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Abstract Background Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV-2 virus is evolving continuously. The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has the highest mutation in its spike protein, thus making the presently available vaccine ineffective or reducing its efficiency. Furthermore, the majority of the vaccines are constructed using a spike protein sequence from wild-type SARS-CoV-2. This raises the possibility of the virus evolving to the point where the vaccine's effectiveness is completely lost, even after booster doses. The study aims to develop a predictive vaccine as well as the epitopes for the updating of the vaccine sequences of currently available vaccines. In this study, following the immunoinformatics approach, predictive vaccine construction was done with the help of epitopes present on spike proteins of wild-type, delta, and omicron variants that encompass the majority of variants and possible new variants that arise from the combination of circulating variants. Results The vaccine that was constructed was stable and immunogenic. The vaccine was constructed with the help of 18 B-cell epitopes, 5 MHC class I epitopes, and 6 MHC class II epitopes. The epitope conservancy analysis suggests that the vaccine will work for the previously known variant of concern. The vaccine bound to TLR4, TLR2, B-cell receptor chains A and B, and ACE2 receptors with a z score of − 1.4, − 1.7, − 1.4, − 1.7, and − 1.4, respectively, with a cluster size of 121 highest for the ACE2 receptor and 46 lowest for B-cell receptor chain A. The C-ImmSim simulation results indicate that the vaccine is generating both humoral and cell-mediated responses at a sufficient level throughout the month upon injection of the vaccine as an antigen. Conclusion The study's findings indicate that the vaccine was both stable and immunogenic, providing a sufficient level of immunity. Following experimental validation, the vaccine can be used, and the epitopes can be employed for therapeutic purposes such as antibody synthesis. Graphical Abstract

Many studies show the importance of biological sex for the onset, progression, and response to treatment in brain disorders. In line with these reports, health agencies have requested that all trials, both at the clinical and preclinical level, use a similar number of male and female subjects to correctly interpret the results. Despite these guidelines, many studies still tend to be unbalanced in the use of male and female subjects.In this review we consider three neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and three psychiatric disorders: Depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Schizophrenia. These disorders were chosen because of their prevalence and their recognized sex-specific differences in onset, progression, and response to treatment. Alzheimer's disease and Depression demonstrate higher prevalence in females, whereas Parkinson's Disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and schizophrenia show higher prevalence in males.Results from preclinical and clinical studies examining each of these disorders revealed sex-specific differences in risk factors, diagnostic biomarkers, and treatment response and efficacy, suggesting a role for sex-specific therapies in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the qualitative analysis of the percentage of males and females enrolled in clinical trials in the last two decades shows that for most of the disorders, there is still a sex bias in the patients' enrolment.

Introduction: Thrombocytopenia (TCP) refers to a reduction of platelet count below 150 x 109/ L; it’s not a disease entity by itself, but a finding that may result from a number of disease processes. Automated hematology analyzers that determine the Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), Platelet Distribution Width (PDW), Plateletcrit (PCT), and Platelet Large Cell Ratio (P-LCR), could be very helpful to facilitate the differential diagnosis of thrombocytopenia and to monitor thrombocytopenic conditions. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study of platelet indices of 512 thrombocytopenic samples by automated hematology analyzers was done. Results: The cases of thrombocytopenia were classified into hypo-productive (362 cases) and hyper-destructive (150) groups. A most common cause of hypo-productive and hyper-destructive thrombocytopenia was Aplastic anemia and ITP, respectively. All the indices were significantly higher (p-value < 0.05) in hyper-destructive TCP compared to hypo-productive TCP, except Plateletcrit. Conclusion: The results of the present study show platelet indices to be a useful and reliable test to differentiate between hyper-destructive thrombocytopenia from the hypo-productive type with statistically significant differences.

This study focused on the synthesis and spectral investigation of divalent transition metal complexes of novel ligand 4-((3-fluoro-2-methylbenzylidene)amino)-5-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol (FMMT). Extensive physical, spectroscopic and theoretical investigations are performed on the ligand and its complexes, and the results are compatible with their expected compositions. Based on IR and NMR spectral data, metal complexes with coordination number of 6 and 4 were proposed, with FMMT functioning as a bidentate ligand. The metal complexes display an octahedral geometry around bivalent cobalt, nickel and zinc centers, and for copper and palladium tetrahedral environment was suggested and also optimized by Avogadro program. The polarity of the solvent used promoted the complex solvatochromism. Furthermore, optical bandgap was calculated with the help of Tauc's plot. Thermogravimetric study was employed to estimate the thermal stability and coordinated H2O in the complexes. CV endorsed a reversible one electron transfer Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox reaction. In vitro antibacterial and antifungal studies of compounds exhibited modest to substantial activity against different microbial strains. The bio-efficacy data proved that the complexation of ligand with metal centers leads to enhanced bio–activity which could be elucidated by chelation and Overton’s theory.

A novel Schiff base named 5-methyl-3-((5-bromosalicylidene) amino)- pyrazole (HMBP) was synthesized by refluxing of 3-amino-5-methylpyrazole and 5-bromosalicylaldehyde in 1:1 M constitution in methanol. The characterization of the HMBP was done by elemental analysis and spectral methods (1H NMR, IR and mass). The coordination behavior of some transition metal ions with newly synthesized Schiff base is also described. The characterization of the complexes has been done via 1H NMR, fluorescence, elemental analyses, IR, electronic spectra, UV–vis, mass, magnetic moments, and moreover their thermal study is carried out and explained by thermogravimetric assay (TG-DTG). IR spectra deduced that the Schiff base is a bidentate ligand which binds to the metal ions via protonated phenolic O and imine N. The existence of the water molecules is confirmed by thermal study. The proposed structures of the HMBP and all the metal complexes were calculated and the quantum yields were also measured. Fluorescence study revealed that metal complexes have high fluorescence intensity than the novel Schiff base. Kinetics variables were computed by the use of Coats- Redfern equation. The synthesized ligand and its complexes were tested against food borne pathogens namely, Staphylococcus aureus sub. aureus (MTCC 1144), Clostridium perfringens (MTCC 450), Listeria monocytogenes (MTCC 657/1143), Escherichia coli (MTCC 433) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 424) and fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans). All the complexes were detected to own enhanced biological action towards discrete organisms than the novel Schiff base.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are found in a range of commercial products due to their proven antibacterial properties. The unused silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) may make its way into the soil via biosolids that come from wastewater treatment or the effluent that comes from industrialisation processes, where it could be harmful to the organism that live in terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, silver ions are one of the most toxic forms of heavy metal released from dissolved silver nitrate (AgNO3) and AgNPs through dissolution or oxidation. The study examined the effect of engineered AgNPs, and AgNO3 on earthworms which are one of the most important bioindicator for determining toxicity in soil environment. Epigeic earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae was exposed to soils spiked with equivalent concentrations of AgNPs or AgNO3 at 0, 10, 100, and 200 mg kg−1 in soil for 56 days of experiments. The survival and growth rate was recorded at 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th days and accumulation of Ag in earthworm tissue at 14th and 28th days, antioxidant enzymes at 28th days and reproduction at 56th days of experiment. Further, a short-term exposure of AgNPs and AgNO3 was conducted to observe avoidance behaviour after 48 h of exposure. The result indicated that survivability was relatively low on exposure of AgNO3 (83.3%) than AgNPs (86.7%) in 200 mg kg−1 spiked soils, besides the growth was inhibited in both AgNPs (3.68%) and AgNO3 (3.25%) at 28th days. The uptake of Ag from AgNO3 in the earthworm tissue was slightly higher than uptake of Ag from AgNPs and it showed concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on reproduction. In AgNO3 spiked soil, a high level of the Malondialdehyde (MDA) based lipid peroxidation and increased activity of antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT) was observed than AgNPs spiked soil. Similarly, glutathione (GSH), a cofactor for GPx and GST enzymes, was lower in AgNO3-spiked soil than in AgNPs-spiked soil. In terms of avoidance behaviour, there was no discernible difference between the distribution of earthworms in AgNPs and AgNO3 after 48 h. The study found E. eugeniae exhibits concentration-dependent alterations in its competence to survive, antioxidant enzymes, and reproduction. AgNO3 was found to be more sensitive than AgNPs in the study. The research investigates the effect of AgNPs on earthworms in the soil ecosystem since this understanding is crucial for a comprehensive evaluation of AgNPs' environmental consequences.

Abstract Background Most of the analytical methods reported for the estimation of Orlistat were complex, expensive, and deficient in reproducibility with no or very less informative regarding various statistical methods and equations used for the validation purpose. This study provides a fast, accurate, descriptive, and precise isocratic reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method using Waters Spherisorb 5 μm Octadecyl-silica-2 (250 × 4.6 mm) column, for the estimation of Orlistat in bulk drug and pharmaceutical formulations with minimized drug extraction steps. The drug was detected in an analytical column with mobile phase comprising a mixture of methanol, acetonitrile, and 2% phosphoric acid in the ratio of 85:14:1 v/v/v at flow rate of 1 ml/min with elution monitoring at 215.0 nm. Results The retention time for Orlistat was found to be 5.9 min with sharp and proper peak. The linearity was covered over the concentration range of 1.00–10.00 μg/ml (r 2 = 0.9997) with a limit of detection and limit of quantitation 0.06 and 0.2 μg/ml, respectively. The developed analytical technique was found to be validated for all the parameters within the acceptance criteria of ICH guidelines. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) recoveries of Orlistat were 99.87 ± 0.45. Conclusion The optimized method was well precise, accurate, sensitive, stability indicating, and tested with all statistical parameters. Thus, the method can be conveniently used in quality control and routine analysis of Orlistat containing solid dispersions and other formulations. The main advantage of the developed method was its high specificity for the estimation of Orlistat in presence of various degradation products resulting from stress conditions and formulation excipients.

Background: Early pregnancy losses can be a distressing experience both for the parents and the treating clinician. We aim to explore the role of chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in early pregnancy losses by comparing its expression among patients with spontaneous miscarriages and patients undergoing termination of viable pregnancies for unwanted pregnancies. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of CXCR4 in early pregnancy losses and correlate the various clinical parameters with differential expression of the above receptor in the chorionic villi and maternal decidua. Study and Setting: The present study is a case-“control study done in a tertiary care center. Methodology: Fifty patients attending outdoor and antenatal clinic of the hospital aged 18-“40 years with spontaneous miscarriage under 20 weeks of gestational age were included as cases and compared with fifty females of comparable age group (18-“40 years) seeking medical termination of pregnancy as controls. Chorionic villi and decidua obtained from the cases and controls were analyzed for CXCR4 expression. Statistical Analysis: The results were analyzed using mean ± standard deviation, percentiles values, Chi-square test, and P value to determine the association of CXCR4 expression in decidua and chorionic villi of cases versus controls. Results: CXCR4 expression was significantly downregulated in cases as compared to the controls with P < 0.001. The mean normalized ratio of CXCR4 expression to housekeeping gene (β Actin) expression in the case group was 1.607 ± 1.108 and in the control group, it was 2.506 ± 1.457. There was a strong correlation between the expression of CXCR4 and maternal age. With increasing age, the expression of CXCR4 was more downregulated in both the cases and control groups (P < 0.001). The expression of CXCR4 was elevated in controls as compared to cases in

In rural areas of developing countries, where about 40 % of all people live, the household stove accounts for more of all national fuel combustion occur under cooking pots. The present study was undertaken in Hisar district of Haryana state to assess the indoor air pollution level as per the energy ladder and its effect on respiratory health. The study was conducted in the rural villages of Hisar district and rural women who were using traditional chullah were selected as the sample of the study. Results revealed that most of the women were using chullah for cooking their own food and hara for animal feed with fuel placed on the lower rung of energy ladder i.e. crop waste and dung cakes, wood, kerosene, and LPG. Major health problems faced by women were ‘headache’ and ‘irritation in eyes’ while using the traditional chullah and hara. The majority of them were also having respiratory problems like ‘phlegm’ (mean score-2.7) ‘shortness of breath’ (mean score-2.6), ‘cough’ (mean score-2.5), and ‘wheezing’ (attacks) with mean score of 2.0, respectively. Mean PEFR values for the traditional chullah and hara exposed women were significantly lower as compared with MDV chullah and improved hara. Therefore, it is recommended that the use of cheap improved chullah and hara are the best alternative, which is the permanent solution of smoke and also consumes less fuel than traditional chullah and hara.

γδ T cells are thought to contribute to immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the mechanisms by which they are activated by the virus are unknown. Using flow cytometry, we investigated if the two most abundant viral structural proteins, spike and nucleocapsid, can activate human γδ T cell subsets, directly or in the presence of dendritic cells (DC). Both proteins failed to induce interferon-γ production by Vδ1 or Vδ2 T cells within fresh mononuclear cells or lines of expanded γδ T cells generated from healthy donors, but the same proteins stimulated CD3+ cells from COVID-19 patients. The nucleocapsid protein stimulated interleukin-12 production by DC and downstream interferon-γ production by co-cultured Vδ1 and Vδ2 T cells, but protease digestion and use of an alternative nucleocapsid preparation indicated that this activity was due to contaminating non-protein material. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins do not have stimulatory activity for DC or γδ T cells. We propose that γδ T cell activation in COVID-19 patients is mediated by immune recognition of viral RNA or other structural proteins by γδ T cells, or by other immune cells, such as DC, that produce γδ T cell-stimulatory ligands or cytokines.

Viral quasispecies are distinct but closely related mutants formed by the disparity in viral genomes due to recombination, mutations, competition, and selection pressure. Theoretical derivation for the origin of a quasispecies is owed to the error-prone replication by polymerase and mutants of RNA replicators. Here, we briefly addressed the theoretical and mathematical origin of quasispecies and their dynamics. The impact of quasispecies for major salient human pathogens is reviewed. In the current global scenario, rapid changes in geographical landscapes favor the origin and selection of mutants. It comes as no surprise that a cauldron of mutants poses a significant risk to public health, capable of causing pandemics. Mutation rates in RNA viruses are magnitudes higher than in DNA organisms, explaining their enhanced virulence and evolvability. RNA viruses cause the most devastating pandemics; for example, members of the Orthomyxoviridae family caused the great influenza pandemic (1918 flu or Spanish flu), the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) outbreak, and the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), lentiviruses of the Retroviridae family, caused worldwide devastation. Rapidly evolving RNA virus populations are a daunting challenge for the designing of effective control measures like vaccines. Developing awareness of the evolutionary dispositions of RNA viral mutant spectra and what influences their adaptation and virulence will help curtail outbreaks of past and future pathogens.

Abstract Background Since the first report of a decline in semen quality in 1974, there have been several reports of similar declines across populations. Despite some scattered reports of declining semen quality in the Indian sub-continent, comprehensive studies analyzing semen quality over the last few decades have not been undertaken. We undertook the present study to investigate the temporal trend in semen parameters in Indian populations over a period of 37 years (1979–2016). Methods Publications providing semen analysis details for fertile and infertile men from the Indian sub-continent were collected by a thorough literature search. Semen quality data for 6466 normal fertile or presumptive normal men (from 119 studies/data sets) and 7020 infertile men (from 63 studies/data sets) published between 1979 and 2016 were retrieved. We undertook systematic review and quantitative analysis of mean sperm count, motility, normal morphology and other available parameters. Data were analyzed to estimate semen parameters reference values for Indian men and to assess temporal trends in infertile, fertile and all subjects. Results Seminal quality shows a decreasing temporal trend and the decrease is higher in infertile than fertile males. In pooled analysis for all individuals, significant (p

Abstract Integrin beta8 (ITGB8) is involved in the endometrial receptivity. The blastocyst first interacts with the luminal endometrial epithelial cells during its implantation; therefore, we have investigated the signaling of ITGB8 via FAK and VAV-RAC1 in the endometrial epithelial cells. Integrin beta8 was found elevated in epithelial cells at late-pre-receptive (day4, 1600 h) and receptive (day5, 0500 h) stages of endometrial receptivity period in the mouse. Integrins downstream molecule FAK has demonstrated an increased expression and phosphorylation (Y397) in the endometrium as well as in the isolated endometrial epithelial cells during receptive and post-receptive stages. Integrin beta8 can functionally interact with FAK, VAV and RAC1 as the levels of phosphorylated-FAK, and VAV along with the RAC-GTP form was reduced after ITGB8 knockdown in the endometrial epithelial cells and uterus. Further, VAV and RAC1 were seen poorly active in the absence of FAK activity, suggesting a crosstalk of ITGB8 and FAK for VAV and RAC1 activation in the endometrial epithelial cells. Silencing of ITGB8 expression and inhibition of FAK activity in the Ishikawa cells rendered poor attachment of JAr spheroids. In conclusion, ITGB8 activates VAV-RAC1 signaling axis via FAK to facilitate the endometrial epithelial cell receptivity for the attachment of blastocyst.

The study was conducted in poor communities, where most of the population is dependent on river and well for their everyday activities. In this study 5 years–15 years aged children were sampled for schistosomiasis (Urinary and intestinal), using of urine and stool samples. The stool samples were analyzed using kato-katz thick faecal smear technique while the urine samples were analyzed by filtration technique. The overall prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis (Schistosoma haematobium) was 60.8% (228 positive cases in 375 samples), and for intestinal schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni) was 2.93% (11 positive in 375 samples). The order of infection based on social status (occupation of pupil's parents) was farmers > fishermen > traders > civil servents > others. The prevalence of infection based on pupil's water contact activities such as farming associated 84.87% urinary schistosomiasis, followed by swimming (78.21%). Occurrence of urinary schistosomiasis based on source of pupil's drinking water; highest infection was reported among those that drink dam water (75.24%) while least infection was occurred whose drinking water was from bore-whole (17.64%). Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in the studied area is therefore very high and family status, means of water contact and availability of drinking water dependent. Therefore there is urgent need to adapt preventive measures, provision of safe drinking water as well as control programmes for vector snails, immediately.

A new series of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes were prepared with bidentate ligand derived by condensation of 4-amino-3-mercapto-6-methyl-5-oxo-1,2,4-triazine with 3-(p-bromophenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolecarboxaldehyde. The Schiff base and its metal complexes were characterized on the basis of various spectroscopic investigation like IR, NMR, fluorescence and thermal analyses. The coordinated water molecules were confirmed by IR and thermal data, while the geometry of the complexes was confirmed by electronic spectra, magnetic moment measurements and ESR analysis. Cyclic voltammetry shows the redox behavior of copper complexes. All the complexes were colored, stable in air and non-electrolytic in nature. Schiff base and its metal complexes were screened for in vitro antimicrobial activity and it was observed that metal complexes show enhanced biological activity as compared to ligand or metal salts. In addition, Zn(II) complexes show enhanced biological activity against most of the microbial strains as compared to ligand and other metal complexes.

Introduction: Microalbuminuria is a frequent feature in pregnancy, as the latter is a state of haemodynamic changes and sympathetic overactivity. Both sympathetic overactivity {as measured by Heart Rate Variability (HRV)} and microalbuminuria are individually linked with hypertension. So, presence of these conditions in pregnant women could be the reason for the increasing prevalence of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)/Preeclampsia. Aim: To measure HRV and urinary microalbumin excretion simultaneously in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based study, pregnant women in 2nd and 3rd trimester were recruited along with agematched controls. Their sympathetic activity and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio were recorded. The patients were followed till delivery to note progression to preeclampsia/ pregnancy-induced hypertension. Statistical analysis was done with appropriate tests using Graphpad Prizm (version 7.04). Results: The level of urinary microalbumin was found to be high in the pregnant group. Albumin Creatinine Ratio (ACR) was raised in pregnancy (72.35±50.29 in third trimester, 84.48±52.61 in second trimester and 17.59±6.19 in non-pregnant control group; p

In recent years, most of our knowledge about myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) has come from cancer studies, which depicts Yin side of MDSCs. In cancer, inherent immunosuppressive action of MDSCs favors tumor progression by inhibiting antitumor immune response. However, recently Yang side of MDSCs has also been worked out and suggests the role in maintenance of homeostasis during non-cancer situations like pregnancy, obesity, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. Continued work in this area has armored the biological importance of these cells as master regulators of immune system and prompted scientists all over the world to look from a different perspective. Therefore, explicating Yin and Yang arms of MDSCs is obligatory to use it as a double edged sword in a much smarter way. This review is an attempt toward presenting a synergistic coalition of all the facts and controversies that exist in understanding MDSCs, bring them on the same platform and approach their “Yin and Yang” nature in a more comprehensive and coherent manner.

India is second largest populated country and facing many problems related to energy and environment. Green building is one of the solutions which can be helpful in decreasing the energy demand and improving the environmental quality. Green buildings are designed to decrease the adverse effects of the built environment on human being and natural environment by using optimum energy, conserving natural resources and using the recycled water by providing healthier environment for human beings. The basic aim of the green buildings is to reduce the overall impact on the human being and environment. This paper focuses on the importance of green buildings in improving the environmental quality.

Objective: To analyze global DNA methylation along with DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) expression at transcript level in patients with impaired spermatogenesis to dissect its role in pathophysiology of human male infertility. Method: The content of Global methylated cytosine (mC) was determined using ELISA system (Imprint Methylated DNA Quantification Kit, Sigma–Aldrich) in 31 testicular biopsies showing impaired spermatogenesis and 8 with normal spermatogenesis. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was done to analyze DNMTs (DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B and DNMT3L) mRNA levels in biopsies with different testicular phenotypes. Results: There was significant increase in levels of global methylation in different impaired testicular phenotypes as compared to normal. Expression analysis revealed significantly increased expression of DNMT1 and its positive correlation with global DNA methylation. Conclusion: In conclusion, increased levels of global methylation in impaired cases might be the one of the contributing factors for aberrant gene expression in infertile patients.

Objective: To investigate –844C>T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) present in the promoter of cell death pathway gene FASLG with male infertile phenotype. Methods: Genotyping for SNP FASLG (rs763110) was done by polymerase chain reaction followed by analysis with specific endonuclease (PCR-RFLP). DNA sequencing was used to ascertain PCR-RFLP results. Results: FASLG –844C>T polymorphism, allele and genotype distribution did not differ significantly between patients and controls (OR: 1.03, 95% CI= 0.7638 to 1.3952, P=0.83). Thus SNP-844C>T of the FASLG gene is not associated with male infertility risk in the analyzed patients. Conclusions: Human male infertility is a complex disorder and thus other genetic or environmental factors may be contributing to the complex etiology, and further study in other region of Indian populations will verify whether it is associated with male infertility risk.

CONTEXT: In majority of couples experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), etiology is still unknown. Two genetic factors have been suggested to underlie miscarriage in a subset of patients, namely skewed X chromosome inactivation in females and Y chromosome microdeletions in their partners. In males, microdeletions of the Y chromosome are known to cause spermatogenetic failure and male infertility. AIMS: The aim of the study was to find out the role of Y chromosome microdeletion in male partners of couples experiencing RPL. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: University hospital and genetic laboratory. Prospective case–control study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 59 couples with a history of RPL and 20 fertile controls (FC) with no miscarriage were included in the study. The study subjects were divided into male partners of RPL couples with abnormal semen parameters (AS) (n = 8), and couples with normal semen parameters (NS) (n = 51). Fertile controls with normal semen parameters were (FC) (n = 20). Y chromosome microdeletion was performed on 40 male partners of RPL and 20 FC. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Chi-square test. P

Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of bidentate Schiff bases derived from the condensation of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-methyl/ethyl-1,2,4-triazole with 5-nitrofurfuraldehyde were synthesized and tested as antimicrobial agents. The Schiff bases and their metal complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic moment measurements, spectroscopic (IR, Electronic, 1H NMR, ESR) and thermogravimetric analyses. A square planar geometry for Cu(II) and octahedral geometry for Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes have been proposed. The presence of coordinated water in metal complexes was confirmed by thermal and IR data of the complexes. The Schiff bases and their metal complexes have been screened for antibacterial [Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus] and antifungal activities [Aspergillus niger, A. flavus].

В статье рассматриваются формы выражения речевого этикета в хинди и русском языках. В частности, на примере хинди и русского языков исследуются различные формулы приветствия, обращения и прощания. Обучение правильному употреблению формул речевого этикета должно занимать важное место в преподавании любого иностранного языка. При этом необходимо учитывать особенности национальной и культурной самоидентификации. Мақалада орыс және хинди тілдеріндегі сөйлеу этикетінің түрлері қарастырылған. Атап айтқанда, хинди және орыс тілдеріндегі сәлемдесу, қаратпа сөз және қоштасудың мысалдары келтірілген.

BACKGROUND:Optimum efficiency of the folate pathway is considered essential for adequate ovarian function. 677 C>T substitution in the 5, 10-methylene tertrahydrofolatereductase (MTHFR) gene compromises activity of the MTHFR enzyme by about 50%. The significance of correlation between 677C>T substitution and PCOS remains dubious due to the low power of published studies. METHODS AND RESULTS:We analyzed MTHFR 677 C>T site in ethnically two different PCOS case-control groups (total 261 cases and 256 controls) from India. The data analysis revealed a lack of association between this polymorphism and PCOS [OR = 1.11 (95%CI = 0.71-1.72), P = 0.66]. Group-wise analysis on the basis of ethnicity also revealed no association in any of the ethnic groups [Indo-Europeans, P = 1; Dravidians, P = 0.70]. Homocysteine levels did not differ significantly between cases (15.51 μmol/L, SD = 2.89) and controls (15.89 μmol/L, SD = 2.23). We also undertook a meta-analysis on 960 cases and 1028 controls, which suggested a significant association of the substitution with PCOS in the dominant model of analysis (OR = 1.47 (95%CI = 1.04-2.09), P = 0.032]. Trial sequential analysis corroborated findings of the traditional meta-analysis. However, we found that the conclusions of meta-analysis were strongly influenced by studies that deviated from the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. A careful investigation of each study and a trial sequential analysis suggested that 677 C>T substitution holds no clinical significance in PCOS in most of the populations. CONCLUSION:In conclusion, MTHFR 677 C>T polymorphism does not affect PCOS risk in India. The association seen in the meta-analysis is due to an outlier study and studies showing deviation from the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium.

We report the magnetic, heat-capacity, dielectric and magnetodielectric (MDE) behaviour of a Haldane spin-chain compound containing light rare-earth ion, Nd2BaNiO5, in detail, as a function of temperature (T) and magnetic field (H) down to 2 K. In addition to the well-known long range antiferromagnetic order setting in at (TN = ) 48 K as indicated in dc magnetization (M), we have observed another magnetic transition near 10 K; this transition appears to be of a glassy-type which vanishes with a marginal application of external magnetic field (even H = 100 Oe). There are corresponding anomalies in dielectric constant (ε′) as well with variation of T. The isothermal M(H) curves at 2 and 5 K reveal the existence of a magnetic-field induced transition around 90 kOe; the isothermal ε′(H) also tracks such a metamagnetic transition. These results illustrate the MDE coupling in this compound. Additionally, we observe a strong frequency dependence of a step in ε′(T) with this feature appearing around 25-30 K for the lowest frequency of 1 kHz, far below TN. This is attributed to interplay between crystal-field effect and exchange interaction between Nd and Ni, which establishes the sensitivity of dielectric measurements to detect such effects. Interestingly enough, the observed dispersions of the ε′(T) curves is essentially H-independent in the entire T-range of measurement, despite the existence of MDE coupling, which is in sharp contrast with other heavy rare-earth members in this series.

Fusarium infections are important problem worldwide, cause a broad spectrum of infections in human including superficial infections as well as locally invasive and disseminated infections. We report a rare case of perinephric abscess caused by Fusarium chlamydosporum in a child who had a recent episode of pyelonephritis. This case illustrates the ever increasing spectrum of rare but offending pathogenic fungi in an immunocompetent host. Fungal infections should always be suspected in patients having one or the other underlying risk factor or who are unresponding to antibacterial therapy. Early diagnosis of infection with a specific pathogen may lead to changes in antifungal therapy and may be critical for an improved outcome

Background: Male infertility is a multifactorial disorder which affects approximately 10% of couples at childbearing age with substantial clinical and social impact. Genetic variation and environmental factors contribute to susceptibility to spermatogenic impairment in humans. The A386G (T54A) polymorphism of the autosomal gene, DAZL, has shown susceptibility to spermatogenic failure in Taiwanese population. However, no such association has been seen in infertile patients from Italy and South India. Aim: This study aims to find out the possible association between A386G (T54A) polymorphism of the autosomal gene, DAZL and idiopathic male infertility in patients from North India. DESIGN: Case-control study. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of A386G (T54A) polymorphism was determined in 165 idiopathic infertile azoo-/oligospermic patients and 200 fertile healthy control men. PCR-RFLP analysis was employed to determine the genotypes. PCR amplicons were subjected to restriction digestion with AluI as this mutation created a restriction site (AGCT), and separated on a 12% polyacrylamide gel. Results: Analysis of 165 idiopathic infertile azoo-/oligospermic and 200 fertile control men revealed only one case of the variant as a heterozygote in the control population. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) was absent in the infertile patients. Conclusion: As in the report from Italy and South India, our results illustrate the rarity of this mutation. Apparently, this mutation is of recent origin and/or has poor selective value. Its preponderance in infertile patients from Taiwan (all heterozygotes) suggests a founder effect and also that its low selective value could be due to impaired spermatogenesis.

Motivation plays a crucial role in learning. Motivation energizes the behavior of the individual. It also directs the behavior towards specific goals. It helps students acquire knowledge, develop social qualities, increase initiation, persist in activities, improve performance, and develop a sense of discipline. This paper aims to compare the levels of motivation between students in the open education system (OES) and in the traditional education system (TES) in India. The study further investigates the motivation levels of male and female students in the two systems. An Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) was prepared and administered on the students of TES (n = 200) and OES (n = 151). Results show that there exist significant differences in the level of motivation between the students of TES and OES. The study concludes that it is the presence or absence of extrinsic motivation which is predominantly responsible for this difference.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a regulatory cytokine that plays an important role in the maintenance of the immune environment of the testis, regulation of junction dynamics and cell differentiation during spermatogenesis. Members of the IL-1 family are pleiotropic cytokines that are involved in inflammation, immunoregulation and other homeostatic functions in the body. IL-1α, IL-1β, and the IL-1 receptor antagonistic molecule (IL-1 Ra) are expressed in the testis under normal homeostasis and they further increase upon infection/inflammation. In the present study we have examined the association of Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR) polymorphism of the Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene (IL1RN) with human male infertility. The case-control study comprised of two groups: 331 idiopathic infertile patients and 358 fertile healthy men. The study indicates risk of IL1RN2 variant with male infertility (OR: 1.43, CI: 1.1546 to 1.7804, P = 0.001). To our best knowledge, this is the first report that links IL1RN VNTR polymorphism with human male infertility.

Two new heterocyclic Schiff bases of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-H/propyl-1,2,4-triazole and 5-nitrofurfuraldehyde [HL1-2] and their cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, spectral (UV-Vis, IR, 1H NMR, Fluorescence, and ESR) studies, thermal techniques, and magnetic moment measurements. The heterocyclic Schiff bases act as bidentate ligands and coordinate with metal ions through nitrogen and sulphur of the thiol group. The low molar conductance values in DMF indicate that the metal complexes are nonelectrolytes. The magnetic moments and electronic spectral data suggest octahedral geometry for the Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes and square planar for Cu(II) complexes. Two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96 and Bacillus subtilis MTCC 121), two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli MTCC 1652 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 741), and one yeast, Candida albicans, were used for the evaluation of antimicrobial activity of the newly synthesized compounds.

The Schiff bases HL1-3 have been prepared by the reaction of 5-bromothiophene-2-carboxaldehyde with 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-methyl/propyl/isopropyl-s-triazole, respectively. Organosilicon(IV) and organotin(IV) complexes of formulae (CH3)2MCl(L1-3), (CH3)2M(L1-3)2 were synthesized from the reaction of (CH3)2MCl2 and the Schiff bases in 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 molar ratio, where M=Si and Sn. The synthesized Schiff bases and their metal complexes have been characterized with the aid of various physicochemical techniques like elemental analyses, molar conductance, UV, IR, 1H, 13C, 29Si, and 119Sn NMR spectroscopy. Based on these studies, the trigonal bipyramidal and octahedral geometries have been proposed for these complexes. The ligands and their metal complexes have been screened in vitro against some bacteria and fungi.

A series of cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc complexes of bidentate Schiff bases derived from the condensation reaction of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-methyl/ethyl-1,2,4-triazole with 2,4-dichlorobenzaldehyde were synthesized and tested as antimicrobial agents. The synthesized Schiff bases and their metal complexes were characterized with the aid of elemental analyses, magnetic moment measurements, spectroscopic and thermogravimetric techniques. The presence of coordinated water in metal complexes was supported by infrared and thermal gravimetric studies. A square planar geometry was suggested for Cu(II) and octahedral geometry proposed for Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes. The Schiff bases and their metal complexes have been screened for antibacterial (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis) and antifungal activities (Aspergillus niger, A. flavus). The metal complexes exhibited significantly enhanced antibacterial and antifungal activity as compared to their simple Schiff bases.

The advent of 5G heralds unprecedented connectivity with high throughput and low latency for network users. Software-defined networking (SDN) plays a significant role in fulfilling these requirements. However, it poses substantial security challenges due to its inherent centralized management strategy. Moreover, SDN confronts limitations in handling malicious traffic under 5G's extensive data flow. To deal with these issues, this paper presents a novel intrusion detection system (IDS) designed for 5G SDN networks, leveraging the advanced capabilities of binarized deep spiking capsule fire hawk neural networks (BSHNN) and blockchain technology, which operates across multiple layers. Initially, the lightweight encryption algorithm (LEA) is used at the data acquisition layer to authenticate mobile users via trusted third parties. Followed by optimal switch selection using the mud-ring algorithm in the switch layer, and the data flow rules are secured by employing blockchain technology incorporating searchable encryption algorithms within the blockchain plane. The domain controller layer utilizes binarized deep spiking capsule fire hawk neural network (BSHNN) for real-time data packet classification, while the smart controller layer uses enhanced adapting hidden attribute-weighted naive bayes (EAWNB) to identify suspicious packets during data transmission. The experimental results show that the proposed technique outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches in terms of accuracy (98.02%), precision (96.40%), detection rate (96.41%), authentication time (16.2 s), throughput, delay, and packet loss ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]