Spectral Reflectance Properties of Gossypium hirsutum Leaves after Heavy Metal Toxicity

The study demonstrated a link between heavy metal induced stress and optical properties of the leaves of Gossypium hirsutum. This work was conducted using the pot culture experiment. Three replications and four concentrations of Chromium (5%, 10%, 20% and 35%) with a control to assess the growth of plants were used. This experiment was conducted till 80 days. On 80th day the experiment was terminated and the leaves were plucked and air-dried. Portion of the air-dried, powdered cotton leaves was used for the Fourier Transformed Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectral analysis and the remaining portion was used for analyzing the biochemical constituents of the leaves (chlorophyll a, b, and total C and N contents). The Fourier Transformed Infra-Red spectrum indicated the aliphatic alcohol, inorganic bridge, C-OH stretch, C-H deformation, aromatic C=C stretch, OH stretch of H bond, aliphatic C-H stretch and OH stretch of aromatic C-H. The shifting and overlapping of the spectrum was observed after heavy metal induced toxicity when compared with that of the control spectra. This was supported by the biochemical analysis of chlorophyll a, b, and total carbon and nitrogen contents. This method was a preliminary study, which may be instrumental in developing optimal procedures for interpreting a particular stress of plants through analysis of their leaf reflectance spectrum.

Vitamin D deficiency in childhood-a review of current guidelines on diagnosis and management

Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as a significant public health problem throughout the world. Even in the Indian context,it has been reported to be present in majority of children in spite of wide availability of sunlight. Recent guidelines have defined vitamin D status as severe deficiency, deficiency, sufficiency and risk for toxicity as 25(OH)D levels <5, <15, >20 and >50ng/mL, respectively.The manifestations of deficiency may vary from hypocalcemic seizures, tetany in infancy and adolescence to florid rickets in toddlers. Treatment is necessary for all individuals with deficiency whether symptomatic or not and consists of vitamin D supplementation as Stoss therapy or daily or weekly oral regimens with equal efficacy and safety, combined with calcium supplements. Routine supplementation starting from newborn period is being increasingly endorsed by various international organizations. Prevention by sensible sunlight exposure, food fortification and routine supplementation are the currently available options for tackling this nutritional deficiency.

Risks of concomitant trauma to the knee in lower limb long bone shaft fractures: A retrospective analysis from a prospective study population

BACKGROUND

Numerous associated injuries (bony and/or soft tissue lesions) occur commonly in conjunction with fractures of the femoral shaft in young patients after high-energy injuries. Knee ligamentous injuries, historically called as the internal derangements of the knee or IDK, are mostly not visible in plain radiographs taken in the emergency and these injuries are likely to be overlooked by clinicians because first attention always goes to open wounds and radiologically visible injuries of the limb whenever a patient is received in a trauma unit.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 93 cases of lower limb long bone fractures were retrospectively analyzed from materials of a prospective study conducted on consecutive patients having high-velocity injuries to lower limb long bones with a view to confirm or rule out concomitant ipsilateral IDK in cases of femoral and tibial shaft fractures, that already employed a policy of focused clinical examination followed by arthroscopy of the ipsilateral knee, immediately after operative fracture fixation under the same anesthesia. The goal was to determine the incidence of concomitant internal derangement of the ipsilateral knee and to understand any value of adding arthroscopy to detect concomitant IDK in lower limb long bone fractures besides careful intraoperative examination to propose a recommendation thereof.

RESULTS

Concomitant knee injury was found in 14 femoral fractures and 1 tibial fracture. Fifteen out of 93 (16%) such cases had concomitant knee ligamentous or meniscal injures. A total of 13 anterior cruciate and 4 posterior cruciate tears, 11 collateral ligament tears, and 10 meniscal injuries were confirmed in these 15 knees. Femoral shaft fractures were associated with a high incidence of serious ligamentous, meniscal, and chondral injury. Twelve out of 41 femoral fractures had chondral injuries (contusion), especially of the patello-femoral articulation, identifiable during arthroscopy.

CONCLUSION

One should have high index of suspicion about internal knee injuries and capsule-ligamentous injuries while dealing with femoral shaft fractures in particular. Arthroscopy of knee may safely enhance the diagnosis of simultaneous IDK. We propose that when MR imaging is not possible and when contraindication for arthroscopy does not exist, a careful clinical examination followed by arthroscopy of the knee may be considered a useful adjunct in femoral shaft fractures as it can readily confirm IDK by its ability to objectively look, probe, and distinguish fragile tissue from a normal one. Further study in larger number of subjects is needed to validate our findings.

The six degrees of freedom motion of the human head, spine, and pelvis in a frontal impact

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study is to characterize the in situ 6-degree-of-freedom kinematics of the head, 3 vertebrae (T1, T8, and L2), and the pelvis in a 40 km/h frontal impact.

METHODS

Three postmortem human surrogates (PMHS) were exposed to a deceleration of 15 g over 125 ms and the motion of selected anatomical structures (head, T1, T8, L2, and pelvis) was tracked at 1000 Hz using an optoelectric stereophotogrammetric system. Displacements of the analyzed structures are reported in the sagittal and the transverse planes. Rotations of the structures are described using the finite helical axis of the motion.

RESULTS

Anterior displacements were 530.5 ± 39.4 mm (head), 434.7 ± 20.0 mm (T1), 353.3 ± 29.6 mm (T8), 219.9 ± 19.3 mm (L2), and 78.9 ± 22.1 mm (pelvis). The ratio between peak anterior and lateral displacement was up to 19 percent (T1) and 26 percent (head). Magnitudes of the rotation of the head (69.9 ± 1.5°), lumbar (66.5 ± 9.1°), and pelvis (63.8 ± 11.8°) were greater than that of the thoracic vertebrae (T1: 49.1 ± 7.8°; T8: 47.7 ± 6.3°). Thoracic vertebrae exhibited a complex rotation behavior caused by the asymmetric loading of the shoulder belt. Rotation of the lumbar vertebra and pelvis occurred primarily within the sagittal plane (flexion).

CONCLUSION

Despite the predominance of the sagittal motion of the occupant in a pure (12 o'clock) frontal impact, the asymmetry of belt loading induced other relevant displacements and rotations of the head and thoracic spine. Attempts to model occupant kinematics in a frontal impact should consider these results to biofidelically describe the interaction of the torso with the belt.

Non-linear modeling using fuzzy principal component regression for Vidyaranyapuram sewage treatment plant, Mysore - India

Fuzzy principal component regression (FPCR) is proposed to model the non-linear process of sewage treatment plant (STP) data matrix. The dimension reduction of voluminous data was done by principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA score values were partitioned by fuzzy-c-means (FCM) clustering, and a Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy model was built based on the FCM functions. The FPCR approach was used to predict the reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) of treated wastewater of Vidyaranyapuram STP with respect to the relations modeled between fuzzy partitioned PCA scores and target output. The designed FPCR model showed the ability to capture the behavior of non-linear processes of STP. The predicted values of reduction in COD and BOD were analyzed by performing the linear regression analysis. The predicted values for COD and BOD reduction showed positive correlation with the observed data.

5,5,7,12,12,14-Hexamethyl-1,8-bis-(4-nitro-benz-yl)-1,4,8,11-tetra-aza-cyclo-tetra-deca-ne

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C₃₀H₄₆N₆O₄, contains one half-mol­ecule. The C(benzene)—C(CH₂)—N—C(—Me) torsion angle is −79.89 (13)° suggesting a synclinal orientation of the nitro­benzene ring with respect to the macrocycle. The conformation of the macrocycle is stabilized by intra­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds.

Factor analysis and discriminant analysis of wastewater quality in Vidyaranyapuram sewage treatment plant, Mysore, India: a case study

Wastewater treatment plant monitoring is an essential part of effective wastewater management. The analysis of eight physico-chemical parameters of untreated wastewater was carried out at Vidyaranyapuram sewage treatment plant, Mysore, India. Factor analysis (FA) was applied to the untreated wastewater data matrix, and pollution was found to be the most contributing factor, explaining 22.31% of the total variance (chloride, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and total dissolved solids). The second most contributing factor was found to be nitrification which explained 21.11% of the total variance (pH and nitrate), whereas the salinization factor contributed 16.98% of the total variance (total solids and total suspended solids). FA regression scores could not satisfactorily classify the data matrix with respect to the seasonal variations. Discriminant analysis (DA) was used to find the seasonal variations in the data matrix, and the standard mode DA explained 66.6% of total variance by grouping the cases with respect to seasons.

Accuracy of spot urine protein creatinine ratio in measuring proteinuria in chronic kidney disease stage 3 and 4

We studied the accuracy of spot urine protein creatinine ratio (SpUr-PCR) to assess 24 h urine protein excretion (24 h-UP) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). A total of 100 proteinuric CKD patients of stages 3 and 4 were studied. 24 h urine was collected to measure 24 h-UP and creatinine. A random day time urine sample was analyzed to measure the PCR. A formula to estimate 24 h creatinine excretion was derived from linear regression analysis and a correction factor was introduced to assess whether this improves the accuracy of the SpUr PCR in predicting 24 h-UP. Accuracy of the SpUr-PCR was assessed by Pearson's correlation, regression analysis, and Bland Altman analysis. Mean age was 51.85 ± 12 years and 81% of the patients were male. SpUr-PCR predicted 24 h-UP with good accuracy (r = 0.86 on a data transformed to a logarithmic scale, P < 0.001) and there was a good agreement between these two measures of proteinuria. However, SpUr-PCR was inaccurate in the subgroup with nephrotic range proteinuria (r = 0.35, P = 0.062), but when a correction factor for 24-h urine creatinine (24 h-UCr) was introduced, the accuracy of SpUr-PCR improved significantly in this group (r = 0.45, P = 0.013). Introduction of the correction factor improved the degree of agreement between these two measures in women, but not the correlation. Overall, SpUr-PCR accurately predicted 24 h-UP. Adding a correction factor for 24 h-UCr improved correlation in the subgroup of patients with the nephrotic range proteinuria and the degree of agreement in female patients, and hence may be used in expressing proteinuria measured by SpUr-PCR to improve its accuracy in them.

High voltage electrical burn injuries in teenage children: case studies with similarities (an Indian perspective)

From 1992 to 2012, a total of 911 paediatric burns were admitted and treated at Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital Intensive Burn Care Unit, of these 28 children had suffered electrical injuries and burns. 7 teenagers suffered high voltage electrical burn injuries: 2 were involved in train accidents which caused fatal electrical injuries, and 5 had electrical burn injuries caused by similar types of accidents, requiring Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) care, repeated surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. A common factor among these latter 5 patients was that they were injured by overhead high electrical voltage cables. Their management was labour intensive and highly costly. In this report, the type of accident, the electrical voltage that produced burns and the treatment details are elaborated. Findings included similarities in age and type of accident, and failure to implement safety procedures and apply standard norms of high voltage transmission feeder lines.

Quality evaluation of millet-soy blended extrudates formulated through linear programming

Whole pearl millet, finger millet and decorticated soy bean blended (millet soy) extrudates formulations were designed using a linear programming (LP) model to minimize the total cost of the finished product. LP formulated composite flour was extruded through twin screw food extruder at different feed rate (6.5-13.5 kg/h), screw speed (200-350 rpm, constant feed moisture (14% wb), barrel temperature (120 °C) and cutter speed (15 rpm). The physical, functional, textural and pasting characteristics of extrudates were examined and their responses were studied. Expansion index (2.31) and sectional expansion index (5.39) was found to be was found maximum for feed rate and screw speed combination 9.5 kg/h and 250 rpm. However, density (0.25 × 10(-3) g/mm(3)) was maximum for 9.5 kg/h and 300 rpm combination. Maximum color change (10.32) was found for 9.5 kg/h feed rate and 200 rpm screw speed. The lower hardness was obtained for the samples extruded at lowest feed rate (6.5 kg/h) for all screw speed and feed rate at 9.5 kg/h for 300-350 rpm screw speed. Peak viscosity decreases with all screw speed of 9.5 kg/h feed rate.

A synthetic formulation, Dhanwantharam kashaya, delays senescence in stem cells

OBJECTIVES

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from post-natal tissues offer a suitable source of MSCs for cellular therapy. Limitation of the use of MSCs for therapeutic purposes is attributed to the onset of senescence and slowing down of proliferation upon repeated passaging. Dhanwantram kashaya (DK), a synthetic herbal formulation, is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine as a growth stimulant in children and for nerve regeneration. In this study, we evaluated the effects of DK on the proliferation, viability and senescence of human Wharton jelly MSCs (WJMSCs) in vitro.

RESULTS

Using the MTT proliferation assay and live/dead trypan blue analysis, we found that DK increased proliferation of WJMSCS up to three folds when supplemented in the culture media. The BrdU cell proliferation assay showed a substantial increase in WJMSCs treated with DK. Notably, the β-galactosidase senescence assay revealed that drug treated WJMSCs at late passage still had intact and viable WJMSCs whereas the untreated cells exhibited profound senescence.

CONCLUSION

These studies indicate that DK enhances the quality of WJMSCs by not only increasing the proliferation rate and decreasing their turnover time but also by delaying senescence. We have, thus, identified for the first time that a traditional Ayurvedic formulation, Dhanwantram kashaya, used as a growth enhancer, is able to improve the yield and quality of stem cells in vitro and could be an effective non-toxic supplement for culturing WJMSCs for clinical applications.

Reference values for oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry in healthy children at sea level in Chennai

There is little information on oxygen saturation (SaO2) values in children in developing countries.

AIM

To determine the reference values for oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry in healthy children living at sea level in Chennai and aged between 1 mth and 5 yrs.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A prospective study was conducted in Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital from February to May 2005.

METHODS

A total of 626 healthy children aged between 1 mth and 5 yrs were examined for heart rate, respiratory rate and SaO2.

RESULTS

The mean SaO2 levels for children in the age groups 1-3 mths, 3 mths to 1 yr, 1-3 years and 3-5 years were 98.5%, 98.8%, 98.9% and 99.1%, respectively. The overall mean and median SaO(2) values for the children in the different age groups were 99%. The mean -2 SD values of oxygen saturation in the age groups were 96.5%, 96.4%, 96.3% and 97.1%, respectively, with an overall mean of 96.6%.

CONCLUSION

The reference value for mean SaO2 in healthy children aged between 1 mth and 5 yrs and living at sea level in Chennai city was 98.5% or more, but the -2SD values had a mean of 96.6%.

β1-Integrin cytoskeletal signaling regulates sensory neuron response to matrix dimensionality

Neuronal differentiation, pathfinding and morphology are directed by biochemical cues that in vivo are presented in a complex scaffold of extracellular matrix. This microenvironment is three-dimensional (3D) and heterogeneous. Therefore, it is not surprising that more physiologically-relevant cellular responses are found in 3D culture environments rather than on two-dimensional (2D) flat substrates. One key difference between 2D and 3D environments is the spatial arrangement of cell-matrix interactions. Integrins and other receptor proteins link the various molecules presented in the extracellular environment to intracellular signaling cascades and thus influence a number of neuronal responses including the availability and activation of integrins themselves. We have previously reported that a 3D substrate induces an important morphological transformation of embryonic mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that β1-integrin signaling via focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and the RhoGTPases Rac and Rho influences neuronal morphology in 2D vs 3D environments. We report that β1-integrin activity and FAK phosphorylation at tyrosine 397 (FAKpY397) are linked to neuronal polarization as well as neurite outgrowth and branching. Rac and Rho expression are decreased in 3D vs 2D culture but not correlated with β1-integrin function. These results suggest that proper β1-integrin activity is required for the elaboration of physiologic DRG morphology and that 3D culture provides a more appropriate milieu to the mimic in vivo scenario. We propose that neuronal morphology may be directed during development and regeneration by factors that influence how β1-integrin, FAK and RhoGTPase molecules integrate substrate signals in the 3D microenvironment.

Prophylactic central neck dissection for papillary thyroid cancer (Br J Surg 2013; 100: 410–418)

The Editors welcome topical correspondence from readers relating to articles published in the Journal. Responses should be sent electronically via the BJS website (www.bjs.co.uk). All letters will be reviewed and, if approved, appear on the website. A selection of these will be edited and published in the Journal. Letters must be no more than 250 words in length

Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from pediatric population of Chennai, India

PURPOSE

Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) has been reported in almost all parts of the world. Childhood TB is accorded low priority by national TB control programs. Probable reasons include diagnostic difficulties, limited resources, misplaced faith in BCG and lack of data on treatment. Good data on the burden of all forms of TB among children in India are not available.

OBJECTIVE

To study the drug sensitivity pattern of tuberculosis in children aged from 3 months to 18 years and the outcome of drug-resistant tuberculosis by BACTEC culture system and PCR-based DNA sequencing technique.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study. One hundred and fifty-nine clinical specimens were processed for Ziehl-Neelsen stain, Mycobacterial culture by BACTEC method, phenotypic DST for first-line drugs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) isolates and PCR-based DNA sequencing was performed for the M. tuberculosis isolates targeting rpoB, katG, inhA, oxyR-ahpC, rpsL, rrs and pncA.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Out of the 159 Mycobacterial cultures performed during the study period, 17 clinical specimens (10.7%) were culture positive for M. tuberculosis. Among the 17 M. tuberculosis isolates, 2 were multidrug-resistant TB. PCR-based DNA sequencing revealed the presence of many novel mutations targeting katG, inhA, oxyR-ahpC and pncA and the most commonly reported mutation Ser531Leu in the rpoB gene. This study underlines the urgent need to take efforts to develop methods for rapid detection and drug susceptibility of tubercle bacilli in the pediatric population.

The safety of peri-articular local anaesthetic injection for patients undergoing total knee replacement with autologous blood transfusion: a randomised trial

Intra-operative, peri-articular injection of local anaesthesia is an increasingly popular way of controlling pain following total knee replacement. At the same time, the problems associated with allogenic blood transfusion have led to interest in alternative methods for managing blood loss after total knee replacement, including the use of auto-transfusion of fluid from the patient's surgical drain. It is safe to combine peri-articular infiltration with auto-transfusion from the drain. We performed a randomised clinical trial to compare the concentration of local anaesthetic in the blood and in the fluid collected in the knee drain in patients having either a peri-articular injection or a femoral nerve block. Clinically relevant concentrations of local anaesthetic were found in the fluid from the drains of patients having peri-articular injections (4.92 μg/ml (sd 3.151)). However, none of the patients having femoral nerve blockade had detectable levels. None of the patients in either group had clinically relevant concentrations of local anaesthetic in their blood after re-transfusion. The evidence from this study suggests that it is safe to use peri-articular injection in combination with auto-transfusion of blood from peri-articular drains during knee replacement surgery.

An interesting case of Leigh-like syndrome

A 12-year-old female child with motor developmental delay presented with persistent vomiting, recurrent falls and unsteadiness in dark since 2 years of age. There was decline in scholastic performance, bulbar symptoms and aggravation of symptoms during intercurrent illness. Clinically, she had frontal and parietal lobar dysfunction, dysarthria, optic atrophy and LMN VII, IX, X, XII cranial nerve involvement. There was generalized hypotonia, distal muscle wasting, weakness, cerebellar signs and impaired vibration/position sense in distal extremities. Biochemical investigations revealed elevated serum/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate and CSF lactate pyruvate ratio. Neuroimaging demonstrated bilateral symmetrical T2 hyperintensities in basal ganglia, subcortical white matter, cerebellar hemispheres and posterior aspect of spinal cord. As certain atypical features like bilateral symmetrical T2 hyperintensities in subcortical white matter were also seen, metachromatic leukodystrophy was considered in differential diagnosis but ruled out by nerve biopsy. This case is reported for the presence of atypical neuroimaging features that are rarely found in Leigh's disease.

Profile of EBV associated infectious mononucleosis

During a 5 year period, 33 children (22 males) were diagnosed to have infectious mononucleosis (M:F::2:1; age 9 mo-15 y). The common clinical features observed were fever (100%), lymphadenopathy (84%) hepatosplenomegaly (81%), tonsillar enlargement (45%), neck swelling (30%), upper respiratory symptoms (21%), epitrochlear node enlargement (20%), vomiting and diarrhea (1%). Ten children had complications; upper airway obstruction and hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis occurred in four each and septic shock in two. EBV associated infectious mononucleosis in hospitalized children was found to affect mainly preschool children and had a favorable prognosis.

Cryogenics and its application with reference to spice grinding: a review

Cryogenics is the study of very low temperature and its application on different materials including biological products. Cryogenics has numerous applications in space science, electronics, automobiles, the manufacturing industry, sports and musical instruments, biological science and agriculture, etc. Cryogenic freezing finds pivotal application in food, that is, spices and condiments. Although there is a wide range of cryogens to produce the desired low temperature, generally liquid nitrogen (LN₂) is used in food grinding. The application of low temperature shows a promising pathway to produce higher quality end product with higher flavor and volatile oil retention. Cryogenic grinders generally consist of precoolers and grinder with the cryogen distribution system. In such grinding systems, cryogens subject the raw material up to or lower than glass transition temperature before it is ground, thus eliminating much of the material and quality hassles of traditional grinding. At present, the capital investment including cryogen and handling costs escalate the final cost of the product. Thus, for large-scale production, a proper design to optimize and make it feasible is the need of the hour and understanding the behavior of different food materials at these low temperature conditions. This article reviews the scenario and application of cryogenics in different sectors, especially to spice grinding.

1-(2-Carb-oxy-eth-yl)-5-ethyl-2-methyl-pyridinium chloride

In the crystal structure of the title salt, C₁₁H₁₆NO₂⁺·Cl⁻, the cations and anions are linked by O—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. The structure is further stabilized by weak C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds.

Dengue viral infection in children: a perspective

Dengue is a vector-borne viral infection of global importance. Several pathogenetic mechanisms such as immune enhancement and selection pressure have been proposed and febrile, critical and recovery phases have been identified. A new classification proposed by WHO has recently been introduced where definitions have been changed to 'probable dengue', 'dengue with warning signs' and 'severe dengue'. The majority of dengue viral infections are self-limiting, but complications have high morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis of dengue viral infection is essentially clinical, although confirmation requires laboratory tests including serology, NS1 antigen detection, PCR and viral cultures. There are no specific anti-dengue drugs and treatment is basically supportive and consists of early recognition of complications and appropriate fluid therapy. A number of candidate vaccines are under development.

Rheological and nutritional quality of selected dehulled legumes blended rice extrudates

Rheological and nutritional quality of ready-to-eat rice (Oryza sativa ) -legume viz. black gram (Vigna mungo), green gram (Vigna radiata), lentil (Lens culinaris) and peas (Pisum sativum) based extrudates were studied using low cost collet extruder. Extrudates were prepared keeping constant feed rate (25 kg/h) and moisture content (14% wb) at 0, 5, 10 and 15% legume incorporation levels. Rheological properties of porridge made of extrudate flour were evaluated using Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). Maximum and minimum peak viscosity for rice extrudates alone and rice extrudates blended with 15% peas were 697 cp and 523 cp, respectively. There was a decreasing trend in degree of gelatinization with increase in legume incorporation level. Other RVA rheological parameters like trough break down and final viscosity were in the range of 266-226 cp, 431-297 cp and 452-375 cp respectively. Maximum values of protein, fat, fibre and ash contents were found in rice extrudates at 15% legumes blend levels. There was an increasing trend in nutrient contents with legume content in rice extrudates. Degree of gelatinization for rice alone extrudate was 29.4% and showed a decrease in gelatinization with increase in legumes extrudate and was minimum (22.4%) for rice blended with 15% dehulled green gram. Sensory evaluation scores for all extrudates showed the most acceptable range of 6 to 8. Thus, legume blend level (up to 15%) of dehulled legumes fetched good scores and showed promising trend for the production of low cost expanded extrudates and its instant flour.

Non-wheat pasta based on pearl millet flour containing barley and whey protein concentrate

Non-wheat pasta was prepared with pearl millet supplemented with 10-30 % barley flour, 5-15 % whey protein concentrate, 2.5-4 % carboxy methyl cellulose and 27-33 % water using response surface methodology (RSM) following central composite rotatable design (CCRD). Results showed that barley flour and whey protein concentrate (WPC) had significant (p ≤ 0.05) positive effect on lightness and negative effect on stickiness of pasta, thus improved the overall acceptability (OAA). Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) improved the textural attributes i.e. increased firmness and decreased stickiness significantly (P ≤ 0.05) and caused a significant (P ≤ 0.05) reduction in solids losses in gruel. Based upon the experiments, the optimized level of ingredients were barley flour 13.80 g 100 g(-1) pearl millet flour (PMF), WPC 12.27 g 100 g(-1) PMF, CMC 3.45 g 100 g(-1) PMF and water 27.6 mL 100 g(-1) ingredients premix with 88 % desirability. The developed pasta had protein 16.47 g, calcium 98.53 mg, iron 5.43 mg, phosphorus 315.5 mg and β-glucan 0.33 g 100 g(-1) pasta (db).

Retarding the progression of chronic kidney disease with renin angiotensin system blockade

We assessed the effect of renin angiotensin system blockade (RASB) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) of diverse etiology. Two hundred and sixty-five consecutive CKD patients attending our renal clinic, with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20-70 ml/min/1.73m(2) at baseline and a minimal follow-up of 1 year, were studied retrospectively. We devised a scoring system to quantify RASB, wherein the maximum dose of an agent recommended for control of hypertension was scored as 1. The renal endpoints studied were the rate of change in eGFR (ΔeGFR) and decline of eGFR>50%. The mean age was 48 ± 11.2 years and 69% were male. The mean duration of follow-up was 4 ± 2.7 years. The rate of ΔeGFR was -1.5 ± 5.0 ml/min/1.73 m(2) per year in patients who received RASB (N=168) and -6.0 ± 5.4 in those who did not (N=97) (P<0.001). The incidence of decline of eGFR >50% was 11.3% with RASB and 24.7% without (P=0.003). In a subgroup of patients who received RASB, the incidence of decline of eGFR >50% was 17.8% in the low-dose RASB group (N=84, RASB score 0.63 ± 0.38) and 4.8% in the high-dose group (N=84, RASB score 2.5 ± 0.7) (P=0.001). RASB was associated with significantly better renoprotection in CKD of diverse etiology, even in nonproteinuric diseases. This effect appeared to be dose-dependent, with higher supramaximal doses exhibiting better renoprotection than the lower conventional doses. Our results make a strong case for use of aggressive RASB in all CKD patients to postpone end-stage renal disease.

Two cases of Pompe's disease: case report and review of literature

Glycogen storage disease type II (also called Pompe's disease or acid maltase deficiency) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder which causes an accumulation of glycogen in the lysosomes due to deficiency of the lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase enzyme. It is the only glycogen storage disease with a defect in lysosomal metabolism, and the first glycogen storage disease to be identified in 1932. The build-up of glycogen causes progressive muscle weakness (myopathy) throughout the body and affects various body tissues, particularly in the heart, skeletal muscles, liver, and nervous system. We are presenting two cases of infantile form of Pompe's disease with secondary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (CMP). The first case was a 1-year-old female child who presented with Ross Class III heart failure (HF) of 3 months duration. Echocardiography (ECHO) showed concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, with the posterobasal segment more hypertrophic than the inter-ventricular septum and moderate pericardial effusion. The second case was a 2-month-old male child who presented with Ross Class II HF. His ECHO showed eccentric hypertrophy of the posterobasal left ventricle, with thickening of the mitral valve leaflets and the chordae with Grade I mitral regurgitation (MR). Both children were diagnosed to have Pompe's disease by blood alpha-glucosidase assay.

Control of Clinical Pathogens by the Haemolymph of Paratelphusa hydrodromous, a Freshwater Crab

In the present study, effort has been made to find the antimicrobial activity of haemolymph collected from freshwater crab, Paratelphusa hydrodromous. The haemolymph collected was tested for antimicrobial assay by disc diffusion method against clinical pathogens. Five bacterial species, namely, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and five fungal strains, namely and Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus sp., and Mucor sp., were selected for the study. The result shows a strong response of haemolymph against the clinical pathogens which confirms the immune mechanism of the freshwater crab.

4-Sulfamoylanilinium nitrate

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C₆H₉N₂O₂S⁺·NO₃⁻, the cations and anions are connected by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network.