Locomotion of an efficient biomechanical sperm through viscoelastic medium

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - Every group of microorganism utilizes a diverse mechanical strategy to propel through complex environments. These swimming problems deal with the...     

Molecular docking analysis of known flavonoids as duel COX-2 inhibitors in the context of cancer

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzed synthesis of prostaglandin E2 and it associates with tumor growth, infiltration, and metastasis in preclinical experiments. Known inhibitors against COX-2 exhibit toxicity. Therefore, it is of interest to screen natural compounds like flavanoids against COX-2. Molecular docking using 12 known flavanoids against COX-2 by FlexX and of ArgusLab were performed. All compounds showed a favourable binding energy of >-10 KJ/mol in FlexX and > -8 kcal/mol in ArgusLab. However, this data requires in vitro and in vivo verification for further consideration.     

Shape and Flexibility in the Titin 11-Domain Super-Repeat

Titin is a giant protein of striated muscle with important roles in the assembly, intracellular signalling and passive mechanical properties of sarcomeres. The molecule consists principally of ∼ 300 immunoglobulin and fibronectin domains arranged in a chain more than 1 μm long. The isoform-dependent N-terminal part of the molecule forms an elastic connection between the end of the thick filament and the Z-line. The larger, constitutively expressed C-terminal part is bound to the thick filament. Through most of the thick filament part, the immunoglobulin and fibronectin domains are arranged in a repeating pattern of 11 domains termed the ‘large super-repeat’. There are 11 contiguous copies of the large super-repeat making up a segment of the molecule nearly 0.5 μm long. We have studied a set of two-domain and three-domain recombinant fragments from the large super-repeat region by electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray solution scattering and analytical ultracentrifugation, with the goal of reconstructing the overall structure of this part of titin. The data illustrate different average conformations in different domain pairs, which correlate with differences in interdomain linker lengths. They also illustrate interdomain bending and flexibility around average conformations. Overall, the data favour a helical conformation in the super-repeat. They also suggest that this region of titin is dimerised when bound to the thick filament.     

Isolation and Partial Characterization of a Virulent Bacteriophage IHQ1 Specific for Aeromonas punctata from Stream Water

Aeromonas punctata is the causative agent of septicemia, diarrhea, wound infections, meningitis, peritonitis, and infections of the joints, bones and eyes. Bacteriophages are often considered alternative agents for controlling bacterial infection and contamination. In this study, we described the isolation and preliminary characterization of bacteriophage IHQ1 (family Myoviridae) active against the Gram-negative bacterial strain A. punctata. This virulent bacteriophage was isolated from stream water sample. Genome analysis indicated that phage IHQ1 was a double-stranded DNA virus with an approximate genome size of 25–28 kb. The initial characterization of this newly isolated phage showed that it has a narrow host range and infects only A. punctata as it failed to infect seven other clinically isolated pathogenic strains, i.e., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 6403, MRSA 17644, Acinetobacter 33408, Acinetobacter 1172, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 22250, P. aeruginosa 11219, and Escherichia coli. Proteomic pattern of phage IHQ1, generated by SDS-PAGE using purified phage particles, showed three major and three minor protein bands with molecular weights ranging from 25 to 70 kDa. The adsorption rate of phage IHQ1 to the host bacterium was also determined, which was significantly enhanced by the addition of 10 mM CaCl₂. From the single-step growth experiment, it was inferred that the latent time period of phage IHQ1 was 24 min and a burst size of 626 phages per cell. Moreover, the pH and thermal stability of phage IHQ1 were also investigated. The maximum stability of the phage was observed at optimal pH 7.0, and it was totally unstable at extreme acidic pH 3; however, it was comparatively stable at alkaline pH 11.0. At 37°C the phage showed maximum number of plaques, and the viability was almost 100%. The existence of Aeromonas bacteriophage is very promising for the eradication of this opportunistic pathogen and also for future applications such as the design of new detection and phage typing (diagnosis) methods. The specificity of the bacteriophage for A. punctata makes it an attractive candidate for phage therapy of A. punctata infections.     

Interactive role of nitric oxide and calcium chloride in enhancing tolerance to salt stress

Nitric oxide (NO), a small diffusible, ubiquitous bioactive molecule, acts as prooxidant as well as antioxidant, and also regulates remarkable spectrum of plant cellular mechanisms. The present work was undertaken to investigate the role of nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and/or calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) in the tolerance of excised mustard leaves to salt stress. After 24h, salt stressed leaves treated with SNP and/or CaCl(2), showed an improvement in the activities of carbonic anhydrase (CA) and nitrate reductase (NR), and leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content, leaf relative water content (LRWC) and leaf ion concentration as compared with the leaves treated with NaCl only. Salinity stress caused a significant increase in H(2)O(2) content and membrane damage which is witnessed by enhanced levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and electrolyte leakage. By contrast, such increases were blocked by the application of 0.2mM SNP and 10mM CaCl(2) to salt stressed leaves. Application of SNP and/or CaCl(2) alleviated NaCl stress by enhancing the activities of antioxidative enzymes viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) and by enhancing proline (Pro) and glycinebetaine (GB) accumulation with a concomitant decrease in H(2)O(2) content, TBARS and electrolyte leakage, which is manifested in the tolerance of plants to salinity stress. Moreover, application of SNP with CaCl(2) was more effective to reduce the detrimental effects of NaCl stress on excised mustard leaves. In addition to this, ameliorating effect of SNP was not effective in presence of NO scavenger cPTIO [2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide]. To put all these in a nut shell, the results advocate that SNP in association with CaCl(2) plays a role in enhancing the tolerance of plants to salt stress by improving antioxidative defence system, osmolyte accumulation and ionic homeostasis.     

Current status and needs for life cycle assessment development in Asian/Pacific Regions

Conclusion  In conclusion, LCA that is conducted and used appropriately is an indispensable tool to assist decision-makers in making an informed decision about the environmental impacts of their activities, products or services. A global effort towards LCA use should be encouraged and countries in the Asian/Pacific Regions should not be left out. LCA-related activities reported in the symposium were described     

An unusual case of left ventricular aneurysm in duchenne muscular dystrophy

Various structural anomalies of the left ventricular papillary muscles have been observed in recent years. Many of these have been linked to electrocardiographic aberrations. Recently two reports have appeared where the base of the posterior papillary muscle was identified as the source of frequent premature ventricular complexes. In some of these patients these frequent premature ventricular complexes have led to left ventricular dysfunction. In this report a newly discovered structural variant of the anterior papillary muscle is described--the bifid papillary muscle. Furthermore, it is proposed that this bifid papillary muscle is the source of frequent ventricular premature complexes, presenting as bigeminy in a patient with normal left ventricular function.