Evaluation of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Through Androstolone and Pituitary Hormones Lab Testing

        Hyperandrogenemia is an essential symptom of PCOS. Androgens are produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands as the final products of a series of enzymatic reactions starting from a common precursor, i.e, cholesterol. The critical intermediate stages of androgen production involve the conversion of cholesterol into dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione. These reactions take place in the theca cells . Hyperandrogenemia is considered the main clinical hallmark of PCOS. It is estimated that more than 80% of women who exhibit signs or symptoms of hyperandrogenism , including hirsutism, acne or alopecia, have PCOS .Abnormalities in the neuroendocrine system like increased pulse frequency of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, stimulating the pituitary for excessive production of luteinizing hormone than that of follicle-stimulating hormone is seen in PCOS women. Excess LH stimulates ovarian androgen production, whereas a relative deficit in FSH impairs follicular development. The imbalance in LH: FSH causes proliferation of ovarian theca cells leading to increased steroid genesis , and ultimately leading to hyperandrogenism in PCOS women

A Haptic feedback system based on leap motion controller for prosthetic hand application

Leap Motion Controller (LMC) is a gesture sensor consists of three infrared light emitters and two infrared stereo cameras as tracking sensors. LMC translates hand movements into graphical data that are used in a variety of applications such as virtual/augmented reality and object movements control. In this work, we intend to control the movements of a prosthetic hand via (LMC) in which fingers are flexed or extended in response to hand movements. This will be carried out by passing in the data from the Leap Motion to a processing unit that processes the raw data by an open-source package (Processing i3) in order to control five servo motors using a micro-controller board. In addition, haptic setup is proposed using force sensors (FSR) and vibro-motors in which the speed of these motors is proportional to the amount of the grasp force exerted by the prosthetic hand. Investigation for optimal placement of the FSRs on a prosthetic hand to obtain convenient haptic feedback has been carried out. The results show the effect of object shape and weight on the obtained response of the FSR and how they influence the locations of the sensors

There Is No Association Between the Number of Stent Retriever Passes and the Incidence of Hemorrhagic Transformation for Patients Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy

Background: Previous research has focused on the association between hemorrhagic transformation (HT) incidence and pre-procedural variables (i.e., baseline variables) rather than the association between HT incidence and endovascular treatment (EVT) procedural variables (e.g., stent retriever passes). Objective: To assess the association, if any, that exists between the number of stent retriever passes per procedure and the incidence of HT for patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy. Methods: An endovascular database from a comprehensive stroke center was used to collect data on EVT patients treated with Trevo, Solitaire, or Penumbra stent retrievers from the years 2012 to 2017. Statistical analyses were conducted on the stent retriever passes, demographics, morbidities, medication usage, and outcomes and their association with HT. Results: Of the 329 total patients, 46 (14%) had HT. The HT group had an average [SD] of 1.65 [0.67] and range of [1–3] passes per procedure while the non-HT group had an average [SD] of 1.63 [0.86] and range of [1–5] passes per procedure. Admission NIHSS score (p = 0.0003) and the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) (p = 0.05) were significantly higher in the HT group. Subdividing HT into symptomatic and asymptomatic ICH groups failed to display significant differences in the distribution of the stent retriever passes (p = 0.969). The number of passes failed to show any association with HT (p = 0.804) while admission NIHSS score was found to have an OR of 1.07 (95%CI: 1.029–1.121, p = 0.001) with HT incidence. Conclusion: No significant association was found between HT incidence and the stent retriever passes. Further multicenter studies are warranted to corroborate our results

Measuring the level of IL-4 and IL-25 in the serum of eczema patients

Eczema is an inflammatory skin disease and may be the result of environmental factors, genetic factors, and immune factors. Itching, persistent scratching, skin redness, and dryness are the primary signs of the illness. Many Cytokines are essential to the pathophysiology of disease, including the role of interleukin-4 and interleukin-25 as major players in the immune pathogenesis of eczema. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating some seromic criteria that clarify the effect of some immune and inflammatory factors on the pathological condition in eczema patients and comparing them with the healthy group. This can help determine whether there is a relationship between the level of interleukin-4 and the high level of interleukin-25 and the clinical symptoms of the disease. The current study was conducted in Marjan Medical City in Babylon Governorate. Samples of (50) patients with eczema were collected after being diagnosed by dermatologists, and samples of (50) ostensibly healthy people were collected as a control group. The enzyme-associated immuno-absorption method (Elisa) was used to measure the level of interleukin-4 and interleukin-25 in the serum of all patients and the control group Serum levels of interleukin-4 and interleukin-25 are significantly higher in eczema patients at the probability level (P <0.05), while they decrease in the control group for the same criteria rates According to the results of the current investigation, patients with eczema reported higher levels of interleukin-4 and interleukin-25 in the serum than the control group

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment in United States

There is accumulating data suggesting that the ischemic stroke may be increased in patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to hyper coagulopathy. An increase in acute ischemic stroke patients who require mechanical thrombectomy is to be expected particularly in regions with high rates of COVID-19

High-energy ball milling technique for ZnO nanoparticles as antibacterial material

Nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO) are increasingly recognized for their utility in biological applications. In this study, the high-energy ball milling (HEBM) technique was used to produce nanoparticles of ZnO from its microcrystalline powder. Four samples were ball milled for 2, 10, 20, and 50 hours, respectively. The structural and optical modifications induced in the ‘as synthesized’ nanomaterials were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and photoluminescence emission spectra (PL). SEM and TEM results show a gradual decrease in particle size from around 600 to ∼30 nm, with increased milling time. The initial microstructures had random shapes, while the final shape became quite spherical. XRD analysis showed ZnO in a hexagonal structure, broadening in the diffracted peaks and going from larger to smaller particles along with a relaxation in the lattice constant c. The value of c was found to increase from 5.204 to 5.217 Å with a decrease in particle size (600 to ∼30 nm). PL result showed a new band at around 365 nm, whose intensity is found to increase as the particles size decreases. These remarkable structural and optical modifications induced in ZnO nanoparticles might prove useful for various applications. The increase in c value is an important factor for increasing the antibacterial effects of ZnO, suggesting that the HEBM technique is quite suitable for producing these nanoparticles for this purpose

Efficacy of Botanical Plant Extracts on the Population Dynamics of Cotton Aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera; Aphididae)

Synthetic pesticides are excessively consumed to control crop pests but abundant use of chemicals may implicate the whole ecosystem badly in the end. Despite the growing concern, few natural products are commercialized for pest control whilst on-farm use of existing botanically-based pesticides remains a small, but growing, component of crop protection practice. The experiment was conducted to assess the potential trade-offs of using botanical extracts (Neem leaf extract, NLE, and Moringa leaf extract, MLE) along with synthetic insecticide, Confidor 200 SL, against Aphis gossypii Glover. Meanwhile, impact of these insecticides on natural enemies were also determined in the field experiment. Data were recorded 12h before, as well as 1, 3, and 7 days after the application (DPA) of insecticides. Results revealed that chemical insecticide after 1DPA were showed higher mortality (%) of aphid’s population at leaf (33%) and boll stage (41%), whereas, the botanical treated plots showed lower mortality used alone as well combined application but lower numbers were observed on the negative controls. The same trend of insecticidal activity was observed from all treatments after 3DPA, but interestingly, after 7DPA, the resurgence of beneficial insects were only recorded in botanical extract-treated plots. The Confidor presented an adverse effect on natural enemies whereas no or few natural enemies were observed compared to herbal extracts. Overall, for long-term control, the combined use of botanical insecticides is proved to be more efficient in the management of the aphids than Confidor and caused no or little adverse impact on the beneficial insects

Design, Synthesis of New Imidazolium-1,2,3-triazole Hybrid Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents

New imidazolium salts with 1,2,3-triazole rings (rm1-rm5) were prepared in the current work using a design-driven synthetic procedure scheme. By using analytical techniques such as NMR, IR and spectral information, the chemical structures of target synthesized products were identified using results that were discovered in perfect accord with their assigned structures. The microorganism used in the current study were bacterial strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus luteus, as well as the fungal strains of Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. All the end products were estimated for their antibacterial activity. The values for the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were confirmed by comparison to the widely used antibiotics fluconazole and ciprofloxacin as control drugs. Particularly, the compounds (rm5) and (rm4) showed observable antibacterial activity. These compounds might offer a brand-new place to start when looking for new antibacterial medications

The professional and personal impact of the coronavirus pandemic on US neurointerventional practices: a nationwide survey

Background Little is currently known about the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on neurointerventional (NI) procedural volumes or its toll on physician wellness. Methods A 37-question online survey was designed and distributed to physician members of three NI physician organizations. Results A total of 151 individual survey responses were obtained. Reduced mechanical thrombectomy procedures compared with pre-pandemic were observed with 32% reporting a greater than 50% reduction in thrombectomy volumes. In concert with most (76%) reporting at least a 25% reduction in non-mechanical thrombectomy urgent NI procedures and a nearly unanimous (96%) cessation of non-urgent elective cases, 68% of physicians reported dramatic reductions (\u3e50%) in overall NI procedural volume compared with pre-pandemic. Increased door-to- puncture times were reported by 79%. COVID-19-positive infections occurred in 1% of physician respondents: an additional 8% quarantined for suspected infection. Sixty-six percent of respondents reported increased career stress, 56% increased personal life/family stress, and 35% increased career burnout. Stress was significantly increased in physicians with COVID-positive family members (P\u3c0.05). Conclusions This is the first study designed to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on NI physician practices, case volumes, compensation, personal/family stresses, and work-related burnout. Future studies examining these factors following the resumption of elective cases and relaxing of social distancing measures will be necessary to better understand these phenomena