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Abstract Seals are well‐known for their remarkable hydrodynamic trail‐following capabilities made possible by undulating flow‐sensing whiskers that enable the seals to detect fish swimming as far as 180 m away. In this work, the form‐function relationship in the undulating whiskers of two different phocid seal species, viz. harbor and gray seals, is studied. The geometry and material properties of excised harbor and grey seal whiskers are systematically characterized using blue light 3D scanning, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and nanoindentation. The effect of the undulating geometry on the whiskers’ vibration in uniform water flow is studied using both experimental (piezoelectric MEMS and 3D‐printed piezoresistive sensors developed in‐house) and numerical (finite element method) techniques. The results indicate that the dimensionless ratio of undulation wavelength to mean whisker diameter (λ/Dm) in phocid seals may have evolved to be in the optimal range of 4.4–4.6, enabling an order‐of‐magnitude reduction in vortex‐induced vibrations (compared to a similarly‐shaped circular cylinder) and, consequently, an enhanced flow sensing capability with minimal self‐induced noise. The results highlight the importance of the dimensionless λ/Dm ratio in the biomimetic design of seal whisker‐inspired vibration‐resistant structures, such as marine risers and wake detection sensors for submarines.

Most of the published literature on Atrial fibrillation (AF) originates from the northern hemisphere and mainly involves Caucasian patients, with limited studies in certain ethnicities and races. This scoping review was conducted to collect and summarize the pertinent evidence from the published scientific literature on AF in South Asians and Middle Eastern Arabs. MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL databases were included in our search. After screening 8995 records, 55 studies were selected; 42 from the Middle East and 13 from South Asia. Characteristics of the included studies were tabulated, and their data were summarized for study design, setting, enrolment period, sample size, demographics, prevalence or incidence of AF, co-morbidities, risk factors, AF types and symptoms, management, outcomes, and risk determinants. Identified literature gaps included a paucity of community or population-based studies that are representative of these two ethnicities/races. In addition, studies that addressed ethnic/racial in-equality and access to treatment were lacking. Our study underscores the urgent need to study cardiovascular disorders, particularly AF, in South Asians and Middle Eastern Arabs as well as in other less represented ethnicities and races.

The objective of this study is to find out the impact of the nettle plant (Urtica dioica L.) on broiler, because of its wide spread in our regions, and insufficient information about its effects on the broiler, as most of the current researches refers its uses in folk medicine. So, this research had been conducted to evaluate the effects of adding 0.25 and 0.5% crushed nettle/kg diet on the blood picture and some biochemical indices of broiler. 180 broiler chicks (Ross 308), one-day-old were randomly distributed into 3 groups (60 birds/group) with 3 replicates/group (20 birds/replicate), and treated until 42 days age as follows: 1st group (Control): standard diets without additives, 2nd group: 0.25% nettle/kg diet, 3rd group: 0.50% nettle/kg diet. Results showed that crushed nettle plant led to an increase in the values of packed cell volume, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and it's shortened clotting time, as well as a significant increase (P≤0.05) in the number of basophils compared to the control group. In regard to the biochemical profile in the blood serum of broiler, most of biochemical indices values became better and significant when adding nettle (high-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, risk index, total protein, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase). In conclusion, nettle can be given to broiler in these proportions to improve the hematological and biochemical indices due to its properties and contents.

Coronaviruses are non-segmented and single stranded positive-sense RNA (+ssRNA) viruses. To date, 06 human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are reported; α-CoVs (HCoVs-NL63 and HCoVs-229E) and β-CoVs (HCoVs-OC43, HCoVs-HKU1, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV). While, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is the most recent member. The genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 is 82% similar to SARS–COV-1. The compelling evidences link the progression of viral infection of SARS-CoV-2 with excessive inflammation as a result of the exaggerated immune response and elevated production of “immunocytokines” resulting in cytokine storm (CS); followed by a series of events, like acute organ damage, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as well as death. Hence attempts to reduce cytokine storm are now being considered as a new paradigm shift in the clinical management of SARS-CoV-2. Tocilizumab (IL-6 blocker), Baricitinib (JAKs and AAK1 inhibitor), TNFα inhibitors (Infliximab, Adalimumab, Certolizumab) are currently being evaluated for possible block of the CS. Hence, rationalizing anti-inflammatory therapeutics would be the most judicious approach for significant reduction in COVID-19 mortality. In order to elucidate optimized and rationaled use of different therapeutics in COVID-19, we collated latest available information from emerging scientific evidences, integrated previous attempts as well as clinical successes, and various adopted approaches to mitigate past outbreaks with of SARS-CoV and MERS CoV.

Aim: To investigate the precipitating factors that contribute to hospitalization and mortality in postacute heart failure (AHF) hospitalization in the Middle-East region. Methods: We evaluated patient data from the Gulf AHF registry (Gulf CARE), a prospective multicenter study conducted on hospitalized AHF patients in 47 hospitals across seven Middle Eastern Gulf countries in 2012. We performed analysis by adjusting confounders to identify important precipitating factors contributing to rehospitalization and 90- to 120-day follow-up mortality. Results: The mean age of the cohort (n = 5005) was 59.3 ± 14.9 years. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (27.2%), nonadherence to diet (19.2%), and infection (14.6%) were the most common precipitating factors identified. After adjusting for confounders, patients with AHF precipitated by infection (hazard ratio [HR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10–1.78) and ACS (HR-1.23; 95% CI: 0.99-1.52) at admission showed a higher 90-day mortality. Similarly, AHF precipitated by infection (HR-1.13; 95% CI: 0.93–1.37), and nonadherence to diet and medication (HR-1.12; 95% CI: 0.94–1.34) during hospitalization showed a persistently higher risk of 12-month mortality compared with AHF patients without identified precipitants. Conclusion: Precipitating factors such as ACS, nonadherence to diet, and medication were frequently identified as factors that influenced frequent hospitalization and mortality. Hence, early detection, management, and monitoring of these prognostic factors in-hospital and postdischarge should be prioritized in optimizing the management of HF in the Gulf region.

Background: The vast majority of literature on atrial fibrillation (AF) is based on studies from the developed world that mainly includes Caucasian patients. Data on AF in other ethnicities is very limited. The aim of this hospital-based study is to evaluate the effect of concomitant hypertension (HTN) on the characteristics and outcomes of Middle Eastern Arab and South Asian patients with AF in the state of Qatar. Materials and Methods and Results: During the 20-year period, 3850 AF patients were hospitalized; 1483 (38.5%) had HTN, and 2367 (61.5%) without HTN. Patients with HTN were 11 years older, compared to non-HTN patients, and had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and dyslipidemia, compared to non-HTN patients. Furthermore, underlying coronary artery disease and heart failure were significantly more common but not valvular and rheumatic heart diseases which were more common in those without HTN. The rates of in-hospital mortality and stroke were significantly higher in the presence of HTN (5.3% versus 3.5%, and 0.7% versus 0.2% respectively, P = 0.001), compared to non-HTN patients. Conclusions: HTN is significantly associated with more comorbidities and worse clinical outcomes when it coexists with AF in hospitalized Middle Eastern Arab and South Asian patients.

Abstract Aims Published data on the clinical presentation of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) are very limited particularly from the Middle East. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of patients with PPCM using data from a large multicentre heart failure (HF) registry from the Middle East. Methods and results From February to November 2012, a total of 5005 consecutive patients with HF were enrolled from 47 hospitals in 7 Middle East countries. From this cohort, patients with PPCM were identified and included in this study. Clinical features, in‐hospital, and 12 months outcomes were examined. During the study period, 64 patients with PPCM were enrolled with a mean age of 32.5 ± 5.8 years. Family history was identified in 11 patients (17.2%) and hypertension in 7 patients (10.9%). The predominant presenting symptom was dyspnoea New York Heart Association class IV in 51.6%, class III in 31.3%, and class II in 17.2%. Basal lung crepitations and peripheral oedema were the predominant signs on clinical examination (98.2% and 84.4%, respectively). Most patients received evidence‐based HF therapies. Inotropic support and mechanical ventilation were required in 16% and 5% of patients, respectively. There was one in‐hospital death (1.6%), and after 1 year of follow‐up, nine patients were rehospitalized with HF (15%), and one patient died (1.6%). Conclusions A high index of suspicion of PPCM is required to make the diagnosis especially in the presence of family history of HF or cardiomyopathy. Further studies are warranted on the genetic basis of PPCM.

Background: Unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (UHB) is an important problem encountered during the neonatal period. It may lead to severe cardiac autonomic dysfunction like heart rate variability and myocardial damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac function in neonates with UHB by echocardiography. Methods: This single-center, prospective, case-control study was conducted on 100 full-term neonates with severe UHB requiring phototherapy and 100 healthy infants as controls. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and serum cardiac troponin measurements. Results: There was an increase in heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure in cases compared to controls, although the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in the left ventricular systolic and diastolic function on echocardiography and TDI. Cardiac troponin level was normal in all the cases. Conclusion: This study shows that UHB did not affect the cardiac functions of the left ventricle.

Methods to generate beige adipocytes from a human cell source are inefficient. Here, the authors present a protocol that efficiently generates beige adipocytes from human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), which have potential utility in therapeutic development relating to metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies are novel lipid-lowering therapy that have been extensively studied in patients with hypercholesterolemia either as monotherapy or as an add-on to other LLTs. PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies have significantly reduced the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) plasma level resulting in a better LDL-C goal attainment. The commercially available PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies, alirocumab and evolocumab, have demonstrated reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, and the need for coronary revascularization but not mortality. PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies have demonstrated a favorable safety profile. The most reported side effects are mild injection site with no causal relationship proven between the inhibition of PCSK9 and neurocognitive or glycemic adverse events. In this overview, the efficacy and safety of PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of primary and familial hypercholesterolemia will be discussed.

Pressured by the enormous human and economic costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain countries and political figures have advocated the use of drugs and vaccines that did not go through the required regulatory stages of the development. Although the reason for bypassing these stages in a race to produce a treatment and vaccine for the COVID-19 patients could have been caused by good intentions to stop the human suffering from the pandemic, nonetheless, history has taught us that the results of this action could be catastrophic. In this article, we briefly review the lessons and tragedies in the evolution of human subject research regulations emphasizing the need for the proper evaluation of drugs and vaccines for COVID-19.

Thrombotic complications in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection have been increasingly recognized, particularly those affecting the cardiovascular system. Patients with COVID-19 infection can suffer from increased coagulopathy as well as myocardial injury. In this review, we discuss these complications with special focus on management challenges in patients with acute coronary disease based on the available evidence from published literature.

Cardiothoracic surgical intensive care has developed in response to advances in cardiothoracic surgery. The invention of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine facilitated a motionless and bloodless surgical field and made operations of increasing complexity feasible. By the mid-1950s, the first successful procedures utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass took place. This was soon followed by the establishment of postoperative recovery units, the precursors to current cardiothoracic surgical intensive care units. These developments fostered the emergence of a new medical specialty: the discipline of critical care medicine. Together, surgeons and intensivists transformed the landscape of acute, in-hospital care. It is important to celebrate these achievements by remembering the individuals responsible for their conception. This article describes the early days of cardiothoracic surgery and cardiothoracic intensive care medicine.

Critical care after cardiothoracic surgery is an inseparable component of any successful surgical program addressing intrathoracic pathologies, including heart failure treatment with mechanical circulatory support, and respiratory failure requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy [...]

Cardiothoracic surgical critical care medicine is practiced by a diverse group of physicians including surgeons, anesthesiologists, pulmonologists, and cardiologists. With a wide array of specialties involved, the training of cardiothoracic surgical intensivists lacks standardization, creating significant variation in practice. Additionally, it results in siloed physicians who are less likely to collaborate and advocate for the cardiothoracic surgical critical care subspeciality. Moreover, the current model creates credentialing dilemmas, as experienced by some cardiothoracic surgeons. Through the lens of critical care anesthesiologists, this article addresses the shortcomings of the contemporary cardiothoracic surgical intensivist training standards. First, we describe the present state of practice, summarize past initiatives concerning specific training, outline why standardized education is needed, provide goals of such training standardization, and offer a list of desirable competencies that a trainee should develop to become a successful cardiothoracic surgical intensivist.

Cardiothoracic surgical critical care medicine (CT-CCM) is a medical discipline centered on the perioperative care of diverse groups of patients. With an aging demographic and an increase in burden of chronic diseases the utilization of cardiothoracic surgical critical care units is likely to escalate in the coming decades. Given these projections, it is important to assess the state of cardiothoracic surgical intensive care, to develop goals and objectives for the future, and to identify knowledge gaps in need of scientific inquiry. This two-part review concentrates on CT-CCM as its own subspeciality of critical care and cardiothoracic surgery and provides aspirational goals for its practitioners and scientists. In part one, a list of guiding principles and a call-to-action agenda geared towards growth and promotion of CT-CCM are offered. In part two, an evaluation of selected scientific data is performed, identifying gaps in CT-CCM knowledge, and recommending direction to future scientific endeavors.

Surface roughness of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) printed overhang regions is a major contributor to deteriorated shape accuracy/surface quality. This study investigates the mechanisms behind the evolution of surface roughness (Ra) in overhang regions. The evolution of surface morphology is the result of a combination of border track contour, powder adhesion, warp deformation, and dross formation, which is strongly related to the overhang angle (θ). When 0° ≤ θ ≤ 15°, the overhang angle does not affect Ra significantly since only a small area of the melt pool boundaries contacts the powder bed resulting in slight powder adhesion. When 15° 50°, large waviness of the overhang contour, adhesion of powder clusters, severe warp deformation and dross formation increase Ra sharply.

Seven studies are summarized herein focusing on different aspects of Atrial fibrillation (AF) in two unique ethnicities for which there is very limited literature published before; Middle Eastern Arabs and South Asians, using data from a national registry of cardiovascular diseases in Qatar over a 20-years period (1991-2010). These studies shed light upon important aspects of AF presentations and outcomes in these two ethnicities, thereby enriching the world literature on AF. In the process, several novel observations were reported and new questions were raised that warrant further investigations.

BACKGROUND:The most prevalent nutritional disorders worldwide are childhood overweight or obesity. Various factors clearly contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of childhood obesity in children of primary schools, and determine the influence of eating behavior and lifestyle in such a condition. METHODS:The study based on a cross sectional survey including school children aged 6-11 years. Pupils were from different schools in Sharjah, UAE. Outcome measures used in this study covered health characteristics; child habits and lifestyle; disease status and medication. RESULTS:The number of pre-validated surveys distributed was 932 and those returned counted to 678, giving a response rate of 72.8%. More than half (379; 55.9%) of the participants were females and 191 (28.2%) of the children were obese or overweight. Almost one quarter (162; 23.9%) of the children was physically inactive. Additionally, candy and fast food consumption was significantly high (370; 54.6%) and (324; 47.8%) respectively. Participant's food, age and time spent on TV were significantly associated with body mass index (BMI). CONCLUSION:Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Emirate of Sharjah is high in both genders and across all ages of the study population. Contributing factors may include; sedentary lifestyle, consumption of unhealthy food and family history. There is a need for an immediate attention and measures to reduce the prevalence of obesity and associated diseases.

Background Smoker's paradox has been observed with several vascular disorders, yet there are limited data in patients with acute heart failure (HF). We examined the effects of smoking in patients with acute HF using data from a large multicenter registry. The objective was to determine if the design and analytic approach could explain the smoker's paradox in acute HF mortality. Methods and Results The data were sourced from the acute HF registry (Gulf CARE [Gulf Acute Heart Failure Registry]), a multicenter registry that recruited patients over 10 months admitted with a diagnosis of acute HF from 47 hospitals in 7 Middle Eastern countries. The association between smoking and mortality (in hospital) was examined using covariate adjustment, making use of mortality risk factors. A parallel analysis was performed using covariate balancing through propensity scores. Of 5005 patients hospitalized with acute HF, 1103 (22%) were current smokers. The in‐hospital mortality rates were significantly lower in current smoker's before (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.52–0.96) and more so after (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.31–0.70) covariate adjustment. With the propensity score–derived covariate balance, the smoking effect became much less certain (odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.36–1.11). Conclusions The current study illustrates the fact that the smoker's paradox is likely to be a result of residual confounding as covariate adjustment may not resolve this if there are many competing prognostic confounders. In this situation, propensity score methods for covariate balancing seem preferable. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT01467973.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating before dawn until after sunset for a month. This study reviews most recent literature on the effect of Ramadan fasting on the Cardiac patient specifically, excluding any study done on patients with no diagnosis of Cardiac disease to help cardiologists better deal with their patients who would wish to fast during Ramadan. As such, a Medline and Pubmed search was conducted to retrieve studies investigating the effects of fasting during Ramadan specifically on the cardiac patient with regard to incidence of cardiac disease and change in cardiovascular risk parameters. The search was conducted by combining the key word “Ramadan Fasting” with multiple cardiac diseases and cardiovascular risk parameters. Only studies reporting results on patients already diagnosed with a cardiac disease were included. fourteen were included. Most studies have shown, with a few exceptions, that Ramadan fasting has no adverse effects on incidence of cardiovascular disease or the number of hospitalizations due to cardiac disease events. Thus patients with controlled disease may fast with the consultation and monitoring of their physician.

Abstract Background There is limited evidence assessing the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on oesophageal adenocarcinoma, both in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated the effects of the omega-3 PUFA and oxaliplatin on OE33 and OE19 cells. Method The two oesophageal cells were treated with Omegaven® (fish oil emulsion), EPA, DHA and oxaliplatin and incubated for up to 144 h. Results The following inhibitory effects were observed on OE33 cells: EPA reduced cell growth by 39% (p = 0.001), DHA by 59% (p

Summary: In this report we describe a human pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular progenitor (MesoT) cell of the mesothelium lineage. MesoT cells are multipotent and generate smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and pericytes and self-assemble into vessel-like networks in vitro. MesoT cells transplanted into mechanically damaged neonatal mouse heart migrate into the injured tissue and contribute to nascent coronary vessels in the repair zone. When seeded onto decellularized vascular scaffolds, MesoT cells differentiate into the major vascular lineages and self-assemble into vasculature capable of supporting peripheral blood flow following transplantation. These findings demonstrate in vivo functionality and the potential utility of MesoT cells in vascular engineering applications. : Colunga et al. describe a multipotent vascular progenitor cell that contributes to neovascularization of damaged tissue and that efficiently populates vascular scaffolds and self-assembles into functional vessels. These findings open up new opportunities for the vascularization of diseased and damaged tissue and for surgical vessel replacement. Keywords: stem cells, mesothelium, vascular progenitor, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine

Genomic manipulation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has become essential to introduce genetic modifications and transgenes, and develop reporter lines. One of the major bottlenecks in gene editing is at the stage of single-cell cloning, which is thought to be variable across hPSC lines and is substantially reduced following a transfection. Due to the difficulty of performing fluorescent-assisted cell sorting (FACS) for single-cell isolation of hPSCs, previous approaches rely on manual colony picking, which is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this protocol, I provide a method for utilizing FACS to generate single-cell clones of hPSCs with efficiencies approaching 40% within 7–10 days. This can be achieved by sorting cells onto a feeder layer of MEFs in a stem cell defined medium with KSR and a Rock inhibitor, as early as 1–2 days following a transfection, streamlining the gene editing process. The approach described here provides a fundamental method for all researchers utilizing hPSCs for scientific studies.

استهدف هذا البحث الكشف عن تواجد الأوكرا توكسين أ (OTA) في القمح الطريّ ونواتجه (الدقيق و النخالة) ببعض المطاحن بمنطقة طرابلس. تم تجميع 96 عينة قمح ونواتجه من3 مطاحن خلال: خزن القمح الخام، تنقيته وتنظيفه، إنتاج الدقيق و فصل النخالة. استخدمت طريقة الاستخلاص القلوي وأعمدة "الطور الصلب" (SPE) لفصل وتنظيف المستخلص بالتوالي وجهاز (HPLC) للكشف عن (OTA) وتقدير مستوياته بحدود كشف 0.025 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام وبنسبة استرجاع 94. أوضحت النتائج أنّ 91 % من عينات القمح الخام وجدت ملوثة ب OTA وبمستويات تتراوح بين 0.7 – 12.4 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام ومتوسط 2.6 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام. بلغت نسبة التلوث في القمح بعد التنظيف 75 % وبمستويات تتراوح بين 0.6 – 3.5 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام ومتوسط 1.9 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام. انخفض مستوى التلوث بالدقيق إلى 46 % مقارنة بالقمح الخام كما انخفضت مستويات التركيز ما بين 0.5 – 1.1 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام بمتوسط 0.7 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام. بالمقابل ارتفعت نسبة التلوث في النخالة 88% و تراوح مدى التركيز بين 0.9–2.1 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام بمتوسط 1.19 ميكروجرام/كيلوجرام. 84 % من عينات القمح لم يتجاوز تركيز OTA فيها الحد المقرر بالمواصفة القياسية الليبية رقم 231 لقمح الدقيق . جميع عينات الدقيق ظلَّ متوسط تركيز OTA فيها دون الحد المسموح به بالمواصفة القياسية الليبية رقم 177 لدقيق القمح. أدت عمليات الطحن إلى انخفاض كبير في تواجد OTA في الدقيق بلغ 46% ، كما انخفض متوسط تركيزه في الدقيق بنسبة 73 %. التحليل الإحصائي عند مستوى معنوية %0.01 اظهر فروقات معنوية فى تركيز OTA بين كل من القمح الخام، القمح المنظف، الدقيق و النخالة . يستخلص إلى أهمية تصحيح الممارسات المتبعة حاليا في تداول وتخزين القمح وإلى تشديد التفتيش على القمح أثناء استلامه بالمطاحن قيد الدراسة.

Here we show that bivalent domains and chromosome architecture for bivalent genes are dynamically regulated during the cell cycle in human pluripotent cells. Central to this is the transient increase in H3K4-trimethylation at developmental genes during G1, thereby creating a “window of opportunity” for cell-fate specification. This mechanism is controlled by CDK2-dependent phosphorylation of the MLL2 (KMT2B) histone methyl-transferase, which facilitates its recruitment to developmental genes in G1. MLL2 binding is required for changes in chromosome architecture around developmental genes and establishes promoter-enhancer looping interactions in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. These cell-cycle-regulated loops are shown to be essential for activation of bivalent genes and pluripotency exit. These findings demonstrate that bivalent domains are established to control the cell-cycle-dependent activation of developmental genes so that differentiation initiates from the G1 phase.

Objective: The present study was undertaken to find the anthropometric parameter like birth weight (BW), length, occipitofrontal circumference(OFC), midarm circumference(MAC), chest circumference (CC), midthigh circumference(MTC) and maximum calf circumference (MCC) of normal healthy neonates at birth which can be used to draw growth chart. Study design: Hospital based cross-sectional study. This study was done in the pediatric department of AVBRH hospital, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha from April 2012 to August 2012. Materials and methods: 211 full terms, normal, singleton newborn babies were included BW, length, OFC, MAC, CC, MTC and MCC were taken within 72 hours of birth. Results: Of the 211 neonates 115 (54.5%) were male and 96 (45.5%) female. The mean BW, length, OFC, MAC, CC, MTC and MCC were 2.815(0.28) kg, 51.15(3.31) cm, 33.52(1.92) cm, 10.12(1.30) cm 28.66(2.52) cm, 14.33(1.74) cm and 10.58(1.20) cm respectively. No statistically significant difference was present in the anthropometric parameter of boys and girls. Conclusions: This study establishes local normal values for anthropometric measurements for healthy, full term newborn in wardha district. To develop our population data, community based studies should be conducted regularly.

Sensor designs found in nature are optimal due to their evolution over millions of years, making them well-suited for sensing applications. However, replicating these complex, three-dimensional (3D), biomimetic designs in artificial and flexible sensors using conventional techniques such as lithography is challenging. In this paper, we introduce a new processing paradigm for the simplified fabrication of flexible sensors featuring complex and bioinspired structures. The proposed fabrication workflow entailed 3D-printing a metallic mold with complex and intricate 3D features such as a micropillar and a microchannel, casting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) inside the mold to obtain the desired structure, and drop-casting piezoresistive graphene nanoplatelets into the predesigned microchannel to form a flexible strain gauge. The graphene-on-PDMS strain gauge showed a high gauge factor of 37 as measured via cyclical tension-compression tests. The processing workflow was used to fabricate a flow sensor inspired by hair-like ‘cilia’ sensors found in nature, which comprised a cilia-inspired pillar and a cantilever with a microchannel that housed the graphene strain gauge. The sensor showed good sensitivity against both tactile and water flow stimuli, with detection thresholds as low as 12 µm in the former and 58 mm/s in the latter, demonstrating the feasibility of our method in developing flexible flow sensors.

Background: When the upper arm (UA) is inaccessible or a standard-sized blood pressure (BP) cuff is unavailable, some healthcare workers use the forearm (FA) to measure BP with a mercury sphygmomanometer. Objective: The objective was to determine the accuracy of BP measurement in the arm and FA. Design: Prospective, randomized study. Setting: Department of Pediatrics, JNMC, Sawangi (Meghe) Participants: A total of 72 children aged 5-15 years. Measurements: Mercury and Automatic (OMRON Tokyo, 108-0075 Japan) BP measurements were recorded from the arm and FA at 2 min intervals. Results: In our study, 72 children of both sexes were enrolled. The mean age of the children was 10.13 ± 2.82 years, and 48% were females. Pearson′s correlation coefficient between FA and UA systolic BP (SBP) measured by mercury was 0.782, and for diastolic BP (DBP) it was 0.824. Similarly, Pearson′s correlation coefficient between FA and UA SBP measured with an automated device (OMRON) was 0.843, and for DBP it was 0.846. The average readings for the SBP and DBP were higher in the FA than in the UA by approximately 3 mmHg. There was a statistically significant difference in both SBP and DBP. Conclusions: The FA is an acceptable method of BP monitoring when the UA cannot be accessed. The pressure from FA is probably higher than it would be from UA.

Introduction: Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries in children especially in under-fives. Every year in the world, about 13 million under-5 children dies, 95% from developing countries; one third of total deaths are due to ARI. The aim of this study was to identify the significant risk factors for ARI in children less than five years of age living in rural areas of Central India. Methods: A hospital based case control study was undertaken to determine risk factors associated with respiratory tract infections in children. Children less than 5 years admitted in a pediatric ward with diagnosis of ARI were enrolled in the study as cases (n = 300) while the same number of controls (n = 300) were selected from neighborhood and were matched for age, sex and religion. Details of risk factors in cases and controls were recorded in pre-designed proforma. Results: A significant association was found between ARI and lack of breastfeeding, nutritional status, immunization status, delayed weaning, prelactal feeding, living in overcrowded conditions, mothers’ literacy status, low birth weight and prematurity. Among the environmental variables, inadequate ventilation, improper housing condition, exposure to indoor air pollution in form of combustion from fuel used for cooking were found as significant risk factors for ARI in under-fives. Conclusions: ARIs are affected by socio-demographic and socio-cultural risk factors, which can be modified with simple interventions. The various risk factors identified in this study were lack of breastfeeding, undernutrition, delayed weaning, overcrowding and prelactal feeding.

Cellular heterogeneity is now considered an inherent property of most stem cell types, including pluripotent stem cells, somatic stem cells, and cancer stem cells, and this heterogeneity can exist at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and posttranscriptional levels. Several studies have indicated that the stochastic activation of signaling networks may promote heterogeneity and further that this heterogeneity may be reduced by their inhibition. But why different cells in the same culture respond in a nonuniform manner to the identical exogenous signals has remained unclear. Recent studies now demonstrate that the cell cycle position directly influences lineage specification and specifically that pluripotent stem cells initiate their differentiation from the G1 phase. These studies suggest that cells in G1 are uniquely “poised” to undergo cell specification. G1 cells are therefore more prone to respond to differentiation cues, which may explain the heterogeneity of developmental factors, such as Gata6, and pluripotency factors, such as Nanog, in stem cell cultures. Overall, this raises the possibility that G1 serves as a “Differentiation Induction Point.” In this review, we will reexamine the literature describing heterogeneity of pluripotent stem cells, while highlighting the role of the cell cycle as a major determinant.

The effects of aqueous extracts of broccoli plant against liver enzymes (ALP, ALT,AST,GST) in the laboratory animals treated with carbon tetrachloride were studied. Conducted tests on the overlap between the three concentration 100, 200,300 mg / kgm of aqueous extract of broccoli and 3.2 mg / kgm of carbon tetrachloride with interaction included two types of treatment (pre- ccl4 and post-ccl4) through oral dosage and for a period of 7 days. The study shows that the concentration 300mg / kgm is the best concentration of aqueous extract there was used and study suggests that use the concentrations of this focus and fact that the plant is used for human consumption broadly.

A-20-year old male, with no significant medical history, presented with clinical features mimicking a perforated acute appendicitis. Because of features of peritonitis, a laparotomy was performed which showed a segment of small bowel with multiple large diverticula and mesenteric cysts. A segmental small bowel resection was performed. The patient made an uneventful recovery from surgery. Histology revealed features of a small bowel hamartoma.

Background. Liposarcoma is the second most common soft tissue sarcoma affecting predominantly the retroperitoneal space and extremities. Mesenteric liposarcoma is uncommon and occurs in the small bowel mesentery. In this paper we report the case of a recurrent mesocolon myxoid liposarcoma manifesting 6 years from the initial right hemicolectomy for the primary tumour. Case Report. A 41-year-old female presented with a 4-day history of signs and symptoms indicative of small bowel obstruction, subsequently confirmed on plain abdominal X-ray. In 2006 she underwent a right hemicolectomy for a myxoid liposarcoma of the mesentery. The patient was initially managed conservatively; however she showed no signs of improvement and was taken to theatre for an exploratory laparotomy and division of adhesional bands. During this procedure an incidental finding of a dark purple, smooth pelvic mass was identified with similar macroscopic appearance to that of splenic tissue. Histological examination revealed a recurrent mesocolon myxoid liposarcoma. Conclusion. Mesocolon myxoid liposarcoma is a rare soft tissue neoplastic pathology and carries a high risk of recurrence. Therefore, a symptomatic patient with a previous history of primary liposarcoma excision should be treated with a high index of suspicion and a longer period of followup should be considered.

Spermatocytic Seminoma is an unusual germ cell tumour known to arise from testis only. It is associated with good prognosis. Testicular tumours as such are uncommon in Asia as compared to western countries. In the literature only five cases of bilateral synchronous Spermatocytic Seminoma have been reported. Fifty years male patient presented to us with bilateral scrotal swelling and evaluation revealed neoplastic aetiology of bilateral testicular enlargement. Left side radical orchidectomy was performed initially which histopathologically revealed spermatocytic seminoma. Subsequently right side radical orchidectomy was performed after intra-op frozen section confirmation of neoplastic nature. Histopathology revealed same pathology as on left side. Immunohistochemistry of specimen from both testes was again conclusive of spermatocytic seminoma. We hereby report this rare case of Bilateral Synchronous Spermatocytic Seminoma. This is the first case report from entire Asian continent except for Japan.

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita is characterized by non-progressive, multiple joint contractures present at birth. The major cause of arthrogryposis is fetal akinesia due to fetal abnormalities like neurogenic, muscle, connective tissue abnormalities or maternal disorders Here we report a rare case of arthrogryposis in infant of diabetic mother with multiple congenital anomalies.