Heterosis and combining ability was studied for grain yield, days to tasseling, days to silking, plant height and ear height in a diallel cross involving seven elite maize inbred lines. Variance due to GCA and SCA were highly significant for the characters studied, indicating both additive and non-additive type of gene action were important for controlling the traits. Predominance of non-additive gene action was observed for all the traits. Standard heterosis for grain yield ranged from -17.60 to 9.71%. For other traits, desirable heterosis varied from -0.10 to -4.42%; -0.03 to -4.20%; -2.44 to -42.11% and -1.33 to -21.87% for days to tasseling, days to silking, plant height and ear height, respectively. Parent Q7 was the best general combiner for higher grain yield coupled with dwarfness, and Q1 was also good general combiner for grain yield and lateness in maturity. For other traits, parent Q2, Q3 and Q4 were found suitable both for days to tasseling and silking and Q4, Q5 and Q7 for both plant and ear height showing desirable significant negative GCA effects and simultaneously possessed desirable high mean values, indicating that per se performance of the parents could prove as an useful index for combining ability. Additive × additive, additive × dominance and dominance × dominance gene interactions were involved in deriving good specific cross for yield. The cross combinations Q1 × Q7, Q2 × Q3, Q4 × Q6 and Q6 × Q7 possessing significant desirable SCA effects and high heterotic values might be used for obtaining high yielding hybrids.

Aconitine and higenamine are the components of aconite root. We investigated the cardiac effects of these compounds on murine right and left atria and the interaction of higenamine with aconitine on the rate of spontaneously beating right atria. Higenamine increased the rate (EC50=38 nM) and the force of contraction (EC50=97 nM), the maximal responses being comparable with those of isoproterenol. The positive chronotropic effect of higenamine was antagonized by propranolol (30-300 nM) and practolol (10 nM 3 tM), but not by butoxamine (1 ,uM), indicating that it was a j3,-adrenoceptor-mediated action. The positive chronotropic effect of higenamine was not changed by pretreatment with reserpine (4 mg/kg, i.p., 4 hr). Aconitine (0.16 0.25 pM) induced tachyarrhythmia in right atria was attenuated by quinidine (1 pM), atropine (8.6 pM) and AF-DX 116 (8.6 pM), suggesting that aconitine activates sodium channels and muscarinic receptors. Higenamine (2.5 nM) and dobutamine (1 nM) did not cause chronotropic effects by themselves, but enhanced the aconitine-induced tachyarrhythmia. These results indicate that higenamine is a ~1-adrenoceptor full agonist in murine atria and that the aconitine-induced tachyarrhythmia is augmented by the ,31-adrenergic action of higenamine.Keywords: Tachyarrhythmia (aconitine-induced), Higenamine, Chronotropic effect, Inotropic effect, Murine atria Aconite, a Sino-Japanese medicine, possesses a wide range of pharmacological actions (1). Aconitine, a main active component of aconite (1-4), induces cardiac ar rhythmia (5, 6) and has been used as an animal model of arrhythmia (7). The arrhythmogenic effect of aconitine results from direct activation of Na+ channels (8, 9). A cardiotonic compound, higenamine [(±)-demethylcoclau rine], was identified from a non-alkaloid fraction of aconite (10). Higenamine elicits a positive inotropic effect by activation of 13-adrenoceptors and subsequent increase in Ca" influx (11,12). We found in mice that aconitine (30 pg/kg, i.p.) produces a decrease in heart rate to 50010 of the basal level within 20 min after administration, and this effect of aconitine is mediated by activation of muscarinic receptors in the central nervous system (13). Interestingly, higenamine (10 pg/kg, i.p.) inhibited the bradycardia induced by aconitine in mice in vivo (13). The present experiments were carried out first to analyze the pharmacological characteristics of the cardiac effects of higenamine and aconitine and second, to further eluci date the mechanism of interaction between aconitine and higenamine in isolated murine atria. MATERIALS AND METHODS AnimalsMale ddY mice weighing 32-42 g (7 to 9-week-old) were used. Preparation of isolated murine atriaMice were sacrificed by decapitation and exsanguina tion. The thorax was opened, and the heart was rapidly re moved and placed in Krebs-Henseleit solution. The solu tion was composed of 118.4 mM NaCI, 4.69 mM KCI, 2.0 mM CaC12, 1.16 mM MgC12, 12.4 mM NaHCO3 and 5.0 mM glucose and gassed with 95076 02-507o C02 at 301C. R...

In contrast to fully connected networks, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) achieve efficiency by learning weights associated with local filters with a finite spatial extent. An implication of this is that a filter may know what it is looking at, but not where it is positioned in the image. Information concerning absolute position is inherently useful, and it is reasonable to assume that deep CNNs may implicitly learn to encode this information if there is a means to do so. In this paper, we test this hypothesis revealing the surprising degree of absolute position information that is encoded in commonly used neural networks. A comprehensive set of experiments show the validity of this hypothesis and shed light on how and where this information is represented while offering clues to where positional information is derived from in deep CNNs.

Ethanolic extracts of some fruits of Cucurbitaceae family such as Cucumis sativus (cucumber), Lagenaria siceraria (white pumpkin), Luffa acutangula (ridge gourd), Benincasa hispida (ash gourd), Citrullus lanatus (sweet melon) and Cucarbita maxima (pumpkin) have been studied for their hypoglycemic effects on alloxan induced diabetic rats (AIDRs). Screening results suggested that among the tested fruits the hypoglycemic potency follows: cucumber > white pumpkin > ridge gourd. These three fruit-extracts were further investigated for their hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and glycogenesis effects. Cucumber, white pumpkin and ridge gourd extracts reduced blood glucose level by 67, 65 and 51%, respectively at 12 hours after single intraperitoneal injection; while reduced the low density lipoprotein (LDL) level to 13, 28 and 86%, respectively in AIDRs. The maximum reduction 87% was observed by cucumber extract. Cucumber, white pumpkin and ridge gourd extracts reduced total cholesterol level to 29, 15 and 38%, respectively comparing with the diabetic control group. Here the maximum reduction of 85% was observed by white pumpkin extract. Cucumber, white pumpkin and ridge gourd also reduced triglyceride levels to 72, 68 and 80%, respectively. Maximum reduction of 32% was observed by white pumpkin. Significant improvement of glycogenesis was also observed by ridge gourd extracts in AIDRs.

The antidiabetic effects of Ethyl acetate (Et-Ac), Petroleum-ether (Pet-ether), and Chloroform fractions from ethanolic extract of the leaves of Ocimum sanctum were investigated in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats (AIDRs). The effect of these fractions (200 mg/kg body weight i.p) on fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminases, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminases (SGOT, SGPT) level, and liver glycogen content were investigated in AIDRs and found significant effects. The most significant reduction of FBG level of around 80.19% was observed for Et-Ac fraction in AIDRs. A significant reduction (p< 0.01) in serum TC and TG level of 54.49% and 79.78% respectively was also found for Et-Ac fraction of O. sanctum. The hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities were comparable to metformin HCl (150 mg/kg). In severely diabetic rats, liver glycogen content was decreased by 50.60%. Administration of these fractions to the AIDRs resulted in the significant elevation of liver glycogen content. In diabetic rats, SGOT and SGPT levels were significantly elevated that were further reduced after intraperitoneal administration of these fractions. These results indicate that different fractions of O. sanctum have favorable effects in bringing down the severity of diabetes together with hepatoprotectivity.

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In this competitive business world satisfied employee is the prime asset of any business organization as an employee’s satisfaction can ensure continuous growth. The purpose of this study was to find out, is there any significant relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and job satisfaction of private bank employees in Bangladesh? By using Yamane's (1967) formula the study consisted of 56 (male 89.3% and female 10.7%) respondents and it used semi-structured questionnaires containing pre-coded and open-ended questions. All questions were rated with the Likert 5-point scale. As all the variables used in this study (both dependent and independent) were categorical, the Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship. In this study, significant relations were found between some demographic characteristics, such as, sex, age, salary, and family income with job satisfaction indicators which were participation in decision making, training facilities, and increase knowledge and capacity. Education and geographic location did not show any significant relationship with job satisfaction indicators. Around 92.5% of male employees reported that the current organization helped to increase their knowledge and working capacity (p<0.028). More than half of the employees (55.3 %) of the 30-35 age group could not take part in decision making (p<0.013). In addition, family income and salary also exerted significant associations with participation in decision-making and proper training facilities respectively. Several stakeholders and concern authorities should give top priority in these demographic areas while developing strategies to improve the job satisfaction level of employees.

The antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of petroleum-ether, ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions from ethanolic extract of the leaves of Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) were investigated in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (SIDRs). Single doses (150 mg/kg, i.p.) of C. roseus extracts in the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were determined in normal and SIDRs on 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 16, and 24 th hours and serum triglyceride (TG) and serum total cholesterol (TC) levels were determined after 24 th hour. In normoglycemic rats and in SIDRs, petroleum-ether and ethyl acetate fraction of C. roseus reduced blood glucose level significantly. In case of hypolipidemic effects, all fractions reduced serum total cholesterol but the ethyl acetate fraction of C. roseus was the most effective. All fractions of C. roseus reduced serum triglyceride level but the ethyl acetate fraction reduced triglyceride level at the highest. The antidiabetic and hypolipidemic activities were compared to metformin HCl (150 mg/kg). Of all the three fractions, ethyl acetate fractions were the best in activity. Ethyl acetate fraction of C. roseus was found to contain flavonoids and alkaloids. The mechanism underlying the antidiabetic activity is probably increased glycogenesis, decreased gluconeogenesis or decreased absorption of glucose from intestine.