Clinical, neuroimaging, and molecular spectrum of TECPR2-associated hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy with intellectual disability.

Bi-allelic TECPR2 variants have been associated with a complex syndrome with features of both a neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorder. Here, we provide a comprehensive clinical description and variant interpretation framework for this genetic locus. Through international collaboration, we identified 17 individuals from 15 families with bi-allelic TECPR2-variants. We systemically reviewed clinical and molecular data from this cohort and 11 cases previously reported. Phenotypes were standardized using Human Phenotype Ontology terms. A cross-sectional analysis revealed global developmental delay/intellectual disability, muscular hypotonia, ataxia, hyporeflexia, respiratory infections, and central/nocturnal hypopnea as core manifestations. A review of brain magnetic resonance imaging scans demonstrated a thin corpus callosum in 52%. We evaluated 17 distinct variants. Missense variants in TECPR2 are predominantly located in the N- and C-terminal regions containing ß-propeller repeats. Despite constituting nearly half of disease-associated TECPR2 variants, classifying missense variants as (likely) pathogenic according to ACMG criteria remains challenging. We estimate a pathogenic variant carrier frequency of 1/1221 in the general and 1/155 in the Jewish Ashkenazi populations. Based on clinical, neuroimaging, and genetic data, we provide recommendations for variant reporting, clinical assessment, and surveillance/treatment of individuals with TECPR2-associated disorder. This sets the stage for future prospective natural history studies.

Activity of CcpA-Regulated GH18 Family Glycosyl Hydrolases That Contributes to Nutrient Acquisition and Fitness in Enterococcus faecalis.

The ability of Enterococcus faecalis to colonize host anatomical sites is dependent on its adaptive response to host conditions. Three glycosyl hydrolase gene clusters, each belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 18 (GH18) (ef0114, ef0361, and ef2863), in E. faecalis were previously found to be upregulated under glucose-limiting conditions. The GH18 catalytic domain is present in proteins that are classified as either chitinases or ß-1,4 endo-ß-N-acetylglucosaminidases (ENGases) based on their ß-1,4 endo-N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminidase activity, and ENGase activity is commonly associated with cleaving N-linked glycoprotein, an abundant glycan structure on host epithelial surfaces. Here, we show that all three hydrolases are negatively regulated by the transcriptional regulator carbon catabolite protein A (CcpA). Additionally, we demonstrate that a constitutively active CcpA variant represses the expression of CcpA-regulated genes irrespective of glucose availability. Previous studies showed that the GH18 catalytic domains of EndoE (EF0114) and EfEndo18A (EF2863) were capable of deglycosylating RNase B, a model high-mannose-type glycoprotein. However, it remained uncertain which glycosidase is primarily responsible for the deglycosylation of high-mannose-type glycoproteins. In this study, we show by mutation analysis as well as a dose-dependent analysis of recombinant protein expression that EfEndo18A is primarily responsible for deglycosylating high-mannose glycoproteins and that the glycans removed by EfEndo18A support growth under nutrient-limiting conditions in vitro. In contrast, IgG is representative of a complex-type glycoprotein, and we demonstrate that the GH18 domain of EndoE is primarily responsible for the removal of this glycan decoration. Finally, our data highlight the combined contribution of glycosidases to the virulence of E. faecalis in vivo.

Gibberellic acids promote growth and exopolysaccharide production in Tetraselmis suecica under reciprocal nitrogen concentration: an assessment on antioxidant properties and nutrient removal efficacy of immobilized iron-magnetic nanoparticles.

The present study was aimed to assess the effect of gibberellic acids to enhance the growth, biomass, pigment, and exopolysaccharides production in Tetraselmis suecica under reciprocal nitrogen concentrations. For this study, the seven types of experimental media (N-P, NL-P/2GA3, N0-P/2GA3, NL-P/4GA3, N0-P/4GA3, NL-P/6GA3, and N0-P/6GA3) were prepared with the addition of gibberellic acids under various nitrogen concentrations. The experiment lasted for 15 days and the cell density, biomass, chlorophyll 'a', and exopolysaccharides (EPS) concentration of T. suecica were estimated for every 3 days. Then the EPS was subjected to the analyses of chemical (carbohydrate, protein, sulfate, and uronic acid), and antioxidant activity. In addition, nutrient removal efficiency was evaluated using different concentration of EPS. The highest DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (86.7 ± 0.95%) and hydroxyl radical activity (85.7 ± 2.48%) were observed at the EPS concentrations 2.5 and 1.2 mg/mL, respectively. The immobilized magnetic Fe3O4-EPS (ferric oxide-exopolysaccharides) nanoparticles (5.0 and 10.0 g/L) have efficiently removed the excessive phosphate (89.5 ± 1.65%) and nitrate (73.5 ± 1.72%) from the Litopenaeus vannamei cultured wastewater. Thus, the application of gibberellic acids combined with limited nitrogen concentration could produce higher EPS that could exhibit excellent antioxidant activity, and nutrient removal efficacy in the form of Fe3O4-EPS magnetic nanoparticles.

Discovery, synthesis and molecular substantiation of N-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-2-hydroxyquinoline-4-carboxamides as anticancer agents.

The effort was taken to develop a series of benzothiazole and quinoline fused bioactive compounds obtained through a four-step synthetic route using a range of substituted acetoacetanilides. Achieved N-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-2-hydroxyquinoline-4-carboxamides (6a-l) were produced up to 96% of yield while the eco-friendly p-TSA used as a catalyst. Further, the anticancer activity of these compounds was determined using a range of cancer cell lines starting from MCF-7 (Breast cancer), HCT-116 (Colon cancer), PC-3 & LNCaP (Prostate) and SK-HEP-1 (Liver cancer). Present study compounds were also testified for antioxidant properties prior to anticancer studies since the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) being vital in cancer development. To determine the cell membrane stability effects of the compounds, human red blood cells (HRBC) based membrane protection assay was determined. In the results, compounds 6a-l were able to produce a dominated result values over PC3 cell lines (Prostate cancer) than the other cell lines used in this study. Since the connectivity of human germ cell alkaline phosphatase (hGC-ALP) in the development of prostate cancer is known, the most active compounds were evaluated for the hGC-ALP inhibition in order to ensure a mechanism of anticancer action of these compounds. The mode of interaction and binding affinity of these compounds was also investigated by a molecular docking study. In the results, 6d, 6i, 6k, and 6l were found with least IC50 values <0.075 µM and highest relative activity of 92%, 90%, and 96% respectively. The need for further animal model evaluation and pre-clinical studies recognized.

Design and Implementation of Low Power High-Efficient Transceiver for Body Channel Communications.

Body channel communications (BCC) have been researched while an allowing technology to improve necessities for the low power and high reconfiguration power in wireless telemetry systems used at wireless communication purpose. Conventional features on BCC are concentrated mostly on modeling of channels by using of an efficient measurement technique, wireless transceiver design and then by means of a transmission technique. Particularly, the wireless digital transmitting, developed as a personalized method intended for the body channel, offers wanted to develop flexible and low power BCC systems. With the developing level of wearable communication protocol and applications, there may be an increasingly reliable on an adaptable BCC transmitter that helps both data reconfigure power and power reduction condition. In this paper, an extremely reconfigurable Hamming Encoding Digital Transmitter (HEDT) which works with both reconfigurable data and power reduction condition that supports from two innovative operation conditions is suggested. In a HEDT device, the overall data rate is controlled by the level of Hamming codes designed to make use of in the perfect BCC band of 20-100 MHz. The proposed Hamming Encoded Transmission method achieves seven times improved data rate when compared with conventional BCC processors. The next unique implementation technique is based on the usage of Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) of a Hamming encoded HEDT approach. This approach permits the BCC transceiver to use the perfect channel with bandwidth among 40-100 MHz. Thereby half the clock rate reduces 40% of overall power utilization. The HEDT system is completely designed in a 65 nm CMOS procedure. It uses a primary area of 0.14 × 0.2 mm. When functioning below a data-rate of 60 Mb/s (low power) condition, the BCC transmitter utilizes only 1.00 mW.

Detection of antibodies against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in serum and saliva through ELISA in periodontally healthy individuals and individuals with chronic periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is a persistent polymicrobial infection, which leads to chronic inflammation in the tooth supporting tissues. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans are normal commensals of oral cavity but are low in number in periodontally healthy subjects. They are one of the major pathogens aetiologically linked to periodontal disease. Plasma and salivary antibody measurement may be useful to support diagnosis, disease activity, classification and prognosis of periodontitis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the serum and salivary antibody levels to A. actinomycetemcomitans and therefore, to find whether this association was varying in different grades of periodontitis. METHOD: Total of 50 periodontally healthy and 50 chronic periodontitis subjects (35-65 years) of both sexes were included for the study. 2 ml of un-stimulated saliva and 5 ml of venous blood was collected under sterile conditions. The detection of antibodies against A. actinomycetemcomitans in periodontally healthy individuals and individuals with chronic periodontitis was performed using indirect ELISA. RESULTS: Results showed serum IgG, IgA mean levels against A. actinomycetemcomitans were higher in chronic periodontitis subjects compared to mean levels in periodontally healthy subjects. Similarly, salivary IgG, IgA levels were also raised in chronic periodontitis patients as compared in healthy subjects. Also the mean levels of serum IgG and salivary IgA were increased as the severity of disease increased. CONCLUSION: Antibody titer using saliva and serum could be useful tool for screening of patients with chronic periodontitis. Further, monitoring the various phases of treatment outcome using saliva could be a useful, non-invasive, prognostic indicator.

Rheological characteristics of inulin solution at low concentrations: Effect of temperature and solid content.

The rheological properties of inulin solution was investigated at different solid content (Xs) ranging from 1 to 12 % at wide range of temperatures ranging from 10 to 85 °C. The rheological parameter shear stress was measured upto a shear rate of 300 s(-1) using concentric cylinders attachment by controlled stress rheometer. The investigation showed that the inulin solution behaved like Newtonian liquid and viscosity (η) was in the range 2.0998 to 3.2439 mPa s depending upon the concentration and temperature studied. The temperature dependency of Newtonian viscosity of inulin solution was described by Arrhenius equation (r > 0.88, p < 0.05) and activation energy (Ea) for viscous flow was in the range 2.111 to 3.013 kJ/mol depending upon the solid content studied. The flow activation energy (Ea) of inulin solution was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by solid content and described by exponential type equation (r = 0.9646, rmse% = 1.07, p < 0.001). Effect of solid content on Newtonian viscosity was described by linear as well as power law models depending upon the temperature studied. The combined effect of temperature and solid content on Newtonian viscosity of inulin solution was described by power law type equation and represented as η = 0.8835* (Xs)(0.0731) *Exp(296.410/T), (r = 0.9538, p < 0.001, rmse% = 0.15) Where η is Newtonian viscosity in mPa s, Xs is solid content in % and T is temperature in Kelvin (K).

Photocatalytic degradation of herbicide bentazone in aqueous suspension of TiO2: mineralization, identification of intermediates and reaction pathways.

Semiconductor-mediated hydrogen peroxide-assisted photocatalytic degradation of a selected herbicide, Bentazone (1) has been investigated in aqueous suspensions of TiO2 under a variety of conditions. The degradation was studied by monitoring the depletion in total organic carbon content as a function of irradiation time. The degradation kinetics was investigated under different conditions such as type of TiO2 (Anatase/Anatase-Rutile mixture), reaction pH, catalyst dosage and hydrogen peroxide (H202) concentration. The degradation rates were found to be strongly influenced by all the above parameters. Titanium dioxide Degussa P25 was found to be more efficient as compared with other two commercially available TiO2 powders like Hombikat UV100 and PC500 from Millennium Inorganic Chemicals. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the irradiated mixture of Bentazone (1) indicates the formation of several intermediate products which have been characterized on the basis of molecular ion/mass fragmentation pattern and also on comparison with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) library. Plausible mechanism for the formation of different products during photocatalytic treatment of Bentazone in the presence of TiO2 has been proposed. The use of H202 substantially increased the efficiency of TiO2 photocatalytic degradation.

Biocompatible neem gum-modified polyvinyl alcohol composite as dielectric material for flexible energy devices.

In our pursuit of a flexible energy storage solution, we have developed biocompatible (bc)-NG/PVA composite polymers by combining neem tree gum (NG) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). This innovative bio-inspired approach harnesses NG's unique properties for both the bio-electrolyte and bio-electrode components. The resulting bc-NG/PVA composites exhibit superior dielectric strength and versatility, surpassing traditional inorganic ceramic dielectrics in advanced electronics and pulsed power systems. Our study investigates the dielectric characteristics, conductivities, electric modulus, and impedance parameters of Pure PVA and NG-doped PVA composites. Adding 5 % NG to PVA significantly boosts its conductivity from 10-8 S cm-1 to 10-4 S cm-1, while the dielectric constant of PVA/5 % NG composite jumps to 104.5 compared to pure PVA. These improvements position the composite films of 5 % NG added PVA as promising materials for diverse applications. The heightened performance of these NG-blended PVA composite materials underscores their potential as a valuable resource for flexible energy storage solutions.

Dual Drug Therapy Versus Single Drug Therapy in Prevention of Pinna Keloid Recurrence.

Keloids are fibroproliferative disorders caused due to injury to skin. The recurrence rate has been found to be as high as 100% even after surgical excision. The high recurrence rate has led to the need for various adjuvant therapies as a single approach alone has not been found to be efficient in preventing recurrence. This attributes to the need for a multimodal approach. Steroids are found to be useful in preventing recurrence. To evaluate the efficacy of the combination of hyaluronidase with corticosteroid injection compared to corticosteroid injection alone in the prevention of recurrence of keloid after surgical excision. This randomized controlled study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology among 50 patients with ear keloids who underwent surgical excision. Patients were divided into two groups. One group was given Triamcinolone injection alone and the other was given Triamcinolone with Hyaluronidase on postoperative weeks 1, 2, and 3. Patients were followed up for 6 months and recurrence was noted and compared. Statistical analysis was done and the results were considered significant with a p-value of less than 0.05. Of the total 50 patients, there were a total of eight male and 39 female patients. In a single therapy group, recurrence was noted in one patient after 3 months and in three more patients after 6 months. In the group with combination therapy, there was no recurrence after 3 months but three patients had recurrence after 6 months. Triamcinolone and hyaluronidase injection protected from recurrence for about 3 to 5 months after which patients had recurrence. Further studies are recommended with prolonged duration of hyaluronidase injection.

Polymerase chain reaction-based identification of various serotypes of Streptococcus mutans in adults with and without dental caries.

Background: Dental caries is a multistep process which initiates the development of plaque' defined as a structured biofilm containing microbial communities. Teeth provide unique surfaces for bacterial colonization. Serotypes of Streptococcus mutans implicate the development of dental caries. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and association of serotypes of S. mutans in groups with and without dental caries. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty adults aged between 18 and 35 years were included in the study. Supragingival plaque samples were collected, followed by deoxyribonucleic acid extraction. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify S. mutans and its serotypes. Proportions of S. mutans and its serotypes were correlated with caries-active (CA) and caries-free (CF) groups. Results: CA group showed 66.7% positivity for S. mutans and CF group showed only 42.7% of positivity. Serotype C showed a higher proportion followed by E' F, and K in the CA group, whereas in the CF group, higher proportion was observed with K followed by C' E, and F. 70.8% cases showed single serotype in the CA group and 83.3% in CF group. Multiple serotypes were seen in 29.2% in the CA group and 16.7% in the CF group. Conclusions: The study clearly established variation in proportions of S. mutans and its serotypes between CA and CF groups. Positive correlation was observed in the CA group for S. mutans and its serotypes.

Eep confers lysozyme resistance to enterococcus faecalis via the activation of the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigV.

Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal bacterium found in the gastrointestinal tract of most mammals, including humans, and is one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections. One of the hallmarks of E. faecalis pathogenesis is its unusual ability to tolerate high concentrations of lysozyme, which is an important innate immune component of the host. Previous studies have shown that the presence of lysozyme leads to the activation of SigV, an extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor in E. faecalis, and that the deletion of sigV increases the susceptibility of the bacterium toward lysozyme. Here, we describe the contribution of Eep, a membrane-bound zinc metalloprotease, to the activation of SigV under lysozyme stress by its effects on the stability of the anti-sigma factor RsiV. We demonstrate that the Δeep mutant phenocopies the ΔsigV mutant in lysozyme, heat, ethanol, and acid stress susceptibility. We also show, using an immunoblot analysis, that in an eep deletion mutant, the anti-sigma factor RsiV is only partially degraded after lysozyme exposure, suggesting that RsiV is processed by unknown protease(s) prior to the action of Eep. An additional observation is that the deletion of rsiV, which results in constitutive SigV expression, leads to chaining of cells, suggesting that SigV might be involved in regulating cell wall-modifying enzymes important in cell wall turnover. We also demonstrate that, in the absence of eep or sigV, enterococci bind significantly more lysozyme, providing a plausible explanation for the increased sensitivity of these mutants toward lysozyme.

Prevalence of ovine footrot in the tropical climate of southern India and isolation and characterisation of Dichelobacter nodosus.

The present communication records the first determination of the prevalence of footrot in the unexpected situation of the tropical climate of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, two states in southern India where the maximum temperature rises to 42 degrees C. In total, 73 outbreaks of footrot in Nellore brown sheep were investigated in 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh and one district of Tamil Nadu during the period March 2009 to March 2011.The overall prevalence of ovine footrot was 15%, with severity scores of 2 to 4 (lesion severity scale 0 to 4). The outbreaks occurred mostly during the rainy season, which is usually from June to December. From a total of 1,050 samples of lesions in naturally infected sheep, 478 (45.5%) were positive for Dichelobacter nodosus. Serogrouping of the isolates revealed six serogroups: A, B, C, E, F and I. Among the positive samples, 448 (93.7%) were a single serogroup and 30 (6.3%) carried a mixed infection with two serogroups. Taking single and mixed infections together, serogroup B was most frequent at 50.4% and was found in all districts, followed by serogroup I in 29.3% of samples, A in 14%, F in 6.7% and C in 5.6%. Serogroup E was detected in only one sample. Serogroups A and F were detected for the first time in India. All of 58 D. nodosus isolates in a sub-sample representing different serogroups were found to be virulent, based on the production of thermostable proteases and the presence of the integrase A gene intA. Thus, the present paper reporting isolation and characterisation of D. nodosus confirms the occurrence of virulent footrot in the tropical climate of southern India.

Automated region mask for four-chamber fetal heart biometry.

This letter proposes an automated region mask for the detection of cardiac chambers from ultrasonic fetal heart biometry. The fetal biometry consists of two dimensional ultrasonic cine-loop sequences of apical four chamber view of fetal heart, which are comparatively The clinical motion information of individual frame is extracted by keeping a constant frame rate of 25 frames per second (fps). The region mask is designed based on the superimposition of motion information from a set of consecutive frames that belong to one cardiac cycle followed by connected component labelling. The borders and edges of all four chambers are thus recognized leading to formation of binary region mask. Experimental study based on second trimester cine-loop sequences confirms the suitability of the proposed technique for detection of heart chambers.

Radiochemical quality control of the radiopharmaceutical, 89SrCl2 produced in FBTR.

89SrCl2 radiopharmaceuticals is mainly used for bone pain palliation in the cancer patients, is being produced in FBTR via 89Y(n, p)89Sr using yttria target. The irradiated yttria target is chemically processed in high pure quartz distilled nitric acid medium in hot cell facility, to avoid the corrosion of components of hotcell due to chloride ions while using HCl medium. Being ionic species, the purified 89Sr(II) cation in aqueous solution containing bulk nitrate and other trace anions, exists as SrXn species where X: F-, Cl-, Br-, NO3-, PO43- and SO42-, n: stoichiometric anion content. The aim of the manuscript is to standardise an efficient ultra-low level anion purification method (ppb range) for the conversion of SrXn to SrCl2 and estimate the residual anionic impurities as recommended by the appropriate source specifications for its medical application. Various methods were standardised for the removal of anions in the SrCl2 source produced by the above process which include evaporation, calcination, anion exchange column, cation exchange column as well as its combination with pre-concentration column of ion chromatography (IC) technique using 89Sr tracers as well as FBTR produced 89Sr solution. Assay of 89Sr and other anions including nitrate for the above study were accomplished using Cerenkov counting and ion chromatography respectively. Thus evaporation-calcination-column chromatography mode was finalised to obtain pure SrCl2 source free from nitrate and other anionic impurities. This is the first ever systematic study for the Radiochemical quality control of nca 89SrCl2 radiopharmaceutical produced in a fast reactor. This study also finds its application to any analytical lab as well as industry where there is a requirement of anion purification in the ppb level.

A Doctor in the House, An Ethical Consideration on Treating Their Family Members: A Mixed-Method Study.

BACKGROUND:  The ethical dilemma of doctors treating their own family members has long been a contentious issue in the field of medicine. Despite these dilemmas, doctors may feel compelled to become involved in the care of family members and reluctant to set standards for themselves. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the experience of doctors in the treatment of their families in Perambalur District, Tamil Nadu, India. METHODOLOGY:  A mixed-method study was conducted among the doctors in Perambalur District, Tamil Nadu, India from December 2021 to October 2022. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic details and the experience of doctors in treating their family members, followed by a focused group discussion (FGD). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago). A scatter plot was created to visualize the relationship between age, experience of doctors, and confidence level with the frequency of treating family members. A chi-square test was performed to find any associations, and a p-value <0.05 was considered significant. For qualitative data, a fish herringbone model was constructed. RESULTS:  A total of 72 doctors participated in the study. The study found that almost all the doctors (100%) received medical requests from family members, the median number of requests received in a year was 6.5 with an interquartile range of 4-8 and three-quarters (66.6%) of them accepted the requests and treated them. However, concerns about maintaining objectivity, emotional attachment, and loss of confidentiality were cited as primary reasons for not accepting all requests. The study also found a positive relationship between age, years of experience, and the frequency of treating family members. The FGD highlighted challenges related to potential risks in managing complex cases, emotional involvement impacting decision-making, conflicts of interest, and pressures from family members and societal norms. CONCLUSION:  In the present study, almost all the doctors received requests from their family members in the last year, and more than three-fourths of the doctors treated their family members. One-fourth of the doctors rejected requests from family members due to concerns about the potential loss of objectivity and the risk of misdiagnosing symptoms caused by emotional attachments. This study sheds light on the complexities and ethical considerations doctors face when treating family members. It emphasizes the need for medical ethics education in the curriculum to guide future doctors in making ethical decisions in such situations. Implementing clear-cut medical ethics guidelines in India would be instrumental in addressing these issues and ensuring ethical practices in the medical field.

Deletion of σ(54) (rpoN) alters the rate of autolysis and biofilm formation in Enterococcus faecalis.

Transcription initiation is a critical step in bacterial gene regulation and is often controlled by transcription regulators. The alternate sigma factor (σ(54)) is one such regulator that facilitates activator-dependent transcription initiation and thus modulates the expression of a variety of genes involved in metabolism and pathogenesis in bacteria. This study describes the role of σ(54) in the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. Biofilm formation is one of the important pathogenic mechanisms of E. faecalis, as it elevates the organism's potential to cause surgical site and urinary tract infections. Lysis of bacterial cells within the population contributes to biofilm formation by providing extracellular DNA (eDNA) as a key component of the biofilm matrix. Deletion of rpoN rendered E. faecalis resistant to autolysis, which in turn impaired eDNA release. Despite the significant reduction in eDNA levels compared to the parental strain, the rpoN mutant formed more robust biofilms as observed using laser scanning confocal microscopy and Comstat analysis, indicating and emphasizing the presence of other matrix components. Initial adherence to a polystyrene surface was also enhanced in the mutant. Proteinase K treatment at early stages of biofilm development significantly reduced the accumulation of biofilm by the rpoN mutant. In conclusion, our data indicate that other factors in addition to eDNA might contribute to the overall composition of the enterococcal biofilm and that the regulatory role of σ(54) governs the nature and composition of the biofilm matrix.

The incongruent gelatinase genotype and phenotype in Enterococcus faecalis are due to shutting off the ability to respond to the gelatinase biosynthesis-activating pheromone (GBAP) quorum-sensing signal.

The concomitant presence of a complete fsr quorum-sensing system and gelE-sprE operons in Enterococcus faecalis is known to be essential for the detection of gelatinase activity. However, there are reports of the absence of gelatinase activity despite the presence of complete fsr and gelE loci. In order to understand this incongruence between genotype and phenotype we sequenced fsr and gelE loci of the E. faecalis LN68 strain, which was previously found to carry both operons but to lack gelatinase activity. Of the 59 nucleotide differences detected compared with the gelatinase-positive V583 strain, we found a nonsense mutation (a premature STOP codon) predicted to truncate the ATPase sensor domain of the FsrC protein, responsible for sensing and transducing the signal from the quorum-sensing molecule. Strain LN68 was highly affected in the expression of the gelE and sprE genes, further supporting the lack of Fsr-dependent gelE induction. When we constructed a V583 mutant with the same premature stop mutation in the fsrC gene the resulting strain was no longer able to degrade gelatin. We conclude that the reduced ability to transduce the quorum-sensing signal of the prematurely truncated FsrC protein is sufficient to explain the negative gelatinase phenotype. As the incongruent genotype and phenotype is detected in natural isolates, we believe that the silencing of the quorum-sensing system Fsr may be beneficial for some E. faecalis strains.

Distribution of enteric bacteria in the sediments of Parangipettai and Cuddalore coast of India.

Distribution of major groups of enteric bacteria viz., Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae was studied in the sediment samples collected from different depths of 5, 15, 25 and 35 m in Parangipettai and Cuddalore coast during March, 2009 to February, 2010. Among the bacterial population in Parangipettai, V parahaemolyticus was found to be maximum with an occurrence of 55% followed by Shigella spp. (15%), V cholerae (12%), Salmonella spp. (12%) and E. coli (6%). In Cuddalore, as an oddity, Vibrio cholerae emerged as dominant species with an incidence of 60% of the total. V parahaemolyticus came next in the order with an incidence of 14%, followed by E. coli (11%), Shigella spp. (8%) and Salmonella spp. (7%). Similarly, monsoon and premonsoon seasons registered higher bacterial populations in both the regions. When the depth wise results were viewed, 5 and 15 m depths showed maximum (V parahaemolyticus 3.7 x 10 CFU g(-1) in Parangipettai; V cholera--8.6 x 10 CFU g(-1) in Cuddalore) bacterial population compared to subsequent depths. Cluster and MDS also showed distinct spatial and seasonal variations of bacterial populations in both the regions. Biota-Environment (BIO-ENV) method revealed the combinations of temperature, salinity and TOC as the best match influencing bacterial population.

Implementation of Machine Learning Mechanism for Recognising Prostate Cancer through Photoacoustic Signal.

Biological tissues may be studied using photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy, which can yield a wealth of physical and chemical data. However, it is really challenging to directly analyse these tissues because of a lot of data. Data mining techniques can get around this issue. In order to diagnose prostate cancer via PA spectrum assessment, this work describes the machine learning (ML) technique implementation, such as supervised classification and unsupervised hierarchical clustering. The collected PA signals were preprocessed using Pwelch method, and the features are extracted using two methods such as hierarchical cluster and correlation assessment. The extracted features are classified using four ML-methods, namely, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naïve Bayes (NB), decision tree C4.5, and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Furthermore, as these components alter throughout the progression of prostate cancer, this study focuses on the composition and distribution of collagen, lipids, and haemoglobin. In diseased tissues compared to normal tissues, there is a stronger correlation between the various chemical components ultrasonic power spectra, suggesting that the microstructural dispersion in tumour tissues has been more uniform. The accuracy of several classifiers used in cancer tissue diagnosis was greater than 94% for all four methods, which is effective than that of benchmark medical methods. Thus, the method shows significant promise for the noninvasive, early detection of severe prostate cancer.