Chemical Constituents of Lagenaria siceraria Mesocarp and Its Xanthine Oxidase and Alpha-Amylase Inhibitory Activities

The present study was conducted to identify natural products in the bioactive fractions of Lagenaria siceraria mesocarp. Column chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for separation and identification of phytochemicals. Methanolic extract and its fractions displayed alpha-amylase and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities comparable to standard drugs. GC-MS analysis of the fractions and column eluates revealed the presence of a variety of chemical compounds, including 4-(methoxymethyl)phenol, 2,2?-methylenebis{6(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-ethyl}phenol, methyl 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoate, oxacyclododecane-2,8-dione, N-(2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] acetamide, 2,3-Epoxycarane, 4-(propan-2-yl)benzaldehyde, octadec-1-ene, 4a-methyl-1-methylidene-1,2,3,4,4a,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthrene, 2,6-di(propan-2-yl)naphthalene, methyl 3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)propanoate, 4,8a-dimethyl-6-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydronaphthalen-2(1H)-one 1,3-dihydro-2-benzofuran, methyl N-hydroxybenzenecarboximidoate, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid. Many of these compounds are being reported for the first time from this plant, the presence of which may explain, at least partly, its medicinal efficacy. The fruit possesses significant anti-enzymatic properties against alpha-amylase and xanthine oxidase, and the most active compounds of mesocarp of the fruit appear in ethyl acetate fraction of its methanolic extract.     

Effect of Oil Overlay on Inhibition Potential of Roscovitine in Sheep Cumulus‐Oocyte Complexes

Inhibitors of cyclin‐dependent kinases, as roscovitine, have been used to prevent the spontaneous resumption of meiosis in vitro and to improve the oocyte developmental competence. In this study, the interference of oil overlay on the reversible arrest capacity of roscovitine in sheep oocytes as well as its effects on cumulus expansion was evaluated. For this, cumulus‐oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured for 20 h in TCM 199 with 10% foetal bovine serum (Control) containing 75 μm roscovitine (Rosco). Subsequently, they were in vitro matured (IVM) for further 18 h in inhibitor‐free medium with LH and FSH. The culture was performed in Petri dishes under mineral oil (+) or in 96 well plates without oil overlay (?) at 38.5°C and 5% CO₂. At 20 and 38 h, the cumulus expansion and nuclear maturation were evaluated under stereomicroscope and by Hoechst 33342 staining, respectively. No group presented cumulus expansion at 20 h. After additional culture with gonadotrophins, a significant rate of COCs from both Control groups (+/?) exhibited total expansion while in both Rosco groups (+/?) the partial expansion prevailed. Among the oocytes treated with roscovitine, 65.2% were kept at GV in the absence of oil overlay while 40.6% of them reached MII under oil cover (p < 0.05). This meiotic arrest was reversible, and proper meiosis progression also occurred in the Control groups (+/?). So, the culture system without oil overlay improved the meiotic inhibition promoted by roscovitine without affecting the cumulus expansion rate or the subsequent meiosis progression.     

Impact of upstream changes in rain-fed agriculture on downstream flow in a semi-arid basin

The downstream impacts of increasing water consumption in the upstream rain-fed areas of the Karkheh Basin, Iran are simulated using the semi-distributed SWAT model. Three scenarios are tested at subbasin and basin levels: converting rain-fed areas to irrigation agriculture (S1), improving soil water availability through rainwater harvesting (S2), and a combination of both (S3). The results of these scenarios were compared against the baseline period 1988-2000. The S1 scenario shows a 10% reduction in mean annual flow at the basin level, varying from 8-15% across the subbasins. The reductions in mean monthly flows are in the range of 1-56% at the basin level, with June witnessing the highest flow reduction. Flow reductions are comparatively higher in the upstream parts of the basin, as a result of a relatively higher potential of developing rain-fed areas coupled with comparatively lower amount of available runoff. The impacts of S2 are generally small with reductions of 2-5% and 1-9% in mean annual and mean monthly flows, respectively. The results of S3 are in general similar to those of S1. Although the estimated annual flow reductions remain well within the available water resources development potential, measures needs to be taken to avoid excessive flow reductions in May, June and July. It is recommended that only a limited agricultural area should be converted from rain-fed to irrigated agriculture (about 0.1 million ha), and should practice supplementary irrigation. The supplies should also be augmented through developing additional water storage. Adopting such measures is extremely important for the upper subbasins Gamasiab and Qarasou where comparatively higher flow reductions were estimated.     

An approximately 15,000-year record of El Nino-driven alluviation in southwestern ecuador

Debris flows have deposited inorganic laminae in an alpine lake that is 75 kilometers east of the Pacific Ocean, in Ecuador. These storm-induced events were dated by radiocarbon, and the age of laminae that are less than 200 years old matches the historic record of El Nino events. From about 15,000 to about 7000 calendar years before the present, the periodicity of clastic deposition is greater than or equal to 15 years; thereafter, there is a progressive increase in frequency to periodicities of 2 to 8.5 years. This is the modern El Nino periodicity, which was established about 5000 calendar years before the present. This may reflect the onset of a steeper zonal sea surface temperature gradient, which was driven by enhanced trade winds.     

ACC deaminase-producing bacteria mediated drought and salt tolerance in Capsicum annuum

Influence of drought and salt stress on different morphological and physiological growth parameters in Capsicum annuum inoculated with our isolates was estimated during the present study. Bulkhorderia cepacia was reported to possess the maximal, whereas Citrobacter feurendii the least plant growth promoting efficacy under salt and drought stress. ACC Deaminase activity of purified B. cepacia, C. feurendii and Serratia marcescens was 12.8 ± 0.44, 12.3 ± 0.56 and 11.7 ± 0.53 μM αKB mg^?1 min^?1 respectively. Under drought stress, B. cepacia showed maximum tolerance as it produced 4.893 ± 0.06 mg/mg protein of exopolysaccharide followed by C. feurendii and S. marcescens that produced 4.23 ± 0.03 and 3.46 ± 0.05 mg/mg protein, respectively. Chlorophyll “a” concentration was recorded 5.7 gm L^?1 in B. cepacia inoculated plant (without stress) and was sustained till 2.9 gm L^?1 even under the highest tested drought period. Chlorophyll “a” concentration in the B. cepacia inoculated plant under the highest tested NaCl concentration was 3.2 gm L^?1. Thus, bacterial inoculation mitigates the effects of salinity by the proliferation of root system, increasing plant biomass proving to be potential bioinoculum for alleviating abiotic stress.     

Immunization of rats against Fasciola hepatica using crude antigens conjugated with Freund's adjuvant or oligodeoxynucleotides

Chronic Fasciola hepatica infection is correlated with the development of a T helper (Th2)-predominant immune response. To determine whether immunostimulatory CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) or Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), known to promote a Th1 (T helper 1) immune responses, could provide protection from F. hepatica infection, total homogenate (TH) of F. hepatica mixed with CpG-ODN or FCA were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) into Wistar rats. A F. hepatica-specific Th1-predominant immune response was induced with CpG-ODN or FCA in lymph nodes of immunized animals. Lymph node cells from TH-CpG-ODN or TH-FCA immunized rats showed increased antigen-specific proliferation with high levels of INFgamma, compared to lymphocytes from rats injected with TH alone. In contrast, these two groups of immunized animals did not modify IL-4 release by draining lymph node cells, when they were subsequently stimulated with TH in vitro. However, a significant reduction in the burden of flukes (76.7%) was only observed in rats immunized with TH-FCA. Conversely, immunization of rats with TH-CpG-ODN did not promote protection against the parasite. Therefore, even though CpG-ODNs and FCA induced Th1 type responses, only FCA provided a significant protection to rats infected with F. hepatica.     

Treatment of rats with heat killed cells (HKC) of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii induces cellular activation in spleen and lymphatic nodes

Our previous studies showed that the subcutaneous pretreatment of rats with heat killed cells of Cryptococcus neoformans (HKC) emulsified in complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) promotes protection against an intraperitoneal challenge with viable C. neoformans. In this model, an appropriate activation of adherent peritoneal cells after antigenic treatment is very important for the control of the infection. Here, we investigated the immune response developed in spleen and lymphatic nodes as a result of treatment with HKC-CFA, which might also contribute in the protective phenomenon of this treatment against cryptococcal infection. The results show that, compared with adjuvant alone, rats which received treatment with HKC-CFA presented a greater activation of adherent splenic cells, with up-regulation of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) and CD86 expression and secretion of anticryptococcal metabolites. Furthermore, this treatment also induced an increase in the blastogenic response and the secretion of Th1 and Th2 cytokines by spleen cells in comparison with cells from CFA-phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) treated rats. On the other hand, lymph node cells from animals treated with HKC-CFA presented a rise in the expression of MHCII but not of CD86 with respect to control cells from rats treated with CFA-PBS. These cells also showed a high proliferative response and secretion of Th1-related cytokines, interleukin (IL)-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). These results show that treatment of rats with HKC-CFA is able to induce an early immune response in secondary lymphoid organs, which may contribute to the protective effect induced by this treatment.     

The structure of the upper atmosphere of mars: In situ accelerometer measurements from mars global surveyor

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) z-axis accelerometer has obtained over 200 vertical structures of thermospheric density, temperature, and pressure, ranging from 110 to 170 kilometers, compared to only three previous such vertical structures. In November 1997, a regional dust storm in the Southern Hemisphere triggered an unexpectedly large thermospheric response at mid-northern latitudes, increasing the altitude of thermospheric pressure surfaces there by as much as 8 kilometers and indicating a strong global thermospheric response to a regional dust storm. Throughout the MGS mission, thermospheric density bulges have been detected on opposite sides of the planet near 90 degreesE and 90 degreesW, in the vicinity of maximum terrain heights. This wave 2 pattern may be caused by topographically-forced planetary waves propagating up from the lower atmosphere.     

Experimental study on compressive,flexural and fatigue behavior of warp-knitted spacer fabrics reinforced polyurethane cast elastomer composites

This paper reports an experimental study on compressive, flexural and fatigue behavior of polyurethane cast elastomers (PCE) reinforced with warp-knitted spacer fabrics (WKSF). It aims to investigate new applications for these fabrics as the reinforcements for elastomeric parts such as shoe soles, rubber floor coverings, vibration dampening and shock absorbing pads, etc. A series of polyester WKSF with different thickness, structure of outer layer fabric and spacer yarns density was prepared and converted to PCE reinforced WKSF using the hand molding method. All the samples, including the neat PCE, were subjected to static compression, flat and spherical compression, three-point bending and flexural fatigue tests. The results showed that reinforcing PCE with WKSF, considerably enhances its spherical compressive strength (concentrated loading), flexural strength and fatigue resistance. However, it deteriorates flat compressive strength (distributed loading) and recovery behavior after static compression loading. The effect of fiber weight fraction, thickness, structure of outer layer fabric and spacer yarns density on the mentioned properties of the composites was discussed in the paper.     

Patterns of Follicular Growth in Superovulated Sheep and Influence on Endocrine and Ovarian Response

Objectives of this study were to characterize patterns of follicular development in sheep superovulated with purified follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (OVAGEN^TM, ICP, Auckland, New Zealand) and to determine its influence on preovulatory events (onset of the oestrus behaviour and timing of the preovulatory luteinizing hormone surge) and ovarian response (ovulation rate and embryo yield). Number and size of all ≥ 23 mm follicles from the first FSH injection to withdrawal of progestagen sponges was determined by transrectal ultrasonography just prior to every FSH injection in nine Manchega ewes superovulated with eight decreasing doses (ml) (1.5 × 3, 1.25 × 2 and 1 × 3) of OVAGEN injected twice daily from 60 h before to 24 h after the withdrawal of 40 mg fluorogestone acetate sponges. Oestrous detection and jugular blood sampling for LH radioimmunoassay were performed every 3 h from 14 to 53 h after sponge removal and ovulation rate and number of embryos were determined 4 days after progestagen withdrawal. Administration of OVAGEN induced a significant rise (p < 0.0005) in the number of follicles ≥ 4 mm in size because of an increased growth in size of follicles from the first FSH injection to sponge removal, an increase in the number of newly detected follicles from 12 to 36 h of the first FSH dose (p < 0.005) and a decrease in regression rate from 24 h (p < 0.001). The number of follicles 2–3 mm in size at first FSH dose (10.4 ± 1.5) was positively correlated with the number of ≥ 4 mm follicles at 0 h (19.0 ± 2.7, p < 0.01). A higher number of ≥ 4 mm follicles at 0 h was related with an earlier appearance of oestrus (31.5 ± 1.5 h, p = 0.08) and LH surge (45.0 ± 2.3 h, p < 0.005), and a higher ovulation rate (18.2 ± 3.8, p < 0.005). On the other hand, the rate of embryo recovery was decreased in ewes with earlier preovulatory LH peaks (p < 0.005), with a shorter interval between oestrus and LH peak (p < 0.05).