Physico-Chemical Characterization of the Groundwater of Kotur Area Hyderabad, India

Significant increase in industries has been observed in Kotur industrial area. Improper disposal of industrial waste in the area has resulted in water quality deterioration. Water samples were collected from various locations within the area and analysed for physiochemical parameters using standard methods (APHA) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) respectively. High level of electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, total hardness, calcium, sodium, chloride and magnesium were observed with relationships suggesting surface input. The concentrations of the cations range from 35 to 309mg/l for Ca, 13 to 106mg/l for Mg, 20 to 311 mg/l for Na and 2 to 8 mg/l for K.  87.5 % of the cations are in the order Ca > Na > Mg > K and Na > Ca > Mg > K respectively. The anions in the order Cl > HCO3 > SO4 > NO3 were also observed. The high concentration of the physiochemical parameters reveal surface contamination originating from anthropogenic sources. Keywords: Groundwater quality, physiochemical parameters, industrial waste, industrial area, contamination

The Use of Mathematical Models in the Analysis of Flow in a Regional Water Table Aquifer in Nsukka Area, Southeast Nigeria

Groundwater development in Nsukka area is hampered by the incessant failure of boreholes drilled at the eastern boundary of a thick regional sandstone aquifer estimated at over 100km2 in areal extent.The flow systems were investigated using mathematical models based on the solution of the Laplace equation for steady state flow from flow net and functional analysis. Well data from over forty boreholes were used. The aquifer hydraulic parameters used in the models include hydraulic heads (H),transmissivity (T),hydraulic conductivity (K) and flow gradient(i).Three  areas of the flow system have been identified in this work; areas of origin in the groundwater divide in the east associated with high heads that attain a maximum of 328m with gradient values of 1/200 or less ,the through flow or transfer areas of Nsukka plateau  with head values generally less than 300m and gradient values of 1/150 or less, and the discharge or termination areas in the west and northwest where heads are 230m  or less . The modeled parameters provide baseline data for drilling and design of boreholes and a clear understanding of the flow process. Keywords: Aquifer,Groundwater, Flow , Model ,Nsukka Nigeria

Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Mbanabor Area, Anambra Basin, Southeastern Nigeria

Surface and groundwater resources evaluation of Mbanabor was done to assess the quality for human consumption and agricultural purposes. This was achieved through physicochemical and bacteriological analysis of twenty one (21) water samples from both surface and groundwater sources in the area. The result reveals that the concentration of Ca2+(mg/l), Mg2+(mg/l), Na+(mg/l), K+(mg/l), Fe2+(mg/l), Pb2+(mg/l), Cd2+(mg/l), Zn2+(mg/l), and Cu+(mg/l), range between: 0.12 – 27.21, 0.05 – 3, 3.23 – 7.06, 0.1 – 7.31, 0.05 – 3.62, 0.002 – 0.28, 0 – 0.02, 0.04 – 2.5 and 0.001 – 3.0 respectively. The range of SO42- (mg/l), NO3- (mg/l), and HCO3- (mg/l), are between: 1.0 – 13.1, 0.27 – 49.0 and 8.00 – 20.5 respectively. The average of pH (mg/l), colour (Hz), temperature (0C), conductivity (us/cm), turbidity (NTU), TDS (mg/l), TSS (mg/l), BOD (mg/l), DO (mg/l) and hardness (mg/l), are: 6.19, 61.43, 24.7, 63.57, 4.48, 21.44, 5.05, 0.69, 4.64 and 6.4 respectively. Classification of the water samples shows the predominance of Ca(Mg)Cl(SO4) and Na(K)Cl(SO4) water types that are largely soft. The values of the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) range between 0.24 – 2.86 indicating prevalence of good water for agricultural uses. The surface water sources are predominantly infected with microbial contamination, indicating significant input of organic (Faecal) wastes in the flow system. Water resources development programmes in the area requires elaborate qualitative assessment, to ensure that any necessary pre-use treatment is effected. Keywords: Water Quality, Water Classification, Hydrogeochemistry, Sodium Adsorption Ratio

Determination of The Hydraulic Conductivity, Transmissivity And The Environment of Deposition of Owelli Sandstone, in Anambra Basin, Southeastern Nigeria, Using Grain Size Distribution Analysis

This study estimated hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and interpreted the environment of deposition of the Owelli Sandstone in Mbanabor area of Anambra Basin, Southeastern Nigeria. These were achieved using grain size distribution analysis, and borehole lithological logs. The results indicated that values of hydraulic conductivity (m/s) and transmissivity (m2/s) range between 2.89 x 10-2 – 1.52 x 10-1, and 4.8 x 10-1 - 5.3 x10-1, respectively, indicating prevalence of aquifer of good performance. The aquifer units are predominantly unconfined, with variable thicknesses and depth of occurrence. The values of the mean, sorting, skewness and kurtosis, from sieve data range between 0.2 - 0.9Φ, 0.49 - 1.97Φ, -0.05 - 0.21Φ and 0.96 - 1.52Φ respectively. Multivariate discriminate functions revealed that Owelli Sandstone may have been deposited dominantly by beach process, in shallow agitated marine, and shallow marine environment. Key words: Hydraulic Conductivity, Transmissivity, Owelli Sandstone, Anambra Basin, Depositional Environment

RHAMNETIN IS A BETTER INHIBITOR OF SARS-COV-2 2’-O-METHYLTRANSFERASE THAN DOLUTEGRAVIR: A COMPUTATIONAL PREDICTION

Background: The 2’-O-methyltransferase is responsible for the capping of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA and consequently the evasion of the host’s immune system. This study aims at identifying prospective natural inhibitors of the active site of SARS-CoV-2 2’O-methyltransferase (2’-OMT) through an in silico approach. Materials and Method: The target was docked against a library of natural compounds obtained from edible African plants using PyRx - virtual screening software. The antiviral agent, Dolutegravir which has a binding affinity score of -8.5 kcal mol−1 with the SARS-CoV-2 2’-OMT was used as a standard. Compounds were screened for bioavailability through the SWISSADME web server using their molecular descriptors. Screenings for pharmacokinetic properties and bioactivity were performed with PKCSM and Molinspiration web servers respectively. The PLIP and Fpocket webservers were used for the binding site analyses. The Galaxy webserver was used for simulating the time-resolved motions of the apo and holo forms of the target while the MDWeb web server was used for the analyses of the trajectory data. Results: The Root-Mean-Square-Deviation (RMSD) induced by Rhamnetin is 1.656A0 as compared to Dolutegravir (1.579A0). The average B-factor induced by Rhamnetin is 113.75 while for Dolutegravir is 78.87; the Root-Mean-Square-Fluctuation (RMSF) for Rhamnetin is 0.75 and for Dolutegravir is 0.67. Also at the active site, Rhamnetin also has a binding affinity score of -9.5 kcal mol−1 and forms 7 hydrogen bonds as compared to Dolutegravir which has -8.5 kcal mol−1 and forms 4 hydrogen bonds respectively. Conclusion: Rhamnetin showed better inhibitory activity at the target’s active site than Dolutegravir

PfRH5: A Novel Reticulocyte-Binding Family Homolog of Plasmodium falciparum that Binds to the Erythrocyte, and an Investigation of Its Receptor

Multiple interactions between parasite ligands and their receptors on the human erythrocyte are a condition of successful Plasmodium falciparum invasion. The identification and characterization of these receptors presents a major challenge in the effort to understand the mechanism of invasion and to develop the means to prevent it. We describe here a novel member of the reticulocyte-binding family homolog (RH) of P. falciparum, PfRH5, and show that it binds to a previously unrecognized receptor on the RBC. PfRH5 is expressed as a 63 kDa protein and localized at the apical end of the invasive merozoite. We have expressed a fragment of PfRH5 which contains the RBC-binding domain and exhibits the same pattern of interactions with the RBC as the parent protein. Attachment is inhibited if the target cells are exposed to high concentrations of trypsin, but not to lower concentrations or to chymotrypsin or neuraminidase. We have determined the affinity, copy number and apparent molecular mass of the receptor protein. Thus, we have shown that PfRH5 is a novel erythrocyte-binding ligand and the identification and partial characterization of the new RBC receptor may indicate the existence of an unrecognized P. falciparum invasion pathwa

Genetic structure of Plasmodium falciparum field isolates in eastern and north-eastern India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Molecular techniques have facilitated the studies on genetic diversity of <it>Plasmodium </it>species particularly from field isolates collected directly from patients. The <it>msp-1 </it>and <it>msp-2 </it>are highly polymorphic markers and the large allelic polymorphism has been reported in the block 2 of the <it>msp-1 </it>gene and the central repetitive domain (block3) of the <it>msp-2 </it>gene. Families differing in nucleotide sequences and in number of repetitive sequences (length variation) were used for genotyping purposes. As limited reports are available on the genetic diversity existing among <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>population of India, this report evaluates the extent of genetic diversity in the field isolates of <it>P. falciparum </it>in eastern and north-eastern regions of India.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A study was designed to assess the diversity of <it>msp-1 </it>and <it>msp-2 </it>among the field isolates from India using allele specific nested PCR assays and sequence analysis. Field isolates were collected from five sites distributed in three states namely, Assam, West Bengal and Orissa.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>P. falciparum </it>isolates of the study sites are highly diverse in respect of length as well as sequence motifs with prevalence of all the reported allelic families of <it>msp-1 </it>and <it>msp-2</it>. Prevalence of identical allelic composition as well as high level of sequence identity of alleles suggest a considerable amount of gene flow between the <it>P. falciparum </it>populations of different states. A comparatively higher proportion of multiclonal isolates as well as multiplicity of infection (MOI) was observed among isolates of highly malarious districts Karbi Anglong (Assam) and Sundergarh (Orissa). In all the five sites, R033 family of <it>msp-1 </it>was observed to be monomorphic with an allele size of 150/160 bp. The observed 80–90% sequence identity of Indian isolates with data of other regions suggests that Indian <it>P. falciparum </it>population is a mixture of different strains.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study shows that the field isolates of eastern and north-eastern regions of India are highly diverse in respect of <it>msp-1 </it>(block 2) and <it>msp-2 </it>(central repeat region, block 3). As expected Indian isolates present a picture of diversity closer to southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea and Latin American countries, regions with low to meso-endemicity of malaria in comparison to African regions of hyper- to holo-endemicity.</p

Long-Term Clinical Protection from Falciparum Malaria Is Strongly Associated with IgG3 Antibodies to Merozoite Surface Protein 3

Using data from malaria cases in Senegal, Pierre Druilhe and colleagues found that antibodies of the IgG3 isotype directed to merozoite surface protein 3 (MSP3) were strongly predictive of clinical outcome

Changes in Parasite Virulence Induced by the Disruption of a Single Member of the 235 kDa Rhoptry Protein Multigene Family of Plasmodium yoelii

Invasion of the erythrocyte by the merozoites of the malaria parasite is a complex process involving a range of receptor-ligand interactions. Two protein families termed Erythrocyte Binding Like (EBL) proteins and Reticulocyte Binding Protein Homologues (RH) play an important role in host cell recognition by the merozoite. In the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium yoelii, the 235 kDa rhoptry proteins (Py235) are coded for by a multigene family and are members of the RH. In P. yoelii Py235 as well as a single member of EBL have been shown to be key mediators of virulence enabling the parasite to invade a wider range of host erythrocytes. One member of Py235, PY01365 is most abundantly transcribed in parasite populations and the protein specifically binds to erythrocytes and is recognized by the protective monoclonal antibody 25.77, suggesting a key role of this particular member in virulence. Recent studies have indicated that overall levels of Py235 expression are essential for parasite virulence. Here we show that disruption of PY01365 in the virulent YM line directly impacts parasite virulence. Furthermore the disruption of PY01365 leads to a reduction in the number of schizonts that express members of Py235 that react specifically with the mcAb 25.77. Erythrocyte binding assays show reduced binding of Py235 to red blood cells in the PY01365 knockout parasite as compared to YM. While our results identify PY01365 as a mediator of parasite virulence, they also confirm that other members of Py235 are able to substitute for PY01365

Population Genetics of GYPB and Association Study between GYPB*S/s Polymorphism and Susceptibility to P. falciparum Infection in the Brazilian Amazon

Merozoites of Plasmodium falciparum invade through several pathways using different RBC receptors. Field isolates appear to use a greater variability of these receptors than laboratory isolates. Brazilian field isolates were shown to mostly utilize glycophorin A-independent invasion pathways via glycophorin B (GPB) and/or other receptors. The Brazilian population exhibits extensive polymorphism in blood group antigens, however, no studies have been done to relate the prevalence of the antigens that function as receptors for P. falciparum and the ability of the parasite to invade. Our study aimed to establish whether variation in the GYPB*S/s alleles influences susceptibility to infection with P. falciparum in the admixed population of Brazil.Two groups of Brazilian Amazonians from Porto Velho were studied: P. falciparum infected individuals (cases); and uninfected individuals who were born and/or have lived in the same endemic region for over ten years, were exposed to infection but have not had malaria over the study period (controls). The GPB Ss phenotype and GYPB*S/s alleles were determined by standard methods. Sixty two Ancestry Informative Markers were genotyped on each individual to estimate admixture and control its potential effect on the association between frequency of GYPB*S and malaria infection.GYPB*S is associated with host susceptibility to infection with P. falciparum; GYPB*S/GYPB*S and GYPB*S/GYPB*s were significantly more prevalent in the in the P. falciparum infected individuals than in the controls (69.87% vs. 49.75%; P<0.02). Moreover, population genetics tests applied on the GYPB exon sequencing data suggest that natural selection shaped the observed pattern of nucleotide diversity.Epidemiological and evolutionary approaches suggest an important role for the GPB receptor in RBC invasion by P. falciparum in Brazilian Amazons. Moreover, an increased susceptibility to infection by this parasite is associated with the GPB S+ variant in this population