Photoperiod manipulation improves growth performance, haematological indices and economic returns of Indian butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794).

Photoperiod manipulation is emerging as an effective approach for regulating physiological functions in fish. This study aimed to assess the impact of photoperiod on the growth performance, haematological responses, and economic returns of the endangered and highly valued Indian butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus. Fish with an average body weight of 28.60 ± 4.78 g were randomly placed in six FRP tanks, each measuring 120 × 45 × 60 cm3. Each tank contained 20 fish exposed to a light intensity of 1500 lx under different photoperiods [24:0 light: dark (L: D), 15 L: 9D, 12 L: 12D, 9 L: 15D, 0 L: 24D and a natural photoperiod (control)], and fed at a daily rate of 2% of their body weight twice daily for 60 days. The fish in the 15 L: 9D photoperiod exhibited the highest final weight (g), percentage weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and survival rate, while the lowest was displayed in 24 L: 0D photoperiod group. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was at its lowest in the catfish subjected to the 15 L: 9D photoperiod. Regarding haematological parameters, the 15 L: 9D photoperiod group showed higher total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, haemoglobin levels, and haematocrit values compared to the other groups. Conversely, the 0 L: 24D group, which experienced prolonged darkness, exhibited the lowest values in these parameters. Moreover, the 24 L: 0D, 9 L: 15D, and 0 L: 24D groups displayed a lower mean corpuscular volume (MCV) but higher mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) when compared to the control group. The economic analysis revealed that O. bimaculatus reared in a moderate photoperiod (15 L: 9D) displayed better growth, feed utilization, and overall health. This finding suggests that adopting a 15 L: 9D photoperiod can lead to enhanced production and improved economic returns for farmers culturing this high-value catfish in the future.

Development of high-yielding white maize hybrids with better chapatti-making quality compared to traditionally used local landraces.

Introduction: The present research focuses on the chapatti making quality of high-yielding white maize hybrids compared to available low-yielding local yellow and white landraces in India. Materials and methods: In this study, the top nine superior hybrids were selected for testing the physical properties of the maize kernels, proximate composition of flours and chapattis, physical parameters of chapatti, textural properties, sensory evaluation of chapattis and pasting properties of maize flour. Results and discussion: The results revealed the superiority of white maize hybrids (WMH), viz., WHM 1, WHM 2, and WHM 8 over the local yellow and white landraces for most of the parameters studied. In sensory analysis, though, the yellow landrace was considered superior by the panellists in terms of colour but the white maize hybrids outperformed in overall sensory analysis and were more acceptable than the yellow and white maize landraces. These high yielding white maize hybrids with good consumer acceptance may cater for the needs of rural and tribal populations in India who prefer white maize as a staple food.

Recent advances in biomedical applications of carbon and graphene quantum dots: A review.

The carbon-based nanostructures have led to the development of theranostic nanoplatforms for simultaneous diagnosis and therapy due to their effective cell membrane-penetration ability, low degree of cytotoxicity, excellent pore volume, substantial chemical stability, and reactive surface. In the last few years, extensive efforts were made to design multifunctional nanoplatform strategies based on carbon nanostructures, involving multimodal imaging, controlled drug release capabilities, sensing in vitro, efficient drug loading capacity, and therapy. Carbon and graphene quantum dots (CQDs and GQDs) were the recent entrants, contingently being assessed for drug delivery and bioimaging. With the advancements, these quantum dots have ignited remarkable research interest and are now widely evaluated for diagnosis, bioimaging, sensing, and drug delivery applications. The last decade has witnessed their remarkable electrical, optical, and biocompatible properties since their inception. It is presumed that both of them have high potential as drug carriers and would serve as the next generation of approaches to address numerous unresolved therapeutic challenges. This review examined the recent advances of CQD and GQD based drug delivery applications, challenges, and future perspectives to pave the way for further studies in the future.

Superalkalis with Hydrogen as Central Electronegative Atom and their Possible Applications: Ab Initio and DFT Study.

Superalkalis are unusual species having ionization energies lower than that of the alkali metals. These species with various applications are of great importance in chemistry due to their low ionization energies and strong reducing property. A typical superalkali contains a central electronegative core decorated with excess metal ligands. In the quest for novel superalkalis, we have designed the superalkalis HLi2, HLiNa and HNa2 using hydrogen as central electronegative atom for the first time employing high level ab initio (CCSD(T), MP2) and density functional theory (ωB97X-D) methods. The superalkalis exhibit very low ionization energies, even lower than that of cesium. Stability of these species is verified from binding energy and dissociation energy values. The superalkalis are capable of reducing SO2, NO, CO2, CO and N2 molecules by forming stable ionic complexes and therefore can be used as catalysts for the reduction or activation of systems possessing very low electron affinities. The superalkalis form stable supersalts with tailored properties when interact with a superhalogen. They also show remarkably high non-linear optical responses, hence could have industrial applications. It is hoped that this work will enrich the superalkali family and spur further theoretical and experimental research in this direction.

A Torquoselective Thermal 6π-Electrocyclization Approach to 1,4-Cyclohexadienes via Solvent-Aided Proton Transfer: Experimental and Theoretical Studies.

The thermal 6π-electrocyclization of hexatriene typically delivers 1,3-cyclohexadiene (1,3-CHD). However, there is only limited success in directly synthesizing 1,4-cyclohexadiene (1,4-CHD) using such an approach, probably due to the difficulty in realizing thermally-forbidden 1,3-hydride shift after electrocyclic ring closure. The present study shows that by heating (2E,4E,6E)-hexatrienes bearing ester or ketone substituents at the C1-position in a mixture of toluene/MeOH or EtOH (2 : 1) solvents at 90-100 °C, 1,4-CHDs can be selectively synthesized. This is achieved through a torquoselective disrotatory 6π-electrocyclic ring closure followed by a proton-transfer process. The success of this method depends on the polar protic solvent-assisted intramolecular proton transfer from 1,3-CHD to 1,4-CHD, which has been confirmed by deuterium-labeling experiments. There are no reports to date for such a solvent-assisted isomerization. Density functional theory (DFT) studies have suggested that forming 1,3-CHD and subsequent isomerization is a thermodynamically feasible process, regardless of the functional groups involved. Two possible successive polar solvent-assisted proton-transfer pathways have been identified for isomerization.

Antibiofilm potential of nanonized eugenol against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to synthesize a nanoform of eugenol (an important phytochemical with various pharmacological potentials) and to investigate its antibiofilm efficacy on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. METHODS AND RESULTS: Colloidal suspension of eugenol-nanoparticles (ENPs) was synthesized by the simple ultrasonic cavitation method through the emulsification of hydrophobic eugenol into hydrophilic gelatin. Thus, the nanonization process made water-insoluble eugenol into water-soluble nano-eugenol, making the nanoform bioavailable. The size of the ENPs was 20-30 nm, entrapment efficiency of eugenol within gelatin was 80%, and release of eugenol from the gelatin cap was slow and sustained over 5 days. Concerning the clinically relevant pathogen P. aeruginosa, ENPs had higher antibiofilm (for both formation and eradication) activities than free eugenol. Minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration and minimal biofilm eradication concentration of ENP on P. aeruginosa biofilm were 2.0 and 4.0 mM, respectively. In addition, the measurement of P. aeruginosa biofilm biomass, biofilm thickness, amount of biofilm extra-polymeric substance, cell surface hydrophobicity, cell swarming and twitching efficiencies, cellular morphology, and biofilm formation in catheter demonstrated that the antibiofilm efficacy of nano-eugenol was 30%-40% higher than that of bulk eugenol. CONCLUSION: These results signify that future pharmacological and clinical studies are very much required to investigate whether ENPs can act as an effective drug against P. aeruginosa biofilm-mediated diseases. Thus, the problem of intrinsic antibiotic tolerance of biofilm-forming cells may be minimized by ENPs. Moreover, ENP may be used as a potential catheter-coating agent to inhibit pseudomonal colonization on catheter surfaces and, therefore, to reduce catheter-associated infections and complications.

Phytotoxicity of trihalomethanes and trichloroacetic acid on Vigna radiata and Allium cepa plant models.

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are a concern due to their presence in chlorinated wastewater, sewage treatment plant discharge, and surface water, and their potential for environmental toxicity. Despite some attention to their ecotoxicity, little is known about the phytotoxicity of DBPs. This study aimed to evaluate the individual and combined phytotoxicity of four trihalomethanes (THMs: trichloromethane (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), and tribromomethane (TBM) and their mixture (THM4)), and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) using genotoxic and cytotoxic assays. The analysis included seed germination tests using Vigna radiata and root growth tests, mitosis studies, oxidative stress response, chromosomal aberrations (CA), and DNA laddering using Allium cepa. The results showed a progressive increase in root growth inhibition for both plant species as the concentration of DBPs increased. High concentrations of mixtures of four THMs resulted in significant (p < 0.05) antagonistic interactions. The effective concentration (EC50) value for V. radiata was 5655, 3145, 2690, 1465, 3570, and 725 mg/L for TCM, BDCM, DBCM, TBM, THM4, and TCAA, respectively. For A. cepa, the EC50 for the same contaminants was 700, 400, 350, 250, 450, and 105 mg/L, respectively. DBP cytotoxicity was observed through CAs, including C-metaphase, unseparated anaphase, lagging chromosome, sticky metaphase, and bridging. Mitotic depression (MD) increased with dose, reaching up to 54.4% for TCAA (50-500 mg/L). The electrophoresis assay showed DNA fragmentation and shearing, suggesting genotoxicity for some DBPs. The order of phytotoxicity for the tested DBPs was TCAA > TBM > DBCM > BDCM > THM4 > TCM. These findings underscore the need for further research on the phytotoxicity of DBPs, especially given their common use in agricultural practices such as irrigation and the use of sludge as manure.

Pattern of Violence Among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Government Hospital and a Multi-Specialty Private Hospital in Sagar, India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Workplace violence in hospitals is an occupational hazard that affects healthcare workers (HCWs) negatively in many aspects and causes deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, resulting in providence of substandard healthcare. This study was conducted to compare the pattern of violence in a tertiary care government teaching hospital and a multi-specialty private trust hospital in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Methodology After ethical clearance of this cross-sectional, observational study, participants (frontline healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses) were asked about the type, frequency, department, and place of violence, etc., along with its perceived causes, solutions, and arrangements made by hospitals for dealing with it using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Categorical variables were described using frequency and percentages, and inferential analysis was conducted using the chi-square/Fisher's exact test. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Among the 113 participants, 67 (59.3%) were female, 53 (46.9%) were doctors, and 60 (53.1%) were nurses. The mean age of participants was 30.9±7.3 years. Predominantly verbal, emotional, and physical violence were present in 96.5%, 43.4%, and 6.2% of participants, respectively. Violent incidents against healthcare workers were more frequent in government hospitals as compared to private hospitals. Most healthcare workers (87.6%) tried to resolve violent incidents peacefully, and 1.8% tried to fight back. The most perceived cause of violence in both setups was a lack of morality and literacy among patients and their relatives (i.e., 83.2%), followed by a lack of proper facilities and a lack of trust in healthcare workers. Conclusion Both setups faced a substantial amount of violence. The loopholes in both setups, considering resources, security, and other facilities, are clearly visible, and specific steps must be adopted to protect both systems from violence.

Effect of photoperiod on serum biochemistry, electrolytic balance, acute phase response and histopathology of butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794).

The present study was executed to evaluate the effect of photoperiod on serum biochemical parameters (glucose, cortisol, ALT, AST and LDH), electrolytic balance (Sodium and potassium), acute phase response (CRP) and histopathology (liver, kidney and skin) of an endangered high valued catfish, Ompok bimaculatus. Catfish (21.00 ± 1.53 cm and 30.00 ± 2.31 g) from the acclimatized stock were randomly distributed to six 120 × 45 × 60 cm3 FRP tanks (n = 20 fish per tank) and exposed to 1500 lx light intensity under different photoperiods [24:0 light: dark (L: D), 15L: 9D, 12L: 12D, 9L: 15D, 0L: 24D and a natural photoperiod (control)], and fed at a daily rate of 2% of bodyweight, twice a day for 60 days. Serum glucose, cortisol and enzymes including aspartate transaminase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine transaminase (ALT), and acute phase reactant, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) increased significantly (P < 0.05) in continuous light (24L: 0D), continuous dark (0L: 24D) and short day (9L: 15D) photoperiods, whereas in 15L: 9D and 12L:12D photoperiods, those were in decreasing trend. Serum electrolytes, i.e. potassium level was elevated and sodium level was declined in 24L: 0D, 0L: 24D and 9L: 15D photoperiod groups. Moreover, significant histological alterations in the liver, kidney and skin tissue were also evidenced in the experimented catfish. Typical polygonal hepatocytes with normal blood vessels in liver and normal organization of kidney were seen in catfish of 15L: 9D group. Histological analysis of other groups displayed nuclear degeneration, karyorrhexis, karyolysis, melanomacrophages, nuclear hypertrophy, sinusoid dilation and vacuolar degeneration in liver and hyaline droplets accumulation, granular degeneration, fragmentation of glomerulus and focal necrosis of epithelial cells in kidney. Additionally, general structure of the skin was observed in control group as well as in 15L: 9D group. Contrarily, in 24L: 0D group increased number of mucous cells and vacuoles was observed in the skin of butter catfish. In 9L: 15D and 0L: 24D photoperiods, O. bimaculatus exhibited ruptured epithelial cells, enlarged alarm cells, fat cells, necrotic cells and vacuoles in the skin tissue. The present study depicted that 15L: 9D photoperiod can induce better health of catfish, O. bimaculatus, which, in turn, can help farmers to increase the production of this high valued catfish in future.

SIRT2 transgenic over-expression does not impact lifespan in mice.

The NAD+ -dependent deacylase family of sirtuin enzymes have been implicated in biological ageing, late-life health and overall lifespan, though of these members, a role for sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) is less clear. Transgenic overexpression of SIRT2 in the BubR1 hypomorph model of progeria can rescue many aspects of health and increase overall lifespan, due to a specific interaction between SIRT2 and BubR1 that improves the stability of this protein. It is less clear whether SIRT2 is relevant to biological ageing outside of a model where BubR1 is under-expressed. Here, we sought to test whether SIRT2 over-expression would impact the overall health and lifespan of mice on a nonprogeroid, wild-type background. While we previously found that SIRT2 transgenic overexpression prolonged female fertility, here, we did not observe any additional impact on health or lifespan, which was measured in both male and female mice on standard chow diets, and in males challenged with a high-fat diet. At the biochemical level, NMR studies revealed an increase in total levels of a number of metabolites in the brain of SIRT2-Tg animals, pointing to a potential impact in cell composition; however, this did not translate into functional differences. Overall, we conclude that strategies to enhance SIRT2 protein levels may not lead to increased longevity.

Drosophila olfaction as a model system for studying human neurological disorders.

The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been one of the finest systems for decoding myriad puzzles across different domains of biology. Beyond addressing the fundamental problems, it has been used as a fantastic model organism for human disease research. Being an insect, Drosophila has a robust and advanced olfactory system that has been used many times as a model neuronal circuit to study fundamental questions in neurobiology. The circuit is well-explored at anatomical, physiological, and functional levels. It provides several advantages for the study of neurobiological disorders, such as spatiotemporally regulated misexpression or knockdown of disease proteins, genetic tractability, well-studied neuroanatomy, simple behavioural training paradigms, and quantifiable assays. Hence, Drosophila olfaction has been a favourite choice for the study of several neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, fragile X syndrome, etc. This review aims to discuss earlier progress and future scope in using the Drosophila olfactory system for modelling human neurological pathophysiology for conducting fundamental and applied research. A major goal of research in biological science is to alleviate human disease burden. Diverse experimental systems are required to address different aspects of disease aetiology. Drosophila is one of the finest in vivo systems; its olfactory system is arguably the most well-characterized circuit for modelling human neurological disorders. A vast amount of research has been conducted to decipher cellular, molecular, and even cognitive aspects of human disorders using the Drosophila olfactory system. This review aims at summarizing such research progress to date and critically analysing the suitability of this system for modelling more complex neurological conditions.

Expression of DKK1 in Endometrial Endometrioid Carcinoma and Its Correlation with Wnt/ß-catenin Signalling Pathway.

Objectives: Endometrial cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer affecting female reproductive organs. The most common histologic type, endometrioid carcinoma, accounts for 75-80% of all endometrial cancer cases. Studies on DKK1 expression profiles and their inhibitory role in the Wnt signalling pathway in the genesis and development of endometrial carcinoma are scarce. This study aimed to investigate DKK1 expression in endometrial carcinoma and its correlation with the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Methods: A total of 160 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples were included in this study (50 cases of endometrial atypical hyperplasia, 50 cases of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma, 30 cases of proliferative endometrium and 30 cases of secretory endometrium). The expression patterns of DKK1, E-cadherin, ß-catenin and c-Myc in endometrial atypical hyperplasia and carcinoma were investigated and compared with that of proliferative and secretory endometrium. Immunohistochemistry and analysis were performed from July 2018 to June 2020. Results: A decreasing pattern of immunopositivity for DKK1, E-cadherin and ß-catenin from proliferative/secretory endometrium to endometrial atypical hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma was found. Increasing c-Myc immunopositivity was noted from proliferative/secretory endometrium to endometrial atypical hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma. Moreover, decreasing DKK1 immunopositivity was well correlated with E-cadherin, ß-catenin and c-Myc immunopositivity. Conclusion: Decreasing DKK1 positivity from benign endometrium to endometrioid carcinoma suggests a negative regulatory function of DKK1 in endometrioid carcinoma. DKK1 is downregulated in the Wnt signalling pathway in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Therefore, DKK1 is promising as a biomarker for screening endometrioid carcinoma. Future studies should examine the reactivation of the DKK1 gene, which may be a valuable strategy for antagonising the Wnt signalling pathway.

Thermally Activated Geometrical Regioselective E→Z Isomerization-Enabled Cascade Sequences of Conjugated Dienals: Experimental and DFT Studies.

The geometrical regioselective E→Z isomerization of a conjugated alkene under thermal activation pose a challenge due to microscopic reversibility. Herein we report that such reversibility issues can be circumvented by integrating E→Z isomerization with subsequent cyclization cascade, particularly in the absence of commonly employed light, acids, or metal-catalysts. Thus, linearly conjugated dienals in a mixture of toluene-alcohol (2 : 1) solvents or only with alcohol at 60-70 °C can be converted to γ-alkoxybutenolides in moderate to good yields. The intermediary 2Z,4E-isomer can be isolated, which includes the first example of isolating the regioselective isomerization product under thermal conditions. Density functional theory (DFT) studies have been employed to shed light on the feasibility of geometrical alkene isomerization and ensuing cascade sequences. It has been observed that the regioselective 2E,4E→2Z,4E isomerization of dienal is a thermodynamically facile (ΔG <0) process. Structural elucidation further reveals that the presence of a certain charge transfer and a non-covalent interaction may be the primary reasons for the enhanced stability of the 2Z,4E-isomer. The thermodynamic plausibility of the subsequent cascade reaction from the Z-isomer to the anticipated product in the presence of a polar protic solvent (here MeOH) is also explicated. Out of the two probable pathways, the "hemiacetal pathway" involving a relay proton transfer is kinetically more feasible due to the diminished activation barrier than the "conjugate addition pathway".

Distinctive visual tasks for characterizing mild cognitive impairment and dementia using oculomotor behavior.

Introduction: One's eye movement (in response to visual tasks) provides a unique window into the cognitive processes and higher-order cognitive functions that become adversely affected in cases with cognitive decline, such as those mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. MCI is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. Methods: In the current work, we have focused on identifying visual tasks (such as horizontal and vertical Pro-saccade, Anti-saccade and Memory Guided Fixation tasks) that can differentiate individuals with MCI and dementia from their cognitively unimpaired healthy aging counterparts based on oculomotor Performance indices. In an attempt to identify the optimal combination of visual tasks that can be used to differentiate the participant groups, clustering was performed using the oculomotor Performance indices. Results: Results of our study with a group of 60 cognitively unimpaired healthy aging individuals, a group with 60 individuals with MCI and a group with 60 individuals with dementia indicate that the horizontal and vertical Anti-saccade tasks provided the optimal combination that could differentiate individuals with MCI and dementia from their cognitively unimpaired healthy aging counterparts with clustering accuracy of ∼92% based on the saccade latencies. Also, the saccade latencies during both of these Anti-saccade tasks were found to strongly correlate with the Neuropsychological test scores. Discussion: This suggests that the Anti-saccade tasks can hold promise in clinical practice for professionals working with individuals with MCI and dementia.

Ruthenium biochanin-A complex ameliorates lung carcinoma through the downregulation of the TGF-ß/PPARγ/PI3K/TNF-α pathway in association with caspase-3-mediated apoptosis.

Lung cancer is the most often reported cancer with a terrible prognosis worldwide. Flavonoid metal complexes have exhibited potential chemotherapeutic effects with substantially low adverse effects. This study investigated the chemotherapeutic effect of the ruthenium biochanin-A complex on lung carcinoma in both in vitro and in vivo model systems. The synthesized organometallic complex was characterized via UV‒visible spectroscopy, FTIR, mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the DNA binding activity of the complex was determined. The in vitro chemotherapeutic assessment was performed on the A549 cell line through MTT assay, flow cytometry, and western blot analysis. An in vivo toxicity study was performed to determine the chemotherapeutic dose of the complex, and subsequently, chemotherapeutic activity was assessed in benzo-α-pyrene-induced lung cancer mouse model by evaluating the histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL assays. The IC50 value of the complex in A549 cells was found to be 20 µM. The complex demonstrated significant apoptosis induction, enhanced caspase-3 expression and cell cycle arrest with downregulated PI3K, PPARγ, TGF-ß, and TNF-α expression in A549 cells. The in vivo study suggested that ruthenium biochanin-A therapy restored the morphological architecture of lung tissue in a benzo-α-pyrene-induced lung cancer model and inhibited the expression of Bcl2. Additionally, increased apoptotic events were identified with upregulation of caspase-3 and p53 expression. In conclusion, the ruthenium biochanin-A complex successfully amelioratedlung cancer incidence in both in vitro and in vivo models through the alteration of the TGF-ß/PPARγ/PI3K/TNF-α axis with the induction of the p53/caspase-3-mediated apoptotic pathway.

A taxonomic revision of Boiga multomaculata (Boie, 1827) and B. ochracea (Theobald, 1868), with the description of a new subspecies (Squamata, Serpentes, Colubridae).

The analyses of molecular genetic data (mtDNA markers 16S, ND4, CYTB, and the nuclear marker c-mos) provided evidence that the Asian cat snake taxa Boiga multomaculata and B. ochracea actually represent a single species. They form mixed clades of low intraclade genetic differentiation. This evidence for conspecificy is supported by the lack of differentiation in all examined pholidotic and morphometric characters. Therefore, we formally place Dipsas ochracea Theobald, 1868 in the synonymy of Dipsas multomaculata Boie, 1827. We provide a summary of the tangled taxonomic history of the taxa involved in this study. Also, we resurrect Dipsadomorphus stoliczkae Wall, 1909 from synonymy of B. ochracea, for specimens exhibiting 21 midbody dorsal scale rows. Boiga stoliczkae is found in the Himalayas north and west of the Brahmaputra valley. Finally, based on the detection of historical genetic lineages within the newly defined species Boiga multomaculata we recognize three subspecies: Boiga multomaculata multomaculata (Boie, 1827), Boiga multomaculata ochracea (Theobald, 1868), and Boiga multomaculata septentrionalis n. ssp. which is distributed in northern Myanmar and Assam and Nagaland, India. We designate BMNH 1946.1.2.60 (1) as neotype of Dipsas ochracea Theobald, (2) as lectotype of D. ochraceus Günther, and (3) as lectotype of Boiga ochracea walli Smith, thereby making these names objective synonyms. Finally, we designate BMNH 94.12.31.55 as lectotype of Dipsadomorphus stoliczkae Wall.

Technical feasibility of multimodal imaging in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy from an ovine model to a human case series.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) secondary to perinatal asphyxia occurs when the brain does not receive enough oxygen and blood. A surrogate marker for "intact survival" is necessary for the successful management of HIE. The severity of HIE can be classified based on clinical presentation, including the presence of seizures, using a clinical classification scale called Sarnat staging; however, Sarnat staging is subjective, and the score changes over time. Furthermore, seizures are difficult to detect clinically and are associated with a poor prognosis. Therefore, a tool for continuous monitoring on the cot side is necessary, for example, an electroencephalogram (EEG) that noninvasively measures the electrical activity of the brain from the scalp. Then, multimodal brain imaging, when combined with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), can capture the neurovascular coupling (NVC) status. In this study, we first tested the feasibility of a low-cost EEG-fNIRS imaging system to differentiate between normal, hypoxic, and ictal states in a perinatal ovine hypoxia model. Here, the objective was to evaluate a portable cot-side device and perform autoregressive with extra input (ARX) modeling to capture the perinatal ovine brain states during a simulated HIE injury. So, ARX parameters were tested with a linear classifier using a single differential channel EEG, with varying states of tissue oxygenation detected using fNIRS, to label simulated HIE states in the ovine model. Then, we showed the technical feasibility of the low-cost EEG-fNIRS device and ARX modeling with support vector machine classification for a human HIE case series with and without sepsis. The classifier trained with the ovine hypoxia data labeled ten severe HIE human cases (with and without sepsis) as the "hypoxia" group and the four moderate HIE human cases as the "control" group. Furthermore, we showed the feasibility of experimental modal analysis (EMA) based on the ARX model to investigate the NVC dynamics using EEG-fNIRS joint-imaging data that differentiated six severe HIE human cases without sepsis from four severe HIE human cases with sepsis. In conclusion, our study showed the technical feasibility of EEG-fNIRS imaging, ARX modeling of NVC for HIE classification, and EMA that may provide a biomarker of sepsis effects on the NVC in HIE.

Enhancement of nutritional quality in maize kernel through marker-assisted breeding for vte4, crtRB1, and opaque2 genes.

Traditional maize is poor in vitamin-E [α-tocopherol (α-T): 6-8 ppm], vitamin-A [provitamin-A (proA): 1-2ppm], lysine (0.150-0.2-50%), and tryptophan (0.030-0.040%). Here, we combined favourable alleles of vte4, crtRB1, and opaque2 (o2) genes in the parents of maize hybrids, viz., APQH-10 (PMI-PV-9 × PMI-PV-14) and APQH-11 (PMI-PV-9 × PMI-PV-15) using molecular breeding. Gene-specific markers were successfully used to select vte4, crtRB1, and o2 in BC1F1, BC2F1, and BC2F2 generations. Simple sequence repeats (104-109) were used for background selection, leading to an average recovery of 94% recurrent parent genome. The introgressed inbreds possessed significantly higher α-T: 18.38 ppm, α-/γ-tocopherol (α-/γ-T: 52%), and α-/total tocopherol (α-/TT: 32%) compared to original inbreds (α-T: 8.17 ppm, α-/γ-T: 25%, α-/TT: 18%). These newly derived inbreds also possessed higher ß-carotene (BC: 8.91 ppm), ß-cryptoxanthin (BCX: 1.27 ppm), proA (9.54 ppm), lysine (0.348%), and tryptophan (0.082%) compared to traditional maize inbreds. The reconstituted hybrids recorded higher α-T (2.1-fold), α-/γ-T (1.9-fold), and α-/TT (1.6-fold) over the original hybrids. These reconstituted hybrids were also rich in BC (5.7-fold), BCX (3.3-fold), proA (5.3-fold), lysine (1.9-fold), and tryptophan (2.0-fold) over the traditional hybrids. The reconstituted hybrids had similar grain yield and phenotypic characteristics to original versions. These multinutrient-rich maize hybrids hold great potential to alleviate malnutrition in sustainable and cost-effective manner.

Raptinal ameliorates 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer through p53/Bcl2/Bax/caspase-3-mediated apoptotic events in vitro and in vivo.

OBJECTIVES: Colon carcinoma stands as the most familiar malignancy throughout across the globe. Raptinal induce apoptosis through the alteration of cellular events. Thus, in the present investigation, the anticancer activity of raptinal counter to 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) persuaded colon carcinoma has been evaluated through both in vivo and in vitro systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pharmacophore analysis demonstrated the binding efficacy of raptinal with the apoptotic proteins. The chemotherapeutic activity of raptinal was examined through HT-29 human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line as well as DMH persuaded CRC in the rat model. The cytotoxicity analysis, flow cytometry, and DAPI analysis have been carried out on HT-29 cell line through in vitro assessment. The colon carcinoma has been induced through DMH administration and subsequently Dextran sulfate sodium treatment in male Wistar rats. After 18 weeks of raptinal treatment, the colon tissues have been investigated for aberrant crypt foci (ACF) count, antioxidant status, histology, immunohistochemical assessment, and apoptotic analysis. RESULTS: The raptinal therapy on HT-29 cells demonstrated a substantial % of early apoptosis followed by G0 and G1 phase arrest, which subsequently led to apoptosis. Furthermore, it inhibits ACF development with improved colonic abrasions and structural integrity of colonic mucosa with increased levels of antioxidants, proapoptotic biomarkers including p53, caspase-3, Bax and downstream effects of Bcl-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 mutation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate the raptinal effectively reduces colon cancer by inducing apoptosis through p53/Bcl2/Bax/caspase-3 pathway and suppressing IL-6, TNF-mediated chronic inflammation in the colon cancer microenvironment.