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Skill development is the key instrument for achieving the target of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 in developing countries. The development of human capital in India is of global importance, given the prospects of India being the fastest growing economy of the world and poised to be the country with the largest working-age population in the world. Massive skill development momentum has built up in the country in the recent past, and elucidating this whole human capital development ecosystem in India is the objective of this study. This article traces the evolution of the skilling landscape in India and describes the present scenario on skilling schemes of both National (Central) and State governments in India. This study also discusses the challenges before policymakers interested in the development of human capital through skilling schemes in India and attempts to shed some light on the road ahead for skilling initiatives in the country.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers among men in India. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has recently become a promising treatment modality for HCC before liver transplantation. Objectives: In this retrospective study, we aimed primarily to determine the clinical details of patients with HCC and response of SBRT in treating such patients with a secondary objective of assessing the impact of SBRT on patient survival. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted from January 2016 to January 2019 at the Department of Radiotherapy at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. Six MV photons were used in conjunction with volumetric modulated arc treatment to deliver SBRT. Tumor response was evaluated as per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. For both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), Kaplan–Meier curves were created. Results: We included 21 patients with HCC who received SBRT treatment. The median age of our patients was 63 (45–74) years. The radiation dose ranged from 36–50 Gy in 3–5 fractions. Of the 21 patients, 5 (23.8%) had a complete response, whereas 9 (42.9%) showed a partial response. After 2 years, the local control rate was 66.7%. The overall survival was 28 months (interquartile range, IQR, 22–37), and the median progression-free survival was 20 months (IQR, 16–27). The overall survival rate at 2 years was 59%. There was no treatment-related mortality observed and no patient required an urgent transplant for acute decompensation. Conclusion: SBRT was well tolerated by our patients. With advancements in external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) techniques, it is possible to practice higher dose fractionation regimens due to more precise targeting and sparing of normal liver tissue. Considering the long waiting period for liver transplantation, liver SBRT can prove to be a successful bridging tool.

Echinococcosis, alternatively referred to as hydatid disease, is caused by the larvae of the tapeworm Echinococcus. The primary agents of human infections are Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis. The present case report pertains to an individual who relocated from an endemic region to the United Arab Emirates and subsequently manifested symptoms of hydropneumothorax. The 44-year-old male patient presented with a 4-day fever and right-sided chest pain, accompanied by cough and breathlessness for 2 weeks. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest revealed right hydropneumothorax and a ruptured hydatid cyst with consolidation. The patient was diagnosed with a ruptured pulmonary hydatid cyst based on a strongly positive hydatid serology and the presence of hydatid tissue on histopathological examination. The patient underwent surgical decortication with cyst removal and received medical treatment with ceftriaxone and albendazole. He was discharged in good condition after a 10-day hospitalisation period. Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease that most often affects the liver and lungs. Although more than half of the patients do not show any symptoms, the main symptoms observed during presentation include dry cough, haemoptysis, and chest pain. Plain radiographs or chest CT scans are used for diagnosis. Surgery is considered the primary treatment for pulmonary hydatid cysts and medical treatment with benzimidazoles (albendazole and mebendazole) is recommended. Complicated pulmonary hydatid disease can manifest in various ways, including hydropneumothorax, as observed in the present case. Early diagnosis, surgical intervention combined with medical treatment, and multidisciplinary teamwork can significantly improve patient outcomes.

Abstract Cowden syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal dominant genodermatosis caused by a heterozygous germline mutation in the PTEN gene, found in nearly 80% of cases. It is characterized by multiple benign hamartomas which manifest across various organs. This condition is further distinguished by its association with macrocephaly, facial trichilemmomas, acral keratoses, papillomatous papules, and a heightened susceptibility to certain malignant neoplasms, particularly affecting the thyroid, endometrium, and the breast (OMIM no. 58350). In this report, we detail the case of an Indian patient presenting with macrocephaly and multiple blackish pigmented areas on the face, alongside several small papules on the dorsum of the hands, and the presence of gastric and duodenal polyps, among other symptoms. Genetic analysis through Sanger sequencing of the PTEN gene revealed a heterozygous nonsense pathogenic variant (ENST00000371953.8: c.388C > T, p.Arg130Ter), thereby confirming a CS diagnosis. The report encompasses a comprehensive review of the existing literature, emphasizing the significance of genetic evaluation and discussing the intricacies of managing patients diagnosed with CS.

Introduction: Tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBL) represents the prevailing presentation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) that comprises ∼35 % of EPTB cases, respectively and mainly occurs at cervical lymph nodes. Diagnostic challenge in TBL is primarily due to paucibacillary nature of specimens, and most common laboratory tests produced inconclusive findings. Areas covered: We evaluated the literature on current diagnostic methods for TBL. Smear microscopy, culture, tuberculin skin test, interferon-γ release assay, biochemical assessments, imaging, histopathological, and cytological examination, etc. are various conventional methods used to diagnose TBL but these are insufficient. Further, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), PCR/multiplex-PCR, nested-PCR, real-time PCR, and GeneXpert®MTB/RIF utilized for TBL diagnosis but they have their own merits and demerits. Presently, several tools have been employed for detection of circulating Mtb cell-free DNA (cfDNA) through NAATs, aptamer-linked immobilized sorbent assay, and immuno-PCR (I-PCR), etc. Conclusion: Currently, there is no single accessible test available for effective diagnosis of TBL. In this review, we summarized all detailed conventional methodologies along with additional tools such as ALISA, I-PCR, and cfDNA for detection of Mtb biomarkers that have been utilized for diagnosis of pulmonary TB (PTB) and various forms of EPTB that may also be investigated for diagnosis of TBL. Early diagnosis and treatment would help in reducing the severe complications associated with TBL such as fistula, ulceration, or abscess formation in lymph nodes.

Worldwide, annual glass waste production surpasses 200 million tonnes, urging exploration of sustainable reuse avenues. This study evaluates the incorporation of waste glass powder (WGP) into concrete as a partial replacement for fine aggregate. Thirty concrete mixes, varying water-cement ratios and WGP levels, underwent comprehensive analysis. Findings reveal that as WGP percentage in sand increases, the slump of concrete rises marginally until reaching maximum glass powder replacement, with workability remaining within the 50 to 100 mm range. At a 10% replacement level, early and later age strength minimally impacts compressive strength. WGP's workability and strength hinge on particle geometry, indicating increased concrete strength when mixed with WGP featuring higher surface area and improved cement paste bonding. To enhance solid waste management, conserve sand, and bolster sustainability, WGP can replace up to 10% of sand weight in concrete at lower water-cement ratios. Positive correlation exists between slump and WGP percentage replaced. Both water-cement ratio and replacement amount significantly influence compressive strength, as confirmed by ANOVA. However, long-term mechanical strength and durability research is essential before recommending WGP for environmentally friendly and sustainable concrete applications, promising increased understanding through additional data collection and analysis.

Abstract Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare and fatal synucleinopathy characterized by insoluble alpha-synuclein (α-syn) cytoplasmic inclusions located within oligodendroglia. Neuroinflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration are correlated with areas of glia cytoplasmic inclusions (GCI) pathology, however it is not known what specifically drives disease pathogenesis. Recent studies have shown that disease pathologies found in post-mortem tissue from MSA patients can be modeled in rodents via a modified AAV overexpressing α-syn, Olig001-SYN, which has a 95% tropism for oligodendrocytes. In the Olig001-SYN mouse model, CD4+ T cells have been shown to drive neuroinflammation and demyelination, however the mechanism by which this occurs remains unclear. In this study we use genetic and pharmacological approaches in the Olig001-SYN model of MSA to show that the pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon gamma (IFNγ) drives neuroinflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration. Furthermore, using an IFNγ reporter mouse, we found that infiltrating CD4+ T cells were the primary producers of IFNγ in response to α-syn overexpression in oligodendrocytes. Results from these studies indicate that IFNγ expression from CD4+ T cells drives α-syn-mediated neuroinflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration. These results indicate that targeting IFNγ expression may be a potential disease modifying therapeutic strategy for MSA.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of nanoparticles possessing a lipid bilayer membrane that plays a significant role in intercellular communication by transferring their cargoes, consisting of peptides, proteins, fatty acids, DNA, and RNA, to receiver cells. Isolation of EVs is cumbersome and time-consuming due to their nano size and the co-isolation of small molecules along with EVs. This is why current protocols for the isolation of EVs are unable to provide high purity. So far, studies have focused on EVs derived from cell supernatants or body fluids but are associated with a number of limitations. Cell lines with a high passage number cannot be considered as representative of the original cell type, and EVs isolated from those can present distinct properties and characteristics. Additionally, cultured cells only have a single cell type and do not possess any cellular interactions with other types of cells, which normally exist in the tissue microenvironment. Therefore, studies involving the direct EVs isolation from whole tissues can provide a better understanding of intercellular communication in vivo. This underscores the critical need to standardize and optimize protocols for isolating and characterizing EVs from tissues. We have developed a differential centrifugation-based technique to isolate and characterize EVs from whole adipose tissue, which can be potentially applied to other types of tissues. This may help us to better understand the role of EVs in the tissue microenvironment in both diseased and normal conditions.

Neutrophils, constituting 50%–70% of circulating leukocytes, play crucial roles in host defense and exhibit anti-tumorigenic properties. An elevated peripheral blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with decreased survival rates in cancer patients. In response to exposure to various antigens, neutrophils release neutrophil granular proteins, which combine to form web-like structures known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Previously, the relative percentage of NETs was found to be increased in resected tumor tissue samples from patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. The presence of NETs in peripheral blood is indicative of underlying pathological conditions. Hence, employing a non-invasive method to detect NETs in peripheral blood, along with other diagnostic tests, shows potential as a valuable tool not just for identifying different inflammatory disorders but also for assessing disease severity and determining patient suitability for surgical resection. While reliable methods exist for identifying NETs in tissue, accurately quantifying them in whole blood remains challenging. Many previous methods are time-consuming and rely on a limited set of markers that are inadequate for fully characterizing NETs. Therefore, we established a unique sensitive smear immunofluorescence assay based on blood smears to identify NETs in only as little as 2 μL of whole blood. To identify the NET complexes that have enhanced specificities, this combines the use of various antibodies against neutrophil-specific CD15, NET-specific myeloperoxidase (MPO), citrullinated histone H3 (Cit H3), and nuclear DNA. This protocol offers an easy, affordable, rapid, and non-invasive method for identifying NETs; thus, it can be utilized as a diagnostic marker and targeted through various therapeutic approaches for treating human malignancies.

Background The impact of direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN) on risk of recurrence of symptoms or pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) in patients with disconnected pancreatic duct (DPD) has not been previously evaluated.

In this paper, a distributed machine-learning strategy, i.e., federated learning (FL), is used to enable the artificial intelligence (AI) model to be trained on dispersed data sources. The paper is specifically meant to forecast cryptocurrency prices, where a long short-term memory (LSTM)-based FL network is used. The proposed framework, i.e., F-LSTM utilizes FL, due to which different devices are trained on distributed databases that protect the user privacy. Sensitive data is protected by staying private and secure by sharing only model parameters (weights) with the central server. To assess the effectiveness of F-LSTM, we ran different empirical simulations. Our findings demonstrate that F-LSTM outperforms conventional approaches and machine learning techniques by achieving a loss minimal of $ 2.3 \times 10^{-4} $. Furthermore, the F-LSTM uses substantially less memory and roughly half the CPU compared to a solely centralized approach. In comparison to a centralized model, the F-LSTM requires significantly less time for training and computing. The use of both FL and LSTM networks is responsible for the higher performance of our suggested model (F-LSTM). In terms of data privacy and accuracy, F-LSTM addresses the shortcomings of conventional approaches and machine learning models, and it has the potential to transform the field of cryptocurrency price prediction.