Participatory Governance Reform In West Bengal: Policy Agendas and Local Responses

This research study adopted the vision articulated by Evans (2008) that successful implementation of development goals as envisaged by the MDGs or SDGs necessitates creation of more effective State-society linkages by the twenty-first century State. Evans highlights the importance of creating or re-structuring governance structures at the grassroots, leading to substantive citizens’ participation in the developmental processes of the State. Based on this theoretical location, this research seeks to understand the factors which shape the opportunities for ‘effective’ people’s participation in local governance structures under different political regimes, and also identify the conditions, possibilities and limitations for forging more effective State-society linkages. Several initiatives of decentralised state reforms were undertaken in the Indian State of West Bengal by a three-decade long Left regime, that was replaced by a populist right wing regime in 2011. Some of these initiatives were ideology-driven, while some were launched with financial assistance from international donor agencies, making West Bengal a strategic case to look at the factors connecting global discourses with the complex power relations operating in developing country contexts. This research therefore, specifically asks questions about the actors and the motives driving the ‘participatory agenda’ at various levels, how this agenda is shaped by changing political conditions and the effects of policy prescriptions on the decentralised governance structures, based on the case of West Bengal. This research draws together a number of different sources to investigate these questions: government and party documents, interviews with senior civil servants and politicians responsible for setting the agenda for state reforms, and detailed insights into their operation gained through extensive field visits and interviews within five Gram Panchayats (village councils) in Bankura District. Together, these provide an understanding of the longer-term impact of state reform on spaces for popular participation. The thesis highlights the motivations and ideologies of political leaders, the role of bureaucratic elites, and that of global discourses in shaping governance practices. It contributes to the academic literature on building effective participation, arguing for a careful analysis of the interests shaping processes of institutional reform and of their effects on state-society relations

Analysis of the applicative potential of pigments extracted from bacterial isolates of mangrove soil as topical UV protectants

Antioxidant, antibacterial and UV protective activities of two pigments extracted from mangrove soil isolates were analysed for their applications as ingredients in sunscreen formulations. Through biochemical characterization, the isolates were tentatively identified as belonging to the Flavobacterium sp. and Brevibacterium sp. UV visible spectral characterization of the pigments indicated presence of carotenoids. The orange pigment exhibited Sun Protection factor (SPF) value of 5.3 while the yellow pigment SPF was found to be 2.60. Both isolates as well as their pigments revealed tolerance to UVA-B radiation and to UVC radiation, to comparatively lesser extent. Yellow pigment exhibited good antibacterial activity with maximum effect on Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium diptheriae and Staphylococcus aureus. Both pigments were capable of reducing DPPH radical with % DPPH inhibition of 52.36% (orange pigment) and 40.1% (yellow pigment). These findings suggest that both pigments show promise of making excellent natural components of cosmetic formulations, especially sunscreens

Comparative Study of Modified Quantitative Buffy Coat and Two Rapid Tests in Comparison with Peripheral Blood Smear in Malaria Diagnosis in Mumbai, India

In order to identify a quick and reliable technique for accurate diagnosis of malaria, study of the efficiency of the tests such as Parahit total (HRPII & aldolase Ag), Advantage mal card (parasite specific LDH), and modified QBC was done in comparison with conventional blood smear microscopy. One hundred patients infected with P. vivax and 101 infected with P. falciparum were included in this study. The sensitivity of Parahit total, Advantage mal card, and modified QBC for P. falciparum detection was 70.3, 95%, and 98%, and specificity was 98%, 98%, and 96%, respectively. The sensitivity of Parahit total, Advantage mal card, and modified QBC for P. vivax detection was 73%, 97.0%, and 98%, respectively, and specificity of all the tests was 98%. On day 15, in falciparum arm, Advantage mal card and Parahit total showed 8 (7.92%) and 59 (58.41%) false positives. On day 15, in vivax arm, Parahit total revealed 52% false positives. The study indicated that modified QBC could be only used where appropriate facilities are available. Advantage mal card was a better follow-up tool than Parahit total

Quantification of phenolic content from stem-bark and root of Hugonia mystax Linn. using RP-HPLC

Hugonia mystax Linn. a woody evergreen plant locally known as Modirakanni has been used in primary health care by tribals from Tiruvannamalai hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Ethnobotanically, the plant parts are used for rheumatism, skin diseases and inflammation. However, there is no data on active phytoconstituents in stem-bark and root mainly contributing to biological activities. In the present study an attempt has been made to quantify plant phenolics from aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of stem-bark and root of H. mystax. The extracts were also evaluated for their free radical scavenging potential. Quantitative determination of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of plant extracts were carried out using colorimetric methods. Quantitative determination of individual phenolic compounds such as gallic acid, catechol, caffeic acid, vanillin, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid in stem-bark and roots extracts were analyzed using RP-HPLC. The highest phenolic content was found in ethanol extract of root (262.2 ± 0.96 μg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/mg of dry plant material), whereas, the highest amount of flavonoids content was found in aqueous extract of root (18.06 ± 1.25 μg of quercetin equivalent (QE)/mg of dry plant material). Q. The highest amount of phenolic acid present was p-coumaric acid (3.775 mg/g of dry plant material) in methanol extract of stem-bark. All the solvent extracts of stem-bark and root have shown the presence of p-coumaric acid. Methanol extracts of stem-bark and root with IC50 values of 175.48 ± 2.14 μg/ml and 169.15 ± 1.10 μg/ml respectively, show potent free radical scavenging activity. In conclusion it can be said that, the plant is rich in phenolics and the major component p-coumaric acid may probably be responsible for the traditional claims of its biological activities. However, the mechanism of action of the active plant extracts needs to be investigated at the molecular level. Keywords: Hugonia mystax, Reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography, Total phenolic content, Total flavonoid conten

Increased activity of goat liver plasma membrane alkaline phosphatase upon release by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C

263-270Mammalian alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is attached to the plasma membrane by a unique glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The influence of such a complex anchoring device on the enzyme function is not fully understood. Here, we report the effect of cleavage of the GPI anchor on the activity of goat liver plasma membrane ALP (GLPM-ALP). Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) purified from Bacillus cereus was used for the cleavage of the GPI anchor (delipidation) and hence for release of ALP from the membrane. Detergents — octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (OG) and triton X100 (TX100) were also used for solubilization of ALP from the membrane. Resistance to solubilization by TX100 suggested the association of GPI-ALP with lipid rafts. Solubilization of GLPM-ALP with OG had no effect on the enzyme activity; however, delipidation with PI-PLC resulted in enhanced ALP activity. Kinetic analysis showed catalytic activation of PI-PLC-treated GLPM-ALP with an increase in Vmax (35%) without a significant change in Km. Moreover, this change in Vmax was observed to be independent of pH and buffer. The results suggested the implication of GPI anchor in modulating the catalytic property of GLPM-ALP, thus indicating the role of this special anchoring structure in the enzyme regulation

Deuterium oxide promotes assembly and bundling of FtsZ protofilaments

The assembly and bundling of FtsZ protofilaments play an important role during bacterial cell division. Deuterium oxide (D2O) is known to have strong stabilization effects on the assembly dynamics of several proteins including tubulin, a homologue of FtsZ. Here, we found that D2O enhanced the light-scattering intensity of the assembly reaction, increased sedimentable polymer mass, and induced bundling of FtsZ protofilaments. D2O also increased the stability of FtsZ polymers under challenged GTP conditions and suppressed dilution-induced disassembly of protofilaments. D2O enhances the assembly parameters of FtsZ and microtubules albeit differently. For example, D2O induced bundling of FtsZ protofilaments, whereas it did not induce bundling of microtubules in vitro. In addition, D2O strongly suppressed the GTP hydrolysis rate of microtubules, but it had no effect on the initial rate of GTP hydrolysis of the FtsZ assembly. D2O (80%) also increased the helical content of FtsZ by 25% compared to the helical content of FtsZ in aqueous buffer. D2O was shown to reduce the binding of 4,4'-dianilino-1,1'-binaphthyl-5,5'-disulfonic acid (bis-ANS) to tubulin. In contrast, we found that D2O strongly enhanced the binding of bis-ANS to FtsZ. The results indicated that D2O promotes assembly and bundling of FtsZ protofilaments by increasing hydrophobic interactions between the protofilaments. The results also suggest that the phosphate release rather than the on-site GTP hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step of the GTP turnover reaction

Comparative study of modified quantitative buffy coat and two rapid tests in comparison with peripheral blood smear in malaria diagnosis

In order to identify a quick and reliable technique for accurate diagnosis of malaria, study of the efficiency of the tests such as Parahit total (HRPII & aldolase Ag), Advantage mal card (parasite specific LDH), and modified QBC was done in comparison with conventional blood smear microscopy. One hundred patients infected with P. vivax and 101 infected with P. falciparum were included in this study. The sensitivity of Parahit total, Advantage mal card, and modified QBC for P. falciparum detection was 70.3, 95%, and 98%, and specificity was 98%, 98%, and 96%, respectively. The sensitivity of Parahit total, Advantage mal card, and modified QBC for P. vivax detection was 73%, 97.0%, and 98%, respectively, and specificity of all the tests was 98%. On day 15, in falciparum arm, Advantage mal card and Parahit total showed 8 (7.92%) and 59 (58.41%) false positives. On day 15, in vivax arm, Parahit total revealed 52% false positives. The study indicated that modified QBC could be only used where appropriate facilities are available. Advantage mal card was a better follow-up tool than Parahit total

Screening of natural phenolic compounds for potential to inhibit bacterial cell division protein FtsZ

783-787FtsZ plays an important role in bacterial cell division by polymerizing to form the Z ring at the site of cytokinesis. Phytochemicals are known to disrupt bacterial cell division through inhibition of FtsZ assembly. In the present study phytochemicals like eugenol, trans-cinnamic acid, 4-formyl cinnamic acid, naringenin and caffeic acid were were tested for their potential to inhibit cell division. Effect of these antimicrobial compounds on the growth of E. coli was determined and the inhibition of FtsZ assembly in vitro was investigated. The present study revealed trans-cinnamic acid as the most potent inhibitor of FtsZ assembly