Dear Sir,This is to bring to your attention a debate has broken out in the pages of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH) on the above subject. I am attaching the document for you. The original critique of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) was published in 2007 in this same journal.www.ijoeh.com/index.php/.Of interest to Indian readers is a letter on industry's influence on the Indian Association of Occupational Health (IAOH). He writes about his experiences as the scientific committee chair at a past IAOH conference. The website for the journal is Given the fact that Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is the official publication of IAOH, it would also be relevant to bring to your notice the way National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) has compromised its credentials by taking the fiscal support from the chrysotile asbestos industry to do a study that is to be used at the upcoming Rotterdam Convention meeting.The Indian Government has traditionally preferred the interests of the asbestos-cement industry, consistently ignoring evidence of its harms. The report will enable the government to go to Rome in October 2008 and argue in favour of unrestricted trade of white asbestos under the Rotterdam Convention. India along with Canada and Russia is seen as the dirtiest player in the international negotiations to bring white asbestos in the prior informed consent (PIC) list of the convention, which will require exporting countries to obtain the prior consent of importing countries.The study on which the ministry's report based is partly funded by the Asbestos Cement Product Manufacturers Association, which paid Rs. 16 lakh, whereas the government paid Rs. 43.66 lakh. What surprised occupational safety campaigners is the agency that conducted the study, the NIOH, which in the past has come out with studies defending workers’ health.The study's terms of reference reveal the government's intent. Here is what the ministry's April 2006 letter demanded of NIOH: “The deliverables will include generation of data which would justify the safe standards of its usage and the reasons justifying its non-inclusion/or otherwise in the pic ambit.” The minutes of an April 2007 meeting of the ministry's review committee  gave NIOH a sharper focus: “It will specifically indicate as to how technology has made working conditions better. The same will include relevant photographs showing protective measures being undertaken.” The minutes of the Review Committee obtained recently through Right to Information Act dated 19 December, 2006 reads: “The report will be finalised after due discussions with the asbestos industry.” Another meeting minutes dated 18 April, 2007 reports that “…the results of the study which was underway could not be shared [with public] till the same was finalised.”On April 18, 2007, the review committee felt the report did not adequately address the industry's requirements: “S Ganesan of ICC  and NIOH representatives will redraft/re-word the Kolkata report keeping in view the international sensitivities.” Ganesan's claim for the job: expertise in championing the pesticide industry in international negotiations. Clearly, a scientific study that is finalized after discussion with the corporate interests is grossly conflict of interest ridden and deserves to be scrapped. It is now time for Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine to take note of it as well.I would be glad to know your views on the goings-on.…any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.John Donne


Dear Members,With a deep sense of gratitude, I express my heartfelt thanks to all members for reposing faith in my capabilities and given responsibility as the editor from Jan 07 till Dec 09 for our esteemed journal.st volume, in 2007. It was my immence pleasure and privilege to lead our pride journal as a first lady editor. During my three years tenure, I strived hard to turn this esteemed journal into something which we all can truly be proud of.After completing the golden jubilee of the volume published, IJA had marched on to publications of its 51Dear members, Editor office started working from Feb 07 onward at 25, Polo Ground, Udaipur. The office was well equipped with furniture, computer and printer. To start with IJA account in 2007, an account in SBI was opened with Rs. 1000/-deposited by myself. Later on Rs. 2 lacs was deposited by secretary, ISA on 27.6.07. At the time of printing of June 07 issue of IJA and onwards some amount was paid by Editor office (Amount collected from advertisers and subscribers) and by ISA secretary.During first year of Editorship (2007), in the first governing council meeting held at Jodhpur the rate of printing (same as it was before), change of color of covering page and to print contents of articles on first page was appreciated and approved.In the second year of Editorship, proposal for publishing of 7 issues of IJA was agreed, which includes 6 regular issues of IJA and one P.G.issue of IJA as supplement issue. This announcement was published in June 08 & Aug 08 issues of IJA that is:Editor office will publish Six regular issues of “Indian Journal of Anaesthesia” every year from year 2008 onwards. “Post Graduate issue” will be published as a supplementary issue in the month of October.The first supplementary issue(P.G) of 132 pages was printed and posted to members of ISA.The proposal of publishing of seven issues of IJA and its budget was approved by General Body meeting held at Jodhpur December 2008.This does not include expenditure of well equipped Editor office except payment of Internet connections.In June 07 no. of copies of IJA printed were 6700(100 pages).In Aug 2009 no. of copies of IJA printed were: 9100(130 pages).During the tenure of III year of editorship(2009) in first and II Governing Council meeting held at Lucknow and Chennai respectively, the proposal for publishing 7 issues was withdrawn which was approved by G.B.meeting held at Jodhpur 2008. It was further instructed that the issues that will come out from now should not have more than 80 pages, each as compared to previous issue of 130 pages during last two & half years upto Aug 2009. It was further instructed to publish 100 pages of P.G issue in Oct 2009.Many of the articles which were under final selection phase and acceptance was already sent to them, and were planned to be published in forthcoming issues, but with decision of reduction of number of pages and omission of Oct 09 regular issue, this is not possible to accommodate them in forthcoming issue of IJA.Defaulter member who have deposited Rs. 1000/- to secretary ISA for regular supply of IJA, Editor office posted them, back issue of available IJA.The survival and growth of a scientific journal depends on how the journal conducts reviews before publication, how national and international author perceive the quality of the journal for presenting their articles, how the journal becomes a forum for discussion on important technical issues, and how fast results of scientific research are accepted, analysed and reported. About the content of a published article, I would like to make it loud and clear that a stringent system was worked out and every article was sent to a reviewer who is an expert in the field. The identity of the author and institution were blanked out so that the reviewer has no bias and then a published article though peer reviewed is still open for comments which generates interest on the topic and it is another way of auditing our own work.During the tenure of my editorship each articles received from different corner is being peer reviewed by two or three peer reviewed and finally by editorial team. The final PDF file was checked by author as well as by editorial team. All the process of reviewed articles, sending for peer reviewer was done by email services only.The progress of a scientific journal will eventually be determined by its scientific content; no medical journal can survive without it. The success of author and journal is interdependent. I am extremely thankful to the editorial board members and peer reviewers for their constant encouragement and helped me in progress of journal.I worked hard and journal has prospered and earned credibility amongst all the reader members.Pramila BajajEditor, IJA


The Indian Journal of Human Genetics is now in the sixteenth year of publication. This journal is the mouth piece of the Indian Society of Human Genetics, which was established way back in 1974, with a few scientists from Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, and Hyderabad, under the leadership of Dr. L D Sanghvi. It is clearly seen that the founder members were initially not in favor of starting their own journal at a time when the organization had just taken shape and was growing. At that time the main emphasis of the founder members was to make the subject of human genetics attractive and interesting.The society had to wait 21 years before the indefatigable Prof. J.S. Murthy, from Hyderabad, started the journal, and its continuity became uncertain following the sudden and unexpected demise of Prof. Murthy, but Prof. Dipika Mohanty, former Director of the Institute of Immunohematology , was bold enough to take up the responsibility as the editor for the journal. Hence, in the year 2000, only one issue of the journal was published. The financial state of the journal was also not sound and for understandable reasons the authors were reluctant to publish their articles in the journal. For the last 10 years this journal is being published from the National Institute of Immunohematology. I took over as the editor of the journal in 2005, after Prof. Dipika Mohanty superannuated. Since that time, with the continuous efforts of my Associate editors, Dr. Malay Mukherjee, and now Dr. Ajit Gorakshakar, it has been possible to improve the quality and representibility of the journal and its articles over the years.In place of two issues per year till 2004, we started bringing out three issues per year from 2005. The preliminary efforts of the publisher of the journal, that is, Medknow Publishers, and Media Pvt. Ltd. is worth recording here. Without the help of the CEO of this agency, Dr. D. K. Sahu, this journal could never have reached the position it has reached now. Through his continued efforts and the efforts of all my scientists at the Institute we could raise funds to run the journal and could index the journal with a host of indexing agencies, and we are expecting to get its impact factor known by the end of 2010.This year your society’s only journal touched a new milestone by getting indexed in PubMed. Hence, today this journal is indexed with all the important agencies of the world. In addition to the individuals I have already mentioned earlier in the text, I have to mention the names of all the authors across the globe, including late Dr. Ernest Beutler, who helped us by submitting articles to this relatively unknown journal at that time. They did so with an implicit faith that in a country of one billion people, having thriving scientific manpower, a journal on human genetics must be present, at least to learn the important genetic lessons that mother nature teaches every day, through 30 million births in a year in the country, with a reasonably strict code of endogamy and high rates of consanguinity.Today their faith in this journal is vindicated. Sixteen years is not a long time to assess a journal’s worth. However 16 years in also ample time when we should have been able to take the journal to a greater height. However, let us not miss the opportunity now. With more than 1000 members in the Indian Society of Human Genetics and with the society’s journal indexed in ‘PubMed’ there should be no hesitation by learned members to put their best work in the journal, and work for the journal, so that it becomes more visible internationally. Young members of the society should contribute by submitting interesting observations made by them. They should publish good testable hypothesis in this journal and also should raise controversies and publish constructive criticisms on published articles as well as in the in the cutting edge areas of the science of genetics and genomics through correspondence and through original articles and perspectives.www.ijhg.com. It will be a pleasure to see how well Medknow Publishers have created the website. Each article has its individual statistics of utility. You can see how often the articles in the journal have been visited, how often the article PDF has been downloaded or the article is cited. In addition you can also map the authors’ and the reviewers’ institutions across the world. The impact factor and citations are two important indices of any journal and an individual article’s utility, but I am sure that in future, the number of times an article has been visited or PDF downloaded will also be used by scientometrists to understand the interest in a particular article, by readers who do not always publish articles. Getting indexed in PubMed is one of the landmarks in the short life of this journal. I am sure with all your help this journal will be able to immortalize itself.I request all the members of the society to visit the journal website at


Sir,It was extremely heartening to see that the most recent issue of the Indian Journal of Psychiatry carried an Editorial on Sexual Medicine. What wasConsidering that the research in sexual medicine in India had started way back in the 1980s,[Secondly, we must recognise that the positive initiatives taken up by the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) in recent years run the That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind”.[I am reminded of the famous words of Neil Armstrong- “mankind”. The edit


Dear All,It's my pleasure to write to you the first issue of our second volume. Last year had been very fruitful for us as we published our first volume with two issues in it. We are started to be known locally and internationally, and we have a large bank of urologist worldwide for electronic communications with more than 200 reviewers, from different countries, actively participating in the peer review process.Till date, we've received more than 160 manuscripts and our acceptance rate has been around 39%. We are planning to have three issues this year and the next year, and by 2012, we shall reach our goal of four issues per year.We are very optimistic on the growth of our journal, from the enthusiasm and the support towards our new journal, and we thus hope to have a strong presence in the near future.We are also planning to start communication by next year with all the regional universities to accredit our journal by their scientific councils.Once more, I extend my invitation to all urologists to join us in the success of our journal.Yours truly,Associate Professor of Urology,Editor-in-Chief,Urology Annals.E-mail: kfouda@ksu.edu.saDr. Khalid Fouda Neel


Wunappa Gandhi Ramarao, a brilliant student from his school days, was the son of a freedom fighter. His academic excellence earned him a double FRCS from Edinburgh and London, and also the nickname Willy George or Willy Boy, thanks to an unpronounceable name to the English tongue. But, to Tara, his gynecologist wife, he was always Wunappa.Armed with an MS (Ortho) on his return to India, he set about his goal of serving and rehabilitating the disabled. Today, the All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Mumbai stands in proud testimony of his pioneering, dedicated, selfless hard work. He worked tirelessly toward establishing the Institution and was its Director for over two decades. He worked in many academic bodies in various positions and was President of the Indian Rheumatology Association, Indian Society of Hand, Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indian Orthopaedic Association (1985), Indian Association of Sports Medicine and Indian Foot and Ankle Society. He was one of the Founding members of the Bombay Orthopaedic Society and was also its President (1978–1979).His work in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is acclaimed not only in India but also internationally. He was the national Professor of IAPMR. He was awarded the Dr. B. C. Roy National Award in 1985. He was a consultant of the World Health Organization in Cerebral Palsy for over a decade. He was also involved in setting up of the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune. He was awarded the Dr. B. N. Sinha Meritous Award in 2007 for his work in the rehabilitation of the disabled in Orthopedics. He was the proud recipient of the Vijaya Shree Award from the India International Friendship Society for enriching human life and outstanding achievement. It is no wonder then, that for all these services, he was chosen as the “Physiatrist of the Millenium.”He was the founder fellow of the International Medical Sciences Academy and was elected Honorary fellow of the Indian Orthopaedic Association.His special interests rested in spina bifida, cerebral palsy and adult handicap secondary to neuromuscular disorders. He had a special soft corner for the disabled and was actively involved in the Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission, surveying and tackling the problems of the adivasis and the tribals.He was Editor of the Journal of Rehabilitation in Asia and the Indian Journal of Surgery (orthopedic section). He was twice Editor of the Indian Journal of Orthopedics. It was at the second innings that I had the priviledge to work closely with him as the Associate Editor. He was a thorough gentleman, a man of few words, who always had a message or thought to inspire others.th May 2010), he had served in such capacity at one such examination.Dr. W. G. Ramarao served as examiner at many post graduate-level degree examinations, including MD , MS (Ortho) and DNB (PMR). In fact, just 15 days prior to his peaceful demise (26Dr. W. G. Ramarao was always open to learning and enhancing his knowledge. He made it a point to attend the Master Series of the Bombay Orthopaedic Society to keep abreast with recent developments in orthopedics,His passing away will be felt deeply by those who shared his passion for rehabilitation in orthopedics.We express our deep sympathies, to his wife, Tara, daughters, Komal and Sushma, and other members of the family.


We found some errors in the paper published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences . The tabWe apologize for any inconvenience caused to the readers.


Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP) will step into the fifth decade in 2009. It is customary to celebrate ‘jubilee’ years with some sense of gratification and achievement; a time for looking back to take the account of progress made along with a note of milestones that are yet to be achieved. The next introspective analysis may be taken up in 2018-19, the golden jubilee year of IJP.However, retrospection and overview of IJP at the end of the fourth decade could also be a worthwhile exercise. Why? Firstly, IJP has seen rapid changes in the last decade from slow ‘hard’ print form to fast ‘soft’ online version and many more. Secondly, four decades is a period long enough for an overview. It would also provide a nostalgic plunge for many who have contributed to sustenance and progress of this extract of research in the field of pharmacology in India as editors, reviewers or authors. Lastly, for young and budding pharmacologists it will be like peeping in the glorious past of pharmacology research in India. Following is the essence of a journey down the lanes of IJP Archives CD 2001 and across ijp-online.com from year 1969 onwards going through the contents of each issue and the articles, wherever appropriate.The year 1969 will always be remembered with pride by all of us associated with pharmacology. This was the year when Indian Pharmacological Society (IPS) was born to enjoy an independent existence, rather than as conjoint twin brother (or sister) of physiology since 1955. It was the outcome of great vision and wisdom of stalwarts in pharmacology like Professors K.P. Bhargava, U.K. Sheth, P.C. Dandiya, M.L. Gujaral, M.N. Ghosh, A.K. Sanyal, K.C. Singhal and others to start an official publication of the society, Indian Journal of Pharmacology, also in the same year. In his first editorial Prof. K.P. Bhargava wrote “do not forget you are the society and your mouthpiece is your journal.” Since then a continuous march forward is on for four decades and shall continue further for decades to come. Some of the pioneers are not with us today but they have left behind their footprints for the present and future generations of pharmacologists to follow and proceed ahead.The inaugural issue contained editorials along with reviews on various aspects of pharmacology from ancient pharmacology to its development as a modern science, drug development etc. From the second volume (1970) onwards, research papers, focusing more on experimental pharmacology- pertaining to central nervous system, psychopharmacology, indigenous drugs, cardiovascular system, autacoids, NSAIDS were published. The first clinical trial published was ‘Glycerrhiza glabra in rheumatoid arthritis.’ Reports on symposia, review articles, and even special issues helped in updating the readers with current areas of research. The last year saw change in editor with further changes in the journal.The second decade (1979-88) saw more of clinical pharmacology in the form of clinical trials, bioavailability studies, pharmacokinetic studies and drug interactions. In the same way presence of histamine and autonomic pharmacology was felt. Research papers also covered some diverse topics while exploring receptor pharmacology and newer actions of established drugs.The third decade (1989-98) saw reports on experimental methods, clinical trials, hormone related research, ADR reports, drug utilization studies, therapeutic drug monitoring, calcium channel blockers, beta-2 agonists, drug interactions, drug kinetics, bioavailability and bioequivalence. Reports on use of computers in research appeared from time to time. The readers were updated by large numbers of minireviews and reviews. Year 1993 marked the silver jubilee year of IPS and IJP.The fourth decade (1999-2008) welcomed the new millennium with a special article on  “Evolution of pharmacology in India during twentieth century”. The readers were made aware of CPCSEA rules for breeding and conducting animal experiments. Research publications included more of indigenous drugs, along with drug kinetics, newer actions of established drugs, clinical pharmacology including drug use studies, case reports on ADR and ADR monitoring. This decade is remarkable due to several changes brought about by the editors, for the improvement of the standard of IJP.“It is said that ---- a society is known by the journal it publishes”, Professor Bhargava wrote in his editorial of the inaugural issue. Over four decades the journal has been driven by the editors who have strived to elevate its status and credentials among pharmacology fraternity. From Prof. K.P. Bhargava (1969-1971), the other editors who were at the helm of IJP are Prof. U.K. Sheth (1972-1974), Prof. P.C. Dandiya (1975-1977), Prof. M.N. Ghosh (1978-1980), Prof. A.K. Sanyal (1981-1983), Prof. K.C. Singhal (1989-1991), Prof. C. Adithan (1992-2000), Prof. R. Raveendran (2001-2006) and Dr. Shivprakash (2007 onwards).The cover page has seen cosmetic changes from plain white, shades of blue and green, occasional red to double colored to getting more and more colourful from 2001 onwards and with attractive graphics at present, thanks to advances in printing technology. The IPS emblem appeared from 1972. Desktop publication and offset printing was introduced from 1992, when journal started accepting articles on floppies. From a quarterly journal in the first two decades, IJP became bimonthly in 1997. The editor Prof C. Adithan also made other changes in format and publication policy like standard IMRAD format with structured abstract, use of recent references, greater use of letter to editor section and introduction of fillers. Later on IJP became more hi-tech with submission on CD or by E-mail being introduced. From year 2001 onwards, Prof Raveendran brought further changes regular editorials on issues mainly related to scientific writing. With ‘e’ and ‘www’ fast becoming the catch words, IJP website was launched. IJP was available online since 1999, being one of the few Indian journals to go like that. IJP's indexing with SCI was another major achievement in the last decade.th  volume, (1985) with more editorials including guest editorials. From 1990 (Vol.22) references changed from Harvard style to Vancouver format to meet the international requirements. From 1993 the section on educational forum replaced PG pharmacology section. From 1994 onwards book reviews and forthcoming events were seen more frequently while section on software review started from 1998. The first ever compilation of all issues from first volume (1969) to vol. 32 (2000) in form of a CD was released at IPS conference of 2000. We are greatly indebted to the editorial team from JIPMER Pondicherry, under the leadership of Prof. C.Adithan for this Herculean task. Updated versions of IJP archives CD was released every year thereafter. From 2001, further features like ‘molecules of millennium’ and ‘webwise’ were added. Both kept the readers updated regarding new molecules on horizon and websites useful for pharmacologist fraternity. The present editorial team is committed to take IJP forward; a special supplement on ‘Pharmacovigilance’ is an example.Over four decades, the journal has seen more and more variety being added to its platter. Frequency of articles increased with minireviews from 1978 onwards. The section on postgraduate pharmacology was introduced from 17Pharmacology education in medical colleges, both undergraduate and postgraduate has attracted attention throughout the last forty years and is the subject for reviews, viewpoints and reports of new curricular changes introduced at different institutes. Research papers on indigenous drugs draw attention by their predominant presence throughout four decades but more so in the last decade. The probable reasons are out of scope of this article.The share of contribution from medical colleges, pharmacy institutions, research institutes and others like pharmaceutical companies have changed over time. Contributions from pharmacy institutes have increased over time while contributions from national research institutes, veterinary institutes, botanical and agricultural institutes and pharmaceutical companies continue to appear sporadically. The journal has also attracted scientists from European countries, neighboring Asian countries, African countries and from Middle East in the form of special articles, review articles or research papers from time to time.This was a journey down the memory lane and back in the form of overview of four decades of IJP. The task would have been impossible without referring to IJP-archives CD-2001 and online issues from 2002 onwards. As it is an overview, omissions if any are unintentional. IJP has come a long way and has achieved a respectable status in being one of the indexed journals from India in the field of medicine. However a lot needs to be done. Somehow, a feeling that Indian journals including IJP are treated as ‘Trash-cans’ by some if not all the contributors, as voiced in his first editorial in 2001 by Prof. Raveendran still persists. Let us contribute our best scientific work to the journal and make the Golden Jubilee year more satisfying for the editors as well as the readers..


Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences. In my capacity as editor I bring to you this journal with a commitment to uphold the edifice of ISAR - to promote knowledge and research, and most importantly foster education.When I took over as President of Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction (ISAR), it was with a determination that the ISAR journal would be launched during my tenure. It is with a strong sense of pride that we present to you the first print issue of the During my career, I have had the privilege to serve ISAR from its humble beginnings until now, and I have witnessed and participated in the immense growth of the Society. As Editor-in-Chief of the journal, I hope to continue to serve ISAR by offering a forum for the best research in our field not only from India, but from all over the world. The success of a scientific journal is finally gauged by its content which means the accepted manuscripts. An exhaustive but fair online review process has been put in place by Medknow Publications and it is my intention to ensure that these high standards of peer review are maintained and possibly even improved upon.The year that was, has seen the blossoming of ISAR as a Society. My goal as President was to expand our membership base drawing many more Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) clinics as well as other members from different disciplines like urology, andrology, and sexual medicine into the ISAR net. It is heartening to know that many young gynecologists as well as members from other specialties have enrolled as members and our membership base now stands at over six hundred strong.I have always believed that the ISAR, as the main custodian of professional self-regulation in the field of ART should play a major role in defining standards for good clinical practice and ensuring that these standards continue to be met. In this connection ISAR has set up the Accreditation Committee which as an independent regulator will be responsible for overseeing safe and appropriate practice in fertility treatment and research. A number of centers have already registered for the same and members from a team appointed by ISAR will soon be visiting registered centers to ensure that they are being run as per the norms and guidelines laid down and will help in streamlining them as per the requirements. It should be clarified here that this accreditation/affiliation is voluntary and is to ISAR and is totally independent of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) accreditation.It has always been my intention to see members take the initiative and come forward with a view to improving the standards of regional level programs. Toward this end, I had proposed the organization of focused Zonal Conferences in all the four zones in India. The focus of this year's conferences was the “Endometrium” and they were successfully held in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Guwahati. These zonal conferences along with the intrauterine insemination (IUI) training workshops that were organized provided a distinguished platform for ISAR members to present their work, air their views and opinions, as well as interact with colleagues and seniors. The efforts of the coordinators of the conferences, Drs. Madhuri Patil, Nalini Mahajan, Mandakini Parihar, and Deepak Goenka are to be commended in this regard.Finally, but by no means least, I thank all my colleagues in the ISAR Executive Committee and the Editorial Board for their support in reviewing articles promptly and reverting back at the earliest. My special thanks to Dr. Madhuri Patil whose untiring efforts have ensured the release of this journal. I look forward to working with all of you and to maintaining an open forum for authors and readers alike. I will continue to be in contact with you through editorials whenever required and hope that the stature of the journal grows alongside that of the Society to become one of the leading journals in the field of human reproduction in India.


Starches were isolated from soaked and malted sorghum and studied to understand their physicochemical and functional properties. The swelling power (SP) and the water solubility index (WSI) of both starches were nearly similar at temperatures below 50 °C, but at more than 50 °C, the starch isolated from malted sorghum showed lower SP and high WSI than those isolated from raw and soaked sorghum. The pasting properties of starches determined by rapid visco-analyzer (RVA) showed that malted sorghum starch had a lower viscosity peak value (86 BU/RVU) than raw sorghum starch (454 BU/RVU). For both sorghum, X-ray diffractograms exhibited an A-type diffraction pattern, typical of cereal starches and the relative degrees of crystallinity ranged from 9.62 to 15.50%. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that raw sorghum starch showed an endotherm with a peak temperature (Tp) at 78.06 °C and gelatinization enthalpies of 2.83 J/g whereas five-day malted sorghum starch had a Tp at 47.22 °C and gelatinization enthalpies of 2.06 J/g. Storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of all starch suspensions increased steeply to a maximum at 70 °C and then decreased with continuous heating. The structural analysis of malted sorghum starch showed porosity on the granule’s surface susceptible to the amylolysis. The results showed that physicochemical and functional properties of sorghum starches are influenced by soaking and malting methods. As more than 500 million people in developing countries depend on sorghum as the main staple food, relevant scientific information generated for this crop can certainly play a key role in food development . Among cStarch is used in a variety of food products as a raw material or food additive, and has an important role as a thickener, bulking agent, gelling agent, water absorbent and is used also in foods with varying moisture contents such as puddings, cookies, or drinks. Some of the starch derivatives are being increasingly used as fat substitutes ,5.Starch modification, which involves the alteration of the physical, chemical and functional characteristics, can be used to tailor starch to specific food applications.Chemical or enzymatic modification involves the introduction of functional groups into the starch molecule, resulting in markedly altered physicochemical properties. Such modification profoundly alters their gelatinization, pasting and retrogradation behavior . It was In light of the above considerations, this paper focused on physicochemical and functional properties of sorghum starch such as, swelling power, water solubility, crystallinity, starch granular structure and pasting properties in order to better understand the effect of soaking and malting on sorghum starch modification, since the endogenous enzymes of sorghum are susceptible to modification of the molecular structure of sorghum starch during soaking and malting. Keeping this in view, the present work was undertaken to evaluate the sorghum starch modification by endogenous enzymes during soaking and malting, which could suggest the possibility of using sorghum starch as a potential raw material for food industry.Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) was grown in Shandong, a coastal province East of China and known to have an average temperature of 0 °C in January and 28 °C in July. The average annual rainfall is about 500 mm, most of which falls in the summer. Red sorghum was obtained from the 2007 and 2008 harvest. The length/breadth ratio of sorghum kernel was 1.12/1.23 and the density (g/L) was 691.40. The average weight of 1000 kernels was 26.80 g.Sorghum , Shanghai, China.After removing chaff, sorghum grains (2000 g) were thoroughly cleaned by washing with tap water and then soaked in 0.20 ppm wood ash water for 24 h at 25 °C, with the soaking water changed at 8 h intervals. After soaking, the grains were evenly spread on jute bags and covered with the same material, in a secluded and dark area, and allowed to malt. The temperature of malting kernels was 25 °C and growth was terminated at 3 and 5 days by kilning in a forced air oven at 40 °C for 24 h. The withered rootlets were gently brushed off and dried grains were milled using a bench-top attrition mill . The resultant flour was sieved into a particle size of 212 μm. The flour was then packaged in a low density polyethylene bag and stored using plastic air tight containers at 4 °C for later use.Starch extraction was performed according to the method described by Choi with some modifications . BrieflyThe estimation of SP and WSI was done according to the method of Tang with some modifications . A suspeThe pasting properties were determined by RVA . Sorghum starch slurry (10 g), dispersed in 100 mL of deionized water was directly placed into a stainless steel measuring bowl and then heated from 30 to 95 °C, held for 30 min at 95 °C and then cooled to 50 °C and held 30 min at this temperature. Heating and cooling rates were 3 °C/min. Pasting temperature (PT), Peak viscosity (PV), hot paste viscosity (HPV), Viscosity at the end of holding at 95 °C, final viscosity at 50 °C or cool paste viscosity (CPV), were recorded.X-ray patterns of all samples were obtained with copper (nickel foil filtered) Kalpha radiation using powder X-ray diffractometer . The operation setting for the diffractometry was 40 kV and 40 mA. Data were collected from 1–70° 2Th  with a step width of 10° and step time of 25 s. Values of 2Th for each identifiable peak on the diffractograms were estimated, and d-spacing were calculated using Bragg’s law. The relative degree of crystallinity was estimated by determining the ratio of the area, in counts, under major diffraction peaks to the total area under the curve between 8 and 35° 2Th according to the Hayakawa method . The areA DSC  was employed to conduct thermal analyses for individual native sorghum starches and their mixtures. Approximately 1.00 mg of starch samples were loaded into aluminum sample pans. Deionized water was added by micropipette to achieve a mixture with a required water content of 70% (w/w) in starch. The sample pans were sealed and equilibrated at room temperature for 1 day before analysis. The samples were heated at 10 °C/min over a temperature range of 25–100 °C using an empty pan as a reference. Parameters such as onset (To), peak (Tp), conclusion (Tc) temperature and enthalpy (ΔH) were automatically recorded using Seiko software.Dynamic rheological properties during heating and cooling cycles of the starch suspensions were determined using an AR 100 Rheometer  with parallel-plate geometry of 40 mm diameter and gap geometry of 1000 μm. Starches were loaded onto the ram of the rheometer and covered with a thin layer of low-density silicon oil to minimize evaporation and rheological properties were described in terms of storage (G′), loss modulus (G″). Starch suspensions were scanned during heating from 20 to 95 °C and respectively during cooling from 95 to 20 °C at a rate of 5 °C/min with a strain and frequency set at 2% and 5 rad/s. All rheological measurements were conducted in duplicate. The software supplied by the equipment manufacturer was used to examine the suitability of common rheological models with reference to the standard errors.Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) studies of the starch were carried out using an Electro scan model Quanta 200 environmental scanning microscope . The samples were coated with a thin layer of gold in a Fine Coat Ion Sputter JFC 1100 before obtaining the micrographs. Coating surface and cross section were examined using an accelerating voltage of 10 kV. The image was captured using 9.0 mm Ricoh Camera of 160 × mga.P < 0.05.All analyses were carried out in triplicates and data were presented as mean ± SD. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out using SAS package . Comparisons between means were done using a Duncan’s multiple-range test with a probability of The SP and WSI at different temperatures ranging between 55 and 95 °C are presented in Subrahmanyam and Hoseney reported SP between 13.8 and 15.2 g/g and WSI between 17.4% and 22.5% for starches isolated from seven US sorghum cultivars . OlayinkThe pasting properties of sorghum starches using RVA are presented in As the mixture is subsequently cooled, re-association between starch molecules occurs. In sufficient concentration this causes the formation of a gel, and viscosity will normally increase. This phase of the pasting curve is commonly referred to as the setback region, and involves retrogradation, or re-ordering, of the starch molecules. The increase in viscosity occurs not only due to the simple kinetic effect of cooling on viscosity, but also due to the re-association of starch molecules. Final viscosity is the most commonly used parameter to define a particular sample’s quality, as it indicates the ability of the material to form a viscous paste (stickiness) or gel after cooking and cooling.alpha and beta-amylase developed during the malting process. Amylose is more susceptible to degradation than amylopectin, and malted sorghum is less viscous than normal sorghum [Setback is sometimes measured as the difference between final viscosity and peak viscosity, which has been related to the firmness and the amylose content. Breakdown is defined as subtracting the viscosity at the trough from the final viscosity . The red sorghum .d-spacing (inter planar distances) of 5.8219, 5.0911 and 3.8382 Å, respectively. This pattern closely matches reported values for A-types cereal starches. The same peaks were found for sorghum cultivated in the Sahara of Algeria [The X-ray diffractograms of sorghum granules are shown in  Algeria . The X-rThe crystallinity degrees were 9.62, 11.45, 13.32 and 15.51%, for 5dMG, 3dMG, SG and RG respectively. Percent crystallinity values for native starch correlated well with enthalpy of gelatinization calculated on a dry basis of starch . Five daThe degree of crystallinity perfection according to Tester and Morison is impacted by the molecular structure of amylopectin such us unit chain length, extent of branching, molecular weight, and polydispersity however, no experimental proof exists to exclude the presence of amylose in the crystalline regions ,19.o of sorghum starches were ranged from 36.98 to 71.74 °C and the high temperature was found with the starches derived from RG while the lowest was observed with 5dMG. Gelatinized sorghum starches were ranged from 47.22 to 78.06 °C for Tp and 37.48 to 75.03 °C for Tc and the highest values were found for starches derived from RG. The enthalpy of starch gelatinization varied from 2.06 to 2.83 J/g and was found decreasing with the time of malting. Significant positive correlations of ΔH with To , Tp  and Tc  were observed and the peak height index (PHI) was ranged from 0.12 (24hSG) to 0.43 (5dMG). The decreases of ΔH values for malted sorghum starch are evidence of the low amount of crystalline fraction of the substance [o, Tp, Tc of 67.9, 70.7, 75.7 °C respectively and ΔH of 13.2 J/g for common sorghum starch [p and ΔH of 7.45 J/g for ten Zimbabwean sorghum starches [c of 90 °C and ΔH of 13.7 J/g for Nigerian sorghum starch [Thermal properties of the sorghum starches are shown in ubstance . Sang obm starch . Beta obm starch .c and To among the starches) was significant and ranged between 0.5 °C for 5dMG and 3.29 °C for RG. The peak width (Tc-To) generally broadened and the enthalpy values (ΔH) decreased upon hydrolysis. The differences in the R values amongst the starches from different cultivars may be attributed to the presence of crystalline regions within a starch granule composed of small crystallites having slightly different crystal strength. Starch gelatinization for Korean waxy sorghum was reported to have 73.2 °C [The difference in gelatinization ranges R  at which the G′ of RG and 24hSG reached the maximum value (71 °C) and was consistently higher than that of 3dMG and 5dMG. Svegmark and Hermansson reported that, during the heating cycle, the difference in the G′, G″ should be due to the difference in starch granule swelling and leaching of amylose chains [As illustrated in e chains . This coe chains . Furthere chains . RegardiInt. dimensional networks [At temperatures between 90 and 70 °C, traces of G′ and G″ remained relatively flat, consistent with what has been reported for cultivars of rice and apple . All samnetworks . The poonetworks . It appenetworks  reportedWhen viewed with SEM, sorghum starch differed in their internal structures. The partially degraded starch granules were examined using SEM, to study the effect of internal enzyme on the morphology of the starch granules during the period of soaking and malting. From the SEM photographs, it was evident that hydrolysis of starch didn’t occur uniformly at the beginning of the process. Some areas were much more susceptible to be attacked than others . When soAlpha-amylases are the endo-acting enzymes that randomly attack the internal alpha-1,4-D-glucosidic linkages of starch except those near the branch points that contain alpha-1,6-D-glucosidic linkages [Generally, enzymes can erode the entire granule surface or digest channels from selected points on the surface towards the center of the granule . Alpha-alinkages . The prelinkages . Enzyme The results indicated significant changes in terms of functional properties of sorghum starches obtained after soaking and malting. Functional properties related to starch structures provided information about the structural changes that occurred during the soaking and malting process. Starches isolated from malted sorghum showed lower SP and higher WSI than those isolated from raw and soaked sorghum. The pasting properties of starches determined by RVA showed that malted sorghum starch had a lower viscosity peak value than raw sorghum starch. The changes observed in physicochemical, morphological, thermal and rheological properties of sorghum starches after malting provided a crucial basis for understanding starch modification mechanisms with the potential applications at industrial scale. The raw sorghum starches exhibited very interesting functional properties suitable to be utilized in food products as thickening and gelling agent for their higher values of viscosity. Soaked and malted sorghum starches were essential for food formulation and could also show potential uses in brewery as well for the production of stiff and weaning food with low paste viscosity. Functional characterization showed that sorghum starches are potential functional food ingredient.Sorghum starches thus have excellent applications for future product development by virtue of their functional properties.


Studies have shown that in the genome of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) regions responsible for interactions with the host's immune system, namely, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes tend to cluster together in relatively conserved regions. On the other hand, "epitope-less" regions or regions with relatively low density of epitopes tend to be more variable. However, very little is known about relationships among epitopes from different genes, in other words, whether particular epitopes from different genes would occur together in the same viral genome. To identify CTL epitopes in different genes that co-occur in HIV genomes, association rule mining was used.Pol epitope LFLDGIDKA is found to be significantly associated with epitopes GHQAAMQML and FLKEKGGL from Gag and Nef, respectively, and this association rule is observed even among circulating recombinant forms.Using a set of 189 best-defined HIV-1 CTL/CD8+ epitopes from 9 different protein-coding genes, as described by Frahm, Linde & Brander (2007), we examined the complete genomic sequences of 62 reference HIV sequences . The results showed that despite inclusion of recombinant sequences that would be expected to break-up associations of epitopes in different genes when two different genomes are recombined, there exist particular combinations of epitopes (epitope associations) that occur repeatedly across the world-wide population of HIV-1. For example, We have identified CTL epitope combinations co-occurring in HIV-1 genomes including different subtypes and recombinant forms. Such co-occurrence has important implications for design of complex vaccines (multi-epitope vaccines) and/or drugs that would target multiple HIV-1 regions at once and, thus, may be expected to overcome challenges associated with viral escape. In the course of viral infection, recognition of viral peptides by class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and subsequent interactions of the peptide/MCH complex with the cytotoxic T lymphocytes  plays an important role in the control of the infection ,2. ViralThe epitope-vaccine approach has been suggested as a strategy to circumvent the rapid rate of mutations in HIV-1 and the subsequent viral escape from the host's immune system as well as the development of resistance to anti-viral drugs -14. The in silico, focusing on those capable of binding to multiple HLA alleles [in-silico epitope predictions is generating a rather large number of initially predicted epitopes, many of which are false positives; and hence, there exists a need for subsequent experimental validation of many potential candidates [Several strategies can be used to develop multi-epitope vaccines, including (a) the generation of tetramer epitope vaccines with epitopes being chosen based on the presence of principal neutralizing determinant , (b) the alleles , (c) the alleles  with epi alleles . Howeverndidates -24. Furtndidates ,25,26, wndidates . Other mndidates  and hiddndidates , also handidates . For exandidates , there wGag, Pol and Nef, respectively. We also identified several combinations of 3 to 5 CTL epitopes that are frequently found together in the same viral genome despite high mutation and recombination rates found in HIV-1 genomes, and thus, can be used as likely candidates for multi-epitope vaccine development.Briefly, an association rule mining technique, which is a method that can detect association between items (frequent item sets) and formulate conditional implication rules among them -33, is uGenomic nucleotide sequences of 9 protein-coding genes of HIV-1 were collected for 62 HIV-1 reference genomes from the 2005 subtype reference set of the HIV sequence database by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) ,35 (TablThe summary of the average numbers of breakpoints in the CRF genomes was based on the breakpoint maps summarized at the HIV database at Los Alamos .K03455) [The set of 218 CTL epitopes, described as "the best-defined HIV CTL epitopes" by Frahm, Linde & Brander (2007)  that incK03455) , are desOf the 218 "best-defined" CTL epitopes, the subset of the most evolutionary conserved epitopes that are present across a majority of surveyed reference sequences was included according to the following criteria: (a) The epitope was present in at least one out of 62 reference sequences. (b) If two or more epitopes were completely overlapping with each other and there were no amino acid sequence differences, the longer epitope was selected. However, if overlapping epitopes harbored one or more amino acid difference from each other, all such epitopes were included , three data sets were created. The first sequence set  included all 62 HIV-1 reference sequences used in the study, the second set included only 44 non-recombinant sequences ("44-non-CRFs") and the third set included 18 CRFs (designated as "18-CRFs"). Because of the requirement that an epitope be present as a "perfect match" in at least one sequence as described above, 1 and 29 epitopes were removed from the epitope lists for the second and third data sets, respectively. This resulted in lists of 188 and 160 epitopes, respectively  was created by randomly selecting sequences from the original sequence set (random sampling with replacement). Similarly to the bootstrap test widely used in phylogenetics , these pAssociation rule mining is a data mining technique that discovers relationships  that exist within a data set -33,40. OAssociation rule mining was conducted using the Apriori algorithm  implemenThe relative degree of sequence divergence among reference sequences and different genomic regions was evaluated by comparing the number of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions. In particular, the number of synonymous nucleotide substitutions per synonymous site (dS) and the number of nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions per nonsynonymous site (dN) were estimated by the Nei-Gojobori method  as impleIn order to identify CTL epitope regions that consistently co-occur together in the HIV-1 genomes, 189 CTL epitopes were mapped in 62 HIV-1 reference sequences , but only 52 association rules included an epitope from the Nef gene. Since Gag and Pol are located in adjacent genomic positions (and are somewhat overlapping), the physical proximity of the genes in the genome may be responsible for the existence of some association rules that involve epitopes from both of these genes . However, given the extremely high recombination rate in HIV-1, which was estimated to be as high as 2.8 crossovers per genome per replication cycle [Pol and Nef) would not be expected to be involved in many association rules, particularly those that occur with high support and confidence. Notably, our results identified at least 23 associations that involved epitopes located in 3 different genes, namely, Gag, Pol and Nef  and 23 association rules that involve epitopes from three different genes . The Venn diagram shown on Figure Gag and Pol, while among other categories of multi-gene association rules, majority involved combinations of epitopes from Pol and Nef. Similar results were obtained with the smaller 44-non-CRFs and 18-CRFs data sets, identifying 246 and 5 epitope associations from two and three genes, respectively, for the former data set, and 153 and 7 associations for the latter data set  [Interestingly, one of the frequently associated epitopes found in three genes associations Figure , Nef FLKepitope) ,8, also epitope) ,58. ThisNef epitope (B8-FL8 FLKEKGGL). The Pol gene had the highest number of associated epitopes (9) that differ from each other, while the Gag gene had 3 different epitopes involved in multiple association rules. Some of these associations included epitopes from the same adjacent/overlapping regions, e.g., Gag GLNKIVRMY is associated with the Pol IVTDSQYAL epitope and other adjacent/overlapping epitopes in at least 9 association rules , as well as associations that include epitopes from distantly located parts of the genome, although further studies are necessary. Overall, this approach allows us to identify co-evolving regions in viral genomes that are highly conserved at the amino acid level and are subjected to strong purifying selection eliminating the majority of amino acid changes that may occur in such regions.As Figure s Figure . Other eTo assess the extent of evolutionary sequence conservation of the CTL epitopes that participated in the association rules, we compared the levels of nonsynonymous  and synonymous substitutions in all pairwise comparisons of 62 HIV-1 genomes. The results are shown in Table Gag CRAPRKKGC and Pol LVGPTPVNI while occurring in over 75% of the analyzed sequences, were not part of any association rule). As Table By design, our study was focused on the identification of highly supported association rules (support >= 75%), i.e., those that involve epitopes present in at least 75% of the sequences analyzed. Notably, not all CTL epitopes that are present in over 75% of sequences can be found in association rules . Of these highly conserved epitopes, Pol epitope LFLDGIDKA (recognized by HLA-B81) is also found to be a part of several association rules identified in this study, including association rules spanning three genes and four CTL epitopes , and as such, represents a promising candidate for multi-epitope vaccine development.Overall, we were able to identify several highly conserved epitopes that are relatively widely spread across the worldwide HIV-1 population, and present not only in non-recombinant subtypes, but also in the circulating recombinant forms. Such highly conserved epitopes may be considered promising candidates for multi-epitope vaccine design, as they are likely to be targeted in a majority of HIV lineages, thereby increasing population coverage. However, in addition to being highly conserved, there are additional benefits in utilizing CTL epitopes identified as participants in association rules . Therefore, inclusion of these epitopes may potentially enhance the efficiency of a multi-epitope vaccine across a broader range of host HLA haplotypes . FurWhile our results demonstrated presence of several highly conserved – and identified to exist in association with each other – CTL epitopes in multiple HIV-1 reference genomes, including CRFs, the underlying functional significance of these regions for the virus remains poorly understood. Very few of the epitope regions found in association rules had such molecular features as glycosylstion, myristoylation, amidation, or phosphorylation sites. They also lacked any cell attachment motif or Leucine Zipper motif ,62. Yet,It is also noteworthy that some epitopes are not involved in any association despite being present in more than 75% of the reference sequences, hinting at some underlying mechanism that holds the "associated epitopes" together. It is possible that the associated epitopes from different genes co-evolve together because of functional and structural constraints due to protein-protein interactions that are necessary for many viral processes . Since sOur results revealed the presence of multiple associated co-evolving CTL epitope regions in HIV-1 genomes that are also significantly conserved across a broad range of HIV-1 subtypes and sub-subtypes. However, further studies are needed to ascertain the efficiency of these associated epitopes in multi-epitope vaccines as well as to uncover the underlying structural and/or functional constraints behind co-occurrences of the highly conserved epitopes.Application of association rule mining revealed that certain CTL epitope combinations (including epitopes from three different genes) consistently co-occur in HIV-1 genomic sequences present in major geographic regions around the world. Such epitopes that are both well supported by experimental evidence and highly conserved across different non-recombinant and recombinant forms of HIV-1 genomes can be considered as ideal candidates for multi-epitope vaccines against HIV-1.HLA: Human Leukocyte Antigen; HTL: Helper T-Lymphocyte.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.SP did the analyses and wrote the manuscript. HP conceived and coordinated the study nd wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.Table S1 – Epitopes included in the study. There were 218 epitopes in the "best defined CTL epitopes list" by Frahm et al. (2007). From this, 29 epitopes were removed from the 62-all data set because they did not satisfy the inclusion criteria. Additionally, one epitope from the 44-non-CRFs data set and 29 epitopes from the 18-CRFs data set were removed because of the inclusion criteria.Click here for fileTable S2 – Number of epitopes included in the study. The number of epitopes included in the study as well as epitopes found in association rules in each gene.Click here for fileTable S3 – Unique epitope associations in the 62-all data set. Each row represents one epitope association. Associated epitopes in each association are shown in adjacent columns. Presence of the association in other data sets is represented by 1 in respective columns. There are 484 unique associations in the 62-all data sets. Among them, 172 associations are present in the 44 – non-CRFs data set and 102 associations are present in the 18 – CRFs data set. The yellow color marks presence of the epitopes from all three genes in the 62-all data set. There are 23 associations of that kind.Click here for fileTable S4. Stage of HIV-1 infection where the epitopes have been shown to be immunogenic, if known.Click here for file


Dear ISP members,Greetings from Head Office,It is my pleasure to pen a few words as secretary of ISP for the Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology. Publication of the Journal is an essential part of any scientific professional organization. In the true spirit of our founders and distinguished eminent past office bearers, the new team has taken all the necessary steps to keep our organization in track. ISP has always carved its own image among the dental professional bodies. Journal of our society has a vital role in building up a positive image for an eminent scholar and a dedicated person with enthusiasm and strength Dr. D. Arunachalam has been elected as the editor of JISP. I am sure under his stewardship the journal is going to search its newer heights selecting the image of our society. Our Head Office takes all the measures and lends a helping hand to all the members who want to contribute to the journal. I request co-operation from our members in all our activities including the JISP.I wish Dr. D. Arunachalam and his team all the success ahead in their venture.Thanking You,Yours at Sincere,Secretary,Journal of Indian Society of PeriodontologyE-mail: smilesindia@gmail.comM. M. Dayakar


PLoS Medicine's intervention in a court case, the PLoS Medicine academic_editors call for strong action to be taken to eradicate this practice.In an academic_editorial highlighting the 1,500 documents made public after  PLoS Medicine Web site If you are an editor, author, reviewer, or reader of medical journals, or if you depend on your doctor or health care provider getting unbiased information from medical journals, then the 1,500 documents now hosted on the then a person was identified to be the “author”:Here's just one sample thread I have received no word on authors for the Totelle 2 mg bone manuscript P3(2), and need input on this matter before this manuscript can move forwards.” [our emphasis added]An email from a writer employed by the medical writing company, DesignWrite, to employees of Wyeth, the company that performed the study, and Parthenon  on November 10, 2003 concerning manuscripts on Totelle (a brand of hormone replacement therapy manufactured by Wyeth) tells the story concisely. “Thanks to all who have reviewed and approved the manuscripts… PLoS Medicine became involved in this particular ghostwriting story when we intervened in an ongoing court case http://www.publicjustice.net), and a similar one from the New York Times, was successful. On July 24, 2009, US District Judge William R. Wilson, Jr., in Little Rock, Arkansas, granted the Motions of the Interveners, and the similar Motion of the lawyers representing the women, to make the discovery materials public as of July 31.This is not the place to review everything written on this topic. Others have written about ghostwriting campaigns concerning single drugs that have led to catastrophic health effects So what can be done? The documents that have been made available are a substantial step forward in advancing knowledge of this practice and explaining the mechanics of how ghostwriting campaigns are organized, and will add to the evidence base. By making them easily and openly accessible we hope that others will quickly delve into the documents and analyze them in detail (we have yet not done so in the interest of speed in making them publicly available). But we also hope that the papers not only will become the subject of academic scrutiny but will help to guide the way to identifying reforms that will eventually stamp ghostwriting out. In an environment in which drug companies are beholden to their shareholders, and the drive for profit takes center stage, it is naïve to think that companies will put their own houses in order.assisting in the preparation of manuscripts , attempting to hide the presence of ghostwriters or the involvement of writers beyond technical support (such as copyediting) is unacceptable. We'd argue, therefore, that all involved must adopt a much tougher approach of complete nontolerance to practices that aim to conceal authors or where the involvement of medical writers goes beyond technical support.Over the past several years some journals and editors' organizations What might this mean in practice for journals? Primarily, it would mean a sea change in the thinking and behavior of editors, who should create—and be prepared to enforce—journal policies clarifying that involvement with ghostwriting is a serious and punishable breach of publication ethics. Of course, prevention is key: possible measures could include requiring statements upon submission from academic authors about involvements by any company whose products are mentioned  in the commissioning of a third party to provide editorial assistance, manuscript preparation, or submission of the paper.But journal polices should also include enforceable sanctions. For example, if nothing is declared on submission but inappropriate involvement of a medical writer subsequently comes to light, any papers where this breach is substantiated should be immediately retracted and those authors found to have not declared such interest should be banned from any subsequent publication in the journal and their misconduct reported to their institutions.In the case of the documents deposited here, a good start, and a signal of the seriousness of journals' intent, would be the formal retraction of all the papers mentioned in which ghostwriting has been conclusively shown. Institutions whose academics are shown to be involved should investigate as a matter of urgency.It's time to get serious about tackling ghostwriting. As has been shown in the documents released after the Vioxx scandal


Investigative Genetics, asked the same questions, and initially had reservations about creating the journal. Could this new journal make a meaningful contribution to the scientific community? Currently, there are many peer-reviewed scientific journals (established ones as well as newly-initiated ones) that cover the field of molecular genetics from various basic and applied aspects, and more recently, with advances in DNA technology, genomics journals have also been founded. Hence, we saw little value in simply adding another journal to the genre. Instead, with our new initiative, we aim to provide a platform for publishing results from molecular genetic and genomic research in areas with societal relevance. There is a whole spectrum of societal implications that spring from molecular genetic and genomic research, ranging from forensic issues and legal medicine, to evolutionary biology, anthropological and historical studies, epidemiology and medical applications, and biosafety. Although existing genetics and genomics journals do publish papers on such topics--together with many other more basic aspects--to the best of our knowledge, a journal dedicated to molecular genetics and genomics with societal relevance does not exist, at least not with the wide range of interrelated topics we anticipate covering with our initiative. While the subject matter that molecular genetic and genomic studies address may vary, there are substantial commonalities in the applied study designs, technologies, analytical approaches, as well as interpretation of results in these studies. We believe that scientists from various fields allied by their application of molecular genetic and genomic principles and techniques to scientific questions of societal relevance will benefit and be able to leverage knowledge and other resources from a journal providing an integrated platform.The initial questions often asked when a new journal appears are, "What is different about this journal compared with existing ones?", and "Why should I contribute to this journal?" These questions are becoming even more relevant with the appearance of many new journals in various areas of science and a substantial contribution from online-only publishers, because the forum in which one publishes one's work impacts its value, distribution, and communication. We ourselves, now bringing you the journal Investigative Genetics provides an open access, online-only highly visible venue for novel cutting-edge research and technological developments, which through the application of molecular genetics and genomics, answer questions about past and present life, enhance life quality, and provide a safer living environment. The journal aims to reflect the breadth of molecular genetic and genomic research, its development and validation, and its application to a greater understanding, improvement in quality of life, and enhanced safety in our society. It bridges the gap between different areas of science that similarly exploit molecular genetics and genomics, allowing findings and developments to be disseminated efficiently and effectively across disciplines. Articles published in this journal will be hypothesis-driven and will apply, if appropriate, statistical principles . The main areas of interest include forensic genetics, biosafety and biosecurity, synthetic biology, legal medicine, genetic epidemiology, identity and lineage testing, personalized genetics and genomics, population genetics and genomics, evolutionary genetics and genomics, mechanisms of inheritance, ancient bio-materials, anthropological genetics and genomics, and archaeogenetics and archaeogenomics. In addition, the journal will publish articles addressing the important issues of statistics, validity, reliability, and ethics related to the use and understanding of genetics and genomics. We are also pleased to announce a special contribution in the form of a regular commentary from Professor Mark Jobling [Investigative Genetics. Jobling . His insInvestigative Genetics is considering for fast and thorough peer-review two types of original research papers that will form its major content. Research Reports: full-length articles reporting data from original research; and Short Reports: brief articles on original research findings. In addition, the journal is considering Methodology Articles: presentations of experimental methods, tests or procedures, providing that they are novel or may offer a better version of an existing method, which will be fully peer-reviewed. Furthermore, the journal publishes three types of articles invited by the Editors (and the Editors-in-Chief will consider suggestions for invitations). Reviews: fully peer-reviewed comprehensive, authoritative discussions of any subject within the scope of the journal. Opinions: pieces on specific scientific topics, including controversial ones, not fully summarizing a field but rather providing an author's own scientific viewpoint. Commentaries: updates of recent papers within the scope of the journal that have been published elsewhere. The latter two types of articles are not peer-reviewed, as they represent, at least in part, personal views on scientific research. Finally, we consider Letters to the Editors: brief comments, including critical ones, about articles recently published by the journal (other topics will not be considered in this format), which will be peer- reviewed, and the author(s) of the initial article will be given the possibility of responding.Investigative Genetics comprises distinguished experts in all the different areas covered by the journal's scope, and we would personally like to thank all colleagues for kindly agreeing to serve as Editorial Board members. We are committed to developing a high-quality journal that provides important findings and addresses topical issues in a timely fashion, and we look forward to contributions of novel research, and thoughtful opinions, reviews or commentaries.We are delighted that the Editorial Board  of InvesInvestigative Genetics can only be successful if the scientific community shares our vision. We look forward to receiving many interesting and high-quality manuscripts for publication, a successful start, and a prosperous life for the journal.


International Archives of Medicine, a novel scientific journal born in response to the new needs that have emerged as a result of globalization. The title of this journal reflects the profile and scope of the journal, as outlined below.This editorial accompanies the launch of Current medical specialization makes it difficult to have a global view of medical practice, as investigators often restrict their research to the limits of their discipline but seldom beyond. In parallel, journals are becoming highly specialized and, with a few exceptions, are not aimed at a wide audience.International Archives of Medicine aims to go beyond the limits of any given discipline and contribute to translational medicine, since the scientific process is meant, after all, to connect research with the reality of human biology and disease.To optimize knowledge acquisition and usage, International Archives of Medicine aims to compile in its archives different types of articles focused on any medical speciality in three different formats. First is original research articles: it is important to regard research as a two-way process, from labs to bedside and from bedside to labs. Secondly, case reports: accurate, detailed recounting of clinical experience continues to be essential to the progress of medicine as a case report provides extensive and detailed information about an individual, which is often lost in larger studies. Case reports published in this journal will be aggregated into a database of medical case reports, a new initiative from BioMed Central to improve the usability of individual case reports. Finally, review articles: there is a great body of knowledge underpinning the conceptual and semantic barriers of subspecialties and systematic reviews are needed to integrate all this knowledge.Scientific and technological advances generate information at exponentially growing rates, making it necessary to organize that information in highly usable formats: integrated, graded and ranked. International Archives of Medicine aims to reach a broad range of different countries throughout the five continents.The so-called "international" journals are rarely international in their content or readership. Most articles published in these journals focus on issues that are of importance primarily to Western audiences , and resAll content is freely open access , and theWe have chosen a representative and diverse Editorial Board  includinInternational Archives of Medicine is its relationship to Archivos de Medicina [International Archives of Medicine will be translated and republished in Archivos de Medicina for the Spanish speaking audience, and vice versa.An additional advantage for authors publishing in Medicina , which iInternational Archives of Medicine is a journal for the global medical community. We welcome contributions from the most sophisticated laboratories and from the most modest of medical-care settings. To fulfil this vision, manuscripts accepted after a peer review process will be immediately available online and promptly listed in PubMed to make this journal an important global resource. In line with our open access policy, authors retain the copyright of their work, allowing them to distribute their manuscript as they please [International Archives of Medicine.y please . We hopeInternational Archives of Medicine. BioMed Central has waived the article processing charge for this Editorial in line with the journal's contract.Manuel Menendez Gonzalez is the Editor-in Chief of


Vitiligo, characterized by depigmented macules is a common disorder with a high psychosocial impact, particularly in darker skins. Surgical methods become important in cases where medical therapy fails to cause repigmentation or in cases of segmental vitiligo where the response to surgery is excellent. The basic principle of surgical treatment is autologous grafting of viable melanocytes from pigmented donor skin to recipient vitiliginous areas. Various grafting methods have been described including tissue grafts and cellular grafts. Stability of the disease is the most important criterion to obtain a successful outcome. Counseling of the patient regarding the outcome is vital before surgery. The technique and followup management of the tissue grafts has been described in detail in this review. Vitiligo is a common depigmenting disorder, characterized clinically by milky white macules and histologically by an absence of functional melanocytes in the affected area. It causes severe cosmetic distress, particularly in darkly pigmented skins and is also associated with a great social stigma. It has a profound psychological impact and greatly affects the quality of life. In additet al.,[in vitro cultures of melanocyte-bearing epidermis for the treatment of vitiligo. The use of epidermal suspensions obtained by trypsinization was first reported in 1992 by Gauthier and Surleve-Bazeille[et al.,[Skin grafting was first described in India in ancient Sanskrit texts around 2500 - 3000 BC as a technique for nasal reconstruction for mutilated noses. Thin split thickness skin grafts were first introduced in 1872 by Ollier in France, and later by Thiersch in Germany in 1874. Brown in England developed the electric dermatome in 1944, to harvest thin homogenous grafts. In 1947, Haxthausen transplanted thin split thickness skin grafts from normal to vitiliginous skin in three cases, to study the pathogenesis of the disease.2 Falabell-Bazeille utilizede[et al., reportedThe basic principle of surgical treatment in vitiligo is to achieve cosmetically acceptable repigmentation of the vitiliginous areas by transplantation of autologous melanocytes from the unaffected pigmented skin to the lesional skin. It cannot stop the progression of the disease, and is indicated for resistant stable vitiligo that does not show adequate response to medical therapy. Different surgical modalities are available and the choice of surgical treatment depends on the type of vitiligo, extent and site of the lesions, and the availability of equipment and expertise of the treating surgeon.et al.,[Stability of the disease process in vitiligo is the most important parameter to achieve a successful outcome in surgical treatment. Stability is defined as the absence of new lesions and absence of the spread of existing lesions for a defined period. However, there is no consensus on the period of stability, and it varies from 4 months to 2 years, according to different authors.– 15 A reet al., proposedet al.,[Njoo et al., proposedSurgery in vitiligo is indicated in patients with stable vitiligo not responding to medical treatment or causing severe psychosocial distress. It can also be performed in patients with leukoderma due to burns, piebaldism, inactive discoid lupus erythematosus, and other stable disease states causing permanent depigmentation.Vitiligo surgery is contraindicated in patients with active unstable vitiligo and in childhood vitiligo. In children, progress of the disease is difficult to predict and by and large they respond better to medical therapy as compared to adults. In addition, surgery has to be carried out under general anesthesia, which is another added risk factor in children.There are various surgical modalities to treat vitiligo, the goal being to achieve complete repigmentation; cosmetically matching the surrounding normal skin. The choice of surgical treatment depends on the extent of vitiligo, the sites involved, the availability of equipment, and the expertise of the surgeon. Various surgical methods including tissue grafts and cellular grafts are described in Mini punch grafting has been discussed in detail in a separate article.Suction blister grafting (SBG) is a technique where the pigmented epidermis is harvested from the donor site by using suction to raise a blister which is then transferred to the vitiliginous area.The differentiation and development of the epidermal cells is regulated by the dermis. In surgical techniques like split skin thickness grafting and punch grafting, where both the epidermis and dermis are grafted, the graft retains some of the characteristics of the donor site, hence, the cosmetic outcome may not be an exact match. However, in suction blister grafting, cleavage occurs between the basal cells and the basal lamina of the basement membrane zone and only the epidermal portion of the donor area is grafted. Hence, the graft generally acquires the characteristics of the recipient site, thus leading to a better color match and cosmetic outcome.The donor site can be anywhere from the flexor aspect of the arm or forearm, abdomen, or the anterolateral aspect of the thigh or leg. In a study by Laxmisha and Thappa, it was fAfter surgical cleansing, a topical local anesthetic may be applied as the procedure is painful. Some prefer injecting the area with local anesthetic with saline as it reduces blister induction time (BIT).Blisters may be raised using syringes or sucti®).Once the blisters are well formed, the roofs of the blisters are gently cut using iris scissors. Care should be taken to avoid touching the floor of the blisters as it causes pain. The roofs are inverted onto a glass slide such that the dermal side faces upwards. The graft is then cleaned and spread to its maximum size and kept moist with normal saline. The donor site is cleaned and bandaged using nonadherent dressing such as chlorhexidine gauze . There was no significant difference in repigmentation rates at different body sites.[In a meta-analysis, it was found that 87% of the patients achieved more than 75% repigmentation with SBG, which was similar to split thickness grafting (87%), but better than minigrafting (68%) and grafting of noncultured epidermal suspensions(31%). Segmentady sites.It is a safe, easy, and inexpensive method, with very good success rates. Repigmentation is faster and the color match is very good, especially over the lips, eyelids and areoIt is time consuming and the raising of blisters is painful. Larger areas require multiple sittings. Improper handling may lead to tearing of the graft or the epidermal side being grafted, causing failure of repigmentation.In this technique, thin split thickness skin grafts are harvested from the pigmented donor area and transplanted at the recipient sites as continuous sheets of tissue grafts.In the surgical treatment of vitiligo, thin split thickness grafts are used. There are three biological changes which follow skin grafting.There are two phases in this stage. In the first 72 hours of the placement of the graft adherence of the graft is due to fibrin bonding and the graft appears pink. Hence, these first 72 hours are most crucial for graft uptake and bleeding, infection, and mechanical movement due to improper immobilization of the area can lead to graft failure at this stage. Hence strict immobilization in the first three days is very essential. The second phase begins with the onset of vascular anastomosis and fibrovascular growth.In this stage there is a connection between the graft and host vessels, with the formation of new vascular channels. Insufficient vascular proliferation, development of a thick layer of fibrin or hematoma or seroma can lead to failure of graft uptake in this stage. Hence compression is useful.There is contracture of the graft when it is harvested because of the contraction of the elastin fibers. Contracture also occurs at the recipient site. These two factors lead to achromic fissures and perigraft halo. Overlapping of graft edges at the recipient site can prevent these complications.®, Toplap®) under occlusion, for at least two hours, can be used.[Though the gluteal area is a relatively difficult area to harvest, it is the most preferred site for cosmetic reasons, in case scarring occurs. However, the thigh can be used as a donor site by beginners and when larger areas of donor skin are required. The arms be used.The skin is stretched firmly at one end by an assistant with the flat of the hand or a wooden block and the other end is stretched by the operator. A thin even split thickness graft is harvested free hand using either a sterile razor blade mounted on a Kochers forceps or a blade holding instrument . Alterna® or Tegaderm 3M, St. Paul, Minn) and a pressure dressing is given. The dressing is left undisturbed for a week.The donor skin is kept in a sterile petri dish containing normal saline and the donor area is dressed with nonadherent dressing (Chlorhexidine dressing Bactigras2 laser. Kahn et al.,[2 laser and a dermabrader. The ultrapulse CO2 laser is preferred over the Er:YAG laser because it achieves better hemostasis and causes an epidermal - dermal split at a single pass.[E. coli.[The recipient area is anesthetized by using either a topical anesthetic cream applied under occlusion 2 to 3 hours before the procedure by the patient, or infiltration anesthesia using 1% lignocaine without adrenaline is administered. For larger areas, general anesthesia is usually required. Preoperative medication, diazepam, 10mg orally at night and 2 hours before the operation relieves anxiety and may be given in anxious patients. After surgical cleansing, the vitiliginous area is first marked with a surgical pen and abraded by dermabrasion with a diamond fraise attached to an electric high-speed dermabrader at 10,000 rpm till pinpoint bleeding is seen. The recipient site can also be prepared using a pulsed Erbium-YAG laser or ultrapulse COn et al., reportedgle pass. Manual dgle pass.. The adh[E. coli. In a stu[E. coli. It is beThe first dressing is preferably changed at 24 hours, to observe for any serous collection or hematoma under the graft, which can be drained. Subsequently, the dressing is changed after 1 week by which time healing is almost complete. Prophylactic oral antibiotics are given for one week to prevent postoperative infection.If there is perigraft depigmentation or achromic fissures, NB- UVB is required postoperatively for complete repigmentation.Thin split thickness skin grafting is the most successful technique among all the surgical methods, with a success rate of 78 - 91%.Hyperpigmentation is the commonest complication in dark skinned patients and takes a long time to resolve.39 PeriphThe advantages of split thickness skin grafting are that pigmentation can instantly cover larger areas over a short period of time as compared to other techniques. Difficult areas such as eyelids, inner canthus of eyes, areola, nipples, and genitals can be treated readily. Pigmentation achieved is uniform and cobblestoning that is common with punch grafting is not seen. Repigmentation of leukotrichia is also possible. In addit2 laser to prepare the recipient areas reduces blood splatter as compared to dermabrasion and are further advances in the technique.Prolonged hyperpigmentation is commonly seen, particularly on the exposed areas in dark-skinned patients. Large areas require multiple sittings due to limitation of the donor site. Surgical skill is required to take thin even grafts free-hand. However, the recent use of electric dermatomes has made it easier to harvest uniform ultrathin grafts. In addition, the use of Er:YAG or COCertain precautions and modification of techniques can optimize results at sites that are difficult to treat.While grafting the upper eyelid the thinnest graft should be selected. If the area is small, a suction blister graft is ideal. When almost the entire eyelid is involved, thin or ultrathin split thickness skin grafts give optimum results. Strict immobilization for the first 72 hours by application of cyanoacrylate adhesive and pressure bandage is essential for graft uptake.Suction blister grafts for small areas and thin split thickness grafts for larger areas, give a good cosmetic outcome on the lips Figures  and 8.4The entire areola should be grafted in order to maintain a uniform color  and 10.The fingers, toes, palms and soles are the most difficult areas to treat and results are not always successful. The possible explanations are absence of hair follicles and thicker epidermis, leading to inadequate dermabrasion and preparation of a good vascular bed. These sites are also more prone to friction and trauma, thus Koebnerization is common. Mini punIt is essential to rule out a history of genital herpes, before attempting surgical treatment. It can be a cause of recurrence at the treated site and failure of surgical procedure. Long-term prophylaxis with acyclovir should be given in proven and doubtful cases and the prognosis clearly explained. Suction blister grafts, thin split thickness skin grafts, mini punch grafts and noncultured melanocyte suspensions have beeThe hair should not be shaved but plucked out before grafting to delay hair regrowth and lifting up of the graft. Alternatively, a chemical depilatory may be used.Mesh grafting is a technique where the graft is expanded by making slits in it such that it appears like a mesh. The advantage of this technique is that it allows coverage of large body surface areas with a smaller graft.The donor site is cleaned and a split thickness graft of 0.0252 inch thickness is obtained either manually or by using a Padgett or Duvals dermatome. The graft is then meshed in an Ampligreffe or Discard-A-pad into anyThe dressing at the recipient site is removed after a week. Phototherapy is started immediately or after a week.The meshing of the graft allows larger areas to be covered due to graft expansion. It also allows coverage of areas with variable contours, where a sheet might not adhere well.There is risk of scarring at the donor site. If the graft is thick, then it might lead to beading at the margin. Cosmetic results are inferior as compared to other methods.Flip-top technique is a method in which the graft is placed between a flap of epidermis and dermis at the recipient site.A thin split thickness graft is harvested from either the medical aspect of the upper arm or lateral aspect of the thigh, by using a sterile blade. The grafts are kept moist in saline-soaked gauzes. The recipient site is cleaned and similarly a flap of the epidermis is raised using a sterile blade. One end of the epidermis is left in contact with the dermis and the flap is turned to expose the dermis. The graft is placed with the dermal side of the graft in contact with the dermis and the flap is put back in position to cover the graft. Cyanoacrylate glue is used to secure the graft and the flap. Both the donor and recipient areas are dressed.The dressing is removed after a week and graft uptake is checked. The patient is started on phototherapy thereafter.The flap of epidermis acts as a biological dressing. Chances of the graft falling off and secondary infection are less in this procedure. It is inexpensive, easy to perform, and a quick method.Like all dermoepidermal grafts, skill is required to harvest a thin graft or there is beading at the margins.It has been long considered that repigmentation in vitiligo occurs from the melanocytes in the hair follicle. Hence, hair transplantation in vitiligo patches has been seen to cause repigmentation. Also, tissue grafting leads to repigmentation of the skin, but very rarely of the leucotrichia. Hence, on hair-bearing areas like the eyebrows, scalp, eyelashes, transplantation of hair follicles is required.A strip of hair is removed from the occipital area of the scalp and cut into smaller pieces, each containing a single hair follicle unit. The hair is then transplanted onto the vitiligo patch. The recipient site is dressed. After a week, the dressing is removed and checked for graft uptake. The patient is started on phototherapy.It is a good technique for management of leucotrichia. There is no cobblestoning and the color match is good.It is a cumbersome procedure requiring expertise and time. Scarring occurs at the occipital area from where the graft is taken.Vitiligo, characterized by depigmented macules is a common disorder with a high psychosocial impact. Surgical treatment is indicated in resistant stable vitiligo that does not show adequate response to medical therapy. Stability of the disease process is the most important parameter to achieve a successful outcome. Conventional surgical modalities are tissue grafts such as punch grafting, suction blister grafting and split thickness skin grafts. The choice of surgical treatment depends on type of vitiligo, extent and site of lesions, availability of equipment and expertise of the treating surgeon. Split thickness skin grafting is the most successful out of all tissue grafting methods. Recent advances include autologous non-cultured epidermal cell suspensions and cultured melanocyte suspensions or sheets. Hence though surgical treatment of vitiligo is evolving over the years, the basic etiopathogenetic mechanisms need to be elucidated to achieve long term successful results.


The time has come again to review the progress of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO) since its previous report published a year ago. In the pFive hundred and forty-eight manuscripts were submitted in 2009, which was much higher than the previous year . Of the www.ijo.in>, which adopts the policy of Open Access, is getting even more popular, and is accessed from almost every part of the world [Figs. Our website <ld Figs.  and 3.We are fortunate to have established a wide base of reviewers, the majority of whom are from abroad and experts in their respective fields. This rising trend in the number of reviewers  has helpAlthough uploading of full text of old journals on our website is complete for all the available issues of IJO, it is disheartening to note that eight issues could not be uploaded due to unavailability of their hard copies . I seek the help of all members in tracing these eight issues to complete the missing links of IJO.The editorial office is doing everything in its capacity to help improve the standard of research and publications. The last research methodology workshop conducted in March 2009 was a great success. These workshops have become a regular feature of IJO in the past five years and have now culminated into a three part training series. Another initiative taken by the IJO to facilitate research was to provide the full text of any paid article to the members of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS). This was made use of by a good number of AIOS members wherein 142 articles were requested for in a year.The introduction of the “AIOS –IJO award” in the year 2009 was another step taken by IJO to attract good research papers from AIOS members. After a rigorous evaluation process six papers were chosen in the various categories. The list of awardees has been published in this issue of IJO. Furthermore, we are working on a project along with a management school on ‘How to attract good research papers for IJO’, the outcome of which, I am very confident, will help us in improving the quality of published papers in IJO.Every journal is judged by its ‘Impact Factor’. This yea