Fine‐scale ecological and anthropogenic variables predict the habitat use and detectability of sloth bears in the Churia habitat of east Nepal

Once widespread throughout the tropical forests of the Indian Subcontinent, the sloth bears have suffered a rapid range collapse and local extirpations in the recent decades. A significant portion of their current distribution range is situated outside of the protected areas (PAs). These unprotected sloth bear populations are under tremendous human pressures, but little is known about the patterns and determinants of their occurrence in most of these regions. The situation is more prevalent in Nepal where virtually no systematic information is available for sloth bears living outside of the PAs. We undertook a spatially replicated sign survey‐based single‐season occupancy study intending to overcome this information gap for the sloth bear populations residing in the Trijuga forest of southeast Nepal. Sloth bear sign detection histories and field‐based covariates data were collected between 2 October and 3 December 2020 at the 74 randomly chosen 4‐km² grid cells. From our results, the model‐averaged site use probability (ψ ± SE) was estimated to be 0.432 ± 0.039, which is a 13% increase from the naïve estimate (0.297) not accounting for imperfect detections of sloth bear signs. The presence of termite mound and the distance to the nearest water source were the most important variables affecting the habitat use probability of sloth bears. The average site‐level detectability (p ± SE) of sloth bear signs was estimated to be 0.195 ± 0.003 and was significantly determined by the index of human disturbances. We recommend considering the importance of fine‐scale ecological and anthropogenic factors in predicting the sloth bear‐habitat relationships across their range in the Churia habitat of Nepal, and more specifically in the unprotected areas.     

Quantized Water Access to the HIV-1 Protease Active Site as a Proposed Mechanism for Cooperative Mutations in Drug Affinity

The development of resistance to different drugs remains a major problem for a wide range of infections. In particular, combinations of specific mutations, which individually demonstrate no effect, exhibit significant cooperativity. Here we show that changes to the energy of ligand binding in different resistant HIV-1 proteases are correlated with the creation of water binding sites in the active site. This correlation is conserved across two drugs (ritonavir and lopinavir). We propose that individual mutations induce changes in flap packing that are insufficient to allow water binding but in combination allow access, leading to the observed cooperative resistance.     

Factors associated with physician agreement and coding choices of cause of death using verbal autopsies for 1130 maternal deaths in India

Background

The Indian Sample Registration System (SRS) with verbal autopsy methods provides estimations of cause specific mortality for maternal deaths, where the majority of deaths occur at home, unregistered. We aim to examine factors that influence physician agreement and coding choices in assigning causes of death from verbal autopsies.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Among adult deaths identified in the SRS, pregnancy-related deaths recorded in 2001–2003 were assigned ICD-10 codes by two independent physicians. Inter-rater reliability was estimated using Landis Koch Kappa classification – poor to fair agreement; > – moderate agreement; > – substantial agreement; >– high agreement. We identified factors associated with physician agreement using multivariate logistic regression. A central consensus panel reviewed cases for errors and reclassified as needed based on 2011 ICD-10 coding guidelines. Of 1130 pregnancy-related deaths, 1040 were assigned ICD-10 codes by two physicians. We found substantial agreement regardless of the woman''s residence, whether the death was registered, religion, respondent''s or deceased''s education, age, hospital admission or gestational age. Physician agreement was not influenced by the above variables, with the exception of greater agreement in cases where the respondent did not live with the deceased, or early gestational age at the time of death. A central consensus panel reviewed all cases and recoded 10% of cases due to insufficient use of information in the verbal autopsy by the coding physicians and rationale for this reclassification are discussed.

Conclusion

In the absence of complete vital registration and universal healthcare services, physician coded verbal autopsies continues to be heavily relied upon to ascertain pregnancy-related death. From this study, two independent physicians had good inter-rater reliability for assigning pregnancy-related causes of death in a nationally-represented sample, and physician coding does not appear to be heavily influenced by case characteristics or demographics.     

Characterization of Mycolytic Enzymes of Bacillus Strains and Their Bio-Protection Role Against Rhizoctonia solani in Tomato

Four antagonists bacteria namely, Bacillus megaterium MB3, B. subtilis MB14, B. subtilis MB99 and B. amyloliquefaciens MB101 were able to produce chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase and protease in different range with the presence of Rhizoctonia solani cell wall as a carbon source. Amplification of chitinase (chiA) gene of 270 bp and β-1, 3-glucanase gene of 415 bp was given supportive evidence at molecular level of antibiosis. After in vitro screening, all antagonists were tested against R. solani under greenhouse conditions. Root treatment of Bacillus strains showed superior defense during pathogen suppression in terms of chitinase, glucanase, peroxidase, poly phenol oxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity and total phenolic content in leaves of tomato. All these enzymes accumulated high in tomato leaves as compared to roots. Pathogenesis-related proteins and defense-related enzymes accumulation was directly correlated with plant protection and greenhouse results indicated that B. amyloliquefaciens MB101- and B. subtilis MB14-treated plants offered 69.76 and 61.51 % disease reductions, respectively, over the infected control. These results established that these organisms have the potential to act as biocontrol agents. This study could be highlighted a mutual importance of liquid formulation of antagonistic Bacillus spp. against root associated sclerotia former pathogen R. solani.     

Modulation of in vitro activity of zymogenic and mature recombinant human β-secretase by dietary plants

The in vitro activity of human recombinant β-secretase (BACE1) was studied using a fluorogenic substrate based on the cleavage site for the enzyme in the Swedish mutation of amyloid precursor protein. The enzyme was inhibited by a control peptide inhibitor with good repeatability. The enzyme preparation comprised a mixture of pro-enzyme or zymogen and mature enzyme whereby the pro-enzyme sequence forms a 'flap' that can obstruct the binding site. 'Open flap' forms of the zymogen and mature enzyme are active, but the 'closed flap' form of the zymogen is inactive. This mixture of enzyme populations permitted apparent stimulation of enzyme activity under particular conditions, presumably due to facilitating flap-opening of the zymogen. As reported for heparin, enzyme activation was stimulated in the presence of low concentrations of Tween 20 and dimethylsulfoxide before becoming inhibited at higher concentrations. Dietary plant extracts either consistently inhibited (e.g. clove, tea, cinammon) or consistently stimulated (e.g. mushroom, parsley, asparagus) BACE1. Common structural features identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that BACE1 activity could be explained by differential interactions of either small molecule or polymeric species with mature versus zymogen forms of the enzyme, respectively. Further, enzyme activity could be reversed by mixtures of high and low mass species. These results may have implications for the regulation of β-secretase activity in vivo by either endogenous or possibly dietary factors and for a potential role of BACE1 in stimulation of the production of amyloid beta peptide in sporadic Alzheimer's disease.     

Metal(II) complexes of 1-formylisoquinoline thiosemicarbazone: their preparation,characterization and antitumour activity

Complexes of Co(II), Ni(lI), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pt(II) with 1-formylisoquinoline thiosemicarbazone (1-iqtsc-H) were prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, conductance measurement and spectral studies. On the basis of these studies a distorted octahedral structure for [Co(1-iqtsc)₂]·2H₂O, a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal structure for [Ni- (1-iqtsc-H)Cl₂], [Cu(1-iqtsc-H)Cl₂] and [Zn(1-iqtsc- H)(OAc)₂]·H₂O and a square-planar structure for [Pt(1-iqtsc)Cl] are suggested. All these metal(II) complexes were screened for their antitumour activity in the P388 lymphocytic leukaemia test system in mice. Except for Pt(Il), the complexes were found to possess significant activity; the Ni(II) complex showed a T/C value of 161 at the optimum dosage.