Comprehensive case management of malaria: Operational research informing policy.

In 2013, the Odisha state Vector Borne Disease Control Programme led a five year operational research project, under programmatic conditions, in close collaboration with several partners. This Comprehensive Case Management Project covered a population of 900,000 across paired control and intervention blocks in four districts, each with different transmission intensities. Key gaps in access to malaria services were identified through household surveys and a detailed situation analysis. The interventions included ensuring adequate stocks of rapid diagnostic tests and antimalarial drugs at the village level, the capacity building of health workers and ASHAs, setting up microscopy centres at the primary health care level, and conducting mass screening and treatment in poorly accessible areas. The programme strengthened the routine health system, and improved malaria surveillance as well as the access to and quality of care. Initially, the programme led to increased case reporting due to improved detection, followed by a decline in malaria incidence. Lessons from the project were then scaled up statewide in the form of a new initiative-Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMaN).

Hollow Gaussian beam generation through nonlinear interaction of photons with orbital angular momentum.

Hollow Gaussian beams (HGB) are a special class of doughnut shaped beams that do not carry orbital angular momentum (OAM). Such beams have a wide range of applications in many fields including atomic optics, bio-photonics, atmospheric science, and plasma physics. Till date, these beams have been generated using linear optical elements. Here, we show a new way of generating HGBs by three-wave mixing in a nonlinear crystal. Based on nonlinear interaction of photons having OAM and conservation of OAM in nonlinear processes, we experimentally generated ultrafast HGBs of order as high as 6 and power >180 mW at 355 nm. This generic concept can be extended to any wavelength, timescales (continuous-wave and ultrafast) and any orders. We show that the removal of azimuthal phase of vortices does not produce Gaussian beam. We also propose a new and only method to characterize the order of the HGBs.

Divergence of optical vortex beams.

We show, both theoretically and experimentally, that the propagation of optical vortices in free space can be analyzed by using the width [w(z)] of the host Gaussian beam and the inner and outer radii of the vortex beam at the source plane (z=0) as defined in [Opt. Lett.39, 4364 (2014)10.1364/OL.39.004364OPLEDP0146-9592]. We also studied the divergence of vortex beams, considered as the rate of change of inner or outer radius with the propagation distance (z), and found that it varies with the order in the same way as that of the inner and outer radii at z=0. These results may be useful in designing optical fibers for orbital angular momentum modes that play a crucial role in quantum communication.

Higher order optical vortices and formation of speckles.

We have experimentally generated higher order optical vortices and scattered them through a ground glass plate that results in speckle formation. Intensity autocorrelation measurements of speckles show that their size decreases with an increase in the order of the vortex. It implies an increase in the angular diameter of the vortices with their order. The characterization of vortices in terms of their annular bright ring also helps us to understand these observations. The results may find applications in stellar intensity interferometry and thermal ghost imaging.

Propagation of an arbitrary vortex pair through an astigmatic optical system and determination of its topological charge.

We embed a pair of vortices with different topological charges in a Gaussian beam and study its evolution through an astigmatic optical system, a tilted lens. The propagation dynamics are explained by a closed-form analytical expression. Furthermore, we show that a careful examination of the intensity distribution at a predicted position past the lens can determine the charge present in the beam. To the best of our knowledge, our method is the first noninterferometric technique to measure the charge of an arbitrary vortex pair. Our theoretical results are well supported by experimental observations.

Revealing the order of a vortex through its intensity record.

We show that the intensity distribution of an optical vortex contains information of its order. Specifically, the number of dark rings in the Fourier transform of the intensity is found to be equal to the order of the vortex. Based on this property and the orthogonality of Laguerre polynomials, we demonstrate the feasibility of an experimental technique for determining the order of optical vortices. It shows the beauty of going to complementary spaces, which has been employed earlier also to find the information not available in other domains.

Intensity correlation properties of high-order optical vortices passing through a rotating ground-glass plate.

We study the intensity correlation properties of optical vortices passing through a rotating ground-glass (RGG) plate and compare them with those of the TEM(00) mode of an He-Ne laser beam passed through the same RGG. We have observed that the intensity correlation curves for optical vortices decrease much faster than the corresponding curve for a TEM(00) mode of the He-Ne laser. The rate of decay of the correlation increases with the increase of order of the vortices. Our experimentally observed results are supported by exact analytical results.

Localised retroperitoneal amyloidosis mimicking retroperitoneal fibrosis: a rare cause of obstructive uropathy.

Primary localised amyloidosis involving the retroperitoneum is a rare disease. We report a 71-year-old diabetic man who presented with generalised fatigue, malaise and elevated serum creatinine. Investigations confirmed obstructive uropathy secondary to a retroperitoneal mass behind the urinary bladder, causing extrinsic compression of both the ureters, resulting in bilateral hydroureteronephrosis. Following initial bilateral percutaneous nephrostomies to stabilise renal function, a computed tomography-guided biopsy of the pelvic lesion which was done, was suggestive of amyloidosis. We present this case due to the rarity of localised retroperitoneal amyloidosis as a cause of obstructive uropathy.

Quasi-Gaussian output from dual case I waveguide resonators with mirrors of step-index reflectivity profiles.

There are three recognized low-loss configurations for waveguide laser resonators in which the waveguide is either closed at each end by a plane mirror (dual case I design) or one of the plane mirrors is replaced by a curved mirror at some distance from the guide exit. Some time ago, a variant of the latter design was proposed by exploiting the self-imaging properties of multimode waveguides. The resonator was predicted to produce a TEM(00)-like output with very low round-trip loss and excellent mode discrimination even though the curved mirror was placed much nearer to the guide exit (making the resonator more compact) than was conventional for achieving those results. In the present work, we show that the desirable features of the above design can be achieved even in a dual case I configuration by using end mirrors with suitable reflectivity profiles. Since there is no free space region between the waveguide and the mirrors, the resonator will have the additional advantages of being compact and portable. Furthermore, the absence of curved mirrors will also facilitate its realization in semiconductor integrated optics technology.

Fiber-coupled dual-mode waveguide interferometer with lambda/130 fringe spacing.

Predictions and measurements of a multimode waveguide interferometer operating in a fiber-coupled, "dual-mode" regime are reported. With a 1.32 microm source, a complete switching cycle of the output beam is produced by a 10.0 nm incremental change in the 8.0 microm width of the hollow planar mirror waveguide. This equates to a fringe spacing of approximately lambda/130. This is an order of magnitude smaller than previously reported results for this form of interferometer.

Phased array 1-to-N-way resonator with a convex mirror for phase conjugation.

Phased array 1-to-N-way resonators can be relevant in the realization of high output powers from semiconductor laser arrays and have significant advantages over Talbot resonators. However, depending on the number of array elements, the intracavity power density on the output facet can be high, resulting in catastrophic optical mirror damage. We present a variant of the original design that overcomes these power density problems while maintaining the desirable phase-locking and power-combining properties.

Role of sulfur compounds in the detection of amino acids by ninhydrin on TLC plate.

Three new sulfur reagents for specific identification of amino acids on thin-layer chromatography plates have been introduced. These three sulfur containing reagents are capable of developing various distinguishable colors with many of them. A probable mechanism for such color formation is proposed.

Spatial coherence and information entropy in optical vortex fields.

We show how a vortex structure manifests itself in the one-dimensional projection of a vortex field. We calculate the extent of spatial coherence and entropy of such projections. We quantify the spatial coherence and discuss the properties of the Wigner functions for the projected field.

Structure and stereochemistry of nardostachysin, a new terpenoid ester constituent of the rhizomes of Nardostachys jatamansi.

The structure and stereochemistry of a new terpenoid ester, nardostachysin (1), isolated from the rhizomes of Nardostachys jatamansi, were established as the 7',8'-dihydroxy-4'-methylene hexahydrocyclopenta[c]pyran-1'-one-8'-methyl ester of 7, 9-guaiadien-14-oic acid, by spectral and chemical studies.

The reversible antifertility effect of Piper betle Linn. on Swiss albino male mice.

To study the antifertility effect of an extract (alcoholic) of the leaf-stalk of Piper betle Linn., one set of experiments with two different doses in Swiss male albino mice were evaluated. Initially, 500 mg of the leaf-stalk extractive for 30 days and then 1000 mg for next 30 days/animal/day/kg body weight were administered orally. The extract reduced fertility to 0% within 60 days. Suppression of cauda epididymal sperm count and motility (p <0.05) was observed. Biochemical parameters did not show any marked alterations in testosterone content in serum nor 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta-HSD) activity in testes although fructose content in seminal vesicles was reduced as are the weights of reproductive organs. The cholesterol content in testes increased, although not appreciably. After cessation of drug (plant extract) treatment, the altered parameters recovered. Results suggest that the contraceptive effect of the extract of leaf-stalk of Piper betle Linn. is mainly on the maturation process of spermatozoa in epididymides without influencing hystemic hormonal profiles. Withdrawal of the extract restored all altered parameters including organ weights and fertility after 60 days.

Pre-clinical toxicity evaluation of leaf-stalk extractive of Piper betle Linn. in rodents.

Studies on pre-clinical toxicity were undertaken to determine the haematological and biochemical changes after administration of alcoholic extract of leaf-stalk of P. betle in rats and mice. Acute and chronic toxicity experiments were performed on mice and rats according to WHO protocol. Different doses of plant extractive were administered for toxicity studies on short and long term basis. Haematological, biochemical profiles and enzymatic studies (transaminases and phosphatases) indicated that the drug (plant extractive) was devoid of toxicity.

Nitric oxide and Drosophila development.

Mechanisms controlling the transition of precursor cells from proliferation to differentiation during organism development determine the distinct anatomical features of tissues and organs. NO may mediate such a transition since it can suppress DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Inhibition of NOS activity in the imaginal discs of Drosophila larvae results in hypertrophy of tissues and organs of the adult fly, whereas ectopic overexpression of NOS has the reciprocal, hypotrophic, effect. Furthermore, NO production is crucial for the establishment of ordered neuronal connections in the visual system of the fly, indicating that NO affects the acquisition of the differentiated phenotype by the neural tissue. Increasing evidence points to a broad role that NO may play in animal development by acting as an essential negative regulator of precursor cell proliferation during tissue and organ morphogenesis.

Non-linear wave packet dynamics of coherent states of various symmetry groups.

We present a comparative study of the non-linear wave packet dynamics of two-mode coherent states of the Heisenberg-Weyl group, the SU(1,1) group and the SU(2) group under the action of a model anharmonic Hamiltonian. In each case, we find certain generic signatures of non-linear evolution such as quick onset of decoherence followed by Schrödinger cat formation and revival. We also report important differences in the evolution of coherent states belonging to different symmetry groups.

The immune response to soluble D10 TCR: analysis of antibody and T cell responses.

In order to evaluate the potential of TCR as vaccines for immunomodulation, the immunogenicity of soluble versions of D10 TCR has been investigated in mice. Soluble D10 TCR containing the extracellular domains were produced either as dual chain (dc) TCR lacking transmembrane and cytoplasmic regions or as a TCR-IgG1 chimeric protein. Soluble single chain (sc) D10 TCR contained only the Valpha and Vbeta segments joined by a peptide linker. Syngeneic D10 dcTCR or D10 TCR-IgG1 immunizations of AKR mice induced antibody responses to D10 clonotypic epitopes and to constant region epitopes that are not exposed on D10 cells. Only clonotypic antibodies were produced after D10 scTCR immunizations. Immunization of AKR mice with D10 dcTCR and D10 TCR-IgG1 primed I-Ak- and I-Ek-restricted CD4+ T cells recognizing constant region epitopes, but there was no detectable response to the variable region. Comparison of the in vitro proliferative responses of CD4+ T cells from D10 scTCR-primed H-2 congenic mice revealed that H-2u was a responder haplotype for the variable region. How the immunogenicity of particular regions of the TCR appears to be shaped by tolerance induction in vivo and the implications for immunotherapy with soluble TCR vaccinations are discussed.