An Experience at a Tertiary Level Hospital NRC in Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition in Children Aged between 6-59 Months Adopting World Health Organization Recommendations

Objectives: To study the outcome indicators of a nutritional rehabilitation center and to assess its performance.Design: Retrospective case study.Period: One year period from Jan 2014 to Dec 2014.Methods: Data of 254 children aged between 6-59 months with severe acute malnutrition admitted in nutritional rehabilitation center at department of pediatrics, Gandhi hospital, was analyzed retrospectively. Identification and treatment of severe acute malnutrition was done according to world health organization recommendations.Results: The recovery rate, death rate, defaulter rate, mean (SD) weight gain & mean (SD) duration of stay in the nutritional rehabilitation center were 51.42%, 3.54%, 28.57%, 8g/kg/day, 14.2 days respectively.Conclusions: Nutritional rehabilitation centers are effective in management of severe malnutrition and also in decreasing the case fatality rates

Dissecting the rural Indian women’s knowledge, attitude and practice about infertility

Background: Objective of present study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of rural women regarding infertility.Methods: A field tested semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 100 rural women in Kaiwara village, Karnataka, India to study their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding infertility.Results: Majority (84%) did not know the reason for infertility. 7% felt that the cause of infertility was due to problems with eggs, 6% felt it to be tubal factors and only 3% felt it to be due to male factor.Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the importance of spreading the awareness and inculcating the right attitude and approach to infertility.

Genome-Wide and Functional Annotation of Human E3 Ubiquitin Ligases Identifies MULAN, a Mitochondrial E3 that Regulates the Organelle's Dynamics and Signaling

Specificity of protein ubiquitylation is conferred by E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligases. We have annotated ∼617 putative E3s and substrate-recognition subunits of E3 complexes encoded in the human genome. The limited knowledge of the function of members of the large E3 superfamily prompted us to generate genome-wide E3 cDNA and RNAi expression libraries designed for functional screening. An imaging-based screen using these libraries to identify E3s that regulate mitochondrial dynamics uncovered MULAN/FLJ12875, a RING finger protein whose ectopic expression and knockdown both interfered with mitochondrial trafficking and morphology. We found that MULAN is a mitochondrial protein – two transmembrane domains mediate its localization to the organelle's outer membrane. MULAN is oriented such that its E3-active, C-terminal RING finger is exposed to the cytosol, where it has access to other components of the Ub system. Both an intact RING finger and the correct subcellular localization were required for regulation of mitochondrial dynamics, suggesting that MULAN's downstream effectors are proteins that are either integral to, or associated with, mitochondria and that become modified with Ub. Interestingly, MULAN had previously been identified as an activator of NF-κB, thus providing a link between mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondria-to-nucleus signaling. These findings suggest the existence of a new, Ub-mediated mechanism responsible for integration of mitochondria into the cellular environment

Nanoroughened adhesion-based capture of circulating tumor cells with heterogeneous expression and metastatic characteristics

Abstract Background Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have shown prognostic relevance in many cancer types. However, the majority of current CTC capture methods rely on positive selection techniques that require a priori knowledge about the surface protein expression of disseminated CTCs, which are known to be a dynamic population. Methods We developed a microfluidic CTC capture chip that incorporated a nanoroughened glass substrate for capturing CTCs from blood samples. Our CTC capture chip utilized the differential adhesion preference of cancer cells to nanoroughened etched glass surfaces as compared to normal blood cells and thus did not depend on the physical size or surface protein expression of CTCs. Results The microfluidic CTC capture chip was able to achieve a superior capture yield for both epithelial cell adhesion molecule positive (EpCAM+) and EpCAM- cancer cells in blood samples. Additionally, the microfluidic CTC chip captured CTCs undergoing transforming growth factor beta-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (TGF-β-induced EMT) with dynamically down-regulated EpCAM expression. In a mouse model of human breast cancer using EpCAM positive and negative cell lines, the number of CTCs captured correlated positively with the size of the primary tumor and was independent of their EpCAM expression. Furthermore, in a syngeneic mouse model of lung cancer using cell lines with differential metastasis capability, CTCs were captured from all mice with detectable primary tumors independent of the cell lines’ metastatic ability. Conclusions The microfluidic CTC capture chip using a novel nanoroughened glass substrate is broadly applicable to capturing heterogeneous CTC populations of clinical interest independent of their surface marker expression and metastatic propensity. We were able to capture CTCs from a non-metastatic lung cancer model, demonstrating the potential of the chip to collect the entirety of CTC populations including subgroups of distinct biological and phenotypical properties. Further exploration of the biological potential of metastatic and presumably non-metastatic CTCs captured using the microfluidic chip will yield insights into their relevant differences and their effects on tumor progression and cancer outcomes.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134622/1/12885_2016_Article_2638.pd

CAFET Algorithm Reveals Wnt/PCP Signature in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

We analyzed the gene expression patterns of 138 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) samples and developed a new algorithm called Coverage Analysis with Fisher’s Exact Test (CAFET) to identify molecular pathways that are differentially activated in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) subtypes. Analysis of the lung cancer samples demonstrated hierarchical clustering according to the histological subtype and revealed a strong enrichment for the Wnt signaling pathway components in the cluster consisting predominantly of SCC samples. The specific gene expression pattern observed correlated with enhanced activation of the Wnt Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway and inhibition of the canonical Wnt signaling branch. Further real time RT-PCR follow-up with additional primary tumor samples and lung cancer cell lines confirmed enrichment of Wnt/PCP pathway associated genes in the SCC subtype. Dysregulation of the canonical Wnt pathway, characterized by increased levels of β-catenin and epigenetic silencing of negative regulators, has been reported in adenocarcinoma of the lung. Our results suggest that SCC and AC utilize different branches of the Wnt pathway during oncogenesis

CXCR4 Expression in Prostate Cancer Progenitor Cells

Tumor progenitor cells represent a population of drug-resistant cells that can survive conventional chemotherapy and lead to tumor relapse. However, little is known of the role of tumor progenitors in prostate cancer metastasis. The studies reported herein show that the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis, a key regulator of tumor dissemination, plays a role in the maintenance of prostate cancer stem-like cells. The CXCL4/CXCR12 pathway is activated in the CD44+/CD133+ prostate progenitor population and affects differentiation potential, cell adhesion, clonal growth and tumorigenicity. Furthermore, prostate tumor xenograft studies in mice showed that a combination of the CXCR4 receptor antagonist AMD3100, which targets prostate cancer stem-like cells, and the conventional chemotherapeutic drug Taxotere, which targets the bulk tumor, is significantly more effective in eradicating tumors as compared to monotherapy

Right iliac fossa pain: still an Enigma

Acute pain in right iliac fossa is a common complaint in surgical practice. It is a common symptom of acute appendicitis, which is a surgical emergency. We present an interesting case of an elderly male with acute pain in right iliac fossa mimicking appendicitis but cause found to be a fish bone perforating terminal ileum. Rare causes of pain in the right iliac fossa mimicking appendicitis were reviewed, which surgeons need to be aware of

Formulating Rural Development Programmes to Aid Low-Income Farm Families

Rural development programmes may facilitate the off-farm employment of low-income farm families and provide additional public suppon beyond traditional US farm income and price support programmes. To examine the implications of alternative rural development strategies for low-income farmers, joint off-farm labour participation models are developed for farm operators and spouses. Univariate and bivariate probit models are estimated. based on 1985 Current Population Survey farm household data. The bivariate model is applied to data on 240 farm families that qualify as low-income families. Study results indicate that age, education, number of young children, and location represent constraints to participation among differentiable segments of the low-income farm population. The implications of these results for the formulatioo of rural development programmes to aid farm families are examined

Uncommon presentation of common clinical case

Lipoma is the most common benign tumor of the mesenchyme. Common location being trunk and limbs. Lipoma can occur rarely in the head and neck region with most common location being the posterior neck. We report a case of a 62 year old male who presented with a huge swelling (26x16cms), in the chin region with ulceration and bleeding. On further evaluation the swelling was found to be a benign tumor. The swelling was excised along with the overlying skin and on histopathologic examination it was found to be a simple lipoma. On postoperative follow up for 1year there was no recurrence and good aesthetic appearance was achieved. Awareness regarding such uncommon presentations of common clinical conditions like lipoma should always be considered