Metabolic fingerprinting of joint tissue of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease whose major characteristics persistent joint inflammation that results in joint destruction and failure of the function. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat is an autoimmune disease model and in many ways shares features with RA. The CIA is associated with systemic manifestations, including alterations in the metabolism. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics has been successfully applied to the perchloric acid extract of the joint tissue of CIA rat and control rat for the analysis of aqueous metabolites. GPC (Glycerophosphocholine), carnitine, acetate, and creatinine were important discriminators of CIA rats as compared to control rats. Level of lactate (significance; p = 0.004), alanine (p = 0.025), BCA (Branched-chain amino acids) (p = 0.006) and creatinine (p = 0.023) was significantly higher in CIA rats as compared to control rats. Choline (p = 0.038) and GPC (p = 0.009) were significantly reduced in CIA rats as compared to control rats. Choline to GPC correlation was good and negative (Pearson correlation = -0.63) for CIA rats as well as for control rats (Pearson correlation = -0.79). All these analyses collectively considered as metabolic fingerprinting of the joint tissue of CIA rat as compared to control rat. The metabolic fingerprinting of joint tissue of CIA rats was different as compared to control rats. The metabolic fingerprinting reflects inflammatory disease activity in CIA rats with synovitis, demonstrating that underlying inflammatory process drives significant changes in metabolism that can be measured in the joint tissue. Therefore, the outcome of this study may be helpful for understanding the mechanism of metabolic processes in RA. This may be also helpful for the development of advanced diagnostic methods and therapy for RA

Automated classification of human epileptic spikes for the purpose of modelling bold changes using simultaneous intracranial EEG-fMRI

Mapping the BOLD correlates of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) using EEG-fMRI can provide a unique insight into the region(s) responsible for their generation. Scalp EEG-fMRI studies have shown to provide added clinical value in the localisation of the epileptogenic zone in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy undergoing presurgical evaluation. However, scalp EEG has limited sensitivity in detecting IEDs as only a small percentage of the underlying electrical activity is recorded. Intracranial EEG (icEEG) provides a higher sensitivity of detecting underlying IEDs compared to scalp EEG due to the electrodes being closer to their generators. Recent safety and feasibility studies have allowed the acquisition of simultaneous icEEG-fMRI circumventing the lack of whole brain coverage of icEEG. Therefore, icEEG-fMRI has the potential to provide unprecedented insight in the relationship between the region(s) generating IEDs and the epileptogenic zone. However, one of the main challenges associated with icEEG-fMRI data is the difficulty of forming a parsimonious model of potential BOLD changes from the complex spatio-temporal dynamics of icEEG IEDs. The aim of this thesis is to provide a solution for a more consistent and less biased marking of icEEG IEDs using an automated neuronal spike classification algorithm, Wave_clus (WC), for the purpose of producing more biological meaningful IED-related BOLD maps. Adapting the icEEG IED dataset to Wave_clus was the first problem tackled which involved developing a new algorithm that identified the peak of the spiky component of an IED and defining an optimal IED classification epoch time-window. The two chapters that followed involved assessing the performance of WC as an icEEG IED classifier. First, I assessed the performance by comparing WC IED classification to the classification of multiple EEG reviewers using a novel validation scheme. This was determined by analysing whether WC-human agreement variability falls within inter-reviewer agreement variability and comparing the individual IED class labels visually and quantitatively. In this regard WC performance was found to be indistinguishable to that of EEG reviewers. Second I assessed the performance of WC by comparing the IED-related BOLD maps obtained using WC to those obtained using the visual/conventional approach. I found that WC was able to produce more biologically meaningful IED-related BOLD maps indicating that this approach can be used to further explore the region(s) responsible for generating IEDs in patients that have undergone icEEG-fMRI

Glycemic control in smokers and risk of type 2 diabetes

Chronic cigarette smoking seems to markedly aggravate insulin resistance that could be due to the increase in counter-regulatory hormones such as GH, cortisol and catecholamine's that elevates blood glucose, Weight gain usually follows the cessation of smoking and increasingly, fear of weight gain discourages many smokers from attempting to quit Yet, weight gain after quitting smoking has proved so unresponsive  to preventive attempt  as to suggest that weight control  might even be incompatible with successful smoking cessation . Innovative treatments that can prevent or minimize weight gain are badly needed to encourage quitting smoking. However recently featured review and research on smoking and diabetes concluded the evidence that smoking is associated with the preparation for development of type 2 diabetes in men and women Therefore, this review focuses in the possible features of smoking cessation on the glycemic control and risk of type 2 diabetes.key words: Hyperglycemia,Smokers, types 2 diabete

MedLM: Exploring Language Models for Medical Question Answering Systems

In the face of rapidly expanding online medical literature, automated systems for aggregating and summarizing information are becoming increasingly crucial for healthcare professionals and patients. Large Language Models (LLMs), with their advanced generative capabilities, have shown promise in various NLP tasks, and their potential in the healthcare domain, particularly for Closed-Book Generative QnA, is significant. However, the performance of these models in domain-specific tasks such as medical Q&A remains largely unexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by comparing the performance of general and medical-specific distilled LMs for medical Q&A. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of fine-tuning domain-specific LMs and compare the performance of different families of Language Models. The study will address critical questions about these models' reliability, comparative performance, and effectiveness in the context of medical Q&A. The findings will provide valuable insights into the suitability of different LMs for specific applications in the medical domain

A profile of poisoning in pediatric population in rural hospital in Jammu

Background: Acute poisoning is one of the commonest Pediatric emergencies and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. This study is aimed at understanding the incidence, aetiology and manner of poisoning, outcome among children less than 18 years reporting to Pediatric department at sub district Hospital level in Jammu region.Methods: All the children between one month and eighteen years of age reporting to the Pediatric Emergency of SDH Akhnoor, Jammu over a period of one year as a case of acute poisoning were included in the study. The information obtained from subjects/parents/guardians and examinations of subjects was recorded on a pretested proforma and analyzed.Results: A total of 150 patients were admitted as a case of poisoning over a study period of one year. Male: Female ratio was 1.41:1. Total incidence rate was 2.94/100 0 population over a period of one year. Majority of the cases were accidental (94.67%) while suicidal attempt cases were 5.33%. Most the cases (49.33%) were due to accidental ingestion of household products followed by drug ingestion (21.33%), food poisoning (14%) and then agricultural/industrial products (8%). Maximum patients (86.6%) recovered while 2% referred to higher centre and rest 11.3% either absconded or lost to follow up.Conclusions: Acute poisoning in children is usually accidental with favourable outcome. Death can happen depending upon nature of poison and the stage at which the patient is brought to the hospital. Poisoning can be prevented by increasing public awareness, counselling and right guidance to the parents.

A Comparative Study Between Effect of Proprioceptive Vs Conventional Training in Reducing Pain & Increasing Range of Motion in Chronic Neck Pain Patients

Introduction: Chronic neck is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition affecting individuals worldwide, often leading to decreased range of motion and diminished quality of life. It is characterized by persistent discomfort and functional limitations in the cervical region. The increasing prevalence of chronic neck pain is attributed to various factors, including sedentary lifestyles, poor ergonomics, and psychological stressors. This study presents a comparative investigation into the effects of proprioceptive training vs conventional training on increasing range of motion and reducing pain in patients with chronic neck pain. Objectives: To improve range of motion and reduce pain in patients with chronic neck pain. To assess the effectiveness of proprioceptive training and conventional training. Methods: ll the participants were explained about the purpose of study. The subjects were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria and then the baseline measurement was taken. An informed consent was taken from patients who were willing to participate in the study. Eligible subjects were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A participants receiving conventional training. Group B participants receiving proprioceptive training along with conventional training. Both groups had received exercises program for chronic neck pain. The study was of 6 weeks, 5 days per week at department of physiotherapy in SMIH. Examination include assessment which was performed on first and the last day of treatment & data was recorded in group A pre scoring was via VAS, NDI, cervical goniometer and after the scoring the patient undergone treatment with conventional and proprioceptive training. Results: The data were analysed using the statistical software SPSS version 15. To analyse the difference of NDI, ACROM and VAS of Group A (Conventional therapy) and Group B (Proprioceptive training), the paired t- test was applied. The p values <0.0001 in Group A and Group B showing extremely significant. Conclusions: Conventional therapy and proprioceptive training both shows improvement in range of motion and pain in chronic neck pain patients. But proprioceptive training shows more improvement in range of motion and pain in chronic neck pain after 6 weeks of therapy

Magnetic and luminescent multifunctional nanohybrid: Fe3O4@CaF2:Tb3+: A facile synthesis and characterization

In the present study, bi-functional hybrid nanomaterial has been synthesized and characterized via facile method and characterized. The synthesized nanomaterial shows both magnetic and luminescent properties which are confirmed by VSM (vibrating sample magnetometer), UV-Vis spectra and the photoluminescence emission spectra. For the magnetic phase, i.e., nanocrystalline magnetite, Fe3O4 is used as the core which is then functionalized using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and for the luminescent phase, polyethylenimine (PEI) functionalized CaF2 doped with Tb3+is used as the emitter. Wherein, both PEG and PEI serve the dual purpose of functionalization as well as stabilization by steric repulsion. The structure and morphology of the synthesized bifunctional hybrid nanomaterial are studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction

Magnetic and luminescent multifunctional nanohybrid: Fe3O4@CaF2:Tb3+: A facile synthesis and characterization

31-35In the present study, bi-functional hybrid nanomaterial has been synthesized and characterized via facile method and characterized. The synthesized nanomaterial shows both magnetic and luminescent properties which are confirmed by VSM (vibrating sample magnetometer), UV-Vis spectra and the photoluminescence emission spectra. For the magnetic phase, i.e., nanocrystalline magnetite, Fe3O4 is used as the core which is then functionalized using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and for the luminescent phase, polyethylenimine (PEI) functionalized CaF2 doped with Tb3+is used as the emitter. Wherein, both PEG and PEI serve the dual purpose of functionalization as well as stabilization by steric repulsion. The structure and morphology of the synthesized bifunctional hybrid nanomaterial are studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction