Buffer gas cooled ice chemistry. II. Ice generation and mm-wave detection of molecules desorbed from an ice.

This second paper in a series of two describes the chirped-pulse ice apparatus that permits the detection of buffer gas cooled molecules desorbed from an energetically processed ice using broadband mm-wave rotational spectroscopy. Here, we detail the lower ice stage developed to generate ices at 4 K, which can then undergo energetic processing via UV/VUV photons or high-energy electrons and which ultimately enter the gas phase via temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Over the course of TPD, the lower ice stage is interfaced with a buffer gas cooling cell that allows for sensitive detection via chirped-pulse rotational spectroscopy in the 60-90 GHz regime. In addition to a detailed description of the ice component of this apparatus, we show proof-of-principle experiments demonstrating the detection of H2CO products formed through irradiation of neat methanol ices or 1:1 CO + CH4 mixed ices.

Pediatric hyperlipidemia.

The leading cause of mortality worldwide is atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerotic plaques are well known to originate early in the childhood. Identifying hyperlipidemia in early childhood creates an opportunity to prevent major cardiovascular events in adults. Children with identified risk factors are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular incidents in later life. This article emphasizes the diagnosis and management of pediatric hyperlipidemia with reference to the recent guidelines. In terms of etiology pediatric hyperlipidemia are divided into primary and secondary causes. The mainstay of management includes high-risk target screening, early risk factor identification and lifestyle modifications in vulnerable population. Drug therapy is recommended in primary hyperlipidemia and in children with no response to lifestyle changes.

Anxiety, depression and harmful use of alcohol in severe chronic plaque psoriasis: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Psoriasis is a common, chronic T cell-mediated disease characterised by erythematous, scaly plaques. Psoriasis is associated with depression, anxiety, poor quality of life, harmful use of alcohol and suicidal ideation. We performed this study to find out prevalence of psychological morbidity in our patients with severe psoriasis and to know clinical variables associated with higher risk of psychological morbidity. Method: This study is a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a dermatology outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care centre. Study population included patients with severe psoriasis area severity index (PASI>10). Clinical and epidemiological data, Patient health questionnaire-9, Generalised anxiety disorder-7, Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test questionnaires were recorded. Data were analysed using SPSS, version 24. Chi-square test and Spearman's rank correlation test (ρ) were performed, and p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 140 patients were included in the study and consisted of 67 men and 73 women. The median age was 44 years, median duration of disease was 10 years and median PASI was 13.6. Scoring revealed moderate-to-severe depression in 69 (49.3%) patients, moderate-to-severe anxiety in 40 (28.6%), severe impairment in quality of life in 98 (70%), harmful use of alcohol in 23 (16.4%) and suicidal ideation in 11 (7.8%) patients. Young age, recent onset, higher PASI and facial involvement show significant association with depression, anxiety and poor quality of life. Conclusion: Screening for psychological morbidity should be performed in patients with severe psoriasis especially younger patients with recent onset disease. Higher DLQI points to concomitant psychological morbidity and it should be performed in all the patients.

Palmoplantar Plaque Psoriasis is Associated with Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome-A Case-Control Study.

Background: Palmoplantar plaque psoriasis is a regional variant of psoriasis, characterized by erythematous, indurated plaques with fissuring over palms and soles. Chronic plaque psoriasis is associated with various comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Body surface area involvement is an indicator of psoriasis severity, and most comorbidities are more strongly correlated with severe disease. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of metabolic comorbidities in palmoplantar plaque psoriasis. Methods: It is a case-control study involving treatment naïve palmoplantar plaque psoriasis patients and age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Results: The study included 100 cases and 100 controls. The mean age among cases and controls was 45.4 ± 11.1 and 43.9 ± 10.3 years, respectively (P: 0.31). The gender ratio among cases and controls was 1.56 (61M: 39F) and 1.94 (66M: 34F), respectively. Comorbidities including metabolic syndrome (P: 0.001), obesity (P: 0.001), diabetes mellitus (P: 0.001), and hypertension (P: 0.001) were more common among cases as compared to controls. The odds of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and obesity in patients with palmoplantar psoriasis were 4.8 (95% CI 2.5-9.3), 3.7 (95% CI 2-6.9), 3.1 (95% CI 1.6-6), and 3.5 (95% CI 1.9-6.4), respectively. Conclusion: In this study, we found that palmoplantar plaque psoriasis is associated with metabolic comorbidities. Primary care physicians should screen patients with palmoplantar psoriasis for these comorbidities.

Buffer gas cooled ice chemistry. I. Buffer gas cell and mm-wave spectrometer.

A new instrument is described that will employ buffer gas cooling with mm-wave rotational spectroscopy (60-90 GHz) to probe molecules desorbed from astrochemical ices prepared in an ultrahigh vacuum environment. Here the design and performance of the buffer gas cell, mm-wave spectrometer and data acquisition system are reported, while application to molecules desorbed from ice surfaces will be described in a future publication. The effective temperature of the neon-cooled buffer gas cell is determined by monitoring a range of rotational lines of propyl cyanide introduced into the cell. Its number density is estimated from comparison to room temperature measurements and the effective collision cross section with neon is estimated by monitoring the free induction decay (FID) lifetimes. The spectrometer and data acquisition system described are capable of acquiring and time-domain averaging the FIDs at 10 Gs/s, 10 bit vertical resolution and 98% duty cycle.

Variation in biochemical, physiological and ecophysiological traits among the teak (Tectona grandis Linn. f) seed sources of India.

Teak being an iconic timber species the studies on its physiological and biochemical traits are very limited in India and worldwide. As a result, the current study aimed to assess biochemical parameters such as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, chlorophyll ab ratio, proline content, and peroxidase activity, along with physiological parameters such as Chlorophyll stability index, relative water content, and leaf area, as well as ecophysiological traits such as net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), transpiration rate (Tr), Leaf temperature, intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE), instantaneous water use efficiency and intrinsic carboxylation efficiency of thirty teak seed sources collected from different states of India. FCRITK 19, FCRITK 21, FCRITK 25, FCRITK 29, and FCRITK 05 were reported to have a greater photosynthetic rate (> 17 µmol m-2 s-1) coupled with a relative water content of more than 50% and a chlorophyll stability index of more than 60%, which could be used in a future genetic improvement programme. Correlation analysis indicated that water use efficiency was found to be strongly but negatively correlated with transpiration rate (-0.601) and stomatal conductance (-0.910). The proline content had a substantial positive correlation with the chlorophyll stability index (0.890), signifying that they are associated with abiotic stress conditions. Cluster analysis was attempted to discriminate the sources based on biochemical, physiological and ecophysiological traits. Eleven sources (FCRITK 25, FCRITK 27, FCRITK 29, FCRITK 14, FCRITK 30, FCRITK 16, FCRITK 05, FCRITK 13, FCRITK 02, FCRITK 17 and FCRITK 15) exhibited superior performance compared to rest of the sources.

Trichoscopy of Pressure-Induced Alopecia and Alopecia Areata: A Comparative Study.

Background: Pressure-induced alopecia is an uncommon type of alopecia. It can occur in both scarring as well as non-scarring form and occurs due to ischemia resulting from prolonged head immobilisation during surgery or hospitalisation. The patchy hair loss generally involves convexities of scalp specially vertex and occiput. The hair loss is usually noticed 3 -28 days after the inciting event and regrowth of hair occurs between 1 - 4 months. Objective: To describe trichoscopic features of pressure alopecia and compare it with the closest differential, alopecia areata. Methodology: It is a retrospective observational study. Trichoscopic features of six cases of pressure alopecia seen during the study period were compared with alopecia areata and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Results: The study had 30 cases, six cases of pressure alopecia and 24 cases of alopecia areata. The mean age of patients with pressure alopecia and alopecia areata was 45.16 and 29.08 years respectively. Comedone- like black dots, black dots and area of scarring were statistically significant for pressure alopecia while exclamation mark hairs were significant for alopecia areata. Conclusion: Trichoscopy is a non-invasive test for diagnosis of alopecia and "Comedone-like black dots" are unique trichoscopic feature of pressure alopecia.

Long-term variability of trace gases over the Indian Western Himalayan Region.

The four-year continuous measurements of CO, NOx, NH3, SO2, and O3 were carried at a high altitude site (32.12°N, 76.56°E at 1347 m AMSL) of the Indian Western Himalayan area to study the mixing ratios of these gases for understanding the changing trends of these trace gases over the region. Each of these trace gases showed significant daily and monthly variabilities. The highest variability was recorded in the monthly mean values of O3 as it varied from 10 to 63 ppb during the study period. All the trace gases except CO showed maximum variability in the pre-monsoon seasons due to the strong advection and vertical circulation of air masses at the site. The seasonal mean maxima of CO were recorded during the monsoon season, while the mean maxima of NH3 were recorded during the post-monsoon seasons. The meteorological parameters have been found to influence the mixing ratios of trace gases. The least variability in the mean seasonal mixing ratios of SO2 during the study period indicated the constant point source of SO2 near the site. The trajectories analysis revealed that the area receives maximum air masses from the southeast to the west directions where a number of the coal-based thermal power plants, industries, cement plants, and agricultural fields are also located. The influence of valley-to-mountain circulations was also observed at the site, resulting in the transport of pollutant-rich air masses from local and distant sources to the site. A comparison of the mixing ratios of different trace gases obtained in the present study is also made with the values reported for other high altitude stations in the world.

Pattern of use of biologics in psoriasis among Indian dermatologists - A cross sectional survey.

Background and Aims Biologics are a relatively new class of highly effective drugs in the management of psoriasis. They act on specific immune processes, achieve rapid and sustained clearance and do not cause target organ damage unlike conventional systemic therapy. It appears that their use in our country is not as widespread as in developed nations despite these benefits ; their prohibitive cost may be a major factor for the limited usage. This survey aimed to find out the extent of use and factors hindering usage of biologics for the management of psoriasis by Indian dermatologists. Methods It was a cross-sectional questionnaire based study. The questionnaire was designed after a focussed group discussion, followed by validation. The survey was sent in the form of a link to Indian dermatologists. The responses were recorded in excel-sheet and the data was analyzed by SPSS ver 25. Results Of the 310 participants who took part, 287 completed the survey. Two hundred (70%) were users of biologics, while 87 (30%) had never used them. Cost was the major factor which prevented biologic use. Majority of the respondents used biologics in less than 2 cases per month. Secukinumab was the most common biologic used followed by etanercept. The factors which determined choice of biologics were convenience, cost, previous experience, co-morbid conditions and recommendations by an expert. Limitations A small sample size was the limitation of the study. Dermatologists who do not use biologics may be under-represented in the study. Conclusions Biologics are not used optimally by Indian dermatologists for management of psoriasis. The cost, fear of adverse effects, lack of awareness and inadequate felt need are major factors which prevent their regular use.

Latent Tuberculosis in Psoriasis Patients Planned for Systemic Therapy - A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: India has a high prevalence of tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is common in the general population. LTBI can progress to active tuberculosis in almost 10% patients and the risk increases with immunosuppression. This predisposes patients of psoriasis on systemic therapy for the development of active tuberculosis. AIMS: To find the prevalence of LTBI in patients with psoriasis planned for systemic therapy. METHODOLOGY: It was a prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care center during period Jan-Dec 2019. Patients older than 18 years with chronic plaque psoriasis planned for systemic therapy and willing to be part of the study were included. Baseline clinical data were collected. Radiograph of chest and tuberculin skin test (TST) was performed in all patients. Detailed evaluation including sputum examination and computed tomography of the chest and abdomen were performed in patients with TST >10 mm. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients met the inclusion criteria of the study, with the mean age of patients being 29.5 ± 2.12 years. Out of these patients, 58 were males and 47 females. The mean duration of psoriasis was 2.95 ± 1.3 years. The mean PASI score was 16.71 ± 4.384. Mantoux was positive (>10 mm) in 33 (31.42%) patients. Two patients were found to have features of active tuberculosis based on imaging and microbiological investigations. Totally, 31 (29.5%) patients had LTBI and were treated with isoniazid and rifampicin for three months while 2 (1.9%) patients were treated with four drugs antitubercular regimen. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, convenience method of sampling and study population limited to those visiting medical college hospital are its major limitations. CONCLUSION: LTBI is common in study population and screening for LTBI should be performed in all patients of psoriasis planned for systemic therapy. A thorough search for active tuberculosis should be performed. Timely detection of LTBI helps in the prevention of development of active tuberculosis in the patients on immunosuppressive treatment.

Role of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Hypocalcemia-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Pediatric Population.

Background Hypocalcemia is a rare reversible cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in pediatric population. Myocarditis is another more frequent cause of cardiomyopathy with overlapping presenting features. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is a vital modality capable of tissue characterization for the evaluation of cardiomyopathy. The present study is the first attempt to determine if any specific characteristics on CMR exist in patients with hypocalcemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods A retrospective analysis of 10 cases of hypocalcemic dilated cardiomyopathy (August 2012-August 2019), among which CMRI of nine patients were analyzed. Patients were categorized in to three categories; category 1 defined as absence of edema and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), category 2 having edema only, and category 3 with presence of both edema and LGE. A diagnosis of myocarditis was considered if both edema and LGE were present. Results The mean age of the cohort was 5.5 ± 3.3 months. The mean ejection fraction of the cohort was 20.5 ± 6.85% that improved significantly to 35.22 ± 9.3% at the time of discharge. Five of nine patients had no edema or LGE (category 1), whereas two patients each were categorized into category 2 and 3. All cases in category 1 had normalized ventricular function on follow-up. One patient in category 2 had normal ejection fraction and one was lost to follow-up. Out of the two patients in category 3, there was one mortality and another was lost to follow-up. Of the six patients at follow-up (19 ± 11.0 months), the mean left ventricle ejection fraction improved to 56.5 ± 6.1%. Conclusion Hypocalcemic dilated cardiomyopathy has a favorable outcome on rapid initiation of treatment. CMR can be utilized for further prognostication of these patients. Absence of edema and LGE predicts a good outcome, whereas presence of LGE and/or edema either indicates a worse prognosis or an underlying coexistent myocarditis warranting an early myocardial biopsy.

Electrochemical Enzyme-free Sensing of Oxalic Acid Using an Amine-mediated Synthesis of CuS Nanosphere.

Copper sulfide nanospheres (CuS NS) were prepared by a solvothermal method with the support of p-phenylene diamine as a structure direct agent. The formation of CuS NS was evaluated using XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, XPS, and electrochemical methods. The CuS NS modified electrode demonstrated excellent electro-catalytic behavior for the electro-oxidation of oxalic acid (OA). The modified electrode showed a good linear range (50 to 700 µM), high sensitivity (0.0353 µA µM-1 cm-2), a low detection limit (35.6 µM), long term stability and good anti-interference behavior.