Vibrational analysis of Ag3(PO2NH)3, Na3(PO2NH)3.H2O, Na3(PO2NH)3.4H2O, [C(NH2)3]3(PO2NH)3.H2O and (NH4)4(PO2NH)4.4H2O

FT IR and FT Raman spectra of Ag3(PO2NH), (Compound I), Na3(PO2NH)3.H2O (Compound II), Na3(PO2NH)3.4H2O (Compound III), [C(NH2)3]3(PO2NH)3.H2O (Compound IV) and (NH4)4(PO2NH)4.4H2O (Compound V) are recorded and analyzed on the basis of the anions, cations and water molecules present in each of them. The PO2NH− anion ring in compound I is distorted due to the influence of Ag+ cation. Wide variation in the hydrogen bond lengths in compound III is indicated by the splitting of the v2 and v3 modes of vibration of water molecules. The NH4 ion in compound V occupies lower site symmetry and exhibits hindered rotation in the lattice. The correlations between the symmetric and asymmetric stretching vibrations of P-N-P bridge and the P-N-P bond angle have also been discussed

Developmental disruption of perineuronal nets in the medial prefrontal cortex after maternal immune activation

© The Author(s) 2016. Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the risk of offspring developing schizophrenia later in life. Similarly, animal models of maternal immune activation (MIA) induce behavioural and anatomical disturbances consistent with a schizophrenia-like phenotype in offspring. Notably, cognitive impairments in tasks dependent on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are observed in humans with schizophrenia and in offspring after MIA during pregnancy. Recent studies of post-mortem tissue from individuals with schizophrenia revealed deficits in extracellular matrix structures called perineuronal nets (PNNs), particularly in PFC. Given these findings, we examined PNNs over the course of development in a well-characterized rat model of MIA using polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C). We found selective reductions of PNNs in the PFC of polyI:C offspring which did not manifest until early adulthood. These deficits were not associated with changes in parvalbumin cell density, but a decrease in the percentage of parvalbumin cells surrounded by a PNN. Developmental expression of PNNs was also significantly altered in the amygdala of polyI:C offspring. Our results indicate MIA causes region specific developmental abnormalities in PNNs in the PFC of offspring. These findings confirm the polyI:C model replicates neuropathological alterations associated with schizophrenia and may identify novel mechanisms for cognitive and emotional dysfunction in the disorder

Temperature periodicities in the mid-latitude middle atmosphere and their possible association with sunspot cycle

92-95Metrocket temperature (T) data from 580 individual soundings in the 15-80 km region over Volgograd (49°N, 44°E, station index 34560) as well as sunspot number (R) data during 1971-82 were used for studying the temperature periodicities in the mid-latitude middle atmosphere and their possible association with sunspot cycle. These two variables T and R formed a pair of discrete time series with length N = 144 and sampling interval h = 1 month. Using the Blackman-Turkey approach of spectrum analysis [Blackman R B & Turkey J W, The Measurement of Power Spectra, Dower, New York, 1958], the auto- and cross-spectral estimates for 10-km steps in the 15-80 km altitude region were obtained between T and R as done in our earlier work [Planet & Space Sci (GB), 35 (1987) 959], With the Nyqvist frequency fN=0.5 cycle/month and lag variable m = 14 months. The estimated spectra were subjected to x2-test with 95% confidence level for acceptance with each harmonic fluctuation present in the spectra at 20 degrees of freedom. The presence of long-term effect of solar activity on temperature was found. The computations were carried out using CYBER 170 facility at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum

FIRST ORDER MAGNETIC TRANSITION, MAGNETIC STRUCTURE AND VACANCY DISTRIBUTION IN Fe2P

La transition paramagnétique-ferromagnétique dans Fe2P a été étudiée par effet Mössbauer. Les champs magnétiques hyperfins chutent brusquement à 214,5 K d'une valeur d'environ moitié du champ à saturation jusqu'à zéro, ce qui indique une transition de premier ordre. Les déplacements isomériques varient de manière discontinue à la transition. Pour certains échantillons la transition s'étale sur un large domaine de température, probablement à cause d'impuretés et d'autres imperfections dans les échantillons. Du champ magnétique hyperfin à 15 K on peut déduire que les moments magnétiques sont 1,14 µB pour Fe(1) et 1,78 µB pour Fe(2). L'attribution des composants des spectres Mössbauer aux deux sites de fer cristallographiquement inéquivalents a été faite sur la base de l'étude de la variation des spectres en fonction de la température. L'arrangement des lacunes de métal a été étudié par spectrométrie Mössbauer d'un échantillon non stœchiométrique de Fe2P et par diffraction de rayons X sur un cristal non stœchiométrique de Mn2P.The para- to ferromagnetic transition in Fe2P has been studied using Mössbauer spectroscopy. The magnetic hyperfine fields drop abruptly from about half of their saturation values to zero at 214.5 K indicating a first order transition. The isomer shifts show a discontinuous change at the transition point. For some samples the transition takes place over a wide temperature range, probably due to impurities and other imperfections in the samples. From the magnetic hyperfine fields at 15 K the magnetic moments can be deduced to be 1.14 µB and 1.78 µB for Fe(1) and Fe(2) respectively. An assignment of the components in the Mössbauer spectra to the two crystallographically non-equivalent iron positions has been made from the temperature variation of the spectra. The ordering of metal vacancies has been investigated by a Mössbauer study of a non-stoichiometric Fe2P sample and by an X-ray diffraction study of a non-stoichiometric Mn2P crystal

Oroxylin A: A Promising Flavonoid for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases

There have been magnificent advancements in the understanding of molecular mechanisms of chronic diseases over the past several years, but these diseases continue to be a considerable cause of death worldwide. Most of the approved medications available for the prevention and treatment of these diseases target only a single gene/protein/pathway and are known to cause severe side effects and are less effective than they are anticipated. Consequently, the development of finer therapeutics that outshine the existing ones is far-reaching. Natural compounds have enormous applications in curbing several disastrous and fatal diseases. Oroxylin A (OA) is a flavonoid obtained from the plants Oroxylum indicum, Scutellaria baicalensis, and S. lateriflora, which have distinctive pharmacological properties. OA modulates the important signaling pathways, including NF-κB, MAPK, ERK1/2, Wnt/β-catenin, PTEN/PI3K/Akt, and signaling molecules, such as TNF-α, TGF-β, MMPs, VEGF, interleukins, Bcl-2, caspases, HIF-1α, EMT proteins, Nrf-2, etc., which play a pivotal role in the molecular mechanism of chronic diseases. Overwhelming pieces of evidence expound on the anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer potentials of this flavonoid, which makes it an engrossing compound for research. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies also displayed the promising potential of OA against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, neurological disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. Therefore, the current review focuses on delineating the role of OA in combating different chronic diseases and highlighting the intrinsic molecular mechanisms of its action

A study of equatorial wave characteristics using rockets, balloons, lidar and radar

A co-ordmated experimental campaign was conducted for 40 consecutive days from 21 February to 01 April 2000 using RH-200 rockets, balloons, Rayleigh lidar and MST radar, with the objective of delineating the equatorial waves and estimating momentum fluxes associated with them. Winds and temperatures in the troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere over two low latitude stations Gadanki (13.5&#176;N, 79.2&#176;E) and SHAR (13.7&#176;N, 80.2&#176;E) were measured and were used for the study of equatorial waves and their interactions with the background mean flow in various atmospheric regions. The study shows the occurrence of a strong stratospheric cooling (<SUP>~</SUP>25 K) anomaly along with a zonal wind anomaly and this low-latitude event appears to be linked to high-latitude stratospheric warming event and followed by subsequent generation of short period (<SUP>~</SUP>5 days) oscillations lasting for a few cycles in the stratosphere. Slow and fast Kelvin waves and RG wave (<SUP>~</SUP>-17-day and <SUP>~</SUP>7.2-day and <SUP>~</SUP>4.2-day periods respectively) have been identified. The mean flow acceleration produced by the divergence of the momentum flux due to the observed Kelvin waves in the 35-60 km height region were compared with the zonal flow accelerations computed from the observed zonal winds. Contribution by the slow and fast Kelvin waves was found to be only <SUP>~</SUP>25 % of the observed acceleration during the evolution of the westerly phase of the semi-annual oscillation