Influence of Hepatitis C virus genotype and other factors on the viral load.

Anti-HCV reactive subjects were selected and relevant data was collected. Viral load and genotype were determined for all patients and were divided into low (<800,000 IU/mL) and high viral load (>800,000 IU/mL). Correlation of viral load with parameters like age, gender, risk factors and genotype etc. was determined by binomial regression. Higher viral load was noted with genotype 4, males and high risk groups like People Who Inject Drugs (PWIDs), blood transfusion before routine testing or frequent transfusion, Intravenous drug therapy and MTP by unregistered medical practitioners (P ≤ 0.5). Prevention and treatment strategies for HCV should be tailored around these areas.

Adoptive cell transfer of macrophages following peripheral nerve injury in mice.

Macrophages are key innate immune cells involved in multiple biological processes, including peripheral nerve regeneration. Here, we describe a protocol for the adoptive cell transfer of bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) following sciatic nerve crush injury (SNCI). This procedure involves isolating BMDMs from a donor mouse, potentially manipulating them ex vivo, and reintroducing them into an animal following SNCI. Preclinical studies show that BMDMs can infiltrate injured nerves and impact functional recovery, potentially providing a novel therapy for nerve injuries. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jha et al.1.

Impact of KOH Activation on Rice Husk Derived Porous Activated Carbon for Carbon Capture at Flue Gas alike Temperatures with High CO2/N2 Selectivity.

Metal-free porous activated carbon is an effective alternative to capture CO2 due to its high surface area and textural advantages. In this regard, the present research work explores a suitable method for producing activated porous carbon with a high specific surface area through a two-step reaction involving rice husk and KOH at 600 °C for 1 h to capture CO2. By varying the ratio of rice husk biomass to KOH, the texture and specific surface area of the activated porous carbon has been altered. A high surface area of ∼755 m2/g and a micropore volume of 0.243 cm3/g have been observed in the porous carbon produced with a KOH/biomass weight ratio of 3 (PAC2). Nitrogen contents in PAC1 and PAC2 were approximately 2.27 and 2.71 atom %, respectively. When compared with other materials, PAC2 has the highest CO2 adsorption capability, reaching up to 3.13 mmol/g at 0 °C and 1.55 mmol/g at 50 °C. The isosteric heat of adsorption confirms the presence of both physisorption and chemisorption. The materials turn out to be highly CO2/N2 selective, with the highest selectivity of 131, proving that the samples are potential materials for capturing CO2 from flue gases. These findings unequivocally show that porous activated carbon can be used to make CO2 adsorption efficient, inexpensive, and, more importantly, extremely effective.

Interference of Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) in Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IIFA)-Based Perinuclear Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (pANCA) Interpretation.

Background: Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) based on antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) testing is a commonly employed test for diagnosing autoimmune vasculitis. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) can give rise to a false interpretation of perinuclear-ANCA (pANCA) in ethanol-fixed granulocyte substrates. Analytical interference could frequently occur in setups where ethanol-fixed substrates are used alone. Here, we intend to investigate this ANA interference in pANCA interpretation. Methods: In this retrospective study, we studied anti-MPO-negative but ANA-positive and pANCA (IIFA based) samples. We also correlated immunoblot results (where data were available) and checked the association between grades of blot positivity (an indicator of the concentration of ANA) and frequency of pANCA interpretation. Data were analyzed by appropriate statistical techniques (Chi-square and kappa statistics). Results: About 19.2% of ANA blot (ENA-blot) positive samples displayed a pANCA positive pattern in the ethanol-fixed substrate, while this positivity in ENA-blot negatives was 6.5%. In positive ANA-IIFA samples, about 14.7% yielded pANCA patterns (on ethanol fixed substrates). Out of this, nuclear homogenous pattern yielding samples gave the highest frequency pANCA, that is, in 31.5% followed by speckled (11.1%), DFS (10.3%), and centromere (6.7%).The association of the nuclear homogenous pattern was statistically significant. Conclusions: ANA-positive results may interfere with the interpretation of pANCA as observed in ANA-IIFA and ENA-blot positive samples. ANA-IIFA patterns like nuclear homogenous may strongly associate this pANCA interpretation. This can help laboratories perform ANCA testing more effectively, ruling out ANA interference in ANCA screening.

Effect of extracellular polymeric compositions on in-situ sludge minimization performance of upgraded activated sludge treatment for industrial wastewater.

The sludge yield minimization from advanced biological treatment for industrial wastewater could be considered a poorly explored area, therefore, seeks serious attention of the scientific community. Up to best of the knowledge, the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) profile underlying an upgraded activated sludge treatment (as MANODOX system) for real tannery wastewater has not been addressed in a desired manner. This study covers the elucidation of EPS degradation mechanism and floc morphology underlying MANODOX system for the treatment of real tannery influent. For this purpose, a modified heat extraction method was followed for the estimation of EPS fractions like protein (PN), polysaccharides (PS) and humic contents from the sludge. For the present investigation, the variation in floc characteristics including PN/PS ratio, sludge hydrophobicity, sludge volume index, and facultative microbiota at corresponding change in hydrodynamic sludge retention time (SRT) of 08-40 days was emphasized. The strict maintenance of adapted operational strategies including favoring range of SRT (24 days) for MANODOX implementation succeeded an outstanding in-situ sludge yield minimization lowered up to 0.39 gMLSS/gTCOD that attributed to three times lowered accumulation of PN and PS, comparably lower PN/PS ratio, higher salinity of the mixed liquid, weakened cell-to-cell attachment compared with a parallel run identical aerobic treatment. Here, the reason for improved hydrophobicity and corresponding decline in floc aggregation was attributed to change in sludge PN/PS ratio, carbon to nitrogen ratio of feed influent. The observations confirmed that the sludge yield minimization from MANODOX like systems could be effectively controlled by maintaining aforementioned operational tactics.

Hepatitis C virus subtyping in Uttarakhand, India: a comparative study.

The objective of this study was to compare Reverse Hybridisation Assay with conventional sequencing for determination of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype and Subtypes. Anti-HCV antibody was determined followed by HCV RNA extraction which was used for (1) viral load determination (2) qualitative real-time PCR RHA for genotyping and (3) conventional sequencing. Compared to conventional sequencing, accuracy of RHA results was 96.55% for determination of genotype (κ = 0.93) and 89.66% for subtype (κ = 0.85). Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) of the qualitative PCR were 82.29%, 100%, 44.44% and 100% respectively with an accuracy of 86.84%. RHA is a less time consuming and cheaper method for determination of HCV genotype and subtype yet results must be interpreted with caution and quality control monitoring should be strictly followed to ensure validity. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-021-00729-9.

Macrophage monocarboxylate transporter 1 promotes peripheral nerve regeneration after injury in mice.

Peripheral nerves have the capacity for regeneration, but the rate of regeneration is so slow that many nerve injuries lead to incomplete recovery and permanent disability for patients. Macrophages play a critical role in the peripheral nerve response to injury, contributing to both Wallerian degeneration and nerve regeneration, and their function has recently been shown to be dependent on intracellular metabolism. To date, the impact of their intracellular metabolism on peripheral nerve regeneration has not been studied. We examined conditional transgenic mice with selective ablation in macrophages of solute carrier family 16, member 1 (Slc16a1), which encodes monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), and found that MCT1 contributed to macrophage metabolism, phenotype, and function, specifically in regard to phagocytosis and peripheral nerve regeneration. Adoptive cell transfer of wild-type macrophages ameliorated the impaired nerve regeneration in macrophage-selective MCT1-null mice. We also developed a mouse model that overexpressed MCT1 in macrophages and found that peripheral nerves in these mice regenerated more rapidly than in control mice. Our study provides further evidence that MCT1 has an important biological role in macrophages and that manipulations of macrophage metabolism can enhance recovery from peripheral nerve injuries, for which there are currently no approved medical therapies.

Process optimization with acid functionalised activated carbon derived from corncob for production of 4-hydroxymethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane and 5-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane.

In this article, a two-step activated carbon preparation technique from corncob has been elucidated. The derived catalysts AAC-CC has been characterized using various techniques for the determination of their structural properties and compared with AC-CC, already reported with another article. The conjugated boat structure of AAC-CC resulted in a very high surface area (779.8 m2/g) and high pore volume (0.428 cc/g). This unveils the suitability of AAC-CC as better among the two catalytic pathways for solketal production. The activated carbons so prepared have been used for the valorization of glycerol to produce 2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol (solketal), oxygenated additives to fuel. The face-centered composite design (FCCD) of RSM was applied for the optimization of the reaction parameters for the ketalisation reaction using AAC-CC as a catalyst. From the optimized results, the acidic catalyst AAC-CC resulted in a glycerol conversion, i.e. 80.3% under the actual laboratory experiment. Moreover, the catalyst could be reused for three consecutive batch reactions without (< 5%) much reduction of activity and no distinctive structural deformity.

Lactate Transporters Mediate Glia-Neuron Metabolic Crosstalk in Homeostasis and Disease.

Research over the last couple of decades has provided novel insights into lactate neurobiology and the implications of lactate transport-driven neuroenergetics in health and diseases of peripheral nerve and the brain. The expression pattern of lactate transporters in glia and neurons has now been described, though notable controversies and discrepancies remain. Importantly, down- and up-regulation experiments are underway to better understand the function of these transporters in different systems. Lactate transporters in peripheral nerves are important for maintenance of axon and myelin integrity, motor end-plate integrity, the development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and the functional recovery following nerve injuries. Similarly, brain energy metabolism and functions ranging from development to synaptic plasticity to axonal integrity are also dependent on lactate transport primarily between glia and neurons. This review is focused on critically analysing the expression pattern and the functions of lactate transporters in peripheral nerves and the brain and highlighting their role in glia-neuron metabolic crosstalk in physiological and pathological conditions.

Astrocytic pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-2 is involved in hypothalamic inflammation in mouse models of diabetes.

Hypothalamic inflammation plays an important role in disrupting feeding behavior and energy homeostasis as well as in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes. Here, we show that pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK)-2 plays a role in hypothalamic inflammation and its sequelae in mouse models of diabetes. Cell type-specific genetic ablation and pharmacological inhibition of PDK2 in hypothalamic astrocytes suggest that hypothalamic astrocytes are involved in the diabetic phenotype. We also show that the PDK2-lactic acid axis plays a regulatory role in the observed metabolic imbalance and hypothalamic inflammation in mouse primary astrocyte and organotypic cultures, through the AMPK signaling pathway and neuropeptidergic circuitry governing feeding behavior. Our findings reveal that PDK2 ablation or inhibition in mouse astrocytes attenuates diabetes-induced hypothalamic inflammation and subsequent alterations in feeding behavior.

Clinical spectrum and risk factors for hospital-acquired septicemia in a tertiary care centre of North-East India.

INTRODUCTION: Although several studies have shown an increasing prevalence of sepsis due to multidrug-resistant organisms, specific data on hospital-acquired septicemia is lacking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational prospective study was carried out for a duration of 1 year in which patients developing hospital-acquired septicemia were included and their disease spectrum and associated risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS: Among a total of 350 patients, 145 came out to be culture positive. Genitourinary infections were the most common infections encountered in this study, whereas the presence of invasive device came out to be the most prevalent risk factor. CONCLUSION: Septicemia is still a rising problem; hence, we should manage it carefully. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci can no longer be considered as contaminants and it should be treated as pathogens.

Valorisation of crude glycerol to value-added products: Perspectives of process technology, economics and environmental issues.

The enormous production of glycerol, a waste stream from biodiesel industries, as a low-value product has been causing a threat to both the environment and the economy. Therefore, it needs to be transformed effectively and efficiently into valued products for contributing positively towards the biodiesel economy. It can either be converted directly into competent chemicals or can be used as a feedstock/precursor for deriving valuable derivatives. In this review article, a technical evaluation has been stirred up, various factors and technologies used for producing value-added products from crude glycerol, Environmental and economic aspects of different conversion routes, cost factors and challenges of integration of the different routes for biorefinery have been reviewed and elaborated. There are tremendous environmental benefits in the conversion of crude glycerol via the biochemical route, the product and residue become eco-friendly. However, chemical conversions are faster processes, and economically viable if environmental aspects are partially ignored.

Reducing monocarboxylate transporter MCT1 worsens experimental diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications in diabetic patients. Though the exact mechanism for DPN is unknown, it clearly involves metabolic dysfunction and energy failure in multiple cells within the peripheral nervous system. Lactate is an alternate source of metabolic energy that is increasingly recognized for its role in supporting neurons. The primary transporter for lactate in the nervous system, monocarboxylate transporter-1 (MCT1), has been shown to be critical for peripheral nerve regeneration and metabolic support to neurons/axons. In this study, MCT1 was reduced in both sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia in wild-type mice treated with streptozotocin (STZ), a common model of type-1 diabetes. Heterozygous MCT1 null mice that developed hyperglycemia following STZ treatment developed a more severe DPN compared to wild-type mice, as measured by greater axonal demyelination, decreased peripheral nerve function, and increased numbness to innocuous low-threshold mechanical stimulation. Given that MCT1 inhibitors are being developed as both immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic medications, our results suggest that clinical development in patients with diabetes should proceed with caution. Collectively, our findings uncover an important role for MCT1 in DPN and provide a potential lead toward developing novel treatments for this currently untreatable disease.

Incidental Finding of Nocardia: A Case Series from a Tertiary Care Centre in Uttarakhand.

Nocardiosis is a rare bacterial infection that may lead to a severe disease. These infections are rare among normal population and are showing an increasing trend worldwide attributable to the increase in the immunosuppressed population. Most of these patients present with nonspecific clinical features such as fever, productive cough, and exertional dyspnoea as seen in our series of patients which makes it difficult to be diagnosed. Pulmonary nocardiosis is rarely clinically suspected and often diagnosed very late in the course of disease resulting in high mortality. A similar observation was made in one of our cases where the patient was being treated on the lines of pneumonia, and in the end she was diagnosed with pulmonary nocardiosis. In view of the limited literature available, we report here a case series of pulmonary nocardiosis in immunosuppressed patients diagnosed incidentally by fungal KOH mount. The most common conditions causing immunosuppression were type II DM, COPD, and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Rib shaped carbon catalyst derived from Zea mays L. cob for ketalization of glycerol.

In the present work, the activated carbon was prepared from agricultural waste by an activation method using sodium hydroxide as an activating agent. The prepared AC-CC has been characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). The porous carbon was thus obtained with a specific surface area of 13.901 m2 g-1 and a total pore volume of 0.011 cm3 g-1. The catalytic activity of the activated carbon has been studied for the ketalization of glycerol and provides maximum glycerol conversion of 72.12% under optimum conditions. The activity of the AC-CC also did not change appreciably for three consecutive batch reaction sequences. The spent catalyst was further analysed for elemental composition using XPS and surface morphology was studied using SEM. There was little deformation in the structure although the percentage of carbon remains almost same (∼72%) as that of the original catalyst, which contributes to the reduction of conversion efficiency of glycerol to solketal by 5% in the 3rd consecutive reaction. Thus, AC-CC obtained from Zea mays L. cob could be a very promising renewable catalyst for glycerol conversion into solketal as a fuel-additive.

Monocarboxylate transporter 1 in Schwann cells contributes to maintenance of sensory nerve myelination during aging.

Schwann cell (SC)-specific monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) knockout mice were generated by mating MCT1 f/f mice with myelin protein zero (P0)-Cre mice. P0-Cre+/- , MCT1 f/f mice have no detectable early developmental defects, but develop hypomyelination and reduced conduction velocity in sensory, but not motor, peripheral nerves during maturation and aging. Furthermore, reduced mechanical sensitivity is evident in aged P0-Cre+/- , MCT1 f/f mice. MCT1 deletion in SCs impairs both their glycolytic and mitochondrial functions, leading to altered lipid metabolism of triacylglycerides, diacylglycerides, and sphingomyelin, decreased expression of myelin-associated glycoprotein, and increased expression of c-Jun and p75-neurotrophin receptor, suggesting a regression of SCs to a less mature developmental state. Taken together, our results define the contribution of SC MCT1 to both SC metabolism and peripheral nerve maturation and aging.

Scrub typhus - A case series from the state of Sikkim, India.

Scrub typhus is one of the leading causes of acute febrile illness in India. It is associated with rash and often an eschar, which responds dramatically to antibiotics. In some cases, it results in serious illness leading to multiple organ involvement and finally death. The various clinical manifestations of scrub typhus arise mainly due to systemic vasculitis, caused by direct effects of organism as well as exaggerated immune response. The disease course is often complicated, leading to mortality in the absence of treatment. Here, in this case series, we describe three cases depicting the typical manifestations which a patient of scrub typhus can present with highlighting the fact that high index of clinical suspicion is of utmost importance for this deadly disease.

Staphylococcus lugdunensis infection of ventriculoperitoneal shunt in adult: Case report and literature review.

Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt (VPS) placement is one of the most commonly performed treatment modality in patient with hydrocephalus and infection is usually seen in such patients with shunt complication. Multiple shunt revision and its complications are related to various causes including mainly Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CONS) infection. VPS obstruction occurring in proximal catheter is he most common cause of VPS malfunction. Here we present a case of Venticuloperitoneal shunt infection caused by CONS in a adult patient.

A Bcr-Abl Inhibitor GNF-2 Attenuates Inflammatory Activation of Glia and Chronic Pain.

GNF-2 is an allosteric inhibitor of Bcr-Abl. It was developed as a new class of anti-cancer drug to treat resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia. Recent studies suggest that c-Abl inhibition would provide a neuroprotective effect in animal models of Parkinson's disease as well as in clinical trials. However, the role of c-Abl and effects of GNF-2 in glia-mediated neuroinflammation or pain hypersensitivity has not been investigated. Thus, in the present study, we tested the hypothesis that c-Abl inhibition by GNF-2 may attenuate the inflammatory activation of glia and the ensuing pain behaviors in animal models. Our results show that GNF-2 reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in cultured glial cells in a c-Abl-dependent manner. The small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of c-Abl attenuated LPS-induced nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cell (NF-κB) activation and the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in glial cell cultures. Moreover, GNF-2 administration significantly attenuated mechanical and thermal hypersensitivities in experimental models of diabetic and inflammatory pain. Together, our findings suggest the involvement of c-Abl in neuroinflammation and pain pathogenesis and that GNF-2 can be used for the management of chronic pain.