Engineering the physical properties and photocatalytic activities of a ß-ketoenamine COF using continuous flow synthesis.

Covalent Organic Frameworks (COF) having conjugated backbone are an interesting class of metal-free, visible light active, heterogeneous photocatalysts. Interestingly, synthesis of COF using continuous flow process has emerged as an efficient, alternative method when compared to the traditional batch process. Here, we demonstrate the possibility to engineer the physical properties and hence the adsorption and catalytic activities of a ß-ketoenamine COF by varying monomer flow rate and microreactor design during the continuous flow synthesis. Crystallinity of the COF increases on varying the monomer flow rate from 100 (S-100) to 500 (S-500) and up to 1000 µLmin-1 (S-1000), in an S-shaped microreactor, resulting in an enhanced surface area: 525, 722 and 1119 m2g-1 respectively. The photophysical properties of the COF are also found to vary significantly with the change in flow synthesis conditions. S-1000 is characterized by the highest adsorption of MB, due to its high surface area and accessible pores. On the other hand, S-500 shows the highest photocurrent, a low recombination of photogenerated charges and the lowest charge transfer resistance. Thus, S-500 is found to be the best photocatalyst for the removal of a model pollutant (methylene blue, MB). Further, enhanced photocatalytic removal of MB using S-500 could be achieved by performing the photocatalysis in continuous flow.

Synthesis of highly luminescent core-shell nanoprobes in a single pot for ofloxacin detection in blood serum and water.

Antibiotics are commonly used as antibacterial medications due to their extensive and potent therapeutic properties. However, the overconsumption of these chemicals leads to their accumulation in the human body via the food chain, amplifying drug resistance and compromising immunity, thus presenting a significant hazard to human health. Antibiotics are classified as organic pollutants. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research on precise methodologies for detecting antibiotics in many substances, including food, pharmaceutical waste, and biological samples like serum and urine. The methodology described in this research paper introduces an innovative technique for producing nanoparticles using silica as the shell material, iron oxide as the core material, and carbon as the shell dopant. By integrating a carbon-doped silica shell, this substance acquires exceptional fluorescence characteristics and a substantial quantum yield value of 80%. By capitalising on this characteristic of the substance, we have effectively constructed a fluorescent sensor that enables accurate ofloxacin analysis, with a detection limit of 1.3 × 10-6 M and a linear range of concentrations from 0 to 120 × 10-6 M. We also evaluated the potential of CSIONPs for OLF detection in blood serum and tap water analysis. The obtained relative standard deviation values were below 3.5%. The percentage of ofloxacin recovery from blood serum ranged from 95.52% to 103.28%, and from 89.9% to 96.0% from tap water.

Anti-adipogenic action of a novel oxazole derivative through activation of AMPK pathway.

Obesity is a chronic disorder with multifactorial etiology, including genetic, medical, dietary and other environmental factors. Both natural and synthetic heterocyclic compounds, especially oxazoles, represent an interesting group of compounds and have gained much attention due to their remarkable biological activities. Therefore, a library of 3,3-DMAH (3,3-dimethylallylhalfordinol) inspired N-alkylated oxazole bromide salts with varied substitutions were prepared and screened using the 3T3-L1 model of adipogenesis and HFD-induced obesity model in Syrian golden hamsters. Several compounds in the synthesized series displayed remarkable anti-adipogenic potential on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Compound 19e, displayed the most potent activity of all and selected for further studies. Compound 19e inhibited mitotic clonal expansion of 3T3-L1 cells and enhanced the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate of the cells during early phase of differentiation via AMPK activation. 19e also improved the dyslipidaemia in high calorie diet fed Syrian Golden Hamsters. Therefore, compound 19e can serve as a potential lead against adipogenesis and dyslipidaemia models and could be further investigated to affirm its significance as a drug candidate.

Nanotheranostics: The Fabrication of Theranostics with Nanoparticles and their Application to Treat the Neurological Disorders.

BACKGROUND: Theranostics is a method that focuses on providing patient-centred care and is evolving as a targeted, safe, and effective pharmacotherapy. Nanotheranostics combines diagnosis and therapeutic modalities that bridge traditional treatment and personalised medicine. Theranostics provides novel ideas for nanotechnology. This review describes the current state of nanotechnology-based therapies used to treat neurological illnesses. Some patents on theranostics are also discussed in this review. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a more comprehensive review of the diagnosis and therapeutic properties of nanotheranostics, the present state of nanotechnology-based treatment of neurological disorders, and the future potential of theranostics. METHOD: The phrase "theranostics" refers to a treatment strategy that integrates therapeutics and diagnostics to monitor treatment response and enhance drug efficacy and safety. Theranostics is a crucial component of personalised medicine and calls for significant advancements in predictive medicine. The term "theranostics" refers to a diagnosis that screens patients for potential adverse drug reactions and targets drug delivery depending on the test results. Theranostics treats neurological disorders (like brain tumours (glioma), Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and neurovascular diseases). Many review articles on Google Scholar, PubMed, Google Patents, and Scopus were used to gather information for this review. Data acquired from many sources was compiled in this review to provide more information on theranostics. RESULT: The role of various nanocarrier systems as theranostic agents for neurological illnesses and the fabrication of nanomaterials for theranostics are discussed in this article after evaluating a substantial number of review articles. CONCLUSION: The distinctive intrinsic features of nanoparticles make them useful for functionalization and imaging. Theranostics in nuclear medicine include diagnostic imaging and therapy using the same molecule that is radiolabeled differently or the same medication at various doses. It is possible to determine if a patient will benefit from a given treatment by visualising potential targets. Targeted nuclear therapy has been shown to be beneficial in patients if chosen carefully and has a good safety profile.

16-Hydroxy-ent-halima-5(10),13-dien-15,16-olide from Polyalthia longifolia targets adipogenesis by inhibiting mitotic clonal expansion and ameliorates dyslipidemia.

Obesity-related metabolic disorders are increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. The FDA has approved many molecules for weight loss therapy; most of them act on the gut level by inhibiting lipid uptake or on the central nervous system by controlling appetite. Limitations and drawbacks have propelled the search for new pharmacophores exhibiting favourable metabolic alteration at adipocytes, and natural products have always been there to prove their worth. In our efforts, we have identified 16-hydroxy-ent-halima-5(10),13-dien-15,16-olide (PLH), a halimane diterpene isolated from Polyalthia longifolia, demonstrating anti-adipogenic and anti-dyslipidemic activity. It inhibited adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte and C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cell lines. Furthermore, it decreased set of adipogenic markers at transcript and protein levels. Cell cycle studies indicated that PLH halts the mitotic clonal expansion. Mechanistic studies shows that PLH activate Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway to inhibit the adipogenesis. The study suggested that PLH inhibited adipogenesis during the early phase of differentiation by targeting mitotic clonal expansion and arresting the cell cycle in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. It improved the dyslipidemic condition in HFD-fed hamsters by decreasing the body weight, fat mass, eWAT weight and improving the serum lipid profile. Overall, PLH has been found as a potential drug candidate and a pharmacophore for combating metabolic disorders including obesity and dyslipidemia.

Smartphone addiction in medical students: Association with perceived stress, personality factors and loneliness.

Background: Smartphone addiction (SMA) is an emerging concept. It has been associated with high perceived stress. There is a dearth of data on its association with loneliness and personality in the Indian context. Objectives: We planned this study to estimate the prevalence of SMA in medical students, verify its reported association with perceived stress, and determine its association with personality factors and loneliness. Methods: Four hundred and two medical students participated in this cross-sectional study. We used the SMA scale-short version to divide students into those having an addiction and not having an addiction. The Perceived Stress Scale, ten-item personality inventory, and University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale were used to assess perceived stress, personality, and loneliness. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals were reported for all comparisons. Results: The prevalence of SMA in medical students was 34.8%. SMA was associated with higher perceived stress and loneliness. Students having SMA scored lower on personality domains of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. Moreover, SMA interfered with students' social life and academic performance. Conclusions: SMA is a cause for concern. We need to plan the awareness campaigns focusing on SMA and its association with social life and academic performance. Researchers need to explore this concept in larger samples and diverse population groups to know its actual magnitude and impact. Moreover, dedicated psychiatric committees need to recommend the guidelines for the judicious use of smartphones.

Proteoglycans in breast cancer, identification and characterization by LC-MS/MS assisted proteomics approach: A review.

PURPOSE: Proteoglycans (PGs) are negatively charged macromolecules containing a core protein and single or several glycosaminoglycan chains attached by covalent bond. They are distributed in all tissues, including extracellular matrix (ECM), cell surface, and basement membrane. They are involved in major pathways and cell signalling cascades which modulate several vital physiological functions of the body. They have also emerged as a target molecule for cancer treatment and as possible biomarkers for early cancer detection. Among cancers, breast cancer is a highly invasive and heterogenous type and has become the major cause of mortality especially among women. So, this review revisits the studies on PGs characterization in breast cancer using LC-MS/MS-based proteomics approach, which will be further helpful for identification of potential PGs-based biomarkers or therapeutic targets. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: There is a lack of comprehensive knowledge on the use of LC-MS/MS-based proteomics approaches to identify and characterize PGs in breast cancer. RESULTS: LC-MS/MS assisted PGs characterization in breast cancer revealed the vital PGs in breast cancer invasion and progression. In addition, comprehensive profiling and characterization of PGs in breast cancer are efficiently carried out by this approach. CONCLUSIONS: Proteomics techniques including LC-MS/MS-based identification of proteoglycans is effectively carried out in breast cancer research. Identification of expression at different stages of breast cancer is a major challenge, and LC-MS/MS-based profiling of PGs can boost novel strategies to treat breast cancer, which involve targeting PGs, and also aid early diagnosis using PGs as biomarkers.

A Comparative Retrospective Survival Analysis Study of Brain Tumor Patients in Age Less Than or Equal to 50 Years versus More Than 50 Years of Age.

Introduction Approximately 2.5% of fatalities from cancer are caused by brain tumors. Even though there is literature regarding prognostic factor of adult brain tumor, studies often resort to Western demographics. Hence, we conducted this retrospective observational study to compare the demographic characteristics and prognosis in patients of glial tumors in Indian population with histological diagnosis with respect to age. Materials and Methods A single-center retrospective observational study with 76 patients of glioma who had been treated with surgery combined with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy was conducted. Group I patients were aged less than or equal to 50 years and group II more than 50 years of age. There were 28 patients in group I and 48 in group II. Postoperatively, external beam radiation therapy was delivered in a conventional fraction (1.8 Gy/fraction, five fractions/week) using telecobalt 60. Ill patients who presented with grade III and IV gliomas received oral chemotherapy temozolomide at a dose of 100 mg daily during course of radiotherapy. Results The median age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 45.0 years. More cases of hematologic toxicity occurred in group I than in group II. Total 55 patients were alive at 1-year follow-up (11 in group I and 44 in group II). Conclusion Grade I and II gliomas were predominant in less than 50 years of age and grade III and IV were predominant in more than 50 years age. Male preponderance was seen in age group of more than 50 years (68%). Overall survival and disease-free survival were better for patients aged less than 50 years.

Computer assisted identification of stress, anxiety, depression (SAD) in students: A state-of-the-art review.

Stress, depression, and anxiety are a person's physiological states that emerge from various body features such as speech, body language, eye contact, facial expression, etc. Physiological emotion is a part of human life and is associated with psychological activities. Sad emotion is relatable to negative thoughts and recognized in three stages containing stress, anxiety, and depression. These stages of Physiological emotion show various common and distinguished symptoms. The present study explores stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in student life. The study reviews the psychological features generated through various body parts to identify psychological activities. Environmental factors, including a daily routine, greatly trigger psychological activities. The psychological disorder may affect mental and physical health adversely. The correct recognition of such disorder is expensive and time-consuming as it requires accurate datasets of symptoms. In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the effectiveness of computerized automated techniques that include machine learning algorithms for identifying stress, anxiety, and depression mental disorder. The proposed paper reviews the machine learning-based algorithms applied over datasets containing questionnaires, audio, video, etc., to recognize sad details. During the review process, the proposed study found that artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques are well recommended and widely utilized in most of the existing literature for measuring psychological disorders. The various machine learning-based algorithms are applied over datasets containing questionnaires, audio, video, etc., to recognize sad details. There has been continuous monitoring for the body symptoms established in the various existing literature to identify psychological states. The present review reveals the study of excellence and competence of machine learning techniques in detecting psychological disorders' stress, depression, and anxiety parameters. This paper shows a systematic review of some existing computer vision-based models with their merits and demerits.

Quality of Life and Disability in Patients with Dhat Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Dhat syndrome (DS) is considered a culture-bound syndrome of South East Asia. It is often associated with multiple sexual and psychiatric comorbidities. We aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) and disability in patients of DS with and without comorbidity. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 117 patients with DS and 117 matched controls. DS was diagnosed based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10 version, Diagnostic Criteria for Research diagnostic criteria. Comorbidities were assessed on MINI 6.0.0, and the patients were divided into two groups (with and without comorbidity). The QoL and disability were estimated and compared between patients with and without comorbidity and their respective control groups consisting of healthy volunteers, using standardized tools. Result: Most of the patients were unmarried males aged 18 to 25 years and from rural backgrounds. Most of the patients (72.64%) had comorbidities (psychiatric/sexual). The QoL of patients with DS was poor compared to healthy individuals. The QoL of patients with comorbidity was worse than that of those without them (P < o.ooo). The disability of patients with DS was more than that of healthy individuals (significant in all domains of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule [WHODAS]). Conclusion: Patients having DS had poor QoL and higher disability than healthy controls. Patients having psychiatric or sexual comorbidities had less QoL and higher disability compared to healthy controls and those without comorbidities.

Solar light-driven photocatalysis using BaFe2O4/rGO for chlorhexidine digluconate-contaminated water: comparison with artificial UV and visible light-mediated photocatalysis.

Synthesis and characterization of dual functioning material is an effective approach for the promotion of organic pollutant degradation through adsorption as well as photocatalysis. Herein, graphene oxide was modified by the addition of barium nitrate and iron to construct a smooth sheet-like structure (BaFe2O4/rGO) for the removal of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHD). Compared with GO (75.69%-UV light; 88.17%-visible light), BaFe2O4/rGO showed significant adsorption-photocatalysis effect under visible light (93.95%) than that under UV light (78.17%). The introduction of barium nitrate and iron into graphene oxide leads to a smooth porous structure with increased surface area (93.66 m2 g-1), which resulted in a large number of adsorption active sites and great photocatalytic activity with efficient charge separation. Although catalysts did not mineralize CHD completely, but the parent compound mineralized to some extent, which was confirmed by the TOC measurement and UV254 absorbance variation. In addition, toxicity of degraded products was analysed by bacterial susceptibility test on Bacillus cereus DPAML065, suggesting that nontoxic by-products of CHD were formed, which leads to their safe disposal. Based on the identified transformed products, the possible degradation pathway was proposed. Batch studies demonstrated that BaFe2O4/rGO is highly photoactive based on reaction rate constant (R2 = 0.984), where the kinetics data were well-fitted using the pseudo-first order. Moreover, efficiency of catalysts was examined under solar light to achieve the sustainability.

Functional foods as a formulation ingredients in beverages: technological advancements and constraints.

As a consequence of expanded science and technical research, the market perception of consumers has shifted from standard traditional to valuable foods, which are furthermore nutritional as well as healthier in today's world. This food concept, precisely referred to as functional, focuses on including probiotics, which enhance immune system activity, cognitive response, and overall health. This review primarily focuses on functional foods as functional additives in beverages and other food items that can regulate the human immune system and avert any possibility of contracting the infection. Many safety concerns must be resolved during their administration. Functional foods must have an adequate amount of specific probiotic strain(s) during their use and storage, as good viability is needed for optimum functionality of the probiotic. Thus, when developing novel functional food-based formulations, choosing a strain with strong technological properties is crucial. The present review focused on probiotics as an active ingredient in different beverage formulations and the exerting mechanism of action and fate of probiotics in the human body. Moreover, a comprehensive overview of the regulative and safety issues of probiotics-based foods and beverages formulations.

Level of anxiety and depression among health-care professionals amidst of coronavirus disease: A web-based survey from India.

BACKGROUND: The spread of novel coronavirus diseases-2019 (COVID-19) across the world and its associated morbidity and mortality confronted the nations by various means. COVID19 pandemic had significant psychological effects not only on the general population but also on health-care workers (HCWs). Hence, we aimed to found the level of anxiety and depression among health-care professionals amidst coronavirus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 829 participants including doctors and nurses and other medical staff who were posted in the COVID ward and COVID intensive care unit using a well-structured questionnaire through the Google Forms. The two scales used to measure anxiety and depression among the HCWs were the Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Cronbach's alpha of HAM A is 0.921 and Cronbach's alpha of PHQ 9 is 0.851. Data analysis was done using SPSS 26, Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to establish the association between categorical independent and dependent variables. RESULTS: The results of this study demonstrate that anxiety and depression were significantly higher in doctors and staff nurses as compared to other medical staff. According to HAM-A, 65.1% of respondents were in the mild category, 22.0% mild to moderate, and 12.9% moderate to severe. The HAM-A (P = 0.022) and PHQ-9 (P = 0.001) for anxiety and depression respectively were significantly higher in females. The means of the scales got increased after postings in the corona wards. CONCLUSION: Concerning the high occurrence of anxiety and fear among health-care professionals, appropriate psychological/psychiatric intervention necessitates and emphasizes the need to implement urgent measures to prevent further progress to severe mental health disorder.

An experimental approach for the utilization of tannery sludge-derived Bacillus strain for biosorptive removal of Cr(VI)-contaminated wastewater.

Biosorption efficacy of Bacillus strain DPAML065, isolated from the tannery sludge, was appraised for the removal of toxic hexavalent chromium (VI) ions from synthetic wastewater. Effects of the process variable on biosorbent surface by variation in pH, metal Cr(VI) concentration and retention time were examined using batch experiments. The isolated Bacillus strain biosorbent was studied for its morphology and surface chemistry through FE-SEM, EDX and FTIR. It discloses that, the reduction mechanism of Cr(VI) during the process is mainly attributed to precipitation in addition to the functional groups (such as -COOH, -OH, C-O, P=O) present on the cellular matrix of Bacillus. Biochemical tests and 16s rRNA sequencing were also performed to identify the biosorbent at the genus level. A 95% Cr(VI) removal efficiency was procured by Bacillus strain DPAML065 biosorbent at pH 6, incubation period 24 h, 80 mg/L initial feed concentration and operational temperature 35 °C. Equilibrium behaviour of chromium binding follows the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.968) with an adsorption capacity of 106.38 mg/g. Kinetic modelling disseminates that biosorption of Cr(VI) ions by Bacillus strain DPAML065 obeyed pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.984) rather than the pseudo-first-order model. Concisely, the results indicate that the Bacillus strain DPAML065 is a potential, economically feasible and eco-friendly biosorbent which can be effectively used for removal of chromium (VI) from wastewater.

Decolorization of reactive dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R by zirconium oxychloride as a novel coagulant: optimization through response surface methodology.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the performance of a novel coagulant, i.e. ZrOCl2, for the removal of anthraquinone-based reactive dye from aqueous solution. An ideal experimental setup was designed based on central composite design using response surface methodology to determine the individual and interactive effects of different operational variables (i.e. pH, coagulant dose and dye concentration) on treatment performance in terms of dye and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies. Total 92.58% dye and 85.33% COD removal were experimentally attained at optimized conditions at low coagulant dose, i.e. 156.67 mg/L for the dye concentration of 105.67 mg/L at pH 2. To validate the working pH of the metal coagulant, the static charge of ZrOCl2 was measured using Eh value. The performance of the coagulant was validated with experimental and predicted values in the selected data set, and R2 values for both responses were found to be 0.99 and 0.95 respectively, which shows the reliability of the experimental design. Further, the toxicity of the coagulant was assessed and no such toxicity was found even up to the concentration of 500 mg/L, proclaiming the disposal of sludge may not exhibit any threat to humans. Experimental results suggested that the ZrOCl2 could be used as an eco-friendly coagulant for dye wastewater treatment.

Personality Changes in Bilateral Superior Frontal and Parafalcine Frontoparietal Polymicrogyria: A Rare Case Report.

Polymicrogyria is a neurodevelopmental abnormality which results in the formation of excessive, small, abnormal, partially fused gyri with superficially located sulci replacing the normal gyral pattern. Intellectual disability, global developmental delay, epilepsy, language deficits, and motor deficits are commonly reported in patients with polymicrogyria. We present here the case of a young male with a rare pattern of bilateral superior frontal and parafalcine frontoparietal polymicrogyria, who had a mild intellectual disability, intractable seizures along with personality changes. This case report also highlights the relevance of neuroimaging in such cases, possible explanations of personality change in polymicrogyria and relevant management issues with a review of the literature.

Advanced techniques for penetration enhancement in transdermal drug delivery system.

Transdermal route has been recognized as a promising drug delivery system for systemic delivery of drugs and provides the advantage of avoidance of first-pass effect, ease of use, better patient compliance, maintaining constant blood level for longer period of time and decrease side effects. The major pitfalls of this route lie with difficulty in permeation of drugs through the skin. Several literatures have been published for enhancing the permeation of drugs by chemical approaches. However the present review highlighted about the advanced physical techniques used for enhancing delivery of drugs such as structure-based, electrically based, velocity based and several other miscellaneous physical techniques for enhancing the permeation of drugs. In addition to these, the present review also gives an exhaustive account on clinical data about these techniques and regulatory considerations for new drugs as well as generic product approval in transdermal drug delivery.