Use of Facial Recognition Technique in Criminal Investigations in India

The social interactions of the modern period are characterised by the extensive use of technical tools for information processing. Considering the quick advancement of computer technology, they are already competent to perform challenging tasks needing the careful solution of technical and imaginative issues. The term "Artificial Intelligence" is successfully used in a wide range of activities, from smartphone screens to the creation of music and art. Legal academics are increasingly considering the need for using technical tools in criminal area in light of these circumstances, notably for deciding punishment and other kinds of criminal law influence against people who have committed destructive activities. Use of facial recognition technologies is rising in the post-COVID environment. Law enforcement organisations have seen significant gains in criminal investigation and crime prevention thanks to face recognition technologies, but there are also well-known privacy risks and data misuse issues. This essay explores the applications of Facial Recognition Technology in India and dissects the institutional and technological issues on its usage in law enforcement. Additionally, it offers both immediate and long-term answers that must be established before these technologies are widely used

Curcumin And Etoricoxib Encapsulated Liposomes: Formulation, Characterization And Anti-Inflammatory Effects In Rat Models

To enhance anti-inflammatory efficacy of Curcumin (CURC) and Etoricoxib (ETRX); and to reduce their notorious side effects, they were loaded into liposomal formulations (LFs). The present study aimed at formulation, characterization and evaluation of anti-inflammatory effects of LFs of CURC in combination with ETRX in experimental acute inflammation (AI) in rat model induced by carrageenan administration. The existing pharmaceuticals for treating arthritis are analgesics, steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which reduce the symptoms such as severe pain and inflammation. Classical NSAIDs are cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors that inhibit prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxane synthesis, thereby reducing inflammation. New NSAIDs selectively inhibit COX-2 and are usually specific to inflamed tissue, which decreases the risk of peptic ulcer. However, their long-term use cannot be sustained due to inadequate pain relief, immune disturbances and serious gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse events. Therefore, plant-based product like CURC with anti-inflammatory properties and minimum side effects are needed for the treatment of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis, especially after the withdrawal of many Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved anti- inflammatory drugs. However, its poor solubility, low chemical stability and short half-life following systemic absorption contribute to CURC being considered a pharmaceutical challenge. Numerous delivery systems have been proposed as means to tailor its biological properties. In this research, we are particularly interested in potential of CURC as an anti-inflammatory agent in combination with ETRX and delivery in the form of LFs. ETRX; a NSAID is proposed to treat inflammation in rat model as it is known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects. ETRX, a widely prescribed anti- inflammatory drug belongs to class IΙ under BCS (biopharmaceutical classification system) and exhibit variable oral bioavailability due to its poor aqueous solubility. This research is aimed to study synergistic effect of a natural compound CURC and an allopathic NSAID moiety ETRX to treat inflammation in rat model, by oral ingestion in the form of LF as an efficient drug delivery system. Hence, we propose LF as a mean to overcome the CURC limitations. Liposomes (LPs) encapsulation of CURC makes this formulation amenable to circumvent the problem of poor oral availability that limits the utility of free CURC. The LFs can potentiate the effects of encapsulated drugs by sustaining the release over an extended period of time. The results of our study demonstrated that the association of CURC with ETRX in the form of LFs could potentiate the anti-inflammatory effects in reduced doses in vitro and in rat model. The LFs were spherical in shape in TEM images at various resolutions. The particle size of optimized CURC-ETRX LPs was found to be 276.1 nm with PDI value of 24.5. The maximum EE for CURC and ETRX in optimized formulation (F2) was found 98.915% and 93.877% respectively. The % EE of CURC-ETRX loaded LFs was found to be dependent on the lipid concentration, resulting almost quantitatively for a maximum 15 mg of total lipids (PC+CL) and progressively decreasing at higher 20 mg of total lipid (PC+CL) content, may be due to precipitation of drugs at higher lipid concentrations. The cumulative percentage release of CURC and ETRX from optimized formulations was found to be 59.64% and 83.11% respectively, for a period of 24 hours. We investigated the in vivo effect of CURC and ETRX loaded LF on local edema in carrageenan-induced paw edema in rat model. The percentage inhibition of edema in rat model was found to be better for CURC-ETRX LF in comparison to conventional CURC and ETRX in solution forms (p<0.05). Hence, the association of CURC and ETRX to a low dose in the form of LFs could be an appropriate combination to decrease NSAID doses used to reduce pain, inflammatory cytokines, and histological changes in AI

Histological Changes of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Pulmonary Hypertension: An Autopsy Series of 42 Preterm Infants

Background: Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), a significant cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, leads to disrupted pulmonary vascular growth and ultimately pulmonary hypertension (PH). The diagnosis of BPD is made by oxygen requirement for at least first 28 days of life. We hypothesized that histologic changes of BPD are evident before 28 days of age. Methods: All live born preterm infants born \u3c37 weeks of gestational age (GA), who received an autopsy between 2010 and 2017 at Children’s Hospital of Michigan or Hutzel Women’s Hospital, were identified by autopsy records. Infants with major congenital defects were excluded. Clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records. Autopsy specimens of lung and heart tissue were examined by a single pathologist, and classified according to presence or absence of defining features of BPD and PH. Results: Of the 42 preterm infants that met the study criteria, 79% were \u3c32 weeks GA, 55% were male, 55% were African American, 33% were SGA, and 17% were twins. Infants that died at \u3c28 days of life were statistically more likely to be African American and receiving high frequency ventilation and were less likely to have preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and an echocardiogram obtained as part of their clinical workup. Of infants \u3c32 weeks GA, 61% died at \u3c28 days of age; histological BPD was observed in 25% of infants and PH was observed in 65%. Of infants \u3c32 weeks GA, 39% died at ≥28 days; histological BPD was observed in 92% and histological PH was observed in 85% of subjects. Of infants ≥32 weeks GA, 78% died at \u3c28 days of age; histological BPD was observed in 0% of infants and PH was observed in 71%. Of infants ≥32 weeks GA, 22% died at ≥28 days; histological BPD and PH were both observed in 50% of subjects. Histological changes of BPD observed in 5 infants born \u3c32 weeks GA who died before 28 days of age were identified as early as 6.73 days of age. Histologic PH was identified in 4 of the 5 infants with the earliest evidence being observed in an infant that died at 6.73 days of age. Conclusion: Histologic changes consistent with BPD and PH were evident in 25% and 65% respectively of postmortem lung samples from infants born \u3c32 weeks GA who received less than 28 days of cumulative oxygen support. These findings suggest that there is a need to develop better clinical criteria and dedicate future research to seeking biomarkers for BPD in extremely preterm infants before 32 weeks GA. Because timely intervention is key to minimizing long-term effects of the disease, research that further refines the timeline of BPD’s pathogenesis is essential. By identifying infants at risk through reliable biomarkers and initiating preventative measures before 28 days of life, clinicians may prevent long-term morbidity and mortality related to BPD

30-Day Mortality and Cardiopulmonary Complication Rates in Patients Undergoing Emergency Surgery with Perioperative SARS-CoV-2 Infection

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Continued vigilance of operative outcomes in COVID-19 patients is important given the relative novelty of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We sought to evaluate the 30-day mortality and cardiopulmonary complication rates in patients undergoing emergency surgery with perioperative COVID-19, in comparison to a control group of medically managed COVID-19 patients that did not require a surgical intervention. METHODS: A retrospective chart review at a single tertiary-care hospital in Michigan was undertaken. Patients who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection either 7 days before or within 30 days after surgery during March-May 2020 were included in the study (n=52). Propensity score matched (1:6) patients who had been positive for SARS CoV-2 infection during this time-period but did not undergo surgery served as controls (n=314). The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. Secondary endpoints included cardiac and pulmonary complications. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were utilized to account for baseline differences. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality (17.3% vs 13.1%, p=0.408) and cardiac (28.9% vs 19.1%, p=0.107) and pulmonary complication (55.8% vs 49.4%, p=0.392) rates were similar in the surgical and the non-surgical groups. Multivariable analyses confirmed that emergency surgical intervention was not associated with increased odds for any of the studied adverse events (p\u3e0.10 for all 3 endpoints). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of 366 novel coronavirus patients demonstrates that patients undergoing emergency surgery with SARS-CoV-2 infection do not have an increased risk for 30-day mortality and cardiopulmonary complications compared to their counterparts that do not require surgery. The importance of this study is that an emergency intervention does not portend a poorer prognosis among patients with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection

An Investigation of Genome-Wide Studies Reported Susceptibility Loci for Ulcerative Colitis Shows Limited Replication in North Indians

Genome-Wide Association studies (GWAS) of both Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) have unearthed over 40 risk conferring variants. Recently, a meta-analysis on UC revealed several loci, most of which were either previously associated with UC or CD susceptibility in populations of European origin. In this study, we attempted to replicate these findings in an ethnically distinct north Indian UC cohort. 648 UC cases and 850 controls were genotyped using Infinium Human 660W-quad. Out of 59 meta-analysis index SNPs, six were not in the SNP array used in the study. Of the remaining 53 SNPs, four were found monomorphic. Association (p<0.05) at 25 SNPs was observed, of which 15 were CD specific. Only five SNPs namely rs2395185 (HLA-DRA), rs3024505 (IL10), rs6426833 (RNF186), rs3763313 (BTNL2) and rs2066843 (NOD2) retained significance after Bonferroni correction. These results (i) reveal limited replication of Caucasian based meta-analysis results; (ii) reiterate overlapping molecular mechanism(s) in UC and CD; (iii) indicate differences in genetic architecture between populations; and (iv) suggest that resources such as HapMap need to be extended to cover diverse ethnic populations. They also suggest a systematic GWAS in this terrain may be insightful for identifying population specific IBD risk conferring loci and thus enable cross-ethnicity fine mapping of disease loci

International practice patterns and factors associated with non-conventional hemodialysis utilization

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of our study was to determine characteristics that influence the utilization of non-conventional hemodialysis (NCHD) therapies and its subtypes (nocturnal (NHD), short daily (SDHD), long conventional (LCHD) and conventional hemodialysis (CHD) as well as provider attitudes regarding the evidence for NCHD use.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An international cohort of subscribers of a nephrology education website <url>http://www.nephrologynow.com</url> was invited to participate in an online survey. Non-conventional hemodialysis was defined as any forms of hemodialysis delivered > 3 treatments per week and/or > 4 hours per session. NHD and SDHD included both home and in-centre. Respondents were categorized as CHD if their centre only offered conventional thrice weekly hemodialysis. Variables associated with NCHD and its subtypes were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The survey assessed multiple domains regarding NCHD including reasons for initiating and discontinuing, for not offering and attitudes regarding evidence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>544 surveys were completed leading to a 15.6% response rate. The final cohort was limited to 311 physicians. Dialysis modalities utilized among the respondents were as follows: NCHD194 (62.4%), NHD 83 (26.7%), SDHD 107 (34.4%), LCHD 81 (26%) and CHD 117 (37.6%). The geographic regions of participants were as follows: 11.9% Canada, 26.7% USA, 21.5% Europe, 6.1% Australia/New Zealand, 10% Africa/Middle East, 10.9% Asia and 12.9% South America. Variables associated with NCHD utilization included NCHD training (OR 2.47 CI 1.25-4.16), government physician reimbursement (OR 2.66, CI 1.11-6.40), practicing at an academic centre (OR 2.28 CI 1.25-4.16), higher national health care expenditure and number of ESRD patients per centre. Hemodialysis providers with patients on NCHD were significantly more likely to agree with the statements that NCHD improves quality of life, improves nutritional status, reduces EPO requirements and is cost effective. The most common reasons to initiate NCHD were driven by patient preference and the desire to improve volume control and global health outcomes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Physician attitudes toward the evidence for NCHD differ significantly between NCHD providers and conventional HD providers. Interventions and health policy targeting these areas along with increased physician education and training in NCHD modalities may be effective in increasing its utilization.</p

Azimuthal Anisotropy of Photon and Charged Particle Emission in Pb+Pb Collisions at 158 A GeV/c

The azimuthal distributions of photons and charged particles with respect to the event plane are investigated as a function of centrality in Pb + Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/c in the WA98 experiment at the CERN SPS. The anisotropy of the azimuthal distributions is characterized using a Fourier analysis. For both the photon and charged particle distributions the first two Fourier coefficients are observed to decrease with increasing centrality. The observed anisotropies of the photon distributions compare well with the expectations from the charged particle measurements for all centralities.Comment: 8 pages and 6 figures. The manuscript has undergone a major revision. The unwanted correlations were enhanced in the random subdivision method used in the earlier version. The present version uses the more established method of division into subevents separated in rapidity to minimise short range correlations. The observed results for charged particles are in agreement with results from the other experiments. The observed anisotropy in photons is explained using flow results of pions and the correlations arising due to the decay of the neutral pion

Removal of AU Bias from Microarray mRNA Expression Data Enhances Computational Identification of Active MicroRNAs

Elucidation of regulatory roles played by microRNAs (miRs) in various biological networks is one of the greatest challenges of present molecular and computational biology. The integrated analysis of gene expression data and 3′-UTR sequences holds great promise for being an effective means to systematically delineate active miRs in different biological processes. Applying such an integrated analysis, we uncovered a striking relationship between 3′-UTR AU content and gene response in numerous microarray datasets. We show that this relationship is secondary to a general bias that links gene response and probe AU content and reflects the fact that in the majority of current arrays probes are selected from target transcript 3′-UTRs. Therefore, removal of this bias, which is in order in any analysis of microarray datasets, is of crucial importance when integrating expression data and 3′-UTR sequences to identify regulatory elements embedded in this region. We developed visualization and normalization schemes for the detection and removal of such AU biases and demonstrate that their application to microarray data significantly enhances the computational identification of active miRs. Our results substantiate that, after removal of AU biases, mRNA expression profiles contain ample information which allows in silico detection of miRs that are active in physiological conditions

Multiplicity Distributions and Charged-neutral Fluctuations

Results from the multiplicity distributions of inclusive photons and charged particles, scaling of particle multiplicities, event-by-event multiplicity fluctuations, and charged-neutral fluctuations in 158$\cdot A$ GeV Pb+Pb collisions are presented and discussed. A scaling of charged particle multiplicity as $N_{part}^{1.07\pm 0.05}$ and photons as $N_{part}^{1.12\pm 0.03}$ have been observed, indicating violation of naive wounded nucleon model. The analysis of localized charged-neutral fluctuation indicates a model-independent demonstration of non-statistical fluctuations in both charged particles and photons in limited azimuthal regions. However, no correlated charged-neutral fluctuations are observed.Comment: Talk given at the International Symposium on Nuclear Physics (ISNP-2000), Mumbai, India, 18-22 Dec 2000, Proceedings to be published in Pramana, Journal of Physic