Population dynamics of natural enemies on bt / non bt cotton and their correlation with weather parameters

The field study was carried out at Research Farm of cotton section, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India to determine the effect of environmental factors and seven cotton genotypes (Bt and non Bt) on three natural enemies namely chrysoperla, coccinellids beetle and spi-ders. Natural enemies remained active throughout the crop season (with two peaks) with little differences among them. Chrysoperla and coccinellids both were remained active from 25th to 40th SMW (June to October, 2014) while spiders were active from 25th to 41st. It was observed that highest population of Chrysoperla (1.17 eggs/plant) and spiders (1.59 adult/plant) was observed on Bt cotton cultivar namely RCH-134 and JK-1947 respectively. However, coccinellids preferred non Bt genotype (HHH-223) for their population build-up. Chrysoperla and coccinellids popula-tion was significantly negatively correlated with maximum temperature (r = -0.527 at 5% and r = -0.626 at 1% re-spectively); positively correlated with RHm, RHe; negatively correlated with minimum temperature and wind speed without significance. While, spiders population showed negative correlation with all weather parameters except sun-shine hours. It was observed that population of the natural enemies fluctuated under different environmental conditions during cotton season

NEUROPROTECTIVE ROLE OF ASCORBIC ACID: ANTIOXIDANT AND NON-ANTIOXIDANT FUNCTIONS

Ascorbic acid (AA) or Vitamin C is an important antioxidant which participates in numerous cellular functions. Although in human plasma its concentration is in micromolars but it reaches millimolar concentrations in most of the human tissues. The high ascorbate cellular concentrations are generated and maintained by a specific sodium-dependent Vitamin C transporter type 2 (SVCT2, member of Slc23 family). Metabolic processes recycle Vitamin C from its oxidized forms (ascorbate) inside the cells. AA concentration is highest in the neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) of mammals, and deletion of its transporter affects mice brain and overall survival. In the CNS, intracellular ascorbate serves several functions including antioxidant protection, peptide amidation, myelin formation, synaptic potentiation, and protection against glutamate toxicity. SVCT2 maintains neuronal ascorbate content in CNS which has relevance for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. As ascorbate supplements decrease infarct size in ischemia-reperfusion injury and protect neurons from oxidative damage, it is a vital dietary antioxidant. The aim of this review is to assess the role of the SVCT2 in regulating neuronal ascorbate homeostasis in CNS and the extent to which ascorbate affects brain function as an antioxidant

Assessment of genetic variability in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes for disease resistance and yield parameters

Eggplant is a globally important vegetable crop valued for its nutritional and economic significance. However, its productivity is often constrained by various biotic stresses particularly susceptibility to Phomopsis blight, causing significant economic losses and threatening food security. This study aims to identify genetically distinct genotypes with enhanced disease resistance and yield to support sustainable eggplant breeding efforts. This research evaluated genetic variability among 33 eggplant genotypes, focusing on resistance to Phomopsis blight. The evaluation was conducted during the Spring-Summer and Kharif seasons, of 2022-at the Vegetable Research Farm, Lovely Professional University, Punjab India and laid out in a Randomized Block Design in triplicates. The pooled analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes for key traits. High phenotypic and genotypic variance (>50%) were observed for average fruit weight (g), percent disease index (PDI) for leaf & fruit at 21st day after inoculation (DAI) (%) and percent leaf area diseased (%). High phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) (>20%) were recorded for characters including fruit yield plant-1 (kg), lesion size on fruits (cm2), average fruit weight (g), PDI for fruit at 7th, 14th & 21st DAI (%) and PDI for leaf at 7th, 14th & 21st DAI (%). A narrow difference between GCV and PCV indicated that phenotypic variability was primarily genetic. High heritability (>60%) with a substantial genetic advance (>30%) as a percentage of the mean (GAM) at 5% underscored the potential for improvement through targeted selection, driven by additive genetic effects. These findings provide valuable insights into breeding programs targeting disease-resistant and high-yielding eggplant varieties. Future studies should investigate molecular mechanisms underlying disease resistance to refine breeding strategies

Efficacy and Toxicity of Different Forms of Asparaginases Against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Review

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a form of blood cancer that affects white blood cells and is among the most common forms of leukemia with children and adolescents showing the highest number of cases. Most treatment protocols include chemotherapy using asparaginase. Asparaginase converts asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. Unlike normal, healthy cells, cancerous cells depend on asparagine for their growth. When these cells are deprived of asparagine by the action of the enzyme, the cancer cells selectively die. As of date, several forms of asparaginases are commercially available and are administered in ALL therapy. But due to limited study, it will be early and inaccurate to predict which forms of the enzymes are better. In this review, we aim to compare the efficacy and toxicity of four different asparaginases—native Escherichia coli asparaginase, PEG Escherichia coli asparaginase, Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase and a recombinant Escherichia coli asparaginase—used in ALL therapy in children and adolescents using available clinical trial data. PubMed and Clinical trial.org databases were used to select studies. Asparaginase activity, toxicity, anti-asparaginase antibody level and event-free, overall survival was compared for different asparaginases. Seventeen randomized and non-randomized controlled trials were included. Evidence was insufficient to ascertain which asparaginase is the best. PEG Escherichia coli asparaginase seems to be better with a high activity among the treated patients but there remains high toxicity for all available asparaginases. This study highlights a need to discover alternative sources of asparaginase from the organisms, which are evolutionarily distant from Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi with high higher enzyme activity and reduced toxicity

Efficacy and Toxicity of Different Forms of Asparaginases Against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Review

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a form of blood cancer that affects white blood cells and is among the most common forms of leukemia with children and adolescents showing the highest number of cases. Most treatment protocols include chemotherapy using asparaginase. Asparaginase converts asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. Unlike normal, healthy cells, cancerous cells depend on asparagine for their growth. When these cells are deprived of asparagine by the action of the enzyme, the cancer cells selectively die. As of date, several forms of asparaginases are commercially available and are administered in ALL therapy. But due to limited study, it will be early and inaccurate to predict which forms of the enzymes are better. In this review, we aim to compare the efficacy and toxicity of four different asparaginases—native Escherichia coli asparaginase, PEG Escherichia coli asparaginase, Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase and a recombinant Escherichia coli asparaginase—used in ALL therapy in children and adolescents using available clinical trial data. PubMed and Clinical trial.org databases were used to select studies. Asparaginase activity, toxicity, anti-asparaginase antibody level and event-free, overall survival was compared for different asparaginases. Seventeen randomized and non-randomized controlled trials were included. Evidence was insufficient to ascertain which asparaginase is the best. PEG Escherichia coli asparaginase seems to be better with a high activity among the treated patients but there remains high toxicity for all available asparaginases. This study highlights a need to discover alternative sources of asparaginase from the organisms, which are evolutionarily distant from Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi with high higher enzyme activity and reduced toxicity

NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS AS DEFENSE SYSTEM AGAINST CANCER

In living cells, the production of free radicals that comprise both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species is highly regulated that help the cells to sustain redox homeostasis. Overproduction of ROS from mitochondrial electron transport chain leakage or excessive stimulation of xanthine oxidase and other oxidative enzymes leads to the uncontrolled production of free radicals leading to oxidative stress that can mediate damage to cell structures. This damage can be repaired by the antioxidant defense system. Antioxidants are capable of stabilizing, or deactivating, free radicals before they attack cellular components such as DNA, proteins, and lipids. The use of antioxidants in cancer prevention is a rapidly evolving research area where antioxidants scavenge free radicals and thus, indirectly help in the prevention of cancer. A wide range of antioxidants such as glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, coenzyme Q10, lycopene, flavonoids, and isoflavones when used in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, result in the reduction of drug toxicity and enhanced efficacy of anticancer agents. This review aims at the use of these exogenous antioxidants as disease-oriented therapy and elucidating the relation of antioxidant enzymes with different types of cancers to overcome the harmful effects of cancer treatment

Recent Progress in Carbon Dots‐Based Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage Toward Environmental Sustainability

Carbon dots (CDs), an emerging category of carbon nanomaterials, have bright destiny in a vast diversity of engineering areas due to their great variety in design, arrangement, and characteristics. Their possible implementations have recently traversed from electrochemical energy storage (EES), fluorescent probing, and catalysis, particularly as materials into the critical elements of the electrochemical system. Herein, the current investigation based upon the preface of CDs in batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, electromagnetic interference shielding, and solar-assisted energy generation used as electrode materials integrated with an active substance as an auxiliary mechanism is shown. Different aspects conferred upon selected illustrations outline the electrochemical activity, and eventually, current issues and future viewpoints are recollected toward the following optimization method of electrode substances. This review article is anticipated to demand broad attention within active CD materials and encourage the growth of high-performance EES systems

New insights into molecular links between microbiota and gastrointestinal cancers:A literature review

Despite decades of exhaustive research on cancer, questions about cancer initiation, development, recurrence, and metastasis have still not been completely answered. One of the reasons is the plethora of factors acting simultaneously in a tumour microenvironment, of which not all have garnered attention. One such factor that has long remained understudied and has only recently received due attention is the host microbiota. Our sheer-sized microbiota exists in a state of symbiosis with the body and exerts significant impact on our body’s physiology, ranging from immune-system development and regulation to neurological and cognitive development. The presence of our microbiota is integral to our development, but a change in its composition (microbiota dysbiosis) can often lead to adverse effects, increasing the propensity of serious diseases like cancers. In the present review, we discuss environmental and genetic factors that cause changes in microbiota composition, disposing of the host towards cancer, and the molecular mechanisms (such as β-catenin signalling) and biochemical pathways (like the generation of oncogenic metabolites like N-nitrosamines and hydrogen sulphide) that the microbiota uses to initiate or accelerate cancers, with emphasis on gastrointestinal cancers. Moreover, we discuss how microbiota can adversely influence the success of colorectal-cancer chemotherapy, and its role in tumour metastasis. We also attempted to resolve conflicting results obtained for the butyrate effect on tumour suppression in the colon, often referred to as the ‘butyrate paradox’. In addition, we suggest the development of microbiota-based biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis, and a few target molecules of which the inhibition can increase the overall chances of cancer cure

Comparison of BACTEC MGIT with conventional methods for detection of Mycobacteria in clinically suspected patients of extra pulmonary tuberculosis in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Tuberculosis is an important public health problem in India and globally.  Extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) constitutes for approximately 15 to 20 per cent of all cases of tuberculosis in immunocompetent patients and accounts for more than 50 per cent of the cases in HIV- positive individuals. Main problem with the extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is the paucibacillary nature of the specimen, which makes the diagnosis difficult and delay the treatment. With this in background, this study aimed at the isolation of Mycobacteria from clinical specimens of patients suspected of extra pulmonary tuberculosis using BACTEC MGIT, Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) media and direct acid-fast bacilli smear examination.Methods: A total of 66 samples were processed for direct AFB smear examination, and culture on MGIT and LJ media. Acid fast staining of the specimens was done using the Ziehl-Neelsen method.Results: Among 66 specimens, MGIT gave a higher yield of mycobacteria (46.9%), lower contamination rate (3%) and shorter time to positive culture as compared to LJ media.Conclusions: MGIT gives higher yield and faster results

Alteration in the expression of microRNA-21 regulated target genes:Role in breast cancer

Breast cancer, also recognized as the principal cause of cancer-related deaths among women, is the second most familiar and prevalent form of cancer. New diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that are highly specific are urgently needed for its early prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs, are known to control the biological processes involving transcription, post-transcriptional and covalent modifications, splicing, translation, cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, cancer progression, and invasion. Any dysregulation in miRNA expression, demonstrating their oncogenic and tumor-suppressive functions, contributes to cancer progression. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21), an 'onco-miR' in breast cancer, is involved in tumor progression and metastasis by suppressing the activity of the target gene via its interaction with the 3'UTR of the target gene. The upregulation of miR-21 is observed in many instances of breast cancer. Our review aims to summarize the current understanding of miR-21 in the regulation of important cellular functions via regulation of its target genes. We discuss its biosynthesis, oncogenic function in breast cancer, and different methods used for its detection. This will increase the current understanding of the role of miR-21 in breast cancer tumorigenesis, which will offer a perception of using miR-21 as an early detection molecular prognostic and diagnostic biomarker and as a therapeutic target in breast cancer care.</p