Clinico-radiological parameters, biochemical and molecular alterations predicting remission and recurrence after surgical treatment of corticotroph adenomas - Cushing's disease

OBJECTIVES

Endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) and resection of pituitary adenomas is considered to be the gold standard treatment for Cushing's Disease (CD). Even with various recent advances in management, disease persistence and recurrences are common in these patients. The remission rate in the global population after surgery has been reported to vary widely from 64 to 93%. This study aims to determine various clinical, biochemical, radiological and histological factors that correlate with persistence and recurrence in patients with CD. This study also aims to understand the clinicopathological significance of EGFR-MAPK, NF-kB and SHH pathway activation and to study the protein expression levels of activation markers of these pathways viz. c-Fos , c-Jun, GLI-1 , pMEK, NR4A1 and p44 in functioning corticotroph pituitary adenomas.

METHODS

From January 2009 to September 2022, the clinical data of 167 patients who underwent surgical treatment (n=174 surgeries) for Cushing's disease was ambispectively analysed with a median follow up of 8.1 years (1-13.29 years). The preoperative clinical, biochemical, radiological features, operative findings, postoperative clinical and biochemical data, histopathological and molecular profile, were retrieved from electronic records. The patients were followed up to assess the remission status.

RESULTS

Among the 174 surgeries performed, 140 were primary surgeries, 22 were revision surgeries, 24 surgeries were for paediatric patients and 12 surgeries were performed in patients with Nelson syndrome. In the primary surgery cohort, 74.3% were females and the average age was 28.73 years (SD 10.15). 75% of the patients experienced remission after primary surgery compared to 47.4% in revision surgery. The remission rate in paediatric patients was 55.5%. Post-operative day 1 plasma cortisol (p<0.001; AUC 0.8894 [0.8087-0.9701]) and ACTH (p<0.001; AUC 0.9 [0.7386-1]) levels were seen to be strong independent predictors of remission in the primary surgery cohort. Remission rates after Endoscopic TSS were more than that after microscopic TSS, in patients undergoing primary surgery (81.08% vs 57.14%; p=0.008). Presence of adenoma on histopathological examination (HPE) was also a strong predictor of disease remission (p=0.020). On categorising based on surgical approach and HPE, microscopically operated patients without histopathological evidence of adenoma had significantly higher odds of non-remission (OR 38.1 95% CI 4.2-348.3) compared to endoscopically operated patients with adenoma on HPE. Lower immune reactivity score (IRS) of NR4A1 was found to correlate with higher remission rates (p=0.074). However, none of the molecular markers studied viz. c-Fos , c-Jun, GLI-1, pMEK and p44 showed a significant correlation with the preoperative cortisol values.

CONCLUSION

Remission rate after primary surgery is higher as compared to that after revision surgery, and that in paediatric patients is lower as compared to adults. Post-operative day 1 plasma cortisol and ACTH levels are strong independent predictors of remission in the primary surgery cohort. Endoscopic approach with histopathological evidence of adenoma is associated with a higher remission rate and thus endoscopy should be the approach of choice in these patients with the goal of identification of an adenoma on histopathological analysis.

HPV-Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Eyelid: Diagnostic Utility of p16 Immunohistochemistry and mRNA In Situ Hybridization

BACKGROUND

High-risk (HR) Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) at several sites with mucocutaneous junctions, including the head and neck. SCC is the second most common eyelid malignancy. However, its association with transcriptionally active HR-HPV has not been adequately studied.

METHODS

Two index cases of eyelid HPV-associated SCC are described in detail. A retrospective cohort of eyelid SCC was examined for p16 immunoexpression. Cases demonstrating p16 positivity or equivocal staining were subjected to high-risk HPV mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH). Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed in mRNA ISH-positive cases for HPV genotyping.

RESULTS

The two index patients were older adult females, with upper eyelid tumours. On histology, both tumours were non-keratinizing SCC with trabecular and nested architecture reminiscent of oropharyngeal HPV-associated non-keratinizing SCC, prompting p16 immunohistochemistry, which was positive. HR-HPV mRNA ISH was positive, and qPCR detected HPV16 in both cases. Three of 20 (15%) archival cases showed p16 immunopositivity and two (10%) showed equivocal staining. However, mRNA ISH was negative. All cases showing p16 immunostaining and lacking HR-HPV were keratinizing SCCs. Thus, 9% of all eyelid SCC examined demonstrated HR-HPV.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HR-HPV in eyelid SCC is low in Indian patients. HPV-associated SCC may mimic commoner eyelid carcinomas as it lacks overt keratinization. In basaloid-appearing eyelid carcinomas, p16 immunopositivity should be followed by reflex HR-HPV mRNA ISH, as p16 immunohistochemistry alone has low specificity. The prognostic role, if any, of HPV association needs further evaluation.

GC-MS analysis and in silico docking of constituents of Cinnamomum malabatrum against CYP450 17α and CYP450 19 (Aromatase)- Key targets for hyperandrogenism

Poly cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered as one of the common hormonal disorders affecting 6-20% of women in their reproductive age with characteristic features include anovulatory infertility, hyperandrogenism, cystic follicles and insulin resistance. The gene CYP play an important role in pathophysiology of hyperandrogenism associated with PCOS. An elevated androgens are reported in PCOS condition due to overexpression of the enzyme CYP450 17 α: . As well as diminished levels of aromatase (CYP450 19) were observed in several hyperandrogenic PCOS patients. The powdered leafy material of Cinnamomum malabatrum was subjected to Soxhlet extraction. The plant extract was subjected to Gas chromatography-MS analysis (GC-MS), and the chromatogram obtained revealed the presence of active chemical constituents like 1(10),9(11)-B-Homolanistadiene for the first time and other potential compounds. Hypothesis has raised to interpret the efficiency of phytoconstituents of Cinnamomum malabatrum on these enzyme targets and which may be a novel drug candidate for the treatment and maintenance of hyperandrogenism associated with PCOS. Thus, the results obtained from the in-silico study of Cinnamomum malabatrum leaf extract using computational approaches indicate that the phytoconstituents have good affinities for the selected two key targets. ADME and PASS studies has been performed for active phytoconstituents homolanistadiene, β-sitosterol, cycloartenol and a pyrazole derivative, and results revealed the Lipinski drug-likeness and pharmacological potential. In conclusion, this work throws a new insight into the possibility of the active phytoconstituents on binding the two active CYP45017 α and CYP45019 aromatase enzymes which facilitates development of novel compounds for hyperandrogenism associated with PCOS.

Extraction of Natural Pigment Curcumin from Curcuma Longa: Spectral, DFT, Third-order Nonlinear Optical and Optical Limiting Study

Herein, we report the extraction of natural pigment curcumin from curcuma longa and their linear and third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics. The characterization techniques viz., UV-Visible absorption, FT-IR, Micro Raman and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrum (GC-MS) are used to study the spectral characteristics of curcumin. Third-order NLO features of curcumin are studied using Z‒scan technique with a semiconductor diode laser working at 405 nm wavelength. The natural pigment exhibits negative nonlinear index of refraction resulting from self-defocusing and positive coefficient of absorption is the consequence of reverse saturable absorption (RSA). The order of nonlinear index of refraction (n2) and nonlinear coefficient of absorption (β) is measured to be 10-7 cm2/W and 10-2 cm/W, respectively. Third-order NLO susceptibility (χ(3)) and second-order hyperpolarizability (γ) of curcumin is measured to be 2.73 × 10‒7 esu and 1.67 × 10‒31 esu, respectively. A low optical limiting (OL) threshold of 0.71 mW is observed in the extracted pigment. The experimental results are supplemented by quantum mechanical calculations of the NLO parameters. The overall result finding is that curcumin extracted from curcuma longa has the potential to be novel optical candidates for photonics and optoelectronics applications.

Hybrid Optimization Algorithm Enabled Deep Learning Approach Brain Tumor Segmentation and Classification Using MRI

The unnatural and uncontrolled increase of brain cells is called brain tumors, leading to human health danger. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely applied for classifying and detecting brain tumors, due to its better resolution. In general, medical specialists require more details regarding the size, type, and changes in small lesions for effective classification. The timely and exact diagnosis plays a major role in the efficient treatment of patients. Therefore, in this research, an efficient hybrid optimization algorithm is implemented for brain tumor segmentation and classification. The convolutional neural network (CNN) features are extracted to perform a better classification. The classification is performed by considering the extracted features as the input of the deep residual network (DRN), in which the training is performed using the proposed chronological Jaya honey badger algorithm (CJHBA). The proposed CJHBA is the integration of the Jaya algorithm, honey badger algorithm (HBA), and chronological concept. The performance is evaluated using the BRATS 2018 and Figshare datasets, in which the maximum accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity are attained using the BRATS dataset with values 0.9210, 0.9313, and 0.9284, respectively.

Pharmacological safety of dimethoxy curcumin-human serum albumin conjugate for potential therapeutic purpose

Medicinal properties of curcumin are widely published. Previously researchers used curcuminoid mixture comprising three chemical forms out of which, the highest quantity is the most active molecule - dimethoxy curcumin (DMC). Reduced bioavailability, poor aqueous solubility and quick hydrolytic degradation of DMC have projected challenges limiting its therapeutic value. However, selective conjugation of DMC with human serum albumin (HSA) enhances drug stability and solubility by several folds. Studies using animal models demonstrated potential anti-cancer/anti-inflammatory effects of DMCHSA; both studies showed results of local administration in peritoneal cavity and rabbit knee joint. DMC has prospects as an intravenous therapeutic agent because carrier is HSA. However, before in vivo testing, important preclinical data required are toxicological safety and bioavailability of soluble forms of DMC. This study evaluated absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of DMCHSA. Imaging technology and molecular analysis proved bio-distribution. Study also assessed pharmacological safety of DMCHSA in mice in terms of its acute and sub-acute toxicity complying with regulatory toxicology. Overall, the study demonstrated safety pharmacology of DMCHSA upon intravenous infusion. This is a novel study establishing safety of highly soluble and stable formulation of DMCHSA qualifying it for intravenous administration and further efficacy evaluation in suitable disease models.

Improving work life balance among female educationists during the COVID-19 lockdown

BACKGROUND

The entire education industry switched from offline to online modes as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Numerous teachers who were diagnosed with musculoskeletal, psychological, and other neurodegenerative diseases have reported increased exhaustion, lack of sleep, a decline in quality of life (QoL), a decrease in physical activity, and excessive stress from online classes during the COVID-19 lockdown, especially women.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of three-modal exercise on fatigue, sleep, QoL as well as to determine the relationship between age, disease severity, disease stage and working years with women diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

In this randomized controlled trial, 44 female educators in stages I-II with PD who were between the ages of 40 and 60 volunteered. For a total of 36 sessions over the course of six weeks, Group A received a three-modal fitness program through online video sessions, whereas Group B received Nordic walking. The outcome measures included the Fatigue Severity Scale, Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale, and Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire-39.

RESULTS

Age, Hoehn and Yahr scale, working years, and PD in years did not correlate with each other (p > 0.50). The three-modal exercise experimental Group A showed statistically significant improvement in QoL (p 0.001), sleep (p 0.001), and fatigue (p 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Women in the field of education who participated in a three-modal exercise programme for PD reported a significant improvement in their level of exhaustion, sleep patterns, and quality of life.

IoT-enabled smart healthcare data and health monitoring based machine learning algorithms

A smart healthcare network can use sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance patient care while decreasing healthcare expenditures. It has become more difficult for healthcare providers to keep track and analyze the massive amounts of data it generates. Health care data created by IoT devices and e-health systems must be handled more efficiently. A wide range of healthcare industries can benefit from machine learning (ML) algorithms in the digital world. However, each of these algorithms has to be taught to anticipate or solve a certain problem. IoT-enabled healthcare data and health monitoring-based machine learning algorithms (IoT-HDHM-MLA) have been proposed to solve the difficulties faced by healthcare providers. Sensors and IoT devices are vital for monitoring an individual’s health. The proposed IoT-HDHM-MLA aims to deliver healthcare services via remote monitoring with experts and machine learning algorithms. In this system, patients are monitored in real-time for various key characteristics using a collection of small wireless wearable nodes. The health care business benefits from systematic data collection and efficient data mining. Thus, the experimental findings demonstrate that IoT-HDHM-MLA enhances efficiency in patient health surveillance.

Frozen section detected perineural spread in a grossly normal nerve away from tumor changes the surgical plan in parotid cancer

Perineural spread (PNS) through the facial nerve is a well-recognized pathway of spread in parotid cancers. Negative margins in the facial nerve are important in the total extirpation of cancer. We report a case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid which was involving only the upper temporofacial division of the facial nerve at the periphery clinically and per-operatively. The upper trunk was divided at about 3cm away from the tumor at its junction with the lower trunk and the nerve was grossly normal. To our surprise disease was extending at this distance as a PNS in the frozen section analysis. This unexpected finding made the resection margin positive and we had to sacrifice the main trunk of the facial nerve as back as possible in the parotidectomy field for a negative margin in the nerve which was confirmed with frozen section again. The case emphasizes the importance of microscopic margin assessment of facial nerve in parotid cancers with the involvement of nerve at branches, even if imaging is negative or gross disease is not seen at the cut end or distant from the tumor-involved area.

Resolving-power domination number of probabilistic neural networks

Power utilities must track their power networks to respond to changing demand and availability conditions to ensure effective and efficient operation. As a result, several power companies continuously employ phase measuring units (PMUs) to continuously check their power networks. Supervising an electric power system with the fewest possible measurement equipment is precisely the vertex covering graph-theoretic problems otherwise a variation of the dominating set problem, in which a set D is defined as a power dominating set (PDS) of a graph if it supervises every vertex and edge in the system with a couple of rules. If the distance vector eccentrically characterizes each node in G with respect to the nodes in R, then the subset R of V (G) is a resolving set of G. The problem of finding power dominating set and resolving set problems are proven to be NP-complete in general. The finite subset R of V (G) is said to be resolving-power dominating set (RPDS) if it is both resolving and power dominating set, which is another NP-complete problem. The ηp (G) is the minimal cardinality of an RPDS of a graph G. A neural network is a collection of algorithms that tries to figure out the underlying correlations in a set of data by employing a method that replicates how the human brain functions. Various neural networks have seen rapid progress in multiple fields of study during the last few decades, including neurochemistry, artificial intelligence, automatic control, and informational sciences. Probabilistic neural networks (PNNs) offer a scalable alternative to traditional back-propagation neural networks in classification and pattern recognition applications. They do not necessitate the massive forward and backward calculations that ordinary neural networks entail. This paper investigates the resolving-power domination number of probabilistic neural networks.

Efficiency of Coriandrum sativum (Linn.) and Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) in Enhancing Iron Absorption: An In Silico and In Vitro Approach

Coriandrum sativum (Linn.) and Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) are the common herbs used for culinary purposes in daily life. The chlorophyll pigment in plants is being identified with various medicinal values, whereas iron is an essential micronutrient for the proper metabolism of the human body. The current research has been aimed at predicting the role of C. sativum and P. crispum in enhancing iron absorption via an in vitro approach. C. sativum and P. crispum have been analyzed for their capability of being a source of chlorophyll and iron concentration. The extracts prepared from solvents like carbinol, petroleum ether, and water were subjected to the identification of phytoconstituents through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, and the identified compounds were subjected to in silico studies against the iron-binding receptor, transferrin, to depict the binding affinity of the identified compounds. The carbinol extract was then put through in vitro analytical studies in Caco2 cell lines with a concentration of 500 µg/ml. Current research has shown that the leaves of C. sativum and P. crispum are an excellent source of chlorophyll and iron and has also suggested that these herbs efficiently enhance the absorption of iron in human intestinal cells.

Polarization singularity index determination by using a tilted lens

The superposition of spin and orbital angular momentum states of light generates polarization singularities. By perturbing and disintegrating their component orbital angular momentum (OAM) states, the polarization singularity indices can be determined. The spatially varying polarization distribution of these beams possesses information about the helical wavefront structures of the component OAM states, although they have plane wavefronts. The polarization singular beam (PSB) is focused using a tilted lens, and the intensity distribution at a predicted position in the direction of propagation is used to determine the component OAM content in the beam. Astigmatism introduced by the tilt of the lens modulates the vortex beam to introduce intensity nulls in the propagated beam. We demonstrate by simulations and experiments the index determination of the V points and C points using a tilted lens. This method is effective in the index determination of V points and C points formed by the superposition of component scalar vortices having opposite-sign topological charges. The degeneracy of C points with the same Stokes indices can be lifted through this technique.

Hsp70 Inhibits Aggregation of IAPP by Binding to the Heterogeneous Prenucleation Oligomers

Molecular chaperone Hsp70 plays important roles in the pathology of amyloid diseases by inhibiting aberrant aggregation of proteins. However, the biophysical mechanism of the interaction of Hsp70 with the intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is unclear. Here, we report that Hsp70 inhibits aggregation of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) at substoichiometric concentrations under diverse solution conditions, including in the absence of ATP. The inhibitory effect is strongest if Hsp70 is added in the beginning of aggregation but progressively less if added later, indicating a role for Hsp70 in preventing nucleation of IAPP. However, ensemble measurement of the binding affinity suggests poor interactions between Hsp70 and IAPP. Therefore, we hypothesize that the interaction must involve a rare species (e.g., the oligomeric intermediates of IAPP). Size exclusion chromatography and field flow fractionation are then used to fractionate the constituent species. Multiangle light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements indicate that the dominant fraction in size exclusion chromatography contains a few nanomolar Hsp70-IAPP complexes amid several μmoles of free Hsp70. Using single-particle two-color coincidence detection measurements, we detected a minor fraction that exhibits fluorescence bursts arising from heterogeneous oligomeric complexes of IAPP and Hsp70. Taken together, our results indicate that Hsp70 interacts poorly with the monomers but strongly with oligomers of IAPP. This is likely a generic feature of the interactions of Hsp70 chaperones with the amyloidogenic IDPs. Whereas high-affinity interactions with the oligomers prevent aberrant aggregation, poor interaction with the monomers averts interference with the physiological functions of the IDPs.

Multifunctional NiFe2O4 nanoparticles for sodium-ion batteries, sensing, and photocatalysis

NiFe2O4 NPs synthesized by co-precipitation method exhibited excellent electrochemical properties towards sodium ion batteries and oxidation of uric acid. NiFe2O4 NPs also exhibited good catalytic activity for simultaneous degradation of multiple dyes.

Detection of degenerate Stokes index states

Stokes phase is the phase difference between orthogonal component states in the decomposition of any polarization state. Phase singularities in the Stokes phase distribution are Stokes singularities of an inhomogeneous polarization distribution. Under circular decomposition, Stokes phase distribution \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$(\phi _{12})$$\end{document}(ϕ12) represents polarization azimuth \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$(\gamma )$$\end{document}(γ) distribution and the singularities present in it are polarization singularities. Therefore, the charge of the Stokes vortices depicted as Stokes index \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\sigma _{12}$$\end{document}σ12 is an important parameter associated with the polarization singularity. The Hybrid order Poincaré sphere (HyOPS)/Higher order Poincaré sphere (HOPS) beams, all having same Stokes index, contain a Stokes singularity at the center of the beam as these beams are constructed by vortex superposition. These beams, being superposition of orthogonal orbital angular momentum (OAM) states in orthogonal spin angular momentum (SAM) states can offer great multiplexing capabilities in communication. In this article, we identify these degenerate Stokes index states and discuss the ways and means of lifting this degeneracy. Otherwise, there are limitations on intensity based detection techniques, where demultiplexing or segregation of different HOPS/HyOPS beams is warranted. The method adduced here uses the diffraction of these beams through an equilateral triangular aperture in combination with polarization transformation as a probe to lift the Stokes index/Stokes phase degeneracy. Successively, the novelty of the detection scheme is discussed in the context of beams with alike polarization distributions where even the technique of Stokes polarimetry fails to predict the OAM and SAM content of the beam.

Genetic Based Face Recognition for Healthcare Applications

Face recognition is a significant biometric credential in the field of security authentication. It additionally assumes a noteworthy job in image processing and it is applicable in various systems like verifying the identity of the person and in security purpose. Recognizing the face with varying background, poses and illumination are the complexity involved in this face recognition. Many algorithms exist for face recognition, of which, Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) works better for recognition of faces. An algorithm using 3 Level-DWT and modified PCA is proposed for feature extraction. The PCA and reconstruction of images using Inverse PCA, help not only for dimensionality reduction, but also to find the least principal components (PC) of an image from which the significant features of a face image can be extracted. The significant features thus extracted are used for classifying genetic and non-genetic faces. Using extracted features from 3 level DWT and PCA, Support vector machine (SVM) is utilized to classify the faces genetically. The proposed extracted features does not intend to certain features like ears, nose and eyes of the face, but corresponds to identify the faces which are genetically similar. Based on the statistical measure analysis, the proposed algorithm 3 Level dwt with modified PCA works well in extracting the features for identifying the faces which are genetically closer. This face recognition application system can be effectively used to treat a patient in other location with complete security. There is no chance for data stealing, since the concerned doctors and patient only will take part in the system. The identification of genetic faces will turn out to be an achievement in the field of health care monitoring systems.

Performance Analysis of Fuzzy Multilayer Support Vector Machine for Epileptic Seizure Disorder Classification using Auto Regression Features

Background:

Around 1% of the total population in the world suffers from epilepsy, a central nervous system disorder. Epilepsy is the neurological disorder of the human brain which can affect people of all ages. Classification techniques and Signal processing are basic methods in the advancement of an algorithm for seizure detection. The primary procedures of a typical biomedical evaluation and processing framework are data acquisition, feature extraction, preprocessing, and classification. Based on this, seizure detection is performed by using the following two methods.

Methods:

This paper proposes a technique for the classification of EEG signals to detect the epileptic seizures by using Cascade Forward Backpropagation Neural Network (CFBNN) and Fuzzy Multilayer Support Vector Machine (FMSVM) methods.

Results:

Finally, the results of developed classifiers are identified with seizure disorder activities. This research concentrated on Parametric Features such as AR (Autoregressive) Burg, AR YuleWalker, AR Covariance, AR Modified Covariance, and Levinson Durbin Recursion. Linear Prediction Coefficient was analyzed with the EEG dataset gathered from Karunya University. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for the proposed classifiers.

Conclusion:

The results of the proposed classifiers were computed with minimum and maximum accuracy and these results were compared with the previous results of the classifiers like FFNN, and PNN as shown in the tables. Based on the obtained outputs and calculated parametric functions, the results validated that the FMSVM classifier performed better in the detection of epileptic seizure disorder in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.

Helicity conservation in V-point diffraction

In singular beams, topological charge is conserved during diffraction. Like scalar field diffraction, in vector field diffraction also, there are conserved quantities. A diffracting V-point disintegrates into a number of C-points of the same polarity in which the polarization singularity index is conserved. In this Letter, we show for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that apart from the index, the helicity (handedness) is also conserved in V-point diffraction. Since V-point is devoid of any handedness, the helicity conservation entails that there is an equal number of opposite handed C-points in the diffracted field, which are interestingly also found to be orthogonal pairs. Further, coexistence of C-points of opposite handedness in the diffraction demands the presence of L-line, which is also shown. We experimentally demonstrate these by studying the diffraction phenomenon through two different types of apertures.

Cytological Profile of a Case of Malignant Mesothelioma of Pleura with Supraclavicular Lymph Node Metastasis

Malignant mesothelioma of pleura is a locally aggressive rare neoplasm of mesothelial cells, which produces distant metastasis in advanced stages of its course. It is exceptional for patients to present with metastasis prior to the detection of primary tumor in the pleura. Here, we report a case of malignant mesothelioma of pleura in a 65-year-old quarry worker where the initial diagnosis was offered by fine needle aspiration of an enlarged supraclavicular lymph node. Subsequent pleural fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), tumor biopsy, and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis.

Isolation and Characterization of Fusarium verticillioides NKF1 for Unsaturated Fatty Acid Production

Polyunsaturated fatty acid helps to prevent diseases like cardiovascular, inflammation, and cognitive abilities for developmental disorders. The main objective of this research is the screening of polyunsaturated fatty acid producing fungi from soil samples of mangrove from the seashore coastal areas in India. Fusarium verticillioides species showed the presence of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid in the starch yeast-extract medium. Among the representative isolate, F. verticillioides NKF1 was found to grow in a YEP broth medium and produce the maximum lipid. The gas chromatography was used to identify the fatty acids present in fungal strain. Saturated fatty acid such as palmitic acid (C16:0) 0.14/100 g, stearic acid (C18:0) 0.09/100 g, and monounsaturated fatty acid such as oleic acid (C18:1) 0.08/100 g and polyunsaturated fatty acid such as linolenic acid (C18:3ω3) 0.08/100 g were present in significant amount in the fungal strain. Fungal strain F. verticillioides NKF1 was characterized by SEM and molecular characterization by 18S rRNA. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were analyzed by 18S rRNA and ITS4 sequences of related fungi were sequenced, and then the data were compared with NCBI database. This newly isolated F. verticillioides NKF1 was found to be a promising culture for the development of an economical method for commercial production of linolenic acid (ω-3 fatty acid).

Book Review: R.V. Lesikar, M.E. Flatley, K. Rentz, P. Lentz, and N. Pande, Business Communication: Connecting in a Digital World

R.V. Lesikar, M.E. Flatley, K. Rentz, P. Lentz, and N. Pande, Business Communication: Connecting in a Digital World (13th ed.), 2015, New Delhi: McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Limited, 772 pp. ISBN-13: 978-93-513-4296-0

Crystal structure of [(2S,3R)-3-hy-droxy-3-phenyl-butan-2-yl]pyrrolidinium chloride

In the title mol­ecular salt, C₁₄H₂₂NO⁺·Cl⁻, the pyrrolidinium ring adopts a twisted conformation about one of the N—C bonds. It is oriented at a dihedral angle of 42.0 (1)° with respect to the benzene ring. The torsion angle for the central N—C—C—C_ar (ar = aromatic) linkage is 163.74 (15)°. In the crystal, the components are linked via N—H⋯Cl and O—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, forming zigzig chains along the b-axis direction. These chains are connected along the c axis by very weak C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming a two-dimensional supra­molecular network.

Independent origin of 185delAG BRCA1 mutation in an Indian family

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the two major breast cancer susceptibility genes. We tested members of a family with multiple cases of breast cancer, for mutations in the BRCA1 gene. Analysis of the PCR amplicons of all the exons (22) of the BRCA1 gene using conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE) revealed a heteroduplex band pattern in exon 2 of the proband (III-3) in this family. The amplicon was further sequenced to assess the nature of the mutation, which revealed a deletion of AG nucleotides at the 185th position (185delAG). The two base pair deletion introduces a stop codon at the 39th amino acid residue. A similar analysis was carried out on other extended family members to evaluate their allelic status. We detected the same deletion in 7 of the 19 members tested. Two of them are males. Haplotype analysis suggested an independent origin for this mutation. Our study highlights the importance of testing hereditary cases of breast/ovarian cancer for BRCA1 mutations in extended families in order to identify high-risk individuals at a pre-clinical stage and provide genetic counseling.

Single crystal EPR study of VO(II) in magnesium potassium phosphate hexahydrate: a case of two substitutional vanadyl ions

Single crystal EPR study of VO(II)-doped magnesium potassium phosphate hexahydrate has been carried out at room temperature. Single crystal rotations in the three orthogonal planes indicate that the paramagnetic impurity has entered the lattice in place of magnesium ions by replacing the equatorial and axial coordinated water molecules. The spin Hamiltonian parameters obtained for the two substitutional sites are: site 1: g1=1.9800, g2=1.9774, g3=1.9296, A1=7.25 mT, A2=8.09 mT, A3=18.69 mT and site 2: g1=1.9802, g2=1.9765, g3=1.9296, A1=6.82 mT, A2=8.48 mT, A3=18.75 mT, respectively. Superhyperfine, from protons of ligand water molecules, has been observed at certain orientations. It has been concluded that VO bond directions of the two substitutional ions are orthogonal to each other.

Density Functional Theory Study on the Effect of Substitution and Ring Annelation to the Rim of Corannulene

B3LYP/6-311G calculations indicate that annelation of a five-membered ring to the rim of corannulene and substitution to all the rim carbons lowers the barrier for bowl-to-bowl inversion. Singlet-triplet energy differences, frontier orbital analysis, and nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) values indicate significant enhancement of the reactivity when the substitutions involve exocyclic double bonds. Bowl-to-bowl inversion barrier, curvature, and reactivity for unsaturated and saturated five-membered ring-annelated corannulenes are analogous to decamethyl- and decamethylene-substituted corannulenes.

30pi aromatic meso-substituted heptaphyrin isomers: syntheses, characterization, and spectroscopic studies

The syntheses of new aromatic 30pi heptaphyrins either through a [5 + 2] or a [4 + 3] acid-catalyzed condensation and oxidative coupling reactions of easily available and air-stable precursors are reported. The methodology followed is not only simple and efficient but also allows synthesis of a range of heptaphyrins with different heteroatoms in the core. The oxidative coupling reactions of modified tripyrranes 11 and tetrapyrranes 12 were found to be dependent on the acid concentration used and as well as the substituents present on the meso position. The change of meso aryl substituents in 11 and 12 to meso mesityl substituents gave a new heptaphyrin 18. The structural characterization has been done with extensive 1H and 2D NMR studies. The heptaphyrins reported here show rich structural diversity when the connections of the heterocyclic rings are altered, and accordingly, one ring and two ring inversions have been observed. By a judicious choice of the precursors it has been possible to control the site of ring inversion either in the bithiophene unit or in the tripyrrane unit. Theoretical calculations performed on three different heptaphyrins, 4, 5, and 17, also reveal that the inverted structures are approximately 35-40 kJ lower in energy relative to the corresponding noninverted structures. Furthermore, one of the heptaphyrins 10c shows the presence of two conformers in solution in the ratio 1:2 and no interconversion between the conformers have been observed in the temperature range of 343-228 K. On protonation, the aromaticity and the ring inversions are retained and the deltadelta values vary in the range 10.07-20.59 ppm. The energies of the Soret maxima and the HOMO-LUMO gap vary linearly with the increase in pi electrons further justifying the aromatic nature of the heptaphyrins.

Highly facile and stereoselective intramolecular [2 +2]photocycloadditions of bis(alkenoyl)ketenedithioacetals

The conformational change induced by the introduction of a ketenedithioacetal moiety at C-4 of 1,7-substituted-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-diones results in favorable spatial relationships between the alkenoyl groups to effect efficient intramolecular cycloadditions: irradiation of bis(alkenoyl)ketenedithioacetals in solution leads to facile and stereospecific intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloadditions resulting in the formation of substituted bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2,4-diones, the observed conformational rigidity of which is attributed to the push-pull character of the ketenedithioacetal group.

Activity of Ocimum sanctum (the traditional Indian medicinal plant) against the enteric pathogens

Aqueous & alcoholic extracts of O. sanctum were prepared. Two concentrations of these extracts (30 mg & 60 mg) were tried against the enteric pathogens & candida albicans by Agar diffusion method. Wide zones of inhibition were observed at 60 mg concentration of extract. Aqeous extract showed wider zone of inhibition when compared to alcoholic extract. Aqueous extract showed wider zones of inhibition for Klebisella, E. Coil, Proteus & Staphylococcus aureus. Alcoholic extract showed wider zone for vibrio cholerae.