Neuro-ophthalmology of degenerative neurological disorders

A number of degenerative disorders of the nervous system are associated with visual or ocular motor disturbances. Over recent years, these problems have attracted a great deal of interest because they may aid diagnosis and also improve our understanding of pathophysiology. In this review, we discuss both of these aspects of the study of degenerative conditions and attempt to demonstrate the clinical significance of a number of new findings.     

Auditory brain stem evoked responses (ABRs) in children with delayed speech (DS)—A Diagnostic Problem

The results of analysis of auditory brain- stem evoked responses (ABRS) are reported in 173 patients with delayed speech (DS). The mean age of the patients is 4.6 years (age ranges from 1.4 years to 10 years). The patients were classified into 5 groups based on ABR findings:

Aneurysms complicating pulmonary autograft procedure for aortic valve replacement

Aneurysm formation in the left ventricular outflow tract related to the proximal end of the pulmonary autograft after the Ross procedure was present in 2 patients. Both occurred late after operation and were associated with prolapse of a leaflet of the autograft and significant regurgitation. Both were repaired with no immediate complications. There was no evidence of infection at time of operation. The probable mechanisms underlying this complication and the possibilities of avoiding it are discussed.     

A new commercial strain of ergot adapted from a wild grass

A strain of CLAVICEPS PURPUREA (F R.) T UL. isolated from ARTHRAXON LANCIFOLIUS H OCHST. was successfully adapted on rye. Experimental cultivation on rye showed 370 kg/ha yield of sclerotia containing 0.5% total alkaloid which consisted of 33% ergometrine, 17.6% ergotamine, 18.7% ergocornine and 22.7% ergokryptine. The results also reveal that alkaloid profile of the ergot strain depends largely on its host. Significantly high yield of the sclerotia and the valuable alkaloid profile of the new strain indicate its commercial potential.     

Clinical and histopathological profile of primary caruncular lesions

Purpose:To provide a retrospective analysis of lesions of the caruncle which have been very rarely reported in the literature.Methods:A retrospective review of all the caruncular lesions between January 2000 and January 2020 was done at a single tertiary eye care hospital. The lesions were classified as benign and malignant lesions. Clinicopathological correlation was done for the excised lesions.Results:A total of 87 caruncular lesions were included in the study. Males (59%) were affected more than females (41%). The mean age at presentation was 44 ± 20 years. The mean duration of complaint was 36 ± 62 months. A total of 36 patients underwent surgical excision whereas the rest opted for conservative management. Recurrence was noted in five patients. Fifteen different types of lesions were identified histopathologically. Benign lesions (78%) were far more common than malignant ones (22%). Epithelial inclusion cyst was the most common benign lesion and sebaceous gland carcinoma was the most common malignant lesion. Correct clinicopathological correlation was seen in 52.7% of the cases. Caruncular tuberculosis, oncocytoma, and basosquamous cell carcinoma were some of the rare lesions.Conclusion:Caruncular lesions are uncommon and very diverse, which makes clinical diagnosis challenging. Epithelial inclusion cyst and sebaceous gland carcinoma were the most common benign and malignant lesions respectively. Correct clinicopathological correlation was seen in more than half of the cases.     

Efficacy of crude neem seed kernel extracts against natural infestation of Sarcoptes scabiei var. ovis

This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of crude aqueous-methanol and aqueous extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica) seed kernel against sarcoptic mange of sheep. Crude aqueous-methanol (AME) and aqueous extracts (AE) of neem seed kernel (NSK) were prepared and formulated as 10% and 20% ointments (w/w), using Vaseline as vehicle. Forty-two lambs of Pak Karakul breed, having natural infection of sarcoptic mange were divided into seven experimental groups. Skin scrapings and clinical examination were carried out at scheduled intervals after treatment. Ivermectin (positive control) completely cleared infesting mites from animals after 10 days and 20% AME after 16 days. While, clinical mange was completely cured after 16 and 20 days with ivermectin and 20% AME, respectively, under field conditions. Only the higher concentration (20% AME) of NSK extracts completely cured the clinical mange, suggesting a dose-dependent response. Our results consolidate the belief that use of folk remedies can provide an effective and economic way of combating sarcoptic mange in sheep.     

Safety and efficacy of lenalidomide (Revlimid) in recurrent ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: To conduct a phase I trial to determine the safety and toxicity profile of a novel immunomodulatory drug, lenalidomide, in recurrent ovarian and primary peritoneal cancer. The secondary objective is to evaluate the efficacy profile and quality of life (QOL) parameters in patients receiving this treatment. METHODS: Patients with recurrent ovarian or peritoneal cancer who received standard staging surgery and at least one prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen were treated with single-agent oral lenalidomide 25 mg daily for 21 days of a 28-day cycle. Toxicities were monitored by patient report, physical exam, and laboratories. Response was assessed by imaging, physical exam, and CA-125. Therapy was discontinued with disease progression and/or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: 20 patients with recurrent ovarian or peritoneal cancer were enrolled and received 70 completed 28-day cycles and 10 partial cycles of lenalidomide therapy. The majority of adverse events were grades 1-2, including fatigue (25/80 cycles), nausea/vomiting (23/80), constipation (13/80), abdominal pain (17/80), rash (12/80), neutropenia (12/80), and anemia (12/80). Grade 3 toxicities occurred in 12 of 80 cycles (14%) and no grade IV toxicities were observed. Eleven patients completed > or = 2 cycles and were evaluable for response. Nine achieved stable disease (SD) of at least 3 months, with four patients maintaining SD for > 6 months. The mean time to progression was 5.8 months (range 2-12 months). CONCLUSION: Overall, oral lenalidomide was well tolerated and may have some activity as a single agent in this heavily pre-treated population. Further studies combining lenalidomide with cytotoxic treatments may be warranted in this disease setting.     

Aramid-wrapped CNT hybrid sol–gel sorbent for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

This work describes the preparation of an analytical microextraction sorbent using a simple and versatile sol–gel hybrid composite, i.e., aramid oligomers wrapping multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) covalently bonded to a porous silica network. To overcome the inherent shortcomings of the CNTs'' solubility and dispersion in both organic phases and in the sol–gel solution, the outer surface of the CNTs was initially functionalized with carboxylic acid groups and then reacted with both aramid oligomers and 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). The obtained sorbent was characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Using sol–gel chemistry, the functionalized CNTs were coated onto SPME fibers and used in conjunction with GC-MS for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and soil samples. Excellent repeatability (run-to-run RSD% ∼ 8) and reproducibility (fiber-to-fiber RSD% ∼ 6) were achieved in addition to low LODs (0.10–0.30 ng mL⁻¹) and noticeable recovery%. The present method of sorbent preparation led to enhanced thermal and chemical stabilities, a long sorbent lifetime and good affinity towards PAHs. Moreover, the present sorbent enhanced the extraction capability by more than 30% compared to that of commercially available PDMS counterparts.

This work describes the preparation of an analytical microextraction sorbent using a simple and versatile sol–gel hybrid composite, i.e., aramid oligomers wrapping multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) covalently bonded to a porous silica network.     

Enhancement of Confinement in Scaled RC Columns using Steel Fibers Extracted from Scrap Tyres

Steel fibers are widely extracted from scrap tyres, causing environmental concerns. This paper presents the use of steel fibers in variable proportions extracted from scrap tyres. The enhancement of the confinement was envisaged through the addition of steel fibers obtained from scrap tyres. The study included an experimental program for the development of constitutive material models for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete and concrete with added steel fibers. A mix design was carried out for OPC, targeting a compressive strength of 3000 psi. Steel fibers were added to OPC in ratios of 1.0% to 3.0%, with an increment of 0.5%. Concrete columns, with cross-sectional dimensions of 6 × 6 inches and a length of 30 inches, were cast with both OPC and fiber-reinforced concrete. The column confinement was evaluated with a different spacing of ties (3- and 4-inch center-to-center). Compression tests on the concrete columns indicate that the addition of steel fibers to a concrete matrix results in an appreciable increase in strength and ductility. Overall, increasing the percentage of steel fibers increased the compression strength and the ductility of concrete. The maximum strain in the concrete containing 2.5% steel fibers increased by 285% as compared to the concrete containing 1% of steel fibers. An optimum percentage of 2.5% steel fibers added to the concrete resulted in a 39% increase in compressive strength, accompanied by a significant improvement in ductility. The optimum content of steel fibers, when used in confined columns, showed that confined compression strength increased with the addition of steel fibers. However, it is recommended that additional columns on the basis of the optimum steel fiber content shall be tested to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing the stirrup spacing.