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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread to almost every country on the globe and it is considered by World Health Organization as a pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 causes the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Many of country are reporting the symptomatic characteristics of their cases to give better observations into the various clinical presentations of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the symptomatic literature is limited in Bangladesh. The aim of the study is to analyze the symptomatic characteristics of patients having the SARS-CoV-2 positive by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT -PCR) test. Here, the data of 146 patients who were positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and were residents of different districts of Mymensingh region were analyzed. Patients' demographics, symptoms, history of co-morbidities condition like DM, HTN, Hypothyroid etc, travel and contact were collected from MMC Daily Reported data from April 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020. Among the total 3184 patients' nasopharyngeal samples, we have got 146 (4.58%) positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of the 146 positive patients most of the patients were male 95(65%), the majority 80(54.8%) were the 21 to 40year age group. Most of the patients 61(41.78%) were residents of Mymensingh include Mymensingh Sadar, Valuka, Trishal and Ishhorganj. Among the patients 94(64.4%) were symptomatic and 52(35.6%) were asymptomatic. The symptomatic patients presented mostly were with fever 45(30.82%), cough 33(22.6%) and breathlessness 9(6.16%). The majority of patients 54(36.9%) had a history of contact with SARS-CoV-2 patients and 16(11%) had a travel history within 14 days of their rRT-PCR test positive. The only 3(2%) patients had history of comorbidities condition like DM, HTN, Hypothyroid etc. The number of SARS-CoV-2 cases is rapidly increasing in our country. The education of the population about the most common symptoms of the virus infection is needed mostly; therefore, individuals may able to recognize these symptoms. So, that people might get themselves tested.

Prevalence of heart failure (HF) among end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is high and HF remains the main cardiovascular co-morbidity at dialysis initiation. There is paucity of data comparing change of NYHA class, improvement of ejection fraction (EF) and major cardiac events in ESRD patients with concomitant heart failure on haemodialysis to those on peritoneal dialysis. The objective of the study was to compare the cardiac outcome of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) & hemodialysis (HD) in chronic kidney disease 5 (CKD5) patients with HF. This prospective observational study was carried out from March 2018 to February 2019 in seventy CKD 5 patients with HF who opted for CAPD or HD. Seven patients dropped out during the follow-up & sixty three patients (CAPD=31; HD=32) were followed up for symptomatic assessment of cardiac status in terms of NYHA class as well as echocardiography and serum haemoglobin at baseline and at 3rd & 6th month. Major cardiovascular events like non fatal MI, non fatal stroke & death duo to cardiovascular diseases and co-morbidities were recorded during the study period. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 22.0. Mean age was 53.33±6.38 and 54.23±10.15 years & male to female ratio was 1.81:1 and 1.46:1 in CAPD and HD groups respectively. Both NYHA class & left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) were significantly increased after six months compared to baseline in each group and significantly more increased in the CAPD group than the HD group. Left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd) was reduced significantly after six months compared to baseline in both groups and there was no significant difference in LVIDd reduction between the CAPD and HD groups. Major cardiovascular events were found to occur more frequently in the HD group. According to NYHA functional class, echocardiographic findings and major cardiovascular events during six months, improvement of cardiac function in CKD 5 patients with HF was better on CAPD in comparison to HD.

The present study compares the effects of two green tea processing techniques, viz. orthodox and CTC (curl, tear and crush) on the quality parameters and sensory profiles under the geographical and climatic conditions of Assam, India. The results showed that CTC green tea infusions had 13.3, 7.5, 7.1, 9.8, 5.4, 17.3, 17.1 and 18.6% more total polyphenol, total catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin (EC), water extract and theanine level, respectively than the infusions prepared from orthodox green tea. The sensory evaluation preferred the orthodox over CTC processing mode. Risk assessment with daily consumption of five cups (10 g) of green tea reveals that the EGCG level is free from the risk of hepatotoxicity and caffeine will not inflict any health hazard., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

There is a new public health problem around the world with the emergence and spread of 2019 novel corona virus (2019-nCoV). The disease "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19) was caused by SARS-CoV-2. As virus isolates are unavailable so the public laboratories are now facing a challenge for detecting the virus because there is growing evidence of the outbreak which is more widespread than initially thought. We aimed here to discuss about the current diagnostic methodology for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 in health laboratories. Here we use the Novel Corona virus (2019-nCoV) Nucleic Acid Diagnostic Kit (PCR-Fluorescence Probing) which is a real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test. A total of 230 samples in the department of microbiology, Mymensingh Medical College from 1st, April 2020 were selected for this study. Among them 20(8.69%) were positive for SARS CoV-2 and remaining were negative. Among the positive samples 55% could amplify both the ORF 1ab and N genes. The single gene ORF 1ab or N was positive in 15% and 30% cases respectively. The Ct values (<38) of ORF 1ab gene indicated by FAM dye was 92.8% and N gene curve indicated by ROX dye was 100%. The presence of IC gene curve with Ct values (<38) indicated by CY5 dye among the positives were 70% and 100% in negatives. The Ct values (38-40) of IC (CY5) among the positives were 15%. The present study demonstrates the enormous response capacity of the study kit for detecting SARS-CoV-2 within the laboratories in Bangladesh.

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is the most popular beverage in the world after water. Due to acidophilic nature of tea plant, it has inherent tendency to uptake metals/metalloids including the toxic ones from the soil which is of great concern worldwide. In this study, level of chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) were assessed in four hundred ninety-seven (497) black tea samples collected from six tea growing regions of Assam and North Bengal, India. The average concentration of Cr and As in the tested black tea samples was 10.33 and 0.11 μg g -1 , respectively. Since tea is consumed as a beverage, transfer of Cr and As from black tea to its hot water extract (also known as tea infusion) was also accessed. The amount of Cr and As determined in the tea infusion was much less (< 0.20 to 1.38 μg g -1 for Cr and < 3.60 to 34.79 μg kg -1 for As) than those in the black teas with the transfer rate up to 5.96% and 8.53%, respectively. The present study showed that values of hazard quotient were well below one suggesting that intake of Cr and As from consumption of five cups of tea equivalent to 10 g black tea would not impose any health hazard.

Background: The major portion of lead in the body resides in skeletal system. The bone turnover affects the release of lead into the circulation from bones. The bone turnover biomarkers (BTM) in lead-battery workers with long-term exposure to lead have not been explored yet., Objective: To evaluate the BTM (formation and resorption) in lead-battery workers with long-term exposure to lead in lead-battery manufacturing plant., Methods: 176 male lead-exposed workers and 80 matched comparison group were studied. All participants were examined for blood lead levels (BLLs), bone formation biomarkers- serum osteocalcin (OC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP)-and bone resorption biomarkers-serum pyridinoline (PYD), deoxypyridinoline (DPYD), tartarate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b), and urinary hydroxyproline (UHYP)., Results: We found a significantly higher bone formation biomarkers such as BALP (p=0.007) and bone resorption biomarkers, eg, PYD (p=0.048), TRCAP-5b (p=0.001), and UHYP (p=0.001) in lead-exposed workers. A significant (p=0.041) negative correlation (ρ ‑0.128) was noted between BLLs and OC. A significant positive correlation was noted between BLLs and TRACP-5b (ρ 0.176, p=0.005) and UHYP (ρ 0.258, p=0.004). Serum OC (p=0.040) and UHYP (p=0.015) levels changed significantly with BLL level. Bone resorption biomarkers levels- PYD, TRACP-5b, and BALP-were higher among those with higher BLLs levels. The duration of exposure was significantly associated with BALP (p=0.037), DPYD (p=0.016), TRACP-5b (p=0.001), and UHYP (p=0.002) levels., Conclusion: Long-term lead exposure affects the bone turnover.

A new hexa-nuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu 3 (μ 2 -1κ NO 2 ,2κ NO 2 -L)(μ-Cl) 2 (Cl)(MeOH)(DMF) 2 ] 2 ( 1 ), where H 4 L = N' 1 ,N' 2 -bis(2-hydroxybenzylidene)oxalohydrazide, was synthesized and fully characterized by IR spectroscopy, ESI-MS, elemental analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 and the dinuclear oxidovanadium(V) one [{VO(OEt)(EtOH)} 2 (1κ NO 2 ,2κ NO 2 -L)]·2H 2 O ( 2 ) were used as catalyst precursors for the neat oxidation of primary (cinnamyl alcohol) and secondary (1-phenyl ethanol, benzhydrol) benzyl alcohols and of the secondary aliphatic alcohol cyclohexanol, under microwave irradiation using tert -butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidant. Oxidations proceed via radical mechanisms. The copper(II) compound 1 exhibited higher catalytic activity than the vanadium(V) complex 2 for all the tested alcohol substrates. The highest conversion was found for 1-phenylethanol, yielding 95.3% of acetophenone in the presence of 1 and in solvent and promoter-free conditions. This new Cu(II) complex was found to exhibit higher activity under milder reaction conditions than the reported aroylhydrazone Cu(II) analogues.

Purpose: The preclinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of a potent fluoroketolide RBx14255 against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae was compared with telithromycin and human clinical dose was predicted for preclinical development., Methods: The in vitro pharmacokinetic characterization was performed for solubility, Caco-2 permeability, microsomal stability, CYP inhibition and plasma protein binding. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies were performed in Swiss albino mice, Sprague Dawley rats and Beagle dogs. The pharmacodynamic studies were carried out in mouse against S. pneumoniae in systemic infection and against S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae in rat lung infection models., Results: RBx14255 showed superior potency and efficacy in mouse and rat infection models. RBx14255 showed pH dependent solubility (0.41 mg/mL at pH 6.8 and >1 mg/mL at pH 1.2), moderate Caco-2 permeability (A to B: 12 nm/s) with high efflux ratio. It showed high plasma protein binding (>97%) in mouse and low binding (45- 70%) in rat, dog and human. The compound is mainly metabolized through CYP3A4. Pharmacokinetic parameters and absolute bioavailability of both, RBx14255 and telithromycin are similar in mouse. Both the ketolides showed low plasma clearance (18% of the normal hepatic blood flow rate) in mouse, moderate to high clearance in rat and dog. Mean oral bioavailability was high in mouse (≥85%), moderate in rat (RBx14255: 15% and telithromycin: 51%) and high to moderate in dog (RBx14255: 98% and telithromycin: 56%). The predicted efficacious dose for a 70 kg man ranges from 124 mg BID to 226 mg BID., Conclusion: RBx14255 displayed significantly better pharmacodynamics which correlates with the pharmacokinetic properties against S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae as compared to telithromycin. The predicted human efficacious doses are in the range of 124-226 mg, making it amenable to oral dosage form drug in human. This could be a promising clinical candidate for future studies.

The new aroylhydrazone N'-(di(pyridin-2-yl)methylene)pyrazine-2-carbohydrazide (HL) species, rich in N-donor sites, has been used to synthesize Cu(ii) compounds with different nuclearities, viz. the binuclear [Cu 2 (μ-1κN 3 ,2κN 2 O-L)(Cl) 3 (MeOH)] (1), the octanuclear [Cu 4 (μ-1κN 3 ,2κN 2 O-L) 2 (μ-Cl) 3 (Cl) 3 ] 2 (2) and the 1D coordination polymer [Cu 3 (μ 3 -1κN 3 ,2κN 2 O,3κN-L)(μ-NO 3 )(NO 3 ) 3 (H 2 O) 3 ] n ·nNO 3 (3). They have been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The magnetic properties of 2 and 3 have been explored using variable temperature magnetic measurements. The catalytic performances of the compounds were evaluated towards the peroxidative oxidation of o-, p- and m-xylenes under microwave irradiation, leading to the formation of the corresponding methyl benzyl alcohol, tolualdehyde and toluic acid as the major products. Complex 3 exhibits the best catalytic activity towards the oxidation of p-xylene with a total yield of 37% (4-methylbenzyl alcohol + p-tolualdehyde + p-toluic acid).

Background: Lead (Pb) deposits in the skeletal system on chronic exposure and releases to circulation over a period. The musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are associated with enhanced expression of inflammation. The combination of Pb-exposure and MSDs induced inflammation was not attempted., Objective: This study was conducted to examine the association between MSDs and inflammatory markers in workers exposed to Pb from Pb-battery plant., Material and Methods: In a case-control study design, the study enrolled 176 male Pb-exposed workers as study subjects and 80 healthy workers with no occupational exposure to Pb as control subjects. The Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to assess the MSDs. From the blood sample, blood lead level (BLL) and High Sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) were estimated as markers of Pb-exposure and Inflammatory marker respectively. The BLL was estimated by flame atomic absorption spectrometric method and the Hs-CRP by using a diagnostic kit method., Results: Significantly high proportions of MSDs were noted in study subjects as compared to controls. The MSDs identified in the study subjects were at low back (33%) followed by knee (26%), shoulders (16%), neck (14%), ankle/foot (11%), wrist/hand (10%), elbows (8%), upper back (7%), and hips/thighs (5%). The significant association between Pb-exposure and MSDs among study subjects was mainly noted in low back and ankle/foot. Also, significantly high serum Hs-CRP levels were noted among study subjects with ankle/foot MSDs., Conclusion: Pb-exposure and inflammatory markers were significantly associated with lower limbs of MSDs., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Cervical cancer is a major world health problem for women. It is the fourth most leading cause of death in women around the world. High risk HPV DNA has been shown to be present in 99.7% of cervical cancers worldwide. Oncoprotein E6 and E7 play an important role in the development of cervical cancer which can be detected by OncoE6 cervical test. This Cross sectional observational study was performed to detect E6 Oncoprotein from cervical swab by OncoE6 cervical test. Following universal safety precautions a total of 47 endocervical swabs were collected from Colposcopy clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), Mymensingh, Bangladesh from January 2015 to December 2015. Laboratory work was done in the department of Microbiology, Mymensingh medical college. E6 strip test is an immunochromatographic test based on the detection of HPV-E6 oncoprotein in cervical swab samples. The swab specimen was treated with lysis solution and conditioning solution. Then the specimen solution was clarified by centrifugation. After that the sample solution was transferred into Detector mAb vial, wash solution vial and finally into developing solution vial. The test unit was then placed on a reading guide. Positive result was indicated by the appearance of purple colored test line. Out of 47 specimens 21(44.68%) were OncoE6 positive by OncoE6 cervical test. Among 21 positive cases 19(90.48%) were HPV-16 and 2 were (9.52%) HPV-18. Histopathologically out of 22 cervical carcinoma cases 20(90.90%) were positive by this test. Based on the findings of the present study, it may be concluded that screening with HPV E6 may minimize the overtreatment as well as the colposcopy referral. So it can be used as primary screening to aid colposcopy and to identify real disease. HPV based screening may help to control cervical cancer in Bangladesh. As HPV is a sexually transmitted infection; so, male screening method should be established.

Among communicable disease, tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death worldwide, killing nearly two million people each year. Several diagnostic techniques are currently used to detect mycobacteria in respiratory specimens. Therefore an alternative, rapid and most effective method is required for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis which is relatively more sensitive and specific. A total of 107 sputum samples of suspected TB patients were enrolled attending the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NTRL), Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2014 to July 2015. Liquid culture of 107 sputum samples, yielded 76.63% culture positive and 1.86% contamination was observed. Antibiotic susceptibility test was done for 82 culture positive sputum samples among which 28.04% cases were resistant to both Rifampicin and Isoniazid. GeneXpert assay detected 85.04% M. tuberculosis among which 25.23% were found to be Rifampicin Resistance.

A series of four mixed ligand aroylhydrazone and N-donor heterocyclic Lewis base Cu(II) complexes [CuL(X)] 2 [L refers to the dianionic form of (5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-2-hydroxybenzohydrazide; X=pyrazine (Pz; 1), pyridine (Py; 2), imidazole (Imz; 3) and 3-pyridinecarbonitrile (3-PyCN; 4)] has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, various spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallography (for 1, 2 and 4). The antiproliferative effect of complexes 1-4 was examined in 4 human tumor cell lines (ovarian carcinoma (A2780), colorectal carcinoma (HCT116), lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7)) and in normal human primary Fibroblasts. Complex 4 exhibits a high cytotoxic activity against ovarian and colorectal carcinoma cells (A2780, HCT116 respectively), with IC 50 much lower than those for normal primary fibroblasts. Complex 4 could induce cell death via apoptosis but not autophagy in colorectal carcinoma cells., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered as the main cause of invasive cervical cancer and cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia. High risk HPV DNA has been shown to be present in 99.7% of cervical cancers. So HPV DNA testing for screening of cervical cancers may play a potential role in early detection and management of cervical cancer. With above background a cross sectional study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence and to identify the associated risk factors of human Papillomavirus infection among Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (VIA) positive women attending at colposcopy clinic of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), Mymensingh, Bangladesh from July 2013 to December 2014. One hundred and forty three cervical swabs for nested PCR were collected from the patients attending colposcopy clinic of MMCH, for detecting target gene of L1 region of the HPV genome. Among the 143 VIA positive patient nested PCR showed 49.6% (71/143) positive. Biopsy of 54 colposcopy positive women revealed that 16 (29.6%) cases were chronic cervicitis, 33 (61.1%) cases were mild dysplasia (C1NI), 01 (1.9%) were having moderate dysplasia (C1NII) and 04(7.4%) patients were diagnosed as invasive squamous cell carcinoma. So, high grade cervical lesions were 100% positive by nested PCR for HPV.

A large plasma fireball is formed using a reverse biased planar sputter magnetron source. The magnetic field considerably reduces the contact area of the anode with the plasma and results in the formation of the fireball. Ions are extracted from the fireball using a large voltage cathode sheath of the grounded sample holder. The physical mechanism for the extraction of the ions from the fireball along with the effect of the sample holder on the fireball and the discharge current is discussed. The device is shown as a novel tool for developing nanodot patterns on a GaSb substrate without the use of additional ion source or power supplies. Variable nanodot patterns produced simply by the alteration of discharge conditions demonstrate unique surface wettability and reflection properties.

Tuberculosis, one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans, is a major cause of death worldwide. The disease, which is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, usually affects the lungs, although other organs are involved in up to one-third of causes. If properly treated, tuberculosis caused by drug-susceptible strains is curable in virtually all cases. If untreated, the disease may be fatal within five years in 50-65% of cases. Transmission usually takes place through the airborne spread of droplet nuclei produced by patients with infectious pulmonary tuberculosis. This cross sectional observational study was conducted to detect various clinical presentations of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in the Department of Medicine, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital from January 2009 to December 2009. Sample was selected through inclusion methods from patients who was admitted in to hospital and confirmed as pulmonary tuberculosis after appropriate investigations and who gave informed written consent was finally enrolled in this study. A total 103 patients were selected for the study. Out of 103 cases 34.9% were above 50 years old, followed by 26.2% between 30-40 years old, 22.3% between 40-50 years old and remaining 16.5% bellow 30 years old. The male to female ratio was roughly 1.2:1. The most of the patients were housewife and farmer which were 31% and 28.1% respectively. The most of the patients came from low socio-economic group. About 55.3% cases were smoker and 43.7 were non smoker. Among the frequency of symptoms 73.7% were chronic cough for above one month followed by 70.8% were low grade fever, 41.8% were night sweats and the 2% were admitted in hospital for other complaints and after evaluation diagnosed as PTB. The most of the patients about 67% were suffering from less than six weeks duration. Among the physical findings the 67% cases were lost significant weight, 56.3% had fever and 56.3% had apical crepitation over chest. There was sputum positive for acid fast bacilli about 64.7%. The traditional TB diagnosis methods are time consuming and the most of the patients are poor in our country, they are unable to afford the modern costly investigations. Therefore we should more emphasis on clinical examinations, so that we can diagnosis pulmonary TB rapidly and can start treatment as early as possible.

Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus were treated by methicillin, but about 95% of S. aureus has been resistance to methicillin, both in the community and hospitals and are increasing day by day. MRSA produces altered penicillin binding protein, PBP2a, due to the expression of mecA gene. Some strains of both the MRSA and MSSA carry PVL gene. This cross sectional observational study was conducted to detect the molecular-characterization of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Mymensingh Medical College from July 2014 to December 2015. Clinical samples for this study were wound swab, pus, exudates from diabetic ulcer and burn ulcer, aural swab, blood and urine which were collected from three tertiary care hospitals such as from MMCH, BIRDEM hospital and SSMCH. Standard microbiological procedure & biochemical tests were carried out to detect S. aureus. Oxacillin disk diffusion method (ODDM) was done by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Out of a total 109 culture positive samples 69 isolates of S. aureus were selected for the study. Among the 69 isolates 33, 27 and 09 were from MMCH, BIRDEM hospital and SSMCH respectively. Among the 69 isolates, 17(24.6%) and 52(75.3%) were distinguished as MRSA and MSSA respectively by ODDM. In contrast, detection of presence and absence of mecA gene by PCR identified 20(28.9%) and 49(71.01%) isolates as MRSA and MSSA respectively. Multiplex PCR was performed by standard protocol with specific primers for detection of 16S rRNA gene for Staphylococcus, nuc gene for Staphylococcus aureus, mecA gene for MRSA, PVL gene as a virulence factor and ACME-arc gene for worldwide spreading USA 300 MRSA clone. The PVL gene were detected in 3 out of 20 MRSA (15%) and 19 out of 49 MSSA (38.7%) and the ACME- arc gene was not found in any isolates. All of the S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) isolates were sensitive to Vancomycin and Gentamicin. All MRSA isolates (100%) showed resistance to Penicillin and Oxacillin. Of the MRSA isolates about 88.2% were resistance to Ceftazidime, 64.7% were resistance to Erythromycin and Ciprofloxacin, 11.7% were resistance to Tetracycline. Among the MSSA isolates 94.2% were resistance to Penicillin and 9.6% resistance to Ciprofloxacin. The MSSA were less resistance for non-beta lactam drugs than MRSA.

The past decade has seen significant progress on the direct detection and characterization of young, self-luminous giant planets at wide orbital separations from their host stars. Some of these planets show evidence for disequilibrium processes like transport-induced quenching in their atmospheres; photochemistry may also be important, despite the large orbital distances. These disequilibrium chemical processes can alter the expected composition, spectral behavior, thermal structure, and cooling history of the planets, and can potentially confuse determinations of bulk elemental ratios, which provide important insights into planet-formation mechanisms. Using a thermo/photochemical kinetics and transport model, we investigate the extent to which disequilibrium chemistry affects the composition and spectra of directly imaged giant exoplanets. Results for specific "young Jupiters" such as HR 8799 b and 51 Eri b are presented, as are general trends as a function of planetary effective temperature, surface gravity, incident ultraviolet flux, and strength of deep atmospheric convection. We find that quenching is very important on young Jupiters, leading to CO/CH 4 and N 2 /NH 3 ratios much greater than, and H 2 O mixing ratios a factor of a few less than, chemical-equilibrium predictions. Photochemistry can also be important on such planets, with CO 2 and HCN being key photochemical products. Carbon dioxide becomes a major constituent when stratospheric temperatures are low and recycling of water via the H 2 + OH reaction becomes kinetically stifled. Young Jupiters with effective temperatures ≲700 K are in a particularly interesting photochemical regime that differs from both transiting hot Jupiters and our own solar-system giant planets.

Earlier studies conducted on lead-exposed workers have determined the reticulocyte count (RC) (%), but the parameters of Absolute Reticulocyte Count (ARC), Reticulocyte Index (RI), and Reticulocyte Production Index (RPI) were not reported. This study assessed the effect of lead (Pb) exposure on the status of reticulocyte count indices in workers occupied in lead battery plants. The present cross-sectional study was carried out on 391 male lead battery workers. The blood lead levels (BLL) were determined by using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The RC (%) was estimated by using the supravital staining method. The parameters, such as ARC, RI, and RPI, were calculated by using the RC (%) with the red cell indices (RBC count and hematocrit). The levels of RBC count and hematocrit were determined by using an ABX Micros ES-60 hematology analyzer. The levels of reticulocyte count indices - RC (%), ARC, RI, and RPI significantly increased with elevated BLL. The association between BLL and reticulocyte count indices was positive and significant. The results of linear multiple regression analysis showed that the reticulocyte count (β = 0.212, P < 0.001), ARC (β = 0.217, P < 0.001), RI (β = 0.194, P < 0.001), and RPI (β = 0.208, P < 0.001) were positively associated with BLL. The variable, smoking habits, showed a significant positive association with reticulocyte count indices: RC (%) (β = 0.188, P < 0.001), ARC (β = 0.174, P < 0.001), RI (β = 0.200, P < 0.001), and RPI (β = 0.151, P < 0.005). The study results revealed that lead exposure may cause reticulocytosis with an increase of reticulocyte count indices.

The aim of this study was to detect antimicrobial susceptibilities and the presence of drug resistance genes of MRSA from tertiary care hospitals. This study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Mymensingh Medical College during the period from Jan, 2015 to Dec, 2015. Clinical samples, including wound swab, pus, exudates from diabetic ulcer and burn ulcer, aural swab, blood and urine were collected. Standard microbiological procedure & biochemical tests were carried out to detect S. aureus. Oxacillin disk diffusion test was done by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Total 69 isolates of S. aureus were selected for the study. The isolates were collected from three different tertiary care hospitals, of which 33, 27 and 9 were from Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), BIRDEM hospital and Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital (SSMCH) respectively. Among the 69 isolates, 17(24.6%) and 52(75.3%) were distinguished as MRSA and MSSA respectively by ODDM (Oxacillin disk diffusion method). In contrast, detection of presence and absence of mecA gene by PCR identified 20 (28.9%) and 49 (71.01%) isolates as MRSA and MSSA respectively. All of the S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) isolates were sensitive to vancomycin and gentamicin. All MRSA isolates (100%) showed resistance to Penicillin and Oxacillin. Among the MRSA isolates about 88.2% were resistance to Ceftazidime, 64.7% were resistance to Erythromycin and Ciprofloxacin, 11.7% were resistance to Tetracycline. Among the MSSA isolates about 94.2% were resistance to Penicillin and 9.6% resistance to Ciprofloxacin. The MSSA were less resistance for non-beta lactam drugs than MRSA. Regarding drug resistance genes, the blaZ genes were present in 47 out of 49(95.8%) MSSA and in 18 out of 18 (100%) MRSA. The erythromycin resistance gene ermB was found in 8.69% isolates, of which highest 20% in MRSA and 4.08% in MSSA. The ermA was not found in any isolates. Among tetracycline resistance genes, tetK were detected in 10.1% and tetL were found in 2.8% of MRSA. The highest tetK genes were found in 20% of MRSA and in 6.1% of MSSA. Regarding, the gentamicin drug resistance, the aac(6')-Iaph(2'')-Ia gene was not found in any isolates. The relatively high proportion of MRSA and the associated antibiotic resistance seen in this study emphasizes the need for country based surveillance to characterize and monitor MRSA and to develop strategies that will improve MRSA treatment and control.

Immune reactivity between Mycobacteria and human antigens can play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. We report a case of Graves's disease and tuberculous lymphadenitis to explain the mechanism of correlation between immune-mediated diseases and tuberculosis and to raise awareness of the importance of screening for TB in this context, especially in endemic country. Screening for latent TB at immune mediated disease diagnosis and regular timely screening thereafter may be beneficial.

We report the demonstration of plasmonic titanium nitride (TiN) for fabrication of an efficient hybrid photodetector. A novel synthesis method based on plasma nanotechnology is utilized for producing air stable plasma polymerized aniline-TiN (PPA-TiN) nanocomposite and its integration in photodetector geometry. The device performs as a self-powered detector that responds to ultraviolet and visible light at zero bias. The photodetector has the advantage of broadband absorption and outcomes an enhanced photoresponse including high responsivity and detectivity under low light conditions. This work opens up a new direction for plasmonic TiN-based hybrid nanocomposite and its exploitation in optoelectronic applications including imaging, light-wave communication and wire-free route for artificial vision.

Nano-liposomes are the newly developed delivery systems for cancer therapy that are finding a position particularly suitable as peptide and protein carriers. These are three-layered self-assembled structures with nanoparticulate carrier systems. The overall pharmacological properties of commonly used protein and peptide in cancer therapy can be improved by the incorporation of protein and peptide into the nano-liposome. The surface modifications can be made liposomes to make compatible with targeting ligands has made these nanocarriers for targeted delivery. This review discusses the method of preparation and characterization of liposome based protein peptide delivery for the treatment of cancer. This review also explores latest work intended for targeted treatment of cancer by nano-liposomal protein and peptide delivery system. This type of delivery is targeting protein and peptide to tumor site by avoiding the reticuloendothelial system. Methods of nano-liposome delivery containing protein and peptide are also highlighted.

Studies on hot carrier science and technology associated with various types of nanostructures are dominating today's nanotechnology research. Here we report a novel synthesis of polyaniline-gold (PAni-Au) nanocomposite thin films with gold nanostructures (AuNs) of desired shape and size uniformly incorporated in the polymer matrix. According to shape as well as size variation of AuNs, two tunable plasmonic UV-Visible absorption bands are observed in each of the nanocomposites. Plasmonic devices are fabricated using PAni-Au nanocomposite having different UV-Visible plasmon absorption bands. However, all the devices show strong photoelectrical responses in the blue region (400-500 nm) of the visible spectrum. The d-band to sp-band (d-sp) transition of electrons in AuNs produces hot holes that are the only carriers in the material responsible for photocurrent generation in the device. This work provides an experimental evidence of novel plasmonic hot hole generation process that was still a prediction.

We report the synthesis of a polyaniline (PAni)-gold nanoparticle (AuNP) composite thin film in a single step. A flexible high-performance visible photodetector is constructed using PAni-AuNP composite with low loading of AuNP, and optoelectronic properties of the device are evaluated. The present study demonstrates that a plasmonic hybrid nanocomposite prepared by a single-step novel plasma-based dry process could solve the low lifetime and performance-related issues of organic optoelectronic devices.

Cutaneous lymphomas are uncommon skin tumors. Which may be primary or secondary and T-cell or B-cell according to cell type the former type being less frequent. The term "primary cutaneous lymphoma" refers to cutaneous lymphomas that present in the skin with no evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of diagnosis. In this report, we describe a 60-year-old man with primary cutaneous lymphoma, who presented with multiple painless reddish nodular skin lesion on the different sites of his body and there was no evidence of systemic involvement.

This study was carried out to determine the effect of Pb exposure on the status of platelet indices in workers exposed to Pb during lead-acid battery plant process. Platelet indices and blood lead levels (BLLs) were determined in 429 male workers. BLLs were determined by using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Platelet indices in the samples were quantified by using the Sysmex KX-21 hematology analyzer. The levels of platelet count (PLT), plateletcrit (PCT) and mean platelet mass (MPM) were significantly decreased and platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR) and mean platelet volume were increased with an increase in BLLs. The results of linear multiple regression analysis showed that the platelet count (β -0.143, P=0.005), PCT (β -0.115, P=0.023) and MPM (β -0.110, P=0.030) were negatively associated with BLLs and P-LCR (β 0.122, P=0.016) was positively associated with BLLs. The variable of body mass index showed a positive association with PCT (β 0.105, P=0.032) and MPM (β 0.101, P=0.039). The results of the study may indicate that lead exposure may impair coagulation function through endothelial tissue injury and reduction of nitric oxide.

This work demonstrates the efficacy of a support matrix prepared by plasma process for trypsin immobilization without any surface activator. Plasma polymerization cum sputtering process is used to prepare the nanocomposite support matrix. Plasma sputtered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are uniformly embedded into plasma polymerized aniline (PPAni) film. Various characterization tools are employed to study the surface morphology, microstructure and chemical composition of the support matrices. Trypsin is immobilized onto the support matrix via the formation of covalent bond between them. Plasma generated free radicals on composite films activate the support matrix and make it efficient for increasing the tertiary enzyme stability via multipoint covalent attachment. Trypsin immobilized onto Ag/PPAni matrix has more hydrolyzing capacity of bovine serum albumin (BSA) than free trypsin as well as trypsin immobilized onto PPAni films., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Gemini Planet Imager is a dedicated facility for directly imaging and spectroscopically characterizing extrasolar planets. It combines a very high-order adaptive optics system, a diffraction-suppressing coronagraph, and an integral field spectrograph with low spectral resolution but high spatial resolution. Every aspect of the Gemini Planet Imager has been tuned for maximum sensitivity to faint planets near bright stars. During first-light observations, we achieved an estimated H band Strehl ratio of 0.89 and a 5-σ contrast of 10(6) at 0.75 arcseconds and 10(5) at 0.35 arcseconds. Observations of Beta Pictoris clearly detect the planet, Beta Pictoris b, in a single 60-s exposure with minimal postprocessing. Beta Pictoris b is observed at a separation of 434 ± 6 milliarcseconds (mas) and position angle 211.8 ± 0.5°. Fitting the Keplerian orbit of Beta Pic b using the new position together with previous astrometry gives a factor of 3 improvement in most parameters over previous solutions. The planet orbits at a semimajor axis of [Formula: see text] near the 3:2 resonance with the previously known 6-AU asteroidal belt and is aligned with the inner warped disk. The observations give a 4% probability of a transit of the planet in late 2017.

The cross-sectional (period) prevalence of Clostridium difficile in 875 farm animals from 29 commercial operations during the summer of 2008 in Ohio, USA was quantified. Compared to an external referent population of intensively managed race horses (12.7%), intensively managed commercially mature food animals (poultry, cattle, swine; < 0.6%) were infrequent shedders of C. difficile (P < 0.00001) during the warmest weeks of 2008.

Foley's catheters were coated with Silver (Ag), plasma polymerized aniline (PPAni) and Ag-PPAni composite by plasma based deposition processes which were characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, and FT-IR spectroscopy and bioassays were performed to validate their efficacies to kill planktonic cells as well as to remove biofilm. The analyses confirmed the formation of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), PPAni and Ag-PPAni composite and also corroborated their successful deposition over the catheters. Antibacterial assays showed that coated catheters were capable of killing planktonic cells of most commonly encountered uropathogens and equally capable of eradicating biofilm formation by the uropathogens as evident from the reduced cfu/ml. UV-vis spectroscopy results showed that the nanoparticle coated catheters were capable of gradual release of AgNPs, killing all planktonic cells in solution over the time. Foley's catheters coated with AgNPs and their composites by one step plasma process were non-toxic devices capable of killing planktonic cells and proficient in eradicating biofilm formation which could be used to cutback the likelihood of the catheter related complications., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Magnesium depletion has a negative impact on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients. Low plasma magnesium concentration is a highly specific indicator of poor magnesium status. This case control study was conducted in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, from May 2011 to April 2012. This study was done to assess the serum magnesium level in diabetic and non-diabetic patients and to find out the association between serum magnesium, blood glucose and duration of diabetes mellitus. Serum magnesium concentrations were determined in 50 diabetics and 50 age and sex matched non-diabetic patients or attendants for controls. Among the case and control group 32 were male and 18 were female. Mean age of control group was 54.42±2.33 and study group was 55.78±2.43 years. Duration of diabetes of case group in which 50% of patients have diabetes for up to 4 years, 18% of patients have diabetes for 5-9 years, 5% of patients have for 10-14 years and 2% of patients have diabetes for 15 years and above. Serum magnesium concentrations below the normal reference range for study group was 44% and control group was 6%. The mean serum magnesium level of study group was 0.70±0.01mmol/L and that of control group was 0.83±0.02mmol/L. So, the difference in serum magnesium level between two groups were statistically highly significant (p = 0.001). Correlation between FBS and SML of study group, which is negative (r = - 0.182). There is opposite relation among the characteristics as r is negative. And also correlation between 2HAFB and SML of study group, which is negative (r = - 0.06). There is opposite relation among the characteristics as r is negative.

The present study was carried out to find the relationship between blood lead levels (BLLs) and morbidities among 391 male workers employed in a factory manufacturing lead-acid storage batteries. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect information on subjective health complaints and clinical observation made during a clinical examination. In addition to monitoring of BLL, other laboratory parameters investigated included hematological and urine-δ-aminolevulinic acid levels. Logistic regression method was used to evaluate the relationship between BLL and morbidities. The BLL among workers was associated with an odd ratio of respiratory, gastrointestinal (GI), and musculoskeletal (MSD) morbidities. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and packed cell volume variables were associated with respiratory problems. The variables of alcohol consumption and hematological parameters were associated with GI complaints. Systolic blood pressure was related to MSD in workers exposed to Pb during the manufacturing process.

This case control study was carried out in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh and Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 2010 to October 2011 to find out the risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A total of 90 participants (45 cases and 45 controls) were included. A higher proportion of patients with age >45 years were found in case group compared to control (51.1% vs. 15.6%). The mean age was significantly higher in case group 49.8±12.6 years. Males demonstrated their predominance in both case (62.2%) and control (68.9%) groups, although the two groups did not differ in terms of sex distribution. Body mass index demonstrates that 26.7% of patients in case group were of normal weight, 46.7% overweight and 26.7% obese. In the control group, two-thirds (68.9%) of the patients were of normal weight and 24.4% overweight and 7.8% obese. Diabetes and hypertension were significantly present in the case group than those in control counterparts 75.6% vs. 15.6% and 86.7% vs. 15.6 % respectively. The mean fasting blood glucose, ALT, total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly higher in case group compared to control group 7.8±1.3 vs. 5.4±2.5mmol/L (p<0.001); 39.1±12.4 vs. 30.3±14.1IU/L, (p=0.002); 239.9±14.3 vs. 183.3±11.4mg/dl, (p<0.001) and 183.6±12.5 vs. 133.5±16.0mg/dl, (p<0.001) respectively. However, no significant difference was observed between the case and the control groups in terms of HDL cholesterol (35.9±1.2 vs. 38.0±1.1mg/dl, p=0.203). Majority of the patients in case group (88.9%) exhibited increased echogenicity of liver on ultrasonogram as opposed to 15.6% in the control group.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease with a global prevalence. It is caused by four closely-related dengue viruses (DENVs 1-4). A dengue vaccine that can protect against all four viruses is an unmet public health need. Live attenuated vaccine development efforts have encountered unexpected interactions between the vaccine viruses, raising safety concerns. This has emphasized the need to explore non-replicating dengue vaccine options. Virus-like particles (VLPs) which can elicit robust immunity in the absence of infection offer potential promise for the development of non-replicating dengue vaccine alternatives. We have used the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris to develop DENV envelope (E) protein-based VLPs. We designed a synthetic codon-optimized gene, encoding the N-terminal 395 amino acid residues of the DENV-2 E protein. It also included 5' pre-membrane-derived signal peptide-encoding sequences to ensure proper translational processing, and 3' 6× His tag-encoding sequences to facilitate purification of the expressed protein. This gene was integrated into the genome of P. pastoris host and expressed under the alcohol oxidase 1 promoter by methanol induction. Recombinant DENV-2 protein, which was present in the insoluble membrane fraction, was extracted and purified using Ni(2+)-affinity chromatography under denaturing conditions. Amino terminal sequencing and detection of glycosylation indicated that DENV-2 E had undergone proper post-translational processing. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of discrete VLPs in the purified protein preparation after dialysis. The E protein present in these VLPs was recognized by two different conformation-sensitive monoclonal antibodies. Low doses of DENV-2 E VLPs formulated in alum were immunogenic in inbred and outbred mice eliciting virus neutralizing titers >1,1200 in flow cytometry based assays and protected AG129 mice against lethal challenge (p<0.05). The formation of immunogenic DENV-2 E VLPs in the absence of pre-membrane protein highlights the potential of P. pastoris in developing non-replicating, safe, efficacious and affordable dengue vaccine.

This cross sectional observational study was carried out in the Department of Medicine, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital over a period of 4 months from January 2012 to April 2012 to assess the clinico-epidemiological condition of different types of poisoning and to evaluate immediate hospital outcome. Suspected case of poisoning aged 12 years or above of either sex was included. Patients of paediatric age group, having other co-morbid condition and died before clinical evaluation were excluded. This study revealed that rural people (76.9%), aging 20-30 years (46.3%) were mostly affected in poisoning. Patients belong to low socioeconomic group (65.3%), illiterate (26.5%) and educated up to primary level (29.9%) were mostly identified. Regarding the occupation this study showed student (30.6%) and farmer (25.2%) were predominantly involved. In this series organophosphorus compound (63.9%) poisoning was in the top of the list followed by benzodiazepine (6.8%). Suicidal attempt (81.6%) was found as a motive of poisoning in maximum cases. Among the precipitating factors quarrel with spouse, girl or boy friend (46.9%) were significant in number. In this study outcome was measured as complete recovery (92.5%) and death (3.4%).

Geographical and socio-economic factors such as climate, culture, ethnic origin, diet and life style such as smoking have been noted to influence the occurrence of bronchial carcinoma. We conducted this study to document the frequency of various histological types of bronchial carcinoma and correlated it with their demographic characteristics. This descriptive study was carried out among admitted patient with the suspicion of Bronchial carcinoma from January 2010 to January 2011 in medicine units of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh. Among those only 30 consecutive histopathologically &/or cytological confirmed cases of Bronchial carcinoma were included in the study. No age, gender, environmental or occupational limits were applied for the selection of patients. Patients already diagnosed by some other hospital presenting to our unit with complications were not included in the study. Age rang were 26-70 years. Majority of patients i.e. 63.33% (n=19) were found to be in their fourth and sixth decade of life. Males were 86.66% (n=26) as compared to females 13.44% (n=4) and male to female ratio were 6.5:1. The majority of the patients were belonged to urban areas 63.34% (n=19), while 36.66% (n=11) came from the Rural population. In this study smokers were 86.66% (n=26) and nonsmokers were 13.33% (n=4). In Occupational distribution farmers were 33.33% (n=10), service holders were 20% (n=6), businessman were 16.66% (n=5), all the female were house wife 13.33% (n=4). Specimens for histopathological study were collected by trans-thoracic needle aspiration under CT or ultrasono-guided. The results of cell types in histopathologically proven 30 Bronchial carcinoma patients were; 10(33.36%) adenocarcinoma, 7(23.33%) squamous cell carcinoma, 6(20%) small cell carcinoma, 4(13.33%) large cell carcinoma and 3(10%) non-small cell carcinoma.

This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh over a period of 6 months from October 2011 to April 2012 and was carried out to evaluate the relation of different grades of esophageal varices with Child-Pugh classes of cirrhosis of liver patients. A total 37 patients were included. Child-Pugh score and esophageal varices of each patient were noted. Relation was carried out using the Chi-square test through determining the association of different variables. P value <0.05 was considered significant. Among 37 patients, 27(73%) were male and 10(27%) were female and their frequency of age were found, 7(18.9%) from 18-38 years, 18(48.7%) from 39-59 years and 12(32.4%) from 60 years of age and above. The etiology of liver cirrhosis revealed 18(48.7%) hepatitis B virus, 3(8.1%) hepatitis C virus and 16(43.2%) others causes. Child-Pugh classes were observed 3(8.2%) Class A, 17(45.9%) Class B and 17(45.9%) Class C and grades of esophageal varies were 13(35.1%) F1, 20(54.1%) F2 and 4(10.8%) F3 patients among total. A statistically significant positive relation was found that higher grade of esophageal varices was seen in the more advanced class of Child-Pugh classes with a p value 0.001.

A 10 year old boy with mucinous carcinoma of rectum is a rare case at this age. Here the patient presented with constipation, mucus in stool & abdominal pain since one month. He got consultation from several physicians & went through sonology of whole abdomen several times. There he was missed diagnosed as a case of pyloric stenosis. We came to a probable diagnosis by doing simple digital rectal examination which seemed to be a hard rectal swelling. The diagnosis was established by colonoscopy followed by biopsy. Carcinoma rectum must be considered as a differential diagnosis if patient presents with altered bowel habit, per rectal bleeding, abdominal pain in conjunction with weight loss.

Patients presented with the supraclavicular lymphadenopathy in the medicine department have a strong suspicion of serious illness like tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, toxoplasmosis and malignancy of lymphnode, blood, lung, upper GIT, breast, ovary, testes, and other sites of body. This prospective type of observational study carried out in the indoor and out patient department of medicine of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital over a period of 6 month from April 2011 to September 2011 to diagnose the causes of supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. Patient of either sex, 18 years or above presented with supraclavicular lymphadenopathy were included. Biopsy or FNAC were done. The study showed that mean age of the patient of supraclavicular lymphadenopathy that finally diagnosed as malignant was 49.7 years and that of non malignant was 33.7 years. Male patient have suffered more (60%) from malignant disease than that of female patient (40%). Discrete, hard, non tender either fixed or non fixed supraclavicular lymphadenopathy was found malignant (18 of 18 cases, 100%) and discrete, firm, tender lymphnode were found non malignant (5 of 5 cases, 100%). Increased frequency (11 of 28, 39.3%) of granulomatous inflammation from the tuberculoid lymphadenitis were found among the patient undergone supraclavicular lymphnode biopsy. FNAC result was also of simillar type and finally it was found that frequency of tuberculosis (20 of 53, 37.7%) was highest and bronchial carcima was the second most frequent diagnosis (14 of 53, 26.4%). This study showed that supraclavicular lymphadenopathy is associated mostly with serious disease like tuberculosis and malignancy.

Aminoglycoside phosphotransferases are bacterial enzymes responsible for the inactivation of aminoglycoside antibiotics by O-phosphorylation. It is important to understand the mechanism of enzymes in order to find efficient drugs. Using rapid-mixing methods, we studied the transient kinetics of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase(3')-IIIa. We show that an ADP-enzyme complex is the main steady state intermediate. This intermediate interacts strongly with kanamycin A to form an abortive complex that traps the enzyme in an inactive state. A good strategy to prevent the inactivation of aminoglycosides would be to develop uncompetitive inhibitors that interact with this key ADP-enzyme complex., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This is a descriptive type of cross sectional study done in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital during the period of June 2008 to November 2009 to estimate and analyze the fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting lipid profile of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients within 24 hours of onset of chest pain. Total 50 patients of either sex diagnosed as acute coronary syndrome whose fasting blood sample would have been collected within 24 hours of chest pain were included. Among 50 patients 42(84%) were male and 8(16%) were female. Age range was 30-80 years with a mean ± SD of 50.74 ± 12.05 years. Among 50 ACS patients, 9 patients (18%) suffered from unstable angina (US), 2(4%) from non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and 39(78%) suffered from ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Study results revealed 41(82%) patients had euglycemia (70-110 mg/dl), 2(4%) patients had impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (110-125 mg/dl), and 7(14%) patients had hyperglycemia (>126 mg/dl). Dyslipidemia found in 38(76%) patients. Among them total cholesterol (TC) >200mg/dl in 14(28%), decreased level of HDL-C (< 40 mg/dl in male and <50mg/dl in female) in 22(44%), increased level LDL-C ≥ 130 mg/dl in 13(26%), and TG >150 mg/dl was found in 16(32%) patients.

Capsicum annuum L. (family: Solanaceae) possesses therapeutic benefits for the treatment of rheumatism, neuropathy, psoriasis, flatulence and so on. In this study fruits of four different varieties of C. annuum from four different geographical regions in India were evaluated based on their total content of capsaicin. Ethanol extracts of the fruits were used. HPTLC plates were developed in a mobile phase containing benzene, ethyl acetate and methanol (75:20:5). Densitometric scanning was performed at a wavelength of 283 nm in the absorbance mode. The calibration curve was described by the equation Y=393.587+3.836*X with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99890. The content of capsaicin in Nagaland, Manipur, West Bengal and Shimla varieties was found to be 3.71%, 1.78%, 0.54% and 0.06%, respectively. The developed densitometric method was found to be specific, accurate and precise. A recovery study and precision showed low levels of %RSD values. The linearity range of the curve for capsaicin was found to be 300-900 ng per spot. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification values were determined to be 31 and 94 ng, respectively, proving the sensitivity of the method. Thus the method can be used to control the total content of capsaicin on an industrial scale.

Substrate antagonism has been described for a variety of enzymes with more than one substrate and is characterized by a lowering of the affinity of one substrate in the presence of the other(s). 3-Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) catalyzes phosphotransfer from 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate (bPG) to ADP to give 3-phosphoglycerate (PG) and ATP, and is subject to substrate antagonism. Because of the instability of bPG, antagonism has only been described between PG and ATP or ADP. Here, we show that antagonism also occurs between bPG and ADP. Using the stopped-flow method, we show that the dissociation constant for one substrate increases in the presence of the other, and that this decrease in affinity is mainly due to an increase in the dissociation rate constant. As a consequence, there is an increase in the overall interaction kinetics. Interestingly, in the presence of the mirror image of natural d-ADP, l-ADP (a good substrate for PGK), antagonism is absent. Using rapid-quench-flow, we studied the kinetics of ATP formation. The time courses present the following: (1) a lag with l-ADP, but not with d-ADP, the kinetics of which were similar to the interaction kinetics measured by stopped-flow; (2) a burst that is directed by the phosphotransfer; and (3) a steady-state that is rate limited by the release of product kinetics. Structural explanations for these results are proposed by analyzing the crystallographic structure of the fully closed conformation of PGK in complex with l-ADP, PG, and the transition-state analogue AlF(4)(-) compared to previously determined structures., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A 49 years old male patient admitted with 2 years history of lower extremity symmetrical sensorimotor polyneuropathy, sclerodermic skin change, erectile dysfunction, hepatosplenomegaly and monoclonal gammopathy. The clinical evaluation met the criteria for the diagnosis of (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, skin changes) POEMS syndrome. The patient was treated with corticosteroid and melphelan and responded well. We present a case different from the other cases with severe unusual burning sensation all over the body, which was his sole complaint and with this complaint he visited lot of doctors including psychiatrist.

High-contrast near-infrared imaging of the nearby star HR 8799 has shown three giant planets. Such images were possible because of the wide orbits (>25 astronomical units, where 1 au is the Earth-Sun distance) and youth (<100 Myr) of the imaged planets, which are still hot and bright as they radiate away gravitational energy acquired during their formation. An important area of contention in the exoplanet community is whether outer planets (>10 au) more massive than Jupiter form by way of one-step gravitational instabilities or, rather, through a two-step process involving accretion of a core followed by accumulation of a massive outer envelope composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Here we report the presence of a fourth planet, interior to and of about the same mass as the other three. The system, with this additional planet, represents a challenge for current planet formation models as none of them can explain the in situ formation of all four planets. With its four young giant planets and known cold/warm debris belts, the HR 8799 planetary system is a unique laboratory in which to study the formation and evolution of giant planets at wide (>10 au) separations.

Amrinone is a bipyridine compound with characteristic effects on the force-velocity relationship of fast skeletal muscle, including a reduction in the maximum shortening velocity and increased maximum isometric force. Here we performed experiments to elucidate the molecular mechanisms for these effects, with the additional aim to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the force-velocity relationship. In vitro motility assays established that amrinone reduces the sliding velocity of heavy meromyosin-propelled actin filaments by 30% at different ionic strengths of the assay solution. Stopped-flow studies of myofibrils, heavy meromyosin and myosin subfragment 1, showed that the effects on sliding speed were not because of a reduced rate of ATP-induced actomyosin dissociation because the rate of this process was increased by amrinone. Moreover, optical tweezers studies could not detect any amrinone-induced changes in the working stroke length. In contrast, the ADP affinity of acto-heavy meromyosin was increased about 2-fold by 1 mm amrinone. Similar effects were not observed for acto-subfragment 1. Together with the other findings, this suggests that the amrinone-induced reduction in sliding velocity is attributed to inhibition of a strain-dependent ADP release step. Modeling results show that such an effect may account for the amrinone-induced changes of the force-velocity relationship. The data emphasize the importance of the rate of a strain-dependent ADP release step in influencing the maximum sliding velocity in fast skeletal muscle. The data also lead us to discuss the possible importance of cooperative interactions between the two myosin heads in muscle contraction.