Genetic variability of Channa punctatus populations using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA

Genetic variations between Channa punctatus populations collected from three rivers of south India were examined using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Sixty samples from each population were collected. Genomic DNA was isolated from the blood samples. Out of the 20 primers tested, six primers were used for genetic variation studies. A total of 42 RAPD bands were amplified in C. punctatus by the six primers. The total number of bands observed ranged from 34 in the Quilon population to 37 in the Thirunelveli population. Among the three populations, the highest genetic identity (0.9231) was found between Thirunelveli and Quilon populations. The results of the present study demonstrated that Thirunelveli and Quilon populations are more related to each other than to the Coimbatore population.     

A New High-Temperature Superconductor: Bi2Sr3-x Cax Cu2O8+y

A new superconductor that displays onset behavior near 120 K has been identified as Bi(2)Sr(3-x)Ca(x)Cu(2)O(8+y), with x ranging from about 0.4 to 0.9. Single crystal x-ray diffraction data were used to determine a pseudo-tetragonal structure based on an A-centered orthorhombic subcell with a = 5.399 A, b= 5.414A, and c = 30.904 A. The structure contains copper-oxygen sheets as in La(2)CuO(4) and YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7), but the copper-oxygen chains present in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) do not occur in Bi(2)Sr(3-x)Ca(x)Cu(2)O(8+y). The structure is made up of alternating double copper-oxygen sheets and double bismuth-oxygen sheets. There are Ca(2+) and Sr(2+) cations between the adjacent Cu-O sheets; Sr(2+) cations are also found between the Cu-O and Bi-O sheets. Electron microscopy studies show an incommensurate superstructure along the a axis that can be approximated by an increase of a factor of 5 over the subcell dimension. This superstructure is also observed by x-ray diffraction on single crystals, but twinning can make it appear that the superstructure is along both a and b axes. Flux exclusion begins in our samples at about 116 K and is very strong by 95 K. Electrical measurements on a single crystal of Bi(2)Sr(3-x)Ca(x)Cu(2)O(8+y) show a resistivity drop at about 116 K and apparent zero resistivity at 91 K.     

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Trewia polycarpa roots

The alcoholic extract of Trewia polycarpa roots, when administered orally to rats at doses of 50-400 mg/kg, exhibited a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity in both acute and chronic models. It also showed a significant antinociceptive action mice in the dose range of 25-200 mg/kg. The extract did not reveal any toxicity in rats up to a dose of 3.2 g/kg (p.o.). It showed the presence of terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, quinones and glycosides on phytochemical screening.     

Dynamic heat flux measurement for advanced insulation materials

Odour formation in the textile is a serious and embarrassing problem for an individual. The axilla born bacterial species are noted as the main reason for odour formation in axilla. In this research an attempt has been made to identify the odour generating compounds on the textile material after wear trial using gas chromatography and mass spectrum (GC-MS). The result indicates that the worn textile material consisted steroidal fractions of 5a-androst-16-ene-3-one and cholesterol, the major odour forming source from axilla. The results also identified the other important odour forming fatty acids and alcohols like lauric acids, diethyl esters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, methyl esters of tetradecanoic acid, 3- methylhexanoic acid, Tetradecanol and acetic acid in axilla worn textile. These components were the derivatives of axilla specific odourous components like phthalic acid, myristic acid, isobutric acid and alcohols. The effect of Terminalia chebula extract finish on the odour formation also analysed and the results shows a considerable reduction in odour causing short chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the worn textile compare to the untreated textile. The analysis also identified more amounts of active components of Terminalia chebula on the fabric surface instead of the odourous components from axilla.     

Development and characterization of a fibroblastic‐like cell line from caudal fin of the red‐line torpedo,Puntius denisonii (Day) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

A fibroblastic‐like cell line was established from the ornamental fish, red‐line torpedo (Puntius denisonii). The red‐line torpedo fin (RTF) cell line is being maintained in Leibovitz's L‐15 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for over 1 year at 28 °C on a continuous basis in normal atmosphere. The growth rate of RTF cells increased as the FBS proportion increased from 5% to 20% at 28 °C with optimum growth at the concentrations of 10% FBS. The morphology of RTF cell was predominantly fibroblastic like. Propagation of these cell lines was serum dependent, with a low plating efficiency (<15%). Karyotyping analysis of RTF cells at the 25th passage indicated that the modal chromosome number was 2n=50. The cell line was cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen at ?196 °C and could be recovered from storage after 6 months with good cell viability. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of a fragment of two mitochondrial genes, 16S rRNA and CO1, confirmed the identity of these cell lines with those reported from this animal species, confirming that the cell lines originated from P. denisonii. The bacterial extracellular products from Vibrio cholerae MTCC3904 and Aeromonas hydrophila were found to be toxic to RTF. The cell lines were not susceptible to viral nervous necrosis virus, a marine fish virus.     

CD11b of Ovis canadensis and Ovis aries: molecular cloning and characterization

Leukotoxin (Lkt) is the primary virulence factor secreted by Mannheimia haemolytica which causes pneumonia in ruminants. Previously, we have shown that CD18, the beta subunit of beta(2) integrins, mediates Lkt-induced cytolysis of ruminant leukocytes. CD18 associates with four distinct alpha subunits giving rise to four beta(2) integrins, CD11a/CD18 (LFA-1), CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1), CD11c/CD18 (CR4), and CD11d/CD18. It is not known whether all the beta(2) integrins serve as a receptor for Lkt. Since PMNs are the leukocyte subset that is most susceptible to Lkt, and Mac-1 expression on PMNs exceeds that of other beta(2) integrins, it is of interest to determine whether Mac-1 serves as a receptor for Lkt which necessitates the cloning of CD11b and CD18. In this study, we cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding CD11b of Ovis canadensis (bighorn sheep) and Ovis aries (domestic sheep). CD11b cDNA is 3455 nucleotides long encoding a polypeptide of 1152 amino acids. CD11b polypeptides from these two species exhibit 99% identity with each other, and 92% with that of cattle, and 70-80% with that of the non-ruminants analyzed.