Oral Toxicity Study for Salmonella Killing Lytic Bacteriophage NINP13076 in BALB/c Mice and Its Effect on Probiotic Microbiota.

Viruses that infect bacteria are emerging as attractive biocontrol agents and biopreservatives for foods. Since these bacteriophages kill the target pathogens by lysis and are also consumed along with food, it is essential to evaluate their collateral toxicity on the probiotic gut microbiota. In this study, we examined the acute oral toxicity of a Salmonella phage isolated from sewage in mice. Acute oral administration of the Salmonella phage for five consecutive days did not show any significant pathological changes in the vital organs like lung, kidneys, heart, liver, and intestine. In addition, growth of typical probiotic microbiota remained unaffected even after incubation up to 24 h with the Salmonella phage. The results of this study clearly showed that oral administration of the lytic Salmonella phage did not have any significant adverse effects on the animals, may not harm the probiotic gut microbiota, and are likely to be safe for use in food preservation.

Isostructural NiII Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Efficient Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Evolution Reaction and for Gas Sorption Properties.

Design and synthesis of stable, active and cost-effective electrocatalyst for water splitting applications is an emerging area of research, given the depletion of fossil fuels. Herein, two isostructural NiII redox-active metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing flexible tripodal trispyridyl ligand (L) and linear dicarboxylates such as terephthalate (TA) and 2-aminoterphthalate (H2 NTA) are studied for their catalytic activity in oxygen evaluation reaction (OER). The 2D-layered MOFs form 3D hydrogen bonded frameworks containing one-dimensional hydrophilic channels that are filled with water molecules. The electrochemical studies reveal that MOFs display an efficient catalytic activity towards oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline conditions with an overpotential as low as 356 mV. Further, these 2D-MOFs exhibit excellent ability to adsorb water vapor (180-230 cc g-1 at 273 K) and CO2 (33 cc g-1 at 273 K). The presence of hydrophilic functionality in the frameworks was found to significantly enhance the electrocatalytic activity as well as H2 O sorption.

Self-Sorting of Metal-Organic Polymeric Assemblies in Gels: Selective Templation and Catalysis of Homodimers.

The development of generic strategy is essential for the construction of higher order supramolecular assemblies from the mixture of molecular components. Such higher order aggregations are possible through a self-sorting phenomenon, which is not well-explored in gel materials. Here, first examples of self-sorting in the coordination polymer (CP) based gels have been explored using three and four component systems. The self-sorting phenomenon has been monitored through a [2+2] photochemical reaction in the gel state and characterized by 1 H NMR, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and single crystal XRD analyses. Furthermore, AgI was shown to act as a supramolecular catalyst for the [2+2] photochemical reaction in gels.

Anomalous Marginal Insertion of Umbilical Cord in Placentas of COVID-19-Affected Pregnant Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim Study the effect of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), on the placenta and in turn study its effects on pregnancy and newborn outcomes. Methods In this cross-sectional study, which was conducted in the term pregnant women who underwent delivery, their placentas were collected after delivery along with the mothers' blood and cord blood. Results Among the 212 pregnant women recruited, the prevalence of marginal cord insertion (MCI) in the placentas after delivery, was found to be 23% (n=48). Among these 48 cases (n=48) with MCI, 58.33% (n=28) were COVID-19 positive. The placentas with MCI had significantly lower minimum placental circumference (probability value/p value=0.04) and significantly longer umbilical cord (p-value=0.05). COVID-19 antibodies transfer from the mother to the umbilical cord (C/M antibodies ratio) was observed to be lower, albeit insignificantly. Both the weight of newborns (p value=0.03) and their COVID-19 antibodies levels (p-value=0.05) were observed to be significantly lower in the MCI group. Univariate analysis shows that a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 23 of the mothers was significantly associated with abnormal MCI. Conclusion The prevalence of MCI was observed to be high in COVID-19-affected mothers in our study. MCI was associated with lower placental size, newborn weight, lesser transfer of COVID-19 antibodies from the mother to the fetus across the umbilical cord, and lower antibody levels in the cord blood when compared to maternal blood.

Impact of COVID-19 during pregnancy on placental pathology, maternal and neonatal outcome - A cross-sectional study on anemic term pregnant women from a tertiary care hospital in southern India.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy may cause adverse maternal, neonatal and placental outcomes. While tissue hypoxia is often reported in COVID-19 patients, pregnant women with anemia are suspected to be more prone to placental hypoxia-related injuries. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August-November 2021, during COVID-19 second wave in India. Term pregnant women (N=212) admitted to hospital for delivery were enrolled consecutively. Since hospital admission mandated negative RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 virus, none had active infection. Data on socio-demography, COVID-19 history, maternal, obstetric, and neonatal outcomes were recorded. Pre-delivery maternal and post-delivery cord blood samples were tested for hematological parameters and SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Placentae were studied for histology. Results: Of 212 women, 122 (58%) were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG, but none reported COVID-19 history; 134 (63.2%) were anemic. In seropositive women, hemoglobin (p=0.04), total WBC (p=0.009), lymphocytes (p=0.005) and neutrophils (p=0.02) were significantly higher, while ferritin was high, but not significant and neutrophils to lymphocytes (p=0.12) and platelets to lymphocytes ratios (p=0.03) were lower. Neonatal outcomes were similar. All RBC parameters and serum ferritin were significantly lower in anemic mothers but not in cord blood, except RDW that was significantly higher in both, maternal (p=0.007) and cord (p=0.008) blood from seropositive anemic group compared to other groups. Placental histology showed significant increase in villous hypervascularity (p=0.000), dilated villous capillaries (p=0.000), and syncytiotrophoblasts (p=0.02) in seropositive group, typically suggesting placental hypoxia. Maternal anemia was not associated with any histological parameters. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of placental histopathological adverse outcomes showed strong association with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity but not with maternal anemia. When adjusted for several covariates, including anemia, SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity emerged as independent risk factor for severe chorangiosis (AOR 8.74, 95% CI 3.51-21.76, p<0.000), dilated blood vessels (AOR 12.74, 95% CI 5.46-29.75, p<0.000), syncytiotrophoblasts (AOR 2.86, 95% CI 1.36-5.99, p=0.005) and villus agglutination (AOR 9.27, 95% CI 3.68-23.32, p<0.000). Conclusion: Asymptomatic COVID-19 during pregnancy seemed to be associated with various abnormal placental histopathologic changes related to placental hypoxia independent of maternal anemia status. Our data supports an independent role of SARS-CoV-2 in causing placental hypoxia in pregnant women.

Aflatoxin contamination in stored rice variety PAU 201 collected from Punjab, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The present study was carried out on stored rice variety PAU 201 in Punjab that was not permitted for milling and public distribution due to the presence of damaged grains at levels exceeding the regulatory limits of 4.75 per cent. The aim of the study was to determine fungal and aflatoxin contamination in the rice samples to assess hazard from the presence of damaged grains. Presence of iron in discoloured rice grains was also assessed. METHODS: Stored samples of paddy of PAU 201 rice variety were collected from six districts of Punjab, milled and analysed for presence of fungal and aflatoxin contamination. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and Prussian blue staining was used to determine fungal spores and presence of iron, respectively. RESULTS: Aflatoxin analysis of rice samples indicated that none exceeded the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 tolerance limit of 30 µg/kg and majority of the samples had levels <15 µg/kg. The proportion of damaged grains exceeding the limit of 5 per cent was observed in 85.7 per cent of the samples. SEM and Prussian blue staining and EDX analysis of black tipped and pin point damaged rice grains did not show presence of fungal structures and presence of iron. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicated that the stored rice samples did not pose any health concern with respect to aflatoxin contamination as per the criteria laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

Clinical evaluation of intrabony defects in localized aggressive periodontitis patients with and without bioglass- an in-vivo study.

BACKGROUND: Aggressive periodontitis is a specific type of periodontitis with clearly identifiable clinical characteristics such as rapid attachment loss, bone destruction and familial aggregation. Regeneration of mineralized tissues affected by aggressive periodontitis comprises a major scientific and clinical challenge. In recent years some evidence has been provided that bioactive glass is also capable of supporting the regenerative healing of periodontal lesions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this clinical and radiological prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of bioactive glass in the treatment of intra-bony defects in patients with localized aggressive periodontitis. METHODS: Twelve localized aggressive periodontitis patients with bilaterally located three-walled intra-bony defect depth = 2 mm, preoperative probing depths = 5 mm were randomly treated either with the bioactive glass or without the bioactive glass. The clinical parameters plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level, and mobility were recorded prior to surgery as well as 12 months after surgery. Intraoral radiographs were digitized to evaluate the bone defect depth at baseline and 12 months after the surgery. RESULTS: After 12 months, a reduction in probing depth of 3.92 + 0.313 mm (P < 0.001) and a gain in clinical attachment level of 4.42+0358mm (P < 0.001) were registered in the test group. In the control group, a reduction in probing depth of 2.5 +0.230mm (P <0.001) and a gain in clinical attachment level of 2.58 + 0.149 mm (P <0.001) was recorded. Radiographically, the defects were found to be filled by 2.587 + 0.218 mm (P < 0.001) in the test group and by 0.1792 + 0.031mm (P < 0.001) in the control group. Changes in gingival recession showed no significant differences. . CONCLUSION: Highly significant improvements in the parameters Probing depth, Clinical attachment level, and Bone defect depth were recorded after 12 months, with regenerative material.

Identifying the presence of bacteria on digital images by using asymmetric distribution with k-means clustering algorithm.

This paper is mainly aimed at the decomposition of image quality assessment study by using Three Parameter Logistic Mixture Model and k-means clustering (TPLMM-k). This method is mainly used for the analysis of various images which were related to several real time applications and for medical disease detection and diagnosis with the help of the digital images which were generated by digital microscopic camera. Several algorithms and distribution models had been developed and proposed for the segmentation of the images. Among several methods developed and proposed, the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) was one of the highly used models. One can say that almost the GMM was playing the key role in most of the image segmentation research works so far noticed in the literature. The main drawback with the distribution model was that this GMM model will be best fitted with a kind of data in the dataset. To overcome this problem, the TPLMM-k algorithm is proposed. The image decomposition process used in the proposed algorithm had been analyzed and its performance was analyzed with the help of various performance metrics like the Variance of Information (VOI), Global Consistency Error (GCE) and Probabilistic Rand Index (PRI). According to the results, it is shown that the proposed algorithm achieves the better performance when compared with the previous results of the previous techniques. In addition, the decomposition of the images had been improved in the proposed algorithm.

Formal total synthesis of cyanolide A.

Formal total synthesis of cyanolide A, aglycosidic dimeric macrolide is accomplished. The key reactions involved are asymmetric acetate aldol reaction, CBS reduction, and Shiina's lactonization.

Molecular docking analysis of COX-2 with compounds from Piper longum.

Piper longum (Indian long pepper) is known for its use as an anti inflammatory agent in Indian Ayurvedic System of medicine. Therefore, it is of interest to document the molecular docking analysis of compounds from Piper longum with COX-2 using the Autodock Vina PyRx tool. Molecular docking results show that asarinine, sesamine, fargesin, and piperlonguminine have optimal binding energy of 10, 10, -9.5 and 9.4 Kcal/mol, respectively for further consideration.

Impact factor and other indices to assess science, scientists and scientific journals.

This paper traces the evolution of measures and parameters for the evaluation of science and scientific journals from the first attempts during the early part of the last century to the development of the most popular, current and widely used metrics viz., citations, impact factor (IF) etc. The identification of measures of evaluation in science and scientific reporting paralled the post-war increase in funding in the United States of America. Biomedical and medical sciences continue to garner a major share, estimated to be almost two-thirds of total research and development funding of over US$ 350 billion. There has been a concomitant growth in the publications in learned journals. About 1.4 million papers are published every year in an estimated 20,000 journals. In India there are an estimated 100 journals in medical sciences. With a steady increase of about 10% every year, the competition for grants, awards, rewards etc., is fierce. This unrelenting increase in number of scientists and the resultant competition, the limitation of peer review was felt. A search was on for new quantifiable measures for informed decision making for funding, awards, rewards, etc. Now virtually all major decisions all over the world are based on some data linked to publications and/or citations. The concept of citations as tool for 'evaluating' science was first proposed by Eugene Garfield in 1955. The availability of Science Citation Index (SCI), Journal Citation Reports (JCR), Web of Science etc. and the relative ease with which they could be used (and abused) has spawned an entirely new area bibliometrics/scientometrics. As only a limited number of journals could be included in the Thomson Reuters (TR) databases (currently numbering about 10500), analyses based on such a limited dataset (also selected in a non-transparent way by the TR) has been widely and severely criticized by both the developed and developing countries. Yet, studies have shown that citation-based data and indicators (warts and all) could still be put to productive use for purposes of evaluation (as scientists just love numbers). There were simultaneous efforts to find alternative indicators using the TR databases, and through other innovative methods. Some of these include Google Scholar, PageRank, H-index, Y-factor, Faculty of 1000, Eigen Factor etc. The advantages and limitations of these indices are discussed. There is a need for a more critical look at these parameters from the Indian perspective to compute/ device/adapt these measures to suit our needs. There are 205 journals under the category Physiology and 201 in the Pharmacology category listed in the JCR. There are four major Indian journals under the category of Physiology and Pharmacology and none of them are listed in the TR databases reflecting the limitation of these databases. Eventually, and in the long run, the quality of our journals needs to be improved as the current era of globalization and web-access provides both a challenge and an oppportunity for the science and scientific journals published from India to get increased global visibility.

Molecular docking analysis of potential compounds from an Indian medicinal soup "kabasura kudineer" extract with IL-6.

The use of "kabasura kudineer" (liquid soup made from Indian medicinal plants) for combating COVID-19 has been common in the states of Tamilnadu and Puducherry, India during the pandemic. Therefore, it is of interest to document the molecular docking analysis of IL-6 inhibitors with potential antiviral compounds from "kabasura kudineer" extract. We show the optimal binding features of gallic acid and luteolin with the Interleukin-6 protein for further consideration.

Extensive junctional diversity of rearranged human T cell receptor delta genes.

The human T cell receptor delta (TCR delta) gene encodes one component of the TCR gamma delta-CD3 complex found on subsets of peripheral blood and thymic T cells. Human TCR delta diversity was estimated by characterizing rearrangements in TCR gamma delta cell lines and determining the structures of complementary DNA clones representing functional and nonfunctional transcripts in these cell lines. One V delta segment and one J delta segment were identified in all functional transcripts, although a distinct J delta segment was identified in a truncated transcript. Further, one D delta element was identified, and evidence for the use of an additional D delta element was obtained. Thus human TCR delta genes appear to use a limited number of germline elements. However, the apparent use of two D delta elements in tandem coupled with imprecise joining and extensive incorporation of N nucleotides generates unprecedented variability in the junctional region.

Poverty, health & intellectual property rights with special reference to India.

This paper examines the nexus between poverty and global health with specific focus on IPR protection and attempts to highlight the current global endeavours to overcome barriers to access to medicines for diseases of the poor. The number of very poor people in the world has increased by 10.4 per cent between 1987 and 2001 to 2735 million. India is now home to the largest number of millionaires in the developing countries. But over 800 million Indians who still survive on Rs 20.0 (US$0.5) a day, and rural poverty is on the rise. The link between poverty and health is well established with the underprivileged are more vulnerable to major health risks due to poor nutrition, inadequate access to clean drinking water, sanitation, exposure to indoor smoke, etc. all of which contribute to the huge and growing burden of disease in the poor countries. The global disease burden is not just huge but growing: over 10 million children die of preventable conditions including vaccine-preventable diseases, about 14 million are killed by infectious diseases every year, 90-95 per cent in poor countries. An estimated third of global population has limited or no access to essential medicines. While the number of poor and unhealthy is growing, Government expenditure on health is dwindling. Many of the diseases of the poor require new medicines and none are forthcoming as there is little R&D for these infections. There are several barriers to access to existing and the newly discovered drugs. One major reason is the general lack of interest by the pharma industry to discover new medicines for diseases of the poor due to very limited market in developing countries. In addition, global intellectual property rights (IPR) protection regimes like the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) are considered a major obstacle for the poor access to medicines. There have been some global initiatives on the need to improve affordability and accessibility of medicines. Some strategies to promote R&D on diseases of the poor such as Prize Fund Model, the Medical R&D Treaty and steps to invoke flexibilities in TRIPS read with Doha Declaration are discussed. Health of the poor is a global problem that requires global solutions with global participation and commitment.

Impurity profile study of dutasteride.

During the process development of dutasteride in the laboratory analysis showed some impurity peaks in HPLC ranging from 0.05 to 0.1%. The same samples were analyzed by LCMS method and identified peak at m/z 508 (desmethyl dutasteride), 530 (dihydro dutasteride) and 528 (isomer of dutasteride). These impurities were synthesized individually and characterized based on the spectroscopic data (HPLC, IR, NMR and MS). The structures of these impurities were 17beta-N-[2,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl]carbamoyl-3-hydroxyl-4-azaestra-1,3,5,7,9-pentaene (desmethyl of dutasteride 2), 17beta-N-[2,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbamoyl-4-aza-5alpha-androstane-3-one (dihydro impurity of dutasteride 3), and 17beta-N-[2,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl] carbamoyl-4-aza-5beta-androst-1-ene-3-one (beta-isomer of dutasteride 4), respectively. The formation and synthesis of dutasteride impurities are discussed.

MONO, DI and TRI SSRs data extraction & storage from 1403 virus genomes with next generation retrieval mechanism.

Now a day׳s SSRs occupy the dominant role in different areas of bio-informatics like new virus identification, DNA finger printing, paternity & maternity identification, disease identification, future disease expectations and possibilities etc., Due to their wide applications in various fields and their significance, SSRs have been the area of interest for many researchers. In the SSRs extraction, retrieval algorithms are used; if retrieval algorithms quality is improved then automatically SSRs extraction system will achieve the most relevant results. For this retrieval purpose in this paper a new retrieval mechanism is proposed which will extracted the MONO, DI and TRI patterns. To extract the MONO, DI and TRI patterns using proposed retrieval mechanism in this paper, DNA sequence of 1403 virus genome data sets are considered and different MONO, DI and TRI patterns are searched in the data genome sequence file. The proposed Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) retrieval mechanism extracted the MONO, DI and TRI patterns without missing anything. It is observed that the retrieval mechanism reduces the unnecessary comparisons. Finally the extracted SSRs provide the useful, single view and useful resource to researchers.

Evaluation of PCR-based methods for isolating flanking regions of genes.

Several polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods are available for isolation of unknown genomic fragments. In the present study, a comparative evaluation of a few methods of ligation-mediated PCR methods and a ligation-independent one were made by isolating promoter fragment for N-methyltransferase gene involved in the caffeine biosynthetic pathway of Coffea canephora. The benefits of tertiary PCR and the effects of a 4-base cutting restriction endonuclease on the size of the PCR products obtained were demonstrated in one of the ligation-mediated PCR methods. The methods adopted in this study differed in the sizes of the 5'-flanking regions obtained. The efficiencies of various methods used reflect the inherent limitations of the PCR-based methods for isolation of unknown flanking regions.