Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Trypanosoma evansi from Northern India based on 18S ribosomal gene.

Six Trypanosoma evansi isolates were collected from ponies (PH1 and PK6), camel (CB2), donkeys (DJ3 and DH4) and cattle (CK5) from different States of Northern India (Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat) for molecular characterization based on 18S rRNA gene. The 18S rRNA gene (2251 bp) of different isolates was amplified, cloned and custom sequenced separately. Based on sequence and phylogenetic analysis of all six isolates, collected from different hosts as well as geographical areas, were having high identity among Indian T. evansi strains (99.7%) and with other strains of T. evansi (99.2%) distributed worldwide. There is less genetic diversity among different salivarian strains of T. evansi except few nucleotide changes at significant locations in one Indian isolate of camel origin (CB2). All Indian T. evansi isolates were grouped in salivarian clade with high bootstrap values and remained far away from stercorarian clade having 88-90% nucleotide identity. The study will be helpful in understanding the evolutionary relationship, molecular epidemiology and variation in disease pathogenesis among different T. evansi strains. Further, more studies are required on large number of isolates collected from diverse host and geographical areas to reaffirm the present finding.

Co-morbidity of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Other Anxiety Disorders with Child and Adolescent Mood Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the co-morbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other anxiety disorders in child and adolescent mood disorders. METHODS: A total of 100 patients aged < 18 years with mood disorders according to the DSM-IV-TR were screened for OCD and other anxiety disorders using Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version. RESULTS: The prevalence of co-morbid anxiety disorders was 22%; OCD was present in 4%, and subthreshold obsessive-compulsive symptoms were present in 2%. Among others, 8% had panic disorder, 7% had generalised anxiety disorder, 3% had separation anxiety disorder, and 1% had social phobia; multiple anxiety disorders were present in 3% of patients. CONCLUSION: Co-morbid anxiety disorder was found in one-fifth of children and adolescents with mood disorder.

Euthanasia: An Indian perspective.

In our society, the palliative care and quality of life issues in patients with terminal illnesses like advanced cancer and AIDS have become an important concern for clinicians. Parallel to this concern has arisen another controversial issue-euthanasia or "mercy -killing" of terminally ill patients. Proponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) feel that an individual's right to autonomy automatically entitles him to choose a painless death. The opponents feel that a physician's role in the death of an individual violates the central tenet of the medical profession. Moreover, undiagnosed depression and possibility of social 'coercion' in people asking for euthanasia put a further question mark on the ethical principles underlying such an act. These concerns have led to strict guidelines for implementing PAS. Assessment of the mental state of the person consenting to PAS becomes mandatory and here, the role of the psychiatrist becomes pivotal. Although considered illegal in our country, PAS has several advocates in the form of voluntary organizations like "death with dignity" foundation. This has got a fillip in the recent Honourable Supreme Court Judgment in the Aruna Shaunbag case. What remains to be seen is how long it takes before this sensitive issue rattles the Indian legislature.

Arsenic speciation in food and estimation of the dietary intake of inorganic arsenic in a rural village of West Bengal, India.

Arsenic (As) species were quantified by HPLC-HG-AFS in water and vegetables from a rural area of West Bengal (India). Inorganic species predominated in vegetables (including rice) and drinking water; in fact, inorganic arsenic (i-As) represented more than 80% of the total arsenic (t-As) content. To evaluate i-As intake in an arsenic affected rural village, a food survey was carried out on 129 people (69 men and 60 women). The data from the survey showed that the basic diet, of this rural population, was mainly rice and vegetables, representing more than 50% of their total daily food intake. During the periods when nonvegetarian foods (fish and meat) were scarce, the importance of rice increased, and rice alone represented more than 70% of the total daily food intake. The food analysis and the food questionnaires administrated led us to establish a daily intake of i-As of about 170 microg i-As day (-1), which was above the tolerable daily intake of 150 microg i-As day (-1), generally admitted. Our results clearly demonstrated that food is a very important source of i-As and that this source should never be forgotten in populations depending heavily on vegetables (mainly rice) for their diet.

Cinnamoyl shikonin.

The title compound, 1-(5,8-dihydro-1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-dioxo-2-naphthyl)-4-methylpent-3-en-1-yl cinnamate, C(25)H(22)O(6), crystallizes in space group P2(1). The phenyl ring of the cinnamate is anti to the carbonyl group of the same moiety [C-C-C-C = -175.6 (2) degrees] and is nearly parallel to the naphthyl ring system. Two six-membered rings formed by intramolecular hydrogen bonds, with O-H...O distances of 2.587 (2) and 2.589 (2) A, occur on either side of the fused ring system, creating a tetracyclic pyrene-shaped system. The phenyl ring forms an intermolecular stack with the benzoquinone ring, as a result of aromatic pi-pi interactions.

Disappearance of intramolecular stacking due to one-atom movement or increment of a 'propylene linker' in pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-based flexible models.

In the crystal structures of 4,6-dimethylthio-1-[3-(4, 6-dimethylthio-2H-pyrazolo[3, 4-d]pyrimidin-2-yl)propyl]-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, C(17)H(20)N(8)S(4), and 1-[4-(4-methoxy-6-methylthio-1H-pyrazolo[3, 4-d]pyrimidin-1-yl)butyl]-5-methyl-6-methylthio-4, 5-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one, C(18)H(22)N(8)O(2)S(2), only intermolecular stacking due to aromatic pi-pi interactions between pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidinerings is present.

Dysobinin, a tetranortriterpenoid.

The planar furan ring in the title compound (6beta-acetoxyazadirone, C(30)H(38)O(6)) is twisted with respect to the steroid D ring. The crystal structure is stabilized by C-H.O hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions.

A highly functionalized ferrocenylpyrazolo[2,3-a]pyridine.

The crystal structure of [2-(4-bromophenyl)-4-cyano-5-ferrocenylpyrazolo[2,3-a]pyridin-7-yl]acetonitrile, C(26)H(17)N(4)FeBr or [Fe(C(5)H(5))(C(21)H(12)BrN(4))], shows that the pyrazolopyridine ring system (PP), the bromophenyl ring (BP) and the cyclopentadiene ring (Cp) are nearly planar. The PP ring system is twisted out of the plane of the BP and Cp rings by about 20 degrees.

Resolution, molecular structure and biological activities of the D- and L-enantiomers of potent anti-implantation agent, DL-2-[4-(2-piperidinoethoxy)phenyl]-3-phenyl-2H-1-benzopyran.

Compound 1 (DL-2-[4-(2-piperidinoethoxy)phenyl]-3-phenyl-2H-1-benzopyran, CDRI 85/287) a potent anti-estrogen and anti-implantation agent has been successfully resolved into its pure D- and L-enantiomers. Biological studies showed L-enantiomer to be the active form, exhibiting a fivefold higher receptor affinity for the rat uterine cytosolic estrogen receptor, 100% contraceptive efficacy at 1.3 mg/kg dose in single day schedule and 89% inhibition of estradiol induced increase of uterine weight at its contraceptive dose. The absolute stereochemistry determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis showed that the L-enantiomer has 2R configuration at its asymmetric centre.