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Objective: To identify the anatomical relationship of recurrent laryngeal nerve with inferior thyroid artery. Study Design: Prospective Clinical study. Setting: Department of Surgery, Kishwar Fazal Teaching Hospital. Period: July 2019 to February 2023. Methods: Total 64 patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomies for proven benign goiters were enrolled. Results: Out of these 64 patients, 8 were male and 56 were female, male to female ratio 1:7 with median age 34 years. In 64 patients, 128 dissections were performed and in all patients (RLN) and its relation with Inferior Thyroid Artery (ITA) was identified. On right side of neck in 63 (98.43%) patients out of 64 (100%) patients RLN found deeper to ITA and in one (1.56%) patient it was found superficial to ITA. On left side of neck in 61 (95.31%) patients out of 64(100%) patients it was deeper to ITA and in 3 (4.68%) patients the nerve was superficial to ITA. Identification of RLN was difficult in 16 (12.5%) dissections and the reason was adhesions and huge multinodular goiter. Conclusion: During thyroid surgery, the connection between RLN and ITA is significant to surgeons. When it comes to RLN security, visible anatomical identification is still the gold standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sphingomyelin (SM) belongs to a class of lipids termed sphingolipids. The disruption in the sphingomyelin signaling pathway is associated with various neurodegenerative disorders. TNF-α, a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine generated in response to various neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), is an eminent regulator of the sphingomyelin metabolic pathway. The immunetriggered regulation of the sphingomyelin metabolic pathway via TNF-α constitutes the sphingomyelin signaling pathway. In this pathway, sphingomyelin and its downstream sphingolipids activate various signaling cascades like PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways, thus, controlling diverse processes coupled with neuronal viability, survival, and death. The holistic analysis of the immune-triggered sphingomyelin signaling pathway is imperative to make necessary predictions about its pivotal components and for the formulation of disease-related therapeutics. The current work offers a comprehensive in silico systems analysis of TNF-α mediated sphingomyelin and downstream signaling cascades via a model-based quantitative approach. We incorporated the intensity values of genes from the microarray data of control individuals from the AD study in the input entities of the pathway model. Computational modeling and simulation of the inflammatory pathway enabled the comprehensive study of the system dynamics. Network and sensitivity analysis of the model unveiled essential interaction parameters and entities during neuroinflammation. Scanning of the key entities and parameters allowed us to determine their ultimate impact on neuronal apoptosis and survival. Moreover, the efficacy and potency of the FDAapproved drugs, namely Etanercept, Nivocasan, and Scyphostatin allowed us to study the model's response towards inhibition of the respective proteins/enzymes. The network analysis revealed the pivotal model entities with high betweenness and closeness centrality values including recruit FADD, TNFR_TRADD, act CASP2, actCASP8, actCASP3 and 9, cytochrome C, and RIP_RAIDD which profoundly impacted the neuronal apoptosis. Whereas some of the entities with high betweenness and closeness centrality values like Gicoupled receptor, actS1PR, Sphingosine, S1P, actAKT, and actERK produced a high influence on neuronal survival. However, the current study inferred the dual role of ceramide, both on neuronal survival and apoptosis. Moreover, the drug Nivocasan effectively reduces neuronal apoptosis via its inhibitory mechanism on the caspases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.) is short duration, high yielding crop, and it can be grown in both spring and kharif seasons in Pakistan. In current study white and yellow maize germplasms were compared for correlations and genetic variability based on different agronomic traits to define selection criteria for maize improvement. Significant differences were observed for yield and related components for entries, checks, all tested genotypes, yellow and white germplasm. Yellow maize genotypes showed higher yield potential compared to white maize genotypes because of more grains per row and number of rows per cob. Based on correlation and path coefficient analysis, yield per plant was proved as appropriate selection criteria for white maize whereas, yield per plant and grains per row were suitable selection criteria for genetic improvement of yellow maize. Total carotenoid contents of yellow maize were independent of the yield so, both can be simultaneously targeted for genetic improvement without paying yield penalty. However, further dissection of genetic variability in yellow maize germplasm based on provitamin A carotenoids is prerequisite. So, far as genotypes, 19189, 15159, 19201, 15018, 15216, 15170, 15155, 19196, 15318 and 19174 among white maize germplasm whereas, 14965, 14982, 19205, 15019, 14971, 15163, 15205, 24687, 15207 and 15194 among yellow maize germplasm were the potential high yielding genotypes. Findings of the study in terms of selection criteria and potential maize genotypes could be useful in different breeding programs for genetic improvement of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented soybeans, cheonggukjang (CKJ), are considered to be more wholesome than soybeans in Korea. To select the best soybean cultivar for making functional CKJ, a comparison was made between the biological activities of four soybean cultivars in their unfermented soybean (UFS) and CKJ states. Changes in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity, total phenolic compounds, total amino acids, and isoflavones were investigated. The levels of DPPH, ABTS, SOD-like activity, and total phenolic compounds increased in CKJ among all cultivars. The isoflavone aglycone and total amino acids showed the highest amount in CKJ prepared from soybean cultivar Aga 3. These results suggest that the improved antioxidant activity of CKJ in all cultivars might occur because of the higher levels of aglycones and total phenolic compounds achieved during fermentation. Moreover, CKJ prepared from soybean cultivar Aga 3 showed higher antioxidant activity than the other cultivars and so can be considered for the commercial production of functional foods in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) mediated Ca+2 signaling is essential in determining the cell fate by regulating numerous cellular processes, including cell division and cell death. Despite extensive studies about the characterization of IP3R in cancer, the underlying molecular mechanism initiating the cell proliferation and apoptosis remained enigmatic. Moreover, in cancer, the modulation of IP3R in downstream signaling pathways, which control oncogenesis and cancer progression, is not well characterized. Here, we constructed a biological regulatory network (BRN), and describe the remodeling of IP3R mediated Ca2+ signaling as a central key that controls the cellular processes in cancer. Moreover, we summarize how the inhibition of IP3R affects the deregulated cell proliferation and cell death in cancer cells and results in the initiation of pro-survival responses in resistance of cell death in normal cells. Further, we also investigated the role of stereo-specificity of IP3 molecule and its analogs in binding with the IP3 receptor. Molecular docking simulations showed that the hydroxyl group at R6 position along with the phosphate group at R5 position in 'R' conformation is more favorable for IP3 interactions. Additionally, Arg-266 and Arg-510 showed π–π and hydrogen bond interactions and Ser-278 forms hydrogen bond interactions with the IP3 binding site. Thus, they are identified as crucial for the binding of antagonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a prominent nosocomial pathogen, exhibiting a progressive rise in resistance to therapeutic interventions. This rise in resistance calls for alternative strategies. Here, we propose an alternative yet specialized resource on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against A. baumannii. Database 'AbAMPdb' is the manually curated collection of 300 entries containing the 250 experimental AMP sequences and 50 corresponding synthetic or mutated AMP sequences. The mutated sequences were modified with reported amino acid substitutions intended for decreasing the toxicity and increasing the antimicrobial potency. AbAMPdb also provides 3D models of all 300 AMPs, comprising 250 natural and 50 synthetic or mutated AMPs. Moreover, the database offers docked complexes comprising 5000 AMPs and their corresponding A. baumannii target proteins. These complexes, accessible in Protein Data Bank format, enable the 2D visualization of the interacting amino acid residues. We are confident that this comprehensive resource furnishes vital information concerning AMPs, encompassing their docking interactions with virulence factors and antibiotic resistance proteins of A. baumannii. To enhance clinical relevance, the characterized AMPs could undergo further investigation both in vitro and in vivo. Database URL: https://abampdb.mgbio.tech/., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)