Training the Trainees in Radiation Oncology with Telemedicine as a Tool in a Developing Country: A Two-Year Audit

Purpose. The estimated new cancer patient load in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is 0.1–0.12 million per year. Approximately two thirds of these require treatment by a radiation oncologist. Radiation oncologists: cancer patient ratio in this state is 1 : 2000 as compared to the recommended 1 : 250. This problem is compounded by the poor infrastructure of radiation oncology departments in the state which is suboptimal for teaching, training of resident doctors, and treatment in most barring a few departments. To bridge some gap in the sociodemographics stated above and enhancement of training of residents, we submitted a project for establishment of a telemedicine facility in our department to the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. We present the design, implementation, and a two-year audit of our tele-education activities. Materials and Methods. After the sanction of the project, we established telemedicine linkage with another medical institute in the city located 25 kms away in 2007. After implementation of the project, academic sessions designed for trainee residents in our department were shared with the remote end. A record of these activities and a feedback of the activities were audited at the end of 2 years of implementation of this project. Results. Regular videoconferencing sessions comprising of lectures on clinical oncology, medical physics, and radiobiology were held. Feedback from the users revealed satisfaction with the content of the academic sessions for the purpose of MD training. Conclusions. Distance education in radiation oncology is an important tool for training of the trainee residents

Influence of Head and Neck Position on Ventilation Using Three Different Supraglottic Airway Devices (I-Gel, Ambu Auragain, BaskaMask) in Anaesthetized and Paralyzed Patients: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study

Background: Supraglottic airway devices play a crucial role in managing the airway during various surgical procedures conducted under general anesthesia. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different head and neck positions (extension, flexion, neutral, and right rotation) on ventilation while using I-gel, Ambu AuraGain, and Baska masks in anesthetized paralyzed patients. Methodology: A total of 114 patients were randomly allocated into Group I (n=38) using I-Gel, Group II (n=38) using Ambu AuraGain, and Group III (n=38) using Baska Mask. Clinical performance in terms of OLP (Oropharyngeal Leak Pressure) and anatomical position of the device was evaluated after insertion under general anaesthesia. Ventilation parameters including peak airway pressure, EtCO2 (End-tidal Carbon Dioxide), expiratory tidal volume and ventilation score were assessed at different head and neck positions using three supraglottic airway devices. Results : Maximum OLP was observed in Group II and minimum OLP was observed in Group I. In all three devices, OLP was maximum in the flexion position and minimum in the extension position. The Median Brimacombe score was 3 in all three groups at all head and neck positions except at maximum extension in Group I. Although peak airway pressure in Group II is significantly higher than the other two groups, ventilation is not impacted as evidenced by comparable ventilation score, EtCO2 and expiratory tidal volume in all patients of three groups at different head and neck positions. Conclusion : To conclude, Ambu Auragain has better anatomical seal at all head and neck positions as compared to I-gel and Baska Mask. However, despite differences in OLP, the ventilatory performances of the three devices were not significantly affected. Keywords: Ambu Auragain, Baska Mask, I-Gel, Supraglottic Airway Device, Head And Neck Position, Oropharyngeal Leak Pressur

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Expression and 2-Methoxyestradiol Affect Microtubule Dynamics and Modify Steroid Receptor Signaling in Leiomyoma Cells

CONTEXT: Development of optimal medicinal treatments of uterine leiomyomas represents a significant challenge. 2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME) is an endogenous estrogen metabolite formed by sequential action of CYP450s and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Our previous study demonstrated that 2ME is a potent antiproliferative, proapoptotic, antiangiogenic, and collagen synthesis inhibitor in human leiomyomas cells (huLM). OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to investigate whether COMT expression, by the virtue of 2ME formation, affects the growth of huLM, and to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms whereby COMT expression or treatment with 2ME affect these cells. RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that E(2)-induced proliferation was less pronounced in cells over-expressing COMT or treated with 2ME (500 nM). This effect on cell proliferation was associated with microtubules stabilization and diminution of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and progesterone receptor (PR) transcriptional activities, due to shifts in their subcellular localization and sequestration in the cytoplasm. In addition, COMT over expression or treatment with 2ME reduced the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor -1alpha (HIF-1 alpha) and the basal level as well as TNF-alpha-induced aromatase (CYP19) expression. CONCLUSIONS: COMT over expression or treatment with 2ME stabilize microtubules, ameliorates E(2)-induced proliferation, inhibits ERalpha and PR signaling, and reduces HIF-1 alpha and CYP19 expression in human uterine leiomyoma cells. Thus, microtubules are a candidate target for treatment of uterine leiomyomas. In addition, the naturally occurring microtubule-targeting agent 2ME represents a potential new therapeutic for uterine leiomyomas

Prismatic Representation of Modern Woman in N. P. Singh’s Millennium Blues

N. P. Singh is a veteran teacher who has taught language and literature in a third world country. He has a long successful career of teaching which is also a synonymous with exploring and searching of new horizons. Though his collection Millennium Blues carries several themes of Mandir and Masjid, (Urbanization), Philosophy of life, Romanticism, Nature, reminiscences of childhood, communalism and the poems on dignitaries like Ram Bilas Sharma, Rajiv Gandhi, Kalpna Chawla, Monica and Stefi, yet the portrayal of women is kaleidoscopic as well as prismatic. The varieties of images, the pictorial quality, the emotive vortex and the tackling of women by the poet is exquisite and exemplary. N. P. Singh has succeeded in his portrayal of modern woman. From Romance to Ritual and Imaginative to Realistic, he has covered all the aspects related to modern Indian woman. He does not try to demean or to insult; rather with an emphatic touch, he gives meaning and creates love and sympathy in the hearts of his poetry readers so his portrayal of woman is prismatic

Exploitation of Woman through the character of Radha in Aju Mukhopadhyay’s In Train

Aju Mukhopadhyay is versatile writer and has authored in almost all the major genres of literature. His maiden novel In Train is “Fortunately is a readable novel that helps us to recapture the now forgotten pleasure of fiction- readings”. Aju Mukhopadhyay, with the portrayal of Radha, has tried to expose the multiple throes pinned by society when she (a woman) is helpless, torn, desolate, dejected and above all, not married (or without the shade of a man). However, the portrayal of Aju Mukhopadhyay is not entirely dismissive and dark, he projects Radha as the icon of rebel and protest who defies fake social norms and customs. This novel is more in the style of a Bildungsroman as it depicts the growth and maturity of a rebel woman who always defied social norms and constraints. The protagonist Radha was kidnapped in the prime of her youth by a gang of miscreants who forced her into a life of slavery. Her rise from that level of subhuman existence to one of peace and spiritual growth forms the subject- matter of this novel

Nandini Sahu\u27s Sita: Retelling Poetic Memoir of the Protagonist

The long poem on Sita is a retelling of the old mythical story of Sita in which Sita is every woman, with all their strength and all their weaknesses. The poet is much aggrieved by her grandfather\u27s reaction to Sita\u27s pleading with mother earth to take her back from this life. For her, Sita is not only Sita of Ramayana, but she has been an epitome of our culture and civilization and shaper of the whole Indian womanhood. Her Sita is the one who talks about her notions on love, care, joy dejection, humiliation and appraisal and generosity. Her assessment of the doings of Maryada Purushottam Rama is a biting one, which leaves the readers to think again about Sita and reframe their attitude about her, who was a true seeker of the truth. Hence, it is proper to admit that "It is penned rather as a poetic memoir of the heroine of the epic Sita told in the first-person narrative"

Manas Bakshi: A Poet from ‘Void To Vibrancy’

Only a few young poets writing in English have been able to achieve the satiety that almost every true poet strives for. Manas Bakshi is one of those poets who has mastered both theme and craft. With the advancement of human knowledge, one cannot help but be impressed by the richness of individuality among mankind, the almost infinite variety of human beings, and the complexity of human nature. Theosophists have provided a numerical key to understanding the infinite variety and vast potentiality of man, with the governing number being seven, implying that there are seven main types of human beings, each with outstanding natural attitudes and qualities. Man of the Seventh Hour appears to be completing the cycle of human spirit evolution, which is journeying from primitive to modern, from void to vibrancy, from subjugation to emancipation, from beginning to end, a process of compelling reality. The one who perceives every\u27 materialistic, "superficial,\u27 \u27universal,\u27 and ‘supernatural\u27 gyration in its entity, as well as everything mundane and beyond/ not beyond his ascetic perceptibility. This paper attempts to explore the seven types of bodies and its evolution at the philosophical and poetic self of the poet Manas Bakshi

Spiritual Love in the Prose Poems of Rajkumari through The Pedlar and Baul Beggar

Rajkumari de Silva is a poet from Colombo who has been at the Prashanti Nilayam Ashram in Andhra Pradesh since 1981. Only just few poets in India have composed spiritual prose poems in post-independence Indian English poetry. Rajkumari\u27s works are mostly published by Writers\u27 Workshop under the names \u27Ananya: One Alone,\u27 \u27Ferryman! The Paddler,\u27 \u27The Bowl Baggar,\u27 \u27Lord I Forgot,\u27 \u27Template Bagger,\u27 and \u27Ravindra and O My Fakir!\u27 She also has three books of writing named \u27Rama Jaya Jaya,\u27 \u27The Supreme Sound,\u27 and \u27Gan Diva and Anu.\u27 Rajkumari De silva\u27s poetry is love poetry in which she expresses her heavenly love for her god, for whom her heart lingers and her soul longs. The poet in Rajkumari has received spiritual ambrosia from Sri Sathya Sai Baba\u27s ghats. Rajkumari is a poet who knows the language of love via quiet rather than words. She goes through more than she communicates. She has experienced the Lord\u27s everlasting love in unfathomable ways. This paper aims at highlighting the spiritual note of the poet’s love and devotion to the common man as well as God. The paper will also throw light on the mystic self of the secluded poet

Ruskin Bond\u27s Looking for The Rainbow: My Years with Daddy: An account of Adventures and Misadventures in the Life of Ruskin Bond

One of India\u27s most adored authors, Ruskin Bond is well known for his touching prose and heartfelt tales. His autobiography, Searching for the Rainbow: My Years with Daddy, details his life\u27s journey from early childhood through adolescence and his triumphs and setbacks. Ruskin Bond gives readers a look into his lovely upbringing in the little Indian town of Dehradun towards the beginning of the book. He talks about his father\u27s time in the Indian Air Force and the effects his absence during World War II had on the family. Yet at this point, Ruskin Bond fell in love with reading and writing. Ruskin Bond was an inquisitive, daring child who frequently got himself into trouble. Throughout the book, he describes a number of instances where he was busted for stealing mangoes, engaged in altercations with other boys, and even got lost in the woods. Despite his naughty personality, his father constantly supported him and urged him to be loyal to himself

Swami Vivekananda- As the Pioneer of Saints Poetry

The majestic heritage of transcendental and spiritual saint poetry had a major impact on Indian literature. Spiritual, devotional, and mystical Indian Saint Poetry Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ramtirtha, two illustrious saints who were well versed in the use of English, composed beautiful poems in keeping with India\u27s spiritual and mystical genius. Swami Vivekananda is a forerunner of spiritual poetry and the ritual of saint-poetry that dates back to the Vedas, Upanishads, and the great epics—the Ramayana and Mahabharata—written by Rishis, India\u27s rich spiritual heritage. Their uplifting words, infused with radiant wisdom, have influenced Indian literature throughout the ages. His verses are steeped in Hindu doctrines and deep Advaita Vedanta, the practical and dynamic vision of philosophy capable of conquering the entire world. His poems, songs, and hymns are infused with mysticism, spiritual yearnings, artistic expressions, and prayers for peace, love, meditation, yoga, Brahma, Shiva, Goddess Kali, and soul liberation. The paper attempts to examine the tradition of saints’ poetry in IWE and its relevance in contemporary times