Co-circulation of Chikungunya and Dengue viruses in Dengue endemic region of New Delhi, India during 2016.

Co-circulation of Chikungunya and Dengue viral infections (CHIKV and DENV) have been reported mainly due to transmission by common Aedes vector. The purpose of the study was to identify and characterise the circulating strains of CHIKV and DENV in DENV endemic region of New Delhi during 2016. CHIKV and DENV were identified in the blood samples (n = 130) collected from suspected patients by RT-PCR. CHIKV was identified in 26 of 65 samples (40%). Similarly, DENV was detected in 48 of 120 samples (40%). Co-infection with both the viruses was identified in five (9%) of the samples. Interestingly, concurrent infection with DENV, CHIKV and Plasmodium vivax was detected in two samples. CHIKV strains (n = 11) belonged to the ECSA genotype whereas DENV-3 sequences (n = eight) clustered in Genotype III by phylogenetic analysis. Selection pressure of E1 protein of CHIKV and CprM protein of DENV-3 revealed purifying selection with four and two positive sites, respectively. Four amino acids of the CHIKV were positively selected and had high entropy suggesting probable variations. Co-circulation of both viruses in DENV endemic regions warrants effective monitoring of these emerging pathogens via comprehensive surveillance for implementation of effective control measures.

Quantifying and controlling the cation uptake upon hydrated ionic liquid-induced swelling of polyelectrolyte multilayers.

Controlling the uptake of specific ions in polyelectrolyte multilayers is of interest for various fields of application. Here, we quantify the amount of cation of an ionic liquid, namely 1,3-bis(cyanomethyl)imidazolium chloride, incorporated into polyelectrolyte multilayers upon contact with an ionic liquid solution. The ion partition equilibrium is determined depending on concentration in solution, employing attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy. Generating an excess charge in multilayers by post-preparative manipulation of their charge balance, one can control the incorporated amount. Three multilayer systems are assembled for this purpose, i.e., PSS/PDADMAC, PSS/PAH and PAA/PDADMAC, employing poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The charge balance of the latter two films is manipulated by an external pH stimulus generating an excess positive or negative internal charge, respectively. The concentration of cations in PEM amounts to 30% to 100% of the bulk concentration and scales as PAA/PDADMAC > PSS/PDADMAC > PSS/PAH. Thus, post-preparative pH treatment may be a future tool to create ion-conductive polymer gel films with a desired concentration of small cations.

Glutamate decarboxylase and GABA aminotransferase levels in different regions of rat brain on the onset of Leptazol induced convulsions.

The activities of Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) were studied in three regions of rat brain in heightened neuronal activity resulting in convulsions by Leptazol. These enzymes were studied in preconvulsive, convulsive and post convulsive phases. The activity of GAD decreases significantly in the preconvulsive phase in all the three regions of brain followed by a significant increase during the convulsive and post convulsive phase in cerebral cortex and cerebellum. The activity of GABA-T decreases maximal during the preconvulsive phase followed by convulsive phase. The activity of this enzyme tended to increase to control values when the postconvulsive phase was reached. Therefore, it is suggested that the concomitant decrease of GAD activity and GABA concentration, is probably an important factor in the onset of convulsions.

Mathematical modeling of unsteady flow with uniform/non-uniform temperature and magnetic intensity in a half-moon shaped domain.

The mathematical modeling of two-dimensional unsteady free convective flow and thermal transport inside a half-moon shaped domain charged in the presence of uniform/non-uniform temperature and magnetic effects with Brownian motion of the nanoparticles has been conducted. Thirty-two types of nanofluids in a combination of various nanoparticles and base fluids having different sizes, shapes, and solid concentrations of nanoparticles are chosen to examine the better performance of heat transfer. The circular boundary is cooled while the diameter boundary is heated with uniform/non-uniform temperature. An external uniform/non-uniform/periodic magnetic field is imposed along diameter. The powerful partial differential equations solver, finite element method of Galerkin type, has been engaged in numerical simulation. The numerical solution's heat transfer mechanism reaches a steady state from the unsteady situation within a very short dimensionless time of about 0.65. The thermal transport rate enhances for increasing buoyancy force whereas decreases with higher magnetic intensity. The uniform thermal condition along the diameter of half-moon gives a higher thermal transport rate compared to non-uniform heating conditions. The non-uniform magnetic field provides greater values of the mean Nusselt number than the uniform field. In addition, the outcomes also predict that a better rate of temperature transport for kerosene-based nanofluid than water-based, ethylene glycol-based, and engine oil-based nanofluid. The heat transfer rate is observed at about 67.86 and 23.78% using Co-Kerosene and Co-water nanofluids, respectively, with an additional 1% nanoparticles volume fraction. The blade shape nanoparticles provide a better heat transfer rate than spherical, cylindrical, brick, and platelet shapes. Small size nanoparticles confirm a higher value of average Nusselt number than big size. Mean Nusselt number increases 22.1 and 5.4% using 1% concentrated Cu-water and Cu-engine oil nanofluid, respectively than base fluid.

Detection of Pneumonia in chest X-ray images.

Pneumonia is the common type of infection found in the world. The infection spreads in the lungs area of a human body. The chest x-ray is performed to diagnose this infection. Physicians use this X-ray image to diagnose or monitor treatment for conditions of pneumonia. This type of chest X-ray is also used in the diagnosis of diseases like emphysema, lung cancer, line and tube placement and tuberculosis. Feature extraction methods like DWT, WFT, and WPT can also be used. In this paper, detection of pneumonia infection by unsupervised fuzzy c-means classification learning algorithm is used. This approach gives better result than the rest of the methods. In fuzzy c-means, each resultant pixel gives accurate value since it has a weight associated with it.

Efficiency of exogenous zinc sulfate application reduced fruit drop and improved antioxidant activity of 'Kinnow' mandarin fruit.

': Kinnow' mandarin (Citrus nobilis L.× Citrus deliciosa T.) is an important marketable fruit of the world. It is mainstay of citrus industry in Pakistan, having great export potential. But out of total production of the country only 10% of the produce meets the international quality standard for export. Pre-harvest fruit drop and poor fruit quality could be associated with various issues including the plant nutrition. Most of the farmers do not pay attention to the supply of micro nutrients which are already deficient in the soil. Furthermore, their mobility within plants is also a question. Zinc (Zn) is amongst those micronutrients which affect the quality and postharvest life of the fruit and its deficiency in Pakistani soils is already reported by many researchers. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the influence of pre-harvest applications of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4; 0, 0.4%, 0.6% or 0.8%) on pre-harvest fruit drop, yield and fruit quality of 'Kinnow' mandarin at harvest. The treatments were applied during the month of October i.e. 4 months prior to harvest. The applied Zn sprays had significant effect on yield and quality of the "Kinnow" fruit. Amongst different foliar applications of ZnSO4applied four months before harvest, 0.6% ZnSO4 significantly reduced pre-harvest fruit drop (10.08%) as compared to untreated control trees (46.45%). Similarly, the maximum number of fruits harvested per tree (627), fruit weight (192.9 g), juice percentage (42.2%), total soluble solids (9.5 °Brix), ascorbic acid content (35.5 mg 100 g-1) and sugar contents (17.4) were also found significantly higher with 0.6% ZnSO4 treatment as compared to rest of treatments and control. Foliar application of 0.6% ZnSO4 also significantly improved total antioxidants (TAO) and total phenolic contents (TPC) in fruit. In conclusion, foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.6%) four months prior to harvest reduced pre-harvest fruit drop, increase yield with improved quality of 'Kinnow' mandarin fruit.

Evaluation of bioherbicidal potential of Carica papaya leaves.

Due to increased number of herbicide resistant weeds, it is needed to explore the allelopathic potential of plants as an alternative. The research was conducted to investigate allelopathic effects of Carica papaya L. leaf powder and aqueous extract on seeds as well as pre-germinated seeds of Avena fatua L., Helianthus annuus L., Rumex dentatus L., Zea mays L. and Triticum aestivum L. on filter paper and soil in Weed Management Program Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection at PARC Institute of Advanced Studies in Agriculture, National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. Germination percentage (%), radicle length (cm) and plumule length (cm) were parameters observed for 'Plant leaf powder bioassay' and 'Aqueous extract method'. Most significant growth inhibition was observed in A. fatua seedlings in filter paper method. A. fatua radicle length was reduced by C. papaya aqueous extract (80%) and leaf powder (89%) bioassays. Plumule length was reduced under the influence of aqueous extract (57-73%) and powdered material (59-77%). The inhibitory effects on other test species were in sequence of H. annuus followed by Z. mays and R. dentatus. The aqueous extract showed non-significant effect on wheat seed germination, radicle and plumule growth. It is suggested that C. papaya aqueous extract can be used as source of weed management in wheat crop.

Safety and efficacy of autologous bone marrow stem cell transplantation through hepatic artery for the treatment of chronic liver failure: a preliminary study.

This study was performed to determine the safety and tolerability of injecting autologous bone marrow stem cells (BMC) (CD34+) into four patients with liver insufficiency. The study was based on the hypothesis that the CD34+ cell population in granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilized blood and autologous bone marrow contains a subpopulation of cells with the potential for regenerating damaged tissue. We separated the CD34+ stem cell population from the bone marrow. The potential of the BMC to differentiate into hepatocytes and other cell lineages has already been reported. Several reports have also demonstrated the plasticity of hematopoietic stem cells to differentiate into hepatocytes. Recently Sakaida demonstrated reduction in fibrosis in chemically induced liver cirrhosis following BMC transplantation. From a therapeutic point of view, chronic liver cirrhosis is one of the targets for BMC transplantation. In this condition, there is excessive deposition of extracellular matrix and hepatocyte necrosis. Encouraged by this evidence that the CD34+ cell population contains cells with the potential to form hepatocyte-like elements, four patients with liver insufficiency were given G-CSF to mobilize stem cells. CD34+ cells (0.1 x 10(8)) were injected into the hepatic artery. No complications or specific side effects related to the procedure were observed; four patients showed improvements in serum albumin, bilirubin and ALT after one month from the cell infusion.

Treatment of Crigler-Najjar Syndrome type 1 by hepatic progenitor cell transplantation: a simple procedure for management of hyperbilirubinemia.

Crigler-Najjar Syndrome (CNS) is characterized by mild, chronic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia resulting from an autosomal-recessive inherited deficiency of hepatic uridine/diphosphoglucuronate-glucuronosyl transferase 1Al since birth. Herein we have reported a confirmed case of CNS type 1 in a 2-year-old girl with an unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (>30 mg/dL) treated by hepatic progenitor cell infusion through the hepatic artery. No procedure-related complications were encountered. No kernicterus was observed. The total bilirubin started falling at 10 days after cell infusion. Two months after cell infusion the bilirubin fell from 29.0 to 16 mg/dL, with the conjugated bilirubin increasing approximately fivefold, the unconjugated bilirubin decreasing nearly twofold, and the SGPT also decreasing from 210 U/L to 64 U/L. This study demonstrated the efficacy of hepatic progenitor cells to manage hyperbilirubinemia in these patients. As the procedure is simple and the patient has tolerated the cell therapy, infusion can be repeated as required to manage hyperbilirubinemia, which often causes lethal kernicterus. This study was developed to assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of hepatic progenitor cell transplantation in a child with CNS type 1.

Management of hyperbilirubinemia in biliary atresia by hepatic progenitor cell transplantation through hepatic artery: a case report.

Cholangiodestruction of bile ducts leads to biliary atresia, a rare disease characterized by intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary inflammation. If the intrahepatic biliary tree is unaffected, surgical reconstruction by the Kasai procedure of hepatoportoenterostomy of the extra hepatic biliary tract is possible. Untreated, this condition leads to cirrhosis and death within the first year of the life. If the atresia is complete, liver transplantation is the only option. As a result of the shortage of donor livers, hepatocytes have been infused over the past two decades, providing proof of the concept that cell therapy can be effective for the treatment of liver diseases. In the present study, we report a confirmed case of a girl of 1 year of age with increased bilirubin of 28.5 mg/dL and pediatric end-stage liver disease score 20. Biochemical liver function tests showed cholestasis (elevated cholesterol and gamma-GTs) and increased ALT, total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin, and ALP. The patient was treated with hepatic progenitor cell infusion through the hepatic artery. The total bilirubin and conjugated bilirubin started decreasing during the first month after cell infusion. The level of total bilirubin maintained a threefold decrease after months of cell infusion. The conjugated bilirubin was 16.35 mg/dL before cell infusion, decreasing to eightfold after cell infusion. After 2 months of cell infusion, hepatobiliary scintigraphy showed increased liver cell function. This case demonstrated the efficacy and functionality of hepatic progenitor cells for the management of biliary atresia. Further, as there was a decrease in serum bilirubin, it showed that there was some percentage of the engraftment of the infused cells. As the procedure is simple and the patient has tolerated the infusion therapy, it might be repeated to manage biliary atresia.

Efficiency of exogenous zinc sulfate application reduced fruit drop and improved antioxidant activity of 'Kinnow' mandarin fruit / A eficiência da aplicação de sulfato de zinco exógeno reduziu a queda da fruta e melhorou a atividade antioxidante da tangerina 'Kinnow'

'Kinnow' mandarin (Citrus nobilis L.× Citrus deliciosa T.) is an important marketable fruit of the world. It is mainstay of citrus industry in Pakistan, having great export potential. But out of total production of the country only 10% of the produce meets the international quality standard for export. Pre-harvest fruit drop and poor fruit quality could be associated with various issues including the plant nutrition. Most of the farmers do not pay attention to the supply of micro nutrients which are already deficient in the soil. Furthermore, their mobility within plants is also a question. Zinc (Zn) is amongst those micronutrients which affect the quality and postharvest life of the fruit and its deficiency in Pakistani soils is already reported by many researchers. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the influence of pre-harvest applications of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4; 0, 0.4%, 0.6% or 0.8%) on pre-harvest fruit drop, yield and fruit quality of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin at harvest. The treatments were applied during the month of October i.e. 4 months prior to harvest. The applied Zn sprays had significant effect on yield and quality of the "Kinnow" fruit. Amongst different foliar applications of ZnSO4applied four months before harvest, 0.6% ZnSO4 significantly reduced pre-harvest fruit drop (10.08%) as compared to untreated control trees (46.45%). Similarly, the maximum number of fruits harvested per tree (627), fruit weight (192.9 g), juice percentage (42.2%), total soluble solids (9.5 °Brix), ascorbic acid content (35.5 mg 100 g-¹) and sugar contents (17.4) were also found significantly higher with 0.6% ZnSO4 treatment as compared to rest of treatments and control. Foliar application of 0.6% ZnSO4 also significantly improved total antioxidants (TAO) and total phenolic contents (TPC) in fruit. In conclusion, foliar [...].

A tangerina 'Kinnow' (Citrus nobilis L. × Citrus deliciosa T.) é uma importante fruta comercializável do mundo. É o esteio da indústria cítrica no Paquistão, com grande potencial de exportação. Mas, da produção total do país, apenas 10% da produção atendem o padrão internacional de qualidade para exportação. A queda da fruta antes da colheita e a baixa qualidade da fruta podem estar associadas a vários problemas, incluindo a nutrição da planta. A maioria dos agricultores não se preocupa com o fornecimento de micronutrientes que já são deficientes no solo. Além disso, sua mobilidade dentro das plantas também é uma questão. O zinco (Zn) está entre os micronutrientes que afetam a qualidade e a vida pós-colheita da fruta, e sua deficiência em solos paquistaneses já é relatada por diversos pesquisadores. Portanto, este estudo foi realizado para avaliar a influência da aplicação pré-colheita de sulfato de zinco (ZnSO4; 0, 0,4%, 0,6% ou 0,8%) na queda dos frutos na pré-colheita, produtividade e qualidade dos frutos da tangerina 'Kinnow' em colheita. Os tratamentos foram aplicados durante o mês de outubro, ou seja, 4 meses antes da colheita. As pulverizações de Zn aplicadas tiveram efeito significativo no rendimento e na qualidade da fruta 'Kinnow'. Entre as diferentes aplicações foliares de ZnSO4 efetuadas quatro meses antes da colheita, 0,6% de ZnSO4 reduziu significativamente a queda de frutos antes da colheita (10,08%) em comparação com as árvores de controle não tratadas (46,45%). Da mesma forma, número máximo de frutos colhidos por árvore (627), peso do fruto (192,9 g), porcentagem de suco (42,2%), sólidos solúveis totais (9,5 ° Brix), teor de ácido ascórbico (35,5 mg / 100 g-¹) e os teores de açúcar (17,4) também foram significativamente maiores com o tratamento com 0,6% de ZnSO4 em comparação com o restante dos tratamentos e o controle. A aplicação foliar de 0,6% de ZnSO4 também melhorou significativamente os [...].

Efficiency of exogenous zinc sulfate application reduced fruit drop and improved antioxidant activity of Kinnow mandarin fruit

Abstract Kinnow mandarin (Citrus nobilis L.× Citrus deliciosa T.) is an important marketable fruit of the world. It is mainstay of citrus industry in Pakistan, having great export potential. But out of total production of the country only 10% of the produce meets the international quality standard for export. Pre-harvest fruit drop and poor fruit quality could be associated with various issues including the plant nutrition. Most of the farmers do not pay attention to the supply of micro nutrients which are already deficient in the soil. Furthermore, their mobility within plants is also a question. Zinc (Zn) is amongst those micronutrients which affect the quality and postharvest life of the fruit and its deficiency in Pakistani soils is already reported by many researchers. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the influence of pre-harvest applications of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4; 0, 0.4%, 0.6% or 0.8%) on pre-harvest fruit drop, yield and fruit quality of Kinnow mandarin at harvest. The treatments were applied during the month of October i.e. 4 months prior to harvest. The applied Zn sprays had significant effect on yield and quality of the Kinnow fruit. Amongst different foliar applications of ZnSO4applied four months before harvest, 0.6% ZnSO4 significantly reduced pre-harvest fruit drop (10.08%) as compared to untreated control trees (46.45%). Similarly, the maximum number of fruits harvested per tree (627), fruit weight (192.9 g), juice percentage (42.2%), total soluble solids (9.5 °Brix), ascorbic acid content (35.5 mg 100 g-1) and sugar contents (17.4) were also found significantly higher with 0.6% ZnSO4 treatment as compared to rest of treatments and control. Foliar application of 0.6% ZnSO4 also significantly improved total antioxidants (TAO) and total phenolic contents (TPC) in fruit. In conclusion, foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.6%) four months prior to harvest reduced pre-harvest fruit drop, increase yield with improved quality of Kinnow mandarin fruit.

Resumo A tangerina Kinnow (Citrus nobilis L. × Citrus deliciosa T.) é uma importante fruta comercializável do mundo. É o esteio da indústria cítrica no Paquistão, com grande potencial de exportação. Mas, da produção total do país, apenas 10% da produção atendem o padrão internacional de qualidade para exportação. A queda da fruta antes da colheita e a baixa qualidade da fruta podem estar associadas a vários problemas, incluindo a nutrição da planta. A maioria dos agricultores não se preocupa com o fornecimento de micronutrientes que já são deficientes no solo. Além disso, sua mobilidade dentro das plantas também é uma questão. O zinco (Zn) está entre os micronutrientes que afetam a qualidade e a vida pós-colheita da fruta, e sua deficiência em solos paquistaneses já é relatada por diversos pesquisadores. Portanto, este estudo foi realizado para avaliar a influência da aplicação pré-colheita de sulfato de zinco (ZnSO4; 0, 0,4%, 0,6% ou 0,8%) na queda dos frutos na pré-colheita, produtividade e qualidade dos frutos da tangerina Kinnow em colheita. Os tratamentos foram aplicados durante o mês de outubro, ou seja, 4 meses antes da colheita. As pulverizações de Zn aplicadas tiveram efeito significativo no rendimento e na qualidade da fruta Kinnow. Entre as diferentes aplicações foliares de ZnSO4 efetuadas quatro meses antes da colheita, 0,6% de ZnSO4 reduziu significativamente a queda de frutos antes da colheita (10,08%) em comparação com as árvores de controle não tratadas (46,45%). Da mesma forma, número máximo de frutos colhidos por árvore (627), peso do fruto (192,9 g), porcentagem de suco (42,2%), sólidos solúveis totais (9,5 ° Brix), teor de ácido ascórbico (35,5 mg / 100 g-1) e os teores de açúcar (17,4) também foram significativamente maiores com o tratamento com 0,6% de ZnSO4 em comparação com o restante dos tratamentos e o controle. A aplicação foliar de 0,6% de ZnSO4 também melhorou significativamente os antioxidantes totais (TAO) e os teores fenólicos totais (TPC) nas frutas. Em conclusão, a pulverização foliar de ZnSO4 (0,6%) quatro meses antes da colheita reduziu a queda de frutos antes da colheita e aumentou o rendimento com a melhoria da qualidade da fruta tangerina Kinnow.

Stem cell therapy-present status.

Stem cell research is a new field that is advancing at an incredible pace with new discoveries being reported from all over the world. Scientists have for years looked for ways to use stem cells to replace cells and tissues that are damaged or diseased. Stem cells are the foundation cells for every organ, tissue, and cell in the body. Stem cells are undifferentiated, "blank" cells that do not yet have a specific function. Under proper conditions, stem cells begin to develop into specialized tissues and organs. They are self-sustaining and can replicate themselves for long periods of time. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells, isolated from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst-stage mammalian embryo. They have the ability to differentiate into several somatic or somatic-like functional cells such as neurons, hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, and others. Adult stem cells are specialized cells found within many tissues of the body where they function in tissue homeostasis and repair. They are precursor cells capable of differentiation into several different cells. The knowledge of stem cells from various sources offered a new hope for the treatment of various diseases.

Journey from hepatocyte transplantation to hepatic stem cells: a novel treatment strategy for liver diseases.

Acute liver failure (ALF) carries high morbidity and mortality (>80%) even in the best centres. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) is the only viable approach to the treatment of ALF. This has significantly improved the survival in these patients. The major limitations of OLTx are non availability of the donor liver, requirement of a major surgical procedure, high cost and longterm immunosuppression. Isolated hepatocyte transplantation is emerging as an appealing method for the treatment of ALF because of its technical simplicity and easy availability of cells. Transplantation of allogenic/xenogenic hepatocytes transplantation in experimentally induced ALF has shown an increased survival rate. Clinical studies in acute, chronic liver failure and metabolic disorders have also been undertaken in a few centres and have shown encouraging results. To maintain the continuous supply of cells, xenogenic source of hepatocytes (porcine, rabbit, canine) have offered a hope. A major concern regarding the use of xenogenic donors is the risk of transmission of zoonosis and immunogenicity. Recently, Porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) has been shown to infect human tissue in vitro. The problem of immunogenicity of xenogenic hepatocytes can be overcome to some extent by immunoisolation, encapsulation technique, which may also provide protection to the hepatocytes during cryopreservation. The knowledge of adult hepatic stem from tissue offered a new hope for the treatment of various chronic and metabolic diseases. Further, the transdifferentiation potentiality of haematopoietic stem cells to hepatic lineage has strengthened cell therapy.

Evaluation of bioherbicidal potential of Carica papaya leaves / Avaliação do potencial de bioherbicida dase folhas de Carica papaya

Abstract Due to increased number of herbicide resistant weeds, it is needed to explore the allelopathic potential of plants as an alternative. The research was conducted to investigate allelopathic effects of Carica papaya L. leaf powder and aqueous extract on seeds as well as pre-germinated seeds of Avena fatua L., Helianthus annuus L., Rumex dentatus L., Zea mays L. and Triticum aestivum L. on filter paper and soil in Weed Management Program Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection at PARC Institute of Advanced Studies in Agriculture, National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. Germination percentage (%), radicle length (cm) and plumule length (cm) were parameters observed for 'Plant leaf powder bioassay' and 'Aqueous extract method'. Most significant growth inhibition was observed in A. fatua seedlings in filter paper method. A. fatua radicle length was reduced by C. papaya aqueous extract (80%) and leaf powder (89%) bioassays. Plumule length was reduced under the influence of aqueous extract (57-73%) and powdered material (59-77%). The inhibitory effects on other test species were in sequence of H. annuus followed by Z. mays and R. dentatus. The aqueous extract showed non-significant effect on wheat seed germination, radicle and plumule growth. It is suggested that C. papaya aqueous extract can be used as source of weed management in wheat crop.

Resumo Devido ao aumento do número de ervas daninhas resistentes aos herbicidas, é necessário explorar o potencial alelopático das plantas como uma alternativa. A pesquisa foi conduzida com o objetivo de investigar os efeitos alelopáticos do pó foliar de Carica papaya e do extrato aquoso das sementes, bem como das sementes pré-germinadas de Avena fatua, Helianthus annuus, Rumex dentatus, Zea mays e Triticum aestivum em papel de filtro e solo no Laboratório do Programa de Manejo de Ervas Daninhas, Departamento de Plantas e Proteção Ambiental do Instituto PARC de Estudos Avançados em Agricultura, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa Agrícola, Islamabad, Paquistão. A porcentagem de germinação (%), o comprimento radicular e o comprimento da plúmula (cm) foram os parâmetros observados para o 'Bioensaio de Pó de Folha de Planta' e o 'Método de Extração Aquoso'. A maior inibição do crescimento foi observada em mudas de A. fatua no método de papel de filtro. O comprimento radicular de A. fatua foi reduzido com os extratos aquosos de C. papaya (80%) e pó de folhas (89%). O comprimento das plúmulas foi reduzido sob a influência do extrato aquoso (57-73%) e material em pó (59-77%). Os efeitos inibitórios em outras espécies-teste foram na sequência de H. annuus seguido por Z. mays e R. dentatus. O extrato aquoso apresentou efeito não significativo na germinação das sementes de trigo, nos crescimentos radiculares e das plúmulas. Sugere-se que o extrato aquoso de C. papaya pode ser utilizado como fonte de manejo de plantas daninhas na cultura do trigo.

Cardiovascular effects of Leu-enkephalin in the nucleus tractus solitarius of the rat.

Microinjections of Leu-enkephalin into the dorsal vagal complex induced hypotension and bradycardia. Both naloxone, given at a dose conferring selectivity for mu receptors, and the delta antagonist ICI 154,129 prevented the cardiovascular effects of Leu-enkephalin. Naloxone was also found to decrease the gain of the baroreflex. These results suggest that Leu-enkephalin is involved in cardiovascular regulation through activation of delta-, and possibly mu-, opioid receptors in the dorsal vagal complex.

Pro-oxidant, anti-oxidant and cleavage activities on DNA of curcumin and its derivatives demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin.

Curcumin, a naturally occurring phytochemical responsible for the colour of turmeric shows a wide range of pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. We have earlier shown that curcumin in the presence of Cu(II) causes strand cleavage in DNA through generation of reactive oxygen species, particularly the hydroxyl radical. Thus, curcumin shows both antioxidant as well as pro-oxidant effects. In order to understand the chemical basis of various biological properties of curcumin, we have studied the structure-activity relationship between curcumin and its two naturally occurring derivatives namely demethoxycurcumin (dmC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (bdmC). Curcumin was found to be the most effective in the DNA cleavage reaction and a reducer of Cu(II) followed by dmC and bdmC. The rate of formation of hydroxyl radicals by the three curcuminoids also showed a similar pattern. The relative antioxidant activity was examined by studying the effect of these curcuminoids on cleavage of plasmid DNA by Fe(II)-EDTA system (hydroxyl radicals) and the generation of singlet oxygen by riboflavin. The results indicate that curcumin is considerably more active both as an antioxidant as well as an oxidative DNA cleaving agent. The DNA cleavage activity is the consequence of binding of Cu(II) to various sites on the curcumin molecule. Based on the present results, we propose three binding sites for Cu(II). Two of the sites are provided by the phenolic and methoxy groups on the two benzene rings and the third site is due to the presence of 1,3-diketone system between the rings. Furthermore, both the antioxidant as well as pro-oxidant effects of curcuminoids are determined by the same structural moieties.

The biflavonoid, amentoflavone degrades DNA in the presence of copper ions.

Previous reports from this laboratory have shown that flavonoids including apigenin are capable of inducing oxidative DNA cleavage in the presence of copper ions. In the present report, we have examined the ability of amentoflavone, a biflavonoid which is a dimer of apigenin, to catalyze the degradation of DNA. Amentoflavone was found to degrade calf thymus DNA in the presence of Cu(II) at a rate almost twice that of apigenin. Amentoflavone was also shown to reduce Cu(II) to Cu(I) and to generate hydroxyl radicals in the presence of copper ions. In the presence of Cu(II), the absorption spectrum of amentoflavone undergoes a shift and a quenching effect indicating that the biflavonoid is capable of binding to copper ions. Amentoflavone and apigenin were isolated from Cycas rumphii and Trifolium alexandrinum, respectively. The results are discussed in relation to the putative chemopreventive mechanism of amentoflavone.

In vitro studies on a bioreactor module containing encapsulated goat hepatocytes for the development of bioartificial liver.

BACKGROUND: A bioartificial liver may act as a temporary metabolic bridge in patients with acute liver failure. We devised a bioreactor module containing encapsulated goat hepatocytes and studied its efficiency in detoxifying ammonia. METHODS: A hollow-glass bioreactor module was designed and fabricated locally. The module was inoculated with alginate poly-L-lysine microcapsules with entrapped goat hepatocytes. Metabolism of ammonia and glucose was assessed. Antibody-mediated cell cytotoxicity was also assessed. RESULTS: The optimum encapsulated goat hepatocyte concentration was 12-18 billion at a perfusate flow rate of 30 mL/min under oxygenated condition. The optimum ammonium chloride concentration for detoxification was 2.5-5.0 mM. There was little or no cytolysis of encapsulated hepatocytes on exposure to complement-inactivated human AB serum. CONCLUSION: Encapsulated goat hepatocytes efficiently detoxified ammonia to urea. Cells were metabolically active up to 48 hours, indicating their feasibility for use in a bioreactor module. Encapsulation protected the hepatocytes from antibody-mediated cell lysis.

Peritoneal transplantation of human fetal hepatocytes for the treatment of acute fatty liver of pregnancy: a case report.

We report the case of a 26-year-old second gravida in the third trimester of pregnancy who presented with a history of nausea, repeated vomiting and jaundice. The patient was diagnosed as acute fatty liver of pregnancy. After delivery, the condition of the patient progressed to grade IV encephalopathy and did not improve despite all intensive clinical management measures. After 3 days in grade IV encephalopathy, the patient was infused 3 x 10(8) human foetal hepatocytes. The patient's level of consciousness started improving after 24 hours of foetal hepatocyte transfusion and she recovered completely within 7 days.