Translation and validation of Marathi version of questionnaire for urinary incontinence diagnosis

Background: Urinary incontinence is a common health problem among women, which affects the quality of life. knowledge about the risk factors of urinary incontinence in this population will help us to take measures to reduce the burden of the condition. Questionnaire for urinary incontinence diagnosis (QUID) helps to distinguish type of incontinence. Methods: It was a community based cross-sectional study involving women living in the rural areas. A total of 25 women were taken for this study to find out reliability and validity of Marathi version of this questionnaire. Data was analysed with statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) 20.0. Results: The internal consistency (homogeneity) was evaluated by Cronbach’s α coefficient, which was 0.795. validation was obtained from expert panel and the pilot testing showed that the questionnaire is acceptable. Conclusions: QUID Marathi version has been proven a reliable and valid tool for assessing urinary incontinence in women. It can be used as a quick screening tool for urinary incontinence in women of rural population

Strangeness production in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions

In these lectures we discuss the investigation of the strange meson production in proton-proton ($pp$) and in proton-nucleus ($pA$) reactions within an effective Lagrangian model. The kaon production proceeds mainly via the excitations of $N^*$(1650), $N^*$(1710), and $N^*$(1720) resonant intermediate nucleonic states, in the collision of two initial state nucleons. Therefore, the strangeness production is expected to provide information about the resonances lying at higher excitation energies. For beam energies very close to the kaon production threshold the hyperon-proton final state interaction effects are quite important. Thus, these studies provide a check on the models of hyperon-nucleon interactions. The in-medium production of kaons show strong sensitivity to the self energies of the intermediate mesons.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, Talk presented in the workshop on Hadron Physics, Puri, India, March 7-17,200

Immunoregulatory Potential of Exosomes Derived from Cancer Stem Cells.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are malignancies that originate in the mucosal lining of the upper aerodigestive tract. Despite advances in therapeutic interventions, survival rates among HNSCC patients have remained static for years. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are tumor-initiating cells that are highly resistant to treatment, and are hypothesized to contribute to a significant fraction of tumor recurrences. Consequently, further investigations of how CSCs mediate recurrence may provide insights into novel druggable targets. A key element of recurrence involves the tumor's ability to evade immunosurveillance. Recent published reports suggest that CSCs possess immunosuppressive properties, however, the underlying mechanism have yet to be fully elucidated. To date, most groups have focused on the role of CSC-derived secretory proteins, such as cytokines and growth factors. Here, we review the established immunoregulatory role of exosomes derived from mixed tumor cell populations, and propose further study of CSC-derived exosomes may be warranted. Such studies may yield novel insights into new druggable targets, or lay the foundation for future exosome-based diagnostics

Examining the reversibility of long-term behavioral disruptions in progeny of maternal SSRI exposure

Serotonergic dysregulation is implicated in numerous psychiatric disorders. Serotonin plays widespread trophic roles during neurodevelopment; thus perturbations to this system during development may increase risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Epidemiological studies have examined association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment during pregnancy and increased autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in offspring. It is unclear from these studies whether ASD susceptibility is purely related to maternal psychiatric diagnosis, or if treatment poses additional risk. We sought to determine whether maternal SSRI treatment alone or in combination with genetically vulnerable background was sufficient to induce offspring behavior disruptions relevant to ASD. We exposed C57BL/6J or Celf6(+/-) mouse dams to fluoxetine (FLX) during different periods of gestation and lactation and characterized offspring on tasks assessing social communicative interaction and repetitive behavior patterns including sensory sensitivities. We demonstrate robust reductions in pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and alterations in social hierarchy behaviors, as well as perseverative behaviors and tactile hypersensitivity. Celf6 mutant mice demonstrate social communicative deficits and perseverative behaviors, without further interaction with FLX. FLX re-exposure in adulthood ameliorates the tactile hypersensitivity yet exacerbates the dominance phenotype. This suggests acute deficiencies in serotonin levels likely underlie the abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, while the social alterations are instead due to altered development of social circuits. These findings indicate maternal FLX treatment, independent of maternal stress, can induce behavioral disruptions in mammalian offspring, thus contributing to our understanding of the developmental role of the serotonin system and the possible risks to offspring of SSRI treatment during pregnancy

A Clinical Study on Vrana Shodhana Action of Gomutra Arka in Dushtavrana w.s.r. to Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Context: The diabetic foot ulcer, being chronic in nature involves various tissues, it can be considered as Dushtavrana in Ayurveda. Proper Care for diabetic foot with medication and procedures that has hastened the healing process with less complication is the need of the hour. Aim: To evaluate the Vrana Shodhana action of Gomutra Arka in Dushtavrana w.s.r. to diabetic foot ulcers. Settings and Design: It is a clinical study with pre-test and post-test design. Total number of patient’s taken for the study was 40 excluding dropouts. The patients selected for the study were divided in to 2 groups, Group-A and Group-B, consisting of 20 patients each. Materials and Methods: The wound is examined, exudates, debris, slough were removed, the surrounding area was cleaned and pad soaked in Gomutra Arka was placed and wound dressing was done once in a day. Duration of study was 45 days or till the formation of granulation tissue whichever is earlier, assessment was done every 7 days. For healing Jatyadi Taila was applied after the Shodhana Kriya with Gomutra Arka. Conclusion: Gomutra Arka was having good results in reducing burning sensation, itching, smell, size, depth, discharge, edge, floor and presence of granulation tissues compared to Betadine. Both drugs have equal effect in reducing pain. Both drugs have Shodhana, Lekhana properties, hastens the wound healing process which helps in reduction of wound size. It can be concluded that Gomutra Arka application is effective in all types of Diabetic foot ulcer by their faster, effective Shodhana, Lekhana, Vedana Shamaka, Kandu Shamaka, Daha Shamaka properties compared to Betadine

Mapping giant magnetic fields around dense solid plasmas by high resolution magneto-optical microscopy

We investigate distribution of magnetic fields around dense solid plasmas generated by intense p-polarized laser (~10^{16} W.cm^{-2}, 100 fs) irradiation of magnetic tapes, using high sensitivity magneto optical microscopy. We present evidence for giant axial magnetic fields and map out for the first time the spatial distribution of these fields. By using the axial magnetic field distribution as a diagnostic tool we uncover evidence for angular momentum associated with the plasma. We believe this study holds significance for investigating the process under which a magnetic material magnetizes or demagnetizes under the influence of ultrashort intense laser pulses.Comment: 17 pages of text with 4 figure

Threshold hyperon production in proton-proton collisions at COSY-11

Sigma+ hyperon production was measured at the COSY-11 spectrometer via the p p --> n K+ Sigma+ reaction at excess energies of Q = 13 MeV and Q = 60 MeV. These measurements continue systematic hyperon production studies via the p p --> p K+ Lambda/Sigma0 reactions where a strong decrease of the cross section ratio close-to-threshold was observed. In order to verify models developed for the description of the Lambda and Sigma0 production we have performed the measurement on the Sigma+ hyperon and found unexpectedly that the total cross section is by more than one order of magnitude larger than predicted by all anticipated models. After the reconstruction of the kaon and neutron four momenta, the Sigma+ is identified via the missing mass technique. Details of the method and the measurement will be given and discussed in view of theoretical models.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, Phys. Lett. B in print, in the second version a minor editorial changes have been made by a native speaking proofreader and a note in proof has been added with an additional referenc