Growth pattern of preterm and IUGR babies in an urban slum of Kolkata, west Bengal, India

The present study was carried out to analyze the growth pattern of pretermand IUGR infants from birth up to nine months of age. A longitudinal study was conducted in an urban slum of Chetla, Kolkata, India. Study population comprised of 36 low birth weight babies, out of which 13 were preterms and rest 23 were IUGR babies. Different anthropometric parameters like weight, length, head and chest circumference was measured and compared between two groups. During the entire follow up period, all the mean anthropometric parameters of the preterms lagged behind their IUGR counterparts; in contrast the growth potential of the preterms was more as revealed by their increased mean increments in terms of weight, length, head and chest circumference. Regular growth monitoring should be an essential component of care of both preterm and IUGR babies with more focused health care services for IUGR babies, so as to detect growth faltering at the earlies

Unsteady Natural Convection in an Initially Stratified Air-Filled Trapezoidal Enclosure Heated from Below

Natural convection is intensively explored, especially in a valley-shaped trapezoidal enclosure, because of its broad presence in both technical settings and nature. This study deals with a trapezoidal cavity, which is initially filled with linearly stratified air. Although the sidewalls remain adiabatic, the bottom wall is heated, and the top wall is cooled. For the stratified fluid (air), the temperature of the fluid adjacent to the top and the bottom walls is the same as that of the walls. Natural convection in the trapezoidal cavity is simulated in two dimensions using numerical simulations, by varying Rayleigh numbers (Ra) from 100 to 108 with constant Prandtl number, Pr = 0.71, and aspect ratio, A = 0.5. The numerical results demonstrate that the development of natural convection from the beginning is dependent on the Rayleigh numbers. According to numerical results, the development of transient flow within the enclosure owing to the predefined conditions for the boundary may be categorized into three distinct stages: early, transitional, and steady or unsteady. The flow characteristics at each of the three phases and the impact of the Rayleigh number on the flow’s growth are quantified. Unsteady natural convection flows in the enclosure are described and validated by numerical results. In addition, heat transfer through the bottom and the top surfaces is described in this study.</jats:p

A computational study on fluid flow and heat transfer through a rotating curved duct with rectangular cross section

The understanding of fluid flow and heat transfer (HT) through a rotating curved duct (RCD) is important for different engineering applications. The available literature improved the understanding of the fluid flow and HT through a large-curvature rotating duct. However, the comprehensive knowledge of fluid flow and HT through an RCD with small curvature is little known. This numerical study aims to perform fluid flow characterization and HT through an RCD with curvature ratio 0.001. The spectral based numerical approach investigates the effects of rotation on fluid flow and HT for the Taylor number -1000≤TTTT≤1500. A constant pressure gradient force, the Dean number Dn = 100, and a constant buoyancy force parameter, the Grashof number Gr = 500 are used for the numerical simulation. Fortran code is developed for the numerical computations and Tecplot software is used for the post-processing purpose. The numerical study investigates steady solutions and a structure of two-branches of steady solutions is obtained for positive rotation. The transient solution reports the transitional flow patterns and HT through the rotating duct, and two- to four-vortex solutions are observed. In case of negative rotation, time-dependent solutions show that the Coriolis force exhibits an opposite effect to that of the curvature so that the flow characteristics exhibit various flow instabilities. The numerical result shows that convective HT is increased with the increase of rotation and highly complex secondary flow patterns influence the overall HT from the heated wall to the fluid. To validate the numerical results, a comparison with the experimental data is provided, which shows that a good agreement is attained between the numerical and experimental investigations

Sodium Phenylbutyrate Controls Neuroinflammatory and Antioxidant Activities and Protects Dopaminergic Neurons in Mouse Models of Parkinson’s Disease

Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress underlie the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative disorders. Here we demonstrate that sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB), an FDA-approved therapy for reducing plasma ammonia and glutamine in urea cycle disorders, can suppress both proinflammatory molecules and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in activated glial cells. Interestingly, NaPB also decreased the level of cholesterol but involved only intermediates, not the end product of cholesterol biosynthesis pathway for these functions. While inhibitors of both geranylgeranyl transferase (GGTI) and farnesyl transferase (FTI) inhibited the activation of NF-κB, inhibitor of GGTI, but not FTI, suppressed the production of ROS. Accordingly, a dominant-negative mutant of p21rac, but not p21ras, attenuated the production of ROS from activated microglia. Inhibition of both p21ras and p21rac activation by NaPB in microglial cells suggests that NaPB exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects via inhibition of these small G proteins. Consistently, we found activation of both p21ras and p21rac in vivo in the substantia nigra of acute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Oral administration of NaPB reduced nigral activation of p21ras and p21rac, protected nigral reduced glutathione, attenuated nigral activation of NF-κB, inhibited nigral expression of proinflammatory molecules, and suppressed nigral activation of glial cells. These findings paralleled dopaminergic neuronal protection, normalized striatal neurotransmitters, and improved motor functions in MPTP-intoxicated mice. Consistently, FTI and GGTI also protected nigrostriata in MPTP-intoxicated mice. Furthermore, NaPB also halted the disease progression in a chronic MPTP mouse model. These results identify novel mode of action of NaPB and suggest that NaPB may be of therapeutic benefit for neurodegenerative disorders

Association between canine leishmaniosis and Ehrlichia canis co-infection: a prospective case-control study

Abstract Background In the Mediterranean basin, Leishmania infantum is a major cause of disease in dogs, which are frequently co-infected with other vector-borne pathogens (VBP). However, the associations between dogs with clinical leishmaniosis (ClinL) and VBP co-infections have not been studied. We assessed the risk of VBP infections in dogs with ClinL and healthy controls. Methods We conducted a prospective case-control study of dogs with ClinL (positive qPCR and ELISA antibody for L. infantum on peripheral blood) and clinically healthy, ideally breed-, sex- and age-matched, control dogs (negative qPCR and ELISA antibody for L. infantum on peripheral blood) from Paphos, Cyprus. We obtained demographic data and all dogs underwent PCR on EDTA-blood extracted DNA for haemoplasma species, Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., and Hepatozoon spp., with DNA sequencing to identify infecting species. We used logistic regression analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) to evaluate the risk of VBP infections between ClinL cases and controls. Results From the 50 enrolled dogs with ClinL, DNA was detected in 24 (48%) for Hepatozoon spp., 14 (28%) for Mycoplasma haemocanis, 6 (12%) for Ehrlichia canis and 2 (4%) for Anaplasma platys. In the 92 enrolled control dogs, DNA was detected in 41 (45%) for Hepatozoon spp., 18 (20%) for M. haemocanis, 1 (1%) for E. canis and 3 (3%) for A. platys. No Babesia spp. or “Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum” DNA was detected in any dog. No statistical differences were found between the ClinL and controls regarding age, sex, breed, lifestyle and use of ectoparasitic prevention. A significant association between ClinL and E. canis infection (OR = 12.4, 95% CI: 1.5–106.0, P = 0.022) was found compared to controls by multivariate logistic regression. This association was confirmed using SEM, which further identified that younger dogs were more likely to be infected with each of Hepatozoon spp. and M. haemocanis, and dogs with Hepatozoon spp. were more likely to be co-infected with M. haemocanis. Conclusions Dogs with ClinL are at a higher risk of co-infection with E. canis than clinically healthy dogs. We recommend that dogs diagnosed with ClinL should be tested for E. canis co-infection using PCR

Differing myocardial response to a single session of hemodialysis in end-stage renal disease with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND: Though hemodialysis (HD) acutely improves cardiac function, the impact of background diseases like coronary artery disease (CAD) and Type 2 diabetes (DM) in the setting of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is not known. Tissue velocity echocardiography (TVE) offers a fast choice to follow changes in myocardial function after HD in ESRD with concomitant DM and /or CAD. METHODS: 46 subjects (17 with ESRD, Group 1; 15 with DM, Group 2; 14 with DM+CAD, Group 3) underwent standard and TVE prior to and shortly after HD. Besides standard Doppler variables, regional myocardial systolic and diastolic velocities, as well as systolic strain rate were post processed. RESULTS: Compared with pre-HD, post-HD body weight (kg) significantly decreased in all the three groups (51 ± 9 vs. 48 ± 8, 62 ± 10 vs.59 ± 10, and 61 ± 9 vs. 58 ± 9 respectively; all p < 0.01). Left ventricular end diastolic dimensions (mm) also decreased post- HD (46 ± 5 vs. 42 ± 7, 53 ± 7 vs. 50 ± 7, 51 ± 7 vs. 47 ± 8 respectively; all p < 0.01). Regional longitudinal peak systolic velocity in septum (cm/s) significantly increased post-HD in Group 1(5.7 ± 1.6 vs. 7.2 ± 2.3; p < 0.001) while remained unchanged in the other two groups. Similar trends were noted in other left ventricular walls. When the myocardial velocities (cm/s) were computed globally, the improvement was seen only in Group 1 (6.3 ± 1.5 vs. 7.9 ± 2.0; p < 0.001). Global early regional diastolic velocity (cm/s) improved in Group 1, remained unchanged in Group 2, while significantly decreased in Group 3(-5.9 ± 1.3 vs. -4.1 ± 1.8; p < 0.01). Global systolic strain rate (1/sec) increased in the first 2 Groups but remained unchanged (-0.87 ± 0.4 vs. -0.94 ± 0.3; p = ns) in Group 3. CONCLUSION: A single HD session improves LV function only in ESRD without coexistent DM and/or CAD. The present data suggest that not only dialysis-dependent changes in loading conditions but also co-existent background diseases determine the myocardial response to HD

Limits on scalar leptoquark interactions and consequences for GUTs

A colored weak singlet scalar state with hypercharge 4/3 is one of the possible candidates for the explanation of the unexpectedly large forward-backward asymmetry in t tbar production as measured by the CDF and D0 experiments. We investigate the role of this state in a plethora of flavor changing neutral current processes and precision observables of down-quarks and charged leptons. Our analysis includes tree- and loop-level mediated observables in the K and B systems, the charged lepton sector, as well as the Z to b bbar decay width. We perform a global fit of the relevant scalar couplings. This approach can explain the (g-2)_mu anomaly while tensions among the CP violating observables in the quark sector, most notably the nonstandard CP phase (and width difference) in the Bs system cannot be fully relaxed. The results are interpreted in a class of grand unified models which allow for a light colored scalar with a mass below 1TeV. We find that the renormalizable SU(5) scenario is not compatible with our global fit, while in the SO(10) case the viability requires the presence of both the 126- and 120-dimensional representations.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures; version as publishe

Therapeutic and immunomodulatory activities of short-course treatment of murine visceral leishmaniasis with KALSOME™10, a new liposomal amphotericin B

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a potentially fatal disease, is most prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, East Africa and South America. Since the conventional antileishmanial drugs have many limitations we evaluated a new ergosterol rich liposomal amphotericin B formulation, KALSOME™10 for its leishmanicidal efficacy, tolerability and immunomodulatory activity. Normal healthy mice were treated with 3.5 mg/kg single and 7.5 mg/kg single and double doses ofKALSOME™10. Liver and kidney function tests were performed fourteen days after treatment. Next, normal mice were infected with Leishmania donovani amastigotes. Two months post infection they were treated with the above mentioned doses of KALSOME™10 and sacrificed one month after treatment for estimation of parasite burden in the liver and spleen by Limiting Dilution Assay. Leishmanial antigen stimulated splenocyte culture supernatants were collected for cytokine detection through ELISA. Flow cytometric studies were performed on normal animals treated with KALSOME™10, Amphotericin B (AmB) and AmBiosome to compare their immunomodulatory activities. The drug was found to induce no hepato- or nephrotoxicities at the studied doses. Moreover, at all doses, it led to significant reduction in parasite burden in two month infected BALB/c mice, with 7.5 mg/kg double dose resulting in almost complete clearance of parasites from both liver and spleen. Interestingly, the drug at 7.5 mg/kg double dose could almost completely inhibit the secretion of disease promoting cytokines, IL-10 and TGFβ, and significantly elevate the levels of IFNγ and IL-12, cytokines required for control of the disease. Mice treated with KALSOME™10 showed elevated levels of IFNγ and suppressed IL-10 secretion from both CD4+ and CD8+ subsets of T cells, as well as from culture supernatants of splenocytes, compared to that of normal, AmB and AmBisome treated animal Treatment of infected mice with 7.5 mg/kg double dose of KALSOME™10 was safe and effective in clearing the parasites from the sites of infection. The drug maintains the inherent immunomodulatory activities of AmB by effectively suppressing disease promoting cytokines IL-10 and TGFβ, thereby boosting IL-12 and IFNγ levels. This emphasizes KALSOME™10 as a promising drug alternative for lifelong protection from VL

High-Throughput SuperSAGE for Digital Gene Expression Analysis of Multiple Samples Using Next Generation Sequencing

We established a protocol of the SuperSAGE technology combined with next-generation sequencing, coined “High-Throughput (HT-) SuperSAGE”. SuperSAGE is a method of digital gene expression profiling that allows isolation of 26-bp tag fragments from expressed transcripts. In the present protocol, index (barcode) sequences are employed to discriminate tags from different samples. Such barcodes allow researchers to analyze digital tags from transcriptomes of many samples in a single sequencing run by simply pooling the libraries. Here, we demonstrated that HT-SuperSAGE provided highly sensitive, reproducible and accurate digital gene expression data. By increasing throughput for analysis in HT-SuperSAGE, various applications are foreseen and several examples are provided in the present study, including analyses of laser-microdissected cells, biological replicates and tag extraction using different anchoring enzymes

CXCL12 inhibits expression of the NMDA receptor's NR2B subunit through a histone deacetylase-dependent pathway contributing to neuronal survival

Homeostatic chemokines, such as CXCL12, can affect neuronal activity by the regulation of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission, but the mechanisms involved are still undefined. Our previous studies have shown that CXCL12 protects cortical neurons from excitotoxicity by promoting the function of the gene-repressor protein Rb, which is involved in the recruitment of chromatin modifiers (such as histone deacetylases (HDACs)) to gene promoters. In neurons, Rb controls activity-dependent genes essential to neuronal plasticity and survival, such as the N-methyl--aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor's subunit NR2B, the expression of which in the tetrameric ion channel largely affects calcium signaling by glutamate. In this study, we report that CXCL12 differentially modulates intracellular responses after stimulation of synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDA receptors, by a specific regulation of the NR2B gene that involves HDACs. Our results show that CXCL12 selectively inhibits NR2B expression in vitro and in vivo altering NMDA-induced calcium responses associated with neuronal death, while promoting prosurvival pathways that depend on stimulation of synaptic receptors. Along with previous studies, these findings underline the role of CXCL12/CXCR4 in the regulation of crucial components of glutamatergic transmission. These novel effects of CXCL12 may be involved in the physiological function of the chemokine in both developing and mature brains