Cholesterol metobolism of macrophages in relation to the presence of Mycobacterium leprae

Macrophages phagocytose Mycobacterium leprae and live bacilli inside such macrophages alter the lipid metabolism. There is increased accumulation of cholesterol ester in the bacteria infected cells. This increase appears to be due to the decreased level of esterase enzyme that could hydrolyse cholesterol esters. Associated with decreased level of this enzyme is the reduced amount of protein synthesis. Increased cholesterol ester may be responsible for conversion of macrophages into foamy cells in the presence of M. leprae

Bifunctional eff ect of fucoidan from Padina tetrastromatica against human pathogenic microbes and free radicals

The antibacterial and antioxidant effect of fucoidan fractions isolated from brown algae Padina tetrastromatica was evaluated. Even though the polysaccharide was found to be a fucan, the composition of this polysaccharide is different from those reported, and the antibacterial and antioxidant effect has not been reported so far. Three fractions (F1, F2, and F3) were isolated by anion-exchange column chromatography. Chemical analysis suggested that the polysaccharide fractions contained a significant amount of sulfate and fucose, galactose xylose, andmannose as the major neutral sugars. Antibacterial activity was checked by disk diffusion method. Antioxidant activity was investigated by various in vitro systems, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging,lipid peroxide inhibition, superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, chelating ability and reducingpower. Antibacterial and antioxidant assays suggested that the polysaccharide fraction F3 possessed goodantibacterial activity and had stronger antioxidant properties than F1 and F2. Available data obtained by in vitromodels suggested that the correlation between the sulfate content and pharmacological effect was positive.Fucoidan from P. tetrastromatica have the potential to be developed as anantibacterial and antioxidant agent, butfurther in vivo research for their mode of action are still needed to shed light on the effects. Overall, the presentexperiments showed fucoidan from marine brown algae as a potential therapeutic agent

Analysis of Pointing Error on Satellite Link using GNU Radio

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Status, prospects and management of small pelagic fisheries in India

The annual small pelagic fish production increased from 0.30 million mt during 1950-54 to 1.24 million mt during 1996 along the Indian coast. The 4 fold increase was possible due to several technological advancements. The potenrial yield from the pelagic resources of the EEZ is estimated to be 2.2 million mt. As there is no further scope for increasing the production from the inshore waters, there is need to bring the outer shelf and oceanic waters into increasing levels of exploitation

An Appraisal of the Marine Fisheries of Karnataka and Goa

Karnataka, on the West coast, plays an important role in the fisheries development of India and has a prominent place in the country's fisheries map, It has a shelf area of 25000 Sq. Km. and a coastline of 270 Km, about 1/22 of the country's coastline. The State's contribution to the total marine fish production in the country is of the order of ^.0%. The State has two coastal districts, namely Dakshin Kannada and Uttar Kannada. The lengths of coastline of both the districts are almost the same. Many rivers such as the Nethravathi, the Saravathi and the Kali flow into the Arabian sea and render the inshore area rich in nutrients

Preparation of Microcrystals of Piroxicam Monohydrate by Antisolvent Precipitation via Microfabricated Metallic Membranes with Ordered Pore Arrays

Microcrystals of piroxicam (PRX) monohydrate with a narrow size distribution were prepared from acetone/PRX solutions by antisolvent crystallization via metallic membranes with ordered pore arrays. Crystallization was achieved by controlled addition of the feed solution through the membrane pores into a well-stirred antisolvent. A complete transformation of an anhydrous form I into a monohydrate form of PRX was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The size of the crystals was 7–34 μm and was controlled by the PRX concentration in the feed solution (15–25 g L¯¹), antisolvent/solvent volume ratio (5–30), and type of antisolvent (Milli-Q water or 0.1–0.5 wt % aqueous solutions of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), poly(vinyl alcohol) or Pluronic P-123). The smallest crystals were obtained by injecting 25 g L¯¹ PRX solution through a stainless-steel membrane with a pore size of 10 μm into a 0.06 wt % HPMC solution stirred at 1500 rpm using an antisolvent/solvent ratio of 20. HPMC provided better steric stabilization of microcrystals against agglomeration than poly(vinyl alcohol) and Pluronic P-123, due to hydrogen bonding interactions with PRX and water. A continuous production of large PRX monohydrate microcrystals with a volume-weighted mean diameter above 75 μm was achieved in a continuous stirred membrane crystallizer. Rapid pouring of Milli-Q water into the feed solution resulted in a mixture of highly polydispersed prism-shaped and needle-shaped crystals

Diverting phenylpropanoid pathway flux from sinapine to produce industrially useful 4-vinyl derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids in Brassicaceous oilseeds

Sinapine (sinapoylcholine) is an antinutritive phenolic compound that can account for up to 2% of seed weight in brassicaceous oilseed crops and reduces the suitability of their protein-rich seed meal for use as animal feed. Sinapine biosynthesis draws on hydroxycinnamic acid precursors produced by the phenylpropanoid pathway. The 4-vinyl derivatives of several hydroxycinnamic acids have industrial applications. For example, 4-vinyl phenol (4-hydroxystyrene) is a building block for a range of synthetic polymers applied in resins, inks, elastomers, and coatings. Here we have expressed a modified bacterial phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) in developing seed of Camelina sativa to redirect phenylpropanoid pathway flux from sinapine biosynthesis to the production of 4-vinyl phenols. PAD expression led to a ∼95% reduction in sinapine content in seeds of both glasshouse and field grown C. sativa and to an accumulation of 4-vinyl derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids, primarily as glycosides. The most prevalent aglycone was 4-vinyl phenol, but 4-vinyl guaiacol, 6-hydroxy-4-vinyl guaiacol and 4-vinylsyringol (Canolol) were also detected. The molar quantity of 4-vinyl phenol glycosides was more than twice that of sinapine in wild type seeds. PAD expression was not associated with an adverse effect on seed yield, harvest index, seed morphology, storage oil content or germination in either glasshouse or field experiments. Our data show that expression of PAD in brassicaceous oilseeds can supress sinapine accumulation, diverting phenylpropanoid pathway flux into 4-vinyl phenol derivatives, thereby also providing a non-petrochemical source of this class of industrial chemicals

Immune response modulation by curcumin in a latex allergy model

BACKGROUND: There has been a worldwide increase in allergy and asthma over the last few decades, particularly in industrially developed nations. This resulted in a renewed interest to understand the pathogenesis of allergy in recent years. The progress made in the pathogenesis of allergic disease has led to the exploration of novel alternative therapies, which include herbal medicines as well. Curcumin, present in turmeric, a frequently used spice in Asia has been shown to have anti-allergic and inflammatory potential. METHODS: We used a murine model of latex allergy to investigate the role of curcumin as an immunomodulator. BALB/c mice were exposed to latex allergens and developed latex allergy with a Th2 type of immune response. These animals were treated with curcumin and the immunological and inflammatory responses were evaluated. RESULTS: Animals exposed to latex showed enhanced serum IgE, latex specific IgG(1), IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, eosinophils and inflammation in the lungs. Intragastric treatment of latex-sensitized mice with curcumin demonstrated a diminished Th2 response with a concurrent reduction in lung inflammation. Eosinophilia in curcumin-treated mice was markedly reduced, co-stimulatory molecule expression (CD80, CD86, and OX40L) on antigen-presenting cells was decreased, and expression of MMP-9, OAT, and TSLP genes was also attenuated. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that curcumin has potential therapeutic value for controlling allergic responses resulting from exposure to allergens

Muon conversion to electron in nuclei in type-I seesaw models

We compute the muon to electron conversion in the type-I seesaw model, as a function of the right-handed neutrino mixings and masses. The results are compared with previous computations in the literature. We determine the definite predictions resulting for the ratios between the muon to electron conversion rate for a given nucleus and the rate of two other processes which also involve a mu-e flavour transition: mu -> e gamma and mu -> eee. For a quasi-degenerate mass spectrum of right-handed neutrino masses -which is the most natural scenario leading to observable rates- those ratios depend only on the seesaw mass scale, offering a quite interesting testing ground. In the case of sterile neutrinos heavier than the electroweak scale, these ratios vanish typically for a mass scale of order a few TeV. Furthermore, the analysis performed here is also valid down to very light masses. It turns out that planned mu -> e conversion experiments would be sensitive to masses as low as 2 MeV. Taking into account other experimental constraints, we show that future mu -> e conversion experiments will be fully relevant to detect or constrain sterile neutrino scenarios in the 2 GeV-1000 TeV mass range.Comment: 32 pages 14 figures, references added and some minor precisions; results unchange

Integrating Association Mapping, Linkage Mapping, Fine Mapping with RNA Seq Conferring Seedling Vigor Improvement for Successful Crop Establishment in Deep Sown Direct-Seeded Rice

Background: Ongoing large-scale shift towards direct seeded rice (DSR) necessitates a convergence of breeding and genetic approaches for its sustenance and harnessing natural resources and environmental benefits. Improving seedling vigour remains key objective for breeders working with DSR. The present study aims to understand the genetic control of seedling vigour in deep sown DSR. Combined genome-wide association mapping, linkage mapping, fine mapping, RNA-sequencing to identify candidate genes and validation of putative candidate genes were performed in the present study. Results: Significant phenotypic variations were observed among genotypes in both F3:4:5 and BC2F2:3 populations. The mesocotyl length showed significant positive correlation with %germination, root and shoot length. The 881 kb region on chromosome 7 reported to be associated with mesocotyl elongation. RNA-seq data and RT-PCR results identified and validated seven potential candidate genes. The four promising introgression lines free from linkage drag and with longer mesocotyl length, longer root length, semi-dwarf plant height have been identified. Conclusion: The study will provide rice breeders (1) the pre breeding material in the form of anticipated DSR adapted introgression lines possessing useful traits and alleles improving germination under deep sown DSR field conditions (2) the base for the studies involving functional characterization of candidate genes. The development and utilization of improved introgression lines and molecular markers may play an important role in genomics-assisted breeding (GAB) during the pyramiding of valuable genes providing adaptation to rice under DSR. Our results offer a robust and reliable package that can contribute towards enhancing genetic gains in direct seeded rice breeding programs