Associations between human milk oligosaccharides and infant growth in a Bangladeshi mother-infant cohort.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to estimate associations between human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and infant growth (length-for-age (LAZ) and weight-for-length (WLZ) z-scores) at 12 months postnatal age. METHODS: In this secondary analysis of data from a maternal vitamin D trial in Dhaka, Bangladesh (N = 192), absolute concentrations of HMOs were measured in 13 ± 1 week(s) postpartum milk samples, infant anthropometric measurements were obtained soon after birth and at 12 months postpartum, and infant feeding was classified during 6 months postpartum. Associations between individual HMOs or HMO groups and LAZ or WLZ were estimated by multivariable linear regression adjusting for infant feeding pattern, maternal secretor status, and other potential confounders. RESULTS: The concentrations of 6'sialyllactose, lacto-N-neotetraose, and the non-fucosylated non-sialylated HMOs were inversely associated with LAZ at 12 months of age, whereas the fucosylated non-sialylated HMO concentration was positively associated with LAZ at 12 months. These associations were robust in analyses restricted to infants who were primarily exclusively/predominantly fed human milk during the first 3 (or 6) months. CONCLUSIONS: Since HMOs are both positively and negatively associated with postnatal growth, there is a need for randomized trials to estimate the causal benefits and risks of exogenously administered HMOs on infant growth and other health outcomes. IMPACT: 6'sialyllactose, lacto-N-neotetraose, and the non-fucosylated non-sialylated human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) were inversely associated with length-for-age z-scores (LAZ) at 12 months, whereas the fucosylated non-sialylated HMO concentration was positively associated with LAZ at 12 months among Bangladeshi infants. Associations between individual and grouped HMOs with infant length growth at 12 months were as strong or stronger in analyses restricted to infants who were exclusively or predominantly fed human milk up to 3 (or 6) months. Randomized trials are needed to characterize the effects of specific HMOs on infant growth, particularly in countries where postnatal linear growth faltering is common.

Estimation of skeletal muscle mass in 4-year-old children using the D3-creatine dilution method.

BACKGROUND: Given limited experience in applying the creatine-(methyl-D3) (D3Cr) dilution method to measure skeletal muscle mass (SMM) in young children, the feasibility of deployment in a fielding setting and performance of the method was assessed in a cohort of 4-year-old children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. METHODS: Following D3Cr oral dose (10 mg) administration, single fasting urine samples were collected at 2-4 days (n = 100). Twenty-four-hour post-dose collections and serial spot urine samples on days 2, 3 and 4 were obtained in a subset of participants (n = 10). Urinary creatine, creatinine, D3Cr and D3-creatinine enrichment were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Appendicular lean mass (ALM) was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and grip strength was measured by a hand-held dynamometer. RESULTS: SMM was measured successfully in 91% of participants, and there were no adverse events. Mean ± SD SMM was greater than ALM (4.5 ± 0.4 and 3.2 ± 0.6 kg, respectively). Precision of SMM was low (intraclass correlation = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.75; n = 10). Grip strength was not associated with SMM in multivariable analysis (0.004 kg per 100 g of SMM; 95% CI: -0.031, 0.038; n = 91). CONCLUSIONS: The D3Cr dilution method was feasible in a community setting. However, high within-child variability in SMM estimates suggests the need for further optimization of this approach. IMPACT: The D3-creatine (D3Cr) stable isotope dilution method was considered a feasible method for the estimation of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) in young children in a community setting and was well accepted among participants. SMM was weakly associated with both dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-derived values of appendicular lean mass and grip strength. High within-child variability in estimated values of SMM suggests that further optimization of the D3Cr stable isotope dilution method is required prior to implementation in community research settings.

Polyphenolics with Strong Antioxidant Activity from Acacia nilotica Ameliorate Some Biochemical Signs of Arsenic-Induced Neurotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in Mice.

Neurotoxicity is a serious health problem of patients chronically exposed to arsenic. There is no specific treatment of this problem. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathological process of neurotoxicity. Polyphenolics have proven antioxidant activity, thereby offering protection against oxidative stress. In this study, we have isolated the polyphenolics from Acacia nilotica and investigated its effect against arsenic-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in mice. Acacia nilotica polyphenolics prepared from column chromatography of the crude methanol extract using diaion resin contained a phenolic content of 452.185 ± 7.879 mg gallic acid equivalent/gm of sample and flavonoid content of 200.075 ± 0.755 mg catechin equivalent/gm of sample. The polyphenolics exhibited potent antioxidant activity with respect to free radical scavenging ability, total antioxidant activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Administration of arsenic in mice showed a reduction of acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain which was counteracted by Acacia nilotica polyphenolics. Similarly, elevation of lipid peroxidation and depletion of glutathione in the brain of mice was effectively restored to normal level by Acacia nilotica polyphenolics. Gallic acid methyl ester, catechin and catechin-7-gallate were identified in the polyphenolics as the major active compounds. These results suggest that Acacia nilotica polyphenolics due to its strong antioxidant potential might be effective in the management of arsenic induced neurotoxicity.

Basal Vitamin D Status and Supplement Dose Are Primary Contributors to Maternal 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Response to Prenatal and Postpartum Cholecalciferol Supplementation.

BACKGROUND: Variability in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] response to prenatal and postpartum vitamin D supplementation is an important consideration for establishing vitamin D deficiency prevention regimens. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine interindividual variation in maternal and infant 25(OH)D following maternal vitamin D supplementation. METHODS: In a randomized trial of maternal vitamin D supplementation (Maternal Vitamin D for Infant Growth Trial), healthy pregnant women (n = 1300) received a prenatal cholecalciferol (vitamin D-3) dose of 0, 4200, 16,800, or 28,000 IU/wk from 17 to 24 wk of gestation followed by placebo to 6 mo postpartum. A fifth group received 28,000 IU cholecalciferol/wk both prenatally and postpartum. In a subset of participants, associations of 25(OH)D with hypothesized explanatory factors were estimated in women at delivery (n = 655) and 6 mo postpartum (n = 566), and in their infants at birth (n = 502) and 6 mo of age (n = 215). Base models included initial 25(OH)D and supplemental vitamin D dose. Multivariable models were extended to include other individual characteristics and specimen-related factors. The model coefficient of determination (R2) was used to express the percentage of total variance explained. RESULTS: Supplemental vitamin D intake and initial 25(OH)D accounted for the majority of variance in maternal 25(OH)D at delivery and postpartum (R2 = 70% and 79%, respectively). Additional characteristics, including BMI, contributed negligibly to remaining variance (<5% increase in R2). Variance in neonatal 25(OH)D was explained mostly by maternal delivery 25(OH)D and prenatal vitamin D intake (R2 = 82%). Variance in 25(OH)D in later infancy could only partly be explained by numerous biological, sociodemographic, and laboratory-related characteristics, including feeding practices (R2 = 43%). CONCLUSIONS: Presupplementation 25(OH)D and vitamin D supplemental dose are the major determinants of the response to maternal prenatal vitamin D intake. Vitamin D dosing regimens to prevent maternal and infant vitamin D deficiency should take into consideration the mean 25(OH)D concentration of the target population.

Trilayered Gires-Tournois Resonator with Ultrasensitive Slow-Light Condition for Colorimetric Detection of Bioparticles.

Over the past few decades, advances in various nanophotonic structures to enhance light-matter interactions have opened numerous opportunities for biosensing applications. Beyond the successful development of label-free nanophotonic biosensors that utilize plasmon resonances in metals and Mie resonances in dielectrics, simpler structures are required to achieve improved sensor performance and multifunctionality, while enabling cost-effective fabrication. Here, we present a simple and effectual approach to colorimetric biosensing utilizing a trilayered Gires-Tournois (GT) resonator, which provides a sensitive slow-light effect in response to low refractive index (RI) substances and thus enables to distinguish low RI bioparticles from the background with spatially distinct color differences. For low RI sensitivity, by impedance matching based on the transmission line model, trilayer configuration enables the derivation of optimal designs to achieve the unity absorption condition in a low RI medium, which is difficult to obtain with the conventional GT configuration. Compared to conventional bilayered GT resonators, the trilayered GT resonator shows significant sensing performance with linear sensitivity in various situations with low RI substances. For extended applications, several proposed designs of trilayered GT resonators are presented in various material combinations by impedance matching using equivalent transmission line models. Further, comparing the color change of different substrates with low RI NPs using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, the proposed GT structure shows surpassing colorimetric detection.

Potentiality of Sustainable Maize Production under Rainfed Conditions in the Tropics by Triggering Agro-Physio-Biochemical Traits Ascertained from a Greenhouse.

A major portion of maize is produced under rainfed conditions in the tropics with relatively poor yield because of the unpredictable and irregular distribution of seasonal rainfall, as well as a decline in pre-rainy season rainfall due to climate change, so identification of sustainable production options is utmost needed. Thus, the present studies were conducted in a greenhouse (GH) to ascertain the water stress-tolerant traits of maize and at the field level in the tropical environment of Thailand to see the stimulating possibility of the ascertained traits in a locally popular cultivar using ethephon. Depending on tolerance level, three maize genotypes (Suwan 2301 > Suwan 4452 > S 7328) were tested under different water conditions-well-watered, short-term, and long-term water stress-in the GH. At the field level, the locally popular maize cultivar Suwan 5819 was examined with six ethephon levels (doses in g a.i. ha-1 of ethephon, i.e., T1, 281 at V6 stage; T2, 281 at V6 + 281 at V10 stage; T3, 281 at V10 stage; T4, 562 at V6 stage; T5, 562 at V6 + 562 at V10 stage; T6, 562 at V10 stage) against no ethephon application (T0) under rainfed conditions. Maize suffered from the scarcity of sufficient rainfall during 26-39 days after planting (DAP) and 43-63 DAP in the field. The yield index (YI) was identified from biplot analysis as one of the suitable standards for drought tolerance checks for maize at GH as well as at field level in the tropics. The YI value of observed agro-physio-biochemical traits of maize in GH showed that relative water content (RWC, 1.23), stem base diameter (SBD, 1.21), total soluble sugar (TSS, 1.15), proline (Pr, 1.13), aboveground plant biomass (APB, 1.13), root weight (RW, 1.13), relative growth rate (RGR, 1.15), specific leaf weight (SLW, 1.12), and net assimilation rate (NAR, 1.08) were the most desirable. Efforts were made to stimulate these traits under water stress at the field level. Ethephon application as T1 helped to gain higher kernel yield (KY) (5.26 t ha-1) with the support of higher RWC (90.38%), proline (24.79 µmol g-1 FW), TSS (1629 mg g-1 FW), SBD (24.49 mm), APB (271.34 g plant-1), SLW (51.71 g m-2), RGR (25.26 mg plant-1 day-1), and NAR (0.91 mg cm-2 day-1) compared to others, especially no ethephon application. Furthermore, the attributes SLW, SBD, Pr, heat utilization efficiency (HUE), 100-kernel weight, TSS, electrolyte leakage, and lodging percentage showed a substantial direct effect and significant correlation with KY. Aside from higher KY, ethephon application as T1 tactics resulted in higher values of energy efficiency (1.66), HUE (2.99 kg ha-1 °C days-1), gross margin (682.02 USD ha-1), MBCR (3.32), and C absorption (6.19 t C ha-1), indicating that this practice may be a good option for maize sustainable production under rainfed conditions.

Review of Intelligence for Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing: Current Status and Future Prospects.

Additive manufacturing (AM), an enabler of Industry 4.0, recently opened limitless possibilities in various sectors covering personal, industrial, medical, aviation and even extra-terrestrial applications. Although significant research thrust is prevalent on this topic, a detailed review covering the impact, status, and prospects of artificial intelligence (AI) in the manufacturing sector has been ignored in the literature. Therefore, this review provides comprehensive information on smart mechanisms and systems emphasizing additive, subtractive and/or hybrid manufacturing processes in a collaborative, predictive, decisive, and intelligent environment. Relevant electronic databases were searched, and 248 articles were selected for qualitative synthesis. Our review suggests that significant improvements are required in connectivity, data sensing, and collection to enhance both subtractive and additive technologies, though the pervasive use of AI by machines and software helps to automate processes. An intelligent system is highly recommended in both conventional and non-conventional subtractive manufacturing (SM) methods to monitor and inspect the workpiece conditions for defect detection and to control the machining strategies in response to instantaneous output. Similarly, AM product quality can be improved through the online monitoring of melt pool and defect formation using suitable sensing devices followed by process control using machine learning (ML) algorithms. Challenges in implementing intelligent additive and subtractive manufacturing systems are also discussed in the article. The challenges comprise difficulty in self-optimizing CNC systems considering real-time material property and tool condition, defect detections by in-situ AM process monitoring, issues of overfitting and underfitting data in ML models and expensive and complicated set-ups in hybrid manufacturing processes.

Effect of maternal prenatal and postpartum vitamin D supplementation on offspring bone mass and muscle strength in early childhood: follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and lactation is a modifiable factor that may influence offspring musculoskeletal outcomes. However, few randomized trials have tested the effects of prenatal or postpartum vitamin D supplementation on offspring bone and muscle development. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to examine hypothesized effects of improvements in early-life vitamin D status on childhood musculoskeletal health in Dhaka, Bangladesh. METHODS: In a previously completed, double-blind, dose-ranging trial, healthy pregnant women (n = 1300) were recruited at 17-24 weeks' gestation and randomly assigned to a prenatal/postpartum regimen of 0/0, 4200/0, 16,800/0, 28,000/0, or 28,000/28,000 IU cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)/wk until 26 wk postpartum. In this new report, we describe additional follow-up at 4 y of age (n = 642) for longer-term outcomes. Bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) were measured by DXA. Grip strength was tested using a hand-held dynamometer. The primary comparison was children of women assigned to 28,000 IU/wk prenatally compared with placebo. Differences are expressed as means and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Total-body-less-head (TBLH) BMC, TBLH aBMD, and grip strength were similar in the combined high-dose prenatal (28,000/0 and 28,000/28,000 IU/wk) compared with placebo groups (mean difference [95% CI] = 0.61 g [-10.90, 12.13], 0.0004 g/cm2 [-0.0089, 0.0097], and 0.02 kg [-0.26, 0.31], respectively). In dose-ranging analyses, TBLH BMC and aBMD, whole-body BMC and aBMD, and grip strength in each of the prenatal vitamin D groups were not significantly different from placebo (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). Only head aBMD was greater in children of women assigned to the 28,000/28,000-IU regimen compared with placebo (mean difference [95% CI] = 0.024 g/cm2 [0.0009, 0.047], P = 0.042); the effect was attenuated upon adjustment for child height, weight, and sex (P = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal prenatal, with or without postpartum, vitamin D supplementation does not improve child BMC, aBMD, or grip strength at 4 y of age. The MDIG trial and present follow-up study were registered prospectively at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01924013 and NCT03537443, respectively.

Do Early Infant Feeding Practices and Modifiable Household Behaviors Contribute to Age-Specific Interindividual Variations in Infant Linear Growth? Evidence from a Birth Cohort in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Causes of infant linear growth faltering in low-income settings remain poorly understood. Identifying age-specific risk factors in observational studies might be influenced by statistical model selection. OBJECTIVES: To estimate associations of selected household factors and infant feeding behaviors within discrete age intervals with interval-specific changes in length-for-age z-scores (LAZs) or attained LAZ, using 5 statistical approaches. METHODS: Data from a birth cohort in Dhaka, Bangladesh (n = 1157) were analyzed. Multivariable-adjusted associations of infant feeding patterns or household factors with conditional LAZ (cLAZ) were estimated for 5 intervals in infancy. Two alternative approaches were used to estimate differences in interval changes in LAZ, and differences in end-interval attained LAZ and RRs of stunting (LAZ < -2) were estimated. RESULTS: LAZ was symmetrically distributed with mean ± SD = -0.95 ± 1.02 at birth and -1.00 ± 1.04 at 12 mo. Compared with exclusively breastfed infants, partial breastfeeding (difference in cLAZ: -0.11; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.02) or no breastfeeding (-0.30; 95% CI: -0.54, -0.07) were associated with slower growth from 0 to 3 mo. However, associations were not sustained beyond 6 mo. Modifiable household factors (smoking, water treatment, soap at handwashing station) were not associated with infant growth, attained size, or stunting. Alternative statistical approaches yielded mostly similar results as conditional growth models. CONCLUSIONS: The entire infant LAZ distribution was shifted down, indicating that length deficits were mostly caused by ubiquitous or community-level factors. Early-infant feeding practices explained minimal variation in early growth, and associations were not sustained to 12 mo of age. Statistical model choice did not substantially alter the conclusions. Modifications of household hygiene, smoking, or early infant feeding practices would be unlikely to improve infant linear growth in Bangladesh or other settings where growth faltering is widespread.

The Human-Milk Oligosaccharide Profile of Lactating Women in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Human-milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are an abundant component of human milk that have health-related effects on breastfeeding infants. Since variation in HMO composition can be explained by maternal and environmental factors, understanding the diversity in HMOs across settings and identifying context-specific factors associated with HMO abundances is important. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to describe the HMO profile of Bangladeshi women and to estimate the effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on HMO composition. METHODS: In a cross-sectional analysis of data and samples from the Maternal Vitamin D for Infant Growth trial in Dhaka, Bangladesh (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01924013), 192 participants were randomly selected including 96 from each of the placebo and highest-dose vitamin D supplementation groups. In mid-feed breast milk samples collected at a mean (±SD) postpartum age of 93 ± 7 d, absolute and relative abundances of 19 HMOs were analyzed by HPLC. "Secretors" were defined as participants with 2'fucosyllactose concentrations >350 nmol/mL. Associations between HMO concentrations and selected maternal or environmental factors were estimated by multivariable linear regression, adjusting for vitamin D group allocation and secretor status. HMO profiles of Bangladeshi women were compared with data from other international cohorts. RESULTS: Overall, 34% (65/192) of participants were nonsecretors. Secretor status was associated with the concentrations of total HMOs and 79% (15/19) of individual HMOs. Vitamin D supplementation did not affect the total or individual concentration of any measured HMO. 3-Fucosyllactose concentration was significantly higher in breast milk samples collected in December to February compared with samples collected in March to May. HMO composition was similar to other previously reported cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: The HMO profile of Bangladeshi women is predominantly determined by secretor status. Context-specific HMO data may improve understanding of the effects of HMOs on the infant microbiome and health and guide the development of HMO-containing interventions.

Effects of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy and Lactation on Infant Acute Respiratory Infections: Follow-up of a Randomized Trial in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: We examined the effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on risk of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in infants up to 6 months of age in Bangladesh. METHODS: This study was nested in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 5-arm dose-ranging trial of prenatal and postpartum vitamin D supplementation. One group of women received 0 IU vitamin D per week during pregnancy and for 26 weeks post delivery ("placebo" group), one group received high-dose prenatal vitamin D supplementation of 28 000 IU per week and 26 weeks post delivery, and there were 3 additional dose-ranging groups receiving vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy only (4200, 16 800, and 28 000 IU per week, respectively). Episodes of ARI were identified by active and passive surveillance. The primary outcome was microbiologically confirmed ARI, and the primary analysis compared the high-dose prenatal plus postpartum vitamin D vs placebo groups. RESULTS: In total, 1174 mother-infant pairs were included. Among infants born to mothers in the placebo group, 98% had a venous umbilical cord 25(OH)D level below 30 nmol/L compared with none in the high-dose prenatal plus postdelivery vitamin D group. Incidence of microbiologically confirmed ARI in the high-dose prenatal plus postpartum vitamin D (1.21 episodes per 6 person-months; N = 235) and placebo groups (1.07 episodes per 6 person-months; N = 234) was not significantly different (hazard ratio of 1.12 [95% confidence intervals: 0.90-1.40]). There were no differences in the incidence of microbiologically confirmed or clinical ARI, upper, lower, or hospitalized lower respiratory tract infection between high-dose prenatal plus postpartum vitamin D and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high prevalence of maternal baseline vitamin D deficiency and significant effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant vitamin D status, the intervention did not reduce the risk of microbiologically confirmed ARI in infants up to 6 months of age.

Vitamin D Treatment during Pregnancy and Maternal and Neonatal Cord Blood Metal Concentrations at Delivery: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D improves absorption of calcium; however, in animal studies vitamin D also increases the absorption of toxic metals, such as lead and cadmium. OBJECTIVES: We examined maternal and neonatal cord blood levels of lead, cadmium, manganese, and mercury after supplementation with vitamin D during pregnancy. METHODS: The Maternal Vitamin D for Infant Growth trial was a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-arm study of maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy in Dhaka, Bangladesh (NCT01924013). Women were randomized during their second trimester to blinded weekly doses of placebo or 4,200, 16,800, or 28,000 IU of vitamin D3 throughout pregnancy. Each group had 118-239 maternal blood specimens and 100-201 cord blood samples analyzed. Metals were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Unadjusted estimates from linear regression models were expressed as percentage differences. Cord blood cadmium was analyzed as detectable or undetectable with log-binomial regression. RESULTS: Maternal cadmium, mercury, and manganese levels were nearly identical across groups. Maternal lead levels were 6.3%, 7.4%, and 6.0% higher in the treatment groups (4,200, 16,800, and 28,000 IU, respectively) vs. placebo; however, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) showed that differences from 4.1% lower to 20% higher were compatible with the data. In treatment groups (4,200, 16,800, 28,000 IU) vs. placebo, neonatal cord blood lead levels were 8.5% (95% CI: -3.5, 22), 16% (95% CI: 3.3, 30), and 11% (95% CI: 0.4, 23) higher and had higher risk of detectable cadmium, relative risk (RR)=2.2 (95% CI: 1.3, 3.7), RR=1.4 (95% CI: 0.8, 2.5), RR=1.7 (95% CI: 1.0, 2.9). DISCUSSION: Vitamin D supplementation from the second trimester of pregnancy did not influence maternal cadmium, mercury, or manganese levels at delivery. Vitamin D was associated with nonsignificant increases in maternal lead and with significant increases in cord blood lead and cadmium. These associations were not dose dependent. Given that there are no safe levels of metals in infants, the observed increases in cord blood lead and cadmium require further exploration. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7265.

Subacute oral toxicity of ayurvedic anti-diabetic preparation Jambadyarista in Sprague-Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND: Jambadyarista is an Ayurvedic polyherbal formulation widely prescribed by Ayurvedic practitioners for the management of diabetes and its associated complications. About 39 companies have marketed this formulation in Bangladesh with consent from the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA). AIM: This study investigated the sub-acute oral toxicity of Jambadyarista in the Sprague-Dawley rat model. METHODS: The sub-acute toxicity studies were executed in Sprague-Dawley rats. Jambadyarista formulation was given for 28-days through oral gavage at 10 mL/kg and 20 mL/kg dose to two different groups comprising 6 rats of both sex/groups. Across the experimental period mortality, adverse reactions were closely monitored. After 28-day feeding hematological, biochemical, and relative organ weights were quantified. RESULTS: No mortality and/or signs of morbidity were observed for 28-day of repeated-dose sub-acute toxicity. Any pernicious change in body weight, biochemical, and hematological parameters along with relative organ weight were not observed for Jambadyarista. Correlation study among parameters of the renal profile, liver profile, lipid profile also metabolic hormones (T3 and TSH), and enzymes showed the non-toxic rather beneficial role (hypolipidemic) of Jambadyarista in Sprague-Dawley rats. CONCLUSION: Jambadyarista preparation did not cause any potential toxic effect in repeated dose subacute toxicity study over Sprague-Dawley rats orally. Therefore, low dose administration of Jambadyarista could have a beneficial effect on diabetes and can be considered safe before the chronic study.

The surprising complexity of the transcriptional regulation of the spdri gene reveals the existence of new linkages inside sea urchin's PMC and Oral Ectoderm Gene Regulatory Networks.

During sea urchin embryogenesis the spdri gene participates in two separate Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs): the Primary Mesenchyme Cells' (PMCs) and the Oral Ectoderm's one. In both cases, activation of the gene follows initial specification events [Amore, G., Yavrouian, R., Peterson, K., Ransick, A., McClay, D., Davidson, E., 2003. Spdeadringer, a sea urchin embryo gene required separately in skeletogenic and oral ectoderm gene regulatory networks. Dev. Biol. 261, 55-81.]. We identified a portion of genomic DNA ("4.7IL" -3456;+389) which is sufficient to replicate sdpri's expression pattern in experiments of transgenesis, using a GFP reporter. In our experiments, the activation kinetic of 4.7IL-GFP was similar to that of the endogenous gene and the reporter responded to known spdri's transcriptional regulators (Ets1, Alx1, Gsc and Dri). Here we present a dissection of this regulatory region and a description of the modules involved in spdri's transcriptional regulation. Both in the PMCs' and Oral Ectoderm's expression phases, activation of spdri is obtained through the integration of three kinds of inputs: positive and globally distributed ones; negative ones (that prevent ectopic expression); positive and tissue-specific ones. Our results allow to expand the map of the regulatory connections at the spdri node, both in the PMCs and in the Oral Ectoderm Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs).

Evaluation of anxiolytic and hypoglycemic potential of Cissus adnata Roxb. in animal model.

Background This study was designed to evaluate the anxiolytic and hypoglycemic potential of methanolic extract of Cissus adnata Roxb. is a crucial medicinal plant used in many disorders belongs to Vitaceae family. Methods Elevated plus maze (EPM) test and hole board test was applied for the anxiolytic activity with the Swiss albino mice. The hypoglycemic activity was measured by the glucose tolerance test in mice model. The capacity to produce the desired effect of the plant extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) was compared with the anxiolytic drug of standard diazepam (1 mg/kg i.p.) and anti-diabetic drug glibenclamide (10 mg/kg i.p.), respectively. Results The phytochemical screening of Cissus adnata extract exposed the presence of carbohydrate, phenol, flavonoid, saponins, cardiac glycoside, tannin, and gum. The anxiolytic effect was detected in both experiments which significantly raised the number of head dips and the time spent in the open arm of the EPM (p<0.05) as the dose enlarged. Hypoglycemic study of the extracts shows better effect by reducing blood glucose level. Conclusions The better anxiolytic and hypoglycemic activities in the present study are due to the existence of various phytochemical constituents like saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, and tannins in this methanolic extract.

Estimation of the herd protection of Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine against radiologically confirmed pneumonia in children under 2 years old in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Herd protection of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccine has been associated with excessive decrease of invasive Hib diseases, i.e., pneumonia and meningitis, with increased national or regional Hib vaccine coverage. Only a few studies have examined herd protection at the individual level and even less evidence is available from Asia. We examined Hib vaccine herd protection against radiologically confirmed pneumonia among children less than 2 years old. METHODS: We incorporated data from a matched case-control study and a vaccine coverage survey in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Pneumonia cases (n=343) were confirmed by radiology. For each case, two controls with conditions other than pneumonia or meningitis were selected from the same hospital. Hib vaccine coverage was calculated as percentages of children who received at least 2 doses of Hib vaccine from a survey in the neighborhood centered on each case and control. Conditional logistic regression was fit to examine the association between vaccine coverage and risk of radiologically confirmed pneumonia. RESULTS: Neighborhood Hib vaccine coverage varied from 0% to 63.5% for cases and from 8.7% to 61.5% for controls, respectively. Cases were less likely to have neighborhood coverage higher than 20% (OR=0.49, 0.52, 0.55, and 0.69 for coverage 20-29%, 30-39%, 40-49%, and ≥50%, respectively) than coverage <20%, compared to controls, although the estimates for coverage 40-49% and ≥50% were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that Hib vaccine may provide herd protection, even when the coverage is as low as 20-39%, in a low-income country. Asian countries should consider herd protection in implementing effective vaccine policy with limited resources.

Compositional genome contexts affect gene expression control in sea urchin embryo.

Gene expression is widely perceived as exclusively controlled by the information contained in cis-regulatory regions. These are built in a modular way, each module being a cluster of binding sites for the transcription factors that control the level, the location and the time at which gene transcription takes place. On the other hand, results from our laboratory have shown that gene expression is affected by the compositional properties (GC levels) of the isochores in which genes are embedded, i.e. the genome context. To clarify how compositional genomic properties affect the way cis-regulatory information is utilized, we have changed the genome context of a GFP-reporter gene containing the complete cis-regulatory region of the gene spdeadringer (spdri), expressed during sea urchin embryogenesis. We have observed that GC levels higher or lower than those found in the natural genome context can alter the reporter expression pattern. We explain this as the result of an interference with the functionality of specific modules in the gene's cis-regulatory region. From these observations we derive the notion that the compositional properties of the genome context can affect cis-regulatory control of gene expression. Therefore although the way a gene works depends on the information contained in its cis-regulatory region, availability of such information depends on the compositional properties of the genomic context.