Thiazole-Based Silver Ion Sensor for Sequential Colorimetric Visualization of Epinephrine in the Brain Tissues of an Alzheimer's Disease Model of Mouse.

A thiazole-based probe, N'-((2-aminothiazol-5-yl)methylene)benzohydrazide (TBH), has been efficiently synthesized and characterized for the selective and sensitive detection of the neurotransmitter epinephrine (EP). The sensing strategy is based on the use of TBH for sequential colorimetric sensing of Ag+ and EP via in situ formation of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) from the TBH-Ag+ complex. The generated Ag NPs lead to a bathochromic shift in absorption maximum and a change in color of the solution from light brown to reddish brown. TBH-Ag+ shows remarkable selectivity toward EP versus other drugs, common cations, anions, and some biomolecules. Moreover, TBH-Ag+ has a low detection limit for EP at 1.2 nM. The coordination of TBH-Ag+ has been proposed based on Job's plot, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), 1H NMR titration, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and density functional theory (DFT) studies. The composition and morphology of the generated Ag NPs have been analyzed by XPS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The proposed sensing mechanism for EP has been supported by XPS of Ag after the reaction. Further, the sensitivity of TBH-Ag+ toward EP in brain tissues of an Alzheimer's disease model of mouse has been evaluated. A thorough comparison was done for evaluation of the proposed method.

A chromogenic diarylethene-based probe for the detection of Cu2+ in aqueous medium in Drosophila for early diagnosis of Alzheimer.

A diarylethene-based probe (Z)-N'-((2-amino-5-chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methylene)-2-hydroxy benzohydrazide (KBH) has been proficiently developed and its structure has been confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. It displays a selective and sensitive colorimetric sensing of Cu2+ ions in aqueous medium with a naked eye colour change from colourless to yellow. It exhibits a significantly low limit of detection as 1.5 nM. A plausible binding mechanism has been proposed using Job's plot, FT-IR, 1H NMR titration, HRMS and DFT studies. The chemosensor is effectively reversible and reusable with EDTA. Test strip kit and real water sample analysis have been shown to establish its practical applicability. Further, the potential of KBH for the early diagnosis of Cu2+ ion-induced amyloid toxicity has been investigated in eye imaginal disc of Alzheimer's disease model of Drosophila 3rd instar larvae. The in-vivo interaction of KBH with Cu2+ in gut tissues of Drosophila larvae establishes its sensing capability in biological system. Interestingly, the in-vivo detection of Cu2+ has been done using bright field imaging which eliminates the necessity of a fluorescent label, hence making the method highly economical.

Trajectory in biological metal-organic frameworks: Biosensing and sustainable strategies-perspectives and challenges.

The ligand attribute of biomolecules to form coordination bonds with metal ions led to the discovery of a novel class of materials called biomolecule-associated metal-organic frameworks (Bio-MOFs). These biomolecules coordinate in multiple ways and provide versatile applications. Far-spread bio-ligands include nucleobases, amino acids, peptides, cyclodextrins, saccharides, porphyrins/metalloporphyrin, proteins, etc. Low-toxicity, self-assembly, stability, designable and selectable porous size, the existence of rigid and flexible forms, bio-compatibility, and synergistic interactions between metal ions have led Bio-MOFs to be commercialized in industries such as sensors, food, pharma, and eco-sensing. The rapid growth and commercialization are stunted by absolute bio-compatibility issues, bulk morphology that makes it rigid to alter shape/porosity, longer reaction times, and inadequate research. This review elucidates the structural vitality, biocompatibility issues, and vital sensing applications, including challenges for incorporating bio-ligands into MOF. Critical innovations in Bio-MOFs' applicative spectrum, including sustainable food packaging, biosensing, insulin and phosphoprotein detection, gas sensing, CO2 capture, pesticide carriers, toxicant adsorptions, etc., have been elucidated. Emphasis is placed on biosensing and biomedical applications with biomimetic catalysis and sensitive sensor designing.

Nanobioengineered surface comprising carbon based materials for advanced biosensing and biomedical application.

Carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) are at the cutting edge of materials science. Due to their distinctive architectures, substantial surface area, favourable biocompatibility, and reactivity to internal and/or external chemico-physical stimuli, carbon-based nanomaterials are becoming more and more significant in a wide range of applications. Numerous research has been conducted and still is going on to investigate the potential uses of carbon-based hybrid materials for diverse applications such as biosensing, bioimaging, smart drug delivery with the potential for theranostic or combinatorial therapies etc. This review is mainly focused on the classifications and synthesis of various types of CNMs and their electroanalytical application for development of efficient and ultra-sensitive electrochemical biosensors for the point of care diagnosis of fatal and severe diseases at their very initial stage. This review is mainly focused on the classification, synthesis and application of carbon-based material for biosensing applications. The integration of various types of CNMs with nanomaterials, enzymes, redox mediators and biomarkers have been used discussed in development of smart biosensing platform. We have also made an effort to discuss the future prospects for these CNMs in the biosensing area as well as the most recent advancements and applications which will be quite useful for the researchers working across the globe working specially in biosensors field.

Current advancements and prospects of enzymatic and non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors.

This review discusses the most current developments and future perspectives in enzymatic and non-enzymatic glucose sensors, which have notably evolved over the preceding quadrennial period. Furthermore, a thorough exploration encompassed the sensor's intricate fabrication processes, the diverse range of materials employed, the underlying principles of detection, and an in-depth assessment of the sensors' efficacy in detecting glucose levels within essential bodily fluids such as human blood serums, urine, saliva, and interstitial fluids. It is worth noting that the accurate quantification of glucose concentrations within human blood has been effectively achieved by utilizing classical enzymatic sensors harmoniously integrated with optical and electrochemical transduction mechanisms. Monitoring glucose levels in various mediums has attracted exceptional attention from industrial to academic researchers for diabetes management, food quality control, clinical medicine, and bioprocess inspection. There has been an enormous demand for the creation of novel glucose sensors over the past ten years. Research has primarily concentrated on succeeding biocompatible and enhanced sensing abilities related to the present technologies, offering innovative avenues for more effective glucose sensors. Recent developments in wearable optical and electrochemical sensors with low cost, high stability, point-of-care testing, and online tracking of glucose concentration levels in biological fluids can aid in managing and controlling diabetes globally. New nanomaterials and biomolecules that can be used in electrochemical sensor systems to identify glucose concentration levels are developed thanks to advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Both enzymatic and non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical sensors have garnered much interest recently and have made significant strides in detecting glucose levels. In this review, we summarise several categories of non-enzymatic glucose sensor materials, including composites, non-precious transition metals and their metal oxides, hydroxides, precious metals and their alloys, carbon-based materials, conducting polymers, metal-organic framework (MOF)-based electrocatalysts, and wearable device-based glucose sensors deeply.

Exploring the Potential Applications of Engineered Borophene in Nanobiosensing and Theranostics.

A monolayer of boron known as borophene has emerged as a novel and fascinating two-dimensional (2D) material with exceptional features, such as anisotropic metallic behavior and supple mechanical and optical capabilities. The engineering of smart functionalized opto-electric 2D materials is essential to obtain biosensors or biodevices of desired performance. Borophene is one of the most emerging 2D materials, and owing to its excellent electroactive surface area, high electron transport, anisotropic behavior, controllable optical and electrochemical properties, ability to be deposited on thin films, and potential to create surface functionalities, it has recently become one of the sophisticated platforms. Despite the difficulty of production, borophene may be immobilized utilizing chemistries, be functionalized on a flexible substrate, and be controlled over electro-optical properties to create a highly sensitive biosensor system that could be used for point-of-care diagnostics. Its electrochemical properties can be tailored by using appropriate nanomaterials, redox mediators, conducting polymers, etc., which will be quite useful for the detection of biomolecules at even trace levels with a high sensitivity and less detection time. This will be quite helpful in developing biosensing devices with a very high sensitivity and with less response time. So, this review will be a crucial foundation as we have discussed the basic properties, synthesis, and potential applications of borophene in nanobiosensing, as well as therapeutic applications.

Global Comparison of Readmission Rates for Patients With Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) readmission rates are low in some jurisdictions. However, international comparisons are lacking and could serve as a foundation for identifying regional patient management strategies that could be shared to improve outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to summarize 30-day and 1-year all-cause readmission and mortality rates of hospitalized HF patients across countries and to explore potential differences in rates globally. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis using MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL for observational reports on hospitalized adult HF patients at risk for readmission or mortality published between January 2010 and March 2021. We conducted a meta-analysis of proportions using a random-effects model, and sources of heterogeneity were evaluated with meta-regression. RESULTS: In total, 24 papers reporting on 30-day and 23 papers on 1-year readmission were included. Of the 1.5 million individuals at risk, 13.2% (95% CI: 10.5%-16.1%) were readmitted within 30 days and 35.7% (95% CI: 27.1%-44.9%) within 1 year. A total of 33 papers reported on 30-day and 45 papers on 1-year mortality. Of the 1.5 million individuals hospitalized for HF, 7.6% (95% CI: 6.1%-9.3%) died within 30 days and 23.3% (95% CI: 20.8%-25.9%) died within 1 year. Substantial variation in risk across countries was unexplained by countries' gross domestic product, proportion of gross domestic product spent on health care, and Gini coefficient. CONCLUSIONS: Globally, hospitalized HF patients exhibit high rates of readmission and mortality, and the variability in readmission rates was not explained by health care expenditure, risk of mortality, or comorbidities.

Fluorescent Turn-On Anthracene-Based Aluminum(III) Sensor for a Therapeutic Study in Alzheimer's Disease Model of Drosophila.

A new anthracene-based probe (E)-N'-(1-(anthracen-9-yl)ethylidene)-2-hydroxybenzohydrazide (AHB) has been efficiently synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic methods. It exhibits extremely selective and sensitive fluorometric sensing of Al3+ ions with a large enhancement in the fluorescent intensity due to the restricted photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism with a chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effect. The AHB-Al3+ complex shows a remarkably low limit of detection at 0.498 nM. The binding mechanism has been proposed based on Job's plot, 1H NMR titration, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and density functional theory (DFT) studies. The chemosensor is reusable and reversible in the presence of ctDNA. The practical usability of the fluorosensor has been established by a test strip kit. Further, the therapeutic potential of AHB against Al3+ ion-induced tau protein toxicity has been tested in the eye of Alzheimer's disease (AD) model of Drosophila via metal chelation therapy. AHB shows great therapeutic potential with 53.3% rescue in the eye phenotype. The in vivo interaction study of AHB with Al3+ in the gut tissue of Drosophila confirms its sensing efficiency in the biological environment. A detailed comparison table included evaluates the effectiveness of AHB.

Mitigation of cashew apple fruits astringency.

The cashew apple is a tropical pseudo fruit, with high fiber content, high nutritional value, and therapeutic compositional profile. Consuming cashew apples can help with several health-related problems, such as obesity, stomach ulcers, and gastritis. It has even demonstrated anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic effects, and its antioxidants can help with wound-healing. Despite such benefits, the cashew apple is frequently considered as waste generated by cashew nut industries, since its commercial applications are restricted by the astringency and poor storability. This astringency is primarily due to the presence of tannins; and a lack of proper, efficient, and economical astringency reduction strategy is accountable for major waste generation. This review compiles pieces of information on the causes of astringency, as well as tannin reduction methods, such as clarification, thermal treatments, microfiltration, and fermentation. These methods aim to either just reduce tannin content or to valorize this by-product in a less-astringent better product. Both routes will eventually help with the better utilization of said organic food waste, which is critical for sustainable development.

Obesity as an independent risk factor for COVID-19 severity and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, the world has struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the introduction of various vaccines, this disease still takes a considerable toll. In order to improve the optimal allocation of resources and communication of prognosis, healthcare providers and patients need an accurate understanding of factors (such as obesity) that are associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes from the COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate obesity as an independent prognostic factor for COVID-19 severity and mortality among adult patients in whom infection with the COVID-19 virus is confirmed. SEARCH METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, two COVID-19 reference collections, and four Chinese biomedical databases were searched up to April 2021. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included case-control, case-series, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and secondary analyses of randomised controlled trials if they evaluated associations between obesity and COVID-19 adverse outcomes including mortality, mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, hospitalisation, severe COVID, and COVID pneumonia. Given our interest in ascertaining the independent association between obesity and these outcomes, we selected studies that adjusted for at least one factor other than obesity. Studies were evaluated for inclusion by two independent reviewers working in duplicate.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Using standardised data extraction forms, we extracted relevant information from the included studies. When appropriate, we pooled the estimates of association across studies with the use of random-effects meta-analyses. The Quality in Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tool provided the platform for assessing the risk of bias across each included study. In our main comparison, we conducted meta-analyses for each obesity class separately. We also meta-analysed unclassified obesity and obesity as a continuous variable (5 kg/m2 increase in BMI (body mass index)). We used the GRADE framework to rate our certainty in the importance of the association observed between obesity and each outcome. As obesity is closely associated with other comorbidities, we decided to prespecify the minimum adjustment set of variables including age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease for subgroup analysis.  MAIN RESULTS: We identified 171 studies, 149 of which were included in meta-analyses.  As compared to 'normal' BMI (18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2) or patients without obesity, those with obesity classes I (BMI 30 to 35 kg/m2), and II (BMI 35 to 40 kg/m2) were not at increased odds for mortality (Class I: odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94 to 1.16, high certainty (15 studies, 335,209 participants); Class II: OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.36, high certainty (11 studies, 317,925 participants)). However, those with class III obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2 and above) may be at increased odds for mortality (Class III: OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.00, low certainty, (19 studies, 354,967 participants)) compared to normal BMI or patients without obesity. For mechanical ventilation, we observed increasing odds with higher classes of obesity in comparison to normal BMI or patients without obesity (class I: OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.59, 10 studies, 187,895 participants, moderate certainty; class II: OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.42 to 1.96, 6 studies, 171,149 participants, high certainty; class III: OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.59 to 2.97, 12 studies, 174,520 participants, high certainty). However, we did not observe a dose-response relationship across increasing obesity classifications for ICU admission and hospitalisation. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that obesity is an important independent prognostic factor in the setting of COVID-19. Consideration of obesity may inform the optimal management and allocation of limited resources in the care of COVID-19 patients.

Hybrid Inorganic Complexes as Cancer Therapeutic Agents: In-vitro Validation.

A series of novel mixed transition metal-Magnesium tartarate complexes of general formulation [MMg(C4H4O6)2 .xH2O] (where M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) is prepared with bidentate tartarate ligand. The synthesized complexes (C1 to C6) are characterized by various analytical techniques such as Elemental analysis, Thermo gravimetric analysis, FT-IR Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Magnetic susceptibility study etc. All complexes exhibit the composition MMgL2 where M = Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) and L = bidentate tartarate ligand. Analytical data reveals all complexes possesses 1:1 (metal: ligand) ratio. FT-IR spectral study shows that bidentate tartarate ligand coordinate with metal ion in a bidentate manner through two oxygen atoms. Thermo gravimetric analysis of all complexes shows that degradation curves of complexes agrees with recommended formulae of the complexes. X-ray diffraction technique suggests that all complexes (C1 to C6) are polycrystalline in nature. All newly synthesized metal tartarate complexes and ligand were screened in vitro for their anticancer activity against human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell line. The bioassays of all these complexes showed C3 (Co) and C5 (Cu) Mg-tartarate complexes contains maximum antiproliferative activity at 200 µg/ml concentration on MDA-MB-231 cells as compared to other complexes. MDA-MB-231 cells treated with C3 (Co) and C5 (Cu) Mg-tartarate complexes also showed inhibition in cell migration.

Quinazoli-4-one ionic liquid as a fluorescent sensor for NH3 detection: Interaction with ctDNA, theoretical investigation and live cell bioimaging.

A novel quinazoli-4-one based ionic liquid, 1-(3-aminopropyl)-3-methyl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazolin-1-ium bromide (QIL) for fluorometric determination of dissolved ammonia has been successfully synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques such as 1H and 13C NMR, FTIR and HRMS spectrometry. In the proposed method, QIL is converted to a fluorescent derivative by the reaction with ammonia in aqueous medium. The excitation and emission wavelengths were 250 and 436 nm, respectively. Remarkably with the reaction time of >1 s, the binding constant and detection limit was found to be 6.43 × 108 M-1 and 0.73 × 10-8 M, respectively. QIL is found to be highly selective as no interference is observed from various cations, anions, organic molecules and amino acids. The sensing mechanism was further validated by the density functional theory studies. The fluorophore exhibited great sensing property in 3.0-14.0 pH range, hence, it can be employed in diverse matrices. In addition, the fluoro-sensor is highly reversible and reusable in the presence of ctDNA molecule. Moreover, a live-cell imaging study of QIL in Drosophila larval gut tissue has also been carried out to investigate the cell permeability of QIL and its efficiency for selective detection of NH3 in cellular micro environment. To show practical applicability of the fluoro-sensor, test strip kit has been constructed. A detailed comparison table has been shown to evaluate the efficiency of this method.

Graphene oxide-supported nickel(II) complex as a reusable nano catalyst for the synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes.

A novel catalytic system of a nickel(II) complex of (E)-N'-((2-amino-5-chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methylene)-2-hydroxy-benzohydrazide (APH) supported on graphene oxide (GO) has been prepared. Detailed characterization of the synthesized catalyst has been carried out using NMR, FTIR, HRMS, PXRD, Raman, SEM, TEM, EDX and XPS. Its catalytic efficiency has been explored for the synthesis of various bis(indolyl)methane derivatives. The optimized reaction conditions prove that the catalyst is highly efficient, performs under mild conditions and is required in a very small amount (2 wt%). A diversified library of bis(indolyl)methane derivatives containing various electron donating and withdrawing substituents has been developed in high to excellent yields. The catalyst is equally efficient towards heterocyclic aldehydes. Moreover, owing to the strong covalent interaction between the APH-Ni(II) complex and GO, the catalyst shows outstanding recyclability for six subsequent cycles without any significant loss in activity.

Gold nanostar and graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite for serotonin detection in biological fluids and human embryonic kidney cell microenvironment.

A nanosensor comprising of gold nanostars (Au-Nstars)-graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanocomposite layered on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to detect serotonin (ST) in various body fluids has been fabricated. The nanocomposite and the sensing platform have been thoroughly characterized with UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (EDX), and electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The designed ST detection probe has achieved a linear dynamic range (LDR) in the range 5 × 10-7 and 1 × 10-3 M with a limit of detection (LOD) of 15.1 nM (RSD < 3.3%). The ST detection capability of the fabricated sensor ranges between the normal and several abnormal pathophysiological situations. The sensor effectively detects ST in real matrices such as urine and blood serum, thus, showing its direct diagnostic applicability. Additionally, the sensor has been tested in the microenvironment of human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells to assess the possibility of ST secretion in cell lines. Interferences because of co-existing molecules have been evaluated, and the shelf-life of the fabricated sensor has been obtained as 8 weeks.

Ligand conjugated lipid-based nanocarriers for cancer theranostics.

Cancer is one of the major health-related issues affecting the population worldwide and subsequently accounts for the second-largest death. Genetic and epigenetic modifications in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes affect the regulatory systems that lead to the initiation and progression of cancer. Conventional methods, including chemotherapy/radiotherapy/appropriate combinational therapy and surgery, are being widely used for theranostics of cancer patients. Surgery is useful in treating localized tumors, but it is ineffective in treating metastatic tumors, which spread to other organs and result in a high recurrence rate and death. Also, the therapeutic application of free drugs is related to substantial issues such as poor absorption, solubility, bioavailability, high degradation rate, short shelf-life, and low therapeutic index. Therefore, these issues can be sorted out using nano lipid-based carriers (NLBCs) as promising drug delivery carriers. Still, at most, they fail to achieve site-targeted drug delivery and detection. This can be achieved by selecting a specific ligand/antibody for its cognate receptor molecule expressed on the surface of the cancer cells. In this review, we have mainly discussed the various types of ligands used to decorate NLBCs. A list of the ligands used to design nanocarriers to target malignant cells has been extensively undertaken. The approved ligand-decorated lipid-based nanomedicines with their clinical status have been explained in tabulated form to provide a wider scope to the readers regarding ligand-coupled NLBCs.

Impact of crop residue burning in Haryana on the air quality of Delhi, India.

Crop residue burning (CRB) over northern India is a major air quality and human health issue. The present study assesses the impact of PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and SO2, emitted during CRB activities in Haryana on the air quality of Delhi. The transition from pre-burning to burning period, in both rabi and kharif seasons, shows considerable increase in pollutant concentrations. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations exceeded NAAQS limits by 2-3 times, while NO2 and SO2 stayed within the limits. MODIS fire observations used to estimate CRB fire counts (confidence ≥80%) shows that rabi (burning period) fires in Haryana are ~3 times higher and more intense than in kharif. Furthermore, backward trajectories shows air mass movement from Haryana, Punjab and Pakistan. Thus, pollutants emitted reach Delhi via air masses, deteriorating its air quality. Meteorological conditions influence pollutant concentrations during both seasons. Frequent dust storms in rabi, and Dusshera and Diwali firework celebrations in kharif season exacerbate air pollution. In rabi, PM10 and PM2.5 have a significant negative association with (relative humidity) RH and positive association with (air temperature) AT. High AT during pre-monsoon, accompanied by low RH, loosens up soil particles and they can easily disperse. Stronger winds in rabi season promote NO2 and SO2 dispersion. In kharif, lower AT, higher RH and slower winds exist. Both PM10 and PM2.5 have a negative association with AT and (wind speed) WS. With lower temperature and slower winds during winter, pollutants are trapped within the boundary layer and are unable to disperse. As expected, NO2 has a significant negative association with AT in Haryana. However, in case of Delhi, the association is significant but positive, and could be due to the odd-even scheme imposed by the Delhi government. More research is needed to determine the health effects of Haryana's rabi CRB activities on Delhi.

Kriya Yoga in Patients with Depressive Disorders: A Pilot Study.

Background and Objectives Despite the easy acceptability and holistic nature of Kriya yoga, there are no studies evaluating the role of Kriya yoga intervention on depression. The objective of the current study was to assess the feasibility and effect of adjunctive Kriya yoga on depression. Methods Patients with major depressive disorder who opted for Kriya yoga were recruited into the intervention group (adjunctive Kriya yoga) and those on psychotropic medication alone were enrolled into the control group. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) measurements were recorded at baseline, end of 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Results HDRS scores of the intervention group ( n = 29) were found to be significantly lesser than that of the control group ( n = 52) by the end of 2, 4, and 8 weeks. The remission rate was also significantly greater in the intervention group. Conclusion Kriya yoga intervention was found to be feasible, as well as improved the severity of depression.

Structural ordering of the Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein repeats by inhibitory antibody 3D11.

Plasmodium sporozoites express circumsporozoite protein (CSP) on their surface, an essential protein that contains central repeating motifs. Antibodies targeting this region can neutralize infection, and the partial efficacy of RTS,S/AS01 - the leading malaria vaccine against P. falciparum (Pf) - has been associated with the humoral response against the repeats. Although structural details of antibody recognition of PfCSP have recently emerged, the molecular basis of antibody-mediated inhibition of other Plasmodium species via CSP binding remains unclear. Here, we analyze the structure and molecular interactions of potent monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3D11 binding to P. berghei CSP (PbCSP) using molecular dynamics simulations, X-ray crystallography, and cryoEM. We reveal that mAb 3D11 can accommodate all subtle variances of the PbCSP repeating motifs, and, upon binding, induces structural ordering of PbCSP through homotypic interactions. Together, our findings uncover common mechanisms of antibody evolution in mammals against the CSP repeats of Plasmodium sporozoites.

Malaria is a significant health concern, killing about 400,000 people each year. While antimalarial drugs and insecticides have successfully reduced deaths over the last 20 years, the parasite that causes malaria is starting to gain resistance to these treatments. Vaccines offer an alternative route to preventing the disease. However, the most advanced vaccine currently available provides less than 50% protection. Vaccines work by encouraging the body to develop proteins called antibodies, which can recognize the parasite and trigger an immune response that blocks the infection. These antibodies target a molecule on the parasite's surface called circumsporozoite protein, or CSP for short. Therefore, having a better understanding of how antibodies interact with CSP could help researchers design more effective treatments. A lot of what is known about malaria has come from studying this disease in mice. However, it remained unclear whether antibodies produced in rodents combat the malaria-causing parasite in a similar manner to human antibodies. To answer this question, Kucharska, Thai et al. studied a mouse antibody called 3D11, which targets CSP on the surface of a parasite that causes malaria in rodents. The interaction between CSP and 3D11 was studied using three different techniques in order to better understand how the structure of CSP changes when bound by antibodies. The experiments showed that although CSP has a highly flexible structure, it forms a more stable, spiral-like architecture when bound to multiple copies of 3D11. A similar type of assembly was previously observed in studies investigating how CSP interacts with human antibodies. Further investigation revealed that the molecular connections between 3D11 and CSP share a lot of similarities with how human antibodies recognize CSP. These findings reveal how mammals evolved similar mechanisms for detecting and inhibiting malaria-causing parasites. This highlights the robust features antibodies need to launch an immune response against malaria, which could help develop a more effective vaccine.

Gold nanoparticle surface engineering strategies and their applications in biomedicine and diagnostics.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have found a wide range of biomedical and environmental monitoring applications (viz. drug delivery, diagnostics, biosensing, bio-imaging, theranostics, and hazardous chemical sensing) due to their excellent optoelectronic and enhanced physico-chemical properties. The modulation of these properties is done by functionalizing them with the synthesized AuNPs with polymers, surfactants, ligands, drugs, proteins, peptides, or oligonucleotides for attaining the target specificity, selectivity and sensitivity for their various applications in diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. This review intends to highlight the contribution of such AuNPs in state-of-the-art ventures of diverse biomedical applications. Therefore, a brief discussion on the synthesis of AuNPs has been summarized prior to comprehensive detailing of their surface modification strategies and the applications. Here in, we have discussed various ways of AuNPs functionalization including thiol, phosphene, amine, polymer and silica mediated passivation strategies. Thereafter, the implications of these passivated AuNPs in sensing, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), bioimaging, drug delivery, and theranostics have been extensively discussed with the a number of illustrations.