EVALUATION OF SERUM-FREE IRON AND GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN IN UNCONTROLLED TYPE-II DIABETIC PATIENTS

Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common health problem in the world. Free iron may contribute to the pathogenesis and progress of this disease and its complication. Iron causes hyperinsulinemia by decreasing the insulin uptake and metabolism by hepatocytes. Elevated iron stores are commonly found in insulin resistance. Iron in its free form is known to induce oxidation of biomolecules by producing harmful hydroxyl radicals. In this study, we aimed to estimate and compare the serum levels of free iron in diabetes and healthy individuals.Methods: This study included 244 subjects in two groups. Group-I comprised 204 subjects with DM and Group-II comprised 40 healthy subjects. Blood sugar, free iron, and glycated hemoglobin were analyzed in blood samples using standard kits. The results of all the parameters were expressed as mean±standard deviation. Student t-test was done to assess the statistical significance between two groups. The association between the parameters was studied by Pearson correlation.Results: In this study, we found a significant increase in serum free iron in Group-I (p<0.01) when compared with Group-II. A significant correlation between the serum free iron and glycated hemoglobin (r=0.59; p<0.001) and fasting blood sugar (r=0.43; p<0.001).Conclusion: The elevated serum free iron in uncontrolled diabetes may contribute to oxidative stress which may be associated with complications of diabetes.Keywords: Free iron, Glycated hemoglobin, Hyperinsulinemia, Diabetes mellitus

Synthesis, characterization and thermal decomposition of 2’-amino-6’-(1H-indol-3-yl)-1-methyl-2-oxospiro-[indoline-3,4’-pyran]-3’,5’-dicarbonitrile under non-isothermal condition in nitrogen atmosphere

The kinetics and decomposition of a new spirooxindole compound, 2’-amino-6’-(1H-indol-3-yl)-1-methyl-2-oxospiro[indoline-3,4’-pyran]-3’,5’-dicarbonitrile was studied by thermo gravimetric technique under non-isothermal conditions. The kinetic parameters were calculated using model-free (Friedman, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods) and model-fitting (Coats-Redfern) methods. The results of the Friedman isoconversional analysis of the thermo gravimetric data suggested that the investigated decomposition process follows a single-step

OPTIMIZATION OF THE CATHODE LONG-TERM STABILITY IN MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING

This project focused on addressing the two main problems associated with state of art Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells, namely loss of cathode active material and stainless steel current collector deterioration due to corrosion. We followed a dual approach where in the first case we developed novel materials to replace the cathode and current collector currently used in molten carbonate fuel cells. In the second case we improved the performance of conventional cathode and current collectors through surface modification. States of art NiO cathode in MCFC undergo dissolution in the cathode melt thereby limiting the lifetime of the cell. To prevent this we deposited cobalt using an electroless deposition process. We also coated perovskite (La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}CoO{sub 3}) in NiO thorough a sol-gel process. The electrochemical oxidation behavior of Co and perovskites coated electrodes is similar to that of the bare NiO cathode. Co and perovskite coatings on the surface decrease the dissolution of Ni into the melt and thereby stabilize the cathode. Both, cobalt and provskites coated nickel oxide, show a higher polarization compared to that of nickel oxide, which could be due to the reduced surface area. Cobalt substituted lithium nickel oxide (LiNi{sub 0.8}Co{sub 0.2}O{sub 2}) and lithium cobalt oxide were also studied. LiNi{sub x}Co{sub 1-x}O{sub 2} was synthesized by solid-state reaction procedure using lithium nitrate, nickel hydroxide and cobalt oxalate precursor. LiNi{sub x}Co{sub 1-x}O{sub 2} showed smaller dissolution of nickel than state of art nickel oxide cathode. The performance was comparable to that of nickel oxide. The corrosion of the current collector in the cathode side was also studied. The corrosion characteristics of both SS304 and SS304 coated with Co-Ni alloy were studied. This study confirms that surface modification of SS304 leads to the formation of complex scales with better barrier properties and better electronic conductivity at 650 C. A three phase homogeneous model was developed to simulate the performance of the molten carbonate fuel cell cathode and the complete fuel cell. The homogeneous model is based on volume averaging of different variables in the three phases over a small volume element. This approach can be used to model porous electrodes as it represents the real system much better than the conventional agglomerate model. Using the homogeneous model the polarization characteristics of the MCFC cathode and fuel cell were studied under different operating conditions. Both the cathode and the full cell model give good fits to the experimental data

Clinico-pathological association of delineated miRNAs in uveal melanoma with monosomy 3/Disomy 3 chromosomal aberrations

PURPOSE: To correlate the differentially expressed miRNAs with clinico-pathological features in uveal melanoma (UM) tumors harbouring chromosomal 3 aberrations among South Asian Indian cohort. METHODS: Based on chromosomal 3 aberration, UM (n = 86) were grouped into monosomy 3 (M3; n = 51) and disomy 3 (D3; n = 35) by chromogenic in-situ hybridisation (CISH). The clinico-pathological features were recorded. miRNA profiling was performed in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) UM samples (n = 6) using Agilent, Human miRNA microarray, 8x15KV3 arrays. The association between miRNAs and clinico-pathological features were studied using univariate and multivariate analysis. miRNA-gene targets were predicted using Target-scan and MiRanda database. Significantly dys-regulated miRNAs were validated in FFPE UM (n = 86) and mRNAs were validated in frozen UM (n = 10) by qRT-PCR. Metastasis free-survival and miRNA expressions were analysed by Kaplen-Meier analysis in UM tissues (n = 52). RESULTS: Unsupervised analysis revealed 585 differentially expressed miRNAs while supervised analysis demonstrated 82 miRNAs (FDR; Q = 0.0). Differential expression of 8 miRNAs: miR-214, miR-149*, miR-143, miR-146b, miR-199a, let7b, miR-1238 and miR-134 were studied. Gene target prediction revealed SMAD4, WISP1, HIPK1, HDAC8 and C-KIT as the post-transcriptional regulators of miR-146b, miR-199a, miR-1238 and miR-134. Five miRNAs (miR-214, miR146b, miR-143, miR-199a and miR-134) were found to be differentially expressed in M3/ D3 UM tumors. In UM patients with liver metastasis, miR-149* and miR-134 expressions were strongly correlated. CONCLUSION: UM can be stratified using miRNAs from FFPE sections. miRNAs predicting liver metastasis and survival have been identified. Mechanistic linkage of de-regulated miRNA/mRNA expressions provide new insights on their role in UM progression and aggressiveness

EXPLORING THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF AM114: A BORONIC CHALCONE DERIVATIVE INDUCE APOPTOSIS AND SUPPRESS PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES AND CHEMOKINES IN INTERLEUKIN-1β STIMULATED HUMAN THP-1 DERIVED MACROPHAGES

Objective: Chalcones and their derivatives display a wide range of pharmacological activities. This study examined the effects of AM114, a boronic-chalcone derivative, on human THP-1-derived macrophages with and without interleukin-1β (IL-1β) stimulation.  Methods: AM114 and Aspirin-treated THP-1-derived macrophages underwent activation with or without interleukin-1β. The IC50 concentrations of AM114 and Aspirin were determined through an MTT test. Apoptosis was measured using various techniques, including staining with acridine orange/Ethidium bromide, Hoechst 33342, and rhodamine 123 assays. Caspase-3 activity was measured using the spectrofluorimetric technique, while DNA fragmentation was assessed via agarose gel electrophoresis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and chemokines like interleukin-8 (IL-8) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: AM114 and Aspirin showed dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on THP-1 macrophages. Induction of apoptosis was detected in AM114-treated THP-1 macrophages activated with IL-1β compared to macrophages without IL-1β. The gradation of dye uptake, membrane blebbing, increased caspase-3 activity, and DNA fragmentation ensures the induction of apoptosis, which indicates the cell's morphological changes, biochemical processes, and mitochondrial activity. Treating AM114 in IL-1β-activated THP-1 macrophages significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6) and chemokines (IL-8), suggesting its anti-cytokine potential in inflammatory diseases. Conclusion: The study results emphasize that AM114 could act as an anti-inflammatory agent by triggering apoptosis and reducing the release of cytokines and chemokines in inflammatory conditions. As a result, it may be used as a therapeutic option for inflammatory diseases

Synthesis, characterization and thermal decomposition of ethyl-2’-amino-5’-cyano-6’-(1H-indole-3yl)-2-oxospiro[indoline-3,4’-pyran]-3’-carboxylate under non‐isothermal condition in nitrogen atmosphere

A new compound, spiro-oxindole derivative compound namely ethyl-2ʹ-amino-5ʹ-cyano-6ʹ-(1H-indole-3yl)-2-oxospiro[indoline-3,4ʹ-pyran]-3ʹ-carboxylate (EACIOIPC) has been synthesized and characterized by microanalysis, FT-IR, mass spectrum and NMR (1H and 13C) techniques. The thermal decomposition of the compound was studied by thermogravimetric analysis under dynamic nitrogen atmosphere at different heating rates of 10, 15, 20 and 30 K/min. The kinetic parameters were calculated using model-free (Friedman’s, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) methods) and model-fitting (Coats and Redfern (CR)) methods. The decomposition process of EACIOIPC followed a single step mechanism as evidenced from the data. Existence of compensation effect is noticed for the decomposition of EACIOIPC. Invariant kinetic parameters are consistent with the average values obtained by Friedman and KAS in conversional methods

Serum biochemical markers in rheumatoid arthritis

342-344 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) characterized by local and systemic effects of inflammation has a wide range of biochemical markers implicated directly or indirectly to its pathogenesis. In the present study, homocysteine, cortisol, adenosine deaminase (ADA), ferritin, malondialdehyde (MDA) and -tocopherol in serum of RA patients and healthy individuals were estimated to assess if they contribute to the disease process. The markers of disease activity such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and rheumatoid factor (RF) were also measured. The study group included a total of 45 subjects, including 30 RA patients and the rest being healthy individuals. RA group showed a significant increase in the levels of homocysteine, ADA and MDA, and a significant decrease in α-tocopherol compared to the healthy individuals. However, cortisol and ferritin levels did not show any significant change. Also, there was no significant correlation between the studied serum markers and markers of disease activity. Our results indicate that these biochemical markers contribute independently to the pathogenesis of RA. </smarttagtype

Demographic stratification of Type 2 diabetes and comorbidities in district healthcare in KwaZulu-Natal

Background: Diabetes has been reported as the second leading cause of death and the top leading cause of death amongst women in South Africa; it is important to evaluate any epidemiological or demographic transition related to diabetes. This study evaluated the demographically stratified prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and existing comorbidities amongst an outpatient population in a district healthcare facility in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN).Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a district hospital, and a retrospective record review of all outpatients who reported to the hospital to be treated for T2DM between the period, August 2018–January 2019, was used. Data, such as age, sex, ethnicity and any coexisting morbidity, were collected from outpatient hospital registers and electronically captured using a record review tool.Results: There were significantly more female patients (3072) compared to male patients (1050) (p 0.001) with a mean age of 59.21 years. Hypertension (77.9%) and cardiovascular problems (11.16%) were most frequent. Approximately 84% of women presented with T2DM and either one or two morbidities simultaneously. Female patients were at significantly higher risk of presenting with hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20;1.71), whilst their risk for cardiovascular problems was significantly lower compared to male patients (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54;0.83).Conclusion: The prevalence of T2DM and comorbidities differed by demographic factors, such as sex, ethnicity and age. There is a need for flexible and adaptive approaches for the prevention and management of T2DM cases in order to allocate medical resources efficiently and according to the true burden of disease because of T2DM complications

DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO HIV IN UNSTIMULATED WHOLE SALIVA WITH IMMUNOCHROMATOGRAPHIC TEST KIT USED FOR SERUM.

Objectives: To determine the sensitivity and specificity for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies in saliva using an immunochromatographictest kit used for serum for detection of antibodies specific to HIV-1/HIV-2 without any procedural optimization.Methods: A study was carried out in 40 HIV patients, and 40 HIV free volunteers. 2 ml of unstimulated saliva was collected, using drooling methodinto sterile pre-weighed plastic containers for 10 minutes. The samples were labeled with numbers and laboratory personnel were completely blindto the specimens and analyzed with a kit used to determine antibodies in serum/blood. Analysis was performed using immunochromatographic testkit-SD BIOLINE HIV-1/2 - rapid test procedure (WHO approved) - third generation, for the qualitative determination of antibodies of all isotypesspecific to HIV-1 and HIV-2. No procedural optimization was done. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed.Results: Out of the 80 salivary samples, 38 were true positive, 40 were true negative and 2 were false negative for HIV. Sensitivity was 95%, specificitywas 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 95% and disease prevalence of 50% were obtained.Conclusion: Saliva samples collected without any specialized devices, and any test modification can be used instead of serum in rapid test assays forscreening of HIV 1 and 2 antibodies and serve as a diagnostic tool.Keywords: Saliva, Human immunodeficiency virus infection, Human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2 antibodies, Rapid test

Lateralisation abnormalities in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a line bisection study

Objective Asymmetry in brain structure and function is implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. Although right hemisphere abnormality has been documented in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), cerebral asymmetry is rarely examined. Therefore, in this study, we examined anomalous cerebral asymmetry in OCD patients using the line bisection task. Methods A total of 30 patients with OCD and 30 matched healthy controls were examined using a reliable and valid two-hand line bisection (LBS) task. The comparative profiles of LBS scores were analysed using analysis of covariance. Results Patients with OCD bisected significantly less number of lines to the left and had significant rightward deviation than controls, indicating right hemisphere dysfunction. The correlations observed in this study suggest that those with impaired laterality had more severe illness at baseline. Conclusions The findings of this study indicate abnormal cerebral lateralisation and right hemisphere dysfunction in OCD patients