Morphometry of the Dugong Dugon (Muller, 1776) skeleton based on Indian Museum specimens, Kolkata, India

817-821The present study discussed about detailed examination of skeleton characters of four dugong specimens received from Indian Museum. The specimens were deposited and preserved in the National Zoological Collection (ZSI/27608; ZSI/27609; ZSI/27610; ZSI/27611) of The Mammal and Osteological Section, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata

The Memory Remains: Monetary and Social Rewards in Retroactive Enhancement of Memory

When an organism experiences a salient event, such as when a reward or punishment is received, it is crucial that the information pertaining to that stimulus is encoded and consolidated into memory. The memory of the salient event then allows the organism to continue seeking or avoiding that stimulus. However, it is essential that the organism is also able to recognize the events leading up to encountering the salient stimuli. Theoretically, this requires retroactive enhancement of memory. Retroactive enhancement of memory occurs when previously seemingly irrelevant memories are enhanced at a later time point due to a salient event. While there is theoretical support for the possibility of retroactive enhancement of memories, the empirical evidence in human participants has largely been mixed primarily due to methodological differences and conflation of learning paradigms. Furthermore, as prior studies that have attempted to elicit retroactive enhancement of memory using rewards have only used monetary rewards, it is unclear if social rewards could elicit the effect as well. The effect of retroactive enhancement of memory using rewards on false memories is also unclear. To address the inconsistencies and ambiguities in the literature, this dissertation examined the effects of monetary and social rewards on retroactive enhancement of memory and false memories using an operant conditioning paradigm in Study 1 and a classical conditioning paradigm in Study 2. First, while the data in Study 1 provided evidence of retroactive enhancement of memory for both monetary and social rewards, the data in Study 2 did not support retroactive enhancement of memory. Second, using a two-step conditioning process, results from Study 1 suggest that monetary and social rewards can exert comparable influence on memory in an operant conditioning paradigm. However, results from Study 2 demonstrated that recall in the conditioning phase of the social reward condition was significantly higher than that of the monetary reward condition using a classical conditioning paradigm. Third, in examining rates of false alarms, the data revealed no significant differences between the reward category images in Study 1. The findings of this dissertation not only add to the extant literature but also provide clarity regarding mixed findings in previous studies. Across these two studies, this dissertation provides important insights regarding one facet of memory, retroactive enhancement of memory, especially in the presence of rewards

Evaluation of leguminous vegetables as intercrops in pruned fields of jasmine (Jasminum sambac Ait.)

Investigations on intercropping of leguminous vegetables in a pruned field of jasmine (Jasminum sambac) carried out in a farmer's field at Keezakundalapadi (Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu), indicated that intercropping pruned jasmine with double rows of vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) fetched the highest equivalent yield of jasmine (5,393 kg ha-I), land equivalent ratio (1.99), net returns (Rs. 1,44,113 ha-I) and benefit-cost ratio (3:1). &nbsp

Plasmodium Secretion Induces Hepatocyte Lysosome Exocytosis and Promotes Parasite Entry.

The invasion of a suitable host hepatocyte by Plasmodium sporozoites is an essential step in malaria infection. We demonstrate that in infected hepatocytes, lysosomes are redistributed away from the nucleus, and surface exposure of lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) is increased. Lysosome exocytosis in infected cells occurs independently of sporozoite traversal. Instead, a sporozoite-secreted factor is sufficient for the process. Knockdown of SNARE proteins involved in lysosome-plasma membrane fusion reduces lysosome exocytosis and Plasmodium infection. In contrast, promoting fusion between the lysosome and plasma membrane dramatically increases infection. Our work demonstrates parallels between Plasmodium sporozoite entry of hepatocytes and infection by the excavate pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi and raises the question of whether convergent evolution has shaped host cell invasion by divergent pathogens

Autoclaves for Aerospace Applications: Issues and Challenges

The Council of Scientific and Industerial Research National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), Bangalore, India has been engaged in the research of autoclaves for the past three decades and has pioneered their development and usage in India for aerospace/aircraft structural applications. The autoclaves at CSIR-NAL have played a significant role in all the major national aircraft/aerospace programs. The largest aerospace autoclave in India (working size of 4.4 m diameter and 9.0 m length) has been successfully commissioned at CSIR-NAL. This paper gives the technological challenges faced and the innovative concepts that were introduced in these autoclaves

UV Spectrophotometric Method for the Estimation of Valacyclovir HCl in Tablet Dosage Form

A simple, sensitive, highly accurate UV spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of valacyclovir in bulk and tablet dosage form. Solution of valacyclovir in 0.1N HCl shows maximum absorbance at 255 nm. Beer’s law was obeyed in the concentration range of 5-25 mcg mL-1 with 1.0910x104 mol-1 cm-1, the slope, intercept, correlation coefficient, detection and quantitation limits were also calculated. The proposed method has been applied successfully for the analysis of the drug in pure and in its tablets dosage forms. Result of percentage recovery and placebo interference shows that the method was not affected by the presence of common excipients. The percentages assay of valacyclovir HCl in tablet was 99.82%. The method was validated by determining its sensitivity, accuracy and precision which proves suitability of the developed method for the routine estimation of valacyclovir in bulk and solid dosage form

A web-based photo-alteration intervention to promote sleep : randomized controlled trial

This work was supported by grants awarded to JCJL by the Singapore Ministry of Education (start-up grant number: R-607-264-057-121 and AcRF Tier 1: IG15-B052).Background: Receiving insufficient sleep has wide-ranging consequences for health and well-being. Although educational programs have been developed to promote sleep, these have had limited success in extending sleep duration. To address this gap, we developed a web-based program emphasizing how physical appearances change with varying amounts of sleep. Objective: The aims of this study were to evaluate: (1) whether participants can detect changes in appearances as a function of sleep, and (2) whether this intervention can alter habitual sleep patterns. Methods: We conducted a 5-week, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial amongst 70 habitual short sleepers (healthy adults who reported having <7 hours of sleep routinely). Upon study enrolment, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either standard information or an appearance-based intervention. Both groups received educational materials about sleep, but those in the appearance group also viewed a website containing digitally-edited photographs that showed how they would look with varying amounts of sleep. As outcome variables, sleep duration was monitored objectively via actigraphy (at baseline, and at post-intervention weeks 1 and 4), and participants completed a measure of sleep hygiene (at baseline, and at post-intervention weeks 2, 4, and 5). For each outcome, we ran intention-to-treat analyses using linear mixed-effects models. Results: In total, 35 participants were assigned to each group. Validating the intervention, participants in the appearance group: (i) were able to identify what they looked like at baseline, and (ii) judged that they would look more attractive with a longer sleep duration (t(26) = 10.35, P < .001). In turn, this translated to changes in sleep hygiene: whereas participants in the appearance group showed improvements following the intervention (F(1,107.99) = 9.05, P = .003), those in the information group did not (F(1,84.7) = 0.19, P = .66). Finally, there was no significant effect of group nor interaction of group and time on actigraphy-measured sleep duration (smallest P = .26). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that an appearance-based intervention – while not sufficient as a standalone – could have an adjunctive role in sleep promotion.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Systematic review on barriers and enablers for access to diabetic retinopathy screening services in different income settings.

BackgroundDiabetic retinopathy (DR) can lead to visual impairment and blindness if not detected and treated in time. Knowing the barriers/enablers in advance in contrasting different country income settings may accelerate development of a successful DR screening (DRS) program. This would be especially applicable in the low-income settings with the rising prevalence of DR.ObjectivesThe aim of this systematic review is to identify and contrast the barriers/enablers to DRS for different contexts using both consumers i.e., people with diabetes (PwDM) and provider perspectives and system level factors in different country income settings.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL in the Cochrane Library from the databases start date to December 2018. We included the studies reported on barriers and enablers to access DRS services based at health care facilities. We categorised and synthesized themes related to the consumers (individuals), providers and the health systems (environment) as main dimensions according to the constructs of social cognitive theory, supported by the quantitative measures i.e., odds ratios as reported by each of the study authors.Main resultsWe included 77 studies primarily describing the barriers and enablers. Most of the studies were from high income settings (72.7, 56/77) and cross sectional in design (76.6, 59/77). From the perspectives of consumers, lack of knowledge, attitude, awareness and motivation were identified as major barriers. The enablers were fear of blindness, proximity of screening facility, experiences of vision loss and being concerned of eye complications. In providers’ perspectives, lack of skilled human resources, training programs, infrastructure of retinal imaging and cost of services were the main barriers. Higher odds of uptake of DRS services was observed when PwDM were provided health education (odds ratio (OR) 4.3) and having knowledge on DR (OR range 1.3–19.7).ConclusionKnowing the barriers to access DRS is a pre-requisite in development of a successful screening program. The awareness, knowledge and attitude of the consumers, availability of skilled human resources and infrastructure emerged as the major barriers to access to DRS in any income setting

Exosomal mediated signal transduction through artificial microRNA (amiRNA):A potential target for inhibition of SARS-CoV-2

Exosome trans-membrane signals provide cellular communication between the cells through transport and/or receiving the signal by molecule, change the functional metabolism, and stimulate and/or inhibit receptor signal complexes. COVID19 genetic transformations are varied in different geographic positions, and single nucleotide polymorphic lineages were reported in the second waves due to the fast mutational rate and adaptation. Several vaccines were developed and in treatment practice, but effective control has yet to reach in cent presence. It was initially a narrow immune-modulating protein target. Controlling these diverse viral strains may inhibit their transuding mechanisms primarily to target RNA genes responsible for COVID19 transcription. Exosomal miRNAs are the main sources of transmembrane signals, and trans-located miRNAs can directly target COVID19 mRNA transcription. This review discussed targeted viral transcription by delivering the artificial miRNA (amiRNA) mediated exosomes in the infected cells and significant resources of exosome and their efficacy

Expert consensus for in-hospital neurorehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries

Background: People with neurological dysfunction have been significantly affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis in receiving adequate and quality rehabilitation services. There are no clear guidelines or recommendations for rehabilitation providers in dealing with patients with neurological dysfunction during a pandemic situation especially in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this paper was to develop consensus-based expert recommendations for in-hospital based neurorehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic for low- and middle-income countries based on available evidence. Methods: A group of experts in neurorehabilitation consisting of neurologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists were identified for the consensus groups. A scoping review was conducted to identify existing evidence and recommendations for neurorehabilitation during COVID-19. Specific statements with level 2b evidence from studies identified were developed. These statements were circulated to 13 experts for consensus. The statements that received ≥80% agreement were grouped in different themes and the recommendations were developed. Results: 75 statements for expert consensus were generated. 72 statements received consensus from 13 experts. These statements were thematically grouped as recommendations for neurorehabilitation service providers, patients, formal and informal caregivers of affected individuals, rehabilitation service organizations, and administrators. Conclusions: The development of this consensus statement is of fundamental significance to neurological rehabilitation service providers and people living with neurological disabilities. It is crucial that governments, health systems, clinicians and stakeholders involved in upholding the standard of neurorehabilitation practice in low- and middle-income countries consider conversion of the consensus statement to minimum standard requirements within the context of the pandemic as well as for the future