<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Generation of HIV-1 based bi-cistronic lentiviral vectors for stable gene expression and live cell imaging.</span>

669-676The study of protein-protein interactions, protein localization, protein organization into higher order structures and organelle dynamics in live cells, has greatly enhanced the understanding of various cellular processes. Live cell imaging experiments employ plasmid or viral vectors to express the protein/proteins of interest fused to a fluorescent protein. Unlike plasmid vectors, lentiviral vectors can be introduced into both dividing and non dividing cells, can be pseudotyped to infect a broad or narrow range of cells, and can be used to generate transgenic animals. However, the currently available lentiviral vectors are limited by the choice of fluorescent protein tag, choice of restriction enzyme sites in the Multiple Cloning Sites (MCS) and promoter choice for gene expression. In this report, HIV-1 based bi-cistronic lentiviral vectors have been generated that drive the expression of multiple fluorescent tags (EGFP, mCherry, ECFP, EYFP and dsRed), <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">using two different promoters. The presence of a unique MCS with multiple restriction sites allows the generation of fusion proteins with the fluorescent tag of choice, allowing analysis of multiple fusion proteins in live cell imaging experiments. These novel lentiviral vectors are improved delivery vehicles for gene transfer applications and are important tools for live cell imaging in vivo. </span

Attitude and awareness of general population towards radiation hazards and safety: An institutional study

Context: Radiological investigations play a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of procedures. Aim: To assess the knowledge regarding adverse consequences of radiological examination and encourage awareness regarding radiation protection amongst general public. Settings and Design: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted amongst patients visiting the dental outpatient department. Materials and Methods: 1,000 adult male and female patients within the age of 20–70 years who visited the outpatient department during May–July 2017 were included in the study. Statistical Analysis: Comparison of frequencies of responses to each item with age and gender was done using chi square test. For all statistical tests, P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant, keeping α error at 5% and β error at 20%. Results: 85.3% participants had visited a hospital earlier and 69.3% had undergone the procedure of an X-ray earlier. Out of those patients, only 24.7% of the participants had any knowledge about the equipment or the procedure while taking a radiograph. 5.2% of the participants were given any safety measures during the radiological procedure. 14.4% had knowledge of the risks and hazards associated with radiation. Conclusions: This short study showed that there is a need for educating the general population about the hazards and risks associated with radiation exposure