A Rare Case of SLE Flaring-up as Acute Spinal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Acute Transverse Myelitis

Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) flaring-up as acute spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SSH) with acute transverse myelitis at conus medullaris is a rare presentation among various demyelinating syndromes in SLE. Presented here is the case of a 47-year-old female, a known case of SLE, who presented with sudden back pain with abrupt onset of symmetrical weakness of both lower limbs and double incontinence. MRI showed subarachnoid bleed with associated myelitis. The patient was treated with prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil and hydroxychloroquine and has been without any flares for 18 months

A Novel Case Series Of NMNAT1-Associated Early-Onset Retinal Dystrophy: Extending the Phenotypic Spectrum

PURPOSE: To report two siblings with NMNAT1-associated retinopathy presenting with a later onset and milder phenotype than previously described. METHODS: Retrospective case series of two siblings. The authors describe two cases of early-onset retinal dystrophy caused by disease-causing NMNAT1 variants. Visual acuity, clinical examination, and retinal imaging including color fundus photography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence were performed. Both cases underwent full-field and pattern electroretinography incorporating the International standards. RESULTS: Two siblings were found to harbor the variants c.53A>G, p.(Asn18Ser) and c.769G>A, p.(Glu257Lys) in NMNAT1 after retinal dystrophy panel gene testing. Both had good visual acuity until the ages of 6 and 11 years, respectively, with subsequent gradual worsening into their twenties. At the ages of 10 and 16 years, respectively, electroretinograms indicated generalized rod and cone system dysfunction of moderate severity, with pattern electroretinography evidence of severe macular involvement. Repeat testing at the ages of 26 and 33 years revealed only mild worsening of rod photoreceptor function in both. CONCLUSION: NMNAT1-associated retinopathy has previously only been described as a typical form of Leber congenital amaurosis, with poor visual acuity from birth associated with nystagmus, characteristic macular atrophy, and intraretinal pigmentation from birth. Here, we present two siblings with a novel, later onset, and far milder phenotype. We suggest that this may be due to the two missense NMNAT1 variants resulting in milder reduction of NMNAT1 enzymatic activity. These cases extend the phenotypic spectrum associated with NMNAT1 and further highlight the clinical heterogeneity associated with inherited retinal diseases

Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome and Steroid Responsiveness: A Single Center Study in South India

The present study was to determine the steroid responsive pattern and as well as the role of cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine in childhood nephrotic syndrome. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to carry out the following objectives listed below, to analyse the incidence and prevalence of primary nephrotic syndrome in children up to 14 years of age, to study the clinical and biochemical parameters and the histopathological distribution of different subtypes of nephrotic syndrome and drug response pattern, to assess the responsiveness of corticosteroid therapy given over a period of 24 week according to ISKDC regimen, to assess relapse pattern and remission pattern of nephrotic syndrome in children, to analyse the incidence of steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome in children and to assess usefulness of cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine in steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome. Gender and age distribution, histological features, steroid response pattern, and outcome of nephrotic syndrome were successfully studied. The cure rate was very significant in steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome patients (SSNS) who were treated with prednisolone. The study shows that both the treatments cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine are effective and well tolerated in the steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome patients (SRNS). The rate of subsequent relapses and remission seems to be lower in patients who received cyclophosphamide than in those treated with prednisolone and cyclosporine

The witch's brew, the fears within and the regional security: implications for India

This paper is about the fears within India (K.P.S. Gill, Daily News and Analysis, Mumbai, August 23,2007) because of (a) the criminalization of politics, the irrationality and irresponsibility of political responses over extended periods of time, the continuous degeneration of the policing and internal security apparatus, the failure to maintain and create policing capacities in proportion to the country's needs, and the collapse of the entire justice system, and (b) the growing insurgencies within India, particularly because of communal problems, and the left wing extremism (of the Maoists) and their links with countries in the neighborhood (Bangladesh, Thailand, for example). India itself is deeply susceptible to destabilization because of disorder and no governance plaguing large parts of the country. But of course India has had a long and continuous experience in die management of internal security crises, starting in the massive and bloody upheavals of Partition from the early 1950s and a succession of insurgencies and terrorist movements, starting with the Naga rebellion in 1952. It is also the case that the country has, in many instances, been able to successfully tackle, contain or neutralize such movements whenever a determined political leadership and consensus has backed coordinated action by the security forces. There is yet a range of other internal] security challenges, including communal polarization and rioting, organized and trans-national crime, criminal politics and political crime, afflicting different parts of the country from time to time, and they have been countered with mixed success within a broad context of almost continuous decline in the country's administrative, security and justice systems (Nihar Nayak, Faultiness 17, February 15, 2006: 126-151; ). This paper is a quick summary of all these problems, towards an understanding of the regional security and the implications for India. The paper is closely looking at the country's counter insurgency experiences taking select case studies and analyses the deeper reasons and proposes strategies to overcome and / or eliminate the insurgency and security problems in the country and the South Asian Regio

Stock assessment of the Indian oil-sardinella (Sardinella longiceps) off the West Coast of India

The Indian oil-sardinella (Sardinella longiceps Val .) has traditionally played a critical role in the marine fishery economics of India, and in particular in the State of Kerala. It's production on the west coast of India exhibits large fluctuations over the years, though it continues to be commercially the most important and abundant pelagic resource (Table 1). These fluctuations have attracted the attention of many research workers. As early as 1910 Hornell attributed them to changes in diatom production or food availability to the fry and the prevalence of favourable hydrological conditions. Kesteven (1967) was of the view that the fluctuations are related to shifts in the migratory path of the fish, causing variations in the accessibility of the stocks to fishing due to the limited range of the fishing operations

Socio-economic profile of shrimp farmers and its influence on the extent of adoption of shrimp culture technologies

The study of the socio-economic profile of shrimp farmers of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu revealed that 40% of the shrimp farmers had collegiate level of education, and they had medium levels of farming experience, information seeking behaviour, extension contact~ economic motivation and risk orientation. The resu lts of correlation analysis revealed that of the seventeen independent variables studied eleven independent v'ariables had positive and significant relationship with the extent of adoption of shrimp culture technologies by shrimp farmers of Nellore. Among the shrimp farmers of Nagapattinam, seven independent variables had positive and significant relationship with the extent of adoption. The results of step• wise multiple regression analysis revealed that variables such as information seeking behaviour, credit orientation and material possession expfained 48(10 of the variation in the extent of adoption by shrimp farmers of Nellore and variables like extens ion contact, risk orientation, farming experience, type of ownership, annual income and material possession explained 84 percent of the variation in the extent of adoption by shrimp farmers of Nagapattinam

Evaluation of fatty acid profile with special reference to hypertension intake from marine edible fishes

The present study describes the changes in fatty acid profile in hypertension patients by up taking the marine edible fishes Elutherenema tetradactylum, Sphyraena obtusata and Siganus javus because these marine edible fishes are rich in ? –fatty acids.  In this study the total cholesterol, HDL and LDL were significantly decreased from 211.9 – 202.1 mg/dl, 177-159.6 mg/dl. The palmitic acid (C16:0) was found significantly higher in all of peoples compared with other SFAs. This study revealed that the most abundant in individual FAs 16:0,18:0,18:1 n9 and 20:2 n6 were present in blood in both before and after dietary intake. The minimal changes of SFAs levels were decreased averagely from 59.2 to 52.2%. In addition to above PUFAs also increased from 27.7-30.5%. The essential FAs like ALA (C18:3n3), EPA (C20:5n3) and DHA (C22:6n3) were accounting in the range of 2.64-2.92%, 3.67-3.94% and 3.65-4.38%. Omega – 6/3 ratio were recorded from 1.77-2.45%. This study proves the marine edible fishes reduce the hypertension of the patients. Keywords: Edible fishes, ? –fatty acids, SFAs, HDL and LD

Bioactive potential of sea urchin Temnopleurus toreumaticus from Devanampattinam, Southeast coast of India

The present investigation elucidates the bioactive potential of aqueous extract of sea urchin Temnopleurus toreumaticus. In this investigation biochemical, heamolytic, cytotoxic and FT-IR analysis were followed by standard methods. In biochemical analysis, proteins content 2.70 mgmL-1, total carbohydrates content 2.15 mgmL-1 and total lipids content 0.03 mgmL-1 were showed in aqueous extract of sea urchin. In heamolytic assay, the goat and chicken erythrocytes showed the maximum 64 Hemolytic Unit (HU) and human blood group “A” shows 32 HU, blood group “B” shows 64 HU, blood group “AB” shows 32 HU and blood group “O” shows 128 HU. In cytotoxic study, aqueous extract of sea urchin showed LC50 value 0.12±0.09 mgmL-1 concentration was showed 50% mortality. In antimicrobial assay, maximum zone inhibition 12.26 ± 0.6 mm showed by K. oxytoca and 3.33 ± 0.9 mm showed by Mucor sp. against chloroform extract of sea urchin T. toreumaticus. Thin layer chromatogram showed the spots of Rf values of 0.38, 0.85 cm. The FT-IR study shows the presence of functional groups such as chloroalkanes, bromoalkanes, iodoalkanes, alcohols groups, acids or aromatic ethers, methyl alkyl groups, 1° amines groups and ammonium ions. These results indicate that, sea urchin has remarkable hemolytic and cytotoxic activities.Keywords: Antimicrobial Assay, Biochemical, FT-IR, Sea Urchin, Heamolyti

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Inflorescence Sap Nutritional Characteristics and Health Effects

Coconut is widely known as the tree of life. Every part of the tree is useful and therefore, coconut palm is an important economic crop of the local people. Neera is the exudate obtained from the unopened inflorescence of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It is healthy and therapeutic drink since it is rich in Vitamin C, has more food calories than milk, fights diabetes, cancer, electrolyte deficiency and even hair fall. Neera is rich in minerals and vitamins and it contains glucamic acid necessary for protein synthesis. It aids in digestion health. Neera contains vitamins (A and C), which have anti - oxidant properties thereby preventing damage or death of cells. Neera contains acids nicotinic acid and riboflavin and also can be consumed by people suffering from diabetes since it has a low glycemic index and a low glycemic load. In the study discuss about chemical composition including total sugar, reducing sugar, ethanol and vitamins