Early Detection of Parkinson Disease using Voice Data

Parkinson’s disease affects over 10 million people worldwide, with approximately 20 percent of patients not being diagnosed. Clinical diagnosis is expensive because there are no specific tests or bio-markers, and it can take days to diagnose because it is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the individual’s symptoms. Existing research either predicts a Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale rating, uses other key Parkinsonian features to diagnose an individual, such as tapping, gait, and tremor, or focuses on different audio features. In this paper, we are focusing on using the voice aspect for the early detection of the disease. We use the University of California Irvine (UCI) Parkinson data set. This data set contains various parameters regarding voice jitter. The data set first undergoes preprocessing. We have used a Feedforward Neural Network (FNN) model to acquire early on detection using the above data set. Our model has achieved an efficiency of 97.43 percent. This efficiency can be improved by using even a larger and diverse data set

Toxicity evaluation of the holothrian Holothuria (mertensiothuria) leucospilota (Brandt) and The effect of toxin on the prawn Caridina rajadhari

The evaluation of lethal and sublethal concentrations is an important step for further studies on behavioural and physiological changes in the animal. In the present investigation toxicity eveduation was done using computational procedure for critical analysis of the regression line relating probits and log dose. In the present study five size groups of the prawn Caridina rajadhari namely juveniles, immature females, immature males, mature females and mature males were used and the LC51, values were calculated upto 96 hrs. It was observed that the percent mortality of the five size groups increased progessively upto 96 hours in all concentrations of holothurian toxin and the LC^j values decreased with increasing exposure period. The size and sex dependent toxicity indicated that LCj,, values followed by immature male, immature female, mature male and mature female. It was observed that males were found to be more tolerant than females in both immature aand mature stages. It was also observed that mature females were most susceptible and the juveniles are more tolerant among the test animals

Protective effect of bischalcone derivative in Drosophila melanogaster against electron beam radiation

In this paper the protective effect of (2E, 5E) – 2,5-bis (3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzylidene) cyclopentanone bischalcone derivative (Curcumin analogue, CA), on electron beam radiation induced oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster adult flies. Curcumin (CU) was taken as standard. The CA pre treated and irradiated flies were screened for wing shape abnormalities in F1 and F2 generations. There was considerable decrease in the wing shape abnormality frequency in the case of CA fed irradiated flies compared to control

A Pilot Study of Short-Duration Sputum Pretreatment Procedures for Optimizing Smear Microscopy for Tuberculosis

Direct sputum smear microscopy for tuberculosis (TB) lacks sensitivity for the detection of acid fast bacilli. Sputum pretreatment procedures may enhance sensitivity. We did a pilot study to compare the diagnostic accuracy and incremental yield of two short-duration (<1 hour) sputum pretreatment procedures to optimize direct smears among patients with suspected TB at a referral hospital in India.Blinded laboratory comparison of bleach and universal sediment processing (USP) pretreated centrifuged auramine smears to direct Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) and direct auramine smears and to solid (Loweinstein-Jensen (LJ)) and liquid (BACTEC 460) culture. 178 pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB suspects were prospectively recruited during a one year period. Thirty six (20.2%) were positive by either solid or liquid culture. Direct ZN smear detected 22 of 36 cases and direct auramine smears detected 26 of 36 cases. Bleach and USP centrifugation detected 24 cases each, providing no incremental yield beyond direct smears. When compared to combined culture, pretreated smears were not more sensitive than direct smears (66.6% vs 61.1 (ZN) or 72.2 (auramine)), and were not more specific (92.3% vs 93.0 (ZN) or 97.2 (auramine).Short duration sputum pretreatment with bleach and USP centrifugation did not increase yield as compared to direct sputum smears. Further work is needed to confirm this in a larger study and also determine if longer duration pre-treatment might be effective in optimizing smear microscopy for TB

Conformation of di-n-propylglycine residues (Dpg) in peptides: Crystal structures of a type I′β-turn forming tetrapeptide and an α-helical tetradecapeptide

The crystal structures of two oligopeptides containing di-n-propylglycine (Dpg) residues, Boc-Gly-Dpg-Gly-Leu-OMe (1) and Boc-Val-Ala-Leu-Dpg-Val-Ala-Leu-Val-Ala-Leu-Dpg-Val-Ala-Leu-OMe (2) are presented. Peptide 1 adopts a type I-turn conformation with Dpg(2)-Gly(3) at the corner positions. The 14-residue peptide 2 crystallizes with two molecules in the asymmetric unit, both of which adopt &#945;-helical conformations stabilized by 11 successive 5 &#8594; 1 hydrogen bonds. In addition, a single 4 &#8594; 1 hydrogen bond is also observed at the N-terminus. All five Dpg residues adopt backbone torsion angles (&#966;,&#968;) in the helical region of conformational space. Evaluation of the available structural data on Dpg peptides confirm the correlation between backbone bond angle N-C&#945;-C'(&#950;) and the observed backbone &#966;,&#968;, values. For &#950; &gt; 106&#176;, helices are observed, while fully extended structures are characterized by &#950; &lt; 106&#176;. The mean values for extended and folded conformations for the Dpg residue are 103.6&#176; &#177; 1.7&#176; and 109.9&#176; &#177; 2.6&#176;, respectively

Have greenhouse gases intensified the contrast between wet and dry regions?

While changes in land precipitation during the last 50 years have been attributed in part to human influences, results vary by season, are affected by data uncertainty and do not account for changes over ocean. One of the more physically robust responses of the water cycle to warming is the expected amplification of existing patterns of precipitation minus evaporation. Here, precipitation changes in wet and dry regions are analyzed from satellite data for 1988–2010, covering land and ocean. We derive fingerprints for the expected change from climate model simulations that separately track changes in wet and dry regions. The simulations used are driven with anthropogenic and natural forcings combined, and greenhouse gas forcing or natural forcing only. Results of detection and attribution analysis show that the fingerprint of combined external forcing is detectable in observations and that this intensification of the water cycle is partly attributable to greenhouse gas forcing

3,5-Bis(4-bromo­phen­yl)-1-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole

In the title compound, C21H16Br2N2, the central pyrazole ring adopts an flattened envelope conformation, with the stereogenic C atom in the flap position. The deviations from planarity for this ring are relatively minor (r.m.s. deviation = 0.045 Å) and the dihedral angles formed with the N- and Cimine-bound benzene rings are 7.73 (13) and 11.00 (13)°, respectively. By contrast, the benzene ring bound at the chiral C atom is almost orthogonal to the rest of the mol­ecule; the dihedral angle formed between this ring and the pyrazole ring is 79.53 (13)°. In the crystal, the packing is stabilized by C—H⋯N and C—H⋯Br inter­actions

(2E)-1-(1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl)-3-(2-bromo­phen­yl)prop-2-en-1-one

The mol­ecule of the title compound, C16H11BrO3, is essentially planar with a maximum deviation of 0.178 (4) Å and the configuration of the keto group with respect to the olefinic double bond is typically s-cis. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular Br⋯O inter­actions [3.187 (3)Å] give rise to chains parallel to the b axis. Adjacent chains are further linked along the a axis by C—H⋯π inter­actions. The crystal studied was a racemic twin with a 0.595 (13):0.405 (13) ratio

Governing stem cell therapy in India: regulatory vacuum or jurisdictional ambiguity?

Stem cell treatments are being offered in Indian clinics although preclinical evidence of their efficacy and safety is lacking. This is attributed to a governance vacuum created by the lack of legally binding research guidelines. By contrast, this paper highlights jurisdictional ambiguities arising from trying to regulate stem cell therapy under the auspices of research guidelines when treatments are offered in a private market disconnected from clinical trials. While statutory laws have been strengthened in 2014, prospects for their implementation remain weak, given embedded challenges of putting healthcare laws and professional codes into practice. Finally, attending to the capacities of consumer law and civil society activism to remedy the problem of unregulated treatments, the paper finds that the very definition of a governance vacuum needs to be reframed to clarify whose rights to health care are threatened by the proliferation of commercial treatments and individualized negligence-based remedies for grievances

Risk Factors for MDR and XDR-TB in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in India

BACKGROUND: India has a high burden of drug resistant TB, although there are few data on XDR-TB. Although XDR-TB has existed previously in India, the definition has not been widely applied, and surveillance using second line drug susceptibility testing has not been performed. Our objective was to analyze clinical and demographic risk factors associated with isolation of MDR and XDR TB as compared to susceptible controls, at a tertiary center. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: Retrospective chart review based on positive cultures isolated in a high volume mycobacteriology laboratory between 2002 and 2007. 47 XDR, 30 MDR and 117 susceptible controls were examined. Drug resistant cases were less likely to be extrapulmonary, and had received more previous treatment regimens. Significant risk factors for XDR-TB included residence outside the local state (OR 7.43, 3.07-18.0) and care costs subsidized (OR 0.23, 0.097-0.54) in bivariate analysis and previous use of a fluoroquinolone and injectable agent (other than streptomycin) (OR 7.00, 95% C.I. 1.14-43.03) and an initial treatment regimen which did not follow national guidelines (OR 5.68, 1.24-25.96) in multivariate analysis. Cavitation and HIV did not influence drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There is significant selection bias in the sample available. Selection pressure from previous treatment and an inadequate initial regimen increases risk of drug resistance. Local patients and those requiring financial subsidies may be at lower risk of XDR-TB