Circular RNA: The evolving potential in the disease world

Circular RNAs(circRNAs),a new star of noncoding RNAs,are a group of endogenous RNAs that form a covalently closed circle and occur widely in the mammalian genome.Most circRNAs are conserved throughout species and fre-quently show stage-specific expression during various stages of tissue develop-ment.CircRNAs were a mystery discovery,as they were initially believed to be a product of splicing errors;however,subsequent research has shown that ci-rcRNAs can perform various functions and help in the regulation of splicing and transcription,including playing a role as microRNA(miRNA)sponges.With the application of high throughput next-generation technologies,circRNA hotspots were discovered.There are emerging indications that explain the association of circRNAs with human diseases,like cancers,developmental disorders,and in-flammation,and circRNAs may be a new potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment outcome of various diseases,including cancer.After the discoveries of miRNAs and long noncoding RNAs,circRNAs are now acting as a novel re-search entity of interest in the field of RNA disease biology.In this review,we aim to focus on major updates on the biogeny and metabolism of circRNAs,along with their possible/established roles in major human diseases.

Thermo-mechanical and micro-structural properties of xylanase containing whole wheat bread

Xylanase is a hemicellulase that can hydrolyses the complex polysaccharides.Hemicelluloses are main components of cell walls of cereal grains.Moreover,hemicelluloses are considered as potential sources of mono-and oligosaccharides.In this study,influence of xylanase on the physicochemical properties and sensory qualities of the whole wheat bread during storage was investigated.Studies of whole wheat bread on microstructure,texture,thermotics,Scanning Electron Microscopic(SEM),X-Ray Diffraction(XRD)were conducted at ambient temperature of 25 and 4◦C respectively.During storage at different temperatures,bread containing xylanase exhibited less firmness but larger volume with whiter crumb color and longer shelf life as compared to control bread.Results of firmness,enthalpy,Fourier Transformation Infra Red(FTIR)and X-Ray Diffraction(XRD)studies suggested a lower staling rate of bread containing xylanase as compared to control one.Bread containing xylanase showed a smoother surface and more uniform pore size than the control.Significant differences in microstructure of control and bread containing xylanase were observed which might be attributed due to the change in water starch gluten interaction.These differences were also found to be interrelated to the textural properties of bread.Better sensory features were achieved in bread containing xylanase.

Sero diagnosis of dengue activity in an unknown febrile outbreak at the Siliguri Town,District Darjeeling,West Bengal

Objective:To investigate the outbreak of unknown fever at Siliguri town,Darjeeling District on request from the State Health Department,Government of West Bengal.Methods: Investigations were made to the affected wards,Sub Divisional Hospital and the nursing homes of Siliguri Town.Duration of illness was 3-5 days.Interesting observations were made in some cases which had gastrointestinal disorders with high serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase(SGPT) and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(SCOT) levels.A total of 69 blood samples and 7 throat swabs(in Minimum Essential Media) were collected and brought to the ICMR Virus Unit, Kolkata for analysis.Mosquitoes from different affected areas were collected for the identification of the definite vector.Results:Amongst the 69 blood samples,42(60.86%) were positive to IgM antibody against dengue virus by Mac enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) test.No IgM antibody to Japanese encephalitis virus was detected among the collected blood samples.Based on the clinical symptoms,presence of IgM antibody to dengue virus and identification of Aedes mosquito,it amply proves that,the illness of those cases were due to dengue virus infection. Conclusions:Based on clinical-epidemiological observations of the investigations the possibility of a communicable disease of viral origin,the detection of IgM antibody and the identification of Aedes egypti,and the potential circulation of denge virus in Siliguri town for the first time were all suggested.

Spectroscopic Investigation and Characterizations of PAM/PEO Blends Films

Polymer blends have been obtained in the form of dimensionally stable and free standing films and their properties were characterized by different techniques. FTIR analysis and Raman spectroscopic analysis cleared the hydrogen bonding intermolecular interaction between –CONH2 groups in Poly Acrylamide (PAM) and C-O-C and –CH2OH group in Poly Ethylene Oxide (PEO). From Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) the study shows that crystallinity is increasing with PEO wt%. From polymer interaction parameter we also show that the polymer blend is miscible. Thermal stability of films is investigated by Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and derivative Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (DrTG). From UV-Vis absorption spectra, absorption band edge, direct/ indirect band gap and optical activation energy have been calculated.

Analysis, Modeling and Simulation of State Feedback Control for Positive Output Super Lift Luo Converter

This article studies a design and implementation of state-feedback control problem for dc-dc Positive Output Super Lift Luo (POSLL) converter by considering the line and load disturbances for needing desired power source for various portable electronic equipments like battery charger, hard disk drives, medical device, LED TV etc. The POSLL’s dynamic performance becomes non-linear in nature;the designed controller able to get superior dynamic performance given by load estimation is done by using an observer and by combining the state-feedback control with the load estimator, a controller which is explicitly developed with strong robustness using separation principle. An effectual stability analysis is exemplified to prove that by carefully selecting the state feedback control and observer gain matrix, the output voltage of the dc-dc POSLL converter tracks the desired value irrespective of the uncertainties. Extensive simulation is carried out using MATLAB/Simulink model. The result based on time domain analysis is done by using the controllers for various disturbances given to the converter.

Instability of binary nanofluids with magnetic field

The present paper investigates the effects of a vertical magnetic field on the double diffusive nanofluid convection, The effects of the Brownian motion and ther- mophoresis due to the presence of nanoparticles and the effects of the Dufour and Sorer parameters due to the presence of solute are included in the investigated model. The normal mode technique is used to solve the conservation equations. For the analytical study, valid approximations are made in the complex expression for the Rayleigh number to get useful and interesting results. The bottom heavy binary nanofluids are more stable than the regular binary fluids, while the top heavy binary nanofluids are less stable than the regular binary fluids. The critical wave number and the critical Rayleigh number in- crease whereas the frequency of oscillation （for the bottom heavy configuration） decreases when the Chandrasekhar number increases. The numerical results for the alumina-water nanofiuid are studied by use of the MATHEMATICA software.

Planning a Sustainable New City

Pakistan, the sixth most populous country with 185 million people, grows in the last years at approximately 3.2 million people per year, generating a strong demand for new urban areas [1]. The Defense Housing Authority (DHA), among Pakistan’s most reputable land developers, has been instrumental in providing land for both residential and commercial use in several metropolitan areas. In Karachi, DHA has provided urban land in phases, with such land being most desirable to live and work, significantly improving the existing stock and allowing the growth of competitive economic activities. When DHA started Phase 10, at a distance of 55 km from the center of Karachi, the objective became to develop a self-sustained new city, although it should function as a satellite to the main metropolitan area. Pakistan has had a best experience from the planning of Islamabad by the legendary planner Constantinos Doxiadis, based on the Ekistics concept. So, the planners for the new city, called DHA City Karachi (DCK), also followed the Ekistics concept, enhanced to address the sustainability requirements of DHA. The resulting highly complex planning process, resulting from an uneven terrain and an irregular boundary, was possible to be carried out by employing advanced computer algorithms in the form of parametric design and GIS, tools that were unavailable to Doxiadis in the 60 s but fascinated him at the end of his professional life. This paper presents the sustainable planning approach for the new city of 600,000 people, handling physical constrains and site issues whilst ensuring adaptation to context. Then, the paper introduces how computing was employed towards applying Ekistics.

Measurement of Plasma Density in Brass Arc Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure Using a Langmuir Single Probe

In this work, we construct electrodes of brass to produce plasma by arc discharge and is characterized by using a movableLangmuir single probe. It is a simple way to measure plasma parameters such as electron temperature, electron density and iondensity. A movable Langmuir single probe technique has a reference point since it is biased with reference to any one electrode ofthe plasma producing system. The values obtained are at atmospheric pressure. The plasma thus produced in laboratory has variousapplications which include gaseous discharge, plasma torch, sputtering, laser produced plasma as well as tokamak plasma.

育龄期有或无异常子宫出血患者经阴道超声检查、盐水输注超声检查及常规宫腔镜检查的比较

To compare the diagnostic accuracy and acceptability of transvagin al sonography (TVS), saline infusion sonography (SIS), and office hysteroscopy ( OHS) for detecting intracavitary abnormalities in women with or without abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Design: Prospective double-blind study. Setting: Zekai Tahir Burak Women’ s Health Education and Research Hospital, Gynecology Clinic (Ankara, Turkey). Patient(s): A total of 26 women with AUB and 24 women without AUB were enrolled in this study. Intervention(s): Transvaginal sonography, SIS, and OHS were performed on women scheduled for hysterectomy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of TVS, SIS, and OHS to detect intracavitary abnormalities (with histopathologic findings used as the gold standard), duration of procedure, and pain scores. Result(s): The sensitivity and specificity of TVS, SIS, and OHS in detecting intracavitary abnormalities were 56.3% and 72% , 81.3% and 100% , and 87.5% and 100% , respectively. The prevalence of endometrial polyps was not different in women with and without AUB. Saline infusion sonography was less painful than OHS (pain scores of 4.3 and 7.2, respectively). Conclusion(s): The diagnostic accuracy of SIS was equal to that of OHS in diagnosing intracavitary abnormalities. Moreover, SIS was less painful than OHS for patients.

基于体外受精(IVF)及促性腺激素结合IVF治疗原发性不孕症医疗成本的决策分析

To compare the economic consequences of proceeding directly to IVF to those of proceeding with gonadotropins followed by IVF in patients < 35 years of age with unexplained infertility. Design: A decision-tree- model. The model incorporated the cost and success of each infertility regimen as well as the pregnancy-associated costs of singleton or multiple gestations and the risk and cost of cerebral palsy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Cost per live birth. Result(s): Both treatment arms resulted in a >80% chance of birth. The gonadotropin arm was over four times more likely to result in a high-order multiple pregnancy (HOMP). Despite this, when the base case estimates were utilized, immediate IVF emerged as more costly per live birth. In sensitivity analysis, immediate IVF became less costly per live birth when IVF was more likely to achieve birth (55.1% ) or cheaper (＄ 11,432) than our base case assumptions. Conclusion(s): After considering the risk and cost of HOMP, immediate IVF is more costly per live birth than a trial of gonadotropins prior to IVF.

经验性产前静脉注射免疫球蛋白治疗胎儿和新生儿同种免疫性血小板减少症经验性静脉输注免疫球蛋白产前处理的成本效益分析

The purpose of this study was to compare the cost effectiveness of empiric intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) with that of fetal blood sampling-indicated treatment for the antepartum care of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Study design: We developed a decision analysis model to compare the cost effectiveness of 2 strategies for treatment of pregnancies in women with a history of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and an at-risk fetus: 1) IVIG and corticosteroids as indicated by fetal platelet levels determined by fetal blood sampling (FBS); and 2) empiric IVIG. In the first strategy, FBS is used to measure fetal platelets at 24 weeks of gestation and repeated 6 weeks later to guide pharmacotherapy. In the second strategy, weekly IVIG is empirically administered from 24 weeks’ to 37 weeks’ gestation. The main outcome measure was the marginal cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained. Results: For every 1000 women with a fetus at risk for recurrent alloimmune thrombocytopenia, empiric therapy, compared with FBS- indicated treatment, decreases perinatal deaths from 31.7 to 11.8 while increasing the number of infants with long-term neurologic deficits from 6.1 to 9.6. These health outcomes translate to 382 QALYs gained with empiric therapy and a cost effectiveness ratio of ＄ 32,747 per QALY favoring empiric therapy. In the sensitivity analysis, empiric therapy was not cost effective when the rate of perinatal ICH exceeded 28% . Conclusion: Empiric IVIG therapy is a cost-effective strategy for the treatment of women at risk for fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia when the rate of perinatal ICH is less than 28% .

孕≥20周手术终止妊娠后的产科结局

The purpose of this study was to describe obstetric outcomes after surgical abortion at ≥ 20 weeks, and to identify risk factors for subsequent spontaneous preterm birth. Study design: Patients who had surgical abortion at ≥ 20 weeks’ gestation from 1996 to 2003 and received subsequent prenatal care at The New York Weill Cornell Medical Center were identified. Indication for abortion, operative technique, and subsequent pregnancy outcomes were reviewed. Student t test, Fisher exact test, and Mann-Whitney U were used where appropriate. Results: One hundred and twenty pregnancies in 89 women were identified. Thirteen (10.8% ) ended with early miscarriage, and 5 were electively terminated. Of the remaining 102 pregnancies, 7 ended with spontaneous preterm birth. Those who experienced preterm birth were more likely to have undergone abortion due to cervical dilation and/or preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) (27.3% vs 4.4% ; P = .03). Those with a multifetal pregnancy in the subsequent pregnancy were more likely to have preterm birth (75.0% vs 4.3% ; P < .001). In patients who underwent dilation and evacuation (D& E) for reasons other than cervical dilation and/or PPROM, rates of spontaneous preterm birth were identical between those who had intact dilation and extraction (D& X) and D& E using forceps (4.2% vs 4.5% ; P = 1.0). Conclusion: In those who have undergone D& E at ≥ 20 weeks, only a history of mid-trimester cervical dilation and/or PPROM or a current multifetal pregnancy were associated with spontaneous preterm birth.

高渗盐水对肺囊性纤维化患者黏膜清除率和肺功能的影响

BACKGROUND: Abnormal homeostasis of the volume of airway surface liquid in patients with cystic fibrosis is thought to produce defects in mucus clearance and airway defense. Through osmotic forces, hypertonic saline may increase the volume of airway surface liquid, restore mucus clearance, and improve lung function. METHODS: A total of 24 patients with cystic fibrosis were randomly assigned to receive treatment with inhaled hypertonic saline (5 ml of 7 percent sodium chloride) four times daily with or without pretreatment with amiloride. Mucus clearance and lung function were measured during 14-day baseline and treatment periods. RESULTS: Long-term inhalation of hypertonic saline without pretreatment with amiloride (i.e., with placebo pretreatment) resulted in a sustained (≥ 8 hours) increase in 1-hour rates of mucus clearance, as compared with those with amiloride pretreatment (14.0± 2.0 vs. 7.0± 1.5 percent, respectively; P = 0.02) and increased 24-hour rates of mucus clearance over baseline. Furthermore, inhalation of hypertonic saline with placebo improved the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) between the baseline period and the treatment period (mean difference, 6.62 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.6 to 11.7; P = 0.02), whereas hypertonic saline with amiloride did not improve FEV1 (mean difference, 2.9 percent; 95 percent confi-dence interval, -2.2 to 8.0; P = 0.23). Forced vital capacity (FVC), the forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75 percent of FVC(FEF 25-75), and respiratory symptoms also significantly improved in patients treated with hypertonic saline and placebo, whereas the residual volume as a proportion of total lung capacity (RV:TLC) did not change in either group. A comparison of the changes in lung function in the two groups showed no significant difference. In vitro data suggested that sustained hydration of airway surfaces was responsible for the sustained improvement in mucus clearance, whereas inhibition of osmotically driven water transport by amiloride accounted for the observed loss of clinical benefit. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cystic fibrosis, inhalation of hypertonic saline produced a sustained acceleration of mucus clearance and improved lung function. This treatment may protect the lung from insults that reduce mucus clearance and produce lung disease.

聚酯机织物的现代印花

目前,聚酯在缩聚聚合物中占有极其重要的地位且应用最为广泛。聚酯被广泛用作包装材料,如瓶子、容器及薄膜,也用作纺织纤维、长丝与织物,以及摄影胶片和录音带的基材。聚酯织物现代印花技术相比于传统印花技术更环保,且与传统的丝网印花技术相比,还具有诸多其他优势。缩短的交货时间,更大的设计灵活性,更低的库存是推动世界各地现代印花技术发展的主要因素之一。人们对CO_2排放和缩短时尚生命周期的日益关注,以及由大规模生产转向大规模定制的趋势,预计在不久的将来将进一步推动对新时代印花的需求。

Deep neck space infection e A retrospective study of 270 cases at tertiary care center

Objective:To review the clinical findings in deep neck infections and identification predisposing factors of these complications. Methods:In this study, 270 patients with deep neck infections were studied retrospectively, study conducted in the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Govern-ment Medical College, Nanded, Maharashtra, India, from March 2013 to March 2016. Results:Analysis showed that males are most likely to have deep neck space infections (DNSI). Odontogenic and tonsillar causes were the more frequent ones. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species were the microorganisms more commonly isolated. Conclusion:DNSI remains a common and challenging disease for otorhinolaryngologists, and should be treated on emergency basis. In developing countries, lack of adequate nutrition, poor oral hygiene, tobacco chewing, smoking and beetle nut chewing has led to an increased prevalence of dental and periodontal diseases. In present study, Odontogenic infections were the most common etiological factor for DNSI.

Determining the hospital cost of anterior epistaxis treatment modalities at a Canadian tertiary care centre

Objective:To estimate the hospital costs of managing anterior epistaxis in the Emergency Department at a Tertiary Care centre in Canada.Material and methods:A cost analysis was conducted based on a retrospective review of Emergency Department visits from January 2012 to May 2014.A consecutive sample of adult patients with a diagnosis of anterior epistaxis was included.Anterior epistaxis was managed via one of:Nasal clip,Merocel(R),Silver Nitrate cautery,Vaseline packing,other treatment or no treatment.Both the direct and indirect hospital costs(SCDN)for anterior epistaxis treatment were calculated from the hospital's perspective.Generalized linear models were used to assess the association between treatment modalities and total hospital costs while controlling for potential confounding factors.Results:Three hundred and fifty-three patients(49%female)with a mean age of(69.9±18.5)years were included in the analysis.The median(interquartile ranges)costs of treatment ranged from CS227.83(CS167.96,CS328.69)for observation to CS763.98(CS632.25,CS830.23)for Merocel(R).The overall median total hospital costs incurred across all modalities was CS566.24(CS459.61,CS753.46)for the management of anterior epistaxis.Silver Nitrate,nasal clip,and observation were statistically associated with a lower cost when compared to Merocel(R)(P<0.001)even after potential confounding factors were controlled.Conclusions:Our results show wide difference in the hospital cost of epistaxis across treatment modalities.These cost estimates can help inform future economic evaluation studies aiming to guide the allocation of health care resources for patients with epistaxis.