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In recent times, there has been a surge in the adoption of web-based technologies by different industries to establish a digital front for their operations. This is because the digital market is booming, and companies are keen on tapping into this growth opportunity. Healthcare is one such field that has embraced digitization to manage patient data efficiently. The digitization of information is necessary as it helps in the organization and retrieval of data, leading to better healthcare delivery. Niraamaya, an Android application that streamlines patient data management. The application allows for patient registration and the storage of their clinical details in the system. Furthermore, the application generates a unique identification code for each patient, which makes it easy to access their medical records. Additionally, the hospital test details are automatically stored in the system, further enhancing the efficiency of data management. This feature is particularly useful for healthcare professionals who need to access patient information quickly during diagnosis and treatment. Overall, the Niraamaya Android application is a game-changer in the management of patient data in the healthcare industry. Its user-friendly interface, swift data processing, and strict security measures make it an ideal choice for healthcare facilities seeking to streamline their operations and improve patient outcomes. The digitization of patient data has become a necessity in the healthcare industry, and the Niraamaya Android application has taken a step in the right direction to make this a reality., {"references":["1.\tAl-Mahdi, I., Gray, K., & Lederman, R. (2015, January). Online Medical Consultation: A review of literature and practice. In Proceedings of the 8th Australasian workshop on health informatics and knowledge management (Vol. 164, No. 1, pp. 97-100). Sydney: Australian Computer Society.","2.\tAn Android App for Health Management System(December 2016):(PDF) An Android App for Health Management System (researchgate.net)","3.\tAnnigeri, N. M., & Sunagar, P. (2018). AYURVEDA UPACHARA-AN ANDROID APP. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science, 9(1).","4.\tTiwari, P., Jaiswal, A., Vishwakarma, N., & Patel, P. Smart Health Care - An Android App To Predict Disease On The Basis Of Symptoms. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET).04(04).","5.\tAndroid User Interfaces: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/index.html","6.\tMethodology: https://winatalent.com/blog/2021/01/what-is-a-prototype-in-mobile-app-development/","7.\tReferred website: https://www.alvasayurveda.com/"]}

In this era of information, a bulk amount of data is being generated. It is challenging to the decision maker to process the huge amount of data within the given period of time using the traditional tools and techniques. The paper discusses mobile and wireless networks in terms of services, technical evolution, and related issues. Industries such as transportation and logistics, financial services, health services, and many others should be able to improve their performance by implementing wireless mobile technologies. Big Data not only refers to huge volume of data but also numerous variety and velocity i.e., the speed of data processing. In order to effectively handle and extract the knowledge and value from the given datasets, modern methods and tools must be used by the organisations for Big Data processing. As a result, the key aspect for the organisations to disclose the concealed information and pull off the competitive advantage in the business is Big Data Analytics. This paper aims to provide an overview on various types of analytics methods and tools, it’s purview and also the opportunities provided by the implementation of Big Data Analytics

Chitosan is a biodegradable and biocompatible natural polymer that has been extensively explored in recent decades. The Food and Drug Administration has approved chitosan for wound treatment and nutritional use. Furthermore, chitosan has paved the way for advancements in different biomedical applications including as a nanocarrier and tissue-engineering scaffold. Its antibacterial, antioxidant, and haemostatic properties make it an excellent option for wound dressings. Because of its hydrophilic nature, chitosan is an ideal starting material for biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogels. To suit specific application demands, chitosan can be combined with fillers, such as hydroxyapatite, to modify the mechanical characteristics of pH-sensitive hydrogels. Furthermore, the cationic characteristics of chitosan have made it a popular choice for gene delivery and cancer therapy. Thus, the use of chitosan nanoparticles in developing novel drug delivery systems has received special attention. This review aims to provide an overview of chitosan-based nanoparticles, focusing on their versatile properties and different applications in biomedical sciences and engineering. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Background: The unflagging engrossing biosurfactant, representing ecological substitute to their synthetic equivalent has gained enormous attention in the 21st century and their potential applicability in food, medicine and petrochemical industries is being explored and expanding. Objectives: The current study deals with the applicability of pyocyanin and biosurfactant in crude oil recovery and use as a potential anti-shrimp pathogen agent. Materials and Methods: The bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa ENO-14 was explored for their biosurfactant production using Luria Bertani Broth and Bushnell-Haas Broth supplemented with 1% glucose under shaking condition and pyocyanin production using Luria Bertani Broth under static and shaking conditions. The highest concentration of biosurfactant (11.07±0.15mg/ml) was obtained after 48 h at 37°C in 200 rpm and the maximum production of pyocyanin (70.12±2.11 μg/ml) was observed after 96 h at 37°C under static condition. Further Emulsification activity was evaluated using cell-free supernatant, biosurfactant alone and a combination of pyocyanin (0.01%) and biosurfactant (0.1%). Finally, the produced pyocyanin and biosurfactant were used as anti-shrimp pathogen activity by agar well diffusion assay and in crude oil recovery by sand pack column. Results: 100 % emulsification were observed for the crude oil when treated with pyocyanin and biosurfactant in a union. The noteworthy outcome of this experiment is the prominent role played by pyocyanin in enhancing the emulsification of hydrocarbons. Moreover, as a novel observation, there was an additional significant increase (80%) of residual oil recovered by sand pack column when both pyocyanin and biosurfactant were tested in conjunction as compared to the recovery obtained when biosurfactant was administered alone (65%). Furthermore, both the compounds exhibited significant anti-shrimp pathogen activity. Conclusion: Therefore, biosurfactant and pyocyanin could have promising applications in the aquaculture and petrochemical industries.

Background: Biosurfactants are the surface-active molecules produced by the living micro-organisms. They have wide application in the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industry due to its physiological and functional properties. Objectives: In the present study, biosurfactant produced from Pseudomonas sp. was used for its physiochemical characterizations and anti-tumergenic property against colon cancer cell line (SW480). Materials and Methods: The biosurfactant was produced in Bushnell Haas Broth media and extracted by solvent extraction method. The physiochemical characterizations such as water solubility index, water activity, foaming index, oil holding capacity of extracted biosurfactant were performed. The degree of toxicity of biosurfactant was measured using a conversion assay of 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) dye against SW480 and mouse L292 fibroblastic cell line (non-tumergenic). Furthermore, acridine orange-EtBr (ethidium bromide) staining, Dichlorofluorescein Diacetate (DCF-DA) staining, wound healing assay were performed to determine the anti-colon cancer activity of biosurfactant. Results: The oil holding capacity, water activity (aw), foaming capacity and water solubility index for biosurfactant were found to be 4.36 ± 0.05 g/g, 0.32 ± 0.03, 52.28 ± 0.10 % and 80.86 ± 0.20 % respectively. In the MTT assay, after 48 h of incubation, 84.7% of cell viability on L292 was observed at 250 μg/ml (maximum concentration) for biosurfactant. Whereas, only 50% cell viability was observed after 48 h of incubation on SW480 at 168.52 μg/ml biosurfactant concentration. Conclusion: The biosurfactant could be a bench-mark as a non-cytotoxic biosurfactant which may be used as a possible biological substance in the food industry as a stabilizing agent and in pharmaceutical industry as an anti-colon cancer agent.

Objective: In this study, the biosurfactant, produced by a potent non-pathogenic bacterial strain of Marinobacter litoralis MB15 was used for anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and biocompatibility assay. Materials and Methods: Biosurfactant producing bacteria were screened by oil displacement assay and emulsification assay. The best isolate was sequenced by 16S rRNA gene analysis. The biosurfactant was produced in modified Zobel marine broth media followed by the recovery of biosurfactant by solvent extraction method. The produced biosurfactant was characterized by using thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Electron spray Ionization-Mass Spectroscopy analysis. 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, crystal violet assay, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay were performed to determine the anti-oxidant activity, anti-microbial activity and biocompatibility of biosurfactant respectively. Results: The best biosurfactant producing isolate was found to be Marinobacter litoralis. The produced biosurfactant was characterized as rhamnolipid molecules, comprising of both mono (m/z = 358.98 [M+H]+, Rha-C12:2; m/z = 543.29 [M+K]+,Rha–C10-C10) and di rhamnolipid homologs (m/z = 689.34 [M+K]+,Rha-Rha-C10-C10). The product showed excellent antimicrobial properties against several pathogens including Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus subtilis, S. aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Streptococcus pyogenes. The antioxidant activity of biosurfactant was 72.6% at 5 mg/ml. The biosurfactant showed negligible cytotoxic effect to mouse L292 fibroblastic cell line. Most importantly, after 48 h of incubation, 84.7 % of cell viability on L292 was observed at 250 μg/ml for biosurfactant. Conclusion: Therefore, this investigation shows the utility of rhamnolipids as non-cytotoxic, natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agent for various industrial and biomedical application.

Nanotechnology: A promising field of advanced interdisciplinary research has unlocked an extensive range of scenarios in the sectors like agriculture, electronics, pharmacy, healthcare, pest management and much more. In agriculture, the potential uses and benefits of nanotechnology are enormous. With the use of Nanotechnology, the management of insect pests through the formulations of nanomaterial-based insecticides have changed the course of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Traditional strategies in Integrated Pest Management used in agriculture are insufficient and the application of chemical pesticides have caused adverse effects on animals, human health and the environment. With the utilization of nanotechnological approaches, the green and efficient alternatives would provide the management of insect pests without causing an impact on animals and the environment. The present study aims to focus on the management of insect pests utilizing modern nanotechnological approaches.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common endocrine condition in women in India. Gut microbiome alterations were shown to be involved in PCOS, yet it is remarkably understudied in Indian women who have a higher incidence of PCOS as compared to other ethnic populations. During the regional PCOS screening program among young women, we recruited 19 drug naive women with PCOS and 20 control women at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Kashmir, North India. We profiled the gut microbiome in faecal samples by 16S rRNA sequencing and included 40/58 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected in at least 1/3 of the subjects with relative abundance (RA) ≥ 0.1%. We compared the RAs at a family/genus level in PCOS/non-PCOS groups and their correlation with 33 metabolic and hormonal factors, and corrected for multiple testing, while taking the variation in day of menstrual cycle at sample collection, age and BMI into account. Five genera were significantly enriched in PCOS cases: Sarcina, Megasphaera, and previously reported for PCOS Bifidobacterium, Collinsella and Paraprevotella confirmed by different statistical models. At the family level, the relative abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae was enriched, whereas Peptococcaceae was decreased among cases. We observed increased relative abundance of Collinsella and Paraprevotella with higher fasting blood glucose levels, and Paraprevotella and Alkalibacterium with larger hip, waist circumference, weight, and Peptococcaceae with lower prolactin levels. We also detected a novel association between Eubacterium and follicle-stimulating hormone levels and between Bifidobacterium and alkaline phosphatase, independently of the BMI of the participants. Our report supports that there is a relationship between gut microbiome composition and PCOS with links to specific reproductive health metabolic and hormonal predictors in Indian women.

Microalgae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are used as food by humans. They have gained a lot of attention in recent years because of their potential applications in biotechnology. Microalgae and cyanobacteria are good sources of many valuable compounds, including important biologically active compounds with antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities. Under optimal growth condition and stress factors, algal biomass produce varieties of potential bioactive compounds. In the current review, bioactive compounds production and their remarkable applications such as pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications along with processes involved in identification and characterization of the novel bioactive compounds are discussed. Comprehensive knowledge about the exploration, extraction, screening, and trading of bioactive products from microalgae and cyanobacteria and their pharmaceutical and other applications will open up new avenues for drug discovery and bioprospecting.

The vaginal microbiome is a complex and dynamic microecosystem that fluctuates continually throughout a woman's life. Lactobacillus, a bacterium that possesses antibacterial properties dominates a healthy vaginal microbiome. Bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal disorder that has been linked with the dysbiosis of normal vaginal microbiota. Despite the importance of vaginal microbiome, little is known about functions it performs especially, how it helps in protecting the female reproductive tract. This knowledge gap is a significant impediment to the development of effective and feasible clinical treatments that might be required to improve women's health. Thus, a deeper understanding of the functional aspects and not just the composition of vaginal microbiome may aid in improving the diagnostics and treatment strategies. Recent advancement in molecular methods and computational biology have allowed researchers to acquire more knowledge about the vaginal microbiome. The use of metagenomics (culture-independent high-throughput technology) and bioinformatics tools have improved our understanding of the vaginal microbiome. In this review, we have attempted to explore the factors that may alter normal vaginal microbiota homeostasis such as age, sexual behavior, ethnicity, and hygiene, and so forth. We also discuss the role of probiotics in restoring healthy vaginal microbiome.

The emergence of biogenic nanomaterials as novel antimicrobials introduces a new paradigm in human health care. Based on the recent reports of the World Health Organization, infectious diseases pose one of the greatest health challenges. Increased multi-drug resistance prevalence among human pathogens, due to the inefficiency of commercially available antimicrobial drugs in the market is a great threat to humans. The poor solubility, stability and side effects of the antibacterial therapy prompted the researchers to explore new innovative strategies for developing new antimicrobials. Recently, biogenic nanoparticles have proven their effectiveness against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens as an alternative to conventional antibiotics. Biogenic nanoparticles such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) are easy to produce, biocompatible, provide enhanced uptake and are eco-friendly. Moreover, the capping of the biogenic nanocrystals provides an active surface for interaction with biological components, facilitated by free active surface functional groups to enhance their efficacy and delivery. Inorganic nanocrystals (AgNPs and ZnONPs) are effective both as nano-bactericides and as nanocarriers against sensitive and MDR) pathogens. The present chapter focuses on the utilization of the recent nanosystems to combat drug resistance in human pathogens. Nanomedicine represents a new generation of potiential antimicrobial candidates capable of combating the drug resistance in various pathogenic organisms.

Phenotypic cell-based screens are critical to the discovery of new antimalarial lead compounds. However, identification and validation of cellular targets of lead compounds is required following discovery in a phenotypic screen. We recently discovered aPlasmodiumtransmission-blocking N-((4-hydroxychroman-4-yl)methyl)-sulfonamide (N-4HCS) compound,DDD01035881, in a phenotypic screen.DDD01035881and its potent derivatives have been shown to blockPlasmodiummale gamete formation (microgametogenesis) with nanomolar activity. Here, we synthesised a photoactivatable N-4HCS derivative, probe2, to identify the N-4HCS cellular target. Using probe2in photo-affinity labelling coupled with mass spectrometry, we identified the 16 kDaPlasmodium falciparumparasitophorous vacuole membrane protein Pfs16 as the likely cellular target of the N-4HCS series. Further validating Pfs16 as the cellular target of the N-4HCS series, the Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) confirmed DDD01035881 stabilised Pfs16 in lysate from activated mature gametocytes. Additionally, photo-affinity labelling combined with in-gel fluorescence and immunoblot analysis confirmed the N-4HCS series interacted with Pfs16. High-resolution, widefield fluorescence and electron microscopy of N-4HCS-inhibited parasites was found to result in a cell morphology entirely consistent with targeted gene disruption ofPfs16. Taken together, these data strongly implicate Pfs16 as the target ofDDD01035881and establish the N-4HCS scaffold family as a powerful starting point from which future transmission-blocking antimalarials can be developed.

The rhizobia are microorganisms present in the soil that interact with leguminous plants. Legumes form a unique symbiotic relationship with bacteria known as rhizobia, which they allow to infect their roots. This in turn leads to root nodule formation where bacteria are accommodated for carrying out the process of nitrogen fixation. This symbiotic nitrogen fixation allows legumes to thrive in habitats with limited nitrogen availability. In the present time various environmental stresses such as desiccation, alkalinity, acidity, toxic doses of fertilizer, global rise in temperature, salinity, etc. not only suppress the growth and symbiotic characteristics of rhizobia but also change the effect the nodulation processes. Extreme environmental conditions have been found to adversely affect rhizobia–legume interactions wherein rhizobial partner utilizes endogenous or exogenous osmolytes and secretes specific proteins to alleviate the problem of aridity, salinity and toxicity. In this chapter, we discuss about the diversity of rhizobia in soil, environmental stresses affecting the rhizobia–legume symbiosis and their regulation.

Sponges are sessile benthic filter-feeding animals, which harbor numerous microorganisms. The enormous diversity and abundance of sponge associated bacteria envisages sponges as hot spots of microbial diversity and dynamics. Many theories were proposed on the ecological implications and mechanism of sponge-microbial association, among these, the biosynthesis of sponge derived bioactive molecules by the symbiotic bacteria is now well-indicated. This phenomenon however, is not exhibited by all marine sponges. Based on the available reports, it has been well established that the sponge associated microbial assemblages keep on changing continuously in response to environmental pressure and/or acquisition of microbes from surrounding seawater or associated macroorganisms. In this review, we have discussed nutritional association of sponges with its symbionts, interaction of sponges with other eukaryotic organisms, dynamics of sponge microbiome and sponge-specific microbial symbionts, sponge-coral association etc.

Interprofessional education has been gaining traction in the educational and professional climate today. As a shift has been made to incorporate the collaboration of health professionals into education, benefits in overall quality of education and patient care have been observed. Students who are involved in IPE are able to learn about other careers, learn the limitations of their own career, cement existing knowledge, develop relationships with members of various fields, improve teamwork skills, and enhance their job satisfaction. Patients have also benefited from the new IPE implementation. As a result of increased collaboration, there has been a reduction in patient errors and overall improved quality of care among programs who participate in IPE.

Coral bleaching, a phenomenon by which the expulsion of corals’ alveolate endosymbiont (zooxanthellae) occurs when experiencing thermal stress is the major cause for devastation of corals. However, apart from this obligate symbiont of Scleractinian corals, there are different kinds of microbes that exist as stable, transient or sporadic members of the holobiont which reside within various microhabitats in the coral structures. Thus, this study aims to profile the coral bacterial community composition among different coral genera (thermally-sensitive (Acropora digetifera and A. noblis) and thermally resistant (Favites abdita) coral genera analyzed by field monitoring surveys) and also in a particular coral genus (thermally sensitive coral-A. digetifera) at two different sampling times (March 2016 and January 2017). A total of about 608695 paired end reads were obtained through Illumina MiSeq Sequencing platform. The alpha diversity indices (ACE, Chao1 and Shannon) were found to be higher in A. nobilis, followed by A. digetifera and Favites abdita, and the corresponding Simpson values were also found to follow the same trend, indicating that the samples are both rich in species diversity and species evenness. Proteobacteria was found to be the most dominant phylum and Gammaproteobacteria was the predominant class present in all the coral genera studied as also during different sampling time periods. As Vibrionaceae was previously reported to increase its abundance during bleaching stress conditions, bacterial profiling among different coral genera showed the presence of 86 % Vibrionaceae in A. digetifera colonies, and it was 93 % in A. digetifera samples collected during March 2016 whereas, it was found to decrease significantly (7 %) in same tagged colonies collected during January 2017. Thus, profiling of microbiome is of prime importance while studying the holobiont organism like the corals. Stress levels experienced by Palk Bay are even depicted in this microbiome study showing high alpha diversity indices that should alarm reef managers to pay attention to this precious stress tolerant reef community.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine condition in women of reproductive age understudied in non-European populations. In India, PCOS affects the life of up to 19.4 million women of age 14-25 years. Gut microbiome composition might contribute to PCOS susceptibility. We profiled the microbiome in DNA isolated from faecal samples by 16S rRNA sequencing in 19/20 women with/without PCOS from Kashmir, India. We assigned genera to sequenced species with an average 121k reads depth and included bacteria detected in at least 1/3 of the subjects or with average relative abundance ≥0.1%. We compared the relative abundances of 40/58 operational taxonomic units in family/genus level between cases and controls, and in relation to 33 hormonal and metabolic factors, by multivariate analyses adjusted for confounders, and corrected for multiple testing. Seven genera were significantly enriched in PCOS cases:Sarcina, AlkalibacteriumandMegasphaera, and previously reported for PCOSBifidobacterium, Collinsella, ParaprevotellaandLactobacillus. We identified significantly increased relative abundance ofBifidobacteriaceae(median 6.07% vs. 2.77%) andAerococcaceae(0.03% vs. 0.004%), whereas we detected lower relative abundancePeptococcaceae(0.16% vs. 0.25%) in PCOS cases. For the first time, we identified a significant direct association between butyrate producingEubacteriumand follicle-stimulating hormone levels. We observed increased relative abundance ofCollinsellaandParaprevotellawith higher fasting blood glucose levels, andParaprevotellaandAlkalibacteriumwith larger hip and waist circumference, and weight. We show a relationship between gut microbiome composition and PCOS linking it to specific reproductive health metabolic and hormonal predictors in Indian women.

BackgroundMulti-phenotype genome-wide association studies (MP-GWAS) of correlated traits have greater power to detect genotype–phenotype associations than single-trait GWAS. However, no multi-phenotype analysis method exists for epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS).ResultsWe extended the SCOPA approach developed by us to “methylSCOPA” software in C++ by ‘reversely’ regressing DNA hyper/hypo-methylation information on a linear combination of phenotypes. We evaluated two models of association between DNA methylation and fasting glucose (FG) and insulin (FI) levels: Model 1, including FG, FI, and three measured potential confounders (body mass index [BMI], fasting serum triglyceride levels [TG], and waist/hip ratio [WHR]), and Model 2, including FG and FI corrected for the effects of BMI, TG, and WHR. Both models were additionally corrected for participant sex and smoking status (current/ever/never). We meta-analyzed the cohort-specific MP-EWAS results with our novel software META-methylSCOPA, mapped genomic locations to CGCh37/hg19, and adoptedP−7to denote epigenome-wide significance. We used the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip array data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts (NFBC) 1966/1986. We quality-controlled the data, regressed out the effects of measured potential confounders, and normalized the methylation signal intensity and FI data. The MP-EWAS included data for 643/457 individuals from NFBC1966 and NFBC1986, respectively (total N=1,100).In Model 1, we detected epigenome-wide significant association in the MP-EWAS meta-analysis at cg13708645 (chr12:121,974,305;P=1.2×10−8) withinKDM2Bgene. Single-trait effects withinKDM2Bwere on FI, BMI, and WHR. Model with effect on BMI and WHR showed the strongest association at this locus, while effect on FI in single-phenotype analysis was driven by the effect of adiposity. In Model 2, the strongest association was at cg05063096 (chr3:143,689,810;P=2.3×10−7) annotated toC3orf58with strongest effect on FI in single-trait analysis and multi-phenotype effect on FI and WHI within Model 1.We characterized the effects of established EWAS loci for diabetes and its risk factors and detected suggestive (pPHGDH, TXNIP, SLC7A11, CPT1A, MYO5CandABCG1, through the dissection of the multi-phenotype effects in Model 1.ConclusionsWe implemented MP-EWAS in methylSCOPA and demonstrated its enhanced power over single-trait EWAS for correlated phenotypes in large-scale data.

Periodontal disease is caused by bacteria in dental plaque, the sticky substance that forms on our teeth. Dental plaque has the properties of a biofilm which is comprised of several hundred different bacterial species. Bacteria in biofilms communicate through signalling molecules and use this “quorum sensing” system to optimize their virulence factors and survival. These bacteria respond differently to antibiotics and antimicrobials and more often show drug resistance. Microbial gene expression was found to alter markedly in biofilms. The cells of our immune system release substances to get rid of the bacteria that cause inflammation and damage to the gums, periodontal ligament or alveolar bone. This leads to swollen, bleeding gums, a sign of gingivitis which is the earliest stage of periodontal disease. Such damage from periodontal disease can also cause teeth to become loose apart from leading to other oral infections. Periodontal disease is a widespread and serious health problem in adult population worldwide. To treat such diseases, the expenditure is too high. Furthermore, periodontal disease was found to be linked to other systemic illnesses, such as heart disease and preterm births. The need of the hour is to understand the disease process so that we may be able to control periodontal disease and improve the health status of the adult population worldwide. It has been well established that periodontal disease can be caused by shifts in the microbial population of the dental biofilms. Therefore, understanding the molecular details of quorum sensing mechanisms and disrupting such processes may open a new avenue for controlling bacterial infections.

Quorum sensing (QS) regulates major bacterial behaviors such as virulence, antibiotic resistance biofilm formation, and bioluminescence when the population reaches high density. The role of QS in biofilm formation and virulence is an extreme problem for food safety, biofilm-related infectious diseases, etc. Food spoilage is a consequence of degrading enzymatic activities, viz., proteolytic, lipolytic, chitinolytic, and pectinolytic, of some food-associated bacteria. Several activities associated with the deterioration of goods are regulated by QS, suggesting a potential role of such cell-to-cell communication in food spoilage. Therefore, interrupting QS mechanism might be an alternative strategy to develop novel QS-based antibacterial/anti-biofilm drugs. QS-based antibacterial/anti-biofilm agents can be used to manage foodborne pathogens and biofilm formation in food industries. Efforts to disrupt biofilms have enabled the identification of bioactive molecules produced by prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Production and bioactivity of mushroom polysaccharide was enhanced by using microbial QS molecules. Plant food extracts and phytochemicals were found to have anti-QS properties. Organic acids can act as effective potential sanitizers in reducing microbial load associated with fresh fruits and vegetables. Moreover, organic acids are known to be used as food preservatives due to their antimicrobial potential. Most approaches to use QQ as an anti-virulence strategy are still in initial phase; the increasing number of organisms and enzymes known to interfere with QS opens new perspectives for the development of innovative antibacterial strategies to prevent food spoilage.

The discovery of genes responsible for the production of bioactive metabolites via metabolic pathways combined with the advances in synthetic biology tools, has allowed the establishment of numerous microbial cell factories, for instance the yeast cell factories, for the manufacture of highly useful metabolites from renewable biomass. Genome mining and metagenomics are two platforms provide base-line data for reconstruction of genomes and metabolomes which is based in the development of synthetic/semi-synthetic genomes for marine natural products discovery. Engineered biofilms are being innovated on synthetic biology platform using genetic circuits and cell signalling systems as represillators controlling biofilm formation. Recombineering is a process of homologous recombination mediated genetic engineering, includes insertion, deletion or modification of any sequence specifically. Although this discipline considered new to the scientific domain, this field has now developed as promising endeavor on the accomplishment of sustainable exploitation of marine natural products.

Corals are hotspots of ocean microbial diversity and imbalance in the composition of coral associated microbes has been mostly correlated with the emergence of climate change driven diseases which affect the overall stability of the reef ecosystem. Coral sampling was performed by SCUBA diving at Palk Bay (latitude 9.271580, longitude 79.132203) south Indian coast. Among the 54 bacterial isolates, an isolate MGL-D26 showed comparatively high biofilm formation and was identified as Staphylococcus sciuri based on phylogenetic analysis. The production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) confirmed the formation of a slimy EPS matrix associated with the biofilm. The biofilm formation in S. sciuri D26 was induced significantly by UV exposure followed by other stress factors including pollution, agitation, and salinity. The strain inhibited innate immune factors of corals such as melanin synthesis and phenoloxidase. Challenge experiments in a model organism Aiptasia sp. showed pathogenicity of S. sciuri. Histopathological analysis revealed tissue invasion by S. sciuri which was a predisposing factor leading to mortality in challenged Aiptasia sp. However, specific disease condition of corals infected by S. sciuri requires continuous field monitoring and further investigation. Based on the findings, S. sciuri was a first reported multi-host opportunistic pathogen which has emerged in corals under environmental stress.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been considered as antimicrobial agents for decades. Rather than chemical synthesis, biosynthesis of AgNPs is emerging as a significant and effective method. This study mainly focused on synthesizing eco-friendly AgNPs from coral-associated bacteria. A total of 57 coral bacterial isolates were screened and the isolate MGL- D10 was selected for synthesizing AgNPs. The isolate MGL- D10 was identified as Alcaligenes sp. using 16S rDNA sequence based phylogenetic analysis. The synthesized AgNPs MGL- D10 was then characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Further, the morphology and the size of the synthesized AgNPs was observed through Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Microscopic analysis revealed the size of the synthesized AgNPs MGL- D10 was 30–50 nm. The synthesized AgNPs MGL- D10 showed antimicrobial activity against urinary tract infection (UTI) causing clinical isolates such as Bacillus sp., E. coli, K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and C. albicans. Antibiofilm effect of synthesized AgNPs MGL- D10 against S. aureus was assessed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Catheter experiments also proved the antibiofilm and antimicrobial effect of synthesized AgNPs MGL- D10. The obtained results exhibit that the coating of synthesized AgNPs MGL- D10 on catheters effectively inhibited the growth and biofilm formation of UTI causing pathogens. The present study will pave a way for successful and eco-friendly methods of protection against urinary tract infection causing pathogens and nosocomial infections.

Aim : Band selection is the first step in the procedure for fixed orthodontic mechanotherapy. During band selection chances of contamination of the preformed bands is the most common problem encountered in day-to-day practice. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of different decontamination procedures performed on ′tried-in′ molar bands and to see whether their reuse would indeed represent a crossinfection control hazard. Materials and methods: Preformed bands which were tried in patients were selected (125 nos) and divided into five study groups as follows: Group I: control group, Group II: unsterile group, Group III: autoclave group, Group IV: glass bead sterilizer group and Group V: 70% alcohol group. Results: It showed that the autoclaved samples showed 100% negative growth in all the bands, with questionable results with glass beads and alcohol.

Quorum sensing is a process of bacterial communication system wherein the production and secretion of small signaling molecules known as autoinducers enables the bacteria to express specific genes at particular population densities. Quorum quenching (QQ) can be used as an alternative approach to regulate pathogenicity. Well-established QQ strategies include amide bond hydrolysis, lactone hydrolysis, paraoxonase enzymes, and QQ modification of acyl chain. Plants in general lack advanced immune systems, and may have evolved to produce QQ compounds to combat with plant invading pathogens. Most common sources of QQ compounds in marine environment are bacteria, fungi, algae, bryozoan, corals, and sponges. Marine cyanobacteria have become one among the best source for obtaining biologically active and structurally unique QQ natural products. QQ compounds are being innovated as alternatives of antibiotics to treat pathogenic infections. Marine ecosystem is a unique and unexplored hotspot for the development of new derivatives of potential QQ compounds.

For treating the extruded molars, various orthodontic techniques have been introduced. In this article, bilateral molar intrusion is carried out with a modified transpalatal arch.

For treating the extruded molars, various orthodontic techniques have been introduced. In this article, bilateral molar intrusion is carried out with a modified transpalatal arch.