Blood Samples were kept at room temperature for a period of 3–6 months at room temperature to know the amount of quantitative Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid [DNA] recovery from these samples. We are able to recover good amount of DNA for about first 3–6 weeks after which the DNA is decreased drastically and after two months there hardly any chance of intact DNA recovery from these samples. It has been concluded that blood samples recovered from scene of crime after about 1–2 months is a waste. The samples must be recovered as early as possible to recover intact DNA from them. The samples must be collected within 1–2 months from scene of crime until and unless the climate is cold enough to increases decay time. This study is very useful for the investigating authorities which can make errors while collecting blood samples for DNA analysis.

Mobile Ad-hoc network (MANET) is a collection of mobile nodes which communicate over wireless channels without any centralized control or existing infrastructure. The freely movement of nodes allow them to join or leave the network independently. Due to node mobility, wireless channels and limited resources makes the provision of Quality of Services (QoS) in MANETs very challenging. With the emerging use of multimedia applications over MANETs which requires different types of QoS provision from the networks. The Admission Control (AC) and QoS-Aware routing (QAR) protocols have made a progress in provision of QoS up to some extents. In this thesis, various AC and QAR protocols are reviewed and their characteristics and limitations are identified. We also make a comparison between DSR and AODV routing protocols in different network scenarios.

Mode of germination and seedling characteristics of four Savanna palm trees; Borassus aethiopum, Hyphaene thebaica, Phoenix reclinata and Raphia sudanica were studied. In the course of their germination, the radicle was found to be cotyledonary in nature, and it carried the undeveloped plumule below ground before its further development. This is called cryptogeal germination which occurred in two stages: (i) preparatory germination and (ii) germination proper. Bigger seedlings were produced by larger seeds. Pinnate and palmate leaf arrangements with parallel venation were also found among these palms. Keywords: Palm trees, germination, seedling, characteristics, Savanna, Nigeria

(Received 14 July, 2009 ; Accepted 16 September, 2009)AbstractBackground and purpose: India and Iran are an important endemic focus of cystic hydatid disease (CHD), where several species of intermediate host are commonly infected with Echinococcus granulosus. Strain characterization of E. granulosus is significant for the development of an effective control programme and to asses the infectivity. In present study, genetic variations in tapeworms causing cystic echinococcosis in the North of India and Iran were investigated and compared.Materials and methods: Isolates of E. granulosus were collected from buffalo (India) and sheep, cattle, and camel isolates from Iran. PCR linked RFLP approach of ITS1 region of rDNA. Repeat was used in the present study to characterize buffalo isolates from sheep, cattle and camel. 17 pooled samples of protoscoleces from various animals were used for DNA extraction and PCR-RFLP analysis respectively. The PCR products of each isolates were digested separately with 5 restrictive endonucleases enzymes (AluI, HhaI, MspI, TaqI and EcoRI).Results: Based on the PCR-ITS1 method, the buffalo (liver and lungs) isolates have shown different genotypes and the sheep, cattle and camel isolates appeared to have the same genotype. The RFLP patterns of buffalo lung isolates differed from liver isolates with Taq1 and Hha1, however, showed a similarity with Msp1, EcoR1 and Alu1. Furthermore, differences in numbers and sizes of bands were also observed between buffalo, sheep and camel isolates with Taq1 and Msp1. The sheep and camel isolates differ in the number and sizes of fragments with Msp1 and Taq1. The buffalo lung isolate were quite different from other isolates, with the liver isolate showing a similarity with the sheep isolate. RFLP pattern of isolates from sheep and camel origin was identical, along with the same patterns. Moreover, the existence of buffalo strains (G1 and G3) and sheep strain (G1) were confirmed and our results support the previous studies in Northern India and Iran. These results are relevant for the possibility of transmission of G1 and G3 genotype, between livestock, animals and humans.Conclusion: It can be speculated that buffalo lung isolates represent G3 genotype and liver isolate as G1 genotype. Further, the existence of sheep (G1) strain was also confirmed in Iran by this study. However, more molecular studies, particularly, mitochondrial gene and amino acid sequencing are required, which can provide valuable data for a better understanding of the differences between different cysts localizationJ Mazand Univ Med Sci 2009; 19(71): 60-69 (Persian)

1 The Lancet. A framework convention on alcohol control. Lancet 2007; 370: 1102. 2 Greenfi eld TK. Warning labels: evidence on harm reduction from long term American surveys. In: Plant M, Single E, Stockwell T, eds. Alcohol: minimising the harm. London: Freedom Association Press, 1997. 3 Government News Network. UK to lead the way with picture warnings on tobacco packets. London: Department of Health, 2007. http:// www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp? ReleaseID=310521&NewsAreaID=2&Navigated FromDepartment=False (accessed Dec 4, 2007). 4 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Interventions in schools to prevent and reduce alcohol use among children and young people. London: NICE, 2007. http:// www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index. jsp?action=byID&o=11893 (accessed Dec 4, 2007). 5 Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England. London: The Stationery Offi ce, 2004. the Israeli General Security Service to inform on others if they want permission to exit Gaza for medical treatment. It is noteworthy that PHRI is speaking out, not the Israeli Medical Association (IMA), which, as the offi cial body, is mandated to challenge breaches of medical ethics. Indeed the IMA also continues to stay silent about the continued use of torture by Israel. A report by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, carrying detailed testimony of nine Palestinian men tortured between 2004 and 2006, again makes clear how Israeli doctors form an integral part of the running of interroga tion units whose output is torture. Doctors, several of whom are named, saw the prisoners at various points before, between, or after episodes of torture (which in one case led to spinal damage and disability), did not take a proper history, made no protest on these men’s behalf, and typically prescribed simple analgesia before returning them to their interrogators. There was also direct involvement in several cases by the Chief Medical Offi cers of the Israeli Prison Service and Police Service, and by no less than the Chairman of the Ethics Board of the IMA, all named. How long can this grotesque situation continue? PHRI would welcome fi nancial or other support at this critical time. Contact Hadas Ziv (hadas@phr.org.il) or Miri Weingarten (miri@phr.org.il).

This study describes the hypotensive, cardiosuppressant and vasodilator activities of Hyoscyamus niger crude extract (Hn.Cr). Hn.Cr, which tested positive for alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, sterols, tannins and terpenes, caused a dose-dependent (10-100 mg/kg) fall in the arterial blood pressure (BP) of rats under anesthesia. In guinea-pig atria, Hn.Cr exhibited a cardiodepressant effect on the rate and force of spontaneous atrial contractions. In isolated rabbit aorta, Hn.Cr (0.01-1.0 mg/ml) relaxed the phenylephrine (PE, 1 microM) and K(+) (80 mM)-induced contractions and suppressed PE (1 microM) control peaks obtained in Ca(++)-free medium similar to that caused by verapamil. The vasodilator effect of Hn.Cr was endothelium-independent as it was not opposed by N (omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester in endothelium-intact rat aortic preparations and also occurred at a similar concentration in endothelium-denuded tissues. These data indicate that Hyoscyamus niger lowers BP through a Ca(++)-antagonist mechanism.

Blood Samples were kept at different temperature for a period of 3 months to know the amount of quantitative DNA recovery from these samples in different conditions of temperature and ageing [Time]. The DNA isolation was done by standard phenol-chloroform method and optical density of the isolated DNA was measured by spectrophotometer. Recoverable DNA was found in all samples even after 3 months of study however the amount of DNA recovery decreased with time which is more marked in the initial phase followed by a slow and uniform decrease in DNA yield. Mean DNA yield at zero time at room temperature from fresh blood samples was found to be 1027 ± 361 μg/ml. Minimum and maximum yield was found to be 432.7 μg/ml and 1655 μg/ml respectively.

The present study showed the Sero-surveillance of Hemorrhagic septicemia in cattle and buffaloes in district Malakand, NWFP, Pakistan. The average geometric mean titre (GMT) was recorded against hemorrhagic septicemia in buffaloes in the range of 4.12 to 46.98, while those in cattle were recorded in the range of 4.45 to 46.40. In young buffalo calves, incidence rate, mortality rate and morbidity rate was observed as 22.25%, 21.19% and 95.25%, respectively. In adult buffaloes, morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were 5.49%, 1.65% and 30%, respectively. In case of young cattle calves, morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were recorded as 3.94%, 1.77% and 45%, respectively. While in case of adult cattle, morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were recorded as 2.51%, 0.39% and 15.79%, respectively. During present investigation the incidence rate, mortality and case fatality due to Hemorrhagic septicemia was found greater in the young calves as compared to the adult in both buffaloes and cattle.

Lentinus squarrosulus and Psathyrella atroumbonata, two edible indigenous mushroom species, were dried, ground and used in nutritional studies. According to the results L. squarrosulus and P. atroumbonata had significantly lower protein efficiency ratio (PER) values than the standard casein diet but gave rise to net protein retention (NPR) values which were at par, but slightly higher than that of the standard casein diet. In addition, the mean albumin and bilirubin levels were significant at p < 0.01 while the total serum protein level was significant at p < 0.05. The animals fed the protein free and P. atroumbonata diets produced comparable total serum protein levels that were significantly higher than the comparable total serum protein levels produced by the animals fed L. squarrosulus and the standard casein diet. The albumin levels produced by mice fed the protein free diet were at par with those of the P. atroumbonata diet, but significantly higher than the albumin levels of animals fed L. squarrosulus and the standard casein diets, which were similar.

Lentinus squarrosulus, an indigenous mushroom species commonly found growing on dead logs in the Zaria environ of Kaduna State was cultured on six different media which were inoculated separately with three different spawn grains and amended with six different oils at five different rates. The various media, oil type and rate all had a highly significant effect (p<0.01) on the stipe length, stipe and pileus diameters and carpophore wet and dry weights of L. squarrosulus. Spawn grains, however, had a significant effect on all the above parameters except pileus diameter. The results reveal that corn and millet spawn induced comparable carpophore wet weights which were superior to that induced by wheat spawn. Corn spawn induced the longest stipe length and heaviest carpophore dry weight while millet induced the widest stipe diameter. The oil rate of 0.014 ml/g induced the longest stipe length, heaviest carpophore wet weight and widest pileus diameter while the highest oil rate (0.028 ml/g) induced the widest stipe diameter and heaviest carpophore dry weight. Coconut oil induced superior results for all the parameters tested except stipe diameter. Animal bedding and rice media induced optimum results for all the parameters.

Lentinus squarrosulus, an indigenous mushroom specie commonly found growing on dead logs in the Zaria environ of Kaduna State was cultured on six different medium which were inoculated separately with three different spawn grains and amended with six different oils at five different rates. The interaction of spawn grains x culture medium had a highly significant effect on carpophore dry weight and stipe and pileus diameters of L. squarrosulus. The results reveal that the interaction of millet spawn x animal bedding and rice medium induced the widest stipe diameter while the interaction of corn spawn x animal bedding and rice medium induced the heaviest carpophore dry weight as well as the widest pileus diameter.

Between September 2002 and February 2004, 40 kidney transplant (27 from deceased and 13 from living donors) recipients (25 male and 15 female, aged 50.3 +/- 15.1 years) were treated with Campath 1H (C 1H; 30 mg/dose IV) for biopsy-proven steroid-resistant rejection (SRR) or rejections equal to or worse than Banff 1B. All transplantations occurred between August 2001 and May 2003. All patients had received antibody preconditioning (RATG 5 mg/kg, n = 34; C 1H 60 mg, n = 4; C 1H 30 mg, n = 2) preoperatively and were treated with Tacrolimus monotherapy (target level 10 ng/ml) postoperatively and subsequent spaced weaning. Elevated creatinine levels at follow-up were evaluated by renal transplant biopsy. Rejection was treated with steroids, reversal of weaning, addition of sirolimus, and/or antibody treatment, depending on grade of rejection. The mean duration of follow-up was 453 +/- 163 days after C 1H administration. Twenty-nine patients received C 1H for SRR and 11 patients for Banff 1B or worse rejections; 26 patients received more than 1 dose of C 1H. Graft survival was 62.5% (25 patients); 6 of the 15 allografts (40%) that failed had presented with rejections because of noncompliance. Graft survival in compliant patients with SRR or rejections equal to or worse than Banff 1B was 73.5% (25 of 34). Fourteen patients (35%) had infectious complications, of whom 2 patients (5%) died. C 1H is an effective agent for SRR and Banff 1B or worse rejections, with 95% patient survival and 73.5% graft survival (in compliant patients). The number of doses of 30 mg C 1H should be restricted to two, as there is a high incidence of potentially fatal infectious complications.

Lentinus squarrosulus and Psathyrella atroumbonata, two edible indigenous mushroom species, were cultured in four different submerged liquid media supplemented with coconut, cotton, groundnut, butterfat, palm kernel and palm oil at 5 different rates. The differences in the means due to the different media types were highly significant (p<0.01) for the mean mycelia wet and dry weights of both L. squarrosulus and P. atroumbonata. SLCM3, which contained twice the glucose level present in each of the other three liquid culture media, induced the heaviest mean wet and dry mycelia weights of both mushroom species. Oil type had a highly significant (p<0.01) effect on the wet and dry mycelia weights of L. squarrosulus as well as the mycelia wet weight of P. atroumbonata. Butterfat induced the heaviest weights. In addition, oil rate also had a significant effect (p<0.01) on the mean mycelia wet and dry weights of both mushroom species. The oil rates of 0.003, 0.005 and 0.007 ml/ml produced comparable optimum mean mycelia wet and dry weights of the mushrooms.

O142* Aims: We have suggested that the heavy conventional immunosuppression used for organ transplantation subverts the seminal tolerogenic mechanism of clonal exhaustion-deletion and thereby contributes to long-term drug dependence. Methods: This self-defeating effect was avoided in 175 adult kidney recipients (mean 49.9 ± 14.3 years) treated between July 2001 and September 2003; 43 (24.6%) had adjunct donor bone marrow cell infusion. Two therapeutic principles were applied: (1.) recipient pretreatment (with 5 mgm/kg Thymoglobulin); (2.) minimal post-transplant immunosuppression (with tacrolimus monotherapy, initial target trough 10 ng/ml). Twenty-five (14.2%) patients were undergoing retransplantation, and 34 (19.4%) had a PRA >20%. Mean HLA mismatches were 3.1 ± 1.7. One hundred kidneys (57%) were cadaveric (mean cold ischemia 25.6 ± .7 hours) and 75 (43%) were live donated. Mean donor age was 39.9 ± 6.3 years (range 1-66). Post-transplant doses of tacrolimus were spaced to every other day or longer at various times after four months. Results: With a mean follow up of 16.9 ± 7.1 months, the actuarial one and two patient survival is 97% and 95% with graft survival of 91% and 84%. Mean current serum creatinine is 1.95 ± 1.14 mg/dl. The incidence of preweaning acute clinical rejection was 34.9% (6.3% steroid resistant). Weaning was attempted in 149 cases (85.1%) and interrupted by rejection in 45 (30.2%). Currently, 111 (63.4%) patients are at various stages of weaning: 25 (14.2%) every other day, 44 (25.1%) three times a week, 28 (16%) two times a week, and 14 (8%) once a week. Ten percent of patients had asymptomatic CMV infection and there was one BK infection, but the incidence of CMV disease, diabetes, and PTLD was 0%. Conclusions: With significant numbers of highly weaned patients beyond the two-year mark, we continue to apply this strategy of immunosuppression, which is neither drug nor organ specific.

We investigated retrospectively the risk factors for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection under ganciclovir or valganciclovir prophylaxis (oral ganciclovir 1 g tid, valganciclovir 450 mg/d) in our kidney and simultaneous pancreas–kidney (SPK) transplant patients undergoing transplantation between July 1, 2001 and February 28, 2003. Two hundred eleven patients receiving prophylactic oral ganciclovir or valganciclovir were included in the study. All patients were given antibody preconditioning (thymoglobulin 178, alemtuzumab 33). Duration of prophylactic treatment was between 3 and 8 months. Fifteen (7.1%) patients developed a positive CMV antigenemia in the first 6 months after transplantation, and 18 of 176 (10.2%) patients developed a positive CMV antigenemia during the first year. No patient developed tissue invasive CMV disease. At 6 months after transplantation, valganciclovir was slightly more effective than ganciclovir prophylaxis (P = .052). Positive donor CMV serology significantly increased the risk of CMV infection compared to CMV-negative donors (P = .014 and P = .003 at 6 and 12 months, respectively). Duration of CMV prophylaxis for more than 3 months decreased the risk of CMV infection (P = .04 and P = .009 at 6 and 12 months, respectively). Either valganciclovir prophylaxis (450 mg/d) or high-dose oral ganciclovir (1 g tid) is effective in preventing tissue-invasive CMV disease, and results in a low incidence of CMV antigenemia in patients undergoing kidney and SPK transplantation.

Background. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is an increasing problem in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has decreased the morbidity associated with HIV and has prompted renewed interest in renal transplantation. Methods. We performed four cases of deceased donor renal transplantation in HIV+ recipients and three cases where laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy (LLDN) was utilized to obtain the kidney for transplantation into living-related HIV+ recipients. In the four deceased donor cases, conventional tacrolimus-based immunosuppression, without antibody induction was used. In the three living-related cases, the immunosuppressive regimen was based on two principles: recipient pretreatment and minimal posttransplant immunosuppression. Alemtuzumab 30 mg (Campath 1-H) was used for preconditioning followed by low-dose tacrolimus monotherapy. Results. Of the four deceased donor cases, one patient continues to have good graft function, and another is not yet on dialysis but has significant graft dysfunction. Rejection was observed in three patients (75%). Infectious complications occurred in one patient (25%), all non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDs) defining. In the three living-related cases, all had good graft function, and none have experienced acute rejection. HIV viral loads remain undetectable. CD4 counts are slowly recovering. No infectious or surgical complications occurred. There were no deaths in either group. Conclusions. These data suggest that living-related donor renal transplantation with steroid-free tacrolimus monotherapy in a “tolerogenic” regimen can be efficacious. However, long-term follow-up is needed to confirm this observation.