Soil carbon fractions under maize-wheat system: effect of tillage and nutrient management

Soil organic carbon plays a major role in sustaining agroecosystems and maintaining environmental quality as it acts as a major source and sink of atmospheric carbon. The present study aims to assess the impact of agricultural management practices on soil organic carbon pools in a maize-wheat cropping system of Indo-Gangetic Plains, India. Soil samples from a split plot design with two tillage systems (bed planting and conventional tillage) and six nutrient treatments (T1 = control, T2 = 120 kg urea-N ha(-1), T3 = T2 (25 % N substituted by FYM), T4 = T2 (25 % N substituted by sewage sludge), T5 = T2 + crop residue, T6 = 100 % organic source (50 % FYM + 25 % biofertilizer + 25 % crop residue) were used for determining the organic carbon pools. Results show that there was a significant improvement in Walkley and Black carbon in soil under integrated and organic nutrient management treatments. KMnO4-oxidizable carbon content of soil varied from 0.63 to 1.50 g kg(-1) in soils and was found to be a better indicator for monitoring the impact of agricultural management practices on quality of soil organic carbon than microbial biomass carbon. Tillage and its interaction were found to significantly influence only those soil organic carbon fractions closely associated with aggregate stability viz, labile polysaccharides and glomalin. The highest amount of C4-derived carbon was found to be in plots receiving recommended doses of N as urea (29 %) followed by control plots (25 %). The carbon management index ranged between 82 to 195 and was better in integrated nutrient sources than ones receiving recommended doses of nutrients through mineral fertilizers alone.

From QTL to variety-harnessing the benefits of QTLs for drought, flood and salt tolerance in mega rice varieties of India through a multi-institutional network

Rice is a staple cereal of India cultivated in about 43.5Mha area but with relatively low average productivity. Abiotic factors like drought, flood and salinity affect rice production adversely in more than 50% of this area. Breeding rice varieties with inbuilt tolerance to these stresses offers an economically viable and sustainable option to improve rice productivity. Availability of high quality reference genome sequence of rice, knowledge of exact position of genes/QTLs governing tolerance to abiotic stresses and availability of DNA markers linked to these traits has opened up opportunities for breeders to transfer the favorable alleles into widely grown rice varieties through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB). A large multi-institutional project, "From QTL to variety: marker-assisted breeding of abiotic stress tolerant rice varieties with major QTLs for drought, submergence and salt tolerance" was initiated in 2010 with funding support from Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, in collaboration with International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. The main focus of this project is to improve rice productivity in the fragile ecosystems of eastern, northeastern and southern part of the country, which bear the brunt of one or the other abiotic stresses frequently. Seven consistent QTLs for grain yield under drought, namely, qDTY1.1, qDTY2.1, qDTY2.2, qDTY3.1, qDTY3.2, qDTY9.1 and qDTY12.1 are being transferred into submergence tolerant versions of three high yielding mega rice varieties, Swarna-Sub1, Samba Mahsuri-Sub1 and IR 64-Sub1. To address the problem of complete submergence due to flash floods in the major river basins, the Sub1 gene is being transferred into ten highly popular locally adapted rice varieties namely, ADT 39, ADT 46, Bahadur, HUR 105, MTU 1075, Pooja, Pratikshya, Rajendra Mahsuri, Ranjit, and Sarjoo 52. Further, to address the problem of soil salinity, Saltol, a major QTL for salt tolerance is being transferred into seven popular locally adapted rice varieties, namely, ADT 45, CR 1009, Gayatri, MTU 1010, PR 114, Pusa 44 and Sarjoo 52. Genotypic background selection is being done after BC2F2 stage using an in-house designed 50K SNP chip on a set of twenty lines for each combination, identified with phenotypic similarity in the field to the recipient parent. Near-isogenic lines with more than 90% similarity to the recipient parent are now in advanced generation field trials. These climate smart varieties are expected to improve rice productivity in the adverse ecologies and contribute to the farmer's livelihood.

Total spinal blockade after Interscalene brachial plexus block- A rare but possible complication

Interscalene block is a commonly done regional anesthesiatechnique for shoulder and upper arm surgery. It has been used regularly as it is simple and achieves good and satisfactory block, but still it is not completely devoid of complications. In our case we have given interscalene block to a 45 year old male patient of ASA grade-I. Immediately after injecting the local anesthetic drug the patient became unconscious and unresponsive due to total spinal blockade. The patient was resuscitated and shifted to ICU where the he regained his consciousness after few hours and shifted to the ward without any neurological deficit.

Lampropedia cohaerens sp. nov., a biofilm-forming bacterium isolated from microbial mats of a hot water spring, and emended description of the genus Lampropedia

A biofilm-forming, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, catalase-positive but oxidase-negative strain, designated CT6^T, was isolated from the microbial mats (∼45 °C) of a hot water spring, located within the Himalayan ranges at Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh, India. Strain CT6^T formed white, smooth colonies with irregular margins. Transmission electron microscopy revealed coccoid, non-flagellated cells with wavy boundaries. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain CT6^T belongs to the genus Lampropedia with a sequence similarity value of 95.4 % to the sole member of this genus, Lampropedia hyalina ATCC 11041^T. Strain CT6^T was found to have phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol as the major polar lipids. The major cellular fatty acids were C_16 : 0, summed feature 8 (C_18 : 1ω7c and/or C_18 : 1ω6c), C_14 : 0, C_19 : 0ω8c cyclo and summed feature 3 (C_16 : 1ω7c and/or C_16 : 1ω6c). The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8. The major polyamines were putrescine, spermidine and the betaproteobacterial-specific 2-hydroxyputrescine. The DNA G+C content was 63.5 mol%. Based on the genotypic, phenotypic, physiological and biochemical data, strain CT6^T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Lampropedia, for which the name Lampropedia cohaerens sp. nov. is proposed ( = DSM 100029^T = KCTC 42939^T = MCC 2711^T).

Pontibacter ummariensis sp. nov., isolated from a hexachlorocyclohexane-contaminated soil

A Gram-stain-negative, pinkish-red, rod-shaped bacterium designated strain NKM1^T was isolated from soil samples contaminated with hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, collected from Ummari village, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The strain was characterized by a polyphasic taxonomic approach. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain NKM1^T clustered exclusively with members of the genus Pontibacter of the family Cytophagaceae, phylum Bacteroidetes. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to type strains of the genus Pontibacter ranged from 96.7 to 93.8 %, with the highest sequence similarity found with Pontibacter odishensis JC130^T (96.7 %). Cells of strain NKM1^T were aerobic, non-flagellated and non-motile. Strain NKM1^T was catalase- and oxidase-positive but negative for nitrate reduction and hydrolysis of gelatin. The major fatty acids in strain NKM1^T were anteiso-C_15 : 0, iso-C_15 : 0, C_16 : 0, C_18 : 1ω9c and summed feature 3 (C_16 : 1ω7c and/or C_16 : 1ω6c). The polar lipid profile of strain NKM1^T showed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine and unknown glycolipids as well as aminolipids. sym-Homospermidine was found to be the major polyamine and menaquinone 7 (MK-7) was the major respiratory quinone. The DNA G+C content of strain NKM1^T was determined to be 58.6 mol%. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, physiological and biochemical evidence, it is proposed that isolate NKM1^T represents a novel species that belongs to the genus Pontibacter, for which the name Pontibacter ummariensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NKM1^T ( = DSM 100161^T = KCTC 42944^T = MCC 2777^T).

Nitric oxide mediated amelioration of arsenic toxicity which alters the alternative oxidase (Aox1) gene expression in Hordeum vulgare L

The role of nitric oxide (NO) as a key molecule in the signal transduction pathway of a biotic stress response has already been described. Recent studies indicate that it also participate in the signaling of abiotic stresses. In the present study, we showed the altered expression of stress responsive gene alternative oxidase (Aox1) in seedlings of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in response to arsenic toxicity. Arsenic toxicity decreased the germination percentage, biomass, chlorophyll and carotenoid content whereas, arsenic toxicity enhanced the MDA content and proline content in a dose dependent manner. Other enzyme activities like catalase and superoxide dismutase increased with the increase in concentrations but it fell down at higher concentration of arsenic. Pretreatment of nitric oxide results in the enhanced expression of alternative oxidase which showed the adaptation of alternative pathway during the arsenic stress and it also enhances the growth ability and adaptability towards the arsenic stress. The results support the conclusion that nitric oxide ameliorates the arsenic toxicity not only at the level of antioxidant defense but also by affecting other mechanism of detoxification.

Nitric oxide mitigates arsenic-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in Vicia faba L

The protective effects of nitric oxide (NO) against arsenic (As)-induced structural disturbances in Vicia faba have been investigated. As treatment (0.25, 0.50, and 1 mM) resulted in a declined growth of V. faba seedlings. Arsenic treatment stimulates the activity of SOD and CAT while the activities of APX and GST content were decreased. The oxidative stress markers such as superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation) contents were enhanced by As. Overall results revealed that significant accumulation of As suppressed growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, APX, and GST activity), mitotic index, and induction of different chromosomal abnormalities, hence led to oxidative stress. The concentration of SNP (0.02 mM) was very effective in counteracting the adverse effect of As toxicity. These abnormalities use partially or fully reversed by a simultaneous application of As and NO donor and sodium nitroprusside and has an ameliorating effect against As-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in V. faba roots.

Identification of aerosol types over Indo-Gangetic Basin: implications to optical properties and associated radiative forcing

The aerosols in the Indo-Gangetic Basin (IGB) are a mixture of sulfate, dust, black carbon, and other soluble and insoluble components. It is a challenge not only to identify these various aerosol types, but also to assess the optical and radiative implications of these components. In the present study, appropriate thresholds for fine-mode fraction and single-scattering albedo have been used to first identify the aerosol types over IGB. Four major aerosol types may be identified as polluted dust (PD), polluted continental (PC), black carbon-enriched (BCE), and organic carbon-enriched (OCE). Further, the implications of these different types of aerosols on optical properties and radiative forcing have been studied. The aerosol products derived from CIMEL sun/sky radiometer measurements, deployed under Aerosol Robotic Network program of NASA, USA were used from four different sites Karachi, Lahore, Jaipur, and Kanpur, spread over Pakistan and Northern India. PD is the most dominant aerosol type at Karachi and Jaipur, contributing more than 50% of all the aerosol types. OCE, on the other hand, contributes only about 12-15% at all the stations except at Kanpur where its contribution is ∼38%. The spectral dependence of AOD was relatively low for PD aerosol type, with the lowest AE values (<0.5); whereas, large spectral dependence in AOD was observed for the remaining aerosol types, with the highest AE values (>1.0). SSA was found to be the highest for OCE (>0.9) and the lowest for BCE (<0.9) type aerosols, with drastically different spectral variability. The direct aerosol radiative forcing at the surface and in the atmosphere was found to be the maximum at Lahore among all the four stations in the IGB.

Magnetohydrodynamic free convection between vertical parallel porous plates in the presence of induced magnetic field

In this paper, the steady two-dimensional hydromagnetic free convective flow of an incompressible viscous and electrically conducting fluid between two parallel vertical porous plates has been considered. The effect of induced magnetic field arising due to the motion of an electrically conducting fluid is taken into account. The governing equations of the motion are a set of simultaneous ordinary differential equations and their analytical solutions in dimensionless form have been obtained for the velocity field, the induced magnetic field and the temperature field. The expression for the induced current density has been also obtained. The effects of various non-dimensional parameters on the velocity profile, the induced magnetic field profile, the temperature profile and the induced current density profile have been shown in the graphs. It is found that the effect of suction parameter is to decrease the velocity field and induced current density while it has increasing effect on the induced magnetic field.

Measles outbreak investigation in Dwarahat block of District Almora, Uttarakhand

BACKGROUND

We report an assessment of measles outbreak during the months of February 2014 to April 2014 in Dwarahat block of district Almora and the response mounted to it.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An intensive door-to-door search to six measles affected villages in Dwarahat block of district Almora, covering a population of 2,408 was carried out to identify the cases of measles by a rapid response team (RRT). A total of ten blood samples were randomly collected for detecting IgM antibody against measles. For all cases, information on personal details, place of residence, time of onset and status of immunization were obtained.

RESULTS

Overall attack rate (AR) was 2.8%. AR among the population of age-group 0-16 was 7.2%. Statistically significant higher AR (16.26%) was seen for the age-group of 0-5 years as compare to 6-10 and 11-16 years of age (AR-8.71, relative risk-0.53, 95% confidence interval-0.32-0.88, P value-0.012 and AR-0.57%, relative risk-0.035, 95% confidence interval-0.00-0.14, P value-0.000, respectively). Males were affected more often than females 35 [59.2%] vs. 24 [40.8%]. Measles-related complications were seen in three children. No death was reported. Of the 10 samples, nine were positive for measles IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

CONCLUSION

The recognition of early warning signals, timely investigation and application of specific control measures can contain the outbreak. The unvaccinated or partially protected human beings serve as the reservoir of measles virus. Hence, there is a need for sero surveillance for measles in Uttarakhand and one catch up measles immunisation campaign to prevent future outbreak.

Simultaneous measurements of X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence fluorescence at BL-16 beamline of Indus-2

A new multipurpose x-ray reflectometer station has been developed and augmented at the microfocus beamline (BL-16) of Indus-2 synchrotron radiation source to facilitate synchronous measurements of specular x-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence x-ray fluorescence emission from thin layered structures. The design and various salient features of the x-ray reflectometer are discussed. The performance of the reflectometer has been evaluated by analyzing several thin layered structures having different surface interface properties. The results reveal in-depth information for precise determination of surface and interface properties of thin layered materials demonstrating the immense potential of the combined measurements of x-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence fluorescence on a single reflectometer.

A tumor deconstruction platform identifies definitive end points in the evaluation of drug responses

Tumor heterogeneity and the presence of drug-sensitive and refractory populations within the same tumor are almost never assessed in the drug discovery pipeline. Such incomplete assessment of drugs arising from spatial and temporal tumor cell heterogeneity reflects on their failure in the clinic and considerable wasted costs in the drug discovery pipeline. Here we report the derivation of a flow cytometry-based tumor deconstruction platform for resolution of at least 18 discrete tumor cell fractions. This is achieved through concurrent identification, quantification and analysis of components of cancer stem cell hierarchies, genetically instable clones and differentially cycling populations within a tumor. We also demonstrate such resolution of the tumor cytotype to be a potential value addition in drug screening through definitive cell target identification. Additionally, this real-time definition of intra-tumor heterogeneity provides a convenient, incisive and analytical tool for predicting drug efficacies through profiling perturbations within discrete tumor cell subsets in response to different drugs and candidates. Consequently, possible applications in informed therapeutic monitoring and drug repositioning in personalized cancer therapy would complement rational design of new candidates besides achieving a re-evaluation of existing drugs to derive non-obvious combinations that hold better chances of achieving remission.

Physiological, anatomical and transcriptional alterations in a rice mutant leading to enhanced water stress tolerance

Water stress is one of the most severe constraints to crop productivity. Plants display a variety of physiological and biochemical responses both at the cellular and whole organism level upon sensing water stress. Leaf rolling, stomatal closure, deeper root penetration, higher relative water content (RWC) and better osmotic adjustment are some of the mechanisms that plants employ to overcome water stress. In the current study, we report a mutant, enhanced water stress tolerant1 (ewst1) with enhanced water stress tolerance, identified from the ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mutant population of rice variety Nagina22 by field screening followed by withdrawal of irrigation in pots and hydroponics (PEG 6000). Though ewst1 was morphologically similar to the wild type (WT) for 35 of the 38 morphological descriptors (except chalky endosperm/expression of white core, decorticated grain colour and grain weight), it showed enhanced germination in polyethylene glycol-infused medium. It exhibited increase in maximum root length without any significant changes in its root weight, root volume and total root number on crown when compared with the WT under stress in PVC tube experiment. It also showed better performance for various physiological parameters such as RWC, cell membrane stability and chlorophyll concentration upon water stress in a pot experiment. Root anatomy and stomatal microscopic studies revealed changes in the number of xylem and phloem cells, size of central meta-xylem and number of closed stomata in ewst1. Comparative genome-wide transcriptome analysis identified genes related to exocytosis, secondary metabolites, tryptophan biosynthesis, protein phosphorylation and other signalling pathways to be playing a role in enhanced response to water stress in ewst1. The possible involvement of a candidate gene with respect to the observed morpho-physiological and transcriptional changes and its role in stress tolerance are discussed. The mutant identified and characterized in this study will be useful for further dissection of water stress tolerance in rice.

Comparative analysis of changes in MR imaging of pre and post intrauterine progesterone implants in adenomyosis cases

BACKGROUND

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the evaluation and management of adenomyosis. In this study, we first diagnosed the adenomyosis on MRI and then we analyzed the MRI changes in the uterus in pre and post intrauterine progesterone implants cases.

METHOD

All the patients with clinical diagnosis of menorrhagia or dysmenorrhea were screened by Ultrasonography (USG) of the pelvis. Patients with heterogeneous echo texture of the uterus were then evaluated by the MRI of the pelvis. All patients with MRI findings suggestive of adenomyosis formed the study group.

RESULT

On MRI study 60 patients were diagnosed as adenomyosis, 68.33% had diffuse adenomyosis and 31.66% had focal adenomyosis. 83% of diagnosed adenomyosis cases had high intensity signal foci which were seen in 75% cases of diffuse adenomyosis and 100% cases of focal adenomyosis. 50 diagnosed adenomyosis cases were then reviewed after 03 months, 06 months and 12 months to see for any change in the MRI findings in the post intrauterine implant cases. On follow up MRI after post progesterone intrauterine implant, 50% of the cases showed reduction in the high intensity signals, 10% of the cases showed mild reduction in the junctional zone thickness with no significant change in the uterine size.

CONCLUSIONS

It is inferred that MR imaging is not only helpful in diagnosing but also helpful in monitoring the effects of hormonal therapy in adenomyosis.

Nano-level monitoring of Mn(2+) ion by fabrication of coated pyrolytic graphite electrode based on isonicotinohydrazide derivatives

The two ionophores N'(N',N‴E,N',N‴E)-N',N‴-((((oxybis(ethane-2,1-diyl))bis(oxy)) bis(2,1-phenylene))bis(methanylylidene))di(isonicotinohydrazide) (I1) and (N',N‴E,N',N‴E)-N',N‴-(((propane-1,3-diylbis(oxy))bis(2,1-phenylene))bis(methanylylidene))di(isonicotinohydrazide) (I2) were synthesised and investigated as neutral carrier in the fabrication of Mn(2+) ion selective sensor. Several membranes were prepared by incorporating different plasticizers and anionic excluders and their effect on potentiometric response was studied. The best analytical performance was obtained with the electrode having a membrane of composition of I2: PVC: o-NPOE: NaTPB in the ratio of 6:34:58:2 (w/w, mg). Comparative studies of coated graphite electrode (CGE) and coated pyrolytic graphite electrode (CPGE) based on I2 reveal the superiority of CPGE. The CPGE exhibits wide working concentration range of 1.23×10(-8)-1.0×10(-1) mol L(-1) and a detection limit down to 4.78×10(-9) mol L(-1) with a Nernstian slope of 29.5±0.4 mV decade(-1) of activity. The sensor performs satisfactorily over a wide pH range (3.5-9.0) and exhibited a quick response time (9s). The sensor can work satisfactorily in water-acetonitrile and water-methanol mixtures. It can tolerate 30% acetonitrile and 20% methanol content in the mixtures. The sensor could be used for a period of four months without any significant divergence in performance. The sensor reflects its utility in the quantification of Mn(2+) ion in real samples and has been successfully employed as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of Mn(2+) ion with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).

Corrosivity of paper mill effluent and corrosion performance of stainless steel

Present study relates to the corrosivity of paper mill effluent and corrosion performance of stainless steel (SS) as a construction material for the effluent treatment plant (ETP). Accordingly, immersion test and electrochemical polarization tests were performed on SS 304 L, 316 L and duplex 2205 in paper mill effluent and synthetic effluent. This paper presents electrochemical polarization measurements, performed for the first time to the best of the authors' information, to see the influence of chlorophenols on the corrosivity of effluents. The corrosivity of the effluent was observed to increase with the decrease in pH and increase in Cl- content while the addition of SO4- tends to inhibit corrosion. Mill effluent was found to be more corrosive as compared to synthetic effluent and has been attributed to the presence of various chlorophenols. Corrosion performance of SS was observed to govern by the presence of Cr, Mo and N contents.

Mode of binding of the antithyroid drug propylthiouracil to mammalian haem peroxidases

The mammalian haem peroxidase superfamily consists of myeloperoxidase (MPO), lactoperoxidase (LPO), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO). These enzymes catalyze a number of oxidative reactions of inorganic substrates such as Cl(-), Br(-), I(-) and SCN(-) as well as of various organic aromatic compounds. To date, only structures of MPO and LPO are known. The substrate-binding sites in these enzymes are located on the distal haem side. Propylthiouracil (PTU) is a potent antithyroid drug that acts by inhibiting the function of TPO. It has also been shown to inhibit the action of LPO. However, its mode of binding to mammalian haem peroxidases is not yet known. In order to determine the mode of its binding to peroxidases, the structure of the complex of LPO with PTU has been determined. It showed that PTU binds to LPO in the substrate-binding site on the distal haem side. The IC50 values for the inhibition of LPO and TPO by PTU are 47 and 30 µM, respectively. A comparision of the residues surrounding the substrate-binding site on the distal haem side in LPO with those in TPO showed that all of the residues were identical except for Ala114 (LPO numbering scheme), which is replaced by Thr205 (TPO numbering scheme) in TPO. A threonine residue in place of alanine in the substrate-binding site may affect the affinity of PTU for peroxidases.

Importance of algae as a potential source of biofuel

Algae have a great potential source of biofuels and also have unique importance to reduce gaseous emissions, greenhouse gases, climatic changes, global warming receding of glaciers, rising sea levels and loss of biodiversity. The microalgae, like Scenedesmus obliquus, Neochloris oleabundans, Nannochloropsis sp., Chlorella emersonii, and Dunaliella tertiolecta have high oil content. Among the known algae, Scenedesmus obliquus is one of the most potential sources for biodiesel as it has adequate fatty acid (linolenic acid) and other polyunsaturated fatty acids. Bio&mdash;ethanol is already in the market of United States of America and Europe as an additive in gasoline. Bio&mdash;hydrogen is the cleanest biofuel and extensive efforts are going on to bring it to market at economical price. This review highlights recent development and progress in the field of algae as a potential source of biofuel.

Association of B12 deficiency and clinical neuropathy with metformin use in type 2 diabetes patients

CONTEXT

Long-term metformin use has been hypothesized to cause B12 deficiency and neuropathy in Type 2 diabetes patients. However, there is a paucity of Indian data regarding the same.

AIM

To compare the prevalence of B12 deficiency and peripheral neuropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with or without metformin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We recruited patients with Type 2 diabetes and divided them into metformin exposed and nonmetformin exposed groups. We measured baseline demographic variables like age, sex, vegetarian status, and HbA1c levels in both groups. We compared vitamin B12 levels and severity of peripheral neuropathy (using Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS)) in both groups. Definite B12 deficiency was defined as B12 <150 pg/ml and possible B12 deficiency as <220 pg/ml. The difference in vitamin B12 levels and TCSS was calculated in both groups using independent samples t-test. Spearman's rank correlation between cumulative metformin use and B12 level was calculated. Odds ratio of vitamin B12 deficiency in metformin exposed group was also estimated.

RESULTS

Mean serum B12 levels was significantly lower in metformin exposed group (n=84) compared with nonmetformin exposed group (n=52) (410±230.7 versus 549.2±244.7, P=0.0011). Mean neuropathy score was significantly higher in metformin exposed group. (5.72±2.04 versus 4.62±2.12, P=0.0064). Odds ratio for possible B12 deficiency was 4.45 (95% CI 1.24-15.97). There was significant negative correlation between cumulative metformin dose and vitamin B12 level (r=-0.68, P<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Metformin use is associated with vitamin B12 deficiency and clinical neuropathy in Type 2 diabetes patients.

Stripe rust and leaf rust resistance QTL mapping, epistatic interactions, and co-localization with stem rust resistance loci in spring wheat evaluated over three continents

In wheat, advantageous gene-rich or pleiotropic regions for stripe, leaf, and stem rust and epistatic interactions between rust resistance loci should be accounted for in plant breeding strategies. Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) and stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. tritici Eriks) contribute to major production losses in many regions worldwide. The objectives of this research were to identify and study epistatic interactions of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for stripe and leaf rust resistance in a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from the cross of Canadian wheat cultivars, AC Cadillac and Carberry. The relationship of leaf and stripe rust resistance QTL that co-located with stem rust resistance QTL previously mapped in this population was also investigated. The Carberry/AC Cadillac population was genotyped with DArT(®) and simple sequence repeat markers. The parents and population were phenotyped for stripe rust severity and infection response in field rust nurseries in Kenya (Njoro), Canada (Swift Current), and New Zealand (Lincoln); and for leaf rust severity and infection response in field nurseries in Canada (Swift Current) and New Zealand (Lincoln). AC Cadillac was a source of stripe rust resistance QTL on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 5B, and 7B; and Carberry was a source of resistance on chromosomes 2B, 4B, and 7A. AC Cadillac contributed QTL for resistance to leaf rust on chromosome 2A and Carberry contributed QTL on chromosomes 2B and 4B. Stripe rust resistance QTL co-localized with previously reported stem rust resistance QTL on 2B, 3B, and 7B, while leaf rust resistance QTL co-localized with 4B stem rust resistance QTL. Several epistatic interactions were identified both for stripe and leaf rust resistance QTL. We have identified useful combinations of genetic loci with main and epistatic effects. Multiple disease resistance regions identified on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, and 7B are prime candidates for further investigation and validation of their broad resistance.

Management of Type 2 diabetes in Ramadan: Low-ratio premix insulin working group practical advice

The challenge of insulin use during Ramadan could be minimized, if people with diabetes are metabolically stable and are provided with structured education for at least 2-3 months pre-Ramadan. Although, American diabetes association (ADA) recommendations 2010 and South Asian Consensus Guideline 2012 deal with management of diabetes in Ramadan and changes in insulin dosage, no specific guidance on widely prescribed low-ratio premix insulin is currently available. Hence, the working group for insulin therapy in Ramadan, after collective analysis, evaluation, and opinion from clinical practice, have formulated a practical advice to empower physicians with pre-Ramadan preparation, dose adjustment, and treatment algorithm for self-titration of low-ratio premix insulin.

Viral aetiology of acute lower respiratory tract illness in hospitalised paediatric patients of a tertiary hospital: one year prospective study

CONTEXT

Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI), ranked as the second leading cause of death are the primary cause of hospitalisation in children. Viruses are the most important causative agents of ALRI.

AIM

To study the viral aetiology of ALRI in children at a tertiary care hospital.

SETTING AND DESIGN

One year prospective observational study in a tertiary care hospital of King George's Medical University, Lucknow.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) was collected from children admitted with signs and symptoms of ALRI who were aged 0-14 years. Samples were transported to the laboratory at 4°C in viral transport media and processed for detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A and B, influenza virus A and B, adenovirus (ADV), human Boca virus (HBoV), human metapneumo virus (hMPV) and parainfluenzavirus 1, 2, 3 and 4 using mono/multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). STATA was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

In one year, 188 NPAs were screened for respiratory viruses, of which 45.7% tested positive. RSV was most commonly detected with 21.3% positivity followed by measles virus (8.5%), influenza A virus (7.4%), ADV (5.3%), influenza B virus (1.6%), hMPV (1.1%) and HBoV (0.5%). Month wise maximum positivity was seen in December and January. Positivity rate of RSV was highest in children aged < 1 year, which decreased with increase in age, while positive rate of influenza virus increased with increasing age.

CONCLUSION

The occurrence of viral predominance in ALRI is highlighted.

Repair of oral mucosal defects with cryopreserved human amniotic membrane grafts: prospective clinical study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of the surgical repair of oral mucosal defects using cryopreserved human amniotic membrane (HAM) as a graft material. Thirty-four patients with precancerous lesions such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and verrucous hyperplasia were included. Fresh amniotic membrane was obtained from women undergoing elective caesarean section; the membrane was cleaned, prepared in antibiotic solutions, and preserved at -80°C. Results suggested that HAM promotes healing and epithelialization without specific complications. Thus we conclude that the use of HAM gives promising results in the repair of post-surgical oral mucosal defects.

Facile and green synthesis of CdSe quantum dots in protein matrix: tuning of morphology and optical properties

Herein, we have demonstrated a facile and green approach for the synthesis of Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs). The process was mediated by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and it was found that BSA plays the dual role of reducing agent as well as a stabilizing agent. The QDs exhibited sharp excitonic absorption features at ~500 nm and subsequently showed reasonably good photoluminescence (PL) at room temperature. The PL is seen to be strongly dependent on the concentration of the precursors and hence, the luminescence of these QDs could be conveniently tuned across the visible spectrum simply by varying molar ratio of the precursors. It can be envisaged from the fact that a red-shift of about 100 nm in the PL peak position was observed when the molar ratio of the precursors ([Cd2+]:[Se2-], in mM) was varied from 10:5 to 10:40. Subsequently, the charge carrier relaxation dynamics associated with the different molar ratio of precursors has been investigated and very interesting information regarding the energy level structures of these QDs were revealed. Most importantly, in conjunction with the optical tuning, the nanomorphology of these nanoparticles was found to vary with the change in molar ratios of Se and Cd precursors. This aspect can provide a new direction of controlling the shape of CdSe nanoparticles. The possible mechanism of the formation as well as for the shape variation of these nanoparticles with the molar ratios of precursors has been proposed, taking into account the role of amino acid residues (present in BSA). Moreover, the QDs were water soluble and possessed fairly good colloidal stability therefore, can have potential applications in catalysis and bio-labeling. On the whole, the present methodology of protein assisted synthesis is relatively new especially for semiconducting nanomaterials and may provide some unique and interesting aspects to control and fine tune the morphology vis-à-vis, their optical properties.

Melatonin Induced Changes in Specific Growth Rate, Gonadal Maturity, Lipid and Protein Production in Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus 1758)

We have investigated the effect of melatonin (MLT) on specific growth rate (SGR% day(-1)), condition factor (k), gonado-somatic-index (GSI), histological structures of gonads, serum as well as gonadal protein and lipid in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. MLT treatment in the dose of 25 μg/L for three weeks reduced SGR% day(-1) (0.9±0.04) as compared to control (1.23±0.026). The GSI value was significantly (p<0.05) reduced to 1.77±0.253 from control where it was 2.56±0.25. Serum protein level increased from 9.33±2.90 mg/ml (control) to 11.67±1.45 mg/ml after MLT treatment while there was depressed serum triglycerides (86.16±1.078 mg/dl) and cholesterol (126.66±0.88 mg/dl) as compared to control values where these were 123.0±1.23 mg/dl and 132.0±1.65 mg/dl respectively. Histological structure of ovary showed small eggs of early perinucleolus stage after MLT treatment while testicular structure of control and MLT treated fish was more or less similar. It is concluded that exogenous melatonin suppressed SGR% day(-1), GSI, ovarian cellular activity, protein and lipid biosynthesis, in tilapia suggesting that melatonin is useful in manipulating the gonadal maturity in fishes.

Genetic diversity studies and identification of SSR markers associated with Fusarium wilt (Fusarium udum) resistance in cultivated pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)

Genetic diversity and identification of simple sequence repeat markers correlated with Fusarium wilt resistance was performed in a set of 36 elite cultivated pigeonpea genotypes differing in levels of resistance to Fusarium wilt. Twenty-four polymorphic sequence repeat markers were screened across these genotypes, and amplified a total of 59 alleles with an average high polymorphic information content value of 0.52. Cluster analysis, done by UPGMA and PCA, grouped the 36 pigeonpea genotypes into two main clusters according to their Fusarium wilt reaction. Based on the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and simple regression analysis, six simple sequence repeat markers were found to be significantly associated with Fusarium wilt resistance. The phenotypic variation explained by these markers ranged from 23.7 to 56.4%. The present study helps in finding out feasibility of prescreened SSR markers to be used in genetic diversity analysis and their potential association with disease resistance.

Embryological basis of malformed female genital tract and various classifications

Developmental anomalies of the Mullerian duct system represent some of the most fascinating disorders that obstetricians and gynaecologists encounter. The uterus is formed during embryogenesis by the fusion of the two paramesonephric ducts (Mullerian ducts). This process usually fuses the two Mullerian ducts into a single uterine body, but fails to take place in the affected women who maintain their double Mullerian systems. A bicornuate uterus is a type of a uterine malformation where upper part of uterus forms two horns. The fusion process of upper part of Mullerian duct is altered. As a result, cranial part of the uterus becomes bifurcated. As Mullerian duct anomalies are of anatomic interest, this article discusses epidemiology, embryological development, genetics of development and malformation and lastly various classifications based on Mullerian duct development. Pregnancy in bicornuate uterus is usually of high risk with reproductive outcomes like recurrent abortions, preterm delivery or malpresentation. Classifying Mullerian duct anomalies bears merit because it correlates anatomic anomalies with arrests in morphogenesis. Establishing an accurate diagnosis is essential for planning treatment and management strategies.

The high prevalence of serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs) in Escherichia coli causing neonatal septicemia

Serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs) are secreted proteins demonstrating diverse virulence functions. The distribution of SPATEs is studied among diarrheagenic and extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli. However, the contribution of SPATEs to the virulence of neonatal septicemic Escherichia coli (NSEC) has not yet been elucidated. This study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence and phylogenetic distribution of different subtypes of SPATEs among NSEC. The presence of virulence factors and subtypes of SPATEs among different E. coli isolates was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). E. coli phylogrouping was done by triplex PCR. Clonality of the isolates was assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The presence of SPATEs was significantly higher among the septicemic isolates (89 %) than the fecal (7.5 %) and environmental isolates (2.5 %). Vat (vacuolating autotransporter toxin) and Sat (secreted autotransporter toxin) were found to be the two most predominant SPATEs. The incidence of SPATEs was high in septicemic isolates of phylogroups A and B1 (87 %), lacking other virulence factors. The high prevalence of SPATEs in the non-B2 phylogroups of septicemic isolates in comparison with fecal and environmental isolates indicates an association of SPATEs with NSEC. The NSEC isolates were found to be clonally distinct, suggesting that the high prevalence of SPATEs was not due to clonal relatedness of the isolates. This study is the first to show the association of SPATEs with NSEC. The presence of SPATEs in the septicemic/NSEC isolates may be considered as the most discriminatory trait studied here.

Rhizospheric fungal community structure of a Bt brinjal and a near isogenic variety

AIMS

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of Cry1Ac gene expressing brinjal (VRBT-8) on the rhizospheric fungal community structure.

METHODS AND RESULTS

qPCR indicated variations in the fungal ITS rRNA copy numbers of non-Bt (1·43-4·43) × 10(9) g(-1) dws and Bt (1·43-3·32) × 10(9) g(-1) dws plots. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS rRNA clones indicated fungal-related group majority of being Ascomycota compared to that of Basidiomycota and Zygomycota in non-Bt- and Bt-planted soils. Sordariomycetes was the dominant class detected in all the stages.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the variations in the population size and the distribution pattern observed across the non-Bt and Bt brinjal, plant-growth-dependent variability was more prominent compared with genetic modification. Therefore, this study concludes that genetic modification of brinjal crop has minor effect on the fungal community.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Brinjal, the important solanaceous crop, is also prone to attack by many insect pests, especially by Leucinoides orbonalis, resulting in significant losses in the crop yield. However, the reports on the effect of transgenic crops and the associated microbial community are inconsistent. The present communication takes into account for the first time the possible interactions between Bt brinjal and the associated fungal community; the latter playing a significant role in maintaining soil fertility. As this study is limited to the structural diversity of fungal community, additional information regarding the functional diversity of the group seems imperative before recommending the commercialization of GM crops.

Relevance of hepatitis B surface antigen levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B during 5 year of tenofovir treatment

The role of quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels in patients receiving highly potent oral antiviral therapy is controversial, and here, we determined the HBsAg response in 121 chronic hepatitis B patients treated with tenofovir 300 mg daily. During tenofovir treatment, HBsAg decline of ≥ 1.0 log from baseline was seen in 16.1%, 16.3%, 18.4%, 34.6%, 36.4% and 11.8%, 15.2%, 14.8%, 28.6%, 20% at years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients, respectively. Early decline in HBsAg levels at week 4 was predictive of subsequent significant HBsAg level decline. HBeAg seroconversion occurred in 29.9% of HBeAg-positive patients. On multinomial logistic regression, HBsAg level decline from baseline at week 4 and week 12 or any time subsequently did not correlate with HBeAg seroconversion and HBV DNA level decline from baseline at week 4 and week 12 (OR = 3.704; 95% CI = 1.511-9.076; P = 0.006 and OR = 1.732; 95% CI = 1.032-2.867; P = 0.037, respectively) was significantly predictive of seroconversion. A small proportion of chronic HBV-infected patients treated with tenofovir exhibit a significant (≥ 1.0 log) decline in HBsAg levels. Early decline in HBsAg levels at week 4 was predictive of subsequent and significant HBsAg level decline. The HBsAg decline did not correlate with HBeAg seroconversion in HBeAg-positive patients. Reduction in HBV DNA levels at week 4 and 12 correlated with seroconversion.

Comparative analysis of DNA polymorphisms and phylogenetic relationships among Syzygium cumini Skeels based on phenotypic characters and RAPD technique

The Indian black berry (Syzygium cumini Skeels) has a great nutraceutical and medicinal properties. As in other fruit crops, the fruit characteristics are important attributes for differentiation were also determined for different accessions of S. cumini. The fruit weight, length, breadth, length: breadth ratio, pulp weight, pulp content, seed weight and pulp: seed ratio significantly varied in different accessions. Molecular characterization was carried out using PCR based RAPD technique. Out of 80 RAPD primers, only 18 primers produced stable polymorphisms that were used to examine the phylogenetic relationship. A sum of 207 loci were generated out of which 201 loci found polymorphic. The average genetic dissimilarity was 97 per cent among jamun accessions. The phylogenetic relationship was also determined by principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) that explained 46.95 per cent cumulative variance. The two-dimensional PCoA analysis showed grouping of the different accessions that were plotted into four sub-plots, representing clustering of accessions. The UPGMA (r = 0.967) and NJ (r = 0.987) dendrogram constructed based on the dissimilarity matrix revealed a good degree of fit with the cophenetic correlation value. The dendrogram grouped the accessions into three main clusters according to their eco-geographical regions which given useful insight into their phylogenetic relationships.

A cadaveric study of anatomical variations of fissures and lobes of lung

Background and aim: The anatomical variations of fissures and lobes of lungs have been described by many research workers on CT scans, whereas, there were fewer studies done on gross anatomical specimens. Materials and methods: In the present study, 30 embalmed cadavers have been dissected and lungs were examined for fissures and lobes. Results: Nine out of 30 left lungs showed incomplete oblique fissures. Eight out of 30 right lungs showed incomplete transverse fissure but oblique fissure was complete, and in two right lungs, incomplete oblique and transverse fissures were found. In one cadaver one accessory lobe and one accessory fissure was present, on right side. Comparative analysis of present work with data in literature suggest that different studies performed on radiological images reported greater prevalence of incomplete or absence of pulmonary fissures as compared to present cadaveric study. Therefore our findings with regard to fissures and lobes are different from many studies but are approximately similar to two. Conclusion: Variation of lung anatomy is important for cardio-thoracic surgeons, radiologists for interpreting x-rays, CT scans and MRI and also it is of academic interest to all medical persons.

Land use impact on soil quality in eastern Himalayan region of India

Quantitative assessment of soil quality is required to determine the sustainability of land uses in terms of environmental quality and plant productivity. Our objective was to identify the most appropriate soil quality indicators and to evaluate the impact of six most prevalent land use types (natural forestland, cultivated lowland, cultivated upland terrace, shifting cultivation, plantation land, and grassland) on soil quality in eastern Himalayan region of India. We collected 120 soil samples (20 cm depth) and analyzed them for 29 physical, chemical, and biological soil attributes. For selection of soil quality indicators, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the measured attributes, which provided four principal components (PC) with eigenvalues >1 and explaining at least 5% of the variance in dataset. The four PCs together explained 92.6% of the total variance. Based on rotated factor loadings of soil attributes, selected indicators were: soil organic carbon (SOC) from PC-1, exchangeable Al from PC-2, silt content from PC-3, and available P and Mn from PC-4. Indicators were transformed into scores (linear scoring method) and soil quality index (SQI) was determined, on a scale of 0-1, using the weighting factors obtained from PCA. SQI rating was the highest for the least-disturbed sites, i.e., natural forestland (0.93) and grassland (0.87), and the lowest for the most intensively cultivated site, i.e., cultivated upland terrace (0.44). Ratings for the other land uses were shifting cultivation (0.60) > cultivated low land (0.57) > plantation land (0.54). Overall contribution (in percent) of the indicators in determination of SQI was in the order: SOC (58%) > exch. Al (17.1%) > available P (8.9%) > available Mn (8.2%) > silt content (7.8%). Results of this study suggest SOC and exch. Al as the two most powerful indicators of soil quality in study area. Thus, organic C and soil acidity management holds the key to improve soil quality under many exploitatively cultivated land use systems in eastern Himalayan region of India.

A New Begomovirus Species in Association with Betasatellite Causing Tomato Leaf Curl Disease in Gandhinagar, India

In December 2012, tomato leaf curl disease (ToLCD) (2) was observed in tomato-growing areas of Gandhinagar District of Gujarat, a state in northwestern India. Incidence of ToLCD was estimated to be between 40 and 70% depending on the cultivars used. Infected plants exhibited symptoms consisting of leaf rolling, leaf curling, and yellowing typical of begomoviruses. Total DNA was isolated from a single affected tomato plant (2). Begomovirus infection in this sample was established by amplification of the expected-size 550-bp DNA fragment from this extract by PCR with degenerate DNA-A primers (3). Rolling circle amplification (RCA) using ϕ29 DNA polymerase was carried out on the total DNA, followed by digestion with Bam HI. An amplicon of ~2.8 kb was gel-eluted and cloned into Bam HI linearized pBluescript II KS(+). Restriction enzyme digestion of plasmid DNA from the resulting clones indicated the presence of one type of molecule. Using PCR and universal betasatellite primers, the expected 1.3-kb fragment was amplified from the DNA extract (1). An amplicon of ~1.3 kb was gel-eluted and cloned into pTZ57RT vector. Sequence analysis revealed that DNA-A (GenBank Accession No. KC952005) is composed of 2,753 nt and showed the highest identity (87.8%) with Tomato leaf curl Kerala virus[India:Kerala:2008] (GenBank Accession No. EU910141). An analysis for recombination showed this begomovirus DNA likely to have originated by recombination between Tomato leaf curl Kerala virus and Tomato leaf curl Karnataka virus. The satellite DNA-β (GenBank Accession No. KC952006) is composed of 1,365 nt and showed the highest identity (75.6%) with Tomato leaf curl betasatellite[India:Ludhiana:2004] (ToLCB-[IN:Lud:04]) (GenBank Accession No. AY765255). On the basis of DNA-A sequence analysis, the ICTV species demarcation criteria of 89% DNA-A sequence identity, and genome organization, the present isolate was considered as a new begomovirus species and named Tomato leaf curl Gandhinagar virus (ToLCGNV). The betasatellite shares less than 78% identity with (ToLCB-[IN:Lud:04]), it is considered a new species of betasatellite and the name, Tomato leaf curl Gandhinagar betasatellite (ToLCGNB) is proposed. Multimeric clones of the begomovirus and betasatellite DNAs were generated in a binary vector and these plasmids transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Nicotiana benthamiana and tomato plants agroinoculated with the cloned begomovirus DNA developed leaf curl symptoms, whereas plants co-agroinoculated with the cloned begomovirus and betasatellites developed more severe symptoms, including leaf rolling, leaf curling, and yellowing. The symptoms induced by the begomovirus and betasatellite DNAs were indistinguishable from those observed in the field. Thus, ToLCGNV is a new monopartite begomovirus which, in association with a new species of betasatellite, causes ToLCD in Gandhinagar, India. The presence of ToLCGNV needs to be considered, along with the already reported begomoviruses infecting tomatoes in this state, e.g., Tomato leaf curl Gujarat virus (2), in studies aimed to developing tomato cultivars with stable resistance to these tomato-infecting begomoviruses in India. References: (1) R. W. Briddon et al. Mol. Biotechnol. 20:315, 2002. (2) C. Reddy et al. Arch Virol. 150:845, 2005. (3) S. D. Wyatt and J. K. Brown. Phytopathology 86:1288, 1996.

Use of GenoType® MTBDRplus assay to assess drug resistance and mutation patterns of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis isolates in northern India

PURPOSE

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major public health problem. The diagnosis of MDR-TB is of paramount importance in establishing appropriate clinical management and infection control measures. The aim of this study was to evaluate drug resistance and mutational patterns in clinical isolates MDR-TB by GenoType® MTBDRplus assay.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 350 non-repeated sputum specimens were collected from highly suspected drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases; which were processed by microscopy, culture, differentiation and first line drug susceptibility testing (DST) using BacT/ALERT 3D system.

RESULTS

Among a total of 125 mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains, readable results were obtained from 120 (96%) strains by GenoType® MTBDRplus assay. Only 45 MDR-TB isolates were analysed for the performance, frequency and mutational patterns by GenoType® MTBDRplus assay. The sensitivity of the GenoType® MDRTBplus assay for detecting individual resistance to rifampicin (RIF), isoniazid (INH) and multidrug resistance was found to be 95.8%, 96.3% and 97.7%, respectively. Mutation in codon S531L of the rpoB gene and codon S315T1 of katG genes were dominated in MDR-TB strains, respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The GenoType® MTBDRplus assay is highly sensitive with short turnaround times and a rapid test for the detection of the most common mutations conferring resistance in MDR-TB strains that can readily be included in a routine laboratory workflow.

Hair: an unusual foreign body in airways presenting with haemoptysis in an adult patient

Haemoptysis is defined as expectoration of blood originating from the lungs or tracheo-bronchial tree. It is attributed to various causes like tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, mycetoma, foreign bodies etc. Various types of foreign bodies have been reported in the literature. We report the case of an adult female patient who presented with an episode of haemoptysis (150 mL) in whom flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopy revealed a single long hair at the carina going to left main bronchus. Following successful removal of this hair there were no further episodes of haemoptysis and the patient manifested clinical and radiological improvement.

IL-23R+ innate lymphoid cells induce colitis via interleukin-22-dependent mechanism

Polymorphisms of interleukin (IL)-23R and signaling components are associated with several autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Similar to T helper type 17 (Th17) lineage, type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) express retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (Rorγt) and IL-23R and hence, produce Th17-type cytokines. Recent reports implicated type 3 ILCs in IBD; however, how IL-23R signaling in these cells contributes to pathogenesis is unknown. IL-22, produced in copious amounts by type 3 ILCs, was reported to have both beneficial and pathogenic effects in adaptive, yet only a protective role in innate colitis models. Herein, by employing chronic CD45RB(high) CD4(+) T-cell transfer and anti-CD40 antibody-induced acute innate colitis models in Rag1(-/-) mice, we demonstrated opposite roles for IL-23R in colitogenesis: in the former a protective, and in the latter a pathogenic role. Furthermore, we show that IL-23R signaling promotes innate colitis via IL-22 as neutralization of IL-22 protected mice from colitis and adding back of IL-22 to IL-23R-deficient animals restored the disease. Collectively, our results reveal that similar to its controversial role during chronic or adaptive colitis, IL-22 may also have opposite roles in innate colitis pathogenesis in a context and insult-dependent manner.

A novel flavonoid C-glucoside from Ulmus wallichiana preserves bone mineral density, microarchitecture and biomechanical properties in the presence of glucocorticoid by promoting osteoblast survival: a comparative study with human parathyroid hormone

PURPOSE

6-C-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S,3S)-(+)-5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxydihydroflavonol (GTDF) is a novel compound isolated from Ulmus wallichiana, reported to have bone anabolic action in ovariectomized rats. Here, we studied the effect of GTDF in glucocorticoid (GC)-induced bone loss and its mode of action.

METHODS

Osteoblasts were cultured from rat calvaria or bone marrow to study apoptosis and differentiation by dexamethasone (Dex), methylprednisolone (MP), GTDF, quercetin and rutin. Female Sprague Dawley rats were treated with Dex or MP with or without GTDF or PTH. Efficacy was evaluated by bone microarchitecture using microcomputed tomography, determination of new bone formation by fluorescent labeling of bone and osteoblast apoptosis by co-labeling bone sections with Runx-2 and TUNEL. Serum osteocalcin was determined by ELISA.

RESULTS

GTDF preserved trabecular and cortical bones in the presence of Dex and MP and mitigated the MP-mediated suppression of serum osteocalcin. Co-administration of GTDF to MP rats increased mineral apposition, bone formation rates, bone biomechanical strength, reduced osteoblast apoptosis and increased osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells compared to MP group, suggesting in vivo osteogenic effect of GTDF. These effects of GTDF were to a great extent comparable to PTH. GTDF prevented GC-induced osteoblast apoptosis by inhibiting p53 expression and acetylation, and activation of AKT but did not influence transactivation of GC receptor (GR).

CONCLUSIONS

GTDF protects against GC-induced bone loss by promoting osteoblast survival through p53 inhibition and activation of AKT pathways but not as a GR antagonist. GTDF has the potential in the management of GC-induced osteopenia.

Labile and stabilised fractions of soil organic carbon in some intensively cultivated alluvial soils

The present investigation was undertaken in view of the limited information on the relative proportion of labile and stabilized fractions of soil organic carbon (SOC) in intensively cultivated lands, particularly under tropics. The specific objectives were i) to study the comparative recovery of SOC by different methods of labile carbon estimation under intensively cultivated lands and ii) to evaluate the impact of agricultural practices on carbon management index. For this purpose, in all, 105 surface soil samples were collected from intensively cultivated tube well and sewage irrigated agricultural lands. These samples were analysed for total as well as labile pools of SOC. Results indicated that Walkley and Black, KMnO4-oxidizable and microbial biomass carbon constituted the total SOC to the extent of 10.2 to 47.4, 1.66 to 23.2 and 0.30 to 5.49%, respectively with the corresponding mean values of 26.2, 9.16 and 2.15%. Lability of SOC was considerably higher in sewage irrigated soils than tube well irrigated soils under intensive cropping. Under soybean-wheat, the higher values of carbon management index (CMI) (279 and 286) were associated with the treatments where entire amount of nitrogen was supplied through FYM. Similar results were obtained under rice-wheat, whereas in case of maize-wheat the highest value of CMI was recorded under treatment receiving NPK through chemical fertilizer along with green manure. There was also a significant improvement in CMI under integrated (chemical fertilizer + organics) and chemical fertilizer-treated plots. The values of CMI ranged from 220 to 272 under cultivated lands receiving irrigation through sewage and industrial effluents.

A Distinct Strain of Tomato leaf curl Sudan virus Causes Tomato Leaf Curl Disease in Oman

Tomato leaf curl disease (ToLCD) is a significant constraint for tomato production in the Sultanate of Oman. The disease in the north of the country has previously been shown to be caused by the monopartite begomoviruses (family Geminiviridae) Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and Tomato leaf curl Oman virus. Many tomato plants infected with these two viruses were also found to harbor a symptom enhancing betasatellite. Here an analysis of a virus isolated from tomato exhibiting ToLCD symptoms originating from south and central Oman is reported. Three clones of a monopartite begomovirus were obtained. One of the clones was shown to be infectious to tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana and to induce symptoms typical of ToLCD. Analysis of the cloned sequences show them to correspond to isolates of Tomato leaf curl Sudan virus (ToLCSDV), a virus that occurs in Sudan and Yemen. However, the sequences showed less than 93% nucleotide sequence identity to previously characterized ToLCSDV isolates, indicating that the viruses represent a distinct strain of the species, for which we propose the name "Oman" strain (ToLCSDV-OM). Closer analysis of the sequences showed them to differ from their closest relative, the "Tobacco" strain of ToLCSDV originating from Yemen, in three regions of the genome. This suggests that the divergence of the "Oman" and "Tobacco" strains has occurred due to recombination. Surprisingly, ToLCSDV-OM was not found to be associated with a betasatellite, even though the isolates of the other ToLCSDV strains have been shown to be. The significance of these findings and the possible reasons for the distinct geographic distributions of the tomato-infecting begomoviruses within Oman are discussed.

Genome-wide analysis of the heat stress response in Zebu (Sahiwal) cattle

Environmental-induced hyperthermia compromises animal production with drastic economic consequences to global animal agriculture and jeopardizes animal welfare. Heat stress is a major stressor that occurs as a result of an imbalance between heat production within the body and its dissipation and it affects animals at cellular, molecular and ecological levels. The molecular mechanism underlying the physiology of heat stress in the cattle remains undefined. The present study sought to evaluate mRNA expression profiles in the cattle blood in response to heat stress. In this study we report the genes that were differentially expressed in response to heat stress using global scale genome expression technology (Microarray). Four Sahiwal heifers were exposed to 42°C with 90% humidity for 4h followed by normothermia. Gene expression changes include activation of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), increased expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) and decreased expression and synthesis of other proteins, immune system activation via extracellular secretion of HSP. A cDNA microarray analysis found 140 transcripts to be up-regulated and 77 down-regulated in the cattle blood after heat treatment (P<0.05). But still a comprehensive explanation for the direction of fold change and the specific genes involved in response to acute heat stress still remains to be explored. These findings may provide insights into the underlying mechanism of physiology of heat stress in cattle. Understanding the biology and mechanisms of heat stress is critical to developing approaches to ameliorate current production issues for improving animal performance and agriculture economics.