GENOTOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC STUDIES OF NORGESTREL IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the possible in vivo genotoxic and carcinogenic activity associated with exposure to norgestrel (NGT) drug through employing the very recently established and adjusted genotoxic and tumorigenic methods in Drosophila melanogaster.Methods: Two in vivo genotoxic test systems were used; one detects the somatic mutation and recombination effects (somatic mutation and recombination test [SMART] wing-spot test) and the other detects the primary DNA damage (the comet test) in the body cells of D. melanogaster. On the other hand, the warts (wts)-based SMART assay is a vital genetic examination in Drosophila used to identify and characterize cancer potential of compounds.Results: Four experimental doses of NGT were used (ranging from 0.24 μM to 16 μM). NGT was found to be non-genotoxic at all tested concentrations even at the highest dose level 16 μM and failed to increase the frequency of tumors in the somatic cells of D. melanogaster.Conclusion: Our results strengthen the hypothesis that steroidal drugs might act through a non-genotoxic carcinogen mechanism where the carcinogenic properties occur by direct stimulation of cellular proliferation through a steroid receptor-mediated mechanism. In addition, the results obtained in this research work may contribute to highlighting the importance of NGT as a potent neuroprotective antioxidant drug

Correlation of serum calcium with severity of acute ischaemic stroke

Stroke results in the death of around 6.5 million people annually with a majority of these occurring in developing countries. Serum calcium has been hypothesised to play a significant role in causing ischaemic stroke. This retrospective observational study was conducted to determine the correlation, if any, between serum calcium and the severity of acute ischaemic stroke in our population. Two hundred and seventy-nine patients admitted with acute ischaemic stroke were enrolled in the study. Of the 279 patients 162 (58%) were male and mean age was 62.4 ± 3.8 years. Characteristics of stroke patients were compared with stroke severity. Mean albumin corrected serum calcium and Scandinavian stroke severity score was 9.1 (± 5.6) and 33.67 (± 15.2), respectively. Hypertension and mean GCS on admission were significantly associated with increased stroke severity score. However, no correlation was observed between serum calcium and severity of acute ischaemic stroke

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIFFERENT ALLOGAMIC ASSOCIATED TRAIT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIVE NEWLY DEVELOPED CYTOPLASMIC MALE STERILE (CMS) LINES IN RICE

Five suitable maintainer varieties were identifi ed through testcrosses with IR58025A and the transfer of wild abortive cytoplasm was carried out by seven successive backcrosses. Five new CMS lines were developed by this approach in well adapted high yielding improved varietal background such as ‘Nemat’, ‘Neda’, ‘Dasht’, ‘Amol3’ and ‘Champa’. Agronomical characterization and allogamy-associated traits of the fi ve newly developed CMS lines were studied for their interrelationship. Anther length had a signifi cant positive correlation with the duration of glume opening (0.759) and high correlation of (0.698) with the angle between lemma and palea. The results indicated that ‘Nemat’ A, ‘Neda’ A, ‘Dasht’ A are more suitable as parents for hybrid seed production due to their favorable and superior fl oral characteristics in comparison to IR58025A

Effect of Novel Quercetin Titanium Dioxide-Decorated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposite on Bacillus subtilis Biofilm Development

The present work was targeted to design a surface against cell seeding and adhering of bacteria, Bacillus subtilis. A multi-walled carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide nano-power was produced via simple mixing of carbon nanotube and titanium dioxide nanoparticles during the sol-gel process followed by heat treatment. Successfully, quercetin was immobilized on the nanocomposite via physical adsorption to form a quercetin/multi-walled carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide nanocomposite. The adhesion of bacteria on the coated-slides was verified after 24 h using confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Results indicated that the quercetin/multi-walled carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide nanocomposite had more negativity and higher recovery by glass surfaces than its counterpart. Moreover, coating surfaces with the quercetin-modified nanocomposite lowered both hydrophilicity and surface-attached bacteria compared to surfaces coated with the multi-walled carbon nanotubes/titanium dioxide nanocomposite

Corrigendum: Semaphorin 4C: A Novel Component of B-Cell Polarization in Th2-Driven Immune Responses

Background: Semaphorins are important molecules in embryonic development and multiple semaphorins have been identified as having key roles in immune regulation. To date, there is little known about Semaphorin 4C (Sema4C) in immune biology. We report for the first time that Sema4C is inducible in human and murine B-cells and may be important for normal B-cell development. Methods: Human Tonsillar B-cells were studied following activation via anti-CD40 antibodies in the presence or absence of representative Th1, Th2, and regulatory cytokines. Murine B-cells from WT and Sema4C-/- mice were similarly stimulated. B-cell phenotyping in WT and Sema4C mutant mice was performed by flow cytometry and lymphoid architecture was studied by immunohistochemistry. Sema4C expression and synapse formation was analyzed by confocal microscopy. Results: Gene Array studies performed on human tonsillar B-cells stimulated to produce IgE revealed that Sema4C was among the top genes expressed at 24 hours, and the only semaphorin to be increased under Th2 conditions. Validation studies demonstrated that human and murine B-cells expressed Sema4C under similar conditions. Sema4C-/- mice had impaired maturation of B-cell follicles in spleens and associated decreases in follicular and marginal zone B-cells as well as impaired IgG and IgA production. In keeping with a potential role in maturation of B-cells, Sema4C was expressed predominantly on CD27+ Human B-cells. Within 72 hours of B-cell activation, Sema4C was localized to one pole in a synapse-like structure, in association with F-Actin, BCR, and Plexin-B2. Cell polarization was impaired in Sema4C-/- mice. Conclusion: We have identified a novel immune semaphorin induced in human and murine B-cells under Th2 conditions. Sema4C appears to be a marker for human memory B-cells. It may be important for B-cell polarization and for the formation of normal splenic follicles

SAKE: Estimating Katz Centrality Based on Sampling for Large-Scale Social Networks

Katz centrality is a fundamental concept to measure the influence of a vertex in a social network. However, existing approaches to calculating Katz centrality in a large-scale network are unpractical and computationally expensive. In this article, we propose a novel method to estimate Katz centrality based on graph sampling techniques, which object to achieve comparable estimation accuracy of the state-of-the-arts with much lower computational complexity. Specifically, we develop a Horvitz–Thompson estimate for Katz centrality by using a multi-round sampling approach and deriving an unbiased mean value estimator. We further propose SAKE, a Sampling-based Algorithm for fast Katz centrality Estimation. We prove that the estimator calculated by SAKE is probabilistically guaranteed to be within an additive error from the exact value. Extensive evaluation experiments based on four real-world networks show that the proposed algorithm can estimate Katz centralities for partial vertices with low sampling rate, low computation time, and it works well in identifying high influence vertices in social networks

Impact of medical school experiences on the career choice of neurosurgery: A cross- sectional study from Pakistan

Background: Pakistan grapples with the issue of an inadequate neurosurgery workforce but the reasons for such a disparity remain uncertain. Previous studies have highlighted how various factors including medical school experiences have an impact on career choice, but no study has delved into the impact of medical school exposure among Pakistani medical students, especially for the field of neurosurgery. This study aims to evaluate the impact of neurosurgery exposure, mentorship, and interest groups on medical students\u27 decision to pursue neurosurgery.Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted in Pakistan, collecting data from medical students, interns, and medical officers over a one-month period. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee at Aga Khan University, Pakistan. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.Results: Out of 2618 participants, 38.0% were male and 62.0% were female, with an average age of 21.82 years (± 2.65). Among them, only 358 (13.6%) were interested in pursuing neurosurgery as a career, while the remaining 2,260 (86.3%) were not. More females (58.9%) than males (41.1%) expressed interest in pursuing neurosurgery as their intended career. Most medical students interested in pursuing neurosurgery were in the early years of their medical school (1st Year: 19.6%, 2nd Year: 26.0%, 3rd Year: 20.9%). In our study, students from public sector institutions (52.2%) showed more interest in neurosurgery as a career choice compared to those from private sector institutions (44.1%). The main deterrents for choosing neurosurgery were intense training (42.2%), work-life balance (39.9%), limited residency slots (56.7%), medical knowledge (34.1%), and surgical skills (36.6%).Conclusion: This study highlights the need for increased student engagement to inculcate the decision to pursue neurosurgery among medical students in Pakistan. A significant gap is highlighted, with the majority of interested students in early years. Public sector students show higher interest than their private sector counterparts. However, barriers like intense training, limited residency slots, and work-life balance concerns influence career choice. Targeted interventions like mentorship programs are crucial for fostering future neurosurgeons and advancing patient care and research. By addressing the identified disparities in experiences and promoting a supportive educational environment, it is possible to cultivate a future generation of skilled and dedicated neurosurgeons who can contribute to advancements in patient care and research in the field

Antimicrobial Efficacy of Silver Diamine Fluoride against Enterococcus faecalis: A Systematic Review of In Vitro Studies

Introduction/Objectives. Enterococcus faecalis has been implicated in infections of treated root canals. Current irrigants and intracanal medicaments cannot eliminate E. faecalis completely from the root canal. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) prevents caries by promoting remineralization and exerting an antibacterial effect. Studies suggest that SDF may possess antibacterial properties against E. faecalis. The purpose of this review is to systematically and critically analyze the literature, focusing on the use of SDF as an intracanal medicament or irrigant, when compared to other antibacterial agents. Data/Sources. The focused question was “Is the antibacterial effect of SDF against E. faecalis better than other intracanal medicaments and irrigants?” Using the keywords ((silver diamine fluoride) AND (Enterococcus faecalis)) AND ((sodium hypochlorite) OR (NaOCl) OR (chlorhexidine) OR (calcium hydroxide) OR (Ca(OH)2)), an electronic search was conducted on the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. The clinical trial registers ClinicalTrials.gov and CONTROL were also searched using the same keywords. General characteristics and outcomes were extracted, and quality of the studies was assessed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Laboratory studies in Endodontology (PRILE) guidelines. Study Selection. Six articles (five in vitro studies and one ex vivo study) were included in this systematic review. In the majority of the studies, SDF had equal or better antibacterial efficacy against E. faecalis compared to calcium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorhexidine. However, the majority of the studies did not fulfill several items in the PRILE criteria and had numerous sources of bias. Conclusions. Within the limitations of the systematic review and the studies reviewed, SDF may be effective against E. faecalis and therefore could be used as an intracanal medicament and/or irrigant to prevent reinfections of the root canals and improve the outcomes of endodontic treatment. However, animal and clinical studies should be carried out to determine the efficacy of SDF in endodontics. Trial Registration. The protocol for this review was registered on PROSPERO. Registration number: CRD42021224741

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIFFERENT ALLOGAMIC ASSOCIATED TRAIT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIVE NEWLY DEVELOPED CYTOPLASMIC MALE STERILE (CMS) LINES IN RICE

Five suitable maintainer varieties were identifi ed through testcrosses with IR58025A and the transfer of wild abortive cytoplasm was carried out by seven successive backcrosses. Five new CMS lines were developed by this approach in well adapted high yielding improved varietal background such as ‘Nemat’, ‘Neda’, ‘Dasht’, ‘Amol3’ and ‘Champa’. Agronomical characterization and allogamy-associated traits of the fi ve newly developed CMS lines were studied for their interrelationship. Anther length had a signifi cant positive correlation with the duration of glume opening (0.759) and high correlation of (0.698) with the angle between lemma and palea. The results indicated that ‘Nemat’ A, ‘Neda’ A, ‘Dasht’ A are more suitable as parents for hybrid seed production due to their favorable and superior fl oral characteristics in comparison to IR58025A