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Anxiety is an unpleasant state, which can critically decrease the quality of life is often accompanied by nervous behaviour and rumination. Niranthin is a lignan isolated from various Phyllanthus sources. The literature survey on niranthin highlights wide ranges of the therapeutic potentials. In a present study, based on our previous investigations, we evaluated pure, isolated and characterized niranthin as an anxiolytic agent. The niranthin [6-[(2R,3R)-3-[(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]-4-methoxy-2-(methoxymethyl)butyl]-4-methoxy-1,3-benzodioxole] was purchased from commercial source and further subjected for assessment of its anxiolytic potentials using popular animal models including Elevated plus-maze model/test (EPM) and Light & Dark Exploration test (L&D). GABA-A receptor mediation was evaluated by pretreating the mice with the GABA-A receptor antagonist Flumazenil before the EPM task. Molecular docking simulation studies (pdb id: 4COF) carried out by Vlife QSAR software showed that niranthin (docking score: − 62.1714 kcal/mol) have shown comparatively best docking score compared to the standard drug Diazepam (docking score: − 63.1568 kcal/mol). To conclude, Niranthin has probable potential in the management of anxiety disorder. Our in-silico and in-vivo analysis (indirectly) indicated the plausible role of GABA mediation for anxiolytic activity. Although, these studies are preliminary, future in depth experimental explorations will be required to use Niranthin as anti-anxiety drug in near future. Graphic Abstract

Glycine max has 32 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), nine of them exhibiting defense functions (defense MAPKs) to the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines. RNA seq analyses of transgenic G. max lines overexpressing (OE) each defense MAPK has led to the identification of 309 genes that are increased in their relative transcript abundance by all 9 defense MAPKs. Here, 71 of those genes are shown to also have measurable amounts of transcript in H. glycines-induced nurse cells (syncytia) produced in the root that are undergoing a defense response. The 71 genes have been grouped into 7 types, based on their expression profile. Among the 71 genes are 8 putatively-secreted proteins that include a galactose mutarotase-like protein, pollen Ole e 1 allergen and extensin protein, endomembrane protein 70 protein, O-glycosyl hydrolase 17 protein, glycosyl hydrolase 32 protein, FASCICLIN-like arabinogalactan protein 17 precursor, secreted peroxidase and a pathogenesis-related thaumatin protein. Functional transgenic analyses of all 8 of these candidate defense genes that employ their overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) demonstrate they have a role in defense. Overexpression experiments that increase the relative transcript abundance of the candidate defense gene reduces the ability that the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines has in completing its life cycle while, in contrast, RNAi of these genes leads to an increase in parasitism. The results provide a genomic analysis of the importance of MAPK signaling in relation to the secretion apparatus during the defense process defense in the G. max-H. glycines pathosystem and identify additional targets for future studies.

To communicate efficiently with a prospective user, auditory interfaces are employed in mobile communication devices. Diverse sounds in different volumes are used to alert the user in various devices such as mobile phones, modern laptops and domestic appliances. These alert noises behave erroneously in dynamic noise environments, leading to major annoyances to the user. In noisy environments, as sounds can be played quietly, this leads to the improper masked rendering of the necessary information. To overcome these issues, a multi-model sensing technique is developed as a smartphone application to achieve automatic volume control in a smart phone. Based on the ambient environment, the volume is automatically controlled such that it is maintained at an appropriate level for the user. By identifying the average noise level of the ambient environment from dynamic microphone and together with the activity recognition data obtained from the inertial sensors, the automatic volume control is achieved. Experiments are conducted with five different mobile devices at various noise-level environments and different user activity states. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed application for active volume control in dynamic environments.

A Glycine max (soybean) hemicellulose modifying gene, xyloglucan endotransglycoslase/hydrolase (XTH43), has been identified as being expressed within a nurse cell known as a syncytium developing within the soybean root undergoing the process of defense to infection by the parasitic nematode, Heterodera glycines. The highly effective nature of XTH43 overexpression in suppressing H. glycines parasitism in soybean has led to experiments examining whether the heterologous expression of XTH43 in Gossypium hirsutum (upland cotton) could impair the parasitism of Meloidogyne incognita, that form a different type of nurse cell called a giant cell that is enclosed within a swollen root structure called a gall. The heterologous transgenic expression of XTH43 in cotton resulted in an 18% decrease in the number of galls, 70% decrease in egg masses, 64% decrease in egg production and a 97% decrease in second stage juvenile (J2) production as compared to transgenic controls. The heterologous XTH43 expression does not significantly affect root mass. The results demonstrate XTH43 expression functions effectively in impairing the development of M. incognita at numerous life cycle stages occurring within the cotton root. The experiments reveal that there are highly conserved aspects of the defense response of G. max that can function effectively in G. hirsutum to impair M. incognita having a different method of parasitism.

We investigated the carbon dioxide metabolism of Streptococcus thermophilus , evaluating the phenotype of a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase-negative mutant obtained by replacement of a functional ppc gene with a deleted and inactive version, Δppc . The growth of the mutant was compared to that of the parent strain in a chemically defined medium and in milk, supplemented or not with l -aspartic acid, the final product of the metabolic pathway governed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. It was concluded that aspartate present in milk is not sufficient for the growth of S. thermophilus . As a consequence, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity was considered fundamental for the biosynthesis of l -aspartic acid in S. thermophilus metabolism. This enzymatic activity is therefore essential for growth of S. thermophilus in milk even if S. thermophilus was cultured in association with proteinase-positive Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus . It was furthermore observed that the supplementation of milk with aspartate significantly affected the level of urease activity. Further experiments, carried out with a p ureI - gusA recombinant strain, revealed that expression of the urease operon was sensitive to the aspartate concentration in milk and to the cell availability of glutamate, glutamine, and ammonium ions.

The molecular characteristics of soluble extensin from tomato have been investigated. An apparent molecular mass greater than 240 kDa has been previously observed with the shape-dependent method of gel-filtration chromatography [Brownleader and Dey (1993) Planta (Berlin) 191, 457–469]. Tomato extensin is a heavily glycosylated protein that does not migrate into SDS/polyacrylamide gels. This shape-dependent behaviour raises doubts about agreement between the observed apparent mass and the absolute value. The molecular mass measured with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI–TOF MS) was 72.3 kDa, with no evidence of any other species except a doubly charged ion. The sample was therefore considered to be monodisperse under the conditions used. Electron microscopy of soluble extensin showed the presence of particles 40–50 nm in length and 2.0–2.5 nm in width. A minority of these particles showed a central ‘kink’. A number of smaller and generally wider particles (20 nm×2–4 nm) were considered to be folded monomers and larger particles were thought to be dimers. Sedimentation analysis showed that extensin exists in a rapid monomer–dimer equilibrium in the concentration range and buffer used. Sedimentation equilibrium data gave a Kd of 8.5 µM and sedimentation velocity data generated a Kd between 1 and 10 µM. The concentration dependence of the measured sedimentation coefficient was used, together with hydrodynamic bead modelling, to define plausible shapes for monomer and dimer. This suggests that monomeric extensin is an elongated rod of length 40 nm and width 2 nm, which forms staggered dimers of average length 50 nm and width 3 nm. Extensin is an integral component of the primary cell wall. The physical characteristics (size, shape and form) of the rod-like extensin have been evaluated in this paper so that the role that extensin plays in primary cell wall architecture and during plant disease resistance can be more fully understood.