Bacterial enteritis in an oriental white backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and its successful management

An oriental white backed vulture weighing about 8 kg was rescued from a farmer’s field in a moribund condition. The vulture was showing signs of drooping feathers and wings, anorexia, unable to stand, and severe enteritis with dehydration. Bacterial culture from the cloaca of the bird revealed association of hemolytic E. coli that was sensitive to enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The bird was treated successfully with injectable enrofloxacin and oral rehydration solution. No parasitic eggs/protozoal oocysts or hemoprotozoan parasites could be detected in the bird. The bird recovered uneventfully and started taking feed and water normally

Improved infrared photoluminescence characteristics from circularly ordered self-assembled Ge islands

The formation of circularly ordered Ge-islands on Si(001) has been achieved because of nonuniform strain field around the periphery of the holes patterned by focused ion beam in combination with a self-assembled growth using molecular beam epitaxy. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra obtained from patterned areas (i.e., ordered islands) show a significant signal enhancement, which sustained till 200 K, without any vertical stacking of islands. The origin of two activation energies in temperature-dependent PL spectra of the ordered islands has been explained in detail

Complete Recovery of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy from Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

A 50 year old male HIV patient on antiretroviral therapy was admitted for chest pain. Upon admission, the patient was found to have elevated cardiac enzymes, acute thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, acute pancreatitis and acute renal failure. The patient was diagnosed with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/haemolytic uremic syndrome and emergency plasma exchange therapy was initiated along with aspirin, beta-blockers, steroids, and antiretroviral therapy. Patient responded well and demonstrated complete resolution of ischemic cardiomyopathy with left ventricular ejection fraction improving from 35% to 55% by the time of discharge. Essentially, prompt diagnosis and treatment can reverse cardiac damage induced by thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Tobacco Use during Pregnancy and Its Associated Factors in a Mountain District of Eastern Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey

BackgroundTobacco using among women is more prevalent in Nepal as compared to other South-East Asian countries. The effect of its use is seen not only on the pregnant women, but also health of the growing fetus is compromised. Currently, little is known about the tobacco use among women especially during pregnancy in Nepal. This study explored the tobacco use prevalence and its associated factors during pregnancy.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Sankhuwasabha, a mountain district of eastern Nepal. Representative sample of 436 women of reproductive age group with infant were selected by stratified simple random sampling. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews of selected participants. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 16.0. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship among variables.ResultsThe study revealed that the prevalence of tobacco use during pregnancy was 17.2%. Only one fifth of the research participants were asked to quit tobacco by health workers during last pregnancy. Multivariable analyses revealed that illiteracy (AOR: 2.31, CI: 1.18–4.52), more than two parity (AOR: 2.45, CI: 1.19–5.07), alcohol use during last pregnancy (AOR: 3.99, CI: 1.65–9.68), and having tobacco user within family (AOR: 2.05, CI: 1.11–3.78) are more likely to use tobacco during pregnancy.ConclusionTobacco use during pregnancy was widely prevalent. Tobacco-focused interventions are required for antenatal women to promote cessation among user and prevent initiation with focus on overcoming problems like illiteracy, high parity, alcohol use, and having other tobacco user family members in family

Human heterochromatin protein 1 isoforms HP1(Hsα) and HP1(Hsβ) interfere with hTERT-telomere interactions and correlate with changes in cell growth and response to ionizing radiation

Telomeres are associated with the nuclear matrix and are thought to be heterochromatic. We show here that in human cells the overexpression of green fluorescent protein-tagged heterochromatin protein 1 (GFP-HP1) or nontagged HP1 isoforms HP1(Hsα) or HP1(Hsβ), but not HP1(Hsγ), results in decreased association of a catalytic unit of telomerase (hTERT) with telomeres. However, reduction of the G overhangs and overall telomere sizes was found in cells overexpressing any of these three proteins. Cells overexpressing HP1(Hsα) or HP1(Hsβ) also display a higher frequency of chromosome end-to-end associations and spontaneous chromosomal damage than the parental cells. None of these effects were observed in cells expressing mutants of GFP-ΔHP1(Hsα), GFP-ΔHP1(Hsβ), or GFP-ΔHP1(Hsγ) that had their chromodomains deleted. An increase in the cell population doubling time and higher sensitivity to cell killing by ionizing radiation (IR) treatment was also observed for cells overexpressing HP1(Hsα) or HP1(Hsβ). In contrast, cells expressing mutant GFP-ΔHP1(Hsα) or GFP-ΔHP1(Hsβ) showed a decrease in population doubling time and decreased sensitivity to IR compared to the parental cells. The effects on cell doubling times were paralleled by effects on tumorigenicity in mice: overexpression of HP1(Hsα) or HP1(Hsβ) suppressed tumorigenicity, whereas expression of mutant HP1(Hsα) or HP1(Hsβ) did not. Collectively, the results show that human cells are exquisitely sensitive to the amount of HP1(Hsα) or HP1(Hsβ) present, as their overexpression influences telomere stability, population doubling time, radioresistance, and tumorigenicity in a mouse xenograft model. In addition, the isoform-specific effects on telomeres reinforce the notion that telomeres are in a heterochromatinized state

(5RS,10SR,15RS)-Trimethyl­truxene1

The title mol­ecule, C30H24, was prepared as a possible precursor to buckminsterfullerene cages. The two enanti­omers adopt the anti configuration, with one S/R and two R/S methyl groups, one anti to the other two. The truxene framework is slightly non-planar: with respect to the central six-ring mean plane, the three methyl C atoms are 1.377 (3), −1.475 (3) and 1.515 (3) Å distant, whereas the respective proximate peripheral six-ring mean planes make dihedral angles of 6.27 (6), 3.45 (7) and −7.37 (7)°

(5SR,10SR,15SR)-Trimethyl 5H,10H,15H-diindeno­[1,2-a:1′,2′-c]fluorene-5,10,15-tricarboxyl­ate 0.167-hydrate

The title compound, C33H24O6·0.17H2O, which is commonly known as (SR,SR,SR)-trimethyl 1,10,19-truxentricarboxyl­ate, crystallizes as a hydrate with the water mol­ecule encapsulated between three ester groups by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding to two of them. The water mol­ecule site is not fully occupied in the crystal studied, with a refined site occupancy of 0.167 (5). The 27-atom ring system is approximately planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.148 (1) Å, and the three ester substituents are all on the same side of this plane