Antimicrobial, Wound Healing And Antioxidant Activities Of Anthocephalus cadamba

Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. Syn A. chinensis (Lamk) A. Rich (Rubiaceae) is ethnomedicinally widely used in the form of paste by tribe in western Ghats for treating skin diseases. In this context, antimicrobial potential of A. cadamba against a wide range of microorganisms was studied. To validate the ethnotherapeutic claims of the plant in skin diseases, wound healing activity was studied, besides antioxidant activity to understand the mechanism of wound healing. The alchoholic and aqueous extract of this plant showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity against almost all the organisms: Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and four fungi Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum—dermatophyte fungi, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus nidulans—systemic fungi, with especially good activity against the dermatophyte (Trichophyton rubrum) and some infectious bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus) with an MIC of 2.5 μg/disc. The results show that A. cadamba extract has potent wound healing capacity as shown from the wound contraction and increased tensile strength. The results also indicated that A. cadamba extract possesses potent antioxidant activity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity. Keywords: Anthocephalus cadamba; Antimicrobial activity; Antioxidant; Wound healing;African Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Vol. 4 (4) 2007: pp. 481-48

Impact of emission mitigation on ozone-induced wheat and rice damage in India

In this study, we evaluate the potential impact of ground level ozone (O3) on rice and wheat yield in top 10 states in India during 2005. This study is based on simulated hourly O3 concentration from the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem), district-wise seasonal crop production datasets and accumulated daytime hourly O3 concentration over a threshold of 40 ppbv (AOT40) indices to estimate crop yield damage resulting from ambient O3 exposure. The response of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) mitigation action is evaluated based on ground level O3 simulations with individual reduction in anthropogenic NOx and VOC emissions over the Indian domain. The total loss of wheat and rice from top 10 producing states in India is estimated to be 2.2 million tonnes (3.3%) and 2.05 million tonnes (2.5%) respectively. Sensitivity model study reveals relatively 93% decrease in O3-induced crop yield losses in response to anthropogenic NOx emission mitigation. The response of VOC mitigation action results in relatively small changes of about 24% decrease in O3-induced crop yield losses, suggesting NOx as a key pollutant for mitigation. VOC also contribute to crop yield reduction but their effects are a distant second compared to NOx effects

An In vitro comparadve evaluadon of a hand file and three rotary Nill Instruments for removing gutta percha during root canal re-treatment

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of NITI mechanical rotary  instrumentation and Hedstrom file for gutta percha removal using dearing techniqueMethod: Forty extracted human single rooted premolar, each with a single canal were selected. The samples were decoronated to leave 17 mm root and Instrumented with K-flles upto MAF 30 using step back technique. Samples were obturated using cold lateral condensation of gutta-perdta and AH Plus sealer. The teeth were then randomly divided Into four groups of 10 specimens each. After 2 weeks all the canals were then retreated by either ProTaper re-treatment files, M--two re-treatment files, R-Endo re-treatment flies or Hedstrom flies. The amount of remaining filling materials after re-treatment procedures was assessed by  stereomlcroscope. Also time required for reaching original working length and for removal of obturating material (in min) was measured. Statistical analysis was accomplished using one way Kruskal-Wallls ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U testResult: M-two re-treatment flies showed least amount of gutta  perdta/sealer followed by Pro Taper re-treatment files, R-Endo  re-treatment flies and Hedstrom files.Conclusion: Under the experimental conditions, significant difference was observed between Pro Taper re-treatment flies&... Hedstrom flies and Mtwo re-treatment flies&... Hedstrom flies for gutta percha/sealer removal. Complete removal of materials did not occur with any of the instrument systems investigated.Keywords: Clearing technique, re-tteatment, rotary Instrument

Template-Stripped Multifunctional Wedge and Pyramid Arrays for Magnetic Nanofocusing and Optical Sensing

We present large-scale reproducible fabrication of multifunctional ultrasharp metallic structures on planar substrates with capabilities including magnetic field nanofocusing and plasmonic sensing. Objects with sharp tips such as wedges and pyramids made with noble metals have been extensively used for enhancing local electric fields via the lightning-rod effect or plasmonic nanofocusing. However, analogous nanofocusing of magnetic fields using sharp tips made with magnetic materials has not been widely realized. Reproducible fabrication of sharp tips with magnetic as well as noble metal layers on planar substrates can enable straightforward application of their material and shape-derived functionalities. We use a template-stripping method to produce plasmonic-shell-coated nickel wedge and pyramid arrays at the wafer-scale with tip radius of curvature close to 10 nm. We further explore the magnetic nanofocusing capabilities of these ultrasharp substrates, deriving analytical formulas and comparing the results with computer simulations. These structures exhibit nanoscale spatial control over the trapping of magnetic microbeads and nanoparticles in solution. Additionally, enhanced optical sensing of analytes by these plasmonic-shell-coated substrates is demonstrated using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. These methods can guide the design and fabrication of novel devices with applications including nanoparticle manipulation, biosensing, and magnetoplasmonics

Determination of Trace Elements in Sediments Samples by Using Neutron Activation Analysis

The Juru River is a highly industrialized, urbanized, and agricultural catchment. This study aimed to investigate trace elements in Juru mangrove sediments, including geochemical baselines and enrichment. Sediment was collected from the mangrove in Juru, Penang, Malaysia. A total of eight target elements was examined.  Instrumentation activation analysis (INAA) was used to determine the concentration of Fe, V, Cr, Zn and Co. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used to determine the concentration of elements that not detectable by INAA (Cd, Pb, and As). In both methods, validated reference material studies were used for validation of the methodology. Metal pollution was estimated using the Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Contamination Factor (CF), and Pollutant Load Index (PLI). The EF, Igeo, and CF ranges from 0.45–7.96, -2.18 – 1.95, and 0.33–5.83 respectively. The order of accumulation of the elemental concentration found was Fe > Zn> Cr > V > Pb > As > Co >Cd. The computed mean value of PLI exceeds the unit (PLI > 1)

Rare earth (RE - Ce, Gd) modified Nd<inf>1-x</inf>RE<inf>x</inf>FeAsO<inf>0.7</inf>F<inf>0.3</inf> superconductor with enhanced magneto-transport properties

The influence of rare earth (RE – Ce, Gd) doping at the Nd site in the NdFeAsO0.7F0.3 superconductor wherein Ce and Gd have ionic radii in the order Ce &gt; Nd &gt; Gd is investigated.The authors P. M. Aswathy J. B. Anooja and Neson Varghese acknowledge the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for providing fellowship. The authors acknowledge CSIR 12th Five Year Plan Project, “Sustainable technologies for the Utilization of Rareearths (SURE),” (No. CSC0132) and Department of Science & Technology (DST) for financial support.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2015/RA/c5ra02499d#!divAbstract

Facile one-pot synthesis of amoxicillin-coated gold nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activity

Nanomaterials have been the object of intense study due to promising applications in a number of different disciplines. In particular, medicine and biology have seen the potential of these novel materials with their nanoscale properties for use in diverse areas such as imaging, sensing and drug vectorisation. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are considered a very useful platform to create a valid and efficient drug delivery/carrier system due to their facile and well-studied synthesis, easy surface functionalization and biocompatibility. In the present study, stable antibiotic conjugated GNPs were synthesised by a one-step reaction using a poorly water soluble antibiotic, amoxicillin. Amoxicillin, a member of the penicillin family, reduces the chloroauric acid to form nanoparticles and at the same time coats them to afford the functionalised nanomaterial. A range of techniques including UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to ascertain the gold/drug molar ratio and the optimum temperature for synthesis of uniform monodisperse particles in the ca. 30-40 nm size range. Amoxicillin-conjugated gold showed an enhancement of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli compared to the antibiotic alone

Phosphorylation of β-catenin at Serine552 correlates with invasion and recurrence of non-functioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumours.

Non-functioning pituitary tumours (NF-PitNETs) are common intracranial benign neoplasms that can exhibit aggressive behaviour by invading neighbouring structures and, in some cases, have multiple recurrences. Despite resulting in severe co-morbidities, no predictive biomarkers of recurrence have been identified for NF-PitNETs. In this study we have used high-throughput mass spectrometry-based analysis to examine the phosphorylation pattern of different subsets of NF-PitNETs. Based on histopathological, radiological, surgical and clinical features, we have grouped NF-PitNETs into non-invasive, invasive, and recurrent disease groups. Tumour recurrence was determined based on regular clinical and radiological data of patients for a mean follow-up of 10 years (SD ± 5.4 years). Phosphoproteomic analyses identified a unique phosphopeptide enrichment pattern which correlates with disease recurrence. Candidate phosphorylated proteins were validated in a large cohort of NF-PitNET patients by western blot and immunohistochemistry. We identified a cluster of 22 phosphopeptides upregulated in recurrent NF-PitNETs compared to non-invasive and invasive subgroups. We reveal significant phosphorylation of the β-catenin at Ser552 in recurrent and invasive NF-PitNETs, compared to non-invasive/non-recurrent NF-PitNET subgroup. Moreover, β-catenin pSer552 correlates with the recurrence free survival among 200 patients with NF-PitNET. Together, our results suggest that the phosphorylation status of β-catenin at Ser552 could act as potential biomarker of tumour recurrence in NF-PitNETs

Temperature Dependence of Spin-Split Peaks in Transverse Electron Focusing

We present experimental results of transverse electron-focusing measurements performed using n-type GaAs. In the presence of a small transverse magnetic field (B⊥), electrons are focused from the injector to detector leading to focusing peaks periodic in B⊥. We show that the odd-focusing peaks exhibit a split, where each sub-peak represents a population of a particular spin branch emanating from the injector. The temperature dependence reveals that the peak splitting is well defined at low temperature whereas it smears out at high temperature indicating the exchange-driven spin polarisation in the injector is dominant at low temperatures