Search

Abstract Suspended sediment concentration prediction is critical for the design of reservoirs, dams, rivers ecosystems, various operations of aquatic resource structure, environmental safety, and water management. In this study, two different machine models, namely the cascade correlation neural network (CCNN) and feedforward neural network (FFNN) were applied to predict daily-suspended sediment concentration (SSC) at Simga and Jondhara stations in Sheonath basin, India. Daily-suspended sediment concentration and discharge data from 2010 to 2015 were collected and used to develop the model to predict suspended sediment concentration. The developed models were evaluated using statistical indices like Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NES), root mean square error (RMSE), Willmott’s index of agreement (WI), and Legates–McCabe’s index (LM), supplemented by a scatter plot, density plots, histograms and Taylor diagram for graphical representation. The developed model was evaluated and compared with CCNN and FFNN. Nine input combinations were explored using different lag-times for discharge (Qt-n) and suspended sediment concentration (St-n) as input variables, with the current suspended sediment concentration as the desired output, to develop CCNN and FFNN models. The CCNN4 model with 4 lagged inputs (St-1, St-2, St-3, St-4) outperformed the other developed models with the lowest RMSE = 95.02 mg/l and the highest NES = 0.0.662, WI = 0.890 and LM = 0.668 for the Jondhara Station while the same CCNN4 model secure as the best with the lowest RMSE = 53.71 mg/l and the highest NES = 0.785, WI = 0.936 and LM = 0.788 for the Simga Station. The result shows the CCNN model was better than the FFNN model for predicting daily-suspended sediment at both stations in the Sheonath basin, India. Overall, CCNN showed better forecasting potential for suspended sediment concentration compared to FFNN at both stations, demonstrating their applicability for hydrological forecasting with complex relationships.

Abstracts: Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G-protein-coupled receptors activated by glutamate. A series of 90 novel compounds have been assessed as mGluR5 receptor antagonists. These compounds, selected post-ADMET filtering according to Lipinski's rule of five, represent structurally innovative ligands inspired by promising existing ones. Utilizing the FlexX program, the ligands were docked alongside the reference compound SIB1757 to mGluR5. Docking simulations unveiled compound 14, featuring an ortho-substituted moiety, as the most promising with a binding affinity of -47 kcal/mol, followed by compound 8 at -41 kcal/mol. A total of 31 docked molecules exhibited superior binding affinity compared to reference compounds. Subsequent molecular dynamics simulations over 100 ns confirmed the stability of protein-ligand complexes, establishing the efficacy of the selected compounds as negative allosteric modulators of mGluR5.G

In spite of the availability of inhibitors targeting the Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme, there persists a need for current medications, not solely within the realm of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) but also in diverse therapeutic domains such as cancer prevention and Alzheimer's disease treatment. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, COX-2 selective inhibitors emerged as highly sought-after NSAIDs due to their efficacy in pain alleviation and prevention of inflammatory conditions. With an in-silico approach {amalgamation of Quantum Mechanics (QM) and Molecular Mechanics (MM)}. we evaluated a series of 70 new and potential anti-inflammatory compounds based upon the derivatives of arylhydrazone, pyrrolo [3,4-d] pyridazinone, 1,5-diphenyl pyrazole, and 2-imidazoline that interact with the COX-2 receptor (PDB ID: 1CX2) via molecular docking. 14 top-ranked compounds comparable to a standard drug (SC-58) were selected for drug-likeness properties such as physicochemical and ADMET. Subsequently, a selection of 12 highly promising molecules was made, and the target prediction tool effectively identified protein targets for the COX-2 compound. Following this, FMO (Frontier Molecular Orbital) and MEP (Molecular Electrostatic Potential) studies were conducted, revealing increased stability in the drug complexes due to a larger HOMO-LUMO gap. Additionally, a noteworthy electrophilicity index indicated favorable electrophilic behavior. The study also highlighted new advantageous binding sites for these 12 analogues, suggesting their importance as potential candidates for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Abstract The present research work focused on predicting the electrical conductivity (EC) of surface water in the Upper Ganga basin using four machine learning algorithms: multilayer perceptron (MLP), co-adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (CANFIS), random forest (RF), and decision tree (DT). The study also utilized the gamma test for selecting appropriate input and output combinations. The results of the gamma test revealed that total hardness (TH), magnesium (Mg), and chloride (Cl) parameters were suitable input variables for EC prediction. The performance of the models was evaluated using statistical indices such as Percent Bias (PBIAS), correlation coefficient (R), Willmott’s index of agreement (WI), Index of Agreement (PI), root mean square error (RMSE) and Legate-McCabe Index (LMI). Comparing the results of the EC models using these statistical indices, it was observed that the RF model outperformed the other algorithms. During the training period, the RF algorithm has a small positive bias (PBIAS = 0.11) and achieves a high correlation with the observed values (R = 0.956). Additionally, it shows a low RMSE value (360.42), a relatively good coefficient of efficiency (CE = 0.932), PI (0.083), WI (0.908) and LMI (0.083). However, during the testing period, the algorithm’s performance shows a small negative bias (PBIAS = − 0.46) and a good correlation (R = 0.929). The RMSE value decreases significantly (26.57), indicating better accuracy, the coefficient of efficiency remains high (CE = 0.915), PI (0.033), WI (0.965) and LMI (− 0.028). Similarly, the performance of the RF algorithm during the training and testing periods in Prayagraj. During the training period, the RF algorithm shows a PBIAS of 0.50, indicating a small positive bias. It achieves an RMSE of 368.3, R of 0.909, CE of 0.872, PI of 0.015, WI of 0.921, and LMI of 0.083. During the testing period, the RF algorithm demonstrates a slight negative bias with a PBIAS of − 0.06. The RMSE reduces significantly to 24.1, indicating improved accuracy. The algorithm maintains a high correlation (R = 0.903) and a good coefficient of efficiency (CE = 0.878). The index of agreement (PI) increases to 0.035, suggesting a better fit. The WI is 0.960, indicating high accuracy compared to the mean value, while the LMI decreases slightly to − 0.038. Based on the comparative results of the machine learning algorithms, it was concluded that RF performed better than DT, CANFIS, and MLP. The study recommended using the current month’s total hardness (TH), magnesium (Mg), and chloride (Cl) parameters as input variables for multi-ahead forecasting of electrical conductivity (ECt+1, ECt+2, and ECt+3) in future studies in the Upper Ganga basin. The findings also indicated that RF and DT models had superior performance compared to MLP and CANFIS models. These models can be applied for multi-ahead forecasting of monthly electrical conductivity at both Varanasi and Prayagraj stations in the Upper Ganga basin.

This study investigates whether Andrographolide-loaded Lactose β-Cyclodextrin (ALN-βCD) nanoparticles enhance cognitive function, particularly spatial learning and memory. The successful conjugation of lactose to β-cyclodextrin was confirmed via 1H NMR spectroscopy, facilitating neuronal cell entry. The solvent evaporation method was used to create the nanoparticles, which were characterised for particle size, PDI, zeta potential, and drug release. The nanoparticles exhibited a size of 247.9 ± 3.2 nm, a PDI of 0.5 ± 0.02, and a zeta potential of 26.8 ± 2.5 mV. FTIR and TEM analyses, along with in vitro drug release and BBB permeability studies, confirmed their stability and efficacy. Behavioural tests, including the Elevated Plus Maze, Y-Maze, Object Recognition, and Locomotor Activity tests, demonstrated significant improvements in memory, motor coordination, and exploration time in the nanoparticle-treated groups. The group treated with ALN-βCD at a dose of 100 mg/kg/p.o. showed superior cognitive performance compared to the group receiving free andrographolides (AG). Biochemical assays indicated a significant reduction in acetylcholinesterase activity and lipid peroxidation, suggesting increased acetylcholine levels and reduced oxidative stress. Histopathological examination showed improved neuronal function without toxicity. The results showed significant improvements (p < 0.001) in memory and cognitive abilities in experimental animals, highlighting the potential of ALN-βCD nanoparticles as a non-invasive treatment for memory loss. These promising findings warrant further exploration through clinical trials.

Background: Every woman needs to know the facts, and the fact is, when it comes to breast cancer, every woman is at risk. India accounts for 7.2% of global cancer incidence, but in terms of mortality, the country accounts for 8.3% of global mortality. India faces a high burden of cancer with the late-stage presentation being a common feature. Early detection of cancer is an important strategy for improved survival and simple cost-effective treatment. Low levels of cancer awareness are a significant factor for delay in seeking treatment by women. Objective: The present study was conducted among Peripheral Health Workers (PHWs) in the Lucknow district to assess their perception of risk factors of breast cancer, knowledge of symptoms, early detection methods, and their availability in the district. Methods: The study was conducted from September 2017 to August 2018, among 450 female PHWs working in rural and urban areas of Lucknow. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information about the awareness of PHWs regarding breast cancer. The awareness score was calculated based on their responses. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 (IBM Corporation). Results: The mean score for overall knowledge of breast cancer was statistically significantly high in BHWs in comparison to ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activist). The mean knowledge score of signs and symptoms was significantly high among BHWs (Basic Health Workers). PHWs that had undergone training for breast cancer had about 5 times higher chances of having an above-median score. Conclusion: Current low awareness levels, scarcity of resources, and screening programs call for training and refresher pieces of training for peripheral level health workers to empower them to provide preventive health education and screening at the community level. Breastfeeding counseling sessions during home visits and VHNDs could be utilized as an opportunity to create awareness about breast cancer, especially its protective effect on breast cancer.

Pearl millet (Pennisetumglaucum (L.)) is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world after rice, wheat, maize and sorghum. A resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on 3 March 2021 decided to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Millet has been promoted due to its nutritional value and low irrigation requirement. In this study, pearl millet was selected for energy auditing, and its production amount is a direct function of energy input. The production of pearl millet needs to be augmented to fulfill an increasing demand. Pearl millet is produced using various sources of energy. This study was conducted to examine the energy use pattern of different categories of farmers, such as small, medium and large, for pearl millet production in Hisar district, Haryana, India. The energy was distributed in different operations, including preparatory tillage, sowing, interculture, fertilizer, irrigation, pesticide, harvesting, threshing and transportation. The source-wise energy (direct and indirect) and operation-wise energy consumption were calculated for all categories of farmers. The average energy input of small, medium and large farmers was 2849.09 MJ.ha−1, 3027.21 MJ.ha−1 and 4021.50 MJ.ha−1, respectively. The highest energy was consumed in fertilizer application (52%), with the lowest in seed (2%). The energy ratios of small, medium and large farmers were 3.92, 9.40 and 13.80, respectively. This study could improve the agricultural production systems of pearl millet regarding the energy values of the inputs and outputs.

Many people who have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have recently been diagnosed with black fungus – or mucormycosis – disease. Rhino-orbital mucormycosis is becoming more common in people with COVID-19, particularly in India. On its own, diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for severe COVID-19 and mucormycosis. The goal of this study is to conduct a review of the literature to determine the features of patients with mucormycosis and COVID-19. Increased mucormycosis in India appears to be the result of an unholy trifecta of diabetes (high hereditary incidence), corticosteroid overuse (increased blood glucose and opportunistic fungal infection), and COVID-19 (cytokine storm, lymphopenia, and endothelial damage). To limit the incidence of deadly mucormycosis, all efforts should be made to maintain optimum hyperglycemia, and only prudent evidence-based use of corticosteroids in patients with COVID-19 is advocated. In this review, we emphasize knowledge on diagnosis and therapy regarding black fungal mucormycosis, which is accompanied by post-SARS-CoV-2.

Purpose: Extraction of tear protein from Schirmer's strip is a prerequisite for the proper identification and screening of biomarkers in dry eye disease. The study compares different methods of extraction of tear proteins from the Schirmer's strip. Methods: Reflex tear was collected from healthy controls (HC; n = 12), Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS; n = 3) and dry eye disease (DED; n = 3) patients using capillary tube. This tear was used to measure the volume absorbed by Schirmer's strip per microliter. Different buffers (6) were used to compare the protein yield from the Schirmer's strip in four different conditions. The tear proteins extracted using the highest protein yield buffer were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Results: A linear relationship between the tear volume and wetting length was observed (r = 0.0.997, n = 6). The highest yield was observed after incubation of the Schirmer's strip in 100 mM ammonium bicarbonate (ABC) with 0.25% Nonidet P-40(NP-40) at 4°C for an hour (P < 0.00005). The in-solution digestion of tear eluted in the above condition 100 Mm ABC + 0.25% NP-40 with one-hour incubation yielded a total of 2119 proteins in HC, SJS, and DED. The unique protein observed in SJS and DED was 0.6% and 17.9%, respectively. The significantly expressed proteins are associated with innate immune response, proteolysis, wound healing, and defense response. Conclusion: A method for extraction of protein from Schirmer's strip was optimized for increase in protein yield from the tear sample. SJS and DED tear samples have unique protein signature. The study will aid in better design of tear protein-based experimental study.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is an important soil characteristic that controls water moves through the soil. On the other hand, its measurement is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive; hence Pedotransfer Functions (PTFs) are commonly used for its estimation. Despite significant development over the years, the PTFs showed poor performance in predicting Ks. Using Genetic Algorithm (GA), two hybrid Machine Learning based PTFs (ML-PTF), i.e. a combination of GA with Multilayer Perceptron (MLP-GA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM-GA), were proposed in this study. We compared the performances of four machine learning algorithms for different sets of predictors. The predictor combination containing sand, clay, Field Capacity, and Wilting Point showed the highest accuracy for all the ML-PTFs. Among the ML-PTFs, the SVM-GA algorithm outperformed the rest of the PTFs. It was noticed that the SVM-GA PTF demonstrated higher efficiency than the MLP-GA algorithm. The reference model for hydraulic conductivity prediction was selected as the SVM-GA PTF paired with the K-5 predictor variables. The proposed PTFs were compared with 160 models from past literature. It was found that the algorithms advocated were an improvement over these PTFs. The current model would help in efficient spatio-temporal measurement of hydraulic conductivity using pre-available databases.

Background: A characteristic feature of the cervical vertebrae (C1–C7) is the presence of a foramen tranversarium on the transverse process. The cervical vertebrae are the smallest in size as compared to the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and are characterized by a foramen in each transverse process, which is not found in any other vertebra. Except for the seventh cervical vertebra, which transmits only the vertebral vein, this foramen transmits the vertebral artery, vein, and sympathetic nerves (a branch from the cervicothoracic ganglion) in all cervical vertebrae. Any deviation in the development of the foramen transversarium (FT) causes changes in the course, relationships, and structure (stenosis and lumen narrowing) of the vertebral artery and its associated structures. Aims and Objectives: The aims of this study were to establish the location, shape, size, and incidence of accessory FT in dry human cervical vertebrae of Eastern Indian population. Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 170 dry cervical vertebrae (Typical-123 and Atypical-47) of unknown sex and age after getting approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Range, frequencies, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and P value were calculated. P

Introduction: Incomplete information in the referral letters may result in a delayed diagnosis, polypharmacy, and wasteful duplication of laboratory testing, which negatively impact patient care. The aim of the present study was to assess the quality (completeness and legibility) of obstetric referral documents sent by health personnel of lower-level public health facilities to a tertiary health care facility. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 675 pregnant women referred to a tertiary care centre from public health facilities of Lucknow and other districts of the state of Uttar Pradesh, from October 2019 to September 2020. Systematic random sampling was used to select the study participants. Data was analysed using Statistical Package Social Sciences 24 and presented as frequencies, percentages, and graphs. A p-value

Problem considered: The initial foods that children have are critical not only for their immediate survival but also for their long-term potential. This study was done to describe the complementary feeding practices in children aged 6–23 months in rural Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and to identify the factors associated with appropriate feeding practices. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of Lucknow district in Uttar Pradesh. The calculated sample of 300 mother-child pairs were selected by multistage random sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysis was done using IBM-SPSS version 26. Results: Grains and pulses were the most commonly consumed food groups by children aged 6–23 months. Nearly two-thirds of children had consumed unhealthy food, 20% had sweet beverages and 61% had zero vegetable or fruit consumption in previous twenty-four hours. Appropriate complementary feeding was seen in 51.3% children and it was found to be significantly associated with educational status of mothers, if the mothers had received counselling regarding complementary feeding and on maternal dietary diversity. Conclusion: The diet of children aged 6–23 months in rural Lucknow needs improvement in diversity. Poor vegetable/fruit consumption and high consumption of unhealthy foods is a detrimental trend. Focus should be provided on maternal education and counselling to improve complementary feeding practices.

This study aims to redefine obesity cut-off points for body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index (FMI) according to the different age groups of physically active males. Healthy physically active volunteers (N = 1442) aged 18–57 years (y), with a mean BMI = 22.7 ± 2.8 kg/m2, and mean FMI = 4.3 ± 1.7 kg/m2 were recruited from various fitness centers. BMI was calculated and individuals were categorized according to the Asia–Pacific BMI criterion of ≤22.9 kg/m2 and the previous WHO-guided BMI criterion of ≤24.9 kg/m2. FMI was also calculated for the study participants with a cut-off of 6.6 kg/m2. Redefining of BMI and FMI cut-off values was carried out based on different age groups categorized with a difference of 10 y and 5 y using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Youden’s index. For the entire study population, BMI redefined cut-off points for overweight and obesity were 23.7 kg/m2 and 24.5 kg/m2, respectively, while FMI redefined cut-off points for overweight and obesity were 4.6 kg/m2 and 5.7 kg/m2, respectively. With 10 y of age group difference, a constant BMI and FMI values were observed, while with 5 y of age group difference, a constant increase in the BMI cut-offs was observed as the age group increased, i.e., from 23.3 kg/m2 in 20–24 y to 26.6 kg/m2 in ≥45 y and a similar trend was seen in FMI cut-offs. To conclude, our study suggests that age-dependent BMI and FMI cut-off points may provide appropriate measurements for physically active males as the age group increases.

INTRODUCTION: Measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) is important for skeletal health. Several factors such as age, gender, dietary habits, exposure to sunlight, lifestyle, and bodyweight influence BMD directly or indirectly. People living in metropolitan cities are at risk of low BMD due to low Vitamin D status and less physical activity. This study aimed to evaluate BMD status of office workers and also establish a correlation between body composition and BMD with different age groups and dietary habits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was carried out on 175 participants with 124 males and 51 females. Body composition was determined using bioelectrical impedance and BMD measurements were made using peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: A strong and positive correlation was observed between body composition and BMD. Fat-free mass (FFM) has a more significant correlation than fat Mass with BMD. Handgrip strength was significantly higher in the right forearm (RF) of nonvegetarians. When compared with the Indian reference range, 20% of males and 23.5% of females had low BMD at the measurement site, ultradistal forearm. Both male and female participants below 30 years of age had higher BMD compared to participants above 30 years of age. CONCLUSION: It was observed that there were no statistically significant differences in BMD of vegetarians and nonvegetarians. It was also seen that the bone density decreases while the age increases. It may be due to inadequate nutrition, poor lifestyle, physical inactivity, and many more. Bone health is a major public concern and should be taken seriously where osteoporosis and fracture risks are considered.

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LYP) is a chronic CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder that is rare among adults and even rarer in children. The disease is characterized by recurrent self-healing papulonodular eruptions that follow waxing and waning course over the years with an excellent prognosis. In adults, LYP is associated with an increased (10%–20%) risk of secondary lymphomas. The clinical features, course of the disease, and the risk of associated lymphoid malignancies in children are comparable with those of adults. We present a 16-year-old boy with 4-year history of asymptomatic, recurrent papulonodular lesions on the arms, right axilla, trunk, groin, and legs, healing with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and atrophic scars. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry studies of these lesions are consistent with CD30+ LYP. We also discuss LYP in children with available literature.

The manual stalk cutting and grading of garlic (Allium sativum L.) is inconsistent, inefficient and demands skilled labour. A garlic stalk cutter-cum-grader was developed at the Department of Processing and Food Engineering, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana during 2018–19, along with performance evaluation and optimization of working parameters using response surface methodology. The machine comprises of four major units, viz. cutting unit, grading unit, reciprocating assembly and a transmission system. The performance evaluation indicated that there was a significant effect of feed (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 stalks) and moisture content (14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 (±1% in all levels, wet bulb) of the stalk on the performance parameters. The capacity of the machine increased with moisture content and feed rate. The grading efficiency first increased and then decreased with moisture content, whereas it decreased with an increase in feed rate. The bulb damage increased with a decrease in moisture content, whereas the effect of feed was minimal. The cutting efficiency decreased with an increase in the stalk feed rate and moisture content. A moisture content of 30.98% and feed of 3.75 stalks were found optimal, close to the moisture content of 31% and feed of 4 stalks and recommended for the best performance of the machine.

The development of potent non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNIs) could be an alternate strategy to combating infectious bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), other than the traditional vaccination. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is an essential enzyme for viral replication; therefore, it is one of the primary targets for countermeasures against infectious diseases. The reported NNIs, belonging to the classes of quinolines (2h: imidazo[4,5-g]quinolines and 5m: pyrido[2,3-g] quinoxalines), displayed activity in cell-based and enzyme-based assays. Nevertheless, the RdRp binding site and microscopic mechanistic action are still elusive, and can be explored at a molecular level. Here, we employed a varied computational arsenal, including conventional and accelerated methods, to identify quinoline compounds’ most likely binding sites. Our study revealed A392 and I261 as the mutations that can render RdRp resistant against quinoline compounds. In particular, for ligand 2h, mutation of A392E is the most probable mutation. The loop L1 and linker of the fingertip is recognized as a pivotal structural determinant for the stability and escape of quinoline compounds. Overall, this work demonstrates that the quinoline inhibitors bind at the template entrance channel, which is governed by conformational dynamics of interactions with loops and linker residues, and reveals structural and mechanistic insights into inhibition phenomena, for the discovery of improved antivirals.

Head and neck cancers are among the deadliest cancers, ranked sixth globally in rates of high mortality and poor patient prognoses. The prevalence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is associated with smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Despite several advances in diagnostic and interventional methods, the morbidity of subjects with HNSCC has remained unchanged over the last 30 years. Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA hypermethylation, are commonly associated with several cancers, including HNSCC. Thus, epigenetic changes are considered promising therapeutic targets for chemoprevention. Here, we investigated the effect of EGCG on DNA hypermethylation and the growth of HNSCC. First, we assessed the expression levels of global DNA methylation in HNSCC cells (FaDu and SCC-1) and observed enhanced methylation levels compared with normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE). Treatment of EGCG to HNSCC cells significantly inhibited global DNA hypermethylation by up to 70–80% after 6 days. Inhibition of DNA hypermethylation in HNSCC cells was confirmed by the conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5-mc) into 5-hydroxy methylcytosine (5hmC). DNA methyltransferases regulate DNA methylation. Next, we checked the effect of EGCG on the expression levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and DNMT activity. Treatment of EGCG to HNSCC cells significantly reduced DNMT activity to 60% in SCC-1 and 80% in FaDu cells. The protein levels of DNMT3a and DNMT3b were downregulated in both cell lines after EGCG treatment. EGCG treatment to HNSCC cells reactivated tumor suppressors and caused decreased cell proliferation. Our in vivo study demonstrated that administration of EGCG (0.5%, w/w) as a supplement within an AIN76A diet resulted in inhibition of tumor growth in FaDu xenografts in nude mice (80%; p < 0.01) compared with non-EGCG-treated controls. The growth inhibitory effect of dietary EGCG on the HNSCC xenograft tumors was associated with the inhibition of DNMTs and reactivation of silenced tumor suppressors. Together, our study provides evidence that EGCG acts as a DNA demethylating agent and can reactivate epigenetically silenced tumor suppressors to inhibit the growth of HNSCC cells.

BackgroundAntibody testing is often used for serosurveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence-based antibody tests are quite sensitive and specific for such serological testing. Rapid antibody tests against different antigens are developed and effectively used for this purpose. However, their diagnostic efficiency, especially in real-life hospital setting, needs to be evaluated. Thus, the present study was conducted in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in New Delhi, India, to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of a rapid antibody kit against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).MethodsSixty COVID-19 confirmed cases by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were recruited and categorized as early, intermediate, and late cases based on the days passed after their first RT-PCR–positive test report, with 20 subjects in each category. Twenty samples from pre-COVID era and 20 RT-PCR–negative collected during the study period were taken as controls. immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the RBD of the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by rapid antibody test and compared with the total antibody against the nucleocapsid (N) antigen of SARS-CoV-2 by electrochemiluminescence-based immunoassay (ECLIA).ResultsThe detection of IgM against the RBD of the spike protein by rapid kit was less sensitive and less specific for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, diagnostic efficacy of IgG by rapid kit was highly sensitive and specific when compared with the total antibody against N antigen measured by ECLIA.ConclusionIt can be concluded that detection of IgM against the RBD of S protein by rapid kit is less effective, but IgG detection can be used as an effective diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2 infection in real-life hospital setting.

Abstract Background NFHS-4 stated high unmet need for family planning (FP) among married women in Uttar Pradesh. Unmet need is highest among age groups: 15–19 and 20–24 years. Currently few data is available about unmet need for FP among vulnerable section of the community, i.e.15–24 year’s age group living in the urban slums. Therefore this study was conducted to assess the unmet need for FP services and its determinants among this under-privileged and under-served section of society residing in urban slums of Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods Cross sectional study was conducted in the slums of Lucknow, India. One Urban-Primary Health Centre (U-PHC) was randomly selected from each of the eight Municipal Corporation zones in Lucknow and two notified slums were randomly selected from each U-PHC. All the households in the selected slums were visited for interviewing 33 young married women (YMW) in each slum, with a pre-structured and pre tested questionnaire, to achieve the sample size of 535. Analysis of the data was done using logistic regression. Results The unmet need for family planning services among YMW was 55.3%. About 40.9% of the unmet need was for spacing methods and 14.4% for limiting methods. Important reasons cited for unmet need for family planning services were negligent attitude of the women towards family planning, opposition by husband or others, embarrassment / hesitation / shyness for contraceptive use, poor knowledge of the FP method or availability of family planning services. Among method related reasons health concerns and fear of side effects were frequently cited reasons. On multiple logistic regression: age, educational status, duration of marriage, number of pregnancies, knowledge of contraceptive methods, opposition to contraceptive use and contact with Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) showed independently significant association with unmet need for family planning services. Conclusions Unmet need for family planning services is very high among the YMW of urban slums. The findings stress that program managers should take into cognizance these determinants of high level of unmet need for family planning among YMW and make intense efforts for addressing these issues in a holistic manner.

Background: Skeletal muscle transcriptome has been analyzed to report muscle-specific biomarkers, but muscle heterogeneity has largely been overlooked in pursuit of formulating a balanced design. Given the heterogeneity of muscle tissue in terms of both function and fiber-type composition, there could be several unaccounted sources of variation affecting the gene expression profile of skeletal muscles. Categorization of muscle transcriptome according to the source of variation will not only improve the power of transcriptome comparison tests but also will help to identify unaccounted biological sources of variation. Materials and Methods: Gene expression profile of normal skeletal muscle subjects (GSE18732) were analyzed with R-statistical software and Bioconductor packages. Gene-sets were prepared by grouping Affymetrix probes according to biological processes they were annotated. Coherence score and associated P values were calculated for each gene-set. All gene-sets having P < 0.05 were selected as coherent gene-set. Results: We have analyzed gene-sets and used coherence scores to measure the degree of coregulation between genes of a gene-set. We have shown that coherent gene-sets have a better chance to classify samples into biologically relevant subgroups as compared to noncoherent gene-sets. Further, we have applied the developed method to the muscle gene expression profiles and found that muscle fiber-type proportion in collected biopsies is one of the most prominent unaccounted “source of variations” affecting gene expression measurements. Conclusion: The sample classification produced based on the expression profile of genes belonging to coherent gene-sets has a better chance to result in biologically meaningful clusters.

Power electronic converters are used for an efficient and controlled conversion of power generated from renewable energy sources and can interface generated power to the grid. Among available power converters, voltage source inverters (VSIs) have been widely employed for grid-connected applications due to better controllability with higher efficiency. Although various conventional, as well as modern control techniques, have been developed for grid connected VSI system, there is a need to select suitable control technique based on application and control requirements. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) is considered as a realistic approach for the development of system and control due to the inclusion of an actual hardware system. In this paper, a HIL approach is adopted for the comprehensive analysis and development of a grid connected VSI system using a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The control techniques must deal with trade-off, based on the features and limitations. Therefore, a grid-connected VSI system is developed considering employment of two different conventional control techniques: hysteresis current control (HCC) and PI-based space vector modulation (PI-SVM), as well as finite state model predictive control (FS-MPC) as a modern control technique for investigation considering different parameters. All three control systems are developed through a digital simulator of Xilinx that is integrated with MATLAB-Simulink, while considering an FPGA based system development and testing through FPGA HIL co-simulation methodology.

Introduction: Breastfeeding is very important for the infant and for the mother. Breastfeeding practices in India and abroad are not up to the mark, and they pose serious health risk to the mothers and the babies. Methodology: This single-group before–after intervention study was conducted to assess the impact of positive deviance (PD) approach on knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices among tribal pregnant women. The sample size was 376. Data were collected using convenient sampling method. At first, we identified eight positive deviants from that area. They were trained by the investigator regarding EBF practices. They were also motivated to share their knowledge and practices in the community. Results: It was observed that knowledge regarding initiation of breastfeeding (

INTRODUCTION: C4D is a well-known biomarker of complement cascade. The utility of C4D in identification of antibody-mediated rejection has been known since its incorporation in Banff classification in 2003. Recently, many researchers have turned their attention to C4D deposition in native renal diseases. The present study was done at our tertiary care center to adjudge the significance of C4D deposits in native renal diseases across Indian cohort of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was done on fifty cases of native renal diseases and followed up at 6 months. C4D immunohistochemical analysis was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded renal tissue sections with antibody against C4D (polyclonal rabbit immunoglobulin G antihuman C4D antibody). RESULTS: All cases of membranous nephropathy, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, and hypertensive nephropathy showed glomerular C4D positivity ranging from 2+ to 3+. Nearly 50%, 50%, 43%, and 40% cases of diabetic nephropathy, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, and postinfectious glomerulonephritis, respectively, demonstrated positive glomerular C4D deposits. Increased intensity expression of glomerular C4D deposits was in significant concordance with presenting 24 h urinary protein level at the time of biopsy and in follow-up trends; C4D positive cases were noted to have slowed recovery process as evidenced by delay in returning to normal range proteinuria. Higher histological grades in respective native diseases' classification correlated with increased glomerular C4D intensity expression. C4D positivity in other renal compartments did not yield any significant results. CONCLUSION: C4D positivity can be explored as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in native renal diseases as well, apart from transplant biopsies' evaluation

In this paper we have proposed an imputation method based on a family of factor-type estimator to deal with the problem of non-response assuming that the target population has been sampled at two different occasions. The aim is to estimate the current population mean on the basis of matching the sample from the previous occasion and on the basis of fresh sample selected at the current occasion. It has been assumed that the non-response is exhibited by the population at both the occasions and, therefore, the imputation of missing values is required in both the samples, namely, matched sample and fresh sample. Accordingly, a combined point estimator has been suggested after imputation which generates a one-parameter family of estimators. The properties of the estimator have been investigated and the replacement policy has been discussed. Finally, the comparison of the proposed class has been made with another estimator for their performances.

Abstract Background Oncogenic Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are closely associated with anal cancer which is high among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected males. There are no data regarding anal HPV infection and cytological abnormalities in HIV positive males receiving free therapy in the national program. Thus, this cross-sectional study was performed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of anal HPV infection and cytological abnormalities in HIV positive males. Methods We screened 126 HIV-positive male patients attending the antiretroviral treatment center (ART) between 2014 and 2015 with anal papanicolaou smear cytology and HPV-DNA testing. HPV-DNA was detected by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method with two consensus primer sets E6 and MY09/11 and further analyzed for the presence of various HPV genotype by Sanger sequencing. Risk factors associated with anal cytological abnormalities and HPV infection was analyzed by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Results Out of 126, 52 were on antiretroviral therapy. 91% were married to female partners but during the study 48 (38%) gave positive history of anal intercourse with other men. Anal cytology was done in 95 patients, out of which 60 (63.15%) had cytological abnormalities. LSIL (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions) was present in 27 (45%), ASCUS (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance) in 31 (52%) and ASC-H (atypical squamous cells cannot exclude a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion) in 2 (3.33%). In multivariate analysis, the risk factors for cytological abnormality were presence of history of anal intercourse (OR, 6.1; 95% CI, 2.0–18.7) and WHO stage III & IV (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.1–7.5). HPV-DNA was detected in 33/119 (27.73%) patients. The most prevalent HPV type in the study was HPV-16 (10.08%), other HPV types detected were 18,31,35,17,66,72,52,68 and 107 (17.65%). Conclusions High prevalence of anal cytological abnormalities in our study suggests that regular anal Pap smear screening should be done in HIV positive males in the ART center.

Previously, we and others have shown that the regular intake of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) reduces ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced skin cancer by targeting multiple signaling pathways, including DNA damage, DNA repair, immunosuppression, and inflammation. Here, we determine the effect of GTPs on UVB-induced epigenetic changes, emphasizing DNA hypermethylation in UV-exposed skin and tumors and their association with miR-29, a key regulator of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). Skin cancer was induced in SKH-1 hairless mice following repeated exposures of UVB radiation (180 mJ/cm2, three times/week, 24 weeks) with or without GTPs supplementation (0.2%) in drinking water. Regular intake of GTPs inhibited tumor growth by hindering the cascade of DNA hypermethylation events. GTPs supplementation significantly blocked UVB-induced DNA hypermethylation in the skin (up to 35%; p < 0.0001) and in tumors (up to 50%; p < 0.0001). Experimental results showed that the levels of DNA hypermethylation were higher in GTPs-treated mice than in the control group. The expressions of miR-29a, miR-29b, and miR-29c were markedly decreased in UV-induced skin tumors, and GTPs administration blocked UVB-induced miR-29s depletion. Furthermore, these observations were verified using the in vitro approach in human skin cancer cells (A431) followed by treatment with GTPs or mimics of miR-29c. Increased levels of miR-29 were observed in GTPs-treated A431 cells, resulting in increased TET activity and decreased DNA hypermethylation. In conclusion, UVB-mediated miR-29 depletion promotes DNA hypermethylation and leads to enhanced tumor growth by silencing tumor suppressors. Regular intake of GTPs rescued UVB-induced miR-29 depletion and prevented tumor growth by maintaining reduced DNA hypermethylation and activating tumor suppressors. Our observations suggest that miR-based strategies and regular consumption of GTPs could minimize the risk of UVB-induced skin cancers and contribute to better management of NMSCs.

Purpose: Overexpression of the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins have been demonstrated in a variety and of solid tumors including melanomas and nonmelanomas skin cancers. X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is an inhibitor of apoptosis which prevents apoptosis by inhibiting caspases 9, 7, and 3. The prognostic value of XIAP in sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGC) remains unexplored. Methods: The immunohistochemical expression of XIAP was evaluated in 29 SGC cases. Results: The cytoplasmic overexpression of XIAP was detected in 62% SGC cases. XIAP expression was found to be significantly associated with advanced age, large tumor size, and with reduced disease-free survival (P = 0.0174). XIAP expression and advance tumor Grade III emerged as significant risk factors on univariate analysis. On stepwise multivariate analysis, both increased cytoplasmic XIAP expression and high tumor grade were found to be significantly associated with recurrence. Patients with low XIAP immunoexpression had a longer disease-specific survival than those with high expression in the 5-year follow-up. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates at the immunohistochemical level that XIAP is overexpressed in SGC and that high expression could be of biological significance in the development of eyelid SGC. Our finding suggests that up-regulation of XIAP may aggravate tumor metastasis in SGC.

Introduction: HIV/AIDS is one of the most devastating illnesses that humanity has ever faced. Depression in HIV/AIDS patients is very common but the factors affecting it are not well studied. Therefore, the present study aims to assess the prevalence and the predictors of depression among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2013 to March 2014 at antiretroviral therapy centers of two tertiary care hospitals in Lucknow and a total of 322 adult HIV patients on antiretroviral treatment for at least 6 months were interviewed with the help of a predesigned and pretested schedule. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit the patients. Becks depression inventory was used to measure depression. Results: About one-fifth (18.6%) of the patients were having depressive symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that depression was significantly associated with female gender (odds ratio [OR]: 3.45; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.50–7.90; P = 0.00), counseling gap more than 3 months (OR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.14–4.21; P = 0.04), nonadherence to treatment (OR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.47–6.19; P = 0.02), and socioeconomic status upper lower and below (OR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.12–4.21; P = 0.04). Conclusions: Low socioeconomic status, female gender, long counseling gaps more than 3 months, and nonadherence to treatment were found to be important predictors of depression. Therefore, there is a need of timely assessment of the PLHA for depression to ensure early detection and management to maintain optimal adherence to the treatment.

The oncoantigen nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK) induces cellular and humoral immune responses in patients with NPM-ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). We characterize the NPM-ALK-specific T-cell responses in a cohort of pediatric and adolescent ALCL-patients in remission without Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA)-preselection. First, we assessed NPM-ALK-reactive T-cell responses and their HLA-class I restriction in patients by using dendritic cells (DCs) transfected with in vitro transcribed (IVT) NPM-ALK-RNA for CD8 (n = 20) or CD3 (n = 9) T-cell stimulation. NPM-ALK-specific T-cells were detected in twelve of 29 patients (nine of 20 with CD8-selected and three of nine with CD3-selected cells). Recognition of NPM-ALK was restricted by HLA-C alleles in six of eight, and by HLA-B alleles in four of eight analyzed patients. No NPM-ALK-reactivity was detected in 20 healthy individuals. Second, in order to define possible immunogenic NPM-ALK-epitope regions, DCs pulsed with pools of overlapping long NPM-ALK-peptides were used to stimulate T-cells in further 22 patients and ten controls. Responsive T-cells were detected in 15 patients and in five controls. A peptide pool located in the middle of the kinase domain induced ALK-reactive T-cells in 14 of 15 responsive patients. We could narrow to single peptides between p327-p370 of NPM-ALK in four patients. In conclusion, using IVT-RNA, 40% of NPM-ALK-positive ALCL-patients in remission had detectable NPM-ALK-specific T-cell responses which were mainly restricted by HLA-B and -C alleles. Peptide stimulation of T-cells revealed responses in almost 70% of patients and allowed describing an immunogenic region located in the ALK-kinase domain.

Background: India bears highest burden of childhood morbidity and mortality due to childhood pneumonia. The study was con- ducted with aim to assess caregivers’ knowledge about signs/symptoms of childhood pneumonia and their perception about its risk factors and preventive measures. Methodology: This community based cross sectional study was carried out among 568 caregivers of 1065 under-five children. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect in- formation about bio-social profile, caregivers’ knowledge about signs & symptoms, danger signs, risk factors and preventive measures of pneumonia. Results: Majority of the respondents (88.7%) identified “cough/cold” as sign and symptom of pneumonia, followed by “chest in-drawing” (85.7%) and “fast/difficult breathing” (77.8%). Only few caregivers (9.3%) perceived “fast/difficult breathing” as danger sign and only 12% and 16.1% respectively had adequate knowledge about risk factors and preventive measures of child- hood pneumonia. The study found statistically significant associa- tion between parent’s education status and knowledge about risk factors, preventive measures and ability to recognize early danger signs of childhood pneumonia. Conclusions: The study identified significant lack of knowledge about childhood pneumonia among caregivers. Strengthening of IMNCI and community-based health education programs need to be promoted to ensure better health practices and appropriate care seeking for childhood pneumonia.

Arachis hypogea (Peanut) is one of the most important crops, and it is harvested and used for food and oil production. Being a legume crop, the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen is achieved through symbiotic association. Nitrogen deficiency is one of the major constrains for loss of crop productivity. The bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is known for interactions with plants. In this study, characteristics that promote plant growth were explored for their ability to enhance the growth of peanut plants under N2 deficit condition. In the presence of S. maltophilia, it was observed that fatty acid composition of peanut plants was influenced and increased contents of omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acid (γ-Linolenic acid) were detected. Plant growth was increased in plants co-cultivated with PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) under normal and stress (nitrogen deficient) condition. Electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, and H2O2 content reduced in plants, co-cultivated with PGPR under normal (grown in a media supplemented with N2 source; C+) or stress (nitrogen deficient N+) conditions compared to the corresponding control plants (i.e. not co-cultivated with PGPR; C-or N-). The growth hormone auxin, osmoprotectants (proline, total soluble sugars and total amino acids), total phenolic-compounds and total flavonoid content were enhanced in plants co-cultivated with PGPR. Additionally, antioxidant and free radical scavenging (DPPH, hydroxyl and H2O2) activities were increased in plants that were treated with PGPR under both normal and N2 deficit condition. Overall, these results indicate that plants co-cultivated with PGPR, S. maltophilia, increase plant growth, antioxidant levels, scavenging, and stress tolerance under N2 deficit condition. The beneficial use of bacterium S. maltophilia could be explored further as an efficient PGPR for growing agricultural crops under N2 deficit conditions. However, a detail agronomic study would be prerequisite to confirm its commercial role.

Introduction: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is a principal predictor for the success of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment. It remains as a challenge to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treatment and care with the widespread of the associated risks. Therefore, study aims to assess nonadherence level and factors associated with nonadherence to ART among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA). Materials and Methods: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted at two tertiary care hospital of Lucknow. A total of 322 adult HIV-positive patients registered in the ART center were included. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit patients. Nonadherence was assessed on the basis of pill count method. Results: A total of 10.9% of patients were found to be nonadherent to ART. Principal causes cited were being busy with other work (40.0%), felt sick or ill (28.5%), not having money (14.2%), and being away from home (11.4). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that nonadherence was significantly associated with nonbeneficial perceptions towards ART (odds ratio (OR) 18.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.2-106.6; P = 0.001), being counseled for adherence for more than 3 months (OR 13.9; 95% CI 1.6-118.9; P = 0.01), presence of depression (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.0-6.7; P = 0.04), and those who were not satisfied with healthcare facilities (OR 5.63; 95% CI 1.88-16.84; P = 0.00). Conclusion: Although adherence to ART varies between individuals and over time, the factors that affect nonadherence can be addressed with proper periodic counseling and motivation of patients and their family members. Adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) could delay the progression of this lethal disease and minimize the risk of developing drug resistance.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Finite set-model predictive control (FS-MPC) is used for power converters and drives having unique advantages as compared to the conventional control strategies. However, the computational burden of the FS-MPC is a primary concern for real-time implementation. Field programmable gate array (FPGA) is an alternative and exciting solution for real-time implementation because of the parallel processing capability, as well as, discrete nature of the hardware platform. Nevertheless, FPGA is capable of handling the computational requirements for the FS-MPC implementation, however, the system development involves multiple steps that lead to the time-consuming debugging process. Moreover, specific hardware coding skill makes it more complex corresponding to an increase in system complexity that leads to a tedious task for system development. This paper presents an FPGA-based experimental implementation of FS-MPC using the system modeling approach. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of FS-MPC in stationary αβ and rotating dq frame is considered for simulation as well as experimental result. The FS-MPC for a three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) system is developed in a realistic digital simulator integrated with MATLAB-Simulink. The simulated controller model is further used for experimental system implementation and validation using Xilinx FPGA: Zedboard Zynq Evaluation and Development Kit. The digital simulator termed as Xilinx system generator (XSG) provided by Xilinx is used for modeling-based FPGA design.

Patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma often present with B-symptoms or hemophagocytosis and generate an anti-tumor immune response. Specific serum cytokine levels or profiles may reflect the tumor burden, non-specific immune stimulation by the tumor or differences in the strength of the patients’ anti-lymphoma immunity. We systematically correlated pretreatment concentrations of 25 cytokines with clinical and biological characteristics in a well-characterized cohort of 119 uniformly treated pediatric patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Fifteen patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma in remission and 11 patients with low-stage B-cell lymphoma served as controls. Concentrations of interleukin-9, interleukin-10, interleukin-17a, hepatocyte growth factor, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and soluble CD30 were significantly higher in initial sera of patients than in the sera of subjects from both control groups, indicating an anaplastic large cell lymphoma-type cytokine signature. The levels of interleukin-6, interferon-γ, interferon γ-induced protein, and soluble interleukin-2 receptor correlated with the stage, initial general condition, minimal disseminated disease, anaplastic lymphoma kinase-antibody titers, and the risk of relapse among patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Only interleukin-6 showed an independent prognostic value in multivariate analyses. Pretreatment cytokine profiles in patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma reflect a tumor signature as well as tumor burden and also differences in the strength of the patients’ immune response.

The prevention, control, and management of sexually transmitted infections/reproductive tract infection (STI/RTI) are well-recognized cost-effective strategies for controlling the spread of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). A cross-sectional descriptive study was done over a period of 1 year to assess the prevalence of STI, knowledge level about STI, and the STI-HIV link among the female sex workers (FSWs) of Lucknow city, Uttar Pradesh, India along with their biosocial characteristics. Most of the FSWs were illiterate, married, Hindus, and belonged to general category. The prevalence rates of STI among street-based and home-based FSWs were 50.6% and 29.8%, respectively. Knowledge about the role of condom in prevention of STI and the STI-HIV link was significantly less among home-based FSWs than those who are street-based. There is a great lack in the awareness among FSWs regarding STI and their prevention. Behavior change communication (BCC) and advocacy strategy were developed, especially for the home-based group, to strengthen their knowledge regarding the STI-HIV link.

Background: Prelacteal feeding is an underestimated problem in a developing country like India, where infant mortality rate is quite high. The present study tried to find out the factors determining prelacteal feeding in rural areas of north India. Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted among recently delivered women of rural Uttar Pradesh, India. Multistage random sampling was used for selecting villages. From them, 352 recently delivered women were selected as the subjects, following systematic random sampling. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to find out the predictors for prelacteal feeding. Results: Overall, 40.1% of mothers gave prelacteal feeding to their newborn. Factors significantly associated with such practice, after simple logistic regression, were age, caste, socioeconomic status, and place of delivery. At multivariate level, age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-2.74), caste and place of delivery (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.21-4.10) were found to determine prelacteal feeding significantly, indicating that young age, high caste, and home deliveries could affect the practice positively. Conclusions: The problem of prelacteal feeding is still prevalent in rural India. Age, caste, and place of delivery were associated with the problem. For ensuring neonatal health, the problem should be addressed with due gravity, with emphasis on exclusive breast feeding.

For assuring safe maternal and newborn health, institutional delivery was given paramount importance. In India, in spite of several efforts, lesser than 40% deliveries are conducted at health facilities, mostly at private sector. The present cross-sectional study aimed to find out the determinants of preference for delivery at government hospitals in rural areas of Lucknow, a district in Uttar Pradesh. Multistage random sampling was used for selecting villages. From them, 352 recently delivered women were selected, following systematic random sampling. Overall, 84.9% of deliveries were conducted at health institutions. Out of them, 79.3% were at government hospitals. Applying multivariate logistic regression, Hindu women (odd′s ratio [OR] = 3.205), women belonging to lower socio-economic class (OR = 4.630) and late registered women (OR = 2.320) were found to be more likely to deliver at government hospitals. Attention should be given to religion, social status and timing of registration for ensuring higher fraction of deliveries at government set-up.

प्रस्तुत शोध अध्ययन में यौगिक अभ्यासों का दृष्टिहीन विद्यार्थियों के भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता स्तर पर पड़ने वाले प्रभाव का अध्ययन किया गया। इस शोध की पूर्ति के लिए छत्तीसगढ़ के रायपुर जिले के दृष्टि एवं श्रवण बाधित विद्यालय से उद्देष्यपूर्ण प्रति चयन विधि द्वारा 30 दृष्टिहीन विद्यार्थियों का चयन किया गया। प्रयोज्यो को 3 महीनों तक प्रतिदिन 50 मिनट प्रज्ञायोग व्यायाम, नाड़ीषोधन प्राणायाम, ओ३म् उच्चारण एवं नादयोग साधना का अभ्यास कराया गया। भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता स्तर को मापने के लिए ए. के. सिंह एवं श्रुति नारायण द्वारा निर्मित‘ भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता स्केल‘ का प्रयोग किया गया। इस शोध में ‘एकल समूह पूर्व-पष्चात् परीक्षण शोध अभिकल्प‘ का प्रयोग किया गया। प्राप्त आंकड़ों का विष्लेशण टी-टेस्ट सांख्यिकीय विधि द्वारा किया गया। सांख्यिकीय विष्लेशण से प्राप्त ष्जष् का मान 0.01 स्तर पर सार्थक पाया गया। परिणाम यह प्रदर्शित करता है कि यौगिक अभ्यास से दृष्टिहीन विद्यार्थियों के भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता स्तर में वृद्धि हुई। इससे यह निष्कर्ष निकलता है कि यौगिक अभ्यासों का दृष्टिहीन विद्यार्थियों की भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता स्तर पर सकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ता है। In the presented research study, the effect of yogic exercises on the emotional intelligence level of visually impaired students was studied. To fulfill the objective, 30 blind students were selected with the objective sampling method from the Visually and Hearing Impaired School in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh. The participants were made to practise the daily yogic package 50 minutes including Pragya Yoga Exercise, Nadi Shodhan Pranayama, Om chanting and Nadayoga Sadhana for 3 months. The 'Emotional Intelligence Scale' developed by Singh and Shruti Narayan was used to measure emotional intelligence level. In this research 'single group pre-post test detection design' was used. The obtained data were analyzed by the t-test statistical method. The value obtained from the statistical analysis was found to be significant at the 0.01 level. The result shows that yogic practice increased the emotional intelligence level of visually impaired students. This leads to the conclusion that yogic exercises have a positive impact on the emotional intelligence level of visually impaired students.

Patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) mount a humoral and cellular immune response against ALK. More than 90% of children and adolescents with ALK-positive ALCL have detectable anti-ALK antibodies in serum or plasma, and the antibody titer inversely correlates with the risk of relapse. ALK-specific CD8 and CD4 T cell responses have been described in patients with ALK-positive ALCL. Vaccination with ALK DNA led to protection against lymphoma growth in a murine model. Collectively, these data suggest that the ALK-specific immune response is involved in the control of the disease. The characteristics of the humoral and cellular immune response against ALK as well as tumor immune escape mechanisms have been increasingly investigated. However, tumor and host factors contributing to the individual immune response against ALK are still largely unknown. Depending on the individual strength of the immune response and its determinants, individualized immunological approaches might be appropriate for the consolidation of ALCL patients. Strategies such as ALK vaccination could be effective for those with a pre-existing anti-tumor immunity, while an allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation or check-point inhibition could be effective for others.

The conversion and control for the utilization of power generated from energy sources can be performed using a power electronic converter system. The voltage source inverter (VSI) is one of the commonly used converter topologies, being controlled by a switching control algorithm for power conversion. Finite set-model predictive control (FS-MPC) is a modern switching control algorithm and has received significant attention due to its predictive nature. In this paper, the implementation of FS-MPC is presented for the load-side current control of a three-phase VSI system using an integrated platform of MATLAB/Simulink and Xilinx system generator (XSG). The XSG provides the functionality of digital design and intuitive implementation of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) controlled systems. The additional functionality of hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) co-simulation using FPGA is used for the testing and validation of controller performance. The controller performance is validated through three platforms: MATLAB/Simulink, XSG and HIL co-simulation using ZedBoard Zynq evaluation and development FPGA kit.

Introduction: The present study aimed to estimate the out of pocket expenditure incurred and the various factors determining catastrophic health expenditure while receiving ART services. Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted at two tertiary care hospitals of Lucknow for a period of six months. A total of 322 HIV-positive patients were interviewed face to face about their various expenses during the visit to ART centre. Result: Mean out of pocket expenditure of the patients attending ART centre INR 312.26 ± 20.06. Catastrophic out-of-pocket ex- penditure incurred in about one-fifth (16.1%) patients attending the ART centre. Multiple logistic regression revealed distance trav- elled more than hundred kilometres to reach ART centre (OR 9.59; 95% CI 1.43–64.267; p = 0.02) and lower socioeconomic class (OR 10.31; 95% CI 2.30–44.58; p = 0.00) were found to be independent predictors of catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure. Conclusions: Decentralisation of ART programme up to grass root level, integration of HIV/AIDS-related services into primary health care services and bridging of the loop holes like effective convening of various government benefit schemes to patients dur- ing their visit to ART centre and there by promoting utilisation could reduce their financial burden for care and treatment.

Introduction: Changing family structure (Joint to Nuclear), increased life expectancy above 60 years of age, generation and communication gap, financial dependency on children leads to conflict among family members. This may sometime lead to old age home settlement of elderly people. All these condition leads to isolation and insecurity among elderly people and this condition affect the mental status of elderly people which may sometime lead to depression among Old Age Homes residents and family living elderly people. Objective: To study the prevalence of depression and diagnosed systemic morbidities among elderly people. To study the predictors of depression among study subjects. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly people (age ≥60 years) residing in old age homes (OAHs) and in community/families in Lucknow, India. Multistage sampling technique was used to include required sample of subjects from the community and for OAHs all the elderly people living in OAHs were included. Geriatric depression scale was used to screen depression. Results: Depression was 27.7% among elderly people residing in OAHs while it was 15.6% those residing at their own homes. In community most frequent morbidity was hypertension (17.7%) while 41.1% elderly people had no diagnosed morbidity. In OAHs out of total the musculoskeletal morbidity (33.7%) was most frequent and 18.8% had no diagnosed morbidity. On multivariate analysis financial dependency and education were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Depression was more common among elderly living in Old Age Homes as compare to those living in community. Hypertension, musculoskeletal morbidities and eye related morbidities were most frequent diagnosed morbidities. Financial Dependency & Education were found to be primary predictors of depression.

Salicornia brachiata is an extreme halophyte that grows luxuriantly in coastal marshes. Previously, we have reported isolation and characterization of ESTs from Salicornia with large number of novel/unknown salt-responsive gene sequences. In this study, we have selected a novel salt-inducible gene SbSI-2 (Salicornia brachiata salt-inducible-2) for functional characterization. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that SbSI-2 protein has predicted nuclear localization signals and a strong protein-protein interaction domain. Transient expression of the RFP:SbSI2 fusion protein confirmed that SbSI-2 is a nuclear-localized protein. Genomic organization study showed that SbSI-2 is intronless and has a single copy in Salicornia genome. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed higher SbSI-2 expression under salt stress and desiccation conditions. The SbSI-2 gene was transformed in E. coli and tobacco for functional characterization. pET28a-SbSI-2 recombinant E. coli cells showed higher tolerance to desiccation and salinity compared to vector alone. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing SbSI-2 have improved salt- and osmotic tolerance, accompanied by better growth parameters, higher relative water content, elevated accumulation of compatible osmolytes, lower Na+ and ROS accumulation and lesser electrolyte leakage than the wild-type. Overexpression of the SbSI-2 also enhanced transcript levels of ROS-scavenging genes and some stress-related transcription factors under salt and osmotic stresses. Taken together, these results demonstrate that SbSI-2 might play an important positive modulation role in abiotic stress tolerance. This identifies SbSI-2 as a novel determinant of salt/osmotic tolerance and suggests that it could be a potential bioresource for engineering abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.

Introduction: Anemia is a great challenge for maternal health in India, affecting more than half of the pregnant mothers. For combating this, iron supplementation during pregnancy has long been recognized as a way. Recent document indicates that only 23% women consumed iron tablets for at least 90 days during pregnancy. In this perspective, the present study aimed to find out the socio-economic determinants of 100 iron and folic acid tablets consumption in rural Lucknow, India. Methods: The cross-sectional study, conducted in 2009-10, used a structured questionnaire to collect data from 352 recently delivered women, following systematic random sampling. Variables of interest included age, religion, education, socio economic status, family type, parity, timing of ante-natal registration and number of ante-natal care visits. Predictors were found out using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Results: Overall, 83.5% of the women received 100 iron and folic acid tablets during their pregnancy but, only 36.9% consumed them. Factors significantly associated with consumption of 100 tablets, after simple logistic regression, were education, parity, timing of ante-natal registration and number of ante-natal care visits to any facility. On multiple logistic regression, applying enter method and considering all variables, only primiparity (OR= 2.212, 95% CI= 1.186 – 4.125) and elder age (OR= 1.836, 95% CI= 1.020 – 3.305) were found to be the predictors for 100 iron and folic acid tablet consumption. Conclusion: Consumption of sufficient number of iron and folic acid tablets was very low. Primipara and elderly mothers were more likely to consume 100 iron tablets. This poor status of iron tablets consumption warrants specific approach to improvise maternal health outcome.