proximally at 2.42 cM) and SNP AX-94542331 (at 3.28 cM) while Yr sp3603 was mapped at one end closest to AX-94542331 at 6.62 cM distance. Functional annotation of Lr sp3603 target region (∼ 1 Mbp) revealed 10 gene IDs associated with disease resistance mechanisms including three encoding typical R gene domains., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive form of neurological disorder that affects both the upper and lower motor neurons. Anesthesia management in these patients is always challenging as they can develop respiratory complications because of pre-existing muscle involvement. We report a middle-aged male with ALS posted for chronic subdural hematoma evacuation (CSDH) surgery. Surgery was done under scalp block with monitored anesthesia care. The choice of anesthesia in these patients should be one that interferes the least with the disease pattern while still providing optimal conditions for surgery., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Kaur et al.)

Sterol derivatives are a crucial part of liposomes, as their concentration and nature can induce significant alternations in their characteristic features. For natural liposomal-based (phospholipid-based) studies, the bulk literature is already present depicting the role of the concentration or nature of different sterol derivatives in modulation of membrane properties. However, the studies aiming at evaluating the effect of sterol derivatives on synthetic liposomal assemblies are limited to cholesterol (Chl), and a comparative effect with other sterol derivatives, such as ergosterol (Erg), has never been studied. To fill this research gap, through this work, we intend to provide insights into the concentration-dependent effect of two sterol derivatives (Chl and Erg) on a synthetic liposomal assembly (i.e., metallosomes) prepared via thin film hydration route using a double-tailed metallosurfactant fabricated by modifying cetylpyridinium chloride with cobalt (Co) (i.e., Co:CPC II). The morphological evaluations with cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) indicated that metallosomes retained their spherical morphology irrespective of the nature and concentration of sterol derivatives. However, the size, ζ-potential, and lamellar width values were significantly modified with the incorporation of sterol derivatives in a concentration-dependent manner. In-depth studies affirmed that the extent of modulation of the bilayer in terms of hydrophobicity, fluidity, and rigidity was more severe with Chl than Erg. Such differences in the membrane properties lead to their contrasting behavior in the delivery of the broad-spectrum active compound "curcumin". From entrapment to in vitro behavior, the metallosomes demonstrated dissimilar behavior as even though Erg-modified metallosomes (at higher concentrations of Erg) exhibited low entrapment efficiency, they still could easily release >80% of the entrapped drug. In vitro studies conducted with Staphylococcus aureus bacterial cultures further revealed an interesting pattern of activity as the incorporation of Chl reduced the toxicity of the self-assembly, whereas their Erg-modified counterparts yielded slightly augmented toxicity toward these bacterial cells. Furthermore, Chl- and Erg-modified assemblies also exhibited contrasting behavior in their interaction studies with bacterial DNA.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a growing public health problem. Several clinical studies have shown a potentially protective effect of selenium (Se), but the reports are inconsistent. The objective of the study was to examine the evidence for relation between serum/tissue Se status and CRC., Method and Materials: In this Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, we searched Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, EMBASE, ProQuest, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies reporting serum/plasma/whole blood/tissue Se concentrations in CRC patients and controls for articles published till August 2023. Meta-analysis was performed, and study quality, heterogeneity, and small study effects were assessed. Based on a random effects model, summary mean differences in serum levels of Se between CRC patients and healthy controls, and Se levels between malignant and matched non-malignant tissue specimens were assessed., Results: After initial screening, a total of 24 studies (18 serum and 6 tissue studies) with a pooled total of 2640 participants were included in the meta-analysis. CRC patients had significantly lower serum Se levels than healthy controls, being the difference between the two equal to 3.73 µg/dl (95% CI: 6.85-0.61). However, the heterogeneity was very high, I 2 = 99% (p < 0.01). Our meta-analysis showed higher Se levels in CRC cancerous specimens than in matched healthy colon tissue: the increase was equal to 0.07 µg/g wet tissue weight (95% CI: 0.06-0.09; p= 0.02)., Conclusions: CRC patients have lower serum and higher colon cancerous tissue Se levels. Some factors, such as Se levels in different tumor grades of CRC need to be further considered for a more conclusive association between Se levels and risk of CRC., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no competing financial interests of all the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Human sperm functioning is crucial for maintaining natural reproduction, but its sterility is enhanced by variations in environmental conditions. Because of these agitating properties, powerful computer-aided devices are required, but their precision is inadequate, particularly when it comes to samples with low sperm concentrations. Therefore, for the first time, this article introduces the sulfide material-based structure for the detection of human sperm samples using the prism-based surface plasmon resonance sensor (SPR) Nano-biosensor. The proposed structure is designed on the basis of a prism-based Kretschmann configuration and includes silver, silicon, a sulfide layer, black phosphorus, and a sensing medium. This work takes advantage of the excitement of surface plasmons and evanescent waves in the metal dielectric region. For the detection process, seven sperm samples are taken, with their concentration, mobility, and refractive index measured by the refractometer. The proposed structure provides a maximum sensitivity of 409.17°/RIU, QF of 97.45RIU -1 and a DA of 1.37. The results provide a substantial improvement in comparison to the reported work in the literature.

The zoonotic viruses pose significant threats to public health. Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging virus transmitted from bats to humans. The NiV causes severe encephalitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, leading to high mortality rates, with fatality rates ranging from 40% to 75%. The first emergence of the disease was found in Malaysia in 1998-1999 and later in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Thailand, India, and other South and Southeast Asian nations. Currently, no specific vaccines or antiviral drugs are available. The potential advantages of epitope-based vaccines include their ability to elicit specific immune responses while minimizing potential side effects. The epitopes have been identified from the conserved region of viral proteins obtained from the UniProt database. The selection of conserved epitopes involves analyzing the genetic sequences of various viral strains. The present study identified two B cell epitopes, seven cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes, and seven helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitope interactions from the NiV proteomic inventory. The antigenic and physiological properties of retrieved protein were analyzed using online servers ToxinPred, VaxiJen v2.0, and AllerTOP. The final vaccine candidate has a total combined coverage range of 80.53%. The tertiary structure of the constructed vaccine was optimized, and its stability was confirmed with the help of molecular simulation. Molecular docking was performed to check the binding affinity and binding energy of the constructed vaccine with TLR-3 and TLR-5. Codon optimization was performed in the constructed vaccine within the Escherichia coli K12 strain, to eliminate the danger of codon bias. However, these findings must require further validation to assess their effectiveness and safety. The development of vaccines and therapeutic approaches for virus infection is an ongoing area of research, and it may take time before effective interventions are available for clinical use., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Beant Kaur et al.)

Reaction of a sterically demanding iminophosphorano-phosphine, Ph 2 PCH 2 Ph 2 PNAr* (here onwards referred to as PCPNAr*; Ar* = 2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-methylphenyl), (1) with [Ru(η 6 - p -cymene)Cl 2 ] 2 yielded three different types of complex, [RuCl 2 {(η 6 - p -cymene)(PCPNAr*)-κ 1 - P }] (2), [RuCl{(P(O)CPNAr*)(κ 2 - N , C )( C -η 6 -arene)}] (3) and [RuCl{(POCPNAr*)(κ 2 - N , C-o )( C -η 6 -arene)}] (4), depending on the reaction conditions via CH activation, tethered η 6 -arene coordination, ortho -metallation or PN bond cleavage/rearrangement reactions. Interestingly, a similar reaction in CH 3 CN in the presence of AgBF 4 resulted in the insertion of CH 3 CN into the PN bond to form a novel metallacycle [Ru(NCMe) 3 {(PC 2 PN(CH 3 )CNAr*)-κ 3 - N , N , P }][BF 4 ] 2 (5) containing 4- and 5-membered rings via an aza-Wittig type reaction. Complex 4 showed very good catalytic activity in the transfer hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds.

Arsenic (As) contaminated water, especially groundwater reservoirs, is a major issue worldwide owing to its hazardous consequences on human health and the global environment issues. Also, irrigating agricultural fields with As-contaminated water not only produces an accumulation of As in the soil but also compromises food safety due to As entering into agricultural products. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient method for As removal in water. Fe-based MOFs have attained special attention due to their low toxicity, high water stability, better physical and chemical properties, and high abundance of iron. The arsenic species removal by Fe-MOF follows the adsorption and oxidation mechanism where As (III) converts into As (V). Moreover, the adsorption mechanism is facilitated by electrostatic interactions, H-bonding, acid-base interaction, hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals forces, π-π stacking interactions, and coordinative bindings responsible for Fe-O-As bond generation. This review thoroughly recapitulates and analyses recent advancements in the facile synthesis and potential application of Fe-based MOF adsorbents for the elimination of As ions. The most commonly employed hydro/solvothermal, ultrasonic, microwave-assisted, mechanochemical, and electrochemical synthesis for Fe-MOF has been discussed along with their adsorptive and oxidative mechanisms involved in arsenic removal. The effects of factors like pH and coexisting ions have also been discussed. Lastly, the article also proposed the prospects for developing the application of Fe-based MOF in treating As-contaminated water., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Snow mountain garlic (SMG) is a trans-Himalayan medicinal plant used in the traditional medicine system for several ailments, including inflammatory arthritis. Research studies are insufficient to validate its folk medicinal applications. In the present study, the comparative abundance of its key bioactive phytocompounds, viz., S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC), alliin, and S-methyl-L-cysteine (SMC) against normal garlic were assessed using the LC-MS/MS-MRM method. In addition, the study also explored the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potency of crude extract of SMG and purified signature phytocompounds (i.e., SMC, SAC, and alliin) in comparison with normal garlic and dexamethasone in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The LC-MS/MS-MRM study revealed significant differences among SMG and normal garlic, viz., alliin 22.8-fold higher in SMG, and SMC could be detected only in SMG. In the bioassays, SMG extract and purified signature phytocompounds significantly downregulated oxidative damage in activated macrophages, boosting endogenous antioxidants' activity. SMG extract-treated macrophages significantly suppressed NF-κB expression and related inflammatory indicators such as cytokines, COX-2, iNOS, and NO. Notably, the observed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant bioactivities of SMG extract were comparable to signature phytocompounds and dexamethasone. In addition, SAC being uniformly found in SMG and normal garlic, its comparative pharmacokinetics was studied to validate the pharmacodynamic superiority of SMG over normal garlic. Significantly higher plasma concentrations (Cmax), half-life (t1/2), and area under curve (AUC) of SAC following SMG extract administration than normal garlic validated the proposed hypothesis. Thus, the abundance of bioactive phytocompounds and their better pharmacokinetics in SMG extract might be underlying its medicinal merits over normal garlic., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-dependent signaling is requisite for effective anti-microbial and anti-tumor activity. STING signaling is commonly defective in cancer cells, which enables tumor cells to evade the immunosurveillance system. We evaluate here whether intrinsic STING signaling in such tumor cells could be reconstituted by creating recombinant herpes simplex viruses (rHSVs) that express components of the STING signaling pathway. We observe that rHSVs expressing STING and/or cGAS replicate inefficiently yet retain in vivo anti-tumor activity, independent of oncolytic activity requisite on the trans-activation of extrinsic STING signaling in phagocytes by engulfed microbial dsDNA species. Accordingly, the in vivo effects of virotherapy could be simulated by nanoparticles incorporating non-coding dsDNA species, which comparably elicit the trans-activation of phagocytes and augment the efficacy of established cancer treatments including checkpoint inhibition and radiation therapy. Our results help elucidate mechanisms of virotherapeutic anti-tumor activity as well as provide alternate strategies to treat cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Over the years, bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals in the food chain has become a critical issue, resulting in numerous health risks. Environmental mitigation aims to clean up contaminated sites and eliminate hazardous materials from the air, water, or soil to restore the site to its original and safe condition. Pesticides constitute one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants which are generally used to increase crop production. Addressing the removal or treatment of pesticides has become pivotal in mitigating environmental threats. Diverse remediation methods are employed to protect the environment and public health. Graphene-based materials have emerged as promising candidates with exceptional properties, including excellent adsorption capacity due to their high surface area, strong hydrophilicity, and tunable properties. Owing to these properties, they have been attracting major research attention in the field of design and fabrication of materials for the mitigation of pesticides from the environment such as from contaminated food, water and other samples. Various physical, chemical and biological extraction techniques are adopted to remove pesticides. This review article provides an insight into the potential role of graphene-based materials in the environmental remediation of pesticides. We have focused on the removal of Organophosphates, Organochlorines, Carbamates and Pyrethroids present in water, fruit, vegetable and other samples, highlighting the urgent need for environmental remediation. While graphene-based materials hold potential for pesticide remediation, addressing challenges in scalable production, assessing long-term sustainability, and mitigating potential environmental impacts are critical steps for successful large-scale applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Genetic predisposition and environmental factors are considered risk factors for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been reported from various subpopulations to evaluate SNPs associated with PCOS risk. No PCOS-associated GWAS study has been reported from India so far., Purpose: The current study was conducted to identify the PCOS-susceptible loci among the North Indian population and to validate the significant loci reported by previous GWAS studies., Methods: A total of 272 participants with 134 PCOS patients and 138 age-matched healthy controls were recruited. Genomic DNA was isolated and genotyped by using Infinium Global Screening Array v3.0 microchip considering HWE 10e -5 statistically significant., Results: A total of fifteen markers have been identified as candidate PCOS risk factors. Only two SNPs, namely rs17186366 and rs11171739 have been identified through replication analysis while comparing the previously reported PCOS GWAS data. In-silico analysis was performed to study the functional impact of identified significant genes for gene ontology, pathways related to gene set, and cluster analysis to determine protein-protein interaction among genes or gene products., Conclusion: The study suggests that multiple variants play an important role in PCOS pathogenesis and emphasizes the importance of further genetic studies among Indian subpopulations. The study also validates two previously reported SNPs in the Indian population. What this study adds to clinical work Study summarizes the importance of candidate gene markers validated by replication and in-silico functional study, significantly involved in PCOS pathogenesis in the studied population. These markers can be used in the future as diagnostic markers for clinical phenotype identification., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Lignocellulolytic enzymes from a novel Myceliophthora verrucosa (5DR) strain was found to potentiate the efficacy of benchmark cellulase during saccharification of acid/alkali treated bagasse by ~ 2.24 fold, indicating it to be an important source of auxiliary enzymes. The De-novo sequencing and analysis of M. verrucosa genome (31.7 Mb) revealed to encode for 7989 putative genes, representing a wide array of CAZymes (366) with a high proportions of auxiliary activity (AA) genes (76). The LC/MS QTOF based secretome analysis of M. verrucosa showed high abundance of glycosyl hydrolases and AA proteins with cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) (AA8), being the most prominent auxiliary protein. A gene coding for lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) was expressed in Pichia pastoris and CDH produced by M. verrucosa culture on rice straw based solidified medium were purified and characterized. The mass spectrometry of LPMO catalyzed hydrolytic products of avicel showed the release of both C1/C4 oxidized products, indicating it to be type-3. The lignocellulolytic cocktail comprising of in-house cellulase produced by Aspergillus allahabadii strain spiked with LPMO & CDH exhibited enhanced and better hydrolysis of mild alkali deacetylated (MAD) and unwashed acid pretreated rice straw slurry (UWAP), when compared to Cellic CTec3 at high substrate loading rate., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The thermal degradation kinetics of flaxseed oil (FSO) and moringa oil (MO) blends with soyabean oil (SOY; 80%), rice bran oil (RBO; 80%), cotton seed oil (CSO; 80%) and sunflower oil (SFO; 80%) with Rancimat equipment. There was no significant ( p  ≤ 0.05) difference observed in the specific gravity (SG), density (D), and refractive index (RI) values of the MO and FSO blends, while the rancidity parameters showed the opposite variations. The FTIR spectra showed absorption bands at 966 cm -1 , 1097 cm -1 , 1160 cm -1 , 1217 cm -1 , 1377 cm -1 , 1464 cm -1 , 1743 cm -1 , 2945 cm -1 , 2852 cm -1 and 3008 cm -1 . Oil blends' kinetic degradation (Ea, ΔH, ΔS, A) is represented by the semilogarithmic relationship between the oxidative stability index (OSI) and temperature. The activation energy (Ea) ranged from 77.1 ± 0.21 to 106.9 ± 0.03 kJ/mol and 73.2 ± 0.01 to 104.4 ± 0.02 kJ/mol for flaxseed oil (FSO) and moringa oil (MO) blends, respectively. The enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) ranged from 67.3 to 121.6 kJ/mol, and - 60.2 to - 8.4 J/mol, and 63.55 to 95.59 kJ/mol and - 20.66 to - 4.11 J/mol for FSO blends and MO blends, respectively., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interestNo conflicts of interest., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Ivermectin was first discovered in the 1970s by Japanese microbiologist Satoshi Omura and Irish parasitologist William C. Campbell. Ivermectin has become a versatile pharmaceutical over the past 50 years. Ivermectin is a derivative of avermectin originally used to treat parasitic infections. Emerging literature has suggested that its role goes beyond this and may help treat inflammatory conditions, viral infections, and cancers. Ivermectin's anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anticancer effects were explored. Its traditional mechanism of action in parasitic diseases, such as scabies and malaria, rests on its ability to interfere with the glutamate-gated chloride channels in invertebrates and the lack of P-glycoprotein in many parasites. More recently, it has been discovered that the ability of ivermectin to block the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of the activated B (NF-κB) pathway that modulates the expression and production of proinflammatory cytokines is implicated in its role as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat rosacea. Ivermectin has also been evaluated for treating infections caused by viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 and adenoviruses, through inhibition of viral protein transportation and acting on the importin α/β1 interface. It has also been suggested that ivermectin can inhibit the proliferation of tumorigenic cells through various pathways that lead to the management of certain cancers. The review aimed to evaluate its multifaceted effects and potential clinical applications beyond its traditional use as an anthelmintic agent., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Kaur et al.)

Based on the biochemical understanding of Alzheimer's disease, here, we report the design, synthesis, and biological screening of a series of compounds against this neuro-disorder. Adopting the multitarget approach, the catalytic processes of BACE-1 and AChE were targeted, and thereby, compounds 15 , 22 , 25 , 26 , 27 , and 30 were identified with IC 50 in the submicromolar range against these two enzymes. Further, compounds 15 and 25 displayed more than 50% inhibition of β-amyloid aggregation. Implying their physiological use, the compounds exhibited appreciable biological membrane permeability as observed through the parallel artificial membrane permeability experiment. Supporting these results, treatment of the mice with the test compounds reversed their scopolamine-affected memory impairment, where the highest healing effect was seen in the case of compound 25 . Overall, the combination of molecular modeling and experimental studies provided highly effective molecules against Alzheimer's disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Huge amount of waste is generated by the pineapple processing industries which raises concerns regarding its safe disposal into the environment. This ever-increasing problem of waste management can be solved by the valorization of pineapple by-products to high-value compounds. The extraction of proteolytic enzyme, bromelain from pineapple rind using green techniques can help to overcome the drawbacks associated with conventional methods. In the present study, the extraction of bromelain from pineapple rind using microwave assisted technique resulted in considerable amount of proteolytic activity (127.8 U/mL) and protein content (2.55 mg/mL). The optimized extraction conditions were found as 200 W microwave power, 1:5 solid/ liquid ratio and after treatment time of 10 min. Highest specific activity (512 U/mg) of bromelain was obtained after using gel filtration chromatography. FTIR result confirmed the presence of functional groups in bromelain, whereas, XRD analysis indicated the semi-crystalline nature of bromelain. The results indicated MAE as an effective green technique for the extraction of bromelain from pineapple rind. The proteolytic action of the extracted bromelain makes it a suitable functional ingredient for its applications in bakery, dairy, and seafood processing industries., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) malnutrition are global health challenges that need immediate attention. Hence, to address these issues, a two-pronged approach involving the development and application of novel Zn and Fe products for crop fertilization may be a potential solution. Therefore, zinc oxide (ZnO) (∼13.2 nm) and ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) (∼15 nm) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and characterized. Seven nutrients treatments viz, control, ZnO- NPs (25 mg kg -1 ), Fe 2 O 3 -NPs (25 mg kg -1 ), ZnO + Fe 2 O 3 -NPs (25 mg kg -1 each), ZnSO 4 (55.8 mg kg -1 ), FeSO 4 (60.4 mg kg -1 ) and ZnSO 4 + FeSO 4 (55.8 and 60.4 mg kg -1 ) were arranged in five-time replicated Completely Randomized Design model to test the effectiveness of ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 NPs in two soybean cultivars over conventional zinc sulfate (ZnSO 4 ) and ferrous sulfate (FeSO 4 ) fertilizers. The results indicated that the photosynthetic rate (Pn) and chlorophyll content increased (33.9-86.2%) significantly at the flowering stage with ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 NPs applications, compared to their conventional counterparts. Likewise, the combined application of ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 NPs reduced H 2 O 2 production by 17-19% and increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities by 15-17% and 9.6-11.4% over the combined use of ZnSO 4 and FeSO 4 , respectively. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) showed an increase of 6.9-44.2% under ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 NPs, as well as ZnSO 4 and FeSO 4 . Furthermore, the combined application of NPs enhanced soybean seed yield by 4.6-18.3% compared to conventional Zn and Fe fertilizers. Concerning seed Zn and Fe density, conjoint application of ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 NPs increases Zn by 1.8-2.2-fold and Fe by 19.22-22.58% over the combined application of Zn SO 4 and FeSO 4 , respectively. While the application of NPs significantly decreased seed phytic acid concentrations by 7.3-59.9% compared to the control. These findings suggest that the combined application of ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 NPs effectively enhances soybean productivity, seed nutrient density, and overall produce quality. Therefore, the combined application of ZnO and Fe 2 O 3 -NPs in soybean can be a potential approach for sustainable soybean production and to reduce/arrest Zn and Fe malnutrition in a growing population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydatidiform moles are rare and thus most pathologists and geneticists have little experience with their diagnosis. It is important to promptly and correctly identify hydatidiform moles given that they are premalignant disorders associated with a risk of persistent gestational trophoblastic disease and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Improvement in diagnosis can be achieved with uniformization of diagnostic criteria and establishment of algorithms. To this aim, the Pathology and Genetics Working Party of the European Organisation for Treatment of Trophoblastic Diseases has developed guidelines that describe the pathological criteria and ancillary techniques that can be used in the differential diagnosis of hydatidiform moles. These guidelines are based on the best available evidence in the literature, professional experience and consensus of the experts' group involved in its development., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Salvage radiation therapy (SRT) and surveillance for low-risk prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence have competing risks and benefits. The efficacy of early SRT to the prostate bed with or without pelvic lymph nodes compared to surveillance in patients with PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy and no identifiable recurrent disease evident on prostate specific membrane antigen-positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PSMA-PET/CT) is unknown., Study Design: The Dedicated Imaging Post-Prostatectomy for Enhanced Radiotherapy outcomes (DIPPER) is an open-label, multicentre, randomised Phase II trial., Endpoints: The primary endpoint is 3-year event-free survival, with events comprising one of PSA recurrence (PSA ≥0.2 ng/mL higher than baseline), radiological evidence of metastatic disease, or initiation of systemic or other salvage treatments. Secondary endpoints include patient-reported outcomes, treatment patterns, participant perceptions, and cost-effectiveness., Eligibility Criteria: Eligible participants have PSA recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy, defined by serum PSA level of 0.2-0.5 ng/mL, deemed low risk according to modified European Association of Urology biochemical recurrence risk criteria (International Society for Urological Pathology Grade Group ≤2, PSA doubling time >12 months), with no definite/probable recurrent prostate cancer on PSMA-PET/CT., Patients and Methods: A total of 100 participants will be recruited from five Australian centres and randomised 1:1 to SRT or surveillance. Participants will undergo 6-monthly clinical evaluation for up to 36 months. Androgen-deprivation therapy is not permissible. Enrolment commenced May 2023., Trial Registration: This trial has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN: ACTRN12622001478707)., (© 2023 The Authors. BJU International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJU International.)