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Foraminifera are found in all marine environments, but they are very particular about the congenial environment for their reproduction, diversity and abundance. To understand the influence of bottom water parameters on the distribution of foraminifera from the shallow shelf region of Bay of Bengal, off Tiruchendur, Southeast Coast of Tamil Nadu, sediment and bottom water samples were collected at 27 stations, along three traverses viz. from off Veerapandianpattinam, off Tiruchendur and from off Alandurai, ranging in depths from 1.6m to 18.5m. The samples were collected during three seasons representing, summer (May 2016), pre monsoon (October 2016) and winter (January 2017) and thus the total samples amounted to 81. A total of 105 species of foraminifera have been identified from 47 genera, 32 families, 16 superfamilies and 4suborders. Among these 105 foraminiferal species, five were found to be widespread and abundant viz. Ammonia beccarii, A. tepida, Asterorotalia inflata, Nonioniodes boueanum and Quinqueloculina seminulam. Various bottom water parameters such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH were determined and correlated with the foraminiferal population. Temporally, higher temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH of bottom water observed during summer (May 2016) were congenial for higher population in the study area. Optimum conditions for the higher population and abundance of foraminifera are: Temperature: > 32.0°C, Dissolved oxygen: >6.0 mg/l, Salinity: >32 ppt and pH>8.1.

The present study was carried out to examine the influence of dietary supplementation of probiotic Micrococcus endophyticus (ME) on growth, survival and biochemical profiles of freshwater Cyprinus carpio fingerlings. The formulated feed was prepared using basic ingredients with different concentrations of probiotic at 2 (ME-2), 4 (ME-4) and 6 (ME-6) per cent levels besides a control group with no probiotic. Four groups of C. carpio fingerlings were fed at the above feeding regimes for 40 d. Morphometric parameters, feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR) and percentage of weight gain (PWG) of fingerlings were recorded at the end of the experimental period. The final length (5.70±0.54 cm), weight (1.50±0.28 g), PWG (350.37±6.94%), SGR (4.99±0.34%) and survival rate (94.00±2.00%) of fingerlings fed on ME-6 feed were significantly (P 0.05) variation between ME-2 and ME-4 feeding regimes were apparent. Body composition of fish such as protein (22.35±1.46%) and NFE (16.57±0.51%) was high in fishes fed with ME-6 feed compared to the control. It is concluded that pelleted feed supplemented with Micrococcus endophyticus as a probiotic at a six per cent level produced better growth performance and biochemical profile of C. carpio fingerlings.

Intra-retinal axon guidance involves a coordinated expression of transcription factors, axon guidance genes, and secretory molecules within the retina. Pax6, the master regulator gene, has a spatio-temporal expression typically restricted till neurogenesis and fate-specification. However, our observation of persistent expression of Pax6 in mature RGCs led us to hypothesize that Pax6 could play a major role in axon guidance after fate specification. Here, we found significant alteration in intra-retinal axon guidance and fasciculation upon knocking out of Pax6 in E15.5 retina. Through unbiased transcriptome profiling between Pax6fl/fl and Pax6−/− retinas, we revealed the mechanistic insight of its role in axon guidance. Our results showed a significant increase in the expression of extracellular matrix molecules and decreased expression of retinal fate specification and neuron projection guidance molecules. Additionally, we found that EphB1 and Sema5B are directly regulated by Pax6 owing to the guidance defects and improper fasciculation of axons. We conclude that Pax6 expression post fate specification of RGCs is necessary for regulating the expression of axon guidance genes and most importantly for maintaining a conducive ECM through which the nascent axons get guided and fasciculate to reach the optic disc.

Objective: A feeding trial was conducted to assess the effect of supplementation of sodium butyrate on the gut health in broiler chicken. Methods: The trial consisted of six experimental groups with 12 replicates, each containing 6 chicks with a total of 432 birds. The experimental groups consisted of a control group fed the diet without antibiotic (CON), another group fed the diet with antibiotic oxytetracycline (50 ppm; AB), and groups fed the diet with two levels each of coated-sodium butyrate (CSB) at 0.09 and 0.18%, and uncoated sodium butyrate (UCSB) at 0.03 and 0.06% without antibiotic. The trial was carried out in deep litter pen for 42 days. After 42 days, the birds were slaughtered for collection of jejunum and contents of ceacum for the study of villi morphology and microflora count respectively. Results: The caecal Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens count were reduced (P

Domestic rabbit belongs to genus Oryctolagus cuniculus which has 38 important breeds and 77 varieties of European rabbits. The domestic rabbit is known to produce quality meat, fur and very fine quality animal fibre. Rabbit rearing has gained momentum in the recent years among the developing countries including India, owing to their small body size, rapid growth rate, high prolificacy, early maturity, shorter generation interval and ability to utilize forage and fibrous agricultural by-products. In India, there has been a rising awareness in recent years on the virtues of broiler rabbit production as an alternative means of alleviating food shortages. India is also one of the developing countries which are also facing meat shortage of 4.66 g/day against the recommended requirement of 87 g/day. In India, the total rabbit population has increased from 424 thousands in 2007 to 591.6 thousand in 2012 which is 39.55% increase in last 5 years.

The research experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of various nitrogen sources combination on biochemical indices in Swietenia macrophylla and Swietenia mahogany at Forest College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Mettupalayam. The study consists of ten different types of nitrogen fertiliser combinations (Organic and inorganic sources) includes control (without any fertilisers application) to compare the treatment effect in two tree crops. Research experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Swietenia macrophylla T2 (Urea + sheep manure) combined application shows statistically significant differences in bio chemical indices (Chlorophyll a and b) after the fertiliser application during the research experiment. In Swietenia mahogany T2 (Urea alone) shows the statistically significant difference in biochemical indices (Chlorophyll a and b) during the experimental research period. In both tree, crops did not explain any statistically significant differences in Carotenoids content due to fertiliser application at the time of research experiment.

A field experiment was carried out at department of agricultural microbiology, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India to evaluate the performance of tomato inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (AM) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) when the fertilizer application was reduced to 50% and 25% of the recommended fertilizer dose (RDF). The results of the study revealed that, inoculation of tomato with AM and PSB significantly increased all the parameters examined during the study. However, the best results were obtained when the seedlings were inoculated with AM followed by PSB at 50 % of the RDF as evident from 16.6% and 12.6% increase in the total plant dry weight at the respective treatments as compared to control. Similarly the concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the plants inoculated with AM at 50 % of the RDF was increased by 17.3, 20.6 and 23.2% followed by an increase of 2.5, 11.5, and 12.2% at PSB with 50 % RDF as compared to control. Yield of tomato was respectively increased by 9.7% and 4.4 % when inoculated with AM and PSB at 50 % of RDF as compared to control.

Salinity seriously constrains crop yield in irrigated agriculture throughout the world. Also, salinity is a serious threat to agriculture in arid and semi arid regions. Nearly 10 % of the world’s land surface can be classified as endangered by salinity. Salinity in the soil and irrigation water is an environmental problem and a major constraint for crop production. Currently, 20 % of the world’s cultivated land is affected by salinity, which results in the loss of 50 % of agricultural yield. At present, there are nearly 954 million hectares of saline soils on the earth’s surface. All these salt affected soils are distributed throughout the world. The salinity response of legumes in general varies greatly depending on factors like climatic conditions, soil properties, salt tolerance and the stages of crop growth. Successful cultivation of legumes can be achieved by the selection and/or development of a salt-tolerant legume Rhizobium combination although high salinities are known to affect rhizobial activities. The aim of present study is the effect of strains of salt tolerant Rhizobia on IAA, EPS, nodule ARA activity, Nitrogen content, leghemoglobin content, siderophore production, IAR and salt concentration of Groundnut on coastal area of Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu. The GNR CD-4 is the effect salt tolerance strain compared to other strains.

Clostridium perfringens (Cp) is a Gram-positive anaerobe that is one of the causative agents of necrotic enteritis (NE) in chickens, which leads to high mortality. Owing to the ban of administering antibiotics in feed to chickens, there has been an increase in the number of NE outbreaks all over the world, and the estimated loss is approximately 6 billion U.S. dollars. The best alternative method to control NE without antibiotics could be vaccination. In this study, we exposed three different strains of Cp to electron beam (eBeam) irradiation to inactivate them and then used them as a killed vaccine to control the colonization of Cp in broiler chickens. The vaccine was delivered to 18-day old embryos in ovo and the chickens were challenged with the respective vaccine strain at two different time points (early and late) to test the protective efficacy of the vaccine. The results indicate that an effective eBeam dose of 10 kGy inactivated all three strains of Cp, did not affect the cell membrane or epitopes, induced significant levels of IgY in the vaccinated birds, and further reduced the colonization of Cp strains significantly (p &lt, 0.0001) in late challenge (JGS4064: 4 out of 10, JGS1473: 0 out of 10, JGS4104: 3 out of 10). Further studies are necessary to enhance the efficacy of the vaccine and to understand the mechanism of vaccine protection.

Isoniazid (INH), one of the first-line drugs used for the treatment of tuberculosis, is a prodrug which is activated by the intracellular KatG enzyme of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The activated drug hinders cell wall biosynthesis by inhibiting the InhA protein. INH-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis usually have mutations in katG, inhA, ahpC, kasA, and ndh genes. However, INH-resistant strains which do not have mutations in any of these genes are reported, suggesting that these strains may adopt some other mechanism to become resistant to INH. In the present study, we characterized Rv2170, a putative acetyltransferase in M. tuberculosis, to elucidate its role in inactivating isoniazid. The purified recombinant protein was able to catalyze the transfer of the acetyl group to INH from acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses showed that following acetylation by Rv2170, INH is broken down into isonicotinic acid and acetylhydrazine. A drug susceptibility assay and confocal analysis showed that Mycobacterium smegmatis, which is susceptible to INH, is not inhibited by INH acetylated with Rv2170. Mutant proteins of Rv2170 failed to acetylate INH. Recombinant M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis H37Ra overexpressing Rv2170 were found to be resistant to INH at MICs that inhibited wild-type strains. Besides, intracellular M. tuberculosis H37Ra overexpressing Rv2170 survived better in macrophages when treated with INH. Our results strongly indicate that Rv2170 acetylates INH, and this could be one of the strategies adopted by at least some M. tuberculosis strains to overcome INH toxicity, although this needs to be tested in INH-resistant clinical strains.

Premise of the study: The objective of the work is to manitor the phytochemicals present in methanolic extract of Lycopersicum esculentum after treatment with different concentrations of seaweed liquid fertilizer (SLF). Methods: In this study SLF treated L.esculentum were characterized through gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy to identify the phytochemicals constituents and functional groups of the compounds. Results: Preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, carbohydrates, saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, terpinoids. Among the thirty nine phytochemical constituents octa decanoic acid, stigmasterol, hexa decanoic acid and Vitamin E are relatively present in higher yield. The active phytochemical compounds and their constituents were identified with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The retention time, percentage of area, molecular weight and chemical formula of phytochemical compounds were determined with help of NIST08 and WILEY8 libraries. The functional groups identified from the spectrum techniques are alcohol, aldehyde, iso cyanides, alkyl compound and chloro compounds. Accordingly hexadecanic acid, beta.-amyrin, gamma sisterol, octodecanic acid, phytol, stigmasterol, vitamin E, lupeol were derived from SLF treated i.e. compared to control plants. Conclusion: The results of this study offer a platform of using SLF treated L.esculentum has an alternative source for various biological studies and it can be used as functional and pharmaceutical purposes. Keywords: SLF, Lycopersicum esculentum, Phytochemical, GC-MS and FTIR

In view of the silent nature of estrus in buffalo, a noninvasive assay kit has long been felt necessary for easy and effective estrus detection. This study was designed to detect estrus in buffalo using a kit formulated in our laboratory based on pheromone compound. Group I: Urine samples collected at estrus phase and group II: randomly collected urine samples were subjected to the test using the kit. No colour developed (i.e., positive reaction) in estrus urine after adding the kit solution. By contrast, pale and/or dark pink colour developed (i.e., negative reaction) in urine from the proestrus and diestrus buffaloes, respectively. Field evaluation of the kit in groups I and II revealed that 60.87% and 71.43% of urine samples were correctly identified as estrus and nonestrus (i.e., proestrus and diestrus), respectively. Therefore, the first of its kind estrus detection kit formulated based on urinary pheromone can as well be used as a simple device to detect estrus in buffalo.

The migratory movements of 14 olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Bay of Bengal were studied using satellite telemetry during 2009–2010. Tracking data show that olive ridley turtles undertake open-ocean migrations in the bay and exhibit migratory corridor between foraging habitat of Sri Lanka and nesting sites along the Odisha coast of India. Tracking durations ranged 7–331 d (mean = 151 ± 95.9 d). The tracked turtles had a mean traveling speed of 2.49 ± 0.02 km/hr and moved an average of 31.7 km/d, remaining within a mean distance of 163.28 ± 50.9 km (range, 1–535 km) from the east coast of India. Turtles occupied waters with sea surface temperature (SST) ranging from 24°C to 31°C with chlorophyll concentrations of 0 to 3.9 mg/m3. Our study confirms that olive ridley turtles in the Bay of Bengal move within a broad range of SSTs and chlorophyll a concentrations; no correlation was found between turtle movements and these 2 oceanographic parameters (r2 = 0.02, n = 77). Our data in...

Environmental contamination with hexavalent chromium (CrVI) is a growing problem both in the U.S and developing countries. CrVI is a heavy-metal endocrine disruptor; women working in Cr industries exhibit an increased incidence of premature abortion and infertility. The current study was designed to understand the mechanism of CrVI toxicity on placental cell survival/death pathways. Pregnant mothers were treated with or without CrVI (50 ppm K 2 Cr 2 O 7 ) through drinking water from gestational day (GD) 9.5–14.5, and placentas were analyzed on GD 18.5. Results indicated that CrVI increased apoptosis of trophoblasts, vascular endothelium of the metrial glands and yolk sac epithelium through caspase-3 and p53-dependent pathways. CrVI increased apoptosis in labyrinth and basal zones in a caspase-3-independent manner via AIF, and through an ATM-p53-NOXA-PUMA-p27 network. CrVI downregulated cell survival proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and XIAP in the placenta. CrVI disrupts placental histoarchitecture and increases cell death by spatiotemporal modulation of apoptotic signaling.

Non-erythroid spectrin or fodrin is present as part of the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) in brain tissue and brain derived cells. Here, we show that fodrin, which is otherwise known for providing structural support to the cell membrane, interacts directly with γ-tubulin within the γ-TuRC through a GRIP2-like motif. Turbidometric analysis of microtubule polymerization with nucleation-potent γ-TuRC isolated from HEK-293 cells that lack fodrin and the γ-TuRC from goat brain that contains fodrin shows inefficiency of the latter to promote nucleation. The involvement of fodrin was confirmed by the reduction in the microtubule polymerization efficiency of HEK-293 derived γ-TuRCs upon addition of purified brain fodrin. Thus, the interaction of fodrin with gamma-tubulin is responsible for its inhibitory effect on γ-tubulin mediated microtubule nucleation.

Acquired drug resistance poses a challenge in cancer therapy. Drug efflux is the most common mechanism of resistance displayed by hydrophobic drugs beyond a certain size. However, target specific changes and imbalance between the pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins are also found quite often in many tumours. A number of small antimitotic agents show high potential for multidrug resistant tumours, mainly because they are able to evade the efflux pumps. However, these compounds are also likely to suffer from resistance upon prolonged treatment. Thus, it is important to find out agents that are sensitive to resistant tumours and to know the resistance mechanisms against small molecules so that proper combinations can be planned. In this report, we have studied the efficiency of diaminothiazoles, a novel class of tubulin targeting potential anticancer compounds of small size, in multidrug resistant cancer. Studies in model cell lines raised against taxol and the lead diaminothiazole, DAT1 [4-amino-5-benzoyl-2-(4-methoxy phenyl amino) thiazole], and the xenograft tumours derived from them, show that diaminothiazoles are highly promising against multidrug resistant cancers. They were able to overcome the expression of efflux protein MDR1 and certain tubulin isotypes, could sensitize improper apoptotic machinery and ablated checkpoint proteins Bub1 and Mad2. Further, we have found that the resistance against microtubule binding compounds with higher size is broad-spectrum and emerges due to multiple factors including overexpression of transmembrane pumps. However, resistance against small molecules is transient, specific and is contributed by target specific changes and variations in apoptotic factors.

NASID induced gastro intestinal injury represent the most frequent adverse drug event worldwide. Despite the large number of drug used, the incidence of serious side effects due to NSAIDs is considerably low. The wide spectrum of side effects includes of those affecting renal, hepatic and haematological functions. The major gastrointestinal adverse effects include peptic ulcer disease, gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation. Peptic ulcer disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the stomach and duodenum affecting approximately 15% of people the world over. The two causative factors are Helicobactor pylori and NSAID. Helicobacter pylori and NSAID are independent risk factors for the developments of gastroduodenopathy.The two factors together do not increase the risk of peptic ulcer disease. Asymptomatic individuals with normal endoscopy are associated with histological changes of gastritis. Antral ulcers are associated with low prevalence of HP. Predicting which patients taking chronic NSAID s are at risk of ulceration; bleeding or perforation needs further evaluation.

There is currently no systematic review examining the effects of vitamin D supplementation among athletes. A rigorous systematic review and meta-analysis is important to provide a balanced view of current knowledge on the effect of vitamin D on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and physical performance. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the effects of oral vitamin D supplementation on serum 25(OH)D concentrations and physical performance in athletes. Multiple electronic databases were searched, and study eligibility, methodological quality assessment, and data extraction were completed independently and in duplicate. Studies were stratified by baseline vitamin D sufficiency, season, and latitude. A cut-off of 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/l) of 25(OH)D was used for sufficiency. Absolute mean differences (AMDs) between vitamin D and placebo using random effects analysis, and heterogeneity using Q statistic and I 2 index, were calculated. AMD with 95% confidence interval (CI), p value, and I 2 are reported. In total, 13 RCTs (2005–2016) with 532 athletes (vitamin D 311, placebo 221) were eligible. A total of 433 athletes (vitamin D 244, placebo 189) had complete outcome data. Among athletes with baseline values suggesting insufficiency, vitamin D supplementation led to significant increases from 3000 IU (AMD 15.2 ng/ml; 95% CI 10.7–19.7, p 45° latitudes. Both doses led to sufficiency concentrations during winter months. Among athletes with baseline vitamin D suggesting sufficiency, serum 25(OH)D sufficiency was maintained from different doses at both latitudes. Of 13 included trials, only seven measured different physical performances and none demonstrated a significant effect of vitamin D supplementation during 12 weeks of follow-up. Despite achieving sufficiency in vitamin D concentrations from ≥3000 IU supplementation, physical performance did not significantly improve. Between-study heterogeneity was large, and well-designed RCTs examining the effect of vitamin D supplementation on serum 25(OH)D concentrations, physical performance, and injuries in different sports, latitudes, ethnicities, and vitamin D status are needed.

Experiment was carried out at Instructional Livestock Farm complex, Veterinary college and Research Institute, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu during 2015-2016 and with the aim to study the feeding behaviour of sheep fed with cultivated hybrid napier and multicut fodder sorghum at different stage of cuttings under intensive system. Intensity of eagerness towards the green fodders and bouts length, duration and frequency were studied. The intensity of eagerness towards the fodder was highest in CO(BN)5 group followed by CO(CN)4 and COFS29 at 60th, 75th days of cuttings. The number of bites per min was highest in CO(BN)5 group whereas the bout time (min) and frequency of bite was highest in CO(CN)4 group and lowest in COFS29 group.

Antarctica and its surrounding ocean are at the centre stage of rapid and extreme environmental events due to prevailing global climate change, which in turn necessitates long-term monitoring of wildlife and their habitats in this region. Systematic monitoring of seabirds and marine mammals were carried out during five austral summers (2008-09, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16). Vessel-based surveys for pelagic seabirds in the southern Indian Ocean, aerial surveys for seals and penguins and field surveys for locating nesting sites of Antarctic birds were conducted at Indian area of operation in Antarctica. Forty-nine species of seabirds were observed during the vessel-based surveys. Species richness peaked in the mid-latitudes but species abundances increased along higher latitudes towards Antarctica. Planktivorous species in the lower latitudes were replaced by mixed prey dependent species in the higher latitudes. Aerial surveys recorded a total of four species of seals viz. Weddell seal, Crabeater seal, Leopard seal and Ross seal and two penguin species viz. Emperor penguin and Adelie penguin. Out of 15 islands in Larsemann hills that were surveyed on-foot, the presence of nesting sites of seabirds is reported from 13 islands. The preliminary results from our study provide the baseline data for ecologically important species within Indian area of operation in Antarctica and will help design future research activities.

Differential regulation of Brn3b is essential for the Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC) development in the two phases of retinal histogenesis. This biphasic Brn3b regulation is required first, during early retinal histogenesis for RGC fate specification and secondly, during late histogenesis, where Brn3b is needed for RGC axon guidance and survival. Here, we have looked into how the regulation of Brn3b at these two stages happens. We identified two miRNAs, miR-23a and miR-374, as regulators of Brn3b expression, during the early stage of RGC development. Temporal expression pattern of miR-23a during E10–19, PN1–7, and adult retina revealed an inverse relation with Brn3b expression. Though miR-374 did not show such a pattern, its co-expression with miR-23a evidently inhibited Brn3b. We further substantiated these findings by ex vivo overexpression of these miRNAs in E14 mice retina and found that miR-23a and miR-374 together brings about a change in Brn3b expression pattern in ganglion cell layer (GCL) of the developing retina. From our results, it appears that the combined expression of these miRNAs could be regulating the timing of the wave of Brn3b expression required for early ganglion cell fate specification and later for its survival and maturation into RGCs. Taken together, here we provide convincing evidences for the existence of a co-ordinated mechanism by miRNAs to down regulate Brn3b that will ultimately regulate the development of RGCs from their precursors. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 74: 1155–1171, 2014

Stomach contents of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) occurring along the Gahirmatha coast of Odisha, India have been studied between October 2008 and May 2010. We obtained 76 stomach contents from olive ridley turtles that were stranded freshly, of which 12 were males and 64 were females. Among food items, molluscs dominated with 34.5 % in volume while crustaceans were next in order of volume (27.6 %). Occurrence of fish and other invertebrate and algae fragments though were less in amount have been noted almost in all specimens.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Seaweed Liquid Fertilizer (SLF) of the red seaweed Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen) Lamouroux (H. musciformis). on the growth, biochemical and pigment characteristics of Arachis hypogea (A. hypogea). Methods: Experiments were conducted on ground nut to study the potential red alga of H. musciformis as a biofertilizer. The seeds were sown in soil and SLF were added to soil bed in five different concentrations separately (1%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% w/v). Results: The 2% concentration of water extract showed better results of growth parameters, biochemical and pigments constitutions. Among the different concentrations of SLF investigated, the plants that received with 2% SLF showed maximum germination percentage, fresh weight, dry weight, root and shoot length, number of branches, leaf area, root nodules and content of total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and b, protein, carbohydrate and lipid were observed at 2% concentration of SLF. The leaf of 2% SLF treated A. hypogea has subjected to Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive spectroscopic analysis, it revealed that the presence of ten elements in the following order: Ca>P>N>Na>K>Mg>Mn>S>Fe>Zn in treated and Ca>N>P>Na>Mg>Mn>K>Zn>S>Fe in control plant. The data generated from study reveal that SLF of H. musciformis could be used as foliar spray at low concentration of 2% to maximize the growth and yield of A. hypogea and also increase the number of stomata in the leaf. Conclusion: It is suggested that there are considerable gains to be made in increasing yield and stabilizing the yield in environments characterized by terminal requirement for organic and by shortening crop duration nutrient management appear promising.

Article history: Objective: To identify the effect of seaweed liquied fertilizer (SLF) of Ulva reticulata, as biochemical characteristics of Vigna mungo as well as leaf morphometric analysis such as epidermal and stomata cell variation and distribution of minerals in the leaf. Methods: Experiments were conducted on black gram to study the potential green alga of Ulva reticulata as a biofertilizer. The seeds were sown in soil and SLF were added to soil bed in five different concentrations separately (1%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% w/v). Results: Seaweed extract was applied as a foliar spray, the SLF treated plants show maximum growth in 2% of SLF among the various experimental concentrations as well as control. Biochemical profiles like chlorophyll a and b, protein, sugar and starch were found to be higher at 2%. A significant increase in the number of epidermal and stomata cells were observed in 2% SLF treated plants. Whereas at higher concentrations of SLF such as 4%, 6%, and 8% the values of all the parameters were significantly decreased than in the control group. Further the leaf of 2% SLF treated V. mungo have subjected to Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic analysis it reveals that thepresence of ten elements in the following order: Ca>P>N>Na>K>Mg>Mn>S>Fe>Zn in treated and Ca>N>P>Na>Mg>Mn>K>Zn>S>Fe in control plant. The data generated from study reveal that SLF of U. reticulatea could be used as foliar spray at low concentration of 2% to maximize the growth and yield of V. mungo and also increase the number of stomata in the leaf. Conclusion: The main objective of study result would be the manorial requirement for organic forming and serve as a cost effective ecofriendliness for sustainable agriculture and environment.

Epidemiologic studies document relationships between chromium VI (CrVI) exposure and increased risk of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm birth, and neonatal death in pregnant women. Environmental contamination with CrVI is a growing problem both in the United States and developing countries. CrVI is widely used in numerous industries. This study was designed to understand the mechanism of CrVI toxicity on placental oxidative stress and antioxidant (AOX) machinery. Pregnant mother rats were treated with or without CrVI (50 ppm K2Cr2O7) through drinking water from gestational day (GD) 9.5-14.5, and placentas were analyzed on GD 18.5. Results indicated that CrVI reduced the trophoblast cell population. CrVI increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased the expression of AOX proteins. CrVI disrupts the trophoblast proliferation of the placenta. This study provides insight into the critical role of AOXs in placental function.

Resveratrol (RVT), a polyphenolic component in grapes and red wine, has been known for its cytoprotective actions against several diseases. However, beneficial effects of RVT against early exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have not been understood. EDCs are linked to several ovarian diseases such as premature ovarian failure, polycystic ovary syndrome, early menopause and infertility in women. Hexavalent chromium (CrVI) is a heavy metal EDC, and widely used in >50 industries. Environmental contamination with CrVI in the US is rapidly increasing, predisposing the human to several illnesses including cancers and still birth. Our lab has been involved in determining the molecular mechanism of CrVI-induced female infertility and intervention strategies to mitigate CrVI effects. Lactating mother rats were exposed to CrVI (50 ppm potassium dichromate) from postpartum days 1–21 through drinking water with or without RVT (10 mg/kg body wt., through oral gavage daily). During this time, F1 females received respective treatments through mother’s milk. On postnatal day (PND) 25, blood and the ovary, kidney and liver were collected from the F1 females for analyses. CrVI increased atresia of follicles by increasing cytochrome C and cleaved caspase-3; decreasing antiapoptotic proteins; decreasing estradiol (E2) biosynthesis and enhancing metabolic clearance of E2, increasing oxidative stress and decreasing endogenous antioxidants. RVT mitigated the effects of CrVI by upregulating cell survival proteins and AOXs; and restored E2 levels by inhibiting hydroxylation, glucuronidation and sulphation of E2. This is the first study to report the protective effects of RVT against any toxicant in the ovary.

Diosmin is naturally found flavanoid in many citrus fruits known to have anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antioxidant and antimutagenic properties. Effects of Diosmin on IL-6/STAT-3 expression in hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis remain unclear. Alterations in many genes encode crucial proteins, which regulate cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis have been implicated in oral cancer. In the present study, we investigated the effect of dietary Diosmin on IL-6/STAT-3 signaling in the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis by examining the protein expression of IL-6/STAT-3 and its related genes. Immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that Diosmin (100mg/kgb.w) supplement inhibits key events in signaling especially STAT-3 phosphorylation and subsequent nuclear translocation. Results revealed that inhibition of proliferation and angiogenesis is associated with regulation of the STAT-3 pathway; where Diosmin prevents phosphorylation of JAK-1 which was ascend by IL-6, thereby inhibiting STAT-3 phosphorylation. Consequently, an imbalance in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio triggered the caspase cascade in favor of apoptosis. Transmission electron microscopic studies proved the effect of Diosmin on ultrastructural changes. Finally our results provide significant evidence that Diosmin prevents the development and progression of HBP carcinomas through the inhibition of IL-6/STAT-3 signaling and its downstream events. Thus, Diosmin functions as a potent inhibitor of tumor development and progression by targeting IL-6/STAT-3 signaling may be an ideal candidate for cancer chemoprevention.

Retinal histogenesis requires coordinated and temporal functioning of factors by which different cell types are generated from multipotent progenitors. Development of rod photoreceptors is regulated by multiple transcription factors, and Nrl is one of the major factors involved in their fate specification. Presence or absence of Nrl at the postnatal stages decides the generation of cone photoreceptors or other later retinal cells. This suggests the need for regulated expression of Nrl in order to accelerate the generation of other cell types during retinal development. We found that miR cluster 143/145, comprising miR-143 and miR-145, targets and imparts a posttranscriptional inhibition of Nrl. Expression of both miRNAs was differentially regulated during retinal development and showed least expression at PN1 stage in which most of the rod photoreceptors are generated. Downregulation of rod photoreceptor regulators and markers upon miR cluster 143/145 overexpression demonstrated that this cluster indeed negatively regulates rod photoreceptors. Further, we prove that Nrl positively regulates miR cluster 143/145, thus establishing a feedback loop regulatory mechanism. This may be one possible mechanism by which Nrl is posttranscriptionally regulated to facilitate the generation of other cell types in retina.

The paper reports the first sighting of a live Bryde’s Whale Balanoptera edeni / brydei from Odisha waters with notes on its behaviour. The paper also discusses an adjacent Bryde’s Whale population in Bangladesh, north of Odisha; previous records of Bryde’s Whales from Indian waters and possible threats to these cetaceans due to development activities in Odisha waters.

Meiofauna standing stocks and community structures were studied at five sandy beaches along the Chennai coast of the Bay of Bengal, at the SE coast of India from January 2000 to February 2001. Meiofauna densities ranged from 1341.14 ± 1205.76 ind. 10 cm-2 to 3.73 × 106 ± 4.1 × 105 ind. 10 cm-2. Mean abundance was highest during February 2000 (35 565.85 ± 12 463.03 ind. 10 cm-2) and lowest during March 2000 (11 465.85 ± 4250.26 ind. 10 cm-2). As for individual stations, the highest abundances were found at Neelangarai (67 058.31 ± 7153.43 ind. 10 cm-2) and lowest at Marina (52 517.69 ± 5373.63 ind. m-2), respectively. As for taxa, the mean of the highest and lowest meiofauna abundance was observed in Copepoda and Cladocera during different months (109 372.29 ± 10 906.42 ind. 10 cm-2 and 1341.14 ± 241.15 ind. 10 cm-2) and at different stations (30 6242.40 ± 3905.26 ind. 10 cm-2 and 3755.20 ± 88.90 ind. 10 cm-2), respectively. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed that the elements of the meiofauna were separated into three major groups according to their distribution and abundance. Correspondence analysis showed the importance of meiofauna abundance with different months and stations. Ecological indices varied with month, station, and with meiofauna group. Monthly changes in the nematode-copepod index showed that both Ernavoor and Thiruvotriyur were more subjected to pollution, with the highest diversity and evenness values for nematodes among all stations.

The Notch, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), Wnt, and EGF pathways have long been known to influence cell fate specification in the developing nervous system. Here we attempted to evaluate the contemporary knowledge about neural stem cell differentiation promoted by various drug-based regulations through a systems biology approach. Our model showed the phenomenon of DAPT-mediated antagonism of Enhancer of split [E(spl)] genes and enhancement of Shh target genes by a SAG agonist that were effectively demonstrated computationally and were consistent with experimental studies. However, in the case of model simulation of Wnt and EGF pathways, the model network did not supply any concurrent results with experimental data despite the fact that drugs were added at the appropriate positions. This paves insight into the potential of crosstalks between pathways considered in our study. Therefore, we manually developed a map of signaling crosstalk, which included the species connected by representatives from Notch, Shh, Wnt, and EGF pathways and highlighted the regulation of a single target gene, Hes-1, based on drug-induced simulations. These simulations provided results that matched with experimental studies. Therefore, these signaling crosstalk models complement as a tool toward the discovery of novel regulatory processes involved in neural stem cell maintenance, proliferation, and differentiation during mammalian central nervous system development. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a simple crosstalk map that highlights the differential regulation of neural stem cell differentiation and underscores the flow of positive and negative regulatory signals modulated by drugs.

A feeding trial was conducted to assess the influence of sodium butyrate as an antibiotic-substitute in broiler chicken. The trial consisted of six experimental groups with 12 replicates, each containing 6 chicks with a total of 432 birds. The experimental groups consisted of a control group fed the diet without antibiotic (CON), another group fed the diet with antibiotic oxytetracycline (50 ppm; AB), and groups fed the diet with two levels each of coated-sodium butyrate (CSB) at 0.09 and 0.18%, and uncoatedsodium butyrate (UCSB) at 0.03 and 0.06% without antibiotic. The trial was carried out in deep litter pen for 42d. The birds fed the control diet showed poor growth rate than the other treatment groups except for the birds fed with 0.03% of UCSB. The CON birds had reduced (P

Twelve-month-old superior 20 half-sib progenies of Thespesiapopulnea were evaluated nine months after planting for genetic variability, heritability, genetic gain, correlation and path analysis at Perugavalthan, Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu during 2014. Among the 20 half-sibs, progenies collected fromAathikadu recorded higher growth characters followed by Periyampatti and T. Nagar. Volume index registered highest phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation followed by height. Maximum heritability was observed for volume index followed by height and basal diameter. Volume index was found to be associated with higher genetic gain while it was low for height and basal diameter. Volume index had high and significant positive phenotypic and genotypic correlation with height and basal diameter. Path analysis showed that basal diameter and height contributed directly to the volume index. The half-sib progenies of Thespesiapopulnea collected from Aathikadu, Periyampatti and T. Nagar were proved to be superior on the basis of characters under study in coastal saline soil.

The purpose of the paper is (a) to describe the distribution pattern of tiger beetles in Shorea robusta dominated forest ecosystems at landscape level of north western Shivalik Himalaya in environmental space and (b) to evaluate the nature of microhabitat association amongst recorded species of tiger beetles. Twenty-five species of tiger beetles belonging to ten genera were recorded from six protected areas in the tropical dry deciduous Shivalik region with an altitudinal gradient of 350–1,400 m above mean sea level in north western India. Sampling for tiger beetles was carried out using strategically designed sample plot in ten distinct habitat types with five collection methods employed. Species composition of tiger beetles varied significantly between microhabitat types of the protected areas (Shannon H′ = 0.436–1.069) and habitat specialists were found in only few of habitats. Bray–Curtis cluster analysis clustered the ten habitats into five cluster groups based upon the species composition with Shorea robusta most distinct from agricultural habitats. Riverine area was found to be the most diverse (with 18 or 72% of total species) as well as abundant (457 ± 33.61 SE individuals recorded per sample plot). Khair, Syzygium and pine forests were least rich and had only three species each. Two species J. crassipalpis and M. melancholica were found only in riverine habitat. Though late summer to mid-monsoon was found most favorable for tiger beetles, only one species, C. chloris was persistently found even during modest winter months. Bulla’s diversity index showed that habitat breadth of species ranged from 0.00 to 6.66, an indicative of their habitat restrictiveness. Indicator species analysis revealed as many as 14 species indicative of particular habitat conditions. Descriptions of some important ecological and behavioral aspects are included for these species. The observed C-score (299.43330) showed that there is less co-occurrence among species pairs alongwith lower niche overlap (Pianka’s index = 0.14191) thereby illustrating ample resource partitioning at microhabitat level. Further, co-occurrence index among guilds (C-score = 213.16250 with variance 1,949.76300) was found to be smaller than expected, revealing that feeding guilds are differing significantly from one another in their levels of co-occurrence. Canonical correspondence analysis identified canopy cover, litter and average tree density as the most important habitat variable defining the distribution of tiger beetles in environmental space. Such assemblage patterns among species of tiger beetle would thus provide a solid basis to interpret changes in microclimatic conditions, caused by humans directly or through long term climate change and would thus help establishing a baseline in long term monitoring of these forest ecosystems.

Seasonal variation in elemental composition of Stoechospermum marginatum and Sargassum wightii collected from Mandapam, Gulf of Mannar was studied over a period of 1 year from May 2006 to February 2007 at 3 months interval. The physico-chemical parameters of water such as air temperature ( degrees C), surface water temperature ( degrees C), turbidity (NTU), salinity ( per thousand) and water pH were also made. Significant seasonal variation in the elemental composition of the two species was observed. These were correlated to the seawater chemistry. The accumulation factor of certain ions by the algae is also discussed. Intake of more minerals was accumulated in S. wightii during summer season.

Environmental exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is one cause of premature ovarian failure (POF). Hexavalent chromium (CrVI) is a heavy metal EDC widely used in more than 50 industries, including chrome plating, welding, wood processing, and tanneries. Recent data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicate increased levels of Cr in drinking water from several American cities, which potentially predispose residents to various health problems. Recently, we demonstrated that gestational exposure to CrVI caused POF in F1 offspring. The current study was performed to identify the molecular mechanism behind CrVI-induced POF. Pregnant rats were treated with 25 ppm of potassium dichromate from Gestational Day (GD) 9.5 to GD 14.5 through drinking water, and the fetuses were exposed to CrVI through transplacental transfer. Ovaries were removed from the fetuses or pups on Embryonic Day (ED) 15.5, ED 17.5, Postnatal Day (PND) 1, PND 4, or PND 25, and various analyses were performed. Results showed that gestational exposure to CrVI: 1) increased germ cell/oocyte apoptosis and advanced germ cell nest (GCN) breakdown; 2) increased X-prolyl aminopeptidase (Xpnpep) 2, a POF marker in humans, during GCN breakdown; 3) decreased Xpnpep2 during postnatal follicle development; and 4) increased colocalization of Xpnpep2 with Col3 and Col4. We also found that Xpnpep2 inversely regulated the expression of Col1, Col3, and Col4 in all the developmental stages studied. Thus, CrVI advanced GCN breakdown and increased follicle atresia in F1 female progeny by targeting Xpnpep2.

Cyclic nucleotides are well-known second messengers involved in the regulation of important metabolic pathways or virulence factors. There are six different classes of nucleotide cyclases that can accomplish the task of generating cAMP, and four of these are restricted to the prokaryotes. The role of cAMP has been implicated in the virulence and regulation of secondary metabolites in the phylum Actinobacteria, which contains important pathogens, such asMycobacterium tuberculosis, M. leprae, M. bovisandCorynebacterium, and industrial organisms from the genusStreptomyces. We have analysed the actinobacterial genome sequences found in current databases for the presence of different classes of nucleotide cyclases, and find that only class III cyclases are present in these organisms. Importantly, prominent members such asM. tuberculosisandM. lepraehave 17 and 4 class III cyclases, respectively, encoded in their genomes, some of which display interesting domain fusions seen for the first time. In addition, a pseudogene corresponding to a cyclase fromM. aviumhas been identified as the only cyclase pseudogene inM. tuberculosisandM. bovis. TheCorynebacteriumandStreptomycesgenomes encode only a single adenylyl cyclase each, both of which have corresponding orthologues inM. tuberculosis. A clustering of the cyclase domains in Actinobacteria reveals the presence of typical eukaryote-like, fungi-like and other bacteria-like class III cyclase sequences within this phylum, suggesting that these proteins may have significant roles to play in this important group of organisms.

Microbial abatement of toluene using Aspergillus niger in coir packed upflow bioreactor was investigated in this study. Toluene degrading microbes were isolated from municipal sewage effluent and identified by 16s rRNA sequencing method. The microbes were cultured in 2% (v/v) toluene input per day, which exhibited 95% removal efficiency with the kinetic correction value (R2) of 0.9024 at the optimum flow rate of about 0.4m3h-1. Various parameters such as effect of flow rate, column height, elimination capacity and EBRT with removal efficiency for 50 day cycle were also optimized. The plug flow model for toluene degradation was properly expressed and the Monod kinetics constant Km and rmax values were determined as 2.25gm-3 and 67.773gm-3h-1 respectively for microbial growth rate.

Environmental contamination of drinking water with chromium (Cr) has been increasing in more than 30 cities in the United States. Previous studies from our group have shown that Cr affects reproductive functions in female Sprague Dawley rats. Although it is impossible to completely remove Cr from the drinking water, it is imperative to develop effective intervention strategies to inhibit Cr-induced deleterious health effects. Edaravone (EDA), a potential inhibitor of free radicals, has been clinically used to treat cancer and cardiac ischemia. This study evaluated the efficacy of EDA against Cr-induced ovarian toxicity. Results showed that maternal exposure to CrVI in rats increased follicular atresia, decreased steroidogenesis, and delayed puberty in F1 offspring. CrVI increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant (AOX) enzyme levels in the ovary. CrVI increased follicle atresia by increased expression of cleaved caspase 3, and decreased expression of Bcl2 and Bcl2l1 in the ovary. EDA mitigated or inhibited the effects of CrVI on follicle atresia, pubertal onset, steroid hormone levels, and AOX enzyme activity, as well as the expression of Bcl2 and Bcl2l1 in the ovary. In a second study, CrVI treatment was withdrawn, and F1 rats were injected with estradiol (E2) (10 μg in PBS/ethanol per 100 g body weight) for a period of 2 wk to evaluate whether E2 treatment will restore Cr-induced depletion of AOX enzymes. E2 restored CrVI-induced depletion of glutathione peroxidase 1, catalase, thioredoxin 2, and peroxiredoxin 3 in the ovary. This is the first study to demonstrate the protective effects of EDA against any toxicant in the ovary.