Deceleration and Trapping of SrF Molecules.

We report on the electrostatic trapping of neutral SrF molecules. The molecules are captured from a cryogenic buffer-gas beam source into the moving traps of a 4.5-m-long traveling-wave Stark decelerator. The SrF molecules in X^{2}Σ^{+}(v=0,N=1) state are brought to rest as the velocity of the moving traps is gradually reduced from 190 m/s to zero. The molecules are held for up to 50 ms in multiple electric traps of the decelerator. The trapped packets have a volume (FWHM) of 1 mm^{3} and a velocity spread of 5(1) m/s, which corresponds to a temperature of 60(20) mK. Our result demonstrates a factor 3 increase in the molecular mass that has been Stark decelerated and trapped. Heavy molecules (mass>100 amu) offer a highly increased sensitivity to probe physics beyond the standard model. This work significantly extends the species of neutral molecules of which slow beams can be created for collision studies, precision measurement, and trapping experiments.

Clinical characteristics and disease burden in prurigo nodularis.

BACKGROUND: Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by intense pruritus, but information on patient experience and impact on quality of life (QoL) remains understudied. AIM: To characterize disease characteristics and QoL in a global sample of patients with PN. METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed via patient support groups for PN. RESULTS: In total, 231 members responded to the survey. The majority of respondents reported itch localized both to nodules and to intervening skin (67.0%). Associated symptoms included prickling, pain, stinging and burning. The extensor lower legs (69% right, 67.3% left) and flexor forearms (66.1% right, 62% left) were the most common sites of itch. Participants reported frequent healthcare utilization, with 36.3% visiting a doctor ≥ 10 times in the past year. Physician-diagnosed anxiety (45.4%), depression (16.4%) and the atopic triad (18.7%) were commonly reported. Patients with PN had mean scores of 16.4, 11.6 and 16.8 on the Dermatology Life Quality Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and 5-Dimensions Itch, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Severe pruritus with accompanying pain, stinging and burning is characteristic of PN, with the majority of patients experiencing itch in both nodular and interlesional skin. Patients further report decreased QoL scores and impaired sleep. Patient experiences should guide future management of PN.

Seeking excellence: An evaluation of 235 international laboratories conducting water isotope analyses by isotope-ratio and laser-absorption spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Water stable isotope ratios (δ2 H and δ18 O values) are widely used tracers in environmental studies; hence, accurate and precise assays are required for providing sound scientific information. We tested the analytical performance of 235 international laboratories conducting water isotope analyses using dual-inlet and continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometers and laser spectrometers through a water isotope inter-comparison test. METHODS: Eight test water samples were distributed by the IAEA to international stable isotope laboratories. These consisted of a core set of five samples spanning the common δ-range of natural waters, and three optional samples (highly depleted, enriched, and saline). The fifth core sample contained unrevealed trace methanol to assess analyst vigilance to the impact of organic contamination on water isotopic measurements made by all instrument technologies. RESULTS: For the core and optional samples ~73 % of laboratories gave acceptable results within 0.2 ‰ and 1.5 ‰ of the reference values for δ18 O and δ2 H, respectively; ~27 % produced unacceptable results. Top performance for δ18 O values was dominated by dual-inlet IRMS laboratories; top performance for δ2 H values was led by laser spectrometer laboratories. Continuous-flow instruments yielded comparatively intermediate results. Trace methanol contamination of water resulted in extreme outlier δ-values for laser instruments, but also affected reactor-based continuous-flow IRMS systems; however, dual-inlet IRMS δ-values were unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the laboratory results and their metadata suggested inaccurate or imprecise performance stemmed mainly from skill- and knowledge-based errors including: calculation mistakes, inappropriate or compromised laboratory calibration standards, poorly performing instrumentation, lack of vigilance to contamination, or inattention to unreasonable isotopic outcomes. To counteract common errors, we recommend that laboratories include 1-2 'known' control standards in all autoruns; laser laboratories should screen each autorun for spectral contamination; and all laboratories should evaluate whether derived d-excess values are realistic when both isotope ratios are measured. Combined, these data evaluation strategies should immediately inform the laboratory about fundamental mistakes or compromised samples.

Effect of elevated temperature on soil hydrothermal regimes and growth of wheat crop.

An attempt has been made to study the effect of elevated temperature on soil hydrothermal regimes and winter wheat growth under simulated warming in temperature gradient tunnel (TGT). Results showed that bulk density (BDs) of 0, 0.9, and 2.5 °C were significantly different whereas BDs of 2.8 and 3.5 °C were not significantly different. Water filled pore space (WFPS) was maximum at 3.5 °C temperature rise and varied between 43.80 and 98.55%. Soil surface temperature (ST) at different dates of sowing increased with rise in sensor temperature and highest ST was observed at S5 sensors (3.5 °C temperature rise). Temperature and its difference were high for the top soil, and were stable for the deep soil. Photosynthesis rate (µmol CO2 m-2 s-1) of wheat was lower at higher temperature in different growth stages of wheat. In wheat, stomatal conductance declined from 0.67 to 0.44 mol m-2 s-1 with temperature rise. Stomatal conductance decreased with increase in soil temperature and gravimetric soil moisture content (SWC). In TGT, 0 °C temperature rise showed highest root weight density (RWD) (5.95 mg cm-3); whereas, 2.8 and 3.5 °C showed lowest RWD (4.90 mg cm-3). Harvest index was maximum (0.37) with 0 °C temperature rise, and it decreased with increase in temperature, which indicated that both grain and shoot biomass decreased with increase in temperature. Intensive studies are needed to quantify the soil hydrothermal regimes inside TGT along with the crop growth parameters.

Measurement of extremely (2) H-enriched water samples by laser spectrometry: application to batch electrolytic concentration of environmental tritium samples.

RATIONALE: Natural water samples artificially or experimentally enriched in deuterium ((2) H) at concentrations up to 10,000 ppm are required for various medical, environmental and hydrological tracer applications, but are difficult to measure using conventional stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry. METHODS: Here we demonstrate that off-axis integrated cavity output (OA-ICOS) laser spectrometry, along with (2) H-enriched laboratory calibration standards and appropriate analysis templates, allows for low-cost, fast, and accurate determinations of water samples having δ(2) HVSMOW-SLAP values up to at least 57,000 ‰ (~9000 ppm) at a processing rate of 60 samples per day. RESULTS: As one practical application, extremely (2) H-enriched samples were measured by laser spectrometry and compared to the traditional (3) H Spike-Proxy method in order to determine tritium enrichment factors in the batch electrolysis of environmental waters. Highly (2) H-enriched samples were taken from different sets of electrolytically concentrated standards and low-level (<10 TU) IAEA inter-comparison tritium samples, and all cases returned accurate and precise initial low-level (3) H results. CONCLUSIONS: The ability to quickly and accurately measure extremely (2) H-enriched waters by laser spectrometry will facilitate the use of deuterium as a tracer in numerous environmental and other applications. For low-level tritium operations, this new analytical ability facilitated a 10-20 % increase in sample productivity through the elimination of spike standards and gravimetrics, and provides immediate feedback on electrolytic enrichment cell performance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Magnetically retained silicone facial prosthesis.

Patients with orocutaneous fistulas suffer from discomfort in terms of facial esthetics, food spill over and lack of psychological confidence to present them socially. Prosthetic camouflaging of facial defects and use of silicone maxillofacial material are the alternatives to the surgical retreatment. Silicone elastomers provide more options to clinician for customization of the facial prosthesis which is simple, esthetically good when coupled with bio magnets for retention.

Worldwide proficiency test for routine analysis of δ2H and δ18O in water by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry and laser absorption spectroscopy.

RATIONALE: The interpretation of stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope data in isotope hydrology relies on accurate, high-precision analytical measurements of the (2)H:(1)H and (18)O:(16)O ratios in liquid H(2)O samples. METHODS: A synthesis of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) worldwide proficiency test for analytical laboratories conducting routine analysis of δ(2)H and δ(18)O values in water (WICO2011) by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) technology has been carried out. RESULTS: This test revealed that >96% of the 160 laboratory submissions provided acceptable results within ±2‰ for δ(2) H values and ±0.2‰ for δ(18)O values of the established reference values for four test waters, and no difference in outcomes based on IRMS vs. LAS technology was found for good performing laboratories. CONCLUSIONS: The leading cause of outliers appeared to be improper calibration or compromised storage of laboratory standard and primary reference waters; hence the importance of judicious storage of lab standards cannot be understated. The deprecated practice of single standard normalization was identified as a problem for some laboratories. We further recommend that laboratories strive to report parsimonious long-term precisions based upon control standards, and to improve quantification and correction for LAS instrumental drift and inter-sample carryover effects.

Anticarcinogenic effect of probiotic fermented milk and chlorophyllin on aflatoxin-B1-induced liver carcinogenesis in rats.

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of probiotic fermented milk (FM) containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, alone as well as in combination with chlorophyllin (CHL) as an antioxidant agent in male Wistar rats administered aflatoxin-B1 (AFB1). AFB1 was injected intraperitoneally at the rate of 450 µg/kg body weight per animal twice a week for 6 weeks, maintaining an equal time interval between the two consecutive AFB1 administrations. A total of 125 male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to five groups, each group having twenty-five animals. Group I was offered FM containing L. rhamnosus GG and L. casei strain Shirota. Group II was administered AFB1 and served as the control group; group III was administered FM-AFB1, in which besides administering AFB1, FM was also offered. Group IV was offered CHL and AFB1, and group V was offered both FM and CHL along with AFB1. The rats were euthanised at the 15th and 25th week of the experiment and examined for the biochemical and hepatopathological profile. A significant reduction in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) was observed in the FM-CHL-AFB1 group compared with the AFB1 control group. FM alone or in combination with CHL was found to show a significant (P < 0·05) hepatoprotective effect by lowering the levels of TBARS and by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-S-transferase, indicating that probiotic FM alone or in combination with CHL possesses a potent protective effect against AFB1-induced hepatic damage.

Pulmonary coccidiomycosis in New Delhi, India.

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic disease of the western hemisphere. In cases occurring in non-endemic areas, eliciting a history of exposure as well as a high index of suspicion is imperative for timely and accurate diagnosis. In this case, a 65-year-old male presented to our hospital with fever, dry cough and malaise, and on X-ray chest, was found to have a lower lobe consolidation left lung with nodular lesions in both lungs and necrotic mediastinal lymphadenopathy. He lived in Arizona, USA, for 6 months before admission. Pulmonary coccidioidomycosis was confirmed by the isolation of Coccidioides spp. in pure culture from both broncho-alveolar lavage and lung biopsy specimens. The identity of the isolate was confirmed as C. posadasii by gene sequencing. The patient improved after being treated with fluconazole.

Parathyroid hormone and its effects on dental tissues.

In the current era, various pharmacological agents exist for osteoporosis management, and synthetic parathyroid hormone (PTH) (Teriparatide, Forteo) is one of the treatment options. Depending on the timing of administration, PTH has a unique ability to cause both bone apposition and bone resorption. This review focuses on the effects of PTH on the bone, specifically the jaw bones mandible and maxilla. The article briefly describes the fundamental mechanism of PTH action at the molecular level, as well as in experimental animals and in humans. It differentiates intermittent administration of PTH, especially at doses tolerated by humans that increase bone strength and prevent bone fractures, from continuous use that may lead to bone loss. In particular, it shows how intermittent administration of PTH can play a significant role in periodontal repair and implant success via stimulation of bone mineral content especially in the pre-alveolar region.

Sonographic evidence of ascites, pleura-pericardial effusion and gallbladder wall edema for dengue fever.

INTRODUCTION: Radiographic findings of dengue fever have not yet been clearly elucidated in relation to clinical and serological findings, despite the fact that two-fifths of the world population lives in areas where the virus is endemic. The current study is a retrospective analysis of ultrasonographic (USG) features of patients presenting with probable dengue fever during the outbreak of DF of 2006 in North India. METHODS: Case records of a 169 patients with probable dengue fever were included. Ten individual sonographic parameters were reviewed vis-à-vis ascites, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, gall bladder wall edema (GBWE), pleural effusion (right or left or both), pericardial effusion, pericholecystic collection, perinephric collection. Subjects who had GB wall thickness >3 mm as measured on ultrasound were identified as positive for GBWE. The cases were analyzed in view of their serological profile. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 27.9 +/- 13.4 years. The mean value of the platelet count was 57.4 +/- 22.3 x 103/cmm. The most common ultrasonographic feature was ascites (126, 74.6%) followed by gall bladder wall edema (122, 72%), hepatomegaly (78, 46.2%), splenomegaly (66, 39.1%) and pericholecystic collection (63, 37.3%); 48 (28.4%) subjects demonstrated evidence of pleural effusion on the right side, while 19 (11.2%) had bilateral effusion. None of the subjects had an isolated left pleural effusion. Twenty-seven (16%) subjects reported bleeding manifestations in the form of petechiae and five (3%) developed renal dysfunction. Presence of pleural and pericardial effusions was found to be specific while ascites and GBWE were identified as highly sensitive markers for seropositive Primary DF. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonographic evidence of ascites, pleuro-pericardial effusion, and gallbladder wall edema are rapidly acquired, non-invasive markers of dengue and can be helpful before serological investigations become available. These findings may indicate severity and may herald the onset of bleeding (petechiae) or predict the development of acute renal dysfunction.

Steroids use in non-oxygen requiring COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids have become the mainstay treatment in severe COVID-19. However, its role is mild disease is controversial due to lack of robust scientific evidence. This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess effect of steroids in mild COVID-19 patients. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and medRxiv were searched from 31 December 2019 to 14 May 2021 for studies that reported effectiveness of steroids in non-oxygen requiring COVID-19 patients in terms of progressing to severe disease, mortality, duration of fever, duration of viral clearance and length of hospital stay (LOHS). Studies on inhalational steroids, case reports and reviews were excluded. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed by the Cochrane's ROB tool and ROBANS tool. Quantitative data synthesis was done using the generic inverse variance method. RESULTS: A total of 6411 studies were identified, 2990 articles were screened after exclusion. Seven studies which fit the criteria (involving 2214 non-oxygen requiring COVID-19 patients) were included and analysed. Overall odds of progression to severe disease among the non-oxygen requiring COVID-19 patients receiving steroids was 5.97 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27-27.99, I2 = 0%] and odds of death (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.01-1.79; I2 = 0%) as compared to the patients not receiving steroids. Mean duration of fever (7.4 days), duration to viral clearance (18.9 days) and LOHS (20.8 days) were significantly higher in the steroid arm, as compared to that in no-steroid arm (6.7, 16.5 and 15.2 days, respectively). CONCLUSION: Steroids in non-oxygen requiring COVID-19 patients can be more detrimental than beneficial. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The study was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD 42021254951).

Predictors of no-reflow phenomenon following percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: No reflow during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a complex issue with serious outcomes. Multiple studies have studied predictors of no-reflow during primary PCI, but data on patients with the late presentation is sparse, which constitutes the majority of patients in peripheral centers. This study aimed to determine predictors of no-reflow during PCI in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 7 days. METHODS: It was a single-center prospective case-control study performed at a tertiary care center and included 958 patients with STEMI who underwent PCI within 7 days of symptom onset. Baseline and angiographic data of patients undergoing PCI were recorded and patients divided into reflow and no-reflow group. RESULTS: Of 958 who underwent PCI, 182 (18.9%) showed no-reflow by myocardial blush grade (MBG)<2. No-reflow group had a higher mean age (66.46±10.71 vs. 61.36±9.94 years), lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) on admission (100.61±26.66 vs. 112.23±24.35, P<0.0001), a higher level of peak Troponin I level (9.37±2.81 vs. 7.66±3.11ng/dL, P<0.0001), low left ventricular ejection fraction (36.71±3.89 vs. 39.58±4.28% respectively P<0.0001). Among angiographic data and procedural features, multivariable logistic regression analysis identified that advanced age, reperfusion time>6hours, SBP<100mmHg on admission, functional status of Killip class for heart failure≥3, lower EF (≤35%), low initial myocardial blush grade (≤1) before PCI, long target lesion length, larger reference diameter of vessel (>3.5mm) and high thrombus burden on angiography were found to be independent predictors of no-reflow (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: No-reflow phenomenon after PCI for STEMI is complex and multifactorial and can be identified by simple clinical, angiographic, and procedural features. Preprocedural characters of the lesion and early perfusion decides the fate of the outcome.

A supersonic laser ablation beam source with narrow velocity spreads.

A supersonic beam source for SrF and BaF molecules is constructed by combining the expansion of carrier gas (a mixture of 2% SF6 and 98% argon) from an Even-Lavie valve with laser ablation of a barium/strontium metal target at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. Molecular beams with a narrow translational velocity spread are produced at relative values of Δv/v = 0.053(11) and 0.054(9) for SrF and BaF, respectively. The relative velocity spread of the beams produced in our source is lower in comparison with the results from other metal fluoride beams produced in supersonic laser ablation sources. The rotational temperature of BaF is measured to be 3.5 K. The source produces 6 × 108 and 107 molecules per steradian per pulse in the X2Σ+ (ν = 0, N = 1) state of BaF and SrF molecules, respectively, a state amenable to Stark deceleration and laser cooling.

COVID-19-associated mucormycosis presenting to the Emergency Department-an observational study of 70 patients.

BACKGROUND: Mucormycosis (MM) is a deadly opportunistic fungal infection and a large surge in COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) is occurring in India. AIM: Our aim was to delineate the clinico-epidemiological profile and identify risk factors of CAM patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). DESIGN: This was a retrospective, single-centre, observational study. METHODS: We included patients who presented with clinical features or diagnosed MM and who were previously treated for COVID-19 in last 3 months of presentation (recent COVID-19) or currently being treated for COVID-19 (active COVID-19). Information regarding clinical features of CAM, possible risk factors, examination findings, diagnostic workup including imaging and treatment details were collected. RESULTS: Seventy CAM patients (median age: 44.5 years, 60% males) with active (75.7%) or recent COVID-19 (24.3%) who presented to the ED in between 6 May 2021 and 1 June 2021, were included. A median duration of 20 days (interquartile range: 13.5-25) was present between the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and the onset of CAM symptoms. Ninety-three percent patients had at least one risk factor. Most common risk factors were diabetes mellitus (70%) and steroid use for COVID-19 disease (70%). After clinical, microbiological and radiological workup, final diagnosis of rhino-orbital CAM was made in most patients (68.6%). Systemic antifungals were started in the ED and urgent surgical debridement was planned. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 infection along with its medical management have increased patient susceptibility to MM.

Cancer-preventing attributes of probiotics: an update.

Cancer is a serious global public health problem. Cancer incidence and mortality have been steadily rising throughout the past century in most places of the world. There are several epidemiological evidences that support a protective role of probiotics against cancer. Lactic acid bacteria and their probioactive cellular substances exert many beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal tract, and also release various enzymes into the intestinal lumen and exert potential synergistic (LAB) effects on digestion and alleviate symptoms of intestinal malabsorption. Consumption of fermented dairy products with LAB may elicit anti-tumor effects. These effects are attributed to the inhibition of mutagenic activity, the decrease in several enzymes implicated in the generation of carcinogens, mutagens, or tumor-promoting agents, suppression of tumors, and epidemiology correlating dietary regimes and cancer. Specific cellular components in lactic acid bacteria seem to induce strong adjuvant effects including modulation of cell-mediated immune responses, activation of the reticulo-endothelial system, augmentation of cytokine pathways, and regulation of interleukins and tumor necrosis factors. Studies on the effect of probiotic consumption on cancer appear promising, since recent in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that probiotic bacteria might reduce the risk, incidence and number of tumors of the colon, liver and bladder. The protective effect against cancer development may be ascribed to binding of mutagens by intestinal bacteria, may suppress the growth of bacteria that convert procarcinogens into carcinogens, thereby reducing the amount of carcinogens in the intestine, reduction of the enzymes beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase and deconjugation of bile acids, or merely by enhancing the immune system of the host. There are isolated reports citing that administration of LAB results in increased activity of anti-oxidative enzymes or by modulating circulatory oxidative stress that protects cells against carcinogen-induced damage. These include glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. However, there is no direct experimental evidence for cancer suppression in human subjects as a result of the consumption of probiotic cultures in fermented or unfermented dairy products, but there is a wealth of indirect evidence based largely on laboratory studies.

Large groundwater strontium flux to the oceans from the Bengal Basin and the marine strontium isotope record.

Strontium concentration and isotopic data for subsurface flowing groundwaters of the Ganges-Brahmaputra (G-B) delta in the Bengal Basin demonstrate that this is a potentially significant source of strontium to the oceans, equal in magnitude to the dissolved strontium concentration carried to the oceans by the G-B river waters. The strontium concentrations of groundwaters are higher by a factor of about 10 than typical G-B river waters and they have similar 87Sr/86Sr ratio to the river waters. These new data suggest that the present contribution of the G-B system to the rise in 87Sr/86Sr ratio in seawater is higher by at least a factor of 2 to 5 than the average over the past 40 million years.

Biochemical markers and the FDA Critical Path: how biomarkers may contribute to the understanding of pathophysiology and provide unique and necessary tools for drug development.

The aim of this review is to discuss the potential usefulness of a novel class of biochemical markers, neoepitopes, in the context of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Critical Path Initiative, which emphasizes biomarkers of safety and efficacy as areas of pivotal interest. Examples of protein degradation fragments--neoepitopes--that have proven useful for research on bone and cartilage are collagen type I and collagen type II degradation products, respectively. These markers have utility in the translational approach, as they can be used to estimate safety and efficacy in both preclinical models and clinical settings. Biochemical markers of tissue degradation may provide optimal tools, which in combination with other techniques, prove essential to drug discovery and development.