Arabidopsis class II TPS controls root development and confers salt stress tolerance through enhanced hydrophobic barrier deposition.

KEY MESSAGE: The mechanism of conferring salt tolerance by AtTPS9 involves enhanced deposition of suberin lamellae in the Arabidopsis root endodermis, resulting in reduction of Na+ transported to the leaves. Members of the class I trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) enzymes are known to play an important role in plant growth and development in Arabidopsis. However, class II TPSs and their functions in salinity stress tolerance are not well studied. We characterized the function of a class II TPS gene, AtTPS9, to understand its role in salt stress response and root development in Arabidopsis. The attps9 mutant exhibited significant reduction of soluble sugar levels in the leaves and formation of suberin lamellae (SL) in the endodermis of roots compared to the wild type (WT). The reduction in SL deposition (hydrophobic barriers) leads to increased apoplastic xylem loading, resulting in enhanced Na+ content in the plants, which explains salt sensitivity of the mutant plants. Conversely, AtTPS9 overexpression lines exhibited increased SL deposition in the root endodermis along with increased salt tolerance, showing that regulation of SL deposition is one of the mechanisms of action of AtTPS9 in conferring salt tolerance to Arabidopsis plants. Our data showed that besides salt tolerance, AtTPS9 also regulates seed germination and root development. qRT-PCR analyses showed significant downregulation of selected SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE2 genes (SnRK2s) and ABA-responsive genes in the mutant, suggesting that AtTPS9 may regulate the ABA-signaling intermediates as part of the mechanism conferring salinity tolerance.

Synthesis of cis-fused cyclopentenone-pyrrolidine scaffolds via sequential aza-Piancatelli and Conia-ene type reactions in one pot.

A novel one-pot protocol that enables sequential execution of an aza-Piancatelli rearrangement and a Conia-ene type reaction has been developed under Lewis acid catalysis. Here, a combination of B(C6F5)3 and Cu(OTf)2, triethylamine, and triphenylphosphine yielded a wide range of cis-fused cyclopentenone-pyrrolidine scaffolds in one pot with good yields and diastereoselectivity.

Prevalence and Barriers of Menstrual Hygiene Practices among Women of Reproductive Age Group in Rural Field Practice Areas of a Tertiary Care Center in Rishikesh.

Background: Menstruation is a natural, physiological process experienced by all adolescent girls and women. The reproductive age group is the largest and most susceptible to various health and illness-related risk factors. This study aims to find the prevalence of satisfactory menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among women of reproductive age group and we also want to explore the cultural practices and beliefs related to menstruation and barriers to satisfactory MHM. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in rural field practice areas of Department of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS, Rishikesh including 271 participants; women of reproductive age group using a mixed method study design (sequential quan-qual). Quantitative data were collected by household surveys and government schools using a validated structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted to have insights about understanding menstrual hygiene and barriers to satisfactory hygiene practices. Results: It was found that only 70 (29.6%) participants adhered to satisfactory menstrual hygiene practices. The age group of 20-24 years had a higher proportion compared to other groups. Through FGD, the main themes derived were practices related to menstruation (maintenance of personal hygiene), daily activities (physical and mental problems during menses), and barriers faced (cultural, economic, privacy concerns, and shyness). Conclusion: The prevalence of satisfactory menstrual hygiene practices was very low only 29.6%, which is a cause of concern; either Taboos associated with menstruation, socio-cultural, economic barriers, or lack of awareness related to menstrual hygiene in the community can be contributing factors for low prevalence.

All-organic transparent plant e-skin for noninvasive phenotyping.

Real-time in situ monitoring of plant physiology is essential for establishing a phenotyping platform for precision agriculture. A key enabler for this monitoring is a device that can be noninvasively attached to plants and transduce their physiological status into digital data. Here, we report an all-organic transparent plant e-skin by micropatterning poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. This plant e-skin is optically and mechanically invisible to plants with no observable adverse effects to plant health. We demonstrate the capabilities of our plant e-skins as strain and temperature sensors, with the application to Brassica rapa leaves for collecting corresponding parameters under normal and abiotic stress conditions. Strains imposed on the leaf surface during growth as well as diurnal fluctuation of surface temperature were captured. We further present a digital-twin interface to visualize real-time plant surface environment, providing an intuitive and vivid platform for plant phenotyping.

Starch-based antibacterial food packaging with ZnO nanoparticle.

Starch-based biofilms with embedded nanoparticles (NPs) are used to wrap food in biodegradable packaging system that has high antibacterial action against a variety of microorganisms. In this study, ZnO NPs were synthesised using both a green synthesis approach utilising Azadirachta indica (Neem) and a chemical synthesis approach using the sol-gel technique. The structural and morphological properties of all synthesized NPs were characterized through XRD, UV-VIS, UV-DRS, FTIR, and FESEM analysis. Further, these NPs were employed in the development of starch-based biodegradable films. A meticulous comparative analysis was performed to evaluate the functional properties of the nanocomposites, encompassing crucial parameters such as film thickness, moisture content, swelling index, opacity, solubility, water vapor permeability, and tensile strength. In comparison to films embedded with chemically synthesised NPs (F1), nanocomposite with green synthesised NPs (F2) showed 15.27% greater inhibition against Escherichia coli growth and 22.05% stronger inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains. Based on the biodegradability analysis, the nanocomposite film-F2 showed a 53.33% faster degradation rate compared to the film-F1. The developed films were utilized to assess the quality of both wrapped and unwrapped grapes, leading to the generalization of the research for the development of starch-based antibacterial and environmentally friendly food packaging material. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05834-9.

Quality by design fostered fabrication of cabazitaxel loaded pH-responsive Improved nanotherapeutics against prostate cancer.

Cabazitaxel has been approved for the treatment of prostate cancer since 2010. However, its poor solubility and permeability pitfalls prevent its accumulation at the target site and promote severe adverse effects. About 90% of prostate cancer (PCa) patients suffer from bone metastasis. This advent reports the development of CBZ-loaded pH-responsive polydopamine nanoparticles (CBZ NP) against metastatic PCa cells. Quality by design (QbD) and multivariate analysis tools were employed for the optimization of CBZ NP. Amorphisation of CBZ along with metastatic microenvironment responsive release was observed thereby imparting spatial release and circumventing solubility pitfalls. CBZ NP retained its cytotoxic potential, with a significant increase in quantitative cellular uptake. Apoptotic markers observed from nuclear staining with elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial damage revealed by JC-1 staining demonstrated the efficacy of CBZ NP against PC-3 cells with good serum stability and diminished hemolysis. Cell cycle analysis revealed substantial S and G2/M phase arrest with enhancement in apoptosis was observed. Western blot studies revealed an elevation in caspase-1 and suppression in Bcl-2 indicating enhanced apoptosis compared to the control group. Substantial reduction in the diameter of 3D-Tumoroid and enhanced cell proliferation inhibition indicated the efficacy of CBZ NP in PCa. Thus, we conclude that CBZ NP could be a promising Nanotherapeutic approach for PCa.

An updated landscape on nanotechnology-based drug delivery, immunotherapy, vaccinations, imaging, and biomarker detections for cancers: recent trends and future directions with clinical success.

The recent development of nanotechnology-based formulations improved the diagnostics and therapies for various diseases including cancer where lack of specificity, high cytotoxicity with various side effects, poor biocompatibility, and increasing cases of multi-drug resistance are the major limitations of existing chemotherapy. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery enhances the stability and bioavailability of many drugs, thereby increasing tissue penetration and targeted delivery with improved efficacy against the tumour cells. Easy surface functionalization and encapsulation properties allow various antigens and tumour cell lysates to be delivered in the form of nanovaccines with improved immune response. The nanoparticles (NPs) due to their smaller size and associated optical, physical, and mechanical properties have evolved as biosensors with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of various markers including nucleic acids, protein/antigens, small metabolites, etc. This review gives, initially, a concise update on drug delivery using different nanoscale platforms like liposomes, dendrimers, polymeric & various metallic NPs, hydrogels, microneedles, nanofibres, nanoemulsions, etc. Drug delivery with recent technologies like quantum dots (QDs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), protein, and upconverting NPs was updated, thereafter. We also summarized the recent progress in vaccination strategy, immunotherapy involving immune checkpoint inhibitors, and biomarker detection for various cancers based on nanoplatforms. At last, we gave a detailed picture of the current nanomedicines in clinical trials and their possible success along with the existing approved ones. In short, this review provides an updated complete landscape of applications of wide NP-based drug delivery, vaccinations, immunotherapy, biomarker detection & imaging for various cancers with a predicted future of nanomedicines that are in clinical trials.

Comparing the EdgeFile X3, GenEndo, HeroGold, and ProTaper Gold Rotary Instruments Regarding the Effect of Different Concentrations and Temperature of NaOCl on Cyclic Fatigue Resistance.

AIM: This research was carried out with the objective of comparison between GenEndo, Protaper Gold, Hero Gold and EdgeFile X3 regarding the effect of different concentrations of NaOCl. MATERIALS AND METHODS: About 720 study specimens were included in the study. They were divided into four groups. Each group consisted of 180 files. Group A: GenEndo, Group B: Protaper Gold, Group C: Hero Gold, Group D: EdgeFile X3. Each group of instruments were further subdivided into nine subgroups (n = 20 for each subgroup). Testing of the cyclic fatigue was carried out in artificial canals which were prepared inside the blocks of stainless steel. The stainless steel blocks with artificial canals were established in a receiver that was packed with experimental solutions like distilled water, 5.25% NaOCl and 2.5% NaOCl. The adjustment of temperature was done at 25, 37, and 60°C. The rotation of the instrument was carried out inside the artificial canal as per the instructions of the manufacturer. The instrument was rotated until it got fractured. The time taken by the instrument to fracture was recorded in seconds. The number of cycles to fracture (NCF) was analyzed with the help of the equation (NCF = time to fracture × rpm/60). Surfaces at the site of fracture were examined with the help of a scanning electron microscope (EVOLS10, ZEISS) at magnification (300x and 2000x). RESULTS: It was noticed that there was a statistically significant increase in cyclic fatigue when sodium chloride was used as an endodontic irrigant instead of distilled water. The increase in cyclic fatigue was also observed when 5.25% sodium chloride was used instead of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite. Cyclic fatigue increased on change in temperature from 25 to 37°C and from 37 to 60°C. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). It was observed that resistance against cyclic fatigue on treatment with different irrigation solutions at different temperatures was in the order of GenEndo > Protaper Gold > Hero Gold > EdgeFile X3. CONCLUSION: The resistance against cyclic fatigue in new NiTi rotary files can be affected significantly by different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite irrigant solution and the GenEndo rotary endodontic instrument has the maximum resistance against cyclic fatigue. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Irrigation of the root canal with irrigants, such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) has been recommended strongly. NaOCl is used in the range of 0.5 and 6.5% concentration owing to its antimicrobial activity and tissue dissolution activities, particularly at higher temperatures. It has been postulated that fatigue of rotary endodontic instruments can be influenced by adjoining medium and their concentration.

Echocardiographic and Angiographic Assessment of Right Ventricular Function and Right Coronary Artery Stenosis in Acute Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a global concern. CVD remains a primary cause of death despite reduced coronary heart disease death rates. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) involves myocardial infarction (MI) and unstable angina, sharing mechanisms such as plaque instability. Our study assesses the right ventricular (RV) function's predictive value in acute inferior wall MI (IWMI) to identify high-risk patients with an elevated likelihood of experiencing severe cardiac complications, hemodynamic instability, or a higher mortality risk following an acute IWMI. METHODOLOGY: The research was conducted in the Department of Cardiology at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, from July 2021 to June 2022, following the necessary ethical approval. A cohort of 140 patients with IWMI, carefully chosen according to rigorous criteria, clearly understood the study's objectives before providing informed consent. The evaluations were conducted in the following order: clinical assessments, followed by blood testing, then echocardiography, and finally, coronary angiography. Furthermore, the study examined risk factors and utilized statistical methods to elucidate the associations between qualities and results. RESULTS: The study included 140 participants, with 61% being male and 39% female. Among the participants, 14% were aged 30-45, 50% were aged 46-60, and 30% were over 60. Age shows significant proportions in different categories. Diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and smoking/tobacco addiction did not differ among stenosis groups. Proximal right coronary artery (RCA) stenosis patients had elevated jugular venous pressure (JVP). The echocardiograms were performed within 48 hours of post-percutaneous coronary intervention, and significant differences between groups were observed. Participants with proximal stenosis had lower tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC), which showed compromised RV systolic function. Proximal stenosis patients had reduced systolic motion velocity (Sm), indicating impaired myocardial contraction. Echocardiographic parameters such as early diastolic velocity (Em), atrial contraction velocity (Am), Em/Am ratio (a marker of diastolic function), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), isovolumic contraction time (IVCT), and ejection time (ET) between groups were different, indicating distinct cardiac functions. Proximal stenosis increased the myocardial performance index (MPI), indicating cardiac impairment. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was comparable in the two stenosis groups, indicating similar left ventricular performance. CONCLUSION:  Echocardiography showed significant RV function differences in acute inferior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with proximal and distal RCA lesions. RV dysfunction is linked to right ventricle myocardial infarction (RVMI), and echocardiographic markers can provide valuable insights. Results emphasize that acute inferior wall STEMI is diagnosed by electrocardiogram (ECG) criteria, particularly ST-segment elevation. However, these markers emphasize the importance of RV assessment in RCA involvement assessment. These findings suggest that RV function can help diagnose acute inferior wall STEMI RCA involvement. In acute inferior STEMIs, RV function echocardiography is essential for RCA lesion location.

Coverage and Determinants of Birth Dosage of Newborn Immunization in Rural Areas of Dehradun District, Uttarakhand, India: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Backgrounds: The Universal Immunization Program of India is one of the most cost-effective interventions in public health. Missing or delaying vaccination may elicit an uncertain immune response in the body, making the population susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases. The objectives of this study were to determine the coverage of newborn immunization for birth doses under the National Immunization Schedule and its epidemiological determinants in the rural areas of the Dehradun district, Uttarakhand. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of one year with a sample size of 570. World Health Organization (WHO) 30 Cluster sampling technique was used with 19 children in each cluster. The data on determinants were collected using a semi-structured, pre-designed schedule through a house-to-house survey. Multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with immunization coverage, taking the significance level as P < 0.05. Results: The coverage of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, oral polio vaccine zero dose and hepatitis B birth dose were 100%, 91.9%, and 58.8%, respectively in the study area with an overall prevalence of incomplete coverage of newborn immunization as 42.5%. The most cited reason for children being unimmunized with birth doses was the unavailability of vaccines at the birthplace center (29.6%). Conclusions: The prevalence of incomplete coverage of newborn immunization was quite high, which was undermining the holistic approach of the National Immunization Program. Vaccine availability and accessibility at the birthplace with capacity building and training of the healthcare workers may be considered to ensure coverage of birth doses.

Immunoinformatics-based multi-epitope containing fused polypeptide vaccine design against visceral leishmaniasis with high immunogenicity and TLR binding.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most lethal among all leishmaniasis diseases and remains categorized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD). This study aimed to develop a peptide-based multi-epitope vaccine construct against VL using immunoinformatics methodologies. To achieve this, four distinct proteins were screened to identify peptides consisting of 9-15 amino acids with high binding affinity to toll-like receptors (TLRs), strong antigenicity, low allergenicity, and minimal toxicity. The resulting multi-epitope vaccine construct was fused in a tandem arrangement with appropriate linker peptides and exhibited superior properties related to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), helper T lymphocytes (HTLs), and B-cell epitopes. Subsequently, a three-dimensional (3D) model of the vaccine construct was generated, refined, and validated for structural stability and immune response capabilities. Molecular docking and simulations confirmed the vaccine construct's stability and binding affinities with TLRs, with TLR4 displaying the highest binding affinity, followed by TLR2 and TLR3. Additionally, simulations predicted robust cellular and humoral antibody-mediated immune responses elicited by the designed vaccine construct. Notably, this vaccine construct includes proteins from various pathways of Leishmania donovani (LD), which have not been previously utilized in VL vaccine design. Thus, this study opens new avenues for the development of vaccines against diverse protozoan diseases.

Coal waste-derived synthesis of yellow oxidized graphene quantum dots with highly specific superoxide dismutase activity: characterization, kinetics, and biological studies.

The disintegration of coal-based precursors for the scalable production of nanozymes relies on the fate of solvothermal pyrolysis. Herein, we report a novel economic and scalable strategy to fabricate yellow luminescent graphene quantum dots (YGQDs) by remediating unburnt coal waste (CW). The YGQDs (size: 7-8 nm; M.W: 3157.9 Da) were produced using in situ "anion-radical" assisted bond cleavage in water (within 8 h; at 121 °C) with yields of ∼87%. The presence of exposed surface and edge groups, such as COOH, C-O-C, and O-H, as structural defects accounted for its high fluorescence with εmax ∼530 nm at pH 7. Besides, these defects also acted as radical stabilizers, demonstrating prominent anti-oxidative activity of ∼4.5-fold higher than standard ascorbic acid (AA). In addition, the YGQDs showed high biocompatibility towards mammalian cells, with 500 µM of treatment dose showing <15% cell death. The YGQDs demonstrated specific superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity wherein 15 µM YGQDs equalled the activity of 1-unit biological SOD (bSOD), measured using the pyrogallol assay. The Km for YGQDs was ∼10-fold higher than that for bSOD. However, the YGQDs retained their SOD activity in harsh conditions like high temperatures or denaturing reactions, where the activity of bSOD is completely lost. The binding affinity of YGQDs for superoxide ions, measured from isothermal calorimetry (ITC) studies, was only 10-fold lower than that of bSOD (Kd of 586 nM vs. 57.3 nM). Further, the pre-treatment of YGQDs (∼10-25 µM) increased the cell survivability to >75-90% in three cell lines during ROS-mediated cell death, with the highest survivability being shown for C6-cells. Next, the ROS-induced apoptosis in C6-cells (model for neurodegenerative diseases study), wherein YGQDs uptake was confirmed by confocal microscopy, showed ∼5-fold apoptosis alleviation with only 5 µM pretreatment. The YGQDs also restored the expression of pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6) and anti-inflammatory Th2 cytokines (IL-10) to their basal levels, with a net >3-fold change observed. This further explains the molecular mechanism for the antioxidant property of YGQDs. The high specific SOD activity associated with YGQDs may provide the cheapest alternative source for producing large-scale SOD-based nanozymes that can treat various oxidative stress-linked disorders/diseases.

Assessment of quality of routine immunization in rural areas of Doiwala Block, Dehradun.

Background: India initiated Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in 1978 and was renamed to Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) in 1985 and subsequently integrated with National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005. Many studies have shown that health workers involved in immunization are more concerned towards coverage than the quality of immunization services provided. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the quality of routine immunization services in rural areas of Doiwala Block of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Material and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted for a duration of one year. Study participants included Auxillary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and parents/caregivers of children aged 12-23 months residing in that area who had received immunization services on the day of the survey. Institutional ethics committee clearance was obtained before the start of the study. A P value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: ASHAs at two centres in low-performing centres had never undergone any training for routine immunization but there was no statistically significant difference found between high and low-performing centres (P > 0.05). The most common vaccine not available was the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. The majority of clients at both high (92%) and low-performing centres (96%) said that they never waited for at least 30 min post-vaccination at the vaccination site for observation. Conclusion: The study highlights that most of the ANMs at the immunization centre were having good knowledge and were adequately trained for maintaining cold chains at session sites.

High-affinity potassium transporter from a mangrove tree Avicennia officinalis increases salinity tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Salinity reduces the growth and productivity of crop plants worldwide. Mangroves have evolved efficient ion homeostasis mechanisms to survive under their natural saline growth habitat. Information obtained from them may be utilized for increasing the salt tolerance of crop plants. We identified and characterized a high-affinity potassium transporter gene (AoHKT1) from Avicennia officinalis. The expression of AoHKT1 was induced by NaCl mainly in the leaves. Functional study by heterologous expression of AoHKT1 in Arabidopsis T-DNA insertional mutants athkt1-1 and athkt1-4 revealed that it could enhance the salt tolerance of the mutant plants. This was accompanied by an increase in K+ accumulation in the leaves. AoHKT1 was localized to the plasma membrane in Arabidopsis, and when expressed in yeast, it could complement the functions of both Na+ and K+ transporters. An attempt was made to identify the upstream regulator of AtHKT1, a close homolog of AoHKT1. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase assay and yeast one-hybrid assays, WRKY9 was identified as the main transcription factor in the process. Furthermore, this was corroborated by the observation that AtHKT1 levels were significantly reduced in the atwrky9 seedlings. These findings revealed a part of the molecular regulatory mechanism of HKT1 induction in response to salt treatment in Arabidopsis. Our study suggests that AoHKT1 is a potential candidate for generating crop plants with increased salt tolerance.

Evaluation of the Levels of Low-dose Topical Atropine (0.01%) in Aqueous and Vitreous Humor in Human Eyes.

SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first human study that confirmed penetration of 0.01% topical atropine in aqueous and vitreous humor in live human eyes. This supports the possible mode of action of atropine via posterior ocular structures. This knowledge will help improve the outcomes in myopia management. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate penetration of low-dose atropine 0.01% in aqueous and vitreous humor. METHODS: In this cross-sectional interventional pilot study, 48 cataract cases were divided into four groups (12 each), and 30 epiretinal membrane/macular hole cases were divided into three groups (10 each). One drop of 0.01% atropine was put in the eye to be operated. Aqueous humor samples were taken from patients undergoing cataract surgery at 60 ± 15 minutes in group 1, 120 ± 15 minutes in group 2, 240 ± 15 minutes in group 3, and 360 ± 15 minutes in group 4. Vitreous humor samples were taken from patients undergoing vitreoretinal surgery for epiretinal membrane/macular hole at 120 ± 15 minutes in group 1, 240 ± 15 minutes in group 2, and 360 ± 15 minutes in group 3. The assay of atropine was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Median concentrations of atropine in aqueous samples were 1.33 ng/mL (min-max, 0.6 to 6.46 ng/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 3.05 ng/mL) at 60 minutes, 2.60 ng/mL (min-max, 0.63 to 4.62 ng/mL; IQR, 1.97 ng/mL) at 120 minutes, 1.615 ng/mL (min-max, 0.1 to 3.74 ng/mL; IQR, 1.62 ng/mL) at 240 minutes, and 1.46 ng/mL (min-max, 0.47 to 2.80 ng/mL; IQR, 1.73 ng/mL) at 360 minutes, and those in vitreous samples were 0.102 ng/mL (min-max, 0 to 0.369 ng/mL; IQR, 0.366 ng/mL) at 120 minutes, 0.1715 ng/mL (min-max, 0 to 0.795 ng/mL; IQR, 0.271 ng/mL) at 240 minutes, and 0.2495 ng/mL (min-max, 0 to 0.569 ng/mL; IQR, 0.402 ng/mL) at 360 minutes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Measurable concentration of low-dose topical atropine (0.01%) was noted in aqueous and vitreous humor after instillation of a single drop of low-dose atropine. Muscarinic receptors located in the posterior segment such as the choroid and retina could be the possible site of action of low-dose atropine in myopia.

Estimation of Heritability under Correlated Errors Using the Full-Sib Model.

In plant and animal breeding, sometimes observations are not independently distributed. There may exist a correlated relationship between the observations. In the presence of highly correlated observations, the classical premise of independence between observations is violated. Plant and animal breeders are particularly interested to study the genetic components for different important traits. In general, for estimating heritability, a random component in the model must adhere to specific assumptions, such as random components, including errors, having a normal distribution, and being identically independently distributed. However, in many real-world situations, all of the assumptions are not fulfilled. In this study, correlated error structures are considered errors that are associated to estimate heritability for the full-sib model. The number of immediately preceding observations in an autoregressive series that are used to predict the value at the current observation is defined as the order of the autoregressive models. First-order and second-order autoregressive models i.e., AR(1) and AR(2) error structures, have been considered. In the case of the full-sib model, theoretical derivation of Expected Mean sum square (EMS) considering AR(1) structure has been obtained. A numerical explanation is provided for the derived EMS considering AR(1) structure. The predicted mean squares error (MSE) is obtained after including the AR(1) error structures in the model, and heritability is estimated using the resulting equations. It is noticed that correlated errors have a major influence on heritability estimation. Different correlation patterns, such as AR(1) and AR(2), can be inferred to change heritability estimates and MSE values. To attain better results, several combinations are offered for various scenarios.

Low-field 0.55 T MRI evaluation of the fetus.

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important adjunct modality for the evaluation of fetal abnormalities. Recently, low-field MRI systems at 0.55 Tesla have become available which can produce images on par with 1.5 Tesla systems but with lower power deposition, acoustic noise, and artifact. In this article, we describe a technical innovation using low-field MRI to perform diagnostic quality fetal MRI.

Twelve-month clinical outcomes of "nano-crush technique" for the treatment of bifurcation lesions using ultra-thin (60 µm) sirolimus-eluting coronary stents.

BACKGROUND: Provisional stenting is preferred for bifurcation lesion; however, certain anatomical substrate does require two stents as a part of dedicated stent technique. Here, the present study evaluated outcomes of ultra-thin (60 µm) Supra family sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) (Sahajanand Medical Technologies Limited, Surat, India) for dedicated bifurcation lesions using nano-crush technique at 12 months angiographic follow-up. METHODS: This was prospective, single-center observational study which enrolled patients with de novo bifurcation lesion and underwent angioplasty with Supra family SES using nano-crush technique at a tertiary care center in India, between March-2017 and February-2019. Primary endpoint at 12 months was target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TV-MI), and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR). Secondary endpoints included patient-oriented composite endpoint (POCE), all-cause death, any revascularization, clinically driven target vessel revascularization, stent thrombosis, periprocedural and spontaneous MI, and device failure. RESULTS: The study enrolled total 63 patients with a mean age of 62.5±4.9 years and had male dominance (89%). Left main (LM) bifurcation and non-LM bifurcation were observed in 21 (33%) and 42 (67%) patients, respectively. Total 50 (80%) patients had Medina class- 1,1,1. At 12 months, TLF occurred in 4 (6%) patients which included one cardiac death (1.5%), two (3.0%) TV-MI, and one CD-TLR (1.5%). POCE was observed in 6 (9.6%) patients. Stent failure was seen in 2 (3.1%) patient and one patient (1.5%) developed late stent thrombosis. Twelve months angiographic follow-up indicated intact stent patency in all other patients. On multivariate analysis, LM bifurcation, renal dysfunction, LM bifurcation with renal dysfunction, ejection fraction (<35%) and calcified lesion were found as predictors of TLF. CONCLUSIONS: Dedicated stenting with ultra-thin Supra family SES for complex bifurcation lesion using nano-crush technique reported acceptable clinical outcomes among real-world patients and can be performed safely with ease without any procedural complications.

Utilization of Dental Care, Tooth Loss, and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults Visiting Dental Care Centers in Indian Settings.

BACKGROUND: Oral disease prevalence is rising globally in a major way, with a heavier impact and concern on developing countries like India. Also, limited data in literature has previously assessed oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in older adults in Indian settings. AIMS: The present study aimed to evaluate OHRQoL in older adults seeking dental care in Indian settings. METHODS: In 140 subjects, an oral examination to detect any oral condition was done followed by filling out a questionnaire for OHRQoL assessment using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index 12 (GOHAI-12). The treatment needs of each study subject were governed by prosthetic and dental status individually. Statistical evaluation of the data collected was done to formulate the results. RESULTS: Concerning age, a significant impact was seen, where increasing age was associated with poor quality of life (p=0.025). For gender, older females had poor OHRQoL with p-values of <0.001, 0.01, 0.04, and <0.001 respectively for behaviour, psychological, pain and discomfort, and functional limitation. Also, edentulous patients had poorer OHRQoL compared to subjects with >20 teeth Conclusion: The present study concludes that oral diseases can significantly affect the OHRQoL, with higher female and edentulous state preponderance. Early diagnosis and management can aid in improving QoL in older adults.