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Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) causes significant morbidity and mortality, leading to substantial psycho-economic costs. New strategies and medications are needed to manage DN more effectively. Purpose: The antidiabetic and antinephritic properties of Pueraria tuberosa and Pterocarpus santalinus have been demonstrated in previous studies. However, poor oral bioavailability has limited their clinical application. A nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) formulation was created and tested to address this problem. The promising experimental results suggest that this formulation holds potential for further clinical exploration. Study design: The in vivo study evaluated the therapeutic potential of NLCs loaded with hydroalcoholic extracts of P. tuberosa tubers (PTE) and P. santalinus heartwood (PSE) in managing DN over eight weeks in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Methods: The protective effects of PTE and PSE were evaluated in mice at a dose of 80 mg/kg body weight. Two weeks after STZ treatment, animals with blood sugar levels above 250 mg/dL were identified as diabetic and showed signs of nephritis. In these diabetic mice, PTE-NLC and PSE-NLC, individually and in their combined form (PTE+PSE)-NLC, were assessed for their hypoglycemic and nephroprotective effects. Animals were sacrificed for histopathological and biochemical analysis after eight weeks of therapy. Nanoparticles were characterized by their morphology, zeta potential, drug loading capacity, particle size, and release profile. Results: In STZ-induced diabetic mice, treatment with (PTE+PSE)-NLC significantly improved pancreas and kidney health. It restored the kidney hypertrophy index, stabilized biochemical parameters, enhanced histopathological outcomes, and increased beta-cell count. Additionally, (PTE+PSE)-NLC led to a 30.53-fold more significant reduction in blood glucose levels than free (PTE+PSE) extracts. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the potential of the NLC formulation of P. tuberosa and P. santalinus extracts in treating diabetic nephropathy. The bioactive compounds in these extracts play a crucial role in their antidiabetic and antinephritic effects, marking significant progress in the field.

Abstract Crop productivity relies on the quantity and quality of irrigation water, with groundwater quality playing a major role. Exploitation of groundwater for irrigation is slowly increasing in central districts of Odisha. A study was carried out in these areas to assess the groundwater quality for irrigation for sustainable use of the groundwater resources. This was done by developing a Water Quality Index (WQI) for eight parameters. The groundwater quality was assessed using a framework that utilised the entropy weight approach and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). This framework was employed to determine the relative proximity of each solution to the ideal solution. The TOPSIS range is divided into three categories: low quality (less than 0.1), medium quality (0.1–0.5), and good quality (0.5–0.9). The low-quality category has a percentage of 6.45%, categorized as poor quality and unfit for drinking and irrigation uses; the medium-quality category has 52.07%, and the good quality category has 41.47% of the area falls under the very good category. These parameters are essential when considering water usage for agriculture, especially in regions where farmers use fertilizers and pesticides extensively to enhance crop production.

In comparison with other European countries, Ireland has a disproportionately high number of poorly performing energy-inefficient buildings. Consequently, Ireland has one of the most ambitious energy retrofit programmes in Europe. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of deep energy renovation measures i.e. (replacement of heating system and upgrade to building envelope) on indoor air quality, thermal comfort and ventilation in a sample of primarily social housing in Ireland. A mixed methods approach including measurement of indoor air quality and a thermal comfort questionnaire survey was employed. Indoor concentration measurements of PM2.5, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and radon along with measurements of air temperature and relative humidity were made (N=14). Occupants (n=56) completed a thermal comfort questionnaire survey pre- and post-retrofit. Data collection ran from autumn 2020 until autumn 2023.Thermal comfort improved post-retrofit along with occupant satisfaction with the indoor thermal environment and heating-systems. Post-retrofit, higher bedroom CO2, and higher PM2.5 concentrations were recorded in both living areas and bedrooms. Occupant behaviours e.g. blocking wall vents were significant predictors of poorer ventilation while smoking indoors was related to higher concentrations of PM2.5. In general, homes that had mechanical ventilation systems installed were better ventilated. Underventilation, as indicated by visible condensation or mould was observed in half of the social homes surveyed and reported by questionnaire respondents (26 %). Tailored communications to occupants regarding the important role of ventilation and indoor air quality is required as part of retrofit to optimise impacts on IEQ.

Antibiotics are widely used to prevent and treat bacterial infections, increasing aquaculture productivity. However, their imprudent use can lead to unintended consequences, including pathological alterations in vital organs of aquatic organisms. The safety of florfenicol following in-feed administration at 10 times the recommended dose and three times the recommended period in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus was studied. Florfenicol induced significant histoarchitectural anomalies as observed from the photomicrographs of double-stained sections of various tissues, including gills, liver, and kidneys of P. hypophthalmus, following in-feed administration at graded doses, viz., 0mg, 10mg, 30mg, 50mg and 100 mg/kg biomass–1 day–1 for 30 days, i.e., three times the recommended therapeutic duration. Gills exhibited lamellar fusion, epithelial lifting, and hyperplasia indicative of respiratory distress. There were hepatocellular vacuolation, degeneration, and congestion, suggesting impaired hepatic integrity. The kidney sections demonstrated tubular degeneration, necrosis, and interstitial inflammation implying renal dysfunction. These changes were prominent at higher doses, mostly in 50 mg and 100 mg groups, and in the extended duration of the treatment, underscoring the potential adverse effects of florfenicol on the histological integrity and physiological homeostasis of P. hypophthalmus. As the catfish species holds significant economic value in Asian aquaculture, understanding the impacts of antibiotic exposure is crucial for sustainable fish farming practices. Implementing appropriate antibiotic usage protocols and monitoring strategies can mitigate the risks associated with antibiotic-induced pathological alterations in commercially important aquatic species.

The aim of this case report is to present a unique and rare finding in a 29-year-old male with the chief complaint of swelling in the gums related to the back teeth of the lower left jaw, since 20 days. In the absence of any alarming findings on the intraoral periapical radiograph and blood profile, an excisional biopsy of the provisionally diagnosed pyogenic granuloma was planned with a high-power diode LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Following the excision, an unusual amount of bleeding was encountered from a single point on the buccal cortical plate between the teeth #35 and #36. On reevaluating the left face with advanced radiodiagnostic methods, an accessory buccal foramen was reported distal to #35 which housed a thin, tortuous, and aberrant branch of the inferior alveolar artery. The swelling was histopathologically diagnosed as lobular capillary hemangioma, and the aberrant artery was labeled as its feeder vessel. The patient had no episode of recurrence until 2 years of follow-up.

Background: High proportion of multibacillary (MB) among newly diagnosed leprosy cases poses a public health challenge. Objectives: This study aimed to find out the factors associated with the high burden of MB leprosy in West Bengal. Materials and Methods: This case–control study was conducted from August 2020 to December 2022 in three high-endemic districts (annual new case detection rate ≥10/lakh) of West Bengal. Objectives: MB cases registered under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme were considered as case and paucibacillary (PB) cases were considered as control. Weighted sample sizes for cases and controls in each of the three districts were selected using simple random sampling from the list of registered leprosy patients. Requisite data were collected through structured interview with a validated questionnaire in Bengali. R, version 4.1.1 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2021, Vienna, Austria) was used for data analysis. A binary logistic regression model was prepared with the type of leprosy as a dependent variable. Results: Three hundred and ninety-eight individuals, 204 MB and 194 PB, participated in this study with 1.97% nonresponse rate. Gender, marital status, and diagnostic delay (adjusted odds ratio = 2.75 [1.66,4.65]) were associated with developing MB. Not perceiving the symptoms seriously (90, 56% [PB], 97, 51% [MB]), lack of knowledge about the disease and its complications (47, 29% [PB], 53, 28% [MB]), delayed referral by the private practitioners (11, 7% [PB], 22, 12% [MB]) were the major reasons of delay. Conclusion: This study identified a vulnerable group – married and migrated males. Changing from annual screening to quarterly screening along with capacity building and awareness generation of the targeted population is the need of the hour for eradicating the disease.

Background/Objectives: SARS-CoV-2 provokes acute oxidative stress in the lungs via cytokines, inflammatory mediators, and apoptotic factors, which might cause alveolar injury followed by severe respiratory syndrome during COVID-19 infection. The lack of particular antivirals for SARS-CoV-2 has opened novel avenues of complementary and alternative medicine as a potential remedy. The current study explored the mechanistic role of the ultradiluted formulation of Eupatorium (UDE) against SARS-CoV-2 recombinant S protein-mediated oxidative stress and mitochondriopathy. Methods: Cell line and BALB/c mice were used to report that SARS-CoV-2 S protein caused an inflammatory response and subsequent cytokine storm via the NF-κB pathway in the lung along with oxidative damage. Morphological examination was performed using DAPI staining and histology for treated cells and lung tissues of animals, respectively. The molecular mechanism of action of UDE was investigated through qRT-PCR for the genetic expressions of various cytokines, inflammatory, and apoptotic mediators; ELISA, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot for the translational expression of the same molecules assayed for genetic expressions; and biochemical assays for various enzymes and ROS. Results: UDE treatment suppressed the inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue-level oxidative stress and safeguarded mitochondrial integrity from free radical-mediated oxidative damage. Additionally, UDE played a direct role in restoring cellular redox homeostasis and reducing the inflammatory response by suppressing NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-1 expression, and ROS formation. Further, a plausible mechanism of action of UDE against S protein-induced damage was proposed. Conclusions: This study described a novel therapeutic approach against S protein-mediated hyperinflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative damage. Hence, UDE may be considered as a prospective alternative to combat life-threatening consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Abstract In recent years groundwater contamination through nitrate contamination has increased rapidly in the managementof water research. In our study, fourteen nitrate conditioning factors were used, and multi-collinearity analysis is done. Among all variables, pH is crucial and ranked one, with a value of 0.77, which controls the nitrate concentration in the coastal aquifer in South 24 Parganas. The second important factor is Cl−, the value of which is 0.71. Other factors like—As, F−, EC and Mg2+ ranked third, fourth and fifth position, and their value are 0.69, 0.69, 0.67 and 0.55, respectively. Due to contaminated water, people of this district are suffering from several diseases like kidney damage (around 60%), liver (about 40%), low pressure due to salinity, fever, and headache. The applied method is for other regions to determine the nitrate concentration predictions and for the justifiable alterationof some management strategies.

Stock market prediction relies heavily on combining different features due to the complex factors affecting stock prices and varying datasets. This study introduces a new method for feature fusion that improves predictions for traders and investors. We focus on three key types of technical analysis: momentum, trend, and volatility, and combine them using four different fusion strategies. These strategies include combinative fusion-based feature set (CFFS), adaptive feature-weighted fusion-based feature set (AWFS), feature-type fusion-based optimized feature set (FTFOFS), and feature-based optimized fusion feature set (FOFFS). The Aquila optimization technique is used to enhance these feature sets, adjusting feature weights to improve accuracy. We tested the performance of these optimized feature sets using forecasting models like decision tree (DT), naive bayes (NB), support vector regression (SVR), and multi-layer perceptron (MLP). The effectiveness of our approach is compared with other optimization methods, such as genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), over a 10-year period (2012-2022) with data from State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank Ltd (ICBK). The models predict short-term stock movements (3, 7, and 15 days ahead), and we evaluate their performance using various metrics like mean absolute error (MAE) and correlation coefficient (R2). Our results show that the FOFFS-Aquila method significantly improves the MLP’s predictions compared to other models. We also provide insights into the efficiency of the MLP based on FOFFS-Aquila, including its statistical validity and execution time.

Abstract In this study, we investigated the potential of using curcumin (CUR) as an adjuvant to enhance the delivery of antiretroviral drug elvitegravir (EVG) across the BBB, and alleviate oxidative stress and inflammatory response, which are the major hallmark of HIV neuropathogenesis. In a mouse model, we compared the biodistribution of EVG alone and in combination with CUR using intraperitoneal (IP) and intranasal (IN) routes. IN administration showed a significantly higher accumulation of EVG in the brain, while both IP and IN routes led to increased EVG levels in the lungs and liver. The addition of CUR further enhanced EVG brain delivery, especially when administered via the IN route. The expression of neural marker proteins, synaptophysin, L1CAM, NeuN, and GFAP was not significantly altered by EVG or CUR alone or their combination, indicating preserved neural homeostasis. After establishing improved brain concentration and safety of CUR-adjuvanted EVG in mice in acute treatment, we studied the effect of this treatment in HIV-infected U1 macrophages. In U1 macrophages, we also observed that the addition of CUR enhanced the intracellular concentration of EVG. The total area under the curve (AUCtot) for EVG was significantly higher in the presence of CUR. We also evaluated the effects of CUR on oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in EVG-treated U1 macrophages. CUR reduced oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and elevated antioxidant enzyme expression. Furthermore, the combination of CUR and EVG exhibited a significant reduction in proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-18) and chemokines (RANTES, MCP-1) in U1 macrophages. Additionally, western blot analysis confirmed the decreased expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in EVG + CUR-treated cells. These findings suggest the potential of CUR to enhance EVG permeability to the brain and subsequent efficacy of EVG, including HIV neuropathogenesis.

Soil degradation in Odisha poses a significant conservation concern for the local environment. The present research focused on a region in central Odisha State, India, affected by drought conditions. Several models have emerged to assess soil loss, with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) standing out as the most suitable option. The erosion computation process entails utilizing the digital elevation model (DEM), Landsat-9 imagery, and soil data from several sources accessible in different forms and scales. The present analysis took into account various elements, namely, crop management factor (C), practice management factor (P), slope length factor (LS), steepness factor of the slope (S), and rainfall factor (R). Multiplying these factors yielded the average rate of soil erosion. Areas with a high slope length factor, such as those in Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nuapada, have a high erosion rate. The study reveals that 57% of the land in the study area experiences very low to moderate soil erosion at a rate of 2–10 tons per hectare per year, while 43% faces moderately to very severe erosion at a rate of 10–25 tons per hectare per year. Erosion hotspots, covering 32,205 square kilometers, are mainly identified in agricultural and forested hilly areas where slopes exceed 10°, such as those in Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nuapada, which have a high erosion rate. These districts are especially vulnerable to soil loss and resulting climate action (Sustainable Development Goals-13) because of frequent and severe rainfall, shifting agricultural practices, a thin surface soil covering, natural erosion, and barren hills. The research emphasizes the urgent need for implementing conservation and management measures to protect high-risk areas from further degradation. In conclusion, the study underscores the effectiveness of the RUSLE-GIS model in conducting quantitative and spatial assessments of soil erosion on a river watershed scale. The model is deemed crucial in formulating conservation strategies to address the identified erosion issues in the tropical highlands of the area.

Abstract We have recently demonstrated that long-term exposure of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) to HIV-uninfected (U937) and -infected (U1) macrophages induce packaging of pro-inflammatory molecules, particularly IL-1β, in extracellular vesicles (EVs). Therefore, we hypothesize that exposure of EVs derived from CSC-treated macrophages to CNS cells can increase their IL-1β levels contributing to neuroinflammation. To test this hypothesis, we treated the U937 and U1 differentiated macrophages once daily with CSC (10 µg/ml) for 7 days. Then, we isolated EVs from these macrophages and treated these EVs with human astrocytic (SVGA) and neuronal (SH-SY5Y) cells in the absence and presence of CSC. We then examined the protein expression of IL-1β and oxidative stress related proteins, cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6), superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT). We observed that the U937 cells have lower expression of IL-1β compared to their respective EVs, confirming that most of the produced IL-1β are packaged into EVs. Further, EVs isolated from HIV-infected and uninfected cells, both in the absence and presence of CSC, were treated to SVGA and SH-SY5Y cells. These treatments showed a significant increase in the levels of IL-1β in both SVGA and SH-SY5Y cells. However, under the same conditions, the levels of CYP2A6, SOD1, and catalase were only markedly altered. These findings suggest that the macrophages communicate with astrocytes and neuronal cells via EVs-containing IL-1β in both HIV and non-HIV setting and could contribute to neuroinflammation.

Background & objectives: Community participation is one of the key factors for implementation and success of a public health programme which depends upon knowledge about that disease. Therefore, understanding the community knowledge about malaria is important for designing sustainable control programmes. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge about malaria, to evaluate long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) distribution and their use by LQAS method in endemic areas of Bankura district, West Bengal state, India Methods: It was a community based cross-sectional survey conducted in Bankura during December 2019–March 2020. Structured questionnaire under four categories: socio-demographic variables, knowledge of malaria, owner ship of LLINs and its use were used for the interview. Ownership of LLINs and its use were analysed by LQAS method. Data were analysed by binary logistic regression model and chi-squared test. Results: Out of 456 respondents, 88.59% had good knowledge, 97.37% had good ownership of LLIN and 78.95% used LLINs properly. The knowledge about malaria was significantly associated with education level (p-value

Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by JE virus (JEV) and transmitted to humans from pigs or aquatic birds by vector mosquitoes in southeast Asian countries. In this study, JEV infection rate among vector mosquitoes and domestic pigs was determined by detecting viral RNA and anti-JEV antibody (immunoglobulin G), respectively. Materials and Methods: A total of 146 pool mosquitoes of Culex vishnui subgroup and 278 pig blood samples were analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, respectively. E and premembrane (PrM) gene of JEV detected among vectors were sequenced and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. Results: Five (5.81%) pools of Culex tritaeniorhynchus were positive for JEV with pooled infection rate 1.70/1000 mosquitoes. A total of 108 (38.84%) blood samples were positive for anti-JEV antibody. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that our own E and PrM gene sequence of JEV belonging to Genotype III and showed 96.95% sequence similarities with the vaccine strain SA14-14-2. Conclusion: It was observed that domestic pigs of northern West Bengal were highly infected with JEV. Hence, the transmission should be blocked by pig vaccination. A pilot study may be undertaken for mass vaccination of the prevailing pig population to observe any reduced rate of JEV transmission from both pig to pig and pig to human.

Aim The study aims to establish the diagnostic accuracy of GeneXpert MTB/RIF in CSF for early diagnosis of tubercular meningitis and to compare the efficacy of CSF GeneXpert MTB/RIF with CSF culture for mycobacterium. Methodology This was a prospective, cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Medicine, Neurology, S.C.B Medical College, Cuttack. All patients of age >18 with clinical features suggestive of tubercular meningitis were included in the study. All routine blood tests were performed along with malaria, leptospira, chest radiograph, CT scan or MRI (selected patients) and CSF study to exclude other causes of meningitis. CSF sample subjected to biochemistry, cytology, ZN stain, MGIT culture, and Xpert MTB/RIF. The positive results for each test (ZN stain, MGIT culture, and Xpert MTB/RIF) were compared using Pearson’s chi-squared test. All statistical analyses were done using the SPSS 21.0 version. Results Out of 100 suspected TBM patients 40 were finally classified as definite TBM, 6 were probable TBM, 2 were possible TBM, and 52 were not having TBM. Tubercular meningitis occurred more commonly in the population 21-40 years and in males. The overall sensitivity of CSF GeneXpert MTB/RIF, Zn stain, and MGIT culture was 62.5%, 29.16%, and 66.5% respectively, and specificity of 100% for each in diagnosing TBM. Rifampicin resistance was detected only in two cases. Conclusion GeneXpert MTB/RIF test can rapidly confirm a diagnosis of TBM with 62.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity, along with rifampicin resistance. It can be a useful diagnostic method in patients of suspected TBM either AFB smear-negative or positive due to its rapidity and simultaneous detection of rifampicin resistance. Recommendation Positive GeneXpert results are to be read cautiously and should be well correlated with the clinical and treatment history of the patient.

Memory B cells and antibody-secreting cells are the two prime effector B cell populations that drive infection- and vaccine-induced long-term antibody-mediated immunity. The antibody-mediated immunity mostly relies on the formation of specialized structures within secondary lymphoid organs, called germinal centers (GCs), that facilitate the interactions between B cells, T cells, and antigen-presenting cells. Antigen-activated B cells may proliferate and differentiate into GC-independent plasmablasts and memory B cells or differentiate into GC B cells. The GC B cells undergo proliferation coupled to somatic hypermutation of their immunoglobulin genes for antibody affinity maturation. Subsequently, affinity mature GC B cells differentiate into GC-dependent plasma cells and memory B cells. Here, we review how the NFκB signaling system controls B cell proliferation and the generation of GC B cells, plasmablasts/plasma cells, and memory B cells. We also identify and discuss some important unanswered questions in this connection.

The global rise of zoonotic bacteria resistant to multiple antimicrobial classes and the growing occurrence of infections caused by Aeromonas spp. resistant to β-lactam antibiotics pose a severe threat to animal and human health. However, the contribution of natural environments, particularly aquatic ecosystems, as ideal settings for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a key concern. Investigating the phenotypic antibiotic resistance and detection of β-lactamase producing Aeromonas spp. in Lamellidens marginalis, which inhabit all freshwater ecosystems of the Indian subcontinent, is essential for implications in monitoring food safety and drug resistance. In the present investigation, 92 isolates of Aeromonas spp. were recovered from 105 bivalves and screened for their antimicrobial resistance patterns. In vitro antibiotic resistance profiling showed a higher Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index of 0.8 with the highest resistance against ampicillin/sulbactam (82%), while 58, 44, 39 and 38% of the isolates were resistant to cephalothin, erythromycin, cefoxitin and imipenem, respectively. PCR results revealed that these isolates carried the blaTEM gene (94%), which was followed by the blaCTX-M gene (51%) and the blaSHV gene (45%). A combination of blaSHV, blaCTX-M, and blaTEM genes was found in 17% of the isolates, indicating the presence of all three resistance genes. This is the first investigation which highlights the importance of multidrug-resistant Aeromonas spp. in L. marginalis. The identification of extended-spectrum-β-lactamases (ESBLs) genes demand the necessity of continuous surveillance and systematic monitoring, considering its potential health risks for both animals and human beings.

Characterization and functional profiling of the gut microbiota are essential for guiding nutritional interventions in fish and achieving favorable host-microbe interactions. Thus, we conducted a 30 days study to explore and document the gut microbial community of O. niloticus, as well as to evaluate the effects of a polysaccharide-based prebiotics with 0.5% and 0.75% Aloe vera extract on the gut microbiome through genomic analysis. The V3–V4 region of 16S rRNA was amplified and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2500, resulting in 1,000,199 reads for operational taxonomic unit (OTU) identification. Out of 8,894 OTUs, 1,181 were selected for further analysis. Our results revealed that Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria were the dominant phyla in both control and treatment samples. Higher doses of prebiotics were found to improve Planctomycetes and Firmicutes while decreasing Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. We observed increasing trends in the abundance of Bacilli, Bacillaceae, and Bacillus bacteria at the class, family, and genus levels, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. These findings were consistent with the conventional colony count data, which showed a higher prevalence of Bacillus in prebiotic-supplemented groups. Moreover, predicted functional analysis using PICRUSt indicated a dose-dependent upregulation in glycolysis V, superpathway of glycol metabolism and degradation, glucose and xylose degradation, glycolysis II, and sulfoglycolysis pathways. Most of the energy, protein, and amino acid synthesis pathways were upregulated only at lower doses of prebiotic treatment. Our findings suggest that the gut microbiome of O. niloticus can be optimized through nutritional interventions with plant-based polysaccharides for improved growth performance in commercial fish.

Gas discovery in Nohta-2 well from Proterozoic Rohtas plays in Vindhyan Basin, south of Ganga Basin has been a significant lead to suggest that Proterozoic sediments underneath Ganga Basin could be prospective. With this in view, the Govt. of India (GOI) acquired 1350 LKM (Line kilometer) of 2D regional seismic lines to image the Proterozoic sediments for the first time within the basin under National Seismic Program (NSP). The present study is carried out to understand the paleo structures, the nature of the sedimentary sequences, and the trapping mechanism to further visualize the prospectivity of the Proterozoic sequence within the basin. The paleo-tectonic and seismic sequence stratigraphy analysis reveals that the Proterozoic sediments were deposited in the passive margin setting in shallow marine and tidal conditions with several progradations and retrogradation cycles. Precisely, it is noticed that the Proterozoic sediments experienced two stages of progradations and retrogradations. That was followed by a long non-depositional hiatus (>500 Ma) spanning from the Paleozoic to Mesozoic ages which led to a regional unconformity throughout the basin as well as other local unconformities and hydrocarbon traps within the Proterozoic sediments. Four giant structural traps (>300 km2) and one combination trap (>500 km2) are identified within Neo-Proterozoic to Meso-Proterozoic sequence and are expected to be prospective. However, with more exploration efforts and additional data, these traps may lead to a paradigm shift in exploration strategy and discoveries in near future within the basin.

Underutilized/orphan legumes provide food and nutritional security to resource-poor rural populations during periods of drought and extreme hunger, thus, saving millions of lives. The Leguminaceae, which is the third largest flowering plant family, has approximately 650 genera and 20,000 species and are distributed globally. There are various protein-rich accessible and edible legumes, such as soybean, cowpea, and others; nevertheless, their consumption rate is far higher than production, owing to ever-increasing demand. The growing global urge to switch from an animal-based protein diet to a vegetarian-based protein diet has also accelerated their demand. In this context, underutilized legumes offer significant potential for food security, nutritional requirements, and agricultural development. Many of the known legumes like Mucuna spp., Canavalia spp., Sesbania spp., Phaseolus spp., and others are reported to contain comparable amounts of protein, essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), dietary fiber, essential minerals and vitamins along with other bioactive compounds. Keeping this in mind, the current review focuses on the potential of discovering underutilized legumes as a source of food, feed and pharmaceutically valuable chemicals, in order to provide baseline data for addressing malnutrition-related problems and sustaining pulse needs across the globe. There is a scarcity of information about underutilized legumes and is restricted to specific geographical zones with local or traditional significance. Around 700 genera and 20,000 species remain for domestication, improvement, and mainstreaming. Significant efforts in research, breeding, and development are required to transform existing local landraces of carefully selected, promising crops into types with broad adaptability and economic viability. Different breeding efforts and the use of biotechnological methods such as micro-propagation, molecular markers research and genetic transformation for the development of underutilized crops are offered to popularize lesser-known legume crops and help farmers diversify their agricultural systems and boost their profitability.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine the characteristics of COVID-19 deaths during the second wave and to compare these characteristics with the mortality during the first wave in a dedicated COVID hospital (DCH). Study Design: It was a hospital record–based descriptive study. Methodology: The study was conducted in a tertiary care COVID hospital, using a standard death audit proforma. The data were analyzed to know various demographic characteristics and factors related to mortality during the second wave from March to June 2021. The findings were compared with the mortality data during the first wave from April to July 2020 at the same hospital. Results: A total of 264 deaths occurred at the center during the study period with a mortality rate of 22.8%. Male cases were more in number, the age group was 21–70 years, the highest number of mortality was seen in the mid of the study period, duration of stay was five days on average and common causes of death were pneumonia alone or with acute respiratory distress syndrome with sepsis. In comparison to the first wave, the mortality rate was four times higher, the age group was younger and opportunistic infections viz. mucormycosis and aspergillosis were present during the second wave. Conclusion: The mortality rate was significantly higher and the younger age groups were involved during the second wave, with opportunistic fungal infections due to the use of immunomodulators.

Despite the availability of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), which reduces the HIV replication in chronically HIV-infected patients, HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) persists in the brain. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the major barrier for the penetration of drugs including antiretrovirals, limiting the drug penetration to the brain. In the present study, we have shown improved brain drug concentration in mice for darunavir (DRV), an FDA-approved drug, using an intranasal (IN) delivery method that bypasses the BBB. Here, we compared the time-dependent biodistribution of DRV at two different concentrations, high (25 mg/kg) and low (2.5 mg/kg), using two administration routes intravenous (IV) and intranasal (IN) in brain, liver, lungs, and plasma. Compared with IV administration, IN administration demonstrated a significantly improved DRV penetration in the brain at both low and high DRV concentrations (IV vs IN: at 2.5 mg/kg: 6.91 ± 1.69 ng/g vs 12.08 ± 2.91 ng/g, at 25 mg/kg: 12.84 ± 2.88 ng/g vs 19.74 ± 1.80 ng/g). As expected, IN administration showed significantly lower DRV concentrations in plasma (IV vs IN: at 2.5 mg/kg: 81.37 ± 22.04 ng/g vs 19.91 ± 12.65 ng/g, at 25 mg/kg: 899.12 ± 136.93 ng/g vs 320.56 ± 40.04 ng/g) and liver (IV vs IN: at 2.5 mg/kg: 118.39 ± 28.13 ng/g vs 29.27 ± 4.17 ng/g at 25 mg/kg: 1085.18 ± 255.0 ng/g vs 833.83 ± 242.4 ng/g). The IN administration did not show significant change in lungs compared to the IV administration. As a result, these findings suggest that the IN route can increase the DRV level in the brain, suppressing HIV in the brain reservoirs. Additionally, it could also reduce off-target effects, especially in peripheral organs.

Horticultural production is a vital catalyst for economic growth, yet insect infestations reduce horticultural crop yield and quality. Pesticides and other pest control methods are used during planting to eliminate pests that cause direct and indirect losses. In such situations, endophytic entomo-pathogenic fungi (EEPF) can act as a potential tools for biological control. They protect plants by boosting growth, nutrition, morpho-physiology and salt or iron tolerance. Antixenosis, antibiosis and plant tolerance change insect performance and preferences. EEPF- plant colonisation slows herbivore development, food consumption, oviposition and larval survival. EEPF changes plant physio-chemical properties like volatile emission profile and secondary metabolite production to regulate insect pest defences. EEPF produces chitinases, laccases, amylases, and cellulases for plant defence. Recent studies focused on EEPF species’ significance, isolation, identification and field application. Realizing their full potential is difficult due to insufficient mass production, storage stability and formulation. Genetic-molecular and bioinformatics can help to build EEPF-based biological control systems. Metagenomics helps study microbial EEPF taxonomy and function. Multi-omics and system biology can decode EEPF interactions with host plants and microorganisms. NGS (Next Generation Sequencing), comparative genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, metatranscriptomics and microarrays are used to evaluate plant-EEPF relationships. IPM requires understanding the abiotic and biotic elements that influence plant-EEPF interaction and the physiological mechanisms of EEPF colonisation. Due to restricted research, there are hundreds of unexplored EEPFs, providing an urgent need to uncover and analyse them.

Abstract Bikaner–Nagaur basin is located in the northwestern part of India and lies on the rising flank of Punjab platform of Middle Indus basin in Pakistan. Existence of Neoproterozoic-Cambrian petroleum system was confirmed by the exploration activities in the western periphery of the basin, whereas vast areas of central and eastern parts remain unexplored. Knowledge of petroleum system in this unexplored part of the basin is limited due to non-availability of data. Recently, 2525 line km of regional 2D seismic data acquired for the first time by Government of India under National Seismic Program (NSP) unlocks the opportunity for comprehensive understanding of subsurface geology in unexplored part of the basin. Present work aims to interpret recently acquired 2D seismic data and integrate with available surface (outcrop) data, gravity and well data (drilled in western part of basin) for unfolding the petroleum system elements, structural configurations and stratigraphic features in the hitherto central-eastern part of the basin. Two Neoproterozoic-Cambrian hydrocarbon plays: (1) Jodhpur and (2) overlying Bilara/Hanseran Evaporite Group (HEG) were envisaged. Both the plays depicted distinctive seismic characteristics, structural alignment and distribution of reservoir, source and seal. Fluvio-deltaic sandstone within Jodhpur group and shallow marine fractured dolomites within Bilara/HEG showed potential reservoir characteristics whereas organic rich laminated dolomites, stromatolites and argillaceous litho-units within Bilara/HEG group have been predicted as prospective source. The Halite layers within HEG group were considered as effective regional seals. Fault bounded anticlinal structures associated with Cambrian compression have been identified as the main entrapment for hydrocarbon accumulation. The basin witnessed long tectonostratigraphic history with two major compressional phases Structures formed by Cambrian compression are likely to be charged as the time of source maturity and peak expulsion was later, during early Mesozoic period. Overall, the study indicates new opportunities and potential accumulation of hydrocarbon in the unexplored part of the basin.

Potato, the world's most popular crop is reported to provide a food source for nearly a billion people. It is prone to a number of biotic stressors that affect yield and quality, out of which Potato Virus Y (PVY) occupies the top position. PVY can be transmitted mechanically and by sap-feeding aphid vectors. The application of insecticide causes an increase in the resistant vector population along with detrimental effects on the environment; genetic resistance and vector-virus control are the two core components for controlling the deadly PVY. Using transcriptomic tools together with differential gene expression and gene discovery, several loci and genes associated with PVY resistance have been widely identified. To combat this virus we must increase our understanding on the molecular response of the PVY-potato plant-aphid interaction and knowledge of genome organization, as well as the function of PVY encoded proteins, genetic diversity, the molecular aspects of PVY transmission by aphids, and transcriptome profiling of PVY infected potato cultivars. Techniques such as molecular and bioinformatics tools can identify and monitor virus transmission. Several studies have been conducted to understand the molecular basis of PVY resistance/susceptibility interactions and their impact on PVY epidemiology by studying the interrelationship between the virus, its vector, and the host plant. This review presents current knowledge of PVY transmission, epidemiology, genome organization, molecular to bioinformatics responses, and its effective management.

Abstract In this study, we investigated whether intravenously self-administered nicotine with menthol and audiovisual cue modulates nicotine-metabolizing CYP2A6, oxidative stress modulators, and cytokines/chemokines in plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) in rats. We assigned rats to self-administered nicotine with: (a) audiovisual cue (AV), (b) menthol, and (c) menthol and AV cue. We found increased levels of CD9 in plasma EVs after self-administered nicotine with menthol and AV cue. Moreover, expression of CYP2A6 in plasma EVs was significantly increased after self-administered nicotine in response to menthol and AV cue. However, despite an upward trend on SOD1 and catalase, increase was not found to be statistically significant, while total antioxidant capacity was found to be significantly increased in plasma and plasma EVs obtained after self-administered nicotine with menthol and AV cue. Among cytokine and chemokine profiling, we found a significant increase in the levels of MCP-1 after self-administered nicotine with menthol and AV cue and complete packaging of IL-1β in EVs. Taken together, the study provides evidence that nicotine in response to menthol and AV cues can package altered levels of CYP2A6, and cytokines/chemokines in plasma EVs that may contribute to cell–cell communication, nicotine metabolism, and inflammation upon cigarette smoking.

En este trabajo se estudió el efecto de las tensiones iniciales y la gravedad sobre la propagación de las ondas de Love, lo anterior en la superficie de una capa porosa sobre un semiespacio heterogéneo. Se consideraron dos tipos de límite en superficies libres: (a) límite rígido y (b) límite libre de tracción. La propagación de las ondas de Love ha sido investigada bajo supuestos medios, tanto en los casos de frontera como en un estudio comparativo de dos casos. En ambos, se obtuvieron las ecuaciones de dispersión y las velocidades de fase. Se presentan los cálculos numéricos de forma gráfica. Este estudio de las ondas de Love en el medio supuesto revela que la presencia de tensión inicial en el medio espacio y la ausencia de tensión inicial en la capa, el desplazamiento de la velocidad de fase en un límite rígido es mayor que el límite libre de tracción. doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2021.60.3.1917

Introduction: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent complete lockdown have resulted in a lot of difficulties in availing essential services including medical care, especially among the persons living with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The situation was complicated by stress and fear due to unknown nature of the pandemic during initial phases. This study aimed at measuring the perceived stress and hardship faced by persons living with DM and assessing their health status during COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in a tertiary care hospital in West Bengal. Materials and Methods: An institution-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted among diagnosed cases of Type 2 DM attending diabetic clinic outpatient department using an interview technique with the help of a predesigned pretested questionnaire that consisted of variables such as perpetual and experiential stress, hardship, and selected self-reported health parameters. Results: Out of a total of 304 study participants, majority responded positively regarding the items of perpetual and experiential stress. However, 80.8% of participants reported the reduction of income, and about 75% of them faced hardship of various extent to manage medicine and diet with low income. Only 9.1% of participants used teleconsultation as a sole method for health checkups. About one-third of participants considered their mental health status as poor or very poor, whereas two-third considered their physical health as good or excellent. Conclusion: Although our study participants did not have much stress or deterioration of health during lockdown, their income and regular care were affected to a certain extent. This emphasizes the need for context-specific measures.

Background: Early detection of pancreatic adenocarcinomas is essential for improving survival. In this regard, endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (EUS-FNAC) has established itself as the method of choice for its ability to target lesions smaller than those which could be targeted by the traditional imaging methods like transabdominal ultrasound. Identifying these tumors correctly on FNA may be challenging because pancreatic adenocarcinomas may show a wide range of morphological features and the presence of contaminants from the gastrointestinal tract may show up as potential pitfalls. This study presents detailed cytomorphological analyses of 59 cases reported as pancreatic adenocarcinomas on smears and cell blocks. The clinical and histopathology follow-up data wherever available have also been presented. Materials and Methods: EUS-FNAC smears and cell blocks from cases reported as pancreatic adenocarcinomas were retrospectively evaluated with individual assessments of a range of features related to cellularity, cellular arrangement, cytoplasmic qualities, and nuclear features. Aspirates from peripancreatic lymph nodes, histopathology sections, and clinical records were reviewed wherever available. Results: Nonneoplastic cells like pancreatic ductal cells and acinar cells, duodenal, and gastric epithelia were detected along with neoplastic cells showing a wide range of variations in different cytomorphological characters. Often, a mixture of features was noted in the same case. Cell block preparations served as useful adjuncts since they made it possible to render unequivocal diagnoses of malignancies in cases where smears were hypocellular. Conclusion: The study creates a useful knowledge base of cytomorphological features of pancreatic adenocarcinomas.

Traumatic brain injury is a sudden trauma or blow on the head, and severe traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The acute and chronic consequences following traumatic brain injury can lead to progressive secondary neurodegenerative changes and cognitive dysfunction. To date, there is no effective pharmaceutical products for the treatment to reduce secondary damage after brain injury. The discovery of extracellular vesicles has attracted considerable scientific attention due to their role in cell-to-cell communication. Extracellular vesicles have shown their potential to carry not only biological molecules but also as a drug delivery vehicle. As a carrier of molecular information, extracellular vesicles have been involved in physiological functions as well as in the modulation of immune responses. Here, we aim to provide new insights into the contrasting role of extracellular vesicles in the propagation of inflammatory responses after brain injury. As a carrier of pro-inflammatory molecules, their role as functional mediators in the pathophysiology of brain injury is discussed, addressing the inhibition of the extracellular vesicle pathway as an anti-inflammatory or neuroprotective approach to improve the outcome of both acute and chronic inflammation following brain injury. Here, we summarize therapeutic strategies to diminish the risk the neurodegeneration post brain injury and propose that neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitors could be used as potentially useful therapeutic agents for the treatment of brain injury associated neuroinflammation.

El presente artículo trata sobre las posibilidades de propagación de ondas superficiales torsionales en un medio viscoelástico bajo campo de gravedad. Durante el estudio, se pudo observar que el aumento del parámetro de gravedad aumenta, a su vez, la velocidad de la onda, mientras que el incremento del parámetro viscoelástico disminuye la velocidad de la onda, hasta que el producto de la frecuencia angular y el parámetro viscoelástico sea menor a la unidad. También, se observó que a medida que aumenta la velocidad la curva se vuelve asintótica por naturaleza cuando se incrementa el período de tiempo de oscilación. De hecho, la máxima amortiguación de la velocidad también se ha identificado en este punto de corte, que puede considerarse como el punto en el que un material viscoelástico se convierte en un medio viscoso. Se calcularon los coeficientes de absorción para diferentes valores de parámetro viscoelástico y campo de gravedad. El estudio reveló que el medio espacio viscoelástico en ausencia de campo de gravedad no permite ondas superficiales de torsión, mientras que en presencia de campo de gravedad las ondas se propagan y amortiguan. doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2021.60.1.1916

Prohibitive equipment cost and certain export regulations are the major obstacles to the widespread adoption of infrared (IR) thermography when evaluating building envelopes. In this work, we propose the use of an affordable and easily available camera as a first step of making the technology accessible. Combined with image post-processing, we hypothesize that a low-cost, low-resolution, and consumer-grade device can provide an economic alternative for the periodic evaluation of building envelopes. Following a market survey, the Seek Thermal Compact (STC) was chosen for evaluation. The STC was able to accurately measure the temperature of surfaces and distinguish small thermal anomalies (3 mm in diameter), and the IR images can be post-processed to reasonably estimate the anomaly areas. The STC was particularly effective when images were taken within 1.75 m from the surface. The 1.75 m distance did not pose a challenge in this study, as the goal was to mount the selected IR camera on an unmanned aerial vehicle for the surveys. The small size and weight of the STC were also useful. The results from the analysis of the capability of the STC and the image post-processing techniques may help form the basis of future investigations aiming at lowering the cost of building thermographic surveys.

Objective: Short Synacthen tests (SSTs) are expensive, dependent on Synacthen availability, and need supervision. To reduce SST testing, we examined the utility of pre-test cortisol (Cort0) and related parameters in predicting outcome. Design and Measurements: We retrospectively examined the following in all SSTs; (i) Cort0 (ii) indications (iii) and time and place of testing. Receiver operated characteristic (ROC) curves were devised for Cort0 to obtain the best cut-off for outcome prediction in those who had SSTs between 8 and 10 am (Group 1) and at other times (Group 2). Results: Of 506 SSTs, 13 were unsuitable for analysis. 111/493 SSTs (22.5%) were abnormal. (1) ROC curves predicted – (a) SST failure with 100% specificity when Cort0 was ⩽124 nmol/L (Group 1), or ⩽47 (Group 2); (b) a normal SST with 100% sensitivity when Cort0 ⩾314 nmol/L (Group 1) and ⩾323 nmol/L (Group 2). (2) There was significant correlation between Cort0 and 30-minute cortisol ( r s = 0.65-0.78, P

BackgroundElevated blood pressure or hypertension is responsible for around 10 million annual deaths globally, and people residing in low and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by it. India is no exception, where low rate of treatment seeking for hypertension coupled with widespread out-of-pocket payments (OOPs) have been a challenge. This study assessed the pattern of health care seeking behaviour and financial protection along with the associated factors among hypertensive individuals in rural West Bengal, India.Method and findingsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Birbhum district of the state of West Bengal, India, during 2017-2018, where 300 individuals were recruited randomly from a list of hypertensives in a population cohort. Healthcare seeking for hypertension and related financial protection in terms of-OOPs and expenses relative to monthly per-capita family expenditure, were analysed. Findings indicated that 47% of hypertensives were not on treatment. Among those under treatment, 80% preferred non-public facilities, and 91% of them had wide-spread OOPs. Cost of medication was a major share of expenses followed by transportation cost to access public health care facility. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated longer duration of disease (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 5.68, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.24-25.99) and health care seeking from non-public establishment (aOR: 34.33, CI: 4.82-244.68) were associated with more incident of OOPs. Linear regression with generalized linear model revealed presence of co-morbidities (adjusted coefficient (aCoeff)10.28, CI: 4.96,15.61) and poorer economic groups (aCoeffpoorest 11.27, CI 3.82,18.71; aCoefflower-middle 7.83, CI 0.65,15.00 and aCoeffupper-middle 7.25, CI: 0.80,13.70) had higher relative expenditure.ConclusionThis study suggests that individuals with hypertension had poor health care seeking behaviour, preferred non-public health facilities and had suboptimal financial protection. Economically poorer individuals had higher burden of health expenditure for treatment of hypertension, which indicated gaps in equitable health care delivery for the control of hypertension.

Background Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), an important polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) component of cigarette/tobacco smoking, is known to cause adverse health effects and is responsible for various life-threatening conditions including cancer. However, it is not yet clear whether BaP contributes to the macrophage- and astrocyte-mediated inflammatory response. Methods We examined the acute (up to 72 h) effects of BaP on the expression of antioxidant enzymes (AOEs), cytokines/chemokines, and cytochromes P450 (CYP) enzymes in astrocytic cell lines, SVGA, and chronically HIV-infected U1 macrophage. The treated cells were examined for mRNA, protein levels of CYPs, AOEs superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) and catalase (CAT), cytokines/chemokines, using Western blot, multiplex ELISA, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) by flow cytometry analysis. Results Upon acute exposure, BaP (1 μM) showed a significant increase in the mRNA levels of CYPs (CYP1A1 and CYP1B1), and pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in SVGA cells following BaP for 24, 48, and 72h. In addition, we observed a significant increase in the mRNA levels of SOD1 and CAT at 24h of BaP treatment. In contrast, BaP did not exert any change in the protein expression of AOEs and CYP enzymes. In U1 cells, however, we noticed an interesting increase in the levels of MCP-1 as well as a modest increase in TNFα, IL-8 and IL-1β levels observed at 72 h of BaP treatment but could not reach to statistically significant level. Conclusions Overall, these results suggest that BaP contributes in part to macrophage and astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation by mainly inducing IL-1β and MCP-1 production, which is likely to occur with the involvement of CYP and/or oxidative stress pathways.

Andaman cattle is a precious indigenous livestock species endemic to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Till date, origin and genetic makeup of the breed which is warranted for breed conservation is not known. Moreover, the spread of zebu cattle from Indus valley to different parts of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) is not properly understood. Here, we report the genetic diversity, population structure of Andaman cattle and their evolution in the context of epicentre of zebu domestication and ISEA. High genetic diversity in complete mitochondrial D-loop sequences indicated the ability of the breed to withstand impending climate change. Total 81 haplotypes were detected and all of them except three belonged to Bos indicus. The presence of taurine haplotypes in Andaman cattle indicate introgression by European-derived cattle. A poor phylogenetic signal of Andaman cattle with genetic affinities with cattle of Indian subcontinent and ISEA was observed. The poor phylogenetic structure may be due to multidirectional gene flow from Indian subcontinent and ISEA, with which Andaman shares a close cultural and trade relationship from Neolithic age. We hypothesize that Andaman cattle is the outcome of Neolithic diffusion from centre of zebu domestication along with multidirectional commercial exchange between Indian subcontinent and ISEA.

Background: Gradual increase of multidrug resistant infections is a threat to the human race as MDR plasmids have acquired.>10 mdr and drug efflux genes to inactivate antibiotics. Plants secret anti-metabolites to retard growth of soil and water bacteria and are ideal source of antibiotics. Purpose: Purpose of the study is to discover an alternate phyto-drug from medicinal plants of India that selectively kills MDR bacteria. Methods: MDR bacteria isolated from Ganga river water, milk, chicken meat and human hair for testing phyto-extracts. Eighty medicinal plants were searched and six phyto-extracts were selected having good antibacterial activities as demonstrated by agar-hole assays giving 15 ​mm or greater lysis zone. Phyto-extracts were made in ethanol or methanol (1:5 w/v) for overnight and were concentrated. Preparative TLC and HPLC were performed to purify phytochemical. MASS, NMR, FTIR methods were used for chemical analysis of CU1. In vitro RNA polymerase and DNA polymerase assays were performed for target identification. Results: CU1 belongs to a saponin bromo-polyphenol compound with a large structure that purified on HPLC C18 column at 3min. CU1 is bacteriocidal but three times less active than rifampicin in Agar-hole assay. While in LB medium it shows greater than fifteen times poor inhibitor due to solubility problem. CU1 inhibited transcription from Escherichia coli as well as Mycobacterium tuberculosis RNA Polymerases. Gel shift assays demonstrated that CU1 interferes at the open promoter complex formation step. On the other hand CU1 did not inhibit DNA polymerase. Conclusion: Phyto-chemicals from Cassia fistula bark are abundant, less toxic, target specific and may be a safer low cost drug against MDR bacterial diseases.

Class imbalance is a prevalent problem that not only reduces the performance of the machine learning techniques but also causes the lacking of the inherent complex characteristics of data. Though the researchers have proposed various ways to deal with the problem, they have yet to consider how to select a proper treatment, especially when uncertainty levels are high. Applying rough-fuzzy theory to the imbalanced data learning problem could be a promising research direction that generates the synthetic data and removes the outliers. The proposed work identifies the positive, boundary, and negative regions of the target set using the rough set theory and removes the objects in the negative region as outliers. It also explores the positive and boundary regions of the rough set by applying the fuzzy theory to generate the samples of the minority class and remove the samples of the majority class. Thus the proposed rough-fuzzy approach performs both oversampling and undersampling to handle the imbalanced class problem. The experimental results demonstrate that the novel technique allows qualitative and quantitative data handling.

Crime reports clustering is crucial for identifying and preventing criminal activities that frequently happened in society. In the proposed work, named entities in a report are recognized to extract the crime-related phrases and subsequently, the phrases are preprocessed by applying stopword removal and lemmatization operations. Next, the module of the universal encoder model, called the transformer, is applied to extract phrases of the report to get a sentence embedding for each associated sentence, aggregation of which finally provides the vector representation of that report. An innovative and efficient graph-based clustering algorithm consisting of splitting and merging operations has been proposed to get the cluster of crime reports. The proposed clustering algorithm generates overlapping clusters, which indicates the existence of reports of multiple crime types. The fuzzy theory has been used to provide a score to the report for expressing its membership into different clusters, and accordingly, the reports are labelled by multiple categories. The efficiency of the proposed method has been assessed by taking into account different datasets and comparing them with other state-of-the-art approaches with the help of various performance measure metrics.

Aphanomyces invadans is an aquatic oomycete pathogen and the causative agent of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) in fresh and brackish water fish, which is responsible for severe mortalities and economic losses in aquaculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop anti-infective strategies to control EUS. An Oomycetes, a fungus-like eukaryotic microorganism, and a susceptible species, i.e., Heteropneustes fossilis, are used to establish whether an Eclipta alba leaf extract is effective against the EUS-causing A. invadans. We found that treatment with methanolic leaf extract, at concentrations between 50–100 ppm (T4–T6), protects the H. fossilis fingerlings against A. invadans infection. These optimum concentrations induced anti-stress and antioxidative response in fish, marked by a significant decrease in cortisol and elevated levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels in treated animals, as compared with the controls. We further demonstrated that the A. invadans-protective effect of methanolic leaf extract was caused by its immunomodulatory effect and is linked to the enhanced survival of fingerlings. The analysis of non-specific and specific immune factors confirms that methanolic leaf extract-induced HSP70, HSP90 and IgM levels mediate the survival of H. fossilis fingerlings against A. invadans infection. Taken together, our study provides evidence that the generation of anti-stress and antioxidative responses, as well as humoral immunity, may play a role in protecting H. fossilis fingerlings against A. invadans infection. It is probable that E. alba methanolic leaf extract treatment might become part of a holistic strategy to control EUS in fish species.

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus is a major aquaculture species in South and Southeast Asia with a high level of production. Standard physiological indices of candidate species are of great value for proper health monitoring and better production. Since fish physiology is grossly influenced by temperature, the reference intervals (RIs) of haematology and blood biochemistry of the healthy reference population of this species are established here in winter and summer seasons following standard methodologies and non-parametric statistics. Haemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity, glucose, urea, and creatinine levels were significantly higher in summer, while leucocyte count, globulin concentration, alanine aminotransferase enzyme activity were higher in winter suggesting the need for use of season-specific RIs for correct interpretation of test results. The normometric database would be useful in season-specific stress assessment, monitoring of well-being, and pathological progressions in this catfish which contributes about 2% to the global aquaculture production.

In the present problem, an attempt has been made to study the propagation of Rayleigh waves in an incompressible medium with polynomial variation (m) of rigidity over an incompressible half-space under rigid layer. Instead of using the Whittaker function, the expansion formula proposed by Newlands has been used for a better result in shallow depth. The velocity equation has been calculated and the results are shown in figures. The study in the assumed medium, the authors obtained that the phase velocity of Rayleigh waves increases except for the polynomial variation of rigidity m=1, 2 and 3.

This study investigates the hot machining of Inconel 625 alloy by using flame heating under different machining conditions using finite element analysis (FEM). Turning tests are performed at different cutting speeds and heating temperatures using uncoated carbide insert by DEFORM software. Significant reduction in cutting force and tool wear has achieved at heating conditions compared to room temperature. Highest tool life is achieved at the highest cutting speed and higher heating temperature condition. At heating conditions of the 600 °C continuous chip is formed whereas at room temperature saw-tooth chip formation is observed. A significant agreement is achieved between simulated and experimental cutting forces and chip morphology. The effect of feed rates and depth of cuts are also studied experimentally during turning of Inconel 625 in a systematic manner. Keywords: Hot machining, Force, Inconel 625, Surface roughness, Chip morphology

Abstract Background Our previous study exhibited free radicals scavenging and antioxidant activities of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Tamarindus indica L. leaves in chronic sodium fluoride poisoning in rats. Tamarindus indica L. seed extract was also reported to have anti-arthritic efficacy by inhibiting cartilage and bone degrading factors. Therefore, an attempt was made to evaluate the effects of ethanolic extract of Tamarindus indica L. leaves in septic arthritis. Methods The safety study was performed by oral dosing of ethanolic extract of the plant leaves at 2 g kg− 1 for consecutive 28 days in rabbits. Septic arthritis was induced in rabbits by single intra-articular inoculation of 104 c.f.u. of Staphylococcus aureus to the left stifle joint and was monitored by bacterial colony count, some relevant biochemical parameters and histopathological interpretation of the affected joint. For efficacy evaluation in septic arthritis, linezolid at 75 mg kg− 1 twice daily for 10 days and the ethanolic extract of Tamarindus indica L. at 500 and 1000 mg kg− 1 for consecutive 14 days were administered orally to the rabbits after 48 h of induction of arthritis. Results In sub-acute toxicity study of Tamarindus indica L. leaves ethanolic extract, no significant change between days was found for aspertate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine compared to day 0 values of the same group. The bacterial colony count of synovial fluid following Staphylococcus aureus inoculation to left stifle joint was found to be 1.08 ± 0.47 and 1.19 ± 0.29 c.f.u. mL− 1 in ethanolic extract low dose and high dose groups respectively, on day 2 which was reduced to 0.057 ± 0.036 c.f.u. mL− 1 and nil on day 16. The test extract was also found to markedly reduce simultaneous glucose difference, total protein ratio of serum and synovial fluid, joint radius and joint narrowing. Conclusion Ethanolic extract of Tamarindus indica L. leaves at 500 mg kg− 1 and 1000 mg kg− 1 produced anti-arthritic effects against S. aureus induced septic arthritis in rabbits. However, the ethanolic extract at 1000 mg kg− 1 orally for consecutive 14 days showed better effects in septic arthritis.

In this study, a newly developed titanium superalloy, i.e., the Ti-5553 alloy has used for hot machining. This material replaced Ti-grade-5 alloy in the application of aerospace, automobile, and biomedical sector. However, similar to Ti-grade-5 alloy, the Ti-5553 alloy has a low thermal conductivity which makes it difficult-to-cut material categories hence, high tool wear, cutting force and bad surface finish. Hot machining of Ti-5553 has been studied at different machining condition (room and hot) using Deform-2D finite element analysis. The result from the simulation test was compared with the experimental value and reduction of cutting and thrust forces was observed. The experiment was carried out with the same input parameters as simulation, and good coherence between them observed. Additionally, cutting zone temperature, effective stress, etc. for both room and elevated the temperature are also discussed. Keywords: Ti-5553, Hot machining, Cutting force, Flank wear, Finite element analysis

Aeromonas species exhibit widespread presence in food, poultry, and aquaculture. They are major multi-drug-resistant fish pathogens. This study aims to identify Aeromonas species harbouring virulence genes aerolysin, flagellin, and lipase from diseased fishes of Assam wetlands with association with antibiotic resistance and in vivo pathogenicity. One hundred and thirty-four Aeromonas strains were isolated and thirty representative species identified using genus-specific 16S rRNA gene amplification. A. veronii was most prevalent (53.7%) followed by A. hydrophila (40.2%), A. caviae (4.47%), and A. dhakensis (1.49%). Ninety percent (90%) of strains harboured at least one of the studied virulence genes: aerA (73.3%), lip (46.6%), and flaA (26.6%). The highest multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index 0.8 corresponded to A. hydrophila DBTNE1 (MZ723069), containing all the studied genes. The lowest LD50 values (1.6 × 106 CFU/fish) corresponded to isolates having both aerA and lip. β-lactams showed utmost resistance and lowest for aminoglycosides. There was a significant (p < 0.05) Pearson chi-square test of association between the occurrence of virulence and antibiotic resistance. The in silico protein–protein interaction revealed important drug targets, such as σ28 transcription factor, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, and diacylglycerol kinase, with significant (p < 0.05) enrichment. This study suggests that fish-isolate Aeromonas strains represent potential threat to aquaculture with subsequent risk of transferring antibiotic resistance to human pathogens.

In the Forex market, trend trading, where trend traders identify trends and attempt to capture gains through the analysis of an asset’s momentum in a particular direction, is a great way to profit from market movement. When the price of currency is moving in one either of the direction such as; up or down, it is known as trends. This trend analysis helps traders and investors find low risk entry points or exit points until the trend reverses. In this paper, empirical trade and trend analysis results are suggested by two-phase experimentations. First, considering the blended learning paradigm and wide use of deep-learning methodologies, the variants of long-short-term-memory (LSTM) networks such as Vanilla-LSTM, Stacked-LSTM, Bidirectional-LSTM, CNN-LSTM, and Conv-LSTM are used to build effective investing trading systems for both short-term and long-term timeframes. Then, a deep network-based system used to obtain the trends (up trends and down trends) of the predicted closing price of the currency pairs is proposed based on the best fit predictive networks measured using a few performance measures and Friedman’s non-parametric tests. The observed trends are compared and validated with a few readily available technical indicators such as average directional index (ADX), rate of change (ROC), momentum, commodity channel index (CCI), and moving average convergence divergence (MACD). The predictive ability of the proposed strategy for trend analysis can be summarized as follows: (a) with respect to the previous day for short-term predictions, AUD:INR achieves 99.7265% and GBP:INR achieves 99.6582% for long-term predictions; (b) considering the trend analysis strategy with respect to the determinant day, AUD:INR achieves 98.2906% for short-term predictive days and USD:INR achieves an accuracy of trend forecasting with 96.0342%. The significant outcome of this article is the proposed trend forecasting methodology. An attempt has been made to provide an environment to understand the average, maximum, and minimum unit up and/or downs observed during trend forecasting. In turn, this deep learning-based strategy will help investors and traders to comprehend the entry and exit points of this financial market.