Partial purification and characterisation of some low molecular weight á - amylases from Dolichos biflorus

Dolichos biflorus, a commonly used legume in Uttarakhand, produces alpha amylase enzyme for conversion of starch present in its cotyledons to glucose, so that this glucose can be further utilized for the life controlling processes, glycolysis and Kreb’s cycle. Yield of this á - amylase isolated from the germinating legume comes out to be 27.7 IUml-1. Maximal amylase production occurs at pH 6.1 at 45O C. The enzyme was purified two fold, first with ultra-filtration and then with Ion-exchange chromatography. Ultra-filtration revealed size of amylase to be between 10 kDa and 30 kDa, against larger sizes of other bacterial amylases. The pH and temperature optima for purified enzyme were 6.1 and 45OC respectively. The Km for starch came out to be 1.95 mgml-1. This finding of generating one more new and low-price source of á - amylase is a great advancement in biotechnology

APPLICATION OF DEEP LEARNING TO OPTIMIZE COMPUTER-AIDED-DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS OF MEDICAL IMAGES

The field of medical imaging informatics has experienced significant advancements with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in tasks like detecting abnormalities in retinal fundus images. This dissertation focuses on four interrelated research contributions that address crucial aspects of AI in medical imaging, offering a comprehensive overview of various innovative approaches and methodologies. The first contribution involves developing a two-stage deep learning model. This model significantly improves the accuracy of identifying high-quality retinal fundus images by eliminating those with severe artifacts. It highlights the critical role of an optimal training dataset in enhancing the performance of deep learning models. The second contribution presents an innovative algorithm for synthetic data generation. This algorithm enhances the effectiveness of deep learning models in medical image analysis by augmenting datasets with synthesized annotated diseased regions onto disease-free images, leading to notable improvements in disease classification accuracy. The third contribution is centered around a novel joint deep-learning model for medical image segmentation and classification. Combining a U-net architecture with an image classification model it demonstrates substantial accuracy improvements as the training dataset size increases. Lastly, a comparative analysis is conducted between radionics-based and deep transfer learning-based Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) schemes for classifying breast lesions in digital mammograms. The findings reveal the superiority of deep transfer learning methods in achieving higher classification accuracy. Collectively, these contributions offer valuable insights and practical methodologies for enhancing the efficiency and diagnostic accuracy of AI applications in medical imaging, marking a significant step forward in this rapidly evolving field

Comparision of Efficacy of FNAC with Histopathological Examination of Parotid Swellings

Introduction : Parotid gland swellings are of histologically diverse group. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a rapid, simple, cost effective diagnostic procedure for evaluation of such swellings. The main aim of the study is to determine specificity, sensitivity, accuracy of FNAC in parotid swellings by taking histopathological examination (HPE) as gold standard. Materials and methods: Retrospective study done from April 2018 – July 2018. Data was collected from medical records of 50 cases who came with parotid swellings. All have undergone preoperative FNAC for swellings followed by surgery and HPE of specimen postoperatively. Results: In FNAC most of parotid swellings were benign in nature with pleomorphic adenoma most common. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FNAC for parotid swellings in our study are 62.5%; 94%; 84% respectively. Conclusion: Even though FNAC is rapid, simple, it is may not be completely reliable deciding factor for patient counselling and for further management according to present study as it shows less sensitivity of 62.5%.The FNAC may be considered as a best possible initial investigation but may not be as to provide a definitive diagnosis on which management decisions can be made

Novel microfilaricidal activity of nanosilver

Sunil K Singh1, Kalyan Goswami2, Richa D Sharma2, Maryada VR Reddy2, Debabrata Dash11Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 2Department of Biochemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, IndiaPurpose: The currently available drug repertoire against lymphatic filariasis, a major health hazard in the developing world, is inadequate and is fraught with serious limitations. Thus, the development of an effective antifilarial strategy has become a global research thrust mandated by the World Health Organization. Nanoparticles of silver endowed with antibacterial potency are known to induce apoptosis in eukaryotic cells. The present study was designed to investigate the possible microfilaricidal efficacy of silver nanoparticles and to establish the validity of apoptotic rationale in antifilarial drug designing.Methods: This report analyzed the effect of nanoparticles of silver as well as gold (size range: 10–15 nm) on the microfilariae of Brugia malayi obtained from the lavage of peritoneal cavities of infected jirds (Meriones unguiculatus). The study included a microfilarial motility assay, a trypan blue exclusion test, a poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase activity study, ethidium bromide/acridine orange differential staining, and transmission, as well as scanning electron microscopic evaluation of ultrastructural changes in microfilariae.Results: The study demonstrates that nanoparticles of silver, but not of gold, elicited significant loss in microfilarial motility. Differential staining of parasites with ethidium bromide and acridine orange, poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase activity in microfilarial lysate, and electron microscopic findings underscored apoptotic death of parasites attributable to nanosilver. In a trypan blue exclusion test, the 50% lethal dose of nanosilver was measured to be 101.2 µM, which was higher than the recorded complete inhibitory concentration value (50.6 µM), thus supporting nanosilver as a potential drug candidate against lymphatic filariasis.Conclusion: The present report provides the first ever conclusive proof in support of apoptosis as a novel stratagem in antifilarial drug designing and nanoscale silver as a valid lead in research on antifilarial therapeutics. The main embargo about the current drug diethylcarbamazine citrate is its empirical use without rationale. Effective microfilaricidal activity of nanosilver at relatively low concentrations as reported in this study, with evidence of the induction of apoptosis in microfilariae, projects nanosilver as a potential drug adjuvant against lymphatic filariasis. The much higher 50% lethal dose value of nanosilver compared to the complete inhibitory concentration value reported in this study argues in favor of a safe therapeutic window of this agent in its antifilarial efficacy.Keywords: silver nanoparticles, apoptosis, lymphatic filariasis, microfilaricidal agent, parasitic disease

Detection of total hip arthroplasty at airport securities

Background: In era of increased air travel, airport security screening measures has been increased. A lot of anxiety to the patient, that may trigger an alarm at airport securities post-surgery. The purpose of this study is to find out experiences of patients after total hip arthroplasty (THA) passing through airport security.  Methods: A retrospective case series of 269 THA patients in a single high-volume center from January 2016 to June 2018, who had passed through airport security and met inclusion criteria. Patient were contacted during their regular follow ups or via phone. The patients were asked for alarm trigger, perceived inconvenience, whether security officials asked to show documentation regarding prosthesis, and any extra screening procedures check measures.Results: Out of 269 patients, 52 patients met inclusion criteria travelling by airplane. 27 patients reported alarm trigger. 7 patients had to undergo additional security check measures. 43% of the patients believed that having their THA increased the inconvenience while traveling.  Conclusions: This study provides information to surgeons regarding airport travel post THA. Patients can be counselled regarding the inconvenience and to be prepared for delays in airport and to be prepared to present documentation of their prosthesis

Trajectories of tuberculosis-specific interferon-gamma release assay responses among medical and nursing students in rural India

AbstractBackgroundInterferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) have been shown to be highly dynamic tests when used in serial testing for TB infection. However, there is little information demonstrating a clear association between TB exposure and IGRA responses over time, particularly in high TB incidence settings.ObjectivesTo assess whether QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) responses are associated with occupational TB exposures in a cohort of young health care trainees in India.MethodsAll medical and nursing students at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences were approached. Participants were followed up for 18months; QFT was performed 4 times, once every 6months. Various modeling approaches were used to define IFN-gamma trajectories and correlations with TB exposure.ResultsAmong 270 medical and nursing trainees, high rates of conversions (6.3–20.9%) and reversions (20.0–26.2%) were found depending on the definitions used. Stable converters were more likely to have had TB exposure in hospital pre-study. Recent occupational exposures were not consistently associated with QFT responses over time.ConclusionIFN-gamma responses and rates of change could not be explained by occupational exposure investigated. High conversion and subsequent reversion rates suggest many health care workers (HCWs) would revert in the absence of treatment, either by clearing the infection naturally or due to fluctuations in the underlying immunological response and/or poor assay reproducibility. QFT may not be an ideal diagnostic test for repeated screening of HCWs in a high TB incidence setting

Th17/IL-17, Immunometabolism and Psoriatic Disease: A Pathological Trifecta

The burgeoning arena of immunometabolism provides evidence of how cellular, as well as local (tissue)/systemic metabolic pathways, are playing an important role in controlling immunity and inflammation. An intricate and elaborate network of various metabolic circuits specifically glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation and synthesis and amino acid metabolism precisely generate metabolites that rewire the immune response. Psoriasis is a chronic progressive self-perpetuated “IL-17-centric” inflammatory disease characterized by the co-existence of autoimmune and autoinflammatory pathways. Metabolic responses, governed by oxygen levels, nutrient availability, growth factors, cytokines, AMP/ATP ratios and amino acids, play a pivotal role in programming Th17 cell fate determination. Understanding the intricate interactions and complex interplay of molecular mechanisms responsible for Th17 cell metabolic rewiring, an important determinant of Th17 cell plasticity and heterogeneity, holds the potential to reshape psoriatic therapeutics in ways currently unimagined. This chapter entails with most recent updates on major cellular and systemic metabolic pathways regulating differentiation of Th17 cells as well their cross-talk with intracellular signaling mediators and also sheds light on how dysregulation of these pathways can be responsible for immune impairment and development of psoriatic disease. A better understanding of these metabolic processes could unveil an intriguing leverage point for therapeutic interventions to modulate metabolic programming and Th17 cell responses in this multi-systemic inflammatory disease

The Cellular Stress Response Interactome and Extracellular Matrix Cross-Talk during Fibrosis: A Stressed Extra-Matrix Affair

Diverse internal and external pathologic stimuli can trigger cellular stress response pathways (CSRPs) that are usually counteracted by intrinsic homeostatic machinery, which responds to stress by initiating complex signaling mechanisms to eliminate either the stressor or the damaged cells. There is growing evidence that CSRPs can have context-dependent homeostatic or pathologic functions that may result in tissue fibrosis under persistence of stress. CSRPs can drive intercellular communications through exosomes (trafficking and secretory pathway determinants) secreted in response to stress-induced proteostasis rebalancing. The injured tissue environment upon sensing the stress turns on a precisely orchestrated network of immune responses by regulating cytokine-chemokine production, recruitment of immune cells, and modulating fibrogenic niche and extracellular matrix (ECM) cross-talk during fibrotic pathologies like cardiac fibrosis, liver fibrosis, laryngotracheal stenosis, systemic scleroderma, interstitial lung disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Immunostimulatory RNAs (like double stranded RNAs) generated through deregulated RNA processing pathways along with RNA binding proteins (RBPs) of RNA helicase (RNA sensors) family are emerging as important components of immune response pathways during sterile inflammation. The paradigm-shift in RNA metabolism associated interactome has begun to offer new therapeutic windows by unravelling the novel RBPs and splicing factors in context of developmental and fibrotic pathways. We would like to review emerging regulatory nodes and their interaction with CSRPs, and tissue remodeling with major focus on cardiac fibrosis, and inflammatory responses underlying upper airway fibrosis