Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasonography Versus Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography in Biliary Obstruction.

Background In a suspected case of biliary obstruction with clinical and laboratory data suggesting obstructive jaundice, the major goal is to confirm the presence of obstruction, its nature and cause, location, and extent. Ultrasonography (USG) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) are primarily used to diagnose suspected biliary tract illnesses. The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the accuracy of MRCP and USG with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)/surgical/histopathological outcomes for finding the cause and level of obstruction in the case of clinically suspected biliary obstruction. Methods This was a prospective observational study conducted at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences and Pradyumna Bal Memorial Hospital, Bhubaneswar, India, from September 2020 to September 2022 on 120 patients. It included patients with clinical suspicion of biliary obstruction who underwent both USG and MRCP. Characteristics of the obstruction were evaluated for both benign and malignant lesions through USG and MRCP. The findings were then correlated with ERCP, histopathology, or surgery to calculate the diagnostic performance of the former two modalities. Results Out of 120 patients, USG was correctly able to predict the cause of obstruction in 40 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of detecting the nature of obstruction by USG were 33.3%, 84%, and 48.9%, respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy of USG in predicting the site of obstruction was 64.3%. MRCP was correctly able to predict the cause of obstruction in 113 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of detecting the nature of obstruction by MRCP were 94.1%, 91.9%, and 94.8% respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy of MRCP in predicting the site of obstruction was 98.33%. Out of 120 patients, no cause of biliary obstruction could be found in 71 patients by USG, out of which the correct diagnosis was made in 67 patients through MRCP. Conclusion USG should be used as the initial screening modality of choice for predicting the level and nature of obstruction in patients with a clinical suspicion of obstructive jaundice. MRCP should be the radiological investigation of choice in patients with clinical suspicion of obstructive jaundice. MRCP has the potential to become the new "Gold standard" investigation for diagnosis in patients with biliary obstruction owing to its excellent diagnostic performance, and non-invasiveness.

Development and Validation of Diagnostic KASP Markers for Brown Planthopper Resistance in Rice.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important source of nutrition for the world's burgeoning population that often faces yield loss due to infestation by the brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)). The development of rice cultivars with BPH resistance is one of the crucial precedences in rice breeding programs. Recent progress in high-throughput SNP-based genotyping technology has made it possible to develop markers linked to the BPH more quickly than ever before. With this view, a genome-wide association study was undertaken for deriving marker-trait associations with BPH damage scores and SNPs from genotyping-by-sequencing data of 391 multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) lines. A total of 23 significant SNPs involved in stress resistance pathways were selected from a general linear model along with 31 SNPs reported from a FarmCPU model in previous studies. Of these 54 SNPs, 20 were selected in such a way to cover 13 stress-related genes. Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays were designed for the 20 selected SNPs and were subsequently used in validating the genotypes that were identified, six SNPs, viz, snpOS00912, snpOS00915, snpOS00922, snpOS00923, snpOS00927, and snpOS00929 as efficient in distinguishing the genotypes into BPH-resistant and susceptible clusters. Bph17 and Bph32 genes that are highly effective against the biotype 4 of the BPH have been validated by gene specific SNPs with favorable alleles in M201, M272, M344, RathuHeenati, and RathuHeenati accession. These identified genotypes could be useful as donors for transferring BPH resistance into popular varieties with marker-assisted selection using these diagnostic SNPs. The resistant lines and the significant SNPs unearthed from our study can be useful in developing BPH-resistant varieties after validating them in biparental populations with the potential usefulness of SNPs as causal markers.

Evaluation of DNA extraction methods for molecular traceability in cold pressed, solvent extracted and refined groundnut oils.

Groundnut oil (GNO)/peanut oil is one of the agro-food products with great economic value and hence an attractive target for adulteration and mislabeling. Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) are markers of choice for DNA fingerprinting studies as they exhibit high polymorphism due to variable number of repeats. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate and optimize a method for DNA isolation from groundnut oil and study the possibility of using the isolated DNA for molecular traceability using SSR markers. Four methods to isolate DNA from groundnut oil were evaluated. All the four methods were modified CTAB protocols, but differed in procedures for extraction, buffer compositions, amount of oil used and DNA carriers. For molecular traceability of oils, extraction and recovery of DNA from edible oil is a key step, especially in refined oils. A method that employed DNA enrichment prior to extraction with CTAB buffer yielded amplifiable DNA from cold pressed GNO, crude hexane extracted GNO and refined GNO. The optimized method for isolation of DNA from groundnut oil is simple, efficient, less costly and reproducible when compared to chromatography and spectroscopy based techniques.

Ferritinophagy is not required for colon cancer cell growth.

Ferritinophagy is a form of selective autophagy responsible for degrading intracellular ferritin, mediated by nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4). NCOA4 plays significant roles in systemic iron homeostasis, and its disruption leads to simultaneous anemia and susceptibility to iron overload. The importance of iron colorectal cancer pathogenesis is well studied; however, the role of ferritinophagy in colon cancer cell growth has not been assessed. Disruption of ferritinophagy via NCOA4 knockout leads to only marginal differences in growth under basal and iron-restricted conditions. Moreover, NCOA4 played no significant role in cell death induced by 5-fluorouracil and erastin. Western blotting analysis for ferritin and transferrin receptor 1 found a dose-dependent effect on expression in both proteins in wild-type and NCOA4 knockout cell lines, but further investigation revealed no difference in growth response when treated at both high and low doses. Our data demonstrate a marginal role for ferritinophagy in growth both under normal and cytotoxic conditions in colon cancer cells, as well as a possible compensatory mechanism in colon cancer cells in response to ferroptosis induction.

L-Shaped nipple reconstruction: a novel technique to improve patient satisfaction outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Nipple reconstruction is the final stage of breast reconstruction and performed after acceptable breast mound shape and symmetry has been achieved. Here is a description of an original technique of L shaped nipple reconstruction to address issues such as transverse mas-tectomy scar which lies at the Neo nipple position. AIM: The objective of this study is to describe an original tech-nique of nipple reconstruction, using a combination of random flap and dermal graft; and also measures patient satisfaction of outco-mes. This original technique is set to overcome challenges of nipple reconstruction such as correct positioning, maintaining adequate projection and creating an almost inconspicuous scar. METHODS: 31 patients underwent the L-shaped nipple reconstruction between 2011 and 2016 at our Breast Unit. Complications and outcomes were analysed and compared with 59 patients who underwent traditional CV flap during the same study period (total N=90, i.e., L flap n=31 and CV flap=59). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in complication rates between traditional CV flap (9.7%) and L-shaped (13.6%) nipple reconstructions (Fishers exact test p=0.74). In our study cohort undergoing L flap nipple reconstruction, 94% were either pleased or very pleased with their decision to have undergone nipple reconstruction and 93% would either strongly or very strongly recommend it to a friend. CONCLUSIONS: The innovative L-shaped nipple reconstruction has positive patient satisfaction out-comes and is a very suitable alternative to traditional nipple reconstruction such as CV flap.

Acetylcholinesterase based biosensor for monitoring of Malathion and Acephate in food samples: a voltammetric study.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensor was developed through silica sol-gel (SiSG) immobilisation of AChE on the carbon paste electrode (CPE) and used as working electrode. AChE catalyses the cleavage of acetylthiocholine chloride (ASChCl or substrate) to thiocholine, which was oxidised to give a disulphide compound by dimerisation at 0.60V versus saturated calomel electrode. All the experiments were carried out in 0.1M phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at pH 7.0 and 0.1M KCl solution at room temperature. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values were found to be 0.058ppm, 0.044ppm and 0.194ppm, 0.147ppm for Malathion and Acephate, respectively. The response of the biosensor showed a good linearity range with an incubation time of 4min for Malathion and Acephate, respectively. This biosensor was used for the direct determination of pesticides without any pretreatment and it requires less time for analysis.

A case of hereditary protein S deficiency presenting with cerebral sinus venous thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis at high altitude.

A 35-year-old healthy male with no history of any past medical illness developed severe headache, vomiting and drowsiness while at high altitude (4,572 m) in the eastern Himalayan ranges. He was evacuated to a tertiary-care hospital where he was diagnosed to have cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) on magnetic resonance imaging, with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of his right popliteo-femoral vein on color Doppler study. Investigation for thrombophilia revealed protein S (PS) deficiency in this patient. Family screening revealed low levels of PS in two elder brothers. One brother had a history of 'stroke in young' at the age of 20 years with the other being asymptomatic. This established the hereditary nature of PS deficiency. We are not aware of any previously published report on hereditary PS deficiency combined with CSVT and DVT occurring at high altitude. However, 1 case of protein C deficiency with CSVT has been reported previously.

Double-chambered right ventricle: magnetic resonance imaging findings.

Primary double-chambered right ventricle is an uncommon congenital anomaly that presents with right ventricular outflow tract obstruction in childhood or adolescence. A search of the literature revealed only a few documented case reports with MRI findings. We present a case with mixed lesions, and with anomalous muscle bundles located both in the middle portion of the right ventricular sinus and at the subinfundibular level.

Voltammetric behavior of cefixime and cefpodoxime proxetil and determination in pharmaceutical formulations and urine.

Electrochemical reduction behavior of cephalosporins, Cefixime (CF) and Cefpodoxime Proxetil (CP) have been studied by using different voltammetric techniques in Britton-Robinson buffer system. Two well defined cathodic waves are observed for both the compounds in the entire pH range. Number of electrons transferred in the reduction process was calculated and the reduction mechanism is proposed. The results indicate that the process of both the compounds is irreversible and diffusion-controlled. The peak currents for CF and CP are found to be linear over the range of concentration 6.0 x 10(-8) to 1.2 x 10(-5) mol l(-1) and 8.8 x 10(-8) to 1.1 x 10(-5) mol l(-1), respectively. The lower detection limits are found to be 4.6 x 10(-8) and 8.52 x 10(-8) mol l(-1) for the two compounds. A differential pulse voltammetric method has been developed for the determination of these drugs in pharmaceutical formulations and urine samples.

Reaching the unreached: enabling Dalit girls to get schooling.

PIP: The 1991 census showed a female illiteracy rate of over 39%, requiring a major new effort to include all women, especially the poor, in a program of universal primary education. Institute for Socially Disadvantaged Groups' Educational Improvement (ISDGEI) based in Kolhapur (Maharashtra) is working for social transformation through education. Most disadvantaged are poor Dalit women and girls living in urban slums. The institute has been providing primary education to Dalit girls in the Rajendranagar slum of Kolhapur for the past 12 years. In the beginning they also had boy students in their schools, but as they grew they recognized that the need for schools for poor girls, especially Dalits, was so vastly unmet that they decided to put all their efforts into devising an appropriate and effective educational experience for these children. In this article, the Honorary Director of the ISDGEI, M. V. Sreedhar, explains the challenges they face and the many innovations they have evolved in order to make education accessible to the most disadvantaged of India's children--Dalit girls.^ieng