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The investigation was conducted in three types of Liliums viz., Asiatic, Oriental and LA hybrids at Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Located in The Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India to standardize the growing substrate for lilium. Three cultivars were used in Completely Randomized Design viz., 'Black out', 'Courier', Acapulco" in seven growing media viz., Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (1:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T1), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (2:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T2), Cocopeat as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (1:1; Volume/Volume) (T3), Cocopeat as substrate for lilium + soil as substrate for lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium (1:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T4), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + cocopeat as substrate for Lilium (1:1; Volume/Volume) (T5), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + Vermicompost as substrate for lilium (2:1; Volume/Volume) (T6), Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + vermicompost as substrate for lilium + cocopeat for lilium (2:1:1; Volume/Volume) (T7). In Asiatic, oriental and LA hybrids recorded maximum height of lilium 157.21 cm, 168.67 cm and 148.41 cm respectively in T4 media. In lilium emergence of bulb sprout took 13.93 days in T7. Bulbs grown in T7 medium produced more number of flowers per spike of 6.05. The findings revealed that among the different types of Substrate, consisting of Sand as substrate for lilium + Soil as substrate for Lilium + Farm Yard Manure as substrate for lilium) + vermicompost as substrate for lilium + cocopeat as substrate for lilium (2:1:1; Volume/Volume) was found to be suitable for growing Asiatic, Oriental and LA hybrids of Lilium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, the biosurfactant, produced by a potent non-pathogenic bacterial strain of Marinobacter litoralis MB15 was used for anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and biocompatibility assay. Materials and Methods: Biosurfactant producing bacteria were screened by oil displacement assay and emulsification assay. The best isolate was sequenced by 16S rRNA gene analysis. The biosurfactant was produced in modified Zobel marine broth media followed by the recovery of biosurfactant by solvent extraction method. The produced biosurfactant was characterized by using thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Electron spray Ionization-Mass Spectroscopy analysis. 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, crystal violet assay, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay were performed to determine the anti-oxidant activity, anti-microbial activity and biocompatibility of biosurfactant respectively. Results: The best biosurfactant producing isolate was found to be Marinobacter litoralis. The produced biosurfactant was characterized as rhamnolipid molecules, comprising of both mono (m/z = 358.98 [M+H]+, Rha-C12:2; m/z = 543.29 [M+K]+,Rha-C10-C10) and di rhamnolipid homologs (m/z = 689.34 [M+K]+,Rha-Rha-C10-C10). The product showed excellent antimicrobial properties against several pathogens including Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus subtilis, S. aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Streptococcus pyogenes. The antioxidant activity of biosurfactant was 72.6% at 5 mg/ml. The biosurfactant showed negligible cytotoxic effect to mouse L292 fibroblastic cell line. Most importantly, after 48 h of incubation, 84.7 % of cell viability on L292 was observed at 250 μg/ml for biosurfactant. Conclusion: Therefore, this investigation shows the utility of rhamnolipids as non-cytotoxic, natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agent for various industrial and biomedical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Yercaud during 2010 - 2011 with 38 Heliconia cultivars. The different types of Heliconias were collected from different sources and evaluated for their performance under Eastern Ghat. The biometric and flowering characters viz., plant height(cm), plant spread in East-West and North-South direction(cm), leaf length (cm), Leaf breath (cm), number of leaves per plant, number of suckers per plant, length of spike (cm), length of stalk (cm), Girth of stalk and number of spikes /clump/year were recorded. The results indicated that, based on the height of the plant, Heliconias can be classified into three categories viz., tall types, medium types and dwarf type. Among the heliconia accessions, Parakeet, Black Cherry, Golden Torch Sunshine, Lady Di, Strawberry Cream, Alancarli, Tropics, Dwarf Jamaica, Kenya Red, Alex Red, Andromeda, Petracover, Sexy Scarlet, Sexy Pink, and Gyana are dwarf types. Princess of Darkness, Wagenariana, Indonesian Wax Ginger and Auria are tall types. H.rostrata, Lataspathy, Barbados Flat, Caribean Cream, Jacqualine and Angusta are medium types. The pseudostem of all the heliconia accessions is glabrous except Shee. Dwarf types are found to be promising under subtropical conditions compared to Medium types and tall types. The results revealed that cv. Princess of Darkness recorded the highest plant height (6.5m), plant spread in East-West direction (2.1 m) and North-South (2.6m). The highest number of leaves was recorded in Temptress (22), maximum leaf length of 120 cm in Lobster Claw and the maximum leaf breadth in H. bihai Yellow dancer. Maximum sucker production was recorded in Wagenarian (24), H. caribean Falsh and Barbados Flat (23). Maximum stalk length was observed in Angusta (77.0 cm). It could be concluded from the present investigation that the out of 38 types of Heliconia accessions, Lady Di, Strawberry Cream. Alancarli, Tropics, Dwarf Jamaica, Kenya Red, Alex Red, Andromeda, Petracover and Gyana were identified as best performers under Eastern Gaht conditions. The year round blooming was found to be good in these best cultivars with floral quality and yield and recommended for cut flower production under Shevaroy condition of Eastern Ghats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was carried out on evaluation of F1 population (eight hybrids and three open pollinated seedlings) of tuberose to assess the relationship between yield and yield contributing characters. From the data on mean performance, it could be inferred that three crosses Phule Rajani (P1)X Mexican Single (P7), Hyderabad Single (P4)X Phule Rajani (P1) and Hyderabad Single (P4) X Variegated Single (P2) recorded higher yield than the local check I (Nilakkottai Local) and commercial check II (Prajwal). An analysis of the association of various morphological traits through correlation showed that floret yield per plant was positive and significantly correlated with leaf length, rachis length, floret diameter, weight of single floret and number of florets per spike. Floret yield per plant imparted maximum positive direct effect on yield per m2 followed by rachis length, leaf width, floret diameter and floret length. Leaf length imparted maximum negative direct effect on yield per m2 followed by number of spikes per plant, weight of single floret, plant height, number of leaves and number of florets per spike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution is a major environmental concern in many countries. Among heavy metals, chromium is one of the widely used despite being one of the most toxic metal ions. The present study deals with the evaluation of Cr(VI) biosorption using a novel fresh water algaRhizoclonium hookeri.Batch experiments were conducted and the maximum adsorption capacity was evaluated as 67.3 mg/g at pH 2 at a biomass dosage of 1 g/L and 1,000 mg/L initial Cr(VI) concentration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of alga before and after biosorption revealed a shift in the carboxylic O–H stretching vibration from 3,401 to 3,373 cm−1, which confirmed its involvement in biosorption of Cr(VI) byR. hookeri. Surface morphology of alga was examined using the scanning electron microscopy, which indicated the highly porous nature of biomass. Non-linear regression analyses of isotherm models revealed that the three-parameter model isotherms (Redlich–Peterson and Sips) better described the experimental data compared with two-parameter model isotherms (Langmuir and Freundlich). An analysis of the kinetic models (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich models) indicated that the experimental data followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The thermodynamic parameters such as free energy, enthalpy and entropy were calculated and Cr(VI) biosorption was found to be a spontaneous and endothermic process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Earthworms are a highly abundant species in nature, with nearly 7000 different species being discovered. Despite the similarities in morphology among earthworm species, their regeneration capabilities vary based on the clitellum. The clitellum plays a crucial role in the clitellum-dependent worms, as it is involved in the processes of regeneration and reproduction in earthworms. The fascinating characteristic of the clitellum, which serves as a hub for stem cells in clitellum-dependent worms, plays a crucial role in various biological processes that require further exploration. This review focuses on the overall physiological functions and uncovers the lesser-known roles of the clitellum that have been documented in various research articles. In recent times, numerous studies have been conducted using the earthworm model to explore various areas. In that regard, the clitellum's different roles in regulating and controlling stem cells, the regeneration process, regulation of organogenesis, stress response, aging, autotomy, and various features have been briefly discussed. Ultimately, we emphasized the unique and versatile role of the clitellum in the animal model, making it an ideal choice for studying development, regeneration, stem cells, organogenesis, toxicology, autotomy, and aging response., (© 2024 American Association for Anatomy.)

Oxidative stress is a prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease. Within this context, cholesterol undergoes oxidation, producing the pro-inflammatory product 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC). In this study, we observe elevated levels of 7-KC in the brains of the 3xTg mouse model of AD. To further understand the contribution of 7-KC on the oxidative environment, we developed a method to express a genetically encoded fluorescent hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) sensor in astrocytes, the primary source of cholesterol in the brain. With this sensor, we discovered that 7-KC increases H 2 O 2 levels in astrocytes in vivo, but not when directly applied to astrocytes in vitro. Interestingly, when 7-KC was applied to a microglia cell line alone or mixed astrocyte and microglia cultures, it resulted in microglia activation and increased oxidative stress in astrocytes. Depletion of microglia from 3xTg mice resulted in reduced 7-KC in the brains of these mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that 7-KC, acting through microglia, contributes to increased astrocyte oxidative stress in AD. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between cholesterol oxidation, microglia activation, and astrocyte oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of AD.

Reactive Transport Models (RTMs) are essential tools for understanding and predicting intertwined ecohydrological and biogeochemical processes on land and in rivers. While traditional RTMs have focused primarily on subsurface processes, recent watershed-scale RTMs have integrated ecohydrological and biogeochemical interactions between surface and subsurface. These emergent, watershed-scale RTMs are often spatially explicit and require extensive data, computational power, and computational expertise. There is however a pressing need to create parsimonious models that require minimal data and are accessible to scientists with limited computational background. To that end, we have developed BioRT-HBV 1.0, a watershed-scale, hydro-biogeochemical RTM that builds upon the widely used, bucket-type HBV model known for its simplicity and minimal data requirements. BioRT-HBV uses the conceptual structure and hydrology output of HBV to simulate processes including advective solute transport and biogeochemical reactions that depend on reaction thermodynamics and kinetics. These reactions include, for example, chemical weathering, soil respiration, and nutrient transformation. The model uses time series of weather (air temperature, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration) and initial biogeochemical conditions of subsurface water, soils, and rocks as input, and output times series of reaction rates and solute concentrations in subsurface waters and rivers. This paper presents the model structure and governing equations and demonstrates its utility with examples simulating carbon and nitrogen processes in a headwater catchment. As shown in the examples, BioRT-HBV can be used to illuminate the dynamics of biogeochemical reactions in the invisible, arduous-to-measure subsurface, and their influence on the observed stream or river chemistry and solute export. With its parsimonious structure and easy-to-use graphical user interface, BioRT-HBV can be a useful research tool for users without in-depth computational training. It can additionally serve as an educational tool that promotes pollination of ideas across disciplines and foster a diverse, equal, and inclusive user community., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Geophysical Union.)

Model systems are critical in biomedical and preclinical research. Animal and in vitro models serve an important role in our current understanding of human physiology, disease pathophysiology, and therapy development. However, if the system is between cell culture and animal models, it may be able to overcome the knowledge gap that exists in the current system. Studies employing ex vivo organs as models have not been thoroughly investigated. Though the integration of other organs and systems has an impact on many biological mechanisms and disorders, it can add a new dimension to modeling and aid in the identification of new possible therapeutic targets. Here, we have discussed why the ex vivo organ model is desirable and the importance of the inclusion of organs from diverse species, described its historical aspects, studied organs as models in scientific research, and its ex vivo stability. We also discussed, how an ex vivo organ model might help researchers better understand organ physiology, as well as organ-specific diseases and therapeutic targets. We emphasized how this ex vivo organ dynamics will be more competent than existing models, as well as what tissues or organs would have potentially viable longevity for ex vivo modeling including human tissues, organs, and/or at least biopsies and its possible advantage in clinical medicine including organ transplantation procedure and precision medicine., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflict of interest in any part of this manuscript. Ethical approval: Not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs.)