A Candida albicans CRISPR system permits genetic engineering of essential genes and gene families

Candida albicans is a pathogenic yeast that causes mucosal and systematic infections with high mortality. The absence of facile molecular genetics has been a major impediment to analysis of pathogenesis. The lack of meiosis coupled with the absence of plasmids makes genetic engineering cumbersome, especially for essential functions and gene families. We describe a C. albicans CRISPR system that overcomes many of the obstacles to genetic engineering in this organism. The high frequency with which CRISPR-induced mutations can be directed to target genes enables easy isolation of homozygous gene knockouts, even without selection. Moreover, the system permits the creation of strains with mutations in multiple genes, gene families, and genes that encode essential functions. This CRISPR system is also effective in a fresh clinical isolate of undetermined ploidy. Our method transforms the ability to manipulate the genome of Candida and provides a new window into the biology of this pathogen.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (GM035010

Ionophoretic Technique for the Determination of Stability Constants of Mixed Complexes (M-Nitrilotriacetate-5-Amino Pentanoate Systems)

A new method, involving the use of paper electrophoresis is described for the study of the equilibria in mixed ligand complex systems in solution. This technique is based on the movement of a spot of metal ion under an electric field with the complexants added in the background electrolyte at p\u27H = 8.5. Concentration of the primary ligand (NTA) was kept constant while that of the secondary ligand (5-amino pentanoic acid) was varied. The plots of-log [5-amino pentanoic acid] against mobility were used to obtain information on the forma tion of mixed complex and to calculate its stability constants. The binary equilibria M(II)-(5- amino pentanoic acid) and M(II)-NTA have also been studied since this is a prerequisite for the investigation of mixed complexes. The stability constants of the cornplexes, metal-nitrilotriacetate- 5-amino pentanoate have been found to be 5.85, 5.50, 5.22, 3.96 and 3.90 (log K values) for Cu(II), UOz(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes, respectively, at fL = 0.1 mol/L and a temperature of 35 -c

Phyllanthus Niruri: A magic Herb

Medicinal herbs are significant source of pharmaceutical drugs. Latest trends have shown increasing demand of phytodrugs and some medicinal herbs have proven hepatotprotective potential. Inflammation describes a coordinated series of molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and systemic responses that drive the pathology of various diseases Inflammation is a finely tuned, dynamic, highly-regulated process that is not inherently detrimental, but rather required for immune surveillance, optimal post-injury tissue repair, and regeneration. The inflammatory response is driven by cytokines and chemokines and is partially propagated by damaged tissue-derived products (Damage-associated Molecular Patterns; DAMP’s). DAMPs perpetuate inflammation through the release of proinflammatory cytokines, but may also inhibit anti-inflammatory cytokines

Analysis of Genetic Diversity in Twelve Cultivars of Pea Based on Morphological and Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Pea(Pisum sativum L.)is the second most important legume crop worldwide after chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and valuable resources for their genetic improvement. This study aimed to analyze genetic diversity of pea cultivars through morphological and molecular markers. The present investigation was carried out with 12 pea cultivars using 28 simple sequence repeat markers. A total of 60 polymorphic bands with an average of 2.31 bands per primer were obtained. The polymorphic information content, diversity index and resolving power were ranged from 0.50 to 0.33, 0.61 to 0.86 and 0.44 to 1.0 with an average of 0.46, 0.73 and 0.76, respectively. The 12 pea cultivars were grouped into 3 clusters obtained from cluster analysis with a Jaccardd's similarity coefficient range of 0.47-0.78, indicating the sufficient genetic divergence among these cultivars of pea. The principal component analysis showed that first three principal components explained 86.97% of the total variation, suggesting the contribution of quantitative traits in genetic variability. The contribution of 32.59% for number of seeds per plant, stem circumference, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod in the PC1 leads to the conclusion that these traits contribute more to the total variation observed in the 12 pea cultivars and would make a good parental stock material. Overall, this SSR analysis complements morphological characters of initial selection of these pea germplasms for future breeding program

Changing trends in fetomaternal outcome in COVID-19 in pregnancy

Background: This study is to provide an overview of the clinical course and outcome of COVID in pregnancy in both first wave and second wave, to study about different parameters affected significantly in both waves.Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study that was conducted by dividing the patients into group 1 and group 2. Group 1 was treated in 2020 (wave 1) whereas group 2 in 2021 (wave 2). A laboratory confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 infection in pregnant women were included. All the patients were further categorized into mild, moderate and severe subgroups according to the ICMR criteria. Results: The study of the first (2020) and second (2021) wave of COVID-19. In group 1 and group 2, there were a total of 359 cases and 145 cases respectively. In group 1, there were 54/359 (15.04%) moderate cases and in group 2 there were 17/145 (11.72%) moderate cases. While there were 101/359 (28.13%) and 106/145 (73.10%) severe cases in group 1 and group 2 respectively. Most of severe cases of second group associated with breathlessness, tachypnoea and fall in oxygen saturation level ended with mechanical ventilation by O2 mask (7.54%), NRBM (8.49%), HFNC (14.15%), BIPAP (12.26%), invasive ventilation (22.64%). Conclusions: The results of study show that hospitalized patients in the second wave were younger, required hospitalization, and had higher mortality rates

Higher order antibunching is not a rare phenomenon

Since the introduction of higher order nonclassical effects, higher order squeezing has been reported in a number of different physical systems but higher order antibunching is predicted only in three particular cases. In the present work, we have shown that the higher order antibunching is not a rare phenomenon rather it can be seen in many simple optical processes. To establish our claim, we have shown it in six wave mixing process, four wave mixing process and in second harmonic generation process.Comment: 6 pages, no figure, Latex 2

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF SUSTAINED RELEASE MATRIX TABLETS OF NATEGLINIDE

The objective of this work was to prepare and evaluate oral sustained release matrix tablet of Nateglinide and to study the effect of proportion of wax and addition of release liner on in-vitro release of drug.The prepared tablets were evaluated for pre and post compression parameters. Stability study of the promising formulation was also performed. The matrix tablets were prepared by Direct compression, Co-processed & melt granulation, method using wax in concentration 25%, 35% & 45% and evaluated for on in-vitro drug release using Compritol & Precirol. No interactions were found between drug and excipients. Formulation containing 25% Precirol F13 shows releases up to 12 hours. Tablets with release characteristics offers critical advantages such as site specificity with improved absorption and efficacy etc. Keywords: Nateglinide, Sustained release, Compritol 888, Precirol ATO 5, Melt Granulation, Direct compression

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF BILAYER TABLETS OF BACLOFEN USING SYNTHETIC POLYMERS

Aim of study was to develop bilayer drug delivery for treatment of spasticity by delivering loading and maintenance dose for fast achievement of peak plasma concentration and maintaining the same respectively. The prepared drug loaded bilayer tablets were evaluated for pre and post compression parameters. Stability study of the promising formulation was also performed. The tablets were prepared by direct compression and wet granulation method. The loading dose was delivered in the form of immediate release layer prepared by different super-disintegrations and maintenance dose was delivered through sustained release layer prepared by using polymers like HPMC K4, HPMC K15M, HPMC K100, PEO WSR 303 and Precirol. Both the immediate release layer and sustained release layers were separately optimized and then combined to optimize the bilayertablets. No interactions were found between drug and excipients. Formulation containing Kyron T314 shows immediate drug release. Formulation Containing PEO WSR 303 shows sustained release action and bilayer formulations F6 shows releases up to 24 hours. Bilayer tablets with release characteristics offer critical advantages such as, site specificity with improved absorption and efficacy.Key words: Baclofen, Bilayer tablet, sustain release table

Effective Field Theories

Effective field theories encode the predictions of a quantum field theory at low energy. The effective theory has a fairly low ultraviolet cutoff. As a result, loop corrections are small, at least if the effective action contains a term which is quadratic in the fields, and physical predictions can be read straight from the effective Lagrangean. Methods will be discussed how to compute an effective low energy action from a given fundamental action, either analytically or numerically, or by a combination of both methods. Basically,the idea is to integrate out the high frequency components of fields. This requires the choice of a "blockspin",i.e. the specification of a low frequency field as a function of the fundamental fields. These blockspins will be the fields of the effective field theory. The blockspin need not be a field of the same type as one of the fundamental fields, and it may be composite. Special features of blockspins in nonabelian gauge theories will be discussed in some detail. In analytical work and in multigrid updating schemes one needs interpolation kernels \A from coarse to fine grid in addition to the averaging kernels $C$ which determines the blockspin. A neural net strategy for finding optimal kernels is presented. Numerical methods are applicable to obtain actions of effective theories on lattices of finite volume. The constraint effective potential) is of particular interest. In a Higgs model it yields the free energy, considered as a function of a gauge covariant magnetization. Its shape determines the phase structure of the theory. Its loop expansion with and without gauge fields can be used to determine finite size corrections to numerical data.Comment: 45 pages, 9 figs., preprint DESY 92-070 (figs. 3-9 added in ps format

Evaluation of pearlmillet germplasm from Rajasthan

A set of 380 accessions of pearlmilleet Pennisetum americanum (Linn.) K. Schum = P. typhoides (Burm. f.) Stapf and C.E. Hubb. collected from Rajasthan during 1977 and 1982, evaluated at Patancheru, Hyderabad, during the rainy and post-rainy seasons showed desirable traits like early-maturity, good tillering, drought tolerance and adaptation to arid and semi-arid conditions. In general, they flowered in 60 days, grew tall (200 cm) and produced short (22 cm) but many (3.3) spikes during the rainy season. 'Jakhrana', 'Sulkhania', 'Gullista', 'Karauli' and 'Barmer' were found to be more advanced as they produce basal tillers, longer spikes with non-shattering spikelets and small glumes that partly covered the grain. 'Chadi' and 'Desert' types produced several nodal tillers with sequential maturity of spikes with shattering spikelets having glumes that almost covered the grain