Investigation into Travel Modes for Transit Oriented Development: Employees' Travel Survey of Kelvin Grove Urban Village

Travel surveys were conducted for collecting data related to visitors travel to Kelvin Grove Urban Village (KGUV). KGUV has employees of retail shopping centre, employees of educational land use, school and university students and shoppers as visitors of this area. As a part of data collection process a travel surveys was undertaken for employees and students of KGUV. This document contains the questionnaire form used to collect the data related to employee travel. Similar questions were asked to the students of KGUV. The instructions given for filling out the survey were not included in the actual questionnaire form as internet based surveys were undertaken. This form was used for personal interviews and Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) surveys undertaken for employees of the retail shopping centre

A STUDY ON ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-AGING PROPERTIES OF FEW MEDICINAL PLANTS

Objective: The present study was undertaken to appraise the antioxidant and antiaging properties of some important medicinal plants like Syzygium cumini L. (Jamun, the Indian Blackberry), Tinospora cordifolia L. (Giloy) and Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Methi).Methods: The methanolic extracts of these plants were prepared, incubated with Pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells and total antioxidant potential of these plants was determined by 2, 2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay. Lipid peroxidation assay was also performed to compare the free radical generating potential of these plants. Lipofuscin estimation was done in methanolic extracts of these plants to check which extract can reduce the lipofuscin accumulation in cells which is an anti-aging parameter.Results: The highest inhibition of DPPH radical and ferric reducing ability (FRAP assay) was observed in methanolic extract of Syzygium cumini leaves followed by Trigonella foenum-graecum leaves and lowest inhibition was shown by Tinospora cordifolia leaf extracts. Lipid peroxidation assay done by determining the amount of Malondialdehyde(MDA) formed and highest levels of MDA was produced by Tinospora cordifolia leaf extracts followed by Trigonella foenum-graecum leaf extracts and lowest values were obtained were from Syzygium cumini leaf extracts. The anti-aging parameter which is a determination of lipofuscin pigments in PC-12 cells treated with methanolic extracts of different plants was also examined. Highest accumulation of lipofuscin pigment was observed in cells treated with Tinospora cordifolia leaf extracts followed by Trigonella foenum-graecum leaf extracts and lowest values were obtained were from Syzygium cumini leaf extracts.Conclusion: The results of these findings revealed that the plants which have highest antioxidant potential could be a potent source of anti-aging drugs.Â

A clinico-pathological study of lichenoid tissue reactions/interface dermatitis

Background: Lichenoid tissue reaction/Interface dermatitis (LTR/ID) refers to a number of clinically diverse, poorly understood and relatively uncommon inflammatory skin diseases. This study was done to understand the histopathological features of lichenoid tissue reactions in skin biopsies and to assess the concordance and disparity between the clinical and histopathological diagnosis of variants of the same.Methods: It was a 3½ years study from January 2014 to June 2017 in the department of Pathology, KIMS, Hubballi. The present study included skin biopsies of clinically diagnosed and suspected cases and histologically diagnosed cases of LTRs. Skin biopsies received were routinely paraffin processed and H&E stained to study the microscopic features.Results: Out of 166 skin biopsies studied, 148 were histologically confirmed as LTR with majority being of lichen planus (LP) (91.22%). Classical lichen planus was the most common variant of lichen planus among lichen planus cases. Male:female ratio was 1.2:1. Clinico-pathological concordance was seen in 88.55% of the cases.Conclusions: Though definite diagnosis can be made on histopathological examination, size of specimen, site of biopsy, nature and depth of biopsy, quality of sections, treatment history and inter-observer variation (both clinically and histologically) should be kept in mind which may lead to clinicopathological discordance

Unprecedented climate events: Historical changes, aspirational targets, and national commitments

The United Nations Paris Agreement creates a specific need to compare consequences of cumulative emissions for pledged national commitments and aspirational targets of 1.5° to 2°C global warming. We find that humans have already increased the probability of historically unprecedented hot, warm, wet, and dry extremes, including over 50 to 90% of North America, Europe, and East Asia. Emissions consistent with national commitments are likely to cause substantial and widespread additional increases, including more than fivefold for warmest night over ~50% of Europe and >25% of East Asia and more than threefold for wettest days over >35% of North America, Europe, and East Asia. In contrast, meeting aspirational targets to keep global warming below 2°C reduces the area experiencing more than threefold increases to 90% of North America, Europe, East Asia, and much of the tropics—still exhibit sizable increases in the probability of record-setting hot, wet, and/or dry events

MICROALBUMINURIA – A RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN DIABETIC POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Introduction: Diabetes is one of the common metabolic disorders. Microalbuminuria (MA) is usually estimated in diabetic patients and patients withrisk of renal problems.Objective: Our aim is to study the occurrence of MA in both apparently normal and diabetic postmenopausal women and to find out the relationshipbetween MA and cardiovascular risk factors.Methods: This study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Puducherry, for a period of 6 months. Serum and urine samples were taken from 50apparently normal postmenopausal women and 51 diabetic women and compared. Serum was analyzed for urea, creatinine, uric acid levels, lipidprofile, and the urine sample was estimated for microalbumin, creatinine levels. Urine albumin creatinine ratio and glomerular filtration rate werecalculated using standard methods.Results: About 47% of diabetic women and 46% of apparently normal postmenopausal women had MA. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGL),and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) values were higher in diabetic women when compared to the normal women. MA positive subjects hadrelatively higher TC, low-density lipoprotein, TGL, and VLDL levels when compared to MA negative subjects.Conclusion: The occurrence of MA in normal postmenopausal women is almost similar to that of diabetic women. This suggests the importance ofscreening of MA even in normal postmenopausal women. In addition, abnormal lipid profile in diabetic patients favors the need for regular screeningof MA and lipid profile in all diabetic patients.Keywords: Microalbuminuria, Diabetes, Postmenopausal women, Lipid profile, Renal parameters

DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL 4-(4-FLUORO-3-METHYLPHENYL)-6-(SUBSTITUTED ARYL)-1,6-DIHYDROPYRIMIDIN-2-OL DERIVATIVES AS POTENT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANALGESIC AGENTS

Objective: Pyrimidine heterocycles possessing hydroxy group has a unique place in medicinal chemistry and also plays a key role in biological processes. In the biological functions at cellular level pyrimidine plays imperative roles which lead the researchers to design a variety of its derivatives. The aim of the present study was to synthesize the novel set of 4-(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)-6-(substituted aryl)-1,6-dihydropyrimidin-2-ol derivatives. These compounds were screened for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Methods: A novel series of 4-(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)-6-(substituted aryl)-1,6-dihydro pyrimidin-2-ol derivatives were furnished in two steps starting from 4-fluoro-3-methyl acetophenone through chalcone formation. Human red blood cell membrane stabilization method and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test were performed for screening in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity, respectively. Tail-flick technique was performed for screening analgesic activity. Results: All the synthesized 4-(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)-6-(substituted aryl)-1,6-dihydro pyrimidin-2-ol derivatives were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,1H nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, and bases of elemental analysis. The result of biological screening revealed that many of the new derivatives were endowed with improved anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Conclusion: Nature of the substituent played a major role in anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. The pyrimidine derivative with chlorophenyl substitution exhibited potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. From the results, it was concluded that 6-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(4-fluoro-3- methyl phenyl)-1,6-dihydropyrimidin-2-ol was the most active compound

Altered intrinsic functional coupling between core neurocognitive networks in Parkinson\u27s disease

Parkinson3s disease (PD) is largely attributed to disruptions in the nigrostriatal dopamine system. These neurodegenerative changes may also have a more global effect on intrinsic brain organization at the cortical level. Functional brain connectivity between neurocognitive systems related to cognitive processing is critical for effective neural communication, and is disrupted across neurological disorders. Three core neurocognitive networks have been established as playing a critical role in the pathophysiology of many neurological disorders: the default-mode network (DMN), the salience network (SN), and the central executive network (CEN). In healthy adults, DMN–CEN interactions are anti-correlated while SN–CEN interactions are strongly positively correlated even at rest, when individuals are not engaging in any task. These intrinsic between-network interactions at rest are necessary for efficient suppression of the DMN and activation of the CEN during a range of cognitive tasks. To identify whether these network interactions are disrupted in individuals with PD, we used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) to compare between-network connectivity between 24 PD participants and 20 age-matched controls (MC). In comparison to the MC, individuals with PD showed significantly less SN–CEN coupling and greater DMN–CEN coupling during rest. Disease severity, an index of striatal dysfunction, was related to reduced functional coupling between the striatum and SN. These results demonstrate that individuals with PD have a dysfunctional pattern of interaction between core neurocognitive networks compared to what is found in healthy individuals, and that interaction between the SN and the striatum is even more profoundly disrupted in those with greater disease severity

Salience and default mode network coupling predicts cognition in aging and Parkinson’s disease

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Three neurocognitive networks support efficient cognition: the salience network, the default mode network, and the central executive network. The salience network is thought to switch between activating and deactivating the default mode and central executive networks. Anti-correlated interactions between the salience and default mode networks in particular are necessary for efficient cognition. Our previous work demonstrated altered functional coupling between the neurocognitive networks in non-demented individuals with PD compared to age-matched control participants. Here, we aim to identify associations between cognition and functional coupling between these neurocognitive networks in the same group of participants. METHODS: We investigated the extent to which intrinsic functional coupling among these neurocognitive networks is related to cognitive performance across three neuropsychological domains: executive functioning, psychomotor speed, and verbal memory. Twenty-four non-demented individuals with mild to moderate PD and 20 control participants were scanned at rest and evaluated on three neuropsychological domains. RESULTS: PD participants were impaired on tests from all three domains compared to control participants. Our imaging results demonstrated that successful cognition across healthy aging and Parkinson’s disease participants was related to anti-correlated coupling between the salience and default mode networks. Individuals with poorer performance scores across groups demonstrated more positive salience network/default-mode network coupling. CONCLUSIONS: Successful cognition relies on healthy coupling between the salience and default mode networks, which may become dysfunctional in PD. These results can help inform non-pharmacological interventions (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) targeting these specific networks before they become vulnerable in early stages of Parkinson’s disease.Published versio

A REVIEW ON ANTI-INFLAMMATORY POTENTIAL OF SUBSTITUTED PYRAZOLINE DERIVATIVES SYNTHESISED FROM CHALCONES

The pyrazoline ring is a ubiquitous structural feature of many natural and synthetic compounds with potent anti-inflammatory activity. The creation of novel pyrazoline derivatives and examination of their chemical and biological behaviour have gained additional focus in the current decade. Pyrazolines and its fused heterocyclic derivatives tested with anti-inflammatory activity constitute a significant class of compounds for novel drug evolution. Pyrazoline nucleus when linked with different substituents like alkyl, aromatic, heterocyclic rings and many other groups at different positions on the ring shows considerable to more effective anti-inflammatory activity. This article presents a comprehensive review of the anti-inflammatory activity of some novel derivatives of pyrazoline ring