Motor nerve conduction study parameters in healthy individuals: effect of limb dominance

Background: Nerve conduction study (NCS) is useful for evaluation of nerve, muscle, and/or neuromuscular function. Neurophysiologist interprets NCS with consideration of various anthropometric and technical parameters viz. age, gender, height, temperature etc. apart from the underlying pathology. Fewer studies have reported the effect of limb dominance on NCS. Moreover, the findings are controversial. Therefore, author aimed to investigate the effect of limb dominance on motor nerve conduction study parameters.Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included sixty healthy individuals (44 right and 16 left handed) of either sex with age 18 to 30 years. The NCS parameters of median and ulnar nerves were assessed by stimulating it and recording from the muscle and skin overlying the nerve respectively using Digital Nihon Kohden machine. The obtained data were analyzed using independent sample t-test.Results: Right ulnar nerve onset latency was significantly longer in left-handed individuals (1.85±0.508 ms vs 1.62±0.195 ms, p=0.012). The left ulnar nerve F wave minimum latency (25.88±0.74 ms vs 24.46±2.64 ms, p=0.002) was significantly longer in left-handed individuals. Likewise, right ulnar nerve distal latency (2.45±0.76 ms vs 2.14±0.39 ms, p=0.044), and right ulnar nerve F wave minimum (25.9±1.21 ms vs 24.85 ms±1.74, p=0.030) were significantly high in left-handed individuals.Conclusions: NCS parameters in terms of latencies were longer in left-handed individuals. Therefore, limb dominance seems to be an important factor one should pay attention during bilateral comparison of obtained data in neurophysiological reporting of referred cases

A comparative evaluation of smear layer removal using apical negative pressure (EndoVac), sonic irrigation (EndoActivator) and Er:YAG laser - an in vitro SEM study

This study aimed to compare the smear layer removing efficacy of the EndoActivator, EndoVac and Er:YAG laser in extracted mandibular premolars, at the apical, middle and coronal third of root canal, through scanning electron microscopy. 40 extracted mandibular premolars were decoronated to a standardized length of 12 mm. Specimens were shaped to ProTaper F4 size and irrigated with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite at 370C between instrumentation. Teeth were divided into four groups (n=10), one control (needle irrigation) and three experimental, according to the irrigant activation technique used i.e. sonic irrigation (EndoActivator), apical negative pressure (EndoVac) or laser (Er:YAG). The final irrigants used were 10ml,17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 10ml, 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. Root canals were then split longitudinally and observed under a scanning electron microscope. The presence of smear layer at the apical, middle and coronal third of root canal was evaluated. Scores were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability were determined by Kappa test. The EndoVac system was significantly more effective in removing debris from the apical third than all other groups. EndoActivator performed better than laser at the apical third. All three experimental groups (EndoVac, EndoActivator, and laser) were better than needle irrigation at the middle and apical third. At the coronal third, no significant difference was seen between the four groups. None of the activation systems completely removes the smear layer from the dentine walls; nevertheless, EndoVac is significantly better in removing debris from the apical third of canal

Nd:GGG Nanopowders by Microwave Gel Combustion Route and Sinterability Studies

Synthesis of Nd0.03Gd2.97Ga5O12 (Nd:GGG) nanopowder was carried out by microwave-assisted nitrate-citrate gel combustion technique. Various nitrate-to-citrate ratios from stoichiometric-to-fuel lean were explored. Gels were combusted by microwave heating and the combusted powders were calcined at 900 OC for 2 h. Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) of calcined nanopowders showed phase pure Nd:GGG formation, from stoichiometric-to-fuel lean nitrate-to-citrate ratio of 1 to 0.416. Particles in the size range of 150 nm - 200 nm were obtained for stoichiometric ratio. Highly uniform, spherical morphology, with size range 90 nm - 100 nm, were obtained in fuel lean ratio of 1 to 0.416. Sintering of these nanopowders at 1550 °C for 2 h in air resulted in retention of phase purity as observed by XRD. Grain growth of less than 2 μm, for fuel lean ratio of 1 to 0.416, indicated formation of highly sinterable Nd:GGG nanopowders.Defence Science Journal, Vol. 64, No. 5, September 2014, pp.490-494, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.64.540

A Ras GTPase associated protein is involved in the phototropic and circadian photobiology responses in fungi

[EN] Light is an environmental signal perceived by most eukaryotic organisms and that can have major impacts on their growth and development. The MadC protein in the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Mucoromycotina) has been postulated to form part of the photosensory input for phototropism of the fruiting body sporangiophores, but the madC gene has remained unidentified since the 1960s when madC mutants were first isolated. In this study the madC gene was identified by positional cloning. All madC mutant strains contain loss-of-function point mutations within a gene predicted to encode a GTPase activating protein (GAP) for Ras. The madC gene complements the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ras-GAP ira1 mutant and the encoded MadC protein interacts with P. blakesleeanus Ras homologs in yeast two-hybrid assays, indicating that MadC is a regulator of Ras signaling. Deletion of the homolog in the filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa affects the circadian clock output, yielding a pattern of asexual conidiation similar to a ras-1 mutant that is used in circadian studies in N. crassa. Thus, MadC is unlikely to be a photosensor, yet is a fundamental link in the photoresponses from blue light perceived by the conserved White Collar complex with Ras signaling in two distantly-related filamentous fungal species

Democratic Middle Ground in Nepal: A Perspective from the North American Nepali Diaspora

The call of our time is to safeguard the accomplishments of the 1990 Peoples Movement, to restore sovereignty to the people, and to work towards the middle ground to resolve the nation\u27s core problems. History teaches us that recognizing, adopting and adhering to the middle path takes much vision and courage. The natural instinct is to stick to one\u27s own interpretation of the world (usually based on narrow self-interest) and to shun ideas and individuals that require a moderation of one\u27s views. However, success in politics and statecraft, more so than in any other area of human affairs, is hinged to the middle ground in a way that ultimately requires friend and foe to migrate sufficiently towards each other so that the peoples\u27 business can move forward and flourish. We urge all political forces in Nepal to recognize that great achievements in the affairs of nations come about when leaders practice the art of compromise. There is no dishonor for Nepal\u27s monarch and political leaders if they follow the path of the likes of Gandhi, Nehru and Mandela.\u2

NCBI's Virus Discovery Hackathon:Engaging Research Communities to Identify Cloud Infrastructure Requirements

A wealth of viral data sits untapped in publicly available metagenomic data sets when it might be extracted to create a usable index for the virological research community. We hypothesized that work of this complexity and scale could be done in a hackathon setting. Ten teams comprised of over 40 participants from six countries, assembled to create a crowd-sourced set of analysis and processing pipelines for a complex biological data set in a three-day event on the San Diego State University campus starting 9 January 2019. Prior to the hackathon, 141,676 metagenomic data sets from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Sequence Read Archive (SRA) were pre-assembled into contiguous assemblies (contigs) by NCBI staff. During the hackathon, a subset consisting of 2953 SRA data sets (approximately 55 million contigs) was selected, which were further filtered for a minimal length of 1 kb. This resulted in 4.2 million (Mio) contigs, which were aligned using BLAST against all known virus genomes, phylogenetically clustered and assigned metadata. Out of the 4.2 Mio contigs, 360,000 contigs were labeled with domains and an additional subset containing 4400 contigs was screened for virus or virus-like genes. The work yielded valuable insights into both SRA data and the cloud infrastructure required to support such efforts, revealing analysis bottlenecks and possible workarounds thereof. Mainly: (i) Conservative assemblies of SRA data improves initial analysis steps; (ii) existing bioinformatic software with weak multithreading/multicore support can be elevated by wrapper scripts to use all cores within a computing node; (iii) redesigning existing bioinformatic algorithms for a cloud infrastructure to facilitate its use for a wider audience; and (iv) a cloud infrastructure allows a diverse group of researchers to collaborate effectively. The scientific findings will be extended during a follow-up event. Here, we present the applied workflows, initial results, and lessons learned from the hackathon

CpG Oligodeoxynucleotide 2006 and Miltefosine, a Potential Combination for Treatment of Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis ▿

In view of the severe immunosuppression in visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a rational approach to effectively combat the parasitic scourge would be to enhance the immune status of the host. Use of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) against leishmaniasis has previously been reported, especially as an immunomodulator and adjuvant with various immunogens. In the present study, experiments were carried out with BALB/c mice and hamsters infected with Leishmania donovani. Immunostimulating class B bacterial CpG-ODN namely, ODN-2006, was administered at various doses by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. The dose of CpG-ODN-2006 (1 nM/single dose) showing the most antileishmanial activity was given as free and liposomal forms with different doses of miltefosine, namely, 5 and 10 mg/kg of body weight, for 5 days in mice and hamsters, respectively. Among the various groups, mice coadministered liposomal CpG-ODN and miltefosine (5 mg/kg) showed the best inhibitory effect (97% parasite inhibition) compared with free CpG-ODN plus miltefosine and miltefosine, free CpG-ODN, and liposomal CpG-ODN given separately. Similar responses were observed in the case of hamsters, where the combination of liposomal CpG-ODN with miltefosine (10 mg/kg) gave 96% parasite inhibition. Promising antileishmanial efficacy was observed in animals treated with liposomal CpG-ODN and miltefosine

A New Genetic Linkage Map of the Zygomycete Fungus <em>Phycomyces blakesleeanus</em>

<div><p><i>Phycomyces blakesleeanus</i> is a member of the subphylum Mucoromycotina. A genetic map was constructed from 121 progeny of a cross between two wild type isolates of <i>P. blakesleeanus</i> with 134 markers. The markers were mostly PCR-RFLPs. Markers were located on 46 scaffolds of the genome sequence, covering more than 97% of the genome. Analysis of the alleles in the progeny revealed nine or 12 linkage groups, depending on the log of the odds (LOD) score, across 1583.4 cM at LOD 5. The linkage groups were overlaid on previous mapping data from crosses between mutants, aided by new identification of the mutations in primary metabolism mutant strains. The molecular marker map, the phenotype map and the genome sequence are overall congruent, with some exceptions. The new genetic map provides a genome-wide estimate for recombination, with the average of 33.2 kb per cM. This frequency is one piece of evidence for meiosis during zygospore development in Mucoromycotina species. At the same time as meiosis, transmission of non-recombinant chromosomes is also evident in the mating process in <i>Phycomyces</i>. The new map provides scaffold ordering for the genome sequence and a platform upon which to identify the genes in mutants that are affected in traits of interest, such as carotene biosynthesis, phototropism or gravitropism, using positional cloning.</p> </div

Strains used in this study. NG: isolated after mutagenesis with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

<p>Strains used in this study. NG: isolated after mutagenesis with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.</p

Comparison between genetic maps of <i>Phycomyces</i>.

<p>The previous mapping data is dark blue, redrawn from reference <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0058931#pone.0058931-Eslava4" target="_blank">[29]</a>. The positions of the genes in the new RFLP map (pale blue) are based on the locations of the closest markers to the gene. Five additional linkage groups were established in previous studies and remain to be anchored to the RFLP-based map.</p