Genetic relationship, population structure analysis and allelic characterization of flowering and maturity genes E1, E2, E3 and E4 among 90 Indian soybean landraces.

A set of 90 Indian soybean landraces were analysed for polymorphism at 43 SSRs and five allele specific markers of four major genes involved in regulating flowering and photoperiod response. A total of 42 polymorphic SSRs had amplified 126 alleles which served as raw data for estimation of genetic relationship and population structure among 90 accessions. Rare alleles of four and three SSRs were detected in accessions IC18768 and IC15089, respectively. Gene diversity in the population ranges from 0.065 to 0.717 with a mean value of 0.411. The polymorphism information content of 42 SSRs varied from 0.063 to 0.668. Hierarchical clustering based on neighbour-joining method identified three major clusters among 90 soybean accessions. Model based population structure analysis divided the 90 soybean accessions into four populations (K = 4). Mean value of Fst for different populations ranged between 0.4143 and 0.7239. Genotyping of 90 accessions with allele specific markers had identified accession IC15089 as triple recessive mutant of flowering genes E1, E2 and photoperiod sensitivity gene E3. The triple mutant IC15089 (e1, e3, e3) had been characterized phenotypically and identified as early maturing (88 days) and photoperiod insensitive genotype under extended photoperiod. The present study characterized genetic relationship among 90 Indian soybean landraces and had identified a few diverse and unique genotypes for utilization in soybean breeding programmes targeting development of short duration and photoperiod insensitive varieties through marker assisted selection.

Spatial molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant and New Delhi metallo beta-lactamase (blaNDM)-producing Escherichia coli in the piglets of organized farms in India.

AIM: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 government-organized pig farms between 2014 and 2016 representing seven states of India to understand the epidemiology of carbapenem resistance in the Escherichia coli. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, fecal sample (n = 673) from non-diarrheic (n = 501) and diarrheic (n = 172) piglets were processed for isolation of carbapenem resistant E. coli. Of 673, E. coli isolate (n = 112) was genotyped for confirming the carbapenem resistance and associated virulence factors. Of the 112 isolates, 23 were phenotypically resistant to carbapenem and 8 were carrying the New Delhi metallo beta-lactamase (blaNDM) gene. The carbapenem-resistant isolates also produced extended spectrum beta-lactamases and were multidrug resistant. The PCR-based pathotyping revealed the presence of stx1, stx2, eae and hlyA genes. The enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR dendrogram analysis of the isolates yielded three distinct clusters. The statistical analysis revealed no association between carriages of carbapenem-resistant E. coli in different breed of piglets however, location, sex, health status of piglets and age showed significant difference. The spatial analysis with SaTScan helped in identification of carbapenem-resistant clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of carbapenem resistant E. coli isolates with virulence genes in the piglet poses a potential public health risk through possible access and spread via the food chain and environment. Efflux pump may also play an important role in carbapenem resistance in piglet E. coli isolates. Furthermore, identification of risk factors in relation to spatial clusters will help in designing preventive strategies for reducing the risk of spread of carbapenem resistant bacteria. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: 1. Piglets harbor carbapenem resistant E. coli and have great public health significance. 2. Apart from carbapenemase, efflux pump is also important for carbapenem resistance. 3. This is the first report of blaNDM in the piglets from India.

Hidden leprosy cases in tribal population groups and how to reach them through a collaborative effort.

BACKGROUND: Tribal populations are an underserved population group and access to health services is a major challenge for them. Since leprosy treatment is integrated with the general health services, identifying leprosy cases is not be easy in these settings and they remain as endemic reservoirs, unless greater efforts are made to reach them. METHODOLOGY: An active search operation was conducted in the tribal colonies in four pre-identified Health & Nutrition Clusters, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India, in 2013. After a brief training, village health nurses and selected volunteers covered all the households, showing flash cards with photos of leprosy cases and enquiring if there was any resident with a similar condition. Suspects were listed and examined by the district leprosy supervisor and field coordinators from Damien Foundation. Follow up interviews were done after one year to assess the treatment completion rate. RESULTS: Village health workers covered 47,574 people living in the tribal colonies and identified 325 leprosy suspects. Among them, 70 were confirmed as new leprosy cases. The prevalence of previously undetected leprosy cases was found to be 14.7/10,000. Out of 70 cases, 19 (27%) were children, 35 (50%) were female, 32 (45.7%) were classified as MB leprosy, 6 (8.6%) had a leprosy reaction and 11 (15.7%) persons had Grade 2 disability at the time of diagnosis. The treatment completion rate was found to be 74% at the end of one year. CONCLUSION: The study reveals a very high burden of leprosy among the tribal population and demonstrates how resources can be mobilized from government, NGO and local community sources to promote early case detection among underserved population groups.

Resistance selection and molecular mechanisms of cypermethrin resistance in red hairy caterpillar (Amsacta albistriga walker).

Amsacta albistriga is one of the important pests of oilseed crops in India. This pest has developed high resistance to organophosphate (OP) insecticide in field. Therefore, cypermethrin insecticide was used as an alternative for this pest. After 20 generations of selection with cypermethrin, the LD50 value for A. albistriga was increased by 21.5-folds. The synergism ratio of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and triphenyl phosphate (TPP) was increased by 10- and 9.6-fold in resistant strains and comparatively, 3.9 and 4.2-fold in susceptible strains. Detoxification enzyme analysis and native PAGE electrophoresis of esterase isoenzyme further revealed that esterase and mixed function oxidase may be involved in cypermethrin resistance in CypRes strain. In addition to enzyme analysis overexpression of CYP4M44, CYP9A77 and CYP6B47 (ortholog) can confer metabolic resistance in the CypRes strain. These data provide a foundation for further study of cypermethrin resistance mechanism observed in A. albistriga.

Susceptibility status of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) to temephos from three districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Dengue is the most rapidly expanding arboviral disease in India. Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue fever. Chemical insecticides have long been used in the vector control programmes along with other control measures. However, continuous use of insecticides targeting Ae. aegypti may lead to development of insecticide resistance. Though resistance in Ae. aegypti has been reported, the mutation in ace-1 gene associated with temephos resistance is not reported in natural populations. The present study aims to evaluate the susceptibility/resistance status of Ae. aegypti to temephos from three districts of Tamil Nadu. METHODS: Ae. aegypti larvae were sampled from different locations in three districts, viz., Dharmapuri, Salem and Namakkal. The standard WHO larval bioassay, biochemical assays and spotting of specific mutation (G119S) in the acetylcholinesterase gene, which is associated with organophosphate resistance, were carried out by PCR and sequencing. RESULTS: The results showed that larvae from Namakkal (NKL) population had an alteration in their susceptibility status (RR = 6.9 fold), while the other populations were moderately susceptible to insecticides. Biochemical assay showed increased activity for α- and ß-esterase in NKL, as well as evidence of acetylcholinesterase insensitivity. G119S mutation was detected in this population with high frequency of 0.24. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The high activity of esterase, mixed-function oxidase (MFO) and ace-1 mutation frequency were closely associated with temephos resistance. Early detection of resistance alleles in natural vector population could be useful for the successful implementation of insecticide resistance management strategies. The results of this study provide baseline data on temephos resistance in Ae. aegypti populations.

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity analysis of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) germplasm accessions in India.

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity among 82 soybean accessions was carried out by using 44 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Of the 44 SSR markers used, 40 markers were found polymorphic among 82 soybean accessions. These 40 polymorphic markers produced a total of 119 alleles, of which five were unique alleles and four alleles were rare. The allele number for each SSR locus varied between two to four with an average of 2.97 alleles per marker. Polymorphic information content values of SSRs ranged from 0.101 to 0.742 with an average of 0.477. Jaccard's similarity coefficient was employed to study the molecular diversity of 82 soybean accessions. The pairwise genetic similarity among 82 soybean accessions varied from 0.28 to 0.90. The dendrogram constructed based on genetic similarities among 82 soybean accessions identified three major clusters. The majority of genotypes including four improved cultivars were grouped in a single subcluster IIIa of cluster III, indicating high genetic resemblance among soybean germplasm collection in India.

Effect of lambda cyhalothrin and temephos on detoxification enzyme systems in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Mosquitoes serve as vector for transmitting diseases. Among mosquitoes, Culex quinquefasciatus transmits lymphatic filariasis, yellow fever Japanese encephalitis etc. Application of chemical insecticides is still the best option for vector control programmes. Continuous use of these chemicals on mosquito reduces its effects. The present study determined the baseline susceptibility of Cx. quinquefasciatus in response to λ-cyhalothrin and temephos treatments. In addition, the biochemical mechanisms and zymogram analysis involved in insecticide detoxification among larval mosquitoes were studied. The larval bioassay indicated high LC50 value for λ-cyhalothrin (0.1484ppm) as compared to temephos (0.01092ppm). While AChE assay showed increased activity in temephos treatments, glutathione reductase (GR) and esterase levels were increased at both the treatments. Esterase quantitative analysis revealed the expression of three bands at 43kDa, 67kDa and 245kDa. The findings suggest that insensitivity of AChE, esterase and high GR activity may play an important role in developing resistance to synthetic pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides in Cx. quinquefasciatus population.

Multi-response optimization of reinforcement parameters of aluminum alloy composites by Taguchi method and grey relational analysis.

The present work describes the optimization of reinforcement parameters for hardness, thermal conductivity, and coefficient of thermal expansion while developing LM6 alloy/soda-lime glass particulate composite through Taguchi-based Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). Soda-lime glass particle weight % (1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 %), particle size (100, 150 and 300 µm) and pre-heat temperature (260, 380 and 500oC) are varied accordingly to explore the effect of reinforcement parameters on LM6 alloy/soda-lime glass composite properties. Composites are developed through stir casting based on the L9 Taguchi orthogonal array approach. The properties such as hardness, thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion of developed composites are assessed. Signal to Noise Ratios (S/N ratios) are calculated and used for the optimization of parameters. GRA is employed for multi-response optimization to find the levels of parameters that affect the desirable properties of the composite. Thus, the reinforcement parameters are optimized for attaining the combined objectives of higher hardness, higher thermal conductivity and lower coefficient of thermal expansion values considered in this investigation. The analysis shows that 4.5 wt %, particle size of 200 µm and pre-heat temperature of 380oC are optimal parameter levels. A confirmation test is carried out with the optimal parameter levels and the GRG value of 0.7778 is obtained. The GRG with the initial parameter settings is 0.4711, and the improvement of GRG is found to be 65.1 %. ANOVA is performed on GRG to find out significant parameters and the contribution of each parameter is identified. The wt.% of soda-lime glass is the most significant parameter and its contribution is 92.6 %.

Efficacy of modified vacuum-assisted dressing versus conventional betadine dressing in wound healing of open fractures.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a customized vacuum-assisted dressing to traditional betadine dressings for wounds in open fractures. Materials and methods: In this prospective comparative study, 30 patients from two groups-group A receiving V.A.C. while group B receiving traditional dressing-were given data from sixty participants with open fractures. Wound was evaluated on days 0, 3, 7, 11, and 15 of the study. Results: In group A, there was a statistically significant decrease in the mean dimension of the wound overall (15.66 mm vs. 7.4 mm in group B), and it took an average of 9.83 days for healthy granulation tissue to emerge. In contrast to the 21 patients who had split skin grafting, five patients needed a flap as a final closure surgery. In group B, it took an average of 17 days for healthy granulation tissue to emerge. The authors used split skin grafting to close the wounds in 18 patients, and the wound was allowed to heal by secondary intention in 8 patients, while the flap was used in 4 patients. Conclusion: On comparing the modified Vacuum-assisted dressing to the standard dressing, there was considerable wound contraction and accelerated healing. Therefore, the authors observed that vacuum-assisted dressing treatment is superior to traditional betadine dressing in open fractures.

Envirotype-based delineation of environmental effects and genotype × environment interactions in Indian soybean (Glycine max, L.).

Soybean is a rainfed crop grown across a wide range of environments in India. Its grain yield is a complex trait governed by many minor genes and influenced by environmental effects and genotype × environment interactions. In the current investigation, grain yield data of different sets of 41, 30 and 48 soybean genotypes evaluated during 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively across 19 locations and twenty years' data on 19 different climatic parameters at these locations was used to study the environmental effects on grain yield, to understand the genotype × environment interactions and to identify the mega-environments. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA), it was found that predominant portion of the variation was explained by environmental effects (E) (53.89, 54.86 and 60.56% during 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively), followed by genotype × environment interactions (GEI) (31.29, 33.72 and 28.82% during 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that grain yield was positively associated with RH (Relative humidity at 2 m height), FRUE (Effect of temperature on radiation use efficiency), WSM (Wind speed at 2 m height) and RTA (Global solar radiation based on latitude and Julian day) and negatively associated with VPD (Deficit of vapour pressure), Trange (Daily temperature range), ETP (Evapotranspiration), SW (Insolation incident on a horizontal surface), n (Actual duration of sunshine) and N (Daylight hours). Identification of mega-environments is critical in enhancing the selection gain, productivity and varietal recommendation. Through envirotyping and genotype main effect plus genotype by environment interaction (GGE) biplot methods, nineteen locations across India were grouped into four mega-environments (MEs). ME1 included five locations viz., Bengaluru, Pune, Dharwad, Kasbe Digraj and Umiam. Eight locations-Anand, Amreli, Lokbharti, Bidar, Parbhani, Ranchi, Bhawanipatna and Raipur were included in ME2. Kota and Morena constitutes ME3, while Palampur, Imphal, Mojhera and Almora were included in ME4. Locations Imphal, Bidar and Raipur were found to be both discriminative and representative; these test locations can be utilized in developing wider adaptable soybean cultivars. Pune and Amreli were found to be high-yielding locations and can be used in large scale breeder seed production.

Identification and genetic diversity analysis of high-yielding charcoal rot resistant soybean genotypes.

Charcoal rot disease caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid is one of the most devastating diseases in soybean in India. During 2018, 226 diverse soybean genotypes were evaluated for genetic resistance under hot-spot conditions. Out of them, a subset of 151 genotypes were selected based on Percent Disease Incidence (PDI) and better agronomic performance. Out of these 151 genotypes evaluated during 2019, 43 genotypes were selected based on PDI and superior agronomic performance for further field evaluation and molecular characterization. During 2020 and 2021, these forty-three genotypes, were evaluated for PDI, Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC), and grain yield. In 2020, genotype JS 20-20 showed least PDI (0.42) and AUDPC (9.37).Highest grain yield was recorded by the genotype JS 21-05 (515.00 g). In 2021, genotype JS 20-20 exhibited least PDI (0.00) and AUDPC (0.00).Highest grain yield was recorded in JS 20-98 (631.66 g). Across both years, JS 20-20 had the least PDI (0.21) and AUDPC (4.68), while grain yield was highest in JS 20-98 (571.67 g). Through MGIDI (multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance) analysis, JS 21-05 (G19), JS 22-01 (G43), JS 20-98 (G28) and JS 20-20 (G21) were identified as the ideotypes with respect to the traits that were evaluated. Two unique alleles, Satt588 (100 bp) on linkage group K (Chromosome no 9) and Sat_218 (200 bp) on linkage group H (Chromosome no 12), were specific for thetwo resistant genotypes JS 21-71and DS 1318, respectively. Through cluster analysis, it was observed that the genotypes bred at Jabalpur were more genetically related.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Acute Calculous Cholecystitis: A Secondary Center Experience.

Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has increasingly been accepted as the procedure of choice for the treatment of acute cholecystitis (AC). However, the timing of this procedure in the management of AC remains controversial. Hence this study was conducted to assess the feasibility of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis. Materials and methods Patients who presented with symptoms of acute cholecystitis such as pain and tenderness in the right upper quadrant, systemic signs of inflammation, and positive ultrasound findings according to Tokyo guidelines were included for evaluation. Group 1 includes patients presented within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms whereas those presented between 25 and 72 hours of the onset of symptoms belonged to Group 2. All patients were taken up for early LC after assessment. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were analysed. Results Out of 120 patients, 37 belonged to Group 1 (30.83%) and 83 belonged to Group 2 (69.17%). There was a significant difference between the study groups in terms of certain demographic, laboratory findings and duration of surgery. None of the patients in Group 1 developed postoperative complications, whereas one patient in Group 2 had a bile leak on postoperative Day 2. Group 2 had a higher conversion rate to open procedure (p = 0.059). The mean duration of hospital stay for patients in Groups 1 and 2 were 3 and 3.3 days, respectively. Conclusion Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe and feasible with minimal conversion rates in patients presenting with early symptoms of AC. With the availability of good visualisation, optics, instruments and energy sources, good outcomes can be achieved.

A content analysis of advertisements related to oral health in children's Tamil television channels--a preliminary report.

AIMS: This study was conducted to examine the nature, content, and duration of advertisements broadcasted during children's Tamil television channels and to determine the extent to which television advertising changes during school holiday and non-holiday periods and between prime time and non-prime time broadcast. METHODS: Television broadcasts on two main children's Tamil television channels were video-recorded over 16 days between 17.00-19.00 hours (non-prime time) and 19.00-21.00 hours (prime time). For each commercial, the type of product advertised, as well as the duration (in seconds), was recorded. Advertisements were categorized as 'food' and 'non-food'. The former category was further subdivided into 'sugar-rich foods' and 'other foods'. The sugar-rich foods were further categorized as liquid, solid and sticky, and slowly dissolving sugars. Commercials related to the promotion of oral health products and non-food products were also recorded. RESULTS: Among the total of 128 h of television programmes recorded, advertising accounted for 10.15% (13.01 hours). The advertisement of sugar-rich food products, non-food and oral hygiene products occupied 50.36%, 38.41% and 1.90%, respectively, of the total advertising time. Solid and sticky products made up 100% of advertisements in this category on Chithiram television channel, compared with 62.5% of advertisements on Chutti television channel. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the advertising of sugar-rich foods, particularly solid and sticky food products, was broadcasted more in Chithiram television channel, during school holidays and during prime time.

Assessment of the oral health status of monozygotic and dizygotic twins - a comparative study.

PURPOSE: To assess the oral health status and concordance between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining prior consent, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 9 monozygotic and 21 dizygotic twin pairs who were reared together. Perception towards oral health practices was assessed using a pre-tested questionnaire. The WHO oral health assessment form (1997) was employed to assess the oral health status. Zygosity determination was determined using the medical records, dermatoglyphics and details about chorionicity and number of placental cords. Pearson's correlation was calculated to determine the correlation among the monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. RESULTS: The monozygotic twin pairs showed a greater correlation compared to the dizygotic twin pairs in dental caries, periodontal disease and malocclusion. CONCLUSION: In the present study, monozygotic twin pairs showed a higher correlation rate than the dizygotic twin pairs, suggesting considerable evidence that genes play a significant role in the aetiology of dental caries, periodontal disease and malocclusion.

Pretreatment of mosquito larvae with ultraviolet-B and nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induces increased sensitivity to permethrin toxicity.

Nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Nitro-PAH) are highly toxic PHA derivatives. Nitro-PHAs are emitted by carbonaceous materials and PHA post-emission transformation, which causes water and environmental pollution and also exists as carcinogenic and immunotoxic agents. UV light has been shown to cause DNA damage and improves the covalent binding of PAH to DNA significantly. Mosquito breeding grounds are pools of water that can be large open zones or encased ponds with varying levels of sunlight exposure. This research was performed to assess the combined effects of UV-B exposure and Nitro-PAH on the physiological function of Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. To assess the impact of UV-B irradiation and Nitro-PAH exposure on mosquito vectors, parameters were examined: (1) Nitro-PAH availability and its impact on cell fatalities; (2) the detoxifying abilities of cytochrome P450, glutathione-S-transferase, and esterase; (3) the reactions to Reactive Oxygen Species; and (4) The resistance of mosquito larvae to three synthetic pesticides (temephos, imidacloprid, and permethrin). UV-B and Nitro-PAH treatment caused cellular damage and increased major detoxification enzymes such as α & ß-esterase, cytoP450, CAT, GST, and POX. The levels of oxidative stress, ROS and protein carbonyl content, nitrite, ascorbic acid and thiobarbituric acid were decreased significantly. Toxicology bioassays revealed that UV-B + Nitro-PAH exposure significantly increased larval susceptibility. The current study concludes that prior exposure to Nitro-PAHs and UV-B may make mosquito larvae more vulnerable to chemical insecticides.

Assessment of Role of Platelet Indices in the Occurrence of Retinopathy of Prematurity.

PURPOSE: Platelets have a major role in the regulation of angiogenesis. Platelets have proangiogenic factors like vascular endothelial growth factor, which causes neovascularization of immature retina. However, there is no conclusive evidence to show that platelet indices have a role in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This study is aimed at assessing the role of platelet indices in the occurrence and need for treatment of ROP. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included the screening of preterm babies (<37 weeks of gestation with birth weight <2000 g). The samples of platelet indices (mean platelet volume [MPV], platelet count [PLT], plateletcrit [PCT], and platelet distribution width [PDW]) collected within 1st week of life were obtained from the electronic medical records and correlated to ROP status. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 22, and the Chi-square test and odds ratio were used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 300 preterm babies were screened, of whom, 55 (18.3%) babies had ROP changes. The association of the presence of ROP changes and platelet indices was not statistically significant (P value being MPV [0.22], PLT [0.58], PCT [0.98], and PDW [0.17]). Similarly, the requirement of treatment for ROP (Type I ROP) could not be correlated with abnormal platelet indices (odds ratio at 95% confidence interval - MPV [6 (0.44-81.44)], PLT [1.7 (0.25-11.37)], PCT [3 (0.44-20.90)], and PDW [0.32 (0.33-3.05)]). CONCLUSION: Abnormal platelet indices did not show any significant risk with the occurrence or need for treatment of ROP.

Preparation and characterization of ancient recipe of organic Lime Putty-Evaluation for its suitability in restoration of Padmanabhapuram Palace, India.

The study aims at preparation and characterization of six organic lime putty (hydraulic Lime + fermented plant extract) using regionally available plants namely Terminalia Chebula (kadukkai), Rosa Sinensis (hibiscus), Palm jaggery (refined sugar), Xanthorrhoeaceae (aloe vera), and Indigofera Tinctoria (neelamari) as per the methods given in the ancient palm leaf of Padmanabhapuram Palace, India. Advanced analytical techniques like Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), UV-Spectrophotometer and carbon dioxide quantification were used to study the fermented plant extracts and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to study hydrated phases and microstructure of organic lime putty. GC-MS recorded the phytochemical compounds like fatty acids, traces of proteins, polysaccharides and carbohydrates. Fermented kadukkai and neelamari extracts reported as fatty acid, palm jaggery as carbohydrate, hibiscus as polysaccharide and aloevera rich in all the biomolecules. The detection limit of Quantification:0.013 and limit of detection:0.067 for polysaccharides, 0.026 and 0.088 for unsaturated fatty acids was reported through a U.V spectrophotometer for all the herbs. Aloevera and neelamari fermented extracts recorded the CO2 release around 96,000 and 90,000 ppm on 4th day of fermentation, whereas for other herbs it ranged below the recorded readings. Supply of CO2 has initiated the internal carbonation of the lime putty and precipitation of calcite in three different forms aragonite, calcite and vaterite minerals. The addition of organics resulted in high-intensity portlandite peaks and calcium carbonate polymorphs as reported in XRD graphs in agreement with FT-IR analysis. FESEM morphology validated the early formation of carbonate polymorphs, and EDX. has shown that kadukkai lime putty, jaggery lime putty and reference lime putty. mixes have calcium around 35-45%. From the overall results, 3% addition of eco-friendly biopolymers has altered the properties like setting time, water repellency and higher carbonation rate, which is the main reason behind longevity of the structure.

The Role of Salivary Lactate Levels in assessing the Severity of Septic Shock.

Background: Sepsis is a major worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Hence, rapid and reliable diagnosis is essential. Emergency departments use a standard measure of sepsis, based upon an elevated Lactate level in blood. Saliva is more readily available and easier to obtain than blood samples, and is increasingly being studied as a new source of diagnostic information. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate whether analysis of Lactate levels in saliva can substitute for that of Lactate levels in blood. Methods/Materials: We processed saliva samples and serum samples from septic shock and non-septic shock patients. We found out Lactate levels in both the group. We plotted the concentration of Lactate in non-septic and septic patients and compared lactate levels in saliva to its levels in blood.Statistical analysis: Results were statistically analyzed by independent sample t test and A Spearman rho correlation. Results: We found increased serum and salivary Lactate levels in all cases of sepsis compared to the control group. Notably, the increase in Lactate levels was higher in serum as compared to saliva in septic patients, suggesting saliva may not serve as a better indicator of sepsis compared to blood. Salivary lactate was more in septic shock patients compared to non-septic shock patients. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare lactic acid levels in serum and saliva in cases of sepsis. The increase in serum lactate in patients with sepsis is evident when compared to increase in salivary lactate, so serum lactate level would be easier for physicians to differentiate septic patients from non-septic patients. Salivary lactate may not serve as better indicator in septic shock patients.

Isolation and identification of entomopathogenic fungus from Eastern Ghats of South Indian forest soil and their efficacy as biopesticide for mosquito control.

The repeated usage of chemical insecticides, responsible for insecticide resistance in mosquitoes and environmental toxicity. Currently effective and environmental-safe control strategies are needed for the control disease-vector mosquitoes. Entomopathogens can be an effective alternative to chemical insecticide. Herein we isolated and tested 46 soil-borne entomopathogenic fungi belonging to six genera, namely Beauveria sp., Metarhizium sp., Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Trichoderma sp., and Verticillium sp., fungi conidia were tested on Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. Bioassays results show that M. anisopliae fungal isolate causes a 100%, 98.6% and 92% mortality within six days, on Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus, respectively. M. anisopliae treated three mosquito larvae have lower lifetime with LT50 values in A. stephensi, 2.931 days; A. aegypti, 2.676 days and C. quinquefasciatus, 3.254 days. 18 s rDNA sequence analysis confirmed that the isolated fungus are belonging to the genus of M. anisopliae-VKKH3, B. bassiana-VKBb03, and V. lecanii-VKPH1. Our results clearly show that M. anisopliae has good potential, as a low-cost, environmentally safe tool for the control of A. aegypti, A. stephensi, and C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.

Vajra Bhasma, Ayurvedic medicine: a rare and unusual cause of Lyell's syndrome and its successful management.

Toxic epidermolysis necrosis (TEN) or Lyell syndrome is a potentially life-threatening immunological adverse skin disease, which mostly occurs secondary to the intake of an offending drug. It commonly manifests as a widespread exfoliating bullous lesion in skin and mucous membrane mimicking superficial burns and may result in hypovolemic and/or septic shock. Authors report an unusual case of Lyell's syndrome in a 42-year-old woman, secondary to the intake of Ayurveda medicine 'Vajra Bhasma' (Diamond Ash) prescribed by an Ayurveda physician for treatment of her trigeminal neuralgia. After 8th day of continuous medication intake, she had prodromal illness and rapidly developing exfoliative skin lesion extended over 80% of total body surface area, breathing difficulty, dizziness and anuria. The case was successfully managed by timely diagnosis, adequate hydration and administration of immunoglobulins. After 17 days, the skin epithelium regenerated, and she improved clinically with some depigmented lesions at discharge, which were normalised without any sequel during her further follow-up visits in hospital. Identification and withdrawal of the suspected drug, adequate resuscitation and early immunoglobulin administration are critical in management of TEN.