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A series of 7-substituted coumarin derivatives have been characterized as pan-aldo-keto reductase family 1C (AKR1C) inhibitors. The AKR1C family of enzymes are overexpressed in numerous cancers where they are involved in drug resistance development. 7-hydroxy coumarin ethyl esters and their corresponding amides have high potency for AKR1C3 and AKR1C2 inhibition. Coumarin amide 3 a possessed IC 50 values of 50 nM and 90 nM for AKR1C3 and AKR1C2, respectively, and exhibits 'drug-like' metabolic stability and half-life in human and mouse liver microsomes and plasma. Compound 3 a was employed as a chemical tool to determine pan-AKR1C2/3 inhibition effects both as a radiation sensitizer and as a potentiator of chemotherapy cytotoxicity. In contrast to previously reported pan-AKR1C inhibitors, 3 a demonstrated no radiation sensitization effect in a radiation-resistant prostate cancer cell line model. Pan-AKR1C inhibition also did not potentiate the in vitro cytotoxicity of ABT-737, daunorubicin or dexamethasone, in two patient-derived T-cell ALL and pre-B-cell ALL cell lines. In contrast, a highly selective AKR1C3 inhibitor, compound K90, enhanced the cytotoxicity of both ABT-737 and daunorubicin in the T-cell ALL cell line model. Thus, the inhibitory profile required to enhance chemotherapeutic cytotoxicity in leukemia may be AKR1C isoform and drug specific., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemMedChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

COVID-19 pandemic is considered a global crisis that adversely impacted the world economy. The virus possessed a serious threat to different sectors including agricultural, livestock, poultry and fish sectors in both developing and developed countries. COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown for a long period have not only caused enormous distress to the millions of poor and marginal farmers for saving their crops and/or livestock but also affected livestock, poultry production systems and associated value chains, nutrition, health care and labour availability. In addition, COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the fishery sector through disruption in fish supply and value chains and had noteworthy effects on income of fish stakeholders, especially in developing countries. In this regard, the current review discussed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural, livestock, poultry and fish sectors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yashpal Singh Malik et al.)

Carboxy-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), an E3 ligase, modulates the stability of its targeted proteins to alleviate various pathological perturbations in various organ systems. Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, but it is also known for its alarming renal toxicity. The role of CHIP in the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) has not been adequately investigated. Herein, we demonstrated that CHIP was abundantly expressed in the renal proximal tubular epithelia, and its expression was downregulated in cisplatin-induced AKI. Further investigation revealed that CHIP overexpression or activation alleviated, while its gene disruption promoted, oxidative stress and apoptosis in renal proximal tubular epithelia induced by cisplatin. In terms of mechanism, CHIP interacted with and ubiquitinated NUR77 to promote its degradation, which consequently shielded BCL2 to maintain mitochondrial permeability of renal proximal tubular cells in the presence of cisplatin. Also, we demonstrated that CHIP interacted with NUR77 via its central coiled-coil (CC) domain, a non-canonical interactive pattern. In conclusion, these findings indicated that CHIP ubiquitinated and degraded its substrate NUR77 to attenuate intrinsic apoptosis in cisplatin-treated renal proximal tubular epithelia, thus providing a novel insight for the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced AKI., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The livestock industry faces significant challenges, with disease outbreaks being a particularly devastating issue. These diseases can disrupt the food supply chain and the livelihoods of those involved in the sector. To address this, there is a growing need to enhance the health and well-being of livestock animals, ultimately improving their performance while minimizing their environmental impact. To tackle the considerable challenge posed by disease epidemics, multiomics approaches offer an excellent opportunity for scientists, breeders, and policymakers to gain a comprehensive understanding of animal biology, pathogens, and their genetic makeup. This understanding is crucial for enhancing the health of livestock animals. Multiomic approaches, including phenomics, genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, microbiomics, and metaproteomics, are widely employed to assess and enhance animal health. High-throughput phenotypic data collection allows for the measurement of various fitness traits, both discrete and continuous, which, when mathematically combined, define the overall health and resilience of animals, including their ability to withstand diseases. Omics methods are routinely used to identify genes involved in host-pathogen interactions, assess fitness traits, and pinpoint animals with disease resistance. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) help identify the genetic factors associated with health status, heat stress tolerance, disease resistance, and other health-related characteristics, including the estimation of breeding value. Furthermore, the interaction between hosts and pathogens, as observed through the assessment of host gut microbiota, plays a crucial role in shaping animal health and, consequently, their performance. Integrating and analyzing various heterogeneous datasets to gain deeper insights into biological systems is a challenging task that necessitates the use of innovative tools. Initiatives like MiBiOmics, which facilitate the visualization, analysis, integration, and exploration of multiomics data, are expected to improve prediction accuracy and identify robust biomarkers linked to animal health. In this review, we discuss the details of multiomics concerning the health and well-being of livestock animals., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ratan Kumar Choudhary et al.)

Objective: We investigated the relationship between personal relative deprivation (PRD)-resentment from the belief that one is worse off than people who are similar to oneself-and locus of control., Background: Research has yet to comprehensively investigate whether PRD is associated with a tendency to favor external (vs. internal) explanations for self- and other-relevant outcomes., Method: Eight studies (N total  = 6729) employed cross-sectional, experimental, and (micro)longitudinal designs and used established trait and state measures of PRD and loci of control., Results: Participants higher in PRD adopted more external (vs. internal) explanations for others' outcomes while controlling for socio-demographics (e.g., socioeconomic status; Studies 1-4). This relationship was mediated by a lowered sense of personal control (Study 1) and evident in a cross-national sample of participants in Asia (Study 2). PRD is more robustly associated with external than internal explanations for self and other-relevant outcomes (Studies 5-8), and within-person changes in PRD are positively associated with within-person changes in external explanations (month-to-month and day-to-day; Studies 7-8)., Conclusions: PRD is positively associated with external locus of control independent of socioeconomic status, within and between people, and across cultures. This research highlights the implications of PRD for people's construal of the causal forces that govern their lives., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Personality published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) and low socioeconomic status (SES) may increase the risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of MS and CKD and the association between MS, SES, and CKD among adults in Ningbo, a city in Eastern China., Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 3212 adults was conducted between July 2019 and February 2021 in Ningbo. MS was defined as the presence of three or more risk factors: elevated blood pressure, reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, elevated plasma glucose, and abdominal obesity. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 or the occurrence of albuminuria. SES was stratified according to personal education and income levels. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationships among MS, sociodemographic factors, and CKD., Results: The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of CKD was 9.1% (95% CI: 8.3-10.0), the prevalence of eGFR less than 60 mL/min/per 1·73 m² was 2.5% (95% CI 2.0-3.0) and that of albuminuria was 7.9% (95% CI 7.0-8.7), and the adjusted prevalence of MS was 23.1% (95% CI 21.7-24.4). MS components, including elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose, abdominal obesity, elevated serum triglyceride, or reduced serum HDL-C, were independent risk factors for CKD, and the adjusted prevalence of CKD proportionally increased with the number of MS-defined parameters. Participants with MS had 2.43-fold increased odds of developing CKD compared with those without MS. In addition, age, female sex, low SES including low educational level and low income were associated with increased odds of occurrence of albuminuria and CKD., Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease is high among adults in Ningbo. Metabolic syndrome and low socioeconomic status are associated with the high risk of developing chronic kidney disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest associated with the paper., (© 2024 Huang et al.)

The cultural, morphological, and molecular variations among 22 isolates of Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr.) E. Simmons, collected from different locations, was carried out. Significant variations were observed among the Stemphylium isolates regarding colony diameter, mean radial growth rate and sporulation on PDA media. The colonies of S. vesicarium isolates exhibited diverse mycelial growth characteristics, including velvety, cottony, or fluffy textures and a range of colours from whitish to dark grey, olivaceous with a greenish tinge or brownish. The margins of the colonies were observed to be filiform, displaying a filamentous appearance, with entire and undulate shapes and a whitish colouration. The conidiophores of Stemphylium isolates displayed a wide range of dimensions, with average length ranging from 36.81 μm to 66.44 μm and average breadth from 3.05 μm to 6.96 μm. Similarly, the conidia exhibited variations in size, colour, shape, average length (23.31 μm-43.18 μm) and average breadth (12.84 μm-23.13 μm). The conidia were mainly light brown or brown and displayed ovoid, oblong, or ovoid-to-oblong shapes. The number and presence of transverse and longitudinal septa also varied among the isolates. Fifteen RAPD primers generated 192 banding patterns. SV4, OPL5, and SV5 were identified as the most polymorphic primers, while OPA3, OPF10, OPN7, OPS7, and OPS10 produced the fewest polymorphic bands. The average polymorphic information content (PIC) value was 0.37, with OPA5 and OPC8 showing the highest PIC values. Cluster analysis based on genetic similarity revealed five distinct clusters, but no clear correlation between isolates and their collection sites was observed. In the phylogenetic analysis, based on Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase 1( gpd1) gene sequences, 20 isolates obtained from diseased onion leaves formed a distinct cluster and exhibited sequence similarity with ex-type sequence of Stemphylium vesicarium . Additionally, two isolates from diseased garlic samples showed similarity with ex-type sequence of Stemphylium eturmiunum . This is the first-time report of S. eturmiunum on Indian garlic under field conditions., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Background: The present study aimed to compare the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of quick penetrating solution (QPS) heparin, QPS diclofenac, and heparin gel in the prevention of superficial thrombophlebitis (ST)., Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted after approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee and registration to Clinical Trial Registry of India. Patients of 18-60 years age, American Society of Anesthesiologists I/II, and who needed venous cannulation for at least 72 h were included in the study. Patients were randomly divided into three groups receiving study drugs (heparin gel, QPS heparin, and QPS diclofenac) every 8 hourly for a period of 72 h. Venous cannulation site was graded using the Visual Infusion Phlebitis Scale. Patients developing no ST, mean time to reach ST Grade 1 and 2, prevention of ST probability, and cost-effectiveness of interventions during the study period were assessed., Results: Out of 219 included patients, development of no ST in the study groups at 72 h of treatment were heparin gel (11%), QPS heparin (9.6%), and QPS diclofenac (2.7%). The mean time (hours) to develop any grade ST in the study arms was heparin gel (36.2 [11.9]), QPS heparin (40.0 [13.4]), and QPS diclofenac (37.0 [13.2]). The Kaplan-Meier analysis did not reveal significant differences for the prevention of any grade ST or severe ST in three treatment arms. The average cost-effectiveness ratio for preventing thrombophlebitis was 14.2 in heparin gel-, 13.2 in QPS heparin-, and 95.6 in QPS diclofenac-treated patients., Conclusion: Based on efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness, heparin gel or QPS heparin can be used to prevent ST due to intravenous cannulation in surgical patients. QPS diclofenac is not a cost-effective option to prevent ST., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Perspectives in Clinical Research.)

Rivers serve as a significant habitat and water sources for diverse organisms, including humans. An important environmental and public health concern is the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) and genes (ARGs) in aquatic ecosystems brought about by excessive pollutant flow. The research highlighted that river water, which is receiving discharge from wastewater treatment plants, is harbouring multidrug-resistant bacteria. River water samples were collected in January, April, July and October 2022 from three separate locations of each Gomti and Ganga river. A total of 114 bacteria were isolated from Gomti as well as the Ganga River. All the isolates were tested for their resistance to various antibiotics by disc diffusion method. The isolated bacteria were tested for the antibiotic resistance genes using PCR and were identified by 16s rRNA sequencing. The ARBs percentages for each antibiotic were as follows: ampicillin (100%); cefotaxime (96.4, 63.1%); erythromycin (52.6, 57.8%); amikacin (68.4, 50.8%); tetracycline (47.3, 54.3%); nalidixic acid (47.3, 45.6%); streptomycin (68.4, 49.1%); gentamycin (43.8, 35%); chloramphenicol (26.3, 33.3%); neomycin (49.1, 29.8%) and ciprofloxacin (24.5, 7.01%). Further, antibiotic resistance genes in Gomti and Ganga water samples disclose distinctive patterns, including resistance to ermB (25, 40%); tetM (25, 33.3%); ampC (44.4, 40%) and cmlA1 (16.6%). Notably cmlA1 resistant genes were absent in all bacterial strains of the Gomti River. Additionally, gyrA gene was not found in both the river water samples. The presence of ARGs in the bacteria from river water shows threat of transferring these genes to native environmental bacteria. To protect the environment and public health, constant research is necessary to fully understand the extent and consequences of antibiotic resistance in these aquatic habitats., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objectives: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) continues to pose a significant disease burden on global public health as a respiratory pathogen. The antimicrobial resistance among M. pneumoniae strains has complicated the outbreak control efforts, emphasizing the need for robust surveillance systems and effective antimicrobial stewardship programs., Design: This review comprehensively investigates studies stemming from previous outbreaks to emphasize the multifaceted nature of M. pneumoniae infections, encompassing epidemiological dynamics, diagnostic innovations, antibiotic resistance, and therapeutic challenges., Results: We explored the spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with M. pneumoniae infections, emphasizing the continuum of disease severity and the challenges in gradating it accurately. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have emerged as promising tools in M. pneumoniae diagnostics, offering enhanced accuracy and efficiency in identifying infections. However, their integration into clinical practice presents hurdles that need to be addressed. Further, we elucidate the pivotal role of pharmacological interventions in controlling and treating M. pneumoniae infections as the efficacy of existing therapies is jeopardized by evolving resistance mechanisms., Conclusion: Lessons learned from previous outbreaks underscore the importance of adaptive treatment strategies and proactive management approaches. Addressing these complexities demands a holistic approach integrating advanced technologies, genomic surveillance, and adaptive clinical strategies to effectively combat this pathogen., Competing Interests: Declarations of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The forecasted global population growth is poised to create a greater exigency for livestock-derived food production, leading to a significant waste generation from the industrial-scale livestock operations, which necessitates to develop sustainable waste management solutions. The heightened demand for livestock and dairy products has driven a surge in cow waste (CW) production. While CW is typically used as organic fertilizer or solid fuel, improper disposal poses potential environmental hazards. Anaerobic digestion and composting transform CW into valuable products, such as biofuels and organic fertilizers, with the potential for electricity and heat generation, biochar production, and advanced friction materials. The CW contains essential inorganic and organic compounds vital for plant functions, including lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, nitrogen, and minerals such as potassium, sulfur, iron, magnesium, copper, cobalt, and manganese. Additionally, the rich microbial diversity in cow dung drives the production of bioenergy carriers like biomethane and biohydrogen, promoting cost-effective energy generation and environmental sustainability. This review employs bibliometric analysis to explore the latest trends in CW applications, with a particular focus on innovative applications such as cellulose extraction, biochar production, microbial fuel cells, and nanoparticle synthesis. It further evaluates the environmental impacts of these technologies and assesses their potential to advance sustainable and cleaner frontiers in the valorization of CW., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

A rapid, selective, and sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitation of MO-OH-Nap tropolone (MO-OH-Nap) in mouse plasma. MO-OH-Nap is an α-substituted tropolone with anti-proliferative properties in various cancer cell lines. Detection and separation of analytes was achieved on an ACE Excel C18 (1.7 µm, 100 × 2.1 mm, MAC-MOD Analytical, Chadds Ford, PA, USA) column with mobile phase consisting of 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in water (mobile phase A) and 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in acetonitrile (mobile phase B), with an isocratic elution of 15:85% (A:B) at a total flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The LC-MS/MS system was operated at unit resolution in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, using precursor ion > product ion combination of 249.10 > 202.15 m / z for MO-OH-Nap and 305.10 > 215.05 m / z for the internal standard (IS), BA-SM-OM. The MS/MS response was linear over a concentration range of 1 to 500 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient (r 2 ) of ≥0.987. The within- and between-batch precision (%RSD) and accuracy (%Bias) were within acceptable limits. The validated method was successfully applied to determine MO-OH-Nap metabolic stability, plasma protein binding, and bio-distribution studies of MO-OH-Nap in CD-1 mice.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small peptides existing in nature as an important part of the innate immune system in various organisms. Notably, the AMPs exhibit inhibitory effects against a wide spectrum of pathogens, showcasing potential applications in different fields such as food, agriculture, medicine. This review explores the application of AMPs in the food industry, emphasizing their crucial role in enhancing the safety and shelf life of food and how they offer a viable substitute for chemical preservatives with their biocompatible and natural attributes. It provides an overview of the recent advancements, ranging from conventional approaches of using natural AMPs derived from bacteria or other sources to the biocomputational design and usage of synthetic AMPs for food preservation. Recent innovations such as structural modifications of AMPs to improve safety and suitability as food preservatives have been discussed. Furthermore, the active packaging and creative fabrication strategies such as nano-formulation, biopolymeric peptides and casting films, for optimizing the efficacy and stability of these peptides in food systems are summarized. The overall focus is on the spectrum of applications, with special attention to potential challenges in the usage of AMPs in the food industry and strategies for their mitigation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Gladiolus is a highly allogamous flower plant, but owing to the prolonged juvenile phase, asexual propagation is preferred, which acts as a barrier for the induction of natural genetic variability in gladiolus. Therefore, the induced mutagenesis could be utilized for the creation of desirable genotypes, without altering their basic agronomic features. An analysis of the optimum doses of γ radiation for the induction of fruitful mutations could be achieved in short period of time, compared with the conventional method of breeding. The objectives of this study were to perform radiosensitivity tests on various gladiolus genotypes using different doses of gamma rays and to determine the optimal dose of radiation dose for obtaining the greatest number of mutants. The present experiment was carried out during the winter-spring seasons, for the four consecutive years of 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21. The seven genotypes of gladiolus were exposed to seven doses of gamma rays ( 60 Cobalt). Plants irradiated with radiation doses lower than 4.5 Kr (G 1 ) had greater plant survivability than the higher doses of gamma rays (≥5.0 Kr). The radiation of G 0 (0 Kr) result in highest plant survivability, while radiation dose of G 6 (6.5 Kr) resulted lowest survivability. LD 25 and BD 50 for all the genotypes were achieved except for V 5 and V 7 , similarly the median lethal doses (LD 50 ) for V 3 and V 4 genotypes had been achieved. The highest flower blindness percent and percent abnormal plants were observed at G 5 and G 6 and between the 4.0 Kr (G 1 ) and 5.5 Kr (G 4 ) gamma ray doses, respectively. The flower colour mutation frequency was recorded highest in genotypes Tiger Flame at 5.0 Kr (V 7 G 3 ), while the Flower colour mutation spectrum was identified between 4.0 Kr (G 1 ) to 5.5 Kr (G 4 ) in all the genotypes except for genotypes V 5 and V 7 . For the generation of higher phenotypic variations, radiation dose between 4.0 Kr (G 1 ) and 5.5 Kr (G 4 ) were found the most prominent. Specifically the gamma rays radiation dose of 5.5 Kr (G 4 ) resulted in the highest flower colour mutation frequency. These isolated mutant lines will broaden the gladiolus gene pool and support future gladiolus breeding experiments., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Porcine Teschoviruses (PTVs) are ubiquitous enteric viral pathogens that infect pigs and wild boars worldwide. PTVs have been responsible for causing the severe clinical disease (Teschen disease) to asymptomatic infections. However, to date, limited information is available on large-scale epidemiological data and molecular characterization of PTVs in several countries. In this study, we report epidemiological data on PTVs based on screening of 534 porcine fecal samples from different states of India and a RT-PCR based detection of PTVs shows a percent positivity of 8.24% (44/534). The PTV prevalence varied among different regions of the country with the highest detection rates observed in the state of Karnataka (38.1%). Phylogenetic analysis based on VP1 gene reveals the presence of PTV genotype 6 and 13 along with some unassigned novel genotypes which did not cluster with any of the established PTV genotypes (PTV 1-PTV 13). Indian PTV 6 strains are genetically closest to the Spanish strains (85.7-94.4%) whereas PTV 13 and novel genotype strains were found to be more similar to the Chinese strains (88.1-99.1%). Using recombination detection software, no Indian PTVs found to be recombinant on VP1 gene and selection pressure analysis revealed the purifying selection in the several sites of the VP1 gene of PTVs. The Bayesian analysis of Indian PTVs shows 1.16 × 10 -4 substitution/site/year as the mean evolutionary rate. Further, isolation of the novel PTV strains from India and more detailed investigation much needed to know the evolutionary history of PTV strains circulating in porcine populations in India., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interest to disclose., (© Association of Microbiologists of 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.)

Background: Medication nonadherence (MNA) in organ transplant recipients is associated with increased risk of rejection, allograft loss, patient death, and higher healthcare costs. Various approaches have been used in an attempt to reduce MNA. A patient support program (PSP) can be an invaluable tool for improving patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to analyze available data of PSP for kidney transplant recipients., Methods: A total of 3352 patients from all over the country were prospectively enrolled in the Parichay PSP between January 2021 and April 2023. Baseline demographic details were recorded. A monthly call was made thereafter. Data were analyzed for demographic details, compliance rate, dropouts, and tacrolimus levels when available., Results: The Parichay PSP had enrolled a total of 1371 kidney transplant patients in 2021, 1620 in 2022, and 361 in 2023 (January-April) from different parts of India (North, 25%; East, 35%; South, 26%; West, 14%). (n=2626) Of the 2626 patients who received tacrolimus (Tacrograf), 2158 (82%) were male, with a mean age of 42 years. The majority of patients (61%) were age 28 to 48 years. A patient compliance rate of >90% was maintained for longer than 13 months (n = 1920; April 2022 to April 2023). Of the 3352 patients, 250 (7.4%) dropped out of the study. Thus, use of PSP ensured a compliance rate of 92.6% in this study., Conclusions: This analysis demonstrates that participation in a PSP can be a useful tool for monitoring compliance and tacrolimus therapeutic drug monitoring in kidney transplant recipients., 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.)

Applying a pan-astrovirus (AstV) RT-hemi-nested PCR assay, we report here high detection rates (28.3%, 15/53) of AstVs in the small Indian mongoose ( Urva auropunctata ) on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. Based on deduced amino acid (aa) identities and phylogenetic analysis of long RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequences (~315 aa, partial RdRp), the AstVs detected in the mongooses (designated as Mon-AstVs) were classified into two distinct groups (deduced aa identities of 66.45-67.30% between the groups). The putative RdRps of the Mon-AstVs shared low deduced aa identities with those of AstVs from other host species (<69%, <54%, and <50% identities with reptilian/amphibian AstVs, avastroviruses, and mamastroviruses, respectively). Phylogenetically, the group-I and group-II Mon-AstVs formed two distinct clusters, near the cluster of reptilian/amphibian AstVs, and were distantly related to avastroviruses and mamastroviruses. Since the mongooses were apparently healthy during sampling, we could not establish if the Mon-AstVs infected the animal or were of dietary origin. Although we could not ascertain the true host of the Mon-AstVs, phylogenetic analysis indicated that these viruses might have originated from lower vertebrates. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the detection and molecular characterization of AstVs in mongooses, highlighting the wide host range and significant genetic diversity within the family Astroviridae .

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate access to care and financial considerations associated with the endodontic treatment of immature permanent teeth., Methods: Surveys were distributed to endodontists (n = 2,457) and pediatric dentists (n = 3,974) in the United States. Data were analyzed using X 2 analysis and logistic regression. The level of significance was set to 0.05., Results: The response rate was 13% (n = 840). Respondent specialist groups were similar by age and years since specialty residency completion, but significantly different with regard to primary practice setting (eg private practice, Federally Qualified Health Center, hospital), (P = .001). The majority (91%) of respondents reported participation with dental insurance. Pediatric dentists (69%) were significantly more likely than endodontists (17%) to participate with public-payer dental insurance (P < .001). The majority of respondents (82%) indicated that patients reported economic factors (time or money) as a barrier to accessing endodontic treatment. Pediatric dentists were significantly more likely to consider economic factors when planning for treatment (P < .001). Pediatric dentists were more likely than endodontists to have the opinion that endodontic procedures for treatment of necrotic immature permanent teeth should cost less than root canal therapy (apexification, P < .001; regenerative endodontic procedures, P = .002). Pediatric dentists (33%) reported encountering barriers when attempting to refer their patients to an endodontist. Inability to find an endodontist that participates with dental insurance was the most frequently cited barrier., Conclusions: Limited clinician participation with dental insurance and gaps in insurance coverage for endodontic procedures appear to contribute to access to care barriers for pediatric patients., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Peyronie's disease (PD) is a localized fibrosis of tunica albuginea, which causes the anatomical and functional changes to the penis. Corporoplasty with grafting is indicated in severe (>60°) and complex curvature. Buccal mucosa is the most favored autologous graft material nowadays. The ventrolateral aspect of lingual mucosa has similar histological features to the rest of the oral cavity., Methods: This study aimed to test the efficacy, safety, durability, and reproducibility of corporoplasty with lingual mucosal graft (LMG) in the surgical treatment of PD in terms of surgical outcome, sexual function, and donor site complications. This prospective study included 19 patients of PD with severe and complex curvature, who underwent corporoplasty with LMG. Surgical and functional outcomes were assessed at follow-up planned at 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years., Results: The mean operative time was 126.31 ± 21.45 min. Additional Nesbit's plication to correct the residual deformity was required in 26% (5 / 19) of patients. Straightening of the penis (curvature <10°) was achieved in 89% (17 / 19) of patients. Increase in the penile length (>1 cm) postoperatively was achieved in 63% (12 / 19) of patients and a shortening of penis occurred in 5% (1 / 19) of patients. Newer onset erectile dysfunction developed in 11% (2 / 19) of patients, and patient and partner satisfaction rates were 89% (17 / 19) and 84% (16 / 19), respectively, in a mean follow-up of 20.66 ± 5.37 months. Donor site complications were minimal and no patient had any salivary changes or speech disturbances., Conclusion: LMG provided excellent short-term results in terms of deformity correction, improved sexual function, and minimal donor site morbidity. The method is simple and reproducible, and multicenter studies with larger number of cases with longer follow-up are required to confirm these favorable results., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Urology Annals.)

Understanding the spatial ecology of translocated leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) is crucial for their conservation and the effective assessment of conflict management strategies. We investigated the home range and habitat preferences of five radio-collared leopards (n = 5; 2 males; 3 females) in the Gir landscape. Additionally, we examined the usefulness of the capture-release strategy for these animals. We assessed home range and habitat selection using kernel density estimation (at 95% and 50% levels) and compositional analysis. Our findings revealed that leopards exhibited distinct patterns of movement, often returning to their original capture site or nearby locations or exploring new areas within 3 to 25 days, covering distances ranging from 48 to 260 km. The average home range (95% FK) was estimated at 103.96±36.37 (SE) km2, with a core area usage (50% FK) of 21.38±5.95 km2. Seasonally, we observed the largest home ranges during summer and the smallest during winter. Males exhibited larger home ranges (95% FK, 151±64.28 km2) compared to females (56.18±14.22 km2). The habitat analysis indicated that agricultural areas were consistently preferred in the multi-use landscape at the 2nd order habitat selection level. Additionally, habitat around water bodies was highly favoured at the 3rd order, with distinct variations in habitat selection observed during day and night. This study highlights the significance of riverine and scrubland habitats, as leopards exhibited strong preferences for these habitats within their home ranges. We emphasize the importance of conserving natural habitat patches, particularly those surrounding water bodies. We also report on the characteristics of the capture-release strategy and provide our observations indicating no escalated aggression by leopards' post-release. In conclusion, this study evaluates widely employed approaches to conflict mitigation and suggests the continuous review and assessment of management strategies for mitigating human-leopard conflicts., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Ram et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The Second International Conference of the World Society for Virology (WSV), hosted by Riga Stradiņš University, was held in Riga, Latvia, on June 15-17th, 2023. It prominently highlighted the recent advancements in different disciplines of virology. The conference had fourteen keynote speakers covering diverse topics, including emerging virus pseudotypes, Zika virus vaccine development, herpesvirus capsid mobility, parvovirus invasion strategies, influenza in animals and birds, West Nile virus and Marburg virus ecology, as well as the latest update in animal vaccines. Discussions further explored SARS-CoV-2 RNA replicons as vaccine candidates, SARS-CoV-2 in humans and animals, and the significance of plant viruses in the 'One Health' paradigm. The presence of the presidents from three virology societies, namely the American, Indian, and Korean Societies for Virology, highlighted the event's significance. Additionally, past president of the American Society for Virology (ASV), formally declared the partnership between ASV and WSV during the conference., 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.)

Pig farming has become a strategically significant and economically important industry across the globe. It is also a potentially vulnerable sector due to challenges posed by transboundary diseases in which viral infections are at the forefront. Among the porcine viral diseases, African swine fever, classical swine fever, foot and mouth disease, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, pseudorabies, swine influenza, and transmissible gastroenteritis are some of the diseases that cause substantial economic losses in the pig industry. It is a well-established fact that vaccination is undoubtedly the most effective strategy to control viral infections in animals. From the period of Jenner and Pasteur to the recent new-generation technology era, the development of vaccines has contributed significantly to reducing the burden of viral infections on animals and humans. Inactivated and modified live viral vaccines provide partial protection against key pathogens. However, there is a need to improve these vaccines to address emerging infections more comprehensively and ensure their safety. The recent reports on new-generation vaccines against swine viruses like DNA, viral-vector-based replicon, chimeric, peptide, plant-made, virus-like particle, and nanoparticle-based vaccines are very encouraging. The current review gathers comprehensive information on the available vaccines and the future perspectives on porcine viral vaccines.

This study focuses on standardizing sampling techniques and comparing various methods of sample allocation to effectively estimate apple area and production in the Himalayan region of India. We investigate different stratification tools,in formulating a sampling plan using information gathered from select orchardists in the locale during the 2016-17 period, it becomes essential to explore diverse methodologies to define the most suitable stratum boundaries, ascertain the requisite number of strata, and identify the optimal sample size. The stratification process, underpinned by the "Area under Apple" variable, which demonstrates a pronounced association with apple production, assumes a central role in this endeavor Several methods are utilized to construct strata, such as equalizing strata totals, cumulative equalization, equalization of ½{r(x) + f(x)} and equalization of f ( x ) . We assess their efficiencies in estimating total apple production in the study district. The combination of the "Cum f ( x ) " of Neyman allocation demonstrates the lowest variance and the highest efficiency within a range of 2-4 strata, coupled with an increase in sample size from 10 to 40. Consequently, it can be inferred that the "Cum f ( x ) " method, particularly with L > 2, is preferable for estimating apple production in the Himalayan region of India., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Emissions of airborne pollutants from livestock buildings affect indoor air quality, the health and well-being of farmers, animals and the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the microbial count within pig sheds and its relationship with meteorological variables (temperature, relative humidity and air velocity) and particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) and microbial diversity. Sampling was conducted both inside and outside of two pig sheds over three seasons (summer, rainy and winter), with regular monitoring at fortnightly intervals. Results showed that the bacterial and fungal counts ranged from 0.07 to 3.98 x 10 3 cfu/m 3 inside the sheds and 0.01 to 1.82 x 10 3 cfu/m 3 outside. Seasonal variations were observed, with higher concentrations of particulate matter detected during the winter season, followed by summer. Climatic variables such as temperature, air velocity and relative humidity demonstrated significant impacts on the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and fungi, while air velocity specifically influenced the presence of mesophilic bacteria and staphylococci. Importantly, no significant disparities were found between microbial counts and particulate matter levels. Staphylococcaceae emerged as the predominant bacterial family, while Aspergillus and Cladosporium spp. were the dominant fungal species within the pig sheds. The average levels of airborne bacteria and fungi in pig sheds were found to be within the recommended range, which can be attributed to the loose housing design and lower animal population on the farms., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

A highly divergent bovine calicivirus was identified in an Indian calf with enteritis. The whole genome of this virus was sequenced, revealing distinct amino acid motifs in the polyprotein encoded by open reading frame 1 (ORF1) that are unique to caliciviruses. Phylogenetic analysis showed that it was related to members of the genus Nebovirus of the family Caliciviridae. Although it showed only 33.7-34.2% sequence identity in the VP1 protein to the nebovirus prototype strains, it showed 90.6% identity in VP1 to Kirklareli virus, a nebovirus detected in calves with enteritis in Turkey in 2012. An in-house-designed and optimized reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used to screen 120 archived bovine diarrhoeic fecal samples, 40 each from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, revealing frequent circulation of these divergent caliciviruses in the bovine population, with an overall positivity rate of 64.17% (77/120). This underscores the importance of conducting a comprehensive investigation of the prevalence of these divergent caliciviruses and assessing their associations with other pathogens responsible for enteritis in India., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

The ever-changing environmental conditions and pollution are the prime reasons for the onset of several emerging and re-merging diseases. This demands the faster designing of new drugs to curb the deadly diseases in less waiting time to cure the animals and humans. Drug molecules interact with only protein surface on specific locations termed as ligand binding sites (LBS). Therefore, the knowledge of LBS is required for rational drug designing. Existing geometrical LBS prediction methods rely on search of cavities based on the fact that 83% of the LBS found in deep cavities, however, these methods usually fail where LBS localize outside deep cavities. To overcome this challenge, the present work provides an artificial neural network (ANN) based method to predict LBS outside deep cavities in animal proteins including human to facilitate drug designing. In the present work a feed-forward backpropagation neural network was trained by utilizing 38 structural, atomic, physiochemical, and evolutionary discriminant features of LBS and non-LBS residues localized in the extracted roughest patch on protein surface. The performance of this ANN based prediction method was found 76% better for those proteins where cavity subspace (extracted by MetaPocket 2.0, a consensus method) failed to predict LBS due to their localization outside the deep cavities. The prediction of LBS outside deep cavities will facilitate in drug designing for the proteins where it is not possible due to lack of LBS information as the geometrical LBS prediction methods rely on extraction of deep cavities., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is commonly seen in the clinical practice, and ferroptosis, a type of non-apoptotic cell death, plays a pivotal role in it. Previous studies suggested that protein arginine methyltransferase 4 (PRMT4) was incorporated in various bioprocesses, but its role in renal injuries has not been investigated. Our present study showed that PRMT4 was highly expressed in renal proximal tubular cells, and it was downregulated in cisplatin-induced AKI. Besides, genetic disruption of PRMT4 exacerbated, while its overexpression attenuated, cisplatin-induced redox injuries in renal proximal epithelia. Mechanistically, our work showed that PRMT4 interacted with NCOA4 to inhibit ferritinophagy, a type of selective autophagy favoring lipid peroxidation to accelerate ferroptosis. Taken together, our study demonstrated that PRMT4 interacted with NCOA4 to attenuate ferroptosis in cisplatin-induced AKI, suggesting that PRMT4 might present as a new therapeutic target for cisplatin-related nephropathy., (© 2024 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Neboviruses (NeVs) from the Caliciviridae family have been linked to enteric diseases in bovines and have been detected worldwide. As viruses rely entirely on the cellular machinery of the host for replication, their ability to thrive in a specific host is greatly impacted by the specific codon usage preferences. Here, we systematically analyzed the codon usage bias in NeVs to explore the genetic and evolutionary patterns. Relative Synonymous Codon Usage and Effective Number of Codon analyses indicated a marginally lower codon usage bias in NeVs, predominantly influenced by the nucleotide compositional constraints. Nonetheless, NeVs showed a higher codon usage bias for codons containing G/C at the third codon position. The neutrality plot analysis revealed natural selection as the primary factor that shaped the codon usage bias in both the VP1 (82%) and VP2 (57%) genes of NeVs. Furthermore, the NeVs showed a highly comparable codon usage pattern to bovines, as reflected through Codon Adaptation Index and Relative Codon Deoptimization Index analyses. Notably, yak NeVs showed considerably different nucleotide compositional constraints and mutational pressure compared to bovine NeVs, which appear to be predominantly host-driven. This study sheds light on the genetic mechanism driving NeVs' adaptability, evolution, and fitness to their host species.

Incorporating self-interaction corrections (SIC) significantly improves chemical reaction barrier height predictions made using density functional theory methods. We present a detailed orbital-by-orbital analysis of these corrections for three semi-local density functional approximations (DFAs) situated on the three lowest rungs of Jacob's ladder of approximations. The analysis is based on Fermi-Löwdin Orbital Self-Interaction Correction (FLOSIC) calculations performed at several steps along the reaction pathway from the reactants (R) to the transition state (TS) to the products (P) for four representative reactions selected from the BH76 benchmark set. For all three functionals, the major contribution to self-interaction corrections of the barrier heights can be traced to stretched bond orbitals that develop near the TS configuration. The magnitude of the ratio of the self-exchange-correlation energy to the self-Hartree energy (XC/H) for a given orbital is introduced as an indicator of one-electron self-interaction error. XC/H = 1.0 implies that an orbital's self-exchange-correlation energy exactly cancels its self-Hartree energy and that the orbital, therefore, makes no contribution to the SIC in the FLOSIC scheme. For the practical DFAs studied here, XC/H spans a range of values. The largest values are obtained for stretched or strongly lobed orbitals. We show that significant differences in XC/H for corresponding orbitals in the R, TS, and P configurations can be used to identify the major contributors to the SIC of barrier heights and reaction energies. Based on such comparisons, we suggest that barrier height predictions made using the strongly constrained and appropriately normed meta-generalized gradient approximation may have attained the best accuracy possible for a semi-local functional using the Perdew-Zunger SIC approach., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

Chemotherapy together with surgery and/or radiotherapy are the most common therapeutic methods for treating cancer. However, the off-target effects of chemotherapy are known to produce side effects and dose-limiting toxicities. Novel delivery platforms based on natural and synthetic polymers with enhanced pharmacokinetic and therapeutic potential for the treatment of cancer have grown tremendously over the past 10 years. Polymers can facilitate selective targeting, enhance and prolong circulation, improve delivery, and provide the controlled release of cargos through various mechanisms, including physical adsorption, chemical conjugation, and/or internal loading. Notably, polymers that are biodegradable, biocompatible, and physicochemically stable are considered to be ideal delivery carriers. This biomimetic and bio-inspired system offers a bright future for effective drug delivery with the potential to overcome the obstacles encountered. This review focuses on the barriers that impact the success of chemotherapy drug delivery as well as the recent developments based on natural and synthetic polymers as platforms for improving drug delivery for treating cancer.

To date, limited information is available on cytomegalovirus (CMV) and lymphocryptovirus (LCV) from Chlorocebus monkeys. We report here high detection rates of herpesviruses in free-roaming African green monkeys (AGMs, Chlorocebus sabaeus ) (26.4%, 23/87) and in captive AGMs (75%, 3/4) with respiratory disease on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. LCV (81.25%) was more prevalent than CMV (18.75%) in the AGMs. Applying a bigenic PCR approach (targeting DNA polymerase (DPOL) and glycoprotein B (gB) genes), long sequences were obtained from representative AGM CMV (KNA-SD6) and LCV (KNA-E4, -N6 and -R15) samples, and mixed LCV infections were identified in KNA-N6 and -R15. The nucleotide (nt) sequence (partial DPOL-intergenic region-partial gB) and partial DPOL- and gB-amino acid (aa) sequences of AGM CMV KNA-SD6 were closely related to Cytomegalovirus cercopithecinebeta5 isolates from grivet monkeys, whilst those of AGM LCV KNA-E4 and -N6 (and E4-like gB of KNA-R15) were more closely related to cognate sequences of erythrocebus patas LCV1 from patas monkey than other LCVs, corroborating the concept of cospeciation in the evolution of CMV/LCV. On the other hand, the partial DPOL aa sequence of KNA-R15, and additional gB sequences (N6-gB-2 and R15-gB-2) from samples KNA-N6 and -R15 (respectively) appeared to be distinct from those of Old World monkey LCVs, indicating LCV evolutionary patterns that were not synchronous with those of host species. The present study is the first to report the molecular prevalence and genetic diversity of CMV/LCV from free-roaming/wild and captive AGMs, and is the first report on analysis of CMV nt/deduced aa sequences from AGMs and LCV gB sequences from Chlorocebus monkeys.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor characterized by frequent metastasis, rapid disease progression, and a high rate of mortality. Treatment options for OS have remained largely unchanged for decades, consisting primarily of cytotoxic chemotherapy and surgery, thus necessitating the urgent need for novel therapies. Tropolones are naturally occurring seven-membered non-benzenoid aromatic compounds that possess antiproliferative effects in a wide array of cancer cell types. MO-OH-Nap is an α-substituted tropolone that has activity as an iron chelator. Here, we demonstrate that MO-OH-Nap activates all three arms of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway and induces apoptosis in a panel of human OS cell lines. Co-incubation with ferric chloride or ammonium ferrous sulfate completely prevents the induction of apoptotic and UPR markers in MO-OH-Nap-treated OS cells. MO-OH-Nap upregulates transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) protein levels, as well as TFR1, divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), iron-regulatory proteins (IRP1, IRP2), ferroportin (FPN), and zinc transporter 14 (ZIP14) transcript levels, demonstrating the impact of MO-OH-Nap on iron-homeostasis pathways in OS cells. Furthermore, MO-OH-Nap treatment restricts the migration and invasion of OS cells in vitro. Lastly, metabolomic profiling of MO-OH-Nap-treated OS cells revealed distinct changes in purine and pyrimidine metabolism. Collectively, we demonstrate that MO-OH-Nap-induced cytotoxic effects in OS cells are dependent on the tropolone's ability to alter cellular iron availability and that this agent exploits key metabolic pathways. These studies support further evaluation of MO-OH-Nap as a novel treatment for OS., (© 2023 The Authors. Drug Development Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The current study reports the in-depth analysis of the epidemiology, risk factors, and molecular characterization of a complete genome of Enterovirus G (EV-G) isolated from Indian pigs. We analysed several genes of EV-G isolates collected from various provinces in India, using phylogenetic analysis, recombination detection, SimPlot, and selection pressure analyses. Our analysis of 534 porcine faecal samples revealed that 11.61% (62/534) of the samples were positive for EV-G. While the G6 genotype was the most predominant, our findings showed that Indian EV-G strains also clustered with EV-G types G1, G6, G8, and G9. Furthermore, Indian EV-G strains exhibited the highest nucleotide similarity with Vietnamese (81.3%) and Chinese EV-G isolates (80.3%). Moreover, we identified a recombinant Indian EV-G strain with a putative origin from a Japanese isolate and South Korean EV-G isolate. In summary, our findings provide significant insights into the epidemiology, genetic diversity, and evolution of EV-G in India., 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 manuscript., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The persistence of drug resistance poses a significant obstacle to the advancement of efficacious malaria treatments. The remarkable efficacy displayed by 1,2,3-triazole-based compounds against Plasmodium falciparum highlights the potential of triazole conjugates, with diverse pharmacologically active structures, as potential antimalarial agents. We aimed to synthesize 7-dichloroquinoline-triazole conjugates and their structure-activity relationship (SAR) derivatives to investigate their anti-plasmodial activity. Among them, QP11, featuring a m-NO 2 substitution, demonstrated efficacy against both chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant parasite strains. QP11 selectively inhibited FP2, a cysteine protease involved in hemoglobin degradation, and showed synergistic effects when combined with chloroquine. Additionally, QP11 hindered hemoglobin degradation and hemozoin formation within the parasite. Metabolic stability studies indicated high stability of QP11, making it a promising antimalarial candidate. In vivo evaluation using a murine malaria model demonstrated QP11's efficacy in eradicating parasite growth without neurotoxicity, presenting it as a promising compound for novel antimalarial development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Mohammad Abid, Babita Aneja, Bhumika Kumar, Sonal Gupta, Shailja Singh, Amaduddin has patent pending to 201811034848., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) patients with MYC oncogene amplification or overexpression exhibit extremely poor prognoses and therapy resistance. However, MYC itself has been one of the most challenging targets for cancer treatment. Here, we identify a novel marinopyrrole natural derivative, MP1, that shows desirable anti-MYC and anti-cancer activities in MB., Methods: In this study, using MYC-amplified (Group 3) and non-MYC amplified MB cell lines in vitro and in vivo, we evaluated anti-cancer efficacies and molecular mechanism(s) of MP1., Results: MP1 significantly suppressed MB cell growth and sphere counts and induced G2 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a MYC-dependent manner. Mechanistically, MP1 strongly downregulated the expression of MYC protein. Our results with RNA-seq revealed that MP1 significantly modulated global gene expression and inhibited MYC-associated transcriptional targets including translation/mTOR targets. In addition, MP1 inhibited MYC-target metabolism, leading to declined energy levels. The combination of MP1 with an FDA-approved mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus synergistically inhibited MB cell growth/survival by downregulating the expression of MYC and mTOR signaling components. Our results further showed that as single agents, both MP1 and temsirolimus, were able to significantly inhibit tumor growth and MYC expression in subcutaneously or orthotopically MYC-amplified MB bearing mice. In combination, there were further anti-MB effects on the tumor growth and MYC expression in mice., Conclusion: These preclinical findings highlight the promise of marinopyrrole MP1 as a novel MYC inhibition approach for MYC-amplified MB., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is one of the most common species of wild Canidae and is relatively abundant in Iran. Foxes (Vulpes spp.) transmit many zoonotic diseases, the most important of which are visceral leishmaniasis, rabies, hydatidosis, toxocariasis, and trichinellosis. In this study, visceral leishmaniasis, rabies, ectoparasites, canine gastrointestinal helminths, dermatophytosis, distemper, parvovirus infection, and heartworm infections were evaluated among live-trapped and rescued foxes injured by traffic road accidents referred to the teaching hospital of Kerman, Iran, veterinary faculty. Skin scraping and direct microscopic examination were used to detect ectoparasites and dermatophytosis. Immunochromatography rapid kits were used to detect dirofilariasis, parvovirus infection, and distemper. Necropsy was used to check for gastrointestinal parasites. Rabies and visceral leishmaniosis were screened for with direct fluorescent antibody test and ELISA methods, respectively. Gastrointestinal helminth infections, including Toxocara canis, Taenia taeniaeformis, Dipylidium caninum, Joyeuxiella echinorhyncoids, Toxascaris leonina, Taenia hydatigena, Echinococcus granulosus, Rictolaria spp., Oxynema spp., Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus, and Physaloptera spp., were detected. Skin scrapings showed dermatophytosis and various ectoparasites, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis, and Sarcoptes scabiei, in foxes with dermal lesions. Distemper and parvovirus infection (26.66%) were the common viral diseases, and rabies infection rate was quite high (16.66%). Dirofilariasis and leishmaniasis were detected in 10% of the population. This study showed that urban foxes which often cohabit with humans and domestic animals are carriers of many different pathogens. This interaction may facilitate indirect cross-species transmission of zoonotic disease. Periodic health monitoring and multidisciplinary cooperation for the diagnosis, control, and prevention of these zoonoses is highly recommended., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2024.)

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) worldwide. With the overpowering trend of aging, the prevalence of DKD in the elderly is progressively increasing. Genetic factors, abnormal glucose metabolism, inflammation, mitochondrial dysregulation, and oxidative stress all contribute to the development of DKD. Conceivably, during aging, these pathobiological processes are likely to be intensified, and this would further exacerbate the deterioration of renal functions in elderly patients, ultimately leading to ESRD. Currently, the pathogenesis of DKD in the elderly is not very well-understood. This study describes an appraisal of the relationship between diabetic nephropathy and aging while discussing the structural and functional changes in the aged kidney, the impact of related mechanisms on the outcome of DKD, and the latest advances in targeted therapies., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic idiopathic immune-mediated inflammatory condition. LP is a heterogeneous disease with varied clinical presentations having different natural history, prognosis, sequelae, and outcomes. It can affect skin, hair, nails, and mucosae. Mucosal LP (including oral LP) tends to be persistent and resistant to treatment, compared to cutaneous LP. Oral LP (OLP) is broadly divided into two main categories: hyperkeratotic (usually asymptomatic) and erosive (commonly symptomatic). It can present with symptoms including odynophagia, dysphagia, dysgeusia, and sensitivity to hot spicy foods. Apart from the superficial epidermal changes, which vary with the type of clinical presentation, histopathologically oral LP shows a unifying similar and consistent feature of a lichenoid interface dermatitis. Recently, researchers have highlighted the critical role played by IL-17 in the pathogenesis of OLP. World Health Organization has categorized oral LP as one of the oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD), albeit with a low risk of malignant transformation. Also, in the last couple of years there have been various reports on the usage of newer drugs like anti-IL17, anti-IL12/23, anti-IL 23, PDE4 inhibitors, and JAK inhibitors in the management of refractory OLP. The principal aim of treatment still remains to resolve the symptoms, prolong the symptoms free period, and reduce the risk of potential malignant transformation. We have described many new revelations made in recent times regarding the etiopathogenesis, associated conditions as well as management of OLP. Thus, the objective of this review is to present a comprehensive up-to-date knowledge including the recent advances made regarding OLP., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Dermatology Online Journal.)

Organic semiconductors based on conjugated donor-acceptor (D-A) polymers are a unique platform for electronic, spintronic, and energy-harvesting devices. Understanding the electronic structure of D-A polymers with a small band gap is essential for developing next-generation technologies. Here, we investigate the electronic structure and optical spectra of cyclopentadithiophene-based closed/open-shell D-A polymers using density functional theory and the Bethe-Salpeter equation based on G[Formula: see text]W[Formula: see text] approximation. We explored the role of different acceptor units and chemical substitutions on the structural changes and, more importantly, electronic, optical, and dielectric behavior. We found that the computed first exciton peak of the polymers agreed well with the available experimentally measured optical gap. Furthermore, D-A polymers with open-shell character display higher dielectric constant than the closed-shell polymers. We show that the exceptional performance of polycyclopentadithiophene-thiophenylthiadiazoloquinoxaline (PCPDT-TTQ) as a scalable n-type material for Faradaic supercapacitors can be partly ascribed to its elevated dielectric constant. Consequently, these D-A polymers, characterized by their high dielectric constants, exhibit significant potential for various applications, including energy storage, organic electronics, and the production of dielectric films., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: India recorded the first outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in North-eastern region (NER) in the year 2020., Aim: The current study was undertaken to investigate the transmission of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in the wild boars of Northeast India, particularly of Assam., Material and Methods: ASF suspected mortal tissue remains and blood samples of wild boars collected from different locations of Assam were screened for molecular detection of swine viruses which includes Classical swine fever virus, Porcine Circovirus 2, Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and ASFV., Results: One sample each from Manas and Nameri National Parks was detected positive for ASFV. Besides this, one of the samples was positive for CSFV and one of the ASFV positive samples was also positive for PCV2. Several striking gross and microscopic alterations were noticed in different organs of ASFV infected animals. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of B646L gene confirmed the presence of ASFV genotype-II in wild boars. Circulation of similar genotype in domestic pigs of NER in the contemporary period as well as locations near to the aforementioned national parks indicates the transmission of ASFV from domestic to wild boars., Clinical Relevance: The detection of ASFV in the wild boars of Assam is alarming as it is an impending threat to pig population and other endangered species (particularly Pygmy hog), making it increasingly daunting to control the disease., Conclusion: Chances are high for ASFV to become endemic in Assam region if stringent measures are not taken at proper time.

The outer mycomembrane of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related pathogens is a robust permeability barrier that protects against antibiotic treatment. Here, we demonstrate that synthetic analogues of the mycomembrane biosynthetic precursor trehalose monomycolate bearing truncated lipid chains increase permeability of Mycobacterium smegmatis cells and sensitize them to treatment with the first-line anti-tubercular drug rifampicin. The reported strategy may be useful for enhancing entry of drugs and other molecules to mycobacterial cells, and represents a new way to study mycomembrane structure and function.

The home range of a species is determined by a complex interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic factors, which can have profound impacts on the species' resource use. Understanding these dynamics is especially important for conserving critically endangered species. In this study, we used satellite telemetry to investigate the home range of the critically endangered lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus) in Gujarat, India. We analysed GPS locations from 10 lesser floricans deployed with GPS/GSM transmitters between 2020 and 2022. The average home range size (95% KDE) was 10.73 ± 10.70 km 2 (mean ± SD), while the average core area (50% KDE) was 1.95 ± 1.56 km 2 (mean ± SD). The monthly and daily distances covered were 286.29 ± 599.42 km and 10.11 ± 19.78 km, respectively. Our analysis indicated that suitable habitats and movement patterns were the most important factors explaining the variation in home range size. Specifically, our results suggest that lesser floricans prefer multi-use agro-grassland habitat systems with heterogeneous structures to accommodate different life history requirements. This preference may reflect the depletion and degradation of grasslands across the species' range. Therefore, managing grassland habitats amidst croplands should be one of the key conservation strategies for the lesser florican., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of trans-nasal Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) block over other treatments for Post-Dural Puncture Headache (PDPH) management., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on databases for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) comparing trans-nasal SPG blockade for the management of PDPH over other treatment modalities. All outcomes were pooled using the Mantel-Haenszel method and random effect model. Analyses of all outcomes were performed as a subgroup based on the type of control interventions (conservative, intranasal lignocaine puffs, sham, and Greater Occipital Nerve [GON] block). The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach., Results: After screening 1748 relevant articles, 9 RCTs comparing SPG block with other interventions (6 conservative treatments, 1 sham, 1 GON and 1 intranasal lidocaine puff) were included in this meta-analysis. SPG block demonstrated superiority over conservative treatment in pain reduction at 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h after interventions and treatment failures with "very low" to "moderate" quality of evidence. The SPG block failed to demonstrate superiority over conservative treatment in pain reduction beyond 6 h, need for rescue treatment, and adverse events. SPG block demonstrated superiority over intranasal lignocaine puff in pain reduction at 30 min, 1 h, 6 h, and 24 h after interventions. SPG block did not show superiority or equivalence in all efficacy and safety outcomes as compared to sham and GON block., Conclusion: Very Low to moderate quality evidence suggests the superiority of SPG block over conservative treatment and lignocaine puff for short-term pain relief from PDPH., Prospero Registration: CRD42021291707., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier España S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has created opportunities to analyse historical data for predicting clinical outcomes and improving patient care. However, non-standardised data representations and anomalies pose major challenges to the use of EHRs in digital health research. To address these challenges, we have developed EHR-QC, a tool comprising two modules: the data standardisation module and the preprocessing module. The data standardisation module migrates source EHR data to a standard format using advanced concept mapping techniques, surpassing expert curation in benchmarking analysis. The preprocessing module includes several functions designed specifically to handle healthcare data subtleties. We provide automated detection of data anomalies and solutions to handle those anomalies. We believe that the development and adoption of tools like EHR-QC is critical for advancing digital health. Our ultimate goal is to accelerate clinical research by enabling rapid experimentation with data-driven observational research to generate robust, generalisable biomedical knowledge., 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 © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)