Foreign body in tracheobronchial tree

Inhalation of foreign body into the tracheobronchial tree is a medical emergency sometimes resulting into sudden death. The current mortality rate due to foreign body inhalation ranges from 0% to 1.8%. Children with or without positive history of aspiration were examined and diagnosis was made on the basis of history, clinical findings, radiological evaluation and strong index of suspicion. A review of 30 cases of suspected foreign body aspiration revealed, children between 6 months were found to be very vulnerable to aspiration. Majority of children were boys. 80% of the patients had positive history of inhalation. Only 50% of the patients presented immediately i.e. within 24 hours after aspiration. Common symptoms were cough and respiratory distress. Decreased air entry was the significant clinical sign (50%). Obstructive emphysema and mediastinal shift were found in the majority of cases (50%). Rigid bronchoscopy under general anaesthesia and patient ventilating using a jet ventilator is a very safe and effective technique.     

(226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K contents in soil samples from Garhwal Himalaya, India, and its radiological implications

The exposure of human beings to ionising radiation from natural sources is a continuing and inescapable feature of life on earth. Natural radionuclides are widely distributed in various geological formations and ecosystems such as rocks, soil groundwater and foodstuffs. In the present study, the distribution of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K was measured in soil samples collected from different lithological units of the Thauldhar and Budhakedar regions of Garhwal Himalaya, India. The collected soil samples were analysed using gamma ray spectrometry. The activity concentrations of the naturally occurring radionuclides (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in these soil samples were found to vary from below detection level (BDL) to 131 +/- 18 Bq kg(-1), 9 +/- 6 to 384 +/- 53 Bq kg(-1) and 471 +/- 96 to 1406 +/- 175 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The distribution of radionuclides depends upon the rock formation and chemical properties within the earth. The activity concentrations vary widely depending on the sample origin. The external absorbed gamma dose rates due to (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K were found to vary from 49 to 306 nGy h(-1). The average radium equivalent activity from these soil samples was 300 Bq kg(-1).     

Structure-activity relationships of the antimalarial agent artemisinin. 6. The development of predictive in vitro potency models using CoMFA and HQSAR methodologies

Artemisinin (1) is a unique sesquiterpene peroxide occurring as a constituent of Artemisia annua L. Because of the effectiveness of Artemisinin in the treatment of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and its rapid clearance of cerebral malaria, development of clinically useful semisynthetic drugs for severe and complicated malaria (artemether, artesunate) was prompt. However, recent reports of fatal neurotoxicity in animals with dihydroartemisinin derivatives such as artemether have spawned a renewed effort to develop nontoxic analogues of artemisinin. In our effort to develop more potent, less neurotoxic agents for the oral treatment of drug-resistant malaria, we utilized comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and hologram QSAR (HQSAR), beginning with a series of 211 artemisinin analogues with known in vitro antimalarial activity. CoMFA models were based on two conformational hypotheses: (a) that the X-ray structure of artemisinin represents the bioactive shape of the molecule or (b) that the hemin-docked conformation is the bioactive form of the drug. In addition, we examined the effect of inclusion or exclusion of racemates in the partial least squares (pls) analysis. Databases derived from the original 211 were split into chiral (n = 157), achiral (n = 34), and mixed databases (n = 191) after leaving out a test set of 20 compounds. HQSAR and CoMFA models were compared in terms of their potential to generate robust QSAR models. The r(2) and q(2) (cross-validated r(2)) were used to assess the statistical quality of our models. Another statistical parameter, the ratio of the standard error to the activity range (s/AR), was also generated. CoMFA and HQSAR models were developed having statistically excellent properties, which also possessed good predictive ability for test set compounds. The best model was obtained when racemates were excluded from QSAR analysis. Thus, CoMFA of the n = 157 database gave excellent predictions with outstanding statistical properties. HQSAR did an outstanding job in statistical analysis and also handled predictions well.     

The costs of interpersonal violence--an international review

This article reviews evidence of the economic impact of interpersonal violence internationally. In the United States, estimates of the costs of interpersonal violence reach 3.3% of GDP. The public sector-and thus society in general-bears the majority of these costs. Interpersonal violence is defined to include violence between family members and intimate partners, and violence between acquaintances and strangers that is not intended to further the aims of any formally defined group or cause. Although these types of violence disproportionately affect poorer countries, there is a scarcity of studies of their economic impact in these countries. International comparisons are complicated by the calculation of economic losses based on foregone wages and income, thus undervaluing economic losses in poorer countries.     

Hsp27 and Hsp70 administered in combination have a potent protective effect against FALS-associated SOD1-mutant-induced cell death in mammalian neuronal cells

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset degenerative disorder characterised by the death of motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord; resulting in progressive muscle weakness, atrophy, and death from respiratory paralysis, usually within 3-5 years of symptom onset. Approximately 10% of ALS cases are familial (FALS). Mutations in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) cause approximately 20% of FALS cases and there is overwhelming evidence that a toxic gain of function is the cause of the disease. We have previously shown that FALS-associated SOD1 disease mutants enhanced neuronal death in response to a wide range of stimuli tested whereas wt-SOD1 protected against all insults. We demonstrate for the first time that over-expression of either heat shock protein Hsp27 or Hsp70 has a protective effect against SOD1 disease associated mutant-induced cell death. However, over-expression of Hsp27 and Hsp70 together has a greater potent anti-apoptotic effect, than when expressed singly, against the damaging effects of mutant SOD1. Our results indicate that FALS-associated SOD1 disease mutants possess enhanced death-inducing properties and lead to increased apoptosis which can be prevented by either the use of specific caspase inhibitors or Hsp27 and/or Hsp70 over-expression. This potent protective effect of Hsp27 and Hsp70 against the FALS-associated SOD1 disease mutants may be of potential therapeutic importance.     

Lipoma of the retropharyngeal space

Lipoma in retropharyngeal space is rare. A case of lipoma in the retropharyngeal space of a paediatric patient is reported with characteristic radiological findings along with surgical management.     

Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin- induced infertility: a birds eye view

Alleviation of infertility on the one hand and development of improved methods of contraception on the other are global concerns to woman's health. The molecular signals that regulate implantation are of clinical relevance since understanding the nature of these signals may lead to strategies to correct implantation failure and to develop novel contraceptive approaches. The other pressing concern is the poor pregnancy rate resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF). The pregnancy rate in IVF programs remains about 20-30% in spite of the high rate of successful fertilization. This has led to the proposition that additional uterine factors, critical for the implantation process, must be limiting. Identification of such parameters could help in determining the appropriate physiological state of the uterus for embryo transfer. Several factors are known to have a direct or indirect impact on the ability of the uterus to develop to a functionally receptive state. This would disrupt the normal coordination between embryonic and uterine development even though all molecular players may seem otherwise normal.