Self referencing SPR sensor by simultaneous excitation of long and short range surface plasmon modes

A novel surface plasmon resonance sensor is fabricated to evaluate its use in biochemical sensing. The sensor can differentiate between bulk refractive index changes and surface binding reactions of interest. There has been a great interest in developing sensors to differentiate biological or chemical agents from interfering effects, but they still remain in research phase. In this work, a prism coupler is used to simultaneously excite both long and short range surface plasmon modes of the sensor. The differing sensitivities of the long and short range modes allow one to distinguish surface binding reactions of interest from refractive index fluctuations. In this thesis, we have demonstrated the sensors self referencing capability by detecting the formation of an octadecanethiol self assembled monolayer while varying solution refractive index

EVALUATION OF IN VIVO ANTIDIABETIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ARTOCARPUS HIRSUTUS SEEDS IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

ABSTRACTObjective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic activity and in vivo antioxidant effect of Artocarpus hirsutus seeds in bothnormal and diabetic rats.Methods: Male Wistar rats weighing about 180-250 g were divided into six groups, of six rats each. Diabetes was induced by giving streptozotocin(30-50 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Rats, which showed blood glucose levels ≥250 mg/dl, were selected for the study. Metformin (50 mg/kg) was used as a standard oral hypoglycemic agent. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed in all groups of rats. In the estimation of in vivo antioxidant activity,the levels of liver enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid peroxidation, and CAT (catalase) were measured using standard methods.Results: The ethyl acetate seed extract of A. hirsutus at different doses was selected and administered orally. The blood glucose levels were estimatedby the glucose oxidase method, and insulin levels were measured by chemiluminescence assay method. Antihyperglycemic activity of the test drugin diabetic rats showed a significant reduction in blood glucose levels (p<0.001) at 2, 4, 6, and 8 hrs, respectively, as compared to diabetic groups.The antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT levels were significantly raised, whereas malondialdehyde-thiobarbituric acid residue substances levels havedecreased (p<0.001).Conclusion: The results suggested that A. hirsutus seed extract showed a potential antidiabetic activity and antioxidant effect justifying the use of thedrug for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and its associated oxidative damage.Keywords: Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, Artocarpus hirsutus, Streptozotocin

The missing link in early emotional processing

Initial evaluation structures (IESs) currently proposed as the earliest detectors of affective stimuli (e.g., amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, or insula) are high-order structures (a) whose response latency cannot account for the first visual cortex emotion-related response (~80 ms), and (b) lack the necessary infrastructure to locally analyze the visual features that define emotional stimuli. Several thalamic structures accomplish both criteria. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a first-order thalamic nucleus that actively processes visual information, with the complement of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) are proposed as core IESs. This LGN–TRN tandem could be supported by the pulvinar, a second-order thalamic structure, and by other extrathalamic nuclei. The visual thalamus, scarcely explored in affective neurosciences, seems crucial in early emotional evaluation.This research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) (Grant no. PGC2018-093570- B-I00) and the Comunidad de Madrid (Grant no. HUM19-HUM5705)

Study on seasonal variation on the content of Cucurbitacin of various vegetative parts of Trichosanthes cucumerina L. var. cucumerina

The total cucurbitacin content produced in the different parts of T. cucumerina L. var. cucumerina viz., fruit, stem and leaves with time and temperature was studied during the year 2007-08. The highest amount of cucurbitacins was produced in the month of February, i.e., 0.8, 1.7 and 3.7 w/w % and lowest was in the month of July 1.9, 0.5 and 0.17 w/w % in fruit, stem and leaves respectively. Present study reviles that, Production of cucurbitacin is temperature dependent as the temperature increases cucurbitacins production increased; decrease in the temperature production of cucurbitacins was found decrease. Due to high content of cucurbitacins, this plant may prove itself as a potent hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic agent, antifeedant and antimicrobial properties of the plants.The stems are involved in the transportation of cucurbitacins but only the fruits are associated with storage. Although the leaves contained a low concentration of cucurbitacins or the role cucurbitacins is still important as antifeedants. For example, the bitterness of cucurbitacin E is experienced at a low concentration of 10 ppb [9] a concentration that is not detectable by quantitative methods used [26] determined cucurbitacin content in the fruit 40 times greater than in the leaves of Ecballium elaterium.[27] determined 22 times greater than that of the leaves. In present study considering the fresh plant material, the cucurbitacin content in the fruit is about 15 times greater than that of the leaves is adequate to promote and conduct various pharmacological activities, as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic agent, antifeedant and antimicrobial [28] properties of the plants. This study reveals that production of cucurbitacins is temperature dependent (Figure-2), increase in temperature increases cucurbitacins and cucurbitacin E production.peer-reviewe

Bleeding jejunal metastases arising from primary alveolar soft part sarcoma of thigh

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare tumor (0.5–1% of sarcomas) of unknown etiology with a highly characteristic morphology. It tends to occur more often in the younger age group with a predilection for the female sex. Prognosis is generally poor and it often presents with late metastases. Here, we report the case of a 48-year-old female, who presented to the emergency department with a complaint of giddiness and melena. She was a known case of sarcoma ASPS left thigh with pulmonary secondaries. On evaluation, a bleeding tumor in the upper jejunum was found on upper GI endoscopy. As the patient’s hemodynamics were unstable, she had to be operated without further imaging. Post-operative period was uneventful

Field Bund & Border as Alternative Land Use for Forage Production: A Case of Marginal Farmer in Bundelkhand Region of India

In India, if marginal farmers are approached for production of forage grasses in their agricultural lands, the response of the farmers would be straight forward „NO‟ to the forage crops on agricultural lands. The reason is that food grains (cereals & pulses), vegetables, oilseeds, fruits, etc. are grown on agricultural land and get the first preference for family members, while the forage grasses are least preferred, as crops residues are being fed to livestock. More than 60% of the farm produce come from the small farms only. The productivity of the marginal and small farmers is the solution for growing population food needs. Most of the marginal and small farmers cultivate the farm land with the support of their family members and local labour which the quality of the work is higher. They grow multiple crops and sow as soon as they harvest. The last four decades has witnessed a sharp decline in the average size of operational land holdings in India. The average size of operational land holdings has reduced by half from 2.28 ha in 1970-71 to 1.6 ha in 2010-11. Land holdings in the marginal category (less than 1 ha) constitute 67% of the operational holdings in India (2010-11). Marginal and small holdings together, constitute 85% in terms of number of operational holdings and 44% of the operated area in the country. Thus, over the period, the marginal category has emerged as a distinct and dominant class by itself with its average size dwindling to a mere 0.38 ha. (NABARD, 2014). This is the case study of an illiterate & marginal farmer, Shri Vijay Singh Kushwaha (37) S/o shri Dhan Singh resides in Kushwaha Dera at village Parasai (under Babina development block) in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand region of central India. He used to cultivate only monsoon crops, was the target of an extension programme initiated by ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi in 2011 under the project “Enhancing groundwater recharge and water use efficiency in Semi-Arid Tropics region through watershed interventions, Parasai-Sindh watershed, Jhansi”. The watershed is being developed in consortia mode with ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi, and International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad. The watershed comprises three villages namely Parasai, Chhatpur and Bachhauni and located between 250 23‟56‟‟ to 250 27‟ 9.34‟‟ N latitude and 780 19‟ 45.71‟‟ to 780 22‟ 42.57‟‟E longitude. The watershed is about 35 km in the West of the district headquarter. Bundelkhand is prone to severe drought leading to huge migration towards cities in search of livelihoods and the scarcity of green fodder posed as one of the major hindrances for dairy and livestock production activity in the region

Probing the unusual anion mobility of LiBH_4 confined in highly ordered nanoporous carbon frameworks via solid state NMR and quasielastic neutron scattering

Particle size and particle–framework interactions have profound effects on the kinetics, reaction pathways, and even thermodynamics of complex hydrides incorporated in frameworks possessing nanoscale features. Tuning these properties may hold the key to the utilization of complex hydrides in practical applications for hydrogen storage. Using carefully synthesized, highly-ordered, nanoporous carbons (NPCs), we have previously shown quantitative differences in the kinetics and reaction pathways of LiBH_4 when incorporated into the frameworks. In this paper, we probe the anion mobility of LiBH_4 confined in NPC frameworks by a combination of solid state NMR and quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) and present some new insights into the nanoconfinement effect. NMR and QENS spectra of LiBH_4 confined in a 4 nm pore NPC suggest that the BH_4− anions nearer the LiBH_4–carbon pore interface exhibit much more rapid translational and reorientational motions compared to those in the LiBH_4 interior. Moreover, an overly broadened BH_4− torsional vibration band reveals a disorder-induced array of BH_4− rotational potentials. XRD results are consistent with a lack of LiBH_4 long-range order in the pores. Consistent with differential scanning calorimetry measurements, neither NMR nor QENS detects a clear solid–solid phase transition as observed in the bulk, indicating that borohydride–framework interactions and/or nanosize effects have large roles in confined LiBH_4

Association Between Increased Vascular Density and Loss of Protective RAS in Early-Stage NPDR

Our hypothesis predicts that retinal blood vessels increase in density during early-stage progression to moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). The prevailing paradigm of NPDR progression is that vessels drop out prior to abnormal, vision-impairing regrowth at late-stage proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, surprising results for our previous preliminary study 1 with NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software showed that vessels proliferated considerably during moderate NPDR compared to drop out at both mild and severe NPDR. Validation of our hypothesis will support development of successful early-stage regenerative therapies such as vascular repair by circulating angiogenic cells (CACs). The renin-angiotensin system (RAS)is implicated in the pathogenesis of DR and in the function of CACs, a critical bone marrow-derived population that is instrumental in vascular repair

The RETRIEVE checklist for studies reporting the elicitation of stated preferences for child health related quality of life

Recent systematic reviews show varying methods for eliciting, modelling, and reporting preference-based values for child health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes, producing value-sets with different characteristics. Checklists can improve standards of reporting; however, existing checklists do not address methodological issues for valuing child HRQoL. We aimed to develop a checklist for studies generating values for child HRQoL, including for disease-specific states and value-sets for generic child HRQoL instruments. A conceptual model provided a structure for grouping items into five modules. Potential items were sourced from an adult HRQoL checklist review, with additional items specific to children developed using recent reviews. Checklist items were reduced by eliminating duplication and overlap, then refined for relevance and clarity via an iterative process. Long and short checklist versions were produced for different user needs. The resulting long RETRIEVE contains 83 items, with modules for reporting methods (A-D) and characteristics of values (E), for researchers planning and reporting child health valuation studies. The short RETRIEVE contains 14 items for decision-makers or researchers choosing value-sets. Applying the RETRIEVE checklists to relevant studies suggests feasibility. RETRIEVE has the potential to improve completeness in the reporting of preference-based values for child HRQOL outcomes and to improve assessment of preference-based value-sets