Midazolam Efficacy Against Acute Hydrogen Sulfide-Induced Mortality and Neurotoxicity.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a colorless, highly neurotoxic gas. It is not only an occupational and environmental hazard but also of concern to the Department of Homeland Security for potential nefarious use. Acute high-dose H2S exposure causes death, while survivors may develop neurological sequelae. Currently, there is no suitable antidote for treatment of acute H2S-induced neurotoxicity. Midazolam (MDZ), an anti-convulsant drug recommended for treatment of nerve agent intoxications, could also be of value in treating acute H2S intoxication. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that MDZ is effective in preventing/treating acute H2S-induced neurotoxicity. This proof-of-concept study had two objectives: to determine whether MDZ prevents/reduces H2S-induced mortality and to test whether MDZ prevents H2S-induced neurological sequelae. MDZ (4 mg/kg) was administered IM in mice, 5 min pre-exposure to a high concentration of H2S at 1000 ppm or 12 min post-exposure to 1000 ppm H2S followed by 30 min of continuous exposure. A separate experiment tested whether MDZ pre-treatment prevented neurological sequelae. Endpoints monitored included assessment of clinical signs, mortality, behavioral changes, and brain histopathological changes. MDZ significantly reduced H2S-induced lethality, seizures, knockdown, and behavioral deficits (p < 0.01). MDZ also significantly prevented H2S-induced neurological sequelae, including weight loss, behavior deficits, neuroinflammation, and histopathologic lesions (p < 0.01). Overall, our findings show that MDZ is a promising drug for reducing H2S-induced acute mortality, neurotoxicity, and neurological sequelae

EFFECT OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE ON GROWTH, CHLOROPHYLL AND SULPHUR CONTENTS OF TOMATO (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.)

The direct toxic effect of atmospheric pollutant such as sulphur dioxide on plants has been well documented. It is essentially a potent phytotoxic gas and its toxicity to plant is manifested in typical chronic or acute foliar symptom injury. The mode and extent of damage caused by this pollutant to tomato has not been precisely and systematically studied. Under such circumstances, the present investigation was undertaken under simulating condition to find out the possible extent of adaptability of tomato in SO2 emission of our state. The effect of varying levels of sulphur dioxide (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 ppm) fumigated for 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours under simulated conditions on tomato revealed that the important traits like leaf number, leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight and chlorophyll content in leaves were adversely affected, the latter treatment (SO2 1.0 ppm with 3 hours exposure) being more uninnocuous in this regards. However, no significant variation was seen amongst the treatments in respect of tissue fresh and dry weight when compared with that of control (ambient SO2). On the other hand, sulphur content in tissues increase progressively with increasing levels of SO2 and time of fumigation and the variation observed within treatments was significant to each other. It is suggested that the lowest concentration of SO2 (0.25 ppm) used in this study is more than sufficient to bring about a significant changes in most of the parameters studied

Phase Separation in Lix_xFePO4_4 Induced by Correlation Effects

We report on a significant failure of LDA and GGA to reproduce the phase stability and thermodynamics of mixed-valence Li$_x$FePO$_4$ compounds. Experimentally, Li$_x$FePO$_4$ compositions ($0 \leq x \leq 1$) are known to be unstable and phase separate into Li FePO$_4$ and FePO$_4$. However, first-principles calculations with LDA/GGA yield energetically favorable intermediate compounds an d hence no phase separation. This qualitative failure of LDA/GGA seems to have its origin in the LDA/GGA self-interaction which de localizes charge over the mixed-valence Fe ions, and is corrected by explicitly considering correlation effects in this material. This is demonstrated with LDA+U calculations which correctly predict phase separation in Li$_x$FePO$_4$ for $U-J \gtrsim 3.5$eV. T he origin of the destabilization of intermediate compounds is identified as electron localization and charge ordering at different iron sites. Introduction of correlation also yields more accurate electrochemical reaction energies between FePO$_4$/Li$_x$FePO$_ 4$ and Li/Li$^+$ electrodes.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, Phys. Rev. B 201101R, 200

Impact of torrential rain on coastal ecosystem at kalpakkam, southeast coast of India

1609-1615The present study focuses on the drastic changes observed in the coastal ecosystem at Kalpakkam during flooding event due to huge rainfall that occurred in and around northern Tamil Nadu during December 2015. A significant increase in hydrological parameters (nitrate, phosphate, silicate, total nitrogen and phosphorous) was recorded as compared to previous years (2006-2014). In the present instance, the coastal water salinity which was about 19 psu was the lowest as compared to the data available since 1979. The phytoplankton population density was severely affected by the runoff. The present observed density 1.4 x 104 cells l-1 was the lowest among the available data at this coast. Availability of green algae species in the coastal waters was significantly high (10 species, 17 % of total species) as compared to previous reports. One of the most interesting features of this study was the observation of epibiosis on zooplankton in massive numbers. A comparison of previous occurrences of epibiotic relationship in plankton community with the present observation showed a staggering increase in epibiosis to 38 % of zooplankton species as compared to 5-13 % during 2008-2014