Healthcare professional’s guide to cardiopulmonary exercise testing

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPEX) is a valuable clinical tool that has proven indications within the fields of cardiovascular, respiratory and pre-operative medical care. Validated uses include investigation of the underlying mechanism in patients with breathlessness, monitoring functional status in patients with known cardiovascular disease and pre-operative functional state assessment. An understanding of the underlying physiology of exercise, and the perturbations associated with pathological states, is essential for healthcare professionals to provide optimal patient care. Healthcare professionals may find performing CPEX to be daunting, yet this is often due to a lack of local expertise and guidance with testing. We outline the indications for CPEX within the clinical setting, present a typical protocol that is easy to implement, explain the key underlying physiological changes assessed by CPEX, and review the evidence behind its use in routine clinical practice. There is mounting evidence for the use of CPEX clinically, and an ever-growing utilisation of the test within research fields; a sound knowledge of CPEX is essential for healthcare professionals involved in routine patient care

Seed yield of linseed varieties grown as ‘paira’ crop as influenced by dates of sowing

Linseed is an industrial crop cultivated for its seeds, fibres and oil purpose. Linseed crop can met their requirement i.e. moisture and nutritional demand from stored soil moisture and residual fertility status in "utera? or "paira? system of cropping. On the basis of this fact an experiment was conducted on “Seed yield of linseed varieties grown as paira crop as influenced by dates of sowing” in red and laterite zone of West Bengal during rabi season of 2012-13 and 2013-14 at Rice Research Station, Bankura, West Bengal, India. Poor in organic matter content, available phosphate and bases, hard structure of iron and aluminium patterned as honeycomb are present in the subsurface regions of the profiles and kaolinite is the predominant clay minerals of red and lateritic zone (western part) of West Bengal. This experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications and compared two factors (dates of sowing and linseed varieties). Objective was identifying the optimum date of sowing and suitable linseed varieties grown as „paira? crop under changed climate in red and laterite zone of West Bengal. The experimental results revealed that the highest seed yield (534 kg ha-1 as pooled value) was recorded from the treatment D1 i.e. linseed sown on 15th November. The lowest seed yield (489.2 kg ha-1 as pooled value) was obtained with treatment D3 i.e. linseed sown on 29th November. Among linseed varieties, T-397 has yielded highest seed yield (573.4 kg ha-1 as pooled value). Lowest seed yield (409. 3 kg ha-1 as pooled data) was recorded from Neela variety. From the present study it may be concluded that linseed sown on 15th November is the best time and T-397 is the suitable linseed variety grown as "paira? crop under changed climate in red and laterite zone of West Bengal

A combined in vitro/in silico approach to identifying off-target receptor toxicity

Many xenobiotics can bind to off-target receptors and cause toxicity via the dysregulation of downstream transcription factors. Identification of subsequent off-target toxicity in these chemicals has often required extensive chemical testing in animal models. An alternative, integrated in vitro/in silico approach for predicting toxic off-target functional responses is presented to refine in vitro receptor identification and reduce the burden on in vivo testing. As part of the methodology, mathematical modelling is used to mechanistically describe processes that regulate transcriptional activity following receptor-ligand binding informed by transcription factor signalling assays. Critical reactions in the signalling cascade are identified to highlight potential perturbation points in the biochemical network that can guide and optimise additional in vitro testing. A physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model provides information on the timing and localisation of different levels of receptor activation informing whole-body toxic potential resulting from off-target binding

Structural, Morphological, Optical and Dielectric Studies of RE3+ Doped CoFe2O4

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles, both undoped and Eu³⁺-doped, with the formula CoEuxFe2-xO4 (where x = 0.00 and 0.10), were produced using the citrate gel auto-combustion technique. X-ray diffraction confirmed the successful formation of the phase and the purity of the synthesized nanoparticles. The morphological analysis was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optical properties of cobalt ferrite were analyzed using UV-Vis spectrometer. Dielectric properties, such as the real part of the dielectric constant and loss tangent, were evaluated using an LCR meter. Doping cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with europium resulted in a significant improvement in charge storage and transport characteristics

Intracellular interferons in fish : a unique means to combat viral infection

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Alcoholic vs non-alcoholic fatty liver in rats: distinct differences in endocytosis and vesicle trafficking despite similar pathology

Background: Non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD and AFLD, respectively) are major health problems, as patients with either condition can progress to hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Although histologically similar, key differences likely exist in these two models. For example, altered content of several vesicle trafficking proteins have been identified in AFLD, but their content in NAFLD is unknown. In this study, we compared select parameters in NAFLD and AFLD in a rat model. Methods: We fed either Lieber- DeCarli liquid control or alcohol-containing (35 % as calories) diet (AFLD model) or lean or high-fat (12 or 60 % derived from fat, respectively) pellets (NAFLD model) for 8–10 weeks, n = 8 in each model. Serum, hepatocytes and liver tissue were analyzed. Liver injury markers were measured in serum, triglyceride content and endocytosis (binding and internalization of 125I- asialoorosomucoid) was measured in isolated hepatocytes, and content of selected trafficking proteins (Rab3D, Rab7 and Rab18) were determined in whole liver tissue. Results: Although liver injury markers and triglyceride content were similar in both models, binding and internalization of 125I- asialoorosomucoid was significantly impaired in the hepatocytes from AFLD, but not NAFLD, animals. In addition, protein content of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) and three trafficking proteins, Rab3D, Rab7and Rab18, were significantly decreased after alcohol, but not high-fat feeding. Levels of protein carbonylation, amount of glutathione stores, and lipid peroxidation were similar irrespective of the insult to the livers that resulted in fatty liver. Conclusion: Impairments in protein trafficking in AFLD are likely a direct result of alcohol administration, and not a function of fatty liver

STUDY ON DECOLORIZATION OF DYE STUFF (AZO DYE-CONGO RED) BY USING BACTERIAL CONSORTIA

Objective: The present study is focused on the screening, isolation of effective bacterial microorganisms for the decolorization of textile effluent and evaluation of the performance of the process also optimization of parameters for enhanced decolorization. Methods: The isolation was carried out by serial dilution method and the decolorization was carried out in the batch reactor. Results: The effective bacteria isolated from the textile were Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilus, Bacillus funiculus and Pseudomonas fluorescens have been characterized by biochemical assay also with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Conclusion: The decolorization process using bacterial consortia for various dye yields 95% decolorization. The process was simple, cost-effective and eco-friendly. The parameters such as temperature, pH, nutrients, time had the greater potential for the effective growth of microorganisms were optimized and can be applied to the diverse textile treatment applications. Â&nbsp

Genome-wide association study of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf microbial community

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IN VITRO α-AMYLASE AND Α-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITOR ACTIVITIES OF ALBIZIA PROCERA STEM BARK

Objective: This current study was carried out to determine the in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of extract and fractions of Albizia procera. Methods: The α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assay was carried out at concentrations 50–2000 μg/ml and acarbose used as standard. The absorbance was measured at 540 nm and recorded by spectrophotometer. Percentage inhibition was calculated for both the assays. Preliminary phytochemical screening was also evaluated using standard procedures.Results: There was a dose-dependent percentage inhibition of extracts (petroleum ether and ethanol) and fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol). The ethanol extract and n-butanol fraction show good inhibitory activity against both α-amylase and α-glucosidase with the percentage inhibition of 86.20% and 88.20% and 83.13% and 87.10%, respectively. The preliminary phytochemical screening shows that ethanol extract consists of active constituents such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds and tannins.Conclusion: This finding suggests that the ethanol extract and n-butanol fraction show good inhibitory activity against both α-amylase and α-glucosidase and show good antidiabetic activity