• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.876-887
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• 2015

Dicer, an ribonuclease type III type endonuclease, is the key enzyme involved in biogenesis of microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and thus plays a critical role in RNA interference through post transcriptional regulation of gene expression. This enzyme has not been well studied in the Indian water buffalo, an important species known for disease resistance and high milk production. In this study, the primary coding sequence (5,778 bp) of bubaline dicer (GenBank: AB969677.1) was determined and the bubaline Dicer1 biocomputationally characterized to determine the phylogenetic signature among higher eukaryotes. The evolutionary tree revealed that all the transcript variants of Dicer1 belonging to a specific species were within the same node and the sequences belonging to primates, rodents and lagomorphs, avians and reptiles formed independent clusters. The bubaline dicer1 is closely related to that of cattle and other ruminants and significantly divergent from dicer of lower species such as tapeworm, sea urchin and fruit fly. Evolutionary divergence analysis conducted using MEGA6 software indicated that dicer has undergone purifying selection over the time. Seventeen divergent sequences, representing each of the families/taxa were selected to study the specific regions of positive vis-$\grave{a}$-vis negative selection using different models like single likelihood ancestor counting, fixed effects likelihood, and random effects likelihood of Datamonkey server. Comparative analysis of the domain structure revealed that Dicer1 is conserved across mammalian species while variation both in terms of length of Dicer enzyme and presence or absence of domain is evident in the lower organisms.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10867-10869
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• 2015

Background: There are various patient and professional factors responsible for the delay in start of treatment (SOT) for head and neck cancers (HNC). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on data for HNC patients registered at the hospital cancer registry in North-East India. All cases diagnosed during the period of January 2010 to December 2012 were considered for the present analysis. Educational levels of all patients were clustered into 3 groups; illiterates (unable to read or write), qualified (school or high school level education), and highly qualified (college and above). Results: In the present analysis 1066 (34.6%) patients were illiterates, 1,869 (60.6%) patients were literates and 145 (4.7%) of all patients with HNC were highly qualified. The stage at diagnosis were stage I, seen in 62 (34.6%), stage II in 393 (12.8%), stage III in 1,371 (44.5%) and stage IV in 1,254 (40.7%). The median time (MT) to the SOT from date of attending cancer hospital (DOACH) was, in illiterate group MT was 18 days, whereas in the qualified group of patients it was 15 days and in the highly qualified group was 10 days. Analysis of variance showed there was a significant difference on the mean time for the delay in SOT from DOACH for different educational levels (F=9.923, p=0.000). Conclusions: Educational level is a patient related factor in the delays for the SOT in HNCs in our population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10735-10738
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• 2015

Background: Cancers of the breast, uterine cervix and ovary are common cancers amongst females of North East India. Not much is known about the descriptive epidemiology of these cancers in our population. The present retrospective analysis was therefore performed. Materials and Methods: The data set available at the hospital based cancer registry of a regional cancer center of North-East India, containing information on patients registered during the period of January 2010 to December 2012, was applied. A total of 2,925 cases of breast, uterine cervix and ovarian cancer were identified. Results: Of the total, 1,295 (44.3%) were breast cancers, 1,214 (41.5%) were uterine cervix and 416 (14.2%) ovarian cancer, median age (range) for breast, uterine cervix and ovary were 45 (17-85), 48 (20-91) and 45 years (7-80), respectively. Some 43.5% of cases with uterine cervix patients were illiterate, 5.4% and 5.7% stage I in breast and cervix respectively and 96.4% of ovarian cancers in advanced stage. Conclusions: Improvement of female education can contribute to increase the proportion of early stage diagnosis of breast and uterine cervix in our population. Any population-based intervention for the detection of cancers of breast, uterine cervix and ovarian cancer should be started early in our population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.785-790
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• 2013

Background: Persistent infection of one or more of about 15 high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), most commonly HPV types 16/18, has a significant role in cervical cancer initiation and progression. There are limited data available from north-east India about HPV prevalence though this region has high incidence rates of cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the HPV genotypes prevalent in cervical cancer patients of north-east India. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 107 cervical cancer patient samples. Nested multiplex PCR assays were employed for detection of 13 high risk and 5 low risk HPV types. Results: HPV was confirmed in 105 samples. The presence of 6 'carcinogenic' HPV types, HPV-16 (88%), -18 (15%), -31(4%),-45 (3%), -59 (4%), -58(1%), and one non carcinogenic, HPV-6/11 (6%), was recorded. Among various demographic and clinical factors only tumour stage showed a statistically significant association with HPV type infection (P=0.019). Conclusions: We suggest that the most prevalent genotype is HPV-16 followed by HPV-18 in cervical carcinoma patients of the north-eastern region of India. Advanced tumour stage may be associated with increased possibility of harbouring multiple HPV genotypes.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.177-183
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• 2016

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are too compact to be resolved by any existing optical telescope facility, making it difficult to understand their structure and the emission processes responsible for their huge energy output. However, variability, one of their characteristic properties, provides a tool to probe the inner regions of AGN. Blazars are the best candidates for such a study, and hence a considerable amount of effort is being made to investigate variability in these sources across the electromagnetic spectrum. Here, using the Mt. Abu infrared observatory (MIRO) blazar monitoring program, we present intra-night, inter-night, and long term aspects of the variability in S5 0716+71, 3C66A, and OJ 287. These stars show significant variability on short (a few tens of mins, to a few hours, to a few days) to long term (months to years) timescales. Based on the light travel time argument, the shortest variability timescales (micro-variability) provide upper limits to the size of the emission region. While S5 0716 shows a very high duty cycle of variability (> 80 %), 3C66A shows a much lower intra day variability (IDV) duty cycle (< 20 %). All three show rapid variations within 2.5 to 3.5 hr, which, perhaps, are generated near the vicinity of black holes. Assuming this, estimates of the masses of the black holes are made at ~10⁹, 8×10⁸, and 2.7×10⁹ M_⨀ for S5 0716+71, 3C66A, and OJ 287, respectively. Multi-wavelength light-curves for the blazar PKS 1510-089 are discussed to infer the emission processes responsible for the recent flaring episodes in this source.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2018

Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin) Koehne fruit (Rosaceae) has been used as a traditional medicine in Korea, Japan and China to treat sore throat, diarrhea and inflammation. The ethanol extract of C. sinensis fruit was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions. Among those fractions, the n-butanol fraction showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities. To verify antioxidant activities, the n-butanol fraction was checked the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, and intracellular ROS levels and oxidative stress tolerance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, to see if increased stress tolerance of worms by treating of the n-butanol fraction was due to regulation of stress-response gene, we quantified SOD-3 expression using transgenic strain. Consequently, the n-butanol fraction elevated SOD and catalase activities of C. elegans, and reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the n-butanol fraction-treated CF1553 worms exhibited significantly higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.182-187
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• 2018

Many plant derived phytochemicals have been considered as the main therapeutic strategy against Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, and the most predominant cause of dementia in the elderly. Cholinergic deficit, senile plaque/${\beta}$-amyloid ($A{\beta}$) peptide deposition and oxidative stress have been identified as three main pathogenic pathways which contribute to the progression of AD. We screened many different plant species for their effective use in both modern and traditional system of medicines. In this study, we tested that MeOH extract of the stem bark of Hopea chinensis (Merr.) Hand.-Mazz. (HCM) affects on the processing of Amyloid precursor portein (APP) from the APPswe over-expressing Neuro2a cell line. We showed that HCM reduced the secretion level of $A{\beta}42$ and $A{\beta}40$ in a dose dependent manner. We found that HCM increased over 1.5 folds of the secretion level of $sAPP{\alpha}$, a metabolite of ${\alpha}$-secretase. Furthermore, we found that HCM inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity in vitro. We suggest that the stem bark of Hopea chinensis may be a useful source to develop a therapeutics for AD.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2010

Only an optimum number of viable spermatozoa in a frozen-thawed insemination dose can ensure conception at artificial insemination (AI). We report here the percentages of normal, abnormal and viable spermatozoa present in the frozen-thawed semen of 20 Black Bengal bucks used for commercial AI. Bucks in this experiment were of 19.3~46.1 months old and 25~42 kg body weight. Four semen straws (0.25 ml) from each buck were collected for evaluation of their kinetic parameters. Scrotal circumference was measured by using a scrotal tape, sperm motility was estimated on eye estimation and sperm concentration was determined by using a haemocytometer. Sperm morphology was studied in paraformaldehyde fixed spermatozoa under differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope. To determine the proportion of live (plasma membrane intact) spermatozoa, semen was stained with SYBR-14 and propidium iodide and examined under fluorescent microscope. Scrotal circumference, post-thaw sperm motility, sperm concentration per insemination dose and proportion of normal spermatozoa were $21.5{\pm}0.7\;cm$, $43.5 {\pm}5.4%$, $83.5{\pm}6.7$ million and $88.3{\pm}4.1%$, respectively. The percentages of spermatozoa with head shape and acrosome abnormalities were lower ($2.7{\pm}1.1$ and $1.4{\pm}1.3$, respectively), whereas higher percentages of abnormalities ($7.0{\pm}1.8$) were observed in mid piece and tail portion. The proportion of live spermatozoa was $28.5{\pm}5.4$. It is concluded that although a good number of morphologically normal spermatozoa are present in the insemination dose, the proportion of live spermatozoa is low, which warrants further improvements of buck semen freezing procedures to ensure good quality at AI.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.98-102
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• 2008

Relationships between total length (TL) and fecundity, body weight and fecundity, ovary length and fecundity, and ovary weight and fecundity of hilsa shad, Tenualosa ilisha Hamilton, collected from Kuakata, Patuakhali, Bangladesh, were studied. During the sampling period, the fecundity of hilsa was found to range from 169,000 (fish TL=28.0cm, weight=250g) to 1,088,000 (fish TL=40.5cm, weight=955g) with a mean of $520{\pm}53{\times}1,000$. The number of eggs per gram of ovary for samples collected from the anterior, middle, and posterior regions of the ovary were also recorded, but no significant variation was found among ovary regions at the 5% level of significance. Fecundity increased with fish TL and weight. The regression equations obtained in arithmetic forms of relationships between TL and fecundity (F), body weight (BW) and fecundity, ovary length (OL) and fecundity, and ovary weight (OW) and fecundity were $F=-887,896+40,511{\times}TL(r=0.85)$, $F=67,577+755.44{\times}BW(r=0.85)$, $F=-562,070+87,668{\times}OL(r=0.75)$ and $F=124,815+6,596.7{\times}OW (r=0.84)$, respectively. The relationships between fecundity and TL, body weight, ovary length, and ovary weight were linear, and the 'r' values were highly significant (p<0.01). These results provide valuable data for the restoration of hilsa resources, which are economically important but have shown reduced productivity in nations adjacent to the Bay of Bengal.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.147.2-147.2
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• 2011

We have initiated a long-term identification campaign of supernova remnant candidates in X-ray regime. In the short-listed unidentified sources from the ROSAT All Sky Survey, we have chosen the brightest candidate, G308.3-1.4, as our pilot target for a dedicated investigation with Chandra X-ray Observatory. Our observation has revealed an incomplete shell-like X-ray structure which well-correlated with the radio feature. Together with the spectral properties of a shocked heated plasma, we confirm that G308.3-1.4 is indeed a supernova remnant. A bright X-ray point source which locates close to the remnant center is also uncovered in this observation. Its spectral behavior conform with those observed in a rare class of neutron stars. The properties of its optical/infrared counterpart suggests the evidence for a late-type companion star. Interestingly, possible excesses in B-band and H-alpha have been found which indicate this can be an accretion-powered system. With the further support from the putative periodicity of ~1.4 hrs, this source can possibly provide the direct evidence of a binary system survived in a supernova explosion for the first time.