Role of miRNAs in T-cell activation and Th17/Treg-cell imbalance in acquired aplastic anemia

BACKGROUND

Altered T-cell repertoire with an aberrant T-cell activation and imbalance of the Th17/Treg cells has been reported in acquired aplastic anemia (aAA). miRNAs are well known to orchestrate T-cell activation and differentiation, however, their role in aAA is poorly characterized. The study aimed at identifying the profile of miRNAs likely to be involved in T-cell activation and the Th17/Treg-cell imbalance in aAA, to explore newer therapeutic targets.

METHODS

Five milliliters peripheral blood samples from 30 patients of aAA and 15 healthy controls were subjected to flow cytometry for evaluating Th17- and Treg-cell subsets. The differential expression of 7 selected miRNAs viz; hsa-miR-126-3p, miR-146b-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-16, miR-17, miR-326, and miR-181c was evaluated in the PB-MNCs. Expression analysis of the miRNAs was performed using qRT-PCR and fold change was calculated by 2-ΔΔCt method. The alterations in the target genes of deregulated miRNAs were assessed by qRT-PCR. The targets studied included various transcription factors, cytokines, and downstream proteins.

RESULTS

The absolute CD3+ lymphocytes were significantly elevated in the PB of aAA patients when compared with healthy controls (p < 0.0035), however, the CD4:CD8 ratio was unperturbed. Th17: Treg-cell ratio was altered in aAA patients (9.1 vs. 3.7%, p value <0.05), which correlated positively with disease severity and the PNH positive aAA. Across all severities of aAA, altered expression of the 07 miRNAs was noted in comparison to controls; upregulation of miR-155 (FC-2.174, p-value-0.0001), miR-146 (FC-2.006, p-value-0.0001), and miR-17 (FC-3.1, p-value-0.0001), and downregulation of miR-126 (FC-0.329, p-value-0.0001), miR-181c (FC-0.317, p-value-0.0001), miR-16 (FC-0.348, p-value-0.0001), and miR-326 (FC-0.334, p-value-0.0001). Target study for these miRNAs revealed an increased expression of transcription factors responsible for Th1 and Th17 differentiation (T-bet, RORϒt, IL-17, IL-6, and IFN-ϒ), T-cell activation (NFκB, MYC, and PIK3R2), downregulation of FOX-P3, and other regulatory downstream molecules like SHIP-1, ETS-1, IRAK-1, TRAF-6, and PTEN.

CONCLUSION

The study for the first time highlights the plausible role of different miRNAs in deregulating the Th17/Treg-cell imbalance in aAA, and comprehensively suggest the role of altered NF-kB and mTOR pathways in aAA. The axis may be actively explored for development of newer therapeutic targets in aAA.

Research Note: Effect of dietary xylo-oligosaccharide on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, and specific cecal bacteria in broiler chickens

This study was conducted to evaluate the prebiotic effect of xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) supplemented in a corn-soybean meal (SBM) based conventional diet on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, and quantification of specific bacteria in the ceca of broilers. A total of 240 d of hatch Cobb 500 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments (corn-SBM-based control diet) containing 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2% XOS. The broilers were raised for 21 d in 6 replicate cages, each containing 10 birds. Growth performance parameters were obtained weekly. Additionally, small intestinal tissues were collected to evaluate histomorphometry and whole ceca were collected to quantify bacterial populations on D21. The results showed that inclusion of XOS has similar body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) as the control group during the 21-day study. The results further indicate a tendency for the jejunum villus to crypt ratio (VH:CD) to increase in birds given 0.05 and 0.2% XOS (P = 0.08). Cecal bacteria quantification showed a linear increase in Bifidobacterium with increasing XOS levels (P < 0.0001) and a decrease Clostridium perfringens levels compared to birds fed the control diet (P < 0.0001). However, there were no differences in the total counts of Lactobacillus and E. coli. Together these results showed that while there were no differences in growth parameters up to 21 d, the histomorphology findings and the increase in Bifidobacterium, along with the reduction in C. perfringens observed in the XOS groups, suggest a beneficial impact of XOS inclusion on gut health. Further research with longer feeding periods and higher XOS levels should be conducted to explore potential positive effects on both growth and gut health parameters.

EARLY IMPLANT OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH DENTAL DECAY TREATED WITH PHOTODYNAMIC TREATMENT

A fast implant is a kind of implant to place in the cavity right away after dental extraction. These implants are shown to maintain cervical marrow and reduce the number of surgery operations required for patients. The Photodynamic treatment (PDT) uses antimicrobial processes to supplement nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Combined through the scaling and root planning (SRP), and PDT is more effective. This study aims to assess the effects of PDT on initial findings with dental implants (DI) placed in patients having gum disease with SRP against patients who do not at the 12-month follow-up point. An aggregate of 25 implants were inserted in 16 patients, 12 of whom were in the test group (TG) and 13 of whom were in the control group (CG). SRP is conducted toward rapid implant assignment in the control site, while PDT as an adjunct to SRP (SRP + PDT) is executed prior to instant implant insertion in test sites. At the beginning, 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months, gingival index, radiovisiographs, inquiring pocket intensity, clinical attachment level, and plaque index were obtained. Basic durability was assessed after implant insertion, and the recovery index was measured a week later. In this analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) technique is used to predict tooth decay earlier. The CG experienced 1.10 mm of mean marginal bone loss after the 12-month research period, compared to 0.97 mm for the (SRP + PDT) group. After reaching the CG and TG, the differences in plaque score and probe depth were noteworthy. Clinical indicators compared to the basis in a year revealed unquestionable improvement, including the probing depth gingival index, plaque index and clinical attachment level. Twelve months were spent monitoring the implants in both groups. The little bone loss improved, although it isn't clinically important. The endurance rate for rapid implants in the PDT grouping is the same as that of the group that underwent SRP. The impact of PTD is utilized as a supplement to SRP. Yet, the consequence is marginal. Because of the improved results with PDT, it is used successfully as an addition to SRP.

H-Deep-Net: A deep hybrid network with stationary wavelet packet transforms for Retinal detachment classification through fundus images

Nowadays, automated disease diagnosis has become a vital role in the medical field due to the significant population expansion. An automated disease diagnostic approach assists clinicians in the diagnosis of disease by giving exact, consistent, and prompt results, along with minimizing the mortality rate. Retinal detachment has recently emerged as one of the most severe and acute ocular illnesses, spreading worldwide. Therefore, an automated and quickest diagnostic model should be implemented to diagnose retinal detachment at an early stage. This paper introduces a new hybrid approach of best basis stationary wavelet packet transform and modified VGG19-Bidirectional long short-term memory to detect retinal detachment using retinal fundus images automatically. In this paper, the best basis stationary wavelet packet transform is utilized for image analysis, modified VGG19-Bidirectional long short-term memory is employed as the deep feature extractors, and then obtained features are classified through the Adaptive boosting technique. The experimental outcomes demonstrate that our proposed method obtained 99.67% sensitivity, 95.95% specificity, 98.21% accuracy, 97.43% precision, 98.54% F1-score, and 0.9985 AUC. The model obtained the intended results on the presently accessible database, which may be enhanced further when additional RD images become accessible. The proposed approach aids ophthalmologists in identifying and easily treating RD patients.

Psychological health of postmenopausal women: a bibliometric analysis in the recent decade

The aim of this study is to analyze the publication trends on the psychological health of postmenopausal women by performing a bibliometric and visualization analysis that can be used as a foundation for understanding current and future research plans. Publications were retrieved from Dimensions database from 2012 to June 2022. VOSviewer software was used for data mining and visualization. A total of 1718 papers were selected by keyword search and delimiting criteria. To evaluate the productive nations, authors, journals, articles and frequent joint citations, citation analysis, author keyword co-occurrence analysis, co-authorship analysis and co-citation analysis were performed. Results depict that the USA contributed the most papers (n = 457). Maximum articles (n = 192) were published in 2021. The highest number of articles are published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society and Climacteric: The Journal of the International Menopause Society. Out of the top 10 contributing organizations in the field, six organizations were from the USA. R. Nappi of Italy is the most productive author with 20 articles and 1138 citations. From the point of average citations per article, H. Joffe has the highest score (71.5). The data reported in this analysis contribute to discussions about the development, growth and current state of psychological health of postmenopausal women as well as its impact. These findings offer helpful guidance for researchers in choosing their potential fields of study and integrating different approaches to solve complicated issues, finding potential co-authors and choosing the right institutions for supporting academic studies or collaborative research.

Inflammatory responses during trichomoniasis: The role of Toll-like receptors and inflammasomes

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and inflammasomes belong to the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of innate immunity identifying conserved compounds produced by pathogens or discharged by injured cells. Different cell subsets in the human urogenital system, such as epithelial cells and infiltrating leukocytes, express different kinds of TLRs (such as TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5 and TLR9) as well as inflammasomes (such as NLRP3, NLRC4 and AIM2). Various types of the Trichomonas vaginalis-derived components such as glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI), T. vaginalis virus (TVV), Lipophosphoglycan (LPG) and flagellin can be recognized by TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and TLR5, respectively, leading to the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the cervicovaginal mucosa. The T. vaginalis-induced inflammasomes can lead to pyroptosis as well as the release of IL-1β and IL-18 promoting innate and adaptive immune responses. The PRR-mediated responses to T. vaginalis may contribute to the induction of protective immune responses, local inflammation, promotion of co-infections, or even the development of malignancies, for example, prostate cancer. The protective or pathogenic roles of the TLRs and inflammasomes during trichomoniasis are highlighted in this review. A better understanding of PRR-mediated responses provides invaluable insights to develop effective immunotherapeutic strategies against T. vaginalis infection.

Evaluation of a dacitic (rhyolitic) tuff breccia use on performance, inflammatory, and antioxidant responses in broilers mildly challenged with Eimeria spp

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of a dacitic tuff breccia (DTB) on Eimeria-infected broilers. A total of 600 one-day-old Cobb 500 male chickens were randomly assigned to 5 treatments with 10 replicates of 12 birds. Treatments were: an unchallenged control (UC), a challenged (CC) control (0% DTB), and 3 challenged groups with 0.125, 0.25, or 0.5% DTB. At d 14, birds in the CC and DTB groups were orally gavaged with mixed Eimeria spp., while the UC received water. Growth performance was evaluated during prechallenge, challenge, and postchallenge periods (0-14 d; 14-20 d; and 20-26 d, respectively). Gastrointestinal permeability was measured at 5 days postinfection (dpi). Intestinal histology and nutrient digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and ileal digestible energy (IDE) were measured at 6 dpi. Liver activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was determined at 6 dpi, and concentrations of reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were analyzed at 6 and 12 dpi. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model analysis and Tukey's test (P ≤ 0.05). From 0 to 14 d, similar average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI, P > 0.05) were observed. Gain:feed ratio (GF) was higher in 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5% of DTB than the CC and UC (P < 0.001). From 14 to 20 d, the UC had the highest ADG, ADFI, and GF (P < 0.001). At 5 dpi, intestinal permeability was higher in the challenged groups than the UC. Additionally, the UC showed the highest apparent ileal digestibility of CP, whereas 0.125% DTB had higher CP digestibility than the CC and 0.5% DTB (P < 0.001). At 6 dpi, 0.125% DTB increased GSH-Px activity compared to the CC, 0.5% DTB, and UC (P < 0.001). At 12 dpi, 0.125% DTB showed increased GSH concentration compared to the CC, 0.25% DTB, and 0.5% DTB (P < 0.01). The mild coccidia infection negatively impacted growth performance, apparent ileal nutrient digestibility, intestinal histology, and gastrointestinal integrity in broilers. The use of 0.125% DTB exhibited potential in improving antioxidant responses, apparent ileal digestibility of CP, and growth performance.

Comparative Evaluation of Fluoride Release from Glass Ionomer, Compomer, and Giomer Sealants Following Exposure to Fluoride Toothpaste and Fluoride Varnish: An In Vitro Study

Introduction

Applying sealants to the deep pit and fissure area will be an excellent way to stop and slow down tooth caries from developing. Dental sealants that include fluoride are more successful at lowering dental cavities. It is anticipated that exposure to fluoride from dental sealants of various origins may enhance the fluoride release from dental sealants. Therefore, this study's objective was to investigate the amount of fluoride released after using fluoride toothpaste and fluoride varnish from different sealants.

Materials and methods

Using only a fluoride ion selective electrode, the initial release of fluoride was detected every 24 hours for 15 days. After every measurement, the saliva was refreshed. The samples were split into three identical subgroups and given the respective regimes on the 15th day-subgroup A was given fluoride toothpaste every morning and evening, subgroup B was provided fluoride varnish once, and subgroup C was not given any fluoride regime at all. After another 15 days of fluoride exposure, the fluoride release was monitored.

Results

With notable variations across groups over the initial 15 days, glass ionomer sealants (GIS) released more amount of fluoride, second by giomer sealant, and third by resin sealant (p = 0.00). All dental sealants that have been tested released more fluoride when using fluoride toothpaste, with giomer sealants surpassing GIS, followed by resin sealants (p = 0.00). Giomer and resin sealants, fluoride varnish treatment dramatically improves fluoride release in GIS (p = 0.00).

Conclusion

The release of fluoride among all dental sealants is improved by using fluoride toothpaste daily and fluoride varnish just once.

How to cite this article

Senthilkumar A, Chhabra C, Trehan M, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Fluoride Release from Glass Ionomer, Compomer, and Giomer Sealants Following Exposure to Fluoride Toothpaste and Fluoride Varnish: An In Vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(6):736-738.

Feasibility and impact of a one-stop thyroid clinic in a low- and middle-income country

BACKGROUND

The study was done to evaluate the feasibility, safety and outcomes of a one-stop thyroid clinic (OSTC) in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) setting.

METHODS

This was a prospective non-randomised case control study consisting of patients with thyroid nodules evaluated and managed at a tertiary referral centre in an LMIC between February 2019 and January 2020. Patients were divided into two groups based on the kind of preoperative evaluation protocol: OSTC group (n = 118) - OSTC protocol, and control group (CG, n = 108) - routine protocol.

RESULTS

Baseline clinical characteristics of the two groups including median age (p = 0.13) and gender distribution (p = 0.76) were comparable. The majority of patients in both groups belonged to a low-income group (46.6% vs 47.3%; p = 0.91), followed by a middle-income group (35.6% vs 30.5%; p = 0.41). The median number of outpatient department visits (1 vs 3 days; p = < 0.001), waiting time for neck ultrasonography (1 vs 3 days; p = < 0.0001), fine needle aspiration cytology (1 vs 2 days; p = < 0.0001), and out of pocket expenditure (INR 3 965 vs 6 624; p = < 0.001) was significantly less in the OSTC group compared to the CG. Patients in the OSTC group reported better satisfaction levels (p = < 0.0001). Accuracy of diagnosis did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.14).

CONCLUSION

OSTC practice is feasible, provides comparative clinical outcomes and seems cost effective in an LMIC. This protocol can be adopted as a routine practice in any health system.

Effect of nurse-led lifestyle modification follow up program on health outcomes and quality of life among post myocardial infarction patients: a randomized controlled trial

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

India has among the world's highest burden of cardiovascular disease, potentially contributed by myocardial infarction. Despite growing trouble, there are no known post-discharge programs & randomized trials reporting health status outcomes & quality of life among post-myocardial infarction patients. Cardiac rehabilitation programs reduce mortality, therefore, it is crucial to understand the local burden of the disease, common challenges, public perceptions, develop timely & effective interventional programs.

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a nurse-led lifestyle modification follow-up program on health outcomes & quality of life among post-myocardial infarction patients.

Methods

A two-arm randomized controlled trial was adopted & 104 post-myocardial infarction patients were recruited from August to December 2021. An equal number of participants were randomly assigned to intervention & control group by random number table generator. The control group patients received routine care, while the intervention group was provided routine care along with a nurse-led lifestyle modification follow-up program(health education, educational booklet, & telephone follow- up). A low-cost intervention based on information-motivation-behavioural skill model was developed. It was designed according to the needs of patients to know their risk factors, help patients establish a knowledge base, & adapt to the post-illness lifestyle changes. Data were assessed & compared by using the demographic datasheet, health outcomes datasheet, & MacNew heart disease quality of life questionnaire. All evaluations were conducted at baseline after 12 weeks post-discharge, by face-to-face interview & biophysiological measurements.

Results

The nurse-led lifestyle modification follow-up program was convenient for clinical application. The intervention group showed a appreciable improvement in low density lipoprotein(p=0.045), systolic blood pressure(p=0.009), diastolic blood pressure(p=0.044), body mass index(p=0.043), and NT ProBNP(p=0.007). The program effectively improved the lifestyle behaviours thereby considerably improving the quality of life in all the subscales-physical, emotional & social (p&lt;0.001) after 12 weeks of discharge.

Conclusion

In the Indian context, it is a novel & extensive approach to improve access to health care and emphasizes post-discharge self-management. The greatest benefit of this program was allowing the intervention group participants to consult with us immediately. Since lifestyles vary among different individuals, we considered individuality when providing education & involving them in implementation of an intervention to enhance their confidence & ultimately achieve optimal health outcomes & quality of life. The findings of this study are important for health care professionals caring for post-myocardial infarction patients & direct incorporation of such programs into routine practice to reduce morbidity & mortality.

Hypercalcemia with methotrexate pneumonitis: A rare, important and intriguing adverse event

Methotrexate leading to hypercalcaemia is a rarely reported adverse event. We present three elderly patients with inflammatory arthritis who developed hypercalcemia probably due to methotrexate-induced granulomatous pneumonitis. All patients presented with worsening non-productive cough with dyspnea, nausea, loss of appetite, and confusion. Their clinical and radiologic features were consistent with methotrexate-induced pneumonitis. On evaluation, all patients concurrently had hypercalcemia with normal 25OH D3, and low PTH with markedly elevated levels of 1,25OH D3 seen in two patients. In all three patients, hypercalcemia and pneumonia responded to hydration, corticosteroids, and methotrexate withdrawal. There was no relapse of symptoms on long term follow-up. In these three patients with inflammatory arthritis, methotrexate-induced pneumonitis led to symptomatic hypercalcemia. Unless hypercalcemia is looked for and treated in this setting, the morbidity can be high.

AB1108 IMPACT OF THE FIRST WAVE OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC ON HEALTHCARE ACCESSIBILITY, DISEASE BEHAVIOUR, ANXIETY, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATIC DISEASE PATIENTS: AN ONLINE SURVEY AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

Background

Coronavirus Disease (covid 19) negatively impacted psychosocial health, health care accessibility and exercise regimen but problem’s scope and potential solutions remain elusive. We conducted a patient based online survey to understand these impacts and discussed potential solutions.

Objectives

Assess impact of Covid 19 on rheumatological disease status, accessibility to health care, patient anxiety and behavior and continuation of physical activity during pandemic.

Methods

Google form (18-question) based questionnaire was sent via SMS/WhatsApp in Aug 2020, at height of first pandemic and responses were collected over next month.

Results

Only 339 /2700 patients (12.5 %) responded to the survey. Other authors (1)(2) have observed a similar low response rate to online surveys. We recognise questionnaires with fewer questions tend to generate more responses, which should be considered critical in constructing future health-related surveys. Patients’ global assessment of their disease score was 7/10, with 0 representing the worst disease status and10 representing best disease status, also 1/3 patients not felt need for rheumatological consultation during six months (March 2020- Aug 2020) of lockdown. These may imply adequate rheumatic disease control over long periods and during subsequent waves of pandemic, rheumatology patients can be shielded by avoiding non-urgent hospital follow up visits. Significant number of patients (20%) were unable to contact their rheumatologist, implying a significant impact of covid 19 and lockdown on rheumatology care, as suggested by other authors (1). As expected, there was switch to tele consultancy mode of communication, with 22 per cent of patients already using it within 3 months of its introduction, which appears to be a good indicator of future adaptability and feasibility of teleconsultation. Identifying specific profile of patients during physical consultation who can be easily managed via teleconsultation, may reduce unnecessary hospital visits while also improving healthcare delivery. 1/3 of our patients had anxiety about disease flare, and 41 %were concerned about increased risk of covid 19 infection as they were on immunosuppressive medications as noted by other authors (3). Improving access to health care and increasing public awareness could help alleviate this anxiety. Reaching out to isolated rheumatology patients through SMS / educational video may improve the sense of health security. Contrary to our expectations, overall medication adherence was reasonable, likely due to be management of supply chains by local authorities .15% completely stopped exercising and 25% reduced their exercise regimen by 50%. Shifting to home-based exercise, educational videos on physical therapy and online teleconsultation with physiotherapists could overall have positive impact.

Conclusion

Covid 19 has significantly impacted rheumatological patients in terms of increased anxiety, decreased healthcare accessibility and decreased exercise and physical activities. Modifications in teleconsultation methodology are needed in the future. Patients’ anxiety can be alleviated by educating them through digital and social media platforms and enrolling them in online patient support groups.

References

[1]Ganapati A, Padiyar S, Nair A, et al. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Resultant Lockdown in India on Patients with Chronic Rheumatic Diseases: An Online Survey. Indian J Rheumatol. 2021;16(1):30. doi:10.4103/injr.injr_231_20

[2]McKee P, Irvine A, Riddell C, Ball E. IMPACT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC ON RHEUMATOLOGY PATIENTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND - A WEB BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES. Ulster Med J. 2021;90(3):197

[3]Hammad MAH, Eissa M, Dawa GA. Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on attitude, behavior, and mental health of patients with rheumatic diseases. Egypt Rheumatol Rehabil. 2020;47(1). doi:10.1186/s43166-020-00045-y

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Axin2+ PDL Cells Directly Contribute to New Alveolar Bone Formation in Response to Orthodontic Tension Force

Wnt-β-catenin signaling plays a key role in orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), a common clinical practice for malocclusion correction. However, its targeted periodontal ligament (PDL) progenitor cells remain largely unclear. In this study, we first showed a synchronized increase in Wnt-β-catenin levels and Axin2+ PDL progenitor cell numbers during OTM using immunostaining of β-catenin in wild-type mice and X-gal staining in the Axin2-LacZ knock-in line. Next, we demonstrated time-dependent increases in Axin2+ PDL progenitors and their progeny cell numbers within PDL and alveolar bones during OTM using a one-time tamoxifen-induced Axin2 tracing line (Axin2CreERT2/+; R26RtdTomato/+). Coimmunostaining images displayed both early and late bone markers (such as RUNX2 and DMP1) in the Axin2Lin PDL cells. Conversely, ablation of Axin2+ PDL cells via one-time tamoxifen-induced diphtheria toxin subunit A (DTA) led to a drastic decrease in osteogenic activity (as reflected by alkaline phosphatase) in PDL and alveolar bone. There was also a decrease in new bone mass and a significant reduction in the mineral apposition rate on both the control side (to a moderate degree) and the OTM side (to a severe degree). Thus, we conclude that the Axin2+ PDL cells (the Wnt-targeted key cells) are highly sensitive to orthodontic tension force and play a critical role in OTM-induced PDL expansion and alveolar bone formation. Future drug development targeting the Axin2+ PDL progenitor cells may accelerate alveolar bone formation during orthodontic treatment.

A sketch of microbiological remediation of explosives-contaminated soil focused on state of art and the impact of technological advancement on hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) degradation

When high-energy explosives such as hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), Octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) are discharged into the surrounding soil and water during production, testing, open dumping, military, or civil activities, they leave a toxic footprint. The US Environmental Protection Agency has labeled RDX as a potential human carcinogen that must be degraded from contaminated sites quickly. Bioremediation of RDX is an exciting prospect that has received much attention in recent years. However, a lack of understanding of RDX biodegradation and the limitations of current approaches have hampered the widespread use of biodegradation-based strategies for RDX remediation at contamination sites. Consequently, new bioremediation technologies are required to enhance performance. In this review, we explore the requirements for in-silico analysis for producing biological models of microbial remediation of RDX in soil. On the other hand, potential gene editing methods for getting the host with target gene sequences responsible for the breakdown of RDX are also reported. Microbial formulations and biosensors for detection and bioremediation are also briefly described. The biodegradation of RDX offers an alternative remediation method that is both cost-effective and ecologically acceptable. It has the potential to be used in conjunction with other cutting-edge technologies to further increase the efficiency of RDX degradation.

199 The Influence of Pre-Operative Factors on Patient Length of Stay After Total Knee Replacement

Aim

This study aims to assess the impact of pre-operative factors on the length of stay in patients following total knee replacement at our institution.

Method

A total of 478 patients following total knee replacement between January 2017-Decemeber 2019 are included in this study. All patients underwent total knee replacement with a medial rotating total knee prosthesis (MRK; Matt Ortho UK).

Data for each patient was collated retrospectively and included the following: Patient demographics (age and sex), American Society of Anaesthesiology (ASA) score, pre-operative range of movement (ROM), Body Mass Index (BMI), and pre-operative haemoglobin. Each factor was then compared with the length of stay for all 478 patients. Statistical significance was sort for each pre-operative factor for both men and women.

Results

Our cohort of patients includes 291 females and 187 males. Patients ranged from 39 to 90 years with an average age of 68. The average BMI of the cohort was 31.3(18.6–56.56) and the average ASA grade was 2.

Preoperative hemoglobin and the Age of the patient at the time of surgery were the only two factors which had a statistically significant impact on the length of hospital stay (p&lt;0.05). BMI, Pre- operative range of motion and ASA scores had no statistically significant effect on the length of hospital stay in our cohort.

Conclusions

Low pre-operative hemoglobin and increasing age have significant effects on length of stay after total knee replacement. The BMI, pre-operative range of movement and ASA scores do not influence the length of hospital stay.

Influence of Brassica spp. rapeseed and canola meal, and supplementation of bioactive compound (AITC) on growth performance, intestinal-permeability, oocyst shedding, lesion score, histomorphology, and gene expression of broilers challenged with E. maxima

This study was performed to investigate the effect of feeding Brassica spp. including full-fat rapeseed, canola meal, and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) to broiler chicken challenged with E. maxima. A total of 576 one-day old male broiler chicks were completely randomized to 8 treatments with 6 replicated cages and 12 birds per cage. The treatment diets consisted of nonchallenge control (NC, corn-SBM based diet), challenge control (CC), 10% rapeseed (10RS), 30% rapeseed (30RS), 20% canola (20CLM), 40% canola (40CLM), 500 ppm AITC (500AITC), and 1,000 ppm AITC (1000AITC). At d 14, all birds were challenged, except NC group, with a subclinical dose of E. maxima. Intestinal permeability was conducted on 5 d post-infection (dpi) and for oocyst shedding 5 to 6 dpi feces were pooled and collected. On 6 dpi, growth performance, lesion score, histomorphology, and gene expression were measured. The growth performance result showed that 10RS and 30RS groups had lower BW, BWG, FI, and higher FCR (P < 0.0001). During the challenge and overall periods, NC group had highest BW, BWG, and FI, and lowest FCR. The inclusion of canola meal showed lower performance during prechallenge period but was able to catch up BWG during challenge period. The AITC levels showed similar growth performance to CC group. Intestinal permeability for 20CLM, 40CLM, 500AITC and 1000AITC was similar to NC group, whereas CC, 10RS, and 30RS had higher permeability compared to NC (P < 0.0001). Oocyst shedding was significantly lower for 40CLM and NC, whereas all other treatments had higher oocyst shedding (P < 0.0001). All the challenged treatment groups had higher lesion score and microscore than NC (P < 0.0001). Histomorphology data showed that jejunum villus height (VH) for 1000AITC was similar to NC group, whereas CC group had the lowest VH (P = 0.01). The 30RS group had lower VH: crypt depth (CD) ratio in the jejunum and ileum. The gene expression at 6 dpi for claudin1, occludin, IL2, IL6, GLUT5, EAAT, BoAT, and LAT1 was significantly changed among the treatments. The results suggest that 30RS retards growth performance and deteriorate gut health during coccidiosis and should not be fed to chicken during the starter phase. Canola meal showed decline in growth prechallenge but maintained growth and intestinal health during the challenge period at 40% inclusion. AITC at 1,000 ppm showed similar growth as control group, but with improved gut health during the challenge period. Canola meal could be a good alternative to SBM especially during coccidiosis, whereas AITC needs to be tested vigorously in animal feeding regime.

Influence of rapeseed, canola meal and glucosinolate metabolite (AITC) as potential antimicrobials: effects on growth performance, and gut health in Salmonella Typhimurium challenged broiler chickens

Poultry is the major sources of foodborne salmonellosis. Antibiotic resistance and a surge in zoonotic diseases warrant the use of natural alternatives. Glucosinolates (GLs) are naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds in rapeseed and canola. This study investigated the effect of feeding rapeseed, canola meal, and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC; Brassica secondary metabolites) on growth performance (GP), gut health, and the potential antimicrobial activity against nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium (STNR) in chickens. A total of 640 one-day-old male Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allocated to 8 treatments with 8 replicated cages and 10 birds per cage. Dietary treatments were nonchallenge control (NC, corn-SBM based), challenge (Salmonella) control (CC), 10% rapeseed (10RS), 30% rapeseed (30RS), 20% canola meal (20CLM), 40% canola meal (40CLM), 500 ppm AITC (500AITC), and 1,500 ppm AITC (1500AITC). On d 1, all the birds except NC were orally challenged with STNR (7 log CFU/bird). The chickens were reared for 21 d, and their FI and BW were recorded weekly. Salmonella cecal colonization and fecal shedding were quantified, whereas organ translocation (OT) of STNR to the spleen, liver, and kidney was tested on 0, 3, 6, 13, and 20-d postchallenge (dpc). Data were subjected to one-way ANOVA, and the means were separated by Duncan's test, except mortality and OT data analyzed after transformation by square root of (n +1) (P < 0.05). Overall, feeding 30RS resulted in reduced BW (P = 0.003), BWG (P = 0.003), and FI (P = 0.001) compared to CC, 500AITC, and 1500AITC. Similarly, feeding 20CLM resulted in lower BW and BWG compared to CC (P < 0.05) and increased FCR compared to 1500AITC (P = 0.03). Feeding CC resulted in higher mortality compared to NC and 30RS (P = 0.03). Cecal colonization of STNR was reduced (P < 0.0001) for 30RS on 6 dpc and 500AITC on 6 and 13 dpc (P < 0.0001). Although no difference in gut permeability was observed 6 dpc (P > 0.05), OT of STNR population was the highest for CC in the spleen (P = 0.05). In the liver, 10RS showed reduced OT compared to 20CLM on 13 dpc (P = 0.03), whereas 30RS showed the lowest OT on 6 dpc in the kidney. Fecal shedding was lowest for 30RS on 6 dpc (P = 0.004). Histomorphology showed 30RS had the highest duodenum (P = 0.01) and jejunum (P = 0.02) villus height (VH) and VH to crypt depth (CD) ratio compared to the other treatments, whereas 1500AITC showed similar results to 30RS. Both 30RS and 1500AITC contained comparatively higher functional GL metabolites and were able to maintain gut health. Including higher levels of rapeseed or AITC in poultry feed can reduce Salmonella colonization in the feces and their translocation to other organs.

AdCOFE: Advanced Contextual Feature Extraction in conversations for emotion classification

Emotion recognition in conversations is an important step in various virtual chatbots which require opinion-based feedback, like in social media threads, online support, and many more applications. Current emotion recognition in conversations models face issues like: (a) loss of contextual information in between two dialogues of a conversation, (b) failure to give appropriate importance to significant tokens in each utterance, (c) inability to pass on the emotional information from previous utterances. The proposed model of Advanced Contextual Feature Extraction (AdCOFE) addresses these issues by performing unique feature extraction using knowledge graphs, sentiment lexicons and phrases of natural language at all levels (word and position embedding) of the utterances. Experiments on emotion recognition in conversations datasets show that AdCOFE is beneficial in capturing emotions in conversations.

Teaching Learning Methodology in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

The Education system in India underwent a major change due to the sudden lockdown announced by the Government in view of COVID – 19 pandemic. Both teachers and students had to shift to online mode in a very short time period. The present study analysis the positive and negative aspect of this online mode of education and measures adopted by teachers to maintain the flow of education along with attendance. The sur- vey was conducted at JSS Academy of Technical Education, Noida. More than 100 teachers and students participated in the survey conducted. Also experienced faculty came up with sug- gestions and ideas to improve the online mode of education in view of such pandemic situations. Two teachers who were also teaching kids at an NGO school running in the campus prem- ises shared their view on what efforts they took to let education reach the kids at the NGO as digital divide was the main prob- lem there. Such findings will help in designing a future teach- ing model to cope with pandemic situations and not let educa- tion suffer.

Factors influencing local and distant recurrence following resection of periampullary cancer

BACKGROUND

Recurrence of periampullary cancer after pancreatoduodenectomy is common. The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of recurrence, incidence, and factors associated with local and distant recurrences.

METHODS

This retrospective, single-centre study included consecutive patients with periampullary cancer who underwent resection with curative intent from January 2012 to January 2018. Survival, patterns of recurrence, and factors associated with recurrences were analysed.

RESULTS

Median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival among 398 included patients was 58.4 and 49.5 months respectively. Twenty-three patients (5.8 per cent) developed isolated local recurrences (LR), 50 (12.6 per cent) developed LR along with distant metastasis (DM), and 103 (25.9 per cent) developed isolated DM. Median OS was 40.4 months for patients with isolated LR versus 23 months for those with DM (P < 0.001). Tumour subtype (distal common bile duct (CBD): odds ratio (OR) 6.18, 95 per cent c.i. 2.19 to 17.46) and node-positive status (OR 2.36, 1.26 to 4.43) were independently associated with higher rates of LR. The most common site for isolated LR was along the superior mesenteric artery (12 of 23 patients). Tumour subtype (distal CBD: OR 2.86, 1.09 to 7.52), nodal positivity (OR 2.46, 1.53 to 3.94), and presence of perineural invasion (OR 1.80, 1.02 to 3.18) were independently associated with DM.

CONCLUSION

Isolated LR is associated with better survival than DM and occurs most commonly along the superior mesenteric artery.

A contribution to the earthworm diversity (Clitellata, Moniligastridae) of Kerala, a component of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India, using integrated taxonomy

Earthworms (Clitellata, Moniligastridae) of Chaliyar River Malappuram, Eravikulam National Park, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar National Park, Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary and Wayanad Forest, Kerala, a component of the hotspot of Western Ghats, India, were studied by the standard method of taxonomy, and their DNA barcode signatures using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) were generated for the first time. This study represents eleven species of earthworms of the family Moniligastridae: Drawida brunnea Stephenson, Drawida circumpapillata Aiyer, Drawida ghatensis Michaelsen, Drawida impertusa Stephenson, Drawida nilamburensis (Bourne), Drawida robusta (Bourne), Drawida scandens Rao, Drawida travancorense Michaelsen, Moniligaster aiyeri Gates, Moniligaster deshayesi Perrier, and Moniligaster gravelyi (Stephenson). In the phylogenetic analysis all the species were recovered in both neighbour–joining (NJ) and maximum likelihood (ML) trees with high clade support. The average K2P distance within and between species was 1.2 % and 22 %, whereas the clear barcode gap of 2–5 % was suggested by barcode gap analysis (BGA) of studied species, reflecting the accuracy of characterization. The study presents the first step in the molecular characterization of the native earthworm family Moniligastridae of India. Data published through GBIF (Doi: 10.15470/l2nlhz)

Latent Upregulation of Nlrp3, Nlrc4 and Aim2 Differentiates between Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Trichomonas vaginalis Infection

Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan that causes trichomoniasis. The involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome in trichomoniasis has been discussed in recent studies. The present study aimed to find out the involvement of Nlrp3, Nlrc4, and Aim2 in the BALB/c mouse model infected with symptomatic and asymptomatic isolates of T. vaginalis by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Our results showed a significantly increased expression of Nlrp3 in the vaginal tissue of the symptomatic group on the 2^nd dpi and 14^th dpi in the asymptomatic group, respectively. The cervical tissue of asymptomatic groups expressed higher Nlrp3 on 14^th dpi than the symptomatic group. The Nlrc4 was expressed on 14^th dpi in the vaginal and cervical tissues of mice infected with asymptomatic group as compared to the symptomatic group. Aim2 expression in vaginal tissue was highest at early time points in both the infected groups as compared to controls. However, in cervical tissues, a significant increase of Aim2 expression was observed on 14^th dpi in asymptomatic as compared to the symptomatic group. The significantly higher expression of caspase-1 and caspase-4 was observed in cervical tissues of the asymptomatic group on 14^th dpi as compared to the symptomatic group, respectively. All NLRs together resulted in higher IL-1β expression in the vaginal tissues of the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. We conclude from this study that early expression of Nlrp3, Nlrc4, and Aim2 was seen in the symptomatic group as compared to the late-onset asymptomatic in the vaginal and cervical tissues.

Potential of formulated Dyadobacter jiangsuensis strain 12851 for enhanced bioremediation of chlorpyrifos contaminated soil

Chlorpyrifos (O, O-diethyl O-3, 5, 6-trichloropyridin-2-yl phosphorothioate) is a toxic and chlorinated organic contaminant in soils across the globe. The present study examines the chlorpyrifos (CP) degrading potential of gram-negative bacterium Dyadobacter jiangsuensis (MTCC 12851), to be a promising and sustainable remedial approach. The proliferation of D. jiangsuensis in the chlorpyrifos spiked minimal salt media indicated the ability of this strain to utilize CP as a sole carbon source and also confirmed the utilization of 3,5,6- trichloro-2-pyridinyl (TCP) through silver nitrate assay. The strain 12851 degraded 80.36% and 76.93% chlorpyrifos (CP) in aqueous medium and soil environment, respectively. The water dispersible granules (WDG) of 45% (v/w) inoculum (bacterial suspension) were developed using talcum powder, acacia gum and alginic acid as key ingredients. The formulated strain (12851) achieved 21.13% enhanced CP degradation in soil under microcosm condition as compared to the unformulated one on 15th day of the treatment. The intermediate metabolites namely 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), tetrahydropyridine, thiophosphate and phenol, 1, 3-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl) were detected during the CP degradation. The current investigation reveals D. jiangsuensis as a potential microbe for CP degradation and opens up the possibility of exploiting its formulations to remediate the CP polluted soils.

A cellular expression map of epidermal and subepidermal cell layer-enriched transcription factor genes integrated with the regulatory network in Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem

Transcriptional control of gene expression is an exquisitely regulated process in both animals and plants. Transcription factors (TFs) and the regulatory networks that drive the expression of TF genes in epidermal and subepidermal cell layers in Arabidopsis are unexplored. Here, we identified 65 TF genes enriched in the epidermal and subepidermal cell layers of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). To determine the cell type specificity in different stages of Arabidopsis development, we made YFP based transcriptional fusion constructs by taking a 3-kb upstream noncoding region above the translation start site. Here, we report that for ~52% (22/42) TF genes, we detected transcription activity. TF genes derived from epidermis show uniform expression in early embryo development; however, in the late globular stage, their transcription activity is suppressed in the inner cell layers. Expression patterns linked to subepidermal cell layer identity were apparent in the postembryonic development. Potential upstream regulators that could modulate the activity of epidermal and subepidermal cell layer-enriched TF genes were identified using enhanced yeast-one-hybrid (eY1H) assay and validated. This study describes the activation of TF genes in epidermal and subepidermal cell layers in embryonic and postembryonic development of Arabidopsis shoot apex.

Challenges in Sensors Technology for Industry 4.0 for Futuristic Metrological Applications

The current advances and innovations in sensor technologies attributed to Industry 4.0 serve as the backbone for the inclusive growth of industry and ramping up the economy of any country. Industry 4.0 was basically conceptualized by introducing the Internet of Things (IoT) and Information and Communication technologies (ICT) that serve as an interface between digital and physical world through the fusion of smart sensors. The role of smart sensors and IoT-enabled industrial infrastructure is pivotal for adapting to the advanced technologies based on fusion of smart sensors. Digital meteorological traceability and uses of intelligent sensors, instrumentation and machinery in Industry 4.0, Smart Cities, Digital India and AtmaNirbhar Bharat missions of the government of India, are not only highly important but also in huge demand, which is going to increase manifolds in the years to come. The present paper is an attempt to provide a terse review and perspectives related to the advanced technological developments in this field and the challenges therein.

Insights into the toll-like receptors in sexually transmitted infections

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are like soldiers of an innate immune system, which protects vital biological processes against invading pathogens. TLR signalling pathways help in the removal of pathogens and mediate well-established inflammatory processes. However, these processes may also aid in the development or augmentation of an infection or an autoimmune disease. Recent studies have delineated TLR polymorphism's role in the loss of function, making hosts more resistant or vulnerable to the development of an infection. In this review, we have discussed the association of TLRs with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially to the pathogen-specific ligands. We have also assessed the impact on TLR downstream signalling and the maintenance of cellular homeostasis during immune responses. Besides, we have discussed the role of TLRs single nucleotide polymorphisms in various STIs. Since TLRs are known to play a part in defence mechanisms and in aiding infections therefore, a thorough understanding of TLRs structure and molecular mechanisms is required to explain how they can influence the outcome of an STI. Such a strategy may lead to the development of novel and useful immunotherapeutic approaches to control pathogen progression and prevent transmission.

α-Hemolysin of uropathogenic E. coli regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation and mitochondrial dysfunction in THP-1 macrophages

Hemolysin expressing UPEC strains have been associated with severe advanced kidney pathologies, such as cystitis and pyelonephritis, which are associated with an inflammatory response. Macrophages play an important role in regulating an inflammatory response during a urinary tract infection. We have studied the role of purified recombinant α-hemolysin in inducing inflammatory responses and cell death in macrophages. Acylation at lysine residues through HlyC is known to activate proHlyA into a fully functional pore-forming toxin, HlyA. It was observed that active α-hemolysin (HlyA) induced cleavage of caspase-1 leading to the maturation of IL-1β, while inactive α-hemolysin (proHlyA) failed to do so in THP-1 derived macrophages. HlyA also promotes deubiquitination, oligomerization, and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which was found to be dependent on potassium efflux. We have also observed the co-localization of NLRP3 within mitochondria during HlyA stimulations. Moreover, blocking of potassium efflux improved the mitochondrial health in addition to a decreased inflammatory response. Our study demonstrates that HlyA stimulation caused perturbance in potassium homeostasis, which led to the mitochondrial dysfunction followed by an acute inflammatory response, resulting in cell death. However, the repletion of intracellular potassium stores could avoid HlyA induced macrophage cell death. The findings of this study will help to understand the mechanism of α-hemolysin induced inflammatory response and cell death.

Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Follow up Treatment Outcome in a Tertiary Care Center of Eastern Nepal

Background Spontaneous pneumothorax is not an uncommon medical emergency in pulmonary practice. Related data are not available in our setting. In emergency departments, clinical presentation is often confused with other cardiopulmonary problems. Follow up outcome is important for better patient care. Objective To study clinical profile and outcome after non surgical intervention in a tertiary care center. Method This was a prospective observational study carried out in Nobel Medical College, Biratnagar over last 3 years. We enrolled consecutive spontaneous pneumothorax patients over 15 years of age. Each data related to individual patients were collected in predefined proforma. To study follow up outcome of management, we used OPD attendance or if not possible took, at least two telephone numbers from the patients. All patients were followed for recurrences. Data was statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Result Over the last 3 years, we enrolled 65 spontaneous pneumothorax patients. Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax was more common (92.3%). Commonest presentations were acute pleuritic chest pain (92.3%), dyspnea (84.62%) and cough (92.3%). COPD (46.14%), PTB sequelae (15.38%), bronchiectasis (23.07%) and bullous lung disease (23.07%) were common risk factors. Tube thoracostomy (95.38%) with pleurodesis with iodopovidone (84.61%) led to lung expansion in 92.3% cases. During follow up, only 4.61% had recurrences of pneumothorax. There was one mortality. Conclusion Spontaneous pneumothorax is a common pulmonary emergency. Meticulous and careful assessment of the patients may help reach the diagnosis even in primary care setting. Tube thoracostomy followed by pleurodesis with iodo-povidone suffices in most circumstances leading lower future recurrences.

Enhancing hexahydro-1, 3, 5-trinitro-1, 3, 5-triazine (RDX) remediation through water-dispersible Microbacterium esteraromaticum granules

In the current manuscript, we explored the remediation potential of Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) by Gram-positive Microbacterium esteraromaticum 12849. The strain detoxified 70.9 and 63.93% RDX in minimal nutrient medium and soil, respectively. Subsequently, the strain 12849 was formulated in form of water-dispersible granules (WDG) using talcum powder and alginic acid as inert ingredients. During the microcosm study, WDG exhibited 8.98% enhanced RDX degradation in contrast to the unformulated Microbacterium esteraromaticum. The LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of two intermediates, namely N-methyl-N, N'-dinitromethanediamine, and methylenedintramine, during the RDX degradation by strain 12849 in soil. Interestingly, no significant difference was observed in the rate of RDX degradation by strain 12849 due to the formulation process. The first-order kinetics was seen in RDX degradation with a degradation coefficient of 0.04 and 0.0339 day^-1 by formulated and unformulated strain, respectively. The current investigation implies M. esteraromaticum as a potential microbe for RDX degradation and opens up the possibility of exploiting it in its effective WDG form for explosive contaminated sites.

1107 Arousal And Sleepiness In Opioid Use Disorder Compared To Insomnia Disorder With And Without Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions

Introduction

Insomnia is frequent in opioid use disorder patients on buprenorphine (OUDB) and increases risk of relapse. There is lack of data evaluating specific differences in hyperarousal and daytime sequelae between OUDBs as compared to individuals with insomnia disorder without (ID) or with comorbid psychiatric conditions (CID).

Methods

We studied 112 patients with ID (47.8±16.3y, 55% female, 13% minority) and 148 with CID (44.7±15.6y, 69% female, 16% minority) evaluated at the Behavioral Sleep Medicine program of Penn State Hershey Sleep Research & Treatment Center and 71 OUDB (37.8±11.2y, 51% female, 16% minority) evaluated at the Recovery, Advocacy, Empowerment and Service program and WellSpan Internal Medicine clinics (York, PA). Subjects completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Ford Insomnia Response to Stress (FIRST), Arousal Predisposition Scale (APS), Pre-sleep Arousal cognitive (PSAS-C) and somatic (PSAS-S) Scale, Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) was defined as an ESS score ≥ 10. MANCOVA included age, sex, race/ethnicity and depression as covariates, while logistic regression further included ISI, APS and PSAS-S.

Results

No differences across groups were observed in PSAS-C or DBAS scores. Subjects with CID and OUDB had significantly higher PSAS-S (15.7±0.5 and 16.4±0.7, respectively) and APS (35.6±0.6 and 36±1, respectively) scores as compared to the ID group (14.2±0.6 and 33.2±0.7, respectively). Subjects with OUDB had significantly higher ESS score (9.8±0.6) as compared to the ID or CID groups (6.2±0.5 and 6.4±0.4, respectively). The odds of EDS were 2.7 times (95%CI=1.2-6.1) higher in the OUDB group as compared to the ID group.

Conclusion

OUDB may present with similar phenotypic insomnia symptoms as patients with ID or CID but report more sleep-disturbing somatic symptoms and EDS. These data have important implications for tailoring behavioral and pharmacological treatments of insomnia to this specific patient population.

Support

Junior Faculty Development Program, Penn State College of Medicine

Data showing differential expression of Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in response to symptomatic and asymptomatic T. vaginalis infection

Trichomoniasis is caused by Trichomonas vaginalis (a protozoan parasite). About 80% of the infected cases remain asymptomatic [1]. The differential response of showing symptoms or no symptoms is not yet explored. However, some studies gave us some insights on the pathogenesis of trichomonas and also about host defense mechanism. Host secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines to evade infection. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) is a strong chemoattractant of monocytes, NK-cells and T-lymphocytes. Many reports have shown high MCP-1 levels during trichomonas infection [2], [3], [4], [5] in human prostate stromal myofibroblast cells (WPMY-1), HeLa cells, vaginal epithelial cells (VECs) but levels in response to symptomatic and asymptomatic isolates is not yet reported. In this article, we have reported MCP-1 levels in the vaginal washes and serum samples of BALB/c mouse infected with symptomatic and asymptomatic T. vaginalis isolates for different time points. We found higher levels of MCP-1 in vaginal washes of symptomatic group on 2nd day post infection (dpi) than control uninfected group. While on 4th dpi and 14th dpi, higher levels of MCP-1 in vaginal washes was observed in asymptomatic group as compared to control group. However, significant level of MCP-1 was observed in asymptomatic group on 14th dpi as compared to symptomatic group in vaginal washes. We have also observed significantly higher levels of MCP-1 in the serum samples of symptomatic group on 2nd, 4th and 14th dpi as compared to control group. A higher level of MCP-1 was found at all the time points in serum samples of asymptomatic group as compared to control group. Interestingly, a significant higher level of MCP-1 was found in the serum samples of BALB/c mice in asymptomatic as compared to symptomatic group. The MCP-1 levels in both vaginal washes and serum were significantly higher in asymptomatic group at later time points.

Drops That Change Their Mind: Spontaneous Reversal from Spreading to Retraction

A liquid drop may spread faster on surfaces when surfactants are added. Here we show that after some time the spreading in such systems can, under certain conditions, spontaneously reverse to retraction and the droplet pulls itself back, receding from areas it has just recently wetted, elevating its center of mass in a jerklike motion. The duration from drop placement to the onset of retraction ranges from hours to less than a second primarily as a function of surfactant concentration. When the retraction is asymmetric, it results in drop motion, and when it is symmetric, the mass of the drop collects itself on its spot. This phenomenon, which was predicted theoretically in 2014, is apparently a general one for drops with surfactants; however, other factors, such as evaporation and contamination, prevented its observance so far.

Mechanical and Fracture Peculiarities of Polypropylene-Based Functionally Graded Materials Manufactured via Injection Molding

This research presents the investigation of mechanical and thermal characteristics as well as fracture toughness of Polypropylene (PP) based functionally graded materials (FGMs) and compares them vis-a-vis PP based homogeneous composites and neat PP. FGMs and homogeneous composites are fabricated with 15 wt.% and 30 wt.% glass fiber-reinforced PP. The gradient of fiber distribution in functionally graded materials is verified by scanning electron microscope analysis and ignition loss test. Findings of this work reveal that FGMs outperform neat PP and homogeneous composites. Tensile, flexural and compression strength of FGMs are found to be better as compared to neat PP and homogeneous composites. Fracture toughness and thermal conductivity are also found higher for FGMs. The performance of fabricated composites is optimized by using the VlseKriterijuska Optimizacija I Komoromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method.