A novel deep learning-based approach for detecting attacks in social IoT

In the innovative concept of the "Social Internet of Things" (IoT), the IoT is combined with social platforms so that inanimate devices can form their interactions with one another. Still, customers have a wary attitude toward this new standard. They worry that their privacy will be invaded and their information will be made public. IoT won't become a frontrunner technology until we have tried true techniques to improve trustworthy connections between nodes. As a result, data privacy becomes extremely difficult, further increasing the difficulty of providing high-quality services and absolute safety. Several articles have attempted to analyze this issue. To categorize safe nodes in the IoT network, they suggested many models based on various attributes and aggregation techniques. In contrast, prior works failed to provide a means of identifying fraudulent nodes or distinguishing between different forms of assaults. To identify attacks carried out by hostile nodes and separate them from the network, we propose a novel Multi-hop Convolutional Neural Network with an attention mechanism (MH-CNN-AM). To achieve the best performance in the suggested research, performance measures including accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and MAE are studied and compared with the of existing methodologies.

An exploratory study to identify the risk factors of coronary artery disease among higher secondary school children in selected schools, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

The Cardiovascular Nursing is the specialty in nursing which renders care within various spheres of health care. Cardiovascular nursing expertise works mainly within four domains: health promotion, cardiac prevention and rehabilitation, acute/chronic care and palliative care. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is epidemic in India and one of the major causes of disease-burden and deaths. Mortality data from the Registrar General of India shows that cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death in India now. A quantitative exploratory research approach was considered appropriate for this study. The design of the study was non experimental descriptive exploratory design. Sample size was 350. Stratified random sampling was used for the selection of sample. The result findings were consistent with our study, showing significant association between age and risk for CAD and no significant association between place of residence and risk of CAD. In conclusion, the discussion of the study findings obtained by the researcher shows that there was significant association between intensity of CAD score with family history of heart attack, family history of hypertension/diabetes and age. No significant association was found between intensity of CAD score with BMI and place of residence. On the basis of conducted research it can be concluded that screening of Coronary artery disease risk factors in school children has an importance in determination of early CAD risk factors. Given that many CAD risk factors track through adolescence and into adulthood, it is vital that CAD risk be assessed as children progress into early adulthood. Further, there is a need for effective interventions that target reduction of CAD risk factors beginning at an early age which can be achieved through successful prevention strategy based on early mass detection of CAD risk and education of teachers, parents and children.

A plant disease image using convolutional recurrent neural network procedure intended for big data plant classification

The recent advancement of big data technology causes the data from agriculture domain to enter into the big data. They are not conventional techniques in existence to process such a large volume of data. The processing of large datasets involves parallel computation and analysis model. Hence, it is necessary to use big data analytics framework to process a large image datasets. In this paper, an automated big data framework is presented to classify the plant disease condition. This framework consists of a series operations that leads into a final step. When the classification is carried out using novel image classifier. The image classifier is designed using a Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network Classifier (CRNN) algorithm. The classifier is designed in such a way that it provides classification between a normal leaf and an abnormal leaf. The classification of plant images over large datasets that includes banana plant, pepper, potato, and tomato plant. Which is compared with other existing big data plant classification techniques like convolutional neural network, recurrent neural network, and deep neural network, artificial neural network with forward and backward propagation. The result shows that the proposed method obtains improved detection and classification of diseased plants compared to other the convolutional neural network (94.14%), recurrent neural network (94.07%), deep neural network (94%), artificial neural network with forward (93.96%), and backward propagation method (93.66%).

Hydrogeochemical characteristics and risk evaluation of potential toxic elements in groundwater from Shanmughanadhi, Tamilnadu, India

Hydrogeochemical and Health Risk Assessments of trace elements are integral to groundwater resource assessment, utilization, and human health. Investigation of groundwater chemistry and trace elemental impact on local inhabitants were attempted in Shanmuganadhi basin, Tamilnadu, India. About 60 groundwater samples were collected during the pre-monsoon period and analyzed for hydrochemical composition, including major and trace elements (Fe, Cr, Ni, Cu Pb, Mn, and As) to isolate chemical characteristics and human health risk assessment. Groundwater geochemistry is prejudiced by geochemical reactions uniting cation exchange, dissolution and precipitation, adsorption, and anthropogenic contributions. About thirty-two percent of groundwater samples recorded higher F^-(>1.5 mg/L) than the prescribed limit suggests sources from rock weathering and silicate dissolution. Nitrates (>45.0 mg/L) suggest sources from agricultural influences. Water types indicate alkalis (Na⁺ + K⁺) dominating alkali earth (Ca²⁺ - Mg²⁺) and strong acids (Cl^- and SO₄^2-) looming weak acid (CO₃^2- and HCO₃^-) irrespective of water samples. The geochemical stability diagram suggests precipitation of silica, carbonate, and magnesium and dissolution of sulphate minerals along the groundwater flow path. Significant correlation between major ions and trace elements (Pb, Mn, Ni, and Cu) suggests origin from rock weathering, human impacts, and cultivation practices. Non-carcinogenic human risk for trace elements was higher in children compared with adults via ingestion and dermal exposure. The carcinogenic result suggests that Cr in CHK (7.1 × 10^-2) and HBG (4.3 × 10^-2) have the most excellent chance of cancer risk. The environmental risk category attempted using Comprehensive risk factor (CRI) suggests Pb (3.2-CHK, 2.6-HBG) with potential cancer risk. The comprehensive evaluation index recommends environmental damage between mild to moderate, indicating continuous exposure of traceable elements might result in cancer cause to the inhabitants. The study suggests water quality seems to be prejudiced by various geological and anthropogenic causes and endorses counteractive measures and proper execution of existing laws to protect groundwater resources in the study area.

Assessing the Chemosensitizing Effect of Neferine on Cisplatin-Resistant Colorectal Cancer Cells through Molecular Docking Studies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second deadliest diseases next to lung cancer. Cisplatin is the first generation platinum based alkylating agent using for treatment of advance CRC patients. Continuous usages of cisplatin lead to resistance which limits its therapeutic efficacy. Recent research is focused on studying the chemotherapeutic efficacy of the phytochemicals as they are less toxic compared to the conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Neferine is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from the embryo of Nelumbo nucifera. The anticancer and chemosensitizing effect of neferine has been well reported in several cancer cells. However, there are no reports on the chemosensitizing effect of neferine on cisplatin-resistant colorectal cancer cells (CRCs). Hence, the present study aims at identification of target proteins responsible for cisplatin-resistance in colorectal cancer cells. The present investigation elucidates the specific interaction of neferine with various cell surface receptor proteins related to cisplatin-resistance, multi-drug resistance (MDR) proteins, signal transduction protein and transcription factors via molecular docking approach. The interaction between neferine and the target proteins of cisplatin-resistant colorectal cancer was analyzed through Schrodinger Maestro 11.9 module. From our docking studies we could suggest that neferine is most active for insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R), fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 (FGFR2), zinc finger protein SNAI1 (SNAIL1), signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) and transforming growth factor beta receptor-1 (TGFβR1) when sorted according to their docking score.

A Detection of Amblyopia Medical Condition in Biomedical Datasets Using Image Segmentation and Detection Processing

The recent past, the data volume in a media field is growing at a rapid rate, and conventional methods fail to manage such a large volume of data in healthcare systems, biomedical field, medical diagnostic systems etc. The main challenges associated with biomedical computation are the problems associated with management, storage, and analysis on extensive biomedical data. To play a significant role over such extensive data, the machine learning approach provides faster access to medical data with an improved framework. The main objective involves the detection of amblyopia condition from input images and comparing it with conventional image detection methods. The proposed method is examined in terms of detection accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, Hausdorff distance computation and Dice Coefficient. Also, the detection of an Amblyopic or Lazy Eye diseased images is still not prevalent in the field of image segmentation and detection. In this paper, we introduce a framework to process the Amblyopia image datasets using machine learning, and similarity comparison approach. The proposed image processing involves the segmentation of eye images using Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), and the detection of Amblyopia disease is carried out with Hausdorff Distance computation and Dice coefficient similarity comparison on the segmented image. The initial subset points and threshold values are calculated from a set of 50 normal eye images. A set of 100 Amblyopic diseased image dataset is used for testing the proposed system, out of which 70 images are used for training the system. To evaluate the experimental results shows that proposed method obtains improved detection than existing Deeply-Learned Gaze Shifting Path (DLGSP), Cascade Regression Framework (CRF) and Mobile Iris Recognition System (MIRS) methods. The presence of Hausdorff Distance computation and Dice coefficient similarity comparison is used for reducing the overhead in the proposed method, and this can be used for computing large sets of images.

Induction of antiviral and cell mediated immune responses significantly reduce viral load in an acute foot-and-mouth disease virus infection in cattle

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes a severe infection in ruminant animals. Here we present an in-depth transcriptional analysis of soft-palate tissue from cattle experimentally infected with FMDV. The differentially expressed genes from two Indian cattle (Bos indicus) breeds (Malnad Gidda and Hallikar) and Holstein Friesian (HF) crossbred calves, highlighted the activation of metabolic processes, mitochondrial functions and significant enrichment of innate antiviral immune response pathways in the indigenous calves. The results of RT-qPCR based validation of 12 genes was in alignment with the transcriptome data. The indigenous calves showing lesser virus load, elicited early neutralizing antibodies and IFN-γ immune responses. This study revealed that induction of potent innate antiviral response and cell mediated immunity in indigenous cattle, especially Malnad Gidda, significantly restricted FMDV replication during acute infection. These data highlighting the molecular processes associated with host-pathogen interactions, could aid in the conception of novel strategies to prevent and control FMDV infection in cattle.

Chemical weathering and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) consumption in Shanmuganadhi, South India: evidences from groundwater geochemistry

Chemical weathering in a groundwater basin is a key to understanding global climate change for a long-term scale due to its association with carbon sequestration. The present study aims to characterize and to quantify silicate weathering rate (SWR), carbon dioxide consumption rate and carbonate weathering rate (CWR) in hard rock terrain aided by major ion chemistry. The proposed study area Shanmuganadhi is marked with superior rainfall, oscillating temperature and runoff with litho-units encompassing charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneiss. Groundwater samples (n = 60) were collected from diverse locations and analysed for major chemical constituents. Groundwater geochemistry seems to be influenced by geochemical reactions combining dissolution and precipitation of solids, cation exchange and adsorption along with minor contribution from anthropogenic activities. The SWR calculated for charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneiss was 3.07 tons km^-2 year^-1 and 5.12 tons km^-2 year^-1, respectively. The calculated CWR of charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneiss was 0.079 tons km^-2 year^-1 and 0.74 tons km^-2 year^-1, respectively. The calculated CO₂ consumption rates via silicate weathering were 1.4 × 10³ mol km^-2 year^-1 for charnockite and 5.8 × 10³ mol km^-2 year^-1 for hornblende-biotite gneiss. Lithology, climate and relief were the key factors isolated to control weathering and CO₂ consumption rates.

Submarine Groundwater Discharge from an Urban Estuary to Southeastern Bay of Bengal, India: Revealed by Trace Element Fluxes

Submarine groundwater discharge and associated trace element fluxes from the Coleroon River estuary to south bay, India, has been attempted, because increasing trace elements could result in harmful algal blooms and eutrophication. Trace elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Mo, Ba, Pb, Th, and U) in surface water, pore, and groundwater samples were monitored for 10 days in three locations (A, B, and C) by considering tidal fluctuations. The trace elements Al, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, Sr, Mo, Pb, Th, and U were greater and found to be influenced by processes, such as fresh groundwater discharge and seawater intrusion. Lower Mn, Cu, and Ba signifies impact due to sediment adsorption, mixing, and elemental exchange during fresh groundwater and seawater mixing. Salinity versus trace element plot infers greater trace element mobility with cumulative salinity influenced by the conformist behavior of freshwater, seawater, and mixing. The calculated submarine groundwater discharge supported dissolved trace elements fluxes were 107,047.8 n mol d^-1 m^-1 for location A, 183,520.2 n mol d^-1 m^-1 for location B, and 181,474.4 n mol d^-1 m^-1 for location C, respectively. Variations in dissolved trace elements fluxes are attributed to variations in pH, free redox environment in the aquifer, adsorption or desorption by sediments, and the environmental cycle of marine organisms.

Submarine groundwater discharge as sources for dissolved nutrient fluxes in Coleroon river estuary, Bay of Bengal, India

Groundwater contributed nutrients aided with increasing population threaten the global coastal ecosystems. In this study, attempt has been made using major ions and nutrients to evaluate the significance of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in a semi-arid estuary of south India. Surface, seepage and groundwater chemistry altered from fresh (NaK-CaMg-NO₃Cl) to mixed (NaK-NO₃Cl) to saline water (NaCl) type from upstream to outlet that connects Bay of Bengal. We predicted abundant nitrate (NO₃^-) along upstream and towards the bay due to application of fertilizers and aquaculture activities, respectively. Elevated ammonium (NH₄⁺) observed in the recirculated groundwater/sea water suggests contribution from sea water intrusion and higher phosphate (PO₄^3-) noted at the outer bay suggests sources from phosphatic nodules. Decreasing Redfield ratio towards the bay suggests anoxic aquifer condition due to salinization. The SGD driven nutrient fluxes were 40.0-47.0% for NO₃^-, 43.0-51.0% for NH₄⁺ and 9.0-32.0% for PO₄^3- from the total input fluxes. The estimated nutrient fluxes showed that NO₃^- and PO₄^3- discharges to the sea due to SGD and NH₄⁺ removed from the coast due to consumption by microorganisms that creates toxic algal blooms in the study area.

Tracing groundwater salinization using geochemical and isotopic signature in Southeastern coastal Tamilnadu, India

Attempt has been made to discriminate groundwater salinity causes along the east coast of India. A total of 122 groundwater samples (61/season) were collected for two diverse seasons (Pre Monsoon and Post Monsoon) and analyzed for physical and chemical components along with stable isotopes. The Piper diagram proposes samples along the coast predisposed by saltwater incursion. Ionic ratio plots recommend groundwater discriminatory by changing geochemical signatures. The statistical correlation suggests impact of saltwater incursion, anthropogenic and rock water interaction as sources for dissolved constituents in groundwater. The thermodynamic stability plot suggests higher silicate dissolution, weathering and ion exchange prompting water chemistry nevertheless of seasons. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H increases towards the sea suggesting enrichment attributed to the sea water influence and rainfall influences along the southwestern parts of the study area.

Facile synthesis of core-shell nanocomposites Au catalysts towards abatement of environmental pollutant Rhodamine B

Magnetically recoverable Au nanoparticles immobilized/stabilized on core-shell nanocomposites are synthesized by the combination of suspension polymerization as well as surface initiator atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) methods. The magnetic core-shell supported Au nanocatalysts are namely Fe₃O₄-PAC-AuNPs, Fe₃O₄-PVBC-g-PAC-AuNPs, Fe₃O₄-HEA-AuNPs, and Fe₃O₄-PVBC-g-HEA-AuNPs. Among all the catalysts, Fe₃O₄-PVBC-g-PAC-Au NPs exhibited an excellent activity in the reduction of Rhodamine B with an apparent rate constant of 10.77 × 10^-3 s^-1 and TOF value of 47.62 × 10^-3 s^-1 under pseudo-first order reaction condition. Further, Fe₃O₄-PVBC-g-PAC-Au NPs has an outstanding activity and recyclability without applying any external magnetic field. This new approach provides an exciting potential way in the preparation of recyclable metal nano-catalysts with high catalytic activity.

Role of magnetoencephalography and stereo-electroencephalography in the presurgical evaluation in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy

In selected patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsies (DRFE), who otherwise are likely to be excluded from epilepsy surgery (ES) because of the absence of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-demonstrable lesion or discordant anatomo-electro-clinical (AEC) data, magnetoencephalography (MEG) may help to generate an AEC hypothesis and stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) may help to verify the hypothesis and proceed with ES. The sensitivity of MEG is much better in localizing the spiking zone in relation to lateral temporal and extratemporal cortical regions compared to the mesial temporal structures. MEG has a dominant role in the presurgical evaluation of patients with MRI-negative DRFEs, insular epilepsies, and recurrent seizures after failed epilepsy surgeries, and in guiding placement of invasive electrodes. Moreover, postoperative seizure freedom is better if MEG spike source localized cortical region is included in the resection. When compared to subdural grid electrode recording, SEEG is less invasive and safer. Those who are otherwise destined to suffer from uncontrolled seizures and their consequences, SEEG guided ES is a worthwhile and a cost-effective option. Depending on the substrate pathology, there is > 80-90% chance of undergoing ES and 60-80% chance of becoming seizure-free following SEEG. Recent noninvasive techniques aimed at better structural imaging, delineating brain connectivity and recording specific intracerebral EEG patterns such as high frequency oscillations might decrease the need for SEEG; but more importantly, make SEEG exploration more goal-directed and hypothesis-driven.

Crystal structures of three 1-oxo-1,2-dihydronaphthalene derivatives: dimethyl 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(4-methylphenyl)-1-oxo-1,2-dihydronaphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylate, dimethyl 1-oxo-2-(pyren-4-yl)-4-(thiophen-2-yl)-1,2-dihydronaphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylate and ethyl 1-oxo-2-phenyl-2,4-bis(thiophen-2-yl)-1,2-dihydronaphthalene-3-carboxylate

In the title 1-oxo-1,2-di­hydro­naphthalene derivatives, the cyclo­hexa-1,3-diene rings of the 1,2-di­hydro­naphthalene ring systems adopt half-chair, boat and half-chair conformations, respectively. In the crystal of the methyl­phenyl compound, the mol­ecules are linked via C—H⋯O, C—H⋯π and π–π inter­actions, forming a double-chain structure, while in the crystals of the other two compounds, mol­ecules are linked by π–π inter­actions, forming a chain structure.

In the title 1-oxo-1,2-di­hydro­naphthalene derivatives, C₂₈H₂₄O₆, (I), C₃₄H₂₂O₅S, (II), and C₂₇H₂₀O₃S₂, (III), the cyclo­hexa-1,3-diene rings of the 1,2-di­hydro­naphthalene ring systems adopt half-chair, boat and half-chair conformations, respectively. The carbonyl O atoms attached to the di­hydro­naphthalene ring systems are each significantly deviated from the mean plane of the 1,2-di­hydro­naphthalene ring system, by 0.6162 (12) Å in (I), 0.6016 (16) Å in (II) and 0.515 (3) Å in (III). The mean planes of the 1,2-di­hydro­naphthalene ring systems make dihedral angles of 85.83 (3), 88.19 (3) and 81.67 (8)°, respectively, with the methyl­phenyl ring in (I), the pyrene ring in (II) and the phenyl ring in (III). In (I), the mol­ecular structure is stabilized by an intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond, generating an S(6) ring motif. In the crystal of (I), mol­ecules are linked by an inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond, which generates a C(8) zigzag chain running along [100]. Adjacent chains are further connected by C—H⋯π and offset π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.6572 (9) Å], forming a double-chain structure. In the crystals of (II) and (III), mol­ecules are linked into chain structures by offset π–π inter­actions with centroid–centroid distances of 3.5349 (12) and 3.8845 (13) Å for (II) and 3.588 (2) Å for (III). In (II) and (III), the thio­phene rings are orientationally disordered over two sites, with occupancy ratios of 0.69:0.31 for (II), and 0.528 (4):0.472 (4) and 0.632 (5):0.368 (5) for (III).

Crystal structure of 6-(p-tol-yl)benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-d]thio-phene and of an ortho-rhom-bic polymorph of 7-phenyl-anthra[2,3-b]benzo[d]thio-phene

The title compounds, 6-(p-tol­yl)benzo[b]naphtho­[2,3-d]thio­phene and 7-phenyl­anthra[2,3-b]benzo[d]thio­phene, are benzo­thio­phene derivatives in which the benzo­thio­phene moiety is fused with a naphthalene ring system in the former and with an anthracene ring system in the latter. In the former, the 4-methyl­benzene ring substituent makes a dihedral angle of 71.40 (9)° with the mean plane of the naphthalene ring system, while the phenyl ring substituent in the latter makes a dihedral angle of 67.08 (12)° with the mean plane of the anthracene ring system.

The title compounds, C₂₃H₁₆S, (I), and C₂₆H₁₆S, (II), are benzo­thio­phene derivatives in which the benzo­thio­phene moiety is fused with a naphthalene ring system in (I), and with an anthracene ring system in (II). In (I), the mean plane of the benzo­thio­phene ring system makes a dihedral angle of 2.28 (6)° with the naphthalene ring system, and a dihedral angle of 1.28 (6)° with the anthracene ring system in (II), showing that the fused units are essentially planar. In (I), the 4-methyl­benzene ring substituent makes a dihedral angle of 71.40 (9)° with the naphthalene ring system, while the phenyl ring substituent in (II) makes a dihedral angle of 67.08 (12)° with the anthracene ring system. In the crystals of both compounds, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯π inter­actions, leading to the formation of slabs parallel to (001) in (I) and to zigzag chains along [001] in (II). There are also offset π–π inter­actions present within the slabs in (I). In the crystal of (II), they link the chains, forming sheets parallel to (010). The triclinic polymorph of compound (II) has been reported [Sivasakthikumaran et al., (2012 ▸). J. Org. Chem.77, 9053–9071].

Crystal structures of three indole derivatives: 3-ethnyl-2-methyl-1-phenyl-sulfonyl-1H-indole, 4-phenyl-sulfonyl-3H,4H-cyclo-penta-[b]indol-1(2H)-one and 1-{2-[(E)-2-(5-chloro-2-nitro-phen-yl)ethen-yl]-1-phenyl-sulfonyl-1H-indol-3-yl}ethan-1-one chloro-form monosolvate

The title compounds, (I), (II) and (III), are indole derivatives. Compounds (I) and (II) present two independent moieties in the asymmetric unit, and their packing is led by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π inter­actions. In compound (III), the C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form (22) inversion dimers.

The title compounds, C₁₇H₁₃NO₂S, (I), C₁₇H₁₃NO₃S, (II), and C₂₄H₁₇ClN₂O₅S·CHCl₃, (III), are indole derivatives. Compounds (I) and (II) crystalize with two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The indole ring systems in all three structures deviate only slightly from planarity, with dihedral angles between the planes of the pyrrole and benzene rings spanning the tight range 0.20 (9)–1.65 (9)°. These indole ring systems, in turn, are almost orthogonal to the phenyl­sulfonyl rings [range of dihedral angles between mean planes = 77.21 (8)–89.26 (8)°]. In the three compounds, the mol­ecular structure is stabilized by intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating S(6) ring motifs with the sulfone O atom. In compounds (I) and (II), the two independent mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π inter­actions, while in compound (III), the mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating R₂²(22) inversion dimers.

Crystal structures and conformations of two Diels-Alder adduct derivatives: 1,8-bis-(thio-phen-2-yl)-14-oxa-tetra-cyclo-[6.5.1.0(2,7).0(9,13)]tetra-deca-2(7),3,5-trien-10-one and 1,8-diphenyl-14-oxa-tetra-cyclo[6.5.1.0(2,7).0(9,13)] tetra-deca-2,4,6-trien-10-one

The title compounds, C21H16O2S2 (I) and C25H20O2 (II), are products of a tandem 'pincer' Diels-Alder reaction consisting of [2 + 2] cyclo-additions between benzo[c]furan and cyclo-penta-none. Each comprises a fused tetra-cyclic ring system containing two five-membered rings (in envelope conformations with the O atom as the flap) and six-membered rings (in boat conformations). In addition, two thio-phene rings in (I) and two phenyl rings in (II) are attached to the tetra-cyclic ring system. The cyclo-penta-none ring adopts a twisted conformation in (I) and an envelope conformation in (II). In (I), the thio-phene rings are positionally disordered over two sets of sites, with occupancy ratios of 0.901 (2):0.099 (2) and 0.666 (2):0.334 (2). In (II), the oxygen atom of the cyclo-penta-none ring is rotationally disordered over two sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.579 (4):0.421 (4). The mol-ecular structure of (I) is stabilized by an intra-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bond, which generates an S(7) ring motif. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked via weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which generate R (2) 2(16) ring motifs in (I) and C(8) chains in (II). In both structures, the crystal packing also features C-H⋯π inter-actions. The crystal studied of compound (I) was twinned by non-merohedry. The twin component is related by the twin law [-1 0 0 -0.101 1 -0.484 0 0 -1] operated by a twofold rotation axis parallel to the b axis. The structure of (I) was refined with a twin scale factor of 0.275 (2).

Design and development of a topical dosage form for the convenient delivery of electrospun drug loaded nanofibers

Nanofibers dispersed in gel facilitated the convenient administration of drug loaded nanofibers.

Crystal structure of 2,9-diphenyl-17λ6-thiatetracyclo[8.7.0.03,8.011,16]heptadeca-1(10),2,4,6,8,11(16),12,14-octaene-17,17-dione

The title compound, C₂₈H₁₈O₂S, is composed of a naphthalene ring system fused with a benzo­thio­phene ring and attached to two phenyl rings. The phenyl rings make dihedral angles of 70.92 (8) and 79.23 (8)° with the essentially planar naphthalene ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.031 Å). There is an intra­molecular C—H⋯π inter­action present. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds which generate C(7) zigzag chains running parallel to [10-1]. The chains are linked via further C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming a three-dimensional structure.

3,10,14,21-Tetra-kis(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)penta-cyclo-[11.8.0.0(2,11).0(4,9).0(15,20)]henicosa-1(21),2,4(9),5,7,10,13,15(20),16,18-decaen-12-one chloro-form monosolvate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C₄₉H₃₆O₆·CHCl₃, contains half an organic mol­ecule, the complete mol­ecule being generated by the operation of a crystallographic twofold rotation axis, and half a highly disordered chloro­form mol­ecule. The contribution to the diffraction pattern of the latter was removed using the program SQUEEZE in PLATON [Spek (2009 ▶). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155]; the unit-cell characteristics take into account the presence of CHCl₃. The dihedral angles between the planes of the naphthalene ring system and the meth­oxy­benzene rings are 71.05 (7) (syn to the central C=O group) and 57.27 (6)° (anti to the central C=O group). In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O inter­actions, generating C(12) chains running parallel to the b axis.

3-Bromomethyl-4-methoxy-2-(2-nitrophenyl)-9-phenylsulfonyl-9H-carbazole

In the title compound, C₂₆H₁₉BrN₂O₅S, the carbazole tricycle is essentially planar, with the largest deviation being 0.126 (3) Å for the C atom connected to the nitro­phenyl group. The carbazole moiety is almost orthogonal to the benzene rings of the adjacent phenyl­sulfonyl and nitro­phenyl groups, making dihedral angles of 85.43 (15) and 88.62 (12)°, respectively. The mol­ecular conformation is stabilized by two C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the sulfone group, which form similar six-membered rings. In the crystal, mol­ecules symmetrically related by a glide plane are linked in C(6) chains parallel to [001] by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds formed with the participation of the nitro group. The chains are reinforced by additional C—H⋯π inter­actions.

An evaluation of hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving injection Doxorubicin

BACKGROUND

Hepatic dysfunction in the cancer unit has a significant impact on patient outcomes. The therapeutic application of anthracycline antibiotics are limited by side-effects mainly myelosuppression, chronic cardiotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity.

AIM

To assess the risk of Hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving Inj. Doxorubicin.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The investigation was a prospective study that was conducted in cancer patients receiving Inj. Doxorubicin doses of 50 mg/m(2), and 75 mg/m(2) at a South Indian tertiary care hospital. Sample collection was carried out from pre-chemotherapy to 4(th) cycle. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), direct bilirubin and total bilirubin were assessed to determine hepatotoxicity. Data were analyzed using unpaired t-test, Pearson correlation using Graph-Pad Prism version 5.00 for Windows, Graph-Pad Software, San Diego, California, USA, www.graphpad.com.

RESULTS

Breast cancer patients comprised 37% (49/132) of the total female cancer patient population, of which 46 patients with a mean age of 46.6 (13.4) years were included and 30.4% (14/46) patients were developed hepatotoxicity. The mean standard deviation of SGOT, SGPT, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin in the pre-chemotherapy cycle to fourth chemotherapy cycle were found to be 21.97 (5.798) U/L and 181.3 (103.6) U/L, 23.17 (6.237) U/L and 147.6 (90.9) U/L, 0.1351 (0.1186) mg/dL and 0.5445 (0.4587) mg/dL, 0.3094 (1.346) mg/dL and 2.7163 (1.898) mg/dL simultaneously where P < 0.05 which were statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

There exist a strong correlation between the use of Inj. Doxorubicin and risk for developing hepatotoxicity. The health-care professionals dealing with breast cancer patients need to have awareness for hepatotoxicity with the use of Inj. Doxorubicin therapy.

2-(4-Fluoro-2-nitrophenyl)-4-hydroxy-9-phenylsulfonyl-9H-carbazole-3-carbaldehyde

In the title compound, C₂₅H₁₅FN₂O₆S, the carbazole ring system is essentially planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.1534 (16) Å for the C atom connected to the 4-fluoro-2-nitro­phenyl ring. It is almost orthogonal to the phenyl­sulfonyl and nitro­phenyl rings, making dihedral angles of 88.45 (8) and 79.26 (7)°, respectively. The mol­ecular structure is stabilized by O—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which generate three S(6) ring motifs. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by two C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which generate C(6) and C(9) chains running in the [100] and [010] directions, respectively, so forming a two-dimensional network lying parallel to (001). There are also supra­molecular R₄³(28) graph-set ring motifs enclosed within these networks.

2-(4-Chloro-2-nitro-phen-yl)-9-phenyl-sulfonyl-9H-carbazole-3-carbaldehyde

In the title compound, C₂₅H₁₅ClN₂O₆S, the carbazole ring system is essentially planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.152 (3) Å for the C atom to which the 4-chloro-2-nitro­phenyl ring is attached. Its mean plane is almost orthogonal to the phenyl­sulfonyl and nitro­phenyl rings, making dihedral angles of 82.64 (14) and 79.89 (13)°, respectively. The N atom of the nitro group deviates by 0.032 (3) Å from the benzene ring to which it is attached. The mol­ecular structure features intra­molecular O—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which generate three S(6) ring motifs. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which generate C(6) and C(9) chains running in the [100] and [010] directions, respectively, forming a two-dimensional network lying parallel to (001). There are also R₄³(28) supra­molecular graph-set ring motifs enclosed within these networks.

Reasons for low quality of life in South Indian cancer patient population: a prospective observational study

Over the last decade, quality of life investigations of cancer patients' have became a critical evaluation parameter in the clinical cancer research and treatment evaluation programs. This study was carried out in a 1200 bed tertiary care teaching hospital, MGM Hospital, located at Warangal, India. Present study assessed the overall quality of life, symptoms of patients affected by breast, head and neck, cervical and stomach cancers by using guidelines and modules of The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer. The assessment was carried out in two phases, as review I at ≤2 cycles and review II at ≥5 cycles of treatment. Data were analyzed for 104 individuals with the mean age of 46.1±11.2 years. The evaluation was characterised as functional scale and symptom scale. In the functional scale physical, and role functions were significant (P<0.05) in all the 4 types of cancers studied. Additional, future perspective, social and emotional functions were observed to be significant in breast cancer, head and neck cancer and cervical cancer, respectively. Where as in symptom scale pain was observed to be significant for all cancers studied. Individually, breast cancer patient also showed significant parameters like fatigue, arm symptoms, and upset by hair loss. Head and neck cancer patients had insomnia and diarrhoea as additional significant symptom scale parameters. In cervical cancer patients, fatigue, insomnia, menopausal symptoms, and in stomach cancer patients, nausea and vomiting, dysphagia, reflex symptoms and eating restrictions were significantly affected. Most of the findings are similar to past studies in the respective type of cancer patients which shows that, quality of life was mostly influenced by the above mentioned factors and have some interesting implications for management and treatment of cancer.

Effect of zinc chloride on the growth and characterization of L-proline cadmium chloride monohydrate semiorganic NLO single crystals

Single crystals of zinc doped L-proline cadmium chloride monohydrate were successfully grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation method at room temperature for different molar concentration of zinc chloride. The structural properties of grown crystals have been studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction studies and Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. The incorporation of the dopant (zinc chloride) into L-proline cadmium chloride monohydrate crystal lattice has been confirmed by EDAX analysis. UV-Vis spectral analyses showed that the doped crystals have lower UV cut-off wavelength at 200 nm combined with very good transparency about 85% in a very wide range. The second harmonic generation efficiency test has been carried out and results are discussed. The 0.2 and 0.4 mol Zinc chloride doped crystals were thermally stable up to 208.9 °C and 211.9 °C respectively. The electrical properties have been studied by dielectric constant studies. All results are compared with the results of pure L-PCCM crystals.

2 year followup of patients with diabetes mellitus nephropathy showing albuminuria reversal following angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors

INTRODUCTION

Two-year follow-up of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) nephropathy shows albuminuria reversal following angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

AIM

To study about a clinical profile of 2-year follow-up of patients with DM nephropathy showing albuminuria reversal following ACE inhibitors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty patients were taken up for study with duly informed consent and suggested for glycemic profile with HbA1C. Baseline renal function, urine microscopy, albuminuria, and other microvascular complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy. These patients were followed up for a period of 2 years with every month follow-up and monthly dose titration of ACE inhibitors, enalapril (Quote: Dr. M. K. Mani), to a maximum tolerable dose and checked after 1 week for raise in creatinine and potassium.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Twenty patients, who have attended a secondary level diabetic clinic with diabetic nephropathy and are on regular follow-up for 2 years, were selected.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Sick patients requiring parenteral feeds, IV antibiotics, co-morbid conditions such as autonomic gastroparesis and diabetic foot infections, type 1 diabetes and other known kidney disease, chronic kidney disease on dialysis are excluded from the study. EXPECTED RESULT: Reversal of albuminuria.

CONCLUSION

Enalapril is a safe, cheaper ACE inhibitors and the good dose titration coupled with early screening for DM nephropathy really help in halting the progression of chronic kidney disease from DM nephropathy.

Glycemic control and fetal abdominal circumference

Aim:

To study about the correlation between the glycemic status and increase in fetal abdominal circumference in gestational diabetes patients and its relationship with fetal birth weight.

Materials and Methods:

Seventy-five gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients were taken up for study with duly informed consent and suggested for anthropometry profile and glycemic profile with HbA1C. Fetal abdominal circumference was measured during routine scans. The patients were followed up till delivery and the fetal birth was noted.

Inclusion Criteria:

Seventy-five gestational diabetic mothers who have attended a secondary level diabetic clinic and on regular follow-up were included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Pre-GDM mothers, patients with co-morbid disease were excluded from the study.

Expected Results:

Fetal abdominal circumference correlated well with fluctuating glycemic control and fetal birth weight.

Comparision between body mass index and abdominal obesity for the screening for diabetes in healthy individuals

Aim:

To study about the usefulness of Waist-Height Ratio as a clinical marker in patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

Materials and Methods:

A clinic-based study of patients attending a secondary level Diabetic Clinic and correlation of their Anthropometry data like waist circumference, height to other parameters namely body mass index (BMI), Waist-Hip Ratio, Blood pressure, Glycemic Control, Lipid Profile, and Duration of Diabetes.

Inclusion Criteria:

Randomly selected 10 000 patients attending a secondary level diabetic clinic.

Exclusion Criteria:

Type 1 DM, Gestational Diabetes.

Result:

Waist-Height Ratio is a better parameter than Waist-Hip Ratio and it is significant in applying for people with different Stature with Normal BMI.

Conclusion:

Waist-Height Ratio is a better and easier tool when compared with BMI or Waist-Hip Ratio and can be used for assessment of Cardio-metabolic parameter for public health.

Goniometry in limited joint mobility

AIM

To study about the utility of goniometry in screening for limited joint mobility (LJM) in patients attending a secondary level Diabetic Clinic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Randomly selected data of 100 patients attending a secondary level diabetic clinic without any complications were used. Baseline neuropathy assessments, namely monofilament and biothesiometry were done. Range of movement around the ankle joint and 1(st) metatarsal joint was done using goniometry. Both the results were compared.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Selected 100 patients attending a secondary level diabetic clinic and on regular follow-up were included in the study.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Sick patients requiring parenteral feeds, IV antibiotics, co-morbid conditions such as microvascular complication, autonomic gastroparesis, and diabetic foot infections were excluded from the study.

CONCLUSION

Goniometric screening for LJM is a cheap and effective screening tool for detecting early structural deformity producing a higher plantar pressure and ulcer, and thereby preventing them at early stage.

Phineas Gage revisited: Modern management of large-calibre penetrating brain injury

We present the case of a 19-year-old man who suffered a penetrating injury to the brain with a large-calibre steel industrial prybar approximately 1 m long and 2.5 cm wide that was retained in his cranium. The management of this type of injury is discussed, based on our experience with penetrating brain injuries with large-calibre retained objects, from initial presentation to surgical removal of the object to post-operative care. Additionally, given the similarities of the injuries suffered by our patient with those of Phineas Gage, we discuss the extensive lessons learned in treating this type of large-calibre injury.

Thermal decomposition of expanded polystyrene in a pebble bed reactor to get higher liquid fraction yield at low temperatures

Expanded polystyrene is one of the polymers produced in large quantities due to its versatile application in different fields. This polymer is one of the most intractable components in municipal solid waste. Disposal of polymeric material by pyrolysis or catalytic cracking yields valuable hydrocarbon fuels or monomers. Literature reports different types of reactors and arrangements that have uniform temperatures during pyrolysis and catalytic cracking. The present study focuses on reducing the temperature to maximize the quantity of styrene monomer in the liquid product. A bench scale reactor has been developed to recover the styrene monomer and other valuable chemicals. Experiments were carried under partial oxidation and vacuum conditions in the temperature range of 300-500 degrees C. In the pyrolysis optimization studies, the best atmospheric condition was determined to be vacuum, the pyrolysis temperature should be 500 degrees C, yield of liquid product obtained was 91.7% and yield of styrene obtained was 85.5%. In the characterization studies, distillation and IR spectroscopy experiments were carried out. The remaining of the liquid product comprises of benzene, ethyl benzene, and styrene dimers and trimers.

Spot 14 gene deletion increases hepatic de novo lipogenesis

Previous studies have investigated the relationship between the Spot 14 gene and hepatic lipogenesis. Those studies found that the Spot 14 protein was induced when lipogenesis was induced and suggested that induction of the Spot 14 protein was required for induction of hepatic lipogenesis by thyroid hormone and dietary carbohydrate. Analysis of those findings led us to hypothesize that the Spot 14 gene is required for induced hepatic de novo lipogenesis in vivo. To test this hypothesis, we created an in vivo deletion of the Spot 14 gene in mice using gene-targeting technology. Southern blot analysis showed that the Spot 14 gene was disrupted. Northern blot analysis showed that this disruption ablated expression of intact hepatic Spot 14 mRNA. In contrast to our hypothesis, acute thyroid hormone administration led to comparable induction of hepatic lipogenic enzyme mRNAs between the wild-type and knockout mice. Furthermore, long-term treatment with both thyroid hormone and a diet promoting lipogenesis led to enhanced lipogenic enzyme activity and a greater rate of hepatic de novo lipogenesis in the knockout, compared with the wild-type, mice. Although these data indicate that the Spot 14 protein is not required for induced hepatic de novo lipogenesis, they also suggest that Spot 14 plays some role in this process. It is possible that alternative pathways that complement the loss of the Spot 14 protein are present, and in the absence of Spot 14, these alternative pathways overcompensate to produce an enhanced rate of induced lipogenesis.

Acute 4-aminopyridine seizures increase the regional cerebral blood flow in the thalamus and neocortex, but not in the entire allocortex of the mouse brain

Systemic injections of 4-aminopyridine precipitate epileptiform generalized seizures characterized mainly by shivering of the body, tail movements and tonic-clonic convulsions in rats and mice. However, only few details are known as concerns which brain regions are possibly affected and stimulated by the compound. The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in regional cerebral blood flow in mice by using the lipophilic compound technetium-99m-hexamethyl-propyleneamineoxime (99mTc-HMPAO). Whilst the uptake of 99mTc-HMPAO was increased significantly in the neocortex and thalamus following the induction of acute 4-aminopyridine seizures, no such changes were observed in the allocortex of the mice. The increases in uptake in the neocortex and thalamus were completely prevented by carbamazepine (which abolished the symptoms of the seizure, too). The primary involvement of the neocortex and thalamus points to the importance of thalamocortical circuits in the precipitation and maintenance of experimental 4-aminopyridine convulsions.

Prolonged abulia following putaminal hemorrhage

Abulia, akinetic mutism, and other conditions causing reduced activity and slowness are a continuum of severity of behavior. Unilateral lesions usually cause transient symptoms. This article describes a patient with prolonged abulia lasting 12 weeks after aspontaneous left putaminal hemorrhage. He developed seizures that could be a contributing factor. The pathophysiologic mechanisms are discussed.