Note: matching index technique for avoiding Higher Order Mode resonance in accelerators: INDUS-2 accelerator as a case study

Resonance between circulating beam frequencies and RF cavity Higher Order Modes (HOMs) of accelerators can lead to coupled-bunch instabilities. Shifting these HOMs to avoid the resonance is a topic of active interest. A study has been carried out for the accelerating cavities of the INDUS-2. For quantitative measure of deciding which modes have to be moved and by how much, we introduce a new index called the matching index (IM), as a measure of how close a HOM is to the nearest beam mode. Depending on the value of IM, the operating scenarios are classified as safe and unsafe.

Gas exchange variability and water use efficiency of thirty landraces of rice still under cultivation in Kumaun region of the Indian Central Himalaya

Gas exchange characteristics of thirty landraces of rice (Oryza sativa L.) along with an introduced variety VL-206 (recommended high yielding variety for rainfed uplands of the Indian Central Himalaya, ICH), grown in earthen pots and kept in the open at the Institute nursery at Kosi (1150m amsl, 79°38'10″E and 29°38'15″N) were studied. The photosynthetic rate (Pn) and other related parameters were found to vary considerably among landraces. Based on the comparison of Pn of landraces with that of VL-206, these were categorized into two groups: i) high (〉6.0 µmol m(-2)s(-1)), and ii) low (<6.0 µmol m(-2)s(-1)) Pn groups. Overall the landraces belonging to the high Pn group (Saurajubawan, Syaudhan and Taichin) which had higher stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (E), water use efficiency (WUE), mesophyll efficiency (low Ci/gs ratio) and chlorophyll (Chl) content in comparison to landraces in the low Pn group. However, significant differences were not found in the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) between landraces belonging to the high and low Pn groups. Differences among landraces were found with regard to dark respiration; landraces with low Pn respired proportionately more of the carbon fixed than those of high Pn group. Based on the studied gas exchange characteristics Saurajubawan, Syaudhan and Taichin, local landraces of rice, may be identified as potential cultivars with high Pn and WUE.

Integrated positron emission tomography/computed tomography fusion imaging: an emerging gold standard in lung cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as an important diagnostic tool in the management of lung cancers. Although PET is sensitive in detection of lung cancer, but FDG (2-deoxy-2- 18 fluro-D-glucose) is not tumor specific and may accumulate in a variety of nonmalignant conditions occasionally giving false positive result. Addition of CT to PET improves specificity foremost, but also sensitivity in tumor imaging. Thus, PET/CT fusion images are a more accurate test than either of its individual components and are probably also better than side-by-side viewing of images from both modalities. PET/CT fusion images are useful in differentiating between malignant and benign disease, fibrosis and recurrence, staging and in changing patient management to more appropriate therapy. With analysis and discussion it appears that PET/ CT fusion images have the potential to dramatically improve our ability to manage the patients with lung cancer and is contributing to our understanding of cancer cell biology and in development of new therapies.

Anaemia and cancer treatment: a conceptual change

Anaemia is the most common haematological abnormality in cancer patients, and unfortunately, it is often under-recognised and undertreated. The aetiopathology of anaemia in cancer patients is complex and is usually multifactorial. There is enough evidence suggesting that tumour hypoxia in anaemic patients has a negative impact on the treatment outcomes in cancer patients. The use of recombinant human erythropoietin is becoming a new standard of care in cancer patients. Various well-controlled studies have shown that the use of erythropoietin (EPO) increases the haemoglobin level, thereby decreasing the need for frequent transfusions and improving the tumour responses, cancer-free survival and quality-of-life parameters in cancer patients. However, a few recent clinical trials failed to replicate the survival benefit. Hence, a free unrestricted use of EPO is to be avoided. The past belief that anaemia does not matter in cancer patients is now considered invalid and is being seriously challenged. This article aims to present some recent findings on the impact of anaemia on outcomes, with discussion on the possible causes and effects. The benefits of the use of EPO analogues in cancer-related anaemia are also presented.

Effect of malathion on reproductive system of male rats

The pesticides are one of the most potentially harmful chemicals liberated in the environment in an unplanned manner Malathion is widely used as a potent pesticide in many countries and has been shown to produce some adverse health effects. A study was conducted to asses the effects of malathion on the male reproductive system of wistar rats. The pesticide was administered to rats orally at dose levels of 50, 150 and 250 mg/kg/body wt/day for 60 days. In comparison to the control rats, there was a significant reduction in the weight of testes, epididymis, seminal vesicle and ventral prostate. Testicular and epididymal sperm density were decreased in the animals treated with malathion. Pre and post fertility test showed 80% negative results after treatment Biochemical profile of the testis revealed a significant decline in the contents of sialic acid and glycogen. Whereas a significant increase in the protein content of testis and testicular cholesterol was observed. The activity of testicular enzyme acid phosphatase increased significantly while decreased alkaline phosphatase activity was found. Malathion also suppressed the level of testosterone significantly Results of the present study clearly suggest that malathion induce toxic effects on the male reproductive system of rats.

Effect of isolated fractions of Barleria prionitis root methanolic extract on reproductive function of male rats: preliminary study

Male rats treated with 100 mg/kg for 60 days of isolated fractions of the Barleria prionitis root methanolic extract (Fr. I and Fr. II) showed a significant reduction on spermatogenesis without affecting general body metabolism. Sperm motility as well density in cauda epididymides was reduced significantly. The fertility was decreased by 33.4% in Fr. I and 100% in Fr. II treated rats. The blood parameters were within the normal range. Total protein, glycogen and sialic acid contents of testes were reduced after the plant fractions treatment. Seminal vesicular fructose was decreased significantly after the treatment. The population of various spermatogenic cells such as primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes and round spermatids were declined significantly in Fr. II treatment groups whereas in Fr. I treated animals preleptotene spermatocyte and spermatid number was decreased. There was no significant change in the number of Sertoli cells and spermatogonia in any of the treatment group.

Simulation and investigation of factors affecting high aspect ratio UV embossing

UV embossing is a replication method whereby an UV-curable polymer is pressed against a patterned mold and cured with UV irradiation, resulting in a patterned polymeric substrate. High aspect ratio UV embossing will find diverse applications in tissue engineering, micro-optics, display technologies, and sensors. Demolding of an UV-embossed polymer pattern with aspect ratio of 5 from the mold has previously been demonstrated experimentally. In this paper, parameters that affect the demolding process have been identified and investigated. They include cross-linking shrinkage during curing by UV irradiation, modulus of cured polymer, interfacial fracture strength and toughness, and loading method during demolding. Shrinkage is an important parameter, and an optimum level of shrinkage to avoid breakage of the embossing during demolding was found to exist. This optimum level is that at which the maximum stress (sigma(1)max) experienced by the polymer during demolding is minimized. The micromechanics of demolding was found to be different for shrinkage values lower or larger than the optimum value.

Endometrial carcinoma with recurrence in the incisional scar: a case report

We report a case of papillary adenocarcinoma of uterus which developed a recurrence over the scar of surgery. The patient initially underwent surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for her stage II disease. She was disease-free until 21 months when she developed a small mass over the lower site of incisional scar. Fine needle aspiration cytology from this swelling revealed metastatic papillary adenocarcinoma similar to previous histopathology. Treatment of the scar recurrence consisted of palliative radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Endometrial carcinoma with recurrence in the incisional scar: A case report

We report a case of papillary adenocarcinoma of uterus which developed a recurrence over the scar of surgery. The patient initially underwent surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for her stage II disease. She was disease-free until 21 months when she developed a small mass over the lower site of incisional scar. Fine needle aspiration cytology from this swelling revealed metastatic papillary adenocarcinoma similar to previous histopathology. Treatment of the scar recurrence consisted of palliative radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Hepato and nephrotoxicity in rat exposed to endosulfan

The indiscriminate and injudicious use of pesticides particularly endosulfan in agriculture and animal husbandry practices has considerably increased the risk of human health hazard. The present work was therefore undertaken to evaluate the toxic effect of endosulfan on the vital organs viz. liver and kidney of rat. Oral administration of endosulfan at the dose level of 10 mg/kg b.wt./day for two and four weeks showed toxic interference with the biochemistry and histology of rat liver and kidney. The biochemical parameters viz. Aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin urea and creatinine were increased which clearly showed the hepato and nephrotoxic effect of endosulfan. Histopathologically the size of liver was increased, sinusoidal dilation, pyknotic nuclei, cytoplasmic degranulation and various nuclear aberrations were observed. Similarly pathological alterations viz. chronic glomerulonephritis, glomerulosclerosis, odenoma and glomerulus deposits were observed in the kidney.

Effect of Sarcostemma acidum stem extract on spermatogenesis in male albino rats

AIM

To evaluate the possible antifertility activity of Sarcostemma acidum (Roxb) Voigt. stem extract in male rats.

METHOD

Male rats were given 70% methanol extract of S. acidum stem orally at dose levels of 50 and 100 mg/kg/day for 60 days. Fertility was evaluated with mating test. Sperm motility and sperm density in cauda epididymides were also assessed. Biochemical and histological analyses were performed on blood samples and on the reproductive organs.

RESULTS

S. acidum stem extract resulted in an arrest of spermatogenesis without any systemic side effect. Sperm motility as well as sperm density was reduced significantly. Treatment caused a 80% reduction in fertility at the 50 mg dose and complete suppression of fertility at the 100 mg dose. There was no significant change in RBC and WBC count, hemoglobin, haematocrit, sugar and urea in the whole blood and cholesterol, protein and phospholipid in the serum. The protein and glycogen content of the testes, fructose in the seminal vesicle and protein in epididymides were significantly decreased. Cholesterol in the testes was elevated. Treatment at both of the doses caused a marked reduction in the number of primary spermatocytes (preleptotene and pachytene), secondary spermatocytes and spermatids. The number of mature Leydig cells was decreased, and degenerating Leydig cells was increased proportionately.

CONCLUSION

S. acidum stem extract arrests spermatogenesis in male rats without noticable side effects.

No evidence for the in vivo activity of aromatase-inhibiting flavonoids

Measurements of the aromatase-inhibiting and antioxidative capacities of flavonoids in vitro showed that slight changes in flavonoid structure may result in marked changes in biological activity. Several flavonoids such as 7-hydroxyflavone and chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone) were shown to inhibit the formation of 3H-17beta-estradiol from 3H-androstenedione (IC(50)<1.0 microM) in human choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells and in human embryonic kidney cells HEK 293 transfected with human aromatase gene (Arom+HEK 293). Flavone and quercetin (3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) showed no inhibition (IC(50)>100 microM). None of the requirements for optimal antioxidative capacity (2,3-double bond with 4'-hydroxy group, 3-hydroxyl group, 5,7-dihydroxy structure and the orthodihydroxy structure in the B-ring) is relevant for the maximum inhibition of aromatase by flavonoids. After oral administration to immature rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight, which considerably exceeds amounts found in daily human diets, neither aromatase-inhibiting nonestrogenic flavonoids, such as chrysin, nor estrogenic flavonoids, such as naringenin and apigenin, induced uterine growth or reduced estrogen- or androgen-induced uterine growth. The inability of flavonoids to inhibit aromatase and, consequently, uterine growth in short-term tests may be due to their relatively poor absorption and/or bioavailability.

Statistical analysis of hippocampal asymmetry in schizophrenia

The asymmetry of brain structures has been studied in schizophrenia to better understand its underlying neurobiology. Brain regions of interest have previously been characterized by volumes, cross-sectional and surface areas, and lengths. Using high-dimensional brain mapping, we have developed a statistical method for analyzing patterns of left-right asymmetry of the human hippocampus taken from high-resolution MR scans. We introduce asymmetry measures that capture differences in the patterns of high-dimensional vector fields between the left and right hippocampus surfaces. In 15 pairs of subjects previously studied (J. G. Csernansky et al., 1998, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 11406-11411). we define the difference in hippocampal asymmetry patterns between the groups. Volume analysis indicated a large normative asymmetry between left and right hippocampus (R > L), and shape analysis allowed us to visualize the normative asymmetry pattern of the hippocampal surfaces. We observed that the right hippocampus was wider along its lateral side in both schizophrenia and control subjects. Also, while patterns of hippocampal asymmetry were generally similar in the schizophrenia and control groups, a principal component analysis based on left-right asymmetry vector fields detected a statistically significant difference between the two groups, specifically related to the subiculum.

Landmark matching via large deformation diffeomorphisms

This paper describes the generation of large deformation diffeomorphisms phi:Omega=[0,1]3<-->Omega for landmark matching generated as solutions to the transport equation dphi(x,t)/dt=nu(phi(x,t),t),epsilon[0,1] and phi(x,0)=x, with the image map defined as phi(.,1) and therefore controlled via the velocity field nu(.,t),epsilon[0,1]. Imagery are assumed characterized via sets of landmarks {xn, yn, n=1, 2, ..., N}. The optimal diffeomorphic match is constructed to minimize a running smoothness cost parallelLnu parallel2 associated with a linear differential operator L on the velocity field generating the diffeomorphism while simultaneously minimizing the matching end point condition of the landmarks. Both inexact and exact landmark matching is studied here. Given noisy landmarks xn matched to yn measured with error covariances Sigman, then the matching problem is solved generating the optimal diffeomorphism phi;(x,1)=integral0(1)nu(phi(x,t),t)dt+x where nu(.)=argmin(nu.)integral1(0) integralOmega parallelLnu(x,t) parallel2dxdt +Sigman=1N[yn-phi(xn,1)] TSigman(-1)[yn-phi(xn,1)]. Conditions for the existence of solutions in the space of diffeomorphisms are established, with a gradient algorithm provided for generating the optimal flow solving the minimum problem. Results on matching two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) imagery are presented in the macaque monkey.

Volumetric transformation of brain anatomy

This paper presents diffeomorphic transformations of three-dimensional (3-D) anatomical image data of the macaque occipital lobe and whole brain cryosection imagery and of deep brain structures in human brains as imaged via magnetic resonance imagery. These transformations are generated in a hierarchical manner, accommodating both global and local anatomical detail. The initial low-dimensional registration is accomplished by constraining the transformation to be in a low-dimensional basis. The basis is defined by the Green's function of the elasticity operator placed at predefined locations in the anatomy and the eigenfunctions of the elasticity operator. The high-dimensional large deformations are vector fields generated via the mismatch between the template and target-image volumes constrained to be the solution of a Navier-Stokes fluid model. As part of this procedure, the Jacobian of the transformation is tracked, insuring the generation of diffeomorphisms. It is shown that transformations constrained by quadratic regularization methods such as the Laplacian, biharmonic, and linear elasticity models, do not ensure that the transformation maintains topology and, therefore, must only be used for coarse global registration.

Hippocampal MR imaging morphometry by means of general pattern matching

PURPOSE

To determine the repeatability and validity of a pattern-matching method for the segmentation and measurement of hippocampi on magnetic resonance (MR) images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Comparable two-dimensional MR images obtained in 18 subjects (nine healthy control subjects [six men, three women; aged 24-54 years] and nine patients with schizophrenia [six men, three women; aged 22-61 years]) were twice segmented manually and twice segmented by using pattern matching with digital atlas transformation. The atlas transformation was accomplished in two steps: global followed by local matching. Global matching was performed with use of landmarks; local matching was performed with use of a viscous fluid model.

RESULTS

The mean percentage of difference between two atlas-based measurements was 1.33% +/- 1.23 (+/- standard deviation); that between two manual measurements was 4.67% +/- 4.71. The validity of the atlas transformation measurements was demonstrated by means of the high correlation (intraclass correlation coefficient = .96) with manual segmentation measurements. Schizophrenic hippocampal areas tended to be smaller; however, no differences in hippocampal shape were found between patients with schizophrenia and patients with control subjects.

CONCLUSION

General pattern matching of a digital brain atlas to an individual MR image is a mathematically robust method of measurement that is reproducible and less variable than manual measurement.

Effects of ketoconazole (an imidazole antifugal agent) on the fertility and reproductive function of male mice

Administration of ketoconazole, an imidazole antifungal agent (400 mg/kg b.wt. orally for a period of 60 days) resulted in a significant decline in sperm motility and density in cauda epididymis. A sharp decline in fertility (50% negative) in Ketoconazole treated mice was observed. A significant reduction in the total protein and sialic acid contents of testes, epididymis, seminal vesicle and ventral prostate were noticed. The cholesterol contents of testes were raised while fructose contents of seminal vesicle were reduced significantly. The ketoconazole treatment altered the biochemical milieu of the reproductive tract. The mechanism of action is discussed.

Hypolipidaemic effects of Curcuma longa L and Nardostachys jatamansi, DC in triton-induced hyperlipidaemic rats

Fifty per cent ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa (tuber) and Nardostachys jatamansi (whole plant) feeding elevates HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio. The extracts also caused a significant reduction in the ratio of total cholesterol/phospholipids. Curcuma longa exhibited better cholesterol and triglyceride lowering activity [Ch = -85%; Tg = -88%] as compared to N. jatamansi in triton-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. In view of the protective action of HDL against heart disease and atherogenecity, C. longa consumption is recommended.

Sporocyst output in dogs fed sarcocysts of Sarcocystis Levinei of the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Four dogs shed 21 35 900, 49 32 600, 29 59 800 and 37 57 200 sporocysts between 15 and 74 days after being fed bubaline oesophagus which was naturally infected with Sarcocystis Levinei.

Development of sarcocysts of Sarcocystis levinei in water buffalo infected with sporocysts from dogs

Half a million sporocysts of Sarcocystis levinei obtained from experimentally infected dogs were fed to a buffalo calf, and sarcocysts of this species were recovered from its oesophageal muscles when the animal was killed on the 62nd day of inoculation, thus establishing a buffalo-dog-buffalo cycle.

Antiatherosclerotic effects of alfalfa meal ingestion in chicks: a biochemical evaluation

Feeding Alfalfa seed extract to chicks resulted in significant reduction of total cholesterol, phospholipid, triglyceride, LDL-Cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol. Simultaneously, an increased in the HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio occurred with reduction in total cholesterol and phospholipid contents of liver and (ventricular) muscle of the heart. Results obtained with alfalfa seed extract ingestion were evaluated with a standard drug, compound, clofibrate.