Central Pancreatectomy - A Novel Surgical Technique Single Institution Experience.

Aims: Children evaluated for abdominal pain are increasingly recognized to have pancreatic lesions by imaging modalities. Malignant lesions of the pancreas have also been diagnosed at regular intervals, the most common being solid cystic pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPT) - Borderline (uncertain malignant potential). Surgical resection of this tumor should provide adequate tumor free margins and also should preserve pancreatic tissue. Radical resection of the pancreas will lead to pancreatic insufficiency. Herein, we describe the technique of central pancreatectomy wherein tumor excision gives adequate clearance but preserves the pancreatic tissue, thereby reducing significant morbidity. Materials and Methods: Three children ages ranging between 11 to 12 years diagnosed to have SPT were included in the study. Results: All children underwent successful central pancreatectomy and had an uneventful post operative recovery. Conclusion: Central pancreatectomy offers a good volume of remanant pancreas preserving near normal pancreatic function making it an ideal procedure for select cases.

Ajay Kumar Parida (1963-2022), an eminent plant biotechnologist with a passion for mangrove biology.

We remember Dr Ajay Parida, a leading plant biotechnologist, whose premature passing has deprived the Indian plant science community of a committed scientist and an able administrator. Born on 12 December 1963 in Bhagabanpur, Cuttack District (now Jajpur district), Odisha, he passed away in Guwahati on 19 July 2022. A collegial scientist, his down-to-earth and approachable nature, as well as his resourcefulness were instrumental in advancing the cause of Indian science and harnessing frontier biotechnological tools as vehicles of social consciousness. His expertise in quantitative DNA variation and molecular marker analysis, paved the way for subsequent research on mangrove molecular diversity at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai. His contributions to mangrove biology, genetics and genomics as well as extremophile plant species in the Indian context over two decades are a benchmark in his field. He also provided commendable leadership in his capacity as Director, Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneshwar during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A New Wavelet Collocation Algorithm for Solving a Nonlinear Boundary Value Problem of the Human Corneal Shape.

The Hermite wavelet method (HWM) is introduced in this study to solve a nonlinear differential equation determining the human corneal morphology. The changes in curvature of the human cornea in hypotony, normal intraocular pressure, glaucoma, and other conditions are discussed. The Hermite wavelet operational matrices of derivatives are used to generate wavelet solutions based on this technique. The solutions of the nonlinear differential equation are determined for various values of constant parameters that can appear in the diverse physical situations. The proposed wavelet solutions are more accurate than the other approximate analytical solutions listed in the literature. The HWM solutions are compared to homotopy perturbation method, Taylor series, pertur-bation technique and artificial neural network solutions. There is broad consensus. This illustrates that HWM is a useful and appropriate strategy for handling difficulties with nonlinear boundary value problems that emerge in corneal geometry.

Characteristics, Surgical Management, and Outcomes of Parotid Gland Masses in the Pediatric Age Group: A Single Tertiary Institute Experience.

Context: Parotid gland lesions in children requiring surgical management are not common. Neoplastic lesions of the parotid glands are also less common. Parotid tumors in children have different characteristics from those that occur in adults. When they occur in the pediatric age group, malignancy has to be ruled out. Subjects and Methods: This is a retrospective study of children who presented to our institute, a tertiary care referral hospital for children <12 years, with parotid swellings during the 5-year period between April 2018 and March 2023. The children who underwent surgical management for parotid lesions, in the form of parotidectomy, were included in the study. Children who were treated by nonoperative management were excluded from the study. Results: Twelve children were included. Of the 12 children, three (25.0%) children had malignancy, four (33.33%) children had benign tumors, three (25.0%) children had vascular malformations, and the remaining two (16.67%) children had inflammatory etiology. All children underwent superficial/total parotidectomy, depending on the involvement of superficial and/or deep lobe. Of the three malignant parotid tumors, two were of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and one was myoepithelial carcinoma. One of the children with mucoepidermoid carcinoma had recurrence. Conclusions: Facial nerve-sparing parotidectomy is the treatment for neoplastic and inflammatory lesions. Initially, lymphovascular tumors were treated aggressively with parotidectomy. Neck node dissection should be performed only in children with fine-needle aspiration cytology-confirmed nodal metastases during primary surgery. Adjuvant treatment may be required in selected cases.

Accumulation and ecotoxicological risk of weathered polyethylene (wPE) microplastics on green mussel (Perna viridis).

Recent studies have shown that organisms including humans are exposed to microplastics directly or indirectly. The present study aims to examine the ingestion of these microplastics and the consequences of the same by studying the accumulation behavior of weathered Polyethylene (wPE) microplastics. The Perna viridis were exposed chronically to three different environmentally relevant concentrations of wPE for 30 days, followed by a one-week depuration phase. There was no mortality observed in the control and exposed groups, but the feeding rate was observed to have substantially decreased in the group exposed to higher concentration (3 µgL-1) of wPE. It was also observed that a higher number of wPE particles accumulated in the intestine of exposed organisms. Interestingly, the present study revealed the presence of the substantial number of wPE particles in exposed organisms, which may adversely affect the internal organs as well as growth and reproduction. This study perceived that accumulation is marginally influenced by size of wPE. Similarly, biomarker analysis showed that wPE exposure significantly altered both the metabolism and histology of the internal organs of the exposed organisms. Overall, the study confirmed that the intestine was the most sensitive organ followed by gills, adductor muscles, and foot tissue adding new insights into the adverse effects of wPE in the marine ecosystem.

A New Spectral Approach on Steady-State Concentration of Species in Porous Catalysts Using Wavelets.

In this paper, a mathematical model of steady-state reaction-diffusion (RD) model for estimating the concentration of species is discussed. We have applied a new wavelet-based operational matrix of derivative method to obtain the approximate solutions for nonlinear RDEs. The proposed method is a powerful and easy-to-use analytical tool for linear and nonlinear problems. Some illustrative examples are given to validate our results with exact solutions. Satisfactory agreement with the exact solution is noticed. Moreover, the use of Legendre wavelets is found to be simple, accurate, efficient and requires small computation costs.

A Reliable Spectral Method to Reaction-Diffusion Equations in Entrapped-Cell Photobioreactor Packed with Gel Granules Using Chebyshev Wavelets.

A mathematical model of a reaction-diffusion within an entrapped-cell photobioreactor packed with gel granules containing immobilized photosynthetic bacterial cells is discussed. A theoretical model is based on a system of coupled nonlinear reaction-diffusion equations. In this research work, we have developed an efficient wavelet-based spectral approach for solving the proposed model. Analytical expressions for the concentration of substrate and product are established for all values of reaction-diffusion parameters using second kind Chebyshev wavelet method. The analytical results were also compared with Homotopy perturbation method (HPM) and Adomian decomposition method (ADM). Satisfactory agreement with ADM and HPM solutions is observed. Moreover, the use of Chebyshev wavelets is found to be simple, reliable, efficient, and computationally attractive.

Wavelet Based Analytical Expressions to Steady State Biofilm Model Arising in Biochemical Engineering.

In this paper, we have developed an efficient wavelet based approximation method to biofilm model under steady state arising in enzyme kinetics. Chebyshev wavelet based approximation method is successfully introduced in solving nonlinear steady state biofilm reaction model. To the best of our knowledge, until now there is no rigorous wavelet based solution has been addressed for the proposed model. Analytical solutions for substrate concentration have been derived for all values of the parameters δ and SL. The power of the manageable method is confirmed. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the wavelet method. Moreover the use of Chebyshev wavelets is found to be simple, efficient, flexible, convenient, small computation costs and computationally attractive.

Wavelet-Based Analytical Algorithm for Solving Steady-State Concentration in Immobilized Glucose Isomerase of Packed-Bed Reactor Model.

Wavelet method is a recently developed tool in applied mathematics. The mathematical model of the steady-state immobilized enzyme electrodes is discussed. This theoretical model is based on one-dimensional heat conduction equations containing a non-linear term related to Michaelis-Menten kinetics. An efficient Chebyshev wavelet-based technique is applied to solve the non-linear diffusion equation for the steady-state condition. A simple expression of the substrate concentration is obtained as a function of the Thiele modulus [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text](kinetic parameter). The wavelet results are compared with the numerical and HPM solutions and found to be in good agreement.

Environmental safety level of lead (Pb) pertaining to toxic effects on grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) and tiger perch (Terapon jarbua).

Acute and chronic bioassay toxicity test of Lead (Pb) in Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus), and Tiger perch (Terapon jarbua) was conducted. LC50 values (Lethal Concentration) from acute tests and chronic values were calculated by the geometric mean of the No-Observed-Effect Concentration (NOEC) and the Lowest-Observed-Effect Concentration (LOEC) in a study period of 30 days. This research was conducted to evaluate the quantitative relationship between toxicity test statistics and correlation between toxicant and the organisms exposed. Three test average LC50 was analyzed for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h and the 96 h average LC50 of M. cephalus and T. jarbua is 2.57 ± 0.47 and 2.99 ± 0.23 mg/L of Pb, respectively. Significant correlation is observed with the increased time duration and exposure concentration. The NOEC and LOEC values were calculated based on survival of test organisms for M. cephalus and T. jarbua and the values are 0.014 and 0.029 and 0.011 and 0.022 mg/L, respectively. The chronic value is found to be 0.011 mg/L for M. cephalus and 0.021 mg/L for T. jarbua. The intensity of biochemical and histological alterations increased gradually with increased Pb concentration and the exposure time. Toxicity testing is the primary step to determine the water quality safe limit on marine organisms. The outcome of the study indicates that the sensitivity of juvenile organisms to Pb, persistence of toxic effects and biomarkers as a tool capable of revealing the toxic effects of heavy metals on the environment and aquatic biota.

An efficient Legendre wavelet-based approximation method for a few Newell-Whitehead and Allen-Cahn equations.

In this paper, a wavelet-based approximation method is introduced for solving the Newell-Whitehead (NW) and Allen-Cahn (AC) equations. To the best of our knowledge, until now there is no rigorous Legendre wavelets solution has been reported for the NW and AC equations. The highest derivative in the differential equation is expanded into Legendre series, this approximation is integrated while the boundary conditions are applied using integration constants. With the help of Legendre wavelets operational matrices, the aforesaid equations are converted into an algebraic system. Block pulse functions are used to investigate the Legendre wavelets coefficient vectors of nonlinear terms. The convergence of the proposed methods is proved. Finally, we have given some numerical examples to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the method.

An efficient wavelet analysis method to film-pore diffusion model arising in mathematical chemistry.

In this paper, we have established an efficient Legendre wavelet based approximation method to solve film-pore diffusion model arising in engineering. Film-pore diffusion model is widely used to determine study the kinetics of adsorption systems. The use of Legendre wavelet based approximation method is found to be accurate, simple, fast, flexible, convenient, and computationally attractive. It is shown that film-pore diffusion model satisfactorily describe kinetics of methylene blue adsorption onto the three low-cost adsorbents, Guava, teak and gulmohar plant leaf powders, used in this study.

An efficient wavelet based approximation method to steady state reaction-diffusion model arising in mathematical chemistry.

The mathematical model of Rahamathunissa and Rajendran (J Math Chem 44:849-861, 2008) in an amperometric biosensor response is discussed. In this paper, we have applied the shifted second kind Chebyshev wavelets (CW) to obtain the numerical solutions of reaction-diffusion equations containing a nonlinear term related to Michaelis-Menton kinetics of the enzymatic reaction. The application of the shifted second kind CW operational matrices for solving initial and boundary value problems is presented. The obtained numerical results demonstrate efficient and applicability of the proposed method. The power of the manageable method is confirmed. Moreover the use of shifted second kind CW method is found to be simple, efficient, accurate, small computation cost, and computationally attractive.

An efficient wavelet-based approximation method to gene propagation model arising in population biology.

In this paper, we have applied an efficient wavelet-based approximation method for solving the Fisher's type and the fractional Fisher's type equations arising in biological sciences. To the best of our knowledge, until now there is no rigorous wavelet solution has been addressed for the Fisher's and fractional Fisher's equations. The highest derivative in the differential equation is expanded into Legendre series; this approximation is integrated while the boundary conditions are applied using integration constants. With the help of Legendre wavelets operational matrices, the Fisher's equation and the fractional Fisher's equation are converted into a system of algebraic equations. Block-pulse functions are used to investigate the Legendre wavelets coefficient vectors of nonlinear terms. The convergence of the proposed methods is proved. Finally, we have given some numerical examples to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the method.

Toxic effects of lead on biochemical and histological alterations in green mussel (Perna viridis) induced by environmentally relevant concentrations.

Acute and chronic toxicity tests were conducted on green mussel (Perna viridis) to determine the adverse effects of lead (Pb). Exposure of organisms to acute toxicity test for 96 h and lethal concentration (LC(50)) was the endpoint of the test. Acute toxicity for 96-h LC(50) and 95% confidence intervals of P. viridis was 2.62 ± 0.12 (2.62-3.24) mg/L Pb. Chronic toxicity tests revealed that survival of exposed organisms decreased with elevated exposure concentrations. No-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) and lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) were calculated based on survival of test organisms. Results of this study demonstrated an increase in toxicity in test organisms with rise in exposure time and concentration. In this study, histology and biochemical enzymes, namely, catalase, reduced glutathione, glutathione S-transferase, and lipid peroxides, were correlated with chronic value and survival endpoints of P. viridis after chronic exposure to Pb. Biochemical and histological responses to different concentrations of Pb were assessed and significant differences were observed between control and increasing exposure concentrations. Biomarker studies in internal organs confirmed that the observed changes are due to adverse effects of Pb. This assessment of toxicity was the first step to determining the seawater quality criteria for marine organisms.

An integrated use of multiple biomarkers to investigate the individual and combined effect of copper and cadmium on the marine green mussel (Perna viridis).

The present study documents individual and combined sub-lethal effect of one redox active (copper) and one non-redox active (cadmium) metal on green mussel (Perna viridis). The mussels were exposed to 60 µg L(-1) of Cu and 150 µg L(-1) of Cd (individually and in combination) for 21 days. Histopathological and ultrastructural studies revealed significant metal induced alterations such as vacuolization, fusion of gill lamellae, enhance mucous deposition, hyperplasia and necrosis in gills. Antioxidant enzyme assays revealed significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Similarly, single exposure to Cd and Cu caused significant induction in Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity. However, combined Cu+Cd exposure modulated suppression in MDH activity. Unlike MDH, Cu and Cd individual exposure resulted in a decrease in esterase (EST) activity, but their combined exposure caused an induction. Non-enzymatic biomarkers such as lipid peroxidation (LPO) and metallothionein (MT) levels showed no significant change in response to Cu exposure, whereas, individual Cd exposure or Cd exposure in combination with Cu caused significant changes in their levels. Comet assay revealed a significant increase in DNA damage upon metal exposure. These results indicate that Cu (redox active) and Cd (non-redox active) can induce measurable physiological, biochemical as well as genotoxic perturbations in mussels even at sub-lethal concentrations. A monitoring programme based on the biomarkers discussed here would be useful to study the effect of metal pollutants reaching the coastal waters.

Optimised feature selection-driven convolutional neural network using gray level co-occurrence matrix for detection of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the most dangerous and widespread illnesses afflicting women throughout the globe, particularly in East Africa and South Asia. In industrialised nations, the incidence of cervical cancer has consistently decreased over the past few decades. However, in developing countries, the reduction in incidence has been considerably slower, and in some instances, the incidence has increased. Implementing routine screenings for cervical cancer is something that has to be done to protect the health of women. Cervical cancer is famously difficult to diagnose and cure due to the slow rate at which it spreads and develops into more advanced stages of the disease. Screening for cervical cancer using a Pap smear, more often referred to as a Pap test, has the potential to detect the illness in its earlier stages. For the purpose of selecting features for this article, a gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) technique was used. Following this step, classification is performed with methods such as convolutional neural network (CNN), support vector machine, and auto encoder. According to the findings of this experiment, the GLCM-CNN classifier proved to be the one with the highest degree of precision.

Anthropogenic marine litter: An approach to environmental quality for India's southeastern Arabian Sea coast.

Anthropogenic marine litter (AML), mainly plastic, is a global concern that is persistent and widespread. To prevent and mitigate this threat, we need to understand the magnitude and source of AML. There is limited knowledge about AML pollution on the Indian Coast. In this context, the present study examined the distribution, abundance, typology, and beach quality based on AML along 22 beaches on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Sea. A total of 4911 AML items were classified into 9 categories, weighing 16.79 kg, and retrieved from a total area of 8000 m2. The mean abundance and weight of AML in the current study were 0.45 ± 0.34 items/m2 and 1.53 ± 0.92 g/m2, respectively. Thottapally showed the most abundant AML among the studied beaches with 0.96 items/m2, followed by Azheekkal with 0.73 items/m2. Plastic, being the most common item, accounts for 77.6 % of all items and has a mean density of 0.35 items/m2 comprising hard plastic (22 %), thermocol (13 %), food wrappers (7 %), cigarette butts (7 %), plastic rope (6 %), and plastic cutlery (6 %). Hazardous anthropogenic litter (HAL) was maximum at Thottapally (17.71 %; 85 out of 480 items collected). Based on the cleanliness of beaches, they are graded "moderately clean" (63 %) by the General Index (GI), "clean" (54 %), and "moderately clean" (40 %) as calculated by the Clean Coast Index (CCI). Hazardous Anthropogenic Beach Litter Index (HABLI) classifies 72 % of beaches as "moderately safe", while the Environmental Status Index (ESI) rates 68 % of beaches as "mediocre". Besides, model simulations demonstrated the pathways of AML propagation, which correlate to the littoral and coastal current flow patterns over the region. Land-based activities were the crucial factors influencing AML distribution. The study highlighted the need for effective regional litter management strategies, policy instruments for the litter impact pathways, economic, regulatory, and behavioural management tools, which were also discussed.

Heavy metal assessment using geochemical and statistical tools in the surface sediments of Vembanad Lake, Southwest Coast of India.

The geochemical distribution and enrichment of ten heavy metals in the surface sediments of Vembanad Lake, southwest coast of India was evaluated. Sediment samples from 47 stations in the Lake were collected during dry and wet seasons in 2008 and examined for heavy metal content (Al, Fe, Mn, Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cu, Co, Cd), organic carbon, and sediment texture. Statistically significant spatial variation was observed among all sediment variables, but negligible significant seasonal variation was observed. Correlation analysis showed that the metal content of sediments was mainly regulated by organic carbon, Fe oxy-hydroxides, and grain size. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the 14 sediment variables into three factors that reveal distinct origins or accumulation mechanisms controlling the chemical composition in the study area. Pollution intensity of the Vembanad Lake was measured using the enrichment factor and the pollution load index. Severe and moderately severe enrichment of Cd and Zn in the north estuary with minor enrichment of Pb and Cr were observed, which reflects the intensity of the anthropogenic inputs related to industrial discharge into this system. The results of pollution load index reveal that the sediment was heavily polluted in northern arm and moderately polluted in the extreme end and port region of the southern arm of the lake. A comparison with sediment quality guideline quotient was also made, indicating that there may be some ecotoxicological risk to benthic organisms in these sediments.

Ingestion and toxic impacts of weathered polyethylene (wPE) microplastics and stress defensive responses in whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei).

Weathered plastic litter is recognized as hazardous secondary microplastics(MPs) in the coastal and marine ecosystems, which are of high concern due to their greater impact on the environment. The present study aims to elucidate the impacts of environmentally weathered polyethylene (wPE) MPs on ingestion, growth and enzymatic responses in Penaeus vannamei. The Penaeus vannamei was chronically exposed to five varying concentration (0.1 mg-0.5 mg) of wPE particles in the size range between 43 and 32 µm for a period of 25days, followed by 5days depuration. At the end of exposure, a considerable number of wPE particles were observed from <2 to 14 per individual organism. However, around 60% of the wPE particles were removed after the depuration phase. The toxic exposure on P. vannamei resulted in significant changes in the enzymatic and growth responses with increasing concentration and duration. In addition, growth assessment confirmed that wPE exposure inhibited the growth of organism, and the effect was particularly evident at increasing concentrations and prolonged exposure. Also observed an elevated levels of lipid peroxidation, glutathione-S-transferases, whereas lower levels of reduced-glutathione and catalase at all exposed concentrations. This study confirmed that the ingestion of wPE was completely influenced by exposure duration, rather than the concentrations of administered. The present biomarker assay might act as an appropriate oxidative stress index for wPE toxicity. Findings of this study is useful in providing the basic biological information for environmental risk assessments of MPs, which are of high concern due to the rising input of microplastics into the environment.