Evaluation of Urinary Free Light Chains as a Marker of Severity of HIV Disease and Its Correlation with CD4 Count: A Pilot Study.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection weakens immunity. Monitoring the immune status of the patient has become an important aspect of evaluating the progression of the disease and informing follow-up after treatment. Estimation of CD4 counts is quite costly and requires expertise in flow cytometry. In certain pathologies, free light chains (FLCs) are secreted in serum and urine and the magnitude can be used to monitor the severity, progression, and therapeutic monitoring of the disease. Urine as a specimen proves cost-effective and presents reduced risks during sample collection. The stability of light chains in urine at room temperature over extended periods simplifies the management of sample transportation as well. Hence, a pilot cross-sectional study was planned to evaluate the levels of urinary immunoglobulins in patients with HIV. The study was conducted at PGIMER, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (presently ABVIMS), New Delhi. Sixty-nine consecutive ART-naive HIV patients aged between 18 and 40 years and 69 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Urinary FLC kappa (κ) and lambda (λ) were measured using an immunoglobulin ELISA kit. Baseline urinary κ light chain levels were significantly higher in cases when compared with controls (p < .001) and were found to be increased with increasing WHO immunological classes (p < .001) and inversely related to CD4 cell count. However, no significant difference in mean urinary λ immunoglobulin light chain between cases and controls was found and no correlation with CD4 cell count or with stages of WHO immunological classification of HIV disease was observed. It is suggested that urinary free κ chain measurements combined with serum light chain measurements may be a useful marker in the follow-up and monitoring of response to therapies in patients with HIV where testing by flow cytometry is not available.

Fruit ripening under heat stress: The intriguing role of ethylene-mediated signaling.

Crop production is significantly influenced by climate, and even minor climate changes can have a substantial impact on crop yields. Rising temperature due to climate change can lead to heat stress (HS) in plants, which not only hinders plant growth and development but also result in significant losses in crop yields. To cope with the different stresses including HS, plants have evolved a variety of adaptive mechanisms. In response to these stresses, phytohormones play a crucial role by generating endogenous signals that regulate the plant's defensive response. Among these, Ethylene (ET), a key phytohormone, stands out as a major regulator of stress responses in plants and regulates many plant traits, which are critical for crop productivity and nutritional quality. ET is also known as a ripening hormone for decades in climacteric fruit and many studies are available deciphering the function of different ET biosynthesis and signaling components in the ripening process. Recent studies suggest that HS significantly affects fruit quality traits and perturbs fruit ripening by altering the regulation of many ethylene biosynthesis and signaling genes resulting in substantial loss of fruit yield, quality, and postharvest stability. Despite the significant progress in this field in recent years the interplay between ET, ripening, and HS is elusive. In this review, we summarized the recent advances and current understanding of ET in regulating the ripening process under HS and explored their crosstalk at physiological and molecular levels to shed light on intricate relationships.

Carotid intima-media thickness, flow-mediated dilatation and proteinuria in patients of human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Endothelium-dysfunction (ED) is a surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerotic disease. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and proteinuria are surrogate markers of ED. Few studies have shown that patients with HIV have impaired endothelial function and are thus at risk of accelerated atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study assessed ED in HIV patients by various biophysical parameters as brachial artery FMD, CIMT, and proteinuria. A total of 43 HIV-infected patients were compared with 25 healthy controls who were healthy. RESULTS: Mean age of patients with HIV was 33.84 ± 5.61 years while that of healthy controls was 31.48 ± 5.40 years. Male to female ratio among cases was 24:19 while among controls was 17:8. Mean CIMT was significantly higher among cases than control (0.513 ± 0.079, 0.452 ± 0.050 mm, respectively, P = 0.001). Percentage change in FMD was significantly lower among cases than control (3.27 ± 2.01, 6.96 ± 1.28, respectively, P = 0.001). Urine protein grading was significantly different between cases and controls (P = 0.007), with stable HIV cases having significantly higher urine protein grading compared to healthy controls. However, no correlation was seen between CIMT, FMD, and proteinuria overall among cases and controls. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-infected patients have significant impairment of endothelial function, in the form of increased CIMT, impaired FMD, and more proteinuria as compared to healthy controls.

Development of transgenic broccoli with cryIAa gene for resistance against diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella).

Transgenic broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) cv. 'Solan Green Head' has been developed by using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain harboring cryIAa gene for resistance against diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). By combining the best treatments of 72 h pre-culturing and 48 h co-cultivation time period, a transformation frequency of 4.92 and 13.83% was obtained from cotyledon and hypocotyl explants, respectively. Supplementing the co-cultivation medium with acetosyringone in a concentration of 100 µM enhanced the transformation frequency to 17.92 and 32.11% in cotyledon and hypocotyl explants, respectively. The transgene (cryIAa) integration was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction using gene-specific primers and Southern blot analysis using digoxigenin nonradiolabelled DNA probe. Gene expression in the PCR-positive transgenic events had been confirmed by reverse transcriptase-PCR and quantitative real time-PCR. Insect bioassay proved the effectiveness of the transgene against infestation by diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of optimization of a highly efficient transformation system and transgenic development in broccoli using cry1Aa gene for insect resistance.

Size Selective Green Synthesis of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles: Enhanced Antibacterial Efficacy of Resveratrol Capped Silver Sol.

In view of potential biomedical application of the noble metal nanoparticles, we report a size controlled yet simple and green synthesis of resveratrol stabilized silver and gold nanoparticles having low polydispersity of size. Here, resveratrol plays two simultaneous roles, reducing the metal ions and providing efficient capping of the small nanoparticles. This gives rise to specific size of silver and gold nanoparticles at specific ratios of metal to resveratrol. The particles have been characterized by XRD and transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticle sols are stable for months. The UV Visible absorption spectra of the silver sol show the plasmon peak of spherical nanoparticles, presence of which is further reflected in the TEM images. Size of the silver particles obtained is in between 11 to 21 nm depending on the ratio of resveratrol to metal ion used. Resveratrol capped silver nanoparticles exhibit high antibacterial activity against Gram negative wild type E coli BW (25113). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nano-silver against the bacterium has been estimated to be 6.48 µg/ml, which is significantly lower than that reported in some earlier as well as recent publications. Reaction of gold ions with resveratrol, on the other hand, produces gold nanoparticles of sizes varying from 7 to 29 nm at different ratios of resveratrol to the metal ions. Particles with higher size and aspect ratio are formed at lower concentration of the capping agent whereas particles with very small size and pseudo-spherical morphology are formed at higher capping concentration. Difference in the formation kinetics of silver and gold nanoparticles has been attributed to the different growth mechanisms in the two cases. Possible modes of anchorage of resveratrol to silver nanoparticles have been investigated using surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERS) which shows that the silver nanoparticles are capped by resveratrol molecule primarily through O-Ag linkages of the p-OH aromatic ring. This, in turn, demonstrates the feasibility of using these nanoparticles as SERS templates.

Biotechnological advancement in genetic improvement of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica), an important vegetable crop.

With the advent of molecular biotechnology, plant genetic engineering techniques have opened an avenue for the genetic improvement of important vegetable crops. Vegetable crop productivity and quality are seriously affected by various biotic and abiotic stresses which destabilize rural economies in many countries. Moreover, absence of proper post-harvest storage and processing facilities leads to qualitative and quantitative losses. In the past four decades, conventional breeding has significantly contributed to the improvement of vegetable yields, quality, post-harvest life, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there are many constraints in conventional breeding, which can only be overcome by advancements made in modern biology. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is an important vegetable crop, of the family Brassicaceae; however, various biotic and abiotic stresses cause enormous crop yield losses during the commercial cultivation of broccoli. Thus, genetic engineering can be used as a tool to add specific characteristics to existing cultivars. However, a pre-requisite for transferring genes into plants is the availability of efficient regeneration and transformation techniques. Recent advances in plant genetic engineering provide an opportunity to improve broccoli in many aspects. The goal of this review is to summarize genetic transformation studies on broccoli to draw the attention of researchers and scientists for its further genetic advancement.

Biotechnological applications in in vitro plant regeneration studies of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica), an important vegetable crop.

Biotechnology holds promise for genetic improvement of important vegetable crops. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is an important vegetable crop of the family Brassicaceae. However, various biotic and abiotic stresses cause enormous crop yield losses during commercial cultivation of broccoli. Establishment of a reliable, reproducible and efficient in vitro plant regeneration system with cell and tissue culture is a vital prerequisite for biotechnological application of crop improvement programme. An in vitro plant regeneration technique refers to culturing, cell division, cell multiplication, de-differentiation and differentiation of cells, protoplasts, tissues and organs on defined liquid/solid medium under aseptic and controlled environment. Recent progress in the field of plant tissue culture has made this area one of the most dynamic and promising in experimental biology. There are many published reports on in vitro plant regeneration studies in broccoli including direct organogenesis, indirect organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. This review summarizes those plant regeneration studies in broccoli that could be helpful in drawing the attention of the researchers and scientists to work on it to produce healthy, biotic and abiotic stress resistant plant material and to carry out genetic transformation studies for the production of transgenic plants.

Phylogenetic re-evaluation of fossil and extant micro-echinoids with revision of Tridium, Cyamidia, and Lenicyamidia (Echinoidea: Clypeasteroida).

Tridium kieri Tandon & Srivastava, 1980, a clypeasteroid micro-echinoid from the Middle Eocene of Kachchh, India, has an apical system with just 3 gonopores. This condition is otherwise almost unknown among clypeasteroids, yet the morphology of Tridium is very similar to that of extant Fibularia, including members of another relatively poorly known genus from the Indian subcontinent and Western Australia, Cyamidia Lambert & Thiéry, 1914. Re-examination of the type and additional material of T. kieri and Cyamidia paucipora Brunnschweiler, 1962, along with specimens identified as C. nummulitica nummulitica (Duncan & Sladen, 1884), allows for redescription of these forms. For the first time, maps of coronal plate architecture of Tridium and Cyamidia are developed, and SEM images of test surface details of the former are provided. Such new sources of data aid determination of their phylogenetic position among a subset of laganiform clypeasteroid taxa. During these analyses, new data were uncovered for two additional enigmatic, fibulariid taxa, Leniechinus herricki Kier, 1968 (Middle Eocene, North America), and Lenicyamidia compta Brunnschweiler, 1962 (Eocene, Western Australia). Both species were added to the overall analysis. These observations lead to the conclusion that Tridium falls within the genus Fibularia Lamarck, 1816, prompting reassignment of T. kieri to Fibularia along with refinement of the diagnosis of the Fibulariidae Gray, 1855. The Western Australian representative of Cyamidia, C. paucipora, was found to represent juveniles of Lenicyamidia compta; it is here synonymized with the latter. The genus Cyamidia thus appears to be restricted to the Indian Subcontinent. 

Association of hematological profile of human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients with clinicoimmunologic stages of the disease.

AIM: This work was carried out to study the hematologic profile of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients and its association with the clinicoimmunologic stage of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 187 patients with HIV, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, diagnosed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method according to the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) guidelines were included in this study. Patients in the study population were divided into two groups: (1) Group A (antiretroviral therapy (ART) included patients receiving ART [ART-Y]) and (2) Group B included treatment naïve patients (ART-N). The patients were tested for hemoglobin (Hb), total red blood cells (RBC) count, RBC indices, reticulocyte count, packed cell volume (PCV), total lymphocyte counts(TLC), differential leukocyte counts (DLC), platelet count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Cut-off values were determined as Hb < 10 g/dl, platelet count < 1.5 lakh/cumm, and TLC < 4,000/cumm. The group or categorical data were tested for statistical significance using Chi-square test and Z-test. The difference was reported as significant if P < 0.05. RESULTS: (1) Anemia (predominantly normocytic normochromic) was prevalent in 40.1%, with slightly higher prevalence in those not receiving ART. It occurred with high frequency in patients with immunological (42.05%) and clinical acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome (AIDS) (70.58%) compared with those who had an asymptomatic HIV infection with CD4 > 200/µl (28.57%). Patients on zidovudine (AZT) therapy had 34.6% anemia with increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV). (2) Thrombocytopenia was seen in 3.74% patients (higher percentage in untreated patients). (3) Leucopenia was observed in 5.88% in ART-Y (Group A) and 8.14% in ART-N (Group B) patients. (4) Pancytopenia was found in 1.6% patients.

Diagnosing the SAPHO syndrome: a report of three cases and review of literature.

SAPHO, an acronym for synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis, is a heterogeneous entity with myriad presentations and features overlapping with other entities. It is a differential in patients presenting with skin and bone symptoms, either singly or in combination. Often misdiagnosed radiologically as a malignancy or infection, the diagnosis is seldom thought of. We present three cases referred to us for evaluation of findings unrelated to the presenting symptoms. After evaluation, a (99)Tc bone scan was ordered, which showed the 'bull's head sign' in all the three cases, confirming the diagnosis. We review the literature for SAPHO. It has a few features which point to its diagnosis and can help us to distinguish it from other seronegative arthritis. The clinician should be aware of this entity and should not hesitate to order a (99)Tc bone scan. We conclude that SAPHO is not rare, but rather, it is underdiagnosed. High index of suspicion is necessary for diagnosis. A (99)Tc bone scan is diagnostic and should be ordered in patients having any of the presenting features of the syndrome. We put forward the suggestion of using (99)Tc bone scintigraphy to define a 'pre-MRI' stage of ankylosing spondylitis.

Correlating self-assembly of block copolymers for their application in synthesis of gold nanoparticles.

We report the role of self-assembly of polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymers for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles from hydrogen tetrachloroaureate (III) hydrate (HAuCl4 x 3H2O) in aqueous solution. The synthesis has been carried out using three different block copolymers P85 [EO26PO39EO26], F88 [EO103PO39EO103] and P105 [EO37PO56EO37], which not only have varying molecular weight but also differ in hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity ratio. The formation of gold nanoparticles is confirmed by the UV-Visible Spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides the sizes of the nanoparticles formed in these systems. Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) techniques are used to correlate the self-assembly of block copolymer to their propensity to form gold nanoparticles. The yield is found to be in the order P105 > P85 > F88 and is related to the higher tendency of block copolymer to self-assemble to give greater yield of gold nanoparticles. For all the block copolymers, SANS and DLS results suggests that the yield in the synthesis does not always increases with the salt concentration and is limited due to the fact that most of the block copolymers remain unassociated with the gold nanoparticles. By making use of these unassociated block copolymers, we propose two methods (i) step addition method and (ii) additional reductant method, where the synthesis yield of gold nanoparticles can be enhanced by manifold.

Vehicles and ways for efficient nuclear transformation in plants.

Transgenic science and technology are fundamental to the state-of-art plant molecular genetics and crop improvement. The new generation of technology endeavors to introduce genes 'stably' into 'site-specific' locations and in 'single copy' without the integration of extraneous vector 'backbone' sequences or 'selectable markers'. Numerous plant transformation technologies have developed with the aim of achieving these objectives. Here we discuss some of these technologies, which can push the development of 'better transgenic plants with desirable characters only'.

Elliptic flow of thermal photons in relativistic nuclear collisions.

We predict the transverse momentum (p(T)) dependence of elliptic flow of thermal photons for Au + Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We model the system hydrodynamically, with a thermalized quark-gluon plasma at early times followed by hadronization and decoupling. Photons are emitted throughout the expansion history. Contrary to hadron elliptic flow, which increases monotonically with p(T), the elliptic flow nu2(p(T)) of thermal photons is predicted to first rise and then fall again. Photon elliptic flow at high p(T) reflects the quark momentum anisotropy at early times when it is small, while at low p(T) it mirrors the large pion momentum anisotropy during the late hadronic emission stage. An interesting structure is predicted at intermediate p(T) approximately 0.4 GeV/c, where photon elliptic flow reflects the momenta and the (compared to pions) reduced nu2 of heavy vector mesons in the late hadronic phase.

Photon interferometry of Au+Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider.

We calculate the two-body correlation function of direct photons produced in central Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. Our calculation includes contributions from the early preequilibrium phase in which photons are produced via hard parton scatterings as well as radiation of photons from a thermalized quark-gluon plasma and the subsequent expanding hadron gas. We find that high energy photon interferometry provides a faithful probe of the details of the space-time evolution and of the early reaction stages of the system.

Net baryon density in Au+Au collisions at the relativistic heavy ion collider.

We calculate the net-baryon rapidity distribution in Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in the framework of the parton cascade model (PCM). Parton rescattering and fragmentation leads to a substantial increase in the net-baryon density at midrapidity over the density produced by initial primary parton-parton scatterings. The PCM is able to describe the measured net-baryon density at RHIC.

High-energy photons from passage of jets through Quark-Gluon plasma.

We calculate the production of high-energy photons from Compton scattering and annihilation of a quark jet passing through a quark gluon plasma produced in a relativistic heavy ion collision. The contributions are large and reflect the momentum distribution of the jets and the initial conditions of the plasma.

Light from cascading partons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

We calculate the production of high energy photons from Compton and annihilation processes as well as fragmentation off quarks in the parton cascade model. The multiple scattering of partons is seen to lead to a substantial production of high energy photons, which rises further when parton multiplication due to final state radiation is included. The photon yield is found to be directly proportional to the number of hard collisions and thus provides valuable information on the preequilibrium reaction dynamics.

Pellagra Associated with Psychosis.

A case of pellagra who had psychosis, dermatitis and gastrointestinal system involvement in the form of constipation has been described. In this case mental symptoms in the form of insomnia appeared prior to dermal lesions. The case was successfully treated both for the mental and skin condition with nicotinamide and other ancillary treatment.