Collision induced decomposition of peptides. Choice of collision parameters

Collision-induced dissociation product ion spectra of a series of doubly charged tryptic peptide ions produced by electrospray ionization were obtained by triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. The sequence information content of the product ion spectra was explored as a function of collision energy and collision-cell gas pressure for parent ions with molecular masses ranging from 300 to 2000 u. The energy range (at a given pressure) in which the degree of fragmentation is acceptable was found to be narrow for parent ions of a given mass, and the optimal collision energy was observed to exhibit a strong linear correlation with parent ion mass. This observed correlation opens the way for on-line software-controled selection of optimal mass spectrometric conditions in the enzymatic digestion-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric strategy of amino acid sequencing of proteins

A Methodology for Determining the Fire Performance Equivalency Amongst Similar Materials During a Full-scale Fire Scenario Based on Bench-scale Testing

A methodology was developed for determining the equivalency amongst materials during a full-scale fire scenario. This procedure utilizes milligram-scale and or bench-scale tests to obtain the effective physical and chemical properties of individual materials through an optimization procedure. A flame heat feedback model was developed for corner-wall flame spread and implemented into a two-dimensional pyrolysis model, ThermaKin2D. ThermaKin2D was utilized to simulate upward flame spread during the room corner test. A criterion was created that determines the fire performance of similar materials during this full-scale fire scenario and compares how each material performed relative to one another. A fire investigator will be able to better select materials for their reconstructive fire test based on the modeled full-scale fire performance of candidate materials compared to the exemplar material found during the fire investigation. Overall, this procedure is expected to improve a fire investigator’s ability to perform accurate reconstructive fire tests

Complication rate and diagnostic yield of percutaneous native kidney biopsies: A 10-year experience at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan

The use of an automated biopsy device, and real-time ultrasound for percutaneous kidney biopsies (PKBs) has improved the likelihood of obtaining adequate tissue for diagnosis and also has reduced the complications associated with the procedure. We aimed to determine the frequency and type of complications associated with PKB and to determine the diagnostic yield. It was a retrospective file-based review of cases who underwent PKB of native kidney between January 2003 and December 2013 at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. PKBs were performed by trained nephrologists or radiologists using an automated device with a 16/18-gauge needle under real-time ultrasound. The data obtained included age, gender, clinical and histopathological diagnosis, and complications associated with the procedure (minor: hematuria, local infections, and hematoma; major: transfusions, severe infections, surgery, nephrectomy, arteriography, embolism, and death. Yield of the procedure was based on the number of glomeruli obtained. Patients having major complications were compared with the patients who had minor or no complications. A total of 433 native kidney biopsies were performed. The mean age of the patients was 41 ± 15.9 years, and 58% of the patients were male. The main histological findings were membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (17.6%) followed by focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (16.4%) and interstitial nephritis (13.9%). Majority of the procedures were performed by nephrologists (67.4%). The overall complication rate was 14.2%. Among those, 21 patients (4.8%) had a major complication while the others had minor complications. Of those who had a major complication, 17 patients required blood transfusion(s) and had hematuria or a major hematoma, three had prolonged hospitalization \u3e24 hours, and one patient required surgical intervention. Only 10 procedures (2.3%) had inadequate tissue to establish the histopathologic diagnosis. PKB under real-time ultrasound guidance is a safe and efficacious procedure to establish the histological diagnosis of the renal disease

THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES OF CAPSAICIN: A MEDICINALLY IMPORTANT BIO-ACTIVE CONSTITUENT OF CHILLI PEPPER

Plants are the source of numerous pharmaceutically important compounds that have been employed to cure various human ailments since ancient times. With the assistance of modern chemistry and materials science, such pharmaceutically important compounds have been identified and isolated to produce new drugs. Alkaloids are one of the most significant classes of naturally occurring secondary-metabolites, which are synthesized and widely distributed in various parts of plants. They regulate various metabolic activities and induce physiological responses in the human body. Capsaicin is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in many species of peppers and is attributed to their spicy nature and pungent flavor. This alkaloid is a member of the Capsaicinoids group, which includes capsaicin, homocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin. Capsaicin has a wide range of therapeutic potential against various human ailments. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the capsaicin molecule as well as an examination of its medicinal properties in a variety of human disorders, including pain, various types of cancer, ulcers, diabetes, obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases

A proposed adaptive pre-encryption crypto-ransomware early detection model

Crypto-ransomware is a malware that uses the system's cryptography functions to encrypt user data. The irreversible effect of crypto-ransomware makes it challenging to survive the attack compared to other malware categories. When a crypto-ransomware attack encrypts user files, it becomes difficult to access these files without having the decryption key. Due to the availability of ransomware development tool kits like Ransomware as a Service (RaaS), many ransomware variants are being developed. This contributes to the rise of ransomware attacks witnessed nowadays. However, the conventional approaches employed by malware detection solutions are not suitable to detect ransomware. This is because ransomware needs to be detected as early as before the encryption takes place. These attacks can effectively be handled only if detected during the pre-encryption phase. Early detection of ransomware attacks is challenging due to the limited amount of data available before encryption. An adaptive pre-encryption model is proposed in this paper which is expected to deal with the population concept drift of crypto-ransomware given the limited amount of data collected during the pre-encryption phase of the attack lifecycle. With such adaptability, the model can maintain up-to-date knowledge about the attack behavior and identify the polymorphic ransomware that continuously changes its behavior

Green synthesis of MNO nanoparticles using abutilon indicum leaf extract for biological, photocatalytic, and adsorption activities

We report the synthesis of MnO nanoparticles (AI-MnO NAPs) using biological molecules of Abutilon indicum leaf extract. Further, they were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activity against different pathogenic microbes (Escherichia coli, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis) and HeLa cancerous cells. Synthesized NAPs were also investigated for photocatalytic dye degradation potential against methylene blue (MB), and adsorption activity against Cr(VI) was also determined. Results from Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful synthesis of NAPs with spherical morphology and crystalline nature. Biological activity results demonstrated that synthesized AI-MnO NAPs exhibited significant antibacterial and cytotoxicity propensities against pathogenic microbes and cancerous cells, respectively, compared with plant extract. Moreover, synthesized AI-MnO NAPs demonstrated the comparable biological activities results to standard drugs. These excellent biological activities results are attributed to the existence of the plant's biological molecules on their surfaces and small particle size (synergetic effect). Synthesized NAPs displayed better MB-photocatalyzing properties under sunlight than an ultraviolet lamp. The Cr(VI) adsorption result showed that synthesized NAPs efficiently adsorbed more Cr(VI) at higher acidic pH than at basic pH. Hence, the current findings suggest that Abutilon indicum is a valuable source for tailoring the potential of NAPs toward various enhanced biological, photocatalytic, and adsorption activities. Consequently, the plant's biological molecule-mediated synthesized AI-MnO NAPs could be excellent contenders for future therapeutic applications.Authors are very thankful to the Department of Chemistry, University of Management and Technology Lahore, Pakistan, for providing support to this research work. The author Saddam Akber Abbasi would like to acknowledge Qatar University for providing excellent research facilities.Scopu

Frequency of venous thromboembolism during hajj sessions 2017-2019 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), both are serious health risks. In western countries, VTE affects about 114 to 184 people per 100,000. Asian populations have a significantly lower incidence than western populations. The true incidence of VTE is still not well documented in Saudi Arabia (KSA). There are different major risk factors especially in hajj season that predispose a person to thrombosis. The mortality rate of autopsy-based pulmonary embolism reaches up to 30%. Methods: This single-centered retrospective descriptive study was done in security forces hospital Makkah, Saudi Arabia during hajj period (30 days) for consecutive three-year. All admitted confirmed DVT and PE patients (N=32) of both genders with age >14 years were included. Patients’ data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Data were analysed by SPSS version 23. Results: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was developed in 67.7% while 19.3% of patients suffered from pulmonary embolism (PE) out of a total of 32 subjects. Females were more affected by 18 (56.3%) than males by 14 (43.8%). The mean age of patients was 51.78 years (SD ±16.21). A statistically significant association (p<0.005) between provoked VTE status and age, immobility, and history of surgery was seen. There was no mortality documented in this study. Conclusions: This study provides insights into hajj period hospital admitted patients’ frequency of VTE, changing patient profiles, management strategies, and subsequent outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism. There is a need for greater awareness of VTE prophylaxis about its prevention, especially in hajj season

Ransomware detection using the dynamic analysis and machine learning: A survey and research directions

Ransomware is an ill-famed malware that has received recognition because of its lethal and irrevocable effects on its victims. The irreparable loss caused due to ransomware requires the timely detection of these attacks. Several studies including surveys and reviews are conducted on the evolution, taxonomy, trends, threats, and countermeasures of ransomware. Some of these studies were specifically dedicated to IoT and android platforms. However, there is not a single study in the available literature that addresses the significance of dynamic analysis for the ransomware detection studies for all the targeted platforms. This study also provides the information about the datasets collection from its sources, which were utilized in the ransomware detection studies of the diverse platforms. This study is also distinct in terms of providing a survey about the ransomware detection studies utilizing machine learning, deep learning, and blend of both techniques while capitalizing on the advantages of dynamic analysis for the ransomware detection. The presented work considers the ransomware detection studies conducted from 2019 to 2021. This study provides an ample list of future directions which will pave the way for future research

A Molecular Redox Switch on p21 ras: STRUCTURAL BASIS FOR THE NITRIC OXIDE-p21rasINTERACTION

We have identified the site of molecular interaction between nitric oxide (NO) and p21(ras) responsible for initiation of signal transduction. We found that p21(ras) was singly S-nitrosylated and localized this modification to a fragment of p21(ras) containing Cys118. A mutant form of p21(ras), in which Cys118 was changed to a serine residue and termed p21(ras)C118S, was not S-nitrosylated. NO-related species stimulated guanine nucleotide exchange on wild-type p21(ras), resulting in an active form, but not on p21(ras)C118S. Furthermore, in contrast to parental Jurkat T cells, NO-related species did not stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in cells transfected with p21(ras)C118S. These data indicate that Cys118 is a critical site of redox regulation of p21(ras), and S-nitrosylation of this residue triggers guanine nucleotide exchange and downstream signaling

Biosynthesized ZnO-NPs from Morus indica attenuates methylglyoxal-induced protein glycation and RBC damage: In-vitro, in-vivo and molecular docking study

The development of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) inhibitors is considered to have therapeutic potential in diabetic complications inhibiting the loss of the biomolecular function. In the present study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized from aqueous leaf extract of Morus indica and were characterized by various techniques such as ultraviolet (UV)-Vis spectroscopy, Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Further, the inhibition of AGEs formation after exposure to ZnO-NPs was investigated by in-vitro, in-vivo, and molecular docking studies. Biochemical and histopathological changes after exposure to ZnO-NPs were also studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. ZnO-NPs showed an absorption peak at 359 nm with a purity of 92.62% and ~6–12 nm in size, which is characteristic of nanoparticles. The images of SEM showed agglomeration of smaller ZnO-NPs and EDS authenticating that the synthesized nanoparticles were without impurities. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs showed significant inhibition in the formation of AGEs. The particles were effective against methylglyoxal (MGO) mediated glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by inhibiting the formation of AGEs, which was dose-dependent. Further, the presence of MGO resulted in complete damage of biconcave red blood corpuscles (RBCs) to an irregular shape, whereas the morphological changes were prevented when they were treated with ZnO-NPs leading to the prevention of complications caused due to glycation. The administration of ZnO-NPs (100 mg Kg−1) in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats reversed hyperglycemia and significantly improved hepatic enzymes level and renal functionality, also the histopathological studies revealed restoration of kidney and liver damage nearer to normal conditions. Molecular docking of BSA with ZnO-NPs confirms that masking of lysine and arginine residues is one of the possible mechanisms responsible for the potent antiglycation activity of ZnO-NPs. The findings strongly suggest scope for exploring the therapeutic potential of diabetes-related complications.Fil: Anandan, Satish. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Mahadevamurthy, Murali. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Ansari, Mohammad Azam. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University; Arabia SauditaFil: Alzohairy, Mohammad A.. Al Qassim University; Arabia SauditaFil: Alomary, Mohammad N.. King Abdulaziz City For Science And Technology; Arabia SauditaFil: Siraj, Syeda Farha. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Nagaraja, Sarjan Halugudde. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Chikkamadaiah, Mahendra. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Ramachandrappa, Lakshmeesha Thimappa. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Krishnappa, Hemanth Kumar Naguvanahalli. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Ledesma, Ana Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet Noa Sur. Centro de Investigación en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos. - Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Centro de Investigación en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Nagaraj, Amruthesh Kestur. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Urooj, Asna. University of Mysore; Indi