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Background: Snakebite is an important occupational hazard in India as it is always been a land of poisonous snakes. The isssue which the physician confronts while treating a snake bite patient is assesment of degree of envenomation and requirement of ASV dose. Aims and Objectives: This study was taken to evaluate the optimum dose of anti-snake venom (ASV) required based on the severity of envenomation. Materials and Methods: Patients with a history of snakebite brought to the Department of General Medicine, Hassan, were included in this study. The study was conducted during the period from December 2014 to June 2016. The sample size of 80 patients was included in the study after fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Results: A total of 80 patients were included in the study. The majority of the victims were males (70%), age between 21 and 40 years (47.5%), and agriculture was the main occupation (67.3%). 51.25% did not identify the snake. The most poisonous were viper and cobra types which were 36.5% and 12.5%, respectively. A delay in lag time of 8.99±8.2 h was observed in severe envenomation. Overall, 51 cases (63.75%) had cellulitis, and 3 (3.75%) in the severe group required fasciotomy. Twenty percent had hematologic derangements. Ten percent of patients had developed renal failure and one required dialysis. 8.75% of patients developed respiratory failure and all required mechanical ventilation. The average dose of ASV vials used in mild, moderate, and severe envenomation was 9.04±3.51 vials, 18.5±5.27 vials, and 28.6±7.30 vials, respectively. The overall mortality rate was 5%. Conclusions: The optimum dose of ASV required in mild, moderate, and severe envenomation is 9.04±3.51 vials, 18.5±5.27 vials, and 28.6±7.30 vials, respectively to neutralize the circulating venom and lower the risk of development of serious complications.

Objectives: The SARS-CoV-2-associated pneumonia (COVID-19) infection has spread quickly throughout China and the rest of the world since December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 has been demonstrated to interact with the RAAS and endothelin systems to both initiate "de novo" onset hypertension and exacerbate pre-existing instances. This study described the clinical symptoms, therapeutic outcomes of COVID in 19 patients with hypertension. Methods: Data collection forms were used to gather information on demographics, clinical, laboratory, radiological parameters and treatment outcomes from the medical records provided by 195 Covid-19-infected patients admitted to the KMCH institute of health sciences and research in Coimbatore. The 2019-CoV RNA real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed to test patients with Covid-19. The patients were split into normotensives (137) and hypertensives (58) with covid infection. Results and Discussion: CORADS score was used to classify the severity of Pneumonia. None of the hypertensives had a severity score of 3. 15.35% had a severity score of 2 and 82.8% had a severity score of 1. When the severity score was compared with normotensives, there was no significant difference among both the groups. None of the patient needed intensive care. The means of various clinical (blood and physical) parameters were compared between hypertensives and non-hypertensives. The mean age of hypertensives was 58.7 compared to 42.44 among normotensives (P

Background: Dengue-induced thrombocytopenia can be life-threatening. However, supportive and symptomatic treatment is the current management protocol. The leaf extract of papaya has shown promising results in improving the platelet count. There are many varieties of Carica papaya such as Washington, Honeydew, Coorg honeydew, Solo, Surya, Red lady, C0-1, CO-3, CO-5, C0-6. Aims and Objectives: The aim is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two varieties (“Red Lady” and “Solo”) of C. papaya fresh leaf extract in patients diagnosed with dengue-induced thrombocytopenia. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted for 2 months, and 18 dengue-confirmed inpatients with thrombocytopenia (platelet count

Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common problems encountered in the first week after birth. Neonates who develop significant hyperbilirubinemia require phototherapy. Delay in the diagnosis and management of jaundice may lead to neonatal morbidity and mortality. Total Serum Bilirubin (TSB) estimation is considered the gold standard method. However, this invasive procedure causes pain, anxiety, and may lead to infection and iatrogenic anaemia, especially in preterm neonates. Transcutaneous Bilirubin (TcB) estimation, which measures bilirubin through the skin, has been proposed as an alternative screening method for hyperbilirubinemia in term and near-term neonates. Aim: To compare TcB to TSB in preterm neonates of 30-34 6/7 weeks gestational age before, during, and after phototherapy. Materials and Methods: This hospital-based prospective cohort study was conducted at SDMCMS&H, Dharwad, Karnataka, India, between December 2019 and November 2020. A total of 100 preterm neonates between 30 to 34 6/7 weeks of gestation with clinically suspected jaundice were enrolled in the study. TSB was measured in the laboratory using the Diazo Method, while TcB was measured using the Drager jaundice meter JM 103. TcB and TSB were measured and compared in preterm neonates with clinically suspected jaundice before phototherapy, during phototherapy (8 to 12 hours after initiation), and after 12-18 hours of discontinuation of phototherapy. The collected data was analysed statistically using the mean, standard deviation, dependent t-test, Karl Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and scatter plots. Results: This study enrolled 100 neonates diagnosed with neonatal jaundice, of which 57 were males and 43 were females, resulting in a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.3. Phototherapy was administered to neonates with TSB values, with 79% of the babies between 30-32 weeks and 21% between 32-34 weeks. In the present study, TcB and TSB were compared before, during, and after phototherapy, and the results were analysed, showing statistical significance. The mean TcB levels were 12.05, 9.66, and 7.23 before, during, and after phototherapy, respectively. The mean TSB levels were 11.28, 10.16, and 7.65 before, during, and after phototherapy, respectively. Based on Karl Pearson’s correlation coefficient, a positive correlation was found between TcB and TSB before (r=0.8319, p-value

In recent times, due to increased environmental awareness, the usage of sustainable, eco-friendly textile products has gained momentum. In this respect, the Soya bean protein fiber (SPF) based fabric structure is considered a potential product. Single Jersey and Single Pique knitted structures were developed by changing the yarn count and loop length using Soya bean fiber for next-to-skin applications. Multidimensional moisture management properties were measured using MTT tester to understand the influence of process parameters (fabric structure yarn count and loop length). Further to this, physical properties and wetness comfort properties of the SPF knitted fabrics were also studied. It was found that the OMMC properties of most of the SPF knitted samples were highly rated. The influence of knit structure, yarn count, and loop length on moisture properties was studied through ANOVA. Similarly, the correlation between the physical parameters and moisture properties was also investigated. The Single Pique structure with finer yarn count and higher loop length configuration showed higher moisture management properties. The fabric thickness was correlated with all the moisture management properties. However, the fabric tightness factor was correlated with all the moisture management properties except MWR and AOTI.

Food choice aims to identify the solution totheexiguity of the food. It is possible to do this through diversification. Finding the best selection of food alternatives is the goal of food diversification.. Multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods attempt to choose the best alternative from a group of possibilities based on several parameters. This paper provides the description of the entropy process use in the analysis and application of multi attribute decision-making (MADM) for choosing foods.

The method of generating intention with the scope of impact is called the decision making. It is the process which an unique or a group evaluates solutions and alternatives in order to found the most politic option while inspecting the problems or situations.Multi-attribute decision-making (MADM)MADM approaches are designed to discover the most satisfying of numerous comparison choices or to rank possibilities based on their connection to the analysed target. The strategies are utilized to identify the suitable alternative/solution when none of the evaluation parameters are the best.The Multi-attribute decision making theory offers a formal base for the establishment of a model, in which the key criteria is the individual parameters that result in an integrated assessment.MADMis a strategy for evaluating decisions with numerous co-attribute options in a complete and effective manner. The most appropriate options are ranked from most to least, and MADM methods are frequently used to get the best solution.In this paper, the decision-making algorithm is suggested and applied to purchase a new bike with the maximin method.

Background: In this study, we evaluate the predictors of treatment outcomes in drug resistant tuberculosis. Methods: An observational retrospective study was conducted by using the medical records of patients confirmed for TB at Kasturba Medical College from January 2015 to December 2018. Results: Four hundred and sixty-two TB patients were included in this study. Of the total TB-confirmed patients, about 85.1% are diagnosed with pulmonary TB (PTB) (n = 393), 11.7% were extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) (n = 54), and 3.2% (n = 15) cases had both PTB and EPTB. Among the 462 cases, the frequency of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) was 25% (n = 117), extensively drug-resistant TB was 1% (n = 3), and non-MDR cases were 74% (n = 342). The frequency of unsuccessful treatment outcome was 92.9% (n = 429) and successful outcome was 7.1% (n = 33). There were 68.2% of new and 31.8% retreatment cases of TB. HIV co-infection was found in 2.3% (n = 14) of TB cases, and among them, 64.3% (n = 9) were found in PTB cases. The major comorbidities found were diabetes (21.2%), weight loss (12.6%), and anemia (12.6%). There was a difference in rate of PTB cases across years decreasing in the year 2017, whereas ETB cases were increasing in the year 2017. The TB treatment success rate was increased from 2015 (4.8%) to 2018 (8.3%). Conclusion: The higher rate of poor treatment outcome emphasizes the need of improvement in TB surveillance, treatment, more stringent follow-up, monitoring, and patient education to ensure complete and successful treatment.

Let R be a finite commutative ring with identity. The idempotent graph of R is the simple undirected graph I(R) with vertex set, the set of all nontrivial idempotents of R and two distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if xy = 0. In this paper, we have determined all isomorphism classes of finite commutative rings with identity whose I(R) has genus one or two. Also we have determined all isomorphism classes of finite commutative rings with identity whose I(R) has crosscap one. Also we study the the book embedding of toroidal idempotent graphs and classify finite commutative rings whose I(R) is a ring graph.

In this study, we present a case of Grade IV diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) and its management with Vrana ropana chikitsa along with Ayurvedic precision medicines. A 72-year-old male patient having grade IV DFU was given the Vrana ropana chikitsa with precision medicines. The bacterial profile and antibiotic resistance, and wound characteristics were monitored before and after the treatment. After the treatment, significant progressions were found in the patient. There was a decrease in the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in the wound after the treatment. Doxycycline and erythromycin-resistant isolates were switched to antibiotic sensitive strains with Vrana ropana chikitsa. Progression of Grade IV ulcer to healing wound was found in the patient. A case of Grade IV DFU with drug-resistant S. aureus was managed with the alternative treatment of Vrana ropana chikitsa and showed improved wound healing.

Lignocellulosic biomasses (LCB) are sustainable and abundantly available feedstocks for the production of biofuel and biochemicals via suitable bioconversion processing. The main aim of this review is to focus on strategies needed for the progression of viable lignocellulosic biomass-based biorefineries (integrated approaches) to generate biofuels and biochemicals. Processing biomass in a sustainable manner is a major challenge that demands the accomplishment of basic requirements relating to cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability. The challenges associated with biomass availability and the bioconversion process have been explained in detail in this review. Limitations associated with biomass structural composition can obstruct the feasibility of biofuel production, especially in mono-process approaches. In such cases, biorefinery approaches and integrated systems certainly lead to improved biofuel conversion. This review paper provides a summary of mono and integrated approaches, their limitations and advantages in LCB bioconversion to biofuel and biochemicals.

In geopolymer reactions, with lime rich compound addition, the strength parameter is dependent on the molar ratios of (Si/Al) and (Ca/Si), such that (Si/Al) ratio contributes to short period and (Ca/Si) ratio contributes to long period strength development. In the present study a mathematical model has been proposed to identify the role of each on compressive strength development through exponential mathematical relationship, such that, N1 is an exponent of (Si/Al) ratio and N2 is an exponent of (Ca/Si) ratio indicating short period and long period strength development parameter respectively, while C is the compressive strength developed on keeping the samples for different extended time periods. The values of N1 and N2 can be found out by solving linear equations relating (Si/Al) ratio, (Ca/Si) ratio, and compressive strength values of different experimental batch compositions. Calculated and selected additions of sodium silicate, sodium hydroxide, lime and GGBS in iron ore mine tailing samples indicated that the values of N1 and N2 merged with each other after 7 days reaction period, but after 28 days reaction line due to N1 is found above that of N2. It is concluded that for long period strength development (Si/Al) ratio is more important in comparison to (Ca/Si) ratio.

Abstract Background Pongamia (Millettia pinnata syn. Pongamia pinnata), an oilseed legume species, is emerging as potential feedstock for sustainable biodiesel production. Breeding Pongamia for favorable traits in commercial application will rely on a comprehensive understanding of molecular mechanism regulating oil accumulation during its seed development. To date, only limited genomic or transcript sequences are available for Pongamia, while a temporal transcriptome profiling of developing seeds is still lacking in this species. Results In this work, we conducted a time-series analysis of morphological and physiological characters, oil contents and compositions, as well as global gene expression profiles in developing Pongamia seeds. Firstly, three major developmental phases were characterized based on the combined evidences from embryonic shape, seed weight, seed moisture content, and seed color. Then, the gene expression levels at these three phases were quantified by RNA-Seq analyses with three biological replicates from each phase. Nearly 94% of unigenes were expressed at all three phases, whereas only less than 2% of unigenes were exclusively expressed at one of these phases. A total of 8881 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between phases. Furthermore, the qRT-PCR analyses for 10 DEGs involved in lipid metabolism demonstrated a good reliability of our RNA-Seq data in temporal gene expression profiling. We observed a dramatic increase in seed oil content from the embryogenesis phase to the early seed-filling phase, followed by a steady and moderate increase towards the maximum at the desiccation phase. We proposed that a highly active expression of most genes related to fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis at the embryogenesis phase might trigger both the substantial oil accumulation and the membrane lipid synthesis for rapid cell proliferation at this phase, while a concerted reactivation of TAG synthesis-related genes at the desiccation phase might further promote storage lipid synthesis to achieve the maximum content of seed oils. Conclusions This study not only built a bridge between gene expression profiles and oil accumulation in developing seeds, but also laid a foundation for future attempts on genetic engineering of Pongamia varieties to acquire higher oil yield or improved oil properties for biofuel applications.

Abstract Background After axon severing, neurons recover function by reinitiating axon outgrowth. New outgrowth often originates from the remaining axon stump. However, in many mammalian neurons, new axons initiate from a dendritic site when the axon is injured close to the cell body. Methods Drosophila sensory neurons are ideal for studying neuronal injury responses because they can be injured reproducibly in a variety of genetic backgrounds. In Drosophila, it has been shown that a complex sensory neuron, ddaC, can regenerate an axon from a stump, and a simple sensory neuron, ddaE, can regenerate an axon from a dendrite. To provide a more complete picture of axon regeneration in these cell types, we performed additional injury types. Results We found that ddaE neurons can initiate regeneration from an axon stump when a stump remains. We also showed that ddaC neurons regenerate from the dendrite when the axon is severed close to the cell body. We next demonstrated if a stump remains, new axons can originate from this site and a dendrite at the same time. Because cutting the axon close to the cell body results in growth of the new axon from a dendrite, and cutting further out may not, we asked whether the initial response in the cell body was similar after both types of injury. A transcriptional reporter for axon injury signaling, puc-GFP, increased with similar timing and levels after proximal and distal axotomy. However, changes in dendritic microtubule polarity differed in response to the two types of injury, and were influenced by the presence of a scar at the distal axotomy site. Conclusions We conclude that both ddaE and ddaC can regenerate axons either from the stump or a dendrite, and that there is some feedback between the two sites that modulates dendritic microtubule polarity.

In this study, the major mastitis pathogen prevalence in the cattle and buffalo of the world was estimated by a meta-analysis. Staphylococcus (S) species, Streptococcus (St) species, and Escherichia coli (Ec) prevalence studies reported during 1979–2019 were collected using online databases, and offline resources. A meta-analysis of these data was done with the meta package in R-Software. The Staphylococcus aureus was the major mastitis pathogen, mostly causing subclinical mastitis, Ec causing clinical mastitis and St causing subclinical and clinical mastitis. The pooled prevalence estimates of S, St, and Ec were 28%, 12%, and 11% in the world from 156, 129, and 92 studies, respectively. The S, St, and Ec prevalences were high in Latin America (51%), Oceania (25%), and Oceania (28%), respectively. Higher S, St, and Ec prevalences were observed by molecular methods, signifying high sensitivity and usefulness for future studies. Among bacterial species, S. aureus (25%) followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (20%), Escherichia coli (11%), St. agalactiae (9%), St. uberis (9%) were the important pathogens present in the milk of the world. We hypothesize that there is a urgent need to reduce mastitis pathogen prevalence by ensuring scientific farm management practices, proper feeding, therapeutic interventions to augment profits in dairying, and improving animal and human health.

Context: Despite the advances in orthodontic material and treatment mechanics, the placement of fixed appliances increases the risk of enamel demineralization. The development of fluoride release adhesives has attracted considerable interests because the combined use of antimicrobials and fluoride enhances the cariostatic effect. Aim: To compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of fluoride release adhesives with established orthodontic adhesives and assess failure mode using adhesive remnant index (ARI). Settings and Design: The present study included 80 maxillary premolars which were randomly divided into four groups (n = 20) and were further subdivided into two subgroups A - Pumice prophylaxis (PP) and subgroup B - No PP (n = 10). Materials and Methods: Stainless steel brackets were bonded with Transbond XT, Transbond plus (TP) color change adhesive, Light Bond, and Clearfil protect bond. After debonding, the ARI was used to assess the mode of bracket failure. Statistical Analysis: The data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance, Post-hoc Tukey Honest significant differences test, and Chi-square test. Results: The mean SBS of Group 4 was comparably higher regardless of PP. Brackets bonded with TP showed a comparable SBS to conventional Transbond XT. The ARI scores were predominately 2. Conclusions: Fluoride releasing adhesives combined with antibacterial monomer can play a vital role in reducing white spot lesions by enhancing the cariostatic effect especially in noncompliant\medically compromised patients.

The efficacy of a novel topical combination of fipronil 9.8% (w/v) and (S)-methoprene 8.8% (w/v) (Fiprofort® Plus) was tested against ticks and fleas in naturally infested dogs. A total of fifty dogs were allocated in the study with ticks infestation (n=35) and fleas infestation (n=15). On day 0, thirty-five tick and fifteen flea infested dogs received the test formulation, a combination of fipronil 9.8% (w/v) and (S)-methoprene 8.8% (w/v) spot-on solution. Ticks and flea counts were taken on days 0 (pretreatment) and 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 after treatment. Blood samples were collected for evaluation of haematological parameters on days 0 (pretreatment) and 7, 21, and 35 after treatment. All the adult ticks and fleas collected were identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ctenocephalides felis, respectively. The efficacy of spot-on formulation against ticks was 34.00% (day 3), 53.14% (day 7), 62.71% (day 14), 65.48% (day 21), 59.80% (day 28), and 58.82% (day 35), whereas against fleas it was 38.00% (day 3), 64.34% (day 7), 89.67% (day 14), 95.40% (day 21), 100.00% (day 28), and 100.00% (day 35). Haematological parameters for ticks and fleas infested dogs were statistically nonsignificant as compared to control. The combination of fipronil and (S)-methoprene eliminated the existing ticks and fleas infestation and prevented the dogs from flea and tick infestation for four weeks.

The aim of this study was to determine the degree of conversion and residual stress of resin composite preheated to different temperatures and to compare it to room-temperature composite. The composite resin was preheated to 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C and packed into brass rings and light-cured. The degree of conversion and residual stress were analysed using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The results obtained were tabulated and statistically analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Tukey′s honestly significantly different test. The results showed significant increase in the degree of conversion and residual stress with increase in preheating temperature.

Wilms tumour or nephroblastoma is the most common renal tumour of in children. It accounts for 6% of all pediatric tumours and is the second most frequent intrabdominal solid organ tumour in children. Inferior vena cava (IVC) involvement by Wilms tumour occurs in 4-10% of patients and right atrium thrombus extension in less than 1%. Using a multidisciplinary approach, overall survival is excellent in Wilms tumour. We are presenting this case because Wilms tumour with right atrial thrombus is relatively rare and continues to remain a challenge for treating physicians

Background: Inborn metabolic disorders (IMDs) form a large group of rare, but often serious, metabolic disorders. Aims: Our objective was to construct a decision tree, based on classification algorithm for the data on three metabolic disorders, enabling us to take decisions on the screening and clinical diagnosis of a patient. Settings and Design: A non-incremental concept learning classification algorithm was applied to a set of patient data and the procedure followed to obtain a decision on a patient’s disorder. Materials and Methods: Initially a training set containing 13 cases was investigated for three inborn errors of metabolism. Results: A total of thirty test cases were investigated for the three inborn errors of metabolism. The program identified 10 cases with galactosemia, another 10 cases with fructosemia and the remaining 10 with propionic acidemia. The program successfully identified all the 30 cases. Conclusions: This kind of decision support systems can help the healthcare delivery personnel immensely for early screening of IMDs.

Glu178 is the active site residue essential for substrate affinity and catalytic activity of the aspartoacylase enzyme. Sanger sequencing in an infant with Canavan disease revealed a homozygous ASPA: c.532G>A: p. (Glu178Lys) variant. Glu178Lys is the first ever variant reported at the critical active site of aspartoacylase protein and this variant might significantly disrupt substrate interaction.

Background and objective: The introduction of Paediatric NiTi instruments has transformed the field of paediatric endodontics. However, no studies are available on the mechanical behaviour of these files, wherein Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was found to play a major role. The objective of this study is to evaluate the mechanical behavior of three commercially available pediatric endodontic rotary file systems to bending and torsion stress analysis test through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Methods: A Finite Element Analysis study was performed on three commercially available pediatric endodontic rotary files (Pro AF baby, Kedo SG and Neoendo pedoflex) available for cleaning and shaping the narrow root canals of the deciduous teeth to bending and torsion tests with the boundary conditions according to ISO 3630-1 specifications. Results: In the bending analysis, Pro AF baby files were found to withstand the complete bending tests without yielding with a maximum von Mises stress of 1366 MPa, and Kedo SG, Neoendo Pedoflex file exhibited maximum von Mises stress of 2296 MPa, 1971 MPa. Under torsion tests Kedo SG exhibited maximum stress distribution, while Neoendo Pedoflex and Pro AF baby files exhibited similar stress distribution. Conclusion: Pro AF baby file effectively withstood the rigorous 45 -degree bending examination without experiencing yielding, while Kedo SG file exhibited higher flexibility. Under torsional resistance test, all the three instruments exhibited similar stress distribution under the yield limit. In summary, the mechanical behaviour (bending and torsion) of pediatric rotary file systems were influenced by design of the files.

Background: Knowledge of the anatomy and morphology of root canal orifices and variations are vital elements affecting treatment outcomes. Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate variations in the number of root canal orifices and their patterns in primary teeth, as identified by both the naked eye and under magnifying loupes. Materials and methods: Total of 173 primary teeth was scheduled for pulpectomy over a period of 18 months. Two examiners assessed the number and pattern of the root canal orifices. After access cavity preparation, the operator recorded the number of root canal orifices with naked eye, and examiner recorded the same using magnifying loupes (3.5×). After cleaning and shaping, the same protocol was used. Collected data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and compared using a paired t-test. Results: The overall variation in the in the identification of root canal orifices between the naked eye and magnifying loupes (3.005 ± 0.971) was statistically significant after access cavity preparation (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Magnifying loupes significantly enhances the determination of the number and pattern of root canal orifices in primary teeth. Therefore, the application of magnifying loupes is essential for accurately assessing variations in root canal orifices in primary dentition.

Abstract The CRL4-DCAF15 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex is targeted by the aryl-sulfonamide molecular glues, leading to neo-substrate recruitment, ubiquitination, and proteasomal degradation. However, the physiological function of DCAF15 remains unknown. Using a domain-focused genetic screening approach, we reveal DCAF15 as an acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-biased dependency. Loss of DCAF15 results in suppression of AML through compromised replication fork integrity and consequent accumulation of DNA damage. Accordingly, DCAF15 loss sensitizes AML to replication stress-inducing therapeutics. Mechanistically, we discover that DCAF15 directly interacts with the SMC1A protein of the cohesin complex and destabilizes the cohesin regulatory factors PDS5A and CDCA5. Loss of PDS5A and CDCA5 removal precludes cohesin acetylation on chromatin, resulting in uncontrolled chromatin loop extrusion, defective DNA replication, and apoptosis. Collectively, our findings uncover an endogenous, cell autonomous function of DCAF15 in sustaining AML proliferation through post-translational control of cohesin dynamics.

Background Evidence shows that diabetes raises the probability of contracting COVID-19 and associated complications. We hypothesize that metformin, being pleiotropic, may improve COVID-19 in diabetics.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 421 COVID-19 patients with diabetes, hospitalized between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2022 in a tertiary-care hospital. Patients with metformin or its combination constituted the study cohort (SC; n = 221), while other antidiabetics constituted the reference cohort (RC; n = 200).Results SC and RC were matched for mean age ± SD (SC: 53.3 ± 5.7 vs. RC: 54.3 ± 8.2 years). The mean length of hospitalization (days) was significantly shorter in SC (9.0 ± 5.7) than in RC (12.7 ± 6) (p

The implementation of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is crucial for eliminating cervical cancer in India. The infodemic, characterised by misleading information, could hinder the successful implementation of the initiative. Misinformation related to the HPV vaccine, such as rumours, has been reported and circulated, contributing to an alarming pattern of vaccine hesitancy observed on social media. This study aimed to identify the public sentiment towards HPV vaccination based on the ‘Behavioral and Social Drivers (BeSD)’ framework through geospatial, content and sentiment analysis. A total of 1,487 tweets were extracted. After preprocessing, 1010 tweets were identified for sentiment and content analysis. The sentiments expressed towards the HPV vaccine are mixed, with a generally positive outlook on the vaccines. Within the population, there is a pervasive proliferation of misinformation, primarily focusing on vaccine safety and efficacy, contentious subjects, ethical considerations, and a prevalent sense of uncertainty in selecting the appropriate vaccine. These observations are crucial for developing targeted strategies to address public concerns and enhance vaccination rates. The insights gained from these results will guide policymakers, healthcare practitioners, and public health organisations to implement evidence-based interventions, thereby countering vaccine hesitancy and improving public health outcomes.

Background: Environmental hazards have been a highly debated topic worldwide for a considerable time. During the pandemic, the benefits of environmental cleanliness in terms of increased water quality, air quality, has been reported oftentimes. However, the generation of biomedical waste comprising health care worker utilities such as masks, and gloves, has increased and this increase is calculated in terms of alarming statistics which shows 10 fold higher prediction of Biomedical waste than before. Recent studies by researchers support a cleaner environment; however, an equally increasing amount of biomedical waste generated needs to be monitored strictly alongside stringent regulations for safe disposal of biomedical waste which to be instilled in the mind of the general public. Materials and Methods: Databases like Pubmed and Google scholar were systematically searched for articles with the specific keywords “biomedical waste management in dental practice” which identified 17 articles on 13/09.2020 where filters were applied and restricted to 2020. A detailed analysis of the 17 articles was done and few articles were considered in this narrative review. Results: Our survey results show that the generation of biomedical waste and the awareness of the dental fraternity is very less, almost 41% don’t know the amount of waste generated in India. Conclusion: Amid growing COVID-19 disease incidence, a day-to-day assessment of biomedical waste generation with individual social responsibility is a dire need of the hour to combat and overcome the disease.

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) significantly impact public healthcare, especially among HIV patients. These reactions, which range from mild pruritus to severe conditions such as Steven-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), affect the quality of life and treatment outcomes. Aims and Objectives: The current study was designed to evaluate the various types of cutaneous ADRs (CADRs) in adult HIV patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART). Materials and Methods: A retrospective record-based study was conducted at the Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprosy, Government Medical College/Government General Hospital, Suryapet, Telangana, India. Data from November 2017 to October 2020 were analyzed, focusing on patients over 18 years on ART. Relevant demographic and medical data, including blood tests, liver and renal function, and CD4 counts, were collected. Results: Out of 3532 patients on ART, 568 (16.08%) developed CADRs. Females represented 54.2% of these cases. The age group most affected was between 29 and 48 years. The most common ART regimen was Tenofovir+Lamivudin+Dolutegravir, followed by zidovudine-based combinations. Nevirapine-based regimens had a higher association with CADRs, particularly severe reactions such as SJS and TEN. Conclusion: A significant proportion of HIV patients on ART experience CADRs, with certain drug combinations posing higher risks. This study highlights the need for careful monitoring and selection of ART regimens to minimize the risk of severe CADRs, thereby improving patient outcomes and quality of life in HIV treatment.

BackgroundCommon Variable Immunodeficiency Disorders (CVID) encompass a spectrum of immunodeficiency characterised by recurrent infections and diverse non-infectious complications (NICs). This study aimed to describe the clinical features and variation in NICs in CVID with and without interstitial lung disease (ILD) from a large UK national registry population.MethodsRetrospective, cross-sectional data from a UK multicentre database (previously known as UKPIN), categorising patients into those with CVID-ILD and those with NICs related to CVID but without pulmonary involvement (CVID-EP; EP= extra-pulmonary involvement only).Results129 patients were included. Chronic lung diseases, especially CVID-ILD, are prominent complications in complex CVID, occurring in 62% of the cohort. Bronchiectasis was common (64% of the cohort) and associated with greater pulmonary function impairment in patients with CVID-ILD compared to those without bronchiectasis. Lymphadenopathy and the absence of gastrointestinal diseases were significant predictors of ILD in complex CVID. Although the presence of liver disease did not differ significantly between the groups, nearly half of the CVID-ILD patients were found to have liver disease. Patients with CVID-ILD were more likely to receive immunosuppressive treatments such as rituximab and mycophenolate mofetil than the CVID-EP group, indicating greater need for treatment and risk of complications.ConclusionThis study highlights the significant burden of CVID-ILD within the CVID population with NICs only. The lungs emerged as the most frequently affected organ, with ILD and bronchiectasis both highly prevalent. These findings emphasise the necessity of a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach in managing CVID patients, considering their susceptibility to various comorbidities and complications.

Dengue fever is a rapidly increasing mosquito-borne ailment spread by the virus DENV in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. It is a significant public health problem and accounts for many deaths globally. Implementing more effective methods that can more accurately detect dengue cases is challenging. The theme of this digital pathology-associated research is automatic dengue detection from peripheral blood smears (PBS) employing deep learning (DL) techniques. In recent years, DL has been significantly employed for automated computer-assisted diagnosis of various diseases from medical images. This paper explores pre-trained convolution neural networks (CNNs) for automatic dengue fever detection. Transfer learning (TL) is executed on three state-of-the-art CNNs – ResNet50, MobileNetV3Small, and MobileNetV3Large, to customize the models for differentiating the dengue-infected blood smears from the healthy ones. The dataset used to design and test the models contains 100x magnified dengue-infected and healthy control digital microscopic PBS images. The models are validated with a 5-fold cross-validation framework and tested on unseen data. An explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) approach, Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (GradCAM), is eventually applied to the models to allow visualization of the precise regions on the smears most instrumental in making the predictions. While all three transferred pre-trained CNN models performed well (above 98% overall classification accuracy), MobileNetV3Small is the recommended model for this classification problem due to its significantly less computationally demanding characteristics. Transferred pre-trained CNN based on MobileNetV3Small yielded Accuracy, Recall, Specificity, Precision, F1 Score, and Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 0.982 ± 0.011, 0.973 ± 0.027, 0.99 ± 0.013, 0.989 ± 0.015, 0.981 ± 0.012 and 0.982 ± 0.012 respectively, averaged over the five folds on the unseen dataset. Promising results show that the developed models have the potential to provide high-quality support to haematologists by expertly performing tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks in hospitals and remote/low-resource settings.

Background: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Of these, oral cancer is the sixth most common malignancy. Several phytochemicals are emerging these days in prevention of oral cancer. Sulforaphane present in broccoli is one such agent to prevent it. Aim: Sulforaphane component possesses anti-cancer properties. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and analyse the efficacy of sulforaphane in prevention of oral cancer. Methods: A PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar search was performed using the MeSH terms [Medical subject headings] Broccoli and oral cancer prevention, Sulforaphane and oral cancer prevention. The search yielded 340 articles totally without any time restrictions. Of these, only two articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. The review was conducted as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines 2020. Results: The findings of the studies by various analytical methods showed that sulforaphane can prevent oral cancer. Conclusion: Based on the analysis of studies included in this systematic review, sulforaphane is found to be effective in prevention of oral cancer. But further clinical trials are necessary to assess the effects of sulforaphane on oral cancer patients.

Objective: To investigate the influence of Conventional Straight (CS) line and Modified Straight (MS) line access preparations with various restorative materials on the fracture resistance of primary molars using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Methodology: Three FEA models for each of the primary molars were divided into Group I- Intact tooth model; Group II- Model with CS outline and Group III- Model with MS outline. Based on the restorative material used, Group II and III were further subdivided into subgroup 1- GIC restoration, subgroup 2 – composite resin with GIC base and subgroup 3- Stainless Steel Crown (SSC). Each model was subjected to 5 different force loads directed at the occlusal surface. Maximal von Mises (VM) stresses calculated from stress distribution patterns. Result: The maximum displacement, in all the models of primary molars were seen in GIC restored models in molars with both CS and MS access whereas the minimal displacement was seen in the SSC restored molars of MS group. Conclusion: In primary maxillary second molar and mandibular first and second molar with intact marginal ridges, the fracture resistance of tooth with MS outline restored with GIC base followed by Composite resin was comparable with the tooth restored with SSC and CS outline. Clinical outcome: Based on the results of this FEA analysis, composite restorations with MS outline would be appropriate for endodontically treated primary molars that have intact margins.

Abstract Background Imperfect adherence is a major barrier to effective primaquine radical cure of Plasmodium vivax. This study investigated the effect of reduced adherence on the risk of P. vivax recurrence. Methods Efficacy studies of patients with uncomplicated P. vivax malaria, including a treatment arm with daily primaquine, published between January 1999 and March 2020 were identified. Individual patient data from eligible studies were pooled using standardized methodology. Adherence to primaquine was inferred from i) the percentage of supervised doses and ii) the total mg/kg dose received compared to the target total mg/kg dose per protocol. The effect of adherence to primaquine on the incidence of P. vivax recurrence between days 7 and 90 was investigated by Cox regression analysis. Results Of 82 eligible studies, 32 were available including 6917 patients from 18 countries. For adherence assessed by percentage of supervised primaquine, 2790 patients (40.3%) had poor adherence (≤ 50%) and 4127 (59.7%) had complete adherence. The risk of recurrence by day 90 was 14.0% [95% confidence interval: 12.1–16.1] in patients with poor adherence compared to 5.8% [5.0–6.7] following full adherence; p = 0.014. After controlling for age, sex, baseline parasitaemia, and total primaquine dose per protocol, the rate of the first recurrence was higher following poor adherence compared to patients with full adherence (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 2.3 [1.8–2.9]). When adherence was quantified by total mg/kg dose received among 3706 patients, 347 (9.4%) had poor adherence, 88 (2.4%) had moderate adherence, and 3271 (88.2%) had complete adherence to treatment. The risks of recurrence by day 90 were 8.2% [4.3–15.2] in patients with poor adherence and 4.9% [4.1–5.8] in patients with full adherence; p

Introduction: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a widely used chelating agent, compromises the bond strength of resin-based sealers when used as a final irrigating solution. Hence, the push-out bond strength of AH Plus, a resin-based sealer, was analyzed when gallic acid, "a chelator" was used as a last irrigating solution. Methods: Forty human single-rooted teeth were accessed and randomly assigned into 4 groups (n = 10): EA (17% EDTA), MA (7% maleic acid), GA (10% gallic acid), and SA (saline). After irrigation, the root canals were coated with AH Plus sealer and obturated using gutta-percha. The root canals were sectioned horizontally into coronal, middle, and apical thirds for evaluating the push-out bond strength. A universal testing machine with a compressive loading of 1 mm/min was employed to test the samples. Results: An increased push-out bond strength was noted with GA in coronal one-third compared to EA and SA but not significant compared to MA (P > 0.05). Similar observations were seen in the middle one-third; however, it was statistically significant compared to all other groups (P < 0.05). Also, the difference between the groups in the apical one-third was not significant. SA showed the lowest push-out bond strength than experimental groups, which was significant in all three sections (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The final rinse of 10% gallic acid increased the push-out bond strength of AH Plus to the root dentin in all thirds of the root canal. Hence, gallic acid 10% might be an effective alternative solution in place of synthetic chelators.

This purpose of this study is to explore the level of school culture and its prediction towards school performance as perceived by teachers. The data was collected using survey questionnaire. Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) developed by Cameron and Quinn (2006) was used to measure school culture. A total of 324 questionnaires were distributed to 36 primary schools in the state of Selangor, Perak, Johor and Pahang in Peninsular Malaysia. Subsequently, the data was analysed using descriptive analysis and multiple regression. The result shows that teachers in National schools and National Type Tamil schools perceive that the level of school culture in their schools is significantly higher than National Type Chinese schools. In addition, clan culture is perceived as most practiced culture in National and National Type Tamil schools. While, hierarchy culture is perceived as the most practiced culture in National Type Chinese schools. There is a similarity between these schools in terms of culture practice where the adhocracy culture become the least culture practiced in these schools. Apart from that, the result also showed that teachers perceived school culture significantly predict the school performance. Hence, it is noted that emphasis in school culture is vital to have an environment, which supports the school performance in the long run. This study would be very helpful for all the relevant stakeholders to identify primary school culture as well as its contribution towards school performance to take any action for school improvement.

Background The optimal dosing of primaquine to prevent relapsing Plasmodium vivax malaria in South Asia remains unclear. We investigated the efficacy and safety of different primaquine regimens to prevent P. vivax relapse.Methods A systematic review identified P. vivax efficacy studies from South Asia published between 1 January 2000 and 23 August 2021. In a one-stage meta-analysis of available individual patient data, the cumulative risks of P. vivax recurrence at day 42 and 180 were assessed by primaquine total mg/kg dose and duration. The risk of recurrence by day 180 was also determined in a two-stage meta-analysis. Patients with a >25% drop in haemoglobin to 50 g/L between days 1 and 14 were categorised by daily mg/kg primaquine dose.Results In 791 patients from 7 studies in the one-stage meta-analysis, the day 180 cumulative risk of recurrence was 61.1% (95% CI 42.2% to 80.4%; 201 patients; 25 recurrences) after treatment without primaquine, 28.8% (95% CI 8.2% to 74.1%; 398 patients; 4 recurrences) following low total (2 to 25% drop in haemoglobin to

ABSTRACT Whole-genome sequencing has created a revolution in tuberculosis management by providing a comprehensive picture of the various genetic polymorphisms with unprecedented accuracy. Studies mapping genomic heterogeneity in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a whole-genome sequencing approach from high tuberculosis burden countries are underrepresented. We report whole-genome sequencing results of 242 clinical isolates of culture-confirmed M. tuberculosis isolates from tuberculosis patients referred to a tertiary care hospital in Southern India. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolates in our study belonged to five different lineages, with Indo-Oceanic (lineage 1, n = 122) and East-African Indian (lineage 3, n = 80) being the most prevalent. We report several mutations in genes conferring resistance to first and second line antitubercular drugs including the genes rpoB, katG, ahpC, inhA, fabG1, embB, pncA, rpsL, rrs, and gyrA. The majority of these mutations were identified in relatively high proportions in lineage 1. Our study highlights the utility of whole-genome sequencing as a potential supplemental tool to the existing genotypic and phenotypic methods, in providing expedited comprehensive surveillance of mutations that may be associated with antitubercular drug resistance as well as lineage characterization of M. tuberculosis isolates. Further larger-scale whole-genome datasets with linked minimum inhibition concentration testing are imperative for resolving the discrepancies between whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic drug sensitivity testing results and quantifying the level of the resistance associated with the mutations for optimization of antitubercular drug and precise dose selection in clinics. IMPORTANCE Studies mapping genetic heterogeneity of clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis for determining their strain lineage and drug resistance by whole-genome sequencing are limited in high tuberculosis burden settings. We carried out whole-genome sequencing of 242 M. tuberculosis isolates from drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis patients, identified and collected as part of the TB Portals Program, to have a comprehensive insight into the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis in Southern India. We report several genetic variations in M. tuberculosis that may confer resistance to antitubercular drugs. Further wide-scale efforts are required to fully characterize M. tuberculosis genetic diversity at a population level in high tuberculosis burden settings for providing precise tuberculosis treatment.

Aim: The aim of the study was to comparatively evaluate the effect of white tea extract-incorporated mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Biodentine (BD) on collagen degradation and flexural strength of coronal dentin. Methods: Two hundred and fifty dentin beams (10 mm × 2 mm × 2 mm) were obtained from the mid-coronal portion of caries-free human 3rd molars. They were randomly assigned to five experimental groups (n = 50). Group 1-control group (No experimental materials placed); Group 2-MTA; Group 3-MTA with 10% white tea extract (WMTA); Group 4-BD; and Group 5-BD with 10% white tea extract (WBD). All experimental materials were mixed and then spread onto the prepared dentin beams. Each group was further divided into five subgroups with each 10 samples according to aging periods of 24 h, 1, 3, 6 months, and 1 year as A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. The dentin beams were placed in contact with a set calcium silicate cement block in silicone molds, with only one side of each beam exposed to the cement at 37°C in a 100% relative humidity chamber. At each designated time period, the beams were copiously rinsed with deionized water and tested for flexural strength and collagen degradation using a universal testing machine and Fourier Transform-Raman spectrometer, respectively. Flexural strength results were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA, followed by post hoc adjustment with Tukey's test for pair-wise comparisons with P < 0.05. Results: Collagen degradation was more in Group 2, followed by 4, 3, and 5. All the groups showed a gradual reduction in flexural strength over 1 year. Group 2 showed the highest reduction in flexural strength over 1 year. Group 5 showed the least reduction in flexural strength. Conclusion: BD and white tea-incorporated BD showed less collagen degradation and better flexural strength than MTA and white tea-incorporated MTA, respectively.

Introduction: Acute febrile illness (AFI) patients present to the emergency department (ED), with fever to multi-organ dysfunction. There is a lack of early point-of-care-based disposition criteria in AFI patients regarding the need for intensive care unit (ICU) or high dependency unit (HDU) care. Methods: We enrolled 100 patients with AFI presenting to the ED and evaluated using point-of-care ultrasound with two-dimensional echocardiography (ECHO), lung ultrasound score (LUS), renal arterial resistive index (RRI), and arterial blood gas. The need for ICU/HDU admission, ventilation (either noninvasive or invasive), and renal-replacement therapy (RRT) within 48 h of hospitalization was noted. Results: Ninety-five patients were included in the analysis. 72 (75.8%) patients required either ICU or HDU admission, 45 (47.4%) required ventilatory support (either noninvasive or invasive), and 32 (33.7%) required RRT. After logistic regression, LUS ≥16, and arterial lactate ≥12 mg/dL were independent predictors of the need for ICU or HDU admission. The respiratory rate (RR) ≥28/minute, LUS ≥16 and RRI ≥61 were the independent predictors of the need for ventilation. The MAP ≤73 mmHg, LUS (≥16), and RRI (≥67) were the predictors of the need for RRT. Conclusion: In AFI patients presenting to the ED, the MAP, LUS, and lactate are predictors of the need for ICU/HDU admission. The LUS and RRI were predictors of the need for RRT whereas the RR, LUS, and RRI were the predictors of the need for ventilation.

Probiotics modulate immune responses, enhance anti-tumoral immune surveillance, promote apoptosis of cancer cells, suppress tumor progression by their cytotoxic activity, and target the epigenetic changes in the cancer cell population. Evidence from the literature suggests that the role of probiotics in oral carcinogenesis is limited as compared to that in colon and gastric cancer. The present review aims to describe the immune modulation by probiotics in deterring carcinogenesis with an emphasis on oral cancer. We searched for relevant articles (in vitro and animal studies) published between January 2011 and December 2022 in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, both by electronic and manual means with the medical subject headings (MeSH) terms: “probiotics,” “carcinogenesis,” “immune modulation,” and “oral cancer.” The identified studies were analyzed by two independent reviewers according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eight articles met the requirements and were included. The data suggested that probiotics had immunomodulatory and anti-tumorigenic effects. Clinical studies are required to encourage the assessment of probiotics to inhibit tumor cell proliferation, prevent metastasis, and support anti-cancer therapy.

Biosurfactants were found to be a suitable candidate for environment clean-up and as an alternative to conventional treatment systems. In the present study, a polyaromatic hydrocarbon degrading organism Bacillus halotolerans was screened for its ability to produce biosurfactant during hydrocarbon degradation. The bio-surfactant activity of the organism was screened by using various methods like oil spreading technique, emulsification assay, foam height analysis and parafilm-M test. The design expert software was used to optimize the suitable conditions for the production of biosurfactants. The optimum conditions were determined as pH 6, Chrysene-100 ppm, nitrogen source -1000 ppm and at 144 hrs using the design of experiments. The organism showed good oil degradation capacity and maximum growth was achieved in 6 days. Biosurfactant obtained from the biodegradation medium was confirmed to be lipopeptide using TLC, FTIR and GCMS.

The goal of machine vision is to develop human-like visual abilities; however, it is unclear whether understanding human vision will advance machines. Here, it exemplifies two key conceptual advancements: It first shows that the majority of computer vision models consistently differ from the way that individuals perceive objects. To do this, a significant dataset of human perceptions of the separations of isolated things was acquired, and it was then examined to see if a well-known machine vision algorithm can predict these perceptions. The best algorithms can account for the majority of the volatility in the intuitive data, but every algorithm we verified repeatedly misjudged several different object types. Second, it shows that removing these systemic biases can considerably increase classification accuracy. For instance, machine techniques overestimated detachments between symmetric objects in comparison to human vision. These results illustration that methodical differences between human and machine vision can be identified and improved.In order to improve the machine vision, employing a deep learning algorithm Visual Geometry Group (VGG 16) with planar reflection symmetry (PRS-Net) technique. VGG 16 is a convolutional neural network with 16 deep layers. VGG pre-trained architecture can point out visual features present in the image. The planar reflection symmetry concept is appended with VGG to create a hybrid environment that can improve machine vision significantly by 90%.

Our previous studies support a key role for mitochondrial lipid hydroperoxides as important contributors to denervation-related muscle atrophy, including muscle atrophy associated with aging. Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is an essential antioxidant enzyme that directly reduces phospholipid hydroperoxides and we previously reported that denervation-induced muscle atrophy is blunted in a mouse model of GPX4 overexpression. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to determine whether GPX4 overexpression can reduce the age-related increase in mitochondrial hydroperoxides in skeletal muscle and ameliorate age-related muscle atrophy and weakness (sarcopenia). Male C57Bl6 WT and GPX4 transgenic (GPX4Tg) mice were studied at 3 to 5 and 23–29 months of age. Basal mitochondrial peroxide generation was reduced by 34% in muscle fibers from aged GPX4Tg compared to old WT mice. GPX4 overexpression also reduced levels of lipid peroxidation products: 4-HNE, MDA, and LOOHs by 38%, 32%, and 84% respectively in aged GPX4Tg mice compared to aged WT mice. Muscle mass was preserved in old GPX4 Tg mice by 11% and specific force generation was 21% higher in old GPX4Tg versus age matched male WT mice. Oxylipins from lipoxygenases (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX), as well as less abundant non-enzymatically generated isomers, were significantly reduced by GPX4 overexpression. The expression of cPLA2, 12/15-LOX and COX-2 were 1.9-, 10.5- and 3.4-fold greater in old versus young WT muscle respectively, and 12/15-LOX and COX-2 levels were reduced by 37% and 35%, respectively in muscle from old GPX4Tg mice. Our study suggests that lipid peroxidation products may play an important role in the development of sarcopenia, and their detoxification might be an effective intervention in preventing muscle atrophy.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the spotlight the critical role played by a balanced and healthy diet in bolstering the human immune system. There is burgeoning interest in nutrition-related information on social media platforms like Twitter. There is a critical need to assess and understand public opinion, attitudes, and sentiments toward nutrition-related information shared on Twitter. ObjectiveThis study uses text mining to analyze nutrition-related messages on Twitter to identify and analyze how the general public perceives various food groups and diets for improving immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. MethodsWe gathered 71,178 nutrition-related tweets that were posted between January 01, 2020, and September 30, 2020. The Correlated Explanation text mining algorithm was used to identify frequently discussed topics that users mentioned as contributing to immunity building against SARS-CoV-2. We assessed the relative importance of these topics and performed a sentiment analysis. We also qualitatively examined the tweets to gain a closer understanding of nutrition-related topics and food groups. ResultsText-mining yielded 10 topics that users discussed frequently on Twitter, viz proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy-related, spices and herbs, fluids, supplements, avoidable foods, and specialty diets. Supplements were the most frequently discussed topic (23,913/71,178, 33.6%) with a higher proportion (20,935/23,913, 87.75%) exhibiting a positive sentiment with a score of 0.41. Consuming fluids (17,685/71,178, 24.85%) and fruits (14,807/71,178, 20.80%) were the second and third most frequent topics with favorable, positive sentiments. Spices and herbs (8719/71,178, 12.25%) and avoidable foods (8619/71,178, 12.11%) were also frequently discussed. Negative sentiments were observed for a higher proportion of avoidable foods (7627/8619, 84.31%) with a sentiment score of –0.39. ConclusionsThis study identified 10 important food groups and associated sentiments that users discussed as a means to improve immunity. Our findings can help dieticians and nutritionists to frame appropriate interventions and diet programs.

Presents corrections to the paper, An Explainable Artificial Intelligence Integrated System for Automatic Detection of Dengue From Images of Blood Smears Using Transfer Learning.

Advances have been made in the field of Machine Learning showing that it is an effective tool that can be used for solving real world problems. This success is hugely attributed to the availability of accessible data which is not the case for many fields such as healthcare, a primary reason being the issue of privacy. Federated Learning (FL) is a technique that can be used to overcome the limitation of availability of data at a central location and allows for training machine learning models on private data or data that cannot be directly accessed. It allows the use of data to be decoupled from the governance (or control) over data. In this paper, we present an easy-to-use framework that provides a complete pipeline to let researchers and end users train any model on image data from various sources in a federated manner. We also show a comparison in results between models trained in a federated fashion and models trained in a centralized fashion for Independent and Identically Distributed (IID) and non IID datasets. The Intracranial Brain Hemorrhage dataset and the Pneumonia Detection dataset provided by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) are used for validating the FL framework and comparative analysis.

Summary: Nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) degrades transcripts carrying premature termination codons. NMD is thought to prevent the synthesis of toxic truncated proteins. However, whether loss of NMD results in widespread production of truncated proteins is unclear. A human genetic disease, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), features acute inhibition of NMD upon expression of the disease-causing transcription factor, DUX4. Using a cell-based model of FSHD, we show production of truncated proteins from physiological NMD targets and find that RNA-binding proteins are enriched for aberrant truncations. The NMD isoform of one RNA-binding protein, SRSF3, is translated to produce a stable truncated protein, which is detected in FSHD patient-derived myotubes. Ectopic expression of truncated SRSF3 confers toxicity, and its downregulation is cytoprotective. Our results delineate the genome-scale impact of NMD loss. This widespread production of potentially deleterious truncated proteins has implications for FSHD biology as well as other genetic diseases where NMD is therapeutically modulated.

Context: Early childhood caries is a major health problem affecting children worldwide. Although incorrect feeding practices hold a prime position in the etiology, there are gaps in the literature pertaining to the physical properties of milk. Aim: To assess the viscosity of human breast milk (HBM) versus infant milk formulae, with and without the addition of sweetening agents. Materials and Methods: All commercially available infant milk formulae (60 samples) and breast milk from 30 donor mothers were assessed for viscosity using Brookfield DV2T viscometer. The study period was from April 2019 to August 2019. Viscosity of infant milk formulae sweetened with sugar, honey, and brown sugar was further investigated and compared with that of HBM. Statistical Analysis: Inter-group and intra-group mean viscosity was compared using independent t-test and repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Viscosity of HBM ranged from 18.36 centipoise (cP) to 91.30 cP, the mean viscosity being 45.7 cP. Viscosity values varied for each formula group, the least being as low as 5.1 cP and the highest being 89.3 cP. The mean viscosities of each group were in the range of 33 to 49 cP. Conclusions: HBM was found to have a tendency toward higher viscosity than most of the infant milk formulae. Also, varied viscosity values were obtained when commonly used sweetening agents were added to infant milk formulae. Greater viscosity of HBM might increase its adherence to enamel surface leading to prolonged demineralization and potentially altering the caries risk, needs to be investigated further.

Purpose: To compare the impact of Sibling Motivational Card (SMC) and oral counseling in screening siblings of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) probands. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-four newly diagnosed POAG probands were randomized to receive either oral counseling or SMC to motivate their siblings for a glaucoma screening at a tertiary eye care hospital in South India from July 2015 and June 2017. A total of 116 probands were orally counseled with a standard template of dialogs about the importance of family screening to motivate their siblings for a screening. One hundred and eighteen probands were randomized to receive SMC, bearing the details of the proband, sibling, and a message stressing the importance of family screening, in addition to oral counseling. We assessed the response rate in each group. Additionally, we evaluated the prevalence of POAG in the siblings. Results: A total of 95 siblings of 234 POAG probands were screened. The mean age distribution was 53.33 ± 10.9 years (range 28–79 years). The male to female ratio was 3:4. The percentage of siblings screened was more in the oral counseling group (63.2%) than in the SMC group (36.8). About 43 (45%) siblings had some form of glaucoma, and 13.6% had POAG. An additional 22.1% were disk suspects, and 5.2% had ocular hypertension. Conclusion: SMC did not have an additional benefit over the standard oral counseling in promoting sibling screening. Our study stresses the importance of sibling screening in POAG probands. Targeting siblings of POAG probands with oral counseling may offer a relatively inexpensive way of detecting glaucoma.