Amplified Spontaneous Emission enhanced Forward Stimulated Raman Scattering in dye solutions

We study forward stimulated Raman emission from weakly fluorescent dye 4'-diethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium tosylate (DEST) in 1,2,dichloroethane solution excited by a 28 ps, 532 nm Nd: YAG laser. Neat 1, 2, dichloroethane emits the first Stokes line at 631 nm with a spectral width of 1.6 nm corresponding to a Raman shift of 2956 per cm. We observe reduction of spectral width with the addition of DEST in 1, 2, dichloroethane solution. The single pass conversion efficiency for forward Raman emission is as high as 20 percent in a 1 cm path length sample. The pulse duration of forward stimulated Raman emission measured by a third order autocorrelation technique is 10 ps in neat 1, 2, dichloroethane, whereas it is nearly 3 ps for 0.04 mM of DEST solution.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Enhanced heterogeneity of rpoB in Mycobacterium tuberculosis found at low pH.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to gain an insight into the molecular mechanisms of the evolution of rifampicin resistance in response to controlled changes in the environment. METHODS: We determined the proportion of rpoB mutants in the chemostat culture and characterized the sequence of mutations found in the rifampicin resistance-determining region of rpoB in a steady-state chemostat at pH 7.0 and 6.2. RESULTS: The overall proportion of rpoB mutants of strain H37Rv remained constant for 37 days at pH 7.0, ranging between 3.6 x 10(-8) and 8.9 x 10(-8); however, the spectrum of mutations varied. The most commonly detected mutation, serine to leucine mutation at codon 531 (S531L), increased from 40% to 89%, while other mutations (S531W, H526Y, H526D, H526R, S522L and D516V) decreased over the 37 day sampling period. Changing the pH from 7.0 to 6.2 did not significantly alter the overall proportion of mutants, but resulted in a decrease in the percentage of strains harbouring S531L (from 89% to 50%) accompanied by an increase in the range of different mutations from 4 to 12. CONCLUSIONS: The data confirm that the fitness of strains with the S531L mutation is greater than that of strains containing other mutations. We also conclude that at low pH the environment is permissive for a wider spectrum of mutations, which may provide opportunities for a successful mutant to survive

Comparative study of chlorhexidine dressings versus simple gauze dressings in midline laparotomy wound

Background: Wound infections are the most common complication of surgery that adds significantly to the morbidity of the patient and the cost of the treatment. Most of the surgical site infections are preventable. Dressing is an active element of wound management, designed to control infection and promote healing. This study was done to compare clinical efficacy of normal gauze dressings versus chlorhexidine dressings in midline laparotomy wounds.Methods: Patients with midline laparotomy incision were randomized to receive either gauze or chlorhexidine dressings. Bacterial colonization, post- operative fever, frequency of infection, change of dressings, hospital stay and postoperative pain were assessed at the start of treatment and at weekly intervals until full healing occurred.Results: A total of 128 patients were enrolled in the study and divided into 2 groups viz chlorhexidine group (Group A) and Simple gauze group (Group B) with 64 patients each. Wound cultures, change of antibiotics, post-operative soakage, median hospital stay duration, postoperative pain, post- operative wound infection, and follow up visits for wound healing were compared between two groups A and B and statistical significance established.Conclusions: The analysis of wound culture, fever incidence and frequency of infection on Chlorhexidine dressings showed decreasing trends compared to traditional dressings

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Associated with Job Contentment in Dental Professionals: Indian Outlook

Background: High prevalence rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) among dentists have been reported. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies can be helpful in managing and preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine if dental professionals are using CAM for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Who have greater job satisfaction: dentist who uses Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or conventional therapy (CT) as a treatment modality for WRMSDMethod: Dentists who registered in Uttar Pradesh state, India under Indian Dental Council, Uttar Pradesh branch (n=1134) were surveyed. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses and logistic regression.Result: A response rate of 53% (n=601) was obtained, revealing that 82% (n=487) of the respondents suffered from work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The use of complementary and alternative medicine or conventional therapy was reported among 80% (n=390) of the dentists with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Complementary and alternative medicine users reported greater overall health compared to conventional therapy users (P<0.001). Of those with work-related musculoskeletal disorders, 35.5% (n=172) considered a career change for once, and 4.0% (n=19) reported having left dentistry.Conclusion: Complementary and alternative medicine therapies may improve quality of life, reduce work disruptions and enhance job satisfaction for dentists who suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorders. It is important that dentists incorporate complementary and alternative medicine strategies into practice to facilitate musculoskeletal health that will enable longer and healthier careers, increase productivity, provide safer workplace and prevent musculoskeletal disorders.Keywords: CAM, dentist, musculoskeletal disorder

Mutations in the EPHA2 gene are a major contributor to inherited cataracts in South-Eastern Australia.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Congenital cataract is the most common cause of treatable visual impairment in children worldwide. Mutations in many different genes lead to congenital cataract. Recently, mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase gene, EPHA2, have been found to cause congenital cataract in six different families. Although these findings have established EPHA2 as a causative gene, the total contribution of mutations in this gene to congenital cataract is unknown. In this study, for the first time, a population-based approach was used to investigate the frequency of disease causing mutations in the EPHA2 gene in inherited cataract cases in South-Eastern Australia. A cohort of 84 familial congenital or juvenile cataract index cases was screened for mutations in the EPHA2 gene by direct sequencing. Novel changes were assessed for segregation with the disease within the family and in unrelated controls. Microsatellite marker analysis was performed to establish any relationship between families carrying the same mutation. We report a novel congenital cataract causing mutation c.1751C.T in the EPHA2 gene and the previously reported splice mutation c.2826-9G.A in two new families. Additionally, we report a rare variant rs139787163 potentially associated with increased susceptibility to cataract. Thus mutations in EPHA2 account for 4.7% of inherited cataract cases in South-Eastern Australia. Interestingly, the identified rare variant provides a link between congenital and age-related cataract

Development and Validation of UV Spectrophotometric Method for Estimation Ibandronate sodium in Pharmaceutical Formulation

A simple, accurate, precise, rapid spectrophotometric method for estimation of Ibandronate sodium in pharmaceutical formulation. Ibandronate sodium is one off the nitrogen carrying bisphosphonate. It prevents osteoclast-conciliate bone resorption, Paget’s disease, postmenopausal osteoporosis. The maximum wavelength (λmax) of ibandronate sodium is 218nm. Linearity was observed in the concentration range 2-100µg/ml. The coefficient of variation value was found to be 0.3499. Amount of drug estimated from tablet formulation were in precise with label claim. The method was statistically validated as per ICH guidelines and can be successively applied for analysis for tablet formulation. The proposed method is economical and sensitive for estimation of ibandronate sodium in pharmaceutical formulation. Keywords-Ibandronate sodium, ICH guidelines, Bisphosphonate, pharmaceutical formulation

Where do T cell subsets stand in SARS-CoV-2 infection: An update

An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China in December 2019 and spread so rapidly all around the globe. It\u27s continued and spreading more dangerously in India and Brazil with higher mortality rate. Understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 depends on unraveling of interactional mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 and human immune response. The immune response is a complex process, which can be better understood by understanding the immunological response and pathological mechanisms of COVID-19, which will provide new treatments, increase treatment efficacy, and decrease mortality associated with the disease. In this review we present a amalgamate viewpoint based on the current available knowledge on COVID-19 which includes entry of the virus and multiplication of virus, its pathological effects on the cellular level, immunological reaction, systemic and organ presentation. T cells play a crucial role in controlling and clearing viral infections. Several studies have now shown that the severity of the COVID-19 disease is inversely correlated with the magnitude of the T cell response. Understanding SARS-CoV-2 T cell responses is of high interest because T cells are attractive vaccine targets and could help reduce COVID-19 severity. Even though there is a significant amount of literature regarding SARS-CoV-2, there are still very few studies focused on understanding the T cell response to this novel virus. Nevertheless, a majority of these studies focused on peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that were specific for viruses. The focus of this review is on different subtypes of T cell responses in COVID-19 patients, Th17, follicular helper T (TFH), regulatory T (Treg) cells, and less classical, invariant T cell populations, such as δγ T cells and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells etc that could influence disease outcome

Aspiration therapy for the treatment of obesity: 4-year results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundThe AspireAssist is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved endoluminal device indicated for treatment of class II and III obesity.ObjectivesWe earlier reported 1-year results of the PATHWAY study. Here, we report 4-year outcomes.SettingUnited States-based, 10-center, randomized controlled trial involving 171 participants with the treatment arm receiving Aspiration Therapy (AT) plus Lifestyle Therapy and the control arm receiving Lifestyle Therapy (2:1 randomization).MethodsAT participants were permitted to continue in the study for an additional year up to a maximum of 5 years providing they maintained at least 10% total weight loss (TWL) from baseline at each year end. For AT participants who continued the study, 5 medical monitoring visits were provided at weeks 60, 68, 76, 90, and 104 and thereafter once every 13 weeks up to week 260. Exclusion criteria were a history of eating disorder or evidence of eating disorder on a validated questionnaire. Follow-up weight, quality of life, and co-morbidities were compared with the baseline levels. In addition, rates of serious adverse event, persistent fistula, withdrawal, and A-tube replacement were reported. All analyses were performed using a per-protocol analysis.ResultsOf the 82 AT participants who completed 1 year, 58 continued to this phase of the trial. Mean baseline body mass index of these 58 patients was 41.6 ± 4.5 kg/m2. At the end of first year (at the beginning of the follow-up study), these 58 patients had a body mass index of 34.1 ± 5.4 kg/m2 and had achieved an 18.3 ± 8.0% TWL. On a per protocol basis, patients experienced 14.2%, 15.3%, 16.6%, and 18.7% TWL at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, respectively (P < .01 for all). Forty of 58 patients (69%) achieved at least 10% TWL at 4 years or at time of study withdrawal. Improvements in quality of life scores and select cardiometabolic parameters were also maintained through 4 years. There were 2 serious adverse events reported in the second through fourth years, both of which resolved with removal or replacement of the A tube. Two persistent fistulas required surgical repair, representing approximately 2% of all tube removals. There were no clinically significant metabolic or electrolytes disorders observed, nor any evidence for development of any eating disorders.ConclusionsThe results of this midterm study have shown that AT is a safe, effective, and durable weight loss alternative for people with class II and III obesity and who are willing to commit to using the therapy and adhere to adjustments in eating behavior

Measurement of cortisol in saliva: a comparison of measurement error within and between international academic-research laboratories

Objective: Hundreds of scientific publications are produced annually that involve the measurement of cortisol in saliva. Intra- and inter-laboratory variation in salivary cortisol results has the potential to contribute to cross- study inconsistencies in findings, and the perception that salivary cortisol results are unreliable. This study rigor- ously estimates sources of measurement variability in the assay of salivary cortisol within and between established international academic-based laboratories that specialize in saliva analyses. One hundred young adults (Mean age: 23.10 years; 62 females) donated 2 mL of whole saliva by passive drool. Each sample was split into multiple- 100 µL aliquots and immediately frozen. One aliquot of each of the 100 participants’ saliva was transported to academic laboratories (N = 9) in the United States, Canada, UK, and Germany and assayed for cortisol by the same commercially available immunoassay. Results: 1.76% of the variance in salivary cortisol levels was attributable to differences between duplicate assays of the same sample within laboratories, 7.93% of the variance was associated with differences between laboratories, and 90.31% to differences between samples. In established-qualified laboratories, measurement error of salivary cortisol is minimal, and inter-laboratory differences in measurement are unlikely to have a major influence on the determined values