Evaluation of postharvest quality of edible coated mandarin at ambient storage

An experiment was conducted to assess the influence of edible coatings on postharvest quality of mandarin during 20 days of ambient storage. Sorted fruits were washed; fruit surface water was removed and then coated with 100% liquid paraffin wax, 0.5% chitosan, 1.0% chitosan, 1.5% chitosan, and 100% coconut oil. After coating, fruit surface was air dried and kept at ambient condition (25±3 °C, 60–70% RH) and analyzed periodically for weight loss, respiration rate, firmness, decay incidence, TSS, pH, ascorbic acid content, and sensory properties. The results revealed that coconut oil had immense effect on the reduction of the weight loss and respiration rate and preserved firmness, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, total sugar and reducing sugar and no incidence of moulds & their growth was found up to 16 days of storage.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 8 (1): 18-25, June, 201

Astrocytic Ion Dynamics: Implications for Potassium Buffering and Liquid Flow

We review modeling of astrocyte ion dynamics with a specific focus on the implications of so-called spatial potassium buffering, where excess potassium in the extracellular space (ECS) is transported away to prevent pathological neural spiking. The recently introduced Kirchoff-Nernst-Planck (KNP) scheme for modeling ion dynamics in astrocytes (and brain tissue in general) is outlined and used to study such spatial buffering. We next describe how the ion dynamics of astrocytes may regulate microscopic liquid flow by osmotic effects and how such microscopic flow can be linked to whole-brain macroscopic flow. We thus include the key elements in a putative multiscale theory with astrocytes linking neural activity on a microscopic scale to macroscopic fluid flow.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figure

A Study to Investigate the Consumer’s Assessment of Brand Extension in the Emerging Market Pakistan.

According to IMF outlook report 2015, Pakistan is included in the list of emerging economies of the world. Multinational corporations frequently use the brand extension marketing strategy in the emerging markets of the world. But to know how do consumers assess the brand extension is hampered by the limited studies in the context of developing markets. To understand this gap, the researcher in the present research study uses already established brand extension framework, namely Aaker model, and we extended this framework by adding one more factor which is „brand image‟. This new factor is added on the basis of previous literature. This new model is tested by using the consumers of Pakistan. The output reveals that brand image plays an important role in the consumers‟ evaluation of the brand extension in the context of emerging market. Managerial implications along with limitations and future research directions are also mentioned in the current paper

Reprogramming energy metabolism and inducing angiogenesis : co-expression of monocarboxylate transporters with VEGF family members in cervical adenocarcinomas

Background: Deregulation of cellular energetic metabolism was recently pointed out as a hallmark of cancer cells. This deregulation involves a metabolic reprogramming that leads to a high production of lactate. Lactate efflux, besides contributing for the glycolytic flux, also acts in the extracellular matrix, contributing for cancer malignancy, by, among other effects, induction of angiogenesis. However, studies on the interplay between cancer metabolism and angiogenesis are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the metabolic and vascular molecular profiles of cervical adenocarcinomas, their co-expression, and their relation to the clinical and pathological behavior. Methods: The immunohistochemical expression of metabolism-related proteins (MCT1, MCT4, CD147, GLUT1 and CAIX) as well as VEGF family members (VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3) was assessed in a series of 232 cervical adenocarcinomas. The co-expression among proteins was assessed and the expression profiles were associated with patients’ clinicopathological parameters. Results: Among the metabolism-related proteins, MCT4 and CAIX were the most frequently expressed in cervical adenocarcinomas while CD147 was the less frequently expressed protein. Overall, VEGF family members showed a strong and extended expression with VEGF-C and VEGFR-2 as the most frequently expressed and VEGFR-1 as the less expressed member. Co-expression of MCT isoforms with VEGF family members was demonstrated. Finally, MCT4 was associated with parametrial invasion and HPV18 infection, CD147 and GLUT1 with distant metastasis, CAIX with tumor size and HPV18 infection, and VEGFR-1 with local and lymphnode metastasis. Conclusions: The results herein presented provide additional evidence for a crosstalk between deregulating cellular energetics and inducing angiogenesis. Also, the metabolic remodeling and angiogenic switch are relevant to cancer progression and aggressiveness in adenocarcinomas.CP received a post-doctoral fellowship (SFRH/BPD/69479/2010) and FM-S received a doctoral fellowship (SFRH/BD/87139/2012) from FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology). This work was supported by the FCT grant ref. PTDC/SAU-FCF/104347/2008, under the scope of "Programa Operacional Tematico Factores de Competitividade" (COMPETE) of "Quadro Comunitario de Apoio III" and co-financed by Fundo Comunitario Europeu FEDER, and also by FAPESP 2008/03232-1

The genomic landscape of cutaneous SCC reveals drivers and a novel azathioprine associated mutational signature

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) has a high tumour mutational burden (50 mutations per megabase DNA pair). Here, we combine whole-exome analyses from 40 primary cSCC tumours, comprising 20 well-differentiated and 20 moderately/poorly differentiated tumours, with accompanying clinical data from a longitudinal study of immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients and integrate this analysis with independent gene expression studies. We identify commonly mutated genes, copy number changes and altered pathways and processes. Comparisons with tumour differentiation status suggest events which may drive disease progression. Mutational signature analysis reveals the presence of a novel signature (signature 32), whose incidence correlates with chronic exposure to the immunosuppressive drug azathioprine. Characterisation of a panel of 15 cSCC tumour-derived cell lines reveals that they accurately reflect the mutational signatures and genomic alterations of primary tumours and provide a valuable resource for the validation of tumour drivers and therapeutic targets

Diagnosis & Management of Iron Deficiency Anemia via Parental Iron

All living things contain liquid inside their bodies which serves many functions like blood act as important connective tissue in transport of oxygen to all the cells similarly to excrete all the waste material from the cell to outside the body. Blood cells contain a red colored pigment which is called hemoglobin and its central portion is iron, when the level of haemoglobin falls in the body this condition is called anemia. To find the actual type of anemia different types of blood tests are conducted a person suffers. Most of the pregnant women suffer with the deficiency of iron. A study of such patients was conducted in Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar, and after collection of blood sample their test report indicate that most of the women were suffered with iron deficiency anemia. Total of seventy were taken into 2 groups A (n=40) and B (n=30). For iron deficiency anemia intravenous and intra muscular iron therapy was compared based on Hemoglobin (Hb) level Group A received intra venous iron (2 ampoules/alternate day), while Group B received intra muscular iron (1 ampoules/day). The data was recorded for group A (Hb=8.0±1.1 g/dl) at 15 days interval whereas for group B (Hb=8.8±0.9 g/dl) once prior to delivery. Group A showed an average rise of hemoglobin 2.5 g/dl with mean value of 10.8 g/dl. On the other hand Group B indicated an increase of hemoglobin 1.4 g/dl with mean of 10.2 g/dl target hemoglobin level (11 g/dl) was achieved 87% in group A and only 25% by group B. It was concluded that Intravenous therapy was safe, convenient and more effective than intramuscular iron therapy, in treating iron deficiency anemia. International Journal of Natural Sciences (2012), 2(3):88-90 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijns.v2i3.12138 </jats:p

Examination of Sharia based Islamic banking Practices and Brand attractiveness of Islamic banking in Pakistan: Customers ’Perspective

The objective of this study is to identify factors that attract the university students to Islamic bank as compare to conventional banks in Pakistan. Several variables selected after having studied the literature. Among those variables the most important ones are interest free banking, benefits available, service quality, and infrastructure of banks and staff friendliness. But benefits offered are assumed to be constant for this research. In order to undertake the study 100 questionnaires were distributed among the students of Business schools. The response rate was 86 percent. The qualitative research was done to accomplish the study. For the purpose of analysis, descriptive statistical measures and correlation techniques were applied. After getting inside the results, it has been discovered that service quality, Interest free banking and staff friendliness are the variables that attracts the university students to Islamic banks the most. The Islamic bank should improve these factors to increase their share in the market

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of the extract and fractions of aerial parts of Heliotropium bacciferum

Background: H. bacciferum belonging to the family Boraginaceae is an important medicinal plant. The current research was carried out to investigate the medicinal properties of this plant.Methodology: The crude (methanol fraction) and n-hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and aqueous fractions were subjected to antibacterial and antifungal activities by using standard methodology available in literature. Bacterial strains of Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas Aeroginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Erwinia carotovora, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus atrophaeus were used for antibacterial activity.Results: All the fractions were active against different bacterial strains but n-hexane and ethyl acetate showed (Zone of inhibition ranged from 18-30 mm) highest activity. The fungal strains, Trichoderma longibrachiantum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium solani and Candida albican were used for antifungal activity. Excellent inhibitory effect was observed against all fungal strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against various fungal strains was determined. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the investigated plant fractions ranged from 0.5- 2.00 mg/ml.Conclusion: The plant showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activities. All tested plant extracts exhibit activities against different fungal strains. The result against various microorganisms shows the therapeutic potential of the plant H. bacciferumKeywords: H. bacciferum, Medicinal Plant, crude fractions, Antimicrobial activities