Molecular and Physiological Evaluation of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes for Stay Green under Drought Stress.

Water availability is considered as the main limiting factor of wheat growth illuminating the need of cultivars best adapted to drought situations for better wheat production and yield. Among these, the stay-green trait is thought to be related to the ability of wheat plants to maintain photosynthesis and CO2 assimilation, and a detailed molecular understanding of this trait may help in the selection of high-yielding, drought-tolerant wheats. The current study, therefore, evaluated the physiological responses of the selected wheat genotypes under pot-induced water stress conditions through different field capacities. The study also focused on exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in drought tolerance conferred due to the stay-green trait by studying the expression pattern of the selected PSI-associated light-harvesting complex I (LHC1) and PSII-associated LHCII gene families related to pigment-binding proteins. The results revealed that the studied traits, including relative water content, membrane stability index and chlorophyll, were variably and negatively affected, while the proline content was positively enhanced in the studied wheats under water stress treatments. Molecular diagnosis of the selected wheat genotypes using the expression profile of 06 genes, viz. TaLhca1, TaLhca2, TaLhca3, TaLhcb1, TaLhcb4 and TaLhcb6 that encodes for the LHCI and LHCII proteins, indicated variable responses to different levels of drought stress. The results obtained showed the relation between the genotypes and the severity of the drought stress condition. Among the studied genotypes, Chirya-1 and SD-28 performed well with a higher level of gene expression under drought stress conditions and may be used in genetic crosses to enrich the genetic background of common wheat against drought stress.

C-Reactive Protein and High-Sensitive Cardiac Troponins Correlate with Oxidative Stress in Valvular Heart Disease Patients.

Background: Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a major contributor to loss of physical function and longevity. Oxidative stress is one of the key causative factors involved in heart disease including VHD. Here, we aimed to illuminate the role and relation of oxidative stress to the VHD risk markers in the human population. Materials and Methods: 150 VHD patients and 103 healthy individuals as control were selected for the study and were divided into three groups: the aortic valve, mitral valve, and combined disease based on valvular calcification. Results: Our results demonstrated enhanced oxidative stress in the VHD condition, as we found elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the serum, supported by an increased level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) in the cardiac valvular tissues of the VHD patients. In contrast, we experienced declined antioxidants including Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) activities. Concurrently, increasing levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) were detected in the aortic, mitral, and combined disease condition, suggesting a key association of oxidative stress to VHD conditions. Furthermore, regression analysis validated a key association between the impairment of the redox system (ROS and antioxidant enzyme activities) and VHD condition. Conclusion: Taken together, dysregulated oxidative stress contributes to the progression of VHD via positively correlating with CRP, hs-TnI, and hs-TnT level.

Ionic-Liquid-Stabilized TiO2 Nanostructures: A Platform for Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) acts as a signaling molecule to direct different biological processes. However, its excess amount results in oxidative stress, which causes the onset of different types of cancers. TiO2 nanostructure was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The prepared material was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, EDX, TGA, and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the formation of nanostructured material. Subsequently, the prepared nanoparticles (NPs) were capped with 1-H-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquid (IL) to achieve its deagglomeration and functionalization. A new colorimetric sensing probe was prepared for the detection of H2O2 based on ionic liquid-capped TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2/IL) and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) dye, which acts as an oxidative chromogenic substrate. H2O2 reacts with TMB, in the presence of ionic liquid-coated TiO2 NPs, to form a blue-green product. The color was visualized with the naked eye, and the colorimetric change was confirmed by a UV-vis spectrophotometer. To obtain the best response of the synthesized sensor, different parameters (time, pH, concentrations, loading of nanomaterials) were optimized. It showed a low limit of detection 8.61 × 10-8 M, a high sensitivity of 2.86 × 10-7 M, and a wide linear range of 1 × 10-9-3.6 × 10-7 M, with a regression coefficient (R 2) value of 0.999. The proposed sensor showed a short incubation time of 4 min. The sensing probe did not show any interference from the coexisting species. The TiO2/IL sensor was effectively used for finding H2O2 in the urine samples of cancer patients.

In-vitro propagation and phytochemical profiling of a highly medicinal and endemic plant species of the Himalayan region (Saussurea costus).

Efficient protocols for callus induction and micro propagation of Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch were developed and phytochemical diversity of wild and in-vitro propagated material was investigated. Brown and red compact callus was formed with frequency of 80-95%, 78-90%, 70-95% and 65-80% from seeds, leaf, petiole and root explants, respectively. MS media supplemented with BAP (2.0 mgL-1), NAA (1.0 mgL-1) and GA3 (0.25 mgL-1) best suited for multiple shoot buds initiation (82%), while maximum shoot length was formed on media with BAP (1.5 mgL-1), NAA (0.25 mgL-1) and Kinetin (0.5 mgL-1). Full strength media with IAA (0.5 mgL-1) along with IBA (0.5 mgL-1) resulted in early roots initiation. Similarly, maximum rooting (87.57%) and lateral roots formation (up to 6.76) was recorded on full strength media supplemented with BAP (0.5 mgL-1), IAA (0.5 mgL-1) and IBA (0.5 mgL-1). Survival rate of acclimatized plantlets in autoclaved garden soil, farmyard soil, and sand (2:1:1) was 87%. Phytochemical analysis revealed variations in biochemical contents i.e. maximum sugar (808.32 µM/ml), proline (48.14 mg/g), ascorbic acid (373.801 mM/g) and phenolic compounds (642.72 mgL-1) were recorded from callus cultured on different stress media. Nonetheless, highest flavenoids (59.892 mg/g) and anthocyanin contents (32.39 mg/kg) were observed in in-vitro propagated plants. GC-MS analysis of the callus ethyl acetate extracts revealed 24 different phytochemicals. The variability in secondary metabolites of both wild and propagated plants/callus is reported for the first time for this species. This study may provide a baseline for the conservation and sustainable utilization of S. costus with implications for isolation of unique and pharmacologically active compounds from callus or regenerated plantlets.

Study of Proton Transport in Diethylmethylammonium Poly[4-styrenesulfonyl(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide]-Based Composite Membranes with Triflic Acid and Diethylmethylamine-Rich Compositions.

The study highlights the effect of acid- and base-rich conditions on the proton dynamics of diethylmethylammonium poly[4-styrenesulfonyl(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [DEMA][PSTFSI], a polymerized protic ionic liquid designed as a polymer electrolyte for nonhumidified polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Different proportions of triflic acid (HTf) and diethylmethylamine (DEMA) were added to the pristine polymer. The thermal analysis of the mixtures revealed that the addition of the base increases the glassy/amorphous nature of the polymer; however, HTf plasticizes the polymer and lowers the Tg value, so that it falls outside of the differential scanning calorimetry-studied temperature range. 50 mol % doping of the HTf contents increases the conductivity upto 0.952 mS cm-1, and 50 mol % DEMA mixture has a conductivity of 0.169 mS cm-1 at 100 °C. Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher fitting of the ionic conductivities of the doped systems suggested that the ionic conductivities are completely decoupled from segmental motion of the polymer. A combination of Fourier transform infrared and static NMR studies demonstrated that HTf-added polymer composites show conduction via Grotthuss and vehicular mechanisms, while DEMA-added polymer composites show predominantly a Grotthuss mechanism by developing the aggregates of proton and added base.

Cardiac hypertrophic risk markers of left ventricle and left atrium in chronic heart failure due to aortic and mitral valve disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic valvular heart disease leads to systolic dysfunction and left atrial enlargement that ultimately results in heart failure. PURPOSE: To investigate prognostic importance of Echocardiography and plasma natriuretic peptide levels that increase as a compensatory response and can be used as predictive markers for cardiac hypertrophy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The patients were divided into three groups: 51 with left ventricle hypertrophy due to aortic valve disease; 126 with left atrial enlargement due to mitral valve dysfunction; and 76 with both conditions. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma levels were measured in all three respective groups showing dilated cardiomyopathy. RESULTS: The mean left ventricular end-diastolic dimension at 64.3 ± 1.6 mm (P < 0.00) and left atrial dimension at 58.3 ± 3.7 mm (P < 0.00) were significantly high. However, patients with both conditions showed significantly high values for left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (63.3 ± 3 mm, P < 0.00) and left atrial dimension (54.9 ± 4 mm, P < 0.00) when compared with controls. A significant positive correlation was found between plasma natriuretic peptides levels and dilated cardiomyopathy. The mean values of ANP were 173 ± 46.6 pg/mL (P < 0.00), 140.4 ± 42.4 pg/mL (P < 0.00), and 295.1 ± 67.5 pg/mL (P < 0.00), significantly high in all three respective disease groups. The levels of BNP were also significantly high at 189 ± 44.5 pg/mL (P < 0.00), 166.6 ± 36.6 pg/mL (P < 0.00), and 323 ± 69.1 pg/mL (P < 0.00) in the disease groups with left ventricular hypertrophy, left atrial enlargement, and the disease group showing both characteristics, respectively. CONCLUSION: Significant positive associations were found between left ventricle hypertrophy and left atrial enlargement with ANP and BNP.

In Silico, Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Potential of Novel Ester, 3-hydroxyoctyl -5- trans-docosenoate Isolated from Anchusa arvensis (L.) M.Bieb. Against HepG-2 Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the chronic health conditions worldwide. Various therapeutically active compounds from medicinal plants were the current focus of this research in order to uncover a treatment regimen for cancer. Anchusa arvensis (A. anchusa) (L.) M.Bieb. contains many biologically active compounds. METHODS: In the current study, new ester 3-hydroxyoctyl -5- trans-docosenoate (compound-1) was isolated from the chloroform soluble fraction of A. anchusa using column chromatography. Using MTT assay, the anticancer effect of the compound was determined in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG-2) compared with normal epithelial cell line (Vero). DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays were performed to assess the antioxidant potential. The Molecular Operating Environment (MOE-2016) tool was used against tyrosine kinase. RESULTS: The structure of the compound was elucidated based on IR, EI, and NMR spectroscopy technique. It exhibited a considerable cytotoxic effect against HepG-2 cell lines with IC50 value of 6.50 ± 0.70 µg/mL in comparison to positive control (doxorubicin) which showed IC50 value of 1.3±0.21 µg/mL. The compound did not show a cytotoxic effect against normal epithelial cell line (Vero). The compound also exhibited significant DPHH scavenging ability with IC50 value of 12 ± 0.80 µg/mL, whereas ascorbic acid, used as positive control, demonstrated activity with IC50 = 05 ± 0.15 µg/mL. Similarly, it showed ABTS radical scavenging ability (IC50 = 130 ± 0.20 µg/mL) compared with the value obtained for ascorbic acid (06 ± 0.85 µg/mL). In docking studies using MOE-2016 tool, it was observed that compound-1 was highly bound to tyrosine kinase by having two hydrogen bonds at the hinge region. This good bonding network by the compound might be one of the reasons for showing significant activity against this enzyme. CONCLUSION: Our findings led to the isolation of a new compound from A. anchusa which has significant cytotoxic activity against HepG-2 cell lines with marked antioxidant potential.

Exploring threatened traditional knowledge; ethnomedicinal studies of rare endemic flora from Lesser Himalayan region of Pakistan

ABSTRACT Himalayas are one among the world biodiversity hotspots harboring many endemic medicinal plants. Despite augmentation in the documentation of ethnopharmacological knowledge of medicinal plant species, information regarding endemic species is still underway. Current paper highlights the traditional medicinal uses of rare endemic and unexplored group of plants having potential for novel chemical constituents with effective pharmacological activities. In total, 142 informants (91 male and 51 female) including seventeen traditional healers were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire, personal observations and group discussions. Interviews were taken in field or otherwise photographs were shown for identification. Females were interviewed indirectly through male family members. For data analysis, quantitative analytical approach was adopted using ethnopharmacological indices as Relative frequency of citations and Fidelity Level. In total, 38 endemic plant species belonging to nineteen families were utilized by the local inhabitants. Highest number of endemics was belonging to Ranunculaceae (7), followed by Gentianaceae and Rosaceae (4 each) with respect to number of species. Highest number of endemics was used in fever, wound healing, throat infection and tonic (4 species each). Root was the most widely used part (36.17%) in cure of diseases and the leading mode administered was decoction (25.49%). Highest use reports and RFC values were recorded for Pimpinella stewartii (58 citations, 0.41 RFC), Caltha alba var. alba (52 citations, 0.37 RFC). Endemic plant species considerably contribute toward ethnomedicinal knowledge and despite rarity, the communities prefer their utilization. Conservation of endemics is necessary for future availability to the local communities.

Cytotoxicity of Anchusa arvensis Against HepG-2 Cell Lines: Mechanistic and Computational Approaches.

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is a devastating cancer with increasing incidence and mortality rates worldwide. Plants possess numerous therapeutic properties, therefore the search for novel, naturally occurring cytotoxic compounds is urgently needed. METHODS: The anticancer activity of plant extracts and isolated compounds from Anchusa arvensis (A. arvensis) were studied against the cell culture of HepG-2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines) using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-yl)-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was investigated by performing Acridine orange -ethidium bromide staining, styox green assay and DNA interaction study. We also used tools for computational chemistry studies of isolated compounds with the tyrosine kinase. RESULTS: In MTT assay, the crude extract caused a significant cytotoxic effect with IC50 of 34.14 ± 0.9 µg/ml against HepG-2 cell lines. Upon fractionation, chloroform fraction (Aa.Chm) exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity with IC50 6.55 ± 1.2 µg/ml followed by ethyl acetate (Aa.Et) fraction (IC50, 24.59 ± 0.85 µg/ml) and n-hexane (Aa.Hex) fraction (IC50 29.53 ± 1.5µg/ml). However, the aqueous (Aa.Aq) fraction did not show any anti-proliferative activity. Bioactivity-guided isolation led to the isolation of two compounds which were characterized as para-methoxycatechol (1) and decane (2) through various spectroscopic techniques. Against HepG-2 cells, compound 1 showed marked potency with IC50 6.03 ± 0.75 µg/ml followed by 2 with IC50 18.52 ± 1.9 µg/ml. DMSO was used as a negative control and doxorubicin as a reference standard (IC50 1.3 ± 0.21 µg/ml). It was observed that compounds 1-2 caused apoptotic cell death evaluated by Acridine orange -ethidium bromide staining, styox green assay and DNA interaction study, therefore both compounds were tested for molecular docking studies against tyrosine kinase to support cytotoxic activity. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the plant extracts and isolated compounds possess promising antiproliferative activity against HepG-2 cell lines via apoptotic cell death.

ß-Sitosterol from Ifloga spicata (Forssk.) Sch. Bip. as potential anti-leishmanial agent against leishmania tropica: Docking and molecular insights.

The current study was aimed to evaluate the anti-leishmanial potentials of ß-sitosterol isolated from Ifloga spicata. The anti-leishmanial potential of ß-sitosterol is well documented against Leishmania donovani and Leishmania amazonensis but unexplored against Leishmania tropica. Structure of the compound was elucidated by FT-IR, mass spectrometry and multinuclear (1H and 13C) magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The compound was evaluated for its anti-leishmanial potentials against L. tropica KWH23 using in vitro anti-promastigote, DNA interaction, apoptosis, docking studies against leishmanolysin (GP63) and trypanothione reductase (TR) receptors using MOE 2016 software. ß-sitosterol exhibited significant activity against leishmania promastigotes with IC50 values of 9.2 ±â€¯0.06 µg/mL. The standard drug glucantaime showed IC50 of 5.33 ±â€¯0.07 µg/mL. Further mechanistic studies including DNA targeting and apoptosis induction via acridine orange assay exhibited promising anti-leishmanial potentials for ß-sitosterol. Molecular docking with leishmanolysin (GP63) and trypanothione reductase (TR) receptors displayed the binding scores of ß-sitosterol with targets TR and GP63 were -7.659 and -6.966 respectively. The low binding energies -61.54 (for TR) and -33.24 (for GP63) indicate that it strongly bind to the active sites of target receptors. The results confirmed that ß-sitosterol have considerable anti-leishmanial potentials and need further studies as potential natural anti-leishmanial agent against L. tropica.

Colonoscopy Findings: A Single Institution Study from Pakistan.

Introduction Colonoscopy is a diagnostic procedure used not only for screening and assessment but also for therapeutic management of various diseases such as removal of polyps, flat lesions, etc. In this study, we determine various outcomes of colonoscopy done in the gastroenterology unit of Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Pakistan. Methods and Materials This retrospective cross-sectional review was carried out at the colonoscopy unit of Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Sukkur, Pakistan. Data was gathered from medical records of patients and by calling their physicians if necessary from July 1 to December 31, 2018.  Results In our study, the most common site for colonoscopy was a rectosigmoid colon (37.85%, n=134), almost parallel to the anal canal (37.57%, n=133). Normal colonoscopy was reported in 25.42% (n=90). The most common pathology was hemorrhoids (32.48%, n=115), followed by ulcers (17.79%, n=63). Conclusion Colonoscopic detection of hemorrhoids was the most common finding in colonoscopy. Normal colonoscopy was less compared to other literature, suggesting physicians are carefully screening patients in advising colonoscopies.

Heavy metals content, phytochemical composition, antimicrobial and insecticidal evaluation of Elaeagnus angustifolia.

Elaeagnus angustifolia was analyzed for determination of metals, phytoconstituents, bactericidal, fungicidal and insecticidal effects and to explore its chemical and biological potential. The root, branches, leaves, stem bark and root bark parts of E. angustifolia were found to contain iron, lead, copper, cadmium, zinc, chromium, nickel and cobalt in different concentrations. Crude extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia (Ea.Cr) was tested positive for the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins. Ea.Cr and its fractions, n-hexane (Ea.Hex), ethyl acetate (Ea.EtAc) and aqueous (Ea.Aq) showed bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, while against Pseudomonas aeruginosa only Ea.Hex and Ea.EtAc were effective. When tested for antifungal effect, Ea.Cr exhibited fungicidal action against Aspergillus fumagatus, Ea.EtAc and Ea.Aq against Aspergillus flavis and Ea.EtAc against Aspergillus niger. Ea.Hex was active against all three fungal strains. The chloroform fraction (Ea.CHCl3) was found inactive against the used microbes. Ea.Cr, Ea.Hex, Ea.CHCl3, Ea.EtAc and Ea.Aq caused mortality of Tribolium castaneum and Ephestia cautella insects observed after 24 and 48 h of treatment. These data indicate that E. angustifolia exhibits different heavy metals and compound groups. Methanolic extract of E. angustifolia and its various fractions possess antibacterial, antifungal and insecticidal activities, which elucidate medicinal application of the plant.

1,1-Diphenyl,2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging, bactericidal, fungicidal and leishmanicidal properties of Teucrium stocksianum.

In the present study, we evaluated the pharmacological and toxicological effects of Teucrium stocksianum. The crude extract of T. stocksianum (Ts.Cr) and its subsequent organic fractions: n-hexane (Ts.Hex), chloroform (Ts.CHCl3) and ethyl acetate (Ts.EtAc) exhibited 1,1-diphenyl,2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity with different potencies. Ts.EtAc was found to be most potent. Ts.Cr, Ts.Hex, Ts.CHCl3 and Ts.EtAc showed significant bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri and Bacillus subtilis at their extent. Ts.Cr, Ts.Hex, Ts.CHCl3 and Ts.EtAc displayed fungicidal action against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium solani at various minimum inhibitory concentrations. Ts.Cr and Ts.EtAc exhibited marked inhibition of Leishmania tropica growth, observed after 48 and 96 hrs of treatment. These data indicate that the T. stocksianum methanolic extract and its resultant fractions possess antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and antileishmanial activities. Thus, the present research unearths the scientific base for T. stocksianum medicinal application as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.

Cytotoxic and phytotoxic actions of Heliotropium strigosum.

This study describes the cytotoxic and phytotoxic activities of the crude extract of Heliotropium strigosum and its resultant fractions. In brine shrimp toxicology assays, profound cytotoxicity was displayed by ethyl acetate (LD50 8.3 µg/ml) and chloroform (LD50 8.8 µg/ml) fractions, followed by relatively weak crude methanolic extract of H. strigosum (LD50 909 µg/ml) and n-hexane fraction (LD50 1000 µg/ml). In case of phytotoxicity activity against Lemna acquinoctialis, highest phytotoxic effect was showed by ethyl acetate fraction (LD50 91.0 µg/ml), while chloroform fraction, plant crude extract and n-hexane, respectively, caused 50%, 30.76 ± 1.1% and 30.7 ± 1.1% inhibitory action at maximum concentration used, that is, 1000 µg/ml. These data indicates that H. strigosum exhibits cytotoxic and phytotoxic potential, which explore its use as anticancer and herbicidal medicine. The ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions were more potent for the evaluated toxicity effects, thus recommended for isolation and identification of the active compounds.

Giant intraabdominal endometrial cyst.

Endometriosis is the condition where endometrium gets implanted and flourishes outside the uterine cavity, most commonly in ovary and on the peritoneum which lines the abdominal cavity and viscera. Endometrial cells in areas outside the uterus are influenced by hormonal changes and respond in a way similar to the endometrium inside the uterus. Symptoms often worsen with the menstrual cycle. We present a case of 50 years old female who presented with gross abdominal distension and abdominal pain over years. CT scan showed a huge intraabdominal cyst of unknown origin which was compressing adjacent structures. Patient underwent a high risk operation and whole cyst weighing 214 kg (471 lbs) was removed along with both ovaries and uterus. Histopathologically, it was reported as endometrial cyst.

Royleanumin, a new phytotoxic neo-clarodane diterpenoid from Teucrium royleanum.

Here we report the isolation and structure elucidation of a new phytotoxic neo-clerodane diterpenoid, royleanumin (1), along with known constituents, ursolic acid and beta-amyrin. Its structure was deduced by spectral studies including NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometric techniques and by the comparison with reported data. The compound was assayed for its phytotoxicity against lettuce seedlings. Royleanumin (1) exhibit strong activity and can be proposed as lead chemical for the development of a new environmentally friendly herbicide.

Antitussive and toxicological evaluation of Vitex negundo.

Vitex negundo Linn. (Verbenaceae) is used in traditional medical system for respiratory disorders. This study was carried out to investigate its cough-relieving potential. The antitussive effect of the butanolic extract of V. negundo (Vn) on sulphur dioxide (SO(2))-induced cough was examined in mice. Safety profile of Vn was carried out by observing acute neurotoxicity, median lethal dose (LD(50)) and behavioural signs. Vn dose-dependently (250-1000 mg kg(-1)) inhibited the cough provoked by SO(2) gas in mice and exhibited maximum protection after 60 min of administration. At 1000 mg kg(-1), Vn caused maximum cough-suppressive effects i.e. cough inhibition at 60 min was 67.4%, as compared to codeine (10 mg kg(-1)), dextromethorphan (10 mg kg(-1)) and saline having cough-inhibitory potential 75.7%, 74.7% and 0%, respectively. LD(50) value of V. negundo was found to be greater than 5000 mg kg(-1). In toxicity tests, no signs of neural impairment and acute behavioural toxicity were observed at antitussive doses and extract has been well tolerated at higher doses. These results indicate that V. negundo exhibits antitussive effect and it was found devoid of toxicity.

Toward high-throughput, multicriteria protein-structure comparison and analysis.

Protein-structure comparison (PSC) is an essential component of biomedical research as it impacts on, e.g., drug design, molecular docking, protein folding and structure prediction algorithms as well as being essential to the assessment of these predictions. Each of these applications, as well as many others where molecular comparison plays an important role, requires a different notion of similarity that naturally lead to the multicriteria PSC (MC-PSC) problem. Protein (Structure) Comparison, Knowledge, Similarity, and Information (ProCKSI) (www.procksi.org) provides algorithmic solutions for the MC-PSC problem by means of an enhanced structural comparison that relies on the principled application of information fusion to similarity assessments derived from multiple comparison methods. Current MC-PSC works well for moderately sized datasets and it is time consuming as it provides public service to multiple users. Many of the structural bioinformatics applications mentioned above would benefit from the ability to perform, for a dedicated user, thousands or tens of thousands of comparisons through multiple methods in real time, a capacity beyond our current technology. In this paper, we take a key step into that direction by means of a high-throughput distributed reimplementation of ProCKSI for very large datasets. The core of the proposed framework lies in the design of an innovative distributed algorithm that runs on each compute node in a cluster/grid environment to perform structure comparison of a given subset of input structures using some of the most popular PSC methods [e.g., universal similarity metric (USM), maximum contact map overlap (MaxCMO), fast alignment and search tool (FAST), distance alignment (DaliLite), combinatorial extension (CE), template modeling alignment (TMAlign)]. We follow this with a procedure of distributed consensus building. Thus, the new algorithms proposed here achieve ProCKSI's similarity assessment quality but with a fraction of the time required by it. Our results show that the proposed distributed method can be used efficiently to compare: 1) a particular protein against a very large protein structures dataset (target-against-all comparison), and 2) a particular very large-scale dataset against itself or against another very large-scale dataset (all-against-all comparison). We conclude the paper by enumerating some of the outstanding challenges for real-time MC-PSC.

Role of simplified admission criteria for predicting severe complications of gall stone pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Gallstone Pancreatitis (GP) is not an uncommon disease in our country and is associated with large number of morbidity and mortality especially if severe complications develop. Different criteria have been developed to predict the complications of GP. Simple admission criteria are better predictors of severe complications of GP than an APACHE II score of 5 or greater, a modified Imrie (Glasgow) score of 3 or greater, and a Biliary Ranson score of 3 or greater. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of simplified admission criteria in predicting severe complications of Gallstone Pancreatitis. METHODS: This was a descriptive study conducted in Surgical 'A' Unit, Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar between July 16th 2007 to November 30th 2008. Total 52 patients (42 women and 10 men, aged range from 18 to 76 years, with mean age, 39 years) who presented to our unit with gallstone pancreatitis were included in the study through technique of non-probability convenient sampling. The main outcome measures were major local and systemic complications requiring intensive care unit care, and death. Physiological factors and laboratory data were collected on admission and recorded daily. RESULTS: Seven patients (14%) had severe complications with mortality of 2%. On univariate analysis, a white blood cell count of 14500/dL or more (p = 0.03), a serum glucose level of or more > or = 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) (p < 0.001), an APACHE II score of 5 or greater (p = 0.008), a modified Imrie score of 3 or greater (p < 0.001), and a biliary Ranson score of 3 or greater (p = 0.03) were statistically associated with the development of severe complications. On multivariate analysis, only a serum glucose level of > or = 150 mg/dL or more (8.3 mmol/L) was predictive of adverse events (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Glucose level (> or = 150 mg/dL) is the best single admission predictor of severe complications of Gallstone Pancreatitis and is superior to an APACHE II score of 5 or greater, a modified Imrie score of 3 or greater, and a biliary Ranson score of 3 or greater.