A supervised learning approach for the influence of comorbidities in the analysis of COVID-19 mortality in Tamil Nadu.

COVID-19 has created many complications in today's world. It has negatively impacted the lives of many people and emphasized the need for a better health system everywhere. COVID-19 is a life-threatening disease, and a high proportion of people have lost their lives due to this pandemic. This situation enables us to dig deeper into mortality records and find meaningful patterns to save many lives in future. Based on the article from the New Indian Express (published on January 19, 2021), a whopping 82% of people who died of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu had comorbidities, while 63 percent of people who died of the disease were above the age of 60, as per data from the Health Department. The data, part of a presentation shown to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, show that of the 12,200 deaths till January 7, as many as 10,118 patients had comorbidities, and 7613 were aged above 60. A total of 3924 people (32%) were aged between 41 and 60. Compared to the 1st wave of COVID-19, the 2nd wave had a high mortality rate. Therefore, it is important to find meaningful insights from the mortality records of COVID-19 patients to know the most vulnerable population and to decide on comprehensive treatment strategies.

CDNA cloning and characterization of S6 kinase and its effect on yolk protein gene expression in the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel).

p70 S6 kinase (S6K), a serine/threonine protein kinase, is a downstream target of target of rapamycin (TOR) gene and an important regulator of protein synthesis responsible for cell growth and reproduction. In this study, a S6K gene, named BdS6K (GenBank Accession No. GQ203802), was isolated from the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). Quantitative RT-PCR showed that BdS6K mRNA is expressed at a higher level in egg than in other developmental stages, as well as in ovary than in fat body. Downregulation of BdS6K activity by rapamycin treatment in larval stage resulted in the developmental defects of larvae, pupae, and adults, with a reduced yolk protein (YP) expression in the fat body throughout the first reproductive cycle with a substantial reduction in ovary size, and also repressed the egg development in female fruit fly. Knockdown of BdS6K gene by RNA interference in the adult significantly decreased the YP expression. These observations support the involvement of BdS6K signaling in the regulation of the YP synthesis and egg development in B. dorsalis.

Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness and Attitude towards Oral Precancer and Cancer among Narikuravar Population in Pondicherry State.

Objective Literature revealed that oral health status and awareness about oral hygiene measures of Narikuravar tribes were very poor. There was also an increased prevalence of tobacco usage among this population. Considering this, incidence and prevalence of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions are expected to be high in this population. Surprisingly, the literature search revealed a lack of data on the awareness, knowledge, and prevalence of oral cancer and precancer in this group. The primary objective of this survey is to assess knowledge, awareness and attitude toward oral precancer and cancer among the Narikuravar tribal population in Pondicherry state. Materials and Methods This questionnaire survey is a part of the Model for Oral Cancer Eradication project conducted among the Narikuravar population in Pondicherry, which is funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). A total of 153 participants were recruited for the survey. A prevalidated questionnaire was used for the survey. Results The results indicated that 47% of the participants were aware of what is oral precancer and cancer. As much as 62% knew that chewing tobacco causes oral cancer and 44% thought that the growth of tissue in the mouth could be a sign of oral cancer. Almost 100% did not think that the presence of a red lesion, white lesion, or limitation of mouth opening could be signs of cancer or precancer. Only 16% thought that oral cancer is preventable. Conclusion Awareness about oral cancer and precancer is inadequate among the Narikuravar population of Pondicherry. Majority of the population is not aware of the risks, signs, or treatment options of oral precancer and cancer. The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) identified the people's knowledge gaps, and improving awareness is one of the strategies of the program.

Target of rapamycin in the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel): its cloning and effect on yolk protein expression.

Target of rapamycin (TOR), a serine/threonine protein kinase, is involved in regulating a number of growth and developmental processes of an organism, including yolk protein synthesis in insects. In this study, TOR gene was isolated, designated BdTOR (GenBank accession no. FJ167395), from the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). Quantitative RT-PCR showed a higher expression of BdTOR in the pupa than in other developmental stages, as well as in ovary than in the fat body. Downregulation of BdTOR activity by rapamycin treatment and RNA interference (RNAi) in vivo resulted in a significant reduction in yolk protein transcripts in both fat body and ovary, with a substantial reduction in ovary size. However, an unexpected increase in the expression of yolk protein gene was observed in adult ovary 9 days after rapamycin treatment. Taken together, the results suggest the involvement of BdTOR in the regulation of yolk protein synthesis in B. dorsalis.

Digital approach for measuring dentin translucency in forensic age estimation.

BACKGROUND: Dentin translucency is best suited for age estimation not only in terms of accuracy but also in terms of simplicity. Conventionally, translucency has been measured using calipers. Computer-based methods have been proposed for the same, although these required the use of custom-built software programs. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to use a simple digital method to measure dentinal translucency on sectioned teeth and to compare digital measurements to conventionally obtained translucency measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty extracted permanent teeth were collected and were sectioned to 250 µm. Translucency measurements were obtained using the digital method and compared with those obtained using a caliper. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients of translucency measurements to age were statistically significant for both methods (P < 0.001), and marginally higher for the conventional approach (r = 0.4671). Application of derived linear regression equations on an independent sample (n = 10) revealed a similar ability of both the methods to assess age to within ±5 years of the actual age. CONCLUSION: The translucency measurements obtained by the two methods were very similar, with no clear superiority of one method over the other. Hence, further studies on a large scale are warranted to determine which method is more reliable to estimate the age.