A method for detecting microfilaraemia, filarial specific antigens and antibodies and typing of parasites for drug resistance and genotypes using finger prick blood sample.

Monitoring and evaluation of programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) depends on epidemiological assessment using appropriate indicators. Minimum efforts using reliable tests are necessary to guide the programme managers in decision-making. Impact of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) towards filariasis elimination can be assessed by the detection of microfilariae (mf) or parasite DNA (infective), filarial antigens (infected) and antibodies (exposure).

Molecular discrimination inside polymer nanotubules.

Recognition of small organic molecules and large biomolecules such as proteins is of great importance in pharmaceutical as well as biological applications. Recognition inside a nanoporous membrane is particularly attractive, because of the advantages associated with ligand-receptor interactions in confined spaces. Classical nanoporous membrane-based separations simply use the difference in size of the analytes relative to pore size in the membrane.

Sample Size Calculation for Estimating or Testing a Nonzero Squared Multiple Correlation Coefficient.

The problems of hypothesis testing and interval estimation of the squared multiple correlation coefficient of a multivariate normal distribution are considered. It is shown that available one-sided tests are uniformly most powerful, and the one-sided confidence intervals are uniformly most accurate. An exact method of calculating sample size to carry out one-sided tests (null hypothesis may involve a nonzero value for the multiple correlation coefficient) to attain a specified power is given.

Effect of silica nanoparticles on reinforcement of poly(phenylene ether) based thermoplastic elastomer.

Reinforcement of a novel poly(phenylene ether) (PPE) based thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), i.e., styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS)/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and PPE-polystyrene (PS), was studied to develop a reinforced thermoplastic elastomer or thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV).

Unusual coarctation-the PHACE syndrome: report of three cases.

Objectives: To report the clinical features, nature of vasculopathy observed and the management instituted in three cases of PHACE syndrome.

Results: All three patients were noted to have diffuse vasculopathy and aortic arch hypoplasia in addition to aortic coarctation adding substantial surgical risk or making surgery palliative.

Conclusion: PHACE syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of aortic coarctation associated with aortic arch hypoplasia.

Transmission dynamics of diurnally subperiodic lymphatic filariasis transmitted by Ochlerotatus (Finlaya) niveus in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Background & Objective: In India diurnally subperiodic filariasis is prevalent only in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with significant health problem. Sample surveys indicated that this form of filariasis is restricted to a small region of Nancowry group of islands with Ochlerotatus niveus as the vector. We therefore carried out a comprehensive study to assess the transmission dynamics of LF in Teressa island in Nicobar district in view of its control and evaluation of interventions.

Doppler echocardiographic assessment of TTK Chitra prosthetic heart valve in the mitral position.

Aims: TTK Chitra heart valve prosthesis (CHVP), a tilting disc mechanical heart valve of low cost and proven efficacy, has been in use for the last 15 years. Although various studies substantiating its long-term safety and efficacy are available, no study had assessed its echocardiographic characteristics. The purpose of this study was to determine the normal Doppler parameters of CHVP in the mitral position and to assess whether derivation of mitral valve area (MVA) using the continuity equation (CE) and more commonly used pressure half-time (PHT) method is comparable in the functional assessment of this tilting disc mitral prosthesis.

Statistical methods for establishing equivalency of several sampling devices.

The problem of comparing several alternate sampling devices to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard, or the comparison of several sampling devices among themselves, is considered. A test based on the OSHA criterion that states that "90% of the readings of the sampling device should be within +/- 25% of the readings obtained by the standard" is developed. Type I error rates and powers of the test are studied using Monte Carlo simulation.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of possible neonatal sinovenous thrombosis.

There are few data on magnetic resonance imaging findings in newborns for whom there is a concern for cerebral sinovenous thrombosis. The study objective was to document findings on magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance venography in cases of suspected neonatal sinovenous thrombosis. A retrospective search of the institutional database was performed to find neonates whose cranial computed tomography raised the suspicion for thrombus.

Prothrombotic risk factors in the evaluation and management of perinatal stroke.

The ischemia in children affected by perinatal stroke has long been thought to be driven by nonhematologic maternal and perinatal events. New information from clinical studies, however, tells us that plasma-phase risk factors, such as factor V Leiden, elevated lipoprotein (a), and mutations in MTHFR, may be important in the pathogenesis of perinatal stroke, if not always in the risk of recurrence. With regard to stroke recurrence, this risk is only about 2% according to the largest follow-up study to date, and certainly less than 5%.

Health Related Quality of Life, an appropriate indicator to assess the impact of morbidity management and disability prevention activities towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis.

Background: Lymphatic filariasis has been identified as one of the six diseases that can be potentially eliminated. Global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis has been launched, applying principal strategies of mass drug administration to interrupt transmission and morbidity management to prevent disability. The strategy for mass drug administration has been clearly laid out and guidelines have been well documented for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programme but such a guideline is warranted for morbidity management and disability prevention activities.

Saccular aneurysm of congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula.

A rare aneurysm of a congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula is reported. Echocardiography showed a dilated left coronary and left circumflex artery with normal left anterior descending artery. A dilated structure near the crux was confirmed to be a large aneurysm of circumflex coronary artery on selective angiography.

Intra-atrial extension of Wilms' tumor.

Echocardiography in a 4-year-old boy, with nephroblastoma of the left kidney, revealed a large homogenous mass in right atrium extending from inferior vena cava, and protruding through tricuspid valve into right ventricle during diastole. Ultrasonography revealed the contiguous spread of the tumor through renal vein with near total caval occlusion. The patient had a fatal outcome before definite treatment could be started.

Type A aortic dissection with partial ostial occlusion of left main coronary artery.

A 48-year-old hypertensive male presented with acute retrosternal pain and aortic regurgitation. The electrocardiogram showed ST-segment depression with T-wave inversion in anterolateral leads. Transesophageal echocardiography in long axis view of aorta revealed a spiral intimal flap in ascending aorta extending to the arch, diagnostic of Type A aortic dissection.

Upper limits for exceedance probabilities under the one-way random effects model.

In this article, we propose statistical methods for setting upper limits on (i) the probability that the mean exposure of an individual worker exceeds the occupational exposure limit (OEL) and (ii) the probability that the exposure of a worker exceeds the OEL. The proposed method for (i) is obtained using the generalized variable approach, and the one for (ii) is based on an approximate method for constructing one-sided tolerance limits in the one-way random effects model. Even though tolerance limits can be used to assess the proportion of exposure measurements exceeding the OEL, the upper limits on these probabilities are more informative than tolerance limits.

Use of a novel ultrasonic surgical system for decompression of the facial nerve.

Objective: The middle cranial fossa approach has been used to explore and decompress the facial nerve in patients with Bell's palsy and facial nerve tumors. Unfortunately, this approach is technically challenging and has a significant risk of injury to the facial nerve and to the cochleovestibular organs. One way to minimize the risk may be with the use of the Sonopet Omni ultrasonic aspirator (Synergetics Inc.

Assessment of infant brain development with frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy.

This is the first report to demonstrate quantitative monitoring of infant brain development with frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (FD-NIRS). Regionally specific increases in blood volume and oxygen consumption were measured in healthy infants during their first year. The results agree with prior PET and SPECT reports; but, unlike these methods, FD-NIRS is portable and uses nonionizing radiation.

Probing the periphery of dendrimers by heterogeneous electron transfer.

The accessibility of the electroactive periphery was studied and compared for dendrimers and linear analogs by heterogeneous electron transfer using microelectrodes.

Recognition and modulation of cytochrome c's redox properties using an amphiphilic homopolymer.

An amphiphilic homopolymer scaffold has been used to bind to the protein, cytochrome c. This interaction is analyzed using cyclic voltammetry, native gel electrophoresis, UV-visible absorption, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The polymer binds to cytochrome c with micromolar affinity and the association of polymer with cytochrome c leads to a structural change of the protein.

Hypothalamic hamartoma and infantile spasms.

Purpose: A small number of patients with hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) present with infantile spasms (IS) as an initial or early seizure type. We describe the clinical features of IS associated with HH.

Methods: Our series of patients with HH and epilepsy was reviewed to identify cases with a history of IS.

Brain malformation and infantile spasms in a SCAD deficiency patient.

This report presents a case of short-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase deficiency with a previously unreported presentation with brain malformations and infantile spasms. This female infant developed repeated tonic clonic seizures at the age of 3(1/2) months. She subsequently developed West syndrome at the age of 4 months.

On Selecting Tests for Equality of Two Normal Mean Vectors.

The conventional approach for testing the equality of two normal mean vectors is to test first the equality of covariance matrices, and if the equality assumption is tenable, then use the two-sample Hotelling T (2) test. Otherwise one can use one of the approximate tests for the multivariate Behrens-Fisher problem. In this article, we study the properties of the Hotelling T (2) test, the conventional approach, and one of the best approximate invariant tests (Krishnamoorthy & Yu, 2004) for the Behrens-Fisher problem.

Generalized P-values and confidence intervals: a novel approach for analyzing lognormally distributed exposure data.

The problem of assessing occupational exposure using the mean of a lognormal distribution is addressed. The novel concepts of generalized p-values and generalized confidence intervals are applied for testing hypotheses and computing confidence intervals for a lognormal mean. The proposed methods perform well, they are applicable to small sample sizes, and they are easy to implement.