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Participating in an archaeological field school is one of the only educational experiences that nearly all professional archaeologists have during their training. As a result, field schools are uniquely suited to provide experiential education in emerging skills that all archaeologists will need, such as information and data literacies at all stages of the contemporary research and publishing cycle. The "embedded" librarian program in the University of New Brunswick's Downeast Maine Coastal Archaeology Field School is an effective means to deploy that focused expertise to help students better understand the relationship between fieldwork, data, and dissemination. At the same time, being in the field provides librarians with the knowledge to respond more effectively to the complex data management and research needs of archaeologists. We encourage large research projects to consider librarians as specialist members of the research team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the small-x asymptotics of the flavor non-singlet T-odd leading-twist quark transverse momentum dependent parton distributions (TMDs), the Sivers and Boer-Mulders functions. While the leading eikonal small-x asymptotics of the quark Sivers function is given by the spin-dependent odderon [1-2], we are interested in revisiting the sub-eikonal correction considered by us earlier in [3]. We first simplify the expressions for both TMDs at small Bjorken x and then construct small-x evolution equations for the resulting operators in the large-Nc limit, with Nc the number of quark colors. For both TMDs, the evolution equations resum all powers of the double-logarithmic parameter αs ln2(1/x), where αs is the strong coupling constant, which is assumed to be small. Solving these evolution equations numerically (for the Sivers function) and analytically (for the Boer-Mulders function) we arrive at the following leading small-x asymptotics of these TMDs at large Nc: f 1 T ⊥ NS x ≪ 1 k T 2 = C O x k T 2 1 x + C 1 x k T 2 1 x 3.4 α s N c 4 π h 1 ⊥ NS x ≪ 1 k T 2 = C x k T 2 1 x − 1. The functions CO(x, k T 2 ), C1(x, k T 2 ), and C(x, k T 2 ) can be readily obtained in our formalism: they are mildly x-dependent and do not strongly affect the power-of-x asymptotics shown above. The function CO, along with the 1/x factor, arises from the odderon exchange. For the sub-eikonal contribution to the quark Sivers function (the term with C1), our result shown above supersedes the one obtained in [3] due to the new contributions identified recently in [4]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply the formalism developed earlier [1-2] for studying transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs) at small Bjorken x to construct the small-x asymptotics of the quark Sivers function. First, we explicitly construct the complete fundamental “polarized Wilson line” operator to sub-sub-eikonal order: this object can be used to study a variety of quark TMDs at small x. We then express the quark Sivers function in terms of dipole scattering amplitudes containing various components of the “polarized Wilson line” and show that the dominant (eikonal) term which contributes to the quark Sivers function at small x is the spin-dependent odderon, confirming the re- cent results of Dong, Zheng and Zhou [3]. Our conclusion is also similar to the case of the gluon Sivers function derived by Boer, Echevarria, Mulders and Zhou [4] (see also [5]). We also analyze the sub-eikonal corrections to the quark Sivers function using the constructed “polarized Wilson line” operator. We derive new small-x evolution equations re-summing double-logarithmic powers of αs ln2(1/x) with αs the strong coupling constant. We solve the corresponding novel evolution equations in the large-Nc limit, obtaining a sub-eikonal correction to the spin-dependent odderon contribution. We conclude that the quark Sivers function at small x receives contributions from two terms and is given by f 1 T ⊥ q x k T 2 = C O x k T 2 1 x + C 1 k T 2 1 x 0 + ⋯ with the function CO(x, k T 2 ) varying slowly with x and the ellipsis denoting the subasymptotic and sub-sub-eikonal (order-x) corrections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study shared the experience of an academic library during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Nigerian University. The study was a descriptive survey to purposively sample 2687 subscribers to the library social media platform "the Telegram" used to disseminate library services. The findings revealed that there were more males (83%) than female (17%) subscribers, a total of 446 information resources were disseminated through provision of their links (402), as pdf (31) and Jpeg (8). Applications, documents and videos were the least formats used which was challenged by inadequacies of working from home, poor infrastructure and lack of working space, as well as data subscription was paid from staff pockets. In conclusion, the global pandemic was acknowledged to affect the academic library positively and negatively. Recommended was that demographic elements of the telegram group should be expanded, institutional repository hosted by the library should be leveraged on and acquisition of electronic gadgets should be done immediately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pierce-Embree site is a recently discovered Palaeoindian findspot from southwestern Nova Scotia. Located on the Sable River Estuary, it is a formerly inland location which is now on the shore of a long inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. The site where the artifacts were deposited is now apparently destroyed because of sea-level rise and associated inundation/erosion. The fluted point and the spall-scraper recovered from the site are stylistically similar to artifacts dating to the Early and Middle Palaeoindian periods (12,900-11,600 cal BP). This discover y highlights the alarming impact of erosion on the archaeological record of Nova Scotia's South Shore, and underlines the importance of community engagement and outreach when conducting survey projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of Maritime Woodland period (ca. 3150-ca. 550 B.P.) domestic architecture from the Quoddy Region of New Brunswick and Maine has been identified and reported since the late nineteenth century. Here we summarize this evidence, reinterpret it in light of recent high-resolution studies of prehistoric (pre-contact) domestic features in Nova Scotia, and report a recent study addressing domestic architectural features in the Maine Quoddy Region. Overall, this evidence suggests an aboriginal architectural tradition, and continuity in the organization of domestic space, spanning the Maritime Woodland period and extending into the recent historic period. Within this tradition there is evidence for variability and change in the placement of structures and perhaps in the intensity and duration of occupation. We argue that domestic architecture may be a particularly salient focus through which to study cultural continuity and change in hunter-gatherer society, because it is an important arena for social reproduction, structured by the relationships among social actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have recognized the importance of portage routes to Pre-contact Aboriginal people in the Northeast of North America since the late nineteenth century. However, little explicit attention has been paid to identifying and interpreting possible archaeological signatures for portage routes. Here we offer the Mill Brook Stream site as a component of a portage which provided a two-way link to Washademoak Lake, the source for Washademoak Multi-coloured Chert, w'ith New Brunswick's Lower Saint John River Valley. We analyze the site in terms of its geographic criteria, its location in relation to the end of canoe navigability, and through the use of a heat-treating experiment. We draw analogies between Historic period accounts of portages and archaeological evidence at Mill Brook Stream; combined, this information is used to outline a correlate for portage-related sites associated with bulk procurement. To facilitate this discussion, we include a glossary of terms to describe portages and portage-related activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunter-gatherer religious practices often require specialized construction of ritual structures in comparison to domestic dwellings. Specialized placement of the structure itself may be significant to religious practice, and variability in ritual placement may provide important information about social context. However, ritual structures may be difficult to detect archaeologically, as archaeologists tend to focus on developing models for identifying hunter-gatherer domestic and economic features, such as houses, storage pits, and processing features. We argue that archaeological studies of hunter-gatherers should develop more aggressive testing programs that employ ethnographic data to locate, identify, and interpret ritual features. To develop this approach, we consider sweathouses among the Wabanaki of the Maritime Peninsula in northeastern North America. Although sweathouses are ubiquitous in the ethnographic record for the Wabanaki, a prehistoric one had never been located with confidence on the Maritime Peninsula, and they are rare in the entire archaeological record of the Algonquian Northeast. Here we describe a sweathouse feature from Nova Scotia's South Shore, using it to explore methods for locating, identifying, and interpreting hunter-gatherer ritual architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: To determine whether an automated intermittent bolus technique provides enhanced analgesia compared with a continuous infusion for femoral nerve block. Design: Prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01226927). Setting: Perioperative areas and orthopedic surgical ward of a university hospital. Patients: 45 ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients undergoing unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty. Interventions: All patients received single-injection sciatic and femoral nerve blocks plus femoral nerve catheter placement for postoperative analgesia. Patients were randomly assigned to an automated intermittent bolus (5 mL every 30 min with 0.1 mL/hr basal rate) or a continuous infusion (10.1 mL/hr) delivery method of 0.2% ropivacaine. Measurements: Consumption of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were assessed postoperatively at set intervals until the morning of postoperative day (POD) 2. Main Results: The mean (SEM) cumulative IV-PCA dose (mg of hydromorphone) for the 36-hour postoperative interval measured was 12.9 ± 2.32 in the continuous infusion rate group (n = 20) and 7.8 ± 1.02 in the intermittent bolus group [n = 21, t(39) = 2.04, P = 0.048; a 39 ± 14% difference in total usage]. Pain scores were statistically significantly lower in the intermittent bolus group in the afternoon of POD 1 (t(39) = 2.47, P = 0.018), but were otherwise similar. Conclusions: An automated intermittent bolus infusion technique for femoral nerve catheters is associated with clinically and statistically significantly less IV-PCA use (ie, an opioid-sparing effect) than a continuous infusion technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Los anuncios del banco central son trascendentales para guiar las expectativas. Empero, la investigación correspondiente con respecto a los países que emergen es escasa. Dado que el Brasil es un importante país emergente con políticas de fijación de objetivos de inflación, se analiza aquí la influencia de la política monetaria y los anuncios del banco central en la estructura temporal de las tasas de interés. Mediante el método de mínimos cuadrados ordinarios (MCO), el método generalizado de momentos (MGM) y el modelo de autorregresión vectorial (VAR) se examina la dirección de las tasas de interés al ser afectadas por los anuncios del banco central y la política monetaria. Puesto que los agentes económicos analizan las actas de las reuniones del Comité de Política Monetaria, la política y los anuncios mencionados influyen poderosamente en la formación de expectativas sobre las tasas de interés para diferentes plazos en el Brasil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two synthetic volatile compounds (benzaldehyde and propionic acid) and two volatile oils (camphor and eucalyptus) were screened individually and in combinations against different life stages of Tribolium castaneum. Benzaldehyde–propionic acid combination recorded the maximum larvicidal (LC50 =78.03μl/l) and adulticidal (LC50 =30.60μl/l air) activities and this treatment was also effective in reducing the oviposition, egg hatchability and adult emergence of T. castaneum. Among the individual treatments benzaldehyde was found to be more toxic to adults (LC50 =34.07μl/l) and larvae (94.15μl/l). The individual treatments of camphor and eucalyptus oils were less effective, but combinations of benzaldehyde–camphor oil were found to be effective. Benzaldehyde–propionic acid combination recorded 99.3% adult mortality inside a 1m3 wooden cage after 15days and this mixture can be used as a fumigant in store houses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Investigates the effects of temperature and solids loading on a viscosity of non-aqueous ceramic suspensions. Measurement of the viscocity of alumina suspensions and hydroxyapatitie suspensions; Reduction of Newtonian viscosity at various temperatures; Observation of a model with the intrinsic viscosity corrected for particle geometry.

We present the first global analysis of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) combing lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations and experiment measurements including global parton distribution functions (PDFs), form factors (FFs) and deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) measurements. Following the previous work where we parameterize GPDs in terms of their moments, we extend the framework to allow for the global analysis at non-zero skewness. Together with the constraints at zero skewness, we fit GPDs to global DVCS measurements from both the recent JLab and the earlier Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator (HERA) experiments with two active quark flavors and leading order QCD evolution. With certain choices of empirical constraints, both sea and valence quark distributions are extracted with the combined inputs, and we present the quark distributions in the proton correspondingly. We also discuss how to extend the framework to accommodate more off-forward constraints beyond the small ξ expansion, especially the lattice calculated GPDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the social contexts which facilitate the adoption of Western values and styles by East European youth, explores the implications of this development, and attempts to illuminate the contradictions that underlie the collective experience of youth and, consequently, its perception of the West. Much of the appeal that the West has for non-Westerners, especially for the educated, seems to be based on a perception that Western societies are the most advanced and therefore the most desirable. On the other hand, Western democracies have yet to find solutions to their own internal tensions and conflicts. Regardless of how politically conscious or disaffected they might be, most youth do not find inspiration in the West for social and political action. The West is a more indirect referent for them, and they creatively adopt and stylistically appropriate its influences to fit their own self-image and social status, and implicitly, to make a symbolic gesture.

We compare domestic architectural features in New England and the Maritime Peninsula to investigate the relationship between the adoption of horticulture and its relationship to social and settlement change during the Woodland Period. Horticulture was not practiced on the Maritime Peninsula until after European contact, despite cultural and environmental similarity to New England. In New England, horticulture has been implicated in profound social and settlement changes. However, aggregated villages, a unit typically investigated for evidence of social change, have proven elusive in the archaeological record. We compiled and analyzed a dataset of dwelling features instead of relying on identifiable villages. This novel quantitative approach uses dwelling feature shape and size as a proxy for social and settlement change, considering these changes at the scale of the house. We find that, during the Woodland Period, dwelling size was overall slightly larger in New England than on the Maritime Peninsula, but ranges heavily overlapped. After the introduction of horticulture, however, dwellings in New England grew in size overall and assumed bimodally distinct larger and smaller forms, which likely necessitated a restructuring of social and economic behavior. This pattern correlates maize horticulture with changes in social and economic lifestyle in Late Woodland New England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed during the two-day national symposium on "Non-Chemical Insect Pest Management," conducted by the Entomology Research Institute in Chennai, India on February 5-6, 2009 is presented. Topics include the preparation and application strategies of plant-based pesticides, novel microbial pesticides and mass rearing techniques for biocontrol agents. The symposium featured several scientists including B. Vasantharaj David, P. S. Vimala Devi and R. J. Rabindra.

Deserts shrubs are well known to facilitate vegetation aggregation, mostly through seed trapping, and stress amelioration during and after plant establishment. Because vegetation aggregation effects are a by-product of shrub presence, beneficiary species may not only be native, but also exotic. However, despite the high risk that exotic invasive species pose to ecosystem services, little is known of the role of desert shrubs on plant invasions. We assessed the influence of two shrub species on the non-dormant soil seed bank (i.e. the number of seeds that readily germinate with sufficient water availability) of an invasive annual grass ( Schismus barbatus) and of coexisting native species in a central-northern Monte Desert (Argentina). Soil samples were collected beneath the canopies of two dominant shrub species ( Bulnesia retama and Larrea divaricata) and in open spaces (i.e. intercanopies) in May 2001. Overall, the density of germinated seedlings of Schismus and that of the native species were negatively associated across microsite types. Schismus density was similar to that of all native species pooled together (mostly annuals), and was highest in Larrea samples (with no significant differences between Bulnesia and intercanopies). On the contrary, the density of all native species pooled together was highest in Bulnesia samples. Our results suggest that shrubs may contribute to plant invasions in our study system but, most importantly, they further illustrate that this influence can be species specific. Further research is needed to assess the relative importance of in situ seed production (and survival) and seed redistribution on soil seed bank spatial patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Enicostema axillare A. Raynal (Gentianaceae) has been used in the traditional Indian system of medicine as a depurative and for the treatment of skin diseases, tumors, intermittent fever, and helminthiasis. Objective: E. axillare was investigated for antimutagenic and antioxidant effects. Materials and methods: The antioxidant and antimutagenic activities of E. axillare fractions were determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA98 and TA100 against direct-acting mutagens, such as sodium azide (NaN3), 4-nitro- O-phenylene diamine (NPD), and mutagen needing activation, such as 2-aminofluorene (2AF). Toxicity study of these fractions was also performed. Results and discussion: The ethyl acetate fraction showed maximum antimutagenic effect by 88.25 and 84.46% (preincubation) and 85.13 and 84.47% (coincubation) of inhibition against NaN3 and NPD-induced mutagenicity, respectively. Inhibition of S9-dependent mutagens such as 2AF was higher than direct-acting mutagens by the ethyl acetate fraction of E. axillare. It showed 90.25 and 92.00% of inhibition in the preincubation and coincubation experiments. The ethyl acetate fraction showed higher total antioxidant capacity (24.79 ± 0.29 µg) and low IC50 value for DPPH radical scavenging assay (192.27 ± 3.67 µg). The overall effect of E. axillare fractions was found to be in the order: ethyl acetate > methanol > hexane in these assays. In subacute toxicity study, with oral administration of these fractions, no marked biochemical and histopathologic changes were observed. Conclusion: The significant antimutagenic and antioxidant activities of E. axillare might provide a scientific validation for the traditional use of this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Antifeedant and larvicidal activities of hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of Acalypha fruticosa Forssk. Leaves were studied using leaf disc no-choice method against third instar larvae of Plutella xylostella L. Chloroform extract showed maximum antifeedant activity of 92.8% at 5% concentration with a LC50 value of 1.86%. Nine fractions were collected from the chloroform extract (30g) by silica gel column chromatography, among which the seventh fraction (eluted by 100% ethyl acetate) recorded maximum antifeedant activity (84.3%) at 1000 ppm concentration with a LC50 value of 385.7 ppm against the third instar larvae of P. xylostella. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of this effective fraction showed the presence of terpenoids, tannins, coumarins, anthraquinones and saponins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

plenium auritum Sw. is a sexual fern that produces 64 spores per sporangium, while A. monodon Liebm. is an apogamous species that produces 32 spores. The hybrid between them, A. × lellingerianum Sánchez & Regalado, also shows an apogamous life cycle, with mainly abortive spores. The scope of this work was to study the sexual and apogamous behavior in these taxa. We studied spore germination and gametophyte development of the three species, a process that followed the Adiantum type. Afterward, we observed morphological apogamous characters in A. monodon and A. × lellingerianum. Apogamous sporophytes arose from apical and basal regions of gametophytes, lacking feet and roots in the first instance, but developing other normal sporophytic structures, such as tracheids, stomata, glandular hairs, and scales. Finally, we studied the gametangia production in all three taxa, finding that the scarce production of antheridia in A. monodon is indicative of the Braithwaite apogamous life cycle scheme, and this scheme has probably been inherited by A. × lellingerianum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We hypothesize that reoperation rates of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) systems utilizing percutaneous leads are comparable to those utilizing paddle leads. We attempt here to characterize causes for those reoperations and identify any related patient characteristics. Design and Subjects This study is a single-center retrospective chart review of 291 subjects (410 operations) who underwent at least one permanent SCS implantation utilizing percutaneous or paddle leads over a 10-year period at the Medical University of South Carolina. Methods Charts were reviewed for height, weight, body mass index, gender, race, age, stimulator type, type of reoperation, diabetes status, history and type of prior back surgery, top lead location, and number of leads placed. Comparisons of patient and procedural characteristics were conducted using a two-sample t test (continuous variables), chi-square, or Fisher exact approach (categorical variables). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were developed, identifying associations between patient characteristics, SCS characteristics, reoperation rates, and time to reoperation. Results Thirty point five eight percent of subjects (89/291), required at least one reoperation. The reoperation rate was 27.84% for percutaneous systems (N = 54/194) and 27.78% for percutaneous systems (N = 60/216). Time to reoperation also did not differ between the two systems (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.70–1.60). Of all factors examined, younger age at time of placement was the only factor associated with risk of reoperation (HR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.62–0.87, P  < 0.001). Conclusions Our data suggest that reoperation rates and time to reoperation between percutaneous and paddle leads are clinically similar; therefore, rates of reoperation should have no bearing on which system to choose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Tiliamosine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid was isolated from Tiliacora racemose. • On HepG2 cells, tiliamosine did not exhibit any toxicity up to 100 μM. • In steatotic HepG2 cells, tiliamosine reduced lipid levels and lipotoxicity. • Treatment reduced plasma lipid and transaminase levels in HFD-DEN induced animals. • Tiliamosine treated animals showed normal liver echogenicity and histology. Abstract Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is one of the aggressive forms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is a potential risk factor of HCC. This study reports the curative effect of tiliamosine on NASH. Tiliamosine was isolated from Tiliacora racemosa Colebr. (Menispermaceae) and its structure was confirmed by studying the physical and spectroscopic data. The effects of tiliamsoine on lipid accumulation and lipotoxicity were evaluated using palmitate-oleate induced steatosis in HepG2 cells. The in vivo efficacy of tiliamosine was evaluated using HFD fed, DEN induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis Wistar rats. In HepG2 cells, tiliamosine did not affect the cell viability up to 100 μM concentration and showed GI 25 value of 264.28 μM. The treatment with tiliamsoine significantly lowered the ORO concentration by 44.17% and triglyceride accumulation by 69.32% at 50 μM concentration (P < 0.005). It also reduced the leakage of LDH and transaminases in PO-BSA induced HepG2 cells. The treatment with tiliamsoine significantly decreased the plasma levels of transaminases, phosphatase and LDH (P < 0.05) in HFD-DEN induced steatohepatitis. The histology and the immunohistochemistry of the hepatic sections were in accordance with the biochemical findings. Preliminary molecular analysis indicated that the hepatic FXR expression was upregulated and TNFα expression was downregulated by the treatment with tiliamsoine. This study provided preliminary evidence on the use of tiliamosine for the treatment of NASH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Drug-induced liver injury is one of the common unfavourable impacts, which seriously affects any drug therapy. This study documented the hepatoprotective efficacy of lawsone, the major bioactive naphthoquinone present in Lawsonia inermis L. (Lythraceae) using in vitro and in vivo models. Lawsone was isolated from the leaves of L. inermis and its structure was confirmed using spectroscopic data. In-vitro antioxidant effect of lawsone was evaluated using ABTS assay. Hepatoprotective effect of lawsone was determined with RIF-INH treated HepG2 cells and Wistar rats. Administration of RIF-INH reduced the viability of the HepG2 cells and the treatment with lawsone significantly restored the viability of the cells even at lower concentration (7.5 μM). The other parameters such as the leakage of transaminases and MDA levels were also significantly reduced by the treatment with lawsone. Oral administration of lawsone to the animals did not show any toxicity up to 2 g/kg b.w. concentration. Treatment with lawsone to the RIF-INH administered animals significantly lowered the serum transaminases levels. The ratio of albumin to globulin was improved and the level of bilirubin was lowered. This study indicated the hepatoprotective effect of lawsone; detailed investigations will give deeper understanding of the application of lawsone for hepatoprotection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnobotanical relevance The burden of cardiometabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, visceral obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and the use of traditional medicine for the management of such diseases are high in India; hence there is a need to document and analyze such therapies. Aim of the study This study documented and analyzed the medicinal plants prescribed for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. Methodology The field survey was conducted between December 2014 to November 2015. Successive free listing assisted with field-walks was used to interview the informants. After assessing the sampling sufficiency using rarefaction curve analysis, indices such as Informant Consensus Factor (F ic ) and Index of Agreement on Remedies (IAR) were calculated for the data. The indicators of informant's medicinal plant knowledge such as Shannon's index, equitability index, etc., were regressed with the demographic profile of the informants. Results For this study 70 non-institutionally trained Siddha medical practitioners were approached; the data from 36 practitioners who were treating cardiometabolic diseases were documented. This study recorded the use of 188 species which were used to prepare 368 formulations to treat illnesses categorized under cardiometabolic diseases. In this, 53.04% claims were singletons. Regression analysis showed that single species dominance was reduced and the diversity of medicinal plants was increased with the increase in the age and experience. Increase in the years of formal education increased the equitability in the uses. The plants such as Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (cardiovascular diseases), Allium sativum L. (dyslipidemia), Cuminum cyminum L. (hypertension), Macrotyloma uniflorum Verdc. (obesity) and Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (type 2 diabetes) were the highly cited medicinal plants. Conclusion This survey has identified the plants most commonly used by Siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India for cardiometabolic diseases. The prevalence of chronic, non-communicable metabolic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity are increasing worldwide due to the rapid changes in the lifestyle. These ailments require a life-long care and in such instances, people tend to use complementary therapies in most cases, alongside with conventional therapies. In view of the high use of traditional therapies for treating cardiometabolic illnesses, this study supports the need for more research to evaluate the potential benefits of the treatments and to identify any safety concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA interference (RNAi) has been used as a gene silencing strategy by the introduction of long double stranded RNA (dsRNA) for the control of pest insects. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the expression of vg gene which is responsible for wing development, can be repressed by chitosan/dsRNA based nanoparticles in Aedes aegypti. The vestigial gene ( vg ) was amplified from adult mosquito and cloned in pLitmus28i vector. Genetically engineered recombinant plasmid was transformed into RNase III deficient strain for synthesis of bacterially expressed dsRNA. Nanoparticles were prepared via electrostatic interaction between cationic polymer chitosan and anionic nucleic acids (dsRNA). The formation of chitosan/dsRNAnanoparticles and their size were confirmed by Atomic force microscopy (AFM). Chitosan/dsRNA mediated knockdown of Enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein (EGFP) was demonstrated in Sf21 cells. Further, we tested whether such an approach could be used to target vg gene in Ae. aegypti . The results showed that chitosan/dsRNA caused significant mortality, delayed growth development and caused adult wing-malformation. A qRT-PCR analysis confirmed that the chitosan/dsRNA mediated transcriptional level was downregulated. Our findings suggest that vg gene intervention strategies through RNAi can emerge as viable option for pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Specific health warning placed on the tobacco product packages is considered as an effective and low-cost method for increasing the knowledge and awareness among the community. Thus, a study was conducted to assess the perception of pictorial health warnings (PHWs) against smoking among the adult rural population of Sarawak. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 10 villages in Kota Samarahan and Kuching Division by face to face interview using modified Global Adult Tobacco Survey questionnaire. Nonprobability sampling method was adopted to select the villages. All the households of the selected villages were visited and an adult member was selected randomly from each house irrespective of the sex. After missing value imputation, 1000 data were analysed using statistical software IBM SPSS 20.0 version. Results: Analysis showed that 28.8% of the respondents were current smokers, 7.8% were past smokers and the rest were non-smokers. Six items of pictorial health warnings were evaluated with five point Likert's scales for attractiveness, fearfulness and adequacy of the information. Analysis revealed that the majority of the respondents had perceived awareness on PHWs, but the smokers believed that this was not adequate to make them quit smoking. Only one-fifth (19.7%) of them reported that current pictorial health warnings were sufficient to motivate people to quit smoking. Conclusion: Though the PHWs on cigarette packages are appealing, it is not sufficient as a reason to stop smoking. Thus, an approach using an integrated anti-tobacco public health programme should be focused into the specific targeted community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is a common multidrug-resistant organism in hospital-acquired infections, and the NorA efflux pump mechanism facilitates resistance to quinone compounds. In India, Wrightia tinctoria R. Br. leaves have traditionally been used to treat skin diseases and have been explored for antibacterial and efflux pump inhibition (EPI) compounds. In this study, indirubin isolated from the chloroform extract of W. tinctoria R. Br. leaves was tested for its antibacterial activity against clinically important Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using broth microdilution. The EPI properties of indirubin were investigated using Staphylococcus aureus SA1199B, and its synergistic effects were tested with ciprofloxacin. Indirubin showed antibacterial activity against both the type strain and drug-resistant S. aureus; the MIC was determined to be 12.5 mg/l for S. aureus and 25 mg/l for Staphylococcus epidermidis. However, it synergistically (fractional inhibitory concentration index = 0.45) potentiated the activity of ciprofloxacin, probably by inhibiting the NorA efflux pump. Indirubin exhibited EPI activity nearly comparable to that of reserpine by 4-fold reduction in ciprofloxacin MIC. Our results suggest that the natural compound indirubin could be used in future therapeutic applications as a potential EPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]