Do all sedatives promote biological sleep electroencephalogram patterns? A machine learning framework to identify biological sleep promoting sedatives using electroencephalogram.

BACKGROUND: Sedatives are commonly used to promote sleep in intensive care unit patients. However, it is not clear whether sedation-induced states are similar to the biological sleep. We explored if sedative-induced states resemble biological sleep using multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. METHODS: Multichannel EEG datasets from two different sources were used in this study: (1) sedation dataset consisting of 102 healthy volunteers receiving propofol (N = 36), sevoflurane (N = 36), or dexmedetomidine (N = 30), and (2) publicly available sleep EEG dataset (N = 994). Forty-four quantitative time, frequency and entropy features were extracted from EEG recordings and were used to train the machine learning algorithms on sleep dataset to predict sleep stages in the sedation dataset. The predicted sleep states were then compared with the Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/ Sedation (MOAA/S) scores. RESULTS: The performance of the model was poor (AUC = 0.55-0.58) in differentiating sleep stages during propofol and sevoflurane sedation. In the case of dexmedetomidine, the AUC of the model increased in a sedation-dependent manner with NREM stages 2 and 3 highly correlating with deep sedation state reaching an AUC of 0.80. CONCLUSIONS: We addressed an important clinical question to identify biological sleep promoting sedatives using EEG signals. We demonstrate that propofol and sevoflurane do not promote EEG patterns resembling natural sleep while dexmedetomidine promotes states resembling NREM stages 2 and 3 sleep, based on current sleep staging standards.

Patient-reported predictors of postdischarge mortality after cardiac hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: Adults hospitalized for cardiovascular events are at high risk for postdischarge mortality. Screening of psychosocial risk is prioritized by the Joint Commission. We tested whether key patient-reported psychosocial and behavioral measures could predict posthospitalization mortality in a cohort of adults hospitalized for a cardiovascular event. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study to test the prognostic utility of validated patient-reported measures, including health literacy, social support, health behaviors and disease management, and socioeconomic status. Cox survival analyses of mortality were conducted over a median of 3.5 years. RESULTS: Among 2977 adults hospitalized for either acute coronary syndrome or acute decompensated heart failure, the mean age was 53 years, and 60% were male. After adjusting for demographic, clinical, and other psychosocial factors, mortality risk was greatest among patients who reported being unemployed (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]): 1.30-3.06), retired (HR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.60-2.87), or unable to work due to disability (HR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.73-3.21), as compared to those who were employed. Patient-reported perceived health competence (PHCS-2) and exercise frequency were also associated with mortality risk after adjusting for all other variables (HR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.73-1.00 per four-point increase in PHCS-2; HR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77-0.96 per 3-day increase in exercise frequency, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patient-reported measures of employment status, perceived health competence, and exercise frequency independently predict mortality after a cardiac hospitalization. Incorporating these brief, valid measures into hospital-based screening may help with prognostication and targeting patients for resources during post-discharge transitions of care.

Indoor Self-Powered Perovskite Optoelectronics with Ultraflexible Monochromatic Light Source.

Self-powered skin optoelectronics fabricated on ultrathin polymer films is emerging as one of the most promising components for the next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) technology. However, a longstanding challenge is the device underperformance owing to the low process temperature of polymer substrates. In addition, broadband electroluminescence (EL) based on organic or polymer semiconductors inevitably suffers from periodic spectral distortion due to Fabry-Pérot (FP) interference upon substrate bending, preventing advanced applications. Here, ultraflexible skin optoelectronics integrating high-performance solar cells and monochromatic light-emitting diodes using solution-processed perovskite semiconductors is presented. n-i-p perovskite solar cells and perovskite nanocrystal light-emitting diodes (PNC-LEDs), with power-conversion and current efficiencies of 18.2% and 15.2 cd A-1 , respectively, are demonstrated on ultrathin polymer substrates with high thermal stability, which is a record-high efficiency for ultraflexible perovskite solar cell. The narrowband EL with a full width at half-maximum of 23 nm successfully eliminates FP interference, yielding bending-insensitive spectra even under 50% of mechanical compression. Photo-plethysmography using the skin optoelectronic device demonstrates a signal selectivity of 98.2% at 87 bpm pulse. The results presented here pave the way to inexpensive and high-performance ultrathin optoelectronics for self-powered applications such as wearable displays and indoor IoT sensors.

Patient-reported predictors of post-discharge mortality after cardiac hospitalization.

Background: Adults hospitalized for cardiovascular events are at high risk for post-discharge mortality. Hospital-based screening of health-related psychosocial risk factors is now prioritized by the Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum to achieve equitable, high-quality care. We tested our hypothesis that key patient-reported psychosocial and behavioral measures could predict post-hospitalization mortality in a cohort of adults hospitalized for a cardiovascular event. Methods: This was a prospective cohort of adults hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Validated patient-reported measures of health literacy, social support, disease self-management, and socioeconomic status were used as predictors of interest. Cox survival analyses of mortality were conducted over a median 3.5-year follow-up (range: 1.25 - 5.5 years). Results: Among 2,977 adults, 1,874 (63%) were hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome and 1,103 (37%) were hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure; 60% were male; and the mean age was 53 years. After adjusting for demographic, clinical, and other psychosocial factors, mortality risk was greatest among patients who reported being unable to work due to disability (Hazard Ratio (HR) 2.36, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.73-3.21), who were retired (HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.60-2.87), and who reported unemployment (HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.30-3.06) as compared to those who were employed. Patient-reported measures of disease self-management, perceived health competence and exercise frequency, were also associated with mortality risk after full covariate adjustment (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.73-1.00 per four-point increase), (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96 per three-day change), respectively. Conclusions: Patient-reported measures of employment status independently predict post-discharge mortality after a cardiac hospitalization. Measure of disease self-management also have prognostic modest utility. Hospital-based screening of psychosocial risk is increasingly prioritized in legislative policy. Incorporating brief, valid measures of employment status and disease self-management factors may help target patients for psychosocial, financial, and rehabilitative resources during post-discharge transitions of care.

Novel assessment tools for inland aquaculture in the western Godavari delta region of Andhra Pradesh.

The production of fisheries and shrimp has been twice every 10 years for the previous five decades, making it the most rapidly expanding food industry. This growth is due to intensive farming and the conversion of agriculture into aquaculture in many parts of South Asia. Furthermore, intensive aquaculture generates positive economic growth but leads to environmental degradation without proper monitoring. Unfortunately, technical innovation is less in aquaculture than agricultural and manufacturing industries. The advent of remote sensing and soft computing has expanded various opportunities for utilizing and integrating technological advances in civil and environmental disciplines. This paper presents the aquaculture scenario in the western Godavari delta region of Andhra Pradesh and proposes various novel assessment tools to monitor the aquaculture environment. An experimental investigation was carried out on the physicochemical characteristics of the inland aquaculture ponds to evaluate water quality in the aquaculture ponds. Furthermore, to assess the intensity of inland aquaculture, the current work concentrates on the potential application of remote sensing and soft computing approaches. Geospatial models of kriging and inverse distance weighing (IDW) show higher performance in estimating ammonia levels in the intensive aquaculture groundwaters with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.947 and 0.901, respectively. Teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) and adaptive particle swarm optimization (APSO), two of the five soft computing techniques utilized in the study, perform better than the others. Additionally, it was found that remote sensing-based assessment tools and soft computing prediction models were both trustworthy, accurate, and easy to use. Furthermore, these methods could assist in the real-time evaluation of inland aquaculture waters by stakeholders and policymakers.

To determine the survival, prevalence and associated factors of exclusive breastfeeding practices in South India.

Context: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) provides protection to the child from risk of obesity, overweight, type II diabetes and helps in enhancing brain development, learning capabilities and also reduces gastrointestinal infections. Breast problems, societal barriers, insufficient support, poor knowledge, mode of delivery and community beliefs are associated. Aim: To determine the survival and prevalence of exclusive breast-feeding practice and their associated factors. Settings and Design: An ambispective community-based observational study was conducted. Materials and Methods: A sample of 441 mothers was estimated with a prevalence of EBF of 54.9% based on the National Family Health Survey 2015-16. Study Procedure: The selected mothers with an infant less than one year of age and those with infants less than six months were interviewed retrospectively and prospectively and information on the duration of EBF, demography and factors associated were collected. Statistical Analysis Used: The data were analysed using IBM SPSS, version 22. The Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to determine the associated factors for EBF. A P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: EBF survival rate was good till three months and decreased drastically after five months. EBF practice in the present study was 69.4%. Birth order, maternal age, birth weight, paternal education and religion were significantly associated with EBF. Conclusion: Primary health care providers in the community should also consider the cultural factors and educate the mothers on the practice of EBF to reduce morbidity and mortality and promote better health for a healthy, strong, younger population.

Carrier Dynamics of Efficient Triplet Harvesting in AgBiS2 /Pentacene Singlet Fission Solar Cells.

Singlet fission is a process by which an organic semiconductor is able to generate two triplet excitons from a single photon. If charges from the triplets can be successfully harvested without heavy losses in energy, then this process can enable a single-junction solar cell to surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit. While singlet fission processes are commonly observed in several materials, harvesting the resulting triplets is difficult and has been demonstrated with only a few transport materials. Here, transient absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate singlet fission and carrier transfer processes at the AgBiS2 /pentacene (AgBiS2 /Pc) heterojunction. The successful transfer of triplets from pentacene to AgBiS2 and the transfer of holes from AgBiS2 to pentacene is observed. Further singlet fission in pentacene by modifying the crystallinity of the pentacene layer and have fabricated the first singlet fission AgBiS2 /Pc solar cell is enhanced. Singlet fission devices exhibit higher external quantum efficiency compared with the control devices, and thus demonstrating the significant contribution of charges from the singlet fission process.

Effectiveness of Inexpensive Cloth Facemasks and Their Amendments to Reduce Ambient Particulate Exposures: A Case of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Inexpensive cloth masks are widely used to reduce particulate exposures, but their use became ubiquitous after the outbreak of COVID-19. A custom experimental setup (semiactive at 5.1 m/s airflow rate) was fabricated to examine the efficiency of different types of commercial facemasks collected randomly from street vendors. The sample (N = 27) including (n = 16) cloth masks (CMs), (n = 7) surgical masks (SMs), and (n = 4) N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), of which SMs and N95 FFRs taken as a standard for efficiency comparison were all tested against ambient aerosols (PM2.5 and PM10 µg/m3). The prototype cloth masks (PTCMs) (N = 5) design was tailored, and their performance was assessed and compared with that of standard commercial masks. The filtering efficiency tested against ambient coarse particulates (PM10) ranged from (5% to 34%) for CMs with an average of 16%, (37% to 46%) for SMs with an average of 42%, (59% to 72%) for PTCMs with an average of 65%, and (70% to 75%) for N95 FFRs with an average of 71%, whereas against fine particulates (PM2.5), efficacy ranged from (4% to 29%) for CMs with an average of 13%, (34% to 44%) for SMs with an average of 39%, (53% to 68%) for PTCMs with an average of 60%, and (68% to 73%) for N95 FFRs with an average of 70%, respectively. The efficiency followed the order N95 FFRs > PTCMs > SMs > CMs showing poor exposure reduction potential in CMs and high exposure reduction potential in N95 FFRs and PTCMs. Amendment in existing CMs using eco-friendly cotton fabric with better facial adherence can protect human health from exposure to fine particulates <2.5 µm and can reduce the risk of micro-plastic pollution caused by polypropylene (PP) facemasks.

GC-MS Analysis of Bioactive Compounds of Flower Extracts of Calycopteris floribunda Lam.: A Multi Potent Medicinal Plant.

Calycopteris floribunda Lam. is a potent medicinal woody climber that belongs to Combretaceae. This plant is usually found in dry deciduous tropical forests and is used in various medicinal practices like Ayurveda, Unani and Sidda. Whole plant and its different parts like leaves, flowers and stem are used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, jaundice and malaria. It is also have anthelminthic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, hepatoprotective and anticancerous activities. Knowing its medicinal properties, the present study is undertaken to investigate the preliminary phytochemical constituents and bioactive compounds of flower extracts by GC-MS. GC-MS analysis of flower extracts revealed the presence of over all 41 compounds, of which, acetone and ethanol extracts showed the presence of 13 compounds each, chloroform extract 8 and petroleum ether extract 7 compounds. Some compounds were common in two and three extracts only. The significant bioactive compounds identified are 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid (59.81%) in chloroform extract, triterpene lupeol (34.98%) in ethanol extract, tetratetracontane (26.99%) in petroleum ether extract and gamma sitosterol (22.04%) in acetone extract.

Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay plasma p16INK4a protein in squamous cell carcinoma in uterine cervix: A case-control study.

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the common cancers in females. The common method of screening is Pap test which has low sensitivity. Hence, better methods are explored with different biomarkers, of which estimation of P16 protein can be opted in early detection of cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: Seventy cases and seventy controls were considered for the study. Cases were invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of cervix confirmed by histopathology. Controls were healthy age-matched females. The blood sample of cases and controls was collected in K2 Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid vacutainer, and the separated plasma was subjected to estimation of P16 protein by quantitative sandwich Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay method. The data were analyzed for the association between p16 protein in plasma in cases and controls. Results: The age among cases and controls ranged from 30 to 80 years. The P16 levels among cases ranged from 3.4 to 19.6 ng/ml with a mean of 7.24 ± 2.35 ng/ml. The plasma P16 level in controls ranged between 0.9 and 9.7 ng/ml with mean of 4.1 ± 2.22 ng/ml. At cutoff more than 4.8 ng/ml in cases, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy were 92.86%, 72.86%, 77.4%, 91.1%, and 82.86%, respectively. The specificity increased with increase in plasma p16 levels. The P16 levels were maximum in stage IV disease. Conclusion: This was a pilot study to detect the plasma p16INK4a levels in SCC of cervix. The levels of plasma p16 protein between 3.9 and 5 ng/ml can be considered as the range for the test to be positive. In clinically suspected cases of cervical cancer, levels more than 4.8 ng/ml can be considered for the diagnosis as point of care test.

Solution-Processed Red, Green, and Blue Quantum Rod Light-Emitting Diodes.

Solution-processed semiconductor nanocrystals are evolving as potential candidates for future display and lighting applications owing to their size-tunable emission, ultrasaturated colors, and compatibility with large-area flexible substrates. Among them, quantum rods (QRs) are emerging materials for optoelectronic applications, offering polarized emission, high light outcoupling efficiency, color purity, and better stability in solid films. However, synthesizing QRs covering the full visible wavelength region has been a big challenge, particularly in the blue range. Herein, we report for the first time the synthesis of red CdSe/CdS, green CdSe/ZnxCd1-xS/ZnS, and blue CdSe/ZnxCd1-xS/ZnS QRs and their application in red, green, and blue QR-based light-emitting diodes (QR-LEDs). We have improved the charge injection balance into the QRs through embedding a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) layer between the emissive and electron transport layers. The thin PMMA electron-blocking layer (EBL) suppresses the excessive electron flux and thus promotes charge injection balance and pushes the recombination zone back to the QR layer, resulting in 1.35×, 1.2×, and 1.7× peak external quantum efficiency improvement for red, green, and blue QR-LEDs, respectively. The efficiency roll-off of green and blue QR-LEDs with an EBL is less than 50% at maximum current density. The proposed red, green, and blue QR-LEDs open up an avenue toward further improving the light source efficiency and stability focusing on real device applications.

Solution-Processed, Inverted AgBiS2 Nanocrystal Solar Cells.

AgBiS2 nanocrystals are a promising nontoxic alternative to PbS, CsPbI3, and CdS quantum dots for solution-fabricated nanocrystal photovoltaics. In this work, we fabricated the first inverted (p-i-n) structure AgBiS2 nanocrystal solar cells. We selected spray-coated NiO as the hole-transporting material and used PCBM/BCP as the electron-transporting material. Combining transient photocurrent and photovoltage measurements with femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, we investigated the charge collection process on metal oxide/AgBiS2 interfaces and demonstrated that the NiO/AgBiS2 NC junction in the p-i-n configuration is more efficient for charge carrier collection. The fabricated p-i-n solar cells exhibited a 4.3% power conversion efficiency (PCE), which was higher than that of conventional n-i-p solar cells fabricated using the same sample. Additionally, inverted devices showed an ultrahigh short-circuit current (JSC) over 20.7 mA cm-2 and 0.38 V open-circuit voltage (VOC), suggesting their potential for further improvements in efficiency and, eventually, for large-scale production.

Development of a real-time RT-PCR method for the detection of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) and its implication in studying virus distribution in planta.

Tristeza is an economically important disease of the citrus caused by Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) of genus Closterovirus and family Closteroviridae. The disease has caused tremendous losses to citrus industry worldwide by killing millions of trees, reducing the productivity and total production. Enormous efforts have been made in many countries to prevent the viral spread and the losses caused by the disease. To understand the reason behind this scenario, studies on virus distribution and tropism in the citrus plants are needed. Different diagnostic methods are available for early CTV detection but none of them is employed for in planta virus distribution study. In this study, a TaqMan RT-PCR-based method to detect and quantify CTV in different tissues of infected Mosambi plants (Citrus sinensis) has been standardized. The assay was very sensitive with the pathogen detection limit of > 0.0595 fg of in vitro-transcribed CTV-RNA. The assay was implemented for virus distribution study and absolute CTV titer quantification in samples taken from Tristeza-infected trees. The highest virus load was observed in the midribs of the symptomatic leaf (4.1 × 107-1.4 × 108/100 mg) and the lowest in partial dead twigs (1 × 103-1.7 × 104/100 mg), and shoot tip (2.3 × 103-4.5 × 103/100 mg). Interestingly, during the peak summer months, the highest CTV load was observed in the feeder roots (3 × 107-1.1 × 108/100 mg) than in the midribs of symptomatic leaf. The viral titer was highest in symptomatic leaf midrib followed by asymptomatic leaf midrib, feeder roots, twig bark, symptomatic leaf lamella, and asymptomatic leaf lamella. Overall, high CTV titer was primarily observed in the phloem containing tissues and low CTV titer in the other tissues. The information would help in selecting tissues with higher virus titer in disease surveillance that have implication in Tristeza management in citrus.

Development of a SYBR Green-based RT-qPCR assay for the detection of Indian citrus ringspot virus.

The Indian citrus ringspot virus (ICRSV) that causes ringspot disease, especially to 'Kinnow mandarin' hampers the sustainability of crop production. Presently, the disease is not amenable for control through host resistance or the introduction of chemicals, hence raising virus-free plants is one of the most effective approaches to manage the disease. Consequently, it is necessary to develop rapid, sensitive, specific, and early diagnostic methods for disease control. In the present study, newly designed primers targeting a 164 bp region of the ICRSV coat protein gene were used to develop and optimize a SYBR Green-based quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay, for the detection of ICRSV. The RT-qPCR assay was evaluated and confirmed using viral RNA extracted from ICRSV infected plants maintained in screen house as well as field samples. The standard curves displayed a dynamic linear range across eight log units of ICRSV-cRNA copy number ranging from 9.48.1 fmol (5.709 × 109) to 0.000948 amol (5.709 × 102), with detection limit of 5.709 × 102 copies per reaction using serial tenfold diluted in vitro transcribed viral cRNA. The developed RT-qPCR is very specific to ICRSV does not react to other citrus pathogens, and approximately 100-fold more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR. Thus, this assay will be useful in laboratories, KVKs, and nurseries for the citrus budwood certification program as well as in plant quarantine stations. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the successful detection of ICRSV by RT-qPCR.

Optically Clear Films of Formamidinium Lead Bromide Perovskite for Wide-Band-Gap, Solution-Processed, Semitransparent Solar Cells.

Solvent engineering and antisolvent methods have been used extensively to achieve high-quality, homogeneous, and crystalline perovskite thin films. Usually, highly concentrated (>1.1 M) precursor solutions are used to achieve the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE), and most fabrication studies focus on iodide-based metal halide perovskites (MHPs). However, high concentrations of precursors are not suitable for semitransparent (ST) MHP solar cells (STPSCs), which require thinner films to achieve a high average visible transmittance (AVT). The deposition of high-quality perovskites with variable concentrations in a one-step method is challenging due to the complexity of the antisolvent crystallization process. Here, we have developed an in situ technique based on photoluminescence (PL) measurements to identify the optimum delay time for antisolvent crystallization in formamidinium lead bromide (FAPbBr3). By monitoring the in situ PL, the nucleation, crystal growth, and early perovskite formation phases are easily identified for a range of concentrations. Subsequently, we fabricated opaque and ST solar cells with optically clear, ST perovskite films formed from precursors with varying concentrations. These all-solution-processed STPSCs achieved AVTs of up to 35.6, 42.5, and 49.2%, with the corresponding PCEs of 5.71, 3.25, and 1.86% in p-i-n type, FAPbBr3 perovskite solar cells with transparent Ag nanowire electrodes. These devices show good stability over several weeks and an impressive Voc as high as 1.24 V for STPSCs and 1.38 V for opaque cells produced with a thick Ag electrode. This work demonstrates the potential use of in situ spectroscopy to tailor the film growth of halide perovskites with varying concentrations and the feasibility of using wide-band-gap perovskites for ST solar cells with exceptional clarity and higher Voc.

Photorechargeable Lead-Free Perovskite Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Hexagonal Cs3Bi2I9 Nanosheets.

Materials that enable bifunctional operation in harvesting and storing energy are currently in high demand, due to their potential to efficiently use renewable solar energy. Here, we present a lead-free, all-inorganic, bismuth-based perovskite halide, which acts as a photoelectrode that can harvest energy under illumination without the assistance of an external load in a lithium-ion battery. The battery performance is shown using three different current collectors: copper, fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and carbon felt (CF) to exhibit the electrode's function as a normal coin cell, as a basic photobattery with a transparent collector to elucidate its functional mechanism, and as an optimized photobattery displaying competitive metrics with other photobatteries obtaining a photo conversion efficiency of ∼0.43% for the first discharge. Upon discharging under illumination, we observed an increase in capacity from 410 to 975 mA·h·g-1. Further exploration in anode structure and design provides a path toward more efficient photobatteries.

Prevalence and antibiotic resistance profile of Listeria spp. associated with seafoods from fish catchment areas in Kerala, India.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous, intracellular pathogen which has been implicated as a cause of several foodborne outbreaks. This study aimed to generate information on the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profile of Listeria species isolated from seafood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 400 samples of fresh fish, 100 samples of dry fish and 200 samples each of crustaceans and mollusks were collected from the fish catchment areas. All the samples were subjected to isolation and identification of Listeria spp. by two-step enrichment in UVM broth and plating on selective agar media (PALCAM) and then subjected to molecular characterization. L. monocytogenes isolates obtained during the study were subjected to serotyping by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The isolates were also subjected to antibiotic sensitivity test. RESULTS: The prevalence of L. monocytogenes in seafoods in the present study was 0.55%. The isolates of L. monocytogenes were found to possess all virulence genes, namely, iap, hlyA, actA, prfA, plcA, and inlA. All the isolates belonged to serotype 4b. The occurrence of Listeria innocua was found to be more and was detected in 16.77% of seafood samples. Antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that all isolates were resistant to cefixime but were sensitive to almost all other commonly used antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The presence of Listeria spp. in raw seafood samples augments the need for implementation of good hygienic practices during the handling and processing of seafoods to safeguard the health of the consumers.

UNIVmAb reactive albumin associated hyaladherin as a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer; cancer biomarker discovery is important for disease detection and management. It is known that hyaluronic acid and its receptors are ubiquitously expressed in almost all human tissues. Earlier we have shown that a monoclonal antibody H11B2C2, presently known as UNIVmAb, reactive hyaladherin expressed in multiple human cancers mainly using immunohistochemistry. However, the nature of the antigen and its sequence homology are not known. In the current study, a comprehensive investigation was performed to explore the nature of the antigen and its homology using both biochemical and proteomic analysis. Our results showed that UNIVmAb reactive 57 kDa antigen was overexpressed in advanced grade colorectal cancer tissues compared to benign and its hyperplasia. Biochemical investigations including biotinylated hyaluronic acid-pulldown, Immunoprecipitation, HA-oligo competition experiments confirmed that the UNIVmAb reactive 57 kDa antigen is a member of hyaladherin. Further Proteomic analysis showed that the antigen has homology with IGHG1 (Igγ-1 chain C region), a possible IgG superfamily, and is associated with human serum albumin.

Dexmedetomidine-induced deep sedation mimics non-rapid eye movement stage 3 sleep: large-scale validation using machine learning.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Dexmedetomidine-induced electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns during deep sedation are comparable with natural sleep patterns. Using large-scale EEG recordings and machine learning techniques, we investigated whether dexmedetomidine-induced deep sedation indeed mimics natural sleep patterns. METHODS: We used EEG recordings from three sources in this study: 8,707 overnight sleep EEG and 30 dexmedetomidine clinical trial EEG. Dexmedetomidine-induced sedation levels were assessed using the Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (MOAA/S) score. We extracted 22 spectral features from each EEG recording using a multitaper spectral estimation method. Elastic-net regularization method was used for feature selection. We compared the performance of several machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, support vector machine, and random forest), trained on individual sleep stages, to predict different levels of the MOAA/S sedation state. RESULTS: The random forest algorithm trained on non-rapid eye movement stage 3 (N3) predicted dexmedetomidine-induced deep sedation (MOAA/S = 0) with area under the receiver operator characteristics curve >0.8 outperforming other machine learning models. Power in the delta band (0-4 Hz) was selected as an important feature for prediction in addition to power in theta (4-8 Hz) and beta (16-30 Hz) bands. CONCLUSIONS: Using a large-scale EEG data-driven approach and machine learning framework, we show that dexmedetomidine-induced deep sedation state mimics N3 sleep EEG patterns. CLINICAL TRIALS: Name-Pharmacodynamic Interaction of REMI and DMED (PIRAD), URL-https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03143972, and registration-NCT03143972.

A Rapid and Sensitive Reverse Transcription-Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) Assay for the Detection of Indian Citrus Ringspot Virus.

Indian citrus ringspot virus (ICRSV) is a devastating pathogen that has a particularly deleterious effect on the 'Kinnow mandarin', a commercial citrus crop cultivated in the northwest of India. ICRSV belongs to the Mandarivirus genus within the family of Alphaflexiviridae and has a positive sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome consisting of six open reading frames (ORFs). Severe cases of ICRSV result in a significant reduction in both the yield and quality of crops. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop methods to detect ICRSV in an accurate and timely manner. Current methods involve a two-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) that is time consuming. Here, we describe a novel, one-step reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) method for the sensitive and rapid detection of ICRSV. To standardize the RT-LAMP assay, four different primers were designed and tested to target the coat protein gene of ICRSV. Amplification results were visualized by a color change after addition of SYBR Green I. The standardized RT-LAMP assay was highly specific and successfully detected all 35 ICRSV isolates tested from the Punjab and Haryana states of India. Furthermore, there was no cross-reaction with 17 isolates of five other citrus pathogens that are common in India. The ICRSV RT-LAMP assay developed in the present study is a simple, rapid, sensitive, specific technique. Moreover, the assay consists of only a single step and is more cost effective than existing methods. This is the first application of RT-LAMP for the detection of ICRSV. Our RT-LAMP assay is a powerful tool for the detection of ICRSV and will be particularly useful for large-scale indexing of field samples in diagnostic laboratories, in nurseries, and for quarantine applications.