Method of Separating Cosmic-Ray Positrons from Electrons in the DAMPE Experiment

A method of identifying positron/electron species from the cosmic rays was studied in the DAMPE experiment. As there is no onboard magnet on the satellite, the different features imposed by the geomagnetic field on these two species were exploited for the particle identification. Application of this method to the simulation of on-orbit electrons/positrons/protons and the real flight data proves that separately measuring the CR positrons/electrons with DAMPE is feasible, though limited by the field of view for the present observation data. Further analysis on the positron flux with this method can be expected in the future.

Significance of Addressal of Clinical Investigations of Kidney Functions in Recovery/Mortality of Certain COVID-19 Patients

Clinical management of COVID-19 patients through a robust protocol is key to the good recovery and reduced mortality of patients. Efficient kidney functions during treatment period can contribute for improvised recovery and reduced mortality of patients. Analysis of the kidney function among Recovered and Dead cases of COVID-19 was made to reveal the degree of association of kidney functions with the two categories of patients. 83.4% of recovered patients did not show hyper values of blood urea whereas 72.5% of dead patients showed hyper-urea level in blood. 88.8% of survivors showed non-hyper creatinine level of blood whereas only 40% of dead cases showed hyper creatine level. Strong degree of association of blood urea with recovery/mortality was observed. Sodium levels were seen to be low while potassium and chloride ions were seen to be high in COVID-19 individuals. Our preliminary study suggests that kidney functions especially the value of blood urea and creatinine need to be addressed during COVID-19 patients to ensure the best recovery and reduced mortality. After more number of case studies, the present observation could sensitize consideration for inclusion of addressal and treatment of kidney functions into treatment protocol against COVID-19. It was also interesting to observe that levels of sodium and potassium ions among Survivors and Dead cases have impacted function of the essential ion channels in patient’s physiology.

Socio-Emotional Development of Children with Cochlear Implant: A Systematic Review

Background: Attaining socio-emotional competence is challenging for children with hearing impairment. There is wide recognition of children with cochlear implant (CI) indicating significant improvement in their speech and language abilities, however many factors may restrict their chance of having reciprocal social interactions. A significant improvement in speech and language does not automatically affirm the quality of social interactions. This present observation on social-emotional development addressed a more current representative population of children with hearing loss who have benefitted from cochlear implantation. Methods: The research conducted a systematic review of selected articles from Scopus and PubMed databases, retrieved through three search-process keywords, namely socio-emotional, children and CI. The inclusion criteria only included journal articles published in English with empirical data from the year 2010–2019. The initial search had identified 189 potential abstracts and after removal of duplicates, only 38 eligible studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Among 38 studies reviewed, 19 studies showed comparable socio-emotional skills with peers in social interaction, empathy, emotion theory of mind and comprehension skills. Conversely, the other 19 studies presented underprivileged results in socio-emotional functioning mainly in identifying facial expression, regulating emotion and emotional cues in the auditory domain. Conclusion: This review concluded that the socio-emotional development among children with CI, both at preschool-age and school-age, was not justified due to the heterogeneity in studies across measurement and small sample size. Also, the conclusion recommended extensive crossreferencing, mixed-mode research design, detailed distinguishing of socio-emotional functioning and identification of diverse groups of the population with impaired hearing as an approach to provide empirical evidence on socio-emotional functioning among children with CI in the future.

Candidemia to Candida pararugosa in a child: first case reported in Morocco

The genus Candida play an important role in human pathology, which leads scientists to study their virulence and pathogenicity [1]. Some studies have reported that 40% to 50% of infections are caused by Candida species other than Candida albicans. [2-4] Candida pararugosa (C. pararugosa) is a yeast isolated for the first time from human feces. Nakase et al [5] described it in the medical literature in 1999. It was thought that this yeast could be a colonizer of the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity [6,7] despite the fact that this was isolated from different human anatomical specimens [8], there have been no cases in the literature that have linked its isolation to clinical symptomatology [9]. In Morocco, to our knowledge, no cases of Candida pararugosa candidemia have been reported. In the present observation, we describe the first case of isolation of C. pararugosa from the blood culture of a child with Burkitt lymphoma.

Occurrence of vivipary in Ophiorrhiza rugosa Wall. (Rubiaceae)

Vivipary is a rare reproductive strategy, has been reported less than 0.1% of angiosperms. The present observation confirms the incidence of true vivipary in medicinally important species Ophiorhiza rugosa Wall. (Rubiaceae) from hill station of Karbi Anglong district of Assam.

Pharmacognostical and Physiochemical Study on the Leaves of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn

Aim: To rationalize the macroscopial, microscopical and physico-chemical studies on leaves of plant Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn. Methods: The pharmacognostic characters were determined in terms of macroscopy, microscopy and powder microscopy of plant Nyctanthes arbor-tristis leaves. The crude ethanolic extract of leaves of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn. was using physico-chemical parameters, and preliminary phytochemical investigation (TLC). Results: The microscopic study shows the general characteristic of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis leaves. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of various phytochemical groups like alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, phenolic, tannins constituents. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the established pharmacognostic profile of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis leaves will be helpful in developing pharmacopoeial standards for correct identification and quality control. The present observation will also be helpful in macroscopical and microscopical on leaves of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn. Keywords: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Pharmacognostical Study, Macroscopial and Microscopical studies

Effect of probiotic supplement feed on the foraging activity of Indian honeybee (Apis cerana indica F.)

Aim: To investigate the effect of probiotic supplement feed on the foraging behaviour Indian honeybee colonies to resolve the excessive usage of antibiotics. Methodology: The effect of sugar syrup feed (Untreated hives) and sugar syrup + probiotic supplement feed @ 10 ml 100 ml-1 syrup (Treated hives) on Indian honeybees was tested. The foraging activity and foraging rate were recorded and subjected to paired t- test analysis. Results: The present observation showed a significant difference in the foraging rate between the colonies fed with sugar syrup + probiotic supplement (2.33 ± 0.11 min-1) than the colonies that received sugar syrup alone (1.35 ± 0.06 min-1). The highest foraging rate (2.80 ± 0.39 min-1) was recorded in treated hives. Interpretation: The experiment revealed that the brood development was directly proportional to brood pheromone levels, which positively affects the foragers, consequently foraging rate and honey production. Thus, the probiotic supplement feeding may influence the foraging behaviour of honeybee colonies.

GIANT BENIGN SCHWANNOMA OF THE ANTERIOR BASE OF THE SKULL WITH SINONASAL AND PHARYNGEAL EXTENSION

Introduction: Schwannomas are tumors developed from Schwann cells present in the peripheral nerve sheaths. Their development both extra and intracranial is extremely rare. Observation: We report the case of a 36-year-old man who consulted for sinonasal syndrome evolving over the past ten years in which explorations found a large benign schwannoma of the anterior base of the skull with sinonasal and pharyngeal extension. The excision was performed externally by Moure and Sébileau with ENT and neurosurgery collaboration. The suites were simple. Discussion: The present observation again raises the question of the exact origin of developing sinonasal and endocranial schwannomas. The origin of the lesion and our management conditions were discussed. Conclusion: as for other authors, schwannoma should be considered in the diagnosis of skull base tumors. External surgery for extensive forms and ENT and neurosurgery collaboration help to minimize the risk of complications. Keywords: schwannoma; sinonasal schwannoma; skull base tumor.

The variability of functional MRI brain signal increases in Alzheimer's disease at cardiorespiratory frequencies

Biomarkers sensitive to prodromal or early pathophysiological changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms could improve disease detection and enable timely interventions. Changes in brain hemodynamics may be associated with the main clinical AD symptoms. To test this possibility, we measured the variability of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in individuals from three independent datasets (totaling 80 AD patients and 90 controls). We detected a replicable increase in brain BOLD signal variability in the AD populations, which constituted a robust biomarker for clearly differentiating AD cases from controls. Fast BOLD scans showed that the elevated BOLD signal variability in AD arises mainly from cardiovascular brain pulsations. Manifesting in abnormal cerebral perfusion and cerebrospinal fluid convection, present observation presents a mechanism explaining earlier observations of impaired glymphatic clearance associated with AD in humans.

Effects of High g Values on Growth and Chlorophyll Content in Hydrated and Dehydrated Wheat Seeds

Higher g value stimuli (gravitational acceleration more than 1 g and referred as hyper gravity) caused by centrifugation have been shown to inhibit elongation growth of various plants. In the present study, effects of high g values were studied on wheat seeds with and without water medium at the time of exposure to high g values. Wheat seeds (variety: LOK-1) were washed with 0.5% fungicide and then 4-5 times with distilled water (D/W). Seeds were then soaked in D/W for 24 hrs. Two different experiments were performed. In initial experiment, soaked seeds were taken into the centrifuge tubes filled with 1 ml D/W. Seeds were exposed to hypergravity ranging from 500 g to 2500 g for 10 minutes. In another experiment, soaked seeds were taken into the centrifuge tubes without water or any other medium and then exposed to high g values. After exposure seeds were immediately sowed on 0.8% agar gel. Results obtained showed that exposure to high g values suppressed growth in wheat seedlings when seeds were exposed to high g values with water as a medium. Chlorophyll content also decreased with increase in g. However, no change in growth and chlorophyll content were observed when seeds were exposed without water medium up to g values as high as 2500. Thus, effects of high g value stimuli depend not only on how much centrifugal force is applied to the seeds but also depends upon how much force is experienced by the inner part of the seeds. Present observation shows that effective centrifugal force experienced by the seeds is different when applied with and without medium.