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Moulick A, Milosavljevic V, Vlachova J, et al. Int J Nanomedicine. 2018;12:1277–1291. The authors have advised due to an error that occurred inadvertently at the time of figure assembly, the QD+C image in Figure 1E on page 1282 is incorrect. The correct Figure 1 is as follows. Figure 1 Optical property analysis and dynamic light scattering (DLS) of the CdTe/ZnSe QDs conjugated with nucleobases. Abbreviations: QD, quantum dot; QD+A, quantum dot + adenine; QD+C, quantum dot + cytosine; QD+G, quantum dot + guanine; QD+T, quantum dot + thymine; SD, standard deviation; SEM, scanning electron microscopy; UV, ultraviolet. Notes: (A) and (C) are showing the absorbance and fluorescence spectra of the QDs with or without nucleobases, respectively. (B) The photographs of the samples under visible light (upper panel) and UV light (lower panel). (D) The fluorescence intensities of the QDs after the interaction with the nucleobases of different concentrations. X-axis is showing the final concentration of the nucleobases in the prepared samples. Y-axis is showing the fluorescence intensities of the samples. Data represent the mean ± SD, n=5. P

Pavlina Jelinkova,1 Zbynek Splichal,1,2 Ana Maria Jimenez Jimenez,1,2 Yazan Haddad,1,2 Aninda Mazumdar,1,2 Vishma Pratap Sur,1,2 Vedran Milosavljevic,1,2 Pavel Kopel,1,2 Hana Buchtelova,1 Roman Guran,1,2 Ondrej Zitka,1,2 Lukas Richtera,1,2 Dagmar Hegerova,1,2 Zbynek Heger,1,2 Amitava Moulick,1,2 Vojtech Adam1,2 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska, Brno, Czech Republic; 2Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova, Brno, Czech Republic Background: Increase in vancomycin (Van)-resistant bacterial strains including vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) and lack of new effective antibiotics have become a formidable health problem. Materials and methods: We designed a new conjugate composed of Van and a peptide Hecate (Hec; Van/Hec), and its potential antimicrobial activity was evaluated. Results: Results from disk diffusion test, time-kill assay, determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), microscopy, and comet assay showed strong antimicrobial effects of Van/Hec against wild-type, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and VRSA. Microscopy revealed that the exposure to Van/Hec results in disruption of bacterial cell integrity in all tested strains, which was not observed in case of Van or Hec alone. Conclusion: Overall, we showed that the preparation of conjugates from antibiotics and biologically active peptides could help us to overcome the limitation of the use of antibiotic in the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Keywords: vancomycin, antibacterial, Staphylococcus aureus, antibiotic resistance, peptide

Amitava Moulick,1,2 Vedran Milosavljevic,1,2 Jana Vlachova,1,2 Robert Podgajny,3 David Hynek,1,2 Pavel Kopel,1,2 Vojtech Adam1,2 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, 2Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic; 3Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland Abstract: CdTe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dot (QD), one of the strongest and most highly luminescent nanoparticles, was directly synthesized in an aqueous medium to study its individual interactions with important nucleobases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) in detail. The results obtained from the optical analyses indicated that the interactions of the QDs with different nucleobases were different, which reflected in different fluorescent emission maxima and intensities. The difference in the interaction was found due to the different chemical behavior and different sizes of the formed nanoconjugates. An electrochemical study also confirmed that the purines and pyrimidines show different interactions with the core/shell QDs. Based on these phenomena, a novel QD-based method is developed to detect the presence of the DNA, damage to DNA, and mutation. The QDs were successfully applied very easily to detect any change in the sequence (mutation) of DNA. The QDs also showed their ability to detect DNAs directly from the extracts of human cancer (PC3) and normal (PNT1A) cells (detection limit of 500 pM of DNA), which indicates the possibilities to use this easy assay technique to confirm the presence of living organisms in extreme environments. Keywords: nanoparticles, nucleobases, biosensor, fluorescence, mutation

Abstract Focusing on Rhenium disulfide (ReS2), a group VII transition metal di-chalcogenides (TMDC), being a promising contender system for future nanoelectronics and optoelectronics, here, we present an innovative pathway to experimentally achieve an almost barrier-free contact for the ReS2 field effect transistors (FETs) by using few layered graphene as contact electrodes, further supported by comparative first-principles analysis. Such barrier-free contacts enable the observation of metal-to-insulator transition with enhanced room temperature carrier mobility up to 25 cm2/Vs, linear Ids-Vds characteristic down to 80 K, along with the reduction of 1/f noise by more than two orders of magnitude. We further demonstrate a highly responsive gate- tunable phototransistor (R > 106 A/W) at an illumination wavelength of 633 nm. This work demonstrates a straightforward strategy to unlock the full potential of ReS2 for CMOS compatible future electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Abstract In Huntington’s Disease (HD) and related disorders, expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeats produces a toxic gain of function in affected neurons. Expanded huntingtin (expHTT) mRNA forms aggregates that sequester essential RNA binding proteins, dysregulating mRNA processing and translation. The physical basis of RNA aggregation has been difficult to disentangle owing to the heterogeneous structure of the CAG repeats. Here, we probe the folding and unfolding pathways of expHTT mRNA using single-molecule force spectroscopy. Whereas normal HTT mRNAs unfold reversibly and cooperatively, expHTT mRNAs with 20 or 40 CAG repeats slip and unravel non-cooperatively at low tension. Slippage of CAG base pairs is punctuated by concerted rearrangement of adjacent CCG trinucleotides, trapping partially folded structures that readily base pair with another RNA strand. We suggest that the conformational entropy of the CAG repeats, combined with stable CCG base pairs, creates a stick-slip behavior that explains the aggregation propensity of expHTT mRNA.

The purpose of the current research was to translate the Family Bondedness Scale (FBS), a recently developed scale for measuring the extent to which pet owners are emotionally bonded with their pets in a manner commensurate with their emotional bondedness with human family members, into Spanish and test the measurement equivalence, or measurement invariance, of scores from the English and Spanish versions. This study was intended to address the need for Spanish versions of human-animal interaction (HAI) and human-animal bond (HAB) measures given the rapid increase in Latinx pet owning families in the United States. The FBS was first translated from English to Spanish using the back translation method. A measurement equivalence study was then conducted. A total of 732 responses on the FBS were obtained, 511 on the English version and 221 on the Spanish version. Readability analyses suggested both versions require a second grade reading level. Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses, with and without covariates, were used to test for three forms of measurement equivalence: configural, metric, and scalar. Results were consistent with full configural and full metric invariance, and with partial scalar invariance. The results suggested the item intercepts of seven FBS items were not the same for the two versions. Further analyses suggested the practical importance of the lack of full scalar invariance of these seven items was minimal. Results were also consistent with the equivalence of reliabilities of scores on the two versions. These findings support the use of the Spanish version of the FBS in HAI and HAB research. The results also have implications for future research on the Spanish version of the FBS.

Since the nutritional makeup of many plants is still unknown, people have historically included them in their diets without even being aware of their health advantages. Therefore, the present study aimed to uncover the proximate composition, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids composition of two locally consumed vegetables, namely Boerhavia diffusa and Coccinia grandis. From the analysis, these vegetables had a significant protein, fat, and carbohydrate content. Regarding mineral contents, both plants had a great amount of potassium, calcium, iron, sodium, and zinc. These vegetables had a remarkable content of vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and C. The leaves of both plants had important essential amino acids such as leucine, lysine, and phenylalanine, as well as non-essential amino acids. Unsaturated fatty acids such as linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and erucic acid were more prominent in Coccinia grandis than Boerhavia diffusa. In addition, both plants had a significant amount of saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, and lauric acid. Thus, it can be concluded that these two vegetables have magnificent profiles of nutrients which could make them as important sources of minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids.

Introduction: The fabella is a sesamoid bone found in the posterior and lateral region of the knee, identified on X-rays behind the femoral condyle in a true lateral view. Occasionally, it is a source of knee pain and is associated with radiological evidence of osteoarthritic knees. Due to its uncommon occurrence, there are very few studies related to an ossified fabella. While posteromedial pain and varus are common entities in knee arthritis, attention needs to be given to posterolateral structures like the fabella, as its radiological appearance may indicate the presence of arthritis. Aim: To determine the occurrence of the fabella and its association with arthritis and knee deformities, such as varus or valgus, in Indian knees on X-rays. Materials and Methods: This was a single-centre, X-ray-based, cross-sectional study conducted in the Joint Replacement Unit-II of the Department of Orthopaedics between June 2022 and March 2023 at KLE's Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital in Belagavi, Karnataka, India. A total of 500 knees were radiologically studied using Medsynapse/Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), and Cohen's Kappa Test statistics were employed to measure the agreement between the radiologist and orthopaedician regarding the presence or absence of the fabella interpreted on X-rays. Results: The occurrence of ossified fabella was observed in 87 (17.4%) subjects. Amongst these 27 (31.03%) had bilateral fabella, while remaining 60 (68.97%) had it either on left or right side. There was a high association between the occurrence of the fabella with age, Osteoarthritis (OA), and knee deformity (p-value0.05). Conclusion: The study revealed that ossified fabella is significantly associated with knee OA, age, and knee deformities.

Despite their overlooked status, weeds are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic value, aligning with historical reliance on plants for medicine and nutrition. This study investigates the medicinal potential of native weed species in Bangladesh, specifically pigments, antioxidants, and free radical scavenging abilities. Twenty different medicinal weed species were collected from the vicinity of Khulna Agricultural University and processed in the Crop Botany Department Laboratory. Pigment levels were determined using spectrophotometer analysis, and phenolics, flavonoids, and DPPH were quantified accordingly. Chlorophyll levels in leaves ranged from 216.70 ± 9.41 to 371.14 ± 28.67 µg g−1 FW, and in stems from 51.98 ± 3.21 to 315.89 ± 17.19 µg g−1 FW. Flavonoid content also varied widely, from 1,624.62 ± 102.03 to 410.00 ± 115.58 mg CE 100 g−1 FW in leaves, and from 653.08 ± 32.42 to 80.00 ± 18.86 mg CE 100 g−1 FW in stems. In case of phenolics content Euphorbia hirta L. displaying the highest total phenolic content in leaves (1,722.33 ± 417.89 mg GAE 100 g−1 FW) and Ruellia tuberosa L. in stems (977.70 ± 145.58 mg GAE 100 g−1 FW). The lowest DPPH 2.505 ± 1.028 mg mL−1was found in Heliotropium indicum L. leaves. Hierarchical clustering links species with pigment, phenolic/flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. PCA, involving 20 species and seven traits, explained 70.07% variability, with significant PC1 (14.82%) and PC2 (55.25%). Leaves were shown to be superior, and high-performing plants such as E. hirta and H. indicum stood out for their chemical composition and antioxidant activity. Thus, this research emphasizes the value of efficient selection while concentrating on the therapeutic potential of native weed species.

Abstract Organic aquaculture is a new approach in the modern farming system. As the capital investment is higher for setting up the organic aquaculture, it is essential to conduct an economic feasibility study with compare the conventional farming system. In the current study, economic feasibility of culturing Indian major carps (IMC) using conventional culture system and organic culture system (OCS) were evaluated. IMC was cultured for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019 in experimental ponds of 0.015 hectare (ha) area each. The crude protein content of the organic and conventional feed was maintained at the same iso-nitrogenous level (32% crude protein) but the highest production to the tune of 19 tons per ha was obtained in OCS. Further, in case of OCS, apart from fish production, vermicomposting to the tune of 45,000 kg ha−1 in the first year, and 90,000 kg ha−1 from second year onward is achievable by installing a vermicomposting unit of 200 tons annual capacity. Economic analysis of the culture systems assuming a project period of 10 years showed that the highest net present value (NPV) of 1.06 million USD, a payback period of one year and nine months and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 51% are achievable per ha of fish culture pond for OCS. Sensitivity analysis of various costs performed for OCS revealed that profitability of the organic fish farming investment is most sensitive to the total fish production and sale price of the organic fishes. In terms of production of fish and economics of organic culture system is proved to be the best available technique.

Hundreds of bacteria, viruses, eukaryotes, and archaea comprise the human intestinal microbiota, which constitutes a complex ecology. Recent years have established the significance of the gastrointestinal microbiome in the study of biological microorganisms. Diverse techniques for cultural extraction and analysis make it difficult to cultivate intestinal gut bacteria species. To determine the causative microorganism, it is necessary to investigate microbes and bacteria. Novel and efficacious remedies for illnesses are required. Bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing can assist in the analysis of enormous quantities of sequenced data for bacterial investigations, thereby expanding sequencing. However, advancements in sequencing technology have broadened the scope of bioinformatics identification and analysis. With next-generation sequencing techniques such as metagenomic, 16S rRNA, and meta-transcriptomic sequencing, experimental data regarding the immunological response of the intestinal gut microbiome to genetic manipulation seems to be helpful in identifying the diseases. Despite significant progress over the past two decades, there is still a lack of understanding about the ecology of diseases and treatments. The present review highlights how microbial gene sequencing and analysis of sequencing information can help manage human gut issues.

The current study was designed to investigate the consequences of rice cooking and soaking of cooked rice (CR) with or without arsenic (As) contaminated water on As and Fe (iron) transfer to the human body along with associated health risk assessment using additive main-effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and Monte Carlo Simulation model. In comparison to raw rice, As content in cooked rice (CR) and soaked cooked rice (SCR) enhanced significantly (at p

Edible crabs of different species are well-known as rich sources of protein and minerals. The present study evaluated the nutritional profile of Portunus pelagicus and Portunus sanguinolentus crabs collected from the coastal Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. The meat and shell parts of both male and female crabs were analyzed for moisture, protein, fat and ash/minerals. The meats contain significantly higher amount of protein (12.72-19.25%), fat (2.78-4.06%), moisture (74.71-79.81%) and lower amount of ash (1.06-2.01%) compared to the shells (0.94-1.55% protein, 0.87-1.33% fat, 47.59-51.01% moisture and 20.99-24.48% ash). Among the minerals, calcium, iron and phosphorus are significantly higher in the shells (6567.11-9463.03 mg/100g, 10.36-31.72 mg/100g and 97.76-127.67 mg/100g, respectively) than in the meats (23.33-233.09 mg/100g, 4.22-8.34 mg/100g and 51.88-63.28 mg/100g, respectively). The findings of the present study suggest that the meat and shell of these crabs could be considered for consumption as excellent sources of protein and minerals essential for infants, young children, adults, pregnant and lactating women.

Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries in the world. More than 200 air quality index values were recorded in January and February since 2017, indicating that the air quality was unhealthy to very unhealthy. In this work, water-soluble inorganic anions (WSIAs) in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh with a population of around 21 million, were evaluated. Accordingly, PM2.5 was collected using a quartz filter coupled with an active air sampler set in Dhaka University campus, Bangladesh, during February 2023, to analyze WSIAs. The 24-h average PM2.5 mass, 156 ± 44.8 μg/m3, was almost nine times higher than the WHO limit values of 15.0 μg/m3 and about three times higher than the Bangladesh Department of Environment limits of 65.0 μg/m3. Fluoride, chloride, bromide, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate were among the water-soluble ions that were determined using ion chromatography. While bromide and nitrite were found to be below the detection limit, the mean concentrations of fluoride, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate were determined to be 0.086 ± 0.010, 2.27 ± 0.332, 10.2 ± 1.29, 2.23 ± 0.424, and 11.0 ± 1.45 μg/m3, respectively. The highest levels of PM2.5 and the relevant anions were determined to be present during February 9-10, 2023. Sulfate accounted for almost 43% of the anions in the overall PM2.5. According to the results of the statistical analysis, the high concentrations of sulfate and nitrate in PM2.5 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, were primarily caused by sulfur-containing fossil fuels, especially sulfur-containing diesel, coal, and unfit automobiles, while the main sources of fluoride and chloride were fire retardants, burning of textile, and municipal solid wastes. All of these sources have the ability to produce PM2.5.

Agricultural productivity is constantly being forced to maintain yield stability to feed the enormously growing world population. However, shrinking arable and nutrient-deprived soil and abiotic and biotic stressor (s) in different magnitudes put additional challenges to achieving global food security. Though well-defined, the concept of macro, micronutrients, and beneficial elements is from a plant nutritional perspective. Among various micronutrients, selenium (Se) is essential in small amounts for the life cycle of organisms, including crops. Selenium has the potential to improve soil health, leading to the improvement of productivity and crop quality. However, Se possesses an immense encouraging phenomenon when supplied within the threshold limit, also having wide variations. The supplementation of Se has exhibited promising outcomes in lessening biotic and abiotic stress in various crops. Besides, bulk form, nano-Se, and biogenic-Se also revealed some merits and limitations. Literature suggests that the possibilities of biogenic-Se in stress alleviation and fortifying foods are encouraging. In this article, apart from adopting a combination of a conventional extensive review of the literature and bibliometric analysis, the authors have assessed the journey of Se in the “soil to spoon” perspective in a diverse agroecosystem to highlight the research gap area. There is no doubt that the time has come to seriously consider the tag of beneficial elements associated with Se, especially in the drastic global climate change era.

Abstract The purpose of the current research was to translate the Family Bondedness Scale (FBS), a recently developed scale for measuring the extent to which pet owners are emotionally bonded with their pets in a manner commensurate with their emotional bondedness with human family members, into Spanish and test the measurement equivalence, or measurement invariance, of scores from the English and Spanish versions. This study was intended to address the need for Spanish versions of human-animal interaction (HAI) and human-animal bond (HAB) measures given the rapid increase in Latinx pet owning families in the United States. The FBS was first translated from English to Spanish using the back translation method. A measurement equivalence study was then conducted. A total of 732 responses on the FBS were obtained, 511 on the English version and 221 on the Spanish version. Readability analyses suggested both versions require a second grade reading level. Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses, with and without covariates, were used to test for three forms of measurement equivalence: configural, metric, and scalar. Results were consistent with full configural and full metric invariance, and with partial scalar invariance. The results suggested the item intercepts of seven FBS items were not the same for the two versions. Further analyses suggested the practical importance of the lack of full scalar invariance of these seven items was minimal. Results were also consistent with the equivalence of reliabilities of scores on the two versions. These findings support the use of the Spanish version of the FBS in HAI and HAB research. The results also have implications for future research on the Spanish version of the FBS.

Heteropneustes fossilis (Shing) and Otolithoides pama (Poa) fish bones were chosen as the waste source of photocatalysts which are found in the confined water and the Sea. The bones of these fish are composed of calcium phosphate hydroxide (CPH) which is composed of phosphate and hydroxyl groups and these groups are effective for the photocatalytic activity. The fish bones are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Optical bandgap, Particle size analyzer, etc. Crystallographic information was evaluated using the XRD data focusing on the crystallinity index, lattice parameters, microstrain, crystallite size, dislocation density, degree of crystallinity, β-TCP percentage, HAp percentage, volume fraction of β-TCP, specific surface area, relative intensity, and preference growth. The crystallite size of the natural bones was estimated from the XRD data engaging a number of model equations. Photocatalytic activity of the Shing and Poa fish bones was evaluated by degrading Congo Red dye varying different reaction parameters such as pH, interaction time, catalyst dose, and dye concentration.

Spices are common flavoring ingredients used in the preparation of culinary items and food products. Spices, unlike other components of food, are considered non-nutritive elements and they do not have to meet rigid nutritional quality standards. Therefore, the present study focused on the investigation of proximate contents, minerals, phytochemical components, and antioxidant activity of 9 indigenous spices (cardamom, clove, cinnamon, red chili, black pepper, cumin, coriander, fennel seed, and ginger) consumed in Bangladesh. A range of proximate compositions of spices including protein (2.70–15.44%), fat (4.33–19.04%), fiber (4.70–9.37%), ash (2.25–9.16%), moisture (5.34–10.48%), carbohydrate (50.15–75.87%), and energy (322.36–422.68 kcal/100g) were recorded. They contained a considerable amount of sodium (15.72–111.13 mg/100g), potassium (17.35–1452.86 mg/100g), calcium (7.37–481.54 mg/100g), and manganese (17.64–4615.33 mg/100g). Spices in water and ethanol had a significant content of total phenols (6.24–139.32 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), flavonoids (2.87–89.60 mg quercetin equivalent/g), and antioxidant capacity (8.94–86.50 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g). Different extents of DPPH radical scavenging activity (2.62–94.16% by 100 ppm of extract) among them were reported. The content of total carotene ranged from 0.02 to 1.27 mg/g. Moreover, correlation and principal component analysis provide evidence that polyphenolic compounds are responsible for their potent antioxidant properties. Thus, these findings will be helpful by proving a baseline for spices towards being an essential ingredient of nutraceuticals as well as enhancing their consumption and production.