Bronchiectasis in India:results from the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) and Respiratory Research Network of India Registry

BACKGROUND: Bronchiectasis is a common but neglected chronic lung disease. Most epidemiological data are limited to cohorts from Europe and the USA, with few data from low-income and middle-income countries. We therefore aimed to describe the characteristics, severity of disease, microbiology, and treatment of patients with bronchiectasis in India. METHODS: The Indian bronchiectasis registry is a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study. Adult patients ( 6518 years) with CT-confirmed bronchiectasis were enrolled from 31 centres across India. Patients with bronchiectasis due to cystic fibrosis or traction bronchiectasis associated with another respiratory disorder were excluded. Data were collected at baseline (recruitment) with follow-up visits taking place once per year. Comprehensive clinical data were collected through the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration registry platform. Underlying aetiology of bronchiectasis, as well as treatment and risk factors for bronchiectasis were analysed in the Indian bronchiectasis registry. Comparisons of demographics were made with published European and US registries, and quality of care was benchmarked against the 2017 European Respiratory Society guidelines. FINDINGS: From June 1, 2015, to Sept 1, 2017, 2195 patients were enrolled. Marked differences were observed between India, Europe, and the USA. Patients in India were younger (median age 56 years [IQR 41-66] vs the European and US registries; p<0\ub70001]) and more likely to be men (1249 [56\ub79%] of 2195). Previous tuberculosis (780 [35\ub75%] of 2195) was the most frequent underlying cause of bronchiectasis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common organism in sputum culture (301 [13\ub77%]) in India. Risk factors for exacerbations included being of the male sex (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1\ub717, 95% CI 1\ub703-1\ub732; p=0\ub7015), P aeruginosa infection (1\ub729, 1\ub710-1\ub750; p=0\ub7001), a history of pulmonary tuberculosis (1\ub720, 1\ub707-1\ub734; p=0\ub7002), modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea score (1\ub732, 1\ub725-1\ub739; p<0\ub70001), daily sputum production (1\ub716, 1\ub703-1\ub730; p=0\ub7013), and radiological severity of disease (1\ub703, 1\ub701-1\ub704; p<0\ub70001). Low adherence to guideline-recommended care was observed; only 388 patients were tested for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and 82 patients had been tested for immunoglobulins. INTERPRETATION: Patients with bronchiectasis in India have more severe disease and have distinct characteristics from those reported in other countries. This study provides a benchmark to improve quality of care for patients with bronchiectasis in India. FUNDING: EU/European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Innovative Medicines Initiative inhaled Antibiotics in Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis Consortium, European Respiratory Society, and the British Lung Foundation

Attenuated Leishmanial Sphingolipid Induces Apoptosis in A375 Human Melanoma Cell via Both Caspase-Dependent and -Independent Pathways

A fraction of attenuated Leishmanial lipid (ALL) rich in sphingolipids, previously shown to have apoptosis inducing activity in mouse melanoma (B16F10) and human melanoma (A375) cells, was resolved to isolate the bioactive sphingolipid. The mechanism of apoptosis induction by this bioactive attenuated Leishmanial sphingolipid (ALSL) was studied in A375 cells. Apoptosis induced by ALSL in A375 cells was found to be dose and time-dependent. Exposure of cells to ALSL resulted in a rapid increase in reactive oxygen species generation. Pretreatment of cells with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cystein reduced ROS generation and attenuated apoptosis induced by ALSL. Again, ALSL sensitization resulted in the activation of caspase-3 and -9 but not caspase-8. However, inhibitors of these caspases could not protect the cells completely from ALSL-induced apoptosis. N-acetylcystein pretreatment was again found to attenuate the activation of caspase-3 and -9. ALSL treatment also resulted in the alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential, and release of pro-apoptotic factors such as cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria. Furthermore, c-Jun N-terminal kinase was activated that resulted in apoptosis of A375 cells, whereas p38 MAPK was activated to counteract the stress generated in cells in response to ALSL treatment. Taken together, our results indicate that ALSL-induced apoptosis of A375 cells is mediated by both mitochondrial caspase-dependent and -independent pathways and it involves ROS and JNK activation in the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade

Enhanced near infrared luminescence in Ag@Ag<SUB>2</SUB>S core-shell nanoparticles

International audienceAg-Ag2S core-shell nano-structured particles, prepared bysoft chemical route, were found to be luminescent in the near-infrared(NIR) range. The silver nanoparticles were pre-synthesized with sizecontrol by poly-vinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) polymer capping from silvernitrate solution, by reduction using sodium borohydride in solution,which were further subjected to reaction with sulfur ions in the laterstage by mixing controlled amount of Na2S in the solution.With increasing concentration of sulfur ions, the plasmonic peak of Agshowed progressive blue shift and damping, leading to finaldiminishment. Enhanced NIR luminescence obtained from Ag@Ag2Score-shell nanoparticles were found to be asymmetric and blue shiftingwith reduced intensity and increasing sulfur ion concentration. Themechanism behind such a behavior is predicted due to formation ofcomposite layer of Ag2S-Ag both at the surface and thevolume, with Ag core at the center, diminishing in size with increasingsulfur concentration. The structure, chemical composition, morphologyand final core-shell structure formation were further established bycombination of X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray PhotoelectronSpectroscopy (XPS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis

Enhanced near infrared luminescence in Ag@Ag2S core-shell nanoparticles

Ag-Ag2S core-shell nano-structured particles, prepared by soft chemical route, were found to be luminescent in the near-infrared (NIR) range. The silver nanoparticles were pre-synthesized with size control by poly-vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer capping from silver nitrate solution, by reduction using sodium borohydride in solution, which were further subjected to reaction with sulfur ions in the later stage by mixing controlled amount of Na2S in the solution. With increasing concentration of sulfur ions, the plasmonic peak of Ag showed progressive blue shift and damping, leading to final diminishment. Enhanced NIR luminescence obtained from Ag@Ag2S core-shell nanoparticles were found to be asymmetric and blue shifting with reduced intensity and increasing sulfur ion concentration. The mechanism behind such a beha vior is predicted due to formation of composite layer of Ag2S-Ag both at the surface and the volume, with Ag core at the center, diminishing in size with increasing sulfur concentration. The structure, chemical composition, morphology and final core-shell structure formation were further established by combination of X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis

Graphene oxide grafted hyperbranched poly (vinyl imidazole) with ionic liquid components as a potential carbon dioxide scrubber

The present work focuses on the design of a CO2 scavenger, capable of adsorbing a low concentration of CO2 from a mixed gas composition. Typically, vinyl imidazole and an ionic liquid brancher were copolymerized by ``Strathclyde methodology'' and grafted from graphene oxide; GO-g-(HB) PVIm-co-PIL (Cl). The chain transfer agent maintained short chains and developed hyperbranched architecture in GO-g-(HB) PVIm-co-PIL (Cl). The structure and the properties of GO-g-(HB) PVIm-co-PIL (Cl) was established from FTIR, (HNMR)-H-1, Raman, XRD and rheology. A metathesis reaction was carried out to exchange chloride anions with hexafluorophosphate anions; GO-g-(HB) PVIm-co-PIL (PF6). GO-g-(HB) PVIm-co-PIL (PF6) selectively captured a low concentration of CO2 from a mixed gas. The surface functionalities/properties of GO, hyperbranched architecture, porosity, nitrogen content and surface charge distribution together played a significant role in efficient and selective CO2 capture

Identifying the Correct Host–Guest Combination To Sensitize Trivalent Lanthanide (Guest) Luminescence: Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles as a Model Host System

This work develops a rationale for effective sensitization of trivalent lanthanide cation (Ln³⁺) luminescence in a semiconductor nanoparticle by examining the luminescence characteristics of Ln³⁺ dopants in titanium dioxide nanoparticles [Ti­(Ln)­O₂] [Ln = praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), or ytterbium (Yb)], as a representative model system. For excitation of the TiO₂ host at 350 nm the intraconfigurational 4f–4f sharp luminescence bands are observed for the Nd, Sm, Eu, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb incorporated (doped) nanoparticles, and no such luminescence is observed for the Pr, Gd, Tb, and Dy containing nanoparticles. While host sensitized luminescence of lanthanide ions dominate the emission in the Nd and Sm incorporated nanoparticles, the host sensitization effect is less pronounced for the Eu and Yb containing systems, and for the Ho, Er, and Tm doped nanocrystals only a subset of the dopant ions’ luminescence bands is sensitized. The experimental observations of the host sensitized Ln³⁺ luminescence properties in the [Ti­(Ln)­O₂] nanoparticles can be rationalized by considering that the dopant ions act as charge traps in the host lattice and associated environment induced luminescence quenching effects. Using these results, an energy offset between the trap site and the nanoparticle’s band edge that will generate an optimal host sensitized dopant emission is proposed. The approach presented necessarily improves over a combinatorial approach to select the host and dopant moieties, with the benefit of providing physicochemical insight regarding the nature of photophysical processes in a given host (semiconductor nanoparticle)–guest (Ln³⁺) composite system