Sonocrystallization of interesterified fats with 20 and 30% of stearic acid at the sn-2 position and their physical blends

Physical blends (PB) of high oleic sunflower oil and tristearin with 20 and 30% stearic acid and their interesterified (IE) products where 20 and 30% of the fatty acids are stearic acid at the sn-2 position crystallized without and with application of high intensity ultrasound (HIU). IE samples were crystallized at supercooling temperatures (ΔT) of 12, 9, 6, and 3 °C while PB were crystallized at ΔT = 12 °C. HIU induced crystallization in PB samples, but not in the IE ones. Induction in crystallization with HIU was also observed at ΔT = 6 and 3 °C for IE C18:0 20 and 30% and at ΔT = 9 °C only for the 30% samples. Smaller crystals were obtained in all sonicated samples. Melting profiles showed that HIU induced crystallization of low melting triacylglycerols (TAGs) and promoted co-crystallization of low and high melting TAGs. In general, HIU significantly changed the viscosity, G′, and G″ of the IE 20% samples except at ΔT = 12 °C. While G′ and G″ of IE 30% did not increase significantly, the viscosity increased significantly at ΔT = 9, 6, and 3 °C from 1526 ± 880 to 6818 ± 901 Pa.s at ΔT = 3 °C. The improved physical properties of the sonicated IE can make them good contenders for trans-fatty acids replacers

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among postmenopausal women in South India

Background: As the average life expectancy of women extends 20-30 years after menopause, the medical impacts of changes leading to metabolic syndrome on postmenopausal women are significant. The menopausal state has been noted to be an independent risk factor for the occurrence of metabolic syndrome. This study was conducted to look at the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.Methods: A prospective cross sectional study was done and postmenopausal women were assessed for metabolic syndrome using the International Diabetes Federation Criteria.Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was found to be 64%. Women with metabolic syndrome had a higher systolic blood pressure and larger waist circumference, however did not differ in terms of diabetes and dyslipidemia. There was no significant difference with regards to frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms between women with and without metabolic syndrome.Conclusions: The increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women may be directly due to ovarian insufficiency and indirectly due to metabolic consequences of central fat redistribution with estrogen deficiency

A short-term study on the effect of environmental factor variation on a zooplankton community

1158-1164In the coastal marine ecosystem, zooplankton plays an important role. Its distribution and assortment, however, are driven by several physio-chemical parameters in an association. In the present study, a short-term investigation on the zooplankton community was carried out between July 2016 to November 2016 at the coastal region of Muttukadu, Chennai to unveil the critical association between zooplankton and physio-chemical parameters. Pronounced changes in physio-chemical parameters were recorded in study area. Nitrate (0.55 ± 0.05 µM) and nitrite (6.23 ± 1.35 µM) showed an inverse relationship with chlorophyll-a during August and November. Among the identified zooplankton groups, copepods cover 52 % of total zooplankton abundance except for the month of August 2016. This was followed by a contrast in abundance between calanoid copepod (ranging from 182 ± 45 – 67 ± 1 Individuals L-1) and Brachionus sp. (rotifer) (ranging from 15 ± 3 – 7 ± 1 Individual L-1) in the months of July and September 2016. Our findings shows a crucial binding between physio-chemical parameters, phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a), and zooplankton, and dependency between plankton groups for food within the Muttukadu ecosystem

Seroprevalence of Hyperglycaemia in HIV Positive Patients Visiting the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Ghana

Background: Hyperglycaemia is a metabolic syndrome and common endocrine disease where there is increased blood glucose level. It can result in long-term damage and failure of different organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels and finally cause death. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of hyperglycaemia in HIV subjects visiting the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Cape Coast and its relationship with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART).  Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out and blood samples of 120 HIV positive subjects of age groups ranging from 2 to 74 were collected for screening and confirmation after an informed consent was obtained from them. The blood glucose level was then tested using OneTouch glucometer and test strips.  The results were analysed using chi square goodness-of-fit and cross tabulation.  Results: A total of 9 patients out of the 120 HIV subjects had an increased glucose level, giving a prevalence rate of 7.5%. They were within the ages of 20-60 years and were significantly lower compared to those without hyperglycaemia (p<0.05), those married (p=0.001) and those divorced (p=0.001).  There was an inverse relationship between the period of living with HIV and the high glycaemia status (r= -0.949, p=0.017). There was also an inverse relationship between the use of HAART and high glycaemia status (r=-0.071, p=0.0028). There was a significant number of participants, who were experiencing increased thirst (p=0.003). Also a significant number of participants experienced increased hunger (p=0.010). Conclusion: The study revealed that there was hyperglycaemia among the study population. This may be reduced during therapy and changes in their lifestyle. Regular monitoring of glucose level in HIV infected patients and counselling on lifestyle changes are recommended. Keywords: Seroprevalence, hyperglycaemia, HI

ABM-OCD: Advancing ovarian cancer diagnosis with attention-based models and 3D CNNs

Ovarian cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. Traditional diagnostic methods often lack the precision required for early detection and accurate subtype classification. In this study, we address the challenge of automating ovarian cancer diagnosis by introducing Attention-Based Models (ABMs) in combination with 3D Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Our research seeks to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of ovarian cancer diagnosis, particularly in distinguishing between serous, mucinous, and endometrioid subtypes. Conventional diagnostic approaches are limited by their reliance on manual interpretation of medical images and fail to fully exploit the rich information present in MRI scans. The proposed work leverages ABMs to dynamically focus on critical regions in MRI scans, enabling enhanced feature extraction and improved classification accuracy. We demonstrate our approach on a well-curated dataset, OvaCancerMRI-2023, showcasing the potential for precise and automated diagnosis. Experimental results indicate superior performance in cancer subtype classification compared to traditional methods, with an accuracy of 94% and F1 score of 0.92. Our findings underscore the potential of ABMs and 3D CNNs in revolutionizing ovarian cancer diagnosis, paving the way for early intervention and more effective treatment strategies. In conclusion, this research marks a significant advancement in the realm of ovarian cancer diagnosis, offering a promising avenue for improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden of this devastating disease. The integration of ABMs and 3D CNNs holds substantial potential for enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of ovarian cancer diagnosis, particularly in subtyping, and may contribute to early intervention and improved patient care

Genus Symphysodontella M. Fleisch. (Pterobryaceae: Bryophyta) - new to the moss flora of the Eastern Ghats

Surveys carried out in the Kolli Hills of Eastern Ghats resulted in the discovery of 2 species of Symphysodontella M. Fleisch. namely S. cylindracea (Mont.) M. Fleisch. and S. involuta (Thwaites & Mitt.) M. Fleisch. of which the former is new to the moss flora of India whereas the latter is new to the moss flora of Eastern Ghats. Detailed descriptions with figures substantiated by photo plates and a key to distinguish the two species are provided. Incidentally, genus Symphysodontella is new to the moss flora of Eastern Ghats

Genus Notoscyphus Mitt. - New to the liverwort flora of the Eastern Ghats

Notoscyphus paroicus Schiffn. has been discovered in the Kolli Hills of Eastern Ghats. The genus is new to the liverwort flora of this region. A brief description with figures and photo plate is provided

Isolated neutropenia as a rare but serious adverse event secondary to immune checkpoint inhibition

Background Compared to conventional chemotherapy, Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are known to have a distinct toxicity profile commonly identified as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). These irAEs that are believed to be related to immune dysregulations triggered by ICI can be serious and lead to treatment interruptions and in severe cases, precipitate permanent discontinuation. Isolated neutropenia secondary to ICI has been rarely documented in the literature and needs further description. We report a case of pembrolizumab related severe isolated neutropenia in a patient with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. We were also able to obtain serial blood and plasma-based biomarkers for this patient during treatment and during neutropenia to understand trends that may correlate with the irAE. In addition we summarize important findings from other studies reporting on ICI related neutropenia. Case presentation A 74 years old Caucasian male treated with single-agent pembrolizumab for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer presented with fevers, chills, and an isolated neutrophil count (ANC) of 0 2 weeks after the fourth dose. In addition to antibiotics, due to the strong suspicion of this neutropenia being immune-mediated, he was started on 1 mg/kg of steroids and also received filgrastim to accelerate neutrophil recovery. Serial trends in C-reactive protein and certain other inflammatory cytokines demonstrated a corresponding rise at the time of neutropenia. Post recovery, his pembrolizumab was kept on hold. Eight weeks later he had a second episode of neutropenia which was again managed similar to the first episode. Despite permanent discontinuation of ICI after the first neutropenia, his disease showed an ongoing complete metabolic response on imaging. Our literature review reveals that hematological toxicities constitute < 1% irAEs with isolated neutropenia roughly accounting for one-fourth of the hematological irAEs. Based on the handful of ICI related neutropenia cases reported to date, we identified nivolumab to be the most common offender. The median number of ICI cycles administered before presenting with neutropenia was three, and the median time to recovery was approximately two weeks. All of these neutropenic episodes were ≥ grade 3 and led to permanent ICI discontinuation. Using immunosuppressive therapies in conjunction with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor was the most common strategy described to have favorable results. Conclusion Neutropenia as an isolated irAE secondary to ICI is rare but represents a severe toxicity that needs early recognition and can often result in treatment discontinuations. Careful monitoring of these patients with the prompt initiation of immunosuppressive and supportive measures to promote rapid recovery as well as prevent and treat infectious complications should be part of the management algorithms. Serial monitoring of blood and plasma-based biomarkers from more extensive studies may help in identifying patients at risk for irAEs and thus guide patient selection for ICI

The mathematical simulation of the temperature fields of building envelopes under permanent frozen soil conditions

The physical-mathematical model of the thermal state of the aired technical underground taking into account the air exchange and design features of construction under permanent frozen soil conditions has been suggested. The computational scheme of the temperature fields prediction of building envelopes of projected buildings and soil under and nearby buildings has been developed. The numerical simulation of the temperature fields of building envelopes changes was conducted during a year. The results of the numerical simulation showed that the heat coming from the technical undergrounds and through the walls does not influence the temperature field of the soil neither under a building nor at a distance from it

Coronin 1B Regulates S1P-Induced Human Lung Endothelial Cell Chemotaxis: Role of PLD2, Protein Kinase C and Rac1 Signal Transduction

Coronins are a highly conserved family of actin binding proteins that regulate actin-dependent processes such as cell motility and endocytosis. We found that treatment of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs) with the bioactive lipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) rapidly stimulates coronin 1B translocation to lamellipodia at the cell leading edge, which is required for S1P-induced chemotaxis. Further, S1P-induced chemotaxis of HPAECs was attenuated by pretreatment with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting coronin 1B (∼36%), PLD2 (∼45%) or Rac1 (∼50%) compared to scrambled siRNA controls. Down regulation PLD2 expression by siRNA also attenuated S1P-induced coronin 1B translocation to the leading edge of the cell periphery while PLD1 silencing had no effect. Also, S1P-induced coronin 1B redistribution to cell periphery and chemotaxis was attenuated by inhibition of Rac1 and over-expression of dominant negative PKC δ, ε and ζ isoforms in HPAECs. These results demonstrate that S1P activation of PLD2, PKC and Rac1 is part of the signaling cascade that regulates coronin 1B translocation to the cell periphery and the ensuing cell chemotaxis