A perspective on the widening gap between Covishield vaccine doses in India

The Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s vector-based vaccine called Covishield (ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 Vaccine) is being manufactured and distributed by Serum Institute of India (SII).  National roll out of this vaccine was in a phased manner starting from 16th January 2021. At present, many states are facing shortage of vaccines. Government of India kept changing its policy on dosing gap of Covishield vaccine based on researches. The latest recommendation citing “real-life evidence” from the UK is to extend the two doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks. This reasonable approach will not only a breathing space for the government but also aids in free up doses for a larger number of people to get their first dose of the vaccine

Evaluating the effectiveness of principal component regression vs. multiple linear regression for black gram cultivation in Tamil Nadu

This study examines the comparison between Multiple Linear Regression and Principal Component Regression for black gram cultivation in Tamil Nadu. This research addresses the problem of accurately modeling and predicting the factors that influence the yield and productivity of black gram cultivation in Tamil Nadu. The challenge lies in identifying which statistical technique, Principal Component Regression (PCR) or Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), is more effective in capturing the complex relationships between various environmental, economic and agricultural variables that affect black gram production. Secondary data were collected from 1999 to 2022 (23 years). Considering yield as a dependent variable and the independent variables are Seed, Fertilizer, Manure, Human labour and Animal labour. According to Multiple Linear Regression, the regression coefficients of fertilizer and human labour significantly influence the yield. The coefficients of Fertilizer and Human labour are found to be 0.049 and 0.07 respectively. According to Principal Component Analysis, the 2 principal components are chosen because the eigenvalue is more than 1.0. These 2 components, PC1 and PC2, cover 36 % and 34 % respectively. The loadings revealed that fertilizer, manure and animal labour significantly contributed to PC1 and Seed and human labour contributed significantly in PC2. The Multiple Linear Regression and Principal Component regression are compared using R square, Adjusted R Square, Root Mean Square, Mean Absolute Error and Mean Absolute Percentage Error. The adjusted R square reveals that Principal Component Regression is better than Multiple Linear Regression. The lowest value of Root Mean Square Error, Mean Absolute Error and Mean Absolute Percentage Error shows the best model among the 2 models. The error is lower for Principal Component Regression compared to Regression. PC1 captures the relationship between fertilizer, manure and animal labor, representing an "input utilization efficiency" dimension. PC2 reflects the trade-off between human labor and seed usage, defining a spectrum between "labor-intensive" and "seed-reliant" farming strategies

Waste Coir Nanofiller Fused Gallus-Gallus Fibres Reinforced PMC

This research aims to increase the utility of globally and abundantly available waste natural fibres of Gallus-Gallus fibres coir waste from mattress and car seat manufacturing factories. The composite samples were prepared with a rally round of polyester resin of grade GP500 bio-epoxy by synthesizing specially treated Gallus-Gallus fibres selectively used for reinforcement and characterizing them through static and dynamic mechanical analyses to identify their wide range of applicability. The Gallus-Gallus fibres are preprocessed with sodium oxidative and a half per cent of potassium manganate (VII) chemical solution. The selective use includes 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm length of the Gallus-Gallus fibre, and the quantity of reinforcement was 10%, 20%, and 30%. Five alternate layers of matrix and fibres, with vertical and horizontal orientation, are considered; 12 different samples of Gallus-Gallus fibres reinforced polyester polymer composites and a neat polyester composites were synthesized and characterized for moisture absorbability, tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, wear resistance, and outperformed composites were included in microscopic examination and dynamic Mmchanical analysis. The interesting results are the preferred resin, supported for good surface finish, interface bonding, and totally in the enhancement of Composite properties. The composites are strong in tension (760.89 MPa) and sufficiently flexible (flexural modulus 5441.32 MPa), absorbed less moisture (5.8 g), high wear-resistant (least weight loss upon abrasion with a value of 0.1989 g), secured good results in dynamic analysis, and ensured homogeneous distribution of fibres in the matrix through a scanning electron microscopy image. The composites CPPC10, CPPC11, and CPPC12 performed well but composite CPPC12 outperformed

Harbingers of Hope: Scientists and the Pursuit of World Peace

The ongoing wars in many regions-such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas-as well as the effects of war on communities, social services, and mental health are covered in this special editorial. This article emphasizes the need for international efforts to promote peace, offer humanitarian aid, and address the mental health challenges faced by individuals and communities affected by war and violence

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

Novel structures of PII signal transduction proteins from oxygenic phototropic organisms

PII proteins constitute one of the most widely distributed families of signal transduction proteins, whose representatives are present in archaea, bacteria and plants. They play a pivotal role to control the nitrogen, carbon and energy status of the cell in response to the central metabolites ATP, ADP and 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG). These signals from central metabolites are integrated by PII proteins and transmitted to the regulatory targets (protein modifying enzymes, metabolic enzymes, transporters and transcription factors). In oxygenic phototrophic organisms, from cyanobacteria to higher plants, the controlling enzyme of arginine synthesis, N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) is a major PII target, whose activity responds to the cellular metabolites via PII signalling. In this work, novel crystal structures of PII signal transduction proteins from oxygenic phototrophs (Synechococcus elongatus and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) in the presence of signalling metabolites and in complex with NAGK are reported. These structures give deeper insights into PII-mediated mechanism and regulation which are in accordance with the obtained biochemical data. The novel role of glutamine as a signalling molecule in C. reinhardtii is elucidated for the first time, which highlights the nitrogen regulation at a different level. Further, the interpretation of these structures together with the comparison of aminoacid sequences sheds light on the evolutionary adaptation of PII signal transduction from cyanobacteria to plastids

From cyanobacteria to plants: conservation of PII functions during plastid evolution

This article reviews the current state-of-the-art concerning the functions of the signal processing protein PII in cyanobacteria and plants, with a special focus on evolutionary aspects. We start out with a general introduction to PII proteins, their distribution, and their evolution. We also discuss PII-like proteins and domains, in particular, the similarity between ATP-phosphoribosyltransferase (ATP-PRT) and its PII-like domain and the complex between N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) and its PII activator protein from oxygenic phototrophs. The structural basis of the function of PII as an ATP/ADP/2-oxoglutarate signal processor is described for Synechococcus elongatus PII. In both cyanobacteria and plants, a major target of PII regulation is NAGK, which catalyzes the committed step of arginine biosynthesis. The common principles of NAGK regulation by PII are outlined. Based on the observation that PII proteins from cyanobacteria and plants can functionally replace each other, the hypothesis that PII-dependent NAGK control was under selective pressure during the evolution of plastids of Chloroplastida and Rhodophyta is tested by bioinformatics approaches. It is noteworthy that two lineages of heterokont algae, diatoms and brown algae, also possess NAGK, albeit lacking PII; their NAGK however appears to have descended from an alphaproteobacterium and not from a cyanobacterium as in plants. We end this article by coming to the conclusion that during the evolution of plastids, PII lost its function in coordinating gene expression through the PipX-NtcA network but preserved its role in nitrogen (arginine) storage metabolism, and subsequently took over the fine-tuned regulation of carbon (fatty acid) storage metabolism, which is important in certain developmental stages of plants

Novel structures of PII signal transduction proteins from oxygenic phototropic organisms

PII proteins constitute one of the most widely distributed families of signal transduction proteins, whose representatives are present in archaea, bacteria and plants. They play a pivotal role to control the nitrogen metabolism in response to the central metabolites ATP, ADP and 2- oxoglutarate (2-OG). These signals from energy status, carbon and nitrogen metabolism are integrated and transmitted to the regulatory targets (key enzymes, transporters and transcription factors). In oxygenic phototrophic organisms, from cyanobacteria to higher plants, the controlling enzyme of arginine synthesis, N-acetyl-glutamate kinase (NAGK), is a major PII target, whose activity responds to the cellular 2- OG and energy status via PII signalling. Novel crystal structures of PII signal transduction proteins from oxygenic phototrophs in the presence of signaling metabolites and in complex with NAGK give deeper insights into their control mechanism and sheds light on the evolutionary adaptation of PII signal transduction