Characterization and bioactivity of oosporein produced by endophytic fungus Cochliobolus kusanoi isolated from Nerium oleander L

Bioactive compds. comprising secondary metabolites produced by endophytic fungi have wide applications in pharmacol. and agriculture. Isolation, characterization and evaluation of biol. activities of secondary metabolites were carried out from Cochliobolus kusanoi, an endophytic fungus of Nerium oleander L. The fungus was identified based on 18S rDNA sequence anal. There are no reports available on the compds. of C. kusanoi; hence, antimicrobial metabolites produced by this fungus were extd. and purified by fractionation using hexane, di-​Et ether, dichloromethane, Et acetate and methanol. Out of all the solvent fractions, the methanol fraction exhibited better antimicrobial activity which was further purified and characterized as oosporein. Oosporein from C. kusanoi exhibited broad spectrum in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities

Mechanisms of barrier layer formation and erosion from in situ observations in the Bay of Bengal

During the Bay of Bengal (BoB) Boundary Layer Experiment (BoBBLE) in the southern BoB, time series of microstructure measurements were obtained at 8N, 89E from 4-14 July, 2016. These observations captured events of barrier layer (BL) erosion and re-formation. Initially, a three-layer structure was observed: a fresh surface mixed layer (ML) of thickness 10-20 m; a BL below of 30-40 m thickness with similar temperature but higher salinity; a high salinity core layer, associated with Summer Monsoon Current. Each of these three layers was in relative motion to the others, leading to regions of high shear at the interfaces. However, haline stratification overcame the destabilising influence of the shear regions, and preserved the three-layer structure. A salinity budget using in situ observations suggested that during the BL erosioni, high salinity surface waters (34.5 PSU) with weak stratification were advected to the time series location and replaced the three-layer structure with a deep ML (~60 m). Weakened stratification at the time series location also allowed atmospheric wind forcing to penetrate deeper. Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate and eddy diffusivity showed elevated values above 10-7 W kg-1 and 10-4 m2 s-1, respectively, in the upper 60 m. Later, the surface salinity decreased again (33.8 PSU) through horizontal advection, stratification became stronger and elevated mixing rates were confined to the upper 20 m, and the BL reformed. A 1-D model analysis suggests that in the study region, advection of temperature-salinity characteristics is essential for the maintenance of the BL and to the extent to which mixing penetrates the water column

Structural characterization of new fluorinated mesogens obtained through halogen-bond driven self-assembly

We describe the synthesis and characterization of new trimeric complexes obtained upon halogen-bond driven self-assembly of 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene or α,ω- diiodoperfluoroalkanes, acting as XB-donors, with an alkoxystilbazole derivative functionalized with a methacrylate terminal group, acting as XB-acceptor. Despite the fact that the starting materials are not mesomorphic in nature, the obtained halogen-bonded complexes exhibit monotropic LC behaviour with smectic A phases possibly resulting from segregation between fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon chains. The obtained supramolecular mesogens possess reactive groups suitable for incorporation into liquid crystalline elastomeric actuators

Methyl 4-benz­yl­oxy-2-hy­dr­oxy­benzoate

In the title compound, C15H14O4, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 67.18 (8)°. The Ca—Cm—O—Ca (a = aromatic and m = methyl­ene) torsion angle is 172.6 (3)° and an intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond generates an S(6) ring. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into zigzag chains propagating in [001] and C—H⋯π inter­actions also occur

Presentation and characteristics of children with screen-detected type 1 diabetes: learnings from the ELSA general population pediatric screening study

Introduction: We describe the identification and management of general population screen-detected type 1 diabetes (T1D) and share learnings for best practice.Research design and methods: Children diagnosed with T1D through a general population screening initiative, the EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes (ELSA) study, were reviewed and described.Parents provided written, informed consent for inclusion in the case series.Results: 14 children with insulin requiring (stage 3) T1D are described. These cases offer unique insights into the features of screen-detected T1D. T1D is identified sooner through screening programs, characterized by absent/short symptom duration, median presenting glycated hemoglobin 6.6% (49 mmol/mol) and insulin requirements < 0.5 units/kg/day. ELSA identified four children at stage 3 and another 4 progressed within 4 months of ELSA completion, including two single seropositive children. Six children developed stage 3 T1D prior to ELSA completion, including two children (14%, n=2/14) with diabetic ketoacidosis prior to confirmed antibody status.Conclusions :There are three main learnings from this case series. First, T1D identified through screening is at an earlier stage of its natural history and requires personalized insulin regimens with lower total daily insulin doses. Second, single autoantibody seropositivity can rapidly progress to stage 3. Finally, insulin requirement can manifest at any stage of the T1D screening pathway, and therefore early education around symptom recognition is essential for families participating in screening programs

A knowledge-driven GIS modeling technique for groundwater potential mapping at the Upper Langat Basin, Malaysia.

The aim of this paper is to use a knowledge-driven expert-based geographical information system (GIS) model coupling with remote-sensing-derived parameters for groundwater potential mapping in an area of the Upper Langat Basin, Malaysia. In this study, nine groundwater storage controlling parameters that affect groundwater occurrences are derived from remotely sensed imagery, available maps, and associated databases. Those parameters are: lithology, slope, lineament, land use, soil, rainfall, drainage density, elevation, and geomorphology. Then the parameter layers were integrated and modeled using a knowledge-driven GIS of weighted linear combination. The weightage and score for each parameter and their classes are based on the Malaysian groundwater expert opinion survey. The predicted groundwater potential map was classified into four distinct zones based on the classification scheme designed by Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG). The results showed that about 17% of the study area falls under low-potential zone, with 66% on moderate-potential zone, 15% with high-potential zone, and only 0.45% falls under very-high-potential zone. The results obtained in this study were validated with the groundwater borehole wells data compiled by the JMG and showed 76% of prediction accuracy. In addition statistical analysis indicated that hard rock dominant of the study area is controlled by secondary porosity such as distance from lineament and density of lineament. There are high correlations between area percentage of predicted groundwater potential zones and groundwater well yield. Results obtained from this study can be useful for future planning of groundwater exploration, planning and development by related agencies in Malaysia which provide a rapid method and reduce cost as well as less time consuming. The results may be also transferable to other areas of similar hydrological characteristics

BoBBLE: ocean-atmosphere interaction and its impact on the South Asian monsoon

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) plays a fundamental role in controlling the weather systems that make up the South Asian summer monsoon system. In particular,the southern BoB has cooler sea surface temperature (SST) that influence ocean-atmosphere interaction and impact on the monsoon. Compared to the southeast, the southwestern BoB is cooler, more saline, receives much less rain, and is influenced by the Summer Monsoon Current(SMC). To examine the impact of these features on the monsoon, the BoB Boundary Layer Experiment (BoBBLE) was jointly undertaken by India and the UK during June–July 2016. Physical and bio-geochemical observations were made using a CTD, five ocean gliders, a uCTD, a VMP, two ADCPs, Argo floats, drifting buoys, meteorological sensors and upper air radiosonde balloons. The observations were made along a zonal section at 8◦N between 85.3◦E and 89◦E with a 10-day time series at 89◦E, 8◦N. This paper presents the new observed features of the southern BoB from the BoBBLE field program, supported by satellite data. Key results from the BoBBLE field campaign show the Sri Lanka Dome and the SMC in different stages of their seasonal evolution and two freshening events during which salinity decreased in the upper layer leading to the formation of thick barrier layers. BoBBLE observations were taken during a suppressed phase of the intraseasonal oscillation; they captured in detail the warming of the ocean mixed layer and preconditioning of the atmosphere to convection