Alterations of serum biochemical parameters and tyrosine phosphorylation in kidney and liver of chronic stress-induced rats

Abstract Chronic stress (CS) can contribute to dysfunction in several organs including liver and kidney. This study was performed to investigate the changes in serum biochemistry, histological structure, as well as in localization of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins (TyrPho) and Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp-70) in liver and kidney tissues of CS rats induced by two stressors (restrained and force swimming) for 60 consecutive days. Samples of blood, liver, and kidney were collected from adult male Sprague–Dawley rats in each group. Our results showed that serum biochemical parameters including corticosterone, blood sugar, urea nitrogen, creatinine, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, LDL-C, ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase in CS group were significantly different from that in normal group in both liver and kidney tissues. Although histological structure was not changed. TyrPho expression was significantly increased in liver lysate but significantly decreased in kidney. Hsp-70 expression in liver increased whereas in kidney decreased. In conclusion, CS can induce changes in liver and kidney functions.

Outcomes of Non-surgical Management of Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures

Introduction

With little evidence available in the literature, this study tries to clinically determine the efficiency and outcomes of non-surgical management of post-traumatic Zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures.

Materials and Methods

One hundred and three patients with post-traumatic isolated ZMC fractures managed conservatively for various reasons were identified. The patients were classified based on the Zingg et al. criteria into Types A, B, and C. We evaluated the resolution of signs and symptoms of six standard parameters over 6 months-persistent pain, restriction in mouth opening, infraorbital nerve (ION) paresthesia, aesthetic deformity, infraorbital step deformity with associated tenderness on palpation, and ophthalmic status. The study variables were then statistically analyzed using Cochran's Q test with an associated confidence interval of 95%.

Results

A six-month follow-up revealed persisting residual deformities for all three groups. However, Type A and Type B showed significant improvement in pain reduction, mouth opening, and infraorbital nerve (ION) paresthesia. No significant improvement was noted in any of the groups for aesthetic deformity, infraorbital step deformity, and ophthalmic status. Type C, which had comminuted fracture patterns, exhibited significant defects in all the parameters. Significant inter-variable relationship between certain paired parameters was also observed.

Conclusion

The Type A group is most suited for non-surgical management. Type B with a mono-bloc fracture is a crucial group that demands broader, long-term studies to extract a proper treatment protocol. Type C with severe fracture displacement validates surgical correction.

An individualised psychosocial intervention program for persons with MND/ALS and their families in low resource settings

OBJECTIVE

To develop individualised psychosocial intervention program for people with MND and their families in India.

METHODS

People with MND and healthcare staff were constructively involved in co-designing the intervention program in four phases adapted from the MRC framework: 1. A detailed need assessment phase where 30 participants shared their perceptions of psychosocial needs 2. Developing the intervention module (synthesis of narrative review, identified needs); 3. Feasibility testing of the intervention program among seven participants; 4. Feedback from participants on the feasibility (acceptance, practicality adaptation). The study adopted an exploratory research design.

RESULTS

Intervention program of nine sessions, addressing psychosocial challenges through the different stages of progression of the illness and ways to handle the challenges, specific to the low resource settings, was developed and was found to be feasible. People with MND and families who participated in the feasibility study shared the perceived benefit through feedback interviews.

CONCLUSION

MND has changing needs and challenges. Intervention programme was found to be feasible to be implemented among larger group to establish efficacy.

Disposable-micropipette tip supported electrified liquid-organogel interface as a platform for sensing acetylcholine

Sensing acetylcholine has been predominantly based on enzymatic strategies using acetylcholine esterase and choline oxidase because of its electrochemical inertness. Electrified liquid-liquid interfaces are not limited to oxidation/reduction processes, and can be utilized to detect non-redox molecules which cannot be detected using conventional solid electrodes. In this study, a disposable micropipette tip based liquid-organogel interface, in the presence/absence of calixarene has been developed as a platform for sensing acetylcholine. We also explored a liquid-liquid interface approach for sensing acetylcholine using a pre-pulled glass micropipette. In both approaches, the configuration, i.e., liquid-organogel and liquid-liquid interface-current linearly increases during the backward transfer of acetylcholine. The simple and facilitated ion transfer of acetylcholine across the liquid-organogel exhibited a linear range of 10-50 μM and 1-30 μM with a detection limit of 0.18 μM and 0.23 μM and a sensitivity of 9.52 nA μM^-1 and 9.20 nA μM^-1, respectively. Whereas, the detection limit of simple and facilitated ion transfer of liquid-liquid interface using pre-pulled glass micropipette was found to be 0.42 μM and 0.13 μM with a sensitivity of 5 × 10^-3 nA μM^-1 and 3.39 × 10^-2 nA μM^-1. The results indicate that the liquid-organogel configuration supported on a disposable micropipette tip without any pre-fabrication is highly suitable for electrified soft interface sensing applications.

Bioelectricity production and shortcut nitrogen removal by microalgal-bacterial consortia using membrane photosynthetic microbial fuel cell

Membrane photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (MPMFC) utilizes O₂, NO₃^- and NO₂^- as cathodic electron acceptors, enabling simultaneous treatment of nitrogen, CO₂ and organic carbon in the cathode compartment. In this work, development of a novel cathodic process with in situ nitritation via microalgal photosynthesis during the light period is reported for achieving shortcut nitrogen removal (SNR) from ammonium-rich wastewater. Moreover, a tubular low-cost ceramic membrane was used to separate and recycle the microalgal-bacterial biomass to the cathode compartment during the continuous operation. The influence of NH₄⁺ concentration and ratio of chemical oxygen demand to total nitrogen on the MPMFC performance was examined. Denitritation under dark and anoxic conditions occurred due to denitrifying bacteria (DNB) subsequent to nitritation under light and aerobic conditions by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in the consortia. Final concentrations of NH₄⁺ and NO₂^- in the effluent of 0.10 mg NH₄⁺-L^-1 and 0.02 mg NO₂^--L^-1, respectively, were obtained using MPMFC which resulted in a nitrogen removal efficiency of 99 ± 0.5%. The maximum electricity production achieved using the MPMFC was 56 ± 0.1 mA. This study demonstrated that combining microalgal photosynthesis, nitritation and denitritation in the cathode compartment of MPMFC is advantageous for avoiding the cost due to external aeration and organic carbon source necessary for ammonium removal as well as utilization of NO₂^- or NO₃^- as an electron acceptor.

Challenges Faced by Primary Caretakers of Adolescent Girls with Intellectual Disability during their Menstrual Cycle in Puducherry: A Mixed Method Study

Background:

Adolescents with Intellectually Disability (ID) compared to their normal peers face greater challenges at menarche due to their caregiver dependence for their day-to-day personal care activities.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to know the sociodemographic characteristics of adolescent girls with ID and to explore the challenges faced by their primary caretakers during their menstrual cycle in Puducherry.

Subjects and Methods:

The study was conducted among primary caretaker of adolescent girls with ID from December 2018 to May 2019. The study adopted quantitative method to capture sociodemographic details among 73 primary caretakers of adolescent with ID who attained menarche and In-Depth Interview (IDI) was conducted to explore the challenges faced by primary caretakers. The caretakers of adolescents were selected using purposive sampling and conventional content analysis was followed for data analysis.

Results:

We discovered that 80.9% of adolescent with ID were not able to manage their menstruation of their own. Primary caretakers who were interviewed were mostly mother's 67.1%. Due to caretaker's dependency, 94.5% of the adolescent with ID were not going to school during their menstrual cycle.

Conclusions:

Majority of the caretakers faced problems such as rejection of sanitary napkins and inability to recognize about the start of period by their adolescents with ID.

An overview on mechanism, cause, prevention and multi-nation policy level interventions of dietary iron deficiency

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is probably the most ignored situation in the world of malnutrition-largely due to its slow progression. Multiple reasons can be attributed as the cause of IDA, which is not limited to any specific region or population; therefore, making it a matter of global concern. Despite the human body's ability to absorb and conserve iron stores, the gradual loss due to various physiological conditions leads to net deficiency of iron. Countless commercial iron supplements are available, but at given physiological conditions, almost all of these "Bio-not-available" iron forms quite often become ineffective. World Health Organization and other government bodies have jointly developed health advisories and tried to developed nutrition supplements several times in the last two decades. IDA, when combined with other disease conditions, becomes a life-threatening situation. At the same time, an overdose of iron could also be very harmful to the body. Therefore, it is important to deal with this situation with caution. This article covers iron metabolism, available options for iron supplementation, regulatory aspects and strategies to prevent IDA.

Cellular and Biochemical Changes in Different Categories of Periodontitis: A Patient-based Study

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to study the effects of periodontitis, diabetes mellitus (DM), and tobacco smoking and chewing habits (TBSCH) on the oxidative stress biomarker levels, namely malondialdehyde (MDA), and the mucosal genotoxic nuclear damage in the marginal gingival cells of subjects. Furthermore, the correlation of the biomarkers, MDA, and nuclear changes in the form of micronucleation (Mn) and binucleation (Bn) was investigated.

Materials and Methods:

Forty study participants were divided into five subject categories, which were established based on the presence of periodontitis, DM, and TBSCH. Whole saliva and marginal gingival smears collected from subjects were used to determine MDA levels and nuclear changes, respectively. A full-mouth assessment of periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and bleeding on probing was performed for each subject to determine periodontal status.

Results:

MDA and Mn levels between control group and subjects with only periodontitis (MDA: P < 0.9990; Mn: P < 0.8200) showed no significant difference, whereas levels among subjects with DM, TBSCH, and periodontitis, and all other categories were statistically significant (MDA: P < 0.001). DM and/or TBSCH superimposed on periodontitis cause an exponential increase in biomarker levels. Furthermore, MDA and Mn showed poor correlation (r = 0.162; P = 0.318). Periodontitis alone did not significantly increase oxidative stress levels compared to healthy controls, whereas DM and TBSCH resulted in augmented oxidative stress levels, implying that increased stress produced by DM and TBSCH aggravates or exaggerates periodontal inflammation.

Conclusion:

Poor correlation between MDA and Mn indicated that the mechanisms involved in their production are independent of each other.

Octave-spanning, continuous-wave supercontinuum generation with record power using standard telecom fibers pumped with power-combined fiber lasers: publisher's note

This publisher's note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.45, 1172 (2020).OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.384690.

Octave-spanning, continuous-wave supercontinuum generation with record power using standard telecom fibers pumped with power-combined fiber lasers

We have demonstrated a record output power of ∼72W, octave-spanning, nearly single-mode, continuous-wave supercontinuum with a bandwidth of ∼1050nm using standard telecom fiber as the nonlinear medium in an all-fiber architecture. We have utilized the recently proposed nonlinear power combining architecture by which power scaling is achieved using multiple independent Ytterbium lasers operating at different wavelengths. In this Letter, Raman conversions in the fiber assist in combining multiple input laser lines into a single wavelength which then undergoes supercontinuum generation. The architecture is based on the recently proposed grating-free, cascaded Raman lasers based on distributed feedback. Here all Raman conversions are well seeded, thereby enhancing the efficiency of supercontinuum generation to ∼44%. In this Letter, we have obtained power spectral densities (PSDs) of >3mW/nm from 850 to 1350 nm and a high PSD of >100mW/nm from 1350 to 1900 nm. Here we have also investigated the power-combined supercontinuum generation for different pump wavelength combinations demonstrating the flexibility of this technique.

Visible light generation in the cladding of optical fibers carrying near-infrared continuous-wave lasers due to Cherenkov-phase matched harmonic conversion

In this work, we report and analyze the cause of the surprising observation of visible light generation in the cladding of silica-based continuous-wave (CW), near-infrared fiber lasers. We observe a visible rainbow of hues in a cascaded Raman fiber laser, which we attribute to second and third harmonic conversion of the different wavelength components propagating in the core of the fiber. The light in the cladding of the fiber occurs through Cherenkov-type phase matching, and a mathematical analysis is presented to estimate the power of the harmonic light generated. We then extend this theory to visible light generation in other types of fiber lasers. Specifically, we analyze the case of a CW supercontinuum generated in standard telecom fibers, and verify our theoretical predictions with experimental results through visible spectra collected.

Novel shortcut biological nitrogen removal method using an algae-bacterial consortium in a photo-sequencing batch reactor: Process optimization and kinetic modelling

This study evaluated a novel shortcut nitrogen removal method using a mixed consortium of microalgae, enriched ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and methanol utilizing denitrifier (MUD) in a photo-sequencing batch reactor (PSBR) for treating ammonium rich wastewater (ARWW). Alternating light and dark periods were followed to obtain complete biological nitrogen removal (BNR) without any external aeration and with the addition of methanol as the sole carbon source, respectively. The results showed that influent NH₄⁺ was oxidized to NO₂^- by AOB during the light periods at a rate of 8.09 mg NH₄⁺-N L^-1h^-1. Subsequently, NO₂^- was completely reduced during the dark period due to the action of MUD in presence of methanol. The high activities of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and nitrite reductase (NIR) enzymes revealed the strong role of AOB and MUD for achieving shortcut nitrogen removal from the wastewater. The reduced activities of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite oxidoreductase (NOR) at a high concentration of DO, NH₄⁺ and NO₂^-in the system further confirmed the nitrogen removal pathway involved in the process. The biomass produced from these experiments showed good settling properties with a maximum sedimentation rate of 0.7-1.8 m h^-1, a maximum sludge volume index (SVI) of 193 ml g^-1- 256 ml g^-1and floc size of 0.2-1.2 mm. In order to describe the growth and interaction among the algae, AOB and MUD for nitrogen removal in the system, the experimental results were fitted to four metabolic models, which revealed best fit of the experimental data due to the models based on algae-AOB and algae-AOB-MUD activities than with the other two models.

Perils with Pirfenidone and "the tuberculosis link"

We report a case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treated with pirfenidone who developed tuberculosis (TB) and later had exfoliative dermatitis secondary to an interaction between pirfenidone and rifampicin. This case report highlights the possible risk of developing TB in patients diagnosed with IPF and on antifibrotic therapy like pirfenidone. Furthermore, this case report documents a previously unreported adverse reaction due to the interaction of rifampicin with pirfenidone.

Rehabilitation evaluation of the newly developed polymeric based passive polycentric knee joint

Objective: The lower limb amputation is one of the major concerns for the amputee's daily life and the trans-femoral (TF) amputation is being paid a lot of attention because of its functional requirement in flexion-extension motion. Though significant progress has been made for the development of high end prosthetic knee joint, the affordability of the same is still a great concern. Thus, a passive polycentric knee joint was developed and the health related quality of life (HRQL) before and after the fixation of the prosthesis, and performance of the same were studied.Design: After 6 months of fixation, the HRQL and performance of the prosthetic device were evaluated.Results: The HRQL after the fixation was found to be increased, where the improvement on the physical and mental score was found to be 49 and 46%, respectively, in comparison with pre-fixation stage. The global score (G) for the prosthetic function was found to be 63, which confirmed the increased performance of the prosthesis.Conclusions: The improved HRQL and G of prosthetic performance confirmed the enhanced performance of the prosthesis. It is concluded that the developed passive polycentric knee joint could be explored in large scale for the TF amputees.Implications for rehabilitationThe above knee (AK) amputation is a surgical interference that severs the thigh segment between the knee and hip joints.The above knee prosthesis consists of a socket, knee joint, pylon and foot.The artificial prosthetic knee joint imitates the functions of human knee to achieve the flexion-extension motion of the above knee amputee.The satisfaction of the amputees with the usage of the existing artificial prosthetic knee joint is still a concern. Hence, a passive prosthetic knee joint was developed and its effect on the quality of life of trans-femoral amputee was evaluated using health related quality of life (HRQL) before and after the fixation of the prosthesisThe HRQL after the fixation was found to be increased in comparison with pre-fixation stage.The global score for the prosthetic function was also found to be increased which confirmed the increased performance of the prosthesis.It is anticipated that the developed knee joint is expected to make huge impact due to its function, performance and affordability.

High-power, widely wavelength tunable, grating-free Raman fiber laser based on filtered feedback

The cascaded Raman fiber laser is a proven technology that provides wavelength agile high-power fiber lasers outside the rare-earth emission windows. However, conventional cascaded Raman fiber lasers lack wavelength agility due to the use of fixed wavelength fiber Bragg gratings. Recently, proposed cascaded Raman fiber lasers based on random distributed feedback have provided a grating-free solution enabling wavelength agility. With these lasers, wide wavelength tunability has been achieved. However, there are still limitations in scaling output power while maintaining high spectral purity of wavelength conversion. Spectral purity is characterized by the in-band power ratio, which is the ratio of the output power in the required wavelength to the total power. The origin of this limitation arises from the inability to efficiently terminate the Raman cascade at a specific wavelength with increasing power. In this Letter, we propose a novel filtered distributed feedback mechanism to terminate the Raman cascade at any desired wavelength, enabling power scaling with high spectral purity. Output power up to 28 W has been achieved with >85% in-band power ratio and >400  nm tuning range from 1118 to 1535 nm.

High-power continuous-wave supercontinuum generation in highly nonlinear fibers pumped with high-order cascaded Raman fiber amplifiers

A novel method for efficient generation of a high-power, equalized continuous-wave supercontinuum source in an all-conventional silica fiber architecture is demonstrated. Highly nonlinear fiber is pumped in its anomalous dispersion region using a novel, high-power, L-band laser. The L-band laser encompasses a sixth-order cascaded Raman amplifier which is pumped with a high-power Ytterbium-doped fiber laser and amplifies a low-power, tunable L-band seed source. The supercontinuum generated 35 W of power with ∼40% efficiency. The supercontinuum spectrum was measured to have a high degree of flatness of better than 5 dB over 400 nm of bandwidth (1.3-1.7 μm, limited by spectrum analyzer range) and a power spectral density in this region of >50  mW/nm. The extent of the SC spectrum is estimated to be up to 2 μm.

High power, high efficiency, continuous-wave supercontinuum generation using standard telecom fibers

We demonstrate a simple module for octave spanning continuous-wave supercontinuum generation using standard telecom fiber. This module can accept any high power ytterbium-doped fiber laser as input. The input light is transferred into the anomalous dispersion region of the telecom fiber through a cascade of Raman shifts. A recently proposed Raman laser architecture with distributed feedback efficiently performs these Raman conversions. A spectrum spanning over 1000nm (>1 octave) from 880 to 1900nm is demonstrated. The average power from the supercontinuum is ~34W with a high conversion efficiency of 44%. Input wavelength agility is demonstrated with similar supercontinua over a wide input wavelength range.

High-power, fixed, and tunable wavelength, grating-free cascaded Raman fiber lasers

Cascaded Raman lasers enable high powers at various wavelength bands inaccessible with conventional rare-earth-doped lasers. The input and output wavelengths of conventional implementations are fixed by the constituent fiber gratings necessary for cascaded Raman conversion. We demonstrate here a simple architecture for high-power, fixed, and wavelength tunable, grating-free, cascaded Raman conversion between different wavelength bands. The architecture is based on the recently proposed distributed feedback Raman lasers. Here, we implement a module which converts the ytterbium band to the eye-safe 1.5 μm region. We demonstrate pump-limited output powers of over 30 W in fixed and continuously wavelength tunable configurations.

Precontoured Clavicular Locking Plate with Broad Lateral End: A Newly Designed Plate for Lateral Third Clavicle Fractures

Introduction: Various treatment modalities are available but no consensus has been reached for optimal treatment of lateral third clavicle fractures. Precontoured locking plates with broad lateral end for multiple screws fixation is a newly designed plate for lateral third clavicle fractures. The objective of our study was to analyse the functional outcomes as well as complications of this technique in a significant number of cases with long follow-up duration.

Materials and Methods: Forty-six patients with distal third clavicle fractures were treated by precontoured clavicular locking plate with broad lateral end. Functional outcomes were assessed on the basis of Constant-Murley Shoulder Outcome Score and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Rating Score, active shoulder range of motion, time for fracture union and coraco-clavicular distance.

Results: The mean Constant-Murley score was 92.56±4.47 (range: 79-98) for injured side and 96.22±2.23 (range: 90-100) for normal side with p-Value 0.56. Mean coraco-clavicular distance at final follow-up was 10.52±1.13 mm (range 9.7 to 11.7 mm) in injured side and 10.25±0.98 mm (range 9.6 to 11.2 mm) in normal side. Mean UCLA Shoulder Rating Score was 32.55±2.12 (range: 27-34) for injured side and 33.46±1.88 (range: 31- 35) on normal side with p value 0.58. No major complications that necessitated revision of surgery occurred in our study.

Conclusion: This newly designed plate seemed extremely useful in successful union of lateral third clavicle fractures, with reduced rate of complications like fixation failures, iatrogenic rotator cuff injury, AC joint osteoarthritis and sub-acromial bursitis, with good functional outcomes.

Simultaneous Raman based power combining and wavelength conversion of high-power fiber lasers

We present a technique for simultaneous power-combining and wavelength-conversion of multiple fiber lasers into a single, longer wavelength in a different band through Raman-based, nonlinear power combining. We illustrate this by power combining of two independent Ytterbium lasers into a single wavelength around 1.5micron with high output powers of upto 99W. A high conversion efficiency of ~64% of the quantum limited efficiency and a high level of wavelength conversion with >85% of the output power in the final wavelength is demonstrated. The proposed method enables power-scaling in various wavelength bands where conventional fiber lasers are unavailable or limited in power.

All passive architecture for high efficiency cascaded Raman conversion

Cascaded Raman fiber lasers have offered a convenient method to obtain scalable, high-power sources at various wavelength regions inaccessible with rare-earth doped fiber lasers. A limitation previously was the reduced efficiency of these lasers. Recently, new architectures have been proposed to enhance efficiency, but this came at the cost of enhanced complexity, requiring an additional low-power, cascaded Raman laser. In this work, we overcome this with a new, all-passive architecture for high-efficiency cascaded Raman conversion. We demonstrate our architecture with a fifth-order cascaded Raman converter from 1117nm to 1480nm with output power of ~64W and efficiency of 60%.

BCN–Co3O4 hybrid – a highly efficient catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction and dye degradation

The as-prepared Co₃O₄–BCN shows excellent activity towards the OER and dye degradation as compared to pristine Co₃O₄.

Health problems and stress in Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing employees

Stress is high in software profession because of their nature of work, target, achievements, night shift, over work load. 1. To study the demographic profile of the employees. 2. To access the level of job stress and quality of life of the respondents. 3. To study in detail the health problems of the employees. All employees working in IT and BPO industry for more than two years were included into the study. A detailed questionnaire of around 1000 IT and BPO employees including their personal details, stress score by Holmes and Rahe to assess the level of stress and master health checkup profile were taken and the results were analysed. Around 56% had musculoskeletal symptoms. 22% had newly diagnosed hypertension,10% had diabetes, 36% had dyslipidemia, 54% had depression, anxiety and insomnia, 40% had obesity. The stress score was higher in employees who developed diabetes, hypertension and depression. Early diagnosis of stress induced health problems can be made out by stress scores, intense lifestyle modification, diet advice along with psychological counselling would reduce the incidence of health problems in IT sector and improve the quality of work force.

Parry-Romberg syndrome (progressive hemifacial atrophy) with spasmodic dysphonia--a rare association

Parry-Romberg syndrome is a rare clinical entity characterised by progressive hemifacial atrophy with appearance of 'saber'. Various neurological and otorhinolaryngological disorders are associated with this syndrome. The association of Parry -Romberg syndrome with Spasmodic dysphonia has rarely been reported. A 37 year old female presented with progressive atrophy of tissues of left side of face for 10 years and change in voice for 1 year. On examination, wasting and atrophy of tissues including tongue was noted on left side of the face. ENT examination revealed adductor spasmodic dysphonia. We report the rare association of Parry -Romberg syndrome with spasmodic dysphonia.

Seroprevalence of bluetongue among domestic ruminants in Northern Kerala, India

The objective of the present study is to assess the seroprevalence of bluetongue (BT) among domestic ruminants of Northern Kerala. Sera samples from cattle (82), goat (40) and sheep (50) collected from districts of Wayanad, Kozhikode and Palakkad respectively were tested using competitive enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay (cELISA). Out of the 172 samples tested, the overall BT seroprevalence was 9.3%. There is an increase in prevalence from previous reports which may indicate possible outbreaks in future.

Genetic transformation and pyramiding of aprotinin-expressing sugarcane with cry1Ab for shoot borer (Chilo infuscatellus) resistance

We evaluated the insecticidal toxicity of Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac toxins against neonate larvae of sugarcane shoot borer Chilo infuscatellus Snellen (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in vitro on diet surface. With the lowest LC(50) value, Cry1Ab emerged as the most effective among the three toxins. Sugarcane cultivars Co 86032 and CoJ 64 were transformed with cry1Ab gene driven by maize ubiquitin promoter through particle bombardment and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems. Gene pyramiding was also attempted by retransforming sugarcane plants carrying bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (aprotinin) gene, with cry1Ab. Southern analysis confirmed multiple integration of the transgene in case of particle bombardment and single site integration in Agrobacterium-mediated transformants. The expression of cry1Ab was demonstrated through Western analysis and the toxin was quantified using ELISA. The amount of Cry1Ab protein in different events varied from 0.007 to 1.73% of the total soluble leaf protein; the events transformed by Agrobacterium method showed significantly higher values. In in vivo bioassay with neonate larvae of shoot borer, transgenics produced considerably lower percentage of deadhearts despite suffering feeding damage by the borer compared with the untransformed control plants. Expressed Cry1Ab content was negatively related to deadheart damage. Aprotinin-expressing sugarcane pyramided with cry1Ab also showed reduction in damage. The potential of producing sugarcane transgenics with cry1Ab and aprotinin genes resistant to early shoot borer was discussed in the light of the results obtained.

Protective effect of silymarin on erythrocyte haemolysate against benzo(a)pyrene and exogenous reactive oxygen species (H2O2) induced oxidative stress

The present study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant properties and protective effects of silymarin (milk thistle) in human erythrocyte haemolysates against benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P], a potent carcinogenic chemical. Protective effect of silymarin was assessed in vitro by monitoring the antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde in three groups of haemolysates-(I) vehicle control (II) B(a)P incubated group and (III) B(a)P co incubated with silymarin. The effects of silymarin on lipid peroxidation (LPO) and antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase; SOD, catalase; CAT, glutathione peroxidase; GPx, glutathione reductase; GR and glutathione-S-transferases; GST] were assessed on haemolysates. It was observed that specific activity of antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased and the malondialdehyde levels were elevated when haemolysates were incubated with B(a)P. The protective effect of silymarin is elucidated by the significant reversal of the antioxidant enzymes and reduction in the levels of malondialdehyde. In addition, haemolysates were incubated with B(a)P for 45 min and the B(a)P metabolite, 3-hydroxy benzo(a)pyrene (3-OH-B(a)P) was detected using HPLC. An increased level of the metabolite was detected in group II. Whereas, when haemolysates were co-incubated with silymarin, the reactive metabolite 3-OH-B(a)P was not detectable which further confirms the protective role of silymarin. Generation of 3-OH-B(a)P in group II implicates the possibility of reactive oxygen species (O2- and H2O2) production in haemolysates during cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) mediated Phase-I-metabolism. Hence, we incubated the haemolysates with exogenous reactive oxygen species H2O2 and assessed the protective role of silymarin against H2O2. From the results of our study, it was suggested that silymarin possess substantial protective effect and free radical scavenging mechanism against environmental contaminants induced oxidative stress damages.

Direct electron transfer with yeast cells and construction of a mediatorless microbial fuel cell

The direct electron transfer exhibited by the yeast cells, Hansenula anomala has been demonstrated using the electrochemical technique cyclic voltammetry by immobilizing the microorganisms by two different methods viz., physical adsorption and covalent linkage. The analysis of redox enzymes present in the outer membrane of the microorganisms has been carried out in this work. This paper demonstrates that yeast cells with redox enzymes present in their outer membrane are capable of communicating directly with the electrode surface and contribute to current generation in a mediatorless biofuel cells. The efficiency of current generation has been evaluated using three anode materials.

Cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system mediated hydrocarbon metabolism and antioxidant enzyme responses in prawn, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii

We investigated the alteration of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase enzymes and antioxidant enzymes in response to oil effluent in freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii. The prawns were exposed to two sublethal (10% [0.91 ppt] and 25% [2.3 ppt] of 5-day median lethal concentration) concentrations of oil. After 30 days, treated prawns were transferred into untreated freshwater and depuration was followed for another 30 days. At 7-day intervals, hydrocarbons and detoxifying enzymes were analysed in the hepatopancreas. Accumulation of hydrocarbon in the tissues gradually increased when exposed to sublethal concentration of oil effluent associated with enhanced levels of cytochrome P450, NADPH cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome b(5). During depuration, the levels of accumulated hydrocarbons decreased due to the induction of these detoxifying enzymes. Oil derived hydrocarbon mediated oxyradical production would have occurred in M. malcolmsonii. This was confirmed by elevated levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Thus, cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase enzymes and antioxidant enzymes in oil-exposed prawns demonstrate a well-established detoxifying mechanism in M. malcolmsonii.

Thyroid function in children with sepsis and septic shock

AIM

A prospective study was conducted to determine thyroid hormone levels and their relationship to survival in children with septic shock and sepsis.

METHODS

We estimated thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4, TSH, fT3 and fT4) in children with septic shock and compared with those in children with sepsis.

RESULTS

Twenty-four children (13 boys) with septic shock and 25 children (14 boys) with sepsis were enrolled. The median T3, T4, fT3, fT4 and TSH (95% confidence interval) were 40 (40-40.23) ng/dL, 4.45 (1.9-6.03) microg/dL, 1.85 (1.2-2.37) pg/mL, 0.77 (0.57-0.95) ng/dL, 0.51 (0.26-1.15) microIU/mL, respectively in children with septic shock group compared with 130 (98.28-163.48) ng/dL, 9.3 (7.66-10.63) microg/dL, 3.2 (3-4.27) pg/mL, 1.3 (1.1-1.4) ng/dL, 2.85 (1.07-3.61) microIU/mL, respectively, in children with sepsis. Children with septic shock who died (n = 12) had higher TSH levels compared to those who survived (p = 0.04). There was no difference in hormone levels between children with catecholamine responsive and catecholamine resistant septic shock.

CONCLUSION

Children with septic shock had lower levels of T3, T4, fT3, fT4 and TSH compared to those with sepsis. Findings of our study suggest that derangement of thyroid functions in children is not an important factor contributing to the severity of septic shock.

Gastropleural fistula as a complication of empyema thoracis

Gastropleural fistula is an uncommon entity, especially in children. Here we report a 7-year-old child who developed gastropleural fistula as a complication of empyema thoracis. The child was also diagnosed to have chronic granulomatous disease.

Subcellular/tissue distribution and responses to oil exposure of the cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system and glutathione S-transferase in freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium malcolmsonii, M. lamarrei lamarrei)

Subcellular fractions (mitochondrial, cytosolic and microsomal) prepared from the tissues (hepatopancreas, muscle and gill) of freshwater prawns Macrobrachium malcolmsonii and Macrobrachium lamarrei lamarrei were scrutinized to investigate the presence of mixed function oxygenase (MFO) and conjugating enzymes (glutathione-S-transferase, GST). Cytochrome P450 (CYP) and other components (cytochrome b(5); NADPH-cytochrome c (CYP) reductase and NADH-cytochrome c-reductase activities) of the MFO system were predominantly present in the hepatic microsomal fraction of M. malcolmsonii and M. lamarrei lamarrei. The results are in agreement with the notion that monooxygenase system is mainly membrane bound in the endoplasmic reticulum, and that the hepatopancreas is the major metabolic tissue for production of biotransformation enzymes in crustaceans. Further, the prawns were exposed to two sublethal (0.9 ppt (parts per thousand) and 2.3 ppt) concentrations of oil effluent. At the end of 30th day, hydrocarbons and detoxifying enzymes were analysed in the hepatopancreas. The accumulations of hydrocarbon in the tissues gradually increased when exposed to sublethal concentrations of oil effluent and were associated with significantly enhanced levels of cytochrome P450 (180.6+/-6.34 pmol mg(-1) protein (P<0.05 versus control, 136.5+/-7.1 pmol mg(-1) protein) for 2.3 ppt and 305.6+/-8.5 pmol mg(-1) protein (P<0.001 versus control, 132.3+/-6.8 pmol mg(-1) protein] for 0.9 ppt of oil exposed M. malcolmsonii; 150+/-6.5 pmol mg(-1 )protein (P<0.01 versus control, 84.6+/-5.2 pmol mg(-1) protein) for 2.3 ppt and 175+/-5.5 pmol mg(-1) protein (P<0.01 versus control, 87.6+/-5.4 pmol mg(-1) protein) for 0.9 ppt of oil exposed M. lamarrei lamarrei), NADPH cytochrome c-reductase activity (14.7+/-0.6 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein (P<0.05 versus control, 6.8+/-0.55 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein) for 2.3 ppt and 12.1+/-0.45 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein (P<0.01 versus control, 6.9+/-0.42 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein) for 0.9 ppt of oil exposed M. malcolmsonii; 12.5+/-0.31 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein (P<0.001 versus control, 4.6+/-0.45 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein) for 2.3 ppt and 9.6+/-0.32 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein (P<0.01 versus control, 4.9+/-0.41 nmol min(-1 )mg(-1) protein) for 0.9 ppt of oil exposed M. lamarrei lamarrei) and cytochrome b(5 )(124.8+/-3.73 pmol mg(-1) protein (P<0.01 versus control, 76.8+/-4.2 pmol mg(-1) protein) for 2.3 ppt and 115.3+/-3.86 pmol mg(-1) protein (P<0.01 versus control, 76.4+/-4.25 pmol mg(-1 )protein) for 0.9 ppt of oil exposed M. malcolmsonii and 110+/-3.11 pmol mg(-1) protein (P<0.01 versus control, 63.7+/-3.24 pmol mg(-1 )protein) for 2.3 ppt and 95.3+/-2.63 pmol mg(-1) protein (P<0.01 versus control, 61.4+/-2.82 pmol mg(-1) protein) for 0.9 ppt of oil exposed M. lamarrei lamarrei). The enhanced levels of biotransformation enzymes in oil-exposed prawns demonstrate a well-established detoxifying mechanism in crustaceans, and the response offers the possibility of use as a biomarker for the early detection of oil pollution.

Optimal analytical conditions for catalase in fresh water prawn, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii

The cytosol of hepatopancreas was prepared from the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium malcolmsonii, and optimal assay conditions, ie., concentration of substrate, pH, and temperature, were determined to measure basal activities and kinetic constants of catalase activity. The properties of catalase were examined in M. macolmsonii, because quantitative data on catalase are limited in crustacean species. The optimal pH for catalase was 7.0. The activation energy was 3.55 Kcal/mol and energy inhibition value was 5.16 Kcal/mol. The value of energy inhibition is higher than that of energy activation. This may be due to inhibition of catalase by some substrate other than H2O2. A Km of 66.6 mM was also determined from various concentrations of substrate.

Expression of growth factors in Dictyostelium discoideum

Growth factors and their binding proteins are important proteins regulating mammalian cell proliferation and differentiation so there is considerable interest in producing them as recombinant proteins, especially in hosts that do not already produce a complex mixture of growth factors. Many growth factors require post-translational modifications making them unsuitable for production in Escherichia coli or other prokaryotes. Since several expression vector systems have been recently developed for foreign protein production in the cellular slime mould, Dictyostelium discoideum, we attempted to use two of these systems to express human insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (hIGFBP6) and bovine beta-cellulin (bBTC) as secreted proteins. Although both proteins were successfully produced in stably transformed amoebae, no secretion was detected in spite of several attempts to facilitate this occurring.

Equine glanders in Turkey

In the course of an epidemiological study of glanders on a number of Turkish islands in the Sea of Marmara, 1128 horses were examined by using the intracutaneous mallein test. Thirty-five (3-1 per cent) developed an increase in rectal temperature and a swelling at the point of injection. Ten of these horses were killed and glanders was confirmed in five cases by the presence of lesions and by the immunohistological demonstration of the causative agent, Burkholderia mallei. Clinical and pathological findings indicated that in all cases the infection was restricted to the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity with its parasinus, the nostrils and the upper lips. It was confirmed that equine glanders is endemic in Turkey.