MicroRNA predicts cognitive performance in healthy older adults.

The expression of microRNA (miRNA) is influenced by ongoing biological processes, including aging, and has begun to play a role in the measurement of neurodegenerative processes in central nervous system. The purpose of this study is to utilize machine learning approaches to determine whether miRNA can be utilized as a blood-based biomarker of cognitive aging. A random forest regression combining miRNA with biological (brain volume), clinical (comorbid conditions), and demographic variables in 115 typically aging older adults explained the greatest level of variance in cognitive performance compared to the other machine learning models explored.

Risk factors for maternal mortality among 1.9 million women in nine empowered action group states in India: secondary analysis of Annual Health Survey data.

Objective: To examine the risk factors for pregnancy-related death in India's nine Empowered Action Group (EAG) states.

Design: Secondary data analysis of the Indian Annual Health Survey (2010-2013).

Setting: Nine states: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Tobacco Use Among College Students Across Various Disciplines in Kerala, India.

Background: Tobacco use is a major public health concern in India. Its use in young people is linked to increased severity, longer duration, and reduced efforts to seek treatment for tobacco use. A significant proportion of young people are enrolled in colleges, and early prevention during this period has better effectiveness.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage secondary to plastic fume exposure: A case report.

A 31-year non-smoker man, working in plastic making industry for 12 years presented with cough and streaking hemoptysis for 2 days. Computed tomography (CT) of chest showed patchy ground glass opacities with interlobular septal thickening in bilateral lung parenchyma. Fiber optic bronchoscopy (FOB) was done.

Nanoribbon self-assembly and hydrogel formation from an NOctanoyl octapeptide derived from the antiparallel β-Interface of a protein homotetramer.

The effect of installing different lipid chains (C, C, C, and C) on the N-terminus of an octapeptide derived from the antiparallel β-interface of the diaminopimelate decarboxylase protein homotetramer has been investigated. Notably, the C peptide conjugate assembled into wide twisted nanoribbons and formed hydrogels, which to the best of our knowledge constitutes the first example of a peptide containing an eight carbon alkyl chain that demonstrates these properties, a space typically occupied by peptide amphiphiles with long lipid chains. Furthermore, this self-assembling lipopeptide exhibited pH and temperature stability with shear thinning properties suitable for biomedical applications.

Differential Effect of Repeated Lipopolysaccharide Treatment and Aging on Hippocampal Function and Biomarkers of Hippocampal Senescence.

Markers of brain aging and cognitive decline are thought to be influenced by peripheral inflammation. This study compared the effects of repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment in young rats to age-related changes in hippocampal-dependent cognition and transcription. Young Fischer 344 X Brown Norway hybrid rats were given intraperitoneal injections once a week for 7 weeks with either LPS or vehicle.

Directed self-assembly of peptide-diketopyrrolopyrrole conjugates - a platform for bio-organic thin film preparation.

Increased water solubility and long-range intermolecular ordering have been introduced into the fluorescent organic molecule thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole (TDPP) via its conjugation to the octapeptide HEFISTAH, which is derived from the protein-protein β-interface of the homo-tetramer protein diaminopimelate decarboxylase. The octapeptide, and its TDPP mono- and cross-linked conjugates were synthesised using 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) based solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Unlike the unmodified peptide, the resulting mono-linked and cross-linked peptides showed a fibrous morphology and formed hydrogels at 4 wt% in water at neutral pH, but failed to assemble at pH 2 and pH 9.

Pediatric lung transplantation: Dynamics of the microbiome and bronchiolitis obliterans in cystic fibrosis.

Background: Compositional changes in the microbiome are associated with the development of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) after lung transplantation (LTx) in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). The association between the lower airway bacterial community and BO after LTx in children with CF remains largely unexplored and is possibly influenced by frequent antibiotic therapy. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between bacterial community dynamics and the development of BO and analyze antibiotic resistance trends in children after LTx for CF.

Region-specific changes in the mRNA and protein expression of LCPUFA biosynthesis enzymes and transporters in the placentae of women with preeclampsia.

Unlabelled: The biosynthesis and transport of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) require the activity of fatty acid desaturase (FADS) enzymes, fatty acid transport proteins (FATP) and fatty acid binding proteins (FABP). In a previous study we have demonstrated region-specific changes in the LCPUFA levels in preeclampsia (PE) as compared to the normotensive control (NC) placentae.

Aim: To understand the region-specific changes in the mRNA levels and protein expression of biosynthesis enzymes and transporters of LCPUFA in PE and NC placentae.

Intronic Alternative Polyadenylation in the Middle of the Gene Produces Half-Size N-Terminal Dystrophin with a Potential Implication of ECG Abnormalities of DMD Patients.

The gene is one of the largest human genes, being composed of 79 exons, and encodes dystrophin Dp427m which is deficient in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In some DMD patient, however, small size dystrophin reacting with antibody to N-terminal but not to C-terminal has been identified. The mechanism to produce N-terminal small size dystrophin remains unknown.

Leaf transition from heterotrophy to autotrophy is recorded in the intraleaf C, H and O isotope patterns of leaf organic matter.

Rationale: Quantitatively relating C/ C, H/ H and O/ O ratios of plant α-cellulose and H/ H of n-alkanes to environmental conditions and metabolic status should ideally be based on the leaf, the plant organ most sensitive to environmental change. The fact that leaf organic matter is composed of isotopically different heterotrophic and autotrophic components means that it is imperative that one be able to disentangle the relative heterotrophic and autotrophic contributions to leaf organic matter.

Methods: We tackled this issue by two-dimensional sampling of leaf water and α-cellulose, and specific n-alkanes from greenhouse-grown immature and mature and field-grown mature banana leaves, taking advantage of their large areas and thick waxy layers.

Hippocampal Subregion Transcriptomic Profiles Reflect Strategy Selection during Cognitive Aging.

Age-related cognitive impairments are associated with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to defined neural systems; however, studies examining multiple regions of the hippocampus fail to find links between behavior and transcription in the dentate gyrus (DG). We hypothesized that use of a task requiring intact DG function would emphasize molecular signals in the DG associated with a decline in performance. We used a water maze beacon discrimination task to characterize young and middle-age male F344 rats, followed by a spatial reference memory probe trial test.

Suffering in Silence: Stories of Indian Women with Chronic Mental Illness and Sexual Coercion.

Background: Patriarchy exposes women to various forms of discrimination and oppression. Women are more often blamed for mental illness, which can result in social isolation and stigma.

Method: Case Study.

Abundance of Multidrug Resistance Efflux Pumps in the Urinary Metagenome of Kidney Transplant Patients.

Antibiotic resistance including the emergence of multidrug resistant microbes has become a public health crisis. In this study, we analyzed the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the urinary metagenome of the kidney transplant and healthy subjects using metagenomic shotgun sequencing. Our data suggest an increased abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in the kidney transplant subjects.

Recent advances in carbon nanotube sponge-based sorption technologies for mitigation of marine oil spills.

Hypothesis: Oil spills stemming from supertankers, drilling, and natural events represent a serious problem worldwide due to the potential harms to marine ecosystems and aquatic life. To date, various functional absorbents have been developed to treat spilled oil. Among them, carbon nanotube (CNT)-based aerogels and sponges gained attention due to superior performance in uptake and recovery of various types of oil and organic solvents.

Doping of MoTe via Surface Charge Transfer in Air.

Doping is a key process by which the concentration and type of majority carriers can be tuned to achieve desired conduction properties. The common way of doping is via bulk impurities, as in the case of silicon. For van der Waals bonded semiconductors, control over bulk impurities is not as well developed, because they may either migrate between the layers or bond with the surfaces or interfaces becoming undesired scattering centers for carriers.

Developing Climate-Resilient Chickpea Involving Physiological and Molecular Approaches With a Focus on Temperature and Drought Stresses.

Chickpea is one of the most economically important food legumes, and a significant source of proteins. It is cultivated in more than 50 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North America, and South America. Chickpea production is limited by various abiotic stresses (cold, heat, drought, salt, .

Longitudinal Characterization and Biomarkers of Age and Sex Differences in the Decline of Spatial Memory.

The current longitudinal study examined factors (sex, physical function, response to novelty, ability to adapt to a shift in light/dark cycle, brain connectivity), which might predict the emergence of impaired memory during aging. Male and female Fisher 344 rats were tested at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. Impaired spatial memory developed in middle-age (12 months), particularly in males, and the propensity for impairment increased with advanced age.

Bioinformatics enrichment analysis of genes and pathways related to maternal type 1 diabetes associated with adverse fetal outcomes.

Maternal type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may affect fetal development by altering the gene expression profile of the umbilical cord. The present study aimed to explore the T1DM-induced gene expression changes in the fetal umbilical cord. The raw gene expression profiles (ID: GSE51546) of umbilical cord tissue obtained from six normal mothers (non-diabetic) and six type 1 diabetic mothers were used to identify the differentially expressed genes.

CuAAC-ensembled 1,2,3-triazole-linked isosteres as pharmacophores in drug discovery: review.

The review lays emphasis on the significance of 1,2,3-triazoles synthesized CuAAC reaction having potential to act as anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-tuberculosis, anti-diabetic, and anti-Alzheimer drugs. The importance of click chemistry is due to its 'quicker' methodology that has the capability to create complex and efficient drugs with high yield and purity from simple and cheap starting materials. The activity of different triazolyl compounds was compiled considering MIC, IC, and EC values against different species of microbes.

Characterization of saliva in immunocompromised patients and tobacco users: A case-control study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess salivary flow rate, salivary pH, and salivary albumin concentration in systemically compromised subjects and tobacco users and its comparison to healthy controls.

Materials And Methods: Sixty patients were selected and then were equally divided into systemically compromised group, tobacco users, and control group with 20 in each group. Saliva flow rate was assessed using modified Schirmer test (MST), salivary pH was estimated by pH meter, and salivary albumin concentration was determined using bromocresol green method.

Multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction targeting multiple genes for the detection of and in genitourinary specimens.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to design and evaluate a novel multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for simultaneous detection of and in genitourinary specimens obtained from symptomatic patients clinically suspected of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), targeting two different genes each for these pathogens.

Materials And Methods: A total of 116 genitourinary specimens were collected from men ( = 12) and women ( = 104). Direct microscopy, culture isolation, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing for were performed.

Calcium homeostasis during hibernation and in mechanical environments disrupting calcium homeostasis.

To maintain calcium homeostasis during physical inactivity, precise coordination is necessary between different organs of the body. There are a number of factors which alter an organism's calcium balance, such as growth, aging, physical inactivity and acquired or inherited disorders which ultimately lead to bone loss. In non-hibernating mammals, physical inactivity causes bone loss which may not be completely recoverable during the lifespan of an individual despite a resumption of activity.

Reliable anatase-titania nanoclusters functionalized GaN sensor devices for UV assisted NO gas-sensing in ppb level.

Internet of Things applications require ultra-low power, integrable into electronic circuits and mini-sized chemical sensors for automated remote air quality monitoring system. In this work, a highly sensitive and selective detection of nitrogen dioxide (NO) has been demonstrated by functionalizing gallium nitride (GaN) submicron wire with titania (TiO) nanoclusters. The two-terminal GaN/TiO sensor device was fabricated by top-down approach.