Search

Background Children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are vulnerable to infections. Measles infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed children. A suboptimal seroprotection against measles has been shown in immunocompromised children. There is limited published literature on measles immunity in children with difficult-to-treat nephrotic syndrome (DTNS). We compared the proportions of children with DTNS and healthy controls who were seroprotected against measles. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. Measles-specific IgG antibodies of 108 children with DTNS (3 to 10 years of age) and an equal number of age-matched healthy controls were measured. All children had received two doses of measles-containing vaccine at 9-12 and 16-24 months of age under routine immunisation programme. Serum measles IgG antibody titres were measured by indirect ELISA. The assay results were interpreted as (1) > 11 NTU (NovaTec Units), positive/seroprotective titres; (2) 9-11, equivocal; and (3) < 9 NTU, negative. Inter- and intra-group comparisons were made to identify the disease characteristics related to seroprotection status. Results The proportion of children with protective anti-measles antibodies (n = 70, 65%) was significantly lower in DTNS as compared to controls (n = 88, 81.48%) (p = 0.005). Their median [IQR] antibody titres were also significantly lower than those in controls (14.1 [14] NTU vs. 18.3 [15.2] NTU (p = 0.001). The age, gender, clinical subtype, duration of disease, and type of immunosuppressive therapy were not significantly different between seroprotected and non-seroprotected children with DTNS. Conclusion A significantly lower percentage of fully vaccinated children with DTNS were seroprotected against measles compared to healthy controls. Graphical abstract A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information., Author(s): Jiten Kumar Sahoo [sup.1] , Soumya Tiwari [sup.1] , Viswas Chhapola [sup.1] , Manoj Jais [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.497270.f, 0000 0004 1767 7210, Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran [...]

When semiconductor crystals are made into the form of thin sheets, i.e., nanomembranes, their properties and behaviors may be remarkably different from their bulk counterparts. A plethora of fascinating science and important applications arise consequently, some of which are investigated in recent years, and there are still a lot more to be discovered in the future. Nanomembranes (NMs) provide a good platform for strain engineering and offer tremendous research opportunities in photonics and optoelectronics applications. Strain alters energy band line up of a material furthermore influencing its carrier mobility which impacts a wide range of applications. In this article, the strain‐engineered NMs are reviewed using semiconductor materials as a model system for photonics and optoelectronics applications. While many fundamental aspects of NMs are discussed and outlined different methods for strain engineering of NM, the use of semiconductor NMs for photonics and optoelectronics applications is the locus of the present review article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Divyani. Garg, Anshika. Gupta, Soumya. Tiwari, Suvasini. Sharma Sir, Movement disorders, particularly parkinsonism, have been uncommonly reported as a complication or sequelae of dengue encephalitis. Several other movement disorders, [...]

The operation of the utility grid is being reshaped by the continuous addition of distributed energy resources and advanced metering infrastructure, which challenge existing grid control strategies. Some utilities deploy advanced distribution management systems (ADMS) to assist with the consolidation of various applications and to augment situational awareness in response to the new power delivery dynamics. An ADMS is an integrated software platform that provides utilities with a way to enhance their reliability, control, and optimization with advanced applications, such as volt/VAR optimization (VVO). A VVO application could serve as a vehicle to deliver cost savings by providing the utility with a method to reduce rates by controlling the voltage and decreasing the energy usage in their service territory. Some utilities are reluctant to integrate an ADMS, because it is a significant investment that requires approval from the public regulatory commission and/or their customers. This paper evaluates the impact on VVO performance when using a lower-quality network model supplemented with additional measurements, which could provide an implementation for cost savings. The results show that a better model quality would provide the highest energy savings; however, some level of telemetry is necessary in all scenarios to prevent voltage exceedances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is a museum of language, culture and Indian English Literature is an expression of its people, their culture, traditions and, their ways of life. Culture is defined as common belief shared by a large group of people belonging to a particular region; is passed from one generation to other. It is set of manners, customs, practices and morals, and norms. Stories based on traditions are called Myth. They are sacred tales that explain the world and human experience and play fundamental role in society. The Present research study examines the interplay of mythological stories of Gandhari, Damayanti, Amba and how Githa Hariharan links these mythological characters with fictitious characters as portrayed by her in The Thousand Faces of Night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Most of the kidney dysfunction in HIV-positive children receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) is attributed to tenofovir. There is a paucity of data on kidney dysfunction in tenofovir-naive children. The primary objective was to know the point prevalence of albuminuria and b2-microglobulinuria in HIVinfected children aged 3-18 years receiving ART. Albuminuria and b2-microglobulinuria were used as surrogates for glomerular and tubular dysfunction, respectively. The secondary objective was to determine their predictors. Design: Cross-sectional study-design. Methods: One hundred consecutive HIV-positive children (3-18 years) on ART were included. Spot urine sample was analyzed for urinary creatinine, total protein, microalbumin, and b2-microglobulin. Albuminuria was defined as albumin to creatinine ratio of .30 mg/g; proteinuria as urine dipstick $trace or spot urine protein to creatinine ratio (uPCR) of $0.2. b2-microglobulinuria was defined as b2-microglobulin levels of .350 mg/L. Results: There were 71 boys and 29 girls. Most of the children had WHO clinical stage I and were getting zidovudine-based regimen. Only 7 children were getting tenofovir. estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate and serum creatinine were normal in all children. Approximately half (48%) had renal dysfunction in the form of glomerular dysfunction (26%), tubular dysfunction (27%), or both (5%). Age at diagnosis was significantly associated with b2-microglobulinuria (P = 0.044). None of the selected variables were associated with albuminuria. Conclusions: HIV-associated glomerular and tubular dysfunction is common in children receiving ART other than tenofovir. The standard guidelines should consider including routine urinary biomarker monitoring in children on ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]