CFTR Gene Mutations and Asthma in Indian Children: A Case–Control Study

Cystic Fibrosis Trans membrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene is an asthma susceptibility gene. In the present study we investigated the possible association of CFTR gene mutations in Indian asthmatic children as compared to controls. The study included 250 asthmatics and 250 age and sex matched controls. Case to control ratio for sample size was 1:1. Genotyping was performed for 24 CFTR gene mutations by ARMS-PCR and PCR–RFLP method. Among 24 CFTR gene mutations, heterozygous allele of R553X mutation was found in 4 (1.6 %) asthmatic cases and 2 (0.8 %) controls. Value of FVC and FEV1/FVC ratio were significantly lower in heterozygous individuals (p value <0.05). No significant difference was observed in the genotype and allele frequency of R553X mutation (OR = 1.339, 95 % CI = 0.755–2.374, p value = 0.685). Furthermore, all wild type homozygous alleles were observed in remaining 23 CFTR gene mutations. Our data concludes that R553X mutation was not significantly associated in Indian asthmatic children.     

Measurement of Errors in Clinical Laboratories

Laboratories have a major impact on patient safety as 80–90 % of all the diagnosis are made on the basis of laboratory tests. Laboratory errors have a reported frequency of 0.012–0.6 % of all test results. Patient safety is a managerial issue which can be enhanced by implementing active system to identify and monitor quality failures. This can be facilitated by reactive method which includes incident reporting followed by root cause analysis. This leads to identification and correction of weaknesses in policies and procedures in the system. Another way is proactive method like Failure Mode and Effect Analysis. In this focus is on entire examination process, anticipating major adverse events and pre-emptively prevent them from occurring. It is used for prospective risk analysis of high-risk processes to reduce the chance of errors in the laboratory and other patient care areas.     

Hypoadiponectinemia in Obesity: Association with Insulin Resistance

Obesity is risk factor for insulin resistance, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Adiponectin, an adipose-specific protein with antiatherogenic and antiinflammatory effects, were found to be associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance. Our aim to identify possible relationships between circulating adiponectin and obesity as well as obesity related phenotypes. A total of 642, obese and non-obese individuals were included in this cross-sectional study. Hormone and glucose levels were estimated using standard protocols. The adiponectin levels showed a significant decrease with increasing quartiles of insulin resistance index. Subjects in lowest quartile of adiponectin level had a significantly higher risk than those in the highest quartile, with higher body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, percentage body fat, fat mass, fasting insulin, insulin resistance index, total cholesterol (p < 0.001), low density lipoprotein–cholesterol (p = 0.001), very low density lipoprotein–cholesterol (p = 0.002), and Triglyceride (p = 0.002). The present study indicates that adiponectin is significantly associated with obesity, insulin resistance and other obesity related phenotypes.     

Lifelong Learning: Becoming Computer Savvy at a Later Age

Senior citizens represent the fastest growing demographic worldwide. As indicated in the Year 2000 U.S. Census, there are 35 million people 65 or older in the United States (U.S.). By 2030, it is estimated that there will be about 70 million older adults in the U.S. alone (Chadwick-Dias, McNulty, & Tullis, 2003 Bean , C. & Laven M. (2003). Adapting to seniors: Computer training for older adults. Florida Libraries , 46(2). [Google Scholar]). With the older population growing rapidly and being increasingly exposed to computer technology, it is important that they become informed of what computers can do for them, (e.g., e-mail, document creation, games, and access to information via the Internet) (Shapira, Barak, & Gal, 2007 Parvate , V. & Speicher , S. ( 2004 ). Learning to communicate via the Internet: How senior citizens develop an understanding of electronic communication: A cognitive design study proposal . [Google Scholar]; White, McConnell, Clipp, Branch, Sloane et al., 2002 White , H. , McConnell , E. , Clipp , E. , Branch , L. G. , Sloane , R. , Pieper , C. , & Box , T. ( 2002 ). A randomized controlled trial of the psychosocial impact of providing Internet training and access to older adults . Aging & Mental Health , 6 , 213 – 221 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The longitudinal study presented employs a mixed method data collection and analysis approach that includes the use of standardized surveys, measures of physical fitness and physiology, observations in the retirement community, and structured interviews. Drawing upon Auburn University faculty in the College of Engineering, senior citizens participated in workshops designed to develop their skills in computing. The potential significance of the project was to create a valid and reliable model for outreach to retirement and assisted living communities and other centers for senior citizens.     

Diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction: CK-MB versus cTn-T in Indian patients

The comparative diagnostic efficacy of two cardiac markers: CK-MB and cTn-T, has scarcely been investigated in Indian patients of acute myocardial infarction. The present study was conducted for the same objective. The present study comprised of 59 patients. Males were 44 (75%) and females were 15 (25 %). The age of patients ranged from 32–84 years with mean age of 62.8 yrs. The mean age of males and females were 60 and 63 yrs respectively. All patients presented with history of chest pain with a 12 leads ECG proven MI (ST Elevation, discordant T-waves). CK-MB was estimated in peripheral blood samples at 0,24,48 and 72 hours by an autoanalyzer. Following 12 hours of admission bed side Troponin-T test was done employing cTn-T marker kit. Initially (0 hr), in 50% patients CK-MB was elevated. By end of 24 hours all the patients were CKMB positive and peak level was attained at 24 hrs. Then it tended to decline over next 48 hrs. There were no false positive or negative results. The cTn-T test was positive only in 22 % of ECG positive infarctions. However, the cTn-T positive cases were always accompanied by a higher CK-MB levels. A significantly lower cTn-T positive cases in Indian patients can only be attributed to some difference in amino acid sequence of Indian cTn-T and occidental cTn-T. A larger study from other Indian cardiac centers can either substantiate or contradict our results.     

LP(a) phenotypes and levels in angiographically proven coronary heart disease patients and controls

Lipoprotein Lp(a) excess has been identified as a powerful predictor of premature atherosclerotic vascular diseases. To evaluate this in a North-Indian population, 130 CAD patients and 130 controls were analyzed. The size of the apo(a) phenotypic isoforms was inversely proportional to Lp(a) concentrations. The mean concentration of Lp(a) in the CAD patients was 42±34 mg/dl whereas in the normal subjects it was much lower, 27±27 mg/dl. 157 subjects out of the total 260 subjects showed plasma levels of >20mg/dl. The frequency of high Lp(a) levels was much higher in patients(73%) than controls (43%). These data suggest (1) that there is heterogeneity of the Lp(a) polymorphism, (2) Higher Lp(a) levels were found in patients than in the controls, (3) Patients showed 1.5 fold increase in Lp(a) levels as compared to the controls. We conclude that low molecular weight apo(a) isoforms are significantly associated with increased risk of CAD in the North-Indian population.     

Uniform separable differential operators with parameters

In this paper we study boundary value problems for anisotropic partial differential-operator equations with parameters. The principal part of the appropriate differential operators are not self-adjoint. Several conditions for the uniform separability in weighted Banach-valued L_p-spaces are given. Sharp estimates for the resolvent of the corresponding differential operator are obtained. In particular the positivity and R-positivity of these operators are established. As an application we study the separability of degenerate DOEs, maximal regularity for degenerate abstract parabolic problem with parameters, the uniform separability of finite and infinite systems for degenerate anisotropic partial differential equations with parameters.     

United States immigration policy and indirect immigration of professionals

Professionals migrate to the U.S. from other countries through both direct and indirect channels. The indirect channel, which entails entering the U.S. as a foreign student or visitor and subsequently adjusting visa status to immigrant, has assumed increasing importance over time. The number of adjustments of status can be expected to further increase in the future as the eligible pool, comprised mainly of foreign students, continues to expand. The ratio of adjustments to the eligible pool is also influenced by U.S. immigration policy, which originates in administrative regulations as well as legislative action. U.S. immigration policy affects the ease of immigration and thus the ratio of adjustments to the eligible pool. Variations in immigration policy across countries and over time are found to have statistically significant impacts on this ratio.