A simple and rapid method for isolation of cellular DNA

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Patterns of replication in the neo-sex chromosomes of Drosophila nasuta albomicans

Drosophila nasuta albomicans (with 2n=6), contains a pair of metacentric neo-sex chromosomes. Phylogenetically these are products of centric fusion between ancestral sex (X, Y) chromosomes and an autosome (chromosome 3). The polytene chromosome complement of males with a neo-X- and neo-Y-chromosomes has revealed asynchrony in replication between the two arms of the neo-sex chromosomes. The arm which represents the ancestral X-chromosome is faster replicating than the arm which represents ancestral autosome. The latter arm of the neo-sex chromosome is synchronous with other autosomes of the complement. We conclude that one arm of the neo-X/Y is still mimicking the features of an autosome while the other arm has the features of a classical X/Y-chromosome. This X-autosome translocation differs from the other evolutionary X-autosome translocations known in certain species of Drosophila

Incipient sexual isolation in the nasuta-albomicans complex of Drosophila: mating preference in male-, female- and multiple-choice mating experiments

Interracial divergence is an important facet of speciation. The nasuta-albomicans complex of Drosophila with sixteen morphologically identical, karyotypically different but cross-fertile races is an excellent system to study a few dimensions of raciation. Drosophila nasuta nasuta, Drosophila nasuta albomicans, Cytorace 1, Cytorace 2, Cytorace 3 and Cytorace 4 of this subgroup have been subjected to male-, female- and multiple-choice mating experiments. Out of 8456 crosses conducted, 7185 had successful matings. The overall impression is that mating is far from random amongst these six closely related races of the nasuta-albomicans complex. The males of D. n. albomicans, Cytorace 1 and Cytorace 4 in male-choice, the females of Cytorace 1 and Cytorace 2 in female-choice, and the males and females of D. n. nasuta, D. n. albomicans, Cytorace 1 and Cytorace 4 against the males and females of Cytorace 2 in multiple-choice experiments, had significantly more homogamic matings than expected. Thus in this study of evolutionary experimentation on raciation under laboratory conditions, we have documented the initiation of preference for con-specific matings among closely related and independently evolving members of the nasuta-albomicans complex of Drosophila

Genetic variations among ecologically diverse species of Anurans at the level of genus based on ISSR marker

Anurans (frogs and toads) collected from South Kanara, Udupi and North Kanara districts, Karnataka viz: Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (an aquatic), Fejervarya rufescens (a burrowing), Duttaphrynus melanostictus (a terrestrial), Fejervarya caperata (a semi aquatic), Ramanella montana (a semi arboreal) and Polypedates maculatus (an arboreal) belonging to five genera placed under four families were compared using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) marker to analyze genetic variability and relationship between the investigated taxa. ISSR profile obtained exhibited 100% presence of polymorphic bands.The ISSR bands could also be categorized as high (H), moderate (M) and light (L) based on the intensity of amplification. Dendrograms were generated using similarity coefficient and relationship coefficient values based on the count of only high or high and moderate or high, moderate and light bands in each case. Analysis of the data suggests that the genetic relatedness between the taxa as exhibited in the generated dendrograms varies based on the type of amplified bands considered. The clustering pattern obtained in the case of high and moderate bands was more close to the conventional taxonomical pattern of grouping based on thephenotypic characters. The specific unique bands present in each case may be of importance as molecular markers. Observed genetic variability (presence/absence, total number, intensity of amplification and size of polymorphic bands) among taxa probably provide factors contributing partially to diverse adaptive fitness supporting varied ecological demands. However, an intensive study incorporating more representive species from each of the habitat is needed to pinpoint the importance of the unique bands as the genus/species/ecological molecular markers

Periodic fading of medium wave radio signals

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Radiation and Mass Transfer Effects on Transient Free Convection Flow of a Dissipative Fluid past Semi-Infinite Vertical Plate with Uniform Heat and Mass Flux

Effect of radiation and mass transfer on the transient free convection flow of a dissipative past semi-infinite vertical plate with uniform heat and mass flux is analyzed, by taking into account the effect of viscous dissipation. This type of problems finds application in many technological and engineering fields such as plasma studies, petroleum industries, MHD energy generators, cooling of nuclear reactors, the boundary layer control in aerodynamics, crystal growth and furnace engineering. The Rosseland approximation is used to describe the radiative heat transfer in the limit of the optically thick fluid. The non-linear, coupled equations are solved using an implicit finite difference scheme of Crank-Nicolson type. Transient temperature, concentration and velocity profiles, local and average skinfriction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are presented graphically and discussed. It is observed that, when the radiation parameter increases the velocity and temperature decrease accompanied by simultaneous reduction in both momentum and thermal boundary layers

Study of Magnetic Properties of A_2B^'NbO_6 (A=Ba,Sr, (BaSr): and B^'=Fe and Mn) double perovskites

We have studied the magnetic properties of Ba_2FeNbO_6 and Ba_2MnNbO_6. it is seen that Ba_2FeNbO_6 is an antiferromagnet with a weak ferromagnetic behaviour at 5K while Ba_2MnNbO_6 shows two magnetic transitions one at 45 K and the other at 12K. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements at room temperature show that the Mn compound does not show any Jahn-Teller distortion. It is also seen that the Neel temperature of the A_2FeNbO_6 (A=Ba,Sr, BaSr) compounds do not vary significantly. However variations in the average A-site ionic radius influence the formation of short range correlations that persist above T_N.Comment: 10 oages, 5 figures, MMM, to appear in J.Appl.Phy

Finite Difference Analysis of Radiative Free Convection Flow Past an Impulsively Started Vertical Plate with Variable Heat and Mass Flux

A numerical solution of the unsteady radiative free convection flow of an incompressible viscous fluid past an impulsively started vertical plate with variable heat and mass flux is presented here. This type of problem finds application in many technological and engineering fields such as rocket propulsion systems, spacecraft re-entry aerothermodynamics, cosmical flight aerodynamics, plasma physics, glass production and furnace engineering. The fluid is gray, absorbing-emitting but non-scattering medium and the Rosseland approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. The governing non-linear, coupled equations are solved using an implicit finite difference scheme. Numerical results for the velocity, temperature, concentration, the local and average skinfriction, the Nusselt and Sherwood number are shown graphically, for different values of Prandtl number, Schmidt number, thermal Grashof number, mass Grashof number, radiation parameter, heat flux exponent and the mass flux exponent. It is observed that, when the radiation parameter increases, the velocity and temperature decrease in the boundary layer. The local and average skin-friction increases with the increase in radiation parameter. For increasing values of radiation parameter the local as well as average Nusselt number increases

Preparation, Characterization and In Vitro Drug Release Studies of 6-mercaptopurine Thin Film

Oral thin films of 6-mercaptopurine were fabricated from mucoadhesive polymer, chitosan and polyvinylpyrrolidone for the purpose of prolonging drug release and improving its bioavailability. All fabricated film formulations prepared were smooth and translucent, with good flexibility. The weight and thickness of all the formulations were found to be uniform. These films were also evaluated for surface pH, folding endurance, swelling percentage (% S) and in vitro disintegration time. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) were used to evaluate the physico-chemical nature of the films. In-vitro drug release have shown enhanced release profiles for thin films compared to pure drug and the release patterns have been found to be pH dependant. The results of the study reveals that fabrication of 6-MP oral thin film by using solvent cast technology is a simple and an efficient method for drug delivery to achieve desired therapeutic compliance.Keywords: 6-mercaptopurine; In Vitro Drug Release; SEM; FTI

Altered subcortical emotional salience processing differentiates Parkinson’s patients with and without psychotic symptoms

Objective Current research does not provide a clear explanation for why some patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) develop psychotic symptoms. The ‘aberrant salience hypothesis’ of psychosis has been influential and proposes that dopaminergic dysregulation leads to inappropriate attribution of salience to irrelevant/non-informative stimuli, facilitating the formation of hallucinations and delusions. The aim of this study is to investigate whether non-motivational salience is altered in PD patients and possibly linked to the development of psychotic symptoms. Methods We investigated salience processing in 14 PD patients with psychotic symptoms, 23 PD patients without psychotic symptoms and 19 healthy controls. All patients were on dopaminergic medication for their PD. We examined emotional salience using a visual oddball fMRI paradigm that has been used to investigate early stages of schizophrenia spectrum psychosis, controlling for resting cerebral blood flow as assessed with arterial spin labelling fMRI. Results We found significant differences between patient groups in brain responses to emotional salience. PD patients with psychotic symptoms had enhanced brain responses in the striatum, dopaminergic midbrain, hippocampus and amygdala compared to patients without psychotic symptoms. PD patients with psychotic symptoms showed significant correlations between the levels of dopaminergic drugs they were taking and BOLD signalling, as well as psychotic symptom scores. Conclusion Our study suggests that enhanced signalling in the striatum, dopaminergic midbrain, the hippocampus and amygdala is associated with the development of psychotic symptoms in PD, in line with that proposed in the ‘aberrant salience hypothesis’ of psychosis in schizophrenia