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INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 Associated Mucormycosis (CAM), an opportunistic fungal infection, surged during the second wave of SARS Cov-2 pandemic. Since immune responses play an important role in controlling this infection in immunocompetent hosts, it is required to understand immune perturbations associated with this condition for devising immunotherapeutic strategies for its control. We conducted a study to determine different immune parameters altered in CAM cases as compared to COVID-19 patients without CAM. METHODOLOGY: Cytokine levels in serum samples of CAM cases (n = 29) and COVID-19 patients without CAM (n = 20) were determined using luminex assay. Flow cytometric assays were carried out in 20 CAM cases and 10 controls for determination of frequency of NK cells, DCs, phagocytes, T cells and their functionalities. The cytokine levels were analyzed for their association with each other as well as with T cell functionality. The immune parameters were also analyzed with respect to the known risk factors such as diabetes mellitus and steroid treatment. RESULTS: Significant reduction in frequencies of total and CD56 + CD16 + NK cells (cytotoxic subset) was noted in CAM cases. Degranulation responses indicative of cytotoxicity of T cell were significantly hampered in CAM cases as compared to the controls. Conversely, phagocytic functions showed no difference in CAM cases versus their controls except for migratory potential which was found to be enhanced in CAM cases. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-17, IL-1ß, IL-18 and MCP-1 were significantly elevated in cases as compared to the control with IFN-γ and IL-18 levels correlating negatively with CD4 T cell cytotoxicity. Steroid administration was associated with higher frequency of CD56 + CD16- NK cells (cytokine producing subset) and higher MCP-1 levels. Whereas diabetic participants had higher phagocytic and chemotactic potential and had higher levels of IL-6, IL-17 and MCP-1. CONCLUSION: CAM cases differed from the controls in terms of higher titers of proinflammatory cytokines, reduced frequency of total and cytotoxic CD56 + CD16 + NK cell. They also had reduced T cell cytotoxicity correlating inversely with IFN-γ and IL-18 levels, possibly indicating induction of negative feedback mechanisms while diabetes mellitus or steroid administration did not affect the responses negatively.
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COVID-19 , Mucormicose , Humanos , Interleucina-18 , Interleucina-17 , Citocinas , EsteroidesRESUMO
Correct insulin administration technique, insulin type, and dose play a pivotal role in attaining glycemic control. An error in any of the steps may lead to poor glycaemic control, which affects the patient in the short and long term. We are presenting here unusual skin findings in children with the wrong injection technique. A 10-year-old male child already diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM), presented with poor glycemic control. On examination, we found skin rashes encircling most of his abdominal area circularly. Rashes were round to oval, well-circumscribed, hyperpigmented to hypopigmented to depigmented macules to papules surrounded by a hyperpigmented halo, 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter, painless varying in color from white to pinkish-red to light brown to brownish-black. On observing the administration technique of insulin, we found it was administered incorrectly as intradermal instead of subcutaneous. Proper Diabetes education and insulin administration techniques remain the cornerstone in the management of type 1 DM. We should ensure appropriate insulin administration on every visit.
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CRISPR-based biosensors often rely on colorimetric, fluorescent, or electrochemical signaling mechanism, which involves expensive reporters and/or sophisticated equipment. Here, we demonstrated a simple, inexpensive, nonoptical, and sensitive CRISPR-Cas12a-based sensing platform to detect ssDNA targets by sizing double-stranded λ DNA as novel report molecules. In this platform, the size reduction of λ DNA was quantified by gel electrophoresis analysis. We hypothesize that the massive trans-nuclease activity of Cas12a toward λ DNA is due to the presence of single-stranded looped structures along the λ DNA sequence. In addition, we observed a strong binding affinity between Cas12a and λ DNA, which further promotes the trans-cleavage activity and helps achieve sub-picomolar detection sensitivity, ≈100â times more sensitive than the fluorescent counterpart. The concept of utilizing the physical size change of λ DNA unlocks the possibility of using a variety of dsDNA as CRISPR reporters.
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Técnicas Biossensoriais , Sistemas CRISPR-Cas , DNA , Clivagem do DNA , DNA de Cadeia SimplesRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Currently available treatments for chronic lower back pain (CLBP) do not adequately address both nociceptive and neuropathic components of pain. We evaluated efficacy and safety of fixed-dose combination (FDC) of low-dose pregabalin prolonged release 75 mg-etoricoxib 60 mg to address both pain components. METHODS: This randomized phase 3 trial conducted at 12 centres across India evaluated efficacy (based on mean change in numeric rating scale [NRS], Roland-Morris disability questionnaire [RDQ], visual analogue scale [VAS], patient global impression of improvement [PGI-I], clinical global impression of improvement [CGI-I] and rescue medication consumption) and safety of FDC in comparison to etoricoxib alone in adult patients with CLBP. Treatment duration was 8 weeks. RESULTS: Of the 371 patients screened, 319 were randomized and considered for efficacy and safety analysis. Both treatment groups had no significant difference in terms of demography and baseline disease characteristics. Significantly better outcomes with FDC compared to etoricoxib were observed at week 4 onwards. At week 8, both groups showed significant reduction in mean NRS score from baseline (- 4.00 ± 1.65 in FDC; - 2.92 ± 1.59 in etoricoxib) with mean NRS score being significantly less in the FDC group compared to etoricoxib group (3.26 ± 1.56 vs 4.31 ± 1.56; p < 0.0001). The FDC was more effective than etoricoxib in terms of significantly greater reduction in RDQ score (- 9.28 ± 4.48 vs - 6.78 ± 4.34; p < 0.0001) and VAS score (- 37.66 ± 18.7 vs - 28.50 ± 16.31; p < 0.0001) at week 8. The FDC was also better in terms of significantly more patients reporting their condition as 'very much better' (36.9% vs 5.0%; p < 0.0001) and clinicians reporting patient's condition as 'very much improved' (36.3% vs 5.7%; p < 0.0001). Overall, study medications were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: FDC of pregabalin and etoricoxib provided significant benefits in reducing pain and improving functional status compared with etoricoxib alone in patients with CLBP. Pregabalin prolonged release-etoricoxib FDC could be one of the treatment options for early and sustained pain relief and improvement in quality-of-life in treating CLBP as it addresses both neuropathic and nociceptive components of pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTRI/2018/10/015886.
Low back pain is one of the most common causes of loss of productivity worldwide. About 60% of Indians suffer from low back pain at some point. Low back pain that persists for more than 3 months is classified as chronic low back pain which mostly includes both nociceptive and neuropathic components. Monotherapies, if prescribed, are not completely effective, as they generally only target either nociceptive or neuropathic components of pain. Multiple drugs are usually needed at multiple times a day, at higher doses for optimal effectiveness, and in most cases they have significant side effects if taken over prolonged periods and also add to the pill burden. To minimize treatment-associated adverse effects, and to increase treatment compliance, while addressing both the components of pain, we developed a fixed-dose combination of low-dose pregabalin prolonged release and etoricoxib. A phase 3 trial was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of the fixed-dose combination in comparison with etoricoxib alone in treating chronic low back pain. The combination demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvement in patient-reported outcomespain, functionality and quality of lifeas early as 4 weeks after starting the medication. No severe or serious adverse effects were reported. Thus, the combination of low-dose pregabalin prolonged release and etoricoxib could provide an option for optimal management of chronic low back pain. This would provide multiple benefits, such as addressing both nociceptive and neuropathic components of chronic low back pain, reducing drug-related adverse effects because of low dose, reducing pill burden and thereby increasing drug compliance.
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BACKGROUND: Nitrosamine impurities are potent carcinogens in animals and probable carcinogens in humans. There is a need for effective analytical methods to detect and identify various nitrosamine impurities, and to develop rapid solutions to ensure the safety and quality of the drugs. OBJECTIVE: A liquid chromatographic method was developed for estimation of six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan. METHODS: The developed method employed: a C18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column as a stationary phase; a combination of acetonitrile, water (pH 3.2 adjusted with formic acid), and methanol with gradient elution as mobile phase; and 228 nm as the detection wavelength. The developed method was validated as per International Conference on Harmonization Q2(R1) guidelines. The method was successfully applied to estimate six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan API (active pharmaceutical ingradient) and formulation (tablets). RESULTS: The method was able to separate each impurity and valsartan with resolved and sharp peaks. Results indicated that the developed method is linear in selected ranges (coefficient of regressions >0.9996), precise (RSD <2%), accurate (recovery in a range of 99.02-100.16%), sensitive (low detection and quantitation limits), and specific for estimation of each impurity in valsartan. Assay results were in agreement with the spiked amount of each impurity. CONCLUSION: The developed method can be applied for simultaneous estimation of six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan raw material, tablets, and fixed dose combination at very low levels. HIGHLIGHTS: Development, validation, and application of a HPLC method for the estimation of six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan API and formulation samples.
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Nitrosaminas , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Humanos , Limite de Detecção , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Comprimidos , ValsartanaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic, potentially malignant condition of the oral mucosa, predominantly seen in people of Asian descent. The reported malignant transformation rate of OSMF is 7%-13%. In the context of the understanding progression of OSMF, the study of prime molecular expressions is essential. Various markers have received more attention, one of them is E-cadherin. Various factors which promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inhibit E-Cadherin include Snail1, Snail2, Twist and EF1/ZEB1. The intended study was undertaken to evaluate the possible role of E-cadherin and its regulatory markers Twist1 and Snail1 in OSMF. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the expression of E-cadherin, Twist1 and Snail1 in OSMFTo evaluate their possible association with malignant transformation of OSMF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histologically proven 20 cases of each OSMF with and without dysplasia were taken as the study group, 20 normal mucosa as control group and were subjected for immunohistochemical (IHC) expression with E-cadherin, Twist1 and snail1. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical expression of all the three markers showed statistically significant expression of all the three markers. Intensity and percentage of staining between the groups were statistically significant for E-cadherin between normal oral mucosa (NOM) and OSMF with dysplasia (OSMFD), no significance was found between NOM and OSMF, whereas Snail1 and Twsit1 were statistically significant between NOM and OSMF and also between NOM and OSMFD. However, no significance was found for all the three markers when compared between the groups OSMF and OSMFD. CONCLUSION: The increased expression of Snail1 and Twist1 with concomitant loss of E -cadherin in OSMF suggests the role of the EMT.
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The objective of the study is to evaluate the surgical outcome between free nasoseptal mucoperichondrial flap using septal cartilage vs fascia lata using fat in terms of morbidity, hospital stay and postoperative complications. It is a retrospective comparitive study of 127 patients, diagnosed with CSF leak and who underwent repair of anterior skull base defect using free nasoseptal mucoperichondrial graft with septal cartilage in 73 cases compared with fascia lata with fat in 54 cases over the time frame of 5 years. The success rate with free nasoseptal flap with septal cartilage was 97.3% and that with fascia lata with fat was 96.3%. There was a significant association between mean hospital stay and the technique of CSF repair (unpaired t test, p -0.02). In our study the complications following the repair with free nasoseptal flap with septal cartilage was significantly less (p < 0.05, chi square test). The above study concludes that in patients treated with free nasoseptal flap using septal cartilage has less hospital stay, less post-operative morbidity in the form of pain, movement and dependence for cleaning and dressing in comparison to fascia lata using fat.
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BACKGROUND: Unplanned pregnancies are a major public health concern. In India, 33% of an estimated 48.1 million pregnancies end in induced abortions. Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) can prevent pregnancy after sexual intercourse, have been part of India's family planning program since 2002-2003 and are available as over-the-counter drugs. While there are concerns about the overuse of ECPs, the pattern of use of ECPs in India is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to determine the proportion of women who have ever used ECPs and repeatedly used ECPs and also to assess the reasons for use and nonuse of EC pills along with factors associated with the use. METHODS: A systematic review of ECP use in India was conducted by electronically searching three databases-PubMed, Popline, and Google Scholar. All studies were published between 2001 and 2017, and the electronic search was last conducted in July 2018. The proportion of use was calculated using meta-analysis, and the other factors were assessed by narratively synthesizing the findings. Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The pooled proportion of women who ever used ECPs was 6% (95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.10). The proportion of repeat use ranged from 12% to 69%. Five studies reported reasons for not using ECPs, and the most common reasons were religious/cultural beliefs followed by fear of side effects and inadequate knowledge. Studies to understand sociodemographic and other factors affecting the use of ECPs in India are lacking. There are significant concerns about the quality of the studies. The definition of repeat use of ECPs is inconsistent across papers. Furthermore, judgmental attitudes of health-care providers were apparent in some papers. CONCLUSION: The review highlights important research and program gaps.
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Anticoncepcionais Pós-Coito/administração & dosagem , Uso de Medicamentos/estatística & dados numéricos , Anticoncepcionais Pós-Coito/efeitos adversos , Características Culturais , Feminino , Humanos , Índia , Medicamentos sem Prescrição/administração & dosagem , Religião , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Chemomechanical caries removal has been a new leaf for caries excavation in this ultraconservative era of dentistry. BRIX3000 & Carie Care are papain based gel formulations while Smart Burs are polymer burs with self limiting ability. AIM: To compare & evaluate the caries excavation efficacy of BRIX3000, Carie Care & Smart burs. MATERIALS & METHODS: 45 patients with wide class 1 carious lesions were selected and equally divided into 3 groups: BRIX 3000, Carie Care & Smart Burs. Caries excavation was performed in accordance with manufacturer's instructions in each group & evaluation for reduction in bacterial count & mean working time was done. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data was analysed by One way ANOVA, Paired t-Test & Tukey's Post Hoc test. RESULTS: The highest reduction in bacterial count was achieved by BRIX3000(156.93 × 104) followed by Smart Burs(139.07× 104)& Carie Care(135.80×104) with p>0.5. Mean working time in minutes for excavation was: BRIX3000(13.66), Carie Care(18.30) &Smart Burs(20.60) with p< 0.5. CONCLUSION: All the techniques reduced bacterial count potentially. BRIX 3000 proves the most effective among three.
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BACKGROUND: India is home to 2.1 million people living with HIV with an estimated 44% people having an uninfected partner. Living in HIV serodiscordant setting can be stressful, especially for women and can lead to several common mental disorders (CMDs). However, the occurrence of CMD in this population is not studied in India. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to assess the occurrence of CMD in HIV-uninfected women living in HIV serodiscordant setting. A sample of 152 HIV-uninfected women who are wives of HIV-infected men attending an HIV clinic were interviewed by trained interviewers. METHODS: The International Classification of Diseases-10 diagnosis of any of the CMDs was done using standard structured diagnostic interview MINI 5.0.0. Current, past, and lifetime occurrence was estimated for various CMDs. Chi-square and point-biserial correlation coefficients were used to understand the relationship between various sociodemographic and HIV-related factors with current CMD. RESULTS: The current, past, and lifetime occurrence of at least one CMD was 35.5%, 49.3%, and 62.5%, respectively. Common diagnoses were mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Of the women with CMD, 22% had accompanying suicidality. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of occurrence of CMD observed among the study population calls for more attention on the policy and program level to address the mental health needs of this population. Globally, more number of HIV-infected people are now linked to the care. This provides an opportunity to incorporate mental health care into routine HIV care.
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Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Soronegatividade para HIV , Transtornos Mentais/epidemiologia , Saúde Mental/estatística & dados numéricos , Cônjuges/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Índia/epidemiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores de Risco , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
Flubendiamide, as a new class (Phthalic acid diamide) of pesticide with a wide spectrum of activity against lepidopteran pests extensively used alone or in combination with other insecticides in agriculture system to get protection from insect pests. Due to high specificity and limited approach towards non-target organism, the extensive use of this pesticide as an alternate for organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides, causing an eventual increase in environmental pollution. Five flubendiamide-resistant bacterial strains were isolated during the present study from agriculture soil considering previous history of pesticide application. Minimal inhibitory concentration of all the isolates showed strain SSJ1 was most efficient flubendiamide resistant organism. Biochemical tests and molecular sequencing of 16s rRNA was carried out which confirmed the isolate as Chryseobacterium indologenes strain SSJ1. UV-visible spectrophotometer study revealed that 89.06 % initial pesticide was removed by the isolate at optimum temperature of 35 °C and pH 7.0 with 5 days incubation period and is further confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Results of the present study however, suggest strain SSJ1 is most resistant to flubendiamide and can possibly be applied in the bioremediation of flubendiamide contaminated soils.
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CONTEXT: Diabetes mellitus can have profound effects upon the oral tissues especially in patients with poor glycemic control being prone to severe and/or recurrent infections particularly candidiasis. The main aim was to study the association between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus and candidal carriage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study design comprised of previously diagnosed 30 patients each with type 1 diabetes mellitus (Group A) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Group B) and 30 age-, sex- and dental status-matched healthy non-diabetic individuals as controls (Group C). The saliva samples were collected and inoculated onto Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) and chromogenic agar culture medium. Candidal colony forming units per ml (CFU/ml) values were determined. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed by χ(2) test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman's rank correlation and Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Data analysis showed statistically significant higher positive candidal growth in Group A and Group B when compared to Group C. The CFU/ml values were significantly higher in Groups A and B as compared with Group C. Significant positive correlation of CFU/ml with fasting blood sugar level and HbA1c% in both Groups A and B was seen. Oral signs and symptoms observed in diabetics were dry mouth, burning sensation, fissuring and atrophic changes of tongue and erythematous areas, which positively correlated with candidal load. CONCLUSION: The glycemic control status of the diabetic patients may directly influence candidal colonization. The quantitative and biochemical characterization allows better insight into the study of association of diabetes mellitus and candida.
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Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a challenge to anesthesiologists due to the complex pathophysiology involved and various perioperative complications associated with it. We present a 50-year-old man, a known case of HOCM, who successfully underwent emergency haemostasis, and debridement of the traumatically amputated right upper limb and the contused lacerated wound on the left forearm under bilateral brachial plexus blocks. His co-morbidities included hypertension (in hypertensive crisis) and diabetes mellitus. He was full stomach and also had an anticipated difficult airway. The management included invasive pressure monitoring and labetalol infusion for emergent control of blood pressure. The regional anaesthesia technique required careful consideration to the dosage of local anaesthetics and staggered performance of brachial plexus blocks on each of the upper limbs to avoid local anaesthetic toxicity. Even though bilateral brachial plexus blocks are rarely indicated, it seemed to be the most appropriate anaesthetic technique in our patient. With careful consideration of the local anaesthetic toxicity and meticulous technique, bilateral brachial plexus blocks can be successfully performed in those patients where general anaesthesia is deemed to be associated with higher risk.
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CONTEXT: Angiogenesis, the process that leads to the formation of new blood vessels, continues to be a topic of major scientific interest. There is an increasing hope that new discoveries will lead to newer therapies that target angiogenesis as a reliable option for disease therapy. AIMS: The objective of this study was to assess the role of vascularity, correlation of morphometric aspects of vascularity, investigate its usefulness in the histopathological classification and prognosis in normal buccal mucosa (NBM), leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of buccal mucosa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 15 cases of NBM, 30 cases of leukoplakia, and 30 cases of SCC of buccal mucosa. The 75 archival samples were stained by hemotoxylin and eosin (H and E) and Masson's trichrome (MT). The stained sections were analyzed using image analysis software. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 12.0 statistical software. RESULTS: The combined mean vessel density (MVD) of all the cases in H and E was 0.1112 and for MT it was 0.2150. The difference of MVD between H and E and MT was statistically significant. The mean MVD in SCC (0.3455) for MT was higher than NBM (0.1314) and leukoplakia (0.1263). The mean MVD increased from stage III (0.3563) to IV (0.5312). It also increased from NBM (0.1314) to hyperkeratosis (0.1505) and decreased from grade I (0.3556) to II (0.2795) of oral SCC (OSCC). CONCLUSIONS: MVD can be used as an adjunct with other diagnostic modalities. Further studies are needed to standardize baseline levels for different sites and age groups.
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AIM: To determine the prevalence of oral Candida carriage, candidal quantification, and various subtypes of Candida species in oral submucous fibrosis patients and healthy individuals. METHODS: The study comprised 30 clinically-diagnosed and -staged oral submucous fibrosis patients aged 20-40 years, and 20 age- and sex-matched controls. Buccal mucosa was sampled by sterile swab technique. Each sample was inoculated on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and CHROMagar culture media. Candida species identification was done using the KB006 Candida identification kit. RESULTS: Eleven (36.67%) cases in the study group, and two (10%) cases in the control group, yielded Candida on culture. The value of CFU/mL increased with an increased duration of betel quid chewing habit. All Candida-positive oral submucous fibrosis patients complained of a burning sensation. Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were the most common species in the oral submucous fibrosis cases. Candida dubliniensis was isolated in both the study and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations in this study affirm that oral submucous fibrosis favors the colonization of Candida. Mucosal alterations due to the underlying disease process or betel quid chewing, coupled with other factors, might lead to candidal colonization, even in the absence of clinically-related mycotic manifestations.
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Candida/isolamento & purificação , Boca/microbiologia , Fibrose Oral Submucosa/microbiologia , Adulto , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas , Areca , Candida/classificação , Candida albicans/isolamento & purificação , Candida tropicalis/isolamento & purificação , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Contagem de Colônia Microbiana , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Mucosa Bucal/microbiologia , Micologia/métodos , Fumar , Adulto JovemRESUMO
The tumours of the parapharyngeal region account for only 0.5% of all the head and neck tumours. Interestingly schwanomas are much common in this region. Here a case of schwanoma of parapharyngeal space in a 24-year-old female is reported with an emphasis on surgical treatment.
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Neoplasias Gengivais/patologia , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Linfoma Relacionado a AIDS/patologia , Linfoma de Células B/patologia , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/patologia , Adulto , Neoplasias Gengivais/química , Humanos , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Cadeias lambda de Imunoglobulina/análise , Linfoma Relacionado a AIDS/química , Linfoma de Células B/química , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/química , Masculino , Mucina-1/análise , Sindecana-1/análiseRESUMO
The advent of high-throughput phenotyping technologies has created a deluge of information that is difficult to deal with without the appropriate data management tools. These data management tools should integrate defined workflow controls for genomic-scale data acquisition and validation, data storage and retrieval, and data analysis, indexed around the genomic information of the organism of interest. To maximize the impact of these large datasets, it is critical that they are rapidly disseminated to the broader research community, allowing open access for data mining and discovery. We describe here a system that incorporates such functionalities developed around the Purdue University high-throughput ionomics phenotyping platform. The Purdue Ionomics Information Management System (PiiMS) provides integrated workflow control, data storage, and analysis to facilitate high-throughput data acquisition, along with integrated tools for data search, retrieval, and visualization for hypothesis development. PiiMS is deployed as a World Wide Web-enabled system, allowing for integration of distributed workflow processes and open access to raw data for analysis by numerous laboratories. PiiMS currently contains data on shoot concentrations of P, Ca, K, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Co, Ni, B, Se, Mo, Na, As, and Cd in over 60,000 shoot tissue samples of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), including ethyl methanesulfonate, fast-neutron and defined T-DNA mutants, and natural accession and populations of recombinant inbred lines from over 800 separate experiments, representing over 1,000,000 fully quantitative elemental concentrations. PiiMS is accessible at www.purdue.edu/dp/ionomics.