Studies of the silkworm enzyme activity and their correlations with economic variables

The experiment was conducted to analyse the larval performance and economic traits of bivoltine silkworm breeds of silkworm (SK-1, SK-6, SK-22, SK-28, SK-33, CSR4, CSR2, NB4D2, DUN6 and APS4) during spring season. The haemolymph total protein, succinate and gultamate dehydrogenase activities were estimated and their correlation with economic traits were also worked out. The results of the study confirmed that among ten bivoltine silkworm breeds, highest haemolymph SDH activity of 3.47 µmoles/ml/mgprotein/min was recorded in the silkworm breed SK1 and least SDH activity of 1.58 µmoles/ml/mg protein/min was recorded in the breed APS4. The highest peak of succinate dehydrogenase activity of 2.65 µmoles/ml/mg protein/min was observed on 7th day of the 5th instar and lowest peak of succinate dehydrogenase activity of 2.39 µmoles/ml/mg protein/min was observed on 4th day of the 5th instar. GDH activity of 0.46 µmoles/ml/mg protein/min was recorded highest in the silkworm breed SK1 and lowest of 0.15 µmoles/ml/mg protein/min was recorded in silkworm breed APS4. The highest peak of haemolymph GDH of 0.36 µmoles/ml/mg protein/min was recorded on 7th day of 5th instar and lowest peak of 0.26 µmoles/ml/mg protein/min was recorded on 4th day of 5th instar. The correlational studies revealed that haemolymph total protein, SDH and GDH were found to be positively corelated with yield by weight and number (cocoon), weight of mature larvae, shell weight ,cocoon weight, shell ratio percent, silk productivity, rate of pupation, fecundity, raw silk percentage  and length of filament. Thus, the study revealed that silkworm breeds like SK1, SK6, SK22 and SK28 as productive breeds and hence may be used for future breeding programmes for evolution of new robust silkworm breed

CT guided lung biopsy complications: a single centre prospective study

Background: Computed tomography (CT) guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy of lung is a routine procedure in patients with suspected malignant lung lesions which are either peripheral or not amenable to biopsy on fibreoptic bronchoscopy.Methods: This prospective study was conducted to obtain complication rates based on patient and physician experience after CT guided lung biopsy of central and peripheral lung lesions.Results: In our study 96 patients were included with 78 patients with peripheral and 18 patients having central lung lesions. The reported post procedural complication rates of CT guided lung biopsy were pulmonary haemorrhage 33.3 %, pneumothorax 21.9%, haemoptysis 15.6%, cough 6.3%, haemothorax 3.1% and fever 3.1%. Two patients required inter costal tube drainage. There was no reported mortality of CT guided lung biopsy in our centre.Conclusions: Pulmonary haemorrhage and pneumothorax are the most common complications of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy of the lung, the former one is common with central and the latter one with peripheral lung lesions

Recurrent diabetic muscle infarction, a rare complication of diabetes: a case report

Diabetic muscle infarction is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus that presents as a localized, exquisitely painful swelling and limited range of motion of the involved extremity. The onset is usually acute, persists for several weeks and resolves spontaneously over several weeks to months without the need for intervention. However, as diabetes mellitus is an immunocompromised state and any painful swelling in the limbs is often taken as infectious in aetiology, the patient is inadvertently investigated with invasive procedures and is started on unnecessary antibiotics, adding to the burden of management. Keeping in view the low threshold for starting antibiotics in painful limb swelling in diabetes mellitus in our setting, we hereby describe a case of recurrent painful diabetic muscle infarction, first involving the right upper and later the right lower limb, managed with physical rest and analgesics. This case emphasizes that the treating physician keep this rare complication of diabetes mellitus in consideration in the respective clinical scenario and adopt a less aggressive (a noninvasive method like ultrasound) rather than a more aggressive (an invasive method like muscle biopsy) approach in diagnosis and take a similar approach towards management

Endorectal coil MRI and MR-spectroscopic imaging in patients with elevated serum prostate specific antigen with negative trus transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy

Background: The aim of this study was to see the efficacy of endorectal coil MRI and MR spectroscopic imaging in patients with elevated serum PSA and negative transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsy. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 87 patients presented with: · Elevated prostatic specific antigen levels >5 ng/ml · Symptoms and signs of prostatic carcinoma · Patients with negative TRUS-guided biopsy · Suspicious lesion on TRU. All the patients were subjected to TRUS and followed by TRUS-guided biopsy of the lesion identified on endorectal coil MRI and MR-Spectroscopy. TRUS-guided biopsy of prostate was done with a Siemens Sonoline Adana Scanner. The scanning was performed by mechanical probe 5-7.5 MHz. Results: Out of 87 patients, 43 (49.4%) had hypointense lesion, 11 (12.6%) had hyperintense lesion. Out of 87 patients, MR-spectroscopy showed peak choline-creatine in 74 patients. Normal citrate peak was seen in 13 patients. Patients who had choline-creatine peak, among them 28 (37.8%) had peak in left peripheral zone, 23 (31.1%) had peak in the right peripheral zone, 2 (2.7%) had peak in the central zone, 17 had (23%) peak bilaterally. Four patients (5.4%) had peaks in right and central zones. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Prostatic biopsy directed with endorectal coil MRI and MR-spectroscopic imaging findings in patients with elevated serum PSA and prior negative biopsy, improves the early diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma and accurate localization of prostate cancer within the gland

Comparative evaluation of sonographic ovarian morphology of Indian women with polycystic ovary syndrome versus those of normal women

Objectives: To study ovarian morphology by ultrasound in women with or without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to establish cut-off values of these parameters in Indian women with PCOS. Materials and Methods: A total of 119 consecutive women diagnosed PCOS and 77 apparently healthy women were enrolled. Transabdominal ultrasound examination was carried out to assess ovarian volume, stromal echogenecity, follicle number and size. Cut-off values of the above ovarian parameters with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were calculated. Results: Sensitivity of 79.49% and specificity of 90.67% was achieved with a cut-off of 8 mL as ovarian volume. A cut-off value of 9 follicles to distinguish between PCOS and control women yielded a sensitivity of 82.35% and specificity of 92.0% while as a follicular size of 5 mm yielded sensitivity and specificity of 74.67% and 78.15% respectively. With all the three parameters sensitivity was 87.39% and specificity 87.84% with 92.04% PPV and 81.25% NPV. Conclusion: Using two or three sonographic criteria in combination improves sensitivity and helps diagnose additional patients with PCOS. Our results are at variance with the established cut-off values highlighting the fact that American Society for Reproductive Medicine consensus cut-off values are not reproducible in Indian context

Cyclodipeptide c(Orn-Pro) Conjugate with 4‑Ethylpiperic Acid Abrogates Cancer Cell Metastasis through Modulating MDM2

The present work describes the synthesis, characterization, and anticancer properties of c­(Lys-Pro), <b>P1</b>; c­(Orn-Pro), <b>P2</b>; and conjugates PA-c­(Lys-Pro), <b>C1</b>; PA-c­(Orn-Pro), <b>C2</b>; EPA-c­(Lys-Pro), <b>C3</b>; and EPA-c­(Orn-Pro), <b>C4</b>. Among all, conjugate <b>C4</b> displays potent anticancer activity with IC₅₀ 1.3 μM in MDA-MB-231, 3.5 μM in PC-3, 8.9 μM in MCF-7, and 9.6 μM in Miapaca-2 cancer cells. In addition, <b>C4</b> downregulates the expression of MDM2 and abrogates the cancer cell invasion/metastasis. Through knock-down of MDM2, we demonstrate that this abrogation of metastasis by <b>C4</b> is primarily MDM2 dependent. Furthermore, the animal studies underscore the antitumor as well as antimetastatic potential of <b>C4</b> <i>in vivo</i> in breast cancer model at a safe and tolerable dose of 20 mg/kg