The diffraction tomography theorem is adapted to one-dimensional length measurement. The resulting spectral interferometry technique is described and the first length measurements using this technique on a model eye and on a human eye in vivo are presented.

Measurement of intraocular distances by backscattering spectral interferometry

Geigy Scientific Tables

We present a polarization-sensitive optical coherence-domain reflectometer capable of characterizing the phase retardation between orthogonal linear polarization modes at each reflection point in a birefringent sample. The device is insensitive to the rotation of the sample in the plane perpendicular to ranging. Phase measurement accuracy is ±0.86°, but the reflectometer can distinguish local variations in birefringence as small as 0.05° with a distance resolution of 10.8 μm and a dynamic range of 90 dB. Birefringence-sensitive ranging in a wave plate, an electro-optic modulator, and a calf coronary artery is demonstrated.

Polarization-sensitive low-coherence reflectometer for birefringence characterization and ranging

Agriculture and fishing are the primary source of almost all our food, as well as of many other products, so remain vital activities even though their share in the economy is small and in continuous decline. Partly for this reason public policy in these areas is almost entirely integrated at European level in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Forestry policies are also heavily affected by EU-level decision-making. As agriculture dominates in terms of direct contribution to GDP and numbers of people engaged in it, as well as accounting for the largest amount of public support expenditure, it is agriculture that will receive the greatest attention here.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Evaluation of trichoderma species against fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris for integrated management of chickpea wilt

Integrated application of Trichoderma harzianum mutants and carbendazim to manage chickpea wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris).

Candida albicans infections and their resistance to clinically approved azole drugs are major concerns for human. The azole antifungal drugs inhibit the ergosterol synthesis by targeting lanosterol 14α-demethylase of cytochrome P450 family. The lack of high-resolution structural information of fungal pathogens has been a barrier for the design of modified azole drugs. Thus, a preliminary theoretical molecular dynamic study is carried out to develop and validate a simple homologous model using crystallographic structure of the lanosterol 14α-demethylase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PDB ID-1EA1) in which the active site residues are substituted with that of C. albicans (taxid 5476). Further, novel designed pyrazole analogs (SGS1-16) docked on chimeric 1EA1 and revealed that SGS-16 show good binding affinity through non-bonding interaction with the heme, which is different from the leading azole antifungals. The ADME-T results showed these analogs can be further explored in design of more safe and effective antifungal agents.

Homology model, molecular dynamics simulation and novel pyrazole analogs design of Candida albicans CYP450 lanosterol 14 α-demethylase, a target enzyme for antifungal therapy.

Nearly one third of protein in the body consists of collagen. It plays a key role in providing the structural scaffolding for cells, tissues, and organs. With available literature, we show that prolonged exposure of cultures of human connective-tissue cells to ascorbate (vitamin C) induces an eight-fold increase in the synthesis of collagen with no increase in the rate of synthesis of other proteins. Making advantage of increased degree of polarization due to enhanced rate of collagen biosynthesis in the presence of vitamin C, we propose a better imaging modality for diagnosing thermal damage in human tissues.

/pdf/effect-of-vitamin-c-on-collagen-biosynthesis-and-degree-of-1vd9fgzrj2.pdf

Effect of vitamin C on collagen biosynthesis and degree of birefringence in polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT)

Pathogens like Puccinia triticina, the causal organism for leaf rust, extensively damages wheat production. The interaction at molecular level between wheat and the pathogen is complex and less explored. The pathogen induced response was characterized using mock- or pathogen inoculated near-isogenic wheat lines (with or without seedling leaf rust resistance gene Lr28). Four Serial Analysis of Gene Expression libraries were prepared from mock- and pathogen inoculated plants and were subjected to Sequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection, which generated a total of 165,767,777 reads, each 35 bases long. The reads were processed and multiple k-mers were attempted for de novo transcript assembly; 22 k-mers showed the best results. Altogether 21,345 contigs were generated and functionally characterized by gene ontology annotation, mining for transcription factors and resistance genes. Expression analysis among the four libraries showed extensive alterations in the transcriptome in response to pathogen infection, reflecting reorganizations in major biological processes and metabolic pathways. Role of auxin in determining pathogenesis in susceptible and resistant lines were imperative. The qPCR expression study of four LRR-RLK (Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinases) genes showed higher expression at 24 hrs after inoculation with pathogen. In summary, the conceptual model of induced resistance in wheat contributes insights on defense responses and imparts knowledge of Puccinia triticina-induced defense transcripts in wheat plants.

/pdf/de-novo-assembled-wheat-transcriptomes-delineate-5cs5y2nyu2.pdf

De Novo Assembled Wheat Transcriptomes Delineate Differentially Expressed Host Genes in Response to Leaf Rust Infection

Diabetes mellitus is a complex group of syndromes that have in common a disturbance in the body's use of glucose, resulting in an elevated blood sugar. Once detected, sugar diabetes can be controlled by an appropriate regimen that should include diet therapy, a weight reduction program for those persons who are overweight, a program of exercise and insulin injections or oral drugs to lower blood glucose. Blood glucose monitoring by the patient and the physician is an important aspect in the control of the devastating complications (heart disease, blindness, kidney failure or amputations) due to the disease. Intensive therapy and frequent glucose testing has numerous benefits. With ever improving advances in diagnostic technology, the race for the next generation of bloodless, painless, accurate glucose instruments has begun. In this paper, we reviewed various methods, techniques and approaches successfully demonstrated for measuring or monitoring blood glucose. Invasive, minimally invasive and noninvasive techniques available in literature are summarised.

Raju Poddar

Papers

Integrated application of Trichoderma harzianum mutants and carbendazim to manage chickpea wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris).

Homology model, molecular dynamics simulation and novel pyrazole analogs design of Candida albicans CYP450 lanosterol 14 α-demethylase, a target enzyme for antifungal therapy.

Effect of vitamin C on collagen biosynthesis and degree of birefringence in polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT)

De Novo Assembled Wheat Transcriptomes Delineate Differentially Expressed Host Genes in Response to Leaf Rust Infection

Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring Techniques: A Review and current trends