Dengue Vector Surveillance in and around Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) – Goa, India

As per the International Health Regulations, it is a moral responsibility on national governments to keep international seaports/airports and peripheral areas up to 400 meters free of vector mosquitoes in its adult and immature stages and the mosquito vectors of other diseases of epidemiological significance. In view of seriousness of the problem, the present study was undertaken in and around Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), Goa (India), to see the prevalence of Aedes mosquito. This study was undertaken in the month of February and December 2016. Inside the port, no larval breeding was detected except in December survey, and 3.85 Breteau Index (BI) was recorded. In Headland Sada (residential colony), breeding was detected with 6.0 and 10.0 BI in February and December 2016 respectively. Similarly, in Jetty village high larval breeding was searched with 9.8 and 8.0 BI in February and December, respectively. In the residential colony, plastic containers used for storing water acted as the main source of larval breeding. These plastic containers were used to store water for long time and maintaining Aedes breeding in adverse condition throughout the year. According to breeding preference ratio (BPR), cement tank showed the highest (4.37) BPR in the month of February while in December BPR was highest for iron drum (27.7) followed by waterstoring plastic container (1.14). These residential colonies are in close vicinity of the seaport. Local factors play an important role in the propagation and prevalence of Aedes mosquito. Routine entomological surveillance is required to monitor the vector prevalence in the residential colonies around the seaport. Baseline surveillance data should be collected regularly to monitor vector prevalence and destroy the breeding sites in and around the seaport

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of lung: An oncologic rarity treated with definitive chemo-radiation

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is a rare variant of adenocarcinoma originating mainly from salivary glands of the head and neck region distributed throughout the upper aerodigestive tract with a propensity for perineural invasion. Primary adenoid cystic carcinoma of lungs is exceedingly rare accounting for a mere 0.04 to 0.2 percent of all pulmonary neoplasms. The existing scant case reports about this lung malignancy mostly describe small lung lesions managed with upfront surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. We hereby present this case of primary lung parenchymal pathology where the disease was treated with definitive chemo-radiation and to the best of our knowledge; this case is one of the rarest and earliest reports of upfront chemo-radiation in an inoperable primary lung parenchymal ACC. A 43-year-old woman presented with complaints of cough, severe dyspnea, right sided chest pain associated with occasional hemoptysis. Radiographic imaging of thorax showed a large mass lesion with smooth margins measuring 10.2 × 7.3 × 6.8 cm right lower lobe with invasion of adjacent vital structures. Image guided biopsy and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis. She was eventually treated with definitive radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy as she was deemed inoperable. Post therapy evaluation by imaging showed a partial response to chemo-radiation, however there was significant symptomatic relief. In view of CD 117 positivity, she has started on oral imatinib mesylate. Presently she is on follow up with a karnofsky performance status of 90%. A thorough review of literature also reveals that our case may be the largest adenoid cystic primary parenchymal pulmonary pathology ever reported

RF Controlled Robotic Vehicle with Metal Detection Project

The project is intended to cultivate a robotic vehicle that can sense metals ahead of it on its path similar to detecting land mines. The robot is controlled by a remote using RF technology. It consists of a metal detector circuit interfaced to the control unit that alarms the user behind it about a doubted land mine ahead. An 8051 series of microcontroller is used for the preferred operation. For controlling the movement of robot either to forward, backward & right or left commands are sent to the receiver by using push buttons of the transmitter. At the receiving end two motors are interfaced to the microcontroller where they are used for the movement of the vehicle. The RF transmitter acts as a RF remote control that has the advantage of sufficient range (up to 200 meters) with proper antenna, while the receiver decodes before serving it to another microcontroller to drive DC motors via motor driver IC for necessary work. A metal detector circuit is attached on the robot body and its operation is carried out automatically on sensing any metal underneath. The instant the robot senses this metal it produces an alarm sound through buzzer. This is to aware the operator of a probable metal (eg: land mine) ahead on its path. Further the project can be enhanced by mounting a wireless camera on the robot so that the operator can govern the movement of the robot remotely by observing it on a screen

Iot Solutions for Enhancing Agricultural Practices and Environmental Sustainability

This investigate points to think about the results of way better appropriation of IoT within the field of farming. The think about points to appear how made strides cultivating strategies through IoT can give superior results for the environment. The research was able to extend the keen water system and precisely anticipate the yields through optimization calculations. Agriculturists can make their farms' results way better by taking more brilliant and productive choices through Choice Back Frameworks (DSS). The savvy cultivating (accuracy cultivating) has demonstrated to be useful for the environment.  Through detailed studies and evaluations of the life cycle and impact on ecosystems, it has been revealed that this method provides healthier soil, increased biodiversity and lowers carbon emissions. The expenses of cultivation can be minimized by lowering water consumption. This is important because it lowers the issue of the shortage of water. The outputs from the model will highlight the importance of utilizing water resources in an optimized way for farming through IoT based methods. The Decision-Making Systems have been proved to be significantly useful in agricultural activities; they provide an efficient way to make important business decisions. The systems were designed to provide in-time data to the network so that farmers can make their desicions up-to-date

Vitamin D related genes in lung development and asthma pathogenesis

Background: Poor maternal vitamin D intake is a risk factor for subsequent childhood asthma, suggesting that in utero changes related to vitamin D responsive genes might play a crucial role in later disease susceptibility. We hypothesized that vitamin D pathway genes are developmentally active in the fetal lung and that these developmental genes would be associated with asthma susceptibility and regulation in asthma. Methods: Vitamin D pathway genes were derived from PubMed and Gene Ontology surveys. Principal component analysis was used to identify characteristic lung development genes. Results: Vitamin D regulated genes were markedly over-represented in normal human (odds ratio OR 2.15, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.69-2.74) and mouse (OR 2.68, 95% CI: 2.12-3.39) developing lung transcriptomes. 38 vitamin D pathway genes were in both developing lung transcriptomes with >63% of genes more highly expressed in the later than earlier stages of development. In immortalized B-cells derived from 95 asthmatics and their unaffected siblings, 12 of the 38 (31.6%) vitamin D pathway lung development genes were significantly differentially expressed (OR 3.00, 95% CI: 1.43-6.21), whereas 11 (29%) genes were significantly differentially expressed in 43 control versus vitamin D treated immortalized B-cells from Childhood Asthma Management Program subjects (OR 2.62, 95% CI: 1.22-5.50). 4 genes, LAMP3, PIP5K1B, SCARB2 and TXNIP were identified in both groups; each displays significant biologic plausibility for a role in asthma. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate a significant association between early lung development and asthma–related phenotypes for vitamin D pathway genes, supporting a genomic mechanistic basis for the epidemiologic observations relating maternal vitamin D intake and childhood asthma susceptibility

Contribution of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 sequence alterations to breast cancer in Northern India

BACKGROUND: A large number of distinct mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been reported worldwide, but little is known regarding the role of these inherited susceptibility genes in breast cancer risk among Indian women. We investigated the distribution and the nature of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations and polymorphisms in a cohort of 204 Indian breast cancer patients and 140 age-matched controls. METHOD: Cases were selected with regard to early onset disease (≤40 years) and family history of breast and ovarian cancer. Two hundred four breast cancer cases along with 140 age-matched controls were analyzed for mutations. All coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes were screened by heteroduplex analysis followed by direct sequencing of detected variants. RESULTS: In total, 18 genetic alterations were identified. Three deleterious frame-shift mutations (185delAG in exon 2; 4184del4 and 3596del4 in exon 11) were identified in BRCA1, along with one missense mutation (K1667R), one 5'UTR alteration (22C>G), three intronic variants (IVS10-12delG, IVS13+2T>C, IVS7+38T>C) and one silent substitution (5154C>T). Similarly three pathogenic protein-truncating mutations (6376insAA in exon 11, 8576insC in exon19, and 9999delA in exon 27) along with one missense mutation (A2951T), four intronic alterations (IVS2+90T>A, IVS7+75A>T, IVS8+56C>T, IVS25+58insG) and one silent substitution (1593A>G) were identified in BRCA2. Four previously reported polymorphisms (K1183R, S1613G, and M1652I in BRCA1, and 7470A>G in BRCA2) were detected in both controls and breast cancer patients. Rare BRCA1/2 sequence alterations were observed in 15 out of 105 (14.2%) early-onset cases without family history and 11.7% (4/34) breast cancer cases with family history. Of these, six were pathogenic protein truncating mutations. In addition, several variants of uncertain clinical significance were identified. Among these are two missense variants, one alteration of a consensus splice donor sequence, and a variant that potentially disrupts translational initiation. CONCLUSION: BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations appear to account for a lower proportion of breast cancer patients at increased risk of harboring such mutations in Northern India (6/204, 2.9%) than has been reported in other populations. However, given the limited extent of reported family history among these patients, the observed mutation frequency is not dissimilar from that reported in other cohorts of early onset breast cancer patients. Several of the identified mutations are unique and novel to Indian patients

Validation of shoot fly resistance introgression lines using SNP markers in sorghum

Shoot fly is a major pest in sorghum production globally. Shoot fly management using insecticides is expensive and environmentally un-safe. Therefore, host plant resistance is exploited to develop shoot fly resistance (SFR) lines including transfer of shoot fly resistance QTLs using marker assisted backcrossing. QTLs controlling SFR component traits, glossiness, trichome density, ovipositional non-preference were used for introgression in this stud

Vulval elephantiasis as a result of tubercular lymphadenitis: two case reports and a review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Elephantiasis as a result of chronic lymphedema is characterized by gross enlargement of the arms, legs or genitalia, and occurs due to a variety of obstructive diseases of the lymphatic system. Genital elephantiasis usually follows common filariasis and lymphogranuloma venereum. It may follow granuloma inguinale, carcinomas, lymph node dissection or irradiation and tuberculosis but this happens rarely. Vulval elephantiasis as a consequence of extensive lymph node destruction by tuberculosis is very rare. We present two very unusual cases of vulval elephantiasis due to tuberculous destruction of the inguinal lymph nodes.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Two Indian women - one aged 40 years and the other aged 27 years, with progressively increasing vulval swellings over a period of five and four years respectively - presented to our hospital. In both cases, there was a significant history on presentation. Both women had previously taken a complete course of anti-tubercular treatment for generalized lymphadenopathy. The vulval swellings were extremely large: in the first case report, measuring 35 × 25 cm on the right side and 45 × 30 cm on the left side, weighing 20 lb and 16 lb respectively. Both cases were managed by surgical excision with reconstruction and the outcome was positive. Satisfactory results have been maintained during a follow-up period of six years in both cases.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Elephantiasis of the female genitalia is unusual and it has rarely been reported following tuberculosis. We report two cases of vulval elephantiasis as a consequence of extensive lymph node destruction by tuberculosis, in order to highlight this very rare clinical scenario.</p