Isozyme analysis based genetic fidelity assessment of micropropagated banana plants

Isozyme studies of micropropagated and mother plants of banana cvs. Matti, Ney Poovan, Kechulepa, Dwarf Cavendish, Malbhog, Champa, B.B. Battisa and FHIA-1 were done to test their genetic fidelity. The banding patterns as revealed by electrophoretic variations were evaluated with respect to isozymes of acid phosphatase, catalase, esterase and peroxidase as markers. The genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants and the relationship of the different cultivars were determined by dendrogram using numerical taxonomy and multivariate analysis system(NTSYS). A clustered dendrogram was prepared by unweighted pair group method using averages (UPGAMA) method. At 87% similarity, the micropropagated and mother plants were clustered in four groups reflecting their genomic constitution. Cvs. Matti (AA) and Dwarf Cavendish (AAA) with similar ‘A’ genome were categorized in Cluster I. Cluster II comprised of cvs. Ney Poovan (AB), B.B. Battisa (ABB) and FHIA-1(AAAB) with genomic constitution of both ‘A’ and ‘B’ type. Cvs. Champa (AAB) and Malbhog (AAB) with similar genome were grouped inCluster III. Cluster IV contained the cv. Kechulepa (BB) having only ‘B’ genome. However, there was no somaclonal variation among the micropropagated plants and they showed 100% genetic similarity. Thus, the isozyme studies could be a reliable marker for testing the genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants and for evaluating the diversity among the banana germplasm

Childhood Health and Growth Trends: A Cross-Sectional Study of School Children

Childhood is a pivotal phase of human development, entails rapid growth and evolving health requirements. This cross-sectional study examines the age and sex distribution of school children across five coastal localities. To address the unique health and well-being challenges faced by school children in different regions, this cross-sectional study explores the age and sex distribution of school children across five distinct localities: Koilpathu, Karaikalmedu, Nallathur, Varichikudy, and Kottucherry. It offers a comprehensive examination of school children, encompassing demographic profiles, anthropometric measurements, and a wide array of health-related data. Our analysis revealed shifting gender proportions across age groups, with females dominating in the younger years but males surpassing females as children grow older. Particularly intriguing were the 12-year age group's scarcity of females (0.3%) and the 13-year age group's exclusive female composition (6.07%). Regarding body mass index (BMI), boys generally exhibited values near reference standards in their early years, while girls displayed lower BMI values than the reference during pre-adolescence, signaling potential nutritional concerns. Malnutrition was less prevalent in younger age groups, but overweight and obesity became more common as children aged. Gender-specific health disparities were also evident, with females more susceptible to anemia, while males had a higher prevalence of color blindness and dental health issues. These findings underscore the importance of tailored interventions to address age and gender-specific health challenges among coastal school children

28-day repeated dose oral toxicity of a herbal mixture dia-2, containing standardized extracts of allium sativum and lagerstroemia speciosa in sprague dawley rats.

Allium sativum [ASE] and Lagerstroemia speciosa [LSE] are widely used in folk medicine as a medication for diabetes. DIA-2 is a polyherbal antidiabetic formulation containing fixed combination [1:1 w/w] of standardized aqueous extracts of Allium sativum bulbs containing 1.1 % alliin w/w and 40 % hydroalcholic extract of Lagerstroemia speciosa leaves containing 1.28% w/w corosolic acid. Earlier studies in our laboratories have demonstrated the oral safety of DIA-2 on acute oral exposure to female Sprague Dawley [SD] rats and the antidiabetic activity of DIA-2 in high-fat diet fed/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The ingredients of DIA-2 have long history safety but however, there is little toxicological information regarding the oral safety on repeated exposure of ASE and LSE when given as a combined mixture. The present study evaluated the repeated oral toxicity of DIA-2 in both the sexes of SD rats.  Rats were treated orally once with 62.5, 125, 250 mg/kg body weight, and animals were observed till the 28 days of study. On repeated oral administration, DIA-2 showed did not exhibit any clinical signs of toxicity, mortality, significant change in food, water consumption, body weight, mortality, clinical chemistry, hematology, organ weight, gross pathology and histopathology when varying doses of the DIA-2 were administered orally once daily for a period of 28 days. The NOAEL [No Observed Adverse Effect Level] of DIA-2 in this study was identified to be greater than 250 mg/kg/day. The results from the study suggest that there are no toxicologically significant effects on 28 day repeated oral administration of DIA-2 and the data also provide satisfactory preclinical evidence on its oral safety to support its use as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Image cytometric analysis of p53 and mdm-2 expression in primary and recurrent mucoepidermoid carcinoma of parotid gland: immunohistochemical study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aims and Objectives</p> <p>This study aims to analyze immunocytochemically p53 aberrant expression and mdm-2 expression in primary and recurrent mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of parotid gland and to ascertain if expression of these markers correlates with tumor behavior, clinical outcome, histological grade and local recurrence.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>20 cases histologically diagnosed as primary MEC with different grades were included in the study. Out of 20 cases, 7 were classified as grade I, 8 as grade II and 5 as grade III. Immunohistochemical staining of these 20 primary cases as well as 6 recurrent cases with anti-p53 and anti-mdm-2 antibodies was carried out. Area fraction of immunopositivity was estimated by image analysis software.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>16/20 primary cases were p53 +ve (80%). The p53 positive cases included 3 cases classified as grade (I), 8 cases as grade (II) and 5 cases as grade (III). All 6 recurrent cases were p53 +ve. On the other hand, 14/20 primary and only 2/6 recurrent cases were mdm-2 +ve. The mdm-2 +ve primary cases included 2 classified as grade (I), 7 as grade (II) and 5 as grade (III). 12 primary MEC showed co-expression of both p53 and mdm-2 of which 2 cases showed local recurrence.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>these data suggested that expression of p53 and mdm-2 in primary and recurrent MEC correlates with the high histological grade. P53 aberrant expression is not only considered as an early event in MEC carcinogenesis but also correlates to tumor behavior and local recurrence. Mdm-2 overexpression is correlated to pathogenesis of MEC. However, no strong evidence was found between mdm-2 expression and MEC local recurrence.</p

Clinical significance of Phosphatidyl Inositol Synthase overexpression in oral cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We reported increased levels of Phosphatidyl Inositol synthase (PI synthase), (enzyme that catalyses phosphatidyl inositol (PI) synthesis-implicated in intracellular signaling and regulation of cell growth) in smokeless tobacco (ST) exposed oral cell cultures by differential display. This study determined the clinical significance of PI synthase overexpression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and premalignant lesions (leukoplakia), and identified the downstream signaling proteins in PI synthase pathway that are perturbed by smokeless tobacco (ST) exposure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Tissue microarray (TMA) Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, Confocal laser scan microscopy, RT-PCR were performed to define the expression of PI synthase in clinical samples and in oral cell culture systems.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Significant increase in PI synthase immunoreactivity was observed in premalignant lesions and OSCCs as compared to oral normal tissues (p = 0.000). Further, PI synthase expression was significantly associated with de-differentiation of OSCCs, (p = 0.005) and tobacco consumption (p = 0.03, OR = 9.0). Exposure of oral cell systems to smokeless tobacco (ST) in vitro confirmed increase in PI synthase, Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and cyclin D1 levels.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Collectively, increased PI synthase expression was found to be an early event in oral cancer and a target for smokeless tobacco.</p

An interferon-inducible neutrophil-driven blood transcriptional signature in human tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and efforts to control TB are hampered by difficulties with diagnosis, prevention and treatment 1,2. Most people infected with M. tuberculosis remain asymptomatic, termed latent TB, with a 10% lifetime risk of developing active TB disease, but current tests cannot identify which individuals will develop disease 3. The immune response to M. tuberculosis is complex and incompletely characterized, hindering development of new diagnostics, therapies and vaccines 4,5. We identified a whole blood 393 transcript signature for active TB in intermediate and high burden settings, correlating with radiological extent of disease and reverting to that of healthy controls following treatment. A subset of latent TB patients had signatures similar to those in active TB patients. We also identified a specific 86-transcript signature that discriminated active TB from other inflammatory and infectious diseases. Modular and pathway analysis revealed that the TB signature was dominated by a neutrophil-driven interferon (IFN)-inducible gene profile, consisting of both IFN-γ and Type I IFNαβ signalling. Comparison with transcriptional signatures in purified cells and flow cytometric analysis, suggest that this TB signature reflects both changes in cellular composition and altered gene expression. Although an IFN signature was also observed in whole blood of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), their complete modular signature differed from TB with increased abundance of plasma cell transcripts. Our studies demonstrate a hitherto under-appreciated role of Type I IFNαβ signalling in TB pathogenesis, which has implications for vaccine and therapeutic development. Our study also provides a broad range of transcriptional biomarkers with potential as diagnostic and prognostic tools to combat the TB epidemic

Overexpression of Prothymosin Alpha Predicts Poor Disease Outcome in Head and Neck Cancer

In our recent study, tissue proteomic analysis of oral pre-malignant lesions (OPLs) and normal oral mucosa led to the identification of a panel of biomarkers, including prothymosin alpha (PTMA), to distinguish OPLs from histologically normal oral tissues. This study aimed to determine the clinical significance of PTMA overexpression in oral squamous cell hyperplasia, dysplasia and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Immunohistochemistry of PTMA protein was performed in HNSCCs (n = 100), squamous cell hyperplasia (n = 116), dysplasia (n = 50) and histologically normal oral tissues (n = 100). Statistical analysis was carried out to determine the association of PTMA overexpression with clinicopathological parameters and disease prognosis over 7 years for HNSCC patients.<0.001). Chi-square analysis showed significant association of nuclear PTMA with advanced tumor stages (III+IV). Kaplan Meier survival analysis indicated reduced disease free survival (DFS) in HNSCC patients (p<0.001; median survival 11 months). Notably, Cox-multivariate analysis revealed nuclear PTMA as an independent predictor of poor prognosis of HNSCC patients (p<0.001, Hazard's ratio, HR = 5.2, 95% CI = 2.3–11.8) in comparison with the histological grade, T-stage, nodal status and tumor stage.Nuclear PTMA may serve as prognostic marker in HNSCC to determine the subset of patients that are likely to show recurrence of the disease

National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.publishedVersio

Exploiting assembly pheromone for the control of ixodid ticks

Ranju, R.S., Latha, Bhaskaran Ravi, Leela, V. (2018): Exploiting assembly pheromone for the control of ixodid ticks. Acarologia 58 (2): 471-482, DOI: 10.24349/acarologia/20184254, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.24349/acarologia/2018425