Sub-categorization of Pediatric Small Round Blue Cell Tumors using Immunohistochemistry

Introduction: The category of Small Round Blue Cell Tumors includes neoplasms that are undifferentiated and contain similar-looking growth of small round blue cells having bigger nuclear size as compared to the cytoplasm (high N/C). It includes Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Synovial Sarcoma, Ewings Sarcoma/ Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Hepatoblastoma, Retinoblastoma, Neuroblastoma, Neuroendocrine carcinoma, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor, Dysgerminoma, and Wilm's tumor. Immunohistochemistry can be very helpful in the accurate diagnosis of this diverse group of tumors. Objective: The objective of the study is to sub-categorize pediatric malignant small round blue cell tumors using immunohistochemistry. Study design: Descriptive cross-sectional studySetting: Meezan private lab, Faisalabad, PakistanDuration of study: 4 years, from January 2017 to December 2020.Sample size: 46 cases.Sampling technique: Non-probability purposive samplingMaterials and Methods: 46 cases, which fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for the study. All these cases were subjected to immunohistochemistry. The IHC technique used was based on the Peroxidase anti-peroxidase (PAP) method. Based on site and morphological clues, initially Leukocyte common antigen (LCA), Myogenin, Cytokeratin (CK), Desmin, Chromogranin, Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE), S-100, Smooth Muscle Actin (SMA), and CD99 were used. Further immune stains panels were used afterward, as and when needed like CD20, CD3, CD30, BCL2, CD117, Ki-67, Tdt, Synaptophysin, SMA, CD56, Melan A, HMB45, and WT1.Results: Among all the malignant Small Round Cell Tumors, Rhabdomyosarcoma was the highest in frequency i.e. 8 (17.4%), followed by Ewing’s sarcoma/PNET 7(15.2%). Both Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma and Neuroblastoma were 5 each in number (10.9%). Non-Hodgkins lymphoma as a whole was 13 (28.2%), including 5 cases (10.9%) of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, 4 cases (8.7%) of T lymphoblastic lymphoma, 3 cases (6.5%) of Burkitt’s lymphoma, and only 1 case (2.2%) of NK/T cell lymphoma.Conclusion: Immunohistochemistry is an essential tool for accurate sub-categorization of pediatric small round blue cell tumors

Sub-categorization of Pediatric Small Round Blue Cell Tumors using Immunohistochemistry

Introduction: The category of Small Round Blue Cell Tumors includes neoplasms that are undifferentiated and contain similar-looking growth of small round blue cells having bigger nuclear size as compared to the cytoplasm (high N/C). It includes Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Synovial Sarcoma, Ewings Sarcoma/ Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Hepatoblastoma, Retinoblastoma, Neuroblastoma, Neuroendocrine carcinoma, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor, Dysgerminoma, and Wilm's tumor. Immunohistochemistry can be very helpful in the accurate diagnosis of this diverse group of tumors. Objective: The objective of the study is to sub-categorize pediatric malignant small round blue cell tumors using immunohistochemistry. Study design: Descriptive cross-sectional studySetting: Meezan private lab, Faisalabad, PakistanDuration of study: 4 years, from January 2017 to December 2020.Sample size: 46 cases.Sampling technique: Non-probability purposive samplingMaterials and Methods: 46 cases, which fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for the study. All these cases were subjected to immunohistochemistry. The IHC technique used was based on the Peroxidase anti-peroxidase (PAP) method. Based on site and morphological clues, initially Leukocyte common antigen (LCA), Myogenin, Cytokeratin (CK), Desmin, Chromogranin, Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE), S-100, Smooth Muscle Actin (SMA), and CD99 were used. Further immune stains panels were used afterward, as and when needed like CD20, CD3, CD30, BCL2, CD117, Ki-67, Tdt, Synaptophysin, SMA, CD56, Melan A, HMB45, and WT1.Results: Among all the malignant Small Round Cell Tumors, Rhabdomyosarcoma was the highest in frequency i.e. 8 (17.4%), followed by Ewing’s sarcoma/PNET 7(15.2%). Both Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma and Neuroblastoma were 5 each in number (10.9%). Non-Hodgkins lymphoma as a whole was 13 (28.2%), including 5 cases (10.9%) of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, 4 cases (8.7%) of T lymphoblastic lymphoma, 3 cases (6.5%) of Burkitt’s lymphoma, and only 1 case (2.2%) of NK/T cell lymphoma.Conclusion: Immunohistochemistry is an essential tool for accurate sub-categorization of pediatric small round blue cell tumors

Energy Efficiency in Transportation along with the Belt and Road Countries

China’s huge investment in the “belt and road initiative” (BRI) may have helped improve the economic level of participating countries, but it may also be accompanied by a substantial increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The BRI corridors aim to bring regional stability and prosperity. In such efforts, energy efficiency due to increased transport has been overlooked in the recent literature. This paper employed a data envelopment analysis of the slack-based measurement (SBM) for bad output to assess the transport energy efficiency of 19 countries under the BRI economic corridors. By using the most cited transport-related input variables, such as vehicles, labor, motor oil, jet fuel, and natural gas, this study first analyzes the transport energy efficiency by first assuming the output variables individually and then takes two years as a pre- and post-BRI case by considering the aggregated output model. The results show an increase in economic activity but a decline in transport energy efficiency in terms of consumption and emissions

Molecular probing of Aflatoxigenic fungi in rice grains collected from local markets of Lahore, Pakistan

Background: Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains have emerged as a serious threat to food safety and quality assurance. The objective of this study was to identify the aflatoxigenic Aspergillus sp. by targeting the amplification of aflatoxigenic genes i.e., aflR, nor1, omt1, ver1, in different fugal strains isolated from the rice grains being marketed in local markets of Lahore city, Pakistan.Methods: Total eleven (11) Aspergillus strains were isolated from rice grains and aflatoxigenic genes i.e., aflR, nor1, omt1, ver1 were amplified to differentiate between aflatoxin producing and non-producing strains.Results: Four (04) out of total eleven (11) strains showed the presence of aflatoxins producing genes, indicating the possible contamination of aflatoxins in rice grains being sold in local markets of Lahore.Conclusion: This research provides the basis for the quantification of aflatoxins; a significant threat to the quality of foodstuffs and consumers. The situation demands the attention of rice growers, processors as well as government officials to tackle the problem to assure the safety of rice eaters.Keywords: Aflatoxins; Aspergillus; Cereal grains; Contamination; Mycotoxigenic

Microwave-vacuum extraction technique as a green and clean label technology: kinetics, efficiency analysis, and effect on bioactive compounds

Grape pomace is a rich source of bioactive compounds and dietary fiber. This study aims to valorize the grape pomace by microwave-vacuum-assisted drying and extraction, which is a novel, green, and clean label technology. The drying and extraction of bioactive compounds from the grape pomace was optimized using response surface methodology. Box-Behnken design was used for three process variables, i.e., time, power, and vacuum levels. The highest drying rate was observed (5.53 g/100 g min after 10 min of drying) at the combination of 80 W and 20 inHg. This combination significantly reduced the drying time (25%) and resulted in the highest yield (64.5%) of bioactive compounds. Equally, changes in moisture ratio behavior were rapid under these processing conditions. Furthermore, Midilli model (R2 = 0.999, RMSE = 0.002, SSE = 3.71 × 10−6) was the best to justify the fitness of experimental values with predicted values. In addition, the diffusion coefficient, activation energy, and extraction yield were increased with increase in power and pressure. The concentration of bioactive components was higher in dried pomace compared to the extract. The extraction was successfully achieved without the use of solvent and the characteristics of extracted phenolics remained unaltered. Based on these findings, the microwave-vacuum-assisted drying and extraction process can be claimed as a sustainable approach.Universidade de Vigo/CISUGAxencia Galega de Innovación | Ref. IN607A2019/0

Efficacy of the muscle energy technique versus the strain-counter strain technique on immediate deactivation of myofascial trigger points in upper trapezius muscle

Aims and objectives: Thisstudy aimed to check the comparative efficacy of the Muscle EnergyTechnique versus the Strain-Counter Strain technique on immediate deactivation ofmyofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle. Study design: The study comprised acomparative analytical design to compare and contrast the two study interventions. Place andduration of the study: The research was conducted in the Department of Physical therapy,Allied hospital Faisalabad for 6 months. Patients and methods: Based on inclusion andexclusion criteria, 40 subjects were enrolled in the study using the convenient samplingmethod. The subjects were divided into two groups; group A (n=20) received a single sessionof baseline treatment with themuscle energy technique, while group B (n=20)received a singlesession of baseline treatment with the strain-counter strain technique. The subjects wereevaluated through the pressure-pain threshold (algometer), Numeric Pain Rating Scale, andModified Bournemouth Questionnaire as pre-intervention and post-intervention measuringtools for pain and functional status. Results: The data was analyzed using SPSS version 17.Within group analysis showed a significant difference between pre- values and post values ofpressure-pain threshold, Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Modified BournemouthQuestionnaire in both groups (P<0.05). Between group analysis was done using independentsample t test. It also showed significant difference (P<0.05) in post mean values between thetwo group subjects in all three outcomes. The post-mean values for the strain-counter straingroup were slightly more improved than the Muscle Energy Technique group. Conclusion:The strain-counter strain technique is found more effective than the Muscle Energy Techniquefor immediate deactivation of myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle

TAQWA: Teaching Adolescents Quality Wadhu/Ablution contactlessly using deep learning

This research presents a unique and innovative approach to teaching young children the proper steps of ablution (wazoo/wudu) by utilizing a non-invasive sensing system integrated with deep learning algorithms. However, most existing ablution detection systems rely on cameras, which raise privacy concerns, face challenges with lighting conditions, and require complex training with long video sequences. We conducted experiments with a group of youngsters to evaluate the system’s effectiveness, demonstrating its potential in fostering a deeper appreciation and comprehension of religious practices among young learners. This innovative privacy-preserving ablution system employs state-of-the-art UWB-radar technology with advanced Deep Learning (DL) techniques to effectively address the challenges mentioned above. The core focus of this system is to categorize the four fundamental ablution steps: Wash Face 3x, Wash Hand 3x, Wash Head 1x, and Wash Feet 3x. By transforming the collected data into spectrograms and harnessing the sophisticated DL models VGG16 and VGG19, the proposed system accurately detects these ablution steps, achieving an impressive maximum accuracy of 97.92% across all categories with the utilization of VGG16

Contactless privacy-preserving head movement recognition using deep learning for driver fatigue detection

Head movement holds significant importance in con-veying body language, expressing specific gestures, and reflecting emotional and character aspects. The detection of head movement in smart or assistive driving applications can play an important role in preventing major accidents and potentially saving lives. Additionally, it aids in identifying driver fatigue, a significant contributor to deadly road accidents worldwide. However, most existing head movement detection systems rely on cameras, which raise privacy concerns, face challenges with lighting conditions, and require complex training with long video sequences. This novel privacy-preserving system utilizes UWB-radar technology and leverages Deep Learning (DL) techniques to address the mentioned issues. The system focuses on classifying the five most common head gestures: Head 45L (HL45), Head 45R (HR45), Head 90L (HL90), Head 90R (HR90), and Head Down (HD). By processing the recorded data as spectrograms and leveraging the advanced DL model VGG16, the proposed system accurately detects these head gestures, achieving a maximum classification accuracy of 84.00% across all classes. This study presents a proof of concept for an effective and privacy-conscious approach to head position classification.</p