A STUDY ON SEROPREVELENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF BOVINE LEPTOSPIROSIS IN LOWER ASSAM, INDIA

The present study was conducted to ascertain the seroprevalence of Leptospira infection in cattle among certain districts of the lower Brahmaputra valley in the state of Assam from March 2017 to February 2018. Two serological tests viz. IgG ELISA and Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) were used to detect the leptospiral antibodies. The anti-leptospiral antibodies were detected by IgG ELISA and compared with MAT using antigens from 12 pathogenic serovars. Out of 380 sera samples, 68 (17.89 %, 95% CI: 6.89-27) and 44 (11.58%) were positive by IgG ELISA and MAT respectively. The circulating Leptospira serovars identified were Autumnalis (6.05%), Ballum (2.63%), Batavia (1.31%), Ichterohaemorrhagie (0.7%), Javanica (0.5%) and Sejroe (0.2%). The sensitivity and specificity of IgG ELISA in comparison to MAT were calculated and found to be 100% and 92.85% respectively with a concordance of 93.68%. An epidemiological investigation was carried out to find the association of various risk factors with Leptospira infection under this study in cattle using a pre-tested questionnaire. The present study will serve as baseline data for the prevention and control of Leptospira infection in cattle

A novel perspective for predicting gingival biotype via dentopapillary measurements on study models in the Saudi population: Cross‑sectional study

Background/Purpose: Gingival biotype (GB) is a crucial factor in predicting the success of soft tissue periodontal and peri‑implant surgical   interventions. Consequently, contemplating noninvasive, less  time‑consuming procedure to anticipate it has become a part and parcel of the current practice. This article presents a novel algorithm to detect GB in the Saudi population based on the dentopapillary measurements taken on laboratory models. In addition, it targets to allocate a range of values for thick and thin biotypes. Materials and Methods: Model analysis was done on 160 patients to measure eight gingival parameters, and an algorithm was developed according to the results of multiple and linear regression analyses. Applying the  dentopapillary parameters to the algorithm revealed a prediction of the biotype. Finally, the resultant values and the exact thickness were  reassessed directly in a sample of patients using a modified caliper. Results: The regression analysis revealed an algorithm predicting biotypes among patients based on their measured dentopapillary values.  Discriminant analysis was used to allocate the values to thin and thick biotypes to further demystify that they coincide with <0.7 mm and >1.5 mm, respectively. However, gingival thickness between 0.7 and 1.5 mm was considered intermediate biotype. Conclusion: GB could be predicted based on the dentopapillary  measurements taken on laboratory models, which may further reduce the chairside time and increase the success rate of the surgical procedures. Significant variations in the range of values of the thick and thin biotype were detected in the Saudi population compared to other races.Clinical Significance: The escalating invasion of interventional procedures in the dental practice necessitates measuring the GB as a predictor of   procedure success. This study introduces an algorithm for detecting the GB and updates the range of values for thick and thin biotypes in the Saudi population that would consequently reduce chairside time.Keywords: Dentopapillary measurements, discriminant analysis, gingival biotyp

Synthesis and optical properties studies

4-(4-Amino-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-pyrazol-3-ylideneamino)-phenol (L1) and 4-(4-Amino-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-pyrazol-3-ylideneamino)-benzoic acid (L2) have been synthesized by the condensation reaction of 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) and 4-aminophenol or 4-aminobenzoic acid in ethanolic solution and are characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. Thin films of L1 and L2 have been prepared by the conventional spin coating technique. X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) show an amorphous nature for both powder and thin films for L1 and L2 ligands. The optical absorption and refraction properties of L1 and L2 are investigated by spectrophotometric techniques at normal incidence of light in the wavelength range of 200–2500 nm. The absorption spectra show two peaks in the UV region which correspond to π → π∗ transition and a peak in UV–Vis region which may correspond to n → π∗ transition. The values of dispersion parameters Eo, Ed, εL, ε∞ and N/m* are calculated according to the single oscillator model. The presence of the OH group increases the value of ε∞ from 3.21 to 3.32 and the value of N/m* from 7.38 × 1053 to 2.08 × 1054 m−3Kg−1. The optical band transition is found to be indirect allowing fundamental energy gap values of 3.4 and 3.9 eV and onset energy gap values of 2.1 and 2.6 eV for L1 and L2, respectively

Sero-prevalence of West Nile virus in urban and peri-urban poultry farms of Guwahati, India

West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic, emerging mosquito-borne virus which can cause severe disease in the form of encephalitis and acute flaccid paralysis in humans. In Assam, northeast India, arboviruses seem to be re-emerging, however, WNV has been little studied. The present investigation was carried out from April, 2018 to March, 2019 to study sero-positivity of WNV in chicken in urban and peri-urban areas of Guwahati, the capital city of Assam. Four urban and four peri-urban areas of Guwahati were selected. A total of 864 chicken serum samples (72 samples per month) were screened by ELISA and further confirmed by haemagglutination inhibition (HI), which revealed that 3.13% of the chickens had been exposed to WNV, with 0.69% sero-positivity in urban areas compared to 5.56% in peri-urban. Peak sero-prevalence of WNV were reported during the month of July and August with 8.33% each with lowest sero-prevalence being recorded in November (1.39%) and no sero-positive birds from December to April. These results indicate that WNV is one of the actively circulating flaviviruses in Assam, and human febrile and encephalitic cases should be screened for the disease

Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and analysis of risk factors among the dairy farms in and around Guwahati metropolitan city, India

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a neglected zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis is being reported worldwide. The present work was carried out from December 2020 to November 2021 to assess the prevalence and risk factors of bTB in peri-urban and urban dairy farms of Guwahati, Assam, India. A questionnaire was used to collect data on knowledge about bTB on 36 farms, and ten animals per farm were screened by single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin test (SICCT) to determine the prevalence of bTB, giving a total of 360 animals. The demographic data of the farmers revealed that 61.1% respondents were illiterate, 66.7% had no awareness about bovine tuberculosis and 41.7% consumed unpasteurised milk and milk products. SICCT showed that 38 cattle from 18 of the farms were positive reactors for bTB, yielding an overall animal level prevalence of 10.55% (95% confidence interval (CI = 7.58–14.2%) and a 50% herd prevalence (95% CI 32.9–67.1%). Animals 5 years and above were found to be more likely to be positive for bTB (17.18%). The study highlighted the widespread prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in peri-urban and urban dairy farms of Guwahati which gives a picture also about other major cities of India. Hence, it is of utmost importance to undertake a comprehensive epidemiological study in such cities for effective control and prevention of bTB in a one health approach

Genomic analysis identified a potential novel molecular mechanism for high-altitude adaptation in sheep at the Himalayas

Sheep has successfully adapted to the extreme high-altitude Himalayan region. To identify genes underlying such adaptation, we genotyped genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of four major sheep breeds living at different altitudes in Nepal and downloaded SNP array data from additional Asian and Middle East breeds. Using a di value-based genomic comparison between four high-altitude and eight lowland Asian breeds, we discovered the most differentiated variants at the locus of FGF-7 (Keratinocyte growth factor-7), which was previously reported as a good protective candidate for pulmonary injuries. We further found a SNP upstream of FGF-7 that appears to contribute to the divergence signature. First, the SNP occurred at an extremely conserved site. Second, the SNP showed an increasing allele frequency with the elevated altitude in Nepalese sheep. Third, the electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) analysis using human lung cancer cells revealed the allele-specific DNA-protein interactions. We thus hypothesized that FGF-7 gene potentially enhances lung function by regulating its expression level in high-altitude sheep through altering its binding of specific transcription factors. Especially, FGF-7 gene was not implicated in previous studies of other high-altitude species, suggesting a potential novel adaptive mechanism to high altitude in sheep at the Himalayas

1,5-anhydroglucitol in saliva is a noninvasive marker of short-term glycemic control.

Context: In most ethnicities at least a quarter of all cases with diabetes is assumed to be undiagnosed. Screening for diabetes using saliva has been suggested as an effective approach to identify affected individuals. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify a noninvasive metabolic marker of type 2 diabetes in saliva. Design and Setting: In a case-control study of type 2 diabetes, we used a clinical metabolomics discovery study to screen for diabetes-relevant metabolic readouts in saliva, using blood and urine as a reference. With a combination of three metabolomics platforms based on nontargeted mass spectrometry, we examined 2178 metabolites in saliva, blood plasma, and urine samples from 188 subjects with type 2 diabetes and 181 controls of Arab and Asian ethnicities. Results: We found a strong association of type 2 diabetes with 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) in saliva (P = 3.6 x 10(-13)). Levels of 1,5-AG in saliva highly correlated with 1,5-AG levels in blood and inversely correlated with blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. These findings were robust across three different non-Caucasian ethnicities (Arabs, South Asians, and Filipinos), irrespective of body mass index, age, and gender. Conclusions: Clinical studies have already established 1,5-AG in blood as a reliable marker of short-term glycemic control. Our study suggests that 1,5-AG in saliva can be used in national screening programs for undiagnosed diabetes, which are of particular interest for Middle Eastern countries with young populations and exceptionally high diabetes rates