COMBINED EFFECTS OF SO 2 AND NO 2 GAS ON BLOOD FEATURES OF ALBINO RAT

Abstract: The objective of present investigation was to evaluate combined effects of SO 2 and No 2 gas on blood features of albino rat. The haematological parameters {total erythrocyte count, haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume ( PCV), red cell indices-mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, total leucocyte count and differential leucocyte count (DLC)} of albino rat, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout) were evaluated after combined exposure to 40 ppm NO 2 + 40ppm SO 2 for 15 and 30 days for one hour per day. A highly significant decrease in the total erythrocyte count (TEC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb. Conc.) and packed cell volume (PCV) and total leucocyte count (TLC), red cell indices, neutrophil count, monocyte count have been observed. A non-significant decrease in the eosinophil count and basophil count and very highly significant increase in the lymphocyte count have observed after combined exposure to these gases

How does literacy affect speech processing? Not by enhancing cortical responses to speech, but by promoting connectivity of acoustic-phonetic and graphomotor cortices

Previous research suggests that literacy, specifically learning alphabetic letter-to-phoneme mappings, modifies online speech processing, and enhances brain responses, as indexed by the blood-oxygenation level dependent signal (BOLD), to speech in auditory areas associated with phonological processing (Dehaene et al., 2010). However, alphabets are not the only orthographic systems in use in the world, and hundreds of millions of individuals speak languages that are not written using alphabets. In order to make claims that literacy per se has broad and general consequences for brain responses to speech, one must seek confirmatory evidence from non-alphabetic literacy. To this end, we conducted a longitudinal fMRI study in India probing the effect of literacy in Devanagari, an abugida, on functional connectivity and cerebral responses to speech in 91 variously literate Hindi-speaking male and female human participants. Twenty-two completely illiterate participants underwent six months of reading and writing training. Devanagari literacy increases functional connectivity between acoustic-phonetic and graphomotor brain areas, but we find no evidence that literacy changes brain responses to speech, either in cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses. These findings shows that a dramatic reconfiguration of the neurofunctional substrates of online speech processing may not be a universal result of learning to read, and suggest that the influence of writing on speech processing should also be investigated

Learning to read recycles visual cortical networks without destruction

Learning to read is associated with the appearance of an orthographically sensitive brain region known as the visual word form area. It has been claimed that development of this area proceeds by impinging upon territory otherwise available for the processing of culturally relevant stimuli such as faces and houses. In a large-scale functional magnetic resonance imaging study of a group of individuals of varying degrees of literacy (from completely illiterate to highly literate), we examined cortical responses to orthographic and nonorthographic visual stimuli. We found that literacy enhances responses to other visual input in early visual areas and enhances representational similarity between text and faces, without reducing the extent of response to nonorthographic input. Thus, acquisition of literacy in childhood recycles existing object representation mechanisms but without destructive competition

Learning to read alters cortico-subcortical crosstalk in the visual system of illiterates

Learning to read is known to result in a reorganization of the developing cerebral cortex. In this longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study in illiterate adults we show that only 6 months of literacy training can lead to neuroplastic changes in the mature brain. We observed that literacy-induced neuroplasticity is not confined to the cortex but increases the functional connectivity between the occipital lobe and subcortical areas in the midbrain and the thalamus. Individual rates of connectivity increase were significantly related to the individualdecoding skill gains. These findings crucially complement current neurobiological concepts ofnormal and impaired literacy acquisition

Prevalence of diaphragmatic muscle weakness and dyspnoea in Graves' disease and their reversibility with carbimazole therapy

Objectives: Dyspnoea is a common complaint among patients with thyrotoxicosis. However, its causative mechanisms have not been identified. We assessed the role of thoracic diaphragmatic muscle weakness in dyspnoea among patients with active Graves' disease. Methods: Twenty-seven patients (19 female, 8 male) with active Graves' disease were assessed for the clinical severity of dyspnoea, functional (pressure generating capacity) and anatomical aspects (thickness and excursion) of the diaphragm at presentation. The severity of dyspnoea was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the 6 min walk test. Lung function tests, diaphragmatic strength (sniff oesophageal pressure, SniffPoeso), maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures, diaphragmatic thickness and movements on real time ultrasonography were evaluated during normal and deep respiration. Twenty of the 27 patients were reassessed after achieving euthyroidism with carbimazole therapy at a mean interval of 5±2 months. Results: Reevaluation after carbimazole therapy revealed a significant reduction in dyspnoea on the VAS (59±26 to 23±13%). Patients covered a similar distance during the 6 min walk before and after euthyroidism. Significant improvement was observed in the vital capacity (2.57±0.62 to 2.94±0.60 l), forced expiratory volume in the first second (2.21±0.49 to 2.45±0.47 l), total lung capacity (3.57±1.19 to 4.1±1.12 l), diaphragmatic movement during deep respiration (5.5±1.0 to 6.6±1.1 cm) and SniffPoeso (68.7±23 to 93.1±25.2 cmH2O). There was no significant change in the distance walked in 6 min, tidal volume, lung diffusion capacity and diaphragmatic thickness. There was no significant correlation between the net change in dyspnoea score and net change in lung function tests, diaphragmatic movement and SniffPoeso. Conclusions: Significant functional weakness of diaphragm muscle is present in patients with active Graves' disease. This weakness is more marked during a maximal respiratory manoeuvre, indicating a diminished diaphragmatic reserve which could be the cause of dyspnoea observed on exertion among patients with thyrotoxicosis

Genetic variability of kernel provitamin-A in sub-tropically adapted maize hybrids possessing rare allele of β-carotene hydroxylase

Vitamin-A deficiency is a major health concern. Traditional yellow maize possesses low provitamin-A (proA). Mutant crtRB1 gene significantly enhances proA. 24 experimental hybrids possessing crtRB1 allele were evaluated for β-carotene (BC), β-cryptoxanthin (BCX), lutein (LUT), zeaxanthin (ZEA), total carotenoids (TC) and grain yield at multi-locations. BC (0.64–17.24 µg/g), BCX (0.45–6.84 µg/g), proA (0.86–20.46 µg/g), LUT (9.60–31.03 µg/g), ZEA (1.24–12.73 µg/g) and TC (20.60–64.02 µg/g) showed wide variation. No significant genotype × location interaction was observed for carotenoids. The mean BC (8.61 µg/g), BCX (4.04 µg/g) and proA (10.63 µg/g) in crtRB1-based hybrids was significantly higher than normal hybrids lacking crtRB1-favourable allele (BC: 1.73 µg/g, BCX: 1.29 µg/g and proA: 2.37 µg/g). Selected crtRB1-based hybrids possessed 33% BC and 40% BCX compared to 6% BC and 5% BCX in normal hybrids. BC showed positive correlation with BCX (r = 0.90), proA (r = 0.99) and TC (r = 0.64) among crtRB1-based hybrids. Carotenoids didn't show association with grain yield. Average yield potential of proA rich hybrids (6794 kg/ha) was at par with normal hybrids (6961 kg/ha). PROAH-13, PROAH-21, PROAH-17, PROAH-11, PROAH-23, PROAH-24 and PROAH-3 were the most promising with >12 µg/g proA and >6000 kg/ha grain yield. The newly identified crtRB1-based hybrids assume significance in alleviating malnutrition

Insulin-induced remission in new-onset NOD mice is maintained by the PD-1–PD-L1 pathway

The past decade has seen a significant increase in the number of potentially tolerogenic therapies for treatment of new-onset diabetes. However, most treatments are antigen nonspecific, and the mechanism for the maintenance of long-term tolerance remains unclear. In this study, we developed an antigen-specific therapy, insulin-coupled antigen-presenting cells, to treat diabetes in nonobese diabetic mice after disease onset. Using this approach, we demonstrate disease remission, inhibition of pathogenic T cell proliferation, decreased cytokine production, and induction of anergy. Moreover, we show that robust long-term tolerance depends on the programmed death 1 (PD-1)–programmed death ligand (PD-L)1 pathway, not the distinct cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 pathway. Anti–PD-1 and anti–PD-L1, but not anti–PD-L2, reversed tolerance weeks after tolerogenic therapy by promoting antigen-specific T cell proliferation and inflammatory cytokine production directly in infiltrated tissues. PD-1–PD-L1 blockade did not limit T regulatory cell activity, suggesting direct effects on pathogenic T cells. Finally, we describe a critical role for PD-1–PD-L1 in another powerful immunotherapy model using anti-CD3, suggesting that PD-1–PD-L1 interactions form part of a common pathway to selectively maintain tolerance within the target tissues

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of the Essential Oil and Extracts of Zanthoxylum alatum

The essential oil obtained from the fresh leaves of Zanthoxylum alatum was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Fourteen components were identified, and linalool (30.58%), 2-decanone (20.85%), β-fenchol (9.43%), 2-tridecanone (8.86%), β-phellandrene (5.99%), Sabinene (4.82%), and α-pinene (4.11%) were the main components. The EO and methanolic extract of Z. alatum exhibited potent antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata, Alternaria brassicae, and Curvularia lunata. The EO also showed significant antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Further, antimicrobial constituents of the EO were isolated by bioautography and preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) and identified as β-fenchol and linalool using GC/MS analysis. In addition to this, the free radical scavenging activity and antioxidant potential of EO and methanolic extract/fractions of Z. alatum were also investigated using in vitro assays including scavenging ability against DPPH•, reducing power and chelating ability on Fe2+ ions. Our results demonstrate that Z. alatum could be used as a resource of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds which may find applications in food and pesticide industries