Fabrication of Nano-Injection Needles for Neural Pathway Study in Mice

The potential of micro-needles to provide an interconnection between the microscopic and the macroscopic worlds makes it one of the most revolutionary fields in health care, allowing for precise transdermal drug delivery of highly targeted small doses of the active compound. Current micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technologies, originally designed for the micro-electronics industry, have been utilized in the fabrication of different micro-needle designs and their integration with various micro-fabricated micro-fluidics devices. The target of this thesis is to achieve a micro-needle injection system to deliver several strains of pico-liter volumes of a fluid combination of transgenic virus and luminescent compound, to be injected into the visual cortex of mice in order to study the structure and function of the neural networks of the brain. Micro-needles having a body dimension of 10 mm x 10 mm and a shaft 1 mm wide and 3 mm long have been constructed from silicon wafers, using technologies originally developed for integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. Silicon wafers have also been used in the fabrication of the needle channels having a width of 4 μm and a total depth of 60 μm with a 20 μm deep channel at the base of the 40 μm trench. Both wet and dry bulk micromachining techniques have been used to create the needle bodies and channels. The optimum fabrication method has been found to be the deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and SiO2 deposition using the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) has been used to seal the channels

Pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV individuals: Preliminary report on clinical features and response to treatment

Objectives: To study the clinical, radiological and immunological profile of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV infected patients and assess the response to short-course chemotherapy regimens. Methods: Seventy eight patients (68 males and 10 females) with HIV infection and having symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis attending the Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine, Tambaram or the Tuberculosis Research Centre, Chennai were studied. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was based on clinical evaluation, bacteriological examination including sputum smear and culture and chest skiagram. HIV diagnosis was based on two tests (rapid/ELISA), detecting different antigens. CD4+ T cell counts were done on all patients initially and at the end of treatment. Blood tests and skiagrams were repeated at 2 months and at the end of treatment. All the patients were treated with standard (RNTCP) short course regimens. Patients were given all the doses under supervision during the initial intensive phase and through community DOTS providers in the continuation phase. Results: Sixty five patients had culture confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis, of whom 54 had smear positive disease, initially. The radiological manifestations were varied, with 11 subjects having miliary tuberculosis, 54 with non-homogeneous opacities and 10 with cavitation. The mean CD4 cell count at intake was 192 ± 172 cells/cumm. Patients showed good initial response to treatment with significant weight gain. At the end of 2 months of treatment, 91% of patients had sputum cultures negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the CD4 % fell significantly by the sixth month. The study is being continued to assess the long-term response to SCC of patients with HIV and tuberculosis. Conclusions: Tuberculosis has a varied clinical presentation in patients with HIV infection. The spectrum of radiographic features ranges from normal to a miliary pattern. Inspite of clinical and bacteriological improvement during treatment, immunologic deterioration may continue

Supersymmetric dS/CFT

We put forward new explicit realisations of dS/CFT that relate ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric Euclidean vector models with reversed spin-statistics in three dimensions to specific supersymmetric Vasiliev theories in four-dimensional de Sitter space. The partition function of the free supersymmetric vector model deformed by a range of low spin deformations that preserve supersymmetry appears to specify a well-defined wave function with asymptotic de Sitter boundary conditions in the bulk. In particular we find the wave function is globally peaked at undeformed de Sitter space, with a low amplitude for strong deformations. This suggests that supersymmetric de Sitter space is stable in higher-spin gravity and in particular free from ghosts. We speculate this is a limiting case of the de Sitter realizations in exotic string theories.Comment: V2: references and comments added, typos corrected, version published in JHEP; 27 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INSULIN,GHRELIN, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, WHR AND BMI TO PLASMA GLUCOSE AND HbA1C AND ITS CLINICAL USEFULNESS IN T2DM PATIENTS WITH OBESITY

Objectives: To evaluate new diabetic control monitoring parameters insulin, ghrelin, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and HOMA-β for Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with obesity and to compare them with the existing diabetic control markers plasma glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and to recommended these additional tests to assess complications associated with kidney, liver, cardiac, and pancreas.Methods: A total of 100 T2DM patients with obesity who attended the sugar clinic attached to Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Vanagaram and who were on standard treatment and 50 age and sex matched controls attending the routine master health check in the same hospital were enrolled for the study. Fully automated analyzers and reagents and controls were used for all assays to ensure validity of the results obtained. For insulin and ghrelin assays, established commercial kits were used and all other parameters were calculated using formulae established previously. Graphpad online calculator was used to calculate t and p values.esults: The results obtained for both controls and patients for the set of additional parameters were compared with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post prandial plasma glucose (PPPG), and HbA1c between controls, patients and controls with patients by calculating r and p values. Highly significant correlations were obtained in all comparisons.Conclusions: Very good associations (p<0.0001) were found between FPG, PPPG, and HbA1c to each of the new parameters for controls, patients and between controls and patients. These additional parameters may be done at fixed intervals of time to evaluate kidney, liver, cardiac and pancreatic complications/dysfunction in T2DM patients with obesity.Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Glycosylated hemoglobin, Plasma glucose, Waist-to-hip ratio, Body mass index, Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, Homeostasis model assessment-β

THE EFFECT OF METFORMIN MONOTHERAPY ON BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES MELLITUS, KIDNEY, CARDIAC, LIVER, THYROID, AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGAN FUNCTIONS IN PRE- AND POST-MENOPAUSE WOMEN WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

 Objective: The aim of this study was to find out the alterations in biochemical parameters associated with the functioning of kidney, cardiac, liver, thyroid, and reproductive organs in pre- and post-menopause Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) women treated with metformin monotherapy (MMT) and to select a set of biochemical tests as routine to evaluate the functions of the above organs at regular intervals of time based on the levels of various biochemical parameters during a period of 1 year at 6 and 12 months.Method: A total of 100 T2DM patients (50 pre- and 50 post-menopause women) who visited Apollo Speciality Hospitals Vanagaram, Sugar Clinic, and who were on treatment with MMT and 100 (50 pre- and 50 post-menopause age-matched non-diabetic women) were enrolled for this study. Fully automated analyzers and reagents and controls were used for all the assays to ensure the validity of the results obtained. GraphPad online calculator was used to calculate t and p values.Results: MMT for menopause women with T2DM had improved the diabetic parameters, and the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) have dropped from 179.48 mg/dL, 270.8 mg/dL, and 8.75% at diagnosis to 135.36, 199.45, and 7.05, respectively, after 12 months of MMT. In the case of post-menopause, the corresponding levels were 180.6, 263.2, and 8.85 to 133.79, 189.06, and 6.68%, respectively, and all the five organ functions were also not altered as the parameters tested for each organ function returned to normal. The drop in all the parameters levels was significant compared to the levels at diagnosis and the p values ranged from <0.01 to<0.0001.Conclusion: Metformin treatment has shown very good improvement in the progressive reductions in the levels of FPG, PPPG, and HbA1c as well as maintaining the functions of kidney, cardiac, liver, thyroid, and reproductive organs to near normal as per the associations of these organ-specific parameters before and after 6 and 12 months of MMT

A map of evidence using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve cognition in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI)

IntroductionCognition impairments often occur after a traumatic brain injury and occur at higher rates in military members. Cognitive symptoms impair daily function, including balance and life quality, years after the TBI. Current treatments to regain cognitive function after TBI, including medications and cognitive rehabilitation, have shown limited effectiveness. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a low-cost, non-invasive brain stimulation intervention that improves cognitive function in healthy adults and people with neuropsychologic diagnoses beyond current interventions. Despite the available evidence of the effectiveness of tDCS in improving cognition generally, only two small TBI trials have been conducted based on the most recent systematic review of tDCS effectiveness for cognition following neurological impairment. We found no tDCS studies that addressed TBI-related balance impairments.MethodsA scoping review using a peer-reviewed search of eight databases was completed in July 2022. Two assessors completed a multi-step review and completed data extraction on included studies using a priori items recommended in tDCS and TBI research guidelines.ResultsA total of 399 results were reviewed for inclusion and 12 met the criteria and had data extracted from them by two assessors using Google Forms. Consensus on combined data results included a third assessor when needed. No studies using tDCS for cognition-related balance were found.DiscussionGuidelines and technology measures increase the identification of brain differences that alter tDCS effects on cognition. People with mild-severe and acute-chronic TBI tolerated and benefited from tDCS. TBI-related cognition is understudied, and systematic research that incorporates recommended data elements is needed to advance tDCS interventions to improve cognition after TBI weeks to years after injury

Nutrient analysis of Kunapa jala and Pancha gavya and their evaluation on germination of Ashwagandha and Kalamegha seeds: A comparative study

Background: Vrikshayurveda, an ancient science of plant life described by Surapala, deals with healthy growth and productivity of plants, which has clearly outlined a systematized agricultural practice that insisted the use of Kunapa jala (KJ) and Pancha gavya (PG). Objective: An experiment was conducted to validate KJ and PG by nutrient analysis and their effect on the germination parameters of Ashwagandha and Kalamegha seeds in comparison with other treatment groups. Materials and methods: KJ and PG were prepared according to the classical references. The nutrient contents and germination parameters of KJ and PG were compared with other groups namely control (Contr), farmyard manure (FYM), humic acid (HA) and NPK. Results: The pH and EC were 5.793, 2.653 dS/m and 5.584, 2.216 dS/m for KJ and PG respectively. KJ possess highest nutrient contents followed by PG. The germination parameters revealed the better activity of NPK followed by KJ, PG, HA, FYM and Contr. Conclusion: KJ and PG were found to be good in nutrient contents and were found to be effective on studied germination parameters of Ashwagandha and Kalamegha seeds. Keywords: Kunapa jala, Pancha gavya, Ashwagandha, Kalamegha, Nutrient contents, Germination parameter

Massively parallel nanowell-based single-cell gene expression profiling

Abstract Background Technological advances have enabled transcriptome characterization of cell types at the single-cell level providing new biological insights. New methods that enable simple yet high-throughput single-cell expression profiling are highly desirable. Results Here we report a novel nanowell-based single-cell RNA sequencing system, ICELL8, which enables processing of thousands of cells per sample. The system employs a 5,184-nanowell-containing microchip to capture ~1,300 single cells and process them. Each nanowell contains preprinted oligonucleotides encoding poly-d(T), a unique well barcode, and a unique molecular identifier. The ICELL8 system uses imaging software to identify nanowells containing viable single cells and only wells with single cells are processed into sequencing libraries. Here, we report the performance and utility of ICELL8 using samples of increasing complexity from cultured cells to mouse solid tissue samples. Our assessment of the system to discriminate between mixed human and mouse cells showed that ICELL8 has a low cell multiplet rate (< 3%) and low cross-cell contamination. We characterized single-cell transcriptomes of more than a thousand cultured human and mouse cells as well as 468 mouse pancreatic islets cells. We were able to identify distinct cell types in pancreatic islets, including alpha, beta, delta and gamma cells. Conclusions Overall, ICELL8 provides efficient and cost-effective single-cell expression profiling of thousands of cells, allowing researchers to decipher single-cell transcriptomes within complex biological samples