Development of transgenic cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) resistant gerbera plants expressing CMV coat protein gene

Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii L.) has its immense importance to the floriculture industry worldwide. The gerbera flower production has been hampered by various viruses, among them cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) has shown considerable damage.As natural resistance to CMV is absent in gerbera, here, we have made an attempt to develop transgenic gerbera plants expressing coat protein (CP) gene of CMV via Agrobacterium mediated transformation of base petiole explants for genetic resistance to CMV infection. Among the 44 putative transgenic gerbera plant acclimatized, 39 were found positive for integration of CP gene by polymerase chain reaction and southern hybridization assay using their specific primer and probe respectively. Northern hybridization assay using CP gene specific probe confirmed the transcription of transgene in all 39 transgenic plants. These plants showed translation of CP during DAS-ELISA when tested with antiserum specific to CP of CMV. These 39 plants when challenged by mechanical inoculations with CMV gerbera isolate showed virus resistance in 53% (21 out of 39) plants, virus tolerance (delayed mild symptom) in 33% (13/39) plants, while rest 12.8% (5/39) plants showed severe disease symptoms. The CP mediated resistance of CMV in transgenic gerbera is being reported for the first time from India.

Current Status Of Materiovigilance Globally-An Utter Overview With Clinical Case Perusal

Today’s medical devices are the lifesaving tool and these tools are very frequently used globally since long ago. With the increase in the number of medical devices and their uses, there is an increase in the number of adverse events related to such devices. That is why Materiovigilance is an important tool for the identification, collection, reporting, and analysis of any aversive catastrophe related to the use of medical devices and protection of a patient’s life by fending its reiteration. Post marketing surveillance of medical devices has been initiated in many countries, like the United States of America has started a program under the name Medical Device Reporting (MDR), France, Australia and the United Kingdom have also come up with their own programs. Apart from this India has also initiated the Materiovigilance program by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in Ghaziabad in 2015. In this article we have discussed about the risks associated with the use of different classes of medical devices and the need of Materiovigilance program. This article also discusses the adverse events associated with the medical devices, the reporting criteria of those adverse events and the different clinical events of the medical devices.

A study to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices related to menstrual cycle and management of menstrual hygiene among school-going adolescent girls in a rural area of South India

Background: The onset of menstruation is the most important physical change that occurs among girls during adolescence. Menstrual hygiene management is an important issue for adolescent girls. Lack of education and communication regarding reproductive system further adds to the problem. Several studies have shown that the knowledge regarding menstrual cycle is not sufficient. Insufficient management of menstrual hygiene may result in symptoms involving genitourinary tracts. With this background, the present study was conducted. Objectives: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices in relation to menstrual cycle and factors influencing the same. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted in the rural field practice area under the department of community medicine. Two schools, one government and one private, were selected for the study. A pre-designed, pre-tested, and semi-structured questioner used for the collection of data by personal interviews method. Statistical analysis used: Percentages and Chisquare. Results: A total of 226 girls were studied. Overall, the knowledge about menstrual cycle is very poor. Menstrual awareness was found in 35.8% of girls. Source of knowledge for most of the girls were mothers, followed by friends. 97% are using sanitary pads. Menstrual hygienic practices are found to be satisfactory but need improvement in disposal of menstrual waste. Conclusion: The knowledge about menstrual cycle is found to be very poor with schools playing no role in its improvement. Schools need to be encouraged in imparting right information and encouraging girls to speak.

Wound Healing Activity of Premna latifolia Roxb.

Aims: The study aims to understand the wound healing potentials of a 50% aqueous ethanolic extract of Premna latifolia stem using excision wound model. Study Design: The wound healing potentials were simultaneously supported by observing the bacterial functional diversity of wound swabs using Biolog Eco plates. The antioxidant activity was performed using In vitro DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Place and Duration of Study: CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, between May 2013 and November 2013. Methodology: Wound healing activity of the plant was studied using excision wound model. Animals were divided into three groups of six male rats each as control group (GI) dressed with compound free simple ointment. Test group (GII) treated with 50% aqueous ethanolic extract of P. latifolia stem (10% w/w) in ointment vehicle and standard group (GIII) group treated Nitrofurazone ointment, Himedia (0.2%w/w). The wound healing potential was further supported by the DPPH free radical scavenging and antibacterial activity of the plant. The phytochemical estimations were done using standard methods. Results: Sugar and starch content in the plant was 3.55% and 5.54% respectively. Total tannins, phenol and flavonoid content were estimated to be 0.18%, 0.54% and 2.73%. The 50% ethanolic extract of the plant showed moderate DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 of 188.02μg/ml. A 69.15% of wound closure was observed on 10th day post wounding of the rats treated with 200 mg/kg of extract. The results also indicated significant antibacterial activity of the extract. Conclusion: The 50% aqueous ethanolic extract of P. latifolia shows significant wound healing activity.

Phytochemical, Antioxidant & in vitro Antibacterial Activity of Aqueous & Ethanolic Fruit Extracts of Kigelia Africana.

Phytochemicals presents in plants probably explain the various uses of plants for traditional medicine. In this study Kigelia Africana fruit was selected for assessing the level of various Phytochemicals, enzymatic and non- enzymatic antioxidants & antimicrobial activity. Fruits of the plant taken, dried, grind to powder and then aqueous and ethanolic extracts were prepared. Antimicrobial activity of these extracts was then studied using agar well plate method. Results of the study showed that aqueous extract of Kigelia Africana have significant amount of phytochemicals & antioxidant enzymes so useful to prevent chronic diseases related to oxidative stress in human body. Antimicrobial activity of aqueous extract was more than the ethanolic extract.

Comparaative study of Lipid profile and level of Antioxidant enzymes in cigarette smokers with non cigaretee smokers.

Cigarette smoking is the serious health problems and most important avoidable cause of death in world. Worldwide more than 8 million people currently die each year from smoking half of them before of the age of 60. Every cigarette reduces the life span by about 5 minutes. Smoke contains oxidising agents and the oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions that damage cells. In the present study 40 male subjects were divided into four different groups and their lipid profile have been estimated by various tests i.e. Cholesterol, Triglyceride, HDL-C, LDLC, VLDL-C. It was observed that in cigarette smokers HDL-C level decreased and cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, VLDL-C level increased as compared to the control i.e. non- cigarette smokers. In case of MDA and Antioxidant enzymes test, the value of MDA increases and antioxidant enzymes decreases in cigarette smokers as compared to the control i.e. non- cigarette smokers. The variation in the level of lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes from normal values causes several diseases such as Lung cancer, other cancers, heart disease, and stroke and has numerous immediate health effects on the brain and on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune systems.

India at the cross-roads of human evolution.

The Indian palaeoanthropological record, although patchy at the moment, is improving rapidly with every new fi nd. This broad review attempts to provide an account of (a) the Late Miocene fossil apes and their gradual disappearance due to ecological shift from forest dominated to grassland dominated ecosystem around 9–8 Ma ago, (b) the Pliocene immigration/evolution of possible hominids and associated fauna, (c) the Pleistocene record of fossil hominins, associated fauna and artifacts, and (d) the Holocene time of permanent settlements and the genetic data from various human cultural groups within India. Around 13 Ma ago (late Middle Miocene) Siwalik forests saw the emergence of an orangutan-like primate Sivapithecus. By 8 Ma, this genus disappeared from the Siwalik region as its habitat started shrinking due to increased aridity infl uenced by global cooling and monsoon intensifi cation. A contemporary and a close relative of Sivapithecus, Gigantopithecus (Indopithecus), the largest ape that ever-lived, made its fi rst appearance at around 9 Ma. Other smaller primates that were pene-contemporaneous with these apes were Pliopithecus (Dendropithecus), Indraloris, Sivaladapis and Palaeotupia. The Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene witnessed northern hemisphere glaciations, followed by the spread of arid conditions on a global scale, setting the stage for hominids to explore “Savanahastan”. With the prominent expansion of grassland environments from East Africa to China and Indonesia in the Pliocene, monkeys and baboons dispersed into the Indian subcontinent from Africa along with other mammals. Though debated, there are several claims of the presence of early hominins in this part of the world during the Late Pliocene, based primarily on the recovery of Palaeolithic tools. Fossils of our own ancestor and one of the fi rst globe-trotters, early Homo erectus, has been documented from the Early Pleistocene of East Africa, Western Asia and Southeast Asia, thus indirectly pointing towards Indian subcontinent as a possible migration corridor between these regions. The only defi nite pre- Homo sapiens fossil hominin remains come from the Central Narmada Valley and are thought to be of Middle to late Pleistocene age, and the cranium has been shown to be closely linked to archaic Homo sapiens/H. heidelbergensis of Europe. Around ~74,000 yrs ago, a super volcanic eruption in Sumatra caused the deposition of Youngest Toba Tephra, that covered large parts of the Indian peninsula. Just around this time anatomically-and-behaviorally modern humans or Homo sapiens possibly arrived into India as evidenced by the so called Middle and Upper Palaeolithic assemblages and associated symbolic evidence. The available genetic data reveals that the gene pool to which modern Indians races belong was extremely diverse and had variable mixed links with both European and Asian populations.

Evaluation of low dose ACTH stimulation test in suspected secondary adrenocortical insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: Several studies in the last few years have shown that the standard 250 micro g dose used in ACTH stimulation test may be very high and have suggested that a dose of 1 micro g may be sufficient for evaluating hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. AIMS: To evaluate the role of low dose ACTH stimulation test in patients with suspected Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency (SAI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients of suspected SAI with a documented pituitary lesion and seven normal healthy controls were included in the study. All the subjects underwent ACTH stimulation test with standard high dose (HD= 250 microg) and low dose (LD= 1 microg) ACTH. Insulin Induced Hypoglycaemia (IIH) test was done in 7 out of 9 patients in whom the results of the two tests were discordant. The cut off for normal HD stimulation test was taken as peak cortisol response > 18 microg/dl and for LD test, either a cortisol response of > 18 microg/dl or an increment of more than 7 micro g/dl over the basal value at any time during the test, on the basis of response observed in controls. RESULTS: 22/31 patients (74%) in SAI group showed concordant results with both tests, whereas nine patients had discordant results. These nine patients showed AI with LD ACTH, but HD ACTH test showed a normal response. In 7 of these 9 patients who underwent IIH, AI was confirmed in 6. CONCLUSION: The LD ACTH stimulation test seems to be better than HD ACTH stimulation test for evaluating HPA axis in patients with suspected SAI. When basal cortisol is normal, LD ACTH stimulation test detects subtle SAI.

Analysis Of Y-Linked Lineage Markers In Indian Populations.

Recently, Y-linked markers have been found extremely useful tools in population genetics and evolutionary biology. We have studied a tetranucleotide marker, DYS19 and a bialleleic marker DYS287, an Alu polymorphic marker (YAP) in five ethnic groups of India. Blood samples were collected from 215 random healthy males and DNA was extracted by using a simple salt precipitation method. DNA samples, after amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were electrophoresed. The detection of alleles was done by silver staining and reconfirmed by using a fragment analyser programme in an ALF express sequencer (Pharamacia). A total of four alleles were observed at DYS19 locus in all the five ethnic groups. Allele 194bp was found to be the predominant one in all the groups. The absence of YAP was found in all the groups.

D17S5 Minisatellite In Two Maharastrian Indian Populations : Overcoming The Differential Amplification At This Locus Using Expand Long Template PCR System.

The D17S5 is a highly informative minisatellite locus and shows extensive interpopulation allelic variability. However in many cases, it shows preferential amplification of shorter alleles, which has hampered the full potential of this minisatellite from being realized. This study explores the use of the Expand Long Template PCR system to circumvent this problem.

D1S80 Minisatellite - Polymorphism In Five Ethnic Populations Of Maharashtra And Kerala.

The minisatellite locus D1S80 was studied in five ethnic populations, namely, Konkanastha Brahmins and Marathas of Maharashtra; Nairs, Ezhavas and Muslims from Kerala, to compare the allele and genotype frequencies. DNA isoleted from blood samples collected from 364 unrelated healthy donors was amplified by PCR and subjected to polyaerylamide gel electrophones. A total of 20 alleles and 71 genotypes were observed from the above population groups. A bimodal pattern was observed in the allele frequency distribution representing 18 and 24 as predominant ones. The observed heterozygosity was in the range of 65% to 82%. All the five population groups conformed to Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium expectations.

Studies On ApoB VNTR In Two Maharashtrian Ethnic population Groups.

The ApoB VNTR locus was analyzed in two distinct ethnic groups of Maharashtra to determine, the distribution of allele and genotype frequencies. Blood samples were collected from 183 random, unrelated, healthy donors. DNA was extracted by using a simple salt precipitation method, amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the products were electrophoresed in 4% PAGE followed by silver staining. A total of 14 alleles and 38 genotypes were observed. Allele 37 and 39 were found to be the predominant alleles showing a bimodal distribution. Both the population groups conformed to Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium expectations.

Twinning In Selected Coastal Areas Of South Kerala.

A total of 26,237 deliveries were monitored for twinning and malformations at the 4 government hospitals catering to the population of Kollam and Alapuzha-districts of South Kerala. Among these 7.8 per thousand were twin births showing an increase in the incidence with maternal age. The twin births were high among children of consanguineous marriages (11.7 per thousand) as compared to non-consanguineous marriages (7.7 per thousand). Still births and malformations were also higher in twin deliveries as against singleton deliveries. A large data base is being built to establish a twin registry.

Radio-adaptive response in human lymphocytes in vitro.

An attempt has been made to investigate the adaptive response to ionizing radiation in the human lymphocytes in vitro using cytochalasin-B blocked micronucleated binucleate cells (mn-BNCs) as a cytogenetic end point. Whole blood samples drawn from healthy donors, of either sex were irradiated in vitro at a dose of 1 cGy (adaptive or conditioning dose) Cobalt-60 gamma radiation (dose rate 1.12 cGy/min) at about 26 hr after mitogenic stimulation. After 31 hr of their initiation, groups of cultures were subsequently exposed to a challenging dose of 100 cGy gamma radiation (dose rate 82 cGy/min.). Eight males in the age group ranging from 25 to 55 years and eight females (age group 25 to 29 years), have been analysed during this study. Analysis of data revealed 40.6% reduction in the frequency of mn-BNCs among the males with a range from 25.7% to 54.7%. In case of females, also the per cent reduction varied from 26.3% to 49.0%, with a mean value of 33.7%. Pooling the data from males and females gave an overall reduction of 37.1% in the frequency of radiation induced mn-BNCs due to pre-exposure to 1 cGy radiation.

Effect of new diamidines against Leishmania donovani infection.

The impact of interamidine distance on antileishmanial activity of new aryldiamidines have been evaluated against amastigotes of L. donovani in hamster. Of the 20 compounds tested, only four (2,8-diamidino-9,10-dihydrodibenzoxepin; 2,7-diamidinoxanthone; 2,7-diamidinothioxanthone and 2,7-diamidinoxanthene) showed significant inhibition (more than 80%) of multiplication of amastigotes in spleen. The interamidine distance in the structure appears to have bearing on antileishmanial activity. The observations made are likely to evoke new understanding on the structure activity relationship of diarylamidines.

Effect of multigeneration alcohol feeding on murine immune system.

Mice belonging to F8, F12, F14 and F20 generation of a multigeneration study reared on 20% (v/v) ethanol in water as the sole drinking source were investigated for their immune competence using various parameters. The results indicated lack of any significant effect on delayed type hypersensitivity to dinitro fluorobenzene (DNFB) or sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in mice consuming ethanol. Further, alloskin graft and tumor graft response was similar in both ethanol and water fed mice. Humoral response to SRBC was also intact. However, NK cell activity was reduced significantly in ethanol fed mice. Phagocytic index as assessed by the carbon clearance test was also reduced considerably in mice consuming ethanol. The results clearly indicate that ethanol per se has a significant effect on the nonspecific limb of the immune system, in chronically fed mice.

Role of opioidergic component in the antihypertensive effect of clonidine.

The role of opioidergic system in the antihypertensive effect of clonidine was investigated in albino normotensive and renal-DOCA-salt hypertensive models of rats. Clonidine (2.5, 5 and 10.0 micrograms/kg, iv) produced a dose-related depressor response. Yohimbine (2 mg/kg, ip) blocked the clonidine-induced responses in both normotensive and hypertensive rats. Naloxone (2 mg/kg, iv) blocked the clonidine-induced depressor responses in hypertensive rats, but not in normotensive animals. Morphine (0.11 mg/kg, iv) produced a depressor response in both normotensive and hypertensive rats. Yohimbine (1 mg/kg, iv) did not affect the hypotensive effect of morphine in normotensive or hypertensive rats, whereas pretreatment with naloxone significantly blocked the hypotensive effect of morphine in both groups of animals. It is concluded that the hypotensive effect of clonidine in hypotensive rats could be due to an opioidergic mechanism since it is blocked by both naloxone and yohimbine.