Search

The present study was designed with an attempt to explore therapeutic potential of Indian mackerel against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damage in rats. Male Wistar albino rats (n=18), weighing about 150-200 g, were randomly assigned to 3 groups of six each. Rats of Group I (control) received 1% DMSO daily orally for 3 weeks and olive oil I/P twice a week in the 2nd and 3rd week. Group II and III received CCl4 @ 1 mL/kg b.wt. in olive oil (1:1) I/P twice a week in 2nd and 3rd week, whereas, Group III rats were also administered with fish extract @ 300 mg/kg b.wt. orally daily in 1% DMSO for 3 weeks. The extent of CCl4 induced damage was measured by estimating ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin in serum, total protein and albumin in plasma, SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx and TBARS in liver tissue homogenate and histopathological examination of liver. CCl4 induced oxidative damage was evidenced by elevated levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TBARS and reduced levels of GSH, SOD, CAT, GPX and total protein. Treatment with fish extract along with CCl4 led to reversal in the altered hepatic biomarkers and a significant reduction in the MDA levels, improvement in antioxidant markers when compared to CCl4 induced hepatotoxic group. Thus, results of the present study indicated that fish extract offered protection against CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats due to its antioxidant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document highlights the significance of Body Condition Score (BCS) as a crucial tool for assessing the energy reserves and health of cattle in India's dairy industry, with a specific focus on its application to dairy cows. The BCS is pivotal for guiding feeding strategies, optimizing reproductive performance, and enhancing milk production. The document elaborates on the checkpoints and criteria used for BCS assessment, emphasizing its advantages over other assessment techniques. Additionally, it delves into the optimal BCS ranges for different stages of cows and heifers, illustrating the critical role that BCS plays in cattle health and reproduction. The paper underlines the importance of BCS as a nutritional management tool and discusses the normal changes in desired BCS throughout a production cycle. Finally, the review touches upon management factors that influence BCS and concludes by emphasizing the potential benefits of integrating BCS into dairy herd management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercalation of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) by 3d or 4d transition metal elements are of considerable interest as the intercalated atoms can finely tune the physical and chemical properties of host TMDs. On addition, these intercalation complexes show interesting magnetic property and displays anomalous transport behavior at the magnetic ordering temperature. Here, we have synthesized and measured transport properties of single crystal vanadium intercalated Niobium Di-sulphide. At 300 K, electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of V 0.3 NbS 2 is found to be ∼ 10 - 6 Ω m and 36 W m - 1 K - 1 respectively. Unlike phonon scattering, the spin scattering is found to affect both electrical and phonon conduction at low temperature. The electrical resistivity at temperature T < 45 K follows T 3 / 2 behavior, whereas the electronic part of thermal conductivity shows exponent of 0.8. Using steady-state method, the temperature dependent lattice part of thermal conductivity shows exponents of 0.5 and − 0.5 at T < 45 K and T > 45 K respectively. Moreover, the peak of the total thermal conductivity also overlaps with the magnetic transition temperature, indicating the participation of spin dependent phonon dynamics below 45 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The pathogenesis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) mainly involves vascular injury, fibrosis, and immune activation. Visualization of these microvascular changes by nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) can help in the early diagnosis of the disease. Even though the gold standard for NFC is a videodermoscope, the ease, practicality, and accessibility make the hand-held dermoscope a more versatile and suitable device in the hands of the dermatologists in the busy outpatient department. Aim: To study the pattern of nail fold capillaries using hand-held dermoscope in the patients of SSc and correlate the findings with disease severity. Materials and Methods: An observational, cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out over a span of 2 years, from January 2020 till December 2021, in 50 patients of SSc. NFC using DermLite DL4 was performed in all the patients and distribution, morphology, density of capillaries, and nail fold capillary pattern were observed. Results: Out of 50 patients, 38 patients had diffuse type of disease, and 12 had limited type of disease. The mean capillary density in our patients was 4.7 ± 0.81/mm. Dilated capillaries was the most common NFC finding (80%), whereas active scleroderma pattern was the most common pattern (56%). A significant association was found between the type of capillary pattern and duration of disease, type of disease, and cutaneous manifestations. Conclusion: Hand-held dermoscope is reliable, practical, and assessable tool that aids in early diagnosis of the disease and also helps in assessing the severity and prognosis of SSc.

Aims: To find out predictive value of serum β human chorionic gonadotropin (β HCG) levels between 13-20 weeks of gestation in predicting the development of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) or pre-eclampsia, eclampsia. Methods: Serum β HCG level was estimated in 200 normotensive patients between 13-20 weeks of gestation. The median value of Serum β HCG was calculated and patients were divided into two groups as per two times multiple of median (2MOM) values of Serum β HCG i.e. those above and below the 2MOM values. The patients were followed up to delivery and were evaluated for the development of PIH, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Results: As per the median score of Serum β HCG in studied patients, the determined value of 2MOM was 30845 mIU/ml. Out of 200 patients, 23 (11.5%) patients were found to have values of Serum β HCG ≤ 2MOM. Twelve (52%) patients in Serum β HCG ≤ 2MOM group developed hypertension on follow up as compared to 13 (7.3%) patients in < 2MOM group (p< 0.0001). Also patients in the ≤ 2MOM group had higher prevalence of maternal and fetal complications. Conclusions: Serum β HCG levels between 13-20 weeks of gestation can predict development of PIH in pregnant females [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To study the efficacy of combination of extra-amniotic instillation of ethacridine with tablets Dinoprostone (PGE2) in second trimester abortion as compared to ethacridine alone. Methods: One hundred patients undergoing second trimester abortion were divided into two groups. Fifty patients received extra-amniotic ethacridine lactate 150 ml through Foley's catheter (Ethacridine group) and the other 50 patients received 150 ml extra-amniotic ethacridine lactate mixed with a 0.5 mg of a crushed tablet of Dinoprostone through Foley's catheter (Combination group). Both the groups were compared in respect to instillation-abortion interval, completeness of abortion and success rate. Results: The mean age, multiparity parity, and gestational age were comparable in both the groups. The instillation- abortion interval was significantly shorter in combination group as compared to ethacridine group (16.4±7.1 vs. 29.9 ±13.9 hours, p<0.001). Two patients in combination group had instillation abortion interval more than 48 hours as compared to 16 patients in ethacridine group(p<0.0005). Forty one patients (82%) in combination group had complete abortion as compared to 37 (74%) patients in ethacridine group. The success rate was 48/50(96%) in combination group as compared to 45/50 (90%) in ethacridine group. Conclusions: Addition of a 0.5 mg of crushed tablet of Dinoprostone in extra-amniotically instilled ethacridine lactate reduced the instillation-abortion interval significantly, increased the chances of complete abortion and increased the success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulatory biomolecules responsible for many cellular processes. The aging of mammals is manifested by a slow and gradual decline of physiological functions after adulthood, progressively resulting in age-related diseases. Testis comprises different cell-types with defined functions for producing haploid gametes and androgens in males, contributing gene-pool to the next generation with genetic variations to species for evolutionary advantage. The LINC-RBE (long intergenic noncoding-rat brain expressed) RNA showed highest expression in the Leydig cells, responsible for steroidogenesis and production of testosterone; higher expression in primary spermatocytes (pachytene cells), responsible for generation of haploid gametes and high expression in Sertoli cells, the nursing cells of the testes. Testes of immature (4-weeks), adult (16- and 44-weeks), and nearly-old (70-weeks) rats showed low, high, and again low levels of expression, respectively. This along with the nuclear-cytoplasmic localization of LINC-RBE RNA showed age-related expression and function. Thus, expression of LINC-RBE is involved in the molecular physiology of testes, especially Leydig cells, primary spermatocytes, and Sertoli cells. The decline in its expression correlates with diminishing reproductive function of the testes during aging of the rat., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

To cater to the growing demand for advanced energy storage devices, the development of efficient electrode materials with brilliant electrochemical response is highly required. Battery-like materials have gained wide research attention as effective electrode materials for hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs). In this account, chromium cobaltite (CrCo 2 O 4 ) has been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. The structural and electronic properties of CrCo 2 O 4 have been investigated using DFT. Activated carbon (AC) and polypyrrole (PPY) have been introduced to hybridize with CrCo 2 O 4 to enhance its electrochemical performance. The high conductivity of PPY, along with the high surface area and excellent cycling stability of AC, synergistically boosts the performance of CrCo 2 O 4 . The ternary composite CrCo 2 O 4 /AC/PPY exhibited a higher capacitance of 991.25 F g -1 than the pristine CrCo 2 O 4 (301.53 F g -1 ) at 5 mV s -1 . The composite also displayed high cycling stability with 84.25% capacitive retention after ten thousand cycles. The composite also delivered a lower charge transfer resistance (0.36 Ω), which resulted in better charge transfer. A HSC with CrCo 2 O 4 /AC/PPY as the positive electrode and MnO 2 /AC as the negative electrode was fabricated that delivered a high energy density of 97.77 W h kg -1 and power of 1.6 kW kg -1 . A high capacitive retention of 76.75% was observed for ten thousand cycles. The practicality of the prepared material was tested by connecting three hybrid cells in series to illuminate a panel of 57 LEDs. The panel was able to glow for 51 minutes. The outstanding performance of the composite reveals the excellent possibility for application in high-performance advanced hybrid SCs.

The development of proficient electrode materials is one of the major tasks faced by modern techniques for energy storage. Integrating different materials with synergistic effects can be a valuable strategy for designing storage devices with high capacity and energy density. The spinel manganese cobaltite (MnCo 2 O 4 ) is an outstanding candidate for supercapacitors owing to its remarkable pseudocapacitive behavior. However, it suffers from low electric conductivity and limited cyclic stability. To overcome its limitations, activated carbon with superior cyclic stability and polypyrrole with high electric conductivity can be incorporated in MnCo 2 O 4 . The synergistic effect of these components offers high capacitance, better conductivity, and superior cyclic performance to the ternary composite. Herein, the MnCo 2 O 4 /AC/PPY ternary composite has been synthesized by a facile approach. The optimized ternary composite (MAP-20) exhibited a wonderful capacitance of 945.77 F g -1 at five mV s -1 compared to pristine MnCo 2 O 4 (254.98 F g -1 ). The real-time applicability of the optimized composite was tested with asymmetric device configuration. The asymmetric device with MAP-20 and MnO 2 /AC electrodes exhibited a wonderful E d of 88.12 W h kg -1 ( P d ∼ 1.6 kW kg -1 ). The asymmetric device also exhibited excellent cyclic performance of 89.68% for 10 000 cycles. Further, the real-time applicability of the device was tested by illuminating a 39 red LED panel. Three asymmetric cells connected in series illuminated the panel for about 45 minutes. All these results suggest that the synergistic integration of various efficient electrode materials leads to enhanced electrochemical performance of supercapacitors.

Worldwide, cervical cancer (CCa) is a major killer of women. As the conventional drugs used to treat cervical cancer are expensive and expose severe side effects, there is a growing demand to search for novel modifications. Therefore, in the current investigation employing a bioinformatic approach, we explored triterpenoids for their anti-cancer efficacy by targeting cervical cancer epigenetic proteins, namely DNMT3A, HDAC4, and KMT2C. The study utilized molecular docking, ADMET assay, Molecular Dynamic simulation, and DFT calculation to unveil Betulin (BE) as the potential lead compound. Comparative analysis with that standard drug indicated that BE has a better glide score with the target protein KM2TC (- 9.893 kcal/mol), HDAC4 (- 9.720 kcal/mol), and DNMT3A (- 7.811 kcal/mol), which depicts that BE could be a potent inhibitor of these three epigenetic proteins and exhibits favorable pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamics and toxicity properties. Molecular Dynamics simulation revealed noteworthy structural stability and compactness. DFT analysis revealed higher molecular activity of BE and showed the most increased kinetic stability (δE = 0.254647 eV). Further, we employed In vitro analysis through MTT assay and found that BE has IC 50 of 15 µg/ml. In conclusion, BE can potentially treat CCa upon further investigations using in vivo models for better understanding., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as major regulators of gene expression, chromatin structure, epigenetic changes, post-transcriptional processing of RNAs, translation of mRNAs into proteins as well as contributing to the process of ageing. Ageing is a universal, slow, progressive change in almost all physiological processes of organisms after attaining reproductive maturity and often associated with age-related diseases. Mammalian testes contain various cell-types, vast reservoir of transcriptome complexity, produce haploid male gametes for reproduction and testosterone for development and maintenance of male sexual characters as well as contribute genetic variation to the species. We report age-related decline in expression and cellular localization of Long intergenic noncoding repeat-rich sense-antisense (LINC-RSAS) RNA in the testes and its major cell-types such as primary spermatocytes, Leydig cells and Sertoli cells during ageing of the rat. LINC-RSAS expression in testes increased from immature (4-weeks) to adult (16- and 44-weeks) and declined from adult (44-weeks) to nearly-old (70-weeks) rats. Genomic DNA methylation in the testes showed a similar pattern. Cell-type specific higher expression of LINC-RSAS was observed in primary spermatocytes (pachytene cells), Leydig cells and Sertoli cells of testes of adult rats. Over-expression of LINC-RSAS in cultured human cell lines revealed its possible role in cell-cycle control and apoptosis. We propose that LINC-RSAS expression is involved in molecular physiology of primary spermatocytes, Leydig cells and Sertoli cells of adult testes and its decline is associated with diminishing function of testes during ageing of the rat., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

A survey was undertaken to isolate entomopathogenic nematodes from Amritsar district of Punjab, India. Out of 20 soil samples collected, two were found positive for the presence of nematodes. 18S and ITS rDNA gene sequencing revealed their identity as Metarhabditis amsactae. To assess its biocontrol potential, Galleria mellonella larvae were treated with concentrations of 20, 40, 80 and 160 IJs/L (infective juveniles/larva) and mortality was recorded from 24 h up to 96 h of nematode exposure. Distilled water without nematodes was used as an untreated control. M. amsactae showed potent larvicidal activity against G. mellonella that was found to be concentration and time dependent. Nematode infection caused 93.33 % larval mortality at 80 IJs/L after 72 h of treatment. 100 % mortality was observed after 96 h. No mortality was observed in control. To evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of M. amsactae, G. mellonella larvae were infected with 100 IJs/L and activities of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APOX), phenol oxidase (PO), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) were appraised after 12, 24, 36 and 48 h of nematode exposure. Malondialdehyde content was also determined. The results obtained demonstrated a significant elevation in all the enzyme activities at all time intervals in treated larvae when compared with untreated control. MDA levels were also enhanced in response to nematode infection. Thus, the present study revealed high insecticidal potential and immunomodulatory effects of M. amsactae on G. mellonella that should be further explored on other insect pests as well., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Transition period is considered from 3 weeks prepartum to 3 weeks postpartum, characterized with dramatic events (endocrine, metabolic, and physiological) leading to occurrence of production diseases (negative energy balance/ketosis, milk fever etc). The objectives of our study were to analyze the periodic concentration of serum beta-hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA), glucose and oxidative markers along with identification, and validation of the putative markers of negative energy balance in buffaloes using in-silico and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay., Methods: Out of 20 potential markers of ketosis identified by in-silico analysis, two were selected and analyzed by qRT-PCR technique (upregulated; acetyl serotonin o-methyl transferase like and down regulated; guanylate cyclase activator 1B). Additional two sets of genes (carnitine palmotyl transferase A; upregulated and Insulin growth factor; downregulated) that have a role of hepatic fatty acid oxidation to maintain energy demands via gluconeogenesis were also validated. Extracted cDNA (complementary deoxyribonucleic acid) from the blood of the buffaloes were used for validation of selected genes via qRTPCR. Concentrations of BHBA, glucose and oxidative stress markers were identified with their respective optimized protocols., Results: The analysis of qRT-PCR gave similar trends as shown by in-silico analysis throughout the transition period. Significant changes (p<0.05) in the levels of BHBA, glucose and oxidative stress markers throughout this period were observed. This study provides validation from in-silico and qRT-PCR assays for potential markers to be used for earliest diagnosis of negative energy balance in buffaloes., Conclusion: Apart from conventional diagnostic methods, this study improves the understanding of putative biomarkers at the molecular level which helps to unfold their role in normal immune function, fat synthesis/metabolism and oxidative stress pathways. Therefore, provides an opportunity to discover more accurate and sensitive diagnostic aids.

Matrin-3 (MATR3) is an RNA-binding protein implicated in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. However, little is known regarding the role of MATR3 in cryptic splicing within the context of functional genes and how disease-associated variants impact this function. We show that loss of MATR3 leads to cryptic exon inclusion in many transcripts. We reveal that ALS-linked S85C pathogenic variant reduces MATR3 solubility but does not impair RNA binding. In parallel, we report a novel neurodevelopmental disease-associated M548T variant, located in the RRM2 domain, which reduces protein solubility and impairs RNA binding and cryptic splicing repression functions of MATR3. Altogether, our research identifies cryptic events within functional genes and demonstrates how disease-associated variants impact MATR3 cryptic splicing repression function., (© 2024 The Authors. FEBS Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Bacterial resistance toward available therapeutic agents has become a nightmare for the healthcare system, causing significant mortality as well as prolonged hospitalization, thereby needing the urgent attention of research groups working on antimicrobial drug development worldwide. Molecular hybridization is a well-established tool for developing multifunctional compounds to tackle drug resistance. Inspired by the antibacterial profiles of isatin and thymol, along with the efficiency of a triazole linker in molecular hybridization, herein, we report the design, synthesis and antibacterial activity of a novel series of triazole tethered thymol-isatin hybrids. Most of the hybrids exhibited a broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy against standard human pathogenic as well as clinically isolated multidrug-resistant bacterial strains listed in the WHO's 'priority pathogen' list and also in the ESKAPE group. Among them, hybrid compound AS8 was the most effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 1.9 μM and MBC = 3.9 μM), exhibiting biofilm inhibitory potential. AS8 exhibited dehydrosqualene synthase (CrtM) inhibitory potential in MRSA and decreased the production of virulence factor staphyloxanthin, which is one of the key mechanisms of its anti-MRSA efficacy, which was further supported by molecular docking and simulation studies. Moreover, AS8 was found to be non-toxic and showed a potent in vivo antibacterial efficacy (90% survival at 10 mg kg -1 ) as well as a modulated immune response in the larva-based ( Galleria mellonella ) model of systemic infections. Overall findings confirmed that AS8 can be a promising candidate or take the lead in the treatment and further drug development against drug-resistant infectious diseases, especially against MRSA infections., Competing Interests: The authors confirm that this article content has no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Mutations in the Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) gene cause the familial and progressive form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). FUS is a nuclear RNA-binding protein involved in RNA processing and the biogenesis of a specific set of microRNAs. Here we report that Drosha and two previously uncharacterized Drosha-dependent miRNAs are strong modulators of FUS expression and prevent the cytoplasmic segregation of insoluble mutant FUS in vivo. We demonstrate that depletion of Drosha mitigates FUS-mediated degeneration, survival and motor defects in Drosophila. Mutant FUS strongly interacts with Drosha and causes its cytoplasmic mis-localization into the insoluble FUS inclusions. Reduction in Drosha levels increases the solubility of mutant FUS. Interestingly, we found two Drosha dependent microRNAs, miR-378i and miR-6832-5p, which differentially regulate the expression, solubility and cytoplasmic aggregation of mutant FUS in iPSC neurons and mammalian cells. More importantly, we report different modes of action of these miRNAs against mutant FUS. Whereas miR-378i may regulate mutant FUS inclusions by preventing G3BP-mediated stress granule formation, miR-6832-5p may affect FUS expression via other proteins or pathways. Overall, our research reveals a possible association between ALS-linked FUS mutations and the Drosha-dependent miRNA regulatory circuit, as well as a useful perspective on potential ALS treatment via microRNAs., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

The rapid depletion of fossil fuels and ever-growing energy demand have led to a search for renewable clean energy sources. The storage of renewable energy calls for immediate attention to the fabrication of efficient energy storage devices like supercapacitors (SCs). As an electrode material for SCs, MnO 2 has gained wide research interest because of its high theoretical capacitance, variable oxidation state, vast abundance, and low cost. However, the low electric conductivity of MnO 2 limits its practical application. The conductivity of MnO 2 can be enhanced by tuning the electronic states through substitution doping with cobalt. In the present work, first principles analysis based on density functional theory (DFT) has been used to examine the quantum capacitance ( C QC ) and surface charge ( Q ) of Co-doped MnO 2 . Doping enhanced the structural stability, electrical conductivity, potential window, and quantum capacitance of α-MnO 2 . The shortened band gap and localized states near the Fermi level improve the C QC of α-MnO 2 . For the narrow potential range (-0.4 to 0.4 V), the C QC is observed to increase with doping concentration. The highest C QC value at +0.4 V is observed to be 2412.59 μF cm -2 for Mn 6 Co 2 O 16 (25% doping), five times higher than that of pristine MnO 2 (471.18 μF cm -2 ). Mn 6 Co 2 O 16 also exhibits better C QC and ' Q ' at higher positive bias. Hence, it can be used as an anode material for asymmetric supercapacitors. All these results suggest better capacitive performance of Co-doped α-MnO 2 for aqueous SCs and as an anode material for asymmetric supercapacitors.

GEMIN5 is essential for core assembly of small nuclear Ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), the building blocks of spliceosome formation. Loss-of-function mutations in GEMIN5 lead to a neurodevelopmental syndrome among patients presenting with developmental delay, motor dysfunction, and cerebellar atrophy by perturbing SMN complex protein expression and assembly. Currently, molecular determinants of GEMIN5-mediated disease have yet to be explored. Here, we identified SMN as a genetic suppressor of GEMIN5-mediated neurodegeneration in vivo. We discovered that an increase in SMN expression by either SMN gene therapy replacement or the antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), Nusinersen, significantly upregulated the endogenous levels of GEMIN5 in mammalian cells and mutant GEMIN5-derived iPSC neurons. Further, we identified a strong functional association between the expression patterns of SMN and GEMIN5 in patient Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)-derived motor neurons harboring loss-of-function mutations in the SMN gene. Interestingly, SMN binds to the C-terminus of GEMIN5 and requires the Tudor domain for GEMIN5 binding and expression regulation. Finally, we show that SMN upregulation ameliorates defective snRNP biogenesis and alternative splicing defects caused by loss of GEMIN5 in iPSC neurons and in vivo. Collectively, these studies indicate that SMN acts as a regulator of GEMIN5 expression and neuropathologies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has emerged as a serious public health threat worldwide. Aquatic environments including irrigation-purpose wastewaters facilitate the emergence and transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes leading to detrimental effects on human health and environment sustainability. Considering the paramount threat of ever-increasing antibiotic resistance to human health, there is an urgent need for continuous environmental monitoring of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater being used for irrigation in Indian agro-ecosystems. In this study, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from irrigation-purpose wastewater samples from Sirmaur and Solan districts of Himachal Pradesh was determined. Bacterial isolates of genera Escherichia, Enterobacter, Hafnia, Shigella, Citrobacter , and Klebsiella obtained from 11 different geographical locations were found to exhibit resistance against ampicillin, amoxyclav, cefotaxime, co-trimoxazole, tobramycin, cefpodoxime and ceftazidime. However, all the isolates were sensitive to aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin. Enterobacter spp. and Escherichia coli showed predominance among all the isolates. Multidrug-resistance phenotype was observed with isolate AUK-06 ( Enterobacter sp.) which exhibited resistant to five antibiotics. Isolate AUK-02 and AUK-09, both E. coli strains showed resistant phenotypes to four antibiotics each. Phenotypic detection revealed that six isolates were positive for extended-spectrum β-lactamases which includes two isolates from Enterobacter spp. and E. coli each and one each from Shigella sp. and Citrobacter sp. Overall, the findings revealed the occurrence of antibiotic resistant and ESBL-positive bacterial isolates in wastewaters utilized for irrigation purpose in the study area and necessitate continuous monitoring and precautionary interventions. The outcomes of the study would be of significant clinical, epidemiological, and agro-environmental importance in designing effective wastewater management and environmental pollution control strategies., 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 © 2023 Avatsingh, Sharma, Kour, Arora, Sharma, Joshi, Chaudhary, Perveen, Kamal and Singh.)

Mastitis causes huge economic losses to dairy farmers worldwide, which largely negatively affects the quality and quantity of milk. Mastitis decreases overall milk production, degrades milk quality, increases milk losses because of milk being discarded, and increases overall production costs due to higher treatment and labour costs and premature culling. This review article discusses mastitis with respect to its clinical epidemiology, the pathogens involved, economic losses, and basic and advanced diagnostic tools that have been used in recent times to diagnose mastitis effectively. There is an increasing focus on the application of novel therapeutic approaches as an alternative to conventional antibiotic therapy because of the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics, emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, issue of antibiotic residues in the food chain, food safety issues, and environmental impacts. This article also discussed nanoparticles'/chitosan's roles in antibiotic-resistant strains and ethno-veterinary practices for mastitis treatment in dairy cattle.

Nogo-66 receptor 1 (NgR1) binds a variety of structurally dissimilar ligands in the adult central nervous system to inhibit axon extension. Disruption of ligand binding to NgR1 and subsequent signaling can improve neuron outgrowth, making NgR1 an important therapeutic target for diverse neurological conditions such as spinal crush injuries and Alzheimer's disease. Human NgR1 serves as a receptor for mammalian orthoreovirus (reovirus), but the mechanism of virus-receptor engagement is unknown. To elucidate how NgR1 mediates cell binding and entry of reovirus, we defined the affinity of interaction between virus and receptor, determined the structure of the virus-receptor complex, and identified residues in the receptor required for virus binding and infection. These studies revealed that central NgR1 surfaces form a bridge between two copies of viral capsid protein σ3, establishing that σ3 serves as a receptor ligand for reovirus. This unusual binding interface produces high-avidity interactions between virus and receptor to prime early entry steps. These studies refine models of reovirus cell-attachment and highlight the evolution of viruses to engage multiple receptors using distinct capsid components.

The interference of industrial effluents such as dyes, surfactants, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pharmaceutical waste has become a severe global problem for human health due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic properties. Ferrites were considered promising photocatalysts for the degradation of organic and inorganic dyes. This study mainly focused on improving the photocatalytic performance of MnFe 2 O 4 nanoferrites via doping of Zn 2+ and La 3+ ions. The zinc and lanthanum substituted Mn 1-x Zn x La y Fe 2-y O 4 nanoferrites were prepared by the sol-gel auto-combustion technique for the degradation of organic textile malachite green dye (MGD) under the natural solar irradiation. The synthesized nanoferrites were investigated for their structural properties, surface morphology and elemental analysis, optical studies, magnetic properties, and photocatalytic performance by XRD, FESEM/EDX, FTIR/Raman spectrum, vibrating sample magnetometer, and UV-visible spectrophotometer, respectively. The substitution of zinc and lanthanum improved the photocatalytic efficiency of nanoferrites, and about 96% of MGD was degraded by Mn 0.97 Zn 0.03 La 0.04 Fe 1.96 O 4 after 60 min of irradiation. The results showed the pseudo-first-order kinetics for dye degradation using undoped and Zn/La-doped MnFe 2 O 4 photocatalysts., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)