Regarding paper: "robustness of shrunken predictors in stratified population"

Article http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bimj.4710360113 Authors reply http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bimj.200810432     

Alterations in the hepatic enzymes following experimental lead poisoning

An investigation on the influence of lead toxicity on some of the hepatic enzymes was studied in rats both after a shorter interval of 15 d and after longer intervals of 60 and 90 d. Three different doses of lead as 5, 10, and 50 mg/kg body wt were administered orally on every alternate day. Whereas significant inhibition of succinic dehydrogenase was seen following lead poisoning, the activity acid and alkaline phosphatase increased with lead intoxication. The histoarchitecture of the liver was grossly intact. Liver accumulated less lead compared to kidney at 60 and 90 d.     

Control of flowering in rice through synthetic microProteins

Photoperiod‐dependent flowering in rice is regulated by HEADING DATE 1 (Hd1), which acts as both an activator and repressor of flowering in a daylength‐dependent manner. To investigate the use of microProteins as a tool to modify rice sensitivity to the photoperiod, we designed a synthetic Hd1 microProtein (Hd1miP) capable of interacting with Hd1 protein, and overexpressed it in rice. Transgenic OX‐Hd1miP plants flowered significantly earlier than wild type plants when grown in non‐inductive long day conditions. Our results show the potential of microProteins to serve as powerful tools for modulating crop traits and unraveling protein function.     

Diversity,regeneration, and anthropogenic disturbance in major Indian Central Himalayan forest types: implications for conservation

Biodiversity and Conservation - Understanding community structure together with regeneration and disturbance provides a holistic purview of forest health and the necessary management implications...     

Diverse water quality responses to extreme climate events: an introduction

We synthesize and summarize main findings from a special issue examining the origins, evolution, and resilience of diverse water quality responses to extreme climate events resulting from a Chapman Conference of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Origins refer to sequences of interactive disturbances and antecedent conditions that influence diversification of water quality responses to extreme events. Evolution refers to the amplification, intensification, and persistence of water quality signals across space and time in watersheds. Resilience refers to strategies for managing and minimizing extreme water quality impacts and ecosystem recovery. The contributions of this special issue, taken together, highlight the following: (1) there is diversification in the origins of water quality responses to extreme climate events based on the intensity, duration, and magnitude of the event mediated by previous historical conditions; (2) interactions between climate variability and watershed disturbances (e.g., channelization of river networks, land use change, and deforestation) amplify water quality ‘pulses,’ which can manifest as large changes in chemical concentrations and fluxes over relatively short time periods. In the context of the evolution of water quality responses, results highlight: (3) there are high intensity and long-term climate events, which can generate unique sequences in water quality, which have differential impacts on persistence of water quality problems and ecosystem recovery rates; and (4) ‘chemical cocktails’ or novel mixtures of elements and compounds are transported and transformed during extreme climate events. The main findings regarding resilience to extreme climate events are that: (5) river restoration strategies for reducing pollution from extreme events can be improved by preserving and restoring floodplains, wetlands, and oxbow ponds, which enhance hydrologic and biogeochemical retention, and lengthen the distribution of hydrologic residence times; and (6) the biogeochemical capacity for stream and river ecosystems to retain and transform pollution from landscapes can become “saturated” during floods unless watershed pollution sources are reduced. Finally, the unpredictable occurrence of extreme climate events argues for wider deployment of high-frequency, in situ sensors for monitoring, managing, and modeling diverse water quality responses. These sensors can be used to develop robust proxies for chemical cocktails, detect water quality violations following extreme climate events, and effectively trace the trajectory of water quality recovery in response to managing ecosystem resilience.     

Gene Specific Impedimetric Bacterial DNA Sensor for Rheumatic Heart Disease

An impedimetric mga gene specific DNA sensor was developed by immobilization of single stranded DNA probe onto the screen printed modified gold-dendrimer nanohybrid composite electrode for early and rapid detection of S. pyogenes in human throat swab samples causing rheumatic heart disease. Electrochemical impedance response was measured after hybridization with bacterial single stranded genomic DNA (ssG-DNA) with probe. The sensor was found highly specific to S. pyogenes and can detect as low as 0.01 ng ssDNA in 6 µL sample only in 30 min. The nanohybrid sensor was also tested with non-specific pathogens and characterized by FTIR. An early detection of the pathogen S. pyogenes in human can save damage of mitral and aortic heart valves (rheumatic heart disease) by proper medical care.     

Autophagy delays apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells in cisplatin cytotoxicity

One of the major side effects of cisplatin chemotherapy is toxic acute kidney injury due to preferential accumulation of cisplatin in renal proximal tubule epithelial cells and the subsequent injury to these cells. Apoptosis is known as a major mechanism of cisplatin-induced cell death in renal tubular cells. We have also recently demonstrated that autophagy induction is an immediate response of renal tubular epithelial cell exposure to cisplatin. Inhibition of cisplatin-induced autophagy blocks the formation of autophagosomes and enhances cisplatin-induced caspase-3, -6, and -7 activation, nuclear fragmentation and apoptosis. The switch from autophagy to apoptosis by autophagic inhibitors suggests that autophagy induction was responsible for a pre-apoptotic lag phase observed on exposure of renal tubular cells to cisplatin. Our studies provide evidence that autophagy induction in response to cisplatin mounts an adaptive response that suppresses and delays apoptosis. The beneficial effect of autophagy has a potential clinical significance in minimizing or preventing cisplatin nephrotoxicity.     

Discovery of conformationally rigid 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-derived dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors

The induction of conformationally restricted N-(aryl or heteroaryl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane derivatives at P₂ region of compounds of 2-cyanopyrrolidine class was explored to develop novel DPP-IV inhibitors. The synthesis, structure–activity relationship, and selectivity against related proteases are delineated.     

Genetic similarity among Trifolium species based on isozyme banding pattern

The study deals with similarity among 25 species of the genus Trifolium represented by 134 accessions. Clustering of the species based on isozyme banding pattern of five enzymes revealed that T. repens was distinctly different from other species. T. repens and T. retusum formed independent clusters. The group of species comprising of T. pratense, T. cherleri, T. spumosum, T. subterraneum, T. resupinatum, T. alexandrinum, T. echinatum, T. constantinopolitanum and T. tembense exhibited considerable similarity to the second cluster. This group joined another group of five species, i.e. T. nigrescens, T. glomeratum, T. apertum, T. alpestre and T. hybridum with nearly 50% similarity. T. purpureum, T. hirtum, T. campestre, T. incarnatum, and T. argutum grouped separately. There was no marked difference for banding pattern among T. alexandrinum genotypes. T. alexandrinum showed close affinity with T. subterraneum and T. resupinatum. T. lappaceum, T. diffusum, T. campestre, T. incarnatum and T. argutum showed only 44.8% similarity with other Trifolium species. Grouping together of accessions belonging to individual species indicated that incompatibility among species under study had restricted interspecific hybridization. Species belonging to subgenus Lotoidea clustered with species of subgenus Trifolium. Chonosemium species T. campestre formed one cluster with two Trifolium species T. hirtum and T. incarnatum. T. nigrescens was placed quite apart from the T. repens.     

Identification of Diploid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stylosanthes seabrana</Emphasis> Accessions from Existing Germplasm of <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. scabra</Emphasis> Utilizing Genome-Specific STS Markers and Flow Cytometry,and Their Molecular Characterization

Stylosanthes seabrana (Maass and ‘t Mannetje) (2n = 2x = 20), commonly known as Caatinga stylo, is an important tropical perennial forage legume. In nature, it largely co-exist with S. scabra, an allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 40) species, sharing a very high similarity for morphological traits like growth habit, perenniality, fruit shape and presence of small appendage at the base of the pod or loment. This makes the two species difficult to distinguish morphologically, leading to chances of contamination in respective germplasm collections. In present study, 10 S. seabrana accessions were discovered from the existing global germplasm stock of S. scabra represented by 48 diverse collections, utilizing sequence-tagged-sites (STS) genome-specific markers. All the newly identified S. seabrana accessions displayed STS phenotypes of typical diploid species. Earlier reports have conclusively indicated S. seabrana and S. viscosa as two diploid progenitors of allotetraploid S. scabra. With primer pairs SHST3F3/R3, all putative S. seabrana yielded single band of ~550 bp and S. viscosa of ~870 bp whereas both of these bands were observed in allotetraploid S. scabra. Since SHST3F3/R3 primer pairs are known to amplify single or no band with diploid and two bands with tetraploid species, the amplification patterns corroborated that all newly identified S. seabrana lines were diploid in nature. Flow cytometric measurement of DNA content of the species, along with distinguishing morphological traits such as flowering time and seedling vigour, which significantly differ from S. scabra, confirmed all identified lines as S. seabrana. These newly identified lines exhibited high level of similarity among themselves as revealed by RAPD and STS markers (>92% and 80% respectively). Along with the enrichment in genetic resources of Stylosanthes, these newly identified and characterized accessions of S. seabrana can be better exploited in breeding programs targeted to quality.