Neuropathology of HIV/AIDS with an overview of the Indian scene

Neurological manifestations of HIV infection and AIDS are being recognized with a frequency that parallels the increasing number of AIDS cases. Next to sub-Saharan Africa, India has the second largest burden of HIV related pathology, essentially caused by HIV-1 clade C in both the geographic locales, in contrast to USA and Europe. But the true prevalence of HIV related neuroinfections and pathology is not available due to inadequate medical facilities, social stigma and ignorance that lead to underdiagnosis. Neurotuberculosis, followed by cryptococcosis and toxoplasmosis in various combinations are the major neuropathologies reflecting the endemicity and manifesting clinically by reactivation of latent infection. Discordance in the clinical prevalence of various infections, when compared to pathological studies highlight similarities in clinical, radiological modalities of diagnosis and inherent problems in establishing definitive diagnosis. Viral infections appear to be relatively rare. Inspite of heavy burden of HIV/AIDS, HIV associated neoplasia is infrequent, including primary CNS lymphomas. HIV encephalitis and HIV associated dementia are considered infrequent, though systematic studies have just been initiated in various centres. Peripheral neuropathy characteristically manifests with vasculitic neuropathy while diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome (DILS) involving nerves has not been reported from India. Spinal cord pathology including vacuolar myelopathy is rare, even in asymptomatic cases. Till now the AIDS cases in India were drug naÏve but a new cohort of cases following initiation of HAART therapy as a national policy is soon emerging, altering the biology and evolution of HIV/AIDS in India. Lacunae in the epidemiology, diagnosis and study of biology of HIV/AIDS are outlined for future research

A new layout optimization technique for interferometric arrays, applied to the MWA

Antenna layout is an important design consideration for radio interferometers because it determines the quality of the snapshot point spread function (PSF, or array beam). This is particularly true for experiments targeting the 21 cm Epoch of Reionization signal as the quality of the foreground subtraction depends directly on the spatial dynamic range and thus the smoothness of the baseline distribution. Nearly all sites have constraints on where antennas can be placed---even at the remote Australian location of the MWA (Murchison Widefield Array) there are rock outcrops, flood zones, heritages areas, emergency runways and trees. These exclusion areas can introduce spatial structure into the baseline distribution that enhance the PSF sidelobes and reduce the angular dynamic range. In this paper we present a new method of constrained antenna placement that reduces the spatial structure in the baseline distribution. This method not only outperforms random placement algorithms that avoid exclusion zones, but surprisingly outperforms random placement algorithms without constraints to provide what we believe are the smoothest constrained baseline distributions developed to date. We use our new algorithm to determine antenna placements for the originally planned MWA, and present the antenna locations, baseline distribution, and snapshot PSF for this array choice.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Lacking hfq Gene Confers Protective Immunity against Murine Typhoid

Salmonella enterica is an important enteric pathogen and its various serovars are involved in causing both systemic and intestinal diseases in humans and domestic animals. The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella leading to increased morbidity and mortality has further complicated its management. Live attenuated vaccines have been proven superior over killed or subunit vaccines due to their ability to induce protective immunity. Of the various strategies used for the generation of live attenuated vaccine strains, focus has gradually shifted towards manipulation of virulence regulator genes. Hfq is a RNA chaperon which mediates the binding of small RNAs to the mRNA and assists in post-transcriptional gene regulation in bacteria. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of the Salmonella Typhimurium Δhfq strain as a candidate for live oral vaccine in murine model of typhoid fever. Salmonella hfq deletion mutant is highly attenuated in cell culture and animal model implying a significant role of Hfq in bacterial virulence. Oral immunization with the Salmonella hfq deletion mutant efficiently protects mice against subsequent oral challenge with virulent strain of Salmonella Typhimurium. Moreover, protection was induced upon both multiple as well as single dose of immunizations. The vaccine strain appears to be safe for use in pregnant mice and the protection is mediated by the increase in the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes upon vaccination. The levels of serum IgG and secretory-IgA in intestinal washes specific to lipopolysaccharide and outer membrane protein were significantly increased upon vaccination. Furthermore, hfq deletion mutant showed enhanced antigen presentation by dendritic cells compared to the wild type strain. Taken together, the studies in murine immunization model suggest that the Salmonella hfq deletion mutant can be a novel live oral vaccine candidate

Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene

To identify novel genes associated with ALS, we undertook two lines of investigation. We carried out a genome-wide association study comparing 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls. Independently, we performed a rare variant burden analysis comparing 1,138 index familial ALS cases and 19,494 controls. Through both approaches, we identified kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) as a novel gene associated with ALS. Interestingly, mutations predominantly in the N-terminal motor domain of KIF5A are causative for two neurodegenerative diseases: hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG10) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2). In contrast, ALS-associated mutations are primarily located at the C-terminal cargo-binding tail domain and patients harboring loss-of-function mutations displayed an extended survival relative to typical ALS cases. Taken together, these results broaden the phenotype spectrum resulting from mutations in KIF5A and strengthen the role of cytoskeletal defects in the pathogenesis of ALS.Peer reviewe

Management of bean common mosaic virus strain blackeye cowpea mosaic (BCMV-BlCM) in cowpea using plant extracts

Efficacy of certain plant extracts in reducing Bean common mosaic potyvirus strain blackeye cowpea mosaic (BCMV-BlCM) disease in cowpea was evaluated. All the six botanicals Azadirachta indica, Boerhaavia diffusa, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Clerodendrum inerme, Psidium guajava, and Thuja occidentalis improved the germination and vigour index of cowpea. The disease incidence was reduced to 7% when 0.75% (w/v) of B. diffusa leaf extract was used as seed treatment under screen house conditions when compared to 80% in control. Under field conditions B. diffusa reduced the disease incidence up to 40% at 0.75% (w/v) concentration of extract. In spray treatment, B. diffusa and B. spectabilis reduced the disease incidence up to 13 and 12% under screenhouse conditions, whereas B. diffusa and C. inerme reduced the disease incidence up to 31 and 32% under field conditions. When plant extracts were mixed with BCMV-BlCM inoculum and young seedlings inoculated, B. spectabilis, C. inerme and M. jalapa extracts reduced the disease incidence up to 42, 40 and 48% respectively under screenhouse conditions when compared with the control

Management of bean common mosaic virus strain blackeye cowpea mosaic (BCMV-BlCM) in cowpea using plant extracts

Efficacy of certain plant extracts in reducing Bean common mosaic potyvirus strain blackeye cowpea mosaic (BCMV-BlCM) disease in cowpea was evaluated. All the six botanicals Azadirachta indica, Boerhaavia diffusa, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Clerodendrum inerme, Psidium guajava, and Thuja occidentalis improved the germination and vigour index of cowpea. The disease incidence was reduced to 7% when 0.75% (w/v) of B. diffusa leaf extract was used as seed treatment under screen house conditions when compared to 80% in control. Under field conditions B. diffusa reduced the disease incidence up to 40% at 0.75% (w/v) concentration of extract. In spray treatment, B. diffusa and B. spectabilis reduced the disease incidence up to 13 and 12% under screenhouse conditions, whereas B. diffusa and C. inerme reduced the disease incidence up to 31 and 32% under field conditions. When plant extracts were mixed with BCMV-BlCM inoculum and young seedlings inoculated, B. spectabilis, C. inerme and M. jalapa extracts reduced the disease incidence up to 42, 40 and 48% respectively under screenhouse conditions when compared with the control

Effect of plant extracts and ascetone precipitated proteins from six medicinal plants against tobamovirus infection

The present study was taken up to evaluate the effect of leaf extracts and acetone-precipitated protein of medicinal plants on seed-borne Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) and Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV) infection. The antiviral activity was tested on indicator plant Nicotiana glutinosa. Acetone precipitated proteins and solvent extracts of six medicinal plants were tested for their effect on tobamovirus infection. The aqueous leaf extracts of Guava, Phyllanthus and Thuja were effective in reducing the infection by ToMV. The acetone-precipitated fractions of Tridax, Thuja, Guava and Tulsi were effective in reducing the infection by TMV. The solvent extract of Guava was effective in reducing the ToMV infection. Guava extract was subjected to TLC and the fractions were tested for their antiviral activity. Fraction with RF value of 0.014 proved to be effective in reducing the ToMV infection. The solvent extract of Thuja was effective in reducing TMV infection. TLC fraction of Thuja extract with the RF value of 0.12 reduced the TMV infection. Along with this, effect of aqueous leaf extracts on seed quality parameters of tomato and bell pepper was studied