Evaluation of Children with Chronic Abdominal Pain.

INTRODUCTION : Chronic abdominal pain is defined1,2 as abdominal pain, continuous or recurrent, lasting for two weeks or longer. Exact prevalence of chronic abdominal pain is not known. It seems to account for 2 to 4% of all pediatric outpatient visits. This condition has also been referred to as ‘recurrent abdominal pain’, in the literature. Apley and Naish first introduced it in pediatric literature in the year 1950. Chronic abdominal pain can be due to both organic and functional disorders. The following five components have been mentioned and considered in evaluating these children; the same have been followed in this study: 1.History, 2. Physical examination, 3. Laboratory tests individualized to indication, 4. Imaging studies individualized to indication, 5. Empiric intervention. In Chronic abdominal pain symptoms which are known to be associated with organic disease and referred as alarm symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, unexplained fever, persistent right upper or right lower quadrant pain, weight loss and gastrointestinal blood loss. This condition has been greatly discussed and studied by paediatricians and medical gastroenterologists. Most of the published literature is from the medical colleagues. Available literature published by them has repeatedly mentioned functional gastrointestinal disorders as the cause of this pain, which includes non-ulcer dyspepsia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or abdominal migraine. This being the case there has been debate regarding the need for evaluating these patients with laboratory tests and imaging studies. But the surgeons have approached this problem differently. Various imaging modalities and Diagnostic laparoscopy have been used which has increased the yield of diagnosing organic diseases in these studies. Chronic or recurrent appendiceal inflammation has been shown to be one of the causes of this pain in various published studies. There are no clear guidelines in literature regarding the investigations needed in evaluating these patients. There are no studies quoting the differential diagnosis in these patients. AIMS : To determine the differential diagnosis of chronic abdominal pain. To determine the yield of various investigatory modalities in managing chronic abdominal pain. To determine the role of Diagnostic laparoscopy in managing patients with chronic abdominal pain. To determine if appendicectomy is indicated in patients presenting with chronic abdominal pain when no conclusive diagnosis is reached with investigations. CONCLUSION : 1. Chronic abdominal pain in children needs a complete and thorough evaluation with various modalites of deserving investigations, but a proper history and clinical examination are indispensable. 2. A majority of our patients (78%) had organic pathology revealed by protocolised evaluation. 3. The commonest cause of chronic abdominal pain is due to gastrointestinal pathology followed by urological pathology. Rare pathologies also should be considered. 4. Ultrasonography has the highest diagnostic yield among investigations. It is a non-invasive, inexpensive, easily available test, which can be done as an outpatient procedure. USG should be done as a routine in all cases. 5. In the modern era, diagnostic laparoscopy surely has a place in evaluating these patients. It gives better diagnostic yield, can be therapeutic, is less painful post-operatively and is cosmetically acceptable. It was therapeutic in 43.3% of our cases. 6. Congenital anomalies like Malrotation, Choledochal cyst, MURCS association, Retroperitoneal lymph cyst can present even at an older age. 7. Unsuspected tuberculosis is still prevalent in Indian scenario. 8. As against common Paediatric practice, pancreatic pathology and urolithiasis should be considered as a diagnosis in children. 9. Delay in diagnosis and treatment of oncological pathologies can be avoided by early evaluation. 10.Chronic appendicitis is an established entity and should be considered as a differential diagnosis in all these patients, especially if presenting with chronic right lower abdominal pain

Validation of foreground and background SSR markers for introgression of QTL governing leaf glossiness into a sorghum variety - NTJ 2

Leaf glossiness and trichomes on leaf surface, two important component traits governing resistance to shoot fly in sorghum is controlled by Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) located on linkage group SBI-05. Foreground and background markers were validated for transfer of the QTLs to NTJ2, a popular variety of sorghum. For foreground selection, five SSR markers, Xtxp268, Xisep1111, Xtxp065, Xtxp303, and Xiabt440 in the region of the QTL were identified from 17 tested markers. From a total of 167 SSR markers spanning the entire genome, 35 polymorphic SSR markers, distributed on all the 10 chromosomes were identified for background selection. The F1, BC1F1 and F2 generation plants were screened using foreground markers. Based on the results obtained, the hybridity of the F1’s was confirmed and markerhomozygote individuals in F2 generation were identified for subsequent backcrossin

Fungal diversity notes 1512-1610: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa

This article is the 14th in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, wherein we report 98 taxa distributed in two phyla, seven classes, 26 orders and 50 families which are described and illustrated. Taxa in this study were collected from Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, French Guiana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. There are 59 new taxa, 39 new hosts and new geographical distributions with one new combination. The 59 new species comprise Angustimassarina kunmingense, Asterina lopi, Asterina brigadeirensis, Bartalinia bidenticola, Bartalinia caryotae, Buellia pruinocalcarea, Coltricia insularis, Colletotrichum flexuosum, Colletotrichum thasutense, Coniochaeta caraganae, Coniothyrium yuccicola, Dematipyriforma aquatic, Dematipyriforma globispora, Dematipyriforma nilotica, Distoseptispora bambusicola, Fulvifomes jawadhuvensis, Fulvifomes malaiyanurensis, Fulvifomes thiruvannamalaiensis, Fusarium purpurea, Gerronema atrovirens, Gerronema flavum, Gerronema keralense, Gerronema kuruvense, Grammothele taiwanensis, Hongkongmyces changchunensis, Hypoxylon inaequale, Kirschsteiniothelia acutisporum, Kirschsteiniothelia crustaceum, Kirschsteiniothelia extensum, Kirschsteiniothelia septemseptatum, Kirschsteiniothelia spatiosum, Lecanora immersocalcarea, Lepiota subthailandica, Lindgomyces guizhouensis, Marthe asmius pallidoaurantiacus, Marasmius tangerinus, Neovaginatispora mangiferae, Pararamichloridium aquisubtropicum, Pestalotiopsis piraubensis, Phacidium chinaum, Phaeoisaria goiasensis, Phaeoseptum thailandicum, Pleurothecium aquisubtropicum, Pseudocercospora vernoniae, Pyrenophora verruculosa, Rhachomyces cruralis, Rhachomyces hyperommae, Rhachomyces magrinii, Rhachomyces platyprosophi, Rhizomarasmius cunninghamietorum, Skeletocutis cangshanensis, Skeletocutis subchrysella, Sporisorium anadelphiae-leptocomae, Tetraploa dashaoensis, Tomentella exiguelata, Tomentella fuscoaraneosa, Tricholomopsis lechatii, Vaginatispora flavispora and Wetmoreana blastidiocalcarea. The new combination is Torula sundara. The 39 new records on hosts and geographical distribution comprise Apiospora guiyangensis, Aplosporella artocarpi, Ascochyta medicaginicola, Astrocystis bambusicola, Athelia rolfsii, Bambusicola bambusae, Bipolaris luttrellii, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Chlorophyllum squamulosum, Colletotrichum aeschynomenes, Colletotrichum pandanicola, Coprinopsis cinerea, Corylicola italica, Curvularia alcornii, Curvularia senegalensis, Diaporthe foeniculina, Diaporthe longicolla, Diaporthe phaseolorum, Diatrypella quercina, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Helicoma aquaticum, Lepiota metulispora, Lepiota pongduadensis, Lepiota subvenenata, Melanconiella meridionalis, Monotosporella erecta, Nodulosphaeria digitalis, Palmiascoma gregariascomum, Periconia byssoides, Periconia cortaderiae, Pleopunctum ellipsoideum, Psilocybe keralensis, Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium dehoogii, Scedosporium marina, Spegazzinia deightonii, Torula fici, Wiesneriomyces laurinus and Xylaria venosula. All these taxa are supported by morphological and multigene phylogenetic analyses. This article allows the researchers to publish fungal collections which are important for future studies. An updated, accurate and timely report of fungus-host and fungus-geography is important. We also provide an updated list of fungal taxa published in the previous fungal diversity notes. In this list, erroneous taxa and synonyms are marked and corrected accordingly

Faith in God and Language Policy in Tamil Pattiyal Grammar

Tamil devotional literature is composed as pathigangal and prabandangal. Most of the prabanda literature depends on Sittrilakiya Varieties. Pattiyal Grammar discusses about combining baithi and language god is portrayed as hero in such literatures. Devotional literature emphasize to get rid of worldly illusions and the ways to attain god. Paattiyal Grammar says certain conventions should be followed while writing hymns on God. This paper researches on the Paatiyal Grammar which has recorded that bakthi religious principles is formed on the basics of faith in God

Kathi fits in Tamil Paattiyal Grammar Text

Tamil Pattiyal Grammar Works are Grammatial text (Sitrilakkiyam) for literature that originated from the lives of Tamil Speaking people. Pattiyal Grammar text are thought to be an alternative to the long-time grammatical tradition. Follow such a tradition Tamil Paattiyal Grammar state the monolingual principles for the four types of births of the god, people, naragar, animal. These grammar text created a unique identity for itself. This is because of the authors of the book wrote their own ideas as grammatical principles. This is the Hypothesis of the article. This review article is based on the criteria for Descriptive performance, Sociological performance and Comparative performance

Anti-diabetic effect of a novel N-Trisaccharide isolated from Cucumis prophetarum on streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic rats

Ethnopharmacological relevance Cucumis prophetarum (L.) is used in traditional Indian medicine for the treatment of inflammation related problems. Aim of the study The present investigation was designed to study the effect of N-Trisaccharide (a new compound isolated from the fruit of C. prophetarum (L.)) on hyperglycemia in streptozotocin (STZ)-nicotinamide (NA) induced type 2 diabetic rats. Materials and methods Different doses of N-Trisaccharide (25 and 50 mg/kg b.w.) were administered once daily for 28 days to STZ-NA induced diabetic rats. Plasma insulin and glycogen levels were measured. The activities of hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase were measured. Further, histological studies on pancreas were also carried out. Results The active compound at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg b.w. given orally for 14 days showed 47.7% and 69.3% antihyperglycemic activity, respectively. Treatment at the same doses for 28 days provided complete protection against STZ-NA challenge (65 and 230 mg/kg b.w., respectively), intraperitoneally. N-Trisaccharide significantly (p 0.05) increased the plasma insulin and liver glycogen levels in diabetic rats. The altered enzyme activities of carbohydrate metabolism in the liver and kidney of the diabetic rats were significantly (p 0.05) improved. Additionally, N-Trisaccharide increased glycogen synthase and decreased glycogen phosphorylase activity in diabetic rats. Histological studies confirmed an increase in insulin level is due to stimulation of injured pancreatic β-cells. Conclusion The results of the study suggested that N-Trisaccharide possesses propitious effect on STZ-NA induced type 2 diabetes, indicating its usefulness in diabetes management

Recurrent unilateral vulval elephantiasis: a case report.

Genital elephantiasis is caused by a variety of infective and non infective causes leading to blockage of lymphatic. We are presenting a rare case of recurrent unilateral vulval elephantiasis which has recurred after initial reconstructive surgery. A 38 year old female presented with vulval swelling and on examination there was gross unilateral vulval enlargement. FNAC (Fine needle aspiration cytology) and biopsy were contributory for diagnosis. Patient was started with antibiotics and daily dressing was done till the infection was subsided and the patient was planned for reconstructive surgery

Molecular characterization of promoters of the Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris temperate bacteriophage BK5-T and identification of a phage gene implicated in the regulation of promoter activity.

DNA fragments from the temperate lactococcal bacteriophage BK5-T were cloned into the promoter-detecting plasmid pMU1328. Five DNA fragments conferring promoter activity were selected by transformation of Streptococcus sanguis and were functional in Escherichia coli, S. sanguis, and Lactococcus lactis subspp. lactis and cremoris. The nucleotide sequences of these fragments were determined, and primer extension analysis was used to locate the site of initiation of transcription from each promoter in both E. coli and S. sanguis. Transcription was initiated from the same nucleotide in these two organisms, and the promoters contained -10 and -35 regions similar to the consensus sequence for E. coli promoters. The activities of three of the five promoters were decreased two- to threefold when a compatible plasmid containing a 3.8-kilobase-pair EcoRI fragment (EcoRI-f) of BK5-T was coresident with the promoter-containing plasmid in either L. lactis subsp. cremoris or E. coli. Data from Tn5 mutagenesis, subcloning experiments, and DNA sequence analysis indicate that this decrease in promoter activity requires a region of EcoRI-f that contains a 621-base-pair open reading frame. This region has been designated bpi (for BK5-T promoter inhibitor)

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of N-Trisaccharide in different experimental rats

Objectives To investigate the hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic effect of N-Trisaccharide isolated from Cucumis prophetarum (L.) on different experimental rats. Methods N-Trisaccharide (25 and 50 mg/kg.b.w), silymarin (25 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (25 mg/kg) was orally administered once daily for 28 days and toxicity evaluation studies were carried out. Liver damage was assessed by determining DNA damage, serum enzyme activities and hepatic histopathology of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic injury in rats. Enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidant levels in liver and kidney were determined and biochemical parameters such as, serum lipid profile, renal function markers were estimated in type 2 diabetic rats. Results DNA fragmentation analysis revealed the protective effect of N-Trisaccharide on liver DNA damage. Histopathological studies indicated that CCl4-induced liver injury was less severe in N-Trisaccharide (25 and 50 mg/kg) treated group. Given at the above doses conferred significant protection against the hepatotoxic actions of CCl4 in rats, reducing serum markers like SGOT, SGPT, ALP, creatinine and urea levels back to near normal (p < 0.05) compared to untreated rats. In diabetic rats, N-Trisaccharide treatment significantly reversed abnormal status of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants levels to near normal. Also, serum lipids such as TG, TC, LDL-C and VLDL-C levels were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced compared to diabetic untreated rats. Conclusion Present study results confirm that N-Trisaccharide possesses significant antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties

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Not AvailableCastor has been a recalcitrant crop for in vitro manipulations. To realize the potential of genetic engineering, it is essential to develop a repeatable transformation protocol. In planta transformation has been identified as a method of choice to obtain transgenic lines in crops that are trajectory to in vitro procedures. In the present investigation, we have developed an optimized protocol for realizing transgenic castor plants through Agrobacterium mediated in planta transformation. We have established procedures to ensure better survival of Agrobacterium treated seedlings (T0 ) in transgenic green house as well as for screening T1 progeny plants to identify putative transgenic plants. The optimized factors included: growing the Agro-treated (pricked) seedlings for two days in soilrite and then transferring to soil, treating the two day old seedlings of T1 progeny plants in hygromycin solution @40mg/l for two hours and then transferring the normal looking plants to the soil in transgenic green house. Using the optimized protocol, we have realized 30 transgenic castor plants carrying different gene constructs.Not Availabl