Empowering blue economy: From underrated ecosystem to sustainable industry

With increasing demand for resources to achieve global food-water-energy nexus and rapid decline in land-based sources, oceans represent both solution and boost to sustainable environment and economy. In addition to fundamental part of earth's ecosystem for uncatalogued diversity of life, oceans are undervalued economy powerhouse with gross marine product value. With sustainable management of existing assets including shipping, transportation, manufacturing, fisheries, tourism and exploration of new business like marine biotechnology and renewable energy, the ocean or blue economy has potential to fulfill sustainable development goals (SDG). In spite of recognition of blue economy as a new economic frontier, investments by existing industries and emergence of new ones are limited and less known, hence require more in depth attention and scientific understanding. In the present study, authors present a systematic comparative assessment of blue economy sectors with distinct challenges and strategies to be further explored and implemented for industrial deployment. The conceptualization of integrated routes of bio(economy) by the current study can act as gateway for key stakeholders, i.e. governance, bluepreneurs (scientists and industries) to prioritize technologies for sustainable applications of marine resources.

Angiopoietin-2 mediates thrombin-induced monocyte adhesion and endothelial permeability

Essentials Mechanism of thrombin-induced inflammation is not fully understood. Thrombin induced monocyte adhesion and barrier loss require Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2). Ang-2 mediates vessel leakage and monocyte adhesion through SHP-2/p38MAPK pathway. Calcium dependent SHP2/p38MAPK activation regulates Ang-2 expression through a feedback loop.

SUMMARY

Background Thrombin imparts an inflammatory phenotype to the endothelium by promoting increased monocyte adhesion and vascular permeability. However, the molecular players that govern these events are incompletely understood. Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) has a role, if any, in regulating inflammatory signals initiated by thrombin. Methods Assessment of vascular leakage by Miles assay was performed by intra-dermal injection on the foot paw. Surface levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were determined by flow cytometry. Overexpression, knockdown and phosphorylation of proteins were determined by Western blotting. Results In time-course experiments, thrombin-stimulated Ang-2 up-regulation, peaked prior to the expression of adhesion molecule ICAM-1 in human umbilical vein-derived endothelial cells (HUVECs). Knockdown of Ang-2 blocked both thrombin-induced monocyte adhesion and ICAM-1 expression. In addition, Ang-2(-/-) mice displayed defective vascular leakage when treated with thrombin. Introducing Ang-2 protein in Ang-2(-/-) mice failed to recover a wild-type phenotype. Mechanistically, Ang-2 appears to regulate the thrombin-activated calcium spike that is required for tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 and p38 MAPK activation. Further, down-regulation of SHP2 attenuated both thrombin-induced Ang-2 expression and monocyte adhesion. Down-regulation of the adaptor protein Gab1, a co-activator of SHP2, as well as overexpression of the Gab1 mutant incapable of interacting with SHP2 (YFGab1), inhibited thrombin-mediated effects, including downstream activation of p38 MAPK, which in turn was required for Ang-2 expression. Conclusions The data establish an essential role of the Gab1/SHP2/p38MAPK signaling pathway and Ang-2 in regulating thrombin-induced monocyte adhesion and vascular leakage.

Trichophyton violaceum: a rare isolate in 18-day-old neonate

Trichophyton violaceum, a less common and geographically restricted infection is reported in a 18-day-old neonate. The diagnosis was made by potassium hydroxide of skin scraping examination and confirmed by culture. The patient was treated successfully with miconazole nitrate application. A large family with crowded living was considered the main predisposing factor.

Evaluation of safety and efficacy of supirocin-B (mupirocin 2% + betamethasone dipropionate 0.05%) in infected dermatoses--a post marketing study

The aim of the present post marketing study was to study the safety and efficacy of supirocin-B ointment (mupirocin 2% + betamethasone dipropionate 0.05%) in the treatment of infected dermatoses. For this purpose physicians from different parts of India were requested to keep the clinical records prospectively as per a specially designed proforma over a follow-up period of 7 days, whenever they prescribed supirocin-B ointment (mupirocin 2% + betamethasone dipropionate 0.05%) for local application, three times a day, to their patients having either primary infection complicated by dermatoses or dermatoses infected secondarily. From the analysis of 251 clinical records contributed by 27 physicians, it was evident that in clinical practice, supirocin-B ointment (mupirocin 2% + betamethasone dipropionate 0.05%) was found to be safe and very effective by physicians in the treatment of infected dermatoses in 94.8% of the patients. Similarly 92.4% of the patients reported more than 70% improvement in their symptoms after 7 days of treatment. No adverse effects were reported during the treatment period by any of the patients except worsening of skin lesions by one patient. Thus from this study, supirocin-B ointment (mupirocin 2% + betamethasone dipropionate 0.05%) seems to be safe and effective in the treatment of infected dermatoses.