Modification of WS2thin film properties using high dose gamma irradiation.

The tunability of the transition metal dichalcogenide properties has gained attention from numerous researchers due to their wide application in various fields including quantum technology. In the present work, WS2has been deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide substrate and its properties have been studied systematically. These samples were irradiated using gamma radiation for various doses, and the effect on structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties has been reported. The crystallinity of the material is observed to be decreased, and the results are well supported by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy techniques. The increase in grain boundaries has been supported by the agglomeration observed in the scanning electron microscopy micrographs. The XPS results of WS2after gamma irradiation show evolution of oxygen, carbon, C=O, W-O and SO4-2peaks, confirming the addition of impurities and formation of point defect. The gamma irradiation creates point defects, and their density increases considerably with increasing gamma dosage. These defects crucially altered the structural, optical and electrical properties of the material. The reduction in the optical band gap with increased gamma irradiation is evident from the absorption spectra and respective Tauc plots. TheI-Vgraphs show a 1000-fold increase in the saturation current after 100 kGy gamma irradiation dose. This work has explored the gamma irradiation effect on the WS2and suggests substantial modification in the material and enhancement in electrical properties.

Correction: Self-assembled fibrillar networks comprised of a naturally-occurring cyclic peptide-LOB3.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C6RA05154E.].

A novel formulation significantly increases the cytotoxicity of flaxseed orbitides (linusorbs) LOB3 and LOB2 towards human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

Flaxseed orbitides (linusorbs) are a family of N to C linked bioactive cyclic octa-, nona-, and decapeptides present in flaxseed oil. They are highly hydrophobic and thermally stable. Our previous studies showed that [1-9-NαC]-linusorb B3 (LOB3) and [1-9-NαC]-linusorb B2 (LOB2) exhibited cytotoxic effects towards human breast cancer HER2-subtype Sk-Br-3 cells at a concentration of ~400 µM. However, this high concentration significantly limits their potential clinical applications. In the current study, we developed a novel polyethylene glycol-based formulation for linusorbs and showed that both LOB3 and LOB2, especially LOB3, exhibited strong cytotoxicity towards human breast cancer triple-negative-subtype MDA-MB-231 cells at low nanomolar concentrations.

Threshold somatic cell count for delineation of subclinical mastitis cases.

AIM: Somatic cell count (SCC) is the most widely used single reliable indicator of udder health. The present study was carried out with an objective to find the exact threshold of SCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Milk samples collected from a total of 214 Holstein Friesian crossbred dairy animals were subjected to bacterial DNA extraction and SCC estimation by digital PortaCheck. California Mastitis Test and polymerase chain reaction based on amplification of organism using reported primers were performed to diagnose subclinical mastitis. Receiver's operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and discriminate function analyses were performed using SPSS 18 software. RESULTS: ROC curve analysis represented that the area under the curve was 0.930 with the standard error of 0.02. Results indicated that 93% of the case could be correctly predicted as mastitis infected using SCC as a marker (p<0.001). At cut score level of 282 000 cells/ml, 285,000 cells/ml and 288,000 cells/ml, sensitivity remained 92.6% and specificity augmented as 86.3%, 87.2%, and 88%, respectively. At SCC value of 310,000 cells/ml of milk, sensitivity and specificity were optimal, namely, 92.6% and 91.5%, respectively. The function fitted demonstrated 89.2% accuracy with p<0.001. The functions at group centroids were -0.982 and 1.209, respectively, for normal and mastitis-infected animals and log_SCC value was the most important factor contributing 38.30% of the total distance measured. CONCLUSION: Our study supports that the threshold value to delineate subclinical mastitis case from the normal is 310,000 somatic cells/ml of milk and a model so fitted using the variable SCC can be successfully used in field for the diagnosis of subclinical cases of mastitis which otherwise would be difficult to differentiate based on clinical signs.

Development of a selective androgen receptor modulator for transdermal use in hypogonadal patients.

We have identified a non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), termed LY305, that is bioavailable through a transdermal route of administration while highly cleared via hepatic metabolism to limit parent compound exposure in the liver. Selection of this compound and its transdermal formulation was based on the optimization of skin absorption properties using both in vitro and in vivo skin models that supported PBPK modeling for human PK predictions. This molecule is an agonist in perineal muscle while being a weak partial agonist in the androgenic tissues such as prostate. When LY305 was tested in animal models of skeletal atrophy it restored the skeletal muscle mass through accelerated repair. In a bone fracture model, LY305 remained osteoprotective in the regenerating tissue and void of deleterious effects. Finally, in a small cohort of healthy volunteers, we assessed the safety and tolerability of LY305 when administered transdermally. LY305 showed a dose-dependent increase in serum exposure and was well tolerated with minimal adverse effects. Notably, there were no statistically significant changes to hematocrit or HDL after 4-week treatment period. Collectively, LY305 represents a first of its kind de novo development of a non-steroidal transdermal SARM with unique properties which could find clinical utility in hypogonadal men.

A Novel Aldosterone Antagonist Limits Renal Injury in 5/6 Nephrectomy.

Aldosterone antagonists slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but their use is limited by hyperkalemia, especially when associated with RAS inhibitors. We examined the renoprotective effects of Ly, a novel non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blocker, through two experimental protocols: In Protocol 1, male Munich-Wistar rats underwent 5/6 renal ablation (Nx), being divided into: Nx+V, receiving vehicle, Nx+Eple, given eplerenone, 150 mg/kg/day, and Nx+Ly, given Ly, 20 mg/kg/day. A group of untreated sham-operated rats was also studied. Ly markedly raised plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone, and exerted more effective anti-albuminuric and renoprotective action than eplerenone. In Protocol 2, Nx rats remained untreated until Day 60, when they were divided into: Nx+V receiving vehicle; Nx+L treated with losartan, 50 mg/kg/day; Nx+L+Eple, given losartan and eplerenone, and Nx+L+Ly, given losartan and Ly. Treatments lasted for 90 days. As an add-on to losartan, Ly normalized blood pressure and albuminuria, and prevented CKD progression more effectively than eplerenone. This effect was associated with strong stimulation of PRA and aldosterone. Despite exhibiting higher affinity for the MR than either eplerenone or spironolactone, Ly caused no hyperkalemia. Ly may become a novel asset in the effort to detain the progression of CKD.

Automated detection and correction of eye blink and muscular artefacts in EEG signal for analysis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neural development disorder affecting the information processing capability of the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses interconnect and organize. Electroencephalograph or EEG signals records the electrical activity of the brain from the scalp which can be utilized to identify and investigate the brain wave pattern which are specific to individuals with ASD. Therefore, the analysis of ASD can be done by scrutinizing the specific bands (Theta, Mu and Beta) of the EEG signal. However, EEG signals are mainly contaminated by Ocular (Eye-blink) and Myogenic artefacts which pose problems in EEG interpretation. In this paper an automated real-time method for detection and removal of Ocular and Myogenic artefacts for multichannel EEG signal is proposed which would enhance the diagnostic accuracy. The proposed methodology has been validated against 20 subjects from Caltech, Physionet, Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience and the computed average correlation and regression are 0.7574 and 0.6992 respectively.

Assessment and comparison of health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) in patients with epilepsy in India.

Seizure frequency, medical and psychiatric morbidities, number and nature of antiepileptic drugs, and medication side effects have been correlated with decreased HRQOL scores in patients with epilepsy. Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 patient inventory was translated and validated in two regional languages and administered to 80 patients with epilepsy who were on first-line antiepileptic drugs and classified as responders and nonresponders. The outcomes were measured based on 7 domains, such as seizure worry, overall QOL, emotional well-being, and energy/fatigue and based on the overall score of the scale. For both translations, Cronbach's alpha (coefficient) was greater than 0.70 [except for the seizure worry scale (0.69) in the Hindi questionnaire]. There was statistical difference (p<0.0001) of HRQOL scores between responders and nonresponders of epilepsy. The HRQOL score was lower in nonresponders. The most affected domain was emotional well-being in both groups, and the least affected domains were energy/fatigue in responders and medication effect in nonresponders.

Fine needle aspiration cytology in breast tuberculosis: diagnostic difficulties--study of eleven cases.

BACKGROUND: Incidence of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is on the rise. Tuberculosis of breast is rare and have multifaceted clinical presentation, often mimicking carcinoma and pyogenic breast abscess. AIM: To study morphologic variations and diagnostic difficulties of breast tuberculosis on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). METHODS: FNAC smears of breast tuberculosis were studied by Leishman's Stain and categorized into four groups. Cytology smears were also studied for presence of Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) by Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) stain. Histology of excised tissue was studied by Hematoxylin and Eosin stain (H& E). RESULTS: Out of 11 cases, 10 were females and 1 was male. Group 1 (n = 2) showed epithelioid granulomas with necrosis. Group 2 (n = 2) showed epithelioid granulomas without necrosis. Group 3 (n = 3) showed necrosis with a few scattered epithelioid histiocytes. Group 4 (n = 4) showed necrosis with numerous neutrophilic inflammatory cells. In four cases, caseous necrosis could be identified on cytology smears. AFB were found in five cases on FNAC smears. Histology confirmed diagnosis of tuberculosis in all cases. CONCLUSION: In developing countries like India, based on clinical history and other features, FNAC smears showing epithelioid granulomas with or without necrosis should be considered as breast tuberculosis as demonstration of AFB is not mandatory. Identification of caseous necrosis alone is diagnostic of breast tuberculosis in cytology smears.

A phase transition close to room temperature in BiFeO3 thin films.

BiFeO3 (BFO) multiferroic oxide has a complex phase diagram that can be mapped by using appropriately substrate-induced strain in epitaxial films. By using Raman spectroscopy, we conclusively show that films of the so-called supertetragonal T-BFO phase, stabilized under compressive strain, display a reversible temperature-induced phase transition at about 100 °C, and thus close to room temperature.

Assessment of use of complementary alternative medicine and its impact on quality of life in the patients attending rheumatology clinic, in a tertiary care centre in India.

PURPOSE: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has witnessed an increase in use in recent times in rheumatological conditions and is expected to have impact on the quality of life (QOL). We had planned to conduct this study to investigate the extent of use of CAM and its effect on QOL of patients at a tertiary care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethics committee approval was obtained. Sixty patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were enrolled as per the selection criteria, after obtaining their informed consent. Each patient was interviewed for CAM use/non-use, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) (modified) index for QOL was recorded by the study personnel. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The normality was checked by using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Descriptive statistics was performed and Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the QOL of CAM users and non-users. RESULTS: Of the 60 patients enrolled with OA (10) and RA (50), 58% (35/60) used CAM. Ayurveda and massage therapy were the commonest [80% (28/35)], followed by yoga asana [34% (12/35)] and homoeopathy [20% (7/35)]. It was observed that combinations of therapies were used too. Nearly half [49% (17/35)] of the CAM users were on self-prescribed medication and 71% (25/35) of them did not inform the physician of CAM use. The QOL of CAM users (WOMAC score: 56.31 ± 6.82) was better than that of CAM non-users (WOMAC score: 60.16 ± 4.02) (P value 0.01). CONCLUSION: Patients with RA frequently used CAM and QOL improvised with CAM use. We observed that self-administration of CAM was common and this was not informed to the treating physician.

Quantum-chemical studies on hexaazaisowurtzitanes.

Highly nitrated cage molecules constitute a new class of energetic materials that have received a substantial amount of interest. Among them 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) is a powerful explosive with poor impact and friction characteristics. In the present study we aim to design novel energetic materials by tailoring the molecular structure of CL-20. Important characteristics such as the heat of formation and density have been predicted using density functional theory and packing calculations, respectively. Sensitivity correlations have been established for model compounds by analyzing the charge on the nitro groups. Molecules IDX1, IDX4, and IDX7 have been found to have comparable performance with better insensitivity characteristics and may be explored as CL-20 substitutes in defense applications.

Preparation and performance evaluation of saquinavir laden cationic submicron emulsions.

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate different cationic submicron emulsions as potential delivery for oral administration. Different submicron emulsion based formulations were prepared by standard procedures incorporating Chitosan, stearylamine, and protamine as charge inducer. Saquinavir (SQ) laden emulsions were characterized in terms of globule size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, release profile, cytotoxicity, LDH release, and stability studies. The prepared formulations were stable in terms of mean globule size, drug content, and tended to retain their cationic charge. Pay load efficiency was found to be pretty high (approximately 95-99%) in various formulations prepared. Sustained release phenomenon was more prominent in the case of chitosan emulsions (CE) followed by stearylamine emulsion (SE), Protamine emulsion (PE), and then plain emulsion (E) containing no charge inducer. The total amounts of drug released in 24 hr from CE, SE, PE, and E were 46%, 52%, 56%, and 62%, respectively. The induction of positive charge in emulsions resulted in enhanced absorption of drug through intestinal membrane. The apparent permeability coefficient through the intestinal sac was in the order of CE > SE > PE > E. The permeation flux of SQ through CE (1.0 microg/min) was more than twice compared to plain emulsion (0.46 microg/min) while it was almost three times (0.3 microg/min) compared to control. However, protamine based emulsion didn't confer significant improvement in absorption when compared to plain emulsion formulation. By this study it can be concluded that induction of positive charge on submicron emulsions can be effective for improving oral absorption of drug safely, as it is evinced with low LDH release into the medium when intestinal tissue is treated with submicron emulsion.

Antinociceptive and anthelmintic activity of Canna indica.

Dried, coarsely powdered leaves, flowers, rhizomes and seeds of Canna indica were successively extracted with benzene and methanol in Soxhlet apparatus. The effect of benzene and methanol extracts of various parts of C. indica on nociceptive response using writhing test and hot plate method in mice was examined. All the extracts of C. indica showed significant central and peripheral analgesic activity in hot plate method and acetic acid-induced writhing test, respectively, at the dose of 50 mg kg(-1) intraperitoneally. Methanolic extract of leaves of C. indica showed highest increase in reaction time in hot plate method while benzene extract of leaves of C. indica showed more inhibitory effect on writhing induced by acetic acid. Anthelmintic activity of these extracts was evaluated on Pheritima posthuma. Results showed that the methanolic extract of rhizomes of the plant took less time to cause paralysis of the earthworms.

5-Amidinoindoles as dual inhibitors of coagulation factors IXa and Xa.

Structural features of a 5-amidinoindole inhibitor of factor Xa, which displayed modest inhibition of factor IXa were varied to increase potency and improve selectivity for factor IXa.

Tuberous sclerosis: a presentation of less-commonly encountered stigmata.

The protean manifestations of the tuberous sclerosis complex have lent this condition to extensive review in textbooks and in the medical literature. This condition generally presents by virtue of its neurological manifestations. Osseous stigmata, when encountered, are generally asymptomatic and do not require specific treatment owing to their benignity. We present the case of a young man with a slowly enlarging facial swelling for whom cosmetic surgery was considered. The swelling, present since childhood, had in time assumed disfiguring proportions. In what was hitherto considered an isolated facial deformity, a skull radiograph followed by CT revealed neurological stigmata of tuberous sclerosis. A large cerebellar hamartoma, proliferative soft tissue in the scalp adjacent to focal hyperostosis of the calvarium and the accompanying hemifacial changes seen in this patient constitute less commonly described features of tuberous sclerosis.

Determination of celecoxib in pharmaceutical formulations using UV spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography.

A new UV spectrophotometric method (UV method) and a reversed phase liquid chromatographic method (LC method) for the quantitative estimation of celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, in pure form and in solid dosage form were developed in the present study. The linear regression equations obtained by least square regression method, were Abs=4.949 x 10(-2).Conc. (in microg/ml)+1.110 x 10(-2) for the UV method and Area under the curve=5.340 x 10(1).Conc. (in ng/ml)+3.144 x 10(2) for the LC method, respectively. The detection limit, as per the error propagation theory, was found to be 0.26 microg/ml and 25 ng/ml, respectively, for the UV and LC methods. The developed methods were employed with a high degree of precision and accuracy for the estimation of total drug content in three commercial capsule formulations of celecoxib. The results of analysis were treated statistically, as per International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines for validation of analytical procedures, and by recovery studies. The results were found to be accurate, reproducible and free from interference and better than the earlier reported methods.

Alcohol consumption and hemostatic factors: analysis of the Framingham Offspring cohort.

BACKGROUND: Moderate alcohol consumers have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than abstainers. One proposed mechanism is a beneficial effect on hemostatic parameters, but previous studies have provided conflicting results. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured levels of fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, von Willebrand factor, factor VII, plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen-1, and tissue plasminogen activator antigen in a cross-sectional analysis of 3223 adults free of cardiovascular disease enrolled in the Framingham Offspring Study. We assessed their alcohol consumption with a standardized questionnaire. Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was associated with lower levels of fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, von Willebrand factor, and factor VII. This association was most pronounced for consumers of 3 to 7 drinks weekly for viscosity and 7 to 21 drinks weekly for the other hemostatic measures. Alcohol intake of 7 to 21 drinks weekly or more was associated with impaired fibrinolytic potential, reflected by higher levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen-1 and tissue plasminogen activator antigen. Wine drinkers had lower plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen-1 levels than other drinkers, particularly at 3 to 21 drinks weekly, but beverage type did not otherwise consistently affect the results. CONCLUSIONS: Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower levels of coagulatory factors, but higher intake is associated with impaired fibrinolytic potential. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a balance between hemostatic and fibrinolytic activity may contribute to the complex relation of alcohol use with coronary heart disease.