Rare case of immune mediated cutaneous leucoclastic vasculitis with pancytopenia in a rheumatoid arthritis patient with chronic cytomegalovirus infection

Acute febrile illnesses with systemic involvement can present significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly in patients with multiple comorbidities. This case report highlights a complex presentation of acute febrile illness with pancytopenia and immune-mediated cutaneous vasculitis in a patient with type II diabetes mellitus. A 52-year-old male with a known history of type II diabetes mellitus presented with fever, decreased oral intake, loose stools, oral ulcers, dysphagia, and rashes over the trunk and abdomen for four days. Upon admission to the ICU, extensive diagnostic evaluations were performed, revealing significant hematological, biochemical, and serological abnormalities. Imaging studies and histopathological examinations were conducted to further investigate the underlying etiology. Laboratory findings indicated pancytopenia, acute kidney injury, and hyperkalemia. Infectious disease workup was largely negative, except for a positive CMV IgG. Imaging studies revealed medical renal disease, and a skin punch biopsy confirmed cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Bone marrow biopsy suggested bone marrow suppression. Multidisciplinary management, including dialysis, IV fluids, antibiotics, blood transfusions, steroids, and Ganciclovir, led to the patient抯 gradual improvement and stabilization. The comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic approach in this case underscores the importance of considering immune-mediated etiologies in patients with atypical presentations. Multidisciplinary collaboration was crucial in managing the multifaceted clinical condition of the patient. Early recognition and prompt multidisciplinary management are essential in similar cases. Extensive diagnostic evaluations should be performed to identify the underlying causes, and immune-mediated etiologies should be considered in complex presentations. Further research is recommended to explore optimal management strategies for such multifaceted conditions.

Postural assessment of children with spastic cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study

Background: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit gait difficulties, posture alignment issues when standing, and issues with body orientation in space as a result of both primary and secondary CP deficits. The purpose of this study was to analyze the posture of children with spastic diplegic CP. Methods: The 17 subjects of age group 3-10 years with GMFCS scale I-II of CP were taken in the study and compared with age matched control group of 17 typical development (TD) children. The postural assessment was carried out using the photographic method. Angles like the head angle, angle of hip joint, angle of ankle joint were calculated with the help of Matlab script. Results: The Pearson's correlation was utilised to examine the relationship between various postural angles in the CP group while the t-test was used to analyse differences between the two groups. The two groups were found to differ in every measure but horizontal alignment of acromion (HAAC), angle of hip (AH), angle of knee (AK), angle of ankle (AA), scapular alignment right and left (SAR) (SAL) were significantly different in CP group rather than TD group (p<0.01) and postural angles were found to be significantly correlated in CP group (p<0.01). Conclusions: The postural angles in children with spastic CP are deviated from the normal angle. Correct analysis of posture gives us a tool to identify the altered biomechanics and further design an intervention program which will address the mal-aligned structures.

Performance of Wheat Varieties at Different Sowing Dates under Open and Pongamia pinnata Based Agroforestry Systems

The experiment was carried out in a Pongamia pinnata-based agroforestry system to assess the impact of land use systems, sowing dates, and wheat varieties on wheat cultivation at the Forestry Research Farm, JNKVV, Jabalpur during the Rabi season of 2021-22 The experiment followed a three-factor double split plot design with two systems (open system and agroforestry system) as the main plot, three sowing dates (12th November, 27th November, and 12th December) as subplots, and two wheat varieties (MP-3336 and GW-322) as sub-sub plots. The results showed that the open system outperformed the agroforestry system in terms of plant population, plant height at harvest, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index. Early-sown wheat consistently showed better performance in most parameters compared to timely-sown and late-sown varieties. Among the wheat varieties, the MP-3336 variety exhibited higher plant population, while the GW-322 variety showed taller plants at harvest, longer spikes, higher grain yield, and better harvest index. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing wheat cultivation in agroforestry systems and emphasize the importance of considering land use systems, sowing dates, and wheat varieties to maximize crop productivity.

Effect of low volume background instrumental flute music on visual reaction time: a cross sectional interventional study

Background: Music is believed to affect the cognitive function. However, there is conflicting evidence about the effect of background music on the same. Few studies have been done on the effect of instrumental music on cognition. Aim and Objective: The aim of our study was to study the effect of low-volume instrumental music on visual reaction time (RT). Materials and Methods: Visual RT (simple reaction time [SRT] and choice reaction time [CRT]) using Deary–Liewald software was recorded in 48 medical students aged 18–21 years, without, and then with low-volume background instrumental flute music. Results were compared with regard to change in mean values of SRT, CRT, and mean central processing time. Data were analyzed statistically using unpaired t-test and statistical significance (P < 0.05) was sought. Results: We did not find any statistically significant change in visual RT after subjecting the students to low-volume background instrumental music. Conclusion: Background instrumental does not significantly affect visual RT but this should be further analyzed.

Quantum nature of photon signal emitted by Xanthoria parietina and its implications to biology.

The properties of living systems are usually described in the semi-classical framework that makes phenomenological division of properties into four classes--matter, psyche, soft consciousness and hard consciousness. Quantum framework provides a scientific basis of this classification of properties. The scientific basis requires the existence of macroscopic quantum entity entangled with quantum photon field of a living system. Every living system emits a photon signal with features indicating its quantum nature. Quantum nature of the signal emitted by a sample of X. parietina is confirmed by analysing photo count distributions obtained in 20000 measurements of photon number in contiguous bins of sizes of 50, 100, 200, 300 and 500 ms. The measurements use a broadband detector sensitive in 300-800 nm range (Photo count distributions of background noise and observed signal are measured similarly. These measurements background noise corrected squeezed state parameters of the signal. The parameters are signal strength expressed in counts per bin, r = 0.06, theta = 2.76 and phi = 0.64. The parameters correctly reproduce photo count distribution of any bin size in 50 ms-6 s range. The reproduction of photo count distributions is a credible evidence of spontaneous emission of photon signal in a quantum squeezed state for macroscopic time by the sample. The evidence is extrapolated to other living systems emitting similar photon signals. It is suggested that every living system is associated with a photon field in squeezed state. The suggestion has far reaching implications to biology and provides two ways of observing and manipulating a living system--either through matter or field or a combination of the two. Some implications and possible scenarios are elaborated.

Biophoton emission of a lichen species Parmelia tinctorum.

The properties of biophoton signals emitted by samples of lichen species P. tinctorum are investigated. The shape of a light induced signal is determined from 5 ms onwards using successively the bin resolution of 1, 10 and 100 ms; 1000 measurements in successive bins are made at each resolution. The measurement of the shape is repeated at various temperatures in the range (1 degree-40 degrees C) in steps of 1 degree C. It is found that a biophoton signal is very sensitive to temperature and different portions of the signal show different sensitivity. The temperature dependence of the decaying part is even qualitatively different from that of the non-decaying part. The signal responds to temperature changes of 0.1 degrees C in less than 1 ms. The effect of monochromatic stimulation on the strengths of the signal and its red, blue and green spectral components are determined in the wavelength range (400-700) nm in steps of 10 nm. The signal and its broad spectral components have similar excitation curves. The relative strength of spectral component appears independent of the stimulating wavelength. The shape of the decaying portion of the signal and its red, blue and green components is also determined. The character of decay in all four cases is non-exponential. The measurements with various interference filters spanning the entire visible region are made with the bin size of 20 s. These measurements are qualitative because of large fluctuations but suggest that the spectral components of a biophoton signal are distributed in the entire visible region. The probabilities of detecting different number of photons in the non-decaying portion are determined by making 30,000 measurements in each set with the bin size of 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 700 ms. The probabilities determine the parameters of a squeezed state of light--the magnitude of its displacement parameter is different but the phase of its displacement parameter and its squeezing parameter are same for different sizes of a bin. These measurements further indicate that the average signal strength remains constant for 19 hr.

Quantum coherence of biophotons and living systems.

Coherence is a property of the description of the system in the classical framework in which the subunits of a system act in a cooperative manner. Coherence becomes classical if the agent causing cooperation is discernible otherwise it is quantum coherence. Both stimulated and spontaneous biophoton signals show properties that can be attributed to the cooperative actions of many photon-emitting units. But the agents responsible for the cooperative actions of units have not been discovered so far. The stimulated signal decays with non-exponential character. It is system and situation specific and sensitive to many physiological and environmental factors. Its measurable holistic parameters are strength, shape, relative strengths of spectral components, and excitation curve. The spontaneous signal is non-decaying with the probabilities of detecting various number of photons to be neither normal nor Poisson. The detected probabilities in a signal of Parmelia tinctorum match with probabilities expected in a squeezed state of photons. It is speculated that an in vivo nucleic acid molecule is an assembly of intermittent quantum patches that emit biophoton in quantum transitions. The distributions of quantum patches and their lifetimes determine the holistic features of biophoton signals, so that the coherence of biophotons is merely a manifestation of the coherence of living systems.

Comparative pulmonary toxicity of cadmium and nickel: histopathological and bronchoalveolar lavage analysis.

Pulmonary toxicity of cadmium and nickel was evaluated in rat lungs following intratracheal instillation of their chlorides. Concentration of both the metals varied from 0.2-5 mM. Both the metals increased total number of cells, number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, total protein, sialic acid and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and beta-glucuronidase in bronchoalveolar lavage 3 days after exposure. Increase in the levels of the selected parameters was more following Cd exposure than in Ni exposed rats. Histologically there was an inflammatory response and interstitial fibroblastic proliferation in the lungs of Cd exposed animals. These changes were mild in Ni-exposed animals and higher concentrations of Ni were needed to produce changes similar to those produced by smaller concentrations of Cd.

Computer-assisted learning package for frequency distribution of physiological variables.

There are a variety of ways of picturing a frequency distribution type, viz, the histogram, the frequency polygon, the smoothed curve and the ogive. We have developed a computer package to demonstrate gradual change of a histogram into a curve. For a given set of data on frequency distribution of, say blood pressure levels in specified categories, this package helps the computer to draw bars which gradually rise to the level of the frequencies, and lateron are replaced by the polygon and finally by the frequency curve of the Gaussian type on the computer screen pixel by pixel. This thus demonstrates the meaning and genesis of frequency curves. This package could be very useful in learning the concept of frequency curves particularly the Gaussian form.

A carbon-limited medium for growth and sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.

A culture medium for batch production of d-endotoxin by Bacillus thuringiensis (B., t.) has been modified. Through batch and continuous cultivation studies, the original medium was diagnosed to be limited in organic nitrogen. Corn steep liquor was found to be an excellent source for the organic nitrogen and its addition resulted in a carbon limited medium and in a significant increase in the amount of spore-toxin complex formed in shake flasks. Results of bioassay, conducted on Trichoplusia ni, suggest enhancement of larvicidal efficacy under carbon-limited growth conditions.