Limb-related sensory prediction errors and task-related performance errors facilitate human sensorimotor learning through separate mechanisms.

The unpredictable nature of our world can introduce a variety of errors in our actions, including sensory prediction errors (SPEs) and task performance errors (TPEs). SPEs arise when our existing internal models of limb-environment properties and interactions become miscalibrated due to changes in the environment, while TPEs occur when environmental perturbations hinder achievement of task goals. The precise mechanisms employed by the sensorimotor system to learn from such limb- and task-related errors and improve future performance are not comprehensively understood. To gain insight into these mechanisms, we performed a series of learning experiments wherein the location and size of a reach target were varied, the visual feedback of the motion was perturbed in different ways, and instructions were carefully manipulated. Our findings indicate that the mechanisms employed to compensate SPEs and TPEs are dissociable. Specifically, our results fail to support theories that suggest that TPEs trigger implicit refinement of reach plans or that their occurrence automatically modulates SPE-mediated learning. Rather, TPEs drive improved action selection, that is, the selection of verbally sensitive, volitional strategies that reduce future errors. Moreover, we find that exposure to SPEs is necessary and sufficient to trigger implicit recalibration. When SPE-mediated implicit learning and TPE-driven improved action selection combine, performance gains are larger. However, when actions are always successful and strategies are not employed, refinement in behavior is smaller. Flexibly weighting strategic action selection and implicit recalibration could thus be a way of controlling how much, and how quickly, we learn from errors.

Infantile hemangiomas: a dermatologist's perspective.

Infantile hemangioma (IH), the most common vascular tumor in pediatrics, is thought to arise from aberrant stem cell responses to stimuli such as hypoxia. This review explores the diverse manifestations, complications, and management strategies for IH, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. The epidemiology and risk factors associated with IH, including connections to prematurity, low birth weight, and family background, are discussed. The intricate pathogenesis involving hemangioma stem cells, KIAA1429, hypoxia, and the renin-angiotensin system is examined. The natural history and clinical features, as well as extracutaneous involvements such as hepatic IH, PHACES syndrome, and LUMBAR syndrome, are detailed. Complications such as ulceration, functional impairment, hypothyroidism, and cosmetic concerns are highlighted. The differential diagnosis and diagnostic modalities, including colorimeters, high-frequency ultrasonography, and imaging techniques, are discussed. Management approaches, including the use of propranolol, atenolol, corticosteroids, alternative systemic treatments, topical therapy, laser therapy, and surgery, are comprehensively reviewed. The evolving landscape of IH management is underscored, with ongoing research exploring alternative treatments and individualized approaches based on IH characteristics.

ENVINet5 deep learning change detection framework for the estimation of agriculture variations during 2012-2023 with Landsat series data.

Remote sensing is one of the most important methods for analysing the multitemporal changes over a certain period. As a cost-effective way, remote sensing allows the long-term analysis of agricultural land by collecting satellite imagery from different satellite missions. Landsat is one of the longest-running world missions which offers a moderate-resolution earth observation dataset. Land surface mapping and monitoring are generally performed by incorporating classification and change detection models. In this work, a deep learning-based change detection (DCD) algorithm has been proposed to detect long-term agricultural changes using the Landsat series datasets (i.e., Landsat-7, Landsat-8, and Landsat-9) during the period 2012 to 2023. The proposed algorithm extracts the features from satellite data according to their spectral and geographic characteristics and identifies seasonal variability. The DCD integrates the deep learning-based (Environment for visualizing images) ENVI Net-5 classification model and posterior probability-based post-classification comparison-based change detection model (PCD). The DCD is capable of providing seasonal variations accurately with distinct Landsat series dataset and promises to use higher resolution dataset with accurate results. The experimental result concludes that vegetation has decreased from 2012 to 2023, while build-up land has increased up to 88.22% (2012-2023) for Landsat-7 and Landsat-8 datasets. On the other side, degraded area includes water (3.20-0.05%) and fallow land (1-0.59%). This study allows the identification of crop growth, crop yield prediction, precision farming, and crop mapping.

Systematic untargeted UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS based lipidomics workflow for improved detection and annotation of lipid sub-classes in serum.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Taking into consideration the challenges of lipid analytics, present study aims to design the best high-throughput workflow for detection and annotation of lipids. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum lipid profiling was performed on CSH-C18 and EVO-C18 columns using UHPLC Q-TOF-MS and generated lipid features were annotated based on m/z and fragment ion using different software. RESULT AND DISCUSSION: Better detection of features was observed in CSH-C18 than EVO-C18 with enhanced resolution except for Glycerolipids (triacylglycerols) and Sphingolipids (sphingomyelin). CONCLUSION: The study revealed an optimized untargeted Lipidomics-workflow with comprehensive lipid profiling (CSH-C18 column) and confirmatory annotation (LipidBlast).

Minor tropical fruits as a potential source of bioactive and functional foods.

Tropical fruits are defined as fruits that are grown in hot and humid regions within the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, covering most of the tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Africa, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Oceania. Depending on the cultivation area covered, economic value and popularity these tropical fruits are divided into major and minor tropical fruits. There is an annual increment of 3.8% in terms of commercialization of the tropical fruits. In total 26 minor tropical fruits (Kiwifruit, Lutqua, Carambola, Tree Tomato, Elephant apple, Rambutan, Bay berry, Mangosteen, Bhawa, Loquat, Silver berry, Durian, Persimon, Longan, Passion fruit, Water apple, Pulasan, Indian gooseberry, Guava, Lychee, Annona, Pitaya, Sapodilla, Pepino, Jaboticaba, Jackfruit) have been covered in this work. The nutritional composition, phytochemical composition, health benefits, traditional use of these minor tropical fruits and their role in food fortification have been portrayed.

Emerging role of topical Janus kinase inhibitors in dermatological disorders: a review.

Janus kinase (JAK) refers to a family of tyrosine kinases that are involved in the production of proinflammatory mediators in response to various extracellular signals. The JAK-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway is an appealing target in many inflammatory illnesses as this pathway modulates immune cell activation and T-cell-mediated inflammation in response to several cytokines. The practical considerations of prescription for topical and oral JAK inhibitors (JAKis) in atopic dermatitis, vitiligo and psoriasis have been covered in prior publications. Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the topical JAKi ruxolitinib for atopic dermatitis and nonsegmental vitiligo. None of the remaining first- or second-generation topical JAKis have been approved for topical application in any dermatological indications so far. For this review, the PubMed database was searched using 'topical' and 'JAK inhibitor' or 'Janus kinase inhibitor' or the names of individual drug molecules as the keyword in the title with no date limits. The description of topical JAKi usage in dermatology from the literature was evaluated in each abstract. The current review concentrates on emphasizing the rising use of topical JAKis in both approved and off-label dermatological applications for both old and novel conditions.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of infertility: a comparative study in infertile and fertile Indian women.

For women who are trying to conceive, it is critical to assess their general knowledge regarding fertility and fertility-awareness practices to identify the fertile window and their agency to achieve pregnancy. The couple's ability to deal with the infertility issue may be influenced by their beliefs and attitudes concerning infertility, which are based on social and cultural influences as well as their inner aspirations. As a result, it's critical to examine infertile and fertile woman's general knowledge of reproduction and infertility risk factors. It's also crucial to learn about women's attitudes toward infertility (social beliefs), as well as the repercussions of infertility and the practises they employ to avoid it. The present study includes 250 fertile and 250 infertile women. Data collection for infertile women was done from the Gynecology Outpatient Department (OPD). Participants from both groups i.e., infertile and fertile women have little knowledge about infertility but, infertile women have significantly higher knowledge than fertile women. Knowledge of the fertile period, as well as several potential causes of infertility, were found to be significantly higher in women with infertility problem rather than fertile women, indicating that the knowledge they have acquired is not attributable to education system, but rather to their experience gained during visits to medical practitioners. In addition to differences with respect to knowledge, infertile and fertile women differed in terms of both attitude (societal beliefs and social consequences of infertility) and practices. Better knowledge regarding infertility is likely to bring positive notes among women with infertility problems. Which will further improve the attitude and practices of society towards infertile women. Therefore, its crucial to introduce reproductive health education at high school or undergraduate level, to assist women in avoiding infertility and to help infertile women develop healthier attitudes regarding infertility treatment and coping techniques.

Evolving utility of apremilast in dermatological disorders for off-label indications.

Apremilast, a small molecule that acts by inhibition of the phosphodiesterase-4 enzyme, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the management of psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis and Behçet disease. The drug has drawn much interest from practising dermatologists in view of its exceptional safety profile and prescription convenience, as evident by the recent surge of literature describing its off-label indications. This review was carried out with the aim of summarizing the literature on off-label use of apremilast in dermatology, in order to guide clinicians regarding currently available evidence. The PubMed database was searched using 'apremilast' as a keyword in the title. Abstracts were individually screened to determine whether there was a description of an off-label use of apremilast in dermatology within the article. Randomized controlled trial data were available for vitiligo, alopecia areata, hidradenitis suppurativa and atopic dermatitis. Case series and case reports describing apremilast were also reviewed. Owing to its broad spectrum of immunomodulatory activity, apremilast may be useful in several chronic inflammatory skin diseases recalcitrant to conventional therapies, either alone or in combination with other drugs. Further studies are needed to establish its role in various dermatological indications.

The evaluation of cytotoxicity and cytokine IL-6 production of root canal sealers with and without the incorporation of simvastatin: an invitro study.

BACKGROUND: Freshly mixed root canal sealers when proximate the periapical tissues, trigger varying degrees of cytotoxicity/inflammatory reactions. Simvastatin, a class of the drug statin, is a widely used cholesterol-lowering agent with additional anti-inflammatory activities. This study assessed the effects of simvastatin on cytotoxicity and the release of IL-6 (Interleukin-6) production when incorporated in zinc oxide eugenol and methacrylate resin-based sealers. METHODS: Experimental groups consisted of conventional zinc oxide eugenol and methacrylate based-EndoREZ sealers (ZE & ER respectively) and 0.5 mg/mL simvastatin incorporated sealers (ZES & ERS). L929 mouse fibroblast cells were exposed to freshly mixed experimental sealers and evaluated for cytotoxicity (MTT assay) and inflammation levels (inflammatory marker IL-6 for ELISA) at various time intervals (0h, 24h and 7th day). The values were compared to the cell control (CC; L929 cells alone) and solvent control (SC; L929 cells + DMSO) groups. All the experiments were conducted in triplicates and subjected to statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics software. Non parametric tests were conducted using Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests for inter-group and intra-group comparisons respectively. Pairwise comparison was conducted by post hoc Dunn test followed by Bonferroni correction. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: All the experimental groups (ZE, ER, ZES, ERS) exhibited varying degree of cytotoxicity and IL-6 expression compared to the control groups CC and SC. The cell viability for ZE and ER decreased on day 7 as compared to 24 h. ZES and ERS had higher viable cells (75.93% & 79.90%) compared to ZE and ER (54.39% & 57.84%) at all time periods. Increased expression of IL-6 was observed in ZE & ER (25.49 pg/mL & 23.14 pg/mL) when compared to simvastatin incorporated ZE & ER (ZES-12.70 pg/mL & ERS-14.68 pg/mL) at all time periods. Highest level of cytotoxicity and inflammation was observed in ZE compared to all the other groups on day 7. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of 0.5 mg/mL of simvastatin to the sealers (ZES and ERS) decreased the cytotoxicity in the freshly mixed state and reduces their inflammatory effect.

Clinical Profile, Risk Factors and Outcomes in Patients with Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Study from Western India.

AIM: Study of cause and clinical profile of venous sinus thrombosis in Western India. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective study was conducted to ascertain the clinical profile, etiology, and follow up of patients with venous sinus thrombosis. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Hospital database of patients suffering from venous sinus thrombosis from two tertiary care hospitals in West India were studied. A telephonic follow up was taken for assessment of outcome. Inclusion criteria were a) Age more than 15 years of age b) clinically symptomatic patients c) Diagnosis confirmed by Magnetic resonance Venography (MRV) or CT Venography (CT Venography) Exclusion criteria: Patients with infarct in arterial territory, hypertensive hemorrhage, metabolic encephalopathy and eclampsia were excluded from the study. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive statistic was performed as frequency, mean and standard deviation or percentages. Difference in continuous variables was evaluated by using independent t-test while chi-square test was performed in categorical variables. Statistical P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with venous sinus thrombosis in Rajasthan in western India. Out of 71 patients in our study group the mean age of presentation was 36.64 years. 42 patients were male (59.2%) and 29 were female (40.8%). Only 9 patients (12.6%) had pregnancy or puerperium related venous sinus thrombosis. The most common presenting feature was headache 47/71(66.2), followed by seizures 33 (46.5%), paresis 20/71 (28.16%) and coma 15/71(21.1%). MRI Brain recorded infarcts in 32/71 patients and predominant hemorrhage was recorded in 34/71. 4 cases were associated with malignancy (one CNS, one outside CNS and 2 hematological). Raised homocysteine level was found in 26/35 (74.3%) patients in whom they were measured. 9 patients had moderately elevated homocysteine levels (15-30), another 9 had intermediate values (31-64) and 5 patients had elevated homocysteine level >65. Hyperhomocysteinemia was the commonest causative factor and was far more common in men (21/25) than in women (5/10). (p value 0.019). 24 out of 71 patients were found to be anemic (33.8%). Anemia was far more common in women than in men. (p value .002). Protein C level was found abnormal in 5/27 patients, Protein S in 6/27 patients and Anti thrombin III in 1/23 patient studied respectively. History of oral contraceptive intake was recorded in only a minority of women with venous sinus thrombosis 7(24.1%) compared to the western data where most of the venous sinus thrombosis are related to the contraceptive pills. CONCLUSION: The clinical presentation of venous sinus thrombosis in tertiary care centers is changing outside the traditional peurperium / pregnancy related venous sinus thrombosis. Common risk factors include hyperhomocysteinemia, anemia, coagulopathy, pregnancy related, vasculitis, malignancy and oral contraceptive usage. Male involvement was far more common than females and was usually associated with a higher level of homocysteine.

Treatment Decisions in Class II subdivision Malocclusions: Three Case Reports with Contrasting Strategies.

Class II Subdivision refers to the asymmetric molar relationship that can be commonly accounted to dental and occasionally to the skeletal disharmony. Furthermore, the discrepancy may be present in the maxilla or the mandible. To put it differently, Class II subdivisio) is a heterogeneous group of malocclusions and cannot be considered as a discrete entity to be treated with predefined specific strategies. Treatment goals encompass the usual cook-book approach and entail the orthodontists to think-before-act strategy considering all the parameters that may be affected favorably or deleteriously while executing a specifie plan. Treatment options may vary from non-extraction to 4premolar extractions depending upon the site and severity of the malocclusion. Another consideration would be the indispensable side-effects of the biomechanics involved that may be symmetric or asymmetric, again depending upon the needs of the patient. These not only require thorough diagnosis but clarity in the treatment goals. This article will briefly outline the important considerations while treating Class II subdivision cases with the help of examples of3 patients bearing different etiologies treated with contrasting strategies.

A challenging case of borderline lepromatous leprosy non-responsive to WHO-MDT: exploring approaches beyond WHO-MDT.

Just as we prioritize personalized medicine for various other medical conditions, we should also include a neglected disease like leprosy, ensuring that patients receive the best care possible and improving their quality of life. Our case highlights the importance of instituting an alternate therapeutic regimen in a scenario where there is a lack of clinical response to multidrug therapy, even in the absence of documented drug resistance of the currently available molecular diagnostics. The search for the perfect regimen tailored for each individual leprosy patient should continue. Alternate anti-leprosy therapy is highly useful in cases with confirmed drug resistance or clinically non-responsive cases; however, their misuse should also be strictly avoided to prevent the development of resistance to them.

Nerve function impairment and quality of life in patients with leprosy: a prospective, observational study.

BACKGROUND: There is a limited number of studies assessing the alterations in nerve function impairment (NFI) in leprosy over an extended period of time. To the best of our knowledge, no published study has evaluated neurological state longitudinally during treatment utilizing a combination of clinical, functional (activity limitation), electrophysiological, and patient-reported quality of life (QOL) outcomes. METHODS: This prospective, observational study included leprosy patients of all spectra. Over 1 year of treatment, cutaneous and neurological examinations were done in addition to a nerve conduction study (NCS) and sympathetic skin response (SSR) assessment. QOL and activity limitation assessments using the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) and Screening of Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness scale (SALSA), respectively, were also performed. RESULTS: Out of 63 leprosy patients, loss of sensation was noted in 43 (68.2%) at baseline. At the completion of treatment, proportionate change revealed no change in 18 (28.5%), restored function in 9 (14.2%), improved status in 34 (53.9%), and deteriorated NFI in only 2 (3.1%) cases. The association between NCS-SSR abnormalities was significant for a longer duration of disease at presentation (P = 0.04), in multibacillary cases [OR 9.12 (95% CI, 1.22-67.93)], in those in reaction [OR 3.56 (95% CI, 0.62-20.36)] and in those aged over 40 [OR 1.93 (95% CI, 0.28-13.41)]. There was an improvement in WHOQOL-BREF and SALSA scores at release from treatment (P = 0.005 and P = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The majority of leprosy patients on treatment show improvement in NFI at the completion of therapy. However, change is influenced by critical factors such as bacillary load, disease duration, age, and the presence of reaction(s).