Aquatic geochemistry of a major freshwater lake in the Kashmir Himalaya: solute acquisition and denudation process in the lacustrine system.

Lakes, the main entities of lacustrine environments, are a rich archive of environmental and geogenic changes in terms of compositional variation of water and sediment. Water and sediment samples (N = 173) were collected during 2013-2014 from the Wular Lake, one of the important fresh lakes within the Indian landmass. The study provides insights on the solutes acquisition mechanism and provenance of ionic constituents within the lake water and the sediments. Besides, the impact of catchment attributes on the lake system was in addition assessed. The hydrochemical results suggest that the chemical weathering of silicate and carbonates within the catchment shapes the lake water chemistry and characterizes the facies pattern into a hybrid type. The geochemical results of the lake sediments demonstrate that the improved abrasion rates and ensuant settling of detritus into the lake are closely linked with the prominent physical weathering over chemical weathering. The new finding of the present study is that sediments represent an unweathered basalt compositional trend, plausible provenance from mafic rocks, experiencing low to moderate degree of chemical weathering. The study found that increased encroachment within the lake catchment due to continued anthropogenic forcing is the primary source contributing the organic matter (OM) as well as the higher levels of Cl, NO3, SO4, and P to the lake. These findings corroborate with the land use-land cover changes (from the last 50 years) within the lake catchment in significantly deteriorating the lake system. The study recommends that the ongoing conversion of lake peripheral areas into urban settlement and agro-horticulture land by filling activities should be restricted.

Top quark asymmetry and Wjj excess at CDF from gauged flavor symmetry.

We show that the scalar sector needed for fermion mass generation when the flavor symmetry of the standard model is maximally gauged can consistently explain two anomalies reported recently by the CDF Collaboration-the forward-backward asymmetry in tt pair production and the dijet invariant mass in the Wjj channel. A pair of nearly degenerate scalar doublets with masses in the range 150-200 GeV explain these anomalies, with additional scalars predicted in the mass range 100-400 GeV. Consistency of such low scale flavor physics with flavor-changing processes is shown, and expectations for the LHC are outlined.

Rapid in vitro production of cloned plants of Uraria picta (Jacq.) DC-A rare medicinal herb in long-term culture.

An efficient in vitro process for rapid production of cloned plants of Uraria picta has been developed employing nodal stem segments taken from field-grown plants. Explants showed bud-break followed by regeneration of shoots with restricted growth within 12 days on modified Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 0.25 mg l(-1) each of 6-benzylaminopurine and indole-3-acetic acid and 25 mg l(-1) adenine sulfate. Normal growth of shoots with good proliferation rate was achieved by reducing the concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine and indole-3-acetic acid to 0.1 mg l(-1) each and incorporating 0.5 mg l(-1) gibberellic acid in the medium in which, on an average, 19.6 shoots per explant were produced. Further, during successive subcultures, increased concentrations of adenine sulfate (50 mg l(-l)) and gibberellic acid (2 mg l(-l)) along with the addition of 20 mg l(-l) DL: -tryptophan were found conducive to control the problem of necrosis of shoots. In this treatment, several "crops" of shoots were obtained from single culture by repeated subculturing of basal portion of stalk in long-term. Isolated shoots rooted 100% in 0.25 mg l(-1) indole-3-butyric acid. In vitro-raised plants after hardening in inorganic salt solution grew normally in soil and came to flowering. Genetic fidelity of in vitro-raised plants was ascertained by rapid amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Also, quantitative estimation of two isoflavonones in their root extracts further confirmed true-to-type nature of plantlets.

Inhibitory effect of novel diallyldisulfide analogs on HMG-CoA reductase expression in hypercholesterolemic rats: CREB as a potential upstream target.

AIMS: Diallyldisulfide (DADS), an active principle of garlic (Allium sativum) is known for its antihyperlipidemic properties. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of novel synthesized DADS analogs, on the lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic rats and to investigate the molecular correlates of their activity at the cellular level. MAIN METHODS: Wistar rats, weighing 100-120 g each, were administered with 5% cholesterol for one week, and subsequently administered with lovastatin, allicin and DADS (20 mg/kg wt) analogs in the second week along with 5% cholesterol. All animals were sacrificed after overnight starvation. KEY FINDINGS: Our results show that DADS analogs are effective in reducing the total lipid levels which could be correlated with a significant decrease in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) activity. DADS analogs strongly inhibit HMGR activity in vivo but not in vitro. These results can be attributed to the significant decrease in the mRNA levels and protein expression of HMGR. Further, we show that DADS analogs significantly inhibited the activation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) and interfered with DNA binding activity of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) but not nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y), with upstream regulatory sequences of HMGR. Moreover, DADS analogs are also effective in reducing the levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), lipid peroxidation as well as NF-kappaB activity, showing good anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. SIGNIFICANCE: The unique anti-inflammatory effect and hypolipidemic action of DADS analogs may be beneficial in preventing the vascular complications that are induced by hyperlipidemia and provide a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cardiovascular and related diseases.

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of new arylpiperazines N-[4-[4-(aryl) piperazine-1-yl]-phenyl]-amine derivatives: putative role of 5-HT1A receptors.

In an attempt to design novel 5-HT(1A) agonists/partial agonists, based on an arylpiperazine nucleus, a series of N-{4-[4-(aryl)piperazine-1-yl]-phenyl}-amine derivatives were synthesized and biologically tested. The anxiolytic effect of the compounds was investigated employing the Elevated plus Maze (EPM) task. On the basis of in vivo functional test, compound 1c (3mg/kg) and 4c (3mg/kg) induced significant increments in open arm entries and time on EPM as compared to Buspirone. The anxiolytic effects of compounds 1c and 4c were effectively antagonized by WAY-100635, a 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist (0.5mg/kg). Furthermore, we have also evaluated the concentration of 5-HT in the brain tissue using HPLC with fluorescent detection. Our result showed that serotonin levels were significantly decreased by approximately 38% (p<0.001) and approximately 32% (p<0.001) after acute administration of compounds 1c and 4c, respectively. These findings suggest that the anxiolytic like activity of these new arylpiperazines is mediated via 5-HT(1A) receptors in the brain.

Signatures for right-handed neutrinos at the large hadron collider.

We explore possible signatures for right-handed neutrinos in a TeV scale B-L extension of the standard model at the Large Hadron Collider. The studied four lepton signal has a tiny standard model background. We find the signal experimentally accessible at the LHC for the considered parameter regions.

The effect of the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus on hepatocarcinogenesis initiated by diethylnitrosamine.

Histopathological studies of the hepatic tissues of Wistar rats treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (200 mg/kg b wt, i.p.) once a week for 2 weeks, followed by treatment with DDT, a tumor promoter (0.05% in diet) for 2 weeks and kept under observation for another 18 weeks, demonstrated the development of malignancy. Pretreatment of Wistar rats with the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus prevented the incidence of hepatocarcinogenesis. Immunohistochemical staining of the hepatic tissues of rats treated with DEN showed the presence of p53+ foci (clusters of cells expressing the mutated p53 protein), whereas an absence of p53+ foci was observed in Wistar rats pretreated with the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus. The microsections of the hepatic tissue of rats treated with DEN followed by treatment with the aqueous extract of Asparagus racemosus showed an absence of p53+ foci. The results of the biochemical determinations also show that pretreatment of Wistar rats with the aqueous extract of Asparagus racemosus leads to the amelioration of oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity brought about by treatment with DEN. These results prove that the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus has the potential to act as an effective formulation to prevent hepatocarcinogenesis induced by treatment with DEN.

Synthesis, DNA binding, and cytotoxic evaluation of new analogs of diallyldisulfide, an active principle of garlic.

Diallyldisulfide (DADS), an active principle of garlic (Allium sativum) is known for its antihyperlipidemic properties. However, its use is limited due to its extreme volatility. In the present study, we have synthesized and characterized a series of six new DADS analogs and investigated their interactions with different DNA duplexes. The spectroscopic and circular dichroism (CD) analyses revealed that DADS analogs bind preferentially with GC rich sequences. Thermodynamic parameters suggest that DADS analogs stabilize the calf thymus (CT) DNA and GC rich duplex by favorable enthalpic gains and follow the hierarchy, d(GC)(7)>CT DNA>d(AT)(10). Further, DADS analogs are less toxic and equally effective as the statins. The analogs therefore have a good potential to provide a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cardiovascular and related diseases.

Effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on cardiovascular risk factors and initiation of atherosclerosis in Wistar rats.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. The present study was designed to assess the effect of high level of serum homocysteine on other cardiovascular risk factors and markers in rats and to study its mode of action in initiating atherosclerosis. To address this issue, four different doses of methionine (0.1 g/kg, 0.25 g/kg, 0.5 g/kg, 1 g/kg) were orally administered to four groups (Group II, III, IV, V respectively) of rats (6 rats in each group) for a period of 8 weeks to get different level of homocysteine in serum. Group I was administered with saline and served as control. Our results revealed that the level of Total cholesterol, Triglyceride, and Oxidized low-density lipoproteins increased significantly with the increase in the level of serum homocysteine. The levels of Resistin, C-reactive protein and cysteinyl-leukotrienes were found to be significantly high in Group IV (P<0.001 vs Group I) and Group V (P<0.001 vs Group I) at 8 weeks. Total antioxidant capacity and nitrite/nitrate level in serum showed negative correlation with the increased dose of methionine. The mRNA expression and the enzyme activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase significantly increased only in livers of rats of Group V. Furthermore, high mRNA expression of P2 receptors and caveolin were found in aorta of rats administered with high dose of methionine (Group IV and V at 8 weeks). Data obtained from in-vitro effect of homocysteine on isolated aortic arch also showed induction in P2 receptors and caveolin with the increase in the concentration of homocysteine. These findings collectively suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia initiates atherosclerosis by modulating the cholesterol biosynthesis and by significantly inducing the level of other cardiovascular risk factors and markers, which play important role in initiating atherosclerosis.