Molecules possessing harmine moiety are reported to exhibit marked fungicidal and bactericidal activities. In this study, various quinozilinium tetrafluoroborate salts were synthesized using acylic and cyclic oxoketene dithioacetals followed by cycloaromatization from Harmine. All of these synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, Mass and CHN analysis. This methodology would find wide usage in the preparation of indolo quinozilinium -based library of small molecules useful for medicinal chemistry and in drug discovery.

Objectives: Practitioners work with children presenting with sensory processing difficulties. There is limited evidence about the relationship between children’s sensory processing and their executive functioning. This study investigated the relationship between children’s sensory processing and executive functioning. Methods: Forty parents/guardians of typically developing children (M = 7.42 years [89.05 months; SD = 11.13]; 50% female) from Australia completed the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF2). Scores were analysed using Spearman rho correlations with bootstrapping. Results: Some SPM subscales were found to be significantly correlated with the four BRIEF2 composite scales: the Behavior Regulation Index (BRI; rs = .31 - .38, p < .05), Emotion Regulation Index (ERI; rs = .34 - .59, p < .05), Cognitive Regulation Index (CRI; rs = .32 - .45, p < .05) and Global Executive Composite (GEC; rs = .32 - .45; p < .05). The SPM subscales were also found to be predictive of the BRIEF2 composite scales: ERI regression model (Adj R 2 = .27, p < .005), CRI regression model (Adj R 2 = .34, p < .001) and GEC regression model (Adj R 2 = .37, p < .001). Discussion: This study provides preliminary evidence that children’s sensory processing factors impact their executive functioning since they appear to be significantly associated. This information can be used to inform occupational therapists’ goal setting and intervention provision with children and their families.

Dental health care workers (DHCW) are at a risk of occupational exposure to Helicobacter pylori from the aerosolized oral biofilms and saliva of patients. We designed this study to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori in the oral biofilms of a group of dental and non-dental undergraduates from Sri Lanka. After obtaining informed consent, oral biofilms were collected from 38 dental undergraduates (19 males and 19 females) undergoing clinical training and 33 non-dental undergraduates (14 males and 19 females). The participants were in the age range of 22–27 years and had healthy periodontium. Total DNA from the oral biofilms were extracted, and H. pylori DNA was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 16S rRNA gene of H. pylori using JW22-JW23 primers, and the results were confirmed using PCR amplification of H. pylori -urease specific HPU1-HPU2 primers. Out of 71 participants, 11 (28.95%) dental and 3 (9.09%) non-dental undergraduates had H. pylori in their oral biofilms indicating an overall prevalence rate of 19.72% (14/71). Thus, the prevalence of H. pylori in oral biofilms was significantly higher in dental undergraduates than in non-dental undergraduates (p < 0.05). An odds ratio of 4.07 indicated that dental undergraduates were four times more likely to harbor H. pylori in their oral biofilms than nondental undergraduates. Foregoing data support the fact that there may be greater occupational risk of exposure to H. pylori for dental undergraduates during clinical training than that for non-dental undergraduates, warranting meticulous infection control practices during clinical dentistry.

Kisspeptin, a neuropeptide and the master controller of reproductive axis upstream to GnRH neurons, and its receptor are also expressed in extrahypothalamic tissues, such as ovaries. As systemic kisspeptin has been shown to modulate follicular dynamics in cattle, we hypothesized that kisspeptin has direct actions on the ovarian follicular development. We also hypothesized that kisspeptin regulation of primordial follicle development is via modulation of VEGF expression. In order to test these hypotheses, we cultured caprine ovarian cortical strips in vitro for 7 days with supplementation of kisspeptin at 1, 10 and 100 μM concentration and observed the development of primordial follicles into intermediate, primary and secondary follicles. We also studied the alteration in the expression profile of VEGF and VEGF transcript variant 2 mRNA during follicular development in the presence of kisspeptin. We confirmed the presence of GPR54 in goat ovaries in our preliminary studies. Supplementation of kisspeptin at 1 and 10 μM concentration facilitated the development of primordial follicles into intermediate, primary and secondary follicles with less number of degenerated follicles while the same at 100 μM resulted in degeneration of follicles. We observed a drastic increase in the expression profile of VEGF and VEGF transcript variant 2 mRNA upon culture which was independent of kisspeptin treatment. In conclusion, our studies show that kisspeptin facilitates ovarian primordial development in vitro.

Dimethachlor is a synthetic herbicide, belonging to the chloroacetanilide group, that inhibits the undesirable growth of weeds via the suppression of very longchain fatty acid synthesis. Although dimethachlor has been shown to run off from agricultural fields into aquatic ecosystems, the toxicity of dimethachlor on aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates is unknown. In our study, we assessed the toxicity of dimethachlor on developing zebrafish embryos by analyzing viability, hatching ability, and phenotypic changes. Embryonic viability decreased from 48 h post-fertilization (hpf) at the highest concentration of dimethachlor. Decreased hatching ratio, shortened body length, and pathological changes in the eye, heart, and yolk sac were observed at sub-lethal concentrations. Additionally, dimethachlor increased the number of apoptotic cells and level of reactive oxygen species 120 hpf. Our results indicate that dimethachlor may act as an anti-developmental toxicant when accumulated in an aquatic environment.