A hospital-based study of survival in oral cancer patients of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

Introduction: Oral cancer represents a significant global public health concern, with the death rate for lip and oral cavity malignancies experiencing a 1.40-fold increase worldwide in the past three decades. This retrospective study aimed to comprehensively understand overall survival (OS) and the influence of sociodemographic and clinical factors on patients diagnosed with oral cavity cancer. Materials and methods: The study focused on oral cancer patients enrolled in 2016 and treated at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, with a follow-up period extending to 5 years until 2021. Utilising the Kaplan-Meier technique and log-rank test, we examined OS and variations based on sociodemographic factors, while the Cox proportional hazard model allowed us to investigate the simultaneous impact of multiple factors on OS. Results: A total of 1,895 eligible participants were included. The overall 5-year survival rate was 65%. After adjusting for age, gender, education, primary site, tumour grade, TNM staging, treatment intention, status and modality, we found in our study oral cancer patients aged more than 60 years (HR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.01-1.85, p-value 0.03), patients who had poorly differentiated carcinoma (HR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.56-3.81, p-value < 0.001), belonged to stage IV as per TNM staging (HR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.65-3.61, p-value < 0.001), patient who have received partial treatment (HR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.65-3.61, p-value < 0.001) and only chemotherapy (HR = 3.56, 95% CI: 2.43-5.23, p-value < 0.001) found to have a higher hazard of dying while literate (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56-0.95, p-value 0.02) are protective. Limitations: The retrospective nature of the study posed constraints in exploring additional variable associations. Implication: Overall early detection, appropriate treatment, and regular follow-up are critical for improving the survival rate of patients with oral cavity cancer. Conclusion: This research proposes that improving the socioeconomic status and promoting proactive treatment-seeking behaviour is crucial for enhancing the survival of oral cancer patients. Cancer hospitals, in collaboration with the wider public healthcare system in India, which includes clinicians and policymakers, should consider these suggestions to enhance cancer treatment and control in low-middle-income countries.

Highly Stable MWCNT@NVP Composite as a Cathode Material for Na-Ion Batteries.

A 3D framework with Nasicon structured polyanionic Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) has been emphasized as a leading cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high working voltage plateau, structural stability, and good rate performance. Herein, pristine NVP and MWCNT@NVP composite synthesized via a facile solid-state method are examined and compared as cathode materials for Na-ion batteries. The morphological study confirms the uniform distribution of MWCNTs in the pristine NVP structure. Impedance spectroscopy clearly confirms more diffusion of Na ions for the MWCNT@NVP composite as compared to pristine NVP, considering its diffusion coefficient which directly implies on an increase in specific capacity. MWCNT@NVP (FNV-2) showed specific discharge capacity 110 mAhg-1 at 0.1C current rate which is almost stable at higher current rates with marginal fading. However, the pristine NVP shows capacity loss at a higher current rate. It is noteworthy that the MWCNT@NVP composite shows stable performance with marginal specific capacity fading (1%) compared to pristine (15%). This is because of the mechanical integrity and stability afforded to the composite by the intertwined MWCNT framework in the MWCNT@NVP composite matrix against electrode degradation during the electrochemical reaction. More significantly, even at a higher current rate, that is, at 10 C, the composite recorded a very stable and excellent Columbic efficiency of 97% with a reversible specific capacity of 94 mAhg-1 after 2000 cycles. An enhanced electrochemical performance, that is, rate capability and cycling stability, demonstrates the high potential of the MWCNT@NVP composite for Na-ion storage. Moreover, a sodium-ion full cell with hard carbon demonstrated a reversible capacity of 103 mAhg-1 at C/20 current rate, which clearly demonstrates that MWCNT@NVP is a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries.

Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) supports survival and reproduction in starving rhizobia.

The carbon that rhizobia in root nodules receive from their host powers both N(2) fixation, which mainly benefits the host, and rhizobium reproduction. Rhizobia also store energy in the lipid poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), which may enhance rhizobium survival when they are carbon limited, either in nodules or in the soil between hosts. There can be a conflict of interest between rhizobia and legumes over the rate of PHB accumulation, due to a metabolic tradeoff between N(2) fixation and PHB accumulation. To quantify the benefits of PHB to carbon-limited rhizobia, populations of genetically uniform rhizobia with high vs. low PHB (confirmed by flow cytometry) were generated by fractionating Sinorhizobium meliloti via density gradient centrifugation, and also by harvesting cells at early vs. late stationary phase. These rhizobia were starved for 165 days. PHB use during starvation was highly predictive of both initial reproduction and long-term population maintenance. Cultured S. meliloti accumulated enough PHB to triple their initial population size when starved, and to persist for c. 150 days before the population fell below its initial value. During the first 21 days of nodule growth, undifferentiated S. meliloti within alfalfa nodules accumulated enough PHB to support significant increases in reproduction and survival during starvation.

Novel transcriptome patterns accompany evolutionary restoration of defective social development in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus.

Evolutionary trait losses can be restored by direct reversion or by compensatory pathways. Upon starvation, the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus develops into spore-bearing fruiting bodies, but this ability can be rapidly lost during evolution. Some developmentally defective strains of M. xanthus "cheat" on proficient strains during development by superior sporulation in mixed cultures. Here, we examine transcriptomic patterns accompanying the evolution of a cheater (obligate cheater [OC]) to a developmentally competent strain (PX) by a single mutation. Using quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction analysis of 5 genes essential for development, we initially show that restoration of development in strain PX was associated with increased expression of 4 of these genes, not only relative to OC but also relative to the developmentally proficient ancestor of both OC and PX (wild type [WT]). Global transcriptome analyses showed further that developmental expression of well more than 100 genes differ significantly between PX and the proficient WT ancestor. Moreover, the expression profile of PX was found to differ from that of WT more than does that of the defective intermediate strain OC. These results show that the restoration of a complex trait is accompanied by novel expression patterns across a large number and wide variety of genes, rather than by a large-scale return to ancestral expression patterns.

Evolution of an obligate social cheater to a superior cooperator.

Obligate relationships have evolved many times and can be parasitic or mutualistic. Obligate organisms rely on others to survive and thus coevolve with their host or partner. An important but little explored question is whether obligate status is an evolutionarily terminal condition or whether obligate lineages can evolve back to an autonomous lifestyle. The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus survives starvation by the social development of spore-bearing fruiting bodies. Some M. xanthus genotypes defective at fruiting body development in isolation can nonetheless exploit proficient genotypes in chimaeric groups. Here we report an evolutionary transition from obligate dependence on an altruistic host to an autonomous mode of social cooperation. This restoration of social independence was caused by a single mutation of large effect that confers fitness superiority over both ancestral genotypes, including immunity from exploitation by the ancestral cheater. Thus, a temporary state of obligate cheating served as an evolutionary stepping-stone to a novel state of autonomous social dominance.