Randomized control trial of low dose oral misoprostol compared with intracervical dinoprostone gel for cervical ripening

Background: Induction of labour is a therapeutic option when the benefits of delivery outweigh risks of continuing pregnancy. There are several agents for induction of labour to achieve better outcome of labour. Acceptable methods for induction are oxytocin infusion, dinoprostone gel, misoprostol and mechanical cervical dilators. Prostaglandins are the preferred choice in unripened cervix. Objective of this study was to compare efficacy, safety of low dose oral misoprostol compared with intracervical dinoprostone gel for cervical ripening.Methods: One hundred women with single live fetus, term gestation, cephalic presentation, reactive fetal heart pattern and Bishops score <6 were included in the study. They were randomized to receive either 6 doses of 25ug oral misoprostol every 3rd hourly or 0.5ug intracervical dinoprostone every 6th hourly for a maximum of 3 doses.Results: Bishops score improvement after 6,12,18 hours in both the groups was statistically insignificant. Induction delivery interval was11.96±5.88 for misoprostol and 10.95±4.58 in dinoprostone group with P value 0.341 which was statistically insignificant. Need for oxytocin augmentation was less (18%) in misoprostol group as compared to dinoprostone group (44%). Caesarean section rate was slightly higher in misoprostol group (26% vs 24%). Meconium stained amniotic fluid was high in misoprostol group (16%) compared to dinoprostone group (8%). Maternal complications were minimal and neonatal outcome was good in both the groups.Conclusions: Compared to dinoprostone; misoprostol is easy to store, cost effective, stable at room temperature, can be easily administered and had better patient compliance and acceptability. It was found to be a better cervical ripening agent with similar maternal and fetal safety profile

Neonatal outcome in randomized controlled trial of low dose oral misoprostol in comparison with intracervical Dinoprostone gel for labour induction

Background: Induction of labour is a therapeutic option when the benefits of delivery outweigh risks of continuing pregnancy. There are several agents for induction of labour to achieve better outcome of labour. Acceptable methods for induction are oxytocin infusion, dinoprostone gel, misoprostol and mechanical cervical dilators. Prostaglandins are the preferred choice in unripened cervix. To study the neonatal outcome in induction of labour with low dose oral misoprostol compared with intracervical dinoprostone gel and also to assess occurrence of meconium staining liquor.Methods: One hundred women with single live fetus, term gestation, cephalic presentation, reactive fetal heart pattern and Bishops score <6 were included in the study. They were randomized to receive either 6 doses of 25ug oral misoprostol every 3rd hourly or 0.5ug intracervical dinoprostone every 6th hourly for a maximum of 3 doses. Oxytocin was administered. Fetal outcome was assessed in terms of APGAR score, meconium staining and need for NICU.Results: Meconium stained amniotic fluid was high in misoprostol group (16%) compared to dinoprostone group (8%). NICU admissions were seen in 7 neonates in both groups.Conclusions: Low dose oral misoprostol is a safe method of labour induction. APGAR and NICU admission rates were comparable in both groups. Meconium staining was more in misoprostol group compared to dinoprostone group

Determination of the structure of the recombinant T = 1 capsid of Sesbania mosaic virus

The recombinant coat protein (CP) of Sesbania mosaic virus lacking segments of different lengths from the N-terminus expressed in E. coli was shown to selfassemble into a variety of distinct capsids encapsidating 23S rRNA from the host and CP mRNA in vivo. Particles with 60 copies (T = 1) of protein subunits were observed when protein lacking 65 amino acids from the N-terminus was expressed. This recombinant protein possesses the sequence corresponding to the S-domain of the native, T = 3 icosahedral particles but lacks the &#946;-annulus, the &#946;A strand (residues 67–70) and the arginine-rich ARM motif (residues 28–36). Purified T = 1 particles crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21 with cell parameters of a = 188.4 &#197;, b = 194.6&#197;, c = 272.1&#197; and &#946;=92.6°. The structure of the T = 1 particles was determined by X-ray diffraction at 3.0 &#197; resolution. As expected, the poly-peptide fold of the subunit closely resembles that of the S-domain of the native virus. The recombinant particles bind calcium ions in a manner indistinguishable from that of the native capsids. The structure reveals the major differences in the quaternary organization responsible for the formation of T = 1 against T = 3 particles

(5′S)-8,5′-Cyclo-2′-deoxyguanosine Is a Strong Block to Replication, a Potent pol V-Dependent Mutagenic Lesion, and Is Inefficiently Repaired in Escherichia coli

8,5′-Cyclopurines, making up an important class of ionizing radiation-induced tandem DNA damage, are repaired only by nucleotide excision repair (NER). They accumulate in NER-impaired cells, as in Cockayne syndrome group B and certain Xeroderma Pigmentosum patients. A plasmid containing (5′S)-8,5′-cyclo-2′-deoxyguanosine (S-cdG) was replicated in Escherichia coli with specific DNA polymerase knockouts. Viability was \u3c1% in the wild-type strain, which increased to 5.5% with SOS. Viability decreased further in a pol II- strain, whereas it increased considerably in a pol IV- strain. Remarkably, no progeny was recovered from a pol V- strain, indicating that pol V is absolutely required for bypassing S-cdG. Progeny analyses indicated that S-cdG is significantly mutagenic, inducing ∼34% mutation with SOS. Most mutations were S-cdG → A mutations, though S-cdG → T mutation and deletion of 5′C also occurred. Incisions of purified UvrABC nuclease on S-cdG, S-cdA, and C8-dG-AP on a duplex 51-mer showed that the incision rates are C8-dG-AP \u3e S-cdA \u3e S-cdG. In summary, S-cdG is a major block to DNA replication, highly mutagenic, and repaired slowly in E. coli

Chickpea

The narrow genetic base of cultivated chickpea warrants systematic collection, documentation and evaluation of chickpea germplasm and particularly wild Cicer species for effective and efficient use in chickpea breeding programmes. Limiting factors to crop production, possible solutions and ways to overcome them, importance of wild relatives and barriers to alien gene introgression and strategies to overcome them and traits for base broadening have been discussed. It has been clearly demonstrated that resistance to major biotic and abiotic stresses can be successfully introgressed from the primary gene pool comprising progenitor species. However, many desirable traits including high degree of resistance to multiple stresses that are present in the species belonging to secondary and tertiary gene pools can also be introgressed by using special techniques to overcome pre- and post-fertilization barriers. Besides resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses, the yield QTLs have also been introgressed from wild Cicer species to cultivated varieties. Status and importance of molecular markers, genome mapping and genomic tools for chickpea improvement are elaborated. Because of major genes for various biotic and abiotic stresses, the transfer of agronomically important traits into elite cultivars has been made easy and practical through marker-assisted selection and marker-assisted backcross. The usefulness of molecular markers such as SSR and SNP for the construction of high-density genetic maps of chickpea and for the identification of genes/QTLs for stress resistance, quality and yield contributing traits has also been discussed

Prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology on liquid-based cytology in women attending gynecology OPD at Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Background: Cervical cancer ranks fourth among all malignancies and it is the most common gynecological cancer in women worldwide. In India, cancer cervix is the most common gynecological cancer and accounts for about 1.8 per 100000 populations. Precancerous lesion of cervix precedes carcinoma cervix and can be picked up on cytology. Cervical cytology has proven itself to be the main weapon of defense against this disease and is been in use since 50 years. Objectives of this study are to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the women who had cervical cytology and to determine the prevalence of abnormal cervical smears on liquid-based cytology among women attending gynecology OPD at KIMS hospital and Research Centre.Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, KIMS Hospital and Research Centre. All data about the patient were recorded in a predetermined proforma. The cervical smear sample was collected using an endocervical brush and then immersed in a thin prep solution and was sent to cytopathology lab, Department of Pathology, KIMS Hospital and Research Centre for further processing using the EZIPREP technique.Results: The study included 100 cervical smears in total. Females ranged in age from 21 to 65 years. All cervical smears were evaluated. The current study found inflammatory smears, infectious and smears with epithelial cell abnormalities. The most common organism noted was Candida albicans. The age group with the highest prevalence of epithelial cell abnormality was 41-50years. The most common epithelial cell abnormality in the present study is Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.Conclusions: Out of the 100 LBC smears studied, the majority (67) of the smears studied were inflammatory. Epithelial cell abnormalities were found in 4 cases and the most common age group of epithelial abnormalities was the fifth decade

The complete primary structure of a unique mannose/glucose-specific lectin from field bean (Dolichos lab lab)

The complete amino acid sequence of two non-identical subunits of the glucose/mannose-specific lectin from Dolichos lab lab (field bean) has been determined by sequential Edman analyses of the intact subunits and peptides derived by enzymatic and chemical cleavage. Peptides were purified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography and ion pair chromatography. The D. lab lab lectin is a glycoprotein having two polypeptide chains of 132 and 105 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of the D. lab lab lectin is compared with the various lectins of the family Leguminosae. The D. lab lab lectin is the only species of the tribe Phaseoleae that contains two nonidentical subunits of almost equal size and that shows a specificity to glucose/mannose. The lectin shows a greater homology to the glucose/mannose-specific lectins, especially concanavalin A. The unique subunit architecture of the D. lab lab lectin indicates the presence of new post-translational cleavage sites

Complete genomic sequence of Pepper vein banding virus (PVBV): a distinct member of the genus Potyvirus

The complete genomic sequence of Pepper vein banding virus (PVBV), a potyvirus infecting chilli and other solanaceous plants in south India, was determined and compared with those of other potyviruses. The viral genome contained 9711 nucleotides, excluding the poly-A tail. The length of the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions (UTR) were 163 and 281 nucleotides respectively. As for other potyviruses, the PVBV genome has a single open reading frame (ORF) starting at nucleotide 164 and ending at nt 9430, which encodes a polyprotein of 3088 amino acid residues. There are nine putative conserved cleavage sites within the polyprotein, which can result in ten functionally distinct protein products. Phylogenetic analysis of the potyviral polyprotein sequences showed that PVBV is a distinct species of this genus

Crystal structure of 3′-(1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-1′-methyl-2-oxo-4′-(4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)spiro[indoline-3,2′-pyrrolidine]-3′-carbonitrile

In the title compound, C31H22N4O4, the pyrrolidine ring adopts a twist conformation on the N—CH2 bond. The indolin-2-one and the 1H-indole rings are nearly planar (r.m.s. deviations = 0.06 and 0.011 Å, respectively) and are inclined to one another by 34.19 (9)°. The chromene ring system is also nearly planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.029 Å). It is almost normal to the 1H-indole ring system, with a dihedral angle of 88.71 (8)°, and is inclined to the indolin-2-one ring system by 72.76 (8)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked via N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming slabs parallel to (10-1). The slabs are linked by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional structure