Experimental and numerical investigations on spray characteristics of fatty acid methyl esters.

A comparative experimental and numerical study is conducted to establish the significance of the use of single-component over multi-component representatives of biodiesel, diesel and their blend for predicting spray tip penetration. Methyl oleate and methyl laurate are used as single-component representative fuels for biodiesel. The pure components n-heptane, n-dodecane and n-tetradecane are used as single-component representative fuels for diesel. Methyl laurate is found to represent biodiesel of coconut, whereas methyl oleate is found to represent biodiesel having high percentage of long-chain fatty acid esters. The spray tip penetration of methyl oleate is found to be in good agreement with the measured spray tip penetration of karanja biodiesel. The spray tip penetration prediction of n-heptane fuel is closely following diesel spray tip penetration along with that of n-tetradecane and n-dodecane. The study suggests that the knowledge of the single-component representatives of biodiesel, diesel and their blend is sufficient to predict the spray tip penetration of the corresponding biodiesel, diesel and their blend under non-evaporating environment.

Using Positive Deviance to Understand the Uptake of Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices by Mothers in an Urban Slum of Mumbai.

Objectives Positive deviance research seeks out well-nourished children living in disadvantaged contexts to understand local growth-promoting behaviors. This study explored the factors that influence the uptake of infant and young child feeding behaviors among mothers. Methods Children with a height-for-age z-score (HAZ) > 0 (n = 10) or a HAZ < -2.0 (n = 12) were purposefully selected from households enrolled in a community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) program in an urban slum of Mumbai, India. Qualitative methods were employed by means of semi-structured key informant interviews with positive and non-positive deviant mothers. Eligibility was restricted to households with limited resources and more than one child. A 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric measurements were taken for the index child. An observation checklist assessed household hygiene. Data analysis was based on the Grounded Theory of qualitative research. Results Positive deviant mothers (those with children with a HAZ > 0) largely exhibited optimal infant and young child feeding practices explained by maternal information seeking behaviors; mothers acknowledging the importance of maternal health; and social support. The relationship between mother and health worker seemed to influence how well they listened to the health workers' recommendations. Across all households, the daily consumption of high-energy, processed foods was apparent. Conclusions Practical considerations include exploring how to tailor CMAM programs to include social support and counseling training for health workers to engage more closely with mothers; exploring the feasibility of a women's social group for mothers to share information on child rearing; and teaching mothers about healthy eating and the link between nutrition and health.

Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa El Tor strains with the ctxB7 allele driving cholera outbreaks in south-western India in 2012.

Cholera has been a recurrent epidemic disease in human populations for the past 200years. We present herein a comparative characterization of clinical Vibrio cholerae strains isolated from two consecutive cholera outbreaks in 2012 and associated environmental strains from western India. The clinical and toxigenic environmental isolates were identified as hybrid V. cholerae O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor carrying the variant ctxB7 allele. Partial sequences of SXT integrase from the isolates revealed 100% identity to ICEVchInd5 (Sevagram, India, 1994) and VC1786ICE (Haiti, 2013). The full clonal relationship of the strains established by RAPD, Box PCR, ERIC PCR and MLST (pyrH, recA and rpoA) analyses, and the short time between the two outbreaks, strongly supported that both outbreaks were due to a single strain. The study corroborated that faecal contamination of the potable water supply was the main reason for the first outbreak, which further spread to other areas and resulted in the second outbreak. The study concluded that the circulating El Tor variant strains of epidemic potential in the region can be a serious concern in the future.

Haitian variant ctxB producing Vibrio cholerae O1 with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin is persistent in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India, after causing a cholera outbreak.

Vibrio cholerae O1 biotype El Tor producing Haitian variant Cholera Toxin (HCT) and showing reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin caused a cholera outbreak associated with a high case fatality rate (4.5) in India. HCT-secreting strains responsible for severe cholera epidemics in Orissa (India), Western Africa and Haiti were associated with increased mortality. There is a pressing need for an integrated multidisciplinary approach to combat further spread of newly emerging variant strains. The therapeutic effect of ciprofloxacin was diminished whereas use of doxycycline in moderate to severe cholera patients was found to be effective in outbreak management.

Fatal rabies despite post-exposure prophylaxis.

Only sporadic reports of failure of post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies exist in the published literature. We are reporting such a case in a 3-year-old boy. The child had Category III dog bite on his right thigh. He presented with progressive ascending paralysis, finally developing quadriplegia and respiratory paralysis. Typical hydrophobia and aerophobia were absent. He received four doses of antirabies cell culture vaccine. He did not receive antirabies immunoglobulin. The boy succumbed on the 23 rd day of the dog bite. Diagnosis of rabies was confirmed in the laboratory by demonstration of Negri bodies, direct fluorescent antibody test and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction either on impression smear of brain or a piece of brain taken during autopsy.

Enantiomeric disposition of ketorolac in goats following administration of a single intravenous and oral dose.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stereospecific pharmacokinetics of ketorolac (KT) in goats following a single 2 mg/kg intravenous (i.v.) dose and a single 6 mg/kg oral dose. A stereoselective high pressure liquid chromatography assay was used to quantify ketorolac plasma concentrations. Pharmacokinetic parameters for both stereoisomers were estimated by model independent methods. Following an i.v. dose, the plasma concentration profiles for the stereoisomers were similar with half-lives of 1.05 +/- 0.62 h for R-KT and 1.05 +/- 0.61 h for S-KT. Clearance values for R- and S-KT after an i.v. dose were 0.53 +/- 0.23 and 0.54 +/- 0.23 L.h/kg, respectively. Following an oral dose, the terminal half-lives were longer with values of 34.08 +/- 11.81 and 33.97 +/- 12.19 h for R-KT and S-KT, respectively. The average bioavailability was 133 +/- 23% for R-KT and S-KT, respectively. The longer half-lives and high apparent bioavailability after oral dosing are suggestive of a slow absorption process in the gastrointestinal tract and recycling. The results indicate that interconversion of the stereoisomers of ketorolac is absent in goats. However, studies with individual isomers are needed before any conclusion can be drawn about the lack of bioinversion.

Stereoselective pharmacokinetics of ketorolac in calves after a single intravenous and oral dose.

The purpose of this study was to establish the stereospecific pharmacokinetics of ketorolac (KT) in calves following a single 2 mg/kg intravenous (i.v.) and a single 8 mg/kg oral dose. Plasma concentrations were determined using a stereoselective HPLC assay. Pharmacokinetic parameters for both the stereoisomers were estimated by model-independent methods. Following an i.v. dose, the plasma concentration profiles of the stereoisomers were similar with half-lives of 5.9 +/- 5.1 h for R-KT and 6.0 +/- 4.9 h for S-KT. Clearance values for R- and S-KT after an i.v. dose were 0.0470 +/- 0.0370 and 0.0480 +/- 0.0370 L/h/kg respectively. After an oral dose, the terminal half-lives were longer than following i.v. administration with values of 14.77 +/- 3.08 and 14.55 +/- 2.95 h for R-KT and S-KT respectively. The average oral bioavailability was 86.5 +/- 20.6% for R-KT and 86.7 +/- 20.3% for S-KT. The results indicate that the stereoisomers of KT have similar pharmacokinetic profiles in calves. Although, unlike humans, bioinversion between KT stereoisomers appears minimal in calves, studies with individual isomers are needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn about this lack of KT bioinversion.

A comparison of treatment outcome in re-treatment versus new smear positive cases of tuberculosis under RNTCP.

A study was conducted to compare and quantify the treatment outcome in re-treatment cases as compared to the new smear positive cases of Tuberculosis under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program in District Tuberculosis Center, Yavatmal district, Maharastra in 2003. The cure rates were 68% and 84% in the new smear positive and the re-treatment group respectively. Favorable outcomes were significantly less in the re-treatment group (66.47%) as compared to the new smear positive cases (84.28%). Unfavorable outcome of default and failure was also more among different subgroups of re-treatment category.

Kerosene poisoning--varied systemic manifestations.

We report here unusual clinical manifestations in a case of kerosene poisoning. The patient presented with encephalopathy and in the course of stay in the hospital developed renal tubular acidosis, delayed first-degree burns and myocarditis. With supportivetherapy the patient recovered completely and was discharged without any sequelae.

Oral sustained-release bioadhesive tablet formulation of didanosine.

The objective of this study was to formulate a hydrogel-forming bioadhesive drug delivery system for oral administration of didanosine (ddI). The aim of this tablet dosage form is to improve the oral absorption of ddI by delivering it in small doses over an extended period and localizing it in the intestine by bioadhesion. Compressed tablets of ddI using Polyox WSRN-303, Carbopol 974P-NF, and Methocel K4M as the bioadhesive release rate-controlling polymers were prepared. The effect of polymer concentration on the release profile and in vitro bioadhesion of the matrix tablets was studied. Tablet formulations with Polyox WSRN-303 (10%) and Methocel K4M (30%) showed 93 and 90% drug release, respectively, after 12 h. The drug release was found to be linear when fitted in the Higuchi equation (square-root time equation), suggesting zero-order release. Carbopol 974-P-NF was found to inhibit the complete release of ddI because of drug-polymer interaction; hence, is not suitable for formulation of ddI. Drug diffusion and swelling of the polymer (anomalous Fickian release) was found dominant in ddI release. In general, in vitro bioadhesion increased with an increase in polymer concentration. Tablets containing a single polymer can be designed to form hydrogels serving the dual purpose of bioadhesion and sustained release.

Aggrecan degradation in chondrocytes is mediated by reactive oxygen species and protected by antioxidants.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in aging of cartilage and in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. However, the biological role of chondrocytes-derived ROS has not been elucidated. An in-vitro model was developed to study the role of chondrocyte-derived ROS in cartilage matrix degradation. The primary articular chondrocytes were cultured and the aggrecan matrix was radiolabeled with 35-sulfate. The labeled aggrecan matrix was washed to remove unincorporated label and chondrocytes were returned to serum free balanced salt solution. The cell-monolayer-matrix sensitivity to oxidative damage due to either hydrogen peroxide or glucose oxidase was established by monitoring the release of labeled aggrecan into the medium. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of chondrocyte-monolayer enhanced the release of labeled aggrecan. Catalase significantly prevented the release of labeled aggrecan in LPS-chondrocyte cultures, suggesting a role for chondrocyte-derived hydrogen peroxide in aggrecan degradation. Superoxide dismutase or boiled catalase had no such inhibitory effect. The effect of several antioxidants on LPS-chondrocyte-dependent aggrecan degradation was examined. Hydroxyl radical scavengers (mannitol and thiourea) significantly decreased aggrecan degradation. A spin trapping agent N-tert-butyl-phenylnitrone (but not its inactive analog tert-butyl-phenylcarbonate) significantly decreased aggrecan degradation. Butylated hydroxytoluene also inhibited aggrecan degradation, whereas the other lipophilic antioxidant tested, propyl gallate, had a marked dose-dependent inhibitory effect. These data indicate that general antioxidants, hydroxyl radical scavengers, antioxidant vitamins, iron chelating agents, lipophilic antioxidants, and spin trapping agents can influence chondrocyte-dependent aggrecan degradation. These studies support the role of a chondrocyte-dependent oxidative mechanism in aggrecan degradation and indicate that antioxidants can prevent matrix degradation and therefore may have a preventive or therapeutic value in arthritis. The enhancement of oxidative activity in chondrocytes and its damaging effect on matrix may be an important mechanism of matrix degradation in osteoarthritis.

Effect of aging on intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is a serious disorder that is prevalent in elderly patients. Reactive oxygen species are implicated in the pathogenesis of intestinal I/R injury. Reactive oxygen species are also implicated in cellular senescence and aging. To test the hypothesis that aging exacerbates intestinal I/R injury, the effects of intestinal I/R on tissue injury were compared between young (3 month old) and aged (12 month old) mice. Intestinal ischemia was induced by occluding the superior mesenteric artery with a microbulldog clamp. Reperfusion was initiated by removing the clamp. Mortality due to intestinal ischemia followed by reperfusion was significantly higher in aged mice. There were no differences in the baseline levels of malondialdehyde or myeloperoxidase activity (indicators of lipid peroxidation and neutrophil infiltration, respectively) between young and aged mice. Although intestinal I/R caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde levels and myeloperoxidase activity in aged mice, similar increases were also observed in young mice. There were no significant differences in the activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase between young and aged mice that underwent sham operation. Intestinal I/R caused a significant decrease in catalase activity only in aged mice. In conclusion, our results indicate that aged mice are more susceptible to mortality due to intestinal I/R and that an age-dependent decrease in catalase activity may contribute to the observed mortality.

Point mutation in the MITF gene causing Waardenburg syndrome type II in a three-generation Indian family.

Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is an autosomal-dominant neural crest cell disorder phenotypically characterized by hearing impairment and disturbance of pigmentation. A presence of dystopia canthorum is indicative of WS type 1, caused by loss of function mutation in the PAX3 gene. In contrast, type 2 WS (WS2) is characterized by normally placed medial canthi and is genetically heterogeneous; mutations in MITF (microphthalmia associated transcription factor) associated with WS2 have been identified in some but not all affected families. Here, we report on a three-generation Indian family with a point mutation in the MITF gene causing WS2. This mutation, initially reported in a Northern European family, creates a stop codon in exon 7 and is predicted to result in a truncated protein lacking the HLH-Zip or Zip structure necessary for normal interaction with its target DNA motif. Comparison of the phenotype between the two families demonstrates a significant difference in pigmentary disturbance of the eye. This family, with the first documented case of two unrelated WS2 families harboring identical mutations, provides additional evidence for the importance of genetic background on the clinical phenotype.

A gene for recessive nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness (DFNB18) maps to the chromosomal region 11p14-p15.1 containing the Usher syndrome type 1C gene.

Autosomal recessive nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness segregating in a large consanguineous Indian family was mapped to chromosome 11p14-p15.1 defining a new locus, DFNB18. A maximum lod score of 4.4 at theta = 0 was obtained for the polymorphic micro-satellite marker D11S1888. Haplotype analysis localizes this gene between markers D11S1307 and D11S2368, which is approximately 1.6 cM and encompasses the region of Usher syndrome type 1C (USH1C). We postulate that DFNB18 and USH1C are allelic variants of the same gene.

Genetic mapping refines DFNB3 to 17p11.2, suggests multiple alleles of DFNB3, and supports homology to the mouse model shaker-2.

The nonsyndromic congenital recessive deafness gene, DFNB3, first identified in Bengkala, Bali, was mapped to a approximately 12-cM interval on chromosome 17. New short tandem repeats (STRs) and additional DNA samples were used to identify recombinants that constrain the DFNB3 interval to less, similar6 cM on 17p11.2. Affected individuals from Bengkala and affected members of a family with hereditary deafness who were from Bila, a village neighboring Bengkala, were homozygous for the same alleles for six adjacent STRs in the DFNB3 region and were heterozygous for other distal markers, thus limiting DFNB3 to an approximately 3-cM interval. Nonsyndromic deafness segregating in two unrelated consanguineous Indian families, M21 and I-1924, were also linked to the DFNB3 region. Haplotype analysis indicates that the DFNB3 mutations in the three pedigrees most likely arose independently and suggests that DFNB3 makes a significant contribution to hereditary deafness worldwide. On the basis of conserved synteny, mouse deafness mutations shaker-2 (sh2) and sh2J are proposed as models of DFNB3. Genetic mapping has refined sh2 to a 0.6-cM interval of chromosome 11. Three homologous genes map within the sh2 and DFNB3 intervals, suggesting that sh2 is the homologue of DFNB3.

Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury in transgenic mice overexpressing copper-zinc superoxide dismutase.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) scavenges oxygen radicals that are implicated in the pathogenesis of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury. The effect of intestinal ischemia and reperfusion was investigated in transgenic mice overexpressing human Cu-Zn SOD. Ischemia was induced by occluding the superior mesenteric artery. Myeloperoxidase activity was determined as an index of neutrophil infiltration, and malondialdehyde levels were measured as an indicator of lipid peroxidation. Forty-five minutes of intestinal ischemia followed by 4 h of reperfusion caused an increase in intestinal levels of malondialdehyde in both nontransgenic and transgenic mice, but the concentration of malondialdehyde was significantly greater in nontransgenic mice. Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion also caused an increase in intestinal and pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity in nontransgenic and transgenic mice, but the transgenic mice had significantly lower levels of myeloperoxidase activity than nontransgenic mice. Transgenic mice had higher levels of intestinal SOD activity than nontransgenic mice. There were no significant differences in the catalase or glutathione peroxidase activities. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the overexpression of SOD protects tissues from neutrophil infiltration and lipid peroxidation during intestinal ischemia-reperfusion.

Effect of endotoxemia on plasma and tissue levels of nitric oxide metabolites and guanidino compounds.

The effect of endotoxemia on the levels of amino acids, nitrates, nitrites and guanidino compounds was investigated. Plasma levels of nitrate and nitrite were significantly increased indicating increased production of nitric oxide during endotoxemia. Plasma concentrations of alanine, glutamine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline and taurine were also significantly elevated. These results indicate that endotoxin produces a hypercatabolic state. The plasma concentration of arginine was significantly decreased whereas the concentrations of ornithine and urea, the catabolites of arginine were increased. Decreased plasma arginine coupled with increased plasma ornithine and urea indicate that arginine catabolism is increased and arginine synthesis is decreased during endotoxemia. Plasma levels of creatine, creatinine, guanidine and guanidinosuccinic acid were significantly elevated whereas homoarginine levels were significantly decreased. Nitric oxide synthase utilizes arginine as well as homoarginine as substrates. The decreased concentration of both substrates may be related to alterations in nitric oxide synthase activity during endotoxemia. These results suggest that in addition to nitric oxide, other catabolites of arginine such as guanidino compounds may be important in the pathophysiology of endotoxemia. Because of the marked increase in guanidinosuccinic acid, a known uremic toxin, we speculate that guanidinosuccinic acid may be important in the pathophysiology of endotoxemia.