Characterization of Diazotrophs associated with roots of Leptochloa fusca (L) Kunth

A group of nine diazotrophs were isolated from the rhizosphere of kallar grass and cultured on nitrogent-jree medium. K 5 , Ks' K9' KlD' Kl2, K13 showed high nitrogenase activity (> 18 n mol C#4 h-I viatl) whereas in K7 and K14 it was comparatively low « 5n mol C#4 h l viatl ). Maximum nitrogenase activity was found in young cultures (after 24 hours of incubation) except for K9 and Kl3 where it was maximum after 36 and 48 h, respectively. All strains were Gram-negat, produced smooth colonies and pellicles on semi-solid media. Cells of K5, K7' KID' KlI, Kl2 and K14 were pleiomorphic: Ks formed long fine rods; K9 was small, round or oval shaped; while KI4 formed beaded rods. Only Ks' K 13 and KI4were found to be motile. All isolates were able to reduce nitrate, and were positive for oxidase an catalese. None of them could denitrify or had urease activity except for K14 which was urease positive. Ks' Kl3 and KI4 were fermentative and produced red pigments. The isolates K5, KIO and KI2 are assigned to the genus Azotobacter while others remained unidentified

Flow of shale gas in tight rocks using a non-Linear transport model with pressure dependent model parameters

A new source of energy has recently been discovered from unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs, such as shale gas deposits. Shale gas is found in tight porous rocks which are characterised by nano-scale size porous networks with ultra-low permeability [1,2]. The modelling of transport through such tight porous media is very challenging because it is a relatively new discipline and not much is known but transport processes in them, and little data is available; but it is a growing sector and must be addressed. Here, we apply a recently developed non-linear gas transport model [3], to reservoir simulations of single-phase gas through homogeneous tight rocks. Please download the full abstract below

Calcaneal fractures: an audit of radiological outcome.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess radiological outcome of management of calcaneal fractures. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of calcanealfractures managed between February , 2008 and February, 2014 Cases were identified through medical records, and X-rays were reviewed through digital radiology archive. Bohler\\u27s angle, Gissane\\u27s angle, calcaneal height and width were assessed digitally on pre-operative and post-operative X-ray images. RESULTS: Of the27 patients, only 1(3.7%) was female. The cause of fracture was fall from height 15(56%), road traffic accidents 7(26%) and bomb blasts5(19%). Tongue type fractures were 16(59%) and 11(41%) were joint depression type. There was a significant mean increase in Bohler\\u27s angle (p0.05 each). CONCLUSIONS: Measurable improvement in anatomical parameters is possible with surgery, which is a prerequisite for good functional results

Renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus in Pakistan

Objective: To find the prevalence of lupus nephritis, delineate its clinical, immunological and therapeutic characteristics and compare them with the data worldwide.PATIENTS AND Methods: Between 1985 and 2001, 198 patients with SLE fulfilling the clinical and laboratory criteria of the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) admitted to the hospital were studied by means of a retrospective review of their records.Results: Renal involvement was found in 89 (45%) patients. Biopsy showed lupus nephritis in 42 patients; there were 9 male and 33 females. Mean age at initial presentation was 27 years and mean duration of follow-up was 2 .3 years. The histological types (WHO Classification) were mainly class. 4 (n = 27), class 3 (n = 7) and class 5 (n = 6). Immunoflourescence showed a predominantly granular pattern of IgG, IgA and C3. Renal manifestations included renal failure (50%), microscopic hematuria (67%), active urine sediment (22%), and proteinuria (74%). Proteinuria was nephrotic range in 45% patients. Treatment was with combinations of prednisolone and cyclophosphamide (n = 13), prednisolone and azathioprine (n = 27). 19 patients received high dose methyl prednisolone (1 gm/day for 3 days). There was no difference in mortality rate between prednisolone and cyclophosphamide and prednisolone and azathioprine treatment groups. The overall mortality rate was 17% (n = 7). Mortality was higher in WHO class 4 and 5 as compared to class 2 and 3 (p \u3c 0.001).CONCLUSION: The prevalence of lupus nephritis in our population is an intermediate between Caucasians and other Asians. Certain clinical characteristics in our patients with lupus nephritis are different as compared to various other studies. Because of limited resources for treatment in developing countries, we believe that patients with lupus nephritis should be treated with improved ancillary medical therapies and more effective immunosuppressive regimens

Pharmacological restoration of PKD1: A novel strategy for prostate cancer therapy

Background: Prostate cancer has poor prognosis owing to late diagnosis and ineffective multimodal clinical treatment. Extensive efforts are ongoing to establish methods that can resolve the expression of genes implicated in disease development and treatment. Previously, we reported that Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1), a serine threonine kinase, controls a number of tumor suppressor functions including cell aggregation, cell motility, cell proliferation, and cell invasion. Thus, PKD1 is considered as an emerging therapeutic target for prostate cancer treatment. Objective: To investigate the restoration of PKD1 by a pharmacological modulator ormeloxifene, which showed well-defined PK/PD and safety profiles in humans. Methods: Proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, invasion, western blotting and qPCR analysis were performed to investigate the anticancer effect of ORM, docetaxel and/or their combination on PKD1 and related signaling mechanisms in prostate cancer. Results: ORM treatment inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, migration and colony formation abilities of prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner compared to vehicle treated group. ORM treatment selectively induces the expression of PKD1 both at mRNA and protein levels in C4-2 cells. Moreover, our results have also shown that ORM effectively attenuates MTA1 expression in prostate cancer cells. MTA1 physically interact and shown to have inverse relationship with PKD1. In addition, we observed that ORM treatment enhances the therapeutic efficacy of docetaxel in C4-2 cells. Our results also indicate that ORM treatment potentiate the effects of docetaxel as determined by MTS and colony formation assays. Conclusion: These results suggest that ORM exhibit potent anticancer activity via restoration of PKD1 in prostate cancer

Molecular Insights into Targeting PKD1 for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Background: Prostate cancer has a poor prognosis due to late diagnosis and ineffective multimodal clinical treatment. Efforts are underway to create strategies for resolving the abnormal expression of molecular targets implicated in disease development and progression. We previously reported that the serine threonine kinase Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1) regulates a multitude of tumor suppressor functions, including cell aggregation, motility, proliferation, and invasion in prostate cancer. Thus, PKD1 is regarded as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer. Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of ormeloxifene (ORM), a pharmacological modulator with well-defined PK/PD and safety profiles in humans, for PKD1 restoration in prostate cancer. Methods: The anticancer effect of ORM on PKD1 and associated signaling mechanisms in prostate cancer was investigated using proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, invasion, western blotting, and qPCR analysis. Results: In comparison to the vehicle-treated group, ORM treatment decreased prostate cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and colony formation in a dose-dependent manner. In C4-2 cells, ORM treatment selectively induces PKD1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, our findings revealed that ORM efficiently suppresses MTA1 expression in prostate cancer cells. MTA1 physically interacts with PKD1 and has been shown to have an inverse correlation with it. Our results also showed that ORM treatment enhances the therapeutic efficacy of decetaxel. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings show that ORM has anticancer properties in prostate cancer via restoring PKD1

Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Salix alba L. Against Various Disease Causing Pathogens

The present study was aimed to manifest the antibacterial and antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of Salix alba L. against seven Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus (1), S. aureus (2), Shigella sonnei, Escherichia coli (1), E. coli (2) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and three fungal isolates from the air such as Aspergillus terreus, A. ornatus, and Rhizopus stolonifer. Two different serotypes of S. aureus and E. coli were used. The agar well-diffusion method results showed the dose-dependent response of plant extracts against bacterial and fungal strains while some organisms were found resistant e.g. E. coli (1), S. sonnei, A. terreus and R. stolonifer. The highest antibacterial activity was recorded at 17.000±1.732 mm from 100 mg/mL of leaves methanolic extracts against S. pyogenes while the activity of most of the pathogens decreased after 24 h of incubation. The highest antifungal activity was reported at 11.833±1.0 mm against A. ornatus at 50 mg/mL after 48 h of the incubation period. These experimental findings endorse the use of S. alba in ethnopharmacological formulations and suggest the use of methanolic extracts of the said plant to develop drugs to control the proliferation of resistant disease causing pathogenic microbes

Autophagic and endo-lysosomal dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease

Due to their post-mitotic state, metabolic demands and often large polarised morphology, the function and survival of neurons is dependent on an efficient cellular waste clearance system both for generation of materials for metabolic processes and removal of toxic components. It is not surprising therefore that deficits in protein clearance can tip the balance between neuronal health and death. Here we discuss how autophagy and lysosome-mediated degradation pathways are disrupted in several neurological disorders. Both genetic and cell biological evidence show the diversity and complexity of vesicular clearance dysregulation in cells, and together may ultimately suggest a unified mechanism for neuronal demise in degenerative conditions. Causative and risk-associated mutations in Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and others have given the field a unique mechanistic insight into protein clearance processes in neurons. Through their broad implication in neurodegenerative diseases, molecules involved in these genetic pathways, in particular those involved in autophagy, are emerging as appealing therapeutic targets for intervention in neurodegeneration

Dimethoate Induced Behavioural Changes in Juveniles of Cyprinus carpio

The present study was designed to investigate acute toxicity of dimethoate on juvenile Cyprinus carpio var. communis. Fishes weighing 10±2 gms were selected and mortality data was statistically evaluated by Finney’s Probit Method. The 96-hour LC50 value for Cyprinus carpio was found as 1.1 ppm in static bioassay system. Mean values of physicochemical parameters of aquarium waters determined during bioassay depicted slight variation indicating that the mortality in aquarium fishes occurred due to pesticide exposure and not suffocation. Lab. temperature ranged from 12 to 13°C; water temperature ranged from 11 to 12°C; dissolved oxygen ranged from 3.90 to 4.56 mg/L; pH ranged from 6.90 to 7.05; total dissolved solids ranged from 2.66 to 3.0 × 103 mg/L, while CO2 remained at a constant value of 2.0 mg/L. The fishes elicited various behavioural responses such as uncoordinated movements, convulsions, excessive mucus secretion, and imbalanced swimming which ended in a collapse to the bottom of the aquarium. Prior to death, the clinical signs like scale erosion, pale body colour, and hemorrhagic patches over the body were noticed which became more vivid up to the termination of experiments. Results of the study indicate potential toxicity of dimethoate in fingerlings of common carp for which the natural waterbodies must be continuously monitored to reduce its impact across food chains

Do clinical manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Pakistan correlate with rest of Asia?

Objective: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is known to be different among people with different racial, geographical and socio-economic back grounds. Asia has diverse ethnic groups broadly, Orientals in the East and Southeast Asia, Indians in South Asia and Arabs in the Middle East. These regions differ significantly from the Caucasians with reference to SLE. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to delineate the clinical pattern and disease course in Pakistani patients with SLE and compare it with Asian data.Methods: Patients with SLE fulfilling the clinical and laboratory criteria of the American Rheumatism Association admitted at the Aga Khan University Hospital between 1986 and 2001 were studied by means of a retrospective review of their records. The results were compared with various studies in different regions of Asia.Results: Demographically, it was seen that SLE is a disease predominantly of females in their third decade, which is generally consistent with Asian data. There was less cutaneous manifestations, arthritis, serositis, haematological and renal involvement compared to various regions in Asia. The neurological manifestations of SLE, however, place Pakistani patients in the middle of a spectrum between South Asians and other Asian races.CONCLUSION: This study has shown that the clinical characteristics of SLE patients in our country may be different to those of other Asian races. Although our population is similar to South Asians, but clinical manifestations of our SLE patients are considerably different, suggesting some unknown etiology. Further studies are required to confirm the above results and to find statistically sounder associations