FUTURISTIC SCPOPE OF BIOMARKERS IN TUBERCULOSIS

ABSTRACTOne of the major causes of the mortality from single infectious agent, tuberculosis (TB) is prevalent worldwide. India has the highest number of TBcases in the world. It is the leading cause of death, because of its high mortality and morbidity because of the disease. Reason lies in the emergenceof multidrug-resistant TB strains, and the HIV infection, which reactivates the latent TB making it more severe. Moreover, failure to diagnose TBearly remains one of the primary hurdles in controlling of the disease. TB is a potentially hazardous infectious disease attacks various organs, mainlyaffecting lungs. The bacteria causing TB are spread from one person to another. Tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes lead to thepassage of infection. The disease is generally diagnosed by its symptoms, radiographic methods, and sputum smear microscopy and by cultivation ofthe Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is considered as gold standard. Current advances in molecular biology and molecular epidemiology and a betterunderstanding of drug resistance in TB have given a new horizon to its rapid diagnosis. However, the cost-effective techniques, and their requirementfor sophisticated equipment and skilled personals have excluded their implementation on a routine basis, especially in low-income countries.Keywords: Biochemical markers, Tuberculosis, Microbiological tuberculosis

Preliminary Investigation of Beagle Dog as Substitute for Humans in Bioequivalence Studies

Purpose: To assess the suitability of beagle dog as an animal model for the evaluation of formulations in bioavailability and bioequivalence studies.Methods: A generic cetirizine 10 mg tablet formulation was compared with another reference formulation using beagle dog as animal model. A crossover oral comparative bioavailability study was conducted on cetirizine tablet 10 mg in healthy, male dogs under fasting conditions. The  formulations were administered orally with the aid of water. Serial blood samples were collected from pre-dose to 48.0 h post-dose and plasma concentrations of cetirizine were determined using validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analytical method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using  non-compartmental analysis while bioavailability was assessed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) model for humans and dogs.Results: Cetirizine plasma concentrations in dog were comparatively  higher, in relation to human plasma concentrations, due to the smaller blood volume in former. There was a delay in time to reach maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) in dog. Cetirizine formulations were found to be bioequivalent in either of the species (dog and human). The ratio (test\reference) of least-squares mean for area under plasma concentration curve from time zero to last detectable concentration (AUC0-t), area under plasma concentration curve extrapolated to infinity (AUC0-‡ ) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), calculated for the dogs were comparable to those for humans. AUC0-t, AUC0-‡ and Cmax ratios ranged within 92.81 - 106.80 % for dogs and 95.43 . 104.84 % for humansConclusion: The results suggest that beagle dogs can be used in place of humans in bioequivalence tests on generic products of cetirizine.Keywords: Cetirizine, Beagle dog, Bioavailability, Bioequivalence, Pharmacokinetics, Noncompartmenta

Rare Form of Crusted Scabies in Diabetes: A Case Report

Crusted scabies is an uncommon manifestation of parasitic infection caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. This variant of scabies is seen in various immunocompromised states. Uncontrolled diabetes is an immunocompromised state which is characterized by increased incidence of various infections, and rarely, may be associated with this rare crusted scabies, which may pose a real diagnostic challenge. A high index of suspicion is required for timely and correct diagnosis in the best interest of the patient and the public health point of view to prevent the spread of this highly contagious infestation

The story of a dying car in India: understanding the economic and materials flow of end-of-life vehicles

"This report summarises the results of two surveys and a number of field- based research missions carried out in the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) industry in Northern India. The research aims to present a clear picture of what happens to a vehicle in India at the end of its life-cycle. As a first step, a schematic materials flow has been developed through a participatory process with users, dismantlers, and recyclers. The study shows that the ELV industry consists of many different participants, who constantly interact with each other in a complex, interdependent process. The study provides a better understanding of the economics of the recycling of ELVs in India, as well as an insight into the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of the ELV handlers. The major focus of the study is the economic, environmental, and social challenges that emanate from a change in status quo. For the environmental issues, the report identifies a number of different individual vehicle parts as either waste (i.e., cannot be reused or recycled) or posing environmental danger (i.e., toxic to either humans or wildlife), according to the way they are currently treated by the informal sector. The report ends by presenting a series of recommendations on how to improve the resource efficiency of the ELV industry in India. It proposes a system to recognise and formalise the work of a currently largely informal sector, and ways for vehicle manufacturers to take responsibility for the products they release in the market.

Private Sector and Waste Management in Delhi: A Political Economy Perspective

Due to their size and rapid growth, large cities in developing countries are increasingly challenged by burgeoning waste generation. Waste management, however, has traditionally provided employment opportunities to the many urban poor in the informal sector. These traditional models, working largely in parallel with state?led interventions, are under pressure because they fail to address the waste management crisis. This failure, coupled with the lack of capacities of local governments, has paved the way for formal private sector participation. We examine the case of Delhi where a complex interplay of competing approaches have accompanied efforts of urban local bodies, civil society and the private sector (informal and formal) at finding a sustainable working solution. Our analysis of the complex relationship within the private sector players, and between private and public actors, provides novel insights into potential contribution of public–private partnerships for effective waste management in developing countries

A health care labyrinth: perspectives of caregivers on the journey to accessing timely cancer diagnosis and treatment for children in India.

BACKGROUND: Cure rates for children with cancer in India lag behind that of high-income countries. Various disease, treatment and socio-economic related factors contribute to this gap including barriers in timely access of diagnostic and therapeutic care. This study investigated barriers to accessing care from symptom onset to beginning of treatment, from perspectives of caregivers of children with cancer in India. METHODS: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers of children (< 18 years) diagnosed with cancer in seven tertiary care hospitals across New Delhi and Hyderabad. Purposive sampling to saturation was used to ensure adequate representation of the child's gender, age, cancer type, geographical location and socioeconomic status. Interviews were audio recorded after obtaining informed consent. Thematic content analysis was conducted and organised using NVivo 11. RESULTS: Thirty-nine caregivers were interviewed, where three key themes emerged from the narratives: time intervals to definitive diagnosis and treatment, the importance of social supportive care and the overall accumulative impacts of the journey. There were two phases encapsulating the experiences of the family: referral pathways taken to reach the hospital and after reaching the hospital. Most caregivers, especially those from distant geographical areas had variable and inconsistent referral pathways partly due to poor availability of specialist doctors and diagnostic facilities outside major cities, influence from family or friends, and long travel times. Upon reaching the hospital, families mostly from public hospitals faced challenges navigating the hospital facilities, finding accommodation, and comprehending the diagnosis and treatment pathway. Throughout both phases, financial constraint was a recurring issue amongst low-income families. The caregiver's knowledge and awareness of the disease and health system, religious and social factors were also common barriers. CONCLUSION: This qualitative study highlights and explores some of the barriers to childhood cancer care in India. Our findings show that referral pathways are intrinsically linked to the treatment experience and there should be better recognition of the financial and emotional challenges faced by the family that occur prior to definitive diagnosis and treatment. This information would help inform various stakeholders and contribute to improved interventions addressing these barriers

Integrative Genomic Analysis of Cholangiocarcinoma Identifies Distinct IDH -Mutant Molecular Profiles

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignancy of the bile ducts, with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Here, we describe the integrated analysis of somatic mutations, RNA expression, copy number, and DNA methylation by The Cancer Genome Atlas of a set of predominantly intrahepatic CCA cases and propose a molecular classification scheme. We identified an IDH mutant-enriched subtype with distinct molecular features including low expression of chromatin modifiers, elevated expression of mitochondrial genes, and increased mitochondrial DNA copy number. Leveraging the multi-platform data, we observed that ARID1A exhibited DNA hypermethylation and decreased expression in the IDH mutant subtype. More broadly, we found that IDH mutations are associated with an expanded histological spectrum of liver tumors with molecular features that stratify with CCA. Our studies reveal insights into the molecular pathogenesis and heterogeneity of cholangiocarcinoma and provide classification information of potential therapeutic significance

Customer characteristics, satisfaction, and repurchase intention

One area of services marketing which has remained relatively underdeveloped, is the nature of the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty, and the moderating influences on this relationship, despite the fact that loyalty is essential for service business survival (Reichheld, 1993). This paper reports research regarding the relationship between consumer satisfaction, repurchase intention, and demographic characteristics. A telephone survey was conducted of 500 city residents, focusing on their visitation of tourism special events. The study found support for the findings of some recent, non-Australian, non-services research studies, in that respondent demographics were found to moderate the relationship between satisfaction and repurchase behaviour (in this case, repurchase intention), in an Australian services context.<br /

Team Effectiveness: A Key to Success in ‘IT Organizations’

This study is an attempt is to examine the relationship between different characteristics which makes project teams effective and lead to the success of projects in IT organizations. A survey was conducted on 110 IT professionals who are part of various project teams in IT organizations. A correlation test is used to see the interdependence, and a linear regression model is used to establish a relationship in team effectiveness variables. The result shows that team purpose and goals, team roles, team processes and team relationships contribute to the team\u27s effectiveness and are interdependent. Team purpose & goals and team relationships are positively related. Team roles are also positively related to team processes. There is a need to build and maintain effective teams to maximize team productivity in the organization. This paper lays emphasis on the necessity of investing efforts in various team effectiveness dimensions, regarding team purpose and goals, team roles, team processes and team relationships for developing effective teams. Teamwork is an important lever to create a competitive edge in a globalized competitive environment, so this study contributes significantly to evaluating characteristics responsible for team effectiveness in IT organizations and would be useful for managers to create effective & resilient teams as workplace resilience has been considered an essential asset for enhancing performance and well-being in the face of challenging circumstances

Alleviation of Heavy Metal Stress in Plants and Remediation of Soil by Rhizosphere Microorganisms

Increasing concentration of heavy metals (HM) due to various anthropogenic activities is a serious problem. Plants are very much affected by HM pollution particularly in contaminated soils. Survival of plants becomes tough and its overall health under HM stress is impaired. Remediation of HM in contaminated soil is done by physical and chemical processes which are costly, time-consuming, and non-sustainable. Metal–microbe interaction is an emerging but under-utilized technology that can be exploited to reduce HM stress in plants. Several rhizosphere microorganisms are known to play essential role in the management of HM stresses in plants. They can accumulate, transform, or detoxify HM. In general, the benefit from these microbes can have a vast impact on plant’s health. Plant–microbe associations targeting HM stress may provide another dimension to existing phytoremediation and rhizoremediation uses. In this review, applied aspects and mechanisms of action of heavy metal tolerant-plant growth promoting (HMT-PGP) microbes in ensuring plant survival and growth in contaminated soils are discussed. The use of HMT-PGP microbes and their interaction with plants in remediation of contaminated soil can be the approach for the future. This low input and sustainable biotechnology can be of immense use/importance in reclaiming the HM contaminated soils, thus increasing the quality and yield of such soils