The Drosophila speciation factor HMR localizes to genomic insulator sites

Hybrid incompatibility between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans is caused by a lethal interaction of the proteins encoded by the Hmr and Lhr genes. In D. melanogaster the loss of HMR results in mitotic defects, an increase in transcription of transposable elements and a deregulation of heterochromatic genes. To better understand the molecular mechanisms that mediate HMR's function, we measured genome-wide localization of HMR in D. melanogaster tissue culture cells by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Interestingly, we find HMR localizing to genomic insulator sites that can be classified into two groups. One group belongs to gypsy insulators and another one borders HP1a bound regions at active genes. The transcription of the latter group genes is strongly affected in larvae and ovaries of Hmr mutant flies. Our data suggest a novel link between HMR and insulator proteins, a finding that implicates a potential role for genome organization in the formation of species

Workload Control in Flow Shops with Bottleneck Shifting and Process Time Variability

Manufacturing industries struggle to devise precise planning and scheduling solutions due to unpredictable business situations. Additionally, uncertainties in production such as machine breakdowns, labour absenteeism, cycle time deviations, etc., would further deteriorate production plans and lead to uncertainty in decision-making processes. Flow shops with bottlenecks are particularly susceptible to these disturbances. Moreover, the random variations in cycle time variations can cause the bottleneck to shift between different stages. Literature indicates that conventional job release methods are ineffective in addressing these difficulties. In contrast, workload control methods would provide better solutions. Hence, a flow shop model has been developed and simulated using the variables like process time variations and bottleneck shifting on the discrete-event simulation software. The flow shop model incorporates realistic shop characteristics which are subjected to random process time variations, so as to assess the performance. The outcomes of the experimentation demonstrate that order release methods play a pivotal role in improving the performance of flow shops in more volatile situations

In vitro evaluation of anti oxidant activity and estimation of total flavonoids in seeds of Psoralea corylifolia plant extracts

The present study aims at in-vitro evaluation of anti oxidant activity of n-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of seeds of Psoralea corylifolia. For evaluating this study  1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) method and reducing power method was used.For DPPH method Butylated Hydroxy Anisole (BHA) was used as a positive control and for  Reducing power method ascorbic acid  was used as a standard reducing agent. All the analysis was made with the use of UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. The content of total flavonoids was measured spectrophotometrically by using the aluminium chloride colorimetric assay where catechin was used as a standard. The extracts showed good DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power activity which was found to increase with the increasing concentration of the extracts. The total flavonoid content was found to be 73.09 mg CE/100g. Ethyl acetate extract of Psoralea corylifolia showed more prominent activity when compared to n-hexane extract which could be attributed to the presence of flavonoid content.The study could be further extended to isolate and characterize phytoconstituents from these extracts

Antidiabetic Activity Of Cassia auriculata Seeds In Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats

The petroleum ether (40-60 ºC), chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Cassia auriculata seeds, obtained by soxhlet extraction method were evaluated for antidiabetic activity using alloxan (60 mg/kg through tail vein) induced hypoglycemic rats on acute and prolonged treatment. The potency of extracts was compared with that of standard tolbutamide (250 mg/kg body weight, p.o.). Petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts showed highly significant (

Outcomes of toric intraocular lens realignment surgery done using slit-lamp method and wavefront aberrometry method

Purpose: To compare the slit-lamp method and wavefront aberrometry method based on outcomes of toric realignment surgeries. Settings: Tertiary care ophthalmic hospital. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: This study included all eyes undergoing toric intraocular lens (TIOL) realignment surgery between January 2019 and December 2021 for which TIOL axis assessment by slit-lamp method and wavefront aberrometry method was available. Data were retrieved from electronic medical records, and we documented demographics, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), subjective refraction, and TIOL axis by slit-lamp and wavefront aberrometry methods on postoperative day 1 and day 14. In patients with misalignment, TIOL was realigned to the original position in group 1 (27 patients) and to an axis based on calculations provided by wavefront aberrometer in group 2 (25 patients). Post-realignment surgery, UCVA, subjective refraction, and TIOL axis by slit-lamp and wavefront aberrometry methods were assessed and analyzed. Results: We analyzed 52 eyes and found that the mean preoperative misalignment with the slit-lamp method (44.9° ±20.0°) and wavefront aberrometry (47.1° ±19.5°) was similar. The corresponding degrees of misalignment post-TIOL repositioning surgeries were 5.2° ±5.2° (slit-lamp method) and 4.7° ±5.1° (wavefront aberrometry) (P = 0.615). Both groups showed significant improvement in median log of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) UCVA and reduction in median refractive cylinder. Conclusions: Slit-lamp method is as good as wavefront aberrometer method to assess TIOL axis. Toric realignment surgery is found to be safe, and realigning TIOL based on either slit-lamp method or wavefront aberrometer method equally improved UCVA and decreased residual refractive cylinder