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The present study focused on the production optimization of bacteriocin by Lactobacillus viridescence NICM 2167 followed by its purification and characterization. The bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides produced by many Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.The bacteriocin produced by LAB (lactic acid bacteria) received attention in recent years due to their potential application as natural preservatives in food. Bacteriocinproduced by Lactobacillus viridescence showed broad range of antimicrobial activity against food borne pathogens. Production parameters were optimized showing highest production of bacteriocinin MRS broth with pH= 7.0 incubated at 37°C for 48 h. Bacteriocin was purified in two steps involving ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by gel filtration using Sephadex G-100. Purified bacteriocin with single band on SDS-PAGE showed molecular weight of 8.3 kDa. This purified bacteriocin was stable over wide range of pH (4-10) as well as temperatures (4°C-121°C) suggesting it as a potent candidate for preservation of various foods.

Papad is familiarly known as an Indian food adjunct or snack food. In this study, attempts have been made to increase the protein, minerals and crude fibre content of the papad with incorporation of Pleurotus sajor-caju powder to develop a novel snack food. Mushroom powder was added in different proportions with other ingredients of the papad and the prepared papad was subjected to physicochemical and sensorial analyses. Mushrooms pretreated with 1% potassium metabisulphite followed by whey treatment had better colour and reduced drying time. Drying at 50°C produced more amount of mushroom powder (350 μ) and had higher acceptability of rehydrated samples. The papad enriched with 20% mushroom powder showed increased values of protein (15.8%), minerals (38.87%) and crude fibre (218.18%) content and had maximum sensory score. Therefore, papad supplemented with oyster mushroom powder may help to reduce protein malnutrition, constipation and mineral deficiency disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discourse surrounding the role of spirituality in social work practice has been expanding exponentially in recent years. Similarly, the discourse surrounding the role of spirituality among diasporic communities has expanded in recent times as well. In this paper, we will consider the linkages between social work, spirituality, and diaspora. We will focus our discussion on a particular diasporic spiritual community, the Sathya Sai Baba movement and its social service activities. We will then consider the implications of such spiritual movements for the social work profession. Among the key issues explored in this paper are the change in the social construction of populations that have moved between two countries as 'immigrant communities' to 'diasporic communities' and the implications of these changes for social work. Another critical issue we discuss is how working with spiritual movements may help address the 'spiritual deficit' concern that some social work academics have referred to, and indirectly at least, we begin to address 'the social work crisis' issue that has negatively affected the social work profession over the last few years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

You Utilization of biodegradable films is a need of food packaging industries in order to reduce the hazards related to plastic use and to extend the food’s shelf life. Various polysaccharides are in use for the purpose of making the films. In this research, chitosan based films were developed and its mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties were checked to fulfill the packaging requirements. Chitosan was extracted from shrimp waste and films were produced using 0.5-2 per cent concentrations. At ambient temperature, specific characteristics such as mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial analysis were performed at an interval of two days. Among all, the films with 2 per cent chitosan showed best results in terms of tensile strength, thickness and percent elongation. Also, the films exhibited maximum resistance to water vapor permeability. The extracted chitosan at 2 per cent concentration had shown the maximum resistance against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From the current investigation it can be said that films with 2 per cent chitosan could be used as biodegradable food packing materials and can serve as material which would maintain a good city and future of world by minimizing plastic hazards..

The aim of this study was to optimize extracion of flaxseed oil process by ultrasonic treatment and determination of its effect on ω-3 fatty acid. The extraction of flaxseed oil was optimized by using different solvents like methanol, acetone, petroleum ether, ethanol, hexane and dichloromethane. The ultrasonication treatment was optimized with respect to amplitude (20–80 kHz), temperature (25–40 °C), sonication time (20–80 min) and solid to solvent ratio (1:5, 1:10 and 1:15) for extraction of flaxseed oil. The extracted oil was subjected to GC analysis to determine ω-3 fatty acid. The recovery of flaxseed oil was higher with hexane followed by dichloromethane. The ultrasonic treatment at frequency of 40 kHz, temperature of 30 °C, extraction time of 40 min and solid to solvent ratio: 1:10 gave best results for extraction. The ultrasonic assisted extraction improves the extraction yield by 11.5% with similar amount of solvent. The chromatograph showed that there were no significant effects on α-Linolenic acid (ω-3) by the ultrasonic assisted extraction. This will beneficial to the oil extractor to recover higher amount of oil from same amount of the raw materials.

Reactions of bipyridyl-functionalized imidazole-thiones and selones with MeX (X = I, OTf) afforded sulfenyl and selenenyl cations [(NNC)EMe]X (2/3, E = S, Se). Further reactions of these main-group cations with [Cu(CH3CN)4]BF4, Cu(OTf) furnished dicationic [{Cu(µ-I)(NNC)EMe}2][Y]2 (5/6, Y = BF4, OTf) and tricationic copper(I) complexes [Cu{(NNC)EMe}2](OTf)2BF4 (7a/7b) when  employed [(NNC)EMe]I and [(NNC)EMe]OTf respectively. All these cationic complexes were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray diffraction analysis. The solid-state structures revealed novel bonding modes of the cations. The cationic nature of new complexes was analyzed by the 77Se NMR spectroscopy, which indicated different electronic environments around the selenium centers. The cations [(NNC)EMe]X (X= I, OTf), and (NNC)SMe bearing copper complex [{Cu(µ-I)(NNC)EMe}2][Y]2 proved as potential candidates for alkylation of various Lewis bases and as molecular catalyst in aldehyde-alkyne-amine coupling reactions, respectively. The latter catalytic reactions yielded a range of three-component products in good to excellent yields with low catalyst loading under solvent-free conditions, which demonstrate the potential utility of group-16 cations as ancillary ligands in homogeneous catalysis., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Allyl amines are vital components in various biologically important molecules and play a significant role in their function. Presently, most methods are geared toward the preparation of di- and trisubstituted allyl amines, leaving a gap for the development of more versatile approaches. We herein describe an approach to yield tetrasubstituted allyl amines through palladium (Pd)-catalyzed regioselective dicarbofunctionalization of masked N-phthalimide-protected propargyl amines. The cationic Pd-intermediate in conjunction with the masked amine exerts collective control for the reaction regioselectivity. This method accommodates a wide range of alkynes, aryl boronic acids, and aryl diazonium salts offering direct access to a wide range of unusual tetrasubstituted allyl amines.

Presented here is a sulfoximine-directed Ru(II)-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular double C(sp 2 )-H hydroarylation of olefins. This process provides a diastereoselective and enantiospecific synthetic route to highly substituted tetrahydrobenzodifurans. Notably, the reaction accommodates labile functional groups and is scalable to gram quantities.

A visible-light-initiated electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) complex-driven regioselective vicinal and oxidative geminal thiosulfonylation of alkynes is presented. Organic thiosulfonates act as an acceptor, producing either sulfonyl (RSO 2 ˙) or thiyl (RS˙) radicals under base and solvent switchable conditions. Simultaneous installation of three different functionalities, viz carbonyl, sulfonyl, and thiyl, takes place under one condition, while another condition leads to vicinal thiolation and sulfonylation.

Plastics are widespread pollutants found in atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems due to their extensive usage and environmental persistence. Plastic additives, that are intentionally added to achieve specific functionality in plastics, leach into the environment upon plastic degradation and pose considerable risk to ecological and human health. Limited knowledge concerning the presence of plastic additives throughout plastic life cycle has hindered their effective regulation, thereby posing risks to product safety. In this study, we leveraged the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework to understand the mechanisms underlying plastic additives-induced toxicities. We first identified an exhaustive list of 6470 plastic additives from chemicals documented in plastics. Next, we leveraged heterogenous toxicogenomics and biological endpoints data from five exposome-relevant resources, and identified associations between 1287 plastic additives and 322 complete and high quality AOPs within AOP-Wiki. Based on these plastic additive-AOP associations, we constructed a stressor-centric AOP network, wherein the stressors are categorized into ten priority use sectors and AOPs are linked to 27 disease categories. We visualized the plastic additives-AOP network for each of the 1287 plastic additives and made them available in a dedicated website: https://cb.imsc.res.in/saopadditives/ . Finally, we showed the utility of the constructed plastic additives-AOP network by identifying highly relevant AOPs associated with benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), bisphenol A (BPA), and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and thereafter, explored the associated toxicity pathways in humans and aquatic species. Overall, the constructed plastic additives-AOP network will assist regulatory risk assessment of plastic additives, thereby contributing towards a toxic-free circular economy for plastics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

An achiral Cp*Co(III)-catalyzed enantioselective C-H activation/annulation of chiral sulfoximine-enabled thioamides with ynamides is presented herein. This method successfully synthesizes axially chiral five-membered 2-amidoindenones with good enantiocontrol. Interestingly, the annulation with chiral oxazolidone-containing ynamides could provide a separable mixture of diastereomers (up to ~10 : 1 dr). Moreover, enantiopure sulfoximines could be recovered with ~99 % purity, making this method practical. DFT studies show valuable insight into the mechanism and origin of asymmetric induction., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Introduction Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) endoscopy with biopsy is essential for diagnosing and managing various GIT diseases, including malignancies and inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to analyze the spectrum of histopathological lesions in the GIT and their correlation with the endoscopic findings. Methodology This retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary medical college involving 114 patients who underwent GIT endoscopy between June 2023 and June 2024. This study focused on lesion types across different GIT sites (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum) and the agreement between endoscopic and histological diagnoses. Results Lesions were most prevalent in the stomach (52.6% of cases, n=60), followed by the duodenum (35.1%, n=40) and esophagus (12.3%, n=14). Significant correlations were found between endoscopic and histological diagnoses in the esophagus (concordance for esophagitis was 100%) and stomach (concordance for gastritis was 95%). In the duodenum, the concordance was high for duodenitis (100%) but lower for other lesions such as neuroendocrine tumors (71.43%). However, Cohen's kappa values indicated poor overall agreement across all sites (κ=0.49), reflecting variability in diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion This study highlights the reliability of endoscopic procedures for diagnosing upper GIT lesions, particularly in the esophagus and stomach, while emphasizing the challenges in diagnosing duodenal lesions. These findings support the need for targeted screening and further research to enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes in GIT diseases., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Ethical Committee of the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital issued approval IMS/IEC/107/2023. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Rauta et al.)

Background: The paucity of state-supported rehabilitation for chronically ill patients with long-term tracheostomies has ramifications of prolonged hospital-stay, increased burden on acute-care resources, and nosocomial infections. Few interventions describe home rehabilitation of adult tracheostomized patients. Almost none involve stakeholders. This paper describes the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) ICU rehabilitation (AIR) healthcare intervention developed to facilitate home rehabilitation of chronically ill tracheostomized patients., Methods: The AIR intervention development was based on the experience-based codesign theory (EBCD). A core research-committee studied prevalent knowledge and gaps in the area. Patients-carer and health-care stakeholders' experiences of barriers and facilitators to home care resulted in an intervention with interlinked components: family-carer training, equipment bank, m-health application, and follow-up, guided by the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework. Healthcare stakeholders (doctors, nurses, medical equipment vendors) and patient-carer dyads were engaged to gather experiences at various stages to form smaller codesign teams for each component. Multiple codesign meetings iteratively allowed refinement of the intervention over one year. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist was used to report the AIR intervention., Results: The first component comprised a minimum of three bedside hands-on training sessions for carers relating to tracheostomy suction, catheter care, monitoring oxygenation, enteral feeding, skincare, and physiotherapy, buttressed by pictorial-books and videos embedded in a mobile-application. The second was an equipment-bank involving a rental-retrieval model. The third component was a novel m-health tool for two-way communication with the core group and community of other patient-carers in the project for follow-up and troubleshooting. Home visits on days 7 and 21 post-discharge assessed patient hygiene, nutrition, physiotherapy, and established contact with the nearest primary healthcare facility for the future., Conclusions: Findings support the EBCD-based development using active feedback from stakeholders. Assessment of feasibility, process and effectiveness evaluation will follow., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Tripathy S et al.)

Introduction and Importance: SMARCB1 (INI-1) is a vital tumour suppressor gene on chromosome 22q11.2, preventing tumour development in the SWI/SNF complex. Mutations cause SMARCB1-deficient tumours with distinct features. Loss of INI-1 expression is seen in malignancies, including sinonasal carcinoma and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours. Recently recognized as a separate entity, SMARCB1-deficient sinonasal carcinomas (SDSC) are rare, clinically aggressive, and mimic other malignancies, emphasizing their significant diagnosis due to poorer prognosis, particularly in the elderly., Case Presentation: A 66-year-old male presented with a 4-month-old right cheek swelling, diagnosed initially as a sinonasal neoplastic mass. The biopsy revealed sinonasal mucosal fragments infiltrated by a tumour with plasmacytoid morphology. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) of the tumour cells was positive for p63 and pan-cytokeratin and showed INI-1 loss. Subsequent subtotal maxillectomy was performed, and the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At a thirteen-month follow-up, the patient achieved his daily activities with no signs of recurrence., Clinical Discussion: The loss of protein expression in sinonasal cancer is predominantly attributed to the homozygous deletion of SMARCB1. SDSC, a profoundly invasive malignant carcinoma, tends to infiltrate sinuses and extend into the intracranial regions. The IHC findings of our case were in coherence with previous studies in SMARCB1. The prognosis is particularly unfavourable in males and advanced tumours., Conclusion: The tumour's microscopic and immunohistochemical characteristics indicated the SDSC. Due to its aggressive nature and high mortality rates, dealing with a paranasal mass, one should be suspicious of this tumour., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement No conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Lately, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing at an exponential rate making it important to search alternatives to antibiotics in order to combat multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. Out of the several antibacterial and antibiofilm strategies being tested, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have shown to give better hopes in terms of a long-lasting solution to the problem. To select a desired AMP, it is important to make right use of available tools and databases that aid in identification, classification, and analysis of the physiochemical properties of AMPs. To identify the targets of these AMPs, it becomes crucial to understand their mode-of-action. AMPs can also be used in combination with other antibacterial and antibiofilm agents so as to achieve enhanced efficacy against bacteria and their biofilms. Due to concerns regarding toxicity, stability, and bioavailability, strategizing drug formulation at an early-stage becomes crucial. Although there are few concerns regarding development of bacterial resistance to AMPs, the evolution of resistance to AMPs occurs extremely slowly. This comprehensive review gives a deep insight into the selection of the right AMP, deciding the right target and combination strategy along with the type of formulation needed, and the possible resistance that bacteria can develop to these AMPs.

Thoracic tracheal tumors are relatively rare in routine clinical practice. Though surgery is the preferred management choice, acute presentation is challenging for the surgeon and the anesthetist. In this study, we discuss the role of the percutaneous trans-tracheal endoscopic approach (PTTEA) in the modern era of minimally invasive surgery. Its indications, advantages, complications, and anesthetic options are enumerated. A retrospective review was performed of patients with thoracic tracheal lesions treated in our department between 2015 and 2022. A total of 16 patients underwent PTTEA in an emergency after a failed fiberoptic or transoral approach and were included in the review. Twelve patients were ventilated by intermittent apnea, and four had a Cardiopulmonary bypass. Amongst the 16 patients, nine had benign, and seven had malignant pathologies. All the benign lesions were excised completely, and patients were de-cannulated, except for one case with disseminated respiratory papillomatosis. Malignant lesions underwent debulking of the lesions for acute respiratory distress, followed by initiation of adjuvant therapy. PTTEA is an effective alternative to traditional fiberoptic or rigid bronchoscopy techniques for selected patients for whom minimally invasive techniques fail. The advantages of the approach include better surgical access, hemostasis, and airway control, resulting in reduced operative time and minimal complications., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThere are no conflicts of interest among the authors., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Background Smoking is a major global health issue that is linked to various health conditions, including hearing loss and reduced salivary flow. This study aims to explore the relationship between smoking, hearing loss, and salivary flow rate. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted over two months at a tertiary healthcare institute in Central India, involving 100 participants (50 smokers and 50 non-smokers) aged 18-55 years. Hearing status was assessed using audiometry, and the salivary flow rate was measured. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US). Results Smokers had a significantly higher prevalence of hearing loss (40%) compared to non-smokers (10%). The salivary flow rate was significantly lower in smokers (mean 0.5540 ml/min) than in non-smokers (mean 0.9240 ml/min). However, no significant correlation was found between the duration and frequency of smoking with hearing loss or salivary flow rate. Conclusion Smoking significantly impacts both hearing and salivary flow rate, hence smokers show a higher risk of hearing loss and reduced salivary flow rate. Early hearing screenings and preventive measures are recommended for smokers. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to explore the long-term effects of smoking on these health parameters., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. IHEC AIIMS Bhopal issued approval AIIMS/BPL/IECSR/JAN/23/STS/03. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Meghani et al.)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a critical health threat, particularly with the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. This demands attention from scientific communities and healthcare professionals worldwide to develop effective treatments. The enhanced intracellular survival (Eis) protein is an acetyltransferase enzyme of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that functions by adding acetyl groups to aminoglycoside antibiotics, which interferes with their ability to bind to the bacterial ribosome, thereby preventing them from inhibiting protein synthesis and killing the bacterium. Therefore, targeting this protein accelerates the chance of restoring the aminoglycoside drug activity, thereby reducing the emergence of drug-resistant TB. For this, we have screened 406,747 natural compounds from the Coconut database against Eis protein. Based on MM/GBSA rescoring binding energy, the top 5 most prominent natural compounds, viz. CNP0187003 (- 96.14 kcal/mol), CNP0176690 (- 93.79 kcal/mol), CNP0136537 (- 92.31 kcal/mol), CNP0398701 (- 91.96 kcal/mol), and CNP0043390 (- 91.60 kcal/mol) were selected. These compounds exhibited the presence of a substantial number of hydrogen bonds and other significant interactions confirming their strong binding affinity with the Eis protein during the docking process. Subsequently, the MD simulation of these compounds exhibited that the Eis-CNP0043390 complex was the most stable, followed by Eis-CNP0187003 and Eis-CNP0176690 complex, further verified by binding free energy calculation, principal component analysis (PCA), and Free energy landscape analysis. These compounds demonstrated the most favourable results in all parameters utilised for this investigation and may have the potential to inhibit the Eis protein. There these findings will leverage computational techniques to identify and develop a natural compound inhibitor as an alternative for drug-resistant TB., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

We report a measurement of exclusive J/ψ and ψ(2s) photoproduction in Au+Au ultraperipheral collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR detector. For the first time, (i) the ψ(2s) photoproduction in midrapidity at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider has been experimentally measured; (ii) nuclear suppression factors are measured for both the coherent and incoherent J/ψ production. At average photon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 25.0 GeV, the coherent and incoherent J/ψ cross sections of Au nuclei are found to be 71±10% and 36±7%, respectively, of that of free protons. The stronger suppression observed in the incoherent production provides a new experimental handle to study the initial-state parton density in heavy nuclei. Data are compared with theoretical models quantitatively.

The human stomach is a complex organ. Its role is to degrade food particles by using mechanical forces and chemical reactions in order to release nutrients. All ingested items, including our nutrition, should first pass through the stomach, making it arguably the most crucial segment in the gastrointestinal tract. Computational and mathematical modeling of the stomach is an emerging field of biomechanics where several complex phenomena, such as solid mechanics of the gastric wall, gastric electrophysiology, and fluid mechanics of the digesta need to be addressed. Developing a meshfree comprehensive algorithm for solving the nervous stomach model that enables analysing the relationships between these phenomena remains one of the most significant challenges in biomechanics. This research dedicates to study the dynamics of nervous stomach model governed by a mathematical representation depending on three categories viz. Tension ( T ), Food ( F ) and Medicine ( M ), i.e. TFM model. In this regard, a machine learning paradigm, namely POLY nomial W in O wed with G aussian (PolyWOG) Wavelet Neural Network (PWNN) model has been implemented for handling the non-linear TFM models. We compared the obtained outcomes of present work with results of a well-known numerical computing paradigm and an existing wavelet neural algorithm. Also, we have done statistical assessment studies at different testing points, which reveal that the proposed architecture is effective and accurate.

Rift Valley fever is a zoonotic disease that can spread through livestock and mosquitoes, and its symptoms include retinitis, photophobia, hemorrhagic fever and neurological effects. The World Health Organization has identified Rift Valley fever as one of the viral infections that has potential to cause a future epidemic. Hence, efforts are urgently needed toward development of therapeutics and vaccine against this infectious disease. Notably, the causative virus namely, the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), utilizes the cap-snatching mechanism for viral transcription, rendering its cap-binding domain (CBD) as an effective antiviral target. To date, there are no published studies towards identification of potential small molecule inhibitors for the CBD of RVFV. Here, we employ a virtual screening workflow comprising of molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, to identify 5 potential phytochemical inhibitors of the CBD of RVFV. These 5 phytochemical inhibitors can be sourced from Indian medicinal plants, Ferula assa-foetida, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Leucas cephalotes, used in traditional medicine. In sum, the 5 phytochemical inhibitors of the CBD of RVFV identified by this purely computational study are promising drug lead molecules which can be considered for detailed experimental validation against RVFV infection., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

In this work, we have developed an efficient method for the intramolecular double hydroamination of aniline by employing o -amino 1,6-diyne as a potential starting material. This protocol enables easy access to bioactive motif 3,4-dihydro-1 H -[1,4]oxazino[4,3- a ]indole through an intramolecular cascade bicyclization and concomitant isomerization pathway in one pot. This transformation has been effectively achieved by utilizing a stereoelectronically tuned, π-accepting NHC-supported copper(I) system. During ligand optimization trials, naphthoquinone-annulated N -heterocyclic carbene, Nq(IDipp) [1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-naphthoquino-imidazolidene]-supported copper(I) complexes of the type Nq(IDipp)CuX (X = Cl or I) were synthesized and fully characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. For this conversion, NHC plays a crucial role in providing the optimum electron density around the metal center. It is a highly regio- and chemoselective transformation with a high atom economy and uses cheap, environmentally benign copper-based catalysts. Furthermore, a plausible mechanism has been proposed on the basis of experimental observations and literature support.

In this study, we developed a cascade 5,5-cyclisation of internal ketene- N , O -acetals utilizing homogeneous Au(I) catalysis. This process involves an initial 5- exo-dig carbocyclisation, followed by a 5- exo-dig heterocyclisation that stereoselectively incorporates the O-atom of a water molecule into an N-tethered propargyl alkyne. This sequential reaction results in the formation of one C-C, two C-O, and two C-I bonds, ultimately leading to the synthesis of spiro-α-iodo-γ-lactone structures featuring oxazole rings in good yields.

Pregnancy is a remarkable event where the semi-allogeneic fetus develops in the mother's uterus, despite genetic and immunological differences. The antigen handling and processing at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy appear to be crucial for the adaptation of the maternal immune system and for tolerance to the developing fetus and placenta. Maternal antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as macrophages (Mφs) and dendritic cells (DCs), are present at the maternal-fetal interface throughout pregnancy and are believed to play a crucial role in this process. Despite numerous studies focusing on the significance of Mφs, there is limited knowledge regarding the contribution of DCs in fetomaternal tolerance during pregnancy, making it a relatively new and growing field of research. This review focuses on how the behavior of DCs at the maternal-fetal interface adapts to pregnancy's unique demands. Moreover, it discusses how DCs interact with other cells in the decidual leukocyte network to regulate uterine and placental homeostasis and the local maternal immune responses to the fetus. The review particularly examines the different cell lineages of DCs with specific surface markers, which have not been critically reviewed in previous publications. Additionally, it emphasizes the impact that even minor disruptions in DC functions can have on pregnancy-related complications and proposes further research into the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting DCs to manage these complications., (© 2024 Deviyani Mahajan et al., published by Sciendo.)

Background Thyroidectomy is a routinely performed surgical procedure used to treat benign, malignant, and some hormonal disorders of the thyroid that are not responsive to medical therapy. Voice alterations following thyroid surgery are well-documented and often attributed to recurrent laryngeal nerve dysfunction. However, subtle changes in voice quality can persist despite anatomically intact laryngeal nerves. This study aimed to quantify post-thyroidectomy voice changes in patients with intact laryngeal nerves, focusing on fundamental frequency, first formant frequency, shimmer intensity, and maximum phonation duration. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary referral center in central India and focused on post-thyroidectomy patients with normal vocal cord function. Preoperative assessments included laryngeal endoscopy and voice recording using a computer program, with evaluations repeated at one and three months post-surgery. Patients with normal laryngeal endoscopic findings underwent voice analysis and provided feedback on subjective voice changes. The PRAAT version 6.2 software was utilized for voice analysis. Results The study included 41 patients with normal laryngoscopic findings after thyroid surgery, with the majority being female (85.4%) and the average age being 42.4 years. Hemithyroidectomy was performed in 41.4% of patients and total thyroidectomy in 58.6%, with eight patients undergoing central compartment neck dissection. Except for one patient, the majority reported no subjective change in voice following surgery. Objective voice analysis showed statistically significant changes in the one-month postoperative period compared to preoperative values, including a 5.87% decrease in fundamental frequency, a 1.37% decrease in shimmer intensity, and a 6.24% decrease in first formant frequency, along with a 4.35% decrease in maximum phonatory duration. These trends persisted at the three-month postoperative period, although values approached close to preoperative levels. Results revealed statistically significant alterations in voice parameters, particularly fundamental frequency and first formant frequency, with greater values observed in total thyroidectomy patients. Shimmer intensity also exhibited slight changes. Comparison between hemithyroidectomy and total thyroidectomy groups revealed no significant differences in fundamental frequency, first formant frequency, and shimmer. However, maximum phonation duration showed a significantly greater change in the hemithyroidectomy group at both one-month and three-month postoperative intervals. Conclusions This study on post-thyroidectomy patients with normal vocal cord movement revealed significant changes in voice parameters postoperatively, with most patients reporting no subjective voice changes. The findings highlight the importance of objective voice analysis in assessing post-thyroidectomy voice outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Sahoo et al.)

Background: In recent years, a significant understanding of delivering optimal aerosol therapy and the availability of various drugs and devices have led to an increase in its use in clinical practice. There are only a few studies available regarding their use in critically ill patients from a few parts of the world. We aimed to study the practice pattern of aerosol therapy in critically ill patients from Indian intensive care units (ICUs)., Methods: After ethical approval, this multi-centric prospective observational study was performed over a study period of four weeks. Newly admitted adult patients considered who had an artificial airway and/or ventilation (including non-invasive). Patients were followed up for the next 14 days or until ICU discharge/death (whichever came first) for details of each aerosol therapy, including ongoing respiratory support, drug type, and aerosol-generating device., Results: From the nine participating centers across India, 218 patients were enrolled. Of 218 enrolled patients, 72.48% received 4884 aerosols with 30.91 ± 27.15 (95%CI: 26.6-35.1) aerosols per patient over 1108 patient days. Approximately 62.7% during IMV, 30.2% during NIV, 2.3% in spontaneously breathing patients with an artificial airway during weaning, and 4.7% were given without an artificial airway after weaning or decannulation. In 59%, a single drug was used, and bronchodilators were the most frequent. The jet nebulizer was the most common, followed by the ultrasonic and vibrating mesh aerosol generator. The ventilator setting was changed in only 6.6% of the aerosol sessions with IMV and none with NIV., Conclusion: Aerosol therapy is frequently used with a wide variation in practices; bronchodilators are the most commonly used drugs, and jet nebulizers are the most widely used., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Chest Society.)

The regioselective annulation of unsymmetrical alkynes has always been a focused research topic. A Pd-catalyzed double annulation of unsymmetrical alkynes (i.e., yne-acetates) with aryl diazonium salts for the synthesis of substituted naphthalene derivatives is developed. The process addresses intrinsic regioselectivity challenges in the annulations of unsymmetrical alkynes. Mechanistic investigations shed light on the crucial role of the acetate-directing groups in determining the regiochemical reaction outcome.

Cadmium is a prominent toxic heavy metal that contaminates both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Owing to its high biological half-life and low excretion rates, cadmium causes a variety of adverse biological outcomes. Adverse outcome pathway (AOP) networks were envisioned to systematically capture toxicological information to enable risk assessment and chemical regulation. Here, we leveraged AOP-Wiki and integrated heterogeneous data from four other exposome-relevant resources to build the first AOP network relevant for inorganic cadmium-induced toxicity. From AOP-Wiki, we filtered 309 high confidence AOPs, identified 312 key events (KEs) associated with inorganic cadmium from five exposome-relevant databases using a data-centric approach, and thereafter, curated 30 cadmium relevant AOPs (cadmium-AOPs). By constructing the undirected AOP network, we identified a large connected component of 18 cadmium-AOPs. Further, we analyzed the directed network of 59 KEs and 82 key event relationships (KERs) in the largest component using graph-theoretic approaches. Subsequently, we mined published literature using artificial intelligence-based tools to provide auxiliary evidence of cadmium association for all KEs in the largest component. Finally, we performed case studies to verify the rationality of cadmium-induced toxicity in humans and aquatic species. Overall, cadmium-AOP network constructed in this study will aid ongoing research in systems toxicology and chemical exposome., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)