Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes

 Background: Diabetes mellitus, a leading cause of death worldwide, is the most common endocrine disorder. Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Thyroid Dysfunction (TD) often present together and complicate each other at many levels. Recent studies find out the prevalence of TD in T2D in Malwa Region. Objective of the purpose of this study was to find out the prevalence of TD in patients with T2D.Methods: A match cross-sectional study design was conducted at Department of Medicine, Sri Aurobindo Medical College, from March 2018 to April 2019. Source populations were all patients who live in Malwa Region, Indore. A total of 150 cases were enrolled in this study, 75 cases (TD in T2D) and 75 controls were taken into study.Results: There was no significant difference in age and body mass index (BMI) between groups. The average duration of diabetes was 7.76±5.57 years and mean Hemoglobin A1c (HBA1c) was 8.17±1.66%. Only 29(38.6%) of patients had HbA1c below 7%. There was significant difference (p=0.001) in HbA1c. Prevalence of TD in T2D was significantly more in females. Out of TD in T2D patients, sub-clinical hypothyroid was present in 14.6% hypothyroidism was present in 8% patients and sub-clinical hyperthyroidism and hyperthyroidism was present in 1.3% patients.Conclusions: This study reveals about one in four people living with T2D are suffering from TD in Malwa Region. TD is common in T2D patients and can produce significant metabolic disturbances

Primary malignant melanoma of breast: A unique case report

Malignant melanoma is a clinical entity that occurs commonly in the skin, mucous membrane, and choroid; its occurrence in breast tissue is extremely rare. Evidence suggests that most malignant melanoma cases present as a metastatic manifestation of primary cutaneous melanoma. It is rare to find primary malignant melanoma of breast tissue. There is a dearth of data on this topic in the academic literature; moreover, there are no standard guidelines or consensus statements available on the management of primary malignant melanoma of the breast. Therefore, we, herein, report one such rare case of malignant melanoma with breast as its primary site

Drug utilization study of antimicrobial agents in patients of neonatal sepsis in neonatal intensive care unit at a tertiary care hospital in western part of India

Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the major causes of death and morbidity among neonates in India; however, studies related to neonatal sepsis are somewhat in limited numbers. Furthermore, time to time sensitivity and efficacy of various antimicrobial agents (AMA) change which necessitates studies related to antimicrobial drug utilization in hospitals. The objective of present study was to evaluate the pattern of use of AMAs in neonatal sepsis at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a tertiary care hospital in western part of India.Methods: It was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted over a period of 6-month duration in NICU at tertiary care hospital. Data were collected and analyzed.Results: It has been observed that 57.67% patients were pre-term, 42.32% full term; 23.28% were of normal birth weight, 58.73% low birth weight and 15.34% were very low birth weight. In 48.7% of patients, two different antibiotics were prescribed while in 40.1% of patients three different antibiotics were prescribed. A total number of antibiotics prescribed were 499, per patient 2.78 antibiotics were prescribed. Amikacin was used in 73.01% cases while cefotaxime was used in 64.55% of cases. Piperacilin + tazobactam combination was used in 41.26% cases. In 50.9% cases, antibiotics were prescribed by generic name.Conclusion: Antibiotic resistance is increasing due to the irrational prescribing habits of physicians, leading to increasing morbidity, mortality and treatment costs. Therefore, the medical professionals as well as government personnel who are related to the health sector need to understand that antibiotics are precious and finite resources. The remedy of this situation requires that regular educational awareness programs should be conducted in hospitals at a regular basis

Optimal iterative methods for finding multiple roots of nonlinear equations using free parameters

[EN] In this paper, we propose a family of optimal eighth order convergent iterative methods for multiple roots with known multiplicity with the introduction of two free parameters and three univariate weight functions. Also numerical experiments have applied to a number of academical test functions and chemical problems for different special schemes from this family that satisfies the conditions given in convergence result.This research was partially supported by Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad MTM2014-52016-C02-2-P and Generalitat Valenciana PROMETEO/2016/089.Zafar, F.; Cordero Barbero, A.; Quratulain, R.; Torregrosa Sánchez, JR. (2018). Optimal iterative methods for finding multiple roots of nonlinear equations using free parameters. Journal of Mathematical Chemistry. 56(7):1884-1901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10910-017-0813-1S18841901567R. Behl, A. Cordero, S.S. Motsa, J.R. Torregrosa, On developing fourth-order optimal families of methods for multiple roots and their dynamics. Appl. Math. Comput. 265(15), 520–532 (2015)R. Behl, A. Cordero, S.S. Motsa, J.R. Torregrosa, V. Kanwar, An optimal fourth-order family of methods for multiple roots and its dynamics. Numer. Algor. 71(4), 775–796 (2016)R. Behl, A. Cordero, S.S. Motsa, J.R. Torregrosa, An eighth-order family of optimal multiple root finders and its dynamics. Numer. Algor. (2017). doi: 10.1007/s11075-017-0361-6F.I. Chicharro, A. Cordero, J. R. Torregrosa, Drawing dynamical and parameters planes of iterative families and methods. Sci. World J. ID 780153 (2013)A. Constantinides, N. Mostoufi, Numerical Methods for Chemical Engineers with MATLAB Applications (Prentice Hall PTR, New Jersey, 1999)J.M. Douglas, Process Dynamics and Control, vol. 2 (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1972)Y.H. Geum, Y.I. Kim, B. Neta, A class of two-point sixth-order multiple-zero finders of modified double-Newton type and their dynamics. Appl. Math. Comput. 270, 387–400 (2015)Y.H. Geum, Y.I. Kim, B. Neta, A sixth-order family of three-point modified Newton-like multiple-root finders and the dynamics behind their extraneous fixed points. Appl. Math. Comput. 283, 120–140 (2016)J.L. Hueso, E. Martınez, C. Teruel, Determination of multiple roots of nonlinear equations and applications. J. Math. Chem. 53, 880–892 (2015)L.O. Jay, A note on Q-order of convergence. BIT Numer. Math. 41, 422–429 (2001)S. Li, X. Liao, L. Cheng, A new fourth-order iterative method for finding multiple roots of nonlinear equations. Appl. Math. Comput. 215, 1288–1292 (2009)S.G. Li, L.Z. Cheng, B. Neta, Some fourth-order nonlinear solvers with closed formulae for multiple roots. Comput. Math. Appl. 59, 126–135 (2010)B. Liu, X. Zhou, A new family of fourth-order methods for multiple roots of nonlinear equations. Nonlinear Anal. Model. Control 18(2), 143–152 (2013)M. Shacham, Numerical solution of constrained nonlinear algebraic equations. Int. J. Numer. Method Eng. 23, 1455–1481 (1986)M. Sharifi, D.K.R. Babajee, F. Soleymani, Finding the solution of nonlinear equations by a class of optimal methods. Comput. Math. Appl. 63, 764–774 (2012)J.R. Sharma, R. Sharma, Modified Jarratt method for computing multiple roots. Appl. Math. Comput. 217, 878–881 (2010)F. Soleymani, D.K.R. Babajee, T. Lofti, On a numerical technique forfinding multiple zeros and its dynamic. J. Egypt. Math. Soc. 21, 346–353 (2013)F. Soleymani, D.K.R. Babajee, Computing multiple zeros using a class of quartically convergent methods. Alex. Eng. J. 52, 531–541 (2013)R. Thukral, A new family of fourth-order iterative methods for solving nonlinear equations with multiple roots. J. Numer. Math. Stoch. 6(1), 37–44 (2014)R. Thukral, Introduction to higher-order iterative methods for finding multiple roots of nonlinear equations. J. Math. Article ID 404635 (2013)X. Zhou, X. Chen, Y. Song, Constructing higher-order methods for obtaining the muliplte roots of nonlinear equations. J. Comput. Math. Appl. 235, 4199–4206 (2011)X. Zhou, X. Chen, Y. Song, Families of third and fourth order methods for multiple roots of nonlinear equations. Appl. Math. Comput. 219, 6030–6038 (2013

Cloning of a novel malignant melanoma-derived growth-regulatory protein, MIA

Growth and progression of malignant melanoma cells is influenced by a complex network of growth-stimulating and -inhibiting factors produced by both the tumor cells and the local environment. Here we report the purification and molecular cloning of a novel growth regulating protein, designated melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) and provide a preliminary functional characterization. MIA is translated as a 131-amino acid precursor and processed into a mature 107-amino acid protein after cleavage of a putative secretion signal. A murine complementary DNA was isolated that encoded a MIA-protein with 88% amino acid identity. MIA is secreted into the culture supernatant by several malignant melanoma cell lines as an M(r) 11,000 autocrine growth factor and acts as a potent tumor cell growth inhibitor for malignant melanoma cells and some other neuroectodermal tumors, including gliomas. MIA has no homology to any other known protein and, therefore, represents a novel type of growth-regulatory factor. Furthermore, we describe a molecular approach to express functionally active MIA in Escherichia coli, which might be attractive as a future antitumor therapeutical substance

Registration of ‘LCS Compass’ Wheat

‘LCS Compass’ (Reg. No. CV-1149, PI 675458), a hard red winter (HRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), was developed and tested as VA10HRW-13 and co-released by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and Limagrain Cereal Seeds, LLC, in 2015. LCS Compass was derived from the cross ‘Vision 20’ /‘Stanof’ using a modified bulk breeding method. LCS Compass is a widely adapted, high-yielding, awned, semidwarf (Rht1) HRW wheat with early to medium maturity and resistance or moderate resistance to diseases prevalent in the mid-Atlantic and Great Plains regions of the United States. In the 2013 Uniform Bread Wheat Trial conducted over 18 locations in eastern states, LCS Compass produced an average grain yield of 4609 kg ha−1 that was similar to ‘Vision 30’ (4697 kg ha−1). In the northern Great Plains, the average grain yield of LCS Compass (4015 kg ha−1) over 44 locations in 2013 was similar to ‘Jerry’ (4013 kg ha−1). In the South Dakota crop zone 3 variety test, LCS Compass had a 3-yr (2015–2017) yield average of 5575 kg ha−1 and was one of highest-yielding cultivars among the 19 cultivars tested over the 3-yr period. LCS Compass has good end-use quality in both the eastern and Great Plains regions of the United States

Mitochondrial Superoxide Contributes to Blood Flow and Axonal Transport Deficits in the Tg2576 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive decline in cognitive functions and the deposition of aggregated amyloid beta (Abeta) into senile plaques and the protein tau into tangles. In addition, a general state of oxidation has long been known to be a major hallmark of the disease. What is not known however, are the mechanisms by which oxidative stress contributes to the pathology of AD.In the current study, we used a mouse model of AD and genetically boosted its ability to quench free radicals of specific mitochondrial origin. We found that such manipulation conferred to the AD mice protection against vascular as well as neuronal deficits that typically affect them. We also found that the vascular deficits are improved via antioxidant modulation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme primarily responsible for the production of nitric oxide, while neuronal deficits are improved via modulation of the phosphorylation status of the protein tau, which is a neuronal cytoskeletal stabilizer.These findings directly link free radicals of specific mitochondrial origin to AD-associated vascular and neuronal pathology

Neuropathologic Correlates of Hippocampal Atrophy in the Elderly: A Clinical, Pathologic, Postmortem MRI Study

The volume of the hippocampus measured with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the neuropathologic basis of structural MRI changes in the hippocampus in the elderly has not been directly assessed. Postmortem MRI of the aging human brain, combined with histopathology, could be an important tool to address this issue. Therefore, this study combined postmortem MRI and histopathology in 100 elderly subjects from the Rush Memory and Aging Project and the Religious Orders Study. First, to validate the information contained in postmortem MRI data, we tested the hypothesis that postmortem hippocampal volume is smaller in subjects with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease compared to subjects with mild or no cognitive impairment, as observed in antemortem imaging studies. Subsequently, the relations of postmortem hippocampal volume to AD pathology, Lewy bodies, amyloid angiopathy, gross infarcts, microscopic infarcts, and hippocampal sclerosis were examined. It was demonstrated that hippocampal volume was smaller in persons with a clinical diagnosis of AD compared to those with no cognitive impairment (P = 2.6×10−7) or mild cognitive impairment (P = 9.6×10−7). Additionally, hippocampal volume was related to multiple cognitive abilities assessed proximate to death, with its strongest association with episodic memory. Among all pathologies investigated, the most significant factors related to lower hippocampal volume were shown to be AD pathology (P = 0.0018) and hippocampal sclerosis (P = 4.2×10−7). Shape analysis allowed for visualization of the hippocampal regions most associated with volume loss for each of these two pathologies. Overall, this investigation confirmed the relation of hippocampal volume measured postmortem to clinical diagnosis of AD and measures of cognition, and concluded that both AD pathology and hippocampal sclerosis affect hippocampal volume in old age, though the impacts of each pathology on the shape of the hippocampus may differ

Activation of synovial fibroblasts from patients at revision of their metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: The toxicity of released metallic particles generated in metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) using cobalt chromium (CoCr) has raised concerns regarding their safety amongst both surgeons and the public. Soft tissue changes such as pseudotumours and metallosis have been widely observed following the use of these implants, which release metallic by-products due to both wear and corrosion. Although activated fibroblasts, the dominant cell type in soft tissues, have been linked to many diseases, the role of synovial fibroblasts in the adverse reactions caused by CoCr implants remains unknown. To investigate the influence of implants manufactured from CoCr, the periprosthetic synovial tissues and synovial fibroblasts from patients with failed MoM THA, undergoing a revision operation, were analysed and compared with samples from patients undergoing a primary hip replacement, in order to elucidate histological and cellular changes. RESULTS: Periprosthetic tissue from patients with MoM implants was characterized by marked fibrotic changes, notably an increase in collagen content from less than 20% to 45-55%, an increase in α-smooth muscle actin positive cells from 4 to 9% as well as immune cells infiltration. Primary cell culture results demonstrated that MoM synovial fibroblasts have a decreased apoptosis rate from 14 to 6% compared to control synovial fibroblasts. In addition, synovial fibroblasts from MoM patients retained higher contractility and increased responsiveness to chemotaxis in matrix contraction. Their mechanical properties at a single cell level increased as observed by a 60% increase in contraction force and higher cell stiffness (3.3 kPa in MoM vs 2.18 kPa in control), as measured by traction force microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Further, fibroblasts from MoM patients promoted immune cell invasion by secreting monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1, CCL2) and induced monocyte differentiation, which could also be associated with excess accumulation of synovial macrophages. CONCLUSION: Synovial fibroblasts exposed in vivo to MoM THA implants that release CoCr wear debris displayed dramatic phenotypic alteration and functional changes. These findings unravelled an unexpected effect of the CoCr alloy and demonstrated an important role of synovial fibroblasts in the undesired tissue reactions caused by MoM THAs