Capacitation and acrosome reaction in stallion spermatozoa : functional and clinical aspects

Male fertility requires completion of a sequence of elaborate processes including not only spermatogenesis, sperm transport, accessory gland secretion and sperm deposition in the female reproductive tract, but also two very important sperm related events, i.e. capacitation and acrosome reaction. In absence of either no fertilisation in vivo can take place. The site of capacitation in vivo is the oviduct or the uterus, depending on the species, and that of the acrosome reaction is the zona pellucida. A zona pellucida glycoprotein, ZP3 and progesterone are the two most studied physiological inducers of acrosome reaction. Since the report of the presence of progesterone binding sperm proteins, conveniently termed progesterone receptors, on the plasma membrane, progesterone induced sperm acrosome reaction has attracted a great deal of attention. The work presented in this thesis concerns the membrane changes taking place in stallion spermatozoa during capacitation and acrosome reaction, and the signal transduction mechanism leading to the latter in response to progesterone stimulation. Novel flow cytometry-based techniques for evaluating capacitation and acrosome reaction have been described, and a new parameter to predict male fertility, based on exposure of progesterone receptor, has been proposed

The black bone disease: a case report of ochronotic hip arthropathy

Ochronotic arthropathy is a rare complication in patients with alkaptonuria (AKU) that arises as a result of accumulation of ochronotic pigment in the joints. This case report presented a 70-year-old female patient with chronic pain in B/L knee and right hip with decreased e range of motion. The physical and radiographic findings were agreeable with end-stage hip osteoarthritis and knee osteoarthritis. The diagnosis was done by finding of a dark capsule and femoral head during the total hip replacement. The surgical treatments significantly minimized and enhanced the range of motion (ROM). AKU normally emerges after age 40 and is normally asymptomatic till the involvement of the spine, hip, knee and shoulder joints. Therefore, orthopedic surgeons must be observant of clinical manifestations of this rare condition, before and during the surgery. Arthroplasty is an appropriate therapeutic recourse for patients suffering from ochronotic arthropathy

Design and Study of QWT FED Microstrip Patch Antenna at 6.5 Ghz Application

We design the QWT fed micro strip patch antenna at 6.5 GHz application. The first stage is to design square shaped patch Antenna and feeding is done with the QWT feed to match the impedance of 50 ohm. In the simple rectangular microstrip patch, two slots in the patch have been made. The two slots have been made along two corners of the patch. The parametric changes provide the result for 6.5 GHz applications. The frequency 6.5 GHz is chosen because the frequency gives extremely high performance i.e the return loss response exhibiting the characteristic three transformation zeros exceeds 40 dB

ANAGEMENT OF PROXIMAL HUMERUS FRACTURE IN ADULTS WITH PHILOS PLATE FIXATION IN NEER TYPE 2 AND TYPE 3

Objective: One of the most frequent bone fractures is a fracture of the proximal humerus. They make up between 4% and 5% of all fracture. With less invasive soft-tissue injury and a lower risk of iatrogenic avascular necrosis, closed reduction and percutaneous fixation have become more popular in recent years as opposed to open reduction (OR) and extensive internal fixation (IF) (by plates and screws). The aim of this study was to compare the functional results of proximal humerous locking osteosynthesis (PHILOS) fixation against OR and IF of proximal humerus fractures (2 and 3 Neer’s classification).  Methodology: This study involved 40 patients, with a mean age of 53 and a range of ages from 18 to 55, with 2 and 3 part fractures according to Neer’s classification. Patients were randomized to either group, with Group I type 2 fractures receiving OR and IF for 22 patients, and Group II (type 3 fractures) with 18 patients receiving PHILOS plate fixation, with function assessed using the CMS score.  Results: At 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of follow-up, Group I’s mean Visual analog scale (VAS) score decreased to 2.52, 2.10, and 1.22 and in Group II, 3.86, 2.64, and 2.41. The VAS score was reduced and function CMS score were significantly increased in Group I (80% VAS score, 65% CMS score) as compared to Group II (64% VAS score, and 58%CMS score). At 1, 3, and 6 months, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Both groups saw satisfactory results, with each method having benefits and drawbacks. We discovered that plate fixation provided stable fixation with few implant problems and early range-of-motion exercise to achieve acceptable functional results

PLANTAR FASCIITIS TREATMENT WITH PLATELET-RICH PLASMA INJECTION VERSUS STEROID INJECTION

Objective: Plantar fasciitis is characterized by heel pain that worsens when you bear weight after a long period of rest. Injections of steroids are one of the numerous therapeutic techniques that are frequently used to control plantar fasciitis. Numerous studies demonstrate that short-term pain alleviation with steroid injections is not long-lasting. According to recent studies, autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections encourage healing, which improves both short- and long-term pain alleviation. To compare the effects of local PRP injection and corticosteroid in the management of chronic plantar fasciitis, the current study was conducted. Methods: Sixty patients who met the criteria for this prospective double-blind trial were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Patients in Group I received an injection of steroid, whereas those in Group II received an injection of PRPs. The PNS numerical pain score (NPS) and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used to evaluate the patients. An evaluation was conducted before the injection as well as at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the injection. Results: The mean VAS in Group I reduced from 7.00 before injection to 2.31 and that in Group II decreased from 7.81 before injection to 1.12. At the 6-month follow-up, the mean NPS score in Group I increased from 7.05 to 1.41 and in Group II from 7.86 to 1.02. The VAS and NPS improvements were statistically significant. In both groups, the plantar fascia thickness had decreased at the conclusion of the 6-month follow-up period (5.88 mm in Group I to 4.03 mm and 5.96 mm to 3.27mm in Group II), and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: When compared to steroid injection, local PRP injection is an excellent therapeutic option for persistent plantar fasciitis with long-lasting positive effects

A comparison of the impacts of CMEs and CIRs on the Martian dayside and nightside ionospheric species

Measurements from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, orbiting Mars are used for investigating the impact of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) on Martian ionospheric species. We have chosen 15 CME and 15 CIR events at Mars from the existing catalogs. We have extensively analyzed Martian dayside and nightside profiles of ionospheric species during each of the CME and CIR events. We have selected the disturbed orbit plasma density profiles which are beyond the quiet time mean profile during each event. The primary focus of this paper is to provide a comparative average scenario of the variation of Martian ionospheric species during CME and CIR events between 150-500 km altitudes. A significant difference can be observed in the profiles of Martian dayside and nightside ionospheric species (O+, O2+, CO2+, NO+, C+, N+, & OH+) during CMEs and CIRs. The difference is more prominent on the nightside in comparison to the dayside ionosphere. We have observed that the plasma densities were lower during CIRs compared to CMEs. During CIRs, the nightside ion density is one order of magnitude less (above 250 km) in comparison to CMEs. The mean peak altitude and density of the lighter ions (O+, C+, N+, & OH+) were at lower altitudes during the CIRs compared to CMEs. Therefore, this study suggests that the impact of CIRs on the Martian ionospheric species is more prominent compared to CMEs

Awareness of triggers of headache in migraine patients – a study from a tertiary centre from central india

Background:A lot of discrepancies in the number of migraine triggers have been observed in numerous studies. Migraine patients do not recognize easily their headache triggers in clinical practice. Focusing the patient attention on migraine attack triggers is important for management of migraine. Awareness of migraine triggers has not been previously studied in India. Therefore, we planned to study the awareness of triggers of headache among migraine patients from central India.Materials and methods:We recruited 180 migraine patients to evaluate the awareness about their headache triggers. Patients were asked to perform two tasks. Task 1 was to report their migraine trigger spontaneously in 2 minutes. Subsequently, Task 2 was to identify common/uncommon known triggers from given lists. Awareness of triggers among population was estimated by difference of distribution of self reported versus identified common/uncommon triggers.Results:The average number of self reported triggers among all patients was found to be 2.21±1.80. Noise (74.4%), Sunlight (70.6%), Smoking (70.0%), Fasting (67.2%) were the most prevalent trigger factors. Difference of distribution between Task 1 and Task 2 was calculated, which showed (200% difference in self reported versus common triggers) and (83.3% difference in self reported versus uncommon triggers).Conclusion:Migraine patients have poor awareness of their headache triggers and hardly reports triggers unless asked specifically. Keywords: headache, migraine, triggers, migraine with aura, migraine without aura, awareness of triggers of migraine

Suppression of spermatogenesis before grafting increases survival and supports resurgence of spermatogenesis in adult mouse testis

Objective: To test whether absence of complete spermatogenesis in mature testicular tissue before grafting will increase graft survival. Design: Prospective experimental study. Setting: Laboratory. Animal(s): Donor testes were obtained from adult untreated mice, adult mice rendered cryptorchid, and adult mice treated with a GnRH antagonist (acyline). Intervention(s): Donor testes were ectopically grafted to nude mice and recovered at three time points. Main Outcome Measure(s): Most advanced germ cell type and presence of spermatogonia were assessed. Donor testes and grafts were analyzed by histology and by immunocytochemistry for ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 to mark germ cells. Result(s): Suppression of spermatogenesis by inducing cryptorchidism or acyline treatment resulted in improved survival of grafted tissue compared with controls and recovery of complete spermatogenesis, whereas control testis grafts mostly degenerated and did not restore complete spermatogenesis. Conclusion(s): These results indicate that complete spermatogenesis at the time of grafting has a negative effect on graft survival. Grafting of adult testis tissue from donors with suppressed spermatogenesis leads to spermatogenic recovery and may provide a tool to study and preserve fertility and for conservation of genetic resources in individuals that lack complete germ cell differentiation. © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine.Peer Reviewe

Development and In-vitro characterization of floating drug delivery system of ketoconazole

The oral route is increasingly being used for the delivery of therapeutic agents because the low cost of the therapy and ease of administration lead to high level of patient compliances.  Floating drug delivery system (FDDS) float in the gastric fluid and prolong GRT to obtain sufficient drug bioavailability, because of their lower bulk density compared to that of the aqueous medium. The aim of the present study is to prepare floating tablets as a delivery system for controlled release of Ketoconazole. Ketoconazole is a drug of choice in antifungal category and gives significant result. Floating tablets containing Ketoconazole were prepared by direct compression technique using varying concentrations of different grades of polymers of Hydrxy Propyl Cellulose & Xanthan gum. To evaluate the prepared floating tablets for various parameters like hardness, friability, uniformity of drug content, in-vitro floating studies, in-vitro dissolution studies. Keywords: Ketoconazole, Floating drug delivery system, Hydrxy Propyl Cellulose, Xanthan gu

Supply Chain Tracing and Anti-Counterfeiting with Distributed Ledger Technology

In recent times, there has been a rampant proliferation of counterfeit products that has left a trail of devastation in the manufacturing sectors. The repercussions of this extend to companies, impacting their brand reputation, revenue streams and overall profitability. Industries like agriculture, banking, electronics, and high-value deliveries uses the emergence of blockchain technology as a powerful tool to discern between authentic and counterfeit items. Its potential as a means to curtail the influx of fake products in the market is substantial. Blockchain technology, at its core, operates as a decentralized and distributed digital ledger system, meticulously recording transactions within interconnected blocks across multiple databases. The inherent security of this technology ensures the immutability of these blocks, rendering them invulnerable to alteration or hacking. By leveraging blockchain technology, consumers can independently verify the authenticity of a product, eliminating the need for reliance on third-party intermediaries. Incorporating recent technological advancements, the utilization of Quick Response (QR) codes offers a robust approach to combat the proliferation of counterfeit goods. The integration of blockchain technology with QR codes serves as a means to uphold the integrity of products. This innovative system securely stores product details and unique codes in the form of blocks,  where QR codes play a pivotal role in collecting and matching these unique codes with entries in the blockchain database. If the QR code matches with entries in the database, the user receives a confirmation of the product's authenticity; otherwise, an alert is triggered, signaling the presence of a counterfeit product