Potentiometric sensing of ibuprofen over ferric oxide doped chitosan grafted polypyrrole-based electrode.

The present work demonstrates the correlation between structure, properties, and self-sensing protocols of in situ prepared ferric oxide doped grafted copolymer composite, comprised of ferric oxide, chitosan, and polypyrrole (α-Fe2O3-en-CHIT-g-PPy) for residual ibuprofen present in natural and artificial samples. The chemical structure, morphology, functionality, and physio-mechanical properties of the composite were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Two probe method, and standard ASTM techniques to explore sensing nature. The results confirm the evolution of axially aligned structure against 110 planes of α-Fe2O3 and chemically functionalized expanded polymer matrix during in-situ chemical polymerization of pyrrole, with better porosity, interactivity, and improved electrical conductivity i.e. 7.32 × 10-3 S cm-1. Further, a thin film of prepared composite coated on an ITO glass plate was explored for potentiometric sensing of ibuprofen (IBU) present in artificial and natural samples without the use of any additional energy sources. The observed sensing parameters are the sensing ranging 0.5 µM to 100.0 µM, sensitivity 2.5081 mV µM-1 cm-2, response time 50 s, recovery time 10 s, and stability for 60 days. The sensing mechanism of the IBU sensor and effective charge transfer in the electrode was also discussed based on changes in IR spectra of the electrode recorded before and after sensing due to surface oxidation of IBU due to the presence of iron and doping effect of iron oxide in the composite.

Diagnostic Approaches to Helicobacter pylori: A Comparative Study of Detection in Gastric Biopsy and Aspirates.

Background Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common bacterial pathogens in humans. It is a microaerophilic bacteria with multiple unipolar flagella. It is associated with the development of various lesions like chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, adenocarcinoma, and mucosa-associated lymphomas. The aim of this study was a comparative evaluation of the rapid urease test (RUT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in gastric biopsy and aspirates for the detection of H. pylori infection and to further determine the sensitivity and specificity of RUT and PCR. Method Endoscopic guided biopsy tissue and gastric aspirate specimens were collected from 110 patients with symptoms like gastritis, dyspepsia, etc., and subjected to RUT and PCR for detection of H. pylori infection. Results A total of 110 samples, including both biopsy tissue (77) and gastric aspirate (33) were subjected to RUT and PCR. RUT for biopsy tissue showed the highest sensitivity (97.18%), compared to gastric aspirate (78.94%). Comparing RUT with PCR, the sensitivity and specificity of PCR were 93.33% and 90.0%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) of PCR was 97.67%, the negative predictive value (NPV) was 75.0%, and the accuracy was 92.73%. Conclusion The present study showed that RUT is a rapid and accurate invasive test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in biopsy tissue as compared to gastric aspirate specimens, which are more sensitive to PCR. The study also showed that biopsy tissue was found to be a superior specimen for the detection of Helicobacter pylori as compared to gastric aspirate.

Revealing the interface chemistry of polyaniline grafted biomass via statistical modeling of multi-component dye systems: optimization, kinetics, thermodynamics, and adsorption mechanism.

The growing need to examine the adsorption capabilities of innovative materials in real-world water samples has encouraged a shift from single to multicomponent adsorption systems. In this study, a novel composite, PANI-g-SM was synthesized by covalently grafting a lignocellulosic biomass, Saccharum munja (SM) with polyaniline (PANI). The as-synthesized composite was investigated for the simultaneous adsorption of cationic (Methylene Blue (MB); Crystal Violet (CV)) and anionic dyes (Reactive Red 35 (RR); Fast Green FCF (FG)) from four single components and two binary systems, MB + RR and CV + FG. Further, the effect and interaction of pH (2-11), dosage (0.01-0.04 g/10 mL), and initial concentration (0.0313 to 0.1563 mmol/L) on the elimination of dyes by PANI-g-SM were studied through a novel design of Box-Behnken of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) technique which was found to be highly useful for revealing the chemistry of interfaces in multi-component systems. The extended Langmuir model for the binary system indicated the presence of synergism, as result the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity increased by 44.44%, 645.83%, 67.88%, and 441.07% for MB, RR, CV, and FG dye, respectively. Further, the adsorption process mainly followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the thermodynamic studies revealed the exothermic nature of adsorption for RR and FG dye while endothermic for MB and CV dye, respectively with Δ G varying from - 1.68 to - 6.12 kJ/mol indicating the spontaneity of the process. Importantly, the efficacy of the composite was evaluated for the treatment of textile industry effluent highlighting its potential as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment.

Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies in Healthcare Worker-Administered Covishield and Covaxin Vaccines at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Jharkhand, India.

Introduction To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, global distribution of vaccines such as Covishield and Covaxin has been undertaken. This research aimed to assess the responses and potential differences between these vaccines by examining the presence and levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in healthcare professionals who received them. Methodology A comprehensive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care facility in Ranchi involving 227 healthcare professionals who had completed both doses of either Covishield or Covaxin. Blood samples were collected and subjected to chemiluminescence immunoassay analysis to measure IgG antibodies. Demographic data, immunization records, and previous COVID-19 infections were recorded. Statistical analyses, including analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression, and independent sample t-tests were performed. Results Antibody titers exhibited variability, potentially influenced by factors. There was no difference in antibody titers between recipients of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines. Linear regression analysis revealed a correlation between antibody levels and the number of days after vaccination. Factors such as age, gender, blood group, and prior COVID-19 infections did not significantly impact antibody titers. Conclusions This study contributes to responses elicited by Covishield and Covaxin vaccines among healthcare workers. The results highlight that Covishield showed a higher mean titer value than Covaxin, which is not statistically significant. The overall model showed statistically significant results indicating age, type of vaccine, number of days after vaccination, blood group, and previous history of COVID-19 infection collectively influenced the CoV-2 IgG titer values. The findings indicate that age, number of days after vaccination, and prior history of COVID-19 infection have substantial relationships with the CoV-2 IgG titer, but sex, vaccine type, and blood group show lesser, nonsignificant associations.

The role of intestine in metabolic dysregulation in murine Wilson disease.

BACKGROUND: The clinical manifestations of Wilson disease (WD) are related to copper accumulation in the liver and the brain, but little is known about other tissue involvement regarding metabolic changes in WD. In vitro studies suggested that the loss of intestinal ATP7B affects metabolic dysregulation in WD. We tested this hypothesis by evaluating the gut microbiota and lipidome in 2 mouse models of WD and by characterizing a new mouse model with a targeted deletion of Atp7b in the intestine. METHODS: Cecal content 16S sequencing and untargeted hepatic and plasma lipidome analyses in the Jackson Laboratory toxic-milk and the Atp7b null global knockout mouse models of WD were profiled and integrated. Intestine-specific Atp7b knockout mice (Atp7bΔIEC) were generated and characterized using targeted lipidome analysis following a high-fat diet challenge. RESULTS: Gut microbiota diversity was reduced in animal models of WD. Comparative prediction analysis revealed amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism functions to be dysregulated in the WD gut microbial metagenome. Liver and plasma lipidomic profiles showed dysregulated triglyceride and diglyceride, phospholipid, and sphingolipid metabolism in WD models. However, Atp7bΔIEC mice did not show gut microbiome differences compared to wild type. When challenged with a high-fat diet, Atp7bΔIEC mice exhibited profound alterations to fatty acid desaturation and sphingolipid metabolism pathways as well as altered APOB48 distribution in intestinal epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Gut microbiome and lipidome underlie systemic metabolic manifestations in murine WD. Intestine-specific ATP7B deficiency affected both intestinal and systemic response to a high-fat challenge but not the microbiome profile, at least at early stages. WD is a systemic disease in which intestinal-specific ATP7B loss and diet influence the phenotype and the lipidome profile.

Case 314: Cerebral Proliferative Angiopathy.

HISTORY: An 18-year-old man presented to the neurosurgery outpatient department with recurrent episodes of epistaxis for the past 8 years and altered behavior for the past month. Epistaxis was scanty in amount, intermittent, spontaneous, and not associated with any trauma or nasal obstruction or breathing difficulties. Bleeding used to stop spontaneously after some time. There was no history of associated headache, seizures, vomiting, fever, or loss of consciousness. On physical examination, the patient was afebrile, with normal vital signs and normal Glasgow Coma Scale score (15 of 15) at the time of presentation. Multiple dilated engorged veins were visible on the forehead; however, there was no evidence of abnormal skin pigmentation. Neurologic examination yielded findings that were within normal limits. Laboratory examinations revealed a hemoglobin level of 11 g/dL (normal range, 13.2-16.6 g/dL), with the rest of the parameters within normal limits. This patient underwent unenhanced CT of the brain and paranasal sinuses followed by contrast-enhanced MRI of the brain for further evaluation.

A comprehensive review on the metal-based green valorized nanocomposite for the remediation of emerging colored organic waste.

In today's era, "green" synthesis is an emerging research trend. It has gained widespread attention owing to its dynamic behavior, reliability, simplicity, sustainability, and environment friendly approach for fabricating various nanomaterials. Green fabrication of metal/metal oxides nanomaterials, hybrid materials, and other metal-based nanocomposite can be utilized to remove toxic colored aqueous pollutants. Nanomaterials synthesized by using green approach is considered to be the significant tool to minimize unwanted or harmful by-products otherwise released from traditional synthesis methods. Various kinds of biosynthesized nanomaterials, such as animal waste and plant-based, have been successfully applied and well documented in the literature. However, their application part, especially for the cure of colored organic polluted water, has not been reported as a single review article. Therefore, the current work aims to assemble reports on using novel biosynthesized green metal-based nanomaterials to exclude harmful dyes from polluted water.

Case 314.

HISTORY: An 18-year-old man presented to the neurosurgery outpatient department with recurrent episodes of epistaxis for the past 8 years and altered behavior for the past month. Epistaxis was scanty in amount, intermittent, spontaneous, and not associated with any trauma or nasal obstruction or breathing difficulties. Bleeding used to stop spontaneously after some time. There was no history of associated headache, seizures, vomiting, fever, or loss of consciousness. On physical examination, the patient was afebrile, with normal vital signs and normal Glasgow Coma Scale score (15 of 15) at the time of presentation. Multiple dilated engorged veins were visible on the forehead; however, there was no evidence of abnormal skin pigmentation. Neurologic examination yielded findings that were within normal limits. Laboratory examinations revealed a hemoglobin level of 11 g/dL (normal range, 13.2-16.6 g/dL), with the rest of the parameters within normal limits. This patient underwent unenhanced CT of the brain and paranasal sinuses followed by contrast-enhanced MRI of the brain for further evaluation (Figs 1-3).

The role of intestine in metabolic dysregulation in murine Wilson disease.

Background and aims: Major clinical manifestations of Wilson disease (WD) are related to copper accumulation in the liver and the brain, and little is known about other tissues involvement in metabolic changes in WD. In vitro studies suggested that the loss of intestinal ATP7B could contribute to metabolic dysregulation in WD. We tested this hypothesis by evaluating gut microbiota and lipidome in two mouse models of WD and by characterizing a new mouse model with a targeted deletion of Atp7b in intestine. Methods: Cecal content 16S sequencing and untargeted hepatic and plasma lipidome analyses in the Jackson Laboratory toxic-milk and the Atp7b null global knockout mouse models of WD were profiled and integrated. Intestine-specific Atp7b knockout mice ( Atp7b ΔIEC ) was generated using B6.Cg-Tg(Vil1-cre)997Gum/J mice and Atp7b Lox/Lox mice, and characterized using targeted lipidome analysis following a high-fat diet challenge. Results: Gut microbiota diversity was reduced in animal models of WD. Comparative prediction analysis revealed amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism functions to be dysregulated in the WD gut microbial metagenome. Liver and plasma lipidomic profiles showed dysregulated tri- and diglyceride, phospholipid, and sphingolipid metabolism in WD models. When challenged with a high-fat diet, Atp7b ΔIEC mice exhibited profound alterations to fatty acid desaturation and sphingolipid metabolism pathways as well as altered APOB48 distribution in intestinal epithelial cells. Conclusion: Coordinated changes of gut microbiome and lipidome analyses underlie systemic metabolic manifestations in murine WD. Intestine-specific ATP7B deficiency affected both intestinal and systemic response to a high-fat challenge. WD is a systemic disease in which intestinal-specific ATP7B loss and diet influence phenotypic presentations.

Intravascular Papillary Endothelial Hyperplasia Involving the Hand: A Case Report of a Rare Entity.

Masson's tumor, also named intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH), is a rare, benign vascular tumor. Evaluation by clinical features can be confused with other soft tissue tumors. Therefore, the diagnosis should be confirmed by histopathological examination. The patient reported here is 67 years old and came to us with a small painful lesion over the left thumb of about two months duration. Histopathological examination was consistent with Masson's tumor (IPEH) following excisional biopsy, with good functional outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this entity from Kuwait. Dermatologists and surgeons should know about this rare entity and its unusual presentation, to be able to distinguish it from similar presenting serious conditions, especially angiosarcoma. Through this report, we purport to facilitate recognition of this condition apart from some other conditions it may mimic.

Functional signatures of ex-vivo dental caries onset.

Background: The etiology of dental caries remains poorly understood. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, a number of studies have focused on the microbial ecology of the disease. However, taxonomic associations with caries have not been consistent. Researchers have also pursued function-centric studies of the caries microbial communities aiming to identify consistently conserved functional pathways. A major question is whether changes in microbiome are a cause or a consequence of the disease. Thus, there is a critical need to define conserved functional signatures at the onset of dental caries. Methods: Since it is unethical to induce carious lesions clinically, we developed an innovative longitudinal ex-vivo model integrated with the advanced non-invasive multiphoton second harmonic generation bioimaging to spot the very early signs of dental caries, combined with 16S rRNA short amplicon sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based targeted metabolomics. Findings: For the first time, we induced longitudinally monitored caries lesions validated with the scanning electron microscope. Consequently, we spotted the caries onset and, associated with it, distinguished five differentiating metabolites - Lactate, Pyruvate, Dihydroxyacetone phosphate, Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (upregulated) and Fumarate (downregulated). Those metabolites co-occurred with certain bacterial taxa; Streptococcus, Veillonella, Actinomyces, Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, and Granulicatella, regardless of the abundance of other taxa. Interpretation: These findings are crucial for understanding the etiology and dynamics of dental caries, and devising targeted interventions to prevent disease progression.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides Impact Cellular and Inflammatory Gene Expression and Immune Response.

Human milk harbors complex carbohydrates, including human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), the third most abundant component after lactose and lipids. HMOs have been shown to impact intestinal microbiota, modulate the intestinal immune response, and prevent pathogenic bacterial binding by serving as decoy receptors. However, the direct effect of HMOs on intestinal function and immunity remains to be elucidated. To address this knowledge gap, 21-day-old germ-free mice (C57BI/6) were orally gavaged with 15 mg/day of pooled HMOs for 7 or 14 days and euthanized at day 28 or 35. A set of mice was maintained until day 50 to determine the persistent effects of HMOs. Control groups were maintained in the isolators for 28, 35, or 50 days of age. At the respective endpoints, intestinal tissues were subjected to histomorphometric and transcriptomic analyses, while the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) were subjected to flow cytometric analysis. The small intestine (SI) crypt was reduced after HMO treatment relative to control at days 28 and 35, while the SI villus height and large intestine (LI) gland depth were decreased in the HMO-treated mice relative to the control at day 35. We report significant HMO-induced and location-specific gene expression changes in host intestinal tissues. HMO treatment significantly upregulated genes involved in extracellular matrix, protein ubiquitination, nuclear transport, and mononuclear cell differentiation. CD4+ T cells were increased in both MLNs and the spleen, while CD8+ T cells were increased in the spleen at day 50 in the HMO group in comparison to controls. In MLNs, plasma cells were increased in HMO group at days 28 and 35, while in the spleen, only at day 28 relative to controls. Macrophages/monocytes and neutrophils were lower in the spleen of the HMO group at days 28, 35, and 50, while in MLNs, only neutrophils were lower at day 50 in the 14-day HMO group. In addition, diphtheria toxoid and tetanus toxoid antibody-secreting cells were higher in HMO-supplemented group compared to controls. Our data suggest that HMOs have a direct effect on gastrointestinal tract metabolism and the immune system even in the absence of host microbiota.

Plasma Polymerized Coatings on Hollow Fiber Membranes-Applications and Their Aging Characteristics in Different Media.

In the past 30 years, plasma polymerization has emerged as a versatile technique for depositing ultrathin nanocoating on a variety of substrates for applications that range from providing lubricity to the substrate, protection from harsh environments, promoting adhesion, surface modification to applications of coating in ultrafiltration and gas separation membranes. Applications in the field of volatile organic compound (VOC) recovery and membrane distillation have also gained importance in recent years. Most of these applications use silicone and fluorosilicone-based plasma polymers that provide versatility, good separation characteristics, and long-term stability to the membrane. However, plasma polymers are known to age with time. The current study focuses on the aging behavior of silicone and fluorosilicone plasma polymers in different environments that include air, ionized air, heat, aqueous solutions of inorganic chemicals, as well as harsh solvents such as hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and toluene. Membrane gas permeance and gas selectivity were used to quantitatively measure the aging behavior of the coatings on gas separation membranes, while water and VOC flux were used to measure the effect of aging for membranes designed for membrane distillation and VOC separation. It was found that while all plasma polymers of this study showed changes in membrane gas permeance on exposure to air, they fundamentally retained their membrane separation characteristics in all the studied environments. Significant changes in gas permeability characteristics were observed on exposure of the membranes to organic solvents like dichloromethane, 2-propanol, hexane, and toluene, which are attributed to dimensional changes in the hollow fiber substrate rather than changes in plasma polymer characteristics. Ionized air was also found to have a significant effect on the gas permeability characteristic of the membranes, reducing the gas permeance by as much as 50% in some cases. This is attributed to accelerated oxidation and crosslinking of the polymer in ionized air. XPS studies showed an increase in the oxygen content of the polymer on aging. Differences were found in the aging behavior of polymer coatings made from different monomers with long-chain monomers such as hexamethyltrisiloxane offering more stable coatings. The cross-link density of the polymer also influenced the aging behavior, with the more cross-linked polymer showing a lesser influence on aging in a chemical environment. No significant effect of aging was found on applications of these polymer coatings in the field of membrane distillation, pervaporation, and VOC removal, and a stable performance was observed over a long period of time. It was also noted that the selection of co-monomers played a significant role in membrane distillation, with polymers forming fluoro co-monomers giving better results. The current study also demonstrated the usefulness of plasma polymers in controlling the pore size of microporous membranes that can find useful applications in bio-filtration and VOC recovery.

Assessing the Effect of Smokeless Tobacco Consumption on Oral Microbiome in Healthy and Oral Cancer Patients.

Oral cancer is a globally widespread cancer that features among the three most prevalent cancers in India. The risk of oral cancer is elevated by factors such as tobacco consumption, betel-quid chewing, excessive alcohol consumption, unhygienic oral condition, sustained viral infections, and also due to dysbiosis in microbiome composition of the oral cavity. Here, we performed an oral microbiome study of healthy and oral cancer patients to decipher the microbial dysbiosis due to the consumption of smokeless-tobacco-based products and also revealed the tobacco-associated microbiome. The analysis of 196 oral microbiome samples from three different oral sites of 32 healthy and 34 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients indicated health status, site of sampling, and smokeless tobacco consumption as significant covariates associated with oral microbiome composition. Significant similarity in oral microbiome composition of smokeless-tobacco-consuming healthy samples and OSCC samples inferred the possible role of smokeless tobacco consumption in increasing inflammation-associated species in oral microbiome. Significantly higher abundance of Streptococcus was found to adequately discriminate smokeless-tobacco-non-consuming healthy samples from smokeless-tobacco-consuming healthy samples and contralateral healthy site of OSCC samples from the tumor site of OSCC samples. Comparative analysis of oral microbiome from another OSCC cohort also confirmed Streptococcus as a potential marker for healthy oral microbiome. Gram-negative microbial genera such as Prevotella, Capnocytophaga, and Fusobacterium were found to be differentially abundant in OSCC-associated microbiomes and can be considered as potential microbiome marker genera for oral cancer. Association with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis pathway further confirms the differential abundance of Gram-negative marker genera in OSCC microbiomes.

Microbiome network traits in the rumen predict average daily gain in beef cattle under different backgrounding systems.

BACKGROUND: Backgrounding (BKG), the stage between weaning and finishing, significantly impacts feedlot performance in beef cattle; however, the contributions of the rumen microbiome to this growth stage remain unexplored. A longitudinal study was designed to assess how BKG affects rumen bacterial communities and average daily gain (ADG) in beef cattle. At weaning, 38 calves were randomly assigned to three BKG systems for 55 days (d): a high roughage diet within a dry lot (DL, n = 13); annual cover crop within a strip plot (CC, n = 13); and perennial pasture vegetation within rotational paddocks (PP, n = 12), as before weaning. After BKG, all calves were placed in a feedlot for 142 d and finished with a high energy ration. Calves were weighed periodically from weaning to finishing to determine ADG. Rumen bacterial communities were profiled by collecting fluid samples via oral probe and sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, at weaning, during BKG and finishing. RESULTS: Rumen bacterial communities diverged drastically among calves once they were placed in each BKG system, including sharp decreases in alpha diversity for CC and DL calves only (P < 0.001). During BKG, DL calves showed a substantial increase of Proteobacteria (Succinivibrionaceae family) (P < 0.001), which also corresponded with greater ADG (P < 0.05). At the finishing stage, Proteobacteria bloomed for all calves, with no previous alpha or beta diversity differences being retained between groups. However, at finishing, PP calves showed a compensatory ADG, particularly greater than that in calves coming from DL BKG (P = 0.02). Microbiome network traits such as lower average shortest path length, and increased neighbor connectivity, degree, number and strength of bacterial interactions between rumen bacteria better predicted ADG during BKG and finishing than variation in specific taxonomic profiles. CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial co-abundance interactions, as measured by network theory approaches, better predicted growth performance in beef cattle during BKG and finishing, than the abundance of specific taxa. These findings underscore the importance of early post weaning stages as potential targets for feeding interventions that can enhance metabolic interactions between rumen bacteria, to increase productive performance in beef cattle.

The primate gut mycobiome-bacteriome interface is impacted by environmental and subsistence factors.

The gut microbiome of primates is known to be influenced by both host genetic background and subsistence strategy. However, these inferences have been made mainly based on adaptations in bacterial composition - the bacteriome and have commonly overlooked the fungal fraction - the mycobiome. To further understand the factors that shape the gut mycobiome of primates and mycobiome-bacteriome interactions, we sequenced 16 S rRNA and ITS2 markers in fecal samples of four different nonhuman primate species and three human groups under different subsistence patterns (n = 149). The results show that gut mycobiome composition in primates is still largely unknown but highly plastic and weakly structured by primate phylogeny, compared with the bacteriome. We find significant gut mycobiome overlap between captive apes and human populations living under industrialized subsistence contexts; this is in contrast with contemporary hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists, who share more mycobiome traits with diverse wild-ranging nonhuman primates. In addition, mycobiome-bacteriome interactions were specific to each population, revealing that individual, lifestyle and intrinsic ecological factors affect structural correspondence, number, and kind of interactions between gut bacteria and fungi in primates. Our findings indicate a dominant effect of ecological niche, environmental factors, and diet over the phylogenetic background of the host, in shaping gut mycobiome composition and mycobiome-bacteriome interactions in primates.

Analysis of microbiome diversity in coprolites from Caral, Peru.

We analyzed human coprolites from the Sacred City of Caral, the oldest civilization in America (3000- and 1800-years BC). Our objective was to know the microbial diversity of the Caral Civilization through the use of a mobile ancient laboratory. DNA extraction conducted in a mobile laboratory placed near the collection site to reduce exposure of samples to contaminants and favor a rapid molecular processing. Using 16S rRNA and ITS 1 amplicon sequencing, we have elaborated the first list of the microbiomes of Caral, based on the bacterial and fungal community fingerprints detected in the coprolites recovered in six sectors of that ancient urban center. Among the most abundant sequences were those associated with Firmicutes for bacteria, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota for fungi. Bacillus was the most abundant bacterial genera in all samples analyzed, compromising up to 24.81% of the total bacterial abundance; while Aspergillus (11.43%) was the most abundant genera among fungal communities.

Western and non-western gut microbiomes reveal new roles of Prevotella in carbohydrate metabolism and mouth-gut axis.

The abundance and diversity of host-associated Prevotella species have a profound impact on human health. To investigate the composition, diversity, and functional roles of Prevotella in the human gut, a population-wide analysis was carried out on 586 healthy samples from western and non-western populations including the largest Indian cohort comprising of 200 samples, and 189 Inflammatory Bowel Disease samples from western populations. A higher abundance and diversity of Prevotella copri species enriched in complex plant polysaccharides metabolizing enzymes, particularly pullulanase containing polysaccharide-utilization-loci (PUL), were found in Indian and non-western populations. A higher diversity of oral inflammations-associated Prevotella species and an enrichment of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes in the gut microbiome of western populations speculates an existence of a mouth-gut axis. The study revealed the landscape of Prevotella composition in the human gut microbiome and its impact on health in western and non-western populations.

Simultaneous adsorptive removal of conventional and emerging contaminants in multi-component systems for wastewater remediation: A critical review.

The rapid growth of population and industrialization results in pollution of freshwater sources which leads to the water stress conditions on the world in future. Adsorption is a low cost and popular technique for the removal of contaminants from water bodies. Most of the reports till date are on removal of a single component from aqueous solutions using this technique, but the real-world effluent contains multiple contaminants such as dyes, heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics and many more. Therefore, a study on simultaneous removal of contaminants is highly needed to obtain a suitable adsorbent that can be used commercially. This critical review provides a detailed study on the removal of contaminants in the presence of other contaminant/s i.e., from a multi-component system (MCS). The different possible interaction mechanisms in MCS like synergism, antagonism and non-interaction are discussed. The MCS containing the mixture of conventional contaminants such as heavy metals and dyes, and other emerging contaminants such as antibiotics, organic contaminants, pesticides and personal care products are explained in depth. This review article will be helpful for researchers working in the field of simultaneous removal of contaminants from MCSs for wastewater remediation.

Advances in decontamination of wastewater using biomass-basedcomposites: A critical review.

Contaminant removal from wastewater using natural biosorbents has been widely studied as a suitable and environmentally benign alternative for conventional techniques. Currently, researchers are working on various biomass-based composites for wastewater remediation to improve the performance of natural biosorbents. This review takes into focus a wide range of biomass-based composites like hydrogel composites, metal oxide composites, magnetic composites, polymer composites, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene composites, metal organic framework composites (MOFs) and clay composites for the removal of various contaminants from wastewater. It is evident from the literature survey that the composite fabrication involves the modification of morphological and textural features of the biomass which results in significant enhancement of adsorption capacity. Apart from this, regeneration of the used biomass-based composite is also studied in depth in order to overcome the problem of solid waste generation. This review would prove to be beneficial for researchers who are currently focusing on the development of cost-effective, easily available, recyclable biomass-based composites with enhanced adsorption capacities for wastewater treatment.