Prevalence of Underweight, Stunting, and Wasting among Children Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in South India

Background. Growth failure is a common feature of children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Malnutrition increases mortality and may impair the response to antiretroviral treatment. Objective. Our objective was to describe the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting in HIV-infected children in south India and to assess the utility of these parameters in predicting immune status. Methodology. In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric measurements and CD4 counts were performed on 231 HIV-infected children. Z scores for height for age, weight for age, and weight for height were correlated with CD4 cell counts and receiver operating characteristic curves plotted. Results. Prevalence of underweight was 63%, stunting 58%, and wasting 16%, respectively. 33–45% of children were moderately or severely malnourished even at CD4 >25%; sensitivity and specificity of stunting or underweight to predict HIV disease severity was low. Conclusions. Undernutrition and stunting are common among HIV-infected children at all stages of the disease in India. Early and aggressive nutritional intervention is required, if long-term outcomes are to be improved

Evidence of epigenetic changes affecting the chromatin state of the retinoic acid receptor beta2 promoter in breast cancer cells

Retinoic acid (RA)-resistance in breast cancer cells has been associated with irreversible loss of retinoic acid receptor beta, RARbeta, gene expression. Search of the causes affecting RARbeta gene activity has been oriented at identifying possible differences either at the level of one of the RARbeta promoters, RARbeta2, or at regulatory factors. We hypothesized that loss of RARbeta2 activity occurs as a result of multiple factors, including epigenetic modifications, which can pattern RARbeta2 chromatin state. Using methylation-specific PCR, we found hypermethylation at RARbeta2 in a significant proportion of both breast cancer cell lines and primary breast tumors. Treatment of cells with a methylated RARbeta2 promoter, by means of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR), led to demethylation within RARbeta2 and expression of RARbeta indicating that DNA methylation is at least one factor, contributing to RARbeta inactivity. However, identically methylated promoters can differentially respond to RA, suggesting that RARbeta2 activity may be associated to different repressive chromatin states. This supposition is supported by the finding that the more stable repressive RARbeta2 state in the RA-resistant MDA-MB-231 cell line can be alleviated by the HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), with restoration of RA-induced RARbeta transcription. Thus, chromatin-remodeling drugs might provide a strategy to restore RARbeta activity, and help to overcome the hurdle of RA-resistance in breast cancer

Dyslipidemia among HIV-infected Patients with Tuberculosis Taking Once-daily Nonnucleoside Reverse-Transcriptase Inhibitor–Based Antiretroviral Therapy in India

HIV-infected patients with tuberculosis who initiate nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase-based anti-retroviral treatment in combination with rifampicin-based antituberculosis treatment demonstrate increases in total cholesterol, low-density cholesterol, and high-density cholesterol levels but no change in blood glucose level after 1 year. Cholesterol increases were more frequent among patients receiving efavirenz

The First Murchison Widefield Array low-frequency radio observations of cluster scale non-thermal emission: the case of Abell 3667

We present the first Murchison Widefield Array observations of the well-known cluster of galaxies Abell 3667 (A3667) between 105 and 241 MHz. A3667 is one of the best known examples of a galaxy cluster hosting a double radio relic and has been reported to contain a faint radio halo and bridge. The origin of radio haloes, relics and bridges is still unclear, however galaxy cluster merger seems to be an important factor. We clearly detect the north-west (NW) and south-east radio relics in A3667 and find an integrated flux density at 149 MHz of 28.1 ± 1.7 and 2.4 ± 0.1 Jy, respectively, with an average spectral index, between 120 and 1400 MHz, of −0.9 ± 0.1 for both relics. We find evidence of a spatial variation in the spectral index across the NW relic steepening towards the centre of the cluster, which indicates an ageing electron population. These properties are consistent with higher frequency observations. We detect emission that could be associated with a radio halo and bridge. However, due to the presence of poorly sampled large-scale Galactic emission and blended point sources we are unable to verify the exact nature of these features

Consanguinity and reproductive health among Arabs

Consanguineous marriages have been practiced since the early existence of modern humans. Until now consanguinity is widely practiced in several global communities with variable rates depending on religion, culture, and geography. Arab populations have a long tradition of consanguinity due to socio-cultural factors. Many Arab countries display some of the highest rates of consanguineous marriages in the world, and specifically first cousin marriages which may reach 25-30% of all marriages. In some countries like Qatar, Yemen, and UAE, consanguinity rates are increasing in the current generation. Research among Arabs and worldwide has indicated that consanguinity could have an effect on some reproductive health parameters such as postnatal mortality and rates of congenital malformations. The association of consanguinity with other reproductive health parameters, such as fertility and fetal wastage, is controversial. The main impact of consanguinity, however, is an increase in the rate of homozygotes for autosomal recessive genetic disorders. Worldwide, known dominant disorders are more numerous than known recessive disorders. However, data on genetic disorders in Arab populations as extracted from the Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs (CTGA) database indicate a relative abundance of recessive disorders in the region that is clearly associated with the practice of consanguinity

Electrochemical processes in corrosion the corrosion-inhibitive nature and electro capillary behaviour of some organic sulphur compounds in 1 N sulphuric acid

The action of organic compounds as inhibitors of corrosion of metals has been explained in various ways. It has been suggested that the inhibition increases with increasing size and molecular weight. Another view that has been put forward is that the organic substances increase the hydrogen overvoltage at the cathodic sites and thereby bring down corrosion. It has been postulated that the corrosion inhibitors get adsorbed on the cathodic sites. However, it has subsequently been demonstrated that they get adsorbed on the anodic sites also. The formation of films of the compound formed by the inhibitors with the metal surface has also been put up as the cause of corrosion inhibition. Recently, attempts have been made to explain the adsorption of inhibitors in terms of the functionally reactive groups amine and sulphide and the effects of various attached groups on the functional groups. In addition, the role of conjugated double bond in promoting adsorption by bi-bonding of the organic molecule with the metal surface has been emphasized. Another approach has been to interpret the adsorption of corrosion inhibitors on the basis of charge on the metal surface. In view of reports that the electro capillary behaviour of substances bears a close correlation to their corrosion inhibitive properties, a study has been made of five organic sulphur compounds, viz. dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl sulphoxide, dibutyl sulphide, diphenyl sulphide and thiophene to test the validity of the interpretations of the action of organic compounds with respect to adsorption as how by their electrocapillary behaviour on mercury and their effectiveness in the inhibition of corrosion of steel in 1 N sulphuric acid. A radio-tracer investigation of the adsorption of dibutyl sulphide containing radioactive sulphur has also been included in the study. It has been found that there is relationship between the electrocapillary behaviour on mercury and corrosion inhibition of steel only in the case of some substances. The concept of adsorption increasing with decrease in solubility of organic compounds is not completely borne out. Dimethyl sulphide is adsorbed to a greater extent and is more corrosion inhibitive than dibutyl sulphide in spite of the former’s higher solubility in the acid solution. However, dimethyl sulphoxide which is freely misible with the acid solution is much less adsorbed and corrosion inhibitive than either dimethyl sulphide or dibutyl sulphide. Incidentally, it has been observed that dibutyl sulphide containing radioactive sulphur accelerates the corrosion of steel in 1 N sulphuric acid at concentrations of the compound less than full saturation. Then, aromatic rings are directly linked to sulphur as in dibutyl sulphide, the adsorption on mercury is of a low order and the corrosion inhibitive effect is not high. In the case of thiophene, though adsorption on mercury surface is indicated by its electrocapillary behaviour, it is very poor as inhibitor of corrosion of steel in sulphuric acid. In both these compounds, the effectiveness of the sulphur atom is brought down, because of resonance of the electrons of sulphur with those of the aromatic ring. It is concluded that various aspects of adsorption and interactions between the organic compound and the metal surface, between the solute and the solvent and between the functional group and the attached groups of the compound itself have to be taken into account in attempting to explain the adsorption behaviour and corrosion inhibitive properties of organic corrosion inhibitors