Laryngeal melanosis

We describ a case iaryngcul melanosis in a 62 year old male. the pigmentation was visible on gross examination during laryngoscopy ana histologicatly a single foci showing changes of carcinoma in situ was identified. The biopsy tissue, however did not reveal any frank changes of malignancy.     

Radiation doses during CT fluoroscopy

CT fluoroscopy (CTF) is a relatively new imaging modality that is particularly useful for performing complex biopsy procedures. Despite the obvious benefits, the potential exists to deliver considerable radiation doses to both the patients and medical staff. The purpose of our study was to quantify the radiation levels based upon typical clinical procedures. To assess the potential radiation risks, the patient radiation doses via the CT dose index (CTDI) method were measured during CTF for a GE Pro-Speed CT scanner using standardized head and body phantoms and a CT ionization chamber. The measurements were performed for a variety of kVp, mA, and slice thickness settings. To determine patient radiation doses, the CT kVp, mA, and total CTF scan times were recorded for various biopsy procedures. To determine the radiation doses to the hands of the radiologists, a radiation survey meter was used to measure the scattered radiation from standard phantoms. The effectiveness of various types of leaded gloves and shields were also determined. The measured CTDI values ranged from 20.4 cGy min(-1) to 63.1 cGy min(-1) of CTF. For a group of 78 patients, the clinically utilized imaging times varied from 13.0 to 407 s with an mean time of 96.6 s +/- 78.9 s (1 standard deviation). The scattered x-ray radiation at the position of the radiologists hands performing the biopsy procedures was measured to be 0.6 to 1.5 mGy min(-1). The thin leaded gloves provided a relatively minimal reduction in the scattered radiation to the hands between 11% and 44% dependent upon the kVp and the type of glove. However, floor mounted radiation shields reduced the scattered radiation levels to the body by 94% to 99%. In comparison to standard x-ray fluoroscopy, CTF employs much higher radiation dose rates due to the higher kVp, mA, and rotating geometry. It is important to minimize the radiation dose to patients and staff by limiting the imaging times, employing lower mA settings, and using appropriate radiation protection measures.     

IMPACT OF AGRO CLIMATIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABILITY ON THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF INHABITANTS In THE GARHWAL HIMALAYAS

The Garhwal Himalayas are a part of a unique ecosystem, with sharp agro-climatic variations within a very small geographical area (53,485 km²). The varied agro-climatic situations result in different cropping systems and socio-economic lifestyles that could likely affect the nutritional status of the people living in this region. This article will attempt to explore the impact of these variables (namely, age, family size, education, income, calorie and protein intake, land holding, number of animals, and wheat production) on the body mass index (BMI) of the population residing in the Garhwal Hills. A total of 1,030 subjects were studied from the three agro-climatic zones (406 from the high hills, 292 from the mid hills, and 332 from the low hills). It has been found that the people living in the high hills are the most undernourished, as the lowest percentage of people (52.6 per cent) with an acceptable BMI and the highest percentage of people in the severely malnourished category (11.1 per cent) are found here. People living in urban areas have a better nutritional status. Correlation studies show that the nutritional status of the population improves with age, literacy levels, and small family size. In some cases, calorie and protein intake have a positive impact on the health of the people, whereas size of land holding, number of animals, and income of the family do not have any significant influence on nutritional status.     

Geographic contiguity and genetic affinity among five ethnic populations of Manipur,India: further molecular studies based on VNTR and STR loci

Background : Apart from traditional markers studied among a few numerically small, geographically defined surveys among Mongoloid populations in northeastern parts of India, very little is known about their genomic diversity at the molecular level. Primary objective : This study seeks to investigate how best the variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) and short tandem repeat (STR) loci together can detect the patterns of the genetic affinity among five geographically contiguous, linguistically and socio-culturally diverse Mongoloid-affiliated populations of Manipur in northeastern regions of India. Subject and methods : Blood samples were collected from unrelated and randomly selected volunteers of five ethnic populations (Meitei, Kuki, Naga, Hmar and Manipuri Muslim) from different parts of the state. Allelic variation in four minisatellite loci (D1S7, D4S139, D5S110 and D17S79) and three STR loci (vWA, FESFPS and F13AO1) was studied. Results : Average heterozygosity values among the five groups for the minisatellite range from 68% to 94%, while the hypervariable three STR loci were between 60% and 88%. In the populations, all the studied loci were highly polymorphic, with almost no departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The gene differentiation for the VNTR loci was lower and moderate ( G st = 0.030) in comparison with microsatellites ( G st = 0.043). The neighbour-joining method of clustering based on both type of molecular markers reveals a close cluster for the tribal groups of Kuki, Naga and Hmar, while Manipur Muslim stand distinct in both the trees. The clustering pattern obtained from the combined DNA marker loci matches more closely the pattern from STR loci than that obtained from VNTR loci. Conclusions : The results reinforce that using both VNTR and STR loci in detecting regional genetic affinity among the populations is more effective than using VNTR or STR independently, and also confirm the results obtained from the serological and electrophoretic data. However, the clustering pattern obtained from combined DNA markers is more in conformity with the pattern obtained by STR loci rather than with VNTR loci. Despite linguistic, geographical and cultural barriers, the populations show genetic affinity among the four populations except in the case of the migrant Manipur Muslim group.     

Levofloxacin-Ceftriaxone Combination Attenuates Lung Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Bacteremic Pneumonia Caused by Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae via Inhibition of Cytolytic Activities of Pneumolysin and Autolysin

In this study, our objective was to determine whether a synergistic antimicrobial combination in vitro would be beneficial in the downregulation of pneumococcal virulence genes and whether the associated inflammation of the lung tissue induced by multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in vivo needs to be elucidated in order to consider this mode of therapy in case of severe pneumococcal infection. We investigated in vivo changes in the expression of these virulence determinants using an efficacious combination determined in previous studies. BALB/c mice were infected with 10⁶ CFU of bacteria. Intravenous levofloxacin at 150 mg/kg and/or ceftriaxone at 50 mg/kg were initiated 18 h postinfection; the animals were sacrificed 0 to 24 h after the initiation of treatment. The levels of cytokines, chemokines, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the serum and lungs, along with the levels of myeloperoxidase and nitric oxide the inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), changes in pneumolysin and autolysin gene expression and COX-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression in the lungs were estimated. Combination therapy downregulated inflammation and promoted bacterial clearance. Pneumolysin and autolysin expression was downregulated, with a concomitant decrease in the expression of COX-2 and iNOS in lung tissue. Thus, the combination of levofloxacin and ceftriaxone can be considered for therapeutic use even in cases of pneumonia caused by drug-resistant isolates.     

Vitamin B12 malabsorption and omeprazole therapy.

The media is the most popular vehicle through which consumers receive nutrition information, and is powerful in influencing food selection and health behaviors. Unfortunately, media messages surrounding nutrition are often inconsistent, confusing, and do not enable the public to make positive changes in health behaviors. The process to improve this scenario begins with communication between scientists and journalists. Scientists can take several steps to insure the results of their research are reported to the public accurately and, thereby, contribute to the achievement of the nation's public health goals.     

Magnetic resonance imaging accurately tracks kidney pathology and heterogeneity in the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease

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Computational modeling of blast induced whole-body injury: a review

Blast injuries affect millions of lives across the globe due to its traumatic after effects on the brain and the whole body. To date, military grade armour materials are designed to mitigate ballistic and shrapnel attacks but are less effective in resisting blast impacts. In order to improve blast absorption characteristics of armours, the first key step is thoroughly understands the effects of blasts on the human body itself. In the last decade, a plethora of experimental and computational work has been carried out to investigate the mechanics and pathophysiology of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). However, very few attempts have been made so far to study the effect of blasts on the various other parts of the body such as the sensory organs (eyes and ears), nervous system, thorax, extremities, internal organs (such as the lungs) and the skeletal system. While an experimental evaluation of blast effects on such physiological systems is difficult, developing finite element (FE) models could allow the recreation of realistic blast scenarios on full scale human models and simulate the effects. The current article reviews the state-of-the-art in computational research in blast induced whole-body injury modelling, which would not only help in identifying the areas in which further research is required, but would also be indispensable for understanding body location specific armour design criteria for improved blast injury mitigation.