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The analysis and classification of dates is based on their external features: size, appearance, shape, and colour. The process is currently performed manually after harvesting as part of the post-harvesting process. Grading manually is tedious because it usually results in time delays, product quality risks, and it is associated with time and cost delays as well. Although the use of computers and information technology has seen tremendous growth in many small and large sectors, it has been in its infancy in the cultivation of fruit and dates. Using image processing algorithms, we can enhance human vision capabilities through analysis and make images easier to comprehend. A major objective of computer vision-based algorithms for classifying and sorting of dates is to make the procedure fully automated by minimizing the manual component involved in the process. This paper presents an image processing-based algorithm that uses machine learning techniques to extract the characteristics of colour intensity and colour homogeneity, allowing us to grade images in a more timely and automated manner. In order to obtain the results, we extracted the appearance of the date images based on an image processing algorithm. It is used as a validation element for the results that the quality of dates-fruit images can be evaluated through the prior selection process in both separate and in groups. This study has managed to achieve a rate of 95% accuracy in data classification. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-04-03 Full Text: PDF

Two yellow-pigmented, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria were isolated from the water of the hypersaline Chaka Salt Lake (strain SaA2.12T) and sediment of Qinghai Lake (strain LaA7.5T), PR China. According to the 16S rRNA phylogeny, the isolates belong to the genus Flavobacterium , showing the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarities to Flavobacterium arcticum SM1502T(97.6–97.7 %) and Flavobacterium suzhouense XIN-1T(96.5–96.6 %). Moreover, strains SaA2.12T and LaA7.5T showed 99.73 % 16S rRNA sequence similarity to each other. Major fatty acids, respiratory quinones and polar lipids detected in these isolates were iso-C15 : 0, menaquinone-6 and phosphatidylethanolamine, respectively. Strains SaA2.12T and LaA7.5T showed significant unique characteristics between them as well as between the closest phylogenetic members. The highest digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between SaA2.12T and its closest neighbours were 25.3 and 82.8 %, respectively; whereas these values (highest) between LaA7.5T and its closest members were 25.2 and 82.8 %, respectively. The dDDH and ANI values between strains SaA2.12T and LaA7.5T were calculated as 75.9 and 97.2 %, respectively. Therefore, based on polyphasic data, we propose that strain SaA2.12T represents a novel species with the name Flavobacterium salilacus sp. nov., with the type strain SaA2.12T (=KCTC 72220T=MCCC 1K03618T) and strain LaA7.5T as a subspecies within novel Flavobacterium salilacus with the name Flavobacterium salilacus subsp. altitudinum subsp. nov., with the type strain LaA7.5T (=KCTC 72806T=MCCC 1K04372T). These propositions automatically create Flavobacterium salilacus subsp. salilacus subsp. nov. with SaA2.12T (=KCTC 72220T=MCCC 1K03618T) as the type strain.

HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus, has been the primary causative agent of genital warts and cervical cancer worldwide. It is a sexually transmitted infection mainly affecting women of reproductive age group, also infecting men and high-risk group individuals globally, resulting in high mortality. In recent years, HPV has also been found to be the major culprit behind anogenital cancers in both gender and oropharyngeal and colorectal cancers. Few studies have reported the incidence of HPV in breast cancers as well. For a few decades, the burden of HPV-associated malignancies has been increasing at an alarming rate due to a lack of adequate awareness, famine vaccine coverage and hesitancy. The effectiveness of currently available vaccines has been limited to prophylactic efficacy and does not prevent malignancies associated with post-exposure persistent infection. This review focuses on the current burden of HPV-associated malignancies, their causes and strategies to combat the growing prevalence of the cancers. With the advent of new technologies associated with treatment pertaining to therapeutic interventions and employing effective vaccine coverage, the burden of this disease may be reduced in the population.

Tourism is a major economic and social activity of the present time. It is the temporary movement of people from their normal place of residence or work, mainly for pleasure. Due to the economic activities involved in the process of tourism, now it is emerged as an industry which is rapidly growing around the World. Tourism is the major source of foreign exchange earnings for many regions of the world. Tourism need to be addressed at the earliest as tourism has positive as well as negative impact on the cultural diversity, social standards, society and environment. The present study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between employment and income generation and tourist arrivals in district Srinagar of Jammu and Kashmir state. The results revealed that tourist arrivals accounts variation in the level of income and employment generation. Thus, tourism development has the potential to contribute to the economy of Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir State. Tourism is a major economic and social activity of the present time. It is the temporary movement of people from their normal place of residence or work, mainly for pleasure. Due to the economic activities involved in the process of tourism, now it is emerged as an industry which is rapidly growing around the World. Tourism is the major source of foreign exchange earnings for many regions of the world. Tourism need to be addressed at the earliest as tourism has positive as well as negative impact on the cultural diversity, social standards, society and environment. The present study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between employment and income generation and tourist arrivals in district Srinagar of Jammu and Kashmir state. The results revealed that tourist arrivals accounts variation in the level of income and employment generation. Thus, tourism development has the potential to contribute to the economy of Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir State.

The present study examined the impact of tourist arrivals on revenue generation. The results revealed that tourist arrivals accounts 51 per cent variation in revenue generation. Jammu and Kashmir State has a tremendous potential to become a major global tourist destination. Importance of tourism in J&K economy is known for decades now and its role in economic development has been an area of great interest from policy perspective. The tourism is being the key contributor in the economic development of J&K state. To understand the economic impact of tourism in the J&K state, present paper uses secondary sources of data and tries to examine the economic development such as tourist inflow, revenue generation.

BackgroundGraves' disease is routinely treated with antithyroid drugs, radioiodine, or surgery, but whether the choice of initial therapy influences long-term outcomes is uncertain. We evaluated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality according to the method and effectiveness of primary therapy in Graves' disease.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we identified patients with hyperthyroidism, diagnosed between Jan 1, 1998, and Dec 31, 2013, from a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-receptor antibody (TRAb) test register in south Wales, UK, and imported their clinical data into the All-Wales Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank (Swansea University, Swansea, UK). Patients with Graves' disease, defined by positive TRAb tests, were selected for the study, and their clinical data were linked with outcomes in SAIL. We had no exclusion criteria. Patients were matched by age and sex to a control population (1:4) in the SAIL database. Patients were grouped by treatment within 1 year of diagnosis into the antithyroid drug group, radioiodine with resolved hyperthyroidism group (radioiodine group A), or radioiodine with unresolved hyperthyroidism group (radioiodine group B). We used landmark Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models to analyse the association of treatment with the primary outcome of all-cause mortality and the secondary outcome of major adverse cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, heart failure, ischaemic stroke, or death) with the landmark set at 1 year after diagnosis. We analysed the association between outcomes and concentration of TSH using Cox regression and outcomes and free thyroxine (FT4) concentration using restricted cubic-spline regression models.FindingsWe extracted patient-level data on 4189 patients (3414 [81·5%] females and 775 [18·5%] males) with Graves' disease and 16 756 controls (13 656 [81·5%] females and 3100 [18·5%] males). In landmark analyses, 3587 patients were in the antithyroid drug group, 250 were in radioiodine group A, 182 were in radioiodine group B. Patients had increased all-cause mortality compared with controls (hazard ratio [HR] 1·22, 95% CI 1·05–1·42). Compared with patients in the antithyroid drug group, mortality was lower among those in radioiodine group A (HR 0·50, 95% CI 0·29–0·85), but not for those in radioiodine group B (HR 1·51, 95% CI 0·96–2·37). Persistently low TSH concentrations at 1 year after diagnosis were associated with increased mortality independent of treatment method (HR 1·55, 95% CI 1·08–2·24). Spline regressions showed a positive non-linear relationship between FT4 concentrations at 1 year and all-cause mortality.InterpretationRegardless of the method of treatment, early and effective control of hyperthyroidism among patients with Graves' disease is associated with improved survival compared with less effective control. Rapid and sustained control of hyperthyroidism should be prioritised in the management of Graves' disease and early definitive treatment with radioiodine should be offered to patients who are unlikely to achieve remission with antithyroid drugs alone.FundingNational Institute for Social Care and Health Research, Wales.

Protein structure prediction is very important to gaining insights for diseases diagnostics, medical treatment, and human biology. Here, we present a technique to predict the protein structure from its amino acid composition (AAC) using the hybrid kernel support vector machine. First and foremost, data preprocessing is done to reduce the irrelevant and noisy data. Then, a multiple class feature selection is used to reduce data dimensionality. Then, to improve the accuracy of support vector machine classifier, a hybrid kernel function is generated by combining the radial basis function (RBF) and polynomial kernel. Lastly, training the hybrid kernel support vector machine using the preprocessed training dataset. We used 25PDB dataset, where the sequence similarity is below 40%. From the result analysis, it is evident that for high dimensional datasets, the proposed method performs best with respect to accuracy. Moreover, our proposed method outperforms many of the existing methods.

Saudi Arabia is experiencing depleting water level which ultimately leading to having reduced level of weed and crops farms. The ongoing practice of watering for all kind of weeds at farms is manual which is laborious and slow besides waste of unregulated use of water. Therefore, there arises the need of automated water control, making the automated watering system as the viable option for precision weed control system. This paper has presented the development of real-time automated water sprinkle system for the target weeding area. The technique of wavelet frequency is developed as a software interface using MATLAB program detecting need of water sprinkling from the pictures of the leaves obtained. Software-based results are applied to hardware for real-time grass detection and classification based on shape and density due to reason that the leaves may be wide open, shrunk and leaves those with curved in features. The real-time system is capable of thus deciding the proportionate amount of water needed to be sprinkled over the weeds using a purposely developed hardware system. The system can detect areas where more, more or less water is needed, through a high-accuracy connected camera.

The ability of probiotic bacteria to colonise the target site is considered of utmost importance and used for preliminary screening of potential probiotic candidates. Thirty-eight vaginal Lactobacillus strains isolated from healthy women and characterised by 16S RNA sequencing were assessed for colonisation characteristics including adherence to human vaginal epithelial cells, auto-aggregation and hydrophobicity. No significant difference in adherence (P = 0.384), auto-aggregation (P = 0.282) and hydrophobicity (P = 0.084) abilities between Lactobacillus species was observed, however, significant difference in colonisation characteristics between strains of the same species was noted (P < 0.001). We identified seven Lactobacillus strains that may serve as best candidates for vaginal probiotic development.

Fungi are a prospective resource of bioactive compounds, but conventional methods of drug discovery are not effective enough to fully explore their metabolic potential. This study aimed to develop an easily attainable method to elicit the metabolic potential of fungi using Aspergillus nidulans laeA as a transcription regulation tool. In this study, functional analysis of Aspergillus nidulans laeA (AnLaeA) and Aspergillus sp. Z5 laeA (Az5LaeA) was done in the fungus Aspergillus sp. Z5. Heterologous AnLaeA-and native Az5LaeA-overexpression exhibited similar phenotypic effects and caused an increase in production of a bioactive compound diorcinol in Aspergillus sp. Z5, which proved the conserved function of this global regulator. In particular, heteroexpression of AnLaeA showed a significant impact on the expression of velvet complex genes, diorcinol synthesis-related genes, and different transcription factors (TFs). Moreover, heteroexpression of AnLaeA influenced the whole genome gene expression of Aspergillus sp. Z5 and triggered the upregulation of many genes. Overall, these findings suggest that heteroexpression of AnLaeA in fungi serves as a simple and easy method to explore their metabolic potential. In relation to this, AnLaeA was overexpressed in the fungus Penicillium sp. LC1-4, which resulted in increased production of quinolactacin A.

A novel bacterium designated SSM4.2T was isolated from seaweed of Gouqi Island, which is the center of the Zhoushan fishing ground in the East China Sea. Strain SSM4.2T was Gram-stain-negative, bright yellow-pigmented, short rod-shaped, non-flagellated, non-spore forming, aerobic and motile by gliding. Growth was observed at 4–37 °C (optimum 25–30 °C), pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and 0–2.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0%) concentration. The strain was catalase- and oxidase-positive. Menaquinone-6 (MK-6) was found as the sole respiratory quinone and zeaxanthin as the main carotenoid pigment. The predominant fatty acids (≥ 10%) were iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, iso-C17:0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c /C16:1 ω6c). The major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The genome size was 5.7 Mbp. The DNA G + C content was 34.1 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain SSM4.2T belongs to the genus Flavobacterium and shares high-sequence similarity with F. limi KACC 18851T (98.1%), F. hydrophilum KACC 19591T (97.6%), F. defluvii KCTC 12612T (97.1%), F. cheongpyeongense KACC 19592T (97.0%) and F. fluviatile KCTC 52446T (96.9%). Strain SSM4.2T had 73.2–84.6% average nucleotide identity and 19.1–29.4% digital DNA-DNA hybridization values with its closest type strains. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and genomic features, strain SSM4.2T represents a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium ajazii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SSM4.2T (= KCTC 72807T = MCCC 1K04370T).

OBJECTIVE The activation of effector immune cells at the cervicovaginal mucosa (CVM) might influence the cervical HIV load and thus the secondary transmission; however, limited information is available about the innate effector cells at CVM during HIV infection. In this study, we quantified and assessed the activation of the effector immune cells at the CVM of HIV-infected women with different disease outcomes: nonprogressive HIV disease (LTNPs) and chronic HIV-infected (CHI) and their relationship with cervical viral shedding. METHOD The phenotype and frequency of cytobrush-derived effector immune cells like natural killer cells, T cells, and dendritic cells and their degranulation status (CD107a expression as a surrogate marker of activation) was determined using flow cytometry in age-matched HIV- infected and uninfected women and their association with cervical HIV load was determined. RESULT The frequencies of dendritic cells, CD56, CD56 natural killer cell subsets were similar in both the study groups and also within the HIV-infected women with and without progressive disease. The frequencies of CD56CD16 natural killer cells (P = 0.04) and degranulating CD56 natural killer cells were significantly higher among HIV-infected women (P

Analyzing the situation in Dhaka, Bangladesh before the national election of 2014, this paper explores the consequences of political hostility on street-connected children using qualitative methods...

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a computerized deep learning (DL) technique to identify bacterial genera more precisely in minimum time than the usual, traditional, and commonly used techniques like cultural, staining, and morphological characteristics. Materials and Methods: A convolutional neural network as a part of machine learning (ML) for bacterial genera identification methods was developed using python programming language and the Keras API with TensorFlow ML or DL framework to discriminate bacterial genera, e.g., Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Escherichia, Salmonella, and Corynebacterium. A total of 200 dig¬ital microscopic cell images comprising 40 of each of the genera mentioned above were used in this study. Results: The developed technique could identify and distinguish microscopic images of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Escherichia, Salmonella, and Corynebacterium with the highest accuracy of 92.20% for Staphylococcus and the lowest of 77.40% for Salmonella. Among the five epochs, the accuracy rate of bacterial genera identification of Staphylococcus was graded 1, and Streptococcus, Escherichia, Corynebacterium, and Salmonella as 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Conclusion: The experimental results suggest using the DL method to predict bacterial genera included in this study. However, further improvement with more bacterial genera, especially of similar morphology, is necessary to make the technique widely used for bacterial genera identification.

The antithyroid drugs, Carbimazole, Methimazole, and Propylthiouracil remain the mainstay of Graves' disease management in pregnancy. A series of Clinical Practice Guidelines aimed at optimising fetal and maternal outcomes in women with Graves' disease have been published in recent years. Areas covered: This review examines existing guideline recommendations on antithyroid drug management of Graves' disease in pregnancy. Expert commentary: Recent guidelines have been shaped by expanding knowledge of the adverse effect profiles of antithyroid drugs on the developing fetus. A core management strategy is to limit fetal exposure to excess thyroid hormones and to curtail adverse drug effects through effective preconception and peri-conception management. Propylthiouracil is the recommended treatment in the first trimester of pregnancy but there is uncertainty regarding antithyroid drug choices in women who continue to require treatment in later pregnancy. Further studies are needed to fully evaluate the risks of congenital anomalies following intrauterine thionamide exposure.

Camellia sinensis is being used for decades for its therapeutic efficacies against physiological problems and microbial infections. This study was undertaken to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal potential of aqueous extract of Camellia sinensis. Antibacterial activity was determined by disc and well diffusion assay. MIC and MBC were calculated by broth dilution method. Miles and Misra technique was used to find out colony forming unit per/ml. All the test organisms revealed a diverse range of vulnerability against aqueous extract. Among Gram positive, MRSA showed to be the most sensitive with least MIC and MBC while among Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited the highest sensitivity. In Miles and Misra, a progressive decline in log of CFU/ml was observed. In time-kill assay, a decline was noted in the viable count of S.aureus after exposure to 18% aqueous extract of Camellia sinensis. In the present study aqueous extract of Camellia sinensis found to be effective against Gram positive, Gram negative and fungi. The most important finding of this study is its aqueous extract inhibitory effect against drug-resistant microorganisms e.g. MRSA and P. aeruginosa and Candida albicans.

Modern mobile phones have a powerful processing unit that can perform multiple operations simultaneously. But the main constrain is the processing power and energy required to drive it. Cloud computing has come as a blessing for the mobile computing as it possesses a vast resource, high storage capacity and high processing power. In Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC), computation is offloaded to the cloud, cloud processes the data and generates information; and sends it back to the mobile device. Probability of offloading depends on line bandwidth, line length, size of data, processing speed of mobile, processing speed of cloud, storage and energy capacity of mobile etc. This paper presents a model for efficient data offloading decision, depending on the total execution time of a task when the data computation happens in the mobile and when it is offloaded to the cloud. An algorithm has been proposed here on data offloading decision. As thus an equation has been proposed to observe the probability of offloading process.

Hypoadrenalism (primary and secondary) affects 4/10,000 individuals.[1][1] But the commonest cause of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression is exogenous steroid use, and about 1% of the UK population are on such therapy.[2][2] These steroid-treated subjects have a higher incidence of

Heavy metals are ubiquitous in nature, thus constituting a serious environmental problem in many countries. Due to their toxicity, there is an obvious need to determine them at trace levels. Zinc is essential for many cellular processes, including DNA synthesis, transcription, and translation, but excess can be toxic. To analyze the uptake and metabolism of zinc in Escherichia coli , a high affinity FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer)–based nanosensor was developed using the cyanobacterial metallothionein SmtA flanked by CFP (cyan fluorescent protein) and YFP (yellow fluorescent protein). The chimeric sensor protein was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and purified by affinity chromatography. Following binding of zinc, FRET ratio increased with increasing the Zn 2+ concentration. Affinity mutants were constructed with binding constants ranging from 50 μM to 1 mM. In vitro analysis with bacterially purified sensor showed that it is specific for Zn 2+ and responds only weakly to Cd 2+ with no response for other biological metal ions. Moreover, the sensor activity in vitro was stable with extreme changes in pH. In vivo analysis of nanosensor response in E. coli showed that free Zn 2+ accumulate in the bacterial cells and is slowly metabolized.

The influence of 10 different rootstocks was investigated for evaluating the most suitable rootstock for table grape cultivar Fantasy Seedless. The growth performance, photosynthesis, biochemical composition, and primary nutrients’ status of the scion after grafting were investigated in ‘Fantasy Seedless’ grafted on 10 different rootstocks. The studies on vegetative parameters revealed that the rootstock influences the vegetative growth thereby increasing the photosynthesis of a vine. The rootstock influenced the changes in biochemical constituents in the grafted vine thus helping the vine to store enough food material. The grafted vines exhibited variations in primary nutrients status highlighting the scope for selection of better rootstock for sustainable nutrition management.

One of the crucial determinants for successful administration of lactobacilli to the vaginal niche is the use of appropriate Lactobacillus species. In this cross-sectional study 54 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative and 76 HIV-positive antiretroviral treatment-naive women were evaluated for culturable vaginal lactobacilli and their association with genital HIV-1 shedding. Lactobacillus species were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing while cervical and plasma HIV-1 viral load was determined by Abbott real-time PCR. Lactobacilli were isolated in 77.8 % HIV-negative and 73.7 % HIV-positive women. The mean log10 plasma and cervical HIV-1 viral loads (RNA copies ml−1) were 3.73±1.02 and 2.85±0.32 respectively. We observed that presence of L. crispatus, L. gasseri or L. jensenii species was associated with undetectable cervical HIV-1 (P=0.046) and reduced genital HIV-1 shedding (P=0.048) compared to other species. Our findings endorse using Lactobacillus-based strategies to aid the prevention of HIV-1 transmission among Indian women, however confirmation by future prospective studies is indeed warranted.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest form of heterogeneous brain cancer. It affects an enormous number of patients every year and the survival is approximately 8 to 15 months. GBM has driven by complex signaling pathways and considered as a most challenging to treat. Standard treatment of GBM includes surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and also the combined treatment. This review article described inter and intra- tumor heterogeneity of GMB. In addition, recent chemotherapeutic agents, with their mechanism of action have been defined. FDA-approved drugs also been focused over here and most importantly highlighting some natural and synthetic and novel anti- glioma agents, that are the main focus of researchers nowadays.

Maternal hypothyroidism may adversely affect pregnancy outcomes. International practice guidelines recommend that women with hypothyroidism should attain a preconception and early gestation serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level of2.5 mU/L. Our objective was to ascertain what proportion of women realize this target in practice and whether a TSH level above this threshold has adverse fetal and maternal consequences.This was an observational study of women with hypothyroidism referred to an endocrine antenatal clinic between 2008 and 2010 (n = 78; mean age, 30.4 years; range, 19 to 43 years). Thyroid profiles (free thyroxine [FT4] and TSH) before conception and through pregnancy were documented. Obstetrics outcomes were examined, including low birth weight, preterm births, preeclampsia, caesarean sections, and admissions to special care neonatal units.Thyroid testing was undertaken in 80% of subjects before conception, and in 64, 94, and 96% of subjects in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. TSH2.5 mU/L was seen in 49% of women before conception and in 68% of women in the first trimester. Six women were overtly hypothyroid before conception, attaining normal thyroid function at gestational ages ranging from 12 to 36 weeks. Neither the preconception nor the first postconception TSH level (2.5 mU/L or ≤2.5 mU/L) was associated with gestational age at delivery, birth weight, or rates of caesarean section or preeclampsia.The majority of women with hypothyroidism do not achieve the recommended preconception and early gestation TSH targets. Preconception and early gestation TSH2.5 mU/L was not associated with adverse fetal and maternal outcomes. Studies in larger cohorts will be required to confirm these findings, however.

The term “Oro - facial pigmentation” refers to a wide range of lesions or conditions featuring a change of color of O ro - facial tissues. Pigmentation of the Oro facial tissues is seen in certain races or ethnic groups such as Indians, Africans and E uropeans. Broadly classifying, O ro - facial pigmentation is divided into endogenous pigmentation and exogenous pigmentation. Endogenous pigmentation is due to pigments pr oduced within the body. Exogenous pigmentation occurs when foreign bodies get impregnated into the oral mucosa and appear as localized area of altered pigmentation. Drug constitutes an important endogenous cause of O ro - facial pigmentation. Hereby, we are p resenting an overview of various dru gs in the etio - pathogenesis of O ro - facial pigmentation.

According to Sir William Osler, Mouth is the mirror of the body which reflects systemic diseases. The oral mucosa may be affected by a variety of muco cutaneous diseases and oral les ions may occur first or very early in several muco - cutaneous disorders. Pemphigus is a group of potentially life threatening, chronic auto immune disorder characterized by epithelial blistering affecting muco - cutaneous surfaces. Autoantibodies in pemphigus vulgaris are directed against desmoglein in epithelial desmosomes, and the immune deposits result in intra - epithelial splitting (acantholysis). Oral lesions in the form of blisters and erosions are the first to manifest, and diagnosis is made by positive nikolsky’s sign, coupled with characterstic histopathology and immunofluorescent features. Corticosteroids form the mainline of treatment, but adjuvant and newer therapies are also been used at an increasing rates. This article deals about the etio pathoge nesis, clinical characterstics, diagnosis and treatment strategies for pemphigus vulgaris.

Word document (62Â KB). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA statement. This file contains a 27-item checklist of recommended items to include in a systematic review and meta-analysis. (DOC 62Â kb)

Background Suboptimal thyroid hormone therapy including under-replacement and over-replacement is common amongst patients with hypothyroidism. This is a significant health concern as affected patients are at risk of adverse cardiovascular or metabolic consequences. Despite a growing body of evidence on the effects of various factors on thyroid hormone replacement, a systematic appraisal of the evidence is lacking. This review aims to appraise and quantify the extent to which clinical, behavioural and pharmacogenomic factors affect levothyroxine therapy in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Methods/design The databases Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and PubMed will be searched. Patients must be adults over the age of 18 years, suffering from primary hypothyroidism including overt and subclinical hypothyroidism and receiving levothyroxine treatment. Studies in children, pregnant women and patients with secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism will not be included. We will also exclude studies focused on forms of thyroid hormone replacement therapy other than levothyroxine. The primary outcome is to quantify the effect of clinical, behavioural and pharmacogenomic factors on thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Secondary outcomes are the effect these factors have on thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels, mortality, morbidity, quality of life, treatment complications, adverse effects, physical and social functioning. Studies will be screened through reading the title, abstract and then full text. Two reviewers will independently extract the data and select articles, and a third reviewer will be consulted if there is any disagreement. We will undertake a meta-analysis of studies in which there is a defined intervention or exposure, patients are receiving levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, there is an appropriate control group of levothyroxine treated patients that are not exposed to the intervention, and the primary outcome is determined by serum TSH levels. Studies will comprise of randomised controlled trials as well as observational data. Eligible studies will be assessed for bias using the risk of bias tool available in the Cochrane handbook 2011, and the quality of evidence will be judged according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. A flow diagram describing the data search will be created according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: The PRISMA statement. A narrative synthesis will be undertaken in the description of the data, and summary tables will be created of the results. Discussion This review will be the first systematic review of this nature. The evidence synthesised will be useful to general practitioners in their management of hypothyroidism. Findings will be disseminated at conferences and in professional and peer-reviewed journals. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42015027211 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-017-0457-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nitrogen-efficient and nitrogen-inefficient wheat genotypes were identified on the basis of the differential response of 16 wheat genotypes with low (1 mM) and high (25 mM) nitrogen (N) supply. Growth performance, measured in terms of fresh weight, dry weight and length of root and shoot, was higher in N-efficient than N-inefficient wheat genotypes at low N levels. Interestingly, although the growth of N-efficient genotypes did not show any change with increasing level of N supply, there was a marked increase in the growth of N-inefficient genotypes with the increase in N level. To work out the basis of this differential response of wheat genotypes to low N levels, we investigated the nitrate uptake rate of root and activities of nitrate assimilatory enzymes in the leaves of N-efficient and N-inefficient wheat genotypes. Nitrate uptake kinetics of these genotypes revealed that the uptake of nitrate in N-efficient genotypes was mediated by high-affinity nitrate transporter systems, whereas those of N-ineff...

Herpes zoster or shingles is a recurrence of varicella zoster virus that entered the cutaneous nerve endings during an earlier episode of chicken pox, travelled to the dorsal root ganglia, and remained in a latent form. Nerves most commonly involved are C3, T5, L1, L2 and first division of trigeminal nerve. The condition is characterized by occurrence of multiple, painful, unilateral vesicles and ulceration which shows a typical single dermatome involvement. The infection usually affects elderly individuals, and if present in the younger age group, a suspicion should be raised about the immune-compromised status such as HIV. Many patients report to the dental clinic with the complications of herpes zoster, with trigeminal nerve involved in about 15% cases and most commonly the ophthalmic division. Diagnosing these complications of herpes zoster could pose a challenge to an oral physician due to their varied presentation ranging from post herpetic neuralgia, external root resorption, osteonecrosis and tooth exfoliation. This paper reports a case of herpes zoster with unilateral vesicles over the left side of upper and middle 1/3rd of face along the trigeminal nerve tract, with intraoral involvement of buccal mucosa and palate on the same side.

Growth performance, chromium (Cr) accumulation potential and induction of antioxidative defence system and phytochelatins (PCs) were studied in hydroponically grown Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) and Vigna radiata (mungbean) at various levels of Cr treatments (0, 50, 100, 200 μM Cr). B. juncea accumulated twofolds and threefolds higher Cr in root and shoot, respectively than in V. radiata. Compared to B. juncea, V. radiata was found to be particularly sensitive to Cr as observed by the severity and development of Cr toxicity symptoms and decreased growth. Induction of PC and enzymes of antioxidant defence system were monitored as plant’s primary and secondary metal detoxifying responses, respectively. There was induction of PC and enzymes of antioxidant defence system in both the plants. PCs were induced significantly in roots and shoot of both the plants at all the levels of Cr treatments. Significantly higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) were observed in shoot of B. juncea than V. radiata at all the levels of Cr treatments. Induction of PCs along with antioxidant defence system in response to Cr stress suggests the cumulative role of PCs and antioxidants in conferring tolerance against accumulated Cr in B. juncea, and thereby signifies the suitability of this plant as one of the potential remediators of Cr.

This study investigates the modulation of antioxidant defence system of Indian mustard (cv. Pusa Jai Kisan) against the arsenic (As)-induced toxicity in 20-day-old plants, exposed to 5 and 25 microM As for 96 h in hydroponic culture. Reduction in plant growth, measured in terms of root and shoot dry weights, was insignificant with 5 microM, but highly significant with 25 microM As treatment. Shoots accumulated more As than roots. The extent of oxidative stress in the leaves was measured as the rate of lipid peroxidation. The As treatments significantly increased the activities of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase) and the contents of antioxidants metabolites (glutathione and ascorbate), the increase being dependent on exposure time. Increase in the activity of catalase was not significant, however. In conclusion, Indian mustard was able to detoxify the low As level through induction of antioxidant defence mechanism.

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are two essential elements that influence plant growth and development. The C and N metabolic pathways influence each other to affect gene expression, but little is known about which genes are regulated by interaction between C and N or the mechanisms by which the pathways interact. In the present investigation, proteome analysis of N-efficient and N-inefficient Indian mustard, grown under varied combinations of low-N, sufficient-N, ambient [CO2], and elevated [CO2] was carried out to identify proteins and the encoding genes of the interactions between C and N. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) revealed 158 candidate protein spots. Among these, 72 spots were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF). The identified proteins are related to various molecular processes including photosynthesis, energy metabolism, protein synthesis, transport and degradation, signal transduction, nitrogen metabolism and defense to oxidative, water and heat stresses. Identification of proteins like PII-like protein, cyclophilin, elongation factor-TU, oxygen-evolving enhancer protein and rubisco activase offers a peculiar overview of changes elicited by elevated [CO2], providing clues about how N-efficient cultivar of Indian mustard adapt to low N supply under elevated [CO2] conditions. This study provides new insights and novel information for a better understanding of adaptive responses to elevated [CO2] under N deficiency in Indian mustard.

There is usually a positive yield response when sulfur (S) is applied to rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) plants grown on S-deficient soils. Recommendations include application of some of or the entire amount of S at planting, but the plant requirement as well as availability of S to rapeseed during its various phenological stages is not well documented. In a field trial, 40 kg S ha−1 was applied as gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) at planting (T1), during vegetative (T2, 30 days after sowing), flowering (T3, 50 days after sowing), and pod-filling (T4, 65 days after sowing) stages, and in split doses (T5). Biomass accumulation, leaf-area index, and leaf photosynthetic rate were studied at various growth stages. Seed S (sulfate and organic S) and yield parameters were studied at harvest. Sulfur (40 kg S ha− 1) applied in three split doses during different growth stages caused maximum increase in these parameters, followed by T2 and T1. However, no significant discernable difference was observed for the application ...

2 Jul 2012 2.39 1.90 Calcitriol 2.25 mcg BD + Sandocal 1g (1 tab QDS)+ Weekly intravenous calcium & magnesium infusion 3 Aug 2012 1.78 2.04 Calcitriol 2.25 mcg BD + Sandocal 1g (1 tab QDS) + Teriparatide 20 mcg SC injections BD ) + Weekly intravenous calcium & magnesium infusion 4 Jan 2013 1.94 1.64 Calcitriol 2.25 mcg BD + Sandocal 1g (1 tab QDS) + Teriparatide 40mcg BD SC injections )+ Weekly intravenous calcium & magnesium infusion 5 Jun 2013 1.70 1.89 Teriparatide infusion 40 mcg / 24 hours only

Patients with hypothyroidism are routinely advised to take levothyroxine without food or beverages on the assumption that food substances reduce its availability1. However, the pharmacokinetic effect of many common foods are unknown. We describe a patient with high levothyroxine requirements who only achieved adequate replacement by taking grapes along with levothyroxine. Through a cycle of challenge, withdrawal, and-re-challenge, we were able to demonstrate that levothyroxine availability was enhanced by grapes in this case.

Heavy metals (HM) constitute a group of pollutants that exert a major influence on the integrity of soil, water and air. Chromium (Cr) is one of these pollutants and its amount has shown a multifold increase in the present era. The role of Cr in plants stands undefined. A non-essential element as it is, chromium exerts phytotoxicity by impairing growth and development, nutrient cycling and various metabolic processes. Plants exert a wide array of defense against the accumulated chromium. The present chapter describes the mechanism of phytotoxicity and phytotolerance under chromium stress.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography are used widely for the diagnosis of Morton’s neuroma. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of these two modalities as diagnostic tools in Morton’s neuroma. Methods: Fifty feet of 47 consecutive patients (39 women and 8 men; mean age, 46 years; age range, 36–64 years) who presented between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2008, were included in the study. Twenty-five feet were investigated with ultrasonography and 25 with MRI. Morton’s neuroma was confirmed surgically and histologically in all of the patients. A Student unpaired t test was applied. Results: Twenty-two MRIs were diagnostic (sensitivity, 88%). Three patients with negative MRI findings underwent ultrasonography and were found to have a neuroma smaller than 5 mm. Twenty-four ultrasound scans demonstrated the neuroma (sensitivity, 96%), with five neuromas being smaller than 5 mm. Conclusions: Ultrasonography has a slightly higher sensitivity in the diagnosis of Morton’s neuroma, particularly of neuromas smaller than 5 mm, and should be the preferred imaging modality in suspected cases, and MRI should be reserved for cases with equivocal diagnosis. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(3): 184–186, 2012)

This experiment was conducted to investigate the variation of nitrogen efficiency (NE), nitrogen uptake efficiency (UE), physiological nitrogen use efficiency (PUE) among Indian mustard genotypes, grown under N-insufficient and N-sufficient conditions. Nitrogen efficiency varied from 52.7 to 92.8. Seed yield varied from 1.14 t ha −1 to 3.21 t ha −1 under N-insufficient condition, while 2.14 t ha −1 –3.33 t ha −1 under N-sufficient condition. Physiological basis of this difference was explained in terms of nitrogen uptake efficiency and physiological nitrogen use efficiency, and their relationship with the growth and yield characteristics. While nitrogen uptake efficiency was positively correlated with plant biomass (0.793**), leaf area index (0.664*), and leaf nitrogen content (0.783**), physiological nitrogen use efficiency is positively correlated with photosynthetic rate (0.689**) and yield (0.814**). This study suggests that genotype having high nitrogen uptake efficiency and high physiological nitrogen use efficiency might help in reducing the nitrogen load on soil without any penalty on the yield.

Sulphur is known to interact with almost all essential macronutrients, secondary nutrients and micronutrients. These interactions can either enhance or reduce growth and yield of crops by influencing the nutrient uptake and utilization. Better understanding of these relationships can lead to more efficient crop production, higher yields, improved crop quality and harvestibility. Future improvements in crop varieties, water utilization, and general improvements of cultural techniques will require a better understanding of nutrient interaction. This chapter focuses the interaction of sulphur with other nutrients.

Oral cavity functions as an early indicator for a variety of systemic diseases. Early and accurate diagnosis of these underlying systemic disorders entails thorough examination of the oral mucosa, gingiva, teeth, tongue and other oral tissues. Although gingival changes may be related to local factors in the oral cavity, it can also be an expression of systemic conditions such as blood dyscrasias, endocrinal imbalance, and nutritional deficiencies. Leukemia, a malignancy of white blood cells is a dreadful disease, which, if not diagnosed properly and treated early may result in significant morbidity and mortality. Oral changes may be the first and only presenting signs in leukemic patients. This paper aims to throw light on an interesting case of acute leukemia diagnosed on the basis of oral signs and emphasizes the importance of thorough oral examination to identify the threatening condition.

The effect of S and N application on N-accumulation and N-harvest in rapeseed mustard (Brassica juncea L., V1; and Brassica campestris L., V2) was studied under field conditions with a randomized block design. Three treatments viz. 0S+100N (T1), 40S+100N (T2) and 60S+150N (T3) were applied. The results showed that application of S along with N increased N-accumulation in both genotypes at all growth stages compared with N applied alone. This increase in N-accumulation was due to an increase in nitrate assimilation from reduced nitrogen forms as evidenced by the higher nitrate reductase (NR) activity in the leaves of plants grown with both S and N. This showed that application of S along with N considerably reduced the nitrate content in the leaves due to higher NR activity. The decline in nitrate assimilation was followed by an overall increase in N-accumulation in plants. Consequently, N content in the plant was increased from 22.1- to 146.2% and from 25.5 to −249.5% in V1 and V2 respectively, with the application of S along with N, compared with the application of N alone. N-harvest index was also higher in plants grown with both S and N compared with N alone. It is concluded that application of S along with N increases the accumulation of N. The treatment, T2 resulted in maximum improvement in these parameters.

The aim of this research was to study the effect of sulphur (S) nutrition on lipid biosynthesis and its related variables at various stages of seed development, and to find possible explanations for increased lipid content in the seeds of rapeseed due to S nutrition. Acetyl CoA carboxylase activity and contents of lipid, acetyl CoA, soluble sugar and starch were determined in the developing seeds of rapeseed (Brassica campestris L. cv. Pusa Gold) grown in the field with sulphur (+S) and without sulphur (−S). The period between 14–35 days after flowering (DAF) was identified as the active period of lipid accumulation in the developing seeds of rapeseed. The accumulation of lipid was preceded by a marked rise in acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity and acetyl-CoA content, which declined rapidly when lipid accumulation reached a plateau. Starch and soluble sugar content decreased during the period of active lipid accumulation in the developing seeds (i.e. between 14–35 DAF). Sulphur nutrition significantly (p

The pattern of NADH- and NAD(P)H-specific nitrate reductase (NRs) activities in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern. and Coss.) was monitored throughout growth stages. NAD(P)H:NR (EC 1.6.6.2) activity was maximum at early stages of growth (30 days after sowing, DAS), then declined gradually reaching to almost zero at 90 DAS. Contrary to this, NADH:NR (EC 1.6.6.1) activity was low at 30 DAS, then gradually increased till 90 DAS and thereafter, it became constant. The decrease in NAD(P)H:NR activity and increase in the NADH:NR activity were associated with the seasonal decrease in nitrate content in the soil.

The effect of sulfur (S) fertilisation on oil accumulation, acetyl-CoA concentration, and activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2) was determined in the developing seeds of rapeseed (Brassica campestris L. cv. Pusa Gold) grown in the field with and without S. The period between 14 and 35 days after flowering (DAF) was identified as the active period of oil accumulation in the developing seeds of rapeseed. The accumulation of oil was preceded by a marked rise in acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity and acetyl-CoA concentration, which declined rapidly when oil accumulation reached a plateau. Starch and soluble sugar content decreased, while protein content increased during the period of active oil accumulation in the developing seeds (i.e. 14–35 DAF). Sulfur fertilisation significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the oil accumulation in the developing seeds at all the growth stages except at 7 DAF. The increase in the oil content was 13.0–52.0% with S fertilisation over the control treatment. Sulfur fertilisation also increased acetyl-CoA concentration, acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity, and soluble protein, sugar, and starch content in the developing seeds. It is suggested that the increase in the oil content with S fertilisation may be associated with increases in acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity through the enhancement of acetyl-CoA concentration. Further, the increased sugar content due to S fertilisation provided enough carbon sources for oil biosynthesis.