E. coli expression and immunological assessment of expressed recombinant Newcastle disease virus hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein in chickens

Every year, the poultry industry experiences significant economic losses due to epidemics of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Developing new vaccines by identifying and using the immunogenic hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein can protect the poultry industry. In the present study, the full-length HN protein was expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21 (DE3) cells, purified via affinity chromatography and detected via western blot analysis using His-specific antibodies. The purified HN protein was further evaluated in chickens to study the immune response against NDV. The successful production of HN-specific IgY proved the activity of the purified HN protein. IgY was present in the serum of immunized chickens. However, the immune response was higher in chickens immunized with purified HN protein along with complete and incomplete adjuvants than in chickens immunized with only the HN protein. Keywords: protein; Newcastle disease virus; poultry; infectious diseases; vaccines.

Role of oral vaccines as an edible tool to prevent infectious diseases

Plants have been as medicinal mediators for centuries. Recent trends in agro-biotechnology however, improved the therapeutic roles of plants to a significant level and introduced plant-based oral vaccine which can arouse an immune response in consumer. Although conventional vaccines against infectious diseases have been administrated for years the discovery of plant-based oral vaccines can potentially replace them completely in the future. The probable limitations in conventional vaccines are found to be overcome by plant-based oral vaccines. Humans and animals will no longer be dependent upon local or systemic administration of vaccines but they will just receive the vaccines as a routine food. For the purpose, gene of interest is introduced into plant through transformation, and expression of specific antigen is obtained in plant products which are then consumed by humans or animals. Therefore, plants can serve as bioreactors or bio-factories for production of edible vaccines. A detailed overview about edible vaccines, methods for edible vaccine production, candidate bioreactors and future perspectives of edible vaccines has been summarized in current article. The future of vaccination seems to be present within plant-based vaccination system. Keywords: vaccine; edible vaccine; infectious diseases; antigen; edible crops; oral immunization.

Towards fast and cost-effective up-scaling of Nano-encapsulations by Ionic-gelation method using model drug for the treatment of atopic dermatitis

Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) have proven their excellent drug delivery potential through various routes of administration and therefore, the need for large scale production of CSNPs for the commercialization is paramount. Their particle size and surface charge, drug loading capacity, and morphology were characterized in this study. Finally, drug release studies of both continuous and scalable modes were undertaken to ascertain suitability of CSNPs as a carrier for HC. The particle size of the large and small scale of HC-CSNPs was 253.3±16.4 nm and 225.4 ±9.6 nm, respectively. Besides, the surface charge of the large and small scale of HC-CSNPs was +35.3±0.3 mV and +32.6±2.5 mV, respectively. The size and surface charge of both HC-CSNPs were not proven to be statistically different. Drug loading capacity of large and small scale production of HC-CSNPs was high with 89%, and 83% of HC was loaded into CSNPs, respectively. Moreover, the morphology of both large and small scale production of HC-CSNPs had a similar shape and particle size. The drug release profile of CSNPs prepared by both methods showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher percentage release as compared to the free form. It is expected that positively charged nano-sized HC-CSNPs with high drug loading capacity could enhance the efficiency of drug delivery system to carry and diffuse into the target cells. The results obtained also suggested that the modified method applied could be further developed for large scale production of HC-CSNPs.

Regaining a Spatial Dimension: Mechanically Transferrable Two-Dimensional InAs Nanofins Grown by Selective Area Epitaxy

We report a method for growing rectangular InAs nanofins with deterministic length, width, and height by dielectric-templated selective-area epitaxy. These freestanding nanofins can be transferred to lay flat on a separate substrate for device fabrication. A key goal was to regain a spatial dimension for device design compared to nanowires, while retaining the benefits of bottom-up epitaxial growth. The transferred nanofins were made into devices featuring multiple contacts for Hall effect and four-terminal resistance studies, as well as a global back-gate and nanoscale local top-gates for density control. Hall studies give a 3D electron density 2.5-5 × 10¹⁷ cm^-3, corresponding to an approximate surface accumulation layer density 3-6 × 10¹² cm^-2 that agrees well with previous studies of InAs nanowires. We obtain Hall mobilities as high as 1200 cm²/(V s), field-effect mobilities as high as 4400 cm²/(V s), and clear quantum interference structure at temperatures as high as 20 K. Our devices show excellent prospects for fabrication into more complicated devices featuring multiple ohmic contacts, local gates, and possibly other functional elements, for example, patterned superconductor contacts, that may make them attractive options for future quantum information applications.

Efficacy and Safety of Whey Protein Supplements on Vital Sign and Physical Performance Among Athletes: A Network Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Athletes train physically to reach beyond their potential maximum aerobic threshold. Whey protein supplements (WPS) are often used in conjunction with physiotherapy and psychotherapy to regain better vital sign and physical performances. This review aimed to explore the clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of WPS in sports performance and recovery among athletes.

Methodology: A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify relevant randomized control trials (RCTs) that investigated the efficacy and safety of WPS on the vital sign and physical performance among athletes. The Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) Assessment tools were used to assess the quality of the studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using the frequentist model with STATA version 14.2®.

Results: A total of 333,257 research articles were identified out of which 20 RCTs were included for qualitative synthesis and network meta-analysis with 351 participants. Among the studies, 7 had low ROB and 3 RCTs had high ROB. Of these 20 trials, 16 trials were randomized clinical trials which compared whey protein supplements (WPS) with various comparators i.e., L-alanine, bovine colostrum, carbohydrate, casein, leucine, maltodextrin, rice, protein + caffeine were compared with placebo. Analysis from the pairwise meta-analysis revealed that for respiratory exchange ratio (RER) WPS was found to be significantly improving compared to maltodextrin (WMD = 0.012; 95%CI = 0.001, 0.023). Similarity to RPE (Rate Perceived Exertion), slight difference between WPS and the comparators, however, when the estimation was favorable to the comparators, there was moderate-high heterogeneity. For VO_2max, high heterogeneity appeared when WPS compared to maltodextrin with the I² = 97.8% (WMD = 4.064; 95% CI = −4.230, 12.359), meanwhile bovine colostrum (WMD = −2.658; 95%CI = −6.180, 0.865) only comparator that was better than WPS. According to the estimated effect of the supplements on physical performance outcome results, maximum power (8 studies, 185 athletes), highest ranked was bovine colostrum (SUCRA = 70.7%) and the lowest ranked was placebo (SUCRA = 17.9%), yet all insignificant. Then again, on average power (nine studies, 187 athletes), WPS was the highest ranked (SUCRA = 75.4 %) about −112.00 watt (−187.91, −36.08) and most of the estimations were significant. Body mass was reported in 10 studies (171 athletes), carbohydrate may be at the highest ranked (SUCRA = 66.9%) but it is insignificant. Thought the second highest ranked was WPS (SUCRA = 64.7%) and it is significant (WMD = −6.89 kg; CI = −8.24, −5.54).

Conclusion: The findings of this review support the efficacy and safety of WPS as an ergogenic aid on athletes' sports performance and recovery. The overall quality of clinical evidence was found to be valid and reliable from the comprehensive search strategy and ROB assessment.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPRESSED COATED POLYPILL WITH MUCOADHESIVE CORE COMPRISING OF ATORVASTATIN/CLOPIDOGREL/ASPIRIN USING COMPRESSION COATING TECHNIQUE

The study was conducted to formulate and assess a novel polypill comprising of atorvastatin calci- um (ATVC), clopidogrel bisulfate (CLB) and aspirin (ASP) which, after in vivo correlation, can be intended for use in hyperlipidemic chronic heart disease patients. Polypill was made by the compression coating technique (CCT) with multiple active ingredients along with different concentrations of mucoadhesive and sustained release polymers, i.e., Carbopol 934 (CAB), Methocel k15 (MTH) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC). The effect of different concentration of polymers on physical properties, wash off time, mucoadhe- sion strength, swelling behavior, surface pH and drug release kinetics were investigated. In vitro drug release studies showed that combination of CAB-NaCMC (1 : 1) retarded drug release up to 96.7 ± 1.15%, while com- bination of CAB-MTH and MTH-NaCMC retarded drug release up to 81.9 ± 1.5% and 101.4 ± 1.3%, respec- tively, at the same polymer concentration. Core enteric coated tablet of ATVC (K 11) was compressed over with CLB and ASP granules with the help of CCT and produced the desired results with zero order release rate thus indicating successful formulation of proposed polypill.

A study of heat and mass transfer in a fractional MHD flow over an infinite oscillating plate

Exact expressions of velocity, temperature and mass concentration have been calculated for free convective flow of fractional MHD viscous fluid over an oscillating plate. Expressions of velocity have been obtained both for sine and cosine oscillations of plate. Corresponding fractional differential equations have been solved by using Laplace transform and inverse Laplace transform. The expression of temperature and mass concentration have been presented in the form of Fox-H function and in the form of general Wright function, respectively and velocity is presented in the form of integral solutions using Generalized function. Some limiting cases of fluid and fractional parameters have been discussed to retrieve some solutions present in literature. The influence of thermal radiation, mass diffusion and fractional parameters on fluid flow has been analyzed through graphical illustrations.

Generation of substrate-free III-V nanodisks from user-defined multilayer nanopillar arrays for integration on Si

High material quality InP-based multilayer nanopillar (NP) arrays are fabricated using a combination of self-assembly of silica particles for mask generation and dry etching. In particular, the NP arrays are made from user-defined epitaxial multilayer stacks with specific materials and layer thicknesses. An additional degree of flexibility in the structures is obtained by changing the lateral diameters of the NP multilayer stacks. Pre-defined NP arrays made from InGaAsP/InP and InGaAs/InP NPs are then used to generate substrate-free nanodisks of a chosen material from the stack by selective etching. A soft-stamping method is demonstrated to transfer the generated nanodisks with arbitrary densities onto Si. The transferred nanodisks retain their smooth surface morphologies and their designed geometrical dimensions. Both InP and InGaAsP nanodisks display excellent photoluminescence properties, with line-widths comparable to unprocessed reference epitaxial layers of similar composition. The multilayer NP arrays are potentially attractive for broad-band absorption in third-generation solar cells. The high optical quality, substrate-free InP and InGaAsP nanodisks on Si offer a new path to explore alternative ways to integrate III-V on Si by bonding nanodisks to Si. The method also has the advantage of re-usable III-V substrates for subsequent layer growth.

An audit of patients investigated by Hysterosalpingo-Contrast-Sonography (HyCoSy) for infertility

We reviewed 171 case notes of patients investigated by HyCoSy for sub-fertility in South Manchester University Hospital to assess HyCoSy as a screening test for tubal occlusion, in low risk infertile women and to evaluate the performance of HyCoSy in our unit by confirming its results with the results of laparoscopy & dye test in those patients who had both procedures. We also assessed the prognostic significance of HyCoSy, for fertility outcome over a follow-up period ranging from 12 to 63 months. An audit proforma was designed to collect data on maternal age, type of infertility (primary or secondary), duration of infertility and parity. History suggestive of ovulatory factors (PCO), pelvic inflammatory disease and endometriosis was noted. Findings of standard trans-vaginal scan, hysterosalpingography and HyCoSy were recorded. In total 333 tubes were examined in 171 patients. There were 121/171 diagnoses of bilateral patent tubes, 24/171 bilateral blocked tubes and 26/171 findings of one patent tube. In 15 (8.8%) women, laparoscopy and dye test was performed after HyCoSy and 19 patients had laparoscopy and dye test before HyCoSy. The findings in both investigations were similar. 70 additional uterine and adnexal pathologies were detected. Out of 171 40.9% (n=70) women conceived, 62 of these women had both tubes patent and 8 had one patent tube. In conclusion we have found that HyCoSy is a valuable cost effective screening test for low risk couples. Its results in our hands are as good as demonstrated by other studies. HyCoSy can be offered as a screening test for low risk infertile women as it is an effective alternative for laparoscopy and dye test.

Immunohistochemical analysis of p53, cyclinD1, RB1, c-fos and N-ras gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma in Iran

AIM: To study the effect of some genes especially those involved in cell cycle regulation on hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS: Paraffin-embedded tissue samples of 25 patients (18 males and 7 females) with hepatocellular carcinoma were collected from 22 pathology centers in Tehran during 2000-2001, and stained using immunohistochemistry method (avidin-biotin-peroxidase) for detection of p53, cyclinD1, RB1, c-fos and N-ras proteins.

RESULTS: Six (24%), 5 (20%), 12 (48%) and 2 samples (8%) were positive for p53, cyclinD1, C-fos and N-ras expression, respectively. Twenty-two (88%) samples had alterations in the G1 cell-cycle checkpoint protein expression (RB1 or cyclinD1). P53 positive samples showed a higher (9 times) risk of being positive for RB1 protein than p53 negative samples. Loss of expression of RB1 in association with p53 over-expression was observed in 4 (66.7%) of 6 samples. Loss of expression of RB1 was seen in all cyclinD1 positive, 20 (90.9%) N-ras negative, and 11 (50%) C-fos positive samples, respectively. CyclinD1 positive samples showed a higher (2.85 and 4.75 times) risk of being positive for c-fos and N-ras expression than cyclinD1 negative samples.

CONCLUSION: The expression of p53, RB1 and c-fos genes appears to have a key role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Iran. Simultaneous overexpression of these genes is significantly associated with their loss of expression during development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Audit on the use of thromboprophylaxis during caesarean section

Thromboembolic disease is still a main cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. In 1995 the RCOG working party on prophylaxis against thromboembolism has suggested that patients undergoing caesarean section should have a risk assessment and be given heparin prophylaxis if deemed to be high risk. In Stepping Hill Hospital this was audited. The outcome was that 0% of emergency caesarean sections, and only 25% of elective caesarean sections who were considered to be high risk had heparin prophylaxis. A structured risk assessment form was introduced for every patient undergoing caesarean section and the outcome was re-audited; 72.7% and 85.7% of emergency and elective caesarean sections, respectively,that were deemed high risk had adequate heparin thromboembolic prophylaxis. Filling in a risk assessment form before performing a caesarean section reminds and reinforces the need to consider thromboprophylaxis. A risk assessment form has been formally incorporated into all the maternity case records.

Analysis of human rotavirus G serotype in Bangladesh by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction

Distribution of human rotavirus G serotype was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with faecal specimens obtained from children with diarrhoea in Bangladesh. By ELISA, subgroup and G serotype were determined for 59.5% and 28.6% of group A rotavirus-positive specimens respectively. However, of the 120 specimens, the G serotype of which was not determined by ELISA, serotype of the 112 specimens was typed by PCR. In total, G serotype was assigned for 95.2% of all the specimens, showing the highest rate of G4 (41.7%), followed by G1 (23.2%) and G2 (14.9%). Twenty-four specimens showed mixed types, such as G2 with G1, G8 or G9, or G1 with G4. These results indicate that PCR combined with ELISA is highly effective for G serotyping of rotavirus.

Usefulness of plasmid profiles for differentiation of Shigella isolates in Bangladesh

We studied the plasmid profiles of 136 Shigella isolates in Bangladesh to determine whether plasmid profiles could be used for differentiation of strains for epidemiological studies. Many different plasmid patterns were observed within each species, indicating that many genetically different strains of Shigella are responsible for illness in Bangladesh.

Classical Vibrio cholerae biotype displaces EL tor in Bangladesh

The EL Tor biotype of Vibrio cholerae caused all endemic and epidemic cholera in Bangladesh from 1973 until Sept. 3, 1982, when the first classical strain was isolated from a patient in Matlab. Since then the number of isolations of the classical biotype has increased very rapidly and spread to other districts, replacing the EL Tor biotype as the main epidemic strain. The classical strains isolated in the 1982 outbreak were indistinguishable by the standard tests from those isolated a decade ago and the very few isolates in 1979, 1980, and 1981. This suggests that beyond the taxonomic traits used to identify the classical and EL Tor strains, there may be other more crucial biological characteristics that have given this new strain an advantage over the existing strains. The mechanism by which a new biotype of V. cholerae 01 achieves such a crucial biological advantage to displace the existing strains may be a key point in control of the global spread of cholera.