Bioactive carbohydrate polymers from marine sources as potent nutraceuticals in modulating obesity: a review.

The majority of bioactive polysaccharides are present in some marine creatures. These polysaccharides are considered as promising anti-obesity agents, their anti-obesity properties involve a number of mechanisms, including suppression of lipid metabolism and absorption, impact on satiety, and prevention of adipocyte differentiation. Obesity is linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic syndromes. In this review various bioactive polysaccharides like chitin, chitosan, fucosylated chondroitin sulphate, chitooligosaccharides and glycosaminoglycans have been discussed for their anti-obesity effects through various pathways. Critical evaluation of observational studies and intervention trials on obesity, lipid hypertrophy, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes was done with a primary focus on specific marine fauna polysaccharide as a source of seafood that is consumed all over the world. It has been observed that consumption of individual seafood constituents was effective in reducing obesity. Thus, marine derived novel bioactive polysaccharides have potential applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.

BRCA1 expression, its correlation with clinicopathological features, and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

AIM: In high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HG-SOC), BRCA1 mutation is one of the predominant mutations reported by various studies. However, the non-mutational mechanisms of BRCA pathway inactivation in HG-SOC are unclear. We evaluated BRCA1 inactivation by estimating its expression with its repressor, ID4, in primary and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)-treated HG-SOC tumors with known therapeutic responses. METHODS: We evaluated the expression pattern of BRCA1 protein by immunohistochemistry in 119 cases of HG-SOC from a hospital cohort consisting of primary (N = 69) and NACT-treated (N = 50) tumors. Histological patterns (SET), stromal infiltration by lymphocytes (sTILs), and chemotherapy response score (CRS) were estimated by microscopic examination. Gene expression levels of BRCA1, and its repressor ID4, were estimated by qPCR. The association of BRCA1 protein and mRNA with clinicopathological features was studied. The relevance of the BRCA1/ID4 ratio was evaluated in tumors with different CRS. RESULTS: BRCA1 protein expression was observed in 12% of primary and 19% of NACT-treated HG-SOC tumors. We observed moderate concordance between BRCA1 protein and mRNA expression (AUC = 0.677). High BRCA1 mRNA expression was significantly associated with a more frequent SET pattern (p = 0.024), higher sTILs density (p = 0.042), and increased mitosis (p = 0.028). BRCA1-negative tumors showed higher expression of ID4 though not statistically significant. A higher BRCA1/ID4 ratio was associated with high sTILs density in primary (p = 0.042) and NACT-treated tumors (p = 0.040). CONCLUSION: Our findings show the utility of the BRCA1/ID4 ratio in predicting neoadjuvant therapy response, which needs further evaluation in larger cohorts with long-term outcomes.

Mammary Analogue Secretory Carcinoma of Parotid - a Pathological Mystery.

Salivary gland neoplasms account for 3-6% of head and neck tumours. 70-80% of parotid tumours are benign in histopathology. FNAC has an overall accuracy of 95% in diagnosis of parotid neoplasms. However, the remaining 5% still pose a histopathological mystery which may require a surgical excision of the parotid. We report a case of a 42 year-old-man with a history of parotid swelling and a FNAC report which showed a possibility of a low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma or a ductal adenocarcinoma. Final histopathological diagnosis after surgical excision revealed a new pathological entity in mammary analogue secretory carcinoma of parotid.

Influence of different drying techniques on quality parameters of mushroom and its utilization in development of ready to cook food formulation.

Three different drying methods: hot-air-drying (HAD), dehumidified drying (DD) and freeze drying (FD) were used to dry Indian white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus).  Dehumidified drying method has been proposed as an alternative technique  to improve the quality of dehydrated mushroom. Mushroom powder obtained by DD method had 33.29% protein, 17.21% uronic acid, and 10.93% ash content. It was  also a good source of ergosterol (422.18±5.80 mg/100 g dw), which is known as the precursor of Vitamin D2. Ethanolic extract of mushroom powder showed good antioxidant activity  with lower DPPH IC50 value (7.16±0.23 mg/mL) and also lower EC50 value of ABTS (4.36±0.04 mg/mL). Mushroom powder is added to ready to cook green gram based chilla mix (vegetable omelette mix) at 10%, 20% and 30% levels. The effect of incorporation of mushroom powder on quality characteristics of the formulation was studied. The results showed that the ready to cook mix containing 20% of mushroom powder had protein: 23.33 g; total dietary fiber: 10.75 g; ergosterol: 79.08 mg and also important minerals like calcium: 99.57 mg; potassium: 1203.49 mg; magnesium: 137.80 mg and zinc: 2.23 mg in 100 g of formulation. The formulated products were shelf-stable at ambient temperature for three months. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05680-9.

Revisiting Metaplastic Carcinoma of Breast: An Emphasis on the Clinico-pathological and Immunohistochemical Variables Analyzed at a Tertiary Cancer Centre in South India.

Background & Objective: Metaplastic carcinoma is a diverse variant of invasive breast carcinomas (IBC) characterized by dedifferentiation of malignant cells towards squamous and/or mesenchymal elements. It accounts for 0.3-1.2% of all IBC. These tumors are typically triple-negative by hormonal profiling with a high proliferation index and a dismal prognosis. Lymph node metastasis is an unusual feature in metaplastic carcinoma. Methods: The present study analyses 30 cases (26 cases of modified radical mastectomy and 4 cases of lumpectomy) of metaplastic carcinoma over 2018-2020 (3 years). Four oncopathologists reviewed routine histopathologic and immunohistochemical-stained slides. The clinical details were collected from the Medical Records Department of the Cancer Institute. Results: A total of 20 (66.67%) cases were patients >50 years of age, 21(70%) out of which were diagnosed as invasive carcinoma, grade 3 according to the Nottingham histological score. Five (16.7%) cases presented with lymph node metastasis. While immunohistochemically 28 (93.3%) cases were triple-negativeCK5/6, P63, EGFR, and Ki-67 (more than 40%) positivity was noted in 25 (83.3%) , 26 (86,7%) , 20 (66.7%), and 25 (83.3%) cases, respectively. Conclusion: Metaplastic carcinoma is characteristically triple-negative breast malignancies (TNBC) exhibiting a high Ki-67 index and a lower rate of lymph node metastasis. CK5/6, p63, and EGFR are pertinent immunohistochemical markers that may aid in diagnosis. However, those markers are non-specific for the disease and morphologic features are always the key to diagnosis of the process.

Impact of phenolic concentrate from tender coconut water and coconut testa on high fat cholesterol fed C57BL6 mice.

Coconut testa and tender coconut water (TCW) are by-products of coconut processing industries which are rich in natural phytonutrients, if not exploited properly it may add up to environmental pollution. In the current study, phenolic concentrate (PHE) from coconut testa and tender coconut water (TCW) concentrates were examined for their effect on high fat fed C57BL/6 mice at the level of 50 & 100 mg and 500 & 1000 mg/kg body weight respectively. Results showed increasing body weight in high fat fed animals when compared to starch fed control (ND/SFD) group. Treatment with concentrates of PHE and TCW reduced their body weight dose dependently. Lipid profile like triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL levels were significantly decreased, whereas HDL levels increased, indicating its health beneficial effect. Catalase, SOD, GPx, TBARS in tissues, analysis of OGTT, serum insulin levels, advance glycation and atherogenic protection were augmented at different levels in the treated groups. In conclusion, phenolic concentrate prepared from the coconut testa and tender coconut water concentrate revealed their hypolipidemic property which can be exploited further in the development of health foods.

Concentrates from tender coconut water and coconut testa beneficially modulates tissue lipid profiles in high-fat fed rats.

The present study involved feeding of tender coconut water concentrate (TCW) and testa phenolic concentrate (PHE) to high fat fed animals. Analysis of serum showed increased HDL-C in concentrates treated group and therefore higher protection against atherogenesis compared to high fat fed group. Lesser fecal fat content and higher level of liver cholesterol were observed in high fat fed group, treatments with TCW and PHE ameliorated significantly. Fat content in the organs (liver, heart, kidney and adipose) of HFD group was high. Furthermore, certain fatty acids observed in the tissues were 14:0, 16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, 20:0, 20:3 and 20:4, among which 14:0, 16:0 & 18:0 are the major saturated fatty acids that increased significantly in high fat fed group when compared with starch fed group and ameliorated with TCW and PHE dose dependently. These results clearly indicate both the concentrates (TCW and PHE) restrict excess accumulation of lipids and altered composition of fatty acids in tissues as well as serum which are the risk factors for development of insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, dyslipidemia etc., related to obesity. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05178-2.

Dental caries diagnosis in digital radiographs using back-propagation neural network.

PURPOSE: An algorithm for diagnostic system with neural network is developed for diagnosis of dental caries in digital radiographs. The diagnostic performance of the designed system is evaluated. METHODS: The diagnostic system comprises of Laplacian filtering, window based adaptive threshold, morphological operations, statistical feature extraction and back-propagation neural network. The back propagation neural network used to classify a tooth surface as normal or having dental caries. The 105 images derived from intra-oral digital radiography, are used to train an artificial neural network with 10-fold cross validation. The caries in these dental radiographs are annotated by a dentist. The performance of the diagnostic algorithm is evaluated and compared with baseline methods. RESULTS: The system gives an accuracy of 97.1%, false positive (FP) rate of 2.8%, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area of 0.987 and precision recall curve (PRC) area of 0.987 with learning rate of 0.4, momentum of 0.2 and 500 iterations with single hidden layer with 9 nodes. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that dental caries can be predicted more accurately with back-propagation neural network. There is a need for improving the system for classification of caries depth. More improved algorithms and high quantity and high quality datasets may give still better tooth decay detection in clinical dental practice.

Studies on eggless mayonnaise from rice bran and sesame oils.

Mayonnaise was prepared by replacing refined sunflower oil with physically refined rice bran oil (RBO), filtered sesame oil (SO) and blends of both RBO:SO. Emulsions were formulated using xanthan gum as a replacer for egg. The effect of replacing xanthan gum on varying oil blends (RBO:SO) on the physicochemical properties such as texture (consistency), stability, viscosity, and bioactives (oryzanol and sesamol content) were also studied. Significant differences were observed in the fat content of the emulsions prepared. Xanthan gum based mayonnaise's had 63-65% fat, whereas control sample with egg had 78% fat. The spreadability ranged between 1.2 and 1.6 N and stability of these spreads was found to be better than that of control. Mayonnaise with the desired colour, optimum spreadability and excellent emulsion stability could be prepared using RBO, and blends of RBO:SO. Significant differences were seen in the instrumental consistency and rheological studies among the mayonnaises prepared. The present study focusses on the preparation of a healthy mayonnaise using rice bran and sesame oil and their blends which have beneficial health effects due to the presence of oryzanol and sesamol.

Myeloid sarcoma: A clinicopathological study with emphasis on diagnostic difficulties.

BACKGROUND: Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a rare tumor composed of proliferation of myeloid precursors at extramedullary sites. They can arise de-novo or in association with hematological malignancies, most commonly acute myeloid leukemia. Clinically, it can masquerade as an abscess, cutaneous ulcer, or mass lesion. Morphologically, MS can mimic a variety of small round cell tumors including lymphomas and rhabdomyosarcoma. AIMS: (1) To study the clinical presentations and laboratory findings in patients with MS; (2) to revisit the histomorphological findings and the differential diagnosis of MS; (3) to evaluate the diagnostic role of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and determine the useful markers for accurate diagnosis of MS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed cases of MS reported in our institution over a 10-year period from January 2004 to December 2013. The clinical presentations, laboratory data, and histopathological and immunohistochemical findings were studied. RESULTS: There were nine cases in our database, none of which were clinically suspected to be MS. Age ranged from 3 to 55 years, with a slight female preponderance. Cervical lymph nodes were the most common site involved. Histologically, the common finding was the presence of medium- to large-sized cells with fine granular chromatin, small nucleolus, and scant cytoplasm along with scattered eosinophil precursors. Myeloperoxidase was the most useful IHC marker. All cases were also positive for leukocyte common antigen contributing to the diagnostic confusion with lymphoma. CONCLUSION: The possibility of MS should be considered when dealing with unusual lymphoma-like neoplasms that cannot be categorized as any of the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes.

Auxanographic Carbohydrate Assimilation Method for Large Scale Yeast Identification.

INTRODUCTION: The auxanographic carbohydrate assimilation had been an important method for differentiation of yeasts. Prevailing methods described in the literature for carbohydrate assimilation has limited scope for use in large scale yeast identification. AIM: To optimize the large scale auxanographic carbohydrate assimilation method for yeast identification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A modified auxanographic carbohydrate assimilation method was developed and a total of 35 isolates of Candida species comprising of four ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) Candida strains (Candida albicans ATCC 90028, Candida tropicalis ATCC 90018, Candida parapsilosis ATCC 750, Candida krusei ATCC 6258) and 31 clinical isolates of Candida tropicalis (n=13), Candida krusei (n=7), Candida glabrata (n=3), Candida kefyr (n=3), Candida albicans (n=5) were validated. The carbohydrates tested were Glucose, Sucrose, Maltose, Lactose, Cellubiose, Raffinose, Trehalose, Xylose, Galactose and Dulcitol. RESULTS: A total of 35 Candida species were tested for their carbohydrate assimilative property and the results were consistent with the existing standard protocols. A well circumscribed opaque yeast growth indicated assimilation of the test carbohydrate and translucent to opalescent growth with the outline of initial inoculum alone indicated lack of assimilation. The control plate indicated no growth of the Candida species. CONCLUSION: The carbohydrate assimilation tests finds utility for yeast diversity studies exploring novel ecological niches. The technique described here facilitates testing of an extended range of carbohydrates and yeasts in a cost effective manner.

A brief look at model-based dose calculation principles, practicalities, and promise.

Model-based dose calculation algorithms (MBDCAs) have recently emerged as potential successors to the highly practical, but sometimes inaccurate TG-43 formalism for brachytherapy treatment planning. So named for their capacity to more accurately calculate dose deposition in a patient using information from medical images, these approaches to solve the linear Boltzmann radiation transport equation include point kernel superposition, the discrete ordinates method, and Monte Carlo simulation. In this overview, we describe three MBDCAs that are commercially available at the present time, and identify guidance from professional societies and the broader peer-reviewed literature intended to facilitate their safe and appropriate use. We also highlight several important considerations to keep in mind when introducing an MBDCA into clinical practice, and look briefly at early applications reported in the literature and selected from our own ongoing work. The enhanced dose calculation accuracy offered by a MBDCA comes at the additional cost of modelling the geometry and material composition of the patient in treatment position (as determined from imaging), and the treatment applicator (as characterized by the vendor). The adequacy of these inputs and of the radiation source model, which needs to be assessed for each treatment site, treatment technique, and radiation source type, determines the accuracy of the resultant dose calculations. Although new challenges associated with their familiarization, commissioning, clinical implementation, and quality assurance exist, MBDCAs clearly afford an opportunity to improve brachytherapy practice, particularly for low-energy sources.

Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Following the Introduction of 13-Valent Conjugate Vaccine in Children in New York City From 2007 to 2012.

IMPORTANCE: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a leading cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia in children. In March 2010, a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced to the routine childhood immunization schedule. The PCV13 contains 6 serotypes not included in the previously recommended 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, including serotype 19A, the predominant cause of IPD prior to the introduction of PCV13. OBJECTIVES: To describe changes in the epidemiology and incidence of IPD in children younger than 5 years in New York City (NYC) after the introduction of PCV13 and assess PCV13 coverage in NYC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective analysis of population-based IPD surveillance data of the general population residing in NYC between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2012. Invasive pneumococcal disease cases were identified by laboratory reporting of positive pneumococcal cultures from a normally sterile body site in NYC residents younger than 5 years. Isolates were serotyped. Participants included 468 cases younger than 5 years with IPD reported through routine surveillance to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Absolute differences and percentage changes in IPD incidence before and after the introduction of PCV13 by serotype grouping, age, and race/ethnicity. The number of PCV13 doses administered to children younger than 5 years was calculated using the NYC immunization information system. RESULTS: There were 468 IPD cases from 2007 to 2012. The incidence of IPD decreased by 69.6% (95% CI, -79.3% to -55.5%) from 21.0 cases per 100 000 (2007-2009 mean) pre-PCV13 to 6.4 cases per 100 000 (2011-2012 mean) post-PCV13. Estimates of disease caused by serotypes included in the PCV13 decreased by 82.5% (95% CI, -90.0% to -69.3%), including a 79.7% reduction in serotype 19A (95% CI, -89.0% to -62.4%). Reductions in IPD incidence were seen in all age groups, with the largest reduction in children younger than 12 months (80.4%; P = .005). Incidence decreased significantly in all racial/ethnic groups. The percentage of children younger than 5 years in NYC with 1 or more doses of PCV13 increased from 47.8% in 2010 to 89.8% in 2012. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The incidence of IPD in NYC children younger than 5 years and, particularly, the incidence of IPD caused by serotype 19A decreased dramatically following the introduction of PCV13, with reductions among all age and racial/ethnic groups. This represents a significant achievement for public health immunization programs and underscores the importance of achieving high immunization coverage.

Multiple trichofolliculomas mimicking multiple trichoepitheliomas.

Trichofolliculomas are benign hair follicle hamartomas which were initially considered as hair follicle tumors. Usually presenting as a solitary lesion associated with a tuft of vellus hairs, multiple trichofolliculomas are rare. Trichofolliculomas are characterized by a histopathological feature of dermal keratin cyst with cyst wall showing radiating hair follicles. We report this case for the rare presentation of multiple trichofolliculomas on the face which clinically mimicked multiple trichoepitheliomas.

Wilkie's Syndrome and Left Adnexal Mass: Unusual Presentation of Duodenal Adenocarcinoma.

Duodenal adenocarcinoma (DACa) is a rare malignancy, the presenting symptoms of which are vague and nonspecific. We report the case of a patient presenting with symptoms of subacute small bowel obstruction whose CT scan revealed i) left adnexal mass and ii) compression of 3(rd) portion of duodenum with reduced aortomesentric angle consistent with Wilkie's syndrome (WS). Laparatomy in addition revealed a distal duodenal stricture, which showed a well differentiated DACa causing subtotal intestinal obstruction. The ovarian mass revealed adenocarcinoma with similar morphology. Immunophenotypic analysis revealed positive expression of CK 20 and CDX 2 and absence of CK 7 staining in the tumours consistent with Primary DACa with ovarian metastasis. We further concluded that the WS resulted from reduced mesenteric fat pad caused by DACa induced cachexia. The case highlights the elusive nature of duodenal malignancy and emphasises the importance of meticulous small bowel examination during exploration of ovarian masses.

Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in typhoidal Salmonellae: a preliminary report from South India.

BACKGROUND: Fluoroquinolones are the drugs extensively employed for the treatment of Salmonella infections. Over the couple of decades that have elapsed since the introduction of fluoroquinolones, resistance to these agents by Enterobacteriaceae family members has become common and widespread. Although fluoroquinolone resistance is mediated by genomic DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) as well as plasmid DNA, the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) facilitates higher level resistance by interacting with genomic mechanism and is capable of horizontal spread. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a period of 1-year, 63 typhoidal Salmonellae were isolated from 14,050 blood cultures and one parietal wall abscess. 36 (56.25%) were Salmonella Typhi and 27 (42%) were Salmonella Paratyphi A. They were all screened for resistance by the disc diffusion method and their minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined using agar dilution, broth dilution and E-strip method. Ciprofloxacin resistant isolates were screened for PMQR determinants by polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS: All the 63 isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid. Among the 36 S. Typhi isolates 20 were resistant to ciprofloxacin, of which 14 carried the plasmid gene qnrB and one carried the aac(6')-Ib-cr gene. qnrA and qnrS genes were not detected. Ciprofloxacin resistance was not seen in any of the S. Paratyphi A isolates. CONCLUSION: The antibiotic sensitivity pattern of typhoidal Salmonellae shows an increasing trend of PMQR. The allele B of qnr gene was found to be the predominant cause of PMQR in this study.

Obstructive Jaundice Secondary to Primary Duodenal Lymphoma with CMV Duodenitis Causing Upper GI Bleed in Retro-Positive Patient: A Case Report.

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the most common site of extranodal lymphoma. Primary GI lymphoma constitutes a small amount of all lymphomas. Primary duodenal lymphoma presenting initially with obstructive jaundice is very rare. Primary B-cell lymphoma of the duodenum was shown to be the cause of biliary obstruction in a retropositive male, which was proved by endoscopic biopsy. Histopathology also showed cytomegalovirus inclusion bodies with duodenitis.

Multiple neural fibrolipomas with macrodactyly.

Neural fibrolipoma is an uncommon tumor-like lesion that involves the upper extremity and usually arises in the median nerve. It is associated with macrodactyly in one-third of the cases. A 3-year-old girl presented with increasing size of fingers of both the hands since birth. Clinical examination revealed macrodactyly of two fingers of the right hand and three fingers of the left. Surgical reduction was performed and microscopy of the biopsy specimen established the diagnosis of neural fibrolipoma. Knowledge of the clinicopathological features is necessary for accurate diagnosis and treatment of this rare entity.