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Breast cancer (BC) is a multifaceted genetic malignancy that accounts for the majority of cancer fatalities in women. Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) is predominant in evaluating perfusion, extravascular-extracellular volume fraction, and microvascular vessel wall permeability in breast cancer patients. Precise tumor segmentation using DCE-MRI is a key component of assessing diagnosis and treatment planning. However, the slice-wise analysis of DCE-MRI fails to preserve 3D surface continuity and is insufficient for evaluating the invasion depth of the tumor. Hence, this work proposes an analytical model labeled as Bezier-tuned Energy Functionals optimized via variational minimax for Volumetric Breast Tumor Segmentation (BEFVBTS). The formulated energy functionals consist of non-linear convex edge-sensitive data and regularization terms. Also, the variational minimax technique adopts gradient descent with an exact line search algorithm for obtaining a global minimax solution. The self-analysis of BEFVBTS on the Duke- Breast-Cancer-MRI dataset registered remarkable performance in segmenting tumors with different grades (Grade 1,2 & 3). Likewise, the relative analysis on QIN Breast DCE-MRI and TCGA-BRCA datasets revealed improvements of 8%, 22%, 8.7%, 4%, 0.120%, and 68.17% in Dice, Jaccard, Precision, Sensitivity, Specificity, and Hausdorff distance (HD) respectively over the recent competitors. At last, the complexity analysis of the model demonstrated simplicity and amicability for its extension to real-time clinical applications.

Background: Ewing sarcoma (ES) with ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome (ectopic ACTH) is extremely unusual. This report details the first case in English literature of pediatric ES involving the proximal aspect of the humerus with florid ectopic ACTH. Case Report: A 9-year-old girl presented with mooning of the face and abdominal distension for the past 5 months with an unremarkable history. Her serum cortisol level measured at 8 AM was 42 μg/dL (reference range, 4.3-22.4 μg/dL). Serum ACTH level of 225 pg/mL (reference range, 10-46 pg/mL) suggested ACTH-dependent Cushing syndrome. Her serum cortisol level after the overnight dexamethasone suppression test was 60 μg/dL (reference value,

Context: Data on insulin usage and practices in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is sparse in India. Aims: To analyze the various insulin types and regimens used by children and adolescents with T1D, the techniques and the devices used for insulin administration, and the storage and disposal methods of delivery devices. Settings and Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Methods and Materials: Study subjects were children and adolescents with T1D ≥6 months and informed consent was obtained. A detailed demographic history was collected, and a predesigned, pretested questionnaire was used. Results: The number of subjects were 90 (M: F; 32:58), age ranging from 3 to 18 years and duration of T1D was 6 months to 16 years. Mean age was 13 ± 4.6 yrs, HbA1c was 9.11 ± 2.2% and duration was 5 years. Conventional insulins were more commonly used than analogs. Basal-bolus (BB) regimen was used in 49% of the subjects. Mean HbA1c for analogs was 7.6% and conventional was 9.3% (p = 0.001). HbA1c

A key open question in the study of layered superconducting nickelate films is the role that hydrogen incorporation into the lattice plays in the appearance of the superconducting state. Due to the challenges of stabilizing highly crystalline square planar nickelate films, films are prepared by the deposition of a more stable parent compound which is then transformed into the target phase via a topotactic reaction with a strongly reducing agent such as CaH2. Recent studies, both experimental and theoretical, have introduced the possibility that the incorporation of hydrogen from the reducing agent into the nickelate lattice may be critical for the superconductivity. In this work, we use secondary ion mass spectrometry to examine superconducting La1-xXxNiO2 / SrTiO3 (X = Ca and Sr) and Nd6Ni5O12 / NdGaO3 films, along with non-superconducting NdNiO2 / SrTiO3 and (Nd,Sr)NiO2 / SrTiO3. We find no evidence for extensive hydrogen incorporation across a broad range of samples, including both superconducting and non-superconducting films. Theoretical calculations indicate that hydrogen incorporation is broadly energetically unfavorable in these systems, supporting our conclusion that extensive hydrogen incorporation is not generally required to achieve a superconducting state in layered square-planar nickelates.

We describe a 42-year-old male patient who presented with recurrent left focal seizures with altered sensorium refractory to polytherapy with antiepileptic drugs and recurrent hypoglycemic episodes. Whipple's triad was documented. Insulin, C-peptide levels were elevated, and insulin-glucose ratio was more than 0.3 confirming the endogenous hyperinsulinism. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abdomen revealed mass in the tail and distal body of the pancreas. Interictal electroencephalography showed generalized slow wave activity in delta range. MRI brain was normal. Excision of tumor was done. Histopathology confirmed the insulinoma. The patient had no recurrence of seizures during follow-up.

Abstract This study introduces an indigenous bacterial strain, Exiguobacterium sp. (L.O), isolated from sugarcane fields in Sevur, Tamil Nadu, which has adapted to prolonged exposure to dimethoate. The strain demonstrated the capability to utilize 150 ppm of dimethoate as its sole carbon source, achieving a remarkable degradation rate of 95.87% within 5 days in mineral salt media. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses identified the presence of intermediate by-products formed during degradation, like methyl diethanol amine and aspartyl glycine ethyl ester. Notably, phosphorothioic O, O, S-acid, an expected end product in the degradation of dimethoate, was also identified, further confirming the strain’s effective metabolic breakdown of the pesticide. Further degradation study and analysis of changes in functional group was performed by FTIR, and a hypothetical degradation pathway was elucidated showing the course of dimethoate metabolism by the strain. Exiguobacterium sp. (L.O) also displayed significant plant growth-promoting traits, including the production of HCN, IAA, and ammonia and the formation of biofilms, which enhance its utility in agricultural applications. The ecotoxicity study revealed the degradation by-products exhibited reduced toxicity compared to the parent compound dimethoate, highlighting the strain’s potential not only for bioremediation but also for supporting sustainable agricultural practices. This research presents a novel application of Exiguobacterium sp. (L.O), integrating the bioremediation of the organophosphate pesticide dimethoate with agricultural enhancement. This approach is critical for addressing the challenges associated with pesticide pollution in agricultural practices. This study is likely the first to demonstrate the application of this strain in the degradation of dimethoate, as suggested by an extensive review of the literature.

This paper comprehensively evaluates the online learning experience of secondary and senior secondary school students during COVID-19 in India. Nine hypotheses have been developed to explore the implications of students' online experiences and identify students' learning experiences using online platforms in contrast to their experience in face-to-face learning. Following a quantitative method, the data were collected from students (n = 478) in grades X, XI, and XII from 42 schools in four districts in Himachal Pradesh, India. The chi-square test was used for hypothesis testing. The analysis confirms that though students' social interaction skills, active student participation, and the teachers' feedback are not similar in online and face-to-face learning, creative skill development and active learning, and other measured learning parameters are similar to face-to-face learning experiences, providing reassurance about the effectiveness of online learning. This study also identifies the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The study offers creative approaches to boost learners' social interactivity and suggestions for curriculum development. The study has identified significant insights about online learning from students' perspectives, which can be considered in developing targeted interventions not only during the disruption of the traditional teaching approach but also as a blended approach to learning. This paper provides statistically tested foresight for the effectiveness of online learning while also offering practical implications for educators and policymakers, informing them for future preparedness.

As one of the most fundamental physical phenomena, charge density wave (CDW) order predominantly occurs in metallic systems such as quasi-1D metals, doped cuprates, and transition metal dichalcogenides, where it is well understood in terms of Fermi surface nesting and electron-phonon coupling mechanisms. On the other hand, CDW phenomena in semiconducting systems, particularly at the low carrier concentration limit, are less common and feature intricate characteristics, which often necessitate the exploration of novel mechanisms, such as electron-hole coupling or Mott physics, to explain. In this study, an approach combining electrical transport, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and density-functional theory calculations is used to investigate CDW order and a series of hysteretic phase transitions in a dilute d-band semiconductor, BaTiS3 . These experimental and theoretical findings suggest that the observed CDW order and phase transitions in BaTiS3 may be attributed to both electron-phonon coupling and non-negligible electron-electron interactions in the system. This work highlights BaTiS3 as a unique platform to explore CDW physics and novel electronic phases in the dilute filling limit and opens new opportunities for developing novel electronic devices.

Nearly all essential nuclear processes act on DNA packaged into arrays of nucleosomes. However, our understanding of how these processes (for example, DNA replication, RNA transcription, chromatin extrusion and nucleosome remodeling) occur on individual chromatin arrays remains unresolved. Here, to address this deficit, we present SAMOSA-ChAAT: a massively multiplex single-molecule footprinting approach to map the primary structure of individual, reconstituted chromatin templates subject to virtually any chromatin-associated reaction. We apply this method to distinguish between competing models for chromatin remodeling by the essential imitation switch (ISWI) ATPase SNF2h: nucleosome-density-dependent spacing versus fixed-linker-length nucleosome clamping. First, we perform in vivo single-molecule nucleosome footprinting in murine embryonic stem cells, to discover that ISWI-catalyzed nucleosome spacing correlates with the underlying nucleosome density of specific epigenomic domains. To establish causality, we apply SAMOSA-ChAAT to quantify the activities of ISWI ATPase SNF2h and its parent complex ACF on reconstituted nucleosomal arrays of varying nucleosome density, at single-molecule resolution. We demonstrate that ISWI remodelers operate as density-dependent, length-sensing nucleosome sliders, whose ability to program DNA accessibility is dictated by single-molecule nucleosome density. We propose that the long-observed, context-specific regulatory effects of ISWI complexes can be explained in part by the sensing of nucleosome density within epigenomic domains. More generally, our approach promises molecule-precise views of the essential processes that shape nuclear physiology.

Context: Radioactive Iodine (RAI) is a common therapy for hyperthyroidism. However hyperthyroidism recurs or persists in 15-18% of patients after RAI. Studies report variable percentage of failure after RAI therapy depending on several variables including I 1310 . Lithium enhances efficacy of treatment by increasing RAI retention in the thyroid. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of Lithium to RAI therapy in terms of cure, reduction of mean thyroid volume, and its safety. Settings and Design: A prospective comparative study. Subjects and Methods: Forty hyperthyroid patients were assigned to two groups, RAI alone and RAI plus lithium and followed for 1 year. Lithium was given in a dose of 900 mg/day in three divided doses for 6 days starting on the day of RAI therapy. Total T3, total T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were done at baseline, 2,4,6,9, and 12 months. Ultrasound of thyroid was done at baseline and at the end of 1 year. Monitoring was done for side effects of lithium and RAI therapy. Statistical Analysis: Cure rate and time to cure were assessed by Chi-square test. Mean change in thyroid volume was compared by student′s t-test. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: RAI combined with lithium had a trend towards better cure rate (90%) compared to RAI alone (70%) (P 0.11). Mean time taken to cure was 4.69 months in RAI plus lithium and 7.12 months in RAI alone (P 0.001). Mean change in thyroid volume was similar in both the groups (P = 0.75). There were no side effects of Lithium or RAI. Conclusions: RAI therapy combined with lithium showed a trend towards higher cure rate, safe and time to cure was less than RAI alone. Hence RAI combined with lithium is a better option in the management of hyperthyroidism than RAI alone.

Introduction: Women with epilepsy (WWE) have an increased risk for several endocrine disorders. Obesity and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) are common side-effects of anticonvulsant drugs. Aim: To study the prevalence of Obesity, PCOS, Thyroid dysfunction in WWE on monotherapy with Carbamazepine (CBZ), Sodium Valproate (VAL) and Phenytoin (DPH) Material and Methods: Sixty WWE in the reproductive age group (13 - 45 yr) who are on atleast 6 months of monotherapy with either CBZ (20) or VAL (20) or DPH (20) are subjects of the study. Their Anthropometric data is recorded. They are interviewed and investigated for PCOS and thyroid dysfunction. Twenty healthy women in the reproductive age group served as controls. BMI>25 is taken as cut-off for Obesity. PCOS is defined as menstrual irregularity and/or clinical /biochemical hyperandrogenism with ultrasound evidence of PCO as per the Rotterdam criteria. TSH 4 is taken as evidence of thyroid dysfunction. Women are grouped according to the anticonvulsant drug received and the data analyzed in each group. Results: The mean BMI among VAL and CBZ users is significantly higher than among DPH users (23.3 & 23.4 vs 20.4). There is no significant difference in incidence of PCOS among WWE using either DPH or VAL or CBZ. Elevated TSH>4 is seen more often in WWE on VAL (9/20) compared to CBZ (6/20) and DPH (3/20). WWE on CBZ, VAL and DPH did not differ in mean BMI, Obesity, PCOS compared to healthy controls. As compared to healthy controls, more WWE on drug therapy had significantly elevated TSH (1/20 vs20/60). Conclusions: WWE on VAL and CBZ had significant weight gain compared to DPH users. Despite weight gain, there was no difference in the incidence of PCOS between the users of VAL, CBZ and DPH. As compared to healthy controls, more WWE on drug therapy had significantly elevated TSH, more so in the VAL group.