Comparative evaluation of traditional and improved cultivation practices and cultivars of Colocasia esculenta (L.) H. W. Schott in the Borail Hills Range of India

Present work was focused on the comparative evaluation of the Taro tuber productivity by using improved cultivation practices versus traditional cultivation practices. Initially, passport data of all the collected 27 cultivars and wild edible aroids were prepared and their Indigenous Collection Numbers (IC) were procured from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi. All the collections were phytochemically evaluated and five variants of Colocasia esculenta (L.) H. W. Schott were found to be superior and their IC Numbers are 0631527, 0631529, 0631536, 0631544 and 0631546. Following the randomised block design method for crop productivity evaluation, data of five nutritionally superior cultivar and one check variety were taken in three replications (R1, R2, R3) from eighteen plots of measuring 5×5 m2 (25 m2). Taro tuber productivity in kg/plant from the first and second year’s data from the ICAR-NBPGR, Umiam and also the farmer’s data from Borail Hills Range were analysed by using SPSS software, and that shows significant difference among all the six treatments/variants under Critical Difference at 5% (CD 5%). Total of the data replications (R1+R2+R3) from first, second year data from ICAR-NBPGR, Umiam and also farmer’s data from Borail Hills Range are 18.24 kg, 19.45 kg and 12.69 kg respectively; clearly showing the tuber productivity enhancement of improved cultivation practices over the traditional agro- practices

A Search for X-ray/UV Correlation in the Reflection-Dominated Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 1044

Correlated variability between coronal X-rays and disc optical/UV photons provides a very useful diagnostic of the interplay between the different regions around an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and how they interact. AGN that reveal strong X-ray reflection in their spectra should normally exhibit optical/UV to X-ray correlation consistent with reprocessing -- where the optical/UV emission lag behind the X-rays. While such correlated delay has been seen in some sources, it has been absent in others. \rm{Mrk~1044} is one such source that has been known to reveal strong X-ray reflection in its spectra. In our analysis of three long \textit{XMM-Newton} and several \textit{Swift} observations of the source, we found no strong evidence for correlation between its UV and X-ray lightcurves both on short and long time scales. Among other plausible causes for the non-detection, we posit that higher X-ray variability than UV and strong general relativistic effects close to the black hole may also be responsible. We also present results from the spectral analysis based on \textit{XMM-Newton} and \textit{NuSTAR} observations, which show the strong soft X-ray excess and iron K$\alpha$ line in the 0.3--50 keV spectrum that can be described by relativistic reflection.Comment: Accepted for Publication in APJ, 13 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

A Methodological Comparison on Spatiotemporal Prediction of Criteria Air Pollutants

Abstract Air pollution monitoring devices are widely used to quantify at-site air pollution. However, such monitoring sites represent pollution of a limited area, and installing multiple devices for a vast area is costly. This limitation of unavailability of data at non-monitoring sites has necessitated the Spatio-temporal analysis of air pollution and its prediction. Few commonly used methods for Spatio-temporal prediction of pollutants include - ‘Averaging’; ‘Best correlation coefficient method’; ‘Inverse distance weighting method’ and ‘Grid interpolation method.’ Apart from these conventional methods, a new methodology, ‘Weighted average method,’ is proposed and compared for air pollution prediction at non-monitoring sites. The weights in this method are calculated based on both on the distance and directional basis. To compare the proposed method with the existing ones, the air pollution levels of NO2 (Nitrogen dioxide), O3 (Ozone), PM10 (Particulate matter of 10 microns or smaller), PM2.5 (Particulate matter of 2.5 microns or smaller), and SO2 (Sulphur dioxide) were predicted at the non-monitoring site (test stations) by utilizing the available data at monitoring sites in Delhi, India. Preliminary correlation analysis showed that NO2, PM2.5, and SO2 have a directional dependency between different stations. The ‘average’ method performed best with the mode RMSE of 18.85 µg/m3 and R2 value 0.7454 when compared with all the methods. The RMSE value of the new proposed method ‘weighted average method’ was 21.25 µg/m3, resulting in the second-best prediction for the study area. The inverse distance weighting method and the Grid interpolation method were third and fourth, respectively, while the ‘best correlation coefficient’ was the worst with an RMSE value of 41.60 µg/m3. Results also showed that the methods that used dependent stations had performed better when compared to methods that used all station data

Drug safety alerts of pharmacovigilance programme of India: A scope for targeted spontaneous reporting in India

Background: The National Coordination Centre-Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (NCC-PvPI), Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission works under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It promotes patient safety in India and also supports postmarketing surveillance programs. Currently, almost hundred thousand case reports are submitted to NCC-PvPI each year through its 250 ADR Monitoring Centers (AMCs) located across India, and India is the one of the top ten contributor countries under WHO-Uppsala Monitoring Centre since 2012 and start issuing drug safety alerts from March 2016. Aim: This study aims to highlight the drug safety alerts issued by NCC-PvPI from March 2016 to June 2017 and urgent need for further monitoring by adopting targeted spontaneous reporting (TSR) methodology at AMCs and its impact on the NCC's drug safety database, i.e., VigiFlow in India. Methodology: A retrospective analysis was done for the reported unlisted ADRs by various AMCs to PvPI through VigiFlow, i.e., individual case safety report (ICSR) management system at NCC, where these unlisted drug-ADR combinations considered and issued as drug safety alerts for further reporting these to NCC, if any detected at healthcare settings during routine clinical practice by healthcare professionals. Results: From July 2011 to June 2017, NCC-PvPI was collated 250,787 ICSRs and contributed to WHO international drug safety database, i.e., VigiBase, from these ICSRs; NCC-PvPI was issued 56 drug safety alerts from March 2016 to June 2017. Conclusion: In India, spontaneous reporting of ADRs existed since 1998 under passive surveillance method, but there is an urgent need to initiate TSR, which is a complementary method to spontaneous reporting on these drug safety alerts for further regulatory action by Central Drugs Standard Control Organization

Effect of esomeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine

Objective : Present study was carried out to evaluate effect of esomeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine in rabbits. Materials and Methods : Study was conducted at Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research from March to October 2007. In a parallel design study, carbamazepine 40 mg/kg/day was given orally for 14 days. On day 15, blood samples were taken at various time intervals between 0 and 24 hours. In esomeprazole group, carbamazepine was administered for 14 days as above. On day 8, esomeprazole 2.8 mg/kg/day along with carbamazepine 40 mg/kg/day was administered till 14 days and blood samples were drawn on 15 th day. Plasma levels of carbamazepine were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Results : In all groups there was a decrease in the AUC 0-24 when carbamazepine was coadministered with esomeprazole. The decrease in AUC 0-24 (22.78 ± 4.71 to 10.46 ± 2.29), C max (2.76 ± 0.77 to 1.412±1.08), T max (2.83 ± 0.17 to 3 ± 0.40) was statistically significant (P < 0.05) when esomeprazole was given along with carbamazepine. Additionally, absorption and elimination constant were also altered significantly. Conclusions : These results suggest that concomitant use of esomeprazole alters the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine. Confirmation of these results in human studies will warrant changes in carbamazepine dose or frequency when esomeprazole is coadministered

Structural-Based Virtual Screening of FDA-Approved Drugs Repository for NSP16 Inhibitors, Essential for SARS-COV-2 Invasion Into Host Cells: Elucidation From MM/PBSA Calculation

NSP16 is one of the structural proteins of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) necessary for its entrance to the host cells. It exhibits 2’O-methyl-transferase (2’O-MTase) activity of NSP16 using methyl group from S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) by methylating the 5-end of virally encoded mRNAs and shields viral RNA, and also controls its replication as well as infection. In the present study, we used in silico approaches of drug repurposing to target and inhibit the SAM binding site in NSP16 using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved small molecules set from Drug Bank database. Among the 2 456 FDA-approved molecules, framycetin, paromomycin, and amikacin were found to be significant binders against the SAM binding cryptic pocket of NSP16 with docking score of –13.708, –14.997 and –15.841 kcal/mol, respectively. Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and molecular mechanics Poisson−Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA)-based binding free energy calculation depicted that all these three framycetin, paromomycin, and amikacin might be promising therapeutic leads towards SARS-CoV-2 infections via host immune escape inhibition pathway

Relationship between anaemia, coagulation parameters during pregnancy and postpartum haemorrhage at childbirth: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between coagulation parameters and severity of anaemia (moderate anaemia: haemoglobin (Hb) 7-9.9 g/dL and severe anaemia: Hb <7 g/dL) during pregnancy and relate these to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) at childbirth. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study of pregnant women recruited in the third trimester and followed-up after childbirth. SETTING: Ten hospitals across four states in India. PARTICIPANTS: 1342 pregnant women. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. METHODS: Hb and coagulation parameters: fibrinogen, D-dimer, D-dimer/fibrinogen ratio, platelets and international normalised ratio (INR) were measured at baseline. Participants were followed-up to measure blood loss within 2 hours after childbirth and PPH was defined based on blood loss and clinical assessment. Associations between coagulation parameters, Hb, anaemia and PPH were examined using multivariable logistic regression models. OUTCOMES MEASURES: Adjusted OR with 95% CI. RESULTS: In women with severe anaemia during the third trimester, the D-dimer was 27% higher, mean fibrinogen 117 mg/dL lower, D-dimer/fibrinogen ratio 69% higher and INR 12% higher compared with women with no/mild anaemia. Mean platelets in severe anaemia was 37.8×109/L lower compared with women with moderate anaemia. Similar relationships with smaller effect sizes were identified for women with moderate anaemia compared with women with no/mild anaemia. Low Hb and high INR at third trimester of pregnancy independently increased the odds of PPH at childbirth, but the other coagulation parameters were not found to be significantly associated with PPH. CONCLUSION: Altered blood coagulation profile in pregnant women with severe anaemia could be a risk factor for PPH and requires further evaluation