First report in India of HIV transmission through artificial insemination

A case of HIV-1 transmission through artificial inseminations from infertility clinics in Kolkata, is reported.     

Prolapse of the rectum associated with spontaneous rupture of the distal colon and evisceration of the small intestine through the anus in an infant

Prolapse of rectum of varying degrees is a well-known entity in children. Spontaneous rupture of the rectum along with massive ileal evisceration because of increased intraabdominal pressure is a rare complication of rectal prolapse in the adults. Rectal prolapse in children is usually a benign condition. Known complications of the rectal prolapse in children include recurrent mucosal ulceration, bleeding, and proctitis. Spontaneous rupture of the rectum with or without ileal evisceration has not been previously reported in infants.     

Design of Eudragit RL 100 nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation method for ocular drug delivery

The objective of the current study was to prepare positively charged amphotericin-B–loaded nanoparticles providing a controlled release formulation. The particles were prepared by solvent displacement or nanoprecipitation method. The non-biodegradable positively charged polymer Eudragit RL 100 was used to prepare the different formulations with varying ratios of drug and polymer. The formulations were evaluated in terms of particle size, zeta potential, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Drug entrapment and release properties were examined also. The antimicrobial activity against Fusarium solani was determined. In vivo eye irritation study was carried out by a modified Draize test. All the formulations remained within a size range of 130 to 300 nm in fresh preparation as well as after 2 months. The zeta potential was positive (+22 to +42 mV) for all the formulations and was suitable for ophthalmic application. A prolonged drug release was shown by all the formulations. The formulation possesses a good antifungal activity against Fusarium solani when tested by disk diffusion method, and no eye irritation on in vivo testing was found.From the Clinical EditorThe objective of the current study was to prepare positively charged amphotericin-B -loaded nanoparticles providing a controlled release formulation. The described formulation displayed good antifungal activity against Fusarium solani when tested by disk diffusion method, and no eye irritation on in vivo testing was found.     

Prevalence of bone attrition on knee radiographs and MRI in a community-based cohort

OBJECTIVES: Bone attrition probably constitutes remodeling of the bone, resulting in flattening or depression of the articular surfaces. Defining bone attrition is challenging because it is an accentuation of the normal curvature of the tibial plateaus. We aimed to define bone attrition on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee using information from both radiographs and MRIs, and to assess whether bone attrition is common prior to end stage disease osteoarthritis (OA) in the tibio-femoral joint. METHODS: All knees of participants in the community-based sample of the Framingham OA Study were evaluated for bone attrition in radiographs and MRIs. Radiographs were scored based on templates designed to outline the normal contours of the tibio-femoral joint. MRIs were analyzed using the semi-quantitative Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring (WORMS) method. The prevalence of bone attrition was calculated using two different thresholds for MRI scores. RESULTS: Inter-observer agreement for identification of bone attrition was substantial for the radiographs (kappa=0.71, 95% CI 0.67-0.81) and moderate for MRI (kappa=0.56, 95% CI 0.40-0.72). Of 964 knees, 5.7% of the radiographs showed bone attrition. Of these, 91% of MRIs were also read as showing bone attrition. We selected a conservative threshold for bone attrition on MRI scoring (>/=2 on a 0-3 scale) based on agreement with attrition on the radiograph or when bone attrition on MRI co-occurred with cartilage loss on OA. Using this threshold for bone attrition on MRI, bone attrition was common in knees with OA. For example, in knees with mild OA but no joint space narrowing, 13 of 88 MRIs (14.8%) showed bone attrition. CONCLUSIONS: Using MRI we found that many knees with mild OA without joint narrowing on radiographs had bone attrition, even using conservative definitions. The validity of our definition of bone attrition should be evaluated in further studies. Bone attrition may occur in milder OA and at earlier stages of disease than previously thought.