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Eryptosis is the suicidal destruction-process of erythrocytes, much like apoptosis of nucleated cells, in the course of which the stressed red cell undergoes cell-shrinkage, vesiculation and externalization of membrane phosphatidylserine. Currently, there exist numerous methods to detect eryptosis, both morphometrically and biochemically. This study aimed to design a simple but sensitive, automated computerized approach to instantaneously detect eryptotic red cells and quantify their hallmark morphological characteristics. Red cells from 17 healthy volunteers were exposed to normal Ringer and hyperosmotic stress with sodium chloride, following which morphometric comparisons were conducted from their photomicrographs. The proposed method was found to significantly detect and differentiate normal and eryptotic red cells, based on variations in their structural markers. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for each of the markers showed a significant discriminatory accuracy with high sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve values. The software-based technique was then validated with RBCs in malaria. This model, quantifies eryptosis morphometrically in real-time, with minimal manual intervention, providing a new window to explore eryptosis triggered by different stressors and diseases and can find wide application in laboratories of hematology, blood banks and medical research.

The role of adjunctive steroids in abdominal tuberculosis is unclear. To evaluate effect of adjunctive use of steroids for abdominal tuberculosis in reducing/preventing complications. We searched electronic databases (Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL) from inception to 25th June 2018 using the terms “abdominal tuberculosis” OR “intestinal tuberculosis” OR “peritoneal tuberculosis” OR “tuberculous peritonitis” AND steroids OR methylprednisolone OR prednisolone. Bibliography of potential articles was also searched. We included studies comparing adjunctive steroids to antitubercular therapy (ATT) alone. We excluded non-English articles, case reports, reviews and unrelated papers. The primary outcome was a comprehensive clinical outcome including need for surgery or the presence of symptomatic stricture (abdominal pain or intestinal obstruction). Quality assessment of included studies was done using ROBINS-I tool. Random-effects model was used to calculate the summary effect for all the outcomes. Of total 633 records, three studies on peritoneal tuberculosis were included in meta-analysis. These papers were of poor quality (one quasi-randomised study and two retrospective cohort studies). Meta-analyses showed adjunctive steroids, with ATT is more effective than ATT alone in tuberculous peritonitis patients for the prevention of composite end point (RR 0.15 [0.04, 0.62], p = 0.008), symptomatic stricture(RR 0.15 [0.04–0.62] p = 0.008) and intestinal obstruction (RR 0.18 [0.03–0.99] p = 0.05). The data on use of steroids for abdominal tuberculosis are limited to peritoneal tuberculosis. Although steroids seem to have some benefit in patients of tubercular peritonitis, the poor quality of studies limits the generalisability of the findings. CRD42016047347.

Teaching programmes in medical education are now routinely employing active learning strategies to enhance the learning process and engage students in higher levels of learning. Team-based learning (TBL) is one active learning strategy that builds on individuals' strengths by allowing them to collaborate and work as a team to achieve a common learning objective.The present study aims to evaluate the impact of TBL on student performance. It also aims to assess students' attitudes towards TBL and the feasibility of its incorporation into the course curriculum.From a class of 241 students, 128 who agreed to participate in the study underwent two sessions of TBL each consisting of Individual and Group Readiness Assurance Tests (IRATs and GRATs). The readiness assurance tests each had 13 multiple choice questions (MCQ). To analyse the impact of TBL supplementation, the median sessional MCQ scores of students who underwent TBL supplementation (group 1) were compared with those who did not undergo the session (group 2). Students' experiences with TBL and their attitudes towards incorporation of TBL into the course curriculum were analysed using a feedback questionnaire that was given to students who underwent TBL.Students belonging to the TBL group performed significantly better than the students who did not undergo TBL (p0.001). The median sessional MCQ score of the TBL group was seven and non-TBL group was six. The overall mean attitude score obtained from feedback questionnaires was 3.57, which indicates a positive attitude towards TBL.The team-based learning session improved student engagement with course content. The majority of the students felt that TBL supplementation enhanced their understanding of course content and believe that it will help them perform better in their exams.

Single crystals of lithium D-isoascorbate monohydrate (LDAM), (C6H7O6Li center dot H2O), are grown by a solution growth method. The crystal structure of LDAM is solved using single crystal X-ray diffraction. The space group is orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2(1) with four formula units per unit cell and lattice parameters a = 7.7836(3) angstrom, b = 8.7456(3) angstrom, and c = 11.0368(4) angstrom. Solubility of the material in water is determined thermogravimetrically and found to have a positive temperature coefficient of solubility. Large optical quality single crystals are subsequently grown from aqueous solution by a slow cooling method. The crystal has a bulky prismatic habit and among the prominent faces the c face appears as the only principal morphological face. The crystal exhibits a (010) cleavage. Dielectric spectroscopy reveals a nearly Debye type Cole-Cole behavior with anisotropy in relaxation. Optical transmission range is found to be from 300 to 1400 nm. The principal refractive indices of this biaxial crystal, measured using Brewster's angle method, at wavelengths 405, 543, and 632.8 nm, show high dispersion. The crystal is negative biaxial with 2V(z) = 107.8 degrees (405 nm) and belongs to the Hobden class 3. Theoretically generated type 1 and type 2 second order phase matching curves match very well with the experimental results. The second-order nonlinear coefficient d(14) was determined to be 7 x 10(-13) m/V. For the optimum phase matching direction (type 2), the second-order effective nonlinear coefficient and the walk off angle are determined to be 0.84 times d(14) and 3.5 degrees respectively. The crystal possesses high multiple surface damage thresholds of 18 GW/cm(2) and 8 GW/cm(2) at laser wavelengths 1064 and 532 nm, respectively.