A micro bacteriological culture assessment of the histopathological alterations in liver and bile in gallstone disease

Background: The present investigation aims to evaluate both the intensity and occurrence of hepatic impairment in patients afflicted with gallstone disease, examining the involvement of bacteria in the progression of these alterations. Methods: This prospective observational investigation was carried out on 189 patients scheduled for open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy at IGIMS in Patna, Bihar, India. In all the patients, laboratory and radiological investigations were performed. A healthy section of the liver border near the gallbladder fossa was chosen and grasped with non-traumatic forceps. Approximately 1 cm of the liver edge was excised using scissors and forwarded for histopathological analysis. Results: An examination of 189 liver biopsy specimens revealed that 87 (46%) patients showed no abnormalities, while 102 patients (54%) exhibited one or more changes. Upon analysing the liver biopsy samples from the control cohort (41 patients) during autopsy, 37% of the cases were identified to display hepatic lipidosis, while 48% of the cases showed lymphocytic invasion. Importantly, no cases of acute inflammatory changes were detected in the control cohort. Microbiological analysis was conducted on 96 patients, of which 33 (34%) showed positive cultures, with one or more microorganisms isolated from either the biliary tract or liver. Among these, 74% (24 cases) originated from the bile or gallbladder, while 26% (9 cases) were isolated from the liver. Conclusions: Gallstone disease induces significant liver histological changes, notably more prevalent in patients with prolonged symptoms. The present study clearly identifies this and underscores the importance of timely diagnosis and intervention for the effective management of this disease

A Compact Dual Band E-Shape Microstrip Antenna For Wireless Application

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A pharmacological evaluation of ethanol extract of alpinia calcarata rhizome for anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic properties

Alpinia calcarata rhizome ethanolic extract was tested for anti-asthmatic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Adaptogens normalize leukocytosis after milk consumption. Eosinophils are necessary for allergic illness development. The plant extract significantly reduced allergic asthma-related eosinophil cell count compared to the control group. Eosinophil count decreases cell recruitment and IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, which affect cell count. Studies on milk-induced leukocytosis and eosinophils verified the plant extract's anti-asthmatic capabilities. In guinea pigs, goats, horses, dogs, and humans, histamine contracts trachea and bronchial muscles. Tracheas in guinea pigs test asthma drugs. The isolated guinea pig trachea contracts dose-dependently after H1 receptor stimulation. Alpinia calcarata reduced histamine-induced trachea constriction in solitary guinea pigs, proving its anti-asthmatic and H1 receptor antagonist capabilities. Hydrogen peroxide scavenging and reduction were used to test antioxidants. A hydrogen peroxide-scavenging Alpinia calcarata rhizome ethanol extract. Hydrogen peroxide scavenged less than ascorbic acid. Increasing Alpinia calcarata rhizome ethanolic extract dramatically lowered power. In vitro, ethanolic Alpinia calcarata rhizome extract stabilized rabbit red blood cell membranes and prevented protein denaturation. The ethanolic Alpinia calcarata rhizome extract was anti-asthmatic. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics aid the plant's anti-astatic effects. Most asthma medications are steroidal. The phytochemical study identified steroids and flavonoids. Chemical moieties may make the plant anti-asthmatic. The findings support the conventional and advise more anti-asthmatic active component study

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Axicon aberration leading to short-range nondiverging optical array and elliptical dark hollow beam

We propose a unique method for producing nondiverging optical array and elliptical hollow beam in a controlled manner using aberration patterns generated from oblique illumination of axicon. The optical arrays with propagation invariance property are persisted for short ranges in the focal depth, whereas diverging array with a constant number of bright spots is produced beyond bottle beam. The measured variation in the geometrical parameters of obliquely illuminated axicon setup has facilitated precise control on the dimension of optical array and shape of the elliptical hollow beam, respectively. The theoretical analysis confirms the experimental results for the generation of short-range nondiverging optical array and elliptical dark hollow beam with fine control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental approach to extend the potential of axicon beyond generation of Bessel and circular hollow beams

Brain-Targeted Drug Delivery System: A Novel Approach

A targeted drug delivery system is based on a technique that continuously administers a predetermined dosage of a therapeutic agent to a sick location of the body. The targeted drug delivery goal is to raise the relative amount of the treatment in the target tissues while lowering it in the non-target tissues. This technique's intrinsic benefit has been reduced drug dose and adverse effects. Drug targeting in the brain is one of the most challenging issues in pharmaceutical research because the blood-brain barrier acts as an impermeable barrier for systemically delivered therapeutics and the brain extracellular matrix contributes to the poor distribution of locally delivered drugs. In the treatment of various Central nervous system (CNS) diseases, general approaches that can improve drug delivery to the brain are of great interest. Drugs are less harmful and more effective when they are administered close to where they would be most effective. Extreme research studies have recently concentrated on the development of fresh strategies for more successfully delivering medications to the brain in response to the shortcomings of the traditional delivery mechanism. This study thoroughly explains the obstacles involved in brain-targeted drug delivery, the process of drug transfer through Blood Brain Barrier, different techniques for brain-targeted drug delivery, and some recent breakthroughs in brain-targeted drug delivery. Keywords: Blood-brain barrier, Brain-targeted, Cerebrospinal fluid, Nanoparticles, Liposomes, Convection-enhanced drug delivery

A survey on the Performance Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks using Cross Layer Approach

Abstract- The performance of Wireless Mesh Networks is not optimal by using the conventional layered protocols (TCP-IP). Then the method of optimization at different layers of the protocol stack (TCP-IP) can help to achieve optimal network performance. This method usually results in a clean-slate protocol architecture that is different from the protocol architecture of WMNs. Such a difference actually demonstrates the need for a cross-layer design. Specific features pertaining to WMNs also show the need for cross-layer optimization across different protocol layers. In this paper, the need for cross layer design in WMNs is discussed first. Later in this paper we will discuss the different cross layer optimization schemes and algorithms between different protocol layers are discussed. Wireless ad-hoc networks can be further classified into the following different categories according to their applications � Mobile ad-hoc Networks (MANETS

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Performance of Differently Optimized S,N Heteroatom Dual-Doped Carbon-Encapsulated Iron Carbide–Carbon (Fe₃C@C-SN) Nanostructures

In this study, we present a pyrolytically derived iron-based nonprecious metal catalyst (NPMC), Fe3C embedded in heteroatom (S,N)-codoped carbon matrix, and explored it as a potential NPMC for oxygen reduction in alkaline media. The as-prepared catalysts are well characterized for their structure, crystallite size, morphology, different bonding states of the dopants, and defect levels in the carbon matrix. The optimization is performed for ideal reaction temperature and dopant amounts in Fe3C@C nanostructures. From the electrochemical study, it is found that among the different variants, the sample prepared at a temperature of 800 °C with 20 wt % dopant, i.e., Fe3C@C-SN/25-800, shows a more positive onset potential (Eonset) of 0.844 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) and a low half-wave potential (E1/2) value of 0.670 V. It also shows good long-term oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) stability and methanol tolerance in a 0.1 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. The measurement of intrinsic parameters, double-layer capacitance (Cdl), and charge transfer resistance (RCT) values validate the current–voltage profile of the samples. The major active sites are identified as Fe–Nx and Nx–C in the nanostructures. Fe3C@C-SN/25-800 also exhibits considerable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity among its variants and requires a potential difference (ΔE = E1/2(ORR) – EJ=10 mA cm–2 (OER)) of 0.980 V for overall oxygen electrochemistry. The best electrocatalytic activity can be attributed to the combination of several factors, namely, chosen reaction temperature, dopant concentration, better graphitization, and the presence of a high amount of heteroatoms suitably aligned in the carbon matrix (pyridinic-N, thiophenic-S, etc.) that synergistically enhance the overall performance

Assessment of knowledge, awarness, and covid appropriate behaviour of MBBS students regarding covid-19 pandemic

Background: The present study was conducted to assess knowledge, awareness and practice of MBBS students regarding COVID-19 pandemic. Materials & Methods: 170 Medical students of both genders were given a questionnaire regarding clinical symptoms, transmission routes, prevention, and control of COVID-19. Results77% showed that SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of COVID- 19. Main symptoms are fever, fatigue, dry cough and myalgia was replied true by 90%, 90% replied that 2- 14 days is the incubation period of Covid- 19, the overall mortality was correctly answered by 80% and 83% correctly showed that rRT-PCR is the laboratory test available for detection of COVID- 19. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). 75% replied that COVID- 19 increased the frequency of washing hands, 70% replied that COVID- 19 increased the frequency of using hand sanitizers, use of handkerchief while coughing is by 75%, unnecessary travel is avoided by 81%, 78% maintain social distance. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Most of the students had sufficient knowledge, awareness and practice of regarding COVID-19 pandemic