An Evaluation Of Endocrine Disrupting Effects Of Emerging Contaminants Using Daphnia Pulex And Danio Rerio

The limit of the availability of water is based on two factors, scarcity and quality. Conserving and protecting our water resources one of the most critical issues facing humanity as we struggle to deal with contaminated lakes and rivers and climate change. The main aim of this study is to examine toxicity of known water contaminants on aquatic model organisms and be able to develop methodology that will enable the characterization of endocrine disrupting potential of water samples with unknown contaminants. Both the category of water contaminants known as pharmaceuticals, personal care products that are known as PPCPs and other non-PPCP contaminants such as pesticides, plasticizers, flame retardants, combustion products, and herbicides are being detected in surface water and ground water. Some of the main sources of these contaminants are agricultural runoff, industrial sources and wastewater effluent. These compounds can be found in very low concentrations and may alter the physiological processes and have long term developmental impacts when animals are exposed. This exposure can alter the endocrine system, and may also be associated with other toxic properties (e.g., neurotoxic). The contaminants found to alter endocrine function have become known as endocrine disrupting chemicals. There is evidence of EDC activity on wildlife and increasing concern about EDC effects on humans. Some of the best evidence to date for EDC activity suggests that there is significant estrogenic and ant-androgenic activity in some of our surface water, especially downstream from wastewater effluent outflows. This study is part of a large EDC project that focuses on the behavioral effects of EDCs as one part of a triad of behavioral assays to characterize estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity in water. The overall goal for the EDC project is to develop a mathematical model for estimating the estrogenicity and anti-androgenic properties of contaminants contributing to EDC – like activity in water. The hypothesis is that known or suspected EDCs have detectable behavioral effects, and that the characterization of these behavioral effects in combination with developmental and gene expression data will provide a mathematical model that enables the identification of chemicals contributing to the estrogenicity or ant-androgenic qualities of contaminated water. Two model organisms, Daphnia pulex and Danio rerio, used to evaluate the sub-lethal effects of the chemicals known or suspected to be EDCs. The behavioral assay evaluated the swimming behavior of these aquatic animals using a novel optical tracking system and measured the maximum distance travelled (mm) and mean change in angle (degrees) over a 24-hour period of exposure. This series of experiments has demonstrated significant concentration-dependent differences in responses across the series of chemicals, between species for a given chemical (chlorpyrifos, atrazine), and similarities in response to a chemical by both species (dieldrin)

Molecular genetic perspectives on the origin of the Lyngngam tribe of Meghalaya, India

Meghalaya, one of the Northeast Indian states, is inhabited by two major tribal clusters, Khasi and Garo. The disputed origin of the Lyngngam tribe of Meghalaya is a result of their geographic distribution, which is sandwiched between that of the above two major tribal clusters. Our earlier analysis of ethnohistoric, linguistic and demographic data suggested the neighbouring Khasi and Garo as the putative parental population(s) of Lyngngam. In this paper, we have investigated the Lyngngam, Garo and all the 7 subtribes of Khasi of Meghalaya using molecular genetic markers-autosomal, Y-chromosome and mtDNA-to explore the possible origin of the Lyngngam tribe. We obtained admixture estimates for Lyngngam versus the putative parental populations. While autosomal STRs and mtDNA results clearly suggest Khasi origin of the Lyngngam, Y-STR distances show greater proximity of Lyngngam to the Garo. Further, the comparative analysis of the Y-Chromosome and mtDNA haplogroup data on relevant Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman populations from South and Southeast Asia, published by us earlier, clearly exclude the possibility of Lyngngam origin from outside Meghalaya. The molecular genetic evidence in conjunction with the linguistic, demographic and ethno-historic information clearly suggests Khasi origin of the Lyngngam tribe

Delayed Lead Perforation: Can We Ever Let the Guard Down?

Lead perforation is a major complication of cardiac rhythm management devices (CRMD), occurring in about 1%. While most lead perforations occur early, numerous instances of delayed lead perforation (occurring >30 days after implantation) have been reported in the last few years. Only about 40 such cases have been published, with the majority occurring <1 year after implantation. Herein, we describe the case of an 84-year-old female who presented with recurrent syncope and was diagnosed to have delayed pacemaker lead perforation 4.8 years after implantation. Through this report, we intend to highlight the increasing use of CRMD in elderly patients, and the lifelong risk of complications with these devices. Presentation can be atypical and a high index of suspicion is necessary for diagnosis

Androgen Receptor CAG Repeat Polymorphism and Epigenetic Influence among the South Indian Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The present study was carried out to assess the role of androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism and X chromosome inactivation (XCI) pattern among Indian PCOS women and controls which has not been hitherto explored and also to test the hypothesis that shorter CAG alleles would be preferentially activated in PCOS. CAG repeat polymorphism and X chromosome methylation patterns were compared between PCOS and non-PCOS women. 250 PCOS women and 299 controls were included for this study. Androgen receptor CAG repeat sizes, XCI percentages, and clinical and biochemical parameters were measured. The mean CAG repeat number is similar between the cases (18.74±0.13) and controls (18.73±0.12). The obese PCOS women were significantly more frequent in the <18 and >20 CAG repeat category than the lean PCOS women, yielding a highly significant odds (p = 0.001). Among the women with non-random X-inactivation, alleles with <19 repeats were more frequently activated among cases than controls (p = 0.33). CAG repeat polymorphism by itself cannot be considered as a useful marker for discriminating PCOS. We observed a trend of preferential activation of the shorter allele among the PCOS cases with non random XCI pattern. In the obese PCOS women, this microsatellite variation may account for the hyperandrogenicity to a larger extent than the lean PCOS women

A rare case of plasma cell osteomyelitis with atypical presentation

Plasma cell osteomyelitis is an uncommon type of localized chronic osteomyelitis which is characterized by the absence of typical clinical features of infection. It usually affects the metaphysis of long bones and presents as dense thickening of bone without sequestrum formation. We present an atypical case of plasma cell osteomyelitis with a lesion in the diaphysis of long bone and sequestrum formation. A 23 year old male patient came to our OPD with complaint of pain in mid-thigh radiating to the left knee since 2 months. X-ray showed radiolucencies in the medulla of middle third of shaft of femur along with a linear sequestrum suggestive of chronic osteomyelitis. An open biopsy was performed and surgical curettage was done. Histopathological examination was consistent with plasma cell osteomyelitis. Chronic plasma cell osteomyelitis is a rare condition with nonspecific findings and an unclear cause. Histopathology is the definitive tool for obtaining a diagnosis. Knowledge of this condition and proper management can give a better outcome, at the same time avoiding unnecessary investigations and procedures

A randomized split mouth clinical trial of the application of the desensitizer agents for tooth sensitivity

Background: Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) affects 3%-75% of the people and is one of the morbid tooth conditions. Hence in the present study we aim to examine the clinical effectiveness of 3 different desensitizing agents in decreasing pain of DH in time of 1 month.Methods: Fifty subjects with cervical DH in at least one tooth in any three of the 4 quadrants were selected. VAS was used to note the pain. Each quadrant in an individual was randomly assigned. Profluorid varnish, Admira protect, and PRG‑Barrier coat was used. VAS scores for the tactile and air stimuli were noted immediately after application, 1 week, and after 1 month. The data was analyzed keeping p<0.05 as significant.Results: VAS significantly reduced for all three groups from the base line (p<0.001). Admira protect showed significant reduction of hypersensitivity scores at 1 month compared to other groups (p<0.001).Conclusions: Admira protect was better at lowering the pain due to DH than PRG‑barrier coat and Profluorid varnish after 1 month of application

Sperm mitochondrial mutations as a cause of low sperm motility

We report the unique case of a 28-year-old man who, in spite of having a varicocele and a sperm concentration of 5 million/mL, of which 10% were motile and 20% had normal forms (oligoasthenoteratozoospermia [OAT]), was fertile. This was confirmed by paternity testing using 16 autosomal and 6 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci. An analysis of mitochondrial genes that included cytochrome oxidase I (COI), cytochrome oxidase II (COII), adenosine triphosphate synthase6 (ATPase6), ATPase8, transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) serine I, tRNA lysine, and NADH dehydrogenase3 (ND3) revealed, for the first time, 9 missense and 27 silent mutations in the sperm's mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) but not in the DNA from the blood cells. There was a 2-nucleotide deletion in the mitochondrial COII genes, introducing a stop codon, which might be responsible for low sperm motility

Genetic affinities among the lower castes and tribal groups of India: inference from Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA

BACKGROUND: India is a country with enormous social and cultural diversity due to its positioning on the crossroads of many historic and pre-historic human migrations. The hierarchical caste system in the Hindu society dominates the social structure of the Indian populations. The origin of the caste system in India is a matter of debate with many linguists and anthropologists suggesting that it began with the arrival of Indo-European speakers from Central Asia about 3500 years ago. Previous genetic studies based on Indian populations failed to achieve a consensus in this regard. We analysed the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA of three tribal populations of southern India, compared the results with available data from the Indian subcontinent and tried to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Indian caste and tribal populations. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in the mitochondrial DNA between Indian tribal and caste populations, except for the presence of a higher frequency of west Eurasian-specific haplogroups in the higher castes, mostly in the north western part of India. On the other hand, the study of the Indian Y lineages revealed distinct distribution patterns among caste and tribal populations. The paternal lineages of Indian lower castes showed significantly closer affinity to the tribal populations than to the upper castes. The frequencies of deep-rooted Y haplogroups such as M89, M52, and M95 were higher in the lower castes and tribes, compared to the upper castes. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the vast majority (>98%) of the Indian maternal gene pool, consisting of Indio-European and Dravidian speakers, is genetically more or less uniform. Invasions after the late Pleistocene settlement might have been mostly male-mediated. However, Y-SNP data provides compelling genetic evidence for a tribal origin of the lower caste populations in the subcontinent. Lower caste groups might have originated with the hierarchical divisions that arose within the tribal groups with the spread of Neolithic agriculturalists, much earlier than the arrival of Aryan speakers. The Indo-Europeans established themselves as upper castes among this already developed caste-like class structure within the tribes