Recent Developments in Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

The development of efficient point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools for detecting infectious diseases caused by destructive pathogens plays an important role in clinical and environmental monitoring. Nevertheless, evolving complex and inconsistent antibiotic-resistant species mire their drug efficacy. In this regard, substantial effort has been expended to develop electrochemical sensors, which have gained significant interest for advancing POC testing with rapid and accurate detection of resistant bacteria at a low cost compared to conventional phenotype methods. This review concentrates on the recent developments in electrochemical sensing techniques that have been applied to assess the diverse latent antibiotic resistances of pathogenic bacteria. It deliberates the prominence of biorecognition probes and tailor-made nanomaterials used in electrochemical antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). In addition, the bimodal functional efficacy of nanomaterials that can serve as potential transducer electrodes and the antimicrobial agent was investigated to meet the current requirements in designing sensor module development. In the final section, we discuss the challenges with contemporary AST sensor techniques and extend the key ideas to meet the demands of the next POC electrochemical sensors and antibiotic design modules in the healthcare sector

Win–Win Approach Toward Chrome-Free and Chrome-Less Tanning with Waterborne Epoxy Polymers: A Sustainable Way To Curb the Use of Chrome

Leather, a natural biomaterial sourced from animal skins and hides, is characterized by its intricate three-dimensional collagen fiber network. In this study, we present an innovative approach to stabilize goat skins using chrome-free and chrome-less tanning processes using epoxy polymers to comprehend surface active properties. Comprehensive structural and chemical analyses of the synthesized epoxy polymers were conducted employing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for molecular weight determination along with particle size analysis in a water emulsion (1–2%). The surface tension was carried out for the surface activity of the polymers. Epoxy tanning yielded leather with a notable shrinkage temperature (Ts) of 80 ± 2 °C, when combined with chrome tanning (3%), bringing Ts to 101 °C, similar to that of conventionally processed leather. The combined tanning achieved a significantly higher thickening rate of 108% and higher softness than chrome-tanned leathers. Comprehensive analyses of physical attributes, including tensile strength (26 N mm2), tear resistance (78 N mm), elongation (48%), and shrinkage temperatures, were conducted. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were employed to visualize the elemental composition and infer information on the splitting of collagen fibers. This approach of surface active tanning agent in leather processing technology results in improved leather properties with a reduced environmental footprint

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Not AvailableN6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a major RNA epigenetic regulatory mechanism. The dynamics of m6A levels in viral genomic RNA and their mRNAs have been shown to have either pro- or antiviral functions, and therefore, m6A modifications influence virus-host interactions. Currently, no reports are available on the effect of m6A modifications in the genome of Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). In the present study, we took PPRV as a model for nonsegmented negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses and elucidate the role of m6A modification on viral replication. We detected m6A-modified sites in the mRNA of the virus and host cells, as well as the PPRV RNA genome. Further, it was found that the level of m6A modification in host cells alters the viral gene expression. Knockdown of the METTL3 and FTO genes (encoding the m6A RNA modification writer and eraser proteins, respectively) results in alterations of the levels of m6A RNA modifications in the host cells. Experiments using these genetically modified clones of host cells infected with PPRV revealed that both higher and lower m6A RNA modification in the host cells negatively affect PPRV replication. We found that m6A-modified viral transcripts had better stability and translation efficiency compared to the unmodified mRNA. Altogether, from these data, we conclude that the m6A modification of RNA regulates PPRV replication. These findings contribute toward a way forward for developing novel antiviral strategies against PPRV by modulating the dynamics of host m6A RNA modificationDBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance (grant no. IA/E/17/1/503689 awarded to B.S.

Predicting stroke through genetic risk functions the CHARGE risk score project

Background and Purpose - Beyond the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, prediction of future stroke may improve with a genetic risk score (GRS) based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with stroke and its risk factors. Methods - The study includes 4 population-based cohorts with 2047 first incident strokes from 22 720 initially stroke-free European origin participants aged ≥55 years, who were followed for up to 20 years. GRSs were constructed with 324 single-nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in stroke and 9 risk factors. The association of the GRS to first incident stroke was tested using Cox regression; the GRS predictive properties were assessed with area under the curve statistics comparing the GRS with age and sex, Framingham Stroke Risk Score models, and reclassification statistics. These analyses were performed per cohort and in a meta-analysis of pooled data. Replication was sought in a case-control study of ischemic stroke. Results - In the meta-analysis, adding the GRS to the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, age and sex model resulted in a significant improvement in discrimination (all stroke: Δjoint area under the curve=0.016, P=2.3×10-6; ischemic stroke: Δjoint area under the curve=0.021, P=3.7×10-7), although the overall area under the curve remained low. In all the studies, there was a highly significantly improved net reclassification index (P<10-4). Conclusions - The single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with stroke and its risk factors result only in a small improvement in

Predicting stroke through genetic risk functions the CHARGE risk score project

Background and Purpose - Beyond the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, prediction of future stroke may improve with a genetic risk score (GRS) based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with stroke and its risk factors. Methods - The study includes 4 population-based cohorts with 2047 first incident strokes from 22 720 initially stroke-free European origin participants aged ≥55 years, who were followed for up to 20 years. GRSs were constructed with 324 single-nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in stroke and 9 risk factors. The association of the GRS to first incident stroke was tested using Cox regression; the GRS predictive properties were assessed with area under the curve statistics comparing the GRS with age and sex, Framingham Stroke Risk Score models, and reclassification statistics. These analyses were performed per cohort and in a meta-analysis of pooled data. Replication was sought in a case-control study of ischemic stroke. Results - In the meta-analysis, adding the GRS to the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, age and sex model resulted in a significant improvement in discrimination (all stroke: Δjoint area under the curve=0.016, P=2.3×10-6; ischemic stroke: Δjoint area under the curve=0.021, P=3.7×10-7), although the overall area under the curve remained low. In all the studies, there was a highly significantly improved net reclassification index (P<10-4). Conclusions - The single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with stroke and its risk factors result only in a small improvement in