Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles employing hamdard joshanda extract: putative antimicrobial potential against gram positive and gram negative bacteria.

The bio-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles offers a sustainable and eco-friendly approach. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using Joshanda extract, a commercially available herbal formulation derived from a traditional medicinal plant, as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The as-synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) study, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. UV-Vis spectroscopy exhibited a prominent absorption peak at 430 nm, confirming the formation of AgNPs. DLS analysis revealed the size distribution of the nanoparticles, ranging from 80 to 100 nm, and zeta potential measurements indicated a surface charge of - 14.4 mV. The XRD analysis provide evidence for the presence of a face-centered cubic structure within the silver nanoparticles. FTIR analysis further elucidated the interaction of bioactive compounds from the Joshanda extract with the AgNPs' surface. Strong peaks at 765-829 cm-1 indicated C-Cl stretching vibrations of alkyl halides, while the stretching of alkenes C=C was observed at 1641 cm-1. Moreover, the presence of alcohols and phenol (OH) groups was identified at 3448 cm-1, suggesting their involvement in nanoparticle stabilization. The antimicrobial potential of the synthesized AgNPs was evaluated against both gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and gram-positive Streptococcus mutans using zone of inhibition assays. The AgNPs exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects against both types of bacteria. Additionally, AgNPs-treated groups demonstrated a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, indicating potential of as-synthesized AgNPs in disruption of the target microbial membranes. Furthermore, the as-synthesized AgNPs exhibited notable anti-biofilm properties by effectively hindering the development of mature biofilms. This study highlights the efficient green synthesis of AgNPs using Joshanda extract and also provides insights into their physico-chemical properties of as-synthesized nanoparticles. The demonstrated antimicrobial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, along with biofilm inhibition potential, underscores the promising applications of the as-synthesized AgNPs in the field of biomedical and environmental sciences. The study bridges traditional knowledge with contemporary nanotechnology, offering a novel avenue for the development of eco-friendly antimicrobial agents.

Isolated cardiac cysticercosis of the right ventricle.

Cardiac cysticercosis is a rarely encountered form of cysticercosis, caused by the larval cyst of tapeworm (Taenia solium). It commonly affects the central nervous system; however, systematic involvement has been reported as well. We describe a case of isolated cardiac cysticercosis incidentally discovered in a 16-year-old female undergoing surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect (VSD), with no prior history of parasitic infestation. Our objective is to highlight the importance of cardiac cysticercosis as a differential finding in epicardial cystic masses which may be missed or misinterpreted on imagining modalities and to the limited literature on this particular rate manifestation of cysticercosis.

BMP signaling: A significant player and therapeutic target for osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the significance of BMP signaling in osteoarthritis (OA) etiology, and thereafter propose a disease-modifying therapy for OA. METHODS: To examine the role of the BMP signaling in pathogenesis of OA, an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection (ACLT) surgery was performed to incite OA in C57BL/6J mouse line at postnatal day 120 (P120). Thereafter, to investigate whether activation of BMP signaling is necessary and sufficient to induce OA, we have used conditional gain- and loss-of-function mouse lines in which BMP signaling can be activated or depleted, respectively, upon intraperitoneal injection of tamoxifen. Finally, we locally inhibited BMP signaling through intra-articular injection of LDN-193189 pre- and post-onset surgically induced OA. The majority of the investigation has been conducted using micro-CT, histological staining, and immuno histochemistry to assess the disease etiology. RESULTS: Upon induction of OA, depletion of SMURF1-an intra-cellular BMP signaling inhibitor in articular cartilage coincided with the activation of BMP signaling, as measured by pSMAD1/5/9 expression. In mouse articular cartilage, the BMP gain-of-function mutation is sufficient to induce OA even without surgery. Further, genetic, or pharmacological BMP signaling suppression also prevented pathogenesis of OA. Interestingly, inflammatory indicators were also significantly reduced upon LDN-193189 intra-articular injection which inhibited BMP signaling and slowed OA progression post onset. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that BMP signaling is crucial to the etiology of OA and inhibiting BMP signaling locally can be a potent strategy for alleviating OA.

ß Pore-forming Protein-based Evolutionary Divergence of Gnathostomata from Agnatha.

INTRODUCTION: The first vertebrates were jawless fish, or Agnatha, whose evolution diverged into jawed fish, or Gnathostomes, around 550 million years ago. METHODS: In this study, we investigated ß PFT proteins' evolutionary divergence of lamprey immune protein from Agnatha, reportedly possessing anti-cancer activity, into Dln1 protein from Gnathostomes. Both proteins showed structural and functional divergence, and shared evolutionary origin. Primary, secondary and tertiary sequences were compared to discover functional domains and conserved motifs in order to study the evolution of these two proteins. The structural and functional information relevant to evolutionary divergence was revealed using hydrophobic cluster analysis. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate that two membrane proteins with only a small degree of sequence identity can have remarkably similar hydropathy profiles, pointing towards conserved and similar global structures. When facing the lipid bilayer or lining the pore lumen, the two proteins' aerolysin domains' corresponding residues displayed a similar and largely conserved pattern. Aerolysin-like proteins from different species can be identified using a fingerprint created by PIPSA analysis of the pore-forming protein. CONCLUSION: We were able to fully understand the mechanism of action during pore formation through structural studies of these proteins.

Recombinant expression and preliminary characterization of Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans-isomerase Rrd1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Sacchromycescerevisiae Peptidyl-prolylcis/trans-isomerase Rrd1 has been linked to DNA repair, bud morphogenesis, advancement of the G1 phase, DNA replication stress, microtubule dynamics and is also necessary for the quick decrease in Sgs1p levels in response to rapamycin. In present study, Rrd1 gene was amplified by standard PCR and subsequently cloned downstream to bacteriophage T7 inducible promoter and lac operator of expression vector pET21d(+). Additionally, immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) was used to purify the protein upto its homogeneity, and its homogeneous purity was further confirmed through western blotting. Size exclusion chromatography implies that Rrd1 is existing as monomer in its natural state. Foldwise Rrd1 protein belongs to PTPA-like protein superfamily. Rrd1 showed characteristic negative minima at 222 and 208 nm represent protein typically acquired α helix in the far-UV CD spectra. Fluorescence spectra showed properly folded tertiary structures of Rrd1 at physiological conditions. Rrd1protein can be identified from different species using a fingerprint created by PIPSA analysis. The protein's abundance could aid in its crystallization, biophysical characterization and identification of other-interacting partners of Rrd1 protein.

Association of peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase Rrd1 with C terminal domain of RNA polymerase II.

The largest subunit of RNAPII extends as the conserved unstructured heptapeptide consensus repeats Y1S2P3T4S5P6S7 and their posttranslational modification, especially the phosphorylation state at Ser2, Ser5 and Ser7 of CTD recruits different transcription factors involved in transcription. In the current study, fluorescence anisotropy, pull down assay and molecular dynamics simulation studies employed to conclude that peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans-isomerase Rrd1 has strong affinity for unphosphorylated CTD rather than phosphorylated CTD for mRNA transcription. Rrd1 preferentially interacts with unphosphorylated GST-CTD in comparison to hyperphosphorylated GST-CTD in vitro. Fluorescence anisotropy revealed that recombinant Rrd1 prefers to bind unphosphorylated CTD peptide in comparison to phosphorylated CTD peptide. In computational studies, the RMSD of Rrd1-unphosphorylated CTD complex was greater than the RMSD of Rrd1-pCTD complex. During 50 ns MD simulation run Rrd1-pCTD complex get dissociated twice viz. 20 ns to 30 ns and 40 ns to 50 ns, while Rrd1-unpCTD complex remain stable throughout the process. Additionally, the Rrd1-unphosphorylated CTD complexes acquire comparatively higher number of H-bonds, water bridges and hydrophobic interactions occupancy than Rrd1-pCTD complex, concludes that the Rrd1 interacts more strongly with the unphosphorylated CTD than the pCTD.

Cardiac synovial sarcoma masquerading as effusive constrictive pericarditis.

Primary cardiac synovial sarcoma is a rare entity, arising from the pericardium or the chambers of the heart. It presents in the 4th decade of life with a striking male predisposition. We describe an unusual case of a 22-year-old female who presented with complaints of dyspnoea on exertion, palpitations, and chest pain. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was suggestive of a cystic pericardial mass with pericardial effusion anterior and lateral to the right ventricle. Computed tomography scan (CT scan) revealed thick-walled predominantly cystic lesion over the left ventricle with gross pericardial effusion with internal septations. These findings were suggestive of an infected pericardial cyst. Upon surgery, an adherent mass in the pericardial cavity was found which was not separable from the right heart structures, the great vessels, and the left ventricle. Biopsy was taken, histopathology was suggestive of spindle cell neoplasm, and an immunohistochemistry analysis revealed Transducin-like enhancer of split 1 (TLE 1)-positive malignant spindle cell tumour likely synovial sarcoma. After surgery, the patient received serial adjuvant chemo-radiation therapy. The synovial sarcoma masqueraded as effusive constrictive pericarditis, due to which it eluded preoperative diagnosis.

Applications of Neural Network-Based Plan-Cancer Method for Primary Diagnosis of Mesothelioma Cancer.

"Malignant mesothelioma (MM)" is an uncommon although fatal form of cancer. The proper MM diagnosis is crucial for efficient therapy and has significant medicolegal implications. Asbestos is a carcinogenic material that poses a health risk to humans. One of the most severe types of cancer induced by asbestos is "malignant mesothelioma." Prolonged shortness of breath and continuous pain are the most typical symptoms of the condition. The importance of early treatment and diagnosis cannot be overstated. The combination "epithelial/mesenchymal appearance of MM," however, makes a definite diagnosis difficult. This study is aimed at developing a deep learning system for medical diagnosis MM automatically. Otherwise, the sickness might cause patients to succumb to death in a short amount of time. Various forms of artificial intelligence algorithms for successful "Malignant Mesothelioma illness" identification are explored in this research. In relation to the concept of traditional machine learning, the techniques support "Vector Machine, Neural Network, and Decision Tree" are chosen. SPSS has been used to analyze the result regarding the applications of Neural Network helps to diagnose MM.

A New Era of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-associated Protein 9 Gene Editing Technology in Cardiovascular Diseases: Opportunities, Challenges, and Perspectives.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain major causes of global mortality in the world. Genetic approaches have succeeded in the discovery of the molecular basis of an increasing number of cardiac diseases. Genome-editing strategies are one of the most effective methods for assisting therapeutic approaches. Potential therapeutic methods of correcting disease-causing mutations or of knocking out specific genes as approaches for the prevention of CVDs have gained substantial attention using genome-editing techniques. Recently, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has become the most widely used genome-editing technology in molecular biology due to its benefits such as simple design, high efficiency, good repeatability, short cycle, and cost-effectiveness. In the present review, we discuss the possibilities of applying the CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing tool in the CVDs.

Chondrocyte Hypertrophy in Osteoarthritis: Mechanistic Studies and Models for the Identification of New Therapeutic Strategies.

Articular cartilage shows limited self-healing ability owing to its low cellularity and avascularity. Untreated cartilage defects display an increased propensity to degenerate, leading to osteoarthritis (OA). During OA progression, articular chondrocytes are subjected to significant alterations in gene expression and phenotype, including a shift towards a hypertrophic-like state (with the expression of collagen type X, matrix metalloproteinases-13, and alkaline phosphatase) analogous to what eventuates during endochondral ossification. Present OA management strategies focus, however, exclusively on cartilage inflammation and degradation. A better understanding of the hypertrophic chondrocyte phenotype in OA might give new insights into its pathogenesis, suggesting potential disease-modifying therapeutic approaches. Recent developments in the field of cellular/molecular biology and tissue engineering proceeded in the direction of contrasting the onset of this hypertrophic phenotype, but knowledge gaps in the cause-effect of these processes are still present. In this review we will highlight the possible advantages and drawbacks of using this approach as a therapeutic strategy while focusing on the experimental models necessary for a better understanding of the phenomenon. Specifically, we will discuss in brief the cellular signaling pathways associated with the onset of a hypertrophic phenotype in chondrocytes during the progression of OA and will analyze in depth the advantages and disadvantages of various models that have been used to mimic it. Afterwards, we will present the strategies developed and proposed to impede chondrocyte hypertrophy and cartilage matrix mineralization/calcification. Finally, we will examine the future perspectives of OA therapeutic strategies.

Optimal Facial Feature Based Emotional Recognition Using Deep Learning Algorithm.

Humans have traditionally found it simple to identify emotions from facial expressions, but it is far more difficult for a computer system to do the same. The social signal processing subfield of emotion recognition from facial expression is used in a wide range of contexts, particularly for human-computer interaction. Automatic emotion recognition has been the subject of numerous studies, most of which use a machine learning methodology. The recognition of simple emotions like anger, happiness, contempt, fear, sadness, and surprise, however, continues to be a difficult topic in computer vision. Deep learning has recently drawn increased attention as a solution to a variety of practical issues, including emotion recognition. In this study, we improved the convolutional neural network technique to identify 7 fundamental emotions and evaluated several preprocessing techniques to demonstrate how they affected the CNN performance. This research focuses on improving facial features and expressions based on emotional recognition. By identifying or recognising facial expressions that elicit human responses, it is possible for computers to make more accurate predictions about a person's mental state and to provide more tailored responses. As a result, we examine how a deep learning technique that employs a convolutional neural network might improve the detection of emotions based on facial features (CNN). Multiple facial expressions are included in our dataset, which consists of about 32,298 photos for testing and training. The preprocessing system aids in removing noise from the input image, and the pretraining phase aids in revealing face detection after noise removal, including feature extraction. As a result, the existing paper generates the classification of multiple facial reactions like the seven emotions of the facial acting coding system (FACS) without using the optimization technique, but our proposed paper reveals the same seven emotions of the facial acting coding system.

Recombinant expression and biophysical characterization of Mrt4 protein that involved in mRNA turnover and ribosome assembly from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The mRNA turnover and ribosome assembly are facilitated by Mrt4 protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In present study, we are reporting the cloning, expression and homogeneous purification of recombinant Mrt4. Mrt4 is a 236-amino-acid-long nuclear protein that plays a very crucial role in mRNA turnover and ribosome assembly during the translation process. mrt4 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cloned in expression vector pET23a (+) under the bacteriophage T7-inducible promoter and lac operator. Furthermore, protein was purified to homogeneity using immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and its homogeneous purification was further validated by immunoblotting with anti-His antibody. The far-UV CD spectra represent that Mrt4 has a typical α helix with characteristic negative minima at 222 and 208 nm. At physiological pH, the fluorescence spectra and CD spectra showed properly folded tertiary and secondary structures of Mrt4, respectively. Saccharomyces Mrt4 protein possesses putative bipartite NLS (nuclear localization signal) at the N-terminal part followed by two well-conserved domains, rRNA-binding domains and translation factor (TF) binding domain. PIPSA analysis evaluates electrostatic interaction properties of proteins and concluded that Mrt4 protein can be used as a fingerprint for classifying Mrt4-like mRNA turnover protein from various species. The availability of an ample amount of protein may help in its biochemical and biophysical characterization, crystallization and identification of new interacting partners of Mrt4.

Clinical presentation and outcomes of chronic kidney disease patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital of Northern India during the third wave of the pandemic: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have impaired immune status; that's why these patients are prone to develop infection-related complications. The current study compares non-haemodialysis chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (NO-HD-CKD and ESRD, respectively) patient outcomes, the data of which is sparse. Methods: Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection through reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were retrospectively studied using electronic health records. Patients were divided into three categories: non-chronic kidney disease (NO-CKD), NO-HD-CKD, and ESRD, and the outcome was assessed. Results: Out of 745 patients, 92 (12.34%) had NO-HD-CKD and 31 (4.16%) had ESRD. CKD patients who were not on haemodialysis had higher rates of comorbidities and D-dimer and C-reactive protein (CRP) values compared to ESRD patients. The overall unadjusted mortality rate was found to be 17.44%, and it was 10.45% in case of NO-CKD patients, 58.69% for NO-HD-CKD patients, and 48.39% for ESRD patients. It was observed that patients having NO-HD-CKD had greater odds ratio of overall expiry in comparison to those without CKD in univariate analysis (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.31-1.91). It was not significant in fully adjusted models (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.88-1.40). Conclusions: During the third wave of COVID-19, we found higher mortality rates for cases with NO-HD-CKD and, to a lower extent, ESRD. However, patients with ESRD were observed to have good outcomes in comparison to those with NO-HD-CKD. Primary care physicians are the first point of contact for patients. Hence, it is critical for them to manage and to do proper referral of comorbid patients to higher centres.

pH and alcohol induced structural transition in Ntf2 a nuclear transport factor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ntf2 is a nuclear envelope protein, which play a pivotal role in nucleocytoplasmic transport and mediates the nuclear import of RanGDP. It interacts with various nucleoporins along with Ran-GDP and part of a multicomponent system that assembles at the nuclear pore complex (NCP) during nuclear import. Here, we have described the biophysical characterization of Ntf2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recombinant Ntf2 showed increment in the ß-sheet content as well as decrement in the α-helix content from pH-7.0 to pH-4.0. A subsequent decrease in the pH led to increment in the α-helical content along with decrement in ß-sheet content. Intrinsic fluorescence studies demonstrated the unfolding of the protein below physiological pH. Ntf2 showed stabilization as well as phenomenal phase transition (ß sheet to α helix) by increase in alcohol concentration from 10% to 70%. Further increase in alcohol concentration (90%) resulted in residual secondary structure in Ntf2 protein. Presence of ammonium sulfate also stabilizes the secondary structure of Ntf2 protein. The structural characterization reveals the flexibility and the stability of Ntf2 at various conditions. These structural alterations in Ntf2 protein probably occurs in the course of nucleocytoplasmic transport when it interacts with other proteins moving towards its final destination.

Temperature and altitude modulate feeding attributes of Mexican beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister on Parthenium hysterophorus.

Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an effective biocontrol agent of Parthenium hysterophorus L. which is an alien invasive herbaceous weed with a pan-tropical distribution. The present study aimed to assess the effects of temperature and altitude on feeding attributes (consumption rate, conversion efficiency and growth rate) of adults from the wild populations of Z. bicolorata inhabiting India and Nepal. Results revealed that adults inhabiting areas of low temperature (24°C ‒ 25°C) and high altitude (415 m ‒1400 m) were large and had higher food consumption rates. In contrast, those inhabiting areas of high temperature (34°C ‒ 36°C) and low altitude (81 m ‒ 229 m) were smaller and had higher food utilization efficiencies. In all the eco-climatic regions, females were larger than males and had higher feeding attributes than their counterparts. Temperature between 27°C and 30°C was found optimal for Z. bicolorata adults to convert and utilize the food biomass to body mass. Above the optimal temperature the feeding attributes decreased. Present results suggest that there exists a possibility for decrease in body size, and thereby weed biocontrol efficiency of Z. bicolorata adults with an increase in temperature due to global climate change.

Comparative evaluation of the effect of different crown ferrule designs on the fracture resistance of endodontically treated mandibular premolars restored with fiber posts, composite cores, and crowns: An ex-vivo study.

INTRODUCTION: In cases of severe hard tissue loss, 2 mm circumferential ferrule is difficult to achieve which leads to incorporation of different ferrule designs. AIM: To compare and evaluate the effect of different crown ferrule designs on the fracture resistance of mandibular premolars restored with fiber posts, composite cores, and crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty freshly extracted mandibular premolars were endodontically treated and divided into five groups: Group I - 2 mm circumferential ferrule above the cementoenamel junction (CEJ); Group II - 2 mm ferrule on the facial aspect above CEJ; Group III - 2 mm ferrule on the lingual aspect above CEJ; Group IV - 2 mm ferrule on the facial and lingual aspects above CEJ with interproximal concavities, and Group V - no ferrule (control group) and were later restored with fiber posts, composite cores, and crowns. Specimens were mounted on a universal testing machine, and compressive load was applied at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min until fracture occurred. RESULTS: The results showed that circumferential ferrule produced the highest mean fracture resistance and the least fracture resistance was found in the control group. CONCLUSION: Circumferential ferrule increases the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth restored with bonded post, core, and crown.

Kinetic and structural studies, origins of selectivity, and interfacial charge transfer in the artificial photosynthesis of CO.

The effective design of an artificial photosynthetic system entails the optimization of several important interactions. Herein we report stopped-flow UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, X-ray crystallographic, density functional theory (DFT), and electrochemical kinetic studies of the Re(bipy-tBu)(CO)(3)(L) catalyst for the reduction of CO(2) to CO. A remarkable selectivity for CO(2) over H(+) was observed by stopped-flow UV-vis spectroscopy of [Re(bipy-tBu)(CO)(3)](-1). The reaction with CO(2) is about 25 times faster than the reaction with water or methanol at the same concentrations. X-ray crystallography and DFT studies of the doubly reduced anionic species suggest that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) has mixed metal-ligand character rather than being purely doubly occupied d(z)(2), which is believed to determine selectivity by favoring CO(2) (σ + π) over H(+) (σ only) binding. Electrocatalytic studies performed with the addition of Brönsted acids reveal a primary H/D kinetic isotope effect, indicating that transfer of protons to Re -CO(2) is involved in the rate limiting step. Lastly, the effects of electrode surface modification on interfacial electron transfer between a semiconductor and catalyst were investigated and found to affect the observed current densities for catalysis more than threefold, indicating that the properties of the electrode surface need to be addressed when developing a homogeneous artificial photosynthetic system.