A DE NOVO ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR SHORT SEQUENCE OF SOLID-SAGE READS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) LEAF RUST

Objective: Wheat leaf rust is one of the most widespread rust diseases caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks. De novo assembly of short sequence reads in order to understand the molecular phenomenon underlying wheat leaf rust interaction and to assemble differentially expressed genes, resistance genes and the genes encoding transcription factors in response to Puccinia infection in wheat was the main objective of the present study.Methods: De novo assembly of SOLiD (sequencing by oligonucleotide ligation and detection) SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) sequence reads from a pair of Near-isogenic lines (NILs) of wheat cultivar HD2329 with Lr28 (resistant) and HD2329 lacking Lr28 (susceptible) that were either infected with the most virulent pathogen Puccinia triticina or inoculated as mock in the absence of any reference sequence was carried out using multiple k-mer approach. Combinations of different software working on different algorithm were used to obtain a maximum number of differentially expressed transcripts.Results: De novo assembly at different k-mers produced a large number of contigs. The size of contigs was further increased with the use of different assembly software. Redundancy was removed both at nucleotide and protein levels, which increased the quality of assembly.Conclusion: For the assembly of short sequences of the complex genome such as those of polyploids a combination of software gives longer and unique contigs. It may be used in understanding the molecular mechanism of plant-microbe interaction.Keywords: Wheat, Leaf rust, SOLiD, SAGE, De novo assembly, NILs

CONCEPT OF SHUSHKAKSHIPAKA (DRY EYE SYNDROME) IN AYURVEDA WITH MODERN COUNTERPART: A REVIEW

Eyes are the windows to the soul. Ayurvedic classical texts have mentioned about eye and its diseases since Vedic and Samhita kala, thus showing the importance of eye and ways to protect it. That is why eye care has been one of the priorities since the ages. In Ayurveda clinical features related to Dry eye are generally seen in Suskaksipaka. Over use of Video Display Terminals (V.D.T) like Computer, Mobiles, and Television & faulty lifestyle are some of the causes. Among these disorders, many are related to Indriya (Sensory Organ) especially Caksurindriya (Eye). In metro city, more than 50% cases from ophthalmic OPD are of Dry Eye Syndrome. Dry Eye Syndrome is a common ophthalmic condition, in its real sense is a problem for eye care practitioners due to its variegated etiologies, multi factorial physiopathology, lack of gold standard for diagnostic procedure. No curative treatment modalities are available and the palliative measures are inadequate too. It presents a great challenge to physicians. That’s why its prevalence is very high. It is 5% to 35% worldwide, while in India it is 29.25%. Dry Eye Syndrome also known as Kerato-Conjunctivitis Sicca (KCS) is considered a disease of the modern era. Dry eye syndrome, one of the most frequently encountered ocular morbidities, a growing public health problem and one of the most common conditions seen by the eye care practitioners. Tear secretion provides continuous moisture and lubrication on the ocular surface and provides oxygen to the corneal- epithelium. When the normal tear production is compromised, it leads to dry eyes

Genomic instability of the DYZ1 repeat in patients with Y chromosome anomalies and males exposed to natural background radiation

We assessed genomic instability of 3.4 kb DYZ1 repeat arrays in patients encompassing prostate cancer (PC), cases of repeated abortion (RA) and males exposed to natural background radiation (NBR) using real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Normal males showed DYZ1 copies ranging from 3000 to 4300, RA, 0-2237; PC, 550; and males exposed to NBR, 1577-5700. FISH showed organizational variation of DYZ1 in these samples substantiating the data obtained from real-time PCR. Of the 10 RA samples, 7 were found to be affected of which, 5 showed deletion of 265 bp from nt 25 to 290 and 773 bp from 1347 to 2119 and 2 showed deletion of 275 bp from nt 3128 to 3402. Copy number variation of DYZ1 in these males correlated with genetic constrains/anomalies. Although precise mechanisms of genomic instability of DYZ1 remains unclear, we construe that this repeat plays a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the Y chromosome, possibly by absorbing the load of mutations. This may be used as a marker system to analyze genetic integrity of the DYZ1 repeat array(s) across the spectrum of patients

Isgur-Wise function in a QCD potential model with coulombic potential as perturbation

We study heavy light mesons in a QCD inspired quark model with the Cornell potential$-\frac{4\alpha_{S}}{3r}+br+c$. Here we consider the linear term $br$ as the parent and $-\frac{4\alpha_{S}}{3r}+c$ i.e.the Coloumbic part as the perturbation.The linear parent leads to Airy function as the unperturbed wavefunction. We then use the Dalgarno method of perturbation theory to obtain the total wavefunction corrected upto first order with Coulombic peice as the perturbation.With these wavefunctions, we study the Isgur-Wise function and calculate its slope and curvature.Comment: paper has been modified in Airy functions calculation upto o(r^3

The health of older adults in India: an empirical investigation into the perspective of social determinants of health

Health at older ages is more about chronic conditions and special care that these chronic conditions require. The present work is an investigation into the health of older adults in India from the perspective of Social Determinants of Health. For the purpose, health is defined in terms of the prevalence of selected chronic diseases. Pooled data from the 42nd and the 52nd rounds of the National Sample Survey has been utilized for the investigation. Associations of the prevalence of selected chronic diseases with various socioeconomic factors are explored utilizing the logistic regression models. The results are interpreted in terms of the odds ratios pertaining to the logistic regression models. The prevalence of chronic diseases are found to be associated with gender, marital status, financial independence, living arrangements and education of the older adults. Place of residence and economic affluence of the households are also found to be associated with the prevalence of selected chronic diseases. However, each of the selected chronic diseases has its distinct pattern of prevalence across a multitude of socioeconomic factors. The investigation supports the inclusion of Social Determinants of Health perspective into the health policy planning for older adults

A Follow-Up Study on the Efficacy of the Homeopathic Remedy Arsenicum album in Volunteers Living in High Risk Arsenic Contaminated Areas

In continuation of our short-term pilot studies reported earlier, results on certain toxicity biomarkers in volunteers who continued to take the potentized Arsenicum album 200C till 2 years are presented. Out of some 130 “verum”-fed volunteers of pilot study, 96 continued to take the remedy till 6 months, 65 till 1 year and 15 among them continued till 2 years. They provided samples of their urine and blood at 6 months, 1 year and finally at 2 years. None out of 17 who received “placebo” turned up for providing blood or urine at these longer intervals. Standard methodologies were used for determination of arsenic content in blood and urine, and for measurement of toxicity biomarkers like acid and alkaline phosphatases, alanine and aspartate amino transferases, lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione and anti-nuclear antibody titers. Most of the volunteers reported status quo maintained after the improvement they achieved within the first 3 months of homeopathic treatment, in respect of their general health and spirit, and appetite and sleep. A few with skin symptoms and burning sensation, however, improved further. This was supported by the data of toxicity biomarkers, levels of all of which remained fairly within normal range. Therefore, administration of Arsenicum album 200C considerably ameliorates symptoms of arsenic toxicity on a long-term basis, and can be recommended for interim use, particularly in high risk remote villages lacking modern medical and arsenic free drinking water facilities. Similar studies by others are encouraged

Can Administration of Potentized Homeopathic Remedy, Arsenicum Album, Alter Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Titer in People Living in High-Risk Arsenic Contaminated Areas? I. A Correlation with Certain Hematological Parameters

To examine whether elevated antinuclear antibody (ANA) titers reported in random human population of arsenic contaminated villages can be reverted to the normal range by administration of a potentized homeopathic drug, Arsenicum album, randomly selected volunteers in two arsenic contaminated villages and one arsenic-free village in West Bengal (India) were periodically tested for their ANA titer as well as various blood parameters in two types of experiments: ‘placebo-controlled double blind’ experiment for shorter duration and ‘uncontrolled verum fed experiment’ for longer duration. Positive modulation of ANA titer was observed along with changes in certain relevant hematological parameters, namely total count of red blood cells and white blood cells, packed cell volume, hemoglobin content, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and blood sugar level, mostly within 2 months of drug administration. Thus, Arsenicum album appears to have great potential for ameliorating arsenic induced elevated ANA titer and other hematological toxicities

Exploring the Equity Impact of a Maternal and Newborn Health Intervention: A Qualitative Study of Participatory Women's Groups in Rural South Asia and Africa

A consensus is developing on interventions to improve newborn survival, but little is known about how to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in newborn mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Participatory learning and action (PLA) through women's groups can improve newborn survival and home care practices equitably across socioeconomic strata, as shown in cluster randomised controlled trials. We conducted a qualitative study to understand the mechanisms that led to the equitable impact of the PLA approach across socioeconomic strata in four trial sites in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Malawi