Investigations and control measures following a case of inhalation anthrax in East London in a drum maker and drummer, October 2008

We discuss the investigations and control measures undertaken following the notification of a fatal case of inhalation anthrax in East London. The patient is believed to have acquired the infection from making animal hide drums. Environmental investigations identified one drum and two pieces of animal skins contaminated with anthrax spores.

Antiinflammatory activity of a polyherbal formulation

The antiinflammatory activity of the polyherbal formulation Entox(®) was investigated in rats for acute and sub acute models of inflammation using carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and cotton pellet granuloma methods respectively at a dose of 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg administered orally. The formulation in doses of 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg showed 51.61% and 54.84% inhibition of paw edema, respectively at the end of 3 h. The percent inhibition of granuloma by cotton pellet method was 27.92% and 53.17%, respectively. The formulation showed a significant antiinflammatory activity in both the experimental models and the activity was comparable to that of the standard drug, indomethacin.

Gene therapy as a novel therapeutic option in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Stimulation of therapeutic angiogenesis using gene therapy is a novel intervention for peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Despite encouraging outcomes from animal studies and phase 1 trials, results from larger trials in this area have been conflicting. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in this field, to clarify the current situation.

METHODS

Medline, Embase, trial registries, the American Heart Association (AHA) abstract database and article reference lists were searched to identify randomised controlled trials of gene therapy for treatment of PVD. The outcomes were change in peak walking time and claudication onset time at 90 and 180 days post-treatment, and change in ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) at 90 days. Weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated for these outcomes.

RESULTS

Five eligible randomised clinical trials were identified, containing 508 patients. There were no significant differences between control and intervention groups for any outcomes, irrespective of whether low-dose or high-dose gene therapy was tried.

CONCLUSION

The available data suggests that gene therapy confers no benefit on patients with PVD. Closer examination of the individual trials shows that several have an excessive placebo response, which may go some way to explaining our result. Further research in this area in needed.

Dissecting the functional role of polyketide synthases in Dictyostelium discoideum: biosynthesis of the differentiation regulating factor 4-methyl-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol

Dictyostelium discoideum exhibits the largest repository of polyketide synthase (PKS) proteins of all known genomes. However, the functional relevance of these proteins in the biology of this organism remains largely obscure. On the basis of computational, biochemical, and gene expression studies, we propose that the multifunctional Dictyostelium PKS (DiPKS) protein DiPKS1 could be involved in the biosynthesis of the differentiation regulating factor 4-methyl-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol (MPBD). Our cell-free reconstitution studies of a novel acyl carrier protein Type III PKS didomain from DiPKS1 revealed a crucial role of protein-protein interactions in determining the final biosynthetic product. Whereas the Type III PKS domain by itself primarily produces acyl pyrones, the presence of the interacting acyl carrier protein domain modulates the catalytic activity to produce the alkyl resorcinol scaffold of MPBD. Furthermore, we have characterized an O-methyltransferase (OMT12) from Dictyostelium with the capability to modify this resorcinol ring to synthesize a variant of MPBD. We propose that such a modification in vivo could in fact provide subtle variations in biological function and specificity. In addition, we have performed systematic computational analysis of 45 multidomain PKSs, which revealed several unique features in DiPKS proteins. Our studies provide a new perspective in understanding mechanisms by which metabolic diversity could be generated by combining existing functional scaffolds.

Molecular characterization and sequence variability of betasatellites associated with leaf curl disease of kenaf (hibiscus cannabinus L.) from different geographical locations of India

Leaf curl disease of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) in India has been found to be associated with begomoviruses and betasatellites. Here, we report the molecular characterization and phylogenetic relationship of the nine isolates of betasatellites obtained from three geographical locations in India. The betasatellites coming from northern and eastern region of India shared 84.3% nucleotide sequence identity and formed two sub-clusters within the main cluster containing different isolates of Cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMB) isolated in Indian subcontinent. Betasatellites coming from the southern part of India were identified as the isolates of Tomato leaf curl Joydebpur betasatellite and shared 45.2 and 44.9% sequences identity with their counterparts coming from the eastern and northern India, respectively. The present study represents the first report about the association of the leaf curl disease of kenaf with the betasatellites infecting both malvaceous and non-malvaceous crops in India.

EDXRF analysis of municipal solid waste using 109Cd source

Elemental compositions of municipal solid waste (MSW) samples have been analyzed using the non-destructive energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique. The samples were collected from three different dumping sites of urban and suburban areas of the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The EDXRF spectrometer consisted of a (109)Cd radioactive source and a Si (Li) detector. To check the reliability of the system, NIST Standard Reference Material-1648 UPM had been analyzed and it was found that within the experimental errors, our results agree quite well with the certified and non-certified values. The elemental compositions of all the three MSW samples were subsequently estimated using the same procedure. The matrix effects were estimated following the emission-transmission method. It was observed that except Fe, all the elements from Ti to Pb show concentration levels higher by a factor of 2-7 than the ecological screening values where as in the case of Fe, this factor varies from 100 to 200.

A study on multivariable process control using message passing across embedded controllers

Multivariable process control forms an important part of modern day control. While hardwired controllers still constitute the basic component of such control systems, with reducing communication latencies, controllers on the network are being mooted as a viable alternative. These controllers promise a large number of advantages in terms of reduction in wiring and greater flexibility in implementing supervisory control systems. In this paper, a study is presented which shows that UDP (User Datagram Protocol) can actually be used for real-time multivariable process control. Latency reduction algorithms used in high performance message passing systems have been used.

Deregulation and cross talk among Sonic hedgehog, Wnt, Hox and Notch signaling in chronic myeloid leukemia progression

Deciphering the BCR-ABL-independent signaling exploited in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) progression is an important aspect in cancer stem-cell biology. CML stem-cell compartment is dynamic as it progresses to terminal blast crisis where myeloid and lymphoid blasts fail to differentiate. We demonstrate cross-regulation of signaling network involving Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Wnt, Notch and Hox for the inexorable blastic transformation of CD34(+) CML cells. Significant upregulation in Patched1, Frizzled2, Lef1, CyclinD1, p21 (P < or =0.0002) and downregulation of HoxA10 and HoxB4 (P< or =0.0001) transcripts in CD34(+) cells distinguish blast crisis from chronic CML. We report Shh-dependent Stat3 activation orchestrates these mutually interconnected signaling pathways. Stimulation of CD34(+) CML cells with either soluble Shh or Wnt3a did not activate Akt or p44/42-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Interestingly, unlike dominant negative Stat3beta, introduction of constitutive active Stat3 in CD34(+) CML cells induces cross-regulation in gene expression. Additionally, Shh and Wnt3a-dependent regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKI) in CML suggests their role in the network. Taken together, our findings propose that deregulation in the form of hyperactive Shh and Wnt with repressed Notch and Hox pathways involving Stat3, Gli3, beta-catenin, CyclinD1, Hes1, HoxA10 and p21 might act synergistically to form an important hub in CML progression.

Symbolic reachable set computation of piecewise affine hybrid automata and its application to biological modelling: Delta-Notch protein signalling

Hybrid automata are an eminently suitable modelling framework for biological protein regulatory networks, as the protein concentration dynamics inside each biological cell are modelled using linear differential equations; inputs activate or deactivate these continuous dynamics through discrete switches, which themselves are controlled by protein concentrations reaching given thresholds. This paper proposes an iterative refinement algorithm for computing discrete abstractions of a class of hybrid automata with piecewise affine continuous dynamics and forced discrete transitions, defined completely in terms of symbolic variables and parameters. Furthermore, these discrete abstractions are utilised to compute symbolic parametric backward reachable sets from the equilibria of the hybrid automata, that are guaranteed to be exact or conservative under-approximations. The algorithm is then implemented using MATLAB and QEPCAD, to compute reachable sets for the biologically observed equilibria of the multiple cell Delta-Notch protein signalling automaton with symbolic parameters. The results are analysed to show that novel, non-intuitive, and biologically interesting properties can be deduced from the reachability computation, thus demonstrating the utility of the algorithm.

Spread of cholera with newer clones of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor, serotype inaba, in India

During 2004 and 2005, cholera was recorded in 15 states of India, with 7 outbreaks. The newly emerged Vibrio cholerae O1 Inaba had a different antibiogram and ribotype, different pulsotypes, and different mutations in the wbeT gene. Due to the absence of serogroup O139, the Inaba serotype may have acquired the potential to affect the population at large.

Studies of the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in West Bengal, India, between 1985 and 2002

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is the major disease constraint on international trade in livestock and their products. In the state of West Bengal, India, 1,082 FMD outbreaks were reported in the 18 years from 1985 to 2002. Of the prevalent four serotypes, O type FMD virus accounted for the most outbreaks (67%), followed by Asia-1 virus type (15%) and A virus type (14%). Outbreaks of the type C FMD virus were least prevalent (4%), and no cases have been recorded since 1996. The study shows clearly that incidences were highest during the winter months and in the alluvial agro-climatic zones. The distribution and density of the FMD-susceptible population in different districts of the state also played major role in disease incidences. Due to the unrestricted movements of animals among different cattle markets, the disease was transmitted either by direct contact or by aerosols from infected to healthy animals. Cattle suffered most from the disease, accounting for about 95% of the cases. The monitoring of the disease documented in this study provides information about the endemicity of the disease that can help to formulate an effective strategy for an FMD control programme.

In vitro anti-resorptive activity and prevention of ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in female Sprague-Dawley rats by ormeloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator

Antiosteoporotic activity of ormeloxifene, a multifunctional SERM, using inhibition in parathyroid hormone (PTH) induced resorption of 45Ca from prelabeled chick and rat fetal limb bones in chase cultures and modulation of certain biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) in ovariectomized adult female rats, was investigated. Ormeloxifene concentration-dependently inhibited PTH-induced resorption of 45Ca from chick fetal femora with treated/control (T/C) ratio of 0.71, 0.32 and 0.20 at 50, 100 and 200 microM concentration, in comparison to 0.49, 0.53 and 0.95 in case of CDRI-85/287 (a pure antiestrogen), tamoxifen and ethynylestradiol (100 microM), respectively. Using rat fetal limb bones, ormeloxifene (100 microM) exhibited T/C ratio of 0.67, in comparison to 1.43 with PTH alone. Heat-killed bones exhibited negligible resorption (2.9%; T/C: 0.098) in response to PTH. In adult female rats, ormeloxifene (1.25 and 12.5 mg/kg per day) inhibited ovariectomy-induced increase in serum total and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin and urine calcium/creatinine ratio to almost intact control level. Ovariectomy was accompanied by marked decrease in bone mineral density of isolated femur and tibia, being maximum in femur neck (28.3%; P < 0.01) and midshaft (23.7%; P < 0.01), but only marginal (6.7%; P > 0.05) in region proximal to tibio-fibular separation point. Decrease in BMD based on T-/Z-score, too, was >2.5 S.D. than mean value of normal young adult/age-matched females. This was prevented by ormeloxifene and the effect, though apparently more in females supplemented with higher dose of ormeloxifene, was not always significantly different and clear dose-response was not evident until BMD data was evaluated on T-/Z-score basis. The analysis also demonstrated much higher threshold level of tibia than femur and more so for their mid-shafts. Increase in BMD of isolated bones was also observed in ormeloxifene-treated intact females, without significantly altering biochemical markers of bone turnover or uterine weight. Findings suggest potential of ormeloxifene in management of post-menopausal osteoporosis and beneficial effect on BMD in women taking this SERM for contraception or any hormone-related clinical disorder.