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Introduction: The effect and mechanism of skipping breakfast on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Asian-Indians is unknown. Methods: Cross-over, within-group study recruiting 5 habitual breakfast eaters (BE) and 5 habitual breakfast skippers (BS) with uncontrolled T2DM (HbA1c 7-9%). Patients underwent testing after three days of following their usual breakfast habits and after seven days of crossing over to the other arm. Fasting values and incremental area under the curve (iAUC0-180) of post-lunch levels of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and glucagon were measured. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) parameters assessed were area under the curve (AUC0-180) of post-meal glucose values, 24-hour average blood glucose (ABG), time in range (TIR), and glycemic variability. Results: BS led to significantly higher fasting (133.5 ± 34.5 mg/dl vs 110 ± 31.50 mg/dl, P = 0.009) and peak post-lunch (214.6 ± 35.07 mg/dl vs 175.4 ± 39.26 mg/dl, P < 0.001) plasma glucose, and HOMA-IR (3.05 ± 3.89 vs 2.03 ± 1.76, P = 0.007) as compared to BE. Post-lunch iAUC0-180 during BS was significantly higher for plasma glucose (7623 ± 2947.9 mg/dl × min vs 1922.4 ± 1902.1 mg/dl × min, P < 0.001), insulin (2460 ± 1597.50 mIU/ml × mins vs 865.71 ± 1735.73 mIU/ml × mins, P = 0.028), C-peptide (418.4 ± 173.4 ng/ml × mins vs 127.8 ± 117.1 ng/ml × mins, P < 0.001) and glucagon (7272.7 ± 4077 pg/ml × mins vs 4568.8 ± 2074.9 pg/ml × mins, P = 0.044) as compared to BE, while GLP-1 (1812.7 ± 883 pmol/l × mins during BS vs 1643 ± 910 pmol/l × mins during BE, P = 0.255) did not significantly differ between the two visits. CGM revealed a higher post-lunch AUC0-180 during BS. There was no difference in post-dinner AUC0-180, ABG, TIR, or glycemic variability. Conclusion: Skipping breakfast led to higher post-lunch glucose excursions, possibly due to higher glucagon excursion and increased insulin resistance.

Background: Hypertension is a significant global health issue, responsible for approximately 7.5 million deaths annually. Even a modest increase of 5 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure (BP) can elevate the risk of fatal stroke and infarction by about 25%. Hence this study aimed to assess the accuracy of aneroid and digital sphygmomanometers relative to the mercury sphygmomanometer. Methodology: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the urban slums of old Hubballi among 270 participants aged 30 years and above. Participants were selected using Probability Proportion to Size from 3 wards. Blood pressures were measured with all three sphygmomanometers and Bland Altman plot analysis was done. Results: The results revealed that the mean difference in systolic blood pressure compared to mercury was -0.57 mmHg for the aneroid and -4.63 mmHg for the digital (p

Abstract Biobased furans have emerged as chemical building blocks for the development of materials because of their diverse scaffolds and as they can be directly prepared from sugars. However, selective, efficient, and cost-effective scalable conversion of biobased furans remains elusive. Here, we report a robust transaminase (TA) from Shimia marina (SMTA) that enables the scalable amination of biobased furanaldehydes with high activity and broad substrate specificity. Crystallographic and mutagenesis analyses provide mechanistic insights and a structural basis for understanding SMTA, which enables a higher substrate conversion. The enzymatic cascade process established in this study allows one-pot synthesis of 2,5-bis(aminomethyl)furan (BAMF) and 5-(aminomethyl)furan-2-carboxylic acid from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The biosynthesis of various furfurylamines, including a one-pot cascade reaction for BAMF generation using whole cells, demonstrates their practical application in the pharmaceutical and polymer industries.

Context: Splanchnic nerve block (SPN) with local anesthetic and steroid is used to relieve the pain of chronic pancreatitis. However, it does not provide long-lasting relief. We hypothesize that the use of 70% alcohol will give adequate analgesia for more than months. Aims: The primary objective was to find out the analgesic efficacy of the use of 70% alcohol with SPN. Secondary objectives included the incidence of side effects, analgesic consumption postintervention, quality of life (QOL) assessed via a self-reported quality of life scale, and repeat block during the 1-year follow-up period. Settings and Design: Retrospective analysis of all patients with chronic pancreatitis who received bilateral SPN over the last 4 years. Methods and Materials: SPN was performed using the posterior retrocrural approach with the patient in the prone position as described in the literature using a 23 G × 90 mm spinal needle bilaterally at the level of T12 using C-arm/fluoroscopy guidance. Data were collected from the procedure book of the pain clinic and medical records. Statistical Analysis Used: Quantitative data for change in pre- to post-block VAS score was collected using the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Results: The baseline VAS, post-procedure VAS, and VAS at 3 months follow-up was 7.69 ± 1.3,2.44 ± 0.96 and 1.56 ± 1.15. A pairwise comparison of VAS performed between baseline and immediate post-procedure, baseline, and VAS at 3 months was found to be highly significant. Conclusions: Fluoroscopy-guided neurolytic SPN with 70% alcohol gives significant pain relief for more than 3 months. It also leads to improvement in 3 months QOL.

Introduction: Evidence regarding throat packing for head and neck surgeries is limited. A video laryngoscope, an airway adjunct used for various diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, can also effectively pack the throat. Aim: To compare the Time Taken for Throat Packing (TTTP) using a non-channeled video laryngoscope BPL™ versus the conventional Macintosh larynogoscope direct laryngoscope. Materials and Methods: In this non-inferiority, randomised controlled, single-blind study, 72 patients undergoing head and neck surgeries requiring throat packing were recruited. The non-inferiority margin was set at 10 seconds between the two groups (n=36 each). Throat packing in Group-M and Group-V was performed using the Macintosh and video laryngoscopes with the assistance of Magill’s forceps. The TTTP was recorded from the blade insertion to complete blade removal. A one-sided two-sample unpaired t-test was used to test non-inferiority hypothesis considered in this study. Results: The mean age of patients in Group-M was 37.39 years and in Group-V was 33.65 years, with mean weights of 60.89 kg and 56.32 kg, respectively. The mean TTTP difference between Group-M and Group-V was found to be -12.6 seconds with a lower limit of the one-sided 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of −20.6s. The null hypothesis was accepted, concluding that video laryngoscope-guided throat packing took a longer duration. The ease of throat packing, haemodynamic stress response, and Postoperative Sore Throat (POST) were comparable between both groups. Conclusion: Video laryngoscope-guided throat packing is inferior to conventional Macintosh throat packing in terms of TTTP. However, it is equivocal regarding the ease of throat packing and the stress response induced. POST was the same whether throat packing was performed using a video laryngoscope or a Macintosh laryngoscope.

Concrete Young’s modulus is seldom verified on-site due to the time-consuming and costly nature of current testing standards. This article proposes a new, quick and affordable testing methodology to estimate the ultimate static elastic modulus of normal strength concrete cylinders on-site at early ages using a smartphone. Impact-resonance tests were performed on several concrete cylinders from different mixtures at different ages, using an accelerometer and a smartphone microphone to measure the cylinders' flexural and longitudinal resonant frequencies. Measurements from both sensors were compared to show the validity of estimating the dynamic elastic modulus using acoustic signals from the cylinders recorded with a smartphone's built-in microphone. The cylinders' static and dynamic elastic moduli were determined, and the change in elastic modulus over time as the cylinders aged was also examined. This study shows the advantages of microphones over accelerometers, being less susceptible to measurement errors and proposes a filter algorithm to extract the resonant frequencies from environmental noise. A forecasting methodology to estimate static elastic modulus based on early dynamic impact-resonant tests can help engineers make early decisions on their supplied concrete on-site.

Background and Aims: Paravertebral block has been found to be a recommended method of analgesia for breast surgeries. We aimed to assess the efficacy of paravertebral block compared to morphine by means of the visual analogue scale (VAS), pain-related biomarkers, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in adult patients undergoing breast cancer surgeries under general anesthesia. Methodology: Forty patients undergoing breast surgery with or without lymph outcome were randomly divided into two groups. Group M received general anesthesia with intraoperative injection morphine (0.1 mg/kg) and group P received general anesthesia with paravertebral block with 0.25% bupivacaine (0.3 ml/kg). The primary objective was to compare the postoperative pain using VAS at baseline, 2 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours. Secondary objectives were to compare the levels of pain-related biomarkers and ROS in both the groups at baseline, 24 hours, and 48 hours and to study the correlation between the VAS and level of pain-related biomarkers and ROS. Results: There was no significant difference in the postoperative VAS scores in both the groups (P = 0.252, 0.548, 0.488 at baseline, 24 hours, and 48 hours, respectively) and no significant difference in the mean biomarkers in both the groups. The mean VAS negatively correlated with biomarker levels at 24 hours and 48 hours, but the change in VAS after 24 hours and 48 hours did not significantly correlate with the change in the biomarkers. Conclusion: Paravertebral block is equally efficacious to intraoperative morphine for breast surgeries for postoperative analgesia. The biomarker levels were not significantly different when patients received paravertebral block or morphine.

The U.S. Department of Energy has listed levulinic acid (LA) as one of the top 12 compounds derived from biomass. LA has gained much attention owing to its conversion into enantiopure 4-aminopentanoic acid through an amination reaction. Herein, we developed a coupled-enzyme recyclable cascade employing two transaminases (TAs) for the synthesis of (S)-4-aminopentanoic acid. TAs were first utilized to convert LA into (S)-4-aminopentanoic acid using (S)-α-Methylbenzylamine [(S)-α-MBA] as an amino donor. The deaminated (S)-α-MBA i.e., acetophenone was recycled back using a second TAs while using isopropyl amine (IPA) amino donor to generate easily removable acetone. Enzymatic reactions were carried out using different systems, with conversions ranging from 30% to 80%. Furthermore, the hybrid nanoflowers (HNF) of the fusion protein were constructed which afforded complete biocatalytic conversion of LA to the desired (S)-4-aminopentanoic acid. The created HNF demonstrated storage stability for over a month and can be reused for up to 7 sequential cycles. A preparative scale reaction (100 mL) achieved the complete conversion with an isolated yield of 62%. Furthermore, the applicability of this recycling system was tested with different β-keto ester substrates, wherein 18%–48% of corresponding β-amino acids were synthesized. Finally, this recycling system was applied for the biosynthesis of pharmaceutical important drug sitagliptin intermediate ((R)-3-amino-4-(2,4,5-triflurophenyl) butanoic acid) with an excellent conversion 82%.

The present study narrates the extraction of rutin from Tagetes erecta (Marigold) via maceration followed by ultrasonication. The extracted rutin was further fabricated into nanoparticles by high-pressure homogenization (HPH) and assessed by HPLC, DSC, XRD, TEM, and FTIR spectroscopy. The optimized batch of nanoparticles obtained using 32 central composite design (CCD) which exhibited particle size 209±14 nm, PDI 0.234±0.06, and 92±1.3% entrapment efficiency. The lyophilized rutin nanoparticles were further converted into nano-suspension. Interestingly, the rutin nano-suspension exhibited a similar antitussive effect in vivo as that by standard treatment pentoxyverine and reduced the coughing times within 2 min. Also, the phlegm showed high UV absorbance, implying its better expectorant activity than the standard and control. The rutin nano-suspension was highly stable and shelf life was found to be ∼29.1 months. The present study, for the first time, paves a way for the use of rutin nano-suspension to overcome chest congestion, shortening of breath, and in the management of cough.

Context: COVID-19 has led to a spate of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis cases in India, the epidemiology of which was least understood before. Only a few case series and case reports discuss the symptomatology of mucormycosis. Aims: The primary objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence of pain in patients with mucormycosis. The secondary objectives include the type, regional distribution, characteristics and determinants of pain in patients with mucormycosis. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted on consecutive adult patients with mucormycosis in our hospital. Materials and Methods: Following recruitment, a preplanned written questionnaire that was tested for validity with peers, with closed-ended queries was filled on a sole visit by an anesthesia postgraduate based on the response by the patient. Statistical analysis used: Categorical variables were summarized as proportion and percentage. To compare quantitative variables, Chi-square test was used. Results: A total of 69 out of the 80 patients recruited complained of pain (P value = 0.468). A total of 76.8% of patients had pain in the supraorbital region with 84% of the patients complaining of throbbing pain and 98.6% needing analgesics. Gender, pre-existing diabetes mellitus, organs affected due to mucormycosis, prior steroid usage, prior COVID illness, surgical intervention, and previous experience of pain in the same region had no influence on the presence or severity of pain. Conclusions: Pain is one of the presenting symptoms in patients with mucormycosis which is usually in the supraorbital and maxillary region, nociceptive type and throbbing in nature, and moderate to severe in intensity usually managed with simple analgesics.

Birth injuries, including long bone fractures, are most often observed following breech delivery or difficult deliveries. Although a long bone fracture is a relatively rare complication, femoral fractures constitute one of the most common forms of injury of the lower extremity presenting in newborns. A low birth weight, female neonate was delivered by C-section with breech presentation in utero and presented with swelling and abnormal mobility of the right thigh immediately after birth. The femoral shaft fracture was successfully treated by conservative management using a Pavlik harness for 6 weeks. Even though cesarean deliveries reduce traumatic complications, especially in breech presentations, compared with vaginal delivery, they do not completely eliminate the possibility of accidental injuries to the newborn.

Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) micronutrient deficiencies are significant health concerns, particularly among the underprivileged and resource-poor people in the semi-arid tropics globally. Pearl millet is regarded as a climate-smart crop with low water and energy footprints. It thrives well under adverse agro-ecologies such as high temperatures and limited rainfall. Pearl millet is regarded as a nutri-cereal owing to health-promoting traits such as high grain Fe and Zn content, metabolizable energy, high antioxidant and polyphenols, high proportion of slowly digestible starches, dietary fibers, and favorable essential amino acid profile compared to many cereals. Higher genetic variability for grain Fe and Zn content has facilitated considerable progress in mapping and mining QTLs, alleles and genes underlying micronutrient metabolism. This has been made possible by developing efficient genetic and genomic resources in pearl millet over the last decade. These include genetic stocks such as bi-parental RIL mapping populations, association mapping panels, chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) and TILLING populations. On the genomics side, considerable progress has been made in generating genomic markers, such as SSR marker repository development. This was followed by the development of a next-generation sequencing-based genome-wide SNP repository. The circa 1,000 genomes re-sequencing project played a significant role. A high-quality reference genome was made available by re-sequencing of world diversity panel, mapping population parents and hybrid parental lines. This mini-review attempts to provide information on the current developments on mapping Fe and Zn content in pearl millet and future outlook.

The present study explores the influence of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in combination therapy with quercetin (QC) (impeding MPA metabolic rate) delivered using the liposomal nanoparticles (LNPs). Mycophenolic acid liposome nanoparticles (MPA-LNPs) and quercetin liposome nanoparticles (QC-LNPs) were individually prepared and comprehensively characterized. The size of prepared MPA-LNPs and QC-LNPs were found to be 183 ± 13 and 157 ± 09.8, respectively. The in vitro studies revealed the higher cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of combined therapy (MPA-LNPs + QC-LNPs) compared to individual ones. Moreover pharmacokinetics studies in female SD-rat shown higher T1/2 value (1.94 fold) of combined therapy compared to MPA. Furthermore, in vivo anticancer activity in combination of MPA-LNPs and QC-LNPs was also significantly higher related to other treatments groups. The combination therapy of liposomes revealed the new therapeutic approach for the treatment of breast cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to evaluate visual acuity and refractive status in children with global developmental delay (GDD) and to study the effect of early correction of refractive errors on vision and developmental quotient (DQ). METHODS: In this case series data with pre–post design, 100 consecutive children from 1 to 5 years of age diagnosed with GDD attending the child development clinic and referred to ophthalmology were evaluated for ocular complaints, status of visual acuity, and type of refractive error. Glasses were prescribed on the basis of cycloplegic retinoscopy. Etiological diagnosis and DQ were documented. Follow-up was done after 6 months for visual acuity, DQ, and qualitative questionnaire administered for the caretaker. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test. RESULTS: Fifty-six children were 2.5 years. Severe GDD prevalence was more in children 2.5 (50%). Of 47 who showed improvement in vision, 39 (71%) showed improvement in social behavior also, which was statistically significant. In children

Abstract Sheshanath V. Bhosale received his PhD from Freie University Berlin (Germany) in supramolecular chemistry under the supervision of Prof. J. H. Fuhrhop in 2004. He then pursued his postdoctoral studies with Prof. S. Matile at University of Geneva (Switzerland) under the auspices of a Roche Foundation Fellowship. This was followed by a stay at Monash University (Australia) for 5 years as an ARC‐APD Fellow. He worked at RMIT University, Melbourne (Australia) for 6 years as ARC‐Future Fellowship. Currently, Prof. Bhosale is working at the Department of Chemistry, Goa University (India) as a UGC‐FRP Professor, His research interests lie in the design and synthesis of π‐functional materials, especially small molecules, for sensing, biomaterials, and supramolecular chemistry applications. So far, Prof. Bhosale has produced 185 research articles and his work has been cited more than 4400 times, giving him an h‐index of 32. He currently serves as an active Editorial Board member for ChemistryOpen.

Background: Domestic violence against women is a major public health problem leading to violation of women's human right. It occurs in different forms such as physical, verbal, psychological, and sexual. Domestic violence does not take place itself, there are various reason associated with men and women both. The type of domestic violence and reasons for it differ depending on the associated risk factors. Most commonly seen risk factors are low level of education of both wife and husband, poverty, harmful use of alcohol by husband,and accepting violence as male privilege etcetera. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the factors associated with domestic violence among married women of urban slums. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted among 385 married women aged between 15 and 49 years residing in slum areas. Information was collected on sociodemographic factors and types of domestic violence after obtaining written consent. Pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Chi-square, univariate, and multivariate analysis test was done to find the association of the factors with domestic violence. Results: Domestic violence was statistically associated with the low level of education, low socio-economic status, and employment status of the respondents. It was also associated with education level and alcohol use by their husbands. Conclusions: Women's empowerment as far as education and overall socio-economic development may reduce domestic violence.

Production of mycophenolic acid (MPA) by submerged fermentation using the microfungus Penicillium brevicompactum MTCC 8010 is reported here. Screening experiments were used to identify: the suitable media composition; the optimal initial pH; and the optimal incubation temperature to maximize the production of MPA in batch cultures. The initial concentrations of the selected sources of carbon (glucose), nitrogen (peptone) and the precursors (methionine, glycine) were then optimized by: (1) one-at-a-time variation of factors; and (2) a central composite design (CCD) of experiments, in a 12-day batch culture at an initial pH of 5.0, an incubation temperature of 25 °C, and an agitation speed of 200 rpm. The medium optimized using the one-at-a-time variation yielded a peak MPA titer of 1232 ± 90 mg/L. The medium optimized by the CCD method yielded a 40% higher MPA titer of 1737 ± 55 mg/L. The latter value was nearly 9-fold greater than the titer achieved prior to optimization.

Statistically designed experiments were used to optimize the production of arginine deiminase (ADI) by Pseudomonas putida KT2440 in batch culture. A Plackett-Burman design involving eleven factors showed that ADI production was most influenced by the initial pH and the initial concentrations of glucose and yeast extract. A central composite experimental design showed that the optimal values of these factors were 8.0, 10 g/L and 12.5 g/L, respectively. The other components of the optimal culture medium were bacto peptone 7.5 g/L, Triton X–100 0.30% (v/v), and arginine 3 g/L, for a culture temperature of 25 °C. Compared with the basal medium, the ADI activity in the optimized medium had nearly 4.5-fold increase (4.31 U/mL). The optimized medium was then used for a further study of ADI production in a 14 L stirred tank bioreactor. The agitation speed and the aeration rates were varied to determine suitable values of these variables.

Pearl millet is an important crop for arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Genomic regions associated with combining ability for yield-related traits under irrigated and drought conditions are useful in heterosis breeding programs. Chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) are excellent genetic resources for precise QTL mapping and identifying naturally occurring favorable alleles. In the present study, testcross hybrid populations of 85 CSSLs were evaluated for 15 grain and stover yield-related traits for summer and wet seasons under irrigated control (CN) and moisture stress (MS) conditions. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects of all these traits were estimated and significant marker loci linked to GCA and SCA of the traits were identified. Heritability of the traits ranged from 53-94% in CN and 63-94% in MS. A total of 40 significant GCA loci and 36 significant SCA loci were identified for 14 different traits. Five QTLs (flowering time, panicle number and panicle yield linked to Xpsmp716 on LG4, flowering time and grain number per panicle with Xpsmp2076 on LG4) simultaneously controlled both GCA and SCA, demonstrating their unique genetic basis and usefulness for hybrid breeding programs. This study for the first time demonstrated the potential of a set of CSSLs for trait mapping in pearl millet. The novel combining ability loci linked with GCA and SCA values of the traits identified in this study may be useful in pearl millet hybrid and population improvement programs using marker-assisted selection (MAS).

Pearl millet is a climate resilient crop and one of the most widely grown millets worldwide. Heterotic hybrid development is one of the principal breeding objectives in pearl millet. In a maiden attempt to identify heterotic groups for grain yield, a total of 343 hybrid parental [maintainer (B-) and restorer (R-)] lines were genotyped with 88 polymorphic SSR markers. The SSRs generated a total of 532 alleles with a mean value of 6.05 alleles per locus, mean gene diversity of 0.55, and an average PIC of 0.50. Out of 532 alleles, 443 (83.27%) alleles were contributed by B-lines with a mean of 5.03 alleles per locus. R-lines contributed 476 alleles (89.47%) with a mean of 5.41, while 441 (82.89%) alleles were shared commonly between B- and R-lines. The gene diversity was higher among R-lines (0.55) compared to B-lines (0.49). The unweighted neighbor-joining tree based on simple matching dissimilarity matrix obtained from SSR data clearly differentiated B- lines into 10 sub-clusters (B1 through B10), and R- lines into 11 sub-clusters (R1 through R11). A total of 99 hybrids (generated by crossing representative 9 B- and 11 R- lines) along with checks were evaluated in the hybrid trial. The 20 parents were evaluated in the line trial. Both the trials were evaluated in three environments. Based on per se performance, high sca effects and standard heterosis, F1s generated from crosses between representatives of groups B10R5, B3R5, B3R6, B4UD, B5R11, B2R4, and B9R9 had high specific combining ability for grain yield compared to rest of the crosses. These groups may represent putative heterotic gene pools in pearl millet.

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a staple crop for the people of arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It is fast gaining importance as a climate resilient nutricereal. Exploiting the bold seeded, semi-dwarf, and early flowering genotypes in pearl millet is a key breeding strategy to enhance yield, adaptability, and for adequate food in resource-poor zones. Genetic variation for agronomic traits of pearl millet inbreds can be used to dissect complex traits through quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. This study was undertaken to map a set of agronomically important traits like flowering time (FT), plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), and grain weight (self and open-pollinated seeds) in the recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of ICMB 841-P3 × 863B-P2 cross. Excluding grain weight (open pollinated), heritabilities for FT, PH, PL, grain weight (selfed) were in high to medium range. A total of six QTLs for FT were detected on five chromosomes, 13 QTLs for PH on six chromosomes, 11 QTLs for PL on five chromosomes, and 14 QTLs for 1,000-grain weight (TGW) spanning five chromosomes. One major QTL on LG3 was common for FT and PH. Three major QTLs for PL, one each on LG1, LG2, and LG6B were detected. The large effect QTL for TGW (self) on LG6B had a phenotypic variance (R2) of 62.1%. The R2 for FT, TGW (self), and PL ranged from 22.3 to 59.4%. A total of 21 digenic interactions were discovered for FT (R2 = 18–40%) and PL (R2 = 13–19%). The epistatic effects did not reveal any significant QTL × QTL × environment (QQE) interactions. The mapped QTLs for flowering time and other agronomic traits in present experiment can be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) breeding programs.

Background: Musculoskeletal back and joint pain is common in rural agrarian communities in India. Objectives: To understand the healthcare seeking behavior for back and joint pain among adults in rural Gadchiroli, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 315 randomly selected respondents from 84 villages between 30 and 60 years of age was conducted by community health workers (CHWs) between October 2010 and January 2011. Results: Among 280 respondents on whom good quality data were available, 215 (76.8%) respondents had back and/or joint pain in 6 months preceding the survey. A majority of the respondents with pain had sought care (170; 79.1%), mainly from private practitioners (116; 68.2%). Severe pain and inability to work were the reasons to seek care. Complete pain relief was considered the major indicator of an effective treatment. Injectable medications (127; 59.1%) and intravenous fluids (92; 42.8%) were considered highly effective; while about 50% were unaware of the role of physiotherapy and surgery for this problem. When asked about the preferred provider who should provide village level treatment of this problem, more than half (135; 62.8%) of the respondents chose a trained village health worker. Conclusions: A majority of the individuals with back and/or joint pain in rural Gadchiroli seek care, mainly from private practitioners. However, for the village-level treatment of this problem, respondents preferred a trained village level worker. High expectation of complete pain relief, preference for injectable medications, and low awareness about nonpharmacological modalities will be the major challenges while providing community level care for this problem.

Background: Tongue cancer is one of the common cancers in head and neck region. Cervical node metastasis is the strongest poor prognostic factor. Other prognostic factors were also said to be of significance. Our aim was to find out the significant prognostic factors of tumor aggressiveness in Indian perspective. Material and Methods: Sixty cases of early cancer of oral tongue with clinically non palpable neck nodes were managed by upfront surgery. Surgeries performed for the primary tumor were ‘wide excision’ or ‘hemiglossectomy’ along with neck dissection. Patients were then given post-operative radiotherapy according to standard guidelines. They were analyzed using a detailed proforma. Three patients were lost to follow-up rest all patients were followed. Results: Recurrence was seen in 11 out of 60 patients (18.3%), in an average follow-up period of about 28 months. Among those who recurred, one patient had both nodal and local recurrence, 2 patients had nodal only (regional) recurrence and rest 8 patients had local recurrence. The prognostic factors that significantly affected the recurrence were endo-phytic disease, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, muscle invasion, healthy margin and adjuvant radiotherapy. Conclusion: The risk factors for recurrence in early lesions of oral tongue are - Cervical nodal metastasis, Lymphatic permeation, Depth of disease - 6 mm or more, poorly differentiated tumor, Endophytic (infiltrative) disease, Young age at presentation and Muscle invasion. In early tongue lesions, that are node negative, selective node dissection (SND) including level 1, 2, 3 and 4, is a viable option for neck to decrease the morbidity of MND.

Purpose: Pyrazolines and its derivatives are reported to possess a wide spectrum of biological activities. Many class of chemotherapeutic agents containing pyrazoline nucleus are in clinical use. The purpose of this present study was to examine whether the molecular modification might result in detection of new potent anti-tubercular agent. Materials and Methods: A series of 2-pyrazoline compounds (P13-P24) have synthesized by treating N-(substituted aryl)-acrylamide (C13-C24). The starting material was synthesized from substituted P-aminoacetophenone and substituted benzaldehyde. Their structure was confirmed by infrared and 1 H NMR spectral data. The synthesized compounds were screened for anti-tubercular activity by Microplate Alamar Blue Assay method. Results: Compound P 15 and P 20 have shown excellent anti-tubercular activity; compound P 16 and P 22 have shown significant activity as compared with the standard and rest of them have shown moderate to low anti-tubercular activity. Conclusion: These compounds may result in the potent anti-tubercular entity with molecular modification and manipulations.

Introduction: Anemia is the most prevalent worldwide nutritional problem, mainly by iron deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia leads to weakness, poor physical growth, and a compromised immune system, decreasing the capacity to fight infections and thereby increasing morbidity and is also found to impair cognitive performance in a child. Objective: To assess the severity of anaemia among urban and rural children of Belagavi Methodology: Government aided schools from Vantamuri PHC and Ramnagar UHC were selected for the study. Probability proportionate to the size sampling technique was used to select sample from each school. Students were selected from each class by simple random sampling. Hemoglobin estimation was done by using Sahli’s Acid Hematin method. Results: Prevalence of anaemia among school children in Belagavi was found to be 47.9%. A high prevalence of 57% was seen among girls and 40.5% of the boys were anaemic. Prevalence was more in rural area i.e. 52.7% compared to that of urban i.e. 43%. Mild anaemia was found to be more prevalent in both urban and rural children i.e. 28.7% and 29.7% respectively. Conclusion: The urban and rural areas in our study fall in to communities of severe public health significance (prevalence >40%). There was a higher prevalence of mild anemia as compared to moderate and severe anemia.

Introduction: Low Birth Weight is a multifaceted socio- medical and public health problem, especially in developing countries where Intrauterine Growth Retardation remains major manifestation. This study was carried out to identify obstetric risk factors for Low Birth Weight amongst full term babies born at a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: This was the retrospective record-based study, carried out at the Dr P.K Charitable Hospital of Belgaum district, South India. Records of all consecutive full term (≥37 weeks of gestation) singleton live births occurring during the period from 1st April–September 31, 2012 was examined to obtain relevant information. Results: A total of 1299 women delivered singleton live births at full term during the stipulated time period. Mean maternal age was 23.28±3.39 years, 53% were primi-gravida and 48.8% were high risk pregnancy. Low birth weight (LBW) was prevalent amongst 19.3% new born. Among the independent significant factors associated with the LBW, primigravida, hypertensive mothers, non cephalic presentation, female baby had 1.31, 1.96, 2.89 and 1.33 times higher odds of delivering/having LBW as against multigravida, normotensive mothers, cephalic presentation and male baby respectively. Conclusions: Primigravida, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, fetal presentation at delivery and sex of the new born were significantly associated with the LBW. Early identification, monitoring and management of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy eventually reduce the LBWs attributable to hypertension.

Wood poles are widely used to support overhead distribution and transmission power lines in North America and the world. These poles are vulnerable to internal deterioration due to extreme weather conditions, requiring a large number of poles to be inspected every year. This paper presents a comparative study of four stress wave-based nondestructive testing (NDT) methods commonly used for condition assessment of wood poles. These include the traditional approaches of sounding, sonic pulse velocity, and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests; and a new approach that considers the orthotropic characteristics of wood, uncertainties in the elastic properties, ultrasonic wave velocity and attenuation. Two poles with an internal hole of 4% of the cross-section are evaluated and compared by each method. Ultrasonic measurements of wave velocity and attenuation considering orthotropic characteristics of wood and uncertainties in the elastic properties provide a reliable wave-based NDT method for the detection of early decay in wood poles. Key words: wood poles, nondestructive testing, stress waves, ultrasonic pulse velocity testing, wave attenuation. Les poteaux en bois sont largement utilises pour soutenir les lignes aeriennes de distribution et de transport d'electricite en Amerique du Nord et dans le monde. Ces poteaux sont vulnerables a la deterioration interne en raison des conditions meteorologiques extremes, ce qui exige qu'un grand nombre de poteaux soient inspectes chaque annee. Cet article presente une etude comparative de quatre methodes d'essai non destructif (END) basees sur les ondes de contrainte couramment utilisees pour l'evaluation de l'etat de poteaux en bois. Il s'agit notamment de methodes traditionnelles de sondage, de la vitesse d'impulsion sonique et des essais de vitesse d'impulsion ultrasonique, et d'une nouvelle approche qui tient compte des caracteristiques orthotropes du bois, des incertitudes des proprietes elastiques, de la vitesse d'onde ultrasonique et de l'attenuation. Deux poteaux avec un trou interne de 4 % de la section transversale sont evalues et compares au moyen de chaque methode. Les mesures par ultrasons de la vitesse et de l'attenuation des ondes en tenant compte des caracteristiques orthotropes du bois et des incertitudes des proprietes elastiques fournissent une methode d'END et fiable basee sur les ondes pour la detection de la desintegration precoce de poteaux en bois. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : poteau en bois, essai non destructif, ondes de contrainte, essai de vitesse d'impulsion ultrasonique, attenuation des ondes., 1. Introduction Since the beginning of the electrification, 19th century, wood poles have been widely used by electric utility companies to support distribution and transmission power lines. Just in Ontario, [...]

In the realm of biology, peptide bonds are formed via reactive phosphate-containing intermediates, facilitated by compartmentalized environments that ensure precise coupling and folding. Herein, we use aminoacyl phosphate esters, synthetic counterparts of biological aminoacyl adenylates, that drive selective peptide bond formation through side chain-controlled reactivity and self-assembly. This strategy results in the preferential incorporation of positively charged amino acids from mixtures containing natural and non-natural amino acids during the spontaneous formation of amide bonds in water. Conversely, aminoacyl phosphate esters that lack assembly and exhibit fast reactivity result in random peptide coupling. By introducing structural modifications to the phosphate esters (ethyl vs. phenyl) while retaining aggregation, we are able to tune the selectivity by incorporating aromatic amino acid residues. This approach enables the synthesis of sequences tailored to the specific phosphate esters, overcoming limitations posed by certain amino acid combinations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a balance between electrostatic and aromatic stacking interactions facilitates covalent self-sorting or co-assembly during oligomerization reactions using unprotected N-terminus aminoacyl phosphate esters. These findings suggest that self-assembly of abiotic aminoacyl phosphate esters can activate a selection mechanism enabling the departure from randomness during the autonomous formation of amide bonds in water. In biological processes, peptide bonds are formed via reactive phosphate-containing intermediates, facilitated by compartmentalized environments. Here, the authors use aminoacyl phosphate esters that drive selective peptide bond formation through side chain-controlled reactivity and self-assembly, resulting in the preferential incorporation of positively charged amino acids from mixtures containing natural and non-natural amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]