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Introduction: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a medicine that has mainly been used to treat malaria. During the recent Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) period, an abrupt spike in the sale of HCQ has been found. The repurposing of this drug in the treatment of COVID-19 was not only found to be ineffective but also showed many side effects. The adverse effects of the enormous exposure to this drug should be unveiled. Aim: To evaluate the acute effect of HCQ exposure on the male reproductive system by analysing the changes in antioxidant enzyme levels in testicular tissue, sperm quality, and histopathological assessment of testicular tissue using male albino rats as the subject model. Materials and Methods: The present experimental study was done by using male albino rats as the subject model. It was conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Human Physiology at Raja NL Khan Women’s College (Autonomous) in Medinipur, West Bengal, Kolkata, India, from the last week of June 2023 to the first week of August 2023. A total 10 male albino rats were obtained and randomly divided into two groups (n=5 in each group), control and HCQ-treated, and were given plain drinking water and 33 mg/kg/day HCQ, respectively, for six consecutive days through oral gavage. After the treatment tenures, rats were euthanised, and antioxidant enzymatic activity was measured by a spectrophotometer. Sperm quality and testicular histopathology were studied. A two-tailed t-test was used to compare the parameters of the control and HCQ-treated groups. Results: The total testicular weight of the control group was 2.37±0.17 g, in contrast treated group had a significantly lower testicular weight of 1.98±0.19 g. A significant decrease in total testicular protein in the treated group was found, i.e., 28.86±3.03 mg/g of tissue, compared to the control group, i.e., 60.46±2.85 mg/g of tissue. The sperm count of the control group was 4.51±0.06 million/ml of suspension, while the treated group had a significantly lower sperm count, i.e., 2.73±0.11 million/mL of suspension. The percentages of sperm motility and viability in the control group were 86±1.63% and 94±1.33%, respectively, but in the treated group, the percentages were significantly lower, i.e., 22.66±1.35% and 24±1.78%, respectively. The increasing sperm anomalies after HCQ exposure indicate poor sperm quality. Conclusion: Infertility or reduced fertility can result from testicular dysfunction, in continuation, decrease in sperm count, motility, viability, together with abnormalities in sperm morphology, was observed after this exposure. Thus, the present study provides insight into the adverse effects of the use of this drug, which might be associated with male infertility.

Abstract Studies on the neural correlates of navigation in 3D environments are plagued by several issues that need to be solved. For example, experimental studies show markedly different place cell responses in rats and bats, both navigating in 3D environments. In this study, we focus on modelling the spatial cells in rodents in a 3D environment. We propose a deep autoencoder network to model the place and grid cells in a simulated agent navigating in a 3D environment. The input layer to the autoencoder network model is the HD layer, which encodes the agent’s HD in terms of azimuth (θ) and pitch angles (ϕ). The output of this layer is given as input to the Path Integration (PI) layer, which computes displacement in all the preferred directions. The bottleneck layer of the autoencoder model encodes the spatial cell-like responses. Both grid cell and place cell-like responses are observed. The proposed model is verified using two experimental studies with two 3D environments. This model paves the way for a holistic approach using deep neural networks to model spatial cells in 3D navigation.

Introduction: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a chronic and progressive disease characterised by changes in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, leading to glucose intolerance. The foetal heart in GDM is affected throughout the gestational period, which may result in hyperplasia and hypertrophy of myocardial cells. Aim: To determine the cardiac function and structural changes in infants of gestational diabetic mothers using Doppler-echocardiographic data. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 30 infants of mothers with GDM and 30 infants of non diabetic mothers at the Department of Physiology, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, in collaboration with the Departments of Paediatric Medicine and Cardiology from January 2023 to August 2023. Neonatal screening echocardiography was performed by a cardiologist using a Philips Echocardiograph machine, Model: EPIQ 7C, Software Version: 4.0.2, with a linear convex probe of S8-3 MHz frequency to assess cardiac structure and function using 2D, M mode, and Conventional Doppler. The parameters studied included aortic root diameter (mm), left atrial diameter (mm), Interventricular Septal (IVS) in diastole (mm), left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole (mm), left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (mm), left ventricular internal diameter in end systole (mm), left ventricular fractional shortening (%), and left ventricular ejection fraction (%). Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version-20.0 with an Independent Student’s t-test. Results: The mean gestational age for the cases was 38.50±2.57 weeks and 39.30±1.97 weeks for controls. The mean maternal age for cases was 25±4.37 years and for controls was 27±5.03 years. The left atrial diameter in cases (12.83±2.14 mm) was significantly smaller than that of the control (14.20±0.55 mm). The left ventricular posterior wall diameter in diastole was significantly increased in cases (4.53±0.50 mm) compared to controls (3.87±0.35 mm). Significant differences were observed in the interventricular septum in diastole {cases: 4.73±0.45 mm, control: 3.97±0.32 mm} and in the left ventricular internal diameter in end systole {cases: 12.30±1.84 mm, control: 13.83±1.02 mm} between cases and controls. Aortic root diameter was increased in 13.3% of cases. The percentage of left ventricular fractional shortening (cases: 35.47±3.74 %, Control: 38.53±2.43 %), Left Ventricular Ejection fraction (cases: 67.63±4.52 %, control: 72.17±4.89 %) were significantly decreased in cases compared to control. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the development of ventricular hypertrophy and compromised myocardial contractility in infants of diabetic mothers.

Introduction: Understanding the intricate root canal system of mandibular incisors is crucial for successful root canal therapy. Variations in canal anatomy pose challenges in diagnosis and treatment planning, emphasising the need for comprehensive evaluation methods. Aim: To evaluate and assess the root canal configuration of permanent mandibular incisors based on Vertucci’s classification using periapical radiographs and correlating the same with the gold standard decalcification and dye-penetration technique. Materials and Methods: The current in-vitro study was carried out from December 2018 to March 2019 in the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It analysed the root canal morphology of mandibular central and lateral incisors using radiographic examination and decalcification-dye penetration evaluation. Data from 50 central and 50 lateral incisors (100 mandibular incisors) were procured and were assessed and subsequently analysed statistically using International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). The study outcome included assessing the various canal types and configurations, types of canals (straight/curved), and the position of the apical foramen (labial/lingual) by both techniques. The existence of agreement was also tested using statistical analysis by the kappa (κ) coefficient between the two techniques with an alpha level of 5%. Results: The radiological findings of mandibular central incisors revealed a predominant presence of Type-I canals, constituting 66 (66%) cases, according to Vertucci’s classification. Decalcification-dye penetration evaluation of central incisors showed a similar trend, with Type-I canals exhibiting a significantly higher percentage 35 (70%) compared to other canal types (p

The skin, as the first physical barrier for invading pathogens, also serves as an immunologically active organ. Breaching the skin barrier is thus essential for pathogens to enter the body. The skin contains various immune responsive cells that initiate both the innate and adaptive immune response upon invasion. Activated immune cells help to regulate cytokine response and their differentiation to promote or suppress the crucial immune response against invading pathogens. Human herpes simplex viruses (HHSVs) are the oldest pathogen that can escape immune surveillance of the human host by a well-developed escape mechanism within ganglia, as their evolutionary strategy. In primary infection, a non-specific defense of the host initiates the response against the invading virion. The initial direct antiviral action of the host is regulated by activated macrophages, via the release of cytokines like tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and type-1 interferon (IFN-1). The host-derived cytokines including IFN-12, TNF, and IFN-1 in turn induce natural killer (NK) cells to release IFN-γ. Their positive feedback with synergistic interactions collectively releases nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) against the invading virus. Simultaneously, the combination of cytokines, macrophages, and other cells activates the immune system to eliminate the pathogen. However, the virus has also evolved various mechanisms to counter the host defense strategies. This review will highlight virus-mediated skin infections, especially by HSV, and portray a detailed role of virus-induced cytokines in host-immunity to challenge the invading virion during mucocutaneous HSV infection. Further, this review will discuss the viral-interference on host defense to provide a simplistic overview of the complications of cutaneous HSV infection.

Abstract Background The unifying hypothesis of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) wherein crosstalk between coding (mRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) via microRNA (miRNA) response elements, creates a pervasive regulatory network across the transcriptome, has been implicated in complex disorders including schizophrenia. Even with a wide range of high-throughput data, the etiology of schizophrenia remains elusive, necessitating a more holistic understanding of the altered genetic landscape, shifting focus from solely candidate gene studies and protein-coding variants. Objective We developed lncRNA-associated ceRNA networks to elucidate global molecular/regulatory signatures underlying schizophrenia using diverse data in the public domain. Methods Microarray dataset associated with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of schizophrenia and control patients was used to identify differentially expressed mRNAs. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify highly correlated hubs, and genes from these overlapping Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) term genesets were considered key mRNA players. StarBase, Human MicroRNA Disease Database, and miRWalk were used to derive mRNA-miRNA and miRNA-lncRNA relationships. Finally, the key mRNAs, interacting lncRNAs and miRNAs were chosen to reconstruct sub-ceRNA networks based on network centrality scores. Results Bioinformatics analysis revealed the involvement of three differentially expressed mRNAs, namely ADRA1A, HAP1 and HOMER3 in the schizophrenia ceRNA networks with lncRNAs NEAT1, XIST, and KCNQ1OT1 modulating their activity by a suggestive sequestering of miR-3163, miR-214-3p and miR-2467-3p, respectively. Conclusions Furthermore, based on contextual evidence, we propose how ceRNAs could orchestrate crosstalk between neurostructural dynamics and immune/inflammatory processes and enable unifying these disparate models of schizophrenia etiology.

Abstract Hybrid 3D nanomaterials have been prepared by immobilizing the acid-functionalized MWCNTs into the edge-functionalized/oxidized Few Layer Graphene (FLG) flakes to address the dispersion and exfoliation of FLG flakes. Both acid-functionalized MWCNTs and the edge-oxidized FLG flakes were prepared in the laboratory. The acid-functionalized MWCNTs were prepared via oxidative treatment using a mixture of nitric acid (HNO3) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4). Fenton’s reaction was utilized for the preparation of the edge-oxidized FLG flakes using graphite flakes as the starting material. After the functionalization, the presence of the oxygen-containing functional groups was confirmed using FTIR spectroscopy and XPS spectroscopy. The thermal stabilities of the nanomaterials were compared using TGA thermogram and the 3D nanomaterial was observed to be more stable than any other nanoparticles that were prepared and reported in this paper. The surface morphology was observed using the SEM and TEM, and the immobilized functionalized MWCNTs between the edge functionalized FLG flakes were observed. The XRD spectra of the nanoparticles were also compared and Raman analyses have been carried out.

Interactions between various microbial pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, and their plant hosts have traditionally been the focus of phytopathology. In recent years, a significant and growing interest in the study of eukaryotic microorganisms not classified among fungi or oomycetes has emerged. Many of these protists establish complex interactions with photosynthetic hosts, and understanding these interactions is crucial in understanding the dynamics of these parasites within traditional and emerging types of farming, including marine aquaculture. Many phytopathogenic protists are biotrophs with complex polyphasic life cycles, which makes them difficult or impossible to culture, a fact reflected in a wide gap in the availability of comprehensive genomic data when compared to fungal and oomycete plant pathogens. Furthermore, our ability to use available genomic resources for these protists is limited by the broad taxonomic distance that these organisms span, which makes comparisons with other genomic datasets difficult. The current rapid progress in genomics and computational tools for the prediction of protein functions and interactions is revolutionizing the landscape in plant pathology. This is also opening novel possibilities, specifically for a deeper understanding of protist effectors. Tools like AlphaFold2 enable structure-based function prediction of effector candidates with divergent protein sequences. In turn, this allows us to ask better biological questions and, coupled with innovative experimental strategies, will lead into a new era of effector research, especially for protists, to expand our knowledge on these elusive pathogens and their interactions with photosynthetic hosts. [Graphic: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Abstract In quantum computing there are quite a few universal gate sets, each having their own characteristics. In this paper we study the Clifford+CS universal fault-tolerant gate set. The CS gate is used is many applications and this gate set is an important alternative to Clifford+T. We introduce a generating set in order to represent any unitary implementable by this gate set and with this we derive a bound on the CS-count of arbitrary multi-qubit unitaries. Analysing the channel representation of the generating set elements, we infer $${\mathcal {J}}_n^{CS}\subset {\mathcal {J}}_n^T$$ J n CS ⊂ J n T , where $${\mathcal {J}}_n^{CS}$$ J n CS and $${\mathcal {J}}_n^T$$ J n T are the set of unitaries exactly implementable by the Clifford+CS and Clifford+T gate sets, respectively. We develop CS-count optimal synthesis algorithms for both approximately and exactly implementable multi-qubit unitaries. With the help of these we derive a CS-count-optimal circuit for Toffoli, implying $${\mathcal {J}}_n^{Tof}={\mathcal {J}}_n^{CS}$$ J n Tof = J n CS , where $${\mathcal {J}}_n^{Tof}$$ J n Tof is the set of unitaries exactly implementable by the Clifford+Toffoli gate set. Such conclusions can have an important impact on resource estimates of quantum algorithms.

Abstract DNA binding transcription factors possess the ability to interact with lipid membranes to construct ion-permeable pathways. Herein, we present a thiazole-based DNA binding peptide mimic TBP2, which forms transmembrane ion channels, impacting cellular ion concentration and consequently stabilizing G-quadruplex DNA structures. TBP2 self-assembles into nanostructures, e.g., vesicles and nanofibers and facilitates the transportation of Na+ and K+ across lipid membranes with high conductance (~0.6 nS). Moreover, TBP2 exhibits increased fluorescence when incorporated into the membrane or in cellular nuclei. Monomeric TBP2 can enter the lipid membrane and localize to the nuclei of cancer cells. The coordinated process of time-dependent membrane or nuclear localization of TBP2, combined with elevated intracellular cation levels and direct G-quadruplex (G4) interaction, synergistically promotes formation and stability of G4 structures, triggering cancer cell death. This study introduces a platform to mimic and control intricate biological functions, leading to the discovery of innovative therapeutic approaches.

Introduction: The incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in the young population has begun to rise. There is not enough data regarding the characteristics of young patients with ACS. Aim: To evaluate risk factors, clinical and angiographic profile of young patients with ACS. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from December 2017 to December 2020 at SSWH, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, Kolkata, India among 100 patients. Patients with ACS and aged ≤45 years were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with and without obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Clinical parameters and coronary angiography data were collected and analysed. The p-value

Abstract Background Tandem running is a recruitment method found in some species of ants where one ant follows another ant to reach a destination having maintained a physical contact with its antennae, throughout the journey. It is considered that the exchange of information regarding the destination among the nestmates happened during the process of tandem running. We examined the impact of restricting antennal movement on tandem running by using Diacamma indicum, a tandem-running ponerine ant by following 480 tandem runs across 9 treatment colonies and comparing it with 10 control relocating colonies. Result Though all the 19 colonies relocated successfully, treatment colonies took significantly longer time to do so. Restricted antennal movement did not influence the ability to become tandem leaders, initiate tandem runs or the work organization significantly. However, antennae-restricted ants performed fewer tandem runs and took significantly longer time. Followers with single or both antennae-restriction performed significantly higher number of interruptions and the alignment between the leader and follower was impacted as antenna-restricted followers subtended a greater angle and walked more to the side of the leader as compared to the control followers. Conclusion This study showed unhindered movement of the followers’ antennae is important for tandem-running ants. In the next step, to gain a comprehensive understanding of this recruitment method, it is essential to individually delineate different sensory modalities.

Abstract We have computed the superconformal partial wave for the mixed correlators involving J, $$\phi $$ ϕ , and $$\phi ^\dagger $$ ϕ † , where J is the superconformal primary of 4D $${{\mathcal {N}}} = 2$$ N = 2 stress-tensor multiplet, $$\phi $$ ϕ , and $$\phi ^\dagger $$ ϕ † are chiral and anti-chiral scalars, respectively in the channel $$\langle {J J}\phi \phi ^{\dagger }\rangle $$ ⟨ JJ ϕ ϕ † ⟩ . We have used the superembedding formalism and computed the conformal partial wave corresponding to the exchange of long multiplet using the supershadow approach. This study provides part of the ingredients necessary for the study of conformal bootstrap for mixed correlator in 4D $${{\mathcal {N}}} = 2$$ N = 2 superconformal field theories.

Abstract Background Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was historically considered to be less responsive to radiation therapy (RT) compared to other cancer indications. However, advancements in precision high-dose radiation delivery through single-fraction and multi-fraction stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) have led to better outcomes and reduced treatment-related toxicities, sparking renewed interest in using RT to treat RCC. Moreover, numerous studies have revealed that certain therapeutic agents including chemotherapies can increase the sensitivity of tumors to RT, leading to a growing interest in combining these treatments. Here, we developed a rational combination of two radiosensitizers in a tumor-targeted liposomal formulation for augmenting RT in RCC. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of a tumor-targeted liposomal formulation combining the mTOR inhibitor everolimus (E) with the survivin inhibitor YM155 (Y) in enhancing the sensitivity of RCC tumors to radiation. Experimental design We slightly modified our previously published tumor-targeted liposomal formulation to develop a rational combination of E and Y in a single liposomal formulation (EY-L) and assessed its efficacy in RCC cell lines in vitro and in RCC tumors in vivo. We further investigated how well EY-L sensitizes RCC cell lines and tumors toward radiation and explored the underlying mechanism of radiosensitization. Results EY-L outperformed the corresponding single drug-loaded formulations E-L and Y-L in terms of containing primary tumor growth and improving survival in an immunocompetent syngeneic mouse model of RCC. EY-L also exhibited significantly higher sensitization of RCC cells towards radiation in vitro than E-L and Y-L. Additionally, EY-L sensitized RCC tumors towards radiation therapy in xenograft and murine RCC models. EY-L mediated induction of mitotic catastrophe via downregulation of multiple cell cycle checkpoints and DNA damage repair pathways could be responsible for the augmentation of radiation therapy. Conclusion Taken together, our study demonstrated the efficacy of a strategic combination therapy in sensitizing RCC to radiation therapy via inhibition of DNA damage repair and a substantial increase in mitotic catastrophe. This combination therapy may find its use in the augmentation of radiation therapy during the treatment of RCC patients.

Background: Undernutrition raises the likelihood of progressing from tuberculosis (TB) infection to active TB illness and causes weight loss. Proper food and nutrition are important in the treatment of tuberculosis patients. Active tuberculosis necessitates a substantial energy expenditure. The Tuberculosis treatment guidelines neglect the nutritional supplementation part of Tuberculosis management. The study aims to determine the factors affecting the nutritional status of pulmonary Tuberculosis patients. Material and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to January 2022 among the patients newly diagnosed and above 18 years of age coming to DOTS Centre (DMC) of Pt J.N.M. Medical College, Raipur. Total 120 subjects were selected by consecutive sampling method. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24, and P value

Abstract Gubser flow is an axis-symmetric and boost-invariant evolution in a relativistic quantum field theory which is best studied by mapping $$\textbf{R}^{3,1}$$ R 3 , 1 to $$dS_{3}\times \textbf{R}$$ d S 3 × R when the field theory has conformal symmetry. We show that at late de-Sitter time, which corresponds to large proper time and central region of the future wedge within $$\textbf{R}^{3,1}$$ R 3 , 1 , the holographic conformal field theory plasma can reach a state in which $$\varepsilon = P_T = - P_L$$ ε = P T = - P L , with $$\varepsilon $$ ε , $$P_T$$ P T and $$P_L$$ P L being the energy density, transverse and longitudinal pressures, respectively. We further determine the full sub-leading behaviour of the energy–momentum tensor at late time. Restricting to flows in which the energy density decays at large transverse distance from the central axis in $$\textbf{R}^{3,1}$$ R 3 , 1 , we show that this decay should be faster than any power law. Furthermore, in this case the energy density also vanishes in $$\textbf{R}^{3,1}$$ R 3 , 1 faster than any power as we go back to early proper time. Hydrodynamic behavior can appear in intermediate time.

Abstract Degradation of bromocresol green in alcohol-water solution using ozone micron sized bubbles is reported. A high speed impeller is used to generate micro bubbles of ozone in liquid while ozone is generated using a commercial ozone generator. A 3-level-3-factor Box–Behnken experimental design is used to statistically identify relative importance of the operating parameters studied namely impeller speed, initial concentration of dye and treatment time. Ozone dosage is kept fixed at 4 g/h. Impeller speed is found to be the most dominant factor according to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) calculations. Kinetics for degradation of bromocresol green in solution is also reported. A second order kinetics is seen to fit the experimental (concentration–time) data, corresponding value of rate constant being 0.0153 L/mg-s. Based on the laboratory scale data a detailed techno-commercial analysis of a scaled up (75 kL/day) plant for ozone based degradation of bromocresol is presented. All relevant economic indicators pertaining to the scaled up plant are reported. A specific treatment cost of Rs. 100/m3 of treated water yields a return on investment (ROI) of 68.77 and discounted payback period of 5 years.

Abstract Objective DNA methylation influences gene expression and function in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Mapping of T2DM-associated DNA methylation could aid early detection and/or therapeutic treatment options for diabetics. Design A systematic literature search for associations between T2DM and DNA methylation was performed. Prospero registration ID: CRD42020140436. Methods PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched (till October 19, 2023). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and New Castle Ottawa scale were used for reporting the selection and quality of the studies, respectively. Result Thirty-two articles were selected. Four of 130 differentially methylated genes in blood, adipose, liver or pancreatic islets (TXNIP, ABCG1, PPARGC1A, PTPRN2) were reported in > 1 study. TXNIP was hypomethylated in diabetic blood across ethnicities. Gene enrichment analysis of the differentially methylated genes highlighted relevant disease pathways (T2DM, type 1 diabetes and adipocytokine signaling). Three prospective studies reported association of methylation in IGFBP2, MSI2, FTO, TXNIP, SREBF1, PHOSPHO1, SOCS3 and ABCG1 in blood at baseline with incident T2DM/hyperglycemia. Sex-specific differential methylation was reported only for HOOK2 in visceral adipose tissue (female diabetics: hypermethylated, male diabetics: hypomethylated). Gene expression was inversely associated with methylation status in 8 studies, in genes including ABCG1 (blood), S100A4 (adipose tissue), PER2 (pancreatic islets), PDGFA (liver) and PPARGC1A (skeletal muscle). Conclusion This review summarizes available evidence for using DNA methylation patterns to unravel T2DM pathophysiology. Further validation studies in diverse populations will set the stage for utilizing this knowledge for identifying early diagnostic markers and novel druggable pathways.

Imidazoles have a unique position in heterocyclic chemistry as these constitute the basic framework of several bio-molecules. Thus, increasing research is being carried out on the synthesis of imidazoles and their derivatives, mainly because of the application of imidazoles in pharmaceutical and medicinal research. Keeping sustainability in mind, researchers are developing synthetic pathways for the synthesis of imidazoles and their derivatives by employing techniques involving green tools, thus leading to sustainable pathways. In this review, we aim to compile such synthetic methodologies involving green tools for the synthesis of imidazoles. The review will cover the synthetic reactions that involve green tools such as microwave irradiation, ultrasound irradiation, and ball milling. We aim to highlight the scope and relevance of such green tools in today’s synthetic research. Through this review, we wish to contribute towards the synthesis of imidazoles that serve as a useful class of heterocyclic compounds involved in the development of pharmaceutically active molecules. We sincerely hope that this review will serve as a relevant guide for future sustainable research in the synthesis of imidazoles and their derivatives.

Producing scalable, economically viable, low-carbon biofuels or biochemicals hinges on more efficient bioconversion processes. While microbial conversion can offer robust solutions, the native microbial growth process often redirects a large fraction of carbon to CO2 and cell mass. By integrating genome-scale metabolic models with techno-economic and life cycle assessment models, this study analyzes the effects of converting cell mass lipids to hydrocarbon fuels, and CO2 to methanol on the facility’s costs and life-cycle carbon footprint. Results show that upgrading microbial lipids or both microbial lipids and CO2 using renewable hydrogen produces carbon-negative bisabolene. Additionally, on-site electrolytic hydrogen production offers a supply of pure oxygen to use in place of air for bioconversion and fuel combustion in the boiler. To reach cost parity with conventional jet fuel, renewable hydrogen needs to be produced at less than $2.2 to $3.1/kg, with a bisabolene yield of 80% of the theoretical yield, along with cell mass and CO2 yields of 22 wt% and 54 wt%, respectively. The economic combination of cell mass, CO2, and bisabolene yields demonstrated in this study provides practical insights for prioritizing research, selecting suitable hosts, and determining necessary engineered production levels.

Abstract Only ~20% of heavy drinkers develop alcohol cirrhosis (AC). While differences in metabolism, inflammation, signaling, microbiome signatures and genetic variations have been tied to the pathogenesis of AC, the key underlying mechanisms for this interindividual variability, remain to be fully elucidated. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes (iHLCs) from patients with AC and healthy controls differ transcriptomically, bioenergetically and histologically. They include a greater number of lipid droplets (LDs) and LD-associated mitochondria compared to control cells. These pre-pathologic indicators are effectively reversed by Aramchol, an inhibitor of stearoyl-CoA desaturase. Bioenergetically, AC iHLCs have lower spare capacity, slower ATP production and their mitochondrial fuel flexibility towards fatty acids and glutamate is weakened. MARC1 and PNPLA3, genes implicated by GWAS in alcohol cirrhosis, show to correlate with lipid droplet-associated and mitochondria-mediated oxidative damage in AC iHLCs. Knockdown of PNPLA3 expression exacerbates mitochondrial deficits and leads to lipid droplets alterations. These findings suggest that differences in mitochondrial bioenergetics and lipid droplet formation are intrinsic to AC hepatocytes and can play a role in its pathogenesis.

Introduction: It has been observed that the symptoms and clinical sequelae of COVID-19 disease may develop and persist far beyond the initial illness, but there are limited data documenting this. The present study is planned to find out the physical, psychosocial, and economic burden of COVID-19 disease among the adult population in an urban community. Materials and Methods: This was a community-based, observational, cross-sectional study conducted among 106 adult individuals, who tested COVID-19 positive by rapid antigen test/reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction between May 21 and October 21, residing in North Dum Dum municipality, N 24 Parganas. A predesigned pretested validated questionnaire was used to assess the physical and social burden of the disease by health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire, psychological burden by the Perceived Stress Scale, and economic burden in terms of the direct and indirect cost of care, job lost, reduction of income, and cost-cutting measures applied to daily life. Results: More than one-third of the study population had HRQoL compromised for almost 1/3 of the past month. The perceived stress was found out to be significantly associated (P < 0.05) with the severity of the disease. The reported median (interquartile range [IQR]) of the direct cost of care for COVID-19 disease was 7000.0 (4000.0–12,000.0) INR, whereas the median (IQR) indirect cost of care was 1250.0 (0–5000.0) INR. Conclusion: The severity of COVID-19 has a great impact on HRQoL, perceived, and economic burden of the disease.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oral hygiene care among nursing professionals of a tertiary care center of Malda in West Bengal. Background: Oral cavity is the reflector of our general health. The relationship between oral health and systemic health is well established, but a lack of awareness and knowledge regarding dental hygiene restrains people from proper oral care. Most of the people including health workers do only brushing as their daily oral care process, ignoring the other important aspects of oral hygiene including regular tongue cleaning, use of interdental cleaning aids, change of toothbrush in a periodic manner, and regular dental checkups. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. After evaluating for the content validity and reliability, a self-structured questionnaire comprising ten questions about their oral hygiene was distributed among nursing professionals of Malda Medical College in a printed format after obtaining informed consent. Total 261 responses were gathered. Informed consent was obtained from each participant, and data were collected anonymously to maintain participants’ confidentiality. The collected data were analyzed using the statistical software IBM SPSS for Windows, version 27.0. Results: Most of the participants use two times brushing as their regular dental care (77.4%) and use toothbrush and paste for the same (99.2%). Soft toothbrush is the most preferable choice (70.9%). Apart from brushing, other oral care methods are neglected, only 23.8% of participants use interdental cleaning aids, 79.3% use tongue cleaning, and only 8.8% have done regular dental checkups. Conclusion: The result of the present study depicts the limitation of knowledge and practice of oral hygiene care among nursing professionals of Malda Medical College. In spite of their health-care background, they have limited knowledge regarding regular oral hygiene care. Though most of them use two times brushing, but unaware about the importance of interdental cleaning and tongue cleaning habits.

The seasonal reversal of ocean circulation associated with seasonal change in the direction of prevailing winds and the occurrence of several anomalous events in the Eastern Equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO) make this region dynamic and complex in terms of its biogeochemical characteristics. Two multidisciplinary cruises were conducted to measure nutrients and associated physicochemical parameters across the water column (up to 1000 m) of the EEIO during boreal summer and winter monsoons to understand the distribution of nutrients and their spatio-temporal variability from a biogeochemical perspective. The seasonality in the thermohaline structure of the region is indistinct except for surface salinity drop during summer monsoon due to more precipitation on-site and in adjoining areas. Low concentrations of chlorophyll at the surface and in the deep chlorophyll maxima represent the oligotrophic nature of this region. Surface water was found nutrient-depleted (0.03–0.4 µM Nitrate, 0.02–0.13 µM Phosphate). The maxima of vertical profiles of nitrate and phosphate were recorded at a shallower depth (150–200 m) when compared to its maxima in usual oceanic conditions, but a silicate maximum was recorded in deeper water. In the surface and upper mixed layer paucity of nutrients resulted in low N:P and N:Si ratios. Therefore, nitrogen limitation is evident. The overall ratio of N:P yielded a mean value of 15.33 and matched with the representative literature value for the Indian Ocean. The minimum oxygen values (

Abstract The MoEDAL’s Apparatus for Penetrating Particles (MAPP) Experiment is designed to expand the search for new physics at the LHC, significantly extending the physics program of the baseline MoEDAL Experiment. The Phase-1 MAPP detector (MAPP-1) is currently undergoing installation at the LHC’s UA83 gallery adjacent to the LHCb/MoEDAL region at Interaction Point 8 and will begin data-taking in early 2024. The focus of the MAPP experiment is on the quest for new feebly interacting particles — avatars of new physics with extremely small Standard Model couplings, such as minicharged particles (mCPs). In this study, we present the results of a comprehensive analysis of MAPP-1’s sensitivity to mCPs arising in the canonical model involving the kinetic mixing of a massless dark U(1) gauge field with the Standard Model hypercharge gauge field. We focus on several dominant production mechanisms of mCPs at the LHC across the mass-mixing parameter space of interest to MAPP: Drell-Yan pair production, direct decays of heavy quarkonia and light vector mesons, and single Dalitz decays of pseudoscalar mesons. The 95% confidence level background-free sensitivity of MAPP-1 for mCPs produced at the LHC’s Run 3 and the HL-LHC through these mechanisms, along with projected constraints on the minicharged strongly interacting dark matter window, are reported. Our results indicate that MAPP-1 exhibits sensitivity to sizable regions of unconstrained parameter space and can probe effective charges as low as 8 × 10 −4 e and 6 × 10 −4 e for Run 3 and the HL-LHC, respectively.