Bertolotti's Syndrome , An Important Etiology of Low Back Pain On X ray Lumbo-sacral Spine Among Young Population

Objective:  To find out frequency of Bertolotti’s syndrome on X–ray lumbosacral spine in young adults having low backache.Methodology:This is retrospective descriptive cross sectional study done in Radiology Department POF hospital Wah Cantt, from Nov 2017 to Oct 2019. Sample size was 600 X-ray lumbosacral spine of patients with low back pain between 15-40 years of age. 200 cases with history of trauma were excluded. Data analysis of 400 included cases was done by SPSS-22. Percentage of etiologies of low backache, lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV), Bertolotti’s syndrome and Castellvi types of LSTV was calculated. Mean age with SD and percentage of gender distribution among cases of Bertolotti’s syndrome was calculated.Results: Among 400 patients, 120 (30%) had LSTV, 264 (66%)  had muscle spasm, 6(1.5%) had Pott’s disease and 10 (2.5%) had spinal metastasis. 120 patients with LSTV, 32 ( 26.6%)  had Bertolotti’s syndrome and 88(73.3%) had normal transverse processes. Mean age with Bertolotti syndrome was 29.96+0.417 years. 20 patients (62%, n=32) were female and 12 (37.5%, n=32) were male. Among 32 patients with Bertolotti’s syndrome, 4 (12.5%) were Castellvi type–I, 10 (31.25%) were Castellvi type-II, 12 (37.5%) were Castellvi type-III and 6 (18.7%) were Castellvi type- IV.Conclusion: Bertolotti’s syndrome is a frequently observed etiology of backache in young patients. Importance of imaging is not only in the diagnosis but also in identification and exact enumeration of LSTV, to avoid unintended level treatment

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Placental Thickness Measured By Ultrasonography In The Detection Of Intrauterine Growth Restricted (IUGR) Babies Keeping Actual Birth Weight As Gold Standard

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the placental thickness measured by ultrasound in detecting IUGR babies keeping actual birth weight as the gold standard. Methods: This cross-sectional validation study was conducted in the Department of Radiology P.O.F Hospital Wah Cantt. The data was gathered over a period of six months, from 06-19-2017 to 12-18-2017. A total of 125 patients were included in this study. All pregnant women were examined by the greyscale and Doppler ultrasonography using a color Doppler scanner with a 5.0 MHz convex probe. Placental thickness was measured as the distance between the echogenic line of the chorionic plate and the hypoechoic myometrium. The pregnant females were followed till childbirth and the weight of the baby at birth was recorded. Results: Patients ranged between 20-35 years of age. The average age of the study participants was 27.6±3.3 years, the mean gestational age was 34.2±3.0 weeks, the mean BMI was 23.5±1.3 (kg/m2), and the mean parity was 1.1±1.0. We found a sensitivity of 65.5%, specificity of 83.3%, Positive Predictive Value( PPV) of 98.7%, Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 10.8%, and diagnostic accuracy of 66.4% for antenatal prediction of IUGR based on placental thickness measurement. Stratification for age and gestational age was also carried out. Conclusion: Placental thickness on ultrasonography can be used as a reliable marker for detecting IUGR babies with an accuracy of 6.4%

Functional Characterization of Amphipathic alpha-Helix in the Osmoregulatory ABC Transporter OpuA

The ATP-binding-cassette transporter OpuA from Lactococcus lactis is composed of two ATPase subunits (OpuAA) and two subunits (OpuABC) with the transmembrane domain fused to an extracellular substrate-binding protein. Of the almost 1900 homologues of OpuA known to date, a subset has an amino-terminal amphipathic helix (plus extra transmembrane segment) fused to the core of the transmembrane domain of the OpuABC subunit. FRET measurements indicate that the amphipathic alpha-helix is located close to the membrane surface, where its hydrophobic face interacts with the transport protein rather than the membrane lipids. Next, we determined the functional role of this accessory region by engineering the amphipathic alpha-helix. We analyzed the consequence of the mutations in intact cells by monitoring growth and transport of glycine betaine under normal and osmotic stress conditions. More detailed studies were performed in hybrid membrane vesicles, proteoliposomes, and bilayer nanodisks. We show that the amphipathic alpha-helix of OpuA is necessary for high activity of OpuA but is not critical for the biogenesis of the protein or the ionic regulation of transport

Ligand Binding and Crystal Structures of the Substrate-Binding Domain of the ABC Transporter OpuA

Background: The ABC transporter OpuA from Lactococcus lactis transports glycine betaine upon activation by threshold values of ionic strength. In this study, the ligand binding characteristics of purified OpuA in a detergent-solubilized state and of its substrate-binding domain produced as soluble protein (OpuAC) was characterized. Principal Findings: The binding of glycine betaine to purified OpuA and OpuAC (KD=4–6 µM) did not show any salt dependence or cooperative effects, in contrast to the transport activity. OpuAC is highly specific for glycine betaine and the related proline betaine. Other compatible solutes like proline and carnitine bound with affinities that were 3 to 4 orders of magnitude lower. The low affinity substrates were not noticeably transported by membrane-reconstituted OpuA. OpuAC was crystallized in an open (1.9 Å) and closed-liganded (2.3 Å) conformation. The binding pocket is formed by three tryptophans (Trp-prism) coordinating the quaternary ammonium group of glycine betaine in the closed-liganded structure. Even though the binding site of OpuAC is identical to that of its B. subtilis homolog, the affinity for glycine betaine is 4-fold higher. Conclusions: Ionic strength did not affect substrate binding to OpuA, indicating that regulation of transport is not at the level of substrate binding, but rather at the level of translocation. The overlap between the crystal structures of OpuAC from L.lactis and B.subtilis, comprising the classical Trp-prism, show that the differences observed in the binding affinities originate from outside of the ligand binding site.

Surveillance of molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), Pakistan

This molecular epidemiological study was designed to determine the antimalarial drug resistance pattern, and the genetic diversity of malaria isolates collected from a war-altered Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), in Pakistan. Clinical isolates were collected from Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai and Kurram agencies of FATA region between May 2017 and May 2018, and they underwent DNA extraction and amplification. The investigation of gene polymorphisms in drug resistance genes (dhfr, dhps, crt, and mdr1) of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax was carried out by pyrosequencing and Sanger sequencing, respectively. Out of 679 PCR-confirmed malaria samples, 523 (77%) were P. vivax, 121 (18%) P. falciparum, and 35 (5%) had mixed-species infections. All P. falciparum isolates had pfdhfr double mutants (C59R+S108N), while pfdhfr/pfdhps triple mutants (C59R+S108N+A437G) were detected in 11.5% of the samples. About 97.4% of P. falciparum isolates contained pfcrt K76T mutation, while pfmdr1 N86Y and Y184F mutations were present in 18.2% and 10.2% of the samples. P. vivax pvdhfr S58R mutation was present in 24.9% of isolates and the S117N mutation in 36.2%, while no mutation in the pvdhps gene was found. Pvmdr1 F1076L mutation was found in nearly all samples, as it was observed in 98.9% of isolates. No significant anti-folate and chloroquine resistance was observed in P. vivax; however, mutations associated with antifolate-resistance were found, and the chloroquine-resistant gene has been observed in 100% of P. falciparum isolates. Chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance were found to be high in P. falciparum and low in P. vivax. Chloroquine could still be used for P. vivax infection but need to be tested in vivo, whereas a replacement of the artemisinin combination therapy for P. falciparum appears to be justified

Microbial Fuel Cell Formulation from Nano-Composites

Petroleum and oil industry is a rich source of nonrenewable energy that ultimately results in threatening of ecosystem due to emission of greenhouse gases into the environment. In the current panorama of the energy demand, industries focus on alternate and renewable energy resources to meet energy gaps. Thus, an expedient fuel cell based on microbes can be valued as an economical and ecofriendly substitute of energy generator. These microbial fuel cells have commercialized platinum electrodes to generate cost-effective energy after oxidation of organic wastes catalyzed by biocatalyst. Nowadays, conventional carbon electrode as an anode is taking popularity in microbial fuel cell but displays poor performance. So, to improve the chemistry of electrodes, nano-composites fabricated from polar polymeric material as well as cost-effective oxides of metals are the raw material. In this chapter, green synthesis of nano-composites from conducting polymers and oxides of transition metals has been discussed. Anode modification by composite to treat wastewater as well as its role to generate electricity has been discussed briefly

Fuzzy Analysis of Artificial Drug Transmission Model with Optimal Control

This article presents an artificial drug abusers system consolidating the impact of treatment with psychological and physiological addicts under fuzzy parameters. In the fuzzy model, all of the parameters are considered to be triangular fuzzy numbers to represent the uncertainty that pervaded the dynamics. To handle the arrangements while avoiding problems, the fuzzy model is turned into a defuzzified model using the utility function method. The fuzzy model’s positivity and boundedness are carefully explored, and an equilibrium analysis is also completed. Both the drug-addict equilibrium and the drug-free equilibrium have established stability analyses. This article explains fuzzy optimum control using Pontryagin’s maximum principle. Finally, it is shown that the treatment alongside counselling and conducting awareness programs is more fruitful and drug-related controlling is more viable in the fuzzy nature. Likewise, we plot the 3D associations with fuzzy parameters which show the inventiveness and appropriateness of the results.2022-2