Spatialising the Quarantined Camp in Lawrence Wright’s The End of October

Stories about pandemic open up new possibilities of spaces. Traditional conceptions of space are metamorphised into novel contours as we confront and combat a pandemic scenario. Along with human beings, physical spaces are also forced to explore new patterns and norms. The bewildering spread of pandemic highlights the significance of spaces through which a disease navigates. Beginning from quarantining an infected person to containing the spread to burying the dead, spaces play a crucial role in these trying times. The present study attempts to look into the spatiality in pandemic literature and how existing social spaces get reconfigured by analysing the recent pandemic novel The End of October (2020) by Lawrence Wright. The study throws light on how the quarantine center represented in the novel can be viewed through the lens of Giorgio Agamben's concept of the camp

Characterization of pseudobasophilia on Sysmex-XT 1800i automated hematology analyser

Background: Pseudobasophilia is a common automation related phenomenon which requires manual peripheral smear study in an era of complete automation. This study has attempted to evaluate the reasons for pseudobasophilia and in-turn suggest measures to eliminate the errors.Methods: A sample size of 207 cases showing pseudobasophilia on automation were studied by manual peripheral examination to categorize the possible cause for its occurrence. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was carried out. Results on continuous measurements are presented on Mean SD and results on categorical measurements are presented in Number (%). Significance is assessed at 5% level of significance. Student t test has been used to find the significance of study parameters on continuous scale within each group.Results: Atypical/ reactive lymphocytes were present in 86.5% cases contributing to pseudobasophilia phenomenon on automation, which also showed falsely increased absolute basophil count with more percentage of lymphocytes showing reactive changes. Temperature and storage effects did not contribute to their occurrence in this study. Another finding was an associated pseudomonocytosis with pseudobasophilia on automation which was statistically significant (p<0.001).Conclusions: Pseudobasophilia, and pseudomonocytosis are automation related phenomenon. Atypical/ reactive lymphocytes, which are cytoplasmic strip resistant, contribute to their occurrence. Hence, newer modalities like multicolour flow cytometry coupled with antibody tagging, multiangle polarised scatter separation and volume conductivity scatter may reduce the chances of pseudobasophilia, thereby reducing the overall turnaround time

Correlation of lipids and lipoprotein concentration with body mass index in obese, overweight and normal weight south Indian adults

Background: Obesity a chronic disorder is gradually becoming a serious public health problem in many countries. The aim of the study was designed to measure serum lipids and lipoproteins as marker for cardiovascular disease among obese and overweight South Indian adults.Methods: The study was done between June 2016 to December 2016, in SRM medical college hospital and research centre, Kattankulathur which comprised of 270 participants of both gender in the age of 18- 55 years. 90 individuals with body mass index (BMI ≥25kg/m2), 90 individuals with BMI in the range of 23.0 to 24.99kg/m2 and 90 age and sex matched controls (BMI = 18 to 22.99kg/m2) were selected for the study. Serum levels of total cholesterol, Triacylglycerol, high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) were analyzed by using auto analyzer Beckman Coulter AU480. The cardiac risk ratio 1 (cholesterol/HDL-C ratio) and 2 (LDL-C/HDL-C) ratio were calculated.Results: The difference between the mean values of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C, were found to be statistically significant across the three groups. Positive correlation was observed between BMI and cardiac risk ratios one and two in both obese and overweight groups.Conclusions: Cardiac risk is increased in South Indian overweight and obese individuals which is evident from the elevated levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C and cardiac rick ratio one (cholesterol/HDL-C ratio) and two (LDL-C/HDL-C)

A META CLUSTERING APPROACH FOR ENSEMBLE PROBLEM

A critical problem in cluster ensemble research is how to combine multiple clustering to yield a superior clustering result. Leveraging advanced graph partitioning techniques, we solve this problem by reducing it to a graph partitioning problem. We introduce a new reduction method that constructs a bipartite graph from a given cluster ensemble. The resulting graph models both instances and clusters of the ensemble simultaneously as vertices in the graph. Our approach retains all of the information provided by a given ensemble, allowing the similarity among instances and the similarity among clusters to be considered collectively in forming the clustering. Further, the resulting graph partitioning problem can be solved efficiently. We empirically evaluate the proposed approach against two commonly used graph formulations and show that it is more robust and achieves comparable or better performance in comparison to its competitors

Perceived Entrepreneurial Training Needs of Trainees of Krishi Vigyan Kendras in Kerala

The present study was conducted in the state of Kerala to analyse the training needs of 100 trainees of five Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK). The findings indicated that the packaging &amp; marketing of mushroom and post harvest handling value addition were the most preferred training areas by the KVK trainees in mushroom production. In apiculture, honey extraction essential operations was perceived as the most needed area of training. In the area of value addition of fruits and vegetables, technology upgradation and packaging marketing techniques were the most preferred areas by the trainees. Relational analysis revealed that socio-economic variables like educational status and annual income, communication variables like extension contact and mass media exposure and entrepreneurial variables like entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial need, entrepreneurial capacity, innovativeness,achievement motivation, decision making ability, risk orientation, self confidence, cosmopoliteness andeconomic motivation were found positively and significantly correlated with training needs. The KVKsshould take concrete efforts to organize need based entrepreneurship development training programmesto improve effectiveness

APOPTOTIC INDUCTION POTENTIALS OF BACOPA MONERI AGAINST ORAL CANCER CELL LINE

Aim: To assess the apoptotic induction potentials of Bacopa monnieri against oral cancer cell.Objective: This research is done to find the apoptotic induction potentials of B. monnieri against oral cancer cell line.Background: The apoptosis is a process of programed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cellchanges and death. The initiation of apoptosis is tightly regulated by activation mechanisms, because once apoptosis has begun, it inevitably leadsto the death of the cell. The two best-understood activation mechanisms are the intrinsic pathway (also called the mitochondrial pathway) and theextrinsic pathway.Methods: The apoptotic induction potential of B. monnieri was studied on KB cell line by investigating the activation of caspase 3 and caspase 9.Reason: Oral cancer is a growing concern due to the changes in lifestyle. The treatment for this disease has been degraded the patient's health bycausing various side effects. An effective treatment for the long run is necessary. Usable of herbal plants can serve to be a possible and very effective remedy.Results: Apoptotic induction potentials of B. monnieri against oral cancer cell line were studied.Conclusion: Caspase 3 and caspase 9 was activated thus proving the apoptotic potential of B. monnieri.Keywords: Bacopa monnieri, oral cancer, apoptotic induction