New distribution record of a rare taxa Gottschelia schizopleura (Spruce) Grolle, of Jungermanniales occurring in Anamudi shola National Park in the Western Ghats of Kerala

A rare liverwort Gottschelia schizopleura (Spruce) Grolle, of Jungermanniales is discovered from the Western Ghats of Kerala. A brief description with colour plate is provided

Porella perrottetiana (Porellaceae, Marchantiophyta) a species from the Western Ghats of Kerala

Porella perrottetiana Trev. is reported from the Western Ghats of Kerala. This is the first record of this species from Kerala

The genus Drepanolejeunea (Spruce) Schiffn. (Lejeuneaceae; Marchantiophyta) in the Western Ghats with special reference to Kerala

Diversity of the genus Drepanolejeunea (Spruce) Schiffn. of the family Lejeuneaceae in Kerala is discussed in detail. So far, 8 species have been reported from the Western Ghats, of which 6 occur in Kerala. This paper provides detailed descriptions of 5 of the species collected from Kerala during the present survey. Among these, Drepanolejeunea erecta (Steph.) Mizut. is new to the Western Ghats, D. fleischeri (Steph.) Grolle & Zhu, D. pentadactyla (Mont.) Steph. and D. ternatensis (Gottsche) Steph. are new records for Kerala

Diagnostic Accuracy of S100B Urinary Testing at Birth in Full-Term Asphyxiated Newborns to Predict Neonatal Death

BACKGROUND: Neonatal death in full-term infants who suffer from perinatal asphyxia (PA) is a major subject of investigation, since few tools exist to predict patients at risk of ominous outcome. We studied the possibility that urine S100B measurement may identify which PA-affected infants are at risk of early postnatal death. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a cross-sectional study between January 1, 2001 and December 1, 2006 we measured S100B protein in urine collected from term infants (n = 132), 60 of whom suffered PA. According to their outcome at 7 days, infants with PA were subsequently classified either as asphyxiated infants complicated by hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy with no ominous outcome (HIE Group; n = 48), or as newborns who died within the first post-natal week (Ominous Outcome Group; n = 12). Routine laboratory variables, cerebral ultrasound, neurological patterns and urine concentrations of S100B protein were determined at first urination and after 24, 48 and 96 hours. The severity of illness in the first 24 hours after birth was measured using the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology-Perinatal Extension (SNAP-PE). Urine S100B levels were higher from the first urination in the ominous outcome group than in healthy or HIE Groups (p<0.001 for all), and progressively increased. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant correlation between S100B concentrations and the occurrence of neonatal death. At a cut-off >1.0 microg/L S100B had a sensitivity/specificity of 100% for predicting neonatal death. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Increased S100B protein urine levels in term newborns suffering PA seem to suggest a higher risk of neonatal death for these infants

New national and regional bryophyte records, 59

Peer reviewe

العدد الاول المجلد السادس.doc

Abstract The present study is conducted to determine the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of free radical induced lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and the role of N-Acetyl-ß-Dglucosaminidase in 60 confirmed cases of urolithiasis. Significantly high level of MDA and NAG (p 0.05) with significantly low level of GPx (p 0.05) have been observed in serum of urolithiasis patients as compared to normal controls. There have been no correlation between the level of MDA and neither GPx nor NAG in serum of urolithiasis patients, and no correlation between serum NAG and GPx (p&gt;0.05). There has been no difference between male and female in the levels of serum MDA, GPx and NAG. In conclusion, it appears that a role of lipid peroxidation and oxidative function exist in the pathogenesis of urolithiasis, also the serum NAG has a role in urolithiais, but the exact mechanism is unknown. ‫ﺍﻟﺨﻼﺼﺔ

العدد الاول المجلد السادس.doc

Abstract This study was applied on fifty patients having urinary bladder cancer, proved by histopathological study for the biopsy taken from the bladder by cystoscopy performed under general anesthesia. In this study the type of cancer was transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder of different stages. In this study changes in malondieldehyde as biomarker of lipid peroxidationhave been studied the result revealed significant elevation in patient groups compared with control, and glutathione level (GSH) which considered as antioxidant defenses mechanism are significantly reduced in patients groups in comparison to control groups. The changes in level of trace elements copper and zinc are study in this work, the result revealed increase level of copper and reduced level of zinc in patients groups in comparism with control group

Increased maternal/fetal blood S100B levels following systemic endotoxin administration and periventricular white matter injury in preterm fetal sheep

Objective. Intrauterine infection is suggested to cause perinatal brain white matter injury. In the current study, we evaluated whether S100B, a brain damage marker, may be also assessed in maternal bloodstream after white matter injury induced by fetal intravenous application of lypopolisaccharide (LPS) endotoxin. Methods. Fourteen fetal sheeps were chronically catheterized at a mean gestational age of 107 days. Three days after surgery, fetuses (n = 7) received 500 ng of LPS or 2 mL 0.9% saline (n = 7) intravenously (IV). Lypopolisaccharide and placebo groups were monitored by continuous hemodynamic data recordings and at 6 predetermined time points (control value; 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after LPS/placebo administration) blood was drawn for laboratory parameters and S100B assessment. Brain damage was evaluated by light microscopy after Klüver-Barrera staining. Selected areas of the periventricular white matter were also examined by electron microscopy. Results. White matter injury was detected in all LPS-treated fetuses, whereas no abnormalities were seen in control animals or in LPS-treated mothers. Maternal and fetal S100B protein levels were significantly higher in the LPS group than in the control group at all monitoring time points (P &lt;.001). The highest fetal-maternal S100B levels were observed at 3-hour time-point (P &lt;.001). Conclusions. We found that S100B protein is increased in the maternal district in presence of fetal periventricular brain white matter injury induced by endotoxin. The present data offer additional support for S100B assessment in the maternal circulation in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine infection at risk of white matter injury. © 2009 The Author(s)