The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on term placentae.

Background: Coronavirus 2019 infection (COVID 19) is an ongoing pandemic caused by pathogenic RNA viruses called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2). It has affected people of all ages, with high morbidity and mortality among the elderly and immunocompromised population. Limited information is available on the effects of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy. Aim: To describe the histopathological changes in the placental tissue of SARS-CoV-2 infected term mothers with no comorbidities and to correlate with neonatal outcome. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, KMCH institute of health sciences and research, Coimbatore from May 1, 2020 to November 30, 2020 for 6 months. Placental tissues of all COVID-19-positive term mothers with no comorbidities were included in this study. Histopathological examination of placentae was carried out and clinical data of mothers and newborn babies were obtained from medical records. Results: Histopathological examination of 64 placental tissue of COVID-19 mothers showed predominantly the features of fetal vascular malperfusion like stem villi vasculature thrombus, villous congestion, and avascular villi. No significant correlation was obtained in comparison with parity and symptomatic status of the mothers. However, histopathological changes were more prominent among symptomatic patients. The newborn babies born to these mothers showed no adverse outcome. Conclusion: This study concluded that though COVID-19 infection in normal term pregnant women was associated with increased prevalence of features of fetal vascular malperfusion, there was no significant morbidity in the health status of both COVID-19 mothers and their neonates.

A Rare Case Report of Primary Hydatid Disease of the Scapula - an Unforeseen Diagnosis!

Introduction: Hydatid disease of the bone is a parasitic infestation in the form of cystic echinococcosis by a tapeworm echinococcus granulosus. Its manifestation in the bone is relatively low and has the ability to mimic other skeletal pathologies. Case Report: We came across a 30-year-old male farmer with complaints of sero-purulent discharge from a sinus tract wound in the axilla for the past 3 years. He had been previously evaluated elsewhere with blood investigations, pus culture/sensitivity tests, MRI, and CT scans. Blood reports and culture/sensitivity tests were inconclusive and imaging tests were suggestive of a sinus tract originating from the right scapula. He was incorrectly diagnosed as a case of Tuberculosis of the Scapula and started on anti-tubercular medications for 9 months which was ineffective. To confirm the diagnosis, a biopsy was taken from the scapular lesion through a posterior approach. Histological tests revealed a cystic lesion composed of trilaminar membrane consisting of dead and degenerating scolices consistent with "Hydatid Cyst of Bone." Conclusion: Hydatid disease of the bone has an inconsistent clinical picture which makes diagnosing this rare disease even more difficult. A high suspicion for hydatid infestation in bone pathologies could help in diagnosing the disease at the earliest.

Antidiabetic Activity of Aqueous Extract of Solanum nigrum Linn Berries in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Wistar Albino Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Solanum nigrum Linn. is a common medicinal plant possessing a wide variety of pharmacological activity. Current treatment of diabetes mellitus has plenty of adverse effects necessitating the search of alternate drugs. AIM: Evaluation of antidiabetic effect of Aqueous Extract of Solanum Nigrum Linn Berries (AESNB) in alloxan induced diabetic Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were five groups (normal control, diabetic control, AESNB 200 mg/kg/day, ASENB 400 mg/kg/day and standard i.e., glimepride 0.1 mg/kg/day) with six animals in each group. Alloxan was used to induce diabetes in rats. The standard drug glimepride in the dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day and the test drug AESNB were given orally in the doses of 200 mg/kg/day and 400 mg/kg/day. The fasting blood glucose level was measured by glucometer on day 0, 1,7,14 and 21 after 12 hour. On 21st day after the blood glucose measurement all the animals were sacrificed and their pancreas were analysed histopathologically. The results were analysed statistically by using one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum Linn berries in the dose of 200 mg/kg/day produced significant blood glucose reduction (p<0.01) from day 7 and 400 mg/kg/day produced highly significant reduction in blood glucose from day 7 (p<0.001). The standard drug glimepride reduced the blood glucose as equal to normal on day 21 (p<0.001). Histopathological examination showed the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells in AESNB group. CONCLUSION: Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum Linn berries possess antidiabetic activity.

Area-preserving colour coding of inverse pole figure domain.

The inverse pole figure (IPF) map is a routinely displayed output in microtexture studies, interpreted using the attached colour legend/diagram. An area-preserving relation between the IPF domain and RGB colour domain has been developed here, and the resultant IPF colour diagrams of different crystal point group symmetries are presented.

Categorization of Pathology Causing Low Back Pain using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

BACKGROUND: Low backache is the most common ailment flooding the orthopaedic clinic. Most of the population at least once seek medical attention for low back ache. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non invasive, commonly used diagnosing modality and accurate in diagnosing pathology causing low back ache. AIM: To classify and quantify the causes of low back pain referred to radiology department by MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with back pain referred to radiology department were subjected to single MRI scan after ruling out any contraindications using the following sequences: T1W Turbo Spin Echo, T2W Turbo Spin Echo, Gradient-echo, Myelogram and short TI inversion recovery (STIR), in all imaging planes. Gadolinium enhanced T1W turbo spin echo sequence was used wherever necessary. RESULTS: Data were analysed using Excel 2007, SPSS 14, Students t-test. Degenerative disc diseases were the commonest pathology followed by congenital and traumatic lesions. Neoplastic lesions were the least common. Commonest herniation type being the disc bulge (79%) followed by disc protrusion (15%), disc extrusion (6%) and disc sequestration (<1%). The posterolateral disc herniation as the commonest and foraminal the least. Sacralisation was the most common congenital spinal anomaly, followed by lumbar scoliosis and perineural cyst. There is no sex difference in disc protrusion but male preponderance in disc extrusion with subligmentous extrusion. CONCLUSION: MRI is useful in classifying the spinal lesions which again influences the treatment modality and clinical outcome. Degenerative disc disease is the single most common category which accounts for most the Low Back Ache for which a preventing strategy should be drafted.

Estimation of martensite feature size in a low-carbon alloy steel by microtexture analysis of boundaries.

A methodology for classifying the hierarchy of martensite boundaries from the EBSD microtexture data of low-carbon steel is presented. Quaternion algebra has been used to calculate the ideal misorientation between product α variants for Kurdjumov-Sachs (KS) and its nearby orientation relationships, and arrive at the misorientation angle-axis set corresponding to packet (12 types), block (3 types) and sub-block boundaries. Analysis of proximity of experimental misorientation between data points from the theoretical misorientation set is found to be useful for identifying the different types of martensite boundaries. The optimal OR in the alloy system and the critical deviation threshold for identification of martensite boundaries could both be ascertained by invoking the 'Enhancement Factor' concept. The prior-γ grain boundaries, packet, block and sub-block boundaries could be identified reasonably well, and their average intercept lengths in a typical tempered martensite microstructure of 9Cr-1Mo-0.1C steel was estimated as 31 µm, 14 µm, 9 µm and 4 µm respectively.

Encysted Spermatic Cord Hydrocele in a 60-year-old, Mimicking Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia: A Case Report.

Hydrocele of spermatic cord is caused by defect in closure of the processus vaginalis, as the testicles descend into the scrotum during foetal development. It usually occurs in infancy and childhood. There are two types of hydrocele of spermatic cord. Encysted type is caused by defective closure at both proximal and distal ends of processus vaginalis and it does not communicate with the peritoneal cavity. Funicular type is caused by defective closure of only distal end of tunica vaginalis and it communicates with the peritoneal cavity. The encysted type can be confused clinically with incarcerated inguinal hernia, inguinal lymphadenopathy, undescended testis and primary tumours of cord like lipoma. We are presenting a case of encysted hydrocele of spermatic cord in a 60-year-old male, which clinically mimicked incarcerated inguinal hernia.

Hepcidin-minireview.

Iron related disorders are encountered in daily clinical settings. Maintenance of stable extracellular iron concentrations requires the coordinate regulation of iron transport into plasma from dietary sources in the duodenum, from recycled senescent red cells in macrophages and from storage in hepatocytes. Hepcidin acts as a systemic iron-regulatory hormone. Many human diseases are associated with alterations in hepcidin concentrations. This review has focused on hepcidin structure, kinetics and function, its correlation with iron metabolism disorders, the therapeutic potential for modulating hepcidin expression and the diagnostic potential of hepcidin measurements in clinical practice.

Evaluation of misindexing of EBSD patterns in a ferritic steel.

The systematic misindexing caused by pseudo-symmetry Kikuchi diffraction patterns in automated Electron Backscatter Diffraction analysis has been studied in a 9Cr-1Mo ferritic steel. Grains with its [1 1 1] directed towards detector centre were found to be prone to misindexing, and the solutions exhibit a relative orientation of ±30° and 60° about the common [1 1 1] axis (as compared to the true orientation). Fictitious boundaries were detected within such grains, which satisfy the Σ3 or Σ13b type coincidence site lattice boundary criteria. Misindexing rate was reduced with more than six detected bands, but 30° rotated solution was comparatively more persistent, as the additional bands of (3 1 0)-type exhibited a nearly good pattern match. Increase in detector collection angle to 0.96 sr or number of detected bands to nine were found to be beneficial in preventing the misindexing problem.

Placental thickness & its correlation to gestational age & foetal growth parameters- a cross sectional ultrasonographic study.

BACKGROUND: The Gestational Age (GA) is frequently over or under estimated, as the conventional gestational estimation is based on the Last Menstrual Period (LMP) and on ultrasonography (USG). Many people are unaware of their LMP and irregular menstruations and USG is bound to have a bias, thereby posing difficulties in the GA estimation. AIM: This study was aimed at estimating the (Placental Thickness) PT and at investigating the relationship between PT and the foetal growth parameters in normal singleton pregnancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred eleven pregnant women were recruited in a cross sectional prospective study. The pregnancies were between 11 to 40 weeks and they were not complicated by either maternal or foetal diseases. The Biparietal Diameter (BPD), the Abdominal Circumference (AC), the Head Circumference (HC), the Femur Length (FL) and the PT were measured by USG by using a 3.5 MHz transducer. RESULTS: The maximum mean PT in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the combined trimesters were 16.5 mm, 23.78 mm, 35.81 mm and 28.49 mm respectively. The correlation between PT and the other foetal parameters was investigated by Pearson's correlation analysis. The values were expressed as mean + standard deviation. The statistical tests were two-tailed, with a p value of < 0.01, which indicated the statistical significance. There was a strong positive correlation between PT and GA, with the correlation coefficient values for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters being r = 0.609, r = 0.812 and r = 0.814 respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between PT and BPD, AC, FL, ABC, HC and FW also. The mathematical relationships between PT and GA, BPD, AC, FL, ABC, HC, FW were derived by regression analysis. The regression equation which was derived was (x - 22.92) = (0.3604) (w-27.86446) + (1.0256)(y-1.1678) + (0.0015)(z-216.2841) + (0.1047) (t-43.1555) + (0.027) (u.192.79000) + (0.0042) (v-60.3725), where x = GA in weeks, w = PT in mm, y = FW in kg, z = HC in mm, t = FL in mm, u = AC in mm and v = BPD in mm. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PT can be used as a predictor of the GA. The subnormal PT for the corresponding GA should be evaluated for any disease condition. So, the measurement of PT should therefore be carried out routinely during the obstetric USGs.

Carcinoma within a fibroadenoma: a case report.

Carcinoma within a fibroadenoma is an extremely rare occurrence with a reported incidence of 0.1% and is most often diagnosed incidentally on post-operative examination of excision biopsy specimens. One such case is reported here for its rarity and also for stressing upon the need for compulsory excision of all breast masses clinically diagnosed as fibroadenoma and for highlighting the importance of histopathological evaluation of all breast masses irrespective of their clinical diagnosis as benign.

Isothermal titration calorimetric study defines the substrate binding residues of calreticulin.

Earlier we established using modeling studies the residues in calreticulin (CRT) important for sugar-binding (M. Kapoor, H. Srinivas, K. Eaazhisai, E. Gemma, L. Ellgaard, S. Oscarson, A. Helenius, A. Surolia, Interactions of substrate with calreticulin, an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone, J. Biol. Chem. 278 (8) (2003) 6194-6200). Here, we discuss the relative roles of Trp-319, Asp-317, and Asp-160 for sugar-binding by using site-directed mutagenesis and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Residues corresponding to Asp-160 and Asp-317 in CNX play important role towards sugar-binding. From the present study we demonstrate that the residue Asp-160 is not involved in sugar-binding, while Asp-317 plays a crucial role. Further, it is also validated that cation-pi interactions of the sugar with Trp-319 dictate sugar-binding in CRT. This study not only defines further the binding site of CRT but also highlights its subtle differences with that of calnexin.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in oral cavity--a rare site.

MPNST occurring in oral cavity, which is a rare site for the tumour, in a 35 year old female patient with history of swelling underneath the tongue present since one year diagnosed clinically as ranula is presented here. Histopathological examination of the excised mass showed features of spindle cell sarcoma following which a provisional diagnosis of MPNST was offered. The differential diagnosis considered were leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and spindle cell variant of squamous cell carcinoma (being the commoner tumour in oral cavity). Immunohistochemistry confirmed neural origin of the tumour. The case is reported in view of the rarity of the lesion in oral cavity.

Kinetic and isotherm studies of Cu(II) adsorption onto H3PO4-activated rubber wood sawdust.

Adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution onto H(3)PO(4)-activated carbon using rubber wood sawdust (RSAC) was investigated in a batch system. Kinetic and isotherm studies were carried out by considering the effects of various parameters, such as initial concentration, contact time, pH, and temperature. The optimal pH value for Cu(II) adsorption onto RSAC was found to be 6.0. Thermodynamic parameters such as standard Gibbs free energy (DeltaG(0)), standard enthalpy (DeltaH(0)), and standard entropy (DeltaS(0)) were evaluated by applying the Van't Hoff equation. The thermodynamics of Cu(II) adsorption onto RSAC indicates its spontaneous and exothermic nature. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms were used to analyze the equilibrium data at different temperatures. The Langmuir isotherm fits the experimental data significantly better than the other isotherms. Adsorption kinetics data were tested using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order reaction. The initial sorption rate, pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion rate constants for different initial concentrations were evaluated and discussed. Adsorption mechanism studies revealed that the process was complex and followed both surface adsorption and particle diffusion. The rate-controlling parameter and effective diffusion coefficient were determined using the Reichenberg plot. It was found that the adsorption occurs through film diffusion at low concentrations and at higher concentration the particle diffusion becomes the rate-determining step.

Chromium(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution by Hevea Brasilinesis sawdust activated carbon.

Adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) onto Hevea Brasilinesis (Rubber wood) sawdust activated carbon was investigated in a batch system by considering the effects of various parameters like contact time, initial concentration, pH and temperature. Cr(VI) removal is pH dependent and found to be maximum at pH 2.0. Increases in adsorption capacity with increase in temperature indicate that the adsorption reaction is endothermic. Based on this study, the thermodynamic parameters like standard Gibb's free energy (DeltaG degrees ), standard enthalpy (DeltaH degrees ) and standard entropy (DeltaS degrees ) were evaluated. Adsorption kinetics of Cr(VI) ions onto rubber wood sawdust activated carbon were analyzed by pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order models. Pseudo second-order model was found to explain the kinetics of Cr(VI) adsorption most effectively. Intraparticle diffusion studies at different temperatures show that the mechanism of adsorption is mainly dependent on diffusion. The rate of intraparticle diffusion, film diffusion coefficient and pore diffusion coefficient at various temperatures were evaluated. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm were used to describe the adsorption equilibrium studies of rubber wood sawdust activated carbon at different temperatures. Langmuir isotherm shows better fit than Freundlich and Temkin isotherm in the temperature range studied. The result shows that the rubber wood sawdust activated carbon can be efficiently used for the treatment of wastewaters containing chromium as a low cost alternative compared to commercial activated carbon and other adsorbents reported.