A database for medicinal plants used in treatment of asthma

The knowledge of most plants used in the treatment of asthma, the plant part which is effective in treatment is confined to very few persons who are engaged in folklore medicine. However, this form of medicine is not very popular. Therefore, it is of considerable interest to ethno-botanical community to understand the plants and the parts used for treatment. Here, we describe AsthmaPlantBase, a database containing information of medicinal plants for treatment of asthma.

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Sowing seasons and drying methods during post-harvest influence the seed vigour of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)

Experiments were conducted to study the influence of sowing seasons and drying methods on the seed vigour of two spring soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars. Two cultivars, ‘Huachun18’ and ‘Huachun 14’, were sown in three seasons viz., spring, summer and autumn and the harvested seeds were dried using three different methods. The results showed that soybean sown in spring had a higher number of branches per plant, pods per branch and seed weight, and consequently resulted in higher seed yields than that of soybean sown in autumn or summer seasons. Seeds sown in the autumn season had the lowest values of electrical conductivity during seed imbibitions, higher peroxidase (POD) activity in germinated seedlings and lower contamination by the seed-borne fungi on the MS medium, which indirectly improved the seed vigour, which was followed by summer sown seeds. Seeds sown during the spring season resulted in poor seed vigour. In addition, the effect of drying methods on the seed vigour was also clarified. Seeds that hung for four days before threshing and then air-dried had the poorest seed vigour which was determined by germination, electrical conductivity, POD activity and seed borne fungal growth. There was no difference in seed vigour between other methods, i.e. seeds threshed directly at harvest and then air-dried on a bamboo sifter or concrete floor. These results indicated that autumn sowing soybean and the drying method in which seeds were threshed directly at harvest and then air-dried on a bamboo sifter resulted in higher seed vigour.     

KCNE2 protein is more abundant in ventricles than in atria and can accelerate hERG protein degradation in a phosphorylation-dependent manner

KCNE2 functions as an auxiliary subunit in voltage-gated K and HCN channels in the heart. Genetic variations in KCNE2 have been linked to long QT syndrome. The underlying mechanisms are not entirely clear. One of the issues is whether KCNE2 protein is expressed in ventricles. We use adenovirus-mediated genetic manipulations of adult cardiac myocytes to validate two antibodies (termed Ab1 and Ab2) for their ability to detect native KCNE2 in the heart. Ab1 faithfully detects native KCNE2 proteins in spontaneously hypertensive rat and guinea pig hearts. In both cases, KCNE2 protein is more abundant in ventricles than in atria. In both ventricular and atrial myocytes, KCNE2 protein is preferentially distributed on the cell surface. Ab1 can detect a prominent KCNE2 band in human ventricular muscle from nonfailing hearts. The band intensity is much fainter in atria and in failing ventricles. Ab2 specifically detects S98 phosphorylated KCNE2. Through exploring the functional significance of S98 phosphorylation, we uncover a novel mechanism by which KCNE2 modulates the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) current amplitude: by accelerating hERG protein degradation and thus reducing the hERG protein level on the cell surface. S98 phosphorylation appears to be required for this modulation, so that S98 dephosphorylation leads to an increase in hERG/rapid delayed rectifier current amplitude. Our data confirm that KCNE2 protein is expressed in the ventricles of human and animal models. Furthermore, KCNE2 can modulate its partner channel function not only by altering channel conductance and/or gating kinetics, but also by affecting protein stability.     

Production of biodiesel from mixed waste vegetable oil using an aluminium hydrogen sulphate as a heterogeneous acid catalyst

Al(HSO₄)₃ heterogeneous acid catalyst was prepared by the sulfonation of anhydrous AlCl₃. This catalyst was employed to catalyze transesterification reaction to synthesis methyl ester when a mixed waste vegetable oil was used as feedstock. The physical and chemical properties of aluminum hydrogen sulphate catalyst were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements, energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis and titration method. The maximum conversion of triglyceride was achieved as 81 wt.% with 50 min reaction time at 220 °C, 16:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil and 0.5 wt.% of catalyst. The high catalytic activity and stability of this catalyst was related to its high acid site density (-OH, Brönsted acid sites), hydrophobicity that prevented the hydration of -OH group, hydrophilic functional groups (-SO₃H) that gave improved accessibility of methanol to the triglyceride. The fuel properties of methyl ester were analyzed. The fuel properties were found to be observed within the limits of ASTM D6751.     

Hybrid thoracic stent graft repair of a complex type B aortic dissection in a patient who presented three weeks after repair of a type a aortic dissection

Long-term management after repair of a type A aortic dissection includes aggressive medical therapy and routine surveillance with serial imaging to ensure thrombosis of the false lumen. Retained patency of the false lumen can lead to either the development of a false lumen aneurysm with a subsequent rupture or extension of dissection. Typically such events occur late, usually months after repair, and are treated with either a conventional one-stage open thoracoabdominal repair or a two-stage "elephant trunk" procedure. However, most patients who undergo such procedures experience major complications and the procedure-related mortality rate is high. We present a unique case of a 61-year-old woman who presented with a ruptured type B aortic dissection 3 weeks after repair of a type A aortic dissection. She underwent an emergent thoracotomy and primary repair of the ruptured aorta followed by concomitant arch debranching and thoracic stent graft placement. Simultaneous surgical debranching with a median sternotomy and endovascular repair with stent grafts is an attractive hybrid approach in patients who present with an acute rupture of a false lumen aneurysm soon after initial repair of an aortic dissection, a situation in which a conventional repair is not feasible. This report emphasizes that hybrid thoracic stent graft repair should be considered for such high-risk patients in the near future as it offers them relatively lower morbidity and mortality compared with what is seen with conventional repairs.