Digitized Engineering Notebook

The GSURobotics.org is a Digitized Engineering web based application which will allow the students to upload projects details thru the website. Each team needs to create their account and can be able to create or edit their project details such as texts, images or even the team videos. It’s an annual robotics competition where in each team will be reviewed by a team of pioneers and awards will be facilitated to the team that shows creativity and innovation. The competition is completely online. Goals • Challenge students to apply skills in creative ways. • Encourage participation by the public and private firms. • Integrate technology and creativity skills. It’s a new application which can provide the following: • Competitions are open to all school clubs. • Each team can submit as many projects as they want. • There is no time limit for the projects. • Projects will be ranked for their creativity, structure, and their functions. • As per the project deadline the application will be released on April 17 2017. Methods or Algorithms: GSURobotics.com is a rock-solid web application and easy to navigate, dynamic web application with multiple features. We have planned to implement this project by using ASP.net technology for the front end and to store the data in the backend we will be using SQL server. The front page will guide for the team registration. Once the registration is done then the student can upload their project with the project documents, videos and images

In vivo experiments demonstrate the potent antileishmanial efficacy of repurposed suramin in visceral leishmaniasis

Background: Treatment failure and resistance to the commonly used drugs remains a major obstacle for successful chemotherapy against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Since the development of novel therapeutics involves exorbitant costs, the effectiveness of the currently available antitrypanosomatid drug suramin has been investigated as an antileishmanial, specifically for VL,in vitro and in animal model experiments. Methodology/Principal: Leishmania donovani promastigotes were treated with suramin and studies were performed to determine the extent and mode of cell mortality, cell cycle arrest and other in vitro parameters. In addition, L. donovani infected BALB/c mice were administered suramin and a host of immunological parameters determined to estimate the antileishmanial potency of the drug. Finally, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and enzymatic assays were used to probe the interaction of the drug with one of its putative targets namely parasitic phosphoglycerate kinase (LmPGK). Findings: The in vitro studies revealed the potential efficacy of suramin against the Leishmania parasite. This observation was further substantiated in the in vivo murine model, which demonstrated that upon suramin administration, the Leishmania infected BALB/c mice were able to reduce the parasitic burden and also generate the host protective immunological responses. ITC and enzyme assays confirmed the binding and consequent inhibition of LmPGK due to the drug. Conclusions/Significance: All experiments affirmed the efficacy of suramin against L. donovani infection, which could possibly lead to its inclusion in the repertoire of drugs against VL

SARS-CoV-2 epitopes inform future vaccination strategies

All currently approved COVID-19 vaccines utilize the spike protein as their immunogen. SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) contain mutations in the spike protein, enabling them to escape infection- and vaccination-induced immune responses to cause reinfection. New vaccines are hence being researched intensively. Studying SARS-CoV-2 epitopes is essential for vaccine design, as identifying targets of broadly neutralizing antibody responses and immunodominant T-cell epitopes reveal candidates for inclusion in next-generation COVID-19 vaccines. We summarize the major studies which have reported on SARS-CoV-2 antibody and T-cell epitopes thus far. These results suggest that a future of pan-coronavirus vaccines, which not only protect against SARS-CoV-2 but numerous other coronaviruses, may be possible. The T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 have gotten less attention than neutralizing antibody epitopes but may provide new strategies to control SARS-CoV-2 infection. T-cells target many SARS-CoV-2 antigens other than spike, recognizing numerous epitopes within these antigens, thereby limiting the chance of immune escape by VOCs that mainly possess spike protein mutations. Therefore, augmenting vaccination-induced T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 may provide adequate protection despite broad antibody escape by VOCs

Effects of a high-dose 24-h infusion of tranexamic acid on death and thromboembolic events in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding (HALT-IT): an international randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patients with trauma. Meta-analyses of small trials show that tranexamic acid might decrease deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding. We aimed to assess the effects of tranexamic acid in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: We did an international, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 164 hospitals in 15 countries. Patients were enrolled if the responsible clinician was uncertain whether to use tranexamic acid, were aged above the minimum age considered an adult in their country (either aged 16 years and older or aged 18 years and older), and had significant (defined as at risk of bleeding to death) upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients were randomly assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Patients received either a loading dose of 1 g tranexamic acid, which was added to 100 mL infusion bag of 0·9% sodium chloride and infused by slow intravenous injection over 10 min, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 g tranexamic acid added to 1 L of any isotonic intravenous solution and infused at 125 mg/h for 24 h, or placebo (sodium chloride 0·9%). Patients, caregivers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. The primary outcome was death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation; analysis excluded patients who received neither dose of the allocated treatment and those for whom outcome data on death were unavailable. This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN11225767, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658124. Findings: Between July 4, 2013, and June 21, 2019, we randomly allocated 12 009 patients to receive tranexamic acid (5994, 49·9%) or matching placebo (6015, 50·1%), of whom 11 952 (99·5%) received the first dose of the allocated treatment. Death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation occurred in 222 (4%) of 5956 patients in the tranexamic acid group and in 226 (4%) of 5981 patients in the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 0·99, 95% CI 0·82–1·18). Arterial thromboembolic events (myocardial infarction or stroke) were similar in the tranexamic acid group and placebo group (42 [0·7%] of 5952 vs 46 [0·8%] of 5977; 0·92; 0·60 to 1·39). Venous thromboembolic events (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) were higher in tranexamic acid group than in the placebo group (48 [0·8%] of 5952 vs 26 [0·4%] of 5977; RR 1·85; 95% CI 1·15 to 2·98). Interpretation: We found that tranexamic acid did not reduce death from gastrointestinal bleeding. On the basis of our results, tranexamic acid should not be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding outside the context of a randomised trial

In vitro evaluation of shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets bonded with different adhesives

Background: There is necessary of dry operating field for bonding of orthodontic brackets. The presence of moisture can alter the bond strength. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets with different adhesives. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, a total of 100 orthodontically extracted premolars with sound crown structure were divided into 4 equal groups of different primers. Bonding on the buccal surface of all teeth was done after acid etching with upper premolar brackets using different primers followed by light curing. Shear bond strength was evaluated with or without salivary contamination with both adhesives. A shear force for deboning the bracket was done with universal testing machine. The debonded specimens were examined at ×10 magnification to check site of bond failure and remaining adhesive on tooth using adhesive remnant index (ARI). The obtained data were statistically evaluated using SPSS 20 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) using ANOVA, Kolmogorov–Smirnov, and Levene's test at the statistical significance of P < 0.05. Results: Transbond Plus showed higher shear bond strength of 8.92 MPa under dry and 5.65 MPa with saliva contamination over Transbond XT of 7.24 MPa under dry and 2.43 MPa with saliva contamination, respectively. Higher ARI score was found without contamination in both adhesives. Conclusion: Transbond Plus hydrophilic resin had good shear bond strength under both dry and contamination condition compared to hydrophobic Transbond XT resin material