Physicochemical, Rheological and Sensory Evaluation of Herbal Bread Containing Turmeric, Ginger, and Black Cumin Powder.

The diversity in the global food market is expanding as thousands of new products enter the business every year, among which nutraceutical and functional foods hold important positions. The present research work aimed at the nutritional evaluation of three medicinal herbs, i.e., turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and black cumin (Nigella sativa). A bread formulation was enriched with the individual/combined supplementation (1-3%) of these herbs. Later, the bread was analyzed for nutritional, rheological, textural, and sensorial characteristics. The results revealed that the herbs improved the nutritional composition of bread, especially ash and fiber, as the maximum ash and fiber contents were noticed in T15 (2.0% dried powder of each plant) with values of 1.64 ± 0.04% and 4.63 ± 0.16%, respectively. The results regarding the rheological behavior showed minor variations in the rheological traits and a slight increase in dough development time up to 4.50 ± 0.20 min in T10 from 2.80 ± 0.13 min in T0. The sensorial attributes also indicated their marked suitability as external and internal characteristics were least affected by the addition of the herbs. Although some parameters like the crust and crumb colors were affected by the addition of black cumin, showing values of 6.25 ± 0.52 and 4.44 ± 0.19, respectively, in T15, and aroma characteristics were affected by the addition of ginger, supplementation with a combination of herbs at lower doses mitigated the adverse effects of other herbs. Moreover, shelf-life extension, especially with the addition of turmeric powder, was the hallmark of this research. This study concluded that medicinal herbs can be incorporated into baked products to improve the nutritional and sensorial attributes of functional herbal bread.

Frequency of true hepatitis B virus positivity in blood donors positive for hepatitis B core antibodies: implications for transfusion practice.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the true positivity of hepatitis b virus in anti-hepatitis B core antigen positive donors, keeping polymerase chain reaction as the gold standard. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was carried out at the Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from June 1, 2014, to December 30, 2016, and comprised all blood donors who were positive for hepatitis B core antibody and negative for hepatitis B surface antigenon the basis of by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The smaples were subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction for hepatitis B deoxyribonucleic acid detection. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: All the 100 samples came from males subjects who had a mean age of 36.8±10.8 years. Only 2(2%) donors showed hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid reactivity. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of Hepatitis B core antibody screening may make blood transfusions safer for the patients.

C1Q Nephropathy: A Multifaceted Disease With Infrequent Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: C1q nephropathy (C1qN) is a rare glomerulopathy, with a very low prevalence world wide varying from 0.2 to 2.5%. Even though more than three decades have passed since this entity was first explained, still, it remains a dilemma for many due to the rarity of this lesion. This study was carried out principally to determine the clinical presentation, morphologic features and distribution of C1qN in our region based on renal biopsies studied by light microscopy (LM), and immunofluorescence (IF) so that this entity is better understood both by nephrologists and pathologists as no such study has ever been conducted in Pakistan to our knowledge. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study carried out from 1st January 2012 to 30th December 2016 in Histopathology department, Shifa International Hospital. All cases diagnosed as C1q nephropathy were retrieved from the hospital's computerized database. Their clinical profiles, morphology and immunohistochemical profiles were studied.. RESULTS: Over this period a total of 31 cases were diagnosed with C1qN. Mean age of the patients was 32.09±18.66 years. The most common clinical presentation was nephrotic syndrome seen in 22 (71%) patients. The most frequent morphological pattern seen was minimal change disease (MCD) in 13 (41.9%) cases. All cases showed dominant 22 (71%) or codominant 9 (42.9%) mesangial±membranous C1q deposition. No correlation was found (p-value >0.05) between morphological pattern and clinical presentation of the disease or immunofluorescence findings. CONCLUSIONS: C1qN is a rare entity which is primarily diagnosed on the basis of immunofluorescence findings with a dominant or codominant fluorescent intensity for C1q. It is recommended that C1qN is sought for preferably with immunofluorescence staining of biopsies for immune reactants, especially for C1q. Studies from this part of the world are strongly recommended to predict clinical outcome and treatment options.

Role Of Immunohistochemistry In Subtyping Renal Cell Carcinomas With Overlapping Morphological Features.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), accounts for 2-3% of all new cancers diagnosed. Most renal tumours have characteristic histological features, which help in their sub classification. However, some cases do show overlapping morphology which pose a diagnostic challenge for the pathologists. Tumour ancillary studies such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) may play a significant role in segregation of these tumours. This study was undertaken to determine the role of IHC in diagnosing these tumours. METHODS: December 2015. It was carried out in histopathology laboratory of Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad. A total of fifty-five (n=55) nephrectomy specimens having RCC subtypes were included. A specific morphological diagnosis was rendered in each case on H&E.. A panel of six immunohistochemical markers CK7, CD10, CD117, CA IX, AMACR and Vimentin was then applied in each case and a final diagnosis considering both morphology and IHC was given. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. Mean and SD were calculated for quantitative variables where as frequencies and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables. RESULTS: Out of a total of 55 cases, 36 (65.55%) were males whereas 19 (34.5%) were females. The mean age of patients was 54.04±14.40 years. Clear cell RCC comprised 70.9% (n=39), Papillary RCC 14.5% (n=8), Chromophobe RCC 10.9% (n=6) and clear cell papillary RCC 3.6% (n=2) of cases on morphology. After application of IHC stains in all cases, 83.6% (n=46) of cases were found to have correct diagnosis on H& E. However, 16.4% (n=9) of cases could not be correctly diagnosed on morphology alone and it was in these cases that IHC played a major role in reaching a final diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Although most RCC subtypes display a characteristic morphology on H&E, in a significant proportion of the cases there are considerable overlapping morphological features. Our study shows that a correct diagnosis cannot be made on H & E alone in a notable number of cases. Therefore, IHC should be applied in all cases to reach a final diagnosis, which has both prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Vaginal Yolk Sac Tumor in an Infant.

Yolk sac tumors are most common tumors among the germ cell tumors (GCTs) in children, mostly involving the gonads. But yolk sac tumors involving the vagina are very rare. These usually present with per vaginal bleeding and vaginal mass. Presentation with discharged tumor fragments is very unusual. We present a rare case of yolk sac tumor of vagina in an infant with very unusual presentation of per vaginal tumor tissue discharge, histopathological examination of which was diagnostic.

Cold Anisotropically Interacting van der Waals Molecule: TiHe.

We have used laser ablation and helium buffer-gas cooling to produce titanium-helium van der Waals molecules at cryogenic temperatures. The molecules were detected through laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Ground-state Ti(a^{3}F_{2})-He binding energies were determined for the ground and first rotationally excited states from studying equilibrium thermodynamic properties, and found to agree well with theoretical calculations based on newly calculated ab initio Ti-He interaction potentials, opening up novel possibilities for studying the formation, dynamics, and nonuniversal chemistry of van der Waals clusters at low temperatures.

Encapsulated papillary carcinoma (EPC) of breast: A clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical analysis of eight cases.

Encapsulated papillary carcinoma (EPC) is a rare low grade carcinoma of the breast with excellent prognosis. This case series focuses on its histopathological and clinical characteristics in our material. Cases of papillary lesions of breast from 1st January 2012 to 30th December 2014 were retrieved from the hospital database. A total of 8 cases were categorized as EPC. Mean age of patients was 66 years. Breast lump with tumour size ranged from 1.5 to 5.0cm, and was the presentation in 75% of cases. Histopathology showed a well circumscribed lesion within a dilated duct comprising of fibro vascular cores lined by neoplastic cells, surrounded by thick fibrous capsule. Immunohistochemistry, for antibody panel p63, ASMA and CK 5/6 were negative for myoepithelial cells. Invasive carcinoma was seen in 3 (37.5%) with associated DCIS in 4 (50%) cases. Meticulous gross, attention to morphology and correct interpretation of immunohistochemistry are imperative for accurate diagnosis.

Extra pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumour in a young male.

Solid pseudo-papillary tumour of pancreas is a rare neoplasm having a low malignant potential. It mostly affects young adolescent females. We report an unusual case of an 18 year old male with a mass in the mesocolon which was reported as solid pseudo-papillary tumour of pancreas. This case is unusual by virtue of extra pancreatic location and male gender of the patient.

Spectroscopic detection of the LiHe molecule.

We use cryogenic helium buffer-gas cooling to form large densities of lithium atoms in a high-density helium gas, from which LiHe molecules form by three-body recombination. These weakly bound van der Waals molecules are detected spectroscopically, and their binding energy is measured from their equilibrium thermodynamic properties.

Chemical reactions of atomic lithium and molecular calcium monohydride at 1 K.

Using cryogenic helium buffer-gas cooling, we have prepared dense samples of atomic lithium and molecular calcium monohydride at temperatures as low as 1 K. We have measured the Li+CaH→LiH+Ca chemical reaction, observed in both the accelerated disappearance of CaH in the presence of high densities of lithium and in the appearance of the LiH molecule.