Autophagy and mitophagy as potential therapeutic targets in diabetic heart condition: Harnessing the power of nanotheranostics.

Autophagy and mitophagy pose unresolved challenges in understanding the pathology of diabetic heart condition (DHC), which encompasses a complex range of cardiovascular issues linked to diabetes and associated cardiomyopathies. Despite significant progress in reducing mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), heart failure remains a major cause of increased morbidity among diabetic patients. These cellular processes are essential for maintaining cellular balance and removing damaged or dysfunctional components, and their involvement in the development of diabetic heart disease makes them attractive targets for diagnosis and treatment. While a variety of conventional diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are available, DHC continues to present a significant challenge. Point-of-care diagnostics, supported by nanobiosensing techniques, offer a promising alternative for these complex scenarios. Although conventional medications have been widely used in DHC patients, they raise several concerns regarding various physiological aspects. Modern medicine places great emphasis on the application of nanotechnology to target autophagy and mitophagy in DHC, offering a promising approach to deliver drugs beyond the limitations of traditional therapies. This article aims to explore the potential connections between autophagy, mitophagy and DHC, while also discussing the promise of nanotechnology-based theranostic interventions that specifically target these molecular pathways.

Exploring the nitric oxide dioxygenation (NOD) reactions of manganese-peroxo complexes.

Here, we report the nitric oxide dioxygenation (NOD) reactions of two MnIII-peroxo (MIII-O22-) complexes, [(3PYENMe)MnIII(O22-)]+ (1) and [(N3PY)MnIII(O22-)]+ (2), bearing pentadentate ligands. Complexes 1 and 2 give MnII-nitrate (MnII-NO3-) complexes (3 and 4) when reacted with nitric oxide (NO), respectively. The mechanistic study explored by using 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) suggested that the NOD reaction of 1 and 2 occurs via a presumed Mn-peroxynitrite ([Mn-PN]+, [Mn-ONOO-]+) intermediate. Tracking the source of N atoms using 15NO revealed that the N-atoms in MnII-NO3- (3 and 4) are derived from the 15NO moiety. Furthermore, we have explored the MIII-O22- regeneration from NOD products (3 and 4), and we have observed the formation of MIII-O22- complexes (1 and 2) upon treatment with KO2 or H2O2/triethylamine (TEA), respectively.

Modelling neuron fiber interaction and coupling in non-myelinated bundled fiber.

Understanding the local dynamics of a neural network relies heavily on local field potential and cell-field interaction. But it is still unclear how local the local potential is and what kinds of consequences the trans-membrane current flow and produced electric field have on the local neural fiber. Mimicking signal transmission in neighboring nerve fiber, a simulation model is built to analyze local behavior due to trans-membrane current, cell-field interactions, and their repercussions on the bundled fiber system. Simulation studies reveal that depending on the coupling parameters, activity in one fiber can depolarize or hyper-polarize adjacent fibers. The suggested cell-field interaction model was tested using an orientation-selective coupled retinal ganglion cell network, which was compared to its uncoupled counterpart. The proposed work has been used to model and simulate local signal dynamics in a bundled fiber system of an orientation-selective RGC network due to cell-field interaction, as well as to gain insight into the possible significance of dendritic fiber coupling in orientation selectivity bandwidth adjustment.

Awareness and prevention of patient gag reflex among pedodontists in India: A web-based survey.

AIM: The aim of this study is to devise a reliable and valid web-based survey to predict the awareness level and prevention of patient's gag reflex among Indian pedodontists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An 11-question predictive gagging survey was created, refined, and tested on 377 pedodontists. The questions focused on age group, common procedure associated with gag reflex and the most common technique adapted by dentists in their clinics to prevent gag. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in gagging reflex among age groups with 53.5% of patients reported anxiety and fear as a main cause of gag; behavioral modification technique was considered as the most reliable method for gagging prevention in 68.5% of patients and there was no statistically significant difference in gagging severity index among patients irrespective of age, causes, and methods used to prevent it. CONCLUSION: The web-based gagging survey established that level of awareness regarding management of patient's gag is significantly low among pedodontists in India and hence is a major hindrance in the clinical practice.

Glycine gated spiking inhibitory postsynaptic membrane at the synaptic cleft.

BACKGROUND: Enzyme modified field effect transistor (ENFET) may be used to represent the variable conductance of transmitter-gated ion channels in the postsynaptic region of the neuron. PURPOSE: The objective of this work is to develop a simple analog circuit model that can simulate the function of neurotransmitter glycine gated ion channels of postsynaptic membrane at the synaptic cleft. METHODS: In this paper, Glycine sensitive ENFET is incorporated into the Hodgkin-Huxley (H-H) circuit model of the postsynaptic membrane at the synaptic cleft. RESULTS: Simulation of the circuit model yields an output representing the membrane potential of the synaptic region. Simulation is performed in MATLAB environment for inhibitory action of synapses. CONCLUSION: This model can be used in neuro-bioengineering fields for simulation of binding activity and electrical activity of the postsynaptic region.

Glutamate gated spiking Neuron Model.

BACKGROUND: Biological neuron models mainly analyze the behavior of neural networks. Neurons are described in terms of firing rates viz an analog signal. PURPOSE: The Izhikevich neuron model is an efficient, powerful model of spiking neuron. This model is a reduction of Hodgkin-Huxley model to a two variable system and is capable of producing rich firing patterns for many biological neurons. METHODS: In this paper, the Regular Spiking (RS) neuron firing pattern is used to simulate the spiking of Glutamate gated postsynaptic membrane. RESULTS: Simulation is done in MATLAB environment for excitatory action of synapses. CONCLUSIONS: Analogous simulation of spiking of excitatory postsynaptic membrane potential is obtained.

Biologically inspired circuit model for simulation of glutamate gated ion channels of the postsynaptic membrane at synaptic cleft.

BACKGROUND: Enzyme modified field effect transistor (ENFET) may be used to represent the variable conductance of transmitter-gated ion channels in the postsynaptic region of the neuron. PURPOSE: The objective of this work is to develop a simple analog circuit model that can simulate the function of neurotransmitter glutamate gated ion channels of postsynaptic membrane at the synaptic cleft. METHOD: In this paper, Glutamate sensitive ENFET is incorporated into the Hodgkin-Huxley (H-H) circuit model of the postsynaptic membrane at the synaptic cleft. RESULT: Simulation of the circuit model yields an output representing the membrane potential of the synaptic region. Simulation is performed in MATLAB environment for excitatory action of synapses. CONCLUSION: This model can be used in neuro-bioengineering programs for simulation of binding activity and electrical activity of the postsynaptic region.

FeCl3 mediated arylidenation of carbohydrates.

Glycosides and thioglycosides based on monosaccharides in reaction with benzaldehyde dimethylacetal or p-methoxybenzaldehyde dimethyl acetal undergo FeCl(3)-catalyzed (20 mol%) regioselective 4,6-O-arylidenation producing the corresponding acetals in high yields. FeCl(3) also mediates acetalation of glycosides and thioglycosides of cellobiose, maltose, and lactose affording the corresponding 4',6'-O-benzylidene acetals, which were isolated after their acetylation in situ with acetic anhydride and pyridine. The combined yields (two steps) of these final products are also high (61-84%). The procedure is applicable to a wide variety of functional groups including -OBn.

Aryl 4,6-O-arylidene-1-thio-beta-d-glycopyranoside-based new organogelators and their gels.

Aryl 4,6-O-arylidene-1-thio-beta-d-glycopyranosides based on glucose and galactose form organogels in benzene, toluene, o- and p-xylene and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene. The gel morphologies of micro and nano dimensions were studied using SEM and TEM. Absorption spectroscopic studies of two organogels in benzene revealed that CH-pi or pi-stacking along with intermolecular H-bonding is responsible for the gel assembly.