A comparative study on synthesis of some novel α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives and their antioxidant potential

Free radicals are constantly formed in human system either as accidental products during metabolism or deliberately during the process of phagocytosis or due to environmental pollutants, ionizing radiations, ozone, heavy metal poisoning, etc. It is found from literature survey that chalcones (α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives) exhibit great antioxidant activity. Hence, the synthesis of some new chalcone derivatives was undertaken and were synthesized by two methods namely, conventional and microwave irradiation methods. The synthesized chalcone derivatives were tested for their in vitro antioxidant activity by using NBT-superoxide free-radical scavenging activity and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The potency of the chalcone derivatives was estimated by IC50 values and they have shown promising antioxidant activity. Among all the chalcones synthesized, derivative 3e showed maximum superoxide inhibition as per NBT method and all the derivatives have shown different percentage inhibitions at different concentrations as per  DPPH method. The compounds were characterized by 1H NMR and IR spectral analysis

Multidrug Resistant Bacteria Causing Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infection in Neurology/ Neurosurgical Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Nosocomial infections with the multidrug resistant microorganisms remain the major concern in the hospitalized patients. Due to the underlying illness, trauma, various neurosurgeries, patients admitted to neurology/ neurosurgery units become more vulnerable to acquire device associated infections during their hospital stay. Objectives: To study the spectrum of uropathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among patients admitted to the neurology/neurosurgery unit. Material and methods: A prospective study was conducted in the bacteriology laboratory, Department of Microbiology over a period of 4 months. Urine samples from the patients admitted to neurology and neurosurgical unit (ward and ICU) were processed and identified as per the standard protocol. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using Kirby- Bauer method as per CLSI 2014 guideline. Results: Majority of the urinary isolates belonged to Enterobacteriaceae family in both ward and ICU patients. Among these, 91 out of 106 (86%) isolates in the ward and 43 out of 51 (84%) isolates in ICU were found to be multi drug resistant. Nitrofurantoin was observed to be resistant in more than 75% of both ward and ICU isolates. Conclusion: Majority of nosocomial uropathogens were found to be multidrug resistant. This study emphasizes the emergence of MDR isolates and nitrofurantoin resistance among the nosocomial uropathogens

Assessing village-level carbon balance due to greenhouse gas mitigation interventions using EX-ACT model

Under National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project, a range of climate smart agricultural practices were evaluated with on-farm demonstrations during 2011–2013 in eight climatically vulnerable villages of Andhra Pradesh, India. Proven climate smart practices viz residue recycling, soil, water and nutrient management, afforestation and feeding + breeding practices in livestock were implemented in annual and perennial crops, irrigated rice, horticulture, fodder, forestry and livestock. An EX-ante carbon-balance tool (EX-ACT) developed by the FAO was used with a combination of various climate smart interventions to know the mitigation potentials in eight climatically vulnerable villages of Andhra Pradesh, India. Based on our observations, EX-ACT model had shown that these practices were effective to mitigate CO2 emissions apart from enhancing soil productivity. In Nacharam, Yagantipalli, Sirusuwada and Matsyapuri villages, climate smart practices implemented in annual crops along with crop residue recycling, crop and water management practices resulted in negative carbon (C) balance by −16,410, −8851, −7271 and −6125 t CO2 e, respectively. The EX-ACT model predicted positive carbon balance with irrigated module in the rice-growing villages of Sirusuwada and Matsyapuri villages. The negative values suggest a sink, and positive values a source for CO2 emissions. In Chamaluru village, although there were CO2 emissions (source) due to livestock and non-forest and land use changes, there was a carbon sink due to other activities as predicted by the model. The results suggested that various climatic smart practices at the village level were successful in creating net sink of CO2 emissions (t CO2 e)

Effect of molybdenum trioxide nanoparticle-mediated seed priming on the productivity of green gram (Vigna radiata L.)

A field experiment was undertaken in the post-Rabi season of 2019-2020 to reveal the response of greengram (Vigna radiata L.) to seed dressing and seed priming with nano molybdenum trioxide (MoO3). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) consisting of 10 different treatments i.e., M0 (no seed treatment with Mo); M1 (seed dressing with Sodium molybdate @ 400 ppm); M2, M3, M4, and M5 (seed dressing with nano Molybdenum trioxide-MoO3 @ 50, 100, 200 and 400 ppm, respectively); and M6, M7, M8 and M9 (seed priming with nano MoO3 @ 50, 100, 200 and 400 ppm, respectively). Inoculation of greengram seeds cv. Shreya (IPM 2-14) with Rhizobium sps. was undertaken in all treatments as per the recommended practice, except in M0 (control). The MoO3 nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized from Ammonium molybdate through calcination at 600 0C for 5 hours indicated globular-shaped NPs of 68.55 nm in TEM and XRD. Nanopriming with MoO3 @ 200 ppm (M8) was most promising in recording significantly superior growth and yield attributing parameters and yield, whereas Mo (control) produced the least. Crop height, number of branches, root length, shoot dry matter, pods/plant and seeds/plant and root nodulation at harvest in M8 were 39.4% and 22.6%; 39% and 5.6%; 23% and 9.3%; 43.9%, and 16.3%; 28.2% and 5.3%; 28.1% and 0.8%, and 73.3% and 36.5% higher than M0 (control) and M1 (farmers’ practice), respectively. Superior growth and yield attributing characters in M8 treatment produced the highest grain and stover yield of 0.88 and 3.74 t/ ha that was 32.53% and 8.37%, and 35.5% and 14.7% higher than M0 (control) and M1 (farmers’ practice), respectively. Seed priming with nano MoO3 @ 400 ppm (M9) and seed dressing with nano MoO3 @ 400 ppm (M5) were of second and third order in recording grain and stover yield but M0 recorded the lowest among all the treatments

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

Dynamics of Hot QCD Matter -- Current Status and Developments

The discovery and characterization of hot and dense QCD matter, known as Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), remains the most international collaborative effort and synergy between theorists and experimentalists in modern nuclear physics to date. The experimentalists around the world not only collect an unprecedented amount of data in heavy-ion collisions, at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in New York, USA, and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland but also analyze these data to unravel the mystery of this new phase of matter that filled a few microseconds old universe, just after the Big Bang. In the meantime, advancements in theoretical works and computing capability extend our wisdom about the hot-dense QCD matter and its dynamics through mathematical equations. The exchange of ideas between experimentalists and theoreticians is crucial for the progress of our knowledge. The motivation of this first conference named "HOT QCD Matter 2022" is to bring the community together to have a discourse on this topic. In this article, there are 36 sections discussing various topics in the field of relativistic heavy-ion collisions and related phenomena that cover a snapshot of the current experimental observations and theoretical progress. This article begins with the theoretical overview of relativistic spin-hydrodynamics in the presence of the external magnetic field, followed by the Lattice QCD results on heavy quarks in QGP, and finally, it ends with an overview of experiment results.Comment: Compilation of the contributions (148 pages) as presented in the `Hot QCD Matter 2022 conference', held from May 12 to 14, 2022, jointly organized by IIT Goa & Goa University, Goa, Indi

Antixenosis and antibiosis mechanisms of resistance to pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera in wild relatives of chickpea, Cicer arietinum

The noctuid pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera is one of the most damaging pests of chickpea, Cicer arietinum. The levels of resistance to H. armigera in the cultivated chickpea are low to moderate, but the wild relatives of chickpea have exhibited high levels of resistance to this pest. To develop insect-resistant cultivars with durable resistance, it is important to understand the contribution of different components of resistance, and therefore, we studied antixenosis and antibiosis mechanisms of resistance to H. armigera in a diverse array of wild relatives of chickpea. The genotypes IG 70012, PI 599046, IG 70022, PI 599066, IG 70006, IG 70018 (C. bijugum), ICC 506EB, ICCL 86111 (cultivated chickpea), IG 72933, IG 72953 (C. reticulatum), IG 69979 (C. cuneatum) and IG 599076 (C. chrossanicum) exhibited non preference for oviposition by the females of H. armigera under multi-choice, dual-choice and no-choice cage conditions. Based on detached leaf assay, the genotypes IG 70012, IG 70022, IG 70018, IG 70006, PI 599046, PI 599066 (C. bijugum), IG 69979 (C. cuneatum), PI 568217, PI 599077 (C. judaicum) and ICCW 17148 (C. microphyllum) suffered significantly lower leaf damage, and lower larval weights indicating high levels of antibiosis than on the cultivated chickpea. Glandular and non-glandular trichomes showed negative correlation with oviposition, while the glandular trichomes showed a significant and negative correlation with leaf damage rating. Density of non-glandular trichomes was negatively correlated with larval survival. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints of leaf surface exudates showed a negative correlation of oxalic acid with oviposition, but positive correlation with malic acid. Both oxalic acid and malic acid showed a significant negative correlation with larval survival. The wild relatives exhibiting low preference for oviposition and high levels of antibiosis can be used as sources of resistance to increase the levels and diversify the basis of resistance to H. armigera in cultivated chickpea