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In recent years non-woven bag filters have been used in waste incinerators for the efficient collection of dust and removal of detrimental gas. However, dust collection efficiency decreases with time until the bag filters are no longer effective. Dust adhering to the fabric is a major determinant of bag filter life. In the present study a flat filter was used to study the relationship between various parameters of a bag filter structure and its dust dislodgement efficiency. The results confirm that fiber linear density, modulus of elasticity, and the form of the fiber cross-section of the felt can each affect the dust collection efficiency of a bag filter. Higher fiber linear density in a bag filter prevents dust from penetrating the filter, and this allows the dust to be more easily dislodged from the filter. Examination of various forms of fiber cross-section indicates that for the same fiber linear density the triangular form is better than the circular form. A lower Young's modulus allows the fiber to bend more easily and prevents the dust from penetrating the filter. Fiber linear density, fiber modulus of elasticity and form of the fiber cross-section are the variables affecting bag filter efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown in large studies to be capable of achieving closure of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), thereby resulting in stabilization of visual acuity. We report a series of four patients with classic CNV treated with PDT with good initial result but subsequent severe visual loss that may be related to a change in the morphology of the subretinal scar.Eye (2006) 20, 491–493. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6701907; published online 6 May 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a case of diplopia following intravenous administration of pamidronate in Great Britain. Function of pamidronate or aminobiphosphonate; Complications of intravenous disodium pamidronate administration for the treatment of osteolytic lesions secondary to multiple myeloma; Etiology of diplopia.

A response by A. Bhatnagar and colleagues to letter to the editor about their article on visual acuity is presented.

Presents a letter to the editor about the correlation coefficient plot.

Cattle in regions with high ambient temperatures are at risk of heat stress. Early detection is important to allow action to be taken to minimise the risks to cattle exposed to thermal stress. This study aimed to investigate the impact of heat stress on IRT-Eye temperature and its association with the behavioural and physiological responses of heat-stressed Angus steers (n = 24) on finisher and or substituted diets. Overall, 2 cohorts of 12 Angus steers were individually housed in a climate-controlled facility to examine responses to heat stress when fed on a standard finisher diet, based on a high percentage of cereal grains, and on a substituted diet in which 8% of the grains were replaced by an isoenergetic amount of lucerne hay. Exposing feedlot cattle to hot environmental conditions increased IRT-Eye temperature, which had a strong association with behaviour and physiology. There was no evidence of differences between the different dietary cohorts. The cattle with increased IRT-Eye temperature showed stress-related responses, including a downward-facing head, ears directed backwards, and other indicators of heat stress such as increased panting, standing, and increased rumen temperature. The strong association of IRT-Eye temperature with stress-related behaviours, as well as with rumen temperature and panting behaviour, highlights the potential for IRT-Eye to be utilised as a non-invasive tool to assess cattle responses in hot conditions.

Cattle are increasingly exposed to hot temperatures as a result of climate change, and a better understanding of behavioural responses could be beneficial for the diagnosis of heat loads. The changes in the positioning of key body parts, feeding behaviour, body maintenance, and respiratory dynamics were assessed in 24 Black Angus steers individually exposed to hot conditions and fed a finisher diet based on cereal grain or a substituted diet (8% of the grain replaced by an isoenergetic amount of lucerne hay). Increased respiration rate during the heat load period, compared to the recovery period, was associated with increased stepping, especially by left limbs. Cattle also reduced eating, grooming, and scratching during the heat load period. The lowered head, backward ear, vertical or raised tail, and increased respiration rate and panting persisted in cattle during the heat load period. Cattle on the cereal grain diet stood for longer and were more likely to hold their ears backward and tail vertical than those on the substituted diet. We conclude that these behaviours could be used to detect animals that are most affected and that changing from a cereal-based diet to a substituted diet containing a higher amount of fibre, such as lucerne hay, can reduce hyperthermic behavioural responses to a heat load.

This study was designed to explore the potential of infrared thermography (IRT) as an alternate approach for early pregnancy diagnosis in buffaloes. The surface temperature (ST) of different regions (eyes, muzzle, flanks, and vulva) was determined in 27 buffaloes using IRT from the day of artificial insemination (AI; Day 0), and measurement was repeated every fourth day until Day 24 post-AI. From all regions, the ST in each thermograph was recorded at three temperature values (maximum, average, minimum). Pregnancy status was confirmed through ultrasonography on Day 30, and animals were retrospectively grouped as pregnant or non-pregnant for analysis of thermographic data. In pregnant buffaloes, all three values of ST were significantly greater ( p ≤ 0.05) for the left flank, while, in the left eye and vulva, only the maximum and average values were significantly greater. By contrast, the maximum ST of the muzzle was significantly lower ( p ≤ 0.05) in pregnant buffaloes compared to non-pregnant buffaloes. However, the ST of the right eye and right flank did not show significant temperature variation at any value. These findings suggest that IRT has the potential to identify thermal changes associated with pregnancy in buffaloes at an early stage.

The livestock sector of Pakistan is increasing rapidly and it plays important role both for rural community and national economy. It is estimated that almost 8 million rural people are involved in livestock rearing and earning about 35-40 % of their income from the livestock sector. Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) infection causes significant economic losses in dairy animals especially young calf in the form of clinical illnesses such as pneumonia, poly-arthritis, respiratory distress and mortality. M. bovis is hard to diagnose and control because of uneven disease appearance and it is usually noticed in asymptomatic animals. For the identification of M. bovis in sub-clinical and clinical samples, determination of acute phase proteins i.e., haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA) are important tools for the timely diagnosis of disease. Therefore, early diagnosis of disease and hemato-biochemical changes are considered beneficial tools to control the infectious agent to uplift the economy of the dairy farmers. For this purpose, blood samples were collected from 200 calves of Bovidae family. Serum was separated from blood samples to determine the concentration of Hp and SAA, while blood samples were processed to determine hematological changes in blood from calves by using hematological analyzer. The blood plasma obtained from the blood samples was processed to measure oxidative stress factors. Lungs tissues from slaughterhouses/ morbid calves were collected to observe histopathological changes. The results of present study indicated that level of SAA and Hp remarkably increased (P < 0.05) in M. bovis infected calves in comparison to healthy calves. The oxidative stress markers indicated that nitric oxide and MDA levels in the infected calves increased significantly (P < 0.05), while infected claves had considerably lower levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione. These findings indicate that oxidative stress play role to increase the level of APPs, while monitoring of APPs levels may serve as a valuable addition to the clinical evaluation of naturally infected calves with M. bovis. The hematological parameters were decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Altogether, this study suggests that Hp and SAA are proposed as promising biomarkers for detecting naturally occurring M. bovis infection in calves., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pakistan is endowed with many established indigenous zebu Bos indicus type (humped) cattle breeds including Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Bhagnari and Cholistani. Amongst these indigenous cattle breeds, Sahiwal and Red Sindhi have extensively been navigated and hence these two are acclaimed as internationally recognized breeds. However, research work on Cholistani cattle breed actually initiated in 2010 and has attained a steady pace. This breed was a new entrant in Livestock Census of Pakistan since 2006. Cholistani is a hardy, tick-resistant, adaptable cattle breed being reared under pastoral nomadism of the Cholistan desert, Pakistan. The present narrative review is the first of its kind intended to sum-up all the research work conducted about this indigenous cattle breed, and to put forth research gaps for this formerly neglected cattle breed. The review discusses the research work conducted on Cholistani cattle breed under five major research subjects/domains i.e. production attributes, theriogenology-related attributes, hematochemical attributes, disease, epidemiologic and therapeutic attributes, and genetic attributes. Future horizon for research avenues has also been given. It is the dire need of time that specific breed-oriented conservation and propagation programs may be initiated in the country so that sustained livestock and enhance socioeconomic profiling of rural communities may be attained., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The study was designed to ascertain the diagnostic efficacy of hand-held digital refractometer in determining total protein (TP). The Sipli sheep (n = 128) were grouped as per gender (females = 99, males = 29) and age (G1 = up till 1 year, n = 35; G2 = from 1 to 2 years, n = 63; G3 = above 2 years, n = 30). The results regarding the overall mean (±SE) values for the TPs attained through serum chemistry analyzer (TP1) and hand-held digital refractometer (TP2) were non-significantly (P≥0.05) different (59.2±1.6g/L and 59.8±0.5g/L, respectively). However, the reference intervals (RIs) were quite different for the two TPs being 45.1-95.7g/L and 57.0-67.0g/L for TP1 and TP2, respectively. Similar results were seen for gender-wise and group-wise results. On the contrary, the results regarding correlation coefficient and logilinear regression showed a negative correlation between the two TPs (r = -0.0244) with an adjusted r-square of 0.059 (5.9% probability). Furthermore, the three tests implied to assess the level of agreement between the two methods (Cronbach alpha, Intraclass correlation coefficient, and Bland & Altman test) revealed least agreement between the two methods. In a nutshell, the results of TP through digital refractometer were not in concordance with those attained through serum chemistry analyzer. However, it can cautiously be used if these results are compared with relevant corrected RIs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Sharif et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The present study is the first of its kind being reported for an indigenous sheep breed of Pakistan with objectives to (a) assess the diagnostic efficacy of a human-based "serum hemolysis reference palette" for sheep serum, (b) deduce normal reference intervals (RIs) for hemoglobin (Hb) and bilirubin, and (c) devise a novel serum color chart for on-field estimation of Hb and bilirubin through color matching of sheep serum. Apparently, healthy Sipli sheep (n = 130) were bled twice attaining whole blood and serum samples (n = 260). The study animals were grouped on the basis of gender, that is, males (n = 51) and females (n = 79) and age, that is, G1 (up till 1 year) (n = 41), G2 (from 1 to 2 years) (n = 46), and G3 (from 2 to 3 years) (n = 43). None of the 260 serum samples of the sheep matched the color given on the human-based "hemolysis reference palette." The G1 animals revealed marked variation in their serum color. Hence, on the basis of RIs, the serum samples (n = 178) of adult sheep (G2 and G3) showing three main color bands were used in devising a novel serum Hb and bilirubin estimation chart for adult sheep serum. In conclusion, the human-based serum hemolysis palette is not valid for sheep serum. The RIs attained in the study could provide a yardstick for assessment of health in indigenous sheep breeds whereas the serum color chart may be of value in estimating Hb and bilirubin in a quick, reliable, and cheaper way for the resource-poor settings of the world., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The main objective of the study was to confirm whether a specific and constant interrelationship exists between total erythrocyte count (TEC) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in Cholistani cattle blood and to navigate the potential of TEC for estimating Hb level in Cholistani cattle (n = 264) grouped as per gender (males, n = 122; females, n = 142) and age (young, n = 140; adults, n = 124). The TEC and Hb (HbD) estimation was carried out through veterinary hematology analyzer. The Hb was also calculated as TEC × 3 and was termed as HbC. Linear regression was implied, and accordingly, scatterplots were drawn between TEC, HbD, HbC, and corrected Hb (CHB). The regression prediction equation hence attained was used to deduce corrected hemoglobin (CHb). A significant (P ≤ 0.05) difference was noticed between HbD and HbC. A non-significant (P ≥ 0.05) difference was noticed, however, between HbD and CHb. Tests of level of agreement indicated a higher Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (0.682 for average measures) for HbD and CHb as compared to that for HbD and HbC (0.559 for average measures). A convention of Hb concentration as three times of TEC (× 3) is not valid for Cholistani cattle. A different pen-side hematological formula, i.e., Hb (g/dL) = 0.66(TEC) + 6.1, however, provides a better estimate of Hb from the TEC in cattle blood. Using hemocytometry for TEC in the field, all the stakeholders associated with veterinary research, academics, and practice may benefit from this formula in resource-poor countries., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Currently, numerous ongoing studies are investigating the interaction of free radicals with biological systems, such as lipids, DNA and protein. In the present work, synthesis, characterization, antioxidant, DNA binding and molecular docking studies of Schiff base ligand and its Ni(II), Co(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) were evaluated. The metal complexes have shown significant dose-dependent antioxidant activities higher than those of the free ligand but lesser than those of the standard antioxidant, ascorbic acid. The DNA binding constants ( K b ) were found in the order Zn(pimp) 2 {9.118 × 10 5 M -1 } > H-pimp {3.487 × 10 5 M -1 } > Co(pimp) 2 {3.090 × 10 5 M -1 } > Ni(pimp) 2 {1.858 × 10 5 M -1 } > Cu(pimp) 2 {1.367 × 10 5 M -1 }. Binding constants ( K b ) values calculated from the molecular docking analysis were found to be in close agreement with the experimental results. The obtained results indicate the importance of synthesis complexes as a source of synthetic antioxidants and anticancer drugs.

In human medical practice, a hematological rule of three has been validated for healthy human populations. One such formula is estimating hemoglobin (Hb) levels as 1/3rd of Packed Cell Volume (PCV). However, no such hematological formulae have been devised and validated for veterinary medical practice. The present study was devised with an aim to evaluate the relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) in camels (n = 215) being reared under pastoralism, and to devise a simple pen-side hematological formula for estimation of Hb from PCV. The PCV was determined through microhematocrit method whereas Hb estimation by cyanmethaemoglobin method (HbD). The Hb was also calculated as 1/3rd of PCV and was dubbed as calculated Hb (HbC). Overall HbD and HbC were significantly (P≥0.05) different. Similar results were attained for all study groups i.e. males (n = 94) and females (n = 121), and young (n = 85) and adult (n = 130) camels. The corrected Hb (CHb) was deduced through regression prediction equation attained from linear regression model. Scatterplots were drawn, linear regression was carried out, and Bland Altman chart was built for agreement of both methods of Hb estimation. A non-significant (P≥0.05) difference was noticed between HbD and CHb. Bland Altman agreement analysis revealed satisfactory agreement between HbD and CHb and the data was distributed closely around the mean difference line (Mean = 0.1436, 95% CI = 3.00, -2.72). A simplified pen-side hematological formula for deducing Hb concentration from PCV is accordingly recommended viz. Hb concentration (g/dL) = 0.18(PCV)+5.4 for all age and gender groups of camels instead of its calculation as one-third of PCV., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests it will helpful to manage the health of animals, and also helpful for professionals This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: © 2023 Farooq et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The productivity of dairy animals has significantly increased over the past few decades due to intense genetic selection. However, the enhanced yield performance of milk animals caused a proportional increase in stress and compromised reproductive efficiency. Optimal reproductive performance is mandatory for the sustainable production of dairy animals. Reproductive efficiency is marked by proper estrus detection and precise breeding to achieve maximum pregnancies. The existing conventional methods of estrus detection are somewhat labor intensive and less efficient. Similarly, the modern automated methods that rely on detecting physical activity are expensive, and their efficiency is affected by factors such as type of housing (tie stall), flooring, and environment. Infrared thermography has recently emerged as a technique that does not depend on monitoring physical activity. Furthermore, infrared thermography is a non-invasive, user-friendly, and stress-free option that aids in the detection of estrus in dairy animals. Infrared thermography has the potential to be considered a useful non-invasive tool for detecting temperature fluctuations to generate estrus alerts without physical contact in cattle and buffaloes. This manuscript highlights the potential use of infrared thermography to understand reproductive physiology and practical implementation of this technique through discussing its advantages, limitations, and possible precautions.

Cattle change their behaviour in response to hot temperatures, including by engaging in stepping that indicates agitation. The automated recording of these responses would be helpful in the timely diagnosis of animals experiencing heat loading. Behavioural responses of beef cattle to hot environmental conditions were studied to investigate whether it was possible to assess behavioural responses by video-digitised image analysis. Open-source automated behavioural quantification software was used to record pixel changes in 13 beef cattle videorecorded in a climate-controlled chamber during exposure to a simulated typical heat event in Queensland, Australia. Increased digitised movement was observed during the heat event, which was related to stepping and grooming/scratching activities in standing animals. The 13 cattle were exposed in two cohorts, in which the first group of cattle ( n = 6) was fed a standard finisher diet based on a high percentage of cereal grains, and the second group of cattle ( n = 7) received a substituted diet in which 8% of the grains were replaced by lucerne hay. The second group displayed a smaller increase in digitised movements on exposure to heat than the first, suggesting less discomfort under hot conditions. The results suggest that cattle exposed to heat display increased movement that can be detected automatically by video digitisation software, and that replacing some cereal grain with forage in the diet of feedlot cattle may reduce the measured activity responses to the heat., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The present study has been designed to devise a pen-side hematological formula for estimation of hemoglobin (Hb) from packed cell volume (PCV) in Cholistani breed of cattle being reared under pastoralism in Cholistan desert, Pakistan. It also aims to validate the soundness of rule of calculating Hb concentration as one-third of PCV and vice versa as being used in human medicine. Cholistani cattle (n = 364) were bled for PCV determination (microhematocrit) method and Hb estimation (hematology analyzer) (HbD) as well as through calculation being one-third of PCV (HbC). The independent-sample t-test was implied for deducing difference between HbD and HbC, and between HbD and corrected Hb (CHb) for all study groups. The CHb was deduced through regression prediction equation attained from linear regression model. Scatter-plots were drawn and linear regression was carried out between various studied hematological attributes. Significantly (P ≤ 0.01) positive correlation coefficient was noticed for all study groups being highest for female adult stock (r = 0.893; adjusted R-square = 0.79) between HbD and PCV and between HbD and HbC. The regression equation for overall results attained, i.e., Hb = 0.13 (PCV) + 6.3 was used to deduce CHb. A non-significant (P ≥ 0.05) difference was noticed between HbD and CHb. In conclusion, a convention of human clinical medicine that Hb concentration is third of PCV and vice versa cannot be implied for Cholistani cattle. A different equation, i.e., Hb (g/dL) = 0.13 (PCV) + 6.3 may provide reliable results for Hb estimation from the PCV in cattle., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Transcriptional silencing induced by hypermethylation of CpG islands in the promoter regions of genes is believed to be an important mechanism of carcinogenesis in human cancers including epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Previously published data on gene methylation of EOC focused mainly on single gene or on cancer tissues. Objectives of the study were to estimate the promoter hypermethylation status of DAPK1 and p16 INK4a genes in circulating blood of EOC patients and to determine their association with clinicopathological features of EOC. This case-control study included 50 EOC patients and 20 apparently healthy and age matched female controls. Isolation of genomic DNA was carried out from peripheral venous blood. Methylation in promoter region of DAPK1 and p16 INK4a genes was determined by methylation-specific PCR. Methylation of DAPK1 was occurred in 42 out of 50 cases (84.0%) and methylation of p16 INK4a gene was occurred in 34 out of 50 cases (68.0%). Methylation of both genes was occurred in 25 cases (50.0%). Occurrence of methylation in DAPK1 and p16 INK4a genes was statistically significant ( p  < 0.0001) in cases compared to controls. Methylation of both genes was not statistically associated with age at diagnosis, menopausal status, histopathological types and FIGO staging of EOC. Identification of the peculiar promoter hypermethylation of DAPK1 and p16 INK4a genes might be a successful approach for ancillary diagnosis of EOC at early stage in blood sample., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe author(s) declared no conflicts of interest., (© Association of Clinical Biochemists of India 2020.)

Cattle are susceptible to heat stress, especially those kept on high levels of nutrition for the purpose of maximising growth rates, which leads to a significant heat increment in their bodies. Consequences include compromised health and productivity and mortalities during extreme events, as well as serious economic loss. Some measures of heat stress, such as plasma cortisol and temperature in the rectum, vagina, or rumen, are invasive and therefore unlikely to be used on farms. These may cause additional stress to the animal due to handling, and that stress in itself can confound the measure. Consequently, it is desirable to find non-invasive alternatives. Panting score (PS), cortisol metabolites in faeces, milk, or hair, and the infrared temperature of external body surfaces are all potentially useful. Respiratory indicators are difficult and time consuming to record accurately, and cortisol metabolites are expensive and technically difficult to analyse. Infrared temperature appears to offer the best solution but requires further research to determine the thresholds that define when corrective actions are required to ensure optimal health and productivity. Research in this area has the potential to ultimately improve the welfare and profitability of cattle farming.

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer continues to be a deleterious threat to women as it is asymptomatic and is typically detected in advanced stages. Cogent non-invasive biomarkers are therefore needed which are effective in apprehending the disease in early stages. Recently, miRNA deregulation has shown a promising magnitude in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis. miRNA-145(miR- 145) is beginning to be understood for its possible role in cancer development and progression. In this study, we identified the clinicopathological hallmarks altered owing to the downexpression of serum miR-145 in EOC., Methods: 70 serum samples from histopathologically confirmed EOC patients and 70 controls were collected. Total RNA from serum was isolated by Trizol method, polyadenylated and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Expression level of miR-145 was detected by miRNA qRT-PCR using RNU6B snRNA as reference., Results: The alliance of miR-145 profiling amongst patients and controls established itself to be conspicuous with a significant p-value (p<0.0001). A positive conglomeration (p=0.04) of miR-145 profiling was manifested with histopathological grade. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve highlights the diagnostic potential and makes it imminent with a robust Area Under the curve (AUC). A positive correlation with the ROC curve was also noted for histological grade, FIGO stage, distant metastasis, lymph node status and survival., Conclusion: Our results propose that miR-145 down-regulation might be a possible touchstone for disease progression and be identified as a diagnostic marker and predict disease outcome in EOC patients., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Organochalcogen compounds have attracted the interest of a multitude of studies for their promising Pharmacological and biological activities. The antioxidant activity and acute toxicity of an organoselenium compound, 1-(2-(2-(2-(1-aminoethyl)phenyl)diselanyl)phenyl)ethanamine (APDP) was determined in mice., Methods: Mice were randomly divided into four groups, with each group comprising of seven animals. Canola oil (1ml/kg of body weight) was administered to 1st group, while 2nd, 3rd & 4th groups were administered with 10 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg & 350 mg/kg of APDP respectively. APDP was administered by Intragastric gavage as a single oral dose., Results: The APDP oral administration was found to be safe up to 350 mg/kg of body weight and no deaths of animals were recorded. The lethal dose 50 (LD 50 ) for APDP was determined at 72 h and was estimated to be > 350 mg/kg. After acute treatment, all mice were sacrificed by decapitation to determine the antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation values for the treated mice liver. No fluctuation in lipid peroxidation, vitamin C and non protein thiol (NPSH) levels was observed due to the administration of APDP. hepatic α-ALA-D activity, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the biochemical parameters were evaluated. Experimental observation demonstrated that APDP protected Fe(II) induced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) production in liver homogenate significantly (p < 0.05). The administration of APDP (an amine-based diselenide) both in vitro and in vivo clearly demonstrated that this potential compound has no acute toxicity towards mice among all the tested parameter., Conclusion: On the basis of experimental results, it is concluded that APDP is a potential candidate as an antioxidant compound for studying pharmacological properties.

Relaxin, a peptide hormone has emerged as a cardioprotective agent against the heart failure and has been found to protect cardiac muscle cells against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury under in vitro conditions. The present study was conducted to study its possible role in activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes, as a means to counter hypoxia associated oxidative damage and cell death. H9C2 cell line was induced with chemical hypoxia alone or together with relaxin. Hypoxia associated cellular damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was accessed by Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and DCFDA activity respectively. The anti-oxidative property of RLXH2 was measures by assessing the activities of different enzymes like Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione peroxidase (GSX). Expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 was studied by immunoblotting and quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Translocation of Nrf2 to nucleus was studied by immunoblotting. Our results found that hypoxia associated lactate dehydrogenase leakage and ROS production is countered by RLXH2 treatment. Similarly, RLXH2 was able to counter hypoxia induced oxidative damage as evident by increased activities of SOD, CAT and GSX. Furthermore, it was found that RLXH2 treatment induces translocation of Nrf2 from cytosol to nucleus and in turn enhances expression level of HO-1. Our results suggest that RLXH2 exerts cytoprotective action in cardiomyocytes against the hypoxia induced damage and activates Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Selenium (Se) is a dietary essential trace element with important biological roles. It is a nutrient related to the complex metabolic and enzymatic functions. Organoselenium compounds have been reported to have anti-ulcer activity and used as drug for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. The antiulcer activity of binapthyl diselenide (NapSe)2 was investigated in ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats. A number of markers of oxidative stress were examined in rats stomach including thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), non-protein thiol groups (NPSH) and ascorbic acid. (NapSe)2 was found to be significantly restoring the deficits in the antioxidant defense mechanisms (CAT, SOD, NPSH and ascorbic acid), and suppressed lipid peroxidation in rat stomach resulting from EtOH administration. It is experimentally concluded that ethanol exposure causes alterations in the antioxidant defense system and induces oxidative stress in rat stomach. These studies establish a promising foundation for investigating and understanding the beneficial effects of organoselenium compounds on human health. Moreover, (NaPSe) 2 deserves further investigation as a therapeutic and preventive agent against gastric ulcer in humans.

Purpose : Catechol- O -methyltransferase (COMT) plays a central role in DNA repair and estrogen-induced carcinogenesis. The nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 4 G > A or Val108 > 158Met or rs4680 G > A influences COMT enzyme activity. The three phenotypes of the COMT enzyme activities include COMT A/A with low enzyme activity, COMT A/G with medium enzyme activity and COMT G/G with high enzyme activity. The Met allele is associated with low enzymatic activity resulting in higher levels of prefrontal dopamine. Conversely, the Val allele is associated with high enzymatic activity and lower levels of prefrontal dopamine. The Met allele has been associated with several psychiatric disorders such as panic disorder. Many recent epidemiologic studies have investigated the association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and coronary artery diseases risk, but the results are inconclusive. Therefore our study was aimed to explore the association between COMT Val158Met polymorphism and the risk of coronary artery disease in India. Methology : This study was conducted on 100 clinically confirmed cases of coronary artery diseases and 100 healthy controls. COMT Val158Met genotyping was performed by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR). Results : A significant correlation was observed in the COMT Val158Met genotype distribution between the coronary artery disease cases and healthy controls ( p = 0.008). The frequencies of all three genotypes, GG, GA, AA, reported in the CAD patients were 10%, 70%, and 20%, and 30%, 60%, and 10% in the healthy controls respectively. An increased risk of coronary artery disease was observed in the codominant inheritance model for COMT-GA vs. GG genotype with an OR of 3.5, 95% CI (1.58⁻7.74) p = 0.002) and COMT-AA vs. GG genotype with an OR of 6.0 95% CI (2.11⁻17.3) p = 0.003). The higher risk of coronary artery disease was observed in the dominant inheritance model for COMT ( GA + AA ) vs. GG genotype (OR 3.85, 95% CI 1.76⁻8.4, p < 0.007), whereas a non-significant association was found in recessive model for COMT ( GG + GA vs. AA ) (OR = 2.01, 95% CI (0.86⁻4.7) p = 0.72). The results indicated that A allele significantly increased the risk of coronary artery disease compared to the G allele (OR = 1.8, 95% CI (1.20⁻2.67) p = 0.004). COMT Val158Met polymorphism leads to a 6.0, 3.5 and 1.8-fold increased risk of developing coronary artery disease in the Indian population and providing novel insights into the genetic etiology and underlying biology of coronary artery disease. Conclusions : It is concluded that COMT-AA genotype and A allele are significantly associated with an increased susceptibility to coronary artery disease in Indian population. A larger sample size can be the key to progress in establishing the genetic co-relationship of COMT polymorphism and cardiovascular disease.

The genome of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum calidifontis contains an open reading frame, Pcal&#95;1032, annotated as glucokinase. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that Pcal&#95;1032 belonged to ROK (repressor, open reading frame, and kinase) family of sugar kinases. To examine the properties of Pcal&#95;1032, the coding gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. However, expression of the gene was low resulting in a poor yield of the recombinant protein. A single site directed mutation in Pcal&#95;1032 gene, without altering the amino acid sequence, resulted in approximately tenfold higher expression. Purified recombinant Pcal&#95;1032 efficiently phosphorylated various hexoses with a marked preference for glucose. ATP was the most preferred phosphoryl group donor. Optimum temperature and pH for the glucokinase activity of Pcal&#95;1032 were 95 °C and 8.5, respectively. Catalytic efficiency (k cat /K m ) towards glucose was 437 mM -1  s -1 . The recombinant enzyme was highly stable against temperature with a half-life of 25 min at 100 °C. In addition, Pcal&#95;1032 was highly stable in the presence of denaturants. There was no significant change in the CD spectra and enzyme activity of Pcal&#95;1032 even after overnight incubation in the presence of 8 M urea. To the best of our knowledge, Pcal&#95;1032 is the most active and highly stable glucokinase characterized to date from archaea, and this is the first description of the characterization of a glucokinase from genus Pyrobaculum.

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor has been implicated in many malignant and non-malignant diseases. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α is a tyrosine kinase and a side target for imatinib, a revolutionary drug for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia that has dramatically improved the survival of chronic myeloid leukemia patients. Given the importance of platelet-derived growth factor receptor in platelet development and its inhibition by imatinib, it was intriguing to analyze the role of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α in relation to imatinib treatment in the development of imatinib-induced thrombocytopenia in chronic myeloid leukemia patients. We hypothesized that two known functional polymorphisms, +68GA insertion/deletion and -909C/A, in the promoter region of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α gene may affect the susceptibility of chronic myeloid leukemia patients receiving imatinib treatment to the development of thrombocytopenia. A case-control study was conducted among a cohort of chronic myeloid leukemia patients admitted to the Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India. A set of 100 patients of chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. After initiation of imatinib treatment, the hematological response of chronic myeloid leukemia patients was monitored regularly for 2 years, in which the development of thrombocytopenia was the primary end point. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α promoter polymorphisms +68GA ins/del and -909C/A were studied by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α messenger RNA expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The messenger RNA expression results were expressed as 2 -Δct ± standard deviation. The distribution of +68GA ins/del promoter polymorphism genotypes differed significantly between the thrombocytopenic and non-thrombocytopenic chronic myeloid leukemia patient groups (p < 0.0001). Moreover, +68GA del/del and ins/del genotypes in imatinib-treated chronic myeloid leukemia patients were associated with an increased risk of developing thrombocytopenia, with odds ratios 6.5 (95% confidence interval = 2.02-0.89, p = 0.001) and 6.0 (95% confidence interval = 2.26-15.91, p = 0.0002), respectively. Similarly, -909C/A promoter polymorphism genotype distribution also differed significantly between thrombocytopenic and non-thrombocytopenic chronic myeloid leukemia patient groups (p = 0.02), and a significantly increased risk of imatinib-induced thrombocytopenia was associated with -909C/A polymorphism mutant homozygous (AA) genotypes the odds ratio being 7.7 (95% confidence interval 1.50 to 39.91, p = 0.009). However, no significant risk of imatinib-induced thrombocytopenia was found to be associated with heterozygous genotype (-909C/A) with odds ratio 1.9 (95% confidence interval = 0.86-4.56, p = 1.14). Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α messenger RNA expression was significantly higher in chronic myeloid leukemia patients compared to controls (p = 0.008). Moreover, patients with imatinib-induced thrombocytopenia had a significantly lower platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α messenger RNA expression, compared to patients without thrombocytopenia (p = 0.01). A differential expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α messenger RNA was observed with respect to different +68 GA ins/del and -909C/A polymorphism genotypes. The +68GA deletion allele and -909A allele were significantly associated with lower expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α messenger RNA. The platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α +68GA del/del, +68GA ins/del, and -909AA genotypes are associated with an increased risk of developing thrombocytopenia in imatinib-treated chronic myeloid leukemia patients. A significantly lower platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α messenger RNA expression accompanies the +68GA deletion allele in an allele dose-dependent manner. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α -909AA genotype is also associated with lower expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α. The downregulation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α expression may play a causative role in imatinib-induced thrombocytopenia, a common side effect, in the subset of chronic myeloid leukemia patients with platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α +68 GA ins/del, +68 GA del/del, and -909C/A genotypes.

The Protein Data Bank (PDB) is the single most important repository of structural data for proteins and other biologically relevant molecules. Therefore, it is critically important to keep the PDB data, error-free as much as possible. In this study, we have critically examined PDB structures of 292 protein molecules which have been deposited in the repository along with potentially incorrect ligands labelled as Unknown ligands (UNK). Pharmacophores were generated for all the protein structures by using Discovery Studio Visualizer (DSV) and Accelrys, Catalyst ® . The generated pharmacophores were subjected to the database search containing the reported ligand. Ligands obtained through Pharmacophore searching were then checked for fitting the observed electron density map by using Coot ® . The predicted ligands obtained via Pharmacophore searching fitted well with the observed electron density map, in comparison to the ligands reported in the PDB's. Based on our study we have learned that till may 2016, among 292 submitted structures in the PDB, at least 20 structures have ligands with a clear electron density but have been incorrectly labelled as unknown ligands (UNK). We have demonstrated that Pharmacophore searching and Coot ® can provide potential help to find suitable known ligands for these protein structures, the former for ligand search and the latter for electron density analysis. The use of these two techniques can facilitate the quick and reliable labelling of ligands where the electron density map serves as a reference., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

RIZ1 encodes a retinoblastoma (Rb)-interacting zinc finger protein, is commonly lost or expressed at reduced levels in cancer cells. The RIZ1 gene locus commonly undergoes LOH in many cancers. Here, we analyzed Proline insertion-deletion polymorphism at amino acid position 704 in the RIZ1 gene and its association with CML. The RIZ1 pro-704 LOH genotypes were determined by AS-PCR in 100 CML patients among which 50 were in CP-CML, 25 in AP-CML, and 25 in BC-CML. Pro704 ins/del polymorphism (LOH) was detected in 27% CML patients. Proline ins-ins homozygosity, del-del homozygosity and ins-del heterozygosity was detected in 9%, 18%, and 73% CML patients compared with 3%, 3%, and 94% in healthy controls, respectively (p < .0003). A four-fold increased risk was found to be associated del-del genotype. We found a statistically significant association between RIZ1 LOH and stage (p > .01) and hematological resistance (p > .001). However, there were no correlations found with other clinical parameters like age, gender, thrombocytopia, type of BCR-ABL, and molecular response. Our findings suggest that proline 704 del-del homozygosity phenotype can play an important role in progression of CML.

Background/aim: To assess the therapeutic effects of naloxone and yohimbine on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a rabbit model in terms of body weight and endocrinological parameters (luteinizing hormone, insulin, and estradiol)., Materials and Methods: A total of 50 adult, reproductively mature female rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were divided into five groups (n = 10/group). In the control group PCOS was not induced (negative control group), whereas in the remaining four groups (n = 40) PCOS was induced with a single i.m. injection of testosterone daily and were designated as follows: positive control, naloxone-treated (NalT), yohimbine-treated (YohT), and naloxone+yohimbine-treated (NalYT) groups., Results: A steadily ascending trend was noted in all of the studied parameters in the PCOS-induced group as compared to the negative control group. All the parameters showed a descending trend in the NalT group as compared to the positive control. Regarding the YohT and NalYT groups, all parameters showed a descending trend as compared to the positive control group except for estradiol., Conclusion: Naloxone therapy either alone or combined with yohimbine improves a wide range of the clinical manifestations of PCOS. Furthermore, we suggest this therapy as an alternative to the conventional therapy with insulin-lowering agents in vogue.

Purpose: To report the outcome of retinal artery macroaneurysm associated with a congenital anomalous retinal artery., Methods: The patient was examined with ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography., Results: A 60-year-old woman presented with visual acuity of 20/80 in her right eye. She was found to have an abnormal retinal vessel emerging from the optic disk, passing toward the center of the macula, and looping back toward the disk. The center of the loop had a leaking macroaneurysm, which was treated conservatively. At the 4-month follow-up visit, the visual acuity in the right eye had improved to 20/20 with resolution of most of the macular edema, exudates, and hemorrhage., Conclusion: This case demonstrates that retinal artery macroaneurysm can be successfully managed with a conservative approach, even when associated with a congenital anomalous retinal vessel.

A report of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) associated with radiation retinopathy. A 43-year-old Caucasian man presented with a 4-week history of sudden loss of central vision in the left eye, 8.5 years following radical radiotherapy for left tempero-parietal anaplastic astrocytoma. His visual acuity was 6/6 in the right eye and 6/60 in the left eye. Ophthalmoscopy of the left eye showed central macular pigmented area surrounded by subretinal fluid, haemorrhage and exudates. Fundus fluorescein angiography revealed left subfoveal CNV with surrounding macular oedema and peripheral retinal ischaemia. Radiation retinopathy associated CNV is a late ocular complication of cerebral radiotherapy. It should be investigated as a possible aetiology of severe visual loss in long-term survivors of cerebral tumours who have previously received radiotherapy.

Background: Our aim was to develop an objective computerised system for measuring different types of retinal haemorrhages in differing digital images, for use as a research tool. Despite developing various fully automated systems of retinal haemorrhage measurement we ultimately found user interaction to be necessary to achieve satisfactory validity of segmentation, and developed an interactive system of haemorrhage assessment based on this., Findings: The Haemorrhage Assessment System (HAS) presented here is an open access interactive program with graphical user interface allowing the ophthalmically trained user to easily delineate different haemorrhage types, optic disc and fovea. The system then automatically calculates a variety of measures, including mean haemorrhage area, total haemorrhage area, centre of mass, distance of centre of mass from disc and fovea, eccentricity and orientation. This paper presents evidence for the validity of HAS by comparison against established software and known results for geometric images., Conclusion: The system should be of use to experimenters studying the distribution and topography of vitreoretinal haemorrhages who require a means of accurately quantifying an ophthalmologist's gold standard assessment of a digital image.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses in upper eyelid procedures., Methods: Thirteen patients (14 eyes) who had full thickness upper lid reconstruction were studied. PureVision contact lenses were placed on the eyes at the commencement of the surgery. To evaluate the effectiveness of soft contact lens use, we looked at comfort, conjunctival injection, chemosis, corneal abrasion, lid oedema, evidence of infection and speed of healing., Results: Nine eyes (64.29 per cent) were entirely asymptomatic. Three eyes developed corneal abrasions and changing the contact lenses led to resolution of the symptoms. One eye developed cloudy vision at one week due to accumulation of discharge behind the contact lens and another eye had foreign body sensation. Both had immediate relief with contact lenses removal. Mean duration of contact lens wear was 19.5 days (range, seven to 35 days). There were no cases of chemosis, infection, unexplained post-operative inflammation or delayed wound healing., Conclusions: Despite its limitations, our study suggests that a soft contact lens may be a useful option in upper lid surgery.

Contact lens deposits have been reported previously with extended wear of soft contact lenses, with proteins, lipids, mucous, and various salts such as chloride, potassium and calcium being deposited on the lens surface [1]. We report an unusual case of precipitates on the surface of a bandage contact lens (BCL) following intensive treatment with topical preservative free artificial tears. Evaluation included microscopic and histochemical analysis of the BCL. We have also reviewed the literature for previous reports of contact lens precipitates.