Spinal intramedullary cysticercosis mimicking spinal tumour

Neurocysticercosis is a relatively uncommon entity with even more rare spinal intramedullary variety. We present a case of cervico- dorsal intramedullary NCC mimicking spinal tumour with per operative finding mimicking abscess

Constructing and consuming "Heritage" : Humayun's Tomb in popular perception

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-146).A host of political and spiritual associations were constructed around Humayun's Tomb that established it as the most important political and spiritual site in the city during the sixteenth century. After an initial phase of importance, the tomb began to slip into physical decrepitude and neglect. Though the tomb underwent several changes in the subsequent three centuries, it never regained its original status as a 'Mughal dynastic icon'. One of the primary aims of the intervention efforts by various agencies like the ASI, UNESCO and AKTC has been to stimulate popular interest and appreciation of Humayun's Tomb as 'heritage'. In spite of its obvious monumental stature and architectural merit, Humayun's Tomb's political and spiritual significance are no longer central to its popular perception. The tomb's initial narrative as the product of a socialized and historicized understanding of political associations in conjunction with ascribed spiritual sanctity has eroded. This underlines the need for such a study that unravels the popular consumption of the tomb's 'heritage' or the lack thereof. The principal concern of this thesis is to identify the reasons why the meanings associated with Humayun's Tomb remain lost to contemporary popular perception. The thesis follows the trajectory of popular interpretation from the time of the tomb's construction till now. In doing so it deals with the complex set of political, religious, architectural and spiritual associations of the building that contributed to its representation and perception. It explores the agencies and processes instrumental in constructing the monument's evolving narrative and its consumption through various themes - a dynastic icon, 'prototype of the Taj Mahal' and 'heritage' to mention a few: Through an exploration of these themes, this thesis tries to answer why this once celebrated monument has retained so little of its originally constructed narrative.Sadaf Ansari.S.M

Implications of single-stage deep learning networks in real-time zooplankton identification

Zooplankton are key ecological components of the marine food web. Currently, laboratory-based methods of zooplankton identification are manual, time-consuming, prone to human error and require expert taxonomists. Therefore, alternative methods are needed. In this study, we describe, implement and compare the performance of six state-of-the-art single-stage deep learning models for automated zooplankton identification. The highest prediction accuracy achieved is 99.50%. The fastest detection speed is 285 images per second, making the models suitable for real-time zooplankton classification. We validate the predictions of the generated models on unseen images. The results demonstrate the capabilities of the latest deep learning models in zooplankton identification.publishedVersio

Outcome of different modes of non-invasive ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type II respiratory failure

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive inflammatory airway disorder often leading to type II respiratory failure (RF). Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is crucial in COPD management. This study compares T (Timed), ST (Spontaneous-Timed), and iVAPS (Intelligent volume assured pressure support) modes. Method: A prospective, experimental, comparative study spanned two years. One hundred COPD patients with Type 2 RF were randomized into three groups: T mode (n=33), ST mode (n=33), and iVAPS mode (n=34). Outcome assessment included clinical, hematological parameters, and intubation rate. Result: The study revealed varying degrees of success among the three modes of NIV. iVAPS mode demonstrated the highest success rate, with 79.4% of cases achieving positive outcomes. Noteworthy improvements were observed in respiratory rate (RR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) in the iVAPS group after 12 hours of NIV. Both the ST mode and iVAPS mode showed significant increases in pH levels, with a more pronounced improvement seen in the iVAPS group. Additionally, a substantial reduction in pCO2 levels after BiPAP was noted in the iVAPS group. The intubation rate was lowest in the iVAPS group, though the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: iVAPS mode demonstrated superior outcomes, including significant improvements in RR, SpO2, pH, and pCO2. While the intubation rate was lowest in the iVAPS group, statistical significance was not achieved. iVAPS emerges as a promising alternative, potentially averting the need for invasive ventilation. Larger, diverse studies are needed to validate these findings

Gallic acid-cholesterol conjugate: Synthesis spectroscopic characterization and quantum chemical calculations-an experimental and theoretical approach

Gallic acid is the major constituent in fruits Phyllanthusemblica (amla), of the family phyllanthaceae. Gallic acid was first methylated to 3,4,5 trimethoxygallic acid, which upon esterification using steglich method with cholesterol resulted in the product (3S,8S,10R,13R,17R) -10,13-dimethyl-17-((R)-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-tetradecahydro - 1H - cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate. The synthesized compound has been characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV, FT-IR and mass spectroscopy. Density functional theory (B3YLP) using a 6-31G (d,p) basis set has been used for quantum chemical calculations. The reactive site and reactivity within the molecule are rendered by global and local reactivity descriptors, whereas AIM (Atom in a molecule) approach illustrated weak molecular interactions within the molecule. The energies of HOMO and LUMO and frontier orbital energy gap are calculated by time dependent DFT approach using the IEFPCM model. A small value for the HOMO-LUMO energy gap indicates easier charge transfer within the synthesized compound. The nucleophilic and electrophilic reactivity is determined by MEP (molecular electrostatic potential) studies. The values calculated for polarizability, dipole moment, and first hyperpolarizability are used to depict the NLO (nonlinear optical) property of the synthesized compound

The role playing by social media in COVID-19 to exacerbate anxiety and depression among Pakistani community

Introduction: The purpose of the worldwide lockdown was to impede the spread of this virus via social distancing. WHO detected symptoms like anxiety, stress, fear which have affected people’s psychology across the globe due to loneliness, substance abuse, depression and constant fear?  With the surge of information regarding COVID-19 on social media (myths and beliefs), it certainly played a major role for communities’ psychology all around the globe. Methods: A cross sectional study design was chosen with convenient sampling size of 800 via online. Questionnaire shared through online social media platforms. Statistical analysis was done through SPSS version 21 and responses were taken as frequencies, percentages and chi-square test. Results:  there was a significant association between highly educated peoples and social media usage with p-value less than 0.000 suggestive of myths generating decline of mental health.  Conclusion: COVID-19 information available over social media was used by everyone and considered as authentic. Therefore, control measures and legislation should be applied on them to restrict the ambiguity.  Key-words:  Social media; COVID-19; Myths; life worth; save humanity; Attitude;

Management of diabetes and arthritis –A systematic review

Purpose: Diabetes is a metabolic syndrome with reported musculoskeletal  effects. This systemic review aimed to identify a relationship between  diabetes and arthritis; disease-related risk factors, the effect of diet in disease management and the effect of anti-arthritic drugs on diabetes  treatment.Methods: This study analysed 20 articles identified and selected according to the study criteria. PRISMA guidelines were used for identification and screening of literature. Data search covered several primary databases, including Pubmed, Wiley library, Scopus, Clinical Trial Registry, etc.Results: The study findings suggest a significant correlation between  diabetes and arthritis. Obesity, impaired glucose tolerance (MS  components), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) hypertension and dyslipidemia are the most common risk factors leading to disease progression. Omega -3-fatty acid showed no protective effect on disease condition.Conclusion: The findings indicate that anti-tumor necrosis factor (Tnf)-α, disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, and Interleukin receptors  antagonist improved the efficacy of diabetic medication and maintained blood sugar levels. However, Tnf-α reduced glucose intolerance, and therefore, its therapeutic use in conjunction with diabetic medications should be limited.Keywords: Diabetes, Arthritis, Risk factors, Diet, Pathogenesis, Disease progression, Medicatio

The global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its attributable risk factors in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Data about the global, regional, and country-specific variations in the levels and trends of colorectal cancer are required to understand the impact of this disease and the trends in its burden to help policy makers allocate resources. Here we provide a status report on the incidence, mortality, and disability caused by colorectal cancer in 195 countries and territories between 1990 and 2017. Methods Vital registration, sample vital registration, verbal autopsy, and cancer registry data were used to generate incidence, death, and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) estimates of colorectal cancer at the global, regional, and national levels. We also determined the association between development levels and colorectal cancer age-standardised DALY rates, and calculated DALYs attributable to risk factors that had evidence of causation with colorectal cancer. All of the estimates are reported as counts and age-standardised rates per 100 000 person-years, with some estimates also presented by sex and 5-year age groups. Findings In 2017, there were 1·8 million (95% UI 1·8–1·9) incident cases of colorectal cancer globally, with an agestandardised incidence rate of 23·2 (22·7–23·7) per 100 000 person-years that increased by 9·5% (4·5–13·5) between 1990 and 2017. Globally, colorectal cancer accounted for 896 000 (876 300–915 700) deaths in 2017, with an agestandardised death rate of 11·5 (11·3–11·8) per 100 000 person-years, which decreased between 1990 and 2017 (–13·5% [–18·4 to –10·0]). Colorectal cancer was also responsible for 19·0 million (18·5–19·5) DALYs globally in 2017, with an age-standardised rate of 235·7 (229·7–242·0) DALYs per 100 000 person-years, which decreased between 1990 and 2017 (–14·5% [–20·4 to –10·3]). Slovakia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand had the highest age-standardised incidence rates in 2017. Greenland, Hungary, and Slovakia had the highest age-standardised death rates in 2017. Numbers of incident cases and deaths were higher among males than females up to the ages of 80–84 years, with the highest rates observed in the oldest age group (≥95 years) for both sexes in 2017. There was a non-linear association between the Socio-demographic Index and the Healthcare Access and Quality Index and age-standardised DALY rates. In 2017, the three largest contributors to DALYs at the global level, for both sexes, were diet low in calcium (20·5% [12·9–28·9]), alcohol use (15·2% [12·1–18·3]), and diet low in milk (14·3% [5·1–24·8]). Interpretation There is substantial global variation in the burden of colorectal cancer. Although the overall colorectal cancer age-standardised death rate has been decreasing at the global level, the increasing age-standardised incidence rate in most countries poses a major public health challenge across the world. The results of this study could be useful for policy makers to carry out cost-effective interventions and to reduce exposure to modifiable risk factors, particularly in countries with high incidence or increasing burde