Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in India: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic diseases are fast becoming the largest health burden in India. Despite this, their management in India has not been well studied. We aimed to systematically review the nature and efficacy of current management strategies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in India. METHODS: We used database searches (MEDLINE, EMBASE, IndMED, CENTRAL and CINAHL), journal hand-searches, scanning of reference lists and contact with experts to identify studies for systematic review. We did not review management strategies aimed at chronic diseases more generally, nor management of acute exacerbations. Due to the heterogeneity of reviewed studies, meta-analysis was not appropriate. Thus, narrative methods were used. SETTING: India. PARTICIPANTS: All adult populations resident in India. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 1. Trialled interventions and outcomes 2. Extent and efficacy of current management strategies 3. Above outcomes by subgroup. RESULTS: We found information regarding current management - particularly regarding the implementation of national guidelines and primary prevention - to be minimal. This led to difficulty in interpreting studies of management strategies, which were varied and generally of positive effect. Data regarding current management outcomes were very few. CONCLUSIONS: The current understanding of management strategies for COPD in India is limited due to a lack of published data. Determination of the extent of current use of management guidelines, availability and use of treatment, and current primary prevention strategies would be useful. This would also provide evidence on which to interpret existing and future studies of management outcomes and novel interventions

Protein quality control: the who’s who, the where’s and therapeutic escapes

In cells the quality of newly synthesized proteins is monitored in regard to proper folding and correct assembly in the early secretory pathway, the cytosol and the nucleoplasm. Proteins recognized as non-native in the ER will be removed and degraded by a process termed ERAD. ERAD of aberrant proteins is accompanied by various changes of cellular organelles and results in protein folding diseases. This review focuses on how the immunocytochemical labeling and electron microscopic analyses have helped to disclose the in situ subcellular distribution pattern of some of the key machinery proteins of the cellular protein quality control, the organelle changes due to the presence of misfolded proteins, and the efficiency of synthetic chaperones to rescue disease-causing trafficking defects of aberrant proteins

Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions with a large heterogeneity of climates and massive mixing of the population. Almost the entire national territory is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Earth axial tilt to the south certainly makes Brazil one of the countries of the world with greater extent of land in proximity to the sun. The Brazilian coastline, where most of its population lives, is more than 8,500 km long. Due to geographic characteristics and cultural trends, Brazilians are among the peoples with the highest annual exposure to the sun. Epidemiological data show a continuing increase in the incidence of nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers. Photoprotection can be understood as a set of measures aimed at reducing sun exposure and at preventing the development of acute and chronic actinic damage. Due to the peculiarities of Brazilian territory and culture, it would not be advisable to replicate the concepts of photoprotection from other developed countries, places with completely different climates and populations. Thus the Brazilian Society of Dermatology has developed the Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection, the first official document on photoprotection developed in Brazil for Brazilians, with recommendations on matters involving photoprotection

Antiviral Silencing and Suppression of Gene Silencing in Plants

RNA silencing is an evolutionary conserved sequence-specific gene inactivation mechanism that contributes to the control of development, maintains heterochromatin, acts in stress responses, DNA repair and defends against invading nucleic acids like transposons and viruses. In plants RNA silencing functions as one of the main immune systems. RNA silencing process involves the small RNAs and trans factor components like Dicers, Argonautes and RNA-dependent RNA poly- merases. To deal with host antiviral silencing responses viruses evolved mecha- nisms to avoid or counteract this, most notably through expression of viral suppressors of RNA silencing. Due to the overlap between endogenous and antiviral silencing pathways while blocking antiviral pathways viruses also impact endogenous silencing processes. Here we provide an overview of antiviral silencing pathway, host factors implicated in it and the crosstalk between antiviral and endogenous branches of silencing. We summarize the current status of knowledge about the viral counter-defense strategies acting at various steps during virus infection in plants with the focus on representative, well studied silencing suppres- sor proteins. Finally we discuss future challenges of the antiviral silencing and counter-defense research field

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Not AvailableTHE AUTHORS DISCUSS THE MODUS OPERANDI BEING PRACTISED AT ORP FAKOT ( TEHRI- GARHWAL HILLS) KEEPING IN VIEW THE BASIC FACT THAT SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION IS PEOPLE'S PROGRAMME AND THEIR DIRECT INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMME.Not Availabl

Primary melanoma of testis

Primary melanoma of testis is extremely rare and even the existence of such an entity is questioned. We present the case of a 60-year-old man with primary malignant melanoma in the testis. We report this case to emphasize the need for awareness of the possibility of the testis being the primary site in the patient with a melanoma and to underline the necessity of meticulous investigation of suspicious lesions of the testis in patients with or without a past history of malignant melanoma

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Not AvailableTHE PAPER DEALS WITH TRAPEZOIDAL FLUMES WHICH HAVE BEEN FOUND SUITABLE FOR GAUGING OF HILLY WATERSHEDS IN HIMALAYAS WITH HEAVY SEDIMENT LADEN FLOWS. THEY HAVE AN ADDED ADVANTAGE OVER THE WEIRS THAT THEY CAN BE USED IN STREAMS WITH LOW GRADIENTS AND ALSO AT STEEP CHANNEL SLOPES . SUCH FLUMES HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED TO GAUGE WATERSHEDS WITH DIFFERENT LANDUSES VIZ AGRICULTURE, FOREST AND MINED. WATERSHED AREAS VARYING FROM 25 TO 328 ha WITH PEAK DISCHARGE OF 7-48 CUMECS HAVE BEEN GAUGED. DESIGN , PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION OF TRAPEZOIDAL FLUMES ARE DISCUSSED IN GREATER DETAILS.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableTHE USUAL PRACTICE OF CULTIVATION IN GARHWAL HIMALAYAS IS TO CONSTRUCT OUTWARDLY SLOPING RAINFED BENCH TERRACES RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE SOIL AND NUTRIENT LOSSES. THREE METHODS OF RENOVATING SUCH BENCHES HAVE BEEN TRIED, (I) CONVENTIONAL METHOD BY COMPLETE LEVELLING, (II) SHOULDER BUNDING WITH MINOR LEVELLING AND (III) SHOULDER BUNDING ( EARTHEN/ STONE- CUM- EARTH) ALONE. SHOULDER BUNDING WAS FOUND COST EFFECTIVE AND THE LEVELLED TERRACES THUS MADE WITHIN A DURATION OF 3 YEARS CAN BE MADE PRODUCTIVE WITH APPLICATION OF IMPROVED CULTIVATION PRACTICES AND IRRIGATION.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableECONOMIC EVALUATION OF IRRIGATED SECTOR OF THE OPERATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT , FAKOT ( TEHRI- GARHWAL) WAS DONE BY UTILIZING THE PHYSICAL DATA GENERATED DURING THE LAST SIX YEARS ( 1976-81) . THE BENEFIT COST RATIO CONSIDERING 25 YEARS OF PROJECT LIFE AND 10% DISCOUNT RATE , WAS FOUND TO BE 2.64:1 HAVING INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN OF 32%. WHEN ANALYSIS WAS MADE WITH THE EXPECTATION OF 75% YIELDS ONLY , THE B:C RATIO WAS 1.98:1. THESE VALUES CLEARLY INDICATE THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF SUCH PROJECT IN THE HILLY AREAS.Not Availabl