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In the current study, sol gel and hydrothermal methods were used to synthesis pure TiO2 (TO) and its composite with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (TO–C), respectively. The prepared materials were subjected to surface and structural characterization using XRD, RAMAN, FESEM and EDX. The batch mode experiments were carried out systematically to obtained the adsorption data which were further analysed using various isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic models, in order to determine the adsorptive potential of TO and TO–C for the remediation of U(VI). The thermodynamic characteristics showed the endothermic and spontaneous nature of adsorption. The isotherm studies revealed the maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity (mg/g) of 65.74 and 41.97 exhibited by TO–C and TO, respectively for U(VI). The study proposed that U(VI) extraction from water is primarily caused by п-electron density of MWCNTs and monolayer chemisorption through coordination complex formation. These results confirm the prospective use of TO–C as packing material for column units in water purifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An eco-friendly, cost-effective, and convenient approach for synthesizing biocompatible fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from the leaf extract of the medicinal plant Calotropis gigantea, commonly known as crown flower, has been demonstrated in this work. Fluorescence quantum yields of up to 4.24 percent were observed in as-synthesized CQDs. The size distribution of the as-synthesized CQDs varied from 2.7 to 10.4 nm, with a significant proportion of sp2 and sp3 carbon groups verified by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. The zeta potential of as-synthesized CQDs was measured to be –13.8 mV, indicating the existence of a negatively charged surface with incipient instability in aqueous suspension. Furthermore, as an alternative to organic or synthetic dyes, the development of simple, inexpensive, and non-destructive fluorescence-based staining agents are highly desired. In this regard, as-synthesized CQDs have shown remarkable fluorescent staining capabilities in this work and might be utilised as a suitable probe for optical and bio-imaging of bacteria, fungi, and plant cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have explored the effect of shear force on aggregate size, the secondary structure of proteins, and the viscosity of protein bovine serum albumin solution. The size of protein aggregates and secondary structures of the protein are dependent on the external variables such as temperature, the magnitude of shear, time of shearing, and process of applying shear. The process of application of shear, which can be continuous or intermittent periodic stoppage, can control the characteristics of aggregates of BSA. The viscosity of the protein solution is expected to depend on the size of the aggregates. We have proposed a mechanism of the association of BSA molecules leading to the formation of aggregates. Small aggregates at 40 °C are formed through the interaction of side chains, while bigger aggregates formed at 60 °C through β-sheet interaction. The indication of the opening of the BSA molecules at an intermediate temperature is confirmed by the appearance of more side chain and random coil. The shear leads to a highly anisotropic structure at a temperature beyond 60 °C and leads to the higher hydrodynamic radius. This makes the solution to undergo transition from dilute to semi-dilute regime and increase in viscosity by a factor fourfold. Subsequently, we have shown that the viscosity depends on the proportion of β-sheet within the aggregate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karnal bunt (KB) of wheat, caused by the fungus Tilletia indica, is a challenge to the grain industry, owing not to direct yield loss but to quarantine regulations that may restrict international movement of affected grain. Several different sources of resistance to KB have been reported. Understanding the genetics of resistance will facilitate the introgression of resistance into new wheat cultivars. The objectives of this study were to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with KB resistance and to identify DNA markers in two recombinant inbred line populations derived from crosses of the susceptible cultivar WH542 with resistant lines HD29 and W485. Populations were evaluated for resistance against the KB pathogen for 3 years at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India. Two new QTLs ( Qkb.ksu-5BL.1 and Qkb.ksu-6BS.1) with resistance alleles from HD29 were identified and mapped in the intervals Xgdm116– Xwmc235 on chromosome 5B (deletion bin 5BL9-0.76-0.79) and Xwmc105– Xgwm88 on chromosome 6B (C-6BS5-0.76). They explained up to 19 and 13% of phenotypic variance, respectively. Another QTL ( Qkb.ksu-4BL.1) with a resistance allele from W485 mapped in the interval Xgwm6– Xwmc349 on chromosome 4B (4BL5-0.86-1.00) and explained up to 15% of phenotypic variance. Qkb.ksu-6BS.1 showed pairwise interactions with loci on chromosomes 3B and 6A. Markers suitable for marker-assisted selection are available for all three QTLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetics of Karnal bunt (KB) resistance were studied in populations derived from crosses of four resistant stocks (HD 29, W 485, ALDAN ‘S’/IAS 58, H 567.71/ 3*PAR) and a highly susceptible cultivar, WH 542. The plant materials screened for KB response consisted of F2, BC1 and RILs from all ‘Resistant’בSusceptible’ crosses and RILs from the six possible ‘Resistant’ × ‘Resistant’ crosses as well as the parents and F1s. The screening was performed under optimal conditions for disease development with a mixture of isolates from North Western Plains of India using the widely followed syringe method of inoculation. The KB scores of the F1 from the four ‘Resistant’ × ‘Susceptible’ crosses indicated partial dominance of resistance. Genetic analysis revealed that HD 29, W485 and ALDAN ‘S’/IAS 58 each carried two resistance genes whereas 3 genes were indicated in H 567.71/3*PAR. The six ‘Resistant × Resistant’ RIL sets showed that the genes in the four resistant stocks were different and that there may be as many as nine genes governing KB resistance in the four parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria transmission is dependent on the development of sexual forms of Plasmodium falciparum, called gametocytes, in the vertebrate host. Pfg27 is an abundantly expressed sexual stage-specific protein that is essential for gametocytogenesis in P. falciparum. We describe the crystal structure of Pfg27, which reveals a novel fold composed of two pseudo dyad-related repeats of the helix-turn-helix motif. Structurally equivalent helices of each repeat either form a dimer interface or interact with RNA in vitro. One side of the dimer presents an unprecedented juxtaposition of four polyproline (PXXP) motifs. Preliminary binding data indicate that these sites are capable of binding Src homology-3 (SH3) modules. Molecular modeling suggests that the dimer can accommodate two SH3 modules simultaneously, potentially enabling molecular crosstalk between SH3-containing proteins. The structural and initial biochemical evidence suggests that Pfg27 may serve as a platform for RNA and SH3 binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC), a multifaceted and genetically heterogeneous malignancy is one of the most common cancers among women. The aim of the study is to unravel the genetic factors associated with OC and the extent of genetic heterogeneity in the populations of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).Using the high throughput Agena MassARRAY platform, present case control study was designed which comprises 200 histopathological confirmed OC patients and 400 age and ethnicity matched healthy controls to ascertain the association of previously reported eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spread over ten genes (DNMT3A, PIK3CA, FGFR2, GSTP1, ERCC5, AKT1, CASC16, CYP19A1, BCL2 and ERCC1) within the OC population of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The association of each variant was estimated using logistic regression analyses. Out of the 11 SNPs the odds ratio observed for three SNPs; rs2699887 was (1.72 at 95% CI: 1.19–2.48, p = 0.004), rs1695 was (1.87 at 95% CI: 1.28–2.71, p = 0.001), and rs2298881 was (0.66 at 95% CI: 0.46–0.96, p = 0.03) were found significantly associated with the OC after correction with confounding factors i.e. age & BMI. Furthermore, the estimation of interactive analyses was performed and odds ratio observed was 2.44 (1.72–3.47), p value < 0. 001 suggests that there was a strong existence of interplay between the selected genetic variants in OC, which demonstrate that interactive analysis highlights the role of gene–gene interaction that provides an insight among multiple little effects of various polymorphisms in OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere length attrition has been implicated in various complex disorders including Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). However, very few candidate gene association studies have been carried out worldwide targeting telomere maintenance genes. In the present study, variants in various critical telomere maintenance pathway genes for T2D susceptibility in Northwest Indian population were explored. With case-control candidate gene association study design, twelve variants from seven telomere maintenance genes were evaluated. Amongst these five variants, rs9419958 (OBFC1), rs4783704 (TERF2), rs16847897 (TERC/LRRC31), rs10936599 (TERC/MYNN), and rs74019828 (CSNK2A2) showed significant association with T2D (at p-value ≤ 0.003, threshold set after Bonferroni correction) in the studied population. In silico analyses of these variants indicated interesting functional roles that warrant experimental validations. Findings showed that variants in telomere maintenance genes are associated with pathogenesis of T2D in Northwest Indian population. We anticipate further, such candidate gene association studies in other Indian populations and worldwide would contribute in understanding the missing heritability of T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Microtubule actin cross-linking factor 1 (MACF1) has been identified as a type 2 diabetes (T2D) candidate gene, and variant rs2296172 of the gene was found associated with T2D in multiple populations. However, it has never been explored in Mizo population. The aim of the present study was to replicate the association of variant rs2296172 of MACF1 gene with T2D in Mizo population of Northeast India. Methodology: The variation was genotyped using TaqMan allele discrimination assay in 755 individuals (425 cases and 330 healthy controls), belonging to the Mizo population. Results: The variant rs2296172 MACF1 was found to be significantly associated with T2D (p value = 0.001) in Mizo population group with an observed odds ratio of 1.8 [1.3–2.8] at 95% CI after correction with age, gender and BMI. Conclusion: This study is the first replication report from Northeast India, showing variant rs2296172 of MACF1 gene associated with T2D in Mizo population. This independent study highlights MACF1 as a candidate gene for T2D in Asian Indian populations, suggesting it is critical to evaluate the variant rs2296172 in other distinct endogamous Indian population cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microtubule actin cross-linking factor 1 (MACF1) gene variant rs2296172 has recently been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, this variant has never been evaluated as such in Indian populations. In the present replication study, we genotyped variant rs2296172 by Taqman allele discrimination assay in 432 individuals belonging to the Bania caste group from Punjab, India. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was evaluated for association with T2D, in a population based candidate gene case-control association study design, by estimating odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. The SNP rs2296172 of MACF1 was found to be significantly associated with T2D (p = 0.02) and odds ratio (OR) = 1.59 (1.06-2.38) at 95% CI. We further emphasize that the Indian population as such is a conglomeration of various endogamous population groups. It is critical that such replication studies be carried out in various populations to find association of variants to T2D susceptibility and understand genetic heterogeneity. However, it is important to avoid pooling of samples to address the concern of population stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals, also regarded as toxic metals, are the important environmental pollutants that affect all forms of life. Accumulation of toxic metals in plants results in various biochemical, physiological and structural disturbances, leading to inhibited growth and sometimes plant death. Toxic metal contamination disturbs the soil ecology as well as the agricultural productivity. Several indigenous microbes can withstand the effect of toxic metal and play a vital role in the revival of tarnished soil. In the present study, soil samples were collected from contaminated crop field of Cachar district of Assam, India. Segregation, enumeration and identification of bacteria from soil samples were performed. Among all the tested isolates, very few were able to withstand a high concentration of Cd and Pb in nutrient agar plates. Toxic metal-tolerant bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus. The isolates having a higher tolerance for Cd and Pb were taken into consideration for pot studies. P. aeruginosa strain SN4 and strain SN5 showed significant results at Cd- and Pb-contaminated soil, evidenced by the healthy growth of Oryza sativa seedlings. However, B. cereus strain SN6 showed high tolerance towards Cd and Pb, but pot experimental studies showed adverse effects on seedling germination and shoot growth of O. sativa. P. aeruginosa strains were significantly able to reduce the negative impact of Cd and Pb in the soil, thus finding an alternative in removal, recovery and remediation of toxic metal-contaminated crop field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate a potential new antibacterial agent to combat increasing antimicrobial resistance, undoped and 1% manganese doped Zinc Sulphide quantum dots (ZnS and Zn0.99Mn0.01S QDs, respectively) were synthesised by co-precipitation method and capped with increasing amounts of Zinc Oxide and Silica in aqueous media to prepare ZnS@ZnO, Zn0.99Mn0.01S@ZnO, and Zn0.99Mn0.01S@SiO2 nanostructures. P-XRD analysis confirmed the cubic zinc-blende phase of the seed ZnS QDs, Zn0.99Mn0.01S QDs, and Zn0.99Mn0.01S@SiO2 nanostructures, and the wurtzite phase of the ZnO in the ZnS@ZnO and Zn0.99Mn0.01S@ZnO nanostructures, further confirmed using TEM studies, which also revealed the size of the largest nanostructures to be in the range of a hundred nanometres. FTIR spectroscopy illustrated the quenching of characteristic ZnS peaks with increasing capping material. UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy and subsequent Tauc analysis illustrated the strong size confinement of the synthesised ZnS and Zn0.99Mn0.01S QDs; Brus equation calculations revealed that the particle size of the samples increases with increasing capping material. Photoluminescent emission spectroscopy illustrated the tuneable emission properties of the prepared nanostructures; manganese doping induced the characteristic orange emission in the Zn0.99Mn0.01S QDs, which was enhanced by ZnO, but quenched by SiO2. The antimicrobial activity of all the prepared samples was qualitatively evaluated using well known Agar well diffusion method against six human pathogenic bacteria: Gram positive Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus; Gram negative Salmonella Typhi, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Qualitative antibacterial assay confirmed the high antibacterial potential of the synthesised ZnS and Zn0.99Mn0.01S QDs, especially against E. coli. Increasing ZnO amount improves the antibacterial activity of the nanostructures against different Gram-positive bacterial strains, while increasing SiO2 amount improves the antibacterial activity of the nanostructures against both Gram positive strains and three of the four Gram negative bacterial strains. Thus, the positive results suggest that the prepared ZnS@ZnO, Zn0.99Mn0.01S@ZnO, and Zn0.99Mn0.01S@SiO2 nanostructures should be further studied as antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiota studies of ethnic populations reveal gut microbial biomarkers for therapeutic options and detection of the disease state. The present study aimed to analyze the gut microbiome signatures in thirty individuals from the Adi, Apatani and Nyshi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh (ten in each cohort) by sequencing the V3 and V4 regions of 16S rRNA on the Illumina MiSeq Platform. The gut microbiome was highly predominated by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidates in the three studied tribal groups. At the genus level, significant abundance of Bifidobacterium, Collinsella, Bacteroides, Prevotella, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Dorea, Lachnospira, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium, Catenibacterium, Eubacterium, Citrobacter and Enterobacter were observed amongst the three tribes. The tribal communities residing in remote areas and following traditional lifestyle had higher gut microbiome diversity with a high prevalence of Prevotella and Collinsella in the Adi and Nyshi tribes, and Bifidobacterium and Catenibacterium in the Apatani tribe. Elucidating the gut microbiome of the tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh will add to the knowledge on relationships between microbial communities, dietary food factors, and the overall state of health of humans worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) has been identified as a type 2 diabetes (T2D) candidate gene and variant rs1800849 is of potential interest as it is present in the regulatory region of UCP3. The aim of the present candidate gene case-control association study was to evaluate the association of variant rs1800849 of UCP3 with T2D in Mizo population from Northeast India. Methodology: The variation was genotyped using TaqMan allele discrimination assay in 767 individuals (425 cases and 342 healthy controls). Results: The variant rs1800849 of UCP3 was not found to be significantly associated with T2D (p-value = 0.733) in studied population group. Conclusion: Thus, it is concluded that the present study could not replicate the association of variant rs1800849 with genetic susceptibility to T2D in the Mizo population group. This absence of association highlights the genetic heterogeneity prevalent in Indian population groups and warrants screening of other T2D candidate genes in Mizo population group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new phases with compositions, LaSrFeTiO, NdSrFeTiO and GdSrFeTiO, were prepared by the traditional ceramic method. Lazy-Pulverix analysis of the X-ray diffraction data suggests that the phases crystallize in the RP-type ( n = 2) structure in the space group, I4/ mmm. The cell dimensions along the c-axis decrease with decrease in size of the rare earth ions. Electrical resistivity, as a function of temperature, shows that the materials are insulators and the resistivity decreases with decrease in the size of the rare earth ion, which is attributed to increase in the three-dimensional character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup U is among the initial maternal founders in Southwest Asia and Europe and one that best indicates matrilineal genetic continuity between late Pleistocene hunter-gatherer groups and present-day populations of Europe. While most haplogroup U subclades are older than 30 thousand years, the comparatively recent coalescence time of the extant variation of haplogroup U7 (~16-19 thousand years ago) suggests that its current distribution is the consequence of more recent dispersal events, despite its wide geographical range across Europe, the Near East and South Asia. Here we report 267 new U7 mitogenomes that - analysed alongside 100 published ones - enable us to discern at least two distinct temporal phases of dispersal, both of which most likely emanated from the Near East. The earlier one began prior to the Holocene (~11.5 thousand years ago) towards South Asia, while the later dispersal took place more recently towards Mediterranean Europe during the Neolithic (~8 thousand years ago). These findings imply that the carriers of haplogroup U7 spread to South Asia and Europe before the suggested Bronze Age expansion of Indo-European languages from the Pontic-Caspian Steppe region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]