The "Investigating and translating genomic evidence for public health response to SARS-CoV-2 (INSIDE SARS-CoV-2)" project - Network of excellence. Commentary

The “Investigating and translating genomic evidence for public health response to SARS- CoV-2 (INSIDE SARS-CoV-2)” project is part of the initiative “Joint science and tech- nology cooperation call for joint project proposals for the years 2021-2023” promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Republic of India. To start the project activities, the pandemic response and the epidemiological situation in Italy and in India, together with the genomic surveillance strategies for SARS-CoV-2 virus in the two countries, are here described

HEMOPHAGOCYTOSIS SECONDARY TO PHARYNGEAL ABSCESS IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT (case report)

Background. Hemophagocytosis is a rare, potentially fatal disorder, comprising pancytopenia, liver dysfunction, hepatosplenomegaly, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperferritinemia presenting as fever, lympha­denopathy and skin rashes. Objective. To attract the clinicians’ attention to a problem of hemophagocytosis in Critical Care management. Methods. Hemophagocytosis secondary to pharyngeal abscess in a 58 year old male is being reported. Results. A 58-year-old immunocompetent patient presenting with hemophagocytosis secondary to pharyngeal abscess, was managed on ventilator and inotropic support, when he developed heathcare-associated urinary tract infection by Escherichia coli and ventilator-associated pneumonia by Acinetobacter baumanii. He developed neutropenic septic shock and multi-organ dysfunction and went through a downhill course leading to demise. Conclusions. Hemophagocytosis remains a sinister entity in modern intensive care despite astute clinical management. Secondary superinfections with opportunistic multidrug resistant pathogens are difficult to treat. A high index of clinical suspicion, aggressive diagnosis and prompt treatment for hemophagocytosis and polymicrobial opportunistic superinfections with multidrug-resistant healthcare-associated pathogens needs to be addressed upfront

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Not AvailableAn experiment was conducted at ICAR-CITH, Regional Station, Mukteshwar, Nainital, Uttarakhand in ten apple cultivars to assess the physico-chemical changes and shelf-life at ambient storage conditions for 49 days. The physiological loss in weight, TSS, reducing sugars, total sugars, non-reducing sugars and fruit decay percentage increased, while fruit firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content and organoleptic score decreased during storage in all cultivars. Cultivar Skyline Supreme exhibited lowest physiological loss in weight (7.77%), highest TSS (14.93 °B) and organoleptic score (7.19) than other apple cultivars. However, the cv. Red Chief exhibited highest ascorbic acid (12.32 mg/100 g), reducing sugars (8.89%) and total sugars (10.59%) and the cv. Bright-N-Early exhibited highest fruit firmness (8.18 lb/in2 ) and lowest fruit decay (5.05%) than other apple cultivars. Conclusively, Skyline Supreme, Red Chief and Bright-N-Early have better shelf-life than other apple cultivars under ambient storage conditions.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableAn experiment was conducted to evaluate the yield and physico-chemical performance of five kiwifruit cultivars viz., Monty, Hayward, Allison, Bruno and Abbott in the year 2016. The highest fruit yield (70.28 kg/tree), fruit length (71.73 mm), fruit weight (61.66 g) and fruit volume (60.41 cc) were recorded in cultivar Allison. The lowest fruit yield (25.12 kg/tree) and fruit length (52.20 mm) were recorded in Hayward, while lowest fruit weight (53.84 g) and fruit volume (52.70 cc) were estimated under Monty. The fruit firmness was found highest (7.53 lb/in2) in Hayward, while the lowest (2.37 lb/in2) in Monty. The highest T. S. S. (13.50 °B) was found in Allison, while lowest (11.67 °B) in Abbott, whereas highest acidity (2.39%) was recorded in Monty and lowest (1.89%) in Abbott. The highest ascorbic acid (110.47 mg/100 g), carotene content (354.33 µg/100 g) and total anti-oxidant activity (37.04 mMTE/L) was recorded in Bruno, while lowest ascorbic acid (89.52 mg/100 g) and total anti-oxidant activity (31.14 mMTE/L) were recorded in Hayward. The lowest carotene content (218.56 µg/100 g) was recorded in Monty. The highest reducing (7.04%) and total sugars (8.31%) were found in Monty, while lowest reducing (4.56%) and total sugars (5.10%) in Hayward. Therefore, Allison followed by Bruno cultivar of kiwifruit needs to be popularize in the region in view of yield and physicochemical performance.Not Availabl

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Yield and physico-chemical performance of different kiwifruit cultivars in Kumaon hills of UttarakhandAn experiment was conducted to evaluate the yield and physico-chemical performance of five kiwifruit cultivars viz., Monty, Hayward, Allison, Bruno and Abbott in the year 2016. The highest fruit yield (70.28 kg/tree), fruit length (71.73 mm), fruit weight (61.66 g) and fruit volume (60.41 cc) were recorded in cultivar Allison. The lowest fruit yield (25.12 kg/tree) and fruit length (52.20 mm) were recorded in Hayward, while lowest fruit weight (53.84 g) and fruit volume (52.70 cc) were estimated under Monty. The fruit firmness was found highest (7.53 lb/in2) in Hayward, while the lowest (2.37 lb/in2) in Monty. The highest T. S. S. (13.50 °B) was found in Allison, while lowest (11.67 °B) in Abbott, whereas highest acidity (2.39%) was recorded in Monty and lowest (1.89%) in Abbott. The highest ascorbic acid (110.47 mg/100 g), carotene content (354.33 μg/100 g) and total anti-oxidant activity (37.04 mMTE/L) was recorded in Bruno, while lowest ascorbic acid (89.52 mg/100 g) and total anti-oxidant activity (31.14 mMTE/L) were recorded in Hayward. The lowest carotene content (218.56 μg/100 g) was recorded in Monty. The highest reducing (7.04%) and total sugars (8.31%) were found in Monty, while lowest reducing (4.56%) and total sugars (5.10%) in Hayward. Therefore, Allison followed by Bruno cultivar of kiwifruit needs to be popularize in the region in view of yield and physicochemical performance.Not Availabl

ДИСЕМІНОВАНИЙ ГІСТОПЛАЗМОЗ ЯК ЕТІОЛОГІЧНИЙ ЧИННИК ГЕМОФАГОЦИТАРНОГО ЛІМФОГІСТІОЦИТОЗУ У ІМУНОКОМПЕТЕНТНОГО ПАЦІЄНТА (клінічний випадок)

Background: Emerging fungal infections can pose a serious threat in contemporary healthcare due to host variations, clinical presentation and emerging resistance. Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus, which acts as a Trojan horse by residing inside macrophages. Histoplasmosis is an emerging infection and its association with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in immunocompetent patients has been scantily reported in the literature. Objective. The aim of the study was to explore disseminated histoplasmosis with the help of case report. Methods: A case report of histoid leprosy is presented. Results: A male patient of 47 yearsof age, under treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for five years and diabetes mellitus Type-II for two years, presented with fever of unknown origin (FUO) with evidence of HLH in the bone marrow. Core biopsy of the liver and spleen showed a dense tissue infiltrate with vacuolated histiocytes containing histoplasma capsulatum, eosinophils, some lymphocytes and plasma cells. Conclusion: Histoid leprosy is a discrete infrequent form of multibacillary leprosy with distinctive clinical, bacteriological and histomorphological features. Histopathologic examination with modified fite stain remains the mainstay of diagnosis.Вступ. Зростання кількості та частоти грибкових інфекцій може становити серйозну загрозу сучасній системі охорони здоров’я через варіативність клінічного перебігу, симптомів та ознак захворювання, резистентність до лікування. Histoplasma capsulatum – це диморфний гриб, який поводиться як «троянський кінь» проникаючи всередину макрофагів. Гістоплазмоз – захворювання, що останнім часом все частіше діагностується, однак про його взаємозв’язок з гемофагоцитарним лімфогістіоцитозом у імунокомпетентних осіб надзвичайно мало інформації. Мета роботи на прикладі клінічного випадку дослідити перебіг дисемінованого гістоплазмозу.  Методи. Описано клінічний випадок гістоїдної лепри у пацієнта.  Результати. Чоловік, 47 років, котрий останніх п’ять років лікувався від ХОЗЛ та цукрового діабету другого типу, звернувся до лікаря зі скаргами на лихоманку невідомого генезу. Було діагностовано гемофагоцитарний лімфогістіоцитоз кісткового мозку. На препаратах печінки та селезінки посмертної біопсії органів знайдено щільний тканинний інфільтрат  з вакуолізованими гістіоцитами, які містили Histoplasma capsulatum, еозинофіли, невелику кількість лімфоцитів та плазмоцитів. Висновки. Гістоїдна лепра – рідкісна форма мультибацилярної лепри з характерними клінічними, бактеріологічними та гістомофологічними ознаками. Проведення гістологічного дослідження дозволяє діагностувати захворювання.&nbsp

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Physico-chemical characterization of wild apple (Malus baccata) in Kumaon hills of UttarakhandA survey was conducted in Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand (India) for evaluation of physico-chemical characteristics in wild apple (Malus baccata). During the survey, total five variants of wild apple were collected and assessed for their important physico-chemical traits. A considerable variability in physicochemical characteristics was observed among the variants. Majority of the variants are small (<2.5 m) to large (>5 m) in tree size, produces medium size (15-30 mm) fruits which are round to globose in shape, yellowish red to dark red in colour and mid (August-September) to late (October-November) in maturity. The highest leaf length (7.54 cm), leaf width (4.90 cm) and leaf area (64.69 cm2) were recorded in Collection- 4, while the lowest leaf length (6.10 cm) and leaf width (3.30 cm) were recorded in Collection-1. The highest fruit length (31.53 mm), fruit width (38.45 mm), fruit weight (28.15 g), total sugars (8.94%), reducing sugars (6.41%), total anti-oxidant activity (32.65 mMTE/L), seed length (7.32 mm), seed width (4.06 mm) and seed index (3.18 g) were recorded in the Collection-5, while lowest leaf area (48.64 cm2), fruit length (8.68 mm), fruit width (9.09 mm), fruit weight (0.45 g), total sugars (2.83%), carotene content (84.08 μg/100 g), total anti-oxidant activity (10.05 mMTE/L), seed length (4.59 mm), seed width (2.09 mm) and seed index (1.18 g) were recorded in Collection-2. The most of the physico-chemical characteristics were found superior in Collection-4 and Collection-5 as compared to other wild apple collections.Not Availabl

Laboratory preparedness for SARS-CoV-2 testing in India: Harnessing a network of Virus Research &amp; Diagnostic Laboratories

BACKGROUND &amp; OBJECTIVES: An outbreak of respiratory illness of unknown aetiology was reported from Hubei province of Wuhan, People's Republic of China, in December 2019. The outbreak was attributed to a novel coronavirus (CoV), named as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 and the disease as COVID-19. Within one month, cases were reported from 25 countries. In view of the novel viral strain with reported high morbidity, establishing early countrywide diagnosis to detect imported cases became critical. Here we describe the role of a countrywide network of VRDLs in early diagnosis of COVID-19. METHODS: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, established screening as well as confirmatory assays for SARS-CoV-2. A total of 13 VRDLs were provided with the E gene screening real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. VRDLs were selected on the basis of their presence near an international airport/seaport and their past performance. The case definition for testing included all individuals with travel history to Wuhan and symptomatic individuals with travel history to other parts of China. This was later expanded to include symptomatic individuals returning from Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea. RESULTS: Within a week of standardization of the test at NIV, all VRDLs could initiate testing for SARS-CoV-2. Till February 29, 2020, a total of 2,913 samples were tested. This included both 654 individuals quarantined in the two camps and others fitting within the case definition. The quarantined individuals were tested twice - at days 0 and 14. All tested negative on both occasions. Only three individuals belonging to different districts in Kerala were found to be positive. INTERPRETATION &amp; CONCLUSIONS: Sudden emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and its potential to cause a pandemic posed an unsurmountable challenge to the public health system of India. However, concerted efforts of various arms of the Government of India resulted in a well-coordinated action at each level. India has successfully demonstrated its ability to establish quick diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 at NIV, Pune, and the testing VRDLs