Climate change impacts : Implications on marine resources and resource users

The warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level. The Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.76° C since 1850. Most of the warming that has occurred over the last 50 years is very likely to have been caused by human activities. In its Fourth Assessment Report projects that, without further action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the global average surface temperature is likely to rise by a further 1.8-4.0°C this century, and by up to 6.4°C in the worst case scenario. Even the lower end of this range would take the temperature increase since pre-industrial times above 2°C – the threshold beyond which irreversible and possibly catastrophic changes become far more likely

Know Your Warming Planet-ClimEd Series:1

This instructional material "Know Your Warming Planet" has been developed as a part of the Belmont funded project titled "Global Understanding and Learning for Local solutions: Reducing Vulnerability of marine dependent coastal communities" as a means to create awareness and impart climate change knowledge across the target populace

Identification of metastasis founder cells in breast cancer by cell lineage tracing

Background: Metastatic dissemination often occurs at early stages of breast cancer progression implying that disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) evolve outside the primary tumor in a process of selection and adaptation. To identify metastasis founder cells in humans we strived to construct cell lineage trees by longitudinally tracking genetic changes in cancer cells isolated from patients at various disease stages. Methods: We used sample triplets comprising primary tumor, bone marrow DCCs isolated at presumably curative surgery and CTCs/DCCs at a further time point before and after progressing into metastasis. To prepare samples for single cell lineage tree analysis we developed robust methods for isolation of single cells of high DNA quality from all tissues, including - (i) Isolation of single cells from flash frozen tumor tissue; (ii) Laser capture microdissection to isolate DCCs from diagnostic cytospins; (iii) Isolation of blood CTCs from CellSearch cartridges. In addition, we isolated CD3+ T cells, CD68+ macrophages and oral epithelial cells to serve as outgroups for cell lineage tree analysis. Cell lineage tree reconstructions are based on short tandem repeats (STRs) mutations reflecting cell divisions which determine cellular descent by tracing random mutational events. Around 12000 STR loci are sequenced after target enrichment using a patient-generic panel of duplex molecular inversion probes. Results: Detection, isolation and whole genome amplification from all sample sources could be successfully established. Results of STR based lineage tree analysis showed a significantly separate clustering of advanced primary tumor cells from metastatic cells. Interestingly these metastatic cells have detectable early DCC ancestors. Conclusions: The data allows reconstructing the genomic make-up of metastases founder cells from the available phylogenetic trees. Longitudinal analysis of systemic breast cancer evolution may provide insights for diagnostic monitoring and inform the development of novel adjuvant therapies

DEVELOPEMENT AND VALIDATION OF ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF CILNIDIPINE AND OLMESARTAN MEDOXOMIL IN BULK AND TABLET DOSAGE FORM BY RP-HPLC

An economical, precise, rapid and accurate RP HPLC method has been developed for the simultaneous estimation of Olmesartan Medoxomil and Cilnidipine in bulk and tablet dosage form. Separation was carried out on Jasco HPLC system equipped with HiQ sil C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm i.d.) and PDA detector using Methanol: 40 mM Potassium dihydrogen ortho phosphate buffer (90:10 v/v) as the mobile phase.Ortho-phosphoric acid was used to adjust pH to 3.0, and detection was carried out at 254 nm. Results were linear in the range of 5-30 μg/ml for Cilnidipine and 10-50 μg/ml for Olmesartan Medoxomil respectively. The method was successfully applied for the analysis of drugs in pharmaceutical formulation. Results of the analysis were validated statistically and by recovery studies

Myths and taboos in dentistry

Background: India, a developing country, faces many challenges in rendering health needs to its countrymen. The influence of culture is seen in every discipline of health and medical practices, and dentistry is no exception. This study was performed to investigate the existence of myths and taboos in dentistry, to assess the variation of these myths across various demographic aspects and socio-economic status, to co-relate the existence of myths with the oral health of the subject and to impart education to the people regarding abolishing the myth as that will be a hindrance towards a healthy life in patients.  Methods: The study had a cross-sectional design, used a structured questionnaire and was conducted to assess the existence of dental myths and taboos and to determine its correlation with the OHIS index of the patients. Statistical analysis software SPSS V 16.0 was used. Descriptive & inferential statistical analysis was performed on categorical and continuous data. Chi-square, independent sample T tests and ANOVA test were used to compare the distribution of caries and OHI-S between different groups. P value less than 0.05 (p<0.05) was considered to be significant. Socioeconomic status was also calculated.Results: In the present study it was found that the there was almost an equal distribution of prevalence of myths in the educated as well as uneducated patients .Also the ratio of existence of myths was found higher in females as compared to males.Conclusions: Existence of myths and taboos regarding dental health has started decreasing among the urban population due to the widespread of awareness regarding dentistry.But still there is prevalence of some myths in the patients having primary education as compared to patients having secondary and tertiary education. If community is educated about proper prevention and cure, the myths relating dental concepts will vanish from the society and over all dental health status of the community will improve

ऊष्णीत गृह के बारे में जानें (Know Your Warming Planet-ClimEd Series:1B)

This instructional material "Know Your Warming Planet" has been developed as a part of the Belmont funded project titled "Global Understanding and Learning for Local solutions: Reducing Vulnerability of marine dependent coastal communities" as a means to create awareness and impart climate change knowledge across the target populace