Elevated sea surface temperature during May 2010 induces mass bleaching of corals in the Andaman

Increasing sea surface temperature (SST) and its consequences on marine ecosystems are widely discussed. Andaman Sea witnessed a few bleaching events during 1998, 2002 and 2005. The present study was taken up to assess the extent of bleaching during 2010 in selected reef sites in the Andaman through line intercept transect survey. It was found that the fully bleached corals as a percentage of total coral cover were maximum at Havelock Island (69.49), followed by South Button Island (67.28), Nicolson Island (56.45), Red Skin Island (43.39), North Bay (41.65) and Chidiyatapu (36.54). Branching corals were the worst affected, whereas the massive corals were found to have relatively withstood the elevated SST. The status of reefs and the variability in bleaching with the progression of SST with respect to different coral species are discussed

Profiling extra cellular matrix associated proteome of human fetal nucleus pulposus in search for regenerative targets

Degeneration of the intervertebral disc is associated with a decrease in extra-cellular matrix (ECM) content due to an imbalance in anabolic and catabolic signaling. Our previous study profiled the core matrisome of fetal NP's and identified various proteins with anabolic potential for regenerative therapies. This study aims to complement those results by exploring ECM regulators, associated proteins and secreted factors of the fetal nucleus pulposus (NP). Proteomic data of 9 fetal, 7 healthy adults (age 22-79), and 11 degenerated NP's was analyzed. Based on the selection criteria, a total of 45 proteins were identified, of which 14 were uniquely expressed or upregulated in fetus compared to adult NP's. Pathway analysis with these proteins revealed a significant upregulation of one pathway and two biological processes, in which 12 proteins were involved. Prolyl 4 hydroxylase (P4HA) 1 and 2, Procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase (PLOD) 1, and Heat shock protein 47 (SERPINH1) were involved in 'collagen biosynthesis' pathway. In addition, PLOD 1, SERPINH1, Annexin A1 and A4, CD109 and Galectin 3 (LGALS3) were all involved in biological process of 'tissue development'. Furthermore Annexin A1, A4 and A5, LGALS-3 and SERPINF1 were featured in 'negative regulation of cell death'. In conclusion, additionally to core ECM proteome, this study reveals ECM regulators and ECM affiliated proteins of interest to study for regenerative therapies, and their potential should be validated in future mechanistic experiments.Scientific Assessment and Innovation in Neurosurgical Treatment Strategie

Influence of endplate avulsion and Modic changes on the inflammation profile of herniated discs: a proteomic and bioinformatic approach

Purpose The aim of this observational radiographic and proteomic study is to explore the influence of both Modic change (MC) and endplate avulsion (EPA) on the inflammation profile of herniated discs using a proteomic and bioinformatics approach. Methods Fifteen nucleus pulposus (NP) harvested from surgery underwent LC-MS/MC analysis, the proteome was subsequently scanned for inflammatory pathways using a bioinformatics approach. All proteins that were identified in inflammatory pathways and Gene Ontology and present in > 7 samples were integrated in a multiple regression analysis with MC and EPA as predictors. Significant proteins were imputed in an interaction and pathway analysis. Results Compared to annulus fibrosus tear (AFT), six proteins were significantly altered in EPA: catalase, Fibrinogen beta chain, protein disulfide-isomerase, pigment epithelium-derived factor, osteoprotegerin and lower expression of antithrombin-III, all of which corresponded to an upregulation of pathways involved in coagulation and detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, the presence of MC resulted in a significant alteration of nine proteins compared to patients without MC. Patients with MC showed a significantly higher expression of clusterin and lumican, and lower expression of catalase, complement factor B, Fibrinogen beta chain, protein disulfide-isomerase, periostin, Alpha-1-antitrypsin and pigment epithelium-derived factor. Together these altered protein expressions resulted in a downregulation of pathways involved in detoxification of ROS, complement system and immune system. Results were verified by Immunohistochemistry with CD68 cell counts. Conclusion Both EPA and MC status significantly influence disc inflammation. The beneficial inflammatory signature of EPA illustrates that endplate pathology does not necessarily have to worsen the outcome, but the pathological inflammatory state is dependent on the presence of MC.Scientific Assessment and Innovation in Neurosurgical Treatment Strategie

The challenge of attracting residents in Cardiothoracic and vascular Surgery (CTVS): unveiling enduring potential

Abstract The declining interest in pursuing MCh Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) programs presents a significant concern within the medical community. This letter addresses the multifaceted factors contributing to this decline and proposes strategies to rekindle interest in this prestigious and rewarding super specialty. The perceived demerits of a career in CTVS, such as the extended training period and the need for well-equipped facilities, deter potential candidates. Furthermore, competition with interventional cardiology and demanding work hours pose additional challenges. To revitalize interest in CTVS, this letter advocates highlighting its immediate impact, technological advancements, and emerging subfields. CTVS offers the unique opportunity to witness immediate life-changing results for patients, an aspect often underemphasized. Additionally, showcasing advancements in skills and technology, including minimally invasive procedures and innovations in transplantation, can capture the enthusiasm of aspiring surgeons. Moreover, the letter emphasizes the vast opportunities in emerging subfields, such as heart failure surgery and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). While the current situation may seem discouraging, CTVS remains a prestigious field with immense potential. By addressing the identified challenges and presenting the enduring rewards and opportunities within this domain of healthcare, it is possible to inspire the next generation of passionate and dedicated CTV surgeons, ensuring a bright future for the field. This letter encourages collaboration among medical professionals to address the challenges and actively promote CTVS as an exciting and fulfilling career choice. It highlights the importance of nurturing a new generation of surgeons who can contribute significantly to the ever-evolving field of cardiothoracic surgery

Mechanisms for Bounding Vulnerabilities of Processor Structures ABSTRACT

Concern for the increasing susceptibility of processor structures to transient errors has led to several recent research efforts that propose architectural techniques to enhance reliability. However, real systems are typically required to satisfy hard reliability budgets, and barring expensive full-redundancy approaches, none of the proposed solutions treat any reliability budgets or bounds as hard constraints. Meeting vulnerability bounds requires monitoring vulnerabilities of processor structures and taking appropriate actions whenever these bounds are violated. This mandates treating reliability as a first-order microarchitecture design constraint, while optimizing performance as long as reliability requirements are satisfied. This paper makes three key contributions towards this goal: (i) we present a simple infrastructure to monitor and provide upper bounds on the vulnerabilities of key processor structures at cyclelevel fidelity; (ii) we propose two distinct control mechanisms – throttling and selective redundancy – to proactively and/or reactively bound the vulnerabilities to any limit specified by the system designer; (iii) within this framework, we propose a novel adaptation of Out-of-Order Commit for vulnerability reduction, which automatically provides additional leverage for the control mechanisms to boost performance while remaining within the reliability budget

Reno productive activity of Ipomoea digitata in gentamicin induced kidney dysfunction

Kidneys endowed with million units termed as “nephrons†that act as natural sieves. The kidneys provide the final common pathway for the excretion of many drugs and their metabolites and therefore are frequently subjected to high concentrations of potentially toxic substances. Administration of several antibiotics like Gentamicin causes kidney dysfunction. Rats treated with Gentamicin developed significant kidney dysfunction was observed from increased level of urea, creatinine, sodium and decreased level of protein, potassium and non enzymatic antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. The plant, Ipomoea digitata is found to have nephroprotective activity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Faculty of Science, PRIST University, Vallam, Tanjavur – 613 403, Tamilnadu, India **Department of Zoology, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar - 608 002, Tamilnadu, India 1Corresponding author, Email: [email protected] Cite This Article As: A. Kalaiselvan, T. Anand and M. Soundararajan.Reno productive activity of Ipomoea digitata in gentamicin induced kidney dysfunction. J. Ecobiotechnol. 2(2): 57-62

Part 1: profiling extra cellular matrix core proteome of human fetal nucleus pulposus in search for regenerative targets

Intervertebral disc degeneration is accompanied by a loss of Extra-cellular matrix (ECM) due to an imbalance in anabolic and catabolic pathways. Identifying ECM proteins with anabolic and/or regenerative potential could be the key to developing regenerative therapies. Since human fetal discs grow and develop rapidly, studying these discs may provide valuable insights on proteins with regenerative potential. This study compares core matrisome of 9 fetal and 7 healthy adult (age 22-79) nucleus pulposus (NP), using a proteomic and bioinformatic approach. Of the 33 upregulated proteins in fetus NP's, 20 of which were involved in ECM assembly pathways: fibromodulin, biglycan, heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4, procollagen C-endopeptidase enhancer and Collagen-type 1a1, 1a2, 6a1, 6a3, 11a1, 11a2, 12a1, 14a1 and 15a1. Moreover, 10 of the upregulated proteins were involved in growth pathways 'PI3L-Akt signaling' and 'regulation of insulin like growth factor transport and uptake.' Thrombospondin 1,3 and 4, tenascin C, matrilin-3, and collagen-type 1a1, 1a2, 6a1, 6a3 and 9a1. Additionally, matrillin-2 and 'Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1' were identified as possible regenerative proteins due to their involvement in 'Regeneration' and 'tissue development' respectively. In conclusion, the consistency of human fetal NP's differs greatly from that of healthy adults. In view of these outcomes, the core matrisome of human fetal discs contains an abundant number of proteins that could potentially show regenerative properties, and their potential should be explored in future machinal experiments.Scientific Assessment and Innovation in Neurosurgical Treatment Strategie

High diversity in Delta variant across countries revealed by genome‐wide analysis of SARS‐CoV‐2 beyond the Spike protein

Abstract The highly contagious Delta variant of SARS‐CoV‐2 has become a prevalent strain globally and poses a public health challenge around the world. While there has been extensive focus on understanding the amino acid mutations in the Delta variant’s Spike protein, the mutational landscape of the rest of the SARS‐CoV‐2 proteome (25 proteins) remains poorly understood. To this end, we performed a systematic analysis of mutations in all the SARS‐CoV‐2 proteins from nearly 2 million SARS‐CoV‐2 genomes from 176 countries/territories. Six highly prevalent missense mutations in the viral life cycle‐associated Membrane (I82T), Nucleocapsid (R203M, D377Y), NS3 (S26L), and NS7a (V82A, T120I) proteins are almost exclusive to the Delta variant compared to other variants of concern (mean prevalence across genomes: Delta = 99.74%, Alpha = 0.06%, Beta = 0.09%, and Gamma = 0.22%). Furthermore, we find that the Delta variant harbors a more diverse repertoire of mutations across countries compared to the previously dominant Alpha variant. Overall, our study underscores the high diversity of the Delta variant between countries and identifies a list of amino acid mutations in the Delta variant’s proteome for probing the mechanistic basis of pathogenic features such as high viral loads, high transmissibility, and reduced susceptibility against neutralization by vaccines