bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Invention and Validation of an Automated Camera System That Uses Optical Character Recognition to Identify Patient Name Mislabeled Samples
Authors: Hawker Charles D , McCarthy William , Cleveland David , Messinger Bonnie L
Published: December 2013

BACKGROUND

Mislabeled samples are a serious problem in most clinical laboratories. Published error rates range from 0.39/1000 to as high as 1.12%. Standardization of bar codes and label formats has not yet achieved the needed improvement. The mislabel rate in our laboratory, although low compared with published rates, prompted us to seek a solution to achieve zero errors.

METHODS

To reduce or eliminate our mislabeled samples, we invented an automated device using 4 cameras to photograph the outside of a sample tube. The system uses optical character recognition (OCR) to look for discrepancies between the patient name in our laboratory information system (LIS) vs the patient name on the customer label. All discrepancies detected by the system's software then require human inspection. The system was installed on our automated track and validated with production samples.

RESULTS

We obtained 1 009 830 images during the validation period, and every image was reviewed. OCR passed approximately 75% of the samples, and no mislabeled samples were passed. The 25% failed by the system included 121 samples actually mislabeled by patient name and 148 samples with spelling discrepancies between the patient name on the customer label and the patient name in our LIS. Only 71 of the 121 mislabeled samples detected by OCR were found through our normal quality assurance process.

CONCLUSIONS

We have invented an automated camera system that uses OCR technology to identify potential mislabeled samples. We have validated this system using samples transported on our automated track. Full implementation of this technology offers the possibility of zero mislabeled samples in the preanalytic stage.
Combustion Property Analysis and Control System for the Dynamics of a Single Cylinder Diesel Engine
Authors: Wahono Bambang , Xiaoli Wang , Ogai Harutoshi
Published: December 2013

Corresponding to global environment problems in recent year, the technology for reducing fuel consumption and exhaust gas emission of engine was needed. Simulation of transient engine response is needed to predict engine performance that frequently experience rapid changes of speed. The aim of this research is to develop a non-linear dynamic control model for direct injection single cylinder diesel engine which can simulate engine performance under transient conditions. In this paper, the combustion model with multistage injection and conducted experiments in the transient conditions to clarify the combustion characteristics was proposed. In order to perform the analysis of acceleration operation characteristics, it was built a Model Predictive Control (MPC) to reproduce the characteristic values of the exhaust gas and fuel consumption from the control parameters in particular. Finally, MPC is an effective method to perform the analysis of characteristic in diesel engine under transient conditions.
Object Recognition System in Remote Controlled Weapon Station using SIFT and SURF Methods
Authors: Mirdanies Midriem , Prihatmanto Ary Setijadi , Rijanto Estiko
Published: December 2013

Object recognition system using computer vision that is implemented on Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS) is discussed. This system will make it easier to identify and shoot targeted object automatically. Algorithm was created to recognize real time multiple objects using two methods i.e. Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) combined with K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) for verification. The algorithm is designed to improve object detection to be more robust and to minimize the processing time required. Objects are registered on the system consisting of the armored personnel carrier, tanks, bus, sedan, big foot, and police jeep. In addition, object selection can use mouse to shoot another object that has not been registered on the system. Kinect™ is used to capture RGB images and to find the coordinates x, y, and z of the object. The programming language used is C with visual studio IDE 2010 and opencv libraries. Object recognition program is divided into three parts: 1) reading image from kinect™ and simulation results, 2) object recognition process, and 3) transfer of the object data to the ballistic computer. Communication between programs is performed using shared memory. The detected object data is sent to the ballistic computer via Local Area Network (LAN) using winsock for ballistic calculation, and then the motor control system moves the direction of the weapon model to the desired object. The experimental results show that the SIFT method is more suitable because more accurate and faster than SURF with the average processing time to detect one object is 430.2 ms, two object is 618.4 ms, three objects is 682.4 ms, and four objects is 756.2 ms. Object recognition program is able to recognize multi-objects and the data of the identified object can be processed by the ballistic computer in realtime.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Periodontal Health Measured by Probing Depth in Adults Ages 18−49 years
Authors: Shaffer John R , Polk Deborah E , Wang Xiaojing , Feingold Eleanor , Weeks Daniel E , Lee Myoung-Keun , Cuenco Karen T , Weyant Robert J , Crout Richard J , McNeil Daniel W , Marazita Mary L
Published: December 2013

The etiology of chronic periodontitis clearly includes a heritable component. Our purpose was to perform a small exploratory genome-wide association study in adults ages 18–49 years to nominate genes associated with periodontal disease−related phenotypes for future consideration. Full-mouth periodontal pocket depth probing was performed on participants (N = 673), with affected status defined as two or more sextants with probing depths of 5.5 mm or greater. Two variations of this phenotype that differed in how missing teeth were treated were used in analysis. More than 1.2 million genetic markers across the genome were genotyped or imputed and tested for genetic association. We identified ten suggestive loci (p-value ≤ 1E-5), including genes/loci that have been previously implicated in chronic periodontitis: LAMA2, HAS2, CDH2, ESR1, and the genomic region on chromosome 14q21-22 between SOS2 and NIN. Moreover, we nominated novel loci not previously implicated in chronic periodontitis or related pathways, including the regions 3p22 near OSBPL10 (a lipid receptor implicated in hyperlipidemia), 4p15 near HSP90AB2P (a heat shock pseudogene), 11p15 near GVINP1 (a GTPase pseudogene), 14q31 near SEL1L (an intracellular transporter), and 18q12 in FHOD3 (an actin cytoskeleton regulator). Replication of these results in additional samples is needed. This is one of the first research efforts to identify genetic polymorphisms associated with chronic periodontitis-related phenotypes by the genome-wide association study approach. Though small, efforts such this are needed in order to nominate novel genes and generate new hypotheses for exploration and testing in future studies.
Heterosis Is Prevalent Among Domesticated but not Wild Strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Plech Marcin , de Visser J Arjan G M , Korona Ryszard
Published: December 2013

Crosses between inbred but unrelated individuals often result in an increased fitness of the progeny. This phenomenon is known as heterosis and has been reported for wild and domesticated populations of plants and animals. Analysis of heterosis is often hindered by the fact that the genetic relatedness between analyzed organisms is only approximately known. We studied a collection of Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates from wild and human-created habitats whose genomes were sequenced and thus their relatedness was fully known. We reasoned that if these strains accumulated different deleterious mutations at an approximately constant rate, then heterosis should be most visible in F1 heterozygotes from the least related parents. We found that heterosis was substantial and positively correlated with sequence divergence, but only in domesticated strains. More than 80% of the heterozygous hybrids were more fit than expected from the mean of their homozygous parents, and approximately three-quarters of those exceeded even the fittest parent. Our results support the notion that domestication brings about relaxation of selection and accumulation of deleterious mutations. However, other factors may have contributed as well. In particular, the observed build-up of genetic load might be facilitated by a decrease, and not increase, in the rate of inbreeding.
IQ Motif-Containing G (Iqcg) Is Required for Mouse Spermiogenesis
Authors: Harris Tanya P , Schimenti Kerry J , Munroe Robert J , Schimenti John C
Published: December 2013

Spermiogenesis in mammals is the process by which the newly formed products of meiosis, haploid spermatids, undergo a dramatic morphological transformation from round cells into flagellated spermatozoa. The underlying genetic control of spermiogenesis is complicated and not well-characterized. We have used forward genetic screens in mice to illuminate the mechanisms of spermatozoon development. Here, we report that the oligoasthenoteratospermia in a male-specific infertility mutant (esgd12d) is attributable to disruption of a gene called Iqcg (IQ motif-containing G). The causality of the mutation was confirmed with a targeted null allele. Loss of Iqcg disrupts spermiogenesis such that tail formation either occurs incompletely or breaks apart from the sperm heads. Orthologs are present in diverse species as distant as hemichordates, mollusks, and green algae. Consistent with a conserved role in flagellar formation and/or function, the orthologous Chlamydomonas protein is present in that organism’s flagella. Because IQ motif-containing genes typically regulate calmodulin (CaM), which in turn can impact the actin cytoskeleton, these findings suggest a potential role for localized calcium signaling in sperm flagellum morphogenesis.
Horizontal Gene Transfer Can Rescue Prokaryotes from Muller’s Ratchet: Benefit of DNA from Dead Cells and Population Subdivision
Authors: Takeuchi Nobuto , Kaneko Kunihiko , Koonin Eugene V
Published: December 2013

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major factor in the evolution of prokaryotes. An intriguing question is whether HGT is maintained during evolution of prokaryotes owing to its adaptive value or is a byproduct of selection driven by other factors such as consumption of extracellular DNA (eDNA) as a nutrient. One hypothesis posits that HGT can restore genes inactivated by mutations and thereby prevent stochastic, irreversible deterioration of genomes in finite populations known as Muller’s ratchet. To examine this hypothesis, we developed a population genetic model of prokaryotes undergoing HGT via homologous recombination. Analysis of this model indicates that HGT can prevent the operation of Muller’s ratchet even when the source of transferred genes is eDNA that comes from dead cells and on average carries more deleterious mutations than the DNA of recipient live cells. Moreover, if HGT is sufficiently frequent and eDNA diffusion sufficiently rapid, a subdivided population is shown to be more resistant to Muller’s ratchet than an undivided population of an equal overall size. Thus, to maintain genomic information in the face of Muller’s ratchet, it is more advantageous to partition individuals into multiple subpopulations and let them “cross-reference” each other’s genetic information through HGT than to collect all individuals in one population and thereby maximize the efficacy of natural selection. Taken together, the results suggest that HGT could be an important condition for the long-term maintenance of genomic information in prokaryotes through the prevention of Muller’s ratchet.
The Role of Leptin in Diencephalic Syndrome
Authors: Velasco Pablo , Clemente María , Lorite Raquel , Ventura M. Clara , Gros Luis , Sanchez de Toledo José , Gallego Soledad
Published: December 2013

Diencephalic syndrome is a rare condition associated with central nervous system tumors. The most common presentation is secondary failure to thrive with proper caloric intake and no statural impairment. Despite the importance of this syndrome, little is known of its pathophysiology. Some reports have documented changes in human growth hormone and insulin levels at the onset, whereas others have described endocrine disorders of hypothalamic insufficiency resulting from surgery of the tumor. It has been suggested that the hormonal changes described, such as increased human growth hormone and ghrelin or decreased insulin and leptin levels, are related to a patient’s BMI. These findings support the role of these 4 hormones as indicators of the patient’s nutritional status but not as mediators or potential therapeutic targets of the disease. We report the case of an infant who initially presented with tumor progression and, after chemotherapy, progressive weight gain and reduced tumor size. Because he presented no hormonal deficiencies or obesity after therapy, we were able to analyze his hormonal status uninfluenced by effects of metabolic treatment or excess weight. Although ghrelin and leptin levels have been related to nutritional status, our patient’s leptin levels fell when tumor size decreased and weight increased: an extraordinary finding because leptin concentration is expected to increase with weight gain. This paradoxical response suggests that leptin may be dysregulated in diencephalic syndrome or that the diencephalic astrocytoma may have had an effect on leptin secretion.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Adolescents
Authors: Öner Taliha , Guven Baris , Tavli Vedide , Mese Timur , Yılmazer Murat Muhtar , Demirpence Savas
Published: December 2013

OBJECTIVE:

Vitamin B12 is involved in the production of adrenaline from noradrenaline. It is the cofactor involved in catecholamine degradation and plays a role in myelin synthesis. The current study aimed to investigate the association between vitamin B12 levels and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) during adolescence when accelerated myelin synthesis increases the vitamin B12 need.

METHODS:

One hundred twenty-five patients (mean age 11.1 ± 2.3 years; 60% female) reporting short-term loss of consciousness and diagnosed with vasovagal syncope based on anamnesis with a normal distribution and 50 control subjects (mean age 10.94 ± 2.5 years, 62% female) were included in this study. Serum vitamin B12, folic acid, and ferritin levels were measured prospectively in addition to other tests. We defined vitamin B12 deficiency as a serum level <300 pg/mL.1–4

RESULTS:

Vitamin B12 levels were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group (47.2% vs 18%, P < .001). In the patient group, children with the POTS pattern had significantly lower vitamin B12 levels compared with children without the POTS response (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS:

Vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with POTS may lead to sympathetic nervous system baroreceptor dysfunction.
Two-Year Impact of the Alternative Quality Contract on Pediatric Health Care Quality and Spending
Authors: Chien Alyna T. , Song Zirui , Chernew Michael E. , Landon Bruce E. , McNeil Barbara J. , Safran Dana G. , Schuster Mark A.
Published: December 2013

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the 2-year effect of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ global budget arrangement, the Alternative Quality Contract (AQC), on pediatric quality and spending for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and non-CSHCN.

METHODS:

Using a difference-in-differences approach, we compared quality and spending trends for 126 975 unique 0- to 21-year-olds receiving care from AQC groups with 415 331 propensity-matched patients receiving care from non-AQC groups; 23% of enrollees were CSHCN. We compared quality and spending pre (2006–2008) and post (2009–2010) AQC implementation, adjusting analyses for age, gender, health risk score, and secular trends. Pediatric outcome measures included 4 preventive and 2 acute care measures tied to pay-for-performance (P4P), 3 asthma and 2 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder quality measures not tied to P4P, and average total annual medical spending.

RESULTS:

During the first 2 years of the AQC, pediatric care quality tied to P4P increased by +1.8% for CSHCN (P < .001) and +1.2% for non-CSHCN (P < .001) for AQC versus non-AQC groups; quality measures not tied to P4P showed no significant changes. Average total annual medical spending was ∼5 times greater for CSHCN than non-CSHCN; there was no significant impact of the AQC on spending trends for children.

CONCLUSIONS:

During the first 2 years of the contract, the AQC had a small but significant positive effect on pediatric preventive care quality tied to P4P; this effect was greater for CSHCN than non-CSHCN. However, it did not significantly influence (positively or negatively) CSHCN measures not tied to P4P or affect per capita spending for either group.
Efficacy of Upper Limb Therapies for Unilateral Cerebral Palsy: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Sakzewski Leanne , Ziviani Jenny , Boyd Roslyn N.
Published: December 2013

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Children with unilateral cerebral palsy present with impaired upper limb (UL) function affecting independence, participation, and quality of life and require effective rehabilitation. This study aims to systematically review the efficacy of nonsurgical upper limb therapies for children with unilateral cerebral palsy.

METHODS:

Medline, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PubMed were searched to December 2012. Randomized controlled or comparison trials were included.

RESULTS:

Forty-two studies evaluating 113 UL therapy approaches (N = 1454 subjects) met the inclusion criteria. Moderate to strong effects favoring intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin A and occupational therapy (OT) to improve UL and individualized outcomes compared with OT alone were identified. Constraint-induced movement therapy achieved modest to strong treatment effects on improving movement quality and efficiency of the impaired UL compared with usual care. There were weak treatment effects for most outcomes when constraint therapy was compared with an equal dose (amount) of bimanual OT; both yielded similar improved outcomes. Newer interventions such as action observation training and mirror therapy should be viewed as experimental.

CONCLUSIONS:

There is modest evidence that intensive activity-based, goal-directed interventions (eg, constraint-induced movement therapy, bimanual training) are more effective than standard care in improving UL and individualized outcomes. There is little evidence to support block therapy alone as the dose of intervention is unlikely to be sufficient to lead to sustained changes in UL outcomes. There is strong evidence that goal-directed OT home programs are effective and could supplement hands-on direct therapy to achieve increased dose of intervention.
Adiposity Rebound and the Development of Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Koyama Satomi , Ichikawa Go , Kojima Megumi , Shimura Naoto , Sairenchi Toshimi , Arisaka Osamu
Published: December 2013

OBJECTIVE:

The age of adiposity rebound (AR) is defined as the time at which BMI starts to rise after infancy and is thought to be a marker of later obesity. To determine whether this age is related to future occurrence of metabolic syndrome, we investigated the relationship of the timing of AR with metabolic consequences at 12 years of age.

METHODS:

A total of 271 children (147 boys and 124 girls) born in 1995 and 1996 were enrolled in the study. Serial measurements of BMI were conducted at the ages of 4 and 8 months and 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 years, based on which age of AR was calculated. Plasma lipids and blood pressure were measured at 12 years of age.

RESULTS:

An earlier AR (<4 years of age) was associated with a higher BMI (≥20) and a lipoprotein phenotype representative of insulin resistance. This phenotype consists of elevated triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, and atherogenic index and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in boys and elevated apolipoprotein B in girls at 12 years of age. The earlier AR was also related to elevated blood pressure in boys.

CONCLUSIONS:

This longitudinal population-based study indicates that children who exhibit AR at a younger age are predisposed to future development of metabolic syndrome. Therefore, monitoring of AR may be an effective method for the early identification of children at risk for metabolic syndrome.
Synthesis of Some 4,5-Dihydrothieno[3,2-e][1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3-a] Pyrimi-dine-2-Carboxamides as Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Agents
Authors: Shaaban Omaima G. , Rizk Ola H. , Bayad Aida E. , El-Ashmawy Ibrahim M.
Published: December 2013

A new series 4,5-dihydrothieno[3,2-e][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidine-2-carboxamide was synthesized. Twenty one newly synthesized compounds were investigated for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity using acute and subacute formalin-induced paw edema models and diclofenac Na as a reference. The acute toxicity (ALD50) and ulcerogenic effects of the active compounds were also determined. The thienotriazolopyrimidines 10a, 10c and 11c were found to exhibit remarkable anti-inflammatory activity at both models in addition to good analgesic activity with a delayed onset of action. Moreover, the active compounds showed high GI safety level and are well tolerated by experimental animals with high safety margin (ALD50 > 0.4 g/kg). Docking study using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) version 2008.10 into COX-2 has been made for derivatives of highest anti-inflammatory activity.
A Recommendation to Use the Diffusion of Innovations Theory to Understand School Nurses' Role in HPV Vaccine Uptake
Authors: Rosen Brittany , Goodson Patricia
Published: December 2013

Vaccinations represent one of the greatest public health achievements of the past century, but their success largely depends on populations' uptake. Seven years after its approval in 2006 for females, the HPV vaccination rates remain relatively low. Previous literature provides information about research examining U.S. physicians, pediatricians, and other healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes, and professional practice toward the HPV vaccine. No research has yet investigated U.S. school nurses' role in educating the school community about the vaccine's benefits. Diffusion of Innovations theory is an appropriate perspective for examining school nurses as opinion leaders who can influence the uptake of the HPV vaccine for youth. This theory explains how innovations diffuse throughout a social system, and highlights the construct of opinion leadership. School nurses exhibit the characteristics of opinion leaders; therefore, Diffusion of Innovations can be a useful lens for assessing their role in efforts to promote HPV vaccination for youth.
The Fourth Level of Health Literacy
Authors: Rask Maija , Uusiautti Satu , Määttä Kaarina
Published: December 2013

The World Health Organization defines health literacy as cognitive and social skills determining individuals' motivation and ability to receive, understand, and use information in a health-promoting manner. This study discusses health literacy in the light of general upper secondary education students' test answers ( N = 611) on the Finnish Matriculation Examination. The data were analyzed based on three levels of health literacy: the basic, communicative, and critical level. Analysis suggests the three existing levels do not fully describe the depth of health literacy. A fourth level was derived, called “holistic health literacy,” with the following dimensions: (1) tolerance, (2) understanding culture as wide and multidimensional phenomena, (3) environmental consciousness, and (4) analysis of the state of the world from various points of view. The means of developing the subject of health education are discussed.
Educational Attainment, MRI Changes, and Cognitive Function in Older Postmenopausal Women from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study
Authors: Rapp Stephen R. , Espeland Mark A. , Manson Joann E. , Resnick Susan M. , Bryan Nick R. , Smoller Sylvia , Coker Laura H. , Phillips Lawrence S. , Stefanick Marcia L. , Sarto Gloria E. ,   For the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study
Published: December 2013

The relationship between neuropathology and clinically manifested functional and cognitive deficits is complex. Clinical observations of individuals with greater neuropathology who function better than some individuals with less neuropathology are common and puzzling. Educational attainment, a proxy for “cognitive reserve,” may help to explain this apparent contradiction. The objective of this study is to determine if educational attainment is correlated with cognitive decline, brain lesion volume, and total brain atrophy. One thousand three hundred ninety of the 7,479 community-dwelling women 65 years of age and older enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, two parallel randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials comparing unopposed and opposed postmenopausal hormone therapy with placebo, were studied. Study participants received annual assessments of global cognitive function with the Modified Mini Mental State exam. One thousand sixty-three participants also received supplemental neurocognitive battery and neuroimaging studies. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to calculate total ischemic lesion and brain volumes. Incident cases of probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment were centrally adjudicated. After adjustment for total lesion and total brain volumes (atrophy), higher educational attainment predicted better cognitive performance ( p < 0.001). Following conversion to dementia/MCI, higher education predicted steeper declines in cognitive function ( p < 0.001). Thus, higher educational attainment was associated with a delay in diagnosis of dementia/MCI in the face of a growing neuropathological load.
Prevalence of hypertension in adults in the Sumadija district, Serbia: A cross sectional study
Authors: Marinkovic Mirjana , Ilic Nevenka , Djokic Dragoljub , Andrejevic Vesna , Damjanovic Gordana , Samardzic Goran , Tufegdzic Sanja , Vucic-Jankovic Mila
Published: December 2013

Background/Aim. World Health Organization (WHO) studies on the global level
have shown that one of the major problems of the public health is
hypertension. Blood pressure level greater than 140/90 mmHg is directly and
predictively linked to other cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this
research was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and the risk groups
among the adult population in the Sumadija District, Serbia. Methods. This
cross-sectional study included 1.669 elderly population of the Sumadija
District, aged 25-74. The study was performed according to the protocol of
the Country Wide Integrated Noncommunicable Disease Intervention (CINDI)
international program. Results. In the Sumadija District more than a half of
the population aged 25-74 suffers from hypertension (53%). In the Sumadija
District 9% of population has undiagnosed hypertension. In the group of
people familiar with their high blood pressure problems, good disease control
is achieved in only 46% of them. Statistically, hypertension occurs more
frequently in males aged 45-74, of lower education, and in rural population.
This is the target group for implementation of the high risk strategy.
Statistically, there is a higher prevalence of hypertension in people
suffering from myocardial infarction (p = 0.04), angina pectoris (p = 0.00),
other cardiac diseases (cardiac insufficiency) (p = 0.00) and cerebrovascular
crises (p = 0.04). Conclusion. A continuous increase of patients with
hypertension, coupled with the developed complications and increase in
cardiovascular diseases as a cause of death, points to the lack of effective
access to prevention and early detection of these diseases in the primary
health care among the risk groups in Sumadija.
Leakage of Phosphatases and Fertility of Buck Semen Cryopreserved under Different Freezing Modes
Authors: Sharma Sunanda , Sharma Narendra Kumar , Kataria Nalini , Sinha N K
Published: December 2013

Present study was conducted on 160 ejaculates collected at weekly interval by artificial vagina method from 13 adult Sirohi bucks. Pooled ejaculates were diluted with Tris-egg yolk-citric acid-fructose-glycerol extender (1:4), filled and sealed in straws. Few straws of diluted semen were thawed (40° C/15 seconds) and assessed for acid and alkaline phosphatases (ACP and AKP) in seminal plasma of diluted semen (Control Group). Remaining semen straws were randomly grouped to constitute freezing mode groups (M1, M2, M2, and M4) and processed further for cryo-preservation of semen. Accordingly diluted semen straws were cooled @-4° C/minute from 25° C up to 5° C thereafter equilibrated for 2 hours and frozen up to -160° C @ 15, 20, 25 and 300 C/minute for M1, M2, M3 and M4 groups respectively. These frozen straws were hold at this temperature for 2 minutes then stored separately in LN2. After 7 days of storage, straws from each freezing mode group were thawed and assessed for ACP and AKP in seminal plasma. In vivo fertility trials were also conducted with straws of control (fresh diluted semen) as well as freezing mode groups (frozen at different freezing rates). Least square analysis of variance for the data obtained revealed highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) rise in the seminal plasma ACP and AKP enzyme levels in frozen thawed semen as compared to that in fresh diluted semen. The Values of ACP and AKP also differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) among all the freezing mode groups wherein lowest values of ACP were observed in M3 group followed by M4, M2 and M1 groups in increasing order whereas, lowest values of AKP were observed in M3 followed by M2, M4 and M1 groups in increasing order. Highest fertility rates were observed with semen from M3 followed by M2, M4 and M1 groups. On the basis of enzyme leakage and in-vivo fertility trials, the optimum freezing rate for cryopreservation protocol was arrived at 25° C/minute.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.8913 Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 202-207
Effect of Hydropriming on Field Establishment of Seedlings obtained from Primed Seeds of Boro Rice cv. Brri Dhan29
Authors: Dey A. , Sarkar M. A. R. , Paul S. K. , Roy P. K.
Published: December 2013

An experiment was conducted at the Seed Laboratory of the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from January to April 2012 to study the effect of hydropriming on field establishment of seedlings obtained from primed seeds of Boro rice cv. BRRI dhan29. Seeds were soaked in water for 0, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54 and 60 hours. The incubation period was 30 hours at 35°C temperature. Seed quality viz. percent germination, mean germination time, vigor index, shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight and root dry weight of rice seedlings were measured. Plant population m-2 also recorded to understand the field establishment of primed seeds. It was observed that priming treatments had significant effect on germination and other growth parameters of rice seedlings. The highest germination, vigor index, population m-2, length of shoot and root and their weight were found at 15 and 30 DAS. The lowest mean germination time was observed from hydropriming of seeds with 30 hours soaking. On the contrary, no priming treatment showed the lowest germination, vigor index, population m-2, and the highest mean germination time. The study concludes that BRRI dhan29 rice seed could be primed for 30 hours as hydropriming improves germination and field establishment of rice seedlings of Boro rice cv. BRRI dhan29.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9102  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 220-223
Toxicity of Dietary Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn (Malvaceae) Seed to Wistar Rats
Authors: Al Bahi Amgad A. H. , Abdelgadir Warda S.
Published: December 2013

In Sudan Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds after fermentation are commonly known as Furundu with high quality proteins consumed as substitute to meat mainly in the Western part of the country. The raw seed, 10, 15 and 20 % of the standard diet was fed to Wister rats for periods up to 12 weeks. These doses were found to be non-toxic but not lethal to the treated rats. There was no evidence of carcinogenic effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa seed on any of the vital organs, but the main features were depression of growth and diverse pathological changes on the liver, kidneys and intestines which were correlated with highly significant (P<0.001) elevation of serum Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and bilirubin (P<0.01) concentration in addition to a significant decrease (P<0.01) in cholesterol concentration. No change was observed in the total protein, globulin and urea concentrations of the test groups and albumin concentration in Groups 1 and 2 fed on diet containing 10 and 15% H. sabdarrifa seed. These findings were accompanied by leukocytosis and significantly lower red blood cells and haemoglobin concentration. Due to the elevated Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and the normal values of the mean corpuscular Haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in all the treatment groups the toxicity of H. Sabdariffa seed to Wistar rats resulted in  macrocytic normochromic type of  anaemia.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9103  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 214-219
Effect of Poly (N-IsoPropylAcrylamide) “PNIPAM” on Hepatic Cells of Swiss Albino Mice, Mus musculus
Authors: Aslam Md. Imtiyaz , Verma Rohit Kumar , Roy Richa , Roy S. P.
Published: December 2013

The present paper deals with the effect of polymeric compound poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) “PNIPAM” for their toxicity on hepatic cells. The nanoparticle is a xenobiotic compound that accumulates in the liver for their metabolism. Non-metabolizing xenobiotic compounds such as PNIPAM produces anomalies in the hepatic cells. Certain enzymes such as ALT and ALP can be assayed for the hepatocytic toxicity.An attempt has been made to know the toxic effect of “PNIPAM” in a concentration of 0.8mg/ml on the hepatic cells of Swiss Albino mice, Mus musculus. The ALT and ALP analysis were performed through test kits for their quantitative estimation. The histological result shows that several lesions were produced after the introduction of aqueous solution of PNIPAM for an incubation period of 48 hours. The toxicity was confirmed Spectrophotometrically by the assessment of enzyme ALT and ALP. The increased concentration of ALT (55.0 IU/L) and slight decrease in ALP (40.0 IU/L) concentration was responsible for the metabolic alteration and production of hepatocytic anomalies in the mice.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9104    Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 208-213
Mitigation of the Adverse Effects of Salt Stress on Maize (Zea Mays L.) Through Organic Amendments
Authors: Das Debasish Kumar , Dey Bijaya Rani , Mian M.Joinul Abedin , Hoque Md. Anamul
Published: December 2013

Salinity is a major limiting factor for crop production in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Organic amendments could contribute to the improvement of crop production in coastal areas. Two maize cultivars (BARI Hybrid Maize-5 and Hybrid Maize Pacific-987) were grown in pots to investigate the mitigating adverse effects of salt stress in maize by organic amendments. Two doses of farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) were mixed with soils before seed sowing. Plants were subjected to salinity (0-50 mM NaCl) at vegetative stage. Salt stress caused a significant reduction in growth and yield of both maize cultivars. Higher NaCl (50 mM) stress caused a drastic decrease in growth and yield of both maize cultivars. Salinity also decreased reproductive growth, chlorophyll contents and K+/Na+ ratio in both maize cultivars. Organic amendments with FYM and PM improved salt tolerances of maize that were associated with increased yield components, chlorophyll content and K+/Na+ ratio. Hybrid Maize Pacific-987 grown in low salinity with FYM or PM amendments produced higher yield than control condition. On the contrary, BARI Hybrid Maize-5 conferred tolerance to high salinity, when soils were amended with FYM or PM. Furthermore, organic amendments improved electrical conductivity, exchangeable Na and organic matter status under salinity condition. The present study suggests that organic amendments with FYM or PM confer tolerance to salinity in maize by increasing chlorophyll content and K+/Na+ ratio.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9128  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 233-239
Effect of Osmopriming of Boro Rice Seeds on Field Establishment of Seedlings
Authors: Roy P. K. , Sarkar M. A. R. , Paul S. K. , Dey A.
Published: December 2013

An experiment was conducted at the Seed Laboratory of the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from January to April 2012 to study the effect of osmopriming of Boro rice seed (cv. BRRI dhan29). Seeds were soaked in 1%, 3% and 5% solutions of ZnSO4, KCl and CaCl2 for 24 hours, respectively, with 30 hours incubation at 35°C temperature. Seed quality tests such as percent germination, mean germination time, vigor index, shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight and root dry weight of rice seedlings were measured for all treatments. Population m-2 was also calculated to investigate the field establishment of primed seeds. The highest germination, vigor index, population m-2, shoot length and shoot dry weight at 15 and 30 DAS, root length at 15 DAS, root dry weight at 15 and 30 DAS and the lowest mean germination time was observed from priming of seeds with 3% ZnSO4. Exceptionally, priming with 3% CaCl2 showed the highest root length at 30 DAS. On the contrary, 3% and 5% CaCl2 priming treatment showed the lowest germination, vigor index, population m-2, shoot length and shoot dry weight at 15 and 30 DAS, root length at 15 DAS, root dry weight at 15 and 30 DAS and the highest mean germination time. It can be concluded that rice seed (cv. BRRI dhan29) can be primed with 3% ZnSO4 solution for improving germination and field establishment of rice seedlings.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9131  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 228-232
Seroprevalence 0f Dengue Virus Infection in Nepal
Authors: Gupta B P , Mishra S K , Manandhar K D , Malla R , Tamarakar C S , Raut P P , Sah S K , Pokhrel S , Rauniyar R , Bajaracharya A.
Published: December 2013

Dengue Virus infection is an emerging mosquito-borne disease. It is a global health problem and its expanding endemicity towards new territories is a serious concern. Relatively a new disease in Nepalese context, dengue abruptly appeared as massive outbreak in 2010, merely four years after its first introduction. It is a nagging public health problem in the low lands of Terai, expanding to new areas of Nepal in recent years.  A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine anti-Dengue IgM positive rate in Lumbini, Dhading and Chitwan district. The study was carried from June 2012 to November 2012. The total number of Serum samples was collected from 275 patients visiting hospitals with history of fever, headache and suspected DF. The samples were examined by ELISA. The anti-Dengue IgM positivity was found to be 29.09 %. The positive rate was highest in Dhading (70.37%) followed by Bharatpur (37.6%) and Lumbini (11.38%). The Dengue positive cases were higher in males (32.5 %) than female (24.8 %). The highest positive cases (41.6%) were from age group less than 15 years. Dengue has substantial expansion in Western and Far Western Terai region of Nepal which was limited to the middle Terai region in the past and mostly infects older people.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9135  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 224-227
Decolourization of Orange G Dye by Microalgae Acutodesmus obliquues Strain PSV2 Isolated from Textile Industrial Site
Authors: Sarwa Prakash , Verma Sanjay Kumar
Published: December 2013

Introduction-Release of different types of synthetic dyes into the aquatic environment by various industrial sources is a major area of concern worldwide due to their low biodegradable nature. Conventional methods of dye removal are effective but high operating cost and energy requirement, generation of toxic sludge and regeneration problem of adsorbent limits their use at large scale. Biosorption of dye molecules by microorganisms is an economic and eco friendly technology for the treatment of textile wastewater. Aims & objective-The study was carried out to isolate microalgae from industrial site and to evaluate its efficiency for adsorption of Orange G dye from aqueous solution. Materials and methods- A unicellular green micro alga was isolated from textile and dye contaminated site of Sanganer, Jaipur (India) .Biosorption studies were conducted in a batch system for the removal of orange G dye from aqueous solution. Different parameters of pH, time, and initial dye concentration were investigated to optimize the process. Kinetic and equilibrium isotherms were implemented to experimental data in order to investigate the mechanism of biosorption. Results- Microalgae isolated from industrial site was found to be highly efficient for absorption of Orange G dye from aqueous solution. Batch studies depicts that Acutodesmusobliquues strain PSV 2 can absorb orange G dye at optimum pH 2.0 and maximum absorption (56.49 mg/g) occurred within initial 60 min of contact time. Equilibrium studies showed that Freundlich isotherm fitted well with experimental data with high correlation coefficient (r2=0.995) and n value (n=1.192). Langmuir isotherm showed r2=0.96 and value of b=0.008, which represents favorable adsorption of dye on algal surface. FTIR analysis of adsorbent before and after dye adsorption showed the involvement of some functional groups in dye absorption. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9141   Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 247-252
Quality of the Food and Diet Composition in Indian Bison (Bosgaurus) Based On Fecal Analysis in Mookambika Wild Life Sanctuary, Karnataka
Authors: Prashanth P.K. M. , Kumara Vijaya , Thirumala S.
Published: December 2013

Quality of food and Diet composition of the Indian Bison (Bosgaurus) was estimated by fecal analysis. The results, together with studies in other parts of India, indicate that gaurs are primarily intermediate or adaptable mixed feeders. Fecal composition varied seasonally, with high proportion of grasses, forbs, and woody plant leaves, particularly Cynodondactylon, Cyperusrotundusin monsoon and post monsoon, and Strobilanthescallosus, Strobilanthesixiocephalus, Grewiatiliaefoliaand Syzygiumcuminiin winter and summer. Gaur selected herbs, shrubs, and grasses, and avoided eating woody plants for most of the year. Seasonal changes in the chemical composition of the feces were related to changes in phenology. The levels of crude protein, within certain limitations, and lignin in the feces were probably the most reliable indicators of diet quality. The ratio of crude protein: lignin was highest in monsoon and winter, corresponding early growing and fruiting seasons respectively. The usefulness of feces in estimating the composition and quality of the diet of an intermediate feeder is assessed.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9147  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 240-246
Manganese: Its Speciation, Pollution and Microbial Mitigation
Authors: Sinha Arvind , Khare Sunil Kumar
Published: December 2013

Manganese is known to be one of the essential trace elements and has plenty of applications. Inspite of its essential nature, concerns are arising due to its toxic nature at higher concentration. Several methods of removing manganese from environment have been proposed during the last few decades. However, the most favourable option based on cost-effectiveness, performance, and simplicity is still under investigation. The current review summarizes updated information on various technical aspects on manganese, including chemical nature, speciation, toxicity and remediation strategies. The review starts with covering the major sources of manganese, its interaction with biological biomolecules causing toxicity. This is followed by its speciation in environment, describing both biotic and abiotic processes. The biotic processes describe the role of microorganisms in the oxidation/ reduction of various oxidation states of manganese. Whereas, abiotic processes mainly describes the role of pH and oxygen taking thermodynamical aspects. The main part of this review focuses on recent developments on using microbial systems for manganese bioremediation. The updated works on different strategies adopted for the remediation of manganese from the environment have also been summarized.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9164 Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 162-170
Anti epileptic activity of ocimum species: A brief review
Authors: Agarwal Chhaya , Sharma N. L. , Gaurav S. S.
Published: December 2013

The Ocimum species is a medicinal herb used in the indigenous system of medicine. Ocimum sp. have variety of biological, pharmacological properties such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antimalarial, anthelmentic, antidiarrhoeal, antiinflammatory, antihypertensive, cardioprotective, central nervous system (CNS) depressant, antidiabetic, antithyroidic, antioxidant, anticancer, chemopreventive, radioprotective, immunomodulatory, antifertility, antiulcer, antiarthritic, antistress, antileucodermal and anticoagulant activities. Sevral species of Ocimum are used to cure central nervous system (CNS) disorders.in various part of the world due to its anticonvulsant property .epilepsy is a chronic disorder which is characterized by seizures. Seizures are resistant to treatment with currently available anticonvulsant drug (AEDs) in about one out of three patient with epilepsy. This review refers to the study of ocimum as an antiepileptic drug (AEDs) because of its specific anticonvulsant property.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9168   Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 180-183
Effect of Date of Sowing on the Performance of Drought Tolerant Wheat Genotypes to Spot Blotch at Rampur, Chitwan , Nepal
Authors: Aryal L. , Shrestha S. M. , K.C. G. B.
Published: December 2013

A research was conducted in field to elucidate the response of 20 twenty drought tolerant wheat genotypes to spot blotch. Field experiment was carried out in Agronomy block of IAAS, Rampur, Chitwan in split plot design with three replications, considering 25 November as normal sowing and 15 December as late sowing dates taking them as main factors and genotypes as sub factors. Grain yield was 2.50 t ha-1 on 25 November sowing and 2.03 t ha-1 on 15 December sowing. Similarly thousand kernel weight was 37.50 g on 25 November sowing and 32.82 g on 15 December sowing.  Aditya, CSISA DRYT 5204 and CSISA DRYT 5205 had less than 13% grain yield and TKW reduction when sown in late condition also. From the experiment it is concluded that these three genotypes can be sown in late condition as they were resistant to spot blotch and heat stress.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9180 Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 266-271