Correlated Raman micro-spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses of flame retardants in environmental samples: a micro-analytical tool for probing chemical composition, origin and spatial distribution.

We present correlated application of two micro-analytical techniques: scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and Raman micro-spectroscopy (RMS) for the non-invasive characterization and molecular identification of flame retardants (FRs) in environmental dusts and consumer products. The SEM/EDS-RMS technique offers correlated, morphological, molecular, spatial distribution and semi-quantitative elemental concentration information at the individual particle level with micrometer spatial resolution and minimal sample preparation. The presented methodology uses SEM/EDS analyses for rapid detection of particles containing FR specific elements as potential indicators of FR presence in a sample followed by correlated RMS analyses of the same particles for characterization of the FR sub-regions and surrounding matrices.

Role of central glucagon-like peptide-1 in stress regulation.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is best known as an incretin hormone, secreted from L cells in the intestine in response to nutrient ingestion to stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion. However, GLP-1 is also expressed in neurons, and plays a major role in regulation of homeostatic function within the central nervous system (CNS). This review summarizes our current state of knowledge on the role GLP-1 plays in neural coordination of the organismal stress response.

DNA interactions in crowded nanopores.

The motion of DNA in crowded environments is a common theme in physics and biology. Examples include gel electrophoresis and the self-interaction of DNA within cells and viral capsids. Here we study the interaction of multiple DNA molecules within a nanopore by tethering the DNA to a bead held in a laser optical trap to produce a "molecular tug-of-war".

Long noncoding RNAs: new players in the molecular mechanism for maintenance and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells.

Maintenance of the pluripotent state or differentiation of the pluripotent state into any germ layer depends on the factors that orchestrate expression of thousands of genes through epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional regulation. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in the complex molecular circuitry in the developmental processes. The ENCODE project has opened up new avenues for studying these lncRNA transcripts with the availability of new datasets for lncRNA annotation and regulation.

Pioglitazone--do we really need it to manage type 2 diabetes?

Over the last few years a number of important drugs like rofecoxib, Rosiglitazone, and Gatifloxacin (in diabetics) have lost their position in disease management. The newest controversy revolves around Pioglitazone, a thiozolidindione, which improves insulin sensitivity and is reputed to have cardioprotective actions, but is riddled with several controversies related to weight gain, distal fractures of long bones, recent reports of bladder cancer and others. There are now new groups of drugs, which have been introduced with stringent FDA approval.

Electromigration dispersion in a capillary in the presence of electro-osmotic flow.

The differential migration of ions in an applied electric field is the basis for separation of chemical species by capillary electrophoresis. Axial diffusion of the concentration peak limits the separation efficiency. Electromigration dispersion is observed when the concentration of sample ions is comparable to that of the background ions.

Capstan friction model for DNA ejection from bacteriophages.

Bacteriophages infect cells by attaching to the outer membrane and injecting their DNA into the cell. The phage DNA is then transcribed by the cell's transcription machinery. A number of physical mechanisms by which DNA can be translocated from the phage capsid into the cell have been identified.

A new cytotoxic quinolone alkaloid and a pentacyclic steroidal glycoside from the stem bark of Crataeva nurvala: study of anti-proliferative and apoptosis inducing property.

Chemical investigation of stem bark of Crataeva nurvala afforded 5,7-dimethoxy-3-phenyl-1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-quinolone and a steroidal glycoside with unprecedented pentacyclic ring system named crataemine (1a) and crataenoside (2) respectively. The structures of the compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis. A series of compounds with modification at position 1 of 1a (1a-1c) were prepared.

Studying DNA translocation in nanocapillaries using single molecule fluorescence.

We demonstrate simultaneous measurements of DNA translocation into glass nanopores using ionic current detection and fluorescent imaging. We verify the correspondence between the passage of a single DNA molecule through the nanopore and the accompanying characteristic ionic current blockage. By tracking the motion of individual DNA molecules in the nanocapillary perpendicular to the optical axis and using a model, we can extract an effective mobility constant for DNA in our geometry under high electric fields.

Quantitative vibration perception threshold in assessing diabetic neuropathy: is the cut-off value lower for Indian subjects? [Q-VADIS Study].

Aims: The aim was to compute a normative data of VPT [Vibration Perception Threshold], compare results of VPT among type 2 diabetes patients with and without neuropathy, validate VPT taking NDS [Neuropathy Disability Scores] as gold standard and suggest a cut off value for the Indian population.

Materials And Methods: A clinic based case-control study was conducted at Nightingale Hospital (NH) in Kolkata for 2 months duration. Fifty type 2 diabetes patients (who were detected with by fasting plasma glucose or on medication) reporting at OPD (Out Patent Department) were randomly selected and informed consent was obtained.

An siRNA designing tool with a unique functional off-target filtering approach.

Investigations have revealed that silencing unwanted transcripts or off-targeting can induce false positive phenotype during RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene function study. But still the standard computational approaches towards small interfering RNA (siRNA) off-target minimization fall short in terms of addressing this false positive phenotype issue. Some of these off-targets may interfere with the biochemical pathway being investigated.

Attenuated stress-evoked anxiety, increased sucrose preference and delayed spatial learning in glucocorticoid-induced receptor-deficient mice.

The glucocorticoid-induced receptor (GIR) is a stress-responsive gene that is abundantly expressed in forebrain limbic regions. Glucocorticoid-induced receptor has been classified as a Neuropeptide Y-like receptor, however, physiological attributes have not been investigated. In this study, mice lacking GIR (-/-) were screened in various paradigms related to stress, anxiety, activity, memory, fear and reward.

Discovery of 4-morpholino-pyrimidin-6-one and 4-morpholino-pyrimidin-2-one-containing Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) p110β isoform inhibitors through structure-based fragment optimisation.

The discovery of 4-morpholino-pyrimidin-6-one and 4-morpholino-pyrimidin-2-one-containing inhibitors of Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) p110β isoform is reported. Structure-based optimisation of the original fragment hit resulted in lead compounds with improvements in ligand efficiency, lipophilicity efficiency, p110β potency and selectivity over p110α.

Discovery of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) p110β isoform inhibitor 4-[2-hydroxyethyl(1-naphthylmethyl)amino]-6-[(2S)-2-methylmorpholin-4-yl]-1H-pyrimidin-2-one, an effective antithrombotic agent without associated bleeding and insulin resistance.

Structure-based evolution of the original fragment leads resulted in the identification of 4-[2-hydroxyethyl(1-naphthylmethyl)amino]-6-[(2S)-2-methylmorpholin-4-yl]-1H-pyrimidin-2-one, (S)-21, a potent, selective phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) p110β isoform inhibitor with favourable in vivo antiplatelet effect. Despite its antiplatelet action, (S)-21 did not significantly increase bleeding time in dogs. Additionally, due to its enhanced selectivity over p110α, (S)-21 did not induce any insulin resistance in rats.

Strongly nonlinear waves in capillary electrophoresis.

In capillary electrophoresis, sample ions migrate along a microcapillary filled with a background electrolyte under the influence of an applied electric field. If the sample concentration is sufficiently high, the electrical conductivity in the sample zone could differ significantly from the background. Under such conditions, the local migration velocity of sample ions becomes concentration-dependent, resulting in a nonlinear wave that exhibits shocklike features.

The nonlinear electromigration of analytes into confined spaces.

We consider the problem of electromigration of a sample ion (analyte) within a uniform background electrolyte when the confining channel undergoes a sudden contraction. One example of such a situation arises in microfluidics in the electrokinetic injection of the analyte into a micro-capillary from a reservoir of much larger size. Here, the sample concentration propagates as a wave driven by the electric field.

Ion transport through a graphene nanopore.

Molecular dynamics simulation is utilized to investigate the ionic transport of NaCl in solution through a graphene nanopore under an applied electric field. Results show the formation of concentration polarization layers in the vicinity of the graphene sheet. The nonuniformity of the ion distribution gives rise to an electric pressure which drives vortical motions in the fluid if the electric field is sufficiently strong to overcome the influence of viscosity and thermal fluctuations.

Leishmania donovani pteridine reductase 1: comparative protein modeling and protein-ligand interaction studies of the leishmanicidal constituents isolated from the fruits of Piper longum.

Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is caused by the dimorphic parasite Leishmania donovani in the Indian subcontinent. Treatment options for kala-azar are currently inadequate due to various limitations. Currently, drug discovery for leishmaniases is oriented towards rational drug design; the aim is to identify specific inhibitors that target particular metabolic activities as a possible means of controlling the parasites without affecting the host.

Leishmanicidal compounds from the fruits of Piper longum.

One new alkaloid amide, piperlongumide (1) [N-isobutyl-19-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2E,4E nonadecadienamide], and six known compounds with leishmanicidal activity against promastigotes and axenic amastigotes of Leishmania donovani were isolated from the n-hexane fraction of the fruits of Piper longum. The structure of 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic evidences.

Raman microspectroscopy-based identification of individual fungal spores as potential indicators of indoor contamination and moisture-related building damage.

We present an application of Raman microspectroscopy (RMS) for the rapid characterization and identification of individual spores from several species of microfungi. The RMS-based methodology requires minimal sample preparation and small sample volumes for analyses. Hence, it is suitable for preserving sample integrity while providing micrometer-scale spatial resolution required for the characterization of individual cells.

Palliative and supportive care in acrometastasis to the hand: case series.

Acrometastasis to the hand is an unusual presentation which might mimic an infectious, inflammatory, or a metabolic pathology. We herein describe a case series of three patients of acrometastasis to the hand. We encountered three cases of acrometastasis to the hand attending the departmental clinics from 2007 to 2010.

Peptidyl-arginine deiminase: an additional marker of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) were thought to be more specific than rheumatoid factor (RF) for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The determination of anti-CCP in addition to RF could be helpful in the serological diagnosis and monitoring of patients with RA. Citrullination of proteins involves the enzymatic conversion of protein containing arginine residues to citrulline residues by the enzyme peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD).

Electromigration dispersion in capillary electrophoresis.

In a previous paper (Ghosal and Chen in Bull. Math. Biol.

Prevalence of HIV seropositivity among surgical patients in a tertiary care hospital.

The incidence of HIV infection has increased tremendously over the last few years. The new 2006 estimates released by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), supported by UNAIDS and WHO, indicate that national adult HIV prevalence in India is approximately 0.36%, which corresponds to an estimated 2 million to 3.