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Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) is a serine hydrolase that hydrolyzes cholesteryl ester (CE) and TGs delivered to the lysosomes into free cholesterol and fatty acids. LAL deficiency due to mutations in the LAL gene (LIPA) results in accumulation of TGs and cholesterol esters in various tissues of the body leading to pathological conditions such as Wolman's disease and CE storage disease (CESD). Here, we present the first crystal structure of recombinant human LAL (HLAL) to 2.6 Å resolution in its closed form. The crystal structure was enabled by mutating three of the six potential glycosylation sites. The overall structure of HLAL closely resembles that of the evolutionarily related human gastric lipase (HGL). It consists of a core domain belonging to the classical α/β hydrolase-fold family with a classical catalytic triad (Ser-153, His-353, Asp-324), an oxyanion hole, and a “cap” domain, which regulates substrate entry to the catalytic site. Most significant structural differences between HLAL and HGL exist at the lid region. Deletion of the short helix, 238NLCFLLC244, at the lid region implied a possible role in regulating the highly hydrophobic substrate binding site from self-oligomerization during interfacial activation. We also performed molecular dynamic simulations of dog gastric lipase (lid-open form) and HLAL to gain insights and speculated a possible role of the human mutant, H274Y, leading to CESD.

Introduction: Several frailty assessment tools exist for classifying older adults with multiple myeloma (MM) by their frailty status, such as the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) frailty score and the simplified frailty scale. The level of agreement between the IMWG frailty score and the simplified frailty scale remains unknown., Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study, we identified adults ≥50y initiating a new treatment regimen for MM who underwent a baseline geriatric assessment (GA). Using data from the GA and electronic health records, we measured IMWG frailty score and the simplified frailty scale, and classified patients by frailty status. We merged the fit and intermediate-fit categories of IMWG frailty score to create a binary category (frail, non-frail) for comparison with simplified frailty scale and measured their agreement using Cohen's Kappa statistic. We tested the diagnostic utility of simplified frailty scale as a screening tool using IMWG frailty score as the gold standard, using sensitivity, specificity, and decision curve analysis (DCA)., Results: Three hundred older adults were included with a median age at diagnosis of 64y; 56 % were male and 63 % were non-Hispanic White. By IMWG frailty score, 41 % were fit, 38 % intermediate-fit, and 21 % frail, while simplified frailty scale indicated 22 % frail and 78 % non-frail patients. The agreement between IMWG frailty score and simplified frailty scale was moderate (κ = 0.43); 19 % of the patients were misclassified. Despite discordance, when testing simplified frailty scale as a screening tool, we found a sensitivity of 56 % and specificity of 87 % to diagnose frailty. Substituting patient-reported performance status (PS) instead of physician reported ECOG PS led to a sensitivity of 91 % and specificity of 61 %. DCA showed that using simplified frailty scale (with patient reported PS) as a screening tool led to a 43-44 % reduction in the number of unnecessary GAs across reasonable threshold probabilities., Discussion: IMWG frailty score and simplified frailty scale have limited agreement with each other. This creates a possibility of misclassification bias and poses difficulty in comparing existing literature on frail patients with MM. Despite discordance, simplified frailty scale may have a potential role as a screening tool, when using patient-reported PS., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Susan Bal, Honoraria: AbbVie, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, AstraZeneca, MJH Lifesciences; Luciano J. Costa, Honoraria: Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Sanofi, Takeda Consulting or Advisory Role: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Karyopharm Therapeutics; Speakers' Bureau: Amgen, Sanofi; Research Funding: Janssen, Amgen, BMS; Smith Giri, Consulting or advisory Role: Janssen, Sanofi, Research funding: Janssen, Sanofi, PackHealth, CareVive; Grant R. Williams, Honoraria: Bayer, Takeda., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Health outcome preferences of older adults with cancer vary based on burden/intensity of treatment and its impact on health outcomes such as survival, quality of life, and functional and cognitive well-being. We studied the association between age and health outcome preferences of adults with multiple myeloma (MM)., Materials and Methods: Using a single center prospective cohort study, we identified adults ≥50y with MM who underwent geriatric assessment (GA) within 30 days of initiating a new line of therapy. We assessed health outcome preferences using a nine-item health outcome preference scale where patients were asked to prioritize varying treatment outcomes in a Likert scale. We compared the response patterns for each item by age group (50-69y vs ≥70y) using Mantel-Haenszel chi-squared test. For items significant in bi-variable analysis, we built proportional odds models to study the association between age and health outcome preferences adjusting for sex, race, frailty, and high risk cytogenetics., Results: We included 119 patients with a median age of 65y. Of these, 58% were male, 56% were non-Hispanic White, and 28% were frail. Older adults (≥70y) versus younger adults (50-69y) were more likely to prioritize health outcomes such as quality of life (53% vs. 34%), functional independence (74% vs. 33%), maintaining cognitive ability (79% vs. 54%), and living free from pain (50% vs 18%) over longer survival (all p values <0.05). In multivariable models, each one interquartile range (IQR) increase in age was associated with increased odds of prioritization of functional independence [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.44-4.53)], maintaining cognitive ability [aOR 1.75, 95% CI (1.01-3.02)], and willingness to take milder/ fewer treatments [aOR 2.40, 95% CI (1.36-4.26)] over longer survival. Similarly, each IQR increase in age was associated with decreased odds of prioritization of survival over quality of life [aOR 0.45, 95% CI (0.26-0.78)] and survival over being free from pain [aOR 0.39, 95% CI (0.22-0.69)]., Discussion: Three out of four older adults (age ≥ 70y) with MM rated other outcomes, particularly functional and cognitive well-being, above survival. Determining the most significant treatment outcomes for older adults with MM can aid in establishing treatment goals and enhance shared decision-making., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Susan Bal, Honoraria: AbbVie, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, AstraZeneca, MJH Lifesciences; Luciano J. Costa, Honoraria: Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Sanofi, Takeda Consulting or Advisory Role: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Karyopharm Therapeutics; Speakers' Bureau: Amgen, Sanofi; Research Funding: Janssen, Amgen, BMS; Smith Giri; Consulting or advisory Role: Janssen, Sanofi, Research funding: Janssen, Sanofi, PackHealth, CareVive; Grant R. Williams, Honoraria: Bayer, Takeda., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study has designed and developed a 5 L bubble column photobioreactor (BCPR) to investigate two microalgal strains Chlorella sp. S-01, Chlorella sp. S-02 and their consortium Co-CC (Chlorella sp. S-01 + Chlorella sp. S-02) at 0.03, 5, and 10% CO 2 supply for biomass and lipid production. The dry cell weight of Chlorella sp. S-01, Chlorella sp. S-02 and Co-CC were, respectively about 1.41, 1.32, and 1.39 g/L on the 20th day without CO 2 supply, while it was 1.76, 1.61, and 1.87 g/L, respectively at 10% CO 2 supply and similarly, chlorophyll-a content was higher in 10% CO 2 supplied condition over control. Interestingly, Co-CC grown at all the CO 2 concentrations showed similar lipid content between 19.30 and 1F9.41%. As an integrated refinery approach, de-oiled biomass of Co-CC was subjected to carbohydrates and protein estimation and found that 46.2% and 30.80% in 10% CO 2 supply condition in BCPR. Lipid extracted from the Co-CC grown under 0.03, 5, and 10% CO 2 supply in 5L BCPR was converted to biodiesel, and the biodiesel yield was estimated to be 62.78%. Further, the fatty acid profile of Co-CC grown at 10% CO 2 showed higher levels of C16:0, C16:1, C18:1, and monounsaturated fatty acids contents over other CO 2 supplied conditions. Biodiesel of Co-CC showed favourable fuel properties such as density, higher heating value, oxidative stability, CFPP, viscosity, degree of unsaturation, saponification value, and cetane number, which were also in accordance with ASTM, and EN, biodiesel standards., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In CheckMate 227 Part 1, nivolumab plus ipilimumab prolonged overall survival (OS) versus chemotherapy in patients with metastatic NSCLC, regardless of tumor programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Here, we report post hoc exploratory systemic and intracranial efficacy outcomes and safety by baseline brain metastasis status at 5 years' minimum follow-up., Methods: Treatment-naive adults with stage IV or recurrent NSCLC without EGFR or ALK alterations, including asymptomatic patients with treated brain metastases, were enrolled. Patients with tumor PD-L1 greater than or equal to 1% were randomized to nivolumab plus ipilimumab, nivolumab, or chemotherapy; patients with tumor PD-L1 less than 1% were randomized to nivolumab plus ipilimumab, nivolumab plus chemotherapy, or chemotherapy groups. Assessments included OS, systemic and intracranial progression-free survival per blinded independent central review, new brain lesion development, and safety. Brain imaging was performed at baseline (all randomized patients) and approximately every 12 weeks thereafter (patients with baseline brain metastases only)., Results: Overall, 202 of 1739 randomized patients had baseline brain metastases (nivolumab plus ipilimumab: 68; chemotherapy: 66). At 61.3 months' minimum follow-up, nivolumab plus ipilimumab prolonged OS versus chemotherapy in patients with baseline brain metastases (hazard ratio = 0.63; 95% confidence interval: 0.43-0.92) and in those without (hazard ratio = 0.76; 95% confidence interval: 0.66-0.87). In patients with baseline brain metastases, 5-year systemic and intracranial progression-free survival rates were higher with nivolumab plus ipilimumab (12% and 16%, respectively) than chemotherapy (0% and 6%). Fewer patients with baseline brain metastases developed new brain lesions with nivolumab plus ipilimumab (4%) versus chemotherapy (20%). No new safety signals were observed., Conclusions: With all patients off immunotherapy for more than or equal to 3 years, nivolumab plus ipilimumab continued to provide a long-term, durable survival benefit in patients with or without brain metastases. Intracranial efficacy outcomes favored nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus chemotherapy. These results further support nivolumab plus ipilimumab as an efficacious first-line treatment for patients with metastatic NSCLC, regardless of baseline brain metastasis status., (Copyright © 2023 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Gamma-irradiation effects on photocatalytic action of PbS nanocrystallites codoped with Cu and Sr ions were performed for organic dye degradation. The physical and chemical characterizations of these nanocrystallites were examined employing X-ray diffraction, Raman, and field emission electron microscopic analysis. The optical bandgaps of gamma-irradiated PbS with co-dopants have shifted from 1.95 eV (pristine PbS) to 2.45 eV in the visible spectrum. Under direct sunlight, the photocatalytic action of these compounds against methylene blue (MB) was investigated. Observations indicated that gamma-irradiated Pb (0.98) Cu 0.01 Sr 0.01 S nanocrystallite sample exhibits a higher photocatalytic degradation activity of 74.02% in 160 min and stability of 69.4% after three cycles, suggesting that gamma irradiation could potentially influence organic MB degradation. This is due to combined action of high-energy gamma irradiation (at an optimzed dose), which causes sulphur vacancies, and defects created by dopant ions, which alter the crystal structure by inducing strain in the crystal lattice, hence altering the crystallinity of PbS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cognitive abilities are markers of brain development and psychopathology. Abilities, across executive, and social domains need better characterization over development, including factors that influence developmental change. This study is based on the cVEDA [Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalizing Disorders and Addictions] study, an Indian population based developmental cohort. Verbal working memory, visuo-spatial working memory, response inhibition, set-shifting, and social cognition (faux pas recognition and emotion recognition) were cross-sectionally assessed in > 8000 individuals over the ages 6-23 years. There was adequate representation across sex, urban-rural background, psychosocial risk (psychopathology, childhood adversity and wealth index, i.e. socio-economic status). Quantile regression was used to model developmental change. Age-based trajectories were generated, along with examination of the impact of determinants (sex, childhood adversity, and wealth index). Development in both executive and social cognitive abilities continued into adulthood. Maturation and stabilization occurred in increasing order of complexity, from working memory to inhibitory control to cognitive flexibility. Age related change was more pronounced for low quantiles in response inhibition (β∼4 versus  -1 versus -0.25 for lower quantiles). Wealth index had the largest influence on developmental change across cognitive abilities. Sex differences were prominent in response inhibition, set-shifting and emotion recognition. Childhood adversity had a negative influence on cognitive development. These findings add to the limited literature on patterns and determinants of cognitive development. They have implications for understanding developmental vulnerabilities in young persons, and the need for providing conducive socio-economic environments., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Dr. Giri has received honoraria from CareVive, OncLive and research funding from Carevive Systems, Pack Health, Sanofi. Dr. Bal has served in consulting or advisory role at Adaptive Biosciences and received research funding from Amyloid Foundation.Dr. Costa received honoraria from Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Sanofi, Takeda, served in consulting or advisory role at AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Karyopharm Therapeurics, speakers' bureau at Amgen, Sanofi and research funding from Janssen, Amgen and BMS. All other authors have no conflicts of interest or disclosures.

Conversion and reducing agent (NaBH 4 ) effect on zero valent iron into Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles with diverse molar ratios of reducing agent was produced through chemical reduction technique. The structural, optical, vibrational analyses were executed via XRD, UV-Vis, Raman, and FT-IR analysis. The crystallite size obtained were 35 nm, 27 nm, and 18 nm for Fe:NaBH 4 (1:1), Fe:NaBH 4 (1:2) and Fe:NaBH 4 (1:3). The morphology of the Fe:NaBH 4 (1:1) was not in good orientation with higher dimensions. As explored in Fe:NaBH 4 (1:2) and (1:3) samples, there is a proper growth of nanoneedles and nanosheets formation. This was due to the addition of reducing agent which greatly helped in enhancement of morphology. The prepared photocatalysts were tested to reduce Malachite Green (MG) under UV illumination. The pure dye solution obtained 57% efficiency after irradiation. Fe:NaBH 4 (1:3) photocatalyst achieved 97% efficiency on reducing pollutants. The rate constant values calculated was 0.007, 0.013, 0.02 and 0.03 min -1 for pure, Fe: NaBH 4 (1:1), Fe: NaBH 4 (1:2) and Fe: NaBH 4 (1:3) assisted MG samples. The as prepared photocatalyst is more potential one on removal of toxic pollutants from wastewater which is due to the better enhancement of nanoneedles and nanosheets oriented by the effect of reducing agent. The advantage of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles for wastewater is that the removal of these nanoparticles can be ease with magnetic separation methods. On considering the advantage of removing of photocatalyst and efficiency, this prepared product is suitable one for wastewater remediation process in future days., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study, pristine β-Cu 2 V 2 O 7 , CTAB-β-Cu 2 V 2 O 7 and PVP-Cu 3 V 2 O 8 were synthesized via hydrothermal method. The synthesized brown powder samples were exemplified using XRD, UV, PL, Raman and SEM studies. Further with XRD, we confirmed that the impurities were eradicated in addition of surfactant PVP. The bandgap obtained were 3.09 eV, 2.97 eV and 2.28 eV for β-Cu 2 V 2 O 7 , CTAB-β-Cu 2 V 2 O 7 and PVP-Cu 3 V 2 O 8 . The morphology of β-Cu 2 V 2 O 7 was found to be cluster of nanoparticles with high level of agglomeration. While adding the surfactants (CTAB, PVP) the nano platelets were grown and uniformly arranged. The PVP-Cu 3 V 2 O 8 sample exhibited 96%, 77% and 96% efficiency on reducing Methylene Blue, Rhodamine B and Malachite Green dyes. The enhancement of attaining complete efficiency by the PVP-Cu 3 V 2 O 8 photocatalyst is attributed by the appropriate phase of host material and the PVP itself acted as a trapper for electron and hole which induced the rate of degrading toxic pollutants. The PVP-Cu 3 V 2 O 8 photocatalyst will be enthusiastic and optimized aspirant for reducing organic pollutants and for wastewater management in future days., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new 2D transition metal carbides family noted that MXene with antimony (Sb) nano-needles composites have demonstrated potential applications for photocatalytic dye degradations applications. Single-step synthesis of novel structures two/one-dimensional MXene@antimony nanoneedle (MX@Sb-H) nanocomposite-based photocatalysts is produced employing hydrothermal technique. The preparations and characterizations were compared with hand mixture preparations of pure TiO 2 @Sb and MXene (MX@Sb-M). The crystallographic structure was identified employing X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and main sharp XRD peaks were observed with diffraction angle with orientations planes for all three samples TiO 2 @Sb, MX@Sb-M and MX@Sb-H. The micro-Raman spectroscopy explored key vibration modes centered at 151.72 and 637.52 cm -1 corresponding to Ti and Sb hybrid composites respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum of functional group peaks at 609.16 and 868.80 cm -1 revealed Ti-OH/Sb-O-C stretching. The morphological investigations of horizontal growth for "Sb" nanoneedle on MXene nanosheets were explored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The degradation efficiency was calculated. The efficiency calculated were 27%, 38%, 68% and 82% for MB solution, TiO 2 @Sb added MB, MX-Sb-M added MB and MX-Sb-H added MB solution and the efficiency were 32%, 38%, 50% and 65% for pure RhB solution, TiO 2 @Sb added RhB, MX-Sb-M added RhB and MX-Sb-H added RhB solution. The photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 @Sb, MX@Sb-M and MX@Sb-H was examined. Among these MX@Sb-H nanocomposite was demonstrated the high photocatalytic action in expressions of rate stability of photocatalytic dye degradations., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Treatment of wastewater for reuse is an important strategy undertaken to deal with water scarcity. In this study, pure and La-doped barium ferrites were produced using a facile hydrothermal technique. Lanthanum was doped at 1% and 2% molar ratio and the obtained product was analyzed for further confirmation of crystal structure, optical properties, vibrational properties, and morphology. X-ray powder diffraction pattern confirmed material formation. Bandgap energies were estimated from a Tauc plot. The vibrational properties of the pure and doped samples were examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectra. The pure barium ferrite sample showed a spherical agglomerated morphology. The 1% La-doped barium ferrite sample showed reduced agglomeration and the particles were attached together. The 2% La-doped barium ferrite sample showed small nanoballs with no agglomeration on the surface. The transmission electron microscopy images confirmed no agglomeration for the 2% La-BaFe 2 O 4 sample. The M-H loop revealed the ferromagnetic behavior of the pristine and doped samples. The 2% La-BaFe 2 O 4 sample had 24.53 m 2 /g surface area. The photocatalytic activity was examined employing degrading methylene blue under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. Prepared product showed better efficiency on UV light exposure. The 2% La-doped barium ferrite sample exhibited almost 80% of efficiency under UV light and 85% efficiency under visible light toward toxic pollutants. The sample attained 0.02 min -1 rate constant value. The main advantage of ferrite samples is that the particles can be separated by magnetic methods and the water will be fit for reuse. The sample will be a promising candidate for use in the wastewater treatment., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) semiconductor nanorods are prepared in hydrothermal process using hydrazine hydrate (N 2 H 4 .H 2 O) and ammonia (NH 3 .H 2 O) as reducing agents. The reaction time is increased to 7 h and the amount of hydrazine hydrate used is also increased to 15 mL which have resulted in diminished stacking faults in the CdSe nanorods prepared. The crystal structure, morphological variations, and size of the prepared CdSe nanorods are examined by XRD analysis. The crystalline size of the CdSe nanorods is 20-30 nm in diameter. HRTEM images reveal the formation of high order CdSe nanorods of the length about 25-40 nm. The bandgap in the CdSe nanoparticles is determined to be 2.17 eV. The peak at 595 nm in photoluminescence (PL) spectrum indicates oxygen vacancy defects in the prepared CdSe sample. The variation of dielectric properties with respect to temperature and frequency of pelletized CdSe is studied. High photocatalytic efficiency (98%) of catalyst/H 2 O 2 is also achieved for decomposition of Rhodamine-B dye., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Waldenström Macroglobulinemia (WM) is a unique, low grade, IgM lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with a heterogeneous clinical course. A paucity of high-grade evidence from large phase 3 trials remains a major issue in the field despite a rapidly expanding therapeutic armamentarium against WM. Prior knowledge of the patients' MYD88 L265P and CXCR4 mutation status aids in treatment decision making if Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor therapy is being considered. Head-to head comparative data to inform optimal approach are lacking, and a particularly vexing issue for the clinicians is choosing between fixed-duration bendamustine-rituximab (BR) therapy and an indefinite BTK inhibitor-based regimen, given that both approaches are well tolerated and effective, particularly for the patient population harboring MYD88 L265P mutation. For the patients with MYD88 WT genotype, chemo-immunotherapy such as BR is preferred, although zanubrutinib, a potent second generation BTK inhibitor, with its reduced off target effects and greater BTK occupancy compared to its predecessor, ibrutinib, has also recently shown activity in MYD88 WT WM. This review summarizes the current literature pertaining to the diagnosis, prognosis, and the treatment of WM., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Wastewater management is becoming a serious issue worldwide. To enhance the reuse of wastewater, one has to remove toxic pollutants present in it. High amount of dye is present in wastewater, and to remove these dyes is the large scope of this research. Herein, we report production of pure and Ce-doped copper ferrite via hydrothermal route. The synthesized nanoparticles were collected and analyzed by basic characterization techniques. The bandgap energy calculated for pure, 1% Ce, and 2% Ce-doped CuFe 2 O 4 was found to be 2.77, 2.57, and 2.36eV, respectively. Reduction in bandgap was attributed to the doping element. The shape and size of pure and Ce-doped products were investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Agglomeration was observed in the pure copper ferrite sample. In the Ce-doped sample, agglomeration was clearly reduced and the 2% Ce-doped CuFe 2 O 4 sample showed growth of small nanoparticles. They showed complete growth and were arranged in a uniform manner without agglomeration. The surface area of the 2% Ce-CuFe 2 O 4 sample was found to be 65.89 m 2 /g with 7.02 nm pore diameter. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared material was observed for rhodamine B degradation. The pure and catalyst-added dye was exposed under visible light. The samples were tested for UV. The efficiency obtained for pure dye solution, pristine CuFe 2 O 4 -added, and 1% Ce and 2% Ce-doped CuFe 2 O 4 -added dye solutions were 48%, 50%, 66%, and 88% within 2 h of irradiation. The 2% Ce-doped CuFe 2 O 4 sample showed excellent photocatalytic activity as the bandgap and morphology were enhanced by doping an appropriate ratio of Ce ions., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Herein we reported the effect of doping and addition of surfactant on SnO 2 nanostructures for enhanced photocatalytic activity. Pristine SnO 2 , Zn-SnO 2 and SDS-(Zn-SnO 2 ) was prepared via simple co-precipitation method and the product was annealed at 600 °C to obtain a clear phase. The structural, optical, vibrational, morphological characteristics of the synthesized SnO 2 , Zn-SnO 2 and SDS-(Zn-SnO 2 ) product were investigated. SnO 2 , Zn-SnO 2 and SDS-(Zn-SnO 2 ) possess crystallite size of 20 nm, 19 nm and 18 nm correspondingly with tetragonal structure and high purity. The metal oxygen vibrations were present in FT-IR spectra. The obtained bandgap energies of SnO 2 , Zn-SnO 2 and SDS-(Zn-SnO 2 ) were 3.58 eV, 3.51 eV and 2.81 eV due to the effect of dopant and surfactant. This narrowing of bandgap helped in the photocatalytic activity. The morphology of the pristine sample showed poor growth of nanostructures with high level of agglomeration which was effectively reduced for other two samples. Product photocatalytic action was tested beneath visible light of 300 W. SDS-(Zn-SnO 2 ) nanostructure efficiency showed 90% degradation of RhB dye which is 2.5 times higher than pristine sample. Narrow bandgap, crystallite size, better growth of nanostructures paved the way for SDS-(Zn-SnO 2 ) to degrade the toxic pollutant. The superior performance and individuality of SDS-(Zn-SnO 2 ) will makes it a potential competitor on reducing toxic pollutants from wastewater in future research., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Wastewater treatment is the most important criteria that will deliberately reduce the water scarcity and to remove the organic pollutants from water. In this study, pure copper hydroxide (Cu(OH) 2 ), 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and 2% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) assisted Cu(OH) 2 was prepared through co-precipitation technique. The prepared samples was investigated employing standard characterization studies. The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) pattern was confirmed with JCPDS card # 80-0656 with crystallite size of 25, 23 and 21 nm for pure Cu(OH) 2 , 1% SDS and 2% SDS assisted Cu(OH) 2 . The bandgap energy obtained for Cu(OH) 2 , 1% SDS and 2% SDS assisted Cu(OH) 2 were 2.86 eV, 2.81 eV and 2.72 eV. The narrow bandgap of 2% SDS assisted Cu(OH) 2 enhanced the photocatalytic activity than other two samples. The formation of nanoclusters and nanosheets were confirmed with Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) analysis. The thick clumsy nanosheets are formed as large nanoclusters in pure Cu(OH) 2 . Addition of SDS reduced the thickness of nanosheets and formed a little cluster. The prepared product photocatalytic performance was examined employing degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye. 2% SDS assisted Cu(OH) 2 added MB dye solution was completely degraded with 98% efficiency. The reduce in particle size, high recombination of electron-hole pair with narrow bandgap made the 2% SDS assisted Cu(OH) 2 candidate to give out potential output in eliminating the organic pollutants., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Waste water remediation is the ongoing hot research topic that can reduce the water scarcity all over the world. By reducing the pollutants in the waste water drawn from industries and other sources will be more useful for domestic purposes. To reduce the rate of pollutants in water may also help in improving the aquatic environment and decreases other side effects. Efficient and cost effective catalysts were in search for both dye degradation and water remediation treatment applications. NiMoO 4 nanorods were prepared by employing co-precipitation method with different stirrer time (2 h, 4 h and 6 h). The formation of NiMoO 4 was substantiated employing X-ray diffractometer analysis (XRD). Vibrational and rotational property of the samples was analyzed by FT-IR spectra and Raman spectra. The optical property was further confirmed by UV-vis spectral studies. Morphological analysis studies revealed growth of nanorods with 6 h stirrer time. The photocatalytic behavior of the obtained product was carried out under both UV light (364 nm) and visible light irradiation. The samples subjected to visible light environment showed better efficiency on degrading the methylene blue (MB) dye. The efficiency obtained under UV irradiation were 20%, 31%, 33%, 41% and efficiency obtained in visible light irradiation were 27%, 42%, 46%, 55% with respect to bare methylene blue (MB), MB with NiMoO 4 (2 h), MB with NiMoO 4 (4 h), MB with NiMoO 4 (6 h) catalyst added. NiMoO 4 sample with 6 h stirrer time and fine nanorods growth will be the good candidate for future use., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Wastewater remediation is the serious topic that must be taken into concern which would be a most crucial problem that destroys the natural properties as well as it has some worse effect on living organisms. By doing better wastewater management, the scarcity of water for domestic purposes can be eventually managed. Dyes are main organic pollutant that must be removed from wastewater. Pristine, 1% Sm doped and 2% Sm doped ZnFe 2 O 4 were prepared through simple co-precipitation method. The materials were further analyzed for its structure, optical properties, rotational properties and morphology studies. These analyses were investigated with respect to X-ray diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence and scanning electron microscopic studies. XRD pattern of Pristine, 1% Sm doped and 2% Sm doped ZnFe 2 O 4 was matched with JCPDS Card #89-1012 with cubic phase. Bandgap energy of prepared samples were 1.7 eV, 1.65 eV and 1.47 eV. The prepared cationic dye was degraded with help of visible light irradiation. 2% Sm doped ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles easily removed 65% of dye within 1 h duration. 2% Sm doped ZnFe 2 O 4 was tested for its reusability and efficiency was stable for more than three cycles. This shows the stability of the sample towards degrading the cationic dye. By the doping of Samarium, ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles enthusiastically removed cationic dye and it proves to be an efficient candidate in removing dyes and can help in wastewater treatment in upcoming era., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) is a serine hydrolase that hydrolyzes cholesteryl ester (CE) and TGs delivered to the lysosomes into free cholesterol and fatty acids. LAL deficiency due to mutations in the LAL gene ( LIPA ) results in accumulation of TGs and cholesterol esters in various tissues of the body leading to pathological conditions such as Wolman's disease and CE storage disease (CESD). Here, we present the first crystal structure of recombinant human LAL (HLAL) to 2.6 Å resolution in its closed form. The crystal structure was enabled by mutating three of the six potential glycosylation sites. The overall structure of HLAL closely resembles that of the evolutionarily related human gastric lipase (HGL). It consists of a core domain belonging to the classical α/β hydrolase-fold family with a classical catalytic triad (Ser-153, His-353, Asp-324), an oxyanion hole, and a "cap" domain, which regulates substrate entry to the catalytic site. Most significant structural differences between HLAL and HGL exist at the lid region. Deletion of the short helix, 238 NLCFLLC 244 , at the lid region implied a possible role in regulating the highly hydrophobic substrate binding site from self-oligomerization during interfacial activation. We also performed molecular dynamic simulations of dog gastric lipase (lid-open form) and HLAL to gain insights and speculated a possible role of the human mutant, H274Y, leading to CESD., (Copyright © 2020 Rajamohan et al. Published by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Objectives: This study sought to quantify myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and examine the relationship between myocardial perfusion and adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling., Background: Although regarded as a nonischemic condition, DCM has been associated with microvascular dysfunction, which is postulated to play a role in its pathogenesis. However, the relationship of the resulting perfusion abnormalities to myocardial fibrosis and the degree of LV remodeling is unclear., Methods: A total of 65 patients and 35 healthy control subjects underwent adenosine (140 μg/kg/min) stress perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance with late gadolinium enhancement imaging. Stress and rest MBF and MPR were derived using a modified Fermi-constrained deconvolution algorithm., Results: Patients had significantly higher global rest MBF compared with control subjects (1.73 ± 0.42 ml/g/min vs. 1.14 ± 0.42 ml/g/min; p < 0.001). In contrast, global stress MBF was significantly lower versus control subjects (3.07 ± 1.02 ml/g/min vs. 3.53 ± 0.79 ml/g/min; p = 0.02), resulting in impaired MPR in the DCM group (1.83 ± 0.58 vs. 3.50 ± 1.45; p < 0.001). Global stress MBF (2.70 ± 0.89 ml/g/min vs. 3.44 ± 1.03 ml/g/min; p = 0.017) and global MPR (1.67 ± 0.61 vs. 1.99 ± 0.50; p = 0.047) were significantly reduced in patients with DCM with LV ejection fraction ≤35% compared with those with LV ejection fraction >35%. Segments with fibrosis had lower rest MBF (mean difference: -0.12 ml/g/min; 95% confidence interval: -0.23 to -0.01 ml/g/min; p = 0.035) and lower stress MBF (mean difference: -0.15 ml/g/min; 95% confidence interval: -0.28 to -0.03 ml/g/min; p = 0.013)., Conclusions: Patients with DCM exhibit microvascular dysfunction, the severity of which is associated with the degree of LV impairment. However, rest MBF is elevated rather than reduced in DCM. If microvascular dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of DCM, then the underlying mechanism is more likely to involve stress-induced repetitive stunning rather than chronic myocardial hypoperfusion., (Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Magnesium doped Zinc oxide nanoparticles (Mg:ZnO NPs) were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The synthesized Mg:ZnO NPs exhibited hexagonal wurtzite structure, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction results. After structural confirmation of Mg doped ZnO NPs, base amino acids like l-Arginine and l-Histidine were separately incorporated with the Mg: ZnO NPs. l-Arginine added Mg:ZnO (Mg:ZnO:LA) and l-Histidine added Mg:ZnO (Mg:ZnO: LH) NPs retained the same wurtzite hexagonal structure and average crystallite sizes of Mg: ZnO:LA and Mg: ZnO:LH NPs were found to be 25 nm and 20 nm respectively. The sizes of Mg:ZnO:LH and Mg: ZnO: LA NPs decreased as compared to that of the Mg doped ZnO NPs. From the FT-IR spectra, the ZnO stretching frequencies were observed at 516, 517 and 518 cm -1 for Mg:ZnO, Mg:ZnO: LA and Mg: ZnO:LH NPs respectively. From the FESEM images, the morphologies of ZnO:Mg and ZnO:Mg:LA NPs were spherical and the Mg: ZnO: LH NPs formed nano-flakes structure. From the EDAX study, the amount of elements incorporated in the samples was determined. The photoluminescence measurements revealed the existence of zinc vacancies, oxygen vacancies and surface defects of the samples. Antibacterial activity of the amino acid added Mg doped ZnO NPs was studied against extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) producing Escherichia coli (E. coli).The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the LH added ZnO:Mg NPs was found to be 1000 μg/ml for which the growth of E. coli completely inhibited. l-Histidine added Mg doped ZnO NPs showed the highest antibacterial activity as compared to that of the Mg:ZnO NPs and ZnO:Mg:LA NPs., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ), a water-soluble vitamin, plays a key role in maintaining human health. Though, numerous methods have been reported for the determination of total riboflavin (TRF) content in foods and biological samples, very few methods are reported for quantifying riboflavin and its coenzymes [flavin mononucleotide (FMN); flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)] individually. Recently, we have demonstrated that antibodies specific to d-ribitol and d-ribitol-5-phosphate also recognize riboflavin and FMN, respectively, and not vice-versa. In this study, we have evaluated these two antibodies for the analysis of riboflavin and FMN by indirect competitive ELISA (icELISA) in selected foods and pharmaceuticals. Under the optimal assay conditions, 50% inhibition concentration (IC 50 ) and limit of detection (LOD, IC 10 ) were 3.41ng/mL and 0.02ng/mL for riboflavin, and 7.84ng/mL and 0.24ng/mL for FMN, respectively, with detectable concentration range between 0.1 and 100ng of analytes and <0.1% cross-reactivity with other water-soluble vitamins. The amounts of TRF in food samples, as analyzed by icELISA using ribitol antibody, were 90-95% of the reported values in the literature or label values. Quantification of individual flavins (riboflavin and FMN) from the same food samples showed variation in their values compared to TRF, and were in good agreement with values obtained from HPLC and AOAC methods. Further, spiking and recovery analysis of food samples and pharmaceuticals showed no significant matrix effects. The immunoassays were validated in terms of accuracy and precision using inter- and intra-assays. The immunoassays developed in this study are sensitive and appears feasible for screening a large number of samples in the quantification of riboflavin and FMN in various biological samples, pharmaceuticals and natural/processed foods., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel electrochemical sensor has been fabricated using Co doped CeO2 nanoparticles for selective and simultaneous determination of xanthine (XA), hypoxanthine (HXA) and uric acid (UA) in a phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH5.0) for the first time. The Co-CeO2 NPs have been prepared by microwave irradiation method and characterized by Powder XRD, Raman spectroscopy, HRTEM and VSM measurements. The electrochemical behaviours of XA, HXA and UA at the Co-CeO2 NPs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were studied by cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry methods. The modified electrode exhibited remarkably well-separated anodic peaks corresponding to the oxidation of XA, HXA and UA over the concentration range of 0.1-1000, 1-600 and 1-2200μM with detection limits of 0.096, 0.36, and 0.12μM (S/N=3), respectively. For simultaneous detection by synchronous change of the concentrations of XA, HXA and UA, the linear responses were in the range of 1-400μM each with the detection limits of 0.47, 0.26, and 0.43μM (S/N=3), respectively. The fabricated sensor was further applied to the detection of XA, HXA and UA in human urine samples with good selectivity and high reproducibility., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Single crystals of ethylenediaminium di(4-nitrophenolate) [EDA4NP] were grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique using ethanol as solvent at constant temperature. It crystallizes in monoclinic centrosymmetric space group C2/c with cell dimension a=11.326Ǻ, b=7.264Ǻ, c=20.036Ǻ; β=93.55°. Fourier Transform Infra Red (FT-IR) spectrum was recorded to identify various functional groups present in EDA4NP. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectral studies were performed to confirm the functional groups. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis showed that the compound melts at 142.9°C. The material possesses a wide optical transparency window in the visible and near IR region (500-1200nm). The nonlinear refractive index, nonlinear absorption coefficient and third-order nonlinear susceptibility of EDA4NP were estimated to be n2=5.46×10(-8)cm(2)W(-1), β=0.65×10(-3)cmW(-1) and χ((3))=2.96×10(-6)esu respectively. The limiting behavior observed with the sample is attributed mainly to nonlinear refraction., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Semiorganic single crystals of l-histidine and l-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate have been obtained in a single solution prepared from the mixture of l-histidine and hydrochloric acid in 1:2M ratio. Growth aspects of the single crystals have been discussed along with characterization studies. Crystal system and lattice parameters have been identified by X-ray diffraction analyses. It has been observed that the grown crystals possess orthorhombic system but with different set of lattice parameters. Presence of various functional groups has been identified and formation of two different crystals has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectral analyses and FT-Raman studies. Linear and nonlinear optical properties have been studied by UV-Vis spectral analyses and Kurtz-Perry powder technique respectively. The thermal stability of the grown crystals was determined by thermal analyses. From the characterization studies it is found that both the crystals are useful for second harmonic generation applications., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

4-N,N'-dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium toyslate (DAST) and diethanolamine (DEA) added DAST crystals are grown by slow cooling method. The corresponding powder samples are examined by characterization studies such as XRD, FT-IR, FT-Raman, UV-Vis-NIR and photoluminescence studies. From the powder X-ray diffraction, their lattice parameter values are found out. Since the vibrational spectra of the molecules are considerably contributed to their linear and nonlinear optical effects, Infrared and Raman spectroscopic studies are carried out for the samples. The UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectra of the samples are used to find the nature of transitions occurred in the samples. Using the density functional theory, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) analyses are done in order to explain the transition and density of states (DOS). The first order hyperpolarizability is calculated by HF and B3LYP/6-311 G(d,p) basis sets for the DAST molecule. From the photoluminescence (PL) spectral studies, the strong excitation emissions are observed., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

New charge transfer molecular complex adducts of picric acid (C6H3N3O7) with triethylamine (C6H15N) and dimethylformamide (HCON(CH3)2) were synthesized successfully for the first time. Chemical composition and stoichiometry of the synthesized complex salts were verified by CHN elemental analysis. Solubility of the complex salts have been determined by gravimetric method and single crystals of two new salts were grown by low temperature solution growth technique. Crystal system, crystalline nature and cell parameters of the grown crystals were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analyses. The formations of the charge-transfer complex, functional groups and the modes of vibrations have been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In order to know the linear and nonlinear optical suitability for device fabrication, UV-Vis (UV) spectral analysis and relative second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency test were performed for the grown crystals., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Inappropriate pain documentation is likely to be an important contributor to the poor management of pain in elderly patients in the emergency department (ED). Failure to assess pain limits ability to treat pain., Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between visit characteristics of elderly patients and pain score documentation in the ED, and to determine predictors of analgesic use in the ED., Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of documented ED visits by elderly patients from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2003-2006). The study included 5661 ED visits by patients aged 65 years and older, representing an estimated 18 million ED visits during the four-year study period. Univariate logistic regression was used to analyze associations among independent variables and documentation of pain. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine whether nonopioid and opioid analgesic prescribing disparities existed and were associated with pain level., Results: Pain score documentation was found to be suboptimal in the elderly population in this study, with only 75% of visits having documented pain scores. Older age, self-pay, patients residing in the Western region of the United States, and emergent ED visits were associated with decreased pain score documentation. Documentation of pain score was associated with increased odds of an analgesic prescription and opioid analgesic prescription. Odds of prescribing an opioid increased significantly with increasing level of pain severity., Conclusion: ED pain score documentation is suboptimal in the elderly population. Disparity in the use of analgesic prescriptions and opioid analgesics exists and may result in patients not receiving analgesics. Improving pain assessment and documentation, changes in attitude toward analgesic prescribing, and recognition of ethnic, racial, and age differences in patients with pain have the potential to contribute to effective management of pain in the ED., (Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory impairment in patients with HIV-associated neurological disease have remained unclear. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) has key roles in synaptic potentiation and memory storage in neurons and also may have immunomodulatory functions. To determine whether HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) induce alterations in CaMKII expression and/or activation (autophosphorylation) in the brain, we measured CaMKII alterations by quantitative immunoblotting in both an in vitro HIV/neuronal culture model and in vivo in an SIV-infected macaque model of HIV-associated neurological damage. Using primary rat hippocampal neuronal cultures treated with culture supernatants harvested from HIV-1-infected human monocyte-derived macrophages (HIV/MDM), we found that CaMKII activation declined after exposure of neurons to HIV/MDM. Consistent with our in vitro measurements, a significant decrease in CaMKII activation was present in both the hippocampus and frontal cortex of SIV-infected macaques compared with uninfected animals. In SIV-infected animals, total CaMKII expression in the hippocampus correlated well with levels of synaptophysin. Furthermore, CaMKII expression in both the hippocampus and frontal cortex was inversely correlated with viral load in the brain. These findings suggest that alterations in CaMKII may compromise synaptic function in the early phases of chronic neurodegenerative processes induced by HIV.

Objective: To examine the controversial issues of postoperative aortic insufficiency (AI), operative mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS) following stentless Freestyle aortic valve replacement (AVR)., Setting: All surgeries were performed in a small northern community hospital (Sudbury Regional Hospital, Sudbury, Ontario)., Design: Retrospective study of all stentless AVRs and all stented AVRs from May 1996 to December 1998, and isolated coronary artey bypasses (CABGs) done in 1996/97., Patients: Patients were not selected. All consecutive patients requiring bioprosthetic AVR during this period, regardless of risk, complexity or urgency, were included. In total, 112 stentless AVRs, 138 stented AVRs and 432 isolated CABGs were examined., Main Results: AI was rare following stentless AVRs: no significant valvular AI and only 0.9% significant paravalvular AI occurred. The incidence of AI was significantly greater with continuous than with interrupted proximal suturing (P=0. 016). No valve thromboses, thromboemboli or structural failure occurred during 3.8 years of follow-up of the stentless AVRs. The LOS for stentless AVRs was no longer than for stented AVRs or for isolated CABGs. No significant difference was found in the operative mortality following stentless and stented AVRs. The early mortality rate of 1.8% for stentless AVRs was not affected by preoperative risk strata, complexity or urgency., Conclusions: Early morbidity with stentless AVRs was comparable and LOS was no longer than with stented AVRs. The use of Freestyle bioprosthesis in itself did not result in greater operative mortality, regardless of risk, complexity or urgency of the procedure. Consistent reproducible techniques and experience improve postoperative outcome. It is essential that potential users carefully learn safe and effective surgical techniques to avoid adverse outcomes during the learning curve.