OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Development of a user friendly home kit that enables kidney transplant recipients to process urine at home and post the lysate containing RNA to a Core Laboratory would simplify urinary cell mRNA profiling and facilitate longitudinal monitoring. We report our home processing protocol and investigation of its diagnostic performance characteristics. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We developed a home processing protocol (HPP) consisting of urine filtration and lysis of urinary cells, both performed at home by the kidney transplant recipients (KTR) themselves, followed by isolation of total RNA from the lysate and mRNA enrichment using a silica-membrane-based cartridge, both performed at the Core Laboratory. Using the HPP, total RNA was isolated from kidney allograft biopsy-matched urines and absolute copy numbers of CD3εmRNA, CXCL10 mRNA, and 18S rRNA, components of the Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation 04 (CTOT-04) three-gene TCMR diagnostic signature, and urinary cell BKV VP1 mRNA copy number, were measured using customized RT-qPCR assays. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: CTOT-04 three-gene TCMR diagnostic signature scores in urine processed using HPP discriminated KTR with TCMR (12 TCMR biopsies from 11 KTR) from KTR with no TCMR/BKVN (29 No TCMR/No BKVN biopsies from 29 KTR) (P=0.0005, Mann-Whitney test), and AUROC was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.98). TCMR was diagnosed with sensitivity of 67% (95% CI, 35 to 89) at a specificity of 86% (95% CI, 67 to 95) using the CTOT-04 validated cutpoint of -1.213 (P=0.0016,Fisher exact test). BKV VP1 mRNA copy number in urine processed with HPP discriminated KTR with BKVN (n=7) from KTR with no TCMR/BKVN (n=29) and AUROC was 1.0 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.00). BKVN was diagnosed with a sensitivity of 86% (95% CI, 42 to 99) at specificity of 100% (95% CI, 85 to 100) with the previously validated cutpoint of 6.5x10^8 BKV VP1 mRNA copies/μg of RNA (P DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Urine processed using the HPP predicted TCMR and BKVN in KTR. The HPP represents not only a significant advance towards portability of urinary cell mRNA profiling but also should improve patient management by minimizing visits for urine collection.

The present paper is an announcement of first absolute age dating directly on fossilized bones and teeth of the Pleistocene mammalian fauna from the Manjra valley, District Latur, Maharashtra, India. The fossilized samples were measured using the AMS facility at Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi, India. The results gave the time frame of 21,423 BP to 24,335 BP that correspond close to and the threshold of LGM and sheds important light on the palaeoecology of the area that supported diverse megafaunal species in the Upper Manjra valley. These calendar dates not only have wider significance in terms of first ever approximate chronological frame for the Pleistocene fauna in Peninsular India but also offer methodological innovations especially when the adequate bioapatite is absent in the fossilized bones and teeth from the fossil record.

An analytical formalism of laser absorption in a nanorod embedded dielectric surface has been developed. Nanorods lie in the plane of the dielectric, in the form of a planar array. A laser, impinged on them with an electric field perpendicular to the lengths of the nanorods, imparts oscillatory velocity to nanorod electrons. As the free electrons of a nanorod are displaced, a space charge field is developed in the nanorod that exerts restoration force on the electrons and their drift velocity shows a resonance at ${\rm \omega} = {\rm \omega} _{\rm p}/\sqrt 2 $, where ωp denotes the plasma frequency of free electrons inside the nanorod. It is inhibited by collisions and nanorod expansion. At the resonance, the electrons are efficiently heated by the laser and laser energy is strongly absorbed, resulting in significant reduction in laser transmissivity. The transmissivity decreases with laser intensity.

The goal of this work is to study the properties of magnetically aligned CNT/PC nanocomposites towards the development of hydrogen gas separation membranes. A fraction (0.1 weight %) of synthesized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been dispersed homogeneously throughout polycarbonate (PC) matrix by ultrasonication. The alignment of CNT in PC matrix has been accomplished by applying an external magnetic field of 1200 Gauss. These nanocomposites have been studied by gas permeation using H2, N2 and Co2 electrical and dielectric constant measurements. Experimental results of gas permeability measurements exhibit here that H2 is more selective than N2 and Co2 in magnetically aligned nanocomposite membranes which can be used as good hydrogen separating media. I-V characteristics show the electron hopping like behavior and dielectric constant shows the enhancement in permittivity of these nanocomposites.

The noctuid moth Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) is the most damaging pest of chickpea worldwide. Plant resistance is an important component for the management of this pest. To develop cultivars with resistance to insects, it is important to understand the role of different components associated with resistance to insects. Therefore, we characterized a diverse array of chickpea genotypes for organic acid profiles in the leaf exudates that are associated with resistance to H. armigera. Chickpea leaf exudates contained five major organic acids that were identified as malic, oxalic, acetic, citric and fumaric acids. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiles of the leaf exudates of nine chickpea genotypes showed that amounts of malic acid were negatively correlated with leaf feeding by H. armigera larvae at flowering and maturity, and with pod damage. Oxalic acid showed a negative association with leaf damage in the detached leaf assay. Additionally, the amounts of acetic acid were negatively correlated with larval weights and damage rating at the flowering and maturity stages. Citric acid levels were negatively associated with damage rating at the flowering stage. Implications of using the HPLC profiles of organic acids in the leaf exudates of chickpea to breed for resistance to H. armigera are discussed.

The present paper presents the design and development of a dual-channel microwave rotary joint using coaxial waveguide as primary waveguide and rectangular waveguide as the secondary waveguide. Design is presented at 5.85–7.02 GHz with 20% bandwidth and at 14–14.5 GHz bands with 3.6% bandwidth using dual channel mode transducers exciting transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode in the coaxial waveguide. Rectangular to coaxial waveguide transitions employing multi-stepped doorknob transitions are used to excite the TEM mode from the rectangular waveguide. The measured results for electrical parameters such as return loss, insertion loss of the dual-channel rotary joint are presented with 360° rotation of the rotary part with respect to the stator part.

Interpretation of cognitive test performance among individuals from a given population requires an understanding of cognitive norms in that population. Little is known about normative test performance among elderly illiterate non-English-speaking individuals. An age-stratified random sample of men and women, aged 55 years and older, was drawn from a community-based population in the rural area of Ballabgarh in northern India. These Hindi-speaking individuals had little or no education and were largely illiterate. A battery of neuropsychological tests, specially adapted from the CERAD neuropsychological battery, which was adminstered to this sample, is described. Subjects also underwent a protocol diagnostic examination for dementia. Norms for test performance of 374 nondemented subjects on these tests are reported across the sample and also by age, gender, and literacy.

A case of plasmacytoma arising from the hyoid bone is described, this is a distinctly unusual site, as the marrow-containing flat bones are more commonly affected. On a review of the literature this appears to be the first report of plasmacytoma occurring in the hyoid bone. The patient underwent a CT scan and plain radiographs. Histopathology was diagnostic.