Role of immunoturbidimetric plasma fibrin D-dimer test in patients with coronary artery disease as well as ischemic heart disease in emergency medicine

The aim of the present was to assess the value of the ELISA D-dimer (hemostatic marker) assay in patients with coronary artery disease as well as ischemic heart disease presenting to the emergency department with chest pain syndrome. Methods: We measured levels of D-dimers (µg/ml by immunoturbidimetric assay) in 120 patients with angiographically proved CAD, consecutive outpatients with chest pain, arterial fibrillation, acute coronary syndromes and 240 age and sex matched healthy controls. Demographic characteristics were assessed by a standardized questionnaire, and a complete lipid profile was performed for all subjects. In addition to this inflammatory marker C- reactive protein was also measured. Result: The distribution of D-dimer levels skewed to the right, and plasma mean levels were higher in cases than in control (mean: 2.51±3.60 vs .41±.59 µg/ml; p<0.001). In contrast, correlation of D-dimer was found with C-reactive protein (p<0.001) and is higher in cases than controls. Conclusion: Plasma D-dimer levels are strongly and independently associated with the presence of CAD in patients with stable angina. These results support the concept of a contribution of intravascular fibrin to atherothrombogenesis

Effect of denture wearing on occurrence of fungal isolates in the oral cavity: a pilot study

Objectives: An attempt was made to evaluate effect of denture wearing on occurrence of fungal isolates in the oral cavity before and after complete denture insertion. Method: Twenty five completely edentulous patients were selected; swab samples were collected intraorally before fabrication of complete dentures from labial vestibular area and after complete denture fabrication (one and four days after denture insertion). Further these samples were inoculated and incubated. Results: In nineteen patients no isolate of fungus before denture insertion as well as 4 days after denture insertion was found. In two subject results were false positive (contamination from environment), and in four patients there was increase in growth but not much significant increase of growth of fungal isolates was seen (mild growth of fungus only after denture insertion). One of the major finding of this study was overall occurrence of fungal isolates (before and after denture insertion) in the oral cavity were not significant

Integrated management of late blight of potato

Late blight of potato is the major biotic constraint responsible for reduction in yield and quality of the pota-to crop. Globally, late blight is managed through application of multiple fungicidal chemical sprays affecting both human health and environment. Now a days, methods of biological control are gaining importance as these are non-toxic and also environment friendly. However, Phytophthora infestans multiplies very fast; therefore, biological con-trol method alone is not a viable option to manage late blight. Hence, integration of both methods is essential. Eleven treatments consisting of biocontrol agents and fungicides were evaluated against the late bight in three consecu-tive seasons (2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14) at ICAR-CPRIC, Modipuram. Meerut. The results revealed that the treat-ments ( T1 to T10) are effective for managing the disease up to certain level; however, lowest average disease se-verity (27.89%) was recorded in treatment when Bacillus subtilis (B5-0.25%) + Trichoderma viride (TV-0.7%) was applied before disease appearance followed by cymoxanil8+mancozeb 64%WP (0.3%) at onset of late blight and one more spray of B5+ TV after seven days. The next best treatment was application of B5+ TV before appearance of disease followed by metalaxyl 8+mancozeb 64%WP (0.25%) at onset of late blight and one more spray of B5+ TV against control (average disease severity 91.94%) with higher yield also except the treatment of three spray of mancozeb 75% WP (0.2%). These treatments could be integrated in farmer practices

Disease progression in Plasmodium knowlesi malaria is linked to variation in invasion gene family members.

Emerging pathogens undermine initiatives to control the global health impact of infectious diseases. Zoonotic malaria is no exception. Plasmodium knowlesi, a malaria parasite of Southeast Asian macaques, has entered the human population. P. knowlesi, like Plasmodium falciparum, can reach high parasitaemia in human infections, and the World Health Organization guidelines for severe malaria list hyperparasitaemia among the measures of severe malaria in both infections. Not all patients with P. knowlesi infections develop hyperparasitaemia, and it is important to determine why. Between isolate variability in erythrocyte invasion, efficiency seems key. Here we investigate the idea that particular alleles of two P. knowlesi erythrocyte invasion genes, P. knowlesi normocyte binding protein Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb, influence parasitaemia and human disease progression. Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb reference DNA sequences were generated from five geographically and temporally distinct P. knowlesi patient isolates. Polymorphic regions of each gene (approximately 800 bp) were identified by haplotyping 147 patient isolates at each locus. Parasitaemia in the study cohort was associated with markers of disease severity including liver and renal dysfunction, haemoglobin, platelets and lactate, (r = ≥ 0.34, p =  <0.0001 for all). Seventy-five and 51 Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb haplotypes were resolved in 138 (94%) and 134 (92%) patient isolates respectively. The haplotypes formed twelve Pknbpxa and two Pknbpxb allelic groups. Patients infected with parasites with particular Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb alleles within the groups had significantly higher parasitaemia and other markers of disease severity. Our study strongly suggests that P. knowlesi invasion gene variants contribute to parasite virulence. We focused on two invasion genes, and we anticipate that additional virulent loci will be identified in pathogen genome-wide studies. The multiple sustained entries of this diverse pathogen into the human population must give cause for concern to malaria elimination strategists in the Southeast Asian region

Expert\u27s Perception on Technology Transfer and Commercialization, and Intellectual Property Rights in India: Evidence from Selected Research Organizations

Technology transfer (TT) and commercialization is useful to develop new technology, innovation, device, design and product in manufacturing sector. TT and commercialization are essential drivers to create tech-based start-ups, entrepreneurship ecosystem, employment, new market, and increase output, productivity, efficiency and growth of manufacturing sector. However, TT and commercialization from research institutions to industries is relatively lower in developing economies as compared to developed countries. In these economies, researchers and scientists have insignificant understanding on intellectual property rights (IPRs) and its positive implication in manufacturing sector, and legal provision and procedures for utilization of IP protected technology in industrial filed. Therefore, this study provides the progress of IPRs in India during 2006–2007 to 2018–2019. Thereupon, it detects the opinion of 120 experts on TT and commercialization and IPRs. These experts were selected from 40 reputed research organizations of India. Research organizations were applying contractual agreements, licensing for limited time period, agreements with technology seekers and mutual contract for TT and commercialization in. Thus, this study claimed that most research organizations do not have a formal and uniform process for TT and commercialization. Appropriate estimation of economic values of existing technology and innovation are difficult in research organizations. Therefore, Indian research organizations could not nurture a conducive ecosystem to increase TT and commercialization, and business-oriented association with manufacturing firms. This study provides barriers of TT and commercialization in research organizations. Accordingly, several policy proposals were given to resolve existing issues in TT and commercialization, and IPRs in Indian research organizations

On the optical properties of Ag^{+15} ion-beam irradiated TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films

The effects of 200-MeV Ag^{+15} ion irradiation on the optical properties of TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films prepared by using the RF magnetron sputtering technique were investigated. These films were characterized by using UV-vis spectroscopy, and with increasing irradiation fluence, the transmittance for the TiO_{2} films was observed to increase systematically while that for SnO_{2} was observed to decrease. Absorption spectra of the irradiated samples showed minor changes in the indirect bandgap from 3.44 to 3.59 eV with increasing irradiation fluence for TiO_{2} while significant changes in the direct bandgap from 3.92 to 3.6 eV were observed for SnO_{2}. The observed modifications in the optical properties of both the TiO_{2} and the SnO_{2} systems with irradiation can be attributed to controlled structural disorder/defects in the system.Comment: 6 pages, ICAMD-201

Plasmodium knowlesi Genome Sequences from Clinical Isolates Reveal Extensive Genomic Dimorphism.

Plasmodium knowlesi is a newly described zoonosis that causes malaria in the human population that can be severe and fatal. The study of P. knowlesi parasites from human clinical isolates is relatively new and, in order to obtain maximum information from patient sample collections, we explored the possibility of generating P. knowlesi genome sequences from archived clinical isolates. Our patient sample collection consisted of frozen whole blood samples that contained excessive human DNA contamination and, in that form, were not suitable for parasite genome sequencing. We developed a method to reduce the amount of human DNA in the thawed blood samples in preparation for high throughput parasite genome sequencing using Illumina HiSeq and MiSeq sequencing platforms. Seven of fifteen samples processed had sufficiently pure P. knowlesi DNA for whole genome sequencing. The reads were mapped to the P. knowlesi H strain reference genome and an average mapping of 90% was obtained. Genes with low coverage were removed leaving 4623 genes for subsequent analyses. Previously we identified a DNA sequence dimorphism on a small fragment of the P. knowlesi normocyte binding protein xa gene on chromosome 14. We used the genome data to assemble full-length Pknbpxa sequences and discovered that the dimorphism extended along the gene. An in-house algorithm was developed to detect SNP sites co-associating with the dimorphism. More than half of the P. knowlesi genome was dimorphic, involving genes on all chromosomes and suggesting that two distinct types of P. knowlesi infect the human population in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. We use P. knowlesi clinical samples to demonstrate that Plasmodium DNA from archived patient samples can produce high quality genome data. We show that analyses, of even small numbers of difficult clinical malaria isolates, can generate comprehensive genomic information that will improve our understanding of malaria parasite diversity and pathobiology