Measurements of seeing-induced crosstalk in tip-tilt corrected solar polarimetry.

We present measurements of seeing-induced crosstalk using spectropolarimetric observations of sunspots recorded simultaneously in the H α and Ca ii 8662 Å lines with the Kodaikanal Tower Tunnel (KTT) telescope. The Kodaikanal Tower Tunnel telescope is integrated and installed with an image stabilization system consisting of a tip-tilt and an autoguider system. Additionally, the spectropolarimeter at KTT is upgraded to allow for the simultaneous recording of spectropolarimetric observations in three spectral lines. The tip-tilt system is shown to have a cutoff frequency of 80 Hz, effectively reducing the seeing induced crosstalk in the measured Stokes parameters by at least a factor of 2.

Optimizing Inference Distribution for Efficient Kidney Tumor Segmentation Using a UNet-PWP Deep-Learning Model with XAI on CT Scan Images.

Kidney tumors represent a significant medical challenge, characterized by their often-asymptomatic nature and the need for early detection to facilitate timely and effective intervention. Although neural networks have shown great promise in disease prediction, their computational demands have limited their practicality in clinical settings. This study introduces a novel methodology, the UNet-PWP architecture, tailored explicitly for kidney tumor segmentation, designed to optimize resource utilization and overcome computational complexity constraints. A key novelty in our approach is the application of adaptive partitioning, which deconstructs the intricate UNet architecture into smaller submodels. This partitioning strategy reduces computational requirements and enhances the model's efficiency in processing kidney tumor images. Additionally, we augment the UNet's depth by incorporating pre-trained weights, therefore significantly boosting its capacity to handle intricate and detailed segmentation tasks. Furthermore, we employ weight-pruning techniques to eliminate redundant zero-weighted parameters, further streamlining the UNet-PWP model without compromising its performance. To rigorously assess the effectiveness of our proposed UNet-PWP model, we conducted a comparative evaluation alongside the DeepLab V3+ model, both trained on the "KiTs 19, 21, and 23" kidney tumor dataset. Our results are optimistic, with the UNet-PWP model achieving an exceptional accuracy rate of 97.01% on both the training and test datasets, surpassing the DeepLab V3+ model in performance. Furthermore, to ensure our model's results are easily understandable and explainable. We included a fusion of the attention and Grad-CAM XAI methods. This approach provides valuable insights into the decision-making process of our model and the regions of interest that affect its predictions. In the medical field, this interpretability aspect is crucial for healthcare professionals to trust and comprehend the model's reasoning.

Fusion of Graph and Tabular Deep Learning Models for Predicting Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) represents a considerable global health challenge, emphasizing the need for precise and prompt prediction of disease progression to enable early intervention and enhance patient outcomes. As per this study, we introduce an innovative fusion deep learning model that combines a Graph Neural Network (GNN) and a tabular data model for predicting CKD progression by capitalizing on the strengths of both graph-structured and tabular data representations. The GNN model processes graph-structured data, uncovering intricate relationships between patients and their medical conditions, while the tabular data model adeptly manages patient-specific features within a conventional data format. An extensive comparison of the fusion model, GNN model, tabular data model, and a baseline model was conducted utilizing various evaluation metrics, encompassing accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The fusion model exhibited outstanding performance across all metrics, underlining its augmented capacity for predicting CKD progression. The GNN model's performance closely trailed the fusion model, accentuating the advantages of integrating graph-structured data into the prediction process. Hyperparameter optimization was performed using grid search, ensuring a fair comparison among the models. The fusion model displayed consistent performance across diverse data splits, demonstrating its adaptability to dataset variations and resilience against noise and outliers. In conclusion, the proposed fusion deep learning model, which amalgamates the capabilities of both the GNN model and the tabular data model, substantially surpasses the individual models and the baseline model in predicting CKD progression. This pioneering approach provides a more precise and dependable method for early detection and management of CKD, highlighting its potential to advance the domain of precision medicine and elevate patient care.

Spectropolarimeter on board the Aditya-L1: polarization modulation and demodulation.

One of the major science goals of the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload aboard the Aditya-L1 mission is to map the coronal magnetic field topology and quantitative estimation of longitudinal magnetic field on a routine basis. The infrared channel of VELC is equipped with a polarimeter to carry out full Stokes spectropolarimetric observations in the Fe xiii line at 1074.7 nm. The polarimeter is in a dual-beam setup with a continuously rotating wave plate as the polarization modulator. Detection of circular polarization due to the Zeeman effect and depolarization of linear polarization in the presence of a magnetic field due to the saturated Hanle effect in the Fe xiii line require a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Due to the limited number of photons, long integration times are expected to build the required SNR. In other words, signals from a large number of modulation cycles are to be averaged to achieve the required SNR. This poses several difficulties. One is the increase in data volume and the other is the change in the modulation matrix in successive modulation cycles. The latter effect arises due to a mismatch between the retarder's rotation period and the length of the signal detection time in the case of the VELC spectropolarimeter. It is shown in this paper that by appropriately choosing the number of samples per half rotation, the data volume can be optimized. A potential solution is suggested to account for modulation matrix variation from one cycle to another.

A new cerebral ischemic injury model in rats, preventive effect of gallic acid and in silico approaches.

Current study was designed multiple occlusions and reperfusion of bilateral carotid arteries induced cerebral injury model and evaluated the protective effect of gallic acid on it. In silico study was involved to study gallic acid binding affinity on cerebrotonic proteins compared with standard drugs using Autodoc vina tool. Cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries for 10 mins followed by 10 reperfusions (1 cycle), cycle was continued to 3 cycles (MO/RCA), then pathological changes were observed by estimation of brain antioxidants as superoxide dismutase, glutathione, catalase, oxidants like malonaldehyde, cerebral infarction area, histopathology, and study gallic acid treatment against cerebral injury. Gallic acid exhibited a strong binding affinity on targeted cerebrotoxic proteins. MO/RCA rat brain antioxidant levels were significantly decreased and increased MDA levels (p < 0.0001), Infarction size compared to sham rats. Gallic acid treatment rat brain MDA levels significantly decreased (p < 0.4476) and increased SOD (p < 0.0001), CAT (p < 0.0001), GSH (p < 0.0001), cerebral infarction area when compared to MO/RCA group. Developed model showed significant cerebral ischemic injury in rats, injury was ameliorated by Gallic acid treatment and in silico approaches also inhibit the cerebrotoxic protein function by targeting on active sites.

A cellular automaton model to find the risk of developing autism through gut-mediated effects.

BACKGROUND: One of the risk factors for the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is hypothesized to be an imbalance in the gut microbiome. Alterations in the relative numbers of gut microbiota may contribute to such a disruption in normal bacterial diversity. It is assumed that this process may be adequately mirrored for the purpose of the current paper by modeling the dynamic shifts in the numbers of three bacterial species, namely Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, and Bifidobacterium. Such imbalances in the gut microbiome are thought to promote the development of increased gut permeability (the so-called "leaky gut") which in turn is a potential risk factor for the development of ASD. METHODS: We constructed a mathematical model using 2-D Cellular Automata to simulate the growth rates and interactions of three bacterial species, namely Bifidobacterium, Clostridium and Desulfovibrio, with each other and with available nutrients in the gut, and particularly following the introduction of lysozyme into the gut. RESULTS: It was observed from the modeled simulation that increasing or decreasing the population of Clostridium in the gut produces key shifts in the gut microbiome which could potentially increase or decrease the risk of ASD. CONCLUSION: Simulations using our cellular automaton model suggest that it could be useful in predicting the effects produced by alterations to key components of the gut microbiome. In particular, the model demonstrated that the introduction of lysozyme in the gut results in steep reductions in Clostridium growth rate, which in turn could potentially alter the gut microbiome population in such a way as to significantly reduce the risk of developing ASD.

Radiological analysis of the sella turcica and its correlations with body mass index in a North Indian population.

OBJECTIVES: The sella turcica is an important component situated in the mid-third of the cranial fossa. Knowledge about its normal morphologies and dimensions may play a crucial role in diagnosing underlying pathologies. The present study aimed to analyze the principal morphological shapes of the sella turcica, measure its linear dimensions, and determine whether any correlations exist between its dimensions and body mass index (BMI) in subjects in a North Indian population. METHODS: The study was conducted on 100 subjects (50 men; 50 women) who underwent cone-beam computed tomography scans at our Oral Medicine and Radiology Department. The subjects had an age range of 20-60 years. The morphology of the sella turcica was examined according to age and various measurements were taken to determine its size. Possible correlations between the dimensions of the sella turcica and BMI were evaluated by statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the present study, 69% of the subjects had a normal morphology. No uniform increases in length, width, and depth of the sella turcica were observed with aging. When Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, no strong correlations were found between the dimensions of the sella turcica and BMI. A mild correlation was seen between the length and width of the sella turcica. CONCLUSION: No significant correlations were found between the dimensions of the sella turcica and BMI in the present study. These findings may have arisen through the small sample size, and thus further studies with larger groups of subjects are warranted.

An amphipathic trans-acting phosphorothioate RNA element delivers an uncharged phosphorodiamidate morpholino sequence in mdx mouse myotubes.

An efficient method for the delivery of uncharged polyA-tailed phosphorodiamidate morpholino sequences (PMO) in mammalian cells consists of employing a synthetic 8-mer amphipathic trans-acting poly-2'-O-methyluridylic thiophosphate triester element (2'-OMeUtaPS) as a transfection reagent. Unlike the dTtaPS DNA-based element, this RNA element is potent at delivering polyA-tailed PMO sequences to HeLa pLuc 705 cells or to myotube muscle cells. However, much like dTtaPS, the 2'-OMeUtaPS-mediated internalization of PMO sequences occurs through an energy-dependent mechanism; macropinocytosis appears to be the predominant endocytic pathway used for cellular uptake. The transfected PMO sequences induce alternate splicing of either the pre-mRNA encoding luciferase in HeLa pLuc 705 cells or the excision of exon 23 from the pre-mRNA encoding dystrophin in myotube muscle cells of the mdx mouse model of muscular dystrophy with an efficiency comparable to that of commercial cationic lipid reagents but without detrimental cytotoxicity.

Airway Diseases Education and Expertise (ADEX ) in Pediatrics: Adaptation for Clinical Practice in India.

JUSTIFICATION: Asthma and allergic rhinitis together are part of the concept of one airway, one disease or united airway disease. The management of allergic airway diseases should address this united concept and manage the issue by educating the patients and their parents and health care providers, along with environmental control measures, pharmacotherapy and immunotherapy. Here, we present recommendations from the module of Airway Diseases Education and Expertise (ADEX) that focused on allergic rhinitis, asthma and sleep disorder breathing as a single entity or Allergic Airway Disease. PROCESS: A working committee was formed by the collaboration of Pediatric Allergy Association of India (PAAI) and Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Allergy and Applied Immunology chapter to develop a training module on united airway disease. OBJECTIVE: To increase awareness, understanding and acceptance of the concept of United Airway disease and to educate the primary health care providers for children and public health officials, in the management of united airway diseases. RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendations for diagnosis, management and follow-up of Allergic airway disease are presented in this document. A better compliance by linking education of child, parent, grandparents and other health care providers, and scientific progress by collaboration between practitioners, academicians, researchers and pharmaceutical companies is suggested.

Scrub typhus: audit of an outbreak.

OBJECTIVES: To document the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profile of all children with scrub typhus at a tertiary care centre in Chennai between September 2010 and June 2011. METHODS: The case records of all children admitted and diagnosed with scrub typhus between September 2010 and June 2011 were analysed to look for salient clinical and laboratory parameters. RESULTS: During the study period, 52 children were admitted with scrub typhus in the authors' hospital. The presenting complaints included fever in all cases. Other symptoms included swelling of legs (50 %) and vomiting (45 %). 13 % presented with CNS symptoms. The commonest physical findings included eschar (67 %), hepatomegaly (94 %), splenomegaly (73 %) and third spacing (67 %). Salient lab parameters included packed cell volume (PCV) <30 (48 %), leucocytosis (56 %), positive C-reactive protein (CRP) (92 %), hypoalbuminemia (79 %). Common complications included acute kidney injury (10 %) and peripheral gangrene (4 %). There was no mortality in the present case series. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical profile of children with scrub typhus in a tertiary care centre is reported. Eschar and hepatosplenomegaly with a high CRP value is helpful in diagnosis. All patients responded well to the treatment.

Design, architecture and application of nanorobotics in oncology.

Oncologists all over the globe, relentlessly research on methodologies for detection of cancer and precise localization of cancer therapeutics with minimal adverse effects on healthy tissues. Since the previous decade, the fast growing research in nanotechnology has shown promising possibilities for achieving this dream of every oncologist.Nanorobots (or nanobots) are typical devices ranging in size from 0.1 to 10 µm and constructed of nanoscale or molecular components. Robots will augment the surgeon's motor performance, diagnostic capability and sensations with haptics and augmented reality. The article here aims in briefly describing the architecture of the nanorobots and their role in oncotherapy. Although, research into nanorobots is still in its preliminary stages, the promise of such technology is endless.

Dysferlin regulates cell membrane repair by facilitating injury-triggered acid sphingomyelinase secretion.

Dysferlin deficiency compromises the repair of injured muscle, but the underlying cellular mechanism remains elusive. To study this phenomenon, we have developed mouse and human myoblast models for dysferlinopathy. These dysferlinopathic myoblasts undergo normal differentiation but have a deficit in their ability to repair focal injury to their cell membrane. Imaging cells undergoing repair showed that dysferlin-deficit decreased the number of lysosomes present at the cell membrane, resulting in a delay and reduction in injury-triggered lysosomal exocytosis. We find repair of injured cells does not involve formation of intracellular membrane patch through lysosome-lysosome fusion; instead, individual lysosomes fuse with the injured cell membrane, releasing acid sphingomyelinase (ASM). ASM secretion was reduced in injured dysferlinopathic cells, and acute treatment with sphingomyelinase restored the repair ability of dysferlinopathic myoblasts and myofibers. Our results provide the mechanism for dysferlin-mediated repair of skeletal muscle sarcolemma and identify ASM as a potential therapy for dysferlinopathy.

Synthesis, docking and evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of novel 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazol-6-yl)selenopheno[2,3-d]pyrimidines.

A series of 1,2,4-(triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazol-6-yl)selenopheno[2,3-d]pyrimidines (10a-j) were synthesized with various substituted anilines and benzoic acids. Structures of newly synthesized compounds were established by IR, (1)H &(13)C NMR and LC-MS spectral data. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated by DPPH, NO and H2O2 radical scavenging methods. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria and antifungal activity by well diffusion method. Compounds 10d, 10h and 10i showed promising antioxidant, antibacterial as well as antifungal activity and these were found to be the most potent activity molecules when compared with that of standard drugs. Molecules docking studies have been performed on Staphylococcus aureus (SA) of Gram +ve bacteria.

Cowden syndrome- Clinico-radiological illustration of a rare case.

Cowden syndrome (CS) or multiple hamartoma syndrome is an infrequent genodermatoses, which is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait resulting from the mutation in the Phosphatase and Tensin homolog gene on the arm 10q and is principally characterized by multiple hamartomas with an increased risk of development of malignancies. Facial and oral signs are remarkable in the form of multiple papules and trichilemmomas on the face. We report one such rare case of CS in a 19-year-old patient who was diagnosed on the basis of her oral mucosal lesions and was further investigated and diagnosed with other hamartomas. The present case report signifies the responsibility of the oral physician in the early diagnosis of this progressive pathological syndrome as it leaves its footmark in the oral cavity in the form of oral mucosal lesions.

Eight year follow-up dental treatment in a patient with Treacher Collins syndrome.

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is an autosomal dominant disorder of craniofacial development characterized by variable involvement of the craniofacial structures derived from the first and second branchial arches. Occurrence of this syndrome is relatively rare with wide variations in the clinical expression. Aspects of speech, appearance, and social well-being along with psychological issues are hampered in these patients. Treating such disabled children poses a great challenge not only in the medical field but also in the dental meadow. We report a case of a 5-year-old boy who presented with this syndrome and the dental treatment was carried out with a noteworthy outcome for a period of 8 years. A brief review of etiology, dental anomalies along with prognosis is documented.

Synthesis and antioxidant activity of 1,3,4-oxadiazole tagged thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives.

This study represents the synthesis of a new series of N-substituted phenyl-5-methyl-6-(5-(4-substituted phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-amine derivatives (4a-l) and substituted phenylamino-5-methylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxylic acid derivatives (3a-d). The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, LC-MS and IR analyses. All these novel compounds were screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity by employing DPPH, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays. Compounds 4k, 4j, 4d, and 4e showed significant radical scavenging due to the presence of electron donating substituent on both sides of the thienopyrimidine ring enhances the activity and electron withdrawing groups like nitro decrease.

Pentoxifylline as a rescue treatment for DMD: a randomized double-blind clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pentoxifylline (PTX) slows the decline of muscle strength and function in ambulatory boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). METHODS: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial comparing 12 months of daily treatment with PTX or placebo in corticosteroid-treated boys with DMD using a slow-release PTX formulation (~20 mg/kg/day). The primary outcome was the change in mean total quantitative muscle testing (QMT) score. Secondary outcomes included changes in QMT subscales, manual muscle strength, pulmonary function, and timed function tests. Outcomes were compared using Student t tests and a linear mixed-effects model. Adverse events (AEs) were compared using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS: A total of 64 boys with DMD with a mean age of 9.9 ± 2.9 years were randomly assigned to PTX or placebo in 11 participating Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group centers. There was no significant difference between PTX and the placebo group in total QMT scores (p = 0.14) or in most of the secondary outcomes after a 12-month treatment. The use of PTX was associated with mild to moderate gastrointestinal or hematologic AEs. CONCLUSION: The addition of PTX to corticosteroid-treated boys with DMD at a moderate to late ambulatory stage of disease did not improve or halt the deterioration of muscle strength and function over a 12-month study period. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class I evidence that treatment with PTX does not prevent deterioration in muscle function or strength in corticosteroid-treated boys with DMD.

Cephalometric analysis of hard and soft tissues in a 12-year-old syndromic child: a case report and update on dentofacial features of Crouzon syndrome.

Crouzon syndrome or craniofacial dysostosis is a rare syndrome characterized by craniosynostosis, midfacial hypoplasia and exophthalmia. The abnormalities found in this syndrome change too much from case to case depending on the suture fusion order. We report a case of a 12 year old child and a mother showing variations in the dentofacial tissues clinically and radiographically. Subsequently, the application of digital software [Dolphin Imaging 11] enabled us to solve out the case as Crouzon syndrome by analyzing the skeletal and soft tissue alterations. An update of the effects of this syndrome on various systems and dentofacial features with emphasis on tooth abnormalities is documented.

Marginal and conditional approaches to multivariate variables subject to limit of detection.

A marginal approach and a variance-component mixed effect model approach (here called a conditional approach) are commonly used to analyze variables that are subject to limit of detection. We examine the theoretical relationship and investigate the numerical performance of these two approaches. We make some recommendations based on our results. The marginal approach is recommended for bivariate normal variables, and the variance-component mixed effect model is preferable for other multivariate analysis in most circumstances. Two approaches are illustrated through one case study from a preclinical experiment.