Publications by authors named "Pillai P"

Despite several studies documenting secondary metabolite (SM) production by endophytes, their commercial use is often limited owing to the research lacunae in the underlying biosynthetic pathway and the corresponding metabolic flux. Combining epigenetic modulation with RNA-Seq analysis constitutes a promising approach for inducing regulatory gene(s) and thereby identifying their role in SM biosynthesis. Our earlier studies had identified the hypomethylating effects of prednisone in umbelliferone (UMB) (7-hydroxyl coumarin) producing endophytic Fusarium oxysporum isolate, ZzEF8 isolated from Zingiber zerumbet rhizomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Bartonella quintana can lead to serious health issues, including endocarditis and chronic infections, and is mainly spread by body lice, particularly in homeless populations.
  • - A case study in the U.S. highlighted two kidney transplant recipients who contracted the infection from an organ donor who was homeless; one case was atypical while the other showed mild symptoms.
  • - Timely detection and treatment allowed both recipients to recover, emphasizing the importance of assessing organ donors' living conditions, specifically those with a history of homelessness or lice infestations, for potential B. quintana infections in transplant recipients.
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Light-assisted synthesis of ammonia from nitrate and nitrite sources is a sustainable approach to reduce the burden of the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. However, poor selectivity and the need for UV-active photocatalysts are the current bottlenecks in the synthesis of ammonia from nitrate and nitrite sources. Herein, we introduce selective visible-light-driven ammonia production from nitrate and nitrite ions with indium phosphide quantum dots (InP QDs) as the photocatalyst.

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The interactions between platelet-derived growth factor/PDGF receptor and integrin signaling are crucial for cells to respond to extracellular stimuli. Integrin interactions with PDGFR within the lipid rafts activate downstream cellular signaling pathways that regulate cell proliferation, cell migration, cell differentiation, and cell death processes. The mechanisms underlying PDGFR activation mediated receptor internalization, interactions with other cell-surface receptors, particularly extracellular matrix receptors, integrins, and how these cellular mechanisms switch on anchorage-independent cell survival, leading to anoikis resistance are discussed.

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Objective: To present a series of case studies from our respective countries and disciplines on approaches to implementing the Planetary Health Education Framework in university health professional education programs, and to propose a curriculum implementation and evaluation toolbox for educators to facilitate the adoption of similar initiatives in their programs. We emphasize the importance of applying an Indigenous lens to curriculum needs assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation.

Methods: Case studies from Australia and United States were collated using a six-stage design-based educational research framework (Focus, Formulation, Contextualization, Definition, Implementation, Evaluation) for teaching planetary health and methods of curriculum evaluation.

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CRISPR guide RNA sequences deriving exactly from natural sequences may not perform optimally in every application. Here we implement and evaluate algorithms for designing maximally fit, artificial CRISPR-Cas13a guides with multiple mismatches to natural sequences that are tailored for diagnostic applications. These guides offer more sensitive detection of diverse pathogens and discrimination of pathogen variants compared with guides derived directly from natural sequences and illuminate design principles that broaden Cas13a targeting.

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Background: Vertebral artery compression syndrome is a rare condition defined as the clinical presentation of dizziness, vertigo, ataxia, dysarthria, dysphagia, progressive or acute paralysis, hemisensory loss, and cervical myelopathy secondary to compression of the medulla and upper spinal cord by the vertebral artery.

Case Description: Here we describe a 57-year-old Mexican-American male with bulbar symptoms, positional vertigo, and diplopia. The patient's symptoms were managed through microsurgical decompression of the medulla utilizing a far lateral transcondylar approach.

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The progressive form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological condition marked by decline in older people's memory and cognition. Scopolamine is a behavioral technique that is frequently used to study cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. This investigation aimed to determine the protective effects of ethanolic extracts derived from Sterculia guttata (ESG) on neurological & pathological changes induced by Scopolamine in rats with Alzheimer's.

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In the quest for affordable materials for performing visible-light driven chemistry, we report here intriguing optical and photothermal properties of plasmonic copper nanoparticles (CuNPs). Precise tuning of reaction conditions and surface functionalization yield stable and monodisperse CuNPs, with a strong localized surface plasmon absorption at ∼580 nm. The molar extinction coefficient is estimated to be ∼7.

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Prediction and avoidance of intraoperative hypotension (IOH) can lead to less postoperative morbidity. Machine learning (ML) is increasingly being applied to predict IOH. We hypothesize that incorporating demographic and physiological features in an ML model will improve the performance of IOH prediction.

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Article Synopsis
  • Petrochemical solvents are commonly used for extracting biomolecules from edible oils, but concerns over safety, toxicity, and sustainability have led to the exploration of alternative methods.
  • Emerging technologies such as supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, combined with cosolvents, enhance the extraction process, showing promise as greener alternatives to traditional methods.
  • This review highlights the critical factors influencing effective extraction and fractionation, indicating that supercritical fluid methods could significantly advance sustainable food processing.
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is a gram-positive anaerobic coccus typically found in the human oral cavity, upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal system. It occasionally causes intra-abdominal abscesses, spondylodiscitis and other infections. There are very few case reports on mycotic aneurysm related to We describe a rare case of orbital cellulitis complicated with meningitis, cerebral venous thrombosis and internal carotid artery mycotic aneurysm, which was successfully treated with the combination of endovascular therapy and antibiotics.

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Background And Objectives: Recognition of the need for medical education to train physicians who are skilled at supporting population health and work beyond traditional health care settings is growing. Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for medical students typically have centered around activities taking place in the clinical workplace; however, EPAs that involve working with community members in community contexts have not been clearly established.

Methods: We used a three-stage online modified-Delphi method to identify community-based EPAs for University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health medical students.

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Background: An optimal pharmacological strategy for fast-track cardiac anesthesia (FTCA) is unclear. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of an FTCA program using methadone and non-opioid adjuvant infusions (magnesium, ketamine, lidocaine, and dexmedetomidine) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter observational study was conducted across private and public teaching sectors.

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  • - Substance use disorders (SUD) and drug addiction significantly impact public health, particularly among individuals and their communities, with a notable overlap between SUD and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections.
  • - The connection between SUD and HIV is complex, as HIV can increase the risk of SUD through chronic pain treatment, while those with SUD are more likely to contract HIV, highlighting the need for integrated research.
  • - The SCORCH consortium aims to utilize single-cell genomics to examine the interactions between SUD and HIV at a cellular level, leveraging human brain tissue collections and animal models for in-depth study.
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women and its incidence has been increasing recently, particularly among younger women. Across major professional society guidelines, dyslipidemia management remains a central tenet for atherosclerotic CVD prevention for both women and men. Despite this, women, particularly young women, who are candidates for statin therapy are less likely to be treated and less likely to achieve their recommended therapeutic objectives for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels.

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Stemformatics.org has been serving the stem cell research community for over a decade, by making it easy for users to find and view transcriptional profiles of pluripotent and adult stem cells and their progeny, comparing data derived from multiple tissues and derivation methods. In recent years, Stemformatics has shifted its focus from curation to collation and integration of public data with shared phenotypes.

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Sunlight-to-electricity conversion using solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) is a proven technology to meet our ever-growing energy demand. However, STEGs are often operated under a vacuum with customized thermoelectric materials to achieve high performance. In this work, the incorporation of plasmonic gold nanoparticle (AuNP) based solar absorbers enabled the efficient operation of STEGs under ambient conditions with commercially available thermoelectric devices.

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Background: In August 2023, the BA.2.86 SARS-CoV-2 variant, with over 30 spike protein mutations, emerged amidst the global dominance of XBB sub-lineages.

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Extensive leaf transcriptome profiling and differential gene expression analysis of field grown and elicited shoot cultures of L. speciosa suggest that differential synthesis of CRA is mediated primarily by CYP and TS genes, showing functional diversity. Lagerstroemia speciosa L.

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Over 50% of patients with systemic LCH are not cured with front-line therapies, and data to guide salvage options are limited. We describe 58 patients with LCH who were treated with clofarabine. Clofarabine monotherapy was active against LCH in this cohort, including heavily pretreated patients with a systemic objective response rate of 92.

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Photocatalysis with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) is emerging as an attractive strategy to make and break chemical bonds. However, the fast relaxation dynamics of the photoexcited charge carriers in plasmonic NPs often result in poor yields. The separation and extraction of photoexcited hot-charge carriers should be faster than the thermalization process to overcome the limitation of poor yield.

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