Comparative proteome analysis of Spodoptera litura-infested Zea mays reveals a robust defense strategy targeting insect peritrophic membrane.

Herbivorous insects such as Spodoptera litura, pose a constant threat to agricultural crops. The incompetence of contemporary pest management tools and techniques stipulates unravelling of molecular dogma, that drives pest-plant interaction. From our previous observations, we inferred that despite being a voracious polyphagous herbivore, S.

Discovery and multimerization of cross-reactive single-domain antibodies against SARS-like viruses to enhance potency and address emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Coronaviruses have been the causative agent of three epidemics and pandemics in the past two decades, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A broadly-neutralizing coronavirus therapeutic is desirable not only to prevent and treat COVID-19, but also to provide protection for high-risk populations against future emergent coronaviruses. As all coronaviruses use spike proteins on the viral surface to enter the host cells, and these spike proteins share sequence and structural homology, we set out to discover cross-reactive biologic agents targeting the spike protein to block viral entry.

Hexamerization of Anti-SARS CoV IgG1 Antibodies Improves Neutralization Capacity.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and particularly the emerging variants have deepened the need for widely available therapeutic options. We have demonstrated that hexamer-enhancing mutations in the Fc region of anti-SARS-CoV IgG antibodies lead to a noticeable improvement in IC in both pseudo and live virus neutralization assay compared to parental molecules. We also show that hexamer-enhancing mutants improve C1q binding to target surface.

Molecular Rationale of Insect-Microbes Symbiosis-From Insect Behaviour to Mechanism.

Insects nurture a panoply of microbial populations that are often obligatory and exist mutually with their hosts. Symbionts not only impact their host fitness but also shape the trajectory of their phenotype. This co-constructed niche successfully evolved long in the past to mark advanced ecological specialization.

Dynamics of Zea mays transcriptome in response to a polyphagous herbivore, Spodoptera litura.

Zea mays defense response is well-crafted according to the physical and chemical weapons utilized by their invaders during the coevolutionary period. Maize plants employ diversified defense strategies and alter the spatiotemporal distribution of several classes of defensive compounds to affect insect herbivore performance. However, only little knowledge is available about the defense orchestration of maize in response to Spodoptera litura, a voracious Noctuidae pest.

Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1): Structural characteristics and application in cancer therapy.

Apoptosis, a major hallmark of cancer cells, regulates cellular fate and homeostasis. BCL-2 (B-cell CLL/Lymphoma 2) protein family is popularly known to mediate the intrinsic mode of apoptosis, of which MCL-1 is a crucial member. Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1) is an anti-apoptotic oncoprotein and one of the most investigated members of the BCL-2 family.

Associations between parents' exposure to a multisectoral programme and infant and young child feeding practices in Nepal.

In Nepal, an at-scale, multisectoral programme-Suaahara (2011-2023)-aims to improve nutrition behaviours. Suaahara II (2016-2023) transitioned from a mother/child dyad focus to explicitly targeting all family members. Evidence is scant, however, regarding how exposure by men to social and behaviour change interventions relates to nutrition outcomes.

Molecular Modeling of Chemosensory Protein 3 from and Its Binding Property with Plant Defensive Metabolites.

Chemosensory perception in insects involves a broad set of chemosensory proteins (CSPs) that identify the bouquet of chemical compounds present in the external environment and regulate specific behaviors. The current study is focused on the (Fabricius) chemosensory-related protein, SlitCSP3, a midgut-expressed CSP, which demonstrates differential gene expression upon different diet intake. There is an intriguing possibility that SlitCSP3 can perceive food-derived chemical signals and modulate insect feeding behavior.

Effect of 2 Novel Sustained-release Drug Release Systems on Bleb Fibrosis: An In Vivo Trabeculectomy Study in a Rabbit Model.

Precis: Rabbit model studies suggested better morphology blebs with equal intraocular pressure (IOP) efficacy as a standard mitomycin C (MMC) trabeculectomy using a novel slow-release drug delivery antifibrotic system delivering small quantities of MMC and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Purpose: To evaluate 2 different concentrations of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) system with 5-FU and MMC (ElutiGLASS) for their ability to reduce fibrosis and compare the results with standard trabeculectomy with MMC in a rabbit model.

Materials And Methods: New Zealand albino rabbits (19) were divided into 3 groups (A, B, C) and standard trabeculectomy operation was performed in the right eye of each rabbit.

Protease inhibitors: recent advancement in its usage as a potential biocontrol agent for insect pest management.

Plant-derived protease inhibitors (PIs) are a promising defensin for crop improvement and insect pest management. Although agronomist made significant efforts in utilizing PIs for managing insect pests, the potentials of PIs are still obscured. Insect ability to compensate nutrient starvation induced by dietary PI feeding using different strategies, that is, overexpression of PI-sensitive protease, expression of PI-insensitive proteases, degradation of PI, has made this innumerable collection of PIs worthless.

In silico prediction of active site and in vitro DNase and RNase activities of Helicoverpa-inducible pathogenesis related-4 protein from Cicer arietinum.

Plants are endowed with an innate immune system, which enables them to protect themselves from pest and pathogen. The participation of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins is one of the most crucial events of inducible plant defense response. Herein, we report the characterization of CaHaPR-4, a Helicoverpa-inducible class II PR-4 protein from chickpea.

A case of hypercalcaemia in an immunocompetent patient with intracellulare.

Mycobacterium avium intracellulare infection or colonization should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia, especially in immunocompromised individuals, in the appropriate clinical context.

Quadruplet pregnancy following spontaneous conception: a rare case report.

Quadruplets are a set of four offspring born at one birth which can be fraternal (multizygotic), identical (monozygotic) or a combination of both. Multizygotic quadruplets occur from fertilisation of four different sets of ovum and sperm. Monozygotic multiples are the result of a fertilized egg that splits into two or more embryos.

Genetics of fetal hemoglobin in tribal Indian patients with sickle cell anemia.

India tops the list of countries with sickle cell disease (SCD) with an estimated 44,000 live births in 2010 and a prevalence of 10%-33%. In the present study, the first from India, we have investigated the effect of genetic variants in the BCL11A, the HMIP (HBS1L-MYB intergenic polymorphism) locus, in addition to the HBB locus, which are known to be associated with fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels, a major modulator of the disease phenotype. The present study was conducted on 240 individuals with SCD and 60 with sickle cell trait.

Hypoplasia, pseudocoarctation and coarctation of the aorta - a systematic review.

Aortic arch abnormalities are uncommon and may be seen in association with other congenital cardiac anomalies. Coarctation, pseudocoarctation and hypoplastic aortic arch are known aortic arch abnormalities, with the former being well studied, whilst for the latter two, much less is known. There are similarities and differences that are important to distinguish among these three conditions in order to avoid errors in diagnosis that may result in unnecessary investigations, which may in turn result in physical or emotional harm to the patient.

In vitro characterization of the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab, BMS-936558, and in vivo toxicology in non-human primates.

The programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor serves as an immunologic checkpoint, limiting bystander tissue damage and preventing the development of autoimmunity during inflammatory responses. PD-1 is expressed by activated T cells and downmodulates T-cell effector functions upon binding to its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, on antigen-presenting cells. In patients with cancer, the expression of PD-1 on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and its interaction with the ligands on tumor and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment undermine antitumor immunity and support its rationale for PD-1 blockade in cancer immunotherapy.

Effect of 82% Lactic Acid in Treatment of Melasma.

Melasma is an acquired, chronic, and symmetrical hypermelanosis, characterized by brown patches of variable darkness on sun exposed areas of body. There are numerous modalities of treatment currently in use for this disease, of which the chemical peeling is very commonly used. Therefore, the present work was done to see the effect of 82% lactic acid peel in the treatment of melasma.

Interferon-α and pericardial injury: a case report and literature review.

Interferon- α (IFN-α) alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents has been used in the management of many malignant and non-malignant conditions. Pericarditis with or without pericardial effusion has been reported with IFN-α therapy, and available literature is limited to case reports. Pericardial constriction after interferon use has not been described in the published literature to date.

Ameliorative Potential of Quercetin Against Paracetamol-induced Oxidative Stress in Mice Blood.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ameliorative potential of quercetin (QC) against paracetamol (PCM)-induced oxidative stress and biochemical alterations in mice blood. A total of 36 mice were randomly allocated into six groups, six mice in each. Group I served as healthy controls, while groups II and III were administered with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and QC alone respectively.

13C saturation transfer effect of carbon dioxide-bicarbonate exchange catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase in vivo.

Carbonic anhydrase catalyzes reversible hydration of carbon dioxide and dehydration of bicarbonate. In this article we report that the rapid exchange catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase causes a large magnetization (saturation) transfer effect on the 13C signal of bicarbonate at 160.7 ppm in vivo when the resonance of the undetectable carbon dioxide at 125.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline calcium phosphate in microemulsion--effect of nature of surfactants.

Nanosized calcium phosphate (CP) powders have been synthesized by an inverse microemulsion system using kerosene as the oil phase, a cationic surfactant Aliquat 336, a non-ionic surfactant Tween 20 and their mixture and aqueous solutions of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and biammonium hydrogen phosphate as the water phase. It has been found that the nature of surfactants played an important role to regulate the size and morphologies of the calcium phosphate nanoparticles. The cationic surfactant Aliquat 336 has been found to regulate the nucleation and crystal growth.