Search

The ndhA gene of NAD(P)H dehydrogenase in chloroplast DNA is vital for the electron transport chain and needs to be studied, especially in the context of RNA editing and its effects. Wild barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) plants were studied in 4 groups, with exposure to 500 mM NaCl for 0 h – control (accession no. OM262848), and three treatment groups: 2 h (accession no. OM262849), 12 h (accession no. OM262850) and 24 h (accession no. OM262851) and their RNA was sent for RNA-seq sequencing. The sequences were submitted to NCBI SRA archives and analyzed together after filtering for high quality. This was done to show the RNA editing position and percentages at 10 sites across the ndhA gene. The RNA edits were validated using quantitative-PCR and homology models for the ndhA protein after exposure to salt stress were also generated. The four treatments showed five C to U changes (C50, C303, C563, C1042, C1047), three U to C changes (U550, U592, U1066), and two G to A changes (G111, G1046). We investigated the extent and effect of RNA editing in ndhA transcripts from chloroplasts of barley. We observed high RNA editing percentages after the second hour of salt stress.We have also observed for the first time about ‘U to C’ RNA edits in ndhA gene of wild barley.

Many eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms employ RNA editing (insertion, deletion, or conversion) as a post-transcriptional modification mechanism. RNA editing events are common in these organelles of plants and have gained particular attention due to their role in the development and growth of plants, as well as their ability to cope with abiotic stress. Owing to rapid developments in sequencing technologies and data analysis methods, such editing sites are being accurately predicted, and many factors that influence RNA editing are being discovered. The mechanism and role of the pentatricopeptide repeat protein family of proteins in RNA editing are being uncovered with the growing realization of accessory proteins that might help these proteins. This review will discuss the role and type of RNA editing events in plants with an emphasis on chloroplast RNA editing, involved factors, gaps in knowledge, and future outlooks.

Abstract Cancer is among the highly complex disease and renal cell carcinoma is the sixth-leading cause of cancer death. In order to understand complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes and kidney diseases, high-throughput data are generated at large scale and it has helped in the research and diagnostic advancement. However, to unravel the meaningful information from such large datasets for comprehensive and minute understanding of cell phenotypes and disease pathophysiology remains a trivial challenge and also the molecular events leading to disease onset and progression are not well understood. With this goal, we have collected gene expression datasets from publicly available dataset which are for two different stages (I and II) for renal cell carcinoma and furthermore, the TCGA and cBioPortal database have been utilized for clinical relevance understanding. In this work, we have applied computational approach to unravel the differentially expressed genes, their networks for the enriched pathways. Based on our results, we conclude that among the most dominantly altered pathways for renal cell carcinoma, are PI3K-Akt, Foxo, endocytosis, MAPK, Tight junction, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways and the major source of alteration for these pathways are MAP3K13, CHAF1A, FDX1, ARHGAP26, ITGBL1, C10orf118, MTO1, LAMP2, STAMBP, DLC1, NSMAF, YY1, TPGS2, SCARB2, PRSS23, SYNJ1, CNPPD1, PPP2R5E. In terms of clinical significance, there are large number of differentially expressed genes which appears to be playing critical roles in survival.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an incurable neoplasm of B-lymphocytes, which accounts for about one-third of all leukemias. Ocimum sanctum, an herbaceous perennial, is considered as one of the important sources of drugs for the treatment of various diseases, including cancers and autoimmune diseases. The present study was designed to screen various phytochemicals of O. sanctum for discovering their potential to inhibit Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), a well-known drug target of CLL. Various phytochemicals of O. sanctum were screened for their potential to inhibit BTK using several in silico protocols. First, the molecular docking approach was used to calculate the docking scores of the selected phytochemicals. Then, the selected top-ranked phytochemicals were screened for their physicochemical characteristics using ADME analysis. Finally, the stability of the selected compounds in their corresponding docking complexes with BTK was analysed using molecular dynamics simulations. Primarily, our observations revealed that, out of the 46 phytochemicals of O. sanctum, six compounds possessed significantly better docking scores (ranging from −9.2 kcal/mol to −10 kcal/mol). Their docking scores were comparable to those of the control inhibitors, acalabrutinib (−10.3 kcal/mol), and ibrutinib (−11.3 kcal/mol). However, after ADME analysis of these top-ranked six compounds, only three compounds (Molludistin, Rosmarinic acid, and Vitexin) possessed drug likeliness characteristics. During the MD analysis, the three compounds Molludistin, Rosmarinic acid, and Vitexin were found to remain stable in the binding pocket in their corresponding docking complexes with BTK. Therefore, among the 46 phytochemicals of O. sanctum tested in this study, the three compounds, Molludistin, Rosmarinic acid, and Vitexin are the best inhibitors of BTK. However, these findings need to be confirmed by biological experiments in the laboratory.

Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, representing two different kingdoms, are the most frequently isolated pathogens from invasive infections. Their pathogenic attributes, combined with drug resistance, make them a major threat and a challenge to successful treatments, mainly when involved in polymicrobial biofilm-associated infections. In the present study, we investigated the antimicrobial potential of Lactobacillus metabolite extracts (LMEs) purified from cell-free supernatant of four Lactobacillus strains (KAU007, KAU0010, KAU0021, and Pro-65). Furthermore, LME obtained from the strain KAU0021 (LMEKAU0021), being the most effective, was analyzed for its anti-biofilm property against mono- and polymicrobial biofilms formed by C. albicans and S. aureus. The impact of LMEKAU0021 on membrane integrity in single and mixed culture conditions was also evaluated using propidium iodide. The MIC values recorded for LMEKAU0021 was 406 µg/mL, 203 µg/mL, and 406 µg/mL against planktonic cells of C. albicans SC5314, S. aureus and polymicrobial culture, respectively. The LMEKAU0021 at sub-MIC values potentially abrogates both biofilm formation as well as 24 h mature mono- and polymicrobial biofilms. These results were further validated using different microscopy and viability assays. For insight mechanism, LMEKAU0021 displayed a strong impact on cell membrane integrity of both pathogens in single and mixed conditions. A hemolytic assay using horse blood cells at different concentrations of LMEKAU0021 confirmed the safety of this extract. The results from this study correlate the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of lactobacilli against bacterial and fungal pathogens in different conditions. Further in vitro and in vivo studies determining these effects will support the aim of discovering an alternative strategy for combating serious polymicrobial infections caused by C. albicans and S. aureus.

Geospatial technology has an enormous capacity to analyze large and diversified datasets for evaluating the hidden spatial relationship which provides a better comprehension of the subject and helps significantly in policymaking and planning future strategies.

Streptococcus pyogenes is one of the most common bacteria causing sinusitis in children and adult patients. Probiotics are known to cause antagonistic effects on S. pyogenes growth and biofilm formation. In the present study, we demonstrated the anti-biofilm and anti-virulence properties of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KAU007 against S. pyogenes ATCC 8668. The antibacterial potential of L. plantarum KAU007 metabolite extract (LME) purified from the cell-free supernatant of L. plantarum KAU007 was evaluated in terms of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC). LME was further analyzed for its anti-biofilm potential using crystal violet assay and microscopic examination. Furthermore, the effect of LME was tested on the important virulence attributes of S. pyogenes, such as secreted protease production, hemolysis, extracellular polymeric substance production, and cell surface hydrophobicity. Additionally, the impact of LME on the expression of genes associated with biofilm formation and virulence attributes was analyzed using qPCR. The results revealed that LME significantly inhibited the growth and survival of S. pyogenes at a low concentration (MIC, 9.76 µg/mL; MBC, 39.06 µg/mL). Furthermore, LME inhibited biofilm formation and mitigated the production of extracellular polymeric substance at a concentration of 4.88 μg/mL in S. pyogenes. The results obtained from qPCR and biochemical assays advocated that LME suppresses the expression of various critical virulence-associated genes, which correspondingly affect various pathogenicity markers and were responsible for the impairment of virulence and biofilm formation in S. pyogenes. The non-hemolytic nature of LME and its anti-biofilm and anti-virulence properties against S. pyogenes invoke further investigation to study the role of LME as an antibacterial agent to combat streptococcal infections.

Infectious diseases are the disorders caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Although many of them are permentantly hazardous, a number of them live in and on our bodies and they are normally harmless or even helpful. Under certain circumstances, some organisms may cause diseases and these infectious diseases may be passed directly from person to person or via intermediate vectors including insects and other animals. Dengue virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the critical and common sources of infectious diseases. So, it is critical to understand the gene expression profiling and their inferred functions in comparison to the normal and virus infected conditions. Here, we have analyzed the gene expression profiling for dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue fever, and normal human dataset. Similar to it, streptococcus pneumoniae infectious data were analyzed and both the outcomes were compared. Our study leads to the conclusion that the dengue hemorrhagic fever arises in result to potential change in the gene expression pattern, and the inferred functions obviously belong to the immune system, but also there are some additional potential pathways which are critical signaling pathways. In the case of pneumoniae infection, 19 pathways were enriched, almost all these pathways are associated with the immune system and 17 of the enriched pathways were common with dengue infection except platelet activation and antigen processing and presentation. In terms of the comparative study between dengue virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, we conclude that cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), MAPK signaling pathway, natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction are commonly enriched in all the three cases of dengue infection and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, focal adhesion was enriched between classical dengue fever — dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever—normal samples, and SP, and antigen processing and presentation and Leukocyte transendothelial migration were enriched in classical dengue fever —normal samples, dengue hemorrhagic fever—normal samples, and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.

The Ebola virus outbreak in Africa is an unparalleled risk to society and to human health. Interventions that utilize the host cell receptor TIM-1 and the viral spike protein (S-protein) can be considered effective and suitable treatments. Initially, we identified Lumateperone as a candidate drug for the S-protein using the LEA3D tool; then using molecular modeling and docking, we investigated the binding efficiency of Lumateperone with the S-protein and its TIM-1 receptor. The present computational study shows that Lumateperone possesses a strong attraction to the S-protein and the TIM-1 receptor of the host as well as to their complex. It was observed that the binding energy of the S-protein/TIM-1 complex decreases in the presence of Lumateperone. A significant decrease of 395.75 kJ/mol (Lumateperone bound to the S-protein) and 517.19 kJ/mol (Lumateperone bound to the TIM-1 receptor) of binding energy was observed in the S-protein/TIM-1 complex in the presence of Lumateperone compared to their direct binding. We also noticed that Lumateperone was binding with the residues in the S-protein (Asn461) and the TIM-1 (Trp274 and Asn275) receptor that were involved in making the S-protein/TIM-1 complex. In the presence of Lumateperone, the simulation analysis also supports the above findings on the effectiveness of Lumateperone in delaying the establishment of the complex of the S-protein/TIM-1. In conclusion, this computational study predicts the possibility of Lumateperone as a therapeutic strategy against the Ebola virus.

Climate change has very significant impact on livelihoods and food security. The geospatial technology provides a better understanding of various themes related to climate change. This study examined the seasonal (kharif, rabi and zaid) long term (1970-2000) monthly climatic parameters such as precipitation, potential evapotranspiration over the country of India. The seasonal Aridity Index was computed and analyzed with respect to various agro-ecological zones of India. The analysis of long term mean precipitation (mm) during kharif, rabi and zaid season was found to be in the range of (14-7463), (0-914) and (0-1722) respectively. The analyses of the long term mean potential evapotranspiration in all seasons was found notable high in arid/semiarid zones. The Aridity Index during kharif, rabi and zaid seasons was found to be in the range of (0.19-4.27), (0.03-0.73) and (0.01-1.48) respectively. The seasonal Aridity Index in some of the agro-ecological zones of the central India in the arid and semiarid regions was found to be notably low. A concrete plan with synergic approach including integrated watershed management and traditional ecological practices will help to fulfill crop water demand and maintain adequate soil moisture for the present and future crops.

Climate change and its severity play an important role in forest fire regime. Analysing the forest fires events becomes a prerequisite for safeguarding the forest from further damage. We have made an assessment of the long-term forest fire events at the district level in India and identified the forest fire hotspot districts. The spatial seasonal (January to June) district wise pattern and forest fire trend were analysed. In the second part of the study area (central part of India), we have evaluated the forest fire events in grid format with respect to the climatic/weather datasets, and the statistical analysis Cramer V coefficient (CVC) was performed to understand its association/relationship with forest fire events.

The dynamic changes in the regimes of forest fires are due to the severity of climate and weather factors. The aim of the study was to examine the trend of forest fires and to evaluate their relationship with climate parameters for the state of Telangana in India. The climate and forest fire data were used and uploaded to the GIS platform in a specified vector grid (spacing: 0.3° x 0.3°). The data were evaluated spatially and statistical methods were applied to examine any relationships. The study revealed that there was a 78% incidence of forest fires in the months of February and March. The overall forest fire hotspot analysis (January to June) of grids revealed that the seven highest forest fire grids retain fire events greater than 600 were found in the north east of Warangal, east of Khammam and south east of Mahbubnagar districts. The forest fire analysis significantly followed the month wise pattern in grid format. Ten grids (in count) showed a fire frequency greater than 240 in the month of March and of these, three grids (in count) were found to be common where the forest fire frequency was highest in the preceding month. Rapid seasonal climate/weather changes were observed which significantly enhanced the forest fire events in the month of February onwards. The solar radiation increased to 159% in the month of March when compared with the preceding month whereas the relative humidity decreased to 47% in the same month. Furthermore, the wind velocity was found to be highest (3.5 meter/sec.) in the month of February and precipitation was found to be lowest (2.9 mm) in the same month. The analysis of Cramer V coefficient (CVC) values for wind velocity, maximum temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity and precipitation with respect to fire incidence were found to be in increasing order and were in the range of 0.280 to 0.715. The CVC value for precipitation was found to be highest and equivalent to 0.715 and showed its strongest association/relationship with fire events. The significant increase in precipitation not only enhances the moisture in the soil but also in the dry fuel load lying on the forest floor which greatly reduces the fuel burning capacity of the forest. The predicted (2050) temperature anomalies data (RCP-6) for the month of February and March also showed a significant increase in temperature over those areas where forest fire events are found to be notably high in the present scenario which will certainly impact adversely on the future forest fire regime. Findings from this study have their own significance because such analyses/relationships have never be examined at the state level, therefore, it can help to fulfill the knowledge gap for the scientific community and the state forest department, and support fire prevention and control activities. There is a need to replicate this study in future by taking more climate variables which will certainly give a better understanding of forest fire events and their relationships with various parameters. The satellite remote sensing data and GIS have a strong potential to analyze various thematic datasets and in the visualization of spatial/temporal paradigms and thus significantly support the policy making framework.

A total of 20 Lactobacillus strains isolated from fermented dates were tested for their probiotic potential by comparing their pH stability, resistance to low pH, and ability to tolerate bile salts. Out of 20 strains, 3 strains named as Lactobacillus pentosus KAU001, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus KAU002, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KAU003 had a high tolerance of acids and bile salts and the capability to adhere to the intestinal wall. In addition, the three isolates were tested for their anti-oxidation, anti-glucosidase inhibition, cholesterol-lowering, and anti-inflammation properties. Among them, strain KAU001 and KAU002 inhibited α-glucosidase, lowered cholesterol level, inhibited nitric oxide production, and showed a higher anti-oxidative ability that was significantly better than strain KAU003. Both strains also significantly inhibited the release of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 induced by LPS on RAW 264.7 macrophages (p < 0.001). The results indicated that KAU001 and KAU002 have the highest probiotic potential, potentially modulating metabolic health and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to allergic reactions.

Geospatial evaluation of various datasets is extremely important because it gives a better comprehension of the past, present and future and can therefore be significantly utilized in effective decision making strategies. This study examined the relationships, using geospatial tools, between various diversified datasets such as land use/land cover (LULC), long term Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based changes, long term forest fire points, poverty percentage, tribal percentage, forest fire hotspots, climate change vulnerability, agricultural vulnerability and future (2030) climate change anomalies (RCP-6) of Jharkhand state, India, for a better understanding and knowledge of its vegetation health, LULC, poverty, tribal population and future climate change impact. The long term NDVI (1982-2006) evaluation revealed negative change trends in seven northwest districts of Jharkhand state, these were: Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Palamu, Lohardaga, Chatra, Garhwa and Latehar. The forests as well as the agriculture of these districts have lost their greenness during this period. The forest fire frequency events were found to be more pronounced in the land use/land cover of “tropical lowland forests, broadleaved, evergreen,

Gastric cancer (GC) is a significant health concern worldwide, with a GLOBOCAN estimate of 1.08 million novel cases in 2020. It is the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost to cancer, with the fourth most common cancer in males and the fifth most common cancer in females. Strategies are pursued across the globe to prevent gastric cancer progression as a significant fraction of gastric cancers have been linked to various pathogenic (bacterial and viral) infections. Early diagnosis (in Asian countries), and non-invasive and surgical treatments have helped manage this disease with 5-year survival for stage IA and IB tumors ranging between 60% and 80%. However, the most prevalent aggressive stage III gastric tumors undergoing surgery have a lower 5-year survival rate between 18% and 50%. These figures point to a need for more efficient diagnostic and treatment strategies, for which the oncolytic viruses (OVs) appear to have some promise. OVs form a new therapeutic agent class that induces anti-tumor immune responses by selectively killing tumor cells and inducing systemic anti-tumor immunity. On the contrary, several oncogenic viruses have been shown to play significant roles in malignancy progression in the case of gastric cancer. Therefore, this review evaluates the current state of research and advances in understanding the dual role of viruses in gastric cancer.

The dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) is a novel, promising and emerging biological target for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative diseases, especially in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The molMall database, comprising rare, diverse and unique compounds, was explored for molecular docking-based virtual screening against the DYRK1A protein, in order to find out potential inhibitors. Ligands exhibiting hydrogen bond interactions with key amino acid residues such as Ile165, Lys188 (catalytic), Glu239 (gk+1), Leu241 (gk+3), Ser242, Asn244, and Asp307, of the target protein, were considered potential ligands. Hydrogen bond interactions with Leu241 (gk+3) were considered key determinants for the selection. High scoring structures were also docked by Glide XP docking in the active sites of twelve DYRK1A related protein kinases, viz. DYRK1B, DYRK2, CDK5/p25, CK1, CLK1, CLK3, GSK3β, MAPK2, MAPK10, PIM1, PKA, and PKCα, in order to find selective DYRK1A inhibitors. MM/GBSA binding free energies of selected ligand–protein complexes were also calculated in order to remove false positive hits. Physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the selected six hit ligands were also computed and related with the proposed limits for orally active CNS drugs. The computational toxicity webserver ProTox-II was used to predict the toxicity profile of selected six hits (molmall IDs 9539, 11352, 15938, 19037, 21830 and 21878). The selected six docked ligand–protein systems were exposed to 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to validate their mechanism of interactions and stability in the ATP pocket of human DYRK1A kinase. All six ligands were found to be stable in the ATP binding pocket of DYRK1A kinase.

Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death due to the fact that most of the patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage(s) of disease progression because it cannot be detected at the early stage. An immunogenic tumor and immunotherapy is strongly pursued through targeting the immune checkpoints. In previous study, the immune signaling pathways and their components have been shown as a key factor for cancer initiation, progression, and finally a scope for diagnosis. Thus, in ovarian cancer the immune-based prognostic signature remains a potential that can be explored further. We have used gene expression GEO dataset with the focus to understand how the signaling pathways and their components altered are relevant to the immune system related functions. Finally, we have explored the possible herbal drug targets (Apigenin, Quercetin, and Resveratrol) based on gene expression profiling. The herbal drug structures have been retrieved from PubChem database and the 3D protein structures for the top-ranked genes have been obtained by using SwissModel tool and in the next step SwissDock tool has been applied for performing docking studies of the herbal drugs against the top ranked differentially expressed genes. We concluded that for ovarian cancer, immune systems associated pathways are TCR, UPS, Foxo, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, adrenergic, NK cell, TGF, TNF, NF-kB, BCR, and APC and docking profiling reveals that the most likely targets for quercetin are GNAI3, FGFR1, and LGALS3 while apigenin and resveratrol follow the similar trends in terms of delta G. Network-based study of the docked proteins reveals that FGFR1, GNAI3, RAC1, and RHEB control a large number of DEGs of immune system and the cluster of these genes also connect each other.

This study has analysed the Landsat 8 OLI data (December 2016) to delineate the various land use/land cover classes of the area which will be submerged by the proposed Daudhan/Greater Gangau Dam, which is part of the proposed Ken Betwa River Link Project (in the Madhya Pradesh state of India) and also the area likely to be submerged in the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR). The proposed area of submergence was computed at various full reservoir lengths (FRL), 278 m, 283 m, 288 m, 289 m and 293 m. Similarly the area of submergence for the Panna Tiger Reserve was computed at the mentioned FRLs. It was concluded that a large part of the Panna Tiger Reserve would be submerged and habitat of various animals and plants would be under threat. In comparison with the figures given in the Environmental Impact Assessment certain serious discrepancies and weaknesses were detected and it was felt that they should have been addressed. The results were compared with the EIA – EMP report of the Ken-Betwa link project, Phase 1, prepared by Agricultural Finance Corporation Limited for the National Water Development Agency (Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India). A proper evaluation of the negative impacts would help when making relevant decisions and appropriate steps to ensure that the loss is kept to a minimum. Safeguarding the biodiversity of forests and wildlife habitats should be the priority as their loss is irreplaceable. Geospatial technology helps in studying the overall spatial view of the proposed submergence area and the visualization gives a clear picture of the likely scenario in the future. It would assist in decision making and mitigation measures.

The facile bio-fabrication of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) is described in this study using an aqueous leaf extract of Salvia officinalis L. as an efficient stabilizing/capping agent. Biosynthesis of nanomaterials using phytochemicals present in the plants has received great attention and is gaining significant importance as a possible alternative to the conventional chemical methods. The properties of the bio-fabricated ZnONPs were examined by different techniques, such as UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry analysis (TGA/DTG). The photocatalytic activity of ZnONPs was investigated against methyl orange (MO) under UV light irradiation. Under optimum experimental conditions, ZnONPs exhibited 92.47% degradation of MO. Furthermore, the antifungal activity of bio-fabricated ZnONPs was determined against different clinical Candida albicans isolates following standard protocols of broth microdilution and disc diffusion assay. The susceptibility assay revealed that ZnONPs inhibit the growth of all the tested fungal isolates at varying levels with MIC values ranging from 7.81 to 1.95 µg/mL. Insight mechanisms of antifungal action appeared to be originated via inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis and the disruption of membrane integrity. Thus, it was postulated that bio-fabricated ZnONPs have sustainable applications in developing novel antifungal agents with multiple drug targets. In addition, ZnONPs show efficient photocatalytic efficiency without any significant catalytic loss after the catalyst was recycled and reused multiple times.

Forests, the backbone of biogeochemical cycles and life supporting systems, are under severe pressure due to varied anthropogenic activities. Mining activities are one among the major reasons for forest destruction questioning the survivability and sustainability of flora and fauna existing in that area. Thus, monitoring and managing the impact of mining activities on natural resources at regular intervals is necessary to check the status of their depleted conditions, and to take up restoration and conservative measurements. Geospatial technology provides means to identify the impact of different mining operations on forest ecosystems and helps in proposing initiatives for safeguarding the forest environment. In this context, the present study highlights the problems related to mining in forest ecosystems and elucidates how geospatial technology can be employed at various stages of mining activities to achieve a sustainable forest ecosystem. The study collates information from various sources and highlights the role of geospatial technology in mining industries and reclamation process.

The availability of remote sensing satellite data at various spatial, temporal and spectral resolutions provides enormous opportunity to map the urban sprawl. When coupled with Geographic Information System (GIS) it is possible to evaluate, analyse and integrate large data. We need to understand and quantify the urban sprawl on spatial and temporal scales which forms a basis for better planning and sustainable management of cities and towns. The city of Ranchi has witnessed unprecedented urban growth after assuming the status of a capital of Jharkhand state, India in 2000. The increasing population has put pressure on the natural resources of the city. The urban growth has been in a haphazard manner at the cost of agricultural lands, forest land and open green spaces such as park, garden and recreational forestry.

Plasmodium falciparum, the deadly protozoan parasite, causes malaria. Malaria remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world. The RNA-Seq data sets were downloaded from NCBI Short Read Archive under accession number SRP009370 for our analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between Ring (R) and early trophozoite (ET), late trophozoite (LT), schizont (Sc), gametocyte stages (GII), gametocyte stages (GV), ookinete (Oo) stages are 2442, 2796, 2935, 2807, 2180, 2895 respectively. There are total 4594 unique DEGs in the samples. DAVID was used to categorize enriched biological themes in the list of DEGs. It can be seen that main functions related to GO term ‘Biological Process’ are antigenic variation, pathogenesis, single organismal cell-cell adhesion, GO term ‘Cellular Component’ are host cell plasma membrane, infected host cell surface knob and GO term ‘Molecular Function’ are cell adhesion molecule binding, ATP-dependent RNA helicase activity. We found that PF3D7_1000400, PF3D7_1000600, PF3D7_0900500, PF3D7_0901500, PF3D7_0937400 were most up regulated and PF3D7_0632800, PF3D7_0711700, PF3D7_0712400, PF3D7_0712600, PF3D7_0712900, PF3D7_0808600 and PF3D7_0808700 were most down regulated genes involved in antigenic variation. Also PF3D7_0930300 was most up-regulated in Sc, LT and Oo stages and PF3D7_0936500 was most up-regulated in GV stage and PF3D7_0632800, PF3D7_0711700, PF3D7_0712400, PF3D7_0712600, PF3D7_0712900, PF3D7_0808600, PF3D7_0808700 were most down regulated genes involved in pathogenesis. A total of 300 pathways were predicted using KAAS server. Majority of the DEGs were found to be associated with important biological pathways such as metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, ribosome, spliceosome, biosynthesis of antibiotics, purine metabolism.

Glycogenes regulate a wide array of biological processes in the development of organisms as well as different diseases such as cancer, primary open-angle glaucoma, and renal dysfunction. The objective of this study was to explore the role of differentially expressed glycogenes (DEGGs) in three major tissues such as brain, muscle, and liver using mouse RNA-seq data, and we identified 579, 501, and 442 DEGGs for brain versus liver (BvL579), brain versus muscle (BvM501), and liver versus muscle (LvM442) groups. DAVID functional analysis suggested inflammatory response, glycosaminoglycan metabolic process, and protein maturation as the enriched biological processes in BvL579, BvM501, and LvM442, respectively. These DEGGs were then used to construct three interaction networks by using GeneMANIA, from which we detected potential hub genes such as PEMT and HPXN (BvL579), IGF2 and NID2 (BvM501), and STAT6 and FLT1 (LvM442), having the highest degree. Additionally, our community analysis results suggest that the significance of immune system related processes in liver, glycosphingolipid metabolic processes in the development of brain, and the processes such as cell proliferation, adhesion, and growth are important for muscle development. Further studies are required to confirm the role of predicted hub genes as well as the significance of biological processes.