An unusual cause of gynaecomastia in a male

Summary: Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) is normally produced by syncytiotrophoblasts of the placenta during pregnancy and aids embryo implantation. However, it is also secreted in varying amounts in non-pregnant conditions commonly heralding a neoplastic process. We present a case of 50-year-old man, who presented with bilateral gynaecomastia with elevated testosterone, oestradiol, suppressed gonadotropins with progressively increasing levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Biochemical and radiological investigations including ultrasonography of testes, breast tissue, MRI pituitary and CT scan full body did not identify the source of hCG. FDG PET scan revealed a large mediastinal mass with lung metastasis. Immunostaining and histological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of primary choriocarcinoma of the mediastinum. It is highly aggressive and malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Early diagnosis and management are essential for the best outcome. Learning Points: High βhCG in a male patient or a non-pregnant female suggests a paraneoplastic syndrome. In the case of persistently positive serum hCG, exclude immunoassay interference by doing the urine hCG as heterophilic antibodies are not present in the urine. Non-gestational choriocarcinoma is an extremely rare trophoblastic tumor and should be considered in young men presenting with gynaecomastia and high concentration of hCG with normal gonads. A high index of suspicion and extensive investigations are required to establish an early diagnosis of extra-gonadal choriocarcinoma. Early diagnosis is crucial to formulate optimal management strategy and to minimize widespread metastasis for best clinical outcome

Water stress induced changes in antioxidant enzymes, membrane stability and seed protein profile of different wheat accessions

Water stress induced changes in antioxidant enzymes membrane stablity index and seed protein profiling of four different wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accessions (011251, 011417, 011320 and 011393) were determined in a pot study under natural condition during the wheat-growing season 2005 and 2006. Sampling was done 3, 6 and 9 days after induction of water stress. Recovery was studied at 48 and 72 h of re-watering. Marked increase in leaf antioxidant enzymes associated with a decrease inmembrane stability index occurred under water stress. Accession 320 showed the least increase in catalase and peroxidase activity but maximum decrease in membrane stability index. The inhibitoryeffects of water stress on plants were ameliorated by exogenous application of ABA and this ameliorating effect was found to be more significant at booting stage as compared to grainfilling particularly in the accession 320. The accessions 417 and 320 (which were most dissimilar on the basis of physiology under water stress, one most tolerant and the other most sensitive to water stress) showed least polymorphism among the four accessions on the basis of RAPD (Random AmplifiedPolymorphic DNA) analysis. Seed protein composition was found to be mainly controlled by genetic factors rather than water stress

Phytochemical screening and evaluation of anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activity of Elettaria cardamom (Cardamom)

The present study deals with the phytochemical screening and evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities from the crude methanol extract of the seeds of cardamom, Elettaria cardamom. Crude methanol extract was investigated for their antibacterial activity against Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Listeria monocytogenes,Bacillus pumilus and Escherichia coli. The extract showed maximum zone of inhibition (20.3 mm) against EPEC, however, the antibacterial potential of the extract was slightly lesser against normal E. coli (19 mm). It showed moderate anti-bacterial activity against L. monocytogenes and B. pumilus. Dose-dependent increase in antioxidant activity was also noticed in crude extract as measured by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Thus, our study reports various phytochemicals in the seeds of cardamom with antioxidant and antibacterial potential

Isolation of phytohormones producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from weeds growing in Khewra salt range, Pakistan and their implication in providing salt tolerance to Glycine max L.

Present investigation was made to isolate and characterize plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Rkh1 - Rkh4) from rhizosphere of four weeds: Chrysopogon aucheri, Lactuca dissecta, Solanum surratenseand Sonchus arvensis thriving under high salinity (EC: 2.3 dS/m) of Khewra salt range and the results were compared with strain Rak isolated from rhizosphere (EC: 0.2 dS/m) of Solanum surratense grown in arid area of district Attock. The tolerance of all the strains was checked against the salt present in culture media in the form of rhizospheric soil filtrate of weeds collected from Khewra salt range. The nutrient contents of rhizospheric soil of weeds were measured. All the strains were capable to producephytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA3), trans-zeatin riboside (t-zr) and abscisic acid (ABA) in the culture media. Inoculation of strains on soybean seedlings treated with or without 20 dS/m NaCl resulted in better growth and higher proline contents than control plants. Thestrains isolated from weeds of Khewra salt range particularly Rkh3 appears more promising for potential biofertilizers in saline fields

PENGARUH UMPAN ALAMI DAN UMPAN BUATAN TERHADAP HASIL TANGKAPAN MENGGUNAKAN PANCING LAYANG-LAYANG DI PERAIRAN KABUPATEN MALAKA

Abstrak - Salah satu sumberdaya perikanan ekonomis penting yang dihasilkan oleh perairan Rainawe adalah ikan cendro (Tylosurus sp) yang dikenal dengan nama lokal sebagai ikan Manuk. Alat tangkap yang umum digunakan untuk menangkap ikan cendro ialah jaring insang permukaan, jaring insang hanyut dan pancing tonda; tetapi pancing layang-layang lebih mudah dioperasikan dan menjadi populer di Kabupaten Malaka. Keberhasilan menangkap ikan dengan pancing layang-layang sangat bergantung pada ketersediaan umpan alami dan umpan buatan. Umpan alami dan umpan buatan hanya digunakan pada bagan saat   musim tertentu, hal ini berarti bahwa pancing layang-layang tidak dapat dioperasikan sepanjang waktu setiap bulan.Penelitian ini menggunakan umpan alami dan umpan buatan untuk mengetahui pengaruh terhadap hasil tangkapan pancing layang-layang.Penelitian ini telah dilakukan di perairan Kabupaten Malaka, dengan menggunakan metode eksperimental. Dua jenis umpan yang digunakan, yaitu umpan alami ikan tembang (Sardinella sp) dan umpan buatan yang berupa ikan berbahan karet. Analisis data menggunakan uji t. Hasil tangkapan  selama  penelitian  berjumlah  28  individu  ikan  Cendro  yang  terdiri  dari  21  individu  hasil tertangkap dengan umpan alami dan 7 individu hasil tertangkap dengan umpan buatan. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan umpan alami tidak berbeda nyata dengan umpan buatan pada pancing layang-layang untuk menangkap ikan cendro di perairan Kabupaten Malaka. Kata Kunci : Pancing Layang-Layang, Umpan Alami, Umpan Buatan, Kabupaten Malaka   Abstract - One of the important economical fisheries resources produced by Rainawe waters is cendro fish (Tylosurus sp), known locally as Manuk fish. Common fishing tools used to catch Cendro fish are surface gill nets, drift gill nets and trolling fishing rods; but kite fishing is easier to operate and has become popular in the district of Malacca.The success of catching fish with kite fishing is very dependent on the availability of natural and artificial baits. Natural bait and artificial bait are only used on charts during certain seasons, which means that kite fishing cannot be operated all the time every month. This study uses natural bait and artificial bait to find out the effect on the catches of kite fishing.This research has been carried out in the waters of Malacca regency, using experimental methods. Two types of bait are used, namely natural bait Tembang fish (Sardinella sp) and artificial bait in the form of fish made from rubber. Data analysis using t test. Catches during the study were 28 Cendro fish consisting of 21 caught by natural bait and 7 caught by artificial bait. The results of the analysis showed that the use of natural bait was not significantly different from the artificial bait on kite fishing to catch cendro fish in the waters of Malacca regency. Keywords : Kite Fishing, Natural Bait, Artificial Bait, Malaka Regenc

Gastrointestinal symptoms in acromegaly: A case control study

BACKGROUND Acromegaly is a chronic disease caused by a pituitary somatotroph adenoma resulting in excess secretion of growth hormone, which leads to excess secretion of Insulin like growth factor 1 from the liver, causing abnormal soft tissue growth. There is increasing awareness that diseases affecting connective tissue are associated with an increase in functional gastrointestinal symptoms. Data was collected from patients with a confirmed diagnosis of acromegaly to evaluate the intensity, variety and impact of abdominal symptoms in comparison with a control group who were healthy participants recruited from the local fracture clinic. AIM To evaluate the frequency type and burden of abdominal symptoms in acromegaly in comparison with a control group. METHODS Medical documentation of patients with a diagnosis of acromegaly treated in one tertiary medical centre between 2010 and 2017 has been analysed. Data was collected from patients with confirmed acromegaly, using the Short Form Health Survey (SF36) and Rome IV Diagnostic questionnaire for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Adults (R4DQ) and compared to a sex- and age-matched control group, to assess the burden of abdominal symptoms. Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS v 25 were used for data analysis. RESULTS Fifty patients with acromegaly (24 male and 26 females; age range 23-64 years, mean 43) and 200 controls (96 male and 104 females; age range 18-84, mean 42.4) were recruited. 92% (46 out of 50) of patients with acromegaly reported abdominal symptoms and 78% (39 out of 50) had at least one functional gastrointestinal disorder according to the Rome IV diagnostic criteria, compared to 16% of controls (OR > 1, P 1, P 1, P < 0.001) as compared to the control group. CONCLUSION Upper and lower functional gastrointestinal tract disorders (defined by Rome IV diagnostic criteria) are significantly more prevalent in patients with acromegaly compared with healthy age and sex matched controls in our study. Functional constipation is the most commonly reported problem. Poorer quality of life may in part be attributable to the increased prevalence of abdominal symptoms

Physiology and productivity of rice crop influenced by drought stress induced at different developmental stages

Rice is sensitive to moisture stress and in view of the water scarcity in the coming years, it is imperative to evaluate the performance of rice cultivar under moisture deficit. The present study aimed to evaluate the physiological responses of two rice cultivars under drought stress induced at panicle initiation and soft dough stages. The seeds of BAS-385 and KS-282 were soaked in ABA (10-6 M) prior to sowing. Foliar application of ABA (10-6 M) was made at tillering stage, 40 days after sowing (40 DAS) in both cultivars. Drought stress was induced at panicle initiation (PI) (65 DAS) and soft dough (SD) (105 DAS) stages with re-watering at incipient wilting (12% soil moisture). Drought induced significant decrease in endogenous level of IAA, GA, sugar and protein contents in leaves at SD stage, while ABA and proline contents increased significantly as compared to control. In grains, drought induced decreases in IAA, sugar and protein content were greater at PI stage in both cultivars. Stomatal resistance was significantly increased in flag and penultimate leaves at PI stage. ABA treatments ameliorated the adverse effects of drought stress for most of the physiological parameters but were ineffective to restore the drought-induced decrease in GA content. On-rewatering, the recovery of prestressed plants was significantly enhanced under ABA seed soaking and foliar spray treatments as compared to drought alone. It is inferred that the mechanism of ABA-induced tolerance to drought stress appears to be involved in maintenance of water budget by decreasing GA, increasing stomatal resistance and by osmoregulation as observed by increase in proline accumulation, and enhanced grain filling to bring early maturity in rice over control.Key words: Drought stress, rice cultivars, panicle initiation, soft dough

Replay Attacks and Defenses Against Cross-shard Consensus in Sharded Distributed Ledgers

We present a family of replay attacks against sharded distributed ledgers targeting cross-shard consensus protocols, such as the recently proposed Chainspace and Omniledger. They allow an attacker, with network access only, to double-spend or lock resources with minimal efforts. The attacker can act independently without colluding with any nodes, and succeed even if all nodes are honest; most of the attacks can also exhibit themselves as faults under periods of asynchrony. These attacks are effective against both shard-led and client-led cross-shard consensus approaches. We present Byzcuit-a new cross-shard consensus protocol that is immune to those attacks. We implement a prototype of Byzcuit and evaluate it on a real cloud-based testbed, showing that our defenses impact performance minimally, and overall performance surpasses previous works