Uric acid and hypertension: Does uric acid lick the joints and bites the heart?

Background: Uric acid a metabolic end product of purine degradation is implicated in gout as aetiology. Its increased levels have also been associated with hypertension, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Few studies have been conducted, especially in India to elucidate association of uric acid with prehypertension. Aims: This study intends to assess the association of serum uric acid levels with blood pressure in normotensive, prehypertensive and hypertensive population. It also intends to check whether there is an incremental rise of serum uric acid with increasing blood pressure. Material and methods: Two hundred outpatients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria and consented formed study population. Blood pressure of each participant was measured followed by venipuncture to collect venous blood for measurement of serum uric acid. Participants were categorised into 4 groups as Normal, Prehypertension, Hypertension –Stage 1, Hypertension Stage -2 as per Joint National Committee 7 classification. Data was analysed to know levels of serum uric acid among the four categories and to verify association of uric acid with blood pressure. Results and Conclusions: Stepwise increase in serum uric acid levels was observed along with increasing blood pressure. Strong positive linear correlation was observed between serum uric acid levels and mean blood pressure (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r = 0.74; p< 0.0001). Uric acid was associated (r = 0.442) with blood pressure in prehypertension population. Serum uric acid levels are associated with prehypertension and hypertension and are independent and strong predictors of cardiovascular mortality

Kinetics of nitrogen in sodic soil of Kumulur village, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu under different organic and inorganic amendments

Currently more than 20 per cent of the world’s irrigated land is salt affected. Of that about 60 per cent are sodic soils, warranting greater attention for efficient and eco-friendly environmentally amelioration techniques. Transformation and availability of several plant nutrient elements are affected by soil sodicity. Alkali/sodic soils are to be reclaimed so as tomake nutrients available to plants optimally. A laboratory incubation study was examined to analyse the impact of various amendments, either alone or in combination with nitrogen (N) @75 kg/ha, on the physico-chemical characteristics and nitrogen dynamics in sodic soil of Kumulur village Trichy District, Tamil Nadu (pH-10.4, EC-0.40 dS, m-1, ESP-31.8). The investigation was conducted at ADAC&amp;RI in Trichy with three replications and eight treatments in a completely randomized design. The treatments used for sodic soil reclamation utilizing a standardized procedure were Gypsum (GYP) + Green manure (GM) @ 6.5 t ha-1 (T2), Distillery spent wash (DSW) @ 5 lakhs liter-1(T4), and Green leaf manure (GLM) @ 12.5 t ha-1(T3). Soil samples were taken at 15-day intervals from the 15th to the 60th day and tested for NH4-N, NO3-N, and accessible nitrogen. Using DSW, GYP + GM, and GLM, the pH of the water was decreased from 10.2 to 8.37, 8.42, and 9.21, respectively. The soil pH dropped the most in the DSW-controlled treatments. The application of nitrogen alone without any amendments (T5) recorded a higher value (135 kg ha-1) during an initial period (15 days) only and thereafter declined sharply due to various losses, i.e., volatilization, denitrification or fixation. When nitrogen was applied along with amendments, a significant (CD-0.05%) buildup in available N contents was observed over the application of N alone. Available nitrogen (325 kg ha-1), nitrate nitrogen (102 kg ha-1) and ammonical nitrogen (205 kg ha-1) were significantly increased due to the addition of amendments. However, the decline in available N with incubation period was only marginal when nitrogen was applied along with amendments. An increase in NH4-N at 30 DAI might be due to the release of nutrients. A slight increase in the nitrate-N content of the soil was observed at the end of the incubation period due to microbial oxidation of NH4-N to NO3-N. The application of amendments could save a quantity of N dose besides reclaiming the sodicity

Screening of finger millet genotypes for sodicity tolerance using the Na+/K+ ratio as a major physiological trait

Sodicity affects a larger area than salinity, but research on the sodicity tolerance mechanism is limited. The study was carried out to screen 120 finger millet genotypes under sodic soil conditions and identify sodicity-tolerant genotypes. The experimental field soil conditions were sandy clay loam with pH 8.9, electrical conductivity (EC) 0.94 dSm-1 and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) 21.5, which was naturally sodic. Grain yield per plant and Na+/K+ ratio were recorded for each genotype to screen sodicity tolerance among the genotypes. A significantly higher grain yield per plant than that of the sodicity-tolerant check variety TRY 1 (23.10 g) was observed in 30 finger millet genotypes. The analysis of sodium and potassium revealed that these 30 finger millet genotypes also recorded a significantly lower Na+/K+ ratio, which is comparatively lower than that of the sodicity-tolerant check variety TRY 1 (0.23 Na+/K+ ratio). The genotypes (FIN 3045, FIN 2875, FIN 3077, FIN 3015, FIN 3063, FIN 2861, FIN 3028, FIN 2867, FIN 2854, FIN 2860, FIN 2872, FIN 2896, FIN 4268, FIN 3034, FIN 3928, FIN 3104, FIN 3965, FIN 3091, FIN 2960, FIN 3994, FIN 4198, FIN 3174, FIN 3078, FIN 4288, FIN 4202, FIN 4238, FIN 3089, FIN 4205, FIN 3966 and FIN 3182) that recorded higher grain yield per plant and lower Na+/K+ ratio can be considered sodicity tolerant. These genotypes with a high grain yield per plant and a low Na+/K+ ratio could be utilized in stress breeding programs to develop sodicity-tolerant finger millet varieties

Grey Wolf Optimizer and Cuckoo Search Algorithm for Electric Power System State Estimation with Load Uncertainty and False Data

State estimate serves a crucial purpose in the control centre of a modern power system. Voltage phasor of buses in such configurations is referred to as state variables that should be determined during operation. A precise estimation is needed to define the optimal operation of all components. So many mathematical and heuristic techniques can be used to achieve the aforementioned objective. An enhanced power system state estimator built on the cuck search algorithm is described in this work. Several scenarios, including the influence of load uncertainty and the likelihood of false data injection as significant challenges in electrical energy networks, are proposed to analyse the operation of estimators. The ability to identify and correct false data is also assessed in this regard. Additionally, the performance of the presented estimator is compared to that of the weighted least squares, Cuckoo Search algorithm and grey wolf Optimizer. The findings demonstrate that the grey wolf Optimizer overcomes the primary shortcomings of the conventional approaches, including accuracy and complexity, and is also better able to identify and rectify incorrect data. On IEEE 14-bus and 30-bus test systems, simulations are run to show how well the method works

Antimicrobial property of bioactive factor isolated from Parmelia perlata

Parmelia is previously mentioned in India Materia Medica as a treatment for a number of ailments and hence they are being used in large quantities as a food supplement in India. The crude hot extracts of Parmelia perlata and the isolated compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. The antibacterial activity of Parmelia perlata crude hot extracts revealed that the extracts showed significant effect against Clavibacter michiganensis (33 ± 0.06), moderate against Pseudomonas solanacearum (33 ± 0.32) and less potent against Escherichia coli (28 ± 0.10) when compared to the standard drug Streptomycin. The Fusarium oxysporum (26 ± 0.38) and Rhizopus nigricans (20 ± 0.06) were more susceptibility to wards the treatment of hot extracts, whereas Aspergillus niger (18 ± 0.15)  demonstrated less susceptibility to crude hot extracts, but stardard antifungal drug bavistin was potent against all the fungal pathogens used in the study. Compound-I and compound-II isolated from the crude extract of Parmelia perlata showed efficient antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity of compound-II was significant against to Clavibacter michiganensis (22 ± 0.17) and Pseudomonas solanacearum (44 ± 0.21), but less against to Escherichia coli (11 ± 0.17). Compound-I were more active against Pseudomonas solanacearum (31 ± 0.06) and moderately active against Clavibacter michiganensis (28 ± 0.05) and less active against to Escherichia coli (21 ± 0.23) when compared to Streptomycin. The antifungal activity of compound-II was better than compound-I. Compound-II was significant against Fusarium oxysporum (40 ± 0.05), Rhizopus nigricans (27 ± 0.02) and less active against to Aspergillus niger (18 ± 0.02) than compared to compound-I. The compound-I did not impotent against Aspergillus niger. The present investigation indicated that the crude hot extracts and the isolated compounds of Parmelia perlata have potential antimicrobial property.Â

State Estimation for Electric Power System with Load Uncertainty and False Data Using Cuckoo Search Algorithm

State estimate serves a crucial purpose in the control centre of a modern power system. Voltage phasor of buses in such configurations is referred to as state variables that should be determined during operation. A precise estimation is needed to define the optimal operation of all components. So many mathematical and heuristic techniques can be used to achieve the aforementioned objective. An enhanced power system state estimator built on the cuckoo search algorithm is described in this work. Several scenarios, including the influence of load uncertainty and the likelihood of false data injection as significant challenges in electrical energy networks, are proposed to analyses the operation of estimators. The ability to identify and correct false data is also assessed in this regard. Additionally, the performance of the presented estimator is compared to that of the weighted least squares and Cuckoo Search algorithm. The findings demonstrate that the Cuckoo search algorithm overcomes the primary shortcomings of the conventional approaches, including accuracy and complexity, and is also better able to identify and rectify incorrect data. On IEEE 14-bus and 30-bus test systems, simulations are run to show how well the method works

Antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Usnea longissima

Introduction: Usnea Longissima is an epiphyte species of lichen belongs to the family Parmeliaceae. Lichenic acids isolated from Usnea Longissima are growth inhibitors. Usnea Longissima was used a dermatological aid for during wounds in the pecific North West. Methods: The ethanol extract of Usnea Longissima were screened for potential antibacterial activity and antifungal activity using Agar well diffusion method against six infectious strains and two dermatophytic fungi Trichoderma viride and Candida albicans. Results: Ethanol extract of Usnea Longissima exhibited significant antibacterial activity and antifungal activity with 1mg/ml Agar well diffusion method against the Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (26 ± 0.5), and Gram negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18 ± 0.5), Klebsiella pneumoniae (21 ± 0.5), Shigella dysenteriae (10 ± 0.3), Salmonella typhi (14 ± 0.5), Escherichia coli (-) and two dermatophytic fungi Trichoderma viride (14 ± 0.5) and Candida albicans (11 ± 0.5). Conclusion The present study is justified the traditional use and the effect of ethanol extract of lichen Usnea longissima was screened their level of antimicrobial potential.Â

Investigating the Anti-tumorigenic Properties of Synthetic Inhibitors of B7-H3 in Group 3 Medulloblastoma

Medulloblastomas (MB) are devastating brain tumors originating in the cerebellum most commonly in children. There are four distinct subgroups of medulloblastoma: WNT (wingless), SHH (sonic hedgehog), group 3, and group 4. The most malignant tumors possess an aggressive phenotype characterized by c-Myc amplification and deletions to chromosome 17p; they belong to group 3. Prior investigations into the significance of genes on 17p revealed that miR-1253, which is found on locus 17p13.3, is significantly downregulated in medulloblastoma and has important tumor suppressive properties. Amongst its oncogenic targets is B7-H3 (CD276), a highly deregulated oncoprotein that attenuates the immune response to MB tumors. We chose to elucidate the oncogenic properties of B7-H3 in group 3 MB using synthetic inhibitors. After screening 100,000 different compounds for: 1) docking ability, 2) oral bioavailability, 3) potential CNS activity, and 4) number of metabolic side reactions, we selected two N-terminal inhibitors: B7-H3-Ni1 and B7-H3-Ni3. In HDMB03 cells (with c-Myc amplification and i17q), we found an IC50 of 3.7 M for B7-H3-Ni1 and no discernible effect of B7-H3-Ni3. We confirmed CD276 expression inhibition using B7-H3-Ni1 via Western blotting and concurrently noted elevations in cleaved PARP (apoptosis) and reduction in p-Akt (proliferation marker), providing us preliminary insights into the mechanism of inhibition. Notably, a remarkable decline in migration and wound healing and abrogation of colony formation were observed with B7-H3-Ni1. Collectively, our findings substantiate the inhibitory properties of B7-H3-Ni1 in vitro, potentially serving as a therapeutic agent for in vivo group 3 MB tumors.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/surp2021/1049/thumbnail.jp

(E)-N′-(3-Bromo-5-chloro-2-hy­droxy­benzyl­idene)nicotinohydrazide

There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C13H9BrClN3O2, in which the dihedral angles between the benzene and pyridine rings are 8.23 (9)° and 52.84 (12)°. Both the mol­ecules exist in an E configuration with respect to the C=N double bond. The two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit are linked via weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. In both the mol­ecules, an intra­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bond generate an S(6) graph-set motif. In the crystal, inter­molecular N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate bifurcated R 1 2(7) ring motifs. The crystal packing is further stabilized by weak inter­molecular N—H⋯O, N—H⋯N, C—H⋯O and π–π [centroid–centroid distance 3.615 (2) Å] inter­actions

MiR-1253 Potentiates Cisplatin Response in Pediatric Medulloblastoma by Regulating Ferroptosis

Introduction Among CNS tumors, medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. Of the four subgroups, group 3 (G3MB) tumors fare the worst. Haploinsufficiency of 17p13.3 is a hallmark of these high-risk tumors; included within this locus is miR-1253, which has tumor suppressive properties in medulloblastoma. Therapeutic strategies capitalizing on the anti-neoplastic properties of miRNAs can provide promising adjuncts that can improve efficacy while mitigating toxicity of current chemotherapeutic drugs. Objective In this study, we explored the potentiation of miR-1253 on cisplatin cytotoxicity in group 3 MB. Methods We used RNA Sequencing to isolate a putative target for miR-1253 that is upregulated in G3MB, has a poor prognostic profile, and is involved in iron balance/ferroptosis. Calein AM quenching, COX IV staining and multiple stains for iron were used to study mitochondrial vs. free cytosolic iron generation. Confocal microscopy and FACs analyses were used to examine ROS generation and lipid peroxidation. Using 2 classical group 3 MB cell lines, possessing c-Myc amplification and i17q, we determined the IC50 of cisplatin in the presence of miR-1253 expression using MTT assay. We also studied colony formation, apoptosis and oxidative stress, as cisplatin is an inducer of both. Finally, ROS and ferroptosis inhibitors were used to study effects on tumor cell rescue from miR-1253 and cisplatin therapy. Results In silico and in vitro analyses revealed upregulation of ABCB7 in G3MB cancer cells and tumors. Overexpressing miR-1253, in turn, suppressed ABCB7, revealing it as a putative target with poor survival in high-expressing MB tumors. Overexpression also led to a suppression of GPX4, a ferroptosis regulator, consequently increasing labile iron pool within the mitochondria and resulting in mtROS induction. Cisplatin is reported as an inducer of both apoptosis and ferroptosis-mediated cancer cell death. In miR-1253-overexpressing cancer cells, we observed a cumulative effect on cell death and colony formation with cisplatin; treatment with ROS and ferroptosis inhibitors abrogated these effects. Conclusions We conclude that miR-1253 potentiates the ferroptotic effects of cisplatin via targeting miR-1253/ABCB7/GPX4 axis.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/chri_forum/1010/thumbnail.jp