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The herbal age-old traditional method is practiced even today to treat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) by the ethnic inhabitants of tea gardens of Darjeeling Himalaya, India. The aim of this study was to explore and document the traditional ways of healing UTIs. The information was collected from selected tea gardens and data was quantitatively analyzed with the help of ethnobotanical indices viz., use value, plant part value, family use value, fidelity level (%), and informant consensus factor. Antibiogram of four UTI-causing bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Staphylococcus aureus) was also established by Kirbye Bauer's disc diffusion method. Antibacterial activity of twelve mostly used plants like Cheliocostus speciosus, Equisetum diffusum, Saccharum officinarum, Elettaria cardamomum, Coriandrum sativum, Plantago asiatica ssp. erosa, Centella asiatica, Achyranthes bidentata, Carex cruciata, Drymaria cordata ssp. diandra, Nephrolepis cordifolia, Malvaviscus arboreus were assessed against the aforementioned bacterial strains. Drymaria cordata and Centella asiatica on comparative MIC and MBC study showed the lowest MIC and MBC value of 0.29 mg/mL each against Staphylococcus, representing their effectivity. Nephrolepis cordifolia with 100% FL showed the lowest MIC and MBC value 0.67 mg/mL each against E. coli K12. The uses of these plants known from the ethnomedicinal knowledge of the healers could be promoted as complementary medicine to treat UTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sone River megafan in the Marginal Alluvial Plain (MAP) in the southern parts of the Ganga Basin (India) holds potential aquifer systems within a hydrogeologically poor region with limited groundwater potential. The work investigates the hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeological characteristics, including the yield potential and hydraulic parameters of the aquifer systems in the megafan, by analyzing borehole lithologs (n = 78), drill-cut sediment (n = 5), depth to water level (n = 112) and pumping test data (n = 19). The aquifer materials comprise oxidized and brownish-yellow fine to very coarse sand and gravels (mean size range 0.21-1.34 mm), constituting ~10-90% of the sedimentary column within the depth of 250 m below ground level (bgl). Two aquifer systems are delineated within the depth, marked by a middle clay layer lying at 87-139 m bgl. The phreatic aquifer within the top aquitard depicts shallow water levels, which varied between 0.6 and 12.0 m bgl. The discharge in the tube wells tapping the second aquifer system varies between ~46 and 250 m3/h. The transmissivity values were estimated up to 23,696 m2/d (generally 5,000-10,000 m2/d). The storativity values (range 2.6 × 10−9 to 5.0 × 10−3) indicate a confined state of groundwater in the aquifer system. The hydraulic conductivity values of 21-369 and 31-196 m/d, as estimated by a grain-size based empirical method, suggest high groundwater potential of both the first and second aquifer systems, respectively. The groundwater source availability in the megafan is supported by copious supply of source water where the palaeochannels act as conduits of recharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variability of the atmospheric boundary layer together with meteorological parameters has been investigated over the semi-arid region Delhi. Two sources of the dataset have been used: sound detection and ranging (SODAR) and automatic weather station during the period from December 2013 to November 2014. A Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW)-based programme has been developed to plot the stability class from A to F directly from the mixing height dataset. Based on the SODAR echograms and mixing height, temporal and seasonal variability of stability classes has been estimated. It is observed that the convective boundary layer height advances and decreases during the daytime depending on the increase and decrease of surface temperature due to solar heating of the ground. From seasonal classification of the stability class, it is observed that the class A and class E are dominated in convection and nocturnal periods in all seasons, whereas class F is not found during the winter and pre-monsoon seasons. Impact of meteorological parameters, that is, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity on mixing height during different seasons has also been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical analysis has been made on the contribution of CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, CHCl, CHBr, CCl, CHCCl, HCFCs, halons, WMO (World Meteorological Organization) minor constituents, CH, NO and water vapour to the variation of total column ozone (TCO) concentration at the station in Srinagar (34°N, 74.8°E), India from 1992 to 2003. With the implementation of Montreal Protocol, though the concentrations of CFC-11, CFC-113, CHCl, CHBr, CCl and CHCCl had decreased, the concentrations of CFC-12, HCFCs, halons, WMO minor constituents, CH, NO and water vapour had increased, as a result of which TCO had risen from 1992 to 2003 at the above station. The nature of yearly variations of concentrations of the above ozone depleting substances and GHGs as well as ozone has been presented. Possible explanations for build-up of TCO have also been offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical analysis made on the long-term monthly, seasonal, yearly variation and annual cycle of total column ozone (TCO) concentration at New Delhi (29°N, 77°E), India and Halley Bay (76°S, 27°W), a British Antarctic Service Station reveals more decline in yearly mean ozone concentration at Halley Bay than at New Delhi from 1979 to 2005. The nature of variations of monthly mean TCO during the months of August and September was the most identical with that of yearly mean ozone values at New Delhi and Halley Bay, respectively, for the same period. Annual cycles of TCO over these stations are completely different for the above period. The effect of O depletion on night airglow emission of OH(8, 3) line at New Delhi and Halley Bay has been studied. Calculations based on chemical kinetics show that the airglow intensity of OH(8, 3) has also been affected due to the depletion of O concentration. The yearly variations and annual cycle of intensities of OH(8, 3) line for the above two stations are depicted and compared. It has been shown that the rate of decrease of intensity of OH(8, 3) line was comparatively more at Halley Bay due to dramatic decrease of Antarctic O concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the nature of annual cycles of tropospheric ozone, cloud occurrences, NO, rainfall, SO, SPM, CO, non-methane hydrocarbon and surface solar radiation for the period October 2004 to June 2009 over Alipore (22.52°N, 88.33°E), India. Annual cycle of low-level cloud occurrences depicts that the low-level cloud over Alipore had been noticed to occur for many days and nights, particularly from June to September. The low-level cloud occurrences were found in winter months and post-monsoon period. The effect of cloud occurrences on tropospheric ozone concentration has been critically analysed and explained. It has been observed that the concentration of ozone is oscillatory with cloud occurrences and has a slight linear decreasing trend with the increase of cloud occurrences and vice versa. The concentration of tropospheric ozone attained higher value at moderate cloud occurrences and comparatively lower value at both of the lower and higher cloud occurrences. The related possible chemical and physical explanation for role of cloud occurrences on tropospheric ozone has been offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andaman-Nicobar (A-N) Islands region has attracted many geo-scientists because of its unique location and complex geotectonic settings. The recent occurrence of tsunamis due to the megathrust tsunamigenic north Sumatra earthquake (Mw 9.3) with a series of aftershocks in the A-N region caused severe damage to the coastal regions of India and Indonesia. Several pieces of evidence suggest that the occurrence of earthquakes in the A-N region is related to its complex geodynamical processes. In this study, it has been inferred that deep-seated structural heterogeneities related to dehydration of the subducting Indian plate beneath the Island could have induced the process of brittle failure through crustal weakening to contribute immensely to the coastal hazard in the region. The present study based on 3-D P-wave tomography of the entire rupture zone of the A-N region using the aftershocks of the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (Mw 9.3) clearly demonstrates the role of crustal heterogeneity in seismogenesis and in causing the strong shakings and tsunamis. The nature and extent of the imaged crustal heterogeneity beneath the A-N region may have facilitated the degree of damage and extent of coastal hazards in the region. The 3-D velocity heterogeneities reflect asperities that manifest what type of seismogenic layers exist beneath the region to dictate the size of earthquakes and thereby they help to assess the extent of earthquake vulnerability in the coastal regions. The inference of this study may be used as one of the potential inputs for assessment of seismic vulnerability to the region, which may be considered for evolving earthquake hazard mitigation model for the coastal areas of the Andaman-Nicobar Islands region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The occurrence of drug resistance and plasmid-mediated transferability was investigated in 15 Aeromonas isolates collected from the ulcers of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS)-affected fishes Katla ( Catla catla), Mrigel ( Cirrhinus mrigala) and Punti ( Puntius sp.). Methods and Results: Disc diffusion assay showed that all the strains were resistant to ampicillin and sensitive to streptomycin. Of the 15 isolates examined, 93·3% isolates were resistant to erythromycin, sulfadiazine and novobiocin, while 66% were resistant to rifampin and 20% to chloramphenicol. All isolates harboured plasmids with sizes ranging from 64 to 23 kbp with a 23-kbp plasmid in common. Plasmids from 11 Aeromonas strains were transferred to Escherichia coli DH5α recipient strain along with the transfer of ampicillin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol resistance determinants with frequencies ranging from 7·0 × 10−6 to 1·8 × 10−5 transconjugants per recipient cell. Conclusions: The resistance to ampicillin, erythromycin, sulfadiazine, novobiocin and chloramphenicol is prevalent among the bacteria isolated from EUS-affected fish, and resistant determinants of some of these antibiotics have been transferred to the bacteria of other origin. Significance and Impact of the Study: The emergence of antibiotic resistance bacteria and gene transfer in vitro suggests that antibiotics should be used more cautiously to treat Aeromonas infections in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: India’s nuclear programme envisages a large-scale utilisation of thorium, as it has limited deposits of uranium but vast deposits of thorium. The large-scale utilisation of thorium requires the adoption of closed fuel cycle. The stable nature of thoria and the radiological issues associated with thoria poses challenges in the adoption of a closed fuel cycle. A thorium fuel based Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is being planned to provide impetus to development of technologies for the closed thorium fuel cycle. Thoria fuel has been loaded in Indian reactors and test irradiations have been carried out with (Th–Pu) MOX fuel. Irradiated thorium assemblies have been reprocessed and the separated 233U fuel has been used for test reactor KAMINI. The paper highlights the Indian experience with the use of thorium and brings out various issues associated with the thorium cycle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A data set of 76 water samples are obtained from surface and sub-surface water bodies to investigate chemical parameters and stable isotopic signatures in order to drive factors leading to fluoride (F − ) contamination in groundwater of parts of Jamui district, India. Hydrochemical facies reveals that F − concentration is lower in Ca 2+ -HCO 3 - facies representative of recharge area, while discharge area has a tendency towards Na + -HCO 3 - facies with elevated F − concentration. The ionic ratios Na + /Ca 2+ >1, Na + /Cl − >1, (Ca 2+ +Mg 2+ )/HCO 3 − <1, Na + +K +  = 0.5TZ + and Ca 2+ +Mg 2+  = TZ + witness silicate weathering by water-rock interaction coupled with ion exchange and prolonged residence time, are the principle factors for fluoride contamination (3.6 mg/L to 5.8 mg/L) in 67% of deeper bore wells. Geochemical modelling testifies excess of alkalinity due to the dominance of bicarbonate ion leading to calcite precipitation and dissolution of fluoride in solution contributing to fluoride contamination. The chemometric analysis reveals that the water chemistry of the study area is controlled by both anthropogenic and natural sources, and enrichment of fluoride in groundwater is possibly from geogenic source (fractured granite gneiss). The stable isotope plot shows that most of the samples fall along local meteoric water line indicating that the groundwater is originated from local precipitation with a possibility of evaporative enrichment. Groundwater enriched in δ 18 O is positively correlated with F − suggesting evaporation and longer residence time of water. Spatially elevated F − prevails in the eastern bank of Kiul River and along the groundwater flow direction, which is attributed to control of dynamics of hydrogeological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study of K. S. Krishna and colleagues related to loss of chain of islands in Bay of Bengal. It mentions chain of islands lies as the buried 85 degree E Ridge beneath thick sediments discharged by the Ganges river and Brahmaputra river systems. It also mentions the ridge structure consisted of volcanic vent, packs of prograding clinoforms, eroded wave-cut terraces, lava delta fronts; and processes of thermal subsidence and sedimentation placed the island chain.

Aedes albopictus is highly prevalent in the northern part of West Bengal and is considered to be responsible for the recent dengue outbreaks in this region. Control of this vector is largely relied on the use of synthetic pyrethroids, which can lead to the development of resistance. In the present study, larvae of three wild Ae. albopictus populations from the dengue-endemic regions were screened for deltamethrin resistance, and the role of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) was investigated in deltamethrin exposed and unexposed larvae. Two populations were incipient resistant, and one population was completely resistant against deltamethrin. Monooxygenase titration assay revealed the involvement of CYPs in deltamethrin resistance along with an induction effect of deltamethrin exposure. Gene expression studies revealed differential expression of five CYP6 family genes, CYP6A8, CYP6P12, CYP6A14, CYP6N3 and CYP6N6, with high constitutive expression of CYP6A8 and CYP6P12 in all the populations before and after deltamethrin exposure. From these findings, it was evident that CYPs play an important role in the development of deltamethrin resistance in the Ae. albopictus populations in this region., (© 2024 Royal Entomological Society.)

Land suitability assessment is integral to the advancement of precision agriculture. This inquiry is focused on identifying optimal regions for cultivating Alphonso mango in the coastal belt of Maharashtra, spanning across Palghar, Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts. Employing a GIS-based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, 10 crucial parameters have been considered, encompassing climatic, physical, and chemical soil characteristics: cation exchange capacity, organic carbon, slope, rainfall, soil pH, soil texture, mean annual soil temperature, base saturation, soil drainage, and soil depth. Weights are assigned to these parameters based on expert opinions and existing literature to determine their significance in developing a soil suitability map. The study reveals distinct land suitability zones for Alphonso mango cultivation. The land suitability map designates 25.78% of the study area as highly suitable, while 9.18% is considered unsuitable for Alphonso mango cultivation. To validate the study, the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve has been employed, indicating an 83% approval rate for the reliability and performance of the soil suitability. The results categorise soil suitability classes, providing valuable insights for farmers and agricultural planners to make informed decisions regarding Alphonso mango cultivation in similar geoenvironmental regions., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background Objectives: At present, use of synthetic pesticides to manage insects and other arthropods creates a number of issues that are related to the environment and public health. The goal of the present study is to find repellent activity of Vitex negundo and Curcuma longa herbal extracts against the wild species Simulium (blackfly) bite., Methods: We have studied Simulium biting behavior and tested the repellency of herbal extract obtained from Vitex negundo L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) and Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberal: Zingiberaceae) along with their essential oils in three locations in Arunachal Pradesh, India on human volunteers' resistance to Simulium (blackflies). The reported herbal extracts were incorporated to topical drug delivery vehicle as a cream and gel., Results: The methanolic extract of Vitex negundo cream and gel formulation showed >2 h safety at 5% concentration and >5 h safety at 10% concentration in all the testing sites followed by ethyl acetate extract. Whereas, chloroform extract of Curcuma longa cream and gel formulation provided >1 h safety at 5% concentration and >4 h safety at 10% concentration., Interpretation Conclusion: At an optimum concentration of 10%, the methanolic extract of Vitex negundo cream provided complete protection times (CPTs) 320.4, 358.6, and 346.4 min, respectively. These findings offer confirmation of the methanolic extract and chloroform extract potential for use in new blackfly repellents., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Vector Borne Diseases.)

Mitochondrial disorders are a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by mutations in the mitochondrial DNA or in nuclear genes encoding the mitochondrial proteins and subunits. Polymerase Gamma (POLG) is a nuclear gene and mutation in the POLG gene are one of the major causes of inherited mitochondrial disorders. In this study, 15 pediatric patients, with a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes were screened using blood samples (n = 15) and muscle samples (n = 4). Respiratory chain enzyme analysis in the muscle samples revealed multi-complex deficiencies with Complex I deficiency present in (1/4) patients, Complex II (2/4), Complex III (3/4) and Complex IV (2/4) patients. Multiple large deletions were observed in 4/15 patients using LR-PCR. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed a compound heterozygous mutation consisting of a POLG1 novel variant (NP&#95;002684.1:p.Trp261X) and a missense variant (NP&#95;002684.1:p. Leu304Arg) in one patient and another patient harboring a novel homozygous POLG1 variant (NP&#95;002684.1:p. Phe750Val). These variants (NP&#95;002684.1:p. Leu304Arg) and (NP&#95;002684.1:p. Phe750Val) and their interactions with DNA were modelled using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. The protein conformation was analyzed as root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) which showed local fluctuations in the mutants compared to the wildtype. However, Solvent Accessible Surface Area (SASA) significantly increased for NP&#95;002684.1:p.Leu304Arg and decreased in NP&#95;002684.1:p.Phe750Val mutants. Further, Contact Order analysis indicated that the Aromatic-sulfur interactions were destabilizing in the mutants. Overall, these in-silico analysis has revealed a destabilizing mutations suggesting pathogenic variants in POLG1 gene., 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 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.)

Background: The isometric handgrip (IHG) test is commonly used to detect sympathetic autonomic dysfunction. Tamsulosin, approved for the management of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), acts as an antagonist for α1-adrenergic receptors (α1-AR), whereas prazosin, an α 1 receptor blocker, being less selective than tamsulosin, is used as an antihypertensive agent clinically. Our objective was to investigate if there is a distinction in blood pressure (BP) increase during IHG exercise between individuals with essential hypertension taking tamsulosin compared to those taking prazosin., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was performed on 50 subjects receiving tablet prazosin and 47 subjects receiving tamsulosin, who were asked to undergo an IHG test. Pre- and posttest BP was recorded for both the groups, and the difference in diastolic BP (DBP) (delta DBP) was compared between the groups and to their respective baseline values., Results: Post-IHG test, mean DBP was found to be 93.98 ± 9.13 mm Hg in the prazosin group and 101.00 ± 12.05 mm Hg in the tamsulosin group, respectively. The change of delta DBP in the tamsulosin group was significant, but the prazosin group showed an insignificant rise in DBP., Conclusion: Prazosin, being less selective than tamsulosin in terms of α1 receptor antagonism, showed suppression of BP during IHG. Tamsulosin demonstrates high selectivity for prostatic receptors while showing minimal affinity for vascular receptors. As a result, its impact on BP is expected to be minimal., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2024.)

Introduction: Lymphatic filariasis causes long term morbidity and hampers the socio-economic status. Apart from the available treatments and medication, control of vector population Culex quinquefasciatus Say through the use of chemical insecticides is a widely applied strategy. However, the unrestrained application of these insecticides over many decades has led to resistance development in the vectors., Methods: In order to determine the insecticide susceptibility/resistance status of Cx. quinquefasciatus from two filariasis endemic districts of West Bengal, India, wild mosquito populations were collected and assayed against six different insecticides and presence of L1014F; L1014S kdr mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene was also screened along with the use of synergists to evaluate the role of major detoxifying enzymes in resistance development., Results: The collected mosquito populations showed severe resistance to insecticides and the two synergists used-PBO (piperonyl butoxide) and TPP (triphenyl phosphate), were unable to restore the susceptibility status of the vector thereupon pointing towards a minor role of metabolic enzymes. kdr mutations were present in the studied populations in varying percent with higher L1014F frequency indicating its association with the observed resistance to pyrethroids and DDT. This study reports L1014S mutation in Cx. quinquefasciatus for the first time., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: The biotherapeutic asparaginase is a cornerstone of therapy in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). With limited access to the original native Escherichia coli-derived asparaginase (EcASNase), a variety of EcASNase biogenerics are used in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). The variable quality of these biogenerics potentially influences clinical outcomes., Procedure: Seven biogeneric EcASNases (P1-P7) marketed widely in India were evaluated, with P2 as an exemplar for in vivo monitoring. Therapeutic activity of P2 (10,000 IU/m 2 /dose, intramuscular, every 72 hours) was monitored during induction therapy, and drug-related toxicities recorded. Molecular identity, purity and in vitro drug activity of seven biogenerics were characterised using multimodal analyses, and findings compared with reference EcASNase (R)., Results: In patients (N = 62) receiving P2, subtherapeutic asparaginase activity (<100 U/L) was observed in 66% (46/70) of trough timepoints (72 hours postdose) during induction. Twelve patients (19%), 11 with high-risk ALL, developed hypersensitivity. Isoforms of EcASNase were identified in all seven biogenerics. All generic products contained impurities with batch-to-batch variability. These included high levels of protein aggregates and host cell protein contamination. In vitro assays of EcASNase activity and leukaemia cell line cytotoxicity were not discriminatory., Conclusions: Our findings confirm widespread concerns over the unsatisfactory quality and therapeutic activity of native EcASNase biogenerics marketed in LMICs. Appropriate use of these products requires monitored studies to identify clinical suitability and determine appropriate dosing and schedule. For large parts of the world, assured access to high-quality asparaginases remains an unmet therapeutic need., (© 2021 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The Indo-Gangetic multi-aquifer system provides water supplies to the most populous regions of the Indian subcontinent, however precise knowledge on the sources and dynamics of groundwater is still missing. Environmental isotopes ( 2 H, 18 O, 13 C, 3 H and 14 C) and hydrochemical modeling tools were used in this study in the multi-tiered aquifers underlying the Middle Gangetic Plains (MGP) to investigate the source of recharge, aquifer dynamics and inter-connectivity among aquifers. Within a depth span of 300 m, three aquifers, with contrasting recharge sources and dynamics, were delineated in this Sone-Ganga-Punpun interfluve region, with limited cross-aquifer hydraulic interconnections. The chemistry evolves from Ca-HCO 3 to Na-Ca-HCO 3 in the shallow semiconfined Aquifer-I with a mean transit time of 20-23 years. The dominant recharge to Aquifer-I is from the river inflows and rainwater percolation through paleochannels. The semi-confined to confined Aquifer-II holds fresh quality groundwater with mixed water facies (Mg/Ca-Na-HCO 3 ). The modeled age of Aquifer-II groundwater is found to be 205-520 years, which is supported by presence of negligible tritium and minor variations in stable isotopes. Outcrop regions of Aquifer-II sediments in the marginal alluvial areas and deep-seated paleochannels in the southwestern part are the potential zones for Aquifer-II recharge. A deep confined Aquifer-III with fresh quality of groundwater is identified below 220 m. This aquifer is characterized by old age (~3.5 to 4.7 ka BP) and enriched δ 18 O (-5.7‰). These results along with the existing paleoclimate records of this region infer that Aquifer-III is recharged during an arid climate. The marginal alluvial plains are the probable recharge zones for Aquifer-III. This study helped in conceptualizing the groundwater flow paths in multi-tiered aquifers of MGP. The knowledge and understanding would extend crucial inputs for the sustainable development of deep aquifers not only in the MGP but also in other regions of Indo-Gangetic Plains., 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 © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: HbE/β-thalassemia is the most prevalent form of severe β-thalassemia in Asian countries. Hydroxyurea (HU) is the most common drug used for the management of sickle-cell anemia but not thalassemia. In this study, we aimed to assess clinical HU response among the Bengali HbE/β-thalassemia patients with respect to the Xmn I γ G globin polymorphism and elucidate the association between this polymorphism and HU response efficacy. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 49 transfusion-dependent patients with HbE/β-thalassemia. Fetal hemoglobin levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and complete blood counts were determined pre- and post-HU therapy. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses were performed for genotyping the Xmn I γ G globin polymorphism. Results: A total of 30 (61.22%) patients were found to be responders, whereas the remaining 19 (38.78%) were nonresponders. We found 33 patients with the heterozygous (C/T) and three with the homozygous mutant (T/T) genotype status. We obtained a statistically significant correlation ( p  < 0.001) between the Xmn I polymorphism genotype and transfusion-free interval. Patients with the Xmn I polymorphism were found to be good responders for HU therapy and showed increased hemoglobin levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that HU is a potential drug candidate for thalassemia management, particularly for HbE/β-thalassemia. These results hold implications in repurposing HU as an effective and efficient therapy for HbE/β-thalassemia.

Close to 12 million people in India are affected by more than the desirable level of fluoride in drinking water that could lead to dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is a developmental defect that results in hypo-mineralization and pronounced porosity of enamel in the affected individuals. As estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), collagen type 1 alpha 2 (COL1A2), bone γ-carboxyglutamic acid protein (BGLAP), and secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich (SPARC) genes are involved in bone development and mineralization, polymorphisms in these genes could be determining factors in influencing the risk to fluorosis among the exposed individuals in fluoride endemic areas. A case-control study was carried out among a total of 87 individuals (case = 36, control = 51) to examine the association between selected polymorphisms in the ESR1, COL1A2, BGLAP, and SPARC genes and risk of dental fluorosis from a fluoride endemic region of Eastern India. Altogether, 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ESR1 (rs2234693, rs2228480, rs3798577, rs2077647, and rs9340799), COL1A2 (rs42524, rs412777), BGLAP (rs1800247), and SPARC (rs6579885, rs4958278) genes were genotyped through PCR-RFLP in these subjects. The association of the SNPs for disease risk estimation was measured by odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. The risk genotypes of none of the 10 SNPs showed statistically significant association with risk of dental fluorosis. Frequencies of the haplotypes in the intragenic SNPs of the ESR1, COL1A2, and SPARC genes did not reveal any statistically significant difference between the case and control groups. The present study is the first of its kind from India that has attempted to investigate possible involvement of genetic factors in influencing the risk to fluorosis among the population from a fluoride endemic region.

The feasibility of bortezomib (BZB) in induction and reduced cytarabine doses in intensification was evaluated in children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (rALL) at a single centre in India. Of 55 children with rALL, 23 received supportive care and 7 refused treatment, with a median survival of 2 (interquartile range 1-6) months. Twenty-two (88%) of 25 children who were treated achieved second remission and 9 (69%) of 13 had end-of-induction minimal residual disease of <10 -4 . The lower cytarabine dose was associated with decreased hospitalisation. One-year event-free and overall survival for the treated group was 74·7% (95% confidence interval 52-88) and 79·6% (58-91) respectively., (© 2019 British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The study was aimed to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of Juang tribe residing in Bansapal taluk of Northern Odisha. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 1,412 Juangs using a cluster random sampling procedure. Bansapal taluk is subdivided into six Gram Panchayat's (GP) with each GP considered as a cluster. From each of the six GP's, equal number of villages was chosen randomly using lottery method in order to get uniform representation. A total of 16 villages were chosen using this method. From each selected village, every alternate household on each side of the street was included and all the people in that household were surveyed through a door-to-door survey. Data were collected using the WHO Oral Health Assessment Form, 1997. All the examinations were carried out by a single examiner assisted by a trained recording assistant who was sitting close enough to the examiner so that instructions and codes could be easily heard. The periodontal health status as recorded by Community Periodontal Index indicated that majority of the subjects (75.6%) had calculus. Assessment of loss of attachment showed that majority of the subjects (64.5%) had an attachment loss of 0-3 mm. Caries experience in primary dentition was 34.2% and in permanent dentition was 83.4%. The study population was characterised by high prevalence of periodontal disease, dental caries and high treatment needs. The results from this study could be used as a baseline information for health authorities and dental professionals for planning strategies for oral health promotion, prevention and treatment among the Juang population., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Culex quinquefasciatus is a vector of lymphatic filariasis and vector control strategies normally involve the use of synthetic insecticides targeted against them. Extensive and uncontrolled use of these synthetic insecticides has led to the development of insecticide resistance in the mosquito vectors. In this context, to study the resistance status of Cx. quinquefasciatus, field populations were collected from three districts of Northern part of West Bengal and tested against insecticides (5% malathion, 0.05% deltamethrin, 0.05% lambdacyhalothrin,0.75% permethrin, 0.1% propoxur, 4% DDT and Temephos). Qualitative and quantitative enzyme assay was also conducted in order to find the role of detoxifying enzymes behind the development of insecticide resistance. This study revealed the presence of widespread resistance amongst the field populations of Cx. quinquefasciatus throughout the studied regions. Moreover, the result of native PAGE and biochemical enzyme assay may be linked to some extent in the involvement of the detoxifying enzymes in conferring resistance against insecticides in most of the tested Cx. quinquefasciatus populations. The present study involving the survey of resistance status may be of immense help during the implementation of vector control strategies throughout this region., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Dengue is one of the most rapidly spreading infectious diseases prevalent throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. In absence of specific medications and vaccines, the sole method of disease prevention relies on vector control mainly using insecticides. But with the advent of Insecticide resistance, worldwide vector control programs are facing failure. In this study, eleven different Ae. albopictus population from sub-Himalayan districts of West Bengal, India were investigated as per WHO protocols to find out the current status of insecticide susceptibility against DDT, permethrin and propoxur. Also the role of three insecticide detoxifying enzymes underlying observed resistance was investigated through quantitative and synergistic assays to unveil the mechanism of insecticide resistance. It was found that majority of studied populations were resistant to 4% DDT. Two populations, namely Alipurduar (APD) and Jalpaiguri (JPG) were severely resistant to 0.75% permethrin, whereas only JPG population was found to exhibit severe resistance against 0.1% propoxur. Moreover, the involvement of detoxifying enzymes was also noted in conferring resistance against DDT and Permethrin. This study indicates the inefficacy of DDT in controlling Ae. albopictus populations in the study region. This study may help in implementation of an efficient vector control and insecticide resistance management strategies., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We designed a set of 580 simple sequence repeat markers; 506 from transcription factor-coding genes, and 74 from long non-coding RNAs and designated them as regulatory gene-derived simple sequence repeat (ReG-SSR) markers. From this set, we could anchor 559 ReG-SSR markers on 15 flax chromosomes with an average marker distance of 0.56 Mb. Thirty-one polymorphic ReG-SSR primers, amplifying SSR loci length of at least 20 bp were chosen from 134 screened primers. This primer set was used to characterize a diversity panel of 93 flax accessions. The panel included 33 accessions from India, including released varieties, dual-purpose lines and landraces, and 60 fiber flax accessions from the global core collection. Thirty-one ReG-SSR markers generated 76 alleles, with an average of 2.5 alleles per primer and a mean allele frequency of 0.77. These markers recorded 0.32 average gene diversity, 0.26 polymorphism information content and 1.35% null alleles. All the 31 ReG-SSR loci were found selectively neutral and showed no evidence of population reduction. A model-based clustering analysis separated the flax accessions into two sub-populations-Indian and global, with some accessions showing admixtures. The distinct clustering pattern of the Indian accessions compared to the global accessions, conforms to the principal coordinate analysis, genetic dissimilarity-based unweighted neighbor-joining tree and analysis of molecular variance. Fourteen flax accessions with 99.3% allelic richness were found optimum to adopt in breeding programs. In summary, the genome-wide ReG-SSR markers will serve as a functional marker resource for genetic and phenotypic relationship studies, marker-assisted selections, and provide a basis for selection of accessions from the Indian and global gene pool in fiber flax breeding programs.

Background: Rehabilitation has been an integral part of management of COPD. Since the implementation of the standard rehabilitation protocol is hardly possible in the rural developing world, aiming to make a feasible alternate effort may be worthwhile., Methods: COPD patients diagnosed through spirometry were first stabilized with 6 weeks of uniform pharmacotherapy. Subsequently, they were subjected to a curriculum-based intensive single-session intervention with education, bronchial hygiene, and exercise training. The latter involved whole body exercise, pursed lip breathing, and diaphragmatic exercise. The participants continued to practice the exercises under real-world encouragement and supervision from trained volunteers. The impact was appraised in terms of change in health status through COPD assessment test (CAT) score measurements at stabilization, and after 6 weeks and 1 year of the intensive training and education., Results: At stabilization, 70 out of 96 selected COPD subjects (73%) turned up (with mean age 62±9 years and mean FEV 1 as 1.16±0.39 L) showing improvement as per CAT score ( p =0.0001) from pharmacotherapy. After practicing the imparted education and training for 6 weeks, all these 70 participants had further significant improvement in the health status (n=70, p =0.00001). This improvement, been reinforced and supervised, continued to last even at 1 year (n=54, p =0.0001)., Conclusion: The self-managed practice of a single-session education and training under real-world supervision can bring forth significant long-term improvement in the health status of COPD sufferers. Such simple and feasible intervention may substitute formal COPD rehabilitation programs in resource constraint situations., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

Background: Mosquitoes belonging to genus Aedes are the prime vectors of several arboviral diseases such as Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya worldwide. Every year numerous cases of dengue infections occur throughout the world, proper control of which depends on efficient vector control. However the onset of insecticide resistance has resulted in failure of vector control approaches., Principal Findings: This study was carried out to unveil the degree of prevailing insecticide resistance along with its underlying mechanisms among the primary dengue vector in dengue endemic districts of West Bengal, India through standard WHO protocol. It was observed that, the majority of the tested populations were found to possess resistance to more than one insecticide. In adult bioassay, the toxicity levels of the six tested insecticides was found to decrease in the following order: deltamethrin > lambdacyhalothrin > malathion > propoxur > permethrin > DDT. In larval bioassay, one of the tested populations was found to possess moderate resistance against temephos, mortality percentage 92.5% and 79.8% for WHO (0.0200 ppm) and National Vector Borne disease Programme, India recommended dose (0.0125 ppm) respectively. Carboxylesterases were found to be involved in conferring resistance as revealed in synergistic and quantitative assay against temephos in North Dinajpur (NDP) population and malathion in Alipurduar (APD) and Darjeeling (DAR) populations. Similar correlations were also observed in the majority of the tested populations between reduced susceptibilities against pyrethroid insecticides and Cytochrome P450s activity., Conclusion: Efficient disease management in this region can only be achieved through proper integrated vector management along with tools to minimize insecticide resistance. This study may help the concerned authorities in the formulation of an effective vector control strategy throughout this region incorporating the knowledge gained through this study., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

For about the past eight decades, high concentrations of naturally occurring fluoride have been detected in groundwater in different parts of India. The chronic consumption of fluoride in high concentrations is recognized to cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. We have used the random forest machine-learning algorithm to model a data set of 12 600 groundwater fluoride concentrations from throughout India along with spatially continuous predictor variables of predominantly geology, climate, and soil parameters. Despite only surface parameters being available to describe a subsurface phenomenon, this has produced a highly accurate prediction map of fluoride concentrations exceeding 1.5 mg/L at 1 km resolution throughout the country. The most affected areas are the northwestern states/territories of Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan and the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The total number of people at risk of fluorosis due to fluoride in groundwater is predicted to be around 120 million, or 9% of the population. This number is based on rural populations and accounts for average rates of groundwater consumption from nonmanaged sources. The new fluoride hazard and risk maps can be used by authorities in conjunction with detailed groundwater utilization information to prioritize areas in need of mitigation measures.

Fluorosis, caused by ingestion of excess fluoride, is endemic in at least 25 countries across the globe, China and India being the worst affected among them. Dental, skeletal and non-skeletal are the major types of fluorosis affecting millions of people in these countries. A number of genetic epidemiological studies carried out by investigators have shown the evidence for association between genetic polymorphisms in candidate genes and differences in the susceptibility pattern of different types of fluorosis among individuals living in the same community and having the same environmental exposure. These studies have pointed out that genetic variants in some candidate genes like COL1A2 (Collagen type 1 alpha 2), CTR (Calcitonin receptor gene), ESR (Estrogen receptor), COMT (Catechol-o-methyltransferase), GSTP1 (Glutathione S-transferase pi 1), MMP-2 (Matrix metallopeptidase 2), PRL (Prolactin), VDR (Vitamin D receptor) and MPO (Myeloperoxidase) could increase or decrease the risk of fluorosis among the exposed individuals in endemic areas. So, it is increasingly becoming evident that an individual's genetic background could play a major role in influencing the risk to fluorosis when other factors like specific environmental exposures including dietary patterns of fluoride intake and other nutrients remain the same. The current manuscript presents an up-to-date critical review on fluorosis, focusing mainly on the genetic association studies that have looked at the possible involvement of genetic factors in fluorosis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) manifests high genetic variability and is classifiable into ten genotypes (A-J). HBV infection can lead to variable clinical outcomes, ranging from self-limiting acute hepatitis to active chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study characterizes HBV strains circulating among patients with acute (AHB) and chronic HBV infection (CHB). Among a total of 653 HBsAg positive cases, 40 manifested acute infection. After sequencing the surface(S), basal core promoter/pre-core(BCP/PC) and the X gene regions, phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA4 by neighbor-joining method. Statistical robustness was established with bootstrap analysis. Nucleotide diversity was determined by Shannon entropy per site using the Entropy program of the Los Alamos National Laboratories. Analyses of acute patients revealed that HBV/D2 is the major circulating sub-genotype and commonly associated with sexual promiscuity and the age group between15-30 years. Comparison of AHB and CHB patients revealed that HBeAg positivity, ALT levels and genotype D were significantly high in AHB, whereas CHB patients were predominantly male, had a high viral load, and were commonly associated with genotype C. The frequencies of mutations in the S, BCP/PC, and X gene were low in AHB as compared to CHB. Drug resistant mutations were not detectable in the polymerase gene of AHB. Average nucleotide diversity in AHB was considerably low as compared to CHB. Further, the highest average ΔH (average difference in entropy between chronic and acute infection) was observed in the BCP/PC region implying that this region was most vulnerable to mutations upon HBV persistence, especially in case of genotype C. Additionally, among all substitutions, the A1762T and G1764A BCP mutations were the strongest indicators of chronicity. In conclusion, the study exhibits a general portrait of HBV strains circulating among acute hepatitis B patients in Eastern India and their intricate differences with chronic patients which should be useful from the clinical point of view.

Background: Worldwide, frequent emergence of lamivudine (3TC)-resistant HBV mutants has been reported in HIV-HBV-coinfected patients during long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) that contains 3TC as the sole anti-HBV drug. Three major patterns of mutations in HBV polymerase gene, namely single (rtM204V), double (rtL180M+rtM204V) and triple (rtV173L+rtL180M+rtM204V) mutations, are associated with 3TC-resistance; additionally, the triple mutation has vaccine-escape potential due to a corresponding change in overlapping surface gene. Data from India, a major reservoir for HIV and HBV infection, is lacking. Here we investigated the effect of long-term 3TC treatment on virological response for HBV and characterized the 3TC-resistant HBV mutations in a cohort of HIV-HBV-coinfected patients from eastern India., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in HIV-infected patients (n=563) receiving 3TC-containing ART for ≥6 months from the major ART centre of eastern India during 2011-2012. The hepatitis B surface antigen-positive HIV-infected patients (n=62) were categorized into four groups with comparable sample size according to the 3TC exposure for ≥6-<12 months (group I; n=15), ≥12-<24 months (group II; n=20), ≥24-<48 months (group III; n=13) and ≥48 months (group IV; n=14). Patients' plasma samples were examined for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA, viral load and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). HBV reverse transcriptase region was sequenced., Results: With a longer period of 3TC exposure, the frequency of HIV-HBV-coinfected patients having HBV DNA suppression decreased. The prevalence of HBeAg-positivity, serum HBV DNA load >2,000 IU/ml and 3TC-resistant mutations simultaneously increased. Remarkably, the 3TC-resistant triple mutation predominated over the double mutation in this cohort (32.26% versus 19.34%) and prevailed in significantly higher frequency among HBV viraemic patients experiencing 3TC for ≥48 months (60% versus 10%; P=0.03). Patients with 3TC-resistant triple mutants had HBV genotype-D, high serum HBV DNA load and elevated alanine aminotransferase level, and presence of cccDNA in their serum., Conclusions: Considering this alarmingly high incidence of 3TC-resistant triple mutation and its possible clinical/public health implications, proper management of 3TC-resistance among HIV-HBV-coinfected patients is an urgent necessity in India.

The characteristic disease symptoms of apical leaf curl, crinkled leaves and conspicuous mosaic were observed in potato plants grown in areas of Coochbehar, one of the distinct agroclimatic zones of sub-Himalayan West Bengal. Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) population was also observed in and around the infected plants. The characteristic disease symptoms and presence of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) population indicated the possibility of begomovirus infection. Total DNA was extracted from infected samples and PCR was carried out using begomovirus specific primers. PCR product of 1539 nucleotide long containing pre-coat protein, coat protein, AC5, AC3, AC2 and partial AC1 gene of DNA-Asegment and 1001 nucleotide long DNA-B containing BV1 and BC1 genes were submitted to the GenBank (accession numbers HQ597033 for DNA-A and JN390432 for DNA-B). The amplified DNA-A and DNA-B segment showed highest 98% and 99% nucleotide sequence similarity respectively with Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV). In phylogenetic analysis also the virus sequence clustered with ToLCNDV isolates. The disease was successfully transmitted to healthy tomato plants using both whitefly vector, B. tabaci and mechanical sap inoculation using sap of infected potato leaves. It is the first record of begomovirus infection of cultivated potato in sub-Himalayan West Bengal of Eastern India.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), an interstitial collagenase, plays a major role in cellular invasion during development of gastric cancer, a leading cause of death worldwide. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) -1607 1G/2G site of the MMP-1 gene promoter has been reported to alter transcription level. While the importance's of other SNPs in the MMP-1 promoter have not yet been studied in gastric cancer, our aim was to investigate MMP-1 gene promoter polymorphisms and gastric cancer susceptibility in eastern Indian population. A total of 145 gastric cancer patients and 145 healthy controls were genotyped for MMP-1 -1607 1G/2G (rs1799750) by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), while MMP-1 -519 A/G (rs1144393), MMP-1 -422 T/A (rs475007), MMP-1 -340 T/C (rs514921) and MMP-1 -320 T/C (rs494379) were genotyped by DNA sequencing. A positive association was found with MMP-1 -422 T/A SNP that showed significant risk for regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.021, Odd's ratio (OR) = 3.044, Confidence intervals (CI) = 1.187-7.807). In addition, we found a significant association with lower stomach tumor formation among gastric cancer patients for three adjacent polymorphisms near the transcriptional start sites of [MMP-1 -422 T/A (P = 0.043, OR = 2.182, CI = 1.03-4.643), MMP-1 -340 T/C (P = 0.075, OR = 1.97, CI = 0.94-4.158) and MMP-1 -320 T/C (P = 0.034, OR = 2.224, CI = 1.064-40731)]. MMP-1 level in patients' serum was correlated with MMP-1 promoter haplotypes conferring these three SNPs to evaluate the functional importance of these polymorphisms in lower stomach tumor formation and significant correlation was observed. Furthermore, MMP-1 -519 A/G polymorphism displayed poor cellular differentiation (P = 0.024, OR = 3.8, CI = 1.69-8.56) attributing a higher risk of cancer progression. In conclusion, MMP-1 proximal promoter SNPs are associated with the risk of lower stomach tumor formation and node metastasis in eastern Indian population.

Distribution and mobilization of groundwater arsenic from a 1580-km(2) area in the Gangetic Plain was studied. A two-tier aquifer system made up of Quaternary sand layers exists within 300 m below ground. Arsenic concentration exceeding >50 microg/L is confined within the active floodplain of the Ganga River, affecting the top aquitard and upper 5- to 20-m slice of the underlying shallow aquifer. The genesis of arsenic was investigated by principal component analyses involving total dissolved solids, Ca(+2), Mg(+2), Na(+), K(+), HCO3-, Cl(-1), SO4(-2), NO3-, Fetotal, and Astotal and analyzed for 57 groundwater samples, hydrochemical facies analyses, aquifer-aquitard configuration, and water-level behaviour. A 20- to 25-m thick deeper aquifer, appearing at 190 to 205 m below ground and separated from the shallow aquifer by a thick clay sequence, was low in arsenic load (<2 microg/L). Hydrostratigraphy and pumping tests revealed that the deeper aquifer can be used for community drinking in contaminated areas.

Objective: The study was designed to assess the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection scenario among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients attending a tertiary healthcare unit in eastern India. Additionally, clinical and virological characterization of these viruses, prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation was also done for better understanding of the disease profile., Methods: Pool of ART-naive HIV/HBV co-infected and HIV mono-infected patients, participating in two different studies, were included in this study. HBV DNA was detected by nested-PCR amplification followed by HBV genotype determination and HBV reverse transcriptase (RT) region amplification and direct sequencing for detecting drug resistance., Results: The prevalence of HBsAg (11.3%) was higher compared to anti-HCV (1.9%) among the HIV infected ART-naive patients. Moreover, majority of the HBeAg positive HIV/HBV co-infected patients (87.7%) had HBV DNA ≥20,000 IU/ml with median HBV DNA significantly higher than that of HBeAg negative subjects (5.7 log10 IU/ml vs. 4.2 log10 IU/ml; p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis also showed that HBeAg-positive status was independently associated with higher HBV DNA level (p = <0.001). Notably, 60.9% of the HBeAg negative co-infected subjects had HBV DNA ≥2,000 IU/ml of which 37.0% had HBV DNA ≥20,000 IU/ml. Genotype HBV/D (68.2%) was the predominant genotype followed by HBV/A (24.3%) and HBV/C (7.5%). Anti-HBV drug resistant mutations were detected in two (3.8%) of the ART-naive patients., Conclusion: The prevalence of HIV/HBV co-infection was relatively higher in our study subjects. HBeAg testing might provide clue for early treatment initiation. Furthermore, HBeAg negative patients are also associated with high HBV DNA levels and therefore require appropriate medical attention. Pre-treatment screening for anti-HBV drug resistant mutations is not necessary before ART initiation.

Objectives: To expose the rarity of the phenomena of congenital laryngeal cysts. Additionally, a discussion is presented in support of the basic similarities between laryngeal duplication cyst and bronchogenic cyst and a proposal to use the term 'bronchogenic cyst' (appended by the location) is put forth., Materials and Methods: Three cases of cysts of the larynx, two in the neonate and one, in a child were discovered in the pediatric age group from the archives of the Department of Pathology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore., Observations: Laryngeal duplication cyst/bronchogenic cyst in a 6-day-old male infant was lined by predominantly respiratory with focal squamous epithelium. The wall contained fibromuscular bundles within a myxoid stroma studded with seromucinous glands. The fibromuscular bundles were positive for smooth muscle actin (SMA) and negative with desmin. A 3-year-old male child diagnosed of laryngocele had the cyst lined by respiratory epithelium and the wall densely infiltrated with lymphoid cells. A 20-day-old male neonate with laryngomalacia had a small arytenoid cyst lined by squamous epithelium., Conclusion: On morphological grounds, a laryngeal duplication cyst may be called a bronchogenic cyst and published reports do not deny that both these entities are cognate. Hence, pathologists should enjoy the freedom to write 'bronchogenic cyst' as the final impression if the histological features should so indicate. Otolaryngologtists however might term the congenital cyst as Type 1, 2a or 2b (according to Forte's classification) taking into account the laryngoscopic, radiologic, intraoperative and pathological findings., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Saliva is a biological fluid that has not been used extensively as a biomonitoring tool in epidemiological studies. This study presents the arsenic (As) concentrations in saliva and urine samples collected from populations of West Bengal, India who had been previously exposed to high As levels in their drinking water. We found a significant (p < 0.05) association between the Log transformed Daily Ingestion of As (μg day(-1)) and the As concentration in saliva (r = 0.68). Additionally, As concentration of saliva and urine also had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.60, p < 0.05). Male participants, smokers, and cases of skin lesion were independently and significantly associated with an increase in salivary As. Thus our findings show that saliva is a useful biomarker of As exposure in the study population. The study also advocates that measurement of the forms of As in saliva may additionally provide insight into the internal dose and any individual differences in susceptibility to As exposure.

Derivation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines from chromosomally or genetically abnormal embryos obtained following preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is of immense interest to study various kinds of genetic disorders. In this study, we have established a new hESC line Relicell(®)hES4, isolated from an aneuploid embryo. Derivation of this cell line was achieved by isolation of the inner cell mass (ICM) by mechanical method. Karyotype analysis showed that the hESC line is euploid having 46 chromosomes, contrary to our expectations. The undifferentiated cells exhibited long-term proliferation capacity and expressed markers typical for hESC, such as OCT4, NANOG, and SSEA4. A comparative microarray study was carried out to analyze the transcription profile of Relicell(®)hES4 along with three other normal hESC line generated earlier in our lab. Relicell(®)hES4 manifested pluripotent differentiation potential both in vivo and in vitro. The cells were also induced to form neurons, cardiomyocytes, and pancreatic β islets. The generation of a normal hESC line from an abnormal embryo points to the fact that even such embryos can be considered for deriving new hESC lines instead of discarding them. The data represented here are the first detailed report on characterization and differentiation of an Indian hESC line generated from a PGD analyzed embryo.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of matrix metalloproteinase3 (MMP3) promoter in the development and progression of gastric cancer of whole stomach has never been investigated in any population. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study to explore the MMP3 SNPs and their haplotypes with the risk of gastric cancer for the first time in eastern Indian population. A total of 218 gastric cancer patients and 175 healthy controls were genotyped for MMP3-1612 5A/6A (rs3025058) by PCR-RFLP and rechecked 10% by DNA sequencing. MMP3-707 A/G (rs522616) and MMP3-375 C/G (rs617819) were genotyped by DNA sequencing among 209 patients and 154 controls. MMP3-1612 5A6A genotype (P = 0.026, odds ratio (OR) = 1.756, confidence interval (CI) = 1.070-2.883), combined 5A5A and 5A6A genotype (P = 0.015, OR = 1.791, CI = 1.122-2.858) and 5A allele (P = 0.002, OR = 1.75, CI = 1.21-2.53) and; MMP3-707 GG genotype (P = < 0.0001; OR = 9.612; 95% CI = 3.403-27.147), combined GG and AG genotype (P = 0.001, OR = 2.201, CI = 1.385-3.498) and G allele (P = <0.0001, OR = 2.189, CI = 1.582-3.033) conferred significant risk for gastric cancer development. Also, tobacco addicted individuals with combined 5A5A and 5A6A genotype (P = 0.005, OR = 2.952, CI = 1.377-6.327) at -1612 position of MMP3 promoter displayed a higher risk to gastric cancer development. The genotypic combinations of all three MMP3 promoter polymorphisms and their haplotypes with increasing risk allele in a dose-dependent manner showed a potential risk for developing gastric cancer. The analyses suggested that the MMP3-707 G/G and MMP3-1612 5A/6A polymorphisms are potential independent predictors of gastric cancer risk development., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Faecal specimens of diarrhoea cases (n=2495, collected between November 2007 and October 2009) from Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General (ID&BG) Hospital, Kolkata, India, were screened by RT-PCR using specific primers targeting region C of the capsid gene of noroviruses (NoVs) to determine the seasonal distribution and clinical characteristics of NoVs associated with diarrhoea. NoV infection was detected in 78 cases, mostly in children aged <2 years. In 22/78 positive cases, the virus was detected as the sole agent; others were as mixed infections with other enteric pathogens. Sequencing of NVGII strains showed clustering with GII.4 NoVs followed by GII.13 and GII.6 NoVs. Clinical characteristics of the diarrhoeic children and adults in Kolkata indicated that NoV infections were detected throughout the year and were associated with a mild degree of dehydration.

Arsenic groundwater contamination exceeding 0.05 mg/l affecting the Newer Alluvial tracts of Patna and Bhojpur, the two worst affected districts located in the Middle Ganga Plain in the Bihar state, has been studied The area is underlain by two-tier Quaternary aquifer systems within a depth of 300 m below ground level, separated by a 15-32-m-thick clay/sandy clay aquitard. The upper part (<50 m depth) of the shallow aquifer system is arsenic-contaminated. The deeper aquifer system (lying below 120-130 m depth) exhibits low arsenic load (max 0.0035 mg/l), having hydraulic conductivity between 64.88 and 82.04 m/day. Groundwater in the deeper aquifer occurs under semi-confined to confined condition due to poor hydraulic conductivity of the middle clay (4.7×10(-2)-7.2×10(-3) m/day). Hydraulic head of the deeper aquifer remains close to the surface than the shallow aquifer. The two aquifer systems in the Newer Alluvium are replaced by a thick single aquifer system in the adjoining Older Alluvium, within a depth of 330 m below ground. In the arsenic-contaminated area, deeper aquifer is protected by a middle clay, which may be developed for community drinking water supply by deep tube wells having a yield capacity of 150 m3/h.

Arsenic (As) induced identifiable health outcomes are now spreading across Indian subcontinent with continuous discovery of high As concentrations in groundwater. This study deals with groundwater hydrochemistry vis-à-vis As exposure assessment among rural population in Chakdaha block, West Bengal, India. The water quality survey reveals that 96% of the tubewells exceed WHO guideline value (10 μg/L of As). The groundwaters are generally anoxic (-283 to -22 mV) with circum-neutral pH (6.3 to 7.8). The hydrochemistry is dominated by HCO(3)(-) (208 to 440 mg/L), Ca(2+) (79 to 178 mg/L) and Mg(2+) (17 to 45 mg/L) ions along with high concentrations of As(T) (As total, below detection limit to 0.29 mg/L), Fe(T) (Fe total, 1.2 to 16 mg/L), and Fe(II) (0.74 to 16 mg/L). The result demonstrates that Fe(II)-Fe(III) cycling is the dominant process for the release of As from aquifer sediments to groundwater (and vice versa), which is mainly controlled by the local biogeochemical conditions. The exposure scenario reveals that the consumption of groundwater and rice are the major pathways of As accumulation in human body, which is explained by the dietary habit of the surveyed population. Finally, regular awareness campaign is essential as part of the management and prevention of health outcomes., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A part of the Gangetic Alluvial Plain covering 2,228 km(2), in the state of Bihar, is studied for demarcating groundwater development potential zones. The area is mainly agrarian and experiencing intensive groundwater draft to the tune of 0.12 million cubic metre per square kilometres per year from the Quaternary marginal alluvial deposits, unconformably overlain northerly sloping Precambrian bedrock. Multiparametric data on groundwater comprising water level, hydraulic gradient (pre- and post-monsoon), aquifer thickness, permeability, suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation and groundwater resources vs. draft are spatially analysed and integrated on a Geographical Information System platform to generate thematic layers. By integrating these layers, three zones have been delineated based on groundwater development potential. It is inferred that about 48% of the area covering northern part has high development potential, while medium and low development potential category covers 41% of the area. Further increase in groundwater extraction is not recommended for an area of 173 km(2), affected by over-exploitation. The replenishable groundwater resource available for further extraction has been estimated. The development potential enhances towards north with increase in thickness of sediments. Local deviations are due to variation of-(1) cumulative thickness of aquifers, (2) deeper water level resulting from localised heavy groundwater extraction and (3) aquifer permeability.

In this study, we have analysed the epidemiological significance of the concurrent infections caused by Vibrio cholerae and intestinal parasites among different age groups of hospitalized diarrhoeal patients in Kolkata. A total of 3556 stool samples collected during 1996-2004 were screened for vibrios and parasites. The seasonality of V. cholerae and parasitic infections were studied in detail. The detection rates for Ascaris lumbricoides and Giardia lamblia infection were more than for the hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Entamoeba histolytica. V. cholerae O1 was identified as the predominant serogroup among diarrhoeal patients. The highest rates for V. cholerae infection were in the 2-5 years age group and combined infection of V. cholerae and parasites was recorded among children aged between 2 and 10 years.

Unlabelled: The study is aimed to determine the seasonal distribution and clinical characteristics of astroviruses associated with acute watery diarrhoea among children in Kolkata and characterize them at the molecular level., Method of Study: Faecal specimens of acute watery diarrhoea cases (n=857) and non-diarrhoeic samples (n=211) from the hospitals and a nearby field community were screened with IDEIA Astrovirus detection kit; astrovirus co-infections with rotavirus and/or picobirnavirus were detected by RNA-PAGE and silver staining. Further RT-PCR was carried out using specific primers, viz. Mon340 (+) and Mon348 (-) targeting a highly conserved domain of ORF1a (289 bp) of human astroviruses., Results: Astrovirus infection was detected in 50 cases (50/857); astroviruses were detected mostly in children aged 6-12 months (50%); all non-diarrhoeic samples (n=211) were negative for astrovirus. In 52% of astrovirus positive cases, the virus was detected as the sole agent; mixed infections were also detected with other diarrhoeic pathogens such as rotavirus (32%), picobirnavirus (2%), rotavirus and picobirnavirus (2%), picobirnavirus and Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) (2%), rotavirus and ETEC (2%), rotavirus and Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) (2%), Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (2%), Shigella flexneri type 3a (2%) and Ascaris (2%). RT-PCR and sequencing of amplicons of astroviruses from Kolkata, with specific primers targeted to the conserved domain of ORF1a (289 bp) of the astrovirus genome, showed maximum homology to the astrovirus strain ("5-158") from Seoul (98%)., Results and Conclusions: Clinical characteristics of the diarrhoeic children in Kolkata indicated that astrovirus infections were detected throughout the year and were associated with varying degree of dehydration and acute watery diarrhoea. In-depth molecular epidemiological surveillance of astroviruses in Kolkata is essential for better understanding of their overall genetic nature.

This study was conducted to understand the pathophysiological changes in experimental rabbit ileal loop model using the Vibrio cholerae strain non-O1non-O139, isolated as sole pathogen from clinically diagnosed cholera patients in Kolkata. Significant amount of haemorrhagic fluid accumulation was observed in all the test loops of rabbit model where the strain of V.cholerae was inoculated as compared to control loops. Microscopic examination of the accumulated fluid showed the presence of erythrocytes and pus cells. Histology revealed structural alteration of the villous epithelium with inflammatory cells infiltration in all the layers of the gut mucosa including the nerve plexus region. Preliminary observation with a haemagglutinin protease extracted from the non-O1 non-O139 strain, was also studied in different concentrations in the same animal model which showed similar type of macroscopic and microscopic response in the ileal loops as seen with the original strain. The results highlight that along with other pathways, inflammatory cells and the enteric neurons have an important role in the pathophysiology of diarrhoea and the isolated protease may be the probable virulence factor in initiating the disease process in this non-O1non-O139 strain induced cholera.

This study was undertaken to measure the impact of periodic deworming with albendazole on growth status and incidence of diarrhoea in children aged 2-5 years in an urban setting in India and to assess the feasibility of local health workers implementing the procedures involved. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, community-based intervention trial with 702 children randomly allocated to receive either albendazole or placebo. The two study groups received two doses of albendazole (400 mg) or placebo six months apart. Mean weight increased significantly in the albendazole group compared to the control group at three months, six months and nine months following treatment (P<0.01, P<0.01 and P<0.001 respectively). The albendazole group also experienced fewer episodes of diarrhoea than their control counterparts (relative risk 1.3, 95% CI 1.07-1.53) with a 28% reduction. The health workers administered the correct dosage satisfactorily and there were no adverse effects. Thus, periodic mass deworming with albendazole would seem to be a safe and effective method that could be adopted at the community level or as an integral part of school health services and could be expected to improve growth and reduce the incidence of diarrhoea in children.

Virulence-associated genes and neutral DNA markers of Helicobacter pylori strains from the Santhal and Oroan ethnic minorities of West Bengal, India, were studied. These people have traditionally been quite separate from other Indians and differ culturally, genetically, and linguistically from mainstream Bengalis, whose H. pylori strains have been characterized previously. H. pylori was found in each of 49 study participants, although none had peptic ulcer disease, and was cultured from 31 of them. All strains carried the cag pathogenicity island and potentially toxigenic s1 alleles of vacuolating cytotoxin gene (vacA) and were resistant to at least 8 micro g of metronidazole per ml. DNA sequence motifs in vacA mid-region m1 alleles, cagA, and an informative insertion or deletion motif next to cagA from these strains were similar to those of strains from ethnic Bengalis. Three mobile elements, IS605, IS607, and ISHp608, were present in 29, 19, and 10%, respectively, of Santhal and Oroan strains, which is similar to their prevalence in Bengali H. pylori. Thus, there is no evidence that the gene pools of H. pylori of these ethnic minorities differ from those of Bengalis from the same region. This relatedness of strains from persons of different ethnicities bears on our understanding of H. pylori transmission between communities and genome evolution.