DNA breaks at fragile sites generate oncogenic RET/PTC rearrangements in human thyroid cells.

Human chromosomal fragile sites are regions of the genome that are prone to DNA breakage, and are classified as common or rare, depending on their frequency in the population. Common fragile sites frequently coincide with the location of genes involved in carcinogenic chromosomal translocations, suggesting their role in cancer formation. However, there has been no direct evidence linking breakage at fragile sites to the formation of a cancer-specific translocation.

Interaction of molecular hydrogen with microporous metal organic framework materials at room temperature.

Infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy measurements, performed at 300 K and high pressures (27-55 bar) on several prototypes of metal organic framework (MOF) materials, reveal that the MOF ligands are weakly perturbed upon incorporation of guest molecules and that the molecular hydrogen (H(2)) stretch mode is red-shifted (30-40 cm(-1)) from its unperturbed value (4155 cm(-1) for ortho H(2)). For MOFs of the form M(bdc)(ted)(0.5) (bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate; ted = triethylenediamine), H(2) molecules interact with the organic ligands instead of the saturated metal centers located at the corners of the unit cell.

Novel loci interacting epistatically with bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 cause familial pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: Familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (FPAH) is a rare, autosomal-dominant, inherited disease with low penetrance. Mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) have been identified in at least 70% of FPAH patients. However, the lifetime penetrance of these BMPR2 mutations is 10% to 20%, suggesting that genetic and/or environmental modifiers are required for disease expression.

Deciphering the fluorescence resonance energy transfer signature of 3-pyrazolyl 2-pyrazoline in transport proteinous environment.

In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to study the interaction of newly synthesized bioactive compound 3-pyrazolyl 2-pyrazoline (PZ) with model transport proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and human serum albumin (HSA) employing steady state and time-resolved fluorescence technique. We have focused on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between excited tryptophan in transport proteins to transport-proteins-bound PZ. An efficient Forster-type resonance energy transfer from the tryptophan residues to PZ indicates that PZ binds in the vicinity of the tryptophan residue.

Mathematical models for Enterococcus faecalis recovery after microwave water disinfection.

Microwave water disinfection is a rapid purification technique which can give billions of people access to clean drinking water. However, better understanding of bacterial recovery after microwave heating over time is necessary to determine parameters such as delayed bacterial growth rates and maximum bacterial yields. Mathematical models for Enterococcus faecalis recovery after microwave treatment in optimum growth conditions were developed for times up to 5 minutes using an optical absorbance method.

Reactive haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

We present a series of five cases diagnosed and treated as reactive haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in three tertiary referral centers of Kolkata, within a time frame of 3 months. The initial presentations were very variable, the most prominent clinical feature being--acute renal failure in the first patient, convulsions in the second, encephalopathy the third, marked cervical lymphadenopathy in the fourth and polyserositis in the fifth. All had a history of prolonged fever preceding admission and hepatosplenomegaly on examination.

Body composition & cardiovascular functions in healthy males acclimatized to desert & high altitude.

Background & Objectives: Several physiological changes affecting physical fitness occur in humans whenever they are exposed to extremes of environments such as heat, cold and high altitude (HA). The present study was undertaken to evaluate effect of stay in desert and HA on physical fitness and body composition of physically active individuals.

Methods: Study was conducted on three groups of male soldiers (n=30 in each group) at different climatic conditions i.

Studies on the residue of hydrogen cyanamide in grape berries.

Multilocational field trials were conducted in grapevines at four different locations by applying hydrogen cyanamide 50% SL during 2006-2007. In order to determine the residue of hydrogen cyanamide in grape, hydrogen cyanamide 50% SL was applied to the freshly pruned grapevines at the rate of 1.20% a.

A chelating resin containing bis(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine: synthesis and metal-ion uptake properties suitable for analytical application.

A new stable chelating resin was synthesized by incorporating the bis(2-benzimidazolyl methyl)amine into Merrifield polymer through CN covalent bond and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and thermal study. The sorption capacity of the newly formed resin for Ag(I), Cu(II), Fe(III), Hg(II) and Pb(II) as a function of pH have been studied. The resin exhibits no affinity for alkali or alkaline earth metals.

Photodegradation of the herbicide penoxsulam in aqueous methanol and acetonitrile.

Penoxsulam is a triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide group of rice herbicide. The phototransformation of penoxsulam was studied under UV light (lambda max >or= 290 nm) and sunlight in aqueous methanol and acetonitrile solvent system using TiO2 as sensitizer. The rate of photodegradation of penoxsulam in different solvent systems followed first-order kinetics and calculated half-lives was found to be in the range of 51.

Observation of extremely long spin relaxation times in an organic nanowire spin valve.

Organic semiconductors that are pi-conjugated are emerging as an important platform for 'spintronics', which purports to harness the spin degree of freedom of a charge carrier to store, process and/or communicate information. Here, we report the study of an organic nanowire spin valve device, 50 nm in diameter, consisting of a trilayer of ferromagnetic cobalt, an organic, Alq3, and ferromagnetic nickel. The measured spin relaxation time in the organic is found to be exceptionally long-between a few milliseconds and a second-and it is relatively temperature independent up to 100 K.

Spectroscopic investigation of 3-pyrazolyl 2-pyrazoline derivative in homogeneous solvents.

How solvent conditions such as solvent polarity and hydrogen-bonding affect the fluorescence of a newly synthesized 3-pyrazolyl 2-pyrazoline derivative (Pyz) having pharmaceutical activity has been explored. The solvatochromic effect of Pyz is due to a change in dipole moment of the compound in the excited state. The relaxation of S1 state is perturbed in hydrogen-bonding solvents.

Modulated photophysics of 3-pyrazolyl-2-pyrazoline derivative entrapped in micellar assembly.

The photophysical behavior of 3-pyrazolyl-2-pyrazoline derivative (PZ), a newly synthesized biologically active compound has been studied in micellar solutions of anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cationic cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and nonionic p- tert-octylphenoxy polyoxyethanol (Triton X-100, TX-100) micelle using steady state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy technique. Influence of the micelles on the photophysics of PZ has also been investigated using different approaches. The location of the fluorophore PZ in the micelle has been identified by cetyl pyridinium chloride (CpCl) induced fluorescence quenching and micropolarity surrounding that fluorophore in micellar solution.

COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENT IN SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS.

This study was to compare the total phenolic (TP) content in extracts from eleven plant materials collected at different geographical locations in Kenya, Nigeria, and USA. These plants have been selected because the majority of them are highly pigmented, from yellow to purple, and would therefore have economic value in industries for producing antioxidants and surfactants. Two of them were collected from the industrial and domestic waste outlets.

Neonatal Kawasaki disease with multiple coronary aneurysms and thrombocytopenia.

We describe an occurrence of Kawasaki disease presenting in the neonatal period with multiple coronary aneurysms. Very few such presentations of this entity have been described in the literature and this is probably the youngest patient reported from India. We also highlight an atypical finding, thrombocytopenia during the second week of life and beyond.

Wasp stings with multisystem dysfunction.

The insect order of Hymenoptera includes bees, hornets, wasps and fire-ants. Their stings are not usually life threatening, causing mainly local reactions and rarely anaphylaxis. This is a report of an 18 month old child who survived after an unusually severe envenomation, resulting in encephalopathy, hypertension, coagulopathy, intra-vascular hemolysis, hepatic and renal failure, following multiple wasp stings.

Number, maturity and phagocytic activity of neutrophils in the three trimesters of pregnancy.

Specific immunity decreases markedly in pregnancy. This study was designed to determine whether the non-specific immunity mediated by neutrophils plays any role in coping with this immunosuppressed condition. The number of leukocytes and neutrophils, especially the number of young band neutrophils, increased gradually with the advancement of pregnancy.

Persistence of napropamide in/on tea under North-East Indian climatic condition.

Napropamide is an amide group of herbicide, used as pre-emergence herbicide controlling in broad leaved weeds of tea, ground nut, citrus, etc. Napropamide 45 SC (Devrinol) was applied on tea bushes twice @ 1.125 and 2.

A novel series of potent cytotoxic agents targeting G2/M phase of the cell cycle and demonstrating cell killing by apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer, a leading cause of mortality in women, warrants the development and biological evaluation of new anticancer agents. A novel series of thiopyridine triazine derivatives was synthesized and investigated in the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468. SM40, the most potent derivative, induced a G2/M arrest and apoptosis with a possible involvement of p53.

In vitro reconstitution of legumin (11S) mRNA and binding proteins as related to post-transcriptional regulation of protein synthesis in developing alfalfa embryos.

There is undetectable transcription of 11S storage protein (medicagin) mRNA by nuclei isolated from pre-cotyledonary-stage somatic embryos of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L). However, this message exists at steady-state levels in the embryos at this stage of development without concomitant synthesis of the storage protein. At the pre-cotyledonary stage, therefore, the transcriptional rate for 11S mRNA is low; what message is transcribed is sequestered in the form of mRNP complexes and is not recruited into polysomes in vivo (33).

Synthesis and characterization of nanodispersed molecular aggregates of Prussian blue in aerosol OT reverse micelle.

Prussian Blue (PB) nanomolecular aggregates were prepared in a well-characterized, monodispersed biomimicking nanocavities formed by Aerosol OT (AOT) reverse micelle in H2O/AOT/heptane at different omega ([H2O]/[Surfactant]) employing coprecipitation technique. The formed nanomolecular aggregates of PB have been characterized by the UV-visible, Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as well as by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Cyclic Voltammetric methods. Visible and FTIR spectroscopic measurements confirm the formation of PB nano aggregates.

A new chelating resin containing azophenolcarboxylate functionality: synthesis, characterization and application to chromium speciation in wastewater.

The synthesis of a new stable chelating resin from the polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer is reported. The polystyrene is first functionalized with a phenolic group and then allowed to couple with diazotized anthranilic acid through the --N==N-- bond. The resulting polymer containing azophenolcarboxylate with an ONO chelating environment has been characterized by elemental analysis, hydrogen ion capacity, and water regain value.

HIV/AIDS stigma and knowledge among predominantly middle-class high school students in New Delhi, India.

This study examined stigmatizing attitudes toward HIV/AIDS among predominantly middle-class adolescents in New Delhi high schools. This study was specifically designed to: 1) assess stigmatizing attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and sexuality; HIV/AIDS knowledge, and awareness of HIV-related health resources; and 2) examine whether HIV-related stigma and knowledge are related to one another and to gender, parents' education, and exposure to HIV/AIDS education. In four high schools in New Delhi, 186 students completed a questionnaire assessing stigmatization of HIV/AIDS, stigmatization of sexuality, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS education and resources, and demographic characteristics.

A new platinum complex of triazine demonstrates G1 arrest with novel biological profile in human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468.

A novel class of platinum(II) complexes of pyridine sulfide derivatives of triazine was synthesized, characterized, and investigated using the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468. S-30 was one of the most potent derivatives of its class (IC(50), 0.39 microM) eliciting the greatest biological response.