Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a cross sectional study

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disorders are two of the most common endocrine disorders in the general population. Both of these endocrine disorders share common predisposing factors, gynaecological features and have profound effect on reproductive function in women. The aim of this study is to study the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome and to evaluate the relationship between polycystic ovarian syndrome and thyroid dysfunction.Methods: This is a cross sectional observational study done on 100 patients with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome based on Rotterdam’s criteria. The exclusion criteria was hyperprolactinemia, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and virilising tumour. Thyroid function was evaluated by measurement of fasting serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine levels (free T3 and free T4).Results: The mean age of the study patients was 26±4.2 years. Among the study patients, 11% of them had goitre. 18% of the patients with presented with subclinical hypothyroidism. The mean TSH levels in the study patients was 4.62±2.12 mIU/ml. The overall prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 33% in the study patients with PCOS.Conclusions: This study concludes that the prevalence of hypothyroidism is increased in women with PCOS patients

PRINTING DEFECT IDENTIFICATION IN PHARMACEUTICAL BLISTERS USING IMAGE PROCESSING

 Objective: Our aim is to detect printing defects in pharmaceutical tablets from the manufacturing line using image processing techniques.Methods: The printed labels contain the details of the chemical composition, date of manufacture, date of expiry, manufacturing location, etc., images of the labels are obtained and processed using image processing algorithms to detect any defects on the labels before dispatch.Results: The printing defects on the labels such as missing letters, words, lines, and disorientation of alignments.Conclusion: Euclidean distance method was used for comparison that yielded 95% accuracy in removing tablets with printing defects

Information accountability for mobile financial applications

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 65-66).In this thesis, I designed and built three sets of applications for three different demographics - young people, elderly people, and people in the developing world - to enable them to be involved in their personal banking. Members of these demographics are not actively involved in their personal banking when compared to others. We believe that part of the discrepancy lies in the lack of convenience and accountability. Thus, we have developed applications, whereby the issues of convenience and accountability are addressed. The applications are built around mobile devices, which will likely make them accessible since members of these demographics are often on mobile devices. The applications are also built around rules that can be set by a responsible party, so that the users know exactly what can and cannot be done with their money (such as a father restricting the amount of money his son can withdraw, or what the money can be used for). Finally, we keep a history of every transaction, who initiated it, and an explanation given by the initiator so we can understand why it occurred. Using our applications, built around convenience and accountability, will allow banks to reach youth, elderly people, and people in the developing world in ways that they have not been able to previously.by Arun Karthik Saigal.M. Eng

Screening for Tuberculosis Co-Infection in HIV Infected Children

INTRODUCTION: India is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world, with over one billion inhabitants. Of this number, it's estimated that around 2.4 million people are currently living with HIV. In recent decades, the dramatic spread of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa has resulted in notification rates of TB increasing up to 10 times in some countries. The incidence of TB is also increasing in other high HIV prevalence countries, where the population with HIV infection and TB overlap. Even those countries with well organized national tuberculosis programs have seen an increase in TB cases. This is the underlying factor that suggests that TB control will not make much head way in HIV prevalent settings unless HIV control is also achieved. TB is the most common treatable HIV-related disease and a leading killer of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The World Health Organisation (WHO) cites TB treatment as one of the most cost-effective health interventions available – at a cost of only $10 for every year of life gained. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: As HIV progressively destroys the immune system, there is a greater chance of a child infected with HIV developing tuberculosis. The development of active TB accelerates the progression of HIV disease towards full-blown AIDS, because the replication rate of the HIV virus is increased during the active phase of TB. TB is curable, even in a children who is HIV positive. Curing an HIV positive children of TB not only improves their quality of life, and gives them several more years of life, it also reduces transmission to others in the community. TB is the most common treatable HIV-related disease and a leading killer of children living with HIV/AIDS. AIM OF THE STUDY: To screen for TB coinfection in HIV positive children registered in ART Centre , Madurai. DISCUSSION: 1.SEX DISTRIBUTION IN NEWLY DIAGNOSED CASES: Of the new HIV positive children, 57.7 %(n=26) and 42.2%(n=19) were male and female respectively. This was similar to S.Rajasekaran et al.,(40) study at Tambaram in which male & female children constituted 56.9 and 43.1 percent respectively . Male children outnumber female children by a small number. 2.CONTACT HISTORY: Of the 13 children screened positive for tuberculosis, 10 children ( 76.92%) had contact with an open case of TB and it was Statistically significant( p value <0.0001) This was similar to Ira shah et al(41) study in which 70.7% had contact with an adult suffering from TB Young children living in close contact with a source case of smear-positive pulmonary TB are at particular risk for TB infection and disease. The risk of infection is greatest if the contact is close and prolonged, such as that between an infant or toddler and the mother or other caregivers in the household. CONCLUSION: 1. HIV associated TB is a major public health problem. Tuberculosis co-infection in HIV infected children was found to be 12.6% in our study. This may be due to the impact of ART. ART has been shown to reduce the incidence of TB in treated cohorts even in high TB prevalence countries. 2. Source of childhood TB is usually an adult, who is in close contact with the children. 3. Mantoux is positive even in HIV- infected children. So mantoux is an important diagnostic tool even in HIV-infected children. 4. FNAC proved to be TB in only 2 cases . So Lymphnode – FNAC or biopsy is mandatory for children presenting with lymphadenopathy before starting empirical ATT. 5. With the conventional sputum positivity and Tuberculin test not providing an adequate diagnostic help, familiarity with clinco radiological spectrum of TB and HIV coinfection will help in early diagnosis

Silicate as the Probable Causative Agent for the Periodic Blooms in the Coastal Waters of South Andaman Sea

Periodic algal blooms of three diatom species such as Coscinodiscus centralis, Rhizosolenia alata and Rhizosolenia imbricata were observed during September 2011, December 2011 and March 2012 in the coastal waters of South Andaman Sea at Junglighat bay area (11° 39 N and 92° 43 E). The blooms were intense, with Coscinodiscus at a concentration of 89,000 cells mL-1 (contributing 85 to 98 % to the total phytoplankton population), Rhizosolenia alata at a concentration of 13,000 cells mL-1 (86-93 %) and Rhizosolenia imbricata at a concentration of 19,000 cells. mL-1 (91-99 %). Nutrients, most importantly nitrate and silicate have emerged as the key factors controlling phytoplankton growth in this area

Intracellular immune sensing promotes inflammation via gasdermin D–driven release of a lectin alarmin

Inflammatory caspase sensing of cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers pyroptosis and the concurrent release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Collectively, DAMPs are key determinants that shape the aftermath of inflammatory cell death. However, the identity and function of the individual DAMPs released are poorly defined. Our proteomics study revealed that cytosolic LPS sensing triggered the release of galectin-1, a β-galactoside-binding lectin. Galectin-1 release is a common feature of inflammatory cell death, including necroptosis. In vivo studies using galectin-1-deficient mice, recombinant galectin-1 and galectin-1-neutralizing antibody showed that galectin-1 promotes inflammation and plays a detrimental role in LPS-induced lethality. Mechanistically, galectin-1 inhibition of CD45 (Ptprc) underlies its unfavorable role in endotoxin shock. Finally, we found increased galectin-1 in sera from human patients with sepsis. Overall, we uncovered galectin-1 as a bona fide DAMP released as a consequence of cytosolic LPS sensing, identifying a new outcome of inflammatory cell death.Fil: Russo, Ashley J.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Vasudevan, Swathy O.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Mendez Huergo, Santiago Patricio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Kumari, Puja. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Menoret, Antoine. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Duduskar, Shivalee. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Wang, Chengliang. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Pérez Sáez, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Fettis, Margaret M.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Li, Chuan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Liu, Renjie. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Wanchoo, Arun. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Chandiran, Karthik. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Ruan, Jianbin. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Vanaja, Sivapriya Kailasan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Bauer, Michael. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Sponholz, Christoph. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Hudalla, Gregory A.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Vella, Anthony T.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Zhou, Beiyan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Deshmukh, Sachin D.. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rathinam, Vijay A.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados Unido