Incidence of ocular and systemic diseases affecting visual function among state bus drivers

Purpose:To evaluate the incidence of ocular and systemic disease affecting visual function among state transport corporation bus drivers in a south Indian district.Methods:This retrospective study analysed the records of all the drivers who presented to a south Indian tertiary-care eye hospital in 2019 for their mandatory annual ocular check-up. Details reviewed included demographic details; refraction; presence of systemic and ocular diseases with vision-threatening potential; presence of ocular conditions responsible for visual loss and the treatment administered.Results:3042 drivers (mean age, 47.0 ± 5.7 years) were evaluated. Visual function-threatening systemic diseases were present in 25.0% drivers, out of which diabetes mellitus (18.7%) was the most common pathology. The most common ocular problem was refractive error (45.0%). Visual function-threatening ocular diseases were present in 9.5% drivers. Diabetic retinopathy, visually-significant cataract, glaucoma and central serous chorioretinopathy were noted in 4.0%, 1.9%, 1.7% and 0.8% drivers. Surgical intervention was required in 2.2% drivers. Thirteen drivers were temporarily deemed unfit for driving heavy-weight vehicles.Conclusion:Several bus drivers suffer from vision-threatening systemic and ocular diseases. Some of them require surgical intervention to retain fitness. A complete ocular and systemic evaluation of diseases with vision-threatening potential should be performed at the time of renewal of the driving license. The drivers should be educated about the systemic diseases which can affect their driving skills and must be encouraged to seek medical help at an early stage.     

Anti-Adipogenic Activity of High-Phenolic Sorghum Brans in Pre-Adipocytes

Obesity is one of the leading public health problems that can result in life-threatening metabolic and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world and certain genotypes of sorghum have high polyphenol content. PI570481, SC84, and commercially available sumac sorghum are high-polyphenol genotypes that have demonstrated strong anti-cancer activities in previous studies. The objective of this study was to explore a potential anti-obesity use of extracts from sorghum bran in the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and to investigate cellular and molecular responses in differentiated adipocytes to elucidate related mechanisms. None of the four different sorghum bran extracts (PI570481, SC84, Sumac, and white sorghum as a low-polyphenol control) caused cytotoxicity in undifferentiated and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells at doses used in this study. Sorghum bran extracts (PI570481, SC84, and Sumac) reduced intracellular lipid accumulation and expression of adipogenic and lipogenic proteins in a dose-dependent manner in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The same polyphenol containing sorghum bran extracts also repressed production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MAPK signaling pathways and repressed insulin signaling and glucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. These data propose a potential use of high-phenolic sorghum bran for the prevention of obesity.     

Prostate motion and isocenter adjustment from ultrasound-based localization during delivery of radiation therapy

PURPOSE: To study prostate motion from 4,154 ultrasound alignment fractions on 130 prostate patients treated with conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Each prostate patient was immobilized in a vacuum cradle. Daily treatment was verified by ultrasound scan after laser setup with skin marks and before radiation delivery by the same physician responsible for anatomic delineation during planning. Directional statistics were employed to test the significance of shift directions. RESULTS: Polar histograms showed the prevalence of prostate motion in superior-posterior directions. The average direction was about 27 degrees from the superior axis. The average changes of prostate position in superior to inferior (SI), anterior-posterior (AP), and left to right (LR) directions and in radial distance were 0.25, -0.13, 0.03, and 0.92, cm respectively. Our data indicated that prostate motion was not patient specific, and its average magnitude remained virtually unchanged over time. Recommended planning target volume (PTV) margins for use without ultrasound localization were 0.90 cm in SI, 1.02 cm in AP, and 0.80 cm in LR directions. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound localization revealed a predominance of prostate shift from planning position in the superior-posterior direction, with an average closer to the superior axis. The motion data provides recommended margins for PTV.     

The role of mesenchymal stem cells in haemopoiesis

The ontogeny of haemopoiesis during fetal life and the differentiation of blood cells in adult life depend upon a fully competent microenvironment to provide appropriate signals via production of soluble factors and cell contact interactions. The cellular constituents of the microenvironment, also defined as the haemopoietic niche, largely derive from a common progenitor of mesenchymal origin. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), initially identified in adult bone marrow, have also been described in fetal haemopoietic tissues where they accompany the migration of haemopoietic development. Their precise identity remains ill-defined because of the lack of specific markers. Their ability to self-renew and differentiate into tissues of mesodermal origin (osteocytes, adipocytes, chondrocytes) and their lack of expression of haemopoietic molecules are currently the main criteria for isolation. In the bone marrow the most important elements of the niche appear to be osteoblasts, whilst a less defined population of fibroblasts regulates the maturation of immature T cells in the thymus. Recently, MSC have been shown to exert a profound immunosuppressive effect on polyclonal as well as antigen-specific T cell responses by inducing a state of division arrest anergy. Thus, the multipotent capacity of MSC, their role in supporting haemopoiesis, and their immunoregulatory activity make MSC particularly attractive for therapeutic exploitation.     

Inhibition of Na+-H+ exchanger protects diabetic and non-diabetic hearts from ischemic injury: insight into altered susceptibility of diabetic hearts to ischemic injury.

It has been previously suggested that alterations in sodium homeostasis, leading to calcium overload may play a part in the mediation of cardiac ischemic injury. It has been demonstrated that the Na+-H+ exchanger plays an important role with regard to the regulation of intracellular sodium during ischemia and reperfusion and that inhibition of the Na+-H+ exchanger during ischemia protects hearts from ischemic injury. Studies using chemically-induced diabetic animals have suggested that the cardiac Na+-H+ exchanger in the diabetic heart is impaired and is responsible for limiting the increase in sodium during ischemia. The extent to which the Na+-H+ exchanger contributes to increases in intracellular sodium during ischemia in diabetic hearts is unclear as direct measurements of exchanger activity have not been made in genetically diabetic hearts. Therefore, this paper aims to address the following issues: (a) is the Na+-H+ exchanger impaired in a genetically diabetic rat heart: (b) does this impairment result in lower [Na]i or [Ca]i during ischemia; and (c) does Na+-H+ exchanger inhibition limit injury and functional impairment in diabetic hearts during ischemia and reperfusion? These issues were examined by inhibiting the Na+-H+ exchanger with ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA) in isolated perfused hearts from both genetically diabetic (BB/W) and non-diabetic rats. Levels of intracellular sodium, intracellular calcium, intracellular pH and high energy phosphates (using 23Na,19F, 31P NMR spectroscopies, respectively) during global ischemia and reperfusion were also measured. The impact of diabetes on Na+-H+ exchanger activity was assessed by measuring pH recovery of these hearts after an acid load. Creatine kinase release during reperfusion was used as a measure of ischemic injury. This study demonstrated that the Na+-H+ exchanger is impaired in diabetic hearts. Despite this impaired activity, inhibition of Na+-H+ exchanger protected diabetic hearts from ischemic injury and was associated with attenuation of the rise in sodium and calcium, and limitation of acidosis and preservation of ATP during ischemia. The data presented here favor the use of Na+-H+ exchanger inhibitors to protect ischemic myocardium in diabetics. Also, the data provides possible mechanisms for the altered susceptibility of diabetic hearts to ischemic injury.     

Respiratory health and endotoxin: associations and modification by CD14/-260 genotype

Exposure to endotoxin has been associated with increased respiratory symptoms and decrements in lung function in occupational settings but little is known about the health effects of domestic exposure in adults. Here, we describe the association of respiratory disease, immunoglobulin (Ig)E sensitisation, bronchial reactivity and lung function with mattress endotoxin levels in adults, and determine whether these associations are modified by polymorphisms in CD14. Endotoxin levels in mattress dust from a population-based sample of 972 adults were measured. Associations were examined using generalised linear mixed models, adjusting for individual and household confounders. Effect modification of these associations by CD14/-260 (rs2569190) was assessed. Mattress endotoxin levels varied from 0.1 to 402.6 EU · mg(-1). Although there was no overall association of lung function with endotoxin exposure, there was evidence that the association of forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity with endotoxin was modified by CD14/-260 genotype (p-value for interaction 0.005 and 0.013, respectively). There was no evidence that symptoms, IgE sensitisation or bronchial reactivity were associated with mattress endotoxin levels. In this large epidemiological study of adults, there was no evidence that mattress endotoxin level was associated with respiratory symptoms or IgE sensitisation but the association of lung function with endotoxin levels may be modified by CD14 genotype.