Correction: Pharmacophore-based approaches in the rational repurposing technique for FDA approved drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2 Mpro

Correction for ‘Pharmacophore-based approaches in the rational repurposing technique for FDA approved drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2 M^pro’ by Vishal M. Balaramnavar et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 40264–40275, DOI: 10.1039/D0RA06038K.

The authors regret that the name of one of the authors (Talha Jawaid) was shown incorrectly in the original article. The corrected author list is as shown above.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Acute nontraumatic splenic infarctions at a tertiary-care center: causes and predisposing factors in 123 patients

Acute splenic infarcts classically present with left upper quadrant pain, but may be discovered incidentally in many hospitalized patients with otherwise vague complaints. The purpose of our study was to document causes or predisposing conditions in patients found to have acute splenic infarctions on imaging. Following IRB approval, a retrospective review of an imaging database from May 2008 to May 2015 was performed for cases of acute splenic infarctions. The electronic medical record was then reviewed for potential predisposing factors or known causes. Specific note was made of cases with active malignancy, vascular disorders, or inflammatory conditions with an increased risk of vasculopathy. Echocardiogram and electrocardiogram results were reviewed when available. One hundred twenty-three patients with acute splenic infarcts were identified, 65 female and 58 male. The average age was 57 years (range of 22 to 88). Active malignancy was present in 40 patients or 33 %. The most common malignancy in patient with nontraumatic splenic infarctions was pancreatic cancer, present in 16 patients (13 %). In these patients, splenic infarction was due to direct invasion of vessels in the splenic hilum. Acute pancreatitis (severe) was directly responsible for splenic infarction in seven additional cases (6 %). Additional visceral infarcts were present in 18 patients (15 %), most commonly concomitant hepatic or renal infarcts. Documented atrial fibrillation was present in 12 patients, but only 2 cases of left-sided cardiac thrombi were seen on CT (1 atrial, and 1 ventricular thrombus). Eight cases of endocarditis with valvular vegetations were documented on echocardiography (7 %). Splenomegaly was present in 32 patients (26 %) with acute splenic infarction. In patients with nontraumatic splenic infarctions, there appears to be a relatively high association with active malignancy (up to a third of patients). Pancreatic disorders, malignant and inflammatory, also appear to be an important cause of splenic infarction, presumably due to the close proximity of the pancreas to the splenic vessels.     

Fertility preservation through gonadal cryopreservation

Fertility preservation is an area of immense interest in today's society. The most effective and established means of fertility preservation is cryopreservation of gametes (sperm and oocytes) and embryos. Gonadal cryopreservation is yet another means for fertility preservation, especially if the gonadal function is threatened by premature menopause, gonadotoxic cancer treatment, surgical castration, or diseases. It can also aid in the preservation of germplasm of animals that die before attaining sexual maturity. This is especially of significance for valuable, rare, and endangered animals whose population is affected by high neonatal/juvenile mortality because of diseases, poor management practices, or inbreeding depression. Establishing genome resource banks to conserve the genetic status of wild animals will provide a critical interface between ex-situ and in-situ conservation strategies. Cryopreservation of gonads effectively lengthens the genetic lifespan of individuals in a breeding program even after their death and contributes towards germplasm conservation of prized animals. Although the studies on domestic animals are quite promising, there are limitations for developing cryopreservation strategies in wild animals. In this review, we discuss different options for gonadal tissue cryopreservation with respect to humans and to laboratory, domestic, and wild animals. This review also covers recent developments in gonadal tissue cryopreservation and transplantation, providing a systematic view and the advances in the field with the possibility for its application in fertility preservation and for the conservation of germplasm in domestic and wild species.     

One stage slide cricotracheoplasty and repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect

Successful single stage repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect and cricotracheal stenosis in an 8-month-old baby with Trisomy 21 is described. The case is notable for rarity of cricoid stenosis being managed together with the long segment tracheal narrowing using the technique of slide cricotracheoplasty.     

Improvement in CD 4 counts in HIV positive patients treated with HAART and antitubercular drugs: an observational study from North India

A decrease in CD4 counts in HIV positive patients with concomitant tuberculosis leads to an increase in the morbidity and mortality. Little data exists about the use of antiretroviral drugs along with antitubercular drugs on the improvement in CD4 counts from this part of country. The records of 119 HIV and TB positive patients were obtained from immunodeficiency clinic of tertiary care centre of North India who were on drug treatment for both the diseases and were analysed for demographic profile and effects on CD4 counts. There was a statistically significant improvement in the CD4 counts of the patients as compared to their baseline values mean (SD) as 120.03 (124.1) at visit one to 270.2 (141.3) at visit two (p < 0.01) and 320.9 (184.3) at visit three (p < 0.05). Six patients died during the period of evaluation. Concomitant use of antitubercular drugs with antiretroviral drugs has resulted in a significant improvement in the CD4 counts which is a marker of delay in disease progression.     

Propoxur-induced oxidative DNA damage in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: protective effects of curcumin and α-tocopherol

The present study enumerates the attenuating effects of curcumin and α-tocopherol against propoxur induced oxidative DNA damage in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Cultured cells were isolated from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers, and were exposed to varying concentrations of propoxur (0–21?μg/ml) for 6, 12, and 24?h, and in combination with curcumin (9.2?μg/ml) or α-tocopherol (4.3?μg/ml) or both. Cytotoxic effect of propoxur was examined by MTT assay. The role of oxidative stress beneath the cytotoxicity of propoxur was evaluated by the measurement of reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) levels in cell lysate. A concentration-dependent cell death, depletion of GSH, an increase in the level of both MDA and 8-OH-dG were observed. Co-treatment with curcumin or α-tocopherol significantly attenuates depleted GSH, decrease in MDA and 8-OH-dG levels in propoxur exposed cells (p?相似文献