Tetrahydropyridine appended 8-aminoquinoline derivatives: Design, synthesis, in silico, and in vitro antimalarial studies.

Antimalarial drug resistance is a major obstacle in the ongoing quest against malaria. The disease affects half of the world's population. The majority of them are toddlers and pregnant women. Needed a potent compound to act on drug-resistant Pf at appropriate concentrations without endangering the host. Envisaged solving this issue through rational drug design by creating a novel hybrid drug possessing two pharmacophores that can act on two marvellous and independent aims within the cell. Synthesized a new series of substituted 4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (THP) 8-Aminoquinoline-based hybrid analogs which have been integrated with quinoline, chloroquine, pamaquine, and primaquine, which exhibited antimalarial activity against Pf. Out of thirteen 4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-THP appended 8-Aminoquinoline derivatives, the compounds 1j, 1e, 1b, and 1l have exhibited good antimalarial activity against chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (RKL-9) strain with the minimum inhibitory concentration. Compound 1b was the most effective and showed consistently good potency against the drug-resistant (RKL-9) strain, although all other arrays showed good antimalarial efficacy. Additional docking and molecular dynamics studies were carried out at several targeting sites to quantify the structural parameters necessary for the activity.

Cryopreservation and assessment of genetic fidelity Acorus calamus Linn., an endangered medicinal plant.

BACKGROUND: Acorus calamus Linn. is a medicinally valuable monocot plant belonging to the family Acoraceae. Over-exploitation and unscientific approach towards harvesting to fulfill an ever-increasing demand have placed it in the endangered list of species. OBJECTIVE: To develop vitrification-based cryopreservation protocols for A. calamus shoot tips, using conventional vitrification and V cryo-plate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Shoot tips (2 mm in size) were cryopreserved with the above techniques by optimizing various parameters such as preculture duration, sucrose concentration in the preculture medium, and PVS2 dehydration time. Regenerated plantlets obtained post-cryopreservation were evaluated by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to test their genetic fidelity. RESULTS: The highest regrowth of 88.3% after PVS2 exposure of 60 min was achieved with V cryo-plate as compared to 75% after 90 min of PVS2 exposure using conventional vitrification. After cryopreservation, shoot tips developed into complete plantlets in 28 days on regrowth medium (0.5 mg/L BAP, 0.3 mg/L GA3, and 0.3 mg/L ascorbic acid). RAPD analysis revealed 100% monomorphism in all cryo-storage derived regenerants and in vitro donor (120-days-old) plants. CONCLUSION: Shoot tips of A. calamus that were cryopreserved had 88.3% regrowth using V cryo-plate technique and the regerants retained genetic fidelity. https://doi.org/10.54680/fr24210110412.

Identification of potential inhibitors of Zika virus targeting NS3 helicase using molecular dynamics simulations and DFT studies.

Despite the various research efforts towards the drug discovery program for Zika virus treatment, no antiviral drugs or vaccines have yet been discovered. The spread of the mosquito vector and ZIKV infection exposure is expected to accelerate globally due to continuing global travel. The NS3-Hel is a non-structural protein part and involved in different functions such as polyprotein processing, genome replication, etc. It makes an NS3-Hel protein an attractive target for designing novel drugs for ZIKV treatment. This investigation identifies the novel, potent ZIKV inhibitors by virtual screening and elucidates the binding pattern using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies. The molecular dynamics simulation results indicate dynamic stability between protein and ligand complexes, and the structures keep significantly unchanged at the binding site during the simulation period. All inhibitors found within the acceptable range having drug-likeness properties. The synthetic feasibility score suggests that all screened inhibitors can be easily synthesizable. Therefore, possible inhibitors obtained from this study can be considered a potential inhibitor for NS3 Hel, and further, it could be provided as a lead for drug development.

Mental Health Problems and Social Media Exposure during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adult Population of Nepal.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant global health crisis that poses a threat to a person's psychological well-being. A very large number of people got exposed to social network sites during this period which can be hazardous and cause psychological difficulties. There is no prior research or limited studies in this area during emergencies in Nepal. Objective To assess the mental health issues and examine their relationship with social media exposure in adults. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by using a validated scale of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAAS-21) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) among 18 years above adult population. Data were collected through an online survey. Descriptive statistics was used to describe sociodemographic data. Binary logistic regression analysis were performed to examine the relationship between psychological problems and social media exposure. Result Out of 422 participants, the overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia among the study population were 32%, 28.4%, 24.5%, and 47% respectively. Additionally, 86.5% of individuals said they were frequently exposed to social media. Age, ethnicity, gender, past health problems, and health status were significantly associated with psychological problems. Further, social media exposure was associated with gender and marital status. There was no evidence of an association of psychological problems with social media exposure. Conclusion Depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia are common mental health problems found in the adult population during the time of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic and highly affected were under 25 years age. Female and unmarried adults are using more social media.

Fibrinogen as a Predictor of Early Neurological Deterioration and Poor Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

There has been more than a 100 per cent increase in stroke incidence in India from 1970 - 2008. Early Neurological Deterioration (END) is associated with an increased risk of disability and mortality in ischemic stroke patients and approximately 32% of ischemic stroke patients experience END. Although various factors have been identified to predict the occurrence of END in ischemic stroke such as age, gender, diabetes, initial stroke severity, stroke subtype and radiological parameters, similar data for the Indian population is lacking. Fibrinogen is a mediator in the development of coronary artery thrombi and future cardiac events and has been reported to be independently associated with a poor functional outcome. MATERIAL: We enrolled 141 patients with acute ischemic stroke from a single centre. END was defined as a total National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score deterioration by 2 or more points within the first week. Patients with a Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) score of 3 or more at discharge, or a stroke recurrence event during hospital stay were said to have a poor outcome. We performed univariate analysis in the total population to develop a logistic regression model to assess potential factors associated with END and poor outcome. OBSERVATION: Fibrinogen levels were higher in the END group than the non - END group (464.57 ± 121.05 vs. 305.0 ± 123.28, p <0.001) and was an independent predictor for END in the logistic regression model (odds ratio 1.011, p <0.001). Increasing age and a higher NIHSS score at admission were other risk factors for developing END. Fibrinogen was also independently associated with poor outcome (odds ratio 1.004, p = 0.038) along with initial NIHSS score and fasting blood sugar level. CONCLUSION: Fibrinogen levels at stroke onset is independently associated with END and a worse hospital outcome in an Indian population subset with ischemic stroke. Routine plasma fibrinogen assays may help clinicians in stratifying patients into a high-risk group, who may require more potent antiplatelet therapy or use of fibrin-depleting agents.

Particle composition and morphology over urban environment (New Delhi): Plausible effects on wheat leaves.

Particulate matter (PM) deposition on leaves adversely affects physical, chemical and biological nature of agricultural crops resulting in their loss of productivity and yield. Wheat being a staple food in major parts of Northern India and around the World, has been selected for research purpose by designing a study to explore the probable effects of PM deposition on wheat leaves and wheat crops to ensure the food security. PM5 (Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <5 µm) and Dry Deposited Particulate Matter (DDPM) on wheat leaves (Leaf_DDPM) were collected from the wheat crop field in Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi for growing and harvesting season of wheat crops (i.e. December 2014 to April 2015). The EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy) analysis was used for this study and the individual particle analysis revealed the presence of both acidic and alkaline components like C, Al, Si, Fe, Ca, K, S and Mg. The offline characterization tool i.e. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) was utilized for obtaining the micrographs which clearly showed the presence of some angular, sharp-edged and spherical particles consisting of both smooth and rough texture. Apart from that, prevalence of slightly non-spherical particles with aspect ratio of range (>1.20-1.40) and CIR (>0.70-0.80) for both PM5 and leaf_DDPM were observed. The size distribution of individual particles for both PM5(#194 particles) and Leaf_DDPM(#657 particles) revealed that Surface Equivalent Radius (SER) and Volume Equivalent Radius (VER) of particles observed to be 0.40-0.80 µm while surface area to be 0-1 µm2. These particles may easily block stomatal openings (with typical diameter range: 42-51 µm) of wheat leaves and damage internal leaf tissues while particle VER determines the interaction of incoming solar radiation with leaf surfaces. Average PM5 concentrations ± Standard deviations (µg/m3) were reported to be 231.05 ± 113.03. The XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) spectrometer analysis of bulk PM5 revealed the concentrations of non-carbonaceous elements (µg/m3) as N (67.34 ± 16.09), Si (27.44 ± 11.01), Al (7.79 ± 3.37), S (3.88 ± 2.24), Na (2.29 ± 0.94), Mg (1.65 ± 0.62), K (0.51 ± 0.26), Ca (0.60 ± 0.26), Fe (0.54 ± 0.26), Cr (1.10 ± 0.70), Zn (0.05 ± 0.03), P (0.10 ± 0.03), Cu (0.07 ± 0.06). The dominant elemental oxides were calculated as SiO2, Al2O3, SO42-, Na2O, MgO, K2O, CaO, Fe2O3, Cr2O3, ZnO, P2O5, Cu2O with variable concentrations. In high humid conditions, with relative humidity (~85%) during the vegetative and flowering growth stages of wheat crops, presence of C and S rich acidic and hygroscopic particles may cause the corrosion of wheat leaves that ultimately affect the wheat crops.

Relationship between endometritis and oxidative stress in the follicular fluid and luteal function in the buffalo.

In this study, alteration in the follicular fluid composition and luteal function was investigated in the buffalo with endometritis. Genitalia were classified into cytological and purulent endometritis on the basis of polymorphonuclear cell cut off while non-endometritis served as control (n = 10/group). In the follicular phase, the number of surface follicles was counted, diameter of the largest follicle was measured and the follicular fluid was assayed for total protein, cholesterol, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oestradiol (E2 ) and progesterone (P4 ). The P4 content of corpus luteum during mid-luteal phase was estimated by radioimmunoassay. Ovaries from the follicular phase of oestrous cycle showed no significant difference in the total number of surface follicles, size of the largest follicle and volume of follicular fluid in the buffaloes with and without endometritis (p > .05). However, the antral fluid of the largest follicle from the genitalia of buffalo with cytological and purulent endometritis showed a significant decrease in the concentration of total protein, cholesterol, TAC and E2 and a significant increase in the concentration of MDA and P4 (p < .05). The results indicated that there is an association between endometritis and decreased ovarian function.

Unveiling the optimal parameters for cellulolytic characteristics of Talaromyces verruculosus SGMNPf3 and its secretory enzymes.

AIMS: Elucidation of different physico-chemical parameters and the secretory enzymes released by Talaromyces verruculosus SGMNPf3 during cellulosic biomass degradation. METHODS AND RESULTS: We determined the optimal pH, temperature and time course parameters for the efficient degradation of different natural and commercial cellulosic substrates by T. verruculosus SGMNPf3, previously isolated from a forest soil. The optimal growth of the fungus and production of its cellulases were obtained when the culture condition was maintained at pH 3·3 and temperature 30°C. Activity of the crude cellulases was maximum at 60°C. Activity of cellulase enzymes produced on natural cellulose substrates was higher than that on commercial cellulose substrates. A continuous increase in cellulase activity at different time points indicated no apparent end product inhibition. This might be attributed to the high individual cellulases, notably ß-glucosidase (316·1 µmol g(-1) ) production. Zymogram of extracellular crude proteins showed two dominant extracellular protein bands of molecular weight 72·3 and 61·4 kDa, indicating their cellulolytic nature. MALDI-TOF and LC-MS/MS analysis of the 2DE spots also identified several enzymes including ß-glucosidase involved in the process of cellulose degradation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on its optimal parameters for cellulolytic activities, we suggest that the fungus is acido-mesophilic. There was apparently no end-product inhibition of the cellulase activity and this is attributed to the ability of the fungus to produce sufficient ß-glucosidase. The dominant proteins secreted by the fungus were confirmed to be cellulases. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The high individual cellulase activities, better cellulase production on natural substrates and apparent absence of end-product inhibition are characteristics of T. verruculosus SGMNPf3 for use in harvesting naturally endowed energy in cellulosic biomass.

Multidrug-resistant endemic clonal strain of Candida auris in India.

Candida auris is a recently described rare agent of fungemia. It is notable for its antifungal resistance. A total of 15 C. auris isolates, originating from seven cases of fungemia, three cases of diabetic gangrenous foot, and one case of bronchopneumonia from a tertiary care hospital in south India, were investigated. All of the 15 isolates were identified by sequencing and 14 of these along with 12 C. auris isolates previously reported from two hospitals in Delhi, north India, two each from Japan and Korea were genotyped by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) was done by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution method. Candida auris isolates were misidentified as Candida haemulonii by VITEK. All were resistant to fluconazole [geometric mean minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 64 µg/ml] and 11 isolates were resistant to voriconazole (MIC ≥1 µg/ml). Forty-seven percent of the C. auris isolates were resistant to flucytosine (MIC ≥64 µg/ml) and 40% had high MIC (≥1 µg/ml) of caspofungin. Breakthrough fungemia developed in 28.6% of patients and therapeutic failure in 4 (66.7%) patients. Interestingly, the 26 Indian C. auris isolates from north and south India were clonal and phenotypically and genotypically distinct from Korean and Japanese isolates. The present study demonstrates that C. auris is a potential emerging pathogen that can cause a wide spectrum of human mycotic infections. The prevalence of a C. auris endemic clonal strain resistant to azoles and other antifungals in Indian hospitals with high rates of therapeutic failure in cases of fungemia is worrisome.

Preliminary analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in air particles (PM10) in Amritsar, India: sources, apportionment, and possible risk implications to humans.

Preliminary analysis was performed to assess human health risks of exposure to 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by way of inhalation by children and adults living in urban area of Amritsar, Punjab, India. In particular, the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) 16 priority PAH compounds were analyzed in air particulate matter (PM10) from different geographical locations by high-volume air sampler. Sum concentrations of PAHs (37-274 ng m(-3)) were comparable with those of other cities in India as well many cities on a global scale. Pyrene, naphthalene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, fluoranthene, fluorene, and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene accounted for >80% of ∑16PAH concentrations. Furthermore, the contribution of seven carcinogenic PAHs accounted for 12% of ∑16PAHs. The estimated carcinogenicity of PAHs in terms of benzo(a)pyrene toxic equivalency (BaPTEQ) was assessed and confirmed that dibenzo(a,h)anthracene was the dominant PAH contributor (88.7%) followed by benzo(a)pyrene (6.67%). Homolog pattern and diagnostic ratios of PAHs suggested that mixed pyrogenic sources--including biomass burning, coal combustion, and petrogenic sources, such as vehicular emissions--are dominant PAH sources in Amritsar. Health risk of adults and children by way of PAHs was assessed by estimating the lifetime average daily dose (LADD) and corresponding incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) using USEPA guidelines. The assessed cancer risk (ILCR) was found to be within the acceptable range (10(-6)-10(-4)).

Annual variation in flowering phenology, pollination, mating system, and pollen yield in two natural populations of Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth.

BACKGROUND: Schima wallichii is a highly valuable tree of tropical forest in north-east Himalaya region that grows naturally in a wide range of altitudes between 750 and 2400 m asl with varying environments. Flowering phenology of tropical tree species at population level is generally ignored and therefore a detailed knowledge of flowering and fruiting patterns of important multipurpose tree species is critical to the successful management of forest genetic resources. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at two different altitudes (i.e., 750 m and 900 m asl) in the tropical semideciduous forest of north-east Himalaya. The floral phenology including flowering synchrony in the populations, anthesis, anther dehiscence, stigma receptivity, pollinators visitation frequency, and mating system including index of self-incompatibility were worked out in Schima wallichii according to the ear-marked standard methods given by various scientists for each parameter. RESULTS: The flowering period in Schima wallichii varied from 33 to 42 days with mean synchrony of 0.54 to 0.68 between the populations. The stigma was receptive up to 2.5 days only and showed slightly protandrous type of dichogamy. Average pollen production ranged between 6.90 × 10(7) pollen per tree in 2007 and 15.49 × 10(8) pollen per tree in 2011. A three-year masting cycle was noticed in this species. The frequency of visitation of honey bees was fairly high (5.2 ± 1.12 visits/flower/hour) as compared to other pollinators. The hand pollination revealed maximum fruit (74.2 ± 5.72%) and seed (70.8 ± 7.46%) settings. CONCLUSIONS: The variation in flowering phenology and pollen yield individually and annually along with temporal separation in anther dehiscence and pollinator's visitation cause pollen limited reproduction, which ultimately influences the reproductive success in Schima wallichii.

Reduction of Salmonella in skinless chicken breast fillets by lauric arginate surface application.

Lauric arginate (LAE) has been found to be effective against various foodborne pathogens. In this study, the antimicrobial efficacy of LAE against Salmonella and mesophilic organisms was evaluated in fresh, skinless, boneless, uncooked chicken breast fillets. The effect of LAE treatments on pH and color of breast fillets was also assessed. Chicken breast fillets were inoculated with a 4-strain Salmonella cocktail (Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 4931, Salmonella Heidelberg ATCC 8326, Salmonella Kentucky ATCC 9263, and Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028) and then treated with sterile dionized water (positive control) and 200 ppm and 400 ppm of LAE. The chicken breast fillets were stored at 4 ± 1°C and analyzed on d 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 for Salmonella, total aerobes, color, and pH. The fillets destined for color analysis were not inoculated with Salmonella cocktail and stored under conditions simulating the retail display. The fillets treated with 400 ppm LAE had lower (P < 0.05) Salmonella counts compared with the positive control from d 0 through d 7 of storage except on d 3, when no effect of LAE was observed. Treating fillets with 200 ppm of LAE caused a significant reduction in Salmonella counts (P < 0.1) on d 0, 1, and 7. Reductions in Salmonella spp. were 0.7 log cfu/g and 0.7 to 1.0 log cfu/g for 200 and 400 ppm treatments, respectively. Lauric arginate did not exhibit any treatment effect on the growth of mesophilic microorganisms, pH, and color of chicken breast fillets (P > 0.05) when applied at 200 and 400 ppm concentrations. These results indicate that surface application of LAE in chicken breast fillets significantly reduces Salmonella during refrigerated aerobic storage without negatively affecting the color of chicken breast fillets.

Sodium metasilicate affects growth of Campylobacter jejuni in fresh, boneless, uncooked chicken breast fillets stored at 4 degrees Celsius for 7 days.

The objectives of this study were to determine the antimicrobial effects of sodium metasilicate (SMS) treatments against Campylobacter jejuni in fresh, boneless, uncooked chicken breast fillets and to ascertain the effects of SMS treatments on pH. The fillets were inoculated with C. jejuni, treated with 0% SMS and no inoculum (negative control), 0% SMS and inoculum (positive control), 1 and 2% SMS solutions, and stored at 4 ± 1°C. All samples were analyzed after 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 d storage for C. jejuni, psychrotrophic organisms, and pH. Campylobacter jejuni and psychrotrophic counts for samples treated with 1 and 2% SMS solutions were similar (P > 0.05) to the positive control on all storage days. The pH values for 2% SMS marinade treatments were higher (P < 0.05) when compared with the negative and positive controls through 7 d of storage. Based on the findings in this study, a second study was conducted to determine the level of SMS necessary to reduce C. jejuni by at least 1 log cfu/g. The treatments were the same as previously discussed, except SMS was used at levels of 1 and 2% of the weight of the meat instead of percentage of the solution. Chicken fillets treated with 1 and 2% SMS (by weight of meat) resulted in 1.12 to 1.26 and 3.27 to 3.79 log cfu/g reductions in C. jejuni, respectively, when compared with the positive control. Except for d 0, psychrotrophic counts for samples treated with 2% SMS were lower (P < 0.05) than negative and positive controls on all storage days. The pH values were higher (P < 0.05) for all SMS treatments when compared with the negative and positive controls. This study revealed that SMS, when used at elevated levels in excess of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service 2% approved level, could function to control Campylobacter jejuni and extend the shelf life of raw poultry by retarding the growth of psychrotrophic bacteria.

Sodium metasilicate affects growth of Salmonella Typhimurium in fresh, boneless, uncooked chicken breast fillets stored at 4°C for 7 days.

The objectives of this study were to determine the antimicrobial effects of sodium metasilicate (SMS) against Salmonella and psychrotrophic organisms in fresh, boneless, uncooked chicken breast fillets and to ascertain the effects of SMS treatments on pH. Chicken breast fillets were inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium treated with 0% SMS and no inoculum (negative control), 0% SMS and inoculum (positive control), 1% SMS, or 2% SMS solutions and stored at 4 ± 1°C. All samples were analyzed after 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 d for Salmonella, psychrotrophic organisms, and pH. The fillets that were treated with 1 or 2% SMS had lower (P < 0.05) Salmonella counts as compared with those of the positive control at 3 through 7 d. Reductions in Salmonella Typhimurium were 0.83 to 0.91 log cfu/g and 1.04 to 1.16 log cfu/g for 1 and 2% SMS treatments, respectively. The psychrotrophic counts were similar (P > 0.05) for all treatments. The pH values for samples treated with 1 or 2% SMS were higher (P < 0.05) when compared with those of the negative and positive controls. This study revealed that SMS could restrict the growth of pathogenic Salmonella Typhimurium in fresh poultry.

Chemical characteristics of aerosols and trace gas distribution over North and Central India.

A field campaign on aerosol chemical properties and trace gases measurements was carried out along the Delhi-Hyderabad-Delhi road corridor (spanning about 3,200 km) in India, during February 1-29, 2004. Aerosol particles were collected on quartz and cellulose filters using high volume (PM(10)) sampler at various locations along the route (i.e., urban, semi-urban, rural, and forest areas) and have been characterized for major cations (Na(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), K(+), and NH (4) (+)), anions (Cl(-), NO (3)(-), and SO (4)(2-)), and heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Pb). Simultaneously, we measured NO(2) and SO(2) gases. These species show large spatial and temporal variations. The ambient PM(10) concentration has been observed to be the highest (55 ± 4 µg m(-3)) near semi-urban areas followed by forest areas (48 ± 2 µg m(-3)) and in rural areas (44 ± 22 µg m(-3)). The concentrations of NO( x ) (NO(2)+NO) and SO(2) ranged from 16 to 69 µg m(-3) and 4 to 11 µg m(-3), respectively. Among anions, NO(3)(-) and SO(4) (2-) are the major constituents of PM(10). The urban and semi-urban sites showed enhanced concentrations of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cd, and Pb. This study provide information about atmospheric concentrations of various species in the northern to central India, which may be important for policy makers to better understand the air quality of the region.

Microbiological biodiversity in poultry and paddy straw wastes in composting systems.

Immense quantity of waste is generated in association with poultry meat egg and crop production. The potential risks due to disposal of these wastes are magnified as a result of dense refinement of poultry production and the decreasing amount of land available for waste disposal. The study aims at studying the microbiological biodiversity of poultry waste and paddy straw based co-composting system. The predominant microflora of the poultry manure were bacteria, fungi, enteric bacteria and spore forming bacteria whose population was high at the initiation of composting but decreased significantly as the compost approached maturity. The initial load of inherent enteric groups of bacteria in poultry waste, that also includes some pathogenic ones, is considerably reduced and some new vital groups contributed to compost quality as the microbiological biodiversity sets in the system and becomes stable. Major fraction of nitrogen of poultry waste was subjected to ammonia volatilization and a fraction of it conserved by co-composting it in conjunction with wastes having low nitrogen contents. In the treatment T1 and T5, where poultry manure and paddy straws alone were composted, 60 and 30 percent of organic carbon, respectively, was lost over a period of six months. Whereas in treatments T2,T3 and T4, poultry manure and paddy straw were co-composted in the ratio of 3:1, 2:2 and 1:3, respectively, 51.4,45.0 and 37.0 percent of carbon, respectively, was lost during decomposition. The C: N ratio in all the treatments decreased significantly to 18.3 for T1, 24.7 for T2, 27.0 for T3, 34.9 for T4 and 38.5 for T5 at the end of composting period.

Long-term variability of trace gases over the Indian Western Himalayan Region.

The four-year continuous measurements of CO, NOx, NH3, SO2, and O3 were carried at a high altitude site (32.12°N, 76.56°E at 1347 m AMSL) of the Indian Western Himalayan area to study the mixing ratios of these gases for understanding the changing trends of these trace gases over the region. Each of these trace gases showed significant daily and monthly variabilities. The highest variability was recorded in the monthly mean values of O3 as it varied from 10 to 63 ppb during the study period. All the trace gases except CO showed maximum variability in the pre-monsoon seasons due to the strong advection and vertical circulation of air masses at the site. The seasonal mean maxima of CO were recorded during the monsoon season, while the mean maxima of NH3 were recorded during the post-monsoon seasons. The meteorological parameters have been found to influence the mixing ratios of trace gases. The least variability in the mean seasonal mixing ratios of SO2 during the study period indicated the constant point source of SO2 near the site. The trajectories analysis revealed that the area receives maximum air masses from the southeast to the west directions where a number of the coal-based thermal power plants, industries, cement plants, and agricultural fields are also located. The influence of valley-to-mountain circulations was also observed at the site, resulting in the transport of pollutant-rich air masses from local and distant sources to the site. A comparison of the mixing ratios of different trace gases obtained in the present study is also made with the values reported for other high altitude stations in the world.

Fluorescent gold clusters as nanosensors for copper ions in live cells.

This paper reports the use of fluorescent gold nanoclusters synthesized using bovine serum albumin (Au-BSA) for the sensing of copper ions in live cells. The fluorescence of the clusters was found to be quenched by Cu(2+) enabling its detection in cells. The selectivity of the nanosensor was demonstrated in the presence of several cations excluding Hg(2+). We did not study the effect of Hg(2+) since it was reported earlier. The present study suggests that Cu(2+) induced fluorescence quenching is due to its binding to BSA rather than the fluorescence quenching by metal-metal interaction as in the case of Hg(2+). The Au-BSA showed excellent selectivity to Cu(2+) at various pH conditions. The 'turn off' of fluorescence can be retrieved by a Cu(2+) chelator glycine. Our results showed that gold clusters can be used as a 'turn off' sensor for copper and a 'turn on' sensor for glycine. Under the experimental conditions, the probe showed a response for Cu(2+) over a range of 100 µM to 5 mM with a detection limit of 50 µM. The role of Cu(2+) in the misfolding and disassembly of Prion Protein (PrP) leading to various maladies is well ascertained. The methodology we reported here seems to be useful in supplementing other techniques in predicting disease conditions involving Cu(2+).

Chemical and isotopic characteristics of PM2.5 over New Delhi from September 2014 to May 2015: Evidences for synergy between air-pollution and meteorological changes.

The capital city of India, New Delhi, is experiencing serious PM2.5 pollution in the form of recurrent hazy skies and smoky fog (SMOG) episodes in recent years. Besides source-emission strengths, frequency and time-spans of these air-pollution episodes are uncertain due to variable urban meteorological influences, preventing the formation of a cohesive policy to tackle air-quality degradation. About 70% mass of PM2.5 particle is composed of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), and Sulphur (S) and, hence, their mass concentrations along with their stable isotopic imprints (viz. δ13CPM2.5, δ15NPM2.5 and δ34SPM2.5) provide powerful tools to gain insights into complex aerosol chemistry. This study presents the aforementioned data generated for PM2.5 collected from New Delhi covering full post-monsoon, winter, and summer months of 2014-15. Temporal variability in the generated dataset was analyzed with variabilities in atmospheric concentrations of key gaseous species (NH3, NOx, and SO2) and meteorological indices. The highest PM2.5 concentrations were observed in winter months with enhanced aerosol N and S concentrations. Active biomass (crop-residue) burning in the northwest Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) appears to be the major source of aerosol TC for post-monsoon and winter months in addition to emission sources from the combustion of bio- and fossil- fuels. Aerosol TN contents appear to be largely impacted by ambient ammonia emissions, especially during winter. Aerosol TS contents could be manifested by emissions from coal combustion, road dust, and biogenic sulphur. Total C + N + S contents of PM2.5 showed significant negative correlations with surface solar radiation and air-visibility. Both δ15NPM2.5 and δ34SPM2.5 values show remarkable correlations with air-quality and meteorological parameters during winter months demonstrating considerable secondary cycling. Cluster analysis and concentrated weighted wind trajectories over New Delhi for the study-period showed ~64% and ~58% of air mass trajectories from the northwest (Punjab-Haryana) region during post-monsoon and winter months respectively.