Genome-wide data reveal cryptic diversity and genetic introgression in an Oriental cynopterine fruit bat radiation

Sampling details consisting of information about number of individuals typed for each marker. Populations with mutiple sampling points are represented by one representative coordinate. FA = forearm length, EL = ear length and TIB = tibia length. All morphological measurements are recorded in millimeters (mm). (XLSX 13 kb

Cross sectional study evaluating the correlation of thyroid dysfunction with severity of disease in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate the correlation of disease severity in RA and thyroid dysfunction.Methods: The present cross-sectional descriptive study enrolled 164 participants aged 12 years and above diagnosed as having RA. Use of drugs causing thyroid dysfunction, malignancy, diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, pregnancy and prior thyroidectomy were the criteria for exclusion. Data was analyzed using R and tests of significance were Chi square test and independent sample t-test and Pearson correlation. Institutional ethics committee approved the study and written informed consent was obtained from all study participants.Results: Serum TSH positively correlated with DAS 28 (r=0.2, p=0.005), ESR (r=0.2, p=0.03), CRP (r=0.2, p=0.006), RA factor (r=0.2, p=0.003), subjective assessment (r=0.3, p= 0.001) and anti TPO antibodies (r=0.7, p=0.001). Free T4 negatively correlated with DAS28 (r=-0.2, p=0.006), ESR (r=-0.2, p=0.02), CRP (r=-0.2, p=0.01). RA factor (r=-0.2, p=0.01), subjective assessment (r=-0.2, p= 0.01), anti TPO (r=-0.6, p=0.001) and Free T3 negatively correlated with DAS28 score (r=-0.2, p=0.02) , ESR (r=-0.2, p=0.03), RA factor (r=-0.3, p=0.001) and anti TPO antibodies (r=- 0.3, p=0.001).Conclusions: Hypothyroidism was significantly associated with disease severity of RA with linear positive correlation of TSH with DAS28 score, ESR, CRP, RA factor, subjective assessment and anti TPO antibodies, linear negative correlation of serum free T4 with DAS 28 score, ESR, CRP, RA factor, subjective assessment and anti TPO antibody and linear negative correlation of free T3 with DAS28 score, ESR, RA factor and anti TPO antibody was observed

BIOPROSPECTING OF MARINE SPONGE (CALLYSPONGIA DIFFUSA) FOR ANTIBACTERIAL COMPOUND.

Objective: Marine sponges are a rich source of new antimicrobial drugs. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the marine sponge (Callyspongia diffusa) against human pathogenic bacteria and to analyze the presence of bioactive compounds in the sponge.Methods: Antibacterial activity of the marine sponge C. diffuser was examined using petroleum ether, chloroform, n-butanol, methanol, ethanol, and water as solvents and tested against human pathogenic bacteria such as Esherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus by agar well diffusion method. Zoochemical analysis was performed to screen for the presence of secondary metabolites. Bioactive compounds were purified by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis.Results: The results obtained show that the sponge extracts had significant antibacterial activity against the tested strains. The methanol extract was found to be the most effective and exhibited the highest potency against all pathogens tested. Zoochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, and sterols. In TLC, spots corresponding to a Rf value of 0.67 were found to possess antibacterial activity against the test bacteria. GC-MS chromatogram showed seven major peaks at retention time of 12.69, 13.81, 24.21, 24.65, 28.01, 28.93, 30.87 minutes. The mass of the compounds and fragments were matched with the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) database for identification of probable compounds present in the sample. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of bioactive compounds in the sponge.Conclusion: This study confirms the marine natural species provides an excellent source of bioactive metabolites that can exploit to develop novel and potential therapeutic agents

Reconstruction of Acquired Pinna Defects

INTRODUCTION: The pinna is both a functional and aesthetic appendage. The 3dimensional nature of the ear with its many curls, peaks and valleys makes this one of the most elegant body parts. The rigid structure of the cartilage along with its elastic nature is a testament to its unique properties, which make it very difficult to reproduce. Even minor deformities of pinna may cause psychosocial stigmatization. The lack of an ear, or part of it, is a significant deformity, and the psychological trauma should not be underestimated. In some, particularly teenagers, concern over a deformed ear lies at the root of serious behaviour problems. Lack of an ear is also a disability as the ear supports glasses, sunglasses, Bluetooth headsets and headphones. Reconstruction of the ear can be a complex process. Ear reconstruction can be traced back as far as eighth century India and the Susruta Samhita, a text of ancient medicine, which described the use of a cheek flap to repair an earlobe defect. Although auricular reconstruction has been performed for a long time, its technical complexity is still considered a challenge. Many recent innovations have made excellent reconstruction possible. The challenge of matching the flexibility of an ear while maintaining its rigidity and skin covering is the bane of reconstructive surgeons. AIM OF STUDY: 1. To evaluate various surgical procedures for acquired pinna defects and evaluate their aesthetic and functional outcome. 2. To select a treatment protocol based on the algorithmic approach to the problem for improving the outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Government General Hospital and Madras Medical College during the period of September 2005 to April 2008. All patients who presented with acquired deformities of Pinna were included in this study. This includes patients who presented with pinna injuries following Road traffic accidents and chronic defects following trauma, burns, human bites, infections and tumours. Patients with large or torn ear lobule hole also were included. A total of 160 cases were included in this study. Pinna defects – 120 patients – 145 pinnas. Ear lobule repair – 40 patients – 75 ear lobules. All patients were assessed with a thorough history, clinical examination, pre operative planning. Routine investigations done for all patients preoperatively. In stable patients, primary repair of pinna injuries done on the same day itself. Patients with associated severe head injuries were excluded from the study. In some patients ,after Neurosurgeon's intervention, soft tissue repair done by Plastic Surgeons. Patients who presented with keloids in the pinna are excluded from the study. Informed consent obtained from all the patients. Patients with simple defects were operated in a single stage. Patients with composite defects of Pinna needed 2 or 3 stages of reconstruction, with an interval of 1 to 3 months in between each stage based on the type of reconstruction. Proper instructions were given to the patients in the initial stage of reconstruction itself. Follow up on 2nd week, 1st month and then at 2nd month for cases which needed reconstruction with cartilage grafts, flap covers. OBSERVATION & RESULTS 1. Total number of patients operated following RTA, burns, infection, tumour is 120 ( Ears 145). Side: Right ear 44, Left ear 51, Bilateral 25. Sex: Males 104, Females 16. 2. No. of cases operated for large earlobule hole is 40. (Earlobules 75). Side: Bilateral 35, Right ear lobule 4, Left ear lobule 1, All are female patients. ETIOLOGY: Etiology No. of patients; 1. Road traffic accidents 86 (71.6%), 2. Assault 26 ( 21.7%) (Human bite – 14) (Other reasons – 12). 3. Burns sequelae 3 (2.5%), 4. Infection sequelae 2 (1.7%), 5. Tumour (Benign) 3 (2.5%) (Naevus 2) (Pyogenic granuloma1). CONCLUSION: ● Ear reconstruction in acquired pinna defects needs proper preoperative planning, meticulous tissue handling and correct surgical techniques to achieve good results. ● In trauma, proper wound debridement and primary suturing in layers prevented multiple stages of reconstruction to reduce the morbidity to the patient. ● In Patients presenting with composite defects of Pinna, first stage of reconstruction is attempted on the day of injury, utilizing the cartilage of the damaged pinna if possible underneath the flap or banking it in a clean site. This reduces one stage of reconstruction later and also avoids the need for cartilage graft from other sites. ● Timely coverage of exposed cartilage framework of Pinna using skin grafts or with local flap cover prevented the deformities which may need multiple stages of reconstruction. ● In Burns , the damaged ears should be managed properly to prevent infection, dessication and loss .After scar maturation, reconstruction to be attempted in stages methodically. ● In Human bites, tetanus immunization, proper debridement with suturing of skin advised initially, followed by reconstruction at a later date. ● All techniques for Ear reconstruction in our series have produced aesthetically acceptable results. ● Strict road safety measures, wearing of helmets, banning drunken driving could decrease the incidence of Road traffic accidents thereby decreasing the main etiology of Pinna injuries

Influence of Different Organic Manures on the Growth and Yield of Baby Corn

 Field experiment was conducted at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam during Purattasipattam (September - October) of 2017 to study the Influence of different organic manures on the growth and yield of baby corn. Baby corn G 5414 was used as test variety. The field trail was laid out in randomized block design and replicated thrice. Three different organic manures were used viz., farmyard manure, poultry manure and vermicompost with or without panchagavya as foliar spray. Significantly higher values of growth parameters were registered with application of 100% N through poultry manure and higher green cob and green fodder yield was obtained with the application of 100% N through poultry manure (10920 kg ha-1 and 29797 kg ha-1 respectively) and it is superior to the rest of treatments. Application of 100% N through poultry manure + 3% Panchagavya spray at vegetative and tasseling stage recorded higher green cob and green fodder yield (10418 kg ha-1 and 28636 kg ha-1 respectively). This was followed by the application of 50% N through farmyard manure + 50% N through poultry manure + 3% Panchagavya spray at vegetative and tasseling stage and application of 50% N through farmyard manure + 50% N through poultry manure which registered higher green cob and green fodder yield (10401 kg ha-1 and 28498 kg ha-1 respectively, 10354 kg ha-1 and 28389 kg ha-1 respectively). These treatments were on par with each other. Application of 100% N through poultry manure produced significantly higher growth and yield of baby corn when compared to the rest of combinations.&nbsp

Clinical outcome of early-stage knee osteoarthritis after intra-articular platelet rich plasma injection

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease due to degradation of articular cartilage, proliferative reformation of subchondral bone and low degree of synovitis resulting in reduced quality of life (QOL), being the major cause of pain and disability in the elderly population. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous mixture of concentrated platelets and growth factors produced by centrifugation of whole blood, used to treat bone, tendon and ligament injuries. The growth factors released by PRP have been shown to promote cell recruitment, proliferation and angiogenesis resulting in a decrease in the expression of inflammatory enzymes. The aim was to study the effectiveness of intra-articular PRP injections in early-stage OA knee patients and to evaluate the clinical outcome and QOL at 6 months.Methods: We conducted an observational study of 100 patients with early OA knee changes with age group >50 years and injected their knees with PRP injections and serial follow up assessment was done.Results: We saw significant improvement in quality of lives evaluated as per world health organization quality of life (WHOQOL) questionnaire after PRP injections on their follow-up. Significant reduction in pain, reduction in joint stiffness and improvement in physical activities shown by significant reduction in Western Ontario and McMaster universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores.Conclusions: OA of knee is one of the commonest rheumatological problems after 50 years of age. It was commonly observed in females more than 60 years age with sedentary lifestyle. PRP therapy has given excellent results in pain relief, reduction of joint stiffness and improvement in physical activities and improvement in QOL

Experimental Investigation on Wire Electric Erosion Behaviour of Silicon Dioxide Particulate Reinforced Composite

The intend of current study was focused on the prediction of material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (SR) for the AA7050-SiO2 composite during wire electric erosion or discharge machining (WEDM) process using a brass (Br) wire electrode. Here, stir casting process was employed to develop the AA7050 matrix composite with inclusion of 10wt.% SiO2 particle reinforcement. The multi-objective optimization method of Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) approach has been applied to find out the optimal setting of input machining parameters such as peak current (Ip), pulse-on time (Ton) and pulse-off time (Toff). Furthermore, the significant effects of parameters were identified by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Taguchi L9 (33) orthogonal design has been formulated to perform the experimental work. TOP SIS results stated that the optimal setting of Ip at 30 amps, Ton of 130 μs and Toff of 55 μs provide the better MRR with lesser SR. The ANOVA results noticed that Ip has the prime noteworthy parameter over the adopted responses having a contribution of 45.67%, followed by Ton (32.34%) and Toff (12.26%), respectively. The confirmation test was carried out by the optimal parameters setting to verify the predicted results. Finally, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test was carried out for the machined surface of the composite specimen and it was reveals that the formation of craters and recast layer thickness in the machined surfaces

Mifepristone: an alternate to dinoprostone in induction of labour

Background: To assess and compare the efficacy, safety and fetomaternal outcome of mifepristone versus dinoprostone in priming the cervix and in inducing labour in pregnant women at term.Methods: This is a prospective comparative study done in Chettinad health and research institute, over a period of one year from October 2015 to October 2016. 50 pregnant women (Group 1) in 3rd trimester with unfavorable cervix were given 200mcg of mifepristone orally. If labour did not start or if the Bishop score remained poor at the end of 24hrs, induction was continued with 0.5mg of dinoprostone gel at a maximum of 3 gels at 6th hourly interval. Another 50 pregnant women (Group2) in 3rd trimester underwent induction according to the routine dinoprostone gel regimen of maximum 3 gels at intervals of 6hrs.Results: Improvement in Bishop score was significant with mifepristone by the end of 24hrs.But, in comparison, there was statistically significant improvement in Bishop score in favour of dinoprostone (Mean 4.7) than mifepristone (Mean 4.0). Also, the induction delivery interval was significantly less (Mean 11.5 hrs) with dinoprostone than mifepristone (Mean 20.3 hrs). Number of cases undergoing LSCS for failed induction was less in mifepristone group (4%). The rate of vaginal delivery, Caesarean sections, instrumental delivery and overall fetal outcome was comparable in both groups.Conclusions: Mifepristone is a safe, effective and suitable alternate agent for cervical ripening and initiation of labour when given 24 h before onset of labour.

Digital Health Technologies: A Boon for Equitable Healthcare Delivery

It is every individual’s right to enjoy a highest standard of health without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. It is seen that most rural Indian populations strive for reliable access to the healthcare required to manage and prevent serious chronic diseases. Using digital health technologies in screening, early diagnosis of diseases and surveillance can drastically change health status in rural areas. Telemedicine, artificial intelligence, drone technology, smart health India and precision public health are some of the digital technology links health care and population. Moreover, increasing use of smart devices and internet connectivity has made implementing digital technologies favourable