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In this present study, the effect of silane treated ramie fiber addition along with organically‐modified montmorillonite (OMMT) nano clay in epoxy resin composite was investigated in drop load impact, shear loading, and high‐speed drilling. The main aim of this research study was to develop a high‐laminar shear strength epoxy structural composite for various engineering applications. To improve the laminar adhesion the fiber was treated using silane via acid hydrolysis technique. The OMMT nanoclay also added with fiber in order to improve the load bearing effect and adhesion phenomenon. The composites were prepared using hand layup method with postcuring. The adhesion behavior of composites was tested based on American society for testing and materials standards and compared. According to the results, the treated ramie fiber possesses high resistance to impact loading. The ballistic resistance of composite is increased three fold when compare with as‐received fiber‐epoxy composites. The interlaminar shear strength of composite designation C1.5 gives highest shear strength of 35 MPa. The drilling study revealed highest dimensional stability for treated fiber. No fiber chip off and pull out at the drilled hole surface. The fractography analysis confirms no lamina delamination occurs even at high‐speed drilling. These delamination resistance epoxy‐based composites are suitable in automobile, structural and defense gadget manufacturing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathepsin B like cysteine proteases representing a major component of the lysosomal proteolytic repertoire plays an important role in intracellular protein degradation. Comparative models of cathepsin B (CatB) protein of six different Leishmania strains were developed using MODELLER. The modeled three-dimensional (3-D) structure has the correct stereochemistry as gauged from the Ramachandran plot and good 3- D structure compatibility as assessed by PROCHECK and the DOPE score (DS2.1, Accelrys). The modeled proteins were energy minimized and validated using standard dynamic cascade protocol (DS 2.1). Seven different disulfide bonding sites are predicted in CatB protein of Leishmania. Two domains were identified and different motifs are present in catB protein of Leishmania like aspargine glycosylation site, protein kinase phosphorylation site, Protein kinase C activation site, N-myristoylation site. Considering that cathepsin B is essential for survival of Leishmania, including for virulence to the mammalian host, it may be viewed as an attractive drug target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medicinal value ofWithania somniferaroot powder on the circadian variations of gentamicin (GEN)-induced nephrotoxicity was explored in this study. The circadian characterstics of 24 h rhythms such as acrophase, amplitude and mesor of renal biomarkers (urea and creatinine), blood glucose, protein and cholesterol were analyzed. In GEN treated rats, elevated levels of circulatory biomarkers-glucose, protein and cholesterol (increased mesor) were observed. In contrast treatment withW. somniferasignificantly restored these levels (decreased mesor). Variations in amplitude and ‘r’ values also were observed in between the nephrotoxic rats and other experimental groups. Therefore, we conclude thatW. somniferaalter the circadian variations directly with its valuable bioactive compounds, which could pave a way for future investigation for therapeutic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) offers an extremely useful system to study circadian clock function at the behavioral, molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. We reared wild type (Oregon R+) and mutant flies - vestigial (vg) and cryptochrome depleted (cryb) flies in 12:12 light:dark cycles (LD 12:12) from the embryo to adult stage. Later, the locomotor activity rhythms of these newly eclosed flies were monitored in different light:dark (LD) regimens such as T20 (LD 10:10), T22 (LD 11:11), T24 (LD 12:12), T26 (LD 13:13), T28 (LD 14:14), continuous light (LL), and continuous darkness (DD) for seven to eight cycles. The circadian locomotor characteristics, such as period length, percentage activity, day and nighttime activity, anticipation index (AI), and phase relationships, were analyzed. Under these LD regimens, the above-mentioned characteristics were altered in these mutants when compared to wild-type (WT) flies. Altered circadian locomotor rhythms in vg mutants under these LD regimens might be due to its reduced wing structure. cryb flies have defective photic input to clock and it showed altered circadian locomotor activity rhythms when compared to WT flies under all these LD regimens. From this study, we suggest that under different LD regimens blue-light component cryptochrome as well as wing structure play an important role for the expression of circadian locomotor rhythms in D. melanogaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of Withania somnifera root (W. somnifera) powder, an indigenous medicinal herb used in ayurvedic traditional systems for over 3000 years in India, on the circadian variations of gentamicin (GEN) induced nephrotoxicity. The circadian characteristics of 24 h variations such as acrophase, amplitude and mesor of lipid peroxidation products [Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)] and antioxidants [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)] were analyzed. Administration of GEN delayed TBARS (increased mesor) and advanced antioxidants (decreased mesor) acrophases. Treatment with W. somnifera alters these changes. Variations in amplitude and 'r' values were also found in between the nephrotoxic rats and other experimental groups. From this study, we conclude that W. somnifera would work in a dynamic way in modulating the temporal redox status by directly scavenging the radicals by enhancing the antioxidant defense system during nephrotoxic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circadian clock of Drosophila (fruit fly) has been extensively studied as a model system in molecular chronobiology. In Drosophila melanogaster, several clock genes are necessary for the generation and regulation of overt rhythms. Among these, vrille (vri) is a clock gene as well as a clock-controlled gene and its oscillation is essential for circadian rhythms at both molecular and behavioral levels. In this study, we have investigated the rhythmic expression patterns of vri at six time points (ZT 02, ZT 06, ZT 10, ZT 14, ZT 18 and ZT 22) over the 24 h period in peripheral tissues such as intestine and salivary glands of wild type (WT) and mutants [vestigial (vg) and cryptochrome absent (cryb)] of D. melanogaster under LD (12:12) condition. At ZT 14, vri expression was most pronounced in WT and mutants in both tissues compared to other time points. At ZT 22 and ZT 02, the expression was almost nil in both tissues. A definite temporal pattern in the levels of vri expression was observed at ZT 06, ZT 10 and ZT 18 in both tissues (of WT and other mutants). vg flies have greatly reduced wings, their gross locomotor activity was poorer and levels of its expression were also lower than WT flies. In cryb mutant, vri expression was less intensive than WT and vg mutants; this indicates that photic transduction to central/peripheral clock(s) is defective in cryb flies compared to other two types. In this study, we observed the presence of circadian expression patterns of vri in the peripheral oscillators during the developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a well known fact that light is the major environmental cue for the expression of overt circadian rhythms in a wide variety of living organisms including Drosophila. In this study, we have analyzed the period length (τ), amount of activity (α) and phase angle difference (ψ) in wild type, vestigial (vg) and cryb mutants (synthesizing functionless cryptochrome) of Drosophila under different light regime treated (12:12 - white light:dark (LD), blue (450 nm):dark (BD), green (550 nm):dark and red (650 nm):dark (RD)) conditions. Under red light (RD 12:12), period length, amount of activity and phase angle difference were significantly decreased in wild type and mutants, indicating that red light could be less effective on the expression of locomotor rhythms. Further, under blue (BD 12:12) and green (GD 12:12) light, the amount of activity was significantly decreased in vg and cryb mutants than wild type; period length, phase angle difference were significantly decreased in cryb mutants, in blue light, raising the possibility that blue light could mimic darkness in cryb mutants of Drosophila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dieckol (DEK) is a naturally occuring phlorotannins found in marine brown algae Ecklonia cava which is attributed with various pharmacological properties. This study was aimed to investigate the protective role of DEK on N-Nitrosdiethylamine (NDEA) induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis. In this investigation 0.01% NDEA in drinking water for 15 weeks to induce hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). DEK was administered orally (10, 20 and 40mg/kg body weight) for 15 weeks with 0.01% NDEA through drinking water. Hepatocarcinogesis was measured by the increased activities of serum liver marker enzymes namely aspartate trasaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), α-fetoprotein (AFP) and total bilirubin along with increased elevation of cytochrome p450, lipid peroxidation markers, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), lipid hydroperoxides (HP), protein carbonyl content (PCC) and conjugated dienes (CD). The effect of NDEA was indicated by significant decreased activities of enzymatic antioxidants like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and non-enzymatic antioxidants like reduced glutathione, vitamin C and vitamin E. The oral administration of DEK at a dose of 40mg/kg body weight significantly reversed the activities of hepatic marker enzymes, dercreased lipid peroxidative markers, increased antioxidant cascade and decreased NDEA concentration in liver. DEK at a dose of 40mg/kg body weight was highly effective when compared to other two doses (10 and 20mg/kg body weight). All these changes were accompanied by histopathological observations in liver. The obtained results clearly demonstrated that DEK prevents lipid peroxidation, hepatic cell damage and promote the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense system in NDEA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis which might be due to activities like scavenging of oxy radicals by Dieckol., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effects of aspartate on the circadian patterns of lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants in aspartate-treated rats, in order to investigate the influences of aspartate and whether it could modulate these rhythms differently, since aspartate is an important excitatory neurotransmitter (present in retinohypothalamic tract and suprachiasmatic nuclei [SCN]) involved in the generation and regulation of circadian rhythmicity., Methods: Aspartate (50 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally for 60 days to Wistar rats, and 24-hour rhythms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase were studied under semi-natural (light/dark 12:12 hr) conditions., Results: Exogenous aspartate administration caused acrophase advances in TBARS rhythms, and delays in GSH, SOD and catalase rhythms; altered MESOR and decreased amplitude values were also seen in all of these rhythms., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the orally-treated aspartate could reach the hypothalamus, and various brain centres possibly including SCN, and could modulate the circadian patterns of lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants.

Olfaction of insects is currently recognized as the major area of research for developing novel control strategies to prevent mosquito-borne infections. A 3-dimensional model (3D) was developed for the salivary gland odorant-binding protein-2 of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, a major vector of human lymphatic filariasis. A homology modeling method was used for the prediction of the structure. For the modeling, two template proteins were obtained by mGenTHERADER, namely the high-resolution X-ray crystallography structure of a pheromone-binding protein (ASP1) of Apis mellifera L., [1R5R:A] and the aristolochene synthase from Penicillium roqueforti [1DI1:B]. By comparing the template protein a rough model was constructed for the target protein using MODELLER, a program for comparative modelling. The structure of OBP of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus resembles the structure of pheromone-binding protein ASP1 of Apis mellifera L., [1R5R:A]. From Ramachandran plot analysis it was found that the portion of residues falling into the most favoured regions was 86.0%. The predicted 3-D model may be further used in characterizing the protein in wet laboratory.