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The continuous requirement for pre-bleaching processes on kraft pulp, employing a range of compatible enzymes, aims to mitigate the pollution caused by chemical bleaching agents. In the present study, the laccase-producing bacterium Bacillus licheniformis BK-1 was isolated from the Bakreshwar hot spring in India and tested for laccase production using different lignocellulosic substrates. The isolate was found to produce maximum laccase (8.25 IU/mL) in the presence of rice bran as a substrate, followed by 5.14 IU/mL using sawdust over a 48 h period. Laccase production doubled when medium parameters were optimized using a central composite design. The bleaching of rice straw pulp was accomplished using a laccase, xylanase (previously extracted from the same bacteria), and laccase–xylanase mixture. The mix-wood kraft pulp treated with the enzyme mixture at pH 7.0 and 50 °C temperature for up to 180 min reduced the chlorine amount by 50% compared to the control. The results also revealed that the enzyme mixture improved the pulp's optical (brightness 10.39%) and physical (tear index 39.77%, burst index 22.82%, and tensile strength 14.28%) properties with 50% chlorine dose. These exceptional properties underscore the enzyme mixture's suitability for pulp pre-bleaching in paper manufacturing, offering a safer and more environmentally friendly process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare acquired hematological disorder characterized by episodic intravascular hemolysis. Despite newer therapies such as eculizumab, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only curative therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational analytical retrospective study was conducted comprising eight PNH patients who had undergone HSCT at our center. From January 2014 to December 2020, we performed HSCT in 8 PNH patients, 5 female and 3 male, with median age of 32 years (range: 15–38 years). RESULTS: Seven patients had pancytopenia, associated with marrow hypocellularity. One patient presented with a thrombotic episode. Seven had matched sibling donor (MSD) transplant and one underwent haploidentical transplant. The median time from diagnosis to transplant was 7 months (range: 1–38 months). All received reduced intensity conditioning (RIC): Flu-Bu-Cy-A TG for MSD transplants and Flu-A TG-Post Cy in haploidentical transplants. Median CD34+ stem cell dose was 5.5 × 106/kg (range 3.4–5.8 × 106/kg). All had successful engraftment. Acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) Grade I–III occurred in six patients. Chronic GVHD occurred in two patients. One patient succumbed to Grade III liver GVHD. Rest seven patients are alive till date and transfusion independent. The overall survival was 87.5% at a median of 26 months. CONCLUSIONS: HSCT is the only curative therapy for PNH. With the use of RIC, the outcomes of PNH patients can be improved. The incidence of GVHD is high with RIC regimens but can be managed with prompt immunosuppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the thalassaemia major subgroup, Hb levels were not available post-treatment in one patient at 1 month, and in two patients at 3 months, and in the thalassaemia intermedia subgroup in one patient each at 2 and 3 months (Table). Individual Hb values for patients with thalassaemia intermedia and thalassaemia major are presented in Figs A and B, respectively. Thalidomide was stopped in two patients in the thalassaemia major subgroup [one patient with Hb 105 g/l at 2 months underwent a bone marrow transplant (BMT), and another patient had a low Hb of 55 g/l after 3 months]. Hb levels were not available in one patient with thalassaemia major at 1 month, one patient with thalassaemia intermedia at 2 months (LFU), and three patients [two patients with thalassaemia major (one patient LFU) and one patient with thalassaemia intermedia (LFU)] at 3 months respectively. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: Pranjal. Modi, Krishnaprasad. Thyagaraj, Syed. Rizvi, Jigish. Vyas, Sukant. Padhi, Kamlesh. Shah, Ram. Patel Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is well establish procedure and having advantages over open donor nephrectomy in [...]

Byline: Kamlesh. Shah, Pranjal. Modi, Jamal. Rizvi Breast carcinoma is the most common nondermatologic cancer diagnosis in women. Common metastatic sites include lymph nodes, lung, liver, and bone. Breast carcinoma [...]