Absence of Mycobacterium avium ss paratuberculosis-specific IS900 sequence in intestinal biopsy tissues of Indian patients with Crohn’s disease

Background and Objective  

The role of Mycobacterium avium ss paratuberculosis (MAP) in the etiopathology of Crohn’s disease (CD) remains controversial, because of conflicting reports demonstrating the presence of MAP-specific insertion sequence from intestinal biopsy tissues of patients clinically diagnosed for the disease. The present study was carried out to investigate the presence of MAP DNA in the intestinal tissues of CD patients to ascertain the relevance of MAP in Indian patients with CD.     

Synergistic effect of Ni–Ag–rutile TiO2 ternary nanocomposite for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

P25 comprising of mixed anatase and rutile phases is known to be highly photocatalytically active compared to the individual phases. Using a facile wet chemical method, we demonstrate a ternary nanocomposite consisting of Ni and Ag nanoparticles, decorated on the surface of XTiO₂ (X: P25, rutile (R)) as an efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst. Contrary to the current perspective, RTiO₂-based Ni–Ag–RTiO₂ shows the highest activity with the H₂ evolution rate of ∼86 μmol g⁻¹ W⁻¹ h⁻¹@535 nm. Together with quantitative assessment of active Ni, Ag and XTiO₂ in these ternary systems using high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy coupled energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping evidences the metal to semiconductor contact via Ag. The robust photocatalytic activity is attributed to the improved visible light absorption, as noted by the observed band edge of ∼2.67 eV corroborating well with the occurrence of Ti³⁺ in Ti 2p XPS. The effective charge separation due to intimate contact between Ni and RTiO₂via Ag is further evidenced by the plasmon loss peak in Ag 3d XPS. Moreover, density functional theory calculations revealed enhanced adsorption of H₂ on Ti₈O₁₆ clusters when both Ag and Ni are simultaneously present, owing to the hybridization of the metal atoms with d orbitals of Ti and p orbitals of O leading to enhanced bonding characteristics, as substantiated by the density of states. Additionally, the variation in the electronegativity in Bader charge analysis indicates the possibility of hydrogen evolution at the Ni sites, in agreement with the experimental observations.

Robust photocatalytic activity of Ni–Ag–RTiO₂ is attributed to the improved visible light absorption and effective charge separation due to intimate contact between Ni and RTiO₂via Ag, as evidenced by Ti³⁺ in Ti 2p XPS and energy dispersive mapping.     

Aqueous Fibronectin Correlates With Severity of Macular Edema and Visual Acuity in Patients With Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Proteome Study

PurposeLarge-scale protein analysis may bring important insights into molecular changes following branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Using proteomic techniques this study compared aqueous humor samples from patients with BRVO to age-matched controls.MethodsAqueous humor samples from treatment naive patients with BRVO complicated by macular edema (n = 19) and age-matched controls (n = 18) were analyzed with label-free quantification nano liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LFQ nLC-MS/MS). The severity of macular edema was measured as central retinal thickness (CRT) with optical coherence tomography. Control samples were obtained prior to cataract surgery. Proteins were filtered by requiring quantification in at least 50% of the samples in each group without imputation of missing values. Significantly changed proteins were identified with a permutation-based calculation with a false discovery rate at 0.05.ResultsIn BRVO, 52 proteins were differentially expressed. Regulated proteins were involved in cell adhesion, coagulation, and acute-phase response. Apolipoprotein C-III, complement C3, complement C5, complement factor H, fibronectin, and fibrinogen chains were increased in BRVO and correlated with CRT. Fibronectin also correlated with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Monocyte differentiation antigen CD14 (CD14) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) were upregulated in BRVO. Contactin-1 and alpha-enolase were downregulated in BRVO and correlated negatively with CRT.ConclusionsMultiple proteins, including complement factors, fibrinogen chains, and apolipoprotein C-III, correlated with CRT, indicating a multifactorial response. Fibronectin correlated with BCVA, CRT, and VEGF. Fibronectin may reflect the severity of BRVO. The proinflammatory proteins CD14 and LBP were upregulated in BRVO.     

Heart failure in people with type 2 diabetes vs. those without diabetes: A retrospective observational study from South India

Background and aimDespite diabetes being an independent risk for HF, only some DM patients develop HF and hence our aim was to compare the clinical features of DM with and without HF and non-DM with and without HF.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted among 397 individuals who visited two tertiary care centres. They were classified into 4 groups – DM with HF(DM-HF), DM without HF, non-DM with HF(non-DM-HF) and non-DM without HF. We assessed and compared the clinical profile of DM with HF vs. DM without HF and non-DM with HF groups respectively.ResultsThe parameters such as age, BMI, BP, eGFR showed significant difference between the groups. People with DM-HF were older compared to DM without HF group(58.9 ± 9.2vs.49.5 ± 9.3; p < 0.001). An increasing trend was observed in HF prevalence with increasing duration of DM among the DM-HF group. DM-HF showed a higher prevalence of hypertension and coronary artery disease(CAD) by history than DM without HF group. DM-HF group(91.2%) had HF with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction(HFpEF) whereas a high proportion(43.5%) of non-DM-HF group had HF with reduced LV ejection fraction(HFrEF).ConclusionsThe DM-HF group differed from other groups significantly in age, diabetes duration, HbA1c level, prevalence of hypertension, CAD and HFpEF.     

Antibacterial Activity of Leaves of Cadaba trifoliata (Roxb.) Wt. & Arn

Antibacterial activity of aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts of Cadaba trifoliata was evaluated by cup plate method against bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter aerogenes, Erwinia and Escherichia coli. The ethanol extract of the leaves demonstrated a high degree of activity against all the tested bacterial strains except Erwinia and Acinetobacter, whereas the aqueous extract of the leaves showed moderate activity against E. coli, B. subtilis and Staph. aureus and Enterobacter aerogenes.     

Catabolism of L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine by Rhodobacter sphaeroides OU5 occurs through 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine

Rhodobacter sphaeroides OU5 utilized l-phenylalanine as sole source of nitrogen for growth. The metabolites of l-phenylalanine catabolism, i.e. 4-hydroxy phenylalanine (l-tyrosine), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-pyruvic acid (DOPP), 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid (DOPLA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-acetic acid (DOPAc) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (PC), were identified using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). With 2-oxoglutarate as an amino acceptor, DOPA aminotransferase activity was observed with cell-free extracts and the product DOPP was confirmed through mass analysis. Reductive deamination of DOPA also occurred in the absence of 2-oxoglutarate, whose products were 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (DPPA) and ammonia. The enzyme DOPA-reductive deaminase (DOPARDA) was purified to its homogeneity and characterized. DOPARDA has an obligate requirement for NADH and is functional at low concentrations of the substrate (<150 microM). The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was approximately 274kD and the enzyme could be a heterotetramer of 110, 82, 43 and 39kD subunits as determined by SDS-PAGE.     

Knockdown of PINCH-1 protein sensitizes the estrogen positive breast cancer cells to chemotherapy induced apoptosis

Introduction

PINCH-1 is a ubiquitously expressed protein belonging to the focal adhesion protein group which has a role in cell survival, spreading, adhesion and migration. It has been implicated in pathogenesis of several cancers. In the present study we aimed to investigate the role of this protein in estrogen positive and negative breast cancer subtypes.

Correction: Analysis on the energetics,magnetism and electronic properties in a 45° ZnO grain boundary doped with Gd

Correction for ‘Analysis on the energetics, magnetism and electronic properties in a 45° ZnO grain boundary doped with Gd’ by Assa Aravindh Sasikala Devi et al., RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 13850–13856.

The authors regret that an incorrect grant number was shown in the Acknowledgements section of the published article. The corrected section should read:We acknowledge financial support from the General Directorate of Research Grants, أت-34-405, from King Abdul-Aziz City of Science and Technology (KACST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.