Obesity and Hypertension in Students of Jahangirnagar University: Alarming Issues

The prevalence of obesity and hypertension (HTN) in university students of Bangladesh has not reported yet. Considering the proper health maintenance of this population in mind, the study was aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and HTN as well as relationship among them in the students of a residential university of Bangladesh, Jahangirnagar University. This descriptive cross sectional study included 500 randomly selected students (250 males and 250 females). Participants completed a questionnaire on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, dietary factors, smoking and family history of obesity, HTN, and coronary artery disease. Blood pressure and anthropometric parameters such as height, weight, waist and hip circumferences were measured following standard procedure. The Statistical analyses were performed using the software SPSS.The prevalence of overweight was 25% (31.1% males, 15.6% females) and obesity 7.2% (9.4% males, 4% females). Pre-HTN was found at 27.1% (38% males, 11.2% females) and HTN at 2.2% (3.3% males, 0.4% females). A high rate of smoking, sedentary behavior, physical inactivity, excessive consumption of unhealthy food, and caffeine-rich drinks was also observed. Significant correlation was found between parameters of obesity and HTN. High prevalence of pre-HTN in males and central obesity in females were found which is immediately needed to control for better health maintenance of this population

Functional characterization of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP71AU87 indicates a role in marrubiin biosynthesis in the medicinal plant Marrubium vulgare.

BackgroundHorehound (Marrubium vulgare) is a medicinal plant whose signature bioactive compounds, marrubiin and related furanoid diterpenoid lactones, have potential applications for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes. Lack of scalable plant cultivation and the complex metabolite profile of M. vulgare limit access to marrubiin via extraction from plant biomass. Knowledge of the marrubiin-biosynthetic enzymes can enable the development of metabolic engineering platforms for marrubiin production. We previously identified two diterpene synthases, MvCPS1 and MvELS, that act sequentially to form 9,13-epoxy-labd-14-ene. Conversion of 9,13-epoxy-labd-14-ene by cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) enzymes can be hypothesized to facilitate key functional modification reactions in the formation of marrubiin and related compounds.ResultsMining a M. vulgare leaf transcriptome database identified 95 full-length P450 candidates. Cloning and functional analysis of select P450 candidates showing high transcript abundance revealed a member of the CYP71 family, CYP71AU87, that catalyzed the hydroxylation of 9,13-epoxy-labd-14-ene to yield two isomeric products, 9,13-epoxy labd-14-ene-18-ol and 9,13-epoxy labd-14-ene-19-ol, as verified by GC-MS and NMR analysis. Additional transient Nicotiana benthamiana co-expression assays of CYP71AU87 with different diterpene synthase pairs suggested that CYP71AU87 is specific to the sequential MvCPS1 and MvELS product 9,13-epoxy-labd-14-ene. Although the P450 products were not detectable in planta, high levels of CYP71AU87 gene expression in marrubiin-accumulating tissues supported a role in the formation of marrubiin and related diterpenoids in M. vulgare.ConclusionsIn a sequential reaction with the diterpene synthase pair MvCPS1 and MvELS, CYP71AU87 forms the isomeric products 9,13-epoxy labd-14-ene-18/19-ol as probable intermediates in marrubiin biosynthesis. Although its metabolic relevance in planta will necessitate further genetic studies, identification of the CYP71AU87 catalytic activity expands our knowledge of the functional landscape of plant P450 enzymes involved in specialized diterpenoid metabolism and can provide a resource for the formulation of marrubiin and related bioactive natural products

Hanging in a Balance: Freedom of Expression and Religion

When the liberty to freely express oneself is at odds with another\u27s right to freedom of religion, we are confronted with the classic dilemma of choosing between two equally fundamental, constitutionally and internationally protected rights. The contours of the said two rights however, are far from clear. Whilst freedom of expression is not an absolute right, its limits are controversial. Equally, while it is undisputed that freedom of religion is an internationally protected human right enshrined in various international instruments, there is no comprehensive international treaty which addresses as its subject the content and extent of the right of freedom of religion, thus it is uncertain whether it entails the right to have one\u27s religious faith and symbols protected from insult. The unsettled boundaries of dispute arising from the clash between two fundamental rights have led to bitter tensions between freedom of expression and concerns to protect and respect religious sentiments. Religious communities feel outraged that their religious beliefs and sacred symbols are mocked, insulted, attacked or vilified. Aggrieved believers argue that respect for religious beliefs and symbols is fundamental to, and part and parcel of, the right of freedom of religion and that freedom of expression, although equally fundamental, is not without its limits. On the other hand, the authors and creators of these controversial works argue that any law seeking to restrict their works amounts to a violation of the sacrosanct right of freedom of expression, which is the bedrock of any democratic society. These arguments require an exploration of the rationales underpinning the freedoms of expression and religion to determine the boundaries and limits of each of these rights. On the far right, the United States endows the freedom of expression with sacrosanct status, which can be limited only where there is a risk of imminent danger or physical harm to third parties or a threat of an imminent outbreak of violence. In marked contrast is the German model, where an individual\u27s religious sentiments, dignity and identity are protected from scurrility and ridicule and any form of degrading speech against any religion is outlawed. Lying between these two extremes are the European Court of Human Rights and the Australian systems which have endeavored to strike a delicate balance between respect for religious sentiments and free speech. This paper will bring these perspectives to bear on the challenge of balancing the rights offreedoms of expression and religion. Part I of this paper examines the content of the right to freedom of religion and whether it entails a right to protection from ridicule, scurrility, vilification and insults directed at one\u27s religious teachings, symbols or beliefs from the perspective of international human rights law. Parts II and III review the approach of regional and national \u27models of regulation\u27 (the United States, Germany, the European Court of Human Rights, and Australia) to examine the unique experiences of these systems and the benefits, pitfalls and complexities inherent in legislating against speech or conduct which \u27hurts\u27 the sentiments of groups or individuals, who find their religious beliefs the subject of provocative, insulting, vilifying or offensive expressions. To end this \u27clash\u27 between secular libertarians and the faithful, this paper argues that a contextualized approach should be adopted in individual cases to carefully examine the value of the speech concerned, the \u27harm\u27 caused by it, and the position of the targeted individuals, group or community in that particular society and generally. It is only through such a contextualized consideration of the rights concerned, can an appropriate balance be struck to secure the interests concerned

PASSPORT-seq: A Novel High-Throughput Bioassay to Functionally Test Polymorphisms in Micro-RNA Target Sites

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies have identified large numbers of genetic variants that are predicted to alter miRNA-mRNA interactions. We developed a novel high-throughput bioassay, PASSPORT-seq, that can functionally test in parallel 100s of these variants in miRNA binding sites (mirSNPs). The results are highly reproducible across both technical and biological replicates. The utility of the bioassay was demonstrated by testing 100 mirSNPs in HEK293, HepG2, and HeLa cells. The results of several of the variants were validated in all three cell lines using traditional individual luciferase assays. Fifty-five mirSNPs were functional in at least one of three cell lines (FDR ≤ 0.05); 11, 36, and 27 of them were functional in HEK293, HepG2, and HeLa cells, respectively. Only four of the variants were functional in all three cell lines, which demonstrates the cell-type specific effects of mirSNPs and the importance of testing the mirSNPs in multiple cell lines. Using PASSPORT-seq, we functionally tested 111 variants in the 3' UTR of 17 pharmacogenes that are predicted to alter miRNA regulation. Thirty-three of the variants tested were functional in at least one cell line

Influence of weather parameters on progress of rust disease severity in pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Decision to apply one or more fungicide spray will depend on the risk of rust epidemic in a particular year. Rust epidemic is determined by interaction of three important factors namely, susceptible host, virulent pathogen and the most important i.e. favourable environment for a particular period of time. Therefore, it is necessary to study the correlation between different meteorological parameters and rust severity. Present study revealed that rust dis-ease generally appeared 60 days after sowing and was subsequently increased with a period of time till harvest (4.17 to 64.17 per cent). Disease was observed at a maximum temperature of 16.85 to 24.79áµ’C, 8.09 to 12.27áµ’C minimum temperature, 90.30 to 95.70 percent morning Relative Humidity (RH), 54.80 to 78.40 percent afternoons RH, 0.10 to 5.45mm rainfall and wind velocity of 3.93 to 4.23 km/hr. The correlation between different meteorological parameters and rust severity revealed that per cent disease severity showed highly positive correlation with maxi-mum temperature (r = 0.977), minimum temperature (r = 0.704), rainfall (r = 0.039) and wind velocity(r = 0.093) whereas disease severity show negative correlation with morning(r=-0.925) and afternoon RH (r = -0.926). It was observed that the rust severity is highly influenced by the different weather parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and wind velocity. This information will help the researchers in formulating the forecasting model for the rust disease in pea and will also supports farmers in decision making regarding time of occurrence of rust epi-demic and thereby, allow timely scheduling and need based utilization of fungicides accordingly for the management of pea rust

PENYELESAIAN PENDEKATAN PROBLEM KONTAK HERTZIAN PADA KASUS KONTAK ANTARA RODA DAN REL

In this paper, an approach of the formulation for Hertzian contact problem between wheel and rail is presented. This formulation used analytic and numerical approach, especially in solving elliptic integrals in order to obtain dimension relations of the contact, deformation, contact pressure and stress contours. The main curvature radius range of the smaller rail are from 300-260 mm. Modeling with finite element solution was also performed as an alternative approach solution to the contact pressure. Besides, it is with Finite Element Method (FEM) can show the contact stress distribution and the influence of contact at a certain depth. The result of this formulation and Finite Element approach are compared with the model equation by Fischer and Wiest [1] and the exact value calculated by Hertz's equation [2]. The results showed that the calculation of the contact dimensions and maximum contact pressure give more conform results. The difference results obtained by the method of Hertz are between 1.47-2.37% for the maximum contact pressure and 2.45-3.02% for the major axis the ellipse. The difference results using finite element method also gives conforming results of 0.09-3.5% for the maximum contact pressure

A STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ACCEPTANCE IN HALO BCA

Contact Center adalah salah satu bentuk Customer Relationship Management, di mana pelanggan dapat  berinteraksi dengan perusahaan melalui satu pintu. Contact Center juga berperan terutama sebagai alat bagi perusahaan untuk mengelola pelayanan terhadap pelanggan. Contact Center pada umumnya dioperasikan oleh banyak Agent Contact Center, dan dapat menerima ribuan panggilan telepon tiap harinya, tergantung pada skala perusahaan dan banyaknya pelanggan perusahaan tersebut. Agar dapat melayani pelanggan dengan baik, Agent perlu memahami banyak pengetahuan yang dimiliki perusahaan. Maka dari itu, Agent harus menguasai Knowledge Management System (KMS) yang dimiliki perusahaan. Ketidakmampuan Agent dalam menggunakan KMS akan menjadi masalah bagi operasional Contact Center dan perusahaan. Dalam penelitian ini kami mempelajari penerimaan Halo Info, salah satu bentuk KMS yang digunakan di Halo BCA, salah satu Contact Center perusahaan perbankan terbesar di Indonesia. Kami menggunakan Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) versi 2 yang kami modifikasi, mengunakan total 11 variabel, 31 indikator, dan 12 hipotesis. Instrumen penelitian berupa kuesioner dengan 31 indikator. Kami berhasil mengumpulkan 283 data responden, kemudian menganalisa data tersebut menggunakan PLS-SEM. Hasil penelitian adalah sebagai berikut: Usage Behaviour (UB) dipengaruhi secara signifikan oleh Intention to Use (IU); IU sangat dipengaruhi oleh Perceived Ease of Use (PEU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), dan Subjective Norm (SN); PEU dipengaruhi secara signifikan oleh System Self-Efficacy (SSE) dan Interface Usability (IUSB); PU dipengaruhi secara signifikan oleh Job Relevance (JR) dan PEU, namun tidak dipengaruhi secara signifikan oleh Output Quality (OQ), Image (I), Result Demonstrability (RD), dan SNContact Center is a form of Customer Relationship Management, where customers can interact with a company through its single point of contact and serves mainly as a tool for the company to maintain its service to the customers. Contact center is generally operated by many Agents and can accepts thousands of phone calls every day, depending on the company’s scale and customer base. In order to correctly serve the customers, Agents need to understand many knowledge which the company has, and this is the main reason why Agents need to master the company’s Knowledge Management System (KMS). Inability of Agents to interact with the KMS will be a serious problem for the company. In this paper, we studied the acceptance of Halo Info, a form of KMS in one of the biggest banking contact center in Indonesia, called Halo BCA. We used modified TAM version 2, with a total of 11 variables, 31 indicators, and 12 hypotheses. The research instrument was a 31 items questionnaire. We gathered 283 respondent data, and analyzed it using PLS-SEM. The research findings are: Usage Behaviour (UB) is significantly affected by Intention to Use (IU); IU is proven to be greatly affected by Perceived Ease of Use (PEU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), and Subjective Norm (SN); PEU is significantly affected by System Self-Efficacy (SSE) and Interface Usability (IUSB); PU is significantly affected by Job Relevance (JR) and PEU, but is not significantly affected by Output Quality (OQ), Image (I), Result Demonstrability (RD), and SN

Augmented Reality for Information Kiosk

Nowadays people widely use internet for purchasing a home, car, furniture etc.  In order to obtain information for purchasing that product user prefer advertisements, pamphlets, and various sources or obtain the information by means of Salesperson. Though, to receiving such product information on computer or any device, users have to use  lots of mouse and keyboard actions again and again, which is wastage of time and inconvenience. This will reduce the amount of time to gather particular information regarding the particular product. User is also unable to determine its inner dimensions through images. These dimensions can be predicted by using 3D motion tracking of human movements and Augmented Reality. Based on 3D motion tracking of human movements and Augmented Reality application, we introduce a such kind of interaction that is not seen before . In the proposed system, the main aim is to demonstrate that with better interaction features in showrooms as well as online shopping could improve sales by demonstrating the purchasing item more wider. With the help of the our project the customer will be able to view his choices on screen according to him and thereby can make better decisions. In this paper, we proposed hand gesture detection and recognition method to detect hand movements , and then through the hand gestures, control commands are sent to the system that enable user to retrieve data and access from Information Kiosk for better purchase decision. Keywords: 3D motion tracking, Augmented Reality, Hand Gestures, Information Kiosk. Introductio

Effect of stem reserve mobilization on grain filling under drought stress conditions in recombinant inbred population of wheat

Pre-anthesis carbon assimilation of stem reserves is considered as an important source for grain filling during post anthesis drought stresses that inhibit photosynthesis. 175 RILs from cross (C518/2*PBW343) along with check cultivars were evaluated for stem reserve mobilization under irrigated and rainfed conditions. These two cultivars belonging to distinct adaptation mechanism, offer several morpho -physiological and biochemical con-trasts. C 518 is tall and adapted to low input rainfed conditions whereas PBW 343 is semi -dwarf and input re-sponsive. Further C 518 is known for better stem reserves on account of larger peduncle and strong commitment to grain filling due to effective stem reserve mobilization. The parents and the RIL population was tested for stem reserve mobilization by defoliation of flag leaf and second leaf at anthesis under irrigated and rainfed environments. Evaluated entries differed significantly (p<0.001) for reduction in 1000 grain weight under defoliation (TGWL). Percent reduction in 1000 grain weight ranged from 4.4 % to 39.6 % under irrigated environment and 3.2 % to 35.0 under rainfed condition. A significant positive correlation (r = +0.357) between stem reserve mobilization and peduncle length was observed under rainfed condition. Tested RILs vary individually for stem reserve mobilization when subjected to removal of flag leaf and second leaf inhibiting the photosynthesis. The genotypes with better stem reserve mobilization based on 1000 grain weight in the absence of photosynthesis may also provide relative tolerance to drought