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The distribution and possible sources of particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate nitrogen (PN) in seven mangroves ecosystems along the east and west coast of India were examined, to understand their contribution to coastal biogeochemistry. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration in mangrove waters were about ~ 1.6-fold higher in west coast (Gulf of Kachchh (GOK), Mandovi-Zuari (MA-ZU) and Karwar-Kumta (KR-KU)], whereas the mean POC content in SPM along east coast [Sundarbans (SUN), Bhitarkanika (BHK), Coringa (COR) and Pichavaram-Muthupet (PI-MU)] was nearly two times higher than the west coast (1.97 ± 0.91% and 1.06 ± 0.29%), respectively. The results indicated that the influence of the land-based contaminants on the water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, nutrients and chlorophyll-a, etc.), which primarily regulated the distribution and transformation of organic carbon in these mangrove waters. Among the studied systems, an extremely high DOC/POC ratio (5.72 ± 1.64) with low pH and DO in COR waters clearly indicated the labile nature of the organic matter influenced by anthropogenic stress. Strong correlation between POC and PN indicated a similar origin in particulate organic matter. The ratios of POC/PN and POC/Chl-a showed significant spatial variation ranging from 5.5 to 18.7 and 126 to 1057, respectively. The results indicated that significant fraction of in-situ primary production contributed to particulate organic matter (POM) pool in all Indian mangrove waters except the GOK and the SUN waters, where sediment resuspension and mangrove derived organic matter were the dominant POM sources.

Understanding the evolution of nuclear spins subjected to radio-frequency (RF) pulses in periodically driven multi-level systems has remained a challenging problem in magnetic resonance. Here in this report, we focus on a formal description of the excitation of double-quantum (DQ) transitions in three-level systems. Through generalized time-propagators derived from Floquet theory, the excitation during a pulse at non-stroboscopic time intervals is analysed through expressions invoking the density operator formalism. In contrast to numerical simulations, the analytical expressions provide insights into the excitation phenomenon as well as facilitating the faster optimization of experiments and quantification of experimental data. Through rigorous comparison with simulations, the suitability and convergence criteria in the analytical methods are examined over a wide range of parameters (both internal and external) with appropriate examples.

SARS-CoV-2, a member of beta coronaviruses, is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. With global fatalities of the pandemic exceeding 4.57 million, it becomes crucial to identify effective therapeutics against the virus. A protease, 3CLpro, is responsible for the proteolysis of viral polypeptides into functional proteins, which is essential for viral pathogenesis. This indispensable activity of 3CLpro makes it an attractive target for inhibition studies. The current study aimed to identify potential lead molecules against 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2 using a manually curated in-house library of antiviral compounds from mangrove plants. This study employed the structure-based virtual screening technique to evaluate an in-house library of antiviral compounds against 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. The library was comprised of thirty-three experimentally proven antiviral molecules extracted from different species of tropical mangrove plants. The molecules in the library were virtually screened using AutoDock Vina, and subsequently, the top five promising 3CLpro-ligand complexes along with 3CLpro-N3 (control molecule) complex were subjected to MD simulations to comprehend their dynamic behaviour and structural stabilities. Finally, the MM/PBSA approach was used to calculate the binding free energies of 3CLpro complexes. Among all the studied compounds, Catechin achieved the most significant binding free energy (-40.3 ± 3.1 kcal/mol), and was closest to the control molecule (-42.8 ± 5.1 kcal/mol), and its complex with 3CLpro exhibited the highest structural stability. Through extensive computational investigations, we propose Catechin as a potential therapeutic agent against SARS-CoV-2. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy in women. Metformin intake is associated with a reduced incidence of ovarian cancer and increased overall survival rate. We determined the effect of metformin on sphere formation, extracellular matrix invasion, and transcriptome profile of ovarian cancer cells (COVCAR) isolated from ascites of chickens that naturally developed ovarian cancer. We found that metformin treatment significantly decreased sphere formation and invasiveness of COVCAR cells. RNA-Seq data analysis revealed 0, 4, 365 differentially expressed genes in cells treated with 0.5, 1, 2 mM metformin, respectively compared to controls. Transcriptomic and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) revealed significant downregulation of MMP7, AICDA, GDPD2, APOC3, APOA1 and predicted inhibition of upstream regulators NFKB, STAT3, TP53 that are involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition, DNA repair, and lipid metabolism. The analysis revealed significant upregulation of RASD2, IHH, CRABP-1 and predicted activation of upstream regulators VEGF and E2F1 that are associated with angiogenesis and cell cycle. Causal network analysis revealed novel pathways suggesting predicted inhibition of ovarian cancer through master regulator ASCL1 and dataset genes DCX, SEMA6B, HEY2, and KCNIP2. In summary, advanced pathway analysis in IPA revealed novel target genes, upstream regulators, and pathways affected by metformin treatment of COVCAR cells.

The primary goal of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding White Leghorn hens graded levels of a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich microalgae oil (MAO) on productive performance and enrichment of eggs with very long-chain (VLC) omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Forty-nine-week-old hens (8 per diet) were fed the following diets for 28 d: 1) A corn-soybean meal-based diet with no supplemental oil (CON); 2) CON + 10 g/kg MAO; 3) CON + 20 g/kg MAO; 4) CON + 30 g/kg MAO; 5) CON + 40 g/kg MAO; 6) CON + 40 g/kg MAO + 20 g/kg high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO); and 7) CON + 40 g/kg MAO + 40 g/kg HOSO. Diets 6 and 7 were included because we previously reported that co-feeding high-oleic acid oils with n-3 PUFA-containing oils attenuated egg yolk n-3 PUFA contents vs. feeding hens the n-3 oils alone. All data were collected on an individual hen basis. Egg VLC n-3 PUFA enrichment plateaued, in terms of statistical significance, at the 30 g/kg MAO level (266 mg/yolk). Hens fed 40 g/kg MAO had greatly attenuated measures of hen performance, marked liver enlargement, an altered ovarian follicle hierarchy, greatly lowered circulating triglyceride levels, and depressed hepatic expression of key genes involved in triglyceride synthesis and secretion. As compared to hens fed 40 g/kg MAO alone, feeding hens 40 g/kg MAO co-supplemented with HOSO (Diets 6 and 7) restored egg production, ovarian morphology, and all other measures of hen productive performance to CON levels, elevated plasma triglyceride levels, prevented liver enlargement, and increased the hepatic expression of key genes involved in triglyceride synthesis and secretion. In conclusion, MAO can greatly enrich hens' eggs with VLC n-3 PUFA, but its recommended dietary inclusion should not exceed 20 g/kg. This would allow for near-maximal yolk VLC n-3 PUFA enrichment without impairing hen productive performance, altering the ovarian follicle hierarchy or, based on the work of others, presumably imparting off-flavors in the egg.

Broiler breeder hens, the parent stock of commercial broiler chickens, have poor reproductive efficiency associated with aberrant and excessive recruitment of ovarian follicles which results in sub-optimal egg production, fertility, and hatchability. The reproductive dysfunction observed in these hens resembles polycystic ovary syndrome in women, a condition wherein metformin is prescribed as a treatment. The main objectives of this study were to determine the effect of metformin on body weight, abdominal fat pad weight, ovarian function, and plasma steroid hormone concentrations. Broiler breeder hens were treated with 0, 25, 50, or 75 mg/kg body weight of metformin mixed in the diet for 40 weeks (n= 45 hens/treatment; 25-65 weeks of age). At 65 weeks of age, hens that received the highest dose of metformin had significantly lower body and abdominal fat pad weights (p < 0.05) than the control. Metformin treatment, at all levels, normalized the preovulatory and prehierarchical ovarian follicular hierarchy. Metformin (50 or 75 mg/kg body weight) significantly increased the total number of eggs laid per hen during the entire production period and these hens had significantly greater fertility and hatchability at 65 weeks of age compared to the control (p < 0.05). Metformin treatment at all levels altered the plasma profile of reproductive hormones, with significantly lower plasma testosterone concentrations and a decreased testosterone to androstenedione ratio in hens that received metformin (p < 0.05). Future studies should focus on the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of metformin in improving the reproductive efficiency of broiler breeder hens.In BriefThe pathophysiology of the ovarian dysfunction encountered in broiler breeder hens remains poorly understood but is similar to a condition in women known as PCOS. This study reveals that metformin may provide a cheap and effective method of improving ovarian function in broiler breeder hens.

Efficient nutrient cycling and adequate sediment bioavailable nutrient supply are considered to be the two most important factors regulating the high productivity and subsequent carbon sequestration by mangrove ecosystems. We assessed spatial variability and the possible regulating factors of sediment bioavailable nutrients (nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) and surface water-dissolved nutrients (N, P and silicate (Si)) in the five ecologically important mangrove ecosystems along the east and west coast of India during dry season. Higher bioavailable nitrogen concentrations in the sediments were recorded in Coringa mangroves (36.27 ± 14.7 μg g-1) and Bhitarkanika (18.54 ± 5.9 μg g-1) mangroves in the east coast followed by Karnataka (15.51 ± 8.26 μg g-1), Goa, (10.18 ± 9.96 μg g-1) and Kerala (6.36 ± 5.05 μg g-1) mangroves in the west coast. The dissolved inorganic nutrients in the mangrove waters ranged between 5.1 and 220.9 μmol l-1 for N and 0.07 and 3.9 μmol l-1 for P. These results indicated that terrestrial inputs, in situ remineralization and prevalent anoxic conditions regulated sediment nutrient content in these ecosystems, whereas the higher ammonium in the sediments was attributed to the greater nutrient adsorption by finer particles. The stoichiometry of the bioavailable nutrients (N, P) in the mangrove sediments deviated drastically from the Redfield ratio, and strong P limitation was recorded in most of the ecosystems. The results highlighted the potential role of sediment particle size and physiochemical (salinity and pH) properties in regulating bioavailable nutrient dynamics in mangrove sediments.

South Asian regional cooperation with the International Nitrogen Initiative and the India-led UN Resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management (UNEP/EA.4/L.16) brought South Asia into global focus. Here, we reflect upon its proactive scientific community, growing scientific capacity, and international collaborations, which have enabled the emergence of the UKRI-GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub, which has great potential both regionally and globally.

In this mini-review, we examine the exactness of the available theoretical methods for describing the effects of a radio frequency (RF) pulse on a spin I=1/2 system. Employing an isolated spin as a model system, the interplay between the internal (anisotropic) interactions and the external parameters (such as sample spinning frequency, amplitude of the pulse etc.) is discussed through comparison between simulations emerging from analytic and numerical methods. Accordingly, the suitability of the analytic methods are examined and classified into regimes based on the magnitudes of the internal and external parameters.

Our study documents the outbreak of a coral-killing sponge Terpios hoshinota in the coral reefs of Lakshadweep archipelago and highlights that it has further extended its territory into the isolated atolls of Arabian Sea and maybe a growing threat to the existing coral reefs in the region.

Leghorn chickens are used as a preclinical model of ovarian cancer as they develop epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma spontaneously at a very high frequency. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal disease among all gynecological malignancies in women. A small proportion of ovarian cancer stem cells are responsible for drug resistance and relapse of ovarian cancer. The objectives of this study are to isolate ovarian cancer stem cells from ascites of Leghorn chickens that spontaneously developed ovarian cancer and to determine their invasiveness, spheroid formation in three-dimensional culture devoid of extracellular matrix over several months. Ovarian cancer cells obtained from ascites were subjected to ALDEFLOUR assay that measures aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity to separate ALDH1+ and ALDH1- cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The cells were cultured using serum-free media for up to 6 mo in ultra-low attachment plates. Invasiveness of ALDH1+ and ALDH1- cells was determined by Matrigel invasion assay. Cellular uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein was evaluated. A small proportion (

Gallic acid (PubChem CID: 370) and quercetin (PubChem CID: 5280343) are major phenolic compounds in many mangrove plants that have been related to health cure. In the present study, the active fractions namely gallic acid (1) and quercetin (2) were isolated from the methanolic extract of leaves of Ceriops tagal in a Tropical mangrove ecosystem of Andaman and Nicobar Island (ANI), India. The chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis: Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), 1H, 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The anticancer activity of isolated compounds (1) and (2) were evaluated by in vitro assays against two human cancer cell lines namely, HeLa (Cervical) and MDA-MB231 (Breast) cancer cells revealed that IC50 values of gallic acid (HeLa: 4.179197 �� 0.45 ��g/ml; MDA-MB231: 80.0427 �� 0.19 ��g/ml at 24 h) and quercetin (HeLa: 99.914 �� 0.18 ��g/ml; MDA-MB231: 18.288382 �� 0.12 ��g/ml at 24 h), respectively. Antioxidant properties of gallic acid (1) and quercetin (2) are found to be IC50 value of 0.77 �� 0.41 ��g/ml and 1.897 �� 0.81 ��g/ml, respectively. Molecular docking results explained that gallic acid (1) and quercetin (2) showed estimated binding free energy (��G) of ���5.4 and ���6.9 kcal/mol towards drug target Bcl-B protein, respectively. The estimated inhibition constant (Ki) for these two molecules are 110 and 8.75 ��M, respectively. The MD simulation additionally supported that quercetin molecule is significantly improved the structural stability of Bcl-B protein. The present study provides key insights about the importance of polyphenols, and thus leads to open the therapeutic route for anti-cancer drug discovery process. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

SARS-CoV-2, a member of beta coronaviruses, is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. With global fatalities of the pandemic exceeding 4.57 million, it becomes crucial to identify effective therapeutics against the virus. A protease, 3CL

Gallic acid (PubChem CID: 370) and quercetin (PubChem CID: 5280343) are major phenolic compounds in many mangrove plants that have been related to health cure. In the present study, the active fractions namely gallic acid (

A perturbative approach based on multimode Floquet theory is proposed to explain the coherent averaging effects of radio frequency pulses on nuclear spins in magnetic resonance experiments. Employing effective Hamiltonians, a uniform description of the time evolution of spins under arbitrary multiple pulse schemes is presented. The choice of interaction frames and transformation functions desired for faster convergence of the perturbation series is identified based on the experimental conditions. We believe that the methodology outlined would be beneficial in the design and optimization of experiments beyond existing strategies.

Coastal wetlands, such as saltmarshes and mangroves, that fringe transitional waters deliver important ecosystem services that support human development. Coastal wetlands are complex social-ecological systems that occur at all latitudes, from polar regions to the tropics. This overview covers wetlands in five continents. The wetlands are of varying size, catchment size, human population and human development. Economic sectors and activities in and around the coastal wetlands and their catchments exert multiple pressures that affect the state of the wetlands and the delivery of valuable ecosystem services. All the coastal wetlands were found to be affected in some ways, irrespective of the conservation status. The main economic sectors were identified as agriculture, animal rearing including aquaculture, fisheries, tourism, urbanisation, shipping, industrial development and mining. Specific human activities include land reclamation, damming, draining and water extraction, construction of ponds for aquaculture and salt extraction, construction of ports and marinas, dredging, discharge of effluents from urban and industrial areas and logging, in the case of mangroves. The main pressures were loss of wetland habitat, changes in connectivity affecting hydrology and sedimentology, as well as contamination and pollution. These pressures lead to changes in environmental state, such as erosion, subsidence and hypoxia that threaten the sustainabilty of the wetlands. There are also changes in the state of the ecology, such as loss of saltmarsh plants and seagrasses, and mangrove trees, in tropical wetlands. These changes in the structure and function of the wetland ecosystems affect the delivery of important ecosystem services that are often underestimated. The loss of ecosystem services impacts human welfare as well as the regulation of climate change by coastal wetlands. These impacts are likely to be further aggravated by climate change.

While photoperiod has been generally accepted as the primary if not the exclusive cue to stimulate reproduction in photoperiodic breeders such as the laying hen, current knowledge suggests that metabolism, and/or body composition can also play an influential role to control the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal (HPG)-axis. This review thus intends to first describe how photoperiodic and metabolic cues can impact the HPG axis, then explore and propose potential common pathways and mechanisms through which both cues could be integrated. Photostimulation refers to a perceived increase in day-length resulting in the stimulation of the HPG. While photoreceptors are present in the retina of the eye and the pineal gland, it is the deep brain photoreceptors (DBPs) located in the hypothalamus that have been identified as the potential mediators of photostimulation, including melanopsin (OPN4), neuropsin (OPN5), and vertebrate-ancient opsin (VA-Opsin). Here, we present the current state of knowledge surrounding these DBPs, along with their individual and relative importance and, their possible downstream mechanisms of action to initiate the activation of the HPG axis. On the metabolic side, specific attention is placed on the hypothalamic integration of appetite control with the stimulatory (Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone; GnRH) and inhibitory (Gonadotropin Inhibitory Hormone; GnIH) neuropeptides involved in the control of the HPG axis. Specifically, the impact of orexigenic peptides agouti-related peptide (AgRP), and neuropeptide Y (NPY), as well as the anorexigenic peptides pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and cocaine-and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) is reviewed. Furthermore, beyond hypothalamic control, several metabolic factors involved in the control of body weight and composition are also presented as possible modulators of reproduction at all three levels of the HPG axis. These include peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) for its impact in liver metabolism during the switch from growth to reproduction, adiponectin as a potential modulator of ovarian development and follicular maturation, as well as growth hormone (GH), and leptin (LEP).

Human interference with the nitrogen cycle has doubled reactive nitrogen inputs to the global biosphere over the past century, leading to changes across multiple environmental issues that require urgent action. Nitrogen fertilizers and biological nitrogen fixation have allowed benefits of increased crop harvest and livestock production, while in some areas there is insufficient nitrogen to fertilize crops. Whether in excess or deficit, nitrogen losses from its inefficient use are causing a combination of freshwater and marine pollution, air pollution, alteration of climate balance, stratospheric ozone loss, biodiversity loss and reduction of soil quality. The resulting nitrogen pollution affects human health, well-being and livelihoods. Scientific efforts have begun to bring these issues together. However, there is still a high degree of fragmentation between research on the different benefits and threats of reactive nitrogen and between the respective policy frameworks, especially at the global scale. We argue that a more joined-up approach to managing the global nitrogen cycle is needed to develop the ‘gravity of common cause’ between nitrogen issues and to avoid policy trade-offs. We describe how a coherent system for science evidence provision is being developed to support policy development through the ‘International Nitrogen Management System’ (INMS). There is now a matching challenge to bring together the multiple policy agreements relevant for nitrogen as a foundation to address synergies/trade-offs and to set priorities. Based on review of existing frameworks, we outline the concept for an Interconvention nitrogen coordination mechanism. This could make a major contribution to multiple Sustainable Development Goals by stimulating the next generation of international nitrogen strategies: maximizing the benefits of efficient nitrogen use, while minimizing its many environmental threats.

SUMMARYSmall islands can guide visualization of the diverse information requirements of future context-relevant coastal governance. On small marine islands (2), negative effects of coastal challenges (e.g., related to population growth, unsustainable resource use or climate change) can develop rapidly, with high intensity and extreme impacts. The smallest and most remote islands within small-island states and small islands in larger states can be threatened by intrinsic governance factors, typically resulting in access to fewer resources than larger islands or administrative centres. For these reasons, efforts to support coastal change governance are critical and need to be targeted. We propose a conceptual framework that distinguishes key governance-related components of small-island social–ecological systems (SESs). To prioritize areas of vulnerability and opportunity, physical, ecological, social, economic and governance attributes are visualized to help show the ability of different types of small-island SESs to adapt, or be transformed, in the face of global and local change. Application of the framework to an Indonesian archipelago illustrates examples of local rule enforcement supporting local self-organized marine governance. Visualization of complex and interconnected social, environmental and economic changes in small-island SESs provides a better understanding of the vulnerabilities and opportunities related to context-specific governance.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by hyperphagia, hyperglycemia and activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. We have reported previously that daily leptin injections help to alleviate these symptoms. Therefore, we hypothesized that leptin gene therapy could help to normalize the neuroendocrine dysfunction seen in T1D. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were injected i.v. with a lentiviral vector containing the leptin gene or green fluorescent protein. Ten days later, they were injected with the vehicle or streptozotocin (STZ). HPA function was assessed by measuring norepinephrine (NE) levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and serum corticosterone (CS). Treatment with the leptin lentiviral vector (Lepvv) increased leptin and insulin levels in non-diabetic rats, but not in diabetic animals. There was a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in diabetic rats due to Lepvv treatment. Both NE levels in the PVN and serum CS were reduced in diabetic rats treated with Lepvv. Results from this study provide evidence that leptin gene therapy in STZ-induced diabetic rats was able to partially normalize some of the neuroendocrine abnormalities, but studies with higher doses of the Lepvv are needed to develop this into a viable option for treating T1D.

Strong conservation management needs comprehensive data on biodiversity. Rapid methods that document aquatic biodiversity or assess the health condition of an ecosystem remain scarce. Herein, we have performed a metagenomics study on environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from an urban backwater area - Muttukadu, located in the southeast coast of India. Shotgun metagenomics approach using Illumina®NextSeq500 sequencing yielded 88.4 million raw reads. The processed data was assigned as 80% prokaryotes, 0.4% eukaryotes, ~2% viruses, and ~17% remain unknown. This approach has the potential to identify small micro-eukaryote, unseen species from both estuarine and marine environments. We have identified 156 eukaryote organisms represented from 21 phyla and 112 families, including those that are of conservational significance and ecological importance. Furthermore, our data also demonstrated the presence of pathogenic microorganisms due to sewage mixing with the backwaters. Given its sensitivity, we suggest this approach for an initial assessment of biodiversity structure in an ecosystem for the biomonitoring program.