β-n-oxalyl-l-α, β -diaminopropionic acid (β -odap) content in lathyrus sativus: The integration of nitrogen and sulfur metabolism through β -cyanoalanine synthase

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is an important legume crop grown mainly in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. This underutilized legume can withstand harsh environmental conditions including drought and flooding. During drought-induced famines, this protein-rich legume serves as a food source for poor farmers when other crops fail under harsh environmental conditions; however, its use is limited because of the presence of an endogenous neurotoxic nonprotein amino acid β-N-oxalyl-l-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP). Long-term consumption of Lathyrus and β-ODAP is linked to lathyrism, which is a degenerative motor neuron syndrome. Pharmacological studies indicate that nutritional deficiencies in methionine and cysteine may aggravate the neurotoxicity of β-ODAP. The biosynthetic pathway leading to the production of β-ODAP is poorly understood, but is linked to sulfur metabolism. To date, only a limited number of studies have been conducted in grass pea on the sulfur assimilatory enzymes and how these enzymes regulate the biosynthesis of β-ODAP. Here, we review the current knowledge on the role of sulfur metabolism in grass pea and its contribution to β-ODAP biosynthesis. Unraveling the fundamental steps and regulation of β-ODAP biosynthesis in grass pea will be vital for the development of improved varieties of this underutilized legume

A study of efficacy of tranexamic acid in reduction of blood loss in primary total knee arthroplasty

Background: Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to be effective in reducing blood loss during trauma and surgeries. Although there is no well-established protocol, it is now increasingly being used in joint replacement surgeries. The present study was designed to study the effect of intravenously given tranexamic acid during primary total knee replacement in reducing intraoperative blood loss and need for blood transfusion requirement, compared to a placebo.Methods: This study was designed as a parallel arm, double blind trial. 100 patients of primary osteoarthritis undergoing total knee arthroplasty under tourniquet was included in the study. The efficacy of a single preoperative bolus of TXA in the dose of 15 mg/kg on perioperative blood losses was studied against a placebo with objectives to compare the pre- and 24-hours post-operative level of haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct) levels and assess total volume of blood loss till 24-hours postoperatively and need for blood transfusion.Results: Out of 168 patients, who underwent TKA in our centre during the period of the study, 100 were included in the study, 50 patients were included in placebo group and 50 patients were included in TXA group. There was a statistically significant reduction in the use of transfusion (Fisher exact test; P=0.001). A total of 46 units of blood were used; 42 units transfused to participants in the placebo group and only 4 units transfused to participants in the TXA group. Conclusions: Intravenous TXA in primary arthroplasty leads to a statistically significant reduction in total blood loss and requirement for allogeneic blood transfusion with no apparent increased risk of thrombo-embolic complications

Prospecting for scarabid specific Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxin cry8 gene in sugarcane ecosystem of Tamil Nadu, India

In the present study, we report the occurrence of cry8 positive isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in selected white grub, Holotrichia serrata F. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), endemic soils of sugarcane ecosystem and other places in Tamil Nadu. Out of the 66 soil samples collected and screened for white grub specific Bt, 74 isolates of the bacterium, all containing only spherical crystal toxin, were identified. PCR screening of these isolates with cry8 gene universal primer revealed six isolates to be positive. Further, the amplicon of a 370 bp band, amplified with another set of degenerate primer designed based on the conserved sequence of cry8 genes, was sequenced from four isolates. Multiple sequence alignment revealed the gene sequences to be the same for all the isolates. The present report of the availability of cry8 positive Bt isolates opens the avenue for controlling white grubs through transgenic research

A comparative study of the fracture union between long and short proximal femoral intramedullary nails antirotation in the treatment of intertrochanteric femur fractures in the elderly: a multicentric analysis

Background: The objective of the study was to compare the fracture union of long vs. short proximal femoral intramedullary nail antirotation (PFNA) in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients who was more than 60 years old.Methods: A retrospective analysis of 170 cases of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur (AO type A1 and A2) in the elderly was conducted. There were 64 males (37.6%) and 106 females (62.3%) with the age of 60–90 (mean age 75) years. The general demographic data of patients, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, blood transfusion rate, anterior thigh pain, postoperative complications like periprosthetic fractures, infections were recorded.Results: The short nail group also had a significantly shorter operation time (41.5±15.3 minutes vs. 62.5±25.3 minutes, p=0.002) and lower rate of postoperative transfusion (31.3% vs. 58.7%, p=0.041). However the length of hospital stay showed no significant differences. After surgery in short group there were 03 cases of periprosthetic fracture with a total incidence of 03%, however there were none in long nail group. At the end of the follow-up, all patients achieved bony union. The average fracture union time of the long nail group was (8.5±3.2) months, and the short nail group was (7.8±4.7) months, revealing no significant differences (p=0.09).Conclusions: Both the proximal femoral intramedullary long and short nail fixation has a good result in the form of fracture union in treating intertrochanteric femur fractures in the elderly. They showed no significant difference in terms of fracture union, hospital stay, and postoperative complications. The incidence of periprosthetic fractures and anterior thigh pain was slightly high in short nail group. In short intramedullary nailing group there was obvious decrease in the intraoperative blood loss, operation time and postoperative blood transfusion

BG-4 from Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) Differentially Affects Inflammation In Vitro and In Vivo

BG-4 isolated from bitter gourd has been reported for anti-cancer properties. The objective was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of BG-4 in vitro and in vivo. Comparative study of the anti-inflammatory properties of BG-4 in vitro and in vivo was conducted on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophages, and on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. BG-4 reduced the production of pro-inflammatory markers in LPS-activated macrophages. On the other hand, intraperitoneal administration of BG-4 in DSS-induced colitis led to colon shortening, elevated neutrophils infiltration and myeloperoxidase activity, presence of blood in the stool, and loss of body weight, with differential systemic and local effects on pro-inflammatory cytokines in vivo. The results demonstrated that BG-4 differentially affected inflammation in vitro and in vivo

Characterization of the overlapping promoters of nolB and nolW, two soybean cultivar specificity genes from Rhizobium fredii strain USDA257

The transcripts of nolW and nolB, two divergently oriented cultivar specificity genes of Rhizobium fredii strain USDA257, are known to be initiated 14 bp apart from promoters that face one another. We show here that expression of nolB is dependent both on induction with flavonoid signals and on the regulatory gene, nodD1. Expression of nolW is constitutive and independent of flavonoids and nodD1. Normal expression of nolB is retained with a promoter that extends only 61 bp upstream of the transcript start site, but it is lost if an additional 24 bp are removed. Substantial expression of nolW is retained with a promoter that contains only 34 bp of DNA upstream from the transcript initiation site. The dual control region for the two genes is thus only about 109 bp in length.Instituto de Fisiología Vegeta

Exploring the Antimicrobial Potential of Phyllanthus emblica L. (Amla) using Molecular Docking Studies against Shrimp Pathogens

Vibriosis is a major problem in shrimp farm. Farmers indiscriminately use hormones, antibiotics, disinfectants and other chemicals in fish feed and culture water to protect their crops. E. coli and Aeromonas sp were highly predominant isolates. Herbs act as agents in aquaculture to control or reduce pathogen infections. The results of phytochemicals screening of fruit extract of Phyllanthus emblica showed the presence of various phytchemicals. Phyllanthus emblica extract shows anti-bacterial properties against biofilm producing shrimp pathogens. Among the 10 bacterial genera, E. coli and P.aeruginosa were highly suppressed. The extracts exhibited the bacteria growth inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner. The compound sitosterol has potent antibiofilm activity was showed by molecular docking, which revealed a significant binding energy and interaction (-8.4 Kcal/mol) between it and key biofilm-forming protein. Diving analysis was done using the chemical compounds found in GCMS analysis

Silver nanomaterials for wound dressing applications.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have recently become very attractive for the scientific community due to their broad spectrum of applications in the biomedical field. The main advantages of AgNPs include a simple method of synthesis, a simple way to change their morphology and high surface area to volume ratio. Much research has been carried out over the years to evaluate their possible effectivity against microbial organisms. The most important factors which influence the effectivity of AgNPs against microorganisms are the method of their preparation and the type of application. When incorporated into fabric wound dressings and other textiles, AgNPs have shown significant antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and inhibited biofilm formation. In this review, the different routes of synthesizing AgNPs with controlled size and geometry including chemical, green, irradiation and thermal synthesis, as well as the different types of application of AgNPs for wound dressings such as membrane immobilization, topical application, preparation of nanofibers and hydrogels, and the mechanism behind their antimicrobial activity, have been discussed elaborately

Processing of aluminum-graphite particulate metal matrix composites by advanced shear technology

Copyright @ 2009 ASM International. This paper was published in Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 18(9) and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of ASM International. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplications of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of this paper are prohibited.To extend the possibilities of using aluminum/graphite composites as structural materials, a novel process is developed. The conventional methods often produce agglomerated structures exhibiting lower strength and ductility. To overcome the cohesive force of the agglomerates, a melt conditioned high-pressure die casting (MC-HPDC) process innovatively adapts the well-established, high-shear dispersive mixing action of a twin screw mechanism. The distribution of particles and properties of composites are quantitatively evaluated. The adopted rheo process significantly improved the distribution of the reinforcement in the matrix with a strong interfacial bond between the two. A good combination of improved ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and tensile elongation (e) is obtained compared with composites produced by conventional processes.EPSR