Thermal Ablative Therapies and Immune Checkpoint Modulation: Can Locoregional Approaches Effect a Systemic Response?

Percutaneous image-guided ablation is an increasingly common treatment for a multitude of solid organ malignancies. While historically these techniques have been restricted to the management of small, unresectable tumors, there is an expanding appreciation for the systemic effects these locoregional interventions can cause. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of action for the most common thermal ablation modalities and highlight the key advances in knowledge regarding the interactions between thermal ablation and the immune system

Preparation and evaluation of polyherbal facial scrub

The main objective of present study was to prepare a polyherbal scrub incorporated into gel. The use of natural ingredients to fight against acne, wrinkle and also to control secretion of oil is known as natural or herbal cosmetics. Herbal cosmeceuticals usually contain the plant parts which possess antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti aging properties. Herbal cosmetics are the safest product to use routine with no side effects and cosmeceuticals are the product which influences the biological function of skin. In this preparation Green apple , cinnamon, Millet, Sandalwood, Neem , Turmeric and honey is used as active ingredients and incorporated into the gel which is prepared with carbopol of different grades. Other ingredients like propylene glycol, Triethanolamine; methyl parahydroxy benzoate was added along with sodium lauryl sulfate into the gel. The prepared gel was evaluated for various parameters such as appearance, pH, viscosity, Spreadability, washability, irritability and found to be satisfied with all required characterizations. Thus, the developed formulation can be used as an effective scrub for using it to bear a healthy and glowing skin. Keywords:   Polyherbal, Antioxidant, Anti Aging, Less Abrasive, Skin Exfoliat

Physics Potential of the ICAL detector at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO)

The upcoming 50 kt magnetized iron calorimeter (ICAL) detector at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is designed to study the atmospheric neutrinos and antineutrinos separately over a wide range of energies and path lengths. The primary focus of this experiment is to explore the Earth matter effects by observing the energy and zenith angle dependence of the atmospheric neutrinos in the multi-GeV range. This study will be crucial to address some of the outstanding issues in neutrino oscillation physics, including the fundamental issue of neutrino mass hierarchy. In this document, we present the physics potential of the detector as obtained from realistic detector simulations. We describe the simulation framework, the neutrino interactions in the detector, and the expected response of the detector to particles traversing it. The ICAL detector can determine the energy and direction of the muons to a high precision, and in addition, its sensitivity to multi-GeV hadrons increases its physics reach substantially. Its charge identification capability, and hence its ability to distinguish neutrinos from antineutrinos, makes it an efficient detector for determining the neutrino mass hierarchy. In this report, we outline the analyses carried out for the determination of neutrino mass hierarchy and precision measurements of atmospheric neutrino mixing parameters at ICAL, and give the expected physics reach of the detector with 10 years of runtime. We also explore the potential of ICAL for probing new physics scenarios like CPT violation and the presence of magnetic monopoles.Comment: 139 pages, Physics White Paper of the ICAL (INO) Collaboration, Contents identical with the version published in Pramana - J. Physic

Engineered neurogenesis in naïve adult rat cortex by Ngn2-mediated neuronal reprogramming of resident oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

Adult tissue stem cells contribute to tissue homeostasis and repair but the long-lived neurons in the human adult cerebral cortex are not replaced, despite evidence for a limited regenerative response. However, the adult cortex contains a population of proliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). We examined the capacity of rat cortical OPCs to be re-specified to a neuronal lineage both in vitro and in vivo. Expressing the developmental transcription factor Neurogenin2 (Ngn2) in OPCs isolated from adult rat cortex resulted in their expression of early neuronal lineage markers and genes while downregulating expression of OPC markers and genes. Ngn2 induced progression through a neuronal lineage to express mature neuronal markers and functional activity as glutamatergic neurons. In vivo retroviral gene delivery of Ngn2 to naive adult rat cortex ensured restricted targeting to proliferating OPCs. Ngn2 expression in OPCs resulted in their lineage re-specification and transition through an immature neuronal morphology into mature pyramidal cortical neurons with spiny dendrites, axons, synaptic contacts, and subtype specification matching local cytoarchitecture. Lineage re-specification of rat cortical OPCs occurred without prior injury, demonstrating these glial progenitor cells need not be put into a reactive state to achieve lineage reprogramming. These results show it may be feasible to precisely engineer additional neurons directly in adult cerebral cortex for experimental study or potentially for therapeutic use to modify dysfunctional or damaged circuitry

Abstract 1122‐000209: Cannabis and Cerebrovascular Outcomes: A National Registry Analysis

Introduction: Recreational and medical cannabis use in the United States has been increasing in recent years in light of state and federal efforts to decriminalize and legalize its use. Its legal status has long precluded extensive research into its adverse effects, especially as it pertains to the realm of vascular and cerebrovascular outcomes. To date, minimal research has been completed on the sequelae of cannabis in inpatient admissions for stroke. Methods: A query of the 2012–2015 Nationwide Inpatient Sample searched for patients admitted with stroke ICD‐9 diagnoses. These patients were then grouped by the presence of concurrent diagnosis of cannabis use disorder, and compared with respect to various peri‐ and postoperative complications, all‐cause mortality, discharge disposition, length of stay, and hospitalization costs. Propensity score matching was utilized to control for potential baseline confounders. Results: A total of 414,340 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria, 6794 (1.64%) of whom had cannabis use disorder. After controlling for baseline characteristics, these patients had higher rates of inpatient mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.43; p = 0.01263), and non‐routine discharge, as well as increased lengths of stay (6.5 vs 5.7 days, p<0.001) and no significant difference in hospitalization charges ($67507 vs.$ 63328 10, p = 0.3918). Conclusions: Based on a national trends analysis, chronic cannabis use appears to be associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality among patients admitted for stroke diagnoses. Physicians should ensure affected patients be adequately informed of associated risks. Further research should include matching of risk factors not captured in databases

Comparison of 4 and 6 weeks of rest period for repair of root resorption

Abstract Background The study was designed to evaluate and compare the rest periods of 4 and 6 weeks for healing of orthodontically induced root resorption craters. Methods The study was conducted with a split-mouth design, with the right and left mandibular first premolars of 14 subjects serving as the two groups of the study. The right premolars constituted group A and the left ones, group B. Intrusive force was applied on these teeth for a period of 6 weeks, followed by retaining the teeth for 4 weeks (group A) and 6 weeks (group B) as rest periods before extraction. The extracted teeth were prepared for histologic examination with haematoxylin and eosin staining and studied under a light microscope. The histological sections were scored based on the level of repair (none, partial, functional, or anatomic) seen in the deepest craters in the apical third region of the roots. The mean values of the scores in the two groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Results All the teeth showed healing in their deepest craters. The teeth in group A showed partial repair more frequently (84.6%), with the remaining (15.4%) showing functional repair. The teeth in group B showed anatomic repair more frequently (60%), with the remaining (40%) showing functional repair. The mean level of repair was higher in group B (2.6 ± 0.5) as opposed to that in group A (1.15 ± 0.37). The difference between these values was of very high significance (P < 0.05). Conclusions Longer rest period of 6 weeks showed more advanced healing than a shorter rest period of 4 weeks. Six weeks of rest period is adequate only for the functional repair of resorption craters

Understanding of User Behavior in Immersive Environments

Immersive evironments can facilitate the virtual interaction between people, objects, places, and databases. Immersion has several varied practical applications. It can serve as an aid to engineering applications. Immersion can also be used to understand and aid the disabled. These environments result in the production of large amounts of data for transmission and storage. Data types such as images, audio, video, and text are an integral part of immersive environments and many researchers in the past have addressed their management. However, we have identified a set of less familiar data types, collectively termed immersidata (Shahabi, Barish, Ellenberger, Jiang, Kolahdouzan, Nam, &amp; Zimmermann, 1999) that are specific to immersive environments. Immersidata are produced as a result of the user’s interactions with an immersive environment. Data Acquisition 239 Haptic data is a kind of immersidata that is used to describe the movement, rotation, and force associated with user-directed objects in an immersive environment. We use the CyberGlove as a haptic user interface to an immersive environment. The CyberGlove consists of several sensory devices that generate data at a continuous rate. The acquired data ca

Correlation of Inflammation and Anemia in Patients on Hemodialysis

Introduction: Anemia and inflammation are majorly observed complications in patients on hemodialysis (HD). Present study assessed that inflammation that affects the haemoglobin levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 on maintenance HD and to evaluate the degree of anemia.Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in CKD patients aged 18-89 years. Previous hospital records were reviewed to note baseline clinical co-morbidities, pre- and post HD -session body weight, dialyzer type, blood flow rate, dialysis time, dialysis prescription (dry body weight, dialysis time, dialysis modality, and dialysate and heparin dose). Results: Out of 46 patients on HD, 31 and 15 were dialyzed with the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and tunneled cuffed catheters (CTC), respectively. The mean age was 54.59 years and majority had diabetic nephropathy (39.1%). Patients of AVF group showed decreased c-reactive protein (CRP) levels [10.49 (13.25) Vs 26.69 (20.0) mg/L] and higher dialysis vintage (35.50 vs. 15.07 days) as compared to CTC group. A significant negative correlation of CRP with hemoglobin (p&lt;0.0001) and serum albumin (p=0.0005) was observed. CRP levels showed a positive correlation with erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) (p=0.0025). The mean serum CRP levels in patients having hypoalbuminemia (28.87 mg/L) were significantly elevated as compared with patients with normoalbuminemia (10.61 mg/L) (p&lt;0.001). The mean ERI in patients with parathyroid hormone (PTH) value &gt;300 pg/mL was comparatively higher (17.85) as compared to patients with PTH value &lt;300 pg/mL (12.46).Conclusion: Reduced inflammation improves anemia and nutritional status of patients on HD. AVF should be considered as first option for dialysis access