A COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF PATCH IMPLANTATION AND MITRAL VALVE MECHANICS

Myocardial infarction (i.e., a heart attack) is the most common heart disease in the United States. Mitral valve regurgitation, or the backflow of blood into the atrium from the left ventricle, is one of the complications associated with myocardial infarction. In this dissertation, a validated model of a sheep heart that has suffered myocardial infarction has been employed to study mitral valve regurgitation. The model was rebuilt with the knowledge of geometrical changes captured with MRI technique and is assigned with anisotropic, inhomogeneous, nearly incompressible and highly non-linear material properties. Patch augmentation was performed on its anterior leaflet, using a simplified approach, and its posterior leaflet, using a more realistic approach. In this finite element simulation, we virtually installed an elliptical patch within the central portion of the posterior leaflet. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this type of simulation has not been performed previously. In another simulation, the effect of patch within the anterior leaflet was simulated. The results from the two different surgical simulations show that patch implantation helps the free edges of the leaflets come close to one another, which leads to improved coaptation. Additionally, the changes in chordal force distributions are also reported. Finally, this study answers a few questions regarding mitral valve patch augmentation surgeries and emphasizes the importance of further investigations on the influence of patch positioning and material properties on key outcomes. The ultimate goal is to use the proposed techniques to assess human models that are patient-specific

Radiation Protective Potentiality of Adhatoda vasica

The present study forecasts the extensive damage caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment for cancer in the genetic setup of an individual. To counteract this damage, radioprotective potentiality of 50% Methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica was evaluated through Cyto-Geno analysis.50% Methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica leaves was used as a drug whose radioprotective potentiality was to be investigated. Human peripheral lymphocytes were cultured using RPMI-1640 media, harvested and observed under microscope for chromosomal aberration assay.Total 200 metaphases were counted for each group. All the metaphases were found to be normal in Control group. The frequency of normal metaphases greatly increased after pretreatment with both low and high drug dose (50mg/Kg body weight and 100mg/Kg body weight) concentration. The average normal metaphase in Radiation Control was 118 out of 200 metaphases but after pretreatment with 50% Methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica the number of normal metaphase increased to 179 at 50mg/Kg body weight and 184 at 100mg/Kg body weight. It was concluded that 50% Methanolic Extract of Adhatoda vasica with both low and high drug doses have shown its potentiality as a radio protector against the therapeutically induced mutations which can prove to be a contributor in cancer management in future. Such indigenous Indian, herbal, cost effective, poor man friendly drug will definitely be a potential adjuvant to cancer treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy since Amifostine a well known radioprotector given to the patients at the time of cancer therapy is expensive and has its own side effects.Keywords: Radiation Protective, Adhatoda vasica, metaphase

Radiation Protective Potentiality of Adhatoda vasica

The present study forecasts the extensive damage caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment for cancer in the genetic setup of an individual. To counteract this damage, radioprotective potentiality of 50% Methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica was evaluated through Cyto-Geno analysis.50% Methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica leaves was used as a drug whose radioprotective potentiality was to be investigated. Human peripheral lymphocytes were cultured using RPMI-1640 media, harvested and observed under microscope for chromosomal aberration assay.Total 200 metaphases were counted for each group. All the metaphases were found to be normal in Control group. The frequency of normal metaphases greatly increased after pretreatment with both low and high drug dose (50mg/Kg body weight and 100mg/Kg body weight) concentration. The average normal metaphase in Radiation Control was 118 out of 200 metaphases but after pretreatment with 50% Methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica the number of normal metaphase increased to 179 at 50mg/Kg body weight and 184 at 100mg/Kg body weight. It was concluded that 50% Methanolic Extract of Adhatoda vasica with both low and high drug doses have shown its potentiality as a radio protector against the therapeutically induced mutations which can prove to be a contributor in cancer management in future. Such indigenous Indian, herbal, cost effective, poor man friendly drug will definitely be a potential adjuvant to cancer treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy since Amifostine a well known radioprotector given to the patients at the time of cancer therapy is expensive and has its own side effects.Keywords: Radiation Protective, Adhatoda vasica, metaphase

THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT OF PRAVAHIKA (AMOEBIC DYSENTERY) THROUGH AYURVEDIC REGIMEN: A CASE STUDY

Hurry, worry and curry are the three factors which causes intestinal upsets frequently and leads to gastrointestinal problems in modern life. Pravahika (Amoebic dysentery) is also one of the important and oftenly occurring Vyadhis of Annavaha and Pureeshvaha Srotasas in current time. Pravahika is the Pakwasahayagata kaphajavikara with symptoms of Sarakta mala, Sapravahana mala, Sakapha mala, Daah, Jwara, Bhrama Daurbalya, Anannabhilsha, Sweda and Trishna. A case report of a patient with a history of loose motion with mucous discharge for the 6 months visited Ayurveda OPD, is presented in this study. Routine stool examination, blood glucose, serum lipid profile and liver function test were performed. The patient was treated with Ayurvedic medicine Kutajghan vati (1 gm), Bilvadi churna with Takra (6 gm) and, Chitrakadi Gutika (250 mg) in divided doses for 1 month. The patient was followed up for every 7th day and there was significant improvement in the clinical features after 1 month of treatment with the Ayurvedic medicines. There were no side effects reported. This case study demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of Bilvadi churna, Kutajghan vati and Chitrakadi Gutika in the rapid management of Pravahika.

Wide resection and stabilization of ulnar stump by extensor carpi ulnaris for giant cell tumor of distal ulna: two case reports

The distal end of ulna is an extremely uncommon site for primary bone tumors in general and giant cell tumor in particular. Wide resection is usually indicated in such cases and at times it may be necessary to remove of a long segment of the distal ulna. Any ulnar resection proximal to the insertion of pronator quadratus can lead to instability in the form of radio-ulnar convergence and dorsal displacement (winging) of the ulnar stump. This can result in diminution of forearm rotation and weakness with grasp. Stabilization of the ulnar stump after resection for a giant cell tumor was described by Kayias & Drosos. We are adding two more cases to the literature. Both patients had excellent functional outcome and there were no instances of recurrence at three years of follow-up

The dietary bioflavonoid quercetin synergizes with epigallocathechin gallate (EGCG) to inhibit prostate cancer stem cell characteristics, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Abstract Background Much attention has been recently focused on the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the initiation and progression of solid malignancies. Since CSCs are able to proliferate and self-renew extensively due to their ability to express anti-apoptotic and drug resistant proteins, thus sustaining tumor growth. Therefore, the strategy to eradicate CSCs might have significant clinical implications. The objectives of this study were to examine the molecular mechanisms by which epigallocathechin gallate (EGCG) inhibits stem cell characteristics of prostate CSCs, and synergizes with quercetin, a major polyphenol and flavonoid commonly detected in many fruits and vegetables. Results Our data indicate that human prostate cancer cell lines contain a small population of CD44+CD133+ cancer stem cells and their self-renewal capacity is inhibited by EGCG. Furthermore, EGCG inhibits the self-renewal capacity of CD44+α2β1+CD133+ CSCs isolated from human primary prostate tumors, as measured by spheroid formation in suspension. EGCG induces apoptosis by activating capase-3/7 and inhibiting the expression of Bcl-2, survivin and XIAP in CSCs. Furthermore, EGCG inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting the expression of vimentin, slug, snail and nuclear β-catenin, and the activity of LEF-1/TCF responsive reporter, and also retards CSC's migration and invasion, suggesting the blockade of signaling involved in early metastasis. Interestingly, quercetin synergizes with EGCG in inhibiting the self-renewal properties of prostate CSCs, inducing apoptosis, and blocking CSC's migration and invasion. These data suggest that EGCG either alone or in combination with quercetin can eliminate cancer stem cell-characteristics. Conclusion Since carcinogenesis is a complex process, combination of bioactive dietary agents with complementary activities will be beneficial for prostate cancer prevention and/ortreatment.Peer Reviewe

REIMAGINING TRAVEL INTENTIONS TO CHINA IN THE POST COVID-19 ERA: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF PERCEIVED SAFETY, ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH AND DESTINATION IMAGE

The past decade has seen the rapid proliferation of theory, literature, and research, in the field of tourism disaster and crisis management, however empirical studies linking Covid-19 to destination image are limited and have not been well understood. Nations are certainly gearing up to pursue various tourism recovery strategies in the hopes of tourism activity returning to normal. As informed by the S-O-R theory this study tests an empirical model that investigates the influence of Iranian’s perceived safety and electronic word of-mouth (eWOM) on destination image and travel intention to China in the post Covid-19 era. Data were obtained from a sample of 305 respondents in Shiraz, Iran. The findings revealed that perceived safety and eWOM were able to predict destination image which subsequently had a positive effect on intention to travel. Additionally, destination image significantly mediates the relationship between perceived safety, eWOM and behavioural intention. The study certainly adds to the dearth of literature pertaining to destination image and tourist behavioural intention in a post Covid-19 context from the lens of the SOR paradigm. The study confirms the validity and salience of the SOR framework as a theoretical cornerstone in uncovering tourist behaviours and responses; whose use within tourism related research is gaining traction

Time-resolved laser speckle contrast imaging (TR-LSCI) of cerebral blood flow

To address many of the deficiencies in optical neuroimaging technologies such as poor spatial resolution, time-consuming reconstruction, low penetration depth, and contact-based measurement, a novel, noncontact, time-resolved laser speckle contrast imaging (TR-LSCI) technique has been developed for continuous, fast, and high-resolution 2D mapping of cerebral blood flow (CBF) at different depths of the head. TR-LSCI illuminates the head with picosecond-pulsed, coherent, widefield near-infrared light and synchronizes a newly developed, high-resolution, gated single-photon avalanche diode camera (SwissSPAD2) to capture CBF maps at different depths. By selectively collecting diffuse photons with longer pathlengths through the head, TR-LSCI reduces partial volume artifacts from the overlying tissues, thus improving the accuracy of CBF measurement in the deep brain. CBF map reconstruction was dramatically expedited by incorporating highly parallelized computation. The performance of TR-LSCI was evaluated using head-simulating phantoms with known properties and in-vivo rodents with varied hemodynamic challenges to the brain. Results from these pilot studies demonstrated that TR-LSCI enabled mapping CBF variations at different depths with a sampling rate of up to 1 Hz and spatial resolutions ranging from tens of micrometers on the head surface to 1-2 millimeters in the deep brain. With additional improvements and validation in larger populations against established methods, we anticipate offering a noncontact, fast, high-resolution, portable, and affordable brain imager for fundamental neuroscience research in animals and for translational studies in humans.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, 4 table

Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Health system planning requires careful assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology, but data for morbidity and mortality of this disease are scarce or non-existent in many countries. We estimated the global, regional, and national burden of CKD, as well as the burden of cardiovascular disease and gout attributable to impaired kidney function, for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. We use the term CKD to refer to the morbidity and mortality that can be directly attributed to all stages of CKD, and we use the term impaired kidney function to refer to the additional risk of CKD from cardiovascular disease and gout. Methods The main data sources we used were published literature, vital registration systems, end-stage kidney disease registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool, and included incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). A comparative risk assessment approach was used to estimate the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and gout burden attributable to impaired kidney function. Findings Globally, in 2017, 1·2 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·2 to 1·3) people died from CKD. The global all-age mortality rate from CKD increased 41·5% (95% UI 35·2 to 46·5) between 1990 and 2017, although there was no significant change in the age-standardised mortality rate (2·8%, −1·5 to 6·3). In 2017, 697·5 million (95% UI 649·2 to 752·0) cases of all-stage CKD were recorded, for a global prevalence of 9·1% (8·5 to 9·8). The global all-age prevalence of CKD increased 29·3% (95% UI 26·4 to 32·6) since 1990, whereas the age-standardised prevalence remained stable (1·2%, −1·1 to 3·5). CKD resulted in 35·8 million (95% UI 33·7 to 38·0) DALYs in 2017, with diabetic nephropathy accounting for almost a third of DALYs. Most of the burden of CKD was concentrated in the three lowest quintiles of Socio-demographic Index (SDI). In several regions, particularly Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected for the level of development, whereas the disease burden in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia, south Asia, central and eastern Europe, Australasia, and western Europe was lower than expected. 1·4 million (95% UI 1·2 to 1·6) cardiovascular disease-related deaths and 25·3 million (22·2 to 28·9) cardiovascular disease DALYs were attributable to impaired kidney function. Interpretation Kidney disease has a major effect on global health, both as a direct cause of global morbidity and mortality and as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CKD is largely preventable and treatable and deserves greater attention in global health policy decision making, particularly in locations with low and middle SDI