Effect of Fe Doping on Photocatalytic Dye-Degradation and Antibacterial Activity of SnO2 Nanoparticles

A simple hydrothermal method is utilized to synthesize iron-doped tin oxide nanoparticles (Fe-SnO2 NPs) at various doping concentrations. The structural characterization using XRD, Raman, and FTIR measurements confirmed the incorporation of Fe ions into the SnO2 lattice without any deviation in the tetragonal crystal system of SnO2 nanoparticles. SEM and HRTEM images show the spherical-shaped nanoparticles with agglomeration. The values of interplanar spacing ( d -value) calculated from the HRTEM lattice are consistent with the XRD results. Further, optical analysis revealed a red shift in the optical absorption band and a decrease in the band gap energy with an increase in Fe-dopant concentration. The decrease of PL emission peak intensity with Fe doping revealed the generation of singly charged oxygen vacancies. The H2O2-assisted photocatalytic degradation efficiency of Fe-SnO2 NPs investigated against crystal violet dye indicated an efficiency of 98% for 0.05 M Fe-SnO2 NPs within 30 minutes under visible light illumination. In addition, the effects of pH, scavengers, and reusability of the catalyst are tested. The antibacterial behavior of Fe-SnO2 NPs against Escherichia coli is examined by using the colony count method, and the inhibition rate was found to be 49, 65, 70, and 78% for pure, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05 M Fe-SnO2 NPs, respectively

Expansion of HIV Laboratory Diagnostic Services in Chennai, India 2001–2006: Is the Growth Commensurate with the Need?

Objective: To describe the changes in HIV services provided and the patient population utilizing voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at private testing laboratories in Chennai, India in 2001 and 2006. Methods: In 2001, a cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted to assess the services provided and client population of 1,031 private laboratories. A subset of labs (9%) that had been surveyed in 2001 were also studied in 2006. Results: In 2001, significantly more high volume labs (.10 HIV tests per month) offered HIV diagnostic tests than low volume labs (,10 HIV test per month) (p,0.001). More high volume labs (20.0%) provided pre-test counseling as part of HIV testing than low volume labs (11.1%) (p = 0.003). Between 2001 and 2006, the number of labs that provided HIV diagnostic tests significantly increased, including ELISA (87.8 % vs. 40.0%), Western Blot (84.4 % vs. 13.3%), and Tridot (98.9 % vs. 72.2%) (p,0.001). Also the number of labs that reported greater than 10 women seeking HIV testing per month significantly increased from 14.5 % to 79.0 % (p = 0.006). More labs provided pre-test counseling in 2006 (34.4%) than in 2001 (21.1%) (p = 0.046). Conclusions: Though HIV diagnostic testing services have increasingly become available, counseling services have not expanded commensurately. Further outreach and education is necessary to expand comprehensive HIV VCT services in bot

Establishment of reference CD4+ T cell values for adult Indian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD4+ T lymphocyte counts are the most important indicator of disease progression and success of antiretroviral treatment in HIV infection in resource limited settings. The nationwide reference range of CD4+ T lymphocytes was not available in India. This study was conducted to determine reference values of absolute CD4+ T cell counts and percentages for adult Indian population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A multicentric study was conducted involving eight sites across the country. A total of 1206 (approximately 150 per/centre) healthy participants were enrolled in the study. The ratio of male (N = 645) to female (N = 561) of 1.14:1. The healthy status of the participants was assessed by a pre-decided questionnaire. At all centers the CD4+ T cell count, percentages and absolute CD3+ T cell count and percentages were estimated using a single platform strategy and lyse no wash technique. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Scientist (SPSS), version 15) and Prism software version 5.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The absolute CD4+ T cell counts and percentages in female participants were significantly higher than the values obtained in male participants indicating the true difference in the CD4+ T cell subsets. The reference range for absolute CD4 count for Indian male population was 381-1565 cells/μL and for female population was 447-1846 cells/μL. The reference range for CD4% was 25-49% for male and 27-54% for female population. The reference values for CD3 counts were 776-2785 cells/μL for Indian male population and 826-2997 cells/μL for female population.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study used stringent procedures for controlling the technical variation in the CD4 counts across the sites and thus could establish the robust national reference ranges for CD4 counts and percentages. These ranges will be helpful in staging the disease progression and monitoring antiretroviral therapy in HIV infection in India.</p

Predicting resistance as indicator for need to switch from first-line antiretroviral therapy among patients with elevated viral loads: development of a risk score algorithm

Abstract Background In resource-limited settings, where resistance testing is unavailable, confirmatory testing for patients with high viral loads (VL) delays antiretroviral therapy (ART) switches for persons with resistance. We developed a risk score algorithm to predict need for ART change by identifying resistance among persons with persistently elevated VL. Methods We analyzed data from a Phase IV open-label trial. Using logistic regression, we identified demographic and clinical characteristics predictive of need for ART change among participants with VLs ≥1000 copies/ml, and assigned model-derived scores to predictors. We designed three models, including only variables accessible in resource-limited settings. Results Among 290 participants with at least one VL ≥1000 copies/ml, 51 % (148/290) resuppressed and did not have resistance testing; among those who did not resuppress and had resistance testing, 47 % (67/142) did not have resistance and 53 % (75/142) had resistance (ART change needed for 25.9 % (75/290)). Need for ART change was directly associated with higher baseline VL and higher VL at time of elevated measure, and inversely associated with treatment duration. Other predictors included body mass index and adherence. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves ranged from 0.794 to 0.817. At a risk score ≥9, sensitivity was 14.7–28.0 % and specificity was 96.7–98.6 %. Conclusions Our model performed reasonably well and may be a tool to quickly transition persons in need of ART change to more effective regimens when resistance testing is unavailable. Use of this algorithm may result in public health benefits and health system savings through reduced transmissions of resistant virus and costs on laboratory investigations

Exposure to Sublethal Doses of Fipronil and Thiacloprid Highly Increases Mortality of Honeybees Previously Infected by Nosema ceranae

International audienceBACKGROUND: The honeybee, Apis mellifera, is undergoing a worldwide decline whose origin is still in debate. Studies performed for twenty years suggest that this decline may involve both infectious diseases and exposure to pesticides. Joint action of pathogens and chemicals are known to threaten several organisms but the combined effects of these stressors were poorly investigated in honeybees. Our study was designed to explore the effect of Nosema ceranae infection on honeybee sensitivity to sublethal doses of the insecticides fipronil and thiacloprid. METHODOLOGY/FINDING: Five days after their emergence, honeybees were divided in 6 experimental groups: (i) uninfected controls, (ii) infected with N. ceranae, (iii) uninfected and exposed to fipronil, (iv) uninfected and exposed to thiacloprid, (v) infected with N. ceranae and exposed 10 days post-infection (p.i.) to fipronil, and (vi) infected with N. ceranae and exposed 10 days p.i. to thiacloprid. Honeybee mortality and insecticide consumption were analyzed daily and the intestinal spore content was evaluated 20 days after infection. A significant increase in honeybee mortality was observed when N. ceranae-infected honeybees were exposed to sublethal doses of insecticides. Surprisingly, exposures to fipronil and thiacloprid had opposite effects on microsporidian spore production. Analysis of the honeybee detoxification system 10 days p.i. showed that N. ceranae infection induced an increase in glutathione-S-transferase activity in midgut and fat body but not in 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase activity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: After exposure to sublethal doses of fipronil or thiacloprid a higher mortality was observed in N. ceranae-infected honeybees than in uninfected ones. The synergistic effect of N. ceranae and insecticide on honeybee mortality, however, did not appear strongly linked to a decrease of the insect detoxification system. These data support the hypothesis that the combination of the increasing prevalence of N. ceranae with high pesticide content in beehives may contribute to colony depopulation

HIV-1 drug resistance among untreated patients in India: Current status

HAART has dramatically improved survival and quality of life among people living with HIV and AIDS globally.<b> </b> However, drug resistant mutations of HIV are a great challenge to the benefits of HAART. Antiviral resistance can be mediated either by changes in the molecular target of therapy (the primary mechanism observed in HIV-1) or in other viral proteins that indirectly interfere with a drug&#x2032;s activity. Drug resistant mutations easily evolve in the presence of sub-optimal adherence. With the introduction of generic HAART, there has been a steep increase in the number of patients put on HAART in India. It should also be noted that since most patients pay for medications out of their own pockets, interruptions in therapy due to monetary constraints are not uncommon. There is little information on HIV drug resistance in resource constrained settings like India where the predominant circulating HIV-1 sub-type is C. The transmissibility of drug-resistant forms of the virus is also a major concern especially when formulating treatment guidelines. This article reviews published data available on the patterns of HIV-1 drug resistance among treatment na&#x0026;#959;ve in India

Bypassing reproductive barriers in hybrid seeds using chemically induced epimutagenesis

The triploid block, which prevents interploidy hybridizations in flowering plants, is characterized by a failure in endosperm development, arrest in embryogenesis, and seed collapse. Many genetic components of triploid seed lethality have been successfully identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, most notably the paternally expressed imprinted genes (PEGs), which are up-regulated in tetraploid endosperm with paternal excess. Previous studies have shown that the paternal epigenome is a key determinant of the triploid block response, as the loss of DNA methylation in diploid pollen suppresses the triploid block almost completely. Here, we demonstrate that triploid seed collapse is bypassed in Arabidopsis plants treated with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Azacytidine during seed germination and early growth. We identified strong suppressor lines showing stable transgenerational inheritance of hypomethylation in the CG context, as well as normalized expression of PEGs in triploid seeds. Importantly, differentially methylated loci segregate in the progeny of "epimutagenized" plants, which may allow epialleles involved in the triploid block response to be identified in future studies. Finally, we demonstrate that chemically induced epimutagenesis facilitates hybridization between different Capsella species, thus potentially emerging as a strategy for producing triploids and interspecific hybrids with high agronomic interest

Symposium- HIV-1 drug resistance among untreated patients in India: Current status

HAART has dramatically improved survival and quality of life among people living with HIV and AIDS globally. However, drug resistant mutations of HIV are a great challenge to the benefits of HAART. Antiviral resistance can be mediated either by changes in the molecular target of therapy (the primary mechanism observed in HIV-1) or in other viral proteins that indirectly interfere with a drug\u2032s activity. Drug resistant mutations easily evolve in the presence of sub-optimal adherence. With the introduction of generic HAART, there has been a steep increase in the number of patients put on HAART in India. It should also be noted that since most patients pay for medications out of their own pockets, interruptions in therapy due to monetary constraints are not uncommon. There is little information on HIV drug resistance in resource constrained settings like India where the predominant circulating HIV-1 sub-type is C. The transmissibility of drug-resistant forms of the virus is also a major concern especially when formulating treatment guidelines. This article reviews published data available on the patterns of HIV-1 drug resistance among treatment na\uefve in India

Plant polymerase IV sensitizes chromatin through histone modifications to preclude spread of silencing into protein-coding domains

Across eukaryotes, gene regulation is manifested via chromatin states roughly distinguished as heterochromatin and euchromatin. The establishment, maintenance, and modulation of the chromatin states is mediated using several factors including chromatin modifiers. However, factors that avoid the intrusion of silencing signals into protein-coding genes are poorly understood. Here we show that a plant specific paralog of RNA polymerase (Pol) II, named Pol IV, is involved in avoidance of facultative heterochromatic marks in protein-coding genes, in addition to its well-established functions in silencing repeats and transposons. In its absence, H3K27 trimethylation (me3) mark intruded the protein-coding genes, more profoundly in genes embedded with repeats. In a subset of genes, spurious transcriptional activity resulted in small(s) RNA production, leading to post-transcriptional gene silencing. We show that such effects are significantly pronounced in rice, a plant with a larger genome with distributed heterochromatin compared with Arabidopsis. Our results indicate the division of labor among plant-specific polymerases, not just in establishing effective silencing via sRNAs and DNA methylation but also in influencing chromatin boundaries. © 2023 Hari Sundar G et al.Open access articleThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]