Cervical fibroid: an uncommon presentation

Fibroids arising from cervix are rare tumours accounting for 2% of all fibroids. A cervical leiomyoma is commonly single and is either interstitial or subserous, rarely it becomes submucous and polypoidal. Anterior cervical fibroid may press on urinary bladder and urethra and displace the urethro-vesical junction giving rise to urinary frequency and retention. Management of symptomatic cervical fibroid is hysterectomy or myomectomy and need an expert hand. Here we report a case of huge anterior cervical fibroid of 15x15x7cm with an unusual presentation of menorrhagia of only 2 days and no urinary symptoms. Inspite of the fibroid being huge and impacted, hysterectomy was done successfully without any injury to bladder and ureters.

Challenges and opportunities in 2D heterostructures for electronic and optoelectronic devices

Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and their heterojunctions are prospective materials for future electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies. Assembling different 2D layers offers unique ways to control optical, electrical, thermal, magnetic, and topological phenomena. Controlled fabrications of electronic grade 2D heterojunctions are of paramount importance. Here, we enlist novel and scalable strategies to fabricate 2D vertical and lateral heterojunctions, consisting of semiconductors, metals, and/or semimetals. Critical issues that need to be addressed are the device-to-device variations, reliability, stability, and performances of 2D heterostructures in electronic and optoelectronic applications. Also, stacking order-dependent formation of moir\ue9 excitons in 2D heterostructures are emerging with exotic physics and new opportunities. Furthermore, the realization of 2D heterojunction-based novel devices, including excitonic and valleytronic transistors, demands more extensive research efforts for real-world applications. We also outline emergent phenomena in 2D heterojunctions central to nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, spintronics, and energy applications

Low dose of 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab induces G1arrest and apoptosis in Raji cells (Burkitt’s lymphoma)

Radiolabeled fragmented F(ab')2 antibodies had shown better therapeutic efficacy than radiolabeled intact antibodies in treating cancers.  In this study, we investigated the differences and similarities on the mechanism and extent of cell death in Raji cells (Burkitt’s lymphoma) in response to 370 kBq of 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab up to 72 h. F(ab')2 of Rituximab was prepared and characterized by SE-HPLC and SDS-PAGE. Fragmented and intact Rituximab were radioiodinated by Chloramine-T method. Toxicity and mechanism of cell death in Raji cells in response to 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab were studied by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide), LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), trypan blue exclusion, viability, apoptotic, caspase assays and cell cycle analysis. The cytotoxicity assays showed slow death of Raji cells up to 24 h in response to both 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab. Cell cycle analysis at 30 h showed G1 arrest in Raji cells which led to its slow cell death up to 24 h. Elucidative assays to identify the molecular mechanism of death of G1arrested Raji cells showed apoptotic cell death at 40 h after treatment, which was validated by demonstrating caspase activation in arrested Raji cells. Toxicity studies and mechanism of cell death in Raji cells demonstrated comparable results when treated with equivalent doses (370 kBq) of radiolabeled antibodies indicating 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab as a potential radioimmunotherapeutic agent for patients with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Low dose of 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab induces G1arrest and apoptosis in Raji cells (Burkitt’s lymphoma)

680-690Radiolabeled fragmented F(ab')2 antibodies had shown better therapeutic efficacy than radiolabeled intact antibodies in treating cancers.  In this study, we investigated the differences and similarities on the mechanism and extent of cell death in Raji cells (Burkitt’s lymphoma) in response to 370 kBq of 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab up to 72 h. F(ab')2 of Rituximab was prepared and characterized by SE-HPLC and SDS-PAGE. Fragmented and intact Rituximab were radioiodinated by Chloramine-T method. Toxicity and mechanism of cell death in Raji cells in response to 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab were studied by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide), LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), trypan blue exclusion, viability, apoptotic, caspase assays and cell cycle analysis. The cytotoxicity assays showed slow death of Raji cells up to 24 h in response to both 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab and 131I-Rituximab. Cell cycle analysis at 30 h showed G1 arrest in Raji cells which led to its slow cell death up to 24 h. Elucidative assays to identify the molecular mechanism of death of G1arrested Raji cells showed apoptotic cell death at 40 h after treatment, which was validated by demonstrating caspase activation in arrested Raji cells. Toxicity studies and mechanism of cell death in Raji cells demonstrated comparable results when treated with equivalent doses (370 kBq) of radiolabeled antibodies indicating 131I-F(ab')2-Rituximab as a potential radioimmunotherapeutic agent for patients with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Downregulation of peripheral PTGS2/COX-2 in response to valproate treatment in patients with epilepsy

Antiepileptic drug therapy has significant inter-patient variability in response towards it. The current study aims to understand this variability at the molecular level using microarray-based analysis of peripheral blood gene expression profiles of patients receiving valproate (VA) monotherapy. Only 10 unique genes were found to be differentially expressed in VA responders (n = 15) and 6 genes in the non-responders (n = 8) (fold-change >2, p < 0.05). PTGS2 which encodes cyclooxygenase-2, COX-2, showed downregulation in the responders compared to the non-responders. PTGS2/COX-2 mRNA profiles in the two groups corresponded to their plasma profiles of the COX-2 product, prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). Since COX-2 is believed to regulate P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a multidrug efflux transporter over-expressed at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in drug-resistant epilepsy, the pathway connecting COX-2 and P-gp was further explored in vitro. Investigation of the effect of VA upon the brain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) in hyperexcitatory conditions confirmed suppression of COX-2-dependent P-gp upregulation by VA. Our findings suggest that COX-2 downregulation by VA may suppress seizure-mediated P-gp upregulation at the BBB leading to enhanced drug delivery to the brain in the responders. Our work provides insight into the association of peripheral PTGS2/COX-2 expression with VA efficacy and the role of COX-2 as a potential therapeutic target for developing efficacious antiepileptic treatment

Therapeutic efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the treatment of choice for uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Artemether-lumefantrine (AL), a fixed dose co-formulation, has recently been approved for marketing in India, although it is not included in the National Drug Policy for treatment of malaria. Efficacy of short course regimen (4 × 4 tablets of 20 mg artemether plus 120 mg lumefantrine over 48 h) was demonstrated in India in the year 2000. However, low cure rates in Thailand and better plasma lumefantrine concentration profile with a six-dose regimen over three days, led to the recommendation of higher dose globally. This is the first report on the therapeutic efficacy of the six-dose regimen of AL in Indian uncomplicated falciparum malaria patients. The data generated will help in keeping the alternative ACT ready for use in the National Programme as and when required.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and twenty four subjects between two and fifty-five years of age living in two highly endemic areas of the country (Assam and Orissa) were enrolled for single arm, open label prospective study. The standard six-dose regimen of AL was administered over three days and was followed-up with clinical and parasitological evaluations over 28 days. Molecular markers <it>msp</it>-<it>1 </it>and <it>msp</it>-2 were used to differentiate the recrudescence and reinfection among the study subjects. In addition, polymorphism in <it>pfmdr</it>1 was also carried out in the samples obtained from patients before and after the treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The PCR corrected cure rates were high at both the sites viz. 100% (n = 53) in Assam and 98.6% (n = 71) in Orissa. The only treatment failure case on D7 was a malnourished child. The drug was well tolerated with no adverse events. Patients had pre-treatment carriage of wild type codons at positions 86 (41.7%, n = 91) and 184 (91.3%, n = 91) of <it>pfmdr1 </it>gene.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>AL is safe and effective drug for the treatment of acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria in India. The polymorphism in <it>pfmdr</it>1 gene is not co-related with clinical outcome. However, treatment failure can also occur due to incomplete absorption of the drug as is suspected in one case of failure at D7 in the study. AL can be a viable alternative of artesunate plus sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine (AS + SP), however, the drug should be used rationally and efficacy needs to be monitored periodically.</p

Dynamics of Hot QCD Matter -- Current Status and Developments

The discovery and characterization of hot and dense QCD matter, known as Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), remains the most international collaborative effort and synergy between theorists and experimentalists in modern nuclear physics to date. The experimentalists around the world not only collect an unprecedented amount of data in heavy-ion collisions, at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in New York, USA, and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland but also analyze these data to unravel the mystery of this new phase of matter that filled a few microseconds old universe, just after the Big Bang. In the meantime, advancements in theoretical works and computing capability extend our wisdom about the hot-dense QCD matter and its dynamics through mathematical equations. The exchange of ideas between experimentalists and theoreticians is crucial for the progress of our knowledge. The motivation of this first conference named "HOT QCD Matter 2022" is to bring the community together to have a discourse on this topic. In this article, there are 36 sections discussing various topics in the field of relativistic heavy-ion collisions and related phenomena that cover a snapshot of the current experimental observations and theoretical progress. This article begins with the theoretical overview of relativistic spin-hydrodynamics in the presence of the external magnetic field, followed by the Lattice QCD results on heavy quarks in QGP, and finally, it ends with an overview of experiment results.Comment: Compilation of the contributions (148 pages) as presented in the `Hot QCD Matter 2022 conference', held from May 12 to 14, 2022, jointly organized by IIT Goa & Goa University, Goa, Indi