Influence of stocking density and environmental factors on the expression of insulin-like growth factors in cage-reared butter catfish (Ompok bimaculatus, Bloch 1794) within a large reservoir ecosystem

In vertebrates, insulin-like growth like factors (IGFs) play an important role in growth and other physiological processes. The GH-IGF axis is considered a valuable tool to monitor fish growth performance. Herein, we report the molecular characterization of igf-1, igf-2, and β-actin transcripts and relative expression of igf-1 and igf-2 in the liver and muscle tissue of cage-reared butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus, in response to different stocking densities (T1, 15 fingerlings m-3; T2, 25 fingerlings m-3; and T3, 35 fingerlings m-3) over 180 days of culture duration. The length of the partial amplified transcript sequence of Obigf-1, Obigf-2, and Obβ-actin was 325, 438, and 924 bp, respectively. Phylogenetically, Obigf-1 and Obigf-2 were closely clustered with catfishes, viz., Clarias magur, Bagarius yarrelli, and Silurus asotus. The expression of igf-1 was significantly downregulated in the liver at higher densities after 120 days as biomass in the cages increased, while igf-2 expression did not change with the stocking densities over the culture period. Cortisol concentration was significantly elevated in T3 groups post 150 days of the culture period and correlated negatively with the expression of igf-1 (p < 0.05) and igf-2 (p > 0.05). Environmental parameters, pH, TDS, hardness, conductivity, and alkalinity showed a significant positive correlation with hepatic IGF expression. Our study indicates that the liver-derived igf-1 plays a more important role in the regulation of growth in response to culture density in the species studied, and thus, igf-1 can be used effectively as a biomarker for growth. Furthermore, this study will help in planning a proper harvest schedule and optimize the culture practices of O. bimaculatus in an open water cage system.

Exploring the diversity of virulence genes in the Magnaporthe population infecting millets and rice in India

Blast pathogen, Magnaporthe spp., that infects ancient millet crops such pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and rice was isolated from different locations of blast hotspots in India using single spore isolation technique and 136 pure isolates were established. Numerous growth characteristics were captured via morphogenesis analysis. Among the 10 investigated virulent genes, we could amplify MPS1 (TTK Protein Kinase) and Mlc (Myosin Regulatory Light Chain edc4) in majority of tested isolates, regardless of the crop and region where they were collected, indicating that these may be crucial for their virulence. Additionally, among the four avirulence (Avr) genes studied, Avr-Pizt had the highest frequency of occurrence, followed by Avr-Pia. It is noteworthy to mention that Avr-Pik was present in the least number of isolates (9) and was completely absent from the blast isolates from finger millet, foxtail millet, and barnyard millet. A comparison at the molecular level between virulent and avirulent isolates indicated observably large variation both across (44%) and within (56%) them. The 136 Magnaporthe spp isolates were divided into four groups using molecular markers. Regardless of their geographic distribution, host plants, or tissues affected, the data indicate that the prevalence of numerous pathotypes and virulence factors at the field level, which may lead to a high degree of pathogenic variation. This research could be used for the strategic deployment of resistant genes to develop blast disease-resistant cultivars in rice, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, and barnyard millet.

Exposure to different temperature regimes at early life stages affects hatching, developmental morphology, larval growth, and muscle cellularity in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

In this study, the effects of temperature on hatching, yolk-sac absorption, larval metamorphosis, post-metamorphic growth, developmental morphology, and muscle cellularity were assessed in rainbow trout, during its early development (until 52 days post-hatching, dph). From the eyed-ova stage, embryos were exposed to either low (8 ± 1 °C, LT-8) or high (16 ± 1 °C, HT-16) temperatures until hatching. Following hatching, half of the sac-fry from LT-8 group were shifted to higher temperature (16 ± 1 °C, LHT-16), and half from HT-16 group were shifted to medium temperature (13 ± 1 °C, HMT-13), for larval rearing. Incubating the eyed-ova at 16 °C preceded the hatching by 6 days, synchronized hatching duration, and minimized hatchlings' size-variation. However, it yielded smaller and morphologically less developed individuals compared to those incubated continuously at 8 ± 1 °C. Post-hatch shifting of sac-fry to high and medium temperatures, respectively, from the initial low and high regimes differentially affected the length and weight of fish. The effect on length was immediate and temporary, but on weight, it appeared to be permanent. Red muscle hypertrophy was observed to be high in HT-16 and HMT-13 individuals (high-temperature incubated groups). White muscle hypertrophy was high in HT-16 and LHT-16 individuals (high post-hatch rearing temperature groups). The effect of early-life temperature regimes on developmental morphology was found to be strong at 22 dph (82.5%) and comparatively weak at 52 dph (65%). The post-hatch rearing temperature caused an immediate but temporary effect on fin development, mainly pectoral, caudal, and anal fin (seen only at 22 dph, not at 52 dph). Contrarily, incubation temperature affected fin position, in a delayed but persistent manner (subtle at 22 dph, but stronger at 52 dph). Overall, this study provides new insights on temperature-dependent changes in developmental morphology, muscle cellularity, and larval growth in rainbow trout and shows that incubation temperature affects ontogeny profoundly than post-hatch thermal regimes.

Impact of climate change on river water temperature and dissolved oxygen: Indian riverine thermal regimes

The impact of climate change on the oxygen saturation content of the world’s surface waters is a significant topic for future water quality in a warming environment. While increasing river water temperatures (RWTs) with climate change signals have been the subject of several recent research, how climate change affects Dissolved Oxygen (DO) saturation levels have not been intensively studied. This study examined the direct effect of rising RWTs on saturated DO concentrations. For this, a hybrid deep learning model using Long Short-Term Memory integrated with k-nearest neighbor bootstrap resampling algorithm is developed for RWT prediction addressing sparse spatiotemporal RWT data for seven major polluted river catchments of India at a monthly scale. The summer RWT increase for Tunga-Bhadra, Sabarmati, Musi, Ganga, and Narmada basins are predicted as 3.1, 3.8, 5.8, 7.3, 7.8 °C, respectively, for 2071–2100 with ensemble of NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections of air temperature with Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario. The RWT increases up to7 °C for summer, reaching close to 35 °C, and decreases DO saturation capacity by 2–12% for 2071–2100. Overall, for every 1 °C RWT increase, there will be about 2.3% decrease in DO saturation level concentrations over Indian catchments under climate signals.

Integrating bio medical sensors in detecting hidden signatures of COVID-19 with Artificial intelligence

Today COVID-19 pandemic articulates high stress on clinical resources around the world. At present, physical and viral tests are slowly emerging, and there is a need for robust pandemic detection that biomedical sensors can aid. The utility of biomedical sensors is correlated with the medical instruments with physiological metrics. These Biomedical sensors are integrated with the systematic device to track the target analytes with a biomedical component. The COVID-19 patients' samples are collected, and biomarkers are detected using four sensors: blood pressure sensor, G-FET based biosensor, electrochemical sensor, and potentiometric sensor with different quantifiable measures. The imputed data is then profiled with chest X-ray images from the Covid-19 patients.Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), an AI model, is deployed to identify the hidden signatures with biomarkers. The performance of the biosensor is measured with three parameters such as sensitivity, specificity and detection limit by generating the calibration plots that accurately fits the model.

Concurrent changes in thermal tolerance thresholds and cellular heat stress response reveals novel molecular signatures and markers of high temperature acclimation in rainbow trout

The objective of this study was to better understand the molecular mechanisms which regulate acclimatory responses and thermal safety margins of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at temperatures above physiological optimum. For this, we investigated the time course of changes in critical thermal tolerance thresholds and associated hepatic and renal transcript abundance of molecular markers related to cellular stress response, during high temperature acclimation. The experimental fish were initially acclimated to 17 °C and later exposed to a gradually raised elevated temperature regime (22 °C) for a period of 30 days. CT_max, CT_min and mRNA expression of candidate markers were examined before the thermal challenge (T₀) and over the time-course (days) of high temperature exposure (T₁, T₃, T₇, T₁₅ and T₃₀). With respect to organismal response, CT_max was significantly elevated at T₃, but the degree of gain in heat tolerance was not persistent. Contrarily, we observed a gradual loss in cold tolerance with highest CT_min estimate at T₃₀. Based on the time-course of mRNA expression, the studied markers could be categorized into those which were persistently elevated (hsp70a, hsp70b, hspa5, hsp90a, hsp90b, stip1 and serpinh1 in kidney and hsp90b in liver); those which concurred with changes in CT_min (hspbp1, hsp90b, stip1, gr1, hif1a, hyou1, tnfa and tlr5 in kidney); and those which concurred with changes in CT_max (hsp90a, serpinh1, tlr5 and lmo2 in liver). Apparently, transcriptional changes in kidney and liver reflected CT_min and CT_max trend, respectively. Expression profile of stip1 and tlr5 suggest that they are potential novel markers which could reflect thermal limits in rainbow trout. Hepatic metabolic markers were either initially elevated (alt, glud, g6pase1) or down-regulated at different time-points (ast2, gls1, fas, cpt1b, mtor), linked to gluconeogenesis and metabolic depression, respectively. Whereas, growth-axis markers showed no significant differences. Overall, this time-course analysis has revealed potential associations in organismal and tissue-specific cellular response to high temperature acclimation in a thermally sensitive coldwater ectotherm.

Molecular characterization of non-specific immune genes of endangered golden mahseer (Tor putitora) and their expression during embryonic and larval development

The present study was undertaken to characterize and analyze the expression of non-specific immune genes to get an insight into the early immune status of endangered golden mahseer. In this study, the full-length mRNA sequence of IFNγ, TNFα, C3, and IL10 was 927, 1409, 5125 and 1177 bp with an ORF of 558, 765, 4938, and 540 bp, encoding a putative protein of 185, 254, 1645, and 179 amino acid residues, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of these genes shared highly conserved structures with those from other cyprinids. Ontogenic real-time qPCR results indicated that expression of IFNγ and TNFα was lower until the morula stage and increased from blastula stage and found maximum at the organogenesis stage. Expression of the C3 gene was lower until the gastrula stage, followed by a linear increase from organogenesis to the pre-metamorphosis stage. The expression of IL10 was significantly lower during early developmental stages (till gastrula stage) and reached maximum at organogenesis. The level of IL1β was found maximum in unfertilized eggs and remained elevated till the morula stage. TLR4 expression remained lower during the initial developmental stages and reached the maximum at the organogenesis stage. The expression level of defensin1 was substantially low until the organogenesis stage. In comparison, hepcidin1 was found considerably high until the blastula stage and remained significantly lower during later stages of development. Overall, the data generated improves knowledge on the immune status of endangered golden mahseer during embryonic and larval development, which may help develop effective immunomodulatory interventions during nursery rearing of golden mahseer to produce fry with better fitness.

Insulin-like growth factor signalling and its significance as a biomarker in fish and shellfish research

The insulin-like growth factor signalling system comprises insulin-like growth factors, insulin-like growth factor receptors and insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins. Along with the growth hormones, insulin-like growth factor signalling is very pivotal in the growth and development of all vertebrates. In fishes, insulin-like growth factors play an important role in osmoregulation, besides the neuroendocrine regulation of growth. Insulin-like growth factor concentration in plasma can assess the growth in fishes and shellfishes and therefore widely applied in nutritional research as an indicator to evaluate the performance of selected nutrients. The present review summarizes the role of insulin-like growth factor signalling in fishes and shellfishes, its significance in aquaculture and in evaluating growth, reproduction and development, and discusses the utility of this system as biomarkers for early indication of growth in aquaculture.

Genomic sequence analysis of lung infections using artificial intelligence technique

Attributable to the modernization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) procedures in healthcare services, various developments including Support Vector Machine (SVM), and profound learning. For example, Convolutional Neural systems (CNN) have prevalently engaged in a significant job of various classificational investigation in lung malignant growth, and different infections. In this paper, Parallel based SVM (P-SVM) and IoT has been utilized to examine the ideal order of lung infections caused by genomic sequence. The proposed method develops a new methodology to locate the ideal characterization of lung sicknesses and determine its growth in its early stages, to control the growth and prevent lung sickness. Further, in the investigation, the P-SVM calculation has been created for arranging high-dimensional distinctive lung ailment datasets. The data used in the assessment has been fetched from real-time data through cloud and IoT. The acquired outcome demonstrates that the developed P-SVM calculation has 83% higher accuracy and 88% precision in characterization with ideal informational collections when contrasted with other learning methods.

Dietary soy lecithin augments antioxidative defense and thermal tolerance but fails to modulate non-specific immune genes in endangered golden mahseer (Tor putitora) fry

A 70-day experiment was carried out to assess the effect of different levels (0, 1 and 2%) of soy lecithin in the diet on growth, survival, antioxidant defense markers, immune gene expression and thermal tolerance limits of golden mahseer, Tor putitora fry. Percentage weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR %) and survival of mahseer fed lecithin supplemented diets were not significantly different from those of the control group. Also, the mRNA expression levels of different immune related genes such as tnfα, il-1β, il-10, complement-3, interferon-gamma (ifnγ) and tlr4 were unaffected by dietary lecithin supplementation. Nevertheless, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly greater in the lecithin-fed groups than the control fish. The glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was exceptionally high in the 2% lecithin supplemented group compared to the rest two groups. This increase in antioxidant status with dietary lecithin supplementation, however, was not reflected in the whole body malonaldehyde (MDA) levels, as it did not vary significantly among the dietary groups. Importantly, dietary inclusion of soy lecithin significantly increased upper thermal tolerance limits as evidenced by higher CTmax and LTmax values. Likewise, golden mahseer fry fed with lecithin supplemented diets (both 1 and 2%) registered significantly lower critical and lethal thermal minimum (CTmin and LTmin) values than the control group, indicating higher cold tolerance capacity. Our results thus demonstrate that the dietary inclusion of soy lecithin could enhance the upper and lower thermal tolerance limits and antioxidant status of golden mahseer fry and failed to enhance immune related gene expression.

Study on embryonic and larval developmental stages of Sucker head Garra gotyla (Gray 1830; Teleostei; Cyprinidae)

Garra gotyla is an indigenous coldwater fish of the cyprinid family and has wide geographical distribution in India as well as in other countries of Asia and Africa. Induced breeding in G. gotyla was carried out successfully for the first time and an attempt has been made to document developmental stages chronologically from the first minute of fertilization, through all stages of embryonic development until the fifth day post hatching. This experiment was carried out at 22-24°C water temperature at the Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, India. During the breeding trial, the fertilization rate was observed as 70-75% and hatching rate was 85-90%. The mature fertilized ova were measured as 0.8-1.0 mm in diameter and the perivitelline membrane became thick soon after fertilization and formation of the germ pole. The periods taken for complete developmental stages were recorded; cleavage stage 111 min (min post fertilization (pf)), blastulation stage 580 min (pf), neurulation and segmentation 1250 min (pf) and hatching was completed after 1420 min. The sac fry was measured as 3 mm in length and took almost 3 days for complete absorption of the yolk content. The major structural and differential changes observed are in head, tail, fins, alimentary canal, rudiments of each organ and appearance of melanophore pigmentation in the whole body. The 5-day-old larvae were measured as 6 mm in length with almost every organ fully differentiated. The present study will be utilized for large-scale production of fingerlings for stock enhancement in rivers, lakes and possibilities of genetic improvement and manipulation at the embryonic stage.

Beneficial effects of phytochemicals in diabetic retinopathy: experimental and clinical evidence

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and a major preventable cause of blindness. Strict control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid profiles are the pivotal criteria to reduce the risk of developing DR. Although timely intervention with laser photocoagulation therapy could mitigate the progression of DR, it may not significantly improve visual acuity. Therefore, invasive surgical interventions such as vitrectomy are sometimes the only option to treat or manage advanced stages of DR. However, the risk of intra-ocular infections outweighs the benefits of the surgery. Newer therapies such as intraocular injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody and steroids serve as a viable option for the treatment of DR. However, several clinical studies that assessed the long-term efficacy and safety of this therapy have yielded inconclusive results. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop potent and safe drugs for the effective management of DR. In this review, we discuss various plant-derived small molecules (phytochemicals) that have been investigated for retinal cytoprotective effects in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Furthermore, we highlight the caveats on using phytochemicals for the management of DR.

Supernumerary teeth: an investigating tool in forensic crime investigation

BACKGROUND

Supernumerary tooth is an additional entity to the normal series and is seen in all the quadrants of the jaw. The prevalence rates of supernumerary teeth in the permanent dentition, reported in the literature, vary between 0.1% and 6.9%. The presence of supernumerary teeth may be part of developmental disorders. As supernumerary tooth is a rare condition, it can be used as identification tool for crime investigation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 30 volunteers with a supernumerary tooth were analyzed and casts were made after taking alginate impression. All the casts were coded and were given to five observers for correct identification of those volunteers with respective prepared cast.

RESULT

Personal identification and the cast identification of volunteers were done (cast of the volunteers). The matching identification is followed as below: Of five observers 1(st) observer able to detect 25 (83%), 2(nd) observer 27 (90%), 3(rd) observer 26 (87%), 4(th) observer 25 (83%) and 5(th) observer 28 (91%).

CONCLUSION

As positive matching identification was 87%, supernumerary tooth can be used for crime investigation and used as greatest weapon in criminal identification.

Strategies of Reducing the Toxicity of Sugar Mill Effluent by Using Biofertilizer Inoculants

The present investigation has been carried out on Tagetes erecta to search out the effect of sugar mill effluent on growth and yield. In-vivo conditions were set up for the experiment purpose. Pots were filled with soil and treated with different concentrations of sugar mill effluent i.e., 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100% on morphological parameters of test crop. Results of pot culture experiment showed that at 10 % concentrations of sugar mill effluent proved to better to the crops growth and thereafter the growth may reduce over control. In order to mitigate the effluent toxicity certain Biofertilizers inoculants were mixed to the soil along with the same effluent treatments. The study suggests that the Biofertilizers inoculants along with effluent irrigation proved to be better for plants growth.

Strategies of Reducing the Toxicity of Sugar Mill Effluent by Using Biofertilizer Inoculants

The present investigation has been carried out on Tagetes erecta to search out the effect of sugar mill effluent on growth and yield. In-vivo conditions were set up for the experiment purpose. Pots were filled with soil and treated with different concentrations of sugar mill effluent i.e., 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100% on morphological parameters of test crop. Results of pot culture experiment showed that at 10 % concentrations of sugar mill effluent proved to better to the crops growth and thereafter the growth may reduce over control. In order to mitigate the effluent toxicity certain Biofertilizers inoculants were mixed to the soil along with the same effluent treatments. The study suggests that the Biofertilizers inoculants along with effluent irrigation proved to be better for plants growth.

Allelopathic effect of <i>Azadirachta indica</i> L. on the germination of <i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i> L

The chemical compounds have been reported to be exuded by plants and their inhibitory effects of other plants. The research work was carried out to study the allelopathic effect of root, bark and leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica L. on the seed germination of Abelmoschus esculentus L. Germination studies were conducted in laboratory, the bhendi seeds treated with the root, bark and leaf extracts of Neem. On the seventh day the morphological parameters, photosynthetic pigment and biochemical contents were analysed. The result showed that the rate of germination of bhendi decreased in all Azadirachta indica L. extracts. The reduction in biochemical contents of bhendi was also noted. The highest rate of germination was observed in control (distilled water) treatment and the highest rate of inhibition was observed in root extract followed by bark and leaf extracts.

A comparative study to evaluate the effects of ligation methods on friction in sliding mechanics using 0.022" slot brackets in dry state: An In-vitro study

BACKGROUND

Friction between archwires and brackets is assuming greater importance for finishing with increased use of sliding mechanics in orthodontics as friction impedes the desired tooth movement. The following study is conducted to compare and evaluate the effect of ligation on friction in sliding mechanics using 0.022" slot bracket in dry condition.

MATERIALS & METHODS

In the study 48 combinations of brackets, archwires and different ligation techniques were tested in order to provide best combination that offers less friction during sliding mechanics. Instron- 4467 machine was used to evaluate static and kinetic friction force values and the results were subjected to Statistical Analysis and Anova test.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that 0.022" metal brackets, Stainless steel wires and Slick modules provided the optimum frictional resistance to sliding mechanics. It is observed that frictional forces of 0.019" x 0.025" were higher when compared with 0.016" x 0.022" Stainless steel archwire due to the increase in dimension. Self-ligating brackets offered least friction followed by mini twin, variable force, regular stainless steel, ceramic with metal insert bracket and ceramic brackets. The stainless steel ligature offered less resistance than slick and grey modules, and TMA wires recorded maximum friction.

CONCLUSION

The stainless steel archwire of 0.019" x 0.025" dimension are preferred during sliding mechanics, these archwires with variable force brackets ligated with Slick Modules offer decreased friction and is cost effective combination which can be utilized during sliding mechanics. How to cite the article: Vinay K, Venkatesh MJ, Nayak RS, Pasha A, Rajesh M, Kumar P. A comparative study to evaluate the effects of ligation methods on friction in sliding mechanics using 0.022" slot brackets in dry state: An In-vitro study. J Int Oral Health 2014;6(2):76-83.

Comparison of anchorage loss following initial leveling and aligning using ROTH and MBT Prescription - A clinical prospective study

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the amount and percentage of anchor loss after initial leveling and aligning using a ROTH and MBT prescription.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Pre and post alignment lateral cephalograms & dental casts of 10 ROTH & 10 MBT patients.

RESULTS

In the study, it was found that the amount of anchor loss is greater in the ROTH group than the MBT group. This could be due to the increased anterior tip in the ROTH prescription, compared to MBT. The total anterior tip in ROTH is 270 and in MBT is 200. The additional tip of 70 in ROTH prescription itself would have resulted in forward thrust of the anteriors.

CONCLUSION

The use of laceback and cinchbacks creates a statistically and clinically significant increase in the anchorage loss specifically when the posterior anchorage is not enhanced. In this study TPA was not used but studies have shown that passive TPA has almost no effect on the clinician's need to preserve anchorage in the correction of malocclusion. On the other hand, the TPA is an excellent way to prevent molar rotation and maintain the original vertical and transverse dimension when desired. How to cite the article: Rajesh M, Kishore MS, Shetty KS. Comparison of anchorage loss following initial leveling and aligning using ROTH and MBT Prescription - A clinical prospective study. J Int Oral Health 2014;6(2):16-21.

Long term stability and relapse following mandibular advancement and mandibular setback surgeries: a cephalometric study

BACKGROUND

The aim was to evaluate the long-term hard and soft tissue changes following mandibular advancement and setback surgeries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 16 subjects each were selected who underwent bilateral sagittal split osteotomy mandibular advancement and mandibular setback groups. Pre-surgical (T1), immediate post-surgical (T2) and long-term post-surgical (T3) cephalograms were compared for hard and soft tissue changes. After cephalometric measurements, the quantity of changes between T1-T2 and T1-T3 were determined for each patient. The mean difference between T1-T2 and T1-T3 was compared with assess the long-term changes and stability.

RESULTS

In mandibular advancement the mean difference between immediate post-surgical and long term post-surgical is 7%, which accounts for a relapse of 7%. In mandibular setback, the mean difference between immediate post-surgical and long-term post-surgical is 29%, which accounts for a relapse of 29%.

CONCLUSION

Mandibular advancement remained stable over the long period when compared to mandibular setback.

A comparison of hand wrist bone analysis with two different cervical vertebral analysis in measuring skeletal maturation

BACKGROUND

Skeletal maturation is an integral part of individual pattern of growth and development and is a continuous process. Peak growth velocity in standing height is the most valid representation of the rate of overall skeletal growth. Ossification changes of hand wrist and cervical vertebrae are the reliable indicators of growth status of individual. The objective of this study was to compare skeletal maturation as measured by hand wrist bone analysis and cervical vertebral analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hand wrist radiographs and lateral cephalograms of 72 subjects aged between 7 and 16 years both male and female from the patients visiting Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, R.V. Dental College and Hospital. The 9 stages were reduced to 5 stages to compare with cervical vertebral maturation stage by Baccetti et al. The Bjork, Grave and Brown stages were reduced to six intervals to compare with cervical vertebral maturational index (CVMI) staging by Hassel and Farman. These measurements were then compared with the hand wrist bone analysis, and the results were statistically analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the hand wrist analysis and the two different cervical vertebral analyses for assessing skeletal maturation. There was no significant difference between the two cervical vertebral analyses, but the CVMI method, which is visual method is less time consuming.

CONCLUSION

Vertebral analysis on a lateral cephalogram is as valid as the hand wrist bone analysis with the advantage of reducing the radiation exposure of growing subjects.

Biogenic silver nanoparticles for cancer treatment: an experimental report

A generation of nanoparticles research has discussed recently. It is mandatory to elaborate the applications of biogenic nanoparticles in general and anticancereous property in particular. The present study was aimed to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity effect of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells towards the development of anticancer agent. Biogenic AgNPs were achieved by employing Sesbania grandiflora leaf extract as a novel reducing agent. It was well characterized by FESEM, EDAX and spectral studies showed spherical shaped nanoparticles in the size of 22 nm in slightly agglomerated form. It was surprising that biogenic AgNPs showed cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cell lines were confirmed by MTT, AO-EB, Hochest and COMET assays. There was an immediate induction of cellular damage in terms of loss of cell membrane integrity, oxidative stress and apoptosis were found in the cell which treated with AgNPs. This may be a first report on anti-MCF-7 property of biogenic AgNPs in the fourth generation of nanoparticles research. It is necessary to study the formulation and clinical trials to establish the nano drug to treat cancer cells.

Rigor mortis in an unusual position: Forensic considerations

We report a case in which the dead body was found with rigor mortis in an unusual position. The dead body was lying on its back with limbs raised, defying gravity. Direction of the salivary stains on the face was also defying the gravity. We opined that the scene of occurrence of crime is unlikely to be the final place where the dead body was found. The clues were revealing a homicidal offence and an attempt to destroy the evidence. The forensic use of ‘rigor mortis in an unusual position’ is in furthering the investigations, and the scientific confirmation of two facts - the scene of death (occurrence) is different from the scene of disposal of dead body, and time gap between the two places.

Cannabinoid 1 receptor activation contributes to vascular inflammation and cell death in a mouse model of diabetic retinopathy and a human retinal cell line

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Recent studies have demonstrated that cannabinoid-1 (CB(1)) receptor blockade ameliorated inflammation, endothelial and/or cardiac dysfunction, and cell death in models of nephropathy, atherosclerosis and cardiomyopathy. However the role of CB(1) receptor signalling in diabetic retinopathy remains unexplored. Using genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of the CB(1) receptor with SR141716 (rimonabant) in a rodent model of diabetic retinopathy or in human primary retinal endothelial cells (HREC) exposed to high glucose, we explored the role of CB(1) receptors in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS

Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin in C57BL/6J Cb(1) (also known as Cnr1)(+/+) and Cb(1)(-/-) mice aged 8 to 12 weeks. Samples from mice retina or HREC were used to determine: (1) apoptosis; (2) activity of nuclear factor kappa B, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspase-3; (3) content of 3-nitrotyrosine and reactive oxygen species; and (4) activation of p38/Jun N-terminal kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).

RESULTS

Deletion of CB(1) receptor or treatment of diabetic mice with CB(1) receptor antagonist SR141716 prevented retinal cell death. Treatment of diabetic mice or HREC cells exposed to high glucose with SR141716 attenuated the oxidative and nitrative stress, and reduced levels of nuclear factor κB, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. In addition, SR141716 attenuated the diabetes- or high glucose-induced pro-apoptotic activation of MAPK and retinal vascular cell death.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Activation of CB(1) receptors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy by facilitating MAPK activation, oxidative stress and inflammatory signalling. Conversely, CB(1) receptor inhibition may be beneficial in the treatment of this devastating complication of diabetes.

CYP1A1m2 polymorphisms regulate estrogen and interleukin-6 in lung cancer

Lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and women, is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. Women are diagnosed to a greater extent than men with adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma, both of which are secretory-type tumors. Never smokers diagnosed with lung cancer are also predominantly female, demonstrating the association of genetic factors with lung carcinogenesis. Several epidemiologic studies have associates certain CYP1A1 genotypes, alone or in combination, with an increased risk of estrogen-related cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the CYP and GST polymorphisms along with estrogen and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels on the risk of lung cancer. Eighty-six lung cancer patients and 60 controls were included in the study. A significantly higher frequency of polymorphisms in the genes was observed in lung cancer patients compared to controls. Mean estradiol concentration was reduced and IL-6 levels were elevated in patients compared to controls. In conclusion, increased polymorphisms in metabolic genes may be the reason for the reduced estradiol and, thereby, the increased expression of IL-6 in the serum of lung cancer patients.

Fabrication and characterization of dye mixture doped polymer optical fiber as a broad wavelength optical amplifier

Rhodamine 6G and Rhodamine B dye mixture doped polymer optical fiber amplifier (POFA), which can operate in a broad wavelength region (60 nm), has been successfully fabricated and tested. Tunable operation of the amplifier over a broad wavelength region is achieved by mixing different ratios of the dyes. The dye doped POFA is pumped axially using 532 nm, 10 ns laser pulses from a frequency doubled Q-switched Nd: YAG laser and the signals are taken from an optical parametric oscillator. A maximum gain of 22.3 dB at 617 nm wavelength has been obtained for a 7 cm long dye mixture doped POFA. The effects of pump energy and length of the fiber on the performance of the fiber amplifier are also studied. There exists an optimum length for which the amplifier gain is at a maximum value.

Side illumination fluorescence emission characteristics from a dye doped polymer optical fiber under two-photon excitation

Two-photon excited (TPE) side illumination fluorescence studies in a Rh6G-RhB dye mixture doped polymer optical fiber (POF) and the effect of energy transfer on the attenuation coefficient is reported. The dye doped POF is pumped sideways using 800 nm, 70 fs laser pulses from a Ti:sapphire laser, and the TPE fluorescence emission is collected from the end of the fiber for different propagation distances. The fluorescence intensity of RhB doped POF is enhanced in the presence of Rh6G as a result of energy transfer from Rh6G to RhB. Because of the reabsorption and reemission process in dye molecules, an effective energy transfer is observed from the shorter wavelength part of the fluorescence spectrum to the longer wavelength part as the propagation distance is increased in dye doped POF. An energy transfer coefficient is found to be higher at shorter propagation distances compared to longer distances. A TPE fluorescence signal is used to characterize the optical attenuation coefficient in dye doped POF. The attenuation coefficient decreases at longer propagation distances due to the reabsorption and reemission process taking place within the dye doped fiber as the propagation distance is increased.

Eales' disease: oxidant stress and weak antioxidant defence

Eales' disease (ED) is an idiopathic retinal periphlebitis characterized by capillary non-perfusion and neovascularization. In addition to the existing system, a new staging system has been proposed by Saxena et al. Immunological, molecular biological and biochemical studies have indicated the role of human leucocyte antigen, retinal S antigen autoimmunity, Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome, free radical damage and possibly hyperhomocysteinemia in its etiopathogenesis, which appears multifactorial. Oxidant stress has been shown by increase in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (lipid oxidation) in the vitreous, erythrocytes, platelets and monocytes. A decrease in vitamins E and C both in active and healed vasculitis, superoxide dismutase, glutathione and glutathione peroxidase showed a weakened antioxidant defence. Epiretinal membrane from patients of ED who underwent surgery showed, by immunolocalization, presence of carboxy methyl lysine, an advanced glycation end product formed by glycoxidation and is involved in angiogenesis. OH. free radical accumulation in monocytes has been directly shown by electron spin resonance spectrometry. Free radical damage to DNA and of protein was shown by the accumulation of 8 hydroxy 2 deoxyguanosine (in leucocytes) and nitrotyrosine (in monocytes), respectively. Nitrosative stress was shown by increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in monocytes in which levels of iron and copper were increased while those of zinc decreased. A novel 88 kDa protein was found in serum and vitreous in inflammatory condition and had antioxidant function. Platelet fluidity was also affected. Oral, methotrexate in low dosage (12.5 mg/week for 12 weeks) as well as oral vitamin E (400 IU) and C (500 mg) daily for 8 weeks are reported to have beneficial effects.

Plasma homocysteine and total thiol content in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

Exudative age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is one of the debilitating ocular complications, which results in permanent blindness. Elevated homocysteine (Hcys) levels have been associated in the development of several vascular diseases. Vascular and oxidative stress theories have been implicated for the development of choroidal neovascularization in exudative ARMD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible role of plasma Hcys and thiol content (tSH) as a risk factor for the development of exudative ARMD.

METHOD

A total of 16 patients with exudative ARMD and 20 age-matched controls were recruited for the study. Plasma Hcys levels were analysed using Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Plasma glutathione (GSH) content was determined using o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) derivatization and subsequent detection by fluorimeter. Plasma tSH levels were determined by using thiol-specific reagent dithionitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) spectrophotometrically.

RESULTS

Plasma Hcys levels in exudative ARMD were elevated three-fold (18+/-5.0 microM) when compared to healthy controls (6.7+/-1.8 microM). There was a two-fold decrease in the GSH and tSH in exudative ARMD when compared with controls. Negative correlation was observed between diminished tSH and Hcys levels (r=-0.4837, P=0.05). Similarly plasma Hcys levels negatively correlated with GSH content (r=-0.6620, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Results from our present study revealed that there is an elevated Hcys level and diminished thiol pool content in exudative ARMD that are significant.

Propagation characteristics and wavelength tuning of amplified spontaneous emission from dye-doped polymer

The propagation characteristics of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) through a rhodamine 6 G-doped polymethyl methacrylate freestanding film waveguide were studied. This was done by shifting the excitation stripe horizontally along a transversely pumped waveguide. By this method, we could tune the ASE wavelength. The maximum tunability thus obtained was approximately 18 nm with a pump stripe length of 6 mm.

Comparative evaluation of TRI-DOT Rapid HIV test with fourth-generation ELISA for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus

This study evaluated the TRI-DOT Rapid HIV test for the early detection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in comparison with a fourth-generation ELISA (Vironostika HIV Uniform II). Of 23,609 sera, seven (0.03%) gave discordant results. Six of these were reactive only by the fourth-generation assay and were p24 antigen-positive by VIDAS DUO, Western blot and qualitative RT-PCR tests. The remaining discordant serum was considered to be false-positive by the TRI-DOT assay, as it was negative by repeat ELISA and Western blot tests. The sensitivity and specificity of the TRI-DOT test were 99.48% and 99.99%, respectively, compared with the fourth-generation ELISA.

Amino acids differentially regulate insulin receptor tyrosine kinase and phosphatidyl inositol-3-OH-kinase activities in human monocytes exposed to high glucose concentration

Chronic hyperglycemia and insulin resistance are the common factors involved in the development of vascular complications in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Since insulin signaling pathway has been shown to be regulated by nutritional supplements, in the present study, we investigated the possible effects of free amino acids, such as lysine, arginine and alanine and their mixture in modulating the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase (IRTK) and phosphatidyl inositol-3-OH-kinase (PI3K) activities and on the changes in actin dynamics in monocytes (MC), exposed to high glucose concentration (25 mM). IRTK and PI3K activities were markedly decreased in MC, incubated with 25 mM glucose. However, on treatment with amino acids, only lysine was effective in augmenting IRTK and PI3K activities in a dose-dependent manner. Arginine had marginal effect in promoting these activities. Equimolar mixture of amino acids showed marginal effect of augmenting only IRTK activity. Alanine had no effect. The F-actin filaments showed grossly diminished organization in the cells treated with 25 mM glucose alone, as assessed by specific binding to phalloidin-FITC, when compared with cells treated with 5 mM glucose. On the other hand, a significant improvement in the F-actin organization was observed in the cells co-incubated with 25 mM glucose and lysine. A possible molecular mechanism is the antiglycating effect of amino acids. The signal transduction starts with binding of ATP to lysine at position 1030 in the beta sub unit of the receptor. This lysine (1030) may be protected by the added lysine or to some extent arginine from glycation and loss of function. In summary, our findings suggest that the amino acids apart from their antiglycating property can also modulate/influence the activities of pivotal enzymes that are upstream in the insulin-mediated signal transduction pathway and bring down glucose.

Insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity in monocytes of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving oral L-lysine

The action of lysine as an antidiabetic agent was examined in human volunteers. Eight patients with type 2 DM were orally supplemented with L-lysine hydrochloride 1 g/day in two doses along with antidiabetic tablets (glyciphage or chlorformine), for a period of two months. Periodically their plasma fasting sugar and insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity was measured in their monocytes. Eight normal healthy volunteers served as controls for comparison of receptor tyrosine kinase activity. Insulin receptor tyrosine kinase was isolated from monocytes by immunoprecipitation and the activity was determined using exogenous substrate poly glu-tyr (4:1) and radioactive ATP. Phosphorylated peptide was separated by electrophoresis and quantified using a liquid scintillation system. The enzyme activity was significantly low (22074 +/- 1728 dpm/ml immunoprecipitate) in subjects with diabetes when compared to non-diabetic control group (50,775 +/- 3597). Lysine treatment enhanced the enzyme activity by 31% in patients with diabetes and decreased their blood sugar by 27%.

Purification and characterization of a novel 88 kDa protein from serum and vitreous of patients with Eales' disease

Eales' disease is a perivasculitis that affects the peripheral retina of young adults and results in recurrent vitreous hemorrhage. Although increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant defense have been reported to be associated with Eales' disease, the exact cause for the disease and its pathogenesis are not known. Here is reported the identification, purification and characterization of a new protein from the serum and vitreous of patients with Eales' disease. This protein was purified using preparative electrophoresis and HPLC. The purified protein had a retention time of 9.2 min in RP HPLC. Its molecular weight as determined by gel permeation chromatography was 88 kDa hence, it was termed as 88 kDa protein. Alcian blue and Schiffs staining revealed 88 kDa protein to be a glycoprotein. Proteins purified from both serum and vitreous exhibited anti lipid peroxidation effect on erythrocyte when added during in vitro assay of thiobarbuteric acid reactive substances (TBARS). In addition to this property the protein also has Fe(2+)sequestering effect. The anti TBARS activity of 88 kDa protein was completely inhibited by 0.1 m M concentration of parachlromercuric benzoate (PCMB) and 5,5' dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) DTNB. The total thiol content (cysteine) of the purified 88 kDa protein was found to be 8% by mass. Eighty eight kDa protein from both the sources namely vitreous and serum are immunologically identical when studied using polyclonal antibodies raised in goat against purified serum protein. The N terminal sequence of 88 kDa protein by automated Edman's degradation chemistry is A D D P N S L S P S A F A E A L A L L R D S X L A R F V. The protein and DNA data base search revealed no match to 88 kDa protein and hence this was considered as unique protein. Further knowledge on the in vivo function of 88 kDa protein is very important to understand its role in the pathogenesis of Eales' disease.

Beneficial role of amino acids in mitigating cytoskeletal actin glycation and improving F-actin content: in vitro

AIMS

The actin filaments present in circulating leukocytes facilitate their passage through microvenules and capillaries by helping in their deformability. Decreased deformability of granulocytes is now known to cause occlusion of the retinal microcapillaries leading to hypoxia and the subsequent development of diabetic retinopathy. Structural and functional loss of proteins, due to non-enzymatic glycation and glycoxidation, has been reported to cause diabetic pathogenesis. As amino acids have been earlier reported to have antidiabetic properties, the present study involves the investigation of the susceptibility of the cytoskeletal actin to glycation and its mitigation by free amino acids. This study also involves quantifying F-actin in cultured mononuclear cells obtained from diabetic and normal healthy volunteers and on the effect of glucose and free amino acids on F-actin content.

METHODS

Commercial non-muscle actin and actin immuno-pre-cipitated from granulocytes obtained from (a) normal healthy human volunteers and (b) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were subjected to glycation studies using [U] (14)C glucose. The effect of free amino acids, as antiglycating agents, was determined using various concentrations of lysine, arginine, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid. F-actin content in cultured mononuclear cells was estimated by flow cytometry using fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC)-Phalloidin.

RESULTS

Commercial actin at physiological conditions of pH and temperature was found to undergo non-enzymatic glycation. The extent of in vitro glycation was significantly low (P<0.001) in actin isolated from patients with type2 diabetes when compared to the non-diabetic group, suggesting an increased in vitro structural modification of actin in patients with diabetes. All the free amino acids tested were found to have varying degrees of antiglycating effect. The F-actin content in the intact mononuclear cells obtained from diabetic patients was found to be low when compared with normal healthy volunteers (P<0.001). Similarly the F-actin content was significantly low when the normal mononuclear cells were incubated with glucose. This effect was reversed upon the addition of free amino acids to the incubation mixture.

CONCLUSIONS

Free amino acids can play a positive role in improving leukocyte deformability by mitigating cytoskeletal actin glycation and improving F-actin content.