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Byline: Viney. Gupta, Bindu. Somarajan, Gagandeep. Kaur, Shikha. Gupta, Renu. Singh, Dibyabhaba. Pradhan, Harpreet. Singh, Punit. Kaur, Anshul. Sharma, Bindia. Chawla, Anisha. Pahuja, Rajesh. Ramachandran, Arundhati. Sharma Purpose: To report [...]

ABSTRACTThe massive expansion of higher education in contemporary India has been accompanied by corresponding increases in the number of women students in colleges and universities. Given this backdrop, this paper discusses the experiences of young women students within the public and private spaces of their new lives in college. Some recent discussions concerning young women in urban India have privileged public spaces as sites of freedom to which they should lay claim. This paper is based on research on women students in Prayagraj, a city in North India, and shows how college and hostel spaces enable new forms of sociability, in which they form non-kin relationships. These are formed among students of diverse social identities but are shaped by their class locations as well within the social context of homosociality. Young women students create a new social world inside their colleges and hostels, build friendships and create certain kinds of intimacies. Cooking together and caring for each other in times of illness emerge as important aspects of their friendships. Hostel spaces, in particular, provide some freedom and comfort for the young women who reside in them. This article brings out the ways in which women students inhabit such spaces, creating social support systems and care networks.

Gender inequality in employment remains high in India with women’s work participation rate at 22% compared to 54% for males. Drawing upon evidence from Young Lives panel data, this article explores factors affecting labour force participation and gender inequity, especially with reference to regular salaried jobs amongst young adults at age 22. Logistic regression analysis reveals that young women are 59% less likely to be in regular salaried jobs compared to their male counterparts with Fairlie decomposition analysis revealing that marital status alone contributes more than 98% of the gender gap in regular salaried employment. Vocational education, job-related training, early reading skills at age 8, frequent use of computer and high GRIT scores are other positive significant factors associated with regular salaried jobs. This article concludes with policy recommendations for promoting young women’s well-being, as well as their income-generation opportunities and participation in the formal labour market.

A number of studies in the psychological and marketing literature have focused on the effects of message spacing on consumer memory and judgement. The importance of message spacing has also been exemplified by a crucial scheduling problem in the broadcast television industry that requires the assignment of multiple airings of commercial videotapes to purchased slots of air time. Existing models for this problem are restricted to the case of equal spacing of successive airings in terms of slot position. In light of the fact that equal spacing of messages is not necessarily the best course of action in all situations, we present an alternative model that enables greater flexibility with respect to the spacing of commercial messages. For example, the model allows for equal temporal spacing of commercials in addition to equal spacing in terms of slot position. More importantly, the model permits spacing options that allow for pulsing strategies associated with well-separated bursts of commercial airings, as well as the consideration of spacing decisions when commercials have different durations. We demonstrate a heuristic for solving the scheduling problem under various message spacing policies. We believe that our model, which is effective and adaptable, has considerable promise for practical scheduling problems as well as subsequent experimental research. DOI: 10.2501/S0265048710201257

Unsustainable clothing consumption patterns, especially prevalent in the Global North, have come to the spotlight of media, policy-makers and the academic community in recent years. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the routine lives of citizens globally, which has impacted some consumers’ attitudes towards fashion and consumption practices. This study employs terror management theory and voluntary simplicity to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ attitudes towards clothing consumption across six different countries, from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. A structured qualitative study with closed, open-ended and multiple-choice questions was completed by a sample of consumers (N= 3748) across these countries. Among all participants of this study one-third reported that the pandemic had affected their attitude towards clothing and this study was mainly conducted to investigate the nature of those attitude changes. Qualitative analysis identified patterns of change in consumers’ attitude towards clothing (e.g., minimalism, grateful mindset, conscious mindset, decreased fashion desire, longevity and style confidence), which reveal potential for a lasting shift towards more sustainable consumption patterns. The results of this study highlight valuable managerial implications: the industry needs to respond to this shift in consumers’ attitude and move towards more sustainable business models and processes. Sufficiency-oriented business offerings, in particular, are becoming more accepted in the fashion industry. Moreover, these results are relevant for predicting future consumption patterns, especially considering that pandemics may become a more regular part of life.

Introduction: Pregnancy is characterized by a series of metabolic changes that promote insulin resistance. This could be due to increase in the plasma levels of one or more pregnancy-related hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, prolactin, cortisol, and human placental lactogen (HPL). The increased insulin resistance in pregnancy is associated with development of diabetes which has implications for the future gestations also. Aims and Objectives: To determine status of insulin resistance in pregnant women and correlate the presence of insulin resistance with obstetric outcome. Material and Method: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, KGMU, Lucknow, over a period of one year. Total 150 pregnant women were enrolled from OPD, out of which 136 women were followed up till delivery. Insulin resistance was calculated by HOMA IR index, twice in whole antenatal period (first in early pregnancy and second in late pregnancy). All women were also tested for GDM by DIPSI test (plasma glucose value after 2 h of 75 gm glucose load irrespective of last meal) as per protocol. Results: In our study, we found 71 women out of 136 (52.2%) were GDM. Total 30 women out of 136 (22.05%) were GGI (Gestational Glucose Intolerance), and total 38 out of 136 (27.9%) women were found to have insulin resistance using HOMA IR ≥ 2 as cut off. Significant correlation was found in between BMI and insulin resistance (p= 0.001) and between GDM and insulin resistance (p= 0.001). Relative risk of development of complications like Preeclampsia, neonatal hypoglycemia, and respiratory distress syndrome was higher in women having insulin resistance and GDM. Conclusion: Obstetric complications like preeclampsia, neonatal hypoglycemia, and respiratory distress syndrome are more likely to occur in women with insulin resistance, but larger studies are required to delineate whether insulin resistance alone without development of GDM will have the same implication

Background and Objectives: The prediction of pharmacokinetics of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) exhibiting non-linear pharmacokinetics in preclinical species to human is challenging, and very limited scientific work has been published in this field of research. Therefore, we have conducted an elaborate comparative assessment to determine the most reliable preclinical to clinical scaling strategy for mAbs with non-linear pharmacokinetics. Methods: We have compared three different scaling approaches to predict human pharmacokinetics from cynomolgus monkey. In the first approach, cynomolgus monkey pharmacokinetic parameters estimated using a two-compartment model with parallel linear and non-linear elimination were allometrically scaled to simulate human pharmacokinetics. In the second approach, allometric exponents were integrated with a minimal physiologically based pharmacokinetic (mPBPK) model to translate human pharmacokinetics. In the third approach, we have employed a species time-invariant method, wherein a two-compartment model with parallel linear and non-linear elimination was used as a framework model for simulation of the human profile. Results: Human exposure parameters projected by an integrated allometric method were only within two fold for approximately 45–70% of predictions at different doses of five mAbs evaluated, while approximately 70–80% of Cmax and AUC predictions by integrated mPBPK modelling as well as the species time-invariant method were within two-fold error. The average fold error for clearance predictions by the integrated mPBPK method was 1.10–1.45 fold, whilst for the species time-variant and integrated allometric methods, the average fold error was between 1.04 and 1.37 fold and 1.24 and 2.13 fold, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the species time-variant method and mPBPK proposed by us can be employed to reliably translate non-linear pharmacokinetics of mAbs from cynomolgus monkey to human.

A study titled ‘Integration of AYUSH (Ayurveda) with National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS)’ implemented in India in three districts of three states, namely Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Gaya (Bihar), and Surendranagar (Gujarat) since 2015 for the management of various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through integrated approach.

•The study presents data from a survey on vaccination preferences in 22 countries.•It distinguishes individuals with anti-vaccine attitudes from the hesitant ones.•Young and less educated individuals show higher vaccine refusal.•Insights from this database can support governments in the COVID-19 endemic phase.

Financial technology (FinTech) is an evolving concept that has previously produced little historical evidence or statistically significant time series data for analysis, leaving only a theoretical framework to be worked on or sponsored by large advisory firms. Strategic advisory firms have already put the emerging FinTech trend at the top of their agendas, with the aim of better understanding future scenarios for universal banks. There has been abundant theoretical literature existing on the implication of emerging FinTech globally, but there is still a dither in quantitative analysis. This study aims to understand the impact of financial technology implementation on the profitability of Indian banks. The study considers return on assets (ROAs) and return on equity (ROE) as dependent variables, and independent variables include number of ATMs to bank branches ratio, capital equity tier 1 ratio, cost to income ratio and FinTech dummy (encompasses blockchain, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, payment technology, and cloud computing). The results display a significant positive impact of FinTech adoption on banks' profitability. Financial institutions delivering tailored products and services, successful in combining pace and flexibility, are having far more wide-reaching dynamics in comparison to their antiquated predecessors.

Nitrogen use efficiency of urea fertilizer is very low for various crops and very large proportions of the fertilizer nitrogen are lost from the crop field through ammonium volatilization, nitrification and de-nitrification, and nitrate leaching. Therefore, to reduce nitrogen losses and the adverse effect of nitrogenous fertilizer on the environment a slow release of highly efficient polyurea microcapsule nitrogenous fertilizer is developed for prolonging release of nitrogen in soil. In this context, neem seed oil encapsulated polyurea microcapsule is developed by interfacial polymerization approach. Polyurea microcapsule contains 68.98% carbon, 11.31% hydrogen and 5.95% nitrogen. The mean particle size of the synthesized polyurea microcapsule was 2.137 µm. The synthesized 0.5 G, 0.0 G dendrimer and polyurea microcapsule were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Disappearance and appearance of peak at 2841.76 cm−1and 1745.94 cm−1confirmed the synthesis of 0.0 G PAMAM and amide bond formation in polyurea microcapsule, respectively. The stability of polyurea microcapsule was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis. Results of incubation study showed that sustained release of NH4+–N and NO3−–N from polyurea microcapsule under field capacity as well as under submerged condition. Hence, polyurea microcapsule could be a suitable option in as a source of nitrogen for crops under field condition.

Moving on from the physical clearance of the cheques to the CTS technology, from brick and mortar model of the banks to the internet banking and mobile banking, launch of BHIM and UPI application, digitalization has become a buzz word in today’s era. Information Technology today has a crucial role to play in an efficient banking system, and Indian banks have placed a strong infrastructure to leverage its benefits by moving on to contextual banking and open Application Programming Interface. Though riddled with lot of risk, banking services have steadily moved forward with digitalization to offer customer services at their fingertips and laptop screens. With Indian Banking Industry competing the world class technology, the rural banking customers still face challenges in embracing digital payments. The article attempts to present the opportunities and challenges recently emerging in the rural banking sector with special emphasis on digitalization and to analyze the importance of digital literacy in today’s banking scenario. This study provides the insights of the digital technology and ways adopted by banks in rural India and to understand the perception and behavior of rural customers toward these services.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have found a wide range of biomedical and environmental monitoring applications (viz. drug delivery, diagnostics, biosensing, bio-imaging, theranostics, and hazardous chemical sensing) due to their excellent optoelectronic and enhanced physico-chemical properties. The modulation of these properties is done by functionalizing them with the synthesized AuNPs with polymers, surfactants, ligands, drugs, proteins, peptides, or oligonucleotides for attaining the target specificity, selectivity and sensitivity for their various applications in diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. This review intends to highlight the contribution of such AuNPs in state-of-the-art ventures of diverse biomedical applications. Therefore, a brief discussion on the synthesis of AuNPs has been summarized prior to comprehensive detailing of their surface modification strategies and the applications. Here in, we have discussed various ways of AuNPs functionalization including thiol, phosphene, amine, polymer and silica mediated passivation strategies. Thereafter, the implications of these passivated AuNPs in sensing, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), bioimaging, drug delivery, and theranostics have been extensively discussed with the a number of illustrations.

Lenacapavir (LEN) is a picomolar first-in-class capsid inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with a multistage mechanism of action and no known cross resistance to other existing antiretroviral (ARV) drug classes. LEN exhibits a low aqueous solubility and exceptionally low systemic clearance following intravenous (IV) administration in nonclinical species and humans. LEN formulated in an aqueous suspension or a PEG/water solution formulation showed sustained plasma exposure levels with no unintended rapid drug release following subcutaneous (SC) administration to rats and dogs. A high total fraction dose release was observed with both formulations. The long-acting pharmacokinetics (PK) were recapitulated in humans following SC administration of both formulations. The SC PK profiles displayed two-phase absorption kinetics in both animals and humans with an initial fast-release absorption phase, followed by a slow-release absorption phase. Noncompartmental and compartmental analyses informed the LEN systemic input rate from the SC depot and exit rate from the body. Modeling-enabled deconvolution of the input rates from two processes: absorption of the soluble fraction (minor) from a direct fast-release process leading to the early PK phase and absorption of the precipitated fraction (major) from an indirect slow-release process leading to the later PK phase. LEN SC PK showed flip-flop kinetics due to the input rate being substantially slower than the systemic exit rate. LEN input rates via the slow-release process in humans were slower than those in both rats and dogs. Overall, the combination of high potency, exceptional stability, and optimal release rate from the injection depot make LEN well suited for a parenteral long-acting formulation that can be administered once up to every 6 months in humans for the prevention and treatment of HIV-1.

To characterize the association between the number, timing, and type of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) and the likelihood of postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) residency match outcomes.

The article focuses on the rise in photography tours for weekends and long holidays in summers by travel enthusiasts. It mentions about Aman Chotani, travel photographer, who has conducted travel workshops across the world and designs photo tours under the aegis of Travel With Aman Chotani Photography in India. It mentions about astro-landscape photography in photographic clubs across India.

FabA is proposed to catalyze the dehydration step of chain elongation in fatty acid and undecylprodiginine biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor. Analysis of the S. coelicolorgenome has revealed a fabAgene (SCO4636-SCO4637, encoding a heterodimer 3-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydratase). Herein, we report the identification and characterization of the corresponding gene products. Kinetic analysis has demonstrated that FabA is capable of utilizing various chain lengths of straight- and branched-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-NAC substrates. Additionally, FabA does not discriminate between acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) from primary and secondary metabolism. These data provide the first experimental evidence that FabA has 3-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydratase activity and processes intermediates for both biosynthetic pathways.

Degradable waste generated from food processing industries has immense potential for producing valuable products. Apples constitute among the most widely consumed fruits in the food processing industry, but their peels remain unutilized. We explored the possibility of using apple peel as feedstock for production of alpha-amylase- a commercially important enzyme with role in food industry and bio-ethanol production that is critical to support nutrition and energy security. The utilization of locally sourced apple peel as feedstock, optimization of the conditions for the production of alpha-amylase through solid-state fermentation and comparison with potato peel-another widely available feedstock option is done. The Bacillus subtilisBS1934 strain was identified as a promising strain that could produce alpha-amylase efficiently at 50 0C. The obtained values i.e., 17468 and 5229 U/L of alpha-amylase from apple and potato peel, respectively through solid state fermentation in eight days were considered as optimum. The enzyme titres were 3-fold higher with apple peel as compared to potato peel in the medium, indicating superior quality of apple peel feedstock as compared to potato for amylase production. The production of amylase using agro-industrial residues, as apple peel may emerge as a cost-effective alternative to amylase from microbial sources for industrial purpose.

The elemental composition of cholesterol stone has been determined by the DC arc optical emission spectroscopy. Qualitative analysis of gallstone reveals the presence of various elements such as Na, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Si, Ni, Al, V, Tl, Sb, H, Li, and K with varying concentration. Apart from Ca being the dominant element, other elements like Na, K, Cu, Mg, and Si are seen to be present in significant proportions. Attempts are being made to systematically investigate the distribution of metallic elements in gallstone and correlate them with the disease conditions.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy form the deadly triad along with hemorrhage and infection that contribute greatly to maternal morbidity and mortality rates. It complicates about 5–10% of pregnancies worldwide. Despite decades of research, it is still an enigma that how pregnancy incites or aggravates hypertension. Development of strategies to prevent and treat the disorder has been challenging due to an incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis. This article reviews the current aspect in its etiology and management of this disorder.

An attempt has been made to investigate occurrence and bioaccumulation of metallic elements in river Ganga water at Allahabad using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique. The recorded spectrum shows the presence of atomic lines of the micronutrients (Ti, Si, Cr, Co, Br, Ba, Sr), macronutrients (H, N, Na, O, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, C) and toxic metals (Hg, Pb, Cd). The observed concentration of the detected elements in the river water shows the trend: Ti > H > N > Sr > Hg > Na > Si > O > Mg > Cl > Br > Ba > Cr > K > Cd > Ca > Pb > C > Co. The observation suggests that the use of such water for drinking may lead to potential health risk in long run.

Chronic kidney disease, although uncommon, can have a major impact on the outcome of pregnancy. Management of these women is complicated and requires close teamwork between obstetricians and nephrologists. This article reviews the available evidence for management of these women. It also includes the management of women who are on dialysis or who have had renal transplant.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by either absolute or relative insulin deficiency resulting in increased glucose concentrations. Diabetes in pregnant women may be pre-gestational (diabetes diagnosed before pregnancy) or gestational (diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy). The incidence of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is related to the duration of diabetes; approximately 15% develop nephropathy within 15 years, 30% within 20 years, and 40% within 30 years from the onset of diabetes. Once nephropathy is established renal function deteriorates progressively. Therefore in women of reproductive age with diabetes, a major concern is whether pregnancy increases the risk for DN and/or accelerates the progression of DN. Diabetic nephropathy complicates approximately 5% of pregnancies in women with pre-existing diabetes. Pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, and fetal growth restriction are the major obstetrical complications in these women. Further, women with pre-pregnancy creatinine 1.5 mg/dL have the highest perinatal complication rate. However, with close evaluation and management, pregnancy outcomes in women with DN have been good, but not completely without risks. This requires a close teamwork between the obstetricians and the nephrologists.

ABSTRACTThe emergence of resistance presents a debilitating change in the management of infectious diseases. Currently, the temporal relationship and interplay between various mechanisms of drug resistance are not well understood. A thorough understanding of the resistance development process is needed to facilitate rational design of countermeasure strategies. Using an in vitrohollow-fiber infection model that simulates human drug treatment, we examined the appearance of efflux pump (acrAB) overexpression and target topoisomerase gene (gyrAand parC) mutations over time in the emergence of quinolone resistance in Escherichia coli. Drug-resistant isolates recovered early (24 h) had 2- to 8-fold elevation in the MIC due to acrABoverexpression, but no point mutations were noted. In contrast, high-level (≥64× MIC) resistant isolates with target site mutations (gyrAS83L with or without parCE84K) were selected more readily after 120 h, and regression of acrABoverexpression was observed at 240 h. Using a similar dosing selection pressure, the emergence of levofloxacin resistance was delayed in a strain with acrABdeleted compared to the isogenic parent. The role of efflux pumps in bacterial resistance development may have been underappreciated. Our data revealed the interplay between two mechanisms of quinolone resistance and provided a new mechanistic framework in the development of high-level resistance. Early low-level levofloxacin resistance conferred by acrABoverexpression preceded and facilitated high-level resistance development mediated by target site mutation(s). If this interpretation is correct, then these findings represent a paradigm shift in the way quinolone resistance is thought to develop.

BACKGROUND: Published studies assessing specific methods that patients with diabetes and their caregivers perceive as helpful means of increasing medication adherence are lacking.OBJECTIVE: To determine methods that patients with diabetes and their caregivers have used to improve medication adherence, investigate the perceived helpfulness of these methods, and identify motivating factors and medication characteristics that may positively influence adherence.METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to patients with diabetes and caregivers of patients with diabetes at the 11th annual Taking Control of Your Diabetes conference in October 2005 at the San Diego Convention Center. Outcome measures were self-reported medication adherence, perceived helpfulness of methods employed to improve adherence, motivating factors that may improve adherence, and medication characteristics that may improve adherence.RESULTS: A total of 524 (40.5% response rate) questionnaires were included in the final analysis, 357 from patients with diabetes and 167 from caregivers. Taking medications as part of a daily routine and using pill boxes were the most frequently reported helpful methods for improving medication adherence. The 3 motivating factors most commonly identified as improving medication adherence were: knowing that diabetes medications work effectively to lower blood glucose, knowing how to manage medication adverse effects, and understanding medication benefits. Many participants thought that newer injectable diabetes medications resulting in weight loss or no additional blood glucose monitoring would be helpful in optimizing adherence.CONCLUSIONS: Participants in this study identified medication education as a key factor in improving adherence. To empower patients to overcome medication adherence barriers, pharmacists could perform more proactive and thorough counseling sessions that include education on indication, mechanism of action, and therapeutic effects of drugs. They could recommend that patients take medications concurrently with a daily routine and use a pill box, as these actions were reported to be likely to improve medication adherence. However, our results also remind us that motivating factors and tools that may improve adherence may be very patient specific and that pharmacists should incorporate an assessment of this variance in their counseling sessions.

ABSTRACTKilling by beta-lactams is well known to be reduced against a dense bacterial population, commonly known as the inoculum effect. However, the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon is not well understood. We proposed a semimechanistic mathematical model to account for the reduced in vitrokilling observed. Time-kill studies were performed with 4 baseline inocula (ranging from approximately 1 × 105to 1 × 108CFU/ml) of Escherichia coliATCC 25922 (MIC, 2 mg/liter). Constant but escalating piperacillin concentrations used ranged from 0.25× to 256× MIC. Serial samples were taken over 24 h to quantify viable bacterial burden, and all the killing profiles were mathematically modeled. The inoculum effect was attributed to a reduction of effective drug concentration available for bacterial killing, which was expressed as a function of the baseline inoculum. Biomasses associated with different inocula were examined using a colorimetric method. Despite identical drug-pathogen combinations, the baseline inoculum had a significant impact on bacterial killing. Our proposed mathematical model was unbiased and reasonable in capturing all 28 killing profiles collectively (r2= 0.88). Biomass was found to be significantly more after 24 h with a baseline inoculum of 1 × 108CFU/ml, compared to one where the initial inoculum was 1 × 105CFU/ml (P= 0.002). Our results corroborated previous observations that in vitrokilling by piperacillin was significantly reduced against a dense bacterial inoculum. This phenomenon can be reasonably captured by our proposed mathematical model, and it may improve prediction of bacterial response to various drug exposures in future investigations.

ABSTRACTGenetic mutations are one of the major mechanisms by which bacteria acquire drug resistance. One of the known mechanisms for inducing mutations is the SOS response system. We investigated the effect of disrupting recA, an inducer of the SOS response, on resistance development using an in vitrohollow-fiber infection model. A clinical Staphylococcus aureusisolate and a laboratory wild-type strain of Escherichia coliwere compared to their respective recA-deleted isogenic daughter isolates. Approximately 2 × 105CFU/ml of bacteria were subjected to escalating levofloxacin exposures for up to 120 h. Serial samples were obtained to ascertain simulated drug exposures and total and resistant bacterial burdens. Quinolone resistance determining regions of gyrAand grlA(parCfor E. coli) in levofloxacin-resistant isolates were sequenced to confirm the mechanism of resistance. The preexposure MICs of the recA-deleted isolates were 4-fold lower than those of their respective parents. In S. aureus, a lower area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h at steady state divided by the MIC (AUC/MIC) was required to suppress resistance development in the recA-deleted mutant (an AUC/MIC of >23 versus an AUC/MIC of >32 was necessary in the mutant versus the parent isolate, respectively), and a prominent difference in the total bacterial burden was observed at 72 h. Using an AUC/MIC of approximately 30, E. coliresistance emergence was delayed by 24 h in the recA-deleted mutant. Diverse mutations in gyrAwere found in levofloxacin-resistant isolates recovered. Disruption of recAprovided additional benefits apart from MIC reduction, attesting to its potential role for pharmacologic intervention. The clinical relevance of our findings warrants further investigations.

Genetic mutations are one of the major mechanisms by which bacteria acquire drug resistance. One of the known mechanisms for inducing mutations is the SOS response system. We investigated the effect of disrupting recA, an inducer of the SOS response, on resistance development using an in vitro hollow-fiber infection model. A clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolate and a laboratory wild-type strain of Escherichia coli were compared to their respective recA-deleted isogenic daughter isolates. Approximately 2 x 105CFU/ml of bacteria were subjected to escalating levofloxacin exposures for up to 120 h. Serial samples were obtained to ascertain simulated drug exposures and total and resistant bacterial burdens. Quinolone resistance determining regions of gyrA and grlA (parC for E. coli) in levofloxacin-resistant isolates were sequenced to confirm the mechanism of resistance. The preexposure MICs of the recA-deleted isolates were 4-fold lower than those of their respective parents. In S. aureus, a lower area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h at steady state divided by the MIC (AUC/MIC) was required to suppress resistance development in the recA-deleted mutant (an AUC/MIC of >23 versus an AUC/MIC of >32 was necessary in the mutant versus the parent isolate, respectively), and a prominent difference in the total bacterial burden was observed at 72 h. Using an AUC/MIC of approximately 30, E. coli resistance emergence was delayed by 24 h in the recA-deleted mutant. Diverse mutations in gyrA were found in levofloxacin-resistant isolates recovered. Disruption of recA provided additional benefits apart from MIC reduction, attesting to its potential role for pharmacologic intervention. The clinical relevance of our findings warrants further investigations.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) affects over 48 million women in the US and is the leading cause of death. Hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia are risk factors for the genesis of IHD in women. Disease management programs (DM) have proven effective, overall, in facilitating lifestyle change and adherence to treatment plan but little is known about the effectiveness of these programs for men versus women. The purpose of this program evaluation was to identify differences in outcomes between men and women who participated in DM programs for hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia.Between 2015 and 2019, 616 unique individuals completed one of these DM programs. Measures of height, weight, exercise minutes, sedentary lifestyle, healthy nutrition, sleep, hydration and medication adherence were taken at the first and last visit. The sample was primarily female (70%), white (76%), Married (67%), educated (93% had bachelor’s or better), and were 49.3 years old, on average. Analysis revealed that males and females differ in response to the DM programs. While there was significant decrease in BMI for all participants (p<.001), the decrease was significantly greater for males compared to females (-0.60 vs. -0.29, respectively, p<.01). While exercise minutes did not differ between males and females from pre to post measurement, males who had zero exercise minutes at pre-test increased exercise minutes post program by a significantly greater amount than females who were not exercising at pretest (p=.02). Decreases in the number of missed medication days were significantly greater for women than men (0.50 days vs. 0.17 respectively; p=.02). Interestingly, while males did decrease significantly (p=.02), the decrease in medication days missed were far more substantial for females (p<.001).Men and women differ in their response to DM programs focused on lifestyle modification. Interventions should be individualized based on sex and designed specifically for women in order to optimize outcomes.

Nitrilases constitute an important class of hydrolases, however, cheap and ready availability of enzyme sources limit their practical synthetic applications. The present investigation was directed to compare the applicability of various physical cell disintegration methods namely, solid shear, liquid shear and sonication, for the release of an enantioselective nitrilase from Alcaligenes faecalisMTCC 126. Different parameters associated with each method were optimized in order to ensure maximal release of active nitrilase. The methods were also compared under optimal conditions for their efficiency of nitrilase release and extent of cell disruption, and enzyme release were visualized under a differential interference contrast microscope (DIC) and SDS-PAGE, respectively. Maximum release of the enzyme protein from the cells was observed in case of liquid shear method employing high-pressure homogenization, however, the specific activity of nitrilase was highest in cell-free extract (CFE) generated by sonication. Both the solid shear and liquid shear proved to be equally effective for maximum release of intracellular enzymes, however, from the specific activity point of view, sonication was found to be a better one compared to other two methodologies. The generated cell-free extract can be further employed for the production of enantiopure chiral carboxylic acids, which are important chiral building blocks.

Coal tar is a complex mixture that exhibits high carcinogenic potency in lungs of animals when administered in the diet. Studies have noted that lung tumor induction does not correlate with the benzo[a]pyrene content of coal tar, suggesting that other hydrocarbons may be involved in the observed tumorigenicity. Our previous studies have demonstrated that a major `unknown' chemical–DNA adduct is formed in the lung of mice exposed to coal tar. We have used an in vitro rat microsomal activation system to generate the `unknown' adduct with neat coal tar and fractions of coal tar obtained by chemical fractionation and HPLC. Chemical–DNA adduct formation was evaluated by 32P-postlabeling using both multi-dimensional TLC and HPLC. GC–MS analysis of the coal tar fractions obtained from HPLC, which produced the `unknown' adduct in vitro, demonstrated that the adducting hydrocarbon had a mass of 216. A careful evaluation of candidate hydrocarbons led to the conclusion that a benzofluorene derivative may be responsible for forming the `unknown' chemical–DNA adduct. Comparative in vitro and in vivo studies on the adducting properties of all three isomers of benzofluorene indicated that 7H-benzo[c]fluorene is responsible for producing the `unknown' adduct observed in the lung of mice ingesting coal tar. Animal feeding studies also demonstrated that 7H-benzo[c]fluorene formed considerably more lung DNA adducts than 11H-benzo[a]fluorene and 11H-benzo[b]fluorene. These data indicate that the four-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 7H-benzo[c]fluorene, a hydrocarbon not previously shown to form DNA adducts in lung, is in fact a potent lung DNA adductor and is a candidate PAH for causing lung tumors in animals treated with coal tar.

Abstract8-Hydroxyquinoline reacts with 2,4-dinitro-and 2,4,6-trinitro phenols in solid state and the reactivity increased with the increase of number of nitro groups in the phenols. Phenol and m-nitro phenol formed only eutectic mixtures with 8-hydroxyquinoline. The reactivity is related with the symmetry and size of the diffusing molecules. The products obtained from solution and solid state reaction are found to be chemically identical.

Leukotrienes play a major role in the underlying pathophysiology of asthma. Leukotriene-receptor antagonists and direct leukotriene-synthesis inhibitors may be important new agents in maintenance therapy for asthma. Their role may also extend to attenuating exercise-induced and allergen-induced bronchospasm. This article reviews the effectiveness of available leukotriene modifiers in various clinical studies, reviews their adverse effects profile, and discusses their potential roles in the management of asthma.

Objective.To evaluate the effect of providing educational video podcasts to first-year pharmacy students enrolled in a self-taught pharmaceutical calculations module.

An interview with Indian female motorcycle rider and stunt performer Anam Hashim is presented. Topics discussed include Hashim's opportunity of becaming the first female professional stunt performer in the country, length of time of mastering ride on motorcycles, and view on the legality of stunt riding.

The article discusses the efforts of a group Dastak of Lucknow, India to spread awareness about freedom of love and offers views of several people including Deepak Kabir, member of Dastak Youth Forum, and Geeta Singh about freedom of love during the program Jamhuri hai Ishq Nagariya organized by Dastak. Topics include views of Kabir on how marriage and family are different from love; Singh on how she met a man and living happily married together; and opposition of celebrating Valentine's Day.

The article discusses the actors who moved from television industry to film Industry in India. It includes information on the film careers of television actors and actresses including Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, and Sushant Singh Rajput. It also mentions the works of actors Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan Khan in television industry of India.

The article provides information on aspects related to remain physical fit and diet to be followed during winter season to avoid weight gain. Topics discussed include refraining from restaurant eating and eating home made food, going for morning jog, taking steam while at gym, and make up tips for slim look.

The paper presents the (3D) CFD modelling and analysis of unsteady flow through an Aluminium refractories-bed regenerator. Aluminium refractories-bed regenerator having particle to diameter ratio (D/dp) 3, 8, 12 were used to analyse the flow complexities and thermal characteristics of the regenerator. Due to low D/dpthe void ratio near the regenerator wall is greater than in bulk region due to which there are large flow complexities in these beds. To study the detailed flow complexities within these vicinities commercial fluent software is used. The predicted results of pressure drop and wall effect were compared with the previous experimental results and a good agreement was found between them.

The article focuses on the rise in usage of sex toys in India to facilitate sexual pleasure and the availability of varieties of sex toys on e-commerce websites. It present views of doctor Vinod Raina on the importance of satisfactory sexual relationship and the importance of sex toys to retain excitement in married life. It presents views of sexologist Jolly Arora, on the rise in life span of an individual through better sexual life.

The article evaluates various hand-crafted designer jewelry offered by Zurie Designer studio.

Objective.To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive health literacy program by measuring pharmacy students’ knowledge and confidence.

The article features the plans of celebrities in India for the Hindu festival of lights Diwali in October 2016, including singer and music Kailash Kher, stand-up comedian and actor Raju Srivastava, and rapper and actress Hard Kaur.

Rapid industrialization, increasing energy demand, and climate change are the conditions that forced the researchers to develop a clean, efficient, renewable, and sustainable source of energy which has a potential to replace fossil fuels. Ethanol is one of the attractive and suitable renewable energy resources. In present study, effectiveness of microwave pretreatment in combination with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for increasing enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw has been investigated and under optimum conditions obtained a maximum reducing sugar (1334.79?µg/mL) through microwave assisted NaOH pretreatment. Chemical composition analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the removal of lignin, hemicellulose, and silicon content is more in microwave assisted NaOH pretreatment than the blank sample. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the crystallinity index of rice straw treated with microwave assisted alkali (54.55%) is significantly high as compared to the blank (49.07%). Hence, the present study proves that microwave assisted alkali pretreatment can effectively enhance enzymatic digestibility of rice straw and it is feasible to convert rice straw for bioethanol production.

To design and implement a small-group self-guided active-learning format for a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) curriculum, and assess changes in first-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' attitudes and knowledge of CAM.