Voltage-Driven Polyelectrolyte Complexation Inside a Nanopore

This thesis investigates how a pair of oppositely charged macromolecules can be driven by an electric field to form a polyelectrolyte complex inside a nanopore. To observe and isolate an individual complex pair, a model protein nanopore, embedded in artificial phospholipid membrane, allowing compartmentalization (cis/trans) is employed. A polyanion in the cis and a polycation in the trans compartments are subjected to electrophoretic capture by the pore. We find that the measured ionic current across the pore has a distinguishable signature of complex formation, which is different from the signature of the passage of individual molecules through the pore. The ionic current signature allows us to detect the interaction between the two oppositely charged macromolecules and thus, enables us to measure the lifetime of the complex inside the nanopore. After showing that we can isolate a complex pair in the nanopore, we studied the effects of molecular identity on the nature of interaction in different complex pairs. In contrast to the irreversible conductance state of the alpha-hemolysin channel in the complexation of poly-styrene-sulfonate (PSS) and poly-L-lysine (PLL), a reversible conductance state is observed during complexation between single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and PLL. This suggests that there is a weak interaction between ssDNA and PLL, when compared to the interaction in a PSS–PLL complex. Analysis of the PSS-PLL complexation events and its lifetime inside the nanopore supports a four step-mechanism: (i) The polyanion is captured by the pore, (ii) the polyanion starts threading through the pore. (iii) The polycation is captured, a complex pair is formed in the pore, and the polyanion slides along the polycation. (iv) The complex pair can be pulled through the pore into the trans compartment or it can dissociate. Additionally, we have developed a simple theoretical model, which describes the lifetime of the complex inside the pore. The observed reversible two-state conductance across the alpha-hemolysin channel during ssDNA-PLL complexation, is described as the binding/unbinding of PLL during the translocation of ssDNA. This enables us to evaluate the apparent rate constants for association/dissociation and equilibrium dissociation constants for the interaction of PLL with ssDNA. This thesis throws light on the behavior of polyelectrolyte complexes in an electric field and enhances our understanding of the electrical aspects of inter-macromolecular interactions, which plays an extremely important role in the organization of macromolecules in the crowded and confined cellular environment

Comparison of Enriched Silvipasture and \u3cem\u3eCenchrus ciliaris\u3c/em\u3e Pasture with Natural Pasture in Ravenous Soils for Goat Production under Rainfed Conditions

Goat is a future animal and plays a crucial role in providing livelihood and supplementary income to resource poor farmers and landless labourers of rural India. Goat rearing also ensures self-employment and act as a cushion in present climate change phenomena like drought and famine. Goats are found more in ecologically fragile arid and semiarid areas. Hence, it is imperative to address goat production under present scenario of climate change and food scarcity. The diverse challenges and constraints as growing population, increasing food, feed and fodder needs, natural resources degradation, climate change demands a reorientation of our strategies for goat production and development of feed and fodder resources in the country by utilizing waste lands/ poor lands, because in our country goats are mainly depend on natural feed resources available on waste and degraded lands. The poor production potential of these lands and poor values of qualitative parameters of available vegetation on such lands hamper expression of production potential of Indian goats, side by side economic progress of goat keepers. Therefore, an attempt was made to develop feed resources under three models i.e., Silvipasture, sown pasture and natural vegetation stand (natural pasture) in Yamuna ravines of Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh

Milk Production and Nutrient Efficiency of Lactation Goats on Diet Containing Linseed Cake, Mustard Cake and Guar Korma with Urea in Concentrates

Protein supplements, those conventionally used in goat feeding includes oil meals of ground nut, soybean meal, linseed and til etc., which are very costly and their availability is limited for ruminant feeding as these are most used in pig and poultry rations. However, mustard (Brassica juncea) oil meal is available in plenty at cheaper prices but their utilization in goat feeding is limited due to its bitterness (Pailan and Singhal, 2007), which arises upon degradation of glucosinolate contents of mustard (Tripathi and Mishra, 2007). Ruminant animals have unique capability of bioconversion of nonprotein nitrogen substances into microbial protein, which can also substitute organic protein supplement. Guar korma is another high protein feed resource available at cheaper prices, which can also be used in animal feeding in limited quantities. The use of mustard cake in replacement of linseed cake upto 75% in concentrates of lactating Jamunapari goats have been demonstrated earlier. However, information of guar korma use in goat feeding is in scanty. The level and quality of dietary protein and fat have influence on milk production and quality (Tripathi, 2014) Therefore, present experiment aimed to utilized mustard oil meal, urea and guar korma in replacement of conventional linseed oil cake as protein supplement in concentrate mixture of lactating goats feeding and assess the nutrient utilization efficiency for milk production

Renal artery variants: a comprehensive cadaveric comparative study using morphological and corrosion casting technique

Background: Kidneys, crucial excretory organs, receive substantial blood supply through renal arteries. Variations in their anatomy are common, warranting detailed investigation. This study aims to comprehensively examine renal artery patterns using both gross dissection and the corrosion cast method. Methods: Thirty kidney pairs from cadavers were meticulously dissected at Subharti Medical College, Meerut, U.P. India. Gross features were carefully noted, and corrosion casts were meticulously prepared. Prevalence, origin, level, division, course, and variations were exhaustively recorded to provide a thorough understanding of renal vascular anatomy. Results: Main renal arteries were found to predominantly originate from the abdominal aorta in all specimens. Interestingly, a higher prevalence of origin of right renal arteries was observed, with 47% exhibiting a higher origin than their left counterparts. Further analysis revealed prehilar division in 38.3% and hilar division in 61.6% of specimens. Notably, a segmental pattern of renal arteries was observed. Accessory renal arteries (8%) were identified, including rare occurrences of bilateral and double accessory renal arteries. Of particular significance was the observation of an accessory renal artery passing anterior to the inferior vena cava, highlighting the intricacies of renal vascular variations. Conclusions: While reaffirming the conventional understanding of renal arterial anatomy, this study emphasizes the complexity and clinical relevance of variations in renal artery morphology. Such detailed insights are invaluable for surgical and radiological practice, underlining the importance of meticulous preoperative assessment to optimize patient outcomes

Morphological Evaluation and Grading of Human Embryo Quality from Day - 1 to Day - 3 Embryos for Optimum Conceiving Rate

A grading system of human embryo is very important for embryo selection & predicting blastocyst formation from day - 1, day 2, & day – 3, were sequentially explained. We were designed a methods for grading of embryos from day – 1 (zygote as a pronuclear evaluation, PN), day – 2 (cleavage stage) and day - 3 (evaluation of developmental stage according to cell size and fragmentation) embryo according to cell size and degree of fragmentation and early compaction. In the first grading system pronuclear study and poly-spermy, Second grading system is based on the blastomere / cell number and the observation of fragmentation pattern and selection for embryo transfer, embryos vitrification and pregnancy outcome. Assessment of embryo quality in order to select the embryos that have higher chance to give pregnancy, it is critical goal in IVF cycle or assisted reproductive technologies. ET current trend in human infertility treatment with IVF / ICSI embryo transfer (IVF / ICSI ET) is to increase the chance of higher pregnancy and reduce the multiple pregnancies after multiple embryo transfer according to patient age and endometrium thickness as well as own ART Laboratory protocol. Morphological evaluation & grading of human embryo as a reliable and no-invasive method that provides valuable information & prediction of IVF/ICSI embryos which has developmental potential to reach till early compaction or blastocyst. This research paper describes the current status of morphological embryo evaluation from zygote to eight cell blastomeres or early compaction on late day 3. We found higher embryo development potential and early compaction during in-vitro embryo culture conditions and higher implantation rate in Grade A embryos in comparison transferred of Grade B embryos. Overall embryo development in-vitro and conceiving rate was seen 48.06 % after embryo transfer of both grades A and Grade B embryos in 233 patients in different age group with different endometrium thickness and multiple embryos transfer in one uterus depend on patient previous history. 935Embryos was selected from 2702 developing embryos for embryo transfer (ET) was performed in 233 patients. After this study we found implantation rate (IR) was 48.06% based on embryo quality, morphology and grade.</p

Effect of supplementation of amino acid chelate of Zn, Cu, Mn and Co heptagluconate on performance of Barbari goat kids

Male Barbari kids (56), 7 to 8 months of age and weighing19.2± 2.9 kg were randomly divided into 4 equal groups to assess the effect of source (inorganic or organic) and level of Zn, Cu, Co and Mn on intake and growth performance. The kids of control group were fed inorganic source of Zn, Cu, Co and Mn while other groups were fed organic complex (Zn, Cu and Mn amino acid and Co as cobalt heptagluconate at 50, 75 and 100 % of inorganic requirement. Feeding cum growth experiment lasted for 105 days. The live weight of kids at initiation of experiment varied from 19.12 to 19.67 kg, and final live weight ranged between 23.4 to 25.01 kg among the four groups. Total gain and average daily gain varied from 4.82 to 5.34 kg and 45.9 to 50.9 g respectively, which were not different among the four groups. The feed intake varied from 3.9 to 4.0 % of live weight. Live weight change remained lower in kids supplemented 75 and 100% organic trace minerals and had a pooled 6.9 and 9.8% lower average daily gain respectively. The feed efficiency and feed conversion ratio was similar among the four groups. Supplementation of 50% organic minerals provided daily gain equal to inorganic supplemented kids, while 75 and 100 % organic supplementation deteriorated daily gain. Therefore, at 50% organic supplementation levels, the bio-availability of Zn, Cu, Co and Mn have met the daily requirement of kids in relation to recommended requirements of inorganic minerals

Chemical composition, in-vitro fermentation and methane production potential of unconventional feed resources in goats

Unconventional feed resources namely Aloe barbadensis (ALB), Musa paradisiaca (MUP), Punica granatum (PUG), Murraya koenigii (MUK), Lawsonia inermis (LOI) and Boehravia diffusa (BOD) were assessed for in- vitro methane production potential and fermentation with whole goat rumen flora. Nutrient content of all the bio- resources were different, and the gas production varied from 57.7 to 161.7 ml/ g DM, with the highest gas in ALB and the lowest in BOD. Although, gas production was different among all feed resources, however gas production for each gram DM fermented was similar in MUP, PUG, MUK and LOI leaves. Methane production ranged from 6.7 to 18.9 g and 10.5 to 22.83 g/ kg DM and g/ kg fermented DM respectively. The energy loss in the form of methane also followed the trend of gas production, which ranged from 11.4 to 17.1% of digestible energy. Therefore, feed resources with varying nutrient contents have significant variations in fermentability and methane production potential

Association of homocysteine and methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T) gene polymorphism with coronary artery disease (CAD) in the population of North India

The implications of the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene and the level of homocysteine in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) have been extensively studied in various ethnic groups. Our aim was to discover the association of MTHFR (C677T) polymorphism and homocysteine level with CAD in north Indian subjects. The study group consisted of 329 angiographically proven CAD patients, and 331 age and sex matched healthy individuals as controls. MTHFR (C677T) gene polymorphism was detected based on the polymerase chain reaction and restriction digestion with HinfI. Total homocysteine plasma concentration was measured using immunoassay. T allele frequency was found to be significantly higher in patients than in the control group. We found significantly elevated levels of mean homocysteine in the patient group when compared to the control group (p = 0.00). Traditional risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking habits, a positive family history and lipid profiles (triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol), were found significantly associated through univariate analysis. Furthermore, multivariable logistics regression analysis revealed that CAD is significantly and variably associated with diabetes, hypertension, smoking, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol. Our findings showed that MTHFR C677T polymorphism and homocysteine levels were associated with coronary artery disease in the selected population

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) includes a comprehensive assessment of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 354 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Previous GBD studies have shown how the decline of mortality rates from 1990 to 2016 has led to an increase in life expectancy, an ageing global population, and an expansion of the non-fatal burden of disease and injury. These studies have also shown how a substantial portion of the world's population experiences non-fatal health loss with considerable heterogeneity among different causes, locations, ages, and sexes. Ongoing objectives of the GBD study include increasing the level of estimation detail, improving analytical strategies, and increasing the amount of high-quality data. Methods: We estimated incidence and prevalence for 354 diseases and injuries and 3484 sequelae. We used an updated and extensive body of literature studies, survey data, surveillance data, inpatient admission records, outpatient visit records, and health insurance claims, and additionally used results from cause of death models to inform estimates using a total of 68 781 data sources. Newly available clinical data from India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, China, Brazil, Norway, and Italy were incorporated, as well as updated claims data from the USA and new claims data from Taiwan (province of China) and Singapore. We used DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool, as the main method of estimation, ensuring consistency between rates of incidence, prevalence, remission, and cause of death for each condition. YLDs were estimated as the product of a prevalence estimate and a disability weight for health states of each mutually exclusive sequela, adjusted for comorbidity. We updated the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary development indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Additionally, we calculated differences between male and female YLDs to identify divergent trends across sexes. GBD 2017 complies with the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting. Findings: Globally, for females, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias in both 1990 and 2017. For males, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and tuberculosis including latent tuberculosis infection in both 1990 and 2017. In terms of YLDs, low back pain, headache disorders, and dietary iron deficiency were the leading Level 3 causes of YLD counts in 1990, whereas low back pain, headache disorders, and depressive disorders were the leading causes in 2017 for both sexes combined. All-cause age-standardised YLD rates decreased by 3·9% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1-4·6) from 1990 to 2017; however, the all-age YLD rate increased by 7·2% (6·0-8·4) while the total sum of global YLDs increased from 562 million (421-723) to 853 million (642-1100). The increases for males and females were similar, with increases in all-age YLD rates of 7·9% (6·6-9·2) for males and 6·5% (5·4-7·7) for females. We found significant differences between males and females in terms of age-standardised prevalence estimates for multiple causes. The causes with the greatest relative differences between sexes in 2017 included substance use disorders (3018 cases [95% UI 2782-3252] per 100 000 in males vs 1400 [1279-1524] per 100 000 in females), transport injuries (3322 [3082-3583] vs 2336 [2154-2535]), and self-harm and interpersonal violence (3265 [2943-3630] vs 5643 [5057-6302]). Interpretation: Global all-cause age-standardised YLD rates have improved only slightly over a period spanning nearly three decades. However, the magnitude of the non-fatal disease burden has expanded globally, with increasing numbers of people who have a wide spectrum of conditions. A subset of conditions has remained globally pervasive since 1990, whereas other conditions have displayed more dynamic trends, with different ages, sexes, and geographies across the globe experiencing varying burdens and trends of health loss. This study emphasises how global improvements in premature mortality for select conditions have led to older populations with complex and potentially expensive diseases, yet also highlights global achievements in certain domains of disease and injury