Abstract:MTNR1B gene encodes one of two high affinity forms of a receptor for melatonin that expressed in many tissues, including pancreatic islets β-cells. Several large-scale genome-wide association studies and meta-analysis have shown that common variants (rs10830963, rs1387153) in MTNR1B gene are significantly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in European populations. However, the replication studies in various populations showed an inconsistent result. The aim of the present meta-analysis is to investigate this inconsistency, especially in Asian populations. A systemic literature search inclusive to November 2018 yielded a total of 19 potentially relevant articles with the eligible studies concerning the association of MTNR1B rs10830963 and /or rs1387153 gene variants with T2D in Asian populations. We performed the final meta-analysis of 18 studies (26,289 T2D cases and 24,881controls) for rs10830963 and 12 studies (11,085 T2D cases and 10,520 controls) for rs1387153 with T2D in Asian populations.  In the overall estimates, a significant association with T2D was detected only for the risk allele G of the rs10830963 with T2D in Asian populations with a combined allelic OR=1.04 (95%CI 1.01 - 1.07, P=0.003) under fixed effects model. In the stratified meta-analysis on the basis of ethnicity, the significant association of rs10830963 was only in the East Asian population (OR = 1.05, 95%CI 1.02 - 1.08, P=0.001). However, no association for rs1387153 with T2D in East or South Asian. The present meta-analysis confirmed that the MTNR1B rs10830963 gene variant was significantly associated with increased risk for T2D in Asian populations, particularly in East Asian descent.
Keywords:MTNR1B; Gene polymorphism; Type 2 diabetes; Meta-analysis.

Abstract:Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS) is a rare autosomal recessive, multiorgan disorder with cardinal features of cerebellar ataxia, congenital or early childhood cataracts, psychomotor retardation, and myopathy. Additional features include hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, various skeletal abnormalities and deformities due to muscle weakness, short stature, and strabismus. The neuroradiologic hallmarks are hypoplasia of both the vermis and cerebellar hemispheres. The histopathologic findings include severe cerebellar atrophy and loss of Purkinje and granule cells. The common pathologic findings in muscle biopsy are variation in muscle fiber size, atrophic fibers, fatty replacement, and rimmed vacuole formation. The presence of marked cerebellar atrophy with myopathy distinguishes MSS from another rare syndrome, the congenital cataracts, facial dysmorphism, and neuropathy syndrome (CCFDN). Mutations in the SIL1 gene on chromosome 5q31 were demonstrated to cause MSS, which is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous. MSS is genetically distinct from congenital cataracts, facial dysmorphism, and neuropathy, which is caused by mutation in the CTDP1 gene on chromosome 18q23; MSS can share some overlapping features with other sundromes, including congenital cataracts, delayed psychomotor development, and ataxia. The major distinguishing clinical features of MSS are the presence of peripheral neuropathy, facial dysmorphism, and microcornea (Lagier-Tourenne et al., 2003). Patients with a subtype of MSS with myoglobinuria and neuropathy have been linked to chromosome 18q23r, and recently a locus for classical MSS has been localized on chromosome 5q31. The importance of myopathy has been determined in this disorder apart from the CNS based disability. Pattern of muscle involvement and degree of its severity have been established. Muscle computed tomography (CT) investigations were carried out in many MSS patients homozygous for markers around the MSS locus on chromosome 5q31.  Patients with severe clinical disability showed severe and generalized muscle degeneration. Muscle CT findings in patients with relatively severe clinical picture were characterized by severe involvement of the posterior thoracic and pelvic muscles, and almost all thigh muscles. In the legs, the peronei and posterior compartment muscles were severely degenerated. The group of patients with moderate severity of disease showed the same pattern of involved muscle, albeit with lower degree of muscle degeneration. Patients with MSS linked to chromosome 5q31 have a severe progressive myopathy, the extent of which may remain largely unrecognized because of the CNS involvement. In this case study, two female siblings were reported with typical symptoms of MSS; but however without any cognitive or intellectual deficits and with stable and normal mental development. A review of the literature was performed for understanding of the history and assessment of the disease and possible management and treatment. MSS is genetically heterogeneous, and  mutations of SIL1 are often not evident. Consequently, new genes for MSS await discovery and they hold the promise of furthering the mechanistic understanding of the condition, enabling clinically meaningful genetic classification schemes to be designed.
Keywords:Marinesco–Sjoegren syndrome (MSS); SIL1 gene; Bradykinetic movement disorder; Motor neuronopathy; Multisystem disorders; Autophagy; Ataxia; clinical scale; DNA repair; ion channel dysfunction; mitochondrial dysfunction; polyglutamine disorders.

Abstract:In the present study, it is seen that If the stability of the soil is not adequate then failure of structure occurs in the form of settlement, cracks etc. To avoid this, properties of soil must be improved by artificial means. Many research have been conducted for stabilization of soil by using cementing, chemical materials e.g. fly ash, cement, Calcium chloride, Sodium chloride etc. In this respective research, coconut coir fiber has been used to check its impact on compaction properties of soil. Compaction test has been performed by adding 0.5% and 1 % of coir fiber in the soil. Diameter of the coir fiber is 0.5mm.  Results show that on increasing the percentage of coir fiber the MDD decreases and the OMC increases.
Keywords:Coconut coir fiber, MDD and OMC.

Abstract:The purpose of this study is to review the pathophysiology and treatment of severe headache disorders in patients having a VP shunt system as CSF diversion for treatment of hydrocephalus, who developed slit ventricle syndrome after insertion of the VP shunt system.
Materials and methods: The literature on the management of the slit ventricle syndrome is reviewed as well as an assessment of personal experiences over a 6-year period of time in the management of severe headache disorders in shunted patients with slit ventricle syndrome. Additionally a case of pediatric patient and a case of an adult patient are demonstrated.
Results: If the slit ventricle syndrome is defined as severe, life-modifying headaches in patients with shunts and normal or smaller than normal ventricles with ventricular shunts for the treatment of hydrocephalus, there are five different pathophysiologies, that are involved in the process.
These pathologies are defined by intracranial pressure measurement as severe intracranial hypotension analogous to spinal headaches, intermittent obstruction of the ventricular catheter, intracranial hypertension with small ventricles and a failed shunt (normal volume hydrocephalus), intracranial hypertension with a working shunt (cephalocranial hypertension), and shunt-related migraine.
The treatment of these conditions and identifying patients with each condition are facilitated by attempting to remove the shunt.
Conclusions: To prevent the complication, CSF overdrainage should be avoided as much as possible. The setting of a programmable shunt should be set to high to prevent slit-like ventricles and premature suture fusion. The importance of HC monitoring in pediatric patients needs to be emphasized. Manual examination and a skull X-ray are required to assess the status of suture lines during follow-ups.
Following the analysis of attempts to remove shunts, there are three possible outcomes. In about a quarter of patients, the shunt can be removed without having to be replaced. This is most common in patients treated in infancy for post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus or patients shunted early after or before brain tumor surgery. Another half of patients have increased intracranial pressure and enlarged ventricles. In these patients, there is an 80% success rate for endoscopic third ventriculostomy. Finally, the most severe form of the slit ventricle syndrome involves intracranial hypertension without ventriculomegaly, which is managed optimally by shunt strategies that emphasize drainage of the cortical subarachnoid space such as lumboperitoneal shunts or shunts that include cisterna magna catheters.
Keywords:VP-Shunt, Headaches, Hydrocephalus, Slit ventricle syndrome.

Abstract:Patient was referred from another institute to the department of neurosurgery as a preterm baby with Dandy Walker Malformation (DWM) and congenital hydrocephalus, who was born in the 35th week by caesarian section, Apgar was 8  & 9, birth weight 2.7 Kg, Head Circumference (HC) at birth was 37.5 cm. Patient was presented initially in the neurosurgical clinic with at the age of 3 months with HC 48 cm, above 97% percentile, dilated head venes, Anterior Fontanelle (AF) full and tense, with a weight of 3.0.Kg. Patient was taken abroad and VP shunt insertion was done.
Patient was presented in the neurosrgical department after the initial surgery because of malfunction of the VP shunt (with swelling around VP shunt valve) and deterioration of the clinical condition of the patient. A programmable VP shunt system was inserted (Medtronic system, 100 mmHg) after removal of the old VP shunt system in the same session.
The postoperative course was uneventful. The postoperative CT scan of brain was satisfactory. Patient developed secondary craniosynostosis with severe plagiocephaly. A combined operative treatment of the patient was done by the departments of plastic surgery and neurosurgery. Reduction cranioplasty, re-shaping and correction of the plagiocephaly was performed. Postoperative period was uneventful and patient was discharged home with significant improvement in his head shape.
At 6xweeks follow up, small area of scalp wound dehiscence with exposed calvarial bone was noticed with central vertex depression measuring 5x10 cm due to lack of bony support or probably overdrainage of the inserted VP shunt, hence seen by neurosurgical team and decided to change the shunt system.
Postoperative imaging showed correct localization of the right parietal inserted intracranial VP shunt catheter and compressed ventricular system along with adequate positioning of the peritoneal catheter.
In the last visit in the plastic surgical and neurosurgical clinics, patient was comfortable, clinically stable, no neurological deficits. Wounds were unremarkable. VP shunt system was clinically intact and radiologically satisfactory. Head depression in the region of AF did not get corrected.
Conclusion: A child with DWM, who was treated initially with VP shunt insertion and developed secondary craniosynostosis with features of severe plagiocephaly, which required the cooperation of plastic and neurological surgeries. The performed treatment as of now was adequate. Plagiocephaly and craniosynostosis were corrected and there is no sign of increased intracranial pressure.
Keywords:DWM, Nonsyndromic craniostenosis, hydrocephalus, secondary skull deformation with features of plagiocephaly, pediatric craniofacial surgery, intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), head circumference (HC), anterior fontanelle (AF).

Abstract:The Orf virus (ORFV) is the etiological agent of contagious ecthyma (CE), a pustular dermatitis of sheep and goats. Outbreaks of ORFV have been observed in all geographical regions of the world, including Uruguay.
In this study, we describe the partial nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the B2L gene from two samples recovered from outbreaks of CE which occurred during 2018 in Uruguay. Phylogenetic analysis and the derived amino acid sequences from the B2L gene suggest that the Uruguayan virus displays similarities with American ORFV isolates as well as current vaccine strains used in the region.
Keywords:Phylogenetic analysis, Orf virus, Sheep,  Uruguay.

Abstract:Wheat is the most important and widely grown cereal crop in the world. In Ethiopia, wheat is one of the most important cereal crops and is widely grown in a wide range of altitudes and agro-ecological zones. It is the main staple food of the Ethiopian population particularly in the highlands where it is produced in a large volume. Though it was the most important; its production is constrained by different biotic and abiotic constraints. Of the biotic constraints; wheat stem rust is the most destructive and widely distributed disease in the world and in Ethiopia. It is prevalent in most wheat growing areas of Ethiopia and reports indicate that most Ethiopian wheat varieties are susceptible to most of previously identified races of Puccinia graminis f. Sp.  tiritici and to the newly evolved Puccinia graminis f. sp.  tiritici race Ug99 and its lineages. Thus, this frequent change of virulence in wheat stem rust pathogen population requires a continuous assessment for the appearance of new races and for the evaluation of reactions of the existing wheat varieties. Therefore, regular wheat stem rust disease survey is imperative and based on this fact a survey was conducted in four districts (Gedeb Asasa, Arsi Negele, Tiyo and Arsi Robe) of Arsi and west Arsi zones in 2008 main cropping season to assess wheat stem rust prevalence, incidence and severity as well as to evaluate the reaction of wheat varieties grown in the surveyed area. Results of the survey showed that mean prevalence of wheat stem rust disease was 100% in all surveyed districts and in each surveyed field. The highest mean of wheat stem rust disease incidence (76%) was recorded in Arsi Robe district followed by Tiyo (33.13%) and Gedeb Asasa (18.5%) whereas the lowest mean of wheat stem rust disease incidence (8%) was recorded in Arsi Negele district. Similarly the highest mean wheat stem rust disease severity (50%) was noted in Arsi Robie district followed by Tiyo (24.4%) and Gedeb Asasa (13.5%) districts while the lowest (11.2%) mean of wheat stem rust disease severity (11.2%) was recorded in Arsi Negele district. The reactions of wheat varieties grown in surveyed area were ranged from moderately susceptible to susceptible and most of them were found susceptible. Therefore, these survey results indicated the importance of replacement of susceptible varieties by resistant varieties in the surveyed area.
Keywords:Wheat stem rust, Disease assessment, Varietal reaction, Arsi and West Arsi zones.

Abstract:Stem rust is one of the main diseases of wheat in Ethiopia, causing up to 100% of yield losses in susceptible cultivars. Stem rust resistant wheat genotypes provide one of the best means for controlling the disease and are also effective means of reducing yield losses caused by the disease. However, breeding genotypes for disease resistance is a continuous process and plant breeders need to add new effective sources to their breeding materials. Evaluation of the existing wheat genotypes for their resistance to stem rust is one of the alternatives to find sources of resistance genes against the disease. The present study was conducted to evaluate Local, Improved and Elite bread wheat genotypes to stem rust isolate. Thirty six bread wheat genotypes together with susceptible checks were tested using complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications in a greenhouse.
Eighty percent of the Local bread wheat genotypes showed susceptible reaction to the tester isolate while 20% of them showed resistant reaction to the isolate. 95.2% of the Improved bread wheat genotypes showed susceptible reaction while 4.8% of them showed resistant reaction. Hundred percent of the Elite genotypes showed susceptible reaction to the tester isolate. In general, 91.7% of the wheat genotypes displayed susceptible reaction whereas 8.3% of them showed resistant reaction. The wheat genotypes with resistant reaction were variety Enkoy, K6295-4A and Millennium. Thus, result of the present study showed that the urgent need of replacement of stem rust susceptible wheat genotypes by resistant wheat genotypes through breeding for stem rust resistant genotypes and those wheat genotypes that showed resistant reaction to the tester isolate can be used as sources of stem rust resistant genes in the development of resistant wheat genotypes in breeding programs for stem rust disease resistance.
Keywords:Seedling resistance, wheat, stem rust.

Abstract:This study determines the effect of amylolytic Lactobacillus plantarum (AMz5) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YSg2) co culture fermentation of wheat  cassava flour dough on the nutritional quality and sensory acceptability of the resultant bread. Strains of the starter cultures are isolates from foods and identified based on physiological properties using API 20C AUX and API 50CHL kits (Biomerieux, France). Bread produced using 10 to 50% (w/w) wheat cassava flour inclusions were evaluated for nutritional and sensory qualities. The result showed that cassava flour contained the following proximate values: moisture content (2.54±0.35%), fat (6.51 ± 0.12%), protein (2.59±0.38%), carbohydrate (88.76±0.80%) and ash (0.60±0.08%). Comparatively, wheat flour had higher (p<0.05) proximate values than reported for the cassava flour. Proximate contents of the wheat-cassava composite flour bread decreased with increased cassava flour ratios except for ash and carbohydrate contents. However, the amylolytic L. plantarum AMz5 and S. cerevisiae YSg2 co culture fermented wheat-cassava composite bread exhibited higher proximate values above the conventional yeast fermented bread. An increase of 8.45% and 80.20% proteins was observed in 10% cassava-wheat bread starter with amylolytic L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae above composite bread starter with conventional baker’s yeast and the wheat bread respectively. Sensory profile of the cassava-wheat composite flour bread was observed to decrease with increasing cassava flour inclusion however, overall acceptability ranged from 2.07±0.21 to 4.60±0.11. On the whole, composites bread with 10 and 20% cassava flour inclusions were most preferred and compared (p>0.05) with the control. The strain of amylolytic L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae co-culture increased the nutritional value and sensory acceptability of wheat-cassava composite bread when employed as starter during bread dough fermentation.