Radiofrequency assisted plasma ablation and carbon dioxide laser in benign lesions of larynx: A randomized comparative study

INTRODUCTION: Benign laryngeal lesions are significant because it can affect the spoken or sung communication, as the laryngeal dysfunction can cause symptoms ranging from hoarseness to life threatening stridor. Early and accurate diagnosis can lead to effective management and thereby prompt recovery. The introduction of endoscopy and videostroboscopy led to ground breaking progress in the field of laryngology. Giant strides were made with the introduction of Carbon dioxide laser with Microspot technology and Radiofrequency assisted plasma ablation or Coblation in laryngology which led to minimally invasive microlaryngeal surgery. OBJECTIVE: To find out the Difference in Outcome of Benign lesions of larynx treated by Radiofrequency assisted plasma ablation and Carbon dioxide laser, the potential advantages and disadvantages of each procedure, and to find out if any of these procedures is preferred in any circumstances. METHODOLOGY: Study design: Prospective Randomized Double blind clinical study. Setting: Outpatients at ENT department, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, A tertiary care hospital. A total of 30 patients aged 18 years and above, with voice complaints, diagnosed to have benign lesions of larynx, confirmed by Videostroboscopy were selected. They were randomly allocated to the two microlaryngeal surgical methods – Coblation and Carbon dioxide laser. Postoperative follow up was done at 2 weeks and 8 weeks. RESULTS: Both treatment modalities were similar in terms of outcome. Increased surgical duration and slightly increased recovery times were noted in the group treated with Laser, but at the end of 8 weeks, both groups had similar parameters. Laser can cause thermal damage to surrounding tissues as it operates at 400 – 6000C. Coblation acts at much lesser temperatures 40 – 700C, but the incurring cost of wands is a huge disadvantage. Importance of vocal hygiene and voice rehabilitation is also stressed in our study

Protein Engineering Of Bt Genes cry1Ab And cry1Ba For The Development Of Chimeric Genes cryAbabba, cryBabaab And cryAbbaab Via Domain Swapping

Bacillus thuringiensis is renowned for its production of insecticidal cry proteins, widely utilized in crop protection to combat insects. However, the risk of insect resistance emerges due to the relatively loose binding of toxins to target sites on larvae's midgut brush boundary membranes. This resistance primarily stems from modifications in binding sites within midgut cells. To address potential threats, the discovery of new Cry proteins is imperative as insects continually evolve resistance against existing ones. Combining Cry toxins with diverse binding sites in larval midguts is proposed as an effective strategy to delay the onset of resistance. In this study, three chimeric B. thuringiensis proteins—CryAbAbBa, CryBaBaAb, and CryAbBaAb—were engineered via domain swapping, utilizing crystal proteins CrylAb and CrylB. Structural validation was conducted, confirming their integrity through Ramachandran Plots. The chimeric proteins can be used as additional resources in crop improvement programmes

The diagnostic utility of cell block as an adjunct to cytological smears

Objectives: Cytological examination of serous fluids is of paramount importance in detecting cancer cells. Distinguishing malignant cells from benign reactive mesothelial cells in fluid cytology is an everyday diagnostic problem. Cell blocks are valuable when the features in cytology are inconclusive. The motive of this study was to assess the utility of this method in increasing the diagnostic yield of serous fluids. Methods: 225 (25%) effusion fluids were analyzed carefully by both smear and cell block technique. Results: Among 225 fluids, 139 were pleural, 84 peritoneal and 2 pericardial. In case of pleural fluids and ascitic fluids, maximum numbers of cases were inflammatory. By the cell block technique, 5 additional cases of malignancy in pleural fluids and 7 additional cases of malignancy in ascitic fluids were diagnosed which could not be detected in the cytological smears. In pericardial fluids both cases were inflammatory. Male predominance was noted in case of pleural effusion and female predominance was noted in case of pericardial effusion and ascites. Maximum numbers of cases were seen in the age group of 40-60 years. Conclusion: We conclude that the cell block technique when used as an adjuvant to routine smear examination has increased the diagnostic yield because of better preservation of the architectural pattern

Exacerbation of cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary inflammation by Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxin B in mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cigarette smoke (CS) is a major risk factor for the development of COPD. CS exposure is associated with an increased risk of bacterial colonization and respiratory tract infection, because of suppressed antibacterial activities of the immune system and delayed clearance of microbial agents from the lungs. Colonization with <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>results in release of virulent enterotoxins, with superantigen activity which causes T cell activation.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To study the effect of <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>enterotoxin B (SEB) on CS-induced inflammation, in a mouse model of COPD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>C57/Bl6 mice were exposed to CS or air for 4 weeks (5 cigarettes/exposure, 4x/day, 5 days/week). Endonasal SEB (10 μg/ml) or saline was concomitantly applied starting from week 3, on alternate days. 24 h after the last CS and SEB exposure, mice were sacrificed and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue were collected.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Combined exposure to CS and SEB resulted in a raised number of lymphocytes and neutrophils in BAL, as well as increased numbers of CD8⁺T lymphocytes and granulocytes in lung tissue, compared to sole CS or SEB exposure. Moreover, concomitant CS/SEB exposure induced both IL-13 mRNA expression in lungs and goblet cell hyperplasia in the airway wall. In addition, combined CS/SEB exposure stimulated the formation of dense, organized aggregates of B- and T- lymphocytes in lungs, as well as significant higher CXCL-13 (protein, mRNA) and CCL19 (mRNA) levels in lungs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Combined CS and SEB exposure aggravates CS-induced inflammation in mice, suggesting that <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>could influence the pathogenesis of COPD.</p

Segregation of <i>Cry</i> Genes in the Seeds Produced by F₁ Bollgard^® II Cotton Differs between Hybrids: Could This Be Linked to the Observed Field Resistance in the Pink Bollworm?

Indian populations of the Pink Bollworm (PBW) are resistant to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton hybrids containing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab genes. Segregation of these Cry genes in F1 hybrids could subject PBW to sublethal concentrations. Moreover, planting hybrids with varying zygosities of Cry genes could produce diverse segregation patterns and expose PBW populations to highly variable toxin concentrations. This could potentially promote the rate of resistance development. Therefore, we studied the segregation patterns of Cry genes in different commercial Bt hybrids cultivated in India. Results showed that two hybrids segregated according to the Mendelian mono-hybrid ratio, three segregated according to the Mendelian di-hybrid ratio, and one showed a mixed segregation pattern. The assortment of seeds containing Cry genes varied between bolls of the same hybrid. In India, different Bt cotton hybrids are cultivated in small patches next to each other, exposing PBW populations to sublethal doses and wide variations in the occurrence of Cry genes. It is necessary to avoid segregation of Cry genes in the seeds produced by F1 hybrids. This study recommends using Bt parents homozygous for Cry genes in commercial Bt cotton hybrid development. This breeding strategy could be effective for similar transgenic crop hybrids as well

Discrete generation cycles in the tropical moth Opisina arenosella

Insect populations with discrete generation cycles (DGCs), have been rarely encountered in the tropics. Among the few known species, spatially segregated coastal populations of Opisina arenosella, the coconut caterpillar, have been shown to follow DGCs during outbreaks in Sri Lanka. Climatic parameters are known to be important in regulating generation cycles in insect populations. But, unlike temperate conditions, the tropics are characterized by high spatial heterogeneity in climate, which prompted the present investigation on generation cycles of populations of O. arenosella occurring in interior dry landscapes of the Indian peninsula. Two spatially isolated populations were regularly sampled for two years and data were subjected to time series analysis to determine periodicity, if any, in the occurrence of different developmental stages of the population. Results showed that populations followed DGC with a periodicity of approximately one generation, and further, correlations showed that there was a definite lead/lag in the peaks of different developmental stages, which closely correspond to the developmental period of different stages of the insect. The findings suggest that discrete cycles of O. arenosella may not be related to seasonality. The importance of generation cycles with respect to pest management has also been discussed