Correlation of Posterior Curve Length of Sternum and Stature: A Postmortem Study in Delhi Population

Background: The primary characteristics to establish the identification of an individual are sex, age, and stature [1]. Determination of stature is easy if a complete body or the entire skeleton is found. When only some parts of the body or skeleton are available, it is necessary to have different formulae for determination of stature from their osteometric measurements. The present study aims to assess the stature of an individual from his or her sternum with the help of Posterior Curve Length (PCL). Methods: The study was conducted on 100 cadavers, including 50 females and 50 males, died 18 years or older age. The cases were referred for medico-legal postmortem examination to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. Sternum samples were obtained during autopsy (as fresh sternum) and after removal of muscular coverings, cleaned and dried at room temperature (as dry sternum) for the study. PCL was measured and linear regression was used to recognize sternum correlation with stature. Results: In our study which was conducted on fresh and dry samples of sternum, the stature can be estimated by 68% accuracy with linear regression equation of Y=91.51+3.5 (Posterior Curve Length of fresh sternum) with standard error±3.5 cm and correlation coefficient of 0.872. Also the stature can be estimated through Y=96.1+3.4 (Posterior Curve Length of dry sternum) with standard error of ±3.9 cm and correlation coefficient of 0.610. Conclusion: From the present study we found some synergistic factors which are helpful for estimation of stature from respective PCL of sternum which clearly shows that sample of sternum obtained from decomposed body, or in cases where long bones are missing, PCL of sternum acts as an alternative to estimate stature in Delhi population

Cytokine gene polymorphisms and their association with cervical cancer: A North Indian study

Introduction: The production of cytokines, growth factors and adhesion molecules promotes tumor progression and involves inflammation, angiogenesis and thrombosis, thus providing optimal conditions for cancer development.Materials and methods: The present study was undertaken to evaluate association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with cervical cancer in a north Indian population. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) viz. IL 6-597G/A (rs1800797), IL-1b-511C/T (rs16944) and TNF-a-308G/A (rs1800629) was carried out in 100 each of cases and healthy age matched controls by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP). Genotype and allele frequencies were calculated by SPSS (ver.16) and gene–gene interaction was analyzed using SHEsis (ver. Online).Results: Epidemiological studies showed that women >40 years have higher risk of cervical cancer due to early pregnancies. IL-6 and TNF-a promoter polymorphisms showed significant association (P < 0.001) while the SNP combinations G A T* and G G T* of IL-6-597A/G, TNF-a-308G/A and IL-1b-511C/T polymorphisms showed increased risk up to 9.0 and 3.30 times respectively.Conclusion: Therefore, the promoter polymorphisms in cytokine genes can be used as biomarkers to predict cervical cancer susceptibility in a north Indian population. However, such studies need to be carried out in different ethnic populations in order to discover the specific risk alleles, genotypes and combinations for disease prediction.Keywords: Cervical cancer; SNP; Association; IL-6; IL-1b; TNF-

Self assembled nanocages from DNA-protoporphyrin hybrid molecules

DNA-organic hybrid molecular building blocks are generated by covalent conjugation of the carboxyl groups of protoporphyrin IX with the amine functional groups of modified DNA oligomers. The hybrids are used to engineer DNA nanocages by self-assembly of the complementary DNA-organic molecule conjugates. The nanocages were found to be lined up in head to tail fashion under the selective ionic strength of the solution. Computational approach revealed the area and volume acquired by each DNA-organic hybrid nanocages

Recurrent spindle cell lipoma mimicking myofibroblastic tumor with myxoid changes: Cytological diagnostic dilemma

Spindle cell lipoma (SCL) is an uncommon subtype of benign lipomatous neoplasms with a rare probability of the local recurrence.Correct cytological diagnosis is essential for the patient management. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Sometimes,it gets very difficult to reach a correct cytological diagnosis without a histomorphology or immunology. We are reporting a caseof recurrent SCL in an adult male and emphasise on distinguishing cytological features for a correct and accurate diagnosis oncytomorphology. The correct cytological diagnosis of recurrent SCL is essential to distinguish it from malignant lipomatous andother soft tissue tumors

3D PRINTING FOR THE FUTURE OF PHARMACEUTICALS DOSAGES FORMS

With the rapid pace of development in industrial sector, the pharma sector and researchers involved are equally contributing in developing the latest technology for the growth and development. The computer-aided designs and manufacturing that provides 3 Dimensional printed dosage forms is the new step being taken into consideration. With the FDA approval to first 3D printed tablet in August 2015, Spritam, 3 Dimensional printing (3DP) has become the all new method for preparation of drug delivery system. 3D printing has the capability of dispensing the drug more accurately, precisely, and the layer by layer assembly helps in forming complex composition and geometries. 3D printing enables the preparation of personalised dosage form and tailored release profiles. 3D printing can be seen as future of solid dosage forms produced on demand, with customised dose and possibly lower in cost. It can help in reducing side effects caused by excessive doses. This review highlights the 3D printing technology and its applications in growth of pharmaceutical sector. An overview of reviews was conducted to locate published literature between 2000 and 2017

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF LYCOPENE LOADED COLLOIDAL MICROPARTICLES GEL

Objective: The objective of the present investigation was to design and evaluate a gel containing lycopene loaded colloidal microparticles. Methods: The lycopene loaded colloidal microparticles were successfully prepared by Cloud point technique to form colloids using Tween 40 and Tween 60 surfactant solution and then incorporated into microparticles by solvent evaporation method using polymer like HPMC and ethyl cellulose. These colloidal microparticles were evaluated for particle size (PS), drug loading (DL), entrapment efficiency (EE), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Further, these colloidal microparticles were incorporated into a topical formulation i.e., gel. This topical formulation was then evaluated for macroscopic examination, viscosity, drug content, spreadability, antioxidant activity, in vitro permeation and release kinetics. Results: Colloidal microparticles were successfully prepared and the particle size, drug loading and entrapment efficiency were found to be 249.45±14.2 μm, 49.8±0.96 % and 93.4±0.26 % respectively. FTIR study depicted no chemical interaction between pure drug lycopene and other excipients. The topical formulation showed sustained release and followed Korsmeyer-Peppas release kinetics model. Conclusion: The sustained release topical formulation of lycopene was successfully prepared using Tween 40 and Tween 60 surfactant solution and combination of HPMC and ethyl cellulose and evaluated for several parameters

Studies on artemisinin, morphotypic and genetic characteristics of seventeen species of Artemisia growing in Indian Himalayan Region

Seventeen species of Artemisia L. growing in the Indian Himalayan region were investigated for artemisinin content, morphological and genetic characters. During the investigation, artemisinin content was found to be in the range of trace to 0.12%. The highest was in A. dracunculus (0.12%) and A. roxburghiana (0.12%). The essential oil content was found in the range of 0.03-1.5%, A. dracunculus showed 1.5% oil (w/v) followed by A. nilagirica (0.6%) and A. maritima (0.6%). The AFLP analysis revealed 25.4% (Hind-ACC & Mse-CAC) to 67.38% (Hind-ACA & Mse-CAG) polymorphism while overall it was 51%. The dendrogram generated from AFLP data classified 8 species in one cluster (I) and 9 in another (II). The important pathway genes (HMGR, ADS and CYP71AV1) showed higher expression in A. dracunculus, A. roxburghiana and A. sieversiana. Based on the chemical analysis, the presence of a high amount of essential oil and artemisinin in A. dracunculus and A. roxburghiana suggested that these could be important medicinal plants for future research

Studies on artemisinin, morphotypic and genetic characteristics of seventeen species of Artemisia growing in Indian Himalayan Region

272-279Seventeen species of Artemisia L. growing in the Indian Himalayan region were investigated for artemisinin content, morphological and genetic characters. During the investigation, artemisinin content was found to be in the range of trace to 0.12%. The highest was in A. dracunculus (0.12%) and A. roxburghiana (0.12%). The essential oil content was found in the range of 0.03-1.5%, A. dracunculus showed 1.5% oil (w/v) followed by A. nilagirica (0.6%) and A. maritima (0.6%). The AFLP analysis revealed 25.4% (Hind-ACC & Mse-CAC) to 67.38% (Hind-ACA & Mse-CAG) polymorphism while overall it was 51%. The dendrogram generated from AFLP data classified 8 species in one cluster (I) and 9 in another (II). The important pathway genes (HMGR, ADS and CYP71AV1) showed higher expression in A. dracunculus, A. roxburghiana and A. sieversiana. Based on the chemical analysis, the presence of a high amount of essential oil and artemisinin in A. dracunculus and A. roxburghiana suggested that these could be important medicinal plants for future research

Do I Have Your Attention: A Large Scale Engagement Prediction Dataset and Baselines

The degree of concentration, enthusiasm, optimism, and passion displayed by individual(s) while interacting with a machine is referred to as `user engagement'. Engagement comprises of behavioral, cognitive, and affect related cues. To create engagement prediction systems that can work in real-world conditions, it is quintessential to learn from rich, diverse datasets. To this end, a large scale multi-faceted engagement in the wild dataset EngageNet is proposed. 31 hours duration data of 127 participants representing different illumination conditions are recorded. Thorough experiments are performed exploring the applicability of different features, action units, eye gaze, head pose, and MARLIN. Data from user interactions (question-answer) are analyzed to understand the relationship between effective learning and user engagement. To further validate the rich nature of the dataset, evaluation is also performed on the EngageWild dataset. The experiments show the usefulness of the proposed dataset. The code, models, and dataset link are publicly available at https://github.com/engagenet/engagenet_baselines

Impact of medication and psychological behaviour assessment by community pharmacists in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients after hospital stay

Drug related problem (DRPs) is a key factor which will affect the outcome of therapy and safety. The aim of the present study is to assess the DRPs in T2DM patients and psychological aspects of patients by community pharmacists to observe the rate of DRP. Prospective randomized controlled intervention study involved T2DM patients and conducted in two community pharmacies at Kanpur from January 2012 to December 2012. The assessment of DRPs was based on the PCNE. Changes in HBA1C, LDL, BP, foot examinations, changes medical and medication utilization were studied. Using as control group, received usual care, and interventional group provided, intervened with use of the STG. Researcher provided the knowledge to community pharmacists and patients. Baseline and interventional data were collected at 0,3,6,9 and 12 months. Over 12 month study, participants’ average HBA1C reduced from 8.9% at initial visit to 7.5%. During this time, the eye examination rate was raised from 31% to 48%, and the foot examination rate was raised from 35% to 50%. It may be concluded that the intervention of pharmacists showed very less significant influence on any of the intermediate health outcomes in T2DM.Keywords: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Drug related problems , PCNE classification, Medication review, Psychological behavior