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The zoonotic spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the associated infections are becoming a major threat to the human population worldwide. Strategies to identify the potential pathogen dissemination by seemingly healthy livestock are at a nascent stage and it is of significant importance to monitor environmental evolution of AMR. In this study, a multidrug resistant strain of Enterobacter hormaechei MS2 isolated from the feces of healthy broiler chicken has been characterized by whole genome sequencing based method. Here, the isolate was primarily subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing followed genome sequencing and analysis. From the antimicrobial susceptibility testing result, the strain was found to be resistant to multiple classes of drugs including the colistin which is an important candidate drug used to treat infectious diseases. The resistome prediction of genomic data further revealed the presence of 7 perfect and 26 strict hits including those for MCR-9 and FosA6. The pathogenicity prediction has also demonstrated the strain to have the potential to be a human pathogen with 0.72 probability. The phylogenetic analysis has also supported the zoonotic potential of the strain due to its clustering with isolates from both human and livestock-associated host groups. The results of the study suggest the need for a strong surveillance system to identify the opportunistic zoonotic pathogens to prevent a silent AMR menace mediated by them. Carriage of multi-drug resistant strains in the livestock gut microbiome is also a serious concern as it has high AMR transmissibility through contact and supply chain activities.

A field experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station (AICRP on Palms), Kahikuchi of Assam Agricultural University for three consecutive years (2018-20) to study the initial performance of cocoa clones as intercrop in adult coconut (Cocos nucifera L) garden spaced at 7.5 m × 7.5 m taking sixteen cocoa clones. Data on tree height, stem girth, number of pods, pod weight, number of beans pod-1, dry bean weight tree-1 year-1 and single dry bean weight revealed significant variations among the 16 cocoa clones. Dried beans are the prime economic produce of cocoa, and single dry bean weight ranged from 0.95 to 1.4 g. With respect to dry bean yield tree-1, VTLC-20 recorded a significantly higher dry bean yield of 2.2 kg tree-1 followed by VTLC-18 (1.5 kg tree-1) compared to other cocoa clones, and eight clones yielded more than 1.0 kg dry bean tree-1. Results showed that the number of leaves on the crown, number of inflorescences per palm and nut yield of coconut was not negatively affected; rather, there was an increase in the yield of coconut over a period.

The pure expectations hypothesis states that the current yields on bonds with different maturities reflect investor expectations of future interest rates. Analysing the short-term inter-bank rates ...

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder characterized by proteinuria, and vascular injury in the second half of pregnancy. We hypothesized that endothelium-dependent vascular dysfunction is present in a murine model of preeclampsia based on administration of human preeclamptic sera to interleukin −10−/− mice and studied mechanisms that underlie vascular injury. Pregnant wild type and IL-10−/− mice were injected with either normotensive or severe preeclamptic patient sera (sPE) during gestation. A preeclampsia-like phenotype was confirmed by blood pressure measurements; assessment of albuminuria; measurement of angiogenic factors; demonstration of foot process effacement and endotheliosis in kidney sections; and by accumulation of glycogen in placentas from IL-10−/− mice injected with sPE sera (IL-10−/−sPE). Vasomotor function of isolated aortas was assessed. The IL-10−/−sPE murine model demonstrated significantly augmented aortic contractions to phenylephrine and both impaired endothelium-dependent and, to a lesser extent, endothelium-independent relaxation compared to wild type normotensive mice. Treatment of isolated aortas with indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, improved, but failed to normalize contraction to phenylephrine to that of wild type normotensive mice, suggesting the additional contribution from nitric oxide downregulation and effects of indomethacin-resistant vasoconstricting factors. In contrast, indomethacin normalized relaxation of aortas derived from IL-10−/−sPE mice. Thus, our results identify the role of IL-10 deficiency in dysregulation of the cyclooxygenase pathway and vascular dysfunction in the IL-10−/−sPE murine model of preeclampsia, and point towards a possible contribution of nitric oxide dysregulation. These compounds and related mechanisms may serve both as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for preventive and treatment strategies in preeclampsia.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is attended by injury-related biomarkers appearing in the urine and serum, decreased urine output, and impaired glomerular filtration rate. AKI causes increased morbidity and mortality and can progress to chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney failure. AKI is without specific therapies and is managed by supported care. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a cytoprotective, inducible enzyme that degrades toxic free heme released from destabilized heme proteins and, during this process, releases beneficial by-products such as carbon monoxide and biliverdin/bilirubin and promotes ferritin synthesis. HO-1 induction protects against assorted renal insults as demonstrated by in vitro and preclinical models. This review summarizes the advances in understanding of the protection conferred by HO-1 in AKI, how HO-1 can be induced including via its transcription factor Nrf2, and HO-1 induction as a therapeutic strategy.

A key immunomodulatory cytokine, IL-10 (interleukin-10), has been shown to be dysregulated in preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder, further characterized by multi-system involvement. However, studies have reported inconsistent findings about circulating IL-10 levels in preeclamptic versus normotensive pregnancies. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess circulating IL-10 levels in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies at 2 time points: before, and at the time of preeclampsia diagnosis. PubMED, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched to include all published studies examining circulating IL-10 levels in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies. Differences in IL-10 levels were evaluated by standardized mean differences. Of 876 abstracts screened, 56 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Circulating IL-10 levels were not different before the time of active disease (standardized mean differences, −0.01 [95% CI, −0.11 to 0.08]; P =0.76). At the time of active disease, women with preeclampsia (n=1599) had significantly lower IL-10 levels compared with normotensive controls (n=1998; standardized mean differences, −0.79 [95% CI, −1.22 to −0.35]; P =0.0004). IL-10 levels were lower in both early/severe and late/mild forms of preeclampsia. Subgroup analysis revealed that IL-10 measurement methodology (ELISA or multiplex bead array) and the sample type (plasma or serum) significantly influenced the observed differences, with the use of sera paired with ELISA technology providing the best distinction in IL-10 levels between preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies. These findings support the role of decreased IL-10 levels in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Future studies should address the therapeutic potential of IL-10 in preeclampsia.

PurposeOur hedonic and emotional evaluations of the foods we encounter in daily life are predictive of whether we will choose to consume these foods in the future. Given the context-dependent nature of these evaluations and the rise in studies set in naturalistic and ecologically valid consumption settings, it is crucial that we examine the impact of contextual variables on our current consumer emotion measurement methods.Design/methodology/approachThree important factors that influence meal-evoked emotion – meal time, location and social setting – were explored via online survey of 866 English-speaking adults from all over the world. Respondents were asked to recall three meals they had consumed in the past week and report on their subjective liking and emotional associations. Subjective liking was measured with a labelled affective magnitude scale and emotion was measured using EsSense25.FindingsDinner meals, meals eaten at the home of a family member or friend, and meals eaten with one's spouse or partner were rated highest in subjective liking. Meals eaten at work or alone were associated with the lowest intensities of positive emotion.Originality/valueThe majority of investigations into meal context and emotion have measured consumers' emotional associations in the moment and in the laboratory. The present study characterises the influence of contextual variables on the emotional associations of past eating experiences in naturalistic settings.

In the murine venous thrombosis model induced by ligation of the inferior vena cava (IVCL), genetic deficiency of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) increases clot size. This study examined whether induction of HO-1 or administration of its products reduces thrombosis. Venous HO-1 upregulation by gene delivery reduced clot size, as did products of HO activity, biliverdin, and carbon monoxide. Induction of HO-1 by hemin reduced clot formation, clot size, and upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) that occurs in the IVCL model, while leaving urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) expression unaltered. The reductive effect of hemin on clot size required HO activity. The IVCL model exhibited relatively high concentrations of heme that peaked just before maximum clot size, then declined as clot size decreased. Administration of hemin decreased heme concentration in the IVCL model. HO-2 mRNA was induced twofold in the IVCL model (vs. 40-fold HO-1 induction), but clot size was not increased in HO-2−/− mice compared with HO-2+/+ mice. Hemopexin, the major heme-binding protein, was induced in the IVCL model, and clot size was increased in hemopexin−/− mice compared with hemopexin+/+ mice. We conclude that in the IVCL model, the heme-degrading protein HO-1 and HO products inhibit thrombus formation, as does the heme-binding protein, hemopexin. The reductive effects of hemin administration require HO activity and are mediated, in part, by reducing PAI-1 upregulation in the IVCL model. We speculate that HO-1, HO, and hemopexin reduce clot size by restraining the increase in clot concentration of heme (now recognized as a procoagulant) that otherwise occurs. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provides conclusive evidence that two proteins, one heme-degrading and the other heme-binding, inhibit clot formation. This may serve as a new therapeutic strategy in preventing and treating venous thromboembolic disease.

North East India is a home of tremendous and versatile vegetative oil bearing materials because of the subtropical climatic conditions. Screening, characterization, and domestication of high yielding treeborne oilseeds rich in oleic acid and tocopherol are highly demandable from industrial aspects. As very few studies have been carried out in this regard from this region, our investigation aims to exploit new sources of tree-borne oilseeds rich in omega fatty acids for edible and non-edible purposes from both known and unknown plants. Six lesser-known tree-borne oilseeds were characterized based on oil content, tocopherol composition and metal content. The fatty oil was found more in Dysoxylum procerum (50%). The dominating fatty acid was oleic acid ranged between 38.4 to 64%. The oil of Terminalia bellirica showed high content of tocopherol (0.05%). Among eleven metals (Ca, Cu, Zn, Mg, Mn, Fe, Pb, Cd, As, Na, K) in all the six fatty oil contents, Pb and Cu showed high concentrations as compared to the codex standard while Fe values of all the oil contents were below the permissible concentrations.

Myeloid cell populations play critical roles in the context of acute kidney injury and recovery. This chapter provides a description of acute kidney injury and an explanation of the various model systems used to study the mononuclear phagocyte system, with a focus on ischemia–reperfusion injury. The role of cellular damage caused by the initial insult and function of infiltrating versus resident cell populations through injury and recovery, or if there is a failure to restore homeostasis, are discussed.

Progress in extracellular vesicle (EV) research over the past two decades has generated significant interest in using EVs in the biomedical field. Exosomes are a subgroup of EVs that comprise endocytic membrane-bound nanovesicles of 40 to 160 nm diameter. These vesicles have been shown to facilitate intercellular communication via the delivery of cellular molecules. There are currently several exciting applications for exosomes being developed in therapeutics, diagnostics, drug delivery, and cellular reprogramming. Stem cell-derived exosomes present the opportunity to harness the power of stem cells while circumventing several of the risks associated with their use. This review summarizes the recent developments in exosome technology and lends a prospective view to the future of exosome use and application in research and medicine. Through a review of relevant patent filings, recent literature, and ongoing clinical trials, a valuable overview of the field of exosomes is provided. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

The present article is concerned with the comparison of representativeness of a random sample to the underlying population as a whole, obtained through ranked set sampling (RSS) with simple...

The paper studies the efficiency and price discovery in the Indian gold futures market. The relationship of domestic and international spot prices with the gold futures prices is examined to determ...

The expansion of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) as aggregates in stirred suspension bioreactors is garnering attention as an alternative to adherent culture. However, the hydrodynamic environment in the bioreactor can modulate PSC behavior, pluripotency and differentiation potential in ways that need to be well understood. In this study, we investigated how murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs) sense fluid shear stress and modulate a non-canonical Wnt signaling response to promote pluripotency. mESCs showed higher expression of pluripotency marker genes, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog in the absence of LIF in stirred suspension bioreactors compared to adherent culture, a phenomenon we have termed mechanopluripotency. In bioreactor culture, fluid shear promoted the nuclear translocation of the less well-known pluripotency regulator β-catenin and concomitant increase of c-Myc expression, an upstream regulator of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog. We also observed similar β-catenin nuclear translocation in LIF-free mESCs cultured on E-cadherin substrate under defined fluid shear stress conditions in flow chamber plates. mESCs showed lower shear-induced expression of pluripotency marker genes when β-catenin was inhibited, suggesting that β-catenin signaling is crucial to mESC mechanopluripotency. Key to this process is vinculin, which is known to rearrange and associate more strongly with adherens junctions in response to fluid shear. When the vinculin gene is disrupted, we observe that nuclear β-catenin translocation and mechanopluripotency are abrogated. Our results indicate that mechanotransduction through the adherens junction complex is important for mESC pluripotency maintenance. © AlphaMed Press 2021 SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Fluid shear stress generated in bioreactors can modulate cell behavior, pluripotency, and differentiation capability. In this study, we have revealed that fluid shear stress upregulates mESC pluripotency, which obviates the necessity of adding LIF in bioreactor culture. We have termed this phenomenon as mechanopluripotency. Translocation of β-catenin to the nucleus is the key to mechanopluripotency in bioreactor culture. In addition, adherens junction-associated vinculin is another important factor as vinculin gene disruption results in abrogation of mechanopluripotency in bioreactor culture.

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BackgroundShannon’s index is one of the measures of biodiversity, which is intended to quantify both richness and evenness of the species/individuals in the ecosystem or community. However, application of Shannon’s index in the field of substance use among the street children has not been done till date.MethodsThis paper is concerned with methods of estimating Shannon’s diversity index (SDI), which can be used to capture the variation in the population due to certain characteristics. Under the consideration that the probability of abundance, based on certain characteristics in the population, is a random phenomenon, we derive a Bayesian estimate in connection with Shannon’s information measure and their properties (mean and variance), by using a probability matching prior, through simulation and compared it with those of the classical estimates of Shannon. The theoretical framework has been applied to the primary survey data of substance use among the street children in Delhi, collected during 2015. The measure of diversity was estimated across different age profiles and districts.ResultsThe results unrevealing the diversity estimate for street children corresponding to each region of Delhi, under both the classical and Bayesian paradigms. Although the estimates were close to one another, a striking difference was noted in the age profile of children.ConclusionsThe Bayesian methodology provided evidence for a greater likelihood of finding substance-using street children, belonging to the lower age group (7-10, maximum Bayesian entropy-3.73), followed by the middle (11-14) and upper age group (15-18). Moreover, the estimated variance under the Bayesian paradigm was lesser than that of the classical estimate. There is ample scope for further refinement in these estimates, by considering more covariates that may have a possible role in initiating substance use among street children in developing countries like India.

Cell-based therapy (CBT) is attracting much attention to treat incurable diseases. In recent years, several clinical trials have been conducted using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), and other potential therapeutic cells. Various private- and government-funded organizations are investing in finding permanent cures for diseases that are difficult or expensive to treat over a lifespan, such as age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, or diabetes, etc. Clinical-grade cell manufacturing requiring current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) has therefore become an important issue to make safe and effective CBT products. Current cell production practices are adopted from conventional antibody or protein production in the pharmaceutical industry, wherein cells are used as a vector to produce the desired products. With CBT, however, the “cells are the final products” and sensitive to physico- chemical parameters and storage conditions anywhere between isolation and patient administration. In addition, the manufacturing of cellular products involves multi-stage processing, including cell isolation, genetic modification, PSC derivation, expansion, differentiation, purification, characterization, cryopreservation, etc. Posing a high risk of product contamination, these can be time- and cost- prohibitive due to maintenance of cGMP. The growing demand of CBT needs integrated manufacturing systems that can provide a more simple and cost-effective platform. Here, we discuss the current methods and limitations of CBT, based upon experience with biologics production. We review current cell manufacturing integration, automation and provide an overview of some important considerations and best cGMP practices. Finally, we propose how multi-stage cell processing can be integrated into a single bioreactor, in order to develop streamlined cGMP-compliant cell processing systems.

Rationale, aims, and objectives The recent outbreak of coronavirus (COVID‐19) has infected around 1 560 000 individuals till 10 April 2020, which has resulted in 95 000 deaths globally. While no vaccine or anti‐viral drugs for COVID‐19 are available, lockdown acts as a protective public health measures to reduce human interaction and lower transmission. The study aims to explore the impact of delayed planning or lack of planning for the lockdown and inadequate implementation of the lockdown, on the transmission rate of COVID‐19. Method Epidemiological data on the incidence and mortality of COVID‐19 cases as reported by public health authorities were accessed from six countries based on total number of infected cases, namely, United States and Italy (more than 100 000 cases); United Kingdom, and France (50 000‐100 000 cases), and India and Russia (6000‐10 000 cases). The Bayesian inferential technique was used to observe the changes (three points) in pattern of number of cases on different duration of exposure (in days) in these selected countries 1 month after World Health Organization (WHO) declaration about COVID‐19 as a global pandemic. Results On comparing the pattern of transmission rates observed in these six countries at posterior estimated change points, it is found that partial implementation of lockdown (in the United States), delayed planning in lockdown (Russia, United Kingdom, and France), and inadequate implementation of the lockdown (in India and Italy) were responsible to the spread of infections. Conclusions In order to control the spreading of COVID‐19, like other national and international laws, lockdown must be implemented and enforced. It is suggested that on‐time or adequate implementation of lockdown is a step towards social distancing and to control the spread of this pandemic.

Background: Caesarean section is considered a relatively preferable and safe method of delivery as compared to normal delivery. Since the last decade, its prevalence has increased in both developed and developing countries. In the context of developing countries viz., South Asia (the highest populated region) and South-East Asia (the third-highest populated region), where a significant proportion of home deliveries were reported,however, the preference for, caesarean delivery and its associated factors are not well understood.\ud Objective: To study the caesarean delivery in the South and South-East Asian countries and to determine the factors associated with the preference for caesarean delivery. \ud Methodology: Demographic and Health Survey Data on from ever-married women of nine developing countries of South and South-East Asia viz., Vietnam, India, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Cambodia have been considered. Both bivariate and binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the propensity of a woman undergoing for caesarean delivery and to assess the influence of maternal socioeconomic characteristics towards the preference for caesarean delivery.\ud Results:Obtained results have shown an inclination of caesarean delivery among urban than rural women and are quite conspicuous, but is found to be underestimated mostly among rural women. Caesarean delivery in general is mostly predisposed among women whose baby sizes are either very large or smaller than average, have a higher level of education and place of delivery is private medical institutions. The logistic regression also revealed the influence of maternal socioeconomic characteristics towards the preference for caesarean delivery. Based on nine South and South-East Asian countries an overall C-section prevalence of 13%, but based on institutional births its increase to 19%. The forest plot demonstrated that a significant inclination of C-section among urban than rural regions. In Meta-Analysis, very high and significant heterogeneity among countries is observed, but confirms that in terms of prevalence of C-section all of the countries follow independent pattern.\ud Conclusion: Study of seven urban and four rural regions of nine South and South- East Asian countries showed, a significant inclination towards the caesarean delivery above the more recent outdated WHO recommended an optimal range of 10-15%and are associated maternal socioeconomic characteristics. In order to control unwanted caesarean delivery, the government needs to develop better healthcare infrastructure and along with more antenatal care related schemes to reduce the risks associated with increased caesarean delivery.

There is no therapy that promotes maturation and functionality of a dialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF). The search for such therapies largely relies on evaluation of vascular responses and putative therapies in experimental AVFs. We studied an AVF in mice with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We demonstrate numerous stressors in the vein of the AVF-CKD group, including pathological shear, mitogenic, inflammatory, and hypoxia-reoxygenation stress. Because stress promotes premature senescence, we examined whether senescence is induced in the vein of the AVF-CKD model. We demonstrate a senescence phenotype in the AVF-CKD model, as indicated by increased expression of p16Ink4a, p21Cip1, and p53 and expected changes for certain senescence-associated microRNAs. RNA-sequencing analysis demonstrated differential expression of ~10,000 genes, including upregulation of proinflammatory and proliferative genes, in the vein of the AVF-CKD group. The vein in the AVF-CKD group exhibited telomere erosion and increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and staining. Senescence was induced in the artery of the AVF-CKD group and in the vein of the AVF without CKD. Finally, given the rapidly rising clinical interest in senolytics, we provide proof of concept of senolytics as a therapeutic approach by demonstrating that senolytics decrease p16Ink4a expression in the AVF-CKD model. This study introduces a novel concept underlying the basis for maturational and functional failure in human dialysis AVFs and identifies a new target for senolytic therapy.

Ranked set sampling (RSS) is regarded as a substitute of simple random sampling (SRS). Under SRS, obtained samples are only independent, whereas in cases of balanced RSS, observations are independent order statistics. This paper presents a method to calculate the Bayesian Cramer Rao (BCR) bound when the statistical model is based on independent order statistics. This bound is also compared with independent simple random samples. In context of order samples where this classical Cramer Rao (CR) bound is hard to evaluate, this study presents a closed-form expression of a BCR bound. The efficiency in BCR bound due to independent order observations as compared to independent samples, is procure on the basis of theoretical and simulation results. Through this one can evaluate the significance of using independent order statistics as compare to independent samples for the gains in accuracy to estimate the parameters and reduction in required sample size. The procured results demonstrate that BCR bound based on independent order statistics is more compact, efficient observational economic than SRS based bound of estimator.

Background: Awareness is the primary means to control breast cancer occurrence. The purpose of the present work is to study the risk of breast cancer occurrence in different age group, for the study area, Assam, India, by means of survival analysis techniques. Methods: Survival and hazard functions are key concepts in survival analysis for describing the distribution of event times. In the present research a new individialized model has been proposed for cumulative hazard function, taking gamma probability distribution as probability distribution of breast cancer occurrences. Kaplan Meier Survival method has been applied to find out the probability of diseases occurrence in the early menarche and late menarche group. The data used for implementation were collected from the Record Department of a prime local cancer institute, for the period 2010-2012. The information for the risk factor age at menarche were collected from the patients registered during August 2011 to February 2012. Results: The study reveals that in the study area, cumulative hazard of the women belonging to 35 to 50 years is higher than the early and late aged women. The cumulative hazard plot with shape parameter 0.5, 1 and 10 shows that cumulative risk for early aged women are greater than the late age women but when this values is increased from 10, the opposite trend is observed. Further, the median age of disease occurrence among early menarche group is 52 years and for late menarche it is 54 years. Conclusion: The model developed could successfully point out the age group for women lying at higher risk of breast cancer occurrence. Additionally the important risk factor, age at menarche, was effectively applied to supplement to this calculation. It is hoped that practical use of this method would enhance not only awareness but also early detection of the said disease.

In this article, we consider a dichotomous population characterized by the parameter p defined as the proportion of individuals in the population possessing certain characteristic. The unknown proportion p is our parameter of interest in the present work. Under the assumption that p is a random quantity we derive a Bayesian Crammer–Rao (BCR) bound in connection with the estimation of p. The proposed procedure is based on a ranked set sample (RSS) observed on the variable of interest which is binary in nature. This RSS-based approach is compared with its corresponding SRS (simple random sample) counterpart in the cases of both perfect and imperfect rankings. The proposed procedure is applied for estimating the proportion of children aged months (to the mothers aged 15–49 years of rural India) who are not immunized with the vaccine against measles using National Family Health Survey-3 (2005–2006) data of India.

Forest of North-East India is rich in a variety of tree borne oilseeds and there were no serious efforts to exploit the less known oilseeds of the forest origin. Considering the vast plant wealth and with an objective to explore these untapped potentialities of oilseed resources of NE India, a research program was undertaken. The present communication is based on the investigation of seeds of 14 lesser known plant species for fats and oils. The screened plant species exhibited oil yield ranging from 4.71% to 48.43% on dry weight basis. Alseodaphne andersonii showed significant amount of tocols while Garcinia xanthochymus showed significant amount of phytosterol. Gas liquid chromatography analysis of methyl ester extracted fatty acid indicated dominant fraction of Oleic acid in 6 numbers of species, followed by Linoleic acid in 3 species, Lauric acid in 3 species, and Palmitic acid in 2 species. The majority of the species (9 species) showed higher amount of unsaturated fatty acid content in the oils which suggested that the species may serve as valuable raw materials for vegetable oil which can be explored as substitute for industrial feasibility while restshowed higher amount of saturated fatty acids which suggested that these species may serve as important industrial by-products.

As the Indian currency futures market has been in existence for over 7 years, this paper analyses the effectiveness of the 1-month USD/INR currency futures rates in predicting the expected spot rate. The volatility of the USD/INR spot returns was also analysed. Modelling volatility of the USD/INR spot rate using a generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (EGARCH) model indicated the presence of volatility clustering. Using multivariate GARCH models such as the constant conditional correlation and dynamic conditional correlation, signs of a volatility spillover between the USD/INR spot and currency futures market were also observed.

Through the ages, human life and happiness are affected much by wide spread diseases, an unpredictable phenomenon. And infectious disease spread is one of the most unsolvable problems. How infection evolves, how it spreads from person to person and mainly which pattern it follows are some questions which are always unanswerable. Out of many techniques, discrete epidemic models like the chain binomial model are ones which are applied to describe the physical phenomena of spreading infectious diseases in a household. In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop a modified epidemic chain model by assuming a beta distribution of third kind for the probability of being infected by contact with a given infection from the same household with closed population. This paper emphasized mainly on developing the probabilities of all possible epidemic chains with two introductory cases for three-, four- and five-member household and three introductory cases for four- and five-member household. The key phenomenon towards developing this paper was to provide an extension of the modified chain binomial model and its possible probabilities.

The compositional analysis of essential oil content in inflorescence and vegetative aerial parts of Elsholtzia blanda Benth. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) growing wild in Meghalaya,North-East India were studied by GC and GC-MS. A total of 30 and 17 components representing 96.9%-98.3% and 92.6%-92.8% of the total oils from the inflorescence and vegetative aerial parts, respectively, were identified. Significant difference in composition of oils were observed between the two plant parts; 15 components detected in the oil of inflorescence were lacking in the oil of vegetative aerial parts, while two components present in the oil of vegetative aerial parts were absent in the inflorescence oil. Linalool was the major component in oils of both inflorescence (77.3%-80.2%) and vegetative aerial parts (57.9%-62.9%). Trans- linalool oxide (8.4%-9.9%), cis-linalool oxide (8.3%-9.3%) and 3,7-dimethyl-1,5-octadiene-3,7-diol (4.7%-5.1%) were however found in higher amount in the oil of vegetative aerial parts compared to inflorescence. For the first time the composition of oil in the inflorescence part has been reported in this communication while the oil from vegetative aerial parts containing linalool as the major component (44.9%) was although reported earlier but comparatively higher percentage of same was observed in vegetative aerial part (57.9%-62.9%) and inflorescence (77.3%-80.2%) in the present investigation with the plants from Meghalaya, India.

Methods for dealing with missing data in clinical trials have received increased attention from the regulators and practitioners in the pharmaceutical industry over the last few years. Consideration of missing data in a study is important as they can lead to substantial biases and have an impact on overall statistical power. This problem may be caused by patients dropping before completion of the study. The new guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization place great emphasis on the importance of carefully choosing primary analysis methods based on clearly formulated assumptions regarding the missingness mechanism. The reason for dropout or withdrawal would be either related to the trial (e.g. adverse event, death, unpleasant study procedures, lack of improvement) or unrelated to the trial (e.g. moving away, unrelated disease). We applied selection models on liver cirrhosis patient data to analyse the treatment efficiency comparing the surgery of liver cirrhosis patients with consenting for participation HFLPC (Human Fatal Liver Progenitor Cells) infusion with surgery alone. It was found that comparison between treatment conditions when missing values are ignored potentially leads to biased conclusions.

The field experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station, Kahikuchi of Assam Agricultural University for four consecutive years (2012–13 to 2015–16) to study the performance of flower crops as intercrop in adult coconut (Cocos nucifera) garden spaced at 7.5 m × 7.5 m taking five commercial flower crops, viz. Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) var. Single, Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) var. Red Monarch, Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) var. Glauca, Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus) var. Oscar, Marigold (Tagetes erecta) var. Siracole along with a control (coconut monocrop). Results showed that number of leaves on the crown, annual leaf production, number of inflorescences per palm and nut yield of coconut was not significantly influenced by the flower crops grown in coconut garden. Significantly the highest total coconut equivalent yield of 48920 nuts/ha/year was obtained in coconut + gerbera followed by coconut + tuberose (42717 nuts/ha/year), coconut + gladiolus (42334 nuts/ha/year) and the lowest in coconut as monocrop (10430 nuts/ha/year). Intercropping system of growing gerbera in coconut garden registered the highest net income (` 380075/ha) and B:C ratio (3.5) followed by tuberose (` 323420/ha and 3.1), gladiolus (` 315090/ha and 2.9), marigold (` 233050/ha and 2.8) and the lowest net income of ` 64050/ha and B:C ratio (1.6) obtained in monocropping of coconut.

Globus sensation is a subjective feeling of a lump or foreign body in the throat without interfering swallowing of food. It is a persistent and distressing sensation in throat. It affects about 6% of population. But cause of globus is still unknown. Exact aetiology of globus is considered to be multifactorial. Some other studies also show association between globus and psychological distress including anxiety and depression. As there is no established pharmacological treatment, adequate investigations with negative result could reassure patients and improve their symptoms. In this prospective study consecutive patients with globus symptoms examined by upper GIT endoscopy with attention to larynx, epiglottis, base of tongue, both pyriform fossa and hypo-pharynx using Olympus forward viewing video Gastroscope (GIF Q-150GIF Q-170) to exclude organic lesion and was conducted in the department of Gastroenterology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and North East Medical College, Sylhet from 1st July 2014 to 31 December 2016. Their psychological status and epidemiological information including personal and family history were noted in a pre-designed data sheet. Total 104 patients were examined, among them definite anxiety was found in 36(34.95%) and borderline feature of anxiety was found in 19(18.44%) and 48(46.60%) were free of anxiety. Incidence of anxiety was significantly higher among females and was more prevalent among housewife, married people and people from rural community. In this series, 13(12.5%) patients had definite depression and 29(27.9%) patients had borderline depression, while 61(59.2%) patients had no feature of depression. Incidence of depression was significantly higher among females, housewife and married people. Organic lesion is rare in patients with globus symptoms. Globus sensation is more common among females. Psychological factors like anxiety and depression are frequently associated with globus sensation.

BackgroundCaesarean section is considered a preferable and safe method of delivery. In the last decade, its prevalence has increased in both developed and developing countries. In the context of developing countries viz., South Asia (the highest populated region) and South-east Asia (the third highest populated region), the preference for, and variation in, caesarean section delivery and its associated maternal socioeconomic characteristics are still to be determined.ObjectiveTo study the magnitude of caesarean delivery in the South and South-east Asian countries, by correlating the maternal socioeconomic characteristics with the preference for caesarean sections.MethodologyData on ever-married women of nine developing countries of South and South-east Asia viz., Vietnam, India, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Cambodia, from Demographic and Health Survey has considered. Both bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability that a woman undergoes caesarean section and to assess the influence of maternal socioeconomic characteristics towards the preference for caesarean section.ConclusionIn seven urban and four rural regions of nine South and South-East Asian countries, a significant inclination towards the caesarean delivery above the more recent outdate WHO recommended optimal range of 10-15% or the more recent study by top researchers of 19% has been found. The analysis confirmed that the prevalence of caesarean section and its associated maternal socioeconomic characteristics varied widely among these nine South and South-East Asian countries.