Validation of Kvaal's and Cameriere's methods of age estimation in people of Marathwada origin

Context: Aging, in forensic context, is necessary both for the dead and the living. Kvaal et al. introduced a method of age estimation by indirectly measuring secondary dentin deposition on radiographs. Cameriere et al., later, put forth a method based on radiographic estimation of pulp/tooth area ratio (AR) in specific teeth of the dentition. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to assess the validity of Kvaal's and Cameriere's methods of age estimation in a specific populace of Marathwada origin. Materials and Methods: A total number of 110 patients aged between 15 and 75 years were selected and the variables P = complete pulp length/root length (from enamel-cementum junction [ECJ]-root apex), r = complete pulp length/complete tooth length, a = complete pulp length/root width at ECJ level, b = pulp/root width at midpoint level between ECJ level and mid-root level, and c = pulp/root width at mid-root level; and pulp/tooth AR were recorded as devised in Kvaal's and Cameriere's methods of age estimation, respectively. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS (version 10.5) package. Mean comparison of morphological variables was carried out using Student's t-test. Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of measurements was studied using the concordance correlation coefficient. Results: Of all the morphological variables, variables P, r, mean (M), length (L), and pulp/tooth AR of Kvaal's and Cameriere's methods correlated significantly with age with variable P correlating the best among them. Conclusion: Variables associated with width ratios rather than length ratios of Kvaal's and Cameriere's methods correlated best with chronological age in the populace of Marathwada origin

Analysis of national and single-center incidence and survival after liver transplantation for hepatoblastoma: New trends and future opportunities

BackgroundLiver transplantation (LTx) for hepatoblatoma appears to be increasing. Favorable tumor histology is increasingly linked to survival after surgical resection and could also determine posttransplantation outcomes.MethodsTo evaluate national trends in tumor and LTx incidence as the basis for observations at some LTx centers, and determinants of survival after LTx for hepatoblastoma, we queried the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry representing 9.451% of the U.S. population (1975–2007), the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS, 1988–2010, n = 332), and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh database (CHP, 1987–2011, n = 35).ResultsIn the United States, hepatoblastoma cases increased 4-fold, LTx for hepatoblastoma increased 20-fold, and hepatoblastoma surpassed other unresectable liver malignancies requiring LTx by nearly 3-fold. Actuarial 5-year patient survival exceeded 75%. Recurrences in 16% were greater after segmental LTx in the total U.S. experience (P = .049). At CHP, 5 children died from recurrences (n = 4) and sepsis (n = 1). Tumors were epithelial (57%) or mixed epithelial-stromal (42%), Children's Oncology Group stage III (77%) or IV (23%). Recurrences were related to previous pulmonary metastases (P = .016), and tumor necrosis <50% (P = .013), but not to small cell undifferentiated tumor histology (P = NS). Hepatic artery thrombosis was more common after LTx for hepatoblastoma compared with nonmalignant indications (P = .0089). Thirty-three children received pre-LTx chemotherapy, 88.6% with cisplatin, and 85.7% received post-LTx chemotherapy.ConclusionOutcomes after LTx for hepatoblastoma may benefit from improved detection and treatment of pretransplantation metastases, adequate tumor lysis after chemotherapy, and perioperative antithrombotic agents but are unaffected by undifferentiated tumor histology

New structural classes of antituberculosis agents

Tuberculosis (TB), one of the deadliest diseases is shattering the health and socioeconomic status of the society. The emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extremely drug resistant (XDR) strains has provided unprecedented lethal character to TB. The development of MDR and XDR strains of TB results in more deaths, longer duration of therapy, and appearance of the disease in the immunocompromised patients. Because of the development of rapid resistance by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, researchers are confronted with serious challenges in combating TB. For instance, the need for potency and specificity in therapeutic agents approaching clinics, and the increasing demand of low toxicity due to long duration of treatment. Recently, it is proposed that such challenges could be addressed by a shift from contemporary or known classes of drugs to new scaffold‐containing or entirely new structural classes of drugs that possibly act on the previously unknown targets, resulting in possibly less instances of resistance development. The exploitation of advances made in the biology of TB in the last and present decades have created opportunities to discover a large number of new structural classes that specifically targets TB by molecular mechanism of action(s) unknown earlier. We have earlier reviewed new structural classes of anti‐TB agents up to year 2005. This review covers literature reports of the subsequent 10 years on the discovery of new structural classes of synthetic anti‐TB agents. Due to the availability of large number of research reports, we have divided new compounds in 38 structural classes, 368 structures, and 307 references