Targeting cytomegalovirus-infected cells using T cells armed with anti-CD3 × anti-CMV bispecific antibody.

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and infection can lead to poor outcomes after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We hypothesized that anti-CD3 activated T cells (ATCs) armed with chemically heteroconjugated anti-CD3 × polyclonal anti-CMV bispecific antibody (CMVBi) will target and eliminate CMV-infected cells. Arming doses of CMVBi as low as 0.

Potentially inappropriate medication use in Indian elderly: comparison of Beers' criteria and Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions.

Aim: To compare Beers' criteria (BC) and Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) for prevalence, specificity, sensitivity and predictors for potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use.

Methods: Patients aged ≥ 60 years from medicine wards of a tertiary care hospital were included. Comparisons between BC and STOPP were made using Pearson's χ(2) -test for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables.

Synthesis of main-chain metallo-copolymers containing donor and acceptor bis-terpyridyl ligands for photovoltaic applications.

Two random (Zn(II)-based P1-P2) and two alternating (Ru(II)-based P3-P4) metallo-copolymers containing bis-terpyridyl ligands with various central donor (i.e., fluorene or carbazole) and acceptor (i.

Efficient in vitro plant regeneration through leaf base derived callus cultures of abiotic stress sensitive popular Asian Indica rice cultivar IR 64 (Oryza sativa L.).

A simple and efficient protocol has been developed for high frequency plant regeneration through callus cultures derived from leaf bases of abiotic stress sensitive Asian indica rice variety IR 64. Leaf base segments (4-5 mm diameter) were obtained from 6-day-old dark grown seedlings germinated on halfstrength Murashige and Skoog medium and cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2.2-18 μM) and Kinetin (0.

Frequency and nature of adverse drug reactions in elderly in-patients of two Indian medical college hospitals.

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major public health problem in the elderly. Although the Indian elderly represent 12.8% of the entire global elderly population, data on prevalence and predictors of ADRs in elderly Indians is extremely limited.

Ecotoxicological impacts of clofibric acid and diclofenac in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings: hematological, biochemical, ionoregulatory and enzymological responses.

Investigation on the toxic effects of pharmaceutical drugs namely clofibric acid (CA) and diclofenac (DCF) were studied in a common carp Cyprinus carpio at different concentrations such as 1, 10 and 100 μg L(-1) for a short-term period of 96 h under static bioassay method. At all concentrations, red blood cell (RBC), plasma sodium (Na(+)), potassium (K(+)), and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) levels were decreased in fish treated with CA and DCF. Contrastingly, white blood cell (WBC), plasma glucose, protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and gill Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase level were increased.

Identification and characterization of stressed degradation products of prulifloxacin using LC-ESI-MS/Q-TOF, MSn experiments: development of a validated specific stability-indicating LC-MS method.

A rapid, specific and novel gradient LC-MS method has been developed and validated for the identification and characterization of stressed degradation products (DPs) of prulifloxacin (PF) using liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/Q-TOF-ESI-MS/MS). PF was subjected to hydrolytic (acidic, alkaline and neutral), oxidation, photolytic and thermal stress, as per ICH guidelines Q1A (R2). The drug showed extensive degradation in hydrolytic and oxidative, while it was stable to thermal and photolytic stress conditions.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of leaf base derived callus tissues of popular indica rice (Oryza sativa L. sub sp. indica cv. ADT 43).

A simple and efficient protocol for the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of an agronomically useful abiotic sensitive popular indica rice cv. ADT 43 has been developed. Initiation of calli were best achieved from the leaf bases of 4 days old rice seedlings on LS medium supplemented with 2.

Characterization of Nα-Fmoc-protected dipeptide isomers by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)): effect of protecting group on fragmentation of dipeptides.

A series of positional isomeric pairs of Fmoc-protected dipeptides, Fmoc-Gly-Xxx-OY/Fmoc-Xxx-Gly-OY (Xxx=Ala, Val, Leu, Phe) and Fmoc-Ala-Xxx-OY/Fmoc-Xxx-Ala-OY (Xxx=Leu, Phe) (Fmoc=[(9-fluorenylmethyl)oxy]carbonyl) and Y=CH(3)/H), have been characterized and differentiated by both positive and negative ion electrospray ionization ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS(n)). In contrast to the behavior of reported unprotected dipeptide isomers which mainly produce y(1)(+) and/or a(1)(+) ions, the protonated Fmoc-Xxx-Gly-OY, Fmoc-Ala-Xxx-OY and Fmoc-Xxx-Ala-OY yield significant b(1)(+) ions. These ions are formed, presumably with stable protonated aziridinone structures.

CYP isoform specificity toward drug metabolism: analysis using common feature hypothesis.

Three dimensional pharmacophoric maps were generated for each isoforms of CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 separately using independent training sets consist of highly potent substrates (seven substrates for each isoform). HipHop module of CATALYST software was used in the generation of pharmacophore models. The best pharmacophore model was chosen out of the several models on the basis of (i) highest ranking score, (ii) better fit value among training set, (iii) capability to screen substrates from data set and (iv) efficiency to identify the isoform specificity.

Tapered anaerobic hybrid reactor--a better option for treating low-strength wastewaters.

Anaerobic biofilm reactors have limitations in treating wastewaters with low organic substrate concentrations (COD value below 1000 mg/L) because the substrate cannot reach the microorganisms present in the interior part of the biogranules. Hence, the performance of these reactors is mainly influenced by the size of the biogranules present within the reactor. An anaerobic hybrid reactor with a tapered configuration has been developed where the self-immobilized biogranules are kept under completely fluidized condition.

Differentiation of positional isomers of hybrid peptides containing repeats of β-nucleoside derived amino acid (β-Nda-) and L-amino acids by positive and negative ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn).

A new class of positional isomeric pairs of -Boc protected oligopeptides comprised of alternating nucleoside derived β-amino acid (β-Nda-) and L-amino acid residues (alanine, valine, and phenylalanine) have been differentiated by both positive and negative ion electrospray ionization ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)). The protonated dipeptide positional isomers with β-Nda- at the N-terminus lose CH(3)OH, NH(3), and C(2)H(4)O(2), whereas these processes are absent for the peptides with L-amino acids at the N-terminus. Instead, the presence of L-amino acids at the N-terminus results in characteristic retro-Mannich reaction involving elimination of imine.

Toxicity studies of nonylphenol and octylphenol: hormonal, hematological and biochemical effects in Clarias gariepinus.

Among the numerous chemicals discharged into aquatic ecosystems, nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) have been shown to have a potent effect on the endocrine system of fish; this issue has been clearly dealt with in several studies. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the general toxicity of these estrogenic chemicals individually on Clarias gariepinus. Fish were exposed to different concentrations of both NP and OP (250, 500, 750 and 1000 μg l(-1) ) under semi-static conditions for a period of 7 days.

A New Route to Azadithiolato Complexes.

The reaction of [(MeC(5)H(4))(2)Ti(SH)(2)] with cyclic imines with the formula (CH(2)NR)(3) gives 2-aza-1,3-dithiolato chelate complexes [(MeC(5)H(4))(2)Ti{(SCH(2))(2)NR}] (1, R = Ph; 2, R = Me; 3, R = CH(2)Ph). These compounds demonstrate that azadithiolate ligands can exist on mononuclear metal centers. The complexes were characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, ESI-mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.

Impact of endosulfan on certain hematological and biochemical parameters of catfish Labeo fimbriatus: sublethal study.

Hematological and biochemical parameters are routinely used as indicators of the physiological or sublethal stress response to endogenous or exogenous changes in fish. In this work, the sublethal toxic effects of endosulfan (0.002 mg l⁻¹) on certain hematological and biochemical parameters of Labeo fimbriatus were examined for 28 days and the analyses were made on 7, 14, 21, and 28 days.

Mitochondrial dependent apoptosis: ameliorative effect of flunarizine on ischemia-reperfusion of celiac artery-induced gastric lesions in the rat.

Objectives: Ischemia-reperfusion is a major event for induction of cellular apoptosis. Apoptosis is due to the activation of death receptor and/or mitochondrial pathways. Mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening is the cause of apoptosis.

Toxicity of Moringa oleifera seed extract on some hematological and biochemical profiles in a freshwater fish, Cyprinus carpio.

The study was carried out to investigate the acute and sublethal toxicity of Moringa oleifera seed extract on hematological and biochemical variables of a freshwater fish Cyprinus carpio under laboratory conditions. The 96 h LC50 value of M. oleifera seed extract to the fish C.

Diffuse neurofibroma of the scalp presenting as circumscribed alopecic patch.

Neurofibroma is a benign tumor of the peripheral nerve sheath characterized by proliferation of Schwann cells, perineural cells and endoneurial fibroblasts. Different types of neurofibromas can be identified, including localized, plexiform, and diffuse types. Diffuse neurofibroma is an uncommon form of neurofibroma that occurs primarily in children and young adults.

Hematological, biochemical and ionoregulatory responses of Indian major carp Catla catla during chronic sublethal exposure to inorganic arsenic.

In the present study the acute toxicity of arsenic trioxide in fingerlings of Catla catla an Indian major carp was evaluated with renewal bioassay method. The median lethal concentration of arsenic trioxide to the fish C. catla for 96 h was found to be 20.

Granuloma formation around filarial larvae triggered by host responses to an excretory/secretory antigen.

In previous studies using a murine model of filarial infection, granuloma formation was found to be a most important host-protective mechanism. We have also shown that in vitro cytoadherence is a surrogate for the formation of antifilarial granulomas in vivo and that it requires "alternatively activated" host cells and a source of antifilarial antibody. We show here that antibodies against L3 excretory/secretory (E/S) products can facilitate in vitro cytoadherence.

Development of a validated high-throughput LC-ESI-MS method for determination of sirolimus on dried blood spots.

A high-throughput liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS) method for screening of sirolimus on dried blood spots (DBS) was developed and validated. It involves solvent extraction of a punch of DBS followed by reversed-phase LC on a relatively new monolithic column consisting of a silica rod with bimodal pore structure and detection by ESI-MS. The run time was less than 3 min with a very low backpressure at a flow rate of 0.

Characterization of Nα-Fmoc-protected ureidopeptides by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS): differentiation of positional isomers.

Four pairs of positional isomers of ureidopeptides, FmocNH-CH(R(1))-ϕ(NH-CO-NH)-CH(R(2))-OY and FmocNH-CH(R(2))-ϕ(NH-CO-NH)-CH(R(1))-OY (Fmoc = [(9-fluorenyl methyl)oxy]carbonyl; R(1) = H, alkyl; R(2) = alkyl, H and Y = CH(3)/H), have been characterized and differentiated by both positive and negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The major fragmentation noticed in MS/MS of all these compounds is due to --N--CH(R)--N--bond cleavage to form the characteristic N- and C-terminus fragment ions. The protonated ureidopeptide acids derived from glycine at the N-terminus form protonated (9H-fluoren-9-yl)methyl carbamate ion at m/z 240 which is absent for the corresponding esters.

Novel Technology in the Treatment of Acne Scars: The Matrix-tunable Radiofrequency Technology.

Background: Despite the many advances, scarring, particularly acne or pimple scarring, does not have a satisfactory treatment. A new armamentarium in this field is this recently devised matrix-tunable radiofrequency technology, which utilizes radiofrequency emission in the treatment of acne scars.

Aims: To evaluate the efficiency of the new matrix-tunable radiofrequency technology in patients with acne scars of varying sizes.

Potentially inappropriate medication use in elderly patients: a study of prevalence and predictors in two teaching hospitals.

Background: Geriatrics is an emerging clinical specialty in India. Information about the appropriateness of prescription medication use among the elderly in India is limited.

Aims: To determine the prevalence and predictors of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use, and assess the relationship between PIM use and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the hospitalized elderly.