Indian Medicinal Mushrooms as a Source of Antioxidant and Antitumor Agents

Medicinal mushrooms occurring in South India namely Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus rimosus, Pleurotus florida and Pleurotus pulmonaris possessed profound antioxidant and antitumor activities. This indicated that these mushrooms would be valuable sources of antioxidant and antitumor compounds. Investigations also revealed that they had significant antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities. Thus, Indian medicinal mushrooms are potential sources of antioxidant and anticancer compounds. However, intensive and extensive investigations are needed to exploit their valuable therapeutic use

Structure of Indiana’s Manufacturing Sector during and after the Great Recession: A Spatial Perspective

The trend in manufacturing employment is on a downward trajectory nationally, further exacerbated by short-term fluctuations. Indiana mirrors this trend, and as such, we explore the structure of the manufacturing sector using a spatial and snapshot approach during and after the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Using two measures: (1) average firm size and (2) gap in percent of local manufacturing employment, we explain the dynamics at specific periods, viz., 2007 at the beginning of the Recession, 2009 at the trough of the Great Recession, 2014 at a point in recovery from the Great Recession, and 2016 at the endpoint for our analysis. Our results show counties are spatially dependent for the average firm size and percent employed in the manufacturing sector but spatially independent for the change (gap) in the same variables both during and after the Great Recession. Between 2007 and 2009, the decline in average firm size was greatest for Rural (R), followed by Non-Metro but adjacent to Metro (NMA), and then Metro (M) counties. However, by 2016, the average firm size in Metro counties was higher than the 2007 level, whereas non-Metro but adjacent to Metro and Rural counties, failed to rebound to the 2007 level. The relative ranking by degree of urbanization remains consistent with respect to local employment in manufacturing—although all groups experienced a decline during the Great Recession and even in recovery. These results suggest location is an important determinant and reinforce the importance of economic policies that can impact a group of counties or economic growth regions rather than individual counties

A Role of Knowledge Level of Employees in Customer Relationship Management With Special Reference to Lic

Purpose: Role ofknowledge level of employees in customer relationship management with special reference to LIC. In order to investigate a range of factors of CRM in LIC of India. In this specially concentrate to understand the knowledge level of the employees as perceived by the customer.   Theoretical framework: The theoretical frame work of the study, CRM is assessed the Knowledge level of employees isthe independent variables and the customer satisfaction is the dependent variable in the study. CRM is shown influencing the customer satisfaction. The significant influences of the factors on CRM vary according to different demographic profiles and views on policy holdings.   Design/Methodology/Approach:Descriptive research design was use in this studyThe prime data were collected from the sample of the respondents was identified from the total population of lic policy holders. The statistical analysis was carried out with the application of SPSS package. Both Descriptive and Inferential Analysis were carried out. The tools for the Inferential Analysis included Independent Sample t-test, One Way ANOVA, Chi Square Test, Friedman Test, Correlation and Regression.   Findings: The findings of the study based on output of the study. Henceforth reasoned that there is a huge distinction between mean positions towards Factors of Customer Relationship Management. In light of mean position, Customer Engagement is the main variable of CRM, trailed by Deployment of Modern Technology Knowledge level of the Employees etc. There is no importance contrast between capability of representatives concerning the Factors of Knowledge level of the Employees, There is significance contrast among male and female of laborers with respect to the Factors of Knowledge level of the Employees. The connection coefficient between Perception on Explanation of various items and Ready for Clarification is positive connections between Perception on Explanation of various item and Perception on Ready for Clarification .The connection coefficient between Explanation of various item and Recommending Right Schemes is positive connections between Explanation of various item and Recommending Right Schemes. The connection coefficient between Perception on Explanation of various items and Knowledge about Procedure is positive connections between Perception on Explanation of various items and Easy Acquisition of Policy and also different variables are decidedly corresponded with one another.   Research, practical & social implications:This article express a different perspective on CRM in LIC.The results of this study indicate knowledge level of employees has a strong impact on customer satisfaction. Therefore top management should implement latest technology based increase the knowledge level of employees. To increase the knowledge level of employees to help the increasing satisfaction level of policy holders. It is intended to help guide and reassure current and potential Ph. D students.   Originality/value:To date, no systematic review has been conducted on the knowledge level of employees in LIC .This paper makes an important contribution to knowledge level of employees in CRM

MEDICINAL MUSHROOM BIOACTIVES: POTENTIAL SOURCES FOR ANTI-CANCER DRUG DEVELOPMENT

Mushrooms represent a major yet largely untapped source of therapeutically useful bioactive compounds. Despite mushrooms were in use since antiquity in traditional folk medicine attempts to isolate their bioactive components and to elucidate their medicinal properties have started only recently. Many pharmaceutical substances with unique properties were recently extracted from mushrooms and made their way all over the world. A number of medicinal mushrooms have been identified to possess anticancer effects recently. Some of the well-known examples are Lentinan from Lentinus edodes, Krestin from Trametes versicolor, Ganopoly from Ganoderma lucidum and Schizophyllan from Schizophyllum commune. We investigated the anticancer activities of a number of medicinal mushrooms in our laboratory. Some of the recent scientific evdences on the anticancer activities of Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus rimosus, and Fomitopsis pinicola are discussed in this short review

Cross-understanding will help complex and diverse teams achieve mutually agreeable solutions

Teams whose members have diverse backgrounds can experience differences in task knowledge, sensitivities to various aspects of the task system, as well as beliefs and preferences about how to best approach or solve a problem. How might managers deal with this? Niranjan Janardhanan, Kyle Lewis, Rhonda R. Reger, and Cynthia K. Stevens write that, rather than focusing on common ground, team leaders should emphasise cross-understanding. Understanding the bases of someone’s views will help get to the real reasons behind differences in opinion, and therefore help to achieve mutually agreeable solutions

Predicting the temperature and reactant concentration profiles of reacting flow in the partial oxidation of hot coke oven gas using detailed chemistry and a one-dimensional flow model

A numerical approach is presented for predicting the species concentrations and temperature profiles of chemically reacting flow in the non-catalytic partial oxidation of hot coke oven gas (HCOG) in a pilot-scale reformer installed on an operating coke oven. A detailed chemical kinetic model consisting of 2216 reactions with 257 species ranging in size from the hydrogen radical to coronene was used to predict the chemistries of HCOG reforming and was coupled with a plug model and one-dimensional (1D) flow with axial diffusion model. The HCOG was a multi-component gas mixture derived from coal dry distillation, and was approximated with more than 40 compounds: H2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2 hydrocarbons, H2O, aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons up to coronene. The measured gas temperature profiles were reproduced successfully by solving the energy balance equation accounting for the heat change induced by chemical reactions and heat losses to the surroundings. The approach was evaluated critically by comparing the computed results with experimental data for exit products such as H2, CO, CO2, and CH4, in addition to the total exit gas flow rate. The axial diffusion model slightly improves the predictions of H2, CO, and CO2, but significantly improves those of CH4 and total exit flow rate. The improvements in the model predictions were due primarily to the improved temperature predictions by accounting for axial diffusion in the flow model

Edible mushroom Morchella esculenta (L.) Pers. mycelium protects DNA and mitochondria from radiation induced damages

Mushrooms have gained great attraction not only for their nutritional and medicinal values but also for diversity of their bioactive components. Morchella esculenta, commonly called Morel, is an edible and nutritious mushroom. In the present study, we evaluated the radioprotective effect of cultured mycelium of M. esculenta against radiation induced damages in mouse spleen lymphocyte DNA and rat liver mitochondria. The mitochondria were exposed to 450 Gy g-radiation and lipid peroxidation caused by radiation was studied by LOOH assay and TBARS assay. M. esculenta extract at a concentration of 200 and 50 µg/mL significantly inhibited the formation of LOOH and TBARS formation in mitochondria. The protective effect of M. esculenta against radiation-induced damage to DNA in the spleen lymphocyte was measured using comet assay. Spleen lymphocytes were exposed to γ-radiation at a dose of 6 Gy in the presence and absence of the extract and the strand break were analyzed. The extract inhibited the strand break significantly. The study indicate that M. esculenta mycelia protect mitochondria form oxidative stress and DNA from deleterious effects induced by radiation and has potential for the development of safe and non-toxic radio protector with significant nutritional properties

Effect of Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerdemann and Trappe on root-knot disease of menthol mint (Mentha arvensis sub sp. haplocalyx Briquet) caused by Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood

Glasshouse experiments conducted to find out the effect of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus mosseae on reproduction of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and growth and yield of menthol mint (Mentha arvensis sub sp. haplocalyx) indicated that G. mosseae was effective in reducing populations of M. incognita and increasing growth and biomass productivity of menthol mint. Maximum supression in nematode populations was observed when G. mosseae was inoculated 15 days prior to inoculation of nematodes. Shoot length and oil yield of G. mosseae inoculated plants was significantly higher than uninoculated plants. &nbsp

Bioactive extract of mycelia biomass of Ganoderma lucidum protects doxorubicin induced cardiomyopathy

Cardiotoxicity induced by anticancer drug; doxorubicin (DOX) is a limiting factor for its prolonged use in chemotherapy. No effective drug is currently available to prevent DOX induced cardiomyopathy. Ganoderma lucidum is highly valued medicinal mushroom used in traditional medicine. Mycelia biomasses are considered as alternate sources of mushroom bioactive compounds. We examined the effect of bioactive extract of G. lucidum mycelia biomass (GLME) to prevent cardiotoxicity induced by DOX in rats using a cumulative dose 18 mg/kg body wt. GLME was administered to animals at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body wt. once daily for five days prior to DOX administration and continued for three more days. Animals were sacrificed 24 h after the last dose of drug. Activities of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), endogenous antioxidant status, oxidative stress markers, electrocardiograph (ECG) and haematological parameters were evaluated. DOX administration drastically elevated CK, LDH, myocardial peroxidation and oxidative stress and significantly lowered endogenous antioxidant activity. GLME administration attenuated elevated levels of CK, LDH and oxidative stress and also ameliorated alterations in haematological and ECG parameters. Results revealed that bioactive extract of G. lucidum mycelia imparted significant protection against DOX induced cardiomyopathy suggesting the potential therapeutic significance of G. lucidum mycelia bioactives to alleviate DOX induced cardiomyopathy