An Effective Siddha Management for Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra: A Case Report.

Dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN) is a noncancerous skin growth that is classified as a subtype of seborrhoeic keratoses. DPN is predominantly found in individuals with darker skin tones, namely, those with Fitzpatrick skin types III-VI. This condition primarily affects women of Asian or African American descent. The non-availability of accurate management for this illness presents a challenge to the medical fraternity. Electrodesiccation, laser therapy, and surgery offer expensive solutions. Siddha external medicine provides a solution through appropriate methods. A 70-year-old woman with Fitzpatrick skin type V appeared with many hyperpigmented papules on the malar region that had been present for five years. The dermatological examination revealed the presence of several brown papular lesions, which were particularly pronounced in the malar areas. The dimensions of the lesions typically varied from 1 to 5 mm; however, in the malar area, their size extended up to 1 cm. The Siddha formulation Pachaieruvai was administered externally for five consecutive days. While undergoing treatment, the patient experienced mild pain, burning, slight redness, and swelling in the area where Pachaieruvai was applied. These symptoms persisted for about an hour during and after the procedure but disappeared within 24 hours with the use of coconut oil. The evaluation of treatment response was determined using the recognised quartile grading methodology. During the first-week follow-up appointment after the last treatment, significant improvements were observed in the cheek lesions, particularly in four large lesions.Throughout the treatment, the patient may encounter mild discomfort, a burning sensation, slight redness, and swelling at the administration site of Pachaieruvai. These reactions are positive indicators of disease regression. No adverse symptoms and recurrence were observed during the follow-up. This research specifically examines the Siddha approach to managing DPN. Based on the findings and observations, it can be concluded that Siddha medicine is effective in treating DPN.

Poor coverage of quality-adjusted antenatal care services: a population-level assessment by visit and source of antenatal care services in Bihar state of India.

Background: Despite the evidence on the poor quality of antenatal care (ANC) services, significant gap remains in the understanding of quality-adjusted coverage at the population-level for each ANC visit and by the source of ANC services, and in equity in this coverage. Methods: All births between July 2020 and June 2021 were listed from 261,124 households (91.5% participation) representative of the Bihar state. Mothers of all stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and of 25% random sample of livebirths who survived the neonatal period provided data on each ANC visit up to a maximum of first 4 ANC visits, including the source of ANC services and the services received (weight measurement, blood pressure checked, abdomen checked, urine sample taken, and blood sample taken). An ANC visit was deemed of quality if all of these services were received in that visit. We report the coverage of quality-adjusted ANC services (Q-ANC) for ANC visits 1-4 disaggregated by source of ANC services and wealth index (WI). Weighted proportions are reported to take into account the sampling design. Findings: A total of 30,412 births were reported by 29,517 women, and 7270 (82.1%) of the 8853 eligible women participated. Overall, 19,950 unique ANC visits from 6929 women were available for analysis, of which 41.7%, 13.8% and 44.5% were at Village Health and Nutrition Day (VNHD), public facility, and with a private provider, respectively. A total of 4409 (65.3%) of the 1st ANC visits were undertaken at VHND, with the proportion of private provider ANC visits increasing significantly from ANC visit 1 to ANC visit 4 (p < 0.001). Q-ANC coverage considering all ANC visits was 20.9% (95% CI 20.7-21.2); and was 0.9% (95% CI 0.8-1.0), 29.9% (95% CI 29.2-30.7) and 36.9% (95% CI 36.5-37.4) for ANC visits in VHND, public facilities, and with private provider, respectively. Q-ANC coverage in the public facility was significantly lower in the 4th ANC visit (25.1%; 95% CI 23.4-26.9) as compared with visits 1 to 3, whereas it was the highest for 1st ANC visit with private provider (50.2%; 95% CI 49.2-51.1) and then dropped for visits 2 to 4. Irrespective of the source of ANC services, Q-ANC coverage increased significantly with increasing WI quartile for ANC visits 1 and 2, with WI quartile 3 women having significantly less coverage for ANC visit 3 compared to the rest, and no significant difference seen in the coverage of ANC 4 visit. Varied pattern of Q-ANC coverage by WI for each ANC visit was seen for public facility and private provider visits. Interpretation: With only 2 of 10 ANC visits deemed of adequate quality, sustainable delivery of quality ANC services are needed for every pregnant woman through-out the pregnancy irrespective of gestation period, number of ANC visit, and source of ANC services. Funding: The funding was provided by the India office of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA.

Dairy Farmers' Awareness of Vector-Borne Zoonotic Diseases: A Pilot Study.

Background: A quantitative cross-sectional pilot study was conducted to determine dairy farmers' general awareness of vector-borne zoonotic diseases, i.e., dengue fever and chikungunya fever caused by alphavirus and mosquito-borne flavivirus, as well as the relationship between these and other demographic variables such as gender and education level. Materials and Methods: A total of 42 farmers from the Wayanad district of Kerala were surveyed using a well-structured KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) questionnaire. Results: The study revealed that farmers have inadequate knowledge and attitudes regarding chikungunya, as well as inadequate practices regarding dengue fever. Similarly, there is a significant correlation between gender and chikungunya fever awareness. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the need to increase awareness of these diseases among dairy farmers and emphasizes the significance of conducting additional research on the area and population.

Understanding the Complexity of Hyperglycemic Emergencies: Exploring the Influence of the Type and Duration of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Impact on Mortality.

Background Diabetes mellitus remains a pressing global health issue, characterized by chronic metabolic dysfunction and the potential for life-threatening acute hyperglycemic emergencies. These emergencies, known as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic states, trigger a series of physiological disruptions. This article delves deeply into how the type and duration of diabetes mellitus affect the occurrence of hyperglycemic emergencies and mortality rates. Methods The study was conducted at the Institute of Internal Medicine, Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital, affiliated with Madras Medical College, spanning from July 2021 to December 2021. It encompassed both individuals newly diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis and patients already undergoing diabetic treatment who developed diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic states. Results Within the study cohort of 110 patients, 37.27% were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus, while 62.73% were classified as Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Among these individuals, 23.60% were newly diagnosed with diabetes, 22.70% had been diabetic for less than one year, 47.30% had a diabetic history of two to five years, and 6.40% had been diabetic for over six years. However, upon investigating the relationship between diabetes duration and mortality rate, no statistically significant findings were observed. Conclusion Hyperglycemic emergencies represent multifaceted clinical challenges influenced by the interplay of various factors, including the type and duration of the disease. By maintaining effective management of hyperglycemia from the outset and sustaining it throughout their lives, people with diabetes can improve their physical and mental health and reduce the likelihood of developing long-term complications that may negatively impact their overall well-being.

Long Versus Short Twin-Screw Integrated Cephalomedullary Nail (InterTAN) for the Surgical Management of Intertrochanteric Fractures of the Hip in Indians.

INTRODUCTION: With an increasing life expectancy, there has been an increase in the incidence of intertrochanteric fractures. These fractures in the elderly are disabling and have a tremendous impact on the healthcare system. Despite substantial improvements in implant design and surgical techniques, high failure rates have been observed, varying with the severity of the fracture and the type of fixation. Intramedullary nails have become popular in recent times, especially in unstable fractures. The purpose of the present study is to compare the functional outcomes and complications of long versus short InterTAN cephalomedullary nails (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, Tennessee) used for intertrochanteric fracture fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients who had intertrochanteric fractures classifiable as AO OTA (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopaedic Trauma Association) 31-A and were treated with either a short InterTAN nail (SIN) or long InterTAN nail (LIN) between March 2017 and March 2020 were retrospectively assessed. AO subtype A1 fractures are considered to be stable whereas subtype A3 fractures are considered unstable. The stability of subtype A2 fractures is variable depending on the amount of posteromedial comminution. Both stable and unstable fractures were included. Patients aged above 18 years, who had a normal pre-injury gait and were operated on within seven days of trauma as per the records were included in the study. Postoperatively, functional outcome recorded using the modified Harris hip score (mHHS) was compared. The minimum follow-up period was 24 months. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included. The mean age was 67.5 ± 8.92 years. Of the patients, 72% were above 60 years of age and 68% of those were females. The mean follow-up period was 31 months (range: 24-54 months). Of the patients, 84.27% sustained fractures after a trivial trauma due to slip and fall at home. All fractures had united at nine to 12 months, except one had a screw cut-out, which required revision surgery. The mean mHHS at three months and nine to 12 months postoperatively was 42.46 ± 3.62 and 87.24 ± 6.44, respectively. The patients who were treated with LIN had a significantly better functional outcome at three-month follow-up (p-value < 0.05); however, post one year, this effect plateaued and no significant difference was seen when comparing SIN with LIN. The results also showed that there was no significant difference in complications among SIN and LIN. CONCLUSION: Both LIN and SIN are equally effective for the surgical management of intertrochanteric fractures, and have similar functional outcomes. SIN, however, has shorter surgical procedure time and lesser estimated blood loss. LIN allowed in early recovery evidenced by better Harris hip scores at three months duration, thus improving the quality of life in the initial months post surgery. The choice of implant should be individualized according to fracture anatomy, patients' needs and expectations, and surgeons' expertise.

Substantial increase in stillbirth rate during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a population-based study in the Indian state of Bihar.

INTRODUCTION: We report on the stillbirth rate (SBR) and associated risk factors for births during the COVID-19 pandemic, and change in SBR between prepandemic (2016) and pandemic periods in the Indian state of Bihar. METHODS: Births between July 2020 and June 2021 (91.5% participation) representative of Bihar were listed. Stillbirth was defined as fetal death with gestation period of ≥7 months where the fetus did not show any sign of life. Detailed interviews were conducted for all stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and for 25% random sample of surviving live births. We estimated overall SBR, and during COVID-19 peak and non-peak periods per 1000 births. Multiple logistic regression models were run to assess risk factors for stillbirth. The change in SBR for Bihar from 2016 to 2020-2021 was estimated. RESULTS: We identified 582 stillbirths in 30 412 births with an estimated SBR of 19.1 per 1000 births (95% CI 17.7 to 20.7); SBR was significantly higher in private facility (38.4; 95% CI 34.3 to 43.0) than in public facility (8.6; 95% CI 7.3 to 10.1) births, and for COVID-19 peak (21.2; 95% CI 19.2 to 23.4) than non-peak period (16.3; 95% CI 14.2 to 18.6) births. Pregnancies with the last pregnancy trimester during the COVID-19 peak period had 40.4% (95% CI 10.3% to 70.4%) higher SBR than those who did not. Risk factor associations for stillbirths were similar between the COVID-19 peak and non-peak periods, with gestation age of <8 months with the highest odds of stillbirth followed by referred deliveries and deliveries in private health facilities. A statistically significant increase of 24.3% and 68.9% in overall SBR and intrapartum SBR was seen between 2016 and 2020-2021, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study documented an increase in SBR during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared with the prepandemic period, and the varied SBR based on the intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic and by the place of delivery.

A Study of Relationship Between Serum Lipids and Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

The modern life style poses new challenges on the normal physiological mechanisms of the human body. Drug abuse, tobacco smoking, and alcohol drinking, as well as lack of exercise may also increase the risk of developing certain diseases, especially older age.To study the relationship between degree of sensorineural hearing loss and serum lipid level (total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins).A cross-sectional study was conducted in 150 patients aged between 15 to 60 years diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss at Otorhinolaryngology outpatient department at Sir Sunder Lal hospital, IMS, BHU. All the 150 patients were amongst age group of 15 to 60 years who were registered from August 2019 to July 2021.The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein directly correlate with the severity of sensorineural hearing loss significantly (p < 0.05) whereas the serum levels of high-density lipoprotein had no direct co-relation with the severity of sensorineural hearing loss. Hyperlipidemic state is a major risk factor for SNHL. Regular screening and monitoring of serum lipid might prevent morbid SNHL and improve patients' quality of life in long term.

Exploration of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Health Risk Behaviors (HRBs) in Male Recidivist Violent Offenders: Indian Scenario.

Aggression and violent behavior are widespread in the world and cause serious threats to public safety. Violent criminal recidivism rates remain very high among certain groups of offenders. In India, the quantum of total violent crimes is continuously increasing from 2009 to 2019. Adverse childhood experiences can affect the development of a child in many ways, leading to highly maladaptive behaviors, such as serious, violent, and chronic (SVC) delinquency. This study was done as a case-control method among recidivist violent offenders and controls to examine the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on violent criminality. The questionnaire included the World Health Organization Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE- IQ) and standardized measures of Health Risk Behaviors (HRBs). Thirteen categories of adverse childhood experiences of the recidivist violent offenders and controls were measured. Bivariate analysis showed that there was a significant relation (p < 0.001) between ACEs and violent criminality in cases (M = 72.14, SD = 6.80, N = 35) and controls (M = 44.91, SD = 5.39, N = 32). The largest correlation was found between collective violence and household violence (r = 0.813). Bivariate correlation analyses were highly significant between total ACE score and criminality (r (35) = 0.927, p < 0.001). The results reveal that household violence, community violence and collective violence experienced by recidivist violent offenders were nearly double the rate of the control group. Findings emphasize the need for evaluations of ACEs in recidivist offenders for better rehabilitation strategies and also the necessity for preventive efforts at all levels. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-021-00434-1.

COVID-19-associated Mucormycosis: A clinico-epidemiological study.

BACKGROUND: There was an unprecedented increase in COVID-19-associated-Mucormycosis (CAM) cases during the second pandemic wave in India. METHODS: This observational study was done to know the epidemiological profile of CAM cases andincluded all patients admitted with mucormycosis between May 2021 and July 2021. RESULTS: Out of the enrolled 208 CAM cases (either SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR or serology positive), 204, three and one had rhino-orbital-cerebral, pulmonary and gastrointestinal mucormycosis, respectively. 95.7 % of the patients had diabetes, out of which 42.3 % were recently diagnosed. Mean HbA1c was 10.16 ± 2.56 %. 82.5 % of the patients were unvaccinated. During their COVID-19 illness, 86.5 % were prescribed antibiotics, 84.6 % zinc preparations, 76.4 % ivermectin, and 64.9 % steroids, while only 39.5 % required oxygen therapy. The frequency of blood groups A, B, O and AB in our CAM patients was 29.5 %, 18.9 %, 38.9 % &12.6 %, respectively. At three months follow up, 60 (28.8 %) patients died, four (1.9 %) stopped antifungal treatment, and 144(69.23 %) were on antifungal treatment. 55 % (n = 33) of deaths occurred within 15 days of admission. Mortality was significantly associated with higher age, RT-PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2, raised serum creatinine and alkaline phosphatase during treatment. At 6 months follow-up, eight more patients died, three due to chronic kidney disease, four patients who had stopped treatment and one patient who was on a ventilator due to COVID-19 associated pneumonia and the rest 140(67.3 %) survived. CONCLUSION: Uncontrolled hyperglycemia, SARS-CoV-2 infection, rampant use of antibiotics, zinc supplementation and steroids were some of the risk factors for mucormycosis. Despite the overwhelming number of patients with an uncommon disease like mucormycosis, the six months mortality was much lower than expected.

Whole Genome Sequencing Assessing Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Tuberculosis Mutations and Type of Recurrence in India.

BACKGROUND: Evidence describing the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the recurrence and mutation rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is limited. METHODS: This study was nested in 3 cohort studies of tuberculosis (TB) patients with and without DM in India. Paired Mtb isolates recovered at baseline and treatment failure/recurrence underwent whole genome sequencing. We compared acquisition of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), TB drug resistance mutations, and type of recurrence (endogenous reactivation [<8 SNPs] or exogenous reinfection [≥8 SNPs]) by DM status. RESULTS: Of 1633 enrolled in the 3 parent cohorts, 236 (14.5%) had microbiologically confirmed TB treatment failure/recurrence; 76 Mtb isolate pairs were available for sequencing (22 in TB-DM and 54 in TB-only). The SNP acquisition rate was overall was 0.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], .25-.64) per 1 person-year (PY); 0.77 (95% CI, .40-1.35) per 1 PY, and 0.44 (95% CI, .19-.86) per 1 PY at treatment failure and recurrence, respectively. Significant difference in SNP rates by DM status was seen at recurrence (0.21 [95% CI, .04-.61]) per 1 PY for TB-only vs 1.28 (95% CI, .41-2.98) per 1 PY for TB-DM; P = .02). No significant difference in SNP rates by DM status was observed at treatment failure. Acquired TB drug resistance was seen in 4 of 18 (22%) in TB-DM vs 4 of 45 (9%) in TB-only (P = .21). Thirteen (17%) participants had exogenous reinfection; the reinfection rate at recurrence was 25% (3/12) for TB-DM vs 17% (4/24) in TB-only (P = .66). CONCLUSIONS: Considerable intrahost Mtb mutation rates were present at recurrence among patients with DM in India. One-fourth of patients with DM had exogenous reinfection at recurrence.

Development and validation of LC/MS/MS method for Triciribine and its monophosphate metabolite in plasma and RBC: Application to mice pharmacokinetic studies.

Triciribine (TCN) is a tricyclic nucleoside analog of adenosine and an inhibitor of Akt kinase. Triciribine 5'-monophosphate (TCNP) is a water-soluble analog of Triciribine and has progressed to Phase I and II clinical trials in oncology. TCNP is also an endogenous anabolite of TCN similar to other nucleoside phosphates. Clinical development of TCNP has been hampered by high pharmacokinetic variability due to complex interplay of TCN-TCNP conversion and reconversion in plasma, erythrocytes (RBC) and peripheral organs. TCN has been demonstrated to be an efficacious agent in mice models of acute lung injury at low doses (0.5 mg/kg/day) although its pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationship remained unclear. We have developed and validated a sensitive, specific and robust LC/MS/MS assay for quantitation of TCN and TCNP in plasma and RBC. Using a simple protein precipitation method, quantitation of these analytes was accomplished with recoveries exceeding 85% and with a run time of 4 min. This assay was used to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of TCN and TCNP in mice after single dose intravenous administration at 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg. TCNP accumulates in RBC, has low clearance and a half-life of 18 to 23 h. Unlike other nucleoside phosphates, TCNP was found to be relatively stable in mice plasma serving as a secondary depot. TCN levels were low and with high clearance relative to hepatic blood flow. A combination of sustained levels of TCNP in RBC and plasma serves as a depot for TCN to elicit robust therapeutic activity in acute lung injury mice models.

Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm for De Novo Drug Design (MoGADdrug).

BACKGROUND: A multi-objective genetic algorithm for De novo drug design (MoGADdrug) has been proposed in this paper for the design of novel drug-like molecules similar to some reference molecules. The algorithm developed accepts a set of fragments extracted from approved drugs and available in fragment libraries and combines them according to specified rules to discover new drugs through the in-silico method. METHODS: For this process, a genetic algorithm has been used, which encodes the fragments as genes of variable length chromosomes and applies various genetic operators throughout the generations. A weighted sum approach is used to simultaneously optimize the structural similarity of the new drug to a reference molecule as well as its drug-likeness property. RESULTS: Five reference molecules namely Lidocaine, Furano-pyrimidine derivative, Imatinib, Atorvastatin and Glipizide have been chosen for the performance evaluation of the algorithm. CONCLUSION: Also, the newly designed molecules were analyzed using ZINC, PubChem databases and docking investigations.

Deep learning and medical image processing for coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: A survey.

Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has caused many death cases and affected all sectors of human life. With gradual progression of time, COVID-19 was declared by the world health organization (WHO) as an outbreak, which has imposed a heavy burden on almost all countries, especially ones with weaker health systems and ones with slow responses. In the field of healthcare, deep learning has been implemented in many applications, e.g., diabetic retinopathy detection, lung nodule classification, fetal localization, and thyroid diagnosis. Numerous sources of medical images (e.g., X-ray, CT, and MRI) make deep learning a great technique to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. Motivated by this fact, a large number of research works have been proposed and developed for the initial months of 2020. In this paper, we first focus on summarizing the state-of-the-art research works related to deep learning applications for COVID-19 medical image processing. Then, we provide an overview of deep learning and its applications to healthcare found in the last decade. Next, three use cases in China, Korea, and Canada are also presented to show deep learning applications for COVID-19 medical image processing. Finally, we discuss several challenges and issues related to deep learning implementations for COVID-19 medical image processing, which are expected to drive further studies in controlling the outbreak and controlling the crisis, which results in smart healthy cities.

MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism in male recidivist violent offenders in the Indian population.

INTRODUCTION: An association of MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism with aggression and violence has been demonstrated in many studies; however, this association is inconclusive due to the allelic variation in different populations. Allelic variants and the frequency of this polymorphism among recidivist violent offenders could provide more information about this complex behaviour. Hence, the association between violence and the polymorphism of variable numbers of tandem repeats located upstream of the MAOA gene needs to be ruled out. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Identified recidivist violent offenders by various laws of 'Offences against Human Body and Property' of the Indian Penal Code and natives of the southern state of India, Kerala, were the cases. Individuals without a history of any offences, from the same locality, were taken as controls. DNA extracted from the buccal epithelial cells from the subjects was genotyped using PCR methods for identifying MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism. RESULTS: In the subjects (n = 67), polymorphism in the promoter region of the MAOA gene, which comprises of 30bp repeats, 3.5 and 4.5 repeat alleles were observed statistically significantly (p = 0.015). Both 3.5 and 4.5 repeat alleles were present in the participants belonging to the control group. All the participants belonging to experiment group had 3.5 repeats only. CONCLUSIONS: This candidate gene-environment interaction (cGxE) may be one of the reasons for the development of psychopathology in violent offenders. This is the first study among offenders in this regard in India, and data generated will be a significant contribution to the aetiology of various psychiatric disorders and population-specific genome database.

Scalar activity induced phase separation and liquid-solid transition in a Lennard-Jones system.

We report scalar activity induced phase separation and crystallization in a system of 3-d Lennard-Jones particles taken at state points spanning from the gas to the liquid regime using molecular dynamics simulation (MD). Scalar activity was introduced by increasing the temperature of half of the particles (labeled 'hot') while keeping the temperature of the other half constant at a lower value (labeled 'cold'). The relative temperature difference between the two subsystems is considered as a measure of the activity. From our simulations we observe that the two species tend to phase separate at sufficiently high activity ratio. The extent of separation is quantified by the defined order parameter and the entropy production during this process is determined by employing the two-phase thermodynamic (2PT) model and the standard modified Benedict-Webb-Rubin (MBWR) equation of state for a LJ fluid. We observe that the extent of the phase separation and entropy production increases with the density of the system. From a cluster analysis, we obtain the mean number of clusters ncl, and the mean size of the largest cluster n0 in the system, complementing each other. Bond orientation order parameters reveal that the so formed largest cluster also develops solid-like order consisting of both FCC and HCP packing. The presence of such crystalline order is also supported by a common neighbor analysis.

An Efficient Melanoma Diagnosis Approach Using Integrated HMF Multi-Atlas Map Based Segmentation.

Melanoma is a life threading disease when it grows outside the corium layer of the skin. Mortality rates of the Melanoma cases are maximum among the skin cancer patients. The cost required for the treatment of advanced melanoma cases is very high and the survival rate is low. Numerous computerized dermoscopy systems are developed based on the combination of shape, texture and color features to facilitate early diagnosis of melanoma. The availability and cost of the dermoscopic imaging system is still an issue. To mitigate this issue, this paper presented an integrated segmentation and Third Dimensional (3D) feature extraction approach for the accurate diagnosis of melanoma. A multi-atlas method is applied for the image segmentation. The patch-based label fusion model is expressed in a Bayesian framework to improve the segmentation accuracy. A depth map is obtained from the Two-dimensional (2D) dermoscopic image for reconstructing the 3D skin lesion represented as structure tensors. The 3D shape features including the relative depth features are obtained. Streaks are the significant morphological terms of the melanoma in the radial growth phase. The proposed method yields maximum segmentation accuracy, sensibility, specificity and minimum cost function than the existing segmentation technique and classifier.

Grid sensitivity and role of error in computing a lid-driven cavity problem.

The investigation on grid sensitivity for the bifurcation problem of the canonical lid-driven cavity (LDC) flow results is reported here with very fine grids. This is motivated by different researchers presenting different first bifurcation critical Reynolds number (Re_{cr1}), which appears to depend on the formulation, numerical method, and choice of grid. By using a very-high-accuracy parallel algorithm, and the same method with which sequential results were presented by Lestandi et al. [Comput. Fluids 166, 86 (2018)CPFLBI0045-793010.1016/j.compfluid.2018.01.038] [for (257 × 257) and (513 × 513) uniformly spaced grid], we present results using (1025×1025) and (2049×2049) grid points. Detailed results presented using these grids help us understand the computational physics of the numerical receptivity of the LDC flow, with and without explicit excitation. The mathematical physics of the investigated problem will become apparent when we identify the roles of numerical errors with the ambient omnipresent disturbances in real physical flows as interchangeable. In physical or in numerical setups, presence of disturbances cannot be ignored. In this context, the need for explicit excitation for the used compact scheme arises for a definitive threshold amplitude, below which the flow relaxes back to quiescent state after the excitation is removed in computations. We also implement the present parallel method to show the physical aspects of primary and secondary instabilities to be maintained for other numerical schemes, and we show the results to reflect the complex physics during multiple subcritical Hopf bifurcation. Also, we relate the various sources of errors during computations that is typical of such shear-driven flow. These results, with near spectral accuracy, constitute universal benchmark results for the solution of Navier-Stokes equation for LDC.

WEPA: a bio-derived medium for added base, π-acid and ligand free Ullmann coupling of aryl halides using Pd(OAc)2.

A bio-derived sustainable medium based on water extract of pomegranate ash (WEPA) has, for the first time, been developed for the homocoupling of aryl halides under palladium-assistance. Avoiding the requirement of an external base, ligand and π-acid, the use of the proposed renewable medium offers remarkable attributes like wide substrate scope, good to nearly quantitative yields of biphenyls with exceptional chemoselectivity and scale up viability.

Role of Alanine Racemase Mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis d-Cycloserine Resistance.

A screening of more than 1,500 drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealed evolutionary patterns characteristic of positive selection for three alanine racemase (Alr) mutations. We investigated these mutations using molecular modeling, in vitro MIC testing, as well as direct measurements of enzymatic activity, which demonstrated that these mutations likely confer resistance to d-cycloserine.

Virtual Screening of compounds to 1-deoxy-Dxylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) from Plasmodium falciparum.

The 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) protein (Gen Bank ID AAN37254.1) from Plasmodium falciparum is a potential drug target. Therefore, it is of interest to screen DXR against a virtual library of compounds (at the ZINC database) for potential binders as possible inhibitors. This exercise helped to choose 10 top ranking molecules with ZINC00200163 [N-(2,2di methoxy ethyl)-6-methyl-2, 3, 4, 9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazol-1-amine] a having good fit (-6.43 KJ/mol binding energy) with the target protein. Thus, ZINC00200163 is identified as a potential molecule for further comprehensive characterization and in-depth analysis.