Effect of Spacer and the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

The effect of spacers and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) formats on the functional parameters of assays such as lower detection limit, inhibitory concentration at 50 per cent (IC50), and specificity were studied. Enzyme conjugates having hydrophobic and hydrophilic spacers were prepared using O-isopropyl methylphosphonic acid (IMPA) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as an enzyme label. Comparison was made with reference to enzyme conjugate without any spacer. The present investigation revealed that the presence of a hydrophilic spacer in the enzyme conjugate significantly improves the sensitivity of assays. An enhanced IC50 value achieved was 0.01 μg mL−1 for free antigen detection by direct immunoassay using hydrophilic spacers and precoating of ELISA plates by secondary antibody. The use of a hydrophilic spacer might have helped in projecting the hapten in the aqueous phase, leading to enhanced antibody binding signal and improved sensitivity of the assay

Activated Carbon Fabric: An Adsorbent Material for Chemical Protective Clothing

Activated carbon fabric or fiber (ACF) is a novel carbonaceous material with exceptionally high adsorption rate and larger adsorption capacity, that has emerged as a rising star in the field of adsorbents. ACF has many advantages over other commercial porous storage materials such as granular activated carbon and powdered activated carbon in terms of adsorption capacity, well defined microporous structure, stability, flexibility and ease of lamination to various substrates. In the last few years, activated carbon fabrics have gained greater choice of interest for use as an adsorbent material in several fields including nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection suit. Viscose rayon, acetate, polyacrylonitrile, pitch, and phenolic based materials are mainly used as precursors for preparation of ACF. ACF or fibres are generally prepared by process comprising stabilisation, carbonisation and activation of precursors. Reviews recent advances and developments in the field of ACF and their utility as an adsorbent material in various fields including NBC scenario. ACF with unmatchable pore structure and surface characteristics at present, with continued innovations and attention to its key challenges, it is expected that ACF will play a pivotal role in diverse environmental, defence, and civil applications

Chemical Protection Studies of Activated Carbon Spheres based Permeable Protective Clothing Against Sulfur Mustard, a Chemical Warfare Agent

Technological advancements in the field of chemical threat have made it possible to create extremely dangerous chemical warfare agents (CWA). Hence, the effective protection of personnel is very important in a chemical warfare scenario amidst the current climate of terrorism awareness. In particular, body protection plays a substantial role in the chemical defence considering the urgency of situation in the nuclear, biological and chemical environment. Activated carbon spheres (ACS) based permeable chemical protective clothing (coverall) was developed for protection against CWA. The adsorbent material i.e, ACS used in this protective clothing provided higher adsorption capacity (1029 mg/g in terms of iodine) and low thermal burden (34 °C WBGT index) compared to earlier indigenously developed NBC suit. This article focuses on the extensive evaluation of chemical protective clothing against sulfur mustard (HD), a CWA. The results revealed that the developed protective clothing provided more than 24 h protection against HD. This chemical protective suit is light weight (< 2.75 kg for XL size). It also has higher air permeability (> 30 cm3/s/cm2) as well as less water vapour resistance (< 9.6 m2Pa/W). With continued innovations in materials and attention to key challenges it is expected that advanced, multifunction chemical protective suit will play a pivotal role in the CWA protection scenario

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Development of Immunochromatographic Assay for Identification of Organophosphate Pesticides in Environmental Samples

<p>Microtiter plate enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) experiments in competitive format were performed utilizing polyclonal antibody for establishing a detection system for organophosphate pesticides. IC₅₀ value of and limit of detection (LOD) value was determined by standard inhibition curve and value obtained were 0.05 μgmL⁻¹ and 0.001 μgmL⁻¹, respectively. Specificity of antibody was investigated with different organophosphate pesticides. Immunochromatographic assay (ICA) experiments were also designed in competitive format by making use of immunochromatographic strip which was assembly of three main components: conjugate pad, membrane and adsorbent pad. Membrane was coated with hapten-OVA conjugate (test line) and antirabbit IgG (control line). ICA experiments were performed by employing gold-labeled antibody as a detector reagent which was applied over conjugate pad. Visual detection limit obtained from ICA was 0.5 μgmL⁻¹. Major advantage of strip assay was rapid result, i.e., less than 10 min. which makes it suitable for onsite applications.</p

Synthesis of 4-Aryl substituted 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones using silica-chloride under solvent free conditions

Abstract: This paper describes an improved procedure for the efficient and facile synthesis of 4-aryl substituted 3, 4-dihydropyrimidinones under mild reaction conditions with excellent yields using inexpensive silica chloride under solvent free conditions

Synthesis and Antimalarial Evaluation of Cyclic β-Amino Acid-Containing Dipeptides

This paper describes an efficient synthesis and the antiparasitic evaluation ofcyclic β-amino acid-containing dipeptides 3.1-3.6 and 4.1-4.5. The antimalarial propertiesof all these dipeptides have been evaluated in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum and invivo against Plasmodium berghai. Compounds 4.4 and 4.5 have been found to be veryeffective in this respect, with IC50 values of 3.87 and 3.64 μg/mL in the in vitro test, while4.5 has also been found to be active in the in vivo evaluation

Design and synthesis of cyclic depsipeptides containing triazole (CDPT) rings

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Synthesis of 4-Aryl Substituted 3,4-Dihydropyrimidinones Using Silica-chloride Under Solvent Free Conditions

This paper describes an improved procedure for the efficient and facile synthesis of 4-aryl substituted 3, 4-dihydropyrimidinones under mild reaction conditions with excellent yields using inexpensive silica chloride under solvent free conditions