Effect of growth regulators and stages of spray on seed yield and seed quality parameters of ridge gourd [Luffa acutangula (Roxb) L.]

The experiment was undertaken to study the influence of different growth regulators on seed yield and seed quality parameters in ridge gourd [Luffa acutangula (Roxb) L.]. There were 30 treatment combinations comprising of two factors; plant growth stage as main plot treatment, and plant growth regulators as sub plot treatment embedded in a split plot design. The results indicated that significantly the highest average fruit weight (32.76 g), matured fruit yield per plant (65.84 g), 100 seed weight (13.41 g) and seed yield per plant (12.79 g) was recorded with spraying of 500 ppm ethereal, whereas significantly the maximum fruit length (20.89 cm) and fruit diameter (5.15 cm) with 25 ppm GA3. Significantly the highest seed germination (69.22 %) was recorded with spraying of 250 ppm ethereal, while application of NAA at 50 ppm recorded significantly the highest vigour index I (2737.85) and vigour index II (5029.33). Spraying of PGR at two to four leaf stage recorded the higher fruit length (20.19 cm), fruit yield per plant (47.49 g), 100 seed weight (13.18 g) and seed yield per plant (11.98 g) as well as highest germination (60.90%), vigour index I (2460.80) and vigour index II (4377.66). It is concluded that spraying of 500 ppm etherel at two to four leaf stage increased the higher fruit length, fruit yield per plant, 100 seed weight and seed yield per plant as well as highest germination, vigour index I and vigour index II

Assessing the photocatalytic degradation of fluoroquinolone norfloxacin by Mn:ZnS quantum dots: Kinetic study, degradation pathway and influencing factors

SR/WOS-A/CS-82/2018 UIDB/50006/2020Norfloxacin (NOFX), a broadly used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, has been a subject of great concern in the past few years due to its undesirable effect on human beings and aquatic ecosystems. In this study, novel Mn doped ZnS (Mn:ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) were prepared through a facile chemical precipitation method and used as photocatalysts for NOFX degradation. Prior to photodegradation experiments, morphological and optical parameters of the QDs were examined through transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses. Mn:ZnS QDs exhibited excellent properties of photodegradation, not only under UV irradiation but also in sunlight, which induced NOFX to photodegrade. The utmost photodegradation efficiency was obtained under optimal conditions (25 mL of NOFX, 15 mg/L, pH 10, 60 min UV irradiation, 60 mgs QDs), adopting first order kinetics. In addition, hydroxyl radicals produced by the conduction band electrons were found to be the primary reason dominating the transformation of NOFX in basic conditions, while holes, oxygen atoms, as well as the doped metal (Mn) enhanced the degradation. The QDs showed excellent reusability and stability in four repeated cycles. Finally, four different pathways were predicted, derived from the identified intermediates, with piperazinyl ring transformation being the primary one. It is expected that the synthesized Mn:ZnS QDs could be utilized as efficient photocatalytic materials for energy conversion and ecological remediation.publishersversionpublishe

Effect of abnormal yolk sac, gestational sac and embryonic heart rate in pregnancy outcome

Background: The purpose of the study is to know the effect of abnormal yolk sac, abnormal gestational sac and abnormal embryonic heart rate on outcome of pregnancy in the tertiary care centre of Chhattisgarh.Methods: This prospective observational study included 50 pregnant females between 6-9 weeks gestation with singleton pregnancy attending antenatal clinic in a tertiary medical institution. Transvaginal sonography was carried out to quantify yolk sac characteristics. Abnormal yolk sac was defined according to Nyberg criteria.Results: Out of 50 cases, 25 cases had abnormal yolk sac, 23 cases had abnormal gestational sac and 22 cases had abnormal embryonic heart rate and heart rate was absent in 23 cases. Out of 50 cases, 32 got aborted and rest 18 cases had ongoing pregnancy beyond 20 weeks. Normal yolk sac diameter (YSD) (2-5 mm) showed 72.2% sensitivity, 62.5% specificity, 52% positive predictive value and 80% negative predictive value in predicting pregnancy outcome. Gestational sac diameter had 66.66% sensitivity, 53.12% specificity, 44.44% PPV and 73.91% NPV and for EHR had 22.22% sensitivity, 96.87% specificity, 80% PPV and 68.88% NPV.Conclusions: The embryos with abnormal YSD are highly associated with poor pregnancy outcome with good sensitivity and NPV. Present study indicates that the yolk sac measurement is reliable prognostic factor in predicting 1st trimester pregnancy outcome

EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF CHENOPODIUM ALBUM LEAVES EXTRACT

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Comparative study of analgesic effect of breastfeeding and oral sucrose in full-term newborns

Objective: To study the effects of breastfeeding (BF) and oral sucrose solution on pain due to intramuscular injection in newborns. Design: A prospective, interventional, randomized control study. Setting: Tertiary care hospital. Participants: Randomly selected 150 full-term vaginally delivered healthy newborns. Intervention: A total of 150 newborn infants were randomly divided into three groups. Out of 150 neonates, 50 were included in Group I as control group; 50 were included in Group II as intervention, in which 1 ml of 25% oral sucrose solution was given 2 min before the vaccination; 50 neonates were included in Group III as intervention group, in which BF started 2 min before vaccination and continued until the end of injection. Outcome Measure: The primary outcome of the study was to assess pain by premature infant pain profile (PIPP) score. Secondary outcome measured was changed in heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and crying time. Results: Mean PIPP scores were lower in the BF group (8.36) than in the sucrose solution group (11.06), and difference was significant (p<0.0001). The mean difference in the increase in HR, decrease in SpO2, and total duration of cry for the breastfeeding group were 13.47, 2.33, and 23.8, respectively, and for sucrose group, they were 16.58, 2.07, and 26.36, respectively (p>0.05). Conclusion: BF and oral sucrose both are equally efficacious in reducing crying time and physiological parameters (HR, SpO2) after intramuscular injection in neonatal period but desaturation was more observed in oral sucrose solution. Further, PIPP score is less in BF group. Thus, BF provides superior analgesia to oral sucrose in term newborns

Differential Calcium Dependence of Axonal Versus Somatodendritic Dopamine Release, with Characteristics of Both in the Ventral Tegmental Area

Midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) exhibit somatodendritic release of DA. Previous studies indicate a difference between the Ca2+ dependence of somatodendritic DA release in the SNc and that of axonal DA release in dorsal striatum. Here, we evaluated the Ca2+ dependence of DA release in the VTA and nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell for comparison with that in the SNc and dorsal striatum. Release of DA was elicited by single-pulse stimulation in guinea-pig brain slices and monitored with subsecond resolution using carbon-fiber microelectrodes and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. In dorsal striatum and NAc, DA release was not detectable at extracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]o) below 1 mM; however, a progressive increase in evoked extracellular DA concentration ([DA]o) was seen with [Ca2+]o ≥ 1.5 mM. By contrast, in SNc and VTA, robust increases in [DA]o could be elicited in 0.25 mM [Ca2+]o that were ∼60% of those seen in 1.5 mM [Ca2+]o. In SNc, a plateau in single-pulse evoked [DA]o was seen at [Ca2+]o ≥ 1.5 mM, mirroring the release plateau reported previously for pulse-train stimulation in SNc. In VTA, however, evoked [DA]o increased progressively throughout the range of [Ca2+]o tested (up to 3.0 mM). These functional data are consistent with the microanatomy of the VTA, which includes DA axon collaterals as well as DA somata and dendrites. Differences between axonal and somatodendritic release data were quantified using Hill analysis, which showed that the Ca2+ dependence of axonal DA release is low affinity with high Ca2+ cooperativity, whereas somatodendritic release is high affinity with low cooperativity. Moreover, this analysis revealed the dual nature of DA release in the VTA, with both somatodendritic and axonal contributions

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulates growth and maintenance of colonospheres

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent evidence suggests that epithelial cancers, including colorectal cancer are driven by a small sub-population of self-renewing, multi-potent cells termed cancer stem cells (CSCs) which are thought to be responsible for recurrence of cancer. One of the characteristics of CSCs is their ability to form floating spheroids under anchorage-independent conditions in a serum-free defined media. The current investigation was undertaken to examine the role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in regulating the growth and maintenance of colonospheres. Human colon cancer cells HCT-116 (p53 wild type; <it>K-ras </it>mutant), HCT-116 (p53 null; <it>K-ras </it>mutant) and HT-29 (p53 mutant) were used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Colonospheres formed <it>in vitro </it>exhibited higher expression of colon CSCs markers LGR5, CD44, CD166 and Musashi-1 along with putative CSC marker EpCAM, compared to the corresponding parental cancer cells and also exhibit the ability to form spheroids under extreme limiting dilution, indicating the predominance of CSCs in colonospheres. Colonospheres formed by HCT-116 cells show over 80% of the cells to be CD44 positive, compared to ≤ 1% in the corresponding parental cells. Additionally, colonospheres showed reduced membrane bound β-catenin but had increased levels of total β-catenin, cyclin-D1 and c-myc and down regulation of axin-1 and phosphorylated β-catenin. Increased expression of β-catenin was associated with a marked transcriptional activation of TCF/LEF. The latter was greatly decreased following down regulation of β-catenin by the corresponding siRNA, leading to a marked reduction in CD44 positive cells as well as colonospheres formation. In contrast, upregulation of c-myc, a down-stream effector of TCF/LEF greatly augmented the formation of colonospheres.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data suggest that colonospheres formed by colon cancer cell lines are highly enriched in CSCs and that Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a critical role in growth and maintenance of colonospheres.</p