Micropropagation of Solanum lycopersicum L. using chemical free formulated organic plant growth media

Micropropagation is currently the most commercially effective plant biotechnology that helps in the rapid generation of a large number of clonal plants of many plant species in a short period. Effective protocol was developed for in vitro micropropagation of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) using chemical-free organic vermicompost (VC) extract medium. This experiment aims to expose the advancement in plant tissue culture technique by using synthetic Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) medium and a chemical-free organic VC (30%) extract along with 4% coelomic fluid (obtained from the earthworms Eudrilus eugeniae) as a growth medium for in vitro studies. The response of roots, leaves, shoots, and nodes in both synthetic (MS) medium and chemical-free organic VC extract medium was compared statistically using Student’s t-test. Statistically significant differences for the number of roots (P =0.011), leaves (P=0.012), and nodes (P=0.001) between the two media were reported. Both media showed the same shoot induction where no significant differences were reported with a P value of 1.000 for shoots. The protocol has led to a 100% plant survival rate on chemical-free organic vermicompost extract media. The results have also shown a significant difference in growth rate between two different media. Vermicompost and coelomic fluid used in media have antimicrobial activities which led to minimal contamination level and this consequently minimized timely subculturing. Through our studies, we found that chemical-free organic vermicompost extract media proved to be more economical and a better prospective than MS media for in vitro propagation of tomato

Online Algorithms for Matching Platforms with Multi-Channel Traffic

Two-sided platforms rely on their recommendation algorithms to help visitors successfully find a match. However, on platforms such as VolunteerMatch (VM) -- which has facilitated millions of connections between volunteers and nonprofits -- a sizable fraction of website traffic arrives directly to a nonprofit's volunteering page via an external link, thus bypassing the platform's recommendation algorithm. We study how such platforms should account for this external traffic in the design of their recommendation algorithms, given the goal of maximizing successful matches. We model the platform's problem as a special case of online matching, where (using VM terminology) volunteers arrive sequentially and probabilistically match with one opportunity, each of which has finite need for volunteers. In our framework, external traffic is interested only in their targeted opportunity; by contrast, internal traffic may be interested in many opportunities, and the platform's online algorithm selects which opportunity to recommend. In evaluating different algorithms, we parameterize the competitive ratio based on the amount of external traffic. After demonstrating the shortcomings of a commonly-used algorithm that is optimal in the absence of external traffic, we propose a new algorithm -- Adaptive Capacity (AC) -- which accounts for matches differently based on whether they originate from internal or external traffic. We provide a lower bound on AC's competitive ratio that is increasing in the amount of external traffic and that is close to the parameterized upper bound we establish on the competitive ratio of any online algorithm. Our analysis utilizes a path-based, pseudo-rewards approach, which we further generalize to settings where the platform can recommend a ranked set of opportunities. Beyond our theoretical results, we show the strong performance of AC in a case study motivated by VM data

Anticancer activity of THMPP: Downregulation of PI3K/ S6K1 in breast cancer cell line.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer that majorly affects female. The present study is focused on exploring the potential anticancer activity of 2-((1, 2, 3, 4-Tetrahydroquinolin-1-yl) (4 methoxyphenyl) methyl) phenol (THMPP), against human breast cancer. The mechanism of action, activation of specific signaling pathways, structural activity relationship and drug-likeness properties of THMPP remains elusive. Cell proliferation and viability assay, caspase enzyme activity, DNA fragmentation and FITC/Annexin V, AO/EtBr staining, RT-PCR, QSAR and ADME analysis were executed to understand the mode of action of the drug. The effect of THMPP on multiple breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and SkBr3), and non-tumorigenic cell line (H9C2) was assessed by MTT assay. THMPP at I

Temporary cardiac pacing induced electrocardiographic changes simulating myocardial infarction

Temporary transvenous pacing is an immediate lifesaving measure in patients with Stokes-Adams syndrome and in patients with symptomatic bradycardia. Bradyarrhythmias are known to occur in acute myocardial infarction. But in a paced heart, it is difficult to diagnose myocardial infarction from electrocardiogram (ECG) because pacemaker rhythm causes distortion of natural wave forms. On the other hand, remarkable T wave inversions and ST depressions do occur in the ventricular paced ECG as secondary changes. The case report describes a patient who developed profound de novo T wave inversions and ST depressions in the unpaced ECG following temporary transvenous pacing simulating MI

Benzenesulfonamide Analogs : Synthesis, Anti-GBM Activity and Pharmacoprofiling

The tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) emerge as a potential target for glioblastoma (GBM) treatment. Benzenesulfonamide analogs were identified as kinase inhibitors possessing promising anticancer properties. In the present work, four known and two novel benzenesulfonamide derivatives were synthesized, and their inhibitory activities in TrkA overexpressing cells, U87 and MEF cells were investigated. The cytotoxic effect of benzenesulfonamide derivatives and cisplatin was determined using trypan blue exclusion assays. The mode of interaction of benzenesulfonamides with TrkA was predicted by docking and structural analysis. ADMET profiling was also performed for all compounds to calculate the drug likeness property. Appropriate QSAR models were developed for studying structure–activity relationships. Compound 4-[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2,6-dioxocyclohexylidene)hydrazinyl]-N-(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)benzenesulfon-amide (AL106) and 4-[2-(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2H-inden-2-ylidene)hydrazinyl]-N-(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide (AL107) showed acceptable binding energies with the active sites for human nerve growth factor receptor, TrkA. Here, AL106 was identified as a potential anti-GBM compound, with an IC50 value of 58.6 µM with a less toxic effect in non-cancerous cells than the known chemotherapeutic agent, cisplatin. In silico analysis indicated that AL106 formed prominent stabilizing hydrophobic interactions with Tyr359, Ser371, Ile374 and charged interactions with Gln369 of TrkA. Furthermore, in silico analysis of all benzenesulfonamide derivatives revealed that AL106 has good pharmacokinetics properties, drug likeness and toxicity profiles, suggesting the compound may be suitable for clinical trial. Thus, benzenesulfonamide analog, AL106 could potentially induce GBM cell death through its interaction with TrkA and might be an attractive strategy for developing a drug targeted therapy to treat glioblastoma.Peer reviewe

Wearable nanocomposite textile-based piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators: progress and perspectives

In recent years, the widespread adoption of next-generation wearable electronics has been facilitated by the integration of advanced nanogenerator technology with conventional textiles. This integration has led to the development of textile-based nanogenerators (t-NGs), which hold tremendous potential for harvesting mechanical energy from the surrounding environment and serving as power sources for self-powered electronics. Textile structures are inherently flexible, making them well-suited for wearable applications. However, their electrical performance as nanogenerators is significantly limited when used without any modifications. To address this limitation and enhance the electrical performance of textile-based nanogenerators, nanocomposite textiles have been extensively utilized for fabricating advanced nanogenerators. This critical review focuses on the recent progress in wearable nanocomposite textiles-based piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators. The review covers the fundamentals of piezoelectricity and triboelectricity, the working principles of nanogenerators, and the selection of materials. Furthermore, it provides a detailed discussion of nanocomposite textiles in various forms, such as fibers or yarns, fabrics, and electrospun nanofibrous webs, which are employed in piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators. The review also highlights the challenges associated with their implementation and outlines the prospects of textile-based nanogenerators. It can be concluded that nanocomposite textile based piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators exhibit better electrical output and mechanical strength compared to conventional textile based nanogenerators. Nanocomposite electrospun web based piezoelectric nanogenerators exhibit higher piezoelectric output compared with nanocomposite fibre/yarn or fabric based piezoelectric nanogenerators. This is because an in-situ poling takes place in electrospinning unlike with fibre or fabric based piezoelectric nanogenerators. Nanocomposite electrospun web based triboelectric nanogenerators also show better triboelectric output compared to the fibre or fabric-based equivalents. This is due to the higher contact area developed with electrospun nanocomposite webs compared to the fibre or fabric cases. Overall, it can be concluded that while nanocomposite construction can boost output and durability of textile based nanogenerators, more research is required to bring output, stability and durability up to the levels achievable with non-textile based devices

'I am on treatment since 5 months but I have not received any money': coverage, delays and implementation challenges of 'Direct Benefit Transfer' for tuberculosis patients - a mixed-methods study from South India.

Background: In March 2018, the Government of India launched a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to provide nutritional support for all tuberculosis (TB) patients in line with END TB strategy. Here, the money (@INR 500 [~8 USD] per month) is deposited electronically into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. To avail the benefit, patients are to be notified in NIKSHAY (web-based notification portal of India's national TB programme) and provide bank account details. Once these details are entered into NIKSHAY, checked and approved by the TB programme officials, it is sent to the public financial management system (PFMS) portal for further processing and payment. Objectives: To assess the coverage and implementation barriers of DBT among TB patients notified during April-June 2018 and residing in Dakshina Kannada, a district in South India. Methods: This was a convergent mixed-methods study involving cohort analysis of patient data from NIKSHAY and thematic analysis of in-depth interviews of providers and patients. Results: Of 417 patients, 208 (49.9%) received approvals for payment by PFMS and 119 (28.7%) got paid by 1 December 2018 (censor date). Reasons for not receiving DBT included (i) not having a bank account especially among migrant labourers in urban areas, (ii) refusal to avail DBT by rich patients and those with confidentiality concerns, (iii) lack of knowledge and (iv) perception that money was too little to meet the needs. The median (IQR) delay from diagnosis to payment was 101 (67-173) days. Delays were related to the complexity of processes requiring multiple layers of approval and paper-based documentation which overburdened the staff, bulk processing once-a-month and technological challenges (poor connectivity and issues related to NIKSHAY and PFMS portals). Conclusion: DBT coverage was low and there were substantial delays. Implementation barriers need to be addressed urgently to improve uptake and efficiency. The TB programme has begun to take action

Estimating global injuries morbidity and mortality : methods and data used in the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study

Background: While there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern research methods must account for the wide spectrum of disability that can occur in an injury, and must provide estimates with sufficient demographic, geographical and temporal detail to be useful for policy makers. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study used methods to provide highly detailed estimates of global injury burden that meet these criteria. Methods: In this study, we report and discuss the methods used in GBD 2017 for injury morbidity and mortality burden estimation. In summary, these methods included estimating cause-specific mortality for every cause of injury, and then estimating incidence for every cause of injury. Non-fatal disability for each cause is then calculated based on the probabilities of suffering from different types of bodily injury experienced. Results: GBD 2017 produced morbidity and mortality estimates for 38 causes of injury. Estimates were produced in terms of incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, cause-specific mortality, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life-years for a 28-year period for 22 age groups, 195 countries and both sexes. Conclusions: GBD 2017 demonstrated a complex and sophisticated series of analytical steps using the largest known database of morbidity and mortality data on injuries. GBD 2017 results should be used to help inform injury prevention policy making and resource allocation. We also identify important avenues for improving injury burden estimation in the future