Entomological studies on malaria in irrigated and non-irrigated areas of Thar desert, Rajasthan, India

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Malaria is the major health problem in western Rajasthan yet its vector fauna and transmission dynamics thereof is not understood properly. The present investigations report complete profile of qualitative and quantitative aspects of anopheline species occurring in different settings of desert ecosystem. METHODS: Area with irrigation through canal for more than 20 years (setting I), area with irrigation through canal for 10 years (setting II) and area without any irrigation (setting III) have been selected for studies. Species identification and their densities (per man hour) was made as per standard methods. RESULTS: In village of setting I, during rainy season, An. subpictus and An. stephensi were present while during winter season four species--An. subpictus, An. stephensi, An. culicifacies and An. annularis were collected. In all the villages of setting I, II and III no Anopheles mosquito was observed during summer season. In the villages of desert region without any irrigation facilities through any canal, the anopheline species were present only during rainy season. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: An. stephensi is the major malaria vector of desert irrespective of whether the area is canal irrigated or not. During summer season absence of vector species in all the villages require further studies on micro-ecology of the species under desert conditions.     

Pulmonary embolectomy with use of pediatric bronchoscope for the detection of residual emboli: an innovative surgical technique

Pulmonary embolectomy in the treatment of massive pulmonary embolus has been in doubt since the introduction of thrombolytic therapy. Recent indications for surgical intervention are- contraindication to thrombolysis, failed medical treatment and severe Right Ventricular (RV) dysfunction. A 54-year male came to us with complaints of palpitation, tachypnea and repeated syncope . Transthoracic echocardiography and Computed Tomography pulmonary angiogram demonstrated- Biatrial mass with right atrial mass extending into right ventricle and main pulmonary artery. Pulmonary embolectomy was performed. Residual emboli of bilateral pulmonary arteries were detected with a fiberoptic pediatric bronchoscope and removed. Bronchoscopic evaluation appears to be safe and useful for direct visual detection of emboli.     

Orthopaedic surgeon＇s nightmare： iatrogenic fractures of talus and medial malleolus following tibial nailing

Intramedullary interlocking nailing is the gold standard for treatment of tibial shaft fractures.The growing use of intramedullary nailing has resulted in an increased number of tibial nailing in daily...     

Psychological distress in men with prostate cancer receiving adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy

ObjectivesTo compare the occurrence of depression, anxiety, self body image perception, sleep disturbances, and diminished quality of life in prostate cancer patients undergoing adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) as opposed to patients in follow-up alone.Methods and materialsHospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group essential diagnostic criteria, Body Image Scale and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Prostate were administered to consecutive prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy and are presently either under adjuvant ADT or included in a follow-up program.ResultsOf the 103 patients enrolled, 49 (47.6%) were receiving adjuvant ADT and 54 (52.4%) were not. Compared with the controls, the patients undergoing ADT showed higher levels of depression (P = 0.002), worse self body image perception (P = 0.001), worse quality of life (P = 0.0001) and worse sleep quality (P = 0.04). ADT was significantly associated with depression at multivariate analysis after adjustment for age, stage, Gleason score, as well as demographic and social variables (P = 0.001). Depression scores showed a strong inverse correlation with quality of life scores (P < 0.01).ConclusionsAdjuvant ADT is associated with depression, worse quality of life, and altered self body image in prostate cancer patients.     

MicroRNAs in an oral cancer context - from basic biology to clinical utility

Oral cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide. Its dismal five-year survival rate of ~50% has barely changed for decades. A better understanding of the molecular basis of tumorigenesis - with particular emphasis on disease initiation and progression - is needed to improve clinical outcomes, since this will facilitate the development of drugs and management strategies based on the specific genetic changes underpinning disease behaviors. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short non-coding RNAs that down-regulate gene expression, have been demonstrated to play essential roles in human cancers. miRNA deregulation has been observed in many tumor types and is implicated in oncogenic cell processes, including proliferation, survival, apoptosis, metastasis, and chemoresistance. In addition, miRNA alterations have been associated with specific clinical phenotypes such as disease progression or recurrence, development of metastases, and post-operative survival. Recent studies have explored the utility of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic tools and as potential therapeutic targets. Herein, we discuss miRNA biology and provide a summary of the key findings on the role of miRNAs in oral malignancies.