A rare case of neonatal Apert syndrome

Apert syndrome is a rare Type I acrocephalosyndactyly syndrome. It is a congenital disorder characterized by premature fusionof cranial sutures (craniosynostosis), malformation of skull, hands, face, and feet. Apert syndrome has an incidence of 1/50,000to 1/80,000 live births. It is classified as a branchial arch syndrome, affecting the first branchial or pharyngeal arch, the precursorof the maxilla and mandible. Disturbances in the development of branchial arches in the fetal development create lasting andwidespread effects. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant and occurs due to the gene mutations in the receptors of the fibroblastgrowth factor. Management of Apert syndrome requires multidisciplinary approach. We, hereby, report a case of a 5‑h‑old neonatewith Apert syndrome

Potentials of molecular based breeding to enhance drought tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The ability of plant to sustain itself in limited water conditions is crucial in the world of agriculture. To breed for drought tolerance in wheat, it is essential to clearly understand drought tolerant mechanisms. Conventional breeding is time consuming and labor intensive being inefficient with low heritability traits like drought tolerance. Recent progress made in the field of genomics enabling us to access genes linked with drought tolerance has enhanced our understanding of this complex phenomenon. The purpose of this review paper was to briefly overview the accomplishments in molecular breeding for drought tolerance in wheat. Thus, by knowing the genetics of drought tolerance and identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked with DNA markers will help wheat breeders to develop high yielding drought tolerant cultivars.Key words: Triticum aestivum L, drought tolerance, QTLs, marker assisted selection (MAS)

The BARD1 C-Terminal Domain Structure and Interactions with Polyadenylation Factor CstF-50†

The BARD1 N-terminal RING domain binds BRCA1 while the BARD1 C-terminal ankyrin and tandem BRCT repeat domains bind CstF-50 to modulate mRNA processing and RNAP II stability in response to DNA damage. Here we characterize the BARD1 structural biochemistry responsible for CstF- 50 binding. The crystal structure of the BARD1 BRCT domain uncovers a degenerate phosphopeptide binding pocket lacking the key arginine required for phosphopeptide interactions in other BRCT proteins.Small angle X-ray scattering together with limited proteolysis results indicates that ankyrin and BRCT domains are linked by a flexible tether and do not adopt a fixed orientation relative to one another. Protein pull-down experiments utilizing a series of purified BARD1 deletion mutants indicate that interactions between the CstF-50 WD-40 domain and BARD1 involve the ankyrin-BRCT linker but do not require ankyrin or BRCT domains. The structural plasticity imparted by the ANK-BRCT linker helps to explain the regulated assembly of different protein BARD1 complexes with distinct functions in DNA damage signaling including BARD1-dependent induction of apoptosis plus p53 stabilization and interactions. BARD1 architecture and plasticity imparted by the ANK-BRCT linker are suitable to allow the BARD1 C-terminus to act as a hub with multiple binding sites to integrate diverse DNA damage signals directly to RNA polymerase

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MULTIPLICITY SCALING IN NUCLEAR COLLISIONS AT HIGH ENERGIES

Koba-Nielsen-Olesen (KNO) and generalized KNO (KNO-G) scalings are examined in ns and nc distributions by studying the behaviours of and Sn(z) versus z plots. A distinct departure from the KNO predictions is observed in the present study involving 3.7, 60 and 200A GeV/c 16O-nucleus collisions and 4.5, 14.5A GeV/c 28Si- nucleus interactions. However, KNO-G predictions are found to be essentially consistent with the results obtained by us for different projectiles in both ns and nc distributions

Sanguinarine Induces Apoptosis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Cells via Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species.

Sanguinarine (SNG), a natural compound with an array of pharmacological activities, has promising therapeutic potential against a number of pathological conditions, including malignancies. In the present study, we have investigated the antiproliferative potential of SNG against two well-characterized papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cell lines, BCPAP and TPC-1. SNG significantly inhibited cell proliferation of PTC cells in a dose and time-dependent manner. Western blot analysis revealed that SNG markedly attenuated deregulated expression of p-STAT3, without affecting total STAT3, and inhibited growth of PTC via activation of apoptotic and autophagy signaling cascade, as SNG treatment of PTC cells led to the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8; cleavage of PARP and activation of autophagy markers. Further, SNG-mediated anticancer effects in PTC cells involved the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an inhibitor of ROS, prevented SNG-mediated antiproliferative, apoptosis and autophagy inducing action. Interestingly, SNG also sensitized PTC cells to chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin, which was inhibited by NAC. Finally, SNG suppressed the growth of PTC thyrospheres and downregulated stemness markers ALDH2 and SOX2. Altogether, the findings of the current study suggest that SNG has anticancer potential against PTC cells as well its derived cancer stem-like cells, most likely via inactivation of STAT3 and its associated signaling molecules

Novel DTC-SVM for an Adjustable Speed Sensorless Induction Motor Drive

This paper presents, the direct torque control (DTC) based space vector modulation (SVM) for an adjustable speed sensorless induction motor (IM) drive. This proposed system will give a clear study about DTC and SVM and the motor drive is supplied by a two-level SVPWM inverter. Based on input-output feedback linearization control the inverter reference voltage is obtained, using the IM model in the stator D–Q axes reference frame with stator current and flux vectors components as state variables. Moreover, a robust full-order adaptive stator flux observer is designed for a speed sensorless DTC-SVM system and a new speed-adaptive law is given. By designing the observer gain matrix based on state feedback H  control theory, the stability and robustness of the observer systems is ensured. The speed adaptive stator flux observer stability guaranteed also by the gain matrix in very low speed. The experimental results are proved by simulation results

Enhancement of cranial nerves in Lyme neuroborreliosis: incidence and correlation with clinical symptoms and prognosis

Purpose Symptoms of cranial neuritis are a common presentation of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB). Imaging studies are scarce and report contradictory low prevalence of enhancement compared to clinical studies of cranial neuropathy. We hypothesized that MRI enhancement of cranial nerves in LNB is underreported, and aimed to assess the prevalence and clinical impact of cranial nerve enhancement in early LNB. Methods In this prospective, longitudinal cohort study, 69 patients with acute LNB were examined with MRI of the brain. Enhancement of cranial nerves III–XII was rated. MRI enhancement was correlated to clinical fndings of neuropathy in the acute phase and after 6 months. Results Thirty-nine of 69 patients (57%) had pathological cranial nerve enhancement. Facial and oculomotor nerves were most frequently afected. There was a strong correlation between enhancement in the distal internal auditory canal and parotid segments of the facial nerve and degree of facial palsy (gamma=0.95, p<.01, and gamma=0.93, p<.01), despite that 19/37 nerves with mild-moderate enhancement in the distal internal auditory canal segment showed no clinically evident palsy. Oculomotor and abducens nerve enhancement did not correlate with eye movement palsy (gamma=1.00 and 0.97, p=.31 for both). Sixteen of 17 patients with oculomotor and/or abducens nerve enhancement had no evident eye movement palsy. Conclusions MRI cranial nerve enhancement is common in LNB patients, but it can be clinically occult. Facial and oculomotor nerves are most often afected. Enhancement of the facial nerve distal internal auditory canal and parotid segments correlate with degree of facial palsy.publishedVersio

Paleothermometric fluctuations and ornamentation pattern of Ostracoda species from a short core, off Ongole, Bay of Bengal, South-east Indian coast

819-824An investigation on the elemental chemistry and its fluctuation in Ostracoda carapace to render the environmental traits from off Ongole, Andhra Pradesh is outlined in the paper. Paleothermometric elucidation of the environment using elements Ca, Mg, As, Nb, Sb, Al, Si, Cl, K and Na and the ornamentation pattern exhibited by Ostracoda are identified and ventilated. A short core of length 20 cm was collected from the study area using a multicorer during the ORV Sagar Kanya cruise (SK-308 Leg 1) fieldwork, at a water depth of 47 m. Ostracoda separated from the sediment matrix were subjected to standard micro-paleontological procedures. The elemental weight percentages reveal that the distribution of the elements in the carapace for different species is not the same and fluctuates along the downcore. The occurrence of Niobium in the offshore sediments is observed to be of terrestrial influence, which is derived from granitic and pegmatite rocks of the adjoining coastal terrain. A traceable quantity of Antimony and Arsenic is identified in the carapace of the certain Ostracoda. Mg/Ca ratio in carapace indicates that an endurance of mild temperature fluctuation to the downcore. Smooth, spinose, pitted, punctate and reticulate ornamentation are found occurring in Ostracoda carapace which reflects on the depositional environment and granulometry