Heparin as a Therapy for Atherosclerosis: Preliminary Observations on the Intrapulmonary Administration of Low-Dose Heparin in the Morning Versus Evening Gauged by Its Effect on Blood Variables

Reports on clinical trials with subcutaneous and intrapulmonary administration of low-dose heparin suggest that it may be an attractive therapeutic modality for the treatment of coronary artery disease because of unprecedented reduction in mortality of treated subjects. As a preliminary to a clinical trial with low-dose intrapulmonary heparin, a pilot study was conducted on three subjects. It compares overall circadian responses of 37 blood variables following intrapulmonary administration of heparin (10,500-18,800 U) in the morning (0800 h) and in the evening (2000 h). After each of these times, blood samples, mostly at 3 h intervals for the ensuing 27 h, were analyzed for heparin, APTT, TT, functional fibrinogen, CBC, enzymes, lipids, electrolytes, and hormones. Each time series was analyzed for circadian rhythm by the least-squares fit of a 24 h cosine and circadian mesors were compared by the Bingham test of rhythm parameters. Following heparin in the evening, but not in the morning, a statistically significant increase in circulating heparin levels, as well as directional increases in APTT and TT and decreases in fibrinogen, were observed in all three subjects. Same direction changes in several other variables were also observed. It is concluded that inhalation of heparin in low-dose levels results in variable circadian effects on blood parameters measured, ranging from no changes in their levels to minimal within normal range changes, and that these effects are dependent upon the timing of dose administration. It is suggested that the timed self-administration of low-dose heparin by inhalation be seriously considered for long-term clinical trials in the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis.     

Enhancing Drought Tolerance in Wheat through Improving MorphoPhysiological and Antioxidants Activities of Plants by the Supplementation of Foliar Silicon

The main objective of the research is to assess the role of foliar application of silicon (Si) for enhancing the survival ability of wheat under drought stress through improving its morphology, physicochemical and antioxidants activities. Treatments were five doses of Si at the rate of 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM and a control. After completion of seeds germination, pots were divided into four distinct groups at various field capacity (FC) levels, such as 100% FC (well-irrigated condition), 75% FC (slight water deficit), 50% FC (modest water deficit) and 25% FC (severe water deficit stress condition). Foliar application of Si at the rate of 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM and a control were given after 30 days of sowing at the tillering stage of wheat. Findings of the present investigation indicated that increasing the level of water deficit stress reduced the morphological parameters (such as root and shoot fresh and dry-biomass weight) and physico-biochemical events ((such as chlorophyll contents by estimating SPAD value), total free amino acid (TFAA), total soluble sugar (TSS), total soluble protein (TSP), total proline (TP), CAT (catalase), POD (peroxidase), SOD (superoxide dismutase) and APX (ascorbate peroxidase)) of wheat; while foliar application of Si at 6 mM at tillering stage enhanced the drought tolerance in wheat by increasing morphology and physiochemical characters under all levels of drought stress. Similarly, antioxidants activities in wheat also enhanced by the application of Si at 6 mM under normal as well as all drought stress levels. Therefore, it may be concluded that foliar application of Si at 6 mM at the tillering stage of wheat is an important indication for increasing the drought tolerance by improving the morphology, physico-biochemical and antioxidants activities in plants under deficit water (drought) conditions.     

Physiological Responses of Spring Durum Wheat Cultivars to Early-season Drought in a Mediterranean Environment

The Mediterranean climate of North Africa is characterized byuncertain rainfall immediately after seedling emergence, leadingto drought early in the growing season which depresses durumwheat production. However, there is limited understanding ofthe physiological basis of resistance of spring durum wheatto drought in rainfed Mediterranean regions. The objectivesof this study were to examine differences in some physiologicalcharacters among spring durum wheat cultivars in response toduration of early-season drought, and to determine the relationshipof these characters to drought resistance. In two field experiments(1995 and 1996 growing seasons) and a glasshouse experiment(1996), six spring sown durum wheat cultivars were evaluatedunder four water regimes: well irrigated and three differentwater deficits from emergence until the onset of tillering,mid-tillering or at the end of tillering. Cultivars differedin their response. Decreases in photosynthesis soon after droughtstress was imposed resulted mainly from reduced stomatal conductance.Continued water deficits also reduced mesophyll photosyntheticactivity. Possible factors determining the drought-resistanceof a cultivar are lower sensitivity of CO₂exchange rate, netCO₂uptake to water loss ratio, stomatal resistance, relativewater content and greater osmotic adjustment under stress. Furthermore,there is sufficient intraspecific variation in these physiologicalattributes to suggest their use as selection tools.Copyright1998 Annals of Botany Company Wheat;Triticum durumDesf.; early-season drought; physiological responses.     

Optimization and production of curdlan gum using Bacillus cereus PR3 isolated from rhizosphere of leguminous plant

Curdlan gum is a neutral water-insoluble bacterial exopolysaccharide composed primarily of linear β-(1,3) glycosidic linkages. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the applications of curdlan and its derivatives. Curdlan is found to inhibit tumors and its sulfated derivative possess anti-HIV activity. Curdlan is biodegradable, non-toxic towards human, environment and edible which makes it suitable as drug-delivery vehicles for sustained drug release. The increasing demand for the growing applications of curdlan requires an efficient high yield fermentation production process so as to satisfy the industrial needs. In this perspective, the present work is aimed to screen and isolate an efficient curdlan gum producing bacteria from rhizosphere of ground nut plant using aniline-blue agar. High yielding isolate was selected based on curdlan yield and identified as Bacillus cereus using gas-chromatography fatty acid methyl ester analysis. B. cereus PR3 curdlan gum was characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM, XRD and TGA. Fermentation time for curdlan production using B. cereus PR3 was optimized. Media constituents like carbon, nitrogen and mineral sources were screened using Plackett–Burman design. Subsequent statistical analysis revealed that Starch, NH₄NO₃, K₂HPO₄, Na₂SO₄, KH₂SO₄ and CaCl₂ were significant media constituents and these concentrations were optimized for enhancement of curdlan production up to 20.88?g/l.     

The Influence of Plant-Growth Factors on the Initiation and Growth of Crown-Gall Tumours on Primary Pinto Bean Leaves

The number of tumours developing on primary pinto bean leaves(Phaseolus vulgaris L. variety Pinto) inoculated with Agrobacteriumtumefaciens (Smith and Town.) Conn, strain B6, was increasedby as much as 100 per cent through the addition of several plant-growthfactors and antagonists of some of these factors to the freshlyinoculated leaves. Naphthylacetic acid, gibberellic acid, (2-chloroethyl)trimethylammonium chloride, and adenine gave a biphasic responsewith optimal promotions of tumour initiation at 10^-5 to 10^-4mg/ml. Tri-iodobenzoic acid and 4-chlorophenoxyisobutyric acidwere most active at 10^-1 mg/ml. Mean tumour diameter showeda direct correlation with tumour number in these experiments.The results show tumour initiation to be sensitive to growthfactor changes, possibly through a heightened traumatic responseof the wounded leaves. The growth of the tumours was unaffectedby these additions except as they altered tumour number andthis secondarily affected tumour growth.     

A SIMPLE ALTERNATIVE TO GENERALIZED PROCRUSTES ANALYSIS: APPLICATION TO SENSORY PROFILING DATA

A statistical method for analyzing sensory profiling data obtained by means of fixed vocabulary or free choice profiling is discussed. The most interesting feature of this method is that it involves only simple statistical treatment and can therefore be performed using standard software packages. The outcomes of this method are compared to those of Generalized Procrustes Analysis on the basis of two data sets obtained, respectively, by means of fixed vocabulary and free choice profiling. A significance test is also discussed in order to assess whether the overall configuration of the products is meaningful. This significance test is based upon a simulation study involving the permutation procedure.