Association of Inflammatory Cytokines,Lipid Peroxidation End Products and Nitric Oxide with the Clinical Severity and Fetal Outcome in Preeclampsia in Indian Women

Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder associated with maternal hypertension, placental abnormalities and adverse fetal outcomes. The various pathways involved in its etiology include endothelial dysfunction, inflammatory milieu, lipid peroxidation and immunological imbalance. The present study was conducted to evaluate the causative and predictive role of nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation end products (MDA) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) in clinical presentation, severity and fetal outcome in preeclampsia. The study population was divided into 3 groups- Non- pregnant females comprising the control population; G1 and G2 groups included normal pregnant and pregnant females with preeclampsia with 50 patients in each group. Nitric Oxide and MDA levels were found to be highest in the preeclamptic patients as compared to other two groups. ROC curve analysis shows the superiority of the inflammatory markers as determinants of severity of preeclampsia which suggests the emerging role of pro inflammatory markers in the various pathological changes in preeclampsia. TNF-α emerged as the best marker in multivariate analysis and thus, has the potential for being used as a marker for PIH. Our study illustrates the multifactorial etiology of preeclampsia involving oxidative stress, proinflammatory milieu and endothelial dysfunction.     

Enhanced efficiency in vector control of a Surface-mounted PMSM drive

In this paper, emphasis has been put on providing the result of a detailed simulation study on the dynamics and efficiency of a vector-controlled voltage source inverter (VSI)-fed surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) drive; which employs firstly a model-based loss-minimization algorithm (MLMA) and secondly a binary search-based online loss-minimization algorithm (BSOLMA), so as to reduce the total controllable electrical losses without much affecting the dynamic performance of the drive. The steady-state SPMSM model taking into account the core loss has been considered. The dynamic performances of the SPMSM drive employing individually the abovementioned loss minimization algorithms (LMAs) have been compared with that employing conventional zero d-axis current control (ZDCC) through extensive digital computer simulations. The simulation results show that efficiency of the drive enhances with the employment of the LMA.     

Interaction between prey and mutually interfering predator in prey reserve habitat: Pattern formation and the Turing–Hopf bifurcation

In this paper, we propose a diffusive prey-predator system with mutually interfering predator (Crowley–Martin functional response) and prey reserve. In particular, we develop and analyze both spatially homogeneous model based on ordinary differential equations and reaction-diffusion model. We mainly investigate the global existence and boundedness of positive solution, stability properties of homogeneous steady state, non-existence of non-constant positive steady state, conditions for Turing instability and Hopf bifurcation of the diffusive system analytically. Conventional stability properties of the non-spatial counterpart of the system are also studied. The analysis ensures that the prey reserve leaves stabilizing effect on the stability of temporal system. The prey reserve and diffusive parameters leave parallel impact on the stability of the spatio-temporal system. Furthermore, we illustrate the spatial patterns via numerical simulations, which show that the model dynamics exhibits diffusion controlled pattern formation by different interesting patterns.     

Sleep Disturbance and Expressive Language Development in Preschool‐Age Children With Down Syndrome

Recent evidence has suggested that sleep may facilitate language learning. This study examined variation in language ability in 29 toddlers with Down syndrome (DS) in relation to levels of sleep disruption. Toddlers with DS and poor sleep (66%, n = 19) showed greater deficits on parent‐reported and objective measures of language, including vocabulary and syntax. Correlations between sleep and language were found in groups with equivalent medical and social backgrounds and after control for relevant behavioral comorbidities, including autism symptoms. These results emphasize the important role of quality sleep in all children's expressive language development, and may help increase our understanding of the etiology of language deficits in developmental disorders, potentially leading to new treatment approaches.     

Study of Variables Affecting Critical Value Notification in a Laboratory Catering to Tertiary Care Hospital

During post-analytical phase, critical value notification to responsible caregiver in a timely manner has potential to improve patient safety which requires cooperative efforts between laboratory personnel and caregivers. It is widely accepted by hospital accreditors that ineffective notification can lead to diagnostic errors that potentially harm patients and are preventable. The objective of the study was to assess the variables affecting critical value notification, their role in affecting it’s quality and approaches to improve it. In the present study 1,187 critical values were analysed in the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory catering to tertiary care hospital for neuropsychiatric diseases. During 25 months of study period, we evaluated critical value notification with respect to clinical care area, caregiver to whom it was notified and timeliness of notification. During the study period (25 months), the laboratory obtained 1,279 critical values in clinical chemistry. The analytes most commonly notified were sodium and potassium (20.97 & 20.8 % of total critical results). Analysis of critical value notification versus area of care showed that critical value notification was high in ICU and emergency area followed by inpatients and 64.61 % critical values were notified between 30 and 120 min after receiving the samples. It was found that failure to notify the responsible caregiver in timely manner represent an important patient safety issue and may lead to diagnostic errors. The major area of concern are notification of critical value for outpatient samples, incompleteness of test requisition forms regarding illegible writing, lack of information of treating physician and location of test ordering and difficulty in contacting the responsible caregiver.     

Semen characteristics: Advancement in andrological assessment

Progress in diagnosis of infertility, has been dramatically increased during the past decades with changes occurring in virtually all aspects of infertility research, thus providing innovative diagnostic testing and sophisticated instrumentation for improved management and treatment of infertility. There are about 50% of infertile couples who are suffering because of male infertility. Semen examination is a basic investigation for these infertile couples. It not only reveals the quantity and quality of sperm but also the quality of the seminal plasma, which is essential for normal sperm function. In this review, the recent advancement in investigation procedures has been analyzed which are very important in clinical practice to (a) evaluate the sperm fertilizing ability (Acrosin, aniline blue, HOS), (b) characterization of male accessory sex glands secretions (Fructose, alpha-glucosidase, PSA) and (c) the management of azoospermic patients. It is believed that use of such diagnostic procedures will facilitate wide selection of patients for whom an effective therapy might be then possible.     

New dimensions in vaccinology: A new insight

The development of vaccines to prevent infectious diseases has been one of the most important contributions of biomedical sciences. Increasing understanding in biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular genetics and related fields have provided an opportunity for the development of new generation vaccines that are based on rational design approaches. This is possible because of proper understanding of the microbial-genetics, biochemistry, host-pathogen interaction and recent developments in molecular immunology. Another important improvement made in the quality of vaccine production is the incorporation of immunomodulators or adjuvants with modified delivery vehicles viz liposomes, Iscoms and microspheres apart from alum being used as a gold standard. This article reviews the art of vaccination from Jenner period to present day context highlighting all the developments made at each stage of the vaccine development. Various criteria have been discussed regarding the selection of epitopes that expand B & T cells, its linkage with other accessory cells of the immune system, means to overcome MHC linked immune unresponsiveness, enhanced antigen processing and presentations that specially induce either helper or cytotoxic or mucosal immune responses were critically discussed.     

Role of l-Arginine on Dyslipidemic Conditions of Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients

Oxidative stress conditions associated with atherosclerosis leads to oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The body’s capabilities to inhibit LDL oxidation and to remove or neutralize the atherogenic oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) are limited. When the LDL cholesterol level increases in the blood, it leads to dangerous consequences like atherosclerosis, leading to myocardial infarction. The major effect of an antioxidant in the LDL environment is to prevent the formation of ox-LDL (during atherogenesis. Strategies to reduce LDL oxidation and prevent atherogenesis can involve the enrichment of arterial cells with potent antioxidants that can prevent oxidative damage to the arterial wall. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of l-arginine on serum lipid and cholesterol levels in the patients of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The study consisted of 70 AMI patients and 60 healthy individuals (serving as control) age 55–65 years. Serum levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), LDL and Triglycerides were determined on day 1 and day 15 of l-arginine administration (oral dose 3 g/day). The total cholesterol/HDL and the LDL/HDL ratio were calculated and compared. As per the observations, l-arginine administration was found to improve the lipid profile of the subjects. Hence it could be used as an adjuvant therapy for AMI and as a preventive measure for the onset of the disease in the healthy elderly also.     

Secondary School Teachers’ Perception of Corporal Punishment: A Case Study in India

This article examines secondary school teachers’ perceptions of corporal punishment in India. Although it has been banned in Indian schools, various types of corporal punishment are still used by teachers. It has been mainly used as a mechanism for controlling disciplinary problems in schools. Based on a pilot study of 160 secondary teachers, the result of the research reveals that teachers still perceive corporal punishment as an effective method of controlling indiscipline in class. However, some teachers state that corporal punishment is ineffective in deterring students from misbehaving. Corporal punishment is not a good method to maintain discipline. Adopting harsh methods indicates a lack of proper training in managing students in a classroom situation and a poor understanding by the teachers of students’ mental states. An awareness program for secondary school teachers about the effects of corporal punishment on children is needed. The solution is proper training for teachers and student-teachers in the use of counseling to manage behavioral problem. Also full-time counselors can be appointed in schools.     

Microfluidic platform for isolating nucleic acid targets using sequence specific hybridization

The separation of target nucleic acid sequences from biological samples has emerged as a significant process in today''s diagnostics and detection strategies. In addition to the possible clinical applications, the fundamental understanding of target and sequence specific hybridization on surface modified magnetic beads is of high value. In this paper, we describe a novel microfluidic platform that utilizes a mobile magnetic field in static microfluidic channels, where single stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules are isolated via nucleic acid hybridization. We first established efficient isolation of biotinylated capture probe (BP) using streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. Subsequently, we investigated the hybridization of target ssDNA with BP bound to beads and explained these hybridization kinetics using a dual-species kinetic model. The number of hybridized target ssDNA molecules was determined to be about 6.5 times less than that of BP on the bead surface, due to steric hindrance effects. The hybridization of target ssDNA with non-complementary BP bound to bead was also examined, and non-specific hybridization was found to be insignificant. Finally, we demonstrated highly efficient capture and isolation of target ssDNA in the presence of non-target ssDNA, where as low as 1% target ssDNA can be detected from mixture. The microfluidic method described in this paper is significantly relevant and is broadly applicable, especially towards point-of-care biological diagnostic platforms that require binding and separation of known target biomolecules, such as RNA, ssDNA, or protein.