Reversible Full Adder Gate using Nano-technology

Volume 1 Issue 2 (April 2013

Biophysical Features of Bacillithiol, the Glutathione Surrogate of Bacillus subtilis and other Firmicutes

Bacillithiol (BSH) is the major low-molecular-weight (LMW) thiol in many low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria (Firmicutes). Evidence now emerging suggests that BSH functions as an important LMW thiol in redox regulation and xenobiotic detoxification, analogous to what is already known for glutathione and mycothiol in other microorganisms. The biophysical properties and cellular concentrations of such LMW thiols are important determinants of their biochemical efficiency both as biochemical nucleophiles and as redox buffers. Here, BSH has been characterised and compared with other LMW thiols in terms of its thiol pKa, redox potential and thiol–disulfide exchange reactivity. Both the thiol pKa and the standard thiol redox potential of BSH are shown to be significantly lower than those of glutathione whereas the reactivities of the two compounds in thiol–disulfide reactions are comparable. The cellular concentration of BSH in Bacillus subtilis varied over different growth phases and reached up to 5 mM, which is significantly greater than previously observed from single measurements taken during mid-exponential growth. These results demonstrate that the biophysical characteristics of BSH are distinctively different from those of GSH and that its cellular concentrations can reach levels much higher than previously reported

Prospective study of clinical and functional outcome of total knee replacement in osteoarthritic knee

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is now a reliable treatment for osteoarthritis.  The aim of this study was to study the clinical and functional outcome of total knee arthroplasty using knee society score and to find association between knee functional score and knee clinical score.Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis of 40 cases of osteoarthritis knee patients at a tertiary care centre in Mumbai over a period of two years.  Those patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were assessed clinically and functionally using knee society score.Results: The mean preoperative knee clinical score (KCS) was 49.40±13.79 which was increased to a postoperative score of 86.08±5.64 at the end of 6 month. Similarly the mean preoperative knee functional score (KFS) was 32.75±11.79 which was increased to a postoperative score of 84.43±9.59 at the end of 6 month. There was significant increase in KCS and KFC score during follow up at 1, 3 and 6 month interval. There was significant association between knee functional score and knee clinical score at every interval.Conclusions: Total knee arthroplasty improves the functional ability of the patient and the ability of the patient to get back to pre-disease state, which is to have a pain free mobile joint, as reflected by the improvement in the post-op knee clinical score and knee functional score

Upper-rim functionalised calix[4]arenes for chemoselective Au3+ detection

A unique, readily synthesised, upper-rim 1,3-difunctionalised calix[4]arene is reported; equipped with a fluorophore and an alkyne it mediates the efficient chemoselective detection of Au3+. Its ability to detect Au3+ is not perturbed by Au+ or excess competing and or contaminating metal e.g. platinum, cadmium, mercury, silver, sodium, magnesium or potassium cations

Evaluation of academic stress among medical students using graphology and machine learning algorithm in correlation with salivary cortisol

Background: Stress is a part of the academic life of graduates. Young adults are especially susceptible to academic stress based on their subjective commitment towards academic goals, and social pressure for superior academic performance. Recognizing academic stress is crucial for planning successful management, and to prevent mental illness. The aim of the study was to develop methods to identify stress using graphology, machine learning algorithm and salivary cortisol.Methods: The study included a mixed method research design and   enrolled 43 medical students (19 males and 24 females) between 18-23 years of age were taken in the present study. The Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) was used to ascertain distress among the study subjects.Results: Students written manuscript images were taken for artificial intelligence training and analysis. The written   manuscript was evaluated for positive and negative personality traits using graphology techniques. One of the negative traits identified by graphology, i.e.; dejection, it was used to train a machine learning tool to identify the negative trait of dejection.Conclusions: This study suggests that mental health professionals can train machine learning algorithms, using graphology tools, to function as a screening tool to determine stress levels. This may help to plan for management and recovery of stressed individuals and help them in future academic performance

An expedient, mild and aqueous method for Suzuki–Miyaura diversification of (hetero)aryl halides or (poly)chlorinated pharmaceuticals

The development of mild, aqueous conditions for the cross-coupling of highly functionalized (hetero)aryl chlorides or bromides is attractive, enabling their functionalization and diversification. Herein, we report a general method for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling at 37 °C in aqueous media in the presence of air. We demonstrate application of this general methodology for derivatisation of (poly)chlorinated, medicinally active compounds and halogenated amino acids. The approach holds the potential to be a useful tool for late-stage functionalization or analogue generation

Traditional knowledge for dairy animals in Una district of Himachal Pradesh

Traditional knowledge (TK), also known as indigenous knowledge (IK) or local knowledge (LK) generally refers to the matured long-standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous, or local communities. India stands at number 1 in milk production as dairy master across the world. However, due to large number of animal population, distant/remote location, shortage of veterinary staff, some time, veterinary aids are not available to the farmers. In such instances, it is the traditional knowledge of the people which guides them to mitigate the sufferings of the animals. In this article, some of the ITKs are described based on oral communication with the people

Physiological Studies of Chlorobiaceae Suggest that Bacillithiol Derivatives Are the Most Widespread Thiols in Bacteria

Low-molecular-weight (LMW) thiols mediate redox homeostasis and the detoxification of chemical stressors. Despite their essential functions, the distribution of LMW thiols across cellular life has not yet been defined. LMW thiols are also thought to play a central role in sulfur oxidation pathways in phototrophic bacteria, including the Chlorobiaceae. Here we show that Chlorobaculum tepidum synthesizes a novel LMW thiol with a mass of 412 ± 1 Da corresponding to a molecular formula of C14H24N2O10S, which suggests that the new LMW thiol is closely related to bacillithiol (BSH), the major LMW thiol of low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria. The Cba. tepidum LMW thiol structure was N-methyl-bacillithiol (N-Me-BSH), methylated on the cysteine nitrogen, the fourth instance of this modification in metabolism. Orthologs of bacillithiol biosynthetic genes in the Cba. tepidum genome and the CT1040 gene product, N-Me-BSH synthase, were required for N-Me-BSH synthesis. N-Me-BSH was found in all Chlorobiaceae examined as well as Polaribacter sp. strain MED152, a member of the Bacteroidetes. A comparative genomic analysis indicated that BSH/N-Me-BSH is synthesized not only by members of the Chlorobiaceae, Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus, and Firmicutes but also by Acidobacteria, Chlamydiae, Gemmatimonadetes, and Proteobacteria. Thus, BSH and derivatives appear to be the most broadly distributed LMW thiols in biology

Heck diversification of indole‐based substrates under aqueous conditions : from indoles to unprotected halo‐tryptophans and halo‐tryptophans in natural product derivatives

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013/ERC grant agreement no 614779 GenoChemetics (to R.J.M.G). P. C. is supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program through the SponGES project (grant agreement No. 679849). C.P-U. was supported by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship C-XAq.The blending of synthetic chemistry with biosynthetic processes provides a powerful approach to synthesis. Biosynthetic halogenation and synthetic cross‐coupling have great potential to be used together, for small molecule generation, access to natural product analogues and as a tool for chemical biology. However, to enable enhanced generality of this approach, further synthetic tools are needed. Though considerable research has been invested in the diversification of phenylalanine and tyrosine, functionalisation of tryptophans thorough cross‐coupling has been largely neglected. Tryptophan is a key residue in many biologically active natural products and peptides; in proteins it is key to fluorescence and dominates protein folding. To this end, we have explored the Heck cross‐coupling of halo‐indoles and halo‐tryptophans in water, showing broad reaction scope. We have demonstrated the ability to use this methodology in the functionalisation of a brominated antibiotic (bromo‐pacidamycin), as well as a marine sponge metabolite, barettin.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe