The current study involves the synthesis of fourteen analogs of oligochitosan and their screening for antiviral potential against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Coxsackie virus. The synthesized oligochitosan analogs were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and FTIR techniques. HIV-1 p24 ELISA was performed using HIV-1 p24 antigen capture assay in order to estimate the viral infectivity loss. It was observed that sulfated oligochitosan was devoid of antiviral activity as compared to oligochitosan UN102 analog. The rest of UN102 analogs which include N-thiol (UN105), N-glutaryl (UN106), N-Azido (UN111) and N-phthaloyl (UN114) and N-citric analog (UN117) exhibited antiviral activity against HIV. The UN102 also decreased viral infection caused by RSV. In addition, UN102 was found to bind Coxsackie virus, which causes autoimmune myocarditis. The findings were of great interest to proceed for the development of novel antiviral agents.
ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to investigate the maternal healthcare services in Eastern Indian States (West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar). The present study also tried to understand the effect of socio-economic and demographic factors in the utilization of maternal health care services in the above mentioned states of India, using NFHS-4 data. The present study considered only those women who conceived baby within last five years. All the study women were married and the age range was 15-49 years. Total sample size consisted of 170995 of ever married women. For statistical analysis, Pearson Chi-squre test and Binary logistic regression were performed. The present study revealed that statistically significant difference in utilization of maternal health care services were present among women of different Eastern Indian states.The present study also depicted that residential pattern, caste, religion, respondent’s occupation, respondent’s age, respondent’s educational attainments, Wealth Index had significant association with maternal health care services
ABSTRACT Rural tribal children of India are facing difficult growing conditions. It is very important to track the nutritional status of tribal children to understand their current situation. The present study was conducted to understand the nutritional status of Santhal children of Paschim Medinipur in West Bengal, India. The present study is cross-sectional, ex-post-facto research. The study depicts that nearly one-third of the study children are undernourished (26.38% stunted, 37.78% underweight, 25.73% thin). A higher percentage of underweight (41.6%), stunting (29.8%) and thinness (28%) can be observed among boys compared to the girls (33.6%, 22.6%, 23.3% respectively) in this area. The differences in the nutritional status of boys and girls are not statistically significant. The study concludes that Santhal children of this area are facing difficult situations concerning nutritional status, which indirectly indicates compromised health and wellbeing
Vermicompost is a rich source of nutrients and beneficial soil bacteria which can promote plant growth in various ways. Ten prevalent bacterial strains were isolated from the cow dung vermicompost and assessed for growth promotion of paddy. Bacterial suspensions (3X10 8 CFU/ml) were individually applied to the pots planted with paddy variety and vegetative growth parameters and yield were recorded. Among the bacterial treatments, better shoot length, root length and yield were recorded for Bacillus subtilis (VBKT5). Average yield in untreated control plants was less than a half of the yield for B. subtilis (VBKT5) treated plant. This strain was Gram positive, rod shaped, endospore forming bacillus and identified as B. subtilis. The results of the present study clearly indicated that B. subtilis isolated from vermicompost significantly boosted up growth and production of paddy plants and the strain may be explored as a plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) for rice improvement.
Fly ash is one of the largely produced solid wastes in the World. It is generated from combustion of coal in thermal power plants. Because of its large production, disposal and management problem, FA is always remained the biggest concern from centuries. However, several different research studies proposed that FA has diverse applications in different fields such as in construction for concrete production, in agriculture sector and many others. FA has been regarded as an ameliorant for reclaiming the soil. It helps in improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. It is observed that introduction of FA improves soil quality by providing various essential elements such as (K, Na, Zn, Ca, Mg and Fe) which are further helpful in increasing yield in some crops. This paper reviews information about the various attributes of FA in soil such as its role in soil, physical, chemical, biological and biochemical quality. It also discusses about varied applications of FA in varying sectors of agriculture, sludge stabilization, controlling diseases, forestry, wasteland reclamation, soil biota and enzymatic activity.
Adsorption of heavy metal ions on chitosan-based adsorbents has been extensively investigated. However, few studies explored the feasibility of desorbing and regenerating chitosan. Adsorbents used after adsorption of heavy metals are discarded, and this practice exacerbates the solid treatment problem. Regeneration and reuse of exhausted adsorbents should be considered to operate environment-friendly and cost-effective adsorption. This review was performed to summarize the desorption of heavy metal ions and possible regeneration of chitosan-based adsorbents using various desorption agents such as acids, alkalis, salts, and chelating agents. It was found that the highest desorption efficiencies were obtained by acidic eluents. The percentage use of desorption agents for desorbing followed the order of acids (49.3%) >chelators (26.9%) > alkalis (14.9%) > salts (8.9%). Moreover, the proper desorption time was estimated to be 0.84 by 1.37 h. The beneficial information is provided for the regeneration and recovery of chitosan adsorbents.
Phylloplane is the leaf surface itself that harbors a variety of microorganism both pathogens and saprophytes. An infection was reported on Ipomoea cairica plant in Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University campus. A general study was conducted on the microbial diversity on the healthy and infected leaf by leaf impression method. The study revealed growth of microbes which would have served as the causative pathogens infecting the plant.
SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19, a life-threatening respiratory illness with high rates of morbidity and mortality. As of date, there is no specific medicine to treat COVID-19. Therefore, there is an acute need to identify evidence-based holistic and safe mitigators. The present study aims to screen phytochemicals based on bioprospection analysis and subsequently predicting their binding potential to SARS-CoV-2 proteins in silico. The drug likeliness and ADMETox descriptors of 24 phytoligands were computationally predicted. Docking studies were further conducted with those phytoligands that qualified the drug likeliness parameters. Docking studies suggested that the herbal moiety, namely, gamma-glutamyl-S-allylcysteine demonstrated highly significant binding energies with viral spike glycoprotein, endoribonuclease, and main protease (binding energy ≥ -490 kcal/mol for all the tested target viral proteins). Gamma-glutamyl-S-allylcysteine demonstrated more significant binding potential as compared to the known chemical analog, i.e., hydroxychloroquine, as observed in the computational docking studies. This study serves to present pre-eminent information for further clinical studies highlighting the utility of herbal ligands as probable lead molecules for mitigating novel Coronavirus infection.
Monogamy and polygamy are the two reproductive structures for Homo sapiens which have been evolving millenia now rendering and stagnating into social construction rather than underlying in H. sapiens evolved nature. Anatomically, modern H. sapiens emerged and behaved, use energy to fullfill a physiological need, based on the information in their DNA here referred as “code”-driven behaviour; other species conscioulessness also behave on the basis of their genomes and here also some arguments were presented. H. sapiens since the evolution of an innerself or consicousness sustains a physiology which rests upon DNA encription with the difference that behaviours are the result of the mental process of deciding here referred as “choice”-driven behaviour. In the matter of reproductive behaviour, H. sapiens can choose monogamy or polygamy unlike other non-concious species known to this planet. Being the evolved nature of our species that is polygamy, our genomes should be preserved as such for our offspring to have the right to decide, being this the final argument in the matter of single or multiple partners. To become an unfair society will lead towards extinction of H. sapiens, either our species will return to a widespread, accepted and law-regulated polygamy or become generationally extinct. The manuscript also presented evidence which supports a non-specific, male-centered female subordinating polygamy as the prevalent reproductive structure for unconcious species of copulating taxons including only anatomically modern H. sapiens.
The purpose of this study was to identify fungi that degrade product value during the storage and distribution of confectionery products, and to investigate the antifungal effect of organic acid and UV-C treatments on high carbohydrate products. Fungi isolated from spoiled high carbohydrate confectionery were identified as Wallemia sp., Aspergillus sp-1 and Aspergillus sp-2 depending on homologies with ITS1 and ITS4 sequences. The isolated fungi were assayed for antifungal activity by treatment with acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid or maleic acid. As a result, it was confirmed that the growth of Wallemia sp. and Aspergillus sp-2 was suppressed by treatment with 0.2 M and 0.35 M acetic acid, respectively. In addition, as a result of confirming the antifungal effect according to the UV-C irradiation time, the growth inhibitory effects of Wallemia sp. and Aspergillus sp-2 were shown in irradiation for 30 min and the growth inhibitory effect of Aspergillus sp-1 was shown in irradiation for 40 min. The result of the sensory evaluation of the untreated and 0.35 M acetic acid-treated high carbohydrate confectionery, there were not significant changes in taste, color, abnormal taste, hardness and texture, but there were significant differences in sour taste and smell. As a result of the above study, the effect of inhibiting fungi growth on the product by treatment with organic acid and UV-C irradiation was confirmed, and it is expected to be used in confectionery that were concerned about the occurrence of fungi in the distribution process.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly transmissible zoonotic virus that was initially reported in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. Presently, it has infected approximately 1.5 million person and responsible for more than 0.1 million death across the world. It is likely evolved from bats and pangolin and genetically different from SARS-CoV-1, responsible for SARS disease. In present review, we have discussed the recent finding of its origin from bats and pangolin, its phylogenetic comparison from other coronavirus and ongoing therapeutic approaches against the fight of SARS-CoV-2.
