Genome editing: a magical technique

This article includes different technologies associated with editing of gene. DNA can be altered using CRISPR/Cas9, TALEN and ZFN for improvement of crops and treatment of genetic disorders. This article provides details about different genes associated for rice improvement. Genome editing technique uses different methods of gene transfer for inserting a gene of interest into desired plant

Calcium carbonate precipitation by different bacterial strains

Bacteria are capable of performing metabolic activities which thereby promote precipitation of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite. In this study, it is shown that microbial mineral precipitation was a result of metabolic activities of some specific microorganisms. Concrete microorganisms were used to improve the overall behavior of concrete. It was predicted that bacterial calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation occurs as a byproduct of common metabolic processes such as urea hydrolysis. In this study, ureolytic bacteria that were capable of precipitating calcium carbonate were isolated and further their urease activity was tested based on the production of urease. Scanning electron microscopy (SED) analysis revealed the direct involvement of these isolates in calcium carbonate precipitation. The production of calcite was further confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis.Key words: Bacteria, urease activity, microbial mineral precipitation, scanning electron microscope-energydispersive x-ray, x-ray diffraction

Pattern of physical activity can influence its efficacy on muscle and bone health in middle-aged men and women

Purpose This study aimed at investigating whether association between physical activity, and bone density and muscle strength depends on daily activity pattern.Methods Loading dose of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured using accelerometer on 54 men (Mage = 54.1 years) and 59 women (Mage = 52.1 years). Pattern of MVPA was quantiied as number and length of MVPA bouts, and the length of break bouts between MVPA bouts. Knee extension torque (KET) and broadband ultrasound attenu-ation (BUA) of the calcaneus were also measured. Regression analysis was employed to examine the moderation efect of MVPA pattern.Results Loading dose had a larger efect on BUA (b = .002, p = .035) and KET (b = .004, p = .01) with the increase of median length of MVPA bout, but had a smaller efect on KET with the increase of maximal length of break bout (b = − .015, p = .024).Conclusions This study suggests that pattern of physical activity can inluence its eicacy on muscle and bone health

Effects of Selective Deletion of Tyrosine Hydroxylase from Kisspeptin Cells on Puberty and Reproduction in Male and Female Mice.

The neuropeptide kisspeptin, encoded by Kiss1, regulates reproduction by stimulating GnRH secretion. Kiss1-syntheizing neurons reside primarily in the hypothalamic anteroventral periventricular (AVPV/PeN) and arcuate (ARC) nuclei. AVPV/PeN Kiss1 neurons are sexually dimorphic, with females expressing more Kiss1 than males, and participate in estradiol (E2)-induced positive feedback control of GnRH secretion. In mice, most AVPV/PeN Kiss1 cells coexpress tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis (in this case, dopamine). Dopamine treatment can inhibit GnRH neurons, but the function of dopamine signaling arising specifically from AVPV/PeN Kiss1 cells is unknown. We generated a novel TH flox mouse and used Cre-Lox technology to selectively ablate TH specifically from Kiss1 cells. We then examined the effects of selective TH knock-out on puberty and reproduction in both sexes. In control mice, 90% of AVPV/PeN Kiss1 neurons coexpressed TH, whereas in mice lacking TH exclusively in Kiss1 cells (termed Kiss THKOs), TH was successfully absent from virtually all Kiss1 cells. Despite this absence of TH, both female and male Kiss THKOs displayed normal body weights, puberty onset, and basal gonadotropin levels in adulthood, although testosterone (T) was significantly elevated in adult male Kiss THKOs. The E2-induced LH surge was unaffected in Kiss THKO females, and neuronal activation status of kisspeptin and GnRH cells was also normal. Supporting this, fertility and fecundity were normal in Kiss THKOs of both sexes. Thus, despite high colocalization of TH and Kiss1 in the AVPV/PeN, dopamine produced in these cells is not required for puberty or reproduction, and its function remains unknown

Asymptomatic retained gauge piece (gossypiboma) for 10 years after posterior spinal surgery - A case report

A young old male presented with a 2 months history of recurrent disc prolapse 10 years after prior surgery. He was operated for L4-L5 disc prolapse 10 years ago. Fresh MRI showed prolapsed intervertebral disk (PIVD) at L5-S1 level with a spherical mass lesion of 2.5x2x2 cm with well defined margin in the left paraspinal area adjacent to L5 lamina. The patient had symptoms of L5-S1 PIVD but absolutely no local or systemic symptom for the mass. On exploration, a retained gauge piece was found in the left paraspinal area

A conventional surgical approach for removal of an ectopic tooth in the nasal cavity

A 40-year-old female patient presented to ears, nose and throat complaining of cacosmia and discharge from the left maxillary sinus. Her CT scan revealed an ectopic supplemental nasal tooth which could not be removed by nasoendoscopy. Therefore, a conventional intraoral surgical approach was taken. In this case, we discuss the indications for conventional surgical removal of teeth from the nasal cavity when a nasoendoscopic approach is not possible. We highlight the potential pitfalls of both conventional and nasoendoscopic approaches, including some essential considerations when treatment planning these cases

The Methods to Improve Quality of Service by Accounting Secure Parameters

A solution to the problem of ensuring quality of service, providing a greater number of services with higher efficiency taking into account network security is proposed. In this paper, experiments were conducted to analyze the effect of self-similarity and attacks on the quality of service parameters. Method of buffering and control of channel capacity and calculating of routing cost method in the network, which take into account the parameters of traffic multifractality and the probability of detecting attacks in telecommunications networks were proposed. The both proposed methods accounting the given restrictions on the delay time and the number of lost packets for every type quality of service traffic. During simulation the parameters of transmitted traffic (self-similarity, intensity) and the parameters of network (current channel load, node buffer size) were changed and the maximum allowable load of network was determined. The results of analysis show that occurrence of overload when transmitting traffic over a switched channel associated with multifractal traffic characteristics and presence of attack. It was shown that proposed methods can reduce the lost data and improve the efficiency of network resources.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, 1 equation, 1 table. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1904.0520

Study on the gender dimension of trafficking in human beings

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the identification and understanding of what it means to be ‘taking into account the gender perspective, to strengthen the prevention of this crime and protection of the victims there-of’, as required in Article 1 of European Union (EU) Directive 2011/36/EU on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Protecting its Victims in the context of the EU Strategy (COM(2012) 286 final) Towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings. The study contributes to Priority E Action 2 of the Strategy, which states that ‘the Commission will develop knowledge on the gender dimensions of human trafficking, including the gender consequences of the various forms of trafficking and potential differences in the vulnerability of men and women to victimisation and its impact on them.’ Its specific objectives and tasks are to address: the ‘gender dimension of vulnerability, recruitment, and victimisation’; ‘gender issues related to traffickers and to those creating demand’; and ‘an examination of law and policy responses on trafficking in human beings from a gender perspective’. The study addresses the five priorities of the EU Strategy: identifying, protecting, and assisting victims of traf-ficking; stepping up the prevention of trafficking in human beings; better law enforcement; enhanced coordination and cooperation among key actors and policy coherence; and increased knowledge of an effective response to emerging concerns. This study, according to its terms of reference, aims to look specifically at the gender dimension of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. This follows evidence from statistical data from Eurostat, as well as da-ta from The European Police Office (Europol) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), accord-ing to which the most reported form of exploitation of victims is that of sexual exploitation and its strong gen-der dimension (96 % women and girls). It further addresses recommendations addressed in the Resolution of the European Parliament of 26 February 2014 on sexual exploitation and prostitution and its impact on gender equality (2013/2103(INI)) urging the European Commission to evaluate the impact that the European legal frame-work designed to eliminate trafficking for sexual exploitation has had to date and to undertake further research on patterns of prostitution, on human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and on the increased lev-el of sex tourism in the EU, with particular reference to minors, and to promote the exchange of best practices among the Member States. The study identifies and draws on EU law and policy competence in gender equality in its identification of the gen-der dimensions of trafficking. The gender dimensions are clustered into five issues: gender specificity and equal treatment; gender expertise, gender balance in decision-making and gender mainstreaming; the relationship be-tween prostitution and trafficking; gendered policy fields and strategic priorities; gendered systems and the the-ory of prevention

Effect of denture wearing on occurrence of fungal isolates in the oral cavity: a pilot study

Objectives: An attempt was made to evaluate effect of denture wearing on occurrence of fungal isolates in the oral cavity before and after complete denture insertion. Method: Twenty five completely edentulous patients were selected; swab samples were collected intraorally before fabrication of complete dentures from labial vestibular area and after complete denture fabrication (one and four days after denture insertion). Further these samples were inoculated and incubated. Results: In nineteen patients no isolate of fungus before denture insertion as well as 4 days after denture insertion was found. In two subject results were false positive (contamination from environment), and in four patients there was increase in growth but not much significant increase of growth of fungal isolates was seen (mild growth of fungus only after denture insertion). One of the major finding of this study was overall occurrence of fungal isolates (before and after denture insertion) in the oral cavity were not significant