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The growing prevalence of phytoplasma associated symptoms on linseed or flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.) germplasm at Indian Council of Agricultural Research- National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) fields was noticed during the 2019-22 growing seasons. The characteristic phytoplasma symptoms of phyllody, stem fasciation, stunting, along with floral and capsule malformations were observed in 41 linseed accessions grown at experimental fields of ICAR-NBPGR, Delhi. During 3 years, the presence of phytoplasma in symptomatic linseed accessions was confirmed by nested-PCR assays utilizing 16S rRNA and secA gene-specific primers. The 16S rRNA and secA gene sequences of linseed phytoplasma strains from the representative symptomatic 41 linseed accessions exhibited 100% sequence identity among themselves and 99.93% and 99.82% sequence homology with reference strain, ' Candidatus Phytoplasma australasiaticum' (GenBank Accession: Y10097). Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and secA gene sequences clustered the linseed isolates with the peanut witches' broom group belonging to ' Ca . P. australasiaticum' strains. The virtual RFLP analysis of 16S rRNA F2nR2 fragment (~1.2 kb) of linseed phytoplasma strains further classified it into 16Sr group II, subgroup D. Our results suggested confirmation of the association of ' Ca . P. australasiaticum' strain (16SrII-D) in the linseed germplasm accessions from North India, which is the first report from India. The phytoplasma infection also reduced the growth and yield parameters of two linseed accessions (IC0498748 and EC0718851)., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe author(s) declare no conflict of interest., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Linseed or flaxseed, native to the Indian subcontinent, had undergone domestication, edaphic selection and evolutionary processes that may have resulted in huge genetic variability in Indian genotypes. To understand the hitherto unexplored genetic diversity for sustainable flaxseed production amid challenges of climate fluctuation and identify trait-specific high-yielding genotypes, 2576 unique linseed accessions were comprehensively evaluated for 36 traits for up to six environments representing two major agroecological zones in India. A wide range of variability was recorded for days to initiation of flowering (42.86-114.99), plant height (43.31-122.88 cm), capsules/plant (64.62-375.87), seed size (6.06-14.44 cm 2 ), thousand seed weight (2.80-11.86 g), seed yield (2.93-17.28 g/plant), oil content (30.14-45.96%) and fatty acid profile especially the key constituent omega-3 fatty acid (25.4-65.88%). Most of the traits such as plant height, flowering time, seed yield, seed and capsule size showed a high or moderately high level of variance coupled with high broad sense heritability indicating precise capturing of less heritable quantitative traits. The infraspecific classification of the tested collection revealed the seed/oil type (2498 accessions) as the dominant morphotype over dual-purpose/fiber flax (78 accessions) in the conserved collection. Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive association between flowering time, plant height, days to maturity and oil content. Trait-specific superior genotypes for earliness (50% flowering in < 60 days, maturity in < 122 days), bold seeds with high thousand seed weight (> 11 g), capsules/plant (> 350), oil content (> 45%) and fatty acid composition (> 65% alpha-linolenic acid) were identified to aid genetic improvement of linseed and to broaden the narrow genetic base., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Importance: Metastases to the submandibular gland (SMG) from oral cavity primaries are very rare. Hence, a gland-preserving level IB dissection technique is a feasible option without compromising the lymph node yield (LNY)., Objective: To assess the feasibility and noninferiority of the SMG-preserving dissection technique to the conventional en bloc removal of level IB in terms of LNY in patients with cN0 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing elective neck dissection., Design: Parallel-design, single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial., Setting: Tertiary care health care center-Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, AIIMS Rishikesh., Participants: Thirty-eight (n = 38) participants with 46 (n = 46) neck dissection specimens of OSCC were randomly allocated (1:1) into gland-preserving (n 1  = 23) and en bloc (n 2  = 23) dissection groups., Intervention: Elective neck dissection comparing SMG-sparing level IB dissection technique versus en bloc level IB dissection., Main Outcome Measures: LNY, lymph node density, and level IB operative time in both groups were compared between groups (α < .05)., Results: Median LNY ( P  = .543) and lymph node density ( P  = 1.000) in level IB did not show significant differences between the groups. LNY in level IB by gland-preserving technique is also not inferior to the conventional en bloc dissection technique (mean difference = 0.217; 95% CI: [-0.597, 1.032]; P  = .593). The mean level IB operative time is significantly longer in the gland-preserving group ( P  < .001)., Conclusions and Relevance: None of the examined SMGs were involved by the tumor. SMG-preserving technique is noninferior to the traditional technique of level IB clearance and can be used in elective neck dissections without compromising the LNY. Functional neck dissection has greatly evolved to decrease patient morbidity, and this method can be adopted in case-specific situations., Trial Registration: The trial was registered in the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2022/05/042344) on May 2, 2023, https://ctri.nic.in/., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Head and Neck cancer management has undergone many changes in the past few decades. Primarily advancements in reconstructive surgery for complex head and neck defects after extensive ablative surgeries. Many factors need to be considered in deciding the type of reconstruction. Any reconstruction is not without complications. We wish to present the reconstructive challenges we faced in recent times to reconstruct composite head and neck defects, situation where a salvage flap has to be chosen in a failed regional flap. An occipital artery-based pedicled fascio cutaneous flap is one such rescuer flap. It is a retrospective study of case records from January 2018 to January 2021 at our institute. Reviewed the clinical data of Cases in which occipital artery-based flap was used to reconstruct the composite head and neck defects. In the era of microvascular flap reconstruction, utilization of regional flaps is still a choice of reconstruction in the resource constraint setting. A less explored occipital artery-based flap is a reliable regional flap can be used in select cases with a good success., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAuthors have no conflict of interest, study involves human subjects., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2022. Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Quality Protein Maize (QPM) contains higher amounts of essential amino acids lysine and tryptophan. The QPM phenotype is based on regulating zein protein synthesis by opaque2 transcription factor. Many gene modifiers act to optimize the amino acid content and agronomic performance. An SSR marker, phi112, is present upstream of the opaque2 DNA gene. Its analysis has shown the presence of transcription factor activity. The functional associations of opaque2 have been determined. The putative transcription factor binding at phi112 marked DNA was identified through computational analysis. The present study is a step towards understanding the intricate network of molecular interactions that fine-tune the QPM genotype to influence maize protein quality. In addition, a multiplex PCR assay for differentiation of QPM from normal maize is shown, which can be used for Quality Control at various stages of the QPM value chain.

Objective: To understand the videonystagmography (VNG) findings in various balance disorders in 67 patients who presented to the outpatient department of an otorhinolaryngology clinic., Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of the otorhinolaryngology clinic of a tertiary care center. A total of 67 patients between the age group of 18 and 70 years with balance disorders were included in the study. VNG findings in different balance disorders were observed and analyzed., Results: A total of 67 patients were enrolled in the study. Findings like caloric inversion and optokinetic nystagmus do not always indicate a central balance disorder due to technical errors and other limitations during the test. However, abnormal saccades seem to be a more relevant finding in central disorders. Rare variants of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) like multiple canal BPPV were also diagnosed using VNG., Conclusion: VNG has come out as a very useful test in our study aiding in 75% of diagnoses. The overall benefits of VNG in balance disorders are immense and necessitate their inclusion in every vertigo clinic., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Moideen et al.)

Objectives: The primary outcome measures evaluated the financial toxicity and mental well-being of the oral cancer survivors., Methods: A cross-sectional study of oral cancer survivors who were disease-free for more than 6 months after treatment and visited the hospital for a routine follow-up is included in the study. Mental well-being and financial toxicity were evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS 21) and Comprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST- Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy) questionnaires. A literature review was done to compare the results with financial toxicity and mental health in cancer patients from the pre-pandemic era., Results: A total of 79 oral cancer survivors were included in the study, predominantly males (M: F = 10:1). The age ranged from 26 to 75 years (The median age is 49). The full-time employment dropped from 83.5% in the pre-treatment period to 21.5% post-treatment. Depression was observed in 58.2% and anxiety in 72.2%. Unemployed survivors were observed to have more depression (OR = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.3-5.4, p = 0.6), anxiety (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 0.3-21.2, p = 0.1) and stress (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 0.3-6.6, p = 0.5) than rest of the cohort. On univariate analysis, unemployed survivors (M = 11.8 ± 3.8, p = 0.01) had significantly poorer financial toxicity scores. Survivors with depression (M = 16.4 ± 7.1, p = 0.06) and stress (M = 14.4 ± 6.8, p = 0.002) had poor financial toxicity scores. On multifactorial analysis of variance, current employment (p = 0.04) and treatment modality (p = 0.05) were significant factors impacting the financial toxicity., Conclusion: There is a trend towards increased incidence of depression, anxiety, and stress among oral cancer survivors compared to the literature from the pre-COVID era. There is significant financial toxicity among either unemployed or part-time workers. This calls for urgent public/government intervention to prevent the long-term impact of financial toxicity on survival and quality of life., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Margin status is one of the most important prognostic factors in oral cancers. Intraoperative frozen section (FS) can be performed to ensure a margin-negative resection, however the method of FS assessment is debatable. The aim of this study was to compare the defect-driven (DDA) versus specimen-driven (SDA) approach for intraoperative assessment of tumour margins in oral cancer resections and their impact on loco-regional recurrence and survival. The primary study endpoint was margin status determined from the final histopathological examination report. Secondary endpoints were disease recurrence and survival. This retrospective cohort study compared the two methods of FS in terms of their performance and survival outcomes. All oral squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent surgery as the primary treatment from January 2018 to February 2019 were included. The involved margin rate was slightly lower with SDA than DDA (7.5% vs 11.8%), however the difference was not statistically significant. The recurrence rate was higher with DDA (19/51, 37.2%) than SDA (14/53, 26.4%), although this was not statistically significant. Local recurrence-free survival (DDA 62% vs SDA 75%; P = 0.653) and overall survival (DDA 76% vs SDA 78%; P = 0.300) at 18 months of follow-up were comparable. There was no significant difference in sensitivity or specificity of intraoperative FS for margin assessment between SDA and DDA. The type of intraoperative FS technique used did not affect loco-regional recurrence or overall survival., (Copyright © 2021 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

The authors have elaborated the cytological features of Warthin-like variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (WLPTC) presenting unusually with nodal metastasis in a 43-year-old lady, and which was reported on cytology as papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with lymphocytic thyroiditis., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) results from a series of genetic alteration in squamous cells. This particular type of cancer considers one of the most aggressive malignancies to control because of its frequent local invasions to the regional lymph node. Although several biomarkers have been reported, the key marker used to predict the behavior of the disease is largely unknown. Here we report Long INterpersed Element-1 (LINE1 or L1) retrotransposon activity in post-operative oral cancer samples. L1 is the only active retrotransposon occupying around 17% of the human genome with an estimated 500,000 copies. An active L1 encodes two proteins (L1ORF1p and L1ORF2p); both of which are critical in the process of retrotransposition. Several studies report that the L1 retrotransposon is highly active in many cancers. L1 activity is generally determined by assaying L1ORF1p because of its high expression and availability of the antibody. However, due to its lower expression and unavailability of a robust antibody, detection of L1ORF2p has been limited. L1ORF2p is the crucial protein in the process of retrotransposition as it provides endonuclease and reverse transcriptase (RT) activity., Methods: Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were performed on the post-operative oral cancer samples and murine tissues., Results: Using in house novel antibodies against both the L1 proteins (L1ORF1p and L1ORF2p), we found L1 retrotransposon is extremely active in post-operative oral cancer tissues. Here, we report a novel human L1ORF2p antibody generated using an 80-amino-acid stretch from the RT domain, which is highly conserved among different species. The antibody detects significant L1ORF2p expression in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) samples and murine germ tissues., Conclusions: We report exceptionally high L1ORF1p and L1ORF2p expression in post-operative oral cancer samples. The novel L1ORF2p antibody reported in this study will serve as a useful tool to understand why L1 activity is deregulated in OSCC and how it contributes to the progression of this particular cancer. Cross-species reactivity of L1ORF2p antibody due to the conserved epitope will be useful to study the retrotransposon biology in mice and rat germ tissues.

Background: Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) is a sinonasal malignancy seldom seen in clinical practice. It is also known by various other names like esthesioneuroblastoma, esthesioneuroepithelioma, esthesioneurocytoma, and esthesioneuroma. Surgery and radiation therapy are considered as standard treatment modalities for ONB; however, the role of chemotherapy is not well established., Aims: We aim to define the role of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting in a case of ONB., Methods and Results: We report a young female patient presenting with a naso-facial swelling causing facial disfigurement, proptosis, decreased visual acuity, and poor performance status. She was diagnosed with advanced-stage ONB. Prompt administration of chemotherapy led to the improvement in the symptoms and rapid regression of the tumor mass. Later on, the tumor mass was excised completely without any neurological deficit., Conclusion: This report justifies the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the management of ONB., (© 2020 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

High-throughput genotyping has become more convenient and cost-effective due to recent advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. Numerous approaches exploring sequencing advances for genotyping have been developed over the past decade, which includes different variants of genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), and restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). Most of these methods are based on the reduced representation of the genome, which ultimately reduces the cost of sequencing by many folds. However, continuously lowering the cost of sequencing makes it more convenient to use whole genome-based approaches. In this regard, skim sequencing, where low coverage whole-genome sequencing is used for the identification of large numbers of polymorphic markers cost-effectively. In the present review, we have discussed recent technological advancements, applicability, and challenges of skim sequencing-based genotypic approaches for crop improvement programmes. Skim sequencing is being extensively used for genotyping in diverse plant species and has a wide range of applications, particularly in quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genomewide association studies (GWAS), fine genetic map construction, and identification of recombination and gene conversion events in various breeding programmes. The cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and genomewide coverage will increase the application of skims sequencing-based genotyping. The article summarizes the protocol, uses, bioinformatics tools, its application, and future prospects of skim sequencing in crop improvement.

Schwannomas are a frequent cause of swellings in the head and neck region. Due to the abundance of peripheral, cranial and autonomic nerves in this region, schwannomas can present in variety of locations, posing a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the surgeon. Unusual sites in head and neck region can have varied presentation depending on the site of origin. We identified unusual extracranial locations of head and neck schwannomas, their presenting features and surgical management. Retrospective review of cases of extracranial head and neck schwannomas operated in the Department of Otolaryngology and Head-Neck Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, a tertiary referral centre between July 2015 and June 2019. A total of 42 cases of extracranial head and neck schwannomas were operated. Among them, 9 cases were found to arise from uncommon sites, such as parotid gland (n = 1), infratemporal fossa (n = 2), external auditory canal (n = 1), subglottis (n = 1), false vocal cord (n = 1), frontal recess (n = 1), maxillary sinus (n = 1) and retromolar trigone (n = 1). All patients underwent excision via relevant approaches. Nerve of origin was identified in 4/9 cases. One case had postoperative neurological deficit. No recurrences were noted in mean follow-up of 19 months. Schwannomas ought to be considered as a differential diagnosis for swellings/ mass in any part of head and neck region. Comprehensive evaluation with appropriate imaging and histology should be done in all cases. Preoperative counselling and consent regarding neurological deficit pertaining to possible nerve of origin is required in each case., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Informed Consent: Informed written consent has been obtained from the patients for the publication., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2020.)

A 12-year-old girl presented with left-sided decreased vision of 2-month duration. Clinical evaluation and imaging revealed fibrous dysplasia compressing the left optic nerve with no underlying endocrinological abnormalities. Best-corrected visual acuity showed progressive deterioration of vision over 2-month follow-up. She underwent navigation-assisted endonasal endoscopic optic nerve decompression. Post-surgery there was improvement in vision and it became normal (6/6). Six-month follow-up showed stable vision with no further complications., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Isolated laryngeal Leishmaniasis is a rare entity in the Indian subcontinent. We describe a case of a 45 year old male with hoarseness and noisy breathing. Patient's initial histological and serological workup was inconclusive. Final biopsy findings (suggestive of Leishmania donovani), positive rK-39 serology and his native place being Bihar (endemic for Leishmaniasis) led us to the diagnosis. He was treated with high dose liposomal Amphotericin B to which he responded well. This case report highlights the importance of remaining aware of rare infectious causes of laryngitis. Timely diagnosis and intervention are crucial., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors do not hold any conflicts of interest., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2019.)

Paragangliomas are neoplasms arising from extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue. They frequently cause symptoms by overproduction of catecholamines with known predilection to multicentricity. We describe the case of a patient with bilateral carotid body tumor who underwent a baseline 68 Gallium labeled [1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid]-1-NaI3-Octreotide., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Context: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) outcome measures in disease-free survivors of pathological T1/T2 tongue cancers and to compare QOL in patients treated with only surgery and with adjuvant treatment., Settings and Design: Cross-sectional survey., Patients and Methods: All pathological T1/T2 anterior tongue cancer cases with follow-up from January 2011 till December 2015, who had locoregionally controlled disease with a minimum disease-free survival period of 1 year, were included in the study., Results: A total of 36 patients, 28 are males and 8 are females with an age range of 24-66 years (median age of 43) were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups with (n = 26) and without adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (RT) (n = 10) and the University of Washington-QOL questionnaire version 4 for physical and social domains, global questions and three important domains were analyzed. On the physical and social domain scores, the surgery-alone group outscored the combined modality group on all scales and the differences were statistically significant for specific physical domains such as saliva (0.0001), taste (P = 0.0001), chewing (P = 0.0004), swallowing (P = 0.0026), and social domains such as mood (0.0001), pain (P = 0.0001), and shoulder function (P = 0.0061). The overall global QOL scores were also better for the surgical group compared with group which received adjuvant RT but was not statistically significant. All patients chose saliva as their top priority domain in the group which received radiation, and 60% chose "swallowing ability" as the preferred top priority domain in the only surgical group., Conclusions: Although locoregional control and disease-free survival are the major treatment-related endpoints for cancer management, QOL outcome measures have to assess to determine the impact of a treatment modality on patients well-being and for better rehabilitation of cancer-free patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.