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Transfer coefficient from grass to milk (Fm) for 137Cs and 40K was computed based on the activity measurement data in the respective matrix at Kakrapar Gujarat site, India, during 2013 - 2019. The annual geometric mean value of 137Cs activity in grass and milk samples varied from 0.13 to 0.48 Bq/kg dry wt. and 0.03 to 0.14 Bq/l, respectively. Activity observed during the year 2013 - 2019 is comparable with preoperational baseline activity level, which indicated its fallout origin. The site-specific Fm has varied between 1.0E-02 to 3.71E-02 d/l with a GM of 2.22E-02 d/l (137Cs) and between 6.69E-03 to 1.54E-02 d/l with a GM of 9.63E-03 d/l (40K), respectively. The annual effective dose due to the ingestion of 137Cs and 40K through milk consumption was found to be 0.036 μSv/y and 16.94 μSv/y, respectively. The result is an useful input for the estimation of radiation dose to human beings in accidental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of 137Cs was measured in different terrestrial samples around Kakrapar Gujarat site. Transfer Factor and Ecological half-life of 137Cs was evaluated. 137Cs activity observed in these matrices are comparable with pre-operational baseline activity and there is no build up of activity. Transfer Factor of soil to grass, leaf, cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables for 137Cs was observed to be in the range of 0.01–1.49, 0.06–0.64, 0.03–0.92, 0.03–3.99, 0.01–0.34 and 0.01–0.20, respectively. Ecological half-life (years) of 137Cs for soil, grass, leaf, cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables and milk was found to be 11.8, 5.9, 5.9, 5.7, 3.9, 7.7, 9.0 and 7.2 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity and gamma-absorbed dose rate due to the naturally occurring (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) and anthropogenic (137Cs) radionuclides in the terrestrial environment were determined in soil samples collected around Mithivirdi Atomic Power Project Site, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat, by using gamma-ray spectrometry. The mean concentration levels measured in soil from the naturally occurring radioisotopes 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K are lower than the corresponding global average values reported worldwide. 137Cs activity in the soil sample is comparable with the preoperational baseline level activity of other nuclear power plant sites in India. The total outdoor effective dose rates due to soil ranged 16.7–79.5 μSv/y with the median value of 34.3 μSv/y. The absorbed dose rate due to cosmic components around Mithivirdi site was found to be in the range of 44.4–90.6 nGy/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study regarding the treatment and outcome of patients with acute coronary heart disease admitted to hospitals in India. Indian patients with acute coronary syndromes were found to be younger and have a higher rate of ST-elevation myocardial infarction than those in developed countries. The under utilization of adrenergic beta blockers and other traditional lipid-lowering treatments is discussed. Researchers suggested that an increase in evidence-based treatments and a reduction in delays in hospital access could reduce mortality rates among coronary heart disease patients in India.

Objective To establish a surveillance network for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors in industrial settings and estimate the risk factor burden using standardized tools. Methods We conducted a baseline cross-sectional survey (as part of a CVD surveillance programme) of industrial populations from 10 companies across India, situated in close proximity to medical colleges that served as study centres. The study subjects were employees (selected by age and sex stratified random sampling) and their family members. Information on behavioural, clinical and biochemical determinants was obtained through standardized methods (questionnaires, clinical measurements and biochemical analysis). Data collation and analyses were done at the national coordinating centre. Findings We report the prevalence of CVD risk factors among individuals aged 20-69 years (n = 19 973 for the questionnaire survey, n = 10 442 for biochemical investigations); mean age was 40 years. The overall prevalence of most risk factors was high, with 50.9% of men and 51.9% of women being overweight, central obesity was observed among 30.9% of men and 32.8% of women, and 40.2% of men and 14.9% of women reported current tobacco use. Self-reported prevalence of diabetes (5.3%) and hypertension (10.9%) was lower than when measured clinically and biochemically (10.1% and 27.7%, respectively). There was marked heterogeneity in the prevalence of risk factors among the study centres. Conclusion There is a high burden of CVD risk factors among industrial populations across India. The surveillance system can be used as a model for replication in India as well as other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique population of HIV-1 infected individuals can control infection without antiretroviral therapy. These individuals fall into a myriad of categories based on the degree of control (low or undetectable viral load), the durability of control over time and the underlying mechanism (i.e., possession of protective HLA alleles or the absence of critical cell surface receptors). In this study, we examine a cohort of HIV-1 infected individuals with a documented history of sustained low viral loads in the absence of therapy. Through in vitro analyses of cells from these individuals, we have determined that infected individuals with naturally low viral loads are capable of controlling spreading infection in vitro in a CD8 + T-cell dependent manner. This control is lost when viral load is suppressed by antiretroviral therapy and correlates with a clinical CD4:CD8 ratio of <1. Our results support the conclusion that HIV-1 controllers with low, but detectable viral loads may be controlling the virus due to an effective CD8 + T-cell response. Understanding the mechanisms of control in these subjects may provide valuable understanding that could be applied to induce a functional cure in standard progressors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Jones, Khakhina, Jaison, Santos, Smith and Klase.)

Chromatin modification is traditionally assessed in biochemical assays that provide average measurements of static events given that the analysis requires components from many cells. Microscopy can visualize single cells, but the cell body and organelles can hamper staining and visualization of the nucleus. Normally, chromatin is visualized by immunostaining a fixed sample or by expressing exogenous fluorescently tagged proteins in a live cell. Alternative microscopy tools to observe changes of endogenous chromatin in real-time are needed. Here, we isolated transcriptionally competent nuclei from cells and used antibody staining without fixation to visualize changes in endogenous chromatin. This method allows the real-time addition of drugs and fluorescent probes to one or more nuclei while under microscopy observation. A high-resolution map of 11 endogenous nuclear markers of the histone code, transcription machinery and architecture was obtained in transcriptionally active nuclei by performing confocal and structured illumination microscopy. We detected changes in chromatin modification and localization at the single-nucleus level after inhibition of histone deacetylation. Applications in the study of RNA transcription, viral protein function and nuclear architecture are presented. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

The Brugada syndrome is an autosomal dominant disease with incomplete penetrance, which may cause syncope and sudden cardiac death in young individuals with a normal heart. It is characterized by an electrocardiographic pattern of complete or incomplete right bundle branch block and ST-segment elevation in leads V1-V3. Mutations in gene encoding for cardiac sodium channel SCN5A is linked to this syndrome in 20-25% patients. Several conditions producing Brugada-like ECG patterns should be borne in mind and excluded before making a diagnosis of the Brugada syndrome. The management of this syndrome is difficult as pharmacological agents are not universally effective. The mode of treatment recommended by the majority of cardiac electro-physiologists is implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator. We report the first case of a 40-year-old Indian lady who presented with a history of aborted sudden cardiac death with recurrent ventricular arrhythmias and an electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern of type 1 Brugada syndrome, and underwent successful implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation.

To evaluate the role of primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in cardiogenic shock, 53 patients admitted with the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock were studied. Thirty-five (66.0%) patients received intravenous thrombolytic therapy (streptokinase 15 lac units) and 18 (34.0%) underwent primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. There was no significant difference in the mean age, risk factor profile, presence of prior myocardial infarction, site of myocardial infarction and cardiac enzyme levels at presentation between the two groups. More male patients were present in the group undergoing primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (94.44% vs 68.57%; p = 0.04). The time delay between the onset of symptoms and presentation to the hospital did not differ significantly between the two groups (318.9 vs 320.0 minutes; p = NS). In the primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty group, 17 patients had a single infarct-related artery and one had both left anterior descending and right coronary artery occlusion. Thus in 18 patients, 19 vessels were attempted. Angiographic success (< 50% residual stenosis) was achieved in 15 (78.94%) vessels of which TIMI III flow was achieved in 10 (52.63%) vessels and TIMI II flow in five (26.31%). Intra-aortic balloon pump was needed in five (27.77%) patients undergoing coronary angioplasty. In-hospital mortality was 27.77 percent in patients undergoing primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and 57.14 percent in patients receiving intravenous thrombolytic therapy (p = 0.04). In the thrombolytic therapy group, mortality was higher (85.91%) in patients presenting six hours or later after the onset of symptoms as compared to those presenting in less than six hours of the onset of symptoms (50%). In primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty group, mortality was 21.42 percent in patients with successful and 50 percent in patients with failed angioplasty. Thus, in patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, an aggressive invasive strategy with primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, as compared to intravenous thrombolytic therapy, is helpful in reducing in-hospital mortality.

The present study was conducted to test the effects of exercise stress on the ECG of the congenitally deaf children from school for deaf, in view of the occurrence of the Jervell-Lange Neilsen (Surdo Cardiac) variant of the Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) in them. An ECG Lead II was recorded at rest and after two minutes of static jogging. For comparison, the same protocol was repeated in normal healthy children from another school. ECG were analysed for the calculation of corrected QT interval (QTc) by Bazett's equation QTc = QT/square root of R-R and also for the evidence for other abnormalities. Both in the normal and deaf children, exercise did not produce significant (P > 0.05) change in QTc from their resting values. However, when pre and post exercise QTc values of deaf children were compared with normal children, the female deaf had significantly longer QTc (P < 0.01) both at rest and after exercise than normal female children. Normal children did not show significant ECG abnormality either at rest or on exercise. On the contrary many of their counter part (deaf) exhibited occasional ECG abnormality at rest but plethora of abnormalities after exercise viz., sinus arrhythmias, sinus pauses, ST depression, T-inversion, biphasic-T, notched-T, T-alternans, nodal ectopics and junctional rhythm. These results lend credence to the hypothesis of sympathetic imbalance and repolarisation defects in deaf children's heart, which in more severe form could pass into frank Jervell-Lange Neilsen variant of the Long: QT Syndrome.

One hundred consecutive patients (81 male and 19 female) with unstable angina pectoris undergoing coronary angiography were divided according to Braunwald's clinical classification. Seventeen (17%) patients had new onset angina (class I), 68 (68%) sub-acute angina (class II) and 15 (15%) had acute rest angina (class III). Twenty-seven (27%) patients had secondary unstable angina pectoris (class A), 49 (49%) primary unstable angina (class B) and 24 (24%) had post-infarction unstable angina (class C). ST-T wave changes on ECG were present in 54 (54%) while absent in 46 (46%) patients. On coronary angiography, 26 (26%) patients had single vessel disease, 30 (30%) double vessel disease and 39 (39%) patients had triple vessel disease. Five (5%) patients were found to have normal coronaries. Classification of patients according to Braunwald's clinical classification showed single vessel disease to be higher in class I as compared to class II (47% vs 22%; p = 0.04) and classes III (47% vs 20%; p<0.01). Single vessel disease was found to be higher in class C as compared to class B (41.7% vs 16.4; p = 0.01). Double vessel disease was higher in class B as compared to class A (40.8% vs 18.5%, p = 0.04). Triple vessel disease incidence was not found to be significantly different among different clinical classes. Morphology of coronary artery lesions was classified according to Ambrose's classification. Out of the total of 248 lesions in the whole study group, there were 68 (27.42%) concentric lesions, 55 (22.18%) eccentric type I lesions, 23 (9.27%) eccentric type II lesions, 42 (16.94%) multiple irregularity lesions and 60 (24.19%) totally occluded lesions. Concentric lesions were found to be higher in class C as compared to class B (40% vs 19.8%; p = 0.014). Statistically significant difference was not present in the distribution of other morphological type of lesions among different clinical classes. In the whole study group, intra-luminal thrombus was found to be present in 17 (17%) of patients. Distribution of intra-luminal thrombus according to Braunwald's classification showed that none of the patients in class I had intra-luminal thrombus, while 13 (19.1%) patients in class II and 4(26.7%) in class III had intra-luminal thrombus. The difference in the occurrence of intra-luminal thrombus between class I and class II (p = 0.004) and class I and class III (p = 0 .03 was found to be significant. Thus, majority of patients undergoing coronary angiography had primary sub-acute rest angina. Single vessel disease was higher in new onset angina. Patients with unstable angina pectoris and ST-T changes on ECG had higher number of lesions per patient and higher eccentric type I lesions. Intra-luminal thrombus was more frequently encountered with acute rest angina. However, the distribution of different morphological type of lesions on coronary angiography did not differ significantly in different clinical classes of unstable angina pectoris divided according to Braunwald's classification.

Coronary angiographic profile of 75 patients (63 males and 12 females) with noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and CAD was compared with 75 nondiabetic patients (63 males and 12 females) with CAD. No difference was present between the mean age (56.2 +/- 7.4 vs 56.1 +/- 7.7 years; p = NS), presenting complaints (67 unstable angina and 8 stable angina with positive TMT in both the groups) and other coronary risk factors between the two groups. Severity and diffuseness of coronary artery involvement was assessed by a coronary artery score (CAS) using the segmental distribution method for coronary artery lesions. Diabetic patients with CAD had a higher CAS (18.7 +/- 10.3) as compared to the nondiabetic patients with CAD (12.7 +/- 9.6) (p < 0.01). Diabetic patients with CAD had a higher number of TVD [43 (57.3%) vs 31 (41.3%); p < 0.01] while the DVD and SVD was not significantly different. As compared to the nondiabetic group, diabetics had a higher total number of coronary artery lesions (300 vs 200; p < 0.001), a higher lesion per patient ratio (4.0 lesions/patient vs 2.6 lesions/patient; p < 0.001), a higher number of concentric lesions, [151 (50.3%) vs 90 (45%); p < 0.01] and a higher number of multiple irregularity lesions, [36 (21%) vs 27 (9%); p < 0.05]. The diffuse involvement of vessels was not significantly different between the two groups in LAD (12.1% vs 5.3%; p = NS), LCx (14.2% vs 5.8%; p = NS) and RCA (10.5% vs 5.0%; p = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Seven patients with acute dissection of ascending aorta are presented and the role of two-dimensional echocardiography in the early diagnosis of this condition is emphasized. There were 5 male and 2 female patients. The mean age of the patients was 36.7 +/- 11.2 years. The presenting symptoms were chest pain in 7, associated interscapular pain in 4, dyspnoea in 4 and syncopal episodes in 2 patients. Examination revealed hypertension in 3, pulses paradoxus in 2, asymetrically weak carotid and brachial pulses in 3, aortic regurgitation in 5 and neurological deficit in 2 patients. Echocardiography showed aortic root diameter of 42mm and the presence of an intimal flap in all the 7 patients and flap oscillations in 6 patients. Echocardiographic evidence of pericardial effusion was present in 6, cardiac tamponade in 3, aortic regurgitation in 5 and regional left ventricular wall motion abnormality in 1 patient. Surgical correction was done in 5 patients with 60% success rate. Two patients received only medical treatment. Aortic root dilatation of 60 mm, presence of an oscillating flap, evidence of cardiac tamponade and regional wall motion abnormality were found to be associated with poor prognosis.