Effect of cadaverine on Brassica juncea (RH-30) seedlings under multiple stress - A quantitative analysis

Background: Plants, in general, are subject to various kinds of stress, biotic and abiotic, both natural and manmade. Cadaverine (Cad) is a lysine catabolite and is involved in the growth and development of plants. The present study aimed to determine the effects of cadaverine response on the induction of polypeptide profile under multiple stresses in leaf and root tissues of Brassica juncea, and to diagnose the changes in gene expression (if any). The protein content was analyzed using SDSPAGE and the results were further validated using densitometry. The basal medium used for tissue culture was MS medium, formulated with different stress conditions and treatments without and with Cad (100mM NaCl, 1mM Cd or Pb, 5mM NH4NO3, 1mM cadaverine). Cad treatment showed increased protein content in the presence of NH4NO3, even in seedlings provided/ supplemented with multiple stresses. The protein content was analyzed using SDS-PAGE and the results were further validated using densitometry. Supplementation of Cad induced the expression of 5 more peptides in leaf tissue, such that were not observed in a leaf of the seedling without Cad. Cad enrichment in root tissue did not change the expression of any peptide in NaCl environment, but it was affected in the absence of Cad by saline conditions. The activating performance of Cad in increasing the expression of peptides, and its mitigating the different effects of multiple stresses, suggest its role in growth and development of leaf and root tissues of Brassica juncea (RH-30)

ALLELOPATHIC IMPACT OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF TAGETES MINUTA ON COMMON AGRICULTURAL AND WASTELAND WEEDS

ABSTRACTObjective: Tagetes minuta (Family Asteraceae) is an aromatic plant possessing volatile essential oil.  Its oil finds extensive use in flavor and perfume industry. T. minuta oil also possess medicinal and insecticidal properties as antiheminthic, nematicidal, bactericidal, antiviral, fngicidal and insecticidal. The plant has been explored for herbicidal potential in very few reports. The aim of present study is to find out its allelopathic potential against common wasteland and agricultural weeds.Material & Methods: Various agricultural and wasteland weeds were selected for laboratory growth studies. Oil was applied in solution form using an emulsifier.Results: Growth of all test weeds was inhibited by T. minuta oil; however, effect was maximum in Amaranthus tricolor with complete inhibition at 1µl/ml and E. cruss-galli was least affected with complete inhibition at 5µl/ml concentration of T. minuta oil.Conclusion: T. minuta oil offers great potential for effective weed management in agricultural as well as wasteland areas. Keyowrds: Tagetes minuta, essential oil, allelopathy, solution form, wasteland, agricultural, weed

To study the correlation of mean macular thickness using optical coherence tomography with distant and near visual acuity in patients of diabetic maculopathy

Background: to study the correlation of mean macular thickness using optical coherence tomography with distant and near visual acuity in patients of diabetic maculopathy.Methods: A prospective, single centre study was conducted on 50 eyes of diabetic patients, with Diabetic Retinopathy with CSME in which patients macular thickness was measured on Ocular Coherence Tomography using fast macular thickness scan. The unaided and best corrected visual acuity was measured in all patients using Snellens distant vision and Jaggers near vision charts.Results: A linear correlation between the OCT measured macular thickness and both the distance visual acuity and the near visual acuity. That means that for a given level of macular thickness, we can predict visual acuity for it. In our series correlation coefficient was 0.921 for distance visual acuity and 0.899 for near visual acuity. Although the correlation value is high in our study, we did find a range of visual acuities for a given range of macular thickness. For every 100 micron change in mean macular thickness, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) changed 0.3 LogMAR units, for distance as well as for near.Conclusions: Macular thickness and visual acuities (distance as well as near) are strongly correlated but there can be variations. And a wide range of visual acuities is possible for a given degree of macular edema. Macular thickness though a strong predictor of visual acuity; other factors might also play a role in determining visual acuity for a particular patient

Epitheloid leiomyoma of vulva: a diagnostic dilemma

Smooth muscle tumours are uncommon lesions of vulva. This case reflects the rare clinical presentation of leiomyoma of vulva, which commonly mimics bartholin gland cyst at presentation. A 25 year old P1L1 presents in GOPD as a painless non tender nodule at right labia majora, which gradually increased in size over last 2 years. Wide local excision was done. Histopathology revealed epitheloid leiomyoma of vulva. Recurrence is rare in benign cases

Spectrum of vulvar lesions: a clinicopathologic study of 170 cases

Background: A wide range lesions may occur in the vulvar region. The clinician is often confronted with the challenge to draw a distinction between normal variants, benign entities and a potentially serious pathology. The aim of the present study is to have an insight into the diverse morphologic spectrum of vulvar lesions.Methods: The present retrospective study was carried out by compiling the data from archival records over a period of eight years from January 2005 to December 2012. The vulvar biopsies/vulvectomy specimens were studied for histomorphological features. The lesions were categorized as non neoplastic, neoplastic and inconclusive; neoplastic ones were further divided into benign, malignant and premalignant.Results: The age of the women ranged from 6 to 80 years (mean 38.2±6.4) with the maximum number of patients between 31 to 40 years of age. Most common clinical presentation was itching and white plaque on the vulva (85 cases; 50%). The commonest site of vulval lesions was labia majora (87 cases, 51.18%). Non neoplastic lesions were more common (n = 94; 55.29%) than the neoplastic lesions (n =50; 29.41%). There were 23 (46%) benign lesions while 27 cases (54%) were malignant or premalignant ones. In 26 cases, no definitive histologic diagnosis could be rendered.Conclusion: Early recognition of vulvar lesions and a prompt biopsy diagnosis for all lesions with suspicious changes is of great significance. The term leukoplakia is imprecise and should be replaced by a precise histological description

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever: Recent Update On Disease Status, Current Therapies And Advances In Treatment

Swiftly growing viruses are a major intimidation to human health. Such viruses are extremely pathogenic like Ebola virus, influenza virus, HIV virus, Zika virus etc . Ebola virus, a type of Filovirus, is an extremely infectious, single-stranded ribonucleic acid virus that infects both humans and apes, prompting acute fever with hemorrhagic syndrome. The high infectivity, severity and mortality of Ebola has plagued the world for the past fifty years with its first outbreak in 1976 in Marburg, Germany, and Frankfurt along with Belgrade and Serbia. The world has perceived about 28,000 cases and over 11,000 losses. The high lethality of Ebola makes it a candidate for use in bioterrorism thereby arising more concern. New guidelines have been framed for providing best possible care to the patients suffering from Ebola virus i.e Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development And Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to develop evidence-based strategy for the treatment in future outbreak of Ebola virus. No drugs have been approved, while many potent drugs like rVSV-EBOV, Favipiravir, ZMapp are on clinical test for human safety. In this review we will discover and discuss perspective aspects that lead to the evolution of different Ebola variants as well as advances in various drugs and vaccines for treatment of the disease

Role of Acetylcholine in Chronic Diseases

The complex and extensive network of brain signals plays a vital role in maintaining physiological mechanisms and homeostasis. Acetylcholine, a chief neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, is an important component of the cholinergic system along with cholinergic receptors, acetylcholinesterase, and choline acetyltransferase. It is responsible for mediating cell-to-cell communication and regulates various peripheral and non-neuronal cholinergic signals. Any alteration in the levels of acetylcholine leads to chronic diseases. Chronic diseases, the leading causes of disability, require continuing health care, medical attention, and potential therapeutics. This chapter will cover a brief overview of acetylcholine including its synthesis and degradation, the cholinergic system, and the influence of acetylcholine on different chronic diseases including neurological complications, metabolic disorders, cardiac diseases, and immune disorders. Moreover, the mechanistic approach of acetylcholine in different diseases and the therapies for recovering the levels of acetylcholine will be reviewed in this chapter. Further, this will illustrate the acetylcholine interaction with various cells implicated in the diseases. The insights on agonists and antagonists of acetylcholine and different targets of cholinergic receptors that could help to design better strategies to control these chronic diseases will also be provided

Sarcoid Granulomas in Malignancy

Noncaseating epithelioid granulomas without accompanying systemic symptoms of sarcoidosis have been described in association with many primary tumors where they are designated as sarcoid-like (SL) reaction. Morphologically, this SL reaction is similar to granulomas found in systemic sarcoidosis comprising of focal accumulation of epithelioid cells and multinucleated giant cells. They can be seen either adjacent to the primary malignancy or in local draining lymph nodes. Additionally, sarcoid-like granulomas can affect other organs distant from the primary neoplasm, such as the spleen, bone marrow, and skin. This sarcoid-like reaction is thought to occur as an immunologic T-cell-mediated response to antigens expressed by the neoplastic cells or soluble tumor antigens. Whether the presence of this sarcoid-like reaction has any prognostic significance in the associated neoplasm is unclear