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It is estimated that 50% of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have varying degrees of renal involvement. In this clinical biomarker development research, we examined in a retrospective study design the temporal changes in biochemical laboratory parameters in relation to the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). In a sample of 399 patients admitted from May 2020 to May 2021 to a tertiary health care intensive care unit (ICU), the incidence of AKI was 27.3%, and the median time to AKI was on 7th day of ICU admission. Most common etiology of AKI was kidney hypoperfusion. Within 72 h of developmental of low blood pressure, 63.76% developed AKI. The likelihood of AKI was higher in those with elevated serum ferritin, aspartate transaminase, and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count). A cutoff value of 750.3 ng/mL [area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.777] for serum ferritin, and 40.05 U/L for alanine aminotransferase (AUC = 0.677) 1 day before development of AKI displayed, respectively, a sensitivity of 76.2% and 64.3%, whereas the specificity was 69.5% and 64.1%, respectively, for these two biochemical predictors. A cutoff value of platelets (152.50 × 10

Upcoming Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) missions with larger swath like NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) (~250 km) requires a large, flat and homogeneous low-background site, free from human-made structures for point targets deployment for calibration. Finding out such a large, flat, homogeneous area devoid of perceived sources of radar clutter is a challenging task. In this regard, Antarctica is a potential site for calibration as it fulfills many of the criteria required for the ideal calibration site and suitable for setting up a corner reflector (CR) network for SAR calibration. This network will help in the calibration study and aid the studies related to Interferometric SAR (InSAR) viz. ice velocity estimation. As a part of this activity, in-house designed and developed CRs were installed near Indian research base stations Maitri and Bharati at Antarctica during the 38th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) during 2018–2019. Corner reflectors were designed keeping in mind the harsh environment of Antarctica, such as high katabatic winds, blizzards, snowfall and low temperature. Temporal and seasonal analysis of radar backscatter data using available Indian Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) and European SENTINEL-1 SAR satellite over Maitri and Bharati was carried out to find out the suitable CR deployment site. Super-hydrophobic microwave transparent cover was designed and installed over CRs to protect snow accumulation. Hydrophobic radar absorbing materials were installed over central-mount to decrease the background noise due to it. Various tests such as structural analysis of total CR system, thermal analysis of materials and Radar Cross Section (RCS) characterization of CR were done before sending it to Antarctica. Integrated Wide Swath (IW) mode data of Sentinel-1 satellite was used for analyzing time-series response of CR in SAR image.

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Data on outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pregnancy are scarce, although they represent a unique physiological state affecting both the mother and child. We present collated data from a tertiary care center in North India, encompassing the outcome, clinical characteristics, and management of these patients.Parturients ≥ 18 years old, with COVID-19 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission at a tertiary care hospital were included. Data were retrospectively collected from April 2020 to November 2021.In all, 26 parturients were admitted to ICU with COVID-19. Five patients were admitted during the first wave, and all were asymptomatic. Twenty-one patients presented during the second wave (March 2021 onward), among which four were asymptomatic and 17 symptomatic (all with severe pneumonia). Three patients presented in the second trimester, all with critical disease, out of which one did not survive. Two patients had twin gestation, and others were singleton pregnancies. Seven patients (27%) were primigravida, and five patients (19.2%) had more than third pregnancy. Twenty critically ill women (77%) delivered during the hospital stay. Six patients died during the second wave, and four deaths (66.7%) were because of COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).The number of admissions and mortality related to COVID-19 ARDS was higher in the second wave than in the first. We report the safe use of remdesivir and tocilizumab in our patients.

Background Survivors of COVID-19 pneumonia may have residual lung injury and poor physical and mental health even after discharge. We hypothesized that COVID-19 severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients needing mechanical ventilation may be at a greater risk of deterioration in pulmonary function, mental health, and quality of life (QOL). This study analyses the differences in pulmonary function, mental health, and QOL after recovery, in patients having received non-invasive oxygen therapy versus invasive mechanical ventilation during ICU stay. Methods Patients aged >18 years, who had completed 3 months post ICU discharge, with moderate to severe COVID-19 ARDS, were consecutively enrolled from May 1 to July 31, 2021. Patients were allocated into Group A - having required high flow nasal cannula (HFNC)/non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and Group B - having received invasive mechanical ventilation. Pulmonary function tests, 6-minute walk test (6-MWT), and health-related quality of life were compared. Results Of the 145 eligible patients, 31 were lost to follow-up and 21 died. Seventy-four patients were allocated into Groups A (57 patients) and B (17 patients). In Group A, abnormal forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory flow in mid-half of FVC (FEF25-75), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) values were obtained in 27 (47.37%), 43 (75.44%), 11 (19.3%), and 25 (43.86%) patients, and in Group B, in 13 (76.47%), 17 (100%), 1 (5.88%), and 8 (47%) patients, respectively. No patient had abnormal FEV1/FVC. All Group B patients had a restrictive pattern in spirometry as compared to 77% in Group A. Group B had a lower arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) (p=0.0019), % predicted FVC (p

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is India’s own regional navigational satellite system. Besides navigational objective, same infrastructure can also be utilized to study soil moisture. This paper discusses the sensitivity of soil moisture for NavIC multipath signal in presence of vegetation. Soil moisture studies with navigational system have been mostly carried out for bare soil. However, there is no significant work to analyze the soil moisture in presence of vegetation. Therefore, wheat crop has been selected in the study, and sensitivity of soil moisture has been analyzed at various states of growth with NavIC multipath signal. Different ranges of elevation angle have been selected to determine the correlation of multipath amplitude with crop height and soil moisture. Negative correlation was observed between multipath amplitude with crop height. Further, it was observed that elevation angle 15°–30° can be utilized to study soil moisture in the presence of vegetation. The results are very promising and can be further utilized for development of soil moisture retrieval algorithm.

Background: Nutrition' is a very essential component of undergraduate teaching in MBBS curriculum. In this age of growing diet-consciousness and fitness, skill development of medical graduates in designing healthy and culturally appropriate diet is imperative. Objective: To demonstrate the effectiveness of Diet Demonstration Training technique in improving the knowledge about basic principles of nutrition in medical undergraduates. Methodology: A pilot pretest-posttest study was conducted among 16 undergraduate medical students participated in a pre-conference workshop. Steps of diet demonstration for Under-graduate students were performed and a pretest - posttest was conducted using a self designed self administered questionnaire. Results: The mean marks received by the students were 8.69 & 10.31 out of 15 in the pretest & post-test respectively (p value

The Early Transcribed Membrane Proteins (ETRAMPs) belong to a multigene family which are conserved, are specific toPlasmodiumspecies, and abundantly present in parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM). The functions of the members of this family are poorly understood.PfETRAMP14.1 (PF3D7_1401400) is a member of this family, present only inPlasmodium falciparum. In this study, we report the potential interacting partners ofPfETRAMP14.1 by using immunoprecipitation (IP) LC-MS/MS as well as protein-interaction network reconstructed onin vivoarray analyses of severe malaria inflicted patients from malaria endemic Indian regions. We findPfETRAMP14.1 to be the most highly transcribed gene in severe infection. Our studies with western blot analysis and Immuno-flurorescence show thatPfETRAMP14.1 is expressed at PVM during all the intraerythrocytic stages ofP.falciparumwith maximum expression at early trophozoite stage. Further, our results reveal interactions of ETRAMP14.1 withPlasmodium falciparumerythrocyte membrane protein 1(PfEMP1), thioredoxin (TRX2), export protein 2 (EXP2), heat shock protein 70-1 (Hsp70-1) and some of the ETRAMP family members. We propose that ETRAMP14.1 helps trafficking of PfEMP1 to the host RBC surface in conjunction with translocon machinery and the chaperone HSP 70-1.

In this paper, soil moisture retrieval algorithm has been developed utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS) C/No data for bare soil surfaces. The developed algorithm relies on the multipath carrier to noise ratio (C/No) recorded by the receiver. Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) receiver was used to collect the multipath GPS data from bare soil. Change in C/No was analyzed with elevation angle and it was observed that low elevation angles are suitable for estimation of soil moisture. An empirical relationship was developed between soil moisture and amplitude of fitted C/No data. This developed relationship can be utilized to retrieved soil moisture with GPS C/No data. Obtained results were compared with the soil moisture retrieved with Gravimetric method. Good agreement was observed between the soil moisture retrieved through Gravimetric method and soil moisture retrieved through developed relationship with GPS C/No data.

Background: Public health emergencies during pandemics of communicable diseases, may cause fear leading to social isolation and stigma. Cases have been reported of healthcare professionals (HCPs), facing discrimination on account of heightened fear and misinformation. However, there is dearth of literature with regards to the nature and magnitude of this stigma. Hence, this study was conducted to assess perceived and experienced stigma related to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among HCPs and also assess their apprehensions about testing, quarantine/isolation and consuming Hydroxy-chloroquine as prophylaxis (HCQ).Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among the HCPs working in Delhi during the period May to July 2020. The study was conducted using a semi-structured online questionnaire which was circulated on official contact numbers and email IDs of HCPs in the Google.doc format.Result: Seventy percent of the participants in the current study perceived some kind of stigma, 50% of study participants perceived some form of stigma in their residential colony, 46% observed change in behaviour of their neighbours. Around 20% of participants experienced stigma, most commonly being rude behaviour or harassment from neighbour/landlord. A statistically significant association was observed between marital status (p=0.038), designation (p=0.021) and place of stay (p=0.013) of the study participants and perceived stigma among them. The level of awareness regarding HCQ was high (94.3%), but more than 60% didn’t consume it due to apprehension about side effects.Conclusion: In view of the substantial stigma faced by the HCP, necessary measures to curb the fear and dispel misinformation related to COVID-19 must be undertaken. the rural population.

In bacteria, disassembly of elongating transcription complexes (ECs) can occur at intrinsic terminators in a 2-3 nucleotide window after transcription of multiple kilobase pairs of DNA. Intrinsic terminators trigger pausing on weak RNA-DNA hybrids followed by formation of a strong, GC-rich stem-loop in the RNA exit channel of RNA polymerase (RNAP), inactivating nucleotide addition and inducing dissociation of RNA and RNAP from DNA. Although the movements of RNA and DNA during intrinsic termination have been studied extensively leading to multiple models, the effects of RNAP conformational changes remain less well-defined. RNAP contains a clamp domain that closes around the nucleic-acid scaffold during transcription initiation and can be displaced by either swiveling or opening motions. Clamp opening is proposed to promote termination by releasing RNAP-nucleic acid contacts. We developed a cysteine-crosslinking assay to constrain clamp movements and study effects on intrinsic termination. We found that biasing the clamp into different conformations perturbed termination efficiency, but that perturbations were due primarily to changes in elongation rate, not the competing rate at which ECs commit to termination. After commitment, however, inhibiting clamp movements slowed release of DNA but not of RNA from the EC. We also found that restricting trigger-loop movements with the RNAP inhibitor microcin J25 prior to commitment inhibits termination, in agreement with a recently proposed multistate-multipath model of intrinsic termination. Together our results support views that termination commitment and DNA release are separate steps and that RNAP may remain associated with DNA after termination.HighlightsDisulfide bond crosslinks probe the role of the RNAP clamp domain in terminationRNA but not DNA can release at terminators when the RNAP clamp is closedRestricting RNAP clamp movement affects elongation rate more than termination rateInhibiting TL conformational flexibility impairs both RNA and DNA release

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is Indian's Global Navigation System which operates at L-band and S-band. In this paper, we have studied the signal received by NavIC receiver by direct path as well as the reflected signal from the soil surface. We have analyzed this multipath signal for the variation of soil moisture. It is observed that the reflected signal from soil surface is indicative of soil moisture. The multipath signal at a lower incident angle (13°–30°) was observed to segregate the reflected signal from direct signal. The least square sinusoidal fit was applied to determine the amplitude of the segregated signal. A good correlation was observed between the observed soil moisture and amplitude of the reflected signal.

In bacteria, intrinsic termination signals cause disassembly of the highly stable elongating transcription complex (EC) over windows of two to three nucleotides after kilobases of RNA synthesis. Intrinsic termination is caused by the formation of a nascent RNA hairpin adjacent to a weak RNA−DNA hybrid within RNA polymerase (RNAP). Although the contributions of RNA and DNA sequences to termination are largely understood, the roles of conformational changes in RNAP are less well described. The polymorphous trigger loop (TL), which folds into the trigger helices to promote nucleotide addition, also is proposed to drive termination by folding into the trigger helices and contacting the terminator hairpin after invasion of the hairpin in the RNAP main cleft [Epshtein V, Cardinale CJ, Ruckenstein AE, Borukhov S, Nudler E (2007) Mol Cell 28:991–1001]. To investigate the contribution of the TL to intrinsic termination, we developed a kinetic assay that distinguishes effects of TL alterations on the rate at which ECs terminate from effects of the TL on the nucleotide addition rate that indirectly affect termination efficiency by altering the time window in which termination can occur. We confirmed that the TL stimulates termination rate, but found that stabilizing either the folded or unfolded TL conformation decreased termination rate. We propose that conformational fluctuations of the TL (TL dynamics), not TL-hairpin contact, aid termination by increasing EC conformational diversity and thus access to favorable termination pathways. We also report that the TL and the TL sequence insertion (SI3) increase overall termination efficiency by stimulating pausing, which increases the flux of ECs into the termination pathway.

Transcript termination is essential for accurate gene expression and the removal of RNA polymerase (RNAP) at the ends of transcription units. In bacteria, two mechanisms are responsible for proper transcript termination: intrinsic termination and Rho-dependent termination. Intrinsic termination is mediated by signals directly encoded within the DNA template and nascent RNA, whereas Rho-dependent termination relies upon the adenosine triphosphate-dependent RNA translocase Rho, which binds nascent RNA and dissociates the elongation complex. Although significant progress has been made in understanding these pathways, fundamental details remain undetermined. Among those that remain unresolved are the existence of an inactivated intermediate in the intrinsic termination pathway, the role of Rho–RNAP interactions in Rho-dependent termination, and the mechanisms by which accessory factors and nucleoid-associated proteins affect termination. We describe current knowledge, discuss key outstanding questions, and highlight the importance of defining the structural rearrangements of RNAP that are involved in the two mechanisms of transcript termination.

Background: A strong son preference has been the norm in most of Asian countries. Modern sex-selection 1 technology (although illegal in India) along with traditional methods have led to a skewed sex ratio. Methods: This study attempts to explore slum-dwelling women’s perception regarding the use of sex-selection techniques, both traditional and modern. Forty-two women from three different groups (adolescent, adult and elderly) participated in seven focus group discussions. Thematic analysis using interpretive framework identified five themes; that is, ‘Preference for male child’, ‘Acceptance of female foeticide’, ‘Awareness and impact of declining sex ratio’, ‘Awareness of methods of sex detection and selection’ and ‘Awareness of the law’ related to sex selection. Results: One-third of the participants expressed a preference for sons compared to daughters and only half perceived female foeticide as undesirable. The majority were aware of one or more method for sex detection and selection; however, less t...

Many real world decision making problems are multi objective in nature. However, in some cases the model parameters are imprecise in nature. Such type of problems cannot be solved using classical techniques. These modelling complications can be handled with the help of the concept developed in the theory of fuzzy sets. For the imprecise parameters the model users are normally able to give realistic intervals. Using parametric approach the fuzzy multi objective model may be reduced to multi objective linear programming (MOLP) with crisp parameters. Genetic algorithm (GA) is a powerful technique to solve multi objective decision making problems. A set of non-dominated pareto optimal solutions may be obtained with this approach. In this paper the MOLP with imprecise parameter has been considered and solved using parametric approach and GA. To illustrate the procedure a numerical example has been solved. A case study has been done for the allocation of coal and its by-products from a mine establishment to different consumption sites. The transportation cost, availability and the demands are defined by a realistic interval. The problem is solved by GA approach and efficient numerical solution has been found.

RNA polymerase inhibitors like the CBR class that target the enzyme's complex catalytic center are attractive leads for new antimicrobials. Catalysis by RNA polymerase involves multiple rearrangements of bridge helix, trigger loop, and active-center side chains that isomerize the triphosphate of bound NTP and two Mg(2+) ions from a preinsertion state to a reactive configuration. CBR inhibitors target a crevice between the N-terminal portion of the bridge helix and a surrounding cap region within which the bridge helix is thought to rearrange during the nucleotide addition cycle. We report crystal structures of CBR inhibitor/Escherichia coli RNA polymerase complexes as well as biochemical tests that establish two distinct effects of the inhibitors on the RNA polymerase catalytic site. One effect involves inhibition of trigger-loop folding via the F loop in the cap, which affects both nucleotide addition and hydrolysis of 3'-terminal dinucleotides in certain backtracked complexes. The second effect is trigger-loop independent, affects only nucleotide addition and pyrophosphorolysis, and may involve inhibition of bridge-helix movements that facilitate reactive triphosphate alignment.

With the advent of internet, creation and delivery of digital data (images, video and audio files, digital repositories and libraries, web publishing) has grown many fold. Along with it, issues like protection of rights of content and proving ownership arises.

Zero-one linear programming is a well-accepted approach for decision making for many real world problems. Optimal selection of collieries from a set of collieries for reconstruction is a policy of the concerned authority. The selected collieries are funded for reconstruction based on certain criteria. No colliery will be partially funded, as it is not possible to reconstruct the colliery partially so it is required either to select or reject a colliery for reconstruction. Further, in the real field generally the data available are imprecise in nature. The present paper is concerned with the application of fuzzy 0-1 linear programming to select optimally a set of collieries from a given set of colliery projects for reconstruction with an optimal planning under existing constraints and fuzzy goals. The reconstruction problem is posed as multi objective decision making problem. The application potentiality of the model has been examined by using it in the context of a group of collieries need reconstruction investments in the Jharia Coalfield, Jharkhand, INDIA.

The specificity of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is likely to be compromised with most of the current PCRbased methods used to genotype a target locus in the presence of a highly homologous duplicated region. Such a lack of locus specificity could inflate the heterozygosity of the SNPs. We reasoned that public database for SNPs might be influenced by false allele calls, specifically in genes with copy number variation (CNV). Therefore, we compared the fraction of SNPs with high heterozygosity values (≥ 0.4) in NCBI dbSNP for genes with and without CNVs. Our observation highlights the challenges of selecting SNPs in genes with CNV for usage in complex biological studies.