Surgical Ophthalmic Oncology

Designed as an easy-to-use, practical guide to tumors of the eye, lids, and orbit, this open access book comprehensively addresses surgical treatment and management of diseases related to ophthalmic oncology. Surgical Ophthalmic Oncology: A Collaborative Open Access Reference is an ideal reference for general ophthalmologists, surgeons, fellows and trainees around the world who encounter these diseases in the care of their patients. Notably, this book includes considerations for those ophthalmologists offering subspecialty care in environments with limited access to advanced technology and instrumentation. Individual chapters address diagnostic indications, pre-operative and post-operative concerns, and provide detailed explanations of surgical techniques required to manage various eye cancer ailments with help of ample illustrations. High-quality videos included throughout the book provide readers with the opportunity to review surgical steps in real-time as a learning tool. Chapters thoroughly cover tumors of eyelid, cornea and conjunctiva, orbit as well as intraocular tumors, while later chapters discuss ophthalmic radiation therapy. The book concludes with a section on ophthalmic pathology which details essential guidelines on relevant aspects from specimen collection and transport, to interpretation of the pathology report. Surgical Ophthalmic Oncology: A Collaborative Open Access Reference is a unique and necessary valuable resource for ophthalmologists, trainees, and related medical professionals working in underserved areas in providing quality care for patients suffering from ocular cancers

Therapeutic approaches to drug targets in atherosclerosis

AbstractNon-communicable diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis and diabetes are responsible for major social and health burden as millions of people are dying every year. Out of which, atherosclerosis is the leading cause of deaths worldwide. The lipid abnormality is one of the major modifiable risk factors for atherosclerosis. Both genetic and environmental components are associated with the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Immune and inflammatory mediators have a complex role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Understanding of all these processes will help to invent a range of new biomarkers and novel treatment modalities targeting various cellular events in acute and chronic inflammation that are accountable for atherosclerosis. Several biochemical pathways, receptors and enzymes are involved in the development of atherosclerosis that would be possible targets for improving strategies for disease diagnosis and management. Earlier anti-inflammatory or lipid-lowering treatments could be useful for alleviating morbidity and mortality of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. However, novel drug targets like endoglin receptor, PPARα, squalene synthase, thyroid hormone analogues, scavenger receptor and thyroid hormone analogues are more powerful to control the process of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the review briefly focuses on different novel targets that act at the starting stage of the plaque form to the thrombus formation in the atherosclerosis

Urban Malaria Scheme - Past, Present & Future

Urban Malaria, as a specific problem in India, was first recognized in 1969, after an in- depth review of the situation of malaria in India was done by Madhok Committee. However, main malaria vector in urban areas of India is An. stephensi, which was first recognized in early part of the 20th century. Many of the local bodies carrying out anti- larval operations earlier failed to continue the same due to paucity of funds. During that time, malaria in urban areas was not considered as a major problem because the epidemics recorded earlier in Bombay, Delhi, Lucknow etc. could immediately be contained. Based on recommendations of Madhok Committee to control malaria in urban areas, the Urban Malaria Scheme (UMS) was launched in the country in 1971–7 2. A large scale migration of population, creation of slum clusters, construction activities and water storage practices have contributed in the establishment of malaria foci. Urban malaria control is therefore based on source reduction, larviciding, minor engineering interventions, legislative measures, building bye laws and limited spraying of indoor residual spray in peri- urban and jhuggies. Initially 131 towns with a population of > 40,000 and reporting > 2 API were included in the UMS. Later in 1978, due to merger of National Filaria control programme, 206 towns were also brought under vector control support and the preventive measures against malaria vector breeding in clean water as well as filaria vector breeding in polluted water were integrated. Though there has been a well structured separate programme for prevention and control of malaria in urban areas since 1971, the priority attached to it and its implementation has been an issue primarily because it is the responsibility of the local body. Moreover, in recent past, upsurge in cases of Dengue and Chikungunya in urban areas has diverted attention on both disease surveillance and vector control. Coincidently, the vectors of malaria and dengue/ Chikungunya in urban areas breed in clean water and control strategies are same but surveillance with limited resources has affected in assessing the actual magnitude of problem. This has resulted in upsurge in cases and deaths due to malaria in Mumbai during 2010. Historical background and future vision of Urban Malaria Scheme has been discussed in present article

SERVICE RECOVERY SYSTEM GAPS

This study aims to give insights into the recovery process system to find the reasons for unsuccessful of this process. It goes in depth of customer, provider and environment linkages to understand how service recovery can be more effective and efficient. The paper is conceptual and it involves a model based approach to understand the integrities of service recovery process. The study finds eleven kinds of gap which hinder the successful recovery. They are customer expected vs. perceived service recovery, customer perceived vs. received recovery gap, service recovery employee performance gap, employee perception for expected vs. delivery of service recovery, management vs. employee perception for expected recovery, management vs. employees perception for the complain policy, employe

Proton Aurora on Mars: A Dayside Phenomenon Pervasive in Southern Summer

We present observations of proton aurora at Mars made using the Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS) onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft. Martian proton aurora display a prominent intensity enhancement in the hydrogen Lyman‐alpha (121.6 nm) emission between ~110 and 150 km altitude. Using altitude‐intensity profiles from periapsis limb scan data spanning nearly two Martian years, we create a comprehensive database of proton aurora and characterize their phenomenology. Due to Mars\u27 lack of a global dipole magnetic field, Martian proton aurora are expected to form on the dayside via electron stripping and charge exchange between solar wind protons and the neutral corona. We observe proton aurora in ~14% of dayside periapsis profiles (with notable seasonal variability), making proton aurora the most commonly observed type of aurora at Mars. We determine that the primary factors influencing proton aurora occurrence rates are solar zenith angle and season. The highest proton aurora occurrence rates are at low solar zenith angles on the Mars dayside, consistent with known formation processes. Proton aurora have highest emission enhancements, peak intensities, peak altitudes, and occurrence rates (nearing 100%) around southern summer solstice. This time period corresponds with the seasonal inflation of the neutral lower atmosphere, the onset of Martian dust storm season, seasonally increased coronal hydrogen column densities, and higher atmospheric temperature and solar wind flux following perihelion. The results of our study provide a new understanding of the primary factors influencing proton aurora, and the long‐term variability of these phenomena as observed over multiple Mars years

Network meta-analysis-highly attractive but more methodological research is needed

Network meta-analysis, in the context of a systematic review, is a meta-analysis in which multiple treatments (that is, three or more) are being compared using both direct comparisons of interventions within randomized controlled trials and indirect comparisons across trials based on a common comparator. To ensure validity of findings from network meta-analyses, the systematic review must be designed rigorously and conducted carefully. Aspects of designing and conducting a systematic review for network meta-analysis include defining the review question, specifying eligibility criteria, searching for and selecting studies, assessing risk of bias and quality of evidence, conducting a network meta-analysis, interpreting and reporting findings. This commentary summarizes the methodologic challenges and research opportunities for network meta-analysis relevant to each aspect of the systematic review process based on discussions at a network meta-analysis methodology meeting we hosted in May 2010 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Since this commentary reflects the discussion at that meeting, it is not intended to provide an overview of the field

Advancing Our Understanding of Martian Proton Aurora through a Coordinated Multi-Model Comparison Campaign

Proton aurora are the most commonly observed yet least studied type of aurora at Mars. In order to better understand the physics and driving processes of Martian proton aurora, we undertake a multi-model comparison campaign. We compare results from four different proton/hydrogen precipitation models with unique abilities to represent Martian proton aurora: Jolitz model (3-D Monte Carlo), Kallio model (3-D Monte Carlo), Bisikalo/Shematovich et al. model (1-D kinetic Monte Carlo), and Gronoff et al. model (1-D kinetic). This campaign is divided into two steps: an inter-model comparison and a data-model comparison. The inter-model comparison entails modeling five different representative cases using similar constraints in order to better understand the capabilities and limitations of each of the models. Through this step we find that the two primary variables affecting proton aurora are the incident solar wind particle flux and velocity. In the data-model comparison, we assess the robustness of each model based on its ability to reproduce a MAVEN/IUVS proton aurora observation. All models are able to effectively simulate the data. Variations in modeled intensity and peak altitude can be attributed to differences in model capabilities/solving techniques and input assumptions (e.g., cross sections, 3-D versus 1-D solvers, and implementation of the relevant physics and processes). The good match between the observations and multiple models gives a measure of confidence that the appropriate physical processes and their associated parameters have been correctly identified and provides insight into the key physics that should be incorporated in future models

High Precision Femtosecond Laser Ablation ICP‐MS Measurement of Benthic Foraminiferal Mn‐Incorporation for Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction: A Case Study From the Plio‐Pleistocene Caribbean Sea

Closure of the Central American Seaway (CAS) and hydrology of the Caribbean Sea triggered Northern Hemisphere Glaciation and played an important role in the Pliocene to modern-day climate re-establishing the deep and surface ocean currents. New data on Mn/Ca obtained with femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on well-preserved tests of the epibenthic foraminifer Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi and infaunal C. mundulus contribute to the interpretation of paleoenvironmental conditions of the Caribbean Sea between 5.2 and 2.2 Ma (million years) across the closure of the CAS. Hydrothermal activity at the Lesser Antilles may be a primary source of Mn in the well-oxygenated Plio-Pleistocene Caribbean Sea. Incorporation of Mn in the benthic foraminifer shell carbonate is assumed to be affected by surface ocean nutrient cycling, and may hence be an indicator of paleoproductivity. Key Points - Femtosecond-laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry provides a new approach on distinguishing Mn of the ontogenetic shell calcite from Mn of the authigenic coatings - Ontogenetic Mn within the foraminifer shell calcite may result from the regional nutrient cycle - Mn in the deep eastern Caribbean Sea may mainly derive from hydrothermal sources along the Antilles Island Ar

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase dentified as a key enzyme in erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum carbon metabolism

Phospoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is absent from humans but encoded in thePlasmodium falciparum genome, suggesting that PEPC has a parasite-specific function. To investigate its importance in P. falciparum, we generated a pepc null mutant (D10Δpepc), which was only achievable when malate, a reduction product of oxaloacetate, was added to the growth medium. D10Δpepc had a severe growth defect in vitro, which was partially reversed by addition of malate or fumarate, suggesting that pepc may be essential in vivo. Targeted metabolomics using 13C-U-D-glucose and 13C-bicarbonate showed that the conversion of glycolytically-derived PEP into malate, fumarate, aspartate and citrate was abolished in D10Δpepc and that pentose phosphate pathway metabolites and glycerol 3-phosphate were present at increased levels. In contrast, metabolism of the carbon skeleton of 13C,15N-U-glutamine was similar in both parasite lines, although the flux was lower in D10Δpepc; it also confirmed the operation of a complete forward TCA cycle in the wild type parasite. Overall, these data confirm the CO2 fixing activity of PEPC and suggest that it provides metabolites essential for TCA cycle anaplerosis and the maintenance of cytosolic and mitochondrial redox balance. Moreover, these findings imply that PEPC may be an exploitable target for future drug discovery