Extended far-ultraviolet emission in distant dwarf galaxies.

Blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies are low-luminosity (absolute K-band magnitude, MK > -21 mag)1, metal-poor (1/50 ≤ Z/Z⊙ ≤ 1/2, where Z is the metallicity in terms of the solar metallicity Z⊙)2, centrally concentrated3 galaxies with bright clumps of star formation4. Cosmological surface-brightness dimming5 and the small size of BCDs limit their detection at high redshifts, making their formation process difficult to observe. Observations of BCDs are needed at intermediate redshifts, where they are still young enough to show their formative stages, particularly in the outer regions where cosmic gas accretion should drive evolution. Here we report the observation of excess far-ultraviolet (FUV) emission in the outer regions of 11 BCDs in the GOODS South field at redshifts between 0.1 and 0.24, corresponding to look-back times of 1.3-2.8 billion years in standard cosmology. These observations were made by the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope6 on AstroSat7. For ten BCDs, the radial profiles of the intrinsic FUV emission, corrected for the instrument point spread function, have larger scale lengths than their optical counterparts observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. Such shallow FUV profiles suggest extended star formation in cosmically accreting disks. Clumpy structure in the FUV also suggests that the outer FUV disks are gravitationally unstable. Dynamical friction on the clumps drives them inwards at an average rate exceeding 106 solar masses per billion years.

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of buccal mucosa: Innocuous but invasive.

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC) was first described in the 19th century which is usually seen in association with lung cancer and is very rare in the oral cavity. Here, we report one such case in a 39-year-old male patient who presented with swelling on the left middle third of the face for 6 months. This is the 12th SNEC of oral cavity case so far reported in the English literature and the third case to be present on buccal mucosa. It presented as a nodular swelling over the buccal mucosa and was clinically diagnosed as a traumatic fibroma. The histopathological sections showed diffuse sheets of round cells with granular chromatin. Immunohistochemical findings helped us arrive at a final diagnosis. SNECs are highly proliferative tumors characterized by early and widespread metastases through the vascular channels. Hence, the diagnosis and appropriate management of these lesions is important to decrease the morbidity and mortality rate.

Study of Clinical Outcome and Healthcare Modalities of COVID-19 Patients Treated With Remdesivir at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital.

Background Effective treatment for COVID-19 infection is still under evaluation. Remdesivir is an approved drug for COVID-19 treatment and major countries have released guidelines on the use of remdesivir. Still, many factors are under evaluation which can determine the future use of remdesivir. Aim To study the clinical outcome and healthcare modalities of COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir. Materials and methods A retrospective study was conducted through the clinical records of patients admitted to the tertiary care hospital between August 2020 and December 2020. All the patients who were administered remdesivir intravenously as per standard protocol were included in the study. Data were analyzed for statistical association between health care modalities and patient characteristics. Results Among 166 patients included, the mean age of patient who received remdesivir was 57.51 ± 12.98 years (95% confidence interval (CI), 30-84). The mean duration of stay and duration of oxygen requirement were 12.80 ± 5.99 (95% CI, 5-30) and 9.41 ± 7.47 (95% CI, 0-39) days, respectively. A total of 12 (7.23%) required assisted ventilation and the cure rate was 89.76% (149/166). Out of 166 patients, 105 (63.25%) had comorbidities, among which hypertension and diabetes were the most common. Significantly >60 year age group had a higher duration of oxygen requirement (u=2,639.5, p=0.01), while ≤60 year age group had a higher cure rate (X2=4.23, p=0.03) and a higher requirement for assisted ventilation (X2=4.77, p=0.02). Differences and associations in the above-mentioned health care modalities were not statistically significant for gender and comorbidity except that non-comorbid had a higher cure rate (X2=3.97, p=0.04). The odds ratio of comorbidity and cure rate was 1.07, while the association of the number of comorbidities with the duration of stay (p=0.62) and duration of oxygen requirement (p=0.35) was not statistically significant. Conclusion In remdesivir-treated patients, age affects utilization of health care modalities. Female, non-comorbid, and younger patients have better clinical outcomes.

Insect (black soldier fly larvae) oil as a potential substitute for fish or soy oil in the fish meal-based diet of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Alternative sources of fish oil (FO) are one of the major problems in aquaculture; therefore, the goal of the present study was to examine insect (black soldier fly larvae) oil (BSLO) as a potential replacer of fish/soy oil in juvenile rainbow trout (initial average weight of 32 ± 0.15 g) feed. Four diets were formulated wherein FO (control diet) was completely replaced with either soybean oil (SO) or BSLO, and an additional BSLO-based diet supplemented with 1.5% bile acid (BSLO + BA) were fed to the fish for 10 weeks. Growth performance of the BSLO fed group was similar (P > 0.05) to that of the FO and SO fed groups, however, the fish fed BSLO + BA diet registered the lowest growth (P < 0.05). Oil sources did not (P > 0.05) affect the major nutrient content of whole-body, however, the fatty acid composition of the muscle and liver was influenced (P < 0.05), with the highest 14:0, 16:0, and total saturated fatty acid detected in BSLO or BSLO + BA fed trout compared to the others (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid (EPA + DHA) or total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in muscle among the groups, whereas, the highest EPA:DHA and n-3:n-6 ratios were detected in the FO group. Gene expression for fatty acid binding protein (fabp), fatty acid synthase (fas), and Δ5 desaturase in the liver was lower in FO (P < 0.05), while BSLO + BA registered the highest Δ6 expression (P = 0.006). Supplementation of BA in the BSLO diet increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, BSLO could serve as a substitute for FO and SO in rainbow trout diet without negatively impacting growth performance, whole-body composition and nutrient retention, and modulate the expression of fatty acid metabolism-related genes in rainbow trout.

Insect (black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens) meal supplementation prevents the soybean meal-induced intestinal enteritis in rainbow trout and health benefits of using insect oil.

Black solider fly larvae (BSFL) and their oils (BSFLO) are receiving increasing attention as sustainable ingredients in fish feeds, but mostly as replacements to marine sources. There were two aims to this study; in exp. 1, soybean meal (SBM)-based diets were formulated to contain BSFL as supplements at 0 (SBM), 8 (SBM + BSFLlow) or 16% (SBM + BSFLhigh) with a control diet being fishmeal-based (FM). In exp. 2, diets included only fish oil (FO), soybean oil (SBO), BSFLO or BSFLO + bile acid (BA), and all lipid sources were added at 16%. Both experiments were run at the same time and fed to rainbow trout (32 g) with each treatment being triplicated. After 10 weeks the fish were sampled for liver and distal intestine histology, expression of genes responsible for inflammation in the intestine and kidneys, and serum peroxidase and lysozyme activities. In exp. 1, supplementations of BSFL effectively prevented SBM-induced intestinal enteritis, down-regulated intestinal prostaglandin and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1), while the SBM + BSFLhigh diet significantly increased serum lysozyme activity. In exp. 2, BSFLO caused no histomorphological change to the liver or intestine, but kidney interluekin-8, tumor necrosis factor and IRF-1 were significantly upregulated along with significantly higher serum peroxidase activity. The inclusion of BA in the BSFLO diets significantly upregulated intestinal prostaglandin gene expression. Overall, BSFL supplementations of 8 or 16% prevented SBM-induced intestinal enteritis based on histological observations, which was supported by a down-regulation in pro-inflammatory genes and enhanced innate immunity. Meanwhile, the use of BSFLO showed some immunological benefits. Therefore, these sustainable resources are recommended in the diets of rainbow trout, especially when using elevated levels of plant-based proteins.

Characterization of perineural invasion in different histological grades and variants of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for 3% of all malignant neoplasms and is the fifth most frequent cancer in the world. They usually spread by hematogenous or lymphatic spread, and perineural invasion (PNI) is considered an alternate method of tumor spread where it is described as the tumor affinity toward a neural tissue. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to evaluate the biological behavior of OSCC with respect to PNI and to evaluate the importance of PNI with respect to different histopathological grades and variants, tumor stage and lymph node status of OSCC. PNI was also assessed with respect to its frequency, patterns, types and number in various grades of OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective, double-blind study was conducted on 148 histopathologically proven cases of different histopathological grades and variants of OSCC. The tissue sections were examined for PNI and its patterns and were further compared with habit history, site of the lesion, tumor staging, grading and lymph node status. RESULTS: A Chi-square test was performed. A percentage positivity of 45.27% (67 cases) among 148 cases was found. PNI positivity of 63.6% and 50% was observed in T4 and T3 tumor stages, respectively, with high significance. Seventy percent of cases belonging to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma showed positivity for PNI, which was statistically significant. PNI positivity with respect to lymph node status is nonsignificant. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that there is a direct proportionality between PNI and different grades and stages of OSCC. Given this context, a histopathologist ought to examine for PNI and make it mandatory to report the same to the clinician for better treatment and follow-up of the patient.

Stereomicroscope as an aid in grossing and histopathological diagnosis: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Routinely, naked eye and a magnified glass are used to observe the specimens during grossing procedure. Stereomicroscope is a significant adjuvant to examine a variety of specimens and it enables us to examine the surface details of the specimen efficiently. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of stereomicroscope in macroscopic examination and its effectiveness in the study of surface details of the specimen, thereby evaluating its role as an effective tool in grossing and histopathological diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of routine specimens received by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital, Hyderabad, between July 15, 2018, and September 15, 2018. All the specimens were photographed under direct daylight ad later examined under stereomicroscope. The images were compared and grossing was carried out. The grossed specimen were processed using standard procedure and histopathological diagnosis was made. RESULTS: Compared to naked eye, the stereomicroscopic observation of specimens showed better details which helped in proper orientation of the specimen. CONCLUSION: Stereomicroscope aids as an adjuvant for proper orientation of the specimen which helps in arriving at an accurate final diagnosis.

Evaluation of glucose transporter-1 expression in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma: An immunohistochemical study.

INTRODUCTION: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of oral cavity and is commonly preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders. Glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) protein expression is upregulated in malignant cells that show increased glucose uptake. Alterations in GLUT-1 expression have been reported in several potentially malignant and malignant lesions. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aims and objectives of this study were to analyze and assess the role of GLUT-1 immunomarker in oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and OSCC, to demonstrate and analyze the presence, location and intensity of GLUT-1 immunomarker in low-risk and high-risk OEDs and in different grades of OSCC and to correlate the expression of GLUT-1 immunomarker between normal oral mucosa (NOM), OED and different grades of OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: A total of ninety paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, 15 each of NOM; low-risk and high-risk OED and well, moderately and poorly differentiated OSCC were stained with the immunomarker GLUT-1. RESULTS AND OBSERVATION: GLUT-1 immunoexpression was statistically significant in terms of number of positive cells, staining intensity, IRS score and level of staining within the epithelium and also within the cell between NOM, OED and OSCC. CONCLUSION: Increased GLUT-1 expression has a consistent role in the malignant transformation of OED and aggressiveness of OSCC.

Improved Genetic Map Identified Major QTLs for Drought Tolerance- and Iron Deficiency Tolerance-Related Traits in Groundnut.

A deep understanding of the genetic control of drought tolerance and iron deficiency tolerance is essential to hasten the process of developing improved varieties with higher tolerance through genomics-assisted breeding. In this context, an improved genetic map with 1205 loci was developed spanning 2598.3 cM with an average 2.2 cM distance between loci in the recombinant inbred line (TAG 24 × ICGV 86031) population using high-density 58K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) "Axiom_Arachis" array. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed using extensive phenotyping data generated for 20 drought tolerance- and two iron deficiency tolerance-related traits from eight seasons (2004-2015) at two locations in India, one in Niger, and one in Senegal. The genome-wide QTL discovery analysis identified 19 major main-effect QTLs with 10.0-33.9% phenotypic variation explained (PVE) for drought tolerance- and iron deficiency tolerance- related traits. Major main-effect QTLs were detected for haulm weight (20.1% PVE), SCMR (soil plant analytical development (SPAD) chlorophyll meter reading, 22.4% PVE), and visual chlorosis rate (33.9% PVE). Several important candidate genes encoding glycosyl hydrolases; malate dehydrogenases; microtubule-associated proteins; and transcription factors such as MADS-box, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), NAM, ATAF, and CUC (NAC), and myeloblastosis (MYB) were identified underlying these QTL regions. The putative function of these genes indicated their possible involvement in plant growth, development of seed and pod, and photosynthesis under drought or iron deficiency conditions in groundnut. These genomic regions and candidate genes, after validation, may be useful to develop molecular markers for deploying genomics-assisted breeding for enhancing groundnut yield under drought stress and iron-deficient soil conditions.

Olze et al. stages of radiographic visibility of root pulp and cameriere's third molar maturity index to estimate legal adult age in Hyderabad population.

CONTEXT: Predicting one's attainment of age of majority is a controversial issue and considered as important aspect in medicolegal cases. In India, individuals older than 18 years of age have full capacity regarding civil conduct and are tried as adults for criminal charges. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of Olze et al., stages of radiographic visibility of root pulp, and Cameriere's third molar maturity index (I 3M < 0.08) to estimate the age of majority. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 615 digital orthopantomographs of children aged between 15 and 22 years. The lower left third molars were evaluated using ImageJ computer software. The effectiveness of both methods was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratios (LR+), and LR negative (LR-). RESULTS: For I 3M < 0.08, the sensitivity, specificity, LR+, LR- were 0.76, 0.72, 2.79, 0.32 and 0.67, 0.76, 2.83, 0.43 in males and females respectively. For Stage 0, the sensitivity, specificity, LR+, LR- were 0.68, 0.86, 5.18, 0.36 and 0.72, 0.91, 8.63, 0.31, respectively. CONCLUSION: Stage 0 of Olze's radiographic root pulp visibility showed to be more accurate than cutoff value of I 3M< 0.08 in discriminating adults and minors of Hyderabad sample when a test of high sensitivity and specificity is required.

Artemisinin disrupts androgen responsiveness of human prostate cancer cells by stimulating the 26S proteasome-mediated degradation of the androgen receptor protein.

Androgen receptor (AR) expression and activity is highly linked to the development and progression of prostate cancer and is a target of therapeutic strategies for this disease. We investigated whether the antimalarial drug artemisinin, which is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the sweet wormwood plant Artemisia annua, could alter AR expression and responsiveness in cultured human prostate cancer cell lines. Artemisinin treatment induced the 26S proteasome-mediated degradation of the receptor protein, without altering AR transcript levels, in androgen-responsive LNCaP prostate cancer cells or PC-3 prostate cancer cells expressing exogenous wild-type AR. Furthermore, artemisinin stimulated AR ubiquitination and AR receptor interactions with the E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2 in LNCaP cells. The artemisinin-induced loss of AR protein prevented androgen-responsive cell proliferation and ablated total AR transcriptional activity. The serine/threonine protein kinase AKT-1 was shown to be highly associated with artemisinin-induced proteasome-mediated degradation of AR protein. Artemisinin treatment activated AKT-1 enzymatic activity, enhanced receptor association with AKT-1, and induced AR serine phosphorylation. Treatment of LNCaP cells with the PI3-kinase inhibitor LY294002, which inhibits the PI3-kinase-dependent activation of AKT-1, prevented the artemisinin-induced AR degradation. Furthermore, in transfected receptor-negative PC-3 cells, artemisinin failed to stimulate the degradation of an altered receptor protein (S215A/S792A) with mutations in its two consensus AKT-1 serine phosphorylation sites. Taken together, our results indicate that artemisinin induces the degradation of AR protein and disrupts androgen responsiveness of human prostate cancer cells, suggesting that this natural compound represents a new potential therapeutic molecule that selectively targets AR levels.

Molecular Mapping of Oil Content and Fatty Acids Using Dense Genetic Maps in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

Enhancing seed oil content with desirable fatty acid composition is one of the most important objectives of groundnut breeding programs globally. Genomics-assisted breeding facilitates combining multiple traits faster, however, requires linked markers. In this context, we have developed two different F2 mapping populations, one for oil content (OC-population, ICGV 07368 × ICGV 06420) and another for fatty acid composition (FA-population, ICGV 06420 × SunOleic 95R). These two populations were phenotyped for respective traits and genotyped using Diversity Array Technology (DArT) and DArTseq genotyping platforms. Two genetic maps were developed with 854 (OC-population) and 1,435 (FA-population) marker loci with total map distance of 3,526 and 1,869 cM, respectively. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using genotyping and phenotyping data identified eight QTLs for oil content including two major QTLs, qOc-A10 and qOc-A02, with 22.11 and 10.37% phenotypic variance explained (PVE), respectively. For seven different fatty acids, a total of 21 QTLs with 7.6-78.6% PVE were identified and 20 of these QTLs were of major effect. Two mutant alleles, ahFAD2B and ahFAD2A, also had 18.44 and 10.78% PVE for palmitic acid, in addition to oleic (33.8 and 17.4% PVE) and linoleic (41.0 and 19.5% PVE) acids. Furthermore, four QTL clusters harboring more than three QTLs for fatty acids were identified on the three LGs. The QTLs identified in this study could be further dissected for candidate gene discovery and development of diagnostic markers for breeding improved groundnut varieties with high oil content and desirable oil quality.

Drug treatments that optimize endogenous neurogenesis as a therapeutic option for stroke.

Cell death and neurogenesis have been examined after stroke in the subventricular zone of the adult mammalian brain. New research focuses on the use of drugs to improve the viability of neural progenitor cells in rats after stroke. The aim of the drugs is to lengthen the timeframe for stroke therapy by targeting the endogenous repair mechanism that follows injury. In this paper, we look at the broad state of stroke therapy to assess the effectiveness of endogenous neurogenesis-enhancing drugs on stroke. This paper is a review article. Referred literature in this paper has been listed in the reference section. The data sets supporting the conclusions of this article are available online by searching various databases, including PubMed. Some original points in this article come from the laboratory practice in our research center and the authors' experiences.

Optimizing microencapsulation of nisin with sodium alginate and guar gum.

Nisin is a widely used bacteriocin active against gram positive bacteria and is also reported to be active against some gram negative bacteria. Incorporation of nisin into food systems is another challenge as directly added nisin is prone to inactivation by food constituents. Encapsulation of nisin has been done so far in liposomes which is rather an expensive technology involving multiple processes. Other cost effective alternatives with good encapsulation efficiency and better control release properties are sought. Alginate is useful as a matrix for entrapment of bioactive compounds. Present study was aimed at optimizing conditions for microencapsulation of nisin using calcium alginate as primary wall material and guar gum as filler at different air pressures using response surface methodology. The optimum conditions were: sodium alginate concentration (2 % w/v), guar gum concentration (0.4 % w/v), and air pressure (0.5 bar gauge). The encapsulation efficiency of nisin in microcapsules produced under optimal conditions was 36.65 %.

Essential role of the cancer stem/progenitor cell marker nucleostemin for indole-3-carbinol anti-proliferative responsiveness in human breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Nucleostemin is a nucleolus residing GTPase that is considered to be an important cancer stem/progenitor cell marker protein due to its high expression levels in breast cancer stem cells and its role in tumor-initiation of human mammary tumor cells. It has been proposed that nucleostemin may represent a valuable therapeutic target for breast cancer; however, to date evidence supporting the cellular mechanism has not been elucidated. RESULTS: Expression of exogenous HER2, a member of the EGF receptor gene family, in the human MCF-10AT preneoplastic mammary epithelial cell line formed a new breast cancer cell line, 10AT-Her2, which is highly enriched in cells with stem/progenitor cell-like character. 10AT-Her2 cells display a CD44+/CD24-/low phenotype with high levels of the cancer stem/progenitor cell marker proteins nucleostemin, and active aldehyde dehydrogenase-1. The overall expression pattern of HER2 protein and the stem/progenitor cell marker proteins in the 10AT-Her2 cell population is similar to that of the luminal HER2+ SKBR3 human breast cancer cell line, whereas, both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells display reduced levels of nucleostemin and no detectable expression of ALDH-1. Importantly, in contrast to the other well-established human breast cancer cell lines, 10AT-Her2 cells efficiently form tumorspheres in suspension cultures and initiate tumor xenograft formation in athymic mice at low cell numbers. Furthermore, 10AT-Her2 cells are highly sensitive to the anti-proliferative apoptotic effects of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a natural anti-cancer indolecarbinol from cruciferous vegetables of the Brassica genus such as broccoli and cabbage. I3C promotes the interaction of nucleostemin with MDM2 (Murine Double Mutant 2), an inhibitor of the p53 tumor suppressor, and disrupts the MDM2 interaction with p53. I3C also induced nucleostemin to sequester MDM2 in a nucleolus compartment, thereby freeing p53 to mediate its apoptotic activity. siRNA knockdown of nucleostemin functionally documented that nucleostemin is required for I3C to trigger its cellular anti-proliferative responses, inhibit tumorsphere formation, and disrupt MDM2-p53 protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, expression of an I3C-resistant form of elastase, the only known target protein for I3C, prevented I3C anti-proliferative responses in cells and in tumor xenografts in vivo, as well as disrupt the I3C stimulated nucleostemin-MDM2 interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide the first evidence that a natural anti-cancer compound mediates its cellular and in vivo tumor anti-proliferative responses by selectively stimulating cellular interactions of the stem/progenitor cell marker nucleostemin with MDM2, which frees p53 to trigger its apoptotic response. Furthermore, our study provides a new mechanistic template that can be potentially exploited for the development of cancer stem/progenitor cell targeted therapeutic strategies.

Marker-assisted introgression of a QTL region to improve rust resistance in three elite and popular varieties of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

KEY MESSAGE: Successful introgression of a major QTL for rust resistance, through marker-assisted backcrossing, in three popular Indian peanut cultivars generated several promising introgression lines with enhanced rust resistance and higher yield. Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia arachidis Speg, is one of the major devastating diseases in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). One QTL region on linkage group AhXV explaining upto 82.62 % phenotypic variation for rust resistance was validated and introgressed from cultivar 'GPBD 4' into three rust susceptible varieties ('ICGV 91114', 'JL 24' and 'TAG 24') through marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC). The MABC approach employed a total of four markers including one dominant (IPAHM103) and three co-dominant (GM2079, GM1536, GM2301) markers present in the QTL region. After 2-3 backcrosses and selfing, 200 introgression lines (ILs) were developed from all the three crosses. Field evaluation identified 81 ILs with improved rust resistance. Those ILs had significantly increased pod yields (56-96 %) in infested environments compared to the susceptible parents. Screening of selected 43 promising ILs with 13 markers present on linkage group AhXV showed introgression of the target QTL region from the resistant parent in 11 ILs. Multi-location field evaluation of these ILs should lead to the release of improved varieties. The linked markers may be used in improving rust resistance in peanut breeding programmes.

Photographic capture-recapture sampling for assessing populations of the Indian gliding lizard Draco dussumieri.

The usage of invasive tagging methods to assess lizard populations has often been criticised, due to the potential negative effects of marking, which possibly cause increased mortality or altered behaviour. The development of safe, less invasive techniques is essential for improved ecological study and conservation of lizard populations. In this study, we describe a photographic capture-recapture (CR) technique for estimating Draco dussumieri (Agamidae) populations. We used photographs of the ventral surface of the patagium to identify individuals. To establish that the naturally occurring blotches remained constant through time, we compared capture and recapture photographs of 45 pen-marked individuals after a 30 day interval. No changes in blotches were observed and individual lizards could be identified with 100% accuracy. The population density of D. dussumieri in a two hectare areca-nut plantation was estimated using the CR technique with ten sampling occasions over a ten day period. The resulting recapture histories for 24 individuals were analysed using population models in the program CAPTURE. All models indicated that nearly all individuals were captured. The estimated probability for capturing D. dussumieri on at least one occasion was 0.92 and the estimated population density was 13±1.65 lizards/ha. Our results demonstrate the potential for applying CR to population studies in gliding lizards (Draco spp.) and other species with distinctive markings.

Antibacterial activity of aqueous extract of pomegranate peel against Pseudomonas stutzeri isolated from poultry meat.

In this study antibacterial activity of pomegranate peel (PPE) was evaluated against bacteria isolated from poultry meat. The bacteria were identified using 16S rRNA gene and DNA sequencing. Results of molecular characterization showed that the bacteria isolated were having 100% homology with the Pseudomonas stutzeri strain CTSP36 and further analysis showed that sample sequence clustered with the P. stutzeri strain CTSP36. Antibacterial activity of PPE was demonstrated by clear zone of inhibition in plates inoculated with extract. The diameter of inhibition zones were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in PPE as compared to standard antibiotic discs used (tetracycline, vancomycin and streptomycin). Results of broth dilution assay also revealed that PPE at 1%, 5% and 10% were effective in inhibiting bacterial growth in test plates. Further, a decrease in the growth of bacterial cells and a gradual decline in protein content of bacterial cells were also observed when bacterial culture was grown with different concentration of PPE along with a control. These results showed the potential application of pomegranate peel extract as antibacterial agent against P. stutzeri.

Advances in genetics and molecular breeding of three legume crops of semi-arid tropics using next-generation sequencing and high-throughput genotyping technologies.

Molecular markers are the most powerful genomic tools to increase the efficiency and precision of breeding practices for crop improvement. Progress in the development of genomic resources in the leading legume crops of the semi-arid tropics (SAT), namely, chickpea (Cicer arietinum), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), as compared to other crop species like cereals, has been very slow. With the advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and high-throughput (HTP) genotyping methods, there is a shift in development of genomic resources including molecular markers in these crops. For instance, 2,000 to 3,000 novel simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers have been developed each for chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut. Based on Sanger, 454/FLX and Illumina transcript reads, transcriptome assemblies have been developed for chickpea (44,845 transcript assembly contigs, or TACs) and pigeonpea (21,434 TACs). Illumina sequencing of some parental genotypes of mapping populations has resulted in the development of 120 million reads for chickpea and 128.9 million reads for pigeonpea. Alignment of these Illumina reads with respective transcriptome assemblies have provided more than 10,000 SNPs each in chickpea and pigeonpea. A variety of SNP genotyping platforms including GoldenGate, VeraCode and Competitive Allele Specific PCR (KASPar) assays have been developed in chickpea and pigeonpea. By using above resources, the first-generation or comprehensive genetic maps have been developed in the three legume speciesmentioned above. Analysis of phenotyping data together with genotyping data has provided candidate markers for drought-tolerance-related root traits in chickpea, resistance to foliar diseases in groundnut and sterility mosaic disease (SMD) and fertility restoration in pigeonpea. Together with these traitassociated markers along with those already available, molecular breeding programmes have been initiated for enhancing drought tolerance, resistance to fusarium wilt and ascochyta blight in chickpea and resistance to foliar diseases in groundnut. These trait-associated robust markers along with other genomic resources including genetic maps and genomic resources will certainly accelerate crop improvement programmes in the SAT legumes.

Indole-3-carbinol disrupts estrogen receptor-alpha dependent expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 and proliferation of human breast cancer cells.

We previously established that Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C), a natural hydrolysis product of glucobrassicin in cruciferous vegetables, arrests the proliferation of estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cells and induces protein degradation of Estrogen Receptor-alpha (ERα). We demonstrate in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells that I3C ablates expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor Receptor-1 (IGF1R) and Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 (IRS1), downstream effectors of the IGF1 signaling pathway. Exogenous ERα reversed the I3C mediated loss of IGF1R and IRS1 gene expression demonstrating that down-regulation of ERα is functionally linked to I3C control of IGF1R and IRS1 expression. I3C disrupted binding of endogenous ERα, but not Sp1, to ERE-Sp1 composite elements within the IGF1R/IRS1 promoters. Exogenous ERα abrogated, and combined expression of IGF1R and IRS1 attenuated, the I3C mediated cell cycle arrest. Therefore, I3C inhibits proliferation of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells through disruption of ERα-mediated transcription of cell signaling components within the IGF1 cascade.