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Guest Editoria

Valvular heart disease after scorpion sting in a child - A case report

Myocarditis is a life-threatening complication of scorpion sting envenomation, and the victims who survive after this injury have normal cardiac function without any residual valvular lesion unlike acute rheumatic fever which causes residual valvular disease by thickening and scarring. We report here a case of a 9-year-old girl who was detected to have valvular heart disease, 2 months after she had scorpion sting envenomation

ABC multidrug transporter Cdr1p of Candida albicans has divergent nucleotide-binding domains which display functional asymmetry

In order to ascertain the molecular basis of ATP-mediated drug extrusion by Cdr1p, a multidrug transporter of Candida albicans, we recently have reported that the Walker A motif of the N-terminal nucleotide biding domain (NBD) of this protein contains an uncommon cysteine residue (C193; GXXGXGC̲S/T) which is indispensable for ATP hydrolysis. This residue is exceptionally conserved in N-terminal NBDs of fungal ABC transporters and hence makes these transporters an evolutionarily divergent group. However, the presence of a conventional lysine residue at a similar position in the Walker A motif of the C-terminal NBD warrants the individual contribution of both the NBDs in the ATP-driven efflux function of such transporters. In this study we have investigated the contribution of this divergent Walker A motif in the context of the full Cdr1p protein under in vivo conditions by swapping these two crucial amino acids (C193K in Walker A motif of N-terminal NBD and K901C in Walker A motif of C-terminal NBD) between the two NBDs. Both the native and the mutant variants of Cdr1p were integrated at the PDR5 locus as GFP-tagged fusion proteins and were hyper-expressed. Our study shows that both C193K- and K901C-expressing cells elicit a severe impairment of Cdr1p's ATPase function. However, both these mutations have distinct phenotypes with respect to other functional parameters such as substrate efflux and drug resistance profiles. In contrast to C193K, K901C mutant cells were substantially hypersensitive to the tested drugs (fluconazole, ansiomycin, miconazole and cycloheximide) and were unable to expel rhodamine 6G. Our results for the first time show that both NBDs influence the Cdr1p function asymmetrically, and that the positioning of the cysteine and lysine residues within the respective Walker A motifs is functionally not interchangeable

Preparation of NiO-graphene oxide nanosensor for adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of dinoterbon in food samples

Graphene oxide (GO) modified NiO electrochemical nanosensor was developed for the determination of the dinoterbon in food samples using adsorptive stripping voltammetry. The modified nanosensor characterized by TEM, XRD, cyclic and adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Dinoterbon pesticide exhibited a single well-defined cathodic peak at pH 4.0 at Britton–Robinson buffer (-810.0 mV). The voltammetric characterization of the pesti-cide residues is evaluated and the parameter such as the effect of pH, scan rate, pulse amplitude, deposition potential and deposition time were optimized. The current–concen-tration plot obtained using this peak was straight-lined over the range from 0.05 to 40.00 μg mL-1 with limit of detection (LOD) 0.028 μg mL-1. The proposed method was efficiently applied to the determination of dinoterbon in food samples. The mean recoveries of the pesticide 97.40 to 99.88 % with a relative standard deviation of 0.114 % in food samples respectively

Evidence of a Sub-Saturn around EPIC~211945201

We report here strong evidence for a sub-Saturn around EPIC~211945201 and confirm its planetary nature. EPIC~211945201b was found to be a planetary candidate from {\it K2} photometry in Campaigns 5 \& 16, transiting a bright star ($V_{\rm mag}=10.15$, G0 spectral type) in a 19.492 day orbit. However, the photometric data combined with false positive probability calculations using VESPA was not sufficient to confirm the planetary scenario. Here we present high-resolution spectroscopic follow-up of the target using the PARAS spectrograph (19 radial velocity observations) over a time-baseline of 420 days. We conclusively rule out the possibility of an eclipsing binary system and confirm the 2-$\sigma$ detection of a sub-Saturn planet. The confirmed planet has a radius of 6.12$\pm0.1$$~R_{\oplus}$, and a mass of $27_{-12.6}^{+14}$~$M_{\oplus}$. We also place an upper limit on the mass (within the 3-$\sigma$ confidence interval) at 42~$M_{\oplus}$ above the nominal value. This results in the Saturn-like density of $0.65_{-0.30}^{+0.34}$ g~cm$^{-3}$. Based on the mass and radius, we provide a preliminary model-dependent estimate that the heavy element content is 60-70 \% of the total mass. This detection is important as it adds to a sparse catalog of confirmed exoplanets with masses between 10-70 $M_{\oplus}$ and radii between 4-8 $R_{\oplus}$, whose masses and radii are measured to a precision of 50\% or better (only 23 including this work).Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal, 17 pages, 8 figure

Development of synbiotic weaning food supplemented with spirulina grown under precise/mild stress conditions

For alleviating child malnutrition, functional food from natural resources such as microalgae predominantly cyanobacteria came into existence as consumers today are more health conscious. No work of technological or scientific significance has been reported on standardized method for development of pearl millet weaning food supplemented with Spirulina maxima. Therefore, feasibility trials were done on the basis of sensory attributes analysis. Spirulina powder grown in optimized laboratory conditions was screened for its phytochemical constituents. The standardized product consisted of one part of pearl millet grounded for 5 min cooked with eight parts of water, 5% salt and 0.8% of cumin powder. Cooked weaning food mixed with 1% curd culture, 1.5% Spirulina powder and incubated for 12 h (fermentation). Standardized product consisting of this formulation scored 8.13, 7.93, 7.88, 7.94, 7.30, 8.14 for colour and appearance, flavour, consistency, mouthfeel, acidity and overall acceptability, respectively on 9 points hedonic scale

Clinical profile of Neurosurgical Patients Admitted into the Intensive Care Unit of Rural Tertiary Care Center

Background:Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a special department of a tertiary hospital for patients with the most severe and life‐threatening conditions which will often require constant and close intensive monitoring, support from specialist equipment and medications in order to maintain normal physiological functions. Teaching Hospital of Karnali Academy of Health Science (KAHS) is the largest tertiary institution in the mid-western region of Nepal providing specialist care. This study will provide information about the clinical profile  and outcome of the neurosurgical patient admitted in our ICU. Methods:This is a hospital based secondary data analysis carried out in the teaching hospital of KAHS, Jumla, Nepal. This study was conductedbetween March 2019 to June 2020. Data were retrieved from ICU record book and which had included demographic characteristics, diagnosis on admission, reason for admission, duration of admission, medical/surgical specialty requesting admission, nature of interventions, and outcome of patients admitted. Results:A total of 31 patients were admitted into the ICU, there were 74.2%(n=23) males and 25.8%(n=8) females giving a male to female ratio of 3:1.  The ages ranged from 3 month to 70 years . The age group of 15−59 years accounted for highest 51.6% (n=16) of all the ICU admissions. Among all cases, highest 64.5%(n=20) cases were presented from Juma. Out of the 31  admissions  77.4% (n=24) was due to head injury ,while other neurosurgical cases (Stroke, spinal cord injury) accounted 22.6%(n=7). Further dividing head injuries, highest 38.7% (n=12) is due to severe head injury, 22.6% (n=7) moderate head injury and 16.1% (n=5) were mild head injury.  Conclusion:Head injuries are the  highest number of neurosurgical admissions into the ICU with  relatively high mortality. Developing a viable trauma team and well equipped neurosurgical ICU with adequately trained staff will help to improve the outcome of patients.  

Monitoring of nickel(II) in biological samples using 4-(2-hydroxy-phenylethamino)benzene-1,3-diol by extractive differential pulse polarography

A novel analytical reagent, 4-(2-hydroxyphenylethamino)benzene-1,3-diol was synthesized for determination of nickel(II) in biological samples and plant materials by extractive differential pulse polarography. The analysis of nickel(II) was carried out by extracting the nickel(II)-(4-(2-hydroxyphenylethamino)benzene-1,3-diol) complex from chloroform prior to injecting into the instrument. The electrochemical behavior of nickel(II) complex was studied under optimum parameters like effect of pH, pulse amplitude, scan rate and choice of solvent. The calibration curve was constructed in the concentration range of 0.05-42 μg mL-1 at pH 4.0 (acetate buffer) with a correlation coefficient of 0.992, respectively. Interference of diverse ions was also investigated during the analysis of nickel(II) to optimize the conditions. The accuracy and validity of the proposed method were checked by the analysis of Certified Reference Materials which is distributed by the National Institute of Standard Technology