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Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is emerging as a reliable soil testing approach. However, few studies reported on the applicability of DRS for estimating the overall soil quality index (SQI) in smallholder farms. Specifically, the DRS approach has not been evaluated in cocoa production systems with multi‐year soil data. We evaluated the DRS approach in typical cocoa production systems from Papua New Guinea (PNG) by collecting soil samples before and after implementing soil test‐based nutrient recommendations. Specifically, 379 soil samples were collected in 2017 from cocoa farms in East New Britain, New Ireland, and Bouganville provinces of PNG. A second soil testing campaign was undertaken in 2019 to analyse 432 soil samples from the same farms to test the consistency of the DRS approach for SQI assessment. In all these samples, 15 soil parameters were measured using the conventional wet chemistry approach. Reflectance spectra in each sample were also measured over the visible to near‐infrared (wavelength: 350–2500 nm). A minimum dataset approach was followed to estimate SQIs from laboratory‐measured soil properties. With available N, clay content, available P, and available Zn adjudged as significant soil quality parameters for the cocoa plantations of PNG, estimated mean SQI values ranged from 0.30 in the cocoa farm from Bouganville province (BOKA‐PAN) in 2017 to 0.46 for the New Ireland province (LAU‐PAN) soil samples collected during 2019. Overall, SQI values increased from about 13%–21% following the nutrient applications. Based on the validation of two commonly‐used chemometric models (PLSRFS: partial‐least‐squares regression with feature selection, SVR: support vector regression), the SQI values were estimated with the coefficient of determination (R2) values as high as.94. Our results showed that a DRS model calibrated in soil samples collected in a specific year can be used for estimating SQI values in soil samples collected in different years. These results suggest that the principal component analysis (PCA) based SQI may be estimated from the DRS data with good accuracy and SQI values may potentially capture the management effects in smallholder farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in Indian Pediatrics, discusses a case of cobalamin C deficiency as an uncommon cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The case involves a 3-year-old boy who presented with symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, and decreased urine output. The child was diagnosed with cobalamin C deficiency through genetic testing and was treated with injectable hydroxocobalamin and other supportive care. The article emphasizes the importance of considering uncommon etiologies when diagnosing TMA and highlights the need for early and specific treatment for improved outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the association of tumour budding (TB) and tumourstroma ratio (TSR) with clinicopathological parameters that can be easily viewed on routine haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained slides to provide an easy and cost-effective method for prognosticating oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: This study was conducted at the ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Faridabad, India, from July 2022 to October 2022. In patients with histologically diagnosed OSCC, TB and TSR were evaluated via routine H&E-stained sections and correlated with clinicopathological parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-squared test. Results: A total of 50 patients were included. The mean age of participants was 61 ± 12.72, and the male-to-female ratio was 7.1:1. Most of the tumours were located on the tongue (46%), followed by the buccal mucosa (26%), gingivobuccal sulcus (12%) and retromolar trigone (8%). The palate and alveolus were the other sites involved, constituting 4% each. TB and TSR were both found to be significantly associated with the tumour grade, lymph node metastasis and tumour size. A highly significant correlation was also found between TB and TSR (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Both TB and TSR can be easily evaluated on routine H&E sections; they are highly reproducible and were found to be reliable independent prognostic markers in OSCC. Therefore, this simple and cost-effective method of prognostication, which is currently lacking in clinical practice, will help clinicians to identify patients with poor prognosis and thus individualise their treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The introduction of Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum in 2019 in India has endorsed many new concepts like Early Clinical Exposure (ECE), Self-Directed Learning (SDL) etc. SDL is an active learning approach in which case-based scenarios are provided and learners are guided by questions, leading them to answers using recommended learning resources. Aim: To evaluate the outcome of introducing case study-based panel discussion as SDL and analyse student and faculty perception. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Department of Pathology of ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana, India from May 2021 to October 2021 on 100 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) phase 2 students. First, Didactic Lecture (DL) was taken on Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Then case study-based panel discussions were done during the practical classes assigned for SDL. Students were divided into five cohorts of 20 students each. Two faculty members were assigned for each cohort of 20 students. The assigned faculties observed and gave their inputs to their respective cohorts. Data from pre and post-test questionnaires having 15 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ's) both theory (n-7) and problem based learning questions (n-8) was analysed statistically. Feedback from students and teachers was collected using a questionnaire in the five-point Likert scale format. Results: The pre (8.43±1.79) and post-test (12.53±1.46) scores comparison revealed statistically significant (p<0.001) improvement in the post-test scores. An 89% of students opined that CBL improved their clinical, logical, analytical and communication skills and 92% students found the whole experience of CBL enjoyable. A 100% of the faculty felt the whole experience was motivating (25% strongly agree and 75% agree) and 33.34% of faculty strongly agreed that CBL helped in bridging the gap and 41.67% strongly agreed that it improved student involvement. However, all faculty found it to be time consuming (25% strongly agree and 75% agree) and 83.34% felt it was an extra burden for them. Conclusion: Students reported an improvement in their learning, interaction, communication and analytical skills through the introduction of this innovative method of teaching Pathology using case study-based panel discussion as a means of SDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]