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White grubs are polyphagous subterranean insect pests which have recently emerged as a major threat to sugarcane cultivation. For effective management of these pests in sugarcane, studies were undertaken to evaluate various locally isolated as well as commercially available microbial biocontrol agents, entomopathogenic nematodes and novel chemical pesticides against white grubs. Attempts were made to isolate effective bio-agents associated with white grubs in indo-gangetic plains of India. Altogether, nine local bacterial isolates associated with infected white grubs were isolated and tested for their bio-efficacy under laboratory condition. However, none of the isolates were found effective against the predominant species, Holotrichia consanguinea. Hence, attempt was made to assess the field efficacy of already available five microbial bio-agents, viz., Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, Bacillus cereus strain WGPSB-2, Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema carpocapsae and three insecticides, viz., Chlorantraniliprole 0.4 G, Fipronil + Imidacloprid 80 G and Chlorpyriphos 10 G at their recommended doses. Results of the experiments conducted for 2 years under randomized block design revealed that treatment of Bacillus cereus strain WGPSB-2 @10 kg/ha (1 × 1013 cfu/ha) could reduce the white grub damage to the extent of 59.8%, while other bio-agents could reduce the damage in the range of 24.3-39.5% over untreated control. All the insecticides were found effective in reducing white grub damage, and in most of the observations, difference in reduction in the white grub damage was statistically non-significant. However, Chlorantraniliprole 0.4 G @ 20 kg/ha was most effective, which could reduce the grub damage to the extent of 89.10% over untreated control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ameliorating effects of cortisol and T on alphamethrin-dependent changes in the catalase (CAT) and protein profile of the freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus, were studied. CAT activity and specific activity decreased in the liver, heart, kidney, and intestine after exposure to alphamethrin for 14 days. The administration of cortisol to alphamethrin-exposed fish brought the activity and specific activity of CAT up to their control values. The protein content decreased in different tissues of the fish after exposure to alphamethrin. The administration of T to alphamethrin-exposed fish reduced the protein content to the control value. Therefore, it can be suggested that cortisol and T may be used to ameliorate the toxicological effects of alphamethrin in fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ims/hypothesis: Damage persists in HUVECs exposed to a constant high glucose concentration long after glucose normalisation, a phenomenon termed 'metabolic memory'. Evaluation of the effects of exposure of HUVECs to oscillating high glucose on the induction of markers of oxidative stress and DNA damage (phospho-γ-histone H2AX and PKCδ) and onset of metabolic memory, and the possible role of the tumour suppressor transcriptional factor p53 is of pivotal interest. Methods: HUVECs were incubated for 3 weeks in 5 or 25 mmol/l glucose or oscillating glucose (24 h in 5 mmol/l glucose followed by 24 h in 25 mmol/l glucose) or for 1 week in constant 5 mmol/l glucose after being exposed for 2 weeks to continuous 25 mmol/l high glucose or oscillating glucose. Transcriptional activity of p53 was also evaluated in the first 24 h after high glucose exposure. Results: High constant glucose upregulated phospho-γ-histone H2AX and protein kinase C (PKC)δ compared with control. Oscillating glucose was even more effective than both normal and constant high glucose. Both constant and oscillating glucose resulted in a memory effect, which was more pronounced in the oscillating condition. Transcriptional activity of p53 peaked 6 h after glucose exposure, showing a predicted oscillatory behaviour. Conclusions/interpretation: Exposure to oscillating glucose was more deleterious than constant high glucose and induced a metabolic memory after glucose normalisation. Hyperactivation of p53 during glucose oscillation might be due to the absence of consistent feedback inhibition during each glucose spike and might account for the worse outcome of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxic effects of alphamethrin on catalase (CAT) and protein profile in liver, heart, kidney, and intestine of the freshwater catfish Clarias batrachus have been investigated. CAT activity and specific activity decreased in liver, heart, kidney, and intestine on exposure of sublethal concentration of alphamethrin for 14 days. Similarly, protein content declined in different tissues of the fish exposed to alphamethrin. Maximum decline in CAT activity was in liver, while minimum decrease was in intestine. Maximum reduction in CAT specific activity was in kidney and minimum in heart. Protein content declined maximum in liver and minimum in heart. Alphamethrin-induced reduction in CAT activity and specific activity might be due to binding of pesticide with enzyme or by inhibiting the enzyme synthesis. The reduction in protein content might be due to extensive proteolysis. The results suggested alphamethrin-induced reduction in oxidative defense and protein profile of the catfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of different habitats on specific activities of LDH, cMDH, mMDH, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins of M. posthuma, P. sansibaricus, L. mauritii were studied. Maximum specific activity of LDH of the earthworm M. posthuma and L. mauritii was observed in garden. In case of P. sansibaricus, maximum LDH specific activity was found in sewage. Minimum specific activity of LDH of the earthworm M. posthuma was found in non-cultivated field. However, P. sansibaricus and L. mauritii exhibited minimum activity in orchard and cultivated pedoecosystem, respectively. The maximum specific activity of cMDH and mMDH in earthworms from sewage and minimum from non-cultivated field (in case of M. posthuma), garden (in P. sansibaricus) and cultivated land (in L. mauritii) may be due to availability of more organic matter and nitrogen content in the former than in the later cases. Variations in specific activities of these metabolic enzymes due to changes in their pedoecological habitats clearly demonstrate the impact of pedoecosystem on respiratory capacity of the earthworms. Earthworms from pedoecosystem richer in organic matter and nitrogen showed elevated levels of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial protein. The changes in enzyme-specific activity and protein profiles were habitat specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific activities of cMDH, mMDH and LDH of earthworms ( M. posthuma, P. sansibaricus, L. mauritii) started increasing with the onset of favorable seasonal conditions from July to August. A lower temperature and moisture favor the increase in specific activities of enzymes during post-rainy (September–October) and winter (November–January) seasons. The maximum specific activities of enzymes from December to January indicate greater aerobic and anaerobic energy production to cope up with the cold condition. However, the enzyme activities decreased in summer (February–April) with the increase in the ambient temperature. The specific activities were minimum in summer (May–June) as earthworms would be entering quiescent phase to avoid extreme heat and thus showed least energy requirement in this period. Similar seasonal variations were found in the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial proteins. The maximum and minimum seasonal effects were on the epigeic ( P. sansibaricus) and endo-anecic ( M. posthuma) earthworms, respectively. The differences in the profile of dehydrogenases and proteins may be assigned to the differences in the ecological categories of earthworms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity conservation and management of natural resources are the best options to restore and increase productivity of degrading pastureland in dry areas. Hence, arthropod abundance, organic matter, respiration, and dehydrogenase activity were measured in canopy zone soil of Prosopis cineraria (PC), Acacia nilotica (AN), Zizyphus nummularia (ZN), Capparis decidua (CD), and Acacia senegal (AS) associated with grasses with a view to establish interrelation for productivity enhancement of pastureland. Pure grass bock outside tree canopy was control plot. Acari, Myriapoda, Coleoptera, Isoptera, Collembola, and other soil arthropods were the major soil faunal groups. Integration of tree in pastureland enhanced population of soil arthropod by 9–65-fold in May 2001 and 8–13-fold in August/September as compared with control. The trends of changes in soil organic matter (SOM), soil respiration (SR), and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) were similar to the changes in soil arthropod population, indicating the role of soil fauna in facilitating biochemical processes and soil fertility. Two, eight, and nine times greater SOM, SR, and DHA, respectively, in silvipastoral system than the values in control suggest the beneficial effects of trees on improvement in biochemical processes and thus biodiversity in pastureland, as supported by negative values of relative tree effects (RTE). Microbial activities were highest in the ZN system, which had highest abundance of soil arthropods. In the other systems, CD and AS systems showed greater soil arthropod abundance and biological activities than with the PC and AN systems. Therefore, Z. nummularia-, C. decidua-, and A. senegal-based silvipastoral systems and related soil fauna may be promoted for enhancement of biological activity and productivity of pastureland in desert. The strategy may be adopted for developing a sustainable pedoecosystem in a region of the world where agriculture is notoriously difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning from a historical introduction, we present in this article the current excitements resulting from a possible hybridization of the two important areas of Condensed Matter Physics, namely, semiconductors and magnetism. Both the subjects have contributed to economically important technologies and rich physics, independently. We discuss the physics of diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) with special emphasis on the theory of light induced magnetism (LIM), keeping in mind both narrow gap and wide gap DMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-genomic perspective, the quest of programmed cell death (PCD) mechanisms in kinetoplastid parasites lies in the identification and characterization of cell death executer proteins. Here, we show that baicalein (BLN), a potent topoisomerase IB inhibitor, generates an oxidative stress in the parasites leading to altered physiological and morphological parameters, which are characteristic of PCD. For the first time we elucidate that, caspase-independent activation of a novel effector molecule, endonuclease G (LdEndoG), mediates BLN-induced cell death. Functional characterization of LdEndoG identifies Flap endonuclease-1 (LdFEN-1) and LdTatD-like nuclease as other effector molecules. BLN treatment translocates LdEndoG from mitochondria to nucleus, where it forms separate complexes with LdFEN-1 and LdTatD to constitute a DNA ‘degradesome’ unique to these parasites. Conditional antisense knockdown of LdEndoG provides protection against PCD. This knowledge paves the path toward a better understanding of the PCD pathway in simpler systems, which could be exploited in anti-leishmanial chemotherapy.Cell Death and Differentiation (2008) 15, 1629–1640; doi:10.1038/cdd.2008.85; published online 20 June 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibo glasses of Sm3+ with and without BaO have been synthesized and the optical properties (like absorption and photoluminescence) analyzed in terms of Judd–Ofelt theory. The fluorescence yield of Sm3+ enhances with BaO, and is optimum at 10% BaO. The effect of temperature on the energy transfer probability in (Sm3+:Eu3+) codoped glass has been reported and it can be inferred that the combination may serve as a temperature sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibo glasses of Sm3+ with and without BaO have been synthesized and the optical properties (like absorption and photoluminescence) analyzed in terms of Judd–Ofelt theory. The fluorescence yield of Sm3+ enhances with BaO, and is optimum at 10% BaO. The effect of temperature on the energy transfer probability in (Sm3+:Eu3+) codoped glass has been reported and it can be inferred that the combination may serve as a temperature sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parasites of the order kinetoplastidae including Leishmania spp. emerge from most ancient phylogenic branches of unicellular eukaryotic lineages. In their life cycle, topoisomerase I plays a significant role in carrying out vital cellular processes. Camptothecin (CPT), an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase I, induces programmed cell death (PCD) both in the amastigotes and promastigotes form of L. donovani parasites. CPT-induced cellular dysfunction in L. donovani promastigotes is characterized by several cytoplasmic and nuclear features of apoptosis. CPT inhibits cellular respiration that results in mitochondrial hyperpolarization taking place by oligomycin-sensitive F0-F1 ATPase-like protein in leishmanial cells. During the early phase of activation, there is an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside cells, which causes subsequent elevation in the level of lipid peroxidation and decrease in reducing equivalents like GSH. Endogenous ROS formation and lipid peroxidation cause eventual loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, cytochrome c is released into the cytosol in a manner independent of involvement of CED3/CPP32 group of proteases and unlike mammalian cells it is insensitive to cyclosporin A. These events are followed by activation of both CED3/CPP32 and ICE group of proteases in PCD of Leishmania. Taken together, our study indicates that different biochemical events leading to apoptosis in leishmanial cells provide information that could be exploited to develop newer potential therapeutic targets.Cell Death and Differentiation (2004) 11, 924-936. doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4401435 Published online 30 April 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

pGTR760 and pGTR761, two new shuttle vectors, with multiple cloning sites and capable of conjugal transfer from E. coli to Streptomyces sp. were constructed. The poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthetic polycistron from Ralstonia eutropha was cloned into the pGTR760 vector to derive the pCABRe plasmid. The pCABRe plasmid was conjugally transferred from E. coli S17-1 to Streptomyces lividans TK64. Fluorescence microscopy of the recombinant and the untransformed S. lividans TK64 revealed presence of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) in both cell types. GC/GC-MS analysis revealed the accumulated polymer to be polyhydroxyoctanoate (PHO). While the untransformed S. lividans cells accumulate 3.5% PHO of cell dry wt, the recombinant cells accumulate 8% PHO of the cell dry wt. The transformation of S. lividans, however, resulted in slower growth rate, delayed sporulation and impaired pigment formation. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed broken mycelia probably due to release of accumulated PHO granules from the cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant DNA technology is now being explored to engineer enzyme molecules. It has many far-reaching applications in biocatalytic processes of enzyme engineering. The facts have pursued certain important industrial, biomedicai, and environmental problems. These current excitements are mainly focused on the basis of gene cloning and in vitro mutagenesis for overproduction and redesigning of enzymes, as well as their probable implications in industry, antibiotic research, and waste degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estradiol dipropionate induces an increase (3-fold) in the uterine glycogen content and a decrease (4-fold) in the vaginal glycogen content of Parkes (P) mice. Progesterone antagonizes this estradiol dipropionate-induced response in both the uterine and vaginal tissue. The degree of this antagonism is more pronounced in the uterus than in the vagina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to study the composition of gut microbiome in the advanced fingerling and fingerling stage of striped pangasius catfish and catla during healthy and diseased conditions. Healthy pangasius and catla fishes were obtained from commercial farms and injected with the LD 50 dose of A. hydrophila. The intestinal samples from the control and injected group were collected and pooled for 16 s metagenomic analysis. Community analysis was performed by targeting the 16 s rRNA gene to explore and compare the gut microbiota composition of these fishes. The operational taxonomic units (OTUs) consisted of four major phyla: Bacteroidia, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Alpha and beta diversity indices were carried out to understand the diversity of microbes within and between a sample. While comparing the advanced fingerling and fingerling stage gut microbiome of Pangasius catfish, the dominance of Proteobacteria was found in fingerlings, whereas Firmicutes and Bacteroides were found in advanced fingerlings. In catla, Proteobacteria and Bacteroides were predominant. Taxonomic abundance of the microbiota in control and diseased Pangasius and catla fishes at phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species levels were also depicted. The present study is the first of its kind, and it will help to identify the diversity of novel potential bacterial species involved in disease protection of fishes. It can lead to the development of sustainable prophylactic measures against (re-)emerging bacterial diseases in aquaculture., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)