Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) intake on glycemia: A meta-analysis of clinical trials

10.1186/1475-2891-13-7Nutrition Journal131

Evolutionarily Conserved Protein Sequences of Influenza A Viruses, Avian and Human, as Vaccine Targets

10.1371/journal.pone.0001190PLoS ONE21

Why Functional Pre-Erythrocytic and Bloodstage Malaria Vaccines Fail: A Meta-Analysis of Fully Protective Immunizations and Novel Immunological Model

Background: Clinically protective malaria vaccines consistently fail to protect adults and children in endemic settings, and at best only partially protect infants. Methodology/Principal Findings: We identify and evaluate 1916 immunization studies between 1965-February 2010, and exclude partially or nonprotective results to find 177 completely protective immunization experiments. Detailed reexamination reveals an unexpectedly mundane basis for selective vaccine failure: live malaria parasites in the skin inhibit vaccine function. We next show published molecular and cellular data support a testable, novel model where parasite-host interactions in the skin induce malaria-specific regulatory T cells, and subvert early antigen-specific immunity to parasite-specific immunotolerance. This ensures infection and tolerance to reinfection. Exposure to Plasmodium-infected mosquito bites therefore systematically triggers immunosuppression of endemic vaccine-elicited responses. The extensive vaccine trial data solidly substantiate this model experimentally. Conclusions/Significance: We conclude skinstage-initiated immunosuppression, unassociated with bloodstage parasites, systematically blocks vaccine function in the field. Our model exposes novel molecular and procedural strategies to significantly and quickly increase protective efficacy in both pipeline and currently ineffective malaria vaccines, and forces fundamental reassessment of central precepts determining vaccine development. This has major implications fo

Viman Vikas: On-Line quality assurance software for manufacturing of Aircraft Composites Structures

Development of airworthy composite components primarily involves design, fabrication, testing and certification. Reports are generated at various stages of fabrication and testing, which are compiled together and offered to regulatory authorities for clearance. In the long run, the documents need a large physical storage place and have chances of being damaged or lost. Traceability of these documents and specific data from them in future will be extremely time consuming and difficult. Hence, there is a necessity for on-line Quality Assurance (QA) software for processing and testing of composite structures. Viman Vikas, the on-line QA software for composite product development has been developed keeping the above mentioned factors in mind. The software has been installed and test runs have been carried out on actual monolithic component (ROOT RIB) fabricated and the software has functioned very well. This software when implemented with all its features will result in a x2018;paperlessx2019; QA system, which will be a boon to any composite design and manufacturing facility involved in advanced aerospace applications

Quality assurance (QA) document for composite components of Tejas-Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)

This document covers the quality assurance aspects to be followed in the development of various composite parts of LCA (Tejas). Manufacturing of air-worthy composite components demands stringent quality standards. Composites are especially process intensive and have many stages of manufacturing. It is important to assure the quality of entire production cycle of composite components from raw material procurement to component acceptance. This document brings out the QA requirements at various stages of fabrication of detailed components for Centre Fuselage, MLG Doors, Rudder Assembly and Fin Assembly. The various stages of composite product development like Raw Materials Management, Tools/Moulds, Prepreg lay-up, Component Curing, Inspections, Final Inspection and Tagging are addressed in this document

Association of nonfasting vs fasting lipid levels with risk of major coronary events in the Anglo-Scandinavian cardiac outcomes trial-lipid lowering arm

Importance: Recent guidelines have recommended nonfasting for routine testing of lipid levels based on comparisons of nonfasting and fasting populations. However, no previous study has examined the association of cardiovascular outcomes with fasting vs nonfasting lipid levels measured in the same individuals. Objective: To compare the association of nonfasting and fasting lipid levels with prospectively ascertained coronary and vascular outcomes and to evaluate whether a strategy of using nonfasting instead of fasting lipid level measurement would result in misclassification of risk for individuals undergoing evaluation for initiation of statin therapy. Design, Setting, and Participants: This post hoc prospective follow-up of a randomized clinical trial included 8270 of 10 305 participants from the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-Lipid Lowering Arm (ASCOT-LLA) with nonfasting and fasting lipid levels measured 4 weeks apart (including 6855 participants with no prior vascular disease) (median follow-up, 3.3 years; interquartile range, 2.8-3.6 years). Data were collected from February 1, 1998, to December 31, 2002, and analyzed from February 1, 2016, to November 30, 2018. Multivariable Cox models, adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors, were calculated for 40-mg/dL (1-mmol/L) higher values of nonfasting and fasting lipids. Main Outcomes and Measures: The trial's primary end point consisted of major coronary events (nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI] and fatal coronary heart disease [212 events]). Secondary analyses examined atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events (including MI, stroke, and ASCVD death [351 events]). Results: Among the 8270 participants (82.1% male; mean [SD] age, 63.4 [8.5] years), nonfasting samples had modestly higher triglyceride levels and similar cholesterol levels compared to fasting samples. Associations of nonfasting lipid levels with coronary events were similar to those for fasting lipid levels. For example, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) per 40-mg/dL of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were 1.32 (95% CI, 1.08-1.61; P = .007) for nonfasting levels and 1.28 (95% CI, 1.07-1.55; P = .008) for fasting levels. For the primary prevention group, adjusted HRs were 1.42 (95% CI, 1.13-1.78; P = .003) for nonfasting levels and 1.37 (95% CI, 1.11-1.69; P = .003) for fasting levels. Results were consistent by randomized treatment arm (atorvastatin calcium, 10 mg/d, or placebo) and similar for ASCVD events. Concordance of fasting and nonfasting lipid levels for classifying participants into appropriate ASCVD risk categories was high (94.8%). Conclusions and Relevance: Measurement of nonfasting and fasting lipid levels yields similar results in the same individuals for association with incident coronary and ASCVD events. These results suggest that routine measurement of nonfasting lipid levels may help facilitate ASCVD risk screening and treatment, including consideration of when to initiate statin therapy

Quality Assurance (QA) Manual of HSTDV Launch Vehicle Segments (CE Shell, Bonded CE-CP Shell and Assembly)

ACD, NAL has taken the responsibility to design, fabricate, assemble and structural testing of the CE shell Launch Vehicle segments of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) being developed by DRDL. This document brings out the procedure for qualification of the Carbon Epoxy structural layer (CE shell) using NDE techniques. The Carbon Phenolic thermal layer (CP shell) is bonded over the structural layer (CE shell) using araldite 403 paste adhesive. This document also brings out the procedure to qualify the bond quality by NDE methods fallowed by integration of CP-CE shell with edge beams and bulkheads

Diabetes and Risk of Sudden Death in Coronary Artery Disease Patients Without Severe Systolic Dysfunction

ObjectivesThis study sought to determine the absolute and relative associations of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with sudden and/or arrhythmic death (SAD) versus other modes of death in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who do not qualify for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.BackgroundPatients with CAD and DM are at elevated risk for SAD; however, it is unclear whether these patients would benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators given competing causes of death and/or whether HbA1c might augment SAD risk stratification.MethodsIn the PRE-DETERMINE study of 5,764 patients with CAD with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of >30% to 35%, competing risk analyses were used to compare the absolute and relative risks of SAD versus non-SAD by DM status and HbA1c level and to identify risk factors for SAD among 1,782 patients with DM.ResultsOver a median follow-up of 6.8 years, DM and HbA1c were significantly associated with SAD and non-SAD (P < 0.05 for all comparisons); however, the cumulative incidence of non-SAD (19.2%; 95% CI: 17.3%-21.2%) was almost 4 times higher than SAD (4.8%; 95% CI: 3.8%-5.9%) in DM patients. A similar pattern of absolute risk was observed across categories of HbA1c. In analyses limited to patients with DM, HbA1c was not associated with SAD, whereas low LVEF, atrial fibrillation, and electrocardiogram measurements were associated with higher SAD risk.ConclusionsIn patients with CAD and LVEF of >30% to 35%, patients with DM and/or elevated HbA1c are at much higher absolute risk of dying from non-SAD than SAD. Clinical risk markers, and not HbA1c, were associated with SAD risk in patients with DM. (PRE-DETERMINE: Biologic Markers and MRI SCD Cohort Study; NCT01114269)

Marketing modeling reality and the realities of marketing modeling

Analytic modeling, Distribution channels, Philosophy of science,