In-vitro antiviral activity of Carica papaya formulations against dengue virus type 2 and chikungunya viruses.

Dengue and chikungunya are diseases of global health significance and currently, no antivirals are available to treat these arboviral diseases. Carica papaya leaves extract is traditionally used to treat thrombocytopenia in patients infected with the dengue virus. The current study was undertaken to study the antiviral activity of commercially available Carica papaya leaves extract (CPLE) based products and CPLE prepared in four formulations against dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Maximum nontoxic concentrations of the commercially available CPLE based products and CPLE based formulations (Carica papaya leaves in powder form, Carica papaya leaves in lyophilized form, Carica papaya leaves based silver nanoparticles and supercritical fluid extract of Carica papaya leaves) were used for screening the antiviral activity. The antiviral activity against DENV-2 and CHIKV were assessed post infection using focus forming unit assay. Effective formulations were tested under different conditions i.e. pretreatment, cotreatment and posttreatment. The virus output after treatment was assessed by real-time RT-PCR, immunofluorescence assay and focus forming unit assay. The results revealed Carica papaya leaves based silver nanoparticles and supercritical fluid extract of Carica papaya leaves formulations showed significant inhibition in case of DENV while papaya leaves in powder form showed significant reduction in case of CHIKV. This study demonstrates the antiviral activity of CPLE formulations against DENV-2 and CHIKV infection in in-vitro system and needs further validation in in-vivo models.

Architectural analysis of root system and phytohormone biosynthetic genes expression in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) inoculated with Penicillium oxalicum.

In this study, a fungal plant growth promoter Penicillium oxalicum T4 isolated from non-rhizosphere soil of Arunachal Pradesh, India, was screened for different plant growth promoting traits in a gnotobiotic study. Though inoculation improved the overall growth of the plants, critical differences were observed in root architecture. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, Scanning electron microscope and the stereo microscopic study showed that inoculated wheat plants could develop profuse root hairs as compared to control. Root scanning indicated improvement in cumulative root length, root area, root volume, number of forks, links, crossings, and other parameters. A confocal scanning laser microscope indicated signs of endophytic colonization in wheat roots. Gene expression studies revealed that inoculation of T4 modulated the genes affecting root hair development. Significant differences were marked in the expression levels of TaRSL4, TaEXPB1, TaEXPB23, PIN-FORMED protein, kaurene oxidase, lipoxygenase, ACC synthase, ACC oxidase, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, and ABA 8'-hydroxylase genes. These genes contribute to early plant development and ultimately to biomass accumulation and yield. The results suggested that P. oxalicum T4 has potential for growth promotion in wheat and perhaps also in other cereals.

Development of a rapid technique for sequential separation of plutonium/americium in nasal swab using solvent extraction and liquid scintillation spectrometry.

A rapid radiochemical method has been developed for estimation of plutonium and americium in nasal swab using extractive liquid scintillation spectrometry. The method involves solvent extraction of plutonium and americium from pre-treated nasal swab using 0.2 M Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoricacid prepared in toluene scintillator & back extraction of americium in aqueous phase using 0.35 M HNO3. Activity assessment was carried out using liquid scintillation spectrometry. Overall recovery obtained was 96% for plutonium and 76% for americium with a sample turnaround time of 3 h.

Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C among HIV Infected Patients in Nepal over 1990-2020.

Background Hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) are viral infections caused by corresponding viruses. Here in this study we planned to conduct this meta-analysis to pool data on the prevalence and risk factors of HBV and/or HCV among HIV patients in Nepal. Method We used MOOSE guideline for the systemic review of available literature. We searched online databases using appropriate keywords. We used CMA-3 for data synthesis. Odds ratio, and proportion were used to estimate the outcome with a 95% confidence interval where appropriate. We assessed the heterogeneity using the I-squared (I2 ) test. Result We included nine studies for our synthesis. Pooling of data showed HBV in 4.6% (CI: 3.7-5.6), HCV in 19.7% (CI: 10.8-33.0), both HBV and HCV in 1.3% (CI: 0.5-3.7) in HIV affected individuals. Among HBV co-infected HIV positive patients, 59.5% (CI: 25.5-86.3) were male; 76.1% (CI: 30.1-96.0) were married and 43.6% (CI: 3.8-93.8) had a history of intravenous drug use (IVDU). Among HCV co-infected HIV positive individuals 88.3% (CI: 73.6-95.4) were male; 63.6% (CI: 55.4-71.1) were married; 91.5% (CI: 68.6-98.1) were literate; 59.2% (CI: 49.9-67.9) were on ART; and 92.2% (95%CI: 84.9-96.1) had a history of IVDU. Conclusion The pooled prevalence of co-infection with HBV, HCV, and combined HBV and HCV were 4.6%, 19.7% and 1.3% respectively among HIV positive patients. Thus, it is necessary to appropriately screen for HBV and HCV in individuals diagnosed with HIV and high-risk populations. IVDU remains the most common risk factor found in co-infected individuals.

Pathology, tissue tropism and antibody response of nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) Indian isolate in experimentally infected chicken.

Infectious bronchitis virus isolate (IND/AHL/16/01) from a disease outbreak characterized by nephritis, gout and mortality in coloured layer pureline at Directorate of Poultry Research, India was characterized as nephropathogenic strain by S1 genotyping and phylogenetic analysis. Serotyping with homologous and heterologous serum (M41) by virus neutralization assay in embryonated chicken eggs (ECE) showed indices of 7.3 and 2.3 respectively. Pathogenesis, tissue tropism and host immune response induced by this isolate were investigated in experimentally infected chicken. A total of 150, twenty days old seronegative Vanaraja birds were inoculated through intranasal and intravenous route using 104.7 Embryo infective dose50 (EID50/ml). Infected chickens were sacrificed at 4 h, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15- and 20-days post-infection (dpi) for necropsy. Tissues were collected for histopathology and virus detection by isolation in ECE and by reverse transcription- PCR (RT-PCR). Serum was also collected at these intervals to investigate the specific antibody response induced. The symptoms started as early as 3 dpi and included primarily wet droppings, diarrhoea, dehydration rather than respiratory symptoms. Gross lesions were prominent in kidneys including mottling and congestion. Virus isolation and RT-PCR detection indicated the presence of virus as early as 4 h post-infection in trachea and 24 h in kidney and lungs and from 2 dpi in caecal tonsil. The host antibody response after experimental infection in serum by ELISA indicated that the protective titres were induced from 13 dpi and peaked at 35 dpi and declined thereafter. Overall, this isolate is nephropathogenic and capable of inducing severe nephritis and production loss in broilers. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-021-00693-4.

MEALTIME BOLUS INSULIN DOSE TIMING IN CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES: REAL-LIFE DATA FROM A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN NORTHERN INDIA.

Context: Mealtime insulin bolus is traditionally administered before meals in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Controlled studies on the use of pre-and postprandial insulin bolus have shown variable results. There are no real-world studies on postprandial bolusing of insulin in young children with T1D. Methods: Children with T1D aged <7 years were grouped into preprandial (Group 1) or postprandial (Group 2) groups according to the practice of prandial insulin use. Their retrospective data on mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hypoglycemic events, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) episodes were compared. Results: Forty-four children (mean age 4.1±1.3 years, range 2-7 years) with mean diabetes duration of 2.0±0.7 years (range, 1-4 years) were identified; 23 (52.3%) belonged to Group 1 and 21 (47.7%) to Group 2. There were no differences in the mean HbA1c levels, mean hypoglycemic events, and DKA episodes between the two groups during a mean follow-up duration of two years. Conclusion: Young children with T1D administered insulin bolus during or immediately after meals showed similar long-term glycemic control and diabetes-related adverse event profile compared to the premeal timing of insulin bolus. Larger real-world studies are needed on flexible insulin bolus timing in young children with T1D.

TALSPEAK process on hollow fiber renewable liquid membrane apropos to the remedial maneuver of high level nuclear waste.

In concurrence with objectives of advanced high level nuclear waste(HLW) management, separation of chemically similar trivalent actinides and lanthanides is accomplished using TALSPEAK (Trivalent Actinide - Lanthanide Separation by Phosphorous reagent Extraction from Aqueous Komplexes) process on hollow fibre renewable liquid membrane (HFRLM). Permeability coefficient(Kf) of metal ions are determined under varying concentrations of diethylene triamine pentacaetic acid (DTPA) and H+ in the feed solution, containing 241Am with other metal impurities usually occurred in the HLW, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in liquid membrane and receiving emulsion phase. Optimized process conditions obtained are: 5 ± 0.25 L feed solution: containing 0.05 M DTPA, 1 M lactic acid and metal ions under the agitation of 400 ± 15 rpm, receiving phase: emulsion of 400 ± 15 mL 2 M HNO3 + 100 mL 0.2 M HDEHP/dodecane under stirring at 650 ± 25 rpm. The Kf of metal ions obtained under optimized process conditions are in the order: Am(III)<

Silver(i)-catalyzed sequential hydroamination and Prins type cyclization for the synthesis of fused benzo-δ-sultams.

An intramolecular annulation strategy has been developed for the synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[e]pyrano[4,3-c][1,2]thiazine derivatives by means of coupling of aldehydes with 2-(4-hydroxybut-1-yn-1-yl)-N-arylsulfonamides using a catalytic amount of silver hexafluoroantimonate in toluene at 80 °C. This is the first report on the synthesis of fused benzo-δ-sultam derivatives through C-N, C-O, and C-C bond formations. The reaction proceeds through a cascade of hydroamination and Prins type cyclization.

Unique reversibility in extraction mechanism of U compared to solvent extraction for sorption of U(VI) and Pu(IV) by a novel solvent impregnated resin containing trialkyl phosphine oxide functionalized ionic liquid.

Novel Solvent Impregnated Resin (SIR) material was prepared by impregnating a trialkyl phosphine oxide functionalized ionic liquid (IL) into an inert polymeric material XAD-7. A series of SIR materials were prepared by varying the IL quantity. Sorption of both U(VI) and Pu(IV) were found to increase with increasing IL concentration in SIR up to an optimum IL concentration of 435 mg g-1 of SIR beyond which no effect of IL concentration was observed. A change of mechanism of sorption for U(VI) by SIR was observed in comparison to solvent extraction. The dependency of U(VI) sorption with nitric acid concentration showed a reverse trend compared to solvent extraction studies while for Pu(IV) the trend remained same as observed with solvent extraction. Sorption of both the radionuclides was found to follow pseudo second order mechanism and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Distribution co-efficient measurements on IL impregnated SIR showed highly selective sorption of U(VI) and Pu(IV) over other trivalent f-elements and fission products from nitric acid medium.

Carbon nano tubes functionalized with novel functional group- amido-amine for sorption of actinides.

The manuscript presents the results on the sorption of U(VI), Am(III) & Eu(III) from pH medium by a novel amido-amine functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). The novel functional group was introduced in the MWCNT by two step processes and characterized by various instrumental techniques like Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The sorption process was found to be highly dependent on the pH of the solution with maximum sorption for both 233U, 241Am & 152+154Eu at pH 7.0. Kinetics of sorption was found to be fast with equilibrium reached in ∼15min and the sorption was found to be following pseudo 2nd order kinetics for the radionuclides. The sorption for both 233U and 152+154Eu followed Langmuir sorption model with maximum sorption capacity of 20.66mg/g and 16.1mg/g respectively. This has been explained by DFT calculations which shows that more negative solvation energy of U(VI) compared to Am(III) and Eu(III) and stronger U-MWCNT-AA complex is responsible for higher sorption capacity of U(VI) compared to Am(III) and Eu(III).The synthesized amido-amine functionalized MWCNT is a very promising candidate for removal of actinides and lanthanides from waste water solution with high efficiency.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1-amino isochromans from 2-bromoethyl benzaldehyde and amines in acid medium.

We have developed a facile and efficient synthetic route to substituted isochromans for the first time by reacting 2-(2-bromoethyl)benzaldehyde with a variety of aryl, heteroaryl amines in AcOH. The reaction is catalyst/additive free and takes place at reflux conditions with short reaction time to furnish products in good to excellent yields. All the compounds have been characterized by spectral techniques such as IR, 1H NMR and Mass etc. Synthesized compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against specific bacterial like 1) Staphylococcus strains aureus 2) Bacillus subtilis 3) Escherichia coli 4) Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Compounds 3e, 3n, 3 m, 3 l, 3 k, 3j and 3b showed most potent in vitro activity against bacterial strains.

A rapid method for estimation of Pu-isotopes in urine samples using high volume centrifuge.

The conventional radio-analytical technique used for estimation of Pu-isotopes in urine samples involves anion exchange/TEVA column separation followed by alpha spectrometry. This sequence of analysis consumes nearly 3-4 days for completion. Many a times excreta analysis results are required urgently, particularly under repeat and incidental/emergency situations. Therefore, there is need to reduce the analysis time for the estimation of Pu-isotopes in bioassay samples. This paper gives the details of standardization of a rapid method for estimation of Pu-isotopes in urine samples using multi-purpose centrifuge, TEVA resin followed by alpha spectrometry. The rapid method involves oxidation of urine samples, co-precipitation of plutonium along with calcium phosphate followed by sample preparation using high volume centrifuge and separation of Pu using TEVA resin. Pu-fraction was electrodeposited and activity estimated using 236Pu tracer recovery by alpha spectrometry. Ten routine urine samples of radiation workers were analyzed and consistent radiochemical tracer recovery was obtained in the range 47-88% with a mean and standard deviation of 64.4% and 11.3% respectively. With this newly standardized technique, the whole analytical procedure is completed within 9h (one working day hour).

Total syntheses of Prelactone V and Prelactone B.

The total syntheses of natural products Prelactone-V and Prelactone-B have been accomplished by a novel Chiron approach starting from d-glucose. The synthesis involves isopropylidene acetal formation of d-glucose using Poly(4-vinylpyridine) supported iodine as a catalyst, Tebbe olefination, Grignard reaction, Wittig olefination, selective mono deprotection of acetal using PMA/SiO2, hydrogenation and anti-1,3-diol formation are as key steps.

Simultaneous delivery of Paclitaxel and Bcl-2 siRNA via pH-Sensitive liposomal nanocarrier for the synergistic treatment of melanoma.

pH-sensitive drug carriers that are sensitive to the acidic (pH = ~6.5) microenvironments of tumor tissues have been primarily used as effective drug/gene/siRNA/microRNA carriers for releasing their payloads to tumor cells/tissues. Resistance to various drugs has become a big hurdle in systemic chemotherapy in cancer. Therefore delivery of chemotherapeutic agents and siRNA's targeting anti apoptotic genes possess advantages to overcome the efflux pump mediated and anti apoptosis-related drug resistance. Here, we report the development of nanocarrier system prepared from kojic acid backbone-based cationic amphiphile containing endosomal pH-sensitive imidazole ring. This pH-sensitive liposomal nanocarrier effectively delivers anti-cancer drug (Paclitaxel; PTX) and siRNA (Bcl-2), and significantly inhibits cell proliferation and reduces tumor growth. Tumor inhibition response attributes to the synergistic effect of PTX potency and MDR reversing ability of Bcl-2 siRNA in the tumor supporting that kojic acid based liposomal pH-sensitive nanocarrier as efficient vehicle for systemic co-delivery of drugs and siRNA.

Substitution dependent stereoselective construction of bicyclic lactones and its application to the total synthesis of pyranopyran, tetraketide and polyrhacitide A.

A novel bicyclization strategy has been developed for the stereoselective synthesis of bicyclic lactones, i.e. 7-aryl or alkyl-2,6-dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-3-ones through a domino cyclization of (R)-3-hydroxyhex-5-enoic acid with an aldehyde in the presence of 10 mol% trimethylsilyltriflate under mild conditions. The salient features of this methodology are high yields, excellent selectivity, low catalyst loading and faster reaction times. This method has been successfully applied to the total synthesis of pyranopyran, tetraketide and polyrhacitide A.

Status of research on Drosophila ananassae at global level.

Drosophila, a dipteran insect, has been found to be the best biological model for different kinds of studies. D melanogaster was first described by Meigen in 1830 , is most extensively studied species of the genus Drosophila and a number of investigations employing this species have been documented in areas such as genetics, behaviour, evolution, development, molecular biology, ecology, population biology, etc. Besides D. melanogaster, a number of other species of the genus Drosophila have also been used for different kinds of investigations. Among these, D. ananassae, a cosmopolitan and domestic species endowed with several unusual genetic features, is noteworthy. Described for the first time from Indonesia (Doleschall 1858), this species is commonly distributed in India. Extensive research work on D. ananassae has been done by numerous researchers pertaining to cytology, genetics, mutagenesis, gene mapping, crossing-over in both sexes, population and evolutionary genetics,behaviour genetics, ecological genetics, sexual isolation, fluctuating asymmetry, trade-offs etc. Genome of D. ananassae has also been sequenced. The status of research on D. ananassae at global level is briefly described in this review. Bibliography on this species from different countries worldwide reveals that maximum contribution is from India.

Para amino benzoic acid-derived self-assembled biocompatible nanoparticles for efficient delivery of siRNA.

A number of diseases can result from abnormal gene expression. One of the approaches for treating such diseases is gene therapy to inhibit expression of a particular gene in a specific cell population by RNA interference. Use of efficient delivery vehicles increases the safety and success of gene therapy. Here we report the development of functionalized biocompatible fluorescent nanoparticles from para amino benzoic acid nanoparticles for efficient delivery of short interfering RNA (siRNA). These nanoparticles were non-toxic and did not interfere with progression of the cell cycle. The intrinsic fluorescent nature of these nanoparticles allows easy tracking and an opportunity for diagnostic applications. Human Bcl-2 siRNA was complexed with these nanoparticles to inhibit expression in cells at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Our findings indicated high gene transfection efficiency. These biocompatible nanoparticles allow targeted delivery of siRNA, providing an efficient vehicle for gene delivery.

Cooperative Multicatalytic System for the One-Pot Synthesis of Octahydrospiro-ß-carbolines.

A domino cyclization of 3-((3-(2-aminophenyl)prop-2-ynylamino)methyl)but-3-en-1-ol with aldehydes has been accomplished employing 5 mol % of the Ph3PAuCl/AgSbF6/In(OTf)3 system to afford the corresponding octahydrospiro[pyran-4,4'-pyrido[3,4-b]indole] derivatives in good yields with high selectivity. This is the first report on the synthesis of spiro-ß-carbolines through a multicatalytic cascade process.

Applying a low energy HPGe detector gamma ray spectrometric technique for the evaluation of Pu/Am ratio in biological samples.

The estimation of Pu/(241)Am ratio in the biological samples is an important input for the assessment of internal dose received by the workers. The radiochemical separation of Pu isotopes and (241)Am in a sample followed by alpha spectrometry is a widely used technique for the determination of Pu/(241)Am ratio. However, this method is time consuming and many times quick estimation is required. In this work, Pu/(241)Am ratio in the biological sample was estimated with HPGe detector based measurements using gamma/X-rays emitted by these radionuclides. These results were compared with those obtained from alpha spectroscopy of sample after radiochemical analysis and found to be in good agreement.