Correlation between Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Measured with Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Visual Field in Patients of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

Aim: To study the correlation between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and visual field (VF) in patients of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients of POAG and 60 controls were studied for a period of one year from July, 2011 to June, 2012 in the Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU. All the patients and controls underwent visual field analysis by standard automated perimetry using SITA standard 30-2 program and optic disc imaging by Cirrus SD-OCT. The relationship between RNFL thickness and VF sensitivity, expressed as mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD) were evaluated. The association between RNFL/VF was described by Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients.Results: The correlation of RNFL and the VF parameters MD and PSD in normal eyes was not significant. In POAG eyes, RNFL and both MD (R=0.925) and PSD (R=-0.879) correlated significantly.Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the correlation between RNFL and visual field parameters MD and PSD in normal eyes was not significant. In POAG eyes, RNFL and both MD and PSD correlated significantly with P <0.001

Oral enzyme therapy using trypsin-bromelain-rutoside combination to counter pain and swelling in orthopaedic conditions: a single-centre experience

Background: Various orthopaedic conditions end up being painful, chronic and progressive, and are associated with persistent inflammation. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an enzyme-bioflavonoid combination of trypsin-bromelain-rutoside in managing the chronic pain and swelling in out-patients with various orthopaedic conditions.Methods: The study was a prospective, observational study, conducted in 100 patients attending the orthopaedics department at a multi-speciality hospital located in Nashik, Maharashtra, India.  Verbal rating scales were used for grading the pain intensity and extent of swelling at baseline and on days 3 and 8, after being prescribed oral tablets of trypsin-bromelain-rutoside combination. Scores were analysed using paired t test. A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate patient- and investigator-reported global assessment of improvement in pain and swelling at days 3 and 8.Results: At baseline, 68 patients reported moderate-severe pain, while 74 patients had moderate swelling. The mean scores for pain and swelling showed statistically significant reduction at both day 3 (p&lt;0.0001) and day 8 (p&lt;0001). By day 8, 98 patients reported good-excellent improvement and the investigator reported good-excellent improvement in 97 patients. No adverse event was reported by any patient.Conclusions: The results indicate that this therapy led to significant improvement in the pain and swelling as early as day 3 and further improvement with continued therapy, and can, thus, provide a safe alternative in patients with various orthopaedic conditions and reduce the need for other analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs

Orbital Myiasis: Due to Invasion of Larvae of Flesh Fly (Wohlfahrtia magnifica) in a Child; Rare Presentation

Wohlfahrtia magnifica larvae cause myiasis in mammals, mainly in sheep and rarely in human. In human it may infest the ear, eye, mouth or nose, damaging living tissues. We report a case of ocular myiasis in 1.5 years old child belonging to urban slum after history of minor injury on left upper lid due to fall from bed. The purpose of reporting this case is to highlight the ocular association of W. magnifica

The effect of induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy in advanced head and neck cancer: a prospective study

Background:Objective of current study was to observe the local control, progression free survival and organ preservation for locally advanced head and neck cancer by using induction Chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy.Methods:102 patients enrolled in this study with stage III-IVB of head & neck cancer. Patients were assessed and treated by faculty of the department as per NCCN guidelines. Group A patients received three courses of cisplatin (100mg/m2) and paclitaxel (175mg/m2) at every 21 days interval followed by concurrent chemoradiothearpy with cisplatin 30mg/m2 on weekly basis while group B received only concurrent chemoradiothearpy. Radiotherapy consisted of total dose up to 66-70 Gy. by conventional fractionation schedule.Results:From August 2011 to July 2013, total 102 patients have completed 14 months of follow up after completing definitive treatment group A : 48 and group B: 54 patients. Response evaluation was done after one and half months of completion of chemoradiotherapy in both arms. Complete response rate was 60.42% and 38.88 % in study and control arm respectively while partial response was 72.92% and 55.56%. Most common grade III or IV toxicity was mucositis in group A and skin reaction in control arm. At a median follow-up 13 months the median progression free survival in group A was 11.5 months and 9 months in group B.Conclusion: Response to induction chemotherapy was useful as predictive factor for ultimate outcome and progression free survival. But our study shows statistically significant improvement in complete response rate in group A as compared to group B (p<0.05). Our induction chemotherapy with two-drug regimen followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy was well tolerated with manageable toxicity and good locoregional control.

Quantitative Nanofriction Characterization of Corrugated Surfaces by Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a suitable tool to perform tribological characterization of materials down to the nanometer scale. An important aspect in nanofriction measurements of corrugated samples is the local tilt of the surface, which affects the lateral force maps acquired with the AFM. This is one of the most important problems of state-of-the-art nanotribology, making difficult a reliable and quantitative characterization of real corrugated surfaces. A correction of topographic spurious contributions to lateral force maps is thus needed for corrugated samples. In this paper we present a general approach to the topographic correction of AFM lateral force maps and we apply it in the case of multi-asperity adhesive contact. We describe a complete protocol for the quantitative characterization of the frictional properties of corrugated systems in the presence of surface adhesion using the AFM.Comment: 33 pages, 9 figures, RevTex 4, submitted to Journal of Applied Physic

Role of friction-induced torque in stick-slip motion

We present a minimal quasistatic 1D model describing the kinematics of the transition from static friction to stick-slip motion of a linear elastic block on a rigid plane. We show how the kinematics of both the precursors to frictional sliding and the periodic stick-slip motion are controlled by the amount of friction-induced torque at the interface. Our model provides a general framework to understand and relate a series of recent experimental observations, in particular the nucleation location of micro-slip instabilities and the build up of an asymmetric field of real contact area.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Characterization of Fusobacterium isolates from the respiratory tract of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

A total of 23 clinical isolates of Fusobacterium spp. were recovered at necropsy over a 2-year period from the respiratory tract of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Isolates were identified as Fusobacterium varium (18/23), Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. funduliforme (3/23), and Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum (2/23). Using polymerase chain reaction–based detection of virulence genes, all F. necrophorum isolates were positive for the promoter region of the leukotoxin operon and the hemagglutinin-related protein gene, while all F. varium isolates were negative. The presence of the leukotoxin gene in F. necrophorum isolates and the absence of this gene in F. varium isolates were confirmed by Southern hybridization using 2 separate probes. Toxicity to bovine polymorphonuclear leukocytes was observed with all F. necrophorum isolates, but was not observed in any F. varium isolates. Susceptibility to antimicrobials was markedly different for F. varium as compared to F. necrophorum. In summary, no evidence of leukotoxin production was detected in any of the 23 F. varium isolates used in the current study. The data suggests that F. varium, the most common species isolated, may be a significant pathogen in deer with a different virulence mechanism than F. necrophorum

Universal distribution of transparencies in highly conductive Nb/AlOx_x/Nb junctions

We report the observation of the universal distribution of transparencies, predicted by Schep and Bauer [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 78}, 3015 (1997)] for dirty sharp interfaces, in uniform Nb/AlO$_x$/Nb junctions with high specific conductance ($10^8$ Ohm$^{-1}$cm$^{-2}$). Experiments used the BCS density of states in superconducting niobium for transparency distribution probing. Experimental results for both the dc $I-V$ curves at magnetic-field-suppressed supercurrent and the Josephson critical current in zero magnetic field coincide remarkably well with calculations based on the multimode theory of multiple Andreev reflections and the Schep-Bauer distribution.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, references adde

Dynamical transitions and sliding friction in the two-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova model

The nonlinear response of an adsorbed layer on a periodic substrate to an external force is studied via a two dimensional uniaxial Frenkel-Kontorova model. The nonequlibrium properties of the model are simulated by Brownian molecular dynamics. Dynamical phase transitions between pinned solid, sliding commensurate and incommensurate solids and hysteresis effects are found that are qualitatively similar to the results for a Lennard-Jones model, thus demonstrating the universal nature of these features.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.