A Bottom Up Procedure for Text Line Segmentation of Latin Script

In this paper we present a bottom up procedure for segmentation of text lines written or printed in the Latin script. The proposed method uses a combination of image morphology, feature extraction and Gaussian mixture model to perform this task. The experimental results show the validity of the procedure.Comment: Accepted and presented at the IEEE conference "International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI) 2017

Worldwide Reach of Short Selling Regulations

This dissertation characterizes the legality and incidence of short selling in a worldwide, multimarket framework. Home country short selling restrictions curtail home market stock borrowing by 45% and reduce short selling of the country\u27s ADRs by 68% due to regulatory reach. Also, the 2008 U.S. ban on short selling of financial firms reduced borrowing in foreign locations. These findings are robust to controls for option availability, enforcement, returns, firm-size, trading volume, dividends, ADR level, volatillity, days-to-cover, and industry sector. Further, investor conduct resulting from adherence to professional standards is a more powerful mechanism of regulatory reach than inter-goverment cooperation

Polygenic adaptation in changing environments

Although many phenotypic traits are determined by a large number of genetic variants, how a polygenic trait adapts in response to the changes in the environment is still poorly understood. Here we study the adaptation dynamics of a polygenic trait that is determined by a finite number of genetic loci in an infinitely large population which is evolving under stabilising selection and recurrent mutations. We find that in a changing environment, modeled here by a linearly moving phenotypic optimum, the mean trait also moves linearly with time. But its speed is smaller than that of the phenotypic optimum when the effect sizes of the genetic variants are small and approaches that of the environmental change for larger effect sizes. Our study thus highlights the influence of the genetic architecture of a polygenic trait on its adaptability

THE UNEXPLORED ROLES OF PROBIOTIC BACTERIA: IN VITRO ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM BM10 KY788342 AND LACTOBACILLUS CASEI GM10 KY794586

  Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro anti-inflammation activity and anthelmintic potential of two novel isolated probiotic strains through Enterococcus faecium BM10 KY788342 and Lactobacillus casei GM10 KY794586.Methods: In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using protein denaturation inhibition method. Pheretima posthuma was used as a suitable in vitro model, and time of paralysis and death were used as parameters to evaluate anthelmintic potential of probiotic strains.Results: Lyophilized solutions of L. casei GM10 showed significant protein denaturation inhibition (56.20±0.86%) followed by E. faecium BM10 (52.28±0.31%) comparable to diclofenac (93.62±1.39%) at the maximum concentration of 250 μg/ml. Intracellular cell-free extract of E. faecium BM10 showed a strong anthelmintic (vermicidal) activity (6±0.23 minutes), followed by L. casei GM10 (9±0.05 minutes) comparable to piperazine citrate (20±0.422 minutes) and albendazole (24±0.43 minutes) at the maximum concentration of 100 mg/ml.Conclusion: Results of the present study concluded that both tested lactic acid bacteria strains exhibited significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and can be used as potent and safe anthelmintic agent

SCREENING, CHARACTERIZATION, AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF PROBIOTIC PROPERTIES OF LACTOBACILLUS STRAINS

  Objective: The aim of the present investigation was to isolate and identify Lactobacillus strains from dairy and cattle dung samples. Potent isolates were selected for screening by antimicrobial activity; selected lactobacilli were further tested for probiotic properties and adhesive attributes.Methods: Lactobacilli were isolated aseptically on specific de man, rogosa and sharpe medium from dairy and cattle dung samples. Isolates were identified by Gram-staining, motility, catalase, endospore, and carbohydrate fermentation tests. Further, the isolates were screened for antimicrobial activity by disk diffusion assay, and potent lactobacilli were observed for probiotic properties: Acid and bile salt tolerance, gelatinase activity, and autolytic activity. For analyzing the adhesive attributes, isolates were observed for autoaggregation, coaggregation and microbial adhesion to solvents assay.Results: About 12 Lactobacillus strains among 98 isolates exhibited maximum antimicrobial activity were further selected for identifying their probiotic and adhesive attributes. Among 12 selected isolates, cell-free supernatant (CFS) of buffalo milk BM10 and goat milk GM10 showed excellent antimicrobial activity, 20.34±0.02 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 18.65±0.11 mm against Escherichia coli. Isolates showed survival at pH 2 and 3 and can tolerate 0.2-0.3% bile salt concentrations. The GM5 showed maximum autoaggregation (67.04±0.61%) and minimum coaggregation (11.51±0.50%) showed by GM3. The BM10 exhibited maximum adherent value 64.84±1.41% for n-hexadecane.Conclusion: The two lactobacilli, BM10 and GM10 identified as Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus pentosus on the basis of phenotypic and sugar utilization tests. The CFS of both lactobacilli can be used as antimicrobial agent. Both isolates showed significant results of probiotic and adhesive attributes, therefore, can be evaluated for clinical and therapeutic applications

STABILITY INDICATING RP-HPLC ASSAY METHOD FOR ESTIMATION OF DIMETHYL FUMARATE IN BULK AND CAPSULES

Objective: To develop an accurate, simple, precise and specific stability indicating RP-HPLC method for estimation of dimethyl fumarate in bulk and capsules.Methods: An Inertsil ODS (150x4.6 mm, 5µ) column and a mobile phase containing acetonitrile: potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer pH 6.8 (50:50% v/v) was used for this study. The flow rate was maintained at 1.0 ml/min; column temperature was fixed at 35 °C and UV detection was carried out at 210 nm. The forced degradation studies were performed and method was validated with as per ICH guidelines.Results: The retention time of dimethyl fumarate was found to be 3.3±0.02 min. The value of correlation coefficient between peak area and concentration was found to be 0.9993. The mean percent recovery of dimethyl fumarate in capsules was found in the range of 99.65 to 101.64%. The results of forced degradation studies indicated that the drug was found to be stable in basic, oxidative and thermal conditions while degraded in acidic conditions.Conclusion: It can be conducted from results that the developed HPLC method is simple, accurate, precise and specific. Results of stress testing study revealed that the method is stability indicating. Thus, this method can be used for routine analysis of dimethyl fumarate capsules and check their stability. Â

Importance of Routine Histopathological Examination of Gallbladder Specimen in Detecting Incidental Malignancies

Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common cancer of biliary tree and the 5th most common gastrointestinal malignancy.  An early diagnosis is essential as this malignancy progresses silently with a late diagnosis and poor prognosis. Epidemiological studies have identified striking geographic and ethnic variation with high occurrence in Southeast Asia, yet low elsewhere in the world. Gallbladder carcinoma, in 15-30% of patients, show  no preoperative  or intraoperative evidence and are detected only on histopathological examination. They are called as incidental gallbladder cancer (IGBC). The objective of this study was to find out the occurrence of IGBC in cholecystectomy specimens received in our histopathology laboratory and to analyze their clinico-pathological features. Methods: This was a prospective study carried out in the Department of Histopathology, Lumbini Medical College Teaching Hospital during a period of two years from May 2014 to April 2016. The study included 800 cases of cholecystectomized Gall bladder specimens. Result: Ninety seven percent of the specimens (n=776) revealed benign pathology. Malignancy was detected incidentally in 8 cases (1.25%). The mean age of patients with incidental Gall bladder carcinoma was 69 years (SD=4.1) and F:M ratio was 9:1. Out of 10 incidental malignancies, cholelithiesis was found in 8 (80%) cases. Fundus was the most common location (n=5, 50%) and focal fragile necrotic area was most common (n=3, 30%) gross morphology. On pathological staging, all the incidentally detected malignancies (n=10) were found to be in surgically resectable stages. Conclusion: IGBC was found in 1.25% of the gallbladder specimen. Detailed gross and histopathological examination of gallbladder specimen is mandatory for every cholecystectomy specimen, even for benign diseases, to detect incidental carcinoma at potentially curable stage

Histopathological Study of Endometrial Biopsy Specimens for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Introduction: Endometrial specimen for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is the one of the commonest specimens received in histopathology laboratory. Histopathological characteristics of endometrial tissues, as assessed by light microscopy, remains the diagnostic standard for the management of AUB. The objective of study is to find out the histopathological pattern of endometrium in AUB in the light of clinical details. Methods: This was a prospective observational study carried out in the department of Pathology, Lumbini Medical College Teaching Hospital for a period of two years from June 2014 to May 2016. Formalin fixed endometrial specimens were processed, paraffin embedded, sectioned at 3-4 µm, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and studied under light microscopy along with their demographics. Data were collected, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: The study included 100 cases of endometrial biopsy specimens with clinical diagnosis of AUB. Menstrual disturbances was found in wide age range between 17-75 years with the mean age of 45 (SD=13.36) years. Menorrhagia was the commonest (n=60, 60%) clinical presentation. Most (n=85; 85 %) endometrium had non-neoplastic lesions. Among them, normal endometrial patterns were commonest (n=50, 50 %). Neoplastic lesions (n=15, 15%) were distributed in all menstruation status with majority in postmenopause (n=7, 7%) and included malignant cases (n=5, 5%) among others. Conclusion: Post-menopausal bleeding was common presentation among women with malignant and premalignant disease which was present in 15% of the cases together. Timely evaluation of AUB  by histopathology can be life saving with early tissue diagnosis and management