Use of TaqMan Array card for the detection of respiratory viral pathogens in children under 5 years old hospitalised with acute medical illness in Ballabgarh, Haryana, India

Historical specimens collected from hospitalized children were tested for the following 13 viruses: influenza A and B; respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); parainfluenza viruses 1� human metapneumovirus; rhinovirus; coronaviruses 229E, OC43, NL63 and HKU1 and Adenovirus using monoplex real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). They were retested using TaqMan Array Card (TAC), a micro-fluidic system, capable of simultaneous multi-pathogen testing, to evaluate its sensitivity and specificity against monoplex rRT-PCR. TAC showed high sensitivity (71%�0%) and specificity (98%�0%) for these viruses in comparison to monoplex rRT-PCR. Multi-specimen detection with high sensitivity and specificity makes TAC a potentially useful tool for both surveillance and outbreak investigations.

Hypolipidemic activity of silver preparations in chicks, Gallus serregineus.

Three silver preparations (Varak or foil, ash or Raupya bhasma and sol or colloidal solution) were fed to three groups of young, male chicks for 10 days. There was significant fall in all the plasma lipid fractions--total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol. There was a marked rise in silver content of plasma and whole blood, ranging from 4 to 13 times, suggesting that the observed hypolipidemic action may be due to silver. The administration of the three silver preparations did not cause any retardation in growth, toxic manifestation, side effect or untoward reaction.

Evaluation of safety and efficacy of a gold containing Ayurvedic drug.

Gold containing Ayurvedic preparation, Swarna Vasant Malti, was given to 20 male persons in a dose of 100 mg twice a day for 40 days under supervision of Ayurvedic physicians. The total cumulative intake of 160 mg of gold at the rate of 4 mg per day in this form did not have any toxic effect on human body as evidenced by clinical examination, unaltered body weight, absence of urinary pathology and by 30 sensitive biochemical and enzymatic tests. The gold from this Ayurvedic preparation was found in plasma and erythrocytes, excreted partly in urine and was present in semen. Gold binding to albumin and hemoglobin slightly increased their electrophoretic mobility towards anode. This gold preparation seemed to increase sperm motility and prostatic activity.