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Central Giant Cell Granuloma (CGCG) is a reactive, benign bony lesion primarily affecting the jaw bones of unknown etiology. Its widespread clinical manifestations can make diagnosis challenging. It is usually seen in mandible but can also involve the maxilla and hence should be considered as a differential diagnosis. Both surgical and non-surgical method can be considered but conservative surgical excision is the widely used treatment approach for management of CGCG.

Mycoparasite secondary metabolites control fungal infections or diseases in agriculture and human health. Among genes involved in synthesizing secondary metabolites, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs/P450s) play a key role in synthesizing and attributing diversity to the secondary metabolites. Despite the importance of P450s, a comparative analysis of P450s in mycoparasites has yet to be reported. This study is aimed at addressing this research gap. Genome-wide analysis of P450s in 43 fungi representing six fungal phyla and three distinct lifestyles, such as mycoparasitic (24 species), saprophytic (5 species), and ectomycorrhizal (14 species), revealed the expansion of P450s in Pezizomycete mycoparasites for the synthesis of secondary metabolites. The number of P450s and their families and subfamilies, the number of secondary-metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (SMBGCs), and the number of P450s that are part of these SMBGCs were found to be highest in Pezizomycete mycoparasites compared to their counterparts of saprophytes and ectomycorrhiza, indicating P450s also play a key role in mycoparasitism. An analysis of P450 location as part of SMBGCs and the available literature on Pezizomycete P450s revealed that P450s play a key role in the synthesis of anti-fungal secondary metabolites such as trichothecene sesquiterpene, harzianum A, heptelidic acid, and gliotoxin. The mycoparasite Trichoderma virens Tv29.8 P450 CYP68Q3 is found to be a bifunctional enzyme with epoxidation and oxidation capability, and CYP5117A3 performs a Baeyer–Villiger oxidation reaction with regioselectivity. This study serves as a reference for future annotation of P450s in mycoparasites.

Essential medicines or drugs are recognized as highly cost-effective components within contemporary healthcare, demonstrating significant potential for improving health outcomes. The provision of essential medicines directly impacts the functioning of healthcare facilities, resulting in financial hardship. This review aims to fill knowledge gaps by examining obstacles hindering access and utilization of essential medicines in India. This study conducted a comprehensive evidence synthesis, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, to analyse articles on the availability and utilization of essential medicines in India. The search strategy included various databases and keywords. Published, peer-reviewed articles focusing on the National/ State List of Essential Medicines and meeting specific criteria were considered. Data items included essential medicines, drug availability, utilization, and challenges. Data was extracted, synthesized, and analysed using thematic framework analysis. Out of 1,129 articles, 11 were selected for review. Studies consistently highlighted the inadequate availability of essential medicines in different Indian states. Availability of essential medicines varies in the range of 17-51 percent across major states of India. Stock-outs of medicines vary from 4 to 14 weeks. Governance issues including differential procurement mechanisms across states of India, hinder seamless availability of essential medicines. Other challenges included distribution and purchasing system inefficiencies, governance-related issues, and facility/ user-level challenges impacting drug utilization. Disruptions in utilization were observed due to improper prescription practices and non-availability of affordable options. Accessibility and affordability also affected drug utilization. Issues with supply chain management and conflicting guidelines further contributed to the obstacles faced in ensuring availability and utilization of essential medicines in India. Ensuring the availability, accessibility, and affordability of essential medicines is of utmost importance. The public health system needs to strengthen its procurement and distribution management. Strengthening the logistics support for an efficient supply of essential medicines will reduce the time lag in receipt of drugs. Guidelines on essential drugs prepared by the National Health System Resource Centre need to be strictly adhered to and monitored in inventory management system. There is an urgent need to develop a sustainable model for achieving uniformity in the availability and utilization of essential medicines in India.

Abstract The objective of our study was to report real-world data on the safety and efficacy of standard-of-care teclistamab in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). This is a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study and included all consecutive patients that received at least one dose of teclistamab up until August 2023. One hundred and ten patients were included, of whom, 86% had triple-class refractory disease, 76% penta-refractory disease, and 35% had prior exposure to B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting therapies. The overall response rate (ORR) in our cohort was 62%, with a ≥ very good partial remission (VGPR) rate of 51%. The ORR in patients with and without prior BCMA-targeted therapies was 54% vs 67%, respectively (p = 0.23). At a median follow-up of 3.5 months (range, 0.39–10.92), the estimated 3 month and 6 month progression free survival (PFS) was 57% (95% CI, 48%, 68%) and 52% (95% CI, 42%, 64%) respectively. The incidence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) was 56% and 11% respectively, with grade ≥3 CRS and ICANS noted in 3.5% and 4.6% of patients respectively. 78 unique infections were diagnosed in 44 patients, with the incidence of all-grade and grade ≥3 infections being 40% vs 26% respectively. Primary prophylaxis with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was associated with a significantly lower infection risk on multivariate analysis (Hazard ratio [HR] 0.33; 95% CI 0.17, 0.64; p = 0.001).

This review explores the non-random distribution of chemical novelty among marine invertebrate phyla, with a particular focus on Porifera (sponges), which have exhibited the highest average count of novel natural products per species since 1990. Sponges, considered the oldest multicellular animals, boast approximately 15,000 species, with 8553 officially recognized. They are integral to marine ecosystems and have ecological, economic, and biopharmaceutical significance. The review outlines the structure and habits of sponges, their historical use, and their prevalence in various marine and freshwater habitats. Notably, sponges are recognized as key sources of marine natural products, with their potential medicinal applications extensively studied. Lead compounds derived from sponges have yielded marine pharmaceuticals, including cytarabine, vidarabine, and eribulin mesylate, approved for anticancer and antiviral purposes. Ongoing clinical studies involve novel sponge derivatives such as gemcitabine, hemiasterlin, discodermolide, and PM060184. The review underscores the global interest among researchers in natural product chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences in investigating marine sponges for medication development. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature review from 2000 to 2023, summarizing the chemistry and pharmacological activities of porifera-derived alkaloids based on 212 research papers. The chemical distribution section emphasizes the oceans as a vast repository of unexplored chemical diversity, with sponges yielding approximately 413 alkaloids from 2000 to 2023. Overall, the review provides a comprehensive overview of the chemical and pharmacological diversity of porifera-derived alkaloids, highlighting the importance of sponges as valuable subjects for chemical investigations with potential implications for medication development.

The present work reports on the isolation and characterisation of two novel antiviral ester compounds from dichloromethane leaf extracts of Spondias mombin (SM). The characterisation and structural elucidation were established from spectroscopic evidence of nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared and mass spectroscopy. The compounds identified were 6-methylheptyl pentadecanoate and 6-methylheptyl-15-(1,2,3,4,4a,8a-hexahydronaphthalen-1-yl)pentadecanoate. The novel isolated ester compounds were reported to have anti-rhino virus activity in silico against a known biological target (HsNMT1) that plays a key role in developing therapeutics against the common cold. Molecular docking analysis revealed the binding affinity across all targets within the range of −4.6 to −8.2 kcal/mol, whilst molecular dynamic simulation showed that systems attained good stability due to the maintenance of mean root-mean-square deviation values within the acceptable range of 1.5−2.5 Å. It can be concluded that the novel compounds are potential inhibitory candidates against rhinovirus protein target HsNMT1. However, in vitro and in vivo experiments are further required to validate the possible inhibitory candidates against rhinovirus disease (common cold). Significance: The significance of this study contributes to the scientific rationale for using SM leaf extracts to treat viral diseases. Two novel compounds, 6-methylheptyl pentadecanoate and 6-methylheptyl-15-(1,2,3,4,4a,8a-hexahydronaphthalen-1-yl)pentadecanoate, were predicted through computer-aided techniques to possess anti-rhinovirus properties.

Abstract Extra copies of chromosome 1q21 (+1q: gain = 3 copies, amp >= 4 copies) are associated with worse outcomes in multiple myeloma (MM). This systematic review assesses the current reporting trends of +1q, the efficacy of existing regimens on +1q, and its prognostic implications in MM randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Registry of RCTs were searched from January 2012 to December 2022. Only MM RCTs were included. A total of 124 RCTs were included, of which 29 (23%) studies reported on +1q. Among them, 10% defined thresholds for +1q, 14% reported survival data separately for gain and amp, and 79% considered +1q a high-risk cytogenetic abnormality. Amongst RCTs that met the primary endpoint showing improvement in progression free survival (PFS), lenalidomide maintenance (Myeloma XI), selinexor (BOSTON), and isatuximab (IKEMA and ICARIA) were shown to improve PFS for patients with evidence of +1q. Some additional RCT’s such as Myeloma XI+ (carfilzomib), ELOQUENT-3 (elotuzumab), and HOVON-65/GMMG-HD4 (bortezomib) met their endpoint showing improvement in PFS and also showed improvement in PFS in the +1q cohort, although the confidence interval crossed 1. All six studies that reported HR for +1q patients vs. without (across both arms) showed worse OS and PFS for +1q. There is considerable heterogeneity in the reporting of +1q. All interventions that have shown to be successful in RCTs and have clearly reported on the +1q subgroup have shown concordant direction of results and benefit of the applied intervention. A more standardized approach to reporting this abnormality is needed.

Abstract Long‐term follow‐up of multiple myeloma (MM) clinical trials are needed to assess long‐term outcomes. We aimed to investigate the length of follow‐up of all phase III MM clinical trials. Median follow‐up duration of clinical trials of newly diagnosed MM was longer when compared to relapsed/refractory MM clinical trials (42.7 vs. 20.5 months, respectively). The follow‐up duration of phase III clinical trials in MM is relatively short when compared to the improved outcomes in the current era. Efforts should be made to facilitate long‐term clinical trials follow‐up and/or publication of results of updated results.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Platelets interact with leukocytes in the circulation to modulate inflammation in chronic diseases. In previous clinical study, we showed that platelet leukocyte interaction is reduced in the circulation of patients with CKD. Preclinical studies are needed to show whether these findings are a precursor to or a result of CKD. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We used mouse models (wild type and platelet-defect) and induced CKD with intraperitoneal cisplatin injections. We measured platelet leukocyte interactions before and after CKD induction in the two models. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We found platelet-leukocyte interaction to reduce after CKD induction in both wild type and platelet-defect mice. This coincided with a pro-inflammatory state in these mice, as measured by serum TNFalpha levels. Specifically, pro-inflammatory state was exacerbated in CKD of mice with platelet-defects compared to the wild type. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings recapitulate translational findings in human CKD samples and confirm that CKD state results in reduced platelet-leukocyte interactions in the circulation, and this change imparts a pro-inflammatory state in the CKD state.

Background: Effective Cataract Surgical Coverage (eCSC) is a core outcomes domain indicator to assess accessibility and quality of eye care services with limited available information. Purpose: To generate baseline estimates of eCSC for India. Methods: We performed the analysis of data pooled from Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness surveys conducted in 31 districts of India during 2015-2019 among persons aged 50+ years. eCSC was calculated at various thresholds, the primary being operable cataract at best corrected visual acuity

Summary: Background: Smoldering myeloma (SMM) is an asymptomatic precursor condition to multiple myeloma (MM) with a variable risk of progression. The management of high-risk SMM (HR-SMM) remains controversial, particularly with changes in diagnostic criteria that led to reclassifying of some patients with SMM to MM. This study aimed to assess clinician preferences for whether to treat patients with HR-SMM and/or patients with MM diagnosed solely by SLiM criteria (free light chain ratio >100, bone marrow plasma cell percentage >60, greater than two focal marrow lesions on MRI) through an electronic survey. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of clinicians, conducted via an anonymous online REDCap survey from May 16th to July 5th, 2023. The survey included questions on demographics, SMM surveillance practices, and management preferences for two clinical scenarios (HR-SMM and MM based solely on the free light chain ratio >100 criterion). Data was analysed descriptively via Microsoft Excel. Findings: A total of 146 clinicians completed the full survey, with 92% recommending against routine treatment for a patient with HR-SMM based on a single time point assessment, instead preferring active surveillance. For patients with MM diagnosed solely on the basis of a free light chain ratio >100, 61% recommended active treatment, while 37% recommended active surveillance. The most common reasons recommending against treatment of HR-SMM were toxicity, lack of demonstrated overall survival benefit, and low MM-defining event rates in clinical trials. Interpretation: The survey indicates that most clinicians recommend against routine treatment for HR-SMM. Active surveillance is the prevailing standard of care and it is therefore an appropriate control arm in future SMM trials. More randomised trials are needed to determine if early treatment of modern-era SMM offers a net benefit to patients. Funding: None.

Background: Imaging is crucial for diagnosing head and neck pathologies, particularly those involving lymph nodes (LNs). Ultrasound can detect nodes even smaller than 2 mm in diameter. Objectives: The objectives were to assess the accuracy of the ultrasonography (USG) findings in differentiating malignant and non-malignant LNs. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with clinically palpable LNs in the head and neck region were assigned to either of the two groups based on the inclusion criteria. All the patients were subjected to greyscale sonography, then USG Doppler and USG elastography, and finally, USG-guided FNAB. All the data were tabulated for statistical analysis. A Chi-square test was used. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated. Results: In this study, sensitivity for greyscale USG was 82.8%, whereas sensitivity for USG doppler and USG elastography was 72.2% and specificity for greyscale USG, doppler, and elastography was 88.8%. Conclusion: USG Doppler and USG elastography can be used in conjunction with greyscale USG with high sensitivity and specificity to diagnose soft tissue pathology, particularly in the LNs of the head and neck regions.

There is a paucity of granular data on infection risk with B-cell maturation antigen (BMCA) and GPRC5D bispecific antibodies (bsAb) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). The aim of our multi-institutional study was to characterize the incidence, etiologies, and risk factors of infections from the start of therapy to the last follow-up or 90 days after study exit. A total of 66 patients received BCMA bsAb monotherapy, 15 GPRC5D bsAb monotherapy, and 15 GPRC5D bsAb combination therapy with daratumumab and/or pomalidomide. While the infection rate per 100 days was 0.57 for BCMA bsAb, it was 0.62 for GPRC5D bsAb combination and 0.13 for GPRC5D bsAb monotherapy; P=0.05. The proportion of infections that were grade ≥3 was higher in the BCMA bsAb group compared to the GPRC5D groups (58% vs. 36%; P=0.04). Grade 5 events were observed in 8% (n=8) of the patients, all treated with BCMA bsAb. The 9 month cumulative incidence of any grade of infection was similar in the BCMA and GPRC5D-combination groups (57% and 62%) and significantly higher than in the GPRC5D-mono group (16%); P=0.012. The cumulative incidence of grade ≥3 infections was highest in the BCMA group reaching 54% at 18 months; P=0.06. Multivariate analysis showed that BCMA bsAb therapy or GPRC5D combination therapy, history of previous infections, baseline lymphopenia, and baseline hypogammaglobulinemia were significantly associated with a higher risk of grade ≥3 infections. Our results indicate that BCMA bsAb and GPRC5D-combination therapies in RRMM are associated with higher cumulative incidence of infection and grade ≥3 infection compared to GPRC5D bsAb mono.

Survival has improved in patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) over the last two decades; however, there remains a paucity of data on the causes of death in MM patients and whether causes of death change during the disease trajectory. We conducted a retrospective population-based study to evaluate the rates of MM-specific versus non-MM cause of death and to identify factors associated with cause-specific death in MM patients, stratified into autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and non-ASCT cohorts. A total of 6,677 patients were included, 2,576 in the ASCT group and 4,010 in the non-ASCT group. Eight hundred and seventy-three (34%) ASCT patients and 2,787 (68%) non-ASCT patients died during the follow-up period. MM was the most frequent causes of death, causing 74% of deaths in the ASCT group and 67% in the non-ASCT group. Other cancers were the second leading causes of death, followed by cardiac and infectious diseases. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that a more recent year of diagnosis and novel agent use within 1 year of diagnosis were associated with a decreased risk of MM-specific death, whereas a history of previous non-MM cancer, older age, and the presence of CRAB criteria at diagnosis increased the risk of non-MM death. Our data suggests that despite improvement in MM outcomes in recent years, MM remains the greatest threat to overall survival for patients. Further advances in the development of effective MM therapeutic agents in both ASCT and non-ASCT populations and patient access to them is needed to improve outcomes.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosomes have been found to attenuate cardiac systolic and diastolic dysfunction in animal models of ischemia. Exosomes carry a plethora of active and inactive proteins as their cargo, which are readily available to the recipient cell for use in intracellular signaling pathways-depending on the stresses, such as ischemia or hypoxia. Among the exosomal proteins are the often-overlooked cargo of transcriptional regulators. These transcriptional regulators influence the transcriptome and subsequently the proteome of recipient cell. Here, we report the transcriptional factors and regulators differentially modulated and their potential role in modulating cardiac function in MSC exosome treated ischemic mice hearts. Our analysis shows ischemic stress modulating transcriptional regulators and factors such as HSF1 and HIF1A in the infarct and peri-infarct areas of ischemic hearts which is mitigated by MSC exosomes. Similarly, STAT3 and SMAD3 are also modulated by MSC exosomes. Interestingly, NOTCH1 and β-catenin were detected in the ischemic hearts. The differential expression of these regulators and factors drives changes in various biological process governed in the ischemic cardiac cells.We believe these studies will advance our understanding of cardiac dysfunction occurring in the ischemic hearts and lay the groundwork for further studies on the modulation of cardiac function during ischemia by MSC exosomes.

Abstract Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a pneumonia-like disease with a pattern of acute respiratory symptoms, currently remains a significant public health concern causing tremendous human suffering. Although several approved vaccines exist, vaccine hesitancy, limited vaccine availability, high rate of viral mutation, and the absence of approved drugs account for the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The investigation of possibly repurposing of phytochemical compounds as therapeutic alternatives has gained momentum due to their reported affordability and minimal toxicity. This study investigated anti-viral phytochemical compounds from ethanolic leaf extracts of Spondias mombin L as potential inhibitor candidates against SARS-CoV-2. We identified Geraniin and 2-O-Caffeoyl-(+)-allohydroxycitric acid as potential SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor candidates targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent polymerase receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 viral S-protein and the 3C-like main protease (3CLpro). Geraniin exhibited binding free energy (ΔGbind) of − 25.87 kcal/mol and − 21.74 kcal/mol towards SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent polymerase and receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 viral S-protein respectively, whereas 2-O-Caffeoyl-(+)-allohydroxycitric acid exhibited a ΔGbind of − 32 kcal/mol towards 3CLpro. Molecular Dynamics simulations indicated a possible interference to the functioning of SARS-CoV-2 targets by the two identified inhibitors. However, further in vitro and in vivo evaluation of these potential SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic inhibitor candidates is needed.

ABSTRACT Protein kinases of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii have been shown to play key roles in regulating parasite motility, invasion, replication, egress and survival within the host. The tyrosine kinase-like (TKL) kinase family of proteins are a set of poorly studied kinases that our recent studies have indicated play a critical role in Toxoplasma biology. In this study, we focused on TgTKL4, another member of the TKL family that is predicted to confer parasite fitness. Endogenous tagging of TgTKL4 identified it as a temporally oscillating kinase with dynamic localization in the parasite. Gene disruption experiments suggested that TgTKL4 is important for Toxoplasma propagation in vitro, and loss of this kinase resulted in replication and invasion defects. During parasite division, TgTKL4 expression was limited to the synthesis and mitosis-cytokinesis phases and, interestingly, loss of TgTKL4 led to defects in Toxoplasma morphology. Further analysis of the parasite cytoskeleton indicated that the subpellicular microtubules are shorter and more widely spaced in parasites lacking TgTKL4. Although loss of TgTKL4 caused only moderate changes in the gene expression profile, TgTKL4 null mutants exhibited significant changes in their global phospho-proteome, including in proteins that constitute the parasite cytoskeleton. Additionally, mice inoculated intraperitoneally with TgTKL4 knockout parasites showed increased survival rates, suggesting that TgTKL4 plays an important role in acute toxoplasmosis. Together, these findings suggest that TgTKL4 mediates a signaling pathway that regulates parasite morphology and is an important factor required for parasite fitness in vitro and in vivo. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that can cause life-threatening disease in mammals; hence, identifying key factors required for parasite growth and pathogenesis is important to develop novel therapeutics. In this study, we identified and characterized another member of the newly described TKL family, TgTKL4, a cell cycle-regulated kinase. By disrupting TgTKL4, we determined that this kinase is required for normal parasite growth in vitro and that loss of this kinase results in parasites with reduced competence in replication and invasion processes. Specifically, Toxoplasma parasites lacking TgTKL4 had defects in cytoskeletal arrangement, resulting in parasites with abnormal morphology. Phospho-proteome studies provided further clues that decreased phosphorylation of proteins that constitute the Toxoplasma cytoskeleton could be responsible for altered morphology in TgTKL4-deficient parasites. Additionally, loss of TgTKL4 resulted in attenuation of virulence in the animal model, suggesting that TgTKL4 is an important virulence factor. Hence, this study provides a novel insight into the importance of a TgTKL4 as a fitness-determining factor for Toxoplasma propagation in vitro and pathogenesis in vivo.

Background: COVID 19 lockdown has an impact on the mental health of the general population, COVID patients, and health professionals. However, knowledge about its impact on psychiatric patients is limited. Objectives: To assess the mental health outcomes among psychiatric patients due to disruption of access to psychiatric services caused by the COVID 19 lockdown. Materials and Methods: It was a single-center, cross-sectional, observational, pragmatic study conducted at a tertiary care psychiatric hospital. All consecutive psychiatric patients presented to review in the outpatient department for 3 weeks following the relaxation of lockdown were screened, and a total of 305 eligible patients were enrolled. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to capture the mental health status of the patients. Results: More than three-fourths (78.3%) of patients were off medications during the lockdown. During lockdown, more than half (64.3%) of patients' mental health conditions worsened, and significantly more in those who were not on medications. More than half of patients who were doing well before lockdown showed re-emergence of symptoms, and it was more commonly seen in mood disorder patients, followed by schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder patients. Thirty-one (10.1%) patients reported self-harm ideas; six (1.9%) claimed to have made self-harm attempts during lockdown. Conclusions: COVID-19 lockdown has worsened the mental health status of psychiatric patients. Strengthening community-based psychiatric care in tie-up with telepsychiatry services and adopting new innovative measures may help face such eventualities in the future.

Introduction: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have adverse effects on physical and psychosocial health and results in marital problems with reduced quality of life in partners. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives of the study are to investigate the relationship between domestic violence (DV), marital satisfaction, and well-being in partners of AUD patients. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on patients with AUD and their partners. We administered the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire to the participants and DV questionnaire, marital satisfaction scale, coping questionnaire, and the World Health Organization (WHO-5) well-being index scales to the partners. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were depicted using frequency tables, and linear regression analysis was performed. Results: DV was reported by 36.98% of the partners, and the marital satisfaction rate was 62.58%. The WHO-5 well-being was 33.88%, engaged coping was 38.60%, tolerant coping was 23.60%, withdrawal coping being 6.18%, and total coping was 72.76%. The severity of alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) negatively correlated with well-being (r = 0.24) and marital satisfaction (r = 0.17). Furthermore, DV showed a negative correlation with the marital satisfaction (r = 0.32; P = 0.02) and well-being (r = 0.50; P = 0.0001) with statistical significance. Conclusions: The majority of the partners experienced DV, marital dissatisfaction, and poor well-being.

Commercially affordable titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) catalyst with low toxicity and high efficiency, were prepared by scalable Flame pyrolysis method. For this, titanium iso-propoxide solution was directly burned in air, the product in the form of white soot was collected over water cooled conical flask. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by various sophisticated techniques viz. UV–Visible, FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDS and TEM. The SEM, TEM and Zeta Potential Analyzer illustrated spherical morphology of the synthesized TiO2 NPs with an average size of about 150 nm. The XRD confirmed formation of prominently dominated anatase phase co-existed with traces of rutile phase. The combination of anatase and rutile phase exhibited increased catalytic activity for removal of dyes. The flame synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles exhibited strong dye removal efficiency of 97.64 % for Methylene Blue and 92.39 % for Congo Red dyes respectively, making it vitally important for the waste water treatment and industrial dyes removal applications. Probable dye degradations mechanism on the surface of TiO2 NPs also proposed based on the LCMS results.

ABSTRACTPoly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has a wide range of applications that generate a lot of waste globally; thus, upcycling PET is important because it offers several industrial and economic advantages. This study describes a sustainable, emissions-free process for converting PET plastics into carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) named PT-nano powder. The thermal-hydrothermal method has employed the production of PT-nano powder above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PET plastics. Under optimal conditions, PET plastics were efficiently converted into PT-nano powder with 86.6% crystallinity and an average particle size of 6.5 nm. The PT-nano powder was characterized for physical and chemical properties using different techniques, including UV-Vis, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, FESEM, TEM, and proton NMR analysis. The characterization confirms the complete conversion of PET to solid fractions of carbon nanomaterial. The PT-nano powder was tested in supercapacitor performance application with electrochemical characterization. The symmetric fabrication showed a specific capacitance of 250.8 F/g, energy density of 34.83Wh/kg, and power density of 999.9W/kg with a current density of 0.5A/g. The device fabrication exhibited high cycle stability and high capacitance retention of 96.8% with a current density of 1.5A/g after 10000 cycles.

Introduction: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death in most countries as well as developing countries like India and incidence of susceptibility to CAD is associated with increased frequencies of particular Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) located in Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) gene. Aim: To evaluate the association of LPL gene polymorphisms variation namely LPL-HindIII, LPL-PvuII and LPL-Ser447Ter with CAD in Bengali population by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). Materials and Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India from April 2016 to October 2016. The study included 100 patients suffering from CAD and 100 controls from healthy populations were taken and Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) extraction followed by genotyping was done by PCR based RFLP study. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for genotypic frequencies were analysed followed by goodness-of-fit Chisquare (χ2 ) test to check the equilibrium of the SNP alleles. Results: Total 100 patients, 57 males and 43 females with mean age 61.42±9.34 years suffering from CAD were cases and 100 patients were controls, 61 males and 39 females with mean age 49.37±10.21 years. It was found that genotypic frequencies for HindIII, PvuII and MnlI polymorphism of LPL gene were not deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg expectations in both control and cases groups. We could not find any significant association of the HindIII, PvuII and Ser447Ter polymorphisms of the LPL gene with occurrence of CAD in target population after appropriate data analysis using SPSS and MedCalc software. Conclusion: Association and prediction of susceptibility patterns in ethnic population may require a prospective study involving higher number of cases which subsequently leads to possible pharmacogenomic utility on a broader perspective. Although authors did not get any statistically significant association between CAD and the genes of interest but these findings would lead to a better understanding of the condition and open up more avenues for study, treatment and prevention of CAD.

Hypertension (HTN) is a globally prevalent non-communicable disease contributing significantly to cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. In achieving control of HTN, therapeutic adherence plays a crucial role. Studies from India identify varying rates of adherence to antihypertensive medications. Multiple factors determine treatment adherence in HTN. In India, factors such as lower socioeconomic status, health literacy, asymptomatic nature of disease, forgetfulness, cost of medications, and duration of HTN determine the adherence. An excellent physician-patient relationship incorporating adequate counseling along with the use of other methods can identify poor adherence. Improving adherence necessitates incorporating a multipronged approach with strategies directed at physicians, patients, and health systems. With innovation in therapeutics, the pharmaceutical sector can contribute significantly to improve adherence. Furthermore, increasing adherence to lifestyle interventions can help achieve better HTN control and improve CV outcomes. In the Indian context, more emphasis is necessary on patient education, enhanced physician-patient relationship and communication, increased access to health care, and affordability in improving therapeutic adherence in HTN.

Priyaranjan Nandi, “One for Joy”: A Unique Exploration of Extramarital Intimacy . Xpress Publishing, 2021 (1st Edition), 200 pp., ₹225. ISBN: 978-1-63850-297-5.

Anisotropic cloud string cosmological models has been investigated in the context of five dimensional Kaluza- Klein space time. In this paper the energy momentum tensor is generated by rest energy density and tension density of the string with particle density attached to them. To obtained the exact solutions of the Einstein field equations we assumed a scale factor a(t)=e1β2βt+c where β and c are positive constant, which yields a variable deceleration parameter (DP) q=−aäȧ2=βH+α. The physical and geometrical behavior of the models is also discussed in detail.

Objective To determine the usefulness of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and a reliable cut-off value that can predict postoperative visual function improvement in patients with pituitary macroadenoma.Methods and Analysis This was a prospective observational study. Preoperative optical coherence tomography of the RNFL was performed in patients with pituitary macroadenoma. Postoperative visual function changes (acuity and visual fields) were identified using predefined criteria. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed for RNFL values to define the ideal cut-off value that predicted improvement. Other variables including preoperative visual acuity, mean deviation, visual field index and tumour volume were also analysed.Results Twenty-nine eligible subjects (58 eyes) were recruited. The mean (±SD) age was 43.9 (±12.85) years and 65.5% were male. The mean (±SE) follow-up duration was 20.8 (±6.42) months. RNFL thickness was significantly thinner in eyes with visual dysfunction and optic disc pallor. Better preoperative logarithmic minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity, higher RNFL thickness and smaller tumour volume were associated with postoperative visual field improvement on univariate analysis; however, only mean RNFL thickness had significant association on multivariate analysis. None of the preoperative variables showed significant association with improvement in visual acuity. The best cut-off of mean RNFL thickness for visual field improvement was estimated at 81 μm with 73.1% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity.Conclusion Preoperative RNFL thickness can be an objective predictor of visual field outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for pituitary macroadenomas, with moderate sensitivity and specificity. It is, however, not a good predictor of visual acuity outcome.

Within the context of Saez-Ballester theory, we explored the interaction of a five-dimensional Bianchi type-I anisotropic cloud string cosmological model Universe with an electromagnetic field. With an electromagnetic field, the energy momentum tensor is assumed to be the sum of the rest energy density and string tension density in this paper. We use the average scale factor as an integrating function of time to get exact answers to Saez-Ballester equations. The dynamics and importance of the model’s many physical parameters are also examined.

Background and Purpose: Occurrence of stroke has been reported among patients with COVID-19. The present study compares clinical features and outcomes of stroke patients with and without COVID-19. Methods: The COVID-19 Stroke Study Group (CSSG) is a multicentric study in 18 sites across India to observe and compare the clinical characteristics of patients with stroke admitted during the current pandemic period and a similar epoch in 2019. The present study reports patients of stroke with and without COVID-19 (CoVS and non-CoVS, respectively) seen between February 2020 and July 2020. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and outcome details of patients were collected. Results: The mean age and gender were comparable between the two groups. CoVS patients had higher stroke severity and extent of cerebral involvement on imaging. In-hospital complications and death were higher among CoVS patients (53.06% vs. 17.51%; P < 0.001) and (42.31% vs. 7.6%; P < 0.001), respectively. At 3 months, higher mortality was observed among CoVS patients (67.65% vs. 13.43%; P < 0.001) and good outcome (modified Rankin score [mRS]: 0–2) was seen more often in non-CoVS patients (68.86% vs. 33.33%; P < 0.001). The presence of COVID-19 and baseline stroke severity were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusions: CoVS is associated with higher severity, poor outcome, and increased mortality. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and baseline stroke severity are independent predictors of mortality.

Acetaminophen (AC) is one of the most commonly prescribed analgesic and antipyretic drug, which is considered to be safe as well as effective. Rational use of AC does not pose any toxicity or adverse effects, however, an overdose or prolonged use could lead to nephrotoxicity and severe hepatoxicity. Thus, monitoring of AC is essential for drug safety. In this work, a facile Fe2O3/reduced graphene oxide (Fe2O3/RGO) nanocomposite was synthesized for improved electrochemical detection of AC. The material was synthesized through a simple one-step process. For characterization of synthesized Fe2O3/RGO composite, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed. To verify the electrochemical performance of Fe2O3/RGO nanocomposite, GCE was modified with this nanocomposite and utilized for quantification of AC. The detection limit of AC was 21 nM in a linear range from 1.0 × 10−7 to 74 × 10−6 M. Furthermore, the sensor also unveiled good stability, promising sensitivity and selectivity. Hence, Fe2O3/RGO could be applied as a sensing material for electrochemical detection of AC. Finally, the analytical utility of the method was also verified in human urine and drug samples with some preliminary treatments. Keywords: Fe2O3/graphene, Acetaminophen, Electrochemical determination, Voltammetry, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Malaria is among one of the world's oldest deadly diseases. According to the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) malaria report, an estimated 241 million cases and 627 000 malaria death were recorded globally in 2020. Malaria can be treated using various antimalarial drugs. However, the high prevalence of counterfeit antimalarial drugs is a growing challenge. These drugs are dominant in most African countries since medicine costs are high, and some countries lack reasonable quality control and verification processes. High levels of counterfeit medicine accelerate the rate at which the malaria species develop resistance to available antimalarial drugs. This review focuses on the use of electrochemical sensors for quality control of antimalarial compounds (Quinoline-related compounds, artemisinin derivatives, antifolates, and antibiotics) approved by the World Health Organization.

The oxazole-dehydrozingerone hybrid molecules (4a-j) and oxazole-dehydrozingerone-thiophene derivatives (6a-e) were synthesized via cyclisation, coupling and aldol condensation reactions. Final compounds were characterized by FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Synthesized compounds were screened against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, MDR, and XDR strains. Compound 4f showed potential activity of 6.25 µg/mL against H37Rv, while compound 4c exhibited potential activity of 12.5 µg/mL. For the XDR strain, structure 4a, 4b demonstrated moderate efficiency of 12.5 µg/mL. All of the synthesized molecules were tested in comparison with a standard drug. Computational docking studies were performed for the active compound 4f against the enzyme Mtb DNA Gyrase. The outcomes of the presented research will broadly help to the researchers working on developing antituberculosis drugs.

A fringe pattern normalization algorithm is proposed using the smoothing Kalman filter. The background intensity and the fringe amplitude are estimated consecutively. These estimates are subsequently utilized to obtain the normalized fringe pattern. The fringe pattern normalization can be performed by scanning it either in a row-column-wise or in a zigzag manner. The simulation and experimental results are provided to substantiate the practical applicability of the proposed method.

Wilson's disease is an uncommon genetic disorder, in which abnormal copper accumulation occurs in various parts of the body. Approximately 30% of patients debut with neuropsychiatric symptoms posing a diagnostic challenge in the initial phase. In this report, we present a case of a middle-aged woman with Wilson's disease who initially developed neurological symptoms such as shaking of hands and jerky movements of the head and later developed psychotic symptoms. We discuss the unique features of our case. Most patients with Wilson's disease develop psychiatric symptoms at some stage. The index case presented with psychosis, which is less commonly described compared to other psychiatric manifestations in patients with Wilson's disease. Currently, there are no treatment guidelines for the management of the same.

Present study gives the torsional behaviour of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beam of M30 grade of concrete strengthened with aramid fiber. The aramid fiber as an externally bonded reinforcement used for increasing flexural strength, an attempt is made to use it for improving torsional behaviour of RC beam. Torsional failure mostly occurs in seismic affected areas subjected to sudden failure. Torsional failure is brittle type failure occurs due to undesirable loading.RC beam strengthened with aramid fiber tested for torsional moment using lever arms subjected to equal static loading which transfer equal torsional moment to the beam. The cross section of beam is 150 mm × 300 mm and of 1 m in length. In that three beams were designed for torsional reinforcement and nine as conventional beams. Beam is designed for torsion as per IS456-2000. Building designed earlier using the codes were insufficient to cater for torsional reinforcement. This research investigates behaviour of such conventional beams for torsion when wrapped with aramid fiber. Torsional moments of such strengthened beams are compared with torsionally designed beams which are designed as per new design codes. The study is restricted to aramid fiber fully wrapped and wrapped in strips at width 100 mm of U shape on three faces of beam by using epoxy resin.Experimental result includes ultimate loads & first cracking loads, angle of twist and twisted shape of the beam. Result shows that fully wrapped RC beam gives more torsional strength as compared to controlled beam and there is significant improvement in torsional strength of beams wrapped in strips. After first crack, beam shows tendency to carry load with increase in angle of twist. Thus it is easy method for strengthening of RC beams. Keywords: Torsional behaviour, Reinforced concrete, Lever arms, Aramid fiber, Epoxy resin, Angle of twist

Graph data mining has been a crucial as well as inevitable area of research. Large amounts of graph data are produced in many areas, such as Bioinformatics, Cheminformatics, Social Networks, etc. Scalable graph data mining methods are getting increasingly popular and necessary due to increased graph complexities. Frequent subgraph mining is one such area where the task is to find overly recurring patterns/subgraphs. To tackle this problem, many main memory-based methods were proposed, which proved to be inefficient as the data size grew exponentially over time. In the past few years, several research groups have attempted to handle the Frequent Subgraph Mining (FSM) problem in multiple ways. Many authors have tried to achieve better performance using Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) which has multi-fold improvement over in-memory while dealing with large datasets. Later, Google’s MapReduce model with the Hadoop framework proved to be a major breakthrough in high performance large batch processing. Although MapReduce came with many benefits, its disk I/O and non-iterative style model could not help much for FSM domain since subgraph mining process is an iterative approach. In recent years, Spark has emerged to be the De Facto industry standard with its distributed in-memory computing capability. This is a right fit solution for iterative style of programming as well. In this survey, we cover how high-performance computing has helped in improving the performance tremendously in the transactional directed and undirected aspect of graphs and performance comparisons of various FSM techniques are done based on experimental results.