Sources of fear in American society: Representations in short horror fiction, 1950s-present

This study examines the ways in which short American horror fiction has always revolved around fundamental fears of mortality, and how these fears have shifted across the span of three specific timeframes. Using a historical lens, this study also explores what the specific nature of mortality fears, as reflected in particular instances of short horror fiction, historically reveal about contemporaneous cultural attitudes toward end of life issues, loss, doubt, and grief. This study also traces how the perceptions of mortality have dynamically changed in American society from 1950s to present times in accordance with powerful historical events, varying cultural contexts, and compelling social issues

The hepatitis E virus Orf3 protein protects cells from mitochondrial depolarization and death

The biology and pathogenesis of hepatitis E virus are poorly understood due to the lack of an in vitro culture or infection models. The viral Orf3 protein activates the cellular mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and is likely to modulate the host cell environment for efficient viral replication. We screened for cellular genes whose transcription was differentially up-regulated in an Orf3-expressing stable cell line (ORF3/4). The gene for mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) was one such candidate. The up-regulation of VDAC in ORF3/4 cells was confirmed by Northern and Western blotting in various cell lines. Transfection of ORF3/4 cells with an ORF3-specific small interfering RNA led to a reduction in VDAC protein levels. VDAC is a critical mitochondrial outer membrane protein, and its overexpression results in apoptosis. Surprisingly, Orf3-expressing cells were protected against staurosporine-induced cell death by preservation of mitochondrial potential and membrane integrity. A small interfering RNA-mediated reduction in Orf3 and VDAC levels also made cells sensitive to staurosporine. Chemical cross-linking showed Orf3-expressing cells to contain higher levels of oligomeric VDAC. These cells also contained higher levels of hexokinase I that directly interacted with VDAC. This interaction is known to preserve mitochondrial potential and prevent cytochrome c release. We report here the first instance of a viral protein promoting cell survival through such a mechanism

Azo dyes decolourisation by ABTS-oxidases (Laccases) from a fungus from tropical tree

Lignin is an important constitute of the wood and thus the organism like fungi and insects growing on wood produce some extracellular lignolytic enzymes. In fungi these enzymes include different oxidases and peroxidases. Lignin peroxidases, manganese peroxidases, versatile peroxidases and laccases have been characterised from fungi and their roles in wood decay has been established. Here we report ABTS-oxidases from an unidentified fungus isolated from tree bark sample from Kuantan, Malaysia. After the liquid media cultivation, the crude extracellular protein content was extracted and analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. SDS-PAGE, native PAGE and zymography were carried out. Azo dyes, brilliant green, trypan blue, direct red 80 and eriochrome black T were used for decolourisation activity of the isolated fungus on solid medium. The results suggest that the extracellular proteins contain laccase enzyme activity. Out of the four azo dyes that were used for dye decolourisation assay, at least three were decolourised to different extents by the fungus

Examination of Psychometric Properties of the Need for Closure Scale-Short Form among Turkish College Students

Amaç: Bilişsel tamamlanma ihtiyacı (BTİ), son zamanlarda davranışsal nöro-bilimin önem kazanmaya başlayan konularından biridir ve bireyin belirli bir konuda karmaşa ve belirsizlik yerine kesin bir bilgiye ulaşma ihtiyacı, karar verme arzusudur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, tamamlanma ihtiyacını ölçen "Tamamlanma İhtiyacı Ölçeği-Kısa Formu'nun" Türk üniversite öğrencilerinde uygunluğunu incelemektirIntroduction: The need for cognitive closure (NFC), defined as the desire for “an answer on a given topic, any answer … compared to confusion and ambiguity,” is a topic that has become increasingly important in behavioral neuroscience. The present study aimed to assess the applicability of a measure of need for cognitive closure, the “Need for Closure Scale-Short Form” (NFC-SF), for Turkish college students.Methods: Data from a total of 219 participants aged 19–29 years (male n=61, 27.9%; female n=158, 72.1%; Meanage=23.6 years, SD=3.06 years) were used to conduct validity and reliability analyses. Of the participants, 138 (63.0%; Meanage=22.62 years; SD=2.45 years) were university students, and the remainder had graduated from university (n=81; 37%; Meanage=24.16 years; SD=3.24 years

A Study on the Contributing Factors of Major Landslides in Malaysia

Landslide is one of the most prominent geo-hazard that accounts for colossal losses every year. The contributing factors of landslides in Malaysia are reasonably different from rest of the world. According to a study, the most dominant factor that catalysis the slope failure in many countries of the world is geological conditions. However, in case of Malaysia; most of the landslides occur as a consequence of flawed design, improper construction and non-maintenance of slopes which correlates with the human errors. The statistics of Malaysia shows that highest number of landslides took place in 1996 with 71 cases which is followed by 68 cases in 1995. According to the findings of Highland Towers (1993) landslide, the main causes of failure were inaccuracies in design, poor supervision during the construction and inadequate drainage system. Similarly, in case of Taman Hillview and Bukit Antarabangsa landslide, it has been revealed that improper design practices and poor drainage system supplemented with prolonged rain were the significant causes of the cataclysm. Therefore, based on the investigations on retrospective landslides, this study proposes to incorporate Human Reliability Assessment technique as a part of working strategy for slopes along with strong adherence to the design guidelines in order to minimize the likelihood of landslides

In Vitro Antioxidant and In Vivo Hepatoprotective Activity of Leave Extract of Raphanus Sativus in Rats Using CCL4 Model

Background: Raphanus sativus is reported to have a variety of biological activities. This work screened the hepato-protective and antioxidant activity of ethanol (ERS), and aqueous (ARS), extracts of leaves of Raphanus sativus in Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), model in rats.Material and Methods: The extracts were subjected to antioxidant tests (Total reducing power and Total phenolic content), and preliminary phytochemical screening. A pilot study was done on 100 and 300 mg/kg extracts, form which 300 mg was chosen for further experiments. The albino rats (200-250 grams), were divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each (n=6). There were three control groups comprising of normal control (normal saline -1ml/kg), negative control group (CCl4 1ml/kg in olive oil in a ratio of 1:1 v/v), and positive control group (Silymarin 50mg/kg). The Test drugs were given in a dose of 300 mg/kg for both ERS and ARS extract for 7 days. Biochemical parameters (AST, ALT, Alkaline phosphatase, Total Bilirubin), histo-pathological examination of liver and in vivo antioxidant tests [CAT, GSH and MDA] were done.Results: The phytochemical study showed the presence of flavanoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins and sterols. A dose dependent increase in the oxidative potential was observed in both the extracts with total phenolic content 70.1 and 44.4 GAE/g extract for ERS and ARS respectively. ERS 300mg/kg showed a significant (p<0.001) increase in levels of AST, ALT and alkaline phosphatase as compared to negative control (percentage hepatoprotection =45.3%) while ARS 300 mg/kg (p<.01) group showed 30% hepatoprotection. The GSH (p<0.001) and CAT (p<0.05) in ERS and ARS were significantly increased while MDA levels were decreased (P< 0.01), as compared negative control. The findings were confirmed histo-pathological examination.Conclusion: The ethanol and aqueous extract of Raphanus sativus have partial hepatoprotection against CCl4 toxicity.Key words: Raphanus sativus, hepatoprotection, CCl4, antioxidant

Designing dual inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as well as Type 2 diabetes mellitus via pharmacoinformatics approach: A step towards better medication for diabetes-associated neurological disorder

Purpose: To design dual inhibitors against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) via pharmacoinformatics approach.Methods: Dual Drug Candidates (DDC) were designed and explored for their molecular interaction with several AD and T2DM targets. Pterostilbene, a natural anti-T2DM compound was coupled with different cholinesterase inhibitors to design DDC. Orisis Datawarrior online property calculator  tools, Autock 4.2 and Hex 5.1 were used to investigate the potency of all DDC relative to positive controls.Results: The study found that DDC2 (pterostilbene - methylene linker -octa hydro amino phenothiazine), DDC3 (pterostilbene - ethylene linker - N-phthalimide) and DDC5 (pterostilbene - carbonyl linker - 2-methyl-4-aminoquinoline) were the most promising out of all the DDCs. DDC2 showed strong molecular interaction with most of the AD and T2DM targets, including acetylcholinesterase, butrylcholinesterase, β-secretase, receptor for advanced glycation end products and ATP sensitive potassium channel, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and sodium glucose transport protien 2. The findings also revealed the amyloid anti-aggregation potential of DDC.Conclusion: The results show that DDC3 and DDC5 significantly interfer with the primary nucleation process of β amyloid. Thus, DDC2, DDC3 and DDC5 have strong anti-T2DM and anti-AD potential. Keywords: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease, Dual drug candidate, Amyloid-beta, Pterostilben

Frequency and associated factors for anxiety and depression in pregnant women: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Antepartum anxiety and/or depression is a major public health problem globally. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of antepartum anxiety and/or depression among pregnant women. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital among pregnant women. A total of 165 pregnant women were interviewed by a clinical psychologist using HADS for assessing anxiety and/or depression and also collected information regarding sociodemographic, obstetric, family relationships, and home environment. Out of the total of 165 pregnant women about 70 percent of them were either anxious and/or depressed. The increasing age of women (P-value = 0.073), not having any live birth (P-value = 0.036), adverse pregnancy outcome in past including death of a child, stillbirth or abortion (P-value = 0.013), participant\u27s role in household decision making (P-value = 0.013), and domestic violence (verbal or physical abuse towards mother or children by any family member) (P-value = 0.123). Our study highlights that anxiety and/or depression is quite common among pregnant women. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate screening for anxiety and depression in the existing antenatal programs and development of strategies to provide practical support to those identified

A study to evaluate antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of roots of Valeriana wallichii in CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Background: Drugs for liver ailments have been important in research, but still the number of drugs acting on various hepatic diseases is very limited. This study, for the first time, evaluates the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of the roots of Valeriana Wallichii in albino rats.Methods: The hepatotoxicity was induced by CCl4. Animals were divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each. Group I (Normal control) was given only distilled water. Group II (Negative control)was administered CCl4 for 7 days while Group III (Positive control) was given silymarin and CCl4 for 7 days. The test groups (Group IV & V) were given an aqueous extract of roots of V. Wallichii in a dose of 300 mg and 500 mg/kg, respectively. The animals were sacrificed on 8 days and blood was collected for biochemical analysis (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase). Liver tissue was extracted for histopathological examination and in vivo antioxidant tests Catalase [CAT], glutathione and malondialdehyde. The extract was also subjected to in vitro antioxidant tests (Total reducing power and total phenolic content).Results: The test extracts in the dose of 500 mg/kg were shown a significant decrease in the levels of AST and ALT (p>0.05) and CAT activity. 300 mg/kg dose of extract showed minimal hepatoprotection. The findings were confirmatory to histopathology. Conclusion: The aqueous extract of roots of V. Wallichii in a dose of 500 mg/kg offers partial protection against hepatotoxicity produced by CCl4 in albino rats

Immunomodulation Induced by Host Pathogen Interaction

Controlling and preventing infections require deep understanding of the complex interplay that occurs between the host and pathogen following infection. In essence, immunomodulation is any process leading to an immune response that can be altered to a desired level. In mammals, the immune system has developed an extensive array of cells and immunomodulators to recognize, identify, and eliminate foreign invaders. On the other hand, pathogens have evolved multiple mechanisms to combat the host immune system as they establish infections. In this context and under certain circumstances, an infection may result in a subverted immune system, which may lead to an exacerbated illness. Recent advances in biotechnology have enhanced our knowledge of the complex interplay that occurs between the host and invading pathogens following infection, through understanding of the microbial virulence strategies as well as the host’s approaches to combat the infection