Variation Iteration Method for Solving Ethanol and Acetaldehyde Concentrations in a Fixed Bed Laboratory Reactor

In this paper, we investigate the effects of nonlinear behaviour of the dimensionless concentrations of the ethanol and acetaldehyde in a fixed bed laboratory reactor. The work is based on solving the nonlinear differential equation of concentration of the ethanol and acetaldehyde by means of the He’s variational iteration method (VIM). Also, the numerical simulation (4th order Runge – Kutta method) is reported using Matlab software. The analytical solutions are compared with numerical results in order to achieve conclusions based on not only for accuracy and efficiency of the solutions, but also the simplicity of the taken procedures which would have remarkable effects on the time devoted for solving process. The analytical result reported in this work is useful to understand the behaviour of the system. Furthermore, due to the accuracy and convergence of obtained solutions, it is proved that the VIM could be applied through other nonlinear problems even with high nonlinearity

Role of Tc-99m MDP bone scan in evaluation of osteoid osteoma at varied locations

Background: Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor; diagnosed using x-ray and Computer Tomography (CT). It shows a nidus and cortical thickening. When the nidus is not well visualised especially in uncommon locations; Bone Scan (BS) can be performed for evaluation of osteoid osteoma.Methods: A retrospective observational study was done where 21 subjects presenting with suspicion of osteoid osteoma underwent BS using 10-20mCi (370 to 740MBq) of Technetium-99m Pertechnetate with perfusion, delayed cortical and Single Photon Emission Tomography/Computer Tomography (SPECT/CT). Increased perfusion and delayed focal cortical uptake was assessed on BS to locate osteoid osteoma. Response evaluation to Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was also performed using BS.Results: Osteoid osteoma was detected in femur (8), spine (3), forearm bones (2), humerus (2), tibia (2), fibula in one and iliac bone in one patient using BS. BS detected more lesions (18) than CT scan where nidus as confirmatory sign was seen in 13 lesions. The McNemar test showed no significant difference (p=0.22) in the detection of osteoid osteoma using CT and BS in common location of femur. However there was significant difference noted between BS and CT in uncommon site (p=0.023). 3/8 patients showed persistent increased cortical activity after RFA ablation on BS.Conclusions: BS was more useful for confirmation of diagnosis of Osteoid osteoma for lesions in uncommon sites. BS also helped to assess response to RFA ablation therapy. SPECT/CT improved interpretation of BS to locate the osteoid osteoma

ANTI-DIABETIC ACTIVITY OF TRADITIONAL POLYHERBAL FORMULATION: DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION

Herbal therapy has emerged as a prominent therapeutic approach for a wide range of ailments. In tandem with a nutritious diet and lifestyle, these interventions aim to address certain health objectives by supplying each cell with the most suitable and advantageous nourishment. There exists a botanical alternative for each synthetic medicine now available. Material and Methods: The herbs utilized in the formulation were obtained from reputable vendors and subsequently verified by Department of Life Sciences, Garden City University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. For the purpose of standardizing raw materials, shade-dried powdered plant parts from the plants Berberis aristata (dried stem), Terminalia chebula (pericarp of matured fruit), Emblica officinalis (pericarp of dried mature fruit), Terminalalia belerica (pericarp of dried ripe fruit), and Cyperus rotundus (dried rhizome) are used. Results: Blood glucose and lipid profiles were taken first thing in the morning. The formulation had a significant impact when compared to the typical range before diabetes was introduced. Total cholesterol, bad LDL cholesterol, and bad triglyceride levels were all reduced while HDL levels were increased. The phytochemical investigation backed up the claim that flavonoids were present. This may explain why it has such a dramatic impact on treating diabetes. It is recommended that future clinical trials be conducted in Human Volunteers, and that stability studies be conducted on the manufactured polyherbal capsules. Conclusion: The oldest type of therapy, herbal remedies are used to identify and treat illnesses. An animal model was used to assess the antidiabetic potency of five raw materials that were chosen for formulation into polyherbal capsules. The capsules significantly improved the lipid profile and fasting blood glucose indices, as well as their anti-diabetic efficacy. Future use is advised to pursue additional stability research and clinical trials

Study Protocol: insulin and its role in cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies have shown that metabolic syndrome and its consequent biochemical derangements in the various phases of diabetes may contribute to carcinogenesis. A part of this carcinogenic effect could be attributed to hyperinsulinism. High levels of insulin decrease the production of IGF-1 binding proteins and hence increase levels of free IGF-1. It is well established that bioactivity of free insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) increases tumor turnover rate. The objective is to investigate the role of insulin resistance/sensitivity in carcinogenesis by studying the relation between insulin resistance/sensitivity and IGF-1 levels in cancer patients. We postulate that hyperinsulinaemia which prevails during initial phases of insulin resistance (condition prior to overt diabetes) increases bioactivity of free IGF-1, which may contribute to process of carcinogenesis.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Based on our pilot study results and power analysis of the same, we have designed a two group case-control study. 800 proven untreated cancer patients (solid epithelial cell tumors) under age of 50 shall be recruited with 200 healthy subjects serving as controls. Insulin resistance/sensitivity and free IGF-1 levels shall be determined in all subjects. Association between the two parameters shall be tested using suitable statistical methods.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Well controlled studies in humans are essential to study the link between insulin resistance, hyperinsulinaemia, IGF-1 and carcinogenesis. This study could provide insights to the role of insulin, insulin resistance, IGF-1 in carcinogenesis although a precise role and the extent of influence cannot be determined. In future, cancer prevention and treatment strategies could revolve around insulin and insulin resistance.</p

mTOR regulates MAPKAPK2 translation to control the senescence-associated secretory phenotype

Senescent cells secrete a combination of factors collectively known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The SASP reinforces senescence and activates an immune surveillance response, but it can also show pro-tumorigenic properties and contribute to age-related pathologies. In a drug screen to find new SASP regulators, we uncovered the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin as a potent SASP suppressor. Here we report a mechanism by which mTOR controls the SASP by differentially regulating the translation of the MK2 (also known as MAPKAPK2) kinase through 4EBP1. In turn, MAPKAPK2 phosphorylates the RNA-binding protein ZFP36L1 during senescence, inhibiting its ability to degrade the transcripts of numerous SASP components. Consequently, mTOR inhibition or constitutive activation of ZFP36L1 impairs the non-cell-autonomous effects of senescent cells in both tumour-suppressive and tumour-promoting contexts. Altogether, our results place regulation of the SASP as a key mechanism by which mTOR could influence cancer, age-related diseases and immune responses

Patterning in Birthweight in India: Analysis of Maternal Recall and Health Card Data

National data on birthweight from birth certificates or medical records are not available in India. The third Indian National Family Health Survey included data on birthweight of children obtained from health cards and maternal recall. This study aims to describe the population that these data represent and compares the birthweight obtained from health cards with maternal recall data in terms of its socioeconomic patterning and as a risk factor for childhood growth failure.The analytic sample consisted of children aged 0 to 59 months with birthweight data obtained from health cards (n = 3227) and maternal recall (n = 16,787). The difference between the card sample and the maternal recall sample in the distribution across household wealth, parental education, caste, religion, gender, and urban residence was compared using multilevel models. We also assessed the ability of birthweight to predict growth failure in infancy and childhood in the two groups. The survey contains birthweight data from a majority of household wealth categories (>5% in every category for recall), both genders, all age groups, all caste groups, all religion groups, and urban and rural dwellers. However, children from the lowest quintile of household wealth were under-represented (4.73% in card and 8.62% in recall samples). Comparison of data across health cards and maternal recall revealed similar social patterning of low birthweight and ability of birthweight to predict growth failure later in life. Children were less likely to be born with low birthweight if they had mothers with over 12 years of education compared to 1-5 years of education with relative risk (RR) of 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52, 1.2) in the card sample and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.84) in the recall sample. A 100 gram difference in a child's birthweight was associated with a decreased likelihood of underweight in both the card (RR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.94, 0.96) and recall (RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.96, 0.97) samples.Our results suggest that in the absence of other sources, the data on birthweight in the third Indian National Family Health Survey is valuable for epidemiologic research

Cohesin-dependence of neuronal gene expression relates to chromatin loop length

Cohesin and CTCF are major drivers of 3D genome organization, but their role in neurons is still emerging. Here, we show a prominent role for cohesin in the expression of genes that facilitate neuronal maturation and homeostasis. Unexpectedly, we observed two major classes of activity-regulated genes with distinct reliance on cohesin in mouse primary cortical neurons. Immediate early genes (IEGs) remained fully inducible by KCl and BDNF, and short-range enhancer-promoter contacts at the IEGs Fos formed robustly in the absence of cohesin. In contrast, cohesin was required for full expression of a subset of secondary response genes characterized by long-range chromatin contacts. Cohesin-dependence of constitutive neuronal genes with key functions in synaptic transmission and neurotransmitter signaling also scaled with chromatin loop length. Our data demonstrate that key genes required for the maturation and activation of primary cortical neurons depend on cohesin for their full expression, and that the degree to which these genes rely on cohesin scales with the genomic distance traversed by their chromatin contacts. Editor'