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Background: Charak Samhita, an ancient Ayurvedic text, offers a vast repository of effective polyherbal formulations for treating various diseases. Ensuring the standardization and authentication of these compound formulations is crucial for quality control and enhancing their therapeutic efficacy. Establishing reliable data to set standard parameters is essential for verifying the genuineness of individual formulations and drugs as a whole. Aims and Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to evaluate and assess Bhunimbadi Churna, a classical formulation mentioned in the Grahanidosha Chikitsa Adhyaya of Charak Samhita, known for its multiple therapeutic indications. The objectives include conducting a comprehensive pharmacognostical and pharmacological assessment of the formulation to establish standard parameters for quality control. Materials and Methods: The study involved a detailed examination of Bhunimbadi Churna using standard scientific protocols. The assessment included organoleptic characteristics, physico chemical parameters, physical characteristics of the powder (Churna), preliminary phytochemical analysis, and high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis. Results: On performing the experiments for three consecutive readings, loss on drying was found to be 7.66 ± 0.21, pH was 5.53 ± 0.19, total ash value of powder was found to be 6.64 ± 0.20 w/w, and acid insoluble ash was found to be 0.52 ± 0.11 w/w. These parameters provide a reliable framework for assessing the quality and authenticity of the formulation. Conclusion: The findings of this study offer valuable tools for regulatory authorities, scientific organizations, and manufacturers to develop standardized formulations of Bhunimbadi Churna. The reproducible parameters established in this study can assist in ensuring the quality and efficacy of this classical Ayurvedic formulation.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most frequently encountered infections for which individuals seek medical attention. They are usually ascending infections and if left untreated the causative agent can ascend the ureters causing pyelonephritis and, furthermore, enter the bloodstream causing systemic infections and urosepsis. Appropriate treatment prevents progression of disease. Escherichia coli is responsible for 80-95% cases of UTI. This study was undertaken to study the antimicrobial resistance among Escherichia coli isolated from patients suffering from UTI over 4 years at a tertiary level medical facility. A retrospective case series study was conducted. All UTI with significant bacteriuria due to E. coli were included in the study. Identification, speciation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done as per standard laboratory practices. A total of 555 strains of Escherichia coli were included in the study. Overall highest resistance rates for E. coli were seen among cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones while least overall resistance was seen for nitrofurantoin. There was gradual rise in resistance for carbapenem over the 4 years. The predominant microorganism responsible for all types of infections affecting the urinary tract is Escherichia coli. Empirical antimicrobial therapy for urinary tract infections may be unsuccessful, as resistance rates among E. coli are constantly increasing. The present study provides information regarding the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern over a period of 4 years. It shows that there is a gradual but consistent decrease in antimicrobial susceptibility among the isolates. Hence, it has become necessary that antimicrobial therapy be based on culture reports. Also, frequent and periodic updating of antimicrobial policy is essential.

Campylobacter spp. constitute a group of microaerophilic bacteria that includes strains that are aerotolerant and capable of surviving in aerobic conditions. Recent studies have shown that aerotolerant strains are highly prevalent in meats, animals, and clinical settings. Changes in growth media and other environmental conditions can affect the aerotolerance of Campylobacter strains and must be considered when studying their aerotolerance in vitro. Polymicrobial interactions and biofilms also play a significant role in the ability of Campylobacter to survive oxygen exposure. Continuous subculturing may foster aerotolerance, and studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between aerotolerance and virulence and between aerotolerance and the ability to survive stressful environmental conditions. Various mechanisms and genetic origins for aerotolerance have been proposed; however, most of the potential genes involved in aerotolerance require further investigation, and many candidate genes remain unidentified. Research is also needed to investigate if there are any clinical implications for Campylobacter aerotolerance. Understanding the aerotolerance of Campylobacter remains an important target for further research, and it will be an important step towards identifying potential targets for intervention against this clinically important food-borne pathogen.

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is the most common, nonimmune, hereditary, chronic hemolytic anemia after hemoglobinopathies. The genetic defects in membrane function causing HS lead to perturbation of the RBC metabolome, with altered glycolysis. In mice genetically lacking protein 4.2 (4.2–/–; Epb42), a murine model of HS, we showed increased expression of pyruvate kinase (PK) isoforms in whole and fractioned RBCs in conjunction with abnormalities in the glycolytic pathway and in the glutathione (GSH) system. Mitapivat, a PK activator, metabolically reprogrammed 4.2–/– mouse RBCs with amelioration of glycolysis and the GSH cycle. This resulted in improved osmotic fragility, reduced phosphatidylserine positivity, amelioration of RBC cation content, reduction of Na/K/Cl cotransport and Na/H-exchange overactivation, and decrease in erythroid vesicles release in vitro. Mitapivat treatment significantly decreased erythrophagocytosis and beneficially affected iron homeostasis. In mild-to-moderate HS, the beneficial effect of splenectomy is still controversial. Here, we showed that splenectomy improves anemia in 4.2–/– mice and that mitapivat is noninferior to splenectomy. An additional benefit of mitapivat treatment was lower expression of markers of inflammatory vasculopathy in 4.2–/– mice with or without splenectomy, indicating a multisystemic action of mitapivat. These findings support the notion that mitapivat treatment should be considered for symptomatic HS.

Solar air Collector is used to transform the solar energy into heat energy. Solar heating technologies use only free, renewable and clean energy. More number of previous studies was done. The roughness element is changed to enhance the airflow’s capacity to absorb heat. In this study Experimental investigates the glazed solar air heater with quatrefoil shaped artificial roughness is placed above the absorber plate in the solar air heater. The solar air heaters (SAH) with quatrefoil shaped artificial roughness and conventional solar air heater are tested. The outcome indicates that the maximum temperatures for conventional SAH and purposely roughened SAH are 670C and 470C, respectively. By the increased of heat transfer area and increased the turbulence lead to higher heat recovery rate of quatrefoil shaped artificial roughness is 47% more compared to conventional type. The solar air heater is predicted by using Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and accuracy is measured as 90%.

Campylobacter spp. are known to cause campylobacteriosis, a bacterial disease that remains a public health threat. Campylobacter spp. are prevalent in retail meat and liver products, and the prolonged survival of Campylobacter in the low temperatures needed for storage is a challenge for food safety. In this study, RNA-seq was used for the analysis of the C. coli HC2-48 (Cc48) and C. jejuni OD2-67 (Cj67) transcriptomes at 4 °C in a nutrient-rich medium (chicken juice, CJ) and Mueller–Hinton broth (MHB) for 0 h, 0.5 h, 24 h and 48 h. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in flagellar assembly were highly impacted by low temperatures (4 °C) in C. coli HC2-48, whereas genes related to the ribosome and ribonucleoprotein complex were modulated for C. jejuni OD2-67 at 4 °C. Most of the DEGs in cells grown at 4 °C in the two medium formulations were not significantly expressed at different incubation times. Although more DEGs were observed in CJ as compared to MHB in both Campylobacter strains, the absence of common genes expressed at all incubation times indicates that the food matrix environment is not the sole determinant of differential expression in Campylobacter spp. at low temperatures.

Abstract In retail meat products, Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus have been reported in high prevalence. The polymicrobial interaction between Campylobacter and other bacteria could enhance Campylobacter survival during the adverse conditions encountered during retail meat processing and storage. This study was designed to investigate the potential role of S. aureus from retail meats in enhancing the survival of Campylobacter exposed to low temperature, aerobic conditions, and biofilm formation. Results indicated that viable S. aureus cells and filter-sterilized cell-free media obtained from S. aureus prolonged the survival of Campylobacter at low temperature and during aerobic conditions. Biofilm formation of Campylobacter strains was significantly enhanced in the presence of viable S. aureus cells, but the results were inconclusive when extracts from cell-free media were used. In conclusion, the presence of S. aureus cells enhances survivability of Campylobacter strains in adverse conditions such as low temperature and aerobic conditions. Further investigations are warranted to understand the interaction between Campylobacter and S. aureus, and effective intervention strategies are needed to reduce the incidence of both foodborne pathogens in retail meat products.

Security of multiple digital images over an unsecured channel is a current area of research in the field of image cryptography. Several techniques have been proposed for this purpose. However, the main drawbacks of the existing techniques are as follows: the existing techniques can be applied merely to the grayscale or the truecolor images; the size of the cipher (output) image is bigger than that of the plain (input) images; the authors have used a large number of parameters in the encryption/decryption process, besides the secret key; and the cipher/decipher rounds use the same key for encryption/decryption process. The proposed technique, which is based on a two-dimensional (2D) Linear Congruential Generator (LCG), silver ratio, and Galois field, is designed not merely to secure multiple digital images, namely, three truecolor, nine grayscale, and seventy-two binary images of different sizes, simultaneously, but also to address the above drawbacks. The designed technique achieves both confusion and diffusion properties essential for a secure cryptosystem. Also, the technique is empirically assessed via several statistical and security evaluation metrics, such as key sensitivity, histogram, chi-square, entropy, number of pixel change rate, structural similarity index measure, processing time, etc. The results of these evaluation metrics prove the efficiency and robustness of the designed technique.

A new algorithm for biometric templates using a 6D-chaotic system, and 2D fractional discrete cosine transform (FrDCT) is proposed in this paper. In this technique, the $k$ biometric templates are represented into three groups. After representation, these three groups are converted into row vectors and scrambled by using keys generated by the 6D-chaotic system and after that, these row vectors are combined into three matrices. The three matrices are then mixed horizontally and divided into two halves, with the left half serving as the real part and the right half serving as the imaginary part of a complex-valued matrix (CVM). This CVM is further subjected to 2D FrDCT. The output of 2D FrDCT is separated into three parts. The robustness of the technique is further enhanced by substitution operation using keys generated by the 6D-chaotic system. Thus, the final encrypted template is obtained. The analysis like security, statistical, and attacks are given to authenticate the reliability of the proposed technique. The experimental values also show that the proposed technique is resistant to brute force attacks.

Abstract There is a wide range of household water treatment options available for a variety of contexts. Each water purifier has its own optimal range of operation. Simultaneously, the diverse environments and circumstances set different boundary conditions for such purifiers to operate successfully. In low-income countries, especially with unregulated and decentralised water supply mechanisms such as open wells, the use of point-of-use water purifiers is quite widespread. However, it is observed that the water purifier may not be appropriate to the prevailing context. Hence, this short review aims to introduce a wide range of water purification alternatives available for a family (of about 3–5 members) and the way they could be classified and reviewed. The perspective selected is that of a low-income rural household in coastal region of western India and the scenario of water quality which is primarily affected by physical and biological impurities and not necessarily severe chemical contamination. Based on this context, attributes are defined and prioritised; further, a scale to rate the purifiers is worked out. A selected number of point-of-use water purifiers for which data from the literature or field observations are available are reviewed against these attributes for the sample context chosen. This independent review methodology consists of setting the attributes and comparing the water purifiers based on the sum of prioritised scores and thus acts like a selection template and can be adopted to select the appropriate purifier for any other scenario accordingly.

This research paper proposes a novel encryption and decryption scheme for biometric templates using two dimensional discrete wavelet transform (2D-DWT) and three dimensional (3D) Lorenz-chaotic system. In the proposed scheme two levels of 2D-DWT are used for the decomposition of the group representation of the different biometric templates and then substitution and permutation are applied using some mechanism and 3D Lorentz-chaotic system. The encryption scheme is applied on the different sub-bands of each level of decomposition, and for the decryption, the reverse process of the encryption is used. The experimental results, biometric template matching, security analysis, and statistical analysis of the proposed scheme are given to validate the robustness of the scheme. The security analysis shows that the brute-force attack is not possible in the proposed scheme.

Summary: Cementitious structures exhibit high compression strength but suffer from inherent brittleness. Conversely, nature creates structures using mostly brittle phases that overcome the strength-toughness trade-off, mainly through internalized packaging of brittle phases with soft organic binders. Here, we develop complex architectures of cementitious materials using an inverse replica approach where a soft polymer phase emerges as an external conformal coating. Architected polymer templates are printed, cement pastes are molded into these templates, and cementitious structures with thin polymer surface coating are achieved after the solubilization of sacrificial templates. These polymer-coated architected cementitious structures display unusual mechanical behavior with considerably higher toughness compared to conventional non-porous structures. They resist catastrophic failure through delayed damage propagation. Most interestingly, the architected structures show significant deformation recovery after releasing quasi-static loading, atypical in conventional cementitious structures. This approach allows a simple strategy to build more deformation resilient cementitious structures than their traditional counterparts.

This paper proposes a new encryption and decryption method for optical and digital double color-images using 2D-multiple parameter fractional discrete cosine transform (MPFrDCT) and 3D-logistic chaotic map (3D-LCM). The double color-images to be encrypted are converted to their indexed formats by extracting their color maps. A 3D-LCM is used for generate a keystream and this keystream is used in scrambling the indexed images. The second scrambled image is normalized and then multiplied by a random phase mask (RPM) generated by 3D-LCM. The first scrambled image and the second modified image are treated as amplitude and phase of a complex signal and this complex signal is encrypted using 2D-MPFrDCT. The Encrypted image is obtained after separating the amplitude and phase parts of this signal. To enhance security, a substitution method is applied in the intermediate image using another keystream generated by 3D-LCM. The decryption method is the same but in reverse order. We have also given a setup for the encryption and decryption of optical double images using this method. The keyspace for the proposed method is also discussed in this paper. The experimental results and the security analysis of the proposed method are given to validate the feasibility and robustness of the proposed method. The statistical analysis like histogram, correlation, entropy analysis, and randomness test confirm the robustness of the proposed method against statistical attacks. The experimental results also show that the proposed method is resistant to a brute-force attack. The proposed method has the ability to resist the occlusion attack, differential attack, and Gaussian random noise attack.

Food poisoning due to the consumption of Staphylococcus aureus contaminated food is a major health problem worldwide. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of ten plasmid-bearing S. aureus strains isolated from retail beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. The chromosomes of the strains varied in size from 2,654,842 to 2,807,514 bp, and a total of 25 plasmids were identified ranging from 1.4 to 118 kb. Comparative genomic analysis revealed similarities between strains isolated from the same retail meat source, indicating an origin-specific genomic composition. Genes known to modulate attachment, invasion, and toxin production were identified in the 10 genomes. Strains from retail chicken resembled human clinical isolates with respect to virulence factors and genomic islands, and retail turkey and pork isolates shared similarity with S. aureus from livestock. Most chromosomes contained antimicrobial resistance, heavy metal resistance, and stress response genes, and several plasmids contained genes involved in antimicrobial resistance and virulence. In conclusion, the genomes of S. aureus strains isolated from retail meats showed an origin-specific composition and contained virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes similar to those present in human clinical isolates.

Objectives: This study was done to estimate the potential neuroprotective role of potassium channel openers in cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury in streptozotocin (STZ) induced type-I diabetic rats (T1DR). Methods: Potassium channel openers – cromakalim, cinnarizine and nicorandil; potassium channel blocker –glibenclamide, insulin (as an antidiabetic standard), telmisartan (as an anti-hypertensive standard agent) and vitamin E (as an antioxidant and antiapoptotic standard agent) were given for 3 days in streptozotocin (45 mg/kg i.v.) induced type I diabetic rats along with middle cerebral artery occlusion. After 24 h of surgery, plasma glucose, neurobehavioral score, cerebral infarct volume, blood pressure and caspase-3 levels were measured to evaluate the mechanism of potassium channel openers (KCOs) for neuroprotection. Results: Following STZ administration and ischemia–reperfusion, blood sugar, neurobehavioral score, cerebral infarct volume and caspase-3 levels were significantly high in diabetic-IR groups. Treatment with cromakalim, cinnarizine, nicorandil, insulin and vitamin E significantly reduce neurobehavioral score while nicorandil and vitamin E significantly reduced cerebral infarct volume. Caspase-3 levels were significantly reduced by cromakalim and nicorandil treated animals. Except insulin and glibenclamide, none of the agents significantly reduce plasma glucose levels. Conclusion: Treatment of ischemic stroke with potassium channel openers in T1DR is neuroprotective. Inhibition of apoptosis may contribute to their neuroprotective effects after stroke in T1DR.

Peroxiredoxin-2 (Prx2) is the third most abundant cytoplasmic protein in red blood cells. Prx2 belongs to a well-known family of antioxidants, the peroxiredoxins (Prxs), that are widely expressed in mammalian cells. Prx2 is a typical, homodimeric, 2-Cys Prx that uses two cysteine residues to accomplish the task of detoxifying a vast range of organic peroxides, H2O2, and peroxynitrite. Although progress has been made on functional characterization of Prx2, much still remains to be investigated on Prx2 post-translational changes. Here, we first show that Prx2 is Tyrosine (Tyr) phosphorylated by Syk in red cells exposed to oxidation induced by diamide. We identified Tyr-193 in both recombinant Prx2 and native Prx2 from red cells as a specific target of Syk. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that phosphorylation of Tyr-193 allows Prx2 conformational change that is more favorable for its peroxidase activity. Indeed, Syk-induced Tyr phosphorylation of Prx2 enhances in vitro Prx2 activity, but also contributes to Prx2 translocation to the membrane of red cells exposed to diamide. The biologic importance of Tyr-193 phospho-Prx2 is further supported by data on red cells from a mouse model of humanized sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is globally distributed, hereditary red cell disorder, characterized by severe red cell oxidation due to the pathologic sickle hemoglobin. SCD red cells show Tyr-phosphorylated Prx2 bound to the membrane and increased Prx2 activity when compared to healthy erythrocytes. Collectively, our data highlight the novel link between redox related signaling and Prx2 function in normal and diseased red cells.

The dynamic coordination between kinases and phosphatases is crucial for cell homeostasis, in response to different stresses. The functional connection between oxidation and the intracellular signaling machinery still remains to be investigated. In the last decade, several studies have highlighted the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as modulators directly targeting kinases, phosphatases, and downstream modulators, or indirectly acting on cysteine residues on kinases/phosphatases resulting in protein conformational changes with modulation of intracellular signaling pathway(s). Translational studies have revealed the important link between oxidation and signal transduction pathways in hematological disorders. The intricate nature of intracellular signal transduction mechanisms, based on the generation of complex networks of different types of signaling proteins, revealed the novel and important role of phosphatases together with kinases in disease mechanisms. Thus, therapeutic approaches to abnormal signal transduction pathways should consider either inhibition of overactivated/accumulated kinases or homeostatic signaling resetting through the activation of phosphatases. This review discusses the progress in the knowledge of the interplay between oxidation and cell signaling, involving phosphatase/kinase systems in models of globally distributed hematological disorders.

Aerotolerance in the microaerophilic species Campylobacter was previously reported and could increase bacterial survival and transmission in foods during stressful processing and storage conditions. In this study, 167 Campylobacter isolates (76 C. jejuni and 91 C. coli) were screened for aerotolerance; these strains were previously isolated from retail chicken meat, chicken livers, chicken gizzards, turkey, pork, and beef liver samples. Bacterial cultures were incubated aerobically in Mueller Hinton broth with agitation and viable cell counts were taken at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h. Approximately 47% of the screened Campylobacter isolates were aerotolerant (viable after a 12-h aerobic incubation period), whereas 24% were hyper-aerotolerant (viable after a 24-h aerobic incubation). A greater prevalence of aerotolerant strains (80%) was found among C. coli isolates as compared to C. jejuni isolates (6%). Differences in the oxidative stress response related genes were detected among C. jejuni and C. coli isolates when comparative genomics was used to analyze 17 Whole Genome Sequenced (WGS) strains from our laboratory. Genes encoding putative transcriptional regulator proteins and a catalase-like heme binding protein were found in C. coli genomes, but were absent in the genomes of C. jejuni. PCR screening showed the presence of a catalase-like protein gene in 75% (68/91) of C. coli strains, which was absent in all tested C. jejuni strains. While about 79% (30/38) of the hyper-aerotolerant C. coli strains harbored the catalase-like protein gene, the gene was also present in a number of the aerosensitive strains. The Catalase like protein gene was found to be expressed in both aerobic and microaerobic conditions with a 2-fold higher gene expression detected in aerobic conditions for an aerosensitive strain. However, the exact function of the gene remains unclear and awaits further investigation. In conclusion, aerotolerant Campylobacter strains (especially C. coli) are prevalent in various retail meats. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the genes encoding catalase-like heme binding protein and putative transcriptional regulators in C. coli strains are involved in stress response.

Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are two of the major causes of foodborne illness. In this study, 29 plasmids isolated from 20 retail meat isolates of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were fully-sequenced individually or as a part of a whole genome sequencing approach. The fully-sequenced plasmids ranged in size from 3 to 119 kb. Molecular characterization of the sequenced plasmids was based on pangenomic analysis and types of genes present on these plasmids and similar ones from GenBank. The plasmids were categorized into four different groups. These groups include type-1 that consisted mainly of pTet plasmids with the tetO gene, type-2 plasmids commonly found in C. coli strains, type-3 which has pVir plasmids, and type-4 that consisted mainly of smaller plasmids. The type-2 plasmids were unique, common among C. coli strains, and carried several conjugative transfer genes. The type-2 plasmids were most similar to a plasmid from Helicobacter pullorum. Maximum parsimony analysis and NeighborNet analysis were used to assess the phylogenetic relatedness among the 29 plasmid sequences presented in this study in addition to the other 104 plasmid sequences of Campylobacter species available in GenBank to date. Results from MP analysis revealed multiple lineages among Campylobacter plasmids which was supported by NeighborNet analysis. Clustering of plasmids did not conform to species-specific clades which suggested an intra-species dissemination of plasmids among Campylobacter species. To our knowledge, this is the first extensive phylogenetic analysis of Campylobacter plasmids sequenced to date.

Background and Aims: This study was done to detect the prevalence, risk factors for vaginal candidiasis in Chennai and to evaluate different methods for speciation of Candida isolates from vaginal candidiasis patients. This study was also aimed at detecting resistance patterns of Candida spp to common antifungals and at detecting mutant FUR1 genes in 5-Flucytosine (5 FC) resistant isolates. Material and Methods: Two hundred clinically suspected vaginal candidiasis patients were screened for candidiasis and isolated Candida were speciated by standard morphological and biochemical tests (sugar fermentation and assimilation) and by using CHROM agar-Candida medium. Antifungal susceptibility was performed by disk diffusion method (CLSI M44-A) using fluconazole, itraconazole and 5FC disks. Five FC resistant isolates were subjected to PCR for detection of mutant FUR1 genes. Results: A total of 72 (36%) Candida spp. were obtained. Vaginal candidiasis was more prevalent in 31-40 years age group and among those with poor genital hygiene and who wore tight fitting synthetic/nylon underclothes . C.albicans (35), C.tropicalis (8), C.glabrata (21), C.krusei (4) were identified by both carbohydrate assimilation test and by using CHROM agar-Candida medium. C.kefyr (2) and C.parapsilosis (2) could not be identified using CHROM agar-Candida. Resistance to fluconazole, itraconazole and 5-flucytosine was seen in 19.44%, 23.61% and 41.66% of the isolates respectively. Mutant FUR1 gene was detected in all the Candida spp that were resistant to 5FC. Conclusion: C.albicans was the commonest species which caused vaginal candidiasis in Chennai. Though CHROM agarcandida medium is a useful differential isolation medium capable of early presumptive identification of Candida species, it could not identify C.kefyr and C.parapsilosis. Azole resistance was low in C. albicans but it was high in non-albicans Candida spp. Prevalence of primary resistance to 5-flucytosine was high in the strains studied and in all of them, it was mediated by mutant FUR1 gene.

River buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) milk plays an important role in economy and nutritious diet in several developing countries. However, reliable milk-yield genomic markers and their functional insights remain unexposed. Here, we have used a target capture sequencing approach in three economically important buffalo breeds namely: Banni, Jafrabadi and Mehsani, belonging to either high or low milk-yield group. Blood samples were collected from the milk-yield/breed balanced group of 12 buffaloes, and whole exome sequencing was performed using Roche 454 GS-FLX Titanium sequencer. Using an innovative approach namely, MultiCom; we have identified high-quality SNPs specific for high and low-milk yield buffaloes. Almost 70% of the reported genes in QTL regions of milk-yield and milk-fat in cattle were present among the buffalo milk-yield gene candidates. Functional analysis highlighted transcriptional regulation category in the low milk-yield group, and several new pathways in the two groups. Further, the discovered SNP candidates may account for more than half of mammary transcriptome changes in high versus low-milk yielding cattle. Thus, starting from the design of a reliable strategy, we identified reliable genomic markers specific for high and low-milk yield buffalo breeds and addressed possible downstream effects.

Pollen and mold allergies are highly problematic in Islamabad. This study was conducted to investigate the type and concentration of airborne pollens/molds causing allergic diseases in susceptible individuals. A volumetric spore trap (Burkard) was placed at the height of 11 m and ran continuously for 3 years. Once a week, the collecting drum was prepared by affixing Melinex tape with a double sided adhesive that was coated with a thin layer of silicone grease. Every Sunday at 9:00 AM the drum was replaced by another drum and the pollen/mold spores were removed and permanently mounted on slides. Using a microscope, the trapped particles were identified and recorded as counts per cubic meter of air per hour. From these data, the pollen and mold calendars were constructed and expressed as counts per cubic meter of air per day. Skin prick tests were performed on more than 1000 patients attending the Pakistan Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology Centre of Islamabad. The results indicated that there were 2 main pollen plants that contributed to seasonal allergies. These were Broussonetia papyrifera and Cannabis sativa during the March/April season and the July/September season, respectively. Although mold spores were continuously detected throughout the year, the most prominent mold was undetected mold and unconfirmed mold species similar to Stachybotrys species, which was high from July to September/October. Two additional molds contributing to allergic reactions were Pithomyces species and Cladosporium species, which were active during January and April, with the latter also being detected between October and November. These results may prove beneficial to both patients and physicians in planning a therapeutic protocol for avoidance and amelioration. Keywords: pollen and mold calendar, aerobiology, Islamabad, Burkard spore trap, Broussonetia papyrifera, Cannabis sativa, skin prick test, SPT, asthma, allergic rhinitis

Introduction: Near hanging refers to victims who survive a hanging injury following attempted hanging, long enough to reach hospital. Delayed deaths in near hanging patients are mostly due to complication of hanging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the demographics, mortality patterns and cause of delayed deaths in near hanging victims. Materials and Methods: In this study autopsy files over a seven year period from 2007 to 2013 were reviewed, and data of near hanging deaths (attempted hanging cases who succumbed to death and subjected for medicolegal autopsy) was extracted. Records of 14,000 autopsies was reviewed, and 10 deceased having died delayed deaths after near hanging episode were identified. In each case, the patients’ details, including gender, age, type of suspension, type of ligature material used for hanging and subsequent hanging mark produced were reviewed using autopsy reports and photographs taken during autopsy. Results: Demographic and pathological aspects of the each case discussed to throw light on autopsy findings in victims who died following near hanging. Complete suspension was present in 3 cases, while partial suspension was present in 7 cases. Survivals in delayed death after near hanging episode have ranged from 9 h to 72 d. Hypoxic encephalopathy was the most common cause of death, followed by pneumonia. Conclusion: Most of the near hanging patients did succumb to hypoxic encephalopathy; however, consolidation of lungs (pneumonia) was the next common cause of death reflecting need for aggressive oxygen therapy and selective resuscitation should be performed in all such cases.

Aim: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of enteric parasites in HIV patients in Chennai and to correlate with CD4 counts and diarrhoeal status. Material and Methods: Faecal specimens from 100 HIV infected individuals with CD4 < 1000/µl were screened for enteric parasites with wet mounts, modified acid-fast stain for coccidian parasites, modified trichrome stain for Microsporidia, before and after the stool concentration. Agar plate culture for Strongyloides was put up. Chi-square and ANOVA tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Study group comprised of 38 subjects with acute diarrhoea, 30 with chronic diarrhoea (> 2 weeks) and remaining 32 without diarrhoea. Enteric parasites were detected in 33% of subjects; Isoapora belli (21) being the commonest followed by E.histolyt/Entamoeba dispar (5), Entamoeba coli (2), Cryptosporidium spp (2), Hookworms (2), Strongyloides stercoralis (2), Giardia lamblia (1) and Microsporidium spp (1). There was a significant inverse relation between CD4 counts and duration of diarrhoea. Opportunistic parasites were isolated from the subjects with wide range of CD4 counts and different diarrhoeal status but most commonly from chronic diarrhoea patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in HIV patients is high in Chennai, India, especially at CD4