Unveiling brain disorders using liquid biopsy and Raman spectroscopy.

Brain disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), present significant challenges in early diagnosis and intervention. Conventional imaging modalities, while valuable, lack the molecular specificity necessary for precise disease characterization. Compared to the study of conventional brain tissues, liquid biopsy, which focuses on blood, tear, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), also unveils a myriad of underlying molecular processes, providing abundant predictive clinical information.

Clinical standards for the diagnosis and management of asthma in low- and middle-income countries.

The aim of these clinical standards is to aid the diagnosis and management of asthma in low-resource settings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A panel of 52 experts in the field of asthma in LMICs participated in a two-stage Delphi process to establish and reach a consensus on the clinical standards. Eighteen clinical standards were defined: Standard 1, Every individual with symptoms and signs compatible with asthma should undergo a clinical assessment; Standard 2, In individuals (>6 years) with a clinical assessment supportive of a diagnosis of asthma, a hand-held spirometry measurement should be used to confirm variable expiratory airflow limitation by demonstrating an acute response to a bronchodilator; Standard 3, Pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry should be performed in individuals (>6 years) to support diagnosis before treatment is commenced if there is diagnostic uncertainty; Standard 4, Individuals with an acute exacerbation of asthma and clinical signs of hypoxaemia or increased work of breathing should be given supplementary oxygen to maintain saturation at 94-98%; Standard 5, Inhaled short-acting beta-2 agonists (SABAs) should be used as an emergency reliever in individuals with asthma via an appropriate spacer device for metered-dose inhalers; Standard 6, Short-course oral corticosteroids should be administered in appropriate doses to individuals having moderate to severe acute asthma exacerbations (minimum 3-5 days); Standard 7, Individuals having a severe asthma exacerbation should receive emergency care, including oxygen therapy, systemic corticosteroids, inhaled bronchodilators (e.

Understanding the Excitation Wavelength Dependence and Thermal Stability of the SARS-CoV-2 Receptor-Binding Domain Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering and Machine Learning.

COVID-19 has cost millions of lives worldwide. The constant mutation of SARS-CoV-2 calls for thorough research to facilitate the development of variant surveillance. In this work, we studied the fundamental properties related to the optical identification of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, a key component of viral infection.

Challenges of Continuation of Exclusive Breast Feeding up to 6 Months in a Setting with High Exclusive Breast Feeding Rates Reported. Experience from Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.

Background: According to the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative, Sri Lanka ranked as number one and only country to achieve green status. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for six months is current practice with a rate of 75.5% among 0-5 months.

Raman Spectroscopy on Brain Disorders: Transition from Fundamental Research to Clinical Applications.

Brain disorders such as brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are accompanied by chemical alterations in the tissues. Early diagnosis of these diseases will provide key benefits for patients and opportunities for preventive treatments. To detect these sophisticated diseases, various imaging modalities have been developed such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET).

Childhood allergic diseases across geographical regions of Kandy and Anuradhapura districts of Sri Lanka; where do the rates stand among other regions: experience from Global asthma network Phase 1 study.

Background: Asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema have been identified as the most prevalent childhood allergic diseases. However, the prevalence of these allergic diseases can vary in different regions within a country and in the world.

Methods: The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in schoolchildren in the Kandy and Anuradhapura districts of Sri Lanka.

Engineered 2D materials for optical bioimaging and path toward therapy and tissue engineering.

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials as a new class of nanomaterial are characterized by a list of exotic properties. These layered materials are investigated widely in several biomedical applications. A comprehensive understanding of the state-of-the-art developments of 2D materials designed for multiple nanoplatforms will aid researchers in various fields to broaden the scope of biomedical applications.

Rapid Biomarker Screening of Alzheimer's Disease by Interpretable Machine Learning and Graphene-Assisted Raman Spectroscopy.

The study of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, faces challenges in terms of understanding the cause, monitoring the pathogenesis, and developing early diagnoses and effective treatments. Rapid and accurate identification of AD biomarkers in the brain is critical to providing key insights into AD and facilitating the development of early diagnosis methods. In this work, we developed a platform that enables a rapid screening of AD biomarkers by employing graphene-assisted Raman spectroscopy and machine learning interpretation in AD transgenic animal brains.

Growth Dynamics of Colloidal Silver-Gold Core-Shell Nanoparticles Studied by Second Harmonic Generation and Extinction Spectroscopy.

The growth dynamics of colloidal silver-gold core-shell (Ag@Au CS) nanoparticles (NPs) in water are monitored in a stepwise synthesis approach using time-dependent second harmonic generation (SHG) and extinction spectroscopy. Three sequential additions of chloroauric acid, sodium citrate, and hydroquinone are added to the silver nanoparticle solution to grow a gold shell around a silver core. The first addition produces a stable urchin-like surface morphology, while the second and third additions continue to grow the gold shell thickness as the surface becomes more smooth and uniform, as determined using transmission electron microscopy.

Influence of Temperature on Molecular Adsorption and Transport at Liposome Surfaces Studied by Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Second Harmonic Generation Spectroscopy.

A fundamental understanding of the kinetics and thermodynamics of chemical interactions at the phospholipid bilayer interface is crucial for developing potential drug-delivery applications. Here we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and surface-sensitive second harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy to study the molecular adsorption and transport of a small organic cation, malachite green (MG), at the surface of 1,2-dioleoyl--glycero-3-phospho-(1'--glycerol) (DOPG) liposomes in water at different temperatures. The temperature-dependent adsorption isotherms, obtained by SHG measurements, provide information on adsorbate concentration, free energy of adsorption, and associated changes in enthalpy and entropy, showing that the adsorption process is exothermic, resulting in increased overall entropy.

Second case report of slender coral snake (Calliophis melanurus sinhaleyus) envenomation of Sri Lanka.

Bite and envenomation by the slender coral snake (Calliophis melanurus sinhaleyus) is rare in Sri Lanka. This case report describes an authenticated slender coral snake envenomation that occurred in a 32-year-old male. The bite to the middle phalanx of the left index finger was allowed to persist for 10 minutes.

Probing Surface Photovoltage Effect Using Photoassisted Secondary Electron Emission.

While the properties of surfaces and interfaces are crucial to modern devices, they are commonly difficult to explore since the signal from the bulk often masks the surface contribution. Here we introduce a methodology based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with a pulsed laser source, which offers the capability to sense the topmost layer of materials, to study the surface photovoltage (SPV) related effects. This method relies on a pulsed optical laser to transiently induce an SPV and a continuous primary electron beam to produce secondary electron (SE) emission and monitor the change of the SE yield under laser illumination.

Monitoring the growth dynamics of colloidal gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles using in situ second harmonic generation and extinction spectroscopy.

The growth dynamics of gold-silver core-shell (Au@Ag) nanoparticles are studied using in situ time-dependent second harmonic generation (SHG) and extinction spectroscopy to investigate the nanoparticle shell formation. The silver shell is grown by reduction of silver cations onto a 14 nm gold core using ascorbic acid in colloidal aqueous solution under varying reaction concentrations producing Au@Ag nanoparticles of final sizes ranging from 51 to 78 nm in diameter. The in situ extinction spectra show a rapid increase in intensity on the timescale of 5-6 s with blue shifting and narrowing of the plasmonic peak during the silver shell formation.

Atomistic and experimental study on thermal conductivity of bulk and porous cerium dioxide.

Cerium dioxide (CeO) is a surrogate material for traditional nuclear fuels and an essential material for a wide variety of industrial applications both in its bulk and nanometer length scale. Despite this fact, the underlying physics of thermal conductivity (k), a crucial design parameter in industrial applications, has not received enough attention. In this article, a systematic investigation of the phonon transport properties was performed using ab initio calculations unified with the Boltzmann transport equation.

The Venom of Spectacled Cobra (Elapidae: ): Study from Distinct Geographical Origins in Sri Lanka.

Several countries residing envenomation due to had revealed a disparity in the venom composition according to their geographic location and Sri Lankan cobra still lacks the evidence to support this. Therefore, the current study was focused on addressing relationship between the histopathological changes according to geographic variation of Sri Lankan venom. The histopathological changes in vital organs and muscle tissues following intramuscular administration of venom of were studied using BALB/c mice.

Isolated unilateral temporalis muscle hypertrophy in a child: a case report with literature review.

Background: Temporalis muscle hypertrophy is a rare entity of masticatory muscle hypertrophy. All types of masticatory muscle hypertrophies have been documented of which temporalis muscle hypertrophy is one. Temporalis muscle hypertrophy is most commonly bilateral and usually associated with other types of masticatory muscles hypertrophy such as masseter or pterygoid hypertrophy.

Hematological and plasma biochemical parameters in a wild population of (Linnaeus, 1758) in Sri Lanka.

Background: Hematological studies of any animal species comprise an important diagnostic method in veterinary medicine and an essential tool for the conservation of species. In Sri Lanka, this essential technique has been ignored in studies of many species including reptiles. The aim of the present work was to establish a reference range of hematological values and morphological characterization of wild spectacled cobras () in Sri Lanka in order to provide a diagnostic tool in the assessment of health condition in reptiles and to diagnose diseases in wild populations.

Complete heart block in pregnancy: case report, analysis, and review of anesthetic management.

Maternal complete heart block can pose significant challenges for the anesthesiologist in the antepartum, peripartum, and postpartum periods. Some patients may present for the first time in the puerperium with dizziness, weakness, syncope, or congestive heart failure as a result of the additional hemodynamic burden that accompanies pregnancy. Although there is an increase in permanent pacemaker placement in young symptomatic patients before pregnancy, prophylactic placement of pacemakers in asymptomatic parturients is not always indicated.

Clinical Features and Transmission Pattern of Hepatitis A: An Experience from a Hepatitis A Outbreak Caused by Two Cocirculating Genotypes in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is one of the intermediate-endemic areas for hepatitis A virus (HAV), and concerns exist about the increasing HAV-susceptible population. In fact, Sri Lanka recorded a large hepatitis outbreak, possibly hepatitis A, around the end of the Sri Lankan war. It included more than 14,000 patients consisting of local residents, internally displaced personnel, and military personnel in the main combat zone.

Anesthetic Considerations for the Parturient After Solid Organ Transplantation.

Over the past 40 years, the success of organ transplantation has increased such that female solid organ transplant recipients are able to conceive and carry pregnancies successfully to term. Anesthesiologists are faced with the challenge of providing anesthesia care to these high-risk obstetric patients in the peripartum period. Anesthetic considerations include the effects of the physiologic changes of pregnancy on the transplanted organ, graft function in the peripartum period, and the maternal side effects and drug interactions of immunosuppressive agents.

Complications of 761 short-term intrathecal macrocatheters in obstetric patients: a retrospective review of cases over a 12-year period.

Background: A continuous spinal catheter is a reliable alternative to standard neuraxial techniques in obstetric anesthesia. Despite the potential advantages of intrathecal catheters, they remain underutilized due to fear of infection, nerve damage or post-dural puncture headache. In our tertiary care center, intrathecal catheters are either placed intentionally in high-risk obstetric patients or following inadvertent dural puncture using a 19-gauge macrocatheter passed through a 17-gauge epidural needle.

Scleroderma and pulmonary hypertension complicating two pregnancies: use of neuraxial anesthesia, general anesthesia, epoprostenol and a multidisciplinary approach for cesarean delivery.

Literature regarding the anesthetic care of patients with scleroderma during labor and delivery is limited to remote case reports. No recent publications provide information on the anesthetic management of patients with coexisting pulmonary hypertension. This report describes the anesthetic and multidisciplinary management of two pregnant patients with concomitant scleroderma and pulmonary hypertension undergoing cesarean delivery; one with neuraxial anesthesia and one with general anesthesia.

Angelman syndrome presenting with a rare seizure type in a patient with 15q11.2 deletion: a case report.

Introduction: Angelman syndrome, a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder associated with abnormalities in chromosome15q11-q13, is inherited from the mother. Epilepsy is seen in 85 % of children with Angelman syndrome within the first 3 years of life and is often severe and difficult to control.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a baby boy who presented at 13 months of age with a history of acute gastroenteritis and marked gross motor and speech developmental delay.

Can the type of gallstones be predicted with known possible risk factors?: A comparison between mixed cholesterol and black pigment stones.

Background: Pathogenesis of gallstones (GS) is multifactorial and multiple genetic and environmental factors have been identified in different populations for different types of GS with varying prevalence. However the role of the each aetiological factor on the formation of mixed cholesterol and black pigment GS has not being addressed adequately. Hence in this study we attempted to compare known possible risk factors for mixed cholesterol and black pigment GS among two groups of patients with two types of GS.