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Desalination brine can negatively impact the marine environment in several ways, although there are ongoing discussions regarding the severity and magnitude of environmental effects. A fascinating strategy to lessen any adverse effects is to undertake resource recovery from the brine, which also has the potential for additional revenue generation. More recently, the increasing demand for secure and less geographically restricted sources of precious or rare earth minerals, integrated with growing awareness of waste management and environmental sustainability, is driving the development of economically viable technologies to recover valuable materials from waste streams. This article provides an overview of different methods and technologies, including reverse osmosis (RO), electrodialysis (ED), and distillation, that can be used to recover precious materials, including Li, Mg, Na, and Rb and valuable blends from various waste sources and thus create a more sustainable and circular economy. The mechanisms are discussed in detail, including electrochemical processes (electrolysis, ED, and capacitive deionization), thermal desalination (multistage flash distillation and membrane distillation), pressure‐driven desalination (RO and nanofiltration), and microbial desalination cells. Challenges associated with recovering precious materials from waste streams, such as fouling, scaling, and environmental impact, along with further research directions and potential applications of desalination technologies, are also addressed.

Introduction: Alloimmunisation to red blood cell antigens, resulting from genetic disparities between donors and recipients, is one of the risks associated with blood transfusions. Antibody screening cells are used to detect unexpected antibodies. The risk of alloimmunisation is higher in patients who have undergone multiple blood transfusions. Aim: To estimate the frequency of various Red Blood Cell (RBC) alloantibodies and to determine the types of antibodies present in repeatedly transfused patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 patients with a history of multiple blood transfusions from October 1, 2019, to April 30, 2021, at the blood centre of Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SGRDIMSR), Amritsar, Punjab, India. Antibody detection and identification were performed, and the results were recorded. The data was statistically analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 to draw relevant conclusions. The observations were tabulated in the form of numbers and percentages. Categorical data was analysed using the Chi-square test. The level of significance was determined as p≤0.05. Results: The study included 200 patients who were on multiple transfusions. The most common blood group among the patients was B positive (39%), followed by O positive (26%). The majority of patients (73.50%) had solid malignancies, followed by 28 (14%) thalassemia patients and 25 (12.50%) patients with chronic kidney disease. Solid malignancies included patients with breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and liver cancer. Alloantibodies were found in 15 patients (7.50%), of which 11 had solid malignancies and 4 had thalassemia. The most frequent antibody detected was the anti-K antibody (40%). Alloantibody formation was observed in both males and females. However, no statistical significance was found between gender and alloimmunisation (p=0.940). Conclusion: The effect of alloimmunisation can be avoided by routine RBC antibody screening before blood transfusion, especially in patients with a history of multiple blood transfusions. These measures decrease the incidence of red blood cell alloimmunisation and delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions in multi-transfused patients.

ABSTRACTDoubled haploid (DH) production accelerates the development of homozygous lines in a single generation. In maize, haploids are widely produced by the use of haploid inducer Stock 6, earlier reported in 1959. Three independent studies reported haploid induction in maize which is triggered due to a 4 bp frame-shift mutation in matrilineal (ZmPLA1) gene. The present study was focused on the generation of mutants for ZmPLA1 gene in maize inbred line LM13 through site-directed mutagenesis via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex method to increase the haploid induction rate. Three single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) for the ZmPLA1 gene locus were used for transforming the 14 days old immature embryos via bombardment. 373 regenerated plants were subjected to mutation detection followed by Sanger’s sequencing. Out of three putative mutants identified, one mutant depicted one base pair substitution and one base pair deletion at the target site.

Toxic pollutant contamination of water resources is a significant problem. Numerous aquatic systems are tainted by various hazardous inorganic and organic species introduced by wastewater from different human sources, including domestic homes, businesses, farms, and mining. Given this, treating wastewater is the primary environmental challenge. An overview of recent advancements in materials based on graphene (Gr) for wastewater treatment is given in this paper. Because of its special qualities, Gr, a two-dimensional material with remarkable mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, has become a capable material for environmental applications. Here, we have discussed the different types of Gr-based and synthesis methods used to synthesis the materials. The physiochemical properties of Gr-based materials, such as high surface area, high mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, chemical stability, optical properties and gas permeability, have also been discussed. Finally, the application of Gr-based materials in wastewater treatment (such as removal of organic contaminants, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, bacteria and viruses), existing challenges, and future direction have been discussed with concluded remarks. A comparative study of Gr-based materials in terms of degradation performance and cost as compared to other materials for wastewater treatment is also provided in this review. Therefore, this is a comprehensive review of the emerging paradigm of Gr-based materials for environmental applications, providing insights into their potential impact on wastewater treatment.

Abstract The mechanisms that underlie the timing of labor in humans are largely unknown. In most pregnancies, labor is initiated at term (≥ 37 weeks gestation), but in a signifiicant number of women spontaneous labor occurs preterm and is associated with increased perinatal mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to characterize the cells at the maternal–fetal interface (MFI) in term and preterm pregnancies in both the laboring and non-laboring state in Black women, who have among the highest preterm birth rates in the U.S. Using mass cytometry to obtain high-dimensional single-cell resolution, we identified 31 cell populations at the MFI, including 25 immune cell types and six non-immune cell types. Among the immune cells, maternal PD1+ CD8 T cell subsets were less abundant in term laboring compared to term non-laboring women. Among the non-immune cells, PD-L1+ maternal (stromal) and fetal (extravillous trophoblast) cells were less abundant in preterm laboring compared to term laboring women. Consistent with these observations, the expression of CD274, the gene encoding PD-L1, was significantly depressed and less responsive to fetal signaling molecules in cultured mesenchymal stromal cells from the decidua of preterm compared to term women. Overall, these results suggest that the PD1/PD-L1 pathway at the MFI may perturb the delicate balance between immune tolerance and rejection and contribute to the onset of spontaneous preterm labor.

Abstract Background Doubled haploid technology offers the fastest route of inbred line development by rapidly fixing the desirable combinations in a single year. However, the differential response of haploid induction to genetic background of maternal lines accompanied with low induction rate and high mortality rate due to artificial chromosomal doubling of haploid seedlings creates hindrance in doubled haploid production on a commercial scale under tropical conditions. To speed up the hybrid breeding programme in sub-tropical maize, efforts are reported here to optimize the protocol for efficient production of fixed lines using haploid inducers. The second-generation haploid inducers i.e. CIM2GTAILs obtained from CIMMYT, Mexico were used for haploid induction in 13 F1s of diverse backgrounds. For standardization of chromosomal doubling protocol, various concentrations of colchicine and two seedling growth stages were used to determine the extent of chromosomal doubling and survival rate of doubled haploid plants. Results A high mean haploid induction rate is obtained from CIM2GTAIL P2 (10%) as compared to CIM2GTAIL P1 (7.46%). Out of four treatments, CIMMYT reported protocol of chromosome doubling in tropical maize comprising combination of 0.07% colchicine and 0.1% DMSO at V2 stage is highly effective for acquiring doubled haploid plants in sub-tropical adapted maize with high survival rate of 52.7%. However, increasing the colchicine concentration from 0.07 to 0.1% led to high mortality rate. Conclusion According to the findings, the haploid induction rate, survival rate and overall success rate varied depending upon the genotype of the inducer and the source population along with the concentrations of chemical used. The optimized protocol developed using CIMMYT haploid inducer CIM2GTAIL P2 for efficient doubled haploid production will not only fasten the breeding programme but will also reduce the production cost of doubled haploid with great efficiency in sub-tropical maize.

Abstract Mitochondrial impairment, energetic crisis and elevated oxidative stress have been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the pathological processes of Huntington’s disease (HD). 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) is a natural neurotoxin that mimics the neurological dysfunctions, mitochondrial impairments and oxidative imbalance of HD. The current investigation was undertaken to demonstrate the neuroprotective effect of 4-(methylthio)butyl isothiocyanate (4-MTBITC) against the 3-NPA induced neurotoxicity in human dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells. The experimental evidence of oxidative DNA damage by 3-NPA was elucidated by pBR322 DNA nicking assay. In contrast, the 4-MTBITC considerably attenuated the DNA damage, suggesting its free radical scavenging action against 3-NPA and Fenton's reagent. The dose and time-dependent increase of 3-NPA revealed its neurotoxic dose as 0.5 mM after 24 h of treatment of SH-SY5Y cells in MTT assay. In order to determine the optimal dose at which 4-MTBITC protects cell death, the 3-NPA (IC50) induced cells were pretreated with different concentrations of 4-MTBITC for 1 h. The neuroprotective dose of 4-MTBITC against 3-NPA was found to be 0.25 μM. Additionally, the elevated GSH levels in cells treated with 4-MTBITC indicate its propensity to eliminate reactive species generated as a result of 3-NPA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Likewise, it was determined through microscopic and flow cytometric experiments that 3-NPA's induced overproduction of reactive species and a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) could be efficiently prevented by pre-treating cells with 4-MTBITC. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism, the RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the pre-treatment of 4-MTBITC effectively protected neuronal cells against 3-NPA-induced cell death by preventing Caspase-3 activation, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) upregulation, activation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and Nrf2 induction. Together, our findings lend credence to the idea that pre-treatment with 4-MTBITC reduced 3-NPA-induced neurotoxicity by lowering redox impairment, apoptotic state, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The present work, in conclusion, presented the first proof that the phytoconstituent 4-MTBITC supports the antioxidant system, BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling, and neuronal survival in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells against 3-NPA-induced oxidative deficits.

The burgeoning energy demand necessitates the demand for alternative sources of energy worldwide. The development and enhancement of energy storage devices are the main focus of researchers for sustainable energy production. Carbon supercapacitors have the potential applicability as a commercial source of power. Carbon‐based materials have been synthesized by utilization of ionic liquids (ILs). ILs exhibit unique properties, making them valuable materials to be utilized as a precursor, template, reaction media, and electrolytes for forming carbon‐based materials and enhancing supercapacitors (SCs) performance. This review article provides detailed information about ILs in the field of SCs. First, different attractive properties are illustrated, and then the role of ILs in producing carbon‐based materials in the SCs field is described. The next part provides detailed information regarding the utilization of ILs as electrolytes in carbon‐based SCs. Further, the implementations of ILs as electrolytes in different carbon‐based materials (such as activated carbon, graphene carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanofibers) in SCs are listed. Lastly, the importance of IL‐based materials from other materials and future prospects are provided to the readers, which helps further improve the sustainable development of SCs.

Background: Endometrial cancer is the most common disease of the female reproductive system. Vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VCB) has intrinsic advantages compared to external beam therapy when treated with radiation. A single-channel cylinder is a standard applicator in VCB. The present study aims to estimate a change in the dose to vaginal mucosa due to air pockets between the cylinder and vaginal mucosa by calculating with the Acuros BV algorithm and comparing it to the Task Group 43 (TG-43) algorithm. Materials and Methods: Patients who presented with air packets were included retrospectively. For each patient, three plans were created: the first plan used TG-43, the second plan used dose recalculation with Acuros BV, and the third plan was generated by re-optimization by Acuros BV. On the same axial computed tomography image, the point doses at the cylinder's surface and the displaced mucosa were recorded and the ratios were then estimated. Results: The average volume of air pockets was 0.08 cc (range of 0.01–0.3 cc), and 84% of air pockets displaced the vaginal mucosa by ≥0.2 cm. The average ratios of dose were 0.77 ± 0.09 (1 standard deviation [SD]) and 0.78 ± 0.09 (1 SD) for TG-43 and Acuros BV algorithms, respectively. Due to the air pocket, mucosa received a reduced dose by an average of 22.72% and an average of 23.29% for TG-43 and Acuros BV, respectively. The maximum displacement of mucosa and the ratio of doses were negatively correlated for both. In the Optimized Acuros BV plan, total dwell time increased by 1.8% but no considerable change in the dose ratios. Conclusion: The calculated dose of mucous membrane forced out of the cylinder surface by air pockets by the Acuros BV algorithm was nonsignificantly different from TG-43. Therefore, even in the presence of air pockets, the TG-43 algorithm for calculating the VCB dose is appropriate.

Introducion: Melanocyte progenitors are embryonically derived from the neural crest and subsequently get localized in hair follicles and epidermis to provide hair and skin pigmentation. These progenitor cells in hair follicles repeatedly proliferate and differentiate to maintain pigmentation. Vitiligo, a pigmentary disorder, is associated with loss of melanocytes. Repigmentation of vitiligo lesions mainly depends upon the proliferation, migration and differentiation of melanocyte stem cells (MelSCs) into functional melanocytes. Current study is designed to check the efficacy of lenalidomide, an imide drug in the differentiation of MelSCs into functional melanocytes. Objectives: Aim of the study is to check the effect of lenalidomide in the proliferation, migration of cultured hair follicle derived melanocyte stem cells and their differentiation into functional melanocytes. Methods: Primary culture of MelSCs was established from whisker hair of C57BL/6 mice. Proliferation and migration of cultured cells were done by MTT assay and boyden’s chamber migration assay, respectively. Effect of lenalidomide on the MelSCs differentiation was checked at gene level by qPCR & protein expression was checked by immunocytochemistry. Results: A significant increase in the migration of MelSCs in comparison to control was also observed. Lenalidomide treatment significantly increased the expression of melanocyte specific genes in cultured MelSCs as compared to control. Conclusion: From the results we concluded that lenalidomide induce the proliferation and migration of MelSCs and accelerate the differentiation of MelSCs into functional melanocytes.

Introduction: Urothelial cancer poses a substantial medical and public health challenge in most parts of the world. Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a cell surface glycoprotein that plays an important role in the suppression of cellular immune responses to tumour and is now emerging as a new target for immunotherapy. Aim: To examine PD-L1 expression in urothelial carcinoma and its relationship with various clinicopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis study was conducted on 50 cases of Urothelial Carcinomas diagnosed in Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India from January 2016 to January 2019. Detailed clinical data of the patients’ was collected and the analysis was undertaken between February 2019 and April 2019. Tissues were formalin fixed, paraffin embedded and were studied for histopathological grading after staining with haematoxylin and eosin. All cases were subjected to immunohistochemistry for PD-L1 expression. Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between PD-L1 positivity and various clinicopathological parameters. A p-value

MXene‐based nanomaterial is a revolution 2D material achieving outstanding scientific attention owing to its universal characteristics for different applications (such as electronic appliances, power production, sensors, drug transfer, and biomedical). Although, the cytotoxic consequences of MXene have a considerable circumstance. Thus, rigorous investigation of the biocompatibility of MXene is a crucial prerequisite, formerly the preface to the human biological approach. Literature reveals functional outcomes wherever MXenes are used in vitro and in vivo cancer representatives. It affects drug transfer methods, sensoring electrodes, and assisting mechanisms for photothermal treatment and hyperthermy techniques. In this review, the synthesis process (such as top‐down and bottom‐up approaches) and properties (such as mechanical, electrical, optical, oxidative/thermal stability, and magnetic) of MXene‐based nanomaterials (NMs) are discussed. In addition, the different applications (such as tissue engineering, cancer theranostic, and other biomedical [such as drug delivery biosensors and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates for biomedical applications], antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties against SARS‐CoV‐2) of MXene‐based NMs are discussed in detail. Finally, the conclusion, existing challenges, and future outlooks are highlighted for more scope in this field.

Carbon dots (CDs), an emerging category of carbon nanomaterials, have bright destiny in a vast diversity of engineering areas due to their great variety in design, arrangement, and characteristics. Their possible implementations have recently traversed from electrochemical energy storage (EES), fluorescent probing, and catalysis, particularly as materials into the critical elements of the electrochemical system. Herein, the current investigation based upon the preface of CDs in batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, electromagnetic interference shielding, and solar‐assisted energy generation used as electrode materials integrated with an active substance as an auxiliary mechanism is shown. Different aspects conferred upon selected illustrations outline the electrochemical activity, and eventually, current issues and future viewpoints are recollected toward the following optimization method of electrode substances. This review article is anticipated to demand broad attention within active CD materials and encourage the growth of high‐performance EES systems.

Neurons are vulnerable to physical insults, which compromise the integrity of both dendrites and axons. Although several molecular pathways of axon regeneration are identified, our knowledge of dendrite regeneration is limited. To understand the mechanisms of dendrite regeneration, we used the PVD neurons in C. elegans with stereotyped branched dendrites. Using femtosecond laser, we severed the primary dendrites and axon of this neuron. After severing the primary dendrites near the cell body, we observed sprouting of new branches from the proximal site within 6 hours, which regrew further with time in an unstereotyped manner. This was accompanied by reconnection between the proximal and distal dendrites, and fusion among the higher-order branches as reported before. We quantified the regeneration pattern into three aspects-territory length, number of branches, and fusion phenomena. Axonal injury causes a retraction of the severed end followed by a Dual leucine zipper kinase-1 (DLK-1) dependent regrowth from the severed end. We tested the roles of the major axon regeneration signalling hubs such as DLK-1-RPM-1, cAMP elevation, let-7 miRNA, AKT-1, Phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure/PS in dendrite regeneration. We found that neither dendrite regrowth nor fusion was affected by the axon injury pathway molecules. Surprisingly, we found that the RAC GTPase, CED-10 and its upstream GEF, TIAM-1 play a cell-autonomous role in dendrite regeneration. Additionally, the function of CED-10 in epidermal cell is critical for post-dendrotomy fusion phenomena. This work describes a novel regulatory mechanism of dendrite regeneration and provides a framework for understanding the cellular mechanism of dendrite regeneration using PVD neuron as a model system.

Multi-Verse Optimization (MVO) is one of the newest meta-heuristic optimization algorithms which imitates the theory of Multi-Verse in Physics and resembles the interaction among the various universes. In problem domains like feature selection, the solutions are often constrained to the binary values viz. 0 and 1. With regard to this, in this paper, binary versions of MVO algorithm have been proposed with two prime aims: firstly, to remove redundant and irrelevant features from the dataset and secondly, to achieve better classification accuracy. The proposed binary versions use the concept of transformation functions for the mapping of a continuous version of the MVO algorithm to its binary versions. For carrying out the experiments, 21 diverse datasets have been used to compare the Binary MVO (BMVO) with some binary versions of existing metaheuristic algorithms. It has been observed that the proposed BMVO approaches have outperformed in terms of a number of features selected and the accuracy of the classification process.

Bone marrow examination is required for diagnosis of various haematological disorders. It includes both neoplastic and nonneoplastic disorders. Usually, bone marrow examination includes Bone Marrow Aspiration (BMA), bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow imprints. Bone marrow clot sections can also be an adjuvant of bone marrow examination. The bone marrow clot sections are prepared from the left-over blood after aspirate smears have been prepared. An adequate bone marrow clot section can be valuable for diagnosis of various diseases, especially in cases in which the aspirate and core biopsy material are inadequate or non contributory or it can be an adjuvant procedure. Little has been published about usefulness of bone marrow clot section. Studies are going on to evaluate the role of bone marrow clot section as an adjuvant or a diagnostic tool. This study includes a series of three cases in which bone marrow clot section was diagnostic.

TomoTherapy® is a modern radiation treatment technique in which intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is delivered in helical fashion. A two-dimensional (2D) array which has been existing for IMRT patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) verifications for many years is I'MatriXX. Our objectives were to validate this I'MatriXX and to evaluate it for different patient sites and fractionation schedules of TomoTherapy treatment. Twenty-five plans were created with virtual target for different possible pitch values and field widths for validation. Gamma index criteria of 3%/2% dose differences and 3/2 mm distance to agreement were used. QA plans of 26 different treatment sites and different fractionation schedules were used. Results indicated that the matrix response is independent of field width, pitch, and modulation factor of TomoTherapy with 3%, 3 mm criteria. High passing rate ranging from 99.7% to 90.7% was observed for selected patient plans. We found that I'MatriXX 2D array can be utilized for easy and quick TomoTherapy PSQA.

Introduction: Adenomyosis is defined as presence of benign endometrial tissue comprising of both endometrial glands and stroma into the myometrium leading on to diffuse enlargement of the uterus. Adenomyosis co-exists with various pathologies such as leiomyomas, endometriosis, endometrial polyp, endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma suggesting hyperestrogenism to be a factor in pathogenesis of adenomyosis. Aim: To study the associated pathological conditions and histopathological patterns of endometrium in patients presenting with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) due to adenomyosis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary care institute of Punjab for a period of two years (August 2018 to August 2020). All the patients who underwent hysterectomy were re-evaluated and cases diagnosed with adenomyosis were included in the study. Clinical details were recorded. A total of 101 patients were diagnosed with adenomyosis. These cases were reviewed for presenting symptoms and correlated with histological features of endometrium and other associated gynaecological pathologies. The quantitative variables were expressed as mean and qualitative variables as percentages. Results: The age of the patients who had adenomyosis ranged from 29 to 79 years, majority were in the age group of 41-50 years. AUB was the most common symptom. The histopathological examination revealed associated pattern of endometrium from proliferative endometrium to endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma. Other gynaecological pathologies include leiomyoma, adenocarcinoma ovary, serous adenomas of ovary and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) grade 3. Co-existence with leiomyoma is most common. Hyperestrogenemia can be considered as a risk factor as it is associated with leiomyomas, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial carcinoma or polyps. Conclusion: Adenomyosis is one of the causes of AUB and this decreases the quality of life in women. It is also considered as a cause of infertility. The associated histopathological findings vary from leiomyoma, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial polyps and rarely adenocarcinoma of endometrium and ovary. Meticulous and careful examination of gross and microscopic foci of adenomyosis and associated pathologies can help in better management of patients.

Ethanol is a widely used drug, excessive consumption of which could lead to medical conditions with diverse symptoms. Ethanol abuse causes dysfunction of memory, attention, speech and locomotion across species. Dopamine signaling plays an essential role in ethanol dependent behaviors in animals ranging from C. elegans to humans. We devised an ethanol dependent assay in which mutants in the dopamine autoreceptor, dop-2, displayed a unique sedative locomotory behavior causing the animals to move in circles while dragging the posterior half of their body. Here, we identify the posterior dopaminergic sensory neuron as being essential to modulate this behavior. We further demonstrate that in dop-2 mutants, ethanol exposure increases dopamine secretion and functions in a DVA interneuron dependent manner. DVA releases the neuropeptide NLP-12 that is known to function through cholinergic motor neurons and affect movement. Thus, DOP-2 modulates dopamine levels at the synapse and regulates alcohol induced movement through NLP-12.

Sialadenosis also known as sialosis is a non-inflammatory and non-cancerous enlargement of salivary glands particularly the parotid gland. It is commonly seen in age group of 40 to 70 years. It is an extremely uncommon cause for enlargement of the parotid gland. Sialadenosis is a systemic disease that is associated with a variety of systemic disorders which includes the endocrine system as in diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, acromegaly; dystrophic–metabolic disorders like malnutrition, avitaminosis, alcoholism, chronic liver diseases; neurogenic disorders like dysfunction of the vegetative nervous system and various drugs like antihypertensive agents, valproaic acid, isoprenaline, anti-thyroids. Out of these, diabetes and alcoholism are most common causes, management of sialosis is done by correcting the underlying cause. The present case is of a 50-year-old female patient having bilateral enlargement of parotids. The swellings were diffuse, soft, non-tender and gradually increasing in size from past three months. Past medical history revealed that patient was diabetic and was on irregular medication. Ultrasonography showed diffusely enlarged, hyperechoic salivary glands suggestive of benign salivary gland lesion; possibility of sialadenitis and sialadenosis was given and patient was advised Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC). FNAC showed features of benign salivary gland lesion suggestive of sialadenosis. The sialomegaly was associated with diabetes mellitus and it disappeared after start of regular treatment. So, careful observation of cytological features along with clinical history can help in reaching a correct diagnosis and prevent unnecessary surgical intervention.

A viable electrochemical approach for the detection of dopamine (DA) in uric acid (UA) utilizing a silver nanoparticle-doped 2-aminodiphenylamine (AgNPs-2ADPA) electrode was invented. The electrochemical performance of DA showed that the incorporated electrode displayed outstanding electrocatalytic performance to the electrochemical oxidation of DA. In our study, the AgNPs-2ADPA exhibits remarkable catalytic activity, retaining high current value and resilience when employed as a working electrode component for electrocatalytic detection of DA. We have also utilized the bare and polymeric-2ADPA in DA detection for a comparison study. This method offers a facile route with extraordinary sensitivity, selectivity, and strength for the voltammetric detection of DA, even in the presence of UA and ascorbic acid (AA) as interferents, that can be employed for pharmaceutical and biological specimens.

In the present work, twelve inorganic thermoluminescence dosimeteric (TLD) materials doped with some rare earth elements (LiF:Sm, LiBaP _2 O _7 :Eu, CaCO _3 :Eu, CaSO _4 :Dy, SrSO _4 :Sm, CdSO _4 :Dy, BaSO _4 :Eu, Li _2 B _4 O _7 :Dy, MgB _4 O _7 :Gd, Al _2 O _3 :Gd, MgAl _2 O _4 :Ce and LiCaAlF _6 :Eu) and three organic TLD materials (C _3 H _7 NO _2 , C _7 H _8 O _2 and C _4 H _6 BaO _4 ) were selected for comparative analysis on the basis of different photon sensing parameters. About nine photon sensing parameters viz. mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mean free path (mfp), half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), effective atomic number (EAN), effective electron number (EEN), exposure buildup factor (EBF) and energy absorption buildup factor (EABF) were obtained for the selected fifteen TLDs. The simultaneous variation of these photon sensing parameters for the selected TLDs with photon energy and composition has been analyzed. The results of present comparative analysis help radiation physicists to easily select a particular dosimeter for their research laboratory from different existing compositions. All photon sensing parameters viz. MAC, LAC, mfp, HVL, TVL, EAN, EEN, EBF and EABF for selected TLDs strongly depend upon incident energy and chemical composition in lower and higher energy regions. Among the selected TLDs; BaSO _4 : Eu ^3+ offers best results (maximum values for MAC, EAN, EEN; and minimum values for mfp, HVL, TVL, EBF, EABF); whereas MgB _4 O _7 :Gd ^3+ offers EAN value close to tissue and less variation in most of the sensing parameters with respect to photon energy.

Introduction: In India, due to some barriers, the parents are not willing to vaccinate their children which lead to 3.2 million of chil- dren still not being vaccinated. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted on 200 mothers of under-five children residing in filed practice area of UHTC, Shimlapuri. Structured interview questionnaire was ap- plied on mothers to explore the knowledge on immunization & perceived barriers related to it. Results: The study revealed that 50.5% of mothers of under-five children were having below average level of knowledge on child immunization. Child illness and low importance of vaccination were most occurring perceived barriers among mothers. There were other barriers like lack of accompany to go to center for im- munization, and confusion about what age immunization has to be given, etc. Conclusion: Current study necessitates the need to to provide IEC (information, education and communication) sessions programs. This can be achieved by organizing health education campaigns in community. Parents and families need to be sensitized regarding importance of immunization to overcome the perceived barriers.

This retrospective cohort study sought to assess the effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) for older patients at an HIV clinic in a large US city. We systematically reviewed medical records of all patients who underwent CGA from June 2013 to July 2017. In addition, physicians and social workers completed an anonymous survey about the impact of CGA on their patients. For the 76 patients (median age 67.2; Q1, Q3 = 60.9, 72.6) seen by geriatricians at the clinic, there were 184 recommendations, 54 instances of counseling, and 11 direct actions. Overall adherence to recommendations was 32.8%, 34.9% for patient-directed, and 31.7% for provider-directed recommendations. No demographic or CGA variables were associated with adherence. Despite this lack of adherence, surveyed providers reported that they usually or always followed recommendations; the most frequently cited barrier to implementation was lack of feasibility. Further research will be needed to determine how CGA can improve outcomes for this population.

A purely Sub-cutaneous benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH; dermatofibroma) is rarely reported, as it is usually a dermally located mesenchymal tumour and in absence of supportive immunohistochemical (IHC) studies, it is often misdiagnosed. We are describing a case of a 19-yearold female who presented to the skin outpatient department with a painful swelling on the medial side of her thigh. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) revealed a sub-cutaneous spindle cell (mesenchymal) lesion which was corroborated on histopathology, with differentials of BFH and dermatofibrosarcoma protruberans (DFSP). BFH constitutes a diagnostic dilemma for both clinicians and pathologists, because the lesions share common clinical symptoms, radiological characteristics and histological features with many varied entities. For its subtyping and confirmation; immunohistochemical (IHC) studies were undertaken. In the present case, positivity of IHC markers, vimentin and smooth muscle actin emphatically proved that BFH arose exclusively from the subcutaneous region, with no dermal origin. Also, a negative CD34 immunostaining, along with low B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression ruled out DFSP (both are strongly expressed in DFSP), MFH and other malignant mesenchymal lesions. Negative CD 68 staining ruled out giant cell lesions and their congeners. This case is worth reporting, as it not only describes a rare case presentation of BFH, but as it also highlights the importance of IHC, thus helping to comprehensively clinch the diagnosis by systematically ruling out other differentials.

Cutaneous metastasis of underlying primary malignancies can present to dermatologist with chief complaints of cutaneous lesions. The underlying malignancy is generally diagnosed much later after a complete assessment of the concerned case. Medullary carcinoma thyroid (MCT) is a relatively uncommon primary neoplasia of the thyroid. Very few cases presenting as cutaneous metastases of MCT have been reported in the literature. Most of the cases which have been reported are of the papillary and the follicular types. We here report a case of a patient who presented in the dermatology clinic with the primary complaint of multiple subcutaneous nodules in anterior chest wall and left side of body of mandible. By systematic application of clinical and diagnostic skills these nodules were diagnosed as cutaneous metastasis of MCT bringing to the forefront a history of previously operated thyroid neoplasm. So clinically, the investigation of a flesh coloured subcutaneous nodule, presenting with a short duration, particularly in scalp, jaw, or anterior chest wall should include possibility of metastastic deposits. A dermatologist should keep a possibility of an internal organ malignancy in patients while investigating a case of flesh coloured subcutaneous nodules, presenting with short duration. A systematic application of clinical and diagnostic skills will eventually lead to such a diagnosis even when not suspected clinically at its primary presentation. A prompt and an emphatic diagnosis and treatment will have its bearing on the eventual outcome in all these patients.