Duplication 16p11.2 in a child with infantile seizure disorder

Submicroscopic recurrent 16p11.2 rearrangements are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, mental retardation, and schizophrenia. The common 16p11.2 region includes 24 known genes, of which 22 are expressed in the developing human fetal nervous system. As yet, the mechanisms leading to neurodevelopmental abnormalities and the broader phenotypes associated with deletion or duplication of 16p11.2 have not been clarified. Here we report a child with spastic quadriparesis, refractory infantile seizures, severe global developmental delay, hypotonia, and microcephaly, and a de novo 598 kb 16p11.2 microduplication. Family history is negative for any of these features in parents and immediate family members. Sequencing analyses showed no mutations in DOC2A , QPRT , and SEZ6L2 , genes within the duplicated 16p11.2 region that have been implicated in neuronal function and/or seizure related phenotypes. The child's clinical course is consistent with a rare seizure disorder called malignant migrating partial seizure disorder of infancy, raising the possibility that duplication or disruption of genes in the 16p11.2 interval may contribute to this severe disorder. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75769/1/33415_ftp.pd

Impact of Watershed Development in Low Rainfall Region of Maharashtra: A Case Study of Shekta Watershed.Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 49

Rainfed agriculture has an important role in development of agriculture in India and it will also continue to play in the future as 60% arable land in the country is rainfed. Watershed development is an important strategy for sustainable development of drylands. Impact assessment of Shekta Watershed in Ahmednagar District, a rain shadow region of Sahyadris in Maharashtra was undertaken as a micro-level case study. The region receives low rainfall (465 mm/yr), is drought prone, poverty is wide spread and migration from rural areas is common in this watershed village. The watershed development approach evaluated a capacity building phase, demand driven and net planning with each family. Exactly 59% of the watershed area was treated with soil and water conservation measures spending 38.6% (Rs. 1.1 million) development budget and 32.6% on rainwater harvesting structures. Groundwater availability has substantially increased as evident from the 48% increase in number of wells, increase in number of seasonally and perennially active wells, increase in crop productivity of 3.6 to 189% over district average yield for different crops, increase in cropping intensity by 28% from 1998-99 to 2004-05 was observed. Diversified farming systems with high-value crops such as wheat and vegetables as well as livelihood sources such as livestock rearing and micro-enterprise benefited people in terms of increased crop yields, income, improved livelihoods and reduced seasonal migration by 60%. Watershed development was economically beneficial with a benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 1.5 with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 16% along with development of rural institutions and protection of the environment

Bio-efficacy and wash-fastness of a lambda-cyhalothrin long-lasting insecticide treatment kit (ICON® Maxx) against mosquitoes on various polymer materials.

BACKGROUND: Long-lasting efficacy of insecticide-treated nets is a balance between adhesion, retention and migration of insecticide to the surface of netting fibres. ICON® Maxx is a twin-sachet 'home-treatment kit' of pyrethroid plus binding agent, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for long-lasting, wash-fast treatment of polyester nets. While knitted polyester netting is widely used, fine woven polyethylene netting is increasingly available and nets made of cotton and nylon are common in Africa and Asia. It is important to investigate whether ICON Maxx is able to fulfill the WHO criteria of long-lasting treatment on a range of domestic fabrics to widen the scope for malaria protection. METHODS: This study was a controlled comparison of the bio-efficacy and wash-fastness of lambda-cyhalothrin CS, with or without binder, on nets made of cotton, polyethylene, nylon, dyed and undyed polyester. Evaluation compared an array of bioassays: WHO cone and cylinder, median time to knockdown and WHO tunnel tests using Anopheles mosquitoes. Chemical assay revealed further insight. RESULTS: ICON Maxx treated polyethylene and polyester netting met the WHO cone and tunnel test bio-efficacy criteria for LLIN after 20 standardized washes. Although nylon and cotton netting failed to meet the WHO cone and cylinder criteria, both materials passed the WHO tunnel test criterion of 80% mortality after 20 washes. All materials treated with standard lambda-cyhalothrin CS without binder failed to meet any of the WHO bio-efficacy criteria within 5 washes. CONCLUSION: The bio-efficacy of ICON Maxx against mosquitoes on netting washed up to 20 times demonstrated wash durability on a range of synthetic polymer and natural fibres: polyester, polyethylene, nylon and cotton. This raises the prospect of making insecticide-binder kits into an effective approach for turning untreated nets, curtains, military clothing, blankets-and tents and tarpaulins as used in disasters and humanitarian emergencies-into effective malaria prevention products. It may provide a solution to the problem of reduced LLIN coverage between campaigns by converting commercially sourced untreated nets into LLINs through community or home treatment. It may also open the door to binding of non-pyrethroid insecticides to nets and textiles for control of pyrethroid resistant vectors

CSR and Climate-resilient Agriculture – A JSW Case Study

The semi-arid tropics being dominant region is primarily agrarian with rainfed traditional agricultural production systems. Jawhar is a tribal block in Maharashtra. India characterized by high rainfall, water scarcity, degraded soils and low crop productivity. ICRISAT in collaboration wlth JSW has initiated agrlcultural interventions with watershed approach. Over a two-year period, the project has demonstrated various activities to build the resilience against climate change to cope with varying climatic risks and to improve livelihoods. Conservation of available resources through various measures was carried out with active community participation. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood of the community. Soli health management, rainwater harvesting, soil conservation. promotion of improved cultivars, introduction of new crops (crop diversification), income-generating activities and promotion of agronomic practices were the major interventions carried out in the project villages. These have taken farmers towards the path of building resilience to cope with climatic risks

An experimental hut evaluation of Olyset® nets against anopheline mosquitoes after seven years use in Tanzanian villages

BACKGROUND: Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are advocated by WHO for protection against malaria. Of the three brands of LLINs currently approved by WHO, Olyset(R) is the only one currently granted full recommendation. With this type of LLIN, the insecticide (permethrin) is incorporated into the polyethylene fibre during manufacture and diffuses from the core to the surface, thereby maintaining surface concentrations. It has not been determined for how long Olyset nets remain protective against mosquitoes in household use. METHODS: Examples of Olyset nets, which had been in use in Tanzanian villages for seven years, were tested in experimental huts against naturally entering Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus mosquitoes. Performance was compared with new Olyset nets, conventionally treated ITNs (either newly treated with alphacypermethrin or taken from local villages after 1.5 years of use) and untreated nets. All nets were artificially holed except for the seven-year Olyset nets, which had developed holes during prolonged domestic use. RESULTS: Anopheles funestus and An. gambiae in NE Tanzania are susceptible to pyrethroids. The new Olyset nets caused high mortality against An. funestus (73.9%) and An. gambiae (62.7%) in experimental huts. The seven-year Olyset nets caused 58.9% mortality against An. funestus and 40.0% mortality against An. gambiae. The freshly treated alphacypermethrin nets also caused high mortality against An. funestus (70.6%) and An. gambiae (72.0%); this decreased to 58.4% and 69.6% respectively after 1.5 years of use. The new Olyset nets inhibited blood-feeding by 40-50%. The 7 year Olyset nets showed no feeding inhibition over that shown by the untreated nets. The alphacypermethrin treated nets failed to inhibit blood-feeding after 1.5 years of use. However iHhhdn laboratory tunnel tests samples of all types of treated net including the 7 year Olyset inhibited blood-feeding by more than 95%. CONCLUSION: After seven years of use Olyset nets were still strongly insecticidal. Mosquito mortality decreased by only 20-35% over this period. However, Olyset would not provide personal protection after seven years unless it was in good condition and all holes fully repaired

On-site and Off-site Impact of Watershed Development: A Case Study of Rajasamadhiyala, Gujarat, India

Detailed case study of Rajsamadhiyala watershed in the semi-arid tropical area of Gujarat in India revealed that rainwater harvesting through watershed management doubled the production of groundnut and other major crops, increased cropping intensity by 32% in eight years. With improved groundwater availability diversification with high-value crops like cumin, vegetables and fruits was observed. Food, fodder, fuel sufficiency substantially improved along with the increased incomes, literacy and social development. Substantial investment of 16.25 million rupees [US$ 0.36 million) in rainwater harvesting in one village created storage capacity to harvest 16% of mean annual rainfall of 503 mm which is equivalent to 100% of potential runoff during a normal year. Considering percolation seepage and evaporation losses 40% of annual mean rainfall could be harvested and stored. However, because of geological formation in the Deccan plateau where soils are formed over a layer of weathered trap laid on hard rock during normal rainfall years, these structures overflow 2-3 times in the rainy season. Downstream villages Aniyala and Kasturba Dham benefited in terms of increased groundwater availability, reduced siltation and flooding through the base flow seepage water and excess runoff. Detailed studies in two downstream villages showed increased productivity, however, by 25-30%, improved groundwater availability by 25%, and reduced distressed migration. Dedicated leadership helped the villagers to chalkout the path to prosperity. Vast potential to increase productivity by 80-90% remains to be harnessed through adoption of increased water use efficiency measures, as most benefits are due to increased water availability only. However, looking at the trends of over-exploitation of groundwater by doubling the number of borewells and pumping hours call for urgent steps to develop suitable social/legal mechanisms for sustainable use of water resources through integrated water resource management. Improved water availability through public investment triggered private/ individual investment in agriculture in rainfed areas further hastening the process of development