Isolation, characterization and plant growth-promoting effects of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) moench] root-associated rhizobacteria and their potential role in drought mitigation.

Drought is a major constraint throughout the world, and it creates a major yield loss by changing the plant metabolic process. However, the negative effects of drought on plant growth and development were alleviated by using plant growth-promoting bacteria. With these backgrounds, the study was conducted to identify the drought-tolerant endophytic bacteria and to know their plant growth promotion (PGP) effect on sorghum plants under drought conditions. From sorghum root, Acinetobacter pittii, Bacillus lichiniformis, Bacillus sp., Pseudacidovorax intermedius, and Acinetobacter baumannii strains were isolated and identified through 16S rRNA sequencing. These strains had higher levels of proline, protein, exopolysaccharides (EPS), 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase, indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA), and gibberellic acid (GA). An experiment was carried out in the laboratory to evaluate the effects of three drought-tolerant strains, A. pittii, Bacillus sp., and P. intermedius, on the growth of sorghum seedlings. Whereas root length (RL), shoot length (SL), seedling vigor index (SVI), and total dry matter production (TDM) were more in the Bacillus sp., and P. intermedius inoculated plants in both stress and non-stress condition. Principle component analysis revealed that Bacillus sp. and P. intermedius improved the growth characteristics and protect the seedling from water stress situations. A correlation study between the variables showed a positive significant correlation between all variables except root: shoot ratio (RSR) and SL. Variable RSR was not significantly correlated with GP, GRI, and SL; SVI and TDM showed a non-significant correlation with RSR.

Effect of Iron Deficiency Anemia on Glycated Albumin Levels: A Comparative Study in Nondiabetic Subjects with Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Objective Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), used for monitoring glycemia control, is altered in iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Glycated albumin (GA) is considered an alternate biomarker to HbA1c. However, effect of IDA on GA needs to be studied. Materials and Methods Thirty nondiabetic cases with IDA and 30 healthy controls were included. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), creatinine, urea, albumin, total protein, ferritin, iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, hemoglobin (Hb), HbA1c, complete hemogram, and GA were estimated. Transferrin saturation and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were calculated. Statistical analysis was done using unpaired two-tailed t -test/Mann-Whitney U -test and Pearson's correlation/Spearman-rank correlation, as appropriate. Results Total protein, albumin, Hb, iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation were significantly lower while FPG, GA, TIBC, and HbA1c were significantly higher in cases compared to controls. HbA1C and GA have a significant negative correlation with iron, transferrin saturation, and ferritin. Significant negative correlations of GA with albumin ( r = -0.754; p < 0.001) and Hb ( r = -0.435; p = 0.001) and that of HbA1c with albumin ( r = -0.271; p = 0.03) and Hb ( r = -0.629; p < 0.001) while significant positive correlation of Hb with albumin ( r = 0.395; p = 0.002) and HbA1c with FPG ( r = 0.415; p = 0.001) were observed. Conclusion Low albumin levels increase plasma protein glycation, including albumin. Hence, elevated GA levels indicate false elevation of GA in scenario of lowered albumin observed in IDA, similar to HbA1c. Thus, using GA in diabetes mellitus with IDA should be avoided or used with caution to prevent potentially inappropriate treatment intensification and risk of hypoglycemia.

Determinants of condom uptake among HIV voluntary counselling and testing clients: experiences from a hospital-based study in south India.

BACKGROUND: HIV voluntary counselling and testing was a key HIV prevention strategy brought to scale by India's National AIDS Control Organization. Condom uptake is an essential metric of intervention impact given the expansion of the epidemic into an increasingly diverse population. With only 20% of first-time counselling and testing clients at the largest HIV treatment hospital in south India reporting previous condom use, the question of intervention impact on condom use deserves investigation. In this study, we track intervention impact across various demographic groups and identify the added value of more thorough counselling. METHODS: Data were collected from 8,865 individuals who attended counselling multiple times at the Tamil Nadu Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine over the years 2004-2009. Counsellors recorded client demographic characteristics, HIV risk behaviours reported, and counselling services provided after each counselling session. Matching and regression methods were used to determine the probability of condom uptake by serostatus, gender, and receipt of personalized risk reduction counselling while controlling for other characteristics. RESULTS: HIV counselling and testing was associated with condom uptake among 29.2% of HIV positive women (CI 24.5-34.4%), 31.7% of HIV positive men (CI 27.8-35.4%), 15.5% of HIV negative women (CI 11.2-20.8%), and only 3.6% of HIV negative men (CI 1.9-5.9%) who had previously never used condoms. Personalized risk reduction counselling increased impact in some groups; for example an additional 18% of HIV negative women (CI 11.3-24.4%) and 17% of HIV positive men (CI 10.9-23.4%) started using condoms. The number of sexual partners was not associated with the impact of counselling completeness. CONCLUSIONS: Because the components of testing and counselling impact the condom use habits of men and women differently, understanding the dynamics of condom use negotiation between partners is essential to optimizing impact on Indian couples. Clients' predicted condom uptake ranged between 4% and 47% depending on factors like gender, serostatus, and services provided. Personalized risk reduction counselling is associated with increased chance of condom use, with larger gains in HIV negative women and HIV positive men. HIV negative men are least likely to start using condoms and least impacted by additional counselling.

High Prevalence of Lipid Abnormalities and Insulin Resistance Among Antiretroviral Naïve HIV-infected Children in India.

BACKGROUND: As large numbers of children are accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in India, we evaluated the dietary intake, growth pattern and risk of metabolic complications like dyslipidemia and insulin resistance among ART-naïve HIV-infected children (CLHIV). METHODS: CLHIV 2-12 years of age, at the time of initiating ART in Chennai and Bangalore, were assessed for their dietary intake, anthropometry, blood CD4 cell count, HIV-1 viral load, fasting serum lipids, glucose and insulin. Homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance was derived. RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety CLHIV (mean age [SD]: 8 [3] yrs; median viral load: 141,000 [25,876-436,000] copies/mL) were started on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based ART. Perinatal infection was documented among 97%. Sixty percent of children were in stage 3 or 4 of World Health Organization clinical staging of HIV/AIDS. Food insecurity was seen in 40% of households. A total of 204 children (52.4%) were stunted and 224 (57.6%) were underweight. Stunting seemed to be more prevalent with increasing age (0-4 years: 48%; >9 years: 60%). Mean intakes of calories, iron, folate and calcium were significantly less than recommended dietary allowances across all age groups. Dyslipidemia, in terms of any abnormal triglycerides or total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (excluding high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), was seen in approximately 40% of children; insulin resistance in 17%; and C-reactive protein in risk range of metabolic syndrome in 24% of children. CONCLUSIONS: In the background of high food insecurity and malnutrition, cardiometabolic abnormalities were seen in 20%-35% of ART-naïve CLHIV in India emphasizing close monitoring of these children for long-term cardiovascular morbidities after initiation of ART.

End-tidal capnography and upper airway ultrasonography in the rapid confirmation of endotracheal tube placement in patients requiring intubation for general anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Confirmation of correct endotracheal tube placement is essential immediately after intubation for general anaesthesia. In this study, we have compared upper airway ultrasonography (USG) with reference to capnography for rapid confirmation of endotracheal tube placement after general anaesthesia. METHODS: A prospective, single centre, observational study was conducted on 100 patients requiring tracheal intubation for general anaesthesia. Both capnography and upper airway USG were performed immediately after intubation to confirm the endotracheal tube (ETT) placement. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of upper airway USG were determined against capnography as the reference method. Agreement between the methods and time required to determine ETT placement by the two methods were assessed with kappa statistics and Student's t-test. RESULTS: Upper airway USG detected all five cases of oesophageal intubation, but could not detect five patients with correct tracheal intubation. Upper airway USG had a sensitivity of 96.84% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 94.25%-96.84%), specificity of 100% (95% CI: 50.6%-100%), positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI: 97.3%-100%) and negative predictive value of 62.5% (95% CI: 31.6%-62.5%). Kappa value was found to be 0.76, indicating a good agreement between upper airway USG and capnography for confirmation of ETT placement. Time taken for confirmation of ETT by capnography was 8.989 ± 1.043 s vs. 12.0 ± 1.318 s for upper airway USG (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Both capnography and upper airway USG may be used as primary procedures for the confirmation of ETT placement.

Hematopoietic factor-induced synthesis of von Willebrand factor by the Dami human megakaryoblastic cell line and by normal human megakaryocytes.

Identification of hemopoietic factors and the molecular mechanisms by which they regulate the various stages of megakaryocyte development and platelet protein expression has been hampered by the lack of a purified, self-renewing, and responsive biological assay system. Previously, the human megakaryocytic Dami cell line has been shown to differentiate in response to phorbol ester by increasing the expression of platelet membrane glycoproteins Ib, IIb/IIIa, and the platelet protein, von Willebrand Factor (vWF). In this report, we demonstrate that this cell line is a suitable model for investigating the effects of specific cytokines and hemopoietic factors on the terminal differentiation of megakaryocytes as measured by the stimulated biosynthesis of vWF in serum-free culture. Although a low concentration (10 U/ml) of purified recombinant interleukin 3 (IL-3) had no effect, a higher concentration (100 U/ml) stimulated a three- to four fold increase in vWF synthesis. Purified thrombopoiesis-stimulating factor (TSF) alone induced a two- to threefold increase, and when used in combination with 10 U/ml IL-3, TSF induced a synergistic five- to sixfold increase in vWF synthesis. Recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) and human interleukin 6 (IL-6) each induced a twofold increase in vWF, and each acted additively with 10 U/ml IL-3. IL-3 and TSF stimulated similar increases in vWF expression by human megakaryocytes contained in nonadherent bone marrow preparations. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the Dami cell line as a serum-free culture system in which to study the direct effects of purified humoral factors on megakaryocyte and platelet protein synthesis during megakaryocyte maturation.

Clinical characteristics and treatment response in poor and good insight obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The DSM-IV criteria recognize the existence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with poor insight. However, there is paucity of literature on the clinical correlates and treatment response in poor and good insight OCD. In this study, insight is measured by using the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS) developed specifically to assess insight. One hundred subjects with DSM-IV OCD were ascertained from the OCD clinic of a large psychiatric hospital in India. All subjects were evaluated extensively by using structured instruments and established measures of psychopathology. The subjects were treated with adequate doses of drugs for adequate period. The results showed that 25% of the subjects had poor insight. Poor insight was associated with earlier age-at-onset, longer duration of illness, more number of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, more severe illness and higher comorbidity rate, particularly major depression. Of the subjects who were treated adequately (N = 73), 44 (60%) were treatment responders. Poor insight was associated with poor response to drug treatment. In the step-wise logistic regression analysis, baseline BABS score was highly predictive of poor treatment response. Poor insight appears to be associated with specific clinical correlates and poor response to drug treatment. Further studies are needed in larger samples to replicate our findings.

Information and communication technologies and health in low income countries: the potential and the constraints.

This paper outlines the potential offered by technological progress in the information and communication technologies (ICTs) industries for the health sector in developing countries, presents some examples of positive experiences in India, and considers the difficulties in achieving this potential. The development of ICTs can bring about improvements in health in developing countries in at least three ways: as an instrument for continuing education they enable health workers to be informed of and trained in advances in knowledge; they can improve the delivery of health and disaster management services to poor and remote locations; and they can increase the transparency and efficiency of governance, which should, in turn, improve the availability and delivery of publicly provided health services. These potential benefits of ICTs do not necessarily require all the final beneficiaries to be reached directly, thus the cost of a given quantum of effect is reduced. Some current experiments in India, such as the use of Personal Digital Assistants by rural health workers in Rajasthan, the disaster management project in Maharashtra and the computerized village offices in Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry, suggest creative ways of using ICTs to improve the health conditions of local people. However, the basic difficulties encountered in using ICTs for such purposes are: an inadequate physical infrastructure; insufficient access by the majority of the population to the hardware; and a lack of the requisite skills for using them. We highlight the substantial cost involved in providing wider access, and the problem of resource allocation in poor countries where basic infrastructure for health and education is still lacking. Educating health professionals in the possible uses of ICTs, and providing them with access and "connectivity", would in turn spread the benefits to a much wider set of final beneficiaries and might help reduce the digital divide.

Possession syndrome: an epidemiological study in west karnataka.

A house to house survey was conducted for a population of 1158 in west Karnataka to determine the prevalence of possession syndrome and to study people's attitude towards the same. One year period prevalence was found to be 3.7%. 90% of the respondents believed in possession. Women more than men shared this belief. Spirit possession was reported to be troublesome but God possession as helpful. Number of God possession cases exceeded tint of spirit possession. Female sex, young age, low education appeared to predispose an individual to get possessed in such atmosphere.

Transforming growth factor beta inhibits endomitosis in the Dami human megakaryocytic cell line.

Megakaryocyte development is a carefully controlled process that is at least partially regulated by cytokines. Previous investigations of megakaryocyte development have focused primarily on defining growth factors that induce or enhance differentiation. In this study we demonstrate that a specific cytokine, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1), inhibits the phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced differentiation of the Dami human megakaryocytic cell line. The addition of purified platelet TGF beta 1 inhibits PMA-induced endomitosis in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of endomitosis occurs with as little as 0.4 pmol/L TGF beta 1, is half-maximal at 6.4 pmol/L, and is maximal between 40 and 200 pmol/L TGF beta 1. Inhibition does not require other growth factors or nonmegakaryocytic cells. Removal of TGF beta 1 from the cultures decreases inhibition, suggesting that the continuous presence of TGF beta 1 is required and that its effects are reversible. This effect occurs even though the Dami cells constitutively express TGF beta 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and the TGF beta 1 mRNA levels are increased by PMA. TGF beta 1 also has been shown to inhibit endomitosis during short-term culture of primary human megakaryocytes. These results suggest a model in which negative as well as positive regulatory factors modulate a critical stage of megakaryocyte development.