Search

The marine red algae Kappaphycus alvarezii (KA), commonly known as cottonii , is a valuable resource with diverse applications. Research has primarily focused on its primary metabolites such as amino acids, proteins, plant hormones etc. Additionally, KA also produces secondary metabolites under stress, some of which exhibit antioxidant and antibacterial properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent in vitro and in vivo research on KA, delving into their therapeutic effects and potential pharmaceutical applications. The study followed a through literature survey in three databases. From the obtained literature, the studies fitting the criteria were reviewed. The study explores the underlying mechanisms behind the algae's diverse characteristics. The results show that KA is a valuable resource for potential therapeutic applications, but a deeper exploration of its various metabolites and rigorous research are necessary for a thorough understanding of its capabilities.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves, containing 20-30 % protein and essential amino acids (EAAs), present a promising source of sustainable plant-based protein alternatives. Deep eutectic solvent (DES) offers an eco-friendly, emerging solution for qualitative protein with great functionality, superior to the alkaline extraction-isoelectric precipitation (AE-IP). In this study, the protein extraction from detoxified cassava leaves using eight DESs composed of various HBAs and HBDs. Their physical properties, strong hydrogen bonds, and hydroxyl interactions were most effective for protein extraction. DES-8 (lactic acid: glycerol), emerged as optimal, providing higher protein content and recovery yield 22.16 ± 0.36 mg/g dm and 73.77 ± 1.05 %, respectively while slight reduction in extraction yield (16.85 ± 0.41 %) In addition, the extracted protein (DCPI-D 8 ) exhibited superior EAAs (40.36 %) leading hydrophilic amino acids (60.16 %). Lactic acid's mild acidity and glycerol's stabilizing properties preserved DCPI-D 8 ' s nutritional properties, significantly reducing antinutrients while maintaining protein integrity and enhancing its structural and functional qualities compared to AE-IP., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that we have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Microbial contamination and the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in mutton meat and during its slaughtering process were investigated through microbial source tracking and automated pathogen identification techniques. Samples from mutton meat, cutting boards, hand swabs, knives, weighing balances, and water sources were collected from four different retail sites in Coimbatore. Total plate count (TPC), yeast and mold count (YMC), coliforms, E. coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella , and Staphylococcus were examined across 91 samples. The highest microbial loads were found in the mutton-washed water, mutton meat, and cutting board samples. The automated pathogen identification system identified Staphylococcus species as the predominant contaminant and also revealed a 57% prevalence of Salmonella . Further analysis of goat meat inoculated with specific pathogens showed distinct volatile and metabolite profiles, identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Multivariate statistical analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA), identified potential biomarkers for pathogen contamination. The results highlight the significance of cross-contamination in the slaughtering process and suggest the use of volatile compounds as potential biomarkers for pathogen detection.

Introduction: To sustain hoop stress, prevent extrusion, and maintaining the function of the meniscus, the posterior root attachment point of the medial meniscus is essential. The purpose of this study is to determine the functional and radiological outcome of conservative therapy and meniscal repair for medial meniscal root tears., Materials and Methods: Prospective evaluations were performed on forty individuals who confirmed a diagnosis of Medial meniscus root tear (MMRT). Among the 40 patients, 20 underwent arthroscopic meniscal repair and 20 underwent conservative management and followed up a period of 2 years. Functional outcome between two groups was measured using Tegner Lysholm score and IKDC score. Radiological outcome was measured using X-rays (medial joint space width, joint space narrowing, K-L grade)., Results: Both group showed improvement in Lysholm score and IKDC. When comparing the clinical outcomes between both the groups, Group A showed significantly better outcome (P = 0.02). About 60% of patients in Group A and all patients in Group B showed K-L grade progression. Of the patients in Group A, 5% had significant K-L grade progression and 10% had severe joint space constriction. Of the patients in Group B, 80% had significant K-L grade progression and 25% had severe joint space constriction. Meniscal repair had considerably superior outcomes for radiologic parameters than conservative care (P < 0.01) when we examined the final results of Groups A and B., Conclusion: The MMRT repair group had better functional and radiological outcome than the conservative treatment group. Although treatment did not entirely stop the advancement of arthrosis, meniscal repair decreased the rate of arthritic changes when compared to the conservative group., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Introduction: Proximal humerus fractures are prevalent, especially among the elderly, and pose significant challenges in treatment, particularly for displaced fractures. Despite the availability of various surgical techniques, outcomes remain inconsistent, often due to poor anatomical reduction and fixation. This study examines the correlation between specific radiographic parameters and functional outcomes, aiming to identify key predictors of recovery. By focusing on these parameters, we aim to refine surgical approaches and improve follow-up strategies, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes., Materials and Methods: A retrospective study involved 40 patients aged 18-75 with proximal humerus fractures, treated with open reduction and plate fixation at Chettinad Hospital between April 2022 and April 2024. All surgeries were performed through anterior deltopectoral approach. Radiographic parameters were evaluated postoperatively, with patients followed for a period of 1 year. Functional outcomes were correlated with radiological parameters using follow-up radiographs and Constant-Murley (C-M) scores., Results: In this study of 40 patients with proximal humerus fractures, the mean age was 53.24 years, and the majority (60%) were male. The fractures predominantly affected the right side (62.5%), with road traffic accidents and falls being the leading causes. Neer's classification identified 10 patients with two-part fractures, 21 with three-part fractures, and 9 with four-part fractures. The average neck-shaft angle (NSA) was 138.62° ± 11.09°. Four patients with an NSA of ≤120° had fair to good functional outcomes, while those with an NSA >130° and a well-positioned greater tuberosity (GT) generally had better outcomes. The average distance between the GT and the acromion surface (AS) was 6 mm ± 1.4 mm, influencing shoulder abduction and functional results. Patients with an alpha/beta ratio below 1.40 mm, indicating lower bone density, had a higher incidence of screw cut-out. The mean C-M score at 6 months was 80.72, with 87.5% of patients achieving abduction above 90°. Complications occurred in 8 patients (20%), including varus collapse (10%), abduction <90° (12.5%), infection (2.5%), and screw cut-out (5%). Larger head diameters and heights were associated with better functional scores., Conclusion: Radiographic parameters such as the NSA, GT to AS distance, head diameter, head height, and alpha/beta ratio are crucial predictors of functional outcomes in proximal humerus fractures treated with PHILOS plates. Accurate reduction and medial column stabilization are a key to minimizing complications and improving patient recovery. Despite generally positive outcomes, challenges such as screw cut-out and varus collapse persist, highlighting the need for meticulous surgical technique and thorough post-operative management., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

In this study, ZnO, CdS, ZnO/CdS, and ZnO/CdS/Co nanostructures were successfully synthesized using a simple chemical precipitation method. The formation of these nanostructures was confirmed through x-ray diffraction (XRD), but their morphological properties were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their optical properties were investigated using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The photocatalytic activity of these materials was tested for the degradation of Reactive Blue 160 (RB 160) under visible light. It was observed that ZnO/CdS nanocomposites exhibited superior photocatalytic performance compared to pure ZnO. Furthermore, the inclusion of cobalt (Co) in the ZnO/CdS nanocomposites significantly enhanced this activity, likely due to improved visible light absorption. These findings suggest that ZnO/CdS/Co nanocomposites are promising candidates for efficient photocatalytic applications, particularly in environmental remediation under visible light., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We report 3 cases of transcatheter Fontan completion in conventional Glenn anastomosis patients without surgical preparation by creating a tunnel between the pulmonary artery and right atrium. Cavocaval anastomosis is established by placing a covered stent graft within the scaffold created with the uncovered stents at the pulmonary artery-right atrium and inferior vena cava-right atrium junction., Competing Interests: The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Foodborne illnesses pose a serious threat to public health, with increasing global incidence rates driven by factors such as rising meat consumption. Rapid detection of foodborne pathogens in meat is critical for preventing outbreaks. This study investigates the potential of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for identifying biomarkers and spectral fingerprints indicative of foodborne pathogens in raw chicken meat. Raw broiler chicken meat samples were surface-sterilized and inoculated with foodborne pathogens. The samples were challenge inoculated with the specific pathogen and the physical quality parameters like pH, color, texture, drip loss, and water activity were assessed. GC-MS analysis identified 113 metabolites, including potential biomarkers like ureidopropionic acid, 5-sulfosalicylic acid, 11,14-eicosadienoic acid, methyl ester for E . coli O157:H7; 11-bromoundecanoic acid, neocurdione, glafenin, eicosanoic acid for Salmonella ; azepan-1-yl-acetic acid, methyl ester, tramadol, cytarabine, dipipanone for Staphylococcus and cyclopentaneundecanoic acid, phosphonofluoridic acid, î-n-formyl-l-lysine for Pseudomonas . Pathway analysis revealed the involvement of fatty acid metabolism and amino acid degradation pathways. FTIR spectral data showed significant variances between control and spiked samples, particularly in the fatty acid spectral region. The identified metabolites and spectral patterns could serve as biomarkers for developing rapid pathogen detection methods, contributing to enhanced food safety protocols.

Background: Adherence to chemotherapy regimens is crucial for achieving optimal treatment outcomes in cancer patients. However, measuring adherence remains a significant challenge. This study aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive self-report tool for assessing chemotherapy adherence., Methods: The Chemotherapy Adherence Assessment Scale (CAAS) was developed through a multi-stage process involving literature review, expert input, and pilot testing. Face validation was conducted with 23 subject experts, and content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index (CVI). The CAAS was pilot-tested on 28 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Psychometric properties were evaluated through internal consistency analysis (Cronbach's alpha) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)., Results: Face validation revealed 85% agreement among experts regarding grammar, clarity, and content. The CVI was 0.81 for individual items and 0.83 for the overall scale, indicating good content validity. Cronbach's alpha was 0.789, demonstrating strong internal consistency. The EFA yielded a robust five-factor structure, explaining 94.63% of the total variance. Most items exhibited strong factor loadings (>0.7) and high communalities (>0.7), supporting the construct validity of the CAAS., Conclusions: The CAAS demonstrated robust psychometric properties, including good content validity, high internal consistency, and a well-defined factor structure capturing key dimensions of chemotherapy adherence. The CAAS represents a valuable contribution to adherence assessment in oncology settings, with potential applications in clinical practice and adherence interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Negligence of public transport drivers due to drowsiness poses risks not only to their own lives but also to the lives of passengers. The designed journey tracker system alerts the drivers and activates potential penalties. A custom EfficientNet model architecture, based on EfficientNet design principles, is built and trained using the Media Research Lab (MRL) eye dataset. Reflections in frames are filtered out to ensure accurate detections. A 10 min initial period is utilized to understand the driver's baseline behavior, enhancing the reliability of drowsiness detections. Input from drivers is considered to determine the frame rate for more precise real-time monitoring. Only the eye regions of individual drivers are captured to maintain privacy and ethical standards, fostering driver comfort. Hyperparameter tuning and testing of different activation functions during model training aim to strike a balance between model complexity, performance and computational cost. Obtained an accuracy rate of 95% and results demonstrate that the "swish" activation function outperforms ReLU, sigmoid and tanh activation functions in extracting hierarchical features. Additionally, models trained from scratch exhibit superior performance compared to pretrained models. This system promotes safer public transportation and enhances professionalism by monitoring driver alertness. The system detects closed eyes and performs a cross-reference using personalization data and pupil detection to trigger appropriate alerts and impose penalties., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yashaswini, Arun, Shashikala, Raj, Vani and Flammini.)

Aim: The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the antibacterial effectiveness of carnosic acid, propolis, and calcium hydroxide when used as intracanal medications against Enterococcus faecalis ., Methodology: Forty-six human mandibular single-rooted premolar root lengths were standardized to 12 mm after decoronation. Cleaning and shaping were performed. The specimens were placed in Eppendorf Tubes and autoclaved. E. faecalis was inoculated into the canals and incubated for 21 days. The teeth were categorized into four groups: I - carnosic acid, II - propolis, III - calcium hydroxide, and IV - nonmedicated group. The medicaments were applied to the root canals and incubated for 14 days. The DNA extraction of E. faecalis was obtained from dentinal shavings harvested at 400-μm depth and a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed., Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's intergroup comparison test in SPSS software., Results: E. faecalis present were 4.14, 6.98, 3.80, and 56.84 mean copies/μl in groups I, III, III, and IV, respectively. A significant difference in antibacterial efficacy was observed between medicated and untreated control groups. However, no statistically significant differences were observed among the groups treated with different medicaments., Conclusion: Carnosic acid has promising antibacterial activity against E. faecalis when used as an intracanal medicament., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics.)

Introduction: Unstable intertrochanteric fracture poses challenges in terms of obtaining stable fixation and good post-operative outcomes. There is a paucity of clinical data comparing the commonly used proximal femoral nail (PFN) and PFN anti-rotation (PFNA) implants, especially in relation to osteoporosis. The purpose of this study is to assess the comparative performance of PFN and PFNA fixation in the treatment of unstable femur intertrochanteric fractures., Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted to understand and analyze the advantages of PFNA over PFN in the management of unstable intertrochanteric fractures from May 2021 to October 2023 at the Department of Orthopaedics, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam. Patients presenting with an unstable intertrochanteric fracture with Singh's Index grades 1, 2, and 3 were included. Boyd and Griffin classification types 2, 3, and 4 were included in the study. The patients were randomized into two types of implant groups. All patients were operated with a standard protocol. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 6 months and any complications were noted. A comparison of functional outcomes was done using the Modified Harris Hip Score. Statistical analysis was done using the unpaired t-test/Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test/Fisher's exact test. A P < 0.05 was considered significant., Results: Every follow-up period included a Harris Hip Score assessment. At 3 months, the average score of PFN was 71.9 (range 66-81) and at 6 months it was 77.86 (range 72-90). For PFNA, at 3 months, the average score was 74.87 (range 66-81), and at 6 months, it was 89.3 (range 76-94). The improvement was seen well in the PFNA group which is statistically significant (P = 0.023). The most prevalent fracture was a type 2 fracture., Conclusion: The results showed PFNA has better rotation stability with single screws and better functional outcomes in treating unstable intertrochanteric fractures when compared to PFN., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Introduction: Post-operative pain after orthopedic surgery has remained a challenging problem, which prolongs hospital stay and early rehabilitation. Pregabalin comes under the class of gabapentinoids that have been used in postoperative pain in arthroplasty and spine surgeries but studies regarding its role as pre-emptive analgesia in orthopedic limb surgeries are very few., Aims: To compare the efficacy of pre-operative pregabalin with a placebo drug in early post-operative pain management for lower limb orthopedics surgeries., Materials and Methods: A randomized double blinded prospective study was undertaken. Sixty patients were enrolled with age between 18 and 70 years and were divided into 2 groups. Group A - received 150 mg of oral pregabalin capsule, and Group B - received matched color empty capsules. Standard spinal anesthesia was given. Breakthrough analgesia was given with an injection of tramadol 50 mg intravenous. Assessment of pain was done with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h., Results: In comparison to Group B, Group A had a significantly lower postoperative VAS score and required much less breakthrough analgesia within the 1st 24 h after surgery., Conclusion: In orthopedic lower limb fracture surgeries, pre-emptive pregabalin of 150 mg provides adequate postoperative analgesia with relatively few unfavorable side effects., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Introduction: Lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, affects 1%-3% of adults aged 35-50, causing pain and weakness in the dominant elbow due to chronic inflammation of the extensor tendon. While corticosteroid injections (CSI) are commonly used for treatment, they offer only short-term relief. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a promising alternative with potential for long-term benefits. This study compares the efficacy of PRP and CSI in treating lateral epicondylitis., Materials & Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute from February 2020 to March 2021, involving patients with lateral epicondylitis unresponsive to non-invasive treatments. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either PRP or CSI, with pre- and post-treatment pain and function assessed using VAS, PSFS, and PRTEE scores., Results: PRP showed better long-term pain reduction and functional improvement than CSI. At 6 months, PRP-treated patients had significantly lower VAS and PRTEE scores, indicating superior outcomes., Discussion: Although CSI provided quicker initial relief, PRP demonstrated sustained benefits at 3 and 6 months. PRP's effectiveness in promoting tissue healing may explain its long-term success., Conclusion: PRP is more effective than CSI for long-term management of lateral epicondylitis, offering superior pain relief and functional improvement., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Sepsis following burn trauma is a global complication with high mortality, with ∼60% of burn patient deaths resulting from infectious complications. Diagnosing sepsis is complicated by confounding clinical manifestations of the burn injury, and current biomarkers lack the sensitivity and specificity required for prompt treatment. There is a strong rationale to assess circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) from patient liquid biopsy as sepsis biomarkers due to their release by pathogens from bacterial biofilms and roles in the subsequent immune response. This study applies Raman spectroscopy to patient plasma-derived EVs for rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of sepsis in burn patients, achieving 97.5% sensitivity and 90.0% specificity. Furthermore, spectral differences between septic and non-septic burn patient EVs could be traced to specific glycoconjugates of bacterial strains associated with sepsis morbidity. This work illustrates the potential application of EVs as biomarkers in clinical burn trauma care and establishes Raman analysis as a fast, label-free method to specifically identify features of bacterial EVs relevant to infection amongst the host background., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Extracellular Vesicles published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.)

Background: Branch pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis must be addressed early to prevent right ventricular scarring and establish lung blood flow. Balloon-mounted stents are more useful in managing right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction and PA stenosis., Materials and Methods: We studied the clinical and angiographic data of children with congenital heart disease who underwent stenting for RVOT obstruction and branch PA stenosis using the Formula stent (Cook Medical, Limerick, Ireland) between 2018 and 2024 in a tertiary pediatric cardiac center in southern India., Results: Our patient cohort included 65 patients with a median age of 3 years (range: 3 months to 17 years). The median weight of patients was 11.5 kg (4.8-60.4 kg), with 40% weighing <10 kg. Out of the 87 stents implanted, four stents were implanted in RVOT, while the rest were branch PA stenting. The median stent length was 20 mm (12-60 mm), and the median stent diameter was 10 mm (5-10 mm). All stents were deployed using 5Fr to 8Fr sheaths or guiding catheters. The median procedure time was 62 min (20-170 min), with a median fluoroscopy time of 15 min (4-110 min). A total of 17 (19%) stents in 14 patients required further dilatation at a mean interval of 25 ± 4 months from the time of stenting. Ballooning resulted in an increase in diameter from 7.8 ± 2.2 mm to 10.2 ± 1.7 mm. Right ventricular systolic pressure had reduced from 70.3 ± 8 to 40.1 ± 1 mmHg after balloon dilatation in patients with a biventricular heart., Conclusion: The Formula stent provides a comprehensive stent size option, requiring smaller sheaths, reduced procedural time, minimum complications, and an acceptable rate of reinterventions., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Annals of Pediatric Cardiology.)

Introduction: This study was conducted to compare the quantity of intercondylar bone removed during femoral box osteotomy for implantation of three contemporary newer generation posterior stabilized (PS) total knee arthroplasty designs Attune PS (DePuy), Anthem (Smith and Nephews), and NexGen Legacy (Zimmer) with the older version from the same manufacturers., Materials and Methods: We compared the maximum volumetric bone resection required for the housing of the PS mechanism of these six designs. Bone removal by each PS box cutting jig was three-dimensionally measured. The differences between the three designs were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for pairwise comparisons. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05., Results: The newer generation implants save approximately 33% of bone that was resected from the box cut as compared to the older versions. DePuys Attune PS saved 27.1% bone as compared to Sigma PS resecting 6.96 cm3 of bone, and Zimmers Persona saved 40.57% bone as compared to NexGen from the intercondylar box cut resecting 6.18 cm3. Smith and Nephew s Anthem and Genesis have no difference in their box volume with both resecting 7.8 cm3 of bone., Conclusion: Irrespective of implant size, the Attune PS (DePuy) and Nexgen Legacy (Zimmer) cutting jigs always resected significantly less bone than did the jigs of older generations. There was no significant difference in the bone removed during femoral box osteotomy in the newer and older generations of Smith and Nephew., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Since extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising drug delivery system, diverse methods have been used to load them with active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in preclinical and clinical studies. However, there is yet to be an engineered EV formulation approved for human use, a barrier driven in part by the intrinsic heterogeneity of EVs. API loading is rarely assessed in the context of single vesicle measurements of physicochemical properties but is likely administered in a heterogeneous fashion to the detriment of a consistent product. Here, we applied a suite of single-particle resolution methods to determine the loading of rhodamine 6G (R6G) surrogate cargo mimicking hydrophilic small molecule drugs across four common API loading methods: sonication, electroporation, freeze-thaw cycling and passive incubation. Loading efficiencies and alterations in the physical properties of EVs were assessed, as well as co-localization with common EV-associated tetraspanins (i.e., CD63, CD81 and CD9) for insight into EV subpopulations. Sonication had the highest loading efficiency, yet significantly decreased particle yield, while electroporation led to the greatest number of loaded API particles, albeit at a lower efficiency. Moreover, results were often inconsistent between repeated runs within a given method, demonstrating the difficulty in developing a rigorous loading method that consistently loaded EVs across their heterogeneous subpopulations. This work highlights the significance of how chosen quantification metrics can impact apparent conclusions and the importance of single-particle characterization of EV loading., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Extracellular Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.)

Introduction: The knee joint primarily allows for flexion and extension and is essentially a hinge joint. The knee joint, like all hinge joints, is strengthened by collateral ligaments - one on each side of the joint., Objective: Our study sought to investigate potential correlations between arthroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) examination in the diagnosis of traumatic diseases of the knee., Methods and Materials: A prospective study was conducted on 30 persons who showed signs of having traumatic knee disease. Following a comprehensive evaluation of the patient s medical history and current state of health, we opted to undergo an arthroscopic evaluation and knee MRL., Results: The sensitivity of the MRI was 93.87%, the specificity was 91.54%, the accuracy was 92.50%, and the negative predictive value was 95.58% when compared to arthroscopic inspection as the gold standard., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that MRIs frequently misdiagnose individuals with multiple knee injuries or fail to detect a lesion while doing a diagnostic evaluation. Therefore, if the MRI comes out normal, there is no reason to deny the patient arthroscopy. Due to this MRI flaw, researchers have determined that arthroscopy can be performed following a comprehensive clinical assessment without the need for an MRI., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Background: Adolescence, a volatile period of growth between the ages of 10 and 19, is associated with increased vulnerability to mental health problems. Factors such as academic pressure can contribute to these challenges., Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the factors and prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents in the urban and rural areas of Mysuru district., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in private high schools in both urban and rural regions. Prior permission and informed consent were obtained from participants and their legal guardians aged 18 years and older., Results: The gender distribution in urban areas was 60.2% female and 39.8% male, while in rural areas, it was 51% male and 49% female. The prevalence of depression was higher in rural (39.3%) than in urban areas (24.2%), while anxiety was more prevalent in urban (50.6%) than in rural areas (49%). Stress was also more common in rural (16.6%) than urban adolescents (14.6%). Factors significantly associated with mental health outcomes included monthly family income, parenting practices, academic pressures, and self-esteem. Key needs identified were mobile mental health applications, online counseling services, and access to school counselors., Conclusion: This study provides insights into the prevalence and correlates of common mental health issues among adolescents in this region of South India. The findings emphasize the necessity of providing mobile applications and offline counseling services to effectively support and meet the needs of adolescents in these settings., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Introduction: Calcaneal fractures are rare injuries constituting 2% of all fractures. Fractures of calcaneum correspond to nearly 60-75% of the tarsal bone fractures. The calcaneum is the most commonly fractured tarsal bone 90% occur in males between 21 and 45 years of age. The calcaneal fracture may be extra-articular (sparing the subtalar joint) and intra-articular involving the subtalar joint. Intra-articular fractures account for approximately 75% of calcaneal fractures and have been associated with poor functional outcomes. In this study, we aim to assess the functional outcome of internal fixation in displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures., Materials and Methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted on patients with only intra-articular calcaneal fractures admitted to Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam during the period from May 1, 2022, to February 29, 2024, and a total of 32 patients were considered. The functional outcome was assessed by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle Hindfoot Scoring System., Results: The average age of the patients in our study was 39 years of which all were male. Fall from height is the most common mode of injury. The right calcaneum is more commonly involved than the left. The mean duration of hospital stay was around 10 days. The fracture classification was based on the sanders and Essex-Lopresti classification of which 17 patients were sanders type 3 and 13 patients were sanders type 2 and 1 patient was sanders type 4. The mean time for radiological union is 12 weeks. The Bohler's angle and Gissane's angle preoperatively 16.16 ± 8.87 and 121.48 ± 7.47 restored to near normal values after fixation 27.77 ± 6.02 and 113.485 ± 44, respectively. Heel height and heel width restored to near normal values of (pre-operative heel height - 24.74 ± 3.71 and heel width - 39.97 ± 4.11 and post-operative heel height - 31.55 ± 3.38 and heel width - 34.0 ± 3.1), respectively. The most common complications were wound-related complications (superficial wound infection - 9.7%, deep wound infection - 3.2%, and wound margin necrosis and wound dehiscence 6.4%) and the most common late complications were complex regional pain syndrome - 9.7% and subfibular lateral impingement with peroneal tendinitis - 6.5%. AOFAS grading of functional outcome had shown good to excellent results in 83.8% (26 patients) of the cases. The mean AOFAS score was 83.39 in our study., Conclusion: The present study shows that open reduction and internal fixation give superior radiographic results as shown by the restoration of Bohler's and Gissane's angle and height and width of the calcaneus to near normal values, indicating anatomical restoration of calcaneal shape. The functional outcome by AOFAS score showed good to excellent results in most of the patients with minimal wound complications., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Background: Orthodontic retention protocols are crucial for maintaining treatment stability post-orthodontic treatment. However, the optimal retention strategy remains debated., Methods: A retrospective analysis of patient records from a tertiary orthodontic center over 5 years was conducted. Variables, including retention protocols employed, duration of retention, and treatment stability, were weighed., Results: Fixed retainers were the most commonly utilized retention protocol, followed by removable retainers and combination methods. Although the incidence of treatment relapse appeared higher among patients with removable retainers, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Combination protocols demonstrated comparable treatment stability to fixed retainers., Conclusion: This research gives understanding of the effectiveness of orthodontic retention protocols in a tertiary center setting. While fixed retainers remain widely used, removable retainers and combination methods also show promise in maintaining treatment stability. Addressing patient compliance issues and optimizing retention strategies based on individual patient needs are essential for enhancing treatment outcomes., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer represents itself as the most prevalent malignancy among postmenopausal women. One of the promising therapeutic approaches involves the use of Aromatase inhibitors, which competitively bind to Aromatase, reducing estrone and estradiol levels. While current drugs have improved survival rates, they are not without adverse effects. Consequently, this study explores the computational screening of medicinally relevant compounds derived from okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus ) for potential Aromatase inhibition. Molecular docking employing AMDock v1.5.2 was utilized to assess binding affinities with Aromatase (PDB:3EQM). Subsequently, in-depth molecular interactions were examined using Discovery Studio Visualizer v4.5, and the stability of docked complexes was evaluated via molecular dynamics with the GROMACS package, focusing on RMSD, RMSF, H-bond count, SASA, Free energy landscape, Principal Component Analysis and binding affinity assessment. The pharmacokinetic properties of the okra compounds were predicted using admetSAR v2.0. Our findings highlight Quercetin 3-gentiobioside as a standout candidate, demonstrating superior binding affinity (-10 kcal/mol) and an estimated Ki of 46.77 nM compared to letrozole and other okra compounds. Molecular dynamic analysis confirms the stability of Quercetin 3-gentiobioside binding in terms of H-bonds and conformational integrity. In conclusion, our computational investigation identifies Quercetin 3-gentiobioside, along with Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside and Hyperin, as promising candidates for preclinical studies in the pursuit of potential Aromatase inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Metastasis is the principal factor in poor prognosis for individuals with osteosarcoma (OS). Understanding the events that lead to metastasis is critical to develop better interventions for this disease. Alveolar macrophages are potentially involved in priming the lung microenvironment for OS metastasis, yet the mechanisms involved in this process remain unclear. Since extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a known actor in primary tumor development, their potential role in OS metastagenesis through macrophage modulation is explored here. The interaction of EVs isolated from highly metastatic (K7M2) and less metastatic (K12) osteosarcoma cell lines is compared with a peritoneal macrophage cell line. An EV concentration that reproducibly induced macrophage migration is identified first, then used for later experiments. By confocal microscopy, both EV types associated with M0 or M1 macrophages; however, only K7M2-EVs are associated with M2 macrophages, an interaction that is abrogated by EV pre-treatment with anti-CD47 antibody. Interestingly, all interactions appeared to be surface binding, not internalized. In functional studies, K7M2-EVs polarized fewer macrophages to M1. Together, these data suggest that K7M2-EVs have unique interactions with macrophages that can contribute to the production of a higher proportion of pro-tumor type macrophages, thereby accelerating metastasis., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Biology published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Sepsis following burn trauma is a global complication with high mortality, with ~60% of burn patient deaths resulting from infectious complications. Sepsis diagnosis is complicated by confounding clinical manifestations of the burn injury, and current biomarkers markers lack the sensitivity and specificity required for prompt treatment. Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) from patient liquid biopsy as biomarkers of sepsis due to their release by pathogens from bacterial biofilms and roles in subsequent immune response. This study applies Raman spectroscopy to patient plasma derived EVs for rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of sepsis in burn patients, achieving 97.5% sensitivity and 90.0% specificity. Furthermore, spectral differences between septic and non-septic burn patient EVs could be traced to specific glycoconjugates of bacterial strains associated with sepsis morbidity. This work illustrates the potential application of EVs as biomarkers in clinical burn trauma care, and establishes Raman analysis as a fast, label-free method to specifically identify features of bacterial EVs relevant to infection amongst the host background., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: Conventional radiography has always been cited as the gold standard for assessing the structural changes associated with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The purpose of the study was to compare the joint space width between both leg-standing and one-leg-standing radiographs in an assessment of the severity of OA of the knee., Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with medial compartment OA were deployed for the study. Patients underwent both leg standing radiographs and one-leg standing radiograph on the affected leg. Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) radiographic classification was used to assess the severity of OA using joint space width., Conclusion: The mean medial joint space width decreased from 3.26 mm in both legs of the standing radiograph to 1.98 mm in the one-leg standing radiograph. Patients on both leg standing radiographs appreciated an increase in grade during the single leg radiograph. Nearly 52% of patients with both leg standing radiographs have changed the KL grading to a more severe grade when undergone a single leg standing radiograph. One-leg standing radiograph was found to be a better representation of joint space width than both-leg standing radiographs., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

The cassava leaves protein isolate extraction and optimization were investigated using response surface methodology, where the maximum protein content (21.83 ± 0.41 g/100 g dm), extraction yield (18.31 ± 0.53%), and protein recovery yield (69 ± 1.31%) were obtained at optimal conditions: 114 min extraction time, 46 °C extraction temperature, 23.5 mL/g solvent/solute ratio and pH 11.0 value. The presence of toxicant (Cyanide) and anti-nutrient (tannin) in cassava leaves reduced the bio-accessibility of its protein isolate, strictly prohibiting its consumption. Therefore, detoxification was applied to diminish cyanide and tannin to 85% and 69% in leaves, respectively, where the protein content was reduced to 9.7%. However, detoxified cassava leaf protein isolate exhibited changes in the compositional, structural, morphological, molecular, and thermal characteristics compared to the controlled one. Moreover, the functional properties in protein isolate improved after detoxification at different pH conditions, which can be used as an active ingredient in various foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Context: With the union of machine learning (ML) and quantum chemistry, amid the debate between machine-learned functionals and human-designed functionals in density functional theory (DFT), this paper aims to demonstrate the generation of potential energy surfaces using computations with machine-learned density functional approximation (ML-DFA). A recent research trend is the application of ML in quantum sciences in the design of density functionals such as DeepMind's Deep Learning model (DeepMind21, DM21). Though science reported the state-of-the-art performance of DM21, the opportunity to utilize DeepMind's pretrained DM21 neural networks in computations in quantum chemistry has not yet been tapped. So far in the literature, the Deep Learning density functionals (DM21) have not been applied to generate potential energy surfaces. While the superior accuracy of DM21 has been reported, there is still a scarcity of publications that apply DM21 in calculations in the field. In this context, for the first time in literature, neural density functionals inferring 2D potential energy surfaces (ML-DFA-PES) based on machine-learned DFA-based computational method is contributed in this paper. This paper reports the ML-DFA-generated PES for C 4 H 8 , H 2 O, H 2 , and H 2 + by employing a pretrained DM21m TensorFlow model with cc-pVDZ basis set. In addition, we also analyze the long-range behavior of DM21 based PES to investigate the ability to describe a system at long ranges. Furthermore, we compare PES diagrams from DM21 with popular DFT functionals (b3lyp/ PW6B95) and CCSD(T)., Methods: In this method, 2D potential energy surfaces are obtained using a method that relies upon the neural network's ability to accurately learn the mapping between 3D electron density and exchange-correlation potential. By inserting Deep Learning inference in DFT with a pretrained neural network, self-consistent field (SCF) energy at different geometries along the coordinates of interest is computed, and then, potential energy surfaces are plotted. In this method, first, the electron density is computed mathematically, and this computed 3D electron density is used as a ML feature vector to predict the exchange correlation potential as a ML inference computed by a forward pass of pre-trained DM21 TensorFlow computational graph, followed by the computation of self-consistent field energy at multiple geometries, and then, SCF energies at different bond lengths/angles are plotted as 2D PES. We implement this in a python source code using frameworks such as PySCF and DM21. This paper contributes this implementation in open source. The source code and DM21-DFA-based PES are contributed at https://sites.google.com/view/MLfunctionals-DeepMind-PES ., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Study Design: Systematic literature review., Objectives: To analyze the evidence available reporting complications in single or two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using a demineralized bone matrix (DBM), hydroxyapatite (HA), or beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)., Methods: A systematic review of the literature using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases was performed in August 2020 to identify studies reporting complications in one or two-level ACDF surgery using DBM, HA, or β-TCP. The study was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines., Results: A total of 1857 patients were included, 981 male and 876 female, across 17 articles; 5 prospective, and 12 retrospectives. We noted heterogeneity among the included studies concerning the study design and combination of graft materials utilized in them. However, we noted a higher incidence of adjacent segment disease (17.7%) and pseudoarthrosis (9.3%) in fusion constructs using DBM. Studies using β-TCP reported a higher incidence of pseudoarthrosis (28.2%) and implant failures (17.9%)., Conclusions: Degenerative cervical conditions treated with one or two-level ACDF surgery using DBM, HA, or β-TCP with or without cervical plating are associated with complications such as adjacent segment disease, dysphagia, and pseudarthrosis. However, consequent to the study designs and clinical heterogeneity of the studies, it is not possible to correlate these complications accurately with any specific graft material employed. Further well-designed prospective studies are needed to correctly know the related morbidity of each graft used for achieving fusion in ACDF., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: ATEC-attended course in San Diego, travel and lodging supported by ATEC, ATEC-own stock options that were purchased personally. Fehling Instruments GmbH, Stayble Therapeutics Via Regenerate Life Sciences GmbH, Mundipharma Via Regenerate Life Sciences GmbH, Spinplant GmbH. Depuy Synthes. Yes, various lawfirms me, AO Foundation Board reimbursements, Bone biologics Personal investment, Surgitech Personal investment, Pearldiver Personal investment. SeaSpine (past, paid to the institution), Next Science (paid directly to institution), Motion Metrics (past, paid to the institution), NIH SBIR grant NIH SBIR Subaward, MAX BioPharma, Cerapedics (past), The Scripps Research Institute (past), AO Spine (past), Xenco Medical (past), AO Spine, North American Spine Society, US 2014O194364A1, US010391142B2, North American Spine Society: committee member, Lumbar Spine Society: Co-chair Educational Committee, AOSpine Knowledge Forum Degenerative: Associate member, AOSNA Research committee-committee member. Medtronic, Baxter, SafeOrthopaedics, Croatian Society of Vertebrology, Medtronic, Paid consultant for company, SI Bone Research support to institution, AO Spine Research support to institution, Mizuho Orthopedics Systems Research support to institution, Medtronic Paid consultant for company.

Study Design: Systematic Review of the Literature., Objective: The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review describing fusion rates for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using autograft vs various interbody devices augmented with different osteobiologic materials., Methods: A systematic review limited to the English language was performed in Medline, Embase and Cochrane library using Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms. Studies that evaluated fusion after ACDF using autografts and osteobiologics combined with PEEK, carbon fibre, or metal cages were searched for. Articles in full text that met the criteria were included in the review. The main outcomes evaluated were the time taken to merge, the definition of the fusion assessment, and the modality of the fusion assessment. The risk of bias of each article was assessed by the MINORS score or ROB 2.0 depending on the randomisation process., Results: The total number of references reviewed was six hundred and eighty-two. After applying the inclusion criteria, 54 were selected for the retrieval of the full text. Eight studies were selected and included for final analysis in this study. Fusion rates were reported between 83.3% and 100% for autograft groups compared to 46.5% and 100% for various interbody device/osteobiological combinations. The overall quality of the evidence in all radiographic fusion studies was considered insufficient due to a serious risk of bias., Conclusion: Mechanical interbody devices augmented with osteobiologics performed similarly to autografts in terms of reliability and efficacy. Their time to fusion and fusion rate were comparable to autografts at the end of the final follow-up., 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.

Background: Acute liver failure in the pediatric population is often accompanied by deranged metabolism, severe encephalopathy and coagulopathy. A liver transplant is the most viable option for the management of such patients. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is helpful in improving the liver biochemistry profile, thereby, increasing their likelihood of undergoing a liver transplant METHOD: The study was conducted over a period of 3 years (January 2018 to December 2021). Indications mainly consisted of ALF with hepatic encephalopathy, worsening liver parameters in spite of medical management, and candidacy for undergoing a liver transplant. Plasma exchange was performed daily or alternatively until the patient recovered, succumbed, or was stable enough to undergo a transplant. Biochemical parameters serum bilirubin, ALT, AST serum ammonia serum urea, serum creatinine were recorded before and after TPE sessions., Results: The study group comprised 14 patients of which a total of 28 TPE was performed. There were a total of 5 cases of cryptogenic ALF, 4 of Wilson disease, 2 cases each of infection-related ALF and autoimmune hepatitis, and a single case of drug-induced hepatitis. A total of 5 out of 14 patients underwent a liver transplant and amongst the 9 who did not undergo a transplant, 4 patients expired due to septic shock syndrome; the remaining 5 were discharged in a stable condition following TPE sessions. The disease-free survival was 78.9% and the transplant-free survival was 35.71%., Conclusion: TPE plays a crucial role in improving the biochemistry profile of the liver in children with liver failure., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate and assess the influence of maxillary molar rotation on severity of dental class II malocclusion., Materials and Methods: The study comprised of 4 different groups namely, 1/4th class II malocclusion, 2/4th class II malocclusion, 3/4th class II malocclusion and full class II malocclusion involving sample size of 20,15,16 and 12. The samples were subjected to digital evaluation of maxillary 1st permanent molar rotation using 4 parameters namely angle of Friel, Ricketts E-Line, angle of Henry and Premolar angle., Results: The results were subjected to statistical analysis using one way ANOVA wherein group IV (Full class II malocclusion) exhibited a greater rotational value. On evaluation, angle of Friel exhibited a mean of 59.6±1.61 degrees, Ricketts E-Line was found to be 12.3±1.77mm while angle of Henry showed a mean of 19±3.19 degrees and premolar angle was 12.5±5.83 degrees., Conclusion: On evaluating molar rotation using angle of Friel, Ricketts E-Line, angle of Henry and premolar angle, full cusp class II malocclusion presented higher degree of mesiopalatal rotation maxillary molar rotation. With increasing mesiopalatal rotation, the severity of molar relation also increased from 1/4th to full class II. Hence the maxillary molar spatial position along the long axis majorly influences the molar relation wherein a full cusp class II molar relation exhibits higher degree of molar rotation., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Orthodontic Science.)

Clinicians and administrators are applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) Techniques widely as the promising results of their applications in the healthcare have been established. The meaningful impact of the AI applications will be limited unless it is coherently applied with human diagnosis and inputs from specialist clinician. This will help to address limitations and take advantage of the promises of the AI techniques. Machine Learning is one of the AI technique that finds high relevance in the medicine and health care. This review provides an overall glimpse of current practices and research outcomes of the application of the AI techniques in the healthcare and medical practices. It further describes Machine Learning Techniques in disease prediction and scope for food formulations for combatting disease., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAll the authors certify that there is no conflict of interest in the submission., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2022.)

Introduction: The bleaching of the teeth is known to reduce the bonding of the orthodontic brackets. Hence, this in vitro study was piloted to analyze if there was any variance between the teeth that were and were not bleached when the adhesive boosters were used and for its effect on the shear bond strength., Materials and Procedures: Hundred premolars (maxillary) that had been excised were randomly split into two groups: bleached teeth and unbleached teeth. The bleaching agent was gel composed of 22% carbamide peroxide. Maxillary premolar brackets were bonded, and each group was subdivided as control and adhesive booster Enhance LC groups. A universal testing device was used for debonding. The SBS thus recorded was compared for the subgroups and groups., Results: Significant variance was obtained for between the groups and between the subgroups. Higher bond strength was for the non-bleached teeth than the bleached teeth and was seen in the adhesive booster subgroup than the control group., Conclusion: In summary, adhesive boosters dramatically raised the shear bond strength of teeth irrespective of the bleaching. Further in vivo studies are suggested., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

A promoter is a region in the genome sequence located upstream of the transcription start site comprising cis acting elements that initiates and regulates the transcription of an associated genes and restriction endonucleases. As the need for genetically engineered plants has widened, the requirement to develop methods to optimize the control of transgene expression has also increased. Therefore, analyzing the functionality of the promoter is very important in understanding the target gene expression. The widespread use of viral constitutive promoters (cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMV35) has raised concerns about the safety and containment of transgene in the environment. Hence isolation and characterization of novel promoters using fast and efficient genetic engineering tools is the need of the hour. The present study, for the first time, describes the isolation and characterization of a novel constitutive promoter driving ubiquitin E3 ligase from the plant Coleus amboinicus, a perennial herb, of the Lamiaceae family. The functionality of the isolated promoter was demonstrated using the β -glucuronidase as a reporter in tobacco var Petit havana. The development of blue color in the tobacco leaves indicated the presence of a functional promoter., (© 2022 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Biomarkers are biological molecules associated with physiological changes of the body and aids in the detecting the onset of disease in patients. There is an urgent need for self-monitoring and early detection of cardiovascular and other health complications. Several blood-based biomarkers have been well established in diagnosis and monitoring the onset of diseases. However, the detection level of biomarkers in bed-side analysis is difficult and complications arise due to the endothelial dysfunction. Currently single volatile organic compounds (VOCs) based sensors are available for the detection of human diseases and no dedicated nanosensor is available for the elderly. Moreover, accuracy of the sensors based on a single analyte is limited. Hence, breath analysis has received enormous attention in healthcare due to its relatively inexpensive, rapid, and noninvasive methods for detecting diseases. This review gives a detailed analysis of how biomarker imprinted nanosensor can be used as a noninvasive method for detecting VOC to health issues early using exhaled breath analysis.

Introduction: In India in 2020, there were an estimated 1.39 million cancers present in the country. Chemotherapy patients experience several problems such as ADRs (adverse drug reactions), and because of this, many dropouts have been happening. Also, there is a lack of communication between the patient and care providers (doctors)., Objectives: Development and validation of a comprehensive needs assessment tool to assess the burden of chemotherapy on patients attending tertiary level health care facilities., Materials and Methods: Development and validation of comprehensive needs assessment in cancer chemotherapy involve several steps, including problem statement and literature review regarding the problem, domain generation, development of the preliminary questionnaire, face validation, statistical validation, and final draft of the tool., Results: A total of 10 experts are involved in face validation. The majority (80%) of the experts agreed with the grammar, clarity, and content of the tool. A few experts (20%) disagreed regarding the construction of the questionnaire, the appropriate level of understanding for the participants, and the content of the tool and suggested changes in the physical and psychological domains. The questionnaire has been re-structured according to the expert's suggestion before going for statistical validation. Internal consistency of the CNAT-CC was optimal, with a satisfactory Cronbach's alpha of 0.7 for the total scale., Discussion: The current study was focused on the development and validation of needs assessment in cancer chemotherapy patients. The CNAT-CC promises to be a comprehensive needs assessment tool that applies to a comparatively vast majority of patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy., (Copyright © 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics.)

At the beginning of the 21st century, many consumers show interest in purchasing safe, healthy, and nutritious foods. The intent requirement of end-users and many food product manufacturers are trying to feature a new processing technique for the healthy food supply. The non-thermal nature of cold plasma treatment is one of the leading breakthrough technologies for several food processing applications. The beneficial response of cold plasma processing on food quality characteristics is widely accepted as a substitution technique for new food manufacturing practices. This review aims to elaborate and offer crispy innovative ideas on cold plasma application in various food processing channels. It highlights the scientific approaches on the principle of generation and mechanism of cold plasma treatment on rheological properties of foods. It provides an overview of the behavior of cold plasma in terms of viscosity, crystallization, gelatinization, shear stress, and shear rate. Research reports highlighted that the cold plasma treated samples demonstrated a pseudoplastic behavior. The published literatures indicated that the cold plasma is a potential technology for modification of native starch to obtain desirable rheological properties. The adaptability and environmentally friendly nature of non-thermal cold plasma processing provide exclusive advantages compared to the traditional processing technique.

Vacuum frying (VF) is known as the most popular food processing method for the production of ready-to-eat snacks. It includes simultaneous mass and heat transfer in very low temperature and frying period to provide higher qualitative products. The quantity of oil used for frying is less in the vacuum frying method as compared to other frying methods. Numbers of physical, chemical, and structural changes occur during the frying process by evaporation of moisture, obstruction of oil movement, gelatinization of starch, denaturation of protein structure, and solubilization of pectin cells. These changes lead to textural modification of fried products and VF successfully enhances the textural properties at optimum process parameters which are according to the consumers' acceptance. In this context, this review is an update of the VF, showing the effect of different process parameters on the improvement of the texture of the fried snacks. Additionally, the mechanism behind the development of texture due to VF has been described in detail along with proper figures. Also, a comparative study of VF and atmospheric conventional frying on the increment of textural characteristics in various food materials starting from fruits and vegetables to fish and meat products have been highlighted. Moreover, to enhance the food texture during VF, several pre/post frying treatments are carried out which have been taken into discussion. Further, some novel techniques adopted along with VF, which influence highly on texture development of food materials, have been mentioned., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Metal sulfide - semiconductor nanocomposites synthesized with well-defined tin metal, exhibited the wide bandgap, the absorptions are limited to the UV-vis region for reduction of Reactive Blue 160 (RB 160) under solar light irradiation. The prepared samples were characterized using optoelectronic techniques. Conveniently, a wider range of wavelengths and physical properties can be enabled by doping these metal oxide nanoparticles. Whereas the photoreduction of RB 160 is unambiguously associated within charge separation and transmission progression from the excited Sn doped ZnO/CdS. Furthermore, Photocatalytic degradation efficiency for the Sn doped ZnO/CdS composites still reliant on the excitation strength, indicating the several electrons and protons were precise as a result of charge separation and transmission in prepared catalyst. Sn doped ZnO/CdS composites shows 94% Photocatalytic degradation efficiency within 120 min under sunlight irradiation. This photocatalytic nanocomposites may find capable applications in solar cells to power stretchable and also in wearable electronics., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite advancements in care for patients with heart failure (HF), morbidity and mortality remain high. Hospitalizations and readmissions for HF have been the focus of significant attention among health care providers and payers, with an eye toward reducing health care costs. However, considerable variability exists with regard to inpatient workflows and management for patients with HF, which represents a significant opportunity to improve care., Objective: Here we provide a summary of optimal inpatient management strategies for HF, focusing on the multidisciplinary team of emergency medicine providers, admitting hospitalists, cardiovascular consultants, pharmacists, nurses, and social workers., Methods: The patient journey serves as the template for this review article, from the initial presentation in the emergency department, to decongestion and stabilization, optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy, and discharge and appropriate disposition., Conclusion: This review aims not to be proscriptive but rather to provide best practices that are clinically relevant and actionable, with the goal of improving care for patients during the sentinel hospitalization for HF.

The present study aims to document the contamination levels and ecological risks of heavy metals in the sediments of Kavaratti lagoon, India. A total of 15 sediment samples were collected for the analysis of Al, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni and Zn. The decreasing trend of heavy metals was observed in the lagoon sediment as Pb > Zn > Al > Mn > Ni > Cr > Cd > Cu. The Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) results indicate that Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni and Zn were uncontaminated, while Cd was strong to extremely contaminated and Al and Pb were moderately contaminated. The enrichment factors (EF) of Cd and Pb range from moderate to extremely high (EF > 1) indicating that they have anthropogenic origin on Kavaratti Island. The Contamination factor (Cf) indicated that Cd, Pb and Al belong to a high risk of contamination (Cf > 6). The pollution load index (PLI) value near one suggested that a moderate level of pollution occurs in the study area. The modified degree of contamination (mCd) shows that Al, Cd and Pb have an ultra- higher degree of contamination (mCd ≤ 32). The potential ecological risk (RI) index confirmed that Pb and Cd have considerable to the serious thread of ecological risk (RI > 600). Additionally, multivariate statistical analysis and pollution indexes showed that the Kavaratti lagoon is moderate to considerably polluted by heavy metals. Diesel-based power generation, activities related to shipping, untreated sewage, fishing and tourism activities are the main anthropogenic sources of heavy metal pollution on Kavaratti Island., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The number of food frauds in coconut-based products is increasing due to higher consumer demands for these products. Rising health consciousness, public awareness and increased concerns about food safety and quality have made authorities and various other certifying agencies focus more on the authentication of coconut products. As the conventional techniques for determining the quality attributes of coconut are destructive and time-consuming, non-destructive testing methods which are accurate, rapid, and easy to perform with no detrimental sampling methods are currently gaining importance. Spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR)spectroscopy, mid-infrared (MIR)spectroscopy, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy (RS) are gaining in importance for determining the oxidative stability of coconut oil, the adulteration of oils, and the detection of harmful additives, pathogens, and toxins in coconut products and are also employed in deducing the interactions in food constituents, and microbial contaminations. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive analysis on the various spectroscopic techniques along with different chemometric approaches for the successful authentication and quality determination of coconut products. The manuscript was prepared by analyzing and compiling the articles that were collected from various databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and ScienceDirect. The spectroscopic techniques in combination with chemometrics were shown to be successful in the authentication of coconut products. RS and NMR spectroscopy techniques proved their utility and accuracy in assessing the changes in coconut oil's chemical and viscosity profile. FTIR spectroscopy was successfully utilized to analyze the oxidation levels and determine the authenticity of coconut oils. An FT-NIR-based analysis of various coconut samples confirmed the acceptable levels of accuracy in prediction. These non-destructive methods of spectroscopy offer a broad spectrum of applications in food processing industries to detect adulterants. Moreover, the combined chemometrics and spectroscopy detection method is a versatile and accurate measurement for adulterant identification.

The present study aims to investigate the contamination of heavy metals in the sediments of a tropical ecosystem, India, and to evaluate the factors responsible for the dominance of specific macrobenthic communities, particularly in estuarine sediments. For the analysis of Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cd in sediments, acid digestion and subsequent quantification by microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was performed, whereas for Hg determination, cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used. The general trend of the heavy metal concentration was observed as Cr > Cu > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cd > Hg, regardless of any seasonal alteration. The estuarine region was considerably contaminated by Cu and Cr (C.F. > 2) irrespective of any seasonal difference, and by Cd in 2017 non-monsoon (CF > 3). Heavy metal contamination was most pronounced during the monsoon (2018). Estuarine and marine zone together considered as deteriorated zone especially during monsoon seasons (PLI > 1, 2018 monsoon) while riverine zone remained poorly contaminated (PLI < 1). Clay Loam/Clay/Heavy Clay textures preferred polychaetes and bivalves in the estuarine and marine zone as compared to other macrobenthic communities (OMC). Among the hydrochemical parameters, total dissolved solids in general and euryhaline and slightly alkaline pH preferred domination of bivalves followed by polychaetes in non-monsoon seasons. The trace metal contamination in estuarine sediments increases the concern of bioaccumulation tendency of dominant bivalves of the estuarine and coastal sediments., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a therapy that delivers essential nutrients intravenously to patients who are unable to meet their nutrition requirements via standard enteral feeding. This methodology is often referred to as PN when accompanied by minimal or no enteral nutrition (EN). Although PN is lifesaving, significant complications can arise, such as intestinal failure-associated liver disease and gut-mucosal atrophy. The exact mechanism of injury remains ill defined. This review was designed to explore the available literature related to the drivers of injury mechanisms. The Farnesoid X receptor and fibroblast growth factor 19 signaling pathway seems to play an important role in gut-systemic signaling, and its alteration during PN provides insights into mechanistic links. Central line infections also play a key role in mediating PN-associated injury. Although lipid reduction strategies, as well as the use of multicomponent lipid emulsions and vitamin E, have shown promise, the cornerstone of preventing injury is the early establishment of EN., (© 2022 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.)

SARS-CoV2 is a member of human coronaviruses and is the causative agent of the present pandemic COVID-19 virus. In order to control COVID-19, studies on viral structure and mechanism of infectivity and pathogenicity are sorely needed. The spike (S) protein is comprised of S1 & S2 subunits. These spike protein subunits enable viral attachment by binding to the host cell via ACE-2 (angiotensin converting enzyme-2) receptor, thus facilitating the infection. During viral entry, one of the key steps is the cleavage of the S1-S2 spike protein subunits via surface TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease serine 2) and results in viral infection. Hence, the S-protein is critical for the viral attachment and penetration into the host. The rapid advancement of our knowledge on the structural and functional aspects of the spike protein could lead to development of numerous candidate vaccines against SARS-CoV2. Here the authors discuss about the structure of spike protein and explore its related functions. Our aim is to provide a better understanding that may aid in fighting against CoVID-19 and its treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Introduction: Many of the assessment tools used to study depression amongst older people in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) are adaptations of instruments developed in other cultural settings. There is a need to validate those instruments in LMICs., Methods: 721 men and women aged 55-80 years from the Mysore Birth Records Cohort underwent standardised assessments for sociodemographic characteristics, cardiometabolic risk factors, cognitive function and mental health. Sensitivity, specificity and level of agreement of EURO-D diagnosis of depression with diagnosis of depression derived by the Geriatric Mental State (GMS) examination were calculated. To validate the EURO-D score against GMS depressive episode, we used maximum Youden's index as the criterion for each cut-off point. Concurrent validity was assessed by measuring correlations with the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO DAS II)., Results: Of the 721 (408 men and 313 women) who participated in this study, 138 (54 men and 84 women) were diagnosed with depression. Women had higher depression scores on the EURO-D scale and disability on the WHO DAS II scale. A maximum Youden's Index of 0.60 was observed at a EURO-D cut-off of 6, which corresponded to 95% sensitivity, 64% specificity, kappa value of 0.6 and area under the curve (AUC) of 80%. There was significant and positive correlation between EURO-D and WHO DAS II scores., Limitations: Future independent validation studies in other settings are required., Discussion: This study supports the use of the EURO-D scale for diagnosing depression amongst older adults in South India., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Begomoviruses are a major class of Geminiviruses that affects most dicotyledonous plants and causes heavy economic losses to farmers. Early detection of begomovirus is essential to control the spread of the disease and prevent loss. Many available detection methods like ELISA, immunosorbent electron microscopy, PCR or qPCR require expertise in handling sophisticated instruments, complex data interpretation and costlier chemicals, enzymes or antibodies. Hence there is a need for a simpler detection method, here we report the development of a visual detection method based on functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNP assay). The assay was able to detect up to 500 ag/µl of begomoviral DNA (pTZCCPp3, a clone carrying partial coat protein gene) suspended in MilliQ water. Screening of chilli plants for begomoviral infection by PCR (Deng primers) and AuNP assay showed that AuNP assay (77.7%) was better than PCR (49.4%). The AuNP assay with clccpi1 probe was able to detect begomoviral infection in chilli, tomato, common bean, green gram and black gram plants which proved the utility and versatility of the AuNP assay. The specificity of the assay was demonstrated by testing with total DNA from different plants that are not affected by begomoviruses., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Study Design: Randomized control trial., Objective: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss when administered through various routes in instrumented spine surgeries., Methods: A total of 104 patients undergoing instrumented spine surgery were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n = 26 in each group). Groups included (1) ivTXA-intravenous administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) 1 hour prior to surgery, (2) loTXA-local infiltration of TXA bilaterally into the paraspinal musculature prior to incision, (3) tTXA-topical application of TXA just before wound closure, and (4) control group. Outcome measures included intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, need for blood transfusion, length of hospital stay, and hematological parameters., Results: All the 3 different modes of TXA administration were found to be effective in reducing blood loss in the treated groups compared with the control group. Intraoperative blood loss was significantly reduced in ivTXA (223.6 ± 40.1 mL, P < .0001) and loTXA (256.07 ± 119 mL, P = .0039) groups when compared with controls (344 ± 88.5 mL).The postoperative blood loss was least in tTXA followed by ivTXA, loTXA, and controls. There was 67% reduction in need for blood transfusion in tTXA group, 55.5% reduction in ivTXA group, and 33% reduction in loTXA group when compared with the control group., Conclusion: In instrumented spine surgery, ivTXA and loTXA were found to be equally effective in reducing the intraoperative blood loss. The tTXA has better postoperative blood conserving effects. This is the first study to detail about safety and efficacy on local infiltration of TXA in spine surgery, which is an effective and safe method for reducing intraoperative blood loss.

An acceptorless dehydrogenative strategy for the synthesis of polyfluoroalkylated bis-indoles is described by employing an earth-abundant nickel-based catalytic system under air. The notable feature of the present transformation is the use of bench stable and easily affordable polyfluorinated alcohols without any pre-functionalization for the introduction of precious polyfluoroalkyl groups. The developed straightforward protocol accomplished biologically relevant fluoroalkyl bis-indoles in a sustainable fashion. Extensive DFT study predicts the unique role of indole molecules which stabilizes the transition states during the dehydrogenation process of polyfluorinated alcohols, presumably through non-covalent π⋅⋅⋅π and H-bonding interactions., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)