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Self-esteem, generally understood as subjective appraisal of one’s social worth and qualities, is related to how people use social media and the gratifications derived from their use—processes driven in part by social comparison. Two major components of the social media experience drive social comparison processes: (1) what content people engage with (feeds content) and (2) how they engage with such content (engagement type). We conducted an eye-tracking study ( N = 38), to measure viewing time spent on individual Facebook posts and paired this measurement with clicking behaviors. We found that spending more time looking at posts and clicking on more of them was associated with lower self-esteem for people with more social content on their feeds. We discuss the importance of examining browsing behaviors as a combination of viewing time, clicking, and feed’s content—especially given its potential impact on well-being outcomes such as self-esteem via social comparison processes.

The term "achievement gap" has a negative and racialized history, and using the term reinforces a deficit mindset that is ingrained in U.S. educational systems. In this essay, we review the literature that demonstrates why "achievement gap" reflects deficit thinking. We explain why biology education researchers should avoid using the phrase and also caution that changing vocabulary alone will not suffice. Instead, we suggest that researchers explicitly apply frameworks that are supportive, name racially systemic inequities and embrace student identity. We review four such frameworks--opportunity gaps, educational debt, community cultural wealth, and ethics of care--and reinterpret salient examples from biology education research as an example of each framework. Although not exhaustive, these descriptions form a starting place for biology education researchers to explicitly name systems-level and asset-based frameworks as they work to end educational inequities.

In this case study we describe how Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) Disability Inclusion and Advice Service (DIAS) provided support to disability group homes during the COVID-19 Delta and Omicron waves. The study provides insights into group home providers' experience of supports implemented by SLHD and other stakeholders. A mixed method approach was undertaken that included analysing data from a database and electronic medical records and a survey of disability group home managers. DIAS developed a range of processes to support prevention, outbreak preparedness and response. This included developing a Disability Shared Living COVID-19 Pathway, engaging with group home providers through a fortnightly Community of Practice, assisting with improving vaccination status and procuring personal protective equipment. During an outbreak DIAS provided a 24 h, 7 days per week on call support, coordinated outbreak management team meetings and collaborated with several internal and external stakeholders. SLHD infection prevention and control nurses were recruited to undertake a process of reviewing outbreak management plans and providing support during an outbreak. Most disability providers (86%) reported that they felt very prepared to manage outbreaks at the time of the survey (August 2022) compared with the pre-Delta wave, for which 36% reported feeling 'not prepared'. The proportion who rated the support from the stakeholders as very supportive/supportive was as follows: SLHD (100%), NSW Health (64%), National Disability Insurance Agency (50%) and National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality & Safeguards Commission (37%). Our case study provides insights into the support that LHDs can provide to disability homes in response to future outbreaks. What is known about the topic? People with a disability (PWD) are at higher risk of morbidity and mortality following COVID-19 infection but little is known about how PWD were supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. What does this paper add? Describes one local health district (LHD's) approach to prevent, manage and minimise COVID-19 outbreaks in disability group homes along with insights from the disability group home managers on their experience of support provided by the LHD and other stakeholders. What are the implications for practitioners? Awareness of effective strategies supporting PWD that could be replicated in health organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rectal thermometers are commonly used to assess animal health, but non-invasive methods like thermal imaging are gaining popularity for their ease. This study explores using infra-red thermography to measure eye temperatures as a proxy for body temperature in buffaloes. Among 280 adult female buffaloes, rectal temperature averaged 38.26 ± 0.38 °C, while eye temperature averaged 36.99 ± 0.47 °C. Statistical analysis showed a significant positive correlation (0.674, p

Background: Frailty is an important determinant of health‐care needs and outcomes for people in hospital. Objectives: To compare characteristics and predictive ability of a multidomain frailty index derived from routine health data (electronic frailty index‐acute hospital; eFI‐AH) with the hospital frailty risk score (HFRS). Methods: This retrospective study included 6771 patients aged ≥75 years admitted to an Australian metropolitan tertiary referral hospital between October 2019 and September 2020. The eFI‐AH and the HFRS were calculated for each patient and compared with respect to characteristics, agreement, association with age and ability to predict outcomes. Results: Median eFI‐AH was 0.17 (range 0–0.66) whilst median HFRS was 3.2 (range 0–42.9). Moderate agreement was shown between the tools (Pearson's r 0.61). After adjusting for age and gender, both models had associations with long hospital stay, in‐hospital mortality, unplanned all‐cause readmission and fall‐related readmission. Specifically, the eFI‐AH had the strongest association with in‐hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.81, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.49–3.17), whilst the HFRS was most strongly associated with long hospital stay (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.18–1.21). Both tools predicted hospital stay >10 days with good discrimination and calibration. Conclusions: Although the eFI‐AH and the HFRS did not consistently identify the same inpatients as frail, both were associated with adverse outcomes and they had comparable predictive ability for prolonged hospitalisation. These two constructs of frailty may have different implications for clinical practice and health service provision and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Primary Dysmenorrhoea (PD) is a common disorder in both young and adult females which is characterised by cramps that start immediately before or at the beginning of menstruation in the lower abdomen and are spasmodic and painful in nature, without any pelvic pathology. PD has a serious detrimental effect on quality of life and productivity in terms of health. Need of the Study: To the best of author’s knowledge, there is no specific scale meant to extensively assess the overall physical, social, psychological and nutritional status of females with PD and evaluate the quality of life, therefore, a comprehensive tool is required to resolve these issues and capture a comprehensive overview of the typical distress encountered during menstruation. Aim: To develop the items and domains, estimate its content and concurrent validity as well as assess intra-rater and test-retest reliability of the scale, which comprehensively assesses physical, social, psychological and nutritional status of females with PD and determine their quality of life. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study, that will be conducted at General Outpatient Department (OPD), Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Maharishi Markandeshwar Deemed to be University, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India from April 2023 to March 2024. It consists of three phases. First phase comprises of the scale development procedure which includes generation of domains and items. Second phase is to validate the scale. This phase includes content validation through Delphi method as well as evaluation of criterion (concurrent) validity. Third phase consists of assessing intra-rater and test-retest reliability of the scale.

The elevated satisfaction that comes from interacting with close ties, as opposed to distal ties, is well-established in past research. What remains less clear is how the quality of daily interactions between close versus distal ties may vary as a function of personality. Drawing on data from a 2-week experience sampling study (N = 108 participants, N = 7755 observations), we consider how trait rejection sensitivity (RS)—or the tendency to worry about potential social rejection—interacts with perceived closeness and interaction channel (i.e., face-to-face vs. technology-mediated) in daily life. We find that individuals who are high (vs. low) in rejection sensitivity not only view distal tie interactions as less satisfying, they also perceive close tie exchanges as more enjoyable and supportive—but only for technology-mediated (vs. face-to-face) interactions. We also find that individuals who are high in rejection sensitivity have higher variability in the perceived quality of their interactions. These findings demonstrate the interlocked factors of personality tendencies, perceived closeness, and interaction channel in shaping the variability in the quality of daily interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, four LSDV field strains were isolated from cattle in Bhadra tehsil, Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan under ICAR-Farmer FIRST Project and Bathinda, Punjab during the period 2021 and 2022. Apart from the characteristic clinical signs of LSD, the viral etiology was confirmed by PCR targeting LSDV074, LSDV 117 and LSDV036 genes, in addition to characteristic clinical signs LSD in cattle. Though, buffalo is a susceptible host, only mild deep seated skin nodules suspected for LSD were reported from in-contact buffaloes under field condition in this study. None of the samples from buffalo were found positive for LSDV, BHV-1 and BHV-2 DNA by PCR. Buffaloes exhibiting mild clinical signs in the current study showed an antibody titre of 1:16 to 1:64 by virus neutralization assay. No information is available regarding the seroprevalence of LSD in buffalo from India, therefore, it is imperative to further investigate the susceptibility of buffalo to LSDV infection. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the ORF036 gene sequence, LSDV/India/RAJ/ OP604055/2021 was in close relationship with LSDV from India, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar as they clustered together as a sub-cluster.

Objective(s): To develop and validate a frailty index (FI) that covers multiple domains, using routine hospital data. To investigate the FI's validity, after excluding medication‐related items (FI‐ExMeds), for studies of frailty and polypharmacy. Methods: A FI was derived from routine NSW hospital data following standard published guidance. In a development cohort (151 inpatients ≥ 70 years), the FI was correlated with the Reported Edmonton Frail Scale (REFS) using Pearson's R. Validity and distribution of FI and FI‐ExMeds, and correlation with each other, were evaluated in a validation cohort (999 inpatients ≥ 75 years). Results: The mean FI for the development cohort was 0.27 (SD 0.09). The FI showed moderate linear correlation with the REFS (n = 148, R = 0.52, P <.001). In the validation cohort, mean FI (n = 993) and FI‐ExMeds (n = 990) were both 0.28 (SD 0.11). FI‐ExMeds showed high linear correlation with the FI (n = 990, R = 0.99, P <.001). Conclusion: This multi‐domain FI is comparable to REFS, with adequate redundancy to exclude deficits for specific analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the prevalence, antibiotic resistance pattern, extended-spectrum, beta-lactamase production and biofilm forming ability of isolated E. coli strains from buffaloes mastitis milk. Out of 549 bacterial isolates from mastitis milk of buffaloes (n, animal level= 472) between 2019 and 2022, a total of 43 E. coli strains were isolated with an overall prevalence of 9.11% at animal level. Prevalence of E coli was high in unorganised buffalo herd (11.36%) from villages of Farmer FIRST project (ICAR-FFP) compared with organised buffalo farms (6.73%). The highest resistance was against Penicillin 43 (100%) followed by Ceftriaxone 18 (41.86%), Amoxycillin/Sulbactam 8 (18.60%) and Enrofloxacin 7 (16.27%). Additionally, all were sensitive to gentamycin 43 (100%) followed by Cefoperazone/Sulbactam 34 (79.06%). Cephalosporins are frequently used antibiotics to treat bovine mastitis. However, their therapeutic effectiveness is being compromised by bacterial resistant to β-lactams. In present study, a total of 32 (6.78% %) extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing E coli were isolated from mastitic buffalo milk (n=43/472). In total, 17 (39.5%) isolates were biofilm producers by microtiter-plate method. There was statistically non-significant relationship between biofilm production and antibiotic resistance as well as between ESBL production and biofilm formation in E coli strains. Present study demonstrated a high occurrence of ESBL and biofilm producing E. coli in buffalo mastitis milk, implementing a significant challenge to treat mastitis in buffaloes, necessitates judicious use of antimicrobials and to explore potential therapeutic agents as substitutes for antibiotics to treat bovine mastitis effectively.

The development of heterojunction technology with exceptional capabilities has emerged as an auspicious approach for both environmental remediation and improved performance in electronic devices. Present study reports two different heterostructures composed of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and graphene oxide (GO) i.e., GO/g-C3N4/MoS2 (H1) and GO/MoS2/g-C3N4 (H2). The heterostructure anticipated by quantum modeling was synthesized by facile ultra-sonication method and characterized via Powder XRD, FT-IR, and FE-SEM spectroscopic techniques. The finding indicates that the optimized GO/g-C3N4/MoS2 heterostructures exhibit a energy gap of 1.12 eV whereas, GO/MoS2/g-C3N4 heterostructure is conducting material. The periodic energy decomposition analysis reveals that heterostructure H1 is energetically more favorable than that of H2. The absorption coefficient, reflectance, and refractive index showed red shifts in both the heterostructures, while a blueshift was observed in the energy loss spectrum. The outcome of both theoretical and experimental observations highlights that the resultant heterostructure closely resemble with the theoretically predicted H1. The novel heterostructure anticipated here stands the test of meticulous theoretical and experimental examinations to establish its proficiency for various optical applications.

The present research article describes a newly designed sensing method for determining folic acid levels. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body makes healthy new cells. It is also known as vitamin B9 or folic acid. A new folic acid biosensor was constructed based on dihydrofolic acid reductase (DHFR) immobilized on c-MWCNT/TiO2NPs modified gold electrode. Prepared titanium dioxide nanoparticles have been characterized by Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Fabricated working gold electrode (i.e. DHFR/c-MWCNTs/TiO2NPs/AuE) was characterized at various stages of its construction by Scanning electron microscope (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), FTIR, and cyclic voltammetry to confirm its fabrication. The biosensor showed an optimum response at pH 7.5 and 35 ​°C temperature. The maximum current of the constructed folic acid biosensor was due to electrons generated at 0.125 ​V against Ag/AgCl electrode. The proposed biosensor showed a low detection limit (11.48 ​nM), a wide linear range (5 ​nM–50 ​nM), a sensitivity of 0.42 ​μA/nM/cm2, and good storage stability. Folic acid biosensor was evaluated and utilized for folic acid level quantification in serum samples of pregnant women.

Background and motivation: Lung computed tomography (CT) techniques are high-resolution and are well adopted in the intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19 disease control classification. Most artificial intelligence (AI) systems do not undergo generalization and are typically overfitted. Such trained AI systems are not practical for clinical settings and therefore do not give accurate results when executed on unseen data sets. We hypothesize that ensemble deep learning (EDL) is superior to deep transfer learning (TL) in both non-augmented and augmented frameworks. Methodology: The system consists of a cascade of quality control, ResNet–UNet-based hybrid deep learning for lung segmentation, and seven models using TL-based classification followed by five types of EDL’s. To prove our hypothesis, five different kinds of data combinations (DC) were designed using a combination of two multicenter cohorts—Croatia (80 COVID) and Italy (72 COVID and 30 controls)—leading to 12,000 CT slices. As part of generalization, the system was tested on unseen data and statistically tested for reliability/stability. Results: Using the K5 (80:20) cross-validation protocol on the balanced and augmented dataset, the five DC datasets improved TL mean accuracy by 3.32%, 6.56%, 12.96%, 47.1%, and 2.78%, respectively. The five EDL systems showed improvements in accuracy of 2.12%, 5.78%, 6.72%, 32.05%, and 2.40%, thus validating our hypothesis. All statistical tests proved positive for reliability and stability. Conclusion: EDL showed superior performance to TL systems for both (a) unbalanced and unaugmented and (b) balanced and augmented datasets for both (i) seen and (ii) unseen paradigms, validating both our hypotheses.

The article presents a case study of a 55‑year‑old woman with swelling on border of her tongue. Topics discussed include presence of soft tissue growth leading to diagnosis of fibroma, cuboidal cells in lesional tissue glands and the patient diagnosed with cribriform adenocarcinoma of minor salivary glands (CAMSG). Other topics include difference between polymorphous low‑grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) and CAMSG and diagnosis of CAMSG.

Ephemeral social media, platforms that display shared content for a limited period of time, have become a prominent component of the social ecosystem. We draw on experience sampling data collected over two weeks (Study 1;N = 154) and in-depth interview data from a subsample of participants (Study 2;N = 28) to understand college students’ social and emotional experiences on Snapchat, a popular ephemeral mobile platform. Our quantitative data demonstrated that Snapchat interactions were perceived as more enjoyable – and associated with more positive mood – than other communication technologies. However, Snapchat interactions were also associated with lower social support than other channels. Our qualitative data highlighted aspects of Snapchat use that may facilitate positive affect (but not social support), including sharing mundane experiences with close ties and reduced self-presentational concerns. In addition, users compared Snapchat to face-to-face interaction and reported attending to Snapchat content more closely than archived content, which may contribute to increased emotional rewards. Overall, participants did not see the application as a platform for sharing or viewing photos; rather, Snapchat was viewed as a lightweight channel for sharing spontaneous experiences with trusted ties. Together, these studies contribute to our evolving understanding of ephemeral social media and their role in social relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context: Tissue eosinophilia in oral squamous cell carcinoma has been well - recognized. Studies have reported both favorable and unfavorable prognoses associated with tissue eosinophils in oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, the role of eosinophils in the development of tumor is still unclear. Aims: The present study was an attempt to elucidate the potential role of tissue eosinophils in oral leukoplakia, a potentially malignant lesion. Settings and Design: To count eosinophils in tissues of normal subjects and oral leukoplakia cases. To compare tissue eosinophil count (TEC) between normal and oral leukoplakia cases. To compare TEC between dysplastic and non-dysplastic cases of oral leukoplakia and to correlate with degree of epithelial dysplasia. Materials and Methods: A total of 85 cases (59 cases of oral leukoplakia and 26 normal oral tissues) constituted the study material. Tissue eosinophils were counted in 10 different high- power fields. Statistical Analysis Used: Non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney post hoc analysis and Spearman's correlation statistics).Results: Mean eosinophil count (MEC) in oral leukoplakia cases was significantly more when compared to normal subjects. MEC in dysplastic cases of oral leukoplakia was significantly more when compared to those without epithelial dysplasia (Mann-Whitney U-test). Furthermore, MEC was directly proportional to the degree of epithelial dysplasia (Spearman's correlation statistics). Conclusions: TEC may be used as an adjunct to predict the malignant transformation of dysplastic cases of oral leukoplakia. Eosinophilic infiltration in oral dysplastic cases should prompt a thorough evaluation for invasiveness, especially when features of invasion are absent or suspected in smaller biopsy specimens. Use of TEC as a prognostic indicator demands larger sample size and mandates long-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure (HF) is a prominent disease becomes a crucial cause of morbidity and mortality. It is a severe condition in which the heart is incapable to supply adequate blood to the patient's body. More than 26 million people globally exist with HF. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a reliable and promising cardiac biomarker for HF which acts as a precursor protein that passes through intracellular modification to pro-hormones. It has been recognized as a powerful biomarker among all cardiovascular diseases, specifically for HF due to its fast release kinetics and well-defined cut-off level of 100 pg/mL. Several traditional techniques have been used for the detection of BNP such as fluorescence-based assays, micro-mosaic immunoassays and immunoradiometric assays. However, these techniques are time consuming, expensive and complicated. Therefore, these limitations have been overcome by the biosensing technology that is cost effective, portable, reliable, highly sensitive and specific. Thus, biosensors have provided an effective platform for early diagnosis of BNP. Here, this review summarizes the approaches for significant analysis of BNP with special emphasis on biosensing methods and their analytical performance includes pH range, temperature, linear range and LOD score.

The study attempts to compute the effect of dry period therapy on occurrence of mastitis in buffaloes with the help of control (164 buffaloes) and treatment (330 buffaloes) groups at different stages as per disease diagnostic protocol. The data pertains to the year 2018-19. The study concludes overall prevalence of SCM at dry-off was 83.81% and at 5 days postpartum was 38.87% at animal level. In treatment group, prevalence of SCM was 89.70% and 28.48% at dry-off and 5 days postpartum respectively whereas 73.17% and 62.8% in control group. The most prevalent udder pathogens isolated from composite milk samples at dry off were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, representing 41.29% of all recovered isolates followed by other gram positive, Streptococcus spp. Overall, 63.02% of buffaloes with IMI were cured during the dry period. Buffaloes receiving dry period therapy were 3.85 times more likely to cure.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a vesiculobullous lesion in which autoantibodies are produced against desmoglein-3 antigens. Despite having an autoimmune etiology, herpes simplex virus (HSV) is found to be an additional aggravating factor for this disease. Sometimes, there can be a coexistence between the two entities. Here, a unique case of a 65-year-old female patient who presented with the chief complaint of ulcers in the oral cavity for the past 2–3 months is discussed. Histopathologic and immunofluorescence investigations were suggestive of pemphigus, but the cytopathologic smears manifested characteristics indicative of HSV infection. The existence of a viral infection with the known case of pemphigus poses a potential difficulty in the classical treatment of the latter. This case report throws light on the interesting coexistence of these two disease processes, thus highlighting the pathogenesis and treatment plan which may have to be considered in such controversial cases.

Premise A portable, simple, yet efficient method was developed for the rapid extraction of xylem sap from the stems and petioles of tomato plants for diagnostic and quantification assays of the xylem‐colonizing wilt bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum. Methods and Results Xylem saps were extracted from tomato stem sections using negative pressure generated from handheld needleless syringes. The samples were collected from plants grown under different soil moisture levels at four days after inoculation with the pathogen. Pipette tips were modified to serve as adapters for the stem sections. The quantification of the bacterial load in the extracted sap was performed by plating sap dilutions in Kelman's triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) medium. Pathogen identity was further confirmed by performing a PCR using R. solanacearum‐specific primers. Conclusions Due to its simplicity, portability, and thoroughness of extraction from predetermined tissue sizes, the method can potentially facilitate high‐throughput onsite sampling from a large number of samples in a short time, which cannot be achieved with other available techniques.

This mixed-methods observational study analyzes Advanced Placement (AP) Biology teachers’ engagement in microblogging for professional learning. Data from three hashtag-based Twitter communities—#apbiochat, #apbioleaderacad, and #apbioleaderacademy (121 users; 2,253 tweets)—are analyzed using educational data mining, qualitative two-cycle content analysis, social network analysis, linear and logistic regression analyses, and hierarchical linear modeling. Results indicate that teachers’ use of Twitter reflects aspects of high-quality professional development. Notably, Twitter’s nonhierarchical organization affords shared content creation and distribution. Additionally, Twitter allows for different temporal participation patterns and supports the personalization of learning experiences aligned to teachers’ needs and preferences. Furthermore, teachers frame their interactions on Twitter positively—thus, creating a supportive environment for professional learning that might reduce perceived professional isolation. Based on this analysis, policymakers and school leaders should feel comfortable encouraging teachers to use microblogging as part of their professional learning activities.

The number of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) cases is increasing in India. This study looks upon the geographic distribution of the virus clades and variants circulating in different parts of India between January and August 2020. The NPS/OPS from representative positive cases from different states and union territories in India were collected every month through the VRDLs in the country and analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Epidemiological analysis of the 689 SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples revealed GH and GR to be the predominant clades circulating in different states in India. The northern part of India largely reported the ‘GH’ clade, whereas the southern part reported the ‘GR’, with a few exceptions. These sequences also revealed the presence of single independent mutations—E484Q and N440K—from Maharashtra (first observed in March 2020) and Southern Indian States (first observed in May 2020), respectively. Furthermore, this study indicates that the SARS-CoV-2 variant (VOC, VUI, variant of high consequence and double mutant) was not observed during the early phase of virus transmission (January–August). This increased number of variations observed within a short timeframe across the globe suggests virus evolution, which can be a step towards enhanced host adaptation.

Context: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the CYP21A2 gene. Genetic diagnosis of 21-OH deficiency causing CAH is more complicated than any other monogenic disorder due to high variability of the locus. The disease has a wide spectrum of clinical variants making it difficult to establish a genotype-phenotype correlation. Therefore, family studies are necessary to ascertain parental genotype and segregation of the mutant allele among the offspring. Aim: The present study aimed to identify CYP21A2 gene mutations and analyze the segregation pattern in CAH trios (patients and their parents). Materials and Methods: A total of ten families having at least one CAH child were recruited. Results: Out of 31 children from ten families, 15 were affected with CAH and 13 of /them (12 females and 1 male) were available for genetic testing. One family had all the children affected with CAH. Compound heterozygous mutations were identified in seven patients (53.8%) whereas p.P30L, In2 and δ8 bp mutations were present in homozygous state in three (23.1%), two (15.3 %) and one (7.6%) patient respectively. Conclusions: In majority of the families, mutant alleles observed in the patients were inherited from the parents whereas three families showed sporadic mutations without any paternal or maternal origin. This indicated their novel occurrence due to misalignment of the parental genes and /or large deletion of the gene. Female preponderance was noted in the CAH families and also among the patients raising the possibility of survival advantage among females.

Backgroud: Tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading cause of death worldwide amongst communicable diseases. TB kills approximately 1 million women every year and is responsible for more deaths in women in the reproductive age group. Aims and Objectives: The present study was aimed to delineate the burden of disease in women in rural area. Results: High incidence of TB is reported in females of reproductive age group. Conclusion: Routine TB screening should be incorporated into maternal and child health programs in countries where TB is endemic. Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) should mobilise interventions at rural level to eliminate stigma and ultimately eliminate TB’s impact on women.

Opportunistic subcutaneous fungal infections are increasing in present times due to increasing incidence of many medical conditions causing immunosupression like diabetes, AIDS, organ transplant recipients and anticancer therapy. Pyrenochaeta romeroi, a fungus from the dematiaceae group, first described by Borelli in 1959, is saprophyte to soil and plants.We present a rare case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycotic cyst in a diabetic female caused by P. romeroi.

Englerin A is a structurally unique natural product reported to selectively inhibit growth of renal cell carcinoma cell lines. A large scale phenotypic cell profiling experiment (CLiP) of englerin A on ¬over 500 well characterized cancer cell lines showed that englerin A inhibits growth of a subset of tumor cell lines from many lineages, not just renal cell carcinomas. Expression of the TRPC4 cation channel was the cell line feature that best correlated with sensitivity to englerin A, suggesting the hypothesis that TRPC4 is the efficacy target for englerin A. Genetic experiments demonstrate that TRPC4 expression is both necessary and sufficient for englerin A induced growth inhibition. Englerin A induces calcium influx and membrane depolarization in cells expressing high levels of TRPC4 or its close ortholog TRPC5. Electrophysiology experiments confirmed that englerin A is a TRPC4 agonist. Both the englerin A induced current and the englerin A induced growth inhibition can be blocked by the TRPC4/C5 inhibitor ML204. These experiments confirm that activation of TRPC4/C5 channels inhibits tumor cell line proliferation and confirms the TRPC4 target hypothesis generated by the cell line profiling. In selectivity assays englerin A weakly inhibits TRPA1, TRPV3/V4, and TRPM8 which suggests that englerin A may bind a common feature of TRP ion channels. In vivo experiments show that englerin A is lethal in rodents near doses needed to activate the TRPC4 channel. This toxicity suggests that englerin A itself is probably unsuitable for further drug development. However, since englerin A can be synthesized in the laboratory, it may be a useful chemical starting point to identify novel modulators of other TRP family channels.

Bacteria that attach to surface aggregate in a hydrated polymeric matrix of their own synthesis to form biofilms. These represent microbial societies with their own defense and communication system. Transitioning from acute to chronic infection is frequently associated with biofilm formation.Bacteria in biofilms are innately more resistant to antimicrobial agents. The presence of indwelling medical devices increases the risk for biofilm formation and subsequent infection. The current antibiotic therapies are of limited effectiveness in resolving biofilms infection.This review attempts to discuss the stages in biofilm formation, their pathogenic mechanisms, effect of antimicrobial agents, detection and eradication of the biofilms.

Context: Salivary analytes may be used as biomarkers for translational and clinical applications. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are ubiquitous, highly conserved proteins found in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic species. Hsp27, a low molecular weight protein, may act as a salivary biomarker. Leukoplakia is the most common oral potentially malignant disorder and various salivary biomarkers such as interleukin-6, 8, tumor necrosis factor-α and MMPs have been detected in it. Oral leukoplakia presents clinically as homogenous and nonhomogenous forms; the microscopic pattern ranges from simple epithelial hyperplasia to carcinoma in situ ., Aims: This study aims to detect salivary Hsp27 in oral leukoplakia by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and to correlate its expression pattern with histopathology., Materials and Methods: A total of 45 cases had constituted the study group. Salivary Hsp27 levels were assessed by ELISA in histopathologically confirmed cases of oral leukoplakia and were compared with that of healthy volunteers., Statistical Analysis: Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used for the detection of Hsp27 and its correlation with mean absorbance levels., Results: The mean absorbance values had shown elevated expression of Hsp27 in oral leukoplakia when compared to that in healthy volunteers., Conclusions: The present study had shown elevated expression of salivary Hsp27 in oral leukoplakia which could be attributed to altered redox potential., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.