No reflow phenomenon in CAD patients after percutaneous coronary intervention: A prospective hospital based observational study.

The present study assessed incidence, risk factors, in-hospital and short-term outcomes associated with no-reflow in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in STEMI, NSTEMI, unstable angina and stable angina. Out of 449 patients, 42 (9.3%) developed no-reflow. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and smoking were significant risk factors. There was significant association of no-reflow with left main disease, multiple stents, target lesion length≥ 20 mm and higher thrombus grade. Interestingly, 93 patients (23.4%) of normal flow had myocardial perfusion grade (MPG) of 0/1 with mortality in 9 (10%) patients. No-reflow is associated with poor in-hospital and short-term outcomes with higher incidence of death, cardiogenic shock, heart failure and MACE. Knowledge of risk factors of no-reflow portends a more meticulous approach to improve final outcomes. MPG could be better predictor of outcomes in these patients.

Multiproxy paleoclimate dataset from the Bednikund alpine lake in the Central Himalaya.

We describe here a multiproxy dataset (grain size, environmental magnetism, stable carbon isotope, total nitrogen, and total organic carbon) generated on a ~116 cm long trench profile from the high altitude alpine Badnikund lake in the Central Himalaya. The dataset also includes environmental magnetic and organic geochemistry data on catchment soils of the Bednikund lake. The presented data is related to the research article "Middle Holocene Indian summer monsoon variability and its impact on cultural changes in the Indian subcontinent" [1]. The chronology of the Bednikund lake trench (BBK) profile is well established with seven AMS 14C dates. The multiproxy data is provided in tabular format in an excel file along with ages in Mendeley Data Repository. The multiproxy data can be significantly utilized for regional correlation of Indian summer monsoon (ISM) variability during the middle Holocene as well as for correlation of global climatic events. The data can also be reutilized in paleoclimate modelling for precipitation change over the past ~6000 years.

Enhanced oral bioavailability and hepatoprotective activity of thymoquinone in the form of phospholipidic nano-constructs.

Background: The poor biopharmaceutical properties of thymoquinone (TQ) obstruct its development as a hepatoprotective agent. To surmount the delivery challenges of TQ, phospholipid nanoconstructs (PNCs) were constructed.Method: PNCs were constructed employing microemulsification technique and systematic optimization by three-factor three level Box-Behnken design.Result: Optimized PNC composition exhibited nano size (<100 nm), spherical morphology, within acceptable range of polydispersity index (0.55), high drug entrapment efficiency (>90%), controlled drug release pattern, and neutral surface charge (zeta potential of -0.65 mV). After oral administration of a single dose of PNC, it showed a relative bioavailability of 386.03% vis-à-vis plain TQ suspension. Further, TQ-loaded PNC demonstrated significant enhanced hepato-protective effect vis-à-vis pure TQ suspension and silymarin, as evidenced by reduction in the ALP, ALT, AST, bilirubin, and albumin level and ratified by histopathological analysis.Conclusion: TQ-loaded PNCs can be efficient nano-platforms for the management of hepatic disorders and promising drug delivery systems to enhance oral bioavailability of this hydrophobic molecule.

Prevalence and risk determinants of metabolic syndrome in obese worksite workers in hill city of Himachal Pradesh, India.

OBJECTIVE: We report prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) in the obese workforce of organized sector in hill city of Himachal Pradesh (HP), India. METHODS: The cross-sectional survey study of employees of organized sectors in Shimla city of HP, India, was conducted to collect data of demographics, health behavior, psychosocial factors, anthropometry, blood pressure, and blood chemistry to measure blood glucose and lipid profile in fasting state in 3004 employees using validated tools. Out of 3004 subjects screened, data of 418 subjects with body mass index of ≥30 are analyzed to estimate the prevalence of MS and its risk determinants. The association of demographics, health behavior, and psychosocial factors as the risk determinants were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression modeling. RESULTS: MS was prevalent in 57.6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 52.8%-62.3%]. The central obesity (odds ratio: 10.6, 95% CI: 2.32-48.4) and consumption of frequent or daily alcohol (odds ratio: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.05-3.59),and extra salt (odds ratio: 3.34, 95% CI: 1.09-10.2) were independent risk factors for MS. The consumption of tobacco, vegetables, sugar-sweetened drinks, physical inactivity, and psychosocial factors had no significant association with MS in obese population. CONCLUSIONS: MS is highly prevalent among obese employees of organized sector. The consumption of alcohol and extra salt were major behavioral risk factors for MS and therefore have important implications in behavioral modifications for prevention of MS among obese employees in organized sectors.

Current status of rheumatic heart disease in India.

The rheumatic heart disease continues to be an important cause of disease burden in India, affecting the population in their prime and productive phase of the life. The prevalence of rheumatic heart disease is varied in different Indian studies, because of the inclusion of different populations at different point of times and using different screening methods for the diagnosis. The data on incidence and prevalence on a nationally represented sample are lacking. There is a need for establishing a population-based surveillance system in the country for monitoring trends, management practices, and outcomes to formulate informed guidelines for initiating contextual interventions for prevention and control of rheumatic heart disease.

Comparative functional outcomes of patients with adhesive capsulitis receiving intra-articular versus sub-acromial steroid injections: case-control study.

PURPOSE: This is a prospective case-control study comparing short- and medium-term outcomes between sub-acromial and gleno-humeral corticosteroid injections in adhesive capsulitis. METHODS: The study population consisted of 105 patients (33 males, 72 females; mean age, 56.1 years). They were divided into three groups: (1) patients receiving 40 mg of methylprednisolone acetate as intra-articular injection (n = 35) followed by physical therapy; (2) patients receiving 40 mg of methylprednisolone acetate as sub-acromial injection (n = 35) followed by physical therapy; (3) patients receiving only physical therapy (heat, passive stretching exercises and wall climbing) and no injections (n = 35). Functional outcome scores (Constant shoulder score and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index), visual analogue scale for pain and range of motion of shoulder joint were noted at 3, 6 and 12 weeks and 6 months. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in VAS scores in group 1 and 2 at 3, 6, 12 weeks and 6 months compared to that before the injections. There was no statistically significant improvement in the group 3 at 3 and 6 weeks, but improvement was noticed at 12 weeks and 6 months. There was no statistically significant difference in VAS, CS score, SPADI and ROM between groups 1 and 2 at 3, 6, 12 weeks and 6 months. These scores were significantly better in group 1 and 2 compared to group 3 at 3, 6, 12, weeks and 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroid injections into the sub-acromial space and into the gleno-humeral joint produce similar results in terms of pain relief and improvement in function in patients with adhesive capsulitis.

Decontamination of Microorganisms and Pesticides from Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: A Comprehensive Review from Common Household Processes to Modern Techniques.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a rich source of micronutrients. However, many foodborne illnesses have been linked to the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as they are reported to harbor contaminants such as microorganisms and pesticides. Recently reported foodborne outbreaks have been linked to a diverse group of fruits and vegetables due to the presence of various pathogens including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. Also, the increased use of pesticides has resulted in the deposition of chemical residues on the surface of fruits and vegetables, which has led to the adverse health conditions such as cancer, birth defects, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Fresh commodities are subjected to various treatments to prevent or minimize these outbreaks, and the main targets of such treatments have been the elimination of pathogens and degradation of toxic chemical residues. Here, we have discussed various decontamination methods including simple household washing, chemical treatments, and modern technologies with their mode of action for microbial and pesticide removal. The simple household processes are not very effective in the removal of pathogenic organisms and pesticides. The use of modern techniques like cold plasma, ozone, high hydrostatic pressure, and so on, showed better efficacy in the removal of microorganisms and pesticides. However, their industrial use is limited considering high installation and maintenance cost. In this review, we suggest combined methods based on their mode of decontamination and suitability for a selected fruit or vegetable for effective decontamination of microbes and pesticide together to reduce the treatment cost and enhance food safety.

Aortopulmonary window with pumonary atresia with ventricular septal defect with D-transposition of great arteries: extremely rare anomaly.

Aortopulmonary window (APW) is rare a congenital heart disease accounting for 0.1%-0.2% of all congenital heart defects. The 35% of the APW has been associated with wide variety of other structural heart diseases such as ventricular septal defect, persistent ductus arteriosus, arch anomalies and coronary artery anomalies. To the best of our knowledge, only six cases of APW with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect has been described in the literature. It resembles the type 1 truncus arteriosus, and differentiation from this condition is important prior to surgical correction. We present a case of 14-year-old girl child; she was diagnosed with APW with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and D transposition of great arteries with the help of echocardiography, cardiac catheterisation and cardiac CT.

Prevalence, risk factors, and significance of iron deficiency and anemia in nonischemic heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction from a Himachal Pradesh heart failure registry.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence, risk determinants, and its clinical significance of iron deficiency and anemia in patients of nonischemic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: Serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, and the hemoglobin (Hb) levels were measured in 226 consecutive patients with HFrEF diagnosed based on the left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 45% and absence of coronary artery luminal narrowing of more than 50%, in a prospective tertiary care hospital-based heart failure registry. Patients with the New York Heart Association functional class III/IV were classified as patients with advanced heart failure. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to assess the risk determinants of iron deficiency and anemia and their clinical significance as the risk factors for advanced heart failure. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported as the estimates of the strength of association between exposure and outcome variables. RESULTS: Iron deficiency and anemia were prevalent in 58.8% (52.2%-65.1%) and 35.8% (29.8%-42.3%) of patients, respectively. Female gender [OR 3.5 (95% CI 1.9-6.5)], history of bleeding [OR 11.7 (95% CI 1.4-101.2)], and vegetarian diet [OR 2.5 (95% CI 1.4-4.6)] were significantly associated with iron deficiency, while diabetes [OR 3.0 (95% CI 1.40-6.5)], estimated glomerular filtration rate [OR 0.98 (95% CI 0.97-0.99)], history of bleeding [OR 13.0 (95% CI 2.3-70.9)], and female gender [OR 2.9 (95% CI 1.5-5.7)] had significant association with anemia. The Hb level (OR 0.82 (95% CI 0.70-0.96) and transferrin saturation (OR 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99)] had a significant inverse association with symptoms of advanced heart failure. CONCLUSION: Iron deficiency and anemia are common comorbidities associated with HFrEF. Low Hb and transferrin saturation are significantly associated with advanced heart failure. The findings have important implications in the management of heart failure.

Prevalence, risk determinants and consequences of atrial fibrillation in rheumatic heart disease: 6 years hospital based-Himachal Pradesh- Rheumatic Fever/Rheumatic Heart Disease (HP-RF/RHD) Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To report the prevalence, risk factors and consequences of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). METHODS: The Himachal Pradesh- Rheumatic Fever/Rheumatic Heart Disease (HP-RF/RHD) Registry database of 1918 patients was analyzed. AF was diagnosed with 12-lead ECG recording at entry in to the registry. The association of AF with nature and severity of valvular dysfunction was analyzed, adjusted for age, left atrial (LA) dimension and pulmonary arterial hypertension using multivariable logistic regression model and strength of association was reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (C. I.). RESULTS: The study population consisted of young (40.2 ±â€¯14.3 years), predominantly females (72.3%) from rural area (94.1%). Prevalence of AF was 23.9% (95% C. I. 22.1%-25.8%). The independent determinants AF were age (OR 1.04, 95% C.I. 1.03-1.06), LA size (OR 1.10, 95% C.I. 1.08-1.11). The association of AF with age, New York Heart Association functional class, mitral stenosis severity and tricuspid regurgitation was statistically significant and graded. Mitral regurgitation and aortic valve disease had no significant independent association with AF. The prevalence of heart failure, stroke, peripheral embolism and mortality was significantly higher among patients with AF (p < .01). CONCLUSION: AF is common in RHD patients and is significantly associated with heart failure and systemic thromboembolism. Age, mitral stenosis severity, tricuspid regurgitation and LA size were independently associated with AF.

Chronic disease concordance within Indian households: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The household is a potentially important but understudied unit of analysis and intervention in chronic disease research. We sought to estimate the association between living with someone with a chronic condition and one's own chronic condition status. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of population-based household- and individual-level data collected in 4 socioculturally and geographically diverse settings across rural and urban India in 2013 and 2014. Of 10,703 adults ages 18 years and older with coresiding household members surveyed, data from 7,522 adults (mean age 39 years) in 2,574 households with complete covariate information were analyzed. The main outcome measures were diabetes (fasting plasma glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL or taking medication), common mental disorder (General Health Questionnaire score ≥ 12), hypertension (blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg or taking medication), obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2), and high cholesterol (total blood cholesterol ≥ 240 mg/dL or taking medication). Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used to model associations with adjustment for a participant's age, sex, education, marital status, religion, and study site. Inverse probability weighting was applied to account for missing data. We found that 44% of adults had 1 or more of the chronic conditions examined. Irrespective of familial relationship, adults who resided with another adult with any chronic condition had 29% higher adjusted relative odds of having 1 or more chronic conditions themselves (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.29; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.10-1.50). We also observed positive statistically significant associations of diabetes, common mental disorder, and hypertension with any chronic condition (aORs ranging from 1.19 to 1.61) in the analysis of all coresiding household members. Associations, however, were stronger for concordance of certain chronic conditions among coresiding household members. Specifically, we observed positive statistically significant associations between living with another adult with diabetes (aOR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.23-2.07), common mental disorder (aOR = 2.69; 95% CI 2.12-3.42), or obesity (aOR = 1.82; 95% CI 1.33-2.50) and having the same condition. Among separate analyses of dyads of parents and their adult children and dyads of spouses, the concordance between the chronic disease status was striking. The associations between common mental disorder, hypertension, obesity, and high cholesterol in parents and those same conditions in their adult children were aOR = 2.20 (95% CI 1.28-3.77), 1.58 (95% CI 1.15-2.16), 4.99 (95% CI 2.71-9.20), and 2.57 (95% CI 1.15-5.73), respectively. The associations between diabetes and common mental disorder in husbands and those same conditions in their wives were aORs = 2.28 (95% CI 1.52-3.42) and 3.01 (95% CI 2.01-4.52), respectively. Relative odds were raised even across different chronic condition phenotypes; specifically, we observed positive statistically significant associations between hypertension and obesity in the total sample of all coresiding adults (aOR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.02-1.52), high cholesterol and diabetes in the adult-parent sample (aOR = 2.02; 95% CI 1.08-3.78), and hypertension and diabetes in the spousal sample (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.05-2.17). Of all associations examined, only the relationship between hypertension and diabetes in the adult-parent dyads was statistically significantly negative (aOR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.40-0.94). Relatively small samples in the dyadic analysis and site-specific analysis call for caution in interpreting qualitative differences between associations among different dyad types and geographical locations. Because of the cross-sectional nature of the analysis, the findings do not provide information on the etiology of incident chronic conditions among household members. CONCLUSIONS: We observed strong concordance of chronic conditions within coresiding adults across diverse settings in India. These data provide early evidence that a household-based approach to chronic disease research may advance public health strategies to prevent and control chronic conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry India CTRI/2013/10/004049; http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/login.php.

Multiparametric Evaluation in Differentiating Glioma Recurrence from Treatment-Induced Necrosis Using Simultaneous 18F-FDG-PET/MRI: A Single-Institution Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Differentiating glioma recurrence from treatment-induced necrosis can be a challenge on conventional imaging. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of each functional MR imaging and PET parameter derived by using simultaneous FDG-PET/MR imaging individually and in combination in the evaluation of suspected glioma recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five treated glioma patients with 41 enhancing lesions (World Health Organization grade II = 9, III = 13, IV = 19) on MR imaging after an operation followed by radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy formed part of this study. Using PET/MR imaging, we calculated the normalized mean relative CBV, mean ADC, Cho/Cr, and maximum and mean target-to-background ratios. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic performance of each parameter by receiver operating characteristic analysis individually and in combination with multivariate receiver operating characteristic analysis for the detection of glioma recurrence. Histopathology or clinicoradiologic follow-up was considered the criterion standard. RESULTS: Of 35 patients, 25 (30 lesions) were classified as having a recurrence and 10 (11 lesions) patients as having treatment-induced necrosis. Parameters like rCBVmean (mean relative CBV), ADCmean, Cho/Cr, and maximum and mean target-to-background ratios were statistically significant in the detection of recurrent lesions with an accuracy of 77.5%, 78.0%, 90.9%, 87.8%, and 87.8%, respectively. On multivariate receiver operating characteristic analysis, the combination of all 3 MR imaging parameters resulted in an area under the curve of 0.913 ± 0.053. Furthermore, an area under the curve of 0.935 ± 0.046 was obtained when MR imaging parameters (ADCmean and Cho/Cr) were combined with the PET parameter (mean target-to-background ratio), demonstrating an increase in diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous PET/MR imaging with FDG offers correlative and synergistic multiparametric assessment of glioma recurrence with increased accuracy and clinical utility.

Synthesis, antibacterial and antimutagenic activity of zerumbone-bicarbonyl analogues.

Synthesis of new zerumbone-bicarbonyl analogues by SeO2 oxidation is reported. Selective oxidation of methyl at C-13 to an aldehyde and a ketone with exo-cyclic double bond between C-13 and C-6 in zerumbone has been recognized. Both these compounds have an additional conjugated-carbonyl-functionality. They exhibited significantly higher antimutagenic activity than zerumbone against Salmonella tester strains. They are more active against Gram positive bacteria than Gram negative bacteria; however zerumbone showed highest activity against E. coli, whereas its derivatives were least effective against E. coli.

Cardiopulmonary functions and adenotonsillectomy: surgical indications need revision.

OBJECTIVE: To assess cardiac functions in adenotonsillar or tonsillar hypertrophy. METHODS: A prospective, interventional, academic centre based study was conducted on 25 children with adenotonsillar or tonsillar hypertrophy. All patients underwent pulsed 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography, pulse oximetry and 12-lead electrocardiography. These assessments were repeated three months later to determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy. RESULTS: There were significant differences in mean arterial oxygen saturation, pulmonary flow acceleration time and mean pulmonary artery pressure post-operatively. Adenotonsillectomy led to significant improvements in pulmonary flow acceleration time and pulmonary flow velocity time index, while tonsillectomy resulted in right ventricular early and late diastolic velocity index improvement. CONCLUSION: Upper airway obstruction in children affects cardiac functioning and this can subsequently lead to morbidity and delayed growth. Hence, revision of surgical indications is advocated in adenotonsillar hypertrophy to avoid irreversible damage to cardiopulmonary functions.

A Hybrid Data Mining Model to Predict Coronary Artery Disease Cases Using Non-Invasive Clinical Data.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused by atherosclerosis in coronary arteries and results in cardiac arrest and heart attack. For diagnosis of CAD, angiography is used which is a costly time consuming and highly technical invasive method. Researchers are, therefore, prompted for alternative methods such as machine learning algorithms that could use noninvasive clinical data for the disease diagnosis and assessing its severity. In this study, we present a novel hybrid method for CAD diagnosis, including risk factor identification using correlation based feature subset (CFS) selection with particle swam optimization (PSO) search method and K-means clustering algorithms. Supervised learning algorithms such as multi-layer perceptron (MLP), multinomial logistic regression (MLR), fuzzy unordered rule induction algorithm (FURIA) and C4.5 are then used to model CAD cases. We tested this approach on clinical data consisting of 26 features and 335 instances collected at the Department of Cardiology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, India. MLR achieves highest prediction accuracy of 88.4 %.We tested this approach on benchmarked Cleaveland heart disease data as well. In this case also, MLR, outperforms other techniques. Proposed hybridized model improves the accuracy of classification algorithms from 8.3 % to 11.4 % for the Cleaveland data. The proposed method is, therefore, a promising tool for identification of CAD patients with improved prediction accuracy.

Design and characterization of microstrip based E-field sensor for GSM and UMTS frequency bands.

An Electric (E-) field sensor based on coplanar waveguide-fed microstrip antenna to measure E-field strength for dual-band operation at 914 MHz and 2.1 GHz is proposed, designed, and characterized. The parametric optimization of the design has been performed to obtain resonance at global system for mobile communication and universal mobile telecommunication system frequency band. Low return loss (-17 dB and -19 dB), appropriate gain (0.50 dB and 1.55 dB), and isotropic behaviour (directivity ∼ 1 dB), respectively, at 914 MHz and 2.1 GHz, are obtained for probing application. Antenna factor (AF) is used as an important parameter to characterize the performance of the E-field sensor. The AF measurement is explained in detail and results are reported. Finally, using the designed E-field sensor, the E-field strength measurements are carried out in a transverse electromagnetic cell. The key sources of uncertainties in the measurement are identified, evaluated, and incorporated into the final results. The measurement results are compared with theoretical values, which are found in good agreement. For comparative validation, the results are evaluated with reference to an already calibrated commercially available isotropic probe.

Antibacterial activity of cinnamaldehyde and clove oil: effect on selected foodborne pathogens in model food systems and watermelon juice.

Natural additives for the control of microbial growth are in demand because consumers prefer them over synthetic ones. In the present investigation, the antibacterial activity of two natural preservatives, cinnamaldeyde and clove oil alone or in combinations was studied, and their potential as food preservative in model food systems and watermelon juice was evaluated. The cinnamaldehyde and clove essential oil showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) at or below 5000 mg/l, and fractional inhibitory studies using both the oils showed synergistic effect. In artificially inoculated barley model food system and cabbage model food system, 2 MIC of oils was able to reduce the growth of the tested bacteria (more than 5 log) during 4 weeks storage at 37 °C, and similar reduction was also observed when combinations of oils were used at one eighth of MIC against Bacillus cereus and Yersinia enterocolitica, and one fourth of MIC against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Natural contaminants of watermelon juice were also reduced by the combination of one fourth of MIC of the oils, which was more effective than individual 2 MICs. These findings may be useful for food applications, but their effect on sensory quality of various foods need to be studied.

Predictors of acute myocardial infarct size in STEMI patients receiving thrombolytic therapy: A delayed contrast enhanced cardiac MRI study.

INTRODUCTION: Delayed contrast enhanced Cardiac MRI has been accepted as a standard tool worldwide for determination of infarcted myocardium and viability. Infarct size as determined by cardiac MRI has important therapeutic and prognostic information. METHODS: Twenty six STEMI patients who had received thrombolytic therapy were subjected to cardiac MRI assessment at 5-7 day of admission. Base line variables of the study population were compared with the acute infarct size as determined by the Cardiac MRI. RESULTS: The mean acute infarct size in our study population was 27.2 ± 17.4% of LV. We found through univariate analysis that final infarct size was dependent on time to thrombolysis (p = 0.04), Status of Thrombolysis (p = 0.01), smoking status (p = 0.02), location of infarct (p < 0.00001), presence of microvascular obstruction (p = 0.01) and viability status (p = 0.0004). Thus, larger acute infarct size was seen in delayed time to thrombolysis, failed status of thrombolysis, smokers, anterior location of the infarct, presence of microvascular obstruction and non viable myocardial status. CONCLUSION: Infarct size as determined by Cardiac MRI has been shown to carry important therapeutic and prognostic information. We have tried to evaluate predictors of acute infarct on cardiac MRI in STEMI patients during their initial hospital stay. Knowing the predictors of acute infarct size can help in early intervention and provide prognostic information for future cardiac events.

Phytochemical and antimicrobial activities of Himalayan Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc.

This study evaluated the phytochemical and antimicrobial activities and also quantified bioactive nucleoside using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) of five extracts of Indian Himalayan Cordyceps sinensis prepared with different solvents employing accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) technique. The phytochemical potential of these extracts was quantified in terms of total phenolic and total flavonoid content while antioxidant activities were determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2 -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Total reducing power (TRP) was determined by converting iron (III) into iron (II) reduction assay. CS(50%Alc) (15.1 ± 0.67mg/g of dry extract) and CS(100%Alc) (19.3 ± 0.33 mg/g of dry extract) showed highest phenolic and flavonoid content, respectively while CS(Aq) extract showed maximum antioxidant activity and the highest concentration of the three nucleosides (adenine 12.8 ± 0.49 mg/g, adenosine 0.36 ± 0.28 mg/g and uracil 0.14 ± 0.36 mg/g of dry extract) determined by HPTLC. The evaluation of extracts for antimicrobial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial strains showed CS(25%Alc), CS(75%Alc) and CS(100%Alc) extract to be more effective against E. coli, P. aerugenosa and B. subtilis giving 9, 7 and 6.5 mm of zone of inhibition (ZOI) in 93.75, 93.75 and 45 µg concentration, respectively, whereas CS(Aq) extract showed minimal inhibition against these.

Acceptance criteria for flattening filter-free photon beam from standard medical electron linear accelerator: AERB task group recommendations.

Medical electron linear accelerators with the capability of generating unflat photon (flattening filter-free, FFF) beams are also available commercially for clinical applications in radiotherapy. However, the beam characteristics evaluation criteria and parameters are not yet available for such photon beams. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) of India constituted a Task Group comprising experts from regulatory agency, advisory body/research and technical institutions, and clinical radiotherapy centers in the country to evolve and recommend the acceptance criteria for the flattening filter-free (FFF) photon beams. The Task Group thoroughly reviewed the literature and inputs of the manufactures/suppliers of the FFF linac and recommended a set of dosimetry parameters for evaluating the characteristics of the unflat photon beam. The recommendations included the evaluation of quality index, degree of unflatness, difference in percentage surface dose between flat and unflat photon beams, percentage depth dose at 10 cm depth, off-axis-ratios and radiation beam penumbra. The recommended parameters were evaluated for FFF photon beams generated by three different models of the linac, and it was observed that recommended evaluation methods are simple and easy to be implemented with the existing dosimetry and quality assurance infrastructure of the linac facilities of the radiotherapy departments. Recommendations were also made for periodic quality control check of the unflat photon beams and constancy evaluation in the beam characteristics.