Indian Medicinal Mushrooms as a Source of Antioxidant and Antitumor Agents

Medicinal mushrooms occurring in South India namely Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus rimosus, Pleurotus florida and Pleurotus pulmonaris possessed profound antioxidant and antitumor activities. This indicated that these mushrooms would be valuable sources of antioxidant and antitumor compounds. Investigations also revealed that they had significant antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities. Thus, Indian medicinal mushrooms are potential sources of antioxidant and anticancer compounds. However, intensive and extensive investigations are needed to exploit their valuable therapeutic use

Structure of Indiana’s Manufacturing Sector during and after the Great Recession: A Spatial Perspective

The trend in manufacturing employment is on a downward trajectory nationally, further exacerbated by short-term fluctuations. Indiana mirrors this trend, and as such, we explore the structure of the manufacturing sector using a spatial and snapshot approach during and after the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Using two measures: (1) average firm size and (2) gap in percent of local manufacturing employment, we explain the dynamics at specific periods, viz., 2007 at the beginning of the Recession, 2009 at the trough of the Great Recession, 2014 at a point in recovery from the Great Recession, and 2016 at the endpoint for our analysis. Our results show counties are spatially dependent for the average firm size and percent employed in the manufacturing sector but spatially independent for the change (gap) in the same variables both during and after the Great Recession. Between 2007 and 2009, the decline in average firm size was greatest for Rural (R), followed by Non-Metro but adjacent to Metro (NMA), and then Metro (M) counties. However, by 2016, the average firm size in Metro counties was higher than the 2007 level, whereas non-Metro but adjacent to Metro and Rural counties, failed to rebound to the 2007 level. The relative ranking by degree of urbanization remains consistent with respect to local employment in manufacturing—although all groups experienced a decline during the Great Recession and even in recovery. These results suggest location is an important determinant and reinforce the importance of economic policies that can impact a group of counties or economic growth regions rather than individual counties

A Role of Knowledge Level of Employees in Customer Relationship Management With Special Reference to Lic

Purpose: Role ofknowledge level of employees in customer relationship management with special reference to LIC. In order to investigate a range of factors of CRM in LIC of India. In this specially concentrate to understand the knowledge level of the employees as perceived by the customer.   Theoretical framework: The theoretical frame work of the study, CRM is assessed the Knowledge level of employees isthe independent variables and the customer satisfaction is the dependent variable in the study. CRM is shown influencing the customer satisfaction. The significant influences of the factors on CRM vary according to different demographic profiles and views on policy holdings.   Design/Methodology/Approach:Descriptive research design was use in this studyThe prime data were collected from the sample of the respondents was identified from the total population of lic policy holders. The statistical analysis was carried out with the application of SPSS package. Both Descriptive and Inferential Analysis were carried out. The tools for the Inferential Analysis included Independent Sample t-test, One Way ANOVA, Chi Square Test, Friedman Test, Correlation and Regression.   Findings: The findings of the study based on output of the study. Henceforth reasoned that there is a huge distinction between mean positions towards Factors of Customer Relationship Management. In light of mean position, Customer Engagement is the main variable of CRM, trailed by Deployment of Modern Technology Knowledge level of the Employees etc. There is no importance contrast between capability of representatives concerning the Factors of Knowledge level of the Employees, There is significance contrast among male and female of laborers with respect to the Factors of Knowledge level of the Employees. The connection coefficient between Perception on Explanation of various items and Ready for Clarification is positive connections between Perception on Explanation of various item and Perception on Ready for Clarification .The connection coefficient between Explanation of various item and Recommending Right Schemes is positive connections between Explanation of various item and Recommending Right Schemes. The connection coefficient between Perception on Explanation of various items and Knowledge about Procedure is positive connections between Perception on Explanation of various items and Easy Acquisition of Policy and also different variables are decidedly corresponded with one another.   Research, practical & social implications:This article express a different perspective on CRM in LIC.The results of this study indicate knowledge level of employees has a strong impact on customer satisfaction. Therefore top management should implement latest technology based increase the knowledge level of employees. To increase the knowledge level of employees to help the increasing satisfaction level of policy holders. It is intended to help guide and reassure current and potential Ph. D students.   Originality/value:To date, no systematic review has been conducted on the knowledge level of employees in LIC .This paper makes an important contribution to knowledge level of employees in CRM

Bioactive extract of mycelia biomass of Ganoderma lucidum protects doxorubicin induced cardiomyopathy

Cardiotoxicity induced by anticancer drug; doxorubicin (DOX) is a limiting factor for its prolonged use in chemotherapy. No effective drug is currently available to prevent DOX induced cardiomyopathy. Ganoderma lucidum is highly valued medicinal mushroom used in traditional medicine. Mycelia biomasses are considered as alternate sources of mushroom bioactive compounds. We examined the effect of bioactive extract of G. lucidum mycelia biomass (GLME) to prevent cardiotoxicity induced by DOX in rats using a cumulative dose 18 mg/kg body wt. GLME was administered to animals at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body wt. once daily for five days prior to DOX administration and continued for three more days. Animals were sacrificed 24 h after the last dose of drug. Activities of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), endogenous antioxidant status, oxidative stress markers, electrocardiograph (ECG) and haematological parameters were evaluated. DOX administration drastically elevated CK, LDH, myocardial peroxidation and oxidative stress and significantly lowered endogenous antioxidant activity. GLME administration attenuated elevated levels of CK, LDH and oxidative stress and also ameliorated alterations in haematological and ECG parameters. Results revealed that bioactive extract of G. lucidum mycelia imparted significant protection against DOX induced cardiomyopathy suggesting the potential therapeutic significance of G. lucidum mycelia bioactives to alleviate DOX induced cardiomyopathy

Establishment of reference CD4+ T cell values for adult Indian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD4+ T lymphocyte counts are the most important indicator of disease progression and success of antiretroviral treatment in HIV infection in resource limited settings. The nationwide reference range of CD4+ T lymphocytes was not available in India. This study was conducted to determine reference values of absolute CD4+ T cell counts and percentages for adult Indian population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A multicentric study was conducted involving eight sites across the country. A total of 1206 (approximately 150 per/centre) healthy participants were enrolled in the study. The ratio of male (N = 645) to female (N = 561) of 1.14:1. The healthy status of the participants was assessed by a pre-decided questionnaire. At all centers the CD4+ T cell count, percentages and absolute CD3+ T cell count and percentages were estimated using a single platform strategy and lyse no wash technique. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Scientist (SPSS), version 15) and Prism software version 5.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The absolute CD4+ T cell counts and percentages in female participants were significantly higher than the values obtained in male participants indicating the true difference in the CD4+ T cell subsets. The reference range for absolute CD4 count for Indian male population was 381-1565 cells/μL and for female population was 447-1846 cells/μL. The reference range for CD4% was 25-49% for male and 27-54% for female population. The reference values for CD3 counts were 776-2785 cells/μL for Indian male population and 826-2997 cells/μL for female population.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study used stringent procedures for controlling the technical variation in the CD4 counts across the sites and thus could establish the robust national reference ranges for CD4 counts and percentages. These ranges will be helpful in staging the disease progression and monitoring antiretroviral therapy in HIV infection in India.</p

Brain structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a graph analysis from the ENIGMA Consortium.

Brain structural covariance networks reflect covariation in morphology of different brain areas and are thought to reflect common trajectories in brain development and maturation. Large-scale investigation of structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may provide clues to the pathophysiology of this neurodevelopmental disorder. Using T1-weighted MRI scans acquired from 1616 individuals with OCD and 1463 healthy controls across 37 datasets participating in the ENIGMA-OCD Working Group, we calculated intra-individual brain structural covariance networks (using the bilaterally-averaged values of 33 cortical surface areas, 33 cortical thickness values, and six subcortical volumes), in which edge weights were proportional to the similarity between two brain morphological features in terms of deviation from healthy controls (i.e. z-score transformed). Global networks were characterized using measures of network segregation (clustering and modularity), network integration (global efficiency), and their balance (small-worldness), and their community membership was assessed. Hub profiling of regional networks was undertaken using measures of betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality. Individually calculated network measures were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. These network measures were summated across the network density range of K = 0.10-0.25 per participant, and were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. Compared with healthy controls, at a global level, the structural covariance networks of OCD showed lower clustering (P &lt; 0.0001), lower modularity (P &lt; 0.0001), and lower small-worldness (P = 0.017). Detection of community membership emphasized lower network segregation in OCD compared to healthy controls. At the regional level, there were lower (rank-transformed) centrality values in OCD for volume of caudate nucleus and thalamus, and surface area of paracentral cortex, indicative of altered distribution of brain hubs. Centrality of cingulate and orbito-frontal as well as other brain areas was associated with OCD illness duration, suggesting greater involvement of these brain areas with illness chronicity. In summary, the findings of this study, the largest brain structural covariance study of OCD to date, point to a less segregated organization of structural covariance networks in OCD, and reorganization of brain hubs. The segregation findings suggest a possible signature of altered brain morphometry in OCD, while the hub findings point to OCD-related alterations in trajectories of brain development and maturation, particularly in cingulate and orbitofrontal regions

Extracellular volume quantification in isolated hypertension - changes at the detectable limits?

The funding source (British Heart Foundation and UK National Institute for Health Research) provided salaries for research training (FZ, TT, DS, SW), but had no role in study design, collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, or decisions with regard to publication. This work was undertaken at University College London Hospital, which received a proportion of funding from the UK Department of Health National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres funding scheme. We are grateful to King’s College London Laboratories for processing the collagen biomarker panel

An overview of the first 5 years of the ENIGMA obsessive-compulsive disorder working group: The power of worldwide collaboration

Neuroimaging has played an important part in advancing our understanding of the neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). At the same time, neuroimaging studies of OCD have had notable limitations, including reliance on relatively small samples. International collaborative efforts to increase statistical power by combining samples from across sites have been bolstered by the ENIGMA consortium; this provides specific technical expertise for conducting multi-site analyses, as well as access to a collaborative community of neuroimaging scientists. In this article, we outline the background to, development of, and initial findings from ENIGMA's OCD working group, which currently consists of 47 samples from 34 institutes in 15 countries on 5 continents, with a total sample of 2,323 OCD patients and 2,325 healthy controls. Initial work has focused on studies of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes, structural connectivity, and brain lateralization in children, adolescents and adults with OCD, also including the study on the commonalities and distinctions across different neurodevelopment disorders. Additional work is ongoing, employing machine learning techniques. Findings to date have contributed to the development of neurobiological models of OCD, have provided an important model of global scientific collaboration, and have had a number of clinical implications. Importantly, our work has shed new light on questions about whether structural and functional alterations found in OCD reflect neurodevelopmental changes, effects of the disease process, or medication impacts. We conclude with a summary of ongoing work by ENIGMA-OCD, and a consideration of future directions for neuroimaging research on OCD within and beyond ENIGMA

Brain structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder : a graph analysis from the ENIGMA Consortium

In the largest brain structural covariance study of OCD to date, Yun et al. show a less segregated organization of structural covariance networks and a reorganization of brain hubs, including cingulate and orbitofrontal regions, in OCD. The findings point to altered trajectories of brain development and maturation. Brain structural covariance networks reflect covariation in morphology of different brain areas and are thought to reflect common trajectories in brain development and maturation. Large-scale investigation of structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may provide clues to the pathophysiology of this neurodevelopmental disorder. Using T-weighted MRI scans acquired from 1616 individuals with OCD and 1463 healthy controls across 37 datasets participating in the ENIGMA-OCD Working Group, we calculated intra-individual brain structural covariance networks (using the bilaterally-averaged values of 33 cortical surface areas, 33 cortical thickness values, and six subcortical volumes), in which edge weights were proportional to the similarity between two brain morphological features in terms of deviation from healthy controls (i.e. z -score transformed). Global networks were characterized using measures of network segregation (clustering and modularity), network integration (global efficiency), and their balance (small-worldness), and their community membership was assessed. Hub profiling of regional networks was undertaken using measures of betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality. Individually calculated network measures were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. These network measures were summated across the network density range of K = 0.10-0.25 per participant, and were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. Compared with healthy controls, at a global level, the structural covariance networks of OCD showed lower clustering (P < 0.0001), lower modularity (P < 0.0001), and lower small-worldness (P = 0.017). Detection of community membership emphasized lower network segregation in OCD compared to healthy controls. At the regional level, there were lower (rank-transformed) centrality values in OCD for volume of caudate nucleus and thalamus, and surface area of paracentral cortex, indicative of altered distribution of brain hubs. Centrality of cingulate and orbito-frontal as well as other brain areas was associated with OCD illness duration, suggesting greater involvement of these brain areas with illness chronicity. In summary, the findings of this study, the largest brain structural covariance study of OCD to date, point to a less segregated organization of structural covariance networks in OCD, and reorganization of brain hubs. The segregation findings suggest a possible signature of altered brain morphometry in OCD, while the hub findings point to OCD-related alterations in trajectories of brain development and maturation, particularly in cingulate and orbitofrontal regions