Controlled Primary Amine-Enriched SG-Bonded Papain Surface: Synthesis, Characterization, and Extraction of Protonated Dichromate.

The single-step synthesis of nitro-derivatized SG using dimethyldichlorosilane in an aprotic solvent dichloromethane at 300 K is efficient and straightforward. Reduction and diazotization effectively functionalize the material for enzyme coupling at the O-carbon of the enzyme's tyrosine. The high extraction efficiency of protonated dichromate ions with a breakthrough capacity of 480 μmol·g is notable.

Effects of chewing tobacco on corneal endothelium in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To determine the impact of tobacco chewing on corneal endothelial structure in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: Corneal endothelial parameters (endothelial cell count, ECD; coefficient of variation, CV; hexagonality, Hex, and central corneal thickness, CCT) were analysed in 1234 eyes of 1234 patients using non-contact specular microscopy (EM 4000 Tomey Nishi-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan). The study group (with a present history of tobacco chewing) comprising of 948 subjects, with 473 having DM was compared with age and gender-matched control group comprising of 286 subjects (139 having DM) with no history of tobacco use in any form.

Conjunctival Autograft versus Combined Amniotic Membrane and Mini-Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplant for Primary Pterygium Excision.

Purpose: To compare outcomes of conjunctival autograft (CAG) and combined amniotic membrane with mini-simple limbal epithelial transplant (mini-SLET) after primary pterygium excision.

Methods: All consenting adults with primary pterygium were included in this study. After pterygium excision, patients were randomized to receive either CAG or mini-SLET and both grafts were held in place with fibrin glue.

Association of anthropometric parameters as a risk factor for development of diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To study the relationship of body fat distribution in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), and its long-term complications like diabetic retinopathy (DR), in Indian population.

Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional observational study involving 1773 subjects diagnosed with DM and 1778 age and gender-matched individuals. The patients with DM were assessed for the presence and severity of DR.

Association of severity of diabetic retinopathy with corneal endothelial and thickness changes in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To analyse the central corneal thickness, endothelial cell density and morphology in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: We analysed corneal endothelium, i.e.

Health economic burden of patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) - A retrospective study of German health insurance claims data.

This retrospective matched-cohort analysis compared health-economic burdens of adults (≥18 years;  = 377) with phenylketonuria (PKU) and age/gender-matched non-PKU controls ( = 3770) in Germany. Healthcare costs and resource-utilization were analyzed for the year 2015. Differences between groups were tested using 95% CI of mean differences (MD).

Synthesis and anti-HBV activity of carbocyclic nucleoside hybrids with salient features of entecavir and aristeromycin.

Modified carbocyclic nucleosides () constituting 7-deazapurine, 4'-methyl, exocyclic double bond and 2',3'-hydroxy were synthesized. NOE and X-ray studies of confirmed the α-configuration of 4'-methyl. The anti-HBV assay demonstrated (IC = 3.

Long-term comparative effectiveness of pegvaliase versus standard of care comparators in adults with phenylketonuria.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is caused by phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency, resulting in high blood and brain Phenylalanine (Phe) concentrations that can lead to impaired brain development and function. Standard treatment involves a Phe-restricted diet alone or in conjunction with sapropterin dihydrochloride in responsive patients. The Food and Drug Administration approved pegvaliase enzyme substitution therapy for adults with blood Phe >600 μmol/L in the US.

Rhodium catalyzed stereospecific reductive carbocyclization of 1,6-enynes and synthesis of 4'-methyl-6'-substituted aristeromycins.

The need of long-term treatment for chronic HBV, emergence of drug-resistant viruses and inefficiency of currently approved therapies to eliminate covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), mandates identification of potent and selective inhibitors of HBV replication with novel mechanisms of action. Entecavir, a carbocyclic guanosine nucleoside analog, is the most potent inhibitor of HBV replication on the market. Moreover, the naturally occurring carbocyclic nucleosides aristeromycin are known for their wide range of antiviral activities.

Corneal Endothelial Alterations in Chronic Renal Failure.

Purpose: To evaluate the corneal endothelial changes in patients with chronic renal failure.

Methods: A total of 128 corneas of 128 subjects were studied, and 3 groups were formed. The first, the dialyzed group, composed of 32 corneas of 32 patients; the second, the nondialyzed group, composed of 34 corneas of 34 patients; and the third, the age-matched control group, composed of 64 corneas of 64 healthy subjects were examined by a specular microscope and the endothelial parameters were compared.

Regioselective Synthesis of Pyrazolo[3,4-D]Pyrimidine Based Carbocyclic Nucleosides as Possible Antiviral Agent.

Carbocyclic nucleosides are considered as nucleoside mimetic having high therapeutic potentials, however diverse exploration is still limited due to their synthetic difficulties. The major challenges are associated with the preparation of new base and carbocyclic sugar key intermediates. The modified base may provide conformational advantage to achieve better nucleoside mimetics and may also help in increasing the drug-like properties.

The Budget Impact of Biosimilar Infliximab (Remsima®) for the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases in Five European Countries.

Introduction: Inflammatory autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis) have a considerable impact on patients' quality of life and healthcare budgets. Biosimilar infliximab (Remsima(®)) has been authorized by the European Medicines Agency for the management of inflammatory autoimmune diseases based on a data package demonstrating efficacy, safety, and quality comparable to the reference infliximab product (Remicade(®)). This analysis aims to estimate the 1-year budget impact of the introduction of Remsima in five European countries.

Patient reported burden of asthma on resource use and productivity across 11 countries in Europe.

Introduction: Asthma affects 30 million people in Western Europe, leading to substantial burden on healthcare systems and economies. REcognise Asthma and LInk to Symptoms and Experience (REALISE™) was a large European survey across 11 countries assessing patient attitudes and behaviors towards their asthma. The present study utilizes REALISE™ data to understand resource use and absenteeism in asthma.

Corneal infection by Pseudomonas stutzeri following excision of trigeminal nerve schwannoma.

A 25-year-old woman underwent intracranial surgery for trigeminal nerve schwannoma (TGNS) with persistent left-sided facial hypoaesthesia. Two months later, she developed a central corneal ulceration. Scraping of the corneal lesion revealed Gram-negative bacilli.

Comparison of efficacy of three surgical methods of conjunctival autograft fixation in the treatment of pterygium.

Our aim primarily was to compare the recurrence rate with three techniques of conjunctival fixation (suture versus fibrin glue versus autologous in situ blood coagulum) over bare sclera following pterygium excision. Ninety eyes of 90 patients with primary pterygium were randomly divided into three groups: group I (30 eyes) underwent autografting and fixation with 8-0 vicryl sutures, group II (30 eyes) with fibrin glue and group III (30 eyes) with autologous in situ blood coagulum. The patients were reviewed on 2nd day, weeks 1 and 4, and at every 3 months till 12 months after surgery.

Customised component corneal transplantation: a blessing for three patients.

The existing acute shortage of good quality donor corneas in a developing country like India, prompted us to attempt customised component corneal transplantation. Using this surgical strategy, one corneoscleral button was used for three recipients. Anterior and posterior lamellar discs were used for anterior lamellar keratoplasty and Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty in patients with superficial corneal scar and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, respectively.

Antiviral activity of novel 2'-fluoro-6'-methylene-carbocyclic adenosine against wild-type and drug-resistant hepatitis B virus mutants.

Novel 2'-fluoro-6'-methylene-carbocyclic adenosine (9) was synthesized and evaluated its anti-HBV activity. The titled compound demonstrated significant antiviral activity against wild-type as well as lamivudine, adefovir and double lamivudine/entecavir resistant mutants. Molecular modeling study indicate that the 2'-fluoro moiety by a hydrogen bond, as well as the van der Waals interaction of the carbocyclic ring with the phenylalanine moiety of the polymerase promote the positive binding, even in the drug resistant mutants.

Structure-activity relationships of carbocyclic 6-benzylthioinosine analogues as subversive substrates of Toxoplasma gondii adenosine kinase.

Carbocyclic 6-benzylthioinosine analogues were synthesized and evaluated for their binding affinity against Toxoplasma gondii adenosine kinase [EC.2.7.

(-)-Carbodine: enantiomeric synthesis and in vitro antiviral activity against various strains of influenza virus including H5N1 (avian influenza) and novel 2009 H1N1 (swine flu).

Enantiomerically pure cyclopentyl cytosine [(-)-carbodine 1] was synthesized from d-ribose and evaluated for its anti-influenza activity in vitro in comparison to the (+)-carbodine, (+/-)-carbodine and ribavirin. (-)-Carbodine 1 exhibited potent antiviral activity against various strains of influenza A and B viruses.

Efficacy of 2'-C-methylcytidine against yellow fever virus in cell culture and in a hamster model.

Yellow fever virus (YFV) continues to cause outbreaks of disease in endemic areas where vaccine is underutilized. Due to the effectiveness of the vaccine, antiviral development solely for the treatment of YFV is not feasible, but antivirals that are effective in the treatment of related viral diseases may be characterized for potential use against YFV as a secondary indication disease. 2'-C-methylcytidine (2'-C-MeC), a compound active against hepatitis C virus, was found to have activity against the 17D vaccine strain of YFV in cell culture (EC(90)=0.

A convergent approach for the synthesis of ara-neplanocin a analogues under subzero microwave assisted conditions.

A convergent strategy for the synthesis of ara-neplanocin A analogues has been developed. Microwave assisted Mitsunobu reaction proved to be an essential tool both for the 2'-beta-hydroxy inversion and for the coupling reaction with the heterocyclic bases. The exploitation of the present approach allowed generating a family of ara-neplanocins which biological potential is still unexplored.

NAD+-dependent DNA ligase (Rv3014c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: novel structure-function relationship and identification of a specific inhibitor.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis codes for an essential NAD+-dependent DNA ligase (MtuLigA) which is a novel, validated, and attractive drug target. We created mutants of the enzyme by systematically deleting domains from the C-terminal end of the enzyme to probe for their functional roles in the DNA nick joining reaction. Deletion of just the BRCT domain from MtuLigA resulted in total loss of activity in in vitro assays.

Community oriented research program for prevention of deafness with special stress on children - A preliminary report.

A study of community- oriented multilaleral study was carried out in rural community of eastern Nepal where in total of 2564 patients were screened out and it revealed that multi nutritional deficiency comprised of 20% along with unsatisfactory or incomplete immunization was recorded in 45%. Children up-to 14 years of age (1223) were considered for this study. 5-14 years of age were the must vulnerable for ear diseases (50.

Bacteriological profile in chronic suppurative otitis media in Eastern Nepal.

Aural swabs were collected from 250 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) (tubotympanic disease). Duration of ear discharge was more than 6 months for culture and sensitivity test. The disease was unilateral in 178 (71.