Prevalence of illicit and prescribed neuropsychiatric drugs in three communities in Kentucky using wastewater-based epidemiology and Monte Carlo simulation for the estimation of associated uncertainties.

A cost-effective alternative approach capable of determining the prevalence of substance use in communities can complement the existing efforts of combating drug abuse and addiction. In this study, the prevalence of 10 illicit and 19 prescribed psychoactive drugs of potential abuse was determined utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology, and compared in two adjoined urban communities and a rural community. This is the first application of the Monte Carlo simulation method to account multiple uncertainties and propagation of errors associated with the individual parameter of wastewater based epidemiological estimations in the U.

Development of pristine and Au-decorated BiO/BiWO nanocomposites for supercapacitor electrodes.

Pristine and Au-decorated BiO/BiWO nanocomposites were synthesized a facile hydrothermal method. Characterization techniques such as XRD, FESEM, HRTEM and XPS were used to explore the structural, morphological and electronic properties. Furthermore, electrochemical characterizations including cyclic voltammetry (CV), the galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) method, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were performed to investigate the supercapacitance behaviour of the synthesized materials.

Path minimization in a tandem running Indian ant in the context of colony relocation.

The phenomenon of minimizing the path length to a target site in order to increase transport efficiency is described as path optimization, and it has been observed in many mammals, birds and some invertebrates such as honeybees and ants. It has been demonstrated that ants can optimize their foraging path through an emergent process, involving the trail pheromone concentration, without individual ants having to measure and compare distances. In the current study, we investigated whether ants that use only tandem running to recruit their nestmates can minimize their path while relocating their entire colony into a new nest.

Analytical tools for monitoring changes in physical and chemical properties of chromatography resin upon reuse.

Protein A resins are often reused for multiple cycles to improve process economy during mAb purification. Significant reduction in binding capacity and product recovery are typically observed due to the presence of unwanted materials (foulants) deposited on the resin upon reuse. In this paper, we have used a wide spectrum of qualitative and quantitative analytical tools (particle size analysis, HPLC, fluorescence, SEM, MS, and FTIR) to compare the strengths and shortcomings of different analytical tools in terms of their capability to detect the fouling of the resin and relate it to chromatographic cycle performance.

High Flow Nasal Cannula: A Game Changer in Airway Surgery.

High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) delivers humidified oxygen at high flow. Its use during airway procedures has many advantages. The study was done to determine the duration of apnea time, safety and compatibility with laser, while using HFNC during airway procedures.

Myosin-II mediated traction forces evoke localized Piezo1-dependent Ca flickers.

Piezo channels transduce mechanical stimuli into electrical and chemical signals to powerfully influence development, tissue homeostasis, and regeneration. Studies on Piezo1 have largely focused on transduction of "outside-in" mechanical forces, and its response to internal, cell-generated forces remains poorly understood. Here, using measurements of endogenous Piezo1 activity and traction forces in native cellular conditions, we show that cellular traction forces generate spatially-restricted Piezo1-mediated Ca flickers in the absence of externally-applied mechanical forces.

Effectiveness of Added Targeted Therapies to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Over the past several years, targeted therapy has been increasingly used in the management of breast cancer. Reported results for targeted therapies are variable, as some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported a strong effect, whereas others reported no or minimal effect on the outcomes. Accordingly, the present study aimed to assess the effect of the addition of targeted therapies to neoadjuvant chemotherapy on tumor response rates, breast conserving surgeries, and survival outcomes.

Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Piezo1 Regulates Diet-Induced Adipose Inflammation and Systemic Insulin Resistance.

Adipocytes function as an energy buffer and undergo significant size and volume changes in response to nutritional cues. This adipocyte plasticity is important for systemic lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Accompanying the adipocyte size and volume changes, the mechanical pressure against cell membrane also changes.

Crystal structures of the recombinant β-factor XIIa protease with bound Thr-Arg and Pro-Arg substrate mimetics.

Coagulation factor XII (FXII) is a key initiator of the contact pathway, which contributes to inflammatory pathways. FXII circulates as a zymogen, which when auto-activated forms factor XIIa (FXIIa). Here, the production of the recombinant FXIIa protease domain (βFXIIa) with yields of ∼1-2 mg per litre of insect-cell culture is reported.

Designing and implementing an integrated non-communicable disease primary care intervention in rural Nepal.

Low-income and middle-income countries are struggling with a growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, their healthcare systems need to be strengthened and redesigned. The Starfield 4Cs of primary care-first-contact access, care coordination, comprehensiveness and continuity-offer practical, high-quality design options for non-communicable disease care in low-income and middle-income countries.

Hypospadiac Urethral Duplication- A Rare Variant and Novel use of Snodgrass Urethroplasty.

Urethral duplication is a spectrum of congenital anomalies that is more common in males, but very little is known about the possible reconstruction methods and their outcome. Hypospadiac urethral duplication is a variety treated with onlay preputial flap. We report a 3-year-old patient of hypospadiac duplication who was treated with a single-stage urethroplasty.

CpG enhances the immunogenicity of heterologous DNA-prime/protein-boost vaccination with the heavy chain myosin of Brugia malayi in BALB/c mice.

The recombinant heavy chain myosin of Brugia malayi (Bm-Myo) has earlier been reported as a potent vaccine candidate in our lab. Subsequently, we further enhanced its efficacy employing heterologous DNA prime/protein boost (Myo-pcD+Bm-Myo) immunization approach that produced superior immune-protection than protein or DNA vaccination. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of heterologous prime boost vaccination in combination with CpG, synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) adjuvant in BALB/c mice.

Saliva and urine metabolic profiling reveals altered amino acid and energy metabolism in male farmers exposed to pesticides in Madhya Pradesh State, India.

Globally, the human population is exposed to low doses of pesticides due to its extensive use in agriculture. The chronic exposure to pesticides can lead to cancer, depression, anxiety, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases etc. Here, we have made an attempt to use mass spectrometry based metabolomics to investigate the metabolic perturbations induced by the pesticides in the urine and saliva samples of farmers from the Madhya Pradesh State of India.

Sm doped calcium orthovanadate Ca(VO) - A spectral study.

Sm-doped vanadate-based phosphors, Ca (VO):Sm(x = 0.005 ≤ x ≤ 0.095), were synthesized by the citrate-based sol-gel method.

Oral health taking a back seat at primary health centers of Bangalore urban district, India - A situation analysis.

Background: Even though a dramatic change in pattern of oral diseases has been observed at a global level, oral health equality still remains as a dream to achieve. Studies have documented disparities in delivery and utilisation of oral health services among urban, suburban, and rural regions of India. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to conduct a situation analysis at PHCs to understand resource availability and oral health seeking behavior from perspective of medical officers of Bangalore City, India.

Plasma kallikrein structure reveals apple domain disc rotated conformation compared to factor XI.

Essentials Zymogen PK is activated to PKa and cleaves substrates kininogen and FXII contributing to bradykinin generation. Monomeric PKa and dimeric homologue FXI utilize the N-terminal apple domains to recruit substrates. A high-resolution 1.

Expression of human ficolin-2 in hepatocytes confers resistance to infection by diverse hepatotropic viruses.

The liver-expressed pattern recognition receptors mannose-binding lectin (MBL), ficolin-2 and ficolin-3 contribute to the innate immune response by activating complement. Binding of soluble ficolin-2 to viral pathogens can directly neutralize virus entry. We observed that the human hepatoma cell line HuH7.

Caecal duplication cyst: A rare disease with variable presentation and its management in the era of laparoscopy.

Duplication cysts of the intestine are a rare congenital anomaly that can occur anywhere throughout the length of intestine and can be either cystic or tubular. Around two dozen cases of caecal duplication cyst (CDC) are reported in the literature with variable presentation. We describe three cases of CDC who presented at variable age and with variable presentation.

A TLR4-derived non-cytotoxic, self-assembling peptide functions as a vaccine adjuvant in mice.

Vaccination is devised/formulated to stimulate specific and prolonged immune responses for long-term protection against infection or disease. A vaccine component, namely adjuvant, enhances antigen recognition by the host immune system and thereby stimulates its cellular and adaptive responses. Especially synthetic Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists having self-assembling properties are considered as good candidates for adjuvant development.

An Unusual Case of Choledochal Cyst.

Choledochal cyst (CC) is an important surgical cause of jaundice in infants. Infantile variant of CC can mimic biliary atresia in clinical presentation. CC associated with biliary atresia is well described in literature.

A Self-Propelled Mechanism to Increase Range of Bistable Operation of a Piezoelectric Cantilever-Based Vibration Energy Harvester.

In our previous works, we presented a method to increase the harvested energy from vibrations using a piezoelectric cantilever and to increase the frequency range of operation by introducing bistability with the use of magnetic repulsion. However, for small excitations, the cantilever may not be able to overcome the magnetic repulsive force but vibrate at one of its two equilibrium positions with reduced amplitude. This work introduces a method of increasing the range of excitations over which the operation remains bistable.

Long-Term Outcome of Catheter Ablation for Treatment of Bundle Branch Re-Entrant Tachycardia.

Objectives: This study reports the long-term outcome of patients with bundle branch re-entrant tachycardia (BBRT) who underwent catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Background: BBRT is an uncommon mechanism of VT. Data on long-term outcomes of patients with BBRT treated with catheter ablation are insufficient.

Determination of LCt of aerosolized paraquat and its pulmonary toxic implications in non-anesthetized rats.

Paraquat (PQ), a highly popular agricultural herbicide, is a serious occupational hazard with lethality reported at doses as low as 35 mg/kg body weight with intoxication occurring via inhalation or dermal route. The main objective of this study was to determine the median lethal concentration (LCt) of paraquat through whole body exposure in adult male Wistar rats. Aerosolized PQ dissolved in water was delivered in a dose-dependent manner, to fully conscious rats confined in whole body plethysmograph (WBP), in a nebulized form with concentrations ranging from 40-200 mg/kg of air over a 4 h exposure period.

Process development in the Quality by Design paradigm: Modeling of Protein A chromatography resin fouling.

Protein A chromatography is quite commonly used for capture of monoclonal antibodies from the clarified cell culture broths. Protein A resins are expensive and economic feasibility demands that the resin be reused for 50-300 cycles. Resin reuse is, however, accompanied by resin fouling, impacting both the binding and mass transfer characteristics of the resin.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens in treatment of breast cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), a standard of care for locally advanced breast cancer patients, is widely used for early breast cancer patients also. The varying role of regimens used as NACT needs to be investigated. Despite availability of some randomized controlled trials (RCTs), it is unclear which treatment regimen suits best.