Advancement of Near Infrared techniques in diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Near-Infrared photoimmunotheraphy (NIR-PIT) is newly developed therapy for cancer treatment, by using a specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) conjugated to a photoactive agent i.e. IRDye 700DX. In this technique, the conjugate of specific monoclonal antibody - photoactive agent is administered intravenously to cancer patient. When NIR light is applied, the monoclonal antibody - photoactive agent conjugate (APC) is excited and selectively kill the cancer cell without harming neighbouring normal cell. NIR light alters the chemical structure of APC and damages the cancer cell membrane. For the diagnosis of tumor, it is possible to observe the movements of erythrocyte in tissues by using diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS). DCS flow measurements are carried out by observing photon speckle variations induced by moving tissue scattering. Another diagnostic tool is Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which is based on endogenous chromophores difference between healthy tissue and cancer by using diagnostic indicator i.e. oxy-haemoglobin or deoxyhaemoglobin, lipid or water bands. NIRS is being used in a variety of biological and pharmaceutical research fields, including brain imaging, cardiovascular radiology, formulation and quality/process control, and even clinical trial. In this review article, we describe the Near-Infrared photoimmunotheraphy (NIR-PIT) with its mechanism, role of DCS & NIRS in cancer diagnosis and various application of NIR-PIT. Keyword: Near-infrared immunotherapy (NIR-PIT); diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS); Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS); Cancer treatment; Cancer diagnosis. &nbsp

Method Development and Validation for Multicomponent Analysis of Emtricitabine and Ritonavir in Bulk Drug by RP-HPLC

A simple, sensitive, economic and specific reverse phase liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous estimation of Emtricitabine and Ritonavir in bulk drug. Chromatographic conditions consisted of   C-18 Column (Shim-pack) 250 x 4.6 mm, particle size 5 µm , mobile phase combination of methanol and water (80:20), flow rate 1ml per minutes, run time 15 minutes and UV detection at 251nm. . The retention time for Emtricitabine and Ritonavir were found to be   3.25 and 7.8 min and average percentage recoveries 99.42% and 99.63% respectively. The validation parameters were found to comply with ICH guidelines. These methods can be further employed in future for the routine determination of Emtricitabine and Ritonavir in bulk drug and formulation. Keyword: Emtricitabine, Ritonavir, RP-HPLC, accuracy and linearity

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Not AvailableHeavy metal contamination poses a serious threat to both the ecosystem and human and requires expensive cleanup costs. Bioremediation based on microorganisms, plants, or other biological systems offers cost-effective and environment friendly metal clean-up methods. Studies on bacterial diversity in heavy metal contaminated sites have demonstrated a high diversity of microorganisms that are adapted to the new environment. Bacteria that are resistant to and grow on metals play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of those metal ions. In pursuit to identify bacteria that are tolerant to different heavy metals and can have a potential in bioremediation, surveys, and collection of samples from several presumptive heavy metal-polluted sites of India were carried out. A total of 77 bacterial morphotypes were obtained, and based on minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of different heavy metals, that is Pbþ2, Niþ2, Cdþ2, Crþ3, Hgþ2, Cuþ2, Znþ2, Coþ2, and Asþ2, thirteen potential bacterial isolates were identified possessing very high and multiple heavy metal tolerance like arsenic (50–1100mg kg 1), lead (100–2000mg kg 1), chromium (250–500mg kg 1), cadmium (50–100mg kg 1), and other heavy metals. All potential bacteria were morphologically characterized, identified based on the 16 s rRNA gene sequences, and studied for plant growth promoting attributes. Bacterial strains were found to be phosphate solubilizers, siderophore and ammonia producers, and nitrate reducers. Bacillus cereus MB1, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens RD4, Bacillus megaterium MF7, and E. cloacae MC4 were evaluated for alleviation of As, Cr, Ni, and Pb toxicity, respectively in spinach. The inoculation of plants with respective heavy metal-tolerant bacteria under study gave higher records of all estimated growth parameters, total chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, activity and differential response in proline biosynthesis when compared to respective uninoculated heavy metal controls. Overall selected plant growth-promoting heavy metal-tolerant bacterial inoculations were found to promote growth and reduce the respective heavy metal toxicity in spinach plant. Since heavy metal contamination in agricultural lands is becoming serious environmental concern, the heavy metal-tolerant plant growth-promoting strains reported in this study can offer suitable economical and ecofriendly base for development of the bioremediation strategies.Not Availabl

Augmentation of metal tolerant bacteria elevate growth and reduce metal toxicity in Spinach.

Not AvailableHeavy metal contamination poses a serious threat to both the ecosystem and human and requires expensive cleanup costs. Bioremediation based on microorganisms, plants, or other biological systems offers cost-effective and environment friendly metal clean-up methods. Studies on bacterial diversity in heavy metal contaminated sites have demonstrated a high diversity of microorganisms that are adapted to the new environment. Bacteria that are resistant to and grow on metals play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of those metal ions. In pursuit to identify bacteria that are tolerant to different heavy metals and can have a potential in bioremediation, surveys, and collection of samples from several presumptive heavy metal-polluted sites of India were carried out. A total of 77 bacterial morphotypes were obtained, and based on minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of different heavy metals, that is Pbþ2, Niþ2, Cdþ2, Crþ3, Hgþ2, Cuþ2, Znþ2, Coþ2, and Asþ2, thirteen potential bacterial isolates were identified possessing very high and multiple heavy metal tolerance like arsenic (50–1100mg kg 1), lead (100–2000mg kg 1), chromium (250–500mg kg 1), cadmium (50–100mg kg 1), and other heavy metals. All potential bacteria were morphologically characterized, identified based on the 16 s rRNA gene sequences, and studied for plant growth promoting attributes. Bacterial strains were found to be phosphate solubilizers, siderophore and ammonia producers, and nitrate reducers. Bacillus cereus MB1, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens RD4, Bacillus megaterium MF7, and E. cloacae MC4 were evaluated for alleviation of As, Cr, Ni, and Pb toxicity, respectively in spinach. The inoculation of plants with respective heavy metal-tolerant bacteria under study gave higher records of all estimated growth parameters, total chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, activity and differential response in proline biosynthesis when compared to respective uninoculated heavy metal controls. Overall selected plant growth-promoting heavy metal-tolerant bacterial inoculations were found to promote growth and reduce the respective heavy metal toxicity in spinach plant. Since heavy metal contamination in agricultural lands is becoming serious environmental concern, the heavy metal-tolerant plant growth-promoting strains reported in this study can offer suitable economical and ecofriendly base for development of the bioremediation strategies.Not Availabl

Forward rapidity J/ψ production as a function of charged-particle multiplicity in pp collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 5.02 and 13 TeV

International audienceThe production of J/ψ is measured as a function of charged-particle multiplicity at forward rapidity in proton-proton (pp) collisions at center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 and 13 TeV. The J/ψ mesons are reconstructed via their decay into dimuons in the rapidity interval (2.5 < y < 4.0), whereas the charged-particle multiplicity density (dN$_{ch}$/dη) is measured at midrapidity (|η| < 1). The production rate as a function of multiplicity is reported as the ratio of the yield in a given multiplicity interval to the multiplicity-integrated one. This observable shows a linear increase with charged-particle multiplicity normalized to the corresponding average value for inelastic events (dN$_{ch}$/dη/〈dN$_{ch}$/dη〉), at both the colliding energies. Measurements are compared with available ALICE results at midrapidity and theoretical model calculations. First measurement of the mean transverse momentum (〈p$_{T}$〉) of J/ψ in pp collisions exhibits an increasing trend as a function of dN$_{ch}$/dη/〈dN$_{ch}$/dη〉 showing a saturation towards high charged-particle multiplicities.[graphic not available: see fulltext

Forward rapidity J/ψ production as a function of charged-particle multiplicity in pp collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 5.02 and 13 TeV

The production of J/ψ is measured as a function of charged-particle multiplicity at forward rapidity in proton-proton (pp) collisions at center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 and 13 TeV. The J/ψ mesons are reconstructed via their decay into dimuons in the rapidity interval (2.5 < y < 4.0), whereas the charged-particle multiplicity density (dN$_{ch}$/dη) is measured at midrapidity (|η| < 1). The production rate as a function of multiplicity is reported as the ratio of the yield in a given multiplicity interval to the multiplicity-integrated one. This observable shows a linear increase with charged-particle multiplicity normalized to the corresponding average value for inelastic events (dN$_{ch}$/dη/〈dN$_{ch}$/dη〉), at both the colliding energies. Measurements are compared with available ALICE results at midrapidity and theoretical model calculations. First measurement of the mean transverse momentum (〈p$_{T}$〉) of J/ψ in pp collisions exhibits an increasing trend as a function of dN$_{ch}$/dη/〈dN$_{ch}$/dη〉 showing a saturation towards high charged-particle multiplicities

Pseudorapidity densities of charged particles with transverse momentum thresholds in pp collisions at √ s = 5.02 and 13 TeV

The pseudorapidity density of charged particles with minimum transverse momentum (pT) thresholds of 0.15, 0.5, 1, and 2 GeV/c is measured in pp collisions at the center of mass energies of √s=5.02 and 13 TeV with the ALICE detector. The study is carried out for inelastic collisions with at least one primary charged particle having a pseudorapidity (η) within 0.8pT larger than the corresponding threshold. In addition, measurements without pT-thresholds are performed for inelastic and nonsingle-diffractive events as well as for inelastic events with at least one charged particle having |η|2GeV/c), highlighting the importance of such measurements for tuning event generators. The new measurements agree within uncertainties with results from the ATLAS and CMS experiments obtained at √s=13TeV.

K∗(892)0\mathrm{K}^{*}(\mathrm{892})^{0} and ϕ(1020)\mathrm{\phi(1020)} production in p-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 8.16 TeV

The production of $\mathrm{K}^{*}(\mathrm{892})^{0}$ and $\mathrm{\phi(1020)}$ resonances has been measured in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV using the ALICE detector. Resonances are reconstructed via their hadronic decay channels in the rapidity interval $-$0.5 $$ 8 GeV/$c$), the $R_{\rm pPb}$ values of all hadrons are consistent with unity within uncertainties. The $R_{\rm pPb}$ of $\mathrm{K}^{*}(\mathrm{892})^{0}$ and $\mathrm{\phi(1020)}$ at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 8.16 and 5.02 TeV show no significant energy dependence

Data-driven precision determination of the material budget in ALICE

International audienceThe knowledge of the material budget with a high precision is fundamental for measurements of direct photon production using the photon conversion method due to its direct impact on the total systematic uncertainty. Moreover, it influences many aspects of the charged-particle reconstruction performance. In this article, two procedures to determine data-driven corrections to the material-budget description in ALICE simulation software are developed. One is based on the precise knowledge of the gas composition in the Time Projection Chamber. The other is based on the robustness of the ratio between the produced number of photons and charged particles, to a large extent due to the approximate isospin symmetry in the number of produced neutral and charged pions. Both methods are applied to ALICE data allowing for a reduction of the overall material budget systematic uncertainty from 4.5% down to 2.5%. Using these methods, a locally correct material budget is also achieved. The two proposed methods are generic and can be applied to any experiment in a similar fashion