Objective:To investigate the anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of leaves of Amaranthus caudatus,Amaranthus spinosus and Amaranthus viridis in normal and streptozotocin(STZ) induced d...Objective:To investigate the anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of leaves of Amaranthus caudatus,Amaranthus spinosus and Amaranthus viridis in normal and streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats.Methods:In this study,the anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of leaves of all three plants was evaluated by using normal and STZ induced diabetic rots at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg p.o.daily for 21 days.Blood glucose levels and body weight were monitored at specific intervals,and different biochemical parameters,serum cholesterol,serum triglyceride,high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein were also assessed in the experimental animals.Histology of pancreas was performed.Results:It was found that all the three plants at 400 mg/kg dose showed significant anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity(P<0.01),while at 200 mg/kg dose less significant anti-diabetic activity(P<0.05) was observed.Concluslons: Methanol extracts of Amaranthus caudatus,Amaranlhus spinosus and Amaranthus viridis showed significant anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity,which provides the scientific proof for their traditional claims.展开更多
Hemoptysis is an uncommon but distressing symptom in children. It poses a diagnostic challenge as it is difficult to elicit a clear history and perform thorough physical examination in a child. The cause of hemoptysis...Hemoptysis is an uncommon but distressing symptom in children. It poses a diagnostic challenge as it is difficult to elicit a clear history and perform thorough physical examination in a child. The cause of hemoptysis in children can vary with the child's age. It can range from infection, milk protein allergy and congenital heart disease in early childhood, to vasculitis, bronchial tumor and bronchiectasis in older children. Acute lower respiratory tract infections are the most common cause of pediatric hemoptysis. The objective of imaging is to identify the source of bleeding, underlying primary cause, and serve as a roadmap for invasive procedures. Hemoptysis originates primarily from the bronchial arteries. The imaging modalities available for the diagnostic evaluation of hemoptysis include chest radiography, multi-detector computed tomography(MDCT), magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and catheter angiography. Chest radiography is the initial screening tool. It can help in lateralizing the bleeding with high degree of accuracy and can detect several parenchymal and pleural abnormalities. However, it may be normal in up to 30% cases. MDCT is a rapid, non-invasive multiplanar imaging modality. It aids in evaluation of hemoptysis by depiction of underlying disease, assessment of consequences of hemorrhage and provides panoramic view of the thoracic vasculature. The various structures which need to be assessed carefully include the pulmonary parenchyma, tracheobronchial tree, pulmonary arteries, bronchial arteries and non-bronchial systemic arteries. Since the use of MDCT entails radiation exposure, optimal low dose protocols should be used so as to keep radiation dose as low as reasonably achievable. MRI and catheter angiography have limited application.展开更多
Colorectal carcinogenesis(CRC) imposes a major health burden in developing countries. It is the third major cause of cancer deaths. Despite several treatment strategies, novel drugs are warranted to reduce the severit...Colorectal carcinogenesis(CRC) imposes a major health burden in developing countries. It is the third major cause of cancer deaths. Despite several treatment strategies, novel drugs are warranted to reduce the severity of this disease. Adenomatous polyps in the colon are the major culprits in CRC and found in 45% of cancers, especially in patients 60 years of age. Inflammatory polyps are currently gaining attention in CRC, and a growing body of evidence denotes the role of inflammation in CRC. Several experimental models are being employed to investigate CRC in animals, which include the APC^(min/+) mouse model, Azoxymethane, Dimethyl hydrazine, and a combination of Dextran sodium sulphate and dimethyl hydrazine. During CRC progression, several signal transduction pathways are activated. Among the major signal transduction pathways are p53, Transforming growth factor beta, Wnt/β-catenin, Delta Notch, Hippo signalling, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 pathways. These signalling pathways collaborate with cell death mechanisms, which include apoptosis, necroptosis and autophagy, to determine cell fate. Extensive research has been carried out in our laboratory to investigate these signal transduction and cell death mechanistic pathways in CRC. This review summarizes CRC pathogenesis and the related cell death and signal transduction pathways.展开更多
Chemotherapy is an effortless and frequently used approach in cancer therapy.However,in most cases,it can only prolong life expectancy and does not guarantee a complete cure.Furthermore,chemotherapy is associated with...Chemotherapy is an effortless and frequently used approach in cancer therapy.However,in most cases,it can only prolong life expectancy and does not guarantee a complete cure.Furthermore,chemotherapy is associated with severe adverse effects,one of the major complications of effective cancer therapy.In addition,newly published research outputs show that cancer stem cells are involved in cancer disease progression,drug resistance,metastasis,and recurrence and that they are functional in the trans-differentiation capacity of cancer stem cells to cancer cells in response to treatments.Novel strategies are therefore required for better management of cancer therapy.The prime approach would be to synthesize and develop novel drugs that need extensive resources,time,and endurance to be brought into therapeutic use.The subsequent approach would be to screen the anti-cancer activity of avail-able non-cancerous drugs.This concept of repurposing non-cancer drugs as an alternative to current cancer therapy has become popular in recent years because using existing anticancer drugs has several adverse effects.Micronutrients have also been investigated for cancer ther-apy due to their significant anti-cancer effects with negligible or no side effects and availabil-ity in food sources.In this paper,we discuss an ideal hypothesis for screening available non-cancerous drugs with anticancer activity,with a focus on cancer stem cells and their clinical application for cancer treatment.Further,drug repurposing and the combination of micronu-trients that can target both cancers and cancer stem cells may result in a better therapeutic approach leading to maximum tumor growth control.展开更多
Background: Appropriate sample requesting, collecting and timely dispatch to the appropriate laboratory is essential in establishing diagnosis of pathologies with lesions. Much time and effort may be wasted if this is...Background: Appropriate sample requesting, collecting and timely dispatch to the appropriate laboratory is essential in establishing diagnosis of pathologies with lesions. Much time and effort may be wasted if this is not done according to certain standards. We conducted this study to assess the route of lymph node samples from requests to reaching the laboratories. Methods: We conducted an audit over a period from 4th June until 10th Aug 2023. Data for all the procedures performed over this period on lymph node samples (was entered into and analysed using Excel. Results: A total of eighteen samples for sixteen patients were obtained during this period. Median age of the patients was 34 years (19 - 73) with a M:F ratio of 5:11. Among the IR samples, nine samples were from the neck, three from inguinal area and one from axilla. Seven samples (53.8%) were tru-cut biopsies, six samples (46.15%) were FNA. All samples were sent to the pathology laboratory fixed in formalin. Samples for TB were sent only for five cases (31.25%) and for only two cases (12.5%) were samples sent for bacterial culture. For the OR samples, none were sent for either bacterial culture or TB. Overall, eight patients (50%) were not investigated for any infectious etiologies like brucella, toxoplasmosis, CMV, EBV plus other possible causes. Repeat sampling was required for 25% of patients (within and out of the audit period). Conclusions: to avoid delays in making diagnoses, it is paramount to consider infectious etiologies as possible diagnosis for lymphadenopathy and request appropriate investigations. This requires liaising with infectious diseases/clinical microbiology experts to guide regarding types of samples, types of media and timely dispatch to the correct laboratory.展开更多
Several constructions in the field of civil engineering quite often need to deal with rocks.Strength behaviour of rock intersected by a discontinuity or a set of discontinuities has been a topic of keen interest for e...Several constructions in the field of civil engineering quite often need to deal with rocks.Strength behaviour of rock intersected by a discontinuity or a set of discontinuities has been a topic of keen interest for engineering community.The popular attributes of discontinuities that have been given due importance are their frequency,orientation and surface characteristics.Non-persistency,however,has been given little attention.This article presents an experimental study wherein focus has been made on the effect of non-persistency of the joint on the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of a model rock for various geometries such as orientation,discontinuity length ratio and number of joint segments.The applicability of single plane of weakness theory(SPWT)to assess the strength of jointed specimens has also been evaluated.It has been noticed that SPWT captures the strength behaviour only for a narrow range of discontinuity orientations.As an improvement,an approach is suggested by extending concepts of degree of persistence and joint factor to have a better understanding towards strength behaviour of rocks intersected by non-persistent joints.展开更多
Global alterations in epigenetic landscape are now recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Epigenetic mechanismssuch as DNA methylation,histone modifications,nucleosome positioning and non-coding RNAs are proven to have s...Global alterations in epigenetic landscape are now recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Epigenetic mechanismssuch as DNA methylation,histone modifications,nucleosome positioning and non-coding RNAs are proven to have strong association with cancer. In particular,covalent post-translational modifications of histone proteins are known to play an important role in chromatin remodeling and thereby in regulation of gene expression. Further,histone modifications have also been associated with different aspects of carcinogenesis and have been studied for their role in the better management of cancer patients. In this review,we will explore and discuss how histone modifications are involved in cancer diagnosis,prognosis and treatment.展开更多
Traumatic brain injuries are serious clinical incidents associated with some of the poorest outcomes in neurological practice.Coupled with the limited regenerative capacity of the brain,this has significant implicatio...Traumatic brain injuries are serious clinical incidents associated with some of the poorest outcomes in neurological practice.Coupled with the limited regenerative capacity of the brain,this has significant implications for patients,carers,and healthcare systems,and the requirement for life-long care in some cases.Clinical treatment currently focuses on limiting the initial neural damage with longterm care/support from multidisciplinary teams.Therapies targeting neuroprotection and neural regeneration are not currently available but are the focus of intensive research.Biomaterial-based interventions are gaining popularity for a range of applications including biomolecule and drug delive ry,and to function as cellular scaffolds.Experimental investigations into the development of such novel therapeutics for traumatic brain injury will be critically underpinned by the availability of appropriate high thro ughput,facile,ethically viable,and pathomimetic biological model systems.This represents a significant challenge for researchers given the pathological complexity of traumatic brain injury.Specifically,there is a concerted post-injury response mounted by multiple neural cell types which includes microglial activation and astroglial scarring with the expression of a range of growth inhibito ry molecules and cytokines in the lesion environment.Here,we review common models used for the study of traumatic brain injury(ranging from live animal models to in vitro systems),focusing on penetrating traumatic brain injury models.We discuss their relative advantages and drawbacks for the developmental testing of biomaterial-based therapies.展开更多
Posterior urethral stenosis(PUS)is a known complication following prostate cancer treatment as well as other benign endoscopic treatments.Patients with PUS often fail initial endoscopic treatments and have persistent ...Posterior urethral stenosis(PUS)is a known complication following prostate cancer treatment as well as other benign endoscopic treatments.Patients with PUS often fail initial endoscopic treatments and have persistent symp-toms negatively affecting quality of life.In the past decade,a variety of dif-ferent surgical techniques and approaches have changed the landscape of PUS management.The goal of this review is to provide details on the his-torical,current,and future direction of the surgical management for PUS.展开更多
One of the major and serious threats on the Internet today is malicious software, often referred to as a malware. The malwares being designed by attackers are polymorphic and metamorphic which have the ability to chan...One of the major and serious threats on the Internet today is malicious software, often referred to as a malware. The malwares being designed by attackers are polymorphic and metamorphic which have the ability to change their code as they propagate. Moreover, the diversity and volume of their variants severely undermine the effectiveness of traditional defenses which typically use signature based techniques and are unable to detect the previously unknown malicious executables. The variants of malware families share typical behavioral patterns reflecting their origin and purpose. The behavioral patterns obtained either statically or dynamically can be exploited to detect and classify unknown malwares into their known families using machine learning techniques. This survey paper provides an overview of techniques for analyzing and classifying the malwares.展开更多
Purpose： The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of landing kinematics and electromyographic （EMG） activities of medial gastrocnemius on a combined inversion and plantarflexion surface on the ankle （M...Purpose： The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of landing kinematics and electromyographic （EMG） activities of medial gastrocnemius on a combined inversion and plantarflexion surface on the ankle （MG）, peroneus longus （PL）, and tibialis anterior （TA） muscles. Methods： Twelve recreational athletes performed five drop landings from an overhead bar of 30 cm height on to three surfaces： a flat surface, a 25° inversion surface, and a combined surface of 25° inversion and 25° plantarflexion. The kinematic variables and integrated EMG （IEMG） of the three muscles were assessed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA and a 3 × 3 （surface × muscle） ANOVA, respectively （p 〈 0.05）. Results： The IEMG results showed a significant muscle by surface interaction. The flat surface induced higher TA activity than the two tilted surfaces. The inverted surface produced significantly higher inversion peak angle and velocity than the flat surface, but similar PL activity across the surfaces. The MG IEMG, ankle plantarflexion angle, and inversion range of motion were significantly higher for the combined surface compared to the inverted surface. Conclusion： These findings suggest that compared to the inversion surface, the combined plantarflexion and inversion surface seems to provide a more unstable surface condition for lateral ankle sprains during landing.展开更多
Background:Urinary tract infection(UTI)is a prevalent bacterial infection affecting adults and pediatric populations,with distinct patterns observed in infants.This bibliometric analysis aims to provide a comprehensiv...Background:Urinary tract infection(UTI)is a prevalent bacterial infection affecting adults and pediatric populations,with distinct patterns observed in infants.This bibliometric analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the research landscape in pediatric UTI from 1990 to 2022,exploring qualitative and quantitative research output,contributing authors,institutions,countries,collaborative links,and hotspot topics.Purpose:This study aims to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative research output and trends in UTI in the pediatric population through a bibliometric analysis.The analysis covers highly cited articles,contributing authors,institutes,countries,collaborative links,and future research prospects.Methods:A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science platform with a search string focused on pediatric UTI articles published between January 1990 and December 2022.The analysis employed the Bibliometrix R-package software and VOSviewer for collaborative networks and keyword co-occurrence maps.Results:Out of 1399 published articles,81.7%were research articles.The annual growth rate of publications was 4.46%.The USA led in contributions,with the University of Pennsylvania being the most productive institution.The"Journal of Pediatric Urology"and"Pediatric"were prominent journals.Lorenzo AJ from the University of Toronto was the top author.Collaborative networks highlighted the significance of collaboration in pediatric UTI research.Conclusion:In conclusion,this bibliometric analysis provides a detailed snapshot of the research landscape in pediatric urinary tract infections.With 1399 articles analyzed,the study reveals a sustained interest and growth rate of 4.46%,emphasizing ongoing efforts to address pediatric UTI challenges.The USA dominates contributions,reflecting its pivotal role in advancing knowledge.The top institutions,journals,and authors are identified,with collaborative networks highlighted.Keyword co-occurrence networks unveil critical themes,notably"vesicoureteric reflux展开更多
Chromobacterium violaceum is a gram-negative bacterium, which has been used widely in microbiology labs involved in quorum sensing(QS) research. Among the QS-regulated traits of this bacterium, violacein production ha...Chromobacterium violaceum is a gram-negative bacterium, which has been used widely in microbiology labs involved in quorum sensing(QS) research. Among the QS-regulated traits of this bacterium, violacein production has received the maximum attention. Violacein production in this organism, however is not under sole control of QS machinery, and other QSregulated traits of this bacterium also need to be investigated in better detail. Though not often involved in human infections, this bacterium is being viewed as an emerging pathogen. This review attempts to highlight the recent research advances on Chromobacterium violaceum, with respect to violacein biosynthesis, development of various applications of this bacterium and its bioactive metabolite violacein, and its pathogenicity.展开更多
Mongolian spots(MS) are congenital birthmarks seen most commonly over the lumbosacral area. They are bluish-green to black in color and oval to irregular in shape. They are most commonly found in individuals of Africa...Mongolian spots(MS) are congenital birthmarks seen most commonly over the lumbosacral area. They are bluish-green to black in color and oval to irregular in shape. They are most commonly found in individuals of African or Asian ethnic background. Although these lesions resolve by one to two years of age, widespread, extrasacral and dark colored MS sometimes persist into adulthood. Aberrant MS over occiput, temple, mandibular area, shoulders and limbs may be confused with other dermal melanocytoses and bruises secondary to child abuse, thus necessitating documentation at birth. Although traditionally believed to be benign in nature, they have now been shown to co-exist with inborn errors of metabolism, most commonly GM1 gangliosidosis and mucopolysaccharidosis type Ⅰ(Hurler's disease), followed by mucopolysaccharidosis type Ⅱ(Hunter's syndrome), mucolipidosis, Niemann-Pick disease and mannosidosis. They have also been seen to co-exist with various vascular or other pigmented birthmarks like café-au-lait macules. Co-existing Mongolian spots and vascular birthmarks like nevus flammeus, nevus anemicus or nevus spilus is termed as phakomatosis pigmentovascularis. This review focuses on the important associations of Mongolian spots and stresses upon the importance of screening babies with extensive MS.展开更多
Background:Phytochemicals encompass a diverse array of bioactive substances originating from plants,exhibit-ing a broad spectrum of possible health-promoting effects.Nonetheless,the clinical uses of these compounds ar...Background:Phytochemicals encompass a diverse array of bioactive substances originating from plants,exhibit-ing a broad spectrum of possible health-promoting effects.Nonetheless,the clinical uses of these compounds are restricted due to their limited solubility,stability,bioavailability,and target selectivity.Nanotechnology-based delivery methods present a viable approach to address these problems and enhance the properties and biological activity of phytochemicals.Nanoformulations have the potential to augment the solubility,bioavailability,and pharmacokinetics of phytochemicals by means of several methods.One potential approach to enhance the surface area and solubility of phytochemicals is by lowering their particle size.The process of adsorption of surfactants onto phytochemical particles can lead to the formation of micelles,which exhibit solubility in water.Nanofor-mulations have the potential to enhance the uptake of phytochemicals across many biological barriers,including the intestinal epithelium.Objective:To study the potential of nanoformulation in enhancing the therapeutic action of phytochemicals Method:Systemic review was performed while considering some aspects of PRISM guidelines.Result:The nanoparticles have a great potential in delivering the phytochemicals and could of great help in the management of various diseases.Although,exhaustive research and clinical trials are yet demanded to provide the evidential proof for the same.Conclusion:In conclusion,the utilisation of ligand-functionalized nanoparticles enables the precise targeting of phytochemicals to particular cells or tissues.The field of nanotechnology has significant promise in transform-ing the advancement and administration of phytochemicals for medicinal and preventative applications.The utilisation of nanotechnology holds promise in addressing the obstacles related to the physicochemical charac-teristics of phytochemicals,hence enabling the development of enhanced and precise delivery systems for these advantageous molecules.展开更多
Objective To evaluate the expression and diagnostic value of levels of the microRNAs(miRNAs),miRNA-181a,miRNA-23b,and miRNA-16,in late-onset neonatal sepsis(LOS)and compare them with the diagnostic utility of C-reacti...Objective To evaluate the expression and diagnostic value of levels of the microRNAs(miRNAs),miRNA-181a,miRNA-23b,and miRNA-16,in late-onset neonatal sepsis(LOS)and compare them with the diagnostic utility of C-reactive protein(CRP)levels.Methods This was a prospective diagnostic study conducted between January 2021 and March 2023 at a tertiary care center(Sri Ramachandra Hospital)in India.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine miRNA-181a,miRNA-23b,and miRNA-16 expression levels,and CRP was measured by nephelometry.The diagnostic value of miRNA and CRP levels were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.ROC curves were utilized to determine optimal cutoff points,and Mann–Whitney tests were performed using SPSS to ascertain P values,with statistical significance defined as<0.05.Results This study included 100 samples,with 50 cases of culture-proven LOS(27 females,23 males)and 50 healthy controls(31 females,19 males).In LOS,miRNA-181a and miRNA-23b expression levels were significantly downregulated(P<0.001),with area under the curve(AUC)values of 0.83 and 0.92,respectively,whereas those of miRNA-16 were significantly upregulated(P<0.001;AUC=0.97).In comparison,CRP levels had an AUC value of 0.831(P<0.001).Further,miRNA-23b showed the highest sensitivity(98%)of markers tested,whereas miRNA-16 exhibited the highest specificity(96%).Conclusion MiRNA,especially miRNA-16,shows diagnostic potential for neonatal sepsis compared with traditional biomarkers like CRP and procalcitonin,suggesting its use as an early marker for LOS.However,further cohort studies are needed before practical application.展开更多
Pleural mesothelioma is a very aggressive malignancy that arises from the pleural mesothelial cell lining and is linked strongly to prior asbestos exposure.The ban on asbestos has helped to lower the incidence,but in ...Pleural mesothelioma is a very aggressive malignancy that arises from the pleural mesothelial cell lining and is linked strongly to prior asbestos exposure.The ban on asbestos has helped to lower the incidence,but in developing countries like India,it is expected to rise.It has an extended latency period usually progressing over decades and presents with nonspecific symptoms.It has a median survival ranging between 10-22 months.The diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma is challenging and is done using computed tomography(CT),magnetic resonance imaging,or positron emission tomography-CT,with the last two predicting the resectability of the tumor better than CT alone.A pleural biopsy along with an array of immunohistochemical markers,such as p16,BRCA1 associated protein 1,and claudin-4,are required for a definitive diagnosis.Several genetic alterations have prognostic significance as well.The current histological subtype identification is indispensable for decision making because of the new therapeutic avenues being explored.The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab-based immunotherapy outperformed platinum and pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in terms of survival benefit and improved quality of life especially for non-epithelioid subtypes.However,the latter continues to be a robust treatment option for patients with the epithelioid subtype.Surgery is recommended for resectable cases with radiotherapy being indicated in neoadjuvant,adjuvant,and palliative settings along with systemic treatment.This review article provides an overview of epidemiology,etiology,clinical manifestations,diagnostic approaches(including immunohistochemical and genetic markers),staging,and multidisciplinary approaches to current treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma using surgery,chemotherapy,immunotherapy,and radiotherapy.It also sheds light on some recent studies(EMPHACIS,CALGB30901,Checkmate-743,etc.)that have led to significant developments in recent years with clinically meaningful results.展开更多
Accurate software cost estimation in Global Software Development(GSD)remains challenging due to reliance on historical data and expert judgments.Traditional models,such as the Constructive Cost Model(COCOMO II),rely h...Accurate software cost estimation in Global Software Development(GSD)remains challenging due to reliance on historical data and expert judgments.Traditional models,such as the Constructive Cost Model(COCOMO II),rely heavily on historical and accurate data.In addition,expert judgment is required to set many input parameters,which can introduce subjectivity and variability in the estimation process.Consequently,there is a need to improve the current GSD models to mitigate reliance on historical data,subjectivity in expert judgment,inadequate consideration of GSD-based cost drivers and limited integration of modern technologies with cost overruns.This study introduces a novel hybrid model that synergizes the COCOMO II with Artificial Neural Networks(ANN)to address these challenges.The proposed hybrid model integrates additional GSD-based cost drivers identified through a systematic literature review and further vetted by industry experts.This article compares the effectiveness of the proposedmodelwith state-of-the-artmachine learning-basedmodels for software cost estimation.Evaluating the NASA 93 dataset by adopting twenty-six GSD-based cost drivers reveals that our hybrid model achieves superior accuracy,outperforming existing state-of-the-artmodels.The findings indicate the potential of combining COCOMO II,ANN,and additional GSD-based cost drivers to transform cost estimation in GSD.展开更多
Zirconium-based implants have gained popularity in the dental implant field owing to their corrosion resistance and biocompatibility,attributed to the formation of a native zirconia(ZrO_(2))film.However,enhanced bioac...Zirconium-based implants have gained popularity in the dental implant field owing to their corrosion resistance and biocompatibility,attributed to the formation of a native zirconia(ZrO_(2))film.However,enhanced bioactivity and local therapy from such implants are desirable to enable the earlier establishment and improved long-term maintenance of implant integration,especially in compromised patient conditions.As a result,surface modification of zirconium-based implants have been performed using various physical,chemical and biological techniques at the macro-,micro-,and nano-scales.In this extensive review,we discuss and detail the development of Zr implants covering the spectrum from past and present advancements to future perspectives,arriving at the next generation of highly bioactive and therapeutic nano-engineered Zr-based implants.The review provides in-depth knowledge of the bioactive/therapeutic value of surface modification of Zr implants in dental implant applications focusing on clinical translation.展开更多
This paper investigates wormhole solutions within the framework of extended symmetric teleparallel gravity,incorporating non-commutative geometry,and conformal symmetries.To achieve this,we examine the linear wormhole...This paper investigates wormhole solutions within the framework of extended symmetric teleparallel gravity,incorporating non-commutative geometry,and conformal symmetries.To achieve this,we examine the linear wormhole model with anisotropic fluid under Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions.The primary objective is to derive wormhole solutions while considering the influence of the shape function on model parameters under Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions.The resulting shape function satisfies all the necessary conditions for a traversable wormhole.Furthermore,we analyze the characteristics of the energy conditions and provide a detailed graphical discussion of the matter contents via energy conditions.Additionally,we explore the effect of anisotropy under Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions.Finally,we present our conclusions based on the obtained results.展开更多
文摘Objective:To investigate the anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of leaves of Amaranthus caudatus,Amaranthus spinosus and Amaranthus viridis in normal and streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats.Methods:In this study,the anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of leaves of all three plants was evaluated by using normal and STZ induced diabetic rots at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg p.o.daily for 21 days.Blood glucose levels and body weight were monitored at specific intervals,and different biochemical parameters,serum cholesterol,serum triglyceride,high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein were also assessed in the experimental animals.Histology of pancreas was performed.Results:It was found that all the three plants at 400 mg/kg dose showed significant anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity(P<0.01),while at 200 mg/kg dose less significant anti-diabetic activity(P<0.05) was observed.Concluslons: Methanol extracts of Amaranthus caudatus,Amaranlhus spinosus and Amaranthus viridis showed significant anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity,which provides the scientific proof for their traditional claims.
文摘Hemoptysis is an uncommon but distressing symptom in children. It poses a diagnostic challenge as it is difficult to elicit a clear history and perform thorough physical examination in a child. The cause of hemoptysis in children can vary with the child's age. It can range from infection, milk protein allergy and congenital heart disease in early childhood, to vasculitis, bronchial tumor and bronchiectasis in older children. Acute lower respiratory tract infections are the most common cause of pediatric hemoptysis. The objective of imaging is to identify the source of bleeding, underlying primary cause, and serve as a roadmap for invasive procedures. Hemoptysis originates primarily from the bronchial arteries. The imaging modalities available for the diagnostic evaluation of hemoptysis include chest radiography, multi-detector computed tomography(MDCT), magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and catheter angiography. Chest radiography is the initial screening tool. It can help in lateralizing the bleeding with high degree of accuracy and can detect several parenchymal and pleural abnormalities. However, it may be normal in up to 30% cases. MDCT is a rapid, non-invasive multiplanar imaging modality. It aids in evaluation of hemoptysis by depiction of underlying disease, assessment of consequences of hemorrhage and provides panoramic view of the thoracic vasculature. The various structures which need to be assessed carefully include the pulmonary parenchyma, tracheobronchial tree, pulmonary arteries, bronchial arteries and non-bronchial systemic arteries. Since the use of MDCT entails radiation exposure, optimal low dose protocols should be used so as to keep radiation dose as low as reasonably achievable. MRI and catheter angiography have limited application.
基金Council of Scientific and Industrial research (CSIR),New Delhi for funding Colon cancer project [37(1364)/09/EMR-Ⅱ]
文摘Colorectal carcinogenesis(CRC) imposes a major health burden in developing countries. It is the third major cause of cancer deaths. Despite several treatment strategies, novel drugs are warranted to reduce the severity of this disease. Adenomatous polyps in the colon are the major culprits in CRC and found in 45% of cancers, especially in patients 60 years of age. Inflammatory polyps are currently gaining attention in CRC, and a growing body of evidence denotes the role of inflammation in CRC. Several experimental models are being employed to investigate CRC in animals, which include the APC^(min/+) mouse model, Azoxymethane, Dimethyl hydrazine, and a combination of Dextran sodium sulphate and dimethyl hydrazine. During CRC progression, several signal transduction pathways are activated. Among the major signal transduction pathways are p53, Transforming growth factor beta, Wnt/β-catenin, Delta Notch, Hippo signalling, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 pathways. These signalling pathways collaborate with cell death mechanisms, which include apoptosis, necroptosis and autophagy, to determine cell fate. Extensive research has been carried out in our laboratory to investigate these signal transduction and cell death mechanistic pathways in CRC. This review summarizes CRC pathogenesis and the related cell death and signal transduction pathways.
基金funding by the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR)(No.5/9/1108/2013-Nut)project grants,Department of Biotechnology(No.6242-P24/RGCB1PMD/DBT/ARJN/2015)ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition Intramural project(No.15-BS05)+1 种基金ICMR-Department of Health Research(No.5/9/1327/2020-Nut)Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR)(No.3/1/3/PDF(24)/2021-HRD-4).
文摘Chemotherapy is an effortless and frequently used approach in cancer therapy.However,in most cases,it can only prolong life expectancy and does not guarantee a complete cure.Furthermore,chemotherapy is associated with severe adverse effects,one of the major complications of effective cancer therapy.In addition,newly published research outputs show that cancer stem cells are involved in cancer disease progression,drug resistance,metastasis,and recurrence and that they are functional in the trans-differentiation capacity of cancer stem cells to cancer cells in response to treatments.Novel strategies are therefore required for better management of cancer therapy.The prime approach would be to synthesize and develop novel drugs that need extensive resources,time,and endurance to be brought into therapeutic use.The subsequent approach would be to screen the anti-cancer activity of avail-able non-cancerous drugs.This concept of repurposing non-cancer drugs as an alternative to current cancer therapy has become popular in recent years because using existing anticancer drugs has several adverse effects.Micronutrients have also been investigated for cancer ther-apy due to their significant anti-cancer effects with negligible or no side effects and availabil-ity in food sources.In this paper,we discuss an ideal hypothesis for screening available non-cancerous drugs with anticancer activity,with a focus on cancer stem cells and their clinical application for cancer treatment.Further,drug repurposing and the combination of micronu-trients that can target both cancers and cancer stem cells may result in a better therapeutic approach leading to maximum tumor growth control.
文摘Background: Appropriate sample requesting, collecting and timely dispatch to the appropriate laboratory is essential in establishing diagnosis of pathologies with lesions. Much time and effort may be wasted if this is not done according to certain standards. We conducted this study to assess the route of lymph node samples from requests to reaching the laboratories. Methods: We conducted an audit over a period from 4th June until 10th Aug 2023. Data for all the procedures performed over this period on lymph node samples (was entered into and analysed using Excel. Results: A total of eighteen samples for sixteen patients were obtained during this period. Median age of the patients was 34 years (19 - 73) with a M:F ratio of 5:11. Among the IR samples, nine samples were from the neck, three from inguinal area and one from axilla. Seven samples (53.8%) were tru-cut biopsies, six samples (46.15%) were FNA. All samples were sent to the pathology laboratory fixed in formalin. Samples for TB were sent only for five cases (31.25%) and for only two cases (12.5%) were samples sent for bacterial culture. For the OR samples, none were sent for either bacterial culture or TB. Overall, eight patients (50%) were not investigated for any infectious etiologies like brucella, toxoplasmosis, CMV, EBV plus other possible causes. Repeat sampling was required for 25% of patients (within and out of the audit period). Conclusions: to avoid delays in making diagnoses, it is paramount to consider infectious etiologies as possible diagnosis for lymphadenopathy and request appropriate investigations. This requires liaising with infectious diseases/clinical microbiology experts to guide regarding types of samples, types of media and timely dispatch to the correct laboratory.
文摘Several constructions in the field of civil engineering quite often need to deal with rocks.Strength behaviour of rock intersected by a discontinuity or a set of discontinuities has been a topic of keen interest for engineering community.The popular attributes of discontinuities that have been given due importance are their frequency,orientation and surface characteristics.Non-persistency,however,has been given little attention.This article presents an experimental study wherein focus has been made on the effect of non-persistency of the joint on the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of a model rock for various geometries such as orientation,discontinuity length ratio and number of joint segments.The applicability of single plane of weakness theory(SPWT)to assess the strength of jointed specimens has also been evaluated.It has been noticed that SPWT captures the strength behaviour only for a narrow range of discontinuity orientations.As an improvement,an approach is suggested by extending concepts of degree of persistence and joint factor to have a better understanding towards strength behaviour of rocks intersected by non-persistent joints.
基金supported by DBT,Indiasupported by CSIR,India for their doctoral fellowships
文摘Global alterations in epigenetic landscape are now recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Epigenetic mechanismssuch as DNA methylation,histone modifications,nucleosome positioning and non-coding RNAs are proven to have strong association with cancer. In particular,covalent post-translational modifications of histone proteins are known to play an important role in chromatin remodeling and thereby in regulation of gene expression. Further,histone modifications have also been associated with different aspects of carcinogenesis and have been studied for their role in the better management of cancer patients. In this review,we will explore and discuss how histone modifications are involved in cancer diagnosis,prognosis and treatment.
基金funded by awards from the EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre in Regenerative Medicine and an NHS bursary。
文摘Traumatic brain injuries are serious clinical incidents associated with some of the poorest outcomes in neurological practice.Coupled with the limited regenerative capacity of the brain,this has significant implications for patients,carers,and healthcare systems,and the requirement for life-long care in some cases.Clinical treatment currently focuses on limiting the initial neural damage with longterm care/support from multidisciplinary teams.Therapies targeting neuroprotection and neural regeneration are not currently available but are the focus of intensive research.Biomaterial-based interventions are gaining popularity for a range of applications including biomolecule and drug delive ry,and to function as cellular scaffolds.Experimental investigations into the development of such novel therapeutics for traumatic brain injury will be critically underpinned by the availability of appropriate high thro ughput,facile,ethically viable,and pathomimetic biological model systems.This represents a significant challenge for researchers given the pathological complexity of traumatic brain injury.Specifically,there is a concerted post-injury response mounted by multiple neural cell types which includes microglial activation and astroglial scarring with the expression of a range of growth inhibito ry molecules and cytokines in the lesion environment.Here,we review common models used for the study of traumatic brain injury(ranging from live animal models to in vitro systems),focusing on penetrating traumatic brain injury models.We discuss their relative advantages and drawbacks for the developmental testing of biomaterial-based therapies.
文摘Posterior urethral stenosis(PUS)is a known complication following prostate cancer treatment as well as other benign endoscopic treatments.Patients with PUS often fail initial endoscopic treatments and have persistent symp-toms negatively affecting quality of life.In the past decade,a variety of dif-ferent surgical techniques and approaches have changed the landscape of PUS management.The goal of this review is to provide details on the his-torical,current,and future direction of the surgical management for PUS.
文摘One of the major and serious threats on the Internet today is malicious software, often referred to as a malware. The malwares being designed by attackers are polymorphic and metamorphic which have the ability to change their code as they propagate. Moreover, the diversity and volume of their variants severely undermine the effectiveness of traditional defenses which typically use signature based techniques and are unable to detect the previously unknown malicious executables. The variants of malware families share typical behavioral patterns reflecting their origin and purpose. The behavioral patterns obtained either statically or dynamically can be exploited to detect and classify unknown malwares into their known families using machine learning techniques. This survey paper provides an overview of techniques for analyzing and classifying the malwares.
文摘Purpose： The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of landing kinematics and electromyographic （EMG） activities of medial gastrocnemius on a combined inversion and plantarflexion surface on the ankle （MG）, peroneus longus （PL）, and tibialis anterior （TA） muscles. Methods： Twelve recreational athletes performed five drop landings from an overhead bar of 30 cm height on to three surfaces： a flat surface, a 25° inversion surface, and a combined surface of 25° inversion and 25° plantarflexion. The kinematic variables and integrated EMG （IEMG） of the three muscles were assessed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA and a 3 × 3 （surface × muscle） ANOVA, respectively （p 〈 0.05）. Results： The IEMG results showed a significant muscle by surface interaction. The flat surface induced higher TA activity than the two tilted surfaces. The inverted surface produced significantly higher inversion peak angle and velocity than the flat surface, but similar PL activity across the surfaces. The MG IEMG, ankle plantarflexion angle, and inversion range of motion were significantly higher for the combined surface compared to the inverted surface. Conclusion： These findings suggest that compared to the inversion surface, the combined plantarflexion and inversion surface seems to provide a more unstable surface condition for lateral ankle sprains during landing.
文摘Background:Urinary tract infection(UTI)is a prevalent bacterial infection affecting adults and pediatric populations,with distinct patterns observed in infants.This bibliometric analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the research landscape in pediatric UTI from 1990 to 2022,exploring qualitative and quantitative research output,contributing authors,institutions,countries,collaborative links,and hotspot topics.Purpose:This study aims to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative research output and trends in UTI in the pediatric population through a bibliometric analysis.The analysis covers highly cited articles,contributing authors,institutes,countries,collaborative links,and future research prospects.Methods:A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science platform with a search string focused on pediatric UTI articles published between January 1990 and December 2022.The analysis employed the Bibliometrix R-package software and VOSviewer for collaborative networks and keyword co-occurrence maps.Results:Out of 1399 published articles,81.7%were research articles.The annual growth rate of publications was 4.46%.The USA led in contributions,with the University of Pennsylvania being the most productive institution.The"Journal of Pediatric Urology"and"Pediatric"were prominent journals.Lorenzo AJ from the University of Toronto was the top author.Collaborative networks highlighted the significance of collaboration in pediatric UTI research.Conclusion:In conclusion,this bibliometric analysis provides a detailed snapshot of the research landscape in pediatric urinary tract infections.With 1399 articles analyzed,the study reveals a sustained interest and growth rate of 4.46%,emphasizing ongoing efforts to address pediatric UTI challenges.The USA dominates contributions,reflecting its pivotal role in advancing knowledge.The top institutions,journals,and authors are identified,with collaborative networks highlighted.Keyword co-occurrence networks unveil critical themes,notably"vesicoureteric reflux
文摘Chromobacterium violaceum is a gram-negative bacterium, which has been used widely in microbiology labs involved in quorum sensing(QS) research. Among the QS-regulated traits of this bacterium, violacein production has received the maximum attention. Violacein production in this organism, however is not under sole control of QS machinery, and other QSregulated traits of this bacterium also need to be investigated in better detail. Though not often involved in human infections, this bacterium is being viewed as an emerging pathogen. This review attempts to highlight the recent research advances on Chromobacterium violaceum, with respect to violacein biosynthesis, development of various applications of this bacterium and its bioactive metabolite violacein, and its pathogenicity.
文摘Mongolian spots(MS) are congenital birthmarks seen most commonly over the lumbosacral area. They are bluish-green to black in color and oval to irregular in shape. They are most commonly found in individuals of African or Asian ethnic background. Although these lesions resolve by one to two years of age, widespread, extrasacral and dark colored MS sometimes persist into adulthood. Aberrant MS over occiput, temple, mandibular area, shoulders and limbs may be confused with other dermal melanocytoses and bruises secondary to child abuse, thus necessitating documentation at birth. Although traditionally believed to be benign in nature, they have now been shown to co-exist with inborn errors of metabolism, most commonly GM1 gangliosidosis and mucopolysaccharidosis type Ⅰ(Hurler's disease), followed by mucopolysaccharidosis type Ⅱ(Hunter's syndrome), mucolipidosis, Niemann-Pick disease and mannosidosis. They have also been seen to co-exist with various vascular or other pigmented birthmarks like café-au-lait macules. Co-existing Mongolian spots and vascular birthmarks like nevus flammeus, nevus anemicus or nevus spilus is termed as phakomatosis pigmentovascularis. This review focuses on the important associations of Mongolian spots and stresses upon the importance of screening babies with extensive MS.
文摘Background:Phytochemicals encompass a diverse array of bioactive substances originating from plants,exhibit-ing a broad spectrum of possible health-promoting effects.Nonetheless,the clinical uses of these compounds are restricted due to their limited solubility,stability,bioavailability,and target selectivity.Nanotechnology-based delivery methods present a viable approach to address these problems and enhance the properties and biological activity of phytochemicals.Nanoformulations have the potential to augment the solubility,bioavailability,and pharmacokinetics of phytochemicals by means of several methods.One potential approach to enhance the surface area and solubility of phytochemicals is by lowering their particle size.The process of adsorption of surfactants onto phytochemical particles can lead to the formation of micelles,which exhibit solubility in water.Nanofor-mulations have the potential to enhance the uptake of phytochemicals across many biological barriers,including the intestinal epithelium.Objective:To study the potential of nanoformulation in enhancing the therapeutic action of phytochemicals Method:Systemic review was performed while considering some aspects of PRISM guidelines.Result:The nanoparticles have a great potential in delivering the phytochemicals and could of great help in the management of various diseases.Although,exhaustive research and clinical trials are yet demanded to provide the evidential proof for the same.Conclusion:In conclusion,the utilisation of ligand-functionalized nanoparticles enables the precise targeting of phytochemicals to particular cells or tissues.The field of nanotechnology has significant promise in transform-ing the advancement and administration of phytochemicals for medicinal and preventative applications.The utilisation of nanotechnology holds promise in addressing the obstacles related to the physicochemical charac-teristics of phytochemicals,hence enabling the development of enhanced and precise delivery systems for these advantageous molecules.
基金University Grants Commission Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship.
文摘Objective To evaluate the expression and diagnostic value of levels of the microRNAs(miRNAs),miRNA-181a,miRNA-23b,and miRNA-16,in late-onset neonatal sepsis(LOS)and compare them with the diagnostic utility of C-reactive protein(CRP)levels.Methods This was a prospective diagnostic study conducted between January 2021 and March 2023 at a tertiary care center(Sri Ramachandra Hospital)in India.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine miRNA-181a,miRNA-23b,and miRNA-16 expression levels,and CRP was measured by nephelometry.The diagnostic value of miRNA and CRP levels were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.ROC curves were utilized to determine optimal cutoff points,and Mann–Whitney tests were performed using SPSS to ascertain P values,with statistical significance defined as<0.05.Results This study included 100 samples,with 50 cases of culture-proven LOS(27 females,23 males)and 50 healthy controls(31 females,19 males).In LOS,miRNA-181a and miRNA-23b expression levels were significantly downregulated(P<0.001),with area under the curve(AUC)values of 0.83 and 0.92,respectively,whereas those of miRNA-16 were significantly upregulated(P<0.001;AUC=0.97).In comparison,CRP levels had an AUC value of 0.831(P<0.001).Further,miRNA-23b showed the highest sensitivity(98%)of markers tested,whereas miRNA-16 exhibited the highest specificity(96%).Conclusion MiRNA,especially miRNA-16,shows diagnostic potential for neonatal sepsis compared with traditional biomarkers like CRP and procalcitonin,suggesting its use as an early marker for LOS.However,further cohort studies are needed before practical application.
文摘Pleural mesothelioma is a very aggressive malignancy that arises from the pleural mesothelial cell lining and is linked strongly to prior asbestos exposure.The ban on asbestos has helped to lower the incidence,but in developing countries like India,it is expected to rise.It has an extended latency period usually progressing over decades and presents with nonspecific symptoms.It has a median survival ranging between 10-22 months.The diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma is challenging and is done using computed tomography(CT),magnetic resonance imaging,or positron emission tomography-CT,with the last two predicting the resectability of the tumor better than CT alone.A pleural biopsy along with an array of immunohistochemical markers,such as p16,BRCA1 associated protein 1,and claudin-4,are required for a definitive diagnosis.Several genetic alterations have prognostic significance as well.The current histological subtype identification is indispensable for decision making because of the new therapeutic avenues being explored.The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab-based immunotherapy outperformed platinum and pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in terms of survival benefit and improved quality of life especially for non-epithelioid subtypes.However,the latter continues to be a robust treatment option for patients with the epithelioid subtype.Surgery is recommended for resectable cases with radiotherapy being indicated in neoadjuvant,adjuvant,and palliative settings along with systemic treatment.This review article provides an overview of epidemiology,etiology,clinical manifestations,diagnostic approaches(including immunohistochemical and genetic markers),staging,and multidisciplinary approaches to current treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma using surgery,chemotherapy,immunotherapy,and radiotherapy.It also sheds light on some recent studies(EMPHACIS,CALGB30901,Checkmate-743,etc.)that have led to significant developments in recent years with clinically meaningful results.
文摘Accurate software cost estimation in Global Software Development(GSD)remains challenging due to reliance on historical data and expert judgments.Traditional models,such as the Constructive Cost Model(COCOMO II),rely heavily on historical and accurate data.In addition,expert judgment is required to set many input parameters,which can introduce subjectivity and variability in the estimation process.Consequently,there is a need to improve the current GSD models to mitigate reliance on historical data,subjectivity in expert judgment,inadequate consideration of GSD-based cost drivers and limited integration of modern technologies with cost overruns.This study introduces a novel hybrid model that synergizes the COCOMO II with Artificial Neural Networks(ANN)to address these challenges.The proposed hybrid model integrates additional GSD-based cost drivers identified through a systematic literature review and further vetted by industry experts.This article compares the effectiveness of the proposedmodelwith state-of-the-artmachine learning-basedmodels for software cost estimation.Evaluating the NASA 93 dataset by adopting twenty-six GSD-based cost drivers reveals that our hybrid model achieves superior accuracy,outperforming existing state-of-the-artmodels.The findings indicate the potential of combining COCOMO II,ANN,and additional GSD-based cost drivers to transform cost estimation in GSD.
基金Divya Chopra,Anjana Jayasree and Tianqi Guo are supported by the UQ Graduate School Scholarship(UQGSS)funded by the University of QueenslandKaran Gulati is supported by National Health and Medical Research Council(NHMRC)Early Career Fellowship(APP1140699)。
文摘Zirconium-based implants have gained popularity in the dental implant field owing to their corrosion resistance and biocompatibility,attributed to the formation of a native zirconia(ZrO_(2))film.However,enhanced bioactivity and local therapy from such implants are desirable to enable the earlier establishment and improved long-term maintenance of implant integration,especially in compromised patient conditions.As a result,surface modification of zirconium-based implants have been performed using various physical,chemical and biological techniques at the macro-,micro-,and nano-scales.In this extensive review,we discuss and detail the development of Zr implants covering the spectrum from past and present advancements to future perspectives,arriving at the next generation of highly bioactive and therapeutic nano-engineered Zr-based implants.The review provides in-depth knowledge of the bioactive/therapeutic value of surface modification of Zr implants in dental implant applications focusing on clinical translation.
基金DST,New Delhi,India,for its financial support for research facilities under DSTFIST-2019。
文摘This paper investigates wormhole solutions within the framework of extended symmetric teleparallel gravity,incorporating non-commutative geometry,and conformal symmetries.To achieve this,we examine the linear wormhole model with anisotropic fluid under Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions.The primary objective is to derive wormhole solutions while considering the influence of the shape function on model parameters under Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions.The resulting shape function satisfies all the necessary conditions for a traversable wormhole.Furthermore,we analyze the characteristics of the energy conditions and provide a detailed graphical discussion of the matter contents via energy conditions.Additionally,we explore the effect of anisotropy under Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions.Finally,we present our conclusions based on the obtained results.
