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Delta and Omicron variants of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are remarkably contagious, and have been recognized as variants of concern (VOC). The acquisition of spontaneous substitutions or insertion–deletion mutations (indels) in the spike protein-encoding gene substantially increases the binding affinity of the receptor binding domain (RBD)-hACE2 complex and upsurges the transmission of both variants. In this study, we analyzed thousands of genome sequences from 30 distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants, focusing on the unique nucleic acid signatures in the spike gene specific to the Delta and Omicron variants. Using these variant-specific sequences, we synthesized a range of oligonucleotides and optimized a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay capable of accurately identifying and differentiating between the Delta and Omicron variants. Building on this mPCR assay, we developed a dipstick format by incorporating a tag linker sequence at the 5′ end of the forward primer and adding biotin to the 3′ end of the oligonucleotides, enhancing the assay’s usability and accessibility. Streptavidin-coated latex beads and the dipstick imprinted with a probe for the tag linker sequence in the test strips were used for the detection assay. Our dipstick-based assay, developed as a rapid point-of-care test for identifying and differentiating SARS-CoV-2 variants has the potential to be used in low-resource settings and scaled up to the population level.

In cancer therapy, it is essential to selectively release cytotoxic agents into the tumor to prevent the adverse effects associated with anticancer drugs. Thus, in this study, a stimuli-sensitive polymer–drug conjugate was synthesized for selective drug release. Doxorubicin (DOX) and docetaxel (DTX) were conjugated onto novel poly(jasmine lactone) based copolymer via a thioketal (TK) linker. In addition, a photosensitizer (chlorin e6) was attached to the polymer, which served as a reactive oxygen species generator to cleave the TK linker. The conjugate is readily self-assembled into micelles less than 100 nm in size. Micelles demonstrate a notable increase in their ability to cause cell death when exposed to near-infrared (NIR) light on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The increase in cytotoxicity is higher than that observed with the combination of free DOX and DTX. The accumulation of DOX in the nucleus after release from the micelles (laser irradiation) was also confirmed by confocal microscopy. In the absence of light, micelles did not show any toxicity while the free drugs were found toxic irrespective of the light exposure. The obtained results suggest the targeted drug delivery potential of micelles regulated by the external stimuli, i.e., NIR light.

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate on the growth and tuber yield in potato (Solanum tuberosum L). Experiment was carried out in split-plot design comprising of nine calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate treatments i.e.T1- Ca(NO3)2 @ 0.5%, T2- Ca(NO3)2 @ 1%, T3- Ca(NO3)2 @ 2%, T4- MgSO4 @ 0.5%, T5- MgSO4 @ 1%, T6- MgSO4 @ 2%, T7- Ca(NO3)2 @ 1% + MgSO4 @ 1%, T8- Ca(NO3)2 @ 2% + MgSO4 @ 2%, T9- Control on two potato varieties i.e. Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Chandramukhi. Data collected on different parameters were analyzed using CPCS1 software. Among all the calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate treatments, application of Ca(NO3)2 @ 2% + MgSO4 @ 2% was found to be the best for most of the parameters studied and between the varieties Kufri Jyoti was found highly significant for the different parameters under study. Hence it can be concluded that commercial cultivation of potato in the central region of Punjab can be successfully supplemented with application of Ca (NO3)2 + MgSO4 and variety Kufri Jyoti.

Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging global health problem and a potential risk factor for metabolic diseases. The bidirectional interactions between liver and gut made dysbiotic gut microbiome one of the key risk factors for NAFLD. In this study, we reported an increased abundance of Collinsella aerofaciens in the gut of obese and NASH patients living in India. We isolated C. aerofaciens from the fecal samples of biopsy-proven NASH patients and observed that their genome is enriched with carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and pro-inflammatory functions and have the potency to increase ethanol level in blood. An animal study indicated that mice supplemented with C. aerofaciens had increased levels of circulatory ethanol, high levels of hepatic hydroxyproline, triglyceride, and inflammation in the liver. The present findings indicate that perturbation in the gut microbiome composition is a key risk factor for NAFLD.

Fire chemical sensing for indoor detection of fire plays an essential role because it can detect chemical volatiles before smoke particles, providing a faster and more reliable method for early fire detection. A thermal imaging camera and seven distinct fire-detecting sensors were used simultaneously to acquire the multimodal fire data that is the subject of this paper. The low-cost sensors typically have lower sensitivity and reliability, making it impossible for them to detect fire at greater distances. To go beyond the limitation of using solely sensors for identifying fire, the multimodal dataset is collected using a thermal camera that can detect temperature changes. The proposed pipeline uses image data from thermal cameras to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and their many versions. The training of sensors data (from fire sensors) uses bidirectional long-short memory (BiLSTM-Dense) and dense and long-short memory (LSTM-DenseDenseNet201), and the merging of both datasets demonstrates the performance of multimodal data. Researchers and system developers can use the dataset to create and hone cutting-edge artificial intelligence models and systems. Initial evaluation of the image dataset has shown densenet201 as the best approach with the highest validation parameters (0.99, 0.99, 0.99, and 0.08), i.e., Accuracy, Precision, Recall, and Loss, respectively. However, the sensors dataset has also shown the highest parameters with the BILSTM-Dense approach (0.95, 0.95, 0.95, 0.14). In a multimodal data approach, image and sensors deployed with a multimodal algorithm (densenet201 for image data and Bi LSTM- Dense for Sensors Data) has shown other parameters (1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.06). This work demonstrates that, in comparison to the conventional deep learning approach, the federated learning (FL) approach performs privacy-protected fire leakage classification without significantly sacrificing accuracy and other validation parameters.

The association of traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with outcomes of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is not well-defined. This study examined how modifiable CVD risk factors affect composite cardiovascular outcomes in TTS hospitalizations. TTS admissions were identified using ICD-10 codes and compared for demographics and comorbidities using the 2019 National Inpatient Sample. A multivariable regression examined the association of traditional CVD risk variables with adverse composite cardiovascular outcomes in TTS, controlling for confounders including sociodemographic or hospital-level characteristics and other relevant comorbidities. A total of 16,055 (38.1%) of the 41,855 adult TTS admissions had composite cardiovascular outcomes (TACCO). The TACCO cohort was 81.5% white, 77.3% female, and 72 years old. This group had higher rates of diabetes and peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The results showed that a higher prevalence of diabetes with chronic complications (OR = 1.18) and complicated hypertension (HTN) (OR = 1.1) predicted TACCO, whereas tobacco use disorder (OR = 0.84), hyperlipidemia (OR = 0.76), and uncomplicated HTN (OR = 0.65) (p < 0.001) showed a paradoxical effect with TACCO. TACCO had fewer routine discharges (35.3% vs. 63.4%), longer stays (6 vs. 3 days), and higher median hospital costs (78,309 USD vs. 44,966 USD). This population-based study found that complicated HTN and DM with chronic complications are strongly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in TTS hospitalizations. But still, some risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia and uncomplicated HTN, have counterintuitive effects that require further evaluation. To prevent cardiac events in TTS patients, traditional CVD risk factors must be addressed.

Drug delivery via the oral route has always been challenging for poorly soluble drugs. Acid-induced hydrolysis, enzymatic degradation, and poor mucosal absorbency remain the primary hiccups for effective oral delivery of medications. With the advent of nanotechnology, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have emerged as a promising delivery carrier that can circumvent gastrointestinal tract (GIT) barriers hindering the solubility and bioavailability of such drugs. These NLCs can efficiently transport drug moieties across intestinal membranes shielding medications from intestinal pH and enzymatic degradation. Because they are composed of lipidic materials, they can be easily absorbed or taken up by various pathways such as transcellular absorption, paracellular transport, and M-cell uptake. Such mechanisms not only improve the absorption and solubility of drugs but also augment bioavailability and residence time and may bypass first-pass metabolism. This review explores the diverse applications of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) in oral drug delivery for various medical conditions, shedding light on their current regulatory status, including FDA-approved options and those in pre/clinical stages. The review also features patented NLC formulations. It provides valuable insights into how NLCs can be harnessed for effective oral drug delivery and outlines recent advancements in optimizing their performance to tackle gastrointestinal barriers, thus opening new possibilities for NLCs in future pharmaceutical applications.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are spherical vesicles composed of ionizable lipids that are neutral at physiological pH. Despite their benefits, unmodified LNP drug delivery systems have substantial drawbacks, including a lack of targeted selectivity, a short blood circulation period, and in vivo instability. lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) are the next generation of nanoparticles, having the combined benefits of polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes. LPHNPs are being prepared from both natural and synthetic polymers with various techniques, including one- or two-step methods, emulsification solvent evaporation (ESE) method, and the nanoprecipitation method. Varieties of LPHNPs, including monolithic hybrid nanoparticles, core–shell nanoparticles, hollow core–shell nanoparticles, biomimetic lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles, and polymer-caged liposomes, have been investigated for various drug delivery applications. However, core–shell nanoparticles having a polymeric core surrounded by a highly biocompatible lipid shell are the most commonly explored LPHNPs for the treatment of various diseases. In this review, we will shed light on the composition, methods of preparation, classification, surface functionalization, release mechanism, advantages and disadvantages, patents, and clinical trials of LPHNPs, with an emphasis on core–shell-structured LPHNPs.

Antimicrobial resistance in clinically important microbes has emerged as an unmet challenge in global health. Extensively drug-resistant bacterial pathogens have cropped up lately defying the action of even the last resort of antibiotics. This has led to a huge burden in the health sectors and increased morbidity and mortality rate across the world. The dwindling antibiotic discovery pipeline and rampant usage of antibiotics has set the alarming bells necessitating immediate actions to combat this looming threat. Various alternatives to discovery of new antibiotics are gaining attention such as reversing the antibiotic resistance and hence reviving the arsenal of antibiotics in hand. Antibiotic resistance reversal is mainly targeted against the antibiotic resistance mechanisms, which potentiates the effective action of the antibiotic. Such compounds are referred to as resistance breakers or antibiotic adjuvants/potentiators that work in conjunction with antibiotics. Many studies have been conducted for the identification of compounds, which decrease the permeability barrier, expression of efflux pumps and the resistance encoding enzymes. Compounds targeting the stability, inheritance and dissemination of the mobile genetic elements linked with the resistance genes are also potential candidates to curb antibiotic resistance. In pursuit of such compounds various natural sources and synthetic compounds have been harnessed. The activities of a considerable number of compounds seem promising and are currently at various phases of clinical trials. This review recapitulates all the studies pertaining to the use of antibiotic potentiators for the reversal of antibiotic resistance and what the future beholds for their usage in clinical settings.

Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbons is one of the most sought-after approaches as it not only helps for its mitigation and utilization but does so through the renewable solar energy. Development of suitable materials and protocols to achieve better efficiency in photoconversion has been projected as one of the grand challenges in the 21st century. However, the stability of CO2 leads to a high thermodynamic barrier for its conversion into value added chemicals. In this work, we report the design and fabrication of novel three-component nanostructured photocatalyst material comprising TiO2 nanotube arrays, reduced graphene oxide and Pt nanoparticles. TiO2 nanotubes fabricated by electrochemical anodization are functionalized by chemically deposited graphene oxide layers and Pt particles deposited by sputtering technique. The photocatalysts are characterized for the crystallinity, morphology, and composition through XRD, FE-SEM and EDAX studies. Such a combination ensures easier separation of photogenerated charges as well as better catalytic activity. Further, the photoreduction experiments are carried out at moderately higher temperature of about 80 °C and at about 1.8 atm pressure in an indigenously designed batch reactor to partly overcome the thermodynamic barrier. We have achieved a high methane generation rate of about 3.42 mmol/g/hr. The possible reaction mechanisms are discussed.

Introduction: Newer coexisting conditions should be identified in order to modify newer risk factors. Aim was to identify patients with non-classical or less common coexisting conditions in patients infected of COVID 19. Method: Single centred study from June 2020 to May 2021 at a tertiary centre in North India. A preformed questionnaire was used to record clinical and laboratory parameters and to identify cases which are in addition to CDC list and Indian data. Results: 0.67% (46) cases out of 6832 patients were identified to have non-classical coexisting illness. It was divided into 2 groups-infections A (60.1%) and non-infections B (39.9%). Group A included-tuberculosis- pulmonary (14.3%) & extra pulmonary (32.9%), bacterial (25.0%) viral infections [dengue, hepatitis B & C] (14.3%), HIV disease (10.7%) and malaria (3.6%). Group B included- organ transplant (27.8%), autoimmune [myasthenia gravis, polymyositis, psoriasis] (22.6%), haematologic [Haemophilia, ITP, Aplastic anaemia, APML, CML] (27.8%), uncommon malignancies [disseminated sacral chordoma and GTN] (11.1%) and snakebite (11.1%). Serum Procalcitonin was not helpful for diagnosis of bacterial infection in COVID-19 disease. Group A had significantly longer duration of illness, hepatitis and elevated CRP. The mortality in group A & B were 32.1% and 43.8% respectively. Death in non-severe COVID cases was in tetanus and snakebite. 30.7% death among tuberculosis patients. More than 70% of deaths were attributable to COVID 19 in both the groups. Conclusion: In Indian settings, comorbidities like tuberculosis and bacterial infections can precipitate severe COVID 19 unlike other parts of the world where tuberculosis is relatively uncommon.

Introduction: Increasing occurrence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria resulted in colistin being the last agent for treatment. Apart from plasmid-mediated mcr genes, mutations involving several genes like mgrB, phoP/phoQ, pmrA, pmrB, pmrC , and crrABC genes, are leading causes of colistin resistance. Four colistin susceptibility testing methods were compared against broth microdilution (BMD) and determined the presence of the mcr1-5 gene. Methodology: A total of 100 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates were tested for colistin susceptibility by commercial broth microdilution (cBMD), E-test, VITEK-2, and rapid polymyxin NP assay (RPNP) and compared with BMD. The presence of the mcr1-5 gene was determined by modified RPNP and PCR. Two non- mcr colistin-resistant XDR isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing using Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform. Results: Among 100 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates, 15% were resistant to colistin. Essential agreement, categorical agreement, major error, and very major error for cBMD/E-test/VITEK-2/RPNP were 96%/73%/82%/NA; 99%/86%/88%/91%, 1.2%/9.4%/11.8%/8.2% and 0%/40%/13.3%/13.3%, respectively. Only one Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate harbored the mcr-1 gene, observed by both methods. Whole-genome sequencing of two non- mcr XDR Klebsiella pneumoniae showed multiple mutations in 10 genes responsible for lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Conclusions: The performance of cBMD was excellent, whereas the E-test was unacceptable. VITEK-2 and RPNP performed better but remained unreliable due to high error rates. Multiple mutations in the target proteins involving lipopolysaccharide formation, modification, and regulation were seen, resulting in colistin resistance.

Quantitative studies on trust often attempt to measure levels of trust, while neglecting local meanings of trust. These studies are usually based on Eurocentric models in Western cultures, though the models may have limited ecological validity. As a result, this study sought to investigate trust as locally produced structures and practices in Cameroon, Finland and India. In each country, teachers and principals were interviewed individually, while nineteen focus groups among teachers were also conducted (N = 111). The theory of social representations provides the methodological framework for the study. Our analyses suggest that in Cameroon understandings of trust were anchored in complementarity, in Finland in contracts, and in India in social hierarchies. We suggest that the Cameroonian representations were more fluid than in the other two countries, which may be due in part to the working arrangements there. In all of the national contexts, numerous metaphors and imagery helped to solidify trust as phenomena built in everyday practices. Cooperation was an important element in the data from all of the country contexts, although it had particular and varying meanings in each. Finally, we interpret culturally embedded dichotomies, or themata, that participants draw upon to imbue workplace trust with meaning. We discuss the analyses and interpretations in terms of local practices and the concrete conditions in which the participants worked.

Introdution: Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is an aggressive epithelial malignancy of the upper aero digestive tract and comprises 90% of all Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). It is the sixth leading cancer worldwide with approximately 600,000 cases reported annually. It is one of the most common cancers in India. Tumour Lymph Node and Metastases (TNM) staging has been the most useful indicator to predict prognosis in HNSCC but recently various biomolecular markers have potentially offered new methods for early diagnosis and treatment alternatives for HNSCC patients; one amongst them being cyclin D1. Aim: This study has been undertaken to evaluate expression of cyclin D1 in HNSCC cases and to find out its association with various pathological prognostic factors. Materials and Methods: A 48 formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumour sections, stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin were graded and staged. Immunohistochemistry for cyclin D1 was evaluated as Extent Score (ES), Intensity Score (IS) and Total Score (TS) was calculated. Statistical Analysis: All the relevant data collected was transferred on to the excel sheet. Chi square test with and without Yate's correction was used to compare various parameters. The p-value ≤ 0.05 was taken as critical level of significance. Results: A significant association was seen between TS of Cyclin D1 expression with tumour stage and with lymph node metastasis but not with grade. Conclusion: Higher Cyclin D1 expression is associated with higher tumour stage and lymph node metastasis. Therefore, there is value of analysing cyclin D1 amplification and expression, for prognostic evaluation. This may also be further used for targeted therapy in head and neck cancers.

The search for novel bioactive compounds from the natural environment has been rapidly increased with the increase in multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens. In the present study, the antimicrobial potential of novel actinomycetes has been evaluated by initial screening of six soil samples. Primary and secondary screening was performed against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Trichophyton rubrum, and other MDR bacterial and fungal test strains, and at the end thirteen active isolates were selected for further study. Microbial strains were identified on the basis of growth conditions and other biochemical characters. Five most active microbial strains were identified using 16S rRNA sequence homology and designated as Streptomyces xanthophaeus MTCC 11938, Streptomyces variabilis MTCC 12266, Streptomyces xanthochromogenes MTCC 11937, Streptomyces levis EU 124569 and Streptomyces sp. NCIM 5500. Four antibacterial and three antifungal compounds isolated from the above five isolates were purified and partially characterized using UV absorption and IR spectra. Two antibacterial metabolites, belong to chromone and peptide antibiotic, respectively. The antifungal compounds were found to be of non-polyene nature. In conclusion, we study the isolation of novel bacterial strains of actinomycetes for producing novel compounds having antibacterial and antifungal activities from the unexplored agro-ecological niches of India. Also, this study paves the way for further characterization of these isolates of Streptomyces sp. for their optimum utilization for antimicrobial purposes.

Tufted Angiomas also known as angioblastomas /Angioblastoma of Nagakawa are rare vascular neoplasms localised to the skin and subcutaneous tissues with the upper trunk and neck being most common sites. They are mainly seen in children but a few cases in juveniles and adults have been reported. We hereby report this case, a 40-year-old male who presented with a right lower lid, painless, slowly progressive, firm swelling diagnosed as Tufted Angioma on histopathology and immunohistochemistry.