Process Standardization for the Manufacture of Shrikhand Spread

Purpose: Shrikhand Spread, a unique sweetened fermented Indian milk product is made by separation of whey from dahi, the Indian counterpart of Western yoghurt, followed by addition of sugar. Production of dahi employing traditional method involved undefined mixed starter cultures, uncontrolled fermentation and longer production time resulting in wide variation in its chemical and microbiological qualities. In order to cater to a product with desirable properties like lower post-acidification, higher flavour profile, firm body and lower syneresis coupled with shorter production time, conjugated application of yoghurt cultures and dahi cultures were tried. Since the shelf-life of dahi is limited, conversion into shrikhand spread may be used as a tool to extend the shelf-life and therefore the market reach towards commercialization into the global market as a potential functional food.Design/Methodology/Approach: Different batches of dahi were made from homogenized (Stage I - 2500 psi, Stage II - 500 psi) and pasteurized (74-78 °C/16-19 Sec) milk, pre-adjusted to 3.15-3.20% fat and 11.40% snf with diverse starter combinations selected upon the extent of post acidification, volatile acid production, syneresis and rheological characteristics. Homogenized, pasteurized and regulated milk was further subjected to a heat-treatment (90°C/10 min) and seeded with selected starter combinations to obtain firm curd intended for shrikhand spread manufacture. Shelf-life of shrikhand spread was evaluated in terms of chemical and microbiological criteria upto 7 days of storage at 8±1°C.Findings: Starter combination of eXactDahi 2+YoFlex Express 1.0 at an incubation temperature-time combination of 45°C/5h was found most suitable for producing dahi with smooth body, higher volatile acidity and low syneresis. Utilization of dahi obtained employing the above starter combination for the manufacture shrikhand spread was suggested and the product was found to retain its goodness when stored for 7 days at 8±1°C. Originality/Value: Conjugated use of yoghurt cultures with dahi cultures was suggested to overcome the drawbacks of traditional process of dahi manufacture suitable for conversion into shrikhand spread. This dahi was found capable of enhancing its dietetic value in addition

Evaluation of pharmacological and toxicological studies of an ayurvedic medicine Rasaraj Ras on biological system of the male Sprague-Dawley rats

Background: In this study, the pharmacological and toxicological effects along with possible side effects of the classical ayurvedic formulation Rasaraj Ras (RR) which is used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of hemiplegia in the rural population were evaluated.Methods: During this study, various experiments on body growth rate, organ-body weight ratio and tissue hydration indices were performed to evaluate its efficacy and toxicity. To find out the toxicological characteristic of RR, it was administered chronically to the male Sprague-Dawley rats at a dose of 40 mg/kg. After 28 days chronic administration of the RR preparation the following toxicological changes were noted.Results: All throughout the experimental period the RR treated animals were always maintaining negligible changes in body weight, but all throughout the experimental period no statistically significant increase or decrease was noted. There is a statistically significant decrease in the relative percent weight of the male rat heart. There is a statistically highly significant decrease in the absolute weight of the male rat liver. There is a statistically highly significant decrease in the relative percent weight of the male rat liver. There is a statistically significant decrease in the relative percent weight of the male rat kidney. In the tissue hydration index determination, no significant changes were noted in case of any organ.Conclusions: As RR decreases abnormally weight of several organs in body of treated rats, so it should not be administered chronically at a higher dose

Preclinical HbA1c level studies of Brihat Khadir Batika and Chandraprabha Batika after chronic administration to male Sprague-Dawley rats

Background: Brihat Khadir Batika (BKD) and Chandraprabha Batika (CPB) are Ayurvedic preparations used as traditional medicines for different clinical indications in the rural population. BKD is used in diseases of throat and CPB is used in glandular enlargement. In this study we evaluate the influence of these preparations on HbA1c (%) level.Methods: To find out the average plasma glucose concentration over prolonged period of time, Ayurvedic medicinal preparations BKD and CPB were administered chronically to the male Sprague-Dawley rats at a dose of 400 mg/kg. After 28 days of chronic administration of BKD and CPB the following changes were noted. In this experiment Glycated Hemoglobin A1C level was determined.Results: The results of the study of in vitro quantitative determination of rat Glycated hemoglobin A1c concentrations in serum studies are thus: BKD caused a statistically insignificant (p=0.066) increase in the HbA1c level of the male rat (16.87% increase). CPB demonstrated a statistically insignificant (p=0.079) (17.47%) increase in the HbA1C level of the blood of the male rat.Conclusions: Both preparation BKD and CPB found in increasing HbA1c level of the blood of the male rat

Psychometric properties of three online-related addictive behavior instruments among Bangladeshi school-going adolescents

Background: Due to the ease of access to the internet in modern society users have become more prone to experiencing addictive behaviors online. The present study aimed to develop and investigate the psychometric properties of the Bangla Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), Gaming Disorder Test (GDT), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) due to a lack of existing sound psychometric tools in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil survey was carried out among 428 school-aged adolescents who were active gamers (90.89% males; Meanage: 16.13±1.85 years; age range: 10–19 years). Participants were recruited using convenience sampling across four selected schools in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Data collected included sociodemographic information, frequency of internet use and gaming behaviors, psychological states (i.e., Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9], Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD-7]), disordered gaming and social media use (i.e., IGDS9-SF, GDT, and BSMAS). Psychometric testing was conducted to examine the validity and reliability levels of the Bangla IGDS9-SF, GDT, and BSMAS. Results: The newly adapted Bangla IGDS9-SF, GDT, and BSMAS exhibited adequate levels of internal consistency. All total scores were significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, frequencies of internet use/online activities and gaming, supporting criterion and convergent validity. CFA indicated excellent construct validity as all instruments had a good fit to the data. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the Bangla IGDS9-SF, GDT, and BSMAS are sound psychometric instruments due to their satisfactory psychometric properties including internal consistency, criterion validity, convergent validity, and construct validity

BLM and RMI1 alleviate RPA inhibition of topoIIIα decatenase activity

RPA is a single-stranded DNA binding protein that physically associates with the BLM complex. RPA stimulates BLM helicase activity as well as the double Holliday junction dissolution activity of the BLM-topoisomerase IIIα complex. We investigated the effect of RPA on the ssDNA decatenase activity of topoisomerase IIIα. We found that RPA and other ssDNA binding proteins inhibit decatenation by topoisomerase IIIα. Complex formation between BLM, TopoIIIα, and RMI1 ablates inhibition of decatenation by ssDNA binding proteins. Together, these data indicate that inhibition by RPA does not involve species-specific interactions between RPA and BLM-TopoIIIα-RMI1, which contrasts with RPA modulation of double Holliday junction dissolution. We propose that topoisomerase IIIα and RPA compete to bind to single-stranded regions of catenanes. Interactions with BLM and RMI1 enhance toposiomerase IIIα activity, promoting decatenation in the presence of RPA

Global analyses of TetR family transcriptional regulators in mycobacteria indicates conservation across species and diversity in regulated functions

BACKGROUND: Mycobacteria inhabit diverse niches and display high metabolic versatility. They can colonise both humans and animals and are also able to survive in the environment. In order to succeed, response to environmental cues via transcriptional regulation is required. In this study we focused on the TetR family of transcriptional regulators (TFTRs) in mycobacteria. RESULTS: We used InterPro to classify the entire complement of transcriptional regulators in 10 mycobacterial species and these analyses showed that TFTRs are the most abundant family of regulators in all species. We identified those TFTRs that are conserved across all species analysed and those that are unique to the pathogens included in the analysis. We examined genomic contexts of 663 of the conserved TFTRs and observed that the majority of TFTRs are separated by 200 bp or less from divergently oriented genes. Analyses of divergent genes indicated that the TFTRs control diverse biochemical functions not limited to efflux pumps. TFTRs typically bind to palindromic motifs and we identified 11 highly significant novel motifs in the upstream regions of divergently oriented TFTRs. The C-terminal ligand binding domain from the TFTR complement in M. tuberculosis showed great diversity in amino acid sequence but with an overall architecture common to other TFTRs. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that mycobacteria depend on TFTRs for the transcriptional control of a number of metabolic functions yet the physiological role of the majority of these regulators remain unknown. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1696-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Id-1 and Id-2 are markers for metastasis and prognosis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Id protein family consists of four members namely Id-1 to Id-4. Different from other basic helix–loop–helix transcription factors, they lack the DNA binding domain. Id proteins have been shown to be dysregulated in many different cancer types and their prognostic value has also been demonstrated. Recently, Id-1 has been shown to be upregulated in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the prognostic implications of Id proteins in ESCC have not been reported. We examined the expression of the Id proteins in ESCC cell lines and clinical ESCC specimens and found that Id protein expressions were dysregulated in both the ESCC cell lines and specimens. By correlating the expression levels of Id proteins and the clinicopathological data of our patient cohort, we found that M1 stage tumours had significantly higher nuclear Id-1 expression (P=0.012) while high nuclear Id-1 expression could predict development of distant metastasis within 1 year of oesophagectomy (P=0.005). In addition, high levels of Id-2 expression in both cytoplasmic and nuclear regions predicted longer patient survival (P=0.041). Multivariate analysis showed that high-level expression of Id-2 in both cytoplasmic and nuclear regions and lower level of nuclear Id-1 expression were independent favourable predictors of survival in our ESCC patients. Our results suggest that Id-1 may promote distant metastasis in ESCC, and both Id-1 and Id-2 may be used for prognostication for ESCC patients

Accounts of severe acute obstetric complications in Rural Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As maternal deaths have decreased worldwide, increasing attention has been placed on the study of severe obstetric complications, such as hemorrhage, eclampsia, and obstructed labor, to identify where improvements can be made in maternal health. Though access to medical care is considered to be life-saving during obstetric emergencies, data on the factors associated with health care decision-making during obstetric emergencies are lacking. We aim to describe the health care decision-making process during severe acute obstetric complications among women and their families in rural Bangladesh.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using the pregnancy surveillance infrastructure from a large community trial in northwest rural Bangladesh, we nested a qualitative study to document barriers to timely receipt of medical care for severe obstetric complications. We conducted 40 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with women reporting severe acute obstetric complications and purposively selected for conditions representing the top five most common obstetric complications. The interviews were transcribed and coded to highlight common themes and to develop an overall conceptual model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Women attributed their life-threatening experiences to societal and socioeconomic factors that led to delays in seeking timely medical care by decision makers, usually husbands or other male relatives. Despite the dominance of male relatives and husbands in the decision-making process, women who underwent induced abortions made their own decisions about their health care and relied on female relatives for advice. The study shows that non-certified providers such as village doctors and untrained birth attendants were the first-line providers for women in all categories of severe complications. Coordination of transportation and finances was often arranged through mobile phones, and referrals were likely to be provided by village doctors.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Strategies to increase timely and appropriate care seeking for severe obstetric complications may consider targeting of non-certified providers for strengthening of referral linkages between patients and certified facility-based providers. Future research may characterize the treatments and appropriateness of emergency care provided by ubiquitous village doctors and other non-certified treatment providers in rural South Asian settings. In addition, future studies may explore the use of mobile phones in decreasing delays to certified medical care during obstetric emergencies.</p

Locked and loading megathrust linked to active subduction beneath the Indo-Burman Ranges

The Indo-Burman mountain rangesmarkthe boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates, north of the Sumatra–Andaman subduction zone. Whether subduction still occurs along this subaerial section of the plate boundary, with 46mm/yr of highly oblique motion, is contentious. About 21mm/yr of shear motion is taken up along the Sagaing Fault, on the eastern margin of the deformation zone. It has been suggested that the remainder of the relative motion is taken up largely or entirely by horizontal strike-slip faulting and that subduction has stopped. Here we present GPS measurements of plate motions in Bangladesh, combined with measurements from Myanmar and northeast India, taking advantage of a more than 300 km subaerial accretionary prism spanning the Indo-Burman Ranges to the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta. They reveal 13–17mm/yr of plate convergence on an active, shallowly dipping and locked megathrust fault. Most of the strike-slip motion occurs on a few steep faults, consistent with patterns of strain partitioning in subduction zones. Our results strongly suggest that subduction in this region is active, despite the highly oblique plate motion and thick sediments. We suggest that the presence of a locked megathrust plate boundary represents an underappreciated hazard in one of the most densely populated regions of the world

Eye bank issues: II. Preservation techniques: warm versus cold storage

Most of the tissue used for penetrating keratoplasty is issued through eye banks that store the corneoscleral button either in hypothermic storage at 2–6°C or in organ culture at 31–37°C