Comparative macroanatomical study of the neurocranium in some carnivora

This study was carried out to investigate the specific anatomical features of the neurocranium of the skull of the dog, cat, badger, marten and otter. Twenty-five animals (five from each species) were used without sexual distinction. The neurocranium consists of os occipitale, os sphenoidale, os pterygoideum, os ethmoidale, vomer, os temporale, os parietale and os frontale. The processus paracondylaris is projected ventrally in the cat, dog, marten and badger, and caudally in the otter. Two foramina were found laterally on each side of the protuberantia occipitalis externa in the otter, and one foramen was found near the protuberantia occipitalis externa in the badger. Foramen was not seen in other species. Paired ossa parietalia joined each other at the midline, forming the sutura sagittalis in the badger, dog, otter and cat while it was separated by the linea temporalis in the marten. The os frontale was small in otters, narrow and long in martens, and quite wide in cats and dogs. The bulla tympanica was rounded in the marten, dog, cat and badger, dorsoventral compressed in otter, and it was very large in all species examined. These observations represented interspecies differences in the neurocranium of marten, otter, badger, cat and dog.     

Control of chickpea blight disease caused by Didymella rabiei by mixing resistance inducer and contact fungicide

Elicitors of systemic acquired resistance are well known to reduce severity of several plant pathogenic diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses. Their field applications for management of plant diseases are, however, limited because of yield penalties. Our studies on affect of Benzo (1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH), an elicitor of systemic acquired resistance, on chickpea blight caused by a fungal pathogen Didymella rabiei showed that multiple foliar applications of the chemical were effective in management of the disease under economic threshold levels. Multiple applications, however, affected chickpea grain yield adversely. The BTH induced yield penalties could be prevented by foliar spray schedule comprised of BTH and a contact fungicide mancozeb. One spray of BTH (50 ppm) followed by another of mancozeb (0.2%) was less effective (8.3% severity) than three sprays of BTH (4.2% severity) in blight control, however, this treatment enhanced grain yield significantly (1.241 t ha⁻¹) over three sprays of BTH (0.922 t ha⁻¹).     

RSK1 vs. RSK2 Inhibitory Activity of the Marine β-Carboline Alkaloid Manzamine A: A Biochemical,Cervical Cancer Protein Expression,and Computational Study

Manzamines are complex polycyclic marine-derived β-carboline alkaloids with reported anticancer, immunostimulatory, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antimalarial, neuritogenic, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis suppression bioactivities, putatively associated with inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3, cyclin-dependent kinase 5, SIX1, and vacuolar ATPases. We hypothesized that additional, yet undiscovered molecular targets might be associated with Manzamine A’s (MZA) reported pharmacological properties. We report here, for the first time, that MZA selectively inhibited a 90 kDa ribosomal protein kinase S6 (RSK1) when screened against a panel of 30 protein kinases, while in vitro RSK kinase assays demonstrated a 10-fold selectivity in the potency of MZA against RSK1 versus RSK2. The effect of MZA on inhibiting cellular RSK1 and RSK2 protein expression was validated in SiHa and CaSki human cervical carcinoma cell lines. MZA’s differential binding and selectivity toward the two isoforms was also supported by computational docking experiments. Specifically, the RSK1-MZA (N- and C-termini) complexes appear to have stronger interactions and preferable energetics contrary to the RSK2–MZA ones. In addition, our computational strategy suggests that MZA binds to the N-terminal kinase domain of RSK1 rather than the C-terminal domain. RSK is a vertebrate family of cytosolic serine-threonine kinases that act downstream of the ras-ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) pathway, which phosphorylates substrates shown to regulate several cellular processes, including growth, survival, and proliferation. Consequently, our findings have led us to hypothesize that MZA and the currently known manzamine-type alkaloids isolated from several sponge genera may have novel pharmacological properties with unique molecular targets, and MZA provides a new tool for chemical-biology studies involving RSK1.     

Interaction of cupric and cadmium ions with a protein-ovalbumin (OA)

The binding of Cu and Cd ions with ovalbumin has been measured indirectly by observing the displacement of H⁺ from acidic groups on the ovalbumin. The pH-measuring procedure agreed with values obtained by an equilibrium dialysis method. Both the metals were bound by carboxyl groups with log K values being 2.39 and 2.22, respectively. The extent of binding was found to be pH dependent with the involvement of the imidazole site yielding logK values of 3.23 and 2.80, respectively. Equilibrium dialysis results supported involvement of both carboxyl and imidazole groups of the protein in metal ion binding.     

Dissolved nitrogen model for paddy field ponded water during irrigation period

Based on an experimental field study in Japan, a model was developed to simulate dissolved nitrogen in water ponded in a paddy field. As input data, the model uses meteorological data, water balance in the field, nitrogen concentration in inlet water, and the nitrogen contribution of applied fertilizer. Five model parameters need calibration. A practical application of the model is the simulation of NH₄-N and NO₂₊₃-N concentrations in water ponded in a paddy field. The model improves our understanding of the interactions between forms of dissolved nitrogen in ponded water and can explain the complex changes in dissolved nitrogen concentrations in water ponded on a paddy field.     

Response of nectarines to organic fertilization under the rain-fed ecosystem of Northwest Himalayas

The comparative efficacy of organic sources on cropping behavior, nutrient dynamics, physico-chemical and biological properties of soil and fruit quality under rain-fed agroecosystem on “Silver King” nectarines was investigated. Bio-organic nutrients, namely vermi-compost (VC), biofertilizer (BF), farmyard manure (FYM), compost (comp), vermiwash (VW) and cow urine (CU) were evaluated in 11 different treatment combinations. The treatment application of VC at 25 kg tree^?1, BF at 40 g tree^?1, FYM at 30 kg tree^?1, comp at 15 kg tree^?1, VW_1:10 and CU_1:10 significantly improved plant growth and fruit quality characteristics of nectarine trees. This superior combination also enhanced physico-chemical and biological properties of the rhizosphere soil when compared to control as conventional chemical fertilizer application nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilizers. Different treatments of bio-organic sources changed pH of the soil to neutral. Available macronutrient contents of soil (viz. N, P, and K) increased by 57.8%, 27.7%, and 16.4%, respectively. Microbial biomass of soil fungi, total bacteria, actinobacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improved 66.0%, 73.8%, 133.3% and 350.0%, respectively, over control. Considerably, a higher amount of leaf macronutrients, N (3.53%), P (0.23%), and K (3.2%), was also recorded over control.