Performance evaluation of light weight gas sensor system suitable for airborne applications against co-location gas analysers over Delhi.

In the present work, we discuss the light-weight gas sensor system (LWGSS) [350 g, 7″ ∗ 3″] originally developed at CSIR-National Physical Laboratory. This instrument is equipped with low-cost electrolytic gas sensors for quantifying major gaseous pollutants present in the atmosphere. Alphasense electrochemical gas sensors were used to measure gas pollutant species such as CO, SO2, NO2, O3 and H2S. In our experiment, we focus on the observation of CO, SO2, NO2, O3 using this system. LWGSS has been designed for vertical observations using balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to study the gaseous concentration in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). But, before using such instruments in field campaigns, there is a strong need for the inter-comparison of these instruments with that of the collocated high-end gas analysers. Thus, the inter-comparisons were performed between LWGSS and other high-end analysers during 6-7, March 2017 and 26-27, April 2017. The LWGSS system comprising all the sensors was compared against high-end analyser present at CSIR-NPL for ozone and other gas analysers present at IMD, New Delhi. The ozone sensor deployed in LWGSS showed good correlation (i.e. R2 = 0.83, slope = 0.93) against the high-end ozone gas analyser, which was calibrated with primary ozone facility (SRP43) available at CSIR-NPL. Inter-comparisons performed for NO2, SO2 and CO showed different results. While the NO2 gas sensor showed medium correlation (R2 = 0.75; slope = 0.49), the SO2 and CO gas sensor showed a poor correlation (and R2 = 0.44; slope = 0.98; R2 = 0.28, slope = 0.79) respectively, when compared with co-location gas analysers present at IMD, New Delhi. Comparisons were performed for LWGSS data during 1-28 February 2018 with data collected at CPCB station (Shadipur, Delhi) and IMD station (Pusa, Delhi). The comparison results showed variations in LWGSS CO and SO2 data whereas LWGSS O3 and NO2 results were in accordance with data collected at aforementioned monitoring stations.

Early treatment of SIV+ macaques with an α4ß7 mAb alters virus distribution and preserves CD4+ T cells in later stages of infection.

Integrin α4ß7 mediates the trafficking of leukocytes, including CD4+ T cells, to lymphoid tissues in the gut. Virus mediated damage to the gut is implicated in HIV and SIV mediated chronic immune activation and leads to irreversible damage to the immune system. We employed an immuno-PET/CT imaging technique to evaluate the impact of an anti-integrin α4ß7 mAb alone or in combination with ART, on the distribution of both SIV infected cells and CD4+ cells in rhesus macaques infected with SIV. We determined that α4ß7 mAb reduced viral antigen in an array of tissues of the lung, spleen, axillary, and inguinal lymph nodes. These sites are not directly linked to α4ß7 mediated homing; however, the most pronounced reduction in viral load was observed in the colon. Despite this reduction, α4ß7 mAb treatment did not prevent an apparent depletion of CD4+ T cells in gut in the acute phase of infection that is characteristic of HIV/SIV infection. However, α4ß7 mAb appeared to facilitate the preservation or restoration of CD4+ T cells in gut tissues at later stages of infection. Since damage to the gut is believed to play a central role in HIV pathogenesis, these results support further evaluation of α4ß7 antagonists in the study and treatment of HIV disease.

The Knife's Edge of Tolerance: Inducing Stable Multilineage Mixed Chimerism but With a Significant Risk of CMV Reactivation and Disease in Rhesus Macaques.

Although stable mixed-hematopoietic chimerism induces robust immune tolerance to solid organ allografts in mice, the translation of this strategy to large animal models and to patients has been challenging. We have previously shown that in MHC-matched nonhuman primates (NHPs), a busulfan plus combined belatacept and anti-CD154-based regimen could induce long-lived myeloid chimerism, but without T cell chimerism. In that setting, donor chimerism was eventually rejected, and tolerance to skin allografts was not achieved. Here, we describe an adaptation of this strategy, with the addition of low-dose total body irradiation to our conditioning regimen. This strategy has successfully induced multilineage hematopoietic chimerism in MHC-matched transplants that was stable for as long as 24 months posttransplant, the entire length of analysis. High-level T cell chimerism was achieved and associated with significant donor-specific prolongation of skin graft acceptance. However, we also observed significant infectious toxicities, prominently including cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and end-organ disease in the setting of functional defects in anti-CMV T cell immunity. These results underscore the significant benefits that multilineage chimerism-induction approaches may represent to transplant patients as well as the inherent risks, and they emphasize the precision with which a clinically successful regimen will need to be formulated and then validated in NHP models.

Spontaneously arising concurrent ileocaecal adenocarcinoma and renal pelvis transitional cell carcinoma in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta).

A 25-year-old, female rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) presented with a history of weight loss despite a normal appetite and supportive care. The animal was humanely destroyed due to poor prognosis. Post-mortem examination revealed a focally extensive, firm, white annular constriction at the ileocaecal junction and an incidental finding of a pale white nodule approximately 0.8 cm in diameter in the left renal pelvis. Based on the microscopical findings, ileocaecal adenocarcinoma and renal pelvis transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) were diagnosed. The use of cytokeratin (CK)-7 and -20 and uroplakin III as potential renal TCC markers was evaluated. The neoplastic cells were labelled intensely with antibodies to uroplakin III, but not to CK-7 or -20. Spontaneous intestinal adenocarcinoma has been documented in the rhesus macaque, but concurrent renal pelvis TCC is highly unusual.

Comparison of BACTEC 460 and MGIT 960 systems for the culture of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis S strain and observations on the effect of inclusion of ampicillin in culture media to reduce contamination.

To compare the utility and diagnostic accuracy of BACTEC and MGIT culture systems, a total of 41 pooled faecal samples, each containing faeces from one sheep infected with the S strain of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and four uninfected sheep was cultured. The MGIT culture system did not support the growth of the S strain of M. paratuberculosis from faeces within the time frame of the experiments, although a laboratory adapted S strain grew slowly in MGIT provided that sufficient bacteria were inoculated. In contrast, C strain grew rapidly in MGIT. The sensitivity of culture was calculated relative to the infection status of the animals, none of which had clinical signs of ovine Johne's disease. The overall sensitivity of pooled faecal culture in the BACTEC culture system was 21.9% (95% confidence limits, 10.5-37.6), a figure dependant on the proportion of multibacillary cases. The sensitivities of the BACTEC culture system for pools containing animals with multibacillary and paucibacillary lesions were 100.0% (95% confidence limits, 47.2-100.0) and 17.8% (95% confidence limits 6.06-36.8), respectively. The contamination rate of BACTEC cultures was 9.7% compared to 14.3% for MGIT. The effect of 100 microg/ml ampicillin on the S strain of the M. paratuberculosis was examined and in both BACTEC and MGIT media it delayed growth by about 1 week. The composition of MGIT medium, particularly presence of vancomycin hydrochloride, slowed the growth of the S strain. The low content of egg yolk was considered to be another possible factor. The radiometric BACTEC culture system remains the best alternative for the culture of S strain and is recommended in circumstances where the genotype (s) of the strains present in a region/farm is either unknown or S strain.

Evaluation of a Pourquier ELISA kit in relation to agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test for assessment of the humoral immune response in sheep and goats with and without Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection.

The present study was designed to evaluate a commercial ELISA kit (Institut Pourquier) for the diagnosis of ovine and caprine paratuberculosis under Australian conditions and to compare its accuracy with the existing AGID test. The sensitivity of the ELISA in sheep and goats was 34.9% and 56.4%, with a specificity of 98.8% and 100.0%, respectively. Sensitivity of AGID was 13.8% for sheep and 39.5% for goats, with specificity of 100.0% for both species. The sensitivity of the ELISA in sheep depended on the category of histological lesions. AGID and ELISA were conditionally independent, and appeared to detect overlapping but distinct subgroups of infected animals. The ELISA was significantly more sensitive than the AGID. The ELISA was simple to perform, robust and repeatable. Coefficients of variation of <12.0% were observed for positive and negative controls included on 193 plates over a 10-month period and there was a high level of intraassay repeatability with 12.0% of the duplicate samples having CV of >15.0%.

A study on the epidemiology of brucellosis in Punjab (India) using Survey Toolbox.

A random survey was conducted to study the epidemiology of brucellosis in Punjab (India), using the 'Survey Toolbox' sampling software. A two-stage sampling procedure was adopted: in the first stage, villages were selected, and in the second the selection of animals was made. In all, 52 villages were selected randomly from a sampling frame of all the villages of Punjab. The total number of animals in these villages was 18,644, out of which 973 animals (approximately 5%) belonging to various owners were randomly selected. Serum samples collected from the animals were screened for Brucella antibodies by an avidinbiotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which showed the apparent overall prevalence of brucellosis to be 12.09% (true prevalence, 11.23%). The prevalence varied from a low of 0% to a high of 24.3% in various districts. Higher variance (0.08) was noted within villages than between different villages (0.03). The prevalence rates among buffaloes and cattle were 13.4% and 9.9%, respectively. The seroprevalence of brucellosis was found to be significantly higher (chi square = 24.50, p < 0.001) in animals with a history of abortion (33.87%) than in those without such a history (11.63%).

Digestive disease resources on the Internet.

The aim of this study is to help digestive disease professionals fully utilize the resources available on the Internet for patient care, education, and research. The following search resources were employed to locate websites: general search engines--Lycos, Metacrawler, Webcrawler, and Yahoo!; medical search engines--HealthWeb, MedMatrix, MedWeb, and MedWebPlus; website links; and publications. The inclusion of web sites was based on their content. Each site was evaluated with respect to its authorship, attribution, currency, and disclosure. All digestive disease professional organizations and academic centers that met the above criteria were included. Only nutrition sites with relevance to digestive diseases were included. A variety of very useful web sites related to digestive diseases exist on the Internet, and their numbers are growing. Many of these sites have valuable information that can be used to improve patient care, promote medical education, and facilitate research. Digestive disease professionals should adopt the Internet and address the many issues raised by this technology.

Patient recall and appropriate timing for obtaining informed consent for endoscopic procedures.

OBJECTIVES: Although informed consent is an issue in many medical malpractice claims, there is no standardized time or method to obtain informed consent for endoscopic procedures. The objectives of this study were to determine whether sedation for endoscopic procedures interfered with pre-endoscopic informed consent and to determine the appropriate time to obtain informed consent. METHODS: Patients undergoing a sedated esophagogastroduodenoscopy had informed consent obtained either 48-72 h before the procedure (group 1A, n = 50) or 10-60 min before the procedure (group 1B, n = 50). Patients undergoing an unsedated flexible sigmoidoscopy had informed consent obtained either 48-72 h before (group 2A, n = 47) or 10-60 min before the procedure (group 2B, n = 49). Methods of informed consent consisted of an oral and a written explanation about the procedure. Patients were sedated with midazolam and meperidine. A Trieger test evaluated recovery from sedation. Recall was assessed by asking six questions about the procedure before discharge and again 2-3 days later. RESULTS: Standard t tests and Mann-Whitney U nonparametric rank tests were used to compare the 1) 1-h recall scores, 2) 2-3-day recall scores, and 3) recall difference scores for groups 1A and 1B, 1A and 2A, 2A and 2B, and 1B and 2B. There were no differences in recall for the different groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that sedation for endoscopic procedures does not interfere with pre-endoscopic informed consent. Informed consent for endoscopic procedures can be obtained at any time before sedation with similar recall.

Hepatitis C: a multifaceted disease. Review of extrahepatic manifestations.

PURPOSE: To review the available data on the association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and conditions reportedly related to infection with the virus and to assess the clinical implications of these associations. DATA SOURCES: Pertinent articles were identified using the Paperchase database, which simultaneously searches the MEDLINE (1966 to present), Health (1975 to present), AIDSLINE (1980 to present), and Cancerlit databases. STUDY SELECTION: All studies for a given association were reviewed, but special attention was paid to randomized controlled trials where applicable. RESULTS: According to the available data, HCV infection appears to be strongly associated with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and porphyria cutanea tarda. Evidence strongly suggests that HCV has a direct pathogenetic role in some patients with the first two conditions. The association with Mooren corneal ulcers and autoimmune thyroiditis is suggested, but more data are needed to confirm it. The data for the association between HCV infection and the Sjögren syndrome, lichen planus, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis remain weak. Although interferon therapy has been effective in patients with both essential mixed cryoglobulinemia and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, a high relapse rate has been noted in the latter condition. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and porphyria cutanea tarda should be tested for HCV infection. Conversely, signs and symptoms of these conditions should be sought in patients with chronic HCV infection. Interferon therapy is currently recommended only for patients with symptomatic essential mixed cryoglobulinemia.

Non-enzymic phosphorylation of polyphosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid is catalysed by bivalent metal ions.

Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidic acid undergo non-enzymic phosphorylation by ATP in the presence of bivalent metal ions. The non-enzymic reaction is more rapid in a mixture of water, chloroform and methanol than in water alone. Chemical evidence indicates that the product formed from phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate is the corresponding 4-pyrophosphate. This product shows an RF value very close to that of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate on t.l.c. with an acidic solvent commonly used to characterize and measure the latter; however, it can be separated readily with an alkaline solvent. Chemical evidence indicates that the products formed from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidic acid are also pyrophosphates.

Further Studies on myo-Inositol-1-phosphatase from the Pollen of Lilium longiflorum Thunb.

myo-Inositol-1-phosphatase has been purified to homogeneity from Lilium longiflorum pollen using an alternative procedure which includes pH change and phenyl Sepharose column chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis shows that the enzyme is a dimer (subunit molecular weight, 29,000 daltons). The enzyme is stable at low pH values and is inactivated only below pH 3.0. In addition to 1l-and 1d-myo-inositol-1-phosphate, it shows high specificity for 1l-chiro-inositol-3-phosphate. As observed earlier with other primary phosphate esters, d-glucitol-6-phosphate and d-mannitol-6-phosphate are hydrolyzed very slowly. No activity is observed with inorganic pyrophosphate or myo-inositol pentaphosphate as substrate. The enzyme is inhibited by fluoride, sulfate, molybdate, and thiol-directed reagents. Partial protection against N-ethylmaleimide inhibition by substrate and Mg(2+) together suggests sulfhydryl involvement at the active site.

myo-Inositol-1-phosphate synthase from pine pollen: sulfhydryl involvement at the active site.

myo-Inositol-1-phosphate synthase [EC 5.5.1.4; 1L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate lyase, (isomerizing)] from Pinus ponderosa pollen has been partially purified and characterized. It has a pH optimum between 7.25 and 7.75. The km for D-glucose 6-phosphate (NAD+ constant at 1 mM) is 0.33 mM. Inhibition by p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide, and partial protection against this inhibition by D-glucose 6-phosphate in the presence of NAD+, suggests that there is sulfhydryl group involvement at the substrate binding site.

Sugar Uptake in Lily Pollen : A PROTON SYMPORT.

The data presented here are consistent with a proton-sugar co-transport in germinated pollen of Lilium longiflorum Thunb. Optimal uptake occurs at pH 5.0. A K(m) of 1.7 to 1.8 millimolar is obtained from the initial rate of pH change induced by sucrose uptake as well as from uptake of [U-(14)C]-sucrose. The energy of activation is - 11 kilocalories mole(-1). The effect of several inhibitors and sugar competitors on [U-(14)C]sucrose and d-[U-(14)C] glucose uptake is given. The possibility of hydrolysis of sucrose prior to its transport into the pollen tube has been considered and reasons for choosing a sucrose-type uptake are presented. The possible in vivo significance of this co-transport process during pollen germination is discussed. Germinated pollen has features to recommend it as an experimental system of choice for studies of sugar uptake.