Warming up D3 brane motion in the background of D5 brane and Inflation

The position of a mobile D-3 brane moving towards a stack of localized D-5 branes has been studied as a candidate driving inflation in the warm inflationary scenario. We compare the results obtained by considering the dissipation parameter $\Gamma$ as an arbitrary function of only the inflaton field and a particular form derived by Bastro-Gil et al \cite{Berera8}. We find that the observables remain well within the recent observational constraint for a wide range of model parameters for the first case whereas the spectral index in the later case is always predicted blue, other cosmological observables remaining well within bound for a wider range of parameters though. We also discuss the non-gaussianity generated during inflation in this model.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. A new section has been incorporate

Role of cAMP Homeostasis in Intra-Macrophage Survival and Infectivity of Unicellular Parasites like <em>Leishmania</em>

Unicellular eukaryotic pathogen Leishmania donovani, an intra-macrophage protozoan parasite, on exposure to phagolysosome conditions (PC) of mammalian macrophages, show increased cAMP level and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) resulting in resistance to macrophage oxidative burst. In order to have a comprehensive understanding of cAMP signaling and their contribution to infectivity, studies were carried out on all the enzymes associated with cAMP metabolism such as adenylate cyclase, phosphodiesterase, pyrophosphatase and the regulatory and catalytic subunits of PKA. This chapter deals in detail the contribution of these components of cAMP signaling in cAMP homeostasis of the parasite as well as their role on successful host-parasite interaction leading to intracellular parasite survival and establishment of infection. Finally, a discussion is made about how these observations might be exploited for developing drug candidates targeting parasite specific features

Free-Ranging Dogs Understand Human Intentions and Adjust Their Behavioral Responses Accordingly

Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are remarkably sensitive and responsive while interacting with humans. Pet dogs are known to have social skills and abilities to display situation-specific responses, but there is lack of information regarding free-ranging dogs which constitute majority of the world's dog population. Free-ranging dogs found in most of the developing countries interact constantly with familiar and unfamiliar humans receiving both positive and negative behavior. Thus, understanding human intentions and subsequent behavioral adjustments are crucial for dogs that share habitats with humans. Here we subjected free-ranging dogs to different human social communicative cues (friendly and threatening—low and high), followed by a food provisioning phase, and tested their responsiveness. Dogs exhibited higher proximity seeking behavior as a reaction to friendly gesture whereas, they were prompted to maintain distance depending on the impact of the threatening cues. Interestingly, only the high-impact threatening had a persistent effect which also remained during the subsequent food provisioning phase. An elevated approach in the food provisioning phase elicited the dependency of free-ranging dogs on humans for sustenance. Our findings suggest that free-ranging dogs demonstrate behavioral plasticity in interactions with humans; which provides significant insights into the establishment of the dog-human relationship on streets

The Tale of Mastering Macrophage Environment through the Control of Inflammasome-Mediated Macrophage Activation and cAMP Homeostasis by the Protozoan Parasite <em>Leishmania</em>

Leishmania, being an intelligent protozoan parasite, modulates the defensive arsenals of the host to create a favorable niche for their survival. When the intracellular parasite is encountered by the host, multimeric complexes of inflammasomes get assembled and activated, thereby leading to genesis of inflammatory response. In order to subvert host defensive strategies, Leishmania utilizes their cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cAMP-induced response to neutralize macrophage oxidative damage. In this chapter, we summarize our current understanding of the mechanisms of inflammasome activation in macrophages and cAMP homeostasis of the parasite, leading to parasite viability within the macrophages and establishment of infection. Furthermore, we took into account, recent progresses in translating these research areas into therapeutic strategies, aimed at combating macrophage associated diseases