Changes in climatic elements and their impact on production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala, India

The change in climatic elements namely, temperature and precipitation in Cardamom Hills (Kerala, India) was studied by analysing the weather data for 20 (temperature) and 40 years (precipitation). Minimum temperature exhibited drastic variation over the years. The difference betWeen the warmest and coolest month had narrowed considerably and the days have become warmer markedly. Except during 1967-76 (Decade-II) the total annual average precipitation received was more or less equal. Even though the total number of rainy days has increased, the distribution pattern was erratic during the last decade. The rainfall parameters had positive correlation with production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) with significant relationship for number of rainy days. &nbsp

Changes in climatic elements and their impact on production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala, India

The change in climatic elements namely, temperature and precipitation in Cardamom Hills (Kerala, India) was studied by analysing the weather data for 20 (temperature) and 40 years (precipitation). Minimum temperature exhibited drastic variation over the years. The difference betWeen the warmest and coolest month had narrowed considerably and the days have become warmer markedly. Except during 1967-76 (Decade-II) the total annual average precipitation received was more or less equal. Even though the total number of rainy days has increased, the distribution pattern was erratic during the last decade. The rainfall parameters had positive correlation with production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) with significant relationship for number of rainy days. &nbsp

Changes in climatic elements and their impact on production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala, India

The change in climatic elements namely, temperature and precipitation in Cardamom Hills (Kerala, India) was studied by analysing the weather data for 20 (temperature) and 40 years (precipitation). Minimum temperature exhibited drastic variation over the years. The difference betWeen the warmest and coolest month had narrowed considerably and the days have become warmer markedly. Except during 1967-76 (Decade-II) the total annual average precipitation received was more or less equal. Even though the total number of rainy days has increased, the distribution pattern was erratic during the last decade. The rainfall parameters had positive correlation with production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) with significant relationship for number of rainy days. &nbsp

Changes in climatic elements and their impact on production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala, India

The change in climatic elements namely, temperature and precipitation in Cardamom Hills (Kerala, India) was studied by analysing the weather data for 20 (temperature) and 40 years (precipitation). Minimum temperature exhibited drastic variation over the years. The difference betWeen the warmest and coolest month had narrowed considerably and the days have become warmer markedly. Except during 1967-76 (Decade-II) the total annual average precipitation received was more or less equal. Even though the total number of rainy days has increased, the distribution pattern was erratic during the last decade. The rainfall parameters had positive correlation with production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) with significant relationship for number of rainy days. &nbsp

Changes in climatic elements and their impact on production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala, India

The change in climatic elements namely, temperature and precipitation in Cardamom Hills (Kerala, India) was studied by analysing the weather data for 20 (temperature) and 40 years (precipitation). Minimum temperature exhibited drastic variation over the years. The difference betWeen the warmest and coolest month had narrowed considerably and the days have become warmer markedly. Except during 1967-76 (Decade-II) the total annual average precipitation received was more or less equal. Even though the total number of rainy days has increased, the distribution pattern was erratic during the last decade. The rainfall parameters had positive correlation with production of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) with significant relationship for number of rainy days. &nbsp

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Romidepsin Induces HIV Expression in CD4 T Cells from Patients on Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy at Concentrations Achieved by Clinical Dosing

Persistent latent reservoir of replication-competent proviruses in memory CD4 T cells is a major obstacle to curing HIV infection. Pharmacological activation of HIV expression in latently infected cells is being explored as one of the strategies to deplete the latent HIV reservoir. In this study, we characterized the ability of romidepsin (RMD), a histone deacetylase inhibitor approved for the treatment of T-cell lymphomas, to activate the expression of latent HIV. In an in vitro T-cell model of HIV latency, RMD was the most potent inducer of HIV (EC50 = 4.5 nM) compared with vorinostat (VOR; EC50 = 3,950 nM) and other histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors in clinical development including panobinostat (PNB; EC50 = 10 nM). The HIV induction potencies of RMD, VOR, and PNB paralleled their inhibitory activities against multiple human HDAC isoenzymes. In both resting and memory CD4 T cells isolated from HIV-infected patients on suppressive combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), a 4-hour exposure to 40 nM RMD induced a mean 6-fold increase in intracellular HIV RNA levels, whereas a 24-hour treatment with 1 μM VOR resulted in 2- to 3-fold increases. RMD-induced intracellular HIV RNA expression persisted for 48 hours and correlated with sustained inhibition of cell-associated HDAC activity. By comparison, the induction of HIV RNA by VOR and PNB was transient and diminished after 24 hours. RMD also increased levels of extracellular HIV RNA and virions from both memory and resting CD4 T-cell cultures. The activation of HIV expression was observed at RMD concentrations below the drug plasma levels achieved by doses used in patients treated for T-cell lymphomas. In conclusion, RMD induces HIV expression ex vivo at concentrations that can be achieved clinically, indicating that the drug may reactivate latent HIV in patients on suppressive cART

Genetic Testing in Children With Nephrolithiasis and Nephrocalcinosis

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing genetic kidney disease has become more accessible with low-cost, rapid genetic testing. The study objectives were to determine genetic testing diagnostic yield and examine predictors of genetic diagnosis in children with nephrolithiasis/nephrocalcinosis (NL/NC). METHODS: This retrospective multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted on children ≤ 21 years old with NL/NC from pediatric nephrology/urology centers that underwent the Invitae Nephrolithiasis Panel 1/1/2019-9/30/2021. The diagnostic yield of the genetic panel was calculated. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression were performed to assess for predictors of positive genetic testing. RESULTS: One hundred and thirteen children (83 NL, 30 NC) from 7 centers were included. Genetic testing was positive in 32% overall (29% NL, 40% NC) with definite diagnoses (had pathogenic variants alone) made in 11.5%, probable diagnoses (carried a combination of pathogenic variants and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in the same gene) made in 5.4%, and possible diagnoses (had VUS alone) made in 15.0%. Variants were found in 28 genes (most commonly HOGA1 in NL, SLC34A3 in NC) and 20 different conditions were identified. Compared to NL, those with NC were younger and had a higher proportion with developmental delay, hypercalcemia, low serum bicarbonate, hypophosphatemia, and chronic kidney disease. In multivariate analysis, low serum bicarbonate was associated with increased odds of genetic diagnosis (β 2.2, OR 8.7, 95% CI 1.4-54.7, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Genetic testing was high-yield with definite, probable, or possible explanatory variants found in up to one-third of children with NL/NC and shows promise to improve clinical practice. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations