Search

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing, for which some behavioral risk factors are major concerns. mHealth has been found to be effective in changing these behavioral patterns. Objective: To assess effectiveness of mHealth technology in modification of dietary habits and physical activity, among individuals having NCDs or their risk factors, in primary healthcare settings in South East Asian Region Countries. Materials and Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was done with the primary outcome as effectiveness of mHealth for improving dietary practices and increasing physical activity. Articles were retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Central, Google Scholar, and Pre-print servers followed by forward and backward searching. Quality and risk of bias of included studies were assessed. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan v. 5.4.1 software. Heterogeneity was tested using χ2 test and measured using I2 statistic, with Forest plots as the final outcome. Results: Nine publications from seven studies, of which seven were conducted in India and two in Bangladesh, qualified for the review. All studies used varied mHealth interventions. Most studies reported beneficial effects in reducing inadequate/improper diet and insufficient/improving physical activity, at community/workplace settings, except two studies reporting no apparent impact, both being from Bangladesh. Meta-analysis revealed statistically significant differences between intervention and control groups for pooled estimates of reduced dietary energy and increased fruits/vegetables. Although heterogeneity is absent between studies considered for fruits/vegetables, both studies were compromised in quality and bias. Studies on dietary energy intake had high statistical heterogeneity, in addition to having high risk of bias. Hence, the results need to be interpreted with caution. No effect was observed on increasing physical activity. Conclusion: mHealth interventions have huge potential to facilitate behavior change. However, more research is needed before its potential scale-up.

Background: AIDS stigma exists in a variety of ways, including ostracism, rejection, discrimination, and avoidance of HIV-infected people. Some people are rejected by family and community, whereas others face poor treatment in healthcare and educational settings, erosion of their rights, and psychologic damage. All these limit access to HIV testing, treatment, and other HIV services. Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine the proportion of patients with severe stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) and to identify the factors associated with it. Materials and methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among 444 PLHA, attending ART center of a tertiary care institute of Kolkata, chosen by systematic random sampling. Berger scale was used to classify stigma as no, mild, and severe stigma. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors. Results: About 32.7% of PLHA had experienced severe forms of stigma. These were severe forms of personalized stigma (33.8%), negative self-image (25.9%), perceived public attitude (27.5%), and disclosure concerns (30.0%). Overall severe stigma was higher in females (33.3%) than males (31.8%). After binary logistic regression, factors significantly associated with severe stigma included age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.564 (1.071–2.285), sig: 0.021], socioeconomic status [AOR 0.748 (0.574–0.974), sig: 0.031], HIV status known to the partner [AOR 19.965 (3.3673–78.357), sig:

Context: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a known chronic debilitating disease accounting for a large percentage of disability globally. Pain and stiffness, decreased work function, depression and emotional state alteration, fatigue, disability, and social handicaps are some patient reported outcomes, which if considered with priority the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with RA could improve. Aims: This study was conducted with the aim to assess the HRQOL of the patients with RA and the determinants related to it. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Rheumatology Department of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata. Subjects and Methods: A total of 252 patients with RA were selected in this study through systematic random sampling. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical measures with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS) version 16.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corporation) software program, version 16.0. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were carried out. Results: In the study, the mean age of the patients was 43.1 years (mean age ±SD: 43.05±10.63 years). The proportion of female subjects was 84.5%. Unsatisfactory QOL was found in 59.9% study participants. In multivariable logistic regression unsatisfactory quality of life was significantly associated to moderate to high functional disability [AOR: 6.04, CI: 2.86, 12.78], disease activity moderate to high [AOR: 5.41, CI: 1.87, 15.69], presence of comorbidity [AOR: 2.90, CI: 1.39, 6.04], extra-articular manifestations [AOR: 3.14, CI: 1.41, 6.96] and delay in starting Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatoid Drugs (DMARDs) [AOR: 1.24, CI: 1.08, 1.42]. Conclusion: Findings of this study clearly indicate the presence of high proportion of unsatisfactory QOL among the patients with RA. Early identification and prompt referral are the key strategies to prevent any permanent damage. Regular follow-up of the patients should be carried out to prevent or delay the disability progression and provide high-quality physical and mental health.

Background: The treatment outcome "default" under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) is a patient who after treatment initiation has interrupted treatment consecutively for more than 2 months. Aims: To assess the timing, characteristics and distribution of the reasons for default with relation to some sociodemographic variables among new sputum-positive (NSP) tuberculosis (TB) patients in Darjeeling District, West Bengal. Settings and Design: A case-control study was conducted in three tuberculosis units (TUs) of Darjeeling from August′2011 to December′2011 among NSP TB patients enrolled for treatment in the TB register from 1 st Qtr′09 to 2 nd Qtr′10. Patients defaulted from treatment were considered as "cases" and those completed treatment as "controls" (79 cases and 79 controls). Materials and Methods: The enrolled cases and controls were interviewed by the health workers using a predesigned structured pro-forma. Statistical Analysis Used: Logistic regression analysis, odds ratios (OR), adjusted odds ratios (AOR). Results: 75% of the default occurred in the intensive phase (IP); 54.24% retrieval action was done within 1 day during IP and 75% within 1 week during continuation phase (CP); cent percent of the documented retrieval actions were undertaken by the contractual TB program staffs. Most commonly cited reasons for default were alcohol consumption (29.11%), adverse effects of drugs (25.32%), and long distance of DOT center (21.52%). In the logistic regression analysis, the factors independently associated were consumption of alcohol, inadequate knowledge about TB, inadequate patient provider interaction, instances of missed doses, adverse reactions of anti-TB drugs, Government Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) provider and smoking. Conclusions: Most defaults occurred in the intensive phase; pre-treatment counseling and initial home visit play very important role in this regard. Proper counseling by health care workers in patient provider meeting is needed.

Background: Aggression affects academic learning and emotional development, can damage school climate and if not controlled early and may precipitate extreme violence in the future. Objective s : (1) To determine the magnitude and types of aggressive behavior in school children. (2) To identify the influence of age and sex on aggressive behavior. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Anandanagar High School, Singur village, West Bengal. Participants were 161 boys and 177 girls of classes VII to IX. The students were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire indicating the types of aggressive behavior by them in the previous month and to assess themselves with reference to statements indicating verbal/physical aggression. Results: Overall, 66.5% of the children were physically aggressive in the previous month: Boys 75.8%, girls 58.2% ( P = 0.001); 56.8% were verbally aggressive: Boys 55.2%, girls 61% ( P = 0.97). Verbal indirect passive aggression was more common among girls (55.3%) than among boys (22.3%) ( P = 0.000 [1.17E-09 ]). Boys were more liable to physical aggression, viz. 60.2% of the boys would hit on provocation compared with only 9% of the girls ( P = 0.000 [6.6E -23 ]). Regarding attributes indicating verbal aggression, girls were more argumentative (63.8%) than boys (55.2%) ( P = 0.134) and disagreeing (41.8%) compared with boys (33.5%) ( P = 0.145). With increasing age/class, physical direct active aggression decreased while physical indirect passive and verbal indirect passive aggression increased. No classes had been taken on anger control/management by school the authorities. Conclusions: Aggressive behavior was common both among boys and girls. Life skills education/counseling/classroom management strategies are recommended.

Abstract Single‐use bioreactors (SUB) have made a significant impact on the field of bioprocessing, becoming increasingly popular for biomolecule synthesis due to their many advantages, such as minimizing contamination risks and streamlining processes. Extensive research has been conducted on the hydrodynamic conditions within single‐use bioreactors, with a focus on parameters like mixing time, oxygen transfer rate, and stress levels to improve cell cultivation procedures. Several studies have demonstrated that SUB can effectively nurture various cell types, including those that generate monoclonal antibodies, yielding outcomes similar to conventional bioreactor systems, thus highlighting their adaptability and effectiveness in biomolecule processing. SUB equipped with wave mechanisms have shown to display comparable metabolic behaviors and fermentation consistency to conventional bioreactors, confirming their dependability in supporting fungal growth and metabolite generation. Mechanical stirring for agitation leads to high shear forces alongside enhanced monitoring and control, influencing microbial physiology and macro‐morphologies. This underscores the importance of operational factors such as rocking speed, rocking angle, and gas flow rate. Overall, the integration of single‐use bioreactors in biomolecule synthesis is expected to expand, driven by the need for increased yields and cost‐effective manufacturing solutions.

Introduction: Developing countries like India prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is increasing day to day from 1.6 percent to 7.6 percent in rural areas and 1.0 percent to 13.6 percent in urban areas in last few decades and it is going to be a double burden near 2035. Indians are known to have the highest coronary artery disease (CAD) rates.Objective: To find out the socio-demographic characteristics and clinical profile of the patients suffering from coronary artery disease (CAD) attending a tertiary care hospital. This study also assessed the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients.Method: A hospital based cross sectional study was done in Patients more than 18 years of age with coronary artery disease attending Cardiology OPD SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. The study was done from the year August 2020 to September 2022. The study was done on 220 patients by using a structured pretested Mac New HRQOL questionnaire. Results: The median age of coronary artery disease patients was 56 (50-62) years. Around one-third portion (34.1%) of the study participants achieved a primary level of education. The Median (IQR) of per capita income (Rs/month) of the study participants was 2000 (1250-3938). Nearly three fourth (71.4%) participants had various types of co-morbidities. Clinically, 88.2% had normal heart rates, 51.4% had normal blood pressure and 43.6% had low ejection fraction. MacNew HRQOL score among participants were 4.7,4.8,4.4 in social, emotional and physical domain, respectively. Conclusion: Male gender, lower socio-economic conditions, low level of education, inadequate dietary diversity patterns and substance user outnumbered their counterpart. The HRQOL was found satisfactory but lacking in physical domain.

Spherical fuzzy sets are more powerful in modelling the uncertain situations than picture fuzzy sets, fermatean fuzzy sets, Pythagorean fuzzy sets, intuitionistic fuzzy sets, and fuzzy sets. In this paper, we first define the variance and covariance of spherical fuzzy sets. Then, using variance and covariance, we define the unique spherical fuzzy set correlation metric in line with the statistical coefficient of correlation. Two spherical fuzzy sets are correlated in both direction and strength using the provided measure of correlation. We discussed its many characteristics. We compared the measure of correlation with the current ones through linguistic variables. We established its validity by showing its application in bidirectional approximate reasoning. We also resolve a pattern identification issue in the spherical fuzzy environment using the provided correlation function, and we compare the results with several current measurements.

One of the best ways to handle the ambiguity and unpredictable nature of decision-making is through fuzzy logic, and one of the most recent developments in this area is the concept of spherical fuzzy sets. Since the squared total of membership, non-membership, and hesitation degrees should be between 0 and 1, and each degree should be defined in [0, 1], the hesitation of the decision-maker(s) about an attribute can be conveyed more thoroughly. The ambiguity of a fuzzy set is computed with the help of an entropy measure, and the available entropy measures for spherical fuzzy sets have various limitations. So, in this study, we suggest an innovative entropy measurement for spherical fuzzy sets and demonstrate its capacity to satisfy the axiomatic requirements. We compared the proposed entropy metric and all currently available spherical fuzzy entropy metrics, considering different factors, including attribute weight computation, linguistic hedges, and ambiguity computation. With the help of the proposed entropy metric, we introduce the Complex Proportional Assessment method for spherical fuzzy sets and illustrate it with a numerical example.

Error in Figure 4 [...]

Aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) is the hallmark pathology in a spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders collectively called tauopathies. Physiologically, tau is an inherent neuronal protein that plays an important role in the assembly of microtubules and axonal transport. However, disease-associated mutations of this protein reduce its binding to the microtubule components and promote self-aggregation, leading to formation of tangles in neurons. Tau is also expressed in oligodendrocytes, where it has significant developmental roles in oligodendrocyte maturation and myelin synthesis. Oligodendrocyte-specific tau pathology, in the form of fibrils and coiled coils, is evident in major tauopathies including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and Pick’s disease (PiD). Multiple animal models of tauopathy expressing mutant forms of MAPT recapitulate oligodendroglial tau inclusions with potential to cause degeneration/malfunction of oligodendrocytes and affecting the neuronal myelin sheath. Till now, mechanistic studies heavily concentrated on elucidating neuronal tau pathology. Therefore, more investigations are warranted to comprehensively address tau-induced pathologies in oligodendrocytes. The present review provides the current knowledge available in the literature about the intricate relations between tau and oligodendrocytes in health and diseases.

Glial activation and inflammation coincide with neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) formation in neurons. However, the mechanism behind the interaction between tau fibrils and glia is poorly understood. Here, we found that tau preformed fibrils (PFFs) caused induction of inflammation in microglia by specifically activating the TLR2/MyD88, but not the TLR4/MyD88, pathway. Accordingly, the WT TLR2–interacting domain of MyD88 (wtTIDM) peptide inhibited tau PFF–induced activation of the TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, resulting in reduced inflammation. Nasal administration of wtTIDM in P301S tau–expressing PS19 mice was found to inhibit gliosis and inflammatory markers, as well as to reduce pathogenic tau in the hippocampus, resulting in improved cognitive behavior in PS19 mice. The inhibitory effect of wtTIDM on tau pathology was absent in PS19 mice lacking TLR2, reinforcing the essential involvement of TLR2 in wtTIDM-mediated effects in vivo. Studying the mechanism further, we found that the tau promoter harbored a potential NF-κB–binding site and that proinflammatory molecules increased transcription of tau in neurons via NF-κB. These results suggest that tau-induced neuroinflammation and neuropathology require TLR2 and that neuroinflammation directly upregulates tau in neurons via NF-κB, highlighting a direct connection between inflammation and tauopathy.

The spatial and temporal variability of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) during El Niño years (2002, 2004 & 2009) and its impact on district-wise yield of four important kharif crops viz., rice, maize, pearlmillet and sorghum over India were analysed. The number of districts fall under different rainfall classes are different in normal and El Niño years and found that there is a small shifting of spine curve towards left, which indicate the number of districts under lower rainfall classes increased in El Niño years. As far as National level analysis indicated that the yield of these major kharif crops grown steadily during the study period with higher rate of 43 kg/ha in maize and lower rate of 6.2 kg/ha in sorghum due to technological advancement. Identified high and medium vulnerable districts with respect to above crops in El Niño years based on yield changes > −10 per cent compared to average of previous and succeeding years. 77 and 36 districts identified as highly vulnerable with respect to rice and sorghum, respectively. Whereas 36 and 65 districts in the case of sorghum and maize, respectively. Thus, the results of this study provide an opportunity to policy makers/ researchers/other stakeholders to prepare short and long term contingency plan to cope up with the situation, if there is any forecast of El Niño in future.

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a progressive heritable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deficiency of the lysosomal β-hexosaminidase enzyme (Hex−/−) and the storage of GM2 ganglioside, as well as other related glycoconjugates. Along with motor difficulties, TSD patients also manifest a gradual loss of skills and behavioral problems, followed by early death. Unfortunately, there is no cure for TSD; however, research on treatments and therapeutic approaches is ongoing. This study underlines the importance of gemfibrozil (GFB), an FDA-approved lipid-lowering drug, in inhibiting the disease process in a transgenic mouse model of Tay-Sachs. Oral administration of GFB significantly suppressed glial activation and inflammation, while also reducing the accumulation of GM2 gangliosides/glycoconjugates in the motor cortex of Tay-Sachs mice. Furthermore, oral GFB improved behavioral performance and increased the life expectancy of Tay-Sachs mice. While investigating the mechanism, we found that oral administration of GFB increased the level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) in the brain of Tay-Sachs mice, and that GFB remained unable to reduce glycoconjugates and improve behavior and survival in Tay-Sachs mice lacking PPARα. Our results indicate a beneficial function of GFB that employs a PPARα-dependent mechanism to halt the progression of TSD and increase longevity in Tay-Sachs mice.

Excess use of hazardous agrochemicals and inorganic fertilizers resulted negative impact on environmental outcomes and degraded soil function, biological diversity, and ecosystem services. A 15-year long-term (2004–05 to 2017–18) field experiment was conducted to improve the ecosystem services with soil quality restoration and stabilization of yield through agronomic manipulation in the rice (Oryza sativa)–wheat (Triticum aestivum) system under Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Three crop management practices (i) organic crop management, (ii) inorganic crop management, and (iii) integrated crop management were evaluated at four locations (i) Jabalpur, (ii) Ludhiana, (iii) Pantnagar, and (iv) Modipuram in a factorial randomized block design and replicated thrice at each location. Among the spatial variation, the highest soil quality indicators like soil microbial biomass carbon (0.52 mg g−1), fungal (46.2 CFU × 104 CFU), bacterial (54.2 CFU × 106 CFU), and actinomycetes viable cells (23.0 CFU × 106 CFU), and nutrients (available N and available P) were observed at Pantnagar than other location. The soil pH varied from 7.2 to 8.3, and the lowest bulk density (ρb) was recorded at Jabalpur and Modipuram. Subsequently, higher system productivity (8,196.7 kg ha−1) and net returns were obtained in Pantnagar > Ludhiana, and it was 44.1–63.4% higher than in Modipuram and Jabalpur. Among the crop management, organic crop management significantly improved (p < 0.05) ρb, soil organic carbon, available N, available P, and available K by 3.7%, 33.3%, 16.4%, 37.8%, and 20.3% over inorganic crop management, respectively. Similarly, the highest bacterial, fungal, and actinomycetes viable cell counts were found under the organic plots, followed by integrated plots. In terms of productivity, integrated crop management (ICM) had increased the system productivity by 4.7%–6.7% and net returns by 22.2% and 23.5% over inorganic and organic crop management. Similarly, the highest sustainability yield index (SYI) was recorded in integrated crop management (0.77) as compared to inorganic (0.74) and organic management (0.75). The soil quality index was estimated as 0.60, 0.53, and 0.54 in organic, inorganic, and ICM, respectively. Hence, the study indicated that the application of organic amendments under organic or integrated crop management improves the system’s resiliency and sustainability. Therefore, the study concludes that towards organic approach (integrated application of organic amendments with a gradual reduction in mineral fertilizers) is better suitable for keeping the rice–wheat system productivity and sustainable in the long term.

The mechanisms underlying the spreading of α-synuclein in various α-synucleinopathies are unclear. Here, the authors show that targeting the TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB pathway can reduce α-synuclein spreading, reduce neuroinflammation, and protect dopaminergic neurons in vitro and in mouse models

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative pathogen of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a fatal respiratory illness. The associated risk factors for COVID-19 are old age and medical comorbidities. In the current combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) era, a significant portion of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) with controlled viremia is older and with comorbidities, making these people vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19-associated severe outcomes. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 is neurotropic and causes neurological complications, resulting in a health burden and an adverse impact on PLWH and exacerbating HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity on neuroinflammation, the development of HAND and preexisting HAND is poorly explored. In the present review, we compiled the current knowledge of differences and similarities between SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1, the conditions of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and HIV-1/AIDS syndemic and their impact on the central nervous system (CNS). Risk factors of COVID-19 on PLWH and neurological manifestations, inflammatory mechanisms leading to the neurological syndrome, the development of HAND, and its influence on preexisting HAND are also discussed. Finally, we have reviewed the challenges of the present syndemic on the world population, with a particular emphasis on PLWH.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Although a complex interplay of multiple environmental and genetic factors has been implicated, the etiology of neuronal death in PD remains unresolved. Various mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in PD have been proposed, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, α-synuclein proteostasis, disruption of calcium homeostasis, and other cell death pathways. While many drugs individually targeting these pathways have shown promise in preclinical PD models, this promise has not yet translated into neuroprotective therapies in human PD. This has consequently spurred efforts to identify alternative targets with multipronged therapeutic approaches. A promising therapeutic target that could modulate multiple etiological pathways involves drug-induced activation of a coordinated genetic program regulated by the transcription factor, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 regulates the transcription of over 250 genes, creating a multifaceted network that integrates cellular activities by expressing cytoprotective genes, promoting the resolution of inflammation, restoring redox and protein homeostasis, stimulating energy metabolism, and facilitating repair. However, FDA-approved electrophilic Nrf2 activators cause irreversible alkylation of cysteine residues in various cellular proteins resulting in side effects. We propose that the transcriptional repressor of BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1), which antagonizes Nrf2, could serve as a promising complementary target for the activation of both Nrf2-dependent and Nrf2-independent neuroprotective pathways. This review presents the current knowledge on the Nrf2/Bach1 signaling pathway, its role in various cellular processes, and the benefits of simultaneously inhibiting Bach1 and stabilizing Nrf2 using non-electrophilic small molecules as a novel therapeutic approach for PD.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by accumulation of mutant huntingtin protein and significant loss of neurons in striatum and cortex. Along with motor difficulties, the HD patients also manifest anxiety and loss of cognition. Unfortunately, the clinically approved drugs only offer symptomatic relief and are not free from side effects. This study underlines the importance of glyceryl tribenzoate (GTB), an FDA-approved food flavoring ingredient, in alleviating HD pathology in transgenic N171-82Q mouse model. Oral administration of GTB significantly reduced mutant huntingtin level in striatum, motor cortex as well as hippocampus and increased the integrity of viable neurons. Furthermore, we found the presence of sodium benzoate (NaB), a FDA-approved drug for urea cycle disorders and glycine encephalopathy, in the brain of GTB-fed HD mice. Accordingly, NaB administration also markedly decreased huntingtin level in striatum and cortex. Glial activation is found to coincide with neuronal death in affected regions of HD brains. Interestingly, both GTB and NaB treatment suppressed activation of glial cells and inflammation in the brain. Finally, neuroprotective effect of GTB and NaB resulted in improved motor performance of HD mice. Collectively, these results suggest that GTB and NaB may be repurposed for HD.

The world is grappling with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the causative agent of which is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 symptoms are similar to the common cold, including fever, sore throat, cough, muscle and chest pain, brain fog, dyspnoea, anosmia, ageusia, and headache. The manifestation of the disease can vary from being asymptomatic to severe life-threatening conditions warranting hospitalization and ventilation support. Furthermore, the emergence of mutecated variants of concern (VOCs) is paramount to the devastating effect of the pandemic. This highly contagious virus and its emergent variants challenge the available advanced viral diagnostic methods for high-accuracy testing with faster result yields. This review is to shed light on the natural history, pathology, molecular biology, and efficient diagnostic methods of COVID-19, detecting SARS-CoV-2 in collected samples. We reviewed the gold standard RT-qPCR method for COVID-19 diagnosis to confer a better understanding and application to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This comprehensive review may further develop awareness about the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, the disease does not progress or persist in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model, the most common animal model of PD. Recently, we have described that supplementation of regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), a chemokine known to drive infiltration of T cells, induces persistent nigrostriatal pathology in MPTP mouse model. However, which particular T cell subsets are recruited to the substantia nigra (SN) by RANTES is not known. Here, by adoptive transfer of different subset of T cells from tomato red transgenic mice to MPTP-intoxicated immunodeficient Rag1−/− mice, we describe that invasion of Th17 cells into the SN is stimulated by exogenous RANTES administration. On the other hand, RANTES supplementation remained unable to influence the infiltration of Th1 and Tregs into the SN of MPTP-insulted Rag1−/− mice. Accordingly, RANTES supplementation increased MPTP-induced TH cell loss in Rag1−/−mice receiving Th17, but neither Th1 nor Tregs. RANTES-mediated aggravation of nigral TH neurons also paralleled with significant DA loss in striatum and locomotor deficits in MPTP-intoxicated Rag1−/− mice receiving Th17 cells. Finally, we demonstrate that levels of IL-17 (a Th17-specific cytokine) and RANTES are higher in serum of PD patients than age-matched controls and that RANTES positively correlated with IL-17 in serum of PD patients. Together, these results highlight the importance of RANTES-Th17 pathway in progressive dopaminergic neuronal loss and associated PD pathology.

In the present study, experiments were undertaken during 2016-2017 to examine the effect of phosphorus application on pea (Pisum sativum L.) cv. Arkel and Azad P-1. Four levels of phosphorus (0, 60, 90, 120 kg/ha) keeping the N at K dose constant at 25 and 50 kg ha-1 respectively with 3 replications were used in two way factorial analysis. The effects of different doses of phosphorus were judged on growth, yield and quality attributes. Evaluation of comparative performance of pea varieties Arkel and Azad P-1 in the climatic condition of Western plain zones of Uttar Pradesh suggested better performance of Azad P-1 over Arkel. However, on studying the interaction between NPK levels and Variety, Azad P-1 with P @ 120 kg ha-1 registered maximum pod yield (9.24 kg/plant) than Arkel (8.55 kg/plant). Results revealed that the performance of pea variety Azad P-1 was better than the variety Arkel. The higher number of pods per plant (17.94), weight of pods per plant (124.86 g), number of grains per pod (7.72) and pod yield per plot (7.79 kg) was recorded in the variety Arkel than Azad P-1. The study also revealed that ascorbic acid as well as total sugar content in harvested pods showed a declining trend with higher level of phosphorus irrespective of variety. Thus, pea variety Azad P-1 was found to be performing better with phosphorus application of 120 kg/ha in terms of growth, yield and quality attributes. This variety can hence be recommended for integration in horticulture based farming systems of Western Uttar Pradesh.

Due to the large geographical overlap of populations exposed to Zika virus (ZIKV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), understanding the disease pathogenesis of co-infection is urgently needed. This warrants the development of an animal model for HIV-ZIKV co-infection. In this study, we used adult non-pregnant macaques that were chronically infected with simian immunodeficiency virus/chimeric simian human immunodeficiency virus (SIV/SHIV) and then inoculated with ZIKV. Plasma viral loads of both SIV/SHIV and ZIKV co-infected animals revealed no significant changes as compared to animals that were infected with ZIKV alone or as compared to SIV/SHIV infected animals prior to ZIKV inoculation. ZIKV tissue clearance of co-infected animals was similar to animals that were infected with ZIKV alone. Furthermore, in co-infected macaques, there was no statistically significant difference in plasma cytokines/chemokines levels as compared to prior to ZIKV inoculation. Collectively, these findings suggest that co-infection may not alter disease pathogenesis, thus warranting larger HIV-ZIKV epidemiological studies in order to validate these findings.

Traditional restriction endonuclease-based cloning has been routinely used to generate replication-competent simian-human immunodeficiency viruses (SHIV) and simian tropic HIV (stHIV). This approach requires the existence of suitable restriction sites or the introduction of nucleotide changes to create them. Here, using an In-Fusion cloning technique that involves homologous recombination, we generated SHIVs and stHIVs based on epidemiologically linked clade C transmitted/founder HIV molecular clones from Zambia. Replacing vif from these HIV molecular clones with vif of SIVmac239 resulted in chimeric genomes used to generate infectious stHIV viruses. Likewise, exchanging HIV env genes and introducing N375 mutations to enhance macaque CD4 binding site and cloned into a SHIVAD8-EO backbone. The generated SHIVs and stHIV were infectious in TZMbl and ZB5 cells, as well as macaque PBMCs. Therefore, this method can replace traditional methods and be a valuable tool for the rapid generation and testing of molecular clones of stHIV and SHIV based on primary clinical isolates will be valuable to generate rapid novel challenge viruses for HIV vaccine/cure studies.

This paper proposes a differential equation inventory model that incorporates partial backlogging and deterioration. Holding cost and demand rate are time dependent. Shortages are allowed and assumed to be partially backlogged. Two versions are presented, the first one with deterministic values of the parameters and the second one taking into the account the interval uncertainty of the parameters. In the crisp case, Taylor’s series expansion is used, and graphically shown that the cost function is convex. While, in the case of intervals, the interval arithmetic is used and then the problem is transformed into a multi-objective non-linear optimization problem and an interval objective function. To solve this problem, the weighted-sum method is used. The proposed procedure is validated with the help of a numerical example. Sensitivity analysis on various parameters has also been carried out.

In this article, we describe the kinetic ELISA of Blue Tongue and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease viral antibodies in microfluidic channels by monitoring the rate of generation of the enzyme reaction product under static conditions. It has been shown that this format of the immunoassay allows very reliable quantitation of the target species using inexpensive glass microchips and a standard epifluorescence microscope system coupled to a CCD camera. For the viral antibodies assayed here, the limit of detection (LOD) for the analyte concentration in our microchips was established to be 3–5 times lower than that obtained on commercial microwell plates using a fiftieth of the sample volume and less than a third of the incubation time. Our analyses further show that when compared to the end-point ELISA format, the kinetic mode of this assay yields an improvement in the LOD by over an order of magnitude in microfluidic devices. This benefit is primarily realized as the observed variation in the background fluorescence (signal at the start of the enzyme reaction period) was significantly larger than that in the rate of signal generation upon repeating these assays in different microchannels/microchips. Because the kinetic ELISA results depend only on the latter quantity, the noise level in them was substantially lower compared to that in its end-point counterpart in which the absolute fluorescence measurements are of greater significance. While a similar benefit was also recorded through implementation of kinetic ELISAs on the microwell platform, the improvement in LOD registered in that system was not as significant as was observed in the case of microfluidic assays.

Zika Virus (ZIKV) is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites. It can also be transmitted during sexual intercourse and in utero from mother to fetus. To gain preliminary insight into ZIKV pathology and immune responses on route of transmission, rhesus macaques (RMs) were inoculated with ZIKV (PRVABC59) via intravaginal (IVAG) (n = 3) or subcutaneous (sub Q) (n = 2) routes. Systemic ZIKV infection was observed in all RMs, regardless of the route of inoculation. After 9 days postinfection (dpi), ZIKV was not detected in the plasma of IVAG- and sub-Q-inoculated RMs. Importantly, RMs harbored ZIKV up to 60 dpi in various anatomical locations. Of note, ZIKV was also present in several regions of the brain, including the caudate nucleus, parietal lobe, cortex, and amygdala. These observations appear to indicate that ZIKV infection may be systemic and persistent regardless of route of inoculation. In addition, we observed changes in key immune cell populations in response to ZIKV infection. Importantly, IVAG ZIKV infection of RMs is associated with increased depletion of CD11C hi myeloid cells, reduced PD-1 expression in NK cells, and elevated frequencies of Ki67+ CD8+ central memory cells as compared to sub Q ZIKV-infected RMs. These results need to interpreted with caution due to the small number of animals utilized in this study. Future studies involving large groups of animals that have been inoculated through both routes of transmission are needed to confirm our findings.

Screening for insect growth regulatory activity (IGR) of Thevetia nerifolia leaf extracts were evaluated against Spodoptera litura (Fab.). Methanol extract of leaves provided 53.8 % larval mortality, 29.6 % pupation and 22.3 % adult emergence at 2.5 % concentration level. The extract was further subfractioned with solvents of different polarity in search of better IGR activity and chloroform extract was found to be most active in terms of larval mortality (27.5-61.5 %), pupation (28.4-60.2 %) and adult emergence (19.8-52.8 %). GI50 of the extract was recorded to be 3.02 %. Activity was attributed to the glycosides present in the extract.