Expression of Interleukin-8, Interleukin-12 and Interleukin-13 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Biomarker Potentiality and Prognostic Significance.

PURPOSE: Interleukin-8 (IL8), Interleukin-12 (IL12) and Interleukin-13 (IL13) are cytokines that play regulatory role in cancer pathogenesis. We analysed their expression profile to evaluate as molecular biomarkers of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and their association with different parameters and patient survival. METHODS: Expression analysis was performed by Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was done. The expression profiles were associated with different clinicopathological and dietary factors. Survival and hazard analysis were also performed. RESULTS: IL8 expression showed upregulation in tissue (p = 0.000) and blood samples (p = 0.481), IL12 expression showed downregulation in tissue samples (p = 0.064) and upregulation in blood samples (p = 0.689) and IL13 expression showed upregulation in tissue (p = 0.000) and blood samples (p = 0.006). IL13 expression in tissue showed the highest area under the curve (AUC) value (0.773) for ESCC diagnosis, followed by IL8 expression in tissue (0.704) and IL13 expression in blood (0.643). This study also reveals the correlation of studied cytokines in tissue and blood level. Different clinicopathological and dietary factors showed significant association (p < 0.05) with IL8, IL12 and IL13 expression and with survival of ESCC patients. IL8 expression in blood and IL12 expression in tissue and blood showed significant association (p < 0.05) with patient survival. CONCLUSION: Altered expression of IL8, IL12 and IL13 may be associated with ESCC progression. Overexpression of IL8 and IL13 in tissue samples may be potential biomarkers for ESCC screening. Additionally, both survival and hazard analysis data indicate the effects of different parameters on the prognosis of ESCC patients.

Duration of orthodontic treatment with clear aligners versus fixed appliances in crowding cases: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To critically appraise and assess the currently observed evidence about the difference in orthodontic treatment duration between clear aligners and fixed appliances in crowding cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic search without limitations was conducted from inception to June 2023 covering nine databases: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Trip, CINAHL via EBSCO, EMBASE via OVID and ProQuest. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and matched non-randomized studies were included in this systematic review. Risk of Bias was assessed via Cochrane's tool (RoB 2) for RCTs and ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was employed to evaluate the overall quality of evidence. RESULTS: Out of the 3537 articles initially identified, ten eligible studies were included in this systematic review; six were RCTs. Only one study offered extraction-based treatment, while the other nine adopted non-extraction treatments. According to the GRADE, there is low evidence that treatment duration in mild to moderate crowding cases with clear aligners is similar to that in fixed orthodontic appliances. Meta-analysis was not administered due to high inconsistency. CONCLUSIONS: Based on currently available information, there was no significant difference in the treatment duration between the CA and FA groups in mild to moderate crowding cases. Further well-performed RCTs, especially in severe cases, are required. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Time efficiency is an essential outcome measure for clinical orthodontic practice. While the type of appliance used is a critical determinant of treatment duration, orthodontists should be aware of other factors that can significantly impact treatment time, such as patient and treatment-related factors.

A multi-pronged approach to source attribution and apportionment of heavy metals in urban rivers.

Heavy metal (HM) contamination of water bodies is caused by both first generation (industries) and second generation (distributed sources, domestic sewage, sediments) sources. We applied a multi-pronged approach to quantify the contribution of first and second generation sources to the HM load in a stream located in an industrialised catchment. We found that, despite strict regulation, first generation sources contributed significantly to the HM load (60%-80%), showing the ineffectiveness of current regulation. Domestic sewage contributed significantly to Cu, Ni, and Mn load (15%-20%). The contribution of distributed sources and sediments to HM load is insignificant. In a 24-hour cycle, HM concentrations frequently exceeded FAO's irrigation water quality standards, with the highest concentrations observed at night. Empirically, the study highlights the continued plight of urban streams in rapidly industrialising centers and the failure to regulate first-generation sources. Methodologically, it demonstrates the importance of temporally intensive measurement of contaminant concentration and load. Policy implications include the need for ambient water quality standards, inclusion of HMs in such standards, load-based regulation, and a problem-oriented monitoring and enforcement approach.

Protective Modifications in Ophthalmology Practice during COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Lessons Learned.

Ophthalmology is a specialty which involves close contact with patients. Personal protective equipment (PPE) along with modifications in examination techniques and equipment are needed to avoid spread of coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) to health professionals. This communication aims to highlight and critically analyse the measures suggested to control this spread. We also highlighted our experience with protective gear modifications. As with any practice, triage is cornerstone. Use of disinfectants, good personal hygiene practices and PPE for patients and staff, must be adopted for safe ophthalmology practices. Key Words: COVID-19, Ophthalmology, Personal protective equipment (PPE).

Protective Modifications in Ophthalmology Practice during COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Lessons Learned.

Ophthalmology is a specialty which involves close contact with patients. Personal protective equipment (PPE) along with modifications in examination techniques and equipment are needed to avoid spread of coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) to health professionals. This communication aims to highlight and critically analyse the measures suggested to control this spread. We also highlighted our experience with protective gear modifications. As with any practice, triage is cornerstone. Use of disinfectants, good personal hygiene practices and PPE for patients and staff, must be adopted for safe ophthalmology practices. Key Words: COVID-19, Ophthalmology, Personal protective equipment (PPE).

Prakriti Analysis of COVID 19 Patients: An Observational Study.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: The concept of Prakriti is unique to Ayurveda, which is used for deciding the preventive and curative strategy to be adopted in the treatment of patients. It is the total of anatomical, physiological, and psychological domains of an individual. The diseases often manifest by susceptibility that depends upon Prakriti of individuals. COVID 19 is a new disease, where the status of the susceptibility of its victim in terms of Prakriti is not known. This study has been undertaken to determine the Prakriti of COVID 19 positive patients. METHOD: The validated instrument CCRAS Prakriti assessment scale has been applied to the COVID 19 positive patients admitted between 16 May 2020 to 10 June 2020 at COVID hospital. RESULT: Data of 117 patients aged 10 to 80 years have been analyzed. The ratio of male-female patients was 1.8:1. Most patients belonged to Vata-KaphaPrakriti (27%).Individuals with their Prakriti found in order of frequency were Pitta-Kapha (21%), Kapha (20%), Vata (13%), Vata-Pitta (11%), Sama (4%) and Pitta (3%). CONCLUSION: Patients with Vata-Kapha, Pitta-Kapha, and Kapha dominant Prakriti have been found more in COVID19. The treatment strategies can be accordingly decided in respect of each patient.

Expression of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 and Serum Level of Adiponectin in Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide and the third leading cause of death in Iran. One of the proteins that are considered having anticancer effects is the adiponectin hormone. Adiponectin leads to programmed cell death, prevents cell growth and proliferation, and increases the expression levels of BCL2. AIM: The aim of this study was to assay the expression of adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) genes in gastric cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 42 gastric cancer patients and 52 volunteers as healthy controls were enrolled. Total RNA was extracted. cDNA was synthesized by the reverse transcription method, and expression analysis was performed by real-time PCR. The serum level of adiponectin was also measured by ELISA. RESULTS: The expression of both AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 was significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.02). Serum adiponectin was significantly lower in gastric cancer cases when compared with normal controls (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: We found that expression level of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 is strongly higher; however, the level of circulating adiponectin is lower in gastric cancer. Our study suggests that the expression of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, besides the low level of adiponectin, may play an important role in the development and/or progression of gastric cancer.

A Large Infantile Capillary Hemangioma of the Eyelid with 5 Years Follow-up.

A five-day baby girl presented with a large mass involving the right upper and lower eyelid obstructing the visual axis completely. She was treated with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection under general anesthesia but no change in size of the tumor was observed. Oral beta blocker, propranolol, 1 mg/kg body weight, was given at three months. After two months, no significant change in tumor size was seen. The tumor was managed by surgical excision. There was no effect of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide and oral beta blockers. Even with surgical excision, there was recurrence of tumor.

Formulation Design and Development of a Unani Transdermal Patch for Antiemetic Therapy and Its Pharmaceutical Evaluation.

The Transdermal Drug Delivery System (TDDS) is one of the novel routes for systemic delivery of drugs through intact skin. A transdermal patch (TP) is a medicated patch that is placed on skin for delivery of medication through skin into the blood stream. The aim of present study was to formulate and evaluate a Unani transdermal patch that could be used for antiemetic therapy. The incorporation of Unani ingredients, namely, Khardal (Brassica nigra), Zanjabeel (Zingiber officinale), Podina (Mentha arvensis), and Sirka (Vinegar) were envisaged. The TP was prepared by solvent evaporation technique and was evaluated for organoleptic characteristics and other physicochemical properties, such as thickness, weight uniformity, folding endurance, moisture content, drug content, and tolerability and acceptability of patch. The in vitro permeation study of the patch was carried out through Franz diffusion cell using egg shell membrane as barrier membrane. Phosphate buffer pH 7.4 was used as dissolution medium and the temperature was maintained at 37 ± 1°C. The in vitro permeation study of the prepared TP indicated a time dependent increase in drug release throughout the study. The percentage of cumulative drug release was found to be 77.38% in 24 hours. The study shows a new approach to work in Unani pharmaceutics.

Defect chemistry and defect engineering of TiO2-based semiconductors for solar energy conversion.

This tutorial review considers defect chemistry of TiO2 and its solid solutions as well as defect-related properties associated with solar-to-chemical energy conversion, such as Fermi level, bandgap, charge transport and surface active sites. Defect disorder is discussed in terms of defect reactions and the related charge compensation. Defect equilibria are used in derivation of defect diagrams showing the effect of oxygen activity and temperature on the concentration of both ionic and electronic defects. These defect diagrams may be used for imposition of desired semiconducting properties that are needed to maximize the performance of TiO2-based photoelectrodes for the generation of solar hydrogen fuel using photo electrochemical cells (PECs) and photocatalysts for water purification. The performance of the TiO2-based semiconductors is considered in terms of the key performance-related properties (KPPs) that are defect related. It is shown that defect engineering may be applied for optimization of the KPPs in order to achieve optimum performance.

High frequency of enterovirus serotype circulation in a densely populated area of India.

INTRODUCTION: In the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, enteroviruses are a significant cause of infection presenting in endemic or epidemic forms. The present study aimed to use molecular methods to identify enterovirus serotypes in clinical specimens to determine their circulation in the community. METHODOLOGY: A total of 320 clinical specimens were collected between January 2009 and December 2010 from children younger than 15 year of age in northern India. Reverse- transcription (RT) real time PCR and semi-nested RT PCR targeting the 5'untranslated region and VP1 region was used for the detection and identification of enterovirus serotypes. RESULTS: The enterovirus genome was detected in 79 (24.7%) of 320 clinical specimens by real time PCR. Central nervous system syndrome (CNS) was the most common clinical manifestation (n=32, 62.74%), followed by respiratory tract infection (n=8, 15.69%), acute febrile illness (n=7, 13.73%), and gastrointestinal disease (n=4, 7.84%). A total of 32 different serotypes were identified with the predominance of coxsackievirus B5 and echovirus 6. Phylogenetic analysis of partial VP1 gene sequences from this study showed that many enterovirus serotypes showed good similarity with strains from America and Europe in comparison to neighbouring Asian countries. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge this is the first study of enterovirus prevalence from northern India based on unbiased molecular methods which leads to the identification of fifteen different enterovirus serotypes. The high frequency of enterovirus B species serotypes circulation may be an important cause of CNS infection in the children of this region.

Environmental surveillance of enterovirus in Northern India using an integrated shell vial culture with a semi-nested RT PCR and partial sequencing of the VP1 gene.

Enteroviruses have been reported in epidemic form during last 10 years in northern India. Environmental surveillance of sewage is the method of choice in limited resources countries for detection of enterovirus serotypes circulating in the community. Twenty-four sewage samples collected between January, 2009 and December, 2010 were tested for enterovirus by using a new modified integrated shell vial culture (ISVC) with a semi-nested RT-PCR of a partial VP1 gene and virus isolation integrated with semi-nested RT-PCR of a partial VP1 gene. Twenty-one (87.5%) out of 24 samples were positive for enterovirus by the conventional method and all samples (100%) by the ISVC-RT-PCR. The additional positive samples detected by ISVC-RT-PCR was typed as six different enterovirus serotypes (Sabin poliovirus 3, Coxsackievirus B3, Coxsackievirus A13, Coxsackievirus A17, Echovirus 33, and Enterovirus 75). Phylogenetic analysis of a partial VP1 gene of Echovirus 19 showed that one genetic lineage clustered with isolates from Georgia suggesting their importation into northern India. Detection of wild poliovirus in the absence of clinical cases with 16 different co-circulating enterovirus serotypes supports the need of increased molecular surveillance of sewage. Rapid identification and characterization of enterovirus serotypes is necessary to study their transmission and evolution in different geographical regions to prevent future outbreak.

Molecular identification of enteroviruses associated with aseptic meningitis in children from India.

We identified and characterized enteroviruses associated with aseptic meningitis in children between April 2009 and March 2010. Enterovirus RNA was detected in 51 (45.5 %) of 112 CSF samples. Molecular typing by RT-PCR and sequencing of a partial VP1 region revealed the predominance of echovirus (ECV) 32 (n = 20), followed by ECV 11 (n = 10), ECV 13 and ECV 14 (n = 5 each), coxsackievirus (CV) B3 and CV B6 (n = 3 each), CV A2, CV A10 and ECV 30 (n = 1 each). Phylogenetic analysis of ECV 32 showed 0 to 4 % sequence divergence among strains of the present study and 20-23 % from the prototype Puerto Rico strain at the nucleotide level. This is the first report of ECV 32 associated with an aseptic meningitis epidemic and identification of seven different enterovirus serotypes (CV A2, CV A10, CV B3, CV B6, ECV 13, ECV 14 and ECV 32) in meningitis cases from India.

Molecular epidemiological study of enteroviruses associated with encephalitis in children from India.

Enteroviruses have been reported in encephalitis cases. However, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of enteroviruses in encephalitis are not fully established. We prospectively investigated 204 children with encephalitis over a period of 2 years (2009 to 2010) for enterovirus. Enterovirus was detected in 45 specimens (22.1%); of these, 40 were typed by seminested reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and sequencing of the VP1 gene. Molecular typing of enterovirus revealed the predominance of echovirus 21 associated with an epidemic during the rainy seasons of 2010 and the circulation of echovirus 1, coxsackievirus B1, enterovirus 75, enterovirus 76, coxsackievirus B5, and echovirus 19. The nucleotide divergence among echovirus 21 strains was 0 to 2% at the nucleotide level. This study suggests that enterovirus is an important cause of encephalitis in children from India. To our knowledge, this is the first report of echovirus 21 in encephalitis cases worldwide.

An epidemic of encephalitis associated with human enterovirus B in Uttar Pradesh, India, 2008.

BACKGROUND: Human enteroviruses (HEVs) are a rare cause of encephalitis, presenting in endemic or epidemic form. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to identify and characterise the causative agent of the encephalitis epidemic, which occurred in Uttar Pradesh, India during the summer of 2008. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 90 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected between June and October 2008 from children with symptoms of encephalitis admitted to Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University and Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Conventional and molecular methods were used to identify and characterise the viral agent associated with the epidemic. RESULTS: Enterovirus RNA was detected in 37 (41.11%) of 90 CSF samples by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Seroneutralisation, amplification and sequencing of the 3'-end of the VP1 region of EV isolates revealed coxsackievirus B5 (CBV) and echovirus 19 (ECV) as the main serotypes causing this epidemic. Phylogenetic analysis showed that sequence divergence among the same serotypes was 0-4% at the nucleotide level. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report suggesting that CBV 5 and ECV 19 may be responsible for an epidemic of encephalitis in India. These serotypes were variant and evolved within the studied area.