Enhancement in the antibacterial activity of Rifaximin by delivery through gelatin nanoparticles.

Objectives: Bacterial infections are a noteworthy global health concern that necessitates the development of new strategies to enhance the potency and efficacy of antibiotics. Rifaximin (RFX), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, exhibits promising antibacterial activity against several bacterial strains. However, its insolubility and impermeability impede the exploitation of its full potential.

Development of Versatile, thermally stable, flexible, UV-resistant and antibacterial polyvinyl alcohol-Nanodiamonds composite for efficient food packaging.

This research paper reports an enhancement of thermal, optical, mechanical and antibacterial activities of the Polyvinyl alcohol-Nanodiamonds (PVA-NDs) composite required for the food packaging industry. The synthesis of composites was done by the wet processing method. The large surface area of NDs facilitated the robust interaction between the hydroxyl group and macromolecular chains of PVA to enhance the hydrogen bonding of PVA with NDs rather than PVA molecules.

Synergistic effect of Silver-Nanodiamond composite as an efficient antibacterial agent against and .

Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (BAMR) seems to pose the greatest threat to public health, food safety, and agriculture in this century. The development of novel efficient antimicrobial agents to combat bacterial infections has become a global issue. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) appeared as a feasible alternative to antibiotics.

Development and bioassessment of high nutria-omega 5 cookies through animal modeling.

The food industry generates a diverse range of waste byproducts during fruit processing, which can be repurposed to create functional foods and other valuable commodities. In this particular study, leftover agro-waste from pomegranate juice was valorized to obtain pomegranate seed oil (PSO), while utilizing sunflower oilseed cake to produce sunflower meal protein concentrate (SMPC). These two extracted components were then combined as ingredients to produce High Nutria Omega 5 (HNO5) cookies.

Burnout in health care workers during the fourth wave of COVID-19: A cross sectional study from Pakistan.

Objective: To assess the burnout among the healthcare workers during the fourth wave of COVID-19.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, burn out was measured in health care professionals using the MBI scale inventory during the fourth wave of COVID-19. Age, gender, marital status, having children, hospital, job type, experience, and workload, as well as the severity of burnout in each subscale, were all measured.

Potential bioactive coating system for high-performance absorbable magnesium bone implants.

Magnesium alloys are considered the most suitable absorbable metals for bone fracture fixation implants. The main challenge in absorbable magnesium alloys is their high corrosion/degradation rate that needs to be controlled. Various coatings have been applied to magnesium alloys to slow down their corrosion rates to match their corrosion rate to the regeneration rate of the bone fracture.

Raman spectroscopic characterization of selenium N-heterocyclic carbene compounds.

In this study, Raman spectroscopy is employed to analyze and characterize two salts (N-heterocyclic carbene) and their respective selenium N-heterocyclic carbene compounds. The features observed as differences among Raman spectral data of two different N-heterocyclic carbene salts are called Salt-I and Salt-II and their respective Se compounds, called Compound-I & Compound-II, are used to confirm the formation covalent bond between Se atom carbon atom of carbene. Enhancement in peak intensities and shifting of peak positions is directly related with compound formation.

Urethral luminal epithelia are castration-insensitive cells of the proximal prostate.

Background: Castration-insensitive epithelial progenitors capable of regenerating the prostate have been proposed to be concentrated in the proximal region based on facultative assays. Functional characterization of prostate epithelial populations isolated with individual cell surface markers has failed to provide a consensus on the anatomical and transcriptional identity of proximal prostate progenitors.

Methods: Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to obtain a complete transcriptomic profile of all epithelial cells in the mouse prostate and urethra to objectively identify cellular subtypes.

Prune belly syndrome in surviving males can be caused by Hemizygous missense mutations in the X-linked Filamin A gene.

Background: Prune belly syndrome (PBS) is a rare, multi-system congenital myopathy primarily affecting males that is poorly described genetically. Phenotypically, its morbidity spans from mild to lethal, however, all isolated PBS cases manifest three cardinal pathological features: 1) wrinkled flaccid ventral abdominal wall with skeletal muscle deficiency, 2) urinary tract dilation with poorly contractile smooth muscle, and 3) intra-abdominal undescended testes. Despite evidence for a genetic basis, previously reported PBS autosomal candidate genes only account for one consanguineous family and single cases.

Copy number variations in a population with prune belly syndrome.

Prune Belly Syndrome (PBS) is a congenital multisystem myopathy with mild to lethal severity. While of uncertain etiology, 95% male predominance and familial occurrence suggest a genetic basis. As copy number variations (CNVs) can cause unexplained genetic disorders, we tested for novel CNVs in a large PBS population.

Enhancement of the Mechanical Properties of Hydroxyapatite/Sulphonated Poly Ether Ether Ketone Treated Layer for Orthopaedic and Dental Implant Application.

The mechanical properties of coated layers are one of the important factors for the long-term success of orthopeadic and dental implants. In this study, the mechanical properties of the porous coated layer were examined via scratch and nanoindentation tests. The effect of compression load on the porous coated layer of sulphonated poly ether ether ketone/Hydroxyapatite was studied to determine whether it changes its mechanical properties.

Phenotypic severity scoring system and categorisation for prune belly syndrome: application to a pilot cohort of 50 living patients.

Objective: To design a novel system of scoring prune belly syndrome (PBS) phenotypic severity at any presenting age and apply it to a large pilot cohort.

Patients And Methods: From 2000 to 2017, patients with PBS were recruited to our prospective PBS study and medical records were cross-sectionally analysed, generating individualised RUBACE scores. We designed the pragmatic RUBACE-scoring system based on six sub-scores (R: renal, U: ureter, B: bladder/outlet, A: abdominal wall, C: cryptorchidism, E: extra-genitourinary, generating the acronym RUBACE), yielding a potential summed score of 0-31.

Advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors: 10-years experience from a tertiary care centre.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. We aimed to study the pattern of presentation and treatment outcome of advanced GIST patients seen by us in a 10- year period.

Methods: Medical records of GIST patients seen between years 2002-2012 were retrieved from institute as well as database maintained by authors.

Nonrhabdomyosarcomatous abdominopelvic sarcomas: Analysis of prognostic factors.

Background: Data concerning treatment outcome and prognostic factors in sarcomas of abdomen and pelvis are sparse in literature.

Methods And Results: Of 696 patients with nonrhabdomyosarcomatous soft tissue sarcoma registered at our center between June 2003 and December 2012, 112 (16%) patients of sarcomas arising from abdomen and pelvis were identified, of which 88 patients were analyzed for treatment outcome and prognostic factors. The median age was 40 years (range: 1-78 years) with a male: female ratio of 0.

Preparation Methods for Improving PEEK's Bioactivity for Orthopedic and Dental Application: A Review.

There is an increased interest in the use of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) for orthopedic and dental implant applications due to its elastic modulus close to that of bone, biocompatibility, and its radiolucent properties. However, PEEK is still categorized as bioinert due to its low integration with surrounding tissues. Many studies have reported on methods to increase the bioactivity of PEEK, but there is still one-preparation method for preparing bioactive PEEK implant where the produced implant with desirable mechanical and bioactivity properties is required.

Functionally graded polymeric materials: A brif review of current fabrication methods and introduction of a novel fabrication method.

The present work reviews the current fabrication methods of the functionally graded polymeric material (FGPM) and introduces a novel fabrication method that is versatile in applications as compared to those of existing used methods. For the first time electrophoresis was used to control the distribution of the tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) in a film made of polylactic acid (PLA), aiming to induce antimicrobial effect on the film prepared. The elemental analysis on the film surface showed that by employing electrophoresis force, higher amount of TC was detected near the top surface of the film.

p19(Arf) limits primary vitreous cell proliferation driven by PDGF-B.

Arf encodes an important tumor suppressor, p19(Arf), which also plays a critical role to control hyperplasia in the primary vitreous during mouse eye development. In the absence of Arf, mice are born blind and display a phenotype closely mimicking severe forms of the human eye disease, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV). In this report, we characterize p19(Arf) expression in perivascular cells that normally populate the primary vitreous and express the Arf promoter.

Enhancer Analysis Unveils Genetic Interactions between TLX and SOX2 in Neural Stem Cells and In Vivo Reprogramming.

The orphan nuclear receptor TLX is a master regulator of postnatal neural stem cell (NSC) self-renewal and neurogenesis; however, it remains unclear how TLX expression is precisely regulated in these tissue-specific stem cells. Here, we show that a highly conserved cis-element within the Tlx locus functions to drive gene expression in NSCs. We demonstrate that the transcription factors SOX2 and MYT1 specifically interact with this genomic element to directly regulate Tlx enhancer activity in vivo.

Clinicopathological and treatment analysis of 13 extragastrointestinal stromal tumors of mesentery and retroperitoneum.

Background: Extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs) are extremely rare mesenchymal tumors histologically and immunophenotypically similar to GI stromal tumors (GISTs). The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological factors and treatment outcome in 13 patients with EGISTs treated at a tertiary care center.

Methods: Of 109 patients with GISTs treated at our center between April 2002 and December 2012, 13 patients with EGISTs were analyzed for clinicopathological factors and treatment outcome.

Successful treatment of disseminated subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma with single agent oral cyclosporine as a first line therapy.

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTL) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm of mature cytotoxic T-cells. Currently there are no standardized therapies for SPTL; however good responses have been seen with chemotherapy regimens generally employed for B-cell lymphomas. Cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant, has shown good responses in relapsed/refractory SPTL; however its use in first line setting is not well established.

Poor Response to Standard Chemotherapy in Early T-precursor (ETP)-ALL: A Subtype of T-ALL Associated with Unfavourable Outcome: A Brief Report.

Early T-precursor (ETP)-ALL, a type of T-ALL, is a new pathobiologic entity with distinct immunophenotype (CD1a(-), CD8(-), CD5(weak/absent) with stem-cell/myeloid markers) and genetic expression, poor response to standard intensive chemotherapy and very high risk of relapse. The genetic mutations typically associated with the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia are seen with increased prevalence in ETP-ALL. No Indian data exists regarding this rare entity.

Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) in Cancers: Overexpression and Therapeutic Implications.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor family having tyrosine kinase activity. Dimerization of the receptor results in the autophosphorylation of tyrosine residues within the cytoplasmic domain of the receptors and initiates a variety of signaling pathways leading to cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. Amplification or overexpression of HER2 occurs in approximately 15-30% of breast cancers and 10-30% of gastric/gastroesophageal cancers and serves as a prognostic and predictive biomarker.

Update on salvage options in relapsed/refractory hodgkin lymphoma after autotransplant.

Despite a high clinical success, relapse in Hodgkin lymphoma occurs in 10-30% of cases and 5-10% patients are nonresponsive to initial chemotherapy. The standard management of these patients includes high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant. However, 50% of patients ultimately relapse after autotransplant which poses a big challenge.