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In the aftermath of resistance of Bt cotton to pink bollworm in many parts of India, alternative control strategies should be worked out apart from the traditional chemical control. Use of pheromones for mass trapping and mating disruption is gaining importance worldwide rather than monitoring for pink bollworm. In present study, the field efficacy of novel pheromone formulation against pink bollworm through mating disruption techniquein BG II cotton was evaluated in a large blocks of 12 ha each during summer 2016-17 at four different locations. The SPLAT formulation @ 125 g/acre was used thrice starting from 45 DAS onwards during crop growth period which was distributed uniformly on 200 plants/acre. The male moth catch, larval density and locule damage in green bolls was reduced by 86.72%, 62.03% and 74.21%, respectively and seed cotton yield was increased by 16.89% in SPLAT treated fields when compared to insecticide treated control fields. Results showed that the SPLAT, a novel slow and sustainable pheromone release formulation is effective in reducing the incidence and damage by pink bollworm through mating disruption technique in Bt cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Penconazole 10 EC (NS) against powdery mildew in Urdbean for two seasons at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The experiment was laid out in RBD with three replications. The results showed that penconazole 10 EC (NS) at 1.0 mL/L was found significantly superior followed by penconazole 10 EC (NS) at 0.6 mL/L with low disease incidence of powdery mildew in blackgram. Further, phytotoxicity was not observed in penconazole treated plots even at higher dose in urdbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invasion of fall armyworm (FAW) to the Eastern hemisphere poses a major challenge to the food security efforts of several nations including India. Invasive FAW population is primarily composed of two predominant strains differentiated based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene, known as COI-RS (hybrid strain) and COI-CS (corn strain). COI-RS, in particular was found to be different from the ancestral rice strain in America and displayed characteristics of typical inter-strain hybrid population. Although the ancestral populations have been tested for their mating behaviour and response toward pheromones and biocontrol agents, similar studies have not been performed on the invasive populations. We report here the interstrain mating behaviour of COI-RS and COI-CS populations from India along with their susceptibilities towards different biocontrol agents. COI-RS larvae were more susceptible to SpfrNPV infection compared to COI-CS larvae. The response towards other biocontrol agents was similar in the two strains. Electroantennogram response study revealed that the two strains differed in their response towards FAW pheromone, where COICS males displayed higher mean antennal response towards Z-9-tetradecenyl acetate (87%), Z-11-hexadecenyl acetate (12.5%) and Z-7-dodecenyl acetate (0.5%) than COI-RS males. Similar to the ancestral population, we found unidirectional mating between COI-RS females and COI-CS males while the reverse cross did not yield viable offspring. However, further detailed studies are required to confirm this observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) directly reflects households' financial burden for healthcare. Despite efforts to enhance accessibility and affordability through government initiatives and insurance schemes, OOPE remains problematic, especially in rural areas with inadequate public healthcare infrastructure. This study examines factors influencing OOPE in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shimoga districts, investigating socioeconomic characteristics, healthcare infrastructure, and accessibility to inform policies for equitable healthcare access and reduced household financial strain. Using purposive sampling, 61 semi-structured interviews were conducted in rural and urban South Karnataka, recorded in Kannada after obtaining consent, and thematically analyzed. Results revealed mixed perceptions of healthcare quality, cost, and accessibility between government and private hospitals. Government facilities were lauded for improved infrastructure and affordability, while private hospitals were preferred for quality and personalized care despite higher costs. Health insurance significantly impacted OOPE reduction. Participants emphasized the need for increased awareness of government insurance programs and improved quality in public hospitals. The study concludes that private hospitals are favored for superior care despite expenses, while government hospitals are valued for affordability. Expanding insurance coverage and improving public awareness are crucial for enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability.

Nosocomial outbreaks of Burkholderia cepacia complex, transmitted through contaminated medical surfaces or equipment have been reported. Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) is recognized as the "gold standard" for molecular subtyping, yet studies on clonal relationships in India are limited. PFGE was used to study the clonal relationships of 22 isolates of Burkholderia cenocepacia from 12 patients admitted to a critical care unit during 2 months (November and December 2021). PFGE revealed three different profiles with 15 isolates belonging to a single cluster suggesting a common source within the hospital, emphasizing the need for preventive measures to control B. cenocepacia transmission., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is a diverse group of environmental bacteria associated with opportunistic infections. The identification of Bcc using conventional methods poses challenges. Bcc infections are difficult to treat due to intrinsic antibiotic resistance. The study aimed to investigate the species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical Bcc isolates., Methods: A total of 153 Bcc isolates obtained from clinical samples were analysed. Species identification was carried out using automated methods, including MALDI-TOF MS and VITEK2. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method., Results: Burkholderia cenocepacia (70.5%) emerged as the most prevalent species, followed by Burkholderia contaminans (9.8%) and Burkholderia cepacia (7.2%). Ventilator-associated pneumonia (38.6%) was the most common infection, followed by sepsis (28.1%). Co-existence of Bcc with other pathogens in many cases suggested potential co-infection scenarios. Antimicrobial susceptibility revealed that ceftazidime, co-trimoxazole and meropenem were the most effective drugs, while levofloxacin proved to be the least effective. Moderate susceptibility was noted to minocycline, with 4.6% of isolates exhibiting multi-drug resistance., Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence, clinical associations, and antibiotic susceptibility of Bcc in India. It highlights the importance of Bcc as a nosocomial pathogen, especially in vulnerable patient populations. The findings contribute to understanding Bcc infections, their distribution, and emphasize the necessity for accurate identification methods in clinical settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Nil reports was provided by nil. Nil reports a relationship with nil that includes:. Nil has patent pending to nil. nil If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Breast self-examination (BSE) is a simple and cost-effective screening procedure in downstaging breast tumors., Aim: To assess the BSE practices and its associated knowledge and attitudes of rural women from Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu during the COVID-19 pandemic., Settings and Design: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed, and snowball sampling was used to recruit the sample of rural women from Tirunelveli., Materials and Methods: Women ages 18-60 willing to take part were included. Data were collected online through a self-developed questionnaire., Statistical Analysis: Responses were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to present the general details and responses of the rural women through percentages. Using the appropriate tests, the mean differences of the BSE attitudes based on the personal variables were computed using one-way ANOVA., Results: A total of 433 rural women (Mean age: 29.20 ± 9.35 years) from Tirunelveli responded to the online Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) questionnaire. Regular health checkups were undergone by 27.48% of women and 9.24% underwent breast cancer (BC) screening in the past. While 68.36% had heard of BC, 61% knew it could be detected in the early stages. Insufficient knowledge regarding BSE techniques was evident among the women. Knowledge about BC was highest among those earning more than 20,001 INR, women aged 36-45, widowed/separated/divorced women, and diploma graduates. Overall, BSE and BC knowledge score was low, with correspondingly low attitudes and practices., Conclusion: Findings showed the KAP among rural Tirunelveli women to be low., (Copyright © 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics.)

Introduction: Analysis of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance system in the first wave indicated that the data-driven approach helped in resource allocation and public health interventions., Objectives: We described the epidemiology of COVID-19 cases in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from February 2021 to February 2022., Materials and Methods: We analyzed the COVID-19 surveillance data from Chennai City, Tamil Nadu, India's Greater Chennai Corporation. We described the deidentified line list of COVID-19 cases and deaths by months, zones, age, and gender. We estimated the incidence of COVID-19 cases per million population, test positivity rate (TPR), and case fatality ratio (CFR)., Results: Of the 434,040 cases reported in Chennai from February 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022, 53% were male. The incidence per million peaked in May 2021 (19,210) and January 2022 (15,881). Age groups more than 60 years reported maximum incidence. Southern region zones reported higher incidence. Overall TPR was 5.8%, peaked in May 2021 (17.5%) and January 2022 (15.1%). Over half of the 4929 reported deaths were in May 2021 (56%). Almost half of the deaths were 61-80 years (52%), followed by 41-60 years (26%). Overall CFR was 1%, which peaked in June 2021 (4%)., Conclusion: We conclude that Chennai city experienced a surge in COVID-19 due to delta and omicron variants. Understanding descriptive epidemiology is vital for planning the public health response, resource allocation, vaccination policies, and risk communication to the community., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Public Health.)

Telerehabilitation is a viable option to provide continuum of rehabilitation intervention in situations like the ongoing pandemic. Presently, there is no policy guidelines to the minimum standard of telerehabilitation. This paper describes procedures for telerehabilitation for people with blindness and low vision from the evidence-based practices from a premier eye institute in South India. The suggested guidelines can help develop and replicate similar models of telerehabilitation to reach people in need in difficult situations like COVID 19 pandemic., Competing Interests: None

Objective: To explore the various stakeholders' perspectives on barriers and facilitators for medication adherence among patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and diabetes mellitus (DM)in India., Design: Systematic review of qualitative studies., Data Sources: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in Medline, Cochrane Library, Science Direct and Google Scholar from January 2010 to July 2020. We included all qualitative peer-reviewed studies, reporting barriers and facilitators of medication adherence, from India, for our current review., Data Extraction and Synthesis: Data extraction was performed by two independent authors who also assessed the quality of included studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme criteria. This qualitative evidence synthesis adhered to the enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research checklist RESULTS: In total, 18 studies were included. Major barriers reported were lack of understanding about the disease, complications related to non-adherence, followed by forgetfulness, lack of family support and risk communication. Health system-related barriers such as accessibility, affordability and acceptability were also reported by majority of the studies. Creation of peer support groups, digital reminder systems, integration of native Indian systems of India, physiotherapy and geriatric clinics at the primary healthcare level and innovations in patient care were suggested to counter these barriers in medication adherence., Conclusion: Such patient-specific targeted interventions need to be developed to achieve better control among patients with CVD and DM.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020199529., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: To describe the public health strategies and their effect in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic from March to October 2020 in Chennai, India., Setting: Chennai, a densely populated metropolitan city in Southern India, was one of the five cities which contributed to more than half of the COVID-19 cases in India from March to May 2020. A comprehensive community-centric public health strategy was implemented for controlling COVID-19, including surveillance, testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine. In addition, there were different levels of restrictions between March and October 2020., Participants: We collected the deidentified line list of all the 192 450 COVID-19 cases reported from 17 March to 31 October 2020 in Chennai and their contacts for the analysis. We defined a COVID-19 case based on the real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) positive test conducted in one of the government-approved labs., Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes of interest were incidence of COVID-19 per million population, case fatality ratio (CFR), deaths per million, and the effective reproduction number (R t ). We also analysed the surveillance, testing, contact tracing and isolation indicators., Results: Of the 192 450 RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Chennai from 17 March to 31 October 2020, 114 889 (60%) were males. The highest incidence was 41 064 per million population among those 61-80 years. The incidence peaked during June 2020 at 5239 per million and declined to 3627 per million in October 2020. The city reported 3543 deaths, with a case fatality ratio of 1.8%. In March, R t was 4.2, dropped below one in July and remained so until October, even with the relaxation of restrictions., Conclusion: The combination of public health strategies might have contributed to controlling the COVID-19 epidemic in a large, densely populated city in India. We recommend continuing the test-trace-isolate strategy and appropriate restrictions to prevent resurgence., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Support from the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, India., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Uranium (U) in groundwater is hazardous to human health, especially if it is present in drinking water. The semiarid regions of southern India chiefly depend on groundwater for drinking purposes. In this regard, a comprehensive sampling strategy was adopted to collect groundwater representing different lithologies of the region. The samples were collected in two different seasons and analysed for major and minor ions along with total U in the groundwater. Two samples during pre monsoon (PRM) and seven samples during post monsoon (POM) had U > 30 μgL -1 , which is above the World Health Organization's provisional guideline value. The high concentration of U (188 μgL -1 ) was observed in the alluvial formation though a few samples showed the release of U near the pink granite (39 μgL -1 ) and the concentration was low in the lateritic formation (10 μgL -1 ). The uranyl carbonato complexes UO 2 (CO 3 ) 2 2- and UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 4- were associated with high pH which facilitated the transport of U into groundwater especially during POM. U 3 O 8 is the major form observed in groundwater compared to either UO 2 or UO 3 in the both seasons. The uranium oxides were observed to be more prevalent at the neutral pH. Though U concentration increases with pH, it is mainly governed by the redox conditions. The principal component analysis (PCA) analysis also suggested redox conditions in groundwater to be the major process facilitating the U release mechanism regardless of the season. The POM season has an additional source of U in groundwater due to the application of nitrogenous fertilizers in the alluvium region. Furthermore, redox mobilization factor was predominantly observed near the coastal region and in the agricultural regions. The process of infiltration of the fertilizer-induced U was enhanced by the agricultural runoff into the surface water bodies in the region. Health risk assessment was also carried out by determining annual effective dose rate, cancer mortality risk, lifetime average daily dose and hazard quotient to assess the portability of groundwater in the study area. Artificial recharge technique and reducing the usage of chemical based fertilizers for irrigation are suggested as sustainable plans to safeguard the vulnerable water resource in this region., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Inflammation is of critical importance in successful implantation during pregnancy. However, the establishment of maternal immune tolerance towards semi-allograft foetus is more exigent and is achieved predominantly by human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) isoforms with a special emphasis on soluble HLA-G5 (sHLA-G5). Constant inflammation and lack of resolution by anti-inflammatory milieu, due to aberrant expression of critical immunoregulatory molecules such as sHLA-G5 and dysfunctional T helper cells 1 and 2 (Th1-Th2) cytokine shift, can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes including recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Serum samples of 270 pregnant women (135 healthy parous and 135 with a history of RPL) were evaluated for the concentrations of sHLA-G5, interleukin-4 (IL-4) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and found elevated levels of sHLA-G5 and IL-4 in controls and higher TNF-α levels and TNF-α:IL-4 ratio in patients (P < .05). Stratified data analysis based on the time of sample collection, that is the first and second trimesters exhibited higher sHLA-G5 and IL-4 in both first and second trimesters in controls than patients, while they displayed lower levels concerning TNF-α and TNF-α:IL-4 ratio (P < .05). However, within patients and controls in the first or second trimesters, there was a significant variation concerning sHLA-G5 alone. Further, the outcome of pregnancies studied in the present investigation revealed a significant elevation in sHLA-G5 levels among women with successful pregnancies compared with women who experienced pregnancy loss, therefore, concluding the potential application of sHLA-G5 isoform as a marker in assisting improved pregnancy outcomes., (© 2021 The Scandinavian Foundation for Immunology.)

Background and Objective: Metabolic disorders including diabetes are associated with immune cell dysfunction. However, the effect of normal glucose metabolism or impairment thereof on immune cell gene expression is not well known. Hence, in this cross-sectional pilot study, we sought to determine the differences in gene expression in the peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells (PBMCs) of normal glucose tolerant (NGT) and prediabetic (PD) Asian Indian men, at fasting and in response to 75 g oral glucose load., Methods: Illumina HT12 bead chip-based microarray was performed on PBMCs at fasting and 2-h post load conditions for NGT (N = 6) and PD (N = 9) subjects. Following normalization and due quality control of the raw data, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under different conditions within and across the two groups were identified using GeneSpring GX V12.0 software. Paired and unpaired Student's t-tests were applied along with fold change cut-offs for appropriate comparisons. Validation of the microarray data was carried out through real-time qPCR analysis. Significantly regulated biological pathways were analyzed by employing DEGs and DAVID resource. Deconvolution of the DEGs between NGT and PD subjects at fasting was performed using CIBERSORT and genes involved in regulatory T-cell (Treg) function were further analyzed for biological significance., Results: Glucose load specifically altered the expression of 112 genes in NGT and 356 genes in PD subjects. Biological significance analysis revealed transient up-regulation of innate and adaptive immune response related genes following oral glucose load in NGT individuals, which was not observed in PD subjects. Instead, in the PD group, glucose load led to an increase in the expression of pro-atherogenic and anti-angiogenic genes. Comparison of gene expression at fasting state in PD versus NGT revealed 21,707 differentially expressed genes. Biological significance analysis of the immune function related genes between these two groups (at fasting) revealed higher gene expression of members of the TLR signaling, MHC class II molecules, and T-cell receptor, chemotaxis and adhesion pathways in PD subjects. Expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and TNFα was higher and that of type-1 interferons and TGF-β was lower at fasting state in PD subjects compared to NGT. Additionally, expression of multiple proteasome subunits and protein arginine methyl transferase genes (PRMTs) were higher and that of Treg specific genes was significantly distinct at fasting in PD subjects compared to NGT., Conclusion: Prediabetes uncovers constitutive TLR activation, enhanced IFN-γ signaling, and Treg dysfunction at fasting along with altered gene expression response to oral glucose load., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To estimate the burden of rotavirus diarrhea among under-five children admitted with acute gastroenteritis and to identify genotypes of rotavirus among positive rotavirus cases., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted from August 2017 to July 2019 in Government General Hospital and 5 private pediatric nursing homes (Padma Children's Hospital, Mother and Child Hospital, Chandamama Children's Hospital, Vennela Hospital) in Kakinada. Children admitted to the pediatric ward with acute gastroenteritis were included in this study. Stool samples were collected from all these children and tested for rotavirus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the positive samples were genotyped using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction., Results: Rotavirus diarrhea was seen in 7.4% of children among all diarrhea admissions. The mean age of the rotavirus-positive children was 13.1 ± 10 mo. The most common genotype in 2017 was G3P[8], and that in 2018 and 2019 was the mixed genotype., Conclusion: In this study, mixed genotype was found to be most common.

Background: Currently nonselective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, ibuprofen and indomethacin, are approved drugs for closure of patent ductus arteriosus but have potential toxicities. There are reports of the effectiveness of paracetamol in ductal closure. However, there is paucity of data comparing paracetamol to ibuprofen or indomethacin in relation to the efficacy and safety profile. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was done in our tertiary care neonatal unit from October 2014 to January 2016 after clearance from ethical committee. It was registered with clinical trial registry of India (CTRI/2016/09/007261) and drug controller general of India (CT/Drugs/56/2014). Preterm neonates with clinical suspicion of hemodynamically significant PDA after echo confirmation were included in the study. Randomization was done by stratified randomization through sealed opaque envelopes. A sample size of 150 was estimated with an expected difference in success of closure as 20% between the treatment groups at level of 5% significance and 80% power. The echocardiography was done 24 hours after completion of treatment by a cardiologist blinded to treatment. Results: The baseline parameters were comparable between two groups. One hundred and forty-six babies had hs-PDA, out of which 110 babies were randomized. No significant difference was found between the two groups with respect to PDA closure (RR 0.97, 95%CI 0.78-1.20, p  = 1), mortality or cardio-respiratory morbidity. The babies who received ibuprofen had a higher occurrence of acute kidney injury (RR 0.33, 95%CI 0.13-0.85, p  = 0.024). Conclusions: Paracetamol is as effective as ibuprofen for PDA closure in preterm neonates. Ibuprofen used for PDA closure in preterms poses an increased risk for acute kidney injury compared to paracetamol.

Purpose: To understand the seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in serum samples collected from eye donors between 2005 and 2017 at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India., Method: The reports of 7136 eye donors serologically screened for antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2, HBsAg, and antibodies to HCV were retrospectively analyzed., Result: Among the 7136 serum samples screened during this study period, the serum samples of 14 donors (0.20%) were reactive to HIV-1 antibodies, 78 donors (1.09%) were positive for detection of HBsAg, and 37 donors (0.52%) were positive for HCV antibodies. Of interest, coinfections of HIV-1 and HBV, and HIV-1 and HCV were detected in 2 and 1 serum sample of the eye donors, respectively., Conclusions: This retrospective study indicates that there is a trend of reduction in the seropositivity for HIV, HBV, and HCV among eye donors in Chennai over the last decade.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an important source of stem cells, the heart of regenerative medicine. As the globalization and population of the world continues to increase, we are faced with an inundation of new diseases, affecting millions of people. Research work considering stem cells is essential for developing therapy for various conditions. Reduced availability of UCB serves as a hindrance to promote further research. Hence, India being one of the most densely populated countries in the world, can be considered a potential UCB repository. In this study 428 mothers of children born in the period from 2012 to 2017 were asked to fill questionnaires that evaluated their awareness regarding stem cell banking. This investigation deliberates if expectant mothers in this region are aware of stem cell banking and if there is a significant pattern regarding awareness based on parameters like age, educational qualification, locality, annual income and consulted hospitals. Although, majority of the women were unaware of this facility, knowledge was heightened in wealthy, educated, women from urban areas who consulted private hospitals. Hence, great efforts need to be made to further the awareness of expectant mothers in South India regarding UCB storage and donation.

Seven human-specific Alu markers were studied in 574 unrelated individuals from 10 endogamous groups and 2 hill tribes of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states. DNA was isolated, amplified by PCR-SSP, and subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis, and genotypes were assigned for various Alu loci. Average heterozygosity among caste populations was in the range of 0.292-0.468. Among tribes, the average heterozygosity was higher for Paliyan (0.3759) than for Kani (0.2915). Frequency differences were prominent in all loci studied except Alu CD4. For Alu CD4, the frequency was 0.0363 in Yadavas, a traditional pastoral and herd maintaining population, and 0.2439 in Narikuravars, a nomadic gypsy population. The overall genetic difference (Gst) of 12 populations (castes and tribes) studied was 3.6%, which corresponds to the Gst values of 3.6% recorded earlier for Western Asian populations. Thus, our study confirms the genetic similarities between West Asian populations and South Indian castes and tribes and supported the large scale coastal migrations from Africa into India through West Asia. However, the average genetic difference (Gst) of Kani and Paliyan tribes with other South Indian tribes studied earlier was 8.3%. The average Gst of combined South and North Indian Tribes (CSNIT) was 9.5%. Neighbor joining tree constructed showed close proximity of Kani and Paliyan tribal groups to the other two South Indian tribes, Toda and Irula of Nilgiri hills studied earlier. Further, the analysis revealed the affinities among populations and confirmed the presence of North and South India specific lineages. Our findings have documented the highly diverse (micro differentiated) nature of South Indian tribes, predominantly due to isolation, than the endogamous population groups of South India. Thus, our study firmly established the genetic relationship of South Indian castes and tribes and supported the proposed large scale ancestral migrations from Africa, particularly into South India through West Asian corridor.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that causes attacks of optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. The discovery of a specific serum marker for NMO-IgG antibody [aquaporin 4 antibody/AQP4 Ab] has revolutionised the treatment of demyelinating diseases. Severe vision loss can be seen in optic neuritis (ON) associated with both multiple sclerosis (MS) and NMO. Identifying this antibody in optic neuritis patients can help us to establish the likelihood of these patients developing NMO (Jarius et al. Neurol Sci 298:158-162, 2010). It is important to differentiate these two entities as the treatment strategies of MS and NMO are different. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published literature regarding the importance of identifying this antibody in severe optic neuritis in Indian patients. Hence we decided to screen our severe optic neuritis patients for this AQP4 Ab. To investigate the presence of aquaporin 4 antibody and determine its prognostic value for visual and neurological outcome, in patients with bilateral and recurrent [severe] ON without any previous neurological manifestations presenting to a neuro-ophthalmology clinic in India. Single centre, prospective study. 40 patients (27 female patients and 13 male) with severe optic neuritis [patients with no visual improvement by 4 weeks from onset of vision loss] who presented either as recurrent attacks or as bilateral and severe optic neuritis between January 2010 and June 2011 were enrolled. Clinical features, visual outcome and sequential neurological events were compared between the seropositive and the seronegative groups. Aquaporin 4 antibodies were detected from serum using ELISA technique and IIF technique. Presence of this antibody in the serum was considered to be seropositive status and patients who did not have this antibody were considered seronegatives. AQP4 antibodies were detected in 8 of the 40 patients with severe ON (20 %).The female to male ratio in the seropositive group was 8:0. The NMO antibody titer ranged from 0.3 to 760 U/ml. ANA positivity in seropositive patients was statistically significant (p = 0.043). All seropositive patients had significantly poorer visual outcome as compared with the seronegative patients (p = 0.04).

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in India. The main epigenetic modification in glioma is aberrant DNA methylation that is now renowned to be a common hallmark of brain tumors. This study was designed to determine the frequency of aberrant CpG island methylation in the promoter regions of p21 and p73 in different grades of glioma and to explore their respective chromosomal aberrations. Total of 160 patients with histologically confirmed grades of glioma (I, II, III, and IV) were included in the study. DNA samples from blood and brain tissues, including benign lesions were subjected to sodium bisulfite conversion and hypermethylation detection using methylation-specific PCR followed by RT-PCR. Western blotting was also carried out for p21 and its related protein, p53. A total of 124 of 160 glioma samples (77.5%) displayed CpG island hypermethylation of both p73, p21 genes associated with the loss of mRNA expression (P < 0.001) and the loss of protein expressions (p53 independent p21 expression). p73 gene showed increased methylation frequency in all grades, 40 of 60 (66%) glioblastomas and 16 of 30 (53.3%) anaplastic astrocytoma, 10 of 20(50%) oligodendrogliomas, 8 of 20 (40%) ependymoma, and low-grade glioma 6 of 20 (30%). The percentage of methylation significantly well correlated with the overall survival and also with chromosomal loss. Thus, the studied glioma patients among south Indians showed a high frequency of aberrant methylation with varied chromosomal signatures in different grades, playing a role in aggressiveness and characterization of a particular grade, the appreciation of which might help for designing a specific therapy.

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have the right to education. In India, ASDs are covered by the National Trust Act, which focuses on guardianship. Education is predominantly provided by non-government organizations and varied models are used in educating the children. This study aimed to compile information on the current educational models and to find out the feasibility for replication. The major models found to be in use were: special schools, inclusive schools, home-based instruction and units established by parent groups. The choice of model depended on the child's level of functioning and parental aspirations. About 46.8% preferred home-based instruction, while 25.8% were enrolled in special schools and 19.4% were in inclusive schools. All children initially needed home-based training. Picture activity schedules, discrete trial training, sensory integration and structured environment were found to be effective in the education of children with ASDs. Although children improved with home-based instruction, parents expressed stress. About 73% of the parents were eager to send their children to a suitable school, but dissatisfied with the existing facilities. Recognizing ASDs as a disability in the Persons with Disabilities Act (1995) will strengthen and promote the education of children with these conditions.