EVALUATION OF GASTROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF TEPHROSIA VILLOSA AGAINST EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED ULCERS IN WISTAR RATS

Objective: The present research work was designed to investigate the gastroprotective potentials of methanol extract of Tephrosia villosa. Methods: The aerial parts of Tephrosia villosa were dried under shade, powdered and deffated with petroleum ether and then marc leftover was subjected to methanol extraction using soxhlet apparatus using soxh-let apparatus. Antiulcer activity of methanol extract was determined against stress-induced and aspirin-induced ulcers in experimental animal models. The total number of ulcers formed, ulcer index, percentage inhibition, ulcerated area, protected area, pH and Total acidity were parameters in the study. Results: Methanol extract of Tephrosia villosa at medium (200 mg/kg) and high (200 mg/kg) could significantly (P<0.01) reduced the total number of ulcers formed, ulcer index, ulcerated area and total acidity in therapeutic groups compared to vehicle control and thereby significantly (P<0.01) increased percentage inhibition of ulcers and protected area which was evident by the significant rise in pH of gastric content. The effect of extracts was dose-dependent and results were comparable to that of standard drug omeprazole. Conclusion: The results obtained from the present work suggest that the methanol extract of Tephrosia villosa possess significant anti-ulcer potentials against experimentally induced ulcers in albino rats

ROLE OF POLO KINASE CDC5 AND SLX4-RTT107 COMPLEX IN CHECKPOINT SIGNALING DURING DNA DAMAGE IN S. CEREVISIAE

The integrity of genomic DNA is continuously jeopardized through of environmental stresses such as UV light, ionizing radiations and various chemicals in addition to cellular byproducts such as reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, structural or chemical hindrances also affect the basic cellular processes (replication, transcription and translation) compromising genome stability. All the eukaryotic cells have thus evolved mechanisms to detect such genomic lesions and activate a surveillance mechanisms termed as checkpoint activation to arrest cell cycle, which in term provide time to repair the lesion using a suitable pathway to maintain genome stability. The resumption of cell cycle after the repair is also an important and finely regulated mechanisms. Indeed, resumption of cell cycle in case of faulty/un-repaired damage compromises genome integrity and may lead to cancer. In this thesis, I studied the role of Polo-kinase Cdc5 and DNA repair scaffold complex-Slx-Rtt107, specifically in response to one of the most deleterious lesion, DNA double strand break (DSB) in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The human counterpart Polo-like kinase 1 is overexpressed in many cancers, while Slx4/FANCP is one of the proteins involved in Fanconi anemia repair pathway. In first part, we characterized the role of phosphorylation of Threonine 238 in the activation loop of the Cdc5 kinase domain in unperturbed cell cycle and in response to repairable and unrepairable DSB. Using alanine/ aspartic acid mutagenesis and genetic approaches we delineated the requirement of T238 phosphorylation of Cdc5. Interestingly, we discovered that absence of T238 phosphorylation of Cdc5, even though doesn\u2019t affect the normal cell cycle, affects kinase activity and leads to defect in checkpoint adaptation and recovery after one DSB. Importantly, we also found that cdc5-T238A cells also have altered genome stability, assessed by using multiple genetic approaches. In second part, we characterized the role of Slx4-Rtt107 complex in modulating the level of checkpoint signalling and initial processing of DSB. Indeed in the absence of functional Slx4-Rtt107 complex, we found slower processing of DSB and hyper-activated checkpoint signalling which is due to increased binding of checkpoint adaptor protein Rad9 at the lesion. Importantly, this hyper-activated checkpoint has consequent effect on cell cycle resumption and proliferation in response to various DNA damaging agents

THE USE OF GAMIFICATION TO TEACH CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS

This paper investigates the impact of gamification in teaching and learning cybersecurity awareness. The increasing rate of cyber-attacks and data breaches in recent times, have made cybersecurity awareness a critical learning objective in Information Systems (IS) curriculum globally. However, teaching and learning cybersecurity awareness can be challenging, especially to smaller colleges and universities who have meagre resources. Moreover, learning cybersecurity principles requires understanding of concepts that are usually unfamiliar to students in the IS major. In order to effectively deliver the desired learning objectives in cybersecurity awareness, IS educators can adopt pedagogical approaches, e.g., gamification, that are interactive, fun and appealing to students. Gamification which has been defined as the use of game components to deliver learning objectives in a given area, offer an alternative that is affordable, easy to learn and requires very little to no overhead cost. Currently, the authors are designing 3 gamified activities that can be used to teach and learn cyber security awareness. We intend to validate the effectiveness of these activities using experimental approaches. Students will be randomly selected from universities in Northern Pennsylvania, USA, and divided into experimental and control group. Experimental group will be asked to complete the gamified activities. Data will be collected using questionnaire. Data analysis will be by means of statistical approaches such as ANOVA, paired t-test of factor analysis. We hope that the results of our study will support the use of gamification in teaching and learning cybersecurity awareness

EVALUATION OF HEPATOPROTECTIVE POTENTIALS OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF TEPHROSIA VILLOSA AGAINST THIOACETAMIDE INDUCED LIVER TOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS

Objective: The present study was conducted to determine the hepatoprotective potentials of methanol s extracts of Tephrosia villosa leaves against thioacetamide (TAA) induced liver damage in rats. Methodology: The acute oral toxicity study was conducted as per OECD guidelines, and the extract was proved to be safe up to the dose of 2000 mg/kg. The total duration of the study was 21 days, and animals were divided into six groups. Hepatotoxicity was induced in the animals of all groups except normal control by single dose administration of TAA (100 mg/kg) at 1st day of the study followed by animals were treated daily with standard drug silymarin and methanol extract of T. villosa (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) to respective groups for 21 days. Variations in biochemical parameters such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, albumin, total protein, ions and others parameters such as clotting time and weight of the liver were considered to determine beneficial effect of the extract. At the end of the study liver samples were collected and subjected to histopathological evaluation. Results: In control animals treated with TAA alone, there were variations in the above mentioned parameters. However in the animals treated with methanol extract and standard drug silymarin, all the parameters were normal possibly due to their beneficial property in protecting the liver against TAA induced hepatotoxicity. Conclusion: The results obtained in the above study suggesting that, the methanol extract of T. villosa possess significant hepatoprotective activity

Comparative Study of Acetazolamide and Spironolactone on Regional Blood Distribution on Exposure to Acute Hypobaric Hypoxia

Regional blood distribution was studied in rats, which were divided into four groups viz., (i) control, (ii) exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia, (iii) exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia after oral treatment with 25mg acetazolamide, and (iv) exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia after oral treatment with 6mg spironolactone. The regional blood distribution was measured using radio-iodinated serum albumin (R131ISA). The acute hypoxic exposure results in major readjustment in the blood flow to the various organs mainly from the renal and splanchic vascular beds to the heart and brain. Treatment with acetazolamide and spironolactone results only in a slight decrease in blood contents of the heart, brain and lung as compared to thehypoxia alone exposed group

Understanding the differences of integrating building performance simulation in the architectural education system

In order to assist tertiary architectural education institutions as well as the architecture profession in developing course material and training packages related to Building Performance Simulation (BPS), we present the outcome of a survey conducted in Australia, India, the US and the UK. The main objective of the survey was to investigate how BPS is taught at a number of different architecture schools at universities in these countries and to point out potential difficulties and barriers. Based on the survey, the paper proposes a number of recommendations and highlights opportunities for future degree schemes that develop module content and learning objectives/ outcome for teaching BPS at architectural tertiary educational institutions.Christina J. Hopfe, Veronica Soebarto, Dru Crawley, Rajan Rawa

Senataxin Ortholog Sen1 Limits DNA:RNA Hybrid Accumulation at DNA Double-Strand Breaks to Control End Resection and Repair Fidelity

Summary: An important but still enigmatic function of DNA:RNA hybrids is their role in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Here, we show that Sen1, the budding yeast ortholog of the human helicase Senataxin, is recruited at an HO endonuclease-induced DSB and limits the local accumulation of DNA:RNA hybrids. In the absence of Sen1, hybrid accumulation proximal to the DSB promotes increased binding of the Ku70-80 (KU) complex at the break site, mutagenic non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), micro-homology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), and chromosome translocations. We also show that homology-directed recombination (HDR) by gene conversion is mostly proficient in sen1 mutants after single DSB. However, in the absence of Sen1, DNA:RNA hybrids, Mre11, and Dna2 initiate resection through a non-canonical mechanism. We propose that this resection mechanism through local DNA:RNA hybrids acts as a backup to prime HDR when canonical pathways are altered, but at the expense of genome integrity

Development of Low-Alkali, Fly Ash/Slag Geopolymers: Predictive Strength Modelling and Analyses of Impact of Curing Temperatures

The present work analyses the effects of curing temperature (25, 40, 60 °C for 24 h), silicate modulus Ms value (1.5, 1.7, 2.0), and slag content (10, 20, 30, 40 wt%) on the compressive strength development (1, 7, 14, 28 days) of low-alkali geopolymer mortars with matrices from fly ash and blast furnace slag. These data were used to generate predictive models for 28-day compressive strength as a function of curing temperature and slag content. While the dominant variable for the 1-day compressive strength was the curing temperature, the slag content was dominant for the 28-day compressive strength. The ratio of the 1-day and 28-day compressive strengths as a function of curing temperature, Ms value, and slag content allows prediction of the maximal possible curing temperature and shows cold-weather casting to present an obstacle to setting. These data also allow prediction of the 28-day compressive strength using only the 1-day compressive strength

18 Nov 2013 In situ detection of electrified aerosols in the upper troposphere and stratosphere

Electrified aerosols have been observed in the lower troposphere and in the mesosphere, but have never been detected in the stratosphere and upper troposphere. We present measurements of aerosols obtained during a balloon flight to an altitude of 24 km. The measurements were per- formed with an improved version of the Stratospheric and Tropospheric Aerosol Counter (STAC) aerosol counter dedi- cated to the search for charged aerosols. It is found that most of the aerosols are charged in the upper troposphere for altitudes below 10 km and in the stratosphere for altitudes above 20 km. Conversely, the aerosols seem to be uncharged between 10 km and 20 km. Model calculations are used to quantify the electrification of the aerosols with a stratospheric aerosol–ion model. The percentages of charged aerosols obtained with model calculations are in excellent agreement with the observations below 10 km and above 20 km. However, the model cannot reproduce the absence of electrification found in the lower stratosphere, as the processes leading to neutralisation in this altitude range are unknown. The presence of sporadic transient layers of electrified aerosol in the upper troposphere and in the stratosphere could have significant implications for sprite formatio