Studies in Trade and Investment - AGRICULTURAL TRADE - PLANTING THE SEEDS OF REGIONAL LIBERALIZATION IN ASIA

this chapter maps the agricultural trade liberalization efforts of the South Asian Economies (SAEs).agricultural trade, South Asian Economies

Preliminary Biomarkers for Identification of Human Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

Background: Human ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs) are life threatening and constitute a leading cause of mortality in the United States. Previously, we demonstrated that collagens α2(V) and α1(XI) mRNA and protein expression levels are significantly increased in ATAAs. Methods and Results: In this report, the authors extended these preliminary studies using high‐throughput proteomic analysis to identify additional biomarkers for use in whole blood real‐time RT‐PCR analysis to allow for the identification of ATAAs before dissection or rupture. Human ATAA samples were obtained from male and female patients aged 65±14 years. Both bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve patients were included and compared with nonaneurysmal aortas (mean diameter 2.3 cm). Five biomarkers were identified as being suitable for detection and identification of ATAAs using qRT‐PCR analysis of whole blood. Analysis of 41 samples (19 small, 13 medium‐sized, and 9 large ATAAs) demonstrated the overexpression of 3 of these transcript biomarkers correctly identified 79.4% of patients with ATAA of ≥4.0 cm (P<0.001, sensitivity 0.79, CI=0.62 to 0.91; specificity 1.00, 95% CI=0.42 to 1.00). Conclusion: A preliminary transcript biomarker panel for the identification of ATAAs using whole blood qRT‐PCR analysis in men and women is presented

Regional agricultural trade liberalization efforts in South Asia : retrospect and prospects

This policy brief discusses the regional agricultural trade liberalization efforts in SAEs, highlighting the factors which hampered it and outlining prospects for a more effective liberalization

Tubercular prevertebral and epidural abscess presenting as stridor and dysphagia in an infant: A rare presentation of tuberculosis in infancy

Tubercular prevertebral abscess is rare presentation of pott’s spine in infancy. It can lead to life threatening airway obstruction and dysphagia requiring early diagnosis and proper management to prevent consequences. We present a case of 5 month child with tubercular prevertebral and epidural abscess who presented with dysphagia and stridor. Child responded dramatically to anti-tubercular therapy and surgical drainage of abscess. The child is doing well on follow up

Study on Magnetic Materials for Removal of Water Pollutants

Water is a primary element for all living things, and we need water for each and every day-to-day activity related to agricultural, industrial, and domestic cares and, thus, its quality influences all aspects of human life including energy, food, health, and economy. Safe drinking water is our primary need to protect our life and thus developing efficient and affordable techniques for water treatment to access potable water to the humanity. Water pollution is one of the severe environmental and health problems worldwide. Pollutants in water can be of organic, inorganic, heavy metals, microbial, and radioactive species, which may be in different forms viz. suspended, dissolved, or dispersed materials. The water quality is mainly affected by industrial discharges, agricultural activities, mismanagement of hazardous materials, etc. Nowadays, nanotechnology offers the possibility of an efficient removal of water pollutants including metals, organic dyes, bacteria, parasites, etc. Magnetic nanomaterials like iron oxide (Fe3O4) are very promising materials used in water decontamination particularly for heavy metals and dyestuffs because of their ease of separation through external magnet, high surface area, unique morphology as well as their high stability. These materials can be used as adsorbent, photocatalyst, and coagulating agents for water remediation based on their composite materials or surface functionalities

The Toll Walk Transit Function of a Graph: Axiomatic Characterizations and First-Order Non-definability

A walk $W=w_1w_2\dots w_k$, $k\geq 2$, is called a toll walk if $w_1\neq w_k$ and $w_2$ and $w_{k-1}$ are the only neighbors of $w_1$ and $w_k$, respectively, on $W$ in a graph $G$. A toll walk interval $T(u,v)$, $u,v\in V(G)$, contains all the vertices that belong to a toll walk between $u$ and $v$. The toll walk intervals yield a toll walk transit function $T:V(G)\times V(G)\rightarrow 2^{V(G)}$. We represent several axioms that characterize the toll walk transit function among chordal graphs, trees, asteroidal triple-free graphs, Ptolemaic graphs, and distance hereditary graphs. We also show that the toll walk transit function can not be described in the language of first-order logic for an arbitrary graph.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figures, 25 reference

Comparative phytochemical composition and antimicrobial potential of leaf and twig extracts of Ginkgo biloba L. from India

Antimicrobial potential of leaf and twig extracts of Himalayan gymnosperm Ginkgo biloba L. has been determined by agar well diffusion and agar dilution methods respectively. Strains of five Gram positive bacteria were used as test organisms. Plant extract were prepared in different organic solvents (methanol, hexane and DCM). All plant extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against all these tested bacterial strains. Methanolic extract of leaf and twig, and hexane leaf extract of G. biloba showed maximum activity against E. coli with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) 2.01, 2.53 and 2.97 mg/mL, respectively

Seroprevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection among pregnant women and their outcome

Background: Genitourinary infections either sexually transmitted or by other means are a major concern among women, particularly young adults and teens. The objective was to find out seroprevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in pregnant women and its effect on pregnancy outcome.Methods: the present study was carried out in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, King George Medical University of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, over a period of September 2003 to July 2004. Total 120 pregnant women were included in the study, these pregnant women were selected according to their will in taking part in the study irrespective of age and parity. 2 ml of blood sample was collected and determination of antichlamydial IgM antibody was done by VIRCELL SL IgM ELISA Kit in microbiology department. Prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis in pregnant women were assessed and correlated with age group, parity, socioeconomic status, previous obstetric outcome, anaemia, PROM, mode of termination according to gestational age, perinatal outcome regards birthweight, and adverse neonatal outcome.Results: Out of 120 cases, total 70 (58.33%) were positive while the remaining 50 cases were negative. 80 cases were followed till delivery in which 66.25% were positive for antichlamydial IgM antibody. There was significant association of previous history of 2-3 abortion and preterm delivery with IgM positive cases. Low birth weight deliveries were 78% and very low birth weight was 100% in positive cases. Caesarean section at <37 weeks of gestation, IUGR and low APGAR score were significantly high in IgM positive group. 100% PROM cases were IgM positive.Conclusions: The prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis infection among pregnant women in our population is high and is strongly associated with premature rupture of membranes, IUGR, LBW, and low APGAR score deliveries

A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW ON VARIOUS LIPIDS AND TECHNIQUES USED IN FORMULATION OF SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES

Solid lipid nanopaticles (SLNs) emerged in early 1990s as a next-generation drug delivery system, an alternative to traditional colloidal carriers like liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, emulsions etc. Their size range is between 1 to 1000 nm and their biodegradable and bioacceptable nature make them less toxic and thus better suited to patients. SLNs have got potential applications in pharmaceutical field, cosmetics, clinical medicine and other allied sciences. Presently, formulation scientists have been focusing on SLNs as colloidal drug carriers for incorporating hydrophilic as well as lipophilic drugs. The ability to incorporate drugs into nanocarriers offers a new prototype in drug delivery which can be used for drug targeting. They hold great promise for reaching the goal of controlled and site specific drug delivery. Furthermore, SLNs have got advantage of being introduced in the body by oral, parenteral and topical routes. So the present review attempts to enlighten various lipids used in SLNs, manufacturing techniques as well as the potential applications through various routes for a variety of disorders. Furthermore, the manuscript also focuses on the fate of these lipids (constituents of SLNs) in the body and their way out (i.e. elimination)