Comparing Stop Signal Reaction Times in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relative contributions of cerebral cortex and basal ganglia to movement stopping, we tested the optimum combination Stop Signal Reaction Time (ocSSRT) and median visual reaction time (RT) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) and compared values with data from healthy controls. METHODS: Thirty-five PD patients, 22 AD patients, and 29 healthy controls were recruited to this study. RT and ocSSRT were measured using a hand-held battery-operated electronic box through a stop signal paradigm. RESULT: The mean ocSSRT was found to be 309 ms, 368 ms, and 265 ms in AD, PD, and healthy controls, respectively, and significantly prolonged in PD compared to healthy controls (p = 0.001). The ocSSRT but not RT could separate AD from PD patients (p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that subcortical networks encompassing dopaminergic pathways in the basal ganglia play a more important role than cortical networks in movement-stopping. Combining ocSSRT with other putative indices or biomarkers of AD (and other dementias) could increase the accuracy of early diagnosis.

Synthesis and Characterization of Bis[(R or S)-N-1-(X-C6H4)ethyl-2-oxo-1-naphthaldiminato-κ2N,O]-Λ/Δ-cobalt(II) (X = H, p-CH3O, p-Br) with Symmetry- and Distance-Dependent Vibrational Circular Dichroism Enhancement and Sign Inversion.

The enantiopure Schiff bases (R or S)-N-1-(X-C6H4)ethyl-2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldimine {X = H [(R or S)-HL1], p-CH3O [(R or S)-HL2], and p-Br [(R- or S)-HL3]} react with cobalt(II) acetate to give bis[(R or S)-N-1-(X-C6H4)ethyl-2-oxo-1-naphthaldiminato-κ2N,O]-Λ/Δ-cobalt(II) {X = H [Λ/Δ-Co-(R or S)-L1], p-CH3O [Λ/Δ-Co-(R or S)-L2], and p-Br [Λ/Δ-Co-(R or S)-L3]} (1-3), respectively. Induced Λ and Δ chirality originates at the metal center of the C2-symmetric molecule in pseudotetrahedral geometry. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses explored the thermal stability of the complexes, which undergo reversible phase transformation from crystalline solid to isotropic liquid phase for 1 and 3 but irreversible phase transformation for 2. Like other cobalt(II) complexes, compounds 1-3 exhibit a continuous ensemble of absorption and circular dichroism bands, which span from the UV to IR region and can be collected into a superspectrum. Infrared vibrational circular dichroism (IR-VCD) spectra witness the coupling between Co2+-centered low-lying electronic states and ligand-centered vibrations. The coupling produces enhanced and almost monosignate VCD spectra, with both effects being mode-dependent in terms of the A or B symmetry (in the C2 point group) and distance from the Co2+ core.

Insight into citric acid-induced chromium detoxification in rice (Oryza sativa. L).

High content of chromium in plants hampers plants' metabolism, disrupts plant growth and development. Therefore, improving plants' tolerance to Cr toxicity is very essential. In our present study, we investigated the role of citric acid (CA) on chromium detoxification in terms of stress tolerance in rice. Application of CA under Cr stress restore the growth parameters, total protein content and membrane stability confirming that CA plays important role in Cr detoxification in rice. However, supplementation of CA under Cr stress caused no significant change in root Cr content but increased shoot Cr concentration (97 µg/g) compare with Cr stressed plant (24 µg/gm), suggesting that CA alleviates Cr toxicity by its chelating properties. Moreover, Fe content showed no significant changes due to CA supplementation under Cr stress, implying that Fe regulation is not involved with CA-mediated mitigation of Cr toxicity in rice. Furthermore, increased CAT, POD, and GR activity along with raised metabolites (glutathione and proline) indicates active participation in ROS scavenging and palliate the Cr toxicity in rice.

Broad-Range Spectral Analysis for Chiral Metal Coordination Compounds: (Chiro)optical Superspectrum of Cobalt(II) Complexes.

Chiroptical broad-range spectral analysis extending from UV to mid-IR was employed to study a family of Co(II) N-(1-(aryl)ethyl)salicylaldiminato Schiff base complexes with pseudotetrahedral geometry associated with chirality-at-metal of the Δ/Λ type. While common chiral organic compounds have well-separated absorption and circular dichroism spectra (CD) in the UV/vis and IR regions, chiral Co(II) complexes feature an almost unique continuum of absorption and CD bands, which cover in sequence the UV, visible, near-IR (NIR), and IR regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. They can be collected in a single (chiro)optical superspectrum ranging from the UV (230 nm, 5.4 eV) to the mid-IR (1000 cm-1, 0.12 eV), which offers a fingerprint of the structure and stereochemistry of the metal complexes. Each region of the superspectrum contributes to one piece of information: the NIR-CD region, in combination with TDDFT calculations, allows a reliable assignment of the metal-centered chirality; the UV-CD region facilitates the analysis of the Δ/Λ diastereomeric equilibrium in solution; and the IR-VCD region contains a combination of low-lying metal-centered electronic states (LLES) and ligand-centered vibrations and displays characteristically enhanced and monosignate VCD bands. Circular dichroism in the NIR and IR regions is crucial to reveal the presence of d-d transitions of the Co(II) core which, due to the electric-dipole forbidden character, would be otherwise overlooked in the corresponding absorption spectra.

Molecular analysis of amantadine-resistant influenza A (H1N1 pdm09) virus isolated from slum dwellers of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection associated with excessive hospitalizations and deaths throughout the world. Continuous antigenic shift and drift is not only responsible for this devastating effect of influenza but also causes ineffectiveness of antiviral drugs and vaccines. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of ribavirin, oseltamivir, and amantadine drugs in vitro against nine influenza A isolates collected during June 2012-August 2013 from different slums in Dhaka city. The effectiveness of these drugs was determined by measuring the inhibition of virus-induced cytopathic effect on MDCK cells through MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide). Our data showed that all nine influenza isolates (6 H1N1 pdm09 and 3 H3N2 subtypes) were completely susceptible to ribavirin (The 50% effective concentrations, EC50 3.0 µg/ml) and oseltamivir (EC50 0.35 µg/ml). When influenza A infection was challenged with amantadine drug, eight out of nine isolates (88%) demonstrated susceptibility to amantadine drug (EC50 0.30 µg/ml) while one H1N1 pdm09 isolate exhibited higher EC50 value (>10 µg/ml) beyond the cell tolerance level of drug (>5 µg/ml). Genetic analysis of transmembrane matrix protein 2 (M2), which is a target for the amantadine drug and vital for viral replication, showed a substitution of amino acid at position 31(S31 N) of that amantadine-resistant isolate indicating the possible reason of amantadine drug resistance.

Antimonene Quantum Dots: Synthesis and Application as Near-Infrared Photothermal Agents for Effective Cancer Therapy.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has shown significant potential for cancer therapy. However, developing nanomaterials (NMs)-based photothermal agents (PTAs) with satisfactory photothermal conversion efficacy (PTCE) and biocompatibility remains a key challenge. Herein, a new generation of PTAs based on two-dimensional (2D) antimonene quantum dots (AMQDs) was developed by a novel liquid exfoliation method. Surface modification of AMQDs with polyethylene glycol (PEG) significantly enhanced both biocompatibility and stability in physiological medium. The PEG-coated AMQDs showed a PTCE of 45.5 %, which is higher than many other NMs-based PTAs such as graphene, Au, MoS2 , and black phosphorus (BP). The AMQDs-based PTAs also exhibited a unique feature of NIR-induced rapid degradability. Through both in vitro and in vivo studies, the PEG-coated AMQDs demonstrated notable NIR-induced tumor ablation ability. This work is expected to expand the utility of 2D antimonene (AM) to biomedical applications through the development of an entirely novel PTA platform.

Synthesis, X-ray, and Spectroscopic Study of Dissymmetric Tetrahedral Zinc(II) Complexes from Chiral Schiff Base Naphthaldiminate Ligands with Apparent Exception to the ECD Exciton Chirality.

Bidentate enantiopure Schiff base ligands, (R or S)-N-1-(Ar)ethyl-2-oxo-1-naphthaldiminate (R- or S-N^O), diastereoselectively provide Λ- or Δ-chiral-at-metal four-coordinated Zn(R- or S-N^O)2 {Ar = C6H5; Zn-1R or Zn-1S and p-C6H4OMe; Zn-2R or Zn-2S}. Two R- or S-N^O-chelate ligands coordinate to the zinc(II) in a tetrahedral mode and induce Λ- or Δ-configuration at the zinc metal center. In the solid state, the R- or S-ligand diastereoselectively gives Λ- or Δ-Zn configuration, respectively, and forms enantiopure crystals. Single crystal structure determinations show two symmetry-independent molecules (A and B) in each asymmetric unit to give Z' = 2 structures. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra show the expected mirror image relationship resulting from diastereomeric excess toward the Λ-Zn for R-ligands and Δ-Zn for S-ligands in solution. ECD spectra are well reproduced by TDDFT calculations, while the application of the exciton chirality method, in the common point-dipole approximation, predicts the wrong sign for the long-wavelength couplet. A dynamic diastereomeric equilibrium (Λ vs Δ) prevails for both R- and S-ligand-metal complexes in solution, respectively, evidenced by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Variable temperature (1)H NMR spectra show a temperature-dependent shift of the diastereomeric equilibrium and confirm Δ-Zn configuration (for S-ligand) to be the most stable one and favored at low temperature. DSC analyses provide quantitative diastereomeric excess in the solid state for Zn-2R and Zn-2S, which is comparable to the results of solution studies.

ANTIGENIC AND GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF INFLUENZA B VIRUSES IN 2012 FROM SLUMS, DHAKA, BANGLADESH.

Nasal and throat swab samples were collected from 400 subjects with influenza-like illness during June to September, 2012 from two heavily crowded slums, Rayerbazar and Hazaribagh, situated southeast of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Forty-one samples were positive for influenza B virus using quantitative RT-PCR, but no influenza A virus was detected. Antigenic characterization revealed that the influenza B viruses were of Yamagata and Victoria lineages, which was confirmed from genetic analysis of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes. Co-circulation of influenza B viruses of both Yamagata and Victoria lineages in the slums of Dhaka indicates that introduction of a tetravalent vaccine formulation that includes both of these influenza B virus lineages would be more effective in this population.

Targeted gene delivery via N-acetylglucosamine receptor mediated endocytosis.

Receptor-mediated endocytosis is a promising approach of gene delivery into the target cells via receptor-ligand interaction. Vimentins at the cell surface are recently known to bind N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue, therefore, the cell surfaces of vimentin-expressing cells could be targeted by using the GlcNAc residue as a specific ligand for receptor-mediated gene delivery. Here, we have developed polymeric gene delivery vectors, based on poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO) and poly(aspartamide), namely poly[(aspartamide)(diethylenetriamine)]-b-[PEO-(GlcNAc)] (PADPG) and poly[(aspartamide)(diethylenetriamine)]-b-[PEO] (PADP) to elucidate the efficiency of GlcNAc ligand for gene delivery through receptor mediated endocytosis. To determine the efficiency of these polymeric vectors for specific gene delivery, the DNA condensation ability of PADPG and PADP and the subsequent formation of polymeric nanoparticles were confirmed by gel retardation assay and transmission electron microscopy respectively. Both PADPG and PADP had lower cytotoxicity than polyethylenimine 25 K (PEI 25 K). However, their transfection efficiency was comparatively lower than PEI 25 K due to hydrophilic property of PEO in the vectors. To observe the stability of polymeric nanoparticles, the transfection of PADPG and PADP was carried out in the presence of serum. Favorably, the interfering effect of serum on the transfection efficiency of PADPG and PADP was also very low. Finally, when the cell specificity of these polymeric vectors was investigated, PADPG had high gene transfection in vimentin-expressing cells than vimentin-deficiency cells. The high transfection efficiency of PADPG was attributed to the GlcNAc in the polymeric vector which interact specifically with vimentin in the cells for the receptor-mediated endocytosis. The competitive inhibition assay further proved the receptor-mediated endocytosis of PADPG. Thus, this study demonstrates that conjugation of GlcNAc is an effective and rational way to prepare a suitable vector for targeted gene delivery to vimentin-expressing cells.

Identification of B and T Cell Epitopes to Design an Epitope-Based Peptide Vaccine against the Cell Surface Binding Protein of Monkeypox Virus: An Immunoinformatics Study.

Background: Although the monkeypox virus-associated illness was previously confined to Africa, recently, it has started to spread across the globe and become a significant threat to human lives. Hence, this study was designed to identify the B and T cell epitopes and develop an epitope-based peptide vaccine against this virus's cell surface binding protein through an in silico approach to combat monkeypox-associated diseases. Results: The analysis revealed that the cell surface binding protein of the monkeypox virus contains 30 B cell and 19 T cell epitopes within the given parameter. Among the T cell epitopes, epitope "ILFLMSQRY" was found to be one of the most potential peptide vaccine candidates. The docking analysis revealed an excellent binding affinity of this epitope with the human receptor HLA-B∗15:01 with a very low binding energy (-7.5 kcal/mol). Conclusion: The outcome of this research will aid the development of a T cell epitope-based peptide vaccine, and the discovered B and T cell epitopes will facilitate the creation of other epitope and multi-epitope-based vaccines in the future. This research will also serve as a basis for further in vitro and in vivo analysis to develop a vaccine that is effective against the monkeypox virus.

Associations of physical activity levels, and attitudes towards physical activity with blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is important for the control of high blood pressure (hypertension). We aimed to investigate the associations of current physical activity levels, sedentary time, knowledge of and attitude towards physical activity with blood pressure in people with hypertension in a rural area in Bangladesh. METHODS: A total of 307 adults aged 30 to 75 years with hypertension were recruited from the Banshgram Union of Narial district as part of a cluster-randomized control trial. Current blood pressure was measured as the outcome variable. Associated variables included physical activity at work, travel to and from places, recreational activity, metabolic equivalent task (MET)-min, sedentary time, and awareness of and attitudes towards physical activity. Rasch analysis was used to compute a combined score from the five awareness of and attitudes towards physical activity items and categorized into 0-40 (towards negative attitude), 41-60 score (mixed attitude) and 61-100 (positive attitude). We used a generalised linear model to analyze the data. RESULTS: Participants (n = 68, 22.1%) who engaged in vigorous-intensity physical activity that causes large increases in breathing or heart rate like carrying or lifting heavy loads, digging or construction work for at least 10 minutes continuously had lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) (mean (95% confidence interval (CI)), 143.6 (140.1, 147.2)) compared to those who did not take part in a vigorous-intensity physical activity (mean (95% CI), 150 (147.6, 152.3)). MET-min less than 600 min/week was significantly associated with higher SBP 153.8 (148.1, 159.6) than MET-min 600-2999 min/week 148.0 (143.0, 152.9) and MET-min>3000 min/week 146.9 (144.5, 149.3), p = 0.001 for trend. Sitting time more than four hours a day was associated with higher DBP 91.4 (89.7, 93.0) compared to those who had sitting time less than fours a day 88.6 (87.1, 90.1). People with positive attitudes were associated with a reduced SBP of 10.6 (0.36, 20.8) mmHg and DBP 5.88 (0.47, 11.3) compared to the people who had a negative attitude towards taking part in physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Participating in high physical activity and positive attitudes towards physical activity were associated with lower blood pressure levels. Physical activity awareness programs should be implemented to increase awareness of health benefits and increase participation in high physical activity.

Molecular Epidemiology of HCV RNA Genotype-3 in Dhaka City, Bangladesh.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a causative agent that causes chronic liver diseases worldwide. It is a little, enclosed, single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus. The recognition of the pathogenic HCV genotype is critical for the remedy of its sufferers. The aim of this study was to identify the HCV RNA genotype to decide the correct treatment of hepatitis C positive sufferers in Bangladesh. Blood samples were collected from 390 individuals and isolated RNA (60 µg) from blood plasma. Extracted RNA was used for quantitative HCV RNA, and complementary DNA (cDNA) was prepared by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conducted by reverse transcriptase enzyme. This cDNA amplified in multiplex by RT-PCR, which was performed with specific set of primers. The HCV RNA genotype was detected 297 of 390 patients. Of the 390 test samples, 200 (51.28%) samples were from males and 190 (48.71%) were from females, with age ranging from 5 to 78 years. In all, 166 of 200 male samples and 131/190 female samples were found positive for HCV. Of these 390 participants included in the study, 213 (54.61%) were identified as genotype 3 positive, 78 (20%) as genotype 1 positive, 6 (1.53%) as genotype 6 positive, and the remaining 93 (23.85%) samples were unclassified due to low/undetected viral load. In this study, we detected the highest percentage (30.89%) of genotype 3 HCV in patients aged 51 to 60 years. The results suggested that genotype 3 HCV is frequently present in Bangladesh and it is usually responses better to interferon therapy. However, genotype 1 and 6 HCV have also been found circulating in this country, which demands longer treatments and effective control measures.

Quail Rearing Practices and Potential for Avian Influenza Virus Transmission, Bangladesh.

In 2015, human influenza surveillance identified a human infection with A/H9N2 in Dhaka, Bangladesh with evidence of exposure to a sick quail. We conducted in-depth interviews with household quail caregivers, pet bird retail shop owners, and mobile vendors, key informant interviews with pet bird wholesale shop owners, one group discussion with pet bird retail shop workers and unstructured observations in households, pet bird wholesale and retail markets, and mobile bird vendor's travelling areas to explore quail rearing and selling practices among households, mobile vendors, and retail pet bird and wholesale bird markets in Dhaka. Every day, quail were supplied from 23 districts to two wholesale markets, and then sold to households and restaurants directly, or through bird shops and mobile vendors. All respondents (67) reported keeping quail with other birds in cages, feeding quail, cleaning feeding pots, removing quail faeces, slaughtering sick quail, and discarding dead quail. Children played with quail and assisted in slaughtering of quail. Most respondents (94%) reported rinsing hands with water only after slaughtering and disposing of wastes and dead quail. No personal protective equipment was used during any activities. Frequent unprotected contact with quail and their by-products potentially increased the risk of cross-species avian influenza virus transmission. Avian influenza surveillance in retail pet bird and wholesale bird markets, mobile vendors, and households may identify cases promptly and reduce the risk of virus transmission.

Health-related quality of life among thalassemia patients in Bangladesh using the SF-36 questionnaire.

Thalassemia is one of the most common autosomal recessive hereditary blood disorders worldwide, especially in developing countries, including Bangladesh. Thus, this study aimed to determine HRQoL and its determinants of thalassemia patients (TP) in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was performed on 356 randomly selected thalassemia patients. Participants were invited to face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages), independent t-test, ANOVA, and multivariate (linear and logistic regression) analysis was performed to analyze the data. Our demographic data showed that among 356 patients, 54% and 46% were male and female, respectively, with an average age of 19.75 (SD = 8.02) years. Most were transfusion-dependent (91%), 26% had comorbidities, and 52% were from low-income families. In the case of HRQoL, male patients showed significantly higher scores of bodily pains and physical health summaries than female patients. Lower income, high blood transfusion status, disease severity, comorbidities, and medical expenses (p < 0.05; CI 95%) are significantly associated with lower SF-36 scores. This study found an association between lower income, blood transfusion, disease severity, comorbidities, as well as medical expenses, and the deterioration of HRQoL among TP. Male patients experienced poorer HRQoL than females. National action plans are required to guarantee the holistic welfare of thalassemia patients.

Draft genome sequence of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli MAHK_SCM_BAU_30A strain isolated from a subclinical mastitis cow in Bangladesh.

This study announces the sequence of a multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli MAHK_SCM_BAU_30A strain isolated from bovine subclinical mastitis milk in 2022 in Bangladesh. Our assembled genome had a length of 4,884,948 bp, three plasmids, two CRISPR arrays, five prophages, 51 predicted antibiotic resistance, and 72 predicted virulence factor genes.

Age-related changes in phagocytic activity and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by lipopolysaccharide stimulated porcine alveolar macrophages.

The aim of the present study was to determine the age-related changes of phagocytic capacity and the kinetic production of cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated porcine alveolar macrophages. For this purpose, AMs were isolated from 5 (newborn), 40 (post-weaned) and 120 (young) day old pigs. Results of phagocytosis assay showed that AMs from newborn piglets had less phagocytic capacity than those of young pigs (P<0.05). For the kinetics study, cells and supernatant were collected at 1, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after LPS stimulation for quantification of cytokine mRNA and protein by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. The kinetics results showed that AMs from newborn piglets were significantly less capable of producing IL1ß, IL6, IL12ß, TNFα and IL8 than post-weaned piglets or young pigs. IL18 mRNA did not show significant differences between ages. MIP2 and MCP1 mRNA was higher in young pigs. Hence, higher production of cytokines by AMs may be the surfactant factors in the pulmonary host defense system. These results indicate that AMs from newborn piglets might be functionally immature, which may lead to increased susceptibility to lung infections. Future studies of cytokine kinetics in more animals are clearly needed to confirm these results across a wider age range.

High gene transfer by the osmotic polysorbitol-mediated transporter through the selective caveolae endocytic pathway.

Cationic polymers have been the subject of intense research as nonviral gene delivery systems due to several advantages in comparison with viral vectors. However, the nonsimultaneous combination of high transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity of nonviral vectors for gene delivery has long been an issue for scientists looking into ways to deliver genes into cells. Toward this goal, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated a safe and accelerated gene transfer system through polysorbitol-mediated transporter (PSMT) based on sorbitol diacrylate (SDA) and low molecular weight polyethylenimine (LMW PEI). The PSMT formed stable complexes with plasmid DNA in serum. The nano sizes and spherical shapes of PSMT/DNA complexes are not toxic, even at a high concentration of PSMT. The higher transfection efficiency of PSMT compared to PEI 25K was observed both in vitro, despite the existence of many hydroxyl groups, and in vivo. These improvements presumably stem from the osmotic property of polysorbitol and endosomal buffer capacity of PEI in PSMT. Most importantly, we confirmed that the selective cavaeolae endocytic pathway played a role in high transfection efficiency by osmotic PSMT-mediated gene delivery. We propose that PSMT is a promising nonviral carrier for the effective gene delivery to cancer cells via synergistic effects derived from rapid cellular uptake through the caveolae endocytic pathway and a high endosomal buffering capacity.

Effect of microencapsulation of Lactobacillus salivarus 29 into alginate/chitosan/alginate microcapsules on viability and cytokine induction.

Harsh gastric condition causes low bioavailability of probiotics when supplied orally. Polymeric encapsulation has successfully protected bacteria from harsh gastric condition and ultimately increased persistency and multiplication at the targeted region. In this study, we encapsulated LS29 into ACA microcapsules and characterized them. The survivability and release of LS29 from LS29-loaded ACA microcapsules in SGF and SIF were studied. Encapsulation efficiency of LS29 in ACA microcapsules was 99.9%. Approximately 70% of bacteria survived at pH 2 by 120 min after encapsulation. Although not much difference of the survivability of LS29 encapsulated into ACA and FDACA was observed, freeze-drying improved the controlled-release of LS29 in SIF and also showed better storage survivability at 4°C for 8 weeks. Furthermore, investigation of in vitro production of cytokines in RAW264.7 showed high level of induction of TNF-α and IL-10. These in vitro results support that the LS29 might have a balanced immunomodulatory effect.

Identification of a novel variant of hepatitis B virus isolated from patient co-infected with hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major public health concern worldwide. Co-infection of hepatitis B patients with other pathogens intensifies the severity of the disease. We report a novel variant of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Bangladesh isolated from a patient co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who exhibited liver cirrhosis. From 150 collected plasma samples, we sequenced HBV complete genome from one HBV-HCV co-infected patient. The complete genome was analysed using bioinformatics tools, NCBI BLAST, Geno2Pheno, and SnapGene software. The strain belongs to genotype A and subgenotype A1. Upon analysing the complete genome of this strain, we found a frameshift deletion of 54 nucleotides at the pre-S2 region, a functional regulator of HBV surface protein. Furthermore, we observed a Y126H mutation in the polymerase protein of this strain. This is the first report with such an unusual pre-S deletion event of the HBV genome in an HCV-co-infected patient associated with liver cirrhosis. These findings may inform scientists about genomic modifications in the HBV genome associated with HCV co-infection.

Mucoadhesive and pH-sensitive thiolated Eudragit microspheres for oral delivery of Pasteurella multocida antigens containing dermonecrotoxin.

In this study, cysteine was conjugated to the Eudragit to have mucoadhesive and pH-sensitive properties. Pasteurella multocida dermonecrotoxin (PMT) is a major virulence factor as a causative agent of atrophic rhinitis (AR) in swine and, therefore, inactivated P. multocida was used as a candidate vaccine in the current study. PMT-loaded thiolated Eudragit microspheres (TEMS) prepared using W/O/W emulsion-solvent evaporation method were characterized to assess their efficacy in oral vaccination. PMT-loaded TEMS were observed as spherical shapes with smooth surfaces and average particle sizes were 5.2 +/- 0.55 microm. The loading efficiency of PMT in the TEMS was about 75.3%. A significantly higher percentage of PMT from PMT-loaded TEMS was released at pH 7.4 than at pH 1.5. Murine macrophage stimulated with PMT-loaded TEMS facilitated a gradual secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide as immune stimulatory mediators in a time dependent manner, suggesting that the released PMT from PMT-loaded TEMS had immune stimulating activity of AR vaccine in vitro.