Perineuronal nets are associated with decision making under conditions of uncertainty in female but not male mice

Biological sex influences decision-making processes in significant ways, differentiating the responses animals choose when faced with a range of stimuli. The neurobiological underpinnings that dictate sex differences in decision-making tasks remains an important open question, yet single-sex studies of males form most studies in behavioural neuroscience. Here we used female and male BALB/c mice on two spatial learning and memory tasks and examined the expression of perineuronal nets (PNNs) and parvalbumin interneurons (PV) in regions correlated with spatial memory. Mice underwent the aversive active place avoidance (APA) task or the appetitive trial-unique nonmatching-to-location (TUNL) touchscreen task. Mice in the APA cohort learnt to avoid the foot-shock and no differences were observed on key measures of the task nor in the number and intensity of PNNs and PV. On the delay but not separation manipulation in the TUNL task, females received more incorrect trials and less correct trials compared to males. Furthermore, females in this cohort exhibited higher intensity PNNs and PV cells in the agranular and granular retrosplenial cortex, compared to males. These data show that female and male mice perform similarly on spatial learning tasks. However, sex differences in neural circuitry may underly differences in making decisions under conditions of uncertainty on an appetitive task. These data emphasise the importance of using mice of both sexes in studies of decision-making neuroscience.

Activity in the Dorsomedial Striatum Underlies Serial Reversal Learning Performance Under Probabilistic Uncertainty

Background

Corticostriatal circuits, particularly the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and lateral orbitofrontal cortex, are critical for navigating reversal learning under probabilistic uncertainty. These same areas are implicated in the reversal learning impairments observed in individuals with psychosis as well as their psychotic symptoms, suggesting that they may share a common neurobiological substrate. To address this question, we used psychostimulant exposure and specific activation of the DMS during reversal learning in mice to assess corticostriatal activity.

Methods

We used amphetamine treatment to induce psychosis-relevant neurobiology in male mice during reversal learning and to examine pathway-specific corticostriatal activation. To determine the causal role of DMS activity, we used chemogenetics to drive midbrain inputs during a range of probabilistic contingencies.

Results

Mice treated with amphetamine showed altered punishment learning, which was associated with decreased shifting after losses and increased perseverative errors after reversals. Reversal learning performance and strategies were dependent on increased activity in lateral orbitofrontal cortex to DMS circuits as well as in the DMS itself. Specific activation of midbrain to DMS circuits also decreased shifting after losses and reversal learning performance. However, these alterations were dependent on the probabilistic contingency.

Conclusions

Our work suggests that the DMS plays a multifaceted role in reversal learning. Increasing DMS activity impairs multiple reversal learning processes dependent on the level of uncertainty, confirming its role in the maintenance and selection of incoming cortical inputs. Together, these outcomes suggest that elevated dopamine levels in the DMS could contribute to decision-making impairments in individuals with psychosis.

An Automated Brain Metastasis Detection and Segmentation System from MRI with a Large Multi-Institutional Dataset

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Developments of automated systems for brain metastasis (BM) detection and segmentation from MRI for assisting early detection and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) have been reported but most based upon relatively small datasets from single institutes. This work aims to develop and evaluate a system using a large multi-institutional dataset, and to improve both identification of small/subtle BMs and segmentation accuracy of large BMs.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A 3D U-Net system was trained and evaluated to detect and segment intraparenchymal BMs with a size > 2mm using 1856 MRI volumes from 1791 patients treated with SRS from seven institutions (1539 volumes for training, 183 for validation, and 134 for testing). All patients had 3D post-Gd T1w MRI scans pre-SRS. Gross tumor volumes (GTVs) of BMs for SRS were curated by each institute first. Then, additional efforts were spent to create GTVs for the untreated and/or uncontoured BMs, including central reviews by two radiologists, to improve accuracy of ground truth. The training dataset was augmented with synthetic BMs of 3773 MRIs using a 3D generative pipeline. Our system consists of two U-Nets with one using small 3D patches dedicated for detecting small BMs and another using large 3D patches for segmenting large BMs, and a random-forest based fusion module for combining the two network outputs. The first U-Net was trained with 3D patches containing at least one BM < 0.1 cm3. For detection performance, we measured BM-level sensitivity and case-level false-positive (FP) rate. For segmentation performance, we measured BM-level Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and 95-percentile Hausdorff distance (HD95). We also stratified performances based upon BM sizes.

RESULTS

For 739 BMs in the 134 testing cases, the overall lesion-level sensitivity was 0.870 with an average case-level FP of 1.34±1.92 (95% CI: 1.02-1.67). The sensitivity was >0.969 for the BMs >0.1 cm3, but dropped to 0.755 for the BMs < 0.1 cm3 (Table 1). The average DSC and HD95 for all detected BMs were 0.786 and 1.35mm. The worse performance for BMs > 20 cm3 was caused by a case with 83 cm3 GTV and artifacts in the MRI volume.

CONCLUSION

We achieved excellent detection sensitivity and segmentation accuracy for BMs > 0.1 cm3, and promising performance for small BMs (<0.1cm3) with a controlled FP rate using a large multi-institutional dataset. Clinical utility for assisting early detection and SRS planning will be investigated. Table 1: Per-lesion detection and segmentation performance stratified by individual BM size. N is the number of BMs in each category.

Activating the dorsomedial and ventral midbrain projections to the striatum differentially impairs goal-directed action in male mice

The cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are wide ranging and include impaired goal-directed action. This could be driven by an increase in dopamine transmission in the dorsomedial striatum, a pathophysiological hallmark of schizophrenia. Although commonly associated with psychotic symptoms, dopamine signalling in this region also modulates associative learning that aids in the execution of actions. To gain a better understanding of the role of subcortical dopamine in learning and decision-making, we assessed goal-directed action in male mice using the cross-species outcome-specific devaluation task (ODT). First, we administered systemic amphetamine during training to determine the impact of altered dopaminergic signaling on associative learning. Second, we used pathway-specific chemogenetic approaches to activate the dorsomedial and ventral striatal pathways (that originate in the midbrain) to separately assess learning and performance. Amphetamine treatment during learning led to a dose-dependent impairment in goal-directed action. Activation of both striatal pathways during learning also impaired performance. However, when these pathways were activated during choice, only activation of the ventral pathway impaired goal-directed action. This suggests that elevated transmission in the dorsomedial striatal pathway impairs associative learning processes that guide the goal-directed execution of actions. By contrast, elevated transmission of the ventral striatal pathway disrupts the encoding of outcome values that are important for both associative learning and choice performance. These findings highlight the differential roles of the dorsomedial and ventral inputs into the striatum in goal-directed action and provides insight into how striatal dopamine signaling may contribute to the cognitive problems in those with schizophrenia.

Coping strategies and barriers to coping in climate- vulnerable Bangladesh: a qualitative study

 

With the mental wellbeing of billions of people at risk due to climate change, more research is required to better understand mental health and psychological implications of climate vulnerability. This research contributes to understanding how people in climate vulnerable populations psychologically cope with stress with crucial implications for adaptation efforts. We conducted n = 60 qualitative in-depth interviews with men and women in Bhola, Bangladesh to elicit the lived experiences of a climate vulnerable population. We analysed data following the tenets of Grounded Theory. Through our inductive analysis, we found coping strategies where participants highlighted what they did when encountering stress, such as ‘Resignation’ or ‘Help Seeking'. Barriers to coping were, among others, limited ‘Efficacy', ‘Time’ or ‘Stigma'. We categorized coping strategies with barriers as high-barrier coping strategies and, those without reported barriers, as low- barrier coping strategies. High-barriers restricted participants - especially women - in their coping efforts and led them to using low-barrier coping strategies. Some low-barrier coping strategies can be interpreted as maladaptive if used frequently, as they are unhealthy and draw upon resources needed to adapt for the future. Maladaptive coping strategies can thus impede long-term adaptation by reducing motivation and the ability and willingness to act. To enable adaptive coping, we recommend lifting the barriers to coping through community-led interventions where community workers create platforms for sharing problems and knowledge, such as group support meetings. Sharing and discussing could strengthen efficacy and open new opportunities for functional, adaptive coping. As the negative impacts of climate change will be felt globally with more intensity and frequency, enabling adaptive coping and removing barriers to coping in frontline communities will be essential to supporting physical and mental wellbeing.

Key messages

• Barriers to adaptive coping strategies can lead people to using maladaptive low-barrier coping strategies, which draw upon resources needed for long-term adaptation.

• Enabling adaptive coping by lifting barriers to coping in climate vulnerable populations is crucial to strengthen adaptation efforts.

Integrated multiplex network based approach for hub gene identification in oral cancer

Background: The incidence of Oral Cancer (OC) is high in Asian countries, which goes undetected at its early stage. The study of genetics, especially genetic networks holds great promise in this endeavor. Hub genes in a genetic network are prominent in regulating the whole network structure of genes. Thus identification of such genes related to specific cancer types can help in reducing the gap in OC prognosis. Methods: Traditional study of network biology is unable to decipher the inter-dependencies within and across diverse biological networks. Multiplex network provides a powerful representation of such systems and encodes much richer information than isolated networks. In this work, we focused on the entire multiplex structure of the genetic network integrating the gene expression profile and DNA methylation profile for OC. Further, hub genes were identified by considering their connectivity in the multiplex structure and the respective protein-protein interaction (PPI) network as well. Results: 46 hub genes were inferred in our approach with a high prediction accuracy (96%), outstanding Matthews coefficient correlation value (93%) and significant biological implications. Among them, genes PIK3CG, PIK3R5, MYH7, CDC20 and CCL4 were differentially expressed and predominantly enriched in molecular cascades specific to OC. Conclusions: The identified hub genes in this work carry ontological signatures specific to cancer, which may further facilitate improved understanding of the tumorigenesis process and the underlying molecular events. Result indicates the effectiveness of our integrated multiplex network approach for hub gene identification. This work puts an innovative research route for multi-omics biological data analysis.

Assessment of cosmesis and quality of life and their correlation using novel, validated methods in breast cancer patients who had undergone breast conservation therapy

PURPOSE

To assess cosmesis [Breast Cancer Conservation Treatment. Cosmetic Results (BCCT.CORE) software] & QOL [EORTC QLQ (Quality of Life Questionnaire)-C30, BR23 questionnaires] using objective methods &to correlate effect of cosmesis on QOL (Quality of life) in breast cancer patients post BCT (Breast conservation therapy) using a cross-sectional observational study from a tertiary hospital.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Cosmesis & QOL had been assessed in all biopsy-proven adult patients of unilateral breast cancer, who had undergone BCT with minimum three months post-BCT & three months post last adjuvant chemotherapy cycle, whichever is delivered last (with just hormonal therapy or followup remaining based on hormone receptor status). Pearson chi-square & Kendall correlation Tau-b tests had been used for testing association between Cosmesis & QOL. Variation of QOL scores between Cosmetic groups had been assessed using Mann-Whitney U-test.

RESULTS

Cosmesis was Excellent/Good in 60.4 % of patients. 58.4 % of patients had Excellent/Good Quality of Life. Cosmesis & QOL had a positive correlation (intermediate strength) [Kendall correlation factor-0.484]. QOL-Global scale had better median scores in Excellent/ Good cosmetic group when compared to Fair/Poor group, while for functional & symptomatic scales, contrary had been true. Difference of median-scores between the two groups hadn't been statistically significant in five aspects - being upset over hair loss (p-0.09), sexual-enjoyment (p-0.33), nausea-vomiting (p-0.29), constipation (p0.32) & diarrhea (p-0.72).

CONCLUSION

About 2/3rds of patients post-BCT had Excellent/Good Cosmesis & Excellent/Good QOL. Every measure taken before, during & post-BCT to improve Cosmesis might result in better QOL. Future studies must use more accurate three-dimensional methods to assess Cosmesis & its effect on QOL.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the plant specific LIM genes in Gossypium arboreum under phytohormone, salt and pathogen stress

Asiatic cotton (Gossypium arboreum) cultivated as ‘desi cotton’ in India, is renowned for its climate resilience and robustness against biotic and abiotic stresses. The genome of G. arboreum is therefore, considered as a valued reserve of information for discovering novel genes or gene functions for trait improvements in the present context of cotton cultivation world-wide. In the present study, we carried out genome-wide analysis of LIM gene family in desi cotton and identified twenty LIM domain proteins (GaLIMs) which include sixteen animals CRP-like GaLIMs and four plant specific GaLIMs with presence (GaDA1) or absence (GaDAR) of UIM (Ubiquitin Interacting Motifs). Among the sixteen CRP-like GaLIMs, eleven had two conventional LIM domains while, five had single LIM domain which was not reported in LIM gene family of the plant species studied, except in Brassica rapa. Phylogenetic analysis of these twenty GaLIM proteins in comparison with LIMs of Arabidopsis, chickpea and poplar categorized them into distinct αLIM1, βLIM1, γLIM2, δLIM2 groups in CRP-like LIMs, and GaDA1 and GaDAR in plant specific LIMs group. Domain analysis had revealed consensus [(C-X₂-C-X₁₇-H-X₂-C)-X₂-(C-X₂-C-X₁₇-C-X₂-H)] and [(C-X₂-C-X₁₇-H-X₂-C)-X₂-(C-X₄-C-X₁₅-C-X₂-H)] being conserved as first and/or second LIM domains of animal CRP-like GaLIMs, respectively. Interestingly, single LIM domain containing GaLIM15 was found to contain unique consensus with longer inter-zinc-motif spacer but shorter second zinc finger motif. All twenty GaLIMs showed variable spatio-temporal expression patterns and accordingly further categorized into distinct groups of αLIM1, βLIM1, γLIM2 δLIM2 and plant specific LIM (DA1/DAR). For the first time, response of GaDA1/DAR under the influence of biotic and abiotic stresses were studied in cotton, involving treatments with phytohormones (Jasmonic acid and Abscisic acid), salt (NaCl) and wilt causing pathogen (Fusarium oxysporum). Expressions patterns of GaDA1/DAR showed variable response and identified GaDA2 as a probable candidate gene for stress tolerance in G. arboreum.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a first-line disease-modifying therapy in patients with 'aggressive' multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is an effective treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have highly active disease, despite the use of standard disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). However, the optimal time for offering AHSCT to patients with 'aggressive' MS is yet to be established.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to explore the safety and efficacy of AHSCT as a first-line DMT in patients with 'aggressive' MS.

METHODS

All patients with 'aggressive' MS who received AHSCT as a first-line DMT in five European and North American centres were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were identified. The median interval between diagnosis and AHSCT was 5 (1-20) months. All had multiple poor prognostic markers with a median pre-transplant Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 5.0 (1.5-9.5). After a median follow-up of 30 (12-118) months, the median EDSS score improved to 2.0 (0-6.5, p < 0.0001). No patient had further relapses. Three had residual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activities in the first 6 months post-transplant, but no further new or enhancing lesions were observed in subsequent scans.

CONCLUSION

AHSCT is safe and effective as a first-line DMT in inducing rapid and sustained remission in patients with 'aggressive' MS.

Energy saving and Fuzzy-PID position control of electro-hydraulic system by leakage compensation through proportional flow control valve

In this article, the focus is on the energy efficiency along with the position control of the linear actuator used in heavy earth moving equipment. It is quite evident that linear actuators are one of the critical machinery components used in the construction and mining activities like in booms of excavation equipment. The proposed work employed two different hydraulic circuits and a contrast has been carried out in terms of the energy efficiency. In one hydraulic circuit, the conventional proportional directional control valve (PDCV) is used for the position control. In another one, an innovative solution of using proportional flow control valve (PFCV) by creating artificial leakage between the two ends of the actuator is evaluated according to its energy efficiency. The extra flow coming from the pump during position control is by-passed by PFCV rather than the pressure relief valve in PDCV. This reduces the energy loss in the form of heat and increases the efficiency of the hydraulic circuit. The simulation of the hydraulic circuit is performed using MATLAB/Simulink and results are compared with the experiments and it is found that hydraulic circuit using PFCV is 8.5% more energy efficient than the conventional circuit using PDCV. The position control of the actuator is done using PID controller tuned by the fuzzy controller.

A novel approach for the energy recovery and position control of a hybrid hydraulic excavator

The heavy earth moving machineries (HEMM) like hydraulic excavator play a major role in construction and mining industries. In this context, the energy saving strategies in hydraulic excavator needs to be addressed considering its vital importance. Since the hydraulic excavators are subjected to heavy loads, hence the opportunity to harness the potential gravitational energy (GPE) remains a key area which can be effectively explored in order to minimize the energy consumption in consideration with hydraulic excavator. In the projected system, the potential energy is stored as pressure energy in hydro-pneumatic accumulator. The upward movement of the boom is executed with the help of prime mover during the starting of the first duty cycle. In the latter duty cycles, the stored pressurized energy is utilized together with the prime mover energy capable to execute the upward movement of the boom. The position of the boom cylinder is controlled by using the conventional PID controller using proportional flow control valve (PFCV) and accumulator. The error between the actual position and demand position of the linear actuator is minimized along with attainment of superior controlled performance while utilizing Model Predictive Controller (MPC). The pressurized accumulator with PFCV has been utilized to cater the different position demands. This has been also justified both experimentally and analytically with the error in the permissible range of 2%. It has been observed that the proposed system is 10% more efficient in contrast to the conventional system.

Studies on the interaction of a synthetic nitro-flavone derivative with DNA: A multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking approach

Interaction of a ligand with DNA is often the basis of drug action of many molecules. Flavones are important in this regard as their structural features confer them the ability to bind to DNA. 2-(4-Nitrophenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (4NCO) is an important biologically active synthetic flavone derivative. We are therefore interested in studying its interaction with DNA. Absorption spectroscopy studies included standard and reverse titration, effect of ionic strength on titration, determination of stoichiometry of binding and thermal denaturation. Spectrofluorimetry techniques included fluorimetric titration, quenching studies and fluorescence displacement assay. Assessment of relative viscosity and estimation of thermodynamic parameters from CD spectral studies were also undertaken. Furthermore, molecular docking analyses were also done with different short DNA sequences. The fluorescent flavone 4NCO reversibly interacted with DNA through partial intercalation as well as minor-groove binding. The binding constant and the number of binding sites were of the order 10⁴ M^-1 and 1 respectively. The binding stoichiometry with DNA was found to be 1:1. The nature of the interaction of 4NCO with DNA was hydrophobic in nature and the process of binding was spontaneous, endothermic and entropy-driven. The flavone also showed a preference for binding to GC rich sequences. The study presents a profile for structural and thermodynamic parameters, for the binding of 4NCO with DNA. DNA is an important target for ligands that are effective against cell proliferative disorders. In this regard, the molecule 4NCO is important since it can exert its biological activity through its DNA binding ability and can be a potential drug candidate.

Respiratory Morbidity among Indian Tea Industry Workers

Background:

Indian tea industry workers are exposed to various exposures at their workplace.

Objective:

To investigate the respiratory health of Indian tea industry workers.

Methods:

We administered a respiratory questionnaire to and measured lung function in workers of 34 tea gardens and 46 tea factories. We used correlation matrices to test the association between their respiratory symptoms and lung functions.

Results:

The garden workers complained of shortness of breath 3 times higher than the factory workers. However, nasal allergy was more predominant among the factory workers compared to garden workers (69.6% vs 41.2%, p=0.02). The factory workers had higher total (median 107.3% vs 92.9%, p=0.05, as measured by R at 5 Hz) and peripheral airway resistance (143.8% vs 61.1%, p=0.005, as measured by R at 5–20 Hz) than the garden workers. Respiratory symptoms were inversely associated with airway obstruction as measured by the ratio between forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) and forced vital capacity (FVC) and positively correlated with increased overall airway reactance among the workers.

Conclusion:

Respiratory symptoms and increased allergen susceptibility of Indian tea industry workers due to occupational exposures warrant routine systematic surveillance of their workplace air quality and health monitoring.

Innate and humoral recognition of the products of cell death: differential antigenicity and immunogenicity in lupus

While apoptotic debris is believed to constitute the original antigenic insult in lupus (which is characterized by a time-dependent diversification of autoreactivity), whether such debris and autoantibodies specifically recognizing its constituents mediate differential effects on innate and humoral responses in lupus-prone mice is currently unknown. Apoptotic blebs (as opposed to cellular lysate) enhanced preferentially the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) from bone marrow precursors drawn from lupus-prone mice. Murine, somatically mutated, apoptotic cell-reactive immunoglobulin (Ig)G monoclonal antibodies demonstrated enhanced recognition of DCs and also displayed a prominent lupus strain-specific bias in mediating DC maturation. Further, immunization of such antibodies specifically in lupus-prone mice resulted in widespread humoral autoreactivity; hypergammaglobulinaemia (a hallmark of systemic autoimmunity) was observed, accompanied by enhanced antibody titres to cellular moieties. Induced antibodies recognized antigens distinct from those recognized by the antibodies employed for immunization; in particular, nephritis-associated anti-double stranded (ds) DNA antibodies and neonatal lupus-associated anti-Ro60 antibodies were elicited by a non-dsDNA, non-Ro60 reactive antibody, and Sm was a favoured target. Further, only in lupus-prone mice did such immunization enhance the kinetics of humoral anti-self responses, resulting in the advanced onset of glomerulosclerosis. These studies reveal that preferential innate and humoral recognition of the products of cell death in a lupus milieu influence the indices associated with autoimmune pathology.

Quality of tuberculosis care in India: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

While Indian studies have assessed care providers' knowledge and practices, there is no systematic review on the quality of tuberculosis (TB) care.

METHODS

We searched multiple sources to identify studies (2000-2014) on providers' knowledge and practices. We used the International Standards for TB Care to benchmark quality of care.

RESULTS

Of the 47 studies included, 35 were questionnaire surveys and 12 used chart abstraction. None assessed actual practice using standardised patients. Heterogeneity in the findings precluded meta-analysis. Of 22 studies evaluating provider knowledge about using sputum smears for diagnosis, 10 found that less than half of providers had correct knowledge; 3 of 4 studies assessing self-reported practices by providers found that less than a quarter reported ordering smears for patients with chest symptoms. In 11 of 14 studies that assessed treatment, less than one third of providers knew the standard regimen for drug-susceptible TB. Adherence to standards in practice was generally lower than correct knowledge of those standards. Eleven studies with both public and private providers found higher levels of appropriate knowledge/practice in the public sector.

CONCLUSIONS

Available evidence suggests suboptimal quality of TB care, particularly in the private sector. Improvement of quality of care should be a priority for India.

Redox signalling to nuclear regulatory proteins by reactive oxygen species contributes to oestrogen-induced growth of breast cancer cells

Background:

17β-Oestradiol (E2)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in regulating the growth of breast cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism of this is not clear. Here we show how ROS through a novel redox signalling pathway involving nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) and p27 contribute to E2-induced growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Methods:

Chromatin immunoprecipitation, qPCR, mass spectrometry, redox western blot, colony formation, cell proliferation, ROS assay, and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to study the role of NRF-1.

Results:

The major novel finding of this study is the demonstration of oxidative modification of phosphatases PTEN and CDC25A by E2-generated ROS along with the subsequent activation of AKT and ERK pathways that culminated in the activation of NRF-1 leading to the upregulation of cell cycle genes. 17β-Oestradiol-induced ROS by influencing nuclear proteins p27 and Jab1 also contributed to the growth of MCF-7 cells.

Conclusions:

Taken together, our results present evidence in the support of E2-induced ROS-mediated AKT signalling leading to the activation of NRF-1-regulated cell cycle genes as well as the impairment of p27 activity, which is presumably necessary for the growth of MCF-7 cells. These observations are important because they provide a new paradigm by which oestrogen may contribute to the growth of breast cancer.

Expression of serum miR-200a, miR-200b, and miR-200c as candidate biomarkers in epithelial ovarian cancer and their association with clinicopathological features

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in the etiology of various human cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the expression of three members--miR 200a, miR 200b, and miR 200c belonging to the miR-200 family with clinicopathological characteristics and their impact on the progression of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Total RNA from serum was isolated by Trizol method, polyadenylated, and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Expression levels of miR-200a, miR-200b, and miR-200c were detected by using miRNA qRT-PCR. We measured miR expression in 70 serum samples of EOC patients with matched controls using U6 snRNA as a reference. Levels of miR expression was compared with distinct clinicopathological features.

RESULTS

Expression of miR-200a was found to be greater than six-fold (p = 0.01), miR-200b and miR-200c greater than three-fold (p = 0.01) in comparison with matched normal controls. Association of miRNA expression with clinicopathological factors and progression was statistically evaluated. The expression levels of miR-200a and miR-200c were found to be significantly associated with disease progression (p = 0.04 and p < 0.001, respectively). miR-200a overexpression was found be associated with tumor histology and stage. Patients with lymph node metastasis showed significant elevation of miR-200c (p = 0.006). The AUC in ROC curve also indicated that serum levels of miR-200a and miR-200c might be worthwhile as a diagnostic tool in the near future.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that miR-200a, miR-200b, and miR-200c overexpressions are associated with the aggressive tumor progression and be recognized as reliable markers to predict the prognosis and survival in EOC patients.

The degradation of p53 and its major E3 ligase Mdm2 is differentially dependent on the proteasomal ubiquitin receptor S5a

p53 and its major E3 ligase Mdm2 are both ubiquitinated and targeted to the proteasome for degradation. Despite the importance of this in regulating the p53 pathway, little is known about the mechanisms of proteasomal recognition of ubiquitinated p53 and Mdm2. In this study, we show that knockdown of the proteasomal ubiquitin receptor S5a/PSMD4/Rpn10 inhibits p53 protein degradation and results in the accumulation of ubiquitinated p53. Overexpression of a dominant-negative deletion of S5a lacking its ubiquitin-interacting motifs (UIM)s, but which can be incorporated into the proteasome, also causes the stabilization of p53. Furthermore, small-interferring RNA (siRNA) rescue experiments confirm that the UIMs of S5a are required for the maintenance of low p53 levels. These observations indicate that S5a participates in the recognition of ubiquitinated p53 by the proteasome. In contrast, targeting S5a has no effect on the rate of degradation of Mdm2, indicating that proteasomal recognition of Mdm2 can be mediated by an S5a-independent pathway. S5a knockdown results in an increase in the transcriptional activity of p53. The selective stabilization of p53 and not Mdm2 provides a mechanism for p53 activation. Depletion of S5a causes a p53-dependent decrease in cell proliferation, demonstrating that p53 can have a dominant role in the response to targeting S5a. This study provides evidence for alternative pathways of proteasomal recognition of p53 and Mdm2. Differences in recognition by the proteasome could provide a means to modulate the relative stability of p53 and Mdm2 in response to cellular signals. In addition, they could be exploited for p53-activating therapies. This work shows that the degradation of proteins by the proteasome can be selectively dependent on S5a in human cells, and that this selectivity can extend to an E3 ubiquitin ligase and its substrate.

Pattern of sexually transmitted infections: a profile from a sexually transmitted infections clinic of a tertiary care hospital of eastern India

BACKGROUND

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are public health problems, which significantly increase the risk of HIV transmission. A proper understanding of the pattern of STIs in different geographical regions is important for proper planning of STI control.

AIMS

To determine the pattern of sexually transmitted diseases in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This is a hospital-based, cross-sectional study done in a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India. All the consecutive patients attending the STI clinic of a tertiary care hospital from January 2011 to December 2011 were included in the study, irrespective of age and sex. Thorough history was taken; proper clinical examination and relevant laboratory investigations were done. STIs were categorized in different syndromes as depicted by National AIDS Control Organization(NACO) in the syndromic management of STIs. The STIs, which were not included in the syndromic management, were also identified by clinical features and investigations. Partner notification and condom promotion was done. The statistical analysis used was Chi-square test using Medcalc(R) statistical software Version 9.3 (Belgium).

RESULTS

The commonest STI was genital herpes. Viral STIs like genital herpes, condyloma acuminata, molluscum contagiosum were more prevalent than the non-viral ones like genital ulcer disease non-herpetic, syphilis. STIs which were not included in the syndromic management like molluscum contagiosum, condyloma acuminata, genital scabies were common. HIV seropositivity in the study population (4.2%) was more than the NACO estimate. Condom promotion, partner notification, and partner management was not adequate. Occurrence of venereophobia was found to be significantly higher in male than in female attendees of STI clinic.

CONCLUSIONS

The trend for viral STIs is increasing while that for bacterial STIs is decreasing. Proper training of the health care providers regarding minor STIs, condom promotion, partner notification and partner management, counseling regarding venereophobia should be undertaken to make STI control programs successful.

Sesbania grandiflora leaf extract mediated green synthesis of antibacterial silver nanoparticles against selected human pathogens

Simple, effective and rapid approach for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using leaf extract of Sesbania grandiflora and their in vitro antibacterial activity against selected human pathogens has been demonstrated in the study. Various instrumental techniques were adopted to characterize the synthesized AgNPs viz. UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, TEM, EDX and AFM. Surface Plasmon spectra for AgNPs are centered at 422 nm with dark brown color. The synthesized AgNPs were found to be spherical in shape with size in the range of 10-25 nm. The presence of water soluble proteins in the leaf extract was identified by FTIR which were found to be responsible for the reduction of silver ions (Ag(+)) to AgNPs. Moreover, the synthesized AgNPs showed potent antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria such as Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus.

Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Activity, Antibacterial Activity and Phytochemical Composition of Garcinia lancifolia

Garcinia lancifolia (Clusiaceae) is an unexplored medicinal plant used as stomachic, diuretic and its fruit is used to cure dysentery and diarrhoea. The acidic fruits are used to prepare juice, pickle and curries. The phytochemical analysis of different extracts of G. lancifolia leaf, stem and fruit revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. The high phenolic content was observed in the methanol extract of leaf followed by methanol extract of stem and dichloromethane extract of leaf. The G. lancifolia fruit juice exhibited high antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus mutans, Bacillus mycoides and Bacillus subtilis. The methanol extract of fruit pulp was also very effective against Gram-positive bacteria when compared with Gram-negative bacteria. The radical scavenging activity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl was highest in fruit juice followed by methanol extract of leaf and stem. All extracts showed concentration-dependent increase in the antioxidant activity.

Preparation and evaluation of gastroretentive floating pellets of metronidazole using Na-alginate and hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose polymers

Gastroretentive floating pellets of metronidazole were formulated to prolong the gastric residence time in order to obtain controlled release characteristics of the drug. Nine formulations of metronidazole floating pellets such as AX, BX, CX, AY, BY, CY, AZ, BZ and CZ were prepared by extrusion method using different quantities of hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) polymers such as methocel K4M premium and methocel K100LV premium in the ratio of 2:1, 1:2 and 1.5:1.5 while the amount of Na-alginate used in the formulations was 3.50, 5.25 and 7.0 g, respectively. The in vitro dissolution studies were carried out in 900 mL of phosphate buffer (pH 1.2) at 37 +/- 0.5 degrees C and 50 rpm for 6 h using USP XXIV paddle method and the content of drug release was done by UV spectrophotometer at 277 nm. It was found that the percent release of metronidazole from different formulations was different with passing of time. The drug release profile of the formulation (AX) having Na-alginate 3.50 g methocel K4M premium and methocel K100LV premium in the ratio of 2:1 showed best fit to Higuchi release kinetics with R2 value of 0.994. Finally, it might be concluded that the polymers had significant effect on drug release kinetics of metronidazole from floating pellets. The selection and use of suitable polymers in appropriate ratio might be very important in designing floating pellets and using the capabilities of these polymers, suitable floating pellets of metronidazole with desirable release rate could be formulated. Thus, in vivo research studies by the future researchers will confirm the appropriateness of these formulated metronidazole floating pellets.

Vermicomposting potentiality of Perionyx excavatus for recycling of waste biomass of Java citronella--an aromatic oil yielding plant

Laboratory investigation on vermicomposting efficacy of Perionyx excavatus for recycling of distillation waste biomass of java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) was carried out in two seasonal trials i.e. summer and winter periods. The experiment was conducted in earthen pots using a mixture of citronella waste material and cowdung in the proportion of 5:1. A control treatment without earthworms was setup for comparison of the results. The vermicompost had shown 5.8 folds reduction in C/N ratio and 5.6 folds enhancement in ash content. The nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in the vermicompost had increase in the range of 1.2 - 4.1 fold than the initial level. The FT-IR spectra of the vermicompost confirmed increase in nitrogen rich compounds and decrease in aliphatic/aromatic compounds as compared to the initial level of the biowaste materials. The vermicomposting process is influenced by seasonal variation and summer was more productive than winter.