KMnO4-oxidized whole pine needle based adsorbent for selective and efficient removal of cationic dyes.

In the present study, we report the chemical modification of the dried and fallen pine needles (PNs) via a simple protocol using KMnO4 oxidation. The oxidized PNs (OPNs) were evaluated as adsorbents using some cationic and anionic dyes. The successful synthesis of OPNs adsorbent was characterized by various techniques to ascertain its structural attributes. The adsorbent showed selectivity for the cationic dyes with 96.11% removal (Pr) for malachite green (MG) and 89.68% Pr for methylene blue (MB) in 120 min. Kinetic models namely, pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and Elovich were applied to have insight into adsorption. Additionally, three adsorption isotherms, i.e., Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin were also applied. The dye adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2 > 0.99912 for MG and R2 > 0.9998 for MB. The adsorbent followed the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of 223.2 mg/g and 156.9 mg/g for MG and MB, respectively. Furthermore, the OPNs showed remarkable regeneration and recyclability up to nine adsorption-desorption cycles with appreciable adsorption for both the dyes. The use of OPNs as an adsorbent for the removal of dyes from wastewater, therefore, provides an ecologically benign, low-cost, and sustainable solution.

We have carried out the chemical modification of the dried and fallen pine needles (PNs) via a simple protocol using KMnO₄ oxidation. The oxidized PNs (OPNs) were evaluated as adsorbents using some cationic and anionic dyes and the adsorbent showed selectivity for the cationic dyes. As far as the authors are aware, no such report has been documented in the literature wherein an adsorbent based on oxidized PNs with a simple protocol has been used for dye removal.

Identification and morpho-molecular characterization of low spore strain in oyster mushroom.

BACKGROUND: Sporocarps of oyster mushroom liberate enormous spores and cause allergic reactions to workers involved in its cultivation. These spore-related allergies include stiffness or pain in the forearms, limbs, itchy throat, grogginess, and respiratory problems and are major problems during oyster mushroom cultivation. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we have generated seven hybrids using single-spore isolates (SSIs) of Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida (DMRP-49) and P. ostreatus (DMRP-30). Chimera was observed during cultivation trial of these hybrids and led to the development of low spore-producing/sporeless strain (DMRP-395) as evident from spore print and microscopic analysis. Further, the cultivation trial of this sporeless strain revealed a bunchy fruiting pattern and required 20-24 °C temperature for fruiting. At par yield was observed in sporeless strain. Notably, a prominent infundibuliform-shaped pileus along with central attachment of stipe was observed in the sporeless strain. Moreover, genetic diversity and principal component biplot analysis revealed resemblance of sporeless strain with one of the parental strain, i.e., P. ostreatus var. florida (DMRP-49). CONCLUSIONS: The developed sporeless strain (DMRP-395) contains high protein and at par yield as compared with the control (DMRP-136). This sporeless strain will be helpful to reduce spore-related allergic responses in mushroom growers.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of Zea mays upon mechanical wounding.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical wounding (MW) is mainly caused due to high wind, sand, heavy rains and insect infestation, leading to damage to crop plants and an increase in the incidences of pathogen infection. Plants respond to MW by altering expression of genes, proteins, and metabolites that help them to cope up with the stress. METHODS AND RESULTS: In order to characterize maize transcriptome in response to mechanical wounding, a microarray analysis was executed. The study revealed 407 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (134 upregulated and 273 downregulated). The upregulated genes were engaged in protein synthesis, transcription regulation, phytohormone signaling-mediated by salicylic acid, auxin, jasmonates, biotic and abiotic stress including bacterial, insect, salt and endoplasmic reticulum stress, cellular transport, on the other hand downregulated genes were involved in primary metabolism, developmental processes, protein modification, catalytic activity, DNA repair pathways, and cell cycle. CONCLUSION: The transcriptome data present here can be further utilized for understanding inducible transcriptional response during mechanical injury and their purpose in biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Furthermore, future study concentrating on the functional characterization of the selected key genes (Bowman Bird trypsin inhibitor, NBS-LRR-like protein, Receptor-like protein kinase-like, probable LRR receptor-like ser/thr-protein kinase, Cytochrome P450 84A1, leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase, jasmonate O-methyltransferase) and utilizing them for genetic engineering for crop improvement is strongly recommended.

Changes in fatty acids in Brassica juncea L. oil grown under two simulated conditions of fluoride contamination.

Rapeseed, the second-most-important vegetable oil source, is cultivated in various areas of India where both groundwater and soil are contaminated with fluoride (F-). Furthermore, the frequent use of F- contaminated groundwater for irrigation leads to accumulation of F- in surface and sub-surface soil. The study aims to compare the morphological and biochemical changes in Brassica juncea L., the variations in its fatty acids (FAs) composition and oil yield, under two regimes of F- contaminated soils: (i) pre-contaminated soil (Tr) and (ii) irrigation with F- contaminated water (Ir). The level of F- (µg g-1) in the plant tissues (root, leaf, and grain) was significantly higher in Ir_10 (18.3, 14.7, and 2.8, respectively) than in Tr_10 (4.3, 2.6, and 0.77, respectively), while the oil yield was significantly lower with Ir_10 (19.5%) than with Tr_10 (44.9%). The phytoremediation potential of F- by Brassica juncea L. is greater in Tr regime than in the Ir regime. The erucic acid content (%), which is detrimental to cardiac health, increased to 67.37% (Ir_10) and 58.3% (Tr_10) from 57.73% (control). Thus, the present study shows that irrigation with F- contaminated water results in greater toxicity and accumulation in plants and is not safe for human health.

Irrigation with F^­ contaminated water results in a greater accumulation of F^­ in mustard than cultivated on pre-contaminated soil. The level of erucic acid in mustard oil enhances against F^­ exposure.

Spatio-temporal variation of fluoride in groundwater and agricultural soil and crops of Unnao district, UP: Monitoring and assessment.

Fluoride (F-) contamination in groundwater of Unnao district, Uttar Pradesh was reported for the first time in 1994, however comprehensive monitoring of F- in different environmental matrices remains to be undertaken. The presented study reports spatio-temporal monitoring of F- content in groundwater, crops and soil from F- affected district Unnao, in pre-monsoon (PRM), monsoon (MO) and post-monsoon (PMO), to establish F- groundwater-soil-plant continuum. More than 80% of groundwater samples were contaminated with F-> 1.0 mg L-1 with highest level (mg L-1), at Patiyara (3.6 ± 0.64), during PRM > Pathakpur (2.73 ± 0.57) during PMO > Sarukheda (2.40 ± 0.43) during PRM. High Cr in groundwater was observed in Jajmau (7.08 ± 1.42). The level of F- (mg Kg-1) in agricultural soils followed 3.4 ± 0.71 at Patiyara (MO) > 2.9 ± 0.14 at Badlikheda (PRM) 1.89 ± 0.28 at Jagatkhera (PRM). Among the different edible parts of crops in selected sites, highest F- content (mg Kg-1), F- level in grains of Oryza sativa ranged between 0.23 ± 0.02 to 2.01 ± 0.24. Whereas in the edible fruit of Trichosanthes diocia contained 1.47 ± 0.32 and Momordica charantia 1.47 ± 0.02. Leaf of spinach (1.03 ± 0.22) and seed of Brassica juncea (0.73 ± 0.08). Overall, comparing across all the three seasons, level of F- was highest in all the plants during MO, as compared to PRM and PMO. The regression analysis of physiochemical properties of groundwater show negative relationship between Na+ and F- whereas soil alkalinity exhibited strong influence in soil F-. The high F- content in soil and groundwater at Patiyara and Shekhpur also coincided with presence of several brick kilns, possibly contributing to the high F-.

Nickel and cadmium phytoextraction efficiencies of vetiver and lemongrass grown on Ni-Cd battery waste contaminated soil: A comparative study of linear and nonlinear models.

A comparative assessment of the phytoremediation efficiency of two tolerant grass species viz. vetiver and lemongrass were performed in pots against simulated Ni-Cd battery electrolyte waste (EW) contaminated soil (EW1%, EW2% and EW4% w/w). Ni (µg g-1) accumulation was higher in shoots (36.8) and roots (252.9) of vetiver than in lemongrass (12.5 and 79.7, respectively). While the same trend was true for Cd (µg g-1) accumulation in vetiver and lemon grass roots (232.2 and 147.2, respectively), however, the accumulation in vetiver shoot (43.4) was less than in lemongrass (99.9). The bioaccumulation factor of metals in both grasses increased with EW contamination. Vetiver was tolerant towards EW toxicity than lemongrass, as it exhibited lesser decline in morphological parameters, lesser rise in TBARS against the doses of EW. The activities of SOD, APX, POD enzymes were higher in vetiver whereas, only GR in lemongrass. Multiple linear regression model show, pH had strong and positive influence over the Ni and Cd uptake by the plants whereas, phosphate, OM and bioavailable metals influenced negatively. The higher R2 (>0.9) and Chi-square values ≤ 1 in sigmoid non-linear model demonstrates robustness of the model for predicting the Ni and Cd accumulation (MHM) in both the grasses. Ni accumulation was higher than Cd, roots had greater accumulation of heavy metal and vetiver was a greater accumulator of Ni and Cd from EW the contaminated soil than lemongrass.

Targeted gene expression study using TaqMan low density array to gain insights into venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) pathogenesis at high altitude.

Venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) is multi-factorial disease involving several genetic and acquired risk factors responsible for its onset. It may occur spontaneously upon climbing at High Altitude (HA). Several studies demonstrated that hypoxic conditions prevailing at HA pose an independent risk factor for VTE; however, molecular mechanism remains unknown. Present study aims to identify genes associated with HA-induced VTE pathophysiology using real time TaqMan Low-Density Array (TLDA) of known candidate genes. Gene expression of total 93 genes were studied and analyzed in patients of VTE from HA (HA-VTE) and from sea level (SL-VTE) in comparison to respective controls. Both HA-VTE and SL-VTE patients showed up-regulation of 37 genes involved in blood coagulation cascade, clot formation, platelet formation, endothelial response, angiogenesis, cell adhesion and calcium channel activity. Seven genes including ACE, EREG, C8A, DLG2, USF1, F2 and PCDHA7 were up-regulated in both HA-controls and VTE patients (both HA-VTE and SL-VTE) indicating their role during VTE event and also upon HA exposure. Ten genes; CDH18, FGA, EDNBR, GATA2, MAPK9, BCAR1, FRK, F11, PCDHA1 and ST8SIA4 were uniquely up-regulated in HA-VTE. The differentially expressed genes from the present study could be determining factors for HA-VTE susceptibility and provide insights into VTE occurrence at HA.

Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome complex potentiates venous thrombosis in response to hypoxia.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), caused by altered hemostasis, remains the third most common cause of mortality among all cardiovascular conditions. In addition to established genetic and acquired risk factors, low-oxygen environments also predispose otherwise healthy individuals to VTE. Although disease etiology appears to entail perturbation of hemostasis pathways, the key molecular determinants during immediate early response remain elusive. Using an established model of venous thrombosis, we here show that systemic hypoxia accelerates thromboembolic events, functionally stimulated by the activation of nucleotide binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome complex and increased IL-1ß secretion. Interestingly, we also show that the expression of NLRP3 is mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) during these conditions. The pharmacological inhibition of caspase-1, in vivo knockdown of NLRP3, or HIF-1α other than IL-1ß-neutralizing antibodies attenuated inflammasome activation and curtailed thrombosis under hypoxic conditions. We extend the significance of these preclinical findings by studying modulation of this pathway in patients with altitude-induced venous thrombosis. Our results demonstrate distinctive, increased expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1ß in individuals with clinically established venous thrombosis. We therefore propose that an early proinflammatory state in the venous milieu, orchestrated by the HIF-induced NLRP3 inflammasome complex, is a key determinant of acute thrombotic events during hypoxic conditions.

GABA mediated reduction of arsenite toxicity in rice seedling through modulation of fatty acids, stress responsive amino acids and polyamines biosynthesis.

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a free amino acid, which helps to counteract biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. In the present study, two concentrations of GABA, i.e., 0.5 mM and 1 mM were applied to examine the tolerance of rice seedlings against As(III) (25 µM) toxicity, through the modulations of fatty acids (FAs), stress responsive amino acids (AAs) and polyamines (PAs) biosynthesis. Exogenous GABA (0.5 mM) application significantly reduced the H2O2 and TBARS levels and recovered the growth parameters against As(III) stressed rice seedlings. Simultaneously, co-application of GABA (0.5 and 1 mM) and As(III), consistently enhanced the level of unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) (cis-10-pentadecanoic acid, oleic acid, α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid), which was higher than saturated fatty acid (SFA). Among the USFAs, level of linolenic acid was found to be always higher with GABA application. Similarly, elevated level of AAs (proline, methionine, glutamic acid and cysteine) was also observed with the application of GABA (0.5 and 1 mM) in As(III) stressed seedlings. GABA also enhanced the expression of genes involved in the polyamine synthesis pathway namely arginine decarboxylase (AD), spermine (SPM) and spermidine (SPD) synthase against As(III) treatments, which was higher in roots than in shoots, resulting in enhanced root PAs level. Contrarily, the expression of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (S-AMD) was significantly higher in shoots. Among all the PAs, level of putrescine (PUT) was found to be highest with GABA application. Overall, the study demonstrates that GABA (0.5 mM) at lower concentration plays a vital role in As(III) tolerance by enhancing the biosynthesis of USFA, AA and PA, reducing the level of TBARS and H2O2 in rice seedlings.

Effect of chitosan coating on microemulsion for effective dermal clotrimazole delivery.

Clotrimazole (CTZ) is a broad spectrum antimycotic agent known to be very effective locally for the treatment of fungal skin infections. The aim of this study was to study the effect of chitosan-coated microemulsion (CME) for topical delivery of CTZ and also evaluate its in vitro antifungal efficacy, ex vivo permeation and retention ability on the skin surface. The pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were developed using clove oil as oil phase, Tween 80 and propylene glycol as surfactant and co-surfactant, respectively, and distilled water as aqueous phase. CME was prepared by the drop wise addition of chitosan solution to the optimized microemulsion. Physicochemical parameters (globule size, zeta potential, drug content, viscosity and pH) and in vitro release of CME were studied. The in vitro antifungal efficacy of CME and ME was studied by cup-plate method against Candida albicans. Ex vivo drug permeation study was also carried out in a modified diffusion cell, using rat skin. The developed CME displayed an average globule size less than 50 nm and a positive surface charge, acceptable physico-chemical behavior, and exhibited sustained drug release in in vitro study. In in vitro anti-fungal study, CME showed greater values of zone of inhibition as compared to ME due to its prolonged action as well as fungistatic nature of chitosan. In ex vivo study, CME showed better retention and sustained permeation property than ME due to the mucoadhesive property of chitosan. These results suggest that positively charged CMEs could be used as novel topical formulation for its ability to retain on the skin and its ability to sustain the release of the drug.

Slit diaphragm protein Neph1 and its signaling: a novel therapeutic target for protection of podocytes against glomerular injury.

Podocytes are specialized epithelial cells that are critical components of the glomerular filtration barrier, and their dysfunction leads to proteinuria and renal failure. Therefore, preserving podocyte function is therapeutically significant. In this study, we identified Neph1 signaling as a therapeutic target that upon inhibition prevented podocyte damage from a glomerular injury-inducing agent puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN). To specifically inhibit Neph1 signaling, we used a protein transduction approach, where the cytoplasmic domain of Neph1 (Neph1CD) tagged with a protein transduction domain trans-activator of transcription was transduced in cultured podocytes prior to treatment with PAN. The PAN-induced Neph1 phosphorylation was significantly reduced in Neph1CD-transduced cells; in addition, these cells were resistant to PAN-induced cytoskeletal damage. The biochemical analysis using subfractionation studies showed that unlike control cells Neph1 was retained in the lipid raft fractions in the transduced cells following treatment with PAN, indicating that transduction of Neph1CD in podocytes prevented PAN-induced mislocalization of Neph1. In accordance, the immunofluorescence analysis further suggested that Neph1CD-transduced cells had increased ability to retain endogenous Neph1 at the membrane in response to PAN-induced injury. Similar results were obtained when angiotensin was used as an injury-inducing agent. Consistent with these observations, maintaining high levels of Neph1 at the membrane using a podocyte cell line overexpressing chimeric Neph1 increased the ability of podocytes to resist PAN-induced injury and PAN-induced albumin leakage. Using a zebrafish in vivo PAN and adriamycin injury models, we further demonstrated the ability of transduced Neph1CD to preserve glomerular function. Collectively, these results support the conclusion that inhibiting Neph1 signaling is therapeutically significant in preventing podocyte damage from glomerular injury.

A two-in-one thiosemicarbazide and whole pine needle-based adsorbent for rapid and efficient adsorption of methylene blue dye and mercuric ions.

Herein, we report the synthesis of an oxidized pine needle-thiosemicarbazone Schiff base (OPN-TSC) from whole pine needles (WPN) as a dual-purpose adsorbent to remove a cationic dye, methylene blue (MB), and Hg2+ ions in separate processes. The adsorbent was synthesized by periodate oxidation of WPN followed by a reaction with thiosemicarbazide. The syntheses of OPN and OPN-TSC were confirmed by FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDS, BET, and surface charge analysis. The emergence of new peaks at 1729 cm-1 (-CHO stretching) and 1639 cm-1 (-COO- stretching) in the FTIR spectrum of OPN confirmed the oxidation of WPN to OPN. FTIR spectrum of OPN-TSC has a peak at 1604 cm-1 (C = N stretching), confirming the functionalization of OPN to OPN-TSC. XRD studies revealed an increase in the crystallinity of OPN and a decrease in the crystallinity of OPN-TSC because of the attachment of thiosemicarbazide to OPN. The values of %removal for MB and Hg2+ ions by OPN-TSC were found to be 87.36% and 98.2% with maximum adsorption capacity of 279.3 mg/g and 196 mg/g for MB and Hg2+ ions, respectively. The adsorption of MB followed pseudo-second-order kinetics with correlation coefficient (R2 of 0.99383) and Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.97239), whereas Hg2+ ion removal demonstrated the Elovich (R2 = 0.97076) and Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.95110). OPN-TSC is regenerable with significant recyclability up to 10 cycles for both the adsorbates. The studies established OPN-TSC as a low-cost, sustainable, biodegradable, environmentally benign, and promising adsorbent for the removal of hazardous cationic dyes and toxic metal ions from wastewater and industrial effluents, especially the textile effluents.

Fabricating whole pine needles biomass with phenylhydrazine-4-sulphonic acid for effective removal of cationic dyes and heavy metal ions from wastewater.

We applied a holistic, sustainable, and green approach to develop an effective multipurpose adsorbent from whole pine needles (PNs), a forest waste lignocellulosic biomass. The PNs were oxidized and modified with phenylhydrazine-4-sulphonic acid (ɸHSO3H) to OPN-ɸHSO3H. The latter was characterized and tested as an adsorbent for cationic dyes, malachite green (MG), methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), and metal ions (Hg2⁺ and Pb2⁺). The adsorption followed different kinetic models: Elovich for MG and MB, pseudo-second-order for CV, and pseudo-first-order for Hg2⁺ and Pb2⁺. Langmuir isotherm indicated maximum adsorption capacities of 303.4 ± 8.91 mgg-1 (MG), 331.4 ± 17.50 mgg-1 (MB), 376.6 ± 22.47 mgg-1 (CV), 210.8 ± 28.86 mgg-1 (Hg2⁺), and 172.9 ± 20.93 mgg-1 (Pb2⁺) within 30 min. Maximum removal efficiencies were 99.0% (MG), 98.0% (MB), 96.04% (CV), 95.5% (Hg2⁺), and 89.8% (Pb2⁺). The adsorbent demonstrated significant regeneration and reusability over ten cycles, proving highly efficient for both cationic dyes and metal ions, with wide potential for practical applications where more than one adsorbate is present.

Tailoring of spherical nanocellulose via esterification with methionine followed by protonation to generate two different adsorbents for mercuric ions and Congo red.

Herein, we report two different adsorbents from spherical nanocellulose (SNC) in successive steps, for the adsorption of Hg2+ ions and Congo red (CR). Cellulose extracted from pine needles was subsequently converted to SNC through mixed acidic hydrolysis. As-obtained SNC was esterified with methionine at C6 of the anhydroglucose unit to produce SNC-methionine ester (SNC-ME). The amino group of methionine residue in SNC-ME was protonated to SNC-PME with positive surface charge. The SNC-ME and SNC-PME were evaluated as Hg2+ ions and CR adsorbents, respectively. The SNC, SNC-ME, SNC-PME, Hg2+-loaded SNC-ME, and CR-loaded SNC-PME were characterized by FTIR, XRD, XPS, Zeta potential, BET, FESEM, EDS, and surface charge analysis. SNC-ME showed Hg2+ ions removal efficiency of 94.8 ± 1.9 % in 40 min, while SNC-PME showed CR removal efficiency of 96.1 ± 3.8 % in 90 min. The adsorption data of both the adsorbents fitted best into pseudo-second order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm. The maximum adsorption capacity of SNC-ME for Hg2+ ions was 211.5 ± 3.1 mg/g and that of SNC-PME for CR was 281.1 ± 7.1 mg/g. The astounding recyclability of the adsorbents for ten repeat cycles with significant cumulative adsorption capacity of 760.9 ± 12.8 mg/g for Hg2+ ions and 758.8 ± 12.7 mg/g for CR endorses their spectacular potentiality for wastewater treatment.

Myo1c is an unconventional myosin required for zebrafish glomerular development.

The targeting and organization of podocyte slit diaphragm proteins nephrin and neph1 is critical for development and maintenance of a functional glomerular filtration barrier. Myo1c is a non-muscle myosin motor protein that interacts directly with nephrin and neph1, and mediates their intracellular transport to the podocyte intercellular junction. Here we investigated the necessity of Myo1c in podocyte development using zebrafish as a model system. Immunofluorescence microscopy and in situ RNA hybridization analysis of zebrafish embryos showed that Myo1c is widely expressed in various tissues including the zebrafish glomerulus. Knockdown of the Myo1c gene in zebrafish using antisense morpholino derivatives resulted in an abnormal developmental phenotype that included pericardial edema and dilated renal tubules. Ultrastructural analysis of the glomerulus in Myo1c-depleted zebrafish showed abnormal podocyte morphology and absence of the slit diaphragm. Consistent with these observations, the glomerular filter permeability appeared altered in zebrafish in which Myo1c expression was attenuated. The specificity of Myo1c knockdown was confirmed by a rescue experiment in which co-injection of Myo1c morpholino derivatives with orthologous Myo1c mRNA prepared from mouse cDNA lessened phenotypic abnormalities including edema in Myo1c morphants. Thus, our results demonstrate that Myo1c is necessary for podocyte morphogenesis.

Evaluation of nutraceutical components and antioxidant potential of north Indian wild culinary-medicinal Termitophilous mushrooms.

Mushrooms have long been treated as a delicacy. Nowadays, however, many researchers consider them to be nutraceutical foods. The objective of this study was to determine the nutraceutical components in 7 edible species of Termitomyces (T. microcarpus, T. radicatus, T. badius, T. medius, T. heimii, T. striatus, and T. mammiformis) collected from different localities in North India during the monsoon season; their antioxidant properties also were determined by DPPH free radical scavenging ability and reducing power ability. The various nutraceutical components evaluated include phenolics (15.0-25.85 mg/g), flavonoids (1.38-2.02 mg/g), ascorbic acid (0.018-0.15 mg/g), ß-carotene (0.11-0.27 µg/g), and lycopene (0.03-0.19 µg/g).

The History and Current Killings of Polio Vaccinators in Pakistan: A Need for Targeted Surveillance Strategy.

Poliomyelitis has been eliminated from all countries of the world except Pakistan and Afghanistan. One of the major reasons is the stigmas associated with the polio vaccine that has been repetitively discussed in literature, and governments of both the countries are already making serious efforts to control this public health challenge, but till this moment, the state officials have not introduced any surveillance strategy for the security of polio workers in National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) for Polio Eradication. This report highlights the issue of targeted killing and terrorism attacks on polio vaccinators in Pakistan and also devises a surveillance strategy to provide security to polio workers at immediate possible because the current chaos in Afghanistan will ultimately lead to more terrorist attacks on polio vaccinators.

Risk of adverse outcomes following treatment with direct acting antiviral drugs in HCV infected patients with liver cirrhosis.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the second major cause of death in Pakistan. Previously, interferon-based regimens were considered highly recommended therapy for HCV patients. Since 2015, interferon-based therapy has been replaced with interferon-free therapy also known as Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) drugs. The treatment response of interferon-free regimens has been reported as highly effective treatment option with more than 90% sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic HCV infected patients in western countries of the world. Objective: This study aims to analyze the treatment response of DAA drugs in HCV-infected Pakistani population with liver cirrhosis. Methodology: We collected the total 94 sample of the HCV infected patients, from June 2020 to September 2020. Forty-six (46) patients were cirrhotic, and forty-eight (48) patients were non-cirrhotic. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21 software. Conclusion: The findings of our study suggest that the response rate was 82.60% in HCV cirrhotic patients and 68.75% in HCV non-cirrhotic patients. Our study showed that overall treatment response was independent of age and gender. We also observed some adverse effects such as hepatocellular carcinoma, portosystemic encephalopathy (PSE), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), ascites, among patients following treatment with interferon-free regimens.

Evaluation of altered miRNA expression pattern to predict COVID-19 severity.

Outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 affected millions of people globally. After substantial research, several biomarkers for COVID-19 have been validated however no specific and reliable biomarker for the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 infection exists. Present study was designed to identify specific biomarkers to predict COVID-19 severity and tool for formulating treatment. A small cohort of subjects (n = 43) were enrolled and categorized in four study groups; Dead (n = 16), Severe (n = 10) and Moderate (n = 7) patients and healthy controls (n = 10). Small RNA sequencing was done on Illumina platform after isolation of microRNA from peripheral blood. Differential expression (DE) of miRNA (patients groups compared to control) revealed 118 down-regulated and 103 up-regulated known miRNAs with fold change (FC) expression ≥2 folds and p ≤ 0.05. DE miRNAs were then subjected to functional enrichment and network analysis. Bioinformatic analysis resulted in 31 miRNAs (24 Down-regulated; 7 up-regulated) significantly associated with COVID-19 having AUC>0.8 obtained from ROC curve. Seventeen out of 31 DE miRNAs have been linked to COVID-19 in previous studies. Three miRNAs, hsa-miR-147b-5p and hsa-miR-107 (down-regulated) and hsa-miR-1299 (up-regulated) showed significant unique DE in Dead patients. Another set of 4 miRNAs, hsa-miR-224-5p (down-regulated) and hsa-miR-4659b-3p, hsa-miR-495-3p and hsa-miR-335-3p were differentially up-regulated uniquely in Severe patients. Members of three miRNA families, hsa-miR-20, hsa-miR-32 and hsa-miR-548 were significantly down-regulated in all patients group in comparison to healthy controls. Thus a distinct miRNA expression profile was observed in Dead, Severe and Moderate COVID-19 patients. Present study suggests a panel of miRNAs which identified in COVID-19 patients and could be utilized as potential diagnostic biomarkers for predicting COVID-19 severity.

Nutritional and sociobiological aspects of culinary-medicinal Termitophilous mushrooms from North India.

The present paper aims to investigate the culinary-medicinal potential, chemical composition, and sociobiological aspects of seven edible species of genus Termitomyces (T. microcarpus, T. radicatus, T. badius, T. medius, T. heimii, T. striatus, and T. mammiformis) collected from different localities of North India during the monsoon season. The mushrooms were analyzed for their nutritional components (proteins, carbohydrates, crude fat, crude fibers, moisture content, ash content, and mineral elements) following standard biochemical techniques. The nutritional composition varied from species to species in Termitomyces. The highest protein was recorded in T. medius (46.2%) on a dry weight basis, followed by T. badius (44%), while the carbohydrate was maximum in T. striatus (60.27%), followed by T. mammiformis (47.65%). The Fe content was highest in T. mammiformis (6.73 mg/g) on a dry weight basis, while Ca and Mg were highest in T. medius (2.04 and 3.30 mg/g, respectively). The paper also includes information about local names and different types of recipes prepared by the local people in North India.