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Abstract Objective To determine the correlation between posttreatment trunk range of motion (ROM) and isometric strength (TIS) and pain and disability in patients who underwent multimodal rehabilitation for low back pain (LBP). Methods In this prospective cohort study, 122 patients undergoing multimodal rehabilitation for LBP were analyzed. The pre- and posttreatment numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, as well as trunk ROM and TIS were compared. The Pearson correlation was used to determine correlation between posttreatment clinical outcomes and ROM and TIS. Results At the end of treatment, the mean NPRS (p< 0.0001) and ODI (p< 0.0001) scores, mean trunk extension (p< 0.0001), and flexion (p< 0.0001) ROMs improved significantly. Similarly, posttreatment, the mean extension (p< 0.0001) and flexion (p< 0.0001) TISs improved significantly. There was a weak correlation between the NPRS score and ROM extension (r = -0.24, p= 0.006) and flexion strength (r = -0.28, p= 0.001), as well as between the ODI score and TIS extension (r = -0.30, p= 0.0007) and flexion (r = -0.28, p= 0.001). Conclusion Despite significant improvement in pain, disability, trunk ROM, and TIS with multimodal treatment, there was a weak correlation between posttreatment pain and function and trunk ROM and TIS. Improvement in pain and function with physical rehabilitation treatment for LBP is a complex phenomenon and needs further investigation.

Electric fields have been used in the manufacturing of powders in a number of ways, including to enhance drying rates and retain heat-sensitive materials. Electrohydrodynamic drying and electrostatic spray drying use electric fields to accelerate the evaporation of liquid from a surface, resulting in faster drying times and improved product quality. These technologies are used in the food and pharmaceutical industries to manufacture powders from liquid feed materials. In addition to enhancing drying rates, the use of electric fields in powder manufacturing can also help to retain the bioactivity of compounds in the final product. Many bioactive compounds are sensitive to heat and can be degraded or destroyed during conventional drying processes. By using electric fields to dry powders, it is possible to reduce the amount of heat applied and therefore preserve the bioactive compounds in the final product. This article reviews the different mechanisms of various electric field assisted technologies, i.e., electrohydrodynamic atomization, electrohydrodynamic drying, pulsed electric fields and a new approach of electrostatic spray drying, along with their potential food industry applications.

Pulse Spray Drying (PSD) has potential as a sustainable means of skimmed milk powder (SMP) production. In this study, powders were obtained from PSD using different drying outlet temperatures (70, 80, 90 and 100 °C), and their characteristics were compared to those of traditional Spray Drying (SD). Native whey proteins were well preserved and Solubility Indexes were over 98% in all cases, despite powders obtained by PSD displaying lower solubility than the SD ones. No visual difference was observable in the powders (ΔE < 2); however, PSD powders were found to be yellower with a higher Browning Index. The drying technology did not have a significant effect on powder moisture content and bulk density. Particle size distribution and scanning electron microscopy images confirmed the presence of fine particles (

Chondrocytes are the only resident cell types that form the extracellular matrix of cartilage. Inflammation alters the anabolic and catabolic regulation of chondrocytes, resulting in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). The potential of TMMG, a glucuronated flavone, was explored against the pathophysiology of OA in both in vitro and in vivo models. The effects of TMMG were evaluated on chondrocytes and the ATDC5 cell line treated with IL-1β in an established in vitro inflammatory OA model. An anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) model was used to simulate post-traumatic injury in vivo. Micro-CT and histological examination were employed to examine the micro-architectural status and cartilage alteration. Further, serum biomarkers were measured using ELISA to assess OA progression. In-vitro, TMMG reduced excessive ROS generation and inhibited pro-inflammatory IL-1β secretion by mouse chondrocytes and macrophages, which contributes to OA progression. This expression pattern closely mirrored osteoclastogenesis prevention. In-vivo results show that TMMG prevented chondrocyte apoptosis and degradation of articular cartilage thickness, subchondral parameters, and elevated serum COMP, CTX-II, and IL-1β which were significantly restored in 5 and 10 mg.kg−1day−1 treated animals and comparable to the positive control Indomethacin. In addition, TMMG also improved cartilage integrity and decreased the OARSI score by maintaining chondrocyte numbers and delaying ECM degradation. These findings suggest that TMMG may be a prospective disease-modifying agent that can mitigate OA progression.

Abstract Atomic devices such as atomic clocks and optically-pumped magnetometers rely on the interrogation of atoms contained in a cell whose inner content has to meet high standards of purity and accuracy. Glass-blowing techniques and craftsmanship have evolved over many decades to achieve such standards in macroscopic vapor cells. With the emergence of chip-scale atomic devices, the need for miniaturization and mass fabrication has led to the adoption of microfabrication techniques to make millimeter-scale vapor cells. However, many shortcomings remain and no process has been able to match the quality and versatility of glass-blown cells. Here, we introduce a novel approach to structure, fill and seal microfabricated vapor cells inspired from the century-old approach of glass-blowing, through opening and closing single-use zero-leak microfabricated valves. These valves are actuated exclusively by laser, and operate in the same way as the “make-seals” and “break-seals” found in the filling apparatus of traditional cells. Such structures are employed to fill cesium vapor cells at the wafer-level. The make-seal structure consists of a glass membrane that can be locally heated and deflected to seal a microchannel. The break-seal is obtained by breaching a silicon wall between cavities. This new approach allows adapting processes previously restricted to glass-blown cells. It can also be extended to vacuum microelectronics and vacuum-packaging of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices.

A newly discovered chromatin remodeler, MORC2, is a Microrchidia (MORC) family member. MORC2 acts as a chromatin remodeler by binding to the DNA and changing chromatin conformation using its ATPase domain. MORC2 is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers. It controls diverse signaling pathways essential for cancer development through its target genes and interacting partners. MORC2 promotes cancer cells’ growth, invasion, and migration by regulating the expression of genes involved in these processes. MORC2 is localized primarily in the nucleus and is also found in the cytoplasm. In the cytoplasm, MORC2 interacts with adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-citrate lyase (ACLY) to promote lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis in cancer. In the nucleus, MORC2 interacts with the transcription factor c-Myc to control the transcription of genes involved in glucose metabolism to drive cancer cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, MORC2 recruits on to the promoters of tumor suppressor genes to repress their transcription and expression to promote oncogenesis. In addition to its crucial function in oncogenesis, it plays a vital role in DNA repair. Overall, this review concisely summarizes the current knowledge about MORC2-regulated molecular pathways involved in cancer.

Consider the space $L$ of entire functions represented by multiple Dirichlet series that becomes a non uniformly convex Banach space which is also proved to be dense, countable and separable. Continuing further, for the given space $L$ the characterization of bounded linear transformations in terms of matrix and characterization of linear functional has been obtained.

Background: Human gut microbiota consists of variety of microbes which play vital role in the host development, physiology and homeostasis. Alteration in gut microbial composition or dysbiosis may lead to various diseases and lifestyle disorders including obesity. Since gut microbiota varies with differences in dietary habits and geographical locations therefore studies are required to look into the gut microbial diversity in Indian obese and lean subjects whose dietary habits and geography are different from the western world. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the microbial diversity in obese and lean Indian subjects. Materials and Methods: Subjects with similar dietary habits were enrolled in the study. Fecal samples were collected from each individuals and DNA was extracted. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the 16S ribosomal RNA gene (V1-V5 region) followed by GC clamp PCR (V3 region) for the same. PCR products were run on Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) system and DGGE sketches were analyzed in Gel Compar II version 6.6 software (Applied maths, Belgium) to assess the gut microbial diversity. Results and Conclusion: The results showed variation in the gut microbial profiles among obese and lean individuals and revealed more microbial diversity in the lean as compared to obese individuals. These observations indicate that BMI is a contributing factor for the difference in gut bacterial profile of obese and lean subjects and that support the role of gut microbiota in obesity.

Background: The rising incidence of obesity is one of the most serious public health issues in the developed as well as in developing countries like India. Obesity and overweight are most important risk factors for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer. In this study the body mass index (BMI) cut off was taken as 18.5-22.9 kg/m2 for normal, 23.0-24.9 kg/m2 for Overweight and >25 kg/m2 for obese as per WHO recommendation for Asian Indians, which is different for developed and developing countries. Role of gut microbiota mediated immune response in the development of obesity has been studied but the literature on Indian population are lacking. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine Toll like receptors (TLRs) in response to human gut microbiota of Indian obese and lean individuals using viable colonocytes in a Non invasive technique and Flowcytometry. Methods: A total of 20 healthy volunteer (10 obese and 10 lean) were enrolled in the study as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Viable colonocytes were isolated from fecal samples using a Non invasive technique (SCSR Method). Toll like receptors (TLRs) and immunoglobulin (IgA &IgG) receptor concentration were measured by standard Flowcytometry methods using specific fluorochrome conjugated antibodies. Results: Average TLR2 receptor concentration was significantly higher in obese (6.35 %) as compared to lean (2.9 %) (P = 0.01). TLR4 receptor concentration was 1.4 % in obese and 1.65 % in lean although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.59). IgA & IgG receptor concentration was 49.6 % & 11.2 % in the obese and 67.15 % & 8.05 % in the lean respectively but the differences among both the group were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of the present study will be helpful for physicians and researchers to find some biomarkers which can determine predisposition of the obesity in Indian population and helps to use alternative therapeutics such as probiotics to maintain gut homeostasis and immune modulation to prevent obesity.

The present study has been taken up to emphasize the role of the hybridization process for optimizing a given reinforced concrete (RC) frame. Although various primary techniques have been hybrid in the past with varying degree of success, the effect of hybridization of enhanced versions of standard optimization techniques has found little attention. The focus of the current study is to see if it is possible to maintain and carry the positive effects of enhanced versions of two different techniques while using their hybrid algorithms. For this purpose, enhanced versions of standard particle swarm optimization (PSO) and a standard gravitational search algorithm (GSA), were considered for optimizing an RC frame. The enhanced version of PSO involves its democratization by considering all good and bad experiences of the particles, whereas the enhanced version of the GSA is made self-adaptive by considering a specific range for certain parameters, like the gravitational constant and a set of agents with the best fitness values. The optimization process, being iterative in nature, has been coded in C++. The analysis and design procedure is based on the specifications of Indian codes. Two distinct advantages of enhanced versions of standard PSO and GSA, namely, better capability to escape from local optima and a faster convergence rate, have been tested for the hybrid algorithm. The entire formulation for optimal cost design of a frame includes the cost of beams and columns. The variables of each element of structural frame have been considered as continuous and rounded off appropriately to consider practical limitations. An example has also been considered to emphasize the validity of this optimum design procedure.

In this paper, the use of extended versions of basic Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to Reinforced Concrete (RC) structural elements has been presented. The aim of extended versions of basic particle swarm optimization techniques to seek the global optima by maximizing the explorations area and minimizing the exploration time. Optimal sizing and reinforcement of RC structural members have been found by employing these techniques. The algorithms are coded in C++ and their effectiveness was tested in some benchmark mathematical functions. The different variables of each structural element have been considered as continuous functions and rounded off appropriately to imbibe the practical relevance of the present study.

J wave syndrome has emerged as a significant cause of Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) responsible for sudden cardiac death. A large body of data is now available on genesis, genetics and ionic mechanisms of J wave syndromes. Two of these viz., Early repolarization syndrome (ER) and Brugada syndrome (BrS) are fairly well characterized enabling correct diagnosis in most patients. The first part of repolarization of ventricular myocardium is governed by Ito current i.e., rapid outward potassium current. The proposed mechanism of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) storms is the faster Ito current in the epicardium than in the endocardium results in electrical gradient that forms the substrate for phase 2 reentry. Prevention of Ito current with quinidine supports this mechanism. Majority of ER patterns in young patients are benign. The key issue is to identify those at increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Association of both ER syndrome and Brugada syndrome with other disease states like coronary artery disease has also been reported. Individuals resuscitated from VF definitely need an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) but in others there is no consensus regarding therapy. Role of electrophysiology study to provoke ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation is not yet well defined. Radiofrequency ablation of epicardial substrate in right ventricle in Brugada syndrome is also under critical evaluation. In this review we shall discuss historical features, epidemiology, electrocardiographic features, ionic pathogenesis, clinical features and current status of proposed treatment of ER and BrS.

With an aim to assess the nutritional status in patients of severe head injury with midarm muscle circumference (MAMC) monitoring, the factors associated, and the prognostic significance with respect to functional outcome, 114 patients in age group 20-60, admitted within 24 hours of severe head injury (SHI), with GCS 4-8, and with no serious systemic disorder were enrolled for the study. Of these, 67 were prospectively assessed weekly till 21 days for changes in MAMC. They were studied in relation to other factors and outcome was assessed at 3 months. The mean MAMC value of patients decreased from 22.69 cm at admission to 20.35 cm at 3 weeks (P < 0.001) more so in those with delayed attainment (> 7 days) of total enteral feeding, surgical intervention and prolonged ventilation (> 7 days). Admission MAMC < 90% of standard was significantly associated with unfavorable outcome with odds ratio (OR) of 5.9 (95% CI 1.3-27.8) and p value 0.01, only in univariate analysis. Unfavorable outcome at 3 months was noted in 71% of patients with 2 week MAMC fall > 10% baseline value compared to 38% of those with < 10% fall. The OR was 3.9 (95% CI 1.1-13.5), p value 0.03, and remained significant also in multivariate analysis. MAMC monitoring is efficient in identifying patients with nutrition depletion with significant influence on outcome at 3 months.

Gelastic seizures, characterized by epileptic laughter, are rare and the majority is associated with hypothalamic hamartomas. We report a case with cryptogenic Gelastic seizure (without hypothalamic hamartoma), as the MRI was normal and, EEG and clinical data suggested a focal origin of the seizures.

The present paper deals with the fertility of 676 unsterilized ever-married women of 15 years and above in two villages of Mehrauli block in Delhi during 1982-83. The average number of conceptions and live births were found to be 4.50 and 4.09 respectively. However, the average number of conceptions and live births to 60 years and above women, those who completed their period of fertility before the start of intensive family planning programme, were found to be 8.25 and 8.00 respectively. The average number of conceptions was almost half for women who had acquired any level of education as compared to illiterate women. Seven foetal deaths were reported per 100 conceptions by this study group.