A study of mode of transmission, clinical presentations, WHO and immunological staging among HIV infected children

Background: The clinical manifestations of HIV infection vary widely among infants, children, and adolescent. So there is a need to study the mode of transmission, clinical presentations, WHO and immunological staging among HIV infected children.Methods: Observational analytic cross sectional study. The children who were HIV positive (confirmed by ELISA for HIV-1 and HIV-2), and attending the OPD of ART Centre and SN Children Hospital, Allahabad during period of one year. The study population consisted of 47 patients, belonging to both sexes and age of 18 months to 19 years. Detailed history was taken and full clinical examination done in all cases. CD4 count was estimated at the time of presentation.Results: Predominant mode of transmission in our study was vertical and it was present in 95% cases. Fever was the most common presenting complaint and was present in 28 (59.57%) cases. The most common clinical sign was pallor in our study, present in 37 cases (78.72%) followed by lymphadenopathy 34 (72.34%). On the basis of WHO clinical staging, most of the patients in our study were found in stage 2 .On the basis of immunological staging, 51% had no evidence of immunosuppression (stage1), 18 (38.3%) had mild to advanced immunosuppression (stage 2 and 3) and 5 (10.63%) patients were severely immunosuppressed (stage 4). Conclusion: In HIV infected children predominant mode of transmission is vertical. Fever and pallor are common clinical manifestations. Most of the patients are found in WHO clinical stage 2 and immunological stage 1.

Molecular characterization of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri causing wilt of chickpea

Thirty isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri were isolated from rhizosphere soil of chickpea from different locations in Northern India. The amount of genetic variation was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with a set of 40 RAPD primers and 2 IGS primers. Less than 10% of the amplified fragments in each case were polymorphic. Genetic similarity between each of the isolates was calculated and results indicate that there was little genetic variability among the isolates collected from the different locations. At the 0.75 similarity index the isolates divides into three groups. Isolates Foc-A18, Foc-A19, Foc-A20 forming a similar group and far different from other isolates.Key words: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, Fusarium wilt of chickpea, RAPD, ITS, IGS

Caffey Disease in Infancy: A diagnostic dilemma for primary care physicians

Caffey disease is a rare and self-limiting condition characterised by cortical hyperostosis with inflammation of adjacent fascia and muscles. It usually presents in infancy and clinical features include hyperirritability, acute inflammation with swelling of overlying soft tissues and subperiosteal new bone formation. Awareness of the existence of this rare condition and its typical clinical and radiological profile will avoid unnecessary investigations and treatment and help the physician to explain its good prognosis to parents of affected children. We report a three-month-old male infant who presented to the Outpatient Paediatrics Department at Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, India, in 2018 with a right shoulder mass, decreased upper limb movements and irritability. The patient was treated with ibuprofen and paracetamol. Irritability and limitation of movement improved over a treatment period of two weeks.Keywords: Caffey Disease; Infant; Prostaglandin E1; Thrombocytosis; Case Report; India

Prevalence and Genotypes of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis in Large Ruminants of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, North India

Uttar Pradesh is the fourth largest, most populous and leading milk and meat producing state in India. Despite the huge livestock population, information on the status of paratuberculosis homogeneity and heterogeneity of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) isolates of eastern Uttar Pradesh is non-existent. Present study was aimed to estimate the presence of MAP in large ruminants (Cattle and Buffaloes) of eastern Uttar Pradesh. A total 108 fecal samples were collected from farmer's herds of large ruminants (cattle and buffaloes) from different geographical regions (Chandauli, Mughalsarai, Gazipur, and Naugarh) of eastern Uttar Pradesh and screened for the presence of MAP infection using microscopic examination, direct IS900 PCR and culture on Herrold egg yolk (HEY) medium. The isolates recovered on HEY medium were subjected to molecular identification and genotyping using IS900 PCR and IS1311 PCR-REA method, respectively. Of the 108 fecal samples, 25 (23.14%) and 11 (10.18%) samples were positive for the presence of acid-fast bacilli and growth on HEY medium, respectively. Species-wise, 17.5, 7.5% and 26.5, 11.7% fecal samples from cattle and buffaloes were found positive for the presence of acid-fast bacilli and growth on HEY medium, respectively. Isolates recovered on HEY medium with mycobactin J were positive for IS900 sequence and genotyped as Bison Type using IS1311 PCR-REA method. Present study is the first report on the presence of MAP infection and ‘Bison Type' genotype of MAP in eastern Uttar Pradesh. These findings will be useful for the intervention of effective control measures in order to reduce the prevalence of MAP infection in domestic livestock species and prevent its spread to the human population in the regions

Magnetic exchange, anisotropy and excitonic fluctuations in a [Ni^II₇] Anderson wheel

The solvothermal reaction of Ni(ClO4)2·6H2O with hmpH and picH in a basic MeOH solution affords [Ni7(hmp)7.55(pic)4.45](ClO4)2·6MeOH (1·6MeOH) directly upon cooling the mother liquor. The metallic skeleton of 1 describes a [NiII7] centred hexagon, commonly referred to as an Anderson wheel. Magnetic measurements reveal ferromagnetic exchange between the central Ni ion and the ring Ni ions, and antiferromagnetic exchange between neighbouring ring Ni ions. They also confirm the presence of easy-plane anisotropy for the central Ni ion, and easy-axis anisotropy for the ring Ni ions, in agreement with DFT calculations and neutron scattering. For the analysis of the latter we apply an excitonic formalism using a Green's function response theory.</p

Forward genetic screen using a gene-breaking trap approach identifies a novel role of grin2bb-associated RNA transcript (grin2bbART) in zebrafish heart function

LncRNA-based control affects cardiac pathophysiologies like myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, hypertrophy, and myotonic muscular dystrophy. This study used a gene-break transposon (GBT) to screen zebrafish (Danio rerio) for insertional mutagenesis. We identified three insertional mutants where the GBT captured a cardiac gene. One of the adult viable GBT mutants had bradycardia (heart arrhythmia) and enlarged cardiac chambers or hypertrophy; we named it “bigheart.” Bigheart mutant insertion maps to grin2bb or N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR2B) gene intron 2 in reverse orientation. Rapid amplification of adjacent cDNA ends analysis suggested a new insertion site transcript in the intron 2 of grin2bb. Analysis of the RNA sequencing of wild-type zebrafish heart chambers revealed a possible new transcript at the insertion site. As this putative lncRNA transcript satisfies the canonical signatures, we called this transcript grin2bb associated RNA transcript (grin2bbART). Using in situ hybridization, we confirmed localized grin2bbART expression in the heart, central nervous system, and muscles in the developing embryos and wild-type adult zebrafish atrium and bulbus arteriosus. The bigheart mutant had reduced Grin2bbART expression. We showed that bigheart gene trap insertion excision reversed cardiac-specific arrhythmia and atrial hypertrophy and restored grin2bbART expression. Morpholino-mediated antisense downregulation of grin2bbART in wild-type zebrafish embryos mimicked bigheart mutants; this suggests grin2bbART is linked to bigheart. Cardiovascular tissues use Grin2bb as a calcium-permeable ion channel. Calcium imaging experiments performed on bigheart mutants indicated calcium mishandling in the heart. The bigheart cardiac transcriptome showed differential expression of calcium homeostasis, cardiac remodeling, and contraction genes. Western blot analysis highlighted Camk2d1 and Hdac1 overexpression. We propose that altered calcium activity due to disruption of grin2bbART, a putative lncRNA in bigheart, altered the Camk2d-Hdac pathway, causing heart arrhythmia and hypertrophy in zebrafish

Cold atoms in space: community workshop summary and proposed road-map

We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies.publishedVersio

Cold atoms in space: community workshop summary and proposed road-map

We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies

Cold atoms in space: community workshop summary and proposed road-map

We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies