Efficient Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from a Discrete Hybrid Bismuth Bromide Ferroelectric Templated by Phosphonium Cation.

Bismuth containing hybrid molecular ferroelectrics are receiving tremendous attention in recent years owing to their stable and non-toxic composition. However, these perovskite-like structures are primarily limited to ammonium cations. Herein, we report a new phosphonium based discrete perovskite-like hybrid ferroelectric with a formula [Me(Ph)3 P]3 [Bi2 Br9 ] (MTPBB) and its mechanical energy harvesting capability. The Polarization-Electric field (P-E) measurements resulted in a well-defined ferroelectric hysteresis loop with a remnant polarization value of 2.1 µC cm-2 . Piezoresponse force microscopy experiments enabled visualization of the ferroelectric domain structure and evaluation of the piezoelectric strain coefficient (d33 ) for an MTPBB single crystal and thin film sample. Furthermore, flexible devices incorporating MTPBB in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix at various concentrations were fabricated and explored for their mechanical energy harvesting properties. The champion device with 20 wt % of MTPBB in PDMS rendered a maximum peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage of 22.9 V and a maximum power density of 7 µW cm-2 at an optimal load of 4 MΩ. Moreover, the potential of MTPBB-based devices in low power electronics was demonstrated by storing the harvested energy in various electrolytic capacitors.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis as a cutaneous manifestation of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 corona virus vaccine (recombinant).

With the present COVID-19 vaccination drive across the world, adverse skin reactions post COVID-19 vaccine is expected. Majority of these reactions seen were transient or local injection site reactions. However, as the larger population is being vaccinated, certain uncommon dermatological presentations including leukocytoclastic vasculitis, pityriasis rosea, and exacerbation of pre-existing autoimmune diseases are now being reported. Among all the COVID-19 vaccines, most of these reactions are seen with messenger ribonucleic acid-based Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccine. We report two cases of leukocytoclastic vasculitis following ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 corona virus vaccine (recombinant) that bring out potential new dermatological manifestations of recombinant corona virus vaccine being administered across the European, South American, and Asian countries. It is important for all health care workers and patients to be aware of the corona virus vaccine associated adverse cutaneous reactions.

Effectiveness of Medical Nutritional Therapy in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

AIM: To assess the effect of medical nutritional therapy (MNT) provided by dieticians on medical and clinical outcomes for adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. OBJECTIVE: To compare effectiveness of MNT administered monthly to MNT administered once in 03 months. METHOD: The study was conducted at the Department of Endocrinology in a tertiary care hospital. 98 men and women of the age group above 18 years were recruited in the study. 49 consenting individuals were randomly assigned to each of the 02 groups namely Group A and Group B. Group A consisted of 02 visits with dietician (including the initial visit) in the first month and thereafter every monthly. Group B consisted of initial visit with the dietician and there after every 03 monthly. An additional 49 adults with type 2 Diabetes mellitus at one site who had no facility for a contact with dietician were included as a comparison group.Medical outcome measures including fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and serum lipid levels were compared and analysed. Clinical outcomes included Body weight, Height and Body mass index (BMI).Data was collected at the entry to the study and at 03 and 06 months interval. RESULT: In our study, the baseline fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1C, total cholesterol and BMI was more or less similar in all 3 groups. There was a sustained decrease in all the four parameters in Group A which received the maximum nutritional therapy over a period of 06 months (A mean decrease of FPG 15.2 mg/dL, HbA1C 0.59%, total cholesterol 19.6 mg/dL, BMI 0.5 kg/m2 from baseline at 03 months and a mean decrease of FPG 33.4 mg/dL, HbA1C 1.24%, total cholesterol 40.8 mg/dL, BMI 1.1 kg/m2 from baseline at 06 months was seen). However, in Group B which received intermitted nutritional therapy, the decrease in these parameters were observed initially but over a period of 06 months, they increased to more or less near the baseline value months (A mean decrease of FPG 12.9 mg/dL, HbA1C 0.73%, total cholesterol 16.1 mg/dL, BMI 0.5 kg/m2 from baseline at 03 months but a mean increase of FPG 3.2 mg/dL and a mean decrease of HbA1C 0.24%, total cholesterol of 4.3 mg/dL and BMI 0.15 kg/m2 from baseline at 06 months was seen). In Group C which had no means of access to nutritional therapy, there was a subtle decrease in FPG and gradual increase in HbA1C, total cholesterol and BMI at 03 months but all four parameters increased significantly higher than the baseline value at the end of 06 months months (A mean decrease of FPG 6.2 mg/dL and mean increase of HbA1C 0.31%, total cholesterol 16.0 mg/dL, BMI 0.3 kg/m2 from baseline at 03 months and a mean increase of FPG 5.9 mg/dL, HbA1C 0.73%, total cholesterol 31.1 mg/dL, BMI 0.81 kg/m2 from baseline at 06 months was seen). CONCLUSION: Our study has clearly indicated that medical nutritional therapy is of great importance in the holistic management of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus in adults. MNT has got the advantage of not only maintaining a strict glycemic control (in terms of FPG and HbA1C reduction) but also in the lowering of cholesterol and BMI which are the main contributors to cardiovascular (CVD) events among people with type 2 Diabetes mellitus. Also, people who were given frequent MNT had a clear advantage over those who received intermittent MNT in terms of all the measured parameters.

Myositis in a patient with coronavirus disease 2019: A rare presentation.

The world is presently struggling with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A patient with COVID-19 typically presents with fever, non-productive cough, dyspnea, and myalgia. A 49-year-old female presented with complaints of subacute onset and progressive symmetrical proximal muscle weakness of both upper limbs and lower limbs with no sensory, cranial nerve deficit. She had elevated creatine phosphokinase levels of 906 U/L, an aspartate aminotransferase level of 126 IU/L, a lactate dehydrogenase level of 354 U/L, and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 68 mm/1 hr, and magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis and thigh revealed muscle edema suggestive of myositis. Her reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction result for SARS-CoV-2 was positive. Her evaluation for other causes of myositis was negative. She was managed with intravenous immunoglobulins and supportive care. She showed rapid improvement in symptoms and motor weakness. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of COVID-19 related disabling myositis in India.

Survey of prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among 1124 healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic across India.

BACKGROUND: A prospective study was conducted during the second phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in India to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers (HCWs) and factors that influence the outcome. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 1124 HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 30, 2020, to April 2, 2020). Demographic data, questions on COVID-19 and scores of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were analysed using the chi-square test (Bonferroni correction) and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The study consists of 1124 HCWs, including 749 doctors, 207 nurses, 135 paramedics, 23 administrators and ten supporting staff members. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms were reported as 37.2% and 31.4%, respectively. The risk factors for anxiety were female gender (30.6% vs 45.5%), age group (20-35 years) (50.4% vs 61.2%), unmarried (21.2% vs 30.6%) and job profile (nurse) (14.7% vs 26.4%). The protective factor was having service of more than 20 years (23.4% vs 14.8%). The risk factors for depression were age group (20-35 years) (51.3% vs 61.3%) and employed at a primary care hospital (16.2% vs 23.4%). The protective factors were job profile (doctor) (69.9% vs 59.6%) and having service of more than 20 years (22.3% vs 15.5%). CONCLUSION: Approximately one-third of the HCWs reported anxiety and depressive symptoms. The risk factors for anxiety symptoms were female gender, younger age and job profile (nurse) and for depressive symptoms were younger age and working at a primary care hospital. Future research studies should identify strategies for providing a safer and supportive work environment for HCWs to face epidemics/pandemics.

Open-label randomized control trial of hydroxychloroquine in patients with moderate to severe coronavirus disease 2019 infection.

BACKGROUND: At onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was repurposed for treatment of patients based on reports that it had in vitro activity. The aim of this study was to find out if HCQ reduces number of days of hospitalization when given to patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections who require hospitalized care. METHODS: This was an open-label randomized control trial of HCQ administered 400 mg twice on day 1, then 400 mg once daily from day 2 to day 5 in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection. Assessment was not blinded. Standard of care was given to both arms.Primary outcome was number of days of hospitalization till discharge or death. RESULT: One hundred ten patients (55 in each arm) were included. Mean age was 58 years. Baseline characteristics were well matched. There was no difference in the primary outcome (13.67 vs 13.89; p = 0.98). Number of deaths were more in HCQ arm (RR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.13-2.93; p = 0.03). There was no difference in number of days on oxygen or normalization of oxygen saturation, number who needed ventilator, days to ventilator requirement and days on ventilator. Twenty-nine patients in control arm received remdesivir. When adjusted analysis was done after removal of these patients, there was no difference in primary or secondary outcomes. Number of deaths in adjusted analysis were not significant (RR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.87-1.88; p = 0.37). CONCLUSION: HCQ does not change the number of days of hospitalization when compared with control.

Design and synthesis of new indanol-1,2,3-triazole derivatives as potent antitubercular and antimicrobial agents.

In a search of new antitubercular agents, herein we have reported a series of new thirty-two indanol-1,2,3-triazole derivatives. The synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro antitubercular and antimicrobial activities. Among the screened compounds, most of the compounds have displayed good antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The compound 5g has been identified as potent antitubercular agent with MIC value 1.56 µM. The most active compounds of the series were further studied for their cytotoxicity against HEK 293 cells using MTT assay and found to be nontoxic. In addition, ten compounds were shown good antimicrobial activities against both antibacterial and antifungal pathogens. A molecular docking study against Mycobacterial enoyl-ACP-reductase (InhA) was performed to gain an insight into the molecular mechanism of antitubercular action. The pharmacokinetic parameters of these compounds were studied and displayed acceptable drug-likeness score.

Novel isoniazid embedded triazole derivatives: Synthesis, antitubercular and antimicrobial activity evaluation.

In the present study, a series of new isoniazid embedded triazole derivatives have been synthesized. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antitubercular and antimicrobial activities. Among the screened compounds, six have exhibited potent antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain with MIC value 0.78 µg/mL, whereas, three compounds have displayed activity with MIC value ranging from 1.56 to 3.125 µg/mL. The cytotoxicity of the active compounds was studied against RAW 264.7 cell line by MTT assay and no toxicity was observed even at 25 µg/mL concentration. The five compounds have displayed good antimicrobial activities. Molecular docking have been performed against mycobacterial InhA enzyme to gain an insight into the plausible mechanism of action which could pave the way for our endeavor to identify potent antitubercular candidates. We believe that further optimization of these molecules may lead to potent antitubercular agents.

Assessment of Cultivable Oral Bacterial Flora from Important Venomous Snakes of India and Their Antibiotic Susceptibilities.

Snakebite is a common, frequently devastating, occupational, socio-economic hazard, and it has a great impact on the rural population of India. Snakebite is a major cause of the human morbidity and mortality since ancient times, as it not only affects the victim by systemic envenomation but also by wound infections originating from deadly pathogenic microorganisms from the oral cavity of the offending snake. The pathogens from the oral cavity of the snake tend to initiate an infection, resulting in gas gangrene, soft tissue necrosis, and permanent physical disabilities. In light of this, the present study is designed to evaluate the oral microbiota of venomous snakes commonly found in India and assessment of their antibiotic susceptibilities. Oral cavity swabs of twenty snakes representing the Indian cobra, Russell's viper, Saw-scaled viper, and Common krait were selected for the study. These materials were enriched using microbiological media to facilitate the growth of bacteria and their subsequent isolation to assess the antibiotic susceptibilities. A total 205 strains were isolated from the oropharyngeal cavity of snakes, which represent the common pathogens, especially Morganella morganii, Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus species, Micrococcus species, and some anaerobes including Clostridium perfringens. The study can conclude that the oral cavity of the snakes has a diversity of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are susceptible to several antibiotics. The Gram-negative microorganisms showed 100% susceptibility to imipenem and levofloxacin, whereas Gram-positive microorganisms to azithromycin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.

Emission color tuning and dual-mode luminescence thermometry design in Dy3+/Eu3+co-doped SrMoO4phosphors.

The challenge of building a highly reliable contactless temperature probe with high sensitivity, good temperature-induced color discriminability, and economical synthesis has prompted the research community to work in the field of rare-earth-based luminescence thermometry. Moreover, the fast-growing market for optoelectronic devices has increased the demand for tunable color-emitting phosphors. In this study, Dy3+/Eu3+co-doped SrMoO4phosphors were developed as tunable color-emitting source and dual-mode luminescence thermometer. A facile and cost-effective auto-combustion method was used to synthesize the phosphors. Our work demonstrates a viable scheme for tailoring the emission of single-phase phosphors by precisely controlling the dopant concentrations and by modulating excitation wavelength. The overall emission is tuned from greenish-yellow to white and greenish-yellow to reddish-orange. A detailed energy transfer process from the host to the Ln3+ions and between the Ln3+ions is discussed. Further, anti-thermal quenching in the emission of Dy3+ion is observed when excited with 297 nm. The dual-mode luminescence thermometry has been studied by analyzing the fluorescence intensity ratio of Dy3+and Eu3+ions upon excitation at 297 nm. The maximum relative sensitivity value for 4% Eu3+co-doped SrMoO4:4%Dy3+phosphor is 1.46% K-1at 300 K. Furthermore, the configurational coordinate diagram is presented to elucidate the nature of temperature-dependent emission. Therefore, our research opens up new avenues for the development of color-tunable luminescent materials for various optoelectronic and temperature-sensing applications.

Fresh Umbilical Cord Blood-A Source of Multipotent Stem Cells, Collection, Banking, Cryopreservation, and Ethical Concerns.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of hematopoietic cells that can be used to replace bone marrow components. Many blood disorders and systemic illnesses are increasingly being treated with stem cells as regenerative medical therapy. Presently, collected blood has been stored in either public or private banks for allogenic or autologous transplantation. Using a specific keyword, we used the English language to search for relevant articles in SCOPUS and PubMed databases over time frame. According to our review, Asian countries are increasingly using UCB preservation for future use as regenerative medicine, and existing studies indicate that this trend will continue. This recent literature review explains the methodology of UCB collection, banking, and cryopreservation for future clinical use. Between 2010 and 2022, 10,054 UCB stem cell samples were effectively cryopreserved. Furthermore, we have discussed using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as transplant medicine, and its clinical applications. It is essential for healthcare personnel, particularly those working in labor rooms, to comprehend the protocols for collecting, transporting, and storing UCB. This review aims to provide a glimpse of the details about the UCB collection and banking processes, its benefits, and the use of UCB-derived stem cells in clinical practice, as well as the ethical concerns associated with UCB, all of which are important for healthcare professionals, particularly those working in maternity wards; namely, the obstetrician, neonatologist, and anyone involved in perinatal care. This article also highlights the practical and ethical concerns associated with private UCB banks, and the existence of public banks. UCB may continue to grow to assist healthcare teams worldwide in treating various metabolic, hematological, and immunodeficiency disorders.

Ferroelectricity and Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting of Hybrid A2BX4-Type Halogenocuprates Stabilized by Phosphonium Cations.

Perovskite-structured compounds containing organic cations and inorganic anions have gained prominence as materials for next-generation electronic and energy devices. Hybrid materials possessing ferro- and piezoelectric properties are in recent focus for mechanical energy harvesting (nanogenerator) applications. Here, we report the ferroelectric behavior of A2BX4-type halogenocuprate materials supported by heteroleptic phosphonium cations. These lead-free discrete Cu(II) halides [Ph3MeP]2[CuCl4] (1) and [Ph3MeP]2[CuBr4] (2) exhibit a remnant polarization (P r) of 17.16 and 26.02 µC cm-2, respectively, at room temperature. Furthermore, flexible polymer films were prepared with various weight percentage (wt %) compositions of 1 in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and studied for mechanical energy harvesting applications. A highest peak-to-peak voltage output of 25 V and power density of 14.1 µW cm-2 were obtained for the optimal 15 wt % 1-TPU composite film. The obtained output voltages were utilized for charging a 100 µF electrolytic capacitor that reaches its maximum charging point within 30 s with sizable stored energies and accumulated charges.

Improvement in white light emission of Dy3+doped CaMoO4via Zn2+co-doping.

The research in developing a single ingredient phosphor for white-light emission is progressively increasing. It is well known that the4F9/2 â†’ 6H13/2(yellow) and4F9/2 â†’ 6H15/2(blue) transitions of Dy3+ions give near-white light emission. The white light emission of Dy3+ions can be enhanced via improving the crystallinity of the host phosphor via co-doping of transition metal ions. In this paper, we report a significant improvement in the white light emission of Dy3+doped CaMoO4by co-doping Zn2+ions. The x-ray diffraction pattern confirms the tetragonal phase of pure and doped CaMoO4phosphor. The peak broadening and a red-shift in the absorption peak are observed by UV-vis absorption analysis of Zn2+/Dy3+doped CaMoO4. From Photoluminescence studies, we have observed that in Dy3+doped CaMoO4, the 4% Dy3+doped CaMoO4exhibits maximum emission. The Zn2+ions are co-doped to further increase the luminescence intensity of CaMoO4:4%Dy3+and the maximum luminescence is obtained for 0.25% Zn2+concentration. Two intense emission peaks centered at 484 nm and 574 nm related to transitions4F9/2 â†’ 6H15/2and4F9/2 â†’ 6H13/2of Dy3+ion are observed for Dy3+doped phosphor. The4F9/2 â†’ 6H13/2transition is the forced electric dipole transition which is affected by its chemical environment. After Zn2+co-doping, the4F9/2 â†’ 6H13/2transition is affected due to a change in asymmetricity around the Dy3+ions. The 0.25% co-doping of Zn2+gives 34% enhancement in luminescence emission of 4% Dy3+doped CaMoO4. As a result, the CIE coordinates of chromaticity diagram and the color purity of the 0.25% Zn2+co-doped CaMoO4:4Dy3+show improvement in the overall white light emission. We have shown that with Zn2+co-doping, the non-radiative relaxations are reduced which results in improved white light emission of Dy3+ions.

Cytomorphological Patterns of Nerve Aspirates in Pure Neuritic Leprosy-A Single Centre Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Pure neuritic leprosy (PNL) poses a diagnostic challenge because of absence of skin patches, inconclusive skin biopsies and nerve conduction studies. Nerve biopsy though the diagnostic gold standard, is invasive, requires expertise, and may not be feasible in all cases. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of accessible thickened nerves can be utilized as a minimally invasive diagnostic modality in PNL. This study was carried out to describe cytomorphological patterns of nerve aspirates in patients of PNL for diagnosis and classification of leprosy and study its advantage, if any, over skin biopsy. METHODS: Twenty-seven treatment naive clinically diagnosed patients of PNL were included in this cross-sectional study carried out from January 2017 to December 2018 at a tertiary care centre in Western India. FNAC was done from a clinically involved nerve and aspirates were evaluated for cytomorphological characteristics and the presence of Acid-Fast Lepra bacilli. RESULTS: Nerve aspirates were diagnostic in 10 (37%) patients while 17 (63%) aspirates showed non-specific or no inflammation. Of the diagnostic aspirates, six (22.2%) were classified as tuberculoid leprosy, three (11.1%) as lepromatous and one (3.7%) as borderline leprosy. Mycobacterium leprae were demonstrated among three (11.1%) of these aspirates. In comparison, only three (11.1%) skin biopsies were diagnostic of leprosy with features of indeterminate spectrum. Remaining 24 skin biopsies showed normal histology in 20 (74.1%) cases to perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate in four (14.8%) cases. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that FNAC of clinically thickened nerves has a better diagnostic yield than skin biopsy in PNL and shows all spectrums of leprosy. It also offers the advantage of sampling major nerve trunks without the fear of residual neurological deficit. However, most of the smears were paucicellular and a negative aspirate does not rule out leprosy.

A Flexible Energy Harvester from an Organic Ferroelectric Ammonium Salt.

Organic ferroelectrics due to their low cost, easy preparation, light weight, high flexibility and phase stability are gaining tremendous attention in the field of portable electronics. In this work, we report the synthesis, structure and ferroelectric behavior of a two-component ammonium salt 2, containing a bulky [Bn(4-BrBn)NMe2 ]+ (Bn=benzyl and 4-BrBn=4-bromobenzyl) cation and tetrahedral (BF4 )- anion. The structural analysis revealed the presence of rich non-classical C-H⋅⋅⋅F and C-H⋅⋅⋅Br interactions in this molecule that were quantified by Hirshfeld surface analysis. The polarization (P) vs. electric field (E) hysteresis loop measurements on 2 gave a remnant polarization (Pr ) of 14.4 µC cm-2 at room temperature. Flexible polymer composites with various (5, 10, 15 and 20) weight percentages (wt%) of 2 in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were prepared and tested for mechanical energy harvesting applications. A notable peak-to-peak output voltage of 20 V, maximum current density of 1.1 µA cm-2 and power density of 21.1 µW cm-2 were recorded for the 15 wt% 2-TPU composite device. Furthermore, the voltage output generated from this device was utilized to rapidly charge a 100 µF capacitor, with stored energies and measured charges of 156 µJ and 121.6 µC, respectively.

Psychological Health Among Armed Forces Doctors During COVID-19 Pandemic in India.

BACKGROUND: A pandemic poses a significant challenge to the healthcare staff and infrastructure. We studied the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among armed forces doctors in India during the COVID-19 pandemic and the factors that contribute to these symptoms. METHODS: The study was conducted from March 30, 2020, to April 2, 2020, using a self-administered questionnaire questionnaire using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), which was sent through Google Forms. Responses were received from 769 respondents. Data were analyzed for demographic details and HADS scores using the chi-square test and backward logistic regression. RESULTS: Anxiety and depressive symptoms were seen in 35.2% and 28.2% of the doctors, respectively. In doctors with anxiety symptoms, significant associations were observed with age (20-35 years, 39.4%, P = 0.01), gender (females, 44.6%, P < 0.001), duration of service (0-10 years, 38%, P = 0.03), and clinical versus non-clinical specialties (non-clinical, 41.3%, P < 0.001) as opposed to marital status, education level, and current department of work.In doctors with depressive symptoms, significant associations were observed with age (P = 0.04), clinical versus non-clinical specialties (P < 0.001), duration of service (0-10 years, 30.1%, P = 0.03), and doctoral degree (P = 0.04) as opposed to gender, marital status, education level, and current working department. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a high prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among armed forces doctors. The main contributing factors are female gender, young age group, non-clinical specialties, and having a doctoral degree.

Graphene oxide-based electrochemical activation of ethionamide towards enhanced biological activity.

The electrochemical behavior of ethionamide (ETO) was investigated on GO (∼500 nm) using the linear sweep voltammetric (LSV) technique at the sweep rate of 10 mV s-1 in 1 M PBS buffer solution, and the characteristic anodic signal was examined at 0.240 V over the potential range of -0.4 to 1 V vs. SCE. However, linearity was observed with the increase in scan rate (2-300 mV s-1) and concentration of ETO (1 µM to 100 mM), suggesting that the process involved diffusion-controlled electron transfer. The results also exhibited excellent current and potential stability, limit of detection (LOD 1.33) and limit of quantification (LOQ 4.4) at optimized experimental conditions. This electrochemical oxidation method was successfully applied in the complete oxidation of ETO to its oxidized form, which was further confirmed by high resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic measurements. Interestingly, the comparative biological evaluation of ETO and ETO-O (oxidised form) showed good enhancement in the activity of oxidised ETO against some Gram-negative pathogens, such as E. aerogenes, S. abony, S. boydii, and E. coli.

Development of dot-ELISA for the detection of venoms of major Indian venomous snakes.

India remained an epicenter for the snakebite-related mortality and morbidities due to widespread agricultural activities across the country and a considerable number of snakebites offended by Indian cobra (Naja naja), common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell's viper (Daboia russelii), and saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus). Presently, there is no selective test available for the detection of snake envenomation in India before the administration of snake antivenin. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop rapid, sensitive assay for the management of snakebite, which can detect venom, responsible snake species and serve as a tool for the reasonable administration of snake antivenin, which have scarcity across the world. The selective envenomation detection assay needs venom specific antibodies (VSAbs) for that monovalent antisera was prepared by hyperimmunization of rabbits with specific venom. However, obtained antibodies exhibit maximum activity towards homologous venom as well as quantifiable degree of cross-reactivity with heterologous venoms. Use of these antibodies for development of selective envenomation detection assay may create ambiguity in results, therefore needs to isolate VSAbs from monovalent antisera. The cross-reacting antibodies were specifically removed by immunoaffinity chromatography to obtain VSAbs. For the development of venom detection ELISA test (VDET), two different species of antibodies were used that offers enhanced sensitivity along with selective identification of the venoms of the responsible snakes. In conclusion, the developed VDET is rapid, specific, yet sensitive to detect venoms of offending snake species, and its venom concentration down to 1.0 ng/ml. However, the device observed with lowest venom concentration detection ability in the range <1.0 ng/ml from experimentally envenomated samples. The implementation of VDET will help in avoiding unnecessary usage and adverse reactions of snake antivenin. The test has all the merits to become a choice of method in envenomation diagnosis from medically important snakes of India.