Physicochemical evaluation of common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) accessions through correlation and regression

It is important to look at the physicochemical qualities of Portulaca, a weed species used as a vegetable and a herb for medical and therapeutic purposes. India has a wide range of variations in this species' morphology and nutraceutical value. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties of various purslane accessions from different regions of Tamil Nadu. A total of 15 purslane accessions (PA 1, PA 2, PA 3, PA 4, PA 5, PA 6, PA 7, PA 8, PA 9, PA 10, PA 11, PA 12, PA 13, PA 14 and PA 15) were collected and evaluated. Physical traits like colour of the leaves and stems were quantified as hue angle and chroma value, which showed a degree of variation. Estimates suggested that phytochemical properties related the hue and chroma of leaf and stem to the pigments in plants. Among the accessions, PA 3 has recorded the highest phytochemical properties viz., leaf total chlorophyll content 1.43±0.16 mg g-1, leaf total carotenoid content 0.24±0.03 mg g-1, stem total chlorophyll content 0.49±0.05 mg g-1, stem total carotenoid content 0.12±0.01 mg g-1 and total anthocyanin content 19.25±1.54 µg g-1. The multiple regression model suggested that the values can predict the estimated values. The evaluation of physicochemical properties along with the regression model helps in the breeding programme to select the traits; phytochemical analysis proved the ample supply of chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyanins, so these wild species could be a cheap source to alleviate several diseases.     

Renal supportive and palliative care: position statement.

Since the introduction of haemodialysis in the management of acute kidney injury in the 1940s and for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the 1960s dialysis has become one of the most successful advances in medical technology, with almost 11 000 patients currently receiving dialysis in Australia and almost 2500 in New Zealand. Like all medical technologies, its place continues to evolve. For a time, dialysis was seen as a treatment best delivered only to younger patients without diabetes; today the greatest uptake of dialysis is in patients over age 65 and the most common cause of needing dialysis is diabetes. Along with these extended criteria for dialysis, that have evolved over many years, has come the recognition that the older dialysis patient often has considerable co-morbidity and frailty, that time spent on dialysis is not always beneficial to these patients and that their overall prognosis is considerably worse than their younger counterparts. CARI guidelines recommend that ‘an expectation of survival with an acceptable quality of life’ is a useful starting point for recommending dialysis

Study Protocol - Accurate assessment of kidney function in Indigenous Australians: aims and methods of the eGFR Study

Background: There is an overwhelming burden of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease among Indigenous Australians. In this high risk population, it is vital that we are able to measure accurately kidney function. Glomerular filtration rate is the best overall marker of kidney function. However, differences in body build and body composition between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians suggest that creatinine-based estimates of glomerular filtration rate derived for European populations may not be appropriate for Indigenous Australians. The burden of kidney disease is borne disproportionately by Indigenous Australians in central and northern Australia, and there is significant heterogeneity in body build and composition within and amongst these groups. This heterogeneity might differentially affect the accuracy of estimation of glomerular filtration rate between different Indigenous groups. By assessing kidney function in Indigenous Australians from Northern Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia, we aim to determine a validated and practical measure of glomerular filtration rate suitable for use in all Indigenous Australians

Extending the longevity of a complicated arteriovenous fistula using endovascular intervention.

A brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistula was complicated by a central venous stenosis, which could not be relieved. A cephalojugular bypass was performed using an interpositoned graft, which later developed tight stenoses at both ends of the graft. This was successfully treated with endovascular intervention, extending the longevity of the vascular access

A case of fatal disseminated Apophysomyces elegans infection in a renal allograft recipient.

An unusual fatal infection with Apophysomyces elegans belonging to the fungal class Zygomycetes in a renal transplant recipient is presented

Deformation of textural characteristics and sedimentology along micro-tidal estuarine beaches

1432-1444Deformation in the textural characteristics of three selected beaches (Pavinkurve, Kundapura and Padukare) along Karnataka shoreline, west coast of India was examined. Study showed the beaches are significantly composed of unimodal to bimodal, fine to medium sand, moderately well sorted to moderately sorted, positive to negative skewed, and platykurtic to leptokurtic sediments. Spatio-temporal variation of mean grain size showed significant influence of breaking waves on beach sediments whereas sorting characteristics exhibited the impact of alongshore current on the intertidal sedimentary environment. Also very fine sands at gentle beach slope and very coarse sands at steeper slope exhibits the role of beach morphology on foreshore surface grains. The slow process of sediment removal/accumulation reveals a marginal variation in skewness and kurtosis characteristic and also exhibits a poor correlation in textural characteristics

Waves in shallow water off west coast of India during the onset of summer monsoon

The wave growth characteristics during the onset of summer monsoon in a swell dominated open ocean at a location off the west coast of India at 14 m water depth are studied. 67% of the measured waves are due to the swells arriving from south and south-west and the balance was due to the seas from south-west to north-west. Wave age of the measured data indicates that the measured waves are young sea with presence of swells. Even when the wind speed reduced to less than 3 m/s, significant wave height more than 2 m is present due to the swells in the Arabian Sea. The maximum wave height increased from 2 to 8 m within 60 h. The mean wave directions at the high frequencies align with the westerly wind direction and gradually shift to south-westerly swell direction at low frequencies during the wave growth. The strong westerly winds present between longitude 72° and 72.5° at latitude 12.5° has created the high waves (Hm0 upto 5.65 m) during the measurement period

Lessons learned from a periodontal intervention to reduce progression of chronic kidney disease among Aboriginal Australians

OBJECTIVE:Periodontal disease is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with both conditions being highly prevalent among Australia's Aboriginal population. This paper reflects on the lessons learned following implementation of a periodontal intervention in the Central Australian region of the Northern Territory among Aboriginal adults with CKD. RESULTS:Between Oct 2016 and May 2019, research staff recruited 102 eligible participants. This was far below the anticipated recruitment rate. The challenges faced, and lessons learned, were conceptualised into five specific domains. These included: (1) insufficient engagement with the Aboriginal community and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations; (2) an under-appreciation of the existing and competing patient commitments with respect to general health and wellbeing, and medical treatment to enable all study commitments; (3) most study staff employed from outside the region; (4) potential participants not having the required number of teeth; (5) invasive intervention that involved travel to, and time at, a dental clinic. A more feasible research model, which addresses the divergent needs of participants, communities and service partners is required. This type of approach, with sufficient time and resourcing to ensure ongoing engagement, partnership and collaboration in co-design throughout the conduct of research, challenges current models of competitive, national research funding.Lisa M. Jamieson, Cherian Sajiv, Alan Cass, Louise J. Maple-Brown, Michael R. Skilton, Kostas Kapellas ... et al

Conservation of Apolipoprotein A‑I’s Central Domain Structural Elements upon Lipid Association on Different High-Density Lipoprotein Subclasses

The antiatherogenic properties of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) are derived, in part, from lipidation-state-dependent structural elements that manifest at different stages of apoA-I’s progression from lipid-free protein to spherical high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Previously, we reported the structure of apoA-I’s N-terminus on reconstituted HDLs (rHDLs) of different sizes. We have now investigated at the single-residue level the conformational adaptations of three regions in the central domain of apoA-I (residues 119–124, 139–144, and 164–170) upon apoA-I lipid binding and HDL formation. An important function associated with these residues of apoA-I is the activation of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), the enzyme responsible for catalyzing HDL maturation. Structural examination was performed by site-directed tryptophan fluorescence and spin-label electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies for both the lipid-free protein and rHDL particles 7.8, 8.4, and 9.6 nm in diameter. The two methods provide complementary information about residue side chain mobility and molecular accessibility, as well as the polarity of the local environment at the targeted positions. The modulation of these biophysical parameters yielded new insight into the importance of structural elements in the central domain of apoA-I. In particular, we determined that the loosely lipid-associated structure of residues 134–145 is conserved in all rHDL particles. Truncation of this region completely abolished LCAT activation but did not significantly affect rHDL size, reaffirming the important role of this structural element in HDL function