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Introduction: Quinazoline holds significant importance in pharmaceutical chemistry, which is included in a range of drugs, clinical contenders, and bioactive compounds. N-contain-ing heterocyclic compounds of quinazoline have a wide and distinct range of biopharmaceutical activities., Methods: A series of newly synthesized heterocyclic compounds, namely, N-(4-substituted ben-zylidene)-2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-6-methylquinazolin-3(4H)-amines (3a'-3e') and N-(4-substi-tuted benzylidene)-2-(2-aminooxazol-4-yl)-6-methylquinazolin-3(4H)-amines (3a-3e), were synthesized starting from 6-methylquinazolin-3(4H)-amine and 4-substituted benzaldehyde and their antibacterial and antifungal properties were evaluated. Moreover, they were compared with the well-known drugs Imipenem (as an antibacterial agent) and Miconazole (as an antifungal)., Results: Compound 3c' exhibited higher potential activity compared to newly synthesized other compounds and standard drugs when tested against the microorganism., Conclusion: The structure of substances was determined through elemental analysis (C.H.N.) and various spectroscopic technique (1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, and GCMS)., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Ruminant milk is a very complex table food and naturally encrypted with different components possessing various health-promoting characteristics., Aim: In the present study, we focused on breed-wise compositional difference in milk including various components and release of fatty acids and peptides during digestion., Methods: First, milk samples were analysed using lactoscan LW milk analyser, MALDI-TOF and gas chromatography. In addition, in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of milk was performed to determine the fatty acid and peptide concentration., Results: Percentage fat was significantly less in Karan Fries (KF) and Holstein Friesian (HF) milk compared to Sahiwal (SW), Tharparkar (TP), Gir (GIR) and Karan Swiss (KS). The mean conductivity displayed the healthy status in SW, TP, GIR, KF and HF milk. The protein was significantly higher in KF milk compared to SW, TP, GIR and HF milk. KS milk possessed the highest number of peptides followed by HF, SW, TP, GIR and KF milk. The fatty acid compositional difference was primarily observed in saturated fatty acids including the C4:0, C21:0 and also w6 linoleic acid. On the basis of peptide number of MALDI-TOF, milk from SW and KS was selected for digestion in in vitro to check the availability of fatty acids and peptides in the intestine. There was more release of fatty acids in SW milk and more peptide from KS milk in intestinal conditions. Therefore, the difference in composition exists based on protein and fat components in indigenous and crossbred cows' milk., Conclusions: The breed-wise difference in composition of milk is important to study as it not only reflected the nutritional value and various biological activities, but also emphasis on specific proteomic and lipidomic of milk that eventually can be used as criteria for selection of milk., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The research aimed to develop of a thiabendazole-derived dual metal sensing probe (TBZT) for the selective detection of metal ions and to explore its metal complexes in reducing environmental pollutants like nitro-phenol and dyes. Absorption and emission based studies predicted the selectivity and sensitivity of TBZT towards Ni(II) and Co(II) ions which was further validated by 1 HNMR, Mass, FT-IR, DFT, Docking, electrochemical, TGA studies and vibrating sample magnetometer analysis techniques. Limit of detection (LOD) values were calculated as 2 × 10 -10  M and 4.17 × 10 -8  M for Ni(II) metal ion in emission and absorption based techniques respectively and 2.8 × 10 -9  M and 4.5 × 10 -6  M for Co(II). EDTA based Reversible binding behaviour suggested its potential for constructing molecular logic gates. Catalytic studies of metal complexes of TBZT with these metals demonstrated TBZT-Co(II) superior activity in reducing nitro-phenol, rhodamine B and methyl red. Real sample analysis validated its capability for the environmental monitoring of these metal ions. This emphasized its potential application in metal ion detection and catalysis., 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 © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. People infected with B. pseudomallei experience fever and skin changes, pneumonia, abscesses, and septic shock that could cause death. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a severe inflammatory syndrome due to the excess activation of macrophages and T cells. We report a 50-year-old hypertensive and diabetic male patient presented with high-grade intermittent fever with loss of appetite and weight loss for two months and a history of jaundice, backache and swelling of both feet for 15 days. Blood and bone marrow culture grew Burkholderia pseudomallei. A liver biopsy revealed Kupffer cell hyperplasia and hemophagocytosis. The patient was treated with an injection of dexamethasone 4mg intravenous three times a day for five days and tapered over 15 days with ceftazidime 2 gm intravenous three times a day for six weeks. Early suspicion in the diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in septicemia can prevent severe complications, even death., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the data of diabetic patients regarding warning signs of hypoglycemia to predict it at an early stage using various novel machine learning (ML) algorithms. Individual interviews with diabetic patients were conducted over 6 months to acquire information regarding their experience with hypoglycemic episodes., Design: This information included warning signs of hypoglycemia, such as incoherent speech, exhaustion, weakness, and other clinically relevant cases of low blood sugar. Researchers used supervised, unsupervised, and hybrid techniques. In supervised techniques, researchers applied regression, while in hybrid classification ML techniques were used. In a 5-fold cross-validation approach, the prediction performance of seven models was examined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). We analyzed the data of 290 diabetic patients with low blood sugar episodes., Results: Our investigation discovered that gradient boosting and neural networks performed better in regression, with accuracies of 0.416 and 0.417, respectively. In classification models, gradient boosting, AdaBoost, and random forest performed better overall, with AUC scores of 0.821, 0.814, and 0.821, individually. Precision values were 0.779, 0.775, and 0.776 for gradient boosting, AdaBoost, and random forest, respectively., Conclusion: AdaBoost and Gradient Boosting models, in particular, outperformed all others in predicting the probability of clinically severe hypoglycemia. These techniques enable community health nurses to predict hypoglycemia at an early stage and provide the necessary therapies to patients to prevent complications resulting from hypoglycemia., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Elevated reactive species and AGEs contribute to deregulation of transcription factors e.g., NF-κB and Nrf2 in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Okanin, a bioactive chalcone, is active against redox imbalance, immune response, and pro-inflammatory events. The current investigation assessed effects of okanin in streptozotocin-induced DPN in rats. Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 6): Control, DPN, Okanin 2.5, Okanin 5, Okanin 10, and Gpn (Gabapentin). After 6 weeks of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) injection, okanin (2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg), and gabapentin (50 mg/kg), were administered for 4 weeks. The streptozotocin-induced reduction in body weight, and increased feed/water intake, insulin, glucose, and HbA1c levels were mitigated by okanin or gabapentin. In DPN rats, Okanin or gabapentin ameliorated insulin resistance and β-cell function, inflammatory indices, and oxidative stress in the sciatic nerve of rodents thereby culminating in a decrease in hyperalgesia and allodynia. Okanin and streptozotocin-treated rats had significantly declined levels of AGEs, the receptor for AGEs, and NF-κB, and an upsurge in Nrf2 expression. In streptozotocin-induced DPN model, okanin ameliorates nociceptive-like responses by regulating the AGEs/NF-κB/Nrf2 pathway, suggesting that okanin has therapeutic value against DPN which needs further studies involving human subjects., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The outcome of acute kidney injury (AKI) depends on causes, patient factors and care received. We studied the causes, complications and 90-day outcomes of patients with AKI at a tertiary referral centre in Sri Lanka. Methods: Patients aged 18 years or older with AKI referred to nephrology services were analysed retrospectively. AKI severity was assessed using the KDIGO classification. Information was gathered from hospital and clinic records. Results: Of the 464 patients studied, 262 (56.5%) were males. The mean age of the study sample was 57.04 (SD 16.85) years. The majority (212-45.69%) were discharged with normal renal functions, 173 (37.28%) were discharged with impaired functions, and 79 (17.03%) died during hospital stay. There were 377 patients at 3 months follow-up; 331 (87.8%) had normalised renal function, 40 (10.6%) had not recovered fully and 6 (1.6%) had succumbed. Progression of AKI to chronic kidney disease or death was significantly high in patients aged > 60 years ( p =0.017). More severe AKI was associated with type 2 diabetes ( p =0.0042), hypertension ( p < 0.0001) and multiple comorbidities ( p =0.0014). Persons with no comorbidities had less severe AKI ( p =0.0004). Even in the early stages of AKI, there was significantly high mortality (11% in AKI stages 1 and 2) which doubled in stage 3 (22%). Mortality was low in patients with prerenal causes of AKI (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.35-0.99 and p =0.047). Conclusions: AKI in elderly and comorbid patients has high morbidity and mortality. Identification of individuals who are at high risk of developing AKI is important for its prevention, early diagnosis and proper treatment. Limitations in infrastructure, manpower, local research, reporting and recording of AKI are key challenges in providing optimal care for AKI in Sri Lanka., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Nalaka Herath et al.)

Aim: Voriconazole (VRZ) is highly effective in treating invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), in addition to hepatotoxicity. Therefore, the current study focuses on the development and characterization of voriconazole-loaded microspheres (VRZ@PCL MSPs) to augment pulmonary localization and antifungal efficacy., Methods: VRZ@PCL MSPs were fabricated by using the o/w emulsion method. The optimized F3VRZ@PCL MSPs were subjected to physicochemical characterization, in vitro release, hemocompatibility, antifungal efficacy as well as pharmacokinetic and biodistribution evaluation., Results: The optimized F3VRZ@MSPs exhibited a particle size (10.90 ± 2.61 µm), entrapment efficiency (19.35 ± 2.47%), drug loading (3.22 ± 0.41%) with sustained release behavior up to 24 h and hemocompatibility upto 50 µg/mL. Results of antifungal testing indicated the superior antifungal potential of F3VRZ@PCL MSPs as compared to free VRZ and nystatin. In vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation in Sprague-Dawley rats displayed 12.5-fold and 4.5-fold increments, respectively, in t 1/2 and AUC 0-t of F3VRZ@PCL MSPs as compared to free VRZ. Moreover, F3VRZ@PCL MSPs displayed relatively higher lung targeting with a drug targeting index (DTI) of 0.213 as compared to DTI of 0.037 of free VRZ., Conclusion: In conclusion, F3VRZ@PCL MSPs offer a promising approach for sustained and targeted delivery of VRZ and hold the potential to offer high therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of IPA.

Cytoplasmic T Lymphocyte Antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene encodes for a glycoprotein, expressed on activated T-cells to transfer an inhibitory signal to control T-cell activation and proliferation. Techniques coupled with Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and High-Resolution Melting Analysis (HRMA) were used to screen a missense signal peptide polymorphism (CTLA-4 + 49 A/G rs231775) in the Indian population to detect its association with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Further, the resulting outcome was confirmed by Sanger's sequencing technique, and genotype frequencies were calculated. In eukaryotic cells, the M domain of the Signal Recognition Particle (SRP-54) recognizes the N-terminal region of the Signal Peptide (SP) sequence. SP directs the polypeptide chain into the Sec-61 translocon of the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) for further protein modification. As the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) rs231775 lies in the signal peptide region of CTLA-4, an in-silico study was also performed to predict the mRNA stability and SP-SRP protein interaction. From the study, it was observed that the genotype frequency of rs231775 SNP G/G homozygous dominant was significantly higher in RA patients than G/A heterozygous dominant and A/A homozygous recessive conditions (Odd Ratio (OR) = 2.0862; 95 % Confidence Interval (C.I) = 1.2584 to 3.4584; Relative Risk (RR) = 1.8507; p = 0.0044). Moreover, the rs231775 SNP G allele frequency was higher in RA than the control group G = 0.407 (40.7 %) vs 0.32 (32 %). In silico approaches of Protein-Protein docking and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation reveal CTLA-4 rs231775 SNP (G allele) has destabilized the SP-SRP protein complex, which may affect the translocation of CTLA-4 nascent polypeptide chains into the ER via activating Regulation of Aberrant Protein Production (RAPP) pathway., 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.)

The molecular chaperones HSP70 and HSP90 play key roles in proteostasis by acting as adapters; they bind to a 'client' protein, often with the assistance of cochaperones, and then recruit additional cochaperones that promote specific fates (e.g., folding or degradation). One family of cochaperones contains a region termed the tetratricopeptide repeat with carboxylate clamps (CC-TPRs) domain. These domains bind to an EEVD motif at the C-termini of cytoplasmic HSP70 and HSP90 proteins, bringing them into proximity to chaperone-bound clients. It has recently become clear that CC-TPR proteins also bind to 'EEVD-like' motifs in non-chaperone proteins, circumventing the need for HSP70s or HSP90s. We provide an overview of the chaperone-dependent and -independent roles of CC-TPR proteins and discuss how, together, they shape proteostasis., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the face of declining crop yields, inefficient fertilizer usage, nutrient depletion, and limited water availability, the efficiency of conventional NPK fertilizers is a critical issue in India. The hypothesis of this study posits that nano-nitrogen could enhance growth and photosynthetic efficiency in crop plants compared to conventional fertilizers. For this, a randomized block design (RBD) field experiment was conducted with six treatments: no nitrogen (T1), 100% N through urea (T2), and varying levels of N replacement with nano-nitrogen (33%: T3; 50%: T4; 66%: T5; and 100%: T6). Morphological and physiological traits and yield attributes were measured at physiological maturity, and yield attributes were measured at harvest. Results showed that 33% nitrogen replacement with nano-nitrogen (T3) outperformed conventional urea (T2) in physiological traits and achieved higher grain yields (3789 kg/ha for rice and 4206 kg/ha for wheat) compared to T2 (3737 kg/ha for rice and 4183 kg/ha for wheat with 100% urea). Although T4 and T5 showed statistically similar yields, they were lower than T2 and T3 for rice, while 50%, 66%, and 100% replacements reduced wheat yield by 2.49%, 8.39%, and 41.26%, respectively, compared to T2. Key enzymes of N metabolism decreased with higher nano-nitrogen substitution. Maximum nitrogen availability was observed in T2 and T3. This study concludes that nano-nitrogen is an effective strategy to enhance growth, balancing productivity and environmental sustainability.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is widely used for treating several cancers, including breast, ovarian, lung, esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and neck cancers. Despite its clinical utility, cancer recurrence frequently occurs in patients due to the development of resistance to PTX. Resistance mechanisms in cancer cells treated with PTX include alterations in β-tubulin, the target molecule involved in mitosis, activation of molecular pathways enabling drug efflux, and dysregulation of apoptosis-related proteins. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are RNA molecules longer than 200 nucleotides without protein-coding potential, serve diverse regulatory roles in cellular processes. Increasing evidence highlights the involvement of lncRNAs in cancer progression and their contribution to PTX resistance across various cancers. Consequently, lncRNAs have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for addressing drug resistance in cancer treatment. This review focuses on the current understanding of lncRNAs and their role in drug resistance mechanisms, aiming to encourage further investigation in this area. Key lncRNAs and their associated pathways linked to PTX resistance will be summarized., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune self-limiting disorder characterized by a decreased platelet count. Usually, it affects children after viral infections. Adults often develop chronic ITP, but they can also develop ITP following viral infections, which is uncommon. A decrease in platelet synthesis from megakaryocytes and a reduction in platelet half-life appear to cause post-viral thrombocytopenia. Most clinical signs of post-viral thrombocytopenia appear towards the end of the first week of illness, but if they appear after the second week of illness, ITP development should be considered. Although thrombocytopenia is frequently associated with dengue fever, reports of ITP as a presenting symptom are less common. We describe a female patient in her forties who presented with ITP as the initial symptom of dengue fever. The patient was successfully managed with supportive care and platelet transfusions. This case highlights the importance of considering ITP as a potential complication of dengue fever and emphasizes the need for early diagnosis and appropriate management., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication 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, Sahoo et al.)

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare type of malignant bone tumor that arises from mesenchymal stem cells. It commonly occurs in the diaphysis and diaphyseal-metaphyseal portions of long bones, pelvis, and ribs, although any bone can be affected. A minority of the Ewing sarcoma also arise in soft tissues, and a primary tumor in the neck with metastasis is extremely uncommon. We are reporting the case of a 12-year-old female with a history of fever for 4 months and a neck mass for 3 months. Given the broad range of inflammatory and neoplastic etiologies, an extensive laboratory and imaging workup was conducted. Cervical lymph node biopsy for histopathology showed sheets of round blue cells consistent with the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma in the neck, while a positive immunohistochemical assays for NKX2.2 , and negative assay for PAX-5 , TdT markers neurofilament , neuron-specific enolase , and S100 protein ruled out the alternative etiologies such as rhabdomyosarcoma and lymphoma. After surgical excision of tumor, chemoradiotherapy was initiated. Despite the typically benign nature of extraosseous Ewing tumors, they can rarely metastasize in less than 20% of cases, as exemplified by this rare case. Accurate diagnosis requires a combined clinic-radio-immunohistochemical approach, and general practitioners should be aware of this clinical entity in neck masses considering its variable clinical presentation and poor prognosis in certain patient's population., Competing Interests: Competing InterestsNone., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of 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.)

Background: Environmental enteropathy' (EE) is common among children who are highly exposed to enteric pathogens in low-resource settings. We optimized and validated a stable isotope-based breath test of intestinal sucrase activity ( 13 C-SBT) as a noninvasive test of carbohydrate digestion and metabolism., Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the 13 C-SBT and the lactulose/rhamnose ratio (LR) and growth in children. Secondary objectives were to assess the relationship between the 13 C-SBT and additional biomarkers of EE. We also characterized the relationship between the 13 C-SBT and child sex and dietary diversity, as well as household socio-economic status and food security., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 12-to-15-mo-old children were recruited in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, and Peru. Children were assessed with a 4-h 13 C-SBT and a 90-min LR test. Plasma was collected to determine the citrulline and kynurenine/tryptophan ratio. Length and weight were measured, and other variables were assessed through questionnaires. For a subset of children, anthropometry was re-measured after 3 mo. Linear regression was used to examine associations corresponding to each objective., Results: Three sites generated 13 C-SBT breath curves that enabled pooled analysis. Differences in 13 C-SBT breath curves, LR ratios, and other EE biomarkers were observed between sites. No associations were observed for 13 C-SBT summary measures and LR or child growth [e.g., the association between LR and cumulative percent dose recovered at 90 min: -0.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.79, 0.70]. Length-for-age and weight-for-age were positively associated with the time to 50% of dose recovered (0.05; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.09, and 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.07, respectively), and dietary diversity was associated with time at which 50% of the dose recovered by 240 min is recovered and cumulative percent dose recovered at 90 min (-0.10; 95% CI: -0.18, -0.02 and 2.67; 95% CI: 0.47, 4.88, respectively)., Conclusions: In children at risk of EE, there were no associations between the 13 C-SBT, LR, or other EE biomarkers encompassing different pathophysiological domains of EE. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04109352., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest VOO is employed by the funding organization. All other authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This article presents the synthesis of chalcone allied 1,2,3-triazole via an aldol-click reaction. The newly synthesized compound chalcogenyl based 1,2,3-triazole (7) selectively detects Co (II) ion over other metal cations by UV-visible photophysical study with the limit of detection value of 1.24 × 10 -8 M. Job's plot confirms that compound (7) and the Co (II) metal ion have 1:1 binding stoichiometry. The binding mechanism between Co (II) and sensor was confirmed by using 1 H NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and DFT studies. The reversible behaviour of 7 towards Co (II) was used to construct a molecular logic gate. The compound (7) demonstrated good antioxidant activity with an IC 50 value of 3.04 µM in comparison to 1.31 µM of DPPḢ. Further, to explore the antioxidant effect of ligand 7, the molecular docking analysis was performed with xanthine oxidase protein and the obtained binding energy was -11.08 kcal/mol., 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.)

A large population in the world lives in tropical and subtropical regions, showing a high risk of Zika viral infection which leads to a situation of global health emergency and demands extensive research to create effective antiviral medicines. Herein, we introduce the design of a new derivatized trans-stilbene molecule to investigate the inhibition of Zika virus entry into the host cell by molecular docking approach. The synthesized compound has been characterized by different analytical techniques such as FTIR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy as well as Mass spectrometry (MS). Moreover, the complete structure elucidation was achieved via X-ray crystallography and DFT analysis. The article describes the life cycle and genome of the Zika virus along with its mechanism of entry inhibition by illustrating the structure and function of the ZIKV envelop (E) protein. The docking studies disclosed that the newly synthesized stilbene compound confers an excellent inhibitory response towards the entry of Zika virus in host cells as supported by calculated docking score and its binding conformation with Zika virus E-protein. Further, the normal mode analysis (NMA) simulation technique is used to predict the conformational states of the target E-protein, which explains the potency of the compound to bind with the Zika virus E-protein. We hope that the present study will help and encourage researchers in the field of medicinal chemistry to develop potential drugs against the Zika virus., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/objectives: The bioavailability of crystalline vitamin B 12 (B 12 ) through active absorption is reported to have a maximum capacity of 1.5-2.5 µg per dose. A small passive bioavailability has also been suggested at high doses. The present study aimed to determine the dose-dependency of active B 12 absorption and to quantify its passive absorption at higher doses., Methods: The dose-dependency of crystalline B 12 bioavailability was determined in nine healthy adults, using oral [ 13 C]-cyanocobalamin, in a cross-over design at doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 µg. The dose order was randomised, with a washout of one month. Literature data from was added to the present study data in a meta-analysis of the relation between B 12 bioavailability and dose, to evaluate its pattern at different doses., Results: Bioavailability, as a function of dose, was significantly different between 2.5, 5, and 10 µg doses of [ 13 C]-cyanocobalamin at 50.9 ± 32.5%, 26.7 ± 22.3%, 15.4 ± 13.6%, respectively, ( p < 0.01), while the absolute bioavailability trended upward, at 1.16 ± 0.74 µg, 1.22 ± 1.02 µg, and 1.39 ± 1.23 µg ( p = 0.46). The meta-analysis showed two distinct phases of bioavailability. Up to a dose of 2.6 µg, there was a significant steep positive correlation, with a slope (bioavailability) of 43%/µg suggesting an active process with a maximum of 1.2 µg. At higher doses, the slope was 1%/µg, not significantly different from zero, possibly a passive process., Conclusions: The active bioavailability of crystalline B 12 is not dose-dependent, saturating at ~1.2 µg.

Oleuropein (OLP) holds promise as a therapeutic candidate for both Plasmodium falciparum infection and cancer. It modulates the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt1 signaling pathway to regulate inflammation and restore immune homeostasis. Moreover, it influences the cell death/autophagy axis, along with increasing the antimalarial efficacy of artemisinin. Our findings indicate that the anti-breast-cancer effect of OLP could be mediated by regulating the balance of T helper 17 and regulatory T cells. Additionally, we discuss the use of hematopoietic-stem-cell-transplanted immunodeficient mice with a humanized immune system for validating the antimalarial activity, autophagy and anticancer activity of OLP., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Protein quality, evaluated using Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), requires ileal digestibility values of individual indispensable amino acids (IAAs) in each protein. However, true tryptophan (Trp) digestibility has rarely been quantified in humans., Objective: To measure the true Trp digestibility and DIAAS of 2 H-intrinsically labeled plant and animal protein sources in humans, using the dual isotope tracer technique., Methods: The true Trp digestibility of 2 H intrinsically labeled plant proteins such as whole mung bean (n = 6) and dehulled mung bean (n = 6), chickpea (n = 5), and yellow pea (n = 5), and protein from animal source foods such as egg white (n = 6), whole egg (n = 6), chicken meat (n = 6), and goat milk (n = 7) was determined against the known digestibility of U- 13 C spirulina whole cell protein as reference, except for goat milk protein that was measured against free crystalline 13 C-Trp as reference. Banked samples from earlier studies conducted to determine true IAA digestibility of different protein sources were used for the analysis. DIAAS was calculated for each test protein using digestibility corrected IAA scores (mg IAA/g of protein) in comparison with the IAA requirement score for adults., Results: The true Trp digestibility of whole mung bean, dehulled mung bean, chickpea, yellow pea, egg white, whole egg, chicken meat, and goat milk were 67.6 ± 3.7%, 74.5 ± 4.4%, 72.6 ± 2.3%, 72.5 ± 2.2%, 89.7 ± 2.5%, 91.4 ± 2.6%, 95.9 ± 2.2%, and 92.8 ± 2.9%, respectively. The true Trp digestibility of plant protein sources was significantly lower than that of animal protein sources (P < 0.05). Trp was not a limiting IAA in all the tested proteins., Conclusion: The true Trp digestibility determined in this study ranged from 67.6 ± 3.7% to 95.9 ± 2.2% for whole mung bean and chicken meat, respectively, and adds to the database of individual true IAA digestibility of different protein sources., Trial Registration Number: This study was registered in Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) with registration numbers CTRI/2017/11/010468, CTRI/2020/04/024512, and CTRI/2018/03/012265., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An important objective of researchers is to develop a perfect wound dressing that can effectively treat different kinds of wounds. Natural substances with beneficial qualities, such as plant extracts and biopolymers are an ideal aid for wound care. Hydrogels based on biopolymers offer a lot of promising applications for topical use and are biocompatible, hydrophilic and non-toxic. When employed alone or in conjunction with other active agents, herbal extracts have a great deal of use in the healing of wounds. This study comprises Ruellia tuberosa extract loaded with carboxymethyl cellulose and guar gum hydrogels that have potential anti-bacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hemocompatibility. Using mouse fibroblast cells (L929), the MTT (3- (4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) test was conducted to assess the biocompatibility. Furthermore, the scratch wound assay using the L929 fibroblast cell line of mouse was employed to assess the in vitro wound healing potential of the synthesised composite hydrogels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction The etiology of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is multifactorial. The three main components that are implicated in DFUs are foot deformity, repeated minor trauma to the foot, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.  Aim and objectives The study aims to find the prevalence of diabetes patients having a foot at risk using the Simplified 60-Second Diabetic Foot Screen tool (SSDFST). The objective is to ascertain the dispersal of various categories of the foot at risk in patients with diabetes and to find out the association of neuropathy with the various risk factors for the evolution of DFUs . Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study comprising 128 patients; a detailed history and examination including neurological and vascular assessment were performed attending a tertiary care hospital. Patients were screened for the risk of diabetic foot using the SSDFST. The detection of loss of protective sensation (LOPS) using a simple 10-g monofilament test (10g M) was highly predictive of subsequent ulceration, which had been reported by the Seattle Diabetic Foot Study. The foot at risk was correlated with demographic and clinical features. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, significant at p = 0.05. Results Out of 128 patients, 92 (72%) and 36 (28%) were male and female, respectively. The mean duration of diabetes was 7.42 ± 6.23 years (range 1-27). The mean age and BMI of the study population were 53.13 ± 10.99 years and 25.93 ± 4.46 kg/m 2 , respectively. Out of 128 patients, 82 (64%) were normal without any risk factor for diabetic foot, and 46 (36%) patients had at least one risk factor for diabetic foot using the SSDFST. About 36% of patients were combinedly qualified for the foot at risk into (categories 1, 2, and 3), among which six (5%) were placed under category 1, 18 (14%) patients were classified under category 2 with LOPS + PAD, and 22 (17%) were placed under category 3 with a history of ulcer and/or amputation. The duration of diabetes, previous foot ulcer, deformity, absent pedal pulses, active ulcers, and neuropathy (p = 0.05) were significantly associated with neuropathy measured by 10g M.  Conclusions Our study revealed that one-third of our patients had at least one risk factor for the diabetic foot using the SSDFST. About one-fifth of our patients had neuropathy detected by monofilaments. Meanwhile, two-fifth of the study population were aware of proper foot care practices., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institute Ethics Committee of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar issued approval T/IM-NF/Endoci/19/20. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. 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, Behera et al.)

Tetrahedral carbon is a well-accepted structural motif. Theory has paved the way for many rule-breaking planar tetracoordinate carbon structures. Herein, we have explored the possibility of phosphorous supported carbon cluster C(P 4 ) 2+ to locate a planar tetracoordinate carbon centre (ptC). Our calculations revealed a penta-atomic planar tetracoordinate carbon (ptC) atom as a local minimum with a significant barrier for interconversion into the lowest energy isomer. The proposed species is kinetically stable and is a probable candidate for experimental detection. The stabilization of the planar structure arises due to delocalization of the p-electrons of the central carbon atom to the surrounding P 4 skeleton and significant electrostatic attraction.

Chemotherapy is a key treatment option for gastric cancer, but over 50% of patients develop either inherent or acquired resistance to these drugs, resulting in a 5-year survival rate of only about 20%. The primary treatment for advanced gastric cancer typically involves chemotherapy based on platinum or fluorouracil. Several factors can contribute to platinum resistance, including decreased drug uptake, increased drug efflux or metabolism, enhanced DNA repair, activation of pro-survival pathways, and inhibition of pro-apoptotic pathways. In recent years, there has been significant progress in biology aimed at finding innovative and more effective methods to overcome chemotherapy resistance. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have emerged as a significant advancement in gene expression regulation, showing promise in enhancing the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs. However, siRNA therapies still face major challenges, particularly in terms of stability and efficient delivery in vivo. This article discusses the advances in siRNA therapy and its potential role in overcoming resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs such as cisplatin, 5-FU, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel in the treatment of gastric cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Wheat is a vital crop, providing calories, nutrients and versatility in the food industry. However, the combination of heat and drought stress, exacerbated by climate change, poses a significant threat to wheat production, leading to potential yield losses. To ensure the sustainability of wheat production it is crucial to prioritize research on developing stress-tolerant wheat genotypes. The current study focused on identifying the traits that are important for developing stress-tolerant wheat varieties under timely sown irrigated, drought stress, heat stress, and combined stress conditions. It addresses the knowledge gap regarding the combined effects of heat and drought stress on wheat physiology and yield, aiming to shed light on the intricate interactions between these stresses. The experiment was conducted at CCS HAU, Hisar, during the Rabi seasons of 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. By evaluating variability parameters, conducting correlation analysis, and path coefficient analysis among 80 diverse wheat genotypes, this research identifies genetic factors contributing to stress tolerance and helps select plants with desirable characteristics. The results showed that traits i.e., malendialdehyde, wax covering on blade, wax covering on sheath and wax covering on spike had high potential for improvement through selection among genotypes for grain yield and its component traits. The study also highlighted the importance of selecting wheat varieties with early maturity to mitigate the risk of yield loss under combined stress conditions. Moreover, the interaction between drought and heat stress can increase oxidative stress, leading to elevated malondialdehyde levels. Selecting varieties with lower malondialdehyde and optimal canopy temperature is important. Understanding the complex response of wheat to heat, drought, and their combined stress is essential for improving crop quality and production potential. Overall, this research contributes to the field of plant breeding by facilitating the development of wheat varieties with high and stable yields in challenging environments., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Bufadienolides, specifically bufalin, have garnered attention for their potential therapeutic application in modulating inflammatory pathways. Bufalin is derived from toad venom and exhibits promising anti-inflammatory properties. Its anti-inflammatory effects have been demonstrated by influencing crucial signaling pathways like NF-B, MAPK, and JAK-STAT, resulting in the inhibition of pro-inflammatory substances like cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. Bufalin blocks inflammasome activation and reduces oxidative stress, hence increasing its anti-inflammatory properties. Bufalin has shown effectiveness in reducing inflammation-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular problems, and autoimmune ailments in preclinical investigations. Furthermore, producing new approaches of medication delivery and combining therapies with bufalin shows potential for improving its effectiveness and reducing adverse effects. This review explores the pharmacological effects and mechanistic approaches of bufalin as an anti-inflammatory agent, which further highlights its potential for therapy and offers the basis for further study on its therapeutic application in inflammation-related disorders., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of mobile health (mHealth) applications that promote cervical cancer awareness and provide screening assistance, with an emphasis on apps available on the Google Play Store and iOS., Methods: From December 2023 to February 2024, we assessed mobile applications focused on cervical cancer screening that are available on Google Play and Apple iTunes. The "Cervical Cancer," "Mobile Application," "Pap Test," "Cervical Cancer Guide," "Human Papillomavirus," plus "Cervical Screening are the keywords used to search the applications." Data collection includes features such as application name, pricing, download metrics, invention date, last update, affiliation, online access, login requirements, and notification functionality, which were gathered in Excel. Interrater reliability based on four reviewers' independent judgments, varied from 0.75 to 0.83., Result: In our research, we found 25 apps (16 on the Google Play Store and 9 on iOS). After a thorough review, only 14 relevant apps were included. According to the MARS rating, Rise Against Cancer received the highest score (3.9), followed by FightHPV and Cervical Cancer Forum (3.8). Rise Against Cancer (29), HPV Vaccine (28), and CDC STI Tx Guidelines (28) scored highest in the APPLICATIONS rating system. Hope 4 All and OCI Cervibreast closely matched the statements, meeting seven of the thirteen requirements each., Conclusion: Future app developers should produce user-friendly, often updated mHealth applications that include high-quality cervical cancer awareness and screening content. These apps should provide validated information and pleasant graphic effects.

We analyzed the toxic effect of the ethanolic extract of Passiflora incarnata (EEP) and its nanoformulation (N-EEP) in the in vitro and in vivo models (zebrafish embryos and Swiss albino mice). The EEP composition was verified by phytochemical and GC-MS analysis. The synthesized N-EEP was characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro results showed both EEP and N-EEP have a dose-dependent effect in L132 cells (normal embryonic lung cells). In zebrafish embryos, no developmental changes were observed for both EEP and N-EEP at 200 µg/ml. The acute and sub-acute toxicity of EEP and N-EEP was identified by oral administration in Swiss albino mice. A single-day oral dose of EEP and N-EEP at different concentrations was administered for acute toxicity, and changes in body weight, food, water intake, temperature, respiration rate, skin color changes, and eye color till 72 h was observed. In a sub-acute toxicity study, 28 days oral administration of different concentrations of EEP and N-EEP was done. Hematological analysis, serum hepatic biochemical parameter analysis, and histopathological analysis for the liver, kidney, spleen, intestine, and heart were performed. The results indicated that lower than 600 mg/kg of EEP and N-EEP can safely be used for the remediation of a spectrum of diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The Earth's climate is influenced by both natural phenomena (solar fluctuations, oceanic patterns, volcanic eruptions, and tectonic movements) and human activities (deforestation, CO and CO2 emissions, and desertification), all of which contribute to ongoing climate change and the resulting global warming. However, human actions are a major factor in exacerbating global warming and amplifying its adverse impacts worldwide. . With rising temperatures, water evaporation from water bodies and soils intensifies, leading to heightened water scarcity, particularly in drought-prone regions. This scarcity compounds rainfall deficits, posing significant challenges. Precipitation, essential for the biosphere's hydrological cycle, replenishes much of the world's freshwater. It occurs when condensed water vapor in the atmosphere falls back to Earth as rain, drizzle, sleet, graupel, hail, or snow due to gravity. Literature highlights the indispensable role of bacterial populations in this process, termed bio-precipitation. This phenomenon begins with bacterial colonization on plant surfaces, with colonies subsequently dispersed into the atmosphere by winds, triggering ice crystal formation. Through their ice nucleating property, these bacteria facilitate the growth of larger ice crystals, which eventually melt and precipitate as rain or snow. This mechanism aids in nutrient transfer from clouds to soil or vegetation. Pseudomonas syringae stands out as the most notable microorganism exhibiting this ice-nucleation property, serving as the primary source of ice nucleators driving bio-precipitation. Despite limited literature on "rain and snow-causing bacteria," this review comprehensively explores the conceptual background of bio-precipitation, the involved bioprocesses, and the critical role of bacteria like P. syringae, offering insights into future research directions., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in pregnancy is associated with adverse foetomaternal outcomes. The literature is scarce with respect to maternal and perinatal outcomes in women with mild SCH (TSH levels between 2.5-4 mIU/L)., Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to compare the pregnancy outcome between SCH and euthyroid women. The secondary objectives were to find out the proportion of women with SCH having thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and to see the effect of TPOAb positivity on foetomaternal outcomes., Materials and Methods: A total of 178 pregnant women were recruited in the first trimester, and those with TSH between 0.1 and 2.4 mIU/L were considered as euthyroid and 2.5-4mIU/L were labelled as SCH. Women with SCH underwent testing for TPOAb. All women were followed until delivery, and foetomaternal outcomes were assessed., Results: Amongst SCH group, there was a significantly higher proportion of overweight and obese women (76/91 (83.51%) vs 59/87 (68%), p = 0.031). The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was higher with adjusted odds ratio of 3.24 (1.41-7.43) in women with SCH as compared to euthyroid women. Otherwise, there was no difference in foetomaternal outcomes between the two groups. The proportion of gestational diabetes mellitus, intrauterine growth retardation and still birth were higher in SCH women with TPOAb as compared to euthyroid. Amongst SCH women, the proportion of induced labour was lower (aOR:0.27 (0.08-0.93) whereas the proportion of stillbirth and low APGAR scores were higher in TPOAb-positive women with a statistically significant difference and adjusted odds ratio (aOR:20.18 (1.84-220.83)) and (aOR:4.77 (1.06-21.3)), respectively, when compared to TPOAb-negative women., Conclusion: There appears to be no difference in pregnancy outcomes between women with SCH and euthyroid women except higher NICU admission in SCH group. Future multi-centre large prospective studies are required to understand better about the pregnancy outcomes in these women., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The rural-urban healthcare disparity in India was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the second wave hitting rural areas particularly hard due to weak infrastructure. A study in Chhattisgarh aims to explore the experiences of severely ill COVID-19 survivors and caregivers to inform patient-centric care delivery in primary settings., Methods: In this qualitative study, we conducted in-depth interviews with seven patients and seven caregivers during home visits or telephonically to understand lived experiences of receiving care for COVID-19 in an ICU in the public health system. Socioecological model was used to guide the qualitative inquiry., Results: COVID-19 patients faced stigma due to their diagnosis. The survivors felt lonely due to isolation, uncertainty about their illness, and fear of death. Poor mental health during ICU stay affected their physical health. Patients with caregivers felt supported despite visitor restrictions. Transparent communication with health providers reduced distress., Conclusion: The study in Chhattisgarh, India, highlights ICU survivors' and caregivers' experiences, revealing fear and loneliness among patients. Effective communication and caregiver presence improve outcomes, emphasizing holistic support. There's an urgent need for palliative care integration, caregiver inclusion, and comprehensive post-discharge follow-up by primary-level practitioners in rural settings. Lack of state-level palliative care policy emphasizes the need for comprehensive initiatives to enhance healthcare outcomes., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Background: Sustainable crop production along with best nutrient use efficiency is the key indicator of smart agriculture. Foliar application of plant nutrients can complement soil fertilization with improved nutrient uptake, translocation and utilization. Recent developments in slow releasing, nano-fertilizers in agriculture, begins a new era for sustainable use and management of natural resources. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of nano-nitrogen usage on plant growth, yield attributes and sustaining rice production while optimizing fertilizer N application through conventional (prilled urea) and nano-N source under salt stress conditions., Results: The strategic substitutions of traditional urea by nano-nitrogen was distributed from partial to complete with 33, 50, 66 and 100% applications. Further, the strategic substitutions were compared in saline (ECe ∼ 6.0 dSm - 1 ) and sodic stress (pH ∼ 9.1) conditions along with normal soils to dissect the beneficial response of nano-N in two rice varieties (CSR 30 and PB 1121). Salt stress affected the plant performance by decreasing leaf relative water content upto 10%, total chlorophyll content by 1.3-1.5%, leaf area upto 29.9%, gas exchange attributes by 10-39%, with concomitant yield reductions upto ∼ 4%. Collateral improvement in leaf greenness (SPAD index) crop growth rate and net assimilation rate was observed with foliar application of Nano-N. 0.2-1.64% enhancement in growth traits, 0.93-1.85% in physiological traits, and comparable yield gains with 100% recommended dose of prilled were comparative with nano-substitutions. Salt tolerant rice variety, CSR-30 performed better than PB 1121 with better expression of morphological, physiological and yield traits under stress conditions and nitrogen substitutions., Conclusions: Overall, our experimental findings revealed agricultural use of nano-N in improving the plant physiological efficiency and optimizing rice yields with partial N substitution through nano fertilizers under salt stress conditions. These studies are further open for futuristic aspects of long term effects of nano-fertilizers on soil nutrient depletion in correlation to yield enhancement in salt affected soils., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Cytoplasmic T Lymphocyte Antigen - 4 (CTLA-4) gene encodes an immunoregulatory receptor expressed on surface of activated T-cells to mediate peripheral tolerance against self-antigen. It suppresses auto-reactive T-cell proliferation either by inactivation or apoptosis of T-cells. The CTLA-4 mRNA undergoes alternative splicing to synthesize a native soluble form of CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4) protein, which lacks exon 3 that encodes for transmembrane region. As a result, sCTLA-4 circulates as a soluble serum protein and acts as an immunoregulator molecule to maintain homeostasis in the blood., Materials and Results: Techniques coupled with quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and High-Resolution Melting Analysis (HRMA) were used to screen CTLA-4 3'Untranslated Region (UTR) CT60 (A/G) rs3087243 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and their association with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in the Indian population. In addition, we also evaluated the concentration of sCTLA-4 serum protein in RA patients carrying rs3087243 SNP with different genotypes (A/A, G/A, and G/G). Statistical analysis of Odds Ratio (OR), Confidence Interval (C.I), and Relative Risk (RR) have shown that frequency of CTLA-4 rs3087243 SNP G/G genotype was significantly associated with RA in the Indian population (OR 1.7140; CI = 1.0765 to 2.7290; RR = 1.5434; p = 0.0232). The sCTLA-4 concentration was also significantly lower in RA patients carrying rs3087243 SNP G/G genotype than control group (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Co-inheritance of CTLA-4 signal peptide and 3'UTR SNPs may activate RAPP pathway. Downregulation of CTLA-4 and sCTLA-4 serum protein by rs3087243 SNP can increase the hyperactivation of T-cells, which causes RA., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Objectives: To assess the impact of nutritional and multiple-micronutrient supplementation to lactating mothers on the micronutrient status of mother-infant dyad at 6 months of age postnatally., Design: This study was a trial that aimed to investigate the impact of maternal nutritional supplementation on infant growth. A secondary objective was to assess the effect on the micronutrient status of mother-infant pairs. The intervention group mothers received snacks with 600 kcal energy, 20 g protein and daily micronutrient tablets., Setting: Blood samples were collected from both mothers and infants at 6 months., Participants: The participants in this study were mother-infant pairs. The micronutrient status of these pairs was assessed through blood samples, focusing on vitamins A, D, B 12 , ferritin, Zn and folate., Results: Micronutrient analysis of serum samples from 600 mother-infant pairs showed that mothers in the intervention group had higher levels of serum ferritin (mean difference (MD) 14·7 ng/ml), retinol (MD 0·6 μmol/l), folate (MD 3·3 ng/ml) and vitamin D (1·03 ng/ml) at 6 months postpartum. Additionally, the supplementation was associated with a higher mean ± sd of serum ferritin (MD 8·9 ng/ml) and vitamin A (MD 0·2 μmol/l) levels in infants at 6 months., Conclusions: The study found that supplementing maternal nutrition with additional dietary and micronutrient intakes during lactation improved maternal micronutrient status and slightly increased ferritin and vitamin A levels in infants at 6 months. The findings highlight the importance of nutritional interventions for improving the micronutrient health of mother-infant pairs, with significant public health implications.Trial registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (CTRI/2018/04/013095).

The anti-inflammatory activity of a phytocompound (oleuropein [OLP]) in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mimicked macrophage model of inflammation demonstrates the importance of PI3K-Akt1 signaling in establishing "immune homeostasis." Here, we present a protocol for the cultivation of in vitro cultures of P. falciparum for carrying out drug sensitivity assays. We describe steps for parasite synchronization, drug treatment, DNA isolation, and starvation-induced autophagy. This protocol provides insights into autophagy and parasite tolerance to drug pressure. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Sharma et al. 1 ., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this work, radioactivity investigations of soil samples from neutral and agricultural sites in Punjab (India) have been carried out to study the impact of land use patterns. Analyzing soil samples radiological, mineralogical, and physicochemical attributes has employed state-of-the-art techniques. The mean activity concentration of 238 U/ 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, 235 U, and 137 Cs, measured using a carbon fiber endcap p-type HPGe detector, in neutral land was observed as 58.03, 83.95, 445.18, 2.83, and 1.16 Bq kg -1 , respectively. However, in vegetation land, it was found to be 40.07, 64.68, 596.74, 2.26, and 1.90 Bq kg -1 , respectively. In the detailed activity analysis, radium equivalent (Ra eq ) radioactivity is in the safe prescribed limit of 370 Bq kg -1 for all investigated soil samples. However, the dosimetric investigations revealed that the outdoor absorbed gamma dose rate (96.08 nGy h -1 ) and consequent annual effective dose rate (0.12 mSv y -1 ) for neutral land and the gamma dose rate (82.46 nGy h -1 ) and subsequent annual effective dose rate (0.10 mSv y -1 ) for vegetation land marginally exceeded the global average. The soil's physicochemical parameters (pH, EC, and porosity) from both sites were measured, and their correlations with radionuclides were analyzed. Various heavy metals of health concern, namely, chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn), were also evaluated in soil samples using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Ecological Risk Index (RI) revealed that vegetation land was more anthropogenically contaminated than neutral land, with maximum contamination from Hg and As., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)