Liver Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (L-FABP): A Marker of Contrast Induced -Acute Kidney Injury

Background: Urinary Liver type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) is an early biomarker for renal damage. A few studies have been published analyzing the potential use of urinary Liver type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) as a biomarker for acute kidney injury. However no study has been done related to Acute Kidney Injury associated with contrast administration. Aim: To search for new markers to identify Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) associated with contrast administration earlier than serum creatinine. Material and Methods: We studied 100 consecutive patients with normal serum creatinine undergoing angiographic procedure. We assessed urinary liver type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) levels at basal, 2h 4h, 12h, 24 h and 48 hours after the angiographic procedure. Serum creatinine was measured at basal, 24h and 48 hours after the procedure. Results: There was a significant rise in urinary L-FABP levels at 12 hours after the angiographic procedure. The presence of contrast induced nephropathy associated with acute Kidney Injury was 9%. Conclusion: The present study highlighted the importance of urinary L-FABP in detecting Acute Kidney Injury associated with contrast administration earlier than Serum creatinine. Keywords: Liver type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP).   Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), Contrast induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI)

Kidney injury molecule-1: a urinary biomarker for contrast induced acute kidney injury.

Back ground: Urinary kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) is early biomarker for renal damage. A few studies have been published analyzing the potential use of urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) as a biomarker for acute kidney injury. However no study has been done related to Acute Kidney Injury associated with contrast administration. Aim: To search for new markers to identify Acute Kidney Injury (ARF) associated with contrast administration earlier than serum creatinine. Material and Methods: We studied 100 consecutive patients with normal serum creatinine undergoing angiographic procedure. We assessed urine KIM-1, at 4h, 8h, and 24 hours after the angiographic procedure. Serum creatinine was measured at basal, 24h and 48 hours after the procedure. Results: There was a significant rise in urinary KIM-1 levels at 24 hours after the angiographic procedure. The presence of contrast induced nephropathy associated with acute Kidney Injury was 12%. Conclusion: The present study highlighted the importance of urinary KIM-1 in detecting Acute Kidney Injury associated with contrast administration earlier than Serum creatinine. Key words: Neutrophil-gelatinase-associated lipocalin. Contrast-induced nephropathy. Cystatin C. Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), Kidney injury molecule -1 (KIM-1)

Tuberculosis Contact Screening and Isoniazid Preventive Therapy in a South Indian District: Operational Issues for Programmatic Consideration

BACKGROUND: Under India's Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), all household contacts of sputum smear positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) patients are screened for TB. In the absence of active TB disease, household contacts aged <6 years are eligible for Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) (5 milligrams/kilogram body weight/day) for 6 months. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the number of household contacts aged <6 years, of sputum smear positive PTB patients registered for treatment under RNTCP from April to June'2008 in Krishna District, to assess the extent to which they are screened for TB disease and in its absence initiated on IPT. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted. Households of all smear positive PTB cases (n = 848) registered for treatment from April to June'2008 were included. Data on the number of household contacts aged <6 years, the extent to which they were screened for TB disease, and the status of initiation of IPT, was collected. RESULTS: Households of 825 (97%) patients were visited, and 172 household contacts aged <6 years were identified. Of them, 116 (67%) were evaluated for TB disease; none were found to be TB diseased and 97 (84%) contacts were initiated on IPT and 19 (16%) contacts were not initiated on IPT due to shortage of INH tablets in peripheral health centers. The reasons for non-evaluation of the remaining eligible children (n = 56, 33%) include no home visit by the health staff in 25 contacts, home visit done but not evaluated in 31 contacts. House-hold contacts in rural areas were less likely to be evaluated and initiated on IPT [risk ratio 6.65 (95% CI; 3.06-14.42)]. CONCLUSION: Contact screening and IPT implementation under routine programmatic conditions is sub-optimal. There is an urgent need to sensitize all concerned programme staff on its importance and establishment of mechanisms for rigorous monitoring

Regional frequency analysis of precipitation using large-scale atmospheric variables

Effective estimates of the magnitude and frequency of precipitation are necessary for hydrological designs. However, often the available data at target site are inadequate to arrive at reliable estimates. Practicing hydrometeorologists overcome this impediment by pooling information at target site with that from other locations depicting similar characteristics of precipitation. To facilitate pooling of information, hydrometeorologists use regionalization approaches for partitioning sites in the study region into groups having similar precipitation characteristics. The conventional approaches to regionalization are based on statistics computed from observed precipitation, rather than attributes affecting hydrometeorology in a region. Therefore independent validation of the delineated regions for homogeneity in precipitation was not possible. To address this issue, a new approach is proposed. Large-scale atmospheric variables affecting the precipitation in study region and location attributes are suggested as features for regionalization by K-means cluster analysis. This allows independent validation of the identified regions for homogeneity using statistics computed from the observed precipitation. The summer monsoon rainfall (SMR) regions that are currently in use by India Meteorological Department (IMD) are shown to be heterogeneous. Subsequently the effectiveness of the proposed approach to regionalization is illustrated through application to India for delineating new SMR regions. Frequency distributions are identified to fit rainfall in the regions using L-moment–based goodness-of-fit test. Error in rainfall quantile estimates for the new regions is found to be significantly less than that estimated for the IMD SMR regions. The results show that the proposed approach to regional frequency analysis of precipitation is promising

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Not AvailableTHE PAPER DESCRIBES VARIOUS MEASURES ADOPTED TO CONTROL EROSION RATES AT VASD( GUJARAT) . THESE INCLUDES CONSTRUCTION OF CONTOUR AND PERIPHERAL BUNDS AND DIVERSION CHANNELS OF THE TABLE LANDS AND HEADS AND SIDES OF GULLIES AND BY GULLY PLUGS IN GULLY BEDS. SUITABLE SPECIFICATIONS FOR CONTOUR BUNDS AND GULLY PLUGS HAVE BEEN EVOLVED FOR ADOPTION IN THIS AREA. DUE TO THIS, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO SUCCESSFULLY RAISE HORTICULTURAL AND FOREST TREES ON GULLY BEDS AND GRASSES ON MARGINAL LANDS, GULLY SLOPE AND GULLY PLUGS.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableTHE PAPER DISCUSSES THE METHODS ADOPTED BY PROGRESSIVE LOCAL FARMERS IN RECLAIMING RAVINE LANDS TO ORCHARDS AND FARM LANDS. THE AUTHORS SUGGEST THAT BY ADOPTING TECHNICALLY SOUND STRUCTURES AND LEVELLING METHODS EVOLVED AT SOIL CONSERVATION CENTRE, VASAD, THE RECLAMATION WORK COULD BE MORE REWARDING.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableTHE PAPER DESCRIBES HOW THE FARMERS AROUND VASAD IN GUJARAT STATE RECLAIMED THEIR GULLIED LANDS 30 TO 40 YEARS BEFORE 1958. IT ALSO DISCUSSES FINANCIAL ASPECTS AND OFFERS SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THESE PRACTICES.Not Availabl

Alkylation of aromatics on zeolite beta. Unusual butylation of benzene with isobutanol

The high silica zeolite beta has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermal analyses, temperature programmed desorption of ammonia and Si-29 and Al-27 MAS NMR. Alkylation of benzene with isobutanol gave a mixture of secondary butyl benzene and isobutyl benzene instead of tertiary butyl benzene which is usually obtained. A comparison has been made with the results obtained on other acidic molecular sieves and it has been concluded that the unusual alkylation may be due to the peculiar pore structure of the zeolite beta