Biological activities and metabolomic profiles of extracts from the marine sediment bacterium Nocardiopsis alba DP1B cultivated in different media.

The soil bacterium DP1B was isolated from a marine sediment collected off the coast of Randayan Island, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia and identified based on 16S rDNA as Nocardiopsis alba. The bacterium was cultivated in seven different media (A1, ISP1, ISP2, ISP4, PDB, PC-1, and SCB) with three different solvents [distilled water, 5% NaCl solution, artificial seawater (ASW)] combinations, shaken at 200 rpm, 30 °C, for 7 days. The culture broths were extracted with ethyl acetate and each extract was tested for its antimicrobial activity and brine shrimp lethality, and the chemical diversity was assessed using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The result showed that almost all extracts showed antibacterial but not antifungal activity, whereas their brine shrimp toxicity levels vary from high to low. The best medium/solvent combinations for antibacterial activity and toxicity were PC-1 (in either distilled water, 5% NaCl solution, or ASW) and SCB in ASW. Different chemical diversity profiles were observed on TLC, GC-MS, and LC-MS/MS. Extracts from the PC-1 cultures seem to contain a significant number of cyclic dipeptides, whereas those from the SCB cultures contain sesquiterpenes, indicating that media and solvent compositions can affect the secondary metabolite profiles of DP1B. In addition, untargeted metabolomic analyses using LC-MS/MS showed many molecular ions that did not match with those in the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) database, suggesting that DP1B has great potential as a source of new natural products.

Comparative Study between Paracervical Block and Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug for Relief of Pain during Manual Vacuum Aspiration Procedure.

The incidence of first trimester pregnancy loss is around 10.0-20.0% of registered pregnancies. Manual vacuum aspiration is a safe, effective and acceptable option of treatment for patients diagnosed with first trimester pregnancy loss. Main disadvantage of MVA is the pain caused by manipulation of the cervix, the uterine suction and the cervical dilatation. This study showed the way how the pain and discomfort might be reduced. This was a cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the obstetrics and Gynecological Department of Sadar hospital, Manikganj, Bangladesh from January 2017 to December 2017. All the consecutive women admitted and diagnosed as incomplete abortion, missed abortion and anembryonic pregnancy (blighted ovum) were included in this study. Sampling technique was purposive sampling. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of paracervical block anesthesia with non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug (NSAID) for relief of pain during the manual vacuum aspiration procedure for the treatment of first trimester pregnancy loss. Total 120 cases were included in this study. Assigned study population were divided into two groups like Group A and Group B. 60 of the study population were included in Group A who were given paracervical block anesthesia 3 minutes before the procedure. Another 60 study population was included in Group B who was given diclofenac 75mg intramuscular injection, 30 minutes before the procedure. Both intraoperative and postoperative pain level was evaluated by using visual analog scale ranged from (0-10 points) 30 minutes after the procedure. At the same time the satisfaction level of the study population were measured by 5 points lickert scale. Regarding clinical profile of the study population it showed no significant difference in case of mean age, mean gestational age and mean duration of the procedure between two groups. The mean intraoperative pain score in Group A was 4.0±1.3, in Group B it was 5.4±1.5 (p=0.001) which was significant. So it showed that paracervical block anesthesia significantly reduced the pain in relation to diclofenac 75mg intramuscular injection. Mean postoperative pain level 30 minutes after procedure in Group A was 2.2±0.4 and in Group B was 2.4±0.4 (p=0.343), where post-operative pain is lower in Group A than Group B. Though this difference is not statistically significant (p=0.343). In Group A 73.0% (n=44) and in Group B 43.0% (n=26) study population were agreed that the procedure was easy. Most common adverse effect was epigastric pain which was 1.7% (n=1) in Group A and 10.0% (n=7) in Group B. Paracervical block significantly reduces intraoperative pain during Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) procedure in the treatment of first trimester pregnancy loss in comparison to intramuscular injection of diclofenac. In conclusion it might be mentioned that regarding paracervical block anesthesia, efficacy is higher and side effects are less. Moreover paracervical block anesthesia is cost effective.

Effect of Meconium Staining Amniotic Fluid on Fetal Outcome.

Meconium-stained amniotic fluid is the passage of meconium by a fetus in utero during the antenatal period or in labour. It has for long been considered to be a bad predictor of fetal distress and meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). The objective of this study was to find out the fetal outcome of MSAF and clear amniotic fluid. This cross- sectional comparative study was carried out in Upazilla Health Complex, Palash, Narshingdi from July 2016 to June 2017. A total of 100 pregnant women among them 50 women with MSAF and 50 women with clear liquor were studied to see the record of ANC, mode of delivery and fetal outcome by APGAR score. Study showed that among MSAF group 76.0% (n=38) had irregular ANC and 24.0% (n=12) had regular ANC whereas in clear liquor 86.0% (n=43) had regular ANC 14.0% had irregular ANC. Among MSAF (50 cases) thick meconium was in 20 cases (40.0%) and thin meconium was in 30 cases (60.0%). Regarding mode of delivery 52.0% (n=26) MSAF cases had instrumental delivery and Caesarean section compared to 24.0% (n=12) in clear liquor group. Regarding thick MSAF among 40.0% (n=20), (n=14) had low APGAR score and (n=6) had normal score at one minute and (n=9) low APGAR score and (n=11) normal score at five minutes. In clear liquor, among 100.0% (n=50), 20.0% (n=10) had low APGAR score and 80.0% (n=40) had normal score at one-minute and at five minutes 8.0% (n=4) had low APGAR score and 92.0% (n=46) had normal score. Among MSAF 26.0% (n=13) were admitted to SCBU compare to 12.0% (n=6) in clear liquor group. The mean SCBU stay was 3.1 days in MSAF whereas 1.2 days in clear liquor. Among MSAF babies 4.0% (n=2) had MAS compared to no MAS in clear liquor group. Regarding Survivalist 92.0% (n=46) were alive in MSAF whereas 100.0% all (n=50) were alive in clear liquor group.

Evaluation of Benzguinols as Next-Generation Antibiotics for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infections.

Our recent focus on the "lost antibiotic" unguinol and related nidulin-family fungal natural products identified two semisynthetic derivatives, benzguinols A and B, with unexpected in vitro activity against Staphylococcus aureus isolates either susceptible or resistant to methicillin. Here, we show further activity of the benzguinols against methicillin-resistant isolates of the animal pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging 0.5-1 µg/mL. When combined with sub-inhibitory concentrations of colistin, the benzguinols demonstrated synergy against Gram-negative reference strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MICs of 1-2 µg/mL in the presence of colistin), whereas the benzguinols alone had no activity. Administration of three intraperitoneal (IP) doses of 20 mg/kg benzguinol A or B to mice did not result in any obvious adverse clinical or pathological evidence of acute toxicity. Importantly, mice that received three 20 mg/kg IP doses of benzguinol A or B at 4 h intervals exhibited significantly reduced bacterial loads and longer survival times than vehicle-only treated mice in a bioluminescent S. aureus murine sepsis challenge model. We conclude that the benzguinols are potential candidates for further development for specific treatment of serious bacterial infections as both stand-alone antibiotics and in combination with existing antibiotic classes.

Chlorinated metabolites from Streptomyces sp. highlight the role of biosynthetic mosaics and superclusters in the evolution of chemical diversity.

LCMS-guided screening of a library of biosynthetically talented bacteria and fungi identified Streptomyces sp. MST- as a prolific producer of chlorinated metabolites. We isolated and characterised six new and nine reported compounds from MST-, belonging to three discrete classes - the depsipeptide svetamycins, the indolocarbazole borregomycins and the aromatic polyketide anthrabenzoxocinones. Following genome sequencing of MST-, we describe, for the first time, the svetamycin biosynthetic gene cluster (sve), its mosaic structure and its relationship to several distantly related gene clusters. Our analysis of the sve cluster suggested that the reported stereostructures of the svetamycins may be incorrect. This was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, allowing us to formally revise the absolute configurations of svetamycins A-G. We also show that the borregomycins and anthrabenzoxocinones are encoded by a single supercluster (bab) implicating superclusters as potential nucleation points for the evolution of biosynthetic gene clusters. These clusters highlight how individual enzymes and functional subclusters can be co-opted during the formation of biosynthetic gene clusters, providing a rare insight into the poorly understood mechanisms underpinning the evolution of chemical diversity.

Preoperative Analysis of CA-I25 and its Relation with Histopathological Study in Ovarian Tumours.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the seventh most common cancer among women in the world. Epithelial OC is the most predominant pathological subtype, with five major histotype. All five subtypes that differ in origination, pathogenesis, molecular alterations, risk factors and prognosis. The clinical presentations of ovarian tumors are variable and not specific. Most of the malignant ovarian tumor seeks medical advice at advanced stage of the disease. At that stage no effective treatment could be possible. There are several researches are going on developing a screening test for ovarian cancer. But there hasn't been much success yet. Clinical examination such as complete pelvic examination together with two investigations is used most often to screen the ovarian cancer. These investigations are transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and the blood test CA-125. The measurement of CA-125 level usually in combination with other modalities like bimanual pelvic examination, transvaginal ultrasonography is the proposed modality of early detection of ovarian cancer. The most promising application of this tumor marker is the screening. Therefore this cross sectional and observational study was conducted to observe the relationship of histopathological diagnosis and clinical features with serum CA-125 levels. Study conducted from January 2017 to December 2017 at Sir Salimullah Medical College& Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. All admitted Gynecological patients having ovarian tumors during study period were included purposively for this study. Sample size was 50. Clinical features and preoperative findings of CA-125 level of these 50 patients were collected. Finally histopathological reports were accumulated after operative treatment. Gastrointestinal & constitutional complain, gynecologic mass and pain in abdomen were the selected symptoms. CA-125 levels were evaluated in relation with histopathological findings. The different findings were correlated with those of studies done at home and abroad. Mean age of the study population was (Mean±SD) 34.25±14.65. Histological findings among the study population showed that benign tumors were 72% (n=36) and malignant tumors were 28% (n=14). In case of benign ovarian tumors among 36 women, 94.4% (n=34) of them showed CA 125 level <35U/ml, other 5.6% (n=2) showed more than normal (>35U/ml) but range was 35-65U/ml. While 14 of the study population having histopathologically proven malignant ovarian tumor, showed the tumor marker level >35U/ml among 71.4% (n=10) and 28.6% (n=4) showed tumor marker <35U/ml. This finding was statistically significant (p=0.001). Histopathological findings revealed that there were significant increases in CA-125 levels in women with malignant serous histotype of serous cyst adenocarcinoma where range of CA-125 level were 2018.88 to 4249.63U/ml. Constitutional symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite, symptoms of mass effect such as urinary retention and rapidly progressing tumor were the symptoms of malignant ovarian tumors. Preoperative elevated level of CA-125 is the differentiating points of malignant serous histotype from benign ovarian tumors. This study will put forward some clues about the clinical diagnosis of ovarian tumor which may be utilized for making investigation and management plan. Also it will help for making prompt decision during pre-operative and per-operative procedures.

Semisynthesis and biological evaluation of a focused library of unguinol derivatives as next-generation antibiotics.

In this study, we report the semisynthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of thirty-four derivatives of the fungal depsidone antibiotic, unguinol. Initially, the semisynthetic modifications were focused on the two free hydroxy groups (3-OH and 8-OH), the three free aromatic positions (C-2, C-4 and C-7), the butenyl side chain and the depsidone ester linkage. Fifteen first-generation unguinol analogues were synthesised and screened against a panel of bacteria, fungi and mammalian cells to formulate a basic structure activity relationship (SAR) for the unguinol pharmacophore. Based on the SAR studies, we synthesised a further nineteen second-generation analogues, specifically aimed at improving the antibacterial potency of the pharmacophore. In vitro antibacterial activity testing of these compounds revealed that 3-O-(2-fluorobenzyl)unguinol and 3-O-(2,4-difluorobenzyl)unguinol showed potent activity against both methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 0.25-1 µg mL-1) and are promising candidates for further development in vivo.

Induction by Misoprostol In Case of Intra Uterine Fetal Death: A Cross Sectional Study.

The objective of this study was to find out the effectiveness and safety of vaginal misoprostol in delivering the dead fetus in cases of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD). This cross sectional study was undertaken among all consecutive patients admitted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from October 2012 to September 2013, were included for this study. Vaginal misoprostol was applied in 50 cases that were admitted and diagnosed as a case of IUFD. After taking informed written consent from patients 50µgm of tablet misoprostol was introduced per vaginally into the posterior fornix. Doses were repeated in every 4 hours up to effective contraction to a maximum 6 doses. Follow up was done in hourly interval. Those who did not respond, decision for other methods like oxytocin infusion or LUCS were done. Study showed 60% (n=30) patients belonged to age group of 18-24 years. Among study population 44% (n=22) of the patients belonged to 22-32 weeks of gestation, 30% (n=15) were 33-37 weeks and 26% (n=13) were 38-42 weeks. The causes of intrauterine death were unidentified among 60% (n=30) of cases. Regarding antenatal check up 54% (n=27) had no checkup, 26% (n=13) were irregular and 20% (n=10) were regular. 60% (n=30) of the patients had less Bishop Score <3. Ninety six percent (96%) (n=48) patients responded with vaginal misoprostol and only 4% (n=2) were non responder group. Most 84% (n=42) of the cases needed 2-3 doses, only 8% (n=4) cases needed single dose and 8% (n=4) cases needed 4 to 6 doses. The induction delivery interval varied from 6 to 23 hours and maximum 52% (n=26) of the patients delivered within 12 hours. Adverse effects such as uterine hyper stimulation, tachysystole were not detected. The major complications observed like postpartum hemorrhage 4% (n=2), reduced platelet count 2% (n=1), and chorioamnionitis 4% (n=2). However minor complications like nausea, shivering and mild fever also observed in few cases. Study showed successful induction of labor by misoprostol in a shorter time with significantly less side effects.

Scar Endometriosis - A Rare Entity: Case Series.

Endometriosis is a condition where there are functional endometrial glands and stroma in sites other than uterine mucosa. It is a unique condition which is benign but has a tendency of invasion and extension locally. Scar endometriosis is a rare entity where there is presence and proliferation of endometrial gland and stroma in the scar of the previous surgery. It is estimated to be only 0.03 to 0.15% of all cases of endometriosis. Because of its deceptive nature and lack of specific diagnostic tools, scar endometriosis is often difficult to diagnose. It is also a challenge for the clinicians as this condition is difficult to treat because it is nonresponsive to hormonal treatment and excision is often the only effective treatment. Here we present two cases of scar endometriosis that we have encountered in BIRDEM general hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh in last five years.

Genetic Diversity of Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior) Germplasm Revealed by ISSR and SSR Markers.

Fifty-seven accessions of torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) collected from seven states in Peninsular Malaysia were evaluated for their molecular characteristics using ISSR and SSR markers to assess the pattern of genetic diversity and association among the characteristics. Diversity study through molecular characterization showed that high variability existed among the 57 torch ginger accessions. ISSR and SSR molecular markers revealed the presence of high genetic variability among the torch ginger accessions. The combination of different molecular markers offered reliable and convincing information about the genetic diversity of torch ginger germplasm. This study found that SSR marker was more informative compared to ISSR marker in determination of gene diversity, polymorphic information content (PIC), and heterozygosity in this population. SSR also revealed high ability in evaluating diversity levels, genetic structure, and relationships of torch ginger due to their codominance and rich allelic diversity. High level of genetic diversity discovered by SSR markers showed the effectiveness of this marker to detect the polymorphism in this germplasm collection.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Bangladeshi Women towards Breast Cancer: A Cross Sectional Study.

In Bangladesh incidence rate of breast cancer was about 22.5 per 100000 females. Breast cancer has been reported as the highest prevalence rate (19.3 per 100,000) among Bangladeshi women between 15 and 44 years of age. For this prevailing situation a cross-sectional study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of community-dwelling women in Bangladesh towards breast cancer at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2013 to June 2014. All female participants attending at outpatient department of BSMMU having age more than 20 years and education at least JSC, purposively selected until the sample size achieved 500. Only applying simple cost free method like self breast examination (SBE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) one can asses her breast. Thereby awareness develops regarding her breast so any mass newly appear can be assessed by the lady herself. Early diagnosis of the breast cancer will reduce the burden of treatment cost, mortality & morbidity. Research and development strategy of the project is to enhance the awareness of the community people about breast cancer prevention. Mean age of the study population was 36.16 years. Regarding education nearly 30% (n=150) of them studied up to Junior School, 16% (n=80) respondents completed masters and above remaining in between. Regarding occupation, almost 60% (n=300) were house wife, 32% (n=160) were service holder and only 8% (n=40) of them were students. Knowledge about common female cancer 60% (n=300) were aware about the cervical cancer, 24% (n=120) mentioned breast cancer, 4% (n=20) mentioned ovarian cancer, and 12% (n=60) don't know anything regarding common women cancer. Knowledge about early symptoms of breast cancer, majority of the respondents 66% (n=330) were aware that mass in the breast is the main symptom, 2% (n=10) mentioned pain in breast, 32% (n=160) mentioned that they don't know anything regarding the early symptoms. About the cause of breast cancer 60% (n=300) mentioned that, they don't know anything regarding the cause of breast cancer, 36% (n=180) were aware that non lactation is a cause of breast cancer. About 4% (n=20) of the study population mentioned others, like due to some ones bad did cancer occur as punishment. Knowledge about risk factor of breast cancer, 65% (n=325) have no idea about the risk of breast cancer, 32% (n=160) mentioned few risk factors which have relation with breast cancer and 3% (n=15) did not mention anything. Regarding diagnosis of cancer breast 72% (n=360) mentioned they don't know anything, 16% (n=80) by doing ultra sonogram of breast, 6% (n=30) mentioned about Mammography and 6% (n=30) MRI & others. Regarding screening for prevention of breast cancer 60% (n=300) mentioned that they don't know anything regarding screening. Thirty percent (n=150) were aware that there is screening method but they are not aware specifically regarding this method and they also not aware that breast cancer is a preventable disease. 10% (n=50) were fully aware about screening method like CBE & SBE. About the cause of not seeking medical advice for prevention of Breast cancer, majority of the respondents 40% (n=200) mentioned expenditure problems, 32% (n=160) they don't have any knowledge about this type of medical advice, 8% (n=40) mentioned communication problems and 20% (n=100) others. Regarding Practice of CBE & SBE 68% (n=340) never practice CBE & SBE, 30% (n=150) occasionally practiced CBE & SBE. Only 2% (n=10) mentioned that they were regularly practicing CBE & SBE.

Improvement of Drought Tolerance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.): Genetics, Genomic Tools, and the WRKY Gene Family.

Drought tolerance is an important quantitative trait with multipart phenotypes that are often further complicated by plant phenology. Different types of environmental stresses, such as high irradiance, high temperatures, nutrient deficiencies, and toxicities, may challenge crops simultaneously; therefore, breeding for drought tolerance is very complicated. Interdisciplinary researchers have been attempting to dissect and comprehend the mechanisms of plant tolerance to drought stress using various methods; however, the limited success of molecular breeding and physiological approaches suggests that we rethink our strategies. Recent genetic techniques and genomics tools coupled with advances in breeding methodologies and precise phenotyping will likely reveal candidate genes and metabolic pathways underlying drought tolerance in crops. The WRKY transcription factors are involved in different biological processes in plant development. This zinc (Zn) finger protein family, particularly members that respond to and mediate stress responses, is exclusively found in plants. A total of 89 WRKY genes in japonica and 97 WRKY genes in O. nivara (OnWRKY) have been identified and mapped onto individual chromosomes. To increase the drought tolerance of rice (Oryza sativa L.), research programs should address the problem using a multidisciplinary strategy, including the interaction of plant phenology and multiple stresses, and the combination of drought tolerance traits with different genetic and genomics approaches, such as microarrays, quantitative trait loci (QTLs), WRKY gene family members with roles in drought tolerance, and transgenic crops. This review discusses the newest advances in plant physiology for the exact phenotyping of plant responses to drought to update methods of analysing drought tolerance in rice. Finally, based on the physiological/morphological and molecular mechanisms found in resistant parent lines, a strategy is suggested to select a particular environment and adapt suitable germplasm to that environment.

Expanding antibiotic chemical space around the nidulin pharmacophore.

Reinvestigating antibiotic scaffolds that were identified during the Golden Age of antibiotic discovery, but have long since been "forgotten", has proven to be an effective strategy for delivering next-generation antibiotics capable of combatting multidrug-resistant superbugs. In this study, we have revisited the trichloro-substituted depsidone, nidulin, as a selective and unexploited antibiotic lead produced by the fungus Aspergillus unguis. Manipulation of halide ion concentration proved to be a powerful tool for modulating secondary metabolite production and triggering quiescent pathways in A. unguis. Supplementation of the culture media with chloride resulted in a shift in co-metabolite profile to dichlorounguinols and nornidulin at the expense of the non-chlorinated parent, unguinol. Surprisingly, only marginal enhancement of nidulin was observed, suggesting O-methylation may be rate-limiting. Similarly, supplementation of the media with bromide led to the production of the corresponding bromo-analogues, but also resulted in a novel family of depsides, the unguidepsides. Unexpectedly, depletion of chloride from the media halted the biosynthesis of the non-chlorinated parent compound, unguinol, and redirected biosynthesis to a novel family of ring-opened analogues, the unguinolic acids. Supplementation of the media with a range of unnatural salicylic acids failed to yield the corresponding nidulin analogues, suggesting the compounds may be biosynthesised by a single polyketide synthase. In total, 12 new and 11 previously reported nidulin analogues were isolated, characterised and assayed for in vitro activity against a panel of bacteria, fungi and mammalian cells, providing a comprehensive structure-activity profile for the nidulin scaffold.

Surgical Management of Desmoid Tumor of the Female Pelvis: A Case Report.

A 25 years married women having one child delivered vaginaly presented in the department of Obs & Gynae, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Bangladesh on April 2013 with pelvic pain and discomfort. No history of previous pelvic trauma was present. Patient examination showed a isolated mass in the right lower abdomen, right adnexa, extending to the pelvic wall upto lower end of ureter. Tumor markers were within normal limit. Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) showed mild right hydroureter and hydronephrosis with obstruction at the lower end of ureter. She was diagnosed as a case of adnexal mass with mild hydroureter & mild hydronephrosis and it was decided to operate on the patient. The surgical approach was transabdominal. On laparotomy a pseudocystic lesion 12×10cm in size was found over the right paracolic gutter and extending down into the pelvis involving the right parametrium. No abnormality was found in the uterus or tubes. The histological examination revealed a desmoid tumor of the pelvis. The patient's recovery was uneventful.

Molecular markers: a potential resource for ginger genetic diversity studies.

Ginger is an economically important and valuable plant around the world. Ginger is used as a food, spice, condiment, medicine and ornament. There is available information on biochemical aspects of ginger, but few studies have been reported on its molecular aspects. The main objective of this review is to accumulate the available molecular marker information and its application in diverse ginger studies. This review article was prepared by combing material from published articles and our own research. Molecular markers allow the identification and characterization of plant genotypes through direct access to hereditary material. In crop species, molecular markers are applied in different aspects and are useful in breeding programs. In ginger, molecular markers are commonly used to identify genetic variation and classify the relatedness among varieties, accessions, and species. Consequently, it provides important input in determining resourceful management strategies for ginger improvement programs. Alternatively, a molecular marker could function as a harmonizing tool for documenting species. This review highlights the application of molecular markers (isozyme, RAPD, AFLP, SSR, ISSR and others such as RFLP, SCAR, NBS and SNP) in genetic diversity studies of ginger species. Some insights on the advantages of the markers are discussed. The detection of genetic variation among promising cultivars of ginger has significance for ginger improvement programs. This update of recent literature will help researchers and students select the appropriate molecular markers for ginger-related research.

Hypothyroidism and its Effect on Menstrual Pattern and Fertility.

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrine disorders encountered in clinical practice. Thyroid disorder is very common among the female. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hypothyroidism on menstrual pattern and sub-fertility. This cross-sectional comparative study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with collaboration of endocrine department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) from July 2006 to June 2008, cases were collected from the thyroid clinic of this hospital. Total study subject were 139, among them hypothyroid cases were 79 and euthyroid were 60. Among the hypothyroidism group 62.0% (n=49) had normal menstrual cycle, 21.5% (n=16) had oligomenorrhoea, 10.1% (n=8) had polymenorrhoea and 6.3% (n=6) had amenorrhoea. On the contrary in euthyroid group 86.7% (n=52) had normal menstrual cycle, 6.7% (n=4) had oligomenorrhoea, 5.0% (n=3) had polymenorrhoea and 1.7% (n=1) had amenorrhoea. Proportion of abnormal menstrual history was found to high among hypothyroid group almost 34% (n=27) compared to euthyroid group 13.4% (n=8) and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). The proportion of primary subfertility in hypothyroid 11.4% (n=9) whereas in euthyroid cases 1.7% (n=1) and secondary subfertility in hypothyroid 7.6% (n=6) where as in euthyroid cases 5.0% (n=3). So, sub-fertility was higher among hypothyroid group compared to euthyroid group but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Overall sub-fertility was 13.7% (n=10) and it was 6.7% (n=4) among the euthyroid group. Among total hypothyroid group 60.7% (n=48) are the overt hypothyroid and 39.20% (n=31) are the sub-clinical hypothyroid group. The effect of hypothyroidism is significant on menstrual pattern and on fertility. Hypothyroid women had more menstrual disorders and also suffering from sub-fertility.

Stability-indicating High-performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Simultaneous Determination of Aminophylline and Chlorpheniramine Maleate in Pharmaceutical Formulations.

The present work deals with the development and validation of method for simultaneous determination of antihistaminic drugs in pharmaceutical formulations. A precise, specific and accurate reverse phase-high-performance liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous measurement of aminophylline and chlorpheniramine maleate was developed. The separation of drugs was achieved on C-18 (5 µm, 250×4.6 mm) high-performance liquid chromatography column. The runtime for analysis was 10 min. Mobile phase is mixture containing dilute H2SO4:methanol (60:40% v/v) with flow rate adjusted at 1.5 ml/min. The detection of components was performed at a wavelength of 264 nm. Retention times of aminophylline and chlorphinramine maleate were found to be 2.00 and 3.25 min, respectively. Linearity was found in the range of 16-24 µg/ml for chlorpheniramine maleate and 102.4-153.6 µg/ml for aminophylline with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998 and 0.9996, respectively. High peak purity index of 99.99% indicated the complete separation of analytes in the presence of degradation products is justification of method stability. Linearity, accuracy, specificity, precision and robustness studies were performed for method validation.

Selective cholinesterase inhibitors from Buxus sempervirens L. and their molecular docking studies.

In this work, two alkaloids namely (+)-buxabenzamidienine (1) and (+)-buxamidine (2) were isolated from Buxus sempervirens, using bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation method. Their acetyl- (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities were studied and the compounds were found to be quite selective inhibitors of AChE. IC50 values of compound 1 for electric eel AChE and horse BChE were 0.787 and 7.68 mM, respectively; while the corresponding IC50 of compound 2 were 1.70 and 549.98 mM, respectively. Theoretical (quantum mechanical, homology modelling and docking) calculations were performed in order to explain their interactions with different AChE (electric eel and human) and BChE (horse and human). The x-ray crystal structures of electric eel AChE, human AChE, human BChE and a model of horse BChE constructed by homology with human BChE were used for docking of compounds 1 and 2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the compounds were performed at the B3LYP/6- 31G** level using the program Spartan™, and their HOMO and LUMO energy levels were calculated. Docking studies exhibited that compound 1 interacts with the acyl-binding pocket of the active site gorge of huAChE, and including several other hydrophobic interactions.

Bond-based 2D quadratic fingerprints in QSAR studies: virtual and in vitro tyrosinase inhibitory activity elucidation.

In this report, we show the results of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies of tyrosinase inhibitory activity, by using the bond-based quadratic indices as molecular descriptors (MDs) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), to generate discriminant functions to predict the anti-tyrosinase activity. The best two models [Eqs (6) and (12)] out of the total 12 QSAR models developed here show accuracies of 93.51% and 91.21%, as well as high Matthews correlation coefficients (C) of 0.86 and 0.82, respectively, in the training set. The validation external series depicts values of 90.00% and 89.44% for these best two equations (6) and (12), respectively. Afterwards, a second external prediction data are used to perform a virtual screening of compounds reported in the literature as active (tyrosinase inhibitors). In a final step, a series of lignans is analysed using the in silico-developed models, and in vitro corroboration of the activity is carried out. An issue of great importance to remark here is that all compounds present greater inhibition values than Kojic acid (standard tyrosinase inhibitor: IC50 = 16.67 µm). The current obtained results could be used as a framework to increase the speed, in the biosilico discovery of leads for the treatment of skin disorders.

Injury to the proximal deep medial collateral ligament: a problematical subgroup of injuries.

Most injuries to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) heal well after conservative treatment. We have identified a subgroup of injuries to the deep portion of the MCL which is refractory to conservative treatment and causes persistant symptoms. They usually occur in high-level football players and may require surgical repair. We describe a consecutive series of 17 men with a mean age of 29 years (18 to 44) who were all engaged in high levels of sport. Following a minor injury to the MCL there was persistent tenderness at the site of the proximal attachment of the deep MCL. It could be precipitated by rapid external rotation at the knee by clinical testing or during sport. The mean time from injury to presentation was 23.6 weeks (10 to 79) and none of the patients had responded to conservative treatment. The surgical finding was a failure of healing of a tear of the deep MCL at its femoral origin which could be repaired. After a period of postoperative protective bracing and subsequent rehabilitation the outcome was good. All the patients returned to their sports and remained asymptomatic at a mean of 48 weeks (28 to 60) post-operatively. Recognition of this subgroup is important since the clinical features, the course of recovery and surgical requirement differ from those of most injuries to the MCL.