Genetic structure and affinities among tribal populations of southern India: a study of 24 autosomal DNA markers

We describe the genetic structure and affinities of five Dravidian-speaking tribal populations inhabiting the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu, in south India, using 24 autosomal DNA markers. Our goals were: (i) to examine what evolutionary forces have most significantly impacted south Indian tribal genetic variation, and (ii) to test whether the phenotypic similarities of some south Indian tribal groups to Africans represent a signature of close relationship to Africans or are due to convergence. All loci were polymorphic and average heterozygosities were substantial (range: 0.347-0.423). Genetic differentiation was high (Gst= 6.7%) and genetic distances were not significantly correlated with geographic distances. Genetic drift therefore probably played a significant role in shaping the patterns of genetic variation observed in southern Indian tribal populations. Otherwise, analyses of population relationships showed that Indian populations are closely related to one another, regardless of phenotypic characteristics, and do not show particular affinities to Africans. We conclude that the phenotypic similarities of some Indian groups to Africans do not reflect a close relationship between these groups, but are better explained by convergence

Comparative Account of Jatropha curcas on Brass (Cu-40Zn) in Acid and Sea Water Environment

ABSTRACT The inhibition efficacy of alcoholic leaf extract of Jatropha curcas on Brass (Cu-40Zn) in 1N Hydrochloric Acid and natural sea water environment are carried out using mass loss measurements. Experiments are performed by varying immersion period, concentration of the inhibitor and temperature. The inhibition efficiency is markedly higher in addition of Jatropha curcas leaves extract in both media and compared with those in the inhibitor free solution. The inhibition efficiency increased with an increase of inhibitor concentration but decreased with rise in temperature and exposure time. Corrosion inhibition may be due to the spontaneous physical adsorption of the plant constituents on the surface of Brass. Experimental data fitted with the Langmuir and Frumkin adsorption isotherms. Comparing the corrosion product on the surface of Brass in the presence of inhibitor at both environments is studied by UV and IR spectra

DNA sequence variation and haplotype structure of the ICAM1 and TNF genes in 12 ethnic groups of India reveal patterns of importance in designing association studies

We have examined the patterns of DNA sequence variation in and around the genes coding for ICAM1 and TNF, which play functional and correlated roles in inflammatory processes and immune cell responses, in 12 diverse ethnic groups of India. We aimed to (a) quantify the nature and extent of the variation, and (b) analyse the observed patterns of variation in relation to population history and ethnic background. At the ICAM1 and TNF loci, respectively, the total numbers of SNPs that were detected were 28 and 12. Many of these SNPs are not shared across ethnic groups and are unreported in the dbSNP or TSC databases, including two fairly common non-synonymous SNPs at positions 13487 and 13542 in the ICAM1 gene. Conversely, the TNF-376A SNP that is reported to be associated with susceptibility to malaria was not found in our study populations, even though some of the populations inhabit malaria endemic areas. Wide between-population variation in the frequencies of shared SNPs and coefficients of linkage disequilibrium have been observed. These findings have profound implications in case-control association studies

No evidence for association between SLC11A1 and visceral leishmaniasis in India.

BACKGROUND: SLC11A1 has pleiotropic effects on macrophage function and remains a strong candidate for infectious disease susceptibility. 5' and/or 3' polymorphisms have been associated with tuberculosis, leprosy, and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Most studies undertaken to date were under-powered, and none has been replicated within a population. Association with tuberculosis has replicated variably across populations. Here we investigate SLC11A1 and VL in India. METHODS: Nine polymorphisms (rs34448891, rs7573065, rs2276631, rs3731865, rs17221959, rs2279015, rs17235409, rs17235416, rs17229009) that tag linkage disequilibrium blocks across SLC11A1 were genotyped in primary family-based (313 cases; 176 families) and replication (941 cases; 992 controls) samples. Family- and population-based analyses were performed to look for association between SLC11A1 variants and VL. Quantitative RT/PCR was used to compare SLC11A1 expression in mRNA from paired splenic aspirates taken before and after treatment from 24 VL patients carrying different genotypes at the functional promoter GTn polymorphism (rs34448891). RESULTS: No associations were observed between VL and polymorphisms at SLC11A1 that were either robust to correction for multiple testing or replicated across primary and replication samples. No differences in expression of SLC11A1 were observed when comparing pre- and post-treatment samples, or between individuals carrying different genotypes at the GTn repeat. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first well-powered study of SLC11A1 as a candidate for VL, which we conclude does not have a major role in regulating VL susceptibility in India.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions

Protective effect of Toddalia asatica leaf extract on Mild steel in 1.0N HCl

A study has been made on the Novel corrosion inhibitor on mild steel in 1.0N HCl. Commonly deterioration of steel is caused due to various environmental and other chemical factors. It is unavoidable but protectable using inhibition methods. Here the usual inhibitor is replaced by green inhibitors to evade toxicity, easy availability, and to minimize the waste. This work seeks out to analyze the dried leaves of Todalia Asiatica as an inhibitor on mild steel in 1.0N HCl.  The anticorrosive effectiveness of this inhibitor is studied by using non- electrochemical and electrochemical techniques. Non -electrochemical studies such as the effect of time (87.6%) and temperature (93.0%) at optimum concentration show the maximum inhibition efficiency of the inhibitor due to the formation of an inhibited layer by the inhibitor on the metal surface. Langmuir isotherm most closely fits into the info data obtained suggesting the physical adsorption between the extract and the mild steel substrate. Electrochemical such as potentiodynamic polarization studies proved that extract of Todalia Asiatica dried leaves is a cathodic type of inhibitor and 85.12% inhibition efficiency provided by the inhibitor. Charge Transfer Resistance (Rct) value increased and also Double-layer capacitance (Cdl) value decreases by EIS studies. The observed inhibitor efficiency at optimum inhibitor concentration is 84.05%. Surface and corrosion product Analysis (EDX/FTIR)  was carried out to determine the corrosion-inhibitive properties of the samples

Electrochemical behaviour of Solanum trilobatum plant extract on stainless steel in natural sea water environment

Abstract In the present work, inhibition efficacy of Solanum trilobatum leaves (STL) extract on the corrosion of stainless steel in natural sea water environment is studied by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Results from the study indicate that the inhibition efficiency increased with increase of inhibitor concentration and achieved maximum of more than 80% for polarization as well as impedance measurements. Electrochemical measurements show that both polarization and charge transfer resistances increases with increase of inhibitor concentration. The adsorption of STL inhibitor on the stainless steel surface obeys Frumkin adsorption isotherm and the calculated values of ∆G ads indicate that the adsorbed layer is spontaneous and stable one. Key words: Electrochemical, inhibition, stainless steel and Frumkin Cite this article as: Deepa Rani P,Selvaraj S. Electrochemical behaviour of Solanum trilobatum plant extract on stainless steel in natural sea water environment. Annalen der Chemischen Forschung. 2013;1(3):1-9

Deep learning enthused hybrid framework for early diagnosis of mild cognitive disorder caused by Alzheimer’s disease

Memory cells in the brain are permanently damaged in Alzheimer's disease, making it a common cause of dementia. It is possible that early diagnosis of this condition may aid medical professionals in the treatment of patients and the prevention of disease progression. Anatomical changes in the brain's diseased context may be assessed by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), regardless of other neuroimaging-based diagnostic procedures. MRI diagnosis has shown generally sufficient results in terms of classifying the MRI picture from normal to Alzheimer's disease, according to existing research papers on the subject. However, in many clinical circumstances, MRI results are indifferent between the normal controls and the MCD (Moderate Cognitive Decline/Impairment) phase of the study time frame. For this challenge, a deep learning inspired optimization model is presented in the study that helps in the correct classification of MRIs of normal and MCD. Experiments have shown that the suggested model outperforms a number of current methods for picture segmentation