Developing procedures for assessment of ecological status of Indian River basins in the context of environmental water requirements

River basins / Ecology / Indicators / Environmental flows / Environmental management / Habitats / Biota / Fish / Ecosystems / India / Krishna River Basin / Chauvery River Basin / Narmada River Basin / Periyar River Basin / Ganga River Basin

Bacteroides muris sp. nov. isolated from the cecum of wild-derived house mice

Two bacterial strains, KH365_2T and KH569_7, were isolated from the cecum contents of wild-derived house mice. The strains were characterized as Gram-negative, rod-shaped, strictly anaerobic, and non-motile. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that both strains were most closely related to Bacteroides uniformis ATCC 8492T. Whole genome sequences of KH365_2T and KH569_7 strains have a DNA G + C content of 46.02% and 46.03% mol, respectively. Most morphological and biochemical characteristics did not differ between the newly isolated strains and classified Bacteroides strains. However, the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and dDNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values clearly distinguished the two strains from described members of the genus Bacteroides. Here, we present the phylogeny, morphology, and physiology of a novel species of the genus Bacteroides and propose the name Bacteroides muris sp. nov., with KH365_2T (DSM 114231T = CCUG 76277T) as type strain

Alpha 1 antitrypsin gene: A case-control study in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is an inherited disorder that causes low levels of, or no AAT in the blood. The most common illness in adults with AAT deficiency is lung disease during the third and fourth decades of life. Most commonly, it is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mutations in the protease inhibitor (PI) gene, located on chromosome 14, are associated with this genetic disorder. The Z protein is due to a single amino acid substitution of 342 glutamine lysine. Although cigarette smoking is the main environmental risk factor, only about 15% of smokers develop clinically significant disease suggesting other influences on disease expression. The study included hospital based age and sex matched 100 cases of COPD and 100 controls without COPD recruited from Christian Medical Centre, Jorhat, Assam. These cases were recruited from February 2009 to December 2009. Subjects were included in the COPD group on the basis of lung function test. DNA extraction was done by DNA extraction kit and amplification for AAT gene was done by site directed mutagenesis polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method as described by Tazellar et al. (1992). We found that smoking was the prior cause of COPD. A1AT deficiency is not prevalent in our population subset but certain other genes could be the attributable factor for COPD.Key words: Alpha 1-antitrypsin, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)

Universality in spectral condensation

Self-organization is the spontaneous formation of spatial, temporal, or spatiotemporal patterns in complex systems far from equilibrium. During such self-organization, energy distributed in a broadband of frequencies gets condensed into a dominant mode, analogous to a condensation phenomena. We call this phenomenon spectral condensation and study its occurrence in fluid mechanical, optical and electronic systems. We define a set of spectral measures to quantify this condensation spanning several dynamical systems. Further, we uncover an inverse power law behaviour of spectral measures with the power corresponding to the dominant peak in the power spectrum in all the aforementioned systems.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Universality in spectral condensation

Self-organization is the spontaneous formation of spatial, temporal, or spatiotemporal patterns in complex systems far from equilibrium. During such self-organization, energy distributed in a broadband of frequencies gets condensed into a dominant mode, analogous to a condensation phenomenon. We call this phenomenon spectral condensation and study its occurrence in fluid mechanical, optical and electronic systems. We define a set of spectral measures to quantify this condensation spanning several dynamical systems. Further, we uncover an inverse power law behaviour of spectral measures with the power corresponding to the dominant peak in the power spectrum in all the aforementioned systems

Psychological trauma and evidence for enhanced vulnerability for posttraumatic stress disorder through previous trauma among West Nile refugees

BACKGROUND: Political instability and the civil war in Southern Sudan have resulted in numerous atrocities, mass violence, and forced migration for vast parts of the civilian population in the West Nile region. High exposure to traumatic experiences has been particularly prominent in the Ugandan and Sudanese of the West Nile Region, representing an indication of the psychological strain posed by years of armed conflict. METHODS: In this study the impact of traumatic events on the prevalence and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a random sample of 3.339 Ugandan nationals, Sudanese nationals, and Sudanese refugees (1.831 households) of the West Nile region is assessed. RESULTS: Results show a positive correlation between the number of traumatic events and the number of endorsed PTSD symptoms. Of the 58 respondents who experienced the greatest number of traumatizing experiences, all reported symptoms which met the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: There is a clear dose-effect relationship between traumatic exposure and PTSD in the studied populations with high levels of traumatic events. In this context, it is probable that any individual could develop PTSD regardless of other risk-factors once the trauma load reaches a certain threshold

Are Ethnic and Gender Specific Equations Needed to Derive Fat Free Mass from Bioelectrical Impedance in Children of South Asian, Black African-Caribbean and White European Origin? Results of the Assessment of Body Composition in Children Study

Background Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a potentially valuable method for assessing lean mass and body fat levels in children from different ethnic groups. We examined the need for ethnic- and gender-specific equations for estimating fat free mass (FFM) from BIA in children from different ethnic groups and examined their effects on the assessment of ethnic differences in body fat. Methods Cross-sectional study of children aged 8–10 years in London Primary schools including 325 South Asians, 250 black African-Caribbeans and 289 white Europeans with measurements of height, weight and arm-leg impedance (Z; Bodystat 1500). Total body water was estimated from deuterium dilution and converted to FFM. Multilevel models were used to derive three types of equation {A: FFM = linear combination(height+weight+Z); B: FFM = linear combination(height2/Z); C: FFM = linear combination(height2/Z+weight)}. Results Ethnicity and gender were important predictors of FFM and improved model fit in all equations. The models of best fit were ethnicity and gender specific versions of equation A, followed by equation C; these provided accurate assessments of ethnic differences in FFM and FM. In contrast, the use of generic equations led to underestimation of both the negative South Asian-white European FFM difference and the positive black African-Caribbean-white European FFM difference (by 0.53 kg and by 0.73 kg respectively for equation A). The use of generic equations underestimated the positive South Asian-white European difference in fat mass (FM) and overestimated the positive black African-Caribbean-white European difference in FM (by 4.7% and 10.1% respectively for equation A). Consistent results were observed when the equations were applied to a large external data set. Conclusions Ethnic- and gender-specific equations for predicting FFM from BIA provide better estimates of ethnic differences in FFM and FM in children, while generic equations can misrepresent these ethnic differences