An overview of biochar production techniques and application in iron and steel industries.

Integrating innovation and environmental responsibility has become important in pursuing sustainable industrial practices in the contemporary world. These twin imperatives have stimulated research into developing methods that optimize industrial processes, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness while mitigating undesirable ecological impacts. This objective is exemplified by the emergence of biochar derived from the thermo-chemical transformation of biomass. This review examines biochar production methods and their potential applications across various aspects of the iron and steel industries (ISI). The technical, economic, and sustainable implications of integrating biochar into the ISI were explored. Slow pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization are the most efficient methods for higher biochar yield (25-90%). Biochar has several advantages- higher heating value (30-32 MJ/kg), more porosity (58.22%), and significantly larger surface area (113 m2/g) compared to coal and coke. However, the presence of biochar often reduces fluidity in a coal-biochar mixture. The findings highlighted that biochar production and implementation in ISI often come with higher costs, primarily due to the higher expense of substitute fuels compared to traditional fossil fuels. The economic viability and societal desirability of biochar are highly uncertain and vary significantly based on factors such as location, feedstock type, production scale, and biochar pricing, among others. Furthermore, biomass and biochar supply chain is another important factor which determines its large scale implementation. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities to reduce emissions from BF-BOF operations by utilizing biochar technologies. Overall, the present study explored integrating diverse biochar production methods into the ISI aiming to contribute to the ongoing research on sustainable manufacturing practices, underscoring their significance in shaping a more environmentally conscious future.

Expression of Interleukin-8, Interleukin-12 and Interleukin-13 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Biomarker Potentiality and Prognostic Significance.

PURPOSE: Interleukin-8 (IL8), Interleukin-12 (IL12) and Interleukin-13 (IL13) are cytokines that play regulatory role in cancer pathogenesis. We analysed their expression profile to evaluate as molecular biomarkers of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and their association with different parameters and patient survival. METHODS: Expression analysis was performed by Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was done. The expression profiles were associated with different clinicopathological and dietary factors. Survival and hazard analysis were also performed. RESULTS: IL8 expression showed upregulation in tissue (p = 0.000) and blood samples (p = 0.481), IL12 expression showed downregulation in tissue samples (p = 0.064) and upregulation in blood samples (p = 0.689) and IL13 expression showed upregulation in tissue (p = 0.000) and blood samples (p = 0.006). IL13 expression in tissue showed the highest area under the curve (AUC) value (0.773) for ESCC diagnosis, followed by IL8 expression in tissue (0.704) and IL13 expression in blood (0.643). This study also reveals the correlation of studied cytokines in tissue and blood level. Different clinicopathological and dietary factors showed significant association (p < 0.05) with IL8, IL12 and IL13 expression and with survival of ESCC patients. IL8 expression in blood and IL12 expression in tissue and blood showed significant association (p < 0.05) with patient survival. CONCLUSION: Altered expression of IL8, IL12 and IL13 may be associated with ESCC progression. Overexpression of IL8 and IL13 in tissue samples may be potential biomarkers for ESCC screening. Additionally, both survival and hazard analysis data indicate the effects of different parameters on the prognosis of ESCC patients.

Altered TLR7 Expression-Mediated Immune Modulation Is Supportive of Persistent Replication and Intrauterine Transmission of HBV.

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is posing as a serious public health threat mainly due to its asymptomatic nature of infection in pregnancy and vertical transmission. Viral sensing toll-like receptors (TLR) and Interleukins (IL) are important molecules in providing an antiviral state. The study aimed to assess the role of TLR7-mediated immune modulation, which might have an impact in the intrauterine transmission of HBV leading to mother to child transmission of the virus. We investigated the expression pattern of TLR7, IL-3, and IL-6 by RT-PCR in the placentas of HBV-infected pregnant women to see their role in the intrauterine transmission of HBV. We further validated the expression of TLR7 in placentas using Immunohistochemistry. Expression analysis by RT-PCR of TLR7 revealed significant downregulation among the Cord blood (CB) HBV DNA positive and negative cases with mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 0.43 ± 0.22 (28) and 1.14 ± 0.57 (44) with p = 0.001. IL-3 and IL-6 expression revealed significant upregulation in the CB HBV DNA-positive cases with p = 0.001. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that TLR7 and IL-3 fold change and mother HBeAg status are important predictors for HBV mother to child transmission. Immunohistochemistry revealed the decreased expression of TLR7 in CB HBV DNA-positive cases. This study reveals that the downregulation of TLR7 in the placenta along with CB HBV DNA-positive status may lead to intrauterine transmission of HBV, which may lead to vertical transmission of HBV.

Assessing the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with multimorbidity in reproductive aged women in India.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive span is the foundation of every woman's health in later life. India is currently facing a growing burden of multiple morbidities among the women in their reproductive age group which may further increase over the coming decades. The purpose of the present study aimed to identify different modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors affecting multimorbidity among the women in reproductive age group in Indian context. METHODS: Secondary data were obtained from the Demography and Health Survey (DHS), conducted in India during 2019-2021. A total of 671,967 women aged 15-49 years were selected for this present study. Descriptive, association studies and multinominal logistic regression analyses were performed to accomplish the objectives. RESULTS: Currently, 6.3% of total study participant's reproductive age group women suffered from multimorbidity in India. Never consuming protein, fruits, vegetables and milk increase the chances of developing multimorbidity. Consumption of fried foods, aerated drinks and addiction towards tobacco and alcohol also has a greater influence on the prevalence of multimorbidity. The prevalence of multimorbidity is sharply increased with increasing age and Body Mass Index (BMI). Regionally, the prevalence of multimorbidity was found more among the women hailed from eastern and north-eastern India. CONCLUSION: To reduce the risk of developing multimorbidity, targeted interventions are needed in the form of educating every woman concerning the importance of having minimum health-related knowledge, maintaining healthy lifestyle, weight management and having proper and balanced diet.

Revisiting large complex ventral hernia repair: multimodal hybrid technique deploying preoperative Botulinum Toxin A injection, laparoscopic anterior components separation and open mesh repair.

In the past, various techniques had been described to repair large complex ventral hernias. Laparoscopic technique of components separation showed low complication rates and better overall outcome. Recently, Botulinum Toxin A (BTA) has shown benefit in achieving tension-free repair. We describe here our multimodal technique combining BTA injection, laparoscopic anterior components separation (LACS) and open mesh repair. Ten consecutive cases performed over 3 years were studied. A standardised technique was used with a reasonably short learning curve. Patients who generally fit for general anaesthesia were offered surgery after detailed preoperative imaging work up and informed consent. Demographic details, preoperative risk stratification, intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were recorded and analysed. A structured step by step management strategy was adopted. Total ten (n = 10) cases with median age of 42.5 years (range 28-76 years), male to female ratio of 8:2 and median BMI of 32.6 were included. Three patients had pre-existing stomas. Median diameter of hernial defect was 10 cm, IQR 4.8 cm and range of 6-20 cm. No intraoperative or immediate complications were observed. Median hospital stay was 6 days. Two seromas (20%) and two return to theatre (20%) were observed. One recurrence (10%) was observed after median follow-up of 32 months. No 90-day mortality was recorded. Multimodal technique of BTA injection, LACS and midline mesh repair is a reproducible, safe and effective option to repair large complex ventral hernias.

Occurrence of Existing BCR-ABL Baseline Mutations and Associated Haplotype (NmR) Among CML Patients with Diverse IM Response: A Hospital-based Study from North-East India.

Highly polymorphic BCR-ABL kinase domains have been reported to harbor more than a hundred mutations, and among these, 40-60% have been identified as influencers of imatinib mesylate (IM) resistance. The emergence of IM resistance poses a significant challenge in the management of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). M351T (rs121913457), E255K (rs387906517), and Y253H (rs121913461) are of particular clinical significance due to their association with high-level imatinib resistance. This study was conducted to investigate the potential role of three significant SNPs in CML progression due to IM resistance. During the study period from 2018 to 2022 (48 months), the blood samples from 219 Reverse transcriptase-PCR-confirmed CML patients following RNA extraction and cDNA preparation were subjected to M351T, E255K, and Y253H mutation analysis by PCR-RFLP. After agarose gel visualization, the samples were subjected to Sanger sequencing to confirm the nucleotide change at the polymorphic loci. The wild-type genotype of all three ABL1 SNPs under investigation exhibits a significant reduction in frequency among IM non-responders compared to the responder group. The CGT haplotype frequency exhibits a significant difference between IM responder (4.2%) and non-responder (11.8%) (p = 0.002 < 0.05). Further, CGC haplotype was observed solely among the imatinib non-responder patients with a frequency percentage of 3.3% (p = 0.004), whereas the said genotype was absent among the responder group. A reduced overall survival rate was observed with deviation from wild-type genotype (M351T loci (T > C) with 1.217 times, E255K (G > A) with 1.485 and Y253H (T > C) with 1.399 times increase in hazard ratio) thereby enhancing mortality risk due to disease progression. The significant increase in the frequency of M351T, E255K, and Y253H loci among the IM non-responder group indicated their probable association with the development of IM resistance among CML patients. A haplotype frequency distribution pattern analysis of ABL1 loci further identified the CGC haplotype as an independent predictor for IM resistance. As such the study highlights the importance of patient characteristics, genotype distribution, and haplotype frequency distribution in predicting the response to IM treatment and clinical outcomes of CML patients.

An association of deficiencies in balanced dietary practices and inadequate iron and folic acid supplement's intake during pregnancy and increasing risk of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia among Indian women.

Pre-eclampsia or eclampsia is a serious reproductive health problem which can cause maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. However till the notable reasons of it is not very clear at all. The main essence of the present study was to examine the association between dietary intake, iron and folic acid consumption during pregnancy and the chances of occurrences of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia among Indian women. A cross sectional observational study was performed by using NFHS-5 (2019-21) data. 190,797 ever married women aged between 15-49 years who had a live birth in the past five years preceding the survey were availed for this study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was carried out to find out the association between dietary and supplementary intake and occurrences of eclampsia. About 3.6% of the sample women had pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. The results of the study indicated that the likelihood of the prevalence of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia was significantly higher among those women who did not take adequate diet and as well as not consumed iron and folic acid tablet or syrup for at least 90 days during pregnancy compared to those women who took adequate diet and iron and folic acid supplementation even after controlling some maternal, health and lifestyle, socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Integrated and quality ANC services can only ensure adequate nutritional intake in terms of healthy and balanced diet. So, quality ANC services and with this micronutrients intake could be an effective way to reduce the prevalence of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia.

Epigenetic Modulation of DDIT3 and MGMT Expression Acts Synergistically with Resistance to Imatinib towards CML Disease Progression: A Hospital based Study.

INTRODUCTION: Imatinib Mesylate is an authenticated drug that aids in the treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and Philadelphia patients which is recognized as a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Indeed, DNA Methylation occupies a key role in the stability of chromosomes. OBJECTIVE: Changes in the methylation status of genes may impart to the advancement of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia. The present investigation aims to assess the role of expression analysis and methylation status of DDIT3 and MGMT genes in imatinib-resistant and nonresistant cases. METHODS: The Imatinib resistance was screened through RFLP. In this case maximum number of patients were recorded in the chronic phase belonging to the age group 40-59 and the accelerated and blast phase is more common in elderly patients showing the progressive nature of the disease with age. Hemoglobin and platelet count are found to be higher in cases where WBC count was minimal. A history of long-term alcohol consumption is found to be associated with the progression of the disease. RESULTS: The maximum level of expression of the DDIT3 gene was recorded in the chronic phase regardless of upstream (67.8%) and downstream (57.9%) regulation. The highest MGMT expression regulation was also observed in the case of chronic phase in both upstream (78.9%) and downstream (44%) regulation. Further, the MGMT gene showed the highest methylation of 6.6% and DDIT3 showed 3.3% in CML cases. CONCLUSION: In the present study notable depletion of survivality was established in the Imatinib resistance patients manifesting genetic malfunction of BCR-ABL transcripts among the North East Indian inhabitants and advocating for the expansion of the disease.

Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in VDR, GC Globulin and CYP2R1 with the Risk of Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The proactive role of vitamin D has been well determined in different cancers. The protein that encodes the components of the vitamin D metabolism could appear to play a pivotal role in vitamin D stability and its maintenance. A polymorphism in vitamin-D-receptor (VDR), carrier globulin/binding protein (GC) and cytochrome P-450 family 2, subfamily R, polypeptide 1 (CYP2R1) genes has been predicted to be associated with the development of cancer. This study was designed to detect the association of VDR, GC Globulin and CYP2R1 gene polymorphism with the risk of esophageal cancer in the North-east Indian population. METHODS: To carry out the study, a total of 100 patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer and 101 healthy controls were enrolled. In a case-control manner, all samples were subjected to do genotype testing for known SNPs on the VDR (rs1544410), GC (rs4588), and CYP2R1 (rs10741657) genes using Restriction-fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) followed by Sanger sequencing. The collected demographic and clinical data were analysed using the statistical software package SPSS v22.0. RESULTS: The VDR haplotype heterozygous TC was found strongly associated with the carcinoma group (OR:1.09, 95%CI:0.67-1.75). The risk factors analysis using the GC globulin rs4588 phenotype, found a positive correlation in terms of mutant AA's harmful influence on the cancer cohort (OR = 1.125, OR=1.125, 95% CI, 0.573-2.206). The influence of the CYP2R1 rs10741657 polymorphism on the malignant cohort revealed that the GG mutant had a significant negative influence on the carcinoma, has an influential role in disease severity ( OR:1.736, at 95% CI; 0.368-8.180). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study revealed the potential association of VDR gene polymorphism in the progression and development of esophageal cancer in north east Indian population cohort.

Role of inflammasomes and cytokines in immune dysfunction of liver cirrhosis.

Liver cirrhosis develops as a result of persistent inflammation and liver injury. The prolonged inflammation triggers the buildup of fibrous tissue and regenerative nodules within the liver, leading to the distortion of the hepatic vascular structure and impaired liver function. Cirrhosis disrupts the ability of liver function to maintain homeostasis and hepatic immunosurveillance which causes immunological dysfunction in the body. In pathological conditions, the production of cytokines in the liver is carefully regulated by various cells in response to tissue stimulation. Cytokines and inflammasomes are the key regulators and systematically contribute to the development of cirrhosis which involves an inflammatory response. However, the crosstalk role of different cytokines in the cirrhosis progression is poorly understood. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), among others, are proinflammatory cytokines that contribute to liver cell necrosis, which in turn causes the development of fibrosis. While IL-10 exhibits a potent anti-inflammatory effect on the liver by inhibiting immune cell activation and neutralizing pro-inflammatory cytokine activity. Inflammasomes have also been implicated in the profibrotic processes of liver cirrhosis, as well as the production of chemokines such as CCL2/MCP-1. It is evident that inflammasomes have a role in the proinflammatory response seen in chronic liver illnesses. In conclusion, cirrhosis significantly impacts the immune system, leading to immunological dysfunction and alterations in both innate and acquired immunity. Proinflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IFNγ are upregulated in cirrhosis, contributing to liver cell necrosis and fibrosis development. Managing cytokine-mediated inflammation and fibrosis is a key therapeutic approach to alleviate portal hypertension and its associated liver complications. This review attempted to focus largely on the role of immune dysfunction mediated by different cytokines and inflammasomes involved in the progression, regulation and development of liver cirrhosis.

Evaluation and analysis of novel germline variants in ethanol metabolism pathway genes predisposition to liver disease.

The pathogenetic events of liver disease are seemingly determined by factors linked to ethanol metabolism. The variations in genes encoding enzymes of the ethanol metabolic pathway can influence exposure to alcohol and thus may act as risk factors for the development of liver disease. The present study aimed to understand the genetic aspect of germline variations in ethanol metabolic pathway genes in two major categories of liver disease i.e. ALD and NAFLD. Targeted Re-sequencing was performed in the two disease categories along with healthy control followed by an assessment and evaluation of the variants in a case vs control manner. The pathogenicity prediction was evaluated using SIFT, PolyPhen, PROVEN, LRT, CADD, FATHMM, EIGEN, REVEL and VarSome, while MD simulation of a novel significant variant was performed using the GROMACS 5.1.4 package. The annotation of targeted re-sequencing results revealed 2172 variants in different locations of the genes. Upon recurrent assessment predominantly focusing on exonic missense variants from these genes of the alcohol metabolism pathway, the ALDH1L2 [c.337C > G, p.Pro113Ala, (rs199841702)] variant was found highly significant with comprehensive results. The amino acid substitution tool that predicted protein stability due to a point mutation showed a decrease in stability. The genotyping distribution of the identified novel variant in the population revealed that heterozygosity is significantly distributed in ALD patients. However, the predominant association between the inherited variant and the cause of developing disease needs further robust study.

Biosafety, histological alterations and residue depletion of feed administered anti-parasitic drug emamectin benzoate in golden mahseer, Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) as a model candidate fish for sport fishery and conservation in temperate waters.

In the present experiment, the attempt has been made to study the biosafety, toxicity, residue depletion and drug tolerance of graded doses of emamectin benzoate (EB) in juveniles of golden mahseer, Tor putitora as a model candidate fish for sport fishery and conservation in temperate waters through an extended medicated feeding. The graded doses of EB viz., 1× (50 µg/kg fish/day), 2 × (100 µg/kg fish/day), 5 × (250 µg/kg fish/day) and 10 × (500 µg/kg fish/day) were administered to golden mahseer juveniles through medicated diet for 21 days at water temperature of 18.6°C. The higher doses of EB did not cause any mortality during and 30 days after the end of medication period, but considerable variations in feeding and behavior were observed. Severe histological alterations observed after EB-diets (5 × and 10×) were vacuolation, pyknotic nuclei, melanomacrophage centre and necrosis in liver; Bowman's capsule dilation, degenerated renal tubules in kidney; myofibril disintegration, muscle oedema, splitting of muscle fibres, migration of inflammatory cells in muscle; and abundant goblet cells, dilated lamina propria and disarrangement of mucosa in intestine tissues. The residual concentrations of EB metabolites Emamectin B1a and B1b were analyzed using muscle extracts and were found to be peaked during medication period followed by gradual depletion in post-medication period. The outcome of this study showed that the Emamectin B1a residual concentration in fish muscle in 1×, 2×, 5×, and 10× EB treatment groups were 1.41 ± 0.49, 1.2 ± 0.7, 9.7 ± 3.3, and 37.4 ± 8.2 µg/kg at 30 days of post-medication period, respectively, which falls under the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of 100 µg/kg. The results support the biosafety of EB at recommended dose of 50 µg/kg fish/day for 7 days. As residue of EB is recorded falling within the MRL, no withdrawal period is recommended for golden mahseer.

Propagation of porcine spermatogonial stem cells in serum-free culture conditions using knockout serum replacement.

In vitro culture and expansion of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) is an essential prerequisite to enhancing livestock productivity through SSC transplantation. Most of the culture media have been observed to be supplemented with serum. However, the use of serum in culture media may exert detrimental effects on SSC maintenance in vitro. An attempt was made to culture SSCs by replacing serum with 5% 'Knockout Serum Replacement (KSR)' in Doom pig (Sus domesticus), one of the valued indigenous germplasm of North-East India. Testes from 7 to 15 days old piglets were used for isolation, enrichment and in vitro culture of putative SSCs using serum-based and serum-free culture media. The cells were characterized for SSC-specific pluripotent markers expression by immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR. The diameter and number of SSC colonies were recorded on days 9, 20 and 30 of culture. Similar morphologies of the SSC colonies were observed in both serum-based and serum-free culture conditions. Colony diameter and colony number were non-significantly higher in serum-free than serum-based media. The cells from both the culture conditions showed high alkaline phosphatase activity. The expression of SSC-specific pluripotent markers was observed in immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time PCR study. The present study revealed that SSCs from porcine species could be maintained in vitro for up to 30 days in serum-free culture using 5% KSR, which is believed to be a promising protein source for improving livestock production, and health care along with their conservation.

A Formal Appraisal About High-Risk Sexual Behaviour on the Pretext of Substances Use Among Indian Men.

All behaviors' that satisfy a person's biological needs and desires are considered sexual behaviors. Despite the fact that sexual behavior and expression are universal to all animals, especially humans, the context in which the behaviors are expressed may make it risky or even dangerous. High risk sexual behaviors' and substance use disorders are frequently been linked. This study's main goal is to investigate the relationship between substance use by Men and their participation in high risk sexual behaviors. In the current study data were taken from NFHS 5 (2019-2021) and methods like Pearson's chi-squared test, bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models were used to established the relationship that risky sexual behavior is a consequence of substances use. Result revealed that Men's alcohol consumption in daily basis is strongly associated with premature sex (AOR: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.08-1.26; p < 0.05), sex with multiple partners (AOR: 2.35; 95%CI: 1.86-2.97; p < 0.05), and unprotected sexual intercourse (AOR: 2.06; 95%CI: 1.91-2.19; p < 0.05). Apart from alcohol consumption smoking cigarette, use of smokeless tobacco, and use of guthka are also significantly associated with risky sexual behavior of Men on Women. The concern of substances use among Indian men may be dwindled through adoption of appropriate footsteps like incorporating moral education in school curriculum; upbringing socio-economic status; more socialization; increasing social awareness among individual or community through mass media exposure like print or virtual media even which may ultimately reduce the practice of risky sexual behaviour.

JMJD6 orchestrates a transcriptional program in favor of endocrine resistance in ER+ breast cancer cells.

High expression of Jumonji domain containing protein 6 (JMJD6) is strongly associated with poor prognosis in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. We overexpressed JMJD6 in MCF7 cells (JOE cells) and performed RNA-seq analysis. 76% of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) overlapped with ER target genes. Pathway analysis revealed that JMJD6 upregulated a larger subset of genes related to cell proliferation as compared to ER. Interestingly, JOE cells showed a decrease in ER target gene expression prompting us to check ER levels. Indeed, JOE cells showed a significant decrease in both ESR1 and ER levels and JMJD6 siRNA transfection increased the expression of both. Additionally, JOE cells showed increased RET and ERK1 expression, events associated with resistance to endocrine therapy. Accordingly, JOE cells displayed lower sensitivity and survived better at higher doses of 4-hydroxy tamoxifen (Tam) as compared to parental MCF-7 cells. Conversely, LTED-I and TAM R that resist Tam induced death, showed high expression of JMJD6. Further, JMJD6 siRNA treatment decreased growth and improved Tam sensitivity in TAM R. Comparison of JOE DEGs with known Tam signature genes showed a substantial overlap. Overall, these data suggest that blocking ER alone in patients may not eradicate proliferation of JMJD6 expressing ER+ cells and JMJD6 may predispose and sustain endocrine therapy resistance. We propose that immunostaining for JMJD6 could be developed as a potential marker for predicting endocrine therapy resistance. Further, antagonizing JMJD6 action in women expressing higher amounts of this protein, may offer a greater clinical benefit than endocrine therapy.

Overcoming Inequity in Access to Kidney Transplantation: A Quality Improvement Project.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, DaVita dialysis clinics in Poland introduced a new pathway to improve the referral of dialysis patients for kidney transplantation. It was designed to meet formal requirements for timely referral for transplant assessment and measures to have the patient "active" on the waiting list. The pathway aimed to mitigate the existing inequitable access to transplantation surgery for patients with end stage kidney disease under the care of ambulatory dialysis clinics. The consequences to the patient of lack of contact with nephrologist when called in for transplant surgery during out-of-office hours was a major concern. We reviewed the effectiveness of whether the new procedure impacted facilitating a patient's call for a transplant surgery when dialysis clinics were not operating. METHODS: We collected data on the number of transplantations performed and the number of calls for surgery according to a conventional or new procedure over a 30-month period. RESULTS: In our study, 269 patients received a deceased donor kidney transplant, and 205 candidates (75%) were called for transplantation during the working hours of dialysis clinics, according to the standard procedure, of which 4 patients were discharged for various reasons. In addition, 69 candidates (25%) were called outside clinic working hours through the new procedure process, of which 1 patient was discharged during a phone call due to infection. CONCLUSIONS: DaVita's Poland new transplant access procedure effectively supports a patient's call for transplantation during outpatient dialysis clinics' closure hours.

Design and Development of a Medical Image Databank for Assisting Studies in Radiomics.

CompreHensive Digital ArchiVe of Cancer Imaging - Radiation Oncology (CHAVI-RO) is a multi-tier WEB-based medical image databank. It supports archiving de-identified radiological and clinical datasets in a relational database. A semantic relational database model is designed to accommodate imaging and treatment data of cancer patients. It aims to provide key datasets to investigate and model the use of radiological imaging data in response to radiation. This domain of research area addresses the modeling and analysis of complete treatment data of oncology patient. A DICOM viewer is integrated for reviewing the uploaded de-identified DICOM dataset. In a prototype system we carried out a pilot study with cancer data of four diseased sites, namely breast, head and neck, brain, and lung cancers. The representative dataset is used to estimate the data size of the patient. A role-based access control module is integrated with the image databank to restrict the user access limit. We also perform different types of load tests to analyze and quantify the performance of the CHAVI databank.

Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Potential of Banana and Its Bioactive Constituents: A Systematic, Comprehensive, and Mechanistic Review.

BACKGROUND: The banana (Musa spp.) plant produces elongated and edible fruit. The two main parthenocarpic species of banana are Musa accuminata Colla and Musa balbisiana Colla. There are several health-promoting and disease-preventing effects of Musa accuminata Colla, which are attributed to its important bioactive compounds, including phenolics, carotenoids, biogenic amines, phytosterols, and volatile oils, found in the stem, fruit, pseudostem, leaf, flower, sap, inner trunk, root, and inner core. Banana possesses numerous pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antiulcerogenic, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, leishmanicidal, anthelmintic, and anticancer properties. Various individual studies have reported anticancer effects of different components of the banana plant. However, according to our understanding, an up-to-date, systematic, and critical analysis of existing scientific results has not yet been carried out. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to include a thorough assessment of banana and its phytochemicals for cancer prevention and therapy with a focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms of action. METHODS: The available research studies on anticancer activities of banana extracts, fractions and pure compounds were collected using various scholarly databases, such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, based on predetermined selection criteria. RESULTS: Various banana extracts, fractions, and phytoconstituents, including ferulic acid, protocatechualdehyde, 2-pentanone, 4-epicyclomusalenone, cycloeucalenol acetate, and chlorogenic acid, have been shown to exhibit cancer preventative and anticancer activities in breast, cervical, colorectal, esophageal, hepatic, oral, prostate, and skin cancers. Bioactive components present in bananas have exhibited antiproliferative, cell cycle arrest-inducing, apoptotic, anti-adhesive, anti-invasive, and antiangiogenic effects through modulation of diverse, dysregulated oncogenic signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Based on the critical analysis of available literature, banana products and phytoconstituents show enormous potential for future development of drugs for cancer prevention and therapy. However, more mechanistic studies and well-designed clinical trials should be performed to establish its efficacy.

Research Goal-Driven Data Model and Harmonization for De-Identifying Patient Data in Radiomics.

There are various efforts in de-identifying patient's radiation oncology data for their uses in the advancement of research in medicine. Though the task of de-identification needs to be defined in the context of research goals and objectives, existing systems lack the flexibility of modeling data and normalization of names of attributes for accomplishing them. In this work, we describe a de-identification process of radiation and clinical oncology data, which is guided by a data model and a schema of dynamically capturing domain ontology and normalization of terminologies, defined in tune with the research goals in this area. The radiological images are obtained in DICOM format. It consists of diagnostic, radiation therapy (RT) treatment planning, RT verification, and RT response images. During the DICOM de-identification, a few crucial pieces of information are taken about the dataset. The proposed model is generic in organizing information modeling in sync with the de-identification of a patient's clinical information. The treatment and clinical data are provided in the comma-separated values (CSV) format, which follows a predefined data structure. The de-identified data is harmonized throughout the entire process. We have presented four specific case studies on four different types of cancers, namely glioblastoma multiforme, head-neck, breast, and lung. We also present experimental validation on a few patients' data in these four areas. A few aspects are taken care of during de-identification, such as preservation of longitudinal date changes (LDC), incremental de-identification, referential data integrity between the clinical and image data, de-identified data harmonization, and transformation of the data to an underlined database schema.

Successful fertility outcome in a couple with recurrent implantation failure and testicular cancer survivor: A case report.

A couple of Indo-American descent, presented to our clinic with a history of primary infertility and repeated IVF implantation failure. Male was a testicular cancer survivor who had erectile dysfunction and azoospermia. Female partner had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOD). She had three unsuccessful attempts of embryo transfer at another fertility clinic. At our clinic, she underwent controlled ovarian stimulation, COH started from day two period with rFSH (follicle stimulating hormone) followed by HMG (human menopausal gondadotropin) with antagonist protocol followed by preimplantation genetic screening of embryos. Subsequently, she began HRT (hormone replacement Therapy) protocol for ERA cycle from day 2, where she also underwent hysteroscopy on day 7. After five days of progesterone supplementation, she underwent endometrial biopsy for ERA (endometrial receptivity assay). Frozen embryo transfer cycle was started with the same HRT protocol used in her previous ERA cycle. Post embryo transfer, immunotherapy with steroids and fortnightly intralipids was given. Pregnancy test was positive with a BHCG value of 290 mIU/mL. and she delivered naturally after 39 completed weeks of gestation. A stepwise personalized treatment approach maximizes the chances of a successful outcome in presence of both male and female factors. Frozen or fresh sperms for ICSI with PGS along with hysteroscopy, ERA and under cover of immune modulation yielded positive results.