Indian women with higher serum concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 are significantly less likely to be infected with carcinogenic or high-risk (HR) types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs)

BACKGROUND: Studies conducted in the USA have demonstrated that micronutrients such as folate and vitamin B12 play a significant role in modifying the natural history of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), the causative agent for developing invasive cervical cancer (CC) and its precursor lesions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether these micronutrients have similar effects on HR-HPV infections in Indian women. METHODS: The associations between serum concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 and HR-HPV infections were evaluated in 724 women who participated in a CC screening study in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Serum folate and vitamin B12 concentrations were measured by using a competitive radio-binding assay. Digene hybrid capture 2 (HC2) assay results were used to categorize women into two groups, positive or negative for HR-HPVs. Unconditional logistic regression models specified a binary indicator of HC2 (positive/negative) as the dependent variable and serum folate concentrations combined with serum vitamin B12 concentrations as the independent predictor of primary interest. Models were fitted, adjusting for age, education, marital status, parity, type of fuel used for cooking and smoking status. RESULTS: Women with higher concentrations of serum folate (>6 ng/mL) and vitamin B12 (>356 pg/mL) were at lower risk of being positive for HR-HPVs compared to those with serum folate ≤6 ng/mL and serum vitamin B12 ≤ 356 pg/mL (odds ratio = 0.26; 95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.89; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that improving folate and vitamin B12 status in Indian women may have a beneficial impact on the prevention of CC. Micronutrient based interventions for control of HR-HPV infections may represent feasible alternatives to vaccine based approaches to HPV disease prevention, which are currently unaffordable for use in resource limited areas in rural India

Effectiveness of VIA, Pap, and HPV DNA Testing in a Cervical Cancer Screening Program in a Peri-Urban Community in Andhra Pradesh, India

BACKGROUND: While many studies have compared the efficacy of Pap cytology, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA assays for the detection cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer, few have evaluated the program effectiveness. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A population-based sample of 5603 women from Medchal Mandal in Andhra Pradesh, India were invited to participate in a study comparing Pap cytology, VIA, and HPV DNA screening for the detection of CIN3+. Participation in primary screening and all subsequent follow-up visits was rigorously tracked. A 20% random sample of all women screened, in addition to all women with a positive screening test result underwent colposcopy with directed biopsy for final diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were adjusted for verification bias. HPV testing had a higher sensitivity (100%) and specificity (90.6%) compared to Pap cytology (sensitivity  =  78.2%; specificity = 86.0%) and VIA (sensitivity = 31.6%; specificity = 87.5%). Since 58% of the sample refused involvement and another 28% refused colposcopy or biopsy, we estimated that potentially 87.6% of the total underlying cases of CIN3 and cancer may have been missed due to program failures. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that despite our use of available resources, infrastructure, and guidelines for cervical cancer screening implementation in resource limited areas, community participation and non-compliance remain the major obstacles to successful reduction in cervical cancer mortality in this Indian population. HPV DNA testing was both more sensitive and specific than Pap cytology and VIA. The use of a less invasive and more user-friendly primary screening strategy (such as self-collected swabs for HPV DNA testing) may be required to achieve the coverage necessary for effective reduction in cervical cancer mortality

Interfacial synthesis of luminescent 7 kDa silver clusters

We report the synthesis of luminescent Ag clusters through the interfacial etching of mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) protected silver nanoparticles, Ag@MSA, with guanine at the water-toluene interface. The clusters exhibiting well-defined absorption emit in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Crude clusters were separated using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The cluster solid, prepared by freeze drying, is highly hygroscopic. Biomolecular markers were used to identify the approximate mass of the cluster which was found to be 7 kDa, as mass spectrometry did not reveal specific signatures. The clusters were investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and fluorescence spectroscopy. Elemental analysis and IR studies reveal the protection of the cluster by two types of ligands, namely MSA and guanine. Fluorescence of the cluster is highly temperature dependent, with an increase in intensity with decrease in temperature. Influence of different ratios of reactants, etching capacity of different nucleobases and effect of temperature on the synthesis as well as possible single-phase etching were investigated. Sensitivity of the cluster to certain metal ions has been monitored using fluorescence spectroscopy

Diurnal evolution of temperature profile of troposphere and lower stratosphere using MST radar

315-318The observation of the fluctuations in the vertical wind using MST radar provides an excellent opportunity to determine the temperature profile of the troposphere-stratosphere region. The MST radar is operated in the temperature mode to evaluate the diurnal evolution of the temperature profile. Using these values, the diurnal variation of the temperature at different altitude ranges is calculated. The height variation of the tropopause within a day is also calculated from these results

Impact of Zinc Fertilization on Yield, Yield Attributes and Quality Parameters of Finger Millet Varieties under Rainfed alfisols of Southern Zone, Andhra Pradesh

Aims: To study the effect of zinc fertilization through soil and foliar at different stages of finger millet on yield, yield attributes and quality in two major finger millet varieties under rainfed alfisols of southern zone, Andhra Pradesh Study Design:  Split-plot design Place and Duration of Study: Wetland farm, S.V Agricultural College, Tirupati and during kharif season of 2019 and 2020 (Two seasons) Methodology: Zinc fertilization to two major finger millet varieties viz., Vakula and Tirumala through soil and foliar application at different crop stages with following treatments viz.,  Control (No fertilizers and manures); RDF (60 -30-20 kg N-P-K + FYM @ 4 t ha-1);  RDF + soil application of ZnSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1 as basal; RDF+Soil application of chelated-ZnSO4 @ 5 kg ha-1; RDF+foliar application of 0.2% ZnSO4 at ear head emergence stage; RDF+foliar application of 0.2% ZnSO4 at grain filling stage; and RDF+foliar application of 0.2% ZnSO4 at ear head emergence and grain filling stage. The yield, yield attributes and quality parameters viz., protein, zinc and iron content in grains were determined by adopting standard protocols. Results: The application of zinc significantly (p<0.05) improved the yield and quality parameters over control. The foliar application of 0.2% ZnSO4 at ear head emergence and grain filling stage was significantly (p≤0.05) improved the yield and yield attributes of finger millet over RDF. The grain yield, straw yield, no. of productive tillers per plant, no. of fingers per plant were increased to 57.0%, 83.2%, 44.6% and 51.7%, respectively over RDF i.e., 60-30-20 kg N-P-K + FYM @ 4 t ha-1. The quality parameters namely protein, grain zinc and iron also increased up to 40.7%, 69.5% and 43.2%, respectively over RDF. Conclusion: Application of zinc sulphate at ear head emergence and grain filling stages enhanced the yield, yield parameters and quality parameters compared to other treatments of tirumala variety under rainfed alfisols of southern zone of Andhra Pradesh

Use of thrombolytic therapy in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with ulcerative colitis

Cerebral venous thrombosis developing concurrently with active ulcerative colitis poses a therapeutic dilemma. We report the case of a 31-year-old woman who developed dural venous sinus thrombosis during the course of active ulcerative colitis in whom we accomplished clot lysis using intrasinus urokinase. The success of the procedure was assessed by improvement in the patient's neurological condition and resolution of imaging features without any bleeding complications. We also reviewed literature on various modalities of treatment of sinus venous thrombosis in patients with ulcerative colitis and outcome

Enhanced Cr(VI) Removal by Nanozerovalent Iron-Immobilized Alginate Beads in the Presence of a Biofilm in a Continuous-Flow Reactor

Cr­(VI) removal was investigated in a fixed-bed column using nanozerovalent iron-immobilized calcium alginate beads (nZVI–C–A beads) and a biofilm formed on nZVI–C–A beads. The removal studies were performed at various initial Cr­(VI) concentrations, different flow rates, and bed heights. Under optimal conditions, nZVI–C–A beads showed 91.35 ± 1.57% Cr­(VI) removal and 320.66 ± 3.87 mg/g removal capacity. For biofilm-coated nZVI–C–A beads, the removal percentage and removal capacity were found to be 97.84 ± 0.56% and 473.9 ± 4.84 mg/g, respectively. Breakthrough data were successfully described by the Thomas and Yoon–Nelson model for removal of Cr­(VI) using nZVI–C–A and a biofilm on nZVI–C–A beads. Cr­(VI) sorption on nZVI–C–A beads and biofilm-coated nZVI–C–A beads were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays, and Fourier transform infrared