Auditory brainstem implantation: The first Indian experience

Multichannel auditory brainstem implants (ABI) are currently indicated for patients with neurofibromatosis type II (NF2) involving both vestibulocochlear nerves. The ABI helps bypass the damaged cochlear nerves and restores a level of auditory sensation via the electrical stimulation of the cochlear nucleus. The implant is usually placed in the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle at the time of tumor resection to stimulate the cochlear nucleus. We report a case of ABI done on a 15-year-old girl with bilateral vestibular schwannomas.     

Increased DNA-binding activity of cis-1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylatodiammineplatinum(II) (carboplatin) in the presence of nucleophiles and human breast cancer MCF-7 cell cytoplasmic extracts: activation theory revisited.

The molecular mechanism of carboplatin [cis-1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylatodiammineplatinum(II)] activation is still unresolved. We studied the binding of carboplatin to calf thymus DNA in the presence of thiourea, glutathione, and human breast cancer MCF-7 cell cytoplasmic extracts by measurement of DNA-dependent ethidium bromide fluorescence and atomic absorption spectroscopy. After a 96-hr period of reaction, the decrease in the DNA-dependent fluorescence yield of ethidium bromide due to the formation of platinum (Pt)-DNA adducts increased significantly in the presence of thiourea (6-fold) and glutathione (3- to 4-fold) as compared to the controls in the absence of the nucleophiles. There was also a marked elevation in the levels of platinum incorporated into DNA, measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy (2- to 3-fold and 5- to 7-fold for thiourea and glutathione, respectively). More remarkably, the Pt-DNA adducts formed in the presence of cytoplasmic extracts of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells also showed similar results in a dose-related fashion. Carboplatin, therefore, displayed a characteristic increase in DNA binding/damaging in the presence of the very same S-containing nucleophiles that showed the expected quenching effects in the case of cisplatin [cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)]. We propose a nucleophile-facilitated release of the active species of carboplatin prior to binding with DNA.     

Trisomy 14 Mosaicism: a case without evidence of neurodevelopmental delay and a review of the literature

Trisomy 14 mosaicism is a rare chromosomal defect with only 20 cases reported in the literature. We describe a child with trisomy 14 mosaicism who has some previously described and some novel phenotypic features. Trisomy 14 mosaicism was demonstrated in both blood lymphocytes and from skin fibroblasts, and with normal parents and siblings. This child had no evidence of neurodevelopmental delay at 6 years of age on formal testing, suggesting that mental retardation is not universal in this condition. This child did not demonstrate neurodevelopmental delay, which as been reported universally among children with trisomy 14 mosaicism.     

颈椎三维有限元模型的建立及意义

目的 :建立颈椎 (C4～C7)三维有限元模型 ,以期应用于临床实验研究。方法 :根据正常中年女性CT与CT重建片 ,采用CAD数据处理技术 ,输入相关的材料特性 ,构建C4～C7三维有限元模型。模型包括颈C4～C74个椎体、C4 / 5～C6 / 73个椎间盘以及后部结构与主要的 5条韧带。共 2 178个三维固体 2 0节点有限元结构。在1 8Nm作用力下 ,观察节段运动与力 位移反应。对比国内外的实验结果进行检验。结果 :生物力学实验结果与以往实验模型结果基本相符。结论 :所建立的颈椎三节段有限元模型可以模拟颈椎生物力学实验。     

Supplement Timing of Cranberry Extract Plays a Key Role in Promoting Caenorhabditis elegans Healthspan

Consumption of nutraceuticals is a major and potent dietary intervention for delaying aging. As the timing of administration is critical for the efficacy of bioactive compounds in medicine, the effectiveness of nutraceuticals may also be dramatically affected by the timing of supplementation. Cranberry exact (CBE), rich in polyphenols, is consumed as a nutraceutical, and possesses anti-aging properties. Here, we examined the influence of timing on the beneficial effects of CBE supplementation in C. elegans. The prolongevity effect of CBE in different aged worms, young adults, middle-age adults, and aged adults, was determined. Early-start intervention with CBE prolonged the remaining lifespan of worms of different ages more robustly than late-start intervention. The effectiveness of CBE on stress responses and physiological behaviors in different aged worms was also investigated. The early-start intervention prominently promoted motility and resistance to heat shocks and V. cholera infection, especially in aged worms. Together, these findings suggest that the timing of CBE supplementation critically influences its beneficial effects on C. elegans lifespan and healthspan. It is of interest to further investigate whether the similar results would occur in humans.