Robust Genomic Prediction and Heritability Estimation using Density Power Divergence

This manuscript delves into the intersection of genomics and phenotypic prediction, focusing on the statistical innovation required to navigate the complexities introduced by noisy covariates and confounders. The primary emphasis is on the development of advanced robust statistical models tailored for genomic prediction from single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data collected from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in plant and animal breeding and multi-field trials. The manuscript explores the limitations of traditional marker-assisted recurrent selection, highlighting the significance of incorporating all estimated effects of marker loci into the statistical framework and aiming to reduce the high dimensionality of GWAS data while preserving critical information. This paper introduces a new robust statistical framework for genomic prediction, employing one-stage and two-stage linear mixed model analyses along with utilizing the popular robust minimum density power divergence estimator (MDPDE) to estimate genetic effects on phenotypic traits. The study illustrates the superior performance of the proposed MDPDE-based genomic prediction and associated heritability estimation procedures over existing competitors through extensive empirical experiments on artificial datasets and application to a real-life maize breeding dataset. The results showcase the robustness and accuracy of the proposed MDPDE-based approaches, especially in the presence of data contamination, emphasizing their potential applications in improving breeding programs and advancing genomic prediction of phenotyping traits.Comment: Under Revie

Does the exchange rate influence the exports? Evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract. This paper attempts to examine the nature of the association between the exchange rate and exports of Bangladesh. The study uses the cointegration approach to show the long-run relationship between the variables using time series data from 1981 to 2015. The result suggests that the nonstationary data of export and exchange rate become stationary at the first difference and these two first degree autoregressive series don’t exhibit any long-run association. So, the findings provide a distinctive insight about future foreign exchange policy in the developing countries like Bangladesh. However, the policymakers also must be careful about the other macroeconomic and foreign trade factors before formulating any policy based on this study. The first section of the paper, introduction, objectives, is followed by the literature review, data and method, results and the concluding remarks.Keywords. Exchange rate, Depreciation, Cointegration.JEL. F31, F32, C18

De novo chronic lymphocytic leukemia/prolymphocytic leukemia or B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia? The importance of integrating clinico-morphological and immunophenotypic findings in distinguishing chronic lymphoproliferative diseases with circulating phase

B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) is an extremely rare disease, accounting for approximately 1% of the lymphocytic leukemias. B-PLL generally occurs in older people. It is characterized by the presence of more than 55% prolymphocytes in the peripheral blood (PB), no or minimal lymphadenopathy, massive splenomegaly, and very high white blood cell counts. The prognosis of B-PLL patients is generally poor, with a median survival of 3 years, although a subset of patients may show a prolonged survival. Herein, we report a case of a 70-year-old male with weakness, generalized lymphadenopathy, and moderate splenomegaly at the initial presentation. Hematologic examination revealed lymphocytic leukocytosis, favoring a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder (CLPD). The key to decoding the precise CLPD was a combination of the clinical profile, morphologic findings on the peripheral blood and the bone marrow, immunophenotypic analysis, and cytogenetic study. The best diagnosis proffered was a de novo chronic lymphocytic leukemia/prolymphocytic leukemia. There was no prior history of lymphoproliferative disorder or lymphocytic leukocytosis. Discriminating this entity from other lymphoproliferative disorders is crucial as the treatment and prognosis are varied compared to the other lymphoproliferative disorders. The diagnostic conundrum encountered and the incredible utility of ancillary studies in such a scenario are highlighted in this study

Evaluation of anti-leishmanial activity of artemisinin combined with amphotericin B or miltefosine in Leishmania donovani promastigotes

Background: The increasing incidence of drug resistance in Leishmaniasis necessitates evaluation of combination chemotherapy. Miltefosine and amphotericin B are established anti-leishmanial drugs, while artemisinin has shown significant leishmanicidal activity in experimental models. In this study, we have evaluated the additive/synergistic effect of artemisinin with amphotericin B or miltefosine.Methods: Leishmania parasites were isolated from the bone marrow aspirate of a patient with visceral leishmaniasis. Parasites were typed as Leishmania donovani by restriction fragment length polymorphism of internal transcribed spacer 1 region of Leishmania genome. Promastigotes were incubated in a fixed ratio combination of artemisinin (0-500 µM) and amphotericin B (0-100 nM) or miltefosine (0-100 µM) and cell viability was assessed. An isobologram was constructed to evaluate the additive/synergistic effect, wherein it was considered additive if the mean sum fractional inhibitory concentration (mean ΣFIC) at the IC50 level was <2, but ≥1 and synergism, if the mean ΣFIC was <1.Results: The isobologram showed an additive effect for three combinations of artemisinin-amphotericin B and artemisinin-miltefosine, the mean ΣFICs ranging from 1.02 to 1.44 and 1.08 to 1.33 along with a synergistic effect with one combination, the mean ΣFICs being 0.58 and 0.81 respectively.Conclusions: This study supports the combination use of artemisinin-amphotericin B and artemisinin-miltefosine, worthy of future pharmacological consideration

Mental stress in infertility: a tertiary care hospital-based study

Background: Most of the couples suffering from infertility report it to be the most stressful and depressing period of their life, more so if it is a primary infertility. Studies regarding the prevalence and role of infertility-specific stress especially in eastern part of India is very limited. The objective of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of infertility-specific stress and its role in marital adjustment in women diagnosed with infertility.Methods: It was a cross-sectional study done on 80 married couple diagnosed with infertility (both primary and secondary) over 1 year from July 2016 to June,2017. Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), "semi-structured questionnaire" compiled by the authors and "ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders (Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines)" were used for the evaluation. The analysis was done using SPSS (version 16) and Chi-square test.Results: Around 86% infertile women and 21% infertile men were found to suffer from mental stress. Infertility related stress were more in patients with primary infertility than in secondary one. Women mostly (56.5%) coped with stress by self-blaming whereas men (58.2%) by blaming the partner.Conclusions: Mental stress was significantly associated with infertility. In fact, maladjustment in marital relation caused by the stress adversely affected the conjugal life and thus also the fertility. Proper counselling of both partners might be helpful to solve this problem

Improving the management of people with a family history of breast cancer in primary care: before and after study of audit-based education

Background: In England, guidance from National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) states women with a family history of breast cancer presenting to primary care should be reassured or referred. We reviewed the evidence for interventions that might be applied in primary care and conducted an audit of whether low risk women are correctly advised and flagged. Methods: We conducted a literature review to identify modifiable risk factors. We extracted routinely collected data from the computerised medical record systems of 6 general practices (population approximately 30,000); of the variables identified in the guidance. We implemented a quality improvement (QI) intervention called audit-based education (ABE) comparing participant practices with guidelines and each other before and after; we report odds ratios (OR) of any change in data recording. Results: The review revealed evidence for advising on: diet, weight control, physical exercise, and alcohol. The proportion of patients with recordings of family history of: disease, neoplasms, and breast cancer were: 39.3%, 5.1% and 1.3% respectively. There was no significant change in the recording of family history of disease or cancer; OR 1.02 (95% CI 0.98-1.06); and 1.08 (95% CI 0.99-1.17) respectively. Recording of alcohol consumption and smoking both increased significantly; OR 1.36 (95% CI 1.30-1.43); and 1.42 (95% CI 1.27-1.60) respectively. Recording lifestyle advice fell; OR 0.84 (95% CI 0.81-0.88). Conclusions: The study informs about current data recording and willingness to engage in ABE. Recording of risk factors improved after the intervention. Further QI is needed to achieve adherence to current guidance

Prevalence of Insomnia among University Students in South Asian Region: A Systematic Review of Studies

Introduction: Insomnia is a global health problem among university students which is associated with various psychiatric problems like depression and anxiety. While different developed and developing countries assessed the prevalence of insomnia in youth, there is currently no systematic review of studies on the prevalence of insomnia in South Asia. Aims: The aim of this study is to systematically review the evidence relating to the prevalence rate of insomnia in university students in South Asian countries. Methods: Electronic searches of three databases, PubMed, Cochrane library and Worldwide science were performed from 2010 to 2020 before April. In total, six studies were included for evaluating insomnia in South Asian region among university students. Result: The prevalence rates of insomnia of the six studies ranged between 35.4% (95%CI: 32.4-38.5%) and 70% (95%CI: 65.7-74.1%). The pooled prevalence of insomnia among university students was 49.1% (95%CI: 38.1-60.2%). Conclusion: This review emphasized that insomnia in university students might be a common health issue to give full concentration to their studies and academic performance thus, more attention should be given to the determinants of insomnia among university students, so that it could be helpful to identify the main causes of insomnia and effective measures could be taken. &nbsp

Thermoelectric properties and electronic structure of Cr(Mo,V)Nx thin films studied by synchrotron and lab-based X-ray spectroscopy

Chromium-based nitrides are used in hard, resilient coatings, and show promise for thermoelectric applications due to their combination of structural, thermal, and electronic properties. Here, we investigated the electronic structures and chemical bonding correlated to the thermoelectric properties of epitaxially grown chromium-based multicomponent nitride Cr(Mo,V)Nx thin films. Due to minuscule N vacancies, finite population of Cr 3d and N 2p states appear at the Fermi level and diminishes the band opening for Cr0.51N0.49. Incorporating holes by alloying V in N deficient CrN matrix results in enhanced thermoelectric power factor with marginal change in the charge transfer of Cr to N compared to Cr0.51N0.49. Further alloying Mo isoelectronic to Cr increases the density of states across the Fermi level due to hybridization of the (Cr, V) 3d and Mo 4d-N 2p states in Cr(Mo,V)Nx. The hybridization effect with reduced N 2p states off from stoichiometry drives the system towards metal like electrical resistivity and reduction in Seebeck coefficient compensating the overall power factor still comparable to Cr0.51N0.49. The N deficiency also depicts a critical role in reduction of the charge transfer from metal to N site. The present work envisages ways for enhancing thermoelectric properties through electronic band engineering by alloying and competing effects of N vacancies.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

Association Between Fish Consumption, Long Chain Omega 3 Fatty Acids, and Risk of Cerebrovascular Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: To clarify associations of fish consumption and long chain omega 3 fatty acids with risk of cerebrovascular disease for primary and secondary prevention. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Studies published before September 2012 identified through electronic searches using Medline, Embase, BIOSIS, and Science Citation Index databases. Eligibility criteria Prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials reporting on associations of fish consumption and long chain omega 3 fatty acids (based on dietary self report), omega 3 fatty acids biomarkers, or supplementations with cerebrovascular disease (defined as any fatal or non-fatal ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, cerebrovascular accident, or transient ischaemic attack). Both primary and secondary prevention studies (comprising participants with or without cardiovascular disease at baseline) were eligible. Results: 26 prospective cohort studies and 12 randomised controlled trials with aggregate data on 794 000 non-overlapping people and 34 817 cerebrovascular outcomes were included. In cohort studies comparing categories of fish intake the pooled relative risk for cerebrovascular disease for 2-4 servings a week versus ≤1 servings a week was 0.94 (95% confidence intervals 0.90 to 0.98) and for ≥5 servings a week versus 1 serving a week was 0.88 (0.81 to 0.96). The relative risk for cerebrovascular disease comparing the top thirds of baseline long chain omega 3 fatty acids with the bottom thirds for circulating biomarkers was 1.04 (0.90 to 1.20) and for dietary exposures was 0.90 (0.80 to 1.01). In the randomised controlled trials the relative risk for cerebrovascular disease in the long chain omega 3 supplement compared with the control group in primary prevention trials was 0.98 (0.89 to 1.08) and in secondary prevention trials was 1.17 (0.99 to 1.38). For fish or omega 3 fatty acids the estimates for ischaemic and haemorrhagic cerebrovascular events were broadly similar. Evidence was lacking of heterogeneity and publication bias across studies or within subgroups. Conclusions: Available observational data indicate moderate, inverse associations of fish consumption and long chain omega 3 fatty acids with cerebrovascular risk. Long chain omega 3 fatty acids measured as circulating biomarkers in observational studies or supplements in primary and secondary prevention trials were not associated with cerebrovascular disease. The beneficial effect of fish intake on cerebrovascular risk is likely to be mediated through the interplay of a wide range of nutrients abundant in fish