Gene regulation and signal transduction in the immune system

A report of the meeting 'Gene Expression and Signaling in the Immune System', Cold Spring Harbor, USA, 22-26 April 2008

Double sigmoid atresia with meconium pseudocyst masquerading as a mesenteric cyst

Sigmoid atresia is one of the rarest cause of neonatal intestinal obstruction. We report an antenatally diagnosed mesenteric cyst in a neonate that was subsequently diagnosed as a meconium pseudocyst with double sigmoid atresia. A localized type 4 atresia or a colonic atresia associated with meconium pseudocyst has not been reported in the literature to date.Keywords: atresia, obstruction, pseudocyst, sigmoid colo

Wild leafy vegetables: A study of their subsistence dietetic support to the inhabitants of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, India

Consumption of greens is a major source of vitamins and micro-nutrients for people using only vegetarian diets rich in carbohydrates. In remote rural settlements where vegetable cultivation is not practiced and market supplies are not organized, local inhabitants depend on indigenous vegetables, both cultivated in kitchen gardens and wild, for enriching the diversity of food. Knowledge of such foods is part of traditional knowledge which is largely transmitted through participation of individuals of households. A total of 123 households in six villages of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve buffer zone was surveyed using a schedule to assess the knowledge, availability and consumption pattern of wild leafy vegetables. Quantity estimations were done using regular visits with informants from 30 sample households of the six study villages during the collections. Monetization was used to see the value of wild leafy vegetables harvested during a year. The diversity of wild leafy vegetables being use by the local inhabitants is 21 species belonging to 14 genera and 11 families. This is far less than that being reported to be used by the communities from Western Ghats in India and some parts of Africa. Irrespective of social or economic status all households in the study villages had the knowledge and used wild leafy vegetables. The number of households reported to consume these wild leafy vegetables is greater than the number of households reporting to harvest them for all species except for Diplazium esculentum and Phytolacca acinosa. The availability and use period varied for the species are listed by the users. The study indicated that the knowledge is eroding due to changing social values and non participation of younger generation in collection and processing of such wild leafy vegetables

Examining the influence of Moral Foundations on Polarization in Social Media Discourse: A context of vigilantism

In August 2022, Kyle Rittenhouse\u27s vigilantism in Kenosha, Wisconsin, resulted in two fatalities and one injury, sparking heightened public security concerns and eliciting intense moral reactions. These moral impulses tend to contribute to extreme judgments of right or wrong, thereby fostering polarization on social media. The phenomenon of polarization, recognized as a component of social cybersecurity, has recently gained attention. This study explores the impact of five Moral Foundations on polarization following vigilantism, utilizing moral foundation theory and vector autoregression (VAR) in the analysis of social media discourse. Our findings reveal that these Moral Foundations significantly influence polarization dynamics. This insight holds implications for both research and the development of practical strategies for managing the societal consequences of polarization on social media

Examining the Public Response to Vigilantism: A Multi-dimensional Model of Social Media Discourse

This paper examines the social media discourse of two real-world vigilantism incidents that had invited nation-wide debate: Murder of ‘Ahmaud Arbery’ (victim), a racially motivated hate crime and the fatal shooting of two men by ‘Kyle Rittenhouse’ (an aggressor). Both these incidents had invited a lot of debate in social media. However, little is known about the nature of discussions on vigilantism in social media. In this paper, first, through topic modeling, we examine the kind of discussions that were triggered by these incidents. We identify various dimensions of the on-line public conversations. Second, we study if there is polarization in the public discourses. We find that victim-oriented discourse on vigilantism displayed more polarization in a certain dimension and aggressor-oriented discourse on vigilantism displayed more polarization in another dimension. We also found that aggressor-oriented vigilantism discussions had higher negative emotion scores compared to victim-oriented discussion

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Tuberculosis Patients with Special Reference to Cd4 Count

ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB) has been and continues to be one of the most significant infections causing human disease. HIV infection has contributed to a significant increase in the world wide incidence of TB. The dual epidemic of HIV and TB is a concern for India where both these diseases are prevalent in epidemic proportions. In India TB is the indicator disease for HIV infection and most often the first AIDS defining disease. The objectives of the study are to determine the seroprevalence of HIV infection among TB patients and to compare the clinical profile of TB in HIV positive patients with special reference to CD4 counts. Seroprevalence of HIV among TB patients was 6.7%. Among them 32.2% were in the age group of 31-40 years. 62.5% patients had extrapulmonary TB, 32.5% were pulmonary TB. 10%were sputum positive pulmonary TB. Chest xray lesions were varied with more of infiltrative lesions (84.6%). There were 38.46% patients with upper lobe infiltrates and 61.53% patients with middle and lower zone infiltrates. Mean CD4 counts in this study was 192.10±118.42 cells/μl. Most of the patients with extrapulmonary TB and disseminated TB had CD4 counts <200 cells/μl. Sputum positivity and upper zone lesions in chest x ray were seen more in patients with CD4 >200 cells/μl. Mortality was as high as 20% in patients who were both seropositive and TB positive. HIV seroprevalence is quite high among TB patients in Tumkur.. Extrapulmonary TB and disseminated TB were common when CD4 is <200 cells/μl and chest x ray findings were atypical when CD4 <200 cells/μl

Review: Location Based Authentication to Mitigate Intruder Attack

Abstract -Recently the use of online banking has been increased to perform various online banking transactions. On the other hand, it is been targeted by various attacks found at the client side. Lately, traditional security methods were not capable enough to tackle these attacks such as intruder attacks, phishing attacks, etc. Presently remote authentication is the most efficient technique used to protect various services, resources, security for the unauthorized use. In this paper we use three-factor authentication and upgrade this method by including the fourth factor. The main three factors are (a) password (b) smart-card, and (c) biometrics. The newly introduced fourth factor is "Where you are" (Location), which mainly consist of REAL TIME LOCATING SYSTEM technique and instant generated pin code mechanism for the verification of the user performing the transaction

Awareness of cord blood collection and the impact on banking

BackgroundUmbilical cord blood (UCB) is an important source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation especially in minority populations with limited chances of finding a histocompatible volunteer donor in the registry. UCB has the advantages of early availability, successful outcomes despite some histocompatibility mismatch, and low incidence of chronic graftâ versusâ host disease. Public cord blood banks that disseminate UCB products for transplant depend on voluntary donation at participating hospitals and obstetrical providers for collection.ProcedureUsing survey questionnaires, we evaluated attitudes toward UCB donation, the frequency of donation, and provider opinions on UCB collection in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area that caters to minority ethnicities in significant numbers.ResultsOur data suggest that nervousness and lack of information regarding the donation and utility of the product were ubiquitous reasons for not donating. Additionally, irrespective of age or level of education, women relied on healthcare providers for information regarding UCB donation. Providers reported primarily time constraints to discussing UCB donation at prenatal visits (54%). Of the interviewees, 62% donated UCB. Fallout due to refusal or preferring private banking was miniscule.ConclusionsThese results suggest that dedicated personnel focused on disseminating information, obtaining consent, and collecting the UCB product at major hospitals can enrich cord blood banks especially with minority cords. Sustained and focused efforts could improve upon a relatively high wastage rate and ensure a robust supply of UCB products at local public banks.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137506/1/pbc26412_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137506/2/pbc26412.pd

Glucose levels in first 3 days and neurodevelopmental outcome at 1 year in low birth weight infants: A cohort study

Background: Definition of neonatal hypoglycemia is still controversial. Objective: To find the effect of blood glucose (BG) levelsin the first 3 days of life, on developmental outcome at 1 year in low birth weight neonates <2000 g. Methods: A prospective cohortstudy was conducted in tertiary level neonatal intensive care unit and follow-up clinic in south India. Intramural neonates admittedfrom September 2009 to August 2010 were enrolled. Perinatal and neonatal variables were recorded. Respiratory support, fluids,and feeding management were based on the standard protocols. BG was measured within 2 h, then 6 hourly for 72 h by glucometerand BG <50 mg% was analyzed by hexokinase method. Infants were followed until 1 year corrected age and development age(DA) assessed by Developmental Assessment Scales for Indian Infants (DASII). Motor and mental DA at various BG levelswere compared. Composite outcome of motor or mental developmental delay; or cerebral palsy or hearing impairment or visualimpairment was analyzed, and logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: The mean birth weight and gestation of the studygroup (n=129) was 1493 g and 32.5 weeks. The 10th centile of BG in the first 72 h was 51 mg%. BG below 10th centile was seen in60 infants. The mean motor and mental DA of the infants by DASII assessment at 1 year was 11.3 and 11.5 months, respectively.The motor DA and mental DA were significantly higher until 50 mg% lowest BG level, and positive correlation was seen (r=0.26motor, 0.2 mental DA). Mean BG level, the presence of symptoms; number of episodes or small for gestation did not influence theDA. The adjusted odds for poor composite outcome when BG was below 51 mg% is 2.83 (0.65-12.3). Conclusion: Even thoughhigh-risk neonates with BG <51 mg% have a lower motor DA and mental DA at 1 year, than neonates with BG >50 mg%; othermorbidities do determine their composite outcome