Articles Related to RP

The aim of controlling/regulating cellular processes by surface patterning of biomaterials is a crucial concept in emerging research fields, where the precise fabrication of micro-nano surface topographies is required at manufacturing scales to meet consumer demand. Photolithography is typically employed for surface patterning; however, the high cost, process complexity, and lack of environmentally friendly and sustainable methodologies represent steep barriers for many researchers. Soft lithographic methods have been utilised extensively as a potential alternative for traditional photolithography, yet a photolithographic step is still required for initial template fabrication. Here, we demonstrate the use of repurposed optical consumer items such as DVDs, diffraction glasses, and gratings that would otherwise be thrown away after their useful lives, being used here as a sustainable approach as templates for the formation of complex nano-patterns. By replicating these templates in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polylactic acid (PLA), we show the varied interactions of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAoSMC) to these surfaces. Notably, it was demonstrated that, in comparison to nonpatterned substrates, HAoSMC interaction (adhesion, spreading, and viability) was higher on DVD patterned surfaces compared to diffraction glass and grating patterned surfaces according to the results from cell metabolic activity (MTT and Alamar Blue), and proliferation (total DNA) assays. We demonstrate that a simple, reusable, inexpensive, yet robust technology could be a powerful tool in improving our understanding of cell-surface interactions and for the potential development of medical devices with micro- and nanoscale low or high adhesion features

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Eczema herpeticum (EH) is a skin infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) that occurs in individuals with atopic dermatitis. It is characterized by the sudden appearance of vesicles and erosions with crusts over areas affected by eczema. EH can range from mild and self-limiting in healthy adults to life-threatening in children, infants, and immunocompromised patients. Early treatment with antiviral therapy is crucial in preventing complications and mortality. EH is primarily caused by a superinfection of HSV, usually HSV-1, in individuals with atopic dermatitis. Reactivation of HSV is more common than primary infection. Patients with atopic dermatitis are more susceptible to skin infections due to impaired skin barrier function and immune dysregulation. Disseminated cutaneous HSV infection can also occur in individuals with other forms of dermatitis, known as Kaposi varicelliform eruption (KVE)

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Covid-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which hit the world in December 2019 is one of the worst medical emergencies people have ever encountered. Human angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the entry path of this virus to the host that regulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Hypothesis: Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection may be affected by ACE rs4646994 and ACE2 rs2285666 polymorphisms.

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Pneumonia is most prevalent and acute respiratory disorder. Chest radiography is the gold standard to confirm the clinical condition and the progress. The use of AI in diagnostic workflow proved to be useful. In this study, quantitative assessment by the AI device is compared with the qualitative assessment by the radiologists.

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Pathologists are frequently involved in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis on conventional biopsies and cytology specimens. Histology generally does not pose difficult tasks in the correct clinical and imaging scenario, but atypical forms of sarcoidosis exist, and in these cases, the diagnosis may become difficult. The final diagnosis always requires the careful integration of the histology with the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. The differential diagnoses of sarcoidosis includes granulomatous infections, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, pneumoconiosis, autoimmune diseases, drug reactions, chronic aspiration, and even diffuse fibrosing diseases. In this study, we discuss the histomorphological aspects of Sarcoidosis, along with radiological, biochemical and clinical aspects. The most important finding is the presence of non caseating granulomas by histology which needs to be interpreted in the light of appropriate clinico-radiological and laboratory findings. This study emphasises the role of the pathologist and discusses the differential diagnosis.

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Increasing the nickel content in the layered LiNixCoyMnzO2 (x + y + z = 1), the most promising cathode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), has been a dominant strategy to increase their energy density. In this study, we report the control on the primary particle morphology of precursors with different nickel contents, e.g. Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3(OH)2 Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2(OH)2 and Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2 by adjusting the preparation process. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images demonstrate that by decreasing the pH value and increasing the ammonia concentration, the order of precursors with different nickel contents increases, resulting in gradually directional and orderly stack or interlaced arrangement in the primary particles. With the increase of nickel content, the precursor changes from nano-sheet stacking like plug-in stereoscopic spheres to nano-needle interweaving like wool balls, all of which tend to grow in the direction of [001].

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This study aimed at assessing variability among morphometric traits, deducing components that describe these traits and predicting bodyweight from both original and orthogonal traits using regression models. Bodyweight and fifteen morpho- metric traits namely height-at-whither (HW), body-length (BL), chest-depth (CD), chest-girth (CD), rump-length (RL), rump-height (RH), pelvic-width (PW), shoulder-width (SW), head-width (HdW), head-lengthHdL), cannon-bone-length (CBL), cannon-bone-circumference (CBC), ear-length (EL), horn-length (HL), tail-length (TL), and tail-circumference (TC) were recorded on 600 extensively managed and randomly selected adult sheep.

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This study is an attempt to emphasize the prevalence of severe anemia in pediatric age group and characterize different clinical and Hematological findings among them. Anemia is a major global health problem, especially in developing countries like India, despite the fact that this problem is largely preventable & easily treatable. It leads to morbidity and mortality in children and establish a public health problem of substantial importance.

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Introduction: Obesity is a multifactorial condition influenced by environment and genetic factors. Controlling appetite and satiety involves complex interactions between the hypothalamus, which is responsible for homeostasis regulation energy, and hormones that regulate appetite including leptin and ghrelin. Leptin plays an important role in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure, generating an increase in energy burning and decreasing food intake. And ghrelin is directly involved in the regulation of short-term energy balance. Objectives: To verify frequency, biochemical profile and Body Mass Index (BMI) variations according to SNPs in LEPR and GHRL gene. Subjects and Methods: 163 both genders subjects were classified into Study Group (SG): 103 subjects with obesity; Control Group (CG): 60 non-obese. Blood samples were collected to perform DNA extraction and biochemical profile analysis. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. Results: The genotype and allele frequency were similar between groups for both polymorphisms. The _/A genotype of the GHRL rs696217 polymorphism was associated to increased BMI in SG compared CG (p = 0.003) and increased triglycerides (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDLc) values in CG (p < 0, 05). The _/A genotype was also associated with increased fasting glucose compared to CC genotype only in CG (p = 0.031). Considering the LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism, AA genotype subjects presented higher BMI compared to _/G genotype subjects (p = 0.024). No difference between biochemical profile variables related to LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism was found. Conclusion: AA genotypes of the LEPR rs1137101 polymorphism and _/A of the GHRL rs696217 polymorphism suggest being risk factors for BMI and the latter is associated with fasting glucose, VLDLc and TG variation.

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Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA)is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease. It is characterized by arthrosynovitis with resultant joint destruction . So, an early clinical diagnosis along with simple serological tests like anti CCP antibodies, C –reactive protein ( CRP) and Rheumatoid factor (RF) play an important role .An attempt was made to study and compare these parameters in OPD and IPD RA patients in our hospital setup, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital , New Delhi. Aims and Objectives: To study the role of RF , Anti-CCP antibodies and CRP in early detection and prognosis of Rheu- matoid arthritis. Materials and Methods: A Total of 440 samples were studied from January 2018 to December 2020 (3years). Correlation between Rheumatoid factor(RF) ,anti CCP antibodies and CRP in suspected RA patients from various departments like PMR , Orthopaedics , Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics was attempted. RF and CRP was performed using latex agglutination test and anti CCP antibody by ELISA. Results and Conclusion: Of 440 samples tested, all the factors were positive in 87 patients . Anti CCP and RF alone was seen in 32 patients. RF and CRP positive in 49 patients, RF alone in 22 patients. In 250 patients all the tests were negative. So, Anti CCP along with RF and CRP showed a better positive predictive value in patients of Rheumatoid arthritis. But positivity of these parameters even in patients who lack sign and symptoms also aids in better diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

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Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a frequently diagnosed endocrine disease and nowadays it is asymptomatic in the majority of patients. The management of asymptomatic PHPT is still debated in some cases, although there are evidences that asymptomatic patients may have improved outcomes after curative surgery. In this paper we show one of the longest follow-ups of surgically treated asymptomatic PHPT, focusing on skeletal long-term effects of surgery. Methods: We included in the study 21 patients that underwent parathyroidectomy for asymptomatic PHPT at our Institution from 2006 to 2010 with a complete follow-up at 10 years. Data about age, BMI, preoperative serum and urinary calcium, vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase parathormone, bone densitometry, surgical procedure and histological examination were collected and analyzed. Results: At follow-up we observed a normalization of PTH, serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase in all patients. Moreover, in all cases the T-score at 1 year increased significantly both at lumbar spine and femoral neck and this is maintained at long-term follow-up. Conclusions: Parathyroidectomy can be proposed as a safe therapeutical option in the majority of cases of asymptomatic PHPT considering the good results of surgery in terms of bone demineralization reduction

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Objective: To determine the prevalence of minority drug resistance variants in the protease and Gag regions among patients failing a protease inhibitor (PI) based regimen with or without a susceptible genotype based on Sanger sequencing technology. Methods: Samples were obtained from patients who were failing on a protease inhibitor-based regimen (n = 500). Sanger based sequencing was performed as part of the standard of care. Mutation analysis was performed using the Stanford HIV drug Resistance database. A subset of these patient samples was grouped into two categories: those failing a PI based with mutations in the protease region (n = 100) and those failing on a PI based regimen without mutations in the protease region (n = 128). These samples were then analyzed in the protease and Gag regions using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and analysis of the drug resistance mutations was performed at the 20% and 1% cutoffs. Results: An initial analysis of the protease region for patients failing with drug resistance mutations revealed that most patients harbored mutations that confer resistance to Lopinavir and Atazanavir, but these mutations had little effect on Darunavir. Furthermore, NGS revealed that in patients failing with and without drug resistance mutations, minority drug resistance mutations were present at each of the drug resistance codons and at codons that confer multi-drug resistance to protease inhibitors. Further analysis of the Gag gene revealed more genetic diversity among patients failing with no mutations in the protease as evidenced by the proportion of polymorphisms at each codon. Conclusion: Based on Sanger sequencing, a proportion of patients fail a PI based regimen with a susceptible genotype. However, these patients harbor minority variants in the protease and numerous polymorphisms in the Gag region which when combined these could explain their poor response to therapy. Therefore, in order to improve patient care in low resource settings, there is need to adapt NGS as the standard genotyping technique so that minority variants are captured much earlier. In addition, since mutations in the Gag region also play a role in response to PIs, this region should be included in the routine monitoring for response to therapy in patients on a PI based regimen.

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An internist with an eagle’s eye can diagnose many hidden diseases through careful examination. One such hereditary metabolic disorder is Albright’s Hereditary Osteodystrophy (AHO). Characteristic presentations in an individual affected by AHO were short stature, obesity, mild mental retardation and brachydactyly especially of 4th and 5th digits, which are the phenotypic features of genetic mutation. Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is characterized by inability of the body to respond appropriately to parathormone, mainly characterized by hypocalcaemia, increased serum parathormone concentration, insensitivity to the biological activity of parathormone and hyperphosphatemia. AHO when seen in association with resistance to parathormone (PTH), it is called PHP. Here is a case report of 22-year-old female patient with AHO with distinctive physical characteristics who presented to us with recurrent hypocalcaemic tetan

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Dengue is a prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease in tropical and subtropical areas of the globe. Dengue clinical manifestations include asymptomatic infections; undifferentiated fever; dengue fever, which is characterized by fever, headache, retro orbital pain, myalgia, and arthralgia; and a severe form of the disease denominated dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome, characterized by hemoconcentration, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding tendency. However, atypical manifestations, such as liver, central nervous system, and cardiac involvement, have been increasingly reported called expanded dengue syndrome. The renal complications of dengue virus infection cover a wide spectrum of manifestations from acute kidney injury to glomerular injury with nephritic/nephrotic syndrome. Majority of cases remain symptom free and show full recovery. We report a 55 years old lady with atypical and rare presentation of dengue disease marked by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Condition improved after initial 5 days pulse methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisolone therapy and mycophenolate mofetil. The main mechanism of dengue glomerulonephritis is still unknown though both direct viral infection and immune mediated damage have been suggested to be the cause. To avoid otherwise preventable morbidity and mortality, physicians should have a high index of suspicion for renal complications in patients with dengue illness and should manage this accordingly

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Human odor detection technologies have drawn attention due to the wide possibility of potential applications they open up in areas such as biometrics, criminal investigation and forensics, search for survivors under rubble, and security checkpoint screening. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been the most successful and powerful analytical approach developed to date for human odor analysis, and hundreds of human odorants have been identified using this tool.

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The anodization of aluminum foils having micrometer thickness is a common process and results in hexagonally self-ordered alumina membranes. However, anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes fabricated from nanometer-thin films present new challenges to the anodization process, since aluminum films adheres poorly on supporting substrates and the smoothness of the film is highly related to the kind of substrate.

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We investigated a method for preparation of ordered nanopore arrays with the interpore distance of 60 nm by guided self-organization of anodic aluminum oxide with a prepatterned array of pits in the starting Al film.

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Anodic aluminum oxide doped with vanadyl citrate chelate complex anions was formed by a two-step self-organized anodization in 2 wt. % sulfuric acid containing 0.04 M V2O5 and 0.08 M citric acid at voltage range 13-23 V, and at 0 and 15 oC. The combination of two temperatures and at least four voltages (depending on the applied temperature) was applied as the operating conditions of anodization.

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