Molecular mechanisms of autoimmunity triggered by microbial infection

Autoimmunity can be triggered by microbial infection. In this context, the discovery of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) provides new insights and research perspectives. TLRs induce innate and adaptive antimicrobial immune responses upon exposure to common pathogen-associated molecules, including lipopeptides, lipopolysaccharides, and nucleic acids. They also have the potential, however, to trigger autoimmune disease, as has been revealed by an increasing number of experimental reports. This review summarizes important facts about TLR biology, available data on their role in autoimmunity, and potential consequences for the management of patients with autoimmune disease

New Chromogenic Spray Reagent for TLC Detection and Identification of Organophosphrous Insecticide Monocrotophos in Biological Material.

Monocrotophos is a member of Organophosphate insecticide. It is an important insecticide and has a diversified role in agriculture in INDIA. The increasing numbers of human poisoning cases were found to be occurred by the consumption of organophosphate insecticide monocrotophos. So in this paper, we represent a novel Thin Layer Chromatographic spray reagent for the detection and identification of Monocrotophos

A study of clinico-demographic profile and ventilatory pulmonary function tests in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a non-communicable disease. DM produces damage in small blood vessels characterized by morphologic and biochemical alterations of the capillary basal lamina. These abnormalities have been observed in several organs including the lung. As the prevalence of diabetes is rapidly increasing, it would be important to study pulmonary functions in this sub group.Methods: The present observational study carried out at medicine department. It includes previously diagnosed type 2 DM patients between 31 to 50 years of age, non-smoker, non-pregnant with no major respiratory illness. Ventilatory Pulmonary Function Test (VPFT) which includes FVC, FEV1 and FEV1% were studied in all selected participants. VPFT categorized as per American Thoracic Society (ATS). All collected data analysed using Microsoft Excel 2010.  Results: The total of 55 previously diagnosed Type 2 DM cases was recruited. 26 (47.2 %) & 29 (52.7 %) were male & female respectively. 21 (38.2 %) has duration of DM more than 5. 11 (20 %) & 5 (9 %) had neuropathy and retinopathy respectively. 29 (52.7 %) had abnormal pulmonary function test.  The Mean FVC (84.11 ± 14.94), Mean FEV1 (84 ± 13.72) & Mean FEV1% was (100.05 ± 7.32) among the study participants.  29 (100.0 %) were restrictive type of abnormality. Conclusion: The reduced lung function is likely being a complication of diabetes mellitus. Lung functions needs to be checked periodically.

Thermal flight performance reveals impact of warming on bumblebee foraging potential

1. The effects of environmental temperature on components of insect flight determine life history traits, fitness, adaptability, and ultimately, organism ecosystem functional roles. Despite the crucial role of flying insects across landscapes, our understanding of how temperature affects insect flight performance remains limited. 2. Many insect pollinators are considered under threat from climatic warming. Quantifying the relationship between temperature and behavioural performance traits allows us to understand where species are operating in respect to their thermal limits, helping predict responses to projected temperature increases and/or erratic weather events. 3. Using a tethered flight mill, we quantify how flight performance of a widespread bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, varies over a temperature range (12-30oC). Given that body mass constrains insect mobility and behaviour, bumblebees represent a useful system to study temperature-mediated size-dependence of flight performance owing to the large intra-colony variation in worker body size they exhibit.. 4. Workers struggled to fly over a few hundred metres at the lowest tested temperature of 12oC, however flight endurance increased as temperatures rose, peaking around 25oC after which it declined. Our findings further revealed variation in flight capacity across the workforce, with larger workers flying further, longer, and faster than their smaller nestmates. Body mass was also positively related with the likelihood of flight, although importantly this relationship became stronger as temperatures cooled, such that at 12oC only the largest workers were successful fliers. Our study thus highlights that colony foraging success under variable thermal environments can be dependent on the body mass distribution of constituent workers, and more broadly suggests smaller-bodied insects may benefit disproportionately more from warming than larger-bodied ones in terms of flight performance. 5. By incorporating both flight endurance and likelihood of flight, we calculated a simple metric termed ‘temperature-mediated foraging potential’ to gain a clearer understanding of how temperature may constrain colony foraging. Of our tested temperatures, 27oC supported the highest potential, indicating that for much of the range of this species, higher mean daily temperatures as forecasted under climate warming will push colonies closer to their thermal optimum for flight. Subsequently, warming may have positive implications for bumblebee foraging returns and pollination provision