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Cystathionine-y-lyase (CSE) is a critical enzyme for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) biosynthesis and plays a key role in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pathogenesis. The transcription factor NRF2 is the master regulator of cytoprotective and antioxidant gene expression, and is degraded during RSV infection. While some evidence supports the role of NRF2 in CSE gene transcription, its role in CSE expression in airway epithelial cells is not known. Here, we show that RSV infection decreased CSE expression and activity in primary small airway epithelial (SAE) cells, while treatment with tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), an NRF2 inducer, led to an increase of both. Using reporter gene assays, we identified an NRF2 response element required for the NRF2 inducible expression of the CSE promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated inducible specific NRF2 binding to the DNA probe corresponding to the putative CSE promoter NRF2 binding sequence. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we found a 50% reduction in NRF2 binding to the endogenous CSE proximal promoter in SAE cells infected with RSV, and increased binding in cells stimulated with tBHQ. Our results support the hypothesis that NRF2 regulates CSE gene transcription in airway epithelial cells, and that RSV-induced NRF2 degradation likely accounts for the observed reduced CSE expression and activity.

Introduction Early empiric treatment with broad-spectrum antimicrobials is common in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) due to the non-specific clinical presentation of infection. However, excessive and inappropriate antimicrobial use can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant organisms and adverse neonatal outcomes. This study aims to develop and implement a nationwide NICU-specific antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) to promote judicious antimicrobial use and control the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in Canada.Methods and analysis Our study population will include all very low-birth-weight neonates admitted to participating tertiary NICU in Canada. Based on the existing limited literature, we will develop consensus on NICU antimicrobial stewardship interventions to enhance best practices. Using an expanded Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) platform, we will collect data on antimicrobial use and the susceptibility of organisms identified in clinical samples from blood and cerebrospinal fluid over a period of 2 years. These data will be used to provide all NICU stakeholders with benchmarked centre-adjusted antimicrobial use and MDRO prevalence reports. An ASP plan will be developed at both individual unit and national levels in the subsequent years. Knowledge translation strategies will be implemented through the well-established Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality methodology.Ethics and dissemination Ethics for the study has been granted by the University of British Columbia Children’s & Women’s Research Ethics Board (H19-02490) and supported by CNN Executive Committee. The study results will be disseminated through national organisations and open access peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration number NCT04388293.

Lead-free all oxide composite thin films comprising ferromagnetic (FM) and ferroelectric (FE) phases are observed as promising candidates for multifunctional device applications. A series of composites having systematic replacement of FM La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) by FE-Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN), all oxide composite thin films were optimally grown by pulsed laser deposition. While x-ray diffraction confirmed a systematic phase change from a rhombohedral to an orthorhombic structure, almost monodispersed grain size distribution and smooth surface topography were revealed by atomic force microscopy. Two-probe dielectric spectroscopy indicated a pronounced enhancement of real permittivity for 0.4 sample as compared to the pure FM and FE parent compounds. Similarly, an enhancement in the magnetodielectric permittivity revealed high values for intermediate composites. The enhancement in the dielectric and magnetoelectric coupling is suggested to be due to the magnetostriction effect in FM (LSMO), which induces stress that is in turn transferred to the FE (NKN) phase, leading to strong FM–FE coupling. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the presence of Mn in +3 and +4 states in the FE–FM composites. The presence of these mixed valence states can be ascribed to the magnetic properties within the composites.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune mucocutaneous disease characterized by epithelial blistering affecting the mucosal/cutaneous surfaces. This case report demonstrates the oral manifestations of PV in the uncommon locations such as the attached, marginal, and interdental gingiva with no involvement of oral mucosa, tongue, palate, or buccal mucosa.

Failure of local anaesthesia is a common problem faced in the clinical practice. Inferior alveolar nerve block is showing high percentage of failure among the local anaesthesia techniques. The study is conducted to understand the factors minimising the amount of needle deflection during the inferior alveolar nerve block. Successful local anaesthesia has been critical to the daily practice of dentistry. It is required to ensure maximum patient comfort while clinical procedures are being performed. The main objective of the study is to assess various factors affecting the deflection of the needle while giving inferior alveolar nerve block anaesthesia in a tissue like material agar-agar having almost similar physical properties to human tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the cause-and-effect relationship between many factors (needle gauge, tip design, angle of insertion, insertion technique and thickness of tissue) and amount of needle deflection during inferior alveolar nerve block. The study was conducted with fourteen in vitro deflection test models (2.5x2x2 cm) using tissue like substance ( reversible hydrocolloid ) mounted on a dental surveyor for standardized needle insertions to standardized depth of 25 mm and radiographic analysis was performed after each insertion by measuring the vertical deflection in millimetres (to the nearest 1/10th mm). We used the one-way ANOVA procedure with multiple comparisons. The present study indicates that tip of needle design, technique of insertion and thickness of tissue can significantly affect the deflection of the needle while factor like angle of insertion of the needle has the least effect on amount of deflection. The present report indicates that thickness of the tissue and gauge of needle has significant effect on the amount of needle deflection. At the same time, bi-bevelled needle tip and rotational insertion technique provide minimum amount of deflection. Angle of insertion has the least effect on amount of deflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cardiovascular Research Convergence 2018 was held at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and All India Institute of Medical Sciences on October 13 and 14, 2018. The program highlights were interactive sessions between clinical and basic scientists and case-based learning on cases of Eisenmenger syndrome, familial heart failure, and young patients with myocardial infarction. Some of the best research presentations included papers on vitamin deficiency in rats, cytochrome b5 reductase 3 as target to counter hypertension, high throughput screening for molecules for antihypertensive compounds in plants, Dhadkan: A smartphone app for heart failure (HF) patients, genetic variants in association with coronary artery disease in India, biomarkers after mitral interventions, the Indian experience with angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor, and the AIIMS yoga program Kardiac Rehabilitation Yoga Trial in patients with HF. A program for training nurses in HF management was also conducted.

Acacia mangium Willdenow and Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunningham ex Bentham are fast-growing species with wide environmental adaptability. Fast-growing species which thrive in otherwise non-arable problematic soil and which hold the added advantage of improving the condition of the soil, can be used to increase production area, and, thus, are highly desired. We investigated the growth performance and lignin content under normal and stressed conditions for these Acacia mangium Willd. and Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. Normal growing conditions was represented by fertile soil, high water-holding capacity due to low soil drainage, high organic matter, low soil temperature, overall consistent rainfall and relatively milder temperatures, whilst stressed conditions were achieved with a sandy soil with low fertility, low water-holding capacity due to high drainage and low organic matter, and high soil temperature accompanied by inconsistent monthly temperature and rainfall. Growth performance under normal conditions was significantly better compared to the stressed conditions. A. mangium performed better than A. auriculiformis under the normal conditions. However A. auriculiformis performed better under stressed conditions due to better adaptability. The lignin content under normal conditions fluctuated from one DBH class to another. As for the stress conditions, A. mangium exhibited incremental increases in lignin content with increasing biomass. In contrast, lignin content in A. auriculiformis decreased with increasing biomass. The differences in performance may be attributable to both the micro- and macro-environments and adaptive differences between the two species. For growth under normal conditions, A. mangium appears to be the superior choice, whereas for problematic soils, A. auriculiformis can be recommended. However, for the selection of superior plants with a combination of desired growth rates and lower lignin content the breeding of interspecific hybrids would be a desirable approach.

Background: Obesity in Brazil is increasing with 54% of the Brazilian population being overweight, of which 20% is obese. Obesity is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease: the leading cause of mortality in Brazil. This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to weight loss as perceived by patients with a view to reducing the burden of obesity-related diseases on patients and healthcare services. Methods: Fifteen qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted in the preventive medicine department in a private health clinic in Bauru, Southeast Brazil. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Results: The barriers and facilitators were classified into three themes: lifestyle, motivation and education. Barriers include cost of a healthy lifestyle, time management, personal safety, mobility, junk food advertising, sustaining weight loss, mental health, lack of support and health education. Facilitators include change in eating habits, sleep quality, cooperative food networks, access to the multidisciplinary team and expert patients as health educators. Conclusion: Expert patients should be utilized as an education method, as they increase motivation, promote the facilitators and provide realistic expectations of the weight loss process. Barriers such as junk food advertising and accessibility to treatment need to be addressed. Abbreviations: BMI: Body Mass Index; NCD: Non-Communicable Disease; SUS: Sistema Único de Saúde; WHO: World Health Organization

Cutaneous pseudolymphomas are benign lymphoproliferative processes mimicking lymphomas clinically and histologically. One of the precipitating factors for pseudolymphoma is drugs like anticonvulsants, antidepressants and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. According to existing literature phenytoin-induced cutaneous pseudolymphomas are usually T-cell predominant. Most often withdrawal of the drug with or without short-course systemic steroids can attain a cure. Rarely malignant transformation has been reported years later despite withdrawal of the offending drug, which necessitates a long-term follow up of the affected. We report an 80-year-old male patient who was receiving phenytoin sodium and who presented with diffuse erythema and infiltrated skin lesions which histologically resembled cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. Substituting phenytoin with levetiracetam achieved resolution of symptoms. Further evaluation was suggestive of a reactive process. A detailed drug history is of paramount importance in differentiating drug-induced pseudolymphoma from lymphoma. Searching literature we could not find any previous reports of phenytoin-induced cutaneous B-cell pseudolymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Despite efforts in restorative therapy, children who experience Early Childhood Caries (ECC) continue to be at a higher risk for new lesions in both the primary and the permanent dentition. Early interventions which disrupt the pathobiology of caries need identification of all the causative or risk factors. Aims and Objectives: This study dealt with the prevalence and associated risk factors of ECC among preschool children aged 3 to 5 years in Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: Information regarding risk factors was obtained through a structured questionnaire among a random sample of 1152 children. Clinical examination was performed by a trained dental professional using the modified WHO oral health survey format. Statistical Analysis: Chi-square, one-way ANOVA, correlation, multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of ECC among preschool children was 24.39% (P < 0.05), whereas the mean deft was 5.80 ± 8.90. The prevalence of ECC among males and females was 24.92% and 23.81%, respectively. 4.27% of children with ECC showed a history of prolonged breastfeeding beyond 2.5 years (P < 0.05). 50.18% of children had a history of using medications during bedtime/night. History of low birth weight was reported among 23.84% of ECC children. Only 13.52% of mothers claimed of getting a prenatal oral health care/counseling (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of ECC was seen in almost a quarter of the population with a high deft. A significant relation was associated only with the feeding duration and lack of prenatal oral health counseling provided to parents.

Generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAP) is a rare form of periodontitis resulting in early loss of teeth. Most of the clinical evidence available in literature focuses on the diagnosis and management aspects of GAP. Systemic manifestations of GAP have been reported infrequently. To the best of our knowledge, the present case report is the first-ever evidence providing a possible mechanism and link between GAP, dimorphic anemia, and mental depression suggesting that dimorphic anemia and mental depression are probable systemic manifestations of GAP. A young female reported with her father to the hospital with a complaint of pain in her oral cavity and lack of desire to eat. On thorough examination, GAP with dimorphic anemia and mental depression were diagnosed. Periodontal treatment along with nutritional supplements was prescribed. An improvement was noticed in the patient's condition after a follow-up period of 6 months. Systemic manifestations of GAP should include the diagnoses of dimorphic anemia and mental depression and should be treated accordingly.

Most adult mammalian cells prefer to repair double-strand DNA breaks though the classical nonhomologous end-joining pathway. Here the authors present evidence that a nascent RNA transcript can serve as a template to facilitate error-free repair.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is an uncommon but dynamic phenomenon seen among patients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). We aimed to describe incidence, risk factors, clinical spectrum, and outcomes among ART-naive patients experiencing IRIS in southern India. Among 599 eligible patients monitored prospectively between 2012 and 2014, there were 59.3% males, with mean age 36.6 ± 7.8 years. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome incidence rate was 51.3 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval: 44.5-59.2). One-third (31.4%) experienced at least 1 IRIS event, at a median of 27 days since ART initiation. Mucocutaneous infections and candidiasis were common IRIS events, followed by tuberculosis. Significant risk factors included age >40 years, body mass index 10 000 copies/mL, hemoglobin 50 mm/h. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome–related morality was 1.3% (8 of 599); 3 patients died of complicated diarrhea. These findings highlight the current spectrum of IRIS in South India and underscore the importance of heightened vigilance for anemia and treatment of diarrhea and candidiasis during ART initiation.

The biocompatibility and ease of functionalization of gold nanoparticles underlie significant potential in biotechnology and biomedicine. Eight different proteins were examined in the preparation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in aqueous medium under microwave irradiation. Six of the proteins resulted in the formation of AuNPs. The intrinsic pH of the proteins played an important role in AuNPs with strong surface plasmon bands. The hydrodynamic size of the nanoparticles was larger than the values observed by TEM and ImageJ. The formation of a protein layer on the AuNPs accounts for this difference. The AuNPs exhibited sensitivity towards varying pH conditions, which was confirmed by determining the difference in the isoelectric points studied by using pH-dependent zeta potential titration. Cytotoxicity studies revealed anticancerous effects of the AuNPs at a certain micromolar concentration by constraining the growth of cancer cells with different efficacies due to the use of different proteins as capping agents. The positively charged AuNPs are internalized by the cells to a greater level than the negatively charged AuNPs. These AuNPs synthesized with protein coating holds promise as anticancer agents and would help in providing a new paradigm in area of nanoparticles.

Thalassemia major is a severe hereditary haemolytic anaemia and is usually associated with normal serum lipid profile. But there are few reports in literature that hypertriglyceridemia can have an idiopathic association with β-thalassemia major. We report a case of hypertriglyceridemia associated with β-thalassemia major, in a seven month old female baby.

Ganoderma boninense, a phytopathogenic white rot fungus had sought minimal genetic characterizations despite huge biotechnological poten­tials. Thus, efficient collection of fruiting body, basidiospore and protoplast of G. boninense is described. Matured basidiocarp raised under the glasshouse conditions yielded a total of 8.3 × 104 basidiospores/ml using the low speed centrifugation technique. Mycelium aged 3-day-old treated under an incubation period of 3 h in lysing enzyme from Trichoderma harzianum (10 mg/ml) suspended in osmotic stabilizer (0.6 M potassium chloride and 20 mM dipotassium phosphate buffer) yielded the highest number of viable protoplasts (8.9 × 106 single colonies) among all possible combinations tested (regeneration media, age of mycelium, osmotic stabilizer, digestive enzyme and incubation period).

The capacity to successfully, positively engage with the cognitive capacities of critical thinking has become the benchmark of employability for many diverse industries across the globe and is considered critical for the development of informed, decisive global citizenship. Despite this, education systems in several countries have developed policies and practices that limit the opportunities for students to authentically participate in the discussions, debates, and evaluative thinking that serve to develop the skill set and mindset of critical thinkers. This writing examines the status of critical thinking in four different contexts across the globe as reflected in educational policies and academic experiences as a preface to investigating actual classroom practices and possible impacts the support of critical thinking skills may have on the potential development of the global citizens of the future. Each vignette reflects the contextualized difficulties that are presented by social and cultural concerns and traditions of making meaning. These stories of education also illustrate the various ways in which the skills and capacities of critical thinking are interpreted in different contexts and address the negative nuances with which thinking critically has become associated. Finally, a pedagogical model of teaching, which may support student development of the skill set of critical thinking within the boundaries of social and cultural mindsets, has been developed.

Este artigo discute os resultados de uma pesquisa desenvolvida com crianças e adolescentes sobre suas percepções e experiências de participação, cidadania, direitos e responsabilidades1. O estudo foi conduzido em escolas públicas e privadas na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, e realizado com crianças e adolescentes em situação de rua e do Movimento Sem-Terra (MST). A pesquisa abordou questões relativas às dimensões sociais, econômicas e políticas, assim como, as percepções de gênero em relação aos direitos e à participação. O estudo demonstrou que as crianças e os adolescentes apresentam uma noção ampla sobre participação e os demais conceitos. E revelou também que estão conscientes de que os seus direitos são, com freqüência, ignorados e violados. Esta pesquisa é parte de um estudo internacional realizado paralelamente em seis países e que abarcou a mesma temática e metodologia de trabalho.

Background: Investigation of the potential association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at –308 G/A and –238 G/A of Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) with susceptibility to HPV-16 associated cervical cancer in Indian women. Methods: The study included 165 histologically confirmed cases with 45 precancer and 120 cancer patients and an equal number (165) of healthy controls with normal cervical cytology. PCR-RFLP was employed to analyze TNFα promoter polymorphisms, which were confirmed by direct sequencing. Both patients and controls were screened for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Results: The frequency of –308 A allele in TNFα was significantly higher in cases compared with control subjects (21% in cases vs. 9% in controls; p < 0.01), with an odds ratio of 2.7 (95% CI = 1.41–5.15). Also, women carrying A allele for this locus presented 3 times increased susceptibility to HPV 16 infection as evident from carrier genotype distribution between HPV positive cases and control subjects (24% in HPV positive cases vs. 9% in controls; p < 0.01; OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 1.60–6.03). No such association was found for TNFα–238 (G/A) polymorphism with the risk of development of cervical cancer. Conclusion: It suggests that SNP at –308 (G/A) of TNFα promoter may represent an increased risk for HPV infection and development of cervical cancer in Indian women.

Introduction: The American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for antimicrobial prophylaxis for infective endocarditis (IE) are controversial. According to the new guidelines released by the AHA now, the only patients to receive antibiotics will be those at highest risk, i.e. those with a prosthetic heart valve, a history of endocarditis, certain forms of congenital heart disease or valvulopathy after heart transplantation, and only before certain dental procedures. Unfortunately, these guidelines are still based largely on expert opinion, with very little hard evidence to show that antibiotic therapy actually prevents IE. The Hypothesis: The reported incidence of bacteremia during dental intervention ranges from 10% to 100% and, with daily brushing and flossing, from 20% to 68%. Because bacteremia also occurs during brushing and flossing of teeth, why give prophylaxis just for dental procedures? Moreover, the risks of causing adverse or anaphylactic reactions from antibiotics as well as contributing to the nationwide antibiotic resistance problem are issues not to be taken lightly. Evaluation of the Hypothesis: The hypothesis discusses the AHA recommendations for antimicrobial prophylaxis for IE, indicating some inherent limitations associated with it, and stresses upon the fact that these recommendation should also be updated, if not completely changed, to cope up with the advancements in the proper treatment plan.

BackgroundRecent pertussis outbreaks have prompted re-examination of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) strategies, when immunization is not immediately protective. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended to household contacts; however there are concerns of clinical failure and significant adverse events, especially with erythromycin among infants who have the highest disease burden. Newer macrolides offer fewer side effects at higher drug costs. We sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of PEP strategies from the health care payer perspective.MethodsA Markov model was constructed to examine 4 mutually exclusive strategies: erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, or no intervention, stratified by age group of contacts ("infant", "child", and "adult"). Transition probabilities, costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were derived from the literature. Chronic neurologic sequelae were modeled over a lifetime, with costs and QALYs discounted at 5%. Associated health outcomes and costs were compared, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated in 2012 Canadian dollars. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the degree of uncertainty in the results.FindingsAzithromycin offered the highest QALYs in all scenarios. While this was the dominant strategy among infants, it produced an ICER of $16,963 per QALY among children and $2,415 per QALY among adults. Total QALYs with azithromycin were 19.7 for a 5-kg infant, 19.4 for a 10-year-old child, and 18.8 for a 30-year-old adult. The costs of azithromycin PEP among infants, children and adults were $1,976, $132 and $90, respectively. While results were sensitive to changes in PEP effectiveness (11% to 87%), disease transmission (variable among age groups) and hospitalization costs ($379 to $59,644), the choice of strategy remained unchanged.InterpretationPertussis PEP is a cost-effective strategy compared with no intervention and plays an important role in contact management, potentially in outbreak situations. From a healthcare payer perspective, azithromycin is the optimal strategy among all contact groups.

High-throughput cDNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has emerged as a sophisticated tool for transcriptomic studies, especially for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and measuring the transcripts between different sample groups or conditions. There are several pipelines and tools available for performing the task, but still there is no general consent for the protocol to be used for the analysis. In this comparative study, transcriptomic profiling of Ovarian cancer cell lines data sets were carried out by using two different pipelines- ‘Tuxedo’ protocol (Tophat, Cuflinks-Cuffdiff, CummerBund) and ‘new Tuxedo’ protocol (HISAT, StringTie, Desq2) were used for estimating the transcript abundancies and for analysing differential expression. ‘New Tuxedo’ protocol was found to be fast and efficient than ‘Tuxedo’ protocol and the run time on an 8 GB RAM PC was ~ 2 hr and ~ 6 days, respectively. A total of 613 and 371 DEGs were obtained by using ‘Tuxedo’ and ‘New Tuxedo’ pipeline, respectively. Functional profiling was performed, by a comparative study of high throughput functional enrichment tools (clueGO, DAVID, EnRichr, FunRich, gProfiler, GSEA, PANTHER and webGestalt) to get the functions and pathways of most enriched genes involved in ovarian cancer cell lines. The common biological pathways and Gene Ontology (GO) terms were extracted with common genes from all the tools to get most enriched genes with the GO functional terms. Thus, the characterization of biological pathway and GO processes (Biological processes and Molecular Function) of most enriched gene sets involved in ovarian cancer cell lines were obtained.

Oxygen sensing transcription factor HIF-1 is activated due to accumulation of regulatory subunit HIF-1α by posttranslational stability mechanism during hypoxia or by several other stimuli even in normoxia. HIF-1α is also regulated by NF-kB mediated transcription mechanism. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as an important regulator of HIF-1 either by affecting prolyl hydroxylase activity, the critical determinant of HIF-1α stabilization or by activating NF-kB to promote HIF-1α transcription. Insulin is known to activate HIF-1 by a ROS dependent mechanism but the molecular mechanism of HIF-1α regulation is not known so far. Here we show that insulin regulates HIF-1α by a novel transcriptional mechanism by a ROS-sensitive activation of Sp1 in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte. Insulin shows little effect on HIF-1α protein stability, but increases HIF-1α promoter activity. Mutation analyses, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirm the role of Sp1 in HIF-1α transcription. We further demonstrate that insulin-induced ROS generation initiates signaling pathway involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase C for Sp1 mediated HIF-1α transcription. In summary, we reveal that insulin regulates HIF-1α by a novel transcriptional mechanism involving Sp1.

An abstract of the article "Health care service utility behaviour of mothers," by T. S. Nisha and colleagues is presented.

Borophene stands out uniquely among Xenes with its metallic character, Dirac nature, exceptional electron mobility, thermal conductivity, and Young's moduli—surpassing graphene. Invented in 2015, various methods, including atomic layer deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, and chemical vapor deposition, have successfully been demonstrated to realize substrate-supported crystal growth. Top-down approaches like micromechanical, sonochemical, solvothermal and modified hummer's techniques have also been employed. Thanks to its high electronic mobility, borophene serves as an active material for ultrafast sensing of light, gases, molecules, and strain. Its metallic behaviour, electrochemical activity, and anti-corrosive nature make it ideal for applications in energy storage and catalysis. It has been proven effective as an electrocatalyst for HER, OER, water splitting, CO 2 reduction, and NH 3 reduction reactions. Beyond this, borophene has found utility in bioimaging, biosensing, and various biomedical applications. A special emphasis will be given on the borophene nanoarchitectonics i.e. doped borophene and borophene-based hybrids with other 2D materials and nanoparticles and the theoretical understanding of these emerging materials systems to gain more insights on their electronic structure and properties, aiming to manipulate borophene for tailored applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, Coconut Husk Biochar (CHB) was synthesize from widely available, locally sourced agro waste, coconut husk and characterized using different techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). CHB was tested for its ability to adsorb crystal violet (CV), a commonly used cationic dye, from water. It was capable of adsorbing more than 98 % of CV from water and follows Freundlich isotherm model with pseudo second order kinetics though the overall process was unfavourable. Moreover, separation of CHB from water after adsorption is a cumbersome process. Thus, unmodified CHB is not suitable for use as an adsorbent for CV. Magnetic nano iron oxide Biochar Composite (MBC) was synthesized by deposition of nano iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) onto its surface by co-precipitation method and characterized using SEM, XRD and FTIR. SEM analysis provided visual evidence of this deposition which was further confirmed by XRD and FTIR analysis. MBC was also effective in adsorbing more than 90 % of CV from aqueous solution though a decrease in adsorption capacity was observed. Adsorption data followed Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo second order kinetics. MBC is superparamagnetic and is strongly attracted to a small bar magnet, facilitating easy removal from water after CV adsorption., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with adverse health consequences largely related to hyperglycemia. Despite clinical practice guideline recommendations, effective pharmacotherapy, and interventions to support patients and providers, up to 60% of patients diagnosed with T2DM are estimated to have hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) levels above the recommended targets owing to multilevel barriers hindering optimal glycemic control., Objective: The aim of this study is to compare changes in HbA 1c levels among patients with suboptimally controlled T2DM who were offered the opportunity to use an intermittently viewed continuous glucose monitor and receive personalized low-carbohydrate nutrition counseling (<100 g/day) versus those who received usual care (UC)., Methods: This was a 12-month, pragmatic, randomized quality improvement program. All adult patients with T2DM who received primary care at a university-affiliated primary care clinic (N=1584) were randomized to either the UC or the enhanced care (EC) group. Within each program arm, we identified individuals with HbA 1c >7.5% (58 mmol/mol) who were medically eligible for tighter glycemic control, and we defined these subgroups as UC-high risk (UC-HR) or EC-HR. UC-HR participants (n=197) received routine primary care. EC-HR participants (n=185) were invited to use an intermittently viewed continuous glucose monitor and receive low-carbohydrate nutrition counseling. The primary outcome was mean change in HbA 1c levels from baseline to 12 months using an intention-to-treat difference-in-differences analysis comparing EC-HR with UC-HR groups. We conducted follow-up semistructured interviews to understand EC-HR participant experiences with the intervention., Results: HbA 1c decreased by 0.41% (4.5 mmol/mol; P=.04) more from baseline to 12 months among participants in the EC-HR group than among those in UC-HR; however, only 61 (32.9%) of 185 EC-HR participants engaged in the program. Among the EC-HR participants who wore continuous glucose monitors (61/185, 32.9%), HbA 1c was 1.1% lower at 12 months compared with baseline (P<.001). Interviews revealed themes related to EC-HR participants' program engagement and continuous glucose monitor use., Conclusions: Among patients with suboptimally controlled T2DM, a combined approach that includes continuous glucose monitoring and low-carbohydrate nutrition counseling can improve glycemic control compared with the standard of care., (©Dina H Griauzde, Grace Ling, Daniel Wray, Melissa DeJonckheere, Kara Mizokami Stout, Laura R Saslow, Jill Fenske, David Serlin, Spring Stonebraker, Tabassum Nisha, Colton Barry, Rodica Pop-Busui, Ananda Sen, Caroline R Richardson. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 02.02.2022.)

Introduction: It has been always an area of diffuse clarity when you study malignancy and its pathogenesis. Recently, it has invited lot of interest among the researchers about the possibility of role of viruses in the initiation of carcinogenesis. Recent advances in the field of molecular biology and biotechnology have solved some problems with regard to pathogenesis. Human papilloma virus (HPV) and its role in the initiation of malignancy in the cervix is proven almost beyond doubt., Objectives: The present study is aimed at the role of two types of HPV 16 and 18 in the initiation of oral premalignant and squamous cell carcinoma. The study also aims at using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in finding out the prevalence of these types diagnosed histologically as oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma and prevalence of its association with the habit of tobacco use., Materials and Methods: In the present study, 45 patients having histopathologically confirmed oral squamous cell carcinoma in the age range of 32-85 years were selected along with 20 histopathologically confirmed oral leukoplakia in the age range 22-66 years. All the samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction. The PCR reaction was carried out in PTC 200 thermo-cycler [MJ Research Inc, Watertown, MA, USA]., Results: The site prevalence and co-infection rate of these two types of viruses are being analyzed using very simple non-invasive scrapings obtained from fresh scrapings and found to be really high. It was also observed that 73.3% (33/45) of the oral squamous cell carcinoma patients were positive for oral HPV type 16 while 71.1% (32/45) were positive for HPV type 18 infection and 57.7% (26/45) were found to have both HPV type 16 and HPV type 18 infections., Conclusions: HPV type 16, 18, and co-infection of both types showed high prevalence in oral squamous cell carcinoma.The prevalence of HPV type 18 was found to be higher than HPV type 16 and co-infection in oral leukoplakia. It was observed that the tongue and palate lesions in the oral squamous cell carcinoma patients showed high prevalence of HPV type 16, type 18, and co-infection compared with other sites.