An overview on concept of Tulya Gotra and Consanguinity

Chromosome is always preserved throughout a male lineage because a Son always gets it from his father, while the X Chromosome is not preserved in the female lineage because it comes from both father and mother. Consanguineous means related by blood. It has been estimated that the average person inherits several alleles for conditions lethal prenatally, plus between one and two for other harmful recessive disorders. This hidden detrimental component of the genome is called the genetic load. The main genetic consequence of inbreeding is to bring such recessive alleles to expression by increasing the proportion of homozygotes. Procurement of a healthy offspring begins with the selection of partner. For this it has been mentioned that the partner who will indulge in coitus for achieving a child should be of “Atulya Gotra.” For procreation of a healthy child it is necessary that the male & female should be mutually of a different clan. Coitus among the member of the same clan is a sinful act which does not have the sanction of scriptures. If they are from Tulya or same Gotra then it is a sinful act according to the Dharma Shastra

A COMMUNITY BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY: INCREASING PREVALENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES AMONG RURAL ADULT POPULATION OF KARNATAKA, INDIA

A community based cross-sectional study in the age group 25 years and above conducted at the field area of primary health centre Chakenahalli, Hassan district, Karnataka, India. The population was similar in characteristics regarding occupation, socio-economic status and food habits. Total of 626 subjects were included by multi-stage sampling. Information collected by the interviewers through face to face interview, after informed consent. The individuals were assessed on anthropometric parameters and screening was done by Random Blood Glucose (RBG) with a standardized technique; diagnosis of type 2 diabetes done by WHO criteria. Prevalence of diabetes was found in 11.3% males and 15% females, altogether the total prevalence was 13.09% with 8.79% self reported cases of diabetes . Hypertension was associated with 25.6% diabetic subjects. It was also observed that 28.1% of study population had BMI ≥ 25

Spatial planning for integrated aquaculture development in coastal waters of Karnataka

Reduction in marine fish production in the last two decades has adversely affected the fishermen population along the coasts who solely depend on fishing for their livelihood. One option to tide over this situation is regional level planning to increase fish production from available water resources. Therefore, it is essential to have an integrated spatial planning of the available water resources as it has multiple uses. Marine spatial planning (MSP) and aquaculture zoning, the two major concepts implemented by international bodies, are still in its infancy in India due to, lack of information on its systematic implementation. Present paper describes the pioneering attempt of “Spatial planning” and “aquaculture zoning” in India, conducted in a progressive fishermen village, Tharapathi in Byndoor along Southeastern Arabian sea coast, following scientific methodologies. Through GIS mapping, potential aquaculture areas were identified for cage farming, bivalve farming, crab fattening/crab culture in pens in mangrove area, bottom culture of clams in sandy area, prawn farming areas, areas for seed production and nursery facility for finishes and shellfishes etc. Various advanced GIS based decision making tools available for future integrated aquaculture development plans, spatial mapping and Digital Elevation Models were included in this study. This is the first attempt to develop integrated aquaculture development through social consensus and scientific evaluation. Results of the study will be a precursor for spatial planning and aquaculture zoning in Indian coastal waters for sustainable aquaculture

Dysregulation of DAF-16/FOXO3A-mediated stress responses accelerates T oxidative DNA damage induced aging

DNA damage is presumed to be one type of stochastic macromolecular damage that contributes to aging, yet little is known about the precise mechanism by which DNA damage drives aging. Here, we attempt to address this gap in knowledge using DNA repair-deficient C. elegans and mice. ERCC1-XPF is a nuclear endonuclease required for genomic stability and loss of ERCC1 in humans and mice accelerates the incidence of age-related pathologies. Like mice, ercc-1 worms are UV sensitive, shorter lived, display premature functional decline and they accumulate spontaneous oxidative DNA lesions (cyclopurines) more rapidly than wild-type worms. We found that ercc-1 worms displayed early activation of DAF-16 relative to wild-type worms, which conferred resistance to multiple stressors and was important for maximal longevity of the mutant worms. However, DAF- 16 activity was not maintained over the lifespan of ercc-1 animals and this decline in DAF-16 activation cor- responded with a loss of stress resistance, a rise in oxidant levels and increased morbidity, all of which were cep- 1/ p53 dependent. A similar early activation of FOXO3A (the mammalian homolog of DAF-16), with increased resistance to oxidative stress, followed by a decline in FOXO3A activity and an increase in oxidant abundance was observed in Ercc1-/- primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Likewise, in vivo, ERCC1-deficient mice had transient activation of FOXO3A in early adulthood as did middle-aged wild-type mice, followed by a late life decline. The healthspan and mean lifespan of ERCC1 deficient mice was rescued by inactivation of p53. These data indicate that activation of DAF-16/FOXO3A is a highly conserved response to genotoxic stress that is important for suppressing consequent oxidative stress. Correspondingly, dysregulation of DAF-16/FOXO3A appears to underpin shortened healthspan and lifespan, rather than the increased DNA damage burden itself

Incidence of multiple Herpesvirus infection in HIV seropositive patients, a big concern for Eastern Indian scenario

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased risk for human <it>herpes viruses </it>(HHVs) and their related diseases and they frequently cause disease deterioration and therapeutic failures. Methods for limiting the transmission of HHVs require a better understanding of the incidence and infectivity of oral HHVs in HIV-infected patients. This study was designed to determine the seroprevalence of human herpes viruses (CMV, HSV 2, EBV-1, VZV) antibodies and to evaluate their association with age, sex as well as other demographic and behavioral factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A study of 200 HIV positive patients from Eastern India attending the Calcutta Medical College Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, Apex Clinic, Calcutta Medical College Hospital and ART Center, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, West Bengal was done. Serum samples were screened for antibodies to the respective viruses using the indirect ELISA in triplicates.</p> <p><it>CytoMegalo virus </it>(CMV), <it>Herpes Simplex virus </it>type 2 (HSV-2), <it>Varicella Zoster virus </it>(VZV), and <it>Epstein Barr virus </it>(EBV-1) were detected in 49%, 47%, 32.5%, and 26% respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has contributed baseline data and provided insights in viral OI and HIV co-infection in Eastern India. This would undoubtedly serve as a basis for further studies on this topic.</p

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

Dhatri Loha In The Management Of Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia is currently the most widespread micronutrient deficiency affecting nearly 1.5 billion people globally i.e. around 1/3 of the whole population. About 70% of Indians are found to be anemic out of which, 95% of anemia is due to iron deficiency. Infants, preschool children and adolescents are at greatest risk of developing iron deficiency and its resultant anemia. It is mostly seen in rural areas and in communities of low socio-economic group. Because of this reason IDA was selected for this study to assess the efficacy of Dhatriloha. So to evaluate the effect of Dhatriloha in the management of Iron deficiency anemia in children aged between 1-6years the present study has been taken up. 30 patients, from Kaumarabhritya OPD and IPD of SDMCA &amp; H, Hassan, fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected in to study. Dhatriloha was administered in a dose of 250mg twice daily for a period of 60 days. The cases were recorded according to the case performa and observations were recorded. Symptoms were scored and statistically analyzed for any change before and after the study. In the group statistically highly significant change (P = &lt;0.001) was observed in the signs and symptoms of IDA. There was a statistically highly significant response in hemoglobin concentration in the group (P =&lt;0.001)

Exploratory Study on the Ayurvedic Therapeutic Management of Cerebral Palsy in Children at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Karnataka, India

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the leading cause of childhood disability affecting cognitive function and developments in approximately 1.5 to 3 cases per 1000 live births. Based on Ayurvedic therapeutic principles, CP patients were subjected to Abhyanga (massage) with Moorchita Tila Taila (processed sesame oil) and Svedana (fomentation) with Shastikashali Pinda Sveda (fomentation with bolus of drugs prepared with boiled rice). Study group received Mustadi Rajayapana Basti (enema with herbal decoction) and Baladi Yoga (a poly-herbo-mineral formulation), while the placebo group received Godhuma Vati (tablet prepared with wheat powder) and saline water as enema. Treatment with Mustadi Rajayapana Basti and Baladi Yoga improved the activities of daily life by 8.79%, gross motor functions by 19.76%, and fine motor functions 15.05%, and mental functions like memory retention got improved by 15.43%. The placebo group showed an improvement of 0.21% in daily life activities, 2.8% in gross motor, and 2.4% in fine motor functions. Mustadi Rajayapana Basti and Baladi Yoga proved to be more supportive in improving the motor activities and gross behavioral pattern. Further clinical trials are required to evaluate and validate the maximum effect of the combination therapy in a large sample with repetition of the courses for longer duration

Exploratory studies on the therapeutic effects of Kumarabharana Rasa in the management of chronic tonsillitis among children at a tertiary care hospital of Karnataka

The effect of an Ayurvedic poly-herbo-mineral formulation Kumarabharana Rasa (KR) in the management of chronic tonsillitis (Tundikeri) in children has been assessed in this study. This clinical study was a double-arm study with a pre- and post-test design at the outpatient level in a tertiary Ayurveda hospital attached to a teaching institute located in district headquarters in Southern India. Patients (n = 40) with chronic tonsillitis satisfying diagnostic criteria and aged between 5 and 10 years were selected from the outpatient Department of Kaumarbhritya, SDM College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan. Among them, 20 patients were treated with Kumarabharana rasa (tablet form) at a dose of 500 mg once daily for 30 days (Group A). The other 20 patients were treated with Godhuma Vati (placebo) at a dose of 500 mg once daily for 30 days (Group B). In both groups, Madhu was the Anupana advised. After completion of 30 days of treatment, the patients were assessed on the following day and another investigation took place 15 days later. Statistically significant effects (p < 0.05) in the reduction of all signs and symptoms of chronic tonsillitis after KR treatment were observed. These results indicate that Kumarabharana Rasa has an ameliorative effect in reducing the signs and symptoms of chronic tonsillitis