Decoding the Design Principles of Amino Acids and the Chemical Logic of Protein Sequences

That only 20 amino acids occur naturally accounting for the structural and functional diversity of proteins remains a mystery. We show here that this is a consequence of the action of a symmetry group, identify the presence of hydrogen bond donor groups, presence of sp3 hybridized [gamma] carbons, absence of [delta] carbons and linearity as properties central to side chain design and quantify the chemical logic of protein sequences

A prospective study on prescribing pattern of drugs in geriatric patients in the department of medicine in a tertiary care center

Background: India stands at 3rd position with large elderly population in the world. Elderly population has special problems related to health, social support, and economic security. Comorbidities in elderly people are frequent, which require use of multiple medications which increases the number of inappropriate medications    noncompliance, economic burden, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and drug interactions. The overall incidence of ADR is two to three times higher due to physiological and pharmacological variations. Currently used screening tools for inappropriate prescription in old age are: Beers criteria and inappropriate prescribing in the elderly tool (IPET).Methods: A prospective observational study of elderly patients of either sex admitted in the medicine ward, conducted from May 2019-November 2019. A total of 102 prescriptions were collected and analysed. Data was analysed using Microsoft excel.Results: In this study most of the patients (67 out of 102) were in the age group 65-70 years with male population (73%) dominance. Most of the patient were admitted due to cardiovascular (35.84%) and respiratory system (14.15%) disorder. Anti-diabetics (17.64%) followed by anti-microbials (14.24%) were the most commonly prescribed medicines in this study. Our study revealed poly pharmacy in geriatric patients with an average number of drugs per prescription being 6.07. According to BEER’s criteria 3.47% of total drugs prescribed were inappropriateConclusions:  In this study most of the patients had co morbid conditions, cardiovascular disease and diabetes being the common cause led to polypharmacy. A high number of potential prescription errors were found.

Study of anti-inflammatory activity of Ficus racemosa linn stem bark extract in albino rats

Background: Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli. Though there are standard anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, diclofenac, etc., these are not free of side effects. This has led to an increase in demand for natural products with anti-inflammatory activity having less side effects. Hence the study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Ficus racemose (EEFR) in albino rats.Methods: Healthy albino rats of either sex were divided into 4 groups of 6 animals each. Group1-control, group 2-diclofenac sodium 2 mg/kg and group 3 and 4 EEFR (200 and 400 mg/kg respectively), anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by Carrageenan induced paw oedema: formalin induced-peritonitis and cotton pellet induced granuloma model for in vivo activity and protein denaturation test for in vitro activity.Results: EEFR exhibited significant in vitro (p<0.001) anti-inflammatory effect at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg. EEFR produced 61.37% inhibition at the dose of 400 mg/kg and diclofenac (standard drug) produced 62.95% of inhibition after 3 hours of drug treatment in carrageenan induced paw oedema. The exudate volume was decreased in formalin induced peritonitis by EEFR and diclofenac significantly (p<0.001). In cotton pellet induced granuloma EEFR (400 mg/kg) and diclofenac showed decreased formation of granuloma by 28.36% and 28.00% (p<0.001) respectively.Conclusions: EEFR has significant anti-inflammatory activity in both acute and chronic model in a dose dependant manner in comparison with standard drug

Introducing a Framework to Capture and Reuse Tacit Knowledge in Software Project Management

In rapidly growing global companies, comprehensive training programs as well as in depth sharing of knowledge are essential factors to maintain the quality of human capital despite rapid expansion. Different dimensions of Knowledge management address the need and approach to leverage dispersed knowledge in order to make it visible and accessible for everyone to improve organizational performance. However, there has been a scarcity of successful and holistic models that define and categorize tacit knowledge in order to capture and distribute it for the benefit of others. This paper focuses on developing a framework in order to capture experiences regarding software project management and to provide a platform for managers to inherit knowledge from and bequeath their learning to others at large organizations. In order to build up and enhance the framework, the majority of information was gleaned from intensive interviews with top software project managers at Infosys, a well-known global company in the field of software development and consulting services. The final framework we developed can act as a comprehensive data-repository for capturing, storing, searching, and distributing tacit knowledge of project managers

Surgical management of fractures of distal end radius using uniplanar external fixator augmented with percutaneous kirschner wire fixation

Background: Distal end radius fractures is one of the most common fractures of the upper limb especially in the elderly population, accounting for about 17% of all upper limb fractures. Surgical stabilization of these fractures remains a challenge even today. Although the recent trend is towards internal fixation with locking plates, the external fixator itself has its own advantages in the treatment of these fractures.Methods: This study is a prospective, time bound, hospital based study conducted in Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Bangalore, between November 2014 to April 2016. The study included 30 cases of distal end radius fractures that were operated with the closed reduction and uniplanar external fixator augmented with k-wire for distal end radius by the principle of ligamentotaxis.Results: In our study, 14 (46.6 %) patients had excellent results. Whereas, 11 (36.7%) patients had good results and 3 (10%) had fair and only 2 (6.7%) patients had poor results. Most of the fractures united by 12 weeks. Complications associated with the study was stiffness, malunion, sudeck’s  osteodystrophy and pin tract infection. Conclusions: The uniplanar external fixator augmented with k-wire is a good choice in the treatment of distal end radius fractures  in terms of providing a good functional outcome if proper preoperative planning, good reduction and surgical technique are followed, leading to high rate of bone union, minimal soft tissue damage and complications

The HI gas content of galaxies around Abell 370, a galaxy cluster at z = 0.37

We used observations from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope to measure the atomic hydrogen gas content of 324 galaxies around the galaxy cluster Abell 370 at a redshift of z = 0.37 (a look-back time of ~4 billion years). The HI 21-cm emission from these galaxies was measured by coadding their signals using precise optical redshifts obtained with the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The average HI mass measured for all 324 galaxies is (6.6 +- 3.5)x10^9 solar masses, while the average HI mass measured for the 105 optically blue galaxies is (19.0 +- 6.5)x10^9 solar masses. The significant quantities of gas found around Abell 370, suggest that there has been substantial evolution in the gas content of galaxy clusters since redshift z = 0.37. The total amount of HI gas found around Abell 370 is up to ~8 times more than that seen around the Coma cluster, a nearby galaxy cluster of similar size. Despite this higher gas content, Abell 370 shows the same trend as nearby clusters, that galaxies close to the cluster core have lower HI gas content than galaxies further away. The Abell 370 galaxies have HI mass to optical light ratios similar to local galaxy samples and have the same correlation between their star formation rate and HI mass as found in nearby galaxies. The average star formation rate derived from [OII] emission and from de-redshifted 1.4 GHz radio continuum for the Abell 370 galaxies also follows the correlation found in the local universe. The large amounts of HI gas found around the cluster can easily be consumed by the observed star formation rate in the galaxies over the ~4 billion years (from z = 0.37) to the present day.Comment: accepted by MNRA