Search

Background: In addition to other variables associated with PRP injections for Knee Osteoarthritis (OA), some confusion exists about the role of exogenous activators. The current study looks at matched groups getting PRP injections with or without activator (Calcium gluconate) in early knee OA patients. Methods: Patients of early OA knee meeting inclusion criteria were randomly divided into 2 groups; Group A (43 patients) received 8 ml PRP injection alone, and Group B (48 patients) received 8 ml PRP along with 2 ml Calcium gluconate as activator. The patients were evaluated at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months for WOMAC Pain and Total WOMAC scores; secondary variables assessed were VAS score and patient satisfaction. Results: The baseline characteristics of both groups were comparable. Leucocyte-depleted PRP with 5 times concentration and average absolute platelet numbers of 7.144 billion per knee was injected. Mean Pain WOMAC scores decreased in both groups from baseline (group A—8.68, group B—9.09) to final follow-up (group A—4.67, group B—5.11). Similarly, Mean Total WOMAC scores decreased from baseline (group A—37.81, group B—37.41) to (group A—21, group B—21.36) at the final follow-up in both groups. There was no significant difference between both groups, and both showed similar trends. Similar findings were noted for VAS scores. Patient satisfaction was also not different (group A, 90.69%, group B, 89.58%) at the end of 6 months. Conclusion: Our study concluded doubtful role of adding exogenous activator to PRP preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to examine how an exhibitor manages its relationship with visitors in trade fairs to achieve desired outcomes. Drawing on the relational (group-value) model of justice, this research argues that visitors' procedural and distributive fairness perceptions impact their happiness, relationship commitment, and behavioral intentions with exhibitors. Data comprising 350 business visitors from eight trade fairs related to the electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, apparel, and renewable energy industries were analyzed. The findings show that while procedural fairness perceptions significantly impact visitors' happiness, distributive fairness perceptions do not have a significant relationship. Happiness leads to a positive relationship between visitors' commitment and behavioral outcomes. This research is one of the earliest attempts to evaluate the role of fairness perceptions and happiness in the context of trade fairs. The results also indicate that small-scale visitors show less concern for procedural fairness than large-scale visitors, but they show a higher tendency for relationship commitment and behavioral intentions than large-scale visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper (Cu) loses its useful properties in some environments due to corrosion. This work proposes chloroform extract of mint leaves (CEML) as a coating material for lowering Cu loss in 0.5 M NaCl. The CEML has been synthesized using a simple extraction process and examined through UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. NiO nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized using water extract of mint leaves (AEML) and studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The investigation suggests that mint-leaf-modified NiO NPs have been formed. The CEML is drop-cast on Cu in layers (1–3 layers) without and with different amounts of NPs (5–20 mg). The corrosion prevention potential of CEML coating on Cu without and with NiO NPs has been examined using open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and Tafel polarization curves (TPC). The maximum prevention efficiencies of 88% and 97% have been achieved using two layers of CEML coating and one layer of CEML with 15 mg NiO NPs. The surface conditions of the bare and coated Cu have been recorded using FESEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM), which reveal that the coated Cu (CEML and CEML + NiO) appears to be protected. The corrosion products have been analyzed using EDX, which indicates the presence of oxides, chlorides, and hydroxides of Cu. The hydrophobicity of the bare and coated Cu has been determined from water contact angle (WCA) measurements. A corrosion prevention mechanism is also proposed based on the results achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural and waste materials could be a successful and economical strategy for saving metals from corrosion because they could easily exchange electrons with the metals through their biomolecules. This work reported the use of waste sponge gourd peels (SGP) for the suppression of mild steel (MS) loss after dipping in 0.5 M NaCl. The water and ethanolic extracts of sponge gourd peels (SGPAE and SGPEE) had been prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Both extracts were found to be loaded with biomolecules. SGPAE was used as an inhibitor, and SGPEE was utilized as a coating. Different concentrations (50–300 mg L−1) of SGPAE were added to 0.5 M NaCl, and SGPEE layers (1–5) were deposited on MS via drop casting and then exposed to salty water. The corrosion testing had been performed by open circuit potential (OCP) monitoring, Tafel polarization curves (TC), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), field ion emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectra (EDX), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The testing had shown that both extracts were effective against MS corrosion. SGPAE had shown maximum inhibition at 200 mg L−1 (75%), and SGPEE had shown maximum protection of 83% for 4 layers. The cause of MS protection by SGP was claimed to be the coverage of MS by the adsorbed molecules (SGPAE) or thin barrier layers of molecules (SGPEE). The reason for protection was also explained through an illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Telomere length changes in metabolic and vascular disorders. • Peripheral blood lymphocytic telomere shortening in diabetic mellitus and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). • No correlation between echocardiography parameters & telomere length in IDCM. • Neuropathic complication does not influence telomere shortening phenotype. Telomere shortening has been associated with ageing and with many age-related diseases including cancer, coronary artery disease, heart failure and diabetes. We sought to investigate the link between telomere shortening and age-related diseases like type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (without any complications: DM; with neuropathic complication: DN) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) in south Indian population. We compared telomere lengths of blood lymphocytes taken from patients with associated age-related diseases, namely DM (n = 47), DN (n = 52) and IDCM (n = 34) and controls (n = 46). In addition, we evaluated the relationship between echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic and systolic diameters (LVEDd and LVESd) and telomere length in IDCM patients. Telomere length negatively correlated with age in the cohorts with diabetes and IDCM, and in controls. Average telomere length in diabetes and IDCM patients was significantly shorter than that of controls either before or after adjustments for age and sex. Duration of diabetes in patients with type 2 diabetes did not correlate with telomere length. No correlation was found between the length of telomeres and echocardiography parameters like LVEF, LVEDd and LVESd in IDCM patients. Though echocardiographic characteristics of IDCM did not correlate with telomere length, telomere shortening was found to be accelerated in diabetes (both DM and DN) and IDCM in a south Indian population. Neuropathic complication in diabetes had no effect on telomere shortening. While telomere shortening is a cause or a consequence of diabetic and cardiac pathology remains further investigation, the current study substantiates the usefulness of telomere length measurements as a marker in conjunction with other biochemical markers of age-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the implementation of lean practices in service operations of homestay establishments. The assessment is done in three ways – the assessment of lean knowledge, assessment of lean implementation, and assessment of community participation. Lean implementation includes four major constructs as waste elimination, transparency, quality management, and workforce empowerment & treatment. This paper uses a case study methodology and addresses five different establishments. Within case analysis, cross-case comparisons have been used as the techniques to analyze the data collected on the constructs and sub-constructs obtained from literature. The study has explored multiple scenarios of lean implementation with varying lean knowledge. It further observes three different practitioners of lean management as methodic, admirer, and sustained believer. The study has its implications for both researchers and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) toward hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) raises high hopes for disease modeling, drug screening, and cellular therapy. Various differentiation protocols have been established to generate iPSC-derived HPCs (iHPCs) that resemble their primary counterparts in morphology and immunophenotype, whereas a systematic epigenetic comparison was yet elusive. Results: In this study, we compared genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns of iHPCs with various different hematopoietic subsets. After 20 days of in vitro differentiation, cells revealed typical hematopoietic morphology, CD45 expression, and colony-forming unit (CFU) potential. DNAm changes were particularly observed in genes that are associated with hematopoietic differentiation. On the other hand, the epigenetic profiles of iHPCs remained overall distinct from natural HPCs. Furthermore, we analyzed if additional co-culture for 2 weeks with syngenic primary mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) or iPSC-derived MSCs (iMSCs) further supports epigenetic maturation toward the hematopoietic lineage. Proliferation of iHPCs and maintenance of CFU potential was enhanced upon co-culture. However, DNAm profiles support the notion that additional culture expansion with stromal support did not increase epigenetic maturation of iHPCs toward natural HPCs. Conclusion: Differentiation of iPSCs toward the hematopoietic lineage remains epigenetically incomplete. These results substantiate the need to elaborate advanced differentiation regimen while DNAm profiles provide a suitable measure to track this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increasing incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus globally has collaterally increased the incidence of diabetes-associated complications such as neuropathy. Oxidative stress induced DNA damage is one of the mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Here we aimed to evaluate the extent of DNA damage in diabetes patients with and without clinical neuropathy using the Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus Cytome assay, in a group of South Indian population. Materials and Methods: The Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus Cytome assay was performed in lymphocyte cultures of 42 type 2 diabetes patients (22 with neuropathy and 20 without neuropathy) and 42 age and sex matched controls. Nuclear aberrations like Nuclear Buds, Nucleoplasmic Bridges and Micronuclei were analyzed. Results: The frequency of nuclear aberrations in diabetes patients with neuropathy was higher than compared to diabetes patients without neuropathy. The mean frequencies of nuclear aberrations per cell in diabetes patients with neuropathy and without neuropathy were 0.02 ± 0.02 and 0.01 ± 0.01, respectively. This was significantly higher than in the controls (0.002 ± 0.002) (P < 0.0001). An increasing trend of nuclear aberrations in correlation with the duration of diabetes was observed. Conclusion: This study highlights the use of the Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus Cytome assay as a potent tool for the identification of DNA damage, which may prove to be useful biomarker to assess the severity diabetes-associated complications such as neuropathy. Implementation of this technique at the clinical level would potentially enhance the quality of management of patients with diabetes and its complications like neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]