Overexpression of an NF-YB gene family member, EaNF-YB2, enhances drought tolerance in sugarcane (Saccharum Spp. Hybrid).

Background: Drought is one of main critical factors that limits sugarcane productivity and juice quality in tropical regions. The unprecedented changes in climate such as monsoon failure, increase in temperature and other factors warrant the need for development of stress tolerant cultivars to sustain sugar production. Plant Nuclear factor (NF-Y) is one of the major classes of transcription factors that have a major role in plant development and abiotic stress response.

Prognostic accuracy of Whole Lung Perfusion Blood Volume as a predictor of 28-day Mortality in Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism - A prospective study.

Background: The estimated incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) is around 60-70 cases per 100,000 people annually. The overall mortality rate for massive PE is substantial, ranging from 18% to 65%. We can utilise changes in lung perfusion to stratify patients with PE acutely based on risk, highlighting its diagnostic and prognostic value.

Assessing radiation exposure of fingers of PET/CT technologists duringF-FDG procedures using active extremity dosimeters: a single-center study.

Extremity radiation exposure in nuclear medicine is a growing concern because it may surpass the maximum permissible dose of 500 mSv. This study aimed to assess the occupational finger dose received by technologists during the preparation and administration ofF-FDG radiopharmaceuticals in positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) whole-body scan procedures. Fifty scans were selected, with one procedure excluded due to a high administered activity.

Ectopic expression of choline oxidase () gene from confers drought stress tolerance in transgenic sugarcane.

Unlabelled: Drought is a serious problem that impacts sugarcane production and productivity worldwide. In this current investigation, a codon-optimized choline oxidase () gene was transformed into hybrid cultivar Co 86032 through -mediated transformation. The transgenic events with the gene driven by the portubi882 (PD2) promoter accumulated elevated levels of glycine betaine (5 - 10µg/g) whereas untransformed control plants accumulated less than 1.

Self-contacting Cys, Ser, and Thr residues in high-resolution protein crystal structures: Tertiary constraints or hydrogen bonds?

Functional groups in the side-chains of at least 10 amino acids are mainly involved in tertiary interactions. However, structural and functional significance of intra-residue interactions has not been fully recognized. In this study, we have analyzed ~5800 non-redundant high-resolution protein structures and identified 1166 self-contacts between the side-chain S-H/O-H and backbone C=O groups in Cys, Ser, and Thr residues that satisfied the geometric criteria to form hydrogen bonds.

Group Antenatal Care Start-Up in the Indian Private Sector: An Implementation Journey to Improve Quality of Care.

Introduction: The introduction of the innovative group antenatal and postnatal care model into the private health sector in India has the potential to pivot the experiences of families during pregnancy and beyond. Growing evidence worldwide shows this model moves fragmented healthcare systems toward a more integrated model to improve quality in care and outcomes for mothers and children. The aim of this study was to better understand the challenges and benefits of implementation of the group model of antenatal care in the Indian private health sector for the purpose of improving quality of care.

Assessment of occupational eye lens dose in interventional cardiology suites in Sri Lanka.

Purpose: The research investigates the occupational eye lens dose of interventional cardiologists and examines several methodologies for measuring eye lens doses, including direct methods using Hp(3) dosimeters and indirect methods using surrogate dosimeters. Moreover, the study scrutinizes factors impacting the evaluation of eye lens dose, making a substantial contribution to the field within Sri Lanka.

Methodology: Twelve interventional cardiologists underwent monitoring for eye lens doses utilizing both direct (Hp(3)) and indirect (Hp(10) and Hp(0.

An approach to assess real workload of medical linear accelerators in Sri Lanka.

Due to the introduction of new radiotherapy treatment techniques and the increased number of cancer patients, there is a higher possibility of redundant workload on radiotherapy machines. Therefore, this study aims to assess the workload in three linear accelerator units. An 8-week survey was conducted in the selected three units, during which all treatment parameters were accumulated.

The interrelationship between women's help-seeking experiences for vaginismus and their sense of self: a qualitative study and abductive analysis.

Objective: There is a lack of research on women's holistic experiences of vaginismus, also called sexual pain-penetration disorder, from their perspective. To address this gap, an abductive qualitative study aimed to examine women's help-seeking experiences for vaginismus, and its impact on their sense of self.

Methods: This study was informed by a feminist approach to the theory of self focused on participants' negotiation of dis/empowerment when help-seeking for vaginismus.

Multi-modal, Label-free, Optical Mapping of Cellular Metabolic Function and Oxidative Stress in 3D Engineered Brain Tissue Models.

Brain metabolism is essential for the function of organisms. While established imaging methods provide valuable insights into brain metabolic function, they lack the resolution to capture important metabolic interactions and heterogeneity at the cellular level. Label-free, two-photon excited fluorescence imaging addresses this issue by enabling dynamic metabolic assessments at the single-cell level without manipulations.

Perceptions and Experiences of Healthcare Providers and Patients Towards Digital Health Services in Primary Health Care: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Digital health has the potential to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by supporting health systems and enhancing health promotion and disease prevention. However, obstacles such as restricted internet access, inadequate technical assistance, clinical resource disparity, and insufficient user training can impede the utilization and growth of digital health. Researchers should examine healthcare providers' and patients' perspectives to identify challenges and enhance usability.

Perceptions on Medical Professionalism Among Future Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Method Study.

Background Accreditation councils across the world constantly examine policies and practices in professionalism in their medical curriculum. The National Medical Commission (NMC) in India has recognized the pressing need to reform and include professionalism in its undergraduate curriculum. Objectives The objective of this study was to explore the perspectives of medical and nursing students on professional behavior, suitable teaching-learning methods, and assessment strategies for curriculum integration.

Degenerative Temporomandibular Disorders: An Assessment of Bone Trabecular Structure Using Fractal Analysis in Digital Panoramic Radiographs.

Introduction Fractal analysis has proved to be a salient tool to quantitatively assess the qualitative changes in the bone trabeculae of patients with hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis, and various temporomandibular disorders, including osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ), in several previous studies. The purpose of this study was to use fractal analysis to assess alterations in the trabecular pattern of the mandibular condyle in patients with degenerative temporomandibular disorders. Materials and methods This study comprised 98 subjects with 49 subjects in the study group and 49 subjects in the control group, aged 18-50 years.

Real-Time Reporting of Complications in Hospitalized Surgical Patients by Surgical Team Members Using a Smartphone Application.

Background: The surgical morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference is a vital part of a resident's surgical education, but methods to collect and store M&M data are often rudimentary and unreliable. The authors propose a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant, electronic health record (EHR)-connected application and database to report and store complication data.

Methods: The app is linked to the patient's EHR, and as a result, basic data on each surgical case-including diagnosis, surgery type, and surgeon-are automatically uploaded to the app.

Occupational dose measurement in interventional cardiology practice.

Ensuring the safety of healthcare workers in interventional cardiology necessitates effective monitoring of occupational radiation exposure. This study aims to assess the accuracy of the over-apron single dosimetric approach compared with double dosimetric methods and explore the relationship between under-apron and over-apron doses. This investigation showed that the prescribed annual dose constraint of 20 mSv year-1 was not exceeded by the maximum annual occupational doses determined by dosimetric algorithms, which were 0.

Does organophosphorus poisoning increase the risk of staphylococcal ventilator associated pneumonia? - a retrospective study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical predictors of staphylococcal ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and to compare the outcomes of staphylococcal VAP with non-staphylococcal VAP.

Methodology: A retrospective observational study was conducted among adult patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) in a tertiary care hospital in India from January 2017 to December 2019. The patients were grouped based on their diagnosis into staphylococcal and non-staphylococcal VAP, and the baseline characteristics, clinical parameters, co-morbidities, and outcome parameters were compared.

A case that encapsulates the challenges of being a neurosurgeon in war-torn countries: Perspectives from Iraq.

Background: The provision of healthcare services in Iraq has been negatively affected by a lack of resources, strained healthcare infrastructure, and low patient socioeconomic status. This paper describes a case of multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIAs) that highlight the challenges of practicing vascular neurosurgery in Iraq.

Case Description: A 57-year-old female presented with sudden-onset severe headache, photophobia, and drowsiness and was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage in the basal cistern.

Neuronavigation-Specific Parameters for Selective Access of Trigeminal Rootlets in Radiofrequency Lesioning: A Cadaveric Morphometric Study.

Background And Objective: Radiofrequency lesioning (RFL) is a safe and effective treatment for medically refractory trigeminal neuralgia. Despite gaining mainstream neurosurgical acceptance in the 1970s, the technique has remained relatively unchanged, with the majority of series using lateral fluoroscopy over neuronavigation for cannula guidance. To date, there are no studies describing neuronavigation-specific parameters to help neurosurgeons selectively target individual trigeminal rootlets.

Transgenic sugarcane overexpressing improved germination and biomass production at formative stage under salinity and water-deficit stress conditions.

The glyoxalase system, involving Glyoxalase I (GlyI) and Glyoxalase II (Gly II), plays a vital role in abiotic stress tolerance in plants. A novel enzyme Glyoxalase III (Gly III) was found recently from bacteria, yeast, and plant species. This enzyme provides a new way to detoxify Methylglyoxal (MG), a cytotoxic α-oxoaldehyde, which, in excess, can cause complete cell destruction by forming Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) or DNA/RNA mutation.

Assessment of dosimetric approaches in evaluating radiation exposure for interventional cardiologists in Sri Lanka.

Interventional cardiologists face significant radiation exposure during interventional cardiology procedures. Therefore, this study focuses on assessing radiation exposure among interventional cardiologists during their procedures. Specifically, it aims to determine the effectiveness of both single and double dosimeter methods in estimating annual occupational radiation doses.

Sexual dysfunction: a study on learning experience of Australian medical students.

Background: Research has shown that clinicians are not comfortable managing sexual dysfunction (SD), and there are gaps in the SD-specific training of medical students in the US and the UK. However, there is little research into the extent of SD-specific training needs and learning experiences of Australian medical students. This study aims to explore the extent of students' learning experiences and training gaps in the postgraduate medical curriculum at one Australian university.

Learning Compliant Box-in-Box Insertion through Haptic-Based Robotic Teleoperation.

In modern logistics, the box-in-box insertion task is representative of a wide range of packaging applications, and automating compliant object insertion is difficult due to challenges in modelling the object deformation during insertion. Using Learning from Demonstration (LfD) paradigms, which are frequently used in robotics to facilitate skill transfer from humans to robots, can be one solution for complex tasks that are difficult to mathematically model. In order to automate the box-in-box insertion task for packaging applications, this study makes use of LfD techniques.

Extracellular Hsp90 Binds to and Aligns Collagen-1 to Enhance Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness.

Cancer cell-secreted eHsp90 binds and activates proteins in the tumor microenvironment crucial in cancer invasion. Therefore, targeting eHsp90 could inhibit invasion, preventing metastasis-the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Previous eHsp90 studies have solely focused on its role in cancer invasion through the 2D basement membrane (BM), a form of extracellular matrix (ECM) that lines the epithelial compartment.

Outcome of critically ill patients with systemic lupus erythematosus from a medical intensive care unit in Southern India.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has become the most prevalent autoimmune condition requiring admission in the intensive care units (ICU) in the last two decades. Here we analysed the clinical outcomes of SLE patients admitted to our ICU between 2011 and 2021, and studied the prognostic role of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and procalcitonin in those enrolled after August 2019.

Methods: Systemic lupus erythematosus (ACR/SLICC 2012) were enrolled, 72 retrospectively and 30 prospectively.

Combined FTIR/Raman spectroscopic studies and ab initio electronic structure calculations of Dithiothreitol.

A total of seven minimum energy geometries were obtained on exploring the conformational landscape of dithiothreitol (DTT) by varying the prominent dihedral angles in the molecule through a relaxed scan with a step size of 5° at B3LYP/cc-pVTZ with further geometry optimization at CCSD/cc-pVDZ level of theory. Single point energies were calculated for all the conformers at CCSD(T)/CBS limit with cc-pVNZ (N = T, Q) level of theory and revealed the similar energy pattern. The two conformers, namely G'TG'1 and G'TT, were found iso-energic even though they differed in their structure significantly and were of the lowest energy compared to others.