Mc Cune Albright syndrome: gynecological perspective

The key features of McCune-Albright syndrome include sexual precocious puberty, polyostotic fibrous dysplasia and café au lait spots. It is associated with hyperfunction of multiple endocrine glands. Other endocrine dysfunctions often associated are growth hormone excess, hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, hyperprolactinemia and phosphate wasting. We had a case of McCune-Albright syndrome with precocious puberty and irregular cycles and was managed. It is a rare cause of precocious puberty and should be kept in mind while dealing with such cases

Comparative study of the cytologic diagnosis, specimen adequacy, sensitivity, and cost effectiveness of liquid-based cytology with that of conventional PAP tests

Background: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in many developing countries constituting 20-30% of female cancers. In the developed western countries, it accounts for only 4-6% of female cancers. This difference largely reflects the impact of mass screening using cervical cytologic methods.Methods: Prospective observational study.300 patients were selected from the gynaecology OPD of Government RSRM lying In Hospital. A detailed history was taken and they were informed about the screening procedures and counselling given regarding the necessity for their participation in screening program. Both conventional pap and liquid-based cytology were performed in the same patient and results were analyzed.Results: Out of 300 patients screened for cancer cervix with conventional Pap and liquid-based cytology in the same patient, LBC detection rate of cervical abnormalities and HSIL was higher than that of CP. False -ve rate of LBC was only 2%. Sensitivity is 97% and false positive rate is 44%. The sensitivity is equal to that of the gold standard method. Infection detection rate increased with LBC. Specimen adequacy improved with LBC substantially. The collection sample device brush was found superior to the wooden Ayre’s spatula in both not injuring tissues and specimen collection. The adverse impact on a woman's quality of life caused by unnecessary repeat smears and possible investigations would reduce the cost with LBC. The economic evidence suggests that LBC screening every 3 years or longer may be cost-effective. LBC reduced the pressure on a skilled workforce.Conclusions: As stated in WHO press release, dated 11 October 2001 it can be concluded through the current study that we should aim to divert our resources to screening and treating the high-risk groups of women. The effort once or twice in their lifetime will reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by 50%

Diabetes Mellitus: Can Stem Cells be the Answer?

This review aims to enlighten the readers regarding the past, present and future of stem cells in the treatment of Diabetes. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, affecting more than 415 million people worldwide. It is estimated that one in ten adults will have diabetes by 2030. Diabetes is mainly due to reduction in β-cell mass which are responsible for insulin production. Exogenous administration of insulin is having good impact on restoring glucose homeostasis, but it does not entirely control the minute-to-minute fluctuations in systemic blood glucose. Recently cellular-based therapies have been established for exogenous insulin administration by modern pump technology. One of the most interesting therapies involves substitution of insulin producing islet cells by transplantation. But lack of donor material and lifelong immunosuppression made the technique unfeasible. These restrictions have led to exploration of other sources of β-cells, one of the prospects being the stem cells. Several types of stem cells have been used to make pancreatic β-cells, including human embryonic stem cells / induced pluripotent stem cells, pancreatic stem / progenitor cells, and non-pancreatic stem cells. There is also evidence of adult β-cells regeneration through β-cell replication and cellular reprogramming. Functional restoration of existing β-cells, transplantation of stem cells or stem cell-derived β-like cells might provide new opportunities for treatment. In conclusion it can be said that the research is still wide open to arrive at the efficient reprogramming of various types of stem cells to destine them towards functional β-cells

Purification of antifungal protein against blister bark pathogen of Casuarina equisetifolia J. R. Forster et G. Forster

Aprotein extract from the leaves of Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae) was found to inhibit the spore germination and hyphal extension of Trichosporium vesiculosum, the blister bark pathogen of Casuarina equisetifolia. The antifungal protein component was further purified from the crude extract and the molecular mass of the toxic protein was estimated to be 39.5 kDa

Purification of antifungal protein against blister bark pathogen of Casuarina equisetifolia J. R. Forster et G. Forster

Aprotein extract from the leaves of Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae) was found to inhibit the spore germination and hyphal extension of Trichosporium vesiculosum, the blister bark pathogen of Casuarina equisetifolia. The antifungal protein component was further purified from the crude extract and the molecular mass of the toxic protein was estimated to be 39.5 kDa

Effect of Process Variables on Electrochemical Micromachining of Titanium Alloy (Ti-3Al-2.5V)

Electro-chemical Machining (ECM) is mainly used for shaping, deburring, milling and finishing operations in various precision industries and its use in micron level machining is called Electro-Chemical Micro Machining (EMM). EMM and ECM are receiving considerable attention from high-tech industries. It is because it allows to manufacture structures of complex shapes, it has high precision and accuracy, it is simpler and eco-friendly manufacturing technique and it can be used for different conducting materials. Different industry working with water which is saline, needs heat exchanger for the process. Titanium Alloy (Ti-3Al-2.5V) due to its high corrosion resistance under saline conditions is preferred by these industries. This present work is mainly concentrated on identifying the Material Removal rate (MRR) of Titanium Alloy (Ti-3Al-2.5V) workpiece by varying the process parameters like voltage, electrolyte concentration and duty cycle on electro-chemical micro machining

Transcriptional profiling of the murine cutaneous response during initial and subsequent infestations with Ixodes scapularis nymphs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Ixodes scapularis </it>ticks are hematophagous arthropods capable of transmitting many infectious agents to humans. The process of blood feeding is an extended and continuous interplay between tick and host responses. While this process has been studied extensively <it>in vitro</it>, no global understanding of the host response to ticks has emerged.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To address this issue, we used PCR-arrays to measure skin-specific expression of 233 discrete genes at 8 time points during primary and secondary infestations of mice with pathogen-free <it>I. scapularis </it>nymphs. Selected results were then validated at the mRNA and protein levels by additional real-time PCR and bioplex assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Primary infestation was characterized by the late induction of an innate immune response. Lectin pattern recognition receptors, cytokines, and chemokines were upregulated consistent with increased neutrophil and macrophage migration. Gene ontology and pathway analyses of downregulated genes suggested inhibition of gene transcription and Th17 immunity. During the secondary infestation, additional genes were modulated suggesting a broader involvement of immune cells including CD8 and CD4 positive T lymphocytes. The cytokine response showed a mixed Th1/Th2 profile with a potential for T regulatory cell activity. Key gene ontology clusters observed during the secondary infestation were cell migration and activation. Matrix metalloproteinases were upregulated, apoptosis-related genes were differentially modulated, and immunoreceptor signaling molecules were upregulated. In contrast, transcripts related to mitogenic, WNT, Hedgehog, and stress pathways were downregulated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results support a model of tick feeding where lectin pattern recognition receptors orchestrate an innate inflammatory response during primary infestation that primes a mixed Th1/Th2 response upon secondary exposure. Tick feeding inhibits gene transcription and Th17 immunity. Salivary molecules may also inhibit upregulation of mitogenic, WNT, Hedgehog, and stress pathways and enhance the activity of T regulatory cells, production of IL-10, and suppressors of cytokine signaling molecules (SOCS). This study provides the first comprehensive transcriptional analysis of the murine host response at the <it>I. scapularis </it>bite site and suggests both a potential model of the host cutaneous response and candidate genes for further description and investigation.</p

Optimization of machining parameters on electrochemical micro machining of Hastelloy C22 using grey Taguchi method

Electro Chemical Machining (ECM) is a process that is used to machine extremely hard materials easily. It is a non-contact machining process. This ensures a higher tool life and no friction generated. The entire process is based on faradays laws of electrochemical process. With no heat affected zones (HAZ), this process holds a significant advantage over other high precision processes. This ensures that the material has neither thermal nor any other residual stresses. Nickel based alloys are known for their hardness and non-corrosive properties. This makes them unviable for machining using conventional methods as the overhead costs rise and makes them unproductive for use. ECM provides a better alternative comparatively. The alloy chosen for this analysis is Hastelloy C22. Its higher chromium content gives it better corrosion and pitting resistance. The objective of this analysis is to find the effects of various process parameters on MRR, surface finish, and dimensional deviation. The Taguchi technique has been used to investigate the effects of the ECMM process parameters and subsequently to predict sets of optimal parameters for maximum MRR and better surface finish. Grey analysis is done to find the optimal set of parameters for machining

Urinary cell mRNA profiles predictive of human kidney allograft status

Kidney allograft status is currently characterized using the invasive percutaneous needle core biopsy procedure. The procedure has become safer over the years, but challenges and complications still exist including sampling error, interobserver variability, bleeding, arteriovenous fistula, graft loss, and even death. Because the most common type of acute rejection is distinguished by inflammatory cells exiting the intravascular compartment and gaining access to the renal tubular space, we reasoned that a kidney allograft may function as an in vivo flow cytometer and sort cells involved in rejection into urine. To test this idea, we developed quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for absolute quantification of mRNA and pre-amplification protocols to overcome the low RNA yield from urine. Here, we review our single center urinary cell mRNA profiling studies that led to the multicenter Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation (CTOT-04) study and the discovery and validation of a 3-gene signature of 18S rRNA-normalized measures of CD3ε mRNA and IP-10 mRNA and 18S rRNA that is diagnostic and predictive of acute cellular rejection in the kidney allograft. We also review our development of a 4-gene signature of mRNAs for vimentin, NKCC2, E-cadherin, and 18S rRNA diagnostic of interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA)