Genetic variation in relation to adaptability of three mangrove species from the Indian Sundarbans assessed with RAPD and ISSR markers

Rich genetic polymorphism is important for plants to adapt to changes because it enables the plant to make anatomical,physiological and biochemical changes in response to abiotic stress.Geomorphologic characteristics,demographic interference and a cumulative decrease in freshwater influx in the Indian Sundarbans region have proved detrimental to some economically important plants.In this study,genetic polymorphism of three mangrove species,Xylocarpus granatum,Excoecaria agallocha,and Phoenix paludosa,was assessed using RAPD and ISSR molecular markers.X.granatum,already in distress in the Sundarbans,had the least genetic polymorphism,14.56%in the RAPD analysis and 12.92% in the ISSR.Relatively higher genetic polymorphism was recorded for the profusely growing E.agallocha and P.paludosa: 24.66 and26.4% in RAPD; 24.87 and 20.32% in ISSR analysis respectively.A UPGMA dendrogram constructed using the similarity matrix from RAPD,ISSR and combined datashowed that for X.granatum,the least and highest salinity zones clustered together,whereas for E.agallocha and P.paludosa,higher and lower salinity areas clustered in different clades.Nei’s genetic diversity,calculated from RAPD and ISSR data,was also in accordance with 0.0637 and 0.0583 for X.granatum,respectively,much lower than0.0794 and 0.0818 for E.agallocha and 0.0799 and 0.0688 for P.paludosa.This opposing degree of polymorphism might be attributed to the profusely growing E.agallocha and P.paludosa and precarious status of X.granatum throughout the Indian Sundarbans.

The leaf extracts of Camellia sinensis (green tea) ameliorate sodium fluoride-induced oxidative stress and testicular dysfunction in rats

Objective:To investigate the effect of Camellia(C.)sinensis in mitigating oxidative damage and reproductive toxicity in testis induced by sodium fluoride in a rat model.Methods:Twenty-four adult male Wister rats were divided into 4 groups,with 6 rats in each group.Group 1 orally received distilled water(1 mL/100 g body weight)daily and served as the control group,while group 2 received drinking water with 100 ppm sodium fluoride per day for 21 consecutive days,group 3 was administered with only C.sinensis extract by gavage at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight and group 4 received drinking water with 100 ppm sodium fluoride and 100 mg/kg body weight C.sinensis leaf extract per day for 21 consecutive days.At the end of the treatment,the rats were sacrificed under light ether anesthesia.The gonado-somatic index,sperm count and motility,serum level of luteinizing hormone and testosterone were assayed.Lipid peroxidation[malondialdehyde(MDA)level],nitric oxide(NO)production,and activities of antioxidant enzymes-superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase,and reduced glutathione level(GSH)were also analysed.Results:Sodium fluoride treatment significantly decreased gonado-somatic index,sperm count and motility as well as the serum level of luteinizing hormone and testosterone(P<0.05).The histological examination of testes revealed atrophy and degenerative changes in several seminiferous tubules,along with enhanced interstitial space and a reduced number of Leydig cells.There was a highly significant increase in NO and MDA production(P<0.05),while SOD,catalase activities and GSH level decreased significantly(P<0.05).However,C.sinensis significantly restored testicular weight,sperm parameter,hormonal level(P<0.05),and also reversed MDA and NO generation and antioxidant enzymes activities in the testicular tissue(P<0.05).Conclusions:C.sinensis may have an ameliorative role against sodium fluoride-induced oxidative damage in the testis probably because of its antioxidant property.

Characterization,spectroscopic investigation of defects by positron annihilation,and possible application of synthesized PbO nanoparticles

Nanocrystalline samples of highly pure lead oxide were prepared by the sol-gel route of synthesis.X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic techniques confirmed the nanocrystallinity of the samples,and the average sizes of the crystallites were found within 20 nm to 35 nm.The nanocrystallites exhibited specific anomalous properties,among which a prominent one is the increased lattice parameters and unit cell volumes.The optical band gaps also increased when the nanocrystallites became smaller in size.The latter aspect is attributable to the onset of quantum confinement effects,as seen in a few other metal oxide nanoparticles.Positron annihilation was employed to study the vacancy type defects,which were abundant in the samples and played crucial roles in modulating their properties.The defect concentrations were significantly larger in the samples of smaller crystallite sizes.The results suggested the feasibility of tailoring the properties of lead oxide nanocrystallites for technological applications,such as using lead oxide nanoparticles in batteries for better performance in discharge rate and resistance.It also provided the physical insight into the structural build-up process when crystallites were formed with a finite number of atoms,whose distributions were governed by the site stabilization energy.

Importance of Tourmaline Gneiss and Vein near Main Central Thrust in Sikkim Darjeeling Himalaya

Lingtse gneiss (LGn) and Higher Himalayan crystallines (HHC) comprise parts of main central thrust (MCT) in the Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya. Tourmaline bearing gneiss and quartz tourmaline veins are reported in immediate contact with the LGn and some lesser Himalayan rocks in this study. Their importance is inferred via their comparative occurrence, micro-texture and chemistry. Flow of ductile crust was proposed to expose deep crustal rocks in the Himalayas in form of these gneissic rocks. Generation of paragneissic HHC from the protolith like the lesser Himalayan rocks like biotite-muscovite schist was proposed and documented in previous studies. The main central thrust where the principal motion is reported to date at circa 20 Ma appears in the contact regions of the HHC and lesser Himalayan rocks. Whether the tourmaline bearing gneiss or veins is a product during the episode of generation of the Higher Himalayan crystallines, which is taken as a component of the higher Himalayan crystallines episode remains a question as both concordant and discordant tourmaline bearing gneiss and/or quartzo-feldspahic veins appear respectively. The mm-cm scale tourmaline in the occasionally discordant quartz tourmaline veins shows strong zonation and less effects of shearing. Those are strongly zoned indicating magmatic hydrothermal character. The matrix tourmaline shows a separate composition. However, evidences of a less prominent shearing in them might signify rejuvenation. Lower temperature activity and fluid movement in this thrust zone are signified from the microstructure signifying that the high grade main central thrust was probably rejuvenated during or after the veining.

Anisotropic quintessence compact star in f(T)gravity with Tolman–Kuchowicz metric potentials

To obtain analytically relativistic quintessence anisotropic spherical solutions in the f(T)paradigm is the primary objective of this paper.To do this,the pressure anisotropy condition is imposed,and we employ a metric potential of the Tolman–Kuchowicz(TK)type.We also suppose that our current model incorporates a quintessence field characterized by a parameterωq,in addition to the anisotropic matter distribution.In the presence of the parameterα,the field equations are modified by the choice of the f(T)function.The f(T)gravity parameterαadds new components to the basic physical characteristics,such as density,pressure,subliminal sound velocity,surface redshift,etc,of the present model.By selecting the compact star Her X-1 and varyingαfrom 0.5 to 2.5,we examined all the physical characteristics of the model parameter of the configuration.The graphical process demonstrates that a more compact item is produced with greater values ofα.The hydrostatic equilibrium condition of the model is discussed,as well as the mass-radius relationship for our current model is obtained.

Deubiquitination in prostate cancer progression:role of USP22

Prostate cancer(PCa)is the leading cause of cancer death in men.With more therapeutic modalities available,the overall survival in PCa has increased significantly in recent years.Patients with relapses after advanced secondgeneration anti-androgen therapy however,often show poor disease prognosis.This group of patients often die from cancer-related complicacies.Multiple approaches have been taken to understand disease recurrence and to correlate the gene expression profile.In one such study,an 11-gene signature was identified to be associated with PCa recurrence and poor survival.Amongst them,a specific deubiquitinase called ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22(USP22)was selectively and progressively overexpressed with PCa progression.Subsequently,it was shown to regulate androgen receptors and Myc,the two most important regulators of PCa progression.Furthermore,USP22 has been shown to be associated with the development of therapy resistant PCa.Inhibiting USP22 was also found to be therapeutically advantageous,especially in clinically challenging and advanced PCa.This review provides an update of USP22 related functions and challenges associated with PCa research and explains why targeting this axis is beneficial for PCa relapse cases.

Durgapal IV model considering the minimal geometric deformation approach

The present article reports the study of local anisotropic effects on Durgapal's fourth model in the context of gravitational decoupling via the minimal geometric deformation approach.To achieve this,the most general equation of state relating the components of the−θsector is imposed to obtain the decoupler function f(r).In addition,certain properties of the obtained solution,such as the behavior of the salient material content threading the stellar interior;causality and energy conditions;hydrostatic balance through the modified Tolman−Oppenheimer−Volkoff conservation equation and stability mechanism against local anisotropies using the adiabatic index;sound velocity of the pressure waves;convection factor;and the Harrison−Zeldovich−Novikov procedure,are investigated to check whether the model is physically admissible or not.Regarding the stability analysis,it is found that the model presents unstable regions when the sound speed of the pressure waves and convection factor are used in distinction with the adiabatic index and Harrison−Zeldovich−Novikov case.To produce a more realistic picture,the numerical data for some known compact objects were determined and different values of the parameterαwere considered to compare with the GR case,i.e.,α=0.

Insight into the relationship between non-linear mixed convection and thermal radiation:The case of Newtonian fluid flow due to non-linear stretching

The current research focuses the light on the characterization of buoyancy-driven non-linear mixed convection and non-linear radiation in a Newtonian flow over a nonlinearly stretching vertical sheet,and this type of flow has useful applications in many industrial processes,such as the paper and pulp industry,polymer industry,electronic device cooling,solar collectors,gas turbine plants,and nuclear power.Using appropriate transformations,governing PDEs for non-linear mixed convection are reduced to higher-order non-linear ODEs and those are numerically solved.Along with tabular presentations of computed results,the graphical representations are generated to elucidate the effects of involved parameters on convection transport properties and their inter-relations.It demonstrates that flow velocity increases near the surface and decreases away from the surface as the non-linear convection parameter increases.Furthermore,increments in the thermal buoyancy,temperature ratio and non-linear radiation parameters result in the boost of velocity.The temperature decreases as linear and non-linear buoyancy-related parameters(non-linear convection and thermal buoyancy parameters)are of higher levels.In contrast,the temperature rises with two non-linear thermal radiation-related parameters(thermal ratio and non-linear radiation parameters).For greater values of the non-linear stretching related parameter,a lower velocity and a higher temperature are witnessed.The non-linear convection,thermal buoyancy,thermal ratio and non-linear radiation parameters contribute toward the reduction of the magnitude of surface-drag force and growth of the surface cooling rate.But,with the non-linearity in surface stretching there are significant percentage hikes of surface-drag force magnitude and surface cooling rate.

Abundance and biomass of assorted small indigenous fish species:Observations from rural fish markets of West Bengal,India

The small indigenous fish species(SIS)are harvested as ensemble of different fish species of varying size and shape.An appraisal of the abundance and biomass of fish species constituting such ensemble was carried out with samples collected from fish markets ofWest Bengal,India.The data revealed that at least 22 different fish species were present varying in numbers and species combinations.The abundance and biomass of the individual fish species was negatively correlated,indicating numerical dominance of small sized species.Logarithmic regression showed a good fit of the relative abundance(y)with the species richness(x)in the samples of SIS(y=55.72ln(x)e 77.27;r^(2)=0.940),while power regression was best fit for the relative biomass of individual fish(y)with the species richness(x)in the samples of SIS(y=24.58x^(-1.54);R^(2)=0.831).In overall both species specific and individual based biomass and abundance relationships were negatively correlated.In order to ascertain the harvest and marketability of the SIS in a judicious manner,monitoring of the fish assemblages in natural habitats is recommended.