Electron microscopical studies and restriction analysis ofHelicoverpa armigera nucleo polyhedrosis virus

Nuclear polyhedrosis virus ofHelicoverpa armigera (HaNPV) from Madurai (south India) was isolated, purified and subjected to electron microscopical studies. The results indicate that the isolate is a multi embedded form of NPV. Further, STEM observations on polyhedra and polyhedral envelope of the HaMNPV are presented. The restriction pattern and genome size of HaMNPV Madurai isolate are compared with HaNPV isolates reported earlier. A dendrogram is presented to show the relatedness among the isolates.     

Alterations in Photosystem II Organization by Cobalt Treatment in the Cyanobacterium Spirulina piatensis

The presence of low concentrations of cobalt ions (200 μMCoCl₂) retarded the growth of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis. However, cells grown in the presence of CoCl₂ exhibited an enhancement in the levels of phycocyanin and carotenoids, while showed a decrease in the content of chlorophyll a, when compared to the untreated control cells. Thylakoid membranes isolated from CoCl₂ treated cells demonstrated enhanced rates of both photosystem II (H₂O → pBQ) and photosystem I (DCPIPH₂ → MV) mediated electorn transport activities. The stimulation in the rates of photosynthetic electron transport activities in the CoCl ₂ grown cells are attributed to the alterations occurring in the thylakoid membrane organization, as the thylakoids from CoCl₂ grown cells possessed more membrane fluidity. The decrease in the chlorophyll a content may have occurred due to modifications in the chlorophyll a complexes in this cynaobacterium. The enhancement in the phycocyanin levels in the CoCl₂ grown cells appears to be because of the stimulated induction of heme oxygenase. Thus, the cobalt ion treatment appears to be useful in studying the thylakoid membrane and antennae organizations in cyanobacteria.     

Stochastical aspects of neuronal dynamics: Fokker-Planck approach

The Stochastical aspects of noise-perturbed neuronal dynamics are studied via the Fokker-Planck equation by considering the Langevin-type relaxational, nonlinear process associated with neuronal states. On the basis of a canonical, stochastically driven, dichotomous state modeling, the equilibrium conditions in the neuronal assembly are analyzed. The markovian structure of the random occurrence of action potentials due to the disturbances (noise) in the neuronal state is considered, and the corresponding solutions relevant to the colored noise spectrum of the disturbance effects are addressed. Stochastical instability (Lyapunov) considerations in solving discrete optimization problems via neural networks are discussed. The bounded estimate(s) of the Stochastical variates involved are presented, and the noise-induced perturbations on the saturated-state neuronal population are elucidated.     

Floral morphology of the family compositae

Vernonia anthelmintica (Linn.) Willd., tribe Vernonieae, family Compositae has been studied. The cypsela has dimorphic pappus, 20 longitudinal ribs (10 primary and 10 secondary), and two types of hairs developing from single epidermal cells on surface. Certain features of vasculature of floret observed in this taxon have been considered as intermediate between relatively primitive and highly advanced conditions known in the family. Others elucidate further that the ovary is bilocular with axile placentation at base in which region the ovule is attached, and unilocular with parietal placentation in the remaining portion, and also that the ovule possibly belongs to one of the two carpels, which alone is fertile, and is an organ morphologically double in nature. The pappus has been regarded as a longitudinally dismembered calyx tube. The tissue of the ovule outside nucellus differentiates into an endothelium, a periendothelial zone, and an outer zone. In the mature seed the thickned outer epidermis and remmants of a few subjacent layers form the outer zone, and endothelium redued to a pellicle, the inner zone of the seed coat. The jacket layer of the endosperm persists between the seed coat and the dicotyledonous, orthorrhizal embryo. The pericarp development resembles that of most other Compositae in an early differentiation of the ovary wall into two zones, and later breakdown of a major part of the inner zone. But it is quite characteristic in other respects, especially, the peripheral chin of firovascular bundles which forms its main mechanical zone.     

A spatial vascular transcriptomic,proteomic, and phosphoproteomic atlas unveils an angiocrine Tie–Wnt signaling axis in the liver

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Genetic markers and malaria. Observations in Gujarat, India

189 healthy controls and 175 patients suffering from malaria vivax have been investigated with regard to associations between this disease and 22 genetic polymorphisms of the blood (ABO, MN, Ss, Rh, Kell, P, Lutheran, Kidd, Duffy, Diego, Xg; ABH-Secretor; Hp, Gc, Gm, Km; aP, AK, PGM1, 6-PGD, EsD; Hb variants) Significant associations could be demonstrated only for P and Hp systems, though in accordance with other investigations it cannot be excluded that the ABO system plays also a role in this connection.