The Identification, Isolation and Partial Characterisation of VapA-encoding virulence plasmids in Rhodococcus equi found in New Zealand.

This thesis describes the identification, isolation and partial characterisation of VapA-encoded virulence plasmids present in Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) found in foals in New Zealand. R. equi infection associated with the presence of virulence plasmids causes severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals and, if left untreated, it can be lethal. Foals are thought to be infected when they ingest or breathe in bacteria present in soil, dust and faecal particles after which the bacteria multiply inside macrophages and cause pneumonia. Studies have shown that virulence is associated with the presence of the vapA gene in a plasmid that encodes a VapA protein. Twelve different types of VapA-encoding virulence plasmids have been described so far. Epidemiological studies of America, Australia, Korea, Japan and some parts of Europe have revealed that more than one subtype can exist in a farm or even a country. The aim of the study was to investigate if more than one subtype of VapA-encoded plasmids exists in a farm in New Zealand. Nasal swabs for the analysis were obtained from the Auckland Veterinary Centre in Papakura. Based on colony morphology and 16S primers, successful identification of R. equi was possible, VapA primers assisted with distinguishing bacteria that carried VapA-encoded plasmids. Since success with plasmid isolations was modest, characterization of plasmids was conducted by sequence analysis of an approximately 1-kb variable region present in VapA-encoded plasmids. Sequence analysis and restriction digestion patterns revealed two distinct patterns of sequences from the variable region which were divided into two groups: PI and PII. Results indicated that PI sequences were significantly similar to published 85-kb type I plasmids and must also be from 85-kb type I plasmids but more detailed analysis of other regions is required to confirm the results. PII sequences on the other hand were distinctly different from PI sequences and displayed poor matches with published plasmid sequences. This is the first attempt at characterising VapA-encoded virulence plasmids from R. equi isolates in New Zealand. This work will contribute towards increasing our knowledge regarding the unique characteristics of the VapA-encoding plasmids, which could define transmission characteristics, possible sources of infection in disease outbreaks and vaccine development

Practise & Belief of Santhara: Right to Die

The article seeks to assert that the ritual of Santhara practiced by the followers of Jainism is not a suicide and discerns from the view of the Rajasthan High Court. The authors have used various sources on Santhara for research work and have analysed various case laws on right to die with dignity. At the outset, the article discusses the eminence of Santhara in Jainism. Further, it discusses the foundation of the ‘essential practice’ doctrine through various landmark judgements. The Rajasthan High Court has erred in holding that Santhara is not an essential practice in Jainism, when the same has been proved by Jain ascetics and religious denominations. The High Court ruling also contravenes the Supreme Court judgment, which holds that the right to life includes the right to a dignified life up to the point of death and would also encompass a dignified procedure for death. The article attributes the raison-d'être of the court, to the western perspective, overlooking the religious diversity of the Indian subcontinent and the various practices associated with different religions. Lastly, the article concludes that the Supreme Court needs * Third Year, BBA LLB, National Law University, Jodhpur, India; [email protected] Third Year, BSc LLB, National Law University, Jodhpur, India; [email protected] to lay emphasis on the difference between essentially religious and secular practices and re-affirm the right of religious freedom

Analysis of serum leptin levels as a biomarker in metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetic patients in Okhla industrial area

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a progressive disorder which includes a wide array of disorders i.e. central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. In patients with metabolic syndrome there is an increased risk of mortality due to coronary heart disease, stroke, vascular dysfunction etc. Obesity is one of the most crucial epidemics of modern times and hormone leptin plays an important role in regulation of body weight and energy balance.Methods: A total of 355 individuals were selected from the OPD, Department of general medicine at ESIC hospital, Okhla and it comprised of 196 males and 159 females suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus with metabolic syndrome. The data was collected over a year i.e. June 2018 to July 2019. After baseline clinical and anthropometric evaluation, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Post Prandial Blood Sugar (PPBS), lipid profile, Insulin (fasting), and leptin levels of the patients were analyzed.Results: Blood sugar fasting, blood sugar post prandial, lipid profile, leptin and insulin levels were increased significantly in female patients as compared to male patients with type 2 diabetic patients and metabolic syndrome.Conclusions: Based on the study results, it was found that leptin correlate significantly with metabolic syndrome and could be used as a biomarker for the early detection of the disease

Simulating Motion in Figurative Language Comprehension

In this visual world eye tracking study we explored simulation of fictive motion during language comprehension in figurative sentences in Hindi. Eye movement measures suggest that language comprehenders gaze longer at visual scenes on hearing fictive motion sentences compared to their literal counterparts. The results support previous findings in English and provide cross linguistic evidence for the simulation and embodied views of language processing. We discuss the findings in the light of neuroimaging models and language vision interaction

Vultures in human-distorted landscapes of Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, India pertaining to roosting and feeding sites

The Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh is blessed with a promising population of vultures, the chief obligate scavengers that have coexisted with humans for centuries. Balrampur district has the residential and migratory vulture population in their protected and unprotected areas. The study was undertaken from December 2016 to May 2019, to understanding how vultures persisted in human-altered landscapes with a focus on management of roosting and feeding sites. The results illustrated the presence of 7 vulture species in the study area that exhibited seasonal variations. The vulture population at roosting sites ranged from 10 to 600 comprising of individuals of Oriental white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) and 2-3 Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus). Being social foragers, vultures were seen feeding in flocks of 15-60 individuals. As per the observations, there was no dearth of carcasses for the scavengers; however, the presence of the feral dog population is a key hindrance. The risk to nesting and roosting sites is high due to the uncontrolled collecting of woods for domestic and commercial uses such as in hotel kitchens, brick kilns and at furniture shops. This information will aid to know where and how to focus conservation efforts on a regional and global scale with the involvement of local people

Structure and dynamics of solitary waves in fluid media

This research deals with the study of nonlinear solitary waves in fluid media. The equations which model surface and internal waves in fluids have been studied and used in this research. The approach to study the structure and dynamics of internal solitary waves in near-critical situations is the traditional theoretical and numerical study of nonlinear wave processes based on the methods of dynamical systems. The synergetic approach has been exploited, which presumes a combination of theoretical and numerical methods. All numerical calculations were performed with the desktop personal computer. Traditional and novel methods of mathematical physics were actively used, including Fourier analysis technique, inverse scattering method, Hirota method, phase-plane analysis, analysis of integral invariants, finite-difference method, Petviashvili and Yang–Lakoba numerical iterative techniques for the numerical solution of Partial Differential Equation. A new model equation, dubbed the Gardner–Kawahara equation, has been suggested to describe wave phenomena in the near-critical situations, when the nonlinear and dispersive coefficients become anomalously small. Such near-critical situations were not studied so far, therefore this study is very topical and innovative. Results obtained will shed a light on the structure of solitary waves in near-critical situation, which can occur in two-layer fluid with strong surface tension between the layers. A family of solitary waves was constructed numerically for the derived Gardner–Kawahara equation; their structure has been investigated analytically and numerically. The problem of modulation stability of quasi-monochromatic wave-trains propagating in a media has also being studied. The Nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) has been derived from the unidirectional Gardner–Ostrovsky equation and a general Shrira equation which describes both surface and internal long waves in a rotating fluid. It was demonstrated that earlier obtained results (Grimshaw & Helfrich, 2008; 2012; Whitfield & Johnson, 2015a; 2015b) on modulational stability/instability are correct within the limited range of wavenumbers where the Ostrovsky equation is applicable. In the meantime, results obtained in this Thesis and published in the paper (Nikitenkova et al., 2015) are applicable in the wider range of wavenumbers up to k = 0. It was shown that surface and internal oceanic waves are stable with respect to selfmodulation at small wavenumbers when k → 0 in contrast to what was mistakenly obtained in (Shrira, 1981). In Chapter 4 new exact solutions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation with a positive dispersion are obtained in the form of obliquely propagating skew lumps. Specific features of such lumps were studied in details. In particular, the integral characteristics of single lumps (mass, momentum components and energy) have been calculated and presented in terms of lump velocity. It was shown that exact stationary multi-lump solutions can be constructed for this equation. As the example, the exact bilump solution is presented in the explicit form and illustrated graphically. The relevance of skew lumps to the real physical systems is discussed

Transcriptional control of embryonic and adult neural progenitor activity

Neural precursors generate neurons in the embryonic brain and in restricted niches of the adult brain in a process called neurogenesis. The precise control of cell proliferation and differentiation in time and space required for neurogenesis depends on sophisticated orchestration of gene transcription in neural precursor cells. Much progress has been made in understanding the transcriptional regulation of neurogenesis, which relies on dose- and context-dependent expression of specific transcription factors that regulate the maintenance and proliferation of neural progenitors, followed by their differentiation into lineage-specified cells. Here, we review some of the most widely studied neurogenic transcription factors in the embryonic cortex and neurogenic niches in the adult brain. We compare functions of these transcription factors in embryonic and adult neurogenesis, highlighting biochemical, developmental, and cell biological properties. Our goal is to present an overview of transcriptional regulation underlying neurogenesis in the developing cerebral cortex and in the adult brain

Spoken language-mediated anticipatory eye-movements are modulated by reading ability - Evidence from Indian low and high literates

We investigated whether levels of reading ability attained through formal literacy are related to anticipatory language-mediated eye movements. Indian low and high literates listened to simple spoken sentences containing a target word (e.g., "door") while at the same time looking at a visual display of four objects (a target, i.e. the door, and three distractors). The spoken sentences were constructed in such a way that participants could use semantic, associative, and syntactic information from adjectives and particles (preceding the critical noun) to anticipate the visual target objects. High literates started to shift their eye gaze to the target objects well before target word onset. In the low literacy group this shift of eye gaze occurred only when the target noun (i.e. "door") was heard, more than a second later. Our findings suggest that formal literacy may be important for the fine-tuning of language-mediated anticipatory mechanisms, abilities which proficient language users can then exploit for other cognitive activities such as spoken language-mediated eye gaze. In the conclusion, we discuss three potential mechanisms of how reading acquisition and practice may contribute to the differences in predictive spoken language processing between low and high literates

Does The Spouse Matter? A Scoping Review on Spousal Support for Working Population

Purpose: The review aims to discover and report the literature on spousal support provided to working population (men/women) and the predictors, outcomes, mediators and moderators found in relation to spousal support.   Theoretical Framework: Support at home (or spousal support) is vital for a married men or women so that they can invest more energy at work. The concept is proposed and supported by a number of theories, such as spousal support theory, human capital theory, and was utilized to choose only working population for this review.   Design/Methodology/Approach: A scoping review research model was used to systematically search for and report the empirical literature on spousal support in context of working population. Scopus database was used to search for literature on the topic, with no limit on time and discipline of publication. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) flow diagram for scoping review was used to show the search and filtering process used.   Findings: A total of 706 empirical articles were obtained from Scopus database, out of which 699 articles were removed while matching the title and abstract of literature with selection criteria. Further, 149 articles were excluded because of incompatibility of full text article with eligibility criteria, this left us with 61 articles to be reviewed on the topic of interest.   Research, Practical & Social implications: This study aimed to examine spousal support among working population (men and women) and its associated predictors, outcomes, mediators and moderators.   Originality/Value: In the past, review has been conducted on spousal support but no effort was made to look for study characteristics, sample characteristics, or detailed methodological features, especially in context of working population. Hence, the present review will be first to give an initial idea on the way spousal support has been described, measured, the country where and when the topic has been studied most and other sample and methodology related choices

Coherence as an indicator to discern electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes splitting (ATS) are generally characterized and distinguished by the width of the transparency created in the absorption profile of a weak probe in presence of a strong control field. This often leads to ambiguities, as both phenomena yield similar spectroscopic signature. However, an objective method based on the AIC test offers a quantitative way to discern the two regimes when applied on the probe absorption profile. The obtained transition value of control field strength was found to be higher than the value given by pole analysis of the corresponding off-diagonal density matrix element $\rho_{13}$. By contrast, we apply the test on ground state coherence $\rho_{12}$ and the measured coherence quantifier, which yielded a distinct transition point around the predicted value also in presence of noise. Our test accurately captures the transition between the two regimes, indicating that a proper measure of coherence is essential for making such distinctions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure