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

Diverse small molecule inhibitors of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease APE1 identified from a screen of a large public collection.

The major human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease APE1 plays a pivotal role in the repair of base damage via participation in the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway. Increased activity of APE1, often observed in tumor cells, is thought to contribute to resistance to various anticancer drugs, whereas down-regulation of APE1 sensitizes cells to DNA damaging agents. Thus, inhibiting APE1 repair endonuclease function in cancer cells is considered a promising strategy to overcome therapeutic agent resistance. Despite ongoing efforts, inhibitors of APE1 with adequate drug-like properties have yet to be discovered. Using a kinetic fluorescence assay, we conducted a fully-automated high-throughput screen (HTS) of the NIH Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository (MLSMR), as well as additional public collections, with each compound tested as a 7-concentration series in a 4 µL reaction volume. Actives identified from the screen were subjected to a panel of confirmatory and counterscreen tests. Several active molecules were identified that inhibited APE1 in two independent assay formats and exhibited potentiation of the genotoxic effect of methyl methanesulfonate with a concomitant increase in AP sites, a hallmark of intracellular APE1 inhibition; a number of these chemotypes could be good starting points for further medicinal chemistry optimization. To our knowledge, this represents the largest-scale HTS to identify inhibitors of APE1, and provides a key first step in the development of novel agents targeting BER for cancer treatment

Strain analysis of multiferroic BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 nanostructures by Raman scattering

We report a Raman scattering investigation of columnar BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 (BFO-CFO) epitaxial thin film nanostructures, where BFO pillars are embedded in a CFO matrix. The feasibility of a strain analysis is illustrated through an investigation of two nanostructures with different BFO-CFO ratios. We show that the CFO matrix presents the same strain state in both nanostructures, while the strain state of the BFO pillars depends on the BFO/CFO ratio with an increasing tensile strain along the out-of-plane direction with decreasing BFO content. Our results demonstrate that Raman scattering allows monitoring strain states in complex 3D multiferroic pillar/matrix composites.Comment: revised version submitted to Appl. Phys. Let

Assessment of genetic diversity in Indian Barnyard millet (Echinochloa spp. complex) using morphological and molecular markers

In the present study, morphological and molecular markers (RAPD primers) were used to analyze the genetic diversity and genetic relationships among 21 accessions of Echinochloa spp. complex comprising the wild and cultivated species collected from Melghat and adjoining regions of Vidarbha, Maharashtra. The availability of diverse genetic resources is a prerequisite for genetic improvement of any crop including barnyard millet. A high degree of molecular diversity among the landraces was detected. Among the 21 genotypes, two major groups (A and B) were formed, at 67.28 % similarity, which clearly encompasses 15 accessions of E. frumentacea and 6 accessions of E. colona. Higher similarity was observed in accessions of E. frumentacea. The accessions IC 597322 and IC 597323 also IC 597302 and IC 597304 showed more than 94% similarity among themselves. The classification of genetic diversity has enabled clear-cut grouping of barnyard millet accessions into two morphological races (E. frumentacea and E. colona)

Antifungal Activity of Petrolium and Ethanolic Extracts of Moringa Oleifera Leaves against Penicillium Chrysogenum and Cryptococcus Neoformans

Moringa oleifera is well known medicinal plant. Its different parts are widely used for the treatment of different types of diseases since is have antibacterial and antifungal activity. The leaves are rich in iron, rhamnose and a unique group of compounds called glucosinolates and isothiocyanates. Other medical proprieties include antipyretic, antiepileptic, antiinflamatory, antiulcerative, antihypertensive, cholesterol lowering, antioxidant, anti diabetic. The current investigation was undertaken to evaluate the antifungal activities by petroleum ether and ethanolic extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves against Penicillium crysogenum and Cryptococcus neoformans. From our study, it is found that as concentration of Moringa leaves extract increases the diameter of zone of inhibition found increased. The results were higher and effective for ethanolic extract than petroleum extract. The result were also found more effective against Cryptococcus neoformans than Penicillium crysogenum

Changes in the protein content of Lamellidens marginalis from Jayakwadi dam at paithan during different seasons (M.S) India

In the present study, variation in the protein content in soft body tissues of Lamellidensmarginalis were collected from Jayakwadi dam, at Paithan near Aurangabad was observed during different seasons. As variation in the environmental conditions, it shown an effect on protein contents in the tissues like, mantle, hepatopancreas, gonad and foot. Protein content maximum found in gonads throughout all the three seasons, whereas mantle shows minimum values of protein. There are great fluctuations in the values of protein during different seasons

Phase transition close to room temperature in BiFeO3 thin films

BiFeO3 (BFO) multiferroic oxide has a complex phase diagram that can be mapped by appropriately substrate-induced strain in epitaxial films. By using Raman spectroscopy, we conclusively show that films of the so-called supertetragonal T-BFO phase, stabilized under compressive strain, displays a reversible temperature-induced phase transition at about 100\circ, thus close to room temperature.Comment: accepted in J. Phys.: Condens. Matter (Fast Track Communication

Hybrid RFID-Based System Using Active Two-Way Tags

Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a promising technology that has experienced tremendous growth by revolutionizing a variety of industry sectors and applications, such as automated data management, the tracking of a specified object, highway toll collection, library inventory tracking, multi-level asset tracking, and airport baggage control. For many RFID applications, it is desired to maximize the operating distance or read range. This thesis proposes a design of an analog front-end architecture and the baseband controller for a Class-4 Active Two-Way (C4-ATW) RFID tag in order to maximize or increase the tracking range by implementing a tag-hopping technique. In tag-hopping, C4-ATW RFID tags power their own communication with other C4-ATW RFID tags and existing passive RFID tag while the reader\u27s functionality remains unchanged. The simulation results indicate that the C4-ATW RFID tag can detect a minimum incident RF input power of -20 dBm at a 120 Kbps data rate. For -20 dBm input power; the achieved read range between a reader and tag is 36.7 meters at 4 W of reader power and between two tags, the read range is 2.15 meters at 25 mW tag power. Combined, the analog front end and baseband controller consume 50.3 mW of power and the area of the chip, including pads, is 854 µm x 542 µm

Perspectives of family members participating in cultural assessment of psychiatric disorders: Findings from the DSM-5 International Field Trial

Despite the important roles families play in the lives of many individuals with mental illness across cultures, there is a dearth of data worldwide on how family members perceive the process of cultural assessment as well as to how to best include them. This study addresses this gap in our knowledge through analysis of data collected across six countries as part of a DSM-5 Field Trial of the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI). At clinician discretion, individuals who accompanied patients to the clinic visit (i.e. patient companions) at the time the CFI was conducted were invited to participate in the cultural assessment and answer questions about their experience. The specific aims of this paper are (1) to describe patterns of participation of patient companions in the CFI across the six countries, and (2) to examine the comparative feasibility, acceptability, and clinical utility of the CFI from companion perspectives through analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Among the 321 patient interviews, only 86 (at four of 12 sites) included companions, all of whom were family members or other relatives. The utility, feasibility and acceptability of the CFI were rated favourably by relatives, supported by qualitative analyses of debriefing interviews. Cross-site differences in frequency of accompaniment merit further study

Utjecaj sadržaja lijeka i veličine aglomerata na tabletiranje i oslobađanje bromheksin hidroklorida iz aglomerata s talkom pripremljenih kristalokoaglomeracijom

The objective of the investigation was to study the effect of bromhexine hydrochloride (BXH) content and agglomerate size on mechanical, compressional and drug release properties of agglomerates prepared by crystallo-co-agglomeration (CCA). Studies on optimized batches of agglomerates (BXT1 and BXT2) prepared by CCA have showed adequate sphericity and strength required for efficient tabletting. Trend of strength reduction with a decrease in the size of agglomerates was noted for both batches, irrespective of drug loading. However, an increase in mean yield pressure (14.189 to 19.481) with an increase in size was observed for BXT2 having BXH-talc (1:15.7). Surprisingly, improvement in tensile strength was demonstrated by compacts prepared from BXT2, due to high BXH load, whereas BXT1, having a low amount of BXH (BXH-talc, 1:24), showed low tensile strength. Consequently, increased tensile strength was reflected in extended drug release from BXT2 compacts (Higuchi model, R2 = 0.9506 to 0.9981). Thus, it can be concluded that interparticulate bridges formed by BXH and agglomerate size affect their mechanical, compressional and drug release properties.Cilj rada bio je praćenje utjecaja sadržaja bromheksidin hidroklorida (BXH) i veličine aglomerata na mehanička svojstva, kompresivnost i oslobađanje ljekovite tvari iz aglomerata pripravljenih kristalokoaglomeracijom (CCA). Optimizirani pripravci aglomerata (BXT1 i BXT2) pripravljeni CCA metodom pokazuju adekvatnu sferičnost i čvrstoću potrebnu za učinkovito tabletiranje. U oba pripravka se smanjenjem veličine aglomerata smanjivala i čvrstoća, neovisno o količini ljekovite tvari. Međutim, povećanje prosječnog tlaka s povećanjem veličine čestica primijećeno je u pripravku BXT2 s omjerom BXH-talk 1:15,7. Iznenađuje da su kompakti pripravljeni iz BXT2, s visokim sadržajem BXH, imali veću vlačnu čvrstoću, dok su BXT1 s niskim sadržajem BXH (BXH-talk, 1:24) imali manju čvrstoću. Veća vlačna čvrstoća imala je za posljedicu produljeno oslobađanje ljekovite tvari iz BXT2 (Higuchijev model, R2 = 0,9506 do 0,9981). Može se zaključiti da mostovi među česticama BXH i veličina aglomerata utječu na njihova mehanička i kompresivna svojstva te na oslobađanje ljekovite tvari