Utajony fosfaturyczny guz mezenchymalny kory kości udowej powodujący osteomalację onkogenną — problemy diagnostyczne i skutki kliniczne

Background: Tumor induced osteomalacia (TIO) are extremely rare paraneoplastic syndrome with less than 300 reported cases. This report highlights the pitfalls and challenges in diagnosing and localizing TIO in patients with refractory and resistant osteomalacia. Patient and methods: 41- year gentleman with 4-year history of musculoskeletal weakness and pathologic fractures presented in wheelchair bound incapacitated state of 1-year duration. Investigations were significant for severe hypophosphatemia, severe phosphaturia, normal serum calcium, reduced 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin-D, elevated ALP, elevated intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), and pseudo-fractures involving pelvis and bilateral femur. Whole body MRI and 99mTc methylene diphosphonate bone-scan were also normal. Whole body FDG-PET scan involving all 4 limbs revealed a small FDG avid lesion at lateral border of lower end of left femur (SUV max 3.9), which was well characterized on 3-dimensional CT reconstruction. Plasma C-terminal fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 was 698 RU/ mL (normal < 150 RU/ml). Wide surgical excision of the tumor was done. Histopathology confirmed mesenchymal tumor of mixed connective tissue variant. Serum phosphorous normalized post-surgery day-1. High dose oral calcium and vitamin-D was continued. FGF-23 normalized post surgery (73RU/ml). Physical strength improved significantly and now he is able to walk independently. Conclusion: TIO is frequently confused with normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism and vitamin-D resistant rickets/osteomalacia, which increases patient morbidity. Imaging for tumor localization should involve whole body from head to tip of digits, cause these tumors are notoriously small and frequently involve digits of hands and legs. Complete surgical removal of the localized tumor is key to good clinical outcomes.Wstęp: Osteomalacja wywołana obecnością guza (tumor-induced osteomalacia, TIO) to niezwykle rzadki zespół paraneoplastyczny. Opisano dotąd tylko niecałe 300 przypadków tego zespołu. W niniejszej pracy zwrócono uwagę na błędy i problemy przy diagnozowaniu i lokalizowaniu TIO u chorych z oporną na leczenie osteomalacją. Materiał i metody: W pracy przedstawiono przypadek chorego w wieku 41 lat, u którego od 4 lat występowały złamania patologiczne i osłabienie układu mięśniowo-szkieletowego prowadzące do niepełnosprawności, w wyniku czego chory od roku korzystał z wózka inwalidzkiego. W badaniach stwierdzono ciężką hipofosfatemię, ciężką fosfaturię, prawidłowe stężenie wapnia w surowicy, zmniejszo­ne stężenie witaminy 1,25-dihydroksy D, podwyższoną aktywność fosfatazy zasadowej, zwiększone stężenie parathormonu w postaci całkowitej cząsteczki (intact parathyroid hormone, iPTH) oraz złamania rzekome w obrębie miednicy i obu kości udowych. W badaniu MRI całego ciała oraz scyntygrafii kości z użyciem difosforanu metylenu znakowanego technetem 99mTc nie stwierdzono nieprawidłowości. W obrazie badania FDG-PET obejmującego wszystkie 4 kończyny zauważono niewielką zmianę o zwiększonym wychwycie FDG na bocznej powierzchni dolnego końca lewej kości udowej (SUV maks. 3,9), którą dobrze scharakteryzowano w trójwymiarowej rekon­strukcji CT. Stężenie C-końcowego peptydu czynnika wzrostu fibroblastów-23 (fibroblast growth factor-23, FGF-23) wynosiło 698 RU/ml (norma &lt; 150 RU/ml). Guz usunięto chirurgicznie z szerokim marginesem. W badaniu histopatologicznym potwierdzono rozpoznanie guza mezenchymalnego — wariant mieszanej tkanki łącznej. W pierwszym dniu po operacji stwierdzono normalizację stężenia fosforu w surowicy. Kontynuowano stosowanie dużych doustnych dawek wapnia i witaminy D. Również stężenie FGF-23 unormowało się po zabiegu (73 RU/ml). U chorego zwiększyła się siła fizycznej i obecnie może on chodzić samodzielnie. Wnioski: Osteomalacja wywołana obecnością guza (TIO) jest często mylona z normokalcemiczną nadczynnością przytarczyc i krzywicą/ osteomalacją oporną na leczenie witaminą D, co powoduje zwiększoną chorobowość pacjentów. Badania obrazowe w celu zlokalizowa­nia guza powinny obejmować całe ciało od czubka głowy po palce u stóp, ponieważ guzy te są zwykle małe i często umiejscawiają się w obrębie palców dłoni i stóp. Całkowite chirurgiczne usunięcie guza warunkuje uzyskanie dobrego efektu leczenia

Soil conservation issues in India

Despite years of study and substantial investment in remediation and prevention, soil erosion continues to be a major environmental problem with regard to land use in India and elsewhere around the world. Furthermore, changing climate and/or weather patterns are exacerbating the problem. Our objective was to review past and current soil conservation programmes in India to better understand how production-, environmental-, social-, economic- and policy-related issues have affected soil and water conservation and the incentives needed to address the most critical problems. We found that to achieve success in soil and water conservation policies, institutions and operations must be co-ordinated using a holistic approach. Watershed programmes have been shown to be one of the most effective strategies for bringing socio-economic change to different parts of India. Within both dryland and rainfed areas, watershed management has quietly revolutionized agriculture by aligning various sectors through technological soil and water conservation interventions and land-use diversification. Significant results associated with various watershed-scale soil and water conservation programmes and interventions that were effective for reducing land degradation and improving productivity in different parts of the country are discussed

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Not AvailableOrganic farming in the rainfed hill and mountain agriculture in the recent years has been given great emphasis due to its high prospects for enhancing sustainable crop productivity and resource conservation.A field experiment was conducted for four years (2007-08 to 2010-11) at Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute,Research Farm, Selakui,Dehradun,Uttarakhand on a land having gentle slope (2%) to study the effect of integrated organic input (minimum tillage, organic amendments, vegetative barriers and weed mulch) management on yield, water conservation, erosion control, nutrient cycling, and economics in maize (Zea mays L.) - wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system. Wheat equivalent yield increased by 9.0% in treatment (T ) which received 03 organic sources + minimum 4 tillage (MT) + 3 times weedmulches + palmarosa as vegetative barrier compared to inorganic sources + conventional tillage (CT) + panicumas vegetative barriers (T ). 1 Four years average data showed reduction in run off and soil loss by 44.8 and 36.8%, respectively in T treatment compared to inorganic treatment (T ). The dry biomass 4 1 yield of vegetative barriers varied from4.85 to 9.95 q ha-1 in different treatments and panicum gave higher biomass than palmarosa. On an average, T treatment 4 conserved soilmoisture to the extent of 6.13 to 58.3mmforwheat crop compared to inorganic treatments (T1) with the reduction of micro aggregates by 8-9% which increased basic infiltration rate and water use efficiency (WUE). The nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of all major nutrients (NPK) increased by 40.9% in T treatment 4 compared to T treatment. The deep percolation loss of nutrient as determined by 1 nutrient balance equation showed thatmaximumlosswas incurred inT (103 kg ha-1) 1 and minimum in T (11.0 kg ha-1). Though resource conservation was higher in 4 organic treatment but organic farmingwas not found profitable in the initial years as net profit is decreased by 13.0% in T treatment compared to T after four years of 4 1 cropping. Organic input management system requires higher premium price for farmer's acceptance in short termswitching over (lag over) period and can bringmore monetary return by adopting soil conservation measures through organic input management.Not Availabl

FARMING SYSTEMS FOR EROSION CONTROL AND SUSTAINED PRODUCTION IN DRYLANDS OF THE OUTER HIMALAYAN REGION

Optimal farm plans with existing as well existing plus improved technologies were developed for small and medium farm groups to maximize farm income and minimize soil loss using linear programming technique. The application of this technique to soil and water conservation problems has not been done before. A perusal of the optimal plans developed under various programming situations revealed that for small farms, minimization of soil loss with only exiting technology may not be acceptable as the farm income from such a plan was only Rs 2.999 though the soil loss was only 3.7 t ha-1 yr-1. This income was much less than that from the existing (subsistence) plan (Rs 9,762). Farmers give more priority to having high farm income than to having low soil loss. In case of optimal plans for small farms developed with existing plus improved technologies. any of the two would be acceptable since both are giving better incomes than the present one (Rs 9.762). Hence for small farms improved technology would help a lot in improving the farm income without incurring high soil loss. In case of the medium farm category. minimization of soil loss with only existing technology would give almost the same income as from the present plan (Rs 16.876) but with a much lower level of soil loss (4.5 t ha -1 yr-1). With improved technology, farm income would be more than double (Rs 35, 505) the existing level of income, and, that too at the same rate of soil loos (23 t ha-1 yr -1). Minimization of soil loss with improved level of technology would also give a better inceome than the existing one but with a very low soil loss rate (3.9 t ha-1 yr-1). Hence for medium farm category, though improved technology can boost the farm income with much lower or almost same rate of soil loss, even existing technology if optimally utilized can reduce soil loss without compromising the farm income. Thus the study concludes that efficient resource management with improved package of crop production technologies holds the key for prosperity

Investigating Post-partum Ovarian Cyclicity Following Various Treatments in Dairy Cows

The present study envisages the effect of PGF2α and antibiotic treatment on ovarian cyclic activity and regression of corpus luteum verum in post-partum dairy cows. Cows were divided into three treatment (PG8, PG25, antibiotic) and a control group. Ovarian activity was studied by examining follicular dynamics upto 42 days post-partum in which diameter of dominant follicle before first ovulation, the number of days to first ovulation and complete regression of corpus luteum verum were evaluated. Body condition score was recorded for all the cows in different groups. Also, ovulation on ovary ipsilateral or contralateral to previous gravid uterine horn was noted. On transrectal ultrasonography at a 3-day interval, dominant follicle diameter prior to ovulation was significantly higher (p0.05) lower in PG8 group i.e. 24.33±1.48 days in comparison to PG25, antibiotic and control group (26.67±1.48, 29.00±1.81and 27.60±1.40 days post-partum, respectively). A subsequent ovarian activity was affected as 70.83 and 66.33% Ist and IInd ovulations occurred on the ovary contralateral to corpus luteum verum. In conclusion, contralateral ovary was more active in terms of ovulation whereas presence of corpus luteum verum had no effect on post-partum ovarian cyclic activity

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Not AvailableThere has been an increasing participation of communities for management of common property water resources (CPWRs) as a means to reduce pressure on government finances, and to improve efficiency and sustainability of irrigation systems. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative surveys conducted during 2010 and 2012 of 406 households in five villages located in foothills of Shivalik region in Northern Himalayas, this paper analyses impact of community based water storage structures on productivity, economic efficiency and social aspects. Majority of surveyed beneficiary farmers (88%) belonged to marginal and small categories owning less than 2 ha of cultivated land, and are heavily dependent upon CPWRs for agriculture, animal husbandry and domestic needs. Dependence on CPWRs for irrigation was noticed to be higher of marginal farms than small farms indicating that dependence on CPWRs decreased with increase in landholding size. Marginal farmers' dependence on CPWRs for animal needs was absolute as this category of farmers do not own private water source. The results evinced that community based rain water harvesting structures have effectively contributed to close existing gap between demand and supply of water for its multiple usages. Augmentation of ground water recharge resulted in installation of tube-wells which paved way for informal local water markets by reallocation of water from surplus to scarcity farms and they are taken as a coping strategy for managing water scarcity.Not Availabl

EFFECT OF FEEDING GILOY (TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA) AND FENUGREEK (TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM) ON LIPID PROFILE IN JERSEY CROSSBRED COWS

The study was conducted on Jersey crossbred lactating cows maintained at the Instructional Livestock Farm, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, CSKHPKV, Palampur (Himachal Pradesh), India. The lactating cows were randomly divided into four groups, each group having six animals. T1 , T2 and T3 group cows received Giloy stem powder (150 g), or Fenugreek seed powder (150 g), and a combination of both the herbs (75 g of each) respectively, mixed with the concentrate feed for 60 days while the control group (T0 ) received only the concentrate. Blood sampling was done fortnightly, from Day 0 to Day 75. Blood plasma samples were analyzed for Triacylglycerol (TAG), Total Cholesterol, High Density lipoproteins (HDL) and Low density lipoproteins (LDL) plasma levels. It was found that fenugreek alone or in combination with giloy was effective in lowering the Total Cholesterol and LDL levels (p<0.05) in the blood of lactating dairy cows. TAG and HDL levels remained unchanged in control and treated animals. Feeding of giloy alone did not bring about any reduction in lipid profile of the treated animal