CRIMINAL DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD AFTER HOMICIDAL STRANGULATION: AUTOPSY DEFYING PUTREFACTION AND EVIL MOTIVES ONCE AGAIN

Homicide with concealment of the corpse is a rarely encountered phenomenon in routine forensic work. Such cases represent a challenge by the fact that the bodies or parts thereof are unknown, without any relevant history, and usually depict well-established changes of putrefaction at autopsy. However, a proper scrutiny of the circumstances along with discovery of significant injuries at autopsy may bring a breakthrough to the case. A case of putrefied and unidentified male dead body is hereby described that was killed by ligature strangulation followed by dumping into a deep water channel which was, however, preceded by tying-up of extremities with a strong metallic chain. The postmortem findings along with the ancillary investigations and case circumstances helped in concluding the cause and manner of death which was subsequently followed by the arrest of the perpetrators who submitted and explained the whole story of the crime. Various possible means of suicide, including a self-application of restraint, were excluded from the study

Corporate Social Responsibility - Consumers' perspective

As organizations scale up and stakeholders become increasingly aware of business scenarios, the term corporate social responsibility is more than just a buzzword in business circles. Indeed, to its many advocates, the emergence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is not only a blueprint for the future, but a new highway to follow for conducting business in an uncertain world that has witnessed the evisceration of many long-accepted norms of conduct (Internal Auditor, 2005). Considering the journey that CSR has been on and its increasing importance over the years, this thesis focuses on the real purpose of CSR today. Over time, have marketing gimmicks, strategic campaigns and public relations clouded over CSR's raison etre? The debate attached to CSR continues is it philanthropy and charity? Is it social and humanitarian work or protecting the environment? Is it undertaking public service tasks which normally the government should be doing? Or is it all of these? (Bhargava, 2008) It is precisely this issue that this dissertation intends to study and throw light upon. Taking into consideration the definition of CSR when it first became a popular business practice, the dissertation will discuss briefly the increasing importance of CSR and how businesses are succumbing to the trend and the goodwill it generates among consumers. Set against this outlook, the dissertation will then consider the role of the consumer in the CSR framework, and describe the quintessential role that consumers, stakeholders and the share market plays in the image that CSR portrays. Companies will go great lengths to rope in audiences and if CSR is the way to go, so be it

Evaluation of interleukin-10 production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa induced acute pyelonephritis

SummaryPseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen of immunocompromised hosts. This pathogen has a tendency to form biofilms on the surface of indwelling catheters leading to acute and chronic urinary tract infections that result in significant morbidity and mortality. In the present study, kinetics of interleukin-10 (IL-10) production in mouse renal tissue was studied employing experimental mouse model of acute pyelonephritis induced with planktonic and biofilm cells of P. aeruginosa. IL-10 production was found to be significantly lower in biofilm cell instilled mice compared to planktonic cell infected animals, which corroborated with higher bacterial load and tissue damage. The data suggests that downregulation of IL-10 production may be novel strategy employed by biofilm cells to cause tissue damage and hence bacterial persistence. The results of the present study may open up avenues of research that will ultimately provide the foundation for the development of preventative measures and therapeutic strategies to successfully treat P. aeruginosa biofilm infections based on the administration of anti-inflammatory agents

Role of lipid profile in proven premature coronary artery disease and its first degree relatives- a tertiary care hospital based study in South-Eastern region of Rajasthan, India

Background: Cardiovascular diseases have become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adult population of Indian sub-continent. Aim of the study was to compare the serum lipid patterns in patients with proven premature CAD and its first degree relative in a tertiary care hospital of South-eastern region of Rajasthan, India.Methods: 200 patients with the primary diagnosis of premature coronary artery disease were enrolled. These patients and their 643 first-degree relatives, who were in the coronary age group 25 years and above also enrolled for the purpose of the study. Fasting lipid profile was estimated.Results: 36.5% of the males and 4.5% female patients were having abnormal cholesterol levels. 30.5 % of male of premature CAD were having high LDL levels as compared to only 2.5% of the females (p<0.05). High LDL level was 33.0%. Low HDL cholesterol in CAD patients were in 36.0% of males and 4.0% of the females (p<0.05). High Triglyceride levels (53.5%) in the CAD patients were 46.5% males and 6.5% females. (p<0.05). Irrespective of sex, majority of relatives  (70.7%) were having desirable total cholesterol levels while high total cholesterol was there in only 10.1% of the relatives.21.4% of male relatives of CAD patients were having abnormal LDL levels as compared to 7.4% of the females (p<0.05).Conclusions: For hyper cholestolaemia, routine screening of all adults older than 20 years is recommended. Therapeutic targets for lipid levels are recommended depending on overall risk for patients with CAD or a CAD risk equivalent such as diabetes or peripheral arterial disease.

Experimental Validation of the Predicted Binding Site of Escherichia coli K1 Outer Membrane Protein A to Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells: Identification of Critical Mutations That Prevent E. coli Meningitis

Escherichia coli K1, the most common cause of meningitis in neonates, has been shown to interact with GlcNAc1–4GlcNAc epitopes of Ecgp96 on human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) via OmpA (outer membrane protein A). However, the precise domains of extracellular loops of OmpA interacting with the chitobiose epitopes have not been elucidated. We report the loop-barrel model of these OmpA interactions with the carbohydrate moieties of Ecgp96 predicted from molecular modeling. To test this model experimentally, we generated E. coli K1 strains expressing OmpA with mutations of residues predicted to be critical for interaction with the HBMEC and tested E. coli invasion efficiency. For these same mutations, we predicted the interaction free energies (including explicit calculation of the entropy) from molecular dynamics (MD), finding excellent correlation (R^2 = 90%) with experimental invasion efficiency. Particularly important is that mutating specific residues in loops 1, 2, and 4 to alanines resulted in significant inhibition of E. coli K1 invasion in HBMECs, which is consistent with the complete lack of binding found in the MD simulations for these two cases. These studies suggest that inhibition of the interactions of these residues of Loop 1, 2, and 4 with Ecgp96 could provide a therapeutic strategy to prevent neonatal meningitis due to E. coli K1

Abdominal tuberculosis: a surgical emergency

Background: To study and assess the clinico-pathologic profile, intra-operative findings, surgical intervention performed and outcome in terms of morbidity and mortality of the patients included in the study group.Methods: This study was carried out at Lok Nayak Hospital and Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, a tertiary care hospital between November 2011 to March 2015. It was a retrospective study in which the records of the patients operated upon in the emergency department as peritonitis or acute intestinal obstruction and whose diagnosis was later confirmed as tuberculosis on histopathology were analysed with regards clinic-pathologic profile, intra-operative findings, surgical intervention performed and outcome in terms of morbidity and mortality.Results: The mean age of our study group was 28.7 years. 70% of our patients were found to be in the underweight category and 30% were in the normal category. Fourty three (56.6%) presented to the hospital with features suggestive of peritonitis and thirty-three (43.4) were suffering from acute intestinal obstruction. The commonest intra-operative finding encountered was ileal perforation followed by multiple small bowel perforations, solitary stricture of the small bowel with perforation, ileo-cecal mass, adhesions or bands, single or multiple strictures, stricture with impending small bowel perforation and jejunal perforation. The frequently performed surgical procedures were ilesotomy, resection and anastamosis of the involved bowel, primary repair of thr perforation, right hemicolectomy, adhesiolysis, stricturoplasty (done in case of single stricture, mostly), jejunostomy and peritoneal and omental biopsy.Conclusions: Tuberculosis is a very grave disease, studies with larger number of patients need to be conducted to standardise its surgical management as at present there is no standardised surgical management protocol

Radiographic and functional outcome of operated closed intra-articular fractures of calcaneum: a retrospective analysis

Background: The present study aims to analyse the results of surgical outcome of the operated calcaneal fractures using either plates or cannulated cancellous screws. Recently there has been considerable shift of treatment of calcaneal fractures from conservative to operative owing to better understanding of fracture pattern. However, reduction of long-term functional outcome of such patients is always questionable and remains unanswered. Methods: A 25 fractures were operated with locking plates or cannulated screws after proper assessment. Functional assessment was done using AOFAS scoring system. Radiological outcome was assessed using restoration of Bohler and Gissane angle. Results: The results were extrapolated as excellent in 20 patients, good in 3 patient's and poor result in 2 patients. Statistical analysis revealed better outcomes in percutaneous cannulated screw fixation as compared to open plate fixation.  6 patients had to undergo implant exit of which 5 were cannulated screw backout, prominence irritating the soft tissue and 1 plate removal had to be done because of infection. None of the patients had subtalar arthritis, heel pad problems, peroneal tendinitis or implant failure. Conclusions: Surgical management in the treatment of choice for intra articular calcaneal fractures after thorough evaluation. The choice of implant depends upon the communition of fracture, soft tissue compromise, joint surface incongruity and surgical expertise. Radiological maintenance of Bohler and Gissane angle intraoperatively and at follow up is a good indicator for predicting functional outcomes score.