Wombstone-massive calcified fibroid: a case report

We report a case of a calcified submucous leiomyoma in 50 years women with lower abdominal discomfort. She had no previous history of surgery. Work up confirmed a calcified leiomyoma. The diagnosis was made by radiological findings. Total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is the surgery of choice for these cases. Histopathological examination confirmed a calcified leiomyoma. A calcified leiomyoma in a post-menopausal woman is rare

Robotic Mobile Holder (For CAR Dashboards)

In the current smart tech world, there is an immense need of automating tasks and processes to avoid human intervention, save time and energy. Nowadays, mobile phones have become one of the essential things for human beings either to call someone, connect to the internet, while driving people need mobile phones to receive or make a call, use google maps to know the routes and many more. Normally in cars, mobile holders are placed on the dashboard to hold the mobile and the orientation of the phone needs to be changed according to the driver's convenience manually, but the driver may distract from driving while trying to access mobile phone which may lead to accidents. To solve this problem, an auto adjustable mobile holder is designed in such a way that it rotates according to the movement of the driver and also it can even alert the driver when he feels drowsiness. Image Processing is used to detect the movement of the driver which is then processed using LabVIEW software and NI myRIO hardware. NI Vision development module is used to perform face recognition and servo motors are used to rotate the holder in the required position. Simulation results show that the proposed system has achieved maximum accuracy in detecting faces, drowsiness and finding the position coordinates

Oxygen Mass Transfer in Bubble Column Bioreactor

In the present study volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient kLa has been determined for biodegradation of phenol in a bubble column bioreactor. Experimental studies have been carried out at different i) feed concentrations of phenol, ii) air flow rates and iii) feed flow rates. Dynamic method has been used to determine the oxygen mass transfer coefficient. The mass transfer coefficient for oxygen obtained is in the range of 0.00513 – 0.01793 s-1. kLa was found to increase with increase in air flow rates and decrease with increase in feed concentration of phenol. The values obtained in this work are compared with the values available in literature. A mathematical correlation is derived for kLa in terms of dimensionless numbers

Effect of Aqueous Extract of Cyperus Rotundus Roots on Diabetic Complications in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats.

Diabetes is a multifarious group of disorders characterized by hyperglycemia that has reached epidemic proportions in the current century. Infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the diabetic population. Diabetes is involved with vascular and renal damage characterized by hypertension, dyslipidemia, micro-albuminuria, macro-albuminuria and glomerular mesangial rise5. Diabetes mellitus may present with characteristic symptoms such as polyphagia, polydypsia, polyuria, blurring of vision, and weight loss. In its severe forms, ketoacidosis or a non-ketonic hyperosmolar state may develop and lead to stupor, coma and in the absence of effective treatment to death, oral administration of aqueous extract of cyperus rotundus. exhibit, Neuroprotective, nephroprotective and hepatoprotective activities via enhancing insulin production and decreasing glucogan production and decreasing a SGOT snd SGPT level in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Thus, oral use of this extract might positively affect the functional capacities of various rat tissues, particularly blood, kidney , liver and nerves against toxic action of alloxan compound (dose of 150 mg/Kg bw). These findings clearly support the traditional use of this medicinal plant in treatment of diabetes mellitus and complications shed more light in the efficacy of this plant. Thus, Cyperus rotundus appears to a valuable plant and ideally suited to be used in treatment of DM and prevent or delay the onset of its complications in humans, since this is a nontoxic plant

Identifying the Binding Residues on CYP3A4 to Naringin using Protein Modeling and Docking

Cytochrome (CYP) enzymes are a superfamily of monooxygenase hemoprotein enzymes that are found throughout the body but are heavily concentrated in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria of liver cells. These enzymes catalyze reactions that modify a wide range of substrates into more hydrophilic and, therefore, more readily excreted forms. Cytochrome enzymes are heavily involved in the detoxification process of many medically relevant drugs. As such, the inhibition and activation of these enzymes can substantially alter the effective bioavailability of medications and can introduce additional variables or modifiable variables into a pharmacological-based treatment. Cytochrome p450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is one of the most abundant cytochrome enzymes and can target a wide range of substrates, including many medically relevant drugs. Inhibition of CYP3A4 can increase the bioavailability and duration of the availability of a medication in the bloodstream. This makes the factors associated with the inhibition and activation of CYP3A4 of great medical interest and importance. CYP3A4 has been noted to be inhibited by naringin, a flavanone found in grapefruits and other citrus fruits. However, the characteristics of naringin binding to CYP3A4 are unknown. The residues at which naringin binds to CYP3A4 were identified using 3-D protein modeling and computerized molecular docking simulations. The PDB file for the CYP3A4 enzyme (8DYC) was obtained from the RCSB Protein Data Bank and was manipulated to remove the substrates, leaving only the prosthetic heme group. The binding between CYP3A4 and different inhibitors was studied in the literature to identify specific features of the CYP3A4 protein. The residues that form the opening of the protein cleft, the area where the substrates bind and the residues that form the active site of the enzyme were noted for reference for the docked position of naringin. PyRx was used to conduct molecular docking simulations to predict the location of naringin binding in the CYP3A4 structure. However, due to computational limitations, the docking did not predict interactions with the HEME group. Rather the final docked structure of naringin to the CYP3A4 enzyme was produced using the coordinates of the docked naringin and the HEME-containing structure of CYP3A4. The Contacts/Clashes functionality in USCF Chimera was used to identify the specific residues on the surface of the protein and these residues were compared to those identified through the literature consulted. The residues of CYP3A4 that are involved in binding naringin that were identified through this process were: Glu 374, Arg 372, Arg 106, Arg 105, Ala 370, Phe 215, Arg 212, Phe 304, Leu 482, Ser 119, Ile 223, Thr 224. Of these, Arg 372 and Thr 224 were also noted in the literature to be involved in forming the opening of the cavity in the protein. The residues Glu 374, Arg 106, Arg 105, Ala 370, Phe 215, Arg 212, Phe 304, and Ser 119 were also noted in the literature and are likely involved in forming the active site. The residues Ile 223 and Leu 482 were not noted in the works consulted and may represent additional or potentially novel residues that may be involved in the inhibition of CYP3A4. Overall, the results of the molecular docking suggest that naringin inhibits CYP3A4 by binding and blocking both the opening of the cleft within which the substrate binds and binding to residues in the active site of CYP3A4.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/protein_modeling_reports/1015/thumbnail.jp

Role of Biodiversity - Opportunities, Threats, and Strategic Interventions for a Resilient Indian City

Cities are at the core of current environmental problems due to their ever-increasing demand for land surfaces and their impact on natural resources. Urban expansion compromises the functioning capacity of the ecosystems and creates complex effects on local and regional biodiversity. As cities grow, vital habitats are altered, destroyed, or fragmented into patches not big enough to support complex ecological communities, which is presently the most prominent factor contributing to the current global extinction and one of the pressing environmental issues. Hence, biodiversity conservation is integral to sustainable development and a significant concern of this millennium. Accurate assessment of urban biodiversity and implementation of strategies to arrest its loss at the local level is one of the most discussed topics in contemporary environmental research and international policies. The present study attempts to understand and analyse the urban biodiversity of Kolkata - a high-density megacity in eastern India with multiple environmental issues. It addresses the global agenda of biodiversity loss through a detailed assessment of the biodiversity status in the Indian city of Kolkata, followed by formulating relevant biodiversity strategies

Simulation Based Predictive Analysis of Indian Airport Transportation System Using Computational Intelligence Techniques

Normally, flight delays and cancellations have significant impact on airlines operations and passenger’s satisfaction. Flight delays reduce the performance of airline operations and make significant effect on airports on time performance. Previously statistical models have been used for flight delays analysis. This study was applied in Indian aviation industry and it has given statistical analysis of domestic airlines. In this research paper, we have applied Machine Learning models with the help of computational intelligence techniques for predicting airport transport management system. We have also applied computational intelligence techniques such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Ant Colonization Optimization (ACO) to optimize the prediction model for delay period time and calculating the most optimal dependability. We have made comprehensive analysis of Data Efficiency Model for different airlines with various approaches as well as comparative analysis of accuracy for predicting airport model by using various machine learning models. In this study we have presented invaluable insights for the analysis of flight delay models

Preclinical Pharmacokinetic Evaluation to Facilitate Repurposing of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Nilotinib and Imatinib as Antiviral Agents

Background Several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) developed as anti-cancer drugs, also have anti-viral activity due to their ability to disrupt productive replication and dissemination in infected cells. Consequently, such drugs are attractive candidates for “repurposing” as anti-viral agents. However, clinical evaluation of therapeutics against infectious agents associated with high mortality, but low or infrequent incidence, is often unfeasible. The United States Food and Drug Administration formulated the “Animal Rule” to facilitate use of validated animal models for conducting anti-viral efficacy studies. Methods To enable such efficacy studies of two clinically approved TKIs, nilotinib, and imatinib, we first conducted comprehensive pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in relevant rodent and non-rodent animal models. PK of these agents following intravenous and oral dosing were evaluated in C57BL/6 mice, prairie dogs, guinea pigs and Cynomolgus monkeys. Plasma samples were analyzed using an LC-MS/MS method. Secondarily, we evaluated the utility of allometry-based inter-species scaling derived from previously published data to predict the PK parameters, systemic clearance (CL) and the steady state volume of distribution (Vss) of these two drugs in prairie dogs, an animal model not tested thus far. Results Marked inter-species variability in PK parameters and resulting oral bioavailability was observed. In general, elimination half-lives of these agents in mice and guinea pigs were much shorter (1–3 h) relative to those in larger species such as prairie dogs and monkeys. The longer nilotinib elimination half-life in prairie dogs (i.v., 6.5 h and oral, 7.5 h), facilitated multiple dosing PK and safety assessment. The allometry-based predicted values of the Vss and CL were within 2.0 and 2.5-fold, respectively, of the observed values. Conclusions Our results suggest that prairie dogs and monkeys may be suitable rodent and non-rodent species to perform further efficacy testing of these TKIs against orthopoxvirus infections. The use of rodent models such as C57BL/6 mice and guinea pigs for assessing pre-clinical anti-viral efficacy of these two TKIs may be limited due to short elimination and/or low oral bioavailability. Allometry-based correlations, derived from existing literature data, may provide initial estimates, which may serve as a useful guide for pre-clinical PK studies in untested animal models

Chemical reactivity and long-range transport potential of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – a review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of considerable concern due to their well-recognised toxicity and especially due to the carcinogenic hazard which they present. PAHs are semi-volatile and therefore partition between vapour and condensed phases in the atmosphere and both the vapour and particulate forms undergo chemical reactions. This article briefly reviews the current understanding of vapour-particle partitioning of PAHs and the PAH deposition processes, and in greater detail, their chemical reactions. PAHs are reactive towards a number of atmospheric oxidants, most notably the hydroxyl radical, ozone, the nitrate radical (NO3) and nitrogen dioxide. Rate coefficient data are reviewed for reactions of lower molecular weight PAH vapour with these species as well as for heterogeneous reactions of higher molecular weight compounds. Whereas the data for reactions of the 2-3-ring PAH vapour are quite extensive and generally consistent, such data are mostly lacking for the 4-ring PAHs and the heterogeneous rate data (5 and more rings), which are dependent on the substrate type and reaction conditions, are less comprehensive. The atmospheric reactions of PAH lead to the formation of oxy and nitro derivatives, reviewed here, too. Finally, the capacity of PAHs for long range transport and the results of numerical model studies are described. Research needs are identified