Biochemical and immunological aspects of riboflavin carrier protein

Riboflavin carrier protein which is obligatorily involved in yolk deposition of the vitamin in the chicken egg, is a unique glycophosphoprotein present in both the yolk and white compartments. The yolk and egg white proteins are products of a single estrogen-inducible gene expressed in the liver and the oviduct respectively of egg laying birds. Despite the fact that the carbohydrate composition of the yolk and white riboflavin carrier proteins differ presumably due to differential post-translational modification, the proteins are immunologically similar and have identical amino acid sequence (including a cluster of 8 phosphoser residues towards the C-terminus) except at the carboxy terminus where the yolk riboflavin carrier protein lacks 13 amino acids as a consequence of proteolytic cleavage during uptake by oocytes. The protein is highly conserved throughout evolution all the way to humans in terms of gross molecular characteristics such as molecular weight and isoelectric point, and in immunological properties, preferential affinity for free riboflavin and estrogen inducibility at the biosynthetic locusviz., liver. Obligatory involvement of the mammalian riboflavin carrier protein in transplacental flavin transport to subserve fetal vitamin nutrition during gestation is revealed by experiments using pregnant rodent or subhuman primate models wherein immunoneutralisation of endogenous maternal riboflavin carrier protein results in fetal wastage followed by pregnancy termination due to selective yet drastic curtailment of vitamin efflux into the fetoplacental unit. Using monoclonal antibodies to chicken riboflavin carrier protein, it could be shown that all the major epitopes of the avian riboflavin carrier protein are highly conserved throughout evolution although the relative affinities of some of the epitopes for different monoclonal antibodies have undergone progressive changes during evolution. Using these monoclonal antibodies, an attempt is being made to map the different epitopes on the riboflavin carrier protein molecule with a view to delineate the immunodominant regions of the vitamin carrier to understand its structure-immunogenicity relationship

SMART CAR PARKING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES

In day to day life theres massive drawback of parking of cars in metro cities attributable to lack of parking areas. So now a days we are constructing new system to solve this problem named as multilevel automatic parking system for vehicles Robotic automotive parking system. That the project work is to develop a automotive parking system that permits 6 to 26 cars inside an area of 32.17 sq.m with security of fingerprint ID for licensed entry solely. This model is very helpful for development in numerous areas like automation i.e. PLC micro-controllers and automation https://journalnx.co

End tidal CO2 level (PETCO2) during laparoscopic surgery: comparison between spinal anaesthesia and general anaesthesia

Background: Laparoscopy is a procedure which involves insufflations of the abdomen by a gas, so that endoscope can visualise intra abdominal content without being in direct contact with viscera or tissues. Its advantages are small incisions, less pain, less postoperative ileus, short hospital stay compared to traditional open method. Monitoring of end tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2) and hemodynamics is very necessary during Laparoscopy surgery. This study is conducted to find out effects of CO2 insufflation on parameters like PETCO2, Mean arterial pulse pressure, SPO2 under spinal anaesthesia and general anaesthesia in ASA I and ASA II patients.Methods: The present study was conducted in the department of anaesthesiology from December 2014 to September 2015.This study was a prospective, randomized controlled, single blind. Each group consisted of 30 patients having Group A and Group B as patient undergoing laparoscopic surgery under Spinal anaesthesia and General anaesthesia respectively. Preoperatively patients in Group A (Spinal anaesthesia) given inj. Midazolam 0.3mg/kg IM 45 before surgery and Group B (General anaesthesia) inj. pentazocin 0.3mg/kg, inj. promethazine 0.5mg/kg, inj. Glycopyrrolate 0.004 mg/kg IM 45 before surgery. In operation theatre, intra operative pulseoximetre, ECG, SPO2, Heart rate (HR), Mean arterial pulse pressure and PETCO2 monitoring done. Amount of CO2 insufflated noted.Results: It was found from present study that in both group there was significant progressive rise in PETCO2 after CO2 insufflation, with peak at 30 min and thereafter plateau till the end of procedure (avg. duration 45-60 min). In group A i.e. laparoscopic surgery under spinal anaesthesia with (spontaneous respiration) the rise in PETCO2 was significant as compared to the group B i.e. laparoscopic surgery under general anaesthesia with controlled ventilation. The heart rate increased after CO2 insufflation in both the group, but it was significant in group A. The increase in SBP, DBP, MAP were less in group A as compared to group B. SPO2 showed no significant changes and it remained above 97% in all patients throughout surgery. All values come to baseline 15 min after insufflation.Conclusions: From the present study it can be concluded that balanced general anaesthesia using IPPV with moderate hyperventilation, as the preferred anaesthetic technique for laparoscopic surgery

Clostridium difficile in Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhoea and Detection of Toxin Producing Strains in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western Maharashtra

Background: Rampant and injudicious use of broad spectrum antibiotic in hospitalized patients has increased the incidence of Clostridium difficile Associated Diarrhea (CDAD). In recent years, Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) has become more frequent, severe, and difficult to treat. Aim and Objective: A prospective, study was conducted to isolate C. difficile in Antibiotic-associated Diarrhoea (AAD) and to detect toxin producing strains of C. difficile from faecal samples of patients suspected to have CDI. Material and Methods: A total of 111 hospitalized patients who developed diarrhoea after >72 hours of admission and suspected of CDI were enrolled for investigation. The samples were subjected to anaerobic culture and toxin assay. Results: The total sample size of the study was 111 patients who were having antibiotic associated diarrhoea. Majority of the patients were from the age group 21-30 years and 41-50 years i.e., 23 (20.7%). Males 64 (57.7%) were affected more as compared to females 47 (42.3%). Third generation cephalosporins were the most common group of antibiotics associated with both AAD 36 (32.4%) and CDAD 9 (42.85%) cases, followed by carbapenem fluroquinolones in combination 3 (12.5%). Culture positivity was seen in 12 (10.81%) of the 111 stool samples and 39 (35.13%) were toxin producers. Conclusion: The use of several medications was found to be associated with an increased risk of CDAD. The only way to reduce Cl. difficile infection is to judiciously use antibiotics, strictly adhere to antibiotic policy and to give prime importance to strict infection control measures

Aspects of sustainability in the destination branding process: a bottom-up approach

The concept of sustainability is based on the premise that the inhabitants of a destination should be involved in the way that destination is managed and promoted. At the same time, the literature of place branding emphasizes the important role of local stakeholders in the creation of a true and reliable place brand. In fact, the process of developing a destination brand begins with the aim of shaping the identity of a destination; what the destination stands for. The sustainable dimensions of the destination branding process are explored, while focus groups and structured questionnaires are used to evaluate the usefulness of projection techniques in the process of building a brand identity. It seems that the use of the personification technique could work as an effective destination positioning exercise and as an alternative proposal to the outdated clichés used in tourism promotion

A Comparative Study of Leptospirosis and Dengue in Thai Children

Two of the most common causes of acute febrile illnesses among children in the tropics are leptospirosis and dengue. Early in illness, these two conditions are often indistinguishable and rapid laboratory confirmation of the infecting pathogen is generally not available. An enhanced ability to distinguish leptospirosis from dengue in children would guide clinicians and public health personnel in the appropriate use of limited healthcare resources

Identification of priority health conditions for field-based screening in urban slums in Bangalore, India

BACKGROUND: Urban slums are characterised by unique challenging living conditions, which increase their inhabitants' vulnerability to specific health conditions. The identification and prioritization of the key health issues occurring in these settings is essential for the development of programmes that aim to enhance the health of local slum communities effectively. As such, the present study sought to identify and prioritise the key health issues occurring in urban slums, with a focus on the perceptions of health professionals and community workers, in the rapidly growing city of Bangalore, India. METHODS: The study followed a two-phased mixed methods design. During Phase I of the study, a total of 60 health conditions belonging to four major categories: - 1) non-communicable diseases; 2) infectious diseases; 3) maternal and women's reproductive health; and 4) child health - were identified through a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews conducted with health professionals and other relevant stakeholders with experience working with urban slum communities in Bangalore. In Phase II, the health issues were prioritised based on four criteria through a consensus workshop conducted in Bangalore. RESULTS: The top health issues prioritized during the workshop were: diabetes and hypertension (non-communicable diseases category), dengue fever (infectious diseases category), malnutrition and anaemia (child health, and maternal and women's reproductive health categories). Diarrhoea was also selected as a top priority in children. These health issues were in line with national and international reports that listed them as top causes of mortality and major contributors to the burden of diseases in India. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study will be used to inform the development of technologies and the design of interventions to improve the health outcomes of local communities. Identification of priority health issues in the slums of other regions of India, and in other low and lower middle-income countries, is recommended

Towards an ICF core set for ADHD:a worldwide expert survey on ability and disability

This is the second in a series of four empirical studies designed to develop International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF and Children and Youth version, ICF-CY) core sets for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this stage was to gather the opinions from international experts on which ability and disability concepts were considered relevant to functioning in ADHD. An email-based survey was carried out amongst international experts in ADHD. Relevant functional ability and disability concepts were extracted from their responses and linked to the ICF/-CY categories by two independent researchers using a standardised linking procedure. 174 experts from 11 different disciplines and 45 different countries completed the survey. Meaningful concepts identified in their responses were linked to 185 ICF/-CY categories. Of these, 83 categories were identified by at least 5 % of the experts and considered the most relevant to ADHD: 30 of these were related to Body functions (most identified: attention functions, 85 %), 30 to Activities and Participation (most identified: school education, 52 %), 20 to Environmental factors (most identified: support from immediate family, 61 %), and 3 to Body structures (most identified: structure of brain, 83 %). Experts also provided their views on particular abilities related to ADHD, naming characteristics such as high-energy levels, flexibility and resiliency. Gender differences in the expression of ADHD identified by experts pertained mainly to females showing more internalising (e.g. anxiety, low self-esteem) and less externalising behaviours (e.g. hyperactivity), leading to a risk of late- and under-diagnosis in females. Results indicate that the impact of ADHD extends beyond the core symptom domains, into all areas of life and across the lifespan. The current study in combination with three additional preparatory studies (comprehensive scoping review, focus groups, clinical study) will provide the scientific basis to define the ADHD ICF/-CY core sets for multi-purpose use in basic and applied research and every day clinical practice

Artificial Intelligence for the Electron Ion Collider (AI4EIC)

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a state-of-the-art facility for studying the strong force, is expected to begin commissioning its first experiments in 2028. This is an opportune time for artificial intelligence (AI) to be included from the start at this facility and in all phases that lead up to the experiments. The second annual workshop organized by the AI4EIC working group, which recently took place, centered on exploring all current and prospective application areas of AI for the EIC. This workshop is not only beneficial for the EIC, but also provides valuable insights for the newly established ePIC collaboration at EIC. This paper summarizes the different activities and R&D projects covered across the sessions of the workshop and provides an overview of the goals, approaches and strategies regarding AI/ML in the EIC community, as well as cutting-edge techniques currently studied in other experiments.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures, AI4EIC workshop, tutorials and hackatho

Enhanced follicular delivery of finasteride to human scalp skin using heat and chemical penetration enhancers

© The Author(s) 2020. This article is an open access publication. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Purpose The aim of this work was to evaluate whether improved topical delivery of finasteride, focussed to the hair follicles of human scalp skin could be achieved with application of short durations of heat and use of specific chemical penetration enhancers. Methods Franz cell experiments with human scalp skin were performed with a range of chemical penetration enhancers at 32°C and 45°C to simulate normal and heated conditions. Selected chemical penetration enhancers were taken forward for finite dose Franz cell studies which examined the effect of heat produced by a prototype external heating system that supplied either 20 or 30 min of additional heat over both a 24 h and a 1 h time period. Results Short durations of externally applied heat significantly increased finasteride penetration into human scalp skin after 24 h. Analysis of drug distribution in the skin after 1 h and 24 h indicated that both heat and chemical penetration enhancer selection influenced drug delivery to the hair follicles. Conclusion The use of short durations of heat in combination with specific chemical penetration enhancers was able to increase the delivery of finasteride to human scalp skin and provide focussed drug delivery to the hair follicles.Peer reviewe