The increasing rate of undergraduate male attrition: What the men tell us. A qualitative case study.

The current study explores the factors that may contribute to undergraduate male attrition and ways of improving retention at James Madison University (JMU) using qualitative case study methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five men who were currently enrolled at JMU, six men who had previously been enrolled at JMU but who had left before completing a degree, and two university administrators who work closely with students at risk of dropping out. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. They were analyzed using QSR’s N-Vivo 9, a qualitative data management software package. Themes and sub-themes emerged around two major categories: factors that contribute to undergraduate male attrition and factors that may encourage male retention. Major themes around factors contributing to attrition included incomplete cognitive maturity, financial difficulties, lack of motivation, and JMU-specific factors. Sub-themes around factors that encourage retention included mentorship programs, exploration classes, alcohol-management programs, and off-campus supervision

Spintronics: Combination of Nanotechnology & Superconductivity

Advances in fabrication & characterization of magnetic & superconductivity materials on nanometre length scales paves the way for new experimental, theoretical & technological frontiers. This paper emphasize on “spintronics”:  it is a nanoscale technology in which information is carried not by the electon’s charge, as it is in conventional microchips, but by the electron’s intrinsic spin, by controlling the spin degree of freedom in solid – state heterostructures & magnetic quantum  dots,  Spintronics  offers new possibilities for developing data processing speeds, lower electric consumption & the ability to carry out radically new quantum computations over conventional electronics. Spintronics a prototype device that is already in use in industry as a read head & a memory –storage cell is the giant – magneto resistive (GMR) sandwich structure which consists of alternating ferromagnetic & non-magnetic metal layers. Experimental work is reviewed with the emphasis on the fundamentals & application in which external electric & magnetic field will be used to control spin & charge dynamics to create new functionalities which are ineffective with conventional electronics. Key Words: spintronics,  superconductivity,  giant – magneto resistive (GMR),  magnetic field,  heterostructures,  conventional electronics etc

Investigation on the status of Johne's disease based on agar gel immunodiffusion, ziehl-neelsen staining and nested PCR approach in two cattle farm

Background and Methods: Paratuberculosis is a chronic disease of ruminant, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), clinically infected animals produce high level of antibodies in blood and shed detectable amount of Map organisms in feces. Several serological and molecular tests are utilized for detection of antibodies or DNA of the organism in clinical samples. Present study indicates the status of paratuberculosis in two distinct cattle farms with different organizational set-ups viz. organized and unorganized. We used agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assay for the detection of antibodies in blood. Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining of fecal smears was done to observe acid-fast bacilli and Nested PCR targeted to IS900 and f57 sequences, was performed to confirm the pathogen.Results: Sera samples of cattle, from organized farm, did not show any visible precipitating band with AGID assay. However, fecal smears of few cattle (3.57%) were positive for acid-fast bacilli. When confirmed with nested PCR, only one fecal sample (0.71%) was found positive for Map. In case of unorganized farm, a large number of cattle (38.75%) showed precipitating antibodies with AGID assay and the percentage of fecal smears that showed acid-fast bacilli was 26.62%. Nevertheless, fecal samples containing Map DNA was confirmed in 14.37% of fecal sample by nested PCR.Conclusions: An organized farm, with better hygiene and management practices, showed lesser occurrence of paratuberculosis in cattle in comparison to unorganized farm. Not all AGID assays positive cattle might be an efficient shedder of Map and mare detection of acid-fast bacilli in fecal smears did not always indicate the presence of Map organism. Cattle infected with JD were mostly in the age group of six years and above

A cross-sectional study on thyroid status in North Indian elderly outpatients with dementia

Background: Several population based studies have demonstrated an association between hypo-or hyperthyroidism and dementia in last two decades. As a consequence, thyroid stimulating hormone has become part of the screening laboratory test for dementia. Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between thyroid function and Alzheimer′s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) and to determine the risk of AD and VaD in clinically euthyroid patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional hospital based study was carried out in subjects diagnosed with AD/VaD and were assessed for thyroid status as routine screening test. Results: Free T3, free T4 and TSH were studied in 114 AD patients (mean age: 65 years), 35 VaD patients (mean age: 62 years) and 105 control subjects (mean age: 62 years). In AD group, TSH levels were significantly lower than controls (P = 0.00) and for each unit increase in TSH level, the odds of having dementia decreased by 37.1%. No such relation was seen in VaD. Conclusion: The results suggest a consistent association of subclinical hyperthyroidism and AD

Tropine Forming Tropinone Reductase Gene from <i>Withania somnifera</i> (Ashwagandha): Biochemical Characteristics of the Recombinant Enzyme and Novel Physiological Overtones of Tissue-Wide Gene Expression Patterns

<div><p><i>Withania somnifera</i> is one of the most reputed medicinal plants of Indian systems of medicine synthesizing diverse types of secondary metabolites such as withanolides, alkaloids, withanamides etc. Present study comprises cloning and <i>E. coli</i> over-expression of a tropinone reductase gene (<i>WsTR-I</i>) from <i>W. somnifera</i>, and elucidation of biochemical characteristics and physiological role of tropinone reductase enzyme in tropane alkaloid biosynthesis in aerial tissues of the plant. The recombinant enzyme was demonstrated to catalyze NADPH-dependent tropinone to tropine conversion step in tropane metabolism, through TLC, GC and GC-MS-MS analyses of the reaction product. The functionally active homodimeric ∼60 kDa enzyme catalyzed the reaction in reversible manner at optimum pH 6.7. Catalytic kinetics of the enzyme favoured its forward reaction (tropine formation). Comparative 3-D models of landscape of the enzyme active site contours and tropinone binding site were also developed. Tissue-wide and ontogenic stage-wise assessment of <i>WsTR-I</i> transcript levels revealed constitutive expression of the gene with relatively lower abundance in berries and young leaves. The tissue profiles of <i>WsTR-I</i> expression matched those of tropine levels. The data suggest that, in <i>W. somnifera</i>, aerial tissues as well possess tropane alkaloid biosynthetic competence. <i>In vivo</i> feeding of U-[¹⁴C]-sucrose to orphan shoot (twigs) and [¹⁴C]-chasing revealed substantial radiolabel incorporation in tropinone and tropine, confirming the <i>de novo</i> synthesizing ability of the aerial tissues. This inherent independent ability heralds a conceptual novelty in the backdrop of classical view that these tissues acquire the alkaloids through transportation from roots rather than synthesis. The TR-I gene expression was found to be up-regulated on exposure to signal molecules (methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid) and on mechanical injury. The enzyme's catalytic and structural properties as well as gene expression profiles are discussed with respect to their physiological overtones.</p></div

Real time PCR based comparative pattern of expression of tropine forming tropinone reductase gene (<i>WsTR-I</i>) in different tissues of <i>W.</i>

<p><i> somnifera</i> (A) and real time PCR based assessment of effect signal molecules on WsTR-I expression (B). MeJa, 1 h, methyl jasmonate, 1 h treatment, MeJa, 6 h, methyl jasmonate, 6 h treatment, SA, 1 h, Salicylic acid, 1 h treatment, SA, 6 h, Salicylic acid, 6 h treatment, W, 1 h, Wounding, 1 h treatment, W, 6 h, Wounding, 6 h treatment.</p

Kinetic parameters of <i>Withania somnifera</i> tropine forming tropinone reductase (WsTR-I) catalyzed reaction.

<p>Kinetic parameters of <i>Withania somnifera</i> tropine forming tropinone reductase (WsTR-I) catalyzed reaction.</p

Identification of the reaction product of recombinant WsTR-I with tropinone as substrate.

<p>TLC: I, tropine standard; II, WsTR-I reaction mixture after catalytic reaction termination; III, NaBH₄ reduction products (tropine and pseudotropine) of tropinone; IV, tropinone standard. GC: A, authentic tropinone; B, authentic tropine; C, control (enzyme minus) assay mixture of WsTR-I; D, experimental (complete) assay mixture of WsTR-I assay; E, NaBH₄ aided reduction products (tropine and pseudotropine) of tropinone.</p