Project description:Van Den Ende-Gupta syndrome (VDEGS) is an extremely rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by distinctive craniofacial features, which include blepharophimosis, malar and/or maxillary hypoplasia, a narrow and beaked nose, and an everted lower lip. Other features are arachnodactyly, camptodactyly, peculiar skeletal abnormalities, and normal development and intelligence. We present molecular data on four VDEGS patients from three consanguineous Qatari families belonging to the same highly inbred Bedouin tribe. The patients were genotyped with SNP microarrays, and a 2.4 Mb homozygous region was found on chromosome 22q11 in an area overlapping the DiGeorge critical region. This region contained 44 genes, including SCARF2, a gene that is expressed during development in a number of mouse tissues relevant to the symptoms described above. Sanger sequencing identified a missense change, c.773G>A (p.C258Y), in exon 4 in the two closely related patients and a 2 bp deletion in exon 8, c.1328_1329delTG (p.V443DfsX83), in two unrelated individuals. In parallel with the candidate gene approach, complete exome sequencing was used to confirm that SCARF2 was the gene responsible for VDEGS. SCARF2 contains putative epidermal growth factor-like domains in its extracellular domain, along with a number of positively charged residues in its intracellular domain, indicating that it may be involved in intracellular signaling. However, the function of SCARF2 has not been characterized, and this study reports that phenotypic effects can be associated with defects in the scavenger receptor F family of genes.
Project description:In the field of numismatics, classifying ancient coins, especially those that have diverse information and cultural heritage is a difficult task. Machine learning algorithms have recently made remarkable advancements in these types of tasks. However, these algorithms largely rely on relevant datasets. This article presents a novel dataset of ancient Gupta archer-type coin images, collected from verified private collections and three popular auction houses with their permission. The images exclusively comprise authentic specimens of ancient Gupta archer-type coins. We aim to establish a reliable resource that adheres to the highest standards of numismatic research. These coins, characterized by their distinctive archer motifs, present a significant challenge in terms of identification due to their scarcity and the intricate nature of their design. To address this, we meticulously curated a dataset by annotating each coin through a combination of visual examination and leveraging insights from numismatic literatures. These coins inherit ancient Indian archaeological insights, and studying these coins could provide insights into ancient Indian archaeology.
Project description:Van den Ende-Gupta Syndrome (VDEGS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by blepharophimosis, distinctive nose, hypoplastic maxilla, and skeletal abnormalities. Using homozygosity mapping in four VDEGS patients from three consanguineous families, Anastacio et al. [Anastacio et al. (2010); Am J Hum Genet 87:553-559] identified homozygous mutations in SCARF2, located at 22q11.2. Bedeschi et al. [2010] described a VDEGS patient with sclerocornea and cataracts with compound heterozygosity for the common 22q11.2 microdeletion and a hemizygous SCARF2 mutation. Because sclerocornea had been described in DiGeorge-velo-cardio-facial syndrome but not in VDEGS, they suggested that the ocular abnormalities were caused by the 22q11.2 microdeletion. We report on a 23-year-old male who presented with bilateral sclerocornea and the VDGEGS phenotype who was subsequently found to be homozygous for a 17 bp deletion in exon 4 of SCARF2. The occurrence of bilateral sclerocornea in our patient together with that of Bedeschi et al., suggests that the full VDEGS phenotype may include sclerocornea resulting from homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for loss of function variants in SCARF2.
Project description:ObjectiveCardiologists are the most frequently consulted specialists during pre-operative evaluations. However, unnecessary cardiology consultations (CC) can increase cardiologists' workload without impacting anaesthesia practice, resulting in delayed surgeries and additional financial burdens. We hypothesize that using Gupta during the preoperative period can reduce these adverse effects.MethodsThis prospective study included patients scheduled for elective noncardiac, nonvascular surgeries who underwent pre-operative assessment. Patients who had no specific risk index used for preoperative cardiac risk evaluation were classified as Group I, and those evaluated using the Gupta scale were classified as Group II. The study compared preoperative CC, diagnostic tests, surgical delays, major adverse cardiac event (MACE), length of hospital stay and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, mortality, and costs.ResultsA total of 898 patients were included in the study, with 487 in Group I and 411 in Group II. The Gupta group reduced the demand for preoperative CC (P<0.001) and preoperative non-invasive diagnostic testing (n = 107, 21.9% vs. n = 36, 8.75%). The time from the anaesthesiology outpatient clinic to surgery was 15 days in Group I and 14 days in Group II (P=0.132). The length of ICU stay was higher in Group I (P=0.019). MACE was 15 patients (3.08%) in Group I and 9 patients (2.19%) in Group II (P=0.076). The cost of patients in Group I was higher than that in Group II (P=0.019).ConclusionUsing Gupta in preoperative evaluation may reduce unnecessary preoperative resource usage, surgical delays, ICU hospitalization rates, additional costs, and mortality.