Zingiberanamalayanum sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from India

Zingiber anamalayanum (Zingiberaceae), a new species from the southern western Ghats, India is described and illustrated. A phenetic analyses to assess the similarity indices and the uniqueness of the new species have been performed. A diagnostic key to Zingiber spp. in south India is provided.     

Body water relations in two species of gerbil (Tatera indica indica andMeriones hurrianae) of the Indian desert

Summary The relative body water conservation efficiency of two Indian desert gerbil species,Meriones hurrianae (diurnal/crepuscular) andTatera indica (nocturnal), has been examined under near-natural conditons in different seasons.A mean urine osmolarity of 3180 mosmol/l (maximum 4645 mosmol/l) inM. hurrianae and a mean value of 5128 mosmol/l (maximum 7547 mosmol/l) inT. indica have been recorded during summer.Urine osmolarity and urea levels indicated that whileM. hurrianae remain sufficiently hydrated mainly by virtue of their feeding habit,Tatera indica may depend on the relatively higher concentrating capacity of their kidneys.     

Effect of pH on the phase behavior of DMPC bilayers

We have studied the effect of acidic pH on the phase behavior of the zwitterionic lipid 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) using differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray scattering. Dispersions of DMPC in HCl solutions of pH = 4 and 3 behave identical to dispersions in water. The main transition temperature increases sharply and the pre-transition disappears at lower pH. An untilted gel phase is observed at pH = 2 and 1, in contrast to the tilted gel phase found at higher pH. The relatively large periodicity of the untilted gel phase, in comparison to that of the tilted gel phase occurring near neutral pH, clearly demonstrates the simultaneous charging and dehydration of the headgroups as the pH approaches the pK of the phosphate group. Headgroup dehydration at low pH also leads to the formation of DMPC crystallites and the inverted hexagonal phase at low and high temperatures, respectively, after a few days of incubation. These results show the significant effect of acidic pH on the phase behavior of zwitterionic lipids.     

Ethylene – and oxygen signalling – drive plant survival during flooding

Flooding is a widely occurring environmental stress both for natural and cultivated plant species. The primary problems associated with flooding arise due to restricted gas diffusion underwater. This hampers gas exchange needed for the critical processes of photosynthesis and respiration. Plant acclimation to flooding includes the adaptation of a suite of traits that helps alleviate or avoid these stressful conditions and improves or restores exchange of O₂ and CO₂. The manifestation of these traits is, however, reliant on the timely perception of signals that convey the underwater status. Flooding‐associated reduced gas diffusion imposes a drastic change in the internal gas composition within submerged plant organs. One of the earliest changes is an increase in the levels of the gaseous plant hormone ethylene. Depending on the species, organ, flooding conditions and time of the day, plants will also subsequently experience a reduction in oxygen levels. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the roles of ethylene and oxygen as critical signals of flooding stress. It includes a discussion of the dynamics of these gases in plants when underwater, their interaction, current knowledge of their perception mechanisms and the resulting downstream changes that mediate important acclimative processes that allow endurance and survival under flooded conditions.     

Association between Gender,Process of Care Measures,and Outcomes in ACS in India: Results from the Detection and Management of Coronary Heart Disease (DEMAT) Registry

Background

Studies from high-income countries have shown that women receive less aggressive diagnostics and treatment than men in acute coronary syndromes (ACS), though their short-term mortality does not appear to differ from men. Data on gender differences in ACS presentation, management, and outcomes are sparse in India.

Methods and Results

The Detection and Management of Coronary Heart Disease (DEMAT) Registry collected data from 1,565 suspected ACS patients (334 women; 1,231 men) from ten tertiary care centers throughout India between 2007–2008. We evaluated gender differences in presentation, in-hospital and discharge management, and 30-day death and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; death, re-hospitalization, and cardiac arrest) rates. Women were less likely to present with STEMI than men (38% vs. 55%, p<0.001). Overall inpatient diagnostics and treatment patterns were similar between men and women after adjustment for potential confounders. Optimal discharge management with aspirin, clopidogrel, beta-blockers, and statin therapy was lower for women than men, (58% vs. 65%, p = 0.03), but these differences were attenuated after adjustment (OR = 0.86 (0.62, 1.19)). Neither the outcome of 30-day mortality (OR = 1.40 (0.62, 3.16)) nor MACE (OR = 1.00 (0.67, 1.48)) differed significantly between men and women after adjustment.

Conclusions

ACS in-hospital management, discharge management, and 30-day outcomes did not significantly differ between genders in the DEMAT registry, though consistently higher treatment rates and lower event rates in men compared to women were seen. These findings underscore the importance of further investigation of gender differences in cardiovascular care in India.     

Structural basis of Bacillus anthracis MoxXT disruption and the modulation of MoxT ribonuclease activity by rationally designed peptides

Bacillus anthracis MoxXT is a Type II proteic Toxin–Antitoxin (TA) module wherein MoxT is a ribonuclease that cleaves RNA specifically while MoxX interacts with MoxT and inhibits its activity. Disruption of the TA interaction has been proposed as a novel antibacterial strategy. Peptides, either based on antitoxin sequence or rationally designed, have previously been reported to disrupt the MoxXT interaction but cause a decrease in MoxT ribonuclease activity. In the present study, we report the crystal structure of MoxT, and the effect of several peptides in disrupting the MoxXT interaction as well as augmentation of MoxT ribonuclease activity by binding to MoxT in vitro. Docking studies on the peptides were carried out in order to explain the observed structure activity relationships. The peptides with ribonuclease augmentation activity possess a distinct structure and are proposed to bind to a distinct site on MoxT. The docking of the active peptides with MoxT showed that they possess an aromatic group that occupies a conserved hydrophobic pocket. Additionally, the peptides inducing high ribonuclease activity were anchored by a negatively charged group near a cluster of positively charged residues present near the pocket. Our study provides a structural basis and rationale for the observed properties of the peptides and may aid the development of small molecules to disrupt the TA interaction.