Regulation of PTEN translation by PI3K signaling maintains pathway homeostasis.

The PI3K pathway regulates cell metabolism, proliferation, and migration, and its dysregulation is common in cancer. We now show that both physiologic and oncogenic activation of PI3K signaling increase the expression of its negative regulator PTEN. This limits the duration of the signal and output of the pathway. Physiologic and pharmacologic inhibition of the pathway reduces PTEN and contributes to the rebound in pathway activity in tumors treated with PI3K inhibitors and limits their efficacy. Regulation of PTEN is due to mTOR/4E-BP1-dependent control of its translation and is lost when 4E-BP1 is deleted. Translational regulation of PTEN is therefore a major homeostatic regulator of physiologic PI3K signaling and plays a role in reducing the pathway activation by oncogenic PIK3CA mutants and the antitumor activity of PI3K pathway inhibitors. However, pathway output is hyperactivated in tumor cells with coexistent PI3K mutation and loss of PTEN function.

A Loss of Epigenetic Control Can Promote Cell Death through Reversing the Balance of Pathways in a Signaling Network.

Epigenetic control of regulatory networks is only partially understood. Expression of Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF2) is controlled by genomic imprinting, mediated by silencing of the maternal allele. Loss of imprinting of IGF2 (LOI) is linked to intestinal and colorectal cancers, causally in murine models and epidemiologically in humans. However, the molecular underpinnings of the LOI phenotype are not clear. Surprisingly, in LOI cells, we find a reversal of the relative activities of two canonical signaling pathways triggered by IGF2, causing further rebalancing between pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling. A predictive mathematical model shows that this network rebalancing quantitatively accounts for the effect of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition in both WT and LOI cells. This mechanism also quantitatively explains both the stable LOI phenotype and the therapeutic window for selective killing of LOI cells, and thus prevention of epigenetically controlled cancers. These findings suggest a framework for understanding epigenetically modified cell signaling.

NKX3.1 Expression in Non-Prostatic Tumors and Characterizing its Expression in Esophageal/Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma.

The NKX3.1 immunohistochemical stain is widely recognized as a highly sensitive and specific marker for prostate adenocarcinoma. Nevertheless, its expression has been documented in various nonprostatic tissues and malignancies. This review aims to provide an overview of NKX3.1 expression in diverse tumor types, with a specific focus on its aberrant expression in esophageal/gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (E/GE-ADC). In our investigation, we explored the expression of NKX3.1 in a series of E/GE-ADC to shed light on its prevalence in this tumor category. A total of 50 samples, comprising primary and metastatic E/GE-ADC specimens from 34 patients, were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis. Stained sections were scored based on the intensity and distribution-categorized as negative, weak, moderate, or strong in either a focal or diffuse pattern. Strong staining corresponds to the intensity observed in normal prostate controls, while focal and diffuse staining denote <50% and ≥50% of tumor nuclei staining positive, respectively. Our semiquantitative scoring revealed that 6 (12%) of the primary and metastatic E/GE-ADC specimens exhibited variable positivity for NKX3.1. This finding suggests that E/GE-ADC can sporadically stain positive for NKX3.1, introducing potential challenges in definitively determining the primary site of origin in certain clinical scenarios. Along with a literature review of NKX3.1 expression in other tumor types, our study provides additional important information about the extent to which this immunostain can be seen in E/GE-ADCs, which, to our knowledge, has not been reported.

Probing of plant transcriptomes reveals the hidden genetic diversity of the family Secoviridae.

Secoviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses that infect plants. In the present study, we identified 61 putative novel secoviral genomes in various plant species by mining publicly available plant transcriptome data. These viral sequences represent the genomes of 13 monopartite and 48 bipartite secovirids. The genome sequences of 52 secovirids were coding-complete, and nine were partial. Except for small open reading frames (ORFs) determined in waikaviral genomes and RNA2 of torradoviruses, all of the recovered genomes/genome segments contained a large ORF encoding a polyprotein. Based on genome organization and phylogeny, all but three of the novel secoviruses were assigned to different genera. The genome organization of two identified waika-like viruses resembled that of the recently identified waika-like virus Triticum aestivum secovirus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a pattern of host-virus co-evolution in a few waika- and waika-like viruses and increased phylogenetic diversity of nepoviruses. The study provides a basis for further investigation of the biological properties of these novel secoviruses.

The genome of Symbiodiniaceae-associated Stutzerimonas frequens CAM01 reveals a broad spectrum of antibiotic resistance genes indicating anthropogenic drift in the Palk Bay coral reef of south-eastern India.

An increase in antibiotic pollution in reef areas will lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, leading to ecological disturbances in the sensitive coral holobiont. This study provides insights into the genome of antibiotics-resistant Stutzerimonas frequens CAM01, isolated from Favites-associated Symbiodiniaceae of a near-shore polluted reef of Palk Bay, India. The draft genome contains 4.67 Mbp in size with 52 contigs. Further genome analysis revealed the presence of four antibiotic-resistant genes, namely, adeF, rsmA, APH (3")-Ib, and APH (6)-Id that provide resistance by encoding resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) antibiotic efflux pump and aminoglycoside phosphotransferase. The isolate showed resistance against 73% of the antibiotics tested, concurrent with the predicted AMR genes. Four secondary metabolites, namely Aryl polyene, NRPS-independent-siderophore, terpenes, and ectoine were detected in the isolate, which may play a role in virulence and pathogenicity adaptation in microbes. This study provides key insights into the genome of Stutzerimonas frequens CAM01 and highlights the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in coral reef ecosystems.

Characterization and predictive risk scoring of long COVID in a south indian cohort after breakthrough COVID infection; a prospective single centre study.

BACKGROUND: With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus has shifted to understanding and managing long-term post-infectious complications. "Long COVID," characterized by persistent or new onset symptoms extending beyond the initial phase of infection, is one such complication. This study aims to describe the incidence, clinical features and risk profile of long COVID among individuals in a South Indian cohort who experienced post-ChAdOx1 n-Cov-2 vaccine breakthrough infections. METHODS: A single-centre hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted from October to December 2021. The study population comprised adult patients (> 18 years) with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who had received at least a single dose of vaccination. Data was collected using a specially tailored questionnaire at week 2, week 6, and week 12 post-negative COVID-19 test. A propensity score based predictive scoring system was developed to assess the risk of long COVID. RESULTS: Among the 414 patients followed up in the study, 164 (39.6%) reported long COVID symptoms persisting beyond 6 week's post-infection. The presence of long COVID was significantly higher among patients above 65 years of age, and those with comorbidities such as Type II Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, asthma, and cancer. Using backwards selection, a reduced model was developed, identifying age (OR 1.053, 95% CI 0.097-1.07, p < 0.001), hypertension (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.46-4.59, p = 0.001), and bronchial asthma (OR 3.7176, 95% CI 1.24-11.12, p = 0.018) as significant predictors of long COVID incidence. A significant positive correlation was observed between the symptomatic burden and the number of individual comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: The significant presence of long COVID at 12 weeks among non-hospitalised patients underscores the importance of post-recovery follow-up to assess for the presence of long COVID. The predictive risk score proposed in this study may help identify individuals at risk of developing long COVID. Further research is needed to understand the impact of long COVID on patients' quality of life and the potential role of tailored rehabilitation programs in improving patient outcomes.

Signal amplification in growth cone gradient sensing by a double negative feedback loop among PTEN, PI(3,4,5)P3 and actomyosin.

Axon guidance during neural wiring involves a series of precisely controlled chemotactic events by the motile axonal tip, the growth cone. A fundamental question is how neuronal growth cones make directional decisions in response to extremely shallow gradients of guidance cues with exquisite sensitivity. Here we report that nerve growth cones possess a signal amplification mechanism during gradient sensing process. In neuronal growth cones of Xenopus spinal neurons, phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), an important signaling molecule in chemotaxis, was actively recruited to the up-gradient side in response to an external gradient of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), resulting in an intracellular gradient with approximate 30-fold amplification of the input. Furthermore, a reverse gradient of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was induced by BDNF within the growth cone and the increased PTEN activity at the down-gradient side is required for the amplification of PIP3 signals. Mechanistically, the establishment of both positive PIP3 and reverse PTEN gradients depends on the filamentous actin network. Together with computational modeling, our results revealed a double negative feedback loop among PTEN, PIP3 and actomyosin for signal amplification, which is essential for gradient sensing of neuronal growth cones in response to diffusible cues.

Culture-dependent and metagenomic analysis of lesser horseshoe bats' gut microbiome revealing unique bacterial diversity and signatures of potential human pathogens.

Bats are highly diverse and ecologically important mammals. They harbor various bacteria, viruses, and fungal communities that are either beneficial or potentially pathogenic. Extensive metagenomic studies in bats are limited, particularly for the gut, and to date, there are no reports on the bacterial diversity of Rhinolophus monoceros from Meghalaya, India. There are limited studies on the isolation of potential harmful or beneficial bacteria and their interactions with the environment through culture-dependent approaches. Therefore, high-throughput screening was used to understand the population structure, genetic diversity, and ecological role of the microorganisms. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA marker for gene mapping showed that the gut samples constitute a diverse group of bacteria that is dominated by Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes. The bacterial genera Corynebacterium and Mycobacterium were also observed in the Illumina dataset. Illumina sequencing revealed eight bacterial phyla composed of 112 genera. The metagenomic analysis of the OTUs from the gut revealed diverse bacterial communities as well as zoonotic and human pathogens. There were differences in the bacterial communities between the two methods used in this study, which could be related to host specificity, diet, and habitat. The culture-dependent technique resulted in the isolation of 35 bacterial isolates, of which Bacillus cereus and B. anthracis are well-known bacterial pathogens that show virulent traits including hemolytic and proteolytic activities. Pseudomonas stutzeri is an opportunistic human pathogen that was also isolated and showed similar traits. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed on all 35 isolates, and different antibiotics were used for Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The result showed that some isolates are resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin G and Cefoxitin. This report on gut bacterial communities could attract interest in the possibility of isolating and characterizing bacteria for the production of antibiotics, enzymes, plant growth promoters, and probiotics. However, the presence of potential pathogenic bacteria that may impose health hazards cannot be ignored and needs to be studied further.

Emergence of a multi host biofilm forming opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus sciuri D26 in coral Favites abdita.

Corals are hotspots of ocean microbial diversity and imbalance in the composition of coral associated microbes has been mostly correlated with the emergence of climate change driven diseases which affect the overall stability of the reef ecosystem. Coral sampling was performed by SCUBA diving at Palk Bay (latitude 9.271580, longitude 79.132203) south Indian coast. Among the 54 bacterial isolates, an isolate MGL-D26 showed comparatively high biofilm formation and was identified as Staphylococcus sciuri based on phylogenetic analysis. The production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) confirmed the formation of a slimy EPS matrix associated with the biofilm. The biofilm formation in S. sciuri D26 was induced significantly by UV exposure followed by other stress factors including pollution, agitation, and salinity. The strain inhibited innate immune factors of corals such as melanin synthesis and phenoloxidase. Challenge experiments in a model organism Aiptasia sp. showed pathogenicity of S. sciuri. Histopathological analysis revealed tissue invasion by S. sciuri which was a predisposing factor leading to mortality in challenged Aiptasia sp. However, specific disease condition of corals infected by S. sciuri requires continuous field monitoring and further investigation. Based on the findings, S. sciuri was a first reported multi-host opportunistic pathogen which has emerged in corals under environmental stress.

Annotation of gut bacterial taxonomic and functional diversity in Spodoptera litura and Spilosoma obliqua.

The insect gut has been the house of many taxonomically and physiologically diverse groups of microbial colonizers as symbionts and commensals, which are evolving to support the physiological requirement of insects. Lepidoptera is one of the important family of class hexapoda, comprising agriculture insect pest Spodoptera litura and Spilosoma obliqua. Information on gut microbiota and their functional role in these insects was meager to elucidate the wide-ranging survivalist mechanisms. In this context, we analyzed the composition, diversity and functional role of gut bacteria in S. litura and S. obliqua collected from soybean and sunflower crops, respectively, using Next Generation Sequencing of 16S rRNA. A total of 3427 and 206 Operation Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were identified in S. litura and S. obliqua gut metagenome, respectively. Highest number of sequences were annotated to unclassified bacteria (34%), followed by Proteobacteria (27%), and Chlorobi (14%) in S. litura, while S. obliqua has significant representation of Firmicutes (48%), followed by Bacteroidetes (20%), and unclassified bacteria (11%). Functionality of both metagenomes revealed, high abundance of ammonia oxidizers (20.1 58.0%) followed by relative abundance of detoxifying processes - dehalogenation (17.4-41.2%) and aromatic hydrocarbons degradation (1.1-3.1%). This study highlights the significance of the inherent microbiome of two defoliators in shaping the metagenome for nutrition and detoxifying the chemical molecules, and opens an avenue for exploring role of insect gut bacteria in host selection, metabolic endurance of insecticides and synergistic or agonistic mechanisms inside gut of insects feeding on insect-resistant biotech crops.

Association between QTd, Tp-e/QT Ratio and In-hospital Prognosis in Thrombolysed Acute ST-elevation Myocardial Elevation (STEMI) Patients.

BACKGROUND: Both QTd and Tp-e/QT ratio have been linked to increased risk for arrhythmia and mortality. But Significance of QTd in STEMI Patients is not documented in all studies and Tp-e/QT ratio is a novel index which is understudied in these patients. Therefore, the present study is aimed to determine the short term, in-hospital prognostic value of QTd and Tp-e/QT ratio in thrombolysed STEMI patients. METHODS: This is a prospective, observational study that includes 321 patients. Relevant clinical data is collected. QTd and Tp-e/QT ratio (tangent method) is calculated from "at admission ECG" just before thrombolysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to determine the predictors of in-hospital outcomes. A p-value of >0.05 is considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of study population was 56.72 ± 11.36 with males:females ratio of 2.73:1. Mean value of QTd and Tp-e/QT ratio were 80.29 ±10.2 ms and 0.28 ± 0.05 respectively. The QTd and Tp-e/QT ratio are found to be independent predictors of in MACE, in addition to absence of beta-blocker therapy at admission, AWMI. Tp-e/QT ratio is independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in addition to reduced LVEF and AWMI. Analysis of the ROC curve demonstrated that the optimal cut-off value for in-hospital outcomes was a Tp-e/QT ratio of ≥0.30. CONCLUSION: Both QTd and Tp-e/QT ratio may serve as a prognostic predictors of in hospital MACE independently but only Tp-e/QT ratio predicts patients with in-hospital all cause mortality in thrombolysed STEMI patients.

A multicentre retrospective review of muscle necrosis of the leg following spinal surgery with motor evoked potential monitoring: a cause for concern?

PURPOSE: There are very few reported cases of compartment syndrome of the leg following spinal surgery via a posterior approach. An association between compartment syndrome and muscle over-activity via nerve stimulation during evoked potential monitoring was first suggested in 2003. No further reports have suggested this link. We present a multicentre retrospective review of a series of five patients who developed compartment syndrome of the leg following spinal surgery via a posterior approach, whilst un-paralysed and with combined sensory (SSEP)/motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring with an aim of highlighting this possible causative factor. METHODS: All data were collected contemporaneously and retrospective analysis was performed. We then arranged for a multidisciplinary review of the cases including surgeons, anaesthetists, radiologists, neurophysiologists and theatre and ward nursing staff. Finally, the literature was reviewed. RESULTS: All patients were operated on by three different surgeons, on different operating tables/mattresses in the prone position. The common factors were un-paralysed patients having motor/sensory monitoring, mechanical calf pumps and total intravenous anaesthesia. Three patients underwent surgical decompression of their compartments and two were treated expectantly. Three patients had confirmed intra-compartmental changes on MRI consistent with compartment syndrome and one had intra-compartmental pressure monitoring which confirmed the diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Previous cases in the literature have related to mal-positioning on the Jackson table or use of the knee-chest position for surgery. This was not the case for our patients; therefore, we suspect an association between overactive muscle stimulation and muscle necrosis. Further experimental studies investigating this link are required.

A retrospective analysis of patients treated for gestational trophoblastic diseases: a 4-year experience of a tertiary hospital.

AIM: To study incidence, clinical outcome, and follow-up data of the gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) in patients diagnosed in the present Department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included the authors' retrospective clinical records regarding the cases of GTD which were diagnosed and followed up between January 2011 and January 2015. Patients' age, gravidity and parity, obstetric history, subgroup of GTD, gestational weeks, management results, and pre-post treatment ß-hCG levels was investigated and an incidence study was constituted. RESULTS: Total of 56 GTD cases were hospitalized and clinical records of 16,840 normal spontaneous deliveries were evaluated during the study period. The incidence of GTD was 3.3/1,000 cases. After histopathological examination, nine of 47 cases were partial molar pregnancy, whereas 38 cases were complete moles. There were no choriocarcinoma and invasive moles. All cases were treated with vacuum curettage without complication. CONCLUSION: The GTD incidence in this clinic is high with a rate of 3.3/1,000 per pregnancy compared to Turkish literature. High birth rates of our population may play a role in high incidence results. Further investigation in this field is essential.

A randomised controlled study comparing valethamate bromide and placebo in shortening the duration of active labour.

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of valethamate bromide and placebo against placebo in shortening the duration of active labour. A prospective randomised trial of 158 low-risk women in spontaneous labour was conducted. After evaluation of the patients according to exclusion criteria 30 women were given valethamate bromide (Group 1) and 32 women were given placebo (Group 2). Labour duration was the main outcome measure. The duration of the active phase after starting the treatment was similar in the two groups at 225 and 219 min, respectively. However, differences were not significant between the 2 groups. Side effects such as tachycardia, flushing of the face and dryness of mouth were noted with valethamate bromide administration. In conclusion, valethamate bromide did not significantly shortened the duration of active labour in nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy at term.

Global insights into high temperature and drought stress regulated genes by RNA-Seq in economically important oilseed crop Brassica juncea.

BACKGROUND: Brassica juncea var. Varuna is an economically important oilseed crop of family Brassicaceae which is vulnerable to abiotic stresses at specific stages in its life cycle. Till date no attempts have been made to elucidate genome-wide changes in its transcriptome against high temperature or drought stress. To gain global insights into genes, transcription factors and kinases regulated by these stresses and to explore information on coding transcripts that are associated with traits of agronomic importance, we utilized a combinatorial approach of next generation sequencing and de-novo assembly to discover B. juncea transcriptome associated with high temperature and drought stresses. RESULTS: We constructed and sequenced three transcriptome libraries namely Brassica control (BC), Brassica high temperature stress (BHS) and Brassica drought stress (BDS). More than 180 million purity filtered reads were generated which were processed through quality parameters and high quality reads were assembled de-novo using SOAPdenovo assembler. A total of 77750 unique transcripts were identified out of which 69,245 (89%) were annotated with high confidence. We established a subset of 19110 transcripts, which were differentially regulated by either high temperature and/or drought stress. Furthermore, 886 and 2834 transcripts that code for transcription factors and kinases, respectively, were also identified. Many of these were responsive to high temperature, drought or both stresses. Maximum number of up-regulated transcription factors in high temperature and drought stress belonged to heat shock factors (HSFs) and dehydration responsive element-binding (DREB) families, respectively. We also identified 239 metabolic pathways, which were perturbed during high temperature and drought treatments. Analysis of gene ontologies associated with differentially regulated genes forecasted their involvement in diverse biological processes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides first comprehensive discovery of B. juncea transcriptome under high temperature and drought stress conditions. Transcriptome resource generated in this study will enhance our understanding on the molecular mechanisms involved in defining the response of B. juncea against two important abiotic stresses. Furthermore this information would benefit designing of efficient crop improvement strategies for tolerance against conditions of high temperature regimes and water scarcity.

Raman and Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry studies on quenched copper-ferri-aluminates.

Four spinel ferrite compositions of the CuAl(x)Fe(2-x)O4, x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, system prepared by usual double-sintering ceramic route and quenched (rapid thermal cooling) from final sintering temperature (1373 K) to liquid nitrogen temperature (80 K) were investigated by employing X-ray powder diffractometry, (57)Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, and micro-Raman spectroscopy at 300 K. The Raman spectra collected in the wavenumber range of 100-1000 cm(-1) were analyzed in a systematic manner and showed five predicted modes for the spinel structure and splitting of A1g Raman mode into two/three energy values, attributed to peaks belonging to each ion (Cu(2+), Fe(3+), and Al(3+)) in the tetrahedral positions. The suppression of lower-frequency peaks was explained on the basis of weakening in magnetic coupling and reduction in ferrimagnetic behavior as well as increase in stress induced by square bond formation on Al(3+) substitution. The enhancement in intensity, random variation of line width, and blue shift for highest frequency peak corresponding to A1g mode were observed. The ferric ion (Fe(3+)) concentration for different compositions determined from Raman spectral analysis agrees well with that deduced by means of X-ray diffraction line-intensity calculations and Mossbauer spectral analysis. An attempt was made to determine elastic and thermodynamic properties from Raman spectral analysis and elastic constants from cation distribution.

Serum human epididymis protein 4 can be a useful tumor marker in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses during pregnancy: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum concentrations of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) in healthy women and their pregnant counterparts to determine the influence of pregnancy on these biomarkers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum concentrations of CA 125 and HE4 were measured in 27 healthy non-pregnant women and 26 healthy pregnant women in the first and second trimesters. RESULTS: Higher concentration of CA 125 was found in pregnants than in non-pregnant women (p = 0.002). There was no difference in CA 125 concentrations between first and second trimesters (p = 0.13). Serum HE4 concentration was not different in pregnant group compared to non-pregnant women (p = 0.510). Likewise, no difference was found in HE4 levels between the trimesters (p = 0.485). There was a positive correlation between increasing parity and CA 125 (p = 0.023), but not HE4 (p = 1.0). CONCLUSION: HE4 serum biomarker is unaffected by pregnancy status and may be useful for evaluation of doubtful pelvic masses in pregnancy. Contrarily, increased serum levels of CA 125 could yield increased number of false-positive results.

A randomised controlled study comparing valethamate bromide and placebo in shortening the duration of active labour.

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of valethamate bromide and placebo against placebo in shortening the duration of active labour. A prospective randomised trial of 158 low-risk women in spontaneous labour was conducted. After evaluation of the patients according to exclusion criteria 30 women were given valethamate bromide (Group 1) and 32 women were given placebo (Group 2). Labour duration was the main outcome measure. The duration of the active phase after starting the treatment was similar in the two groups at 225 and 219 min, respectively. However, differences were not significant between the 2 groups. Side effects such as tachycardia, flushing of the face and dryness of mouth were noted with valethamate bromide administration. In conclusion, valethamate bromide did not significantly shortened the duration of active labour in nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy at term.

Optimization and production of pyrrolidone antimicrobial agent from marine sponge-associated Streptomyces sp. MAPS15.

Twenty-nine actinobacterial strains were isolated from marine sponge Spongia officinalis and screened for antagonistic activity against various bacterial and fungal pathogens. The active antibiotic producer MAPS15 was identified as Streptomyces sp. using 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis. The critical control factors were selected from Plackett-Burman (PB) factorial design and the bioprocess medium was optimized by central composite design (CCD) for the production of bioactive metabolite from Streptomyces sp. MAPS15. The maximum biomass and active compound production obtained with optimized medium was 6.13 g/L and 62.41 mg/L, respectively. The economical carbon source, paddy straw was applied for the enhanced production of bioactive compound. The purified active fraction was characterized and predicted as pyrrolidone derivative which showed broad spectrum of bioactivity towards indicator organisms. The predicted antimicrobial spectra suggested that the Streptomyces sp. MAPS15 can produce a suite of novel antimicrobial drugs.

Left ventricular non-compaction with viral myocarditis: a rare presentation of a rarer disease.

We report an unusual case of a 22-year-old male who was incidentally diagnosed with isolated noncompaction of the left ventricle (LV) when he was admitted with viral myocarditis. Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a congenital cardiomyopathy which presents with ventricular dysfunction, cardioembolic manifestations or with arrhythmias. A diagnosis can be made with the commonly available modality of echocardiography but is still often overlooked. There is no specific treatment directed at isolated noncompaction. Treatment is focused on the cause of presentation, with medication aimed at improving ventricular dysfunction, as well as treating and preventing thrombosis and arrhythmia. This is, we feel, the first case report of isolated LVNC presenting with viral myocarditis.