Uranotaenia dibrugarhensis, a new species in subgenus Pseudoficalbia from Assam, India

The adult female, adult male, pupa, and larva of Uranotaenia (Pseudoficalbia) dibrugarhensis, new species, are described from the Dibrugarh District of Assam State, India.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide gene transfer by means of intranasal administration attenuates airway reactivity in a mouse model of allergic sensitization

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a bronchodilator; however, the short half-life of ANP in vivo limited its therapeutic utility to treat asthma. The efficacy of intranasally administered plasmid DNA-expressing ANP (pANP; amino acid 99-126; Acc. No. XM131840) on the prevention of allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was examined in this study by using a mouse model of asthma. Ovalbumin-sensitized mice were treated with pANP versus control plasmids, and AHR was monitored after ovalbumin challenge for 5 weeks on 10-day intervals starting 4 days after gene transfer. Mice administered pANP demonstrated significantly less AHR for 20 days after treatment. The results demonstrate that pANP gene transfer protects against AHR and might be useful in the treatment of asthma.     

Raised serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels in malaria

To study the extent of serum lipid peroxidation in malaria, 62 patients of falciparum malaria (18 uncomplicated and 44 complicated), 15 patients of vivax malaria and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The extent of serum lipid peroxidation was evaluated by estimating serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) colorimetrically. The mean serum TBARS levels were 1.5 +/- 0.29, 1.21 +/- 0.2 and 3.58 +/- 1.35 nmol/ml in controls, vivax malaria and falciparum malaria patients respectively. The TBARS level was significantly more in complicated falciparum malaria patients (4.2 +/- 1.03 nmol/ml) than uncomplicated falciparum malaria patients (2.01 +/- 0.61 nmol/ml). The TBARS level was also more in patients who died (4.82 +/- 0.64 nmol/ml) when compared to the survivors (2.92 +/- 1.05 nmol/ml).     

Primary Amenorrhoea in a Triple X Female

The incidence of trisomy X in the newborn population is estimated to be 1 in 1,000 liveborn females. Most of them have normal physical appearance and puberty. Therefore, the reported number of triple X females in the literature is low. We herein report one patient with triple X chromosomes, primary amenorrhoea and normal intelligence. Steroid hormonal levels, clinical and ultrasound findings were suggestive of ovarian failure/gonadal dysgenesis. This case emphasizes the need for chromosomal analysis in women presenting with premature ovarian failure leading to primary or secondary amenorrhoea.     

Effect of storage and sodium chloride on excision of CTXФ or pre-CTXФ and CTXФ from Vibrio cholerae O139 strains

We examined the effect of storage and sodium chloride on excision of CTXФ or pre-CTXФ and CTXФ from Vibrio cholerae O139 strains. We found that one strain of V. cholerae O139 VO146P showed loss of the complete phage array, and other strain VO170P showed partial loss of the phage array giving rise to altered strains designated as VO146N and VO170N. Results of PCR and RFLP analysis revealed that both strains (VO146P and VO170P) possessed a single copy of pre-CTX^ETΦ and two copies of CTXΦ comprising CTX^ClassΦ and CTX^CalcΦ arranged in tandem, and integrated in the large chromosome. The presence of classical ctxB was detected in CTX^CalcΦ of both V. cholerae O139 strains. Nucleotide sequencing of three housekeeping genes showed no difference between parent and altered strains of V. cholerae O139.     

Motion artifact suppression technique (MAST) for MR imaging

A technique has been developed that significantly improves the image resolution and reduces motion artifacts in conventional two-dimensional Fourier transform and three-dimensional Fourier transform magnetic resonance imaging sequences. Modifications on the gradient waveforms completely refocus the transverse magnetization at the echo time, regardless of the motion occurring between the time of the 90 degrees radiofrequency excitation and the echo time (within-view). This accomplishes suppression of motion artifacts and regains the signal from flowing blood and CSF. Images of the head, abdomen, chest, and spine are reproduced which show the increase in signal and anatomical detail that would otherwise be degraded and lost in artifact noise. This technique has reduced the practical difficulty of obtaining clinically diagnostic T2-weighted abdominal images. It also has allowed diagnostic quality T1- and T2-weighted images to be obtained with one acquisition per view, thus reducing the total scan time.     

Persistence and Dissipation of Flubendiamide and Des-iodo Flubendiamide in Cabbage (Brassica oleracea Linne) and Soil

Flubendiamide belongs to a novel class of insecticide which controls lepidopteran pest complex of cabbage such as diamondback moth, cabbage white butterfly, cluster caterpillar etc. Being a newly introduced insecticide no information is available on its residue persistence in cabbage. A study was undertaken to evaluate the residue persistence of flubendiamide in cabbage and soil following 2 applications of flubendiamide 480 SC at the recommended and double the recommended dose of 24 and 48 g a.i. ha⁻¹. Initial residue deposits of flubendiamide in cabbage were 0.33 and 0.49 mg kg⁻¹ respectively. The residues persisted for 10 days from the both the treatments and dissipated with the half-life of 3.9 and 4.45 days, respectively. Des-iodo flubendiamide, a metabolite of flubendiamide, was not detected in cabbage at any time during the study period. Soil sample collected from the treated field after 15 days was free from any residue of flubendiamide or its metabolite.