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Biomedical subjects

R K Kushwaha

Publications and source records attributed to R K Kushwaha.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Human hair colonizing fungi in water sediments of India.

Out of 144 samples of water sediments, 183 isolates belonging to 9 genera and 22 species were isolated. Fifty-nine isolates of Acremonium, 26 of Chrysosporium indicum, 22 of Chrysosporium keratinophilum, 17 of Malbranchea sp. and 10 of Microsporum gypseum were recovered. Acremonium implicatum, Chrysosporium georgii, Chrysosporium xerophilum and Geomyces pannorum were reported for the first time from India.

Fresh Water↗

A direct brain interface based on event-related potentials.

Cross-correlation between a trigger-averaged event-related potential (ERP) template and continuous electrocorticogram was used to detect movement-related ERP's. The accuracy of ERP detection for the five best subjects (of 17 studied), had hit percentages >90% and false positive percentages <10%. These cases were considered appropriate for operation of a direct brain interface.

Adult↗

Identification of electrocorticogram patterns as the basis for a direct brain interface.

This study reports on the first step in the development of a direct brain interface based on the identification of event-related potentials (ERPs) from an electrocorticogram obtained from the surface of the cortex. Ten epilepsy surgery patients, undergoing monitoring with subdural electrode strips and grid arrays, participated in this study. Electrocorticograms were continuously recorded while subjects performed multiple repetitions for each of several motor actions. ERP templates were identified from action-triggered electrocorticogram averages using an amplitude criterion. At least one ERP template was identified for all 10 subjects and in 56% of all electrode-recording sets resulting from a subject performing an action. These results were obtained with electrodes placed solely for clinical purposes and not for research needs. Eighty-two percent of the identified ERPs began before the trigger, indicating the presence of premovement ERP components. The regions yielding the highest probability of valid ERP identification were the sensorimotor cortex (precentral and postcentral gyri) and anterior frontal lobe, although a number were recorded from other areas as well. The recording locations for multiple ERPs arising from the performance of a specific action were usually found on close-by electrodes. ERPs associated with different actions were occasionally identified from the same recording site but often had noticeably different characteristics. The results of this study support the use of ERPs recorded from the cortical surface as a basis for a direct brain interface.

Cerebral Cortex↗

Detection of event-related potentials for development of a direct brain interface.

The study presented here is part of an ongoing effort to develop a direct brain interface based on detection of event-related potentials (ERPs). In a study presented in a companion article, averaged ERP templates were identified from electrocorticograms recorded during repetition of voluntary motor actions. Here the authors report on the detection of individual motor ERPs within the electrocorticogram using cross-correlation. An averaged ERP template was created from the first half of each electrocorticogram and then cross-correlated with the continuous electrocorticogram from the second half. Points where the cross-correlation value exceeded an experimentally determined detection threshold were considered to be detection points. A detection point was considered to be a valid "hit" if it occurred between 1 second before and 0.25 second after the recorded time of a voluntary action. The difference between the hit and false-positive percentages (HF-difference) was used as a metric of detection accuracy. HF-differences greater than 90 were found for 5 of 15 subjects, HF-differences greater than 75 were found for 8 of 15 subjects, and HF-differences greater than 50 were found for 12 of 15 subjects. The three other subjects with HF-differences less than 50 had electrode locations not well suited for recording movement-related ERPs. Recordings from sensorimotor and supplementary motor areas produced the highest yield of channels with HF-difference greater than 50; however, a number of channels with good performance were found in other areas as well. The results demonstrate the likely prospect of using ERP detection as the basis of a single-switch direct brain interface and that furthermore, there is a good possibility of obtaining multiple control channels using this approach.

Analysis of Variance↗

An information flow technique for category related evoked potentials.

We report a technique for studying interactions among many subsystems of a biological system. A general mathematical technique is developed for information flow among various subsystems of a system when two or more classes of stimuli are presented to the system. The technique is validated by various simulation studies and then applied to a brain system. The usefulness of the technique is demonstrated for visual event related potentials (ERP's) obtained from human subjects suffering from phobias. The stimuli are briefly flashed words and phrases. The word classes are pleasant, unpleasant, conscious, and unconscious. The conscious class consists of words known by the patient to relate to the problem, whereas the unconscious class of words consists of words related to deep conflicts which are not recognized by the patient. It is demonstrated that information flow is suppressed under supraliminal presentation of the unconscious class, but is strong under subliminal presentation. The technique has the potential of being an objective indicator of conflictual relationships in these patients. The principle of the technique can be applied to any system in which interactions among subsystems are to be analyzed.

Awareness↗

Occurrence of keratinophilic fungi on Indian birds.

Keratinophilic fungi were isolated from feathers of most common Indian birds, viz. domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), domestic pigeon (Columba livia), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), house crow (Corvus splendens), duck (Anas sp.), rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Out of 87 birds, 58 yielded 4 keratinophilic fungal genera representing 13 fungal species and one sterile mycelium. The isolated fungi were cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar at 28 +/- 2 degrees C. Chrysosporium species were isolated on most of the birds. Chrysosporium lucknowense and Chrysosporium tropicum were the most common fungal species associated with these Indian birds. Maximum occurrence of fungi (47%) was recorded on domestic chickens and the least number of keratinophilic fungi was isolated from the domestic pigeon and duck. The average number of fungi per bird was found to be the 0.44.

Animals↗

Hair perforation by keratinophilic fungi.

The in vitro hair perforation test as described by Ajello and George, was applied to eight species of Chrysosporium and one species each of Microsporum and Trichophyton. Six of them were found to perforate hair while four were negative. Chr. keratinophilum, M. gypseum and Tr. vanbreuseghemii were able to perforate and degrade hair rapidly. The micromorphological changes were also described.

Animals↗

In vitro activity of certain antibiotics against dermatophytes.

The in vitro effect of antibiotics i.e. Hamycin, Griseofulvin and Mycostatin against Microsporum gypseum and M. fulvum showed that hamycin was comparatively less inhibitory to M. fulvum. Complete inhibition in mycelial growth and sporulation of these two dermatophytes was observed by Mycostatin at its 1000 micrograms/ml conc. after 8 days. M. fulvum did not sporulate at higher concentration of griseofulvin. However, griseofulvin completely inhibited the sporulation in M. gypseum at all the concentration of this drug, but mycelial growth of M. fulvum and M. gypseum were significantly inhibited. Mycostatin was found more inhibitory to these dermatophytes in comparison to hamycin and griseofulvin.

Antifungal Agents↗