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Increasing the intrinsic growth potential of neurons after injury has repeatedly been shown to promote some level of axonal regeneration in rodent models. One of the most studied pathways involves the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, primarily by reducing the levels of PTEN, a negative regulator of PI3K. Likewise, activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has previously been shown to boost axonal regeneration and sprouting within the injured nervous system. Here, we examined the regeneration of the corticospinal tract (CST) after cortical expression of constitutively active (ca) Akt3 and STAT3, both separately and in combination. Overexpression of caAkt3 induced regeneration of CST axons past the injury site independent of caSTAT3 overexpression. STAT3 demonstrated improved axon sprouting compared to controls and contributed to a synergistic improvement in effects when combined with Akt3 but failed to promote axonal regeneration as an individual therapy. Despite showing impressive axonal regeneration, animals expressing Akt3 failed to show any functional improvement and deteriorated with time. During this period, we observed progressive Akt3 dose-dependent increase in behavioral seizures. Histology revealed increased phosphorylation of ribosomal S6 protein within the unilateral cortex, increased neuronal size, microglia activation and hemispheric enlargement (hemimegalencephaly). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofortification of grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in cereals is a cost-effective method to address micronutrient deficiencies. Six metal homeostasis genes (YSL15, NAS2, FRO7, IREG, ZIP2 and VIT1) were pyramided in the wheat cultivar 'PBW343 LrYr' to enhance the content of Fe and Zn in the grain. The crosses of twenty pre-bred wheat-Aegilops genotypes with varying combinations of these genes resulted in the production of 1245 F1 seeds, out of which 680 were germinated. The selection of 103 F1 plants was achieved through the use of ITAP markers and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to screen for metal homeostasis genes and grain Fe and Zn content respectively. The 151 plants were selected from 103 F2 progeny and these plants were further whittled down to 83 in F3 and 76 in F4, with a final selection of 12 progeny that exhibited a variety of combinations of the six alleles. It is important to note that derivatives such as 'EU19144-500-477' and 'EU19144-506-503' exhibited high grain Fe and Zn contents without a yield penalty. The genes FRO7, IREG and ZIP2 exhibited the significant increase in grain Fe (140.61%) and Zn (122.75%) in the derivative 'EU19144-506-502'. The number of tillers, grain Fe, grain Zn and flag leaf Zn content were negatively correlated with thousand grain weight, while seeds per spike and plant height were positively correlated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 2 billion people worldwide are suffering from iron (Fe) deficiency anemia and zinc (Zn) deficiency. The available elite bread wheat cultivars have inherently low grain micronutrient content. Biofortification for grain Fe and Zn content is one of the most feasible and cost-effective approach for combating widespread deficiency of the micronutrients. QTL controlling high grain Fe and Zn have been mapped on groups 2 and 7 chromosomes of Triticeae. The present study was initiated for precise transfers of genes for high grain Fe and Zn on group 2 and 7 chromosomes of wheat-Aegilops substitution lines to wheat cultivars using pollen radiation hybridization. The pollen radiation hybrids (PRH1) derived from 1.75 krad irradiated spikes showed the presence of univalents and multivalents in meiotic metaphase-I indicating the effectiveness of radiation dose. In the advanced generation PRH5, the plants selected with stable chromosome number and high grain Fe and Zn content were analyzed with wheat groups 2 and 7 chromosome specific intron targeted amplified polymorphism (ITAP) markers of the metal homeostasis genes to monitor the transfers of alien genes from the substituted Aegilops chromosomes. The group 2 chromosome derivatives showed the presence of NAS2, FRO2, VIT1, and ZIP2 Aegilops genes whereas the group 7 derivatives had YSL15, NAM, NRAMP5, IRO3, and IRT2 Aegilops genes. The pollen radiation hybrids of both the groups 2 and 7 chromosomes showed more than 30% increase in grain Fe and Zn content with improved yield than the elite wheat cultivar PBW343 LrP indicating small and compensating transfers of metal homeostasis genes of Aegilops into wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1RS.1BL translocation in wheat, exploited for its multiple disease resistance (Lr26, Yr9, Sr31 and Pm8), has  maintained significance due to its agronomical advantages. However, this translocation exhibits serious defects in dough quality due to the presence of Sec-1 loci on 1RS arm. In the present investigation micro SDS sedimentation test (MST), high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMWGS) and bread making analysis of 26 genotypes were studied along with their root phenotyping in the field and under hydroponic culture system. The MST values showed that genotypes having Sec-1 loci had low MST values but in the presence of Glu-D1 (5 + 10) with Glu-B1 (7 + 9) and (7 + 8) they had high MST values, thus overcoming the negative effects of secalin on dough quality. The loaf volume showed positive correlation with MST values of the genotypes. The translocation of 1RS arm led to higher root biomass and longer root length than Pavon 76 without 1RS. Better root traits in recombinant 1RS 44:38 and 1B + 38 than Pavon 1RS.1BL suggested the role of negative epistatic effects between different QTL regions in 1RS arm. The results suggest that it should be possible to harness the useful alleles associated with good dough quality, better root traits, high yield and stress tolerance with or without secalin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of transfers of useful alien genes for metal homeostasis from non-progenitor Aegilops species using the widely available anchored wheat SSR markers is difficult due to their lower polymorphism with the distant related wild species and the lack of locus specificity further restricts their application. The present study deals with the development of intron targeted amplified polymorphic (ITAP) markers for the metal homeostasis genes present on chromosomes of groups 2 and 7 of Triticeae. The mRNA sequences of 27 metal homeostasis genes were retrieved from different plant species using NCBI database and their BLASTn was performed against the wheat draft genome sequences in Ensemblplants to get exonic and intronic sequences of the corresponding metal homeostasis genes in wheat. The ITAP primers were developed in such a way that they would anneal to the conserved flanking exonic regions of the genes and amplify across highly variable introns within the PCR limits. The primers led to the amplification of variable intronic sequences of genes with polymorphism between non-progenitor Aegilops species and the recipient wheat cultivars. Further, the polymorphic ITAP markers were used to characterize the transfers of metal homeostasis genes from the non-progenitor Aegilops species to the BC2F5 wheat-Aegilops derivatives, developed through induced homoeologous pairing. The derivatives with significant percent increase in grain Fe and Zn content over the elite cultivar PBW343 LrP showed the introgression of some of the useful Aegilops alleles of the metal homeostasis genes. The use of different metal homeostasis genes using this approach is the first report of the direct contribution of the genes for increasing the grain micronutrient content for developing biofortified wheat lines with reduced linkage drag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the previous 30 years, the status of diabetes has changed from being considered as a mellow issue of the elderly to one of the significant reasons for morbidity and mortality influencing the young and moderately aged individuals. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) in the adult population, age ≥ 20 years of District Srinagar and determine its sociodemographic and lifestyle correlates. The study was conducted among the adult population of District Srinagar with a sample size of 580. A three-stage cluster random sampling design was used, and study participants were selected using a Kish grid method. Sociodemographic data, anthropometric data, and other data were collected as per the pretested semi-structured proforma. The participants were then subjected to fasting venous blood glucose estimation. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria 2015 were used for classifying the subjects as normal, pre-diabetic, and diabetics. The prevalence of T2DM was 9.8% and that of IFG was 22.2%,the majority of them (9.1%) had known T2DM. The prevalence of IFG and T2DM was statistically associated with increasing age (p < 0.001), marital status (p < 0.001), educational status (p < 0.001), high chocolates and carbonated drinks consumption (p < 0.001), level of physical inactivity (p < 0.05), body mass index (p < 0.001), family history of T2DM (p < 0.001), and smoking behavior and hypertension (p < 0.001). Our analysis suggests an increase in the prevalence of T2DM in District Srinagar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although determined partly by genetics, physical fitness can be affected by a series of factors, such as sedentary behaviors, physical activity, and obesity. In general, medical students have considerable information about healthy lifestyle and dietary habits compared to other professional courses. Unfortunately, knowledge does not always translate into practice in terms of maintaining good health. Aims and Objectives: The study aims to assess the physical fitness and evaluate its association with body mass index (BMI) in medical students. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional was conducted in the Department of Physiology among the 1st-year students of Government Medical College, Srinagar, from December 2022 to February 2023. A total of 116 students in the age group of 18-22 years participated in the study. Descriptive data for age (years), gender height (m), and weight (Kg) were obtained and BMI was calculated. Physical fitness index (PFI) was measured using the modified Harvard step test. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity according to BMI was 41.3% (34.4% were overweight and 6.0% were obese). Among the participants, 81.7% of participants had a PFI of average to excellent while as 18.3% of participants had a PFI of low to poor. The study found a weak negative association (r-value=-0.07) between BMI and physical fitness, which was statistically not significant. Conclusion: The present study found a weak association between physical fitness and BMI which was statistically not significant. Although majority of students had good to excellent PFI, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was found to be quite high in them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to comments made on the authors' article about a design strategy that they believe will optimize the pumping system design of process plants, published in the 2006 issue.

A response by Imran Sheikh and Amory B. Lovins to an editorial by John Chen on the future role of chemical engineering in society is presented.

The luxuries of the modern-day living owe a lot to the services provided from outer space or passing through space. As the benefits of space technology permeate into our everyday lives, many new entrants, especially those from the developing regions of the world are initiating, synergizing, and expanding their national space programmes. Although having a space programme offers plenty of strategic and socioeconomic benefits and opportunities, it requires a high initial cost with most of the gains reaped in the long term. Therefore, the continual growth and long-term sustenance of a space programme is important for any nascent space power. Notwithstanding, the financial and technological constraints form a major caveat which, if not taken care of right from the onset, may seriously jeopardize the growth and in extreme situations, even endanger the long-term viability of the entire space programme. Hence, for nascent space powers, the ambition to do "big things" must start in small steps, articulated through a well-defined national space policy that can steer a correct direction for times to come. This article points toward the need to build space policies for nascent space powers that can justify the long-term investment in civil, commercial, and military programme applications of space technology. It identifies economic and technological constraints as the primary factors constraining nascent space powers that in turn govern the development of space policy. The article also identifies several of the macro-level challenges that need focused attention from policy makers and space programme managers for ensuring the development and sustainability of a viable space programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitter in the brain and is primarily responsible for modulating excitatory tone. Clinical neuroimaging studies show decreased GABA levels in the anterior cingulate of patients with mood disorders, including major depressive disorder. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is an animal model thought to mimic the stressful events that may precipitate clinical depression in humans. In this study male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to a modified CUS paradigm that used a random pattern of unpredictable stressors twice daily for 10days to explore the early developmental stages of depression-like endophenotypes. Control rats were handled daily for 10days. Some rats from each treatment group received an injection of ketamine (40mg/kg) after the final stressor. One day following the final stressor rats were tested for behavioral effects in the forced swim test and then euthanized to collect trunk blood and anterior cingulate brain samples. GABA levels were measured in anterior cingulate samples ex vivo using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) at 11.7T. Animals subjected to CUS had lower body weights, higher levels of blood corticosterone, and increased immobility in the forced swim test; all of which suggest that the stress paradigm induced a depression-like phenotype. GABA levels in the anterior cingulate were significantly increased in the stressed animals compared to controls. Administration of ketamine on the last day of treatment blunted the depression-like behavior and increased GABA levels in the anterior cingulate following CUS. These data indicate that stress disrupts GABAergic signaling, which may over time lead to symptoms of depression and ultimately lower basal levels of cortical 1H-MRS GABA that are seen in humans with depression. Furthermore, the data suggests that ketamine modulates cortical GABA levels as a mechanism of its antidepressant activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction/aim: The study examines how chronic resveratrol administration affects behavioral and neurochemical changes caused by Lorazepam (LZP), a classical anti-anxiety medicine associated with neurodegenerative and neurological problems., Method: Forty male rats were placed into four groups: a control group receiving 1% Tween 80, the LZP group receiving 2 mg/kg/day, the Resveratrol group receiving 50 mg/kg/day, and the LZP plus resveratrol group receiving the same doses of LZP and Resveratrol. Oral therapy was given daily for 6 weeks. The animals were euthanized after open field and Y maze behavioral tests. In specific brain regions, neurochemical analyses were performed on GABA, glutamic acid, monoamines (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) and their metabolites, DNA fragmentation (8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine or 8-HdG), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and Ca-ATPase., Results: Resveratrol therapy improved GABA, glutamic acid, monoamines, and their metabolites in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Additionally, it reduced DNA fragmentation (8- HdG) and counteracted LZP-induced Ca-ATPase downregulation at a significant level (p < 0.05). Resveratrol also reversed LZP-induced behavioral changes in the Y maze and open field tests., Conclusion: Resveratrol has anxiolytic-like actions like benzodiazepines and neuroprotective capabilities against LZP-induced adverse effects., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Lima beans ( Phaseolus lunatus ) and adzuki beans ( Vigna angularis ) are some of the most nutritious underutilized pulses that are significant in being used as basic ingredients for the preparation of various food products. The present study aimed to determine the impact of soaking and germination on nutritional and bioactive components, in vitro protein digestibility, reducing power, metal chelating capacity, antioxidant activity, and anti-nutritional components of lima and adzuki beans. The findings showed that during the germination treatment, the in vitro protein digestibility of lima and adzuki beans increased by 14.75 and 10.98%, respectively. There was an increase in the antioxidant activity of lima beans by 33.48% and adzuki beans by 71.14% after 72 h of germination, respectively. The reducing power assay of lima and adzuki beans indicated an increase of 49.52 and 36.42%, respectively, during germination. Similarly, the flavonoid and metal chelating activity increased in lima and adzuki beans after 72 h of germination. In contrast, the anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid, tannin content, and trypsin inhibitor activity, decreased significantly p < 0.05 after 72 h of germination. These results are encouraging and allow for utilizing the flour obtained from the germinated beans in functional bakery products, which can contribute to eradicating protein deficiency among some population groups. At the same time, promoting soaking and germination of the beans as a way to enhance the nutritional quality and reduce anti-nutrients can contribute to the interest in these underutilized pulses. They could be seen as an additional tool to improve food security.

Background: Wheat is a major staple crop and helps to reduce worldwide micronutrient deficiency. Investigating the genetics that control the concentrations of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in wheat is crucial. Hence, we undertook a comprehensive study aimed at elucidating the genomic regions linked to the contents of Fe and Zn in the grain., Methods and Results: We performed the multi-locus genome-wide association (ML-GWAS) using a panel of 161 wheat-Aegilops substitution and addition lines to dissect the genomic regions controlling grain iron (GFeC), and grain zinc (GZnC) contents. The wheat panel was genotyped using 10,825 high-quality SNPs and phenotyped in three different environments (E1-E3) during 2017-2019. A total of 111 marker-trait associations (MTAs) (at p-value < 0.001) were detected that belong to all three sub-genomes of wheat. The highest number of MTAs were identified for GFeC (58), followed by GZnC (44) and yield (9). Further, six stable MTAs were identified for these three traits and also two pleiotropic MTAs were identified for GFeC and GZnC. A total of 1291 putative candidate genes (CGs) were also identified for all three traits. These CGs encode a diverse set of proteins, including heavy metal-associated (HMA), bZIP family protein, AP2/ERF, and protein previously associated with GFeC, GZnC, and grain yield., Conclusions: The significant MTAs and CGs pinpointed in this current study are poised to play a pivotal role in enhancing both the nutritional quality and yield of wheat, utilizing marker-assisted selection (MAS) techniques., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

A meta-analysis of QTLs associated with grain protein content (GPC) was conducted in hexaploid and tetraploid wheat to identify robust and stable meta-QTLs (MQTLs). For this purpose, as many as 459 GPC-related QTLs retrieved from 48 linkage-based QTL mapping studies were projected onto the newly developed wheat consensus map. The analysis resulted in the prediction of 57 MQTLs and 7 QTL hotspots located on all wheat chromosomes (except chromosomes 1D and 4D) and the average confidence interval reduced 2.71-fold in the MQTLs and QTL hotspots compared to the initial QTLs. The physical regions occupied by the MQTLs ranged from 140 bp to 224.02 Mb with an average of 15.2 Mb, whereas the physical regions occupied by QTL hotspots ranged from 1.81 Mb to 36.03 Mb with a mean of 8.82 Mb. Nineteen MQTLs and two QTL hotspots were also found to be co-localized with 45 significant SNPs identified in 16 previously published genome-wide association studies in wheat. Candidate gene (CG) investigation within some selected MQTLs led to the identification of 705 gene models which also included 96 high-confidence CGs showing significant expressions in different grain-related tissues and having probable roles in GPC regulation. These significantly expressed CGs mainly involved the genes/gene families encoding for the following proteins: aminotransferases, early nodulin 93, glutamine synthetases, invertase/pectin methylesterase inhibitors, protein BIG GRAIN 1-like, cytochrome P450, glycosyl transferases, hexokinases, small GTPases, UDP-glucuronosyl/UDP-glucosyltransferases, and EamA, SANT/Myb, GNAT, thioredoxin, phytocyanin, and homeobox domains containing proteins. Further, eight genes including GPC-B1, Glu-B1-1b, Glu-1By9, TaBiP1 , GSr , TaNAC019-A , TaNAC019-D , and bZIP-TF SPA already known to be associated with GPC were also detected within some of the MQTL regions confirming the efficacy of MQTLs predicted during the current study., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Saini, Sheikh, Saini, Mir, Dhaliwal and Tyagi.)

Bioinoculants provide better opportunity for ecological farming practices to improve the plant growth and enhanced crop productivity. Different types of bioinoculants containing single microbial culture and multiple microbial strains in single formulation could be used for agricultural sustainability. The different efficient microbial strain in single formulation as a consortium is an emerging trend in the present era. The present study deals with the isolation of nitrogen fixing, phosphorus and potassium solubilizing microbes from rhizospheric soil and root's internal tissues of different cereal/pseudocereal crops and their application as a microbial consortium for the growth of cereal crops. A total of 152 rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria were isolated and screened for the plant growth promoting (PGP) traits of nitrogen fixation, solubilization of phosphorus, and potassium. Among all the isolates, nine were found to fix nitrogen, fifteen and eleven exhibited phosphorus and potassium solubilization activity, respectively. Three selected efficient bacterial strains were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Erwinia sp. EU-B2SNL1 (N-fixer), Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae EU-LWNA-37 (P-solubilizer), and Pseudomonas gessardii EU-MRK-19 (K-solubilizer). The inoculation of these three bacterial strains on barley crop as single inoculum and as microbial consortium enhanced the growth and physiological parameters including root/shoot length and biomass, chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenolics, flavonoids and soluble sugar content in comparison with untreated control. The microbial consortium was found to be more effective as compared to single inoculum. The microbial consortium of nitrogen fixing and mineral solubilizing microbes could be used as biofertilizer for plant growth and soil health., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The quality of wheat products has been a new challenge next to wheat production which was achieved substantially during green revolution. The end-use quality of wheat is an essential factor for its commercial demand. The quality of wheat is largely based on the wheat storage proteins which extensively influences the dough properties. High molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMWGS), low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMWGS) and gliadins significantly influence the end-use quality. Genomics and proteomics study of these gluten proteins of bread and durum wheat have explored new avenues for precise identification of the alleles and their role in end-use quality improvement. Secalin protein of Secale cereale encoded by Sec-1 loci and is associated with 1RS.1BL translocation has been known for deterioration of end-use quality. Chromosomal manipulations using various approaches have led to the development of new recombinant lines of wheat without secalin. Advanced techniques associated with assessment of end-use quality have integrated the knowledge of useful or deteriorating HMWGS/LMWGS alleles and their potential role in end-use quality. This review gives a comprehensive insight of different aspects of the end-use quality perspective for bread making in wheat along with some information on the immunological interference of gluten in celiac disease., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2020.)

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitter in the brain and is primarily responsible for modulating excitatory tone. Clinical neuroimaging studies show decreased GABA levels in the anterior cingulate of patients with mood disorders, including major depressive disorder. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is an animal model thought to mimic the stressful events that may precipitate clinical depression in humans. In this study male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a modified CUS paradigm that used a random pattern of unpredictable stressors twice daily for 10 days to explore the early developmental stages of depression-like endophenotypes. Control rats were handled daily for 10 days. Some rats from each treatment group received an injection of ketamine (40 mg/kg) after the final stressor. One day following the final stressor rats were tested for behavioral effects in the forced swim test and then euthanized to collect trunk blood and anterior cingulate brain samples. GABA levels were measured in anterior cingulate samples ex vivo using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) at 11.7 T. Animals subjected to CUS had lower body weights, higher levels of blood corticosterone, and increased immobility in the forced swim test; all of which suggest that the stress paradigm induced a depression-like phenotype. GABA levels in the anterior cingulate were significantly increased in the stressed animals compared to controls. Administration of ketamine on the last day of treatment blunted the depression-like behavior and increased GABA levels in the anterior cingulate following CUS. These data indicate that stress disrupts GABAergic signaling, which may over time lead to symptoms of depression and ultimately lower basal levels of cortical (1)H-MRS GABA that are seen in humans with depression. Furthermore, the data suggests that ketamine modulates cortical GABA levels as a mechanism of its antidepressant activity., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Attention has been drawn to evaluate the antifungal activity of p-anisaldehyde (1), o-anisaldehyde (2) and m-anisaldehyde (3). To put forward this approach, antifungal activity has been assessed in thirty six fluconazole-sensitive and eleven fluconazole-resistant Candida isolates. Growth and sensitivity of the organisms were significantly effected by test compounds at different concentrations. The rapid irreversible action of compound-1, compound-2 and compound-3 on fungal cells suggested a membrane-located target for their action. We investigated their effect on H(+) ATPase mediated H(+)-pumping by various Candida species. All the compounds inhibit H(+)- ATPase activity at their respective MIC(90) values. Inhibition of H(+) ATPase leads to intracellular acidification and cell death. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed deep wrinkles, deformity and flowed content. Furthermore, it was also observed that position of methoxy group attached to the benzene ring decides antifungal activity of the compound. The present study indicates that compound-1, compound-2 and compound-3 have significant antifungal activity against Candida, including azole-resistant strains, advocating further investigation for clinical applications in the treatment of fungal infections., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Context: While the majority of acute pancreatitis is secondary to alcohol and gallstones in the developed world, infectious causes are recognized and recent evidence has linked influenza A to acute pancreatitis., Case Report: We report a patient with acute pancreatitis deemed secondary to influenza B virus; however considering this would be the first reported case, retesting showed that the initial PCR was falsely positive and a system-wide contamination discovered that unearthed other false negatives., Conclusions: While research must continue to describe novel infectious etiologies of acute pancreatitis, caution must be exercised before new associations are described. New tests are leading to increasing incidence and prevalence of disease and while such testing generally has high sensitivity and specificity, the role for false results still exists.

Objectives: To study the clinical presentation of acne in the Out Patient Department of Isra University Hospital., Patients and Methods: A prospective study was done. The 100 patients with acne, who attended the Out Patient Department of Dermatology in Isra University Hospital, Hyderabad, from September 2007 to February 2008, were analyzed., Results: In 100 patients with acne there were 65 female and 35 male patients. The patient ages ranged from 11 to 35 years, most being in the age range from 15 to 19 years (mean, 18.70 +/- 4.50 years). Family history was positive in 49% of patients. Involvement of face was seen in 100% of patients. Scarring was observed in 59% patients. Premenstrual flare was seen in 70% female patients. Most patients, 83% had pruritus in lesions. Face (cheeks, forehead and lower part of the face) were the most common sites to be involved., Conclusion: Acne is one of the common diseases, seen in the Out Patient Department, of Isra University Hospital. Study, concludes that female patients were more affected by acne and its complications like scarring as compared to the male patients.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of aloe vera gel and placebo in the topical management of vulval lichen planus., Study Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial., Place and Duration of Study: Department of Dermatology, Isra University Hospital, Hyderabad, from January 2007 to January 2008., Methodology: Thirty-four female patients were randomized into two groups to receive aloe vera gel or placebo for local application for 8 weeks. Clinical data and treatment response was graded according to Thongprasom criteria. Z-test was used for comparing response between the groups., Results: Thirty-four consecutive patients participated in the study. We found erosive and ulcerative lesions in 83% and 17%, respectively. The most common site of vulval lichen planus was the labia minora. Fourteen (82%) out of 17 patients treated with aloe vera had a good response i.e. clinically improved by at least 50% after 8 weeks of treatment, while one (5%) of 17 placebo-treated patients had a similar response (p < 0.001). Furthermore, one patient (5%) treated with aloe vera had a complete clinical remission. No side-effects were found in both groups., Conclusion: Aloe vera gel was a safe and effective treatment for patients with vulval lichen planus.