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A 62-year-old female presented to the Surgery Outpatient Department with a four-month history of a wound on the lateral aspect of her right thigh, with an underlying history of trauma a few days prior. She had suffered a flame burn injury 50 years ago. There was a progressive increase in the size of the wound over the past four months, with an associated pricking type of pain. The patient denied other symptoms such as fever or discharge. Local examination revealed a 14×12 cm solitary ulcer on the posterolateral aspect of the right thigh with irregular margins and rolled-out edges [Table/Fig-1]. The base was formed by muscle induration, associated with slough and an absence of any discharge or bleeding. Multiple wedge biopsies from the wound margins and base were performed, revealing moderately differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).

Cerebral vasculitis is a rare but severe complication of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), presenting significant challenges in management due to its potential for devastating neurological consequences and poor prognosis. We present a case of an 18-year-old female with known SLE who presented with seizures, declining cognitive function, and unresponsiveness. Neurological examination, laboratory investigations, and radiological imaging supported the diagnosis of cerebral vasculitis secondary to SLE. Despite aggressive immunosuppressive therapy, the patient’s neurological status continued to deteriorate, leading to respiratory failure and multiorgan dysfunction. Ultimately, the patient succumbed to multiorgan failure attributed to severe CNS vasculitis and its complications. This case underscores the importance of early recognition and aggressive management of cerebral vasculitis in SLE while highlighting the need for further research into more effective therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Midgut development is a dynamic process that begins from the fifth week of development. During this process, the midgut undergoes physiological herniation in the umbilical cord. Subsequently, it returns to the abdominal cavity through a complex 270° counterclockwise rotation [1]. This normal rotation results in the formation of a duodenojejunal loop on the left-side of the midline, a peripheral large bowel, a centrally located small bowel with the caecum in the right iliac fossa, and the duodenojejunal flexure on the left-side near the pylorus [2]. Disruption of this sequential return can lead to anomalies in midgut rotation, such as non rotation, malrotation, or reverse rotation [1].

Introduction: B-mode ultrasonography provides a good anatomical background and helps to rule out various pathologic conditions that affect the posterior segment of the eye. It can guide the ophthalmologist in diagnosing disease and choosing treatment. Aim: To study the role of B-scan ultrasound in posterior segment pathology of eye. Materials and Methods: A total of 92 patients with complaints of diminution of vision, were subjected to clinical Ophthalmological examination and B scan USG to look for the presence of retinal, vitreous and choroidal pathologies. High resolution USG was done with machine (Hitachi Arietta S70) equipped with a 12-18 MHz real-time high-frequency probe and colour Doppler was used when required for further evaluation. The final diagnosis was made by correlating the USG findings with clinical diagnosis and statistical values were calculated accordingly. Results: Most of the patients presented with retinal detachment, n=45 (48.91%), vitreous haemorrhage, n=43 (46.73%) followed by vitreous degeneration, n=12 (16.30%). Choroid detachment was seen in 6 patients (6.52%) followed by Melanoma in 2 patients (2.17%) and Panophthalmitis in 1 patient (1.09%). The sensitivity of USG was 97.7% and specificity was 80% among patients with statistical significance (p

Introduction: Squamous cell carcinoma of lower gingivobuccal complex and tongue are the most common cancer in the Indian sub-continent. The value of imaging in the staging of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is in judging operability, assessment of the prognostic characteristics and dimensions of the primary tumour, depth of tumour invasion, the presence of cervical metastasis and detection of bone infiltration. Aim: This study evaluated squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity (tongue and gingivo-buccal complex) on the basis of their appearance, soft tissue extent, depth of tumour invasion and staging. Further, this study assessed the accuracy of MRI in the detection of cervical lymph nodal metastasis on the basis of ADC values on diffusion weighted MR sequence. Materials and Methods: T1- and T2-weighted MR, diffusionweighted sequences and post contrast T1W sequences were performed in various planes on biopsy proven squamous cell carcinomas (61 cases) involving tongue and/or gingivo-buccal region. Depth of tumour invasion was calculated on axial images of post contrast T1W images. The Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) was measured by using two b factors (500 and 1000 s/mm2 ). MRI findings were compared clinically and histopathologically. Results: Average depth of invasion calculated on MRI was 8.47mm and by histopathology was 6.85mm. Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.988. Shrinkage factor was 0.8. A 71% of patients with depth of invasion greater than 9mm showed evidence of cervical lymph nodal metastasis at one or another levels. Cut-off value to discriminate between malignant and benign lymph nodes was 1.038 x10-3 mm2 /s in the present study. Conclusion: Depth of tumour invasion in oral malignancies can be measured reliably on MRI which helps in predicting cervical lymph node metastasis. Benign or malignant cervical lymph nodes can be differentiated on diffusion-weighted imaging of MRI on the basis of their ADC values.

Arsenic is a trace element and a metalloid which is prominently known as an environmental hazard. At present, rising health apprehensions are linked to emanating from a wide array of industrial, chemical, residential, agricultural, and technological sources, leading to extensive pollution of water, soil, and air ecosystems including flora, fauna and humans. It poses significant harm to biological organisms upon acute and chronic exposure. In this review, we delve into the reported experimental data that elaborates on arsenic as a toxicant, with particular emphasis on its occurrence, metabolism and diverse molecular mechanisms involved. It also includes the major molecular mechanisms leading to systemic toxicity with special emphasis on shedding light on the intricate ways it disrupts the nervous system.

Purpose T2* is the gold standard for iron quantification in liver as well as myocardium. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of myocardial T1 mapping for the assessment of myocardial iron overload (MIO) as compared to the T2* mapping in patients with thalassemia major (TM).

The Hindu Kush-Pamir region (HKPR) is characterized by complex ongoing deformation, unique slab geometry, and intermediate seismic activity. The availability of extensive seismological data in recent decades has prompted the use of deep learning algorithms to extract valuable insights. In this study, we present a fully automated approach for augmenting earthquake catalogue within the HKPR. Our method leverages an attention mechanism-based deep learning architecture to simultaneously detect events, perform phase picking, and estimate magnitudes. We applied this model to a ten-month dataset (January 2013–October 2013) from 83 stations in the region. Utilizing a robust criterion to evaluate the model's probabilities, we associated phases at different stations and pinpointed earthquake locations in the region. Our results demonstrate a significant enhancement, revealing nearly four and a half times more earthquakes than previously documented in the International Seismological Center (ISC) catalogue. A notable portion of these newly detected events falls within the category of very low-magnitude earthquakes (

The present investigation was undertaken to explain the association of SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in exon 6 and 3′-UTR of OLR 1 gene with milk traits in Sahiwal cattle. Milk traits were observed from 328 Sahiwal cows sired by 64 bulls viz: – First lactation 305 days milk yield (Kg) (FL305MY), Average test day milk yield (Kg) (ATDMY), Average test day fat percentage (%) (ATDFP) and Lactational fat yield (Kg) (LFY). The animal model was used to estimate the breeding values for FL305MY and LFY. The traits ATDMY and ATDFP were corrected for significant non-genetic factors by using LSML-Harvey and subsequently used for association studies. A total of 130 animals for PCR-RFLP and 103 for sequencing were screened through three sets of primers for the presence of polymorphisms in exon 6 and 3′-UTR of the OLR1 gene. The CC genotype of SNP C337A in the 3′-UTR of OLR1 gene had a significant effect (p

Abstract Honokiol is a neolignan biphenol found in aerial parts of the Magnolia plant species. The Magnolia plant species traditionally belong to China and have been used for centuries to treat many pathological conditions. Honokiol mitigates the severity of several pathological conditions and has the potential to work as an anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, anticancer, antioxidant, and neurotherapeutic agent. It has a long history of being employed in the healthcare practices of Southeast Asia, but in recent years, a greater scope of research has been conducted on it. Plenty of experimental evidence suggests it could be beneficial as a neuroprotective bioactive molecule. Honokiol has several pharmacological effects, leading to its exploration as a potential therapy for neurological diseases (NDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), cerebral ischemia, anxiety, depression, spinal cord injury, and so on. So, based on the previous experimentation reports, our goal is to discuss the neuroprotective properties of honokiol. Besides, honokiol derivatives have been highlighted recently as possible therapeutic options for NDs. So, this review focuses on honokiol's neurotherapeutic actions and toxicological profile to determine their safety and potential use in neurotherapeutics.

The present study examined the role of IQ and the Theory of Mind understanding in children with an autism spectrum disorder and down syndrome. Sixty-six Swedish children with ASD (n = 26), DS (n = 18), and typically developed group (n = 22) ranged between 6 and 12 years old were compared on ToM tasks consisted of standard ToM and IQ tasks. SPSS 25 program was used to analyze data. The results indicated that individuals with ASD reach a better understanding of first-order ToM tasks than children with DS. This picture was the same in the TD group to show better ability than children with ASD and DS on first-order tasks, except one task which was not found significant differences. To employ second-order TD performed better than clinical groups, while, there was no significant difference between ASD and DS. The scores for the third-order task in children with ASD were significantly better than children with DS.

Abstract Recent advances in peptide delivery and nanotechnology has resulted in emergence of several non-parenteral administration routes that replace subcutaneous injections associated with patient discomfort. Thiolated biopolymers are relatively new materials being explored to enhance mucoadhesivity and permeability in these efforts, yet their pH dependent reactivity remains an obstacle. This work focussed on improving the mucoadhesivity of thiolated chitosans by activating them with mercaptonicotinic acid, in a bid to create a novel thiomerized chitosan that can open cell tight junctions for application in oral delivery. The synthesized mercaptonicotinic acid activated thiolated chistoan (MNA-TG-chitosan), along with thiolated chitosan (TG-chitosan) and unmodified chitosan were then used to create insulin nanoparticles (insNPs) using spray drying encapsulation process. Use of MNA-TG-chitosan in place of chitosan resulted in reduction of particle size of insNPs from 318 to 277 nm with no significant changes in polydispersity index (~ 0.2), encapsulation efficiency (~ 99%), insulin loading content (~ 25%) and morphology. Results from in-vitro cytotoxicity on TR146, CaCo2 and HepG2 cell lines revealed no significant effects on cell viability at 50–1000 μg/mL concentration. insNPs encapsulated with the new material, MNA-TG-chitosan, resulted in a 1.5-fold and 4.4-fold higher cellular uptake by HepG2 liver cells where insulin is metabolized, approximately 40% and 600% greater insulin transport through TR146 buccal cell monolayers, and 40% and 150% greater apparent permeability than insNPs encapsulated with unmodified chitosan and TG-chitosan respectively. The higher permeation achieved on using MNA-TG chitosan was attributed to the greater opening of the cell tight junction evidenced by reduction of transepithelial electrical resistance of TR146 buccal cell monolayers. This study demonstrates MNA-TG-chitosan as a promising material for improved peptide oral delivery.

Abstract Corn-leaf aphid (CLA-Rhopalosiphum maidis) is a major insect pest of barley (Hordeum vulgare) causing yield loss upto 30% under severe infestation. Keeping in view of the availability of very few sources of CLA resistance in barley, the present investigation was framed to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 43 wild barley (H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum) genotypes using eight microsatellite markers against R. maidis. Three statistical methods viz. multivariate-hierarchical clustering, Bayesian clustering and PCoA, unanimously grouped genotypes into three subpopulations (K = 3) with 25.58% (SubPop1-Red), 39.53% (SubPop2-Green) and 34.88% (SubPop3-Blue) genotypes including admixtures. Based on Q ≥ 66.66%, 37.20% genotypes formed a superficial “Mixed/Admixture” subpopulation. All polymorphic SSR markers generated 36 alleles, averaging to 4.5 alleles/locus (2–7 range). The PIC and H were highest in MS31 and lowest in MS28, with averages of 0.66 and 0.71. MAF and mean genetic diversity were 0.16 and 89.28%, respectively. All these parameters indicated the presence of predominant genetic diversity and population structure amongst the studied genotypes. Based on AII, only 6 genotypes were found to be R. maidis resistant. SubPop3 had 91.66% (11) of the resistant or moderately resistant genotypes. SubPop3 also had the most pure genotypes (11), the least aphid infestation (8.78), and the highest GS (0.88), indicating its suitability for future R. maidis resistance breeding initiatives.

Abstract Early detection and recurrence prediction are challenging in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. We aimed to develop mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)‐based liquid biomarkers to improve TNBC management. Mitochondrial genome (MG) enrichment and next‐generation sequencing mapped the entire MG in 73 samples (64 tissues and 9 extracellular vesicles [EV] samples) from 32 metastatic TNBCs. We measured mtDNA and cardiolipin (CL) contents, NDUFB8, and SDHB protein expression in tumors and in corresponding circulating EVs. We identified 168 nonsynonymous mtDNA mutations, with 73% (123/186) coding and 27% (45/168) noncoding in nature. Twenty percent of mutations were nucleotide transversions. Respiratory complex I (RCI) was the key target, which harbored 44% (74/168) of the overall mtDNA mutations. A panel of 11 hotspot mtDNA mutations was identified among 19%–38% TNBCs, which were detectable in the serum‐derived EVs with 82% specificity. Overall, 38% of the metastatic tumor‐signature mtDNA mutations were traceable in the EVs. An appreciable number of mtDNA mutations were homoplasmic (18%, 31/168), novel (14%, 23/168), and potentially pathogenic (9%, 15/168). The overall and RCI‐specific mtDNA mutational load was higher in women with African compared to European ancestry accompanied by an exclusive abundance of respiratory complex (RC) protein NDUFB8 (RCI) and SDHB (RCII) therein. Increased mtDNA (p

This paper presents a compact microstrip-based dual-band antenna for terahertz (THz) technology, catering to the increasing demand for high-frequency, high-gain, and wideband THz antennas. THz technology has numerous applications, including its demands in bioinformatics and healthcare. To address this need, the proposed antenna operates in two frequency bands: 3.6 THz to 4.3 THz and 5 THz to 5.7 THz, enabling its use in THz band communication. The antenna design features a microstrip patch with two transverse slots and one longitudinal slot as a radiator, fed with a microstrip line. The transverse slots enable dual-band resonance, while the longitudinal slots enhance bandwidth and efficiency. Using a 10µm thick polyamide material with a dielectric constant of 3.55, the antenna achieves a compact size of 40 × 40 µm2, lightweight construction, high radiation efficiency, and a wide impedance bandwidth. Simulation results confirm good impedance matching characteristics, with minimal voltage standing wave ratio and return loss of -10dB or less. The antenna exhibits an impedance bandwidth of -10dB at 700 GHz, a peak radiation efficiency of 85%, a peak gain of 7.86 dB, and an omnidirectional radiation pattern. These favorable attributes position the proposed antenna as an excellent choice for various THz applications, particularly in bioinformatics and healthcare applications.

ABSTRACTFungal endophytes have emerged as a promising source of secondary metabolites with significant potential for various applications in the field of biomedicine. The biosynthetic gene clusters of endophytic fungi are responsible for encoding several enzymes and transcriptional factors that are involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The investigation of fungal metabolic potential at genetic level faces certain challenges, including the synthesis of appropriate amounts of chemicals, and loss of the ability of fungal endophytes to produce secondary metabolites in an artificial culture medium. Therefore, there is a need to delve deeper into the field of fungal genomics and transcriptomics to explore the potential of fungal endophytes in generating secondary metabolites governed by biosynthetic gene clusters. The silent biosynthetic gene clusters can be activated by modulating the chromatin structure using chemical compounds. Epigenetic modification plays a significant role by inducing cryptic gene responsible for the production of secondary metabolites using DNA methyl transferase and histone deacetylase. CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing emerges an effective tool to enhance the production of desired metabolites by modulating gene expression. This review primarily focuses on the significance of epigenetic elicitors and their capacity to boost the production of secondary metabolites from endophytes. This article holds the potential to rejuvenate the drug discovery pipeline by introducing new chemical compounds.

For the automated root cause analysis (ARCA) method and simplified RCA technique, their empirical assessment is presented in this study. A focus group meeting is a foundation for the target problem identification in the ARCA technique. This is compared to earlier RCA methodologies which rely on problem sampling for target problem discovery and high beginning costs. In this research, we suggest a naïve Bayes based machine learning method for identifying the underlying causes of newly reported software issues, which will facilitate a quicker and more effective resolution of software bugs. The ARCA technique produced a large number of high-quality corrective actions while requiring a reasonable amount of effort. The strategy is an effective way to find new opportunities for process improvement and produce fresh process improvement ideas in contrast to the organization’s corporate practices. In addition it is simple to utilize. Ultimately, we compared the methodology with other machine learning classifiers including support vector machine and decision tree.

Corruption is a critical issue for Bangladesh, including corruption in higher education. The present study explored the perception of corruption based on gender, religion, and socioeconomic status with factorial survey research design. One hundred twenty participants were selected by purposive sampling technique from male and female university students aged 20-26 years. All the participants were studying in public and private universities. Personal Information Form (PIF) and Perception of Corruption Scale (PCS) were used for this study. The PCS measured the respondents’ level of perception about corruption consisting of 18 items. One-way analysis of variance and t-test were applied to analyze the data. The result indicates no significant difference in perception of corruption based on gender. In contrast, there is a significant difference in the perception of corruption based on religion, with the Hindus having the lowest perception of corruption. Moreover, there is a significant difference in perception of corruption based on socioeconomic status. Therefore, university students’ perceptions of different corrupt practices need to be addressed.

In this research, a new approach based on a dynamic-stepped maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology and a neural adaptive water cycle (NA-WC) method is proposed to improve the power gathering effectiveness of fuel cells. Although fuel cells have drawn a lot of interest as a clean and effective energy source, maximizing their power harvesting effectiveness is still a major problem. To solve this problem, we present a brand-new dynamic-stepped MPPT method that constantly alters the fuel cell's functioning position to achieve optimum output of power under various environmental circumstances. A 7 kW proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM-FC) that supplied a resistive load through a boost converter created utilizing the suggested MPPT controller was effectively used to study the effectiveness of the suggested NA-WC MPPT. The suggested NA-WC outperforms the traditional MPPT approaches in terms of convergence rate, overshoot, and steady state fluctuations, according to simulation findings obtained by utilizing the Matlab tool. Additionally, the fuel cell's lifespan and effectiveness can both be increased by the suggested controller's current ripple minimization.

Based on the continuous growth of the economy, widespread adoption of intermittent renewable energy sources, and extensive use of information and communication technologies, conventional electric power systems are no longer able to meet the enormous demands of the information age. Diverse renewable energy technologies have been quickly developed to address the energy issue and environmental damage. However, since renewable energy sources are unpredictable and erratic, the widespread use of different renewable energy technologies has consequently put significant strain on the security and dependability of conventional power networks. The Smart Grid (SG) is a modernized electrical network that makes use of cutting-edge communication, control, and information technology to facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources, increase energy efficiency, and improve dependability and security. The invention of computational modeling and evaluation methodologies for SG energy transmission and production networks is the main topic of the research. The Internet of Energy (IoE), which will eventually replace the conventional power production and distribution networks, increases the need to be familiar with the proper computing tools in order to conduct any future SG investigation. The software for simulation that is significant to the modeling and analysis of electrical power production, transmission, distribution, and related systems is examined in this research. The study's conclusions are anticipated to aid in the creation of power generation and transmission systems that are more effective, dependable, and sustainable.

The simultaneous use of additive main and multiplicative interaction effects (AMMI) and best linear unbiased predictors (BLUP) has been reflected in the multi-location evaluation of trials for number of crops. The additional advantages of both these approaches would be combined in superiority index (SI) to have an edge over the commonly used approaches. The promising wheat genotypes had been considered under multi location trails in Peninsular zone of India during the cropping seasons of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The highly significant environmental effects contributed 44.1% & 35.3% of total sum of squares in the AMMI analysis, 20.6% & 26.2% were augmented by G × E interaction, while 10.8% & 7.5% were contributed by the genotypes.Wheat genotypes of UAS3001, MACS6222, GW322, and DDW48 expressed their superiority in BLUP values. Superiority indexes and adaptability measures had identified WHD964 and DDW48 genotypes for the second year of study. More than 75% variations among the considered measures were due to the first two interaction principal components (IPCA’s) under Biplot analysis. Number of superiority index measures were clustered with adaptability measures in the same quadrant. Superiority index, the weighted measure of yield and consistent performance of genotypes would be more appropriate for stability and adaptabilities studies.

Abstract The enhanced availability of functional fibroblasts from precious tissue samples requires an ideal cell-culture system. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the performance of caprine adult fibroblast cells (cadFibroblast) when cultivated in different culture media. The cadFibroblast cell lines from adult Barbari (Capra hircus) bucks were established and the effect of different media viz. DMEM/F-12 [with low-glucose (5.5 mM; DL) and high-glucose (30 mM; DH)], α-MEM [with low-glucose (5.5 mM; ML) and with high-glucose (30 mM; MH)], and fibroblast growth medium (FGM) were evaluated. Cells were then compared for growth characteristics and in-vitro dynamics through cellular morphology, proliferation, population-doubling time, double-immunocytochemistry, colony-forming units, wound healing, transwell migration, and differential expression of fibroblast-specific markers (FSP-1 and vimentin). The results of immunocytochemistry, transwell migration/invasion, and wound healing assays showed the superiority of DH over DL and other media tested. Whereas, similar effects of glucose supplementation and expression of FSP-1 were not observed in α-MEM. Transwell migration was significantly (p

Abstract One of the most preferable characteristics for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate is the ability to reduce transmission and infection of SARS-CoV-2, in addition to disease prevention. Unlike intramuscular vaccines, intranasal COVID-19 vaccines may offer this by generating mucosal immunity. In this open-label, randomised, multicentre, phase 3 clinical trial (CTRI/2022/02/40065; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05522335), healthy adults were randomised to receive two doses, 28 days apart, of either intranasal adenoviral vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV154) or licensed intramuscular vaccine, Covaxin®. Between April 16 and June 4, 2022, we enrolled 3160 subjects of whom, 2971 received 2 doses of BBV154 and 161 received Covaxin. On Day 42, 14 days after the second dose, BBV154 induced significant serum neutralization antibody titers against the ancestral (Wuhan) virus, which met the pre-defined superiority criterion for BBV154 over Covaxin®. Further, both vaccines showed cross protection against Omicron BA.5 variant. Salivary IgA titers were found to be higher in BBV154. In addition, extensive evaluation of T cell immunity revealed comparable responses in both cohorts due to prior infection. However, BBV154 showed significantly more ancestral specific IgA-secreting plasmablasts, post vaccination, whereas Covaxin recipients showed significant Omicron specific IgA-secreting plasmablasts only at day 42. Both vaccines were well tolerated. Overall reported solicited reactions were 6.9% and 25.5% and unsolicited reactions were 1.2% and 3.1% in BBV154 and Covaxin® participants respectively.

Background: The diagnosis of nasal polyp is made according to clinical and radiological criteria, while histopathologic examination is important for an accurate diagnosis. Histological classification of nasal polyps and its clinical implications are very rarely reported in the literature. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to study clinical presentation and site of occurrence of nasal polyps and histologically classify nasal polyps in relation to studies published in the literature. We classified the histological changes as described by Davidson and Hellquist. Materials and Methods: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the 315 subjects were included in our study, which include eosinophilic polyp, fibro-inflammatory polyp, polyp with sero-mucinous gland hyperplasia, and polyp with stromal atypia. Results: Sinonasal polyps can be classified in the following way histologically: edematous or eosinophilic polyp 189 cases (60%); fibro-inflammatory polyp: 66 cases (21%); polyp with seromucinous gland hyperplasia: 35 cases (11%), polyp with stroma atypia: no case (0%), and fibrotic 25 cases (8%). Conclusion: We concluded that the nasal polyps mainly present as an edematous or eosinophilic pattern on histopathological examination. Studies on the histopathology of nasal polyps would help us to understand this disease more appropriately for treatment plan. Further differentiation of nasal polyps may help to develop new therapeutic strategies that are tailored according to the respective group.