Radiomics analysis for distinctive identification of COVID-19 pulmonary nodules from other benign and malignant counterparts.

This observational study investigated the potential of radiomics as a non-invasive adjunct to CT in distinguishing COVID-19 lung nodules from other benign and malignant lung nodules. Lesion segmentation, feature extraction, and machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, support vector machine, random forest, feed-forward neural network, and discriminant analysis, were employed in the radiomics workflow. Key features such as Idmn, skewness, and long-run low grey level emphasis were identified as crucial in differentiation. The model demonstrated an accuracy of 83% in distinguishing COVID-19 from other benign nodules and 88% from malignant nodules. This study concludes that radiomics, through machine learning, serves as a valuable tool for non-invasive discrimination between COVID-19 and other benign and malignant lung nodules. The findings suggest the potential complementary role of radiomics in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia exhibiting lung nodules and suspicion of concurrent lung pathologies. The clinical relevance lies in the utilization of radiomics analysis for feature extraction and classification, contributing to the enhanced differentiation of lung nodules, particularly in the context of COVID-19.

Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch.: a comprehensive review of its pharmacology, phytochemicals, ethnobotanical uses, and therapeutic potential.

Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch., commonly known as costus, is a perennial herb that has been traditionally used in various indigenous medicinal systems across Asia. Its historical prominence in traditional remedies underscores the need to explore its phytochemical composition, pharmacological properties, and potential therapeutic benefits. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the available literature on the pharmacological properties, phytochemical constituents, ethnobotanical uses, and therapeutic potential of S. costus. An exhaustive search was performed across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed/MedLine, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, TRIP database, and Science Direct. Both experimental and clinical studies, as well as traditional ethnobotanical records, were considered for inclusion. The phytochemical analysis revealed that S. costus contains a plethora of bioactive compounds, including sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, and essential oils, which are responsible for its myriad of medicinal properties. The pharmacological studies have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory effects, among others. Ethnobotanical data showcased its extensive use in treating ailments like asthma, digestive disorders, and skin conditions. Some clinical trials also underscore its efficacy in certain health conditions, corroborating its traditional uses. S. costus possesses significant therapeutic potential, largely attributable to its rich phytochemical composition; the convergence of its traditional uses and modern pharmacological findings suggests promising avenues for future research, especially in drug development and understanding its mechanism of action in various ailments.

Radiomics as a non-invasive adjunct to Chest CT in distinguishing benign and malignant lung nodules.

In an observational study conducted from 2016 to 2021, we assessed the utility of radiomics in differentiating between benign and malignant lung nodules detected on computed tomography (CT) scans. Patients in whom a final diagnosis regarding the lung nodules was available according to histopathology and/or 2017 Fleischner Society guidelines were included. The radiomics workflow included lesion segmentation, region of interest (ROI) definition, pre-processing, and feature extraction. Employing random forest feature selection, we identified ten important radiomic features for distinguishing between benign and malignant nodules. Among the classifiers tested, the Decision Tree model demonstrated superior performance, achieving 79% accuracy, 75% sensitivity, 85% specificity, 82% precision, and 90% F1 score. The implementation of the XGBoost algorithm further enhanced these results, yielding 89% accuracy, 89% sensitivity, 89% precision, and an F1 score of 89%, alongside a specificity of 85%. Our findings highlight tumor texture as the primary predictor of malignancy, emphasizing the importance of texture-based features in computational oncology. Thus, our study establishes radiomics as a powerful, non-invasive adjunct to CT scans in the differentiation of lung nodules, with significant implications for clinical decision-making, especially for indeterminate nodules, and the enhancement of diagnostic and predictive accuracy in this clinical context.

Mechanistic role and potential of Ayurvedic herbs as anti-aging therapies.

INTRODUCTION: Medicinal plants and herbs are the most important part of the Ayurveda. The term Rasayana in Charaka Samhita confers long life, youthfulness, strong body, freedom from diseases and the plants mentioned in Rsayana possess antiaging property. Aging is the collective term used for the complex detrimental physiological changes that reduce the functional ability of the cell. Oxidative stress, telomeres shortening, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are the main factors that regulate the aging process. Chronological aging is an irreversible process but the factors causing biological aging can be controlled. Ayurvedic herbs are better for the management of age-related problems. There are several natural bioactive agents present in plants that can delay the aging process in humans. They trigger actions like enhancing gene longevity and telomerase activity, ROS scavenging furthermore regeneration of tissues. CONTENT: The plants mentioned in the Rasayana of Ayurveda have antiaging potential and can be used to solve modern problems related to aging. Some Ayurvedic plants and their antiaging potential has explained in this review. The main causes of aging, medicinal plants and their use as potential antiaging mediator are covered in this study. SUMMARY: The process of aging is still an enigma. It is a complex, irretrievable, dynamic process that involves a number of factors and is subject to a number of environmental and genetic influences. Rasayana aspect has not been much investigated in clinical trials. Aging is considered to result from free radical damage. According to Charaka, Rasayana drugs open the partially or fully blocked channels. Many Rasayanas show free radical scavenging activity and has the potential to mitigate the effects of aging. It gives an overview of the significance of Ayurvedic medicinal plants as a source of inspiration and the use of these plants as remedies for antiaging. OUTLOOK: This study briefly outlooks the causes of aging and how medicinal plants can be used to reverse the aging process. In this study, we discussed the antiaging potential and mechanistic roles of Ayurvedic herbs. These herbs have the properties to slow down the natural process of aging and can successfully manage common age-related problems.

Mechanistic role and potential of Ayurvedic herbs as anti-aging therapies.

INTRODUCTION: Medicinal plants and herbs are the most important part of the Ayurveda. The term Rasayana in Charaka Samhita confers long life, youthfulness, strong body, freedom from diseases and the plants mentioned in Rsayana possess antiaging property. Aging is the collective term used for the complex detrimental physiological changes that reduce the functional ability of the cell. Oxidative stress, telomeres shortening, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are the main factors that regulate the aging process. Chronological aging is an irreversible process but the factors causing biological aging can be controlled. Ayurvedic herbs are better for the management of age-related problems. There are several natural bioactive agents present in plants that can delay the aging process in humans. They trigger actions like enhancing gene longevity and telomerase activity, ROS scavenging furthermore regeneration of tissues. CONTENT: The plants mentioned in the Rasayana of Ayurveda have antiaging potential and can be used to solve modern problems related to aging. Some Ayurvedic plants and their antiaging potential has explained in this review. The main causes of aging, medicinal plants and their use as potential antiaging mediator are covered in this study. SUMMARY: The process of aging is still an enigma. It is a complex, irretrievable, dynamic process that involves a number of factors and is subject to a number of environmental and genetic influences. Rasayana aspect has not been much investigated in clinical trials. Aging is considered to result from free radical damage. According to Charaka, Rasayana drugs open the partially or fully blocked channels. Many Rasayanas show free radical scavenging activity and has the potential to mitigate the effects of aging. It gives an overview of the significance of Ayurvedic medicinal plants as a source of inspiration and the use of these plants as remedies for antiaging. OUTLOOK: This study briefly outlooks the causes of aging and how medicinal plants can be used to reverse the aging process. In this study, we discussed the antiaging potential and mechanistic roles of Ayurvedic herbs. These herbs have the properties to slow down the natural process of aging and can successfully manage common age-related problems.

Elucidating the role of size of hydroxyl apatite particles toward the development of competent antiosteoporotic bioceramic materials: In vitro and in vivo studies.

Osteoporosis caused by overdose of steroids is one of the major concerns for the orthopedic surgeons. Current therapeutic strategies offer limited success due to their inability to regenerate damaged bone at osteoporosis site. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a material having bone regeneration ability and also, ability to cure osteoporosis simultaneously. In this work, nanosized and microsized hydroxyl apatite (HAp) particles doped with europium (Eu) were prepared for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in biomedical engineering. Particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction to confirm the formation of HAp phase and transmission electron microscopy technique has been used to explore the size of microparticle and nanoparticle. In vitro release of antibiotic drug and degradation behavior in two different pHs of phosphate buffered saline was checked. Controlled drug release behavior and conversion of degraded ions into HAp is estimated by Higuchi's and 3D diffusion model, respectively. Osteoporosis was induced in 36 female Wistar rats by administering dexamethasone once a week for four consecutive weeks. Rats were treated with different doses of nano-HAp (25, 50, and 100 µg/kg intravenous single dose) and single dose of microsized HAp (100 µg/kg). After treatment, authors have evaluated sensitive biochemical markers of bone in serum. Continuous improvement in ultimate stiffness and Young's modulus of femur shaft of rats was observed with the increase in the dose of nano-HAp from 25 to 100 µg/kg. Results strongly suggest that europium-doped nano-HAp is more effective for treating severe osteoporosis in humans. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 1723-1735, 2019.

Scaffolds of hydroxyl apatite nanoparticles disseminated in 1, 6-diisocyanatohexane-extended poly(1, 4-butylene succinate)/poly(methyl methacrylate) for bone tissue engineering.

Poly(1, 4-butyl succinate) extended 1, 6-diisocyanatohexane (PBSu-DCH) polymers and Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) scaffolds decorated with nano hydroxyl apatite have been prepared and characterized for regeneration of bone in cranio-maxillofacial region. Synthesized scaffolds revealed good response in bone regeneration and excellent cell viability in comparison to commercial available glass plate, which lead to better proliferation of MG-63 cell lines. Additionally, they demonstrate high porosity and excellent water retention ability. Moreover, controlled degradation (in pH=7.4) and sustained drug release in pH (4.5 and 7.4) are advantages of these scaffolds to serve as delivery vehicles for therapeutic drugs. Samples also provide the protection against Escherichia coli and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus microorganisms which can be helpful for quick recovery of the patient. In-vitro inflammatory response has been assessed via adsorption of human plasma/serum proteins on the surface of the scaffolds. Results suggest that prepared scaffolds have good bone regeneration ability and provide friendly environment for the cell growth with the additional advantage of protection of the surrounding tissues from microbial infection. With all these features, it is speculated that these scaffolds will have wide utility in the area of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Autonomic neuropathy impairing quality of life after completion of MDT: Are we managing enough?

A 26 year old male, treated case of lepromatous leprosy, presented with severe heat intolerance, loss of sensation and sweating over distal parts of both upper and lower limb of 12 years' duration. On examination, there was definite sensory loss over the extremities in glove and stocking pattern and thickening of the bilateral ulnar, common peroneal and radial nerves. There were three trophic ulcers over the plantar aspect of the right foot, atrophy of the small muscles of hand, reabsorption of the distal index, middle and ring fingers along with total clawing of both hands. A slit skin smear for acid fast bacilli revealed fragmented granular bacilli. A starch-iodine test was used to document the pattern of sweating which coincided with the glove and stocking pattern of sensory loss found in lepromatous leprosy. Even though the patient had completed WHO MDT and bacilli were dead, the damage to the autonomic system was extensive in the patient leading to widespread loss of sweating and severe heat intolerance affecting his quality of life. Also the patient had motor deformity in the form of total clawing which added to his disability. Therefore all cases should be followed up even after completion of MDT, counselled regarding the course of the disease, and trained to tackle the consequences of nerve damage in their daily life. We report the case as autonomic dysfunction that has been rarely documented in leprosy patients and also we emphasise the use of the starch-iodine test in such cases along with management of the disease in part by using hydro-oleo therapy.

Quantitative measurement of intra-compartmental pressure of the leg in acute traumatic injury: As a routine trend.

BACKGROUND: Experience and literature regarding complications of lower extremity compartment syndrome led us to hypothesize that delayed diagnosis and limb loss are potentially preventable events. Clinical examination does play a role, but quantification of compartment pressure reading serves as confirmation and determines the need for surgical intervention and provides the only objective data in case of conflict. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of all cases of closed tibial fractures presenting to our trauma centre over a 3-year period (January 2009-June 2012). Variables reviewed included intra-compartmental pressure readings, location of the fracture and development of subsequent compartment syndrome requiring fasciotomy. Patients were divided into (1) Group A - proximal tibial fracture, (2) Group B - diaphyseal fracture and (3) Group C - Pilon fracture. Values of the injured and uninjured leg were taken and the data analyzed using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: 168 (41 females and 127 males) cases were analyzed. Mean pressure readings of the fractured limb were higher in Group A compared to the other groups. The mean difference in pressure values between the injured and uninjured limb recorded were of 15.1 mm Hg (Group A), 13.8 mm Hg (Group B) and 13.3 mm Hg (Group C). Patients who eventually underwent fasciotomy were 5 (10.8%) in Group A, 8 (10.3%) in Group B and 3 (6.8%) in Group C, and had initial baseline pressure difference of >18.5 mm Hg. CONCLUSION: These data underscore the importance of routine recording of initial intra-compartmental pressure and relation of difference in compartmental pressure between injured and uninjured limb to eventual development of compartment syndrome requiring fasciotomy.

Topical Timolol: A Novel Approach in Infantile Hemangioma.

Infantile hemangioma is the most common benign vascular tumor of childhood that has a tendency for spontaneous involution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical timolol maleate in the treatment of superficial infantile hemangioma and associated side effects during the course of treatment. Four boys and five girls with a median age of 5 months were reviewed at 2-week intervals for a period of 16 weeks. A decrease in size, color, and consistency were noted. Adverse effects caused by timolol maleate were noted and managed. Of nine cases, two patients showed excellent response, five showed good response, one showed partial response, and one had poor response. Topical timolol maleate is safe and effective in the treatment of infantile hemangioma.

Taste assessment trials for sensory analysis of oral pharmaceutical products.

Taste assessment trials are conducted with an aim to evaluate taste of tastants (food, chemical, drug etc.) and involve estimation of gustatory sensation responses in healthy human volunteers within well controlled procedures. Taste assessment trials are the standard and so far preferred method of taste assessment. Several in vitro taste assessment approaches have emerged as subsidiary methods but none could replace Taste assessment trials. The article provides an overview on conduct of taste assessment trials in healthy adult human volunteers and children.

Design and development of gliclazide mucoadhesive microcapsules: in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

In this study an attempt was made to prepare mucoadhesive microcapsules of gliclazide using various mucoadhesive polymers designed for oral controlled release. Gliclazide microcapsules were prepared using sodium alginate and mucoadhesive polymer such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (sodium CMC), carbopol 934P or hydroxy propylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) by orifice-ionic gelation method. The microcapsules were evaluated for surface morphology and particle shape by scanning electron microscope. Microcapsules were also evaluated for their microencapsulation efficiency, in vitro wash-off mucoadhesion test, in vitro drug release and in vivo study. The microcapsules were discrete, spherical and free flowing. The microencapsulation efficiency was in the range of 65-80% and microcapsules exhibited good mucoadhesive property in the in vitro wash off test. The percentage of microcapsules adhering to tissue at pH 7.4 after 6 h varied from 12-32%, whereas the percentage of microcapsules adhering to tissue at pH 1.2 after 6 h varied from 35-68%. The drug release was also found to be slow and extended for more than 16 h. In vivo testing of the mucoadhesive microcapsules in diabetic albino rats demonstrated significant antidiabetic effect of gliclazide. The hypoglycemic effect obtained by mucoadhesive microcapsules was for more than 16 h whereas gliclazide produced an antidiabetic effect for only 10 h suggesting that mucoadhesive microcapsules are a valuable system for the long term delivery of gliclazide.

The latest trends in the taste assessment of pharmaceuticals.

To date, the most widely used method for measuring the taste characteristics of pharmaceutical preparations is psychophysical evaluation by a taste panel. However, conventional chemical analyses, on the basis of release studies, have been shown to be useful subsidiary methods. More recently, novel in vitro taste assessment apparatus and methodologies have been developed for high-throughput taste screening and quality control. Biomimetic taste sensing systems (BMTSSs), such as multichannel taste sensors or electronic tongues with global selectivity, have been welcomed by both pharmaceutical scientists and the industry as a whole. As we discuss here, the emerging in vitro approaches for assessing taste characteristics of taste masked drug and drug products will result in a decreased reliance on human panel tests.