Vaccine effectiveness to protect against moderate or severe disease in COVID cases: A prospective cohort study.

Background: This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of partial and full vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (COVISHIELD) to prevent the development of moderate or severe illness among COVID-positive cases. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted among Armed Forces personnel deployed in Northern India who were found COVID positive during the study period between January and June 2021. Information about the vaccination status, age and comorbidities was collected at the time of diagnosis. Classification of COVID cases as moderate or severe was performed as per criteria given by the Government of India. Individuals were considered partially vaccinated three weeks after one dose and fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose. Risk ratio and vaccine effectiveness (VE) to prevent moderate or severe disease among COVID cases were calculated. Results: A total of 2005 COVID-19 patients were included in our study. Partial vaccination and full vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 offered 13% (95% credible interval (CI): -56.8%, 52.8%) and 66.6% (95% CI: 34.9%, 84.6%) protection against progression to moderate/severe illness among COVID-positive individuals. The risk of moderate-severe disease among COVID-positive cases occurring 4-11 weeks after the first dose was also lesser among those who had taken the second dose of vaccine than individuals who have been vaccinated with only one dose. Conclusion: Interval between the first and second doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine should be reduced to 4-6 weeks, as partial vaccination offers lower protection against the development of moderate-severe illness after COVID infection.

On valorization of solvent extracts of Terminalia arjuna (arjuna) upon DNA scission and free radical scavenging improves coupling responses and cognitive functions under in vitro conditions.

Chronic diseases have been treated using the phytochemical concepts of ethnomedicinal plant-derived herbal products. Terminalia arjuna, a significant ethnomedicinal plant, was revisited and reconnoitred for antioxidant, free radical scavenging, and DNA nicking inhibiting activity under H2O2 conditions using 21 solvent extracts. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid, and nitrous oxide scavenging (%) were found to have a strong positive association and interaction (PCA 1 explains 84.54% variation) with ethanol bark (Etoh-AB) (Meoh-AF). TPC (144.67-1794 µg/mL GAE) and TFC (2.5-34 µM Fe(II)/g were highest in Etoh-AB. In a pattern of combined solvent extracts, Etoh-AB had the highest antioxidant capacity, accompanied by Etoh-AL ≥ Meoh-AB ≥ Dw-AF. With R2 = 0.94, the DNA nicking inhibition behaviour parameters relative front, relative quantity, band (%), and lane (%) formed a positive significant (p < 0.01) connection. For the first time, we show that Etoh-AB nicks supercoiled, circular plasmid DNA in a way that is comparable to normal antioxidants. Normal antioxidants with the ability to prevent DNA nicking include Butylated hydroxy anisole < Butylated hydroxy toluene < ascorbic acid < and Gallic acid. Gallic acid (m/z 170.0208 g/mol) and Ellagic acid (m/z 302.0063 g/mol were present in high concentrations in solvent extracts. 0.48 mg was found to be the effective concentration for inhibiting relative DNA nicking. The current study is the first of its kind to show that steroid concentrations are higher in bark fractions of acetone, ethanol, and methanol. Furthermore, T. arjuna solvent extracts provide a wealth of information on phytochemical profiling, antioxidant ability, and DNA nicking inhibition, which may be useful for exploring the natural way and further research to develop a remedy against geriatric chronic disease. Despite the fact that ethanol is very close to methanol in terms of solvent toxicity, the current study identified it as the preferred solvent. Thus, the current research revisits previous studies and explores the potentiality of non-polar and polar aprotic and polar protic solvent systems, which lend credence to bioactive compounds that may be useful in isolating and formulating safe and cost effective herbal medicament for livestocks and aquaculture, and drugs for deoxygenerative human diseases, and can also be investigated further to instil environmental frugality.

Isolation, culture, characterization, and osteogenic differentiation of canine endometrial mesenchymal stem cell.

AIM: In this study, the canine endometrium tissue is characterized for its stem cell properties such as adherence to tissue culture plate (plasticity), short population doubling time, serial clonal passaging, long-term culturing properties, stem cell marker expression, and multilineage differentiation potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present work describes a novel isolation protocol for obtaining mesenchymal stem cells from the uterine endometrium and is compared with cells derived from umbilical cord matrix as a positive control. These cells are clonogenic, can undergo several population doublings in vitro, and can be differentiated to the osteocytes in mature mesenchymal tissues when grown in osteogenic differentiation media as detected by Alizarin Red-S staining. RESULTS: It is reported for the first time that the cells derived from the canine endometrium (e-multipotent stem cells [MSCs]) were able to differentiate into a heterologous cell type: Osteocytes, thus demonstrating the presence of MSCs. Thus, the endometrium may be told as a potential source of MSCs which can be used for various therapeutic purposes. CONCLUSION: The endometrium can be used as a potential source of MSCs, which can be used for various therapeutic purposes.

Bilateral blindness following anterior nasal packing in a case of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

BACKGROUND: Epistaxis is the most common ENT emergency encountered in the Emergency Department. Most cases can be managed by simple anterior nasal packing. This is usually a safe and very effective option in an emergency situation, requiring minimal expertise and infrastructure. This paper describes a rare instance of a serious complication following anterior nasal packing in a case of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. CASE REPORT: A 27-year-old man diagnosed with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma presented to the Emergency Department with bilateral epistaxis. The patient was stabilised and anterior nasal packing was performed, which controlled the bleeding. Three hours later, the patient developed complete blindness in both eyes. Aggressive medical management was initiated immediately, but failed to restore the patient's vision. CONCLUSION: Anterior nasal packing is a simple and minimally invasive procedure practised regularly in an Emergency Department setting. However, it can occasionally lead to serious complications such as blindness. Thus, obtaining informed consent is essential to avoid medico-legal consequences in high-risk cases.

Improvement of shelf life of soymilk using immobilized protease of Oerskovia xanthineolytica NCIM 2839.

Protease enzyme has lot of commercial applications, so the cost-effective production of protease using sunflower oil seed waste was carried out from Oerskovia xanthineolyitca NCIM 2839. The maximum protease production was after 24 h of incubation with 2.5 % oil seed waste concentration. O. xanthineolytica was found to produce two proteases-P1 and P2. The proteases were purified using 60 % cold acetone precipitation and DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE revealed molecular weight of P1 and P2 was 36 and 24 kDa, respectively. P1 and P2 were optimally active at pH 7.0 and pH 7.5 at temperature 35 and 40 °C, respectively. Analysis of hydrolyzed product of P1 and P2 by HPLC reveals that the P1 has endoprotease and P2 has exoprotease activity. The treated soy milk with immobilized proteases showed increased shelf life and removal of off flavor.

Population genetic structure of Indian shad, Tenualosa ilisha inferred from variation in mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Indian shad, Tenualosa ilisha, is a commercially important anadromous fish representing major catch in Indo-pacific region. The present study evaluated partial Cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene sequence of mtDNA in T. ilisha for determining genetic variation from Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea origins. The genomic DNA extracted from T. ilisha samples representing two distant rivers in the Indian subcontinent, the Bhagirathi (lower stretch of Ganges) and the Tapi was analyzed. Sequencing of 307 bp mtDNA Cytochrome b gene fragment revealed the presence of 5 haplotypes, with high haplotype diversity (Hd) of 0.9048 with variance 0.103 and low nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.14301. Three population specific haplotypes were observed in river Ganga and two haplotypes in river Tapi. Neighbour-joining tree based on Cytochrome b gene sequences of T. ilisha showed that population from Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea origins belonged to two distinct clusters.

Monoclonal antibody based immunodot for specific detection of proteins of the shrimp Penaeus species.

Frozen shrimp continued to be the single largest item of export from India in terms of value accounting for about 44% of the total marine export earnings. Headless, peeled frozen shrimp is a common and dominant item in the market and there is need for differentiating peeled Penaeus sp from Metapenaeus, Parapenopsis and Macrobrachium sp as consumer preference and price vary. Furthermore, there is need to find out original species used in value addition of shrimp products. Hence, it is essential for development of simple and consumer friendly technique for the identification of shrimp and their products in the market. Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) C-15 (IgG3) and C-52 (IgG2a) reacting with 65 and 47 kD proteins of Penaeus monodon respectively in the Western blot were selected. In epitope analysis by immunodot, the two MAbs reacted and recognized specific proteins of P. monodon, Fenneropenaeus indicus and Littopenaeus vannamei and not that of Metapenaeus, Parapenopsis, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, crabs and fishes. The immunodot required 120 min for completion. The sensitivity of the immunodot to detect proteins of P. monodon was 0.225 mg with MAb C-15 and 0.028 mg with MAb C-52. The MAb based immunodot developed, could be used for identifying and differentiating meat of P. monodon, F. indicus, and L. vannamei from that of Metapenaeus, Parapenopsis, M. rosenbergii, crabs and fishes.

Effect of incorporation of mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju) powder on quality characteristics of Papad (Indian snack food).

Papad is familiarly known as an Indian food adjunct or snack food. In this study, attempts have been made to increase the protein, minerals and crude fibre content of the papad with incorporation of Pleurotus sajor-caju powder to develop a novel snack food. Mushroom powder was added in different proportions with other ingredients of the papad and the prepared papad was subjected to physicochemical and sensorial analyses. Mushrooms pretreated with 1% potassium metabisulphite followed by whey treatment had better colour and reduced drying time. Drying at 50°C produced more amount of mushroom powder (350 µ) and had higher acceptability of rehydrated samples. The papad enriched with 20% mushroom powder showed increased values of protein (15.8%), minerals (38.87%) and crude fibre (218.18%) content and had maximum sensory score. Therefore, papad supplemented with oyster mushroom powder may help to reduce protein malnutrition, constipation and mineral deficiency disorders.

Epitope analysis of white spot syndrome virus of Penaeus monodon by in vivo neutralization assay employing a panel of monoclonal antibodies.

A panel of six monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the major envelope proteins VP18, VP26 and VP28 of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was evaluated for neutralization of the virus in vivo in Penaeus monodon. WSSV stock diluted to 1 x 10⁻6 resulting in 100% mortality on 12 day post injection (dpi) was used as optimum infectious dose of virus for challenge. Constant quantity (100 µg/ml) of MAbs C-5, C-14, C-33, C-38, C-56 and C-72 was incubated separately with WSSV (1 x 10⁻6 dilution) at 27 °C for 90 min and injected to shrimp. WSSV infection was neutralized by the MAbs C-5, C-14 and C-33 with a relative percent survival (RPS) of 60, 80 and 60 on 12 dpi, respectively compared to 100% mortality in positive control injected with WSSV alone. MAbs C-38, C-56 and C-72 could neutralize WSSV infection with RPS on 12 dpi of 40, 30 and 30, respectively. Shrimp injected with WSSV (1 x 10⁻6 dilution) incubated with panel of the MAbs at 100 µg/ml separately were subjected to nested PCR analysis at 0, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 hour post injection (hpi) to provide further evidence for neutralization. MAbs C-5, C-14 and C-33 showed delay in WSSV positivity by 24 and 48 hpi by 2nd and 1st step PCR, respectively. MAbs C-38, C-56 and C-72 showed WSSV positivity by 12 and 24 hpi by 2nd and 1st step PCR, respectively. Shrimp injected with WSSV alone showed WSSV positivity by 8 and 12 hpi by 2nd and 1st step PCR, respectively. The study clearly shows that infectivity of WSSV could be delayed by MAbs C-14, C-5 and C-33.

Hydrothermal synthesis of PbTe nanorods using different templates.

Nanocrystalline PbTe has successfully been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions in the temperature range 125-165 degrees C for 24 h in presence of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), as template from the aqueous chemical routes using lead acetate, Pb(CH3COO)2 and sodium tellurite (Na2TeO3) as precursors and hydrazine hydrate (N2H4 x H2O) as the reductant. At lower temperature (125 degrees C), predominantly PbTe cubes are formed, where at higher temperature (165 degrees C), growth of nanorods of diameter 65 nm and length ranging in microns takes place. The possible mechanisms about the formation of PbTe have also been discussed. Raman studies on the nanorods of these samples also confirmed the purity of the product. The formation of PbTe nanorods is also observed when tartaric acid (TA) and ethylene diamine (EDA) have been used at templates at 165 degrees C for 24 h.

Evaluation of immune response and resistance to diseases in tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon fed with biofilm of Vibrio alginolyticus.

Immune response in juvenile tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon fed with biofilm (BF) and free cells (FC) of Vibrio alginolyticus was studied by evaluating the hemocyte count, phenoloxidase activity and antibacterial activity. The above immune responses were higher in BF fed shrimp than that in FC fed or control shrimp. Among the different doses of BF of V. alginolyticus tested, 10(9) cfu g(-1) shrimp day(-1) for two weeks could evoke higher immune response. BF fed shrimp were more resistant to injection challenge with V. alginolyticus and whitespot syndrome virus (WSSV) with significantly higher RPS compared to that with FC fed and control shrimp. Better resistance was also reflected by rapid clearance of V. alginolyticus and WSSV from the hemolymph as confirmed by immunodot and histopathology.

Ethanol fermentation of mahula (Madhuca latifolia L.) flowers using free and immobilized yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

There is a growing interest to find alternate bioresources for production of ethanol, apart from cane/sugar beet molasses and starchy crops like sweet sorghum, cassava and sweet potato. Mahula (Madhuca latifolia L.) is a forest tree abundantly available in the Indian subcontinent and its flowers are very rich in fermentable sugars (28.1-36.3 g 100 g(-1)). Batch fermentation of fresh and 12-month-stored flowers with free (whole cells) and immobilized cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain CTCRI) was carried out in 2-l Erlenmeyer flasks. The ethanol yields were 193 and 148 g kg(-1) (using free cells) and 205 and 152 g kg(-1) (using immobilized cells) from fresh and 12-month-stored mahula flowers, respectively.

Mini-papad containing cheese powder--a novelty snack food.

The present work reports on attempts to develop mini-papads containing cheese powder to create a novel taste, with potential for urban and export markets. Cheese powder was added to black gram flour at 0-50% levels and papads were prepared in the conventional manner by rolling the dough and drying. These papads were deep-fat fried at 180 degrees C. Upto 20% addition of cheese powder gave no perceptible change in taste or flavour of the mini-papads. At 30% addition brown colouration was observed which decreased the sensory appeal. At 40 and 50% levels, although the mouthfeel and flavour of cheese was desirable, browning increased markedly, which drastically lowered the overall acceptability. Ascorbic acid addition at 0.5-1.0% markedly decreased the browning. The papads had a higher fat content on frying as compared to the control but were excellent organoleptically, suggesting them to be a tasty and crunchy snack food.