Normal plantar weight distribution pattern and its variations with change of functional position and its comparison with patients of knee osteoarthritis

Early osteoarthritic changes at the knee result in altered plantar weightdistribution pattern during stand, minisquat, squat and one leg stand positions. To study and quantify these plantar weight distribution variations with changes in static functional position, a cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 202 subjects, 92 healthy people (control group) and 110 with early knee osteoarthritis, participated in the study. The plantar weight distribution and its variations with change in functional position wereassessed using footplate, while the functional disability status was  assessed using WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index) & CIFKAS (Composite Indian Functional Knee Assessment Scale). The participants were allocated into two groups i.e. group-1 and group-2. The participants in group-1 had no knee complaint and those in group-2 had diagnosis of early knee osteoarthritis. Independent test was used for the statistical analysis. Significant difference between the groups was observed for the percentage plantar weight (load) distribution during stand (p value <.001 to .005), minisquat (p value <.001 to .022), left leg stand (p value <.001 to .003) and right leg stand (p value <.001 to .008) and Pain &functional disability status on WOMAC & CIFKAS (p value <.001). It was concluded that the knowledge of this altered plantar weight  distribution and its variation with change in functional position can serve as a guiding tool for formulating an effective context-specific intervention strategy for managing pain and functional disability in knee osteoarthritis.KEY WORDS: Knee osteoarthritis; Footplate; Functional position; Functional Disability; Plantar weight distributio

The Drosophila simulans Y chromosome interacts with the autosomes to influence male fitness.

This is the author's accepted manuscriptThe final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this recordThe Y chromosome should degenerate because it cannot recombine. However, male limited transmission increases selection efficiency for male benefit alleles on the Y, and therefore Y-chromosomes should contribute significantly to variation in male-fitness. This means that although the Drosophila Y chromosome is small and gene-poor, Y-linked genes are vital for male fertility in D. melanogaster and the Y chromosome has large male-fitness effects. It is unclear if the same pattern is seen in the closely related D. simulans. We backcrossed Y chromosomes from 3 geographic locations into 5 genetic backgrounds and found strong Y and genetic background effects on male fertility. There was a significant Y-background interaction, indicating substantial epistasis between the Y and autosomal genes affecting male fertility. This supports accumulating evidence that interactions between the Y chromosome and the autosomes are key determinants of male fitness. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.DJH was funded by The Leverhulme Trust

The burst gap is a peripheral temporal code for pitch perception that is shared across audition and touch

When tactile afferents were manipulated to fire in periodic bursts of spikes, we discovered that the perceived pitch corresponded to the inter-burst interval (burst gap) in a spike train, rather than the spike rate or burst periodicity as previously thought. Given that tactile frequency mechanisms have many analogies to audition, and indications that temporal frequency channels are linked across the two modalities, we investigated whether there is burst gap temporal encoding in the auditory system. To link this putative neural code to perception, human subjects (n = 13, 6 females) assessed pitch elicited by trains of temporally-structured acoustic pulses in psychophysical experiments. Each pulse was designed to excite a fixed population of cochlear neurons, precluding place of excitation cues, and to elicit desired temporal spike trains in activated afferents. We tested periodicities up to 150 Hz using a variety of burst patterns and found striking deviations from periodicity-predicted pitch. Like the tactile system, the duration of the silent gap between successive bursts of neural activity best predicted perceived pitch, emphasising the role of peripheral temporal coding in shaping pitch. This suggests that temporal patterning of stimulus pulses in cochlear implant users might improve pitch perception

How common is albinism really? Colour aberrations in Indian birds reviewed

The file attached is the Published/publisher’s pdf version of the article

Relationship of structure and stiffness in laminated bamboo composites

Laminated bamboo in structural applications has the potential to change the way buildings are constructed. The fibrous microstructure of bamboo can be modelled as a fibre-reinforced composite. This study compares the results of a fibre volume fraction analysis with previous experimental beam bending results. The link between fibre volume fraction and bending stiffness shows that differences previously attributed to preservation treatment in fact arise due to strip thickness. Composite theory provides a basis for the development of future guidance for laminated bamboo, as validated here. Fibre volume fraction analysis is an effective method for non-destructive evaluation of bamboo beam stiffness

Probing top charged-Higgs production using top polarization at the Large Hadron Collider

We study single top production in association with a charged Higgs in the type II two Higgs doublet model at the Large Hadron Collider. The polarization of the top, reflected in the angular distributions of its decay products, can be a sensitive probe of new physics in its production. We present theoretically expected polarizations of the top for top charged-Higgs production, which is significantly different from that in the closely related process of t-W production in the Standard Model. We then show that an azimuthal symmetry, constructed from the decay lepton angular distribution in the laboratory frame, is a sensitive probe of top polarization and can be used to constrain parameters involved in top charged-Higgs production.Comment: 22 pages, 18 Figures, Discussions about backgrounds and NLO corrections added, figures modified, references added, Version published in JHE

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Prunella vulgaris for oral thrush

Plant imitative products have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. In traditional Indian medicine or Ayurveda, Prunella Vulgaris and many other herbs have been used as medicine. Traditional uses of plants have led to investigating their bioactive compounds, which have resulted in the detection of a significant number of therapeutic properties. The aim of present investigation was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of chloroform and hydroalcoholic leaves extracts of Prunella Vulgaris against microbial strains causing oral infections. Both chloroform and hydroalcoholic extracts revealed the presence of carbohydrate, triterpenoids/ steroids, flavonoids, tannin, phenolic compound and saponins were absent in only the chloroform extract. The bioactivities of the leaf extracts were qualified to their phytochemical constituents. Quantitative analysis of phenolic and flavonoids was carried out by Folins Ciocalteau reagent method and aluminium chloride method respectively. The In vitro antioxidant activity of chloroform and hydroalcoholic leaves extracts of Prunella Vulgaris was assessed against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl- hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing power assay using standard protocols. The antimicrobial activity of chloroform and hydroalcoholic extracts of medicinal plants was evaluated using well diffusion method against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. The TPC in chloroform extract was higher than that of the hydroalcoholic extract with concentration being 0.443 mg/g equivalent to gallic acid. The TFC in hydroalcohoilc extract was higher than that of the chloroform extract with concentration being 0.358 mg/g equivalent to rutin.  The present study recognized leaves extract of Prunella vulgaris as a promising antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. However, further investigations are needed to understand the mechanistic basis of this effect of the extract and its chemical constituents thereof. Keywords: Prunella vulgaris, Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial activity, Folins Ciocalteau reagent, Quantitative analysi

Hybrid Approach in Microscale Transport Phenomena: Application to Biodiesel Synthesis in Micro-reactors

A hybrid engineering approach to the study of transport phenomena, based on the synergy among computational, analytical, and experimental methodologies is reviewed. The focus of the chapter is on fundamental analysis and proof of concept developments in the use of nano- and micro-technologies for energy efficiency and heat and mass transfer enhancement applications. The hybrid approach described herein combines improved lumped-differential modeling, hybrid numericalanalytical solution methods, mixed symbolic-numerical computations, and advanced experimental techniques for micro-scale transport phenomena. An application dealing with micro-reactors for continuous synthesis of biodiesel is selected to demonstrate the instrumental role of the hybrid approach in achieving improved design and enhanced performance

Omacetaxine may have a role in chronic myeloid leukaemia eradication through downregulation of Mcl-1 and induction of apoptosis in stem/progenitor cells

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is maintained by a rare population of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-insensitive malignant stem cells. Our long-term aim is to find a BcrAbl-independent drug that can be combined with a TKI to improve overall disease response in chronic-phase CML. Omacetaxine mepesuccinate, a first in class cetaxine, has been evaluated by clinical trials in TKI-insensitive/resistant CML. Omacetaxine inhibits synthesis of anti-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 family, including (myeloid cell leukaemia) Mcl-1, leading to cell death. Omacetaxine effectively induced apoptosis in primary CML stem cells (CD34<sup>+</sup>38<sup>lo</sup>) by downregulation of Mcl-1 protein. In contrast to our previous findings with TKIs, omacetaxine did not accumulate undivided cells <i>in vitro</i>. Furthermore, the functionality of surviving stem cells following omacetaxine exposure was significantly reduced in a dose-dependant manner, as determined by colony forming cell and the more stringent long-term culture initiating cell colony assays. This stem cell-directed activity was not limited to CML stem cells as both normal and non-CML CD34<sup>+</sup> cells were sensitive to inhibition. Thus, although omacetaxine is not leukaemia stem cell specific, its ability to induce apoptosis of leukaemic stem cells distinguishes it from TKIs and creates the potential for a curative strategy for persistent disease

High anorectal malformation in a five-month-old boy: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Anorectal malformation, one of the most common congenital defects, may present with a wide spectrum of defects. Almost all male patients present within first few days of life.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A five-month-old baby boy of Indian origin and nationality presented with anal atresia and associated rectourethral prostatic fistula. The anatomy of the malformation and our patient's good condition permitted a primary definitive repair of the anomaly. A brief review of the relevant literature is included.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Delayed presentation of a patient with high anorectal malformation is rare. The appropriate treatment can be rewarding.</p