A combination of gliclazide and metformin attenuates obesity-induced polycystic ovary syndrome in female Wistar rats.

Presently, it is known that the progression of obesity concomitantly leads to polycystic ovary syndrome and infertility. This study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of metformin (M; insulin secretagogues) and gliclazide (G; insulin sensitizer) alone and their combination at different doses to treat obesity-induced PCOS. High high-fat diet was given to all female Wistar rats for nine weeks to induce obesity except for the normal control group which received a normal chow diet. Estradiol valerate (0.8 mg/kg) was also given to all obese rats to induce polycystic ovarian syndrome. After the induction, M (100, 300 mg/kg) and G (5, 10 mg/kg) were given orally either individually or in combination for 28 days. The notable (p < 0.0001) reduction in body weight and blood glucose level was observed in treatment groups in contrast to disease control (DCG). The marked (p < 0.05-0.0001) decrease in hemocylated hemoglobin, serum insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, and testosterone was observed in treated groups, notably in combination groups (M100+G10 mg/kg) in contrast to DCG. There was a considerable (p < 0.01-0.0001) increase in progesterone E2, estradiol, luteinizing, and follicle-stimulating hormones in treated groups as compared to DCG. Treatment with M and G treated groups also exhibited marked (p < 0.05-0.0001) increases in SOD, CAT, and GSH while decreased in NO and MDA levels in ovary tissue as evidenced by the histological study of the ovary. Treatment with M and G alone and in combination significantly (p < 0.0001) restored the serum IL-6, NrF2, and NF-κB levels as compared to DCG. The results inveterate that the M and G combination (M100+G10, and M300+G10) was useful in treating obesity-induced infertility due to antioxidant properties, hypolipidemic effects, and modulation of inflammatory markers.

A zwitterionic probe for ratiometric fluorescent detection of aluminium(III) ion in aqueous medium and its application in bioimaging.

In the present study, we have synthesized an aminobenzoic acid containing Schiff base (compound 1) and its structure was confirmed through single crystal X-ray study. Importantly, the compound 1 crystallizes in the zwitterionic form, with an anionic carboxylate group (-COO-) and a cationic iminium group (-C = NH+-). The compound 1 is highly soluble in water due to its zwitterionic feature in the solid state. Interestingly, compound 1 acts as a ratiometric fluorescent probe for the selective detection of Al3+ ion in aqueous solution without organic cosolvent. It can also detect Al3+ ion by visual colour change to bluish-green fluorescence under 365 nm UV light. The association constant between compound 1 with Al3+ ion was estimated to be 1.67 × 104 M-1. The lowest detection limit for Al3+ ion was calculated to be 7.05 × 10-8 M in water. Compound 1 in combination with Al3+ ion demonstrated fluorescent imaging potential of the nucleus of in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. In addition, the sensing model is developed as paper based sensor ''Test Kit' 'for its practical applicability.

Phenoage and longitudinal changes on transthoracic echocardiography in Alström syndrome: a disease of accelerated ageing?

Alström syndrome (AS) is an ultra-rare disorder characterised by early-onset multi-organ dysfunction, such as insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidaemia, and renal and cardiovascular disease. The objective is to explore whether AS is a disease of accelerated ageing and whether changes over time on echocardiography could reflect accelerated cardiac ageing. Cross-sectional measurement of Phenoage and retrospective analysis of serial echocardiography were performed between March 2012 and November 2022. The setting is a single national tertiary service jointly run by health service and patient charity. Forty-five adult patients aged over 16 years were included, 64% were male and 67% of White ethnicity. The median Phenoage was 48 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 35-72) in the 34 patients for whom this was calculable, which was significantly higher than the median chronological age of 29 years (IQR: 22-39, p<0.001). Phenoage was higher than chronological age in 85% (N=29) of patients, with a median difference of +18 years (IQR: +4, +34). On echocardiography, significant decreases were observed over time in left ventricular (LV) size at end-diastole (average of 0.046 cm per year, p<0.001) and end-systole (1.1% per year, p=0.025), with significant increase in posterior wall thickness at end-diastole (0.009 cm per year, p=0.008). LV systolic function measured by global longitudinal strain reduced (0.34 percentage points per year, p=0.020) and E/e'lat increased (2.5% per year, p=0.019). Most AS patients display a higher Phenoage compared to chronological age. Cardiac changes in AS patients were also reflective of accelerated ageing, with a reduction in LV size and increased wall thickening. AS may be a paradigm disease for premature ageing.

Novel and efficient Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporators embedded on leno weave cotton gauze for efficient solar-driven desalination.

Solar-driven desalination is considered an alternative to the conventional desalination due to its nearly zero carbon footprint and ease of operating in remote areas. Water can be purified wherever sunlight is available, providing a viable solution to water shortage. Metal chalcogenide-based materials are revolutionary for solar evaporators due to their excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, facile synthesis methods, stability, and low cost. Herein we present a prototype Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporator embedded on leno weave cotton gauze (Bi/CoTe@CG) using the sonication process. The nano-solar evaporator was synthesized using a simple hydrothermal approach to provide an opportunity to scale up. The as designed solar evaporator consisting of 5 % Bi/CoTe@CG showed an excellent water flux of 2.38 kg m-2 h-1 upon one sun radiation (1 kW m-2), considered among the highest literature-reported values. The introduced solar evaporator showed excellent solar efficiency of 96.7 %, good stability, and reusability for five cycles of one hour. The best doping ratio of Bi in CoTe was obtained as Bi0.5Co9.5Te with a contact angle of 11.9° in powder form. The hydrophilic nature of the designed solar-evaporator increased the water interaction with the embedded nano-solar evaporator, which helps the transfer of the heat to nearby water molecules, break their hydrogen bonding and increase the evaporation rate. The ion concentration, of the desalinated pure water collected using Bi/CoTe@CG, decreased by many orders of magnitude and it is far below the limit of WHO standards for Na+ and K+. Thus, a self-floating Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporator deposited on cotton gauze (CG) is an excellent solar evaporator for seawater desalination. The proposed solar evaporator is another step towards introducing environmentally friendly desalination methods.

Synthesis and Photophysical, Electrochemical, and DFT Studies of Piperidyl and Pyrrolidinyl Chalcones.

Small organic molecules with interesting optical and electrochemical properties find applications as organic luminescent materials. In this work, we report the synthesis of novel chalcones with D-A-D and D-A-D-A architecture, followed by their optical, electrochemical, and computational studies. The absorption band of these compounds occurs at 360-480 nm with emission maxima appearing around 513-552 nm. The large Stokes shifts (Δλ) for all compounds (90-132 nm) suggest intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in the excited states. The molar absorptivity and fluorescence quantum yields were found to be in the range of 1.7-4.26 × 104 M-1 cm-1 and 0.29-0.39, respectively. The electrochemical parameters were determined by using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of all compounds were made by using B3LYP/G (d,p) functionals in chloroform and were found to have a good correlation with experimental results. Preliminary studies of absorption, photoluminescence, CV, and their theoretical correlation suggest that these compounds may be optimized for their applications in optoelectronics, sensing, and bioimaging.

Marine estuaries act as better sink for greenhouse gases during winter in undisturbed mangrove than degraded ones in Sundarban, India.

The estuaries provide the key pathway for travelling carbon across the land-ocean interfaces and behave as both source and sink of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in water-atmosphere systems. The sink-source characteristics of estuaries for GHGs vary spatially. The primary driving factors are adjacent ecologies (agriculture, aquaculture, etc.) and proximities to the sea. To study the sink-source characteristics of estuaries for GHGs (methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2)), the water samples were collected from 53 different locations in the estuaries for estimation of dissolved GHGs concentration and air-water GHGs exchanges. The locations represent five zones (Zone I, II, III, IV and V) based on the type and degradation status of mangroves (degraded and undisturbed), anthropogenic activities, and distance from the sea. Zone I, III, V represents to the degraded mangroves far from sea, whereas, Zone II, IV surrounded by undisturbed mangroves and nearer to sea. The average dissolved CH4 concentrations were higher in the estuaries which were adjacent to degraded mangroves (154.4 nmol L-1) than undisturbed mangroves (81.7 nmol L-1). Further, the average dissolved N2O concentrations were 48% higher in the estuaries nearer to degraded mangroves than that of undisturbed ones. Among the degraded mangrove sites, the dissolved CO2 concentrations were higher at Zone I (30.1 µmol L-1) followed by Zone III and IV, whereas in undisturbed sites, it was higher in Zone IV (22.3 µmol L-1) than Zone II (17.6 µmol L-1). Among the 53 locations, 36, 51 and 33 locations acted as a sink (negative value of exchanges) for CH4, N2O and CO2, respectively. The higher sink potential for CH4 was recorded to those estuaries adjacent to undisturbed mangroves (-791.69 µmol m-2 d-1) than the degraded ones (-23.18 µmol m-2 d-1). Similarly, the average air-water N2O and CO2 exchanges were more negative in the estuaries which were nearer to undisturbed mangroves indicating higher sink potential. The pH, and salinity of the estuary water were negatively correlated with air-water CH4 and N2O exchanges, whereas those were positively correlated with CO2 exchanges. Significantly lower dissolved GHGs and air-water GHGs exchange was observed in the estuaries adjacent to the undisturbed mangrove as compared to the degraded mangrove. The reason behind higher sink behaviours of estuaries nearer to undisturbed mangroves are higher intrusion of seawater, less nutrient availability, higher salinity, low carbon contents and alkaline pH compared to estuaries adjacent to degraded mangroves and far from sea.

Micro- and nanoplastics: Contamination routes of food products and critical interpretation of detection strategies.

Micro-and nanoplastics (M/NPs) are emerging pollutants released into the food, beverages, and environment from plastic products by weathering, oxidative damage, and mechanical stress. Detection of M/NPs in food and beverages is a vital factor in preventing the deleterious effects of these materials on human health and other ecosystems. Analytical strategies for M/NPs demonstrate numerous drawbacks, including detection sensitivity limitation, matrix digestion, and sample pretreatment. Moreover, the content of M/NPs in food and beverages varies with food production, storage, and transport, making it hard to precisely detect them. The contamination route is a key factor affecting the level of M/NPs in food and beverages. Strict control over the contamination route could be beneficial in preventing M/NP pollution. This review highlighted routes of food and beverage contamination by M/NPs, various pros and cons of detection strategies, and critical interpretation of reported techniques, including microscopy, spectroscopy, light scattering, and thermal methods. Besides, the bottlenecks of detection and quantification approaches for M/NPs and recent advancements have also been highlighted. Much is still unknown concerning the fate, activities, and properties of M/NPs present in various matrices. This review aims to assist the investigators to tackle the drawbacks and pave the way for upcoming research, minimizing the health complications by regulating the control over M/NPs pollution.

Fabrication of a New Rationally Designed Mussel-Inspired Cationic Amphiphilic Terpolymer to Enhance the Separation and Anti-Fouling Performance of Membranes.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane-based systems for treating oily wastewater are prone to fouling. Herein, we introduced a novel mussel-inspired cationic amphiphilic terpolymer consisting of monomers N,N-diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC), N,N-diallyltetradecan-1-ammonium chloride (DTDAC), and mussel-inspired N,N-diallyldopamine hydrochloride (DADAHC) to improve the performance and characteristics of the PVDF membranes for oil-in-water emulsion separations. The cationic terpolymer, poly(DADMAC-co-DTDAC-co-DADAHC), shortened as PDDD, was synthesized in excellent yields via free radical polymerization and has good compatibility with the PVDF owing to the presence of hydrophobic long alkyl chains in DTDAC. The presence of dopamine motifs helps stabilize the PDDD-PVDF membrane by chelating with Fe3+ ions. The water contact angle on the PDDD-incorporated PVDF membranes was reduced from 87.6 to 54.6°, demonstrating improved hydrophilicity than pristine PVDF (M-0). The incorporation of PDDD into the PVDF improved the separation efficiencies of the membrane, which reached up to 99% while treating the oil-in-water emulsions. Incorporating PDDD into PVDF has significantly enhanced the anti-fouling characteristics of the membranes, which are indicated by their remarkable flux recovery ratio (FRR) (up to 92%). The hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups worked synergetically to enhance the performance of the fabricated membrane.

Thymus linearis Extracts Ameliorate Indices of Metabolic Syndrome in Sprague Dawley Rats.

Materials and Methods: The extract library (n-hexane (NH), ethyl acetate (EA), methanol (M), distilled water (DW), and combined extract (CE)) was standardized using in vitro phytochemical, antioxidant, and α-amylase inhibition assays, after which the protective effect of selected "hit," i.e., CE against metabolic syndrome, was determined in vivo, using rats fed a high-fat diet supplemented with additional cholesterol administration. CE was administered to Sprague Dawley rats in high dose as 100 mg/kg in carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) (1 ml; 0.75% in DW) and low-dose group as 50 mg/kg in CMC (0.5 ml; 0.75% in DW). After 10 weeks, the effects of CE on insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), oxidative stress, and genotoxicity were assessed through histological, biochemical, and hematological investigations. Results: Phytochemical analysis including RP-HPLC analysis of the extracts showed that flavonoids and phenolics (myricetin, kaempferol, and apigenin), previously known to be effective against obesity and diabetes, are present in the extracts. Antioxidant studies revealed that the plant possesses a highly significant (p < 0.05) concentration of antioxidants. Satisfactory α-amylase inhibitory activity was also observed in in vitro experiments. In vivo studies showed that CE-administered animals had significantly (p < 0.05) lower weight gain and smaller adipocytes than the control group. Moreover, CE resisted any significant (p < 0.05) change in the organ weights. Analogous to findings from its traditional use, the plant extract had a positive modulatory effect on insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. The study also indicated that CE resisted high-fat diet-induced disturbance in lipid profile and countered any pathological changes in liver enzymes caused by fat-infused diet. Furthermore, a study on endogenous antioxidant levels indicated that CE was effective in maintaining catalase and peroxidase levels within the normal range and resisted the effects of lipid peroxidation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Conclusion: In principle, the current study's findings scientifically validate the implication of T. linearis in metabolic syndrome and recommend further studies on molecular insights of the observed therapeutic activity.

The Effect of Nanosilver Sodium Fluoride on the Mechanical and Physiochemical Properties of Artificially Demineralised Dentin.

PURPOSE: To synthesise and characterise nanosilver sodium fluoride (NSSF) and assess the effect of applying this formulation in vitro on artificially demineralised root dentin lesions, compared with the application of silver diamine fluoride (SDF), sodium fluoride (NAF) or no treatment, in terms of mechanical, chemical and ultrastructural properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NSSF was prepared using 0.5 wt% chitosan solution. On 40 extracted human molars, the buccal aspect of the cervical thirds of roots were prepared and divided into 4 groups of 10 each: control (no treatment), NSSF, SDF and NaF (n = 10). The specimens were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface and cross-sectional microhardness and nano-indentation tests were performed to determine the mineral and carbonate content, microhardness, and nanohardness, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the differences between the different treatment groups for the set parameters using parametric and non-parametric tests. Tukey's and Dunnet's T3 post-hoc tests were further used for multiple comparisons between groups (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The control group (no treatment) was found to have statistically significantly lower mean scores for surface and cross-sectional microhardness compared with all other test groups (NaF, NSSF and SDF) (p < 0.05). Spearman's rank correlation test showed statistically insignificant differences between the mineral-to-matrix ratio (M:M) and carbonate content of all groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of root lesions with NSSF yielded comparable results to SDF and NaF under in-vitro conditions.

Intrapulmonary and Intracardiac Shunts in Adult COVID-19 Versus Non-COVID Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ICU Patients Using Echocardiography and Contrast Bubble Studies (COVID-Shunt Study): A Prospective, Observational Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Studies have suggested intrapulmonary shunts may contribute to hypoxemia in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with worse associated outcomes. We evaluated the presence of right-to-left (R-L) shunts in COVID-19 and non-COVID ARDS patients using a comprehensive hypoxemia workup for shunt etiology and associations with mortality. DESIGN: Prospective, observational cohort study. SETTING: Four tertiary hospitals in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. PATIENTS: Adult critically ill, mechanically ventilated, ICU patients admitted with COVID-19 or non-COVID (November 16, 2020, to September 1, 2021). INTERVENTIONS: Agitated-saline bubble studies with transthoracic echocardiography/transcranial Doppler ± transesophageal echocardiography assessed for R-L shunts presence. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Primary outcomes were shunt frequency and association with hospital mortality. Logistic regression analysis was used for adjustment. The study enrolled 226 patients (182 COVID-19 vs 42 non-COVID). Median age was 58 years (interquartile range [IQR], 47-67 yr) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores of 30 (IQR, 21-36). In COVID-19 patients, the frequency of R-L shunt was 31 of 182 COVID patients (17.0%) versus 10 of 44 non-COVID patients (22.7%), with no difference detected in shunt rates (risk difference [RD], -5.7%; 95% CI, -18.4 to 7.0; p = 0.38). In the COVID-19 group, hospital mortality was higher for those with R-L shunt compared with those without (54.8% vs 35.8%; RD, 19.0%; 95% CI, 0.1-37.9; p = 0.05). This did not persist at 90-day mortality nor after adjustment with regression. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of increased R-L shunt rates in COVID-19 compared with non-COVID controls. R-L shunt was associated with increased in-hospital mortality for COVID-19 patients, but this did not persist at 90-day mortality or after adjusting using logistic regression.

Global loss of cellular m6A RNA methylation following infection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Insights into host-virus interactions during SARS-CoV-2 infection are needed to understand COVID-19 pathogenesis and may help to guide the design of novel antiviral therapeutics. N 6-Methyladenosine modification (m6A), one of the most abundant cellular RNA modifications, regulates key processes in RNA metabolism during stress response. Gene expression profiles observed postinfection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants show changes in the expression of genes related to RNA catabolism, including m6A readers and erasers. We found that infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants causes a loss of m6A in cellular RNAs, whereas m6A is detected abundantly in viral RNA. METTL3, the m6A methyltransferase, shows an unusual cytoplasmic localization postinfection. The B.1.351 variant has a less-pronounced effect on METTL3 localization and loss of m6A than did the B.1 and B.1.1.7 variants. We also observed a loss of m6A upon SARS-CoV-2 infection in air/liquid interface cultures of human airway epithelia, confirming that m6A loss is characteristic of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. Further, transcripts with m6A modification are preferentially down-regulated postinfection. Inhibition of the export protein XPO1 results in the restoration of METTL3 localization, recovery of m6A on cellular RNA, and increased mRNA expression. Stress granule formation, which is compromised by SARS-CoV-2 infection, is restored by XPO1 inhibition and accompanied by a reduced viral infection in vitro. Together, our study elucidates how SARS-CoV-2 inhibits the stress response and perturbs cellular gene expression in an m6A-dependent manner.

Hepatitis of an Unknown Etiology with Concomitant ITP.

Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) usually presents after decades of alcohol consumption and can even manifest with recent abstinence. The clinical presentation may be compounded by underlying liver cirrhosis and liver function enzymes are not a reliable means of diagnosing AH due to poor sensitivity and specificity. One feature of alcoholic hepatitis is thrombocytopenia; however, patients may also have thrombocytopenia due to another underlying condition, such as Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). ITP is an autoimmune disease caused by autoantibodies against platelet glycoproteins. ITP is a diagnosis of exclusion and secondary causes of thrombocytopenia must be ruled out with persistent thrombocytopenia that is refractory to treatment for AH. Although there is limited data demonstrating a correlation between AH and ITP, both conditions respond to steroids. We present a case of a 42 YO M with an unknown cause of hepatitis and concomitant ITP who responded well to steroids.

Interaction of novel proteins, centrin4 and protein of centriole in Leishmania parasite and their effects on the parasite growth.

Centrins are cytoskeletal proteins associated with the centrosomes or basal bodies in the eukaryotes. We previously reported the involvement of Centrin 1-3 proteins in cell division in the protozoan parasites Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma brucei. Centrin4 and 5, unique to such parasites, had never been characterized in Leishmania parasite. In the current study, we addressed the function of centrin4 (LdCen4) in Leishmania. By dominant-negative study, the episomal expression of C-terminal truncated LdCen4 in the parasite reduced the parasite growth. LdCen4 double allele gene deletion by either homologous recombination or CRISPR-Cas9 was not successful in L. donovani. However, CRISPR-Cas9-based deletion of the homologous gene was possible in L. mexicana, which attenuated the parasite growth in vitro, but not ex vivo in the macrophages. LdCen4 also interacts with endogenous and overexpressed LdPOC protein, a homolog of centrin reacting human POC (protein of centriole) in a calcium sensitive manner. LdCen4 and LdPOC binding has also been confirmed through in silico analysis by protein structural docking and validated by co-immunoprecipitation. By immunofluorescence studies, we found that both the proteins share a common localization at the basal bodies. Thus, for the first time, this article describes novel centrin4 and its binding protein in the protozoan parasites.

Size fraction of hazardous particulate matter governing the respiratory deposition and inhalation risk in the highly polluted city Delhi.

Delhi has been identified as one of the highly polluted cities in the world and recently associated with the highest population weighted PM2.5 concentration. However, the unavailability of the health risk estimations using long-term data for Indian cities has been pointed out as a hurdle in performing the correct assessment. The present work estimated deposition of particles in different regions of respiratory systems (head airway = 67% deposition for 2.5 µm particles; tracheo-bronchiolar (TB) = 73% deposition for 1.0 µm particles; alveolar (AL) = 17% deposition for 0.5 µm, 0.25 µm, and < 0.25 µm particles) using PM samples collected at a breathing height of 1.5 m near the major ring road in New Delhi (India). The calculated risk index (RI) varied considerably between winter (1.21 ± 0.26 to 1.33 ± 0.50) and pre-monsoon-southwest monsoon months (0.34 ± 0.08 to 0.96 ± 0.27). Respiratory deposition dose of nanosized particles (≤ 500 nm) in the alveoli region of the lung was found to be considerable (35%) indicating the need for understanding the role of these particles in posing health risk. Although the calculated values of risk metric for exposures of PM-associated metals indicated no risk to IIT Delhi population (hazard quotient < 1 and excess risk of getting cancer < 10-6-10-9), continuous monitoring for particles of different sizes at inhalation height are required for protecting human health.

Special wettable Azadirachta indica leaves like microarchitecture mesh filtration membrane produced by galvanic replacement reaction for layered oil/water separation.

The oil/water separation has received significant attention due to its critical environmental impact. The special wettable surfaces are highly desired to deal with the oil/water mixtures. This work demonstrates a simple two-step method to develop a superhydrophobic Azadirachta indica leaves like Ag-decorated electrochemically copper-coated stainless-steel mesh (SH-AIL-Ag-EC-Cu-Mesh) for efficient separation of oil/water mixtures. In the first step, the electrodeposition of the copper took place on the mesh surface at a suitable applied potential. In the second step, the galvanic replacement reaction between the Ag+ and electrodeposited Cu produced the fascinating superhydrophobic Ag leaves on the mesh surface. The SH-AIL-Ag-EC-Cu-Mesh was thoroughly characterized by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), elemental mapping, surface wettability analysis, and the contact analyzer. The morphological analysis has shown the unique leafy structures of the reduced Ag on the surface of the mesh. The XPS analysis has confirmed that most of the Ag present on the surface is in zerovalent form. The combination of the electrodeposition and the displacement reaction between the copper and the silver turned the surface superhydrophobic, and the water contact angle was significantly improved from 115° to 158°. The designed SH-AIL-Ag-EC-Cu-Mesh has shown excellent selectivity for oil in oil/water mixtures with a separation efficiency of 99.1% with an exceptionally high flux of 8963 L m-2h-1. The SH-AIL-Ag-EC-Cu-Mesh has shown excellent reusability, and after 15 cycles of separation, no significant decrease in the oil/water separation efficiency was observed.

An OsPRMT5-OsAGO2/miR1875-OsHXK1 module regulates rice immunity to blast disease.

Rice ARGONAUTE2 (OsAGO2) is a core component of the rice RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which is repressed by Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) infection. Whether and how OsAGO2-mediated gene silencing plays a role in rice blast resistance and which sRNAs participate in this process are unknown. Our results indicate that OsAGO2 is a key immune player that manipulates rice defense responses against blast disease. OsAGO2 associates with the 24-nt miR1875 and binds to the promoter region of HEXOKINASE1 (OsHXK1), which causes DNA methylation and leads to gene silencing. Our multiple genetic evidence showed that, without M. oryzae infection, OsAGO2/miR1875 RISC promoted OsHXK1 promoter DNA methylation and OsHXK1 silencing; after M. oryzae infection, the reduced OsAGO2/miR1875 led to a relatively activated OsHXK1 expression. OsHXK1 acts as a positive regulator of blast disease resistance that OsHXK1-OE rice exhibited enhanced resistance, whereas Cas9-Oshxk1 rice showed reduced resistance against M. oryzae infection. OsHXK1 may function through its sugar sensor activity as glucose induced defense-related gene expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in Nipponbare and OsHXK1-OE but not in Cas9-Oshxk1 rice. OsAGO2 itself is delicately regulated by OsPRMT5, which senses M. oryzae infection and attenuates OsAGO2-mediated gene silencing through OsAGO2 arginine methylation. Our study reveals an OsPRMT5-OsAGO2/miR1875-OsHXK1 regulatory module that fine tunes the rice defense response to blast disease.

Validation of a Simple-to-Use, Affordable, Portable Wavefront Aberrometry-Based Auto Refractometer in a Paediatric Population.

Purpose: InstaRef R20 is a handheld, affordable auto refractometer based on Shack Hartmann aberrometry technology. The study's objective was to compare InstaRef R20's performance for identifying refractive error in a paediatric population to that of standard subjective and objective refraction under both pre- and post-cycloplegic conditions. Methods: Refraction was performed using 1) standard clinical procedure consisting of retinoscopy followed by subjective refraction (SR) under pre- and post-cycloplegic conditions and 2) InstaRef R20. Agreement between both methods was evaluated using Bland-Altman analysis. The repeatability of the device based on three measurements in a subgroup of 20 children was assessed. Results: The refractive error was measured in 132 children (mean age 12.31 ± 3 years). The spherical equivalent (M) and cylindrical components (J0 and J45) of the device had clinically acceptable differences (within ±0.50D) and acceptable agreement compared to standard pre- and post-cycloplegic manual retinoscopy and subjective refraction (SR). The device agreed within ± 0.50D of retinoscopy in 67% of eyes for M, 78% for J0 and 80% for J45 and within ± 0.50D of SR in 70% for M and 77% for cylindrical components. Conclusion: InstaRef R20 has an acceptable agreement compared to standard retinoscopy in paediatric population. The measurements from this device can be used as a starting point for subjective acceptance. The device being simple to use, portable, reliable and affordable has the potential for large-scale community-based refractive error detection.

Validation of a simple-to-use, affordable, portable, wavefront aberrometry-based auto refractometer in the adult population: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Refraction is one of the key components of a comprehensive eye examination. Auto refractometers that are reliable and affordable can be beneficial, especially in a low-resource community setting. The study aimed to validate the accuracy of a novel wave-front aberrometry-based auto refractometer, Instaref R20 against the open-field system and subjective refraction in an adult population. METHODS: All the participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination including objective refraction, subjective acceptance, anterior and posterior segment evaluation. Refraction was performed without cycloplegia using WAM5500 open-field auto refractometer (OFAR) and Instaref R20, the study device. Agreement between both methods was evaluated using Bland-Altman analysis. The repeatability of the device based on three measurements in a subgroup of 40 adults was assessed. RESULTS: The refractive error was measured in 132 participants (mean age,30.53 ± 9.36 years, 58.3% female). The paired mean difference of the refraction values of the study device against OFAR was - 0.13D for M, - 0.0002D (J0) and - 0.13D (J45) and against subjective refraction (SR) was - 0.09D (M), 0.06 (J0) and 0.03D (J45). The device agreed within +/- 0.50D of OFAR in 78% of eyes for M, 79% for J0 and 78% for J45. The device agreed within +/- 0.5D of SR values for M (84%), J0 (86%) and J45 (89%). CONCLUSION: This study found a good agreement between the measurements obtained with the portable autorefractor against open-field refractometer and SR values. It has a potential application in population-based community vision screening programs for refractive error correction without the need for highly trained personnel.

Structural Morphology and Optical Properties of Strontium-Doped Cobalt Aluminate Nanoparticles Synthesized by the Combustion Method.

The study of structural morphology and the optical properties of nanoparticles produced by combustion methods are gaining significance due to their multifold applications. In this regard, in the present work, the strontium-doped cobalt aluminate nanoparticles were synthesized by utilizing Co1-xSrxAl2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) L-Alanine as a fuel in an ignition cycle. Subsequently, several characterization studies viz., X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) were accomplished to study the properties of the materials. The XRD analysis confirmed the cubic spinel structure, and the average crystallite size was found to be in the range of 14 to 20 nm using the Debye-Scherrer equation. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy was utilized to inspect the morphology of the Co1-xSrxAl2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) nanoparticles. Further, EDS studies were accomplished to determine the chemical composition. Kubelka-Munk's approach was used to determine the band gap, and the values were found to be in the range of 3.18-3.32 eV. The energy spectra for the nanoparticles were in the range of 560-1100 cm-1, which is due to the spinel structure of Sr-doped CoAl2O4 nanoparticles. The behavior plots of magnetic induction (M) against the magnetic (H) loops depict the ferromagnetic behavior of the nanomaterials synthesized.