Unraveling the Novel Bacterial Assisted Biodegradation Pathway of Morpholine

Most xenobiotics are biodegradable, persistent or recalcitrant in nature. Morpholine, a typical xenobiotic, was initially regarded as recalcitrant, however, later proved to be biodegradable by bacterial species like Mycobacterium and Pseudomonas in particular. However, establishing the metabolic pathways involved for the successful biodegradation of morpholine is challenging because of its extreme level of water solubility that affects various analytical procedures. In addition, to date, no suitable analytical methods have been reported to directly estimate the activity of morpholine and its degradable products or intermediates. Nevertheless, methods, especially optical density, gas chromatography and mass spectrophotometric analysis, could indirectly estimate the degradation product(s) of morpholine formed as a result of its biotransformation. In this present study, the degradation pathway of morpholine was scertained by selected bacterial isolates by measuring their capacity to degrade morpholine. Based on this analysis of culture filtrates, it was determined that the novel isolate is the genus Halobacillus blutaparonensis which utilizes the diglycolic acid route from the metabolic degradation pathway of morpholine to induce one of two branches of the morpholine biodegradation pathway in the presence of morpholine while the other branch is inhibited. Whatever the branches with regard to the degradation pathway of morpholine exhibited by bacteria are, ammonia is the final end product of degradation which might be biochemically utilized by the isolate

Reduced ovarian reserve relates to monocyte activation and subclinical coronary atherosclerotic plaque in women with HIV

Objective: To investigate differences in subclinical coronary atherosclerotic plaque and markers of immune activation among HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected women categorized by degree of ovarian reserve and menopause status. Design: Cross-sectional evaluation. Methods: Seventy-four women (49 HIV-infected, 25 non-HIV-infected) without known cardiovascular disease (CVD) were classified as premenopausal, premenopausal with reduced ovarian reserve, or postmenopausal based on menstrual history and anti-Mü llerian hormone (AMH) levels. Participants underwent contrast-enhanced coronary computed tomography angiography and immune phenotyping. Comparisons in coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden and immune markers were made between the HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected women overall and within the HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected women by reproductive classification group. Results: Among the overall group of HIV-infected women, the women with reduced ovarian reserve (undetectable AMH) had a higher prevalence of coronary atherosclerotic plaque (52 versus 6%, P ¼ 0.0007) and noncalcified plaque (48 versus 6%, P ¼ 0.002), as well as higher levels of log sCD163 (P ¼ 0.0004) and log MCP-1 (P ¼ 0.006), compared with the premenopausal women with measurable AMH. Furthermore, reduced ovarian reserve in the HIV-infected group related to noncalcified plaque, controlling for traditional CVD risk factors (P ¼ 0.04) and sCD163 (P ¼ 0.03). Conclusion: HIV-infected women with reduced ovarian reserve have increased subclinical coronary atherosclerotic plaque compared with premenopausal women in whom AMH is measurable. This relationship holds when controlling for CVD risk factors (including age) and immune activation. Our findings demonstrate that reduced ovarian reserve may contribute to CVD burden in HIV-infected women and support a comprehensive assessment of CVD risk prior to completion of menopause in this population

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Electrochemical performance of SnO–V2O5–SiO2 glass anode for Na-ion batteries

Abstract SnO–V2O5–SiO2 glass anode sample prepared by simple a mechanical milling technique. The amorphous nature of sample identified using with XRD technique. This glass anode has an initial charge capacity of 560 mAhg−1 and discharge capacity of 483 mAhg−1. After 20 charge–discharge cycles, charge and discharge capacities achieved to be 389 and 379 mAhg−1 at 0.1C, respectively. The loss in discharge capacity is up to ~ 45.22% even at high rate 5C

Design and Realization of Dual Frequency C-Band Telemetry Transmitter for Geostationary Spacecrafts

Criticality of Telemetry, Tracking and Command Subsystem in the space missions calls for dual redundancy of each of its elements at well separated spot frequencies. Increased number of geostationary missions along with dual redundancy philosophy resulted in scarcity of bandwidth for satellites to be co-located with existing ones in future. Some of the recent missions are allotted with the band of 4.53 - 4.55 GHz for on-orbit telemetry downlink where the regular slot of 4.18 - 4.20 GHz band is already in use. This paper describes the design of a telemetry transmitter package that contains both main and redundant units in a single mechanical housing. The design becomes challenging as the main and redundant frequencies are to be closely spaced within the allotted bandwidth. Each of them downlinks telemetry data to ground station on a phase modulated carrier signal. The carrier at 4.55 GHz is generated by a compact Step Recovery Diode based X13 frequency multiplier that obtains stable input from a Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator at 349 MHz. The design involves RF alignment and packaging strategies to ensure parallel operation of the two units without interference to each other and remaining subsystems of the spacecraft. The hardware test results analyzed at the end of the paper reflect the practical success of these strategies along with X13 frequency multiplication

In-depth Exploration of the Pharmacological, Analytical, and Pharmaceutical Attributes of Irbesartan

Irbesartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), has gained prominence in the management of hypertension and diabetic nephropathy due to its potent antihypertensive and Reno protective effects. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the pharmacological, analytical, and pharmaceutical characteristics of Irbesartan. Pharmacologically, Irbesartan selectively antagonizes the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptors, leading to vasodilation, reduced aldosterone secretion, and consequently blood pressure lowering. The drug also exhibits favourable effects on renal function, making it a cornerstone therapy for diabetic nephropathy. Analytically, various chromatographic methods including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) have been developed and validated for the quantification of Irbesartan in biological samples and pharmaceutical formulations, owing to its importance in pharmacokinetic studies and quality control processes. Moreover, spectroscopic techniques such as UV-visible spectrophotometry have been utilized for Irbesartan determination due to their simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Pharmaceutical considerations encompass formulation strategies, stability studies, and bioavailability enhancement techniques aimed at ensuring the efficacy and safety of Irbesartan formulations. The regulatory approval of Irbesartan-containing products by major health authorities underscores its clinical significance and quality assurance

Altered pattern of circulating miRNAs in HIV lipodystrophy perturbs key adipose differentiation and inflammation pathways

We identified a microRNA (miRNA) profile characterizing HIV lipodystrophy and explored the downstream mechanistic implications with respect to adipocyte biology and the associated clinical phenotype. miRNA profiles were extracted from small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) of HIV-infected individuals with and without lipodystrophic changes and individuals without HIV, among whom we previously showed significant reductions in adipose Dicer expression related to HIV. miR-20a3p was increased and miR-324-5p and miR-186 were reduced in sEVs from HIV lipodystrophic individuals. Changes in these miRNAs correlated with adipose Dicer expression and clinical markers of lipodystrophy, including fat redistribution, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia. Human preadipocytes transfected with mimic miR-20a-3p, anti–miR-324-5p, or anti–miR-186 induced consistent changes in latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 2 (Ltbp2), Wisp2, and Nebl expression. Knockdown of Ltbp2 downregulated markers of adipocyte differentiation (Fabp4, Pparγ, C/ebpa, Fasn, adiponectin, Glut4, CD36), and Lamin C, and increased expression of genes involved in inflammation (IL1β, IL6, and Ccl20). Our studies suggest a likely unique sEV miRNA signature related to dysregulation of Dicer in adipose tissue in HIV. Enhanced miR-20a-3p or depletion of miR-186 and miR-324-5p may downregulate Ltbp2 in HIV, leading to dysregulation in adipose differentiation and inflammation, which could contribute to acquired HIV lipodystrophy and associated metabolic and inflammatory perturbations.This independent research was supported by the Gilead Sciences Research Scholars Program in HIV. Funding was also provided by NIH K23 HL136262 to SS; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Fellowship (DFG GA2426/1-1) to RGM; NIH R01 DK082659 to CRK; NIH UL1 TR001102 to the Harvard Catalyst/Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center from the National Center for Research Resources and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH P30 DK040561, Nutrition and Obesity Research Center at Harvard; and NIH P30 DK046200, BNORC.Peer reviewe