Effects of drought and moisture stress on the growth and ecophysiological traits of Schima superba seedlings.

Changes in rainfall patterns are important environmental factors affecting plant growth, especially when larger precipitation events and prolonged drought periods occur in subtropical regions. There are many studies on how drought reduces plant biomass through drought-sensitive functional traits, but how excess water affects plant growth and ecophysiology is still poorly understood. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was conducted on Schima superba (Theaceae), a dominant tree species in subtropical forests and commonly used in forestry, in a closed chamber under control (25% soil water content (SWC) as in local forests), drought stress (D, 15% SWC) and moisture stress (W, 35% SWC). Plant growth and ecophysiological traits related to morphology, leaf gas exchange, water potential and structural traits were measured. Compared to control, S. suberba under dry conditions significantly decreased its aboveground biomass, photosynthetic rate (A), leaf water potential and nitrogen use efficiency, but increased intrinsic water use efficiency, root to shoot ratio and specific root length. S. superba under wet conditions also significantly decreased its total biomass, aboveground biomass and specific root length, while W had no effect on A and leaf water potential. Our results indicate that S. superba shows a decrease in carbon gain under drought stress, but less response under wet conditions. This emphasizes the need to consider the strength and frequency of rainfall pattern changes in future studies because rainfall may either alleviate or intensify the effects of drought stress depending on the moisture level, thus suitable water conditions is important for better management of this tree species in subtropical China.

The effect of water in THF/water mixtures on CMC, aggregation sizes, and fluorescence quenching of a new calix[4]resorcinarene macrocycle.

This study explores how water content modulates the self-assembly and fluorescence behavior of a novel calixarene, C1. C1 forms large, flattened structures in pure THF, but water addition triggers a transition to smaller, unimodal clusters. A critical micellar concentration (CMC) is identified, decreasing with increasing water content. Fluorescence quenching is observed upon water addition, attributed to nonradiative deactivation. These findings highlight water as a key regulator of C1's assembly and fluorescence, paving the way for further development of water-responsive calixarene systems.

Predictors for poor daily weight gain in preterm neonates exposed to different dose regimens of caffeine in ICU- a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: With a wide therapeutic index, efficacy, ease of use, and other neuroprotective and respiratory benefits, caffeine citrate(CC) is currently the drug of choice for preterm neonates (PTNs). Caffeine-induced excessive energy expenditure, diuresis, natriuresis, and other CC-associated potential side-effects (CC-APSEs) result in lower daily-weight gain (WG) in premature neonates. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for daily-WG in neonates exposed to different dose regimens of caffeine in ICU. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study included neonates of ≤ 36weeks gestational age (GA) and received CC-therapy. The same participants were followed for data analysis in two postnatal phases: 15-28 and 29-42 days of life (DOL). Based on daily CC-dose, formed group-I (received; standard-doses = 5 mg/kg/day), group-II (received;>5-7 mg/kg/day), and group-III (received;>7 mg/kg/day). Prenatal and postnatal clinical characteristics, CC-regimen, daily-WG, CC-APSEs, and concomitant risk-factors, including daily-caloric intake, Parenteral-Nutrition duration, steroids, diuretics, and ibuprofen exposure, were analyzed separately for group-II and group-III using group-I as standard. Regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for daily-WG. RESULTS: Included 314 PTNs. During 15-28 DOL, the mean-daily-WG(MD-WG) was significantly higher in group-I than group-II [19.9 ± 0.70 g/kg/d vs. 17.7 ± 0.52 p = 0.036] and group-III [19.9 ± 0.70 g/kg/d vs. 16.8 ± 0.73 p < 0.001]. During 29-42 DOL the MD-WG of group-I was only significantly higher than group-III [21.7 ± 0.44 g/kg/d vs. 18.3 ± 0.41 g/kg/d p = 0.003] and comparable with group-II. During 15-28 DOL, observed CC-APSEs was significantly higher in group-II and III but during 29-42 DOL it was only significant in group-III. In the adjusted regression analysis for daily-WG during 15-28DOL, with respect to standard-dose, 5-7 mg/kg/day (ß=-1.04; 95%CI:-1.62,-0.93) and > 7-10 mg/kg/day (ß=-1.36; 95%CI:-1.56,-1.02) were associated with a lower daily-WG. However, during 29-42DOL, this association was present only for > 7-10 mg/kg/day (ß=-1.54; 95%CI:-1.66,-1.42). The GA ≤ 27weeks (ß=-1.03 95%CI:-1.24, -0.88) was associated with lower daily-WG only during 15-28DOL. During both periods of therapy, higher cumulative-caffeine dose and presence of culture proven sepsis, tachypnea, hyponatremia, and feeding intolerance were significantly associated with lower daily-WG. Conversely, daily kcal intake was found to be linked with an increase in daily-WG in both periods. CONCLUSION: In this study cohort exposure to higher caffeine daily and cumulative doses is associated with lower postnatal daily-WG in PTNs than standard-daily doses, which may be due to its catabolic effects and CC-APSEs.

Mutational and expressional association of the PIK3CA gene with the risk of breast cancer in the Pakistani population.

PI3K pathway is a very important pathway that is reported to be involved in breast cancer. Mutation of PI3K and p110 alpha-catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3CA) is of high predictive and prognostic values in breast cancer. The purpose of the current study was to screen the hotspot mutations of the PIK3CA gene i.e. rs2677760, rs3806685, rs121913273 & rs121913279 along with expressional analysis of PI3K and PIK3CA genes in breast cancer female patients. For mutational analysis, TaqMan assay & Sanger sequencing were performed while for expressional analysis real-time PCR was carried out. Mutant allele C of rs2677760 was observed to be high in postmenopausal patients. The frequency of mutant allele G of rs3806685 was significantly high in breast cancer patients. All diseased and control samples were of wild type for the hotspot rs121913273 and rs121913279 with allele G for rs121913273 and A for rs121913279. Expression of the PI3K was high in breast cancer tissue samples as compared to the adjacent controls. While the expression of the thePIK3CA gene was significantly high in premenopausal breast cancer patients. It was concluded that the mutant allele C of rs2677760 might have some sort of association with the menopausal status and it could be used as a diagnostic marker in post-menopausal women if studied further. Mutant allele G of rs3806685 was also found to be associated with breast cancer. While multiallelic rs121913273 and rs121913279 showed a different trend for the studied population. For expressional analysis, PI3K showed over-expression in the cases while PIK3CA gene expression was observed to be significantly associated with pre-menopausal status.

Azole and 5-nitroimidazole based nanoformulations are potential antiamoebic drug candidates against brain-eating amoebae.

AIM: Herein, the anti-parasitic activity of azoles (fluconazole and itraconazole) and 5-nitroimdazole (metronidazole) against the brain-eating amoebae: Naegleria fowleri and Balamuthia mandrillaris was elucidated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Azoles and 5-nitroimidazole based nanoformulations were synthesized and characterized using a UV-visible spectrophotometer, atomic force microscopy, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. H1-NMR, EI-MS, and ESI-MS were performed to determine their molecular mass and elucidate their structures. Their size, zeta potential, size distribution, and polydispersity index (PDI) were assessed. Amoebicidal assays revealed that all the drugs and their nanoformulations, (except itraconazole) presented significant anti-amoebic effects against B. mandrillaris, while all the treatments indicated notable amoebicidal properties against N. fowleri. Amoebicidal effects were radically enhanced upon conjugating the drugs with nanoparticles. The IC50 values for KM-38-AgNPs-F, KM-20-AgNPs-M, and KM-IF were 65.09, 91.27, and 72.19 µg.mL-1, respectively, against B. mandrillaris. Whereas against N. fowleri, the IC50 values were: 71.85, 73.95, and 63.01 µg.mL-1, respectively. Additionally, nanoformulations significantly reduced N. fowleri-mediated host cell death, while nanoformulations along with fluconazole and metronidazole considerably reduced Balamuthia-mediated human cell damage. Finally, all the tested drugs and their nanoformulations revealed limited cytotoxic activity against human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell (HBEC-5i) cells. CONCLUSION: These compounds should be developed into novel chemotherapeutic options for use against these distressing infections due to free-living amoebae, as currently there are no effective treatments.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Malachite Green Dye Using Silver-Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles.

Efficient and excellent nanoparticles are required for the degradation of organic dyes in photocatalysis. In this study, silver-manganese oxide nanoparticles (Ag-Mn-NPs) were synthesized through a wet chemical precipitation method and characterized as an advanced catalyst that has enhanced photocatalytic activity under sunlight irradiation. The nanoparticles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD, UV-vis light spectra, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, revealing their spherical and agglomerated form. The EDX spectra confirmed the composition of the nanoparticles, indicating their presence in oxide form. These bimetallic oxide nanoparticles were employed as photocatalysts for the degradation of malachite green (MG) dye under sunlight irradiation in an aqueous medium. The study investigated the effects of various parameters, such as irradiation time, catalyst dosage, recovered catalyst dosage, dye concentration, and pH, on the dye's photodegradation. The results showed that Ag-Mn oxide nanoparticles exhibited high photocatalytic activity, degrading 92% of the dye in 100 min. A longer irradiation time led to increased dye degradation. Moreover, a higher catalyst dosage resulted in a higher dye degradation percentage, with 91% degradation achieved using 0.0017 g of the photocatalyst in 60 min. Increasing the pH of the medium also enhanced the dye degradation, with 99% degradation achieved at pH 10 in 60 min. However, the photodegradation rate decreased with increasing dye concentration. The Ag-Mn oxide nanoparticles demonstrate excellent potential as a reliable visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for the efficient degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater treatment.

Evaluation of MONOFER-induced hypersensitive reactions: A retrospective cohort study.

Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia. Over the years, various IV preparations of iron have been developed, including Monofer® (Iron isomaltoside 1000), that showed a remarkable reduction in the occurance of hypersensitivity reactions. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the severity and extent to which hypersensitivity reactions occur after the administration of IV iron isomaltoside 1000 in an Asian population. Multistage sampling was adopted for this study. The overall sample size was 864. The mean age of the participants was 55.29 ±18.44 years. The results depicted that 63 (7.29%) of the entire participants faced hypersensitivity reactions after IV administration. A total of 43 (68.25%) participants who experienced hypersensitivity reactions showed clinical symptoms within one hour, 11(17.46%) showed reaction in 1-3 hours and 9 (14.29%) showed in > 3 Hours. The majority of the studied population showed significant improvement only after the administration of Pheniramine maleate, while only a few of them received Hydrocortisone.

Evaluation of haematological, serum biochemical and oxidative stress parameters in cattle naturally infected with lumpy skin disease virus.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a vector-borne viral transboundary disease of cattle caused by the LSD virus (LSDV). Despite investigations on clinical and outbreak features of LSDV, information on disease pathogenesis and alternative changes in blood parameters are scarce. Keeping this in view, the current study was designed to determine haematological, serum biochemical, and oxidative stress parameters in naturally infected cattle with LSDV during the recent surge of outbreaks in Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 35 blood samples was collected from polymerase chain reaction-confirmed LSDV-infected cattle for assessment of all parameters. The haematological examination of blood samples showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in different variables of erythrogram and leucogram. On the other hand, differences between levels of various serum biochemical parameters with the significant increase in levels of alkaline phosphatase, serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and blood urea nitrogen were observed in LSDV naturally infected cattle. Moreover, malondialdehyde levels for lipid peroxidation and nitrate concentration were markedly elevated whereas glutathione S-transferase fluorescent and serum superoxide dismutase enzymes showed a decrease in levels. The current study suggests that alternations in haematological and serum biochemical parameters following LSDV infection stimulate oxidative stress and such findings may be useful for early and rapid diagnosis and improvement in the treatment strategy of the disease.

Relationship of caffeine regimen with osteopenia of prematurity in preterm neonates: a cohort retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Caffeine is a routinely prescribed pharmacological active compound in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) for treating apnea of prematurity (AOP), which also decreases the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and cerebral palsy in neonates. Caffeine-induced excessive calcium loss can promote the development of metabolic bone disease (MBD) in preterm neonates. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the caffeine regimen on the development of osteopenia of prematurity (OOP), using serum alkaline phosphatase (serum-ALP) concentrations as a surrogate marker at the 4th week of life. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted including neonates of < 32 weeks gestational age (GA) and birth weight < 1500 g, admitted to NICU from April-2017 to December-2018 and received caffeine therapy till 28 days of life for AOP. Based on serum-ALP levels, formed the high and low-ALP groups. Neonatal characteristics, caffeine regimen, risk factors for OOP, including duration of parenteral nutrition (PN), exposure to medicines associated with MBD, and intake of essential vitamins and minerals, were compared in both groups. Predictors of OOP were analyzed through logistic regression. RESULTS: From the total of 268 participants, 52 (19%) developed OOP, mostly female (61.5%). In the high ALP group, the serum-ALP levels were significantly higher than in the low-ALP group (725.0 ± 143.8 vs 273.6 ± 55.0 units/L, p < 0.001). The high-ALP group received significantly (p < 0.001) higher daily and cumulative caffeine doses and were associated with a higher likelihood of developing OOP in this study cohort [cumulative dose (mg) (AOR = 1.082 95% CI 1.011 to 1.157) and daily dose (mg/kg/day) (AOR = 2.892 95% CI 1.392 to 6.007)]. Smaller GA was found directly related to OOP. Among the other medical risk factors, phosphorus intake was significantly low in the high-ALP group. No, significant relationship between duration of PN and use of steroids and diuretics, and intake of vitamins and minerals were identified. CONCLUSION: The daily and cumulative doses of caffeine and smaller GA are associated with the development of OOP in this study cohort. Clinical randomized control studies are needed to validate the outcomes and determine the range of safest and most effective caffeine doses for treating AOP in preterm neonates.

First report on molecular surveillance based on duplex detection of Anaplasma marginale and Theileria annulata in dairy cattle from Punjab, Pakistan.

Theileriosis and anaplasmosis are important tick-borne hemoparasites of bovines. The first surveillance study aimed to assess the suitability of duplex PCR for simultaneous detection of Theileria annulata and Anaplasma marginale field infections in Jhang and Rawalpindi districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Cattle blood samples (n = 480) were collected from selected union councils of all tehsils using a multistage sampling technique. The sampling unit consisted of asymptomatic cattle belonging to either age, sex, and breed. Epidemiological data related to host, area, management, and season were collected using a questionnaire. Based on duplex PCR, the overall prevalence of the two concurrent tick-borne pathogens was 19.79% (95/480). Chi-square analysis indicated that age, breed, tick infestation, history of tick-borne diseases, frequency of acaricidial application, and season were significantly associated with tick-borne pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis of A. marginale and T. annulata isolates based on msp1ß and cytochrome b genes, respectively, revealed that nucleotide sequences acquired from these two pathogens are novel, grouped separately from different countries. All our A. marginale isolates showed 88.2 to 80.5% similarity with isolates from Egypt, Israel, Mexico, and lesser homology with South African isolates. Similarly, the phylogenetic tree based on cytochrome b partial sequences of T. annulata revealed that our sequences are closer to those from India and Iran. Based on this first study on concomitant detection of tick-borne pathogens, it can be concluded that mixed infections are endemic in the study districts and mPCR is suitable for detecting concurrent field infections. Simultaneous infections should be considered while performing surveillance and chemotherapeutic trials for better prevention and control of tick-borne diseases.

A review: Surveillance of lumpy skin disease (LSD) a growing problem in Asia.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease caused by lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a member of Capripoxvirus, genus of Poxviridae family. It is a transboundary infection of monetary significance that primarily affects water buffaloes and cattle. LSD was known to be once endemic in Saharan regions of Africa but later on reported in central Asian and neighboring countries of Pakistan like, India, Iran and China. It is a vector borne disease and arthropods are believed to be the main perpetrators. It is discernible by its high morbidity and low mortality. Characteristic lumps on skin and high fever are considered as major signs while reduced milk production, infertility, early embryonic death and anorexia are some of the salient clinical manifestations of the disease. Additionally, nodules on mucosa of oro-pharynx, udder, genitalia and rectum are usually observed on examination. This article summarizes LSD outbreaks across Asia during last fifteen years. It is a general consensus amongst the veterinary community that disease is endemic in Pakistan as it shares borders with India, Iran and China where recent outbreaks are reported. Historically Pakistan is free of LSD, however it is at high risk of a LSDV outbreak as neighboring regions are becoming endemic. Vaccination, strict quarantine measures, limited movement of livestock along with vector control could be effective for preventing the spread of the disease. This review aims to summarize the latest developments in the epidemiology of LSD with the focus on transboundary spread, possible emergence and economic implications on Pakistan.

Vital roles of Pks11, a highly reducing polyketide synthase, in fungal conidiation, antioxidant activity, conidial cell wall integrity, and UV tolerance of Beauveria bassiana.

Fungal polyketide synthases play important and differential roles in synthesizing secondary metabolites and regulating several cell events, including asexual development, environmental adaptation, and pathogenicity. This study shows the important functions of a highly reducing polyketide synthase, Pks11, in Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous fungal insect pathogen used worldwide for pest biocontrol. The deletion of pks11 led to severe defects in conidial yields on different media and a decrease of 36.27% in the mean thickness of conidial cell wall under normal conditions. Compared with the wild-type, Δpks11 showed higher tolerance to oxidation and increased sensitivity to high temperature during colony growth. Moreover, the lack of pks11 caused a decrease in conidial germination after exposure to UV radiation but did not affect the virulence of B. bassiana against Galleria mellonella larvae via typical cuticle infection. These findings concurred with the alteration in the transcript levels of some phenotype-related genes. These data suggested that pks11 played vital roles in the asexual development, cell wall integrity, and fungal responses to oxidation, high temperature, and UV irradiation of B. bassiana.

Cyanobacteria as Natural Therapeutics and Pharmaceutical Potential: Role in Antitumor Activity and as Nanovectors.

Cyanobacteria (blue-green microalgae) are ubiquitous, Gram-negative photoautotrophic prokaryotes. They are considered as one of the most efficient sources of bioactive secondary metabolites. More than 50% of cyanobacteria are cultivated on commercial platforms to extract bioactive compounds, which have bene shown to possess anticancer activity. The chemically diverse natural compounds or their analogues induce cytotoxicity and potentially kill a variety of cancer cells via the induction of apoptosis, or altering the activation of cell signaling, involving especially the protein kinase-C family members, cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative damage. These therapeutic properties enable their use in the pharma and healthcare sectors for the betterment of future generations. This review provides a baseline overview of the anti-cancerous cyanobacterial bioactive compounds, along with recently introduced nanomaterials that could be used for the development of new anticancer drugs to build a healthy future for mankind.

Role of nanotechnology in animal production and veterinary medicine.

Nanotechnology is the discipline and technology of small and specific things that are < 100 nm in size. Because of their extremely miniscule size, any changes in their chemical and physical structure may show higher reactivity and solubility than larger particles. Nanotechnology plays a vital role in every field of life. It is considered one of the most bleeding edge field of scientific research. It has already several applications in a myriad of disciplines while its application in the field of animal production and veterinary medicine is still experimental in nature. But, in recent years, the role of nanotechnology in the aforementioned fields of scientific inquiry has shown great progress. These days, nanotechnology has been employed to revolutionize drug delivery systems and diagnose atypical diseases. Applications of nanoparticle technology in the field of animal reproduction and development of efficacious vaccines have been at the forefront of scientific endeavors. Additionally, their impacts on meat and milk quality are also being judiciously inquired in recent decades. Veterinary nanotechnology has great potential to improve diagnosis and treatment, and provide new tools to this field. This review focuses on some noteworthy applications of nanoparticles in the field of animal production and their future perspectives.

Association of long-term consumption of repeatedly heated mix vegetable oils in different doses and hepatic toxicity through fat accumulation.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic diseases are one of the chief reasons for worldwide morbidity and mortality. The increased incidence in Asian countries is driving researchers to explore preventive ways from nature. It is more practical to go with healthy routine edibles like vegetable oils to avoid environmental and chemical hepatic injuries. With the use of thermally oxidized oils overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with overwhelmed cellular antioxidants defense system results in oxidative stress, the known cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Little is investigated about the effect of daily used oxidized cooking oils on hepatic function changes with oxidative stress especially in the animal model that mimics the human situation. METHODS: In this study, healthy adult male rabbits of local strain were divided into 4 groups (n = 12). First, two sets of rabbits were treated with 1 and 2 ml/kg/day of repeatedly heated mix vegetable oils (RHMVO) respectively. The third set of rabbits was given 1 ml/kg/day of single time heated mix vegetable oils (STHMVO) and the fourth set of rabbits served as controls and fed with normal rabbit diet to for 16 weeks. Serum liver function markers including total-protein, albumin, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) along with the activity of hepatic antioxidant-enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) for lipid peroxidation were compared among different groups of rabbits. Histopathological examination was performed for all four groups. RESULTS: Significantly (p < 0.05) elevated hepatic enzymes and MDA levels, with lower total protein, serum albumin, GPx, SOD and CAT levels were found in high and low doses RHMVO treated groups, in comparison to control. In the STHMVO group, all mentioned markers were insignificantly changed. Accumulation of liver fat in low and high dose oil-treated groups was further confirmed under the microscopic examination of liver tissues, presented significant fat accumulation in liver tissues, in addition, 40-60% increased oxidative stress compared to control, in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: These results conclude that consumption of thermally oxidized mix vegetable oils for longer duration can impair the liver function and destroy its histological structure significantly through fat accumulation and oxidative stress both in high as well as low doses.

Synthesis of long-tail nonionic surfactants and their investigation for vesicle formation, drug entrapment, and biocompatibility.

Nonionic surfactants have an extraordinary fascination for the researchers in the field of drug delivery for enhancing drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. Here, we are reporting the synthesis, characterization, drug entrapment efficiency (EE), critical micellar concentration, and biocompatibility evaluation of sulphanilamide based new nonionic surfactants. The surfactants were synthesized in single step reactions and characterized through 1H NMR, FT-IR, and mass spectrometric analysis. The surfactants abilities for niosomal vesicles formation were investigated utilizing Ciprofloxacin as a model drug. The drug loaded niosomal suspension of the synthesized surfactants was screened for shape; size, polydispersity index, and drug EE utilizing AFM, Zetasizer, and UV, respectively. The compatibility of the drug in drug loaded vesicles with excipients was assessed utilizing FT-IR spectroscopy. The biocompatibility of the synthesized surfactants was assessed through blood haemolysis and cell cytotoxicity assays. Results of this study showed that the synthesized surfactants were quite haemocompatible and nontoxic in nature and were able to form spherical vesicles. The size and drug EE of the vesicles were dependant on the length of surfactant aliphatic chain. Surfactant with long aliphatic chain was more efficient in entrapping the drug and could be used as a potential vesicular drug delivery vehicle for improving the lipophilic drug's bioavailability.

Oxidative stress and lipid per-oxidation with repeatedly heated mix vegetable oils in different doses in comparison with single time heated vegetable oils.

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading cause of death worldwide, changed lifestyle and eating habits are the major contributing factors. Daily consumption cooking oils is one of the nutritional sources in today's life. Oils are available in market in the blend of two or more oils to get the maximum health benefits. There are number of factors which decide the pathogenic or protective effects of these oils, like fatty acids(FAs) composition, duration and extent of thermal exposure, daily intake and consumption duration. While processing the food cooking oils are thermally oxidized, that exert deleterious health effects, when taken for long time. The present study designed to evaluate the lipid peroxidation and level of oxidative stress in rabbits treated with repeatedly heated mix vegetable oils, in low (L-RHMVO) and high doses (H-RHMVO) in comparison with single time heated olive (STH-OO), canola (STH-CO), sunflower (STH-SO) oils individually and in mixture (STH-MVO) collected from Karachi (Pakistan).Six groups of animals treated with all these processed oils for 16 weeks along with normal diet .Control group was kept on normal rabbit diet. Animal body and organ weight was recorded. Blood samples were collected to measure plasma Malondialdehyde (MDA), Homocysteine(H-Cys), Creatine phosphokinase (CPK), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipid profile (TGs, Total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol).Statistically highly significant (p<0.005) increased body and organ weight along with Total-cholesterol, TGs, LDL-cholesterol, VDLD-Cholesterol, H-Cys, MDA,CPK,LDH & CRP and decreased HDL-cholesterol was found in H-RHMVO and L-RHMVO groups in dose dependent manner compared to control and single time heated oils groups. Among the single time heated oils STH-SO fed animals had significant (p<0.05) increase in lipid periodization and oxidative stress parameters. STH-OO showed least variation from control with significant increase in HDL-cholesterol level. The finding of this study not only confirms health deleterious effect of vegetable oils when used in thermally oxidized condition but also suggests induced-metabolic changes with oxidative stress. So more advance studies simulating real-life exposure to multiple hazardous substances is required.

The rice CONSTANS-like protein OsCOL15 suppresses flowering by promoting Ghd7 and repressing RID1.

The photoperiodic flowering pathway is one of the most important regulatory networks controlling flowering time in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Rice is a facultative short-day (SD) plant; flowering is promoted under inductive SD conditions and delayed under non-inductive long-day (LD) conditions. In rice, flowering inhibitor genes play an important role in maintaining the trade-off between reproduction and yield. In this study, we identified a novel floral inhibitor, OsCOL15, which encodes a CONSTANS-like transcription factor. Consistent with a function in transcriptional regulation, OsCOL15 localized to the nucleus. Moreover, OsCOL15 had transcriptional activation activity, and the central region of the protein between the B-box and CCT domains was required for this activity. We determined that OsCOL15 is most highly expressed in young organs and exhibits a diurnal expression pattern typical of other floral regulators. Overexpression of OsCOL15 resulted in a delayed flowering phenotype under both SD and LD conditions. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis of flowering regulator gene expression suggested that OsCOL15 suppresses flowering by up-regulating the flowering repressor Grain number, plant height and heading date 7 (Ghd7) and down-regulating the flowering activator Rice Indeterminate 1 (RID1), thus leading to the down-regulation of the flowering activators Early heading date 1, Heading date 3a, and RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T1. These results demonstrate that OsCOL15 is an important floral regulator acting upstream of Ghd7 and RID1 in the rice photoperiodic flowering-time regulatory network.

Development and evaluation of vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus recovered from naturally occurring mastitis in she-camels.

The predominant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), an etiological agent of camel mastitis is becoming drug resistant that invites prevention and control strategies. Vaccine production would have a valuable impact on public health. Therefore, in present study, inactivated vaccine with different adjuvants was prepared and evaluated against S. aureus. The vaccinal isolate recovered from camel subclinical mastitis was coagulase positive (PCR based), having expressed pseudocapsule, holding alpha-beta hemolysin characteristics, and multiple drug resistant. Inactivated alum precipitated S. aureus vaccine (APSV) and oil adjuvant S. aureus vaccine (OASV) were prepared after confirming its antigenicity in rabbits. Three groups of rabbits were randomly inoculated with APSV, OASV, and placebo (Unvaccinated, UV). Each group was further divided into two groups based on single and booster dose inoculation. Booster dose of vaccines in rabbits at day 15th of primary inoculation was given. Serum samples were taken on 15, 30, 45 and 60 days of primary inoculation from all rabbits. Analysis of variance was applied to compare geometric mean titer (GMT) of three groups, while t-test was applied to estimate the difference between single and booster dose response. The study found 1010 CFU/mL S. aureus as standard bacterial load for vaccines with higher and sustained antigenicity. The vaccines were safe from morbidity and mortality, and proved effective and stable for 7 and 4 months at 25 °C and 37 °C, respectively. The OASV produced significantly (p < 0.05) higher immune response followed by APSV throughout trial. The highest GMT by APSV and OASV vaccines with single dose inoculation was 37.92 and 69.92 at day 45th post primary inoculation, respectively. Similarly, 59.20 and 142.40 GMTs were noted with booster dose in case of APSV and OASV, respectively. The booster dose presented significantly (p < 0.05) higher GMT than that of single dose inoculation of vaccines. The study concluded APSV and OASV safe, effective, and stable with significant immunogenic results in experimental rabbits.

WB1, a Regulator of Endosperm Development in Rice, Is Identified by a Modified MutMap Method.

Abnormally developed endosperm strongly affects rice (Oryza sativa) appearance quality and grain weight. Endosperm formation is a complex process, and although many enzymes and related regulators have been identified, many other related factors remain largely unknown. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a recessive mutation of White Belly 1 (WB1), which regulates rice endosperm development, using a modified MutMap method in the rice mutant wb1. The wb1 mutant develops a white-belly endosperm and abnormal starch granules in the inner portion of white grains. Representative of the white-belly phenotype, grains of wb1 showed a higher grain chalkiness rate and degree and a lower 1000-grain weight (decreased by ~34%), in comparison with that of Wild Type (WT). The contents of amylose and amylopectin in wb1 significantly decreased, and its physical properties were also altered. We adopted the modified MutMap method to identify 2.52 Mb candidate regions with a high specificity, where we detected 275 SNPs in chromosome 4. Finally, we identified 19 SNPs at 12 candidate genes. Transcript levels analysis of all candidate genes showed that WB1 (Os04t0413500), encoding a cell-wall invertase, was the most probable cause of white-belly endosperm phenotype. Switching off WB1 with the CRISPR/cas9 system in Japonica cv. Nipponbare demonstrates that WB1 regulates endosperm development and that different mutations of WB1 disrupt its biological function. All of these results taken together suggest that the wb1 mutant is controlled by the mutation of WB1, and that the modified MutMap method is feasible to identify mutant genes, and could promote genetic improvement in rice.