Manipal University

About: Manipal University is a education organization based out in Manipal, Karnataka, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 9525 authors who have published 11207 publications receiving 110687 citations.

Hydrolysis of oils by using immobilized lipase enzyme: A review

Abstract: This review focuses on the use of immobilized lipase technology for the hydrolysis of oils. The importance of lipase catalyzed fat splitting process, the various immobilization procedures, kinetics, deactivation kinetics, New immobilized lipases for chiral resolution, reactor configurations, and process considerations are all reviewed and discussed.

Identification and characterization of phosphoseryl-tRNA[Ser]Sec kinase

Abstract: In 1970, a kinase activity that phosphorylated a minor species of seryl-tRNA to form phosphoseryl-tRNA was found in rooster liver [Maenpaa, P. H. & Bernfield, M. R. (1970) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 67, 688–695], and a minor seryl-tRNA that decoded the nonsense UGA was detected in bovine liver. The phosphoseryl-tRNA and the minor UGA-decoding seryl-tRNA were subsequently identified as selenocysteine (Sec) tRNA[Ser]Sec, but the kinase activity remained elusive. Herein, by using a comparative genomics approach that searched completely sequenced archaeal genomes for a kinase-like protein with a pattern of occurrence similar to that of components of Sec insertion machinery, we detected a candidate gene for mammalian phosphoseryl-tRNA[Ser]Sec kinase (pstk). Mouse pstk was cloned, and the gene product (PSTK) was expressed and characterized. PSTK specifically phosphorylated the seryl moiety on seryl-tRNA[Ser]Sec and, in addition, had a requirement for ATP and Mg2+. Proteins with homology to mammalian PSTK occur in Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, Methanopyrus kandleri, and Methanococcus jannaschii, suggesting a conservation of its function across archaea and eukaryotes that synthesize selenoproteins and the absence of this function in bacteria, plants, and yeast. The fact that PSTK has been highly conserved in evolution suggests that it plays an important role in selenoprotein biosynthesis and/or regulation.

COVID-19: Emergence, Spread, Possible Treatments, and Global Burden

Abstract: The Coronavirus (CoV) is a large family of viruses known to cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory tract infection The severity of the infection may be visible as pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome, and even death Until the outbreak of SARS, this group of viruses was greatly overlooked However, since the SARS and MERS outbreaks, these viruses have been studied in greater detail, propelling the vaccine research On December 31, 2019, mysterious cases of pneumonia were detected in the city of Wuhan in China's Hubei Province On January 7, 2020, the causative agent was identified as a new coronavirus (2019-nCoV), and the disease was later named as COVID-19 by the WHO The virus spread extensively in the Wuhan region of China and has gained entry to over 210 countries and territories Though experts suspected that the virus is transmitted from animals to humans, there are mixed reports on the origin of the virus There are no treatment options available for the virus as such, limited to the use of anti-HIV drugs and/or other antivirals such as Remdesivir and Galidesivir For the containment of the virus, it is recommended to quarantine the infected and to follow good hygiene practices The virus has had a significant socio-economic impact globally Economically, China is likely to experience a greater setback than other countries from the pandemic due to added trade war pressure, which have been discussed in this paper

Outbreak Investigation of Nipah Virus Disease in Kerala, India, 2018.

Abstract: Background Nipah Virus (NiV) is a highly fatal emerging zoonotic virus and a potential threat to global health security. Here we describe the characteristics of the NiV outbreak that occurred in Kerala, India, during May-June 2018. Methods We used real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of throat swab, blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens to detect NiV. Further, the viral genome was sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. We conducted an epidemiologic investigation to describe the outbreak and elucidate the dynamics of NiV transmission. Results During 2-29 May 2018, 23 cases were identified, including the index case; 18 were laboratory confirmed. The lineage of the NiV responsible for this outbreak was closer to the Bangladesh lineage. The median age of cases was 45 years; the sex of 15 (65%) was male. The median incubation period was 9.5 days (range, 6-14 days). Of the 23 cases, 20 (87%) had respiratory symptoms. The case-fatality rate was 91%; 2 cases survived. Risk factors for infection included close proximity (ie, touching, feeding, or nursing a NiV-infected person), enabling exposure to droplet infection. The public health response included isolation of cases, contact tracing, and enforcement of hospital infection control practices. Conclusion This is the first recorded NiV outbreak in South India. Early laboratory confirmation and an immediate public health response contained the outbreak.