Transcriptome scale analysis to decode the differential sucrose accumulation mechanisms in sugarcane under the effect of gibberellin.

In the present study, we analyzed GA3 (gibberellin)-treated sugarcane samples at the transcriptomic level to elucidate the differential expression of genes that influence sucrose accumulation. Previous research has suggested that GA3 application can potentially delay sink saturation by enhancing sink strength and demand, enabling the accommodation of more sucrose. To investigate the potential role of GA-induced modification of sink capacity in promoting higher sucrose accumulation, we sought to unravel the differential expression of transcripts and analyze their functional annotation. Several genes homologous to the sugar-phosphate/phosphate translocator, UTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, and V-ATPases (vacuolar-type H+ ATPase) were identified as potentially associated with the increased sucrose content observed. A differentially expressed transcript was found to be identical to the mRNA of an unknown protein. Homology-based bioinformatics analysis suggested it to be a hydrolase enzyme, which could potentially act as a stimulator of sucrose buildup. The database of differentially expressed transcripts obtained in this study under the influence of GA3 represents a valuable addition to the sugarcane transcriptomics and functional genomics knowledge base.

Emerging role of tumor suppressing microRNAs as therapeutics in managing non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) is the second leading cause of death across the globe after breast cancer. There are two types of LC viz. small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all LC cases. NSCLC affects smokers and people who do not smoke and mainly arises in bronchi and peripheral lungs tissue. LC is often characterized by the alterations of key genes such as EGFR, Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, ALK, MET, K-Ras and p53 and downstream signaling pathways associated with tumor growth, differentiation, and survival. Numerous miRNAs have been discovered as a result of advances in biotechnology to treat LC. Various miRNAs those have been identified to treat LC include mir-Let7, mir-34a, mir-134, mir-16-1, mir-320a, mir-148a, mir-125a-5p, mir-497, mir-29, mir-133a, and mir-29a-3p. These miRNAs target various signaling pathways that are involved in pathogenesis of LC. However, due to rapid RNAse degradation, quick clearance, and heat instability, associated with necked miRNA leads to less effective therapeutic effect against LC. Therefore, to overcome these challenges nanocarrier loaded with miRNAs have been reported. They have been found promising because they have the capacity to target the tumor as well as they can penetrate the tumors deep due to nanometer size. Some of the clinical trials have been performed using miR-34a and let-7 for the treatment of LC. In the present manuscript we highlight the role miRNAs as well as their nanoparticle in tumor suppression.

HCMV miR-UL70-3p downregulates the rapamycin-induced autophagy by targeting the autophagy-related protein 9A (ATG9A).

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a representative ß-herpesvirus that establishes persistent infections in humans, and exhibits high seropositivity rates in adults. It has co-evolved with its human host and employs various strategies to evade antiviral mechanisms by utilizing a significant portion of its genome. HCMV-encoded proteins and miRNAs have been implicated in regulating these mechanisms, enabling viral survival within the human body. During viral infections, autophagy, a conserved catabolic process essential for cellular homeostasis, acts as an antiviral defense mechanism. Multiple studies have reported that HCMV can modulate autophagy through its proteins and miRNAs, thereby influencing its survival within the host. In this study, we showed the potential involvement of HCMV miRNAs in cellular autophagy. We employed various bioinformatic tools to predict putative HCMV miRNAs that target autophagy-related genes and their corresponding cellular autophagy genes. Our results show that the 3'UTR of autophagy-related genes, including ATG9A, ATG9B, ATG16L2, SQSTM1, and EIF2AK2, harbors potential binding sites for hcmv-miR-UL70-3p. Experimental manipulation involving ectopic expression of hcmv-miR-UL70-3p demonstrated a significant reduction in rapamycin-induced autophagy, with ATG9A as its functional target. These findings establish that hcmv-miR-UL70-3p acts as an autophagy inhibitor by suppressing the expression of ATG9A.

India's Opportunity to Address Human Resource Challenges in Healthcare.

India's health indicators have improved in recent times but continue to lag behind those of its peer nations. The country with a population of 1.3 billion, has an estimated active health workers density of doctors and nurses/midwives of 5.0 and 6.0 respectively, for 10,000 persons, which is much lower than the WHO threshold of 44.5 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 10,000 population. The issue is compounded by the skewed inter-state, urban-rural, and public-private sector divide. Calls to urgently augment the skilled health workforce reinforce the central role human resources have in healthcare, which has evolved into a complex multifactorial issue. The paucity of skilled personnel must be addressed if India is to accelerate its progress toward achieving universal health coverage and its sustainable development goals (SDGs). The recent increase in the federal health budget offers an unprecedented opportunity to do this. This article utilizes the ready materials, extract and analyze data, distill findings (READ) approach to adding to the authors' experiential learning to analyze the health system in India. The growing divide between the public and the burgeoning private health sector systems, with the latter's booming medical tourism industry and medical schools, are analyzed along with the newly minted National Medical Council, to recommend policies that would help India achieve its SDGs.

Mitigation of arsenic toxicity in rice by the co-inoculation of arsenate reducer yeast with multifunctional arsenite oxidizing bacteria.

The study aimed to explicate the role of microbial co-inoculants for the mitigation of arsenic (As) toxicity in rice. Arsenate (AsV) reducer yeast Debaryomyces hansenii NBRI-Sh2.11 (Sh2.11) with bacterial strains of different biotransformation potential was attempted to develop microbial co-inoculants. An experiment to test their efficacy (yeast and bacterial strains) on plant growth and As uptake was conducted under a stressed condition of 20 mg kg-1 of arsenite (AsIII). A combination of Sh2.11 with an As(III)-oxidizer, Citrobacter sp. NBRI-B5.12 (B5.12), resulted in ∼90% decrease in grain As content as compared to Sh2.11 alone (∼40%). Reduced As accumulation in rice roots under co-treated condition was validated with SEM-EDS analysis. Enhanced As expulsion in the selected combination under in vitro conditions was found to be correlated with higher As content in the soil during their interaction with plants. Selected co-inoculant mediated enhanced nutrient uptake in association with better production of indole acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA) in shoot, support microbial co-inoculant mediated better biomass under stressful condition. Boosted defense response in association with enhanced glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR), activities under in vitro and in vivo conditions were observed. These results indicated that the As(III) oxidizer-B5.12 accelerated the As detoxification property of the As(V) reducer-Sh2.11. Henceforth, the results confer that the coupled reduction-oxidation process of the co-inoculant reduces the accumulation of As in rice grain. These co-inoculants can be further developed for field trials to achieve higher biomass with alleviated As toxicity in rice.

Papaya Leaf Curl Virus (PaLCuV) Infection on Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Plants Alters Anatomical and Physiological Properties and Reduces Bioactive Components.

Papaya leaves are used frequently for curing scores of ailments. The medicinal properties of papaya leaves are due to presence of certain bioactive/pharmacological compounds. However, the papaya leaf curl virus (PaLCuV), a geminivirus, is a major threat to papaya cultivation globally. During the present investigation, we observed that PaLCuV infection significantly altered the anatomy, physiology, and bioactive properties of papaya leaves. As compared to healthy leaves, the PaLCuV-infected leaves were found to have reduced stomatal density (76.83%), stomatal conductance (78.34%), photosynthesis rate (74.87%), water use efficiency (82.51%), chlorophyll (72.88%), carotenoid (46.63%), osmolality (48.55%), and soluble sugars (70.37%). We also found lower enzymatic activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT)-56.88%, 85.27%, and 74.49%, respectively). It was found that the size of guard cells (50%), transpiration rate (45.05%), intercellular CO2 concentration (47.81%), anthocyanin (27.47%), proline content (74.17%), malondialdehyde (MDA) (106.65%), and electrolyte leakage (75.38%) was elevated in PaLCuV-infected leaves. The chlorophyll fluorescence analysis showed that the infected plant leaves had a significantly lower value of maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII (Fv/Fm), photochemical quantum yield of photosystem I (PSI (Y(I)), and effective quantum yield of PSII (Y(II)). However, in non-photochemical quenching mechanisms, the proportion of energy dissipated in heat form (Y(NPQ)) was found to be significantly higher. We also tested the bioactivity of infected and healthy papaya leaf extracts on a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model system. It was found that the crude extract of papaya leaves significantly enhanced the life span of C. elegans (29.7%) in comparison to virus-infected leaves (18.4%) on application of 100 µg/mL dose of the crude extract. Our research indicates that the PaLCuV-infected leaves not only had anatomical and physiological losses, but that pharmacological potential was also significantly decreased.

Vitamin D and family history of hypertension in relation to hypertension status among college students.

Hypertension and vitamin D concentrations have heritable components, although these factors remain uninvestigated in young adults. The objective of this study was to investigate hypertension risk among young adults with respect to family history of hypertension, adjusting for vitamin D status. Resting blood pressure (BP) was measured in 398 individuals aged 18-35 and classified according to the 2017 American Heart Association criteria. Plasma vitamin D metabolite (25(OH)D3; 24,25(OH)2D3; 1,25(OH)2D3) concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Stepwise logistic regression was used to select covariates. Participants' mean age was 21, 30.3% had hypertension, and nearly all unaware of their hypertensive status (90.7%). Compared with no parental history, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for hypertension was elevated among participants with two parents having hypertension (AOR = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.70-11.76), adjusting for sex, body mass index, physical activity, and plasma 25(OH)D3. Results for systolic hypertension (SH) were similar but more extreme (two parents AOR = 7.1, 95% CI: 2.82, 17.66), although dihydroxy metabolites (1,25(OH)2D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3) were significant. There was a strong, independent association with dual parental history and hypertension status, regardless of vitamin D status. Hypertension was prevalent in nearly one-third of the sample and underscores the need for targeted prevention for young adults.

Human Cytomegalovirus miR-UL70-3p Downregulates the H2O2-Induced Apoptosis by Targeting the Modulator of Apoptosis-1 (MOAP1).

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a prototypic beta herpesvirus, causing persistent infections in humans. There are medications that are used to treat the symptoms; however, there is no cure yet. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms of HCMV replication and its persistence may reveal new prevention strategies. HCMV evasive strategies on the antiviral responses of the human host largely rely on its significant portion of genome. Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of miRNA-mediated regulation of apoptosis, which is an innate immune mechanism that eradicates virus-infected cells. In this study, we explore the antiapoptotic role of hcmv-miR-UL70-3p in HEK293T cells. We establish that hcmv-miR-UL70-3p targets the proapoptotic gene Modulator of Apoptosis-1 (MOAP1) through interaction with its 3'UTR region of mRNA. The ectopic expression of hcmv-miR-UL70-3p mimic significantly downregulates the H2O2-induced apoptosis through the translational repression of MOAP1. Silencing of MOAP1 through siRNA also inhibits the H2O2-induced apoptosis, which further supports the hcmv-miR-UL70-3p mediated antiapoptotic effect by regulating MOAP1 expression. These results uncover a role for hcmv-miR-UL70-3p and its target MOAP1 in regulating apoptosis.

Sonographic Evaluation of Subclinical Enthesopathy in Patients of Chronic Plaque Psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is associated with spondyloarthropathy in 10%-30% of cases. Enthesitis is major feature of psoriatic arthritis. Ultrasonography can detect subclinical entheseal abnormalities in psoriasis patients. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of subclinical enthesopathy in psoriasis vulgaris using ultrasonography and evaluating its correlation with severity and duration of psoriasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 50 patients of psoriasis vulgaris and 50 healthy controls. Sonographic evaluation of six sites bilaterally (proximal plantar fascia, distal Achilles tendon, distal and proximal patellar ligaments, distal quadriceps, and brachial triceps tendons) were done in each subject. All Ultrasonographic findings were identified according to MASEI (Madrid sonography enthesitis index). Enthesopathy scores of patients and controls were compared and receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine cut off value of MASEI, above which ultrasound enthesitis of clinical significance could be diagnosed. RESULTS: 31 (62%) psoriasis patients had subclinical enthesopathy of clinical significance as compared to only 5 (10%) of controls. Mean MASEI score between psoriasis cases and control was statistically different, 12.72 ± 7.55 (Mean ± SD) and (5.14 ± 4.69), respectively (P value 0.000001).The receiver operating characteristic curve established an ultrasound score of >11 as the best cut-off to differentiate between subject with enthesopathy of clinical significance from those with enthesopathy of unknown significance. No statistically significant correlation was found between the degree of enthesopathy (MASEI score) and duration and severity of the psoriasis. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography can effectively screen subclinical entheseal abnormalities in psoriasis patients.

Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina: Report of two rare cases.

We hereby present two rare cases of primary malignant melanoma of vagina in women aged 65 and 50 years, respectively. At the time of presentation, the disease in both cases was locally advanced and subsequently metastasized to distant organs.

Congenital Absence of Unilateral Internal Carotid Artery with an Intracerebral Aneurysm.

The absence of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare congenital anomaly. Diagnosis of this entity is important because of its association with the cerebral aneurysm and also indicated during planned carotid or transsphenoidal surgery in thromboembolic disease and in the surveillance and detection of associated cerebral aneurysms. We report a case of congenital absence of unilateral ICA with associated cerebral aneurysm of the anterior cerebral artery.

Application of four novel fungal strains to remove arsenic from contaminated water in batch and column modes.

Immobilized biomass of novel indigenous fungal strains FNBR_3, FNBR_6, FNBR_13, and FNBR_19 were evaluated for arsenic (As) removal from aqueous solution. Alginate beads containing 0.1 g biomass were used in a batch experiment (200 mg l-1 As; pH 6). Biosorption equilibrium established in first 2 h with As adsorption (mg g-1) as 70, 68, 113 and 90 by FNBR_3, FNBR_6, FNBR_13 and FNBR_19, respectively. The equilibrium was fitted to the Langmuir model (r2 = 0. 90-0.97). The absorption kinetic followed the pseudo second order. Changes in the surface of fungal cells and intracellular As-uptake by fungal biomass were also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy combined with X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer. The presence of different functional groups on fungal cells capable of As-binding was investigated by FTIR. The As-removal by immobilized fungal beads tested in the packed columns also. The As-adsorption by biomass (qe as mg g-1) were recorded as 59.5 (FNBR_3 and FNBR_6), 74.8 (FNBR_13), and 66.3 (FNBR_19) in the column and validated by Thomas model. This is the first report concerning the arsenic removal by immobilized biomass of these novel fungal strains from aqueous solution both in batch and column studies with a prospect of their further industrial application.

Association of tomato leaf curl Gujarat virus and tomato leaf curl Bangladesh betasatellite on papaya showing typical leaf curl symptoms in North India.

Papaya leaf curl is an economically important disease occurring in papaya growing tropical and subtropical areas. Papaya leaf curl virus, a begomovirus, is the main causative agent for the disease, but many other begomoviruses as well as betasatellites have also been reported on papaya leaf curl disease. Rapidly evolving host range of begomoviruses is a major issue for developing successful resistance strategies against begomoviral infection considering their expanding host range and mixed infection. In our study, we have identified the presence of begomovirus and associated satellite molecule on papaya showing severe leaf curl symptoms in Lucknow, India. Analysis of complete DNA-A component of this isolate (MG757245) revealed the highest similarity (91%) with tomato leaf curl Gujarat virus (ToLCuGuV), while sequence data of betasatellite (MG478451) showed maximum (89%) identity with tomato leaf curl Bangladesh betasatellite (ToLCuBB). This is the first report on identification of ToLCuGuV and ToLCuBB coinfecting papaya plants in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (India).

Enhanced micropropagation and tiller formation in sugarcane through pretreatment of explants with thidiazuron (TDZ).

An efficient, simple and commercially applicable protocol for rapid micropropagation of sugarcane has been designed using variety Co 05011. Pretreatment of shoot tip explants with thidiazuron (TDZ) induced high frequency regeneration of shoot cultures with improved multiplication ratio. The highest frequency (80%) of shoot initiation in explants pretreated with 10 mg/l of TDZ was obtained during the study. Maximum 65% shoot cultures could be established from the explants pretreated with TDZ as compared to minimum 40% establishment in explants without pretreatment. The explants pretreated with 10 mg/l of TDZ required minimum 40 days for the establishment of shoot cultures as compared to untreated explants which required 60 days. The highest average number of shoots per culture (19.1) could be obtained from the explants pretreated with 10 mg/l of TDZ, indicating the highest multiplication ratio (1:6). Highest rooting (over 94%) was obtained in shoots regenerated from pretreated explants on ½ strength MS medium containing 5.0 mg/l of NAA and 50 g/l of sucrose within 15 days. Higher number of tillers/clump (15.3) could be counted in plants regenerated from pretreated explants than untreated ones (10.9 tillers/clump) in field condition, three months after transplantation. Molecular analysis using RAPD and DAMD markers suggested that the pretreatment of explants with TDZ did not adversely affect the genetic stability of regenerated plants and maintained high clonal purity.

Inguinoscrotal hernia in infants: Three case reports in ultrasound diagnosis.

An inguinal hernia occurs when an intestinal loop or part of the omentum or genital organs passes into the scrotal cavity or labia through an incompletely obliterated processus vaginalis. Inguinal hernias are most common in preterm neonates, especially at 32-weeks gestation. Content of hernia is mostly bowel and ovary/testicles. Presence of uterus in herniated sac is rare, and only few cases are reported in literature. Hernia is more frequently located on the right side because the right processus vaginalis closes later than the left. Physical examination is sufficient to enable diagnosis in most cases. Ultrasound examination is indicated in patients with inconclusive physical findings, in patients with acute scrotum, and to investigate contralateral involvement in patients in whom only a unilateral hernia is clinically evident. Routinely, color or power Doppler imaging is used in inguinal-scrotal hernia to investigate intestinal and testicular/ovarian perfusion. Urgent surgery is indicated in patients with an akinetic dilated bowel loop (a sign of strangulation) or impaired testicular/ovarian perfusion.

A molecular insight into papaya leaf curl-a severe viral disease.

Papaya leaf curl disease (PaLCuD) caused by papaya leaf curl virus (PaLCuV) not only affects yield but also plant growth and fruit size and quality of papaya and is one of the most damaging and economically important disease. Management of PaLCuV is a challenging task due to diversity of viral strains, the alternate hosts, and the genomic complexities of the viruses. Several management strategies currently used by plant virologists to broadly control or eliminate the viruses have been discussed. In the absence of such strategies in the case of PaLCuV at present, the few available options to control the disease include methods like removal of affected plants from the field, insecticide treatments against the insect vector (Bemisia tabaci), and gene-specific control through transgenic constructs. This review presents the current understanding of papaya leaf curl disease, genomic components including satellite DNA associated with the virus, wide host and vector range, and management of the disease and suggests possible generic resistance strategies.