The Kansei testbed at The Ohio State University is designed to facilitate research on networked sensing applications at scale. Kansei embodies a unique combination of characteristics as a result of its design focus on sensing and scaling: (i) Heterogeneous hardware infrastructure with dedicated node resources for local computation, storage, data exfiltration and back-channel communication, to support complex experimentation. (ii) Time accurate hybrid simulation engine for simulating substantially larger arrays using testbed hardware resources. (iii) High fidelity sensor data generation and real-time data and event injection. (iv) Software components and associated job control language to support complex multi-tier experiments utilizing real hardware resources and data generation and simulation engines. In this paper, we present the elements of Kansei testbed architecture, including its hardware and software platforms as well as its hybrid simulation and sensor data generation engines.

Oxycarotenoid lutein (3,3'-dihydroxy-β,ε-carotene) was checked for anticarcinogenic activity against N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats. Lutein could significantly reduce the altered morphological and pathological changes in the liver induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine. Biochemical analysis of serum and tissues indicated that alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were significantly elevated in the control group and significantly reduced in the lutein-treated groups. These enzymes in liver tissue, which were found to be elevated in the control group, were significantly reduced in the lutein-treated groups. Glutathione level was low in the control groups and it was found to be increased in the treated groups. The activity of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, a marker of cellular proliferation, was found to be significantly elevated in both the serum and the liver in the control group, which was reduced by the administration of lutein. Studies on the mechanism of action of lutein have indicated that it could significantly inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes in vitro and in vivo in rats. Moreover, lutein could enhance the detoxifying enzymes glutathione-S-transferase and UDP glucuronyl transferase in vivo. Inhibition of carcinogenesis by lutein could be because of a combined effect of its antioxidant activity along with the inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes and inducing detoxifying enzymes. Lutein is nontoxic and is one of the prime compounds in the chemoprevention trials of the future.

The nodular tapeworm, Raillietina echinobothrida is a well studied avian gastrointestinal parasite of family Davaineidae (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea). It is reported to be the largest in size and second most prevalent species infecting chicken in north-east India. In the present study, morphometrical methods coupled with the molecular analysis of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region of ribosomal DNA were employed for precise identification of the parasite. The annotated ITS2 region was found to be 446 bp long and further utilized to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships and its species-interrelationships at the molecular level. In phylogenetic analysis similar topology was observed among the trees obtained by distance-based neighbor-joining as well as character-based maximum parsimony tree building methods. The query sequence R. echinobothrida is well aligned and placed within the Davaineidae group, with all Raillietina species well separated from the other cyclophyllidean (taeniid and hymenolepid) cestodes, while Diphyllobothrium latum (Pseudophyllidea: Diphyllobothriidae) was rooted as an out-group. Sequence similarities indeed confirmed our hypothesis that Raillietina spp. are neighboring the position with other studied species of order Cyclophyllidea against the out-group order Pseudophyllidea. The present study strengthens the potential of ITS2 as a reliable marker for phylogenetic reconstructions.

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Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) involved in gluconeogenesis in higher vertebrates opposedly plays a significant role in glucose oxidation of the cestode parasite, Raillietina echinobothrida. Considering the importance of the enzyme in the parasite and lack of its structural details, there exists an urgent need for understanding the molecular details and development of possible modulators. Hence, in this study, PEPCK gene was obtained using rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and various biocomputational analyses were performed. Homology model of the enzyme was generated, and docking simulations were executed with its substrate, co-factor, and modulators. Computer hits were generated after structure- and ligand-based screening using Discovery Studio 4.1 software; the predicted interactions were compared with those of the existing structural information of PEPCK. In order to evaluate the docking simulation results of the modulators, PEPCK gene was cloned and the overexpressed protein was purified for kinetic studies. Enzyme kinetics and in vitro studies revealed that out of the modulators tested, tetrahydropalmatine (THP) inhibited the enzyme with lowest inhibition constant value of 93 nm. Taking the results together, we conclude that THP could be a potential inhibitor for PEPCK in the parasite.