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The precise toxico-pathogenic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on the cardiovascular system under normal and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor milieu are unclear. In this study, we have investigated the dose-dependent effects of ZnO-NPs on developing chicken embryo and cell culture (H9c2 cardiomyoblast, HUVEC and aortic VSMC) models. In addition, the potentiation effect of ZnO-NPs on simulated risk factor conditions was evaluated using; 1. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced cardiac remodeling, 2. Angiotensin-II induced cardiac hypertrophy, 3. TNF-α induced HUVEC cell death and 4. Inorganic phosphate (Pi) induced aortic VSMC calcification models. The observed results illustrates that ZnO-NPs exposure down regulates vascular development and elevates oxidative stress in heart tissue. At the cellular level, ZnO-NPs exposure reduced the cell viability and increased the intracellular ROS generation, lipid peroxidation and caspase-3 activity in a dose-dependent manner in all three cell types. In addition, ZnO-NPs exposure significantly suppressed the endothelial nitric oxide (NO) generation, cardiac Ca 2+ - ATPase activity and enhanced the cardiac mitochondrial swelling. Moreover, inhibition of p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways influence the cytotoxicity. Overall, ZnO-NPs exposure affects the cardiovascular system under normal conditions and it exacerbates the cardiovascular pathogenesis under selected risk factor milieu., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

SARS-CoV-2 is a newly identified coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). With an urgent need for therapeutics, we lack a full understanding of the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2-induced cellular damage and disease progression. Here, we conducted transcriptomic analysis of human PBMCs, identified significant changes in mitochondrial, ion channel, and protein quality-control gene products. SARS-CoV-2 proteins selectively target cellular organelle compartments, including the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. M-protein, NSP6, ORF3A, ORF9C, and ORF10 bind to mitochondrial PTP complex components cyclophilin D, SPG-7, ANT, ATP synthase, and a previously undescribed CCDC58 (coiled-coil domain containing protein 58). Knockdown of CCDC58 or mPTP blocker cyclosporin A pretreatment enhances mitochondrial Ca 2+ retention capacity and bioenergetics. SARS-CoV-2 infection exacerbates cardiomyocyte autophagy and promotes cell death that was suppressed by cyclosporin A treatment. Our findings reveal that SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins suppress cardiomyocyte mitochondrial function that disrupts cardiomyocyte Ca 2+ cycling and cell viability., Competing Interests: All authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are critical for the maturation of the brain and retina. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a preventable cause of blindness in preterm infants. LCPUFA have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiangiogenesis effects. Supplementation of enteral LCPUFA might mitigate the incidence of ROP in these infants. Available limited randomized studies showed promising results. We aimed to assess the effect of enteral supplementation of LCPUFA on ROP in preterm infants., Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines and searched MEDLINE, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, and Cochrane Registry from 1990 to 2021 for the studies that examined the effects of enteral LCPUFA and ROP in preterm infants. We included the studies that satisfied the predefined inclusion criteria. RevMan 5.3 software derived the forest plot of pooled relative risk. We assessed the quality of all the included studies using GRADE recommendations., Results: Nine studies were eligible for the meta-analysis involving 2,482 infants. Of the nine RCTs, six studies provided LCPUFA (DHA/AA) as a separate intervention in different concentrations, and three studies provided formula milk enriched with LCPUFA. In addition, five studies recruited infants below 32 weeks of gestational age. Supplementation of LCPUFA did not reduce the incidence of severe ROP (RR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.50-1.01, 5 studies, 1,822 infants) with very low CoE or any ROP (RR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.73-1.12, 6 studies, 1,177 infants) with very low CoE or ROP requiring treatment (RR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.62-1.38, 4 studies, 1,395 infants) with very low CoE. Regarding safety outcomes, enteral LCPUFA did not increase the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis or mortality., Discussion/conclusion: Supplementation of enteral LCPUFA to preterm infants did not reduce ROP incidence; however, there was a trend toward benefit in mitigating severe form of ROP. More well-designed, large, randomized controlled studies are warranted., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The continuous growing demand for fossil fuel puts an enormous pressure on finding a better replacement. This research paper explores the detailed information on the improved production, emission and performance characteristics of the distinct bio-oil derived from the micro algae of Schizochytrium. The algae were grown in the artificial seawater with enough nitrogen supply at the required standard conditions. The lipid growth and production of the bio-oil were monitored closely and measured. Different fuel blends were used at different concentrations as B0 (100% Diesel), B10 (10% schizochytrium biofuel +90% diesel), B20 (20% schizochytrium biofuel +80% diesel) and B30 (30% schizochytrium biofuel +70% diesel). A small single cylinder, four stroke diesel engine was used to conduct the tests. All tests were conducted at different speed conditions of 1200 rpm to 2100 rpm in six intervals. The performance qualities of bio-oil such as CO, NO X , and smoke and CO 2 emission along with the performance qualities of brake thermal efficiency and brake specific fuel consumption. Form the results, the Schizochytrium microalgae bio-oil as the bio fuel for diesel engines in the moderate level showed the improved performance by increasing the BTE and reducing the harmful gas emissions except NO X . However, the emission level of NO X was slightly higher than the diesel emitted value. The difference between them was negligible., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herein, a simple, highly efficient and stable MoS 2 nanobox embedded graphitic-C 3 N 4 @TiO 2 (g-CN@TiO 2 ) nanoarchitecture was synthesized by a facile solvothermal approach. The nano-hybrid photocatalyst was constructed by TiO 2 nanoparticles anchored on the surface of g-CN nanosheets. Then highly crystalline three-dimensional porous MoS 2 nanobox was homogeneously distributed on the g-CN@TiO 2 surface. The g-CN@TiO 2 /MoS 2 hybrid achieved a high photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 97.5% for methylene blue (MB) dye pollutant under visible-light irradiant in an hour which was much better than TiO 2 @MoS 2, g-CN@TiO 2, MoS 2, TiO 2 and g-CN. Furthermore, the reaction rate (k) value of g-CN@TiO 2 /MoS 2 for MB dye is as high as 3.18 X 10 -2 min -1 , which is ~ 2.65 times better than those of g-CN@TiO 2 and MoS 2 . This work presents a rational structure design, interfacial construction and suitable band gap strategy to synthesize advanced nano-hybrid photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutant with excellent performance and long-term stability., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Case Description: Outbreaks of sudden death in apparently healthy weaned dairy calves due to Strongyloides papillosus parasitism were diagnosed on 2 separate and independent New York (NY) dairies., Clinical Findings: Most calves were found dead; however, 1 calf observed while dying showed signs of tachycardia, tachypnea, vocalization, and convulsions shortly before death. In 6 affected heifers that underwent post-mortem examination, precocious bilaterally symmetric mammary gland enlargement was seen. A portion of their parasitized living cohorts also demonstrated similar mammary gland enlargement. A diagnosis of S papillosus hyperinfection was made based upon the presence of high numbers of S papillosus ova in feces, and confirmation by S papillosus-specific PCR assays. Consistent histopathological findings in affected calves included generalized mammary gland vascular congestion, interstitial edema and hemorrhage with ductal hyperplasia. Mild multifocal cardiomyocyte degeneration was found in 5 of 14 calves examined. Factors believed to contribute to the parasite's environmental amplification and host hyperinfection included group housing on wood shavings and high environmental temperatures and humidity., Treatment and Outcome: Treatment of calves with doramectin pour-on stopped mortality and resolved the udder enlargement., Clinical Relevance: Similar outbreaks have previously been described in Japan and South Bohemia (Czech Republic), where researchers hypothesized that sudden death may be due to fatal arrhythmia caused by a parasite-associated cardiotoxin. This report highlights the importance of including S papillosus among the differential diagnoses for sudden death alone or together with precocious udder enlargement in calves kept in confinement housing.

Due to the prevalence of hypertension (one of the major risk factors of CVD) in the population, it is necessary to explore the adverse effects of daily tolerable and "safe" dose of bisphenol A (BPA) under hypertensive conditions. The current study exposed the Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 40 mg/kg b.w/day) induced hypertensive Wistar rats to BPA (50 μg/kg b.w/day) by oral administration along with appropriate controls for 30 days period. The results illustrate that a 'safe' dose of BPA does not influence the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and levels of circulatory biomarkers of tissue damage. On the other hand, BPA exposure significantly ( p < 0.05) elevates the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content in plasma and tissues (heart, aorta, liver and kidney) in hypertensive rats when compared with respective control (BPA alone exposed) rats. Similarly, a significant modulation of ROS generation in RBC, plasma nitric oxide (NO) level and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was observed only under hypertensive milieu. In conclusion, the observed adverse effects during 'safe' dose of BPA exposure are specific to the hypertensive condition. Therefore, a precise investigation to explore the effects of BPA exposure in vulnerable hypertensive populations is highly suggested.

Carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) infection can cause acute host reactions that lead to high-fatality sepsis, making it important to develop new therapeutic options. Previously, we developed a short 9-meric peptide, Pro9-3D, with significant antibacterial and cytotoxic effects. In this study, we attempted to produce safer peptide antibiotics against CRAB by reversing the parent sequence to generate R-Pro9-3 and R-Pro9-3D. Among the tested peptides, R-Pro9-3D had the most rapid and effective antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, particularly clinical CRAB isolates. Analyses of antimicrobial mechanisms based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-neutralization, LPS binding, and membrane depolarization, as well as SEM ultrastructural investigations, revealed that R-Pro9-3D binds strongly to LPS and impairs the membrane integrity of CRAB by effectively permeabilizing its outer membrane. R-Pro9-3D was also less cytotoxic and had better proteolytic stability than Pro9-3D and killed biofilm forming CRAB. As an LPS-neutralizing peptide, R-Pro9-3D effectively reduced LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in RAW 264.7 cells. The antiseptic abilities of R-Pro9-3D were also investigated using a mouse model of CRAB-induced sepsis, which revealed that R-Pro9-3D reduced multiple organ damage and attenuated systemic infection by acting as an antibacterial and immunosuppressive agent. Thus, R-Pro9-3D displays potential as a novel antiseptic peptide for treating Gram-negative CRAB infections.

This work outlines major critical physico-chemical parameters that play a key role in increasing the fixation of CO 2 from coal-fired flue gas CO 2 into green microalgae biomass. Nitrogen concentration, gas flow rate, initial medium pH, and incident light intensity were determined to be the most important process variables with significant impact on CO 2 fixation. Therefore, NaNO 3 (500-3000 mg L -1 ), pH (6.8-8.0), light (50-200 mol m -2 s -1 ) and aeration (0.1-1.0 vvm) were varied to assess the biological assimilation potential of CO 2 from the flue gas. The parameters that resulted in maximal CO 2 fixation from raw flue gas, resulting in a maximum biomass density of 3.1 g L -1 , were NaNO 3 = 1500 mg L -1 , pH =7.2-7.5, incident light intensity = 133.33 mol m -2 s -1 , and 0.5-0.75 vvm aeration without any cost-incurring flue gas pre-treatment step. The inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was used to investigate heavy metals uptake from raw flue gas, and it was discovered that no net intake of trace metals had a significant influence on biomass production. The research lays the path for efficient large-scale microalgal cultivations for industrial uses, as well as bolstering the circular economy concept., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to compare the two nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments on root dentin thickness using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and ability to remove the smear layer using scanning electron microscope (SEM)., Materials and Methods: The effect of two NiTi rotary instruments such as XP Endo shaper and ProTaper Gold (PTG) in retaining adequate dentin thickness and debridement (i.e., removal of smear layer) was evaluated in vitro using CBCT and SEM. After cleaning and shaping of the root canal with adequate irrigation, the effect of two NiTi instrument systems at 3 mm (apical), 6 mm (middle), and 9 mm (coronal) levels on buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal aspects in terms of amount of dentin removal and smear layer removal was evaluated. The data were analyzed using student's unpaired t -test with a significance of P ≤ 0.05., Results: Both NiTi instrument systems had no statistically significant difference in amount of dentin removal at all three levels and on all four aspects. In smear layer removal, PTG had significantly better efficacy compared to XP Endo shaper at the coronal third of root canal., Conclusion: Instrumentation with XP Endo Shaper and PTG showed a similar amount of dentin removal. PTG has a significant effect on smear layer removal compared to XP Endo Shaper only at the coronal third of root canal., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a live attenuated vaccine which can result in local or disseminated infection, most commonly in immunocompromised individuals. Differentiation of BCG from other members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) is required to diagnose BCG disease, which requires specific management. Current methods for BCG diagnosis are based on mycobacterial culture and conventional PCR; the former is time-consuming and the latter often unavailable. Further, there are reports that certain BCG strains may be associated with a higher rate of adverse events. This study describes the development of a two-step multiplex real-time PCR assay which uses single nucleotide polymorphisms to detect BCG and identify early or late BCG strains. The assay has a limit of detection of 1 pg BCG boiled lysate DNA and was shown to detect BCG in both pure cultures and experimentally infected tissue. Its performance was assessed on 19 suspected BCG clinical isolates at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, taken from January 2018 to August 2020. Of these 19 isolates, 10 were identified as BCG (6 early and 4 late strains), and 9 were identified as other MTBC members. Taken together, the results demonstrate the ability of this assay to identify and characterize BCG disease from cultures and infected tissue. The capacity to identify BCG may improve patient management, and the ability to discriminate between BCG strains may enable BCG vaccine pharmacovigilance. IMPORTANCE Vaccination against tuberculosis with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) can lead to adverse events, including a rare but life-threatening complication of disseminated BCG. This complication often occurs in young children with immunodeficiencies and is associated with an ∼60% mortality rate. A rapid method of reliably identifying BCG infection is important because BCG requires treatment unique to tuberculosis. BCG is resistant to the first-line antituberculosis drug pyrazinamide. Additionally, diagnosis of BCG disease would lead to further investigation of a possible underlying immune condition. We have developed a diagnostic assay to identify BCG which improves upon previously published methods and can reliably identify BCG from bacterial culture or directly from infected tissue. This assay can also differentiate between strains of BCG, which have been suggested to be associated with different rates of adverse events. This assay was validated on 19 clinical isolates collected at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India.

Transformation of naive macrophages into classically (M1) or alternatively (M2) activated macrophages regulates the inflammatory response. Here, we identified that distinct Ca 2+ entry channels determine the IFNγ-induced M1 or IL-4-induced M2 transition. Naive or M2 macrophages exhibit a robust Ca 2+ entry that was dependent on Orai1 channels, whereas the M1 phenotype showed a non-selective TRPC1 current. Blockade of Ca 2+ entry suppresses pNF-κB/pJNK/STAT1 or STAT6 signaling events and consequently lowers cytokine production that is essential for M1 or M2 functions. Of importance, LPS stimulation shifted M2 cells from Orai1 toward TRPC1-mediated Ca 2+ entry and TRPC1 -/- mice exhibited transcriptional changes that suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines. In contrast, Orai1 -/- macrophages showed a decrease in anti-inflammatory cytokines and exhibited a suppression of mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate and inhibited mitochondrial shape transition specifically in the M2 cells. Finally, alterations in TRPC1 or Orai1 expression determine macrophage polarization suggesting a distinct role of Ca 2+ channels in modulating macrophage transformation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

The importance of neurorehabilitation services for people with disabilities is getting well-recognized in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) recently. However, accessibility to the same has remained the most significant challenge, in these contexts. This is especially because of the non-availability of trained specialists and the availability of neurorehabilitation centers only in urban cities owned predominantly by private healthcare organizations. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, the members of the Task Force for research at the Indian Federation of Neurorehabilitation (IFNR) reviewed the context for tele-neurorehabilitation (TNR) and have provided the contemporary implications for practicing TNR during COVID-19 for people with neurological disabilities (PWNDs) in LMICs. Neurorehabilitation is a science that is driven by rigorous research-based evidence. The current pandemic implies the need for systematically developed TNR interventions that is evaluated for its feasibility and acceptability and that is informed by available evidence from LMICs. Given the lack of organized systems in place for the provision of neurorehabilitation services in general, there needs to be sufficient budgetary allocations and a sector-wide approach to developing policies and systems for the provision of TNR services for PWNDs. The pandemic situation provides an opportunity to optimize the technological innovations in health and scale up these innovations to meet the growing burden of neurological disability in LMICs. Thus, this immense opportunity must be tapped to build capacity for safe and effective TNR services provision for PWNDs in these settings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Srivastava, Swaminathan, Chockalingam, Srinivasan, Surya, Ray, Hegde, Akkunje, Kamble, Chitnis, Kamalakannan, Ganvir, Shah and the Indian Federation of Neurorehabilitation (IFNR) Research Task Force.)

Background and Purpose: The main cause of death in COVID-19 pneumonia is acute respiratory distress syndrome which is preceded by massive cytokine release. Low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects that can interfere with the inflammatory cascade, reducing the severity of associated cytokine release., Material & Methods: 25 patients with RT-PCR proven COVID-19 pneumonia were enrolled between November 2020 and May 2021. All patients had SpO2 < 94 % on room air, respiratory frequency > 24/min and SpO2/FiO2 ratio (SF ratio) of >89 but <357. Patients were treated according to standard COVID-19 management guidelines along with single fraction LDRT of 0.5 Gy to bilateral whole lungs within 10 days of symptom onset and 5 days of hospital admission., Results: LDRT was well tolerated by all patients. There was a statistically significant improvement in oxygenation as given by the SF ratio between pre-RT and day 2 (p < 0.05), day 3 (p < 0.001) and day 7 (p < 0.001) post RT. Demand for supplemental oxygen showed statistically significant reduction between pre-RT and day 2 (p < 0.05), day 3 (p < 0.001), day 7 (p < 0.001) post RT. 88 % patients attained clinical recovery within 10 days post LDRT and median time to hospital discharge from day of LDRT was 6 days. Three patients deteriorated and died., Conclusion: As per our initial experience, LDRT appears to be a promising modality of treatment with rapid relief of respiratory distress in selected patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. This translates to early clinical recovery and hospital discharge in the selected patient group., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There has been a huge increase in diabetes and its associated cardiovascular complications over the last decade, predominantly in the middle- and low-income countries. In these countries, the majority live in rural areas. The Rural Epidemiology of Diabetes in South India (REDSI) study was aimed to analyze the prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, and its complications in rural farming and non-farming villages in Tamil Nadu, South India. A research survey on the prevalence of self-reported diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors (age, sex, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, alcohol and tobacco use) and agricultural occupational exposure was executed among 106,111 people from 61 villages in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India, during 2015-2018. Overall, we observed a diabetes prevalence of 11.9% in rural South India. A nearly two-fold higher prevalence of diabetes was observed among the farming community (15.0%) compared to that among the non-farming population (8.7%). Logistic regression analyses revealed a strong association with agrochemical exposure ( P < 0.0001) and diabetes prevalence among rural farming people. Our survey indicates a high prevalence of diabetes in rural South India particularly among the farming community. This survey in conjunction with other epidemiological and experimental studies raises the need for understanding the etiology of diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors in rural communities., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Velmurugan, Mohanraj, Christy Yacob, Keppanan, Rekha, Krishnasamy, Shanmugarajan, Boopathi, Ayyapparaja, Ayyapparaja, RS, Gopalakrishnan, Veerappan, Dharmaraj, Vaithilingam, Purushothaman, Chelladurai, Pandiyan, Selvarajan, Annathurai, Vengatachalam, Arivuruvone, Kaliyaperumal, G, S, Ramasamy and Swaminathan.)

Increased browning of white adipocytes (beiging) is considered a promising therapeutic strategy to fight obesity and its associated metabolic complications. However, the molecular mechanism modulating brown and beige fat-mediated thermogenesis is not fully elucidated. Here, we identified the lymphocyte cytosolic protein 1 (LCP1) as a factor that obstructs fat browning in white adipocytes. LCP1 plays a vital role in non-hematopoietic malignancies, and is also a well-known tumor biomarker; however, evidence regarding its function in adipocytes remains to be elucidated. The current study explores the physiological role of LCP1 in cultured 3T3-L1 white adipocytes, by applying the loss-of-function study using siRNA. Induction of fat browning by LCP1 depletion was evidenced by evaluating the gene and protein expression levels of brown fat-associated markers through real-time qRT-PCR and immunoblot analysis, respectively. We observed that deficiency of LCP1 promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, and significantly enhances expressions of the core brown fat-specific genes (Cd137, Cidea, Cited1, Tbx1, and Tmem26) and proteins (PGC-1α, PRDM16, and UCP1). In addition, deficiency of LCP1 promotes lipid catabolism as well as suppresses adipogenesis and lipogenesis. Loss of LCP1 also ameliorates cellular stress by downregulating JNK and c-JUN in adipocytes, and stimulates apoptosis. A mechanistic study revealed that deficiency of LCP1 induces browning in white adipocytes, independently via β3-AR and the ERK signaling pathway. The current data reveals a previously unknown mechanism of LCP1 in browning of white adipocytes, and highlights the potential of LCP1 as a pharmacotherapeutic target for treating obesity and other metabolic disorders., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although therapeutic hypothermia reduces death or disability after neonatal encephalopathy in high-income countries, its safety and efficacy in low-income and middle-income countries is unclear. We aimed to examine whether therapeutic hypothermia alongside optimal supportive intensive care reduces death or moderate or severe disability after neonatal encephalopathy in south Asia., Methods: We did a multicountry open-label, randomised controlled trial in seven tertiary neonatal intensive care units in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. We enrolled infants born at or after 36 weeks of gestation with moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy and a need for continued resuscitation at 5 min of age or an Apgar score of less than 6 at 5 min of age (for babies born in a hospital), or both, or an absence of crying by 5 min of age (for babies born at home). Using a web-based randomisation system, we allocated infants into a group receiving whole body hypothermia (33·5°C) for 72 h using a servo-controlled cooling device, or to usual care (control group), within 6 h of birth. All recruiting sites had facilities for invasive ventilation, cardiovascular support, and access to 3 Tesla MRI scanners and spectroscopy. Masking of the intervention was not possible, but those involved in the magnetic resonance biomarker analysis and neurodevelopmental outcome assessments were masked to the allocation. The primary outcome was a combined endpoint of death or moderate or severe disability at 18-22 months, assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (third edition) and a detailed neurological examination. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02387385., Findings: We screened 2296 infants between Aug 15, 2015, and Feb 15, 2019, of whom 576 infants were eligible for inclusion. After exclusions, we recruited 408 eligible infants and we assigned 202 to the hypothermia group and 206 to the control group. Primary outcome data were available for 195 (97%) of the 202 infants in the hypothermia group and 199 (97%) of the 206 control group infants. 98 (50%) infants in the hypothermia group and 94 (47%) infants in the control group died or had a moderate or severe disability (risk ratio 1·06; 95% CI 0·87-1·30; p=0·55). 84 infants (42%) in the hypothermia group and 63 (31%; p=0·022) infants in the control group died, of whom 72 (36%) and 49 (24%; p=0·0087) died during neonatal hospitalisation. Five serious adverse events were reported: three in the hypothermia group (one hospital readmission relating to pneumonia, one septic arthritis, and one suspected venous thrombosis), and two in the control group (one related to desaturations during MRI and other because of endotracheal tube displacement during transport for MRI). No adverse events were considered causally related to the study intervention., Interpretation: Therapeutic hypothermia did not reduce the combined outcome of death or disability at 18 months after neonatal encephalopathy in low-income and middle-income countries, but significantly increased death alone. Therapeutic hypothermia should not be offered as treatment for neonatal encephalopathy in low-income and middle-income countries, even when tertiary neonatal intensive care facilities are available., Funding: National Institute for Health Research, Garfield Weston Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation., Translations: For the Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Singhalese, Tamil, Marathi and Bangla translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests JW reports a grant from the National Institutes for Health (number 1R21HD093563-01) outside the submitted work. RP reports personal fees from UCB and Kephala outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Companion animal endoparasites play a substantial role in both veterinary medicine and public health. Updated epidemiological studies are necessary to identify trends in occurrence and distribution of these parasites, and their associated risk factors. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of canine endoparasites  retrospectively, using fecal flotation  test data available through participating academic veterinary parasitology diagnostic laboratories across the United States of America (USA)., Methods: Canine fecal flotation records from ten veterinary diagnostic laboratories located in nine states in the USA acquired from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, were included., Results: A total of 4692 fecal flotation test results were obtained, with a majority comprised of client-owned dogs (3262; 69.52%), followed by research dogs (375; 8.00%), and shelter dogs (122; 2.60%). Samples from 976 (20.80%) dogs were positive for at least one parasite, and co-infections of two or more parasites were found in 3.82% (179/4692) of the samples. The five most commonly detected parasites were: Giardia sp., (8.33%; 391/4692), Ancylostomatidae (5.63%; 264/4692), Cystoisospora spp. (4.35%; 204/4692), Toxocara canis (2.49%;117/4692), and Trichuris vulpis (2.43%; 114/4692). Various other internal parasites, including gastrointestinal and respiratory nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, and protozoans were detected in less than 1% of samples., Conclusions: These data illustrate the importance of parasite prevention, routine fecal screening, and treatment of pet dogs. Additionally, pet owners should be educated about general parasite prevalence, prevention, and anthelmintic treatment regimens to reduce the risks of environmental contamination and zoonotic transmission., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Persons with Disabilities (PWD) experience unmet needs related to health, rehabilitation, education, livelihood, social participation, and empowerment, particularly those living in a resource-poor context such as in the Indian context. The same applies to Children with Disabilities (CWD) as well. Given the pandemic restrictions imposed by the government of India, the provision of therapeutic rehabilitation services for PWDs and CWDs has come to a deadlock. Therefore, the PWDs and the parents of CWDs are substantially impacted by the double contextual burden of demand and access to rehabilitation services in India. However, there has been some light at the end of this dark tunnel provided by the existing telecommunication strategies. Both parents/caregivers and rehabilitation service providers started to find a way out of this situation on their own in India by optimizing their skills and resources for telerehabilitation. However, adopting this strategy requires evidence. Hence a critical Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the telerehabilitation strategy for empowering PWDs and CWDs in an Indian context is warranted and is of immense public health importance. A narrative review was conducted. Telerehabilitation has several strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Telecommunication resources, Access to Rehabilitation services, Parent's and consumer acceptance, Service efficiency, and data documentation could be considered as strengths; Skills, Competencies, Opportunity cost, Resource intensiveness, Evidence for Effectiveness, Comprehensibility could be considered as weaknesses; Therapy innovations, Evidence generation, System strengthening and Capacity Building could be considered as opportunities; Patient Safety, Ethical Integrity, Data security, and Professional practice insecurity could be considered as potential Threats to Telerehabilitation. Telerehabilitation has considerable scope for providing meaningful therapeutic experience and hastens the process of rehabilitation of CWDs in the current context. The SWOT and its implications must be kept in mind to ensure that CWDs receive the best quality continuum of care in the present context with utmost ethical and evidence-based considerations. This could bridge the gaps in access to rehabilitation services with sustainable solutions than patchy temporary solutions that are not sustainable.

Aim: The aim of this study was to measure and compare the output factor (OF) of a CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System with eight different small field detectors and validate with Technical Report Series (TRS) report 483., Background: Accurate dosimetry of CyberKnife system is limited due to the challenges in small field dosimetry. OF is a vital dosimetric parameter used in the photon beam modeling and any error would affect the dose calculation accuracy., Materials and Methods: In this study, the OF was measured with eight different small-field detectors for the 12 IRIS collimators at 800 mm SAD setup at 15 mm depth. The detectors used were PTW 31016 PinPoint 3D, IBA PFD shielded diode, IBA EFD unshielded diode, IBA SFD unshielded diode (stereotactic), PTW 60008 shielded diode, PTW 60012 unshielded diode, PTW 60018 unshielded diode (stereotactic), and PTW 60019 CVD diamond detector. OF was obtained after correcting for field output correction factors from IAEA TRS No. 483., Results: The field OFs in CyberKnife are derived from the measured data by applying the correction factors from Table 23 in TRS 483 for the eight small field detectors. These field OFs matched within 2% of peer-reviewed published values. The range and standard deviation showed a decreasing trend with collimator diameter., Conclusion: The field OF obtained after applying the appropriate correction factor from TRS 483 matched well with the peer-reviewed published OFs. The inter-detector variation showed a decreasing trend with increasing collimator field size. This study gives physicists confidence in measuring field OFs while using small field detectors mentioned in this work., Competing Interests: None

We report a case of autochthonous infection of the eye worm Thelazia callipaeda in a dog in the northeastern United States. Integrated morphologic identification and molecular diagnosis confirmed the species. Phylogenetic analysis suggested introduction from Europe. The zoonotic potential of this parasite warrants broader surveillance and increased awareness among physicians and veterinarians.

In a defined geographic area in rural India (1,60,000 population), osteoporosis detection and calcium and vitamin D supplementation program was instituted. Of the eligible 15,386 subjects, 5,992 (38%) participated in the program; 2,882 (48%) had osteopenia and osteoporosis; supervised calcium and vitamin D supplementation was instituted; 2,113 (73.3% of those identified) completed 2 years of supplementation. The mean duration of the follow-up was 5 years (range 2-8 years). On follow-up, three groups emerged; those who were regular, those who were irregular, and those who did not take supplements. In those who were regular with calcium and vitamin D supplementation, we found a significant reduction in fractures (RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.09-0.81) compared with those who did not take supplements. There was no significant difference in falls between the three groups. Mortality was significantly lower (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.31-0.91) in those who were regular with calcium and vitamin D supplements compared to those who did not take supplements. While the reduction in fractures was probably due to calcium and vitamin D supplementation, the reduction in mortality was probably because those who took regular supplements accessed healthcare services more readily for other comorbidities as part of their follow-up program., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.)

Background: The current evidence for occupational therapy practice, teaching, and research is replicated and implemented significantly from high-income countries in India. Therefore, a systematic review and an evaluation of existing evidence for occupational therapy (OT) to reduce disabilities including impairments, activity limitations, and participation restriction in persons with disabilities (PWD) in India are warranted., Objectives: The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of OT interventions for reducing disabilities in PWD in India., Study Design: Systematic review., Methods: We searched the Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED, and Web of Science. A hand search was also carried out in selected Indian journals, OT-specific databases, and repositories, such as Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy , Indian Journal of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy , OT Seekers, World Federation of Occupational Therapy Bulletin, Asia Pacific Occupational Therapists Regional Group, and clinical trials registers. The search was restricted to published studies conducted in India during 2000-2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of an occupational therapy intervention delivered by OTs for PWD, where the effects of the intervention were evaluated using any relevant disability outcome measure. Studies without access to full text were excluded. Two review authors independently completed screening, and one author reviewed the full text of the screened studies. Another pair of authors extracted data from included studies for prespecified disability outcomes, and two authors assessed the risk of bias in the included studies., Results: We identified seven RCTs of occupational therapy interventions for PWD in India with 305 participants in total. All seven studies were very different in terms of their objective, participants, comparison, and outcomes. Allocation concealment and blinding and risk of bias were high in five trials. All the trials reported impairment outcomes with a statistically significant difference between the experimental arm and the control arm in terms of their primary outcomes except one. Given the sample size and the risk of bias in each of the included trials, the effect size has to be understood and interpreted with utmost caution., Conclusion: Overall, this review establishes the paucity of evidence for occupational therapy for PWD in India. Building the capacity for rigorous and relevant scientific research in occupational therapy would enable bridging the gaps in evidence for occupational therapy in India., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest There are no conflicts of interest.

We demonstrate a novel yet straightforward methodology of stabilizing aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) using oppositely charged nanoparticles (OCNPs). We employ commercial-grade, Ludox, OCNPs to induce self-assembly. This self-assembly route promotes the stronger adsorption of nanoparticles at the water-water interface by triggering the formation of 2D and 3D aggregates of varying sizes and shapes. The interplay of this size and shape promotes stability due to increased Gibbs detachment energy and modulates the resulting cluster adsorption at the interface, thereby the structural state of emulsions. We demonstrate the influence of polymers' and particles' composition on the structural transformation from droplet-bijel-droplet using a phase diagram. For the first time, such a structural transition and the single pathway are reported within the domain of ATPS to produce stable bijels or colloidal capsules. It is asserted that the essential condition of three-phase contact angle (θ) = 90° to favor the formation of bijels can be established by selecting a suitable experimental condition using a phase diagram without employing any complicated surface modification procedures reported in the literature. Further, the mechanistic route favoring the formation of bijels and emulsion droplets at different experimental regimes is presented based on the empirical study using turbidity and zeta potential measurements. These studies reveal that the formation of bijels will be most favored when the parameter M (ratio of weight fraction of positively charged nanoparticles to negatively charged nanoparticles) is chosen between 0.7 and 4. It is intriguing to note the fact that, while the droplets stabilized by OCNPs have shown good resilience under high centrifugal action, the bijels produced in this way continued to remain stable for a long time, offering a facile route to prepare the bijels with a hierarchical bicontinuous network structure.

The present study has tested the biodiesel potential of two hyper lipid producing strains Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp. in terms of biomass yield, quantity and quality of lipid and fatty acid composition. Biomass yield of Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp. was 1.26 and 1.33 g/L, respectively on day 18 and 20. The lipid content and lipid productivity of Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp. was estimated to be 21.3, 26.5% and 12.33, 14.74 mg/L/d, respectively. Notably, relative abundance of lipid types in both the strains revealed >60% neutral lipids followed by glycolipids and phospholipids in minimal level. Central composite design based optimization revealed 69 and 65.4% FAME yield from Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp. at 3% sulphuric acid and 65 °C reaction temperature. Eventually, higher levels of saturated fatty acids (~45%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (~34%) and make Scenedesmus sp. a promising parent material for workable biodiesel production., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background:  People with neurological dysfunction have been significantly affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis in receiving adequate and quality rehabilitation services. There are no clear guidelines or recommendations for rehabilitation providers in dealing with patients with neurological dysfunction during a pandemic situation especially in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this paper was to develop consensus-based expert recommendations for in-hospital based neurorehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic for low- and middle-income countries based on available evidence.  Methods: A group of experts in neurorehabilitation consisting of neurologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists were identified for the consensus groups. A scoping review was conducted to identify existing evidence and recommendations for neurorehabilitation during COVID-19. Specific statements with level 2b evidence from studies identified were developed. These statements were circulated to 13 experts for consensus. The statements that received ≥80% agreement were grouped in different themes and the recommendations were developed.  Results:  75 statements for expert consensus were generated. 72 statements received consensus from 13 experts. These statements were thematically grouped as recommendations for neurorehabilitation service providers, patients, formal and informal caregivers of affected individuals, rehabilitation service organizations, and administrators.  Conclusions:  The development of this consensus statement is of fundamental significance to neurological rehabilitation service providers and people living with neurological disabilities. It is crucial that governments, health systems, clinicians and stakeholders involved in upholding the standard of neurorehabilitation practice in low- and middle-income countries consider conversion of the consensus statement to minimum standard requirements within the context of the pandemic as well as for the future., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2021 Gandhi DBC et al.)

Considering the glitches in making commercially realistic fuel, this research article has demonstrated the lipid accumulation in four fast growing, filamentous cyanobacterial strains. On day 26, the lipid content estimated was 6.7, 8.2, 10.2, and 9.4% from Phormidium sp. FW01, Phormidium sp. FW02, Oscillatoria sp. FW01, and Oscillatoria sp. FW02, respectively. Of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) tested, 2000 lx was found to higher biomass and lipid at about 1.83 g/L and 12.5%, respectively for Oscillatoria sp. FW01. Of <5 °C, 15 °C, 25 °C, 37-40 °C tested, 11.2% lipid was extracted from Oscillatoria sp. FW01 grown at 37-40 °C and pH did not make any changes in biomass and lipid content. The optimized abiotic conditions showed higher polar lipids about 75% in all the tested cyanobacteria and further, Oscillatoria sp. FW01 yielded 57% fatty acid methyl ester, which contains desirable fatty acids C 16:0, C 16:1, C18:1, C18:3 for high quality biodiesel., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Identification of the primary source of pain determines the success of musculoskeletal pain management. A detailed history and physical examination are the current gold standards for identifying musculoskeletal pain source in day-to-day clinical practice. This process, at times, may potentially result in inadequate/inappropriate identification of the pain source. In this case report, we present the usefulness of a simple and inexpensive vacuum cup. We found that this accurately identified the primary pain source, distant from and unrelated to the site of pain presentation in a 30-year-old man with back pain. Routine use of this simple technique in conjunction with the regular musculoskeletal examination may better identify primary restrictions in the body tissues. Based on our experience, we propose that this approach has the potential to offer better outcomes in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain in the future., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Inflammatory reactions activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram-negative bacteria can lead to severe septic shock. With the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria and a lack of efficient ways to treat resulting infections, there is a need to develop novel anti-endotoxin agents. Antimicrobial peptides have been noticed as potential therapeutic molecules for bacterial infection and as candidates for new antibiotic drugs. We previously designed the 9-meric antimicrobial peptide Pro9-3 and it showed high antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria. Here, to further examine its potency as an anti-endotoxin agent, we examined the antiendotoxin activities of Pro9-3 and elucidated its mechanism of action. We performed a dye-leakage experiment and BODIPY-TR cadaverine and limulus amebocyte lysate assays for Pro9-3 as well as its lysine-substituted analogue and their enantiomers. The results confirmed that Pro9-3 targets the bacterial membrane and the arginine residues play key roles in its antimicrobial activity. Pro9-3 showed excellent LPS-neutralizing activity and LPS-binding properties, which were superior to those of other peptides. Saturation transfer difference-nuclear magnetic resonance experiments to explore the interaction between LPS and Pro9-3 revealed that Trp 3 and Tlr 7 in Pro9-3 are critical for attracting Pro9-3 to the LPS in the gram-negative bacterial membrane. Moreover, the anti-septic effect of Pro9-3 in vivo was investigated using an LPS-induced endotoxemia mouse model, demonstrating its dual activities: antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria and immunosuppressive effect preventing LPS-induced endotoxemia. Collectively, these results confirmed the therapeutic potential of Pro9-3 against infection of gram-negative bacteria.

We report the complete 4,352,172-bp genome sequence of Mycobacterium orygis strain 51145 assembled into a single circular chromosome. Comparative genomic analyses with other lineages of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex can provide insights into the biology, evolution, and epidemiology of this important group of pathogenic mycobacteria., (Copyright © 2021 Rufai et al.)

In the United States, horses are used for a variety of purposes including recreation, exhibition, and racing. As farm, performance, and companion animals, horses are a unique species from a zoonotic disease risk perspective, and the risks of subclinical infections spreading among horses can pose challenges. Using a nanoscale real-time PCR platform, we investigated the prevalence of 14 enteric pathogens, 11 Escherichia coli genes, and 9 respiratory pathogens in fecal samples from 97 apparently healthy horses at a multi-day horse event. In addition, sugar flotation test was performed for fecal parasites. E. coli f17 was commonly detected, prevalent in 59% of horses, followed closely by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (55%). Additional pathogens recognized included betacoronavirus, Campylobacter jejuni, Cryptosporidium sp., E. coli O157, equine adenovirus 1, equine rhinitis B virus, and others. The use of PCR data may overestimate the true prevalence of these pathogens but provides a sensitive overview of common pathogens present in healthy horses. Our results prompt the continued need for practical biosecurity measures at horse shows, both to protect individuals interacting with these horses and to minimize transmission among horses.

Transmission of Schistosoma mansoni was interrupted on St. Kitts, a Caribbean island, in the 1950s. With no reported cases since that time and most Biomphalaria spp. snail populations eliminated based on surveys in the 1970s, S. mansoni has been considered eliminated on St. Kitts. In 2019, S. mansoni eggs were found in an African green monkey ( Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus ) that originated from St. Kitts. Nonhuman primate (NHP) infections have been considered incidental to human infections, with infections in NHPs resolving with the elimination of S. mansoni in the human population. An NHP with S. mansoni infection suggests that the NHP may be able to maintain a reservoir sylvatic cycle. Alternatively, S. mansoni transmission was not eliminated or S. mansoni has been reintroduced to St. Kitts. The occurrence of an infected NHP from St. Kitts supports the need for continuous monitoring in areas where S. mansoni is considered eliminated.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a notorious pathogen with plasmid mediated resistance to all classes of antibiotics. It is important to determine the plasmid profile coding for resistance genes. Plasmid profile varies among geographical regions and tracking the types helps in determining the MDR and XDR K. pneumoniae spread especially in hospital setting. Aim of the present study was to determine the plasmid profile and types among bacteraemic K. pneumoniae., Materials and Methods: Ninety consecutive K. pneumoniae collected over a period of three months from blood cultures were characterised by PCR for plasmid profile. Inc plasmid types were determined by PCR based replicon typing (PBRT) and carbapenemases were determined by multiplex PCR. For a subset of isolates hybrid assemblies were developed by sequencing with Ion Torrent and MinIon., Results: Overall, PBRT showed 29% of isolates carried four plasmids including IncHI1B, IncFIA, IncFII(K) and IncR. The most common type of plasmid was IncHI1B (93%) followed by IncFII K (89%) and IncR (82%). IncFIA was predominant among carbapenem resistant isolates. Almost all plasmids identified in K. pneumoniae were AMR plasmids, except two isolates which had virulence plasmids. IncX3 plasmid observed in this study was previously reported to be self-disseminating. Furthermore, the hybrid genome sequencing revealed complete structural arrangements of plasmids, which would be missed in short-read sequencing. NDM and OXA48-like were co-produced in 59% of the carbapenem resistant isolates. Bla OXA-232 was present on ColKP3; aac(6')-lb3 and rmtF on IncFIB., Conclusion: Diverse plasmid profile among the successive K. pneumoniae isolates indicates the transfer of resistance genes through different types of plasmids. IncHI1B, IncFIA, IncFIIK and IncR were the prevalent plasmid types. Hybrid assembly revealed bla OXA-232 was present on ColKP3 unlike global reports of IncL/M. Hybrid assemblies provide better plasmid structure that long and short read assemblies. There was no significant association of β-lactamases with specific Inc groups in this study., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mosquitoes biolarvicides remain the most important method for mosquito control. The previous studies have shown Aspergillus sp. -expressed larvicidal properties against mosquito species. The present study evaluated larvicidal and histopathological effect of an endophytic fungus Aspergillus tamarii isolated from theCactus stem ( Opuntia ficus-indica Mill) ., Method: The molecular identification of isolated A. tamarii was done by PCR amplification (5.8s rDNA) using a universal primer (ITS-1 and ITS-2). The secondary metabolites of A. tamarii was tested for larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus . Larvicidal bioassay of different concentrations (- 100, 300, 500, 800 and 1000 μg/mL) isolated extracts were done according to the modified protocol. Each test included a set of control groups (i.e. DMSO and distilled water). The lethal concentrations (LC 50 and LC 90 ) were calculated by probit analysis. Experimental monitoring duration was 48 h., Results: The ethyl acetate extract from A. tamarii fungus resulted - excellent mosquitocidal effect against Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, with least LC 50 and LC 90 values. -After 48 h, the Ae. aegypti expressed better results (LC 50 = 29.10, 18.69, 16.76, 36.78 μg/mL and the LC 90 = 45.59, 27.66, 27.50, 54.00 μg/mL) followed by Cx. quinquefaciatus (LC 50 = 3.23, 24.99, 11.24, 10.95 μg/mL and the LC 90 = 8.37, 8.29, 21.36, 20.28 μg/mL). The biochemical level of A. tamarii mycelium extract on both larvae was measured and the results shown a dose dependent activity on the level of AchE, α- and β-carboxylesterase assay. Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) profile of A. tamarii extract reflected three compounds i.e. preg-4-en-3-one, 17. α-hydroxy-17. β-cyano- (7.39%), trans-3-undecene-1,5-diyne (45.77%) and pentane, 1,1,1,5-tetrachloro- (32.16%) which which might had attributed to larvae mortality., Conclusion: The findings of - present study shows that the use of endophytic A. tamarii fungal metabolites for control of dengue and filariasis vectors is promising and needs a semifield and small scale filed trials., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

The new National Commission for Allied and Health Care professions (NCAHCP) bill 2020 is introduced by the Government of India on September 15, 2020, to streamline the cadres in the country for allied and health-care professions within its health systems for the greater public good. It is very pertinent to understand the implications of the NCAHCP bill for All India Occupational therapists Association (AIOTA) and occupational therapists in India. The implications for AIOTA are (1) development of state councils and enabling their functioning in all the states of India, (2) radical revision of the OT curriculum incorporating policies and programs of the Indian health system, and (3) developing and strengthening the existing systems for OT practice. For occupational therapists, the implications are (1) registering to independently practice OT in India and (2) documenting professional practice for ethical integrity. Forming an advisory board to develop strategies for a smooth transition to the opportunities that the NCAHCP bill provides, must hold the top-most priority for AIOTA., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is an auto-inflammatory disorder affecting the skeleton of children and adolescents. Whole-body MRI (WBMRI) is key in the diagnosis and follow-up of CRMO. Imaging protocols should include sagittal short Tau inversion recovery of the spine, imaging of the hands and feet, and T1 images for distinguishing normal bone marrow. CRMO lesions can be metaphyseal, epiphyseal and physeal-potentially causing growth disturbance and deformity. Spinal lesions are common, important and can cause vertebral collapse. Lesion patterns include multifocal tibial and pauci-focal patterns that follow a predictable presentation and course of disease. Common pitfalls of WBMRI include haematopoietic marrow signal, metaphyseal signal early on in bisphosphonate therapy and normal high T2 signal in the hands and feet. Pictorial reporting assists in recording lesions and follow-up over time. The purpose of this paper is to review the different WBMRI protocols, imaging findings, lesion patterns and common pitfalls in children with CRMO., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Schoolyards and suburban parks are two environments where active tick surveillance may inform local management approaches. Even in a state such as New York with a robust active tick surveillance programme operated by the state Department of Health, these settings are not routinely covered. The goal of this study was to highlight the importance of active surveillance for tick-borne pathogens by describing their prevalence in ticks collected from schoolyards and suburban parks and to guide the use of integrated pest management in these settings. Tick dragging was performed in three regions of New York State: Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley and the Capital Region. A total of 19 schoolyards and 32 parks were sampled. The location, habitat and weather at the time of tick collection were recorded. Ticks were speciated and tested for the presence of 17 pathogens with a novel application of nanoscale real-time PCR. The causative agents of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus disease were all detected from Ixodes scapularis in various sites throughout the capital region and south-eastern counties of New York state. The most common agent detected was Borrelia burgdorferi, and coinfection rates were as high as 36%. This surveillance study also captured the first of the invasive Asian longhorned tick species, Haemaphysalis longicornis, in New York state (collected 2 June 2017). Results from this study highlight the importance of collaborative efforts and data sharing for improvement of surveillance for tick-borne disease agents., (© 2020 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Objectives: Escherichia coli is regarded as one of the most commonly isolated Gram-negative pathogens from bloodstream infections. Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among E. coli is a threat to disease management as well as further dissemination of AMR genes to other clinically important pathogens. Here we report the genome of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli (BA22372) from a bloodstream infection belonging to ST410 B4/H24RxC subtype from India., Methods: Genomic DNA of E. coli BA22372 was sequenced using Ion Torrent™ PGM™ and MinION™ sequencing. Hybrid genome assembly was performed using short and long reads from both methods to achieve accurate and complete genome data., Results: Here we report the genome of MDR E. coli BA22372 harbouring bla OXA-181 and bla CTX-M-15 in two individual plasmids, namely pOXA181&#95;22372 (IncX3) and pCTX-M-15&#95;22372 (IncF). The pCTX-M-15 plasmid is well known to co-harbour bla NDM-5 , which was not seen in the studied isolate here., Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B4/H24RxC MDR E. coli from India co-harbouring bla CTX-M-15 and bla OXA-181 along with other AMR genes. Information from this genome data revealed the possession of AMR genes in two individual plasmids and their potential for rapid dissemination. This isolate is of high health concern as it harbours a plasmid with replicatory mechanisms capable of acquiring bla NDM-5 , which is a great threat for rapid dissemination of AMR. This study enhances our understanding of the AMR mechanisms among different clones of E. coli., (Copyright © 2020 International Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Owing to the challenges faced by conventional therapeutics, novel peptide antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria need to be urgently developed. We had previously designed Pro9-3 and Pro9-3D from the defensin of beetle Protaetia brevitarsis ; they showed high antimicrobial activity with cytotoxicity. Here, we aimed to develop peptide antibiotics with bacterial cell selectivity and potent antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria. We designed 10-meric peptides with increased cationicity by adding Arg to the N-terminus of Pro9-3 (Pro10-1) and its D-enantiomeric alteration (Pro10-1D). Among all tested peptides, the newly designed Pro10-1D showed the strongest antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli , Acinetobacter baumannii , and MDR strains with resistance against protease digestion. Pro10-1D can act as a novel potent peptide antibiotic owing to its outstanding inhibitory activities against bacterial film formation with high bacterial cell selectivity. Dye leakage and scanning electron microscopy revealed that Pro10-1D targets the bacterial membrane. Pro10-1D inhibited inflammation via Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, Pro10-1D ameliorated multiple-organ damage and attenuated systemic infection-associated inflammation in an E. coli K1-induced sepsis mouse model. Overall, our results suggest that Pro10-1D can potentially serve as a novel peptide antibiotic for the treatment of gram-negative sepsis.

The larvicidal potential of crude leaf extracts of Rhizophora mucronata , the red mangrove, using diverse solvent extracts of the plant against the early fourth instar larvae of Anopheles stephensi , Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti mosquito vectors was analyzed. The acetone extract of R. mucronata showed the greatest efficacy: for Cx. quinquefasciatus (LC 50 = 0.13 mg/mL; LC 90 = 2.84 mg/mL), An. stephensi (LC 50 = 0.34 mg/mL; LC 90 = 6.03 mg/mL), and Ae. aegypti (LC 50 = 0.11 mg/mL; LC 90 = 1.35 mg/mL). The acetone extract was further fractionated into four fractions and tested for its larvicidal activity. Fraction 3 showed stronger larvicidal activity against all the three mosquito larvae. Chemical characterization of the acetone extract displayed the existence of several identifiable compounds like phytol, 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol, 1-hexyl-2-nitrocyclohexane, eicosanoic acid etc. Enzyme assay displayed that R. mucronata active F3-fractions exert divergent effects on all three mosquitos' biochemical defensive mechanisms. The plant fractions displayed significant repellent activity against all the three mosquito vectors up to the maximum repellent time of 210 min. Thus, the bioactive molecules in the acetone extract of R. murconata leaves showed significant larvicidal and enzyme inhibitory activity and displayed novel eco-friendly tool for mosquito control.

A rapid and early diagnostic test to identify the encephalopathic babies at risk of adverse outcome may accelerate the development of neuroprotectants. We examined if a whole blood transcriptomic signature measured soon after birth, predicts adverse neurodevelopmental outcome eighteen months after neonatal encephalopathy. We performed next generation sequencing on whole blood ribonucleic acid obtained within six hours of birth from the first 47 encephalopathic babies recruited to the Hypothermia for Encephalopathy in Low and middle-income countries (HELIX) trial. Two infants with blood culture positive sepsis were excluded, and the data from remaining 45 were analysed. A total of 855 genes were significantly differentially expressed between the good and adverse outcome groups, of which RGS1 and SMC4 were the most significant. Biological pathway analysis adjusted for gender, trial randomisation allocation (cooling therapy versus usual care) and estimated blood leukocyte proportions revealed over-representation of genes from pathways related to melatonin and polo-like kinase in babies with adverse outcome. These preliminary data suggest that transcriptomic profiling may be a promising tool for rapid risk stratification in neonatal encephalopathy. It may provide insights into biological mechanisms and identify novel therapeutic targets for neuroprotection.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death globally. Understanding and characterizing the biochemical context of the cardiovascular system in health and disease is a necessary preliminary step for developing novel therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring cardiovascular function. Bioactive lipids are a class of dietary-dependent, chemically heterogeneous lipids with potent biological signaling functions. They have been intensively studied for their roles in immunity, inflammation, and reproduction, among others. Recent advances in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques have revealed a staggering number of novel bioactive lipids, most of them unknown or very poorly characterized in a biological context. Some of these new bioactive lipids play important roles in cardiovascular biology, including development, inflammation, regeneration, stem cell differentiation, and regulation of cell proliferation. Identifying the lipid signaling pathways underlying these effects and uncovering their novel biological functions could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies aimed at CVD and cardiovascular regeneration.

Background: Zoonotic tuberculosis is defined as human infection with Mycobacterium bovis . Although globally, India has the largest number of human tuberculosis cases and the largest cattle population, in which bovine tuberculosis is endemic, the burden of zoonotic tuberculosis is unknown. The aim of this study was to obtain estimates of the human prevalence of animal-associated members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) at a large referral hospital in India., Methods: We did a molecular epidemiological surveillance study of 940 positive mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) cultures, collected from patients visiting the outpatient department at Christian Medical College (Vellore, India) with suspected tuberculosis between Oct 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019. A PCR-based approach was applied to subspeciate cultures. Isolates identified as MTBC other than M tuberculosis or as inconclusive on PCR were subject to whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and phylogenetically compared with publicly available MTBC sequences from south Asia. Sequences from WGS were deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive, accession number SRP226525 (BioProject database number PRJNA575883)., Findings: The 940 MGIT cultures were from 548 pulmonary and 392 extrapulmonary samples. A conclusive identification was obtained for all 940 isolates; wild-type M bovis was not identified. The isolates consisted of M tuberculosis (913 [97·1%] isolates), Mycobacterium orygis (seven [0·7%]), M bovis BCG (five [0·5%]), and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (15 [1·6%]). Subspecies were assigned for 25 isolates by WGS, which were analysed against 715 MTBC sequences from south Asia. Among the 715 genomes, no M bovis was identified. Four isolates of cattle origin were dispersed among human sequences within M tuberculosis lineage 1, and the seven M orygis isolates from human MGIT cultures were dispersed among sequences from cattle., Interpretation: M bovis prevalence in humans is an inadequate proxy of zoonotic tuberculosis. The recovery of M orygis from humans highlights the need to use a broadened definition, including MTBC subspecies such as M orygis , to investigate zoonotic tuberculosis. The identification of M tuberculosis in cattle also reinforces the need for One Health investigations in countries with endemic bovine tuberculosis., Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canadian Institutes for Health Research., (© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.)

Internal parasites are a major concern in livestock production because they can impact the health and well-being of animals clinically and subclinically, and ultimately cause significant production loss. Among these internal parasites are nematodes, tapeworms, flukes, and coccidian protozoans. This review focuses on the diagnostic tests that are routinely performed by veterinarians and diagnostic laboratories, but also highlights recently developed tools that may improve diagnostic capabilities, including molecular and immunodiagnostic tests. Overall, diagnostic tests for parasites of livestock are an integral part of health management practices, and for assessing individual animal and herd health., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

It is urgent and significant to develop competent, inexpensive transition metal-based catalysts with multifunctional catalytic properties for wide applications. To meet this requirement, herein, for the first time, we present a novel bifunctional CoSnS@CNT hybrid via a simple one-pot surfactant-free hydrothermal method. The CoSnS@CNT hybrid has a unique three-dimensional (3D) porous nanoarchitecture, which is constructed by ultrathin CoSnS homogenously and compactly anchored on a highly conductive CNT skeleton. The porous nanoarchitecture of CoSnS@CNT provides abundant catalytic sites and facilitates ion diffusion, and the CNT skeleton accelerates electron transfer. Benefitting from these merits, the CoSnS@CNT hybrid acted as a bifunctional catalyst with boosted electrocatalytic and photocatalytic performance, where it delivered a tremendous oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance with a low overpotential of 330 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 and excellent outstanding stability. Moreover, it showed 91.72% photocatalytic degradation for Rhodamine B dye, which is 2-times higher than that of bare CoSnS. This study presents a systematic approach to judiciously design nanostructures and simply synthesize non-noble metal-based bifunctional catalysts with boosted electrocatalytic and photocatalytic activities.

β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) has been shown to exert an anti-inflammatory activity. Apolipoprotein-E (ApoE) is strongly associated with atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of β-OHB in the brain and the aorta of high-fat diet (HFD)-fed ApoE-deficient mice. We found in Apo-E deficient mice that β-OHB attenuated lipid deposition in the choroid plexus (ChP) and decreased amyloid plaque in the substantia nigra pars compacta. We also found decreased CD68-positive macroglia infiltration of the ChP in β-OHB-treated ApoE-deficient mice. β-OHB treatment ameliorated IgG extravasation into the hippocampal region of the brain. In vitro study using ChP mice cell line revealed that β-OHB attenuated oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced ApoE-specific differentially expressed inflammatory ChP genes. Treatment with β-OHB reduced aortic plaque formation without affecting blood lipid profiles and decreased serum production of resistin, a well-established risk factor for both AD and atherosclerosis. Thus, the current study suggests and describes the therapeutic potential of β-OHB for the treatment of AD and atherosclerosis., Competing Interests: All authors declare no financial interests.

Wound healing is a common issue in our day to day life. Our immune system repairs the damaged tissue by itself and its a time-consuming process. The GO/CuO nanocomposite (NC) was synthesized through the sol-gel method. XRD, FT-IR, Raman, and TEM analysis were used to analysis the physico-chemical properties of the sample. The GO/CuO patches were prepared using chitosan (Cs)/poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) due to its biocompatibility and biodegradable nature. The obtained patches showed better antimicrobial and wound healing property than recently reported materials. The GO/CuO NC plays a major part in angiogenesis process and in the synthesis, stabilization of extracellular matrix skin proteins. Thus, GO/CuO NC enhance the wound healing mechanism by increasing cell proliferation, antimicrobial property and rapid initiation of inflammatory. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of CuO, GO, GO/CuO and GO/CuO patch were tested against bacteria causing wound infections. Cs/PVA patch and Cs/PVA/GO/CuO patch were analyzed for swelling, evaporation and degradation behavior. Increase in cell viability and migration of NIH3t3 cells by NC patch shows a potential way for wound healing applications., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A 4-month-old intact male domestic shorthair kitten living in St Kitts, West Indies presented with respiratory distress, cachexia, and mucopurulent nasal discharge. Thoracic radiographs revealed a diaphragmatic hernia. The diaphragmatic hernia as well as subpleural pulmonary nodules suspicious for verminous pneumonia were identified during a postmortem examination. Histology showed multifocal to coalescing pyogranulomatous and eosinophilic pneumonia centered on larvae and morulated eggs. The lesion and nematode morphology were consistent with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. Although Aelurostrongylus abstrusus has been reported worldwide, this is the first report of a metastrongyloid lungworm in cats in St. Kitts and for the West Indies. This case report should increase the awareness of A. abstrusus pneumonia in cats from St. Kitts and other locations in the eastern Caribbean., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)