Development of activation-tagged gain-of-functional mutants in indica rice line (BPT 5204) for sheath blight resistance.

BACKGROUND: The development of sheath blight (ShB) resistance varieties has been a challenge for scientists for long time in rice. Activation tagging is an efficient gain-of-function mutation approach to create novel phenotypes and to identify their underlying genes. In this study, a mutant population was developed employing activation tagging in the recalcitrant indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. BPT 5204 (Samba Mahsuri) through activation tagging. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we have generated more than 1000 activation tagged lines in indica rice, from these mutant population 38 (GFP- RFP+) stable Ds plants were generated through germinal transposition at T2 generation based on molecular analysis and seeds selected on hygromycin (50 mg/L) containing medium segregation analyses confirmed that the transgene inherited as mendelian segregation ratio of 3:1 (3 resistant: 1 susceptible). Of them, five stable activation tagged Ds lines (M-Ds-1, M-Ds-2, M-Ds-3, M-Ds-4 and M-Ds-5) were selected based on phenotypic observation through screening for sheath blight (ShB) resistance caused by fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani),. Among them, M-Ds-3 and M-Ds-5 lines showed significant resistance for ShB over other tagged lines and wild type (WT) plants. Furthermore, analysed for launch pad insertion through TAIL-PCR results and mapped on corresponding rice chromosomes. Flanking sequence and gene expression analysis revealed that the upregulation of glycoside hydrolase-OsGH or similar to Class III chitinase homologue (LOC_Os08g40680) in M-Ds-3 and a hypothetical protein gene (LOC_Os01g55000) in M-Ds-5 are potential candidate genes for sheath blight resistance in rice. CONCLUSION: In the present study, we developed Ac-Ds based ShB resistance gain-of-functional mutants through activation tagging in rice. These activation tagged mutant lines can be excellent sources for the development of ShB resistant cultivars in rice.

Simultaneous Liver and Kidney Transplantation in a Patient With Telomere Biology Disorder: A Case Study.

Organ transplantation is the primary therapy for organ failure caused by telomere biology disorder (TBD). We describe the first documented case of simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation (SLKTx) for TBD, although the diagnosis of TBD was reached only three months following SLKTx. The patient was born prematurely, displayed growth retardation, and developed chronic kidney and liver diseases. His pre-SLKTx autoimmune, metabolic, and viral assessments were negative, and persistent pancytopenia (bone marrow cellularity 70-80%) was attributed to renal disease-associated bone marrow changes. Following SLKTx, he was discharged with stable graft function on tacrolimus and prednisolone. Although mycophenolate mofetil was discontinued on the second postoperative day, his pancytopenia persisted. Despite extensive evaluations, including drug, immune, nutritional, and viral assessments, all results were negative. A bone marrow biopsy conducted three months post-transplant revealed significant hypocellularity (40-50%). Whole genome sequencing revealed a likely pathogenic variant of the TINF2 gene. The patient was subsequently treated with danazol. At the nine-month follow-up post-SLKTx, he exhibited stable graft function and improved cell counts while maintaining triple-drug immunosuppression. Given the lack of uniform diagnostic criteria for TBD, healthcare providers must be vigilant with patients presenting with multi-organ failure and persistent cytopenias. Effective pre-transplant screening for TBD can lead to timely diagnoses, better management, and improved post-transplant outcomes.

In silico investigation on sensing of tyramine by boron and silicon doped C60 fullerenes.

The present communication deals with the adsorption of tyramine neurotransmitter over the surface of pristine, Boron (B) and Silicon (Si) doped fullerenes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to investigate tyramine adsorption on the surface of fullerenes in terms of stability, shape, work function, electronic characteristics, and density of state spectra. The most favourable adsorption configurations for tyramine have been computed to have adsorption energies of - 1.486, - 30.889, and - 31.166 kcal/mol, respectively whereas for the rest three configurations, it has been computed to be - 0.991, - 6.999, and - 8.796 kcal/mol, respectively. The band gaps for all six configurations are computed to be 2.68, 2.67, 2.06, 2.17, 2.07, and 2.14 eV, respectively. The band gap of pristine, B and Si doped fullerenes shows changes in their band gaps after adsorption of tyramine neurotransmitters. However, the change in band gaps reveals more in B doped fullerene rather than pristine and Si doped fullerenes. The change in band gaps of B and Si doped fullerenes leads a change in the electrical conductivity which helps to detect tyramine. Furthermore, natural bond orbital (NBO) computations demonstrated a net charge transfer of 0.006, 0.394, and 0.257e from tynamine to pristine, B and Si doped fullerenes.

In silico investigation on interaction of small Ag6 nano-particle cluster with tyramine neurotransmitter.

The interaction of tyramine neurotransmitter with silver nano-particle (Ag6) cluster is explored in terms of the molecular structure, electronic properties and NBO analysis of tyramine-AgNPs bio-molecular conjugate. The adsorption mechanism of tyramine onto the Ag6 cluster has been investigated through computing of the electronic and geometrical properties in addition to the adsorption energies in various possible configurations. The magnitude of adsorption energy corresponding to the most favorable tyramine-Ag6 bio-molecular conjugate has been computed to be - 14.36 kcal/mol in the gas phase, which infers a good adsorption of tyramine with AgNPs cluster suggesting the practical applications of tyramine-AgNPs bio-molecular conjugates in bio-sensing, drug delivery, bio-imaging and other applications. Different electronic properties such as the energy gap of HOMO-LUMO, Fermi level and work function have been investigated in detail. Moreover, the effect of aqueous media on adsorption energy and electronic properties of the most favorable tyramine-AgNPs bio-molecular conjugate is investigated in order to understand the impact of the real biological situation.

Reducing mortality in mucormycosis of the head and neck in diabetic patients: A CARE case series.

INTRODUCTION: Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is extremely fatal, with mortality rates ranging from 85-93% despite the best treatment in immunocompromised patients. We emphasize the importance of early diagnosis, repeated debridement, and aggressive antifungal treatment to reduce mortality. CASE SUMMARY: We report six cases (five male and one female), with a mean age of 51 years who were diagnosed to have mucormycosis from 2017 to 2019. All patients were diabetic. Intracranial involvement and orbital involvement were found in four cases. Facial nerve palsy was seen in two cases, one without any apparent otological involvement. Aggressive serial debridement and amphotericin B was started. Posaconazole was added subsequently to the treatment in two cases. One patient succumbed to the disease five months after discharge. The other five patients are on regular follow-up for a mean duration of 14 months at the end of which two had residual disease which was under control. DISCUSSION: Repeated surgical debridement with an early aggressive and combination antifungal therapy can result in good outcomes even in advanced mucormycosis. Concurrent management of the underlying pathology, monitoring of liver and kidney functions, and therapeutic drug monitoring are useful to ensure smooth and effective treatment.

Impact of an antimicrobial stewardship and monitoring of infection control bundle in a surgical intensive care unit of a tertiary-care hospital in India.

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in resource-limited settings lacks models that can be readily adapted to their settings. Here we discuss the impact of a combined strategy of AMS and monitoring of infection control practices in a tertiary-care centre of a developing country. METHODS: This study was undertaken in the surgical unit of a tertiary-care hospital over an 8-month period. In the first 2 months (baseline phase), prospective audit and feedback alone was undertaken, while in the next 6 months (intervention phase) this was supplemented with strategies such as antimicrobial timeout, correction of doses and bundle approach for prevention of hospital-acquired infections. RESULTS: A total of 337 patients were included (94 in the baseline phase and 243 in the intervention phase). There was a decrease in days of therapy per 1000 patient-days (1000PD) (1112.3 days vs. 1048.6 days), length of therapy per 1000PD (956 days vs. 936.3 days) and defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000PD for most antimicrobials. A decrease in double cover for Gram-negative infections (9.6% vs. 2.9%) but an increase in double anaerobic cover (4.2% vs. 7.4%) was observed. There was a decrease in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia per 1000 ventilator-days in the intervention phase (46.4 vs. 35.4), whereas central line-associated bloodstream infections per 1000 central line-days remained the same (14.7 vs. 14.8). CONCLUSION: This study shows that implementation of routine AMS activities with monitoring of infection control practices can help decrease overall antimicrobial use. With furtherance of measures to control infection, antimicrobial use may be further curtailed.

Correlation of cochlear nerve cross-sectional area and auditory performance after cochlear implantation in prelingual children with bilateral profound hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether cochlear nerve (CN) cross-sectional area as measured with parasagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in prelingual pediatric deaf patients correlates with auditory performance after cochlear implantation. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective Cohort study. METHODS: Thirty-two prelingual children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) who received unilateral cochlear implant were included in this study. Diameters of CN at Internal auditory canal (IAC) fundus and mid-point of IAC were retrospectively measured on parasagittal images of FIESTA (Fast Imaging Employing Steady-state Acquisition) sequence MRI by two independent observers. Cross-sectional areas [π (Height/2) (Width/2)] were then correlated with post-operative CAPS (Categories of Auditory Performance) and IT-MAIS (Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale) scores regularly assessed at 3 monthly intervals post device activation. RESULTS: The cochlear nerve was identified in all the 32 patients. Mean cross-sectional areas (CSA) of cochlear nerve were 0.71 ± 0.16 mm2 at IAC fundus and 0.73 ± 0.18 mm2 at mid-point of IAC. The correlation value between CSA at mid-point of IAC and CAPS score at 6 months was 0.271 (p-value- 0.140) and correlation value between CSA at mid-point of IAC and IT-MAIS score at 6 months was 0.282 (p-value- 0.124) which were statistically not significant. CONCLUSION: There was no significant correlation between the cross-sectional areas of the cochlear nerve on MRI and postoperative auditory scores as measured by CAPS and IT-MAIS scores at six months from the device activation. Hence, we conclude that above an adequate diameter, which can affect the minimum required neurons, the changes in the diameter do not have significant bearing on auditory outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Outcomes of Endoscopic Dilation in Patients with Esophageal Anastomotic Strictures: Comparison Between Different Etiologies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This retrospective study was aimed at assessing the efficacy of endoscopic dilation for esophageal anastomotic strictures, and to compare response between caustic anastomotic strictures (CAS) and non-caustic anastomotic strictures (NCAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with anastomotic strictures (enrolled during January 1996-December 2015) were analyzed. Short- and long-term outcomes of dilation, in terms of clinical success, refractory, and recurrent strictures were compared between NCAS and CAS. Patients with refractory and recurrent strictures were managed with adjunctive therapy including intralesional steroids. Factors predicting refractoriness at start of dilation and reasons for more than ten lifetime dilations were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 142 patients, 124 (mean age-44.02; males-74) underwent dilation. Clinical success was achieved in 113 (91.3%) patients requiring a median [Interquartile range (IQR)] of 4 (2-10) sessions. The number of dilations to achieve clinical success, refractory strictures, and recurrent strictures, and the use of adjunctive therapy were significantly higher for CAS than for NCAS. Intralesional steroid use decreased periodic dilation index (PDI) significantly in CAS. Caustic etiology and starting dilation diameter of < 10 mm were found to be predictors of refractoriness, with the former alone being an independent predictor of more than ten lifetime dilations. No patient had free perforation; however, five required revision surgery. CONCLUSION: Patients with CAS fared worse than those with NCAS in terms of number of dilations, refractoriness, recurrence of strictures, and need of adjunctive therapy. Endoscopic dilation can successfully ameliorate dysphagia due to anastomotic strictures in a majority of patients.

Late onset systemic sclerosis with seronegativity: a rare presentation of an uncommon disease.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an uncommon connective tissue disorder characterized by multisystem involvement with fibrosis of skin and internal organs. Antibody formation is one of the hallmarks of SSc. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are positive in 97% of patients with SSc. We report a rare case where the patient was negative for ANA, Anti-topoisomerase I, Anti-centromere and Anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies.

A dual borohydride (Li and Na borohydride) catalyst/additive together with intermetallic FeTi for the optimization of the hydrogen sorption characteristics of Mg(NH2)2/2LiH.

The present study deals with the material tailoring of Mg(NH2)2-2LiH through dual borohydrides: the reactive LiBH4 and the non-reactive NaBH4. Furthermore, a pulverizer, as well as a catalyst FeTi, has been added in order to facilitate hydrogen sorption. Addition of LiBH4 to LiNH2 in a 1 : 3 molar ratio leads to the formation of Li4(BH4)(NH2)3 which also acts as a catalyst. However, the addition of NaBH4 doesn't lead to any compound formation but shows a catalytic effect. The onset dehydrogenation temperature of thermally treated Mg(NH2)2-2LiH/(Li4(BH4)(NH2)3-NaBH4) is 142 °C as against 196 °C for the basic material Mg(NH2)2-2LiH. However, with the FeTi catalyzed Mg(NH2)2-2LiH/(Li4(BH4)(NH2)3-NaBH4, it has been reduced to 120 °C. This is better than other similar amide/hydride composites where it is 149 °C (when the basic material is catalyzed with LiBH4). The FeTi catalyzed Mg(NH2)2-2LiH/(Li4(BH4)(NH2)3-NaBH4 sample shows better de/re-hydrogenation kinetics as it desorbs 3.9 ± 0.04 wt% and absorbs nearly 4.1 ± 0.04 wt% both within 30 min at 170 °C (with the H2 pressure being 0.1 MPa for desorption and 7 MPa for absorption). The eventual hydrogen storage capacity of Mg(NH2)2-2LiH/(Li4(BH4)(NH2)3-NaBH4 together with FeTi has been found to be ∼5.0 wt%. To make the effect of catalysts intelligible, we have put forward in a schematic way the role of Li and Na borohydrides with FeTi for improving the hydrogen sorption properties of Mg(NH2)2-2LiH.

Rare anatomic variations of the right hepatic biliary system.

PURPOSE: To report rare and clinically significant anatomic variations in the biliary drainage of right hepatic lobe. METHODS: Unique variations in the extra- and intrahepatic biliary drainage of right hepatic lobe were observed in 6 cadaveric livers during dissection on 100 formalin-fixed en bloc cadaveric livers. RESULTS: There was presence of aberrant drainage of right segmental and sectorial ducts in four cases and of accessory right posterior sectorial duct in two cases. CONCLUSIONS: We encountered some extensively complicated biliary drainage of right hepatic lobe, unsuccessful recognition of which can lead to serious biliary complications during hepatobiliary surgeries and biliary interventions.

Tuberculosis-diabetes screening: how well are we doing? A mixed-methods study from North India.

SETTING: Public health care facilities in Sonipat District, Haryana State, India. OBJECTIVES: To assess 1) the proportion of tuberculosis (TB) patients screened for diabetes mellitus (DM) and vice versa, 2) factors associated with screening, and 3) the enablers, barriers and solutions related to screening. DESIGN: A mixed-methods study with quantitative (cohort study involving record reviews of patients registered between November 2016 and April 2017) and qualitative (interviews of patients, health care providers [HCPs] and key district-level staff) components. RESULTS: Screening for TB among DM patients was not implemented, despite documents indicating that it had been. Of 562 TB patients, only 137 (24%) were screened for DM. TB patients registered at tertiary and secondary health centres were more likely to be screened than primary health centres. Low patient awareness, poor knowledge of guidelines among HCPs, lack of staff and inadequate training were barriers to screening. Enablers were the positive attitude of HCPs and programme staff. The key solutions suggested were to improve awareness of HCPs and patients regarding the need for screening, training of HCPs and wider availability of DM testing facilities. CONCLUSION: The implementation of bidirectional screening was poor. Adequate staffing, regular training, continuous laboratory supplies for DM diagnosis and widespread publicity should be ensured.

The segmental branching of the hepatic arteries in the liver: a cadaveric study.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the sectorial and segmental arterial branching (second- and third-order branching) in the right and left hemilivers, as knowledge of this branching should lead to improved vascular mapping for various endovascular procedures in the liver. The study was conducted on 100 formalin-fixed adult cadaveric livers. The arterial anatomy of the liver was dissected from the origin of the hepatic arteries to their segmental branches. Conventional segmental branching of both the right and the left hepatic arteries was seen in only 25% of the livers. In the remaining livers, the segmental branching of one or both of the hepatic arteries was different from that given in anatomy texts. The branching of the right and left hepatic arteries was anatomically classified into seven and six patterns, respectively, mainly on the basis of their sectorial and segmental anatomy. The present study details the highly diverse segmental arterial anatomy of the liver. The information provided here has important implications for procedures that involve selective catheterization of segmental arteries.

Hydrogen evolution reaction from bare and surface-functionalized few-layered MoS2 nanosheets in acidic and alkaline electrolytes.

Hydrogen is considered as an ideal and sustainable energy carrier because of its high energy density and carbon-free combustion. Electrochemical water splitting is the only solution for uninterrupted, scalable, and sustainable production of hydrogen without carbon emission. However, a large-scale hydrogen production through electrochemical water splitting depends on the availability of earth-abundant electrocatalysts and a suitable electrolyte medium. In this article, we demonstrate that hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance of electrocatalytic materials can be controlled by their surface functionalization and selection of a suitable electrolyte solution. Here, we report syntheses of few-layered MoS2 nanosheets, NiO nanoparticles (NPs), and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using scalable production methods from earth-abundant materials. Magnetic measurements of as-produced electrocatalyst materials demonstrate that MoS2 nanoflakes are diamagnetic, whereas surface-functionalized MoS2 and its composite with carbon nanotubes have strong ferromagnetism. The HER performance of the few-layered pristine MoS2 nanoflakes, MoS2/NiO NPs, and MoS2/NiO NPs/MWCNT nanocomposite electrocatalysts are studied in acidic and alkaline media. For bare MoS2, the values of overpotential (η10) in alkaline and acidic media are 0.45 and 0.54 V, respectively. Similarly, the values of current density at 0.5 V overpotential are 27 and 6.2 mA/cm2 in alkaline and acidic media, respectively. The surface functionalization acts adversely in the both alkaline and acidic media. MoS2 nanosheets functionalized with NiO NPs also demonstrated excellent performance for oxygen evolution reaction with anodic current of ~60 mA/cm2 and Tafel slope of 78 mVdec-1 in alkaline medium.

Conformational study of octopamine in gas phase and effect of hydrochloride.

This work deals with the molecular modeling and vibrational spectra of all the twenty conformers of an important biomolecule octopamine which have been investigated using the DFT/B3LYP level of theory in combination with the 6-31++g(d,p) as a suitable basis set. The experimental FTIR and FTRaman spectra of octopamine neurotransmitter were recorded in the spectral region 400-4000 cm-1 and 50-4000 cm-1 respectively and correlated with the calculated spectra of the most stable conformer. The effect of hydrochloride on the important geometrical parameters of most stable conformer of octopamine was also studied. The normal coordinate analysis was performed to scale the theoretical frequencies and to calculate potential energy distributions for precise normal mode assignment. Most of the frequencies were in good agreement with experimental one. However, some have been modified. Natural bond orbital analysis was performed in order to confirm the stability of electronic structure of octopamine molecule. HOMO-LUMO analysis for all the twenty conformers was also performed to give the transition profile and to study the chemical reactivity of octopamine.

Recyclable Visible Light-Driven O-g-C3N4/Graphene Oxide/N-Carbon Nanotube Membrane for Efficient Removal of Organic Pollutants.

Organic pollutants are harmful to human health, which creates a global need for the development of novel and effective materials for efficiently removing contaminants. Accordingly, an efficient visible light-driven heterostructured membrane combined with oxygen-modified monolayer g-C3N4, graphene oxide, and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (O-g-C3N4/GO/N-CNT) was successfully fabricated through electrostatic interactions and subsequent vacuum filtration. The results suggested that the O-g-C3N4/GO/N-CNT membrane exhibited higher degradation rate than those of O-g-C3N4/GO and pure O-g-C3N4 under visible light exposure. This enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the introduction of GO and N-CNT, which acted as electronic acceptors for monolayer O-g-C3N4 that effectively inhibited recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, thus enhancing visible light photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the enrichment and degradation rates of O-g-C3N4/GO/N-CNT membranes were demonstrated for tetracycline hydrochloride, which were found to be 96.64 and 94.30%, respectively, and no distinct enrichment or catalytic activity reduction was observed when their reusability was measured. These results suggested that these recyclable O-g-C3N4/GO/N-CNT membranes provide a new strategy for the highly efficient removal of environmental pollutants.

Facile fabrication of ternary TiO2-gold nanoparticle-graphene oxide nanocomposites for recyclable surface enhanced Raman scattering.

A bi-functional ternary nanocomposite was developed by decorating TiO2 and gold nanoparticles on the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (TiO2-Au-rGO) for recyclable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. TiO2-Au-rGO nanocomposites have been shown to demonstrate the superior SERS performances, which can be used for highly sensitive detection of rhodamine 6 G with a limit of detection of 1.2 × 10-10 M. Subsequently, the surface can be cleaned automatically by the photocatalytic degradation of the adsorbed analytes into inorganic small molecules under visible light irradiation. This can be attributed to the excellent photocatalytic degradation ability, leading to a recyclable SERS application. After being used four times, their excellent SERS and catalytic performances can still be retained. These results suggest that the TiO2-Au-rGO nanocomposites can provide a new strategy for fabricating recyclable SERS substrates, which are highly desirable for SERS practical application.