Experimental Wear Modelling of Lifeboat Slipway Launches

It is necessary to use an inclined slipway to launch lifeboats in locations where there is no natural harbour. Slipway stations consist of an initial roller section followed by an inclined keelway, the lifeboat is released from the top of the slipway and proceeds under its own weight into the water. Contact is between the lifeboat keel and a lined, greased keelway and this that determines the friction along the slipway. This paper describes a bench test methodology to investigate this contact. The selection of a modified TE57 reciprocating tribometer and design of a modified pin on plate arrangement is discussed. A test schedule for both the original nickel/chromium coated steel lining and the new low-friction jute fibre/phenolic resin composite lining is developed to accurately reflect real world conditions including environmental contamination such as seawater or wind-blown sand. Environmentally conscious lubricants including water and bio-greases are investigated and compared for their effects in reducing slipway panel friction and wear. Experimental data is collected to establish wear mechanisms, wear volumes and friction characteristics for a range of lubricants and environmental contaminants for the two most common lifeboat keelway lining materials. Implications of this research for future lifeboat slipway design are discussed

Healthcare-Associated Meningitis Caused by <em>M. tuberculosis</em> and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria

Meningitis can be acquired in the community setting or secondary to invasive procedures or head trauma. The latter group has been classified as health-care-associated meningitis because the etiologic agents belong to a different spectrum of microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase negative staphylococcus Gram negative bacilli, Aspergillus, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans. IDSA Clinical Practice guidelines for Healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis does not include M. tuberculosis and NTM, but in the last decade infections caused by these organisms are on a rise. These infections are mostly associated with cerebrospinal fluid shunts, cerebrospinal fluid drains, intra-thecal drug therapy, deep brain stimulation hardware, neurosurgery and head trauma. Most commonly these are introduced during surgical procedures. Another important pathogenic factor is biofilm formation that increases the persistence and resistance to antibiotic therapy, hence the survival. A high index of suspicion aids early diagnosis but preventive measures such as care of the devices introduced into sterile spaces is essential. Sterilization of the critical items is recommended by treating with different chemical sterilizing agents but most importantly meticulous cleaning must precede any high-level disinfection or sterilization process. A course of multidrug therapy is required for prolonged period of time depending on mycobacterial species

Review on Phytopharmacological Activity of Curcuma amada Roxb. (Mango ginger)

Plants have been an essential part of our daily lives since early advancement. Since prehistoric times, they’vebeen found and employed in traditional medicine. The plant has been used as a medication for diseases and disorders.&nbsp;Curcuma amada Roxb. (Mango ginger) of the family Zingiberaceae belongs to the genus Curcuma, a beneficial plant in the indigenous system of medicine. It has a significant role in food as well as in pharmaceuticals. Some of its outstanding medical characteristics, including antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, have been reported. Dermatological issues like eczema, itching, and digestive problems are treated with rhizomes. The plant parts are rich in starch, phenolic acids, curcuminoids, volatile oils, minerals, vitamins and phytoconstituents like labdane diterpene dialdehyde, amadaldehyde, zederone, amadannulen, difurocumenonol. C. amada is used in Ayurveda and Unani medical systems as an aphrodisiac, expectorant, appetizer, diuretic, emollient, antipyretic as well as to treat asthma, skin ailments, itching, biliousness, bronchitis, hiccough, and inflammation caused by accidents. This research focused on the main active ingredients, their biological activities and therapeutic capabilities, traditional use and proven pharmacological aspects that may be important from a pharmacological standpoint

PCR-SSCP and Sequencing of CXCR2 Receptor Gene in Vrindavani Cattle

Genetic markers associated with inflammatory responses during mastitis could aid in the selection of diseased cattle. One potential marker is CXCR2, a chemokine receptor required for neutrophil migration to infection sites. The objective of this experiment was to identify genetic polymorphism of CXCR2 gene and associate it with subclinical and clinical mastitis. Ninety five Vrindavani crossbred cows (42-mastitis tolerant and 53-clinical mastitis) that completed at least two full lactations were taken for study. Blood of selected crossbred cows was collected, and genomic DNA was isolated by phenol chloroform method. The DNA of good quality having OD ratio (260/280 nm) between 1.7-1.9 were used for further analysis. PCR-SSCP technique was used to reveal the polymorphism in 269bp fragments of CXCR2 gene. The 269 bp fragment of CXCR2 gene was found to be monomorphic in all the DNA samples of crossbred cows

Biometry, length-weight and length-length relationships of flathead sillago Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822) (Perciformes: Sillaginidae) from the north-western Bay of Bengal

Biometry, length-weight relationships (LWRs) and length-length relationships (LLRs) of Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822) were investigated in the Indian coast of north-western Bay of Bengal. Altogether 622 specimens were collected between August 2018 and September 2019 from landings by trawls (30-35 mm mesh size), gillnets (15-55 mm mesh size) and shore seines (7-15 mm bag mesh size). The total length and weight of the specimens ranged from 7.8-40.3 cm and 2.9-506 g, respectively. The LWR established was W=0.0048 L3.059 for males, W=0.0032 L3.185 for females and W=0.0047 L3.0645 for indeterminates, indicating positive allometric growth pattern. All the LWRs were highly significant (p<0.001, r2≥0.977). The highest coefficient of correlation (r) was observed for total length against fork length (0.999) and lowest for head length against eye diameter (0.951). The fin formula was expressed as D1 X, D2 I + 24-28, P 17-22, V I + 5, A II + 25-27, GR 2-3/6-9. The study provides the first detailed account of the biometric relationships of S. panijus in the north-western Bay of Bengal, which can be used as baseline information for subsequent biological and population based studies in the region

Relationship between fish and otolith dimensions of flathead sillago Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822) (Perciformes: Sillaginidae) in the north-western Bay of Bengal

The present study established the fish body and otolith dimension relationships of flathead sillago Sillaginopsis panijus (Hamilton, 1822), to assist the interpretation of growth. A total of 413 specimens were collected fortnightly from September 2018 to August 2019 off north-western Bay of Bengal. The samples ranged between 142–394 mm in total length and16-413.1 g in total weight. With fish growth, positive correlation was observed between the fish and otolith morphometric parameters. The highest coefficient of determination (R2) was observed between total length and otolith weight (R2=0.9198), followed by otolith weight and otolith width (R2=0.896). These results provide baseline information on the dimensional relationship between fish length and otolith size of this species in Indian waters, which will be helpful in future study on the food and feeding habits, growth and stock structure. Keywords: Coefficient of determination, Correlation, Growth rings, Life history, Morphometry, Sagitt

Antagonism of Tetherin Restriction of HIV-1 Release by Vpu Involves Binding and Sequestration of the Restriction Factor in a Perinuclear Compartment

The Vpu accessory protein promotes HIV-1 release by counteracting Tetherin/BST-2, an interferon-regulated restriction factor, which retains virions at the cell-surface. Recent reports proposed β-TrCP-dependent proteasomal and/or endo-lysosomal degradation of Tetherin as potential mechanisms by which Vpu could down-regulate Tetherin cell-surface expression and antagonize this restriction. In all of these studies, Tetherin degradation did not, however, entirely account for Vpu anti-Tetherin activity. Here, we show that Vpu can promote HIV-1 release without detectably affecting Tetherin steady-state levels or turnover, suggesting that Tetherin degradation may not be necessary and/or sufficient for Vpu anti-Tetherin activity. Even though Vpu did not enhance Tetherin internalization from the plasma membrane (PM), it did significantly slow-down the overall transport of the protein towards the cell-surface. Accordingly, Vpu expression caused a specific removal of cell-surface Tetherin and a re-localization of the residual pool of Tetherin in a perinuclear compartment that co-stained with the TGN marker TGN46 and Vpu itself. This re-localization of Tetherin was also observed with a Vpu mutant unable to recruit β-TrCP, suggesting that this activity is taking place independently from β-TrCP-mediated trafficking and/or degradation processes. We also show that Vpu co-immunoprecipitates with Tetherin and that this interaction involves the transmembrane domains of the two proteins. Importantly, this association was found to be critical for reducing cell-surface Tetherin expression, re-localizing the restriction factor in the TGN and promoting HIV-1 release. Overall, our results suggest that association of Vpu to Tetherin affects the outward trafficking and/or recycling of the restriction factor from the TGN and as a result promotes its sequestration away from the PM where productive HIV-1 assembly takes place. This mechanism of antagonism that results in TGN trapping is likely to be augmented by β-TrCP-dependent degradation, underlining the need for complementary and perhaps synergistic strategies to effectively counteract the powerful restrictive effects of human Tetherin