BRICS: Is the Group Really Creating Impact?

In 2001, Jim O'Neill coined the acronym for Brazil, Russia, India and China as the largest emerging markets economies. He expected them to grow faster than the developed countries and to play an increasingly important role in the world. In 2009, BRIC countries held their first summit which in its 3rd summit turned into BRICS with the addition of South Africa. The BRICS now represent 3 billion people and a combined GDP of $16 trillion. The group is the third giant after the EU and the US. Analysts predict that the BRICS will overtake US in terms of GDP this year and the G7 by 2030. In the summit in July 2014, BRICS leaders have approved creating the BRICS New Development Bank which would fund long-term investment in infrastructure and more sustainable development. The economics projections show that till 2040, the BRICS is expected to rule the world market

Composition and diversity of larval fish in the mangrove estuarine area of Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia

The composition of fish larvae and their diversity in different habitats are very important for fisheries management. Larval fishes were investigated in a mangrove estuary of Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia from October 2012 to September 2013 at five different sites. Monthly samples of fish larvae were collected at five sampling sites by a plankton net with a mouth opening of 40.5 cm in diameter. In total, 3879 larval fish were caught in the investigated area. The mean density of ichthyoplankton at this area was 118 larvae/100 m(3). The fish larval assemblage comprised of 20 families whereas 13 families occurred at St1, 16 at St2, 16 at St3, 12 at St4 and 16 at St5. The top major families were Sillaginidae, Engraulidae, Mugilidae and Sparidae with Sillaginidae consisted 44% of total larval composition. St3 with 143 larvae/100 m(3) had the highest density amongst the stations which was due to higher abundance of Sillaginidae. Shannon-Wiener diversity index represented significant variation during monsoon and inter-monsoon seasons, peaking in the months December-January and May-June. However, Shannon-Wiener index, evenness and family richness showed significant differences among stations and months (p < 0.05)

BER evaluation of post-meter PLC services in CENELEC-C band

Low voltage, in-home power-line communications (PLC) networks allow direct communication between smart meters (SM) and in-home devices (IHD). In order to minimize security issues, in many deployment scenarios transmission takes place only towards the IHD to display consumption data, with no backwards channel. As a result, channel estimation is difficult and it is necessary to use robust transmission techniques to mitigate the effect of the impulsive noise within the PLC channel. Performance of such system must be evaluated by taking into account realistic interference and channel models for a broad range of configurations. In this work we focus on performance in terms of bit error rate (BER) of a narrowband PLC (NB-PLC) operating in the CENELEC-C band (125–140 kHz) taking into account realistic noise models. Our system is based on binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of eyelid – An unusual site: a case report

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is predominantly a malignancy of the major salivary glands (10-30%) and minor salivary glands (15%).These tumours are also reported in lacrimal glands, conjunctiva, and nasopharynx, though rarely. The average age at presentation is between 20 to 60 years with a female preponderance. Owing to the rarity, it mandates an early diagnosis to facilitate appropriate patient management. This case report highlights the unusual occurrence of primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the eyelid in a 33 year old male patient

The MYB36 transcription factor orchestrates Casparian strip formation

The endodermis in roots acts as a selectivity filter for nutrient and water transport essential for growth and development. This selectivity is enabled by the formation of lignin-based Casparian strips. Casparian strip formation is initiated by the localization of the Casparian strip domain proteins (CASPs) in the plasma membrane, at the site where the Casparian strip will form. Localized CASPs recruit Peroxidase 64 (PER64), a Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog F, and Enhanced Suberin 1 (ESB1), a dirigent-like protein, to assemble the lignin polymerization machinery. However, the factors that control both expression of the genes encoding this biosynthetic machinery and its localization to the Casparian strip formation site remain unknown. Here, we identify the transcription factor, MYB36, essential for Casparian strip formation. MYB36 directly and positively regulates the expression of the Casparian strip genes CASP1, PER64, and ESB1. Casparian strips are absent in plants lacking a functional MYB36 and are replaced by ectopic lignin-like material in the corners of endodermal cells. The barrier function of Casparian strips in these plants is also disrupted. Significantly, ectopic expression of MYB36 in the cortex is sufficient to reprogram these cells to start expressing CASP1–GFP, correctly localize the CASP1–GFP protein to form a Casparian strip domain, and deposit a Casparian strip-like structure in the cell wall at this location. These results demonstrate that MYB36 is controlling expression of the machinery required to locally polymerize lignin in a fine band in the cell wall for the formation of the Casparian strip

Do hospitalized premature infants benefit from music interventions? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Objective: Neonatal intensive care units (NICU) around the world increasingly use music interventions. The most recent systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) dates from 2009. Since then, 15 new RCTs have been published. We provide an updated systematic review on the possible benefits of music interventions on premature infants' well-being. Methods: We searched 13 electronic databases and 12 journals from their first available date until August 2016. Included were all RCTs published in English with at least 10 participants per group, including infants born prematurely and admitted to the NICU. Interventions were either recorded music interventions or live music therapy interventions. All control conditions were accepted as long as the effects of the music intervention could be analysed separately. A meta-analysis was not possible due to incompleteness and heterogeneity of the data. Results: After removal of duplicates the searches retrieved 4893 citations, 20 of which fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The 20 included studies encompassed 1128 participants receiving recorded or live music interventions in the NICU between 24 and 40 weeks gestational age. Twenty-six different outcomes were reported which we classified into three categories: physiological parameters; growth and feeding; behavioural state, relaxation outcomes and pain. Live music interventions were shown to improve sleep in three out of the four studies and heart rate in two out of the four studies. Recorded music improved heart rate in two out of six studies. Better feeding and sucking outcomes were reported in one study using live music and in two studies using recorded music. Conclusions: Although music interventions show promising results in some studies, the variation in quality of the studies, age groups, outcome measures and timing of the interventions across the studies makes it difficult to draw strong conclusions on the effects of music in premature infants

Biosorption of Foron turquoise SBLN using mixed biomass of white rot fungi from synthetic effluents

In the present study, biosorption of Foron turquoise SBLN using mixed biomass of white rot fungi was investigated in batch mode. The effect of process parameters such as pH of solution, medium temperature, biosorbent concentration, dye initial concentration, contact time etc. was investigated for enhanced removal of the dye. Maximum dye removal was observed at pH 2, biosorbent dose, 0.1 g/100 ml and temperature 30°C. The equilibrium data were analyzed by commonly employed Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations. The results show that the equilibrium data were better described by Freundlich isotherm model as compared to Langmuir equation. The biosorption kinetic data were found to follow the pseudo-second-order model. The results therefore indicated that mixed biomass of whiterot fungi could be used as natural biosorbent to remove dyes from aqueous effluents.Key words: Biosorption, disperse dye, Ganoderma lucidum, Coriolus versicolor

A homozygous mutation in the TUB gene associated with retinal dystrophy and obesity.

Inherited retinal dystrophies are a major cause of childhood blindness. Here, we describe the identification of a homozygous frameshift mutation (c.1194_1195delAG, p.Arg398Serfs*9) in TUB in a child from a consanguineous UK Caucasian family investigated using autozygosity mapping and whole-exome sequencing. The proband presented with obesity, night blindness, decreased visual acuity, and electrophysiological features of a rod cone dystrophy. The mutation was also found in two of the proband's siblings with retinal dystrophy and resulted in mislocalization of the truncated protein. In contrast to known forms of retinal dystrophy, including those caused by mutations in the tubby-like protein TULP-1, loss of function of TUB in the proband and two affected family members was associated with early-onset obesity, consistent with an additional role for TUB in energy homeostasis.Contract grant sponsors: Wellcome Trust (077016/Z/05/Z, 098497/Z/12/Z, 096106/Z/11/Z); National Institute for Health Research (Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre and Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre); Fight for Sight; Foundation Fighting Blindness (USA); the Rosetrees Trust; European Community (FP7/2009/241955 “SYSCILIA”); The FAUN Foundation (Germany).This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/humu.22482/abstract

Exploring the Role of Paeonia emodi (Ood-e-Saleeb) in Neurological Health: Traditional Uses and Modern Pharmacological Insights: A Review

Ood-e-Saleeb, derived from Paeonia emodi Wall. (Ranunculaceae), is a medicinal herb extensively used in Unani medicine, particularly for neurological disorders. Found in the western temperate Himalayas, its roots, seeds, and flowers exhibit significant therapeutic properties. Traditionally, it has been utilized as a nervine tonic, nerve stimulant, and antispasmodic agent in conditions like paralysis (Fālij), facial palsy (Laqwa), tremors (Ri‘sha), epilepsy (Ṣar‘), and hysteria (Ikhtināq al-Raḥim). Recent pharmacological studies highlight its neuroprotective potential, particularly in diabetic peripheral neuropathy, where it modulates oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuronal apoptosis. Bioactive compounds such as paeoniflorin, flavonoids, and tannins contribute to its effects by enhancing neurogenesis, regulating neurotransmitter activity, and protecting against neuronal degeneration. Its ability to improve nerve function in diabetic neuropathy is linked to mechanisms involving advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and NF-κB pathway modulation. This review consolidates its traditional and modern pharmacological relevance, emphasizing its role in neurological disorders, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and its potential for further research and therapeutic applications. Keywords: Ood-e-Saleeb, Neurological Disorders, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Paeonia emodi, Neuroprotectio