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A large number of civil structures were designed according to old seismic code that do not meet current safety standards. They may also suffer from ageing and deterioration induced by environmental factors such as corrosive agents and earthquakes. A methodology has been developed to assess the current state of existing structures using vibration-based structural health monitoring. This technique has attracted civil engineering community recently. Vibration-based, non-destructive damage identification uses changes in the dynamic characteristics of the structure to identify damage. Full or large-scale dynamic tests of structural specimens provide unique opportunities to evaluate and validate these methods under realistic conditions, i.e. with the same level of measurement noise, estimation uncertainty and modelling errors, which are observed as in situ conditions. In this paper, we have studied the behaviour of existing structures and the models casted in the lab. Experimental determination of the dynamic characteristics of the model of RCC building under different levels of damage has been used to develop correlation between damage in the models of RCC buildings with its known dynamic characteristics using artificial neural network models.

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) using eversion technique has been used by vascular surgeons across the world. A simpler technique, modified eversion endarterectomy (MEE) is emerging as a promising option. Advantages are shorter clamping time, less neurological complications, and avoidance of prosthetic patch plasty. Selective shunting can be done whenever required. In the climate of carotid artery stenting versus CEA debate, one would consider this method to reduce the morbidity of CEA. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing CEA at a single institution by four vascular surgeons over a period of 2½ years (January 2012–June 2014). Data were collected from computerized medical records and various parameters analyzed. Forty patients underwent MEE during the given period. The majority were symptomatic 34 (85%). Results: One patient (2.5%) required conversion to conventional endarterectomy with patch plasty because of the long length of the plaque. One patient (2.5%) had lateralizing transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the postoperative period. Two patients had hematoma of which one was returned to operating theater for evacuation. Seven patients underwent MEE along with coronary artery bypass grafting with uneventful recovery. Selective shunting was done for four patients (10%) who had a contralateral occlusive disease or poor back bleed from an internal carotid artery (ICA) on table. Average ICA cross-clamping time was 13 min. None of the patients had cerebrovascular accident/TIA in the follow-up period. Conclusions: MEE is a simpler and easier technique to perform with comparable results when compared with other conventional techniques. MEE, in our assumption, will be the technique of choice in the future for open CEA; however, larger studies with longer follow-up are required before final validation of this technique.

The study was conducted on skin of 24 buffaloes collected from slaughter house. The skin tissues were collected from dorsal, lateral, and ventral parts of head, neck, thorax, abdomen, and tail regions and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. The tissues were processed for paraffin blocks preparation by acetone benzene schedule. The paraffin sections of 5-6 μm were cut with rotary microtome and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The sweat glands in buffaloes were of saccular and simple coiled tubular type. Most of the sweat glands were associated with hair follicles and consisted of a coiled secretory portion (body) and a straight duct. The secretory portion was made up of glandular tubules, myoepithelium, and basement membrane. The duct portion had a narrow lumen and was lined by simple cuboidal epithelium. The glandular epithelium was simple squamous, simple cuboidal, or low columnar type depending upon their stage of secretary activity. Two types of sweat glands were observed, i.e., apocrine and merocrine. Large number of blood vessels and nerve fibers were observed in the vicinity of the sweat glands. In head, neck, and tail regions the maximum number of sweat glands/mm2 was observed in dorsal side which did not vary significantly (p

BACKGROUND:Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in infants is challenging due to non-specific clinical presentations of the disease in this age-group and low sensitivity of widely available TB diagnostic tools, which in turn delays prompt access to TB treatment. Upfront access to Xpert/MTB RIF (Xpert) testing, a highly sensitive and specific rapid diagnostic tool, could potentially address some of these challenges. Under the current project, we assessed the utility and feasibility of applying upfront Xpert for diagnosis of tuberculosis in infants, including for testing of non-sputum specimens. METHODS:A high throughput lab was established in each of the four project cities, and linked to various health care providers across the city, through rapid specimen transportation and electronic reporting linkages. Free Xpert testing was offered to all infant (

Diagnosis of TB in children is challenging, and is largely based on positive history of contact with a TB case, clinical and radiological findings, often without microbiological confirmation. Diagnostic efforts are also undermined by challenges in specimen collection and the limited availability of high sensitivity, rapid diagnostic tests that can be applied with a quick turnaround time. The current project was undertaken in four major cities of India to address TB diagnostic challenges in pediatric population, by offering free of cost Xpert testing to pediatric presumptive TB cases, thereby paving the way for better TB care.A high throughput lab was established in each of the four project cities, and linked to various health care providers across the city through rapid specimen transportation and electronic reporting linkages. Free Xpert testing was offered to all pediatric (0-14 years) presumptive TB cases (both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary) seeking care at public and private health facilities.The current project enrolled 42,238 pediatric presumptive TB cases from April, 2014 to June, 2016. A total of 3,340 (7.91%, CI 7.65-8.17) bacteriologically confirmed TB cases were detected, of which 295 (8.83%, CI 7.9-9.86) were rifampicin-resistant. The level of rifampicin resistance in the project cohort was high. Overall Xpert yielded a high proportion of valid results and TB detection rates were more than three-fold higher than smear microscopy. The project provided same-day testing and early availability of results led to rapid treatment initiation and success rates and very low rates of treatment failure and loss to follow-up.The current project demonstrated the feasibility of rolling out rapid and upfront Xpert testing for pediatric presumptive TB cases through a single Xpert lab per city in an efficient manner. Rapid turnaround testing time facilitated prompt and appropriate treatment initiation. These results suggest that the upfront Xpert assay is a promising solution to address TB diagnosis in children. The high levels of rifampicin resistance detected in presumptive pediatric TB patients tested under the project are a major cause of concern from a public health perspective which underscores the need to further prioritize upfront Xpert access to this vulnerable population.

Pulmonary nocardiosis is a rising bacterial infection, with a high propensity for misdiagnosis. On account of a paucity of prospective studies, there is limited understanding on various aspects of its diagnosis and treatment. We present three patients with pulmonary nocardiosis, with emphasis on the predisposing factors, variable disease course, and treatment issues. There is a need to understand the basis of these discrepancies so as to rationalize the management of this potentially fatal infection.

We describe a case presenting with tracheal tumor wherein a Microlaryngeal tube was advanced into the trachea distal to the tumor for primary airway control followed by cannulation of both endobronchial lumen with 5.5 mm endotracheal tubes to provide independent lung ventilation post tracheal transection using Y- connector attached to anesthesia machine. The plan was formulated to provide maximal surgical access to the trachea while providing adequate ventilation at the same time. A 32 yrs non smoker male, complaining of cough, progressive dyspnea and hemoptysis was diagnosed to have a broad based mass in the trachea on computed tomography of chest. Bronchoscopy of the upper airway confirmed presence of the mass at a distance of 9 cms from the vocal cords, obstructing the tracheal lumen by three fourth of the diameter. The patient was scheduled to undergo the resection of the mass through anterolateral thoracotomy. We recommend the use of extralong, soft, small sized microlaryngeal surgery tube in tumors proximal to carina, for securing the airway before the transection of trachea and bilateral endobronchial intubation with small sized cuffed endotracheal tubes for maintenance of ventilation after the transection of trachea in patients with mass in the lower trachea.

Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction is a common source of chronic low-back pain. Recent evidences from different parts of the world suggest that cooled radiofrequency (RF) neuroablation of sacral nerves supplying SI joints has superior pain alleviating properties than available existing treatment options for SI joint dysfunctional pain. A 35-year-old male had intractable bilateral SI joint pain (numeric rating scale [NRS] - 9/10) with poor treatment response to intra-articular steroid therapy. Bilateral water cooled = RF was applied for neuroablation of nerves supplying both SI joints. Postprocedure pain intensity was 5/10 and after 7 days it was 2/10. On 18th-month follow-up, he is pain free except for mild pain (NRS 2/10) on occasional extreme twisting of the back. This case attempts to highlight that sacral neuroablation based on cooled RF technique can be a long lasting remedial option for chronic SI joint pain unresponsive to conventional treatment.

Spontaneous subcapsular renal haematoma is a rare condition with wide range of presentation; it poses a dilemma for diagnosis and management. We present a case of 38-year-old female who presented with right flank pain (continuous, dull aching) for a week with right renal angle tenderness and high blood pressure (though she was not known hypertensive). On imaging, there was right renal subcapsular collection. She did not respond to conservative management except that her blood pressure was controlled with single drug Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Right double J stent was placed (in view of urinoma) and patient was followed for six weeks. Repeat computed tomography scan showed persistence of right renal subcapsular collection but the cause was not found. Except hypertension, no definitive cause for the condition could be found. Patient was intervened surgically with right subcostal exploration and subcapsular haematoma was found and drained. Patient was asymptomatic thereafter.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv0774c protein was reported previously to express under stress conditions. Therefore, Rv0774c gene was cloned and expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis, a surrogate host, to determine its role in bacterial persistence and immune modulation in natural environment. The bacterial colonies expressing Rv0774c (Ms_rv0774c) were larger, smoother, more moist, and flatter than the control ones (Ms_ve). Enhanced survival of Ms_rv0774c after treatment with streptomycin was observed when compared with control. The cell envelope of Ms_rv0774c was demonstrated to have more trehalose di-mycolate (TDM) and lesser amount of mycolylmannosylphosphorylheptaprenol (Myc-PL) in comparison to control. Higher intracellular survival rate was observed for Ms_rv0774c as compared to Ms_ve in the THP-1 cells. This could be correlated to the reduction in the levels of reactive NO and iNOS expression. Infection of macrophages with Ms_rv0774c resulted in significantly increased expression of TLR2 receptor and IL-10 cytokines. However, it lowered the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and MCP-1 in Ms_rv0774c infected macrophages in comparison to the control and could be associated with decreased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. Though, predicted with high antigenicity index bioinformatically, extracellular in nature and accessible to host milieu, Rv0774c was not able to generate humoral response in patient samples. Overall, the present findings indicated that Rv0774c altered the morphology and streptomycin sensitivity by altering the lipid composition of M. smegmatis as well as modulated the immune response in favor of bacterial persistence.

Withania somnifera is a high value medicinal plant which is used against large number of ailments. The medicinal properties of the plant attributes to a wide array of important secondary metabolites. The plant is predominantly infected with leaf spot pathogen Alternaria alternata, which leads to substantial biodeterioration of pharmaceutically important metabolites. To develop an effective strategy to combat this disease, proteomics based approach could be useful. Hence, in the present study, three different protein extraction methods tris-buffer based, phenol based and trichloroacetic acid-acetone (TCA-acetone) based method were comparatively evaluated for two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis of W. somnifera. TCA-acetone method was found to be most effective and was further used to identify differentially expressed proteins in response to fungal infection. Thirty-eight differentially expressed proteins were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF/TOF MS/MS). The known proteins were categorized into eight different groups based on their function and maximum proteins belonged to energy and metabolism, cell structure, stress and defense and RNA/DNA categories. Differential expression of some key proteins were also crosschecked at transcriptomic level by using qRT-PCR and were found to be consistent with the 2-DE data. These outcomes enable us to evaluate modifications that take place at the proteomic level during a compatible host pathogen interaction. The comparative proteome analysis conducted in this paper revealed the involvement of many key proteins in the process of pathogenesis and further investigation of these identified proteins could assist in the discovery of new strategies for the development of pathogen resistance in the plant.

The objective of the present study is to investigate nutritional and antioxidant activity of four types of organic tomato cultivars. The differences in tomato quality are also tested between groups with or without treatment using an organic biostimulator, Stimplex. Total phenolic compounds (TPC), lycopene, β-carotene, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and color parameters were investigated in the current study. The results showed that there was no significant difference in TPC among cultivars regardless of Stimplex treatment. Higher lycopene and β-carotene were obtained in Stimplex treated tomatoes. Lycopene and β-carotene contents were significantly different among cultivars (P

Stainless steel wires are the standard method for sternal closure because of their strength and rigidity, the simplicity of the process, and the short healing time that results from their application. Despite this, problems still exist with sternal stability due to micromotion between the two halves of the dissected and wired sternum. Recently, a novel glass-based adhesive was developed which, in cadaveric trials and in conjunction with wiring, was shown to restrict this micromotion. However, in order to avoid complications during resternotomy, the adhesive should adhere only to the bone and not the sternal wire. In this study, sternal wires were embedded in 8 mm discs manufactured from the novel glass-based adhesive and the constructs were then incubated at 37 °C for one, seven, and 30 days. The discs were manufactured in two different thicknesses: 2 and 3 mm. Wire pull-out tests were then performed on the constructs at three different strain rates (1, 0.1, and 0.01 mm/min). No statistically significant difference in pull-out force was found regardless of incubation time, loading rate, or construct thickness. The pull-out forces recorded were consistent with static friction between the wire and adhesive, rather than the adhesion between them. Scanning electron micrographs provided further proof of this. These results indicate that the novel adhesive may be suitable for sternal fixation without complicating a potential resternotomy.

The interleukin (IL)-20 subfamily of cytokines consists of IL-19, IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, and IL-26, and the expression of IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24 is reported to be higher in the colon of patients with ulcerative colitis. Although the receptors for these cytokines are highly expressed in the colon epithelium, their effects on epithelial renewal are not clearly understood. This study evaluated the effects of IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24 in epithelial renewal using the LS174T human colon cancer epithelial cell line. LS174T cells were treated with IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24 (25, 50, and 100 ng/mL) and a live-cell imaging system was used to evaluate the effects on cell proliferation. Following treatment, the signaling pathways contributing to cell proliferation were investigated through Western blotting in LS174T cells and downstream transcriptional changes through qRT-PCR in LS174T cells, and RNA-Seq in primary murine intestinal epithelial cells. Our results demonstrated that only IL-22 promoted LS174T cell proliferation, mediated via extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2-mediated downstream regulation of p90RSK, c-Jun, and transcriptional changes of TRIM15 and STOM. IL-22 also promoted expression of ERK1/2-independent genes such as DDR2, LCN2, and LRG1, which are known to be involved in cell proliferation and migration. This study suggests that IL-22 induces cell proliferation in highly proliferative cells such as intestinal epithelial cells.

Context: Leprosy affected people are having high psychological distress and it in turn leads to psychiatric disorders. There is a paucity of literature from our country in this significant health problem. Aims: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and its association with sociodemographic and clinical factors among the inmates of leprosy homes. Settings and Design: Study sample was obtained from individuals residing in two leprosy homes of malwa belt of Punjab. Materials and Methods: In screening stage, the study subjects were administered sociodemographic proforma and general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). In the confirmation stage, the study subjects were interviewed in detail and disability assessment was done using World Health Organization disability scale. Final psychiatric diagnosis was made as per ICD-10 criteria′s. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was performed using the descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, analysis of variance, and correlation analysis. Results: Majority of the subjects was in the age group 41-50 years, female, married, illiterate, Hindu and were from nuclear families. Nearly, 50.38% of subjects were having GHQ-12 score more than twelve. Nearly, 55.6% subjects were having psychiatric disorders out of which a large number of patients was diagnosed as having dysthymia. The other psychiatric disorders found in the study population were moderate depressive episode, generalized anxiety disorder, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder and schizophrenia unspecified. Psychiatric morbidity was found to be significantly related to age, family status, and duration of leprosy illness and presence of deformities among inmates. Conclusions: This study highlighted that psychiatric disorders were found in a large number among inmates of leprosy homes. Leprosy eradication program must place specific emphasis on psychiatric care of these patients.

The study was conducted on pancreas of 24 buffalo fetuses collected from abattoir and Veterinary clinics, GADVASU, Ludhiana. The buffalo fetuses were divided into three groups after measuring their CVRL, namely, group I (CVRL between 0 and 20 cm), group II (CVRL above 20 cm and up to 40 cm), and group III (CVRL above 40 cm) and their approximate age was calculated. The tissues were processed for light and ultrastructural studies. In group I, at 1.2 cm CVRL (34 days), the pancreas comprised tubules and solid nest of undifferentiated epithelial cells. At 7.5 cm CVRL (63 days) acinar cells with zymogen granules were observed. These acinar cells varied in shape from columnar to pyramidal. At 12.8 cm CVRL (86 days), parenchyma began to organize into lobes and lobules. The centroacinar cells were observed at 12.8 cm CVRL (86 days). In group II, at 28.3 cm CVRL (137 days), there was extensive branching of tubules that resulted in highly branched ductal tree connecting exocrine secretary units to the duct system. The interlobular and intralobular ducts were well observed at this age yet the intercalated ducts were not completely developed. In group III, exocrine pancreas showed a massive growth at 48 cm CVRL (182 days) with distinct pancreatic lobes and lobules. At 54 cm CVRL (195 days), well developed pancreatic architecture was seen with the presence of extensive development of exocrine part organized in lobes and lobules with interlobular and intralobular ducts whereas the intercalated ducts were observed in 80 cm CVRL (254 days).

We study the optimal performance of Feynman’s ratchet and pawl, a paradigmatic model in nonequilibrium physics, using ecological criterion as the objective function. The analysis is performed by two different methods: (i) a two-parameter optimization over internal energy scales; and (ii) a one-parameter optimization of the estimate for the objective function, after averaging over the prior probability distribution (Jeffreys’ prior) for one of the uncertain internal energy scales. We study the model for both engine and refrigerator modes. We derive expressions for the efficiency/coefficient of performance (COP) at maximum ecological function. These expressions from the two methods are found to agree closely with equilibrium situations. Furthermore, the expressions obtained by the second method (with estimation) agree with the expressions obtained in finite-time thermodynamic models.