An Ensemble-based approach for assigning text to correct Harmonized system code

Industries must follow government rules and regulations around the world to classify products when assessing duties and taxes for international shipment. Harmonized System (HS) is the most standardized numerical method of classifying traded products among industry classification systems. A hierarchical ensemble model comprising of Bert-transformer, NER, distance-based approaches, and knowledge-graphs have been developed to address scalability, coverage, ability to capture nuances, automation and auditing requirements when classifying unknown text-descriptions as per HS method

Learning Long-Term Spatial-Temporal Graphs for Active Speaker Detection

Active speaker detection (ASD) in videos with multiple speakers is a challenging task as it requires learning effective audiovisual features and spatial-temporal correlations over long temporal windows. In this paper, we present SPELL, a novel spatial-temporal graph learning framework that can solve complex tasks such as ASD. To this end, each person in a video frame is first encoded in a unique node for that frame. Nodes corresponding to a single person across frames are connected to encode their temporal dynamics. Nodes within a frame are also connected to encode inter-person relationships. Thus, SPELL reduces ASD to a node classification task. Importantly, SPELL is able to reason over long temporal contexts for all nodes without relying on computationally expensive fully connected graph neural networks. Through extensive experiments on the AVA-ActiveSpeaker dataset, we demonstrate that learning graph-based representations can significantly improve the active speaker detection performance owing to its explicit spatial and temporal structure. SPELL outperforms all previous state-of-the-art approaches while requiring significantly lower memory and computational resources. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/SRA2/SPELLComment: ECCV 2022 camera ready (Supplementary videos: on ECVA soon). This paper supersedes arXiv:2112.0147

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Status of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections and Evaluation of PVL Producing Strains in Belgaum, South India

Background: Panton Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) toxin, responsible for increased virulence and more severe infections can be found in both Methicillin-sensitive and Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA and MRSA). Aims & Objectives: To generate baseline data on the extent of MRSA infections and to estimate the frequency of PVL-positive S.aureus in Belgaum, South India. Material & Methods: 70 clinical isolates of S.aureus were obtained from various laboratories in Belgaum city. Theseisolates were identified, phenotypically characterized as MRSA/MSSA by disc diffusion method using oxacillin discs (1 µg) and genetically by multiplex PCR for mecA and fem B genes. PCR was subsequently carried out on all isolates to detect LukS-PV and LukF-PV genes, the markers for potential producers of PVL toxin. Results: 27 out of 70 isolates (38.6%) were confirmed as MRSA by PCR formecA. The prevalence of PVL gene was 85.1% and 48.8% in MRSA and MSSA respectively. The overall prevalence of PVL positive S.aureuswas 62.85%. Conclusion: Our study showed high percentage of PVL positive MRSA and MSSA, higher than the most reports worldwide. In the backdrop of bacterial strains gaining multiple drug resistance, our study warrants further epidemiological studies in hospitals and community levels in the region

Undernutrition among rural school-age children: a major public health challenge for an aspirational district in Karnataka, India

BackgroundFor school-age children, a healthy transition from childhood to adolescence and adulthood depends on proper nutrition. Globally, most nutritional surveys focus on preschool and adolescents, neglecting school-age children. Recent studies have shown the prevalence of thinness among adolescents to be 26.5% in Karnataka. Similarly, among children aged < 5 years in the Raichur district, the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and being underweight was 39.8, 23.2, and 40.7%, respectively. The present study aimed to bridge the data gap between < 5 years of children and adolescents through a nutritional survey of school-going children in Raichur, one of the aspirational districts of India.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to March 2020 among rural school-age children (n = 2700) in 30 villages of the Raichur district of Karnataka, India. The school children were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. The WHO Anthro-plus software was used for calculating the age and sex-specific Z-scores for weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and BMI-for-age (BAZ).ResultsOf the 2,700 school-age children surveyed, the mean weight and height were 22.2 kg (+5.8) and 124.9 cm (+11.6), respectively. The prevalence of children having weight-for-age Z-scores < −2 SD (Underweight) was 45.3% (95% CI: 42.7%−47.8%). The magnitude of stunting and severe stunting was 19.5% (95% CI: 18.0%−21.0%) and 7.6% (95% CI: 6.6%−8.6%), respectively. The proportion of children with BMI for age Z-scores < −2SD (thinness) was 43% (95% CI: 41.1%−44.9%), with sub-district Sindhanur having a dual burden of malnutrition.ConclusionDespite many flagship programs, the prevalence of undernutrition in school-age children remains a considerable public health problem in the aspirational district of Raichur, India. Furthermore, exploratory studies are recommended to identify the factors associated with undernutrition among school-age children and strategize evidence-based intervention

DOXORUBICIN INDUCED COGNITION IMPAIRMENT IN RAT MODEL

 Objective: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used to treat a variety of cancers despite having well documented adverse sideeffects in organs like heart, liver, and kidney. The damage caused to brain, if any, and to what extent is, however, still not clear and the present studywas undertaken to estimate the possible role of DOX inducing cognitive impairment in Wistar rats.Methods: The study carried out in two groups of Wistar rats (n=6) with one group receiving DOX, and the other only normal saline used as control.During and after the experimentation period cognitive level of each rat was measured using Barnes maze (BM) till 8 weeks. At the end of theobservation period (after 8th week), a series of biochemical and histopathological studies were carried out after sacrificing the animals.Results: Errors to reach target and time taken to reach the target was found in BM experiment, elevated levels of antioxidants and hemoglobin wasfound reduced significantly in the DOX treated group when compared to the controls while histopathology of brain cells of DOX treated group alsoshowed reduction in hippocampal cellularity and cell death in hippocampal area suggesting evidence of oxidative damage caused by DOX treatment.Conclusion: Parameters in this study which not only conclusively show the damage caused to brain by DOX, but also estimates the changes caused toeach indicator by this drug.Keywords: Chemotherapy, Brain, Hippocampus, Oxidative stress

High genomic diversity and heterogenous origins of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in household settings represent a challenge to reducing transmission in low-income settings

Escherichia coli; is present in multiple hosts and environmental compartments as a normal inhabitant, temporary or persistent colonizer, and as a pathogen. Transmission of; E. coli; between hosts and with the environment is considered to occur more often in areas with poor sanitation. We performed whole-genome comparative analyses on 60; E. coli; isolates from soils and fecal sources (cattle, chickens, and humans) in households in rural Bangladesh. Isolates from household soils were in multiple branches of the reconstructed phylogeny, intermixed with isolates from fecal sources. Pairwise differences between all strain pairs were large (minimum, 189 single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]), suggesting high diversity and heterogeneous origins of the isolates. The presence of multiple virulence and antibiotic resistance genes is indicative of the risk that; E. coli; from soil and feces represent for the transmission of variants that pose potential harm to people. Analysis of the accessory genomes of the Bangladeshi; E. coli; relative to; E. coli; genomes available in NCBI identified a common pool of accessory genes shared among; E. coli; isolates in this geographic area. Together, these findings indicate that in rural Bangladesh, a high level of; E. coli; in soil is likely driven by contributions from multiple and diverse; E. coli; sources (human and animal) that share an accessory gene pool relatively unique to previously published; E. coli; genomes. Thus, interventions to reduce environmental pathogen or antimicrobial resistance transmission should adopt integrated One Health approaches that consider heterogeneous origins and high diversity to improve effectiveness and reduce prevalence and transmission.; IMPORTANCE; Escherichia coli; is reported in high levels in household soil in low-income settings. When; E. coli; reaches a soil environment, different mechanisms, including survival, clonal expansion, and genetic exchange, have the potential to either maintain or generate; E. coli; variants with capabilities of causing harm to people. In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing to identify that; E. coli; isolates collected from rural Bangladeshi household soils, including pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant variants, are diverse and likely originated from multiple diverse sources. In addition, we observed specialization of the accessory genome of this Bangladeshi; E. coli; compared to; E. coli; genomes available in current sequence databases. Thus, to address the high level of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant; E. coli; transmission in low-income settings, interventions should focus on addressing the heterogeneous origins and high diversity

Elucidating type 2 diabetes mellitus risk factor by promoting lipid metabolism with gymnemagenin: An in vitro and in silico approach

Introduction: Adipose tissue functions as a key endocrine organ which releases multiple bioactive substances and regulate obesity-linked complications. Dysregulation of adipocyte differentiation, triglyceride metabolism, adipokines production and lipid transport contributes to impaired lipid metabolism resulting in obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Gymnema sylvestre plant is frequently used in Ayurveda for treatment of diabetes and obesity. Gymnemagenin is a major bioactive compound of Gymnema sylvestre. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the role of gymnemagenin in lipid metabolism by in vitro and computational approaches.Methods: A panel of twelve genes viz., Fasn, Lipe, Lpl, Pparg, Plin2, Cidea, Scd1, Adipoq, Lep, Ccl2, Fabp4, and Slc2a4, essential in lipid metabolism were selected and gene expression pattern and triglyceride content were checked in adipocytes (3T3L1 cells) with/without treatment of gymnemagenin by Real time PCR and colorimetric estimation, respectively. Mode of action of gymnemagenin on Pparg and Fabp4 was accomplished by computational studies. Gene set enrichment and network pharmacology were performed by STRING and Cytoscape. Molecular docking was performed by AutoDock vina by POAP pipeline. Molecular dynamics, MM-PBSA were done by Gromacs tool.Results:In vitro study showed that gymnemagenin improved triglyceride metabolism by up regulating the expression of lipase genes viz., Lipe and Lpl which hydrolyse triglyceride. Gymnemagenin also up regulated the expression of anti-inflammatory gene Adipoq. Importantly, gymnemagenin treatment up regulated the expression of Pparg gene and the downstream target genes (Plin2, Cidea, and Scd1) which are associated with adipogenesis. However, gymnemagenin has no effect on expression of Fabp4, codes for a lipid transport protein. In silico study revealed that gymnemagenin targeted 12 genes were modulating 6 molecular pathways involved in diabetes and obesity. Molecular docking and dynamics revealed that gymnemagenin stably bind to active site residue of Pparg and failed to bind to Fabp4 active site compared to its standard molecules throughout 100 ns MD production run. Gymnemagenin scored binding free energy of −177.94 and −25.406 kJ/mol with Pparg and Fabp4, respectively.Conclusion: Gymnemagenin improved lipid metabolism by increasing triglyceride hydrolysis (lipolysis), up regulating the crucial gene of adipogenesis and increasing the expression of anti-inflammatory adipokine proving its therapeutic importance as anti-obesity and anti-diabetic phytocompound

Antimicrobial activity of leaf and root methanolic extracts from Vinca pusilla Murr.

Vinca pusilla Murr. is a traditional medicinal plant used to treat several diseases. To substantiate the traditional medicinal utility of the plant, the present study aims at screening the antimicrobial activity of methanolic extracts of leaves and roots against five Gram positive, five Gram negative bacterial and four fungal strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined by two fold dilution assay. The results indicated that, leaf and root extracts were more effective on Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus strains (MIC < 1 mg/mL). The tested organisms were sensitive to root extract compared to leaf extract. Fungal strains were resistant than the bacterial strains to both the extracts. Thus the present study illustrates the antimicrobial potential of the plant.

Occurrence and genetic characteristics of mcr-1-positive colistin-resistant E. coli from poultry environments in Bangladesh

ObjectivesColistin is one of the last-resort antibiotics for treatment of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram negative bacterial infections. We determined occurrence and characteristics of mcr-1-producing E. coli obtained from live bird markets (LBM), rural poultry farms (RPF) and rural household backyard poultry (HBP) in Bangladesh.MethodsWe tested 104 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli isolated during 2017-2018 from poultry sources for colistin resistance. We analyzed the resistant isolates for mcr gene and characterized mcr positive isolates for antibiotic susceptibility, antibiotic resistance genes, transmissible plasmids and clonal diversity.ResultsOf 104 isolates, 98 (94%) had MICcolistin ≥4 μg/mL and 14 (13.5%) were positive for mcr-1 of which 10 were from LBM (n = 10), 3 from RFP and 1 from HBP. All 14 mcr-1 E. coli were resistant to third generation cephalosporin and tetracycline, while 12 were resistant to fluoroquinolone and sulphamethoxazole, 10 were to aminoglycosides and 3 were to nitrofurantoin. Four isolates carried conjugative mcr-1 plasmid of 23 to 55 MDa in size. The 55 MDa plasmid found in 2 isolates carried additional resistant genes including blaCTX-M-group-1 and blaTEM-1 (ESBL), qnrB (fluoroquinolone) and rmtB (aminoglycoside). These plasmids belong to IncF family with additional replicons: HI1 and N. ERIC-PCR revealed a heterogeneous banding pattern of mcr-1 positive isolates.ConclusionWe report a 13.5% prevalence of mcr-1 positive MDR E. coli in poultry fecal samples predominantly from LBMs in Bangladesh accentuating the need for safe disposal of poultry feces and hygiene practices among people exposed to poultry.</div