118 research outputs found

    Post Covid-19 Mandibular Mucormycosis: A Rare and Deviant Site of Presentation

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    Introduction:Mandibular involvement in mucormycosis is rare, and only a few cases of post covid-19 mandibular mucormycosis have been reported to date. Materials & methods: This is a retrospective descriptive case series study conducted at a tertiary care centre.We report the clinico-epidemiological profile and management of 5 cases of post covid mandibular mucormycosis. All patients received intravenous antifungals at the earliest and underwent surgical debridement of the infected bone. Results: 4 patients were managed satisfactorily. 1 patient succumbed to the disease. Extent of debridement was based on the clinical, radiological and intraoperative assessment of the mandible. Conclusion: Mandibular mucormycosis is rare and early recognition of symptoms and treatment is imperative in reducing the spread of disease, decreasing the extent of resection and postoperative reconstruction

    Neuronal apoptosis by HIV-1 Vpr: contribution of proinflammatory molecular networks from infected target cells

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    Background: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) induces neuronal dysfunction through host cellular factors and viral proteins including viral protein R (Vpr) released from infected macrophages/microglia. Vpr is important for infection of terminally differentiated cells such as macrophages. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Vpr in the context of infectious virus particles on neuronal death through proinflammatory cytokines released from macrophages.Methods: Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were infected with either HIV-1 wild type (HIV-1wt), Vpr deleted mutant (HIV-1{increment}Vpr) or mock. Cell lysates and culture supernatants from MDMs were analyzed for the expression and release of proinflammatory cytokines by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay respectively. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) were analyzed in activated MDMs by western blots. Further, the effect of Vpr on neuronal apoptosis was examined using primary neurons exposed to culture supernatants from HIV-1wt, HIV-1{increment}Vpr or mock-infected MDMs by Annexin-V staining, MTT and Caspase - Glo® 3/7 assays. The role of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α on neuronal apoptosis was also evaluated in the presence or absence of neutralizing antibodies against these cytokines.Results: HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected MDMs exhibited reduced infection over time and specifically a significant downregulation of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α at the transcriptional and/or protein levels compared to HIV-1wt-infected cultures. This downregulation was due to impaired activation of p38 and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected MDMs. The association of SAPK/JNK and p38 to IL-1β and IL-8 production was confirmed by blocking MAPKs that prevented the elevation of IL-1β and IL-8 in HIV-1wt more than in HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected cultures. Supernatants from HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected MDMs containing lower concentrations of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α as well as viral proteins showed a reduced neurotoxicity compared to HIV-1wt-infected MDM supernatants. Reduction of neuronal death in the presence of anti-IL-1β and anti-IL-8 antibodies only in HIV-1wt-infected culture implies that the effect of Vpr on neuronal death is in part mediated through released proinflammatory factors.Conclusion: Collectively, these results demonstrate the ability of HIV-1{increment}Vpr to restrict neuronal apoptosis through dysregulation of multiple proinflammatory cytokines in the infected target cells either directly or indirectly by suppressing viral replication. © 2012 Guha et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

    Forest Fire Detection with GPS using IoT

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    Today's developing world makes environmental protection absolutely necessary. Numerous natural and man-made disasters were happening all around the planet. Forest fires are one such environmental catastrophe. Once it starts, the fire in the dense forest quickly engulfs the entire region, consuming everything in its path and igniting everything. On hot days, fire spreads more easily due to the dry conditions, decimating the grasses and trees in forested areas. To protect the ecosystems of the forest's flora and fauna, such forest fire calamities must be diminished. The objective of this endeavour is to create and put into use an Internet of Things (IoT)-based system that can anticipate and identify forest fires, alert the appropriate authorities to their specific location, and help firefighters put out the fire when it first starts. This would prevent the fire from engulfing a big area and allow for the implementation of preventative measures to put out any fires that might start in the near future

    Viral Diseases in Potato

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    Viruses are among the most significant biotic constraints in potato production. In the century since the discovery of the first potato viruses we have learned more and more about these pathogens, and this has accelerated over the last decade with the advent of high-throughput sequencing in the study of plant virology. Most reviews of potato viruses have focused on temperate potato production systems of Europe and North America. However, potato production is rapidly expanding in tropical and subtropical agro-ecologies of the world in Asia and Africa, which present a unique set of problems for the crop and affect the way viruses can be managed. In this chapter we review the latest discoveries in potato virology as well as the changes in virus populations that have occurred over the last 50 years, with a particular focus on countries in the (sub-)tropics. We also review the different management approaches including use of resistance, seed systems, and cultural approaches that have been employed in different countries and reflect on what can be learnt from past research on potato viruses, and what can be expected in the future facing climate change. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2020.Peer reviewe
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