In vitro acaricidal activity of Piper nigrum and Piper longum fruit extracts and their active components against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks.

In vitro acaricidal activity of Piper nigrum and P. longum fruit extracts and their active components (piperine for P. nigrum and piperine and piperlonguminine for P. longum) was evaluated against adults engorged females of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus using adult immersion test. Three concentrations of each extract with four replications were used in the bioassay. Extracts significantly affected mortality rates of ticks in dose-dependent manner ranged 12.5-95.8% for P. nigrum and 29.2-87.5% for P. longum, with an additional effect on the reproductive physiology of ticks by inhibiting oviposition (28.1-96.9% by P. nigrum and 36.1-89.3% by P. longum). However, the acaricidal and oviposition limiting properties were decreased significantly when the active component(s) of each extract was tested separately. However, the combination of piperine and piperlonguminine (obtained from P. longum extract) caused 79.2% mortality of ticks which is equivalent to the corresponding concentration (~ 5%) of the extract. It can be concluded that the fruit extracts of P. nigrum and P. longum had both acaricidal and oviposition limiting actions against the adults of R. (B.) microplus which could make it a valuable component of developing sustainable strategy for integrated tick management.

Role of Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Management of Temporomandibular Joint Arthralgia.

To study the efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of temporomandibular joint arthralgia. Design Interventional study (pre-post study), Setting Meenakshi Medical College And Hospital, Research Institute. Subjects 50 patients with temporomandibular joint arthralgia were evaluated for pain, mouth opening and clicking sound while mouth opening before and after treatment. Method Patients are subjected to undergo low-level laser therapy with Infrared and red rays with a therapeutic dosage ranging from 8 J/cm2 to 15 J/cm2 up to 3-5 sessions for a month each session lasts for 15-20 min. The patients are to be followed up regularly after 1, 3, 6 and 8 months in the study.The study measured the range of mouth opening in patients before and after undergoing low-level laser therapy. Before treatment, the range of mouth opening was from 2.78 to 3.97 cm, with a mean value of 2.78 cm and a standard deviation of 0.22. After treatment, the range of mouth opening was from 2.78 to 3.97 cm, with a mean value of 3.97 cm and a standard deviation of 0.24. The study also measured the VAS score for pain, with a mean and standard deviation of 7.9 ± 0.73 before treatment and 0.88 ± 0.718 after treatment. There was a significant difference between the pretreatment and post-treatment VAS scores, with a P-value of 0.05. Low-level laser therapy is an effective non invasive treatment modality for temporomandibular joint arthralgia. The patients who underwent this procedure had symptomatic relief and no remissions were observed.

E-waste scenario in India, its management and implications.

Electronic waste or E-waste comprises of old, end-of-life electronic appliances such as computers, laptops, TVs, DVD players, refrigerators, freezers, mobile phones, MP3 players, etc., which have been disposed of by their original users. E-waste contains many hazardous constituents that may negatively impact the environment and affect human health if not properly managed. Various organizations, bodies, and governments of many countries have adopted and/or developed the environmentally sound options and strategies for E-waste management to tackle the ever growing threat of E-waste to the environment and human health. This paper presents E-waste composition, categorization, Global and Indian E-waste scenarios, prospects of recoverable, recyclable, and hazardous materials found in the E-waste, Best Available Practices, recycling, and recovery processes followed, and their environmental and occupational hazards. Based on the discussion, various challenges for E-waste management particularly in India are delineated, and needed policy interventions were discussed.

Protocol for in vitro regeneration and marker glycoside assessment in Swertia chirata Buch-Ham.

We have developed a rapid in vitro propagation system, via axillary shoot formation from nodal explants of Swertia chirata Buch Ham. Culture medium supplemented with 2 mg/L. BAP is best for direct shoot regeneration initially formed adventitious buds from axils of the nodal explants after 30 days. The reduced BAP concentration 0.5 mg/L proliferate shoots effectively. Kept the number of hyperhydrated shoots to minimal and induced on an average 22-38 shoots per flask (4.3 cm average length). The regenerated shoots (5- to 6-m long) formed roots very well in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium devoid of any growth regulator and followed by acclimatization of plants in pre-sterilized sand containing 1% Trichoderma viride and Azatobactor chrococcum as bioinoculants. The regenerated plants don't show any genomic alterations. This protocol also outlines procedure of assessment of marker iridoid glycosides (amarogentin and amaroswerin) from callus, roots, multiple shoots, regenerated plants, and mother plant. High propagation frequency, reproducibility of procedure, molecular, and phenotypic and chemical stability ensures the efficiency of the developed protocol.

v-Src-induced modulation of the calpain-calpastatin proteolytic system regulates transformation.

v-Src-induced oncogenic transformation is characterized by alterations in cell morphology, adhesion, motility, survival, and proliferation. To further elucidate some of the signaling pathways downstream of v-Src that are responsible for the transformed cell phenotype, we have investigated the role that the calpain-calpastatin proteolytic system plays during oncogenic transformation induced by v-Src. We recently reported that v-Src-induced transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts is accompanied by calpain-mediated proteolytic cleavage of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and disassembly of the focal adhesion complex. In this study we have characterized a positive feedback loop whereby activation of v-Src increases protein synthesis of calpain II, resulting in degradation of its endogenous inhibitor calpastatin. Reconstitution of calpastatin levels by overexpression of exogenous calpastatin suppresses proteolytic cleavage of FAK, morphological transformation, and anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, calpastatin overexpression represses progression of v-Src-transformed cells through the G(1) stage of the cell cycle, which correlates with decreased pRb phosphorylation and decreased levels of cyclins A and D and cyclin-dependent kinase 2. Calpain 4 knockout fibroblasts also exhibit impaired v-Src-induced morphological transformation and anchorage-independent growth. Thus, modulation of the calpain-calpastatin proteolytic system plays an important role in focal adhesion disassembly, morphological transformation, and cell cycle progression during v-Src-induced cell transformation.

The 30/35 kDa chymotryptic fragment of fibronectin enhances retroviral-mediated gene transfer in purified chronic myelogenous leukemia bone marrow progenitors.

We have previously shown by reverse transcriptase-PCR (rtPCR) that CML CD34+ HLA-DR- cells are enriched for BCR/ABL(-) hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) while leukemic HPC reside predominately within CML CD34+ HLA-DR+ cells. We investigated whether the 30/35 kDa fragment of fibronectin (FN) could be used to enhance retroviral-mediated gene transfer (RMGT) in chronic phase CML marrow HPC. CML CD34+ HLA-DR- and CD34+ HLA-DR+ cells were transduced with vector supernate containing the neomycin resistance gene on plates coated with either FN or bovine serum albumin (BSA) as control, then assayed for transduced HPC in progenitor cell assays in the presence or absence of G418. Transduction efficiency of CML CD34+ HLA-DR- cells over BSA ranged from 0.09 to 7.2% (mean 3.3 +/- 1.5%), while that over FN plates ranged from 3.8 to 23% (mean 11.0 +/- 4.5%) (n = 4). Transduction efficiencies of CML CD34+ HLA-DR+ cells ranged from 0.4 to 9.8% (mean 3.7 +/- 1.7%) and 6.0 to 26% (mean 17.3 +/- 4.5%) (n = 5) over BSA and FN, respectively. rtPCR analysis for BCR/ABL mRNA of individual G418-resistant HPC generated from CD34+ HLA-DR- cells revealed that normal BCR/ABL(-) HPC were successfully transduced under these experimental conditions. These results demonstrate the feasibility of transducing normal CML primitive HPC, and illustrate the potential clinical use of FN in the setting of gene therapy for CML, as well as other diseases.

m-Calpain subunits remain associated in the presence of calcium.

The hypothesis that calpain subunits dissociate in the presence of Ca2+ has been tested by methods which avoid interference by Ca2+-induced aggregation and large subunit autolysis. Inactive Cys105Ser-m-calpain, bound either to Ni-NTA-agarose or to immobilized casein, after incubation with Ca2+, could be recovered in high yield as a heterodimer. Natural bovine m-calpain, after irreversible inhibition with Z-LLY-CHN2, also bound to immobilized casein and was eluted as a heterodimer. The Ca2+ requirements of calpain containing a small subunit with EF-hand mutations were higher, both before and after autolysis, than those of wild-type calpain. In mixtures of wild-type and mutant enzymes, subunit exchange did not occur in the presence of Ca2+. The results demonstrate that the subunits in both natural and recombinant m-calpain, in the given experimental conditions, remain associated in the presence of Ca2+ both before and after autolysis.

An immunoenzymatic dot-ELISA for the detection of Giardia lamblia antigen in stool eluates of clinical cases of giardiasis.

A dot-ELISA technique for the detection of G. lamblia specific antigen in stool eluates of clinical cases of giardiasis was developed and evaluated employing monospecific antibodies to a G. lamblia specific coproantigen with a molecular mass of 66 kDa. The assay detected 22 (91.7%) of the 24 microscopically confirmed cases of giardiasis while none of the stool eluates from 20 patients with gastrointestinal parasites other than G. lamblia and 20 apparently healthy subjects had any detectable levels of G. lamblia-specific coproantigen. Of the 25 stool eluates from clinically suspected cases of giardiasis, 13 (52%) were found to contain G. lamblia-specific coproantigen. A 3-month-follow up of five of such cases where stool eluates has antigen detected by dot-ELISA assay, revealed the presence of G. lamblia cysts on repeated stool examinations. All the clinically suspected cases with detectable levels of G. lamblia-specific coproantigen by dot-ELISA were relieved of their clinical symptoms following metronidazole therapy. Single stool eluate examination by dot-ELISA was found to be sufficient to confirm the diagnosis. The dot-ELISA is an easy, rapid, sensitive and specific procedure for confirming the diagnosis of suspected cases of giardiasis. It should be a valuable diagnostic aid under field conditions as well as in the laboratory.

Expression of mitoses per thousand cells and cell density in breast carcinomas: a proposal.

A method of standardizing mitotic counts is described. This provisional approach, which expresses mitoses as a percentage of breast cancer cells present, holds the promise of facilitating interlaboratory agreement as well as providing a measure of tumor cellularity, probably an independent prognostic indicator in its own right. We suggest that this approach or one similar to it will maximize the evaluation and quantitation of proliferative activity from routinely available histologic material. Furthermore, the method is accomplished with little added effort beyond the customary histologic evaluation.

Comparison of nonionic and ionic contrast agents in the rabbit lung.

The objective of this study was to determine the short- and long-term radiographic, physiologic and histologic changes elicited in the lung of rabbits following the aspiration of commonly used radiographic contrast agents. All agents used, including nonionic agents, caused radiographically evident pulmonary edema which cleared by 24 hours. The contrast materials with higher osmolality, viscosity, and iodine content elicited the greatest physiologic and pathologic changes. No differences were found between an ionic and a nonionic agent with similar viscosities and iodine content, despite a lower osmolality in the nonionic agent. No contrast agent is innocuous when introduced into the lung.

Correction of Fanconi anemia type C phenotypic abnormalities using a clinically suitable retroviral vector infection protocol.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a complex autosomal recessive disease with hematologic manifestations characterized by a progressive hypoplastic anemia, hypersensitivity to clastogenic agents, and an increased incidence of acute myelogenous leukemia. The cDNA that corrects one of four FA complementation subtypes, named Fanconi anemia Type C (FAC) has recently been identified. We constructed a a simplified recombinant retrovirus (vMFGFAC) encoding only the FAC cDNA, and tested its ability to correct the FAC defect in a lymphocytic cell line and primary mobilized blood progenitor cells. In addition, the gene transfer efficiency using a clinically applicable gene transfer protocol into normal primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells, high proliferating potential colony forming cells (HPP-CFC), derived from CD34+ purified cord blood cells was examined. The gene transfer efficiency was significantly enhanced when cells were transduced with supernatant while adherent to a 30/35 KD fragment of fibronectin, FN30/35, and was similar to efficiency obtained by coculture with retrovirus packaging cells. Transduction of an FAC deficient lymphoid cell line with vMFGFAC supernatant resulted in an enhanced cell viability, and G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood cells from an FAC-deficient patient transduced with the vMFGFAC virus demonstrated enhanced progenitor cell colony formation. These data indicate that the vMFGFAC virus allows functional complementation of FAC in lymphoblasts and primary hematopoietic progenitors, and that primitive cord blood hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells can be transduced at an efficiency comparable to protocols using cocultivation if adherent to FN 30/35 fragment.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for copro-diagnosis of giardiasis and characterisation of a specific Giardia lamblia antigen in stools.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been evaluated for copro-diagnosis of giardiasis with anti-trophozoite antibody to capture specific Giardia lamblia stool antigen (GLSA), which was then detected by specific antibody conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. GLSA was demonstrated in stool eluates from all the 24 confirmed cases of giardiasis. None of the stool eluates from apparently healthy subjects or from patients carrying intestinal parasites other than G. lamblia had GLSA. Of the 25 microscopy-negative clinically suspected cases of giardiasis, 17 (68%) patients had GLSA in their stool eluates; these patients responded to anti-giardial therapy. The specific antigen was isolated and affinity-purified by the use of specific antibody; it had a Mr of 66 Kda, and its immunoreactivity was lost after treatment with heat or trypsin but unaltered by metaperiodate. ELISA seems to be a sensitive and specific method for copro-diagnosis of giardiasis, especially in highly suspected cases.

Uses and limitations of monoclonal antibodies to Giardia lamblia-specific 66-kDa copro-antigen in copro-immunodiagnosis of giardiasis.

Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of Giardia lamblia-specific antigen in stool eluates from clinical subjects employing monoclonal antibody directed at 66-kDa G. lamblia copro-antigen has been evaluated. The G. lamblia copro-antigen was detected in 67% (31 of the 46 cases) of stool eluates from clinical cases, while none of the stool eluates from subjects with other intestinal parasites or from apparently healthy individuals, had detectable levels of G. lamblia copro-antigen. Monoclonal antibodies secreted by clones B4C5 and D3F4 recognised the periodate-sensitive and -insensitive epitopes of 66-kDa G. lamblia specific copro-antigen, respectively. Eight (73%) of the 11 symptomatic cases of giardiasis had trypsin-/periodate-sensitive epitopes of 66-kDa copro-antigen while 9 (92%) of 11 of the symptomatic cases and asymptomatic G. lamblia cyst carriers had trypsin-sensitive periodate-insensitive G. lamblia specific copro-antigen. The data tend to suggest that detection of periodate-insensitive epitopes of G. lamblia copro-antigen would indicate the presence of the parasite while the detection of periodate sensitive epitopes of G. lamblia copro-antigen would suggest symptomatic active giardial infection.

Granulomatous angiitis masquerading as a mass lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging and stereotactic biopsy findings in a patient with occult Hodgkin's disease.

Granulomatous angiitis is a frequently fatal central nervous system vasculitis of unknown pathogenesis sporadically associated with Hodgkin's disease, mixed cellularity type. We describe a 58-year-old woman presenting with headaches, progressive spastic paraparesis, equivocal computed tomography findings, and magnetic resonance imaging findings of increased signal intensity biparietally on T2-weighted imaging in a relatively discrete pattern. Magnetic resonance imaging-directed serial stereotactic biopsies revealed granulomatous angiitis throughout the right parieto-occipital region and splenium. Simultaneous biopsy of an enlarged submandibular mass revealed Hodgkin's disease, lymphocyte-predominant type. This case shows that granulomatous angiitis may be associated with magnetic resonance imaging findings suggesting a mass lesion in lymphocyte-predominant as well as mixed cellularity Hodgkin's disease.

Lipid composition of intestinal brush border membrane in alloxan induced acute experimental diabetes.

Several alterations were observed in the rat intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) lipid composition after 7 days old alloxane-induced diabetes as compared to the control animals. There was no change in the total protein contents but a significant increase in the total lipid contents was observed. Glycolipids constituting the major lipid components showed a two-fold increase. No significant difference was observed in the total phospholipid contents. A significant decline in the free cholesterol (CH) level, free fatty acids, triglycerides and sialic acid contents was observed in membranes from diabetic rats. Esterified CH, monoglycerides+diglycerides, phosphatidyl serine+phosphatidyl inositol and phosphatidyl choline levels remained unaffected. A significant increase in sphingomyelin with a parallel decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine was observed in BBM preparations from diabetic rats. The observed changes in intestinal BBM might be responsible for altered functions of the diabetic intestines.

Circulo-respiratory efficiency in some agricultural work.

The cardio-respiratory performance of five subjects was studied in relation to two types of agricultural work, on germinating seedlings and threshing. Manual operations were compared with some simple implements. Transplanting of seedlings demanded 17.4 l/min (BTPS) pulmonary ventilation and 0.618 l/min (STPD) oxygen uptake. With the IRRI and the CRRI seeder, pulmonary ventilation and oxygen uptake were 41.9 and 39.6 l/min, and 1.910 and 1.638 l/min respectively. Pulse rate were 163 and 154 beats/min with the two seeders. The IRRI seeder required 4.1 man-hours per acre of land compared with 2.8 man-hours for the CRRI seeder. Manual threshing by beating demanded 28.1 l/min pulmonary ventilation and 0.920 l/min oxygen uptake and 135.8 pulse beats/min, the corresponding values in the case of pedal threshing were 41.2 and 1.310 l/min and 140.8 beats/min respectively. Pedal threshing is about 50% more efficient than manual threshing. However, static muscular activity is more reflected in pedal threshing than in threshing by beating.

Alterations in rat intestinal sucrase and alkaline phosphatase activities in alloxan induced experimental diabetes.

Rat intestines revealed a significant loss of proteins after seven days of alloxan induced diabetes. The data suggested the presence of two forms of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in normal rat intestines. Along with the loss of proteins from the intestines during diabetes, a form of ALP which appears to be loosely bound to the intestine is also flushed out. Total brush border membrane (BBM) proteins are relatively preserved from such leaching effect of alloxan induced diabetes. Thus, sucrase and another form of ALP which appears to be strongly bound to the BBM are flushed out at a slower rate as compared to the other intestinal proteins and loosely bound soluble ALP. BBM preparations from diabetic rat intestines showed lower ratios for BBM/intestinal homogenate sucrase or ALP activity/mg proteins as compared to the normal control rats. Such ratios, therefore, misdepict the purity as low for the BBM from diabetic rats which is merely because of the decreased contents of proteins in the intestinal homogenate during alloxan-induced acute experimental diabetes.

Oral health and menopause: a comprehensive review on current knowledge and associated dental management.

The menopause is physiological changes in women that give rise to adaptive changes at both systemic and oral level. As we all begin to reach an older age, dental health and hygiene becomes a major concern. The dentist is often the first person to appreciate numerous changes that are experienced throughout the body during menopause. The teeth and gums are extremely susceptible to any hormonal changes that take place just before menopause and readily decrease body's ability to fight off minor infections or maintain a healthy balance of useful and harmful bacteria within the oral environment. This review aimed to develop better understanding for major oro-dental complications observed in women during menopause, and schematic approach towards the different dental management protocols used during these periods. Various internets based popular search engines were used to explore related data from literature, which includes PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane, Google, Medknow, Ebsco, Science Direct, and IndMed. Upon compilation of relevant data, it was observed that periodontal health is most severely affected (up to 60%) followed by dry mouth (25%) and burning mouth (glossodynia; 15%) which, in turn, may increase the occurrence of oral mucosal and dental diseases, such as candidiasis. Though, the usage of hormone replacement therapy is effective but it does not necessarily prevent or help women with oral symptoms. Therefore, well controlled long-term randomized studies are needed to establish more authentic clinical guidelines for successful management of such conditions.

A roadmap for development of sustainable E-waste management system in India.

The problem of E-waste has forced Environmental agencies of many countries to innovate, develop and adopt environmentally sound options and strategies for E-waste management, with a view to mitigate and control the ever growing threat of E-waste to the environment and human health. E-waste management is given the top priority in many developed countries, but in rapid developing countries like India, it is difficult to completely adopt or replicate the E-waste management system in developed countries due to many country specific issues viz. socio-economic conditions, lack of infrastructure, absence of appropriate legislations for E-waste, approach and commitments of the concerned, etc. This paper presents a review and assessment of the E-waste management system of developed as well as developing countries with a special emphasis on Switzerland, which is the first country in the world to have established and implemented a formal E-waste management system and has recycled 11kg/capita of WEEE against the target of 4kg/capita set by EU. And based on the discussions of various approaches, laws, legislations, practices of different countries, a road map for the development of sustainable and effective E-waste management system in India for ensuring environment, as well as, occupational safety and health, is proposed.