Clinicopathological study of premalignant and malignant lesions of cervix along with apoptotic index and Ki-67 expression

Background: Cervical cancer is known to have a good response to radiotherapy. The response and prognosis are dependent on the level of apoptosis. Pap smear and histopathology are cost-effective methods in diagnosing premalignant and malignant lesions of cervix but not accurate in classifying and estimating the progression of the disease, especially in premalignant lesions. Therefore this study was undertaken to know the role of Ki-67 expression and apoptotic index in classifying accurately the premalignant lesions for better management.Methods: The study included 540 cases diagnosed histologically as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or carcinoma. The apoptotic index is calculated for all the 540 cases using light microscopy on Haematoxylin and Eosin stained sections. Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining was done for 100 cervical biopsies. Ki-67 expression was graded and the Ki-67 labelling index was calculated. Statistical evaluation was done using the unpaired t-test.Results: The Apoptotic index increased with increasing grade of dysplasia. There is a significant difference in the mean apoptotic index between premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix. The ki-67 index increased with increasing grade of dysplasia. There is a significant difference in the mean Ki-67 index between premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix.Conclusions: Apoptotic index and proliferative indices have been found useful in distinguishing between premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix and gives an idea about the proliferative activity of the tumour for better management of the patient and to determine prognosis

Tailoring the point spread function of an aberrated optical imaging system with Hanning aperture

The point spread function of the optical system in the presence of defocusing effect and the third order wave aberration such as primary spherical aberration with the Hanning amplitude mask is investigated. A significant improvement in the profile of the point spread function has been achieved. Employment of the Hanning amplitude pupil function under the higher degree of spherical aberration and defocusing situation renders the optical systems to perform like a super-resolver. The lateral resolution of the central peak is made to be improved by the highest degree of the amplitude apodization β. The presence of first minima with zero intensity suits the optical system for Rayleigh criterion to be applied for two-point resolution studies

Three D deformation and curvature plots in thin sheets by a non-contact laser-based technique

Includes bibliographical references (pages [71]-73)M.S. (Master of Science

Corollaries of Point Spread Function with Asymmetric Apodization

Primary energy based corollaries of point spread function with asymmetric apodization using complex pupil function have been studied in the case of three-zone aperture. Merit function like semicircled energy factor, excluded semicircled energy, and displaced semicircled energy were analyzed with respect to Airy case in terms of phase and amplitude apodization. Analytical results have been presented for the optimum parameters of phase and amplitude asymmetric apodization

ViSHWaS: Violence Study of Healthcare Workers and Systems—a global survey

Objective To provide insights into the nature, risk factors, impact and existing measures for reporting and preventing violence in the healthcare system. The under-reporting of violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) globally highlights the need for increased public awareness and education.Methods The Violence Study of Healthcare Workers and Systems study used a survey questionnaire created using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) forms and distributed from 6 June to 9 August 2022. Logistic regression analysis evaluated violence predictors, including gender, age, years of experience, institution type, respondent profession and night shift frequency. A χ2 test was performed to determine the association between gender and different violence forms.Results A total of 5405 responses from 79 countries were analysed. India, the USA and Venezuela were the top three contributors. Female respondents comprised 53%. The majority (45%) fell within the 26–35 age group. Medical students (21%), consultants (20%), residents/fellows (15%) and nurses (10%) constituted highest responders. Nearly 55% HCWs reported firsthand violence experience, and 16% reported violence against their colleagues. Perpetrators were identified as patients or family members in over 50% of cases, while supervisor-incited violence accounted for 16%. Around 80% stated that violence incidence either remained constant or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among HCWs who experienced violence, 55% felt less motivated or more dissatisfied with their jobs afterward, and 25% expressed willingness to quit. Univariate analysis revealed that HCWs aged 26–65 years, nurses, physicians, ancillary staff, those working in public settings, with >1 year of experience, and frequent night shift workers were at significantly higher risk of experiencing violence. These results remained significant in multivariate analysis, except for the 55–65 age group, which lost statistical significance.Conclusion This global cross-sectional study highlights that a majority of HCWs have experienced violence, and the incidence either increased or remained the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in decreased job satisfaction