Mother-to-mother therapy in India and Pakistan: adaptation and feasibility evaluation of the peer-delivered Thinking Healthy Programme.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal depression is highly prevalent in South Asia. Although effective and culturally feasible interventions exist, a key bottleneck for scaled-up delivery is lack of trained human resource. The aim of this study was to adapt an evidence-based intervention so that local women from the community (peers) could be trained to deliver it, and to test the adapted intervention for feasibility in India and Pakistan. METHODS: The study was conducted in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and Goa, India. To inform the adaptation process, qualitative data was collected through 7 focus groups (four in Pakistan and three in India) and 61 in-depth interviews (India only). Following adaptation, the intervention was delivered to depressed mothers (20 in Pakistan and 24 in India) for six months through 8 peers in Pakistan and nine in India. Post intervention data was collected from depressed mothers and peers through 41 in-depth interviews (29 in Pakistan and 12 in India) and eight focus groups (one in Pakistan and seven in India). Data was analysed using Framework Analysis approach. RESULTS: Most mothers perceived the intervention to be acceptable, useful, and viewed the peers as effective delivery-agents. The simple format using vignettes, pictures and everyday terms to describe distress made the intervention easy to understand and deliver. The peers were able to use techniques for behavioural activation with relative ease. Both the mothers and peers found that shared life-experiences and personal characteristics greatly facilitated the intervention-delivery. A minority of mothers had concerns about confidentiality and stigma related to their condition, and some peers felt the role was emotionally challenging. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates the feasibility of using peers to provide interventions for perinatal depression in two South Asian settings. Peers can be a potential resource to deliver evidence-based psychosocial interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pakistan Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02111915 (9 April 2014), India Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02104232 (1 April 2014)

Protein S-nitrosylation: specificity and identification strategies in plants

The role of nitric oxide (NO) as a major regulator of plant physiological functions has become increasingly evident. To further improve our understanding of its role, within the last few years plant biologists have begun to embrace the exciting opportunity of investigating protein S-nitrosylation, a major reversible NO-dependent post-translational modification (PTM) targeting specific Cys residues and widely studied in animals. Thanks to the development of dedicated proteomic approaches, in particular the use of the Biotin Switch Technique (BST) combined with mass spectrometry, hundreds of plant protein candidates for S-nitrosylation have been identified. Functional studies focused on specific proteins provided preliminary comprehensive views of how this PTM impacts the structure and function of proteins and, more generally, of how NO might regulate biological plant processes. The aim of this review is to detail the basic principle of protein S-nitrosylation, to provide information on the biochemical and structural features of the S-nitrosylation sites and to describe the proteomic strategies adopted to investigate this PTM in plants. Limits of the current approaches and tomorrow's challenges are also discussed

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the peer-delivered Thinking Healthy Programme for perinatal depression in Pakistan and India: the SHARE study protocol for randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Rates of perinatal depression (antenatal and postnatal depression) in South Asia are among the highest in the world. The delivery of effective psychological treatments for perinatal depression through existing health systems is a challenge due to a lack of human resources. This paper reports on a trial protocol that aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Thinking Healthy Programme delivered by peers (Thinking Healthy Programme Peer-delivered; THPP), for women with moderate to severe perinatal depression in rural and urban settings in Pakistan and India. METHODS/DESIGN: THPP is evaluated with two randomised controlled trials: a cluster trial in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and an individually randomised trial in Goa, India. Trial participants are pregnant women who are registered with the lady health workers in the study area in Pakistan and pregnant women attending outpatient antenatal clinics in India. They will be screened using the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression symptoms and will be eligible if their PHQ-9 is equal to or greater than 10 (PHQ-9 ≥ 10). The sample size will be 560 and 280 women in Pakistan and India, respectively. Women in the intervention arm (THPP) will be offered ten individual and four group sessions (Pakistan) or 6-14 individual sessions (India) delivered by a peer (defined as a mother from the same community who is trained and supervised in delivering the intervention). Women in the control arm (enhanced usual care) will receive health care as usual, enhanced by providing the gynaecologist or primary-health facilities with adapted WHO mhGAP guidelines for depression treatment, and providing the woman with her diagnosis and information on how to seek help for herself. The primary outcomes are remission and severity of depression symptoms at the 6-month postnatal follow-up. Secondary outcomes include remission and severity of depression symptoms at the 3-month postnatal follow-up, functional disability, perceived social support, breastfeeding rates, infant height and weight, and costs of health care at the 3- and 6-month postnatal follow-ups. The primary analysis will be intention-to-treat. DISCUSSION: The trials have the potential to strengthen the evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an evidence-based psychological treatment recommended by the World Health Organisation and delivered by peers for perinatal depression. The trials have the unique opportunity to overcome the shortage of human resources in global mental health and may advance our understanding about the use of peers who work in partnership with the existing health systems in low-resource settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pakistan Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02111915 (9 April 2014) India Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02104232 (1 April 2014)

De novo mutations in SMCHD1 cause Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome and abrogate nasal development

Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome (BAMS) is an extremely rare and striking condition characterized by complete absence of the nose with or without ocular defects. We report here that missense mutations in the epigenetic regulator SMCHD1 mapping to the extended ATPase domain of the encoded protein cause BAMS in all 14 cases studied. All mutations were de novo where parental DNA was available. Biochemical tests and in vivo assays in Xenopus laevis embryos suggest that these mutations may behave as gain-of-function alleles. This finding is in contrast to the loss-of-function mutations in SMCHD1 that have been associated with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) type 2. Our results establish SMCHD1 as a key player in nasal development and provide biochemical insight into its enzymatic function that may be exploited for development of therapeutics for FSHD

EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON AZOLLA PRODUCTION AT GEZIRA

This study was undertaken at the Alnashishiba complex, an experimental farm of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Gezira University which lies between latitudes of 14° 22? to 14° 25? N and longitudes of 33° 29? to 33° 30? E, 405 m above sea level. In addition to the standard control, the treatments included organic and inorganic fertilizers. The organic fertilizers were cow manure and compost at the rate of one kg/m2 for each, while the inorganic fertilizer (combination of phosphorus and potassium) at the rate of 5 g/m2 for each which is equivalent to 32 and 18 g of mono phosphate and potassium sulfate, respectively. The four treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design in four replications. After 24 hours, the Azolla primer was spread (100 g/m2) and continued to harvest (in 12 days). Productivity of Azolla was measured for all treatments by weight in g, and then the protein percentage was recorded as the nitrogen content using Kjeldhal method. The highest production of Azolla fodder was obtained when supplemented with the cow manure and the production reached 1167 g/m2 followed by compost (1131 g/m2) while the chemical fertilizers gave the lowest production (811 g/m2) making the increase rate over the control as 141%, 133% and 67%, respectively. On the other hand, the addition of compost fertilizer resulted in the highest percentage of protein (41.1%) with an increment of 105% over control whereas the combination of P and K and cow manure approximately gave the same protein content (38% and 37%, respectively). The results of this study revealed that the addition of organic fertilizers i.e. cow manure or compost is more beneficial for Azolla production than the chemical fertilizers (P and K)

Study the Efficiency of Two Concentrations from Algae Cladophora glomerata Extract on the Giardia lamblia parasite

خلال الدراسة الحالية تم عزل طفيلي Giardia lamblia من عينات البراز لمرضى مصابين باسهال Giardiasis  حيث تم عزل الطفيلي و تنميته باستخدام وسط HSP . استعان الباحثون بفئران تجريبيه بواقع اربع مجاميع من الفئران وذلك لتقييم فعالية تركيزين (128,256)ملغم /مل من مستخلص كلوروفورم للطحالب الخضراء Cladophora glomerata ضد الطفيلي المعزول ومقارنة بالعلاج التجاري للطفيلي) (Flagyl وذلك بقياس بعض المؤشرات مثل انزيمات الكبد GPTand GOT)) , مستوى تراكيز الصوديوم والبوتاسيوم والحديد بالدم اضافة الى تعداد اكياس الطفيلي لبراز كل مجموعة من مجاميع الفئران المستخدمة خلال التجربة , اظهرت النتائج انحدار في مستويات انزيمات الكبد بعد معالجة الفئران المصابة بالطفيلي بمستخلص الطحالب. بينما اشرت قياسات مستوى الصوديوم والبوتاسيوم و الحديد زيادة بعد العلاج بمستخلص الطحلب .وبالنسبة لتعداد اكياس الطفيلي فقد قل تعدادها في براز الفئران المصابة بعد تجريعها فمويا بمستخلص الطحلب مقارنة بالعلاج التجاري .واخيرا تم الكشف عن المركبات الفعالة في مستخلص الطحالب المدروسة باجراء فحص  GC-Mass حيث اظهرت نتائج الفحص وجود العديد من المركبات ذات فعالية بايولوجية متنوعة . تعتبر هذه الدراسة الاولى على مستوى العالم لبيان امكانية استخدام المركبات الفعالة بايولوجيا الموجوده في طحلب Cladophora glomerata كعلاج مناسب وبديل عن العلاج المصنع للقضاء على اصابات الطفيلي Giardia.Giardia lamblia parasite was isolated from the diarrhea samples of patients with Giardiasis dysentery and was developed in HSP media, four mice groups have been used to find in vivo efficacy of two concentrations (128,256) mg/ml of chlorophorm extracts from Cladophora glomerata algae against Giardia lamblia parasite  as compared with (Flagyl) by measuring several biochemical markers as ( GPT and GOT) enzymes ,sodium ,potassium and iron concentration as well as counting the number of parasitic cysts in each mice groups. The results demonstrate that levels of GPTA GOT enzymes have been decreased in mice treated with algal extract. As for the concentration of the Sodium, Potassium and Iron increased in mice treated with algal extract. The number of the Giardia cyst is also reduced in orally inoculated mice with both concentrations of algal extract as compared with positive control and the Flagyl treated group. In terms of bioactive compounds, GC-Mass results indicate the presence of many phytochemicals with different biologically active properties This study represents the first attempt to use Cladophora glomerata derived from phytochemicals to treat giardiasis in vivo

Genetic Characterization of Indigenous Sudanese Cattle Using FSHR and LHR Genes

The aim of this study was to estimate the genotypic and allelic frequencies of the two polymorphisms located in the receptor of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSHR) and Luteinizing Hormone (LHR). One hundred and sixteen blood samples were collected from three native Sudanese dairy ecotypes. The studied samples include 32, 34 and 50 cows from Butana, Kenana and Erashy cattle types, respectively. The DNA was extracted following standard methods. The purified DNA was subjected to PCR-RFLP techniques to identify polymorphisms of the FSHR and LHR genes in the three Sudanese cattle ecotypes. The amplified fragments of FSHR (306 bp) were digested with restriction enzymes ALu resulting in 243 and 63 bp fragments. At exon10in the FSHR gene, all genotyped cows in the investigated native Sudanese population were homozygous for AA genotype. The restriction endonuclease Hhal allowed the identification of three genotypes of the LHR gene at exon 11 among the different cattle ecotypes: The TT, CT and the CC genotypes. The observed genotypic frequencies for LHR gene in Kenana were 33.3% for TT, 41.7% for CT and 25% for CC genotypes. In Butana cows, the frequencies were 18.7 for TT, 50% for CT and 31.3% for CC. In Erashy cattle the frequencies were 33.3% for TT, 50% for CT and 16.7% for CC. It was concluded that the allele of FSHR gene among the tested animals of Kenana, Butana and Erashy is monomorphic while the LHR allele is polymorphic

Nanoparticles as Game-Changers in Drug Delivery for Neurological Disorders

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery has emerged as a promising strategy for treating neurological disorders, overcoming the limitations of traditional drug delivery systems. The central challenge in this field lies in the effective targeting of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and improving the bioavailability of drugs. This review explores the major neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer\u27s, Parkinson\u27s, and epilepsy, and the challenges involved in delivering therapeutic agents to the brain. We present an overview of nanoparticles, their types (lipid-based, polymeric, inorganic, dendrimers, and carbon-based), and their mechanisms for crossing the BBB. The review discusses how nanoparticles enhance the delivery of both allopathic drugs (e.g., levodopa, donepezil) and herbal compounds (e.g., curcumin, resveratrol) by improving solubility, bioavailability, and brain targeting. A comparative analysis of nanoparticle-based drug delivery for herbal versus synthetic drugs is provided, highlighting their complementary roles in combination therapy. Lastly, we review the clinical applications and future directions, emphasizing the integration of herbal and allopathic therapies in nanoparticle-based systems to revolutionize treatment strategies for neurological disorders

Purificación de fibroblastos gingivales a partir de tejido de la mucosa bucal

Los fibroblastos son ampliamente utilizados en la medicina regenerativa como elementos clave en la restauración del tejido gingival y tratamientos faciales. El objetivo de este estudio fue estandarizar un método para obtener fibroblastos gingivales, con alta pureza, procedentes de la mucosa bucal, para ello se cultivaron células procedentes del tejido gingival mecánicamente disgregado y sometido a separación mediante gradientes de densidad en ficoll hypaque. Después de varios pasajes se obtuvo un cultivo enriquecido de células adherentes. El 51% de estas fueron positivas para el marcador específico de fibroblastos humanos ER-TR7. Nuestros resultados indican que el método utilizado permite la obtención de los fibroblastos del tejido gingival, células con gran relevancia en el campo de la medicina regenerativa y que representa en nuestra comunidad, el paso inicial para la implementación de estrategias terapéuticas hacia la restitución de tejidos perdidos, particularmente a nivel de la mucosa bucal. Palabras clave: Mucosa gingival, fibroblastos gingivales, ER-TR7, citometría de flujo, inmunofluorescencia. Abstract Gingival fibroblast purification from oral mucose tissue Fibroblasts are widely used in regenerative medicine, as key elements in the restoration of the gingival tissue and facial treatments. The aim of this study was to standardize in our laboratory a method to obtain highly pure fibroblasts from gingival tissue. In order to do that, cells were mechanically disaggregated from gingival tissue and separated by ficoll hypaque density gradients. This procedure was performed several times yielding an enriched culture of adherent cells, where 51% resulted positive for the fibroblast marker ER-TR7. Our results indicate that the method used, allow to obtain fibroblasts from gingival tissue; cells with great potential in the field of regenerative medicine and it represents, in our community, the first step to implement therapeutic strategies that will allow the restoration of damaged tissues, particularly in the oral mucosa. Keywords: Gingival mucose, gingival fibroblast, ER-TR7, floe cytometry, immunofluorescence