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Abstract We study the intricate interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes through the lens of the prisoner’s dilemma game. But while previous studies on cooperation amongst selfish individuals often assume instantaneous interactions, we take into consideration delays to investigate how these might affect the causes underlying prosocial behavior. Through analytical calculations and numerical simulations, we demonstrate that delays can lead to oscillations, and by incorporating also the ecological variable of altruistic free space and the evolutionary strategy of punishment, we explore how these factors impact population and community dynamics. Depending on the parameter values and the initial fraction of each strategy, the studied eco-evolutionary model can mimic a cyclic dominance system and even exhibit chaotic behavior, thereby highlighting the importance of complex dynamics for the effective management and conservation of ecological communities. Our research thus contributes to the broader understanding of group decision-making and the emergence of moral behavior in multidimensional social systems.

The fractional order SEIQRD compartmental model of COVID-19 is explored in this manuscript with six different categories in the Caputo approach. A few findings for the new model's existence and uniqueness criterion, as well as non-negativity and boundedness of the solution, have been established. When RCovid19

Introduction: Patient satisfaction is a psychological concept which is considered as a judgment of individuals regarding any object or event after gathering some experiences over time. It is one of the established yardsticks to measure the success of the services. Objectives: 1. To assess the level of inpatient satisfaction on hospital services. 2. To find out the determinants of inpatient satisfaction on hospital services. Method: It was a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of four months at VIMSAR, a tertiary care hospital in Odisha in eastern India. A total of 164 patients were enrolled in the study from the five most occupied indoor departments who were administered a pre-tested semi-structured standardised questionnaire by face to face interview method. Results: Majority (77.44%) of respondents were in the age group of 21-60 years. The sample consisted of 65.24 % males and 43.9% were from lower socio-economic class. Patient satisfaction level was found to be relatively low (~80%) for the service domains like housekeeping, general services and ancillary services. Fields like front desk services, medical care, nursing care and laboratory services enjoyed a better satisfaction score (~90%). Binary logistic regression analysis reflected age and socio-economic class to be the negative determinants of the level of satisfaction. Conclusion: About two thirds of the inpatients were satisfied with the services availed at the tertiary care hospital in the five specialities. There is scope of improvement in the areas like housekeeping, ancillary care and general care. Socio-demographic characteristics like age and socioeconomic class inversely related to inpatient satisfaction on hospital services.

Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) is a rare form of status epilepticus and often refractory to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Persistent seizure activity may increase pro-inflammatory biomarkers locally, which may respond to adjunctive corticosteroid treatment, especially in central nervous system (CNS) infections. We report four children with refractory EPC and the effect of adjunctive corticosteroid in controlling EPC. The duration of EPC ranged between 3 days and 7 months. One patient had secondary generalized convulsive status epilepticus. Cranial computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging was abnormal in three out of four patients; revealing old infarction in one, tuberculoma in one, and neurocysticercosis in one. Electroencephalography revealed spike and sharp wave discharges on the corresponding cerebral hemisphere. The EPC was refractory to 2-6 AEDs. Following corticosteroid treatment, EPC remitted in two patients with CNS infection, and those with infarction and cryptogenic EPC converted to discrete seizures. In AED-resistant EPC, a short course of corticosteroid may be helpful.

AbstractBackground and aim The fruit of Garcinia is a rich and valuable source of bioactive compounds and is traditionally used for treating wounds and ulcers. The present study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of chromatographically standardized fruit extract of Garcinia cowa (GCE) on ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats and its possible mechanisms.Methods The effect of GCE (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) was evaluated by determining various gastric ulcer parameters like gastric wall mucus, non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) content, microvascular permeability, endogenous antioxidant enzyme, and gastric histopathological study.Results and conclusions Oral administration of GCE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg exhibited significant (p

COVID-19 viruses are primarily transmitted between people via respiratory droplets generated from an infected person while coughing, sneezing, exhaling or close contact. Hence, the use of masks are part of prevention and control measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. A comprehensive study on various materials used in masks is required. The filtration efficiency of cotton masks increases with increase in thread count and number of layers, but breathability is affected and therefore a risk for longer durations. Cotton-based masks have filtration efficiency ranging from 5% to 80% depending on the number of layers. Combinations of different hybrid fabric materials and design have an efficiency ranging from 37% to 97%. Bio-cellulose, which is derived from cellulosic biomass by synthesis techniques involving various physical and chemical processes followed by refining techniques, possesses remarkable properties including biodegradability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, etc., making it the most suitable mask material. Masks made of bio-cellulose have an important property of hydrophilicity which makes it adhere to the face tightly, giving a cooling effect to the face. Use of nanocellulose masks can help attaining filtration efficiency up to 99.9980–99.9995% along with other desirable properties. Hence, there is an immediate need to address the issues and challenges of mask materials and work towards the design and development of low cost masks to overcome these shortcomings by the researchers and manufacturers.

Most environments favor defection over cooperation due to natural selection. Nonetheless, the emergence of cooperation is omnipresent in many biological, social, and economic systems, quite contrary to the well-celebrated Darwinian theory of evolution. Much research has been devoted to better understanding how and why cooperation persists among self-interested individuals despite their competition for limited resources. Here we go beyond a single social dilemma since individuals usually encounter various social challenges. In particular, we propose and study a mathematical model incorporating both the prisoner's dilemma and the snowdrift game. We further extend this model by considering ecological signatures like mutation and selfless one-sided contribution of altruist free space. The nonlinear evolutionary dynamics that results from these upgrades offer a broader range of equilibrium outcomes, and it also often favors cooperation over defection. With the help of analytical and numerical calculations, our theoretical model sheds light on the mechanisms that maintain biodiversity, and it helps to explain the evolution of social order in human societies.

Background: Depression, a multi-dimensional disorder adversely affects the interpersonal, social and occupational spheres of students' life. It is the 11th leading cause of global disease burden. Aims and Objectives: To assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among various professional course students including medical, dental, and engineering students in Patna, Bihar. Materials and Methods: The present investigation was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional descriptive study. A total of 3,100 students attending government and private medical, dental, and engineering colleges in Patna were approached during the course of this study. Students were briefed about the study and questionnaire. BDI-II (Beck's Depression Inventory-II) was administered to the students and they were instructed to fill it. Beck's scores were recorded and a descriptive analysis performed. Results: 2798 students out of 3,100 responded positively to the survey by completely filling out the form. The overall response rate was 90.25%. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was found to be 47.78%. Of the three streams, students belonging to the engineering stream (40.28%) showed a maximum prevalence of depressive symptoms followed by dental (38.50%) and medical students (34.74%). Conclusion: Our study showed an alarming prevalence of depression among professional course seeking students. This multi-dimensional disorder continues to affect student's performance and professionalism, thus, extending its negative impact to the community at large. This may carry out later in their lives, thus leaving a long-term negative impact. Considering the high rate of depressive symptoms, establishing a unit or facility to identify or diagnose it at an early stage and providing psychological support to students is recommended.

Different factitious hosts were used to mass rear Trichogramma japonicum Ashmead in different parts of the globe because thorough details were lacking in both the laboratory and the field. The objective of this study was to compare, parasitoid, T. japonicum reared in different factitious hosts. Three commonly used factitious host eggs, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton), Ephestia kuehniella Zeller and Sitotroga cerealella Olivier were tested under laboratory conditions and then in the field over a yellow stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulus (Walker) of rice. The highest parasitism by T. japonicum was observed on E. kuehniella eggs. The parasitoid's highest emergence (88.99%) was observed on S. cerealella eggs at 24 h exposure, whereas at 48 h it was on E. kuehniella eggs (94.66%). Trichogramma japonicum females that emerged from E. kuehniella eggs were significantly long-lived. The days of oviposition by hosts and the host species were significant individually, but not their interaction. Higher proportions of flying T. japonicum were observed when reared on E. kuehniella and C. cephalonica eggs. Field results showed that T. japonicum mass-reared on E. kuehniella showed higher parasitism of its natural host, S. incertulus eggs. Hence, by considering these biological characteristics and field results, E. kuehniella could be leveraged for the mass rearing of quality parasitoids of T. japonicum in India, the Asian continent and beyond.

In this paper we optimized QuEChERS method for extraction of nine pesticides viz. acephate, acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, profenofos (insecticides), carbendazim and tebuconazole (fungicides) and performed their quantitative estimation in okra crop by HPLC-UV and GC-ECD. Decontamination treatments namely washing with running tap water, soaking in lukewarm water (50-60°C), soaking in solutions of 1% NaCl, 5% NaHCO3, 2% CH3COOH, 0.01% KMnO4 and three commercial formulations were also done for ten minutes every time, to calculate the extent of pesticide removal from okra. Results revealed that the proposed extraction method was efficient, inexpensive, accurate, rapid and precise and can suitably be used for the simultaneous quantitative determination of the above pesticides. The standard curve was linear over the concentration range of 0.05-5μg g-1 with R2 close to one (0.999). Soaking of okra in 2% acetic acid and then washing proved as the best decontamination treatments for all the pesticides. It showed the highest relative decontaminating capacity in comparison to the other solutions tested. Since the pesticide residues are usually present in higher amount in vegetables being consumed, it is of utmost importance to keep an eye over the use of pesticides to protect the crops.

Background: Oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSMF) is chronic insidious diseases of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx with unknown etiology. It is characterized by mucosal rigidity. The proposed etiological factor for causing OSMF areca nut. Areca nut and arecoline cause fibroblast proliferation and collagen production. Aim and Objectives: Correlate the clinical and histopathological grading using Masson's trichrome and Van Gieson's stain in OSMF. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with clinically proven cases of OSMF and grouped according to their mouth opening. Incisional biopsy was done. The sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathological conformation. Selected cases were sectioned and stained with Masson's trichrome and Van Gieson special stain and graded histopathologically. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0 version. Pearson's correlation coefficient and Chi-square test were done to find out the association between variables. Student's t-test was used to find clinical and histopathological correlation. Results: The mean age of OSMF patients was 20–40 years and when compared with gender males were affected more than females. The stains between Masson's trichrome with Van Gieson's stain showed significant correlation, but when compared between clinical and histopathological grading there was no statistically significant. Conclusion: Clinical staging and histopathological grading in OSMF there is no correlation when using special stains such as Masson's trichrome and Van Gieson's stain.

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the important contagion issues in the world. It poses serious challenges not only to health professionals but professionals across industries. In India, in general, studies on HIV are carried out among medical and paramedical students and least among non- medical students, whose awareness is of prime importance. Aim: This study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding HIV/AIDS among engineering students in and around Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 engineering college students in and around Guntur. A self-administered questionnaire was given and the results were tabulated and analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: The data was entered in excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS v. 20.0 software. Data was analyzed using student's t-test and Chi-square test. Results: Out of 400 students, 257 (64.2%) were males and 143 (35.7%) were females. Maximum students (97.2%) indicated they know about HIV/AIDS. Eighty-nine percent (89.7%) of the students responded that needle prick injury can transmit HIV infection, whereas 82.5% of the responders knew that HIV/AIDS affects immune systems. A total of 66.5% of individuals agreed that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and 72.0% of individuals responded that HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted through saliva and 20.5% of the students felt that it is necessary to isolate the infected individuals from general public. Conclusions: In addition to medical and para medical students, it is very important for the youth to be aware of HIV/AIDS and its social implications.

Desmoid tumors are slow-growing benign tumors. These tumors infiltrate surrounding tissues but not malignant and associated with women of fertile age, especially during and after pregnancy. We report a young male patient with a recurrent desmoid tumor of the anterior abdominal wall who underwent resection four times earlier. The patient had a history of four-time operation over the same site for the same disease. Preoperative evaluation included thorough clinical examination with abdominal ultrasound. The histology revealed a desmoid tumor. Primary surgical resection and immediate reconstruction of abdominal defect were performed.

Background: Okhaldhunga is a hilly district with fragile socioeconomic conditions, limited access to health care, social stigma, and poor resource management, where most people rely on medicinal plants for primary health care. The use of medicinal plants for primary health care varies with socioeconomic attributes. Following the intra-cultural analysis, we documented and tested the hypothesis that use of medicinal plants in Champadevi, Okhaldhunga, Nepal, depends on socioeconomic variables. Methods: We interviewed 224 respondents, 53.12% female and 46.88% male, including 31 Brahmin, 157 Chhetri, 13 Dalit, and 23 Janajati, and conducted three focused group discussions and seven key informant interviews to record the ethnomedicinal plants used in Champadevi rural municipality, Okhaldhunga District. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) was computed to know the importance of the species. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to see the relationship between medicinal plants reported with the sociocultural variables, which include age, gender, occupation, education, ethnicity, and religion. Results: We documented 149 medicinal plants, including 69 herbs, 22 shrubs, nine climbers, 48 trees, and one parasitic plant, belonging to 68 families and 130 genera, and used to treat 48 distinct diseases and ailments. Plant parts, leaf, and digestive disorders were frequently treated during healing. Curcuma angustifolia was the most cited species with RFC 0.9554. The respondents' knowledge of medicinal plant use varied significantly with age (p = 0.0001) and occupation (p = 0.003). Changes in land use, population decline of medicinal plant species, and unsustainable harvesting practices constituted the local threats to medicinal plants and associated knowledge. Elders died without passing on their knowledge to the younger generations during sociocultural transformation, and youth disinterest coupled with the free availability of allopathic medicine led to knowledge erosion. Conclusions: The use of medicinal plants in Champadevi, Okhaldhunga, was significantly depended on two socioeconomic variables age and occupation. Ethnomedicinal plants are essential in the primary healthcare system in Nepal; however, their availability and practices are declining. Thus, plans regulating land use change and human migration, acknowledging traditional healthcare practices, and raising awareness of the significance of traditional medical practices as complementary healthcare practices should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco is one of the leading causes for potentially malignant disorders (PMDs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) which stands 6th among all malignancies in the world. To prevent the high mortality rates and improve the five-year survival rates of patients with OSCC, it is very important to diagnose PMDs early. Exfoliative cytology combined with quantitative analysis such as cytomorphometry can be an important tool for early detection and diagnosis of these lesions. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative changes in cytological buccal smears of tobacco smokers and chewers with that of the normal healthy individuals to assess the malignant changes by using cytomorphometric parameters such as cell diameter (CD), nuclear diameter (ND), and nuclear–cytoplasmic ratio (N/C). Materials and Methods: The study was carried out among 120 individuals. Group I consisted of 40 tobacco smokers, group II consisted of 40 tobacco chewers, and group III consisted of 40 controls who did not have a habit of tobacco smoking and chewing with apparently healthy appearing mucosa. Smears were made for all individuals and stained with Papanicolou technique. CD, ND, and N/C were calculated using an image analysis software after selecting 200 cells from each smear. All the parameters were subjected to statistical analysis using one-way analysis of variance and Scheffes multiple post hoc procedure. Results: There was a statistically significant reduction in CD and increase in ND and N/C of tobacco chewers and smokers when compared to that of controls. Age and sex did not have any influence on any of the cytomorphometric parameters. Conclusion: The habit of tobacco smoking and chewing causes quantitative cellular and nuclear changes in the squames of buccal mucosal epithelial cells, which shows a cause–effect relationship between tobacco and quantitative changes in the cells. Therefore, exfoliative cytology with the application of quantitative techniques can be used as a valuable diagnostic tool for detecting PMDs and malignant lesions.

ObjectiveTo study the association of educational level and risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer among Asian populations.DesignA pooled analysis of 15 population-based cohort studies.Setting and participants694 434 Asian individuals from 15 prospective cohorts within the Asia Cohort Consortium.InterventionsNone.Main outcome measuresHRs and 95% CIs for all-cause mortality, as well as for CVD-specific mortality and cancer-specific mortality.ResultsA total of 694 434 participants (mean age at baseline=53.2 years) were included in the analysis. During a mean follow-up period of 12.5 years, 103 023 deaths were observed, among which 33 939 were due to cancer and 34 645 were due to CVD. Higher educational levels were significantly associated with lower risk of death from all causes compared with a low educational level (≤primary education); HRs and 95% CIs for secondary education, trade/technical education and ≥university education were 0.88 (0.85 to 0.92), 0.81 (0.73 to 0.90) and 0.71 (0.63 to 0.80), respectively (ptrend=0.002). Similarly, HRs (95% CIs) were 0.93 (0.89 to 0.97), 0.86 (0.78 to 0.94) and 0.81 (0.73 to 0.89) for cancer death, and 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93), 0.77 (0.66 to 0.91) and 0.67 (0.58 to 0.77) for CVD death with increasing levels of education (both ptrend

Rehabilitation of congenital lower limb deficiencies remains a challenge. A four-year-old boy presented with bilateral lower limb deficiency since birth and inability to stand. Orthoprosthesis with modified bucket type socket accommodating the right rudimentary limb, connected by a tubular shank and a modified foot piece on right side was prescribed. The left side of socket was incomplete inferiorly for the limb to pass through. An additional left Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) was also prescribed. The child achieved independent standing as well as started taking steps with a rollator.

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the point prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients suffering from tuberculosis. Material and Methods: Total of 100 consecutive cases were included who were already diagnosed with tuberculosis after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Tools used were General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). Result: Out of 100 cases, 74 cases found to be having psychiatric symptoms, in which 35 cases were suffering from depression and 39 were suffering from anxiety. Conclusion: Psychiatric morbidity was present in the diagnosed cases of tuberculosis. Proper psycho education, timely intervention in the form of proper diagnosis and specific treatment was required. It should also be evaluated further on a bigger target population.

Background: The rationale of this study was to know the prevalence of candidal colonization in renal transplant individuals and to isolate and identify the various species and determine their antifungal susceptibility. Materials and Methods: The study population was divided into Group I (renal transplant individuals, n =30) and Group II (healthy individuals, n =50) from whom oral rinse samples were collected in a container with sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). All the collected samples were transported immediately and subjected to various mycological investigations. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann–Whitney U and Chi-square test. Results: In Group I, 11 (36.67%) and in Group II, 9 (18%) showed positivity for Candida. Candida albicans formed the major species and it showed sensitivity to Fluconazole and Ketoconazole. Conclusion: Prevalence of Candida species in the oral cavity of renal transplant recipients was higher than in immunocompetent control subjects. Administration of immunosuppressive drugs predisposes the development of an increased density of candidal colonies.

Proteases are one of the largest groups of hydrolytic enzymes constituting about 60% of total worldwide sales of industrial enzymes due to their wide applications in detergent, leather, textile, food and pharmaceutical industry. Microbial proteases have been preferred over animal and plant proteases because of their fundamental features and ease in production. Bacillus infantis SKS1, an alkaline protease producing bacteria has been isolated from garden soil of north India and identified using morphological, biochemical and molecular methods. 16S rDNA sequence amplified using universal primers has 99% sequence identity with corresponding gene sequence of Bacillus infantis strain FM 34 and Bacillus sp. Beige. The bacterial culture and its 16S rDNA gene sequence have been deposited to Microbial Culture Collection (Pune, India) with accession number MCC 3035 and GenBank with accession number KR092197 respectively. The partially purified extract of Bacillus infantis SKS1 was thermostable and active in presence of Mg2+, acetyl acetone and laundry detergents implicating its application in industry. Production of these enzymes using this strain was maximized by optimization of various parameters including temperature, pH, media components and other growth conditions. Our results show that fructose and dextrose serve as the best carbon sources for production of these enzymes, highlighting the use of this strain for enzyme production utilizing relatively inexpensive substrates like beet molasses and corn steep liquor. Additionally, this strain showed maximum production of enzymes at 40°C similar to bacterial species used for commercial production of alkaline proteases. Characterization of alkaline proteases from this strain of Bacillus infantis and optimization of parameters for its production would help in understanding its industrial application and large-scale production.

Objective: The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing worldwide largely due to prevalence of various risk factors, which can be controlled. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to measure the prevalence of major preventable risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in an urban resettlement colony of Delhi, using STEPS approach. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study, that included a random sample of 200 adults, was conducted. A study tool based on the WHO STEPS questionnaire for assessing non-communicable diseases and their risk factors was used. Fasting venous blood sample was collected to assess the lipid profile and fasting blood sugar. Anthropometric measurements of the participants were also taken. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. Results: Out of the 200 participants, 26% (n = 52) were consuming alcohol and 17% (n = 34) were smoking. Majority (77.5%) had a raised waist circumference, and more than two-thirds were either overweight or obese. Fasting blood sugar levels were found to be raised in 18% of the study population. More than third participants had raised systolic and diastolic blood pressures and abnormal lipid profiles. More males were found to be overweight in comparison to females (P < 0.01), but in contrast, obesity (P < 0.05) and raised waist circumference (P < 0.001) were more common in females. Tobacco use was more common in lower class (P < 0.05), whereas obesity was commoner in the upper socio-economic class (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Study showed a high burden of risk factors for NCDs in the study population, pointing towards changing disease epidemiology of non-communicable diseases in India.

Introduction: Normal pregnancy is always associated with immense stress in order to accommodate the increasing demands of the developing fetus. Various metabolic changes along with vascular remodeling occur in maternal system. Due to this, pregnancy is always associated with oxidative stress and generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA) generated by ROS is found to be sensitive and early biochemical marker of ischemic heart disease and now used as an important marker to distinguish between ischemic and non-ischemic pathologies. Pregnancy being a hypoxic ischemic condition may lead to increase in serum IMA. Aim: The present study was aimed at evaluating maternal serum Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA) in normal pregnancy and correlate it with serum Malondialdehyde (MDA), a known lipid peroxidation marker. Similarly IMA/Albumin was evaluated for correction of decrease in serum albumin in pregnancy and correlated with serum MDA. Materials and Methods: Serum IMA, IMA/Albumin and MDA was analysed in 40 healthy normal pregnant women and 41 non-pregnant healthy controls. Serum IMA was estimated by albumin cobalt binding test. Student t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used for statistical analysis. Results: Serum IMA and IMA/Albumin was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in normal pregnant women (72.54±9.89 U/L, 20.16±3.94) compared to non-pregnant healthy control (48.47±8.30 U/L, 10.51±1.76). Serum MDA was also significantly higher in normal pregnant women. A statistical significant positive correlation was found between serum IMA, IMA/Albumin with MDA in normal pregnant women. Conclusion: Maternal serum IMA is also increased in normal pregnancy and its correlation with MDA shows maternal serum IMA, can be considered as the marker of oxidative stress and can be used to monitor the progress of pregnancy, which may be remarkably increased in various complications related to pregnancy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be dysregulated in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and may function as either tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) or as oncogenes. Hypermethylation of miRNA silences the tumour suppressive function of a miRNA or hypermethylation of a TSG regulating that miRNA (or vice versa) leads to its loss of function. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of aberrant microRNA-125b (miR-125b) expression on various clinicopathological features in epithelial ovarian cancer and its association with anomalous methylation of several TSGs. We enrolled 70 newly diagnosed cases of epithelial ovarian cancer, recorded their clinical history and 70 healthy female volunteers. Serum miR-125b levels were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and the methylation status of various TSGs was investigated by methylation specific PCR. ROC curves were constructed to estimate the diagnostic and prognostic usefulness of miR-125b. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to compare survival curves. Expression of miR-125b was found to be significantly upregulated (p

Introduction: True prevalence rate of diabetes mellitus in a population can be obtained by using invasive tests but it is practically difficult on large scale. Aim: To find out the feasibility of mass non-invasive screening test to detect the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in rural population of India with the help of a mathematical formula. Materials and Methods: From population of 18800 residing in two adjacent rural areas of Delhi, a systematic random sample of 1005 adult subjects was screened for diabetes by using urine benedicts test, Canrisk questionnaire, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation-Indian Diabetic Risk Score (MDRF-IDRS) and determined prevalence of diabetes (pA) gauzed by each of these screening tests. Simultaneously, each subject’s glycaemic status was confirmed by standard fasting Plasma glucose (FPG) and postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG) levels. The blood test was also used to determine true prevalence which was crosschecked with the prevalence estimated (Pe) by the above stated screening tests using a mathematical formula. Results: The true prevalence of T2DM in more than 18 years of population by Fasting Plasma Sugar (FPS) was 4.5% while that by using mathematical formulae that estimated by urine test, Canrisk test and MDRF-IDRS was 4.4%, 4.4 and 4.3% respectively. When more than 35 years age-group was selected, true prevalence was 7.4% and estimated prevalence by Canrisk test was 7.1% (as against gold standard of Fasting) and 6.9% (as against PP). By fasting urine test it came out to be 7.2% and by PP urine test it was 7.4%. In population l8-35 years, the prevalence of diabetes was 1.1% by plasma glucose test. By using Canrisk, it came out to be 1.04%. Conclusion: Individual screening tests such as urine, Canrisk and MDRF-IDRS can be used to estimate prevalence rates of diabetes in rural areas by means of mathematical formula which would be close to true estimates.

Turmeric has been in use for thousands of years as a dye, flavouring and a medicinal herb. Ancient Indian medicine has touted turmeric as an herb with the ability to provide glow and lustre to the skin as well as vigour and vitality to the entire body. Since curcumin has antimicrobial, antioxidant, astringents and other useful properties, it is quite useful in dentistry also. Curcumin, the most active polyphenolic constituent, is the active ingredient in the traditional herbal remedy and dietary spice turmeric. In gel form it is a component in local drugs delivery system. The objective of this article is to review the pharmacological action of turmeric and its use in treating oral submucous fibrosis.

Understanding the origin of thermostability is of fundamental importance in protein biochemistry. Opposing views on increased or decreased structural rigidity of the folded state have been put forward in this context. They have been related to differences in the temporal resolution of experiments and computations that probe atomic mobility. Here, we find a significant (p = 0.004) and fair (R2 = 0.46) correlation between the structural rigidity of a well-characterized set of 16 mutants of lipase A from Bacillus subtilis (BsLipA) and their thermodynamic thermostability. We apply the rigidity theory-based Constraint Network Analysis (CNA) approach, analyzing directly and in a time-independent manner the statics of the BsLipA mutants. We carefully validate the CNA results on macroscopic and microscopic experimental observables and probe for their sensitivity with respect to input structures. Furthermore, we introduce a robust, local stability measure for predicting thermodynamic thermostability. Our results complement work that showed for pairs of homologous proteins that raising the structural stability is the most common way to obtain a higher thermostability. Furthermore, they demonstrate that related series of mutants with only a small number of mutations can be successfully analyzed by CNA, which suggests that CNA can be applied prospectively in rational protein design aimed at higher thermodynamic thermostability.

Kocher Debre Semelaigne Syndrome is a rare syndrome with clinical manifestation of hypothyroidism associated with pseudomuscular hypertrophy. Very few cases have been reported on kocher-debre semelaigne syndrome in the literature with the incidence reported to be less than 10%. As per our knowledge; until now, only one case of oro-facial manifestations has been reported. Here we report one such case of Kocher debre semelaigne syndrome in an 11 year old boy, showing features of macroglossia, multiple impacted teeth, puffed lips and anterior open bite.