Adenoviral Vector-Based Vaccines and Gene Therapies: Current Status and Future Prospects

Adenoviruses are one of the most genetically diverse DNA viruses and cause non-life-threatening infections in the ocular, respiratory, or gastrointestinal epithelium of a diverse range of hosts. Adenoviruses are excellent vectors for delivering genes or vaccine antigens to the target host tissues and are being tested in several vaccine and gene therapy studies. Adenovirus-based vectors offer several advantages over other viral vectors such as broad range of tissue tropism, well-characterized genome, ease of genetic manipulation including acceptance of large transgene DNA insertions, inherent adjuvant properties, ability to induce robust transgene-specific T cell and antibody responses, non-replicative nature in host, and ease of production at large scale. However, several studies have highlighted major drawbacks to using adenovirus as vaccine and gene therapy vectors. These include pre-existing immunity in humans, inflammatory responses, sequestering of the vector to liver and spleen, and immunodominance of the vector genes over transgenes. In the same vein, recently discovered protein sequence homology and heterologous immunity between adenoviruses and hepatitis C virus have significant implications in the use of adenoviral vectors for vaccine development, especially for hepatitis C virus. This chapter focuses on the current scope and challenges in using adenoviral vector-based vaccines and gene therapies

Training need assessment of nursing personnel as super specialty tertiary care hospitals in Northern India

Background - Super specialty tertiary care hospital equips nurses with the requisite knowledge and skills to deliver high quality care in their practice areas. This has necessitated adopting a structured approach to the training needs assessment (TNA) to identify the development needs of the nursing workforce at a tertiary care centre. This study involves Micro Level – Task/Job analysis i.e. identifies and describes all the skills performed by employees in a particular job and the knowledge, skills, attitudes and other behaviours needed for successful job performance. Aim and objectives: The study explores the training needs of nursing personnel at super specialty tertiary care hospital in northern India by analyzing the areas of knowledge and skills deficit as perceived by the nurses and assessing the expectations of doctors, about the role of nurses and deficiencies in their current knowledge, skills Design: Structured questionnaire based descriptive cross sectional study Methods: A set of questionnaire were framed using core competencies of nurses listed by Massachusetts department of higher education and nursing council of Hongkong and A questionnaire based descriptive cross sectional study among nurses, faculty, senior residents and patients were done. Results: The total sample collected for the study was 274 which included 19 faculty, 44 senior résidents, 211 nurses. Training needs identified to be further developed for Grade II and grade I nurses both by nurses and doctors are maximum in patient care and research domain followed by managerial/administrative and communication domain. Training needs agreed to be promoted for ANS’s are maximum in managerial/ administrative and communication domain. Training needs recognized for DNS’s /NS/CNO are maximum in managerial/ administrative and research domain followed by communication domain Conclusion – This study reflects the training need assessment of nurses in a super specialty tertiary care hospita

Swapping the Stick for a Broom: Men Supporting Women in Local Politics in India

Women’s engagement, leadership and decision-making in the public sphere continues to be suppressed in much of rural India. It is controlled by cultural norms which place women as subordinate to men, and prescribe their roles as confined to the domestic sphere. . Understanding and supporting women’s pathways of empowerment within and between private and public life continues to be a feminist struggle for women’s rights and gender equality. This paper shares findings of case study research exploring how work with men can contribute to this process of change, and support women’s participation in public and political life. The work of the Samajhdar Jodidar (meaning ‘understanding partner’) project in rural Maharashtra, provides an interesting, and important example of the role men can play in contributing to progressive social change on women’s public participation. Research with 42 men and women involved in this initiative, either directly as activists or as key stakeholders, including women local government representatives, provides some important lessons for how this kind of approach can work. Importantly the commitment to democratic accountability on gender equality spans both private and public spheres. Men first work through consciousness raising to transform their own practices within their homes and intimate relationships. This provides a platform for social action in the wider community and enables trusting relationships to be built with women to work together to drive political change. Demanding accountability from existing legal mechanisms for affirmative action on women’s participation and transforming local level institutions from within have been important strategic areas

The significance of expression of Her2neu in squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths among females. It arises from precursor lesions i.e. squamous intraepithelial lesions which are closely associated with infection by HPV. The ERBB2 protooncogene encodes for a cellular transmembrane protein (erb-b2) which has tyrosine kinase activity and has been implicated in the regulation of cellular growth and proliferation in various cancers. Application of monoclonal antibodies against Her2neu has shown higher response and improved survival. The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of Her2neu in squamous cell carcinoma of cervix in relation to tumor characteristics and to compare the expression with normal control subjects.Methods: It was a cross-sectional analytical study. Paraffin embedded tissue blocks from 30 cases of squamous cell carcinoma were obtained from the archives. Twenty age matched cases of normal cervix removed for lesions other than that related to cervix (like leiomyoma) were taken as control. Tumour characteristics were noted from the records. Her2neu immunostaining was done. Her2neu expression was scored as positive or negative according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) scoring system for Her2neu. The Chi-square test was used to compare and find association between the variables. Student t-test was used to compare the variable between cases and controls.Results: Her2neu was positive in 20% and negative in 80% cases of the study group. Her2neu positivity is not associated with size, histological grade and FIGO stage of the tumor. We found that all Her2neu positive cases showed no lymph node metastasis. This association between Her2neu positivity and lymph node status was statistically significant.Conclusions: Her2neu immunoexpression is variable across various categories of squamous cell carcinoma. Her2neu positivity might be negatively associated with lymph node metastasis. However, a more comprehensive study encompassing various factors related to Her2neu overexpression is required to validate these results

Pregnancy outcome of external cephalic version in singleton pregnancy with breech presentation at term

Background: Breech delivery is associated with poor perinatal outcomes irrespective of the route of delivery. External cephalic version can be a useful tool in management of breech presentation at term by converting it to a cephalic presentation. A study was conducted to evaluate maternal and neonatal outcome of external cephalic version in singleton pregnancies with breech presentation in third trimester.Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital over a period of 2 years. This study included a total of 65 uncomplicated cases of breech presentation who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. External cephalic version was carried out after 36 weeks of period of gestation in primigravida and after 37 weeks in multigravida women. These patients were followed up till delivery and data was collected and analysed regarding the mode of delivery, maternal and fetal outcome.Results: External cephalic version was successful in 41 patients with a success rate of 63%. Out of them, vaginal delivery could be achieved in 31 cases (75.6%) and LSCS was done for rest of the 10 cases. The success rate was higher in multigravida ladies compared to primigravida ladies. No major procedure related adverse event was noticed in our study.Conclusions: External cephalic version is a very safe and easy procedure which can reduce the rate of cesarean delivery in singleton pregnancies with breech presentation. The results of this study are in favor of wider practice of this procedure in selected cases

Palynological diversity of highly medicinal rare, endangered, and threatened plants from Western Himalaya, India

The present study investigated the palynological diversity of highly medicinal Rare, Endangered, and Threatened (RET) plant species dwelling in higher altitudes of Western Himalaya, India. The pollen morphology of 32 plant species covering 29 genera, 23 families, and 18 orders of Angiosperms was analyzed by Light Microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The families of the studied plant species have been arranged and discussed following the evolutionary sequence as per the updated version of Angiosperm Phylogeny Group ІV. The studied pollen characters were found to be helpful in the delimitation of taxa at the species level. In the studied monocots, the species belonging to order Zingiberales, Asparagales, and Liliales followed the general trend of having primitive inaperturate to advance monosulcate pollen except for Alismatales which had inaperturate pollen and placed after the orders mentioned above in the APG ІV classification system. The pollen aperture of the eudicot group in the present study followed the evolutionary pattern from tricolpate to tricolporate and triporate, which corroborated previous reports. All the investigated species of both monocot and eudicot groups had monad pollen units suggesting their primitiveness on the evolutionary scale except for the Rhododendron companulatum (Ericales), having evolutionarily advanced tetrad arrangement. The current study found primitive exine ornamentation in Ranunculales to advance in Asterales, Lamiales, Gentianales, and Boraginales and confirms the results of the previous studies. The data on the pollen morphological features of the studied species generated in the present study will help understand these important high-altitude plant species' reproductive biology and conservation aspects

Capillary haemangioma of fallopian tube: a rare but dangerous incidental finding

Haemangiomas are tumors of vascular origin. They are frequently observed in soft tissue and skin. Vascular tumors of female pelvic organs are extremely rare. Although, majority of these lesions are detected incidentally, they can mimic various benign and malignant lesions clinically and radiologically. Fallopian tube capillary haemangioma is very rare benign neoplasm. Only one case of capillary haemangioma of fallopian tube has been reported. A 44-year-old female with menorrhagia, underwent hysterectomy with bilateral salpingoopherectomy. Both the fallopian tubes were grossly unremarkable. Microscopic examination revealed a well circumscribed vascular neoplasm, consistent with capillary haemangioma, CD34 immunostaining highlighted the vascular endothelium.  Although benign in nature, haemangioma of the fallopian tube can present with complications. Rupture of the haemangioma can be lethal when present with hemoperitoneum

Comparative evaluation of various analgesic drugs in Wistar rats used as a teaching tool to teach animal experiments to post graduate MD Pharmacology students

 Background: Postgraduates when join Pharmacology department, they don’t have much idea about guidelines and methods to do animal experiments. This study was designed to sensitize postgraduate students to animal experiments by evaluating the anti-inflammatory effects and the efficacy of diclofenac, tramadol and etoricoxib in reducing paw edema in wistar rats.Methods: The wistar rats of 225-250gram were divided into four groups (n=10 each). In all the groups the paw edema on right paw was created using 0.1ml of 1% formalin subcutaneously. Group 1 rats (control), group 2 were given diclofenac, group 3 were given tramadol and group 4 were given etoricoxib orally. The parameters assessed were water displacement in plethysmography after 2, 4, 24, 48 hours of giving the drug. The circumference of edematous paws after 4 hours, licking of paw was observed over 30minutes of giving the drug and was compared. Pre and post study feedback were obtained from the students by using a preformed questionnaire to assess the knowledge gained by the students.Results: The test showed that all the drugs were effective in reducing inflammation, circumference of edema and the licking duration significantly (p<0.05). The post study answering of questions by postgraduate was 100% in comparison to pre-study answering which was 33%.Conclusions: A short animal study conducted as a teaching tool to postgraduate students was able to teach the guidelines of animal experiments and handling of animals effectively