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Mucormycosis is a dreaded condition with high mortality rates noted in immunocompromised hosts. Though iron overload is a known risk factor, children with transfusion-dependent thalassemia have been rarely reported with invasive mucormycosis. We present an 8-year-old girl with transfusion-dependent thalassemia with hypersplenism and iron overload. She had invasive rhino-sino-orbital mucormycosis with a fatal outcome despite aggressive surgical and medical management.

Abstract Volcanic arcs are chemical weathering hotspots that may contribute disproportionately to global CO2 consumption through silicate weathering. Accurately modeling the impact of volcanic‐arc landscapes on the Earth's long‐term carbon cycle requires understanding how climate and physical erosion control weathering fluxes from arc landscapes. We evaluate these controls by examining the covariation of stream solutes, sediment geochemistry, and long‐term physical erosion fluxes inferred from cosmogenic 36Cl in magnetite in volcanic watersheds in Puerto Rico that span a ca. 15‐fold gradient in specific discharge. Analysis of this data using power‐law relationships demonstrates that CO2 consumption from arc‐rock weathering in the humid tropics is more strongly limited by physical erosion and the supply of primary minerals to the weathering zone than by temperature or the flux of fresh, chemically reactive waters through the critical zone. However, a positive correlation between long‐term physical erosion fluxes and specific discharge is also observed. This indicates that fresh mineral supply in arc environments may ultimately depend on precipitation rates, which may maintain a coupling between arc‐rock weathering fluxes and climate under principally supply limited weathering conditions.

The damage caused by high temperature is one of the most important abiotic stress affecting rice production. Reproductive stage of rice is highly susceptible to high temperature. The present investigation was undertaken to identify polymorphic microsatellite markers (SSR) associated with heat tolerance. The rice cultivars NERICA– L 44 (heat tolerant) and Uma (heat susceptible) were crossed to generate F1 and F2 populations. The F2 population was subjected to heat stress at >38°C and the 144 F2 plants were evaluated for their tolerance. The results note that the mean of the F2 population was influenced by the tolerant parent with regards to the traits of plant height, membrane stability index, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, evapotranspiration rate, pollen viability, spikelet fertility and 1000 grain weight. Ten each of the extremely susceptible and tolerant plants were selected based on the spikelet fertility percentage. Their DNA was pooled into tolerant and susceptible bulks and Bulked Segregant Analysis (BSA) was carried out using 100 SSR markers to check for polymorphism. The survey revealed a polymorphism of 18% between the parents. RM337, RM10793, RM242, RM5749, RM6100, RM490, RM470, RM473, RM222 and RM556 are some of the prominent markers that were found to be polymorphic between the parents and the bulks. We performed gene annotation and enrichment analysis of identified polymorphic markers. Result revealed that the sequence specific site of that chromosome mostly enriched with biological processes like metabolic pathway, molecular mechanism, and subcellular function. Among that RM337 was newly reported marker for heat tolerance. Expression analysis of two genes corresponds to RM337 revealed that LOP1 (LOC_Os08g01330) was linked to high temperature tolerance in rice. The results demonstrate that BSA using SSR markers is useful in identifying genomic regions that contribute to thermotolerance.

Abstract Background Melanoma is one of the most aggressive cancers, with 1.6% of total cancer deaths in the United States. In recent years treatment options for metastatic melanoma have been improved by the FDA approval of new therapeutic agents. However, these inhibitors‐based therapies are non‐specific and have severe toxicities, including hyperkeratosis, photosensitivity, hepatitis, arthralgia, and fatigue. Aims The aim of this study is to determine the synthetic lethal effect (paclitaxel and radiations) on melanoma cells and reduce the total radiation doses by increasing the dose rates up to 2400 MU/min. Methods and Results We previously reported a radiation treatment (10 MV x‐rays, 10X‐FFF, dose rate 2400MU/min, low total dose 0.5 Gy) that kills melanoma cells with 80% survival of normal HEM in vitro. In this study, we extended the radiation cycle up to four and included paclitaxel treatment to study the synthetic lethal effect on melanoma and two other normal primary cells, HDF and HEK. Cells were treated with paclitaxel prior to the radiation at a dose rate of 400 and 2400 MU/min with a total radiation dose of only 0.5 Gy. Mitochondrial respiration assay, DNA damage assay, and colony formation assays were performed to study apoptosis and cell death induction. Four days of consequent radiation treatment with paclitaxel significantly reduces the survival of melanoma cells by inducing apoptosis and mitochondrial damage. After treatment, excessive DNA damage in melanoma cells leads to an increase in the expression of pro‐apoptotic genes (Caspase‐3) and a decrease in the expression of DNA repair gene (PARP1) and anti‐apoptotic gene (Bcl‐2) to activate the apoptosis pathway. The combination of paclitaxel and radiation reduces the survival of melanoma cells colonies compared to radiation alone. Conclusion Our study indicates that radiations with paclitaxel have a potential synthetic lethal effect on melanoma cells and can be developed as a melanoma therapy without toxicities or harmful effects on normal primary skin cells.

A 70-year-old female reported with complaints of defective vision in both eyes. Ophthalmological examination of both eyes revealed well-centred Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lens (PCIOL), thin membranous Posterior Capsular Opacification (PCO) with no signs of inflammation, myopic fundus and normal Intraocular Pressure (IOP). She had history of uneventful cataract surgery in both eyes four years back and was on treatment for diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PCO was managed with Nd: YAG capsulotomy in both eyes. After ten hours, patient reported back with severe headache, right-sided periorbital pain and profound diminution of vision. Examination revealed corneal oedema, shallow Anterior Chamber (AC) and raised IOP in her right eye. Patient was admitted and treated with parenteral and local IOP lowering agents and cycloplegic agents. Once the IOP was lowered and cornea cleared, slit lamp examination revealed vitreous blocking the pupil resulting in secondary angle closure which was confirmed by Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography (AS-OCT). Nd:YAG LASER peripheral iridotomy was done to relieve the pupillary block. This is presented as a rare case of pupillary block following Nd:YAG capsulotomy in the presence of well-centred PCIOL.