Record of oceanic squid Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis(Lesson,1830) off Maharashtra Coast

On 18-11-2003 about 350kg. of Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis was landed at Sassoon Dock by gagra jal (Gill net) along with hook and line.The dorsal mantle length ranged between 300mm and 400mm. The single speciman brought to the laboratory measured 360mm in length and weighed 1.450kg.The gut was full with thoroughly macerated and pulpy food material,which could not be identified

Reliability and reproducibility of three-dimensional cephalometric landmarks using CBCT: a systematic review

Objective : The aim of this study was to review the reliability and reproducibility of 3D-CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) cephalometric landmark identification. Methods : Electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science) were searched for papers published from 1998 to October 2014. Specific strategies were developed for each database, with the guidance of a librarian. Two reviewers independently analyzed the titles and abstracts for inclusion. The articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for full-text reading, and the selected articles went through methodological quality evaluation. After the exclusion of repeated articles, the titles of the remaining ones were read and 1,328 of them were excluded. The abstracts of 173 articles were read, of which 43 were selected, read in full and submitted to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fourteen articles or studies with reliable methodology and reproducibility remained. The data were collected, organized into figures and analyzed for determination of the reliability and reproducibility of the three-dimensional cephalometric landmarks. Results : Overall, the landmarks on the median sagittal line and dental landmarks had the highest reliability, while the landmarks on the condyle, porion and the orbitale presented lower levels of reliability. Point S must be marked in the multiplanar views associated with visualization in 3D reconstruction. Further studies are necessary for evaluating soft tissue landmarks

A Survey of Bayesian Statistical Approaches for Big Data

The modern era is characterised as an era of information or Big Data. This has motivated a huge literature on new methods for extracting information and insights from these data. A natural question is how these approaches differ from those that were available prior to the advent of Big Data. We present a review of published studies that present Bayesian statistical approaches specifically for Big Data and discuss the reported and perceived benefits of these approaches. We conclude by addressing the question of whether focusing only on improving computational algorithms and infrastructure will be enough to face the challenges of Big Data

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Not AvailableOn 18-11-2003 about 350kg. of Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis was landed at Sassoon Dock by gagra jal (Gill net) along with hook and line.The dorsal mantle length ranged between 300mm and 400mm. The single speciman brought to the laboratory measured 360mm in length and weighed 1.450kg.The gut was full with thoroughly macerated and pulpy food material,which could not be identified.Not Availabl

Sulfated tungstate as hydroxyl group activator for preparation of benzyl, including <i>p</i>-methoxybenzyl ethers of alcohols and phenols

<p>Sulfated tungstate was found to be an effective heterogeneous and reusable catalyst for hydroxy group activation–mediated preparation of benzylic ethers including p-methoxybenzylic ethers of a wide range of alcohols and phenols under mild reaction conditions.</p

Lupeol derivative mitigates echis carinatus venom-induced tissue destruction by neutralizing venom toxins and protecting collagen and angiogenic receptors on inflammatory cells

Background: Echis carinatus bite is a serious threat in South-Asian countries including India, as it causes highest number of deaths and terrifying long-term tissue destruction at the bitten site. Although venom metalloproteinases and hyaluronidases are the suggested key players, studies on the effect of venom on polymorphonuclear cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and platelets, and their role in long-term tissue destruction are still in infancy. While, the effect of venom on collagen receptors, integrin alpha 2 beta 1/GP VI/DDR1 and CX3CR1 chemokine receptor present on these cells is an untouched area. Methods: Lupeol, lupeol acetate, its synthetic derivatives 2-8 were screened for inhibition of E. carinatus venom induced-hemorrhage in mouse model where compound 8 was found to be the most potent. Further, compounds efficiently neutralized venom induced hemorrhage, edema, dermonecrosis, myonecrosis, myotoxicity, procoagulant, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines and cleavage of collagen and CX3CR1 receptors on inflammatory cells in in vivo, in silico, ex vivo and in vitro studies. Conclusions: This study for the first time demonstrated the cleavage of collagen receptors and the receptor for angiogenesis and wound healing by the venom and its inhibition by compound 8, as these are important for firm adhesion of inflammatory cells at the damaged site to resolve inflammation and promote tissue repair. General significance: This study provides a lead in venom pharmacology, wherein, compound 8 could be a therapeutic agent for the better management of viper venom-induced long-term tissue destruction. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Melatonin alleviates Echis carinatus venom-induced toxicities by modulating inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress

Viper bites cause high morbidity and mortality worldwide and regarded as a neglected tropical disease affecting a large healthy population. Classical antivenom therapy has appreciably reduced the snakebite mortality rate; it apparently fails to tackle viper venom-induced local manifestations that persist even after the administration of antivenom. Recently, viper venom-induced oxidative stress and vital organ damage is deemed as yet another reason for concern; these are considered as postmedicated complications of viper bite. Thus, treating viper bite has become a challenge demanding new treatment strategies, auxiliary to antivenin therapy. In the last decade, several studies have reported the use of plant products and clinically approved drugs to neutralize venom-induced pharmacology. However, very few attempts were undertaken to study oxidative stress and vital organ damage. Based on this background, the present study evaluated the protective efficacy of melatonin in Echis carinatus (EC) venom-induced tissue necrosis, oxidative stress, and organ toxicity. The results demonstrated that melatonin efficiently alleviated EC venom-induced hemorrhage and myonecrosis. It also mitigated the altered levels of inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress markers of blood components in liver and kidney homogenates, and documented renal and hepatoprotective action of melatonin. The histopathology of skin, muscle, liver, and kidney tissues further substantiated the overall protection offered by melatonin against viper bite toxicities. Besides the inability of antivenoms to block local effects and the fact that melatonin is already a widely used drug promulgating a multitude of therapeutic functionalities, its use in viper bite management is of high interest and should be seriously considered

Oxidative stress-induced methemoglobinemia is the silent killer during snakebite: a novel and strategic neutralization by melatonin

Oxidative stress-induced methemoglobinemia remained an untouched area in venom pharmacology till date. This study for the first time explored the potential of animal venoms to oxidize hemoglobin to methemoglobin. In invitro whole-blood assay, methemoglobin forming ability of venoms varied as Naja naja>Ophiophagus hannah>Echis carinatus>Daboia russellii>Apis mellifera>Mesobuthus tamulus>Hippasa partita. Being highly potential, N.naja venom was further studied to observe methemoglobin formation in RBCs and in combinations with PMNs and PBMCs, where maximum effect was observed in RBCs+PMNs combination. Naja naja venom/externally added methemoglobin-induced methemoglobin formation was in parallel with ROS generation in whole blood/RBCs/RBCs+PMNs/RBCs+PBMCs. In invivo studies, the lethal dose (1mg/kg body weight, i.p.) of N.naja venom readily induced methemoglobin formation, ROS generation, expression of inflammatory markers, and hypoxia-inducible factor-3. Although the mice administered with three effective doses of antivenom recorded zero mortality; the methemoglobin and ROS levels remained high. However, one effective dose of antivenom when administered along with melatonin (1:50; venom/melatonin, w/w), not only offered 100% survival of experimental mice, but also significantly reduced methemoglobin level, and oxidative stress markers including hypoxia-inducible factor-3. This study provides strong drive that, complementing melatonin would not only reduce the antivenom load, but for sure greatly increase the success rate of antivenom therapy and drastically minimize the global incidence of snakebite deaths. However, further detailed investigations are needed before translating the combined therapy towards the bed side

COVID-19 lung disease shares driver AT2 cytopathic features with Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Summary: Background: In the aftermath of Covid-19, some patients develop a fibrotic lung disease, i.e., post-COVID-19 lung disease (PCLD), for which we currently lack insights into pathogenesis, disease models, or treatment options. Methods: Using an AI-guided approach, we analyzed > 1000 human lung transcriptomic datasets associated with various lung conditions using two viral pandemic signatures (ViP and sViP) and one covid lung-derived signature. Upon identifying similarities between COVID-19 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), we subsequently dissected the basis for such similarity from molecular, cytopathic, and immunologic perspectives using a panel of IPF-specific gene signatures, alongside signatures of alveolar type II (AT2) cytopathies and of prognostic monocyte-driven processes that are known drivers of IPF. Transcriptome-derived findings were used to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to identify the major triggers of AT2 dysfunction. Key findings were validated in hamster and human adult lung organoid (ALO) pre-clinical models of COVID-19 using immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Findings: COVID-19 resembles IPF at a fundamental level; it recapitulates the gene expression patterns (ViP and IPF signatures), cytokine storm (IL15-centric), and the AT2 cytopathic changes, e.g., injury, DNA damage, arrest in a transient, damage-induced progenitor state, and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These immunocytopathic features were induced in pre-clinical COVID models (ALO and hamster) and reversed with effective anti-CoV-2 therapeutics in hamsters. PPI-network analyses pinpointed ER stress as one of the shared early triggers of both diseases, and IHC studies validated the same in the lungs of deceased subjects with COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2-challenged hamster lungs. Lungs from tg-mice, in which ER stress is induced specifically in the AT2 cells, faithfully recapitulate the host immune response and alveolar cytopathic changes that are induced by SARS-CoV-2. Interpretation: Like IPF, COVID-19 may be driven by injury-induced ER stress that culminates into progenitor state arrest and SASP in AT2 cells. The ViP signatures in monocytes may be key determinants of prognosis. The insights, signatures, disease models identified here are likely to spur the development of therapies for patients with IPF and other fibrotic interstitial lung diseases. Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes for Health grants R01- GM138385 and AI155696 and funding from the Tobacco-Related disease Research Program (R01RG3780)