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Pasupuleti VR, Prasad TNVKV, Sheikh RA, et al. Int J Nanomedicine. 2013;8(1):3355– 3364. At the authors request, the Editor and Publisher of International Journal of Nanomedicine wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised over alleged image manipulation in Figure 5 in which elements of the image appeared to have duplicated several times. The authors responded to our queries but were unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the alleged image manipulation. The authors were able to provide the original images for Figure 5 but they could not be used as a replacement for a corrigendum and both the Editor and authors agreed to retract the article. Our decision-making was informed by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retraction. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”. This retraction relates to this paper

Visweswara Rao Pasupuleti,1 TNVKV Prasad,2 Rayees Ahmad Shiekh,3 Satheesh Krishna Balam,4 Ganapathi Narasimhulu,5 Cirandur Suresh Reddy,4 Ismail Ab Rahman,3 Siew Hua Gan1 1Human Genome Center, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; 2Institute of Frontier Technology, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India; 3Biomaterial Research Unit, School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; 4Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India; 5Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Technology Mara, Malaysia Abstract: Nanotechnology is gaining momentum due to its ability to transform metals into nanoparticles. The synthesis, characterization, and applications of biologically synthesized nanomaterials have become an important branch of nanotechnology. Plant extracts are a cost-effective, ecologically friendly, and efficient alternative for the large-scale synthesis of nanoparticles. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNps) were synthesized using Rhinacanthus nasutus leaf extract. After exposing the silver ions to the leaf extract, the rapid reduction of silver ions led to the formation of AgNps in solution. The synthesis was confirmed by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the AgNps synthesized using R. nasutus leaf extract was investigated against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flavus using a disc diffusion method. The AgNps showed potential activity against all of the bacterial strains and fungal colonies, indicating that R. nasutus has the potential to be used in the development of value-added products in the biomedical and nanotechnology-based industries. Keywords: R. nasutus, silver nanoparticles, TEM, antimicrobial activities

An ethnomedicinal survey among the local communities in Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary of the Balasore district, Orissa, India indicated traditional uses of 49 plant species belonging to 32 plant families. Information from local herbal healers was compared with existing literature on ethnobotany of India and resulted in identification of 11 new ethnomedical applications of plant materials. The herbal practitioners in the study area were interviewed, and information on medicinal plants, their families, local names, plant part used, method of preparation, and medicinal uses are presented elaborately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proportion of early onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is alarming in adults, including in African Americans (AA)., Aim: To investigate differences between EOCRC compared to late-onset colorectal cancer (LOCRC) among AA patients., Methods: This retrospective study reviewed demographic, clinical presentations, colonoscopy, and pathology reports of patients at Howard University Hospital from 1959 to 2023. The study included 176 EOCRC cases (< 45 years) and 2034 LOCRC cases (> 45 years)., Results: Both EOCRC and LOCRC groups were predominantly AA (> 80%) with slightly more females (53%) than males. The mean age was 38 years for EOCRC and 66 years for LOCRC cases. EOCRC cases increased as a proportion of total detected CRC cases since 2010 (over 13%) after several decades of just above 6%. Family history of CRC in first degree relatives was higher among EOCRC (15.5% vs.3.4% in LOCRC patients, p < 0.01). Symptoms at presentation were prevalent in both EOCRC (93.8%) and LOCRC (92.6%). EOCRC patients exhibited higher incidence of abdominal pain (23.3% vs. 17.2%, p = 0.05) and changes in bowel habits (24.4% vs. 14%, p < 0.01) compared to LOCRC patients. Other symptoms such as melena, hematochezia, and weight loss were less prevalent in EOCRC patients. Comorbidities like hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were less frequent among EOCRC patients. EOCRC was primarily observed in the sigmoid and rectosigmoid regions (p = 0.02). Metastasis at index colonoscopy was more prevalent with EOCRC compared to LOCRC (p = 0.04), with a higher proportion of patients at stage 3 cancer (p < 0.05). Significant differences were noted in the timeline for undergoing surgery after the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, with EOCRC patients taking longer than LOCRC patients (p = 0.03)., Conclusion: Presentation of EOCRC over LOCRC increased proportionally in our cohort since 2010 and is associated with family history, and symptoms such as abdominal pain and change in bowel habits. Likely because of age at presentation, there are less comorbidities among EOCRC patients who predominantly present in the outpatient setting, and more likely diagnosed with advanced stage lesions that are predominantly sigmoid or rectosigmoid. These findings are similar to observations seen in the general population with EOCRC, albeit African American patients have commonly had earlier age presentation of CRC than White American patients., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This study elucidates the distribution of plants in Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), India, in current and different future climate change scenarios. The distribution of plants and habitat suitability in GHNP due to climate change was analyzed by MaxEnt, species distribution model (SDM) algorithm. In this study, species presence records were retrieved through field survey and published literature. We have projected the distribution of 44 plant species using MaxEnt and tested whether GHNP is performing well in conserving the plant species. Initially, we have constructed a model for each species and created the habitat suitability map from average of ascii files and later we added the maps of all species in order to make binary map to show the species richness in the selected climate scenarios. The model was created using the HADGEM-2 global circulation model in 2050 and 2070 years by using climate change situations of RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5. The area under curve (AUC) values in the final models of 44 plant species were in the range 0.70-0.97 that indicates statistically significant results. The model identified precipitation of driest month followed by altitude and annual mean temperature as most determining variables in the distribution of plants of GHNP in selected climate scenarios. In the present study, we found that overall suitable habitat increased for nine species, decreased for thirty-four, and unchanged for one plant species in terms of percent area change from current to future scenarios. So these nine species were found to be more adaptable towards changing climate than the other plant species in this study. The species richness was high in western and southwestern parts of GHNP in the current scenario, however under future climatic scenarios, species richness shows a decreasing trend. Based on our findings, it can be concluded that GHNP should be prioritized for conserving the plant species., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Embryo rescue is a vital technique in cucurbit breeding and propagation, addressing challenges such as embryo abortion, poor seed viability, and incompatibility barriers. This method involves the excision of immature embryos from seeds followed by their in vitro culture on a nutrient medium, providing an environment conducive to their growth and development. In cucurbits, embryo rescue has been extensively utilized to overcome barriers to hybridization, enabling the production of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids with desired traits. Various factors, including genotype, developmental stage of embryos, and culture conditions, influence the success of embryo rescue in cucurbits. Optimal nutrient formulations, growth regulators, and culture techniques are critical for promoting embryo germination, shoot elongation, and subsequent plantlet establishment. Additionally, embryo rescue facilitates the recovery of valuable genetic material from wild and exotic cucurbit species, expanding genetic diversity and developing novel cultivars with improved traits such as disease resistance, yield, and quality. This review highlights the principles, applications, and advancements in embryo rescue technology in cucurbits, emphasizing its significance in cucurbit breeding programs and crop improvement efforts.

Climate change is one of the factors contributing to the spread of invasive alien species. As a result, it is critical to investigate potential invasion dynamics on a global scale in the face of climate change. We used updated occurrence data, bioclimatic variables, and Köppen-Geiger climatic zones to better understand the climatic niche dynamics of Prosopis juliflora L. (Fabaceae). In this study, we first compared several algorithms-MaxEnt, generalized linear model (GLM), artificial neural network (ANN), generalized boosted model (GBM), generalized additive model (GAM), and random forest (RF)-to investigate the relationships between species-environment and climate for mesquite. We identified the global climate niche similarity sites (NSSs) using the coalesce approach. This study focused on the current and future climatic suitability of P. juliflora under two global circulation models (GCMs) and two climatic scenarios, i.e., Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), 4.5 and 8.5, for 2050 and 2070, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, true skill statistic (TSS), kappa coefficient, and correlation were used to evaluate model performance. Among the tested models, the machine learning algorithm random forest (RF) demonstrated the highest accuracy. The vast swaths of currently uninvaded land on multiple continents are ideal habitats for invasion. Approximately 9.65% of the area is highly suitable for the establishment of P. juliflora. Consequently, certain regions in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania have become particularly vulnerable to invasion. In relation to RCPs, we identified suitable area changes (expansion, loss, and stability). The findings of this study show that NSSs and RCPs increase the risk of invasion in specific parts of the world. Our findings contribute to a cross-border continental conservation effort to combat P. juliflora  expansion into new potential invasion areas., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Cancer researchers are fascinated by the chemistry of diverse natural products that show exciting potential as anticancer agents. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anticancer properties of watermelon rind extract (WRE) by examining its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, senescence, and global gene expression in human renal cell adenocarcinoma cells (HRAC-769-P) in vitro. Our metabolome data analysis of WRE exhibited untargeted phyto-constituents and targeted citrulline (22.29 µg/mg). HRAC-769-P cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 media and treated with 22.4, 44.8, 67.2, 88.6, 112, 134.4, and 156.8 mg·mL -1 for 24, 48, and 72 h. At 24 h after treatment, (88.6 mg·mL -1 of WRE) cell proliferation significantly reduced, more than 34% compared with the control. Cell viability decreased 48 and 72 h after treatment to 45% and 37%, respectively. We also examined poly caspase, SA-beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal), and wound healing activities using WRE. All treatments induced an early poly caspase response and a significant reduction in cell migration. Further, we analyzed the transcript profile of the cells grown at 44.8 mg·mL -1 of WRE after 6 h using RNA sequencing (RNAseq) analysis. We identified 186 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 149 upregulated genes and 37 downregulated genes, in cells treated with WRE compared with the control. The differentially expressed genes were associated with NF-Kappa B signaling and TNF pathways. Crucial apoptosis-related genes such as BMF, NPTX1, NFKBIA, NFKBIE, and NFKBID might induce intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis. Another possible mechanism is a high quantity of citrulline may lead to induction of apoptosis by the production of increased nitric oxide. Hence, our study suggests the potential anticancer properties of WRE and provides insights into its effects on cellular processes and gene expression in HRAC-769-P cells.

The estuaries provide the key pathway for travelling carbon across the land-ocean interfaces and behave as both source and sink of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in water-atmosphere systems. The sink-source characteristics of estuaries for GHGs vary spatially. The primary driving factors are adjacent ecologies (agriculture, aquaculture, etc.) and proximities to the sea. To study the sink-source characteristics of estuaries for GHGs (methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 )), the water samples were collected from 53 different locations in the estuaries for estimation of dissolved GHGs concentration and air-water GHGs exchanges. The locations represent five zones (Zone I, II, III, IV and V) based on the type and degradation status of mangroves (degraded and undisturbed), anthropogenic activities, and distance from the sea. Zone I, III, V represents to the degraded mangroves far from sea, whereas, Zone II, IV surrounded by undisturbed mangroves and nearer to sea. The average dissolved CH 4 concentrations were higher in the estuaries which were adjacent to degraded mangroves (154.4 nmol L -1 ) than undisturbed mangroves (81.7 nmol L -1 ). Further, the average dissolved N 2 O concentrations were 48% higher in the estuaries nearer to degraded mangroves than that of undisturbed ones. Among the degraded mangrove sites, the dissolved CO 2 concentrations were higher at Zone I (30.1 μmol L -1 ) followed by Zone III and IV, whereas in undisturbed sites, it was higher in Zone IV (22.3 μmol L -1 ) than Zone II (17.6 μmol L -1 ). Among the 53 locations, 36, 51 and 33 locations acted as a sink (negative value of exchanges) for CH 4 , N 2 O and CO 2 , respectively. The higher sink potential for CH 4 was recorded to those estuaries adjacent to undisturbed mangroves (-791.69 μmol m -2  d -1 ) than the degraded ones (-23.18 μmol m -2  d -1 ). Similarly, the average air-water N 2 O and CO 2 exchanges were more negative in the estuaries which were nearer to undisturbed mangroves indicating higher sink potential. The pH, and salinity of the estuary water were negatively correlated with air-water CH 4 and N 2 O exchanges, whereas those were positively correlated with CO 2 exchanges. Significantly lower dissolved GHGs and air-water GHGs exchange was observed in the estuaries adjacent to the undisturbed mangrove as compared to the degraded mangrove. The reason behind higher sink behaviours of estuaries nearer to undisturbed mangroves are higher intrusion of seawater, less nutrient availability, higher salinity, low carbon contents and alkaline pH compared to estuaries adjacent to degraded mangroves and far from sea., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study focuses on the spread of rubber monoculture in the state of Tripura during past three decades (1990-2021) in the northeast region of India which is known for its rich biodiversity, shifting cultivation, and extensive forest dynamics. Earth observation (EO) data of seven time periods from Landsat missions (1990, 1995, 2000, 2004, and 2009) and Sentinel-2 (2016 and 2021) were the main source for mapping and were supplemented with MODIS-EVI temporal spectral profiles, GEDI-derived vegetation heights (2019), and Google Earth high-resolution historical images for additional cues to support discrimination, mapping, and accuracy assessment. The methodology for rubber used its unique phenology from spectral-temporal profile and multi-year comparison of patches and their dynamics for age-class mapping. The results indicate that in the state of Tripura (geographic area 1.08 Mha), the area under rubber increased from 0.3% in 1990 to 8.9% of the geographic area in 2021. The overall classification accuracy for the maps created for the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2016, and 2021 was 84.2%, 83.9%, 84.8%, 88.0%, 86.0%, 86.7%, and 89.5%, respectively. New areas under rubber originated from various land cover classes including open forests, shifting cultivation lands, and scrub. Recent expansion has resulted in 84.3% of rubber plantations under the 10-year age class. Implications of this transformation of the natural landscape, biodiversity and biomass, and carbon pool assessment are discussed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Cadmium is a non-essential, third largest heavy metal contaminant with long retention time that poses environmental hazards. It emanating majorly from industrial processes and phosphate fertilizers. Cadmium is effortlessly assimilated by plants and leads to yield loss. Henceforth, identification of mechanisms to attenuate the heavy metal toxicity in crops is beneficial for enhanced yields., Results: Beneficial soil bacteria have been known to combat both biotic and abiotic stress, thereby promoting plant growth. Amongst them, Pseudomonas fluorescens has been shown to enhance abiotic stress resistance in umpteen crops for instance maize and groundnut. Here, we investigated the role of P. fluorescens in conferring cadmium stress resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. In silico analysis of PCR2 gene and promoter revealed the role, in cadmium stress resistance of A. thaliana. Real-time expression analysis employing qRT-PCR ratified the upregulation of AtPCR2 transcript under cadmium stress up to 6 folds. Total leaf (50%), biomass (23%), chlorophyll content (chlorophyll-a and b 40%, and 36 %) silique number (50%), and other growth parameters significantly improved on bacterial treatment of the 2mM Cd-stressed plants., Conclusion: Moreover, generated 35s-promoter driven AtPCR2 over-expressing transgenic lines that exhibited resistance to cadmium and other heavy metal stress. Taken together, a crucial interplay of P. fluorscens mediated enhanced expression of AtPCR2 significantly induced cadmium stress resistance in Arabidopsis plants., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This study reports the design and synthesis of novel dialkyl (4-amino-5H-chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)phosphonates as potential antitumor agents against A549 (lung cancer), DU-145 (prostate cancer), PC-3 (prostate cancer), HeLa (cervical cancer) and MCF-7 (breast cancer), cell lines evidenced from the in vitro antitumor studies performed by MTT assay (across 10-30 μM concentrations). The structural eminence of these synthesized molecules has emanated by designing the structural core by uniting the chromene, pyrimidine and phosphonate moieties into one, which has augmented their novelty and made them unreported. Further the deep structural activity relationship study investigations articulated that the title compounds are promising drug-like compounds and potential inhibitor of histidine amino acid residue present on the respective enzymatic proteins [3QJZ (A549), 3VHE (DU-145), 3V49 (PC-3), 3F81 (HeLa), & 3R7Q (MCF-7)] of the cell lines screened and are identified as responsible for the multi-faceted antitumor activities predicted in vitro. The obtained results were further supported by molecular docking studies, QSAR, ADMET, and bioactivity studies which have supported them as potential BBB penetrable molecules and proficient CNS active neuro-protective agents during drug delivery., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Prof. Dr. C. Suresh Reddy has a patent #Application Number: 201741046873, Dated: 27/12/2017 and granted to Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517 502, India on Dated: 27/06/2022; Patent No: 400076 (Document No: 044142395)., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Probiotic organisms Lactobacillus reuteri UBLRU-87 and Bifidobacterium bifidum UBBB-55 were proven to be acting against the caries causing organisms., Aims: This study aims to evaluate the influence of Lactobacillusreuteri, Bifidobacterium bifidum and their blend on Mutans streptococci count in the saliva of children, and also to appraise the sustainability of their action., Materials and Methods: A randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study with 60 subjects (15 in each group) in 6-14 years of age group. The children consumed curd containing Bifidobacterium bifidum (UBBB 55, MTCC 5398) and Lactobacillus reuteri (UBLRu 87, MTCC 5403), and their blend once daily for 14 days. The control group received curd with no Probiotic in it. The saliva samples were collected just before the curd (T0) administration to establish baseline levels of mutans streptococci and after a day of the final consumption of the curd (T14). The follow-up samples at 21 days (T21) and 28 days (T28) after the baseline were also collected to know the sustainability of action probiotics on mutans streptococci if any., Results: Statistically significant reduction of mutans streptococci is observed in the group administered with Lactobacillus reuteri and the effect lasted up to a minimum of 21 days. Mixed cultures are seemed to be not effective against the oral microorganisms., Conclusions: The probiotic organism Lactobacillus reuteri in Indian curd is effective on salivary mutans streptococci, and the effect was sustained for some period after the administration., Competing Interests: None

Aim: The present study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of spirulina 500 mg in reducing the burning sensation and lesion size in oral lichen planus (OLP)., Materials and Methods: A total of 60 subjects who attended the oral medicine specialty clinic with histopathologically confirmed OLP and having symptoms of burning sensation were recruited for the study. They were randomly divided into two groups: group A (30) subjects were prescribed Spirulina 500 mg twice daily along with only a week application of topical triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% thrice daily; group B subjects were prescribed topical triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% alone thrice daily for 8 weeks. Both the groups were followed up posttreatment monthly for three consecutive months., Results: Data were recorded, and statistical analysis by using ANOVA one-way test, and Chi-square test were performed, which showed statistically significant p -value (<0.005) for the parameters "burning sensation" and "size of the lesion". When compared between groups, group A showed a favorable outcome of the intervention., Conclusion: Spirulina 500 mg supplementation twice daily could be effective adjunct therapy with steroids to treat OLP., Clinical Significance: This research allowed us to delve into spirulina as one of the treatment modalities for OLP. Further studies are needed as it is a rich source of proteins and vitamins and demonstrates potent anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant actions.

It is of interest to analyse and compare the antioxidant and anti-diabetic activity of ethanolic extracts of Andrographis echioides and Andrographis paniculata. Andrographis echioides and Andrographis paniculata were collected from a local farm. In vitro antioxidant activity was assessed by the potential of Piperine, Lupeol, beta sitosterol; DPPH free radical scavenging assay was performed by Liyana Pathirana and Shahidi method. In vitro anti-diabetic activity was assessed by alpha amylase inhibitory activity and alpha glucosidase inhibitory activity. The data were analysed by one-way-ANOVA to check the statistical significance among the groups and considered at the levels of p<0.05. Both the ethanolic extracts of Andrographis echioides and Andrographis paniculata showed significant antioxidant and anti-diabetic potential in a dose-dependent manner (100-500µg) and can be used as potential antidiabetic agents. Similar to antioxidant potential, Andrographis paniculata exhibited an increased anti-diabetic potential compared to Andrographis echioides. Data shows that the ethanolic extracts of Andrographis echioides and Andrographis paniculata possessed antioxidant and anti-diabetic activity and hence our present findings conclude that both plants can be considered for the development of natural drugs for the management of diabetes., (© 2022 Biomedical Informatics.)

Forest cover is the primary determinant of elephant distribution, thus, understanding forest loss and fragmentation is crucial for elephant conservation. We assessed deforestation and patterns of forest fragmentation between 1930 and 2020 in Chure Terai Madhesh Lanscape (CTML) which covers the entire elephant range in Nepal. Forest cover maps and fragmentation matrices were generated using multi-source data (Topographic maps and Landsat satellite images of 1930, 1975, 2000, and 2020) and spatiotemporal change was quantified. At present, 19,069 km 2 forest cover in CTML is available as the elephant habitat in Nepal. Overall, 21.5% of elephant habitat was lost between 1930 and 2020, with a larger (12.3%) forest cover loss between 1930 and 1975. Area of the large forests (Core 3) has decreased by 43.08% whereas smaller patches (Core 2, Core 1, edge and patch forests) has increased multifold between 1930 and 2020. The continued habitat loss and fragmentation probably fragmented elephant populations during the last century and made them insular with long-term ramifications for elephant conservation and human-elephant conflict. Given the substantial loss in forest cover and high levels of fragmentation, improving the resilience of elephant populations in Nepal would urgently require habitat and corridor restoration to enable the movement of elephants., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Studies on green biosynthesis of newly engineered nanoparticles for their prominent medicinal applications are being the torch-bearing concerns of the state-of-the-art research strategies. In this concern, we have engineered the biosynthesized Luffa acutangula silver nanoparticles of flavonoid O -glycosides in the anisotropic form isolated from aqueous leave extracts of Luffa acutangula , a popular traditional and ayurvedic plant in south-east Asian countries. These were structurally confirmed by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy accessed with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) spectral analyses followed by the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) crystallographic studies and found them with the face-centered cubic ( fcc ) structure. Medicinally, we have explored their significant antioxidant (DPPH and ABTS assays), antibacterial (disc diffusion assay on E. coli , S. aureus , B. subtilis , S. fecilis , and S. boydii ), and anticancer (MTT assay on MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, U87, and DBTRG cell lines) potentialities which augmented the present investigation. The molecular docking analysis of title compounds against 3NM8 (DPPH) and 1DNU (ABTS) proteins for antioxidant activity; 5FGK (Gram-Positive Bacteria) and 1AB4 (Gram-Negative Bacteria) proteins for antibacterial activity; and 4GBD (MCF-7), 5FI2 (MDA-MB-231), 1D5R (U87), and 5TIJ (DBTRG) proteins for anticancer activity has affirmed the promising ligand-protein binding interactions among the hydroxy groups of the title compounds and aspartic acid of the concerned enzymatic proteins. The binding energy varying from -9.1645 to -7.7955 for Cosmosioside (1, Apigenin-7-glucoside) and from -9.2690 to -7.8306 for Cynaroside (2, Luteolin-7-glucoside) implies the isolated compounds as potential bioactive compounds. In addition, the performed studies like QSAR, ADMET, bioactivity properties, drug scores, and toxicity risks confirmed them as potential drug candidates and aspartic acid receptor antagonists. This research auxiliary augmented the existing array of phytological nanomedicines with new drug candidates that are credible with multiple bioactivities., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Devi Nallappan et al.)

Background: An efficient sampling is one of the key methods to identify all those affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)., Objectives: To analyze how efficient setting up of a central sampling team would be to prevent any outbreak within the institution by minimizing the movement of suspected COVID-19 patients admitted in the inpatient wards. The secondary objective was to train maximum resident doctors to collect samples of admitted patients., Methodology: A central sampling team comprising of resident doctors from various departments was made who did sampling of the suspected COVID-19 inpatients admitted under various specialties., Results: There were a total of 341 patients [209 males (61.29%), 132 females (38.7%)] and 335 patients underwent sampling. There was a positive correlation between: (1) number of calls from a department vs percentage of positive samples in that department [Pearson correlation coefficient (R) = 0.47; P = 0.026], (2) number of samples taken by resident of a particular department from central sampling team vs number of positive samples taken by resident of that department [R = 0.8739, P = 0.01] and (3) number of visits to a department vs number of residents trained in that department [R = 0.93; P = 0.00001]., Conclusion: Formulation of a central sampling team led to changes like a separate donning and doffing area in each ward and training of many resident doctors posted in different wards. This made each ward self-sufficient in collection of samples. This venture also ensured minimal movement of suspected COVID-19 patients in the hospital and thus least exposure to the hospital staff., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

The main focus in biodiversity is to conserve species diversity with specific emphasis on endemic species. This study has analysed the distribution of endemic floral and faunal species and their representativeness in protected areas of India. The number of endemic species has been estimated as 29787 (30.35%) and 12696 (26.33%) of Indian fauna and flora respectively. Overall, 2055 animal species and 1983 plant species were discovered from India from 2009 to 2018. The number of new distributional records to India reported during the last decade is 1242 species of plants and 1086 species of animals. The species discovery data indicate that there are more species yet to be described. According to the Cramer coefficients, the elevation was strongly correlated with endemism, followed by precipitation, temperature, land cover, and biogeographic zone. The study of endemic floral and faunal species including new species and protected areas provides the first prototype national gap analysis in assessing the representativeness of coverage of protected areas. The patterns of geographic distribution of endemic species and the gap analysis present a novel finding for conservation priorities. The highest number of new species was discovered from protected areas i.e. Periyar, Mundathurai, Khangchendzonga, Mehao, Thattekadu Bird, Eravikulam, Mukurthi, Saddle Peak, Malabar, and Anamalai. Although the total area protected is significant in India, their geographic coverage is almost the contrary to patterns of endemism. The results provide a valued direction for the advancement of management strategies for biodiversity conservation.

A 29-year-old male patient presented with a history of voice change and feeling of a lump in throat for the last 20 years. He was tracheostomised at the age of 10 years. Endolaryngeal examination showed a mucosal bulge in supraglottic region arising predominantly from right side. He had multiple healed scar marks on neck, arms and elbows, and had dystrophic nail changes. MRI of the neck showed a supraglottic cyst covering glottis. The patient was diagnosed as a case of laryngo-onycho-cutaneous syndrome which is also known as Shabbir syndrome. He underwent supraglottic cyst excision via transoral ultrasonic surgery. Glottic scarring along with subglottic stenosis was found intraoperatively, which was released using carbon dioxide laser and finally Montgomery (MT) tube was inserted. The patient got his tracheostomy tube removed for the first time in 20 years. He tolerated corking of MT tube. He was able to breathe through nose and phonate using false cords., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

An efficient approach has been made for the synthesis of a series of novel di α-aminophosphonates by the reaction of terephthalaldehyde with various pyrimidine/benzthiazole amines and diethyl phosphite using sulfonated graphitic carbon nitride - SA@g-C 3 N 4 as catalyst under room temperature and solvent free conditions. Later, the different effects of these newly synthesized α-aminophosphonates as a function of concentration gradient has been scrutinized on the thermal and structural stability of stem bromelain (SBM) through combining the results of various spectroscopic techniques like UV-vis, steady state fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD). Lastly the competitive and distinctive behaviour of α-aminophosphonates towards the stability of SBM has been envisaged using molecular docking simulations which suggest that nature of α-aminophosphonates plays a crucial role for their interactions with SBM. Molecular docking results clearly show that α-aminophosphonates with pyrimidine ring are having more number of hydrogen bonding interaction with amino acid residues of SBM than α-aminophosphonates with benzthiazolyl ring. Sequentially for thermal and structure stability of SBM, concentration of α-aminophosphonates plays an inexorable role and through these results it must be concluded that most of the α-aminophosphonates are stabilizing the SBM upto the 0. 1 mM concentration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Meloidogyne incognita is a devastating plant parasitic nematode that causes root knot disease in a wide range of plants. In the present study, we investigated host-induced RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing of chitin biosynthesis pathway genes (chitin synthase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, and trehalase) in transgenic tobacco plants. To develop an RNAi vector, ubiquitin (UBQ1) promoter was directly cloned, and to generate an RNAi construct, expression of three genes was suppressed using the GATEWAY system. Further, transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana lines expressing dsRNA for chitin synthase (CS), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), and trehalase 1 (TH1) were generated. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed endogenous mRNA expression of root knot nematode (RKN) and revealed that all three genes were more highly expressed in the female stage than in eggs and in the parasitic stage. In vivo, transformed roots were challenged with M . incognita . The number of eggs and root knots were significantly decreased by 60-90% in RNAi transgenic lines. As evident, root galls obtained from transgenic RNAi lines exhibited 0.01- to 0.70-fold downregulation of transcript levels of targeted genes compared with galls isolated from control plants. Furthermore, phenotypic characteristics such as female size and width were also marginally altered, while effect of egg mass per egg number in RNAi transgenic lines was reduced. These results indicate the relevance and significance of targeting chitin biosynthesis genes during the nematode lifespan. Overall, our results suggest that further developments in RNAi efficiency in commercially valued crops can be applied to employ RNAi against other plant parasitic nematodes.

Tropical mangrove represents one of the most threatened ecosystems despite their huge contribution to ecosystem services, carbon (C) sequestration and climate change mitigation. Understanding the system in light of seasonal fluctuations on greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions due to human interferences and the tidal effect is important for devising site-specific real-time climate change mitigation strategies. In order to capture the seasonal variations, the three modes of transport of GHGs through pneumatophore, ebullition as bubbles and water-soluble diffusion was quantified. The three unique techniques for the gas collection were used to estimate the GHGs [methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 )] emission, at three degraded-mangrove sites in Sundarban, India. We identified three degraded mangrove ecologies based on the remote sensing data of 1930 and 2013 (mangrove-covered area in Sundarban; 2387, 2136 km 2 , respectively). Samples were collected and analyzed for four seasons [winter (November-January), summer (February-April), pre-monsoon (May-June) and monsoon (July-October)], at three representative sites (Sadhupur, Dayapur, and Pakhiralaya). Monsoonal CH 4 and CO 2 fluxes (0.353 ± 0.026 and 64.5 ± 6.1 mmol m -2 d -1 , respectively) were higher than winter and summer. However, the soil labile C pools showed the opposite trend i.e. more in summer followed by winter and monsoon. In contrast, the N 2 O fluxes were more during summer (54.2 ± 3.2 μmol m -2 d -1 ). The stagnant water had higher dissolved GHGs concentration compared to tidewater due to less salinity and a long time of stagnation. The mode of transport of GHGs through pneumatophore, ebullition, and water-soluble diffusion was also significantly varied with seasons, soil‑carbon status and tidewater intrusion. Therefore, seasonal fluctuations of GHGs emission and tidal effect must be considered along with soil labile C pools for GHG-C budgeting and climate change mitigation in the mangrove ecosystem., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The land, oceans, and atmosphere are tightly linked and form the most dynamic component of the climate system. Studies on terrestrial and ocean science enhance the understanding on the impacts of climate change. Across India and the world over, human-driven land use and climate changes are altering the structure, function, and extent of natural terrestrial ecosystems and in turn regional biogeochemical feedbacks. In this special issue, we present 29 manuscripts; those discuss wide-ranging aspects of terrestrial and oceanic characterization and dynamics. These contributions are based on selected presentations made at the 2nd International Workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change (BDCC-2018) held on 24-27 February 2018 at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. The manuscripts are arranged in five sections such as Ecological Assessment, Plant Invasion, Carbon Dynamics, Ecosystem Characterization, and Ocean Dynamics. We realized that the utility of satellite remote sensing data has been emerging as a dominant trend in environmental monitoring and assessment studies in India.

India is home of the largest remaining population of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus L.) in the South and Southeast Asia. The forest loss and fragmentation is the main threat to the long-term survival of Asian elephants. In the present study, we assessed forest loss and fragmentation in the major elephant ranging provinces in India, viz., north-eastern, north-western, central, and southern since the 1930s. We quantified forest cover changes by generating and analyzing forest cover maps of 1930, 1975, and 2013, whereas fragmentation of contiguous forest areas was quantified by applying landscape metrics on the temporal forest cover maps. A total of 21.49% of the original forest cover was lost from 1930 to 1975, while another 3.19% forest cover was lost from 1975 to 2013 in the elephant ranges in India. The maximum forest loss occurred in the southern range (13,084 km 2 ) followed by north-eastern (10,188 km 2 ), central (5614 km 2 ), and north-western (4030 km 2 ) elephant ranges in the past eight decades. The forests in the central range were the most fragmented followed by southern, north-eastern, and north-western elephant ranges. The forest fragmentation in the southern range occurred at the fastest rate than central, north-eastern, and north-western ranges. The core forest areas shrunk by 39.6% from 1930 to 2013. The causative factors of forest change and situation of elephant-human conflict have been discussed. Study outcomes would be helpful in planning effective conservation strategies for Asian elephants in India.

Forest fire is considered as one of the major threats to global biodiversity and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Rising temperatures, weather conditions, and topography promote the incidences of fire due to human ignition in South Asia. Because of its synoptic, multi-spectral, and multi-temporal nature, remote sensing data can be a state of art technology for forest fire management. This study focuses on the spatio-temporal patterns of forest fires and identifying hotspots using the novel geospatial technique "emerging hotspot analysis tool" in South Asia. Daily MODIS active fire locations data of 15 years (2003-2017) has been aggregated in order to characterize fire frequency, fire density, and hotspots. A total of 522,348 active fire points have been used to analyze risk of fires across the forest types. Maximum number of forest fires in South Asia was occurring during the January to May. Spatial analysis identified areas of frequent burning and high fire density in South Asian countries. In South Asia, 51% of forest grid cells were affected by fires in 15 years. Highest number of fire incidences was recorded in tropical moist deciduous forest and tropical dry deciduous forest. The emerging hotspots analysis indicates prevalence of sporadic hotspots, followed by historical hotspots, consecutive hotspots, and persistent hotspots in South Asia. Of the seven South Asian countries, Bangladesh has highest emerging hotspot area (34.2%) in forests, followed by 32.2% in India and 29.5% in Nepal. Study results offer critical insights in delineation of fire vulnerable forest landscapes which will stand as a valuable input for strengthening management of fires in South Asia.

Objectives: Chronic kidney failure among people with diabetes mellitus (DM) is a burgeoning health problem that affects up to 25% of patients with type 2 DM. Current pharmacological treatment for diabetic nephropathy (DN) does not stop the attainment of renal complications. The intention of the current study was to explore the role of a polyherbal formulation (PHF) in diabetic-induced nephropathy in experimental animals., Materials and Methods: Diabetic rats were grouped as follows and underwent the following treatment for about 16 weeks: Group I - normal rats - no treatment, Group II - DN rats - only vehicle (p.o), and Group III and IV - DN rats - PHF orally at 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively. After the treatment, the animals were sacrificed, and lipid, renal function, and inflammatory markers were estimated. The observed microscopic changes in kidney were analyzed., Results: Animals administered with PHF exhibited noteworthy decrease in triglycerides, total cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein (LDL), LDL, serum creatinine, urinary protein, urinary albumin excretion rate, advanced glycation end products, type IV collagen excretion, interleukin-6, transforming growth factor-ß, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and showed significant increase in high-density lipoprotein, urine volume, urinary urea, and urine creatinine. Histopathological examination established that administration of PHF prohibited kidney damage., Conclusion: Treatment with PHF showed beneficial effect on DN which may be due to the improvement of renal function parameters and hyperlipidemic and inflammatory mediators., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Indian Journal of Pharmacology.)

Pantoprazole sodium, a substituted benzimidazole derivative, is an irreversible proton pump inhibitor which is primarily used for the treatment of duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The monographs of European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) specify six impurities, viz. ; impurities A, B, C, D, E and F, respectively for its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The identification and synthesis of all impurities except impurity E are well described in the literature; however, there is no report related to impurity E. The prospects to the formation and controlling of impurity E up to ≤0.03% in the synthesis of pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate (PAN) were discussed in detail for the first time. The present work described the journey towards the successful development of an optimal preparation procedure of dimer impurity E. The most plausible mechanism involved in the formation of impurity E has been proposed.

Background: Dengue is endemic and prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical countries including India and can cause significant mortality and morbidity. There are limited studies available on factors associated with severe dengue from India, to investigate the predictors of severe dengue in south Indian patients., Methods: We recruited 334 patients with dengue admitted in Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad. Study period was between March 2015 and February 2017. Based on clinical symptoms, we divided patients into severe dengue and non-severe dengue. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed for prognostic factors of severe dengue., Results: Out of 334 patients, there were 186(55.6%) males with mean age 30.3±14.3 39 years (age range: 10-73 years), severe dengue was seen in 117(35%) and non-severe dengue in 217(65%). Clinical symptoms of diabetes, low platelet count (<50,000mm 3 ), melena, skin rash, delayed admission (>5days after onset) elevated hematocrit, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, convulsions and mortality were significantly associated with severe dengue. After multivariate analysis, diabetes (OR: 2.12; 95% CI:1.34-4.65) (<0.0001), elevated hematocrit (OR: 3.14; 95% CI:2.17-6.14) (<0.0001), skin rashes (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.11-3.55) (<0.0001), melena (OR: 2.59; 95% CI:1.40-4.93) (<0.0001), low platelet count (OR: 6.71; 95% CI:4.12-13.6) (<0.0001), lymphadenopathy (OR: 3.12 95% CI: 1.91-7.85) (<0.0001) and delayed admission (OR: 2.40; 95% CI:1.31-3.41) (<0.0001) were significantly associated with severe dengue disease., Conclusions: In our study, it was established that low platelet count, elevated hematocrit, diabetes, skin rash, melena, lymphadenopathy and delayed in admission (>5days) were independently associated with severe dengue., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest.

Aim: The present study was undertaken to assess the inhibitory effect of guava extracts on Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacteractinomycetemcomitans, to assess the time-kill curve of P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans, and to determine the antiproteolytic activity of guava on P. gingivalis., Materials and Methods: Kanamycin blood agar was used to isolate P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans. Ethanolic guava extract (EGE) and aqueous guava extract (AGE) were prepared and the inhibitory effects of these extracts for two periodontal pathogens were tested by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) procedures. Antibacterial activity of guava extracts was determined by well diffusion method. Antiproteolytic activity of guava on protease of P. gingivalis was determined by gelatin liquefaction test., Results: The MIC determined for AGE and EGE was at 75 μL/mL concentration for P. gingivalis, whereas EGE exhibited the activity at 75 μL/mL on P. gingivalis. The MIC determined for AGE was at 50 μL/mL for A. actinomycetemcomitans, whereas MIC determined for EGE was at 3.12 μL/mL for A. actinomycetemcomitans. Porphyromonas gingivalis was susceptible to EGE compared with AGE. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was more susceptible to guava extracts compared with P. gingivalis., Conclusion: Guava extract may be a potential therapeutic agent for periodontitis as it shows significant activity against both P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans., Clinical Significance: Guava leaves extract can be used as economical and suitable adjuvant to synthetic drugs and can be a potential therapeutic agent for periodontitis.

Background: Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TC), also called transient left ventricular (LV) ballooning syndrome, resembles myocardial infarction and is characterized by LV dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease. Hypothesis described for TC has been an intense social stressor, pheochromocytoma, thyrotoxicosis among others. We performed this study to analyze the association of hypothyroidism with TC., Methods: We queried the Nationwide Inpatient Sample which represents 20% of all the United States hospital data for our study. We identified TC and hypothyroidism through their respective ICD9. Codes for years 2006-2012. SAS 9.4 was used to perform a chi-square analysis to find any statistical significance and p < 0.05 used to determine statistical significance. Significant differences were identified using odds ratio (OR) estimates., Results: A total of 19,713 cases with TC were identified of which 17,340 (87.96%) were females and 2,373 (12.04%) were males. 3,272 patients with TC had diagnosis of hypothyroidism. There is statistically significant evidence of an association between TC and hypothyroidism (OR 2.21 (95% CI: 2.11- 2.31); p<0.0001). There is evidence of increased statistical significance of females having TC 5.24 (95% CI: 4.96-5.53; (p<0.0001)) compared to males, with an increased statistically significance of females with hypothyroidism having TC, OR 6.65 (95% CI: 5.57-7.93; p< 0.001) compared to males., Conclusion: There is an increased association of hypothyroidism, especially hypothyroidism for females with TC., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) is a crucial oriental medicinal herb that grows especially in Korea and the Far-East countries. It contains chemically active compounds like pyranocoumarins, polyacetylenes and essential oils, which might be useful for treatment of several chronic diseases. It has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asia, but in Western countries is used as a functional food and a major ingredient of several herbal products. The genus Angelica is also known as 'female ginseng' due to its critical therapeutic role in female afflictions, such as gynecological problems. However, it is well-documented that the AGN pyranocoumarins may play vital beneficial roles against cancer, neurodisorders, inflammation, osteoporosis, amnesia, allergies, depression, fungi, diabetes, ischemia, dermatitis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and androgen. Though numerous studies revealed the role of AGN pyranocoumarins as therapeutic agents, none of the reviews have published their molecular mechanism of action. To the best of our knowledge, this would be the first review that aims to appraise the biosynthesis of AGN's major active pyranocoumarins, discuss effective extraction and formulation methods, and detail the molecular action mechanism of decursin (D), decursinol angelate (DA) and decursinol (DOH) in chronic diseases, which would further help extension of research in this area., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Angelica gigas Nakai is an important medicinal herb, widely utilized in Asian countries especially in Korea, Japan, and China. Although it is a vital medicinal herb, the lack of sequencing data and efficient molecular markers has limited the application of a genetic approach for horticultural improvements. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are universally accepted molecular markers for population structure study. In this study, we found over 130,000 SSRs, ranging from di- to deca-nucleotide motifs, using the genome sequence of Manchu variety (MV) of A. gigas, derived from next generation sequencing (NGS). From the putative SSR regions identified, a total of 16,496 primer sets were successfully designed. Among them, we selected 848 SSR markers that showed polymorphism from in silico analysis and contained tri- to hexa-nucleotide motifs. We tested 36 SSR primer sets for polymorphism in 16 A. gigas accessions. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.69; the average observed heterozygosity ( H O ) values, and the expected heterozygosity ( H E ) values were 0.53 and 0.73, respectively. These newly developed SSR markers would be useful tools for molecular genetics, genotype identification, genetic mapping, molecular breeding, and studying species relationships of the Angelica genus., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; nor in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.