Neonatal screening for hypothyroidism by time - Resolved fluoroimmunoassay in Jharkhand

Objective: To screen newborns for congenital hypothyroidism by time resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) (TRFIA meter by Perkin Elmer). Methods: Participants were randomly selected from the Department of Paediatrics/Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences and Maternity Hospitals around 20 km of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi. Blood samples were obtained by heel prick for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) estimation from newborns selected from abovementioned hospitals. Samples were collected from 3rd day of life to 7th day of life on a filter paper card and analyzed by TRFIAbased method. Results: 60% of the newborns were male and 40% were female among 150 newborns selected for study. Out ofthem, 65.33% were term, 28% were pre-term, and 6.67% were post-term. 92% newborns had TSH level <10 mIU/L, 8% had TSH between 10 and 20 mIU/L and none had TSH value >20 mIU/L. Conclusion: The prevalence of borderline TSH assay was 80/1000 newborns, which is significant. Screening studies for such conditions need larger sample size, stronger logistics to cover a larger area

Use of fly ash in black cotton soil for road construction

Waste products from various industries normally deposited in landfills, have been proposed for use as an alternate construction material. The utilization of these alternate materials needs to be encouraged for economy of construction and conservation of materials. One by-product that has shown as an alternate construction material is fly ash. In this paper an effort is made to use fly ash to stabilise soils for road construction, in order to reduce the amount of waste globally. In the present assignment, black cotton soils were stabilized with different quantities of fly ash. On the basis of preliminary investigations, it has been found that stabilization with fly ash, improves the CBR and plasticity characteristics of black cotton soils.For hydration of fly ash, the lime content is responsible, so substantial improvements in desired properties can be achieved by addition of small quantity of lime. ie2< r؇F `oF Microbiologists have come up with an important point that if genetic modification is carried out extensively, new viruses with greater potential to harm mankind may evolve anytime, and the probability of this occurring can be quite high. This form of dangerous biotechnology will only benefit largely towards the GM crop farmers in form of monetary gain. According to relevant statistics, farmers would save more than US$3.3 billion annually on herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. So come to think of it. Is it worthwhile to become the guinea pigs just to save a few bucks, while those farmers are sitting down there counting their huge earnings without inflicting any risks on themselves? While some countries have banned GMOs or placed a moratorium on their release, others are increasing both investment levels and land area devoted to cultivating genetically modified (GM) crops. In 2006, GM crops were grown commercially by 10.3 million farmers (9.3 million resource-poor small farmers in developing countries) in 22 countries, on 102 million hectares - about 4 per cent of total arable land worldwide [5] &nbsp

Computerised Spirometric Evaluation of Pulmonary Functions in Obese Hypertensive and Obese Non-Hypertensive Male Subjects; A Comparative Study

Background:Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic and is associated with impaired quality of life. It is now a major health concern in our country contributing significantly to increased morbidity and mortality, reducing life expectancy markedly among adults, and is commonly associated with hypertension. It causes mechanical obstruction of various parts of the body, including the respiratory system.Materials and Methods: A Total of three hundred (300) age and sex matched subjects were selected from those attending the Executive Health Check up OPD of kannur Medical College , which included One hundred (100) normal subjects (Group 1), One hundred (100) obese normotensive subjects (Group 2), and One hundred (100) obese hypertensive subjects (Group 3). Results:In the obese normotensive group and obese hypertensive group, statistically significant decline in FVC was seen as compared to the non-obese group. But there was no significant change in FVC between the hypertensive obese and normotensive obese groups . FEV1 showed no significant difference between regular, obese normotensive and obese hypertensive groups, although the obese groups showed a small insignificant decrease. FEV1/FVC % did not show any significant change in the three groups.  PEF did not show any significant change in the three groups.Conclusion:It can be concluded that obesity causes mechanical restriction to respiratory movements  which adversely affect pulmonary functions. Hypertension had no adverse effects on lung functions. &nbsp

Bone marrow aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of hematologic and non-hematologic diseases in a multi-specialty hospital in Nepal

Background: Peripheral blood smear examination and other routine laboratory assays are not always sufficient to diagnose various diseases which affect the blood and bone marrow. A bone marrow aspirate examination is essential in most of the cases.Methods: This work was a hospital-based cross sectional analytical observational study carried out in the department of pathology at the Chitwan Medical College, Teaching Hospital, Nepal, over a period of 3 years from January, 2013 to December 2015. Bone marrow was aspirated from posterior superior iliac crest under local anesthesia; sternum was the alternative site in obese patients. Univariate analysis was performed for each variable using frequency distribution and means with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20.0 (SPSS 20.0) software.Results: One hundred and fifty-nine patients were included in the study. Eight cases of 'dry tap' were excluded, for whom bone marrow biopsy was advised. Anemia was the largest group followed by malignancy, infection and miscellaneous diseases. Among anemia, megaloblastic anemia was the most common, followed by aplastic anemia, dyserythropoietic anemia and myelopthisic anemia. The category 'malignancy' consisted of leukemia, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome. Regarding individual diseases, megaloblastic anemia was the most common haematological disorder followed by immune thrombocytopenic purpura, leukemia and aplastic anemia.Conclusions: Bone marrow aspiration cytology is a mildly invasive technique which can diagnose many haematological and non-hematologic diseases that can be confirmed by more advanced investigations, if needed: serological, biochemical or molecular. However, bone marrow sample cannot be obtained (dry tap) in a proportion of cases. In such cases, a bone marrow biopsy needs to be performed

Partisipasi Masyarakat Terhadap Pengelolaan Eduwisata Kampung Susu Dinasty di Desa Sidem Kecamatan Gondang Kabupaten Tulungagung

Abstract: Edutourism is not just presenting an entertainment but must be inserted of educational values ​​for visitors. Edutourism aims to improve the intelligence and creativity of visitors. Kampung Susu Dinasty is one of the new developed educational attractions in the area of ​​Sidem Village, Gondang Sub-District, Tulungagung District. The tourism object emphasizes the education aspect in the field of animal husbandry, especially cattle, goats and horses. The tourist attraction of the Kampung Susu Dinasty has an influence to people's lives, the which one is increasing livelihoods which has an impact on increasing income. To find out the form of community participation in the development of edutourism objects, the Kampung Susu Dinasty is needed for a study. Initial identification is done by field survey. Furthermore, data collection is done by observation, interviews, and questionnaires. Then the data were be analyzed to descriptively qualitatively. This was done to find out the form of community participation in the development of the Kampung Susu Dinasty Farm. The results of the study show geographically that Gondang Subdistrict is a suitable area to be developed for chicken farms, not cattle, goats, or horses. The form of community participation in the development of edutourism in the Kampung Susu Dinasty Ranch is participation in management. In addition, the community has a role in developing the tourist attraction. This is indicated by the existence of changes in livelihoods from the former who worked as brick craftsmen to become tourist managers, souvenir artisans, and open parking lots. The development of edutourism in the Kampung Susu Dinasty Livestock is supported by a public attitude that is open to tourism development

Properties of GexAsySe1-x-y glasses for all-optical signal processing

We present a systematic study of GexAsySe1-x-y bulk chalcogenide glasses to determine the best composition for fabricating alloptical devices. The dependence of physical parameters such as the bandgap, glass transition temperature and third order optical nonlinearity (n2) on composition has been studied and a relation between the bond-structure and elevated linear loss levels in high Germanium glasses has been identified. It is found that glasses with 11<x<13 % are most suitable for all-optical devices

Optical properties and structural correlations of GeAsSe Chalcogenide Glasses

GexAsySe100-x-y (33 ≤ x ≤ 39 and 12 ≤ y ≤ 16) glasses were prepared, and their structure and optical properties were studied by Raman and UV-Vis-IR spectroscopic techniques. Ge-tetrahedrons [GeSe4] dominated in the structural units, and 'defect'

Environmental Estrogens Alter Early Development in Xenopus laevis

A growing number of environmental toxicants found in pesticides, herbicides, and industrial solvents are believed to have deleterious effects on development by disrupting hormone-sensitive processes. We exposed Xenopus laevis embryos at early gastrula to the commonly encountered environmental estrogens nonylphenol, octylphenol, and methoxychlor, the antiandrogen, p,p-DDE, or the synthetic androgen, 17 alpha-methyltestosterone at concentrations ranging from 10 nM to 10 microM and examined them at tailbud stages (approximately 48 hr of treatment). Exposure to the three environmental estrogens, as well as to the natural estrogen 17 beta-estradiol, increased mortality, induced morphologic deformations, increased apoptosis, and altered the deposition and differentiation of neural crest-derived melanocytes in tailbud stage embryos. Although neural crest-derived melanocytes were markedly altered in embryos treated with estrogenic toxicants, expression of the early neural crest maker Xslug, a factor that regulates both the induction and subsequent migration of neural crest cells, was not affected, suggesting that the disruption induced by these compounds with respect to melanocyte development may occur at later stages of their differentiation. Co-incubation of embryos with the pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 blocked the ability of nonylphenol to induce abnormalities in body shape and in melanocyte differentiation but did not block the effects of methoxychlor. Our data indicate not only that acute exposure to these environmental estrogens induces deleterious effects on early vertebrate development but also that different environmental estrogens may alter the fate of a specific cell type via different mechanisms. Finally, our data suggest that the differentiation of neural crest-derived melanocytes may be particularly sensitive to the disruptive actions of these ubiquitous chemical contaminants

Current Scenario of Breeding Approaches in Rice

Rice is the predominant crop in India and is the staple food in eastern and southern Indian populations. One of the oldest grown crops is rice. The initial discovery of cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) three-line system made it possible to produce hybrids that significantly increase rice yields compared to its inbred counterparts. Further genetic and molecular studies help elucidate the mechanisms involved in CMS male sterility. Additional CMS types were also discovered with similar genetic control from wild sources by interspecific hybridization. In India more than 1200 varieties were released for cultivation suitable different ecosystems and out of them 128 varieties have been contributed from NRRI, Cuttack. A list of these varieties are furnished below with their duration, grain type, yield potential, reaction to major disease and insects grain quality and tolerance to different adverse situations. Recent advances in molecular approaches used in modern rice breeding include molecular marker technology and marker-assisted selection (MAS); molecular mapping of genes and QTLs and production of hybrids and alien introgression lines (AILs). Genomic selection (GS) has been projected as alternative to conventional MAS. GS has huge potential to enhance breeding efficiency by increasing gain per selection per unit time. Due to the adaptation of semi dwarf high yielding varieties, combined with intensive input management practices, the country witnessed an impressive rice production growth in the post-independent period. Rice production was increased four times, productivity three times while the area increase was only one and half times during this period. The projected rice requirement by 2025, in order to keep up with increasing population, is about 130 m.t. The challenge of growing rice production is made more difficult by declining trends in HYV’s yields, decreasing and degrading natural resources such as land and water and a severe labour shortage

Exceptional molecular and coreceptor-requirement properties of molecular clones isolated from an Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 subtype C infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The pathogenic significance of coreceptor switch in the viral infection of HIV-1 is not completely understood. This situation is more complex in subtype C infection where coreceptor switch is either absent or extremely rare. To gain insights into the mechanisms that underlie coreceptor requirement of subtype C, we screened several primary viral isolates and identified a clinical sample that demonstrated a potential to grow on standard T-cell lines with no detectable CCR5 expression. The subject was diagnosed with HIV-1 associated dementia in the absence of opportunistic infections of the brain. To isolate molecular clones from this virus, we devised a novel strategy based on anchor primers that target a sequence in the reverse transcriptase, highly conserved among diverse subtypes of HIV-1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using this strategy, we isolated 8 full-length molecular clones from the donor. Two of the eight molecular clones, 03In94_D17 and 03In94_D24, (D17 and D24) generated replication-competent viruses. Phylogenetic analysis of the full-length viral sequences revealed that both clones were non-recombinant subtype C viruses. They contain intact open reading frames in all the viral proteins. Both the viral clones are endowed with several unique molecular and biological properties. The viral promoter of the clones is characterized by the presence of four NF-kB binding elements, a feature rarely seen in the subtype C HIV-1 LTR. Interestingly, we identified the coexistence of two different forms of Rev, a truncated form common to subtype C and a full-length form less common for this subtype, in both proviral and plasma virus compartments. An exceptional property of the viruses, atypical of subtype C, is their ability to use a wide range of coreceptors including CCR5, CXCR4, and several others tested. Sequence analysis of Env of D17 and D24 clones identified differences within the variable loops providing important clues for the expanded coreceptor use. The V1, V2 and V4 loops in both of the molecular clones are longer due to the insertion of several amino acid residues that generated potential N-linked glycosylation sites.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The exceptional biological and molecular properties of these clones make them invaluable tools to understand the unique pathogenic characteristics of subtype C.</p