A review on Mundi (Sphaeranthus indicus Linn) - Its medicinal value in Hypothyroidism

Thyroid dysfunctions are the most common endocrine abnormalities of which major ones are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hormone replacement therapy has been a standard approach to thyroid dysfunction. However, herbal approach to treatment of thyroid dysfunction is gaining popularity as it is said to be equally effective, safe and devoid of any side effects. The synthesis and transport of thyroid hormones play a vital role in the normal physiology and functioning of thyroid hormones. HPT axis with its negative feedback mechanism helps in maintaining normal hormone levels. The level of TSH is the primary indicator of hypothyroidism and a thorough evaluation is needed to know the pathology behind before starting hormone supplementation therapy. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Autoimmune Thyroiditis are the two main pathogenesis involved in the manifestation of hypothyroidism. While analysing the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism in Ayurvedic view, It can be understand with the involvement of all Srotas. The Kaphadosha and Vatadosha Vruddhi is elicited and Pitta Doshakshaya is seen. Though some physicians consider it as a Sthanikavyadhi under Galagandaroga, it’s Dushti Lakshanas are seen in whole body. Ayurvedic system of medicine has been very effective in maintenance and treatment of hypothyroiditis. Mundi (Sphaeranthus indicus Linn) is one such drug which is endowed with properties like Gandanashini, Vatasleshmahara, Agnikruth and Rasayana. This review aims at providing comprehensive information regarding Mundi (Sphaeranthus indicus Linn) used in Ayurveda acting towards correction of thyroid dysfunction

Expansion of Metallic Cylinders under Explosive Loading

The behaviour of expanding metallic cylinders under explosive loading was studied. Using ultra high speed photography, the expansion characteristics of aluminium and copper metallic cylinders have been evaluated with different c/m ratio, and by changing the nature of high explosive. The results obtained are comparable to those predicted by the Gurney's energy and momentum balance equations. A cylinder test has been established for comparative to the metal by octol, TNT, PEK-1, baratol and composition B are calculated. The results are in close agreement with those calculated by Kury et al

Crop diversification in black pepper gardens with tuber and fodder crops

With an objective to augment the income from black pepper plantation by intercropping tuber and fodder crops, a field experiment was conducted in RBD at Ambalavayal (Kerala) for two years 2007 to 2009. Based on yield performance , tuber crops such as cassava, elephant foot yam , coleus, and spices like ginger and turmeric, and fodder crops viz. hybrid napier grass, guinea grass, congo signal grass were selected as treatments apart from a control (sole crop of black pepper). The results indicated that higher black pepper yield was obtained under intercropping situation compared to sole crop. The maximum black pepper equivalent yield (1,147 kg/ha) was recorded by elephant foot yam followed by ginger (956 kg/ha). In the case of fodder crops, maximum pepper equivalent yield was recorded by hybrid napier grass Co 3 (2,633 kg/ha) followed by guinea grass (2,347 kg/ha). Maximum net return of ` 2, 70, 230/ ha was obtained from black pepper + elephant foot yam followed by black pepper + ginger (` 2, 60,657/ ha). Among the fodder crops, hybrid napier grass recorded maximum net return (` 2, 05,950/ ha) followed by guinea grass. Benefit: cost ratio was higher for inter cropping hybrid napier grass (3.7) followed by ginger (3.5) and elephant foot yam (3.4) in black pepper gardens

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Incidence of Postoperative Delirium after Elective Knee Replacement in the Nondemented Elderly

ABSTRACT Background: Postoperative delirium, a common complication in the elderly, can occur following any type of surgery and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; it may also be associated with subsequent cognitive problems. Effective therapy for postoperative delirium remains elusive because the causative factors of delirium are likely multiple and varied. Methods: Patients 65 yr or older undergoing elective knee arthroplasty were prospectively evaluated for postoperative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV delirium. Exclusion criteria included dementia, mini-mental state exam score less than 24, delirium, clinically significant central nervous system/neurologic disorder, current alcoholism, or any serious psychiatric disorder. Delirium was assessed on postoperative days 2 and 3 using standardized scales. Patients' preexisting medical conditions were obtained from medical charts. The occurrence of obstructiv

Driver Fusions and Their Implications in the Development and Treatment of Human Cancers.

Gene fusions represent an important class of somatic alterations in cancer. We systematically investigated fusions in 9,624 tumors across 33 cancer types using multiple fusion calling tools. We identified a total of 25,664 fusions, with a 63% validation rate. Integration of gene expression, copy number, and fusion annotation data revealed that fusions involving oncogenes tend to exhibit increased expression, whereas fusions involving tumor suppressors have the opposite effect. For fusions involving kinases, we found 1,275 with an intact kinase domain, the proportion of which varied significantly across cancer types. Our study suggests that fusions drive the development of 16.5% of cancer cases and function as the sole driver in more than 1% of them. Finally, we identified druggable fusions involving genes such as TMPRSS2, RET, FGFR3, ALK, and ESR1 in 6.0% of cases, and we predicted immunogenic peptides, suggesting that fusions may provide leads for targeted drug and immune therapy

Prevalence of Frailty in European Emergency Departments (FEED): an international flash mob study

Introduction Current emergency care systems are not optimized to respond to multiple and complex problems associated with frailty. Services may require reconfiguration to effectively deliver comprehensive frailty care, yet its prevalence and variation are poorly understood. This study primarily determined the prevalence of frailty among older people attending emergency care. Methods This cross-sectional study used a flash mob approach to collect observational European emergency care data over a 24-h period (04 July 2023). Sites were identified through the European Task Force for Geriatric Emergency Medicine collaboration and social media. Data were collected for all individuals aged 65 + who attended emergency care, and for all adults aged 18 + at a subset of sites. Variables included demographics, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), vital signs, and disposition. European and national frailty prevalence was determined with proportions with each CFS level and with dichotomized CFS 5 + (mild or more severe frailty). Results Sixty-two sites in fourteen European countries recruited five thousand seven hundred eighty-five individuals. 40% of 3479 older people had at least mild frailty, with countries ranging from 26 to 51%. They had median age 77 (IQR, 13) years and 53% were female. Across 22 sites observing all adult attenders, older people living with frailty comprised 14%. Conclusion 40% of older people using European emergency care had CFS 5 + . Frailty prevalence varied widely among European care systems. These differences likely reflected entrance selection and provide windows of opportunity for system configuration and workforce planning

Cell-of-Origin Patterns Dominate the Molecular Classification of 10,000 Tumors from 33 Types of Cancer

We conducted comprehensive integrative molecular analyses of the complete set of tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), consisting of approximately 10,000 specimens and representing 33 types of cancer. We performed molecular clustering using data on chromosome-arm-level aneuploidy, DNA hypermethylation, mRNA, and miRNA expression levels and reverse-phase protein arrays, of which all, except for aneuploidy, revealed clustering primarily organized by histology, tissue type, or anatomic origin. The influence of cell type was evident in DNA-methylation-based clustering, even after excluding sites with known preexisting tissue-type-specific methylation. Integrative clustering further emphasized the dominant role of cell-of-origin patterns. Molecular similarities among histologically or anatomically related cancer types provide a basis for focused pan-cancer analyses, such as pan-gastrointestinal, pan-gynecological, pan-kidney, and pan-squamous cancers, and those related by stemness features, which in turn may inform strategies for future therapeutic development. Comprehensive, integrated molecular analysis identifies molecular relationships across a large diverse set of human cancers, suggesting future directions for exploring clinical actionability in cancer treatment

The Cancer Genome Atlas Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma(RCC) is not a single disease, but several histologically defined cancers with different genetic drivers, clinical courses, and therapeutic responses. The current study evaluated 843 RCC from the three major histologic subtypes, including 488 clear cell RCC, 274 papillary RCC, and 81 chromophobe RCC. Comprehensive genomic and phenotypic analysis of the RCC subtypes reveals distinctive features of each subtype that provide the foundation for the development of subtype-specific therapeutic and management strategies for patients affected with these cancers. Somatic alteration of BAP1, PBRM1, and PTEN and altered metabolic pathways correlated with subtype-specific decreased survival, while CDKN2A alteration, increased DNA hypermethylation, and increases in the immune-related Th2 gene expression signature correlated with decreased survival within all major histologic subtypes. CIMP-RCC demonstrated an increased immune signature, and a uniform and distinct metabolic expression pattern identified a subset of metabolically divergent (MD) ChRCC that associated with extremely poor survival

Somatic Mutational Landscape of Splicing Factor Genes and Their Functional Consequences across 33 Cancer Types

Hotspot mutations in splicing factor genes have been recently reported at high frequency in hematological malignancies, suggesting the importance of RNA splicing in cancer. We analyzed whole-exome sequencing data across 33 tumor types in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and we identified 119 splicing factor genes with significant non-silent mutation patterns, including mutation over-representation, recurrent loss of function (tumor suppressor-like), or hotspot mutation profile (oncogene-like). Furthermore, RNA sequencing analysis revealed altered splicing events associated with selected splicing factor mutations. In addition, we were able to identify common gene pathway profiles associated with the presence of these mutations. Our analysis suggests that somatic alteration of genes involved in the RNA-splicing process is common in cancer and may represent an underappreciated hallmark of tumorigenesis