Role of sudarshan kriya and pranayam on lipid profile and blood cell parameters during exam stress: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Yoga is a science practiced in India over thousands of years. It produces constituent physiological changes and has sound scientific basis. Aim: Since exam stress modifies lipid profile and hematological parameters, we conducted an investigation on the effect of sudarshan kriya (SK and P) program on these parameters. Materials and Methods: Blood samples of 43 engineering students were collected at four intervals namely baseline (BL), exam stress (ES), three and six weeks practice of SK and P during exam stress. Lipid profile and hematological parameters were measured at all four intervals. Results: ES elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels. Hematological parameters affected by ES included neutrophil, lymphocytes, platelet count, packed cell volume (PCV) and mean cell volume (MCV). Three and six weeks practice of SK and P reduced the elevated lipid profile, hematological parameters and improved lymphocyte levels. Conclusion: Our study indicates that SK and P practice has the potential to overcome ES by improving lipid profile and hematological parameters

Extracting hydrogen-bond signature patterns from protein structure data

Classification of protein sequences and structures into families is a fundamental task in biology, and it is often used as a basis for designing experiments for gaining further knowledge. Some relationships between proteins are detected by the similarities in their sequences, and many more by the similarities in their structures. Despite this, there are a number of examples of functionally similar molecules without any recognisable sequence or structure similarities, and there are also a number of protein molecules that share common structural scaffolds but exhibit different functions. Newer methods of comparing molecules are required in order to detect similarities and dissimilarities in protein molecules. In this article, it is proposed that the precise 3-dimensional disposition of key residues in a protein molecule is what matters for its function, or what conveys the ‘meaning’ for a biological system, but not what means it uses to achieve this. The concept of comparing two molecules through their intramolecular interaction networks is explored, since these networks dictate the disposition of amino acids in a protein structure. First, signature patterns, or fingerprints, of interaction networks in pre-classified protein structural families are computed using an approach to find structural equivalences and consensus hydrogen bonds. Five examples from different structural classes are illustrated. These patterns are then used to search the entire Protein Data Bank, an approach through which new, unexpected similarities have been found. The potential for finding relationships through this approach is highlighted. The use of hydrogen-bond fingerprints as a new metric for measuring similarities in protein structures is also described

Calcination-Dependent Morphology Transformation of Sol-Gel- Synthesized MgO Nanoparticles

© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Sol-gel synthesis is a widely accepted method of producing nanoparticles with high surface area-to-volume ratio and purity at relatively low temperatures. For metal oxide nanoparticle synthesis, sol-gel maintains a good metal oxide composition with controlled chemical structure and the ability to fine-tune morphology and size. Magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles possess unique physicochemical characteristics that have enabled a wide range of applications from catalysis to disease treatment. The potential features of MgO nanoparticles are significantly affected by their shape and size. However, research investigating the thermo-molecular mechanisms governing the size and shape formation of MgO nanoparticles during sol-gel synthesis is limited. This study investigates the effect of sol-gel synthesis conditions on the shape and size as well as other functional features of MgO nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that the size and shape alterations of MgO nanoparticles were dependent on changes in calcination temperature and also the presence of periclase phase along with their crystallinity and functional groups. TEM analysis showed the morphological evolution during the synthesis process from spherical to hexagonal and from hexagonal to rod shape. By varying the calcination temperature and gelling agent composition in sol-gel synthesis, MgO nanoparticles with different size distributions and morphologies can be generated for various applications. The current study reveals that the gelling agent is responsible for sol-gel phase formation which eventually affects the calcination temperature for the formation of morphologically different MgO nanoparticles