Transesophageal guided left atrial positioning of a percutaneous ventricular assist device

Cardiogenic shock in the setting of myocardial infarction continuesto represent a high proportion of immediate mortality in thispatient population, despite ongoing advances in thrombolytics,PCI, and medical management of AMI. We present a case of peri-MIcardiogenic shock necessitating deployment of a percutaneousventricular assist device (pVAD). TEE guidance played a crucialrole in optimal positioning of the venous cannula in the leftatrium.     

Characterization of Bacillus thuringiensis isolates and their differential toxicity against Helicoverpa armigera populations

Bacillus thuringiensis isolates were characterized in rhizospheric cotton soils by using acetate selection process from eight different locations in South India. The fact that B. thuringiensis indices were higher in proportion in soil samples taken from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka than from Andhra Pradesh, indicates the abundance of B. thuringiensis populations in the cotton rhizosphere. Biochemical typing of the isolates designated eight local isolates (BtNg13, BtCo1, BtHyb7, BtAm2, BtRm5, BtWr3, BtPl 4, BtN 9), which belong to subspecies kurstaki, the most prevalent subspecies. Toxicity assays on American boll worm larval (F(1) ) populations collected from the Andhra Pradesh, Bangalore and Coimbatore regions, with a susceptible insect strain against different isolates of B. thuringiensis kurstaki spore-crystal mix, revealed distinct susceptibility patterns and specificity. The highest susceptibility was observed in the F(1) populations of Coimbatore, followed by Bangalore and Hyderabad populations, in comparison with the susceptible insect strain. Significant differences were observed (p < 0.0005 and CD = 5.3975) among Btk local isolates, H. armigera biotypes, Btk spore-crystal mix concentration and their interactions, through the Multifactorial ANOVA analysis. The toxicity of local B. thuringiensis isolates was higher than that of HD-1 (reference B.t.k strain). Indigenous Btk isolates have an enormous potential for the management of H. armigera in terms of development of resistance to HD-1. The present study would serve as a baseline data for future resistance monitoring of B. thuringiensis strains in H. armigera in Southern India.     

Targeting glutamate mediated excitotoxicity in Huntington's disease: neural progenitors and partial glutamate antagonist--memantine

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance. In humans mutated huntingtin (htt) induces a preferential loss of medium spiny neurons (MSN) of the striatum and causes motor, cognitive and emotional deficits. One of the proposed cellular mechanism underlying medium spiny neurons degeneration is excitotoxic pathways mediated by glutamate receptors. The hypothesis proposed is restoration of medium spiny neurons in Huntington's disease using neural progenitor cell implantation and attenuation of glutamate mediated excitotoxicity using a partial glutamate antagonist - Memantine. Memantine can block the NMDA receptors and will prevent excess calcium influx into the neurons decreases the vulnerability of medium spiny neurons to glutamate mediated excitotoxicity. Neural progenitor cell implantation can enhance endogenous neurogenesis process replacing the degenerated medium spiny neurons in the striatum. This has immense significance in the management of Huntington's disease.     

Progressive fetal atrioventricular block in heterotaxy syndrome

We report a fetus with left isomerism, in whom the atrioventricular block progressed from low grade second degree to complete block and fetal hydrops. While it is known that there is a high incidence of heart block in the fetus with left isomerism, as far as we are aware, ours is the first report of Wenckebach type block documented in the fetus by Doppler echocardiography, and demonstration of the progression of heart block during fetus life in the setting of left isomerism.