57 research outputs found
A Routing Delay Predication Based on Packet Loss and Explicit Delay Acknowledgement for Congestion Control in MANET
In Mobile Ad hoc Networks congestion control and prevention are demanding because of network node mobility and dynamic topology. Congestion occurs primarily due to the large traffic volume in the case of data flow because the rate of inflow of data traffic is higher than the rate of data packets on the node. This alteration in sending rate results in routing delays and low throughput. The Rate control is a significant concern in streaming applications, especially in wireless networks. The TCP friendly rate control method is extensively recognized as a rate control mechanism for wired networks, which is effective in minimizing packet loss (PL) in the event of congestion. In this paper, we propose a routing delay prediction based on PL and Explicit Delay Acknowledgement (EDA) mechanism for data rate and congestion control in MANET to control data rate to minimize the loss of packets and improve the throughput. The experiment is performed over a reactive routing protocol to reduce the packet loss, jitter, and improvisation of throughput
Ultrastructural study on morphology of Schistosoma spindale by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
The present study was undertaken to investigate the detailed morphological features along with morphometry of different structures of Schistosoma spindale (Adult flukes) which were recovered by a perfusion technique and visualized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The length of spines on the oral sucker and ventral suckers were 2.6 µm and 2.5 µm, respectively. The measured width of aspinose area beneath the ventral sucker, rim of the ventral sucker and tegumental papillae were 5.4, 22.5 µm and 3 µm, respectively. Males have a welldefined gynaecophoric canal, originating just below the ventral sucker and extending up to the posterior end of the body, continued as a marked conical projection. The ventral surface of the oral sucker was completely covered with numerous spines. The ventral sucker was pedunculated, round, thick-rimmed and the inner side contained numerously pointed spines directed towards the center of the ventral sucker. The tegument surface of S. spindale showed ridged layers with large uniciliated and pit like papillae which were recorded more in posterior end. Thus, Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM) provided indepth ultrastructural morphological details of Schistosoma spindale which was in accordance with that of previous studies, would be applicable for its differentiation with other species (S. mansoni, S. bovis, S. haematobium, S. japonicum)
Two-stage in vitro digestibility assay, a tool for formulating non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzyme combinations for commonly used feed ingredients of poultry rations
Aim: An attempt was made to assess the effect of pure enzyme combinations with the objective of formulating customized enzyme mixtures based on sugar release when subjected to two-stage in vitro digestion assay. Materials and Methods: A two-stage in vitro digestibility assay was carried out for commonly used feed ingredients for poultry viz., maize, soy bean meal, sunflower cake, and de-oiled rice bran supplemented with three concentrations of xylanase (5000; 7500 and 10000 IU/kg), cellulase (50; 100 and 400 IU/kg) and â-D-glucanase (100; 200 and 400 IU/kg) were used to formulate various NSP enzymes combinations. In total 27 NSP enzyme combinations (3x3x3) were formulated and the sugar released due to NSP digestion was quantified by phenol sulphuric acid method. Results: The total sugar release was significantly (P<0.05) higher with supplementation of various enzymes combinations for maize, sunflower cake and de-oiled rice bran where as no significant (P<0.05) interaction of various NSP enzymes combinations was observed for soy bean meal. The NSP digestibility was highest in combination (xylanase-5000, cellulase-50 and â-D-glucanase-400 IU/kg), (xylanase-10000, cellulase-50 and â-D-glucanase-200 IU/kg) and (xylanase-7500, cellulase- 100 and â-D-glucanase-100 IU/kg) for maize, sunflower cake and de-oiled rice bran respectively. In case of sunflower cake, significant (P<0.01) three way interaction was observed among the xylanase, cellulose, and â-D-glucanase enzymes and the two-way interactions between the enzymes were also significant (P<0.01). Conclusion: It is concluded that 'n' number of non-starch Polysaccharide enzymes combinations can be screened for their efficiency to digest non-starch Polysaccharides present in various feed ingredients commonly used in poultry rations by employing two-stage in vitro digestibility assay as a tool. [Vet World 2013; 6(8.000): 525-529
A new multiplex RT-PCR assay for serotyping of bluetongue virus
219-225Among all viral diseases affecting small ruminants, bluetongue is the one that affects adversely to an alarming extent. The current available diagnosis/serotyping of bluetongue virus (BTV) is time consuming, costly, and requires to screen individually for each of the 29 distinct serotypes. The present study was conducted with the objective of developing a multiplex reverse transcription PCR (mRT-PCR) assay for serotyping of BTV, especially for serotypes BTV-1, 2, 9, 12, 16, 21 and 23 predominantly circulating in India. The type specific primers for the selected BTV serotypes were designed targeting the serotype specific segment-2 region of BTV based on the reference serotype sequences of Indian isolates available in GenBank. The mRT-PCR was conducted in two groups - group A for BTV-1, 9, 12, 21 and group B for BTV-2, 16 and 23. A panel of 25 BT suspected clinical samples were typed by mRT-PCR. The results were further validated by the gold standard serum neutralization test (SNT). A seroprevalence of 60% for BTV- 2, 10% for BTV- 9, 15% for BTV- 1, 10% for BTV- 16 and 5% for BTV- 23 were observed. Further, we noticed that there was a mixed serotype infection in 10% of BTV positive samples. In conclusion, we report the development of a novel mRT-PCR assay for a rapid and cost-effective nucleic acid based serotyping of BTV having the specificity same as SNT
Contrasting selective patterns across the segmented genome of bluetongue virus in a global reassortment hotspot
For segmented viruses, rapid genomic and phenotypic changes can occur through the process of reassortment, whereby co-infecting strains exchange entire segments creating novel progeny virus genotypes. However, for many viruses with segmented genomes, this process and its effect on transmission dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we assessed the consequences of reassortment for selection on viral diversity through time using bluetongue virus (BTV), a segmented arbovirus that is the causative agent of a major disease of ruminants. We analysed ninety-two BTV genomes isolated across four decades from India, where BTV diversity, and thus opportunities for reassortment, are among the highest in the world. Our results point to frequent reassortment and segment turnover, some of which appear to be driven by selective sweeps and serial hitchhiking. Particularly, we found evidence for a recent selective sweep affecting segment 5 and its encoded NS1 protein that has allowed a single variant to essentially invade the full range of BTV genomic backgrounds and serotypes currently circulating in India. In contrast, diversifying selection was found to play an important role in maintaining genetic diversity in genes encoding outer surface proteins involved in virus interactions (VP2 and VP5, encoded by segments 2 and 6, respectively). Our results support the role of reassortment in driving rapid phenotypic change in segmented viruses and generate testable hypotheses for in vitro experiments aiming at understanding the specific mechanisms underlying differences in fitness and selection across viral genomes
Pigeonpea nutrition and its improvement
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.), known by several
vernacular and names such as red gram, tuar, Angola
pea. yellow dhal and oil dhal, is one of the major grain legume crops of
the tropics and sub-tropics. It is a crop of small holder dryland
fmmers because it can grow well under subsistence level of agriculture
and provides nutritive food, fodder, and fuel wood. It also improves soil
by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. India by far is the largest pigeonpea producer
it is consumed as decorticated split peas, popularly called as
'dhaL' In other countries, its consumption as whole dty and green
vegetable is popular. Its foliage is used as fodder and milling by-products
[onn an excellent feed for domestic animals. Pigeonpea seeds contain
about 20-22% protein and appreciable amounts of essential amino.acids
and minerals. DehuHing and boiling treatments of seeds get rid of the
most antinutritional factors as tannins and enzyme inhibitors. Seed
storage causes considerable losses in the quality of this legume. The seed
protein of pigeonpea has been successfully enhanced by breeding from
20-22% to 28-30%. Such lines also agronomically performed well and
have acceptable and color. The high-protein lines were found nutritionally superior to the cultivars because they would provide more
quantities of utilizable protein and sulfur-containing amino acids
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Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Background
Accurate assessments of current and future fertility—including overall trends and changing population age structures across countries and regions—are essential to help plan for the profound social, economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges that these changes will bring. Estimates and projections of fertility are necessary to inform policies involving resource and health-care needs, labour supply, education, gender equality, and family planning and support. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 produced up-to-date and comprehensive demographic assessments of key fertility indicators at global, regional, and national levels from 1950 to 2021 and forecast fertility metrics to 2100 based on a reference scenario and key policy-dependent alternative scenarios.
Methods
To estimate fertility indicators from 1950 to 2021, mixed-effects regression models and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression were used to synthesise data from 8709 country-years of vital and sample registrations, 1455 surveys and censuses, and 150 other sources, and to generate age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) for 5-year age groups from age 10 years to 54 years. ASFRs were summed across age groups to produce estimates of total fertility rate (TFR). Livebirths were calculated by multiplying ASFR and age-specific female population, then summing across ages 10–54 years. To forecast future fertility up to 2100, our Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasting model was based on projections of completed cohort fertility at age 50 years (CCF50; the average number of children born over time to females from a specified birth cohort), which yields more stable and accurate measures of fertility than directly modelling TFR. CCF50 was modelled using an ensemble approach in which three sub-models (with two, three, and four covariates variously consisting of female educational attainment, contraceptive met need, population density in habitable areas, and under-5 mortality) were given equal weights, and analyses were conducted utilising the MR-BRT (meta-regression—Bayesian, regularised, trimmed) tool. To capture time-series trends in CCF50 not explained by these covariates, we used a first-order autoregressive model on the residual term. CCF50 as a proportion of each 5-year ASFR was predicted using a linear mixed-effects model with fixed-effects covariates (female educational attainment and contraceptive met need) and random intercepts for geographical regions. Projected TFRs were then computed for each calendar year as the sum of single-year ASFRs across age groups. The reference forecast is our estimate of the most likely fertility future given the model, past fertility, forecasts of covariates, and historical relationships between covariates and fertility. We additionally produced forecasts for multiple alternative scenarios in each location: the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for education is achieved by 2030; the contraceptive met need SDG is achieved by 2030; pro-natal policies are enacted to create supportive environments for those who give birth; and the previous three scenarios combined. Uncertainty from past data inputs and model estimation was propagated throughout analyses by taking 1000 draws for past and present fertility estimates and 500 draws for future forecasts from the estimated distribution for each metric, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) given as the 2·5 and 97·5 percentiles of the draws. To evaluate the forecasting performance of our model and others, we computed skill values—a metric assessing gain in forecasting accuracy—by comparing predicted versus observed ASFRs from the past 15 years (2007–21). A positive skill metric indicates that the model being evaluated performs better than the baseline model (here, a simplified model holding 2007 values constant in the future), and a negative metric indicates that the evaluated model performs worse than baseline.
Findings
During the period from 1950 to 2021, global TFR more than halved, from 4·84 (95% UI 4·63–5·06) to 2·23 (2·09–2·38). Global annual livebirths peaked in 2016 at 142 million (95% UI 137–147), declining to 129 million (121–138) in 2021. Fertility rates declined in all countries and territories since 1950, with TFR remaining above 2·1—canonically considered replacement-level fertility—in 94 (46·1%) countries and territories in 2021. This included 44 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which was the super-region with the largest share of livebirths in 2021 (29·2% [28·7–29·6]). 47 countries and territories in which lowest estimated fertility between 1950 and 2021 was below replacement experienced one or more subsequent years with higher fertility; only three of these locations rebounded above replacement levels. Future fertility rates were projected to continue to decline worldwide, reaching a global TFR of 1·83 (1·59–2·08) in 2050 and 1·59 (1·25–1·96) in 2100 under the reference scenario. The number of countries and territories with fertility rates remaining above replacement was forecast to be 49 (24·0%) in 2050 and only six (2·9%) in 2100, with three of these six countries included in the 2021 World Bank-defined low-income group, all located in the GBD super-region of sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of livebirths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa was forecast to increase to more than half of the world's livebirths in 2100, to 41·3% (39·6–43·1) in 2050 and 54·3% (47·1–59·5) in 2100. The share of livebirths was projected to decline between 2021 and 2100 in most of the six other super-regions—decreasing, for example, in south Asia from 24·8% (23·7–25·8) in 2021 to 16·7% (14·3–19·1) in 2050 and 7·1% (4·4–10·1) in 2100—but was forecast to increase modestly in the north Africa and Middle East and high-income super-regions. Forecast estimates for the alternative combined scenario suggest that meeting SDG targets for education and contraceptive met need, as well as implementing pro-natal policies, would result in global TFRs of 1·65 (1·40–1·92) in 2050 and 1·62 (1·35–1·95) in 2100. The forecasting skill metric values for the IHME model were positive across all age groups, indicating that the model is better than the constant prediction.
Interpretation
Fertility is declining globally, with rates in more than half of all countries and territories in 2021 below replacement level. Trends since 2000 show considerable heterogeneity in the steepness of declines, and only a small number of countries experienced even a slight fertility rebound after their lowest observed rate, with none reaching replacement level. Additionally, the distribution of livebirths across the globe is shifting, with a greater proportion occurring in the lowest-income countries. Future fertility rates will continue to decline worldwide and will remain low even under successful implementation of pro-natal policies. These changes will have far-reaching economic and societal consequences due to ageing populations and declining workforces in higher-income countries, combined with an increasing share of livebirths among the already poorest regions of the world
General anaesthetic and airway management practice for obstetric surgery in England: a prospective, multi-centre observational study
There are no current descriptions of general anaesthesia characteristics for obstetric surgery, despite recent changes to patient baseline characteristics and airway management guidelines. This analysis of data from the direct reporting of awareness in maternity patients' (DREAMY) study of accidental awareness during obstetric anaesthesia aimed to describe practice for obstetric general anaesthesia in England and compare with earlier surveys and best-practice recommendations. Consenting patients who received general anaesthesia for obstetric surgery in 72 hospitals from May 2017 to August 2018 were included. Baseline characteristics, airway management, anaesthetic techniques and major complications were collected. Descriptive analysis, binary logistic regression modelling and comparisons with earlier data were conducted. Data were collected from 3117 procedures, including 2554 (81.9%) caesarean deliveries. Thiopental was the induction drug in 1649 (52.9%) patients, compared with propofol in 1419 (45.5%). Suxamethonium was the neuromuscular blocking drug for tracheal intubation in 2631 (86.1%), compared with rocuronium in 367 (11.8%). Difficult tracheal intubation was reported in 1 in 19 (95%CI 1 in 16-22) and failed intubation in 1 in 312 (95%CI 1 in 169-667). Obese patients were over-represented compared with national baselines and associated with difficult, but not failed intubation. There was more evidence of change in practice for induction drugs (increased use of propofol) than neuromuscular blocking drugs (suxamethonium remains the most popular). There was evidence of improvement in practice, with increased monitoring and reversal of neuromuscular blockade (although this remains suboptimal). Despite a high risk of difficult intubation in this population, videolaryngoscopy was rarely used (1.9%)
Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability Comparison of two oral Tablet Formulations of Escitalopram 20 mg: A Single-Dose, Open-Label, Two-Period Crossover Study in Healthy Indian Adult Subjects: Bio-equivalence of Escitalopram in Healthy Indian subjects
This study was undertaken to assess bioequivalence between test and reference formulations of escitalopram oxalate 20 mg in healthy Indian male subjects. This single-dose, randomized, open-label, 2-period crossover study was carried out in 12 Healthy Indian Male volunteers aged 18 to 55 years under fasting conditions with a wash out of 14 days. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive the test formulation followed by the reference formulation, and then vice versa. Blood samples were collected for up to 156 h postdose. Quantification was carried out using a validated LC-MS/MS method. Maximum plasma concentrations Cmax of 26.386 ± 5.54 ng/mL (test) and 24.430 ± 3.52 ng/mL (reference) were achieved. Areas under the plasma concentration-time curve AUC0-inf of 854.241 ± 91.22 ng. hr/mL (test) and 825.135 ± 1.37 ng. hr/mL (reference), AUC0-t of 848.766 ± 93.26 ng. hr/mL (test), 819.504 ± 1.91 ng. hr/mL (reference) were calculated. The median Tmax was 4.00 hr for test and reference formulation, respectively. Plasma elimination half-lives T1/2 of 19.26 ± 5.95 hr (test), 20.94 ± 2.88 hr (reference) were determined. Both formulations were well tolerated. The 90% confidence intervals obtained by analysis of variance were 94.49-120.68% for Cmax and 98.22-108.18% for AUC0-t which were within the predefined regulatory acceptance limit of 80.00-125.00%
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