Loading of a Phenanthroline-Based Platinum(II) Complex onto the Surface of a Carbon Nanotube via pi–pi Stacking

Stacking of the metal complex [(5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)(1S,2S-diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II)]2þ (56MESS) onto the surface of two different fullerenes, a carbon nanotube (CNT), and a C60-buckyball was examined. The metal complex forms a supramolecular complex with multi-walled CNTs but not with buckyballs. Binding of 56MESS to the CNTs is highly efficient (90 %) but can be further stabilized by the addition of the surfactant, pluronic F-127, which resulted in a loading efficiency of 95 %. Molecular modelling shows that binding of 56MESS to the CNT is supported by the large surface area of the fullerene, whereas the more pronounced curvature and lack of a flat surface on the buckyball affects the ability of 56MESS to form bonds to its surface. The loading of 56MESS onto the CNT is via p–p stacking from the metal complex phenanthroline ligand and C–H p bonding fromthe diaminocyclohexane ligand. 56MESS has 13 critical bonding points with the CNT, eight of which are p–p stacking bonds, but the metal complex forms only seven bonds with the buckyball. In addition, the loading of 56MESS onto the CNT results in a charge transfer of 0.111 eV; however, charge transfer is almost negligible for binding to the buckyball

Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and optic nerve head changes in early to moderate glaucoma patients and compare them with age matched individuals using spectral domain optical coherence tomography

INTRODUCTION: Glaucoma has always been one of the leading cause of blindness in the developed countries. Changing trends have now been noted in developing countries like India. Where glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. It was estimated that the prevalence of Glaucoma in India would be 11.9 million by the year 2010 and 20% of the world glaucoma population would be in India by the year 2020. Clinical diagnosis of glaucoma is possible only after about 40% of the retinal ganglion cells are lost irreversibly. Though there is retinal ganglion cell loss as age advances in normal individuals, this progressive loss is hastened in patients with glaucoma. Since glaucoma causes an irreversible changes in the Optic Nerve head and the Retinal nerve fiber layer, prompt diagnosis is warranted. If these RNFL and ONH changes were detected objectively earlier before the visual field loss has set in with a relatively new imaging technology like SD-OCT, this progressive disease can either be halted or slowed down by providing apt treatment and preventing the vision loss as the current modalities that are used are subjective and diagnose only later .According to the population based surveys, prompt diagnosis and treatment was given to less than 50% of patients with a documented visual field loss, which urges us for the use of a better diagnostic instrument. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PURPOSE: To assess the peripapillary retinalnerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters measured with SD-OCT in glaucomatous eyes. AIM: 1. To evaluate the efficacy of spectral domain OCT in detecting the glaucomatous ONH and RNFL changes in patients with early to moderate glaucoma. 2. To compare the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and ONH changes in early to moderate glaucoma with their age matched individuals using SD OCT. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: An observational prospective case control study to evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and the optic nerve head changes in early to moderate glaucoma patients and compare them with age matched controls using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. The study was undertaken in the Department of Glaucoma Services, Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai. The study was conducted from Oct 2010 to Mar 2012. SUBJECTS: INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Diagnosed cases of Primary open angle glaucoma. 2. Age 18 to 70 years. 3. Early to moderate glaucoma on disc evaluation. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Secondary glaucoma, 2. Angle closure glaucoma, 3. Advanced glaucoma, 4. Media opacities like significant cataract, corneal opacity etc. 5. Congenital Developmental glaucoma. 6. Refractive error > - 6.0D < +3.0 D Sph. 7. Astigmatism > 3.0D. 8. congenital anomaly of the anterior chamber. 9. concurrent active eye disease in the study eye that may affect intraocular pressure. 10. Eyes with proliferative or severe nonproliferative retinopathy. 11. Eyes with field loss attributed to a nonglaucoma condition. 12. Eyes with dilated pupil diameter of less than 3 mm. Statistical Methods: The Statistical analysis was performed by STATA 11.1 (Stata corp college station TX USA). The continuous variables were described by mean, Standard deviation, median and interquartile range. And the categorical variables were described as frequency and percentage. Student’s Independent sample t-test or Mann Whitney test was used to analyze the age, ONH parameters and RNFL thickness parameters compared with POAG and controls groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to describe the ability to discriminate glaucomatous from healthy eyes for each RTVue values software-provided parameter. The ROC curve provides the trade-off between the sensitivity and 1 -specificity. An area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 1.0 represents perfect discrimination, whereas an area of 0.5 represents chance discrimination. Sensitivities at fixed specificities of 80% and 95% were determined for all the parameters. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, SD OCT is an effective tool in evaluating the ONH and RNFL thickness to detect early to moderate glaucomatous changes. In the ONH parameters, the best predictor to detect these changes were Vertical cup to disc ratio. The average RNFL thickness and the Superior and inferior RNFL quadrant thickness are the most sensitive parameters to detect glaucomatous changes. Both the ONH and RNFL parameters are equally reliable as a diagnostic tool but their role in detecting the progression needs to be studied further with the long term study. The study also shows that as age advances the RNFL thickness decreases and hence were comparable

ADMET, Pharmacokinetic and Docking properties of the fungal drug 2- (2, 4-difluorophenyl)-1, 3-bis (1, 2, 4-triazol-1-yl) propan-2-ol by using Quantum computational methods

The current study contributes to a better knowledge of the FCZ's characteristics and bioactivity. The ADMET properties have been calculated and the results have been illustrated; as a result, it has become quite popular for virtual pharmaceutical analysis. This research aims to examine FCZ’s optimized structure and properties by analyzing various computational calculations. Bond length, Bond angle, Mulliken charges have been analyzed for the studies. The experimental geometrical parameters and theoretical data were compared with ADME parameters, biomarker properties, pH value, drug like nature, Marvin sketch, Swiss ADME to quantify molecular descriptors just as to survey atomic elements. ADMET properties introduce the influence of the drug levels and its kinetics with the tissues of the body. It also explains about the metabolism, toxicity of the drugs when introduced to the system. The analysis on pharmacokinetic properties has helped a lot in the drug development for further studies. The target prediction of FCZ has been studied along with the docking study. Docking study is an important program in order to study about the binding of the small ligand into a receptor like proteins. This method is very useful in drug discovery which provides insights into various studies. This will help in further development of the drugs which will finally help the society in large scale. FCZ helps pharmaceutical industry in developing the drugs to treat chronic disease when combined with other molecules. Hence the present study is really helpful in drug designing and in the development of new drugs

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Stigma on Depression among Young And Middle-Aged Adults in Selangor, Malaysia

Due to the critical frequency, one in five Malaysian young adults experienced depression in 2020, the needs to identify the level of knowledge, attitude and practice among community, as aimed in this study, are highly demanded to strategize awareness raising, reducing stigma and hence tailoring efficient intervention. This cross-sectional study enrolled 172 young and middle-aged adults in Selangor, Malaysia via purposive sampling. The Depression Stigma Scale and Depression Literacy assessed stigma, attitude and practice towards depressive disorder. This study found that knowledge and some demographic factors (economic status, age, education) can influence the attitude and practice towards stigma on depression.   Keywords: Attitude; Depression Stigma; Knowledge; Practice eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2023. The Authors. Published for AMER &amp; cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v8i24.468

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND SELF ESTEEM IN ADOLESCENTS

Back Ground: In India use of alcohol is higher in deprived communities contributing to thirty Percent of use to the male population and five percent of use to female population .And in recent years the alcohol use of young people is increased and as their age increases their quantity and frequency of intake has also been increased. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the level of self esteem and alcohol consumption in male adolescents. Materials and Methods: A descriptive design with quantitative method was adopted. The study was restricted to the sample size of about 60 male adolescents aged between 18-20 yrs selected by purposive sampling technique. The investigator used the standardized tool of AUDIT-Alcohol use disorder identification test and Rosenberg self esteem scale. Data analysis was done using SPSS v 16.0 software. Results: Results revealed that the majority of the adolescents had positive self esteem (80 %) and only (20%) presented low self esteem. With AUDIT score, 75 % did not consume alcohol hazardously and no samples were fall under the category of high risk level and alcohol dependence. Privacy and the confidentiality of the information provided are strictly maintained throughout the research process. Conclusion: It was concluded that the adolescents presented high self esteem and low alcohol consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the protective factors for maintaining the Positive self concept and self image and implement preventive programs related to substance use among the adolescents

PILOT STUDY REPORT- BRIEF INTERVENTIONS IN THE ALCOHOL USE AMONG THE ADOLESCENTS

Back Ground: Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally. About two billion people worldwide consume alcoholic beverages and one-third (nearly 76.3 million) is likely to have one or more diagnosable alcohol use disorders.(1) Aim: This study was aimed to assess the level of alcohol use and to evaluate the brief interventions in the alcohol use among the adolescents. Methods: A quasi experimental design with evaluative approach method was adopted. The study was restricted to the sample size of about 48. Students aged between 18-19 yrs were selected by stratified sampling technique. The investigator used the structured questionnaire which includes the demographic variables and the AUDIT-Alcohol use disorder identification test. It is a standardized self report tool consisting of 10-alcohol screening questions developed by W.H.O. As a part of the general health awareness programme, the investigator gave a briefing on the alcoholic questionnaire and the respondents were told the procedure of filling up of the questionnaire. Results: Results revealed that 69 % of samples belong to the risky use, 29 % to low risk level, and 2 % to high risk level. No samples were fall under the category of dependence. Brief interventions are effective in reducing the risk of alcohol use among adolescents in long course of time. Privacy and the confidentiality of the information provided are strictly maintained throughout the research process. Conclusion: Adolescents have the risky level of alcoholic use and hence preventive measures should be planned and implemented for the vulnerable adolescents to prevent the alcohol abuse in future. Key words: alcohol, adolescent, alcoholic us

Apoptosis effect of girinimbine isolated from Murraya koenigii on lung cancer cells in vitro

Murraya koenigii Spreng has been traditionally claimed as a remedy for cancer. The current study investigated the anticancer effects of girinimbine, a carbazole alkaloid isolated from Murraya koenigii Spreng, on A549 lung cancer cells in relation to apoptotic mechanistic pathway. Girinimbine was isolated from Murraya koenigii Spreng. The antiproliferative activity was assayed using MTT and the apoptosis detection was done by annexin V and lysosomal stability assays. Multiparameter cytotoxicity assays were performed to investigate the change in mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c translocation. ROS, caspase, and human apoptosis proteome profiler assays were done to investigate the apoptotic mechanism of cell death. The MTT assay revealed that the girinimbine induces cell death with an IC50 of 19.01 μM. A significant induction of early phase of apoptosis was shown by annexin V and lysosomal stability assays. After 24 h treatment with 19.01 μM of girinimbine, decrease in the nuclear area and increase in mitochondrial membrane potential and plasma membrane permeability were readily visible. Moreover the translocation of cytochrome c also was observed. Girinimbine mediates its antiproliferative and apoptotic effects through up- and downregulation of apoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins. There was a significant involvement of both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Moreover, the upregulation of p53 as well as the cell proliferation repressor proteins, p27 and p21, and the significant role of insulin/IGF-1 signaling were also identified. Moreover the caspases 3 and 8 were found to be significantly activated. Our results taken together indicated that girinimbine may be a potential agent for anticancer drug development

β-mangostin suppresses LA-7 cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo: involvement of antioxidant enzyme modulation; suppression of matrix metalloproteinase and α6β4 integrin signalling pathways

β-mangostin (βM) was isolated from Cratoxylum arborescens to investigate anti-breast cancer effect in vitro and in vivo. βM exhibited an inhibitory effect on the growth of LA-7 cells in vitro with apoptosis formation. In the animal model, βM treatment was found to be effective in improving the tissue antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase activity (P < 0.05). βM treatment clearly exhibited apoptosis in mammary tumour tissues, and it was associated with regulation of PCNA and p53. The cDNA microarray gene expression followed by qRT-PCR based validation demonstrated that βM could mediate tumour reduction and prevent metastasis by reduction of MMP-9, MMP-13, and MMP-27. Moreover, the reduction of both 14-3-3β and ITGB4 genes indicated the involvement of α6β4 integrin signalling pathway. These findings showed that β-mangostin is a promising compound candidate as an anti-tumour agent against breast cancer

Using yeast synthetic lethality to inform drug combination for Malaria

Combinatorial chemotherapy is necessary for the treatment of malaria. However, finding a suitable partner drug for a new candidate is challenging. Here we develop an algorithm that identifies all of the gene pairs of; Plasmodium falciparum; that possess orthologues in yeast that have a synthetic lethal interaction but are absent in humans. This suggests new options for drug combinations, particularly for inhibitors of targets such as; P. falciparum; calcineurin, cation ATPase 4, or phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase