Efficacy of Vitamin C and Vitamin E as an add on therapy in diabetic foot ulcer and red blood cell morphology as a biomarker of oxidative stress: a randomized, open label, comparative pilot study

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major cause of increased morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Foot ulcer is one of the long term complications of diabetes. Oxidative stress plays a major role in pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and its long term complications. Impaired wound healing in diabetic individuals is due to ischemia and hypoxia occurring as a consequence of oxidative stress. Vitamin C and E have antioxidant property. This study aims to assess their efficacy in healing of diabetic ulcer. Objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of Vitamin C and E in healing diabetic foot ulcer.Methods: 60 adult patients with diabetic foot ulcer were randomized to test and control groups (30 in each). Treatment period was 12 weeks + 4 weeks follow up per patient. After obtaining written informed consent, patients in test group received Vitamin C (500mg BD) and Vitamin E (400mg BD) for 12 weeks along with standard treatment for diabetes and antibiotics for foot ulcer.Results: At the end of 12 weeks, increase in healing of foot ulcer assessed by percent reduction of ulcer area in study group 72.50% than control group 39.67% (p<0.001) was observed. There was a significant reduction of fasting blood glucose, Oxidative stress induced damage to RBCs and BP in the study group compared to control group. No serious adverse effects occurred.Conclusions: Vitamin C and E reverse oxidative stress induced morphological changes in RBCs, improve anemia and increase blood flow to ulcer area. Hence they are highly effective in healing diabetic foot ulcer along with standard therapy.

A stochastic frontier and corrected Ordinary Least Square models of determining technical efficiency of canal irrigated paddy farms in Tamil Nadu

A comparative study between Stochastic frontier production function and corrected Ordinary Least Square (OLS) were estimated to determine technical efficiency in paddy production. Further, the study has assessed the effect of farm specific socio economic factors affecting the technical efficiency. This study was conducted in Cauvery delta zone of seven taluks about canal irrigation. The number of farmers in canal irrigated region about 109 from seven taluks is considered. The data were obtained from the cost of cultivation scheme of Tamil Nadu centre. The results of Cobb Douglas stochastic production function indicated that fertilizer, seed, pesticide and machine hours significantly influenced yield of paddy. The results also indicated that it will be highly profitable to increase the use of seed, and need to rationalize the labour use and pesticide usage. The effect of qualitative variable namely age and education of the farmer would indicate that the older farmers technical efficiency become less compared to the younger farmer, and also implying that investments on human capital take away their participation from agriculture. As a comparative study in general, COLS produced the lowest mean technical efficiency with 85 percent while the Stochastic frontier analysis produced the highest mean technical efficiency with 90 per cent

Complete breakdown of the Debye model of rotational relaxation near the isotropic-nematic phase boundary: Effects of intermolecular correlations in orientational dynamics

The Debye-Stokes-Einstein (DSE) model of rotational diffusion predicts that the rotational correlation times $\tau_{l}$ vary as $[l(l+1)]^{-1}$, where $l$ is the rank of the orientational correlation function (given in terms of the Legendre polynomial of rank $l$). One often finds significant deviation from this prediction, in either direction. In supercooled molecular liquids where the ratio $\tau_{1}/\tau_{2}$ falls considerably below three (the Debye limit), one usually invokes a jump diffusion model to explain the approach of the ratio $\tau_{1}/\tau_{2}$ to unity. Here we show in a computer simulation study of a standard model system for thermotropic liquid crystals that this ratio becomes much less than unity as the isotropic-nematic phase boundary is approached from the isotropic side. Simultaneously, the ratio $\tau_2/\eta$ (where $\eta$ is the shear viscosity of the liquid) becomes {\it much larger} than hydrodynamic value near the I-N transition. We have also analyzed the break down of the Debye model of rotational diffusion in ratios of higher order rotational correlation times. We show that the break down of the DSE model is due to the growth of orientational pair correlation and provide a mode coupling theory analysis to explain the results.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review

Fatty acid desaturase-2 (ahFAD2) mutant alleles in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) pre-breeding lines: an insight into the source, features, discourse, and selection of novel pre-breeding lines

High oleic peanuts and derived food products offer longer shelf life benefits to the food processing industry in addition to multiple health benefits to the consumers. The two mutant alleles, ahFAD2A and ahFAD2B control composition of oleic, linoleic and palmitic acid content in peanut. A total of 563 peanut pre-breeding lines were tested for the presence ahFAD2A and ahFAD2B mutant alleles using allele specific markers. The ahFAD2A mutant allele was present in 82 lines, while none of these lines had ahFAD2B mutant allele. Among botanical types, ahFAD2A mutant allele was more frequent in lines with Virginia growth habit than Spanish bunch although no correlation of ahFAD2A mutant allele with high oleic acid content and growth habit could be established. Oleic and linoleic acid content in 82 prebreeding lines ranged from 39.70 to 62.70% and 17.76 to 31.95%, respectively, with maximum oleic to linoleic acid ratio of 4. Oleic acid was found to be negatively correlated with linoleic and palmitic acid. Further, pre-breeding lines with ahFAD2A mutant allele, high oleic content and high oleic to linoleic ratio were investigated and novel lines were identified for resistance to late leaf spot, short duration, higher pod yield and other yield related traits. These novel pre-breeding lines can be used as a potential donor in peanut improvement programme and to diversify the primary gene pool including initiating further research on induction of fresh ahFAD2B mutant allele

Incidence and effects of Varicella Zoster Virus infection on academic activities of medical undergraduates - a five-year follow-up study from Sri Lanka

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The adult population in Sri Lanka is having high level of susceptibility for Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) infection. Among medical undergraduates, 47% are VZV seronegative. The purpose of the present study was to determine the incidence of VZV infection in medical undergraduates in Sri Lanka, and to describe the effects of VZV infection on their academic activities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective cohort of medical undergraduates' susceptible for VZV infection was selected from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Data on the incidence of VZV infection (Chickenpox) during their undergraduate period was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. A second questionnaire was administered to collect data on the details of VZV infection and the impact of it on their academic activities. VZV incidence rate was calculated as the number of infections per 1,000 person years of exposure. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the impact of VZV infection on academic activities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of the 172 susceptible cohort, 153 medical undergraduates were followed up. 47 students reported VZV infection during the follow up period and 43 of them participated in the study. The cumulative incidence of VZV infection during the period of five and half years of medical training was 30.7%. Incidence density of VZV infection among medical undergraduates in this cohort was 65.1 per 1,000 person years of follow-up. A total of 377 working days were lost by 43 students due to the VZV infection, averaging 8.8 days per undergraduate. Total academic losses for the study cohort were; 205 lectures, 17 practicals, 13 dissection sessions, 11 tutorials, 124 days of clinical training and 107 days of professorial clinical appointments. According to their perception they lost 1,927 study hours due to the illness (Median 50 hours per undergraduate).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The incidence of VZV infection among Sri Lankan medical undergraduates is very high and the impact of this infection on academic activities causes severe disruption of their undergraduate life. VZV immunization for susceptible new entrant medical undergraduates is recommended.</p

Assessment of trace metal contamination in a historical freshwater canal (Buckingham Canal), Chennai, India

The present study was done to assess the sources and the major processes controlling the trace metal distribution in sediments of Buckingham Canal. Based on the observed geochemical variations, the sediments are grouped as South Buckingham Canal and North Buckingham Canal sediments (SBC and NBC, respectively). SBC sediments show enrichment in Fe, Ti, Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and As concentrations, while NBC sediments show enrichment in Sn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Hg. The calculated Chemical Index of Alteration and Chemical Index of Weathering values for all the sediments are relatively higher than the North American Shale Composite and Upper Continental Crust but similar to Post-Archaean Average Shale, and suggest a source area with moderate weathering. Overall, SBC sediments are highly enriched in Mo, Zn, Cu, and Hg (geoaccumulation index (Igeo) class 4– 6), whereas NBC sediments are enriched in Sn, Cu,Zn, and Hg (Igeo class 4–6). Cu, Ni, and Cr show higher than Effects-Range Median values and hence the biological adverse effect of these metals is 20%; Zn, which accounts for 50%, in the NBC sediments, has a more biological adverse effect than other metalsfound in these sediments. The calculated Igeo, Enrichment Factor, and Contamination Factor values indicate that Mo, Hg, Sn, Cu, and Zn are highly enriched in the Buckingham Canal sediments, suggesting the rapid urban and industrial development of Chennai MetropolitanCity have negatively influenced on the surrounding aquatic ecosystem

Determinants of leptospirosis in Sri Lanka: Study Protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Leptospirosis is becoming a major public health threat in Sri Lanka as well as in other countries. We designed a case control study to determine the factors associated with local transmission of leptospirosis in Sri Lanka, in order to identify major modifiable determinants of leptospirosis. The purpose of this paper is to describe the study protocol in detail prior to the publishing of the study results, so that the readership will be able to understand and interpret the study results effectively.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A hospital based partially matched case control design is proposed. The study will be conducted in three selected leptospirosis endemic districts in central Sri Lanka. Case selection will include screening all acute fever patients admitted to selected wards to select probable cases of leptospirosis and case confirmation using an array of standard laboratory criteria. Age and sex matched group of acute fever patients with other confirmed diagnosis will be used as controls. Case to control ratio will be 1:2. A minimum sample of 144 cases is required to detect 20% exposure with 95% two sided confidence level and 80% power. A pre tested interviewer administered structured questionnaire will be used to collect data from participants. Variables included in the proposed study will be evaluated using conceptual hierarch of variables in three levels; Exposure variables as proximal; reservoir and environmental variables as intermediate; socio-demographic variables as distal. This conceptual hierarch hypothesised that the distal and intermediate variables are mediated through the proximal variables but not directly. A logistic regression model will be used to analyse the probable determinants of leptospirosis. This model will evaluate the effect of same level and upper level variables on the outcome leptospirosis, using three blocks.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The present national control programme of leptospirosis is hampered by lack of baseline data on leptospirosis disease transmission. The present study will be able to provide these essential information for formulation of better control strategies.</p

Improving oil quality by altering levels of fatty acids through marker-assisted selection of ahfad2 alleles in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Peanut plays a key role to the livelihood of millions in the world especially in Arid and Semi-Arid regions. Peanut with high oleic acid content aids to increase shelf-life of peanut oil as well as food products and extends major health benefits to the consumers. In peanut, ahFAD2 gene controls quantity of two major fatty acids viz, oleic and linoleic acids. These two fatty acids together with palmitic acid constitute 90% fat composition in peanut and regulate the quality of peanut oil. Here, two ahfad2 alleles from SunOleic 95R were introgressed into ICGV 05141 using marker-assisted selection. Marker-assisted breeding effectively increased oleic acid and oleic to linoleic acid ratio in recombinant lines up to 44% and 30%, respectively as compared to ICGV 05141. In addition to improved oil quality, the recombinant lines also had superiority in pod yield together with desired pod/seed attributes. Realizing the health benefits and ever increasing demand in domestic and international market, the high oleic peanut recombinant lines will certainly boost the economical benefits to the Indian farmers in addition to ensuring availability of high oleic peanuts to the traders and industry