Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an important vector-borne viral disease of humans and horses in Asia. JE outbreaks occur regularly amongst humans in certain parts of India and sporadic cases occur among horses. In this study, JE seroprevalence and evidence of JE virus (JEV) infection among horses in Haryana (India) is described. Antibodies against JEV were detected in 67 out of 637 (10.5%) horses screened between 2006 and 2010. Two foals exhibiting neurological signs were positive for JEV RNA by RT-PCR; JEV was isolated from the serum of one of the foals collected on the second day of illness. This is the first report of JEV isolation from a horse in India. Furthermore, a pool of mosquitoes collected from the premises housing these foals was positive for JEV RNA by RT-PCR. Three structural genes, capsid (C), premembrane (prM), and envelope (E) of the isolated virus (JE/eq/India/H225/2009) spanning 2,500 nucleotides (from 134 to 2,633) were cloned and sequenced. BLAST results showed that these genes had a greater than 97% nucleotide sequence identity with different human JEV isolates from India. Phylogenetic analysis based on E- and C/prM genes indicated that the equine JEV isolate belonged to genotype III and was closely related to the Vellore group of JEV isolates from India.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Cloning, Molecular ; Culex/virology ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/*genetics/*isolation & purification ; Encephalitis, Japanese/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods/veterinary ; Female ; Genes, Viral ; Genotype ; Horse Diseases/epidemiology/*virology ; Horses ; India/epidemiology ; RNA, Viral/genetics/isolation & purification ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

Background: The genetic landscape of intestinal (INT) and pancreatobiliary (PB) type ampullary cancer (AC) has been evolving with distinct as well as overlapping molecular profiles. Methods: We performed whole-exome sequencing in 37 cases of AC to identify the targetable molecular profiles of INT and PB tumors. Paired tumor-normal sequencing was performed on the HiSeq 2500 Illumina platform. Results: There were 22 INT, 13 PB, and two cases of mixed differentiation of AC that exhibited a total of 1,263 somatic variants in 112 genes (2–257 variants/case) with 183 somatic deleterious variants. INT showed variations in 78 genes (1–31/case), while PB showed variations in 51 genes (1–29/case). Targetable mutations involving one or more major pathways were found in 86.5% of all ACs. Mutations in APC, CTNNB1, SMAD4, KMT2, EPHA, ERBB, and Notch genes were more frequent in INT tumors, while chromatin remodeling complex mutations were frequent in PB tumors. In the major signaling pathways, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3)/AKT and RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were significantly mutated in 70% of cases (82% INT, 46% PB, p = .023), with PI3/AKT mutation being more frequent in INT and RAS/MAPK in PB tumors. Tumor mutation burden was low in both differentiation types, with 1.6/Mb in INT and 0.8/Mb in PB types (p =.217). Conclusions The exome data suggest that INT types are genetically more unstable than PB and involve mutations in tumor suppressors, oncogenes, transcription factors, and chromatin remodeling genes. The spectra of the genetic profiles of INT and PB types suggested primary targeting of PI3/AKT in INT and RAS/RAF and PI3/AKT pathways in PB carcinomas.

Background: The genetic landscape of intestinal (INT) and pancreatobiliary (PB) type ampullary cancer (AC) has been evolving with distinct as well as overlapping molecular profiles. Methods: We performed whole-exome sequencing in 37 cases of AC to identify the targetable molecular profiles of INT and PB tumors. Paired tumor-normal sequencing was performed on the HiSeq 2500 Illumina platform. Results: There were 22 INT, 13 PB, and two cases of mixed differentiation of AC that exhibited a total of 1,263 somatic variants in 112 genes (2–257 variants/case) with 183 somatic deleterious variants. INT showed variations in 78 genes (1–31/case), while PB showed variations in 51 genes (1–29/case). Targetable mutations involving one or more major pathways were found in 86.5% of all ACs. Mutations in APC, CTNNB1, SMAD4, KMT2, EPHA, ERBB, and Notch genes were more frequent in INT tumors, while chromatin remodeling complex mutations were frequent in PB tumors. In the major signaling pathways, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3)/AKT and RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were significantly mutated in 70% of cases (82% INT, 46% PB, p = .023), with PI3/AKT mutation being more frequent in INT and RAS/MAPK in PB tumors. Tumor mutation burden was low in both differentiation types, with 1.6/Mb in INT and 0.8/Mb in PB types (p =.217). Conclusions The exome data suggest that INT types are genetically more unstable than PB and involve mutations in tumor suppressors, oncogenes, transcription factors, and chromatin remodeling genes. The spectra of the genetic profiles of INT and PB types suggested primary targeting of PI3/AKT in INT and RAS/RAF and PI3/AKT pathways in PB carcinomas.

Background/Aims: Association of sarcopenia with disease severity in ulcerative colitis (UC) is not clearly defined. We planned to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with UC as per the revised definition and its relation with the disease severity. Methods: A cross-sectional assessment of sarcopenia in patients with UC was performed. Disease activity was graded according to complete Mayo score. Hand grip strength was assessed with Jamar hand dynamometer, muscle mass using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, and physical performance with 4-m walk test. Sarcopenia was defined as a reduction of both muscle mass and strength. Severe sarcopenia was defined as reduced gait speed in presence of sarcopenia. Results: Of 114 patients (62 males, mean age: 36.49±12.41 years), 32 (28%) were in remission, 46 (40.4%) had mild-moderate activity, and 36 (31.6%) had severe UC. Forty-three patients (37.7%) had probable sarcopenia, 25 (21.9%) had sarcopenia, and 14 (12.2%) had severe sarcopenia. Prevalence of sarcopenia was higher in active disease (2 in remission, 6 in active, and 17 in severe, P<0.001). Of 14 with severe sarcopenia, 13 had severe UC while 1 had moderate UC. On multivariate analysis, lower body mass index and higher Mayo score were associated with sarcopenia. Of 37 patients with acute severe colitis, 16 had sarcopenia. Requirement of second-line therapy was similar between patients with and without sarcopenia. On follow-up (median: 18 months), there was a non-significant higher rate of major adverse events in those with sarcopenia (47.4% vs. 33.8%, P=0.273). Conclusions Sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia in UC correlate with the disease activity.

OBJECTIVE: To assess effects of off-centering, automatic exposure control, and padding on attenuation values, noise, and radiation dose when using in-plane bismuth-based shields for CT scanning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 30 cm anthropomorphic chest phantom was scanned on a 64-multidetector CT, with the center of the phantom aligned to the gantry isocenter. Scanning was repeated after placing a bismuth breast shield on the anterior surface with no gap and with 1, 2, and 6 cm of padding between the shield and the phantom surface. The "shielded" phantom was also scanned with combined modulation and off-centering of the phantom at 2 cm, 4 cm and 6 cm below the gantry isocenter. CT numbers, noise, and surface radiation dose were measured. The data were analyzed using an analysis of variance. RESULTS: The in-plane shield was not associated with any significant increment for the surface dose or CT dose index volume, which was achieved by comparing the radiation dose measured by combined modulation technique to the fixed mAs (p > 0.05). Irrespective of the gap or the surface CT numbers, surface noise increased to a larger extent compared to Hounsfield unit (HU) (0-6 cm, 26-55%) and noise (0-6 cm, 30-40%) in the center. With off-centering, in-plane shielding devices are associated with less dose savings, although dose reduction was still higher than in the absence of shielding (0 cm off-center, 90% dose reduction; 2 cm, 61%) (p < 0.0001). Streak artifacts were noted at 0 cm and 1 cm gaps but not at 2 cm and 6 cm gaps of shielding to the surface distances. CONCLUSION: In-plane shields are associated with greater image noise, artifactually increased attenuation values, and streak artifacts. However, shields reduce radiation dose regardless of the extent of off-centering. Automatic exposure control did not increase radiation dose when using a shield.
Analysis of Variance ; Artifacts ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiation Protection/*methods ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia obesity (SO) in healthy Indian adults and delineate the relative impact of the 3 indices of obesity [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fat mass percent (FM%)] with regards to inter-definitional agreement and their relationship with usual gait speed (GS). Methods: Apparently healthy adults (aged ≥ 20 years) with no background history of comorbidities were enrolled from the community by door-to-door survey. Following blood investigations, individuals with biochemical abnormalities were excluded. Enrolled participants underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Sarcopenia was defined according to EWGSOP2 consensus based on indigenous cut-offs obtained from the Sarcopenia-Chandigarh Urban Bone Epidemiological Study (Sarco-CUBES). Obesity was defined based on BMI (≥ 25.0 kg/m2) or WC (> 90 cm in men, > 80 cm in women) or DXA-derived FM% (> 32% in men, > 40% in women). Results: Data of 804 participants were analyzed after exclusion. The mean ± SD for BMI, WC, and FM% were 26.5 ± 2.7 kg/m2, 86.8 ± 9.6, and 34.7 ± 7.3%, respectively. Prevalence of sarcopenia was 3.2%. Based on BMI, WC, and FM%, the prevalence of SO in elderly subjects (≥65 years) was 5.4%, 5.4%, and 6.3%, respectively. Using Cohen’s kappa, inter-definitional agreement between the 3 groups was ‘almost perfect’. FM%, and not BMI/WC, emerged as a significant predictor of GS on multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusions The prevalence of SO in healthy elderly Indian adults is 5.4%–6.3%. Either BMI/WC/FM% can be used to correctly identify individuals with SO.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia obesity (SO) in healthy Indian adults and delineate the relative impact of the 3 indices of obesity [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fat mass percent (FM%)] with regards to inter-definitional agreement and their relationship with usual gait speed (GS). Methods: Apparently healthy adults (aged ≥ 20 years) with no background history of comorbidities were enrolled from the community by door-to-door survey. Following blood investigations, individuals with biochemical abnormalities were excluded. Enrolled participants underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Sarcopenia was defined according to EWGSOP2 consensus based on indigenous cut-offs obtained from the Sarcopenia-Chandigarh Urban Bone Epidemiological Study (Sarco-CUBES). Obesity was defined based on BMI (≥ 25.0 kg/m2) or WC (> 90 cm in men, > 80 cm in women) or DXA-derived FM% (> 32% in men, > 40% in women). Results: Data of 804 participants were analyzed after exclusion. The mean ± SD for BMI, WC, and FM% were 26.5 ± 2.7 kg/m2, 86.8 ± 9.6, and 34.7 ± 7.3%, respectively. Prevalence of sarcopenia was 3.2%. Based on BMI, WC, and FM%, the prevalence of SO in elderly subjects (≥65 years) was 5.4%, 5.4%, and 6.3%, respectively. Using Cohen’s kappa, inter-definitional agreement between the 3 groups was ‘almost perfect’. FM%, and not BMI/WC, emerged as a significant predictor of GS on multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusions The prevalence of SO in healthy elderly Indian adults is 5.4%–6.3%. Either BMI/WC/FM% can be used to correctly identify individuals with SO.

Owing to an oversight in manuscript preparation, the name of the fifth author was rendered incorrectly. The correct spelling is Divya Dahiya.

¹⁸F-Fluorocholine (FCH) PET/CT is evolving as a functional imaging modality for the preoperative imaging of abnormal parathyroid tissue(s) helping to localize eutopic and ectopic parathyroid tissue and limit the extent of surgery. FCH PET/CT may show incidental uptake in various thyroid lesions necessitating further evaluation, whereas the role of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT in the detection of incidental thyroid nodules is well documented. The case of a middle-aged woman with dual pathology of parathyroid adenoma and papillary thyroid cancer detected on FCH and FDG PET/CT is presented.

Owing to an oversight in manuscript preparation, the name of the fifth author was rendered incorrectly. The correct spelling is Divya Dahiya.