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The Andrographis paniculata recognized as most valuable medicinal plant in folk medicine. Hence, this research was designed to evaluate antibacterial potential of petroleum ether (PE) and methanol (ME) extracts of A. paniculata against skin infection causing bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris, and Propionibacterium acnes. Also assessed the antidiabetic (α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition assay), antioxidant, and photoprotective potential of PE and ME extract analyses. The major bioactive compounds were identified and characterized through UV, FTIR, 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR spectra analyses. The ME extract contain more number of phytochemicals (alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, glycoside, protein, and phytosterol) than PE extract. The antibacterial activity result also revealed that the ME (as dose dependent) extract showed better activity at 250 mg mL -1 as in the following order: P. acnes (6-29 mm) > K. pneumoniae (3-28 mm) > S. aureus (3-27 mm) > P. vulgaris (3-26 mm) > S. pyogenes (2-25 mm) > E. aerogenes (1-23 mm). PE: E. aerogenes (3-20 mm) > P. vulgaris (2-19 mm) > P. acnes (3-18 mm) > K. pneumoniae (3-17 mm) > S. aureus (2-16 mm) > S. pyogenes (0-11 mm). The MIC value of ME extract was found as 100-150 mg mL -1 and it was better than PE extract. Similarly, the ME also possesses dose based α-glucosidase inhibition activity as up to 85% at 250 mg mL -1 concentration. The fluorescence spectra analysis method also stated that the ME extract possess photoprotective bioactive agent. The ME fractions (F01 and F02) obtained from TLC and column chromatogram were identified as 3-O-β-d-glucosyl-14- deoxyandrographiside and 14-deoxyandrographolide respectively through UV, FTIR, 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR spectra analyses. Such compounds may be responsible for significant antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria causing skin infections, excellent antidiabetic activity, as well as photoprotective potential., 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.)

The study examined various properties of synthesized copolyesters PESC and PPSC. Inherent viscosities of the copolyesters, measured in 1,4-dioxane at 32 °C, were 0.65 dL/g for PESC and 0.73 dL/g for PPSC. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed distinct absorption bands associated with ester carbonyl stretching, C-H bending vibration, C-H group symmetry stretching, and C-O stretching vibrations. 1 H and 13 C Nuclear magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to identify specific protons and carbon groups in the polymer chain, revealing the molecular structure of the copolyesters. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) identified the glass transition, melting, and decomposition temperatures for both copolyesters, indicating variations in the crystalline nature of the copolymers. XRD Spectral studies further elaborated on the crystalline nature, indicating that PPSC is less amorphous than PESC. Biodegradation analysis showed that PESC degrades more quickly than PPSC, with degradation decreasing as the number of methylene groups increase. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images depicted the surface morphology of the copolyesters before and after degradation, revealing a more roughened surface with pits post-degradation. These findings provide comprehensive insights into the structural and degradable properties of PESC and PPSC copolyesters., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Incessant utilization of chemical fertilizers leads to the accumulation of minerals in the soil, rendering them unavailable to plants. Unaware of the mineral reserves present in the soil, farming communities employ chemical fertilizers once during each cultivation, a practice that causes elevated levels of insoluble minerals within the soil. The use of biofertilizers on the other hand, reduces the impact of chemical fertilizers through the action of microorganisms in the product, which dissolves minerals and makes them readily available for plant uptake, helping to create a sustainable environment for continuous agricultural production. In the current investigation, a field trial employing Arachis hypogaea L was conducted to evaluate the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to enhance plant growth and development by solubilizing minerals present in the soil (such as zinc and phosphorus). A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) included five different treatments as T1: Un inoculated Control; T2: Seeds treated with a liquid formulation of P. aeruginosa ; T3: Seeds treated with a liquid formulation of P. aeruginosa and the soil amended with organic manure (farmyard); T4: Soil amended with organic manure (farmyard) alone; T5: Seeds treated with lignite (solid) based formulation of P. aeruginosa were used for the study. Efficacy was determined based on the plant's morphological characters and mineral contents (Zn and P) of plants and soil. Survival of P. aeruginosa in the field was validated using Antibiotic Intrinsic patterns (AIP). The results indicated that the combination treatment of P. aeruginosa liquid formulation and organic fertilizer (farmyard) (T3) produced the highest biometric parameters and mineral (Zn and P) content of the groundnut plants and the soil. This outcome is likely attributed to the mineral solubilizing capability of P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, the presence of farmyard manure increased the metabolic activity of P. aeruginosa by inducing its heterotrophic activity, leading to higher mineral content in T3 soil compared to other soil treatments. The AIP data confirmed the presence of the applied liquid inoculant by exhibiting a similar intrinsic pattern between the in vitro isolate and the isolate obtained from the fields. In summary, the Zn and P solubilization ability of P. aeruginosa facilitates the conversion of soil-unavailable mineral form into a form accessible to plants. It further proposes the utilization of the liquid formulation of P. aeruginosa as a viable solution to mitigate the challenges linked to solid-based biofertilizers and the reliance on mineral-based chemical fertilizers., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The consistent increase in multidrug resistance among pathogens and increased cancer incidence are serious public health concerns and threaten humans by killing countless lives. In the present study, Talaromyces pinophilus CJ15 was characterized and evaluated for its antibacterial, candidicidal and cytotoxic activities. The selected isolate Talaromyces pinophilus CJ15 with 18S rRNA gene sequence of 1021 base pairs exhibited antifungal activity on plant pathogens via dual culture. The GC-MS profiling of crude extract illustrated the existence of many bioactive macromolecules which include squalene belonging to the terpenoids family. The biological macromolecules in the bioactive fraction of CJ15 exhibited increasing antibacterial activity with an increase in concentration such that the highest activity was recorded against Shigella flexneri with 15, 18, 20, and 24 mm inhibition zones at 25, 50, 75 and 100 μl concentrations, respectively. The squalene, having a molecular weight of 410.718 g/mol, displayed candidicidal activity with a right-side shifted log phase in the growth curve of all the treated Candida species, indicating delayed exponential growth. In cytotoxic activity, the extracted squalene exhibited an IC 50 concentration of 26.22 μg/ml against JURKAT cells and induced apoptosis-induced cell death. This study's outcomes encourage the researchers to explore further the development of new and improved bioactive macromolecules that could help to prevent infections and human blood cancer., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The cancer-promoting ligand vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) activates VEGF receptor-3 (VEGFR-3). The VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 axis is expressed by a range of human tumor cells in addition to lymphatic endothelial cells. Activating the VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling enhances metastasis by promoting lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis inside and around tumors. Stimulation of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling promotes tumor metastasis in tumors, such as ovarian, renal, pancreatic, prostate, lung, skin, gastric, colorectal, cervical, leukemia, mesothelioma, Kaposi sarcoma, and endometrial carcinoma. We discuss and update the role of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling in tumor development and the research is still needed to completely comprehend this multifunctional receptor., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe 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., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Marine actinomycetes represent a highly favorable source of bioactive compounds and have been the mainstay of much research in recent years. Recent reports have shown that marine Streptomyces sp. can produce compounds with diverse and potent biological activities. Therefore, the key objective of the study was to isolate and screen a potential actinomycete from marine ecosystems of Devbagh and Tilmati beaches, Karwar. Streptomyces sp. KS20 was characterized and the ethyl acetate extract (EtOAc-Ex) was screened for biomedical applications. Streptomyces sp. KS20 produced grayish-white aerial and pale-yellow substrate mycelia and revealed an ancestral relationship with Streptomyces violaceusniger . Optimum growth of the organism was recorded at 30 °C and pH 7.0. The metabolite profiling of EtOAc-Ex expressed the existence of several bioactive metabolites, whereas the functional groups were indicated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. A considerable antioxidant activity was shown for EtOAc-Ex with IC 50 of 92.56 μg/mL. In addition to this, Streptomyces sp. KS20 exhibited significant antimicrobial properties, particularly against Escherichia coli , where a zone of inhibition measuring 36 ± 0.83 mm and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.12 µg/mL were observed. The EtOAc-Ex even revealed significant antimycobacterial potency with IC 50 of 6.25 μg/mL. Finally, the antiproliferative potentiality of EtOAc-Ex against A549 and PC-3 cell lines revealed a constant decline in cell viability while raising the concentration of EtOAc-Ex from 12.5 to 200 μg/mL. The IC 50 values were determined as 94.73 μg/mL and 121.12 μg/mL for A549 and PC-3 cell lines, respectively. Overall, the exploration of secondary metabolites from marine Streptomyces sp. KS20 represents an exciting area of further research with the potential to discover novel bioactive compounds that could be developed into therapeutics for various medical applications.

Anthracnose is a devastating disease caused by the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (CL) in Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek (mung bean). In the present study, an eco-friendly approach to control anthracnose infection, growth promotion and enhancement of defense response in mung bean plants using endophytic actinomycetes was performed. Among the 24 actinomycetes isolates from the Cleome rutidosperma plant, the isolate SND-2 exhibited a broad spectrum of antagonistic activity with 63.27% of inhibition against CL in the dual culture method. Further, the isolate SND-2 was identified as Streptomyces sp. strain SND-2 (SND-2) through the 16S rRNA gene sequence. In-vitro screening of plant growth trials confirmed that SND-2 has the potential to produce indole acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, phosphate solubilization, and siderophore. The in-vivo biocontrol study was performed with exogenous application of wettable talcum-based formulation of SND-2 strain to mitigate CL infection in mung bean seedlings. The results displayed maximum seed germination, vigor index, increased growth parameters, and lowest disease severity (43.63 ± 0.73) in formulation treated and pathogen challenged mung bean plants. Further, the application of SND-2 formulation with pathogen witnessed increased cellular defense through the maximum accumulation of lignin, hydrogen peroxide and phenol deposition in mung bean leaves compared with control treatments. Biochemical defense response exhibited upregulation of antioxidant enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, β-1,-3-Glucanase, and peroxidase enzymes activities with increased phenolic (3.64 ± 0.11 mg/g fresh weight) and flavonoid (1.14 ± 0.05 mg/g fresh weight) contents in comparison with other treatments at 0, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 72 h post pathogen inoculation. This study demonstrated that formulation of Streptomyces sp. strain SND-2 is a potential source as a suppressive agent and plant growth promoter in mung bean plants upon C. lindemuthianum infestation and witnesses the elevation in cellular and biochemical defense against anthracnose disease., 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.)

The biopolymer melanin is reported for many biological processes to secure biological entities over unfavorable environmental factors. The present study aimed to isolate soil fungi and screen for melanin production. The potent fungus was identified as Penicillium citrinum NP4 based on morphological and molecular characterization with accession number OP070954. Using standardized tyrosine broth conditions melanin was produced by NP4 and extracted by acidification. Extracted melanin exhibited maximum UV-visible absorption at 223 nm; FTIR peaks validate the occurrence of CO, CN, CH, and CC functional groups present in the indole/pyrrole structure. TLC analysis exhibited a prominent single band with a Retardation factor (Rf) of 0.68, resonance peaks at 6.621, 7.061, and 7.185 ppm exhibited aromatic hydrogen in the indole/pyrole system in 1 H NMR. The EDX peaks confirm the presence of carbon, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen elements which are the key factors in melanin structure, and TGA reports the thermal stability of the melanin. An in silico molecular docking approach on lung cancer causing proteins EGFR (3g5z), KRAS (6vc8), and TP53 (8 dc4) were conducted to determine the active binding sites of the melanin, and proteins exhibited binding affinity of -8.0 for 3g5z, -9.8 for 6vc8, and - 10.1 kcal/mol for TP53 protein with melanin. Anticancer activity of the melanin showed significant inhibition of A549 cells in dose-dependent mode with significant IC 50 of 65.49 μg/mL; apoptotic examination reveals 46.14 % apoptosis for melanin and 46.36 % apoptosis for standard drug (cisplatin). Melanin exhibited good photoprotection capacity at 1 μg/mL. In conclusion, the extracted melanin exhibited significant results on many biological applications and it can be used in the pharmaceutical field to avoid chemical-based drugs., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study demonstrated the isolation, characterization, and antimicrobial and anticancer activity of active metabolite produced from mining-soil-derived actinomycetes. Among the 21 actinomycete isolates, the isolate HSN-01 exhibited significant antimicrobial activity in primary screening and was identified as Streptomyces sp. through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The active metabolite was separated, purified, and confirmed through UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR analysis and identified as pyraclostrobin. Further, the active metabolite pyraclostrobin was tested for antimicrobial and anticancer activity against the hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line. The metabolite exhibited maximum antimicrobial potential with 17.0, 13.33, 17.66, 15.66, 14.66, and 14.0 mm of inhibition against B. cereus , S. aureus , E. coli , P. aeruginosa , S. flexneri , and C. glabrata . The active metabolite exhibited dose-dependent anticancer potential against the hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line with the IC 50 56.76 µg/mL. This study suggests that Streptomyces sp. HSN-01 is an excellent source of active secondary metabolites with various biological activities.

Nowadays, the increased number of multidrug-resistant strains among pathogens is a severe public health concern and cancer is posing a great threat for humans. These problems should be tackled with the development of novel and broad-spectrum antimicrobials from microbial origin. During the present study, the bioactive secondary metabolites from Aspergillus niger CJ6 were extracted, characterized; their biological properties were evaluated by subjecting them for antimicrobial, antifungal and anticancer activities. The potent isolate Aspergillus niger CJ6 with nucleotide sequence of 959 base pairs showed antagonistic activity against fungal pathogens in dual culture. The chemical profiling of crude ethyl acetate extract indicated the presence of various bioactive molecules belonging to phenolic, hydrocarbons, and phthalate derivative classes. In antimicrobial activity, the crude extract displayed increasing activity with increased concentration; the highest activity observed against Shigella flexneri with 15 ± 1.0, 19 ± 0.5, 20 ± 1.0 and 24 ± 1.0 mm zones of inhibition at 25, 50, 75 and 100 μl concentrations. The MTT assay illustrated deformed cells of MIA PaCa-2 cell line in in-vitro cytotoxic activity; outflow of cell matrix and membrane rupture; the IC 50 of 90.78 μg/ml suggested moderate potential of extract to prevent cancer cell growth. The apoptosis/necrosis study by flow cytometer exhibited 8.98 ± 0.85% early and 73 ± 0.7% of late apoptotic population with 3.8 ± 1.1% necrotic cells; only 14.22 ± 0.6% of healthy cells suggested the increased apoptosis inducing capacity of Aspergillus niger CJ6 crude extract. The outcomes of this study persuade further exploration on the identification, purification and development of novel bioactive agents that could help battle fatal diseases in humans., 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.)

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are gaining popularity due to their distinctive biological applications. In this research work, an eco-friendly method of synthesizing AgNPs from the leaf polysaccharide (PS) of Acalypha indica L. ( A. indica) was carried out. Synthesis of polysaccharide-AgNPs (PS-AgNPs) was indicated by visual detection of colour change from pale yellow to light brown. The PS-AgNPs were characterized with different techniques and further evaluated for biological activities. The Ultra violet-visible (UV-Vis.) spectroscopy expressed a sharp absorption peak at 415 nm confirmed the synthesis. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed the size range of particles from 14 nm to 85 nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis detected the presence of various functional groups. The cubic crystalline structure of PS-AgNPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the particles were found to be oval to polymorphic shaped through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with sizes from 7.25 nm to 92.51 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) determined the presence of silver in PS-AgNPs. The zeta potential was -28.0 mV, which confirmed the stability and an average particle size of 62.2 nm was calculated through dynamic light scattering (DLS). Lastly, the thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed the PS-AgNPs were resistant to high temperature. The PS-AgNPs exhibited significant free radical scavenging activity with an IC 50 value of 112.91 μg/ml. They were highly capable of inhibiting the growth of different bacterial and plant fungal pathogens and also active to reduce the cell viability of prostate cancer (PC-3) cell line. The IC 50 value was 101.43 μg/ml. The flow cytometric apoptosis analysis revealed the percentage of viable, apoptotic and necrotic cells of PC-3 cell line. According to this evaluation, it can be concluded that these biosynthesized and environmentally friendly PS-AgNPs are helpful to improve therapeutics because of significant antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties to open up new possibilities for euthenics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of intetrsts among them., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Currently, the exploration of fungal organisms for novel metabolite production and its pharmacological applications is much appreciated in the biomedical field. In the present study, the fungal strains were isolated from soil of unexplored Yellapura regions. The potent isolate NP5 was selected based on preliminary screening and identified as Penicillium brasilianum NP5 through morphological, microscopic, and molecular characterizations. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles from P. brasilianum was confirmed by the color change of the reaction mixture and UV-visible surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra of 420 nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed the functional groups involved in synthesis. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis showed aggregation of the NPs, with sizes ranged from 10 to 60 nm, an average particle size of 25.32 nm, and a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.40. The crystalline nature and silver as the major element in NP5-AgNPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The negative value -15.3 mV in Zeta potential exhibited good stability, and thermostability was recorded by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). NP5-AgNPs showed good antimicrobial activity on selected human pathogens in a concentration-dependent manner. The MTT assay showed concentration-dependent anticancer activity with an IC 50 of 41.93 µg/mL on the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Further, apoptotic study was carried out by flow cytometry to observe the rate of apoptosis. The calculated sun protection factor (SPF) value confirms good photoprotection capacity. From the results obtained, NP5-AgNPs can be used in the pharmaceutical field after successful in vitro clinical studies.

The problem of marine litter is increasing along the Indian coast. For conducting a baseline study to identify and assess the abundance, clean-coast index (CCI), and plastics abundance index (PAI) of marine litter were calculated on the beaches of Kanyakumari, Southern India. A total of 11,439 marine litter items were collected and classified into 33 groups along the 7 beaches of Kanyakumari. From the results, plastics were the most abundant items (65.08 %) followed by foam (21.93 %), along with cloths (4.59 %), rubber (3.09 %), papers (2.26 %), glass (2.16 %), metal (0.38 %), wood (0.26 %), and others (0.26 %). The average CCI value (27.24) indicates that all beaches are 'extremely dirty'; however, the PAI average value (4.37) indicates 'high abundance'. About 96.87 % of the marine litter originates from the land-based sources. This study provides an interpretive framework for further plastic pollution assessment, which could lead to a better marine litter management on Indian beaches., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pesticide residues (PRs) in farmed shrimps are concerning food safety risks. Globally, India is a major exporter of pacific white leg shrimp (P. vannamei). This study was undertaken to analyze PRs in the water, sediments, shrimps, and feed at different growth stages to evaluate the ecotoxicological and human health risks. PRs in the seawater and sediments ranged from not detected (ND) to 0.027 μg/L and 0.006-12.39 μg/kg, and the concentrations were within the maximum residual limits (MRLs) and sediment quality guidelines prescribed by the World Health Organization and Canadian Environment Guidelines, respectively. PRs in shrimps at three growth stages viz. Postlarvae, juvenile, and adults, ranged from ND to 0.522 μg/kg, below the MRLs set by Codex Alimentarius Commission and European Commission. Most of the PRs in water, sediments, and shrimps did not vary significantly (p > 0.05) from days of culture (DOC-01) to DOC-90. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard ratio (HR) were found to be < 1, indicating that consumption of shrimps has no noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. PRs in shrimp feed ranged from ND to 0.777 μg/kg and were found to be below the MRLs set by EC, which confirms that the feed fed is safe for aquaculture practices and does not biomagnify in animals. The risk quotient (RQ) and toxic unit (TU) ranged from insignificant level (ISL) to 0.509 and ISL to 0.022, indicating that PRs do not pose acute and chronic ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms. The study suggested no health risk due to PRs in shrimps cultured in India and exported to the USA, China, and Japan. However, regular monitoring of PRs is recommended to maintain a sustainable ecosystem., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dimeric quinoline-based Schiff base was developed (DQS) for the specific detection of Pb 2+ ion via fluorimetry. DQS coordinates with Pb 2+ , a variation in fluorescence intensity with enhanced radical blue shift was observed due to the restriction of CN rotation, CN isomerization, and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms. In addition, the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) from electron-donating morpholine to phenylene diamine acceptor linked quinoline bridge is responsible for the blue-shifted fluorescence enhancement in the DQS-Pb 2+ complex. The binding stoichiometry of DQS: Pb 2+ (1:2) was confirmed by host-guest titration and mass spectrometry. The limit of detection (LOD) of the DQS was found to be 1.3 × 10 -7 M for Pb 2+ ion. The DQS sensing ability of Pb 2+ was further applied into milk and honey samples, smartphone, bio-imaging and to construct of an INHIBIT molecular logic gate., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The RGO-supported HoVO 4 -ZnO nanocomposite was synthesized using the ultra sonication process. X-ray diffraction patterns, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, Diffractive Reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy were employed to examine the heterostructured photocatalyst in this research study. The photocatalytic efficiency of the RGO-supported HoVO 4 -ZnO nanoparticles, under UV light irradiation, in the degradation of Rhodamine-B dye was investigated. Undoped ZnO, bare HoVO4, and HoVO 4 -ZnO, degraded at 55.6, 57.5, and 74.33 percent in 45 min, respectively. This new RGO coupled HoVO 4 -ZnO exhibits enhanced photocatalytic efficiency compared to the bare ZnO and HoVO 4 -ZnO nanocomposite., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Melanin has been produced and extracted from various microorganisms because of its therapeutic nature and diverse applications in various fields. Hence we isolated actinomycetes from soil which is capable of producing melanin pigment from L-tyrosine and it was identified as Streptomyces sp. strain MR28 on the basis of biochemical, morphological characterization, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Production of melanin pigment was achieved by using standardized tyrosine broth. The melanin pigment was purified, and characterized by using various techniques such as Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), 1 H NMR spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Elemental analysis (EDX), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The pigment exhibit maximum UV-Vis absorption spectrum at 299 nm, FTIR peaks confirm the occurrence of C-H, C-N, C-O, and CC functional groups which are key functional groups in indole/pyrrole structure. TLC analysis showed a single band with a significant Retardation factor (Rf) of 0.68, Resonance peaks at 6.66, 7.18, and 7.28 ppm exhibit aromatic hydrogen in the indole/pyrole system in 1 H NMR. The EDX reports the presence of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur which are key elements in melanin structure, and TGA exhibits the thermal stability of the melanin. Overall, the successful production and extraction of melanin was achieved by using soil actinomycetes Streptomyces sp. strain MR28, and its characterization confirms the nature of the melanin pigment which has significant value in the industrial and biomedical field., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Graphene oxide-rhodamine B hydrazide (GO-RhB) nanocomposite was prepared by a simple chemical method and characterized by various spectroscopic and analytical techniques. GO-RhB nanocomposite potentially detects Cr 3+ ion (excitation/emission = 550 nm/572 nm) via fluorescence turn "on-off" approach. This composite showed high binding affinity (10 6  M -1 ) with Cr 3+ and a+ limit of detection (LOD) down to picomolar concentration (LOD = 85.6 pM). As far as we know, this is the first report for the sensing of Cr 3+ ion at picomolar concentration. GO-RhB selectively senses Cr 3+ ion without any interference of other coexisting metal ions. In addition, this composite exhibited the dynamic nature of quenching in the presence of Cr 3+ ion, which is confirmed by the Stern-Volmer plot, fluorescence temperature profiles, and decay time experiments. The GO-RhB nanocomposite-based fluorescent probe was successfully applied to the quantitative detection of Cr 3+ ion in milk sample (linear range = 2 to 10 nM) with better performance than other existing methods. Besides, this GO-RhB composite showed better antibiofilm activity against Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by using the Congo red agar and tube method., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Treatment breaks during radiation for locally advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the important factors affecting the loco-regional control rate. We prospectively analysed the role lower pre-treatment hemoglobin (pre-T Hb) status and its influence on treatment breaks amongst patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiation (CRT)., Methods: One hundred and twenty HNSCC (T3-T4a, N1-N2c) patients treated by CRT were prospectively analysed for influence of pre-T Hb on treatment breaks. Sub-sites included oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx & larynx. All patients received radiation to a total dose of 66Gy to PTV along with weekly Inj. Cisplatin 40 mg/m 2 . All patients were evaluated weekly and at the end of 6 weeks by hemogram, physician and radiological examination., Results: Our study population had a mean age (±standard deviation) of 55 (± 10.7) years (range: 27 - 69 years), 85 men and 35 women with a performance status of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 1-2. The mean pre-T Hb calculated (using receiver operating characteristic curve [ROC]) was 10.3 g/dL. Among 120 patients, in the pre-T Hb of ≤10.3 g/dL group, 44 (75.9%) patients had treatment breaks of ≥5 days and 11 (17.7%) patients had treatment breaks < 5 days; in the pre-T Hb of >10.3 g/dL group, 14 (24.1%) patients had treatment breaks of ≥5 days and 51 (82.3%) patients had treatment breaks < 5 days (P = 0.001)., Conclusion: Lower pre-T Hb level of ≤ 10.3 g/dL is statistically significantly associated with higher treatment breaks of ≥ 5 days., Competing Interests: None

Aim: Tumors of various organs that metastasize to bone do not neglect calvarium as a target. The aim of this study was to characterize the calvarial tumors., Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 45 consecutive patients operated for calvarial masses from January 2002 till May 2012 at our hospital. Skull base tumors and patients ≤18 years were excluded., Results: Three groups of lesions were found - calvarial metastases (15/45), primary tumors (5/45) and tumor-like lesions (25/45). Malignant lesions were equitable by gender distribution, higher age of onset (median age of primary =55; secondary = 60 years) and benign lesions by younger age (median = 35) and female bias (18/25). Calvarial metastases mostly presented with local swelling (10/15), local pain (6/15) and rarely neurologic deficit. There was associated dural sinus thrombosis (4/20 of malignant; 1/25 of benign lesions) and osteolysis (3/5 primary malignant, 13/15 secondary and 18/25 of benign lesions). Complete surgical excision was possible with minimal morbidity in all except one patient and nil mortality., Conclusion: Nearly half (20/45) of the calvarial lesions tend to be malignant with most of them presenting as silent painless masses. Surgical excision should be considered only after suitable investigation and appropriate neurosurgical set-up.

Purpose: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder; the safety and effects of radiation therapy on PD are not well established. We report a patient with PD and a brain tumor referred for radiation therapy and review the literature on this topic focusing on the incidence of cancer and brain tumors in PD, brain tumors and radiation therapy as independent causes of PD, and the safety and effect of radiation therapy, including functional radiosurgery, in patients with PD., Methods and Materials: A PubMed literature review focusing on all English language publications from 1940 to 2014 identified 146 relevant articles, of which 91 discussed functional radiosurgery for PD, 49 discussed "neoplastic parkinsonism," 4 discussed radiation-induced parkinsonism, and 2 discussed the safety of fractionated radiation therapy in patients with PD., Results: Odds ratios of 0.4 to 0.88 have been reported for the development of cancer in general among patients with PD, whereas the incidence ratios of PD patients developing a brain tumor relative to the general population range from 0.9 to 1.61. Parkinsonian symptoms thought to arise as a sequelae of tumor growth have been described in 49 papers dating to 1953. We identified 4 reports of parkinsonian syndromes that arose after radiation therapy, comprising a total of 7 patients, including 5 adults and 2 pediatric patients. Pediatric patients showed a mixed response to dopamine agonist therapy, whereas adults had little symptom improvement. Reports of PD patients irradiated in conventional fractionation for a variety of indications do not appear to indicate increased sensitivity to radiation therapy or exacerbated PD symptoms after irradiation. Radiosurgery performed for management of refractory tremor in PD patients results in up to an 88% favorable outcome, with the onset of symptom improvement ranging from 3 days to 1 year and minimal toxicity (not exceeding the toxicities observed for the same stereotactic radiosurgery procedure performed for essential tremor in nonparkinsonian patients)., Conclusions: Patients with PD do not harbor an increased risk for the development of cancer in general and have similar incidence of brain tumors as the general population. Tumor-induced parkinsonism is a rare entity. Parkinsonism as a side effect of brain radiation is an uncommon phenomenon, even after high doses, but is associated with limited response to medical management. Rare cases in children, typically associated with bilateral imaging changes, have been described, which suggests possible uncommon genetic predisposition. There are no convincing reports that suggest that pre-existing parkinsonism is worsened by radiation therapy, although a mechanistic possibility for this exists. Functional radiosurgery for management of refractory tremor in PD patients is safe and effective. Radiation therapy, either fractionated or stereotactic radiosurgery, appears to be safe when used judiciously for patients with PD, for the treatment of either tumors or PD itself., (Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The synthesis, photophysical, and electrochemical attributes of a novel class of boron difluorides containing an aromatic-fused alicyclic/hetero-alicyclic ring built on a β-iminoenamine chromophoric backbone are reported. The compounds displayed large Stokes shifts (86-121 nm), and were emissive in the solid state. The quantum yields obtained in solution at room temperature were unusually lower by an order of magnitude compared to those in the solid state. Some of the tested compounds displayed aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Single crystal XRD analyses revealed a lack of interplanar π-π interactions, which are presumed to be absent owing to non-planarity of the alicyclic component in the molecule. For most of the studied compounds, time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations invariably reveal intramolecular charge transfer (π-π*) characteristics with the frontier orbitals concentrated on the boron-nitrogen heterocycle. The participation of boron and fluorine atoms was found to be negligible., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)