A GEOMETRICAL AND EXPLORATORY TESTAMENT OF THE DOSE AT THE CENTRAL RAY OF THE DIVERGING GAMMA RADIATION BEAM USED IN RADIOTHERAPY

The foremost intention of the study is to reaffirm the relevance of the phenomenon that the dose at the central ray of a diverging Gamma radiation beam used in Radiotherapy is maximum. This study has been conducted in an all together different dimension - mathematical dimension using Pythagoras Theorem and Inverse Square law. After experimentation and thorough analysis, it has been found that the assumption is valid from a mathematical perspective

LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN RECEPTOR AND ALZHEIMERS DISEASE

Since apoE allele status is the predominant Alzheimers disease (AD) genetic risk factor, functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in brain apoE receptors represent excellent candidates for association with AD. Therefore, three low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) SNPs were evaluated by TaqMan allelic discrimination assays for association with AD and I found that certain haplotypes alter the odds of AD. A SNP within LDLR exon 12, rs688, was identified in silico as neutralizing a putative exon splicing enhancer (ESE). Since LDLR is a major apoE receptor in the brain, I hypothesized that rs688 modulates LDLR splicing in neural tissues and associates with AD. To evaluate this hypothesis, I analyzed splicing patterns in human hippocampus samples and established that this SNP was associated with significantly decreased LDLR exon 12 splicing efficiency when the minor allele T is present in vivo. Lastly, I evaluated whether rs688 associates with AD by genotyping DNA from the Religious Orders Study (ROS) series. The rs688T/T genotype was associated with increased AD odds in males, but not in females, in a dataset consisting of 1,457 men and 2,055 women drawn from three case-control series. The rs688T/T genotype was associated with increased AD odds in males (recessive model, odds ratio (OR) of 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.13- 1.97, uncorrected p=0.005), but not in females. In summary, these studies identify a functional apoE receptor SNP that is associated with AD in a sex-dependent fashion

Synthesis Paper on Strengthening Policy Reforms for Transport Infrastructure Development

This paper presents the results of a series of eight research papers commissioned by the Asian Development Bank and the Department of Economic Affairs, in the area of transport infrastructure development in India. The research was intended to provide primary insight in the relevant area, through a mix of field study, technology assessment, socio-economic analysis, primary data collection and analysis of managerial and policy implementation, as appropriate in each area. The research was steered by an advisory group. The eight papers cover a wide range of specific issues in different sectors within the overall transport sector. The paper also places these issues in the context of the overall transport scenario, and points to the consolidated policy implications of implementation of the recommendations of the authors. Secondary objectives were also to initiate networking in the academic and professional research community in the area, and to enable policy makers to tap such resources at a high level.

Viability of Inland Water Transport in India

Water based transport is effective as generally speaking, operating costs of fuel are low and environmental pollution is lower than for corresponding volumes of movement by road, rail or air. A major advantage is that the main infrastructure - the waterway - is often naturally available. This paper attempts to assess the viability of movement of passengers and freight by inland water transport in India. Inland waterways refer to rivers, canals, lakes etc. In inland water transport, the waterway, though naturally available, has to be "trained", maintained and upgraded. Transport over inland waterways is especially effective when the source and/or destination are waterfront locations. There is an overlap of this sector with coastal shipping where tidal rivers are involved. Legally, there are separate Acts covering inland waterways, the vessels that can ply on them and the setting up of the Inland Waterways Authority of India. Three waterways in the country have been designated as National Waterways (NW-1, NW-2 and NW-3).

Childhood Vitiligo: Epidemiology, Clinical Spectrum and Therapeutic Responses

INTRODUCTION : Vitiligo is a common dermatologic disorder in children and one that has been observed since ancient times. It is characterized by asymptomatic, well-demarcated, ivory-white macules and patches that may be localized or generalized. Vitiligo is common in India affecting 3-4% of Indian population2. Childhood vitiligo is a special subtype and is seen in significant proportion of vitiligo patients. There are only a few clinical studies in the past which address the clinical spectrum of vitiligo in children. This study on eighty cases of childhood vitiligo will cover the epidemiology, clinical spectrum and review its therapeutic responses. This study was undertaken in view of the seriousness of the problem in children. AIM OF THE STUDY : To study the epidemiology, clinical spectrum and therapeutic responses in childhood vitiligo with an aim to observe the following parameters: 1. Prevalence of vitiligo in children under 12 yrs. 2. Age and sex distribution, associated family history. 3. Sites of involvement and type of vitiligo. 4. Associated autoimmune disorders and syndromes. 5. Therapeutic responses to various modalities of treatment MATERIALS AND METHODS : This was a prospective study conducted at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai in the Department of Dermatology for a period of over 1 ½ years from november 2009 to June 2011. During this period, all children less than 12 years of age were screened for vitiligo. Only untreated patients were included in the study. A total of 80 children with vitiligo of both sexes were enrolled. They were questioned in detail regarding the age of onset, site of initial lesion, duration of disease, progression and associated cutaneous disorder. Precipitating factors such as trauma, illness, stress and contact with chemicals were specifically asked for. History of ocular symptoms and systemic illness like diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, anaemia and Addison’s disease were recorded. History of vitiligo, premature canities or any other autoimmune disorder in the family was noted. The above therapeutic modalities were adopted according to the age of the patients, type of vitiligo, site of vitiligo and extent of vitiligo. A detailed history regarding the onset, duration and course of the disease, presence and absence of precipitating factor, family history, associated skin and systemic problems, were recorded. Dermatological assessment of the disease was carried out using down the sites of involvement total body surface area involved, total number of factors, size and distribution of the patches, presence of white hair in the patch. Details regarding the margin of the patch, skin texture, presence or absence of perifollicular pigmentation, Koebner’s phenomenon, associated with skin and systemic problems were noted. Focal sepsis was ruled out by referring the patient to ENT and Dental OPD for checkup. Other associations if any are noted and referred to respective departments for evaluation. After collecting the preliminary reports the patients were assessed and divided based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. OBSERVATIONS : A total of 80 children were enrolled during the study period. The male to female ratio in the study was 45% to 55% [1:1.2], with females in the majority (n=44 female, and n=36 male). The mean current age of the children visiting our hospital was 6 years. Forty children (50.0%) were in the age group of 7 to 12 years. The youngest child was one and 1/2 years old. The commonest age of onset was between 4 to 9 years. CONCLUSION : Vitiligo incidence during the study period was 0.27%. • The incidence of vitiligo in children was 15.87% of the total number of vitiligo patients over a period of 1 ½ years of study. • Females were predominantly affected than males which might be due to their increased cosmetic concern. • There was a positive family history in 12.5% of children. • Most common age group affected include 4-6 years. • Most common site of initial lesion was head and neck followed by upper limb, lower limb and trunk. • Most common clinical type was vitiligo vulgaris followed by focal type then segmental. Lip tip type was least common type. • Cutaneous association was seen in 26.25%. • Body surface area involving < 20% was found in 73.75%. • Localized facial and mucosal lesions best respond to topical steroid and immunomodulator combination. The compliance of the patients was very good with this treatment modality. • NBUVB therapy is an effective and safe modality to treat generalized vitiligo with cosmetically acceptable repigmentation. • Punch grafting proves to be easier, faster and least expensive method of treatment in stable vitiligo cases. • Split skin grafting carries a distinct advantage over mini punch grafting in producing excellent cosmetic matching over larger areas using fewer grafts. Further several such studies need to be done on a larger scale to compare the epidemiology, clinical spectrum and various newer modalities of treatment, their responses, adverse effects and to derive a standard protocol for treating this less studied entity childhood vitiligo

Quantitative aspects of endocytic activity in lipid-mediated transfections

AbstractVariation in transfection efficiency observed in different cell-types is poorly understood. To investigate the influence of endocytic activity on lipid-mediated transfections, we have monitored both the processes in 12 different cell-types. The endocytic activity shows a strong positive correlation (P<0.01), with transfection efficiency. Treatment with wortmannin resulted in cell-type-dependent inhibition of transfection. Studies on M-phase cells by confocal microscopy show that compared to interphase cells, uptake of cationic liposomes was substantially reduced. In addition, transfection efficiency of cells in mitotic phase was inhibited by >70% compared to controls. Our study based on several cell-types demonstrates for the first time that quantitative aspects of endocytosis have decisive influence on the overall process of lipid-mediated transgene expression