Municipal Solid Waste Management in Cities - Issues of Basic Rights of People Surrounding Village and Alternatives

The Study is based on the findings of a three weeklong field study conducted in Villappilsala, a village 14 kms away from Thriuvananthapuram City. The waste disposal plant for treating the Municipal Solid Waste generated in the Thiruvanathapuram City is located here. The study focuses on the health and environmental impacts of the functioning of the plant on the local community and addresses the larger question of necessity for scientific and cost effective alternative methods of waste disposal in the city itself. The disposal of Solid Waste has become a problem calling for more attention in the wake of urban development, which is the consequence of more people settling in the cities. The issue of decentralised and scientific disposal of Solid Waste at household level and at the level of small groups of households is emphasised. The central issue thrown up by this study is the poorer sections of the village folk bearing the brunt of the consequences of the profligate consumption and callous waste disposal habits of the upper classes in the citiesMUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE; BASIC RIGHTS; Villappilsala; health and environmental impacts

Proton Chemical Shifts of Solute Molecules in Binary Solvent Mixtures: Reversal of the Roles of Solute & Perturbing Solvent

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Carbonyl Stretch Intensity of Benzophenone in Binary Solvent Mixtures of Chloroform, Methylene Chloride & Trichloroethylene with Cyclohexane

743-74

Municipal Solid Waste Management in Cities - Issues of Basic Rights of People Surrounding Village and Alternatives

The Study is based on the findings of a three weeklong field study conducted in Villappilsala, a village 14 kms away from Thriuvananthapuram City. The waste disposal plant for treating the Municipal Solid Waste generated in the Thiruvanathapuram City is located here. The study focuses on the health and environmental impacts of the functioning of the plant on the local community and addresses the larger question of necessity for scientific and cost effective alternative methods of waste disposal in the city itself. The disposal of Solid Waste has become a problem calling for more attention in the wake of urban development, which is the consequence of more people settling in the cities. The issue of decentralised and scientific disposal of Solid Waste at household level and at the level of small groups of households is emphasised. The central issue thrown up by this study is the poorer sections of the village folk bearing the brunt of the consequences of the profligate consumption and callous waste disposal habits of the upper classes in the citie

Municipal Solid Waste Management in Cities - Issues of Basic Rights of People Surrounding Village and Alternatives

The Study is based on the findings of a three weeklong field study conducted in Villappilsala, a village 14 kms away from Thriuvananthapuram City. The waste disposal plant for treating the Municipal Solid Waste generated in the Thiruvanathapuram City is located here. The study focuses on the health and environmental impacts of the functioning of the plant on the local community and addresses the larger question of necessity for scientific and cost effective alternative methods of waste disposal in the city itself. The disposal of Solid Waste has become a problem calling for more attention in the wake of urban development, which is the consequence of more people settling in the cities. The issue of decentralised and scientific disposal of Solid Waste at household level and at the level of small groups of households is emphasised. The central issue thrown up by this study is the poorer sections of the village folk bearing the brunt of the consequences of the profligate consumption and callous waste disposal habits of the upper classes in the citie

Topical corticosteroid therapy: clobetasol propionate 0.025%

Topical corticosteroids have been the cornerstone of treatment over the last six decades for various dermatoses characterized by dry, scaly, crusted, or erythematous skin as well as those associated with inflammation and pruritus. The potency of a topical steroid depends on the specific molecule, the amount of drug reaching the target, absorption through the skin (0.25%–3%), and the formulation. Clobetasol propionate (CP) 0.025% cream formulation is a potent, fifth-generation topical corticosteroid. It is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to be applied twice daily for the treatment of moderate-to–severe psoriasis in adults. This case series covers the clinical experience of various dermatologists, including their expert opinion on the safety and efficacy of ImpoyzTM (CP) cream 0.025% in different skin disorders

Acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis leading to acute renal failure following multiple hornet stings

BACKGROUND: Hornet stings are generally associated with local and occasionally anaphylactic reactions. Rarely systemic complications like acute renal failure can occur following multiple stings. Renal failure is usually due to development of acute tubular necrosis as a result of intravascular haemolysis, rhabdomyolysis or shock. Rarely it can be following development of acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a young male, who was stung on face, head, shoulders and upper limbs by multiple hornets (Vespa orientalis). He developed acute renal failure as a result of acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis and responded to steroids. CONCLUSION: Rare causes of acute renal failure like tubulo-interstitial nephritis should be considered in a patient with persistent oliguria and azotemia following multiple hornet stings. Renal biopsy should be undertaken early, as institution of steroid therapy may help in recovery of renal functio

The Anticancer Plant Triterpenoid, Avicin D, Regulates Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling: Implications for Cellular Metabolism

Avicins, a family of apoptotic triterpene electrophiles, are known to regulate cellular metabolism and energy homeostasis, by targeting the mitochondria. Having evolved from “ancient hopanoids,” avicins bear a structural resemblance with glucocorticoids (GCs), which are the endogenous regulators of metabolism and energy balance. These structural and functional similarities prompted us to compare the mode of action of avicin D with dexamethasone (Dex), a prototypical GC. Using cold competition assay, we show that Avicin D competes with Dex for binding to the GC receptor (GR), leading to its nuclear translocation. In contrast to Dex, avicin-induced nuclear translocation of GR does not result in transcriptional activation of GC-dependent genes. Instead we observe a decrease in the expression of GC-dependent metabolic proteins such as PEPCK and FASN. However, like Dex, avicin D treatment does induce a transrepressive effect on the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB. While avicin's ability to inhibit NF-κB and its downstream targets appear to be GR-dependent, its pro-apoptotic effects were independent of GR expression. Using various deletion mutants of GR, we demonstrate the requirement of both the DNA and ligand binding domains of GR in mediating avicin D's transrepressive effects. Modeling of avicin-GR interaction revealed that avicin molecule binds only to the antagonist confirmation of GR. These findings suggest that avicin D has properties of being a selective GR modulator that separates transactivation from transrepression. Since the gene-activating properties of GR are mainly linked to its metabolic effects, and the negative interference with the activity of transcription factors to its anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive effects, the identification of such a dissociated GR ligand could have great potential for therapeutic use

Tumour cells expressing single VEGF isoforms display distinct growth, survival and migration characteristics

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) is produced by most cancer cells as multiple isoforms, which display distinct biological activities. VEGF plays an undisputed role in tumour growth, vascularisation and metastasis; nevertheless the functions of individual isoforms in these processes remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of three main murine isoforms (VEGF188, 164 and 120) on tumour cell behaviour, using a panel of fibrosarcoma cells we developed that express them individually under endogenous promoter control. Fibrosarcomas expressing only VEGF188 (fs188) or wild type controls (fswt) were typically mesenchymal, formed ruffles and displayed strong matrix-binding activity. VEGF164- and VEGF120-producing cells (fs164 and fs120 respectively) were less typically mesenchymal, lacked ruffles but formed abundant cell-cell contacts. On 3D collagen, fs188 cells remained mesenchymal while fs164 and fs120 cells adopted rounded/amoeboid and a mix of rounded and elongated morphologies respectively. Consistent with their mesenchymal characteristics, fs188 cells migrated significantly faster than fs164 or fs120 cells on 2D surfaces while contractility inhibitors accelerated fs164 and fs120 cell migration. VEGF164/VEGF120 expression correlated with faster proliferation rates and lower levels of spontaneous apoptosis than VEGF188 expression. Nevertheless, VEGF188 was associated with constitutively active/phosphorylated AKT, ERK1/2 and Stat3 proteins. Differences in proliferation rates and apoptosis could be explained by defective signalling downstream of pAKT to FOXO and GSK3 in fs188 and fswt cells, which also correlated with p27/p21 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor over-expression. All cells expressed tyrosine kinase VEGF receptors, but these were not active/activatable suggesting that inherent differences between the cell lines are governed by endogenous VEGF isoform expression through complex interactions that are independent of tyrosine kinase receptor activation. VEGF isoforms are emerging as potential biomarkers for anti-VEGF therapies. Our results reveal novel roles of individual isoforms associated with cancer growth and metastasis and highlight the importance of understanding their diverse actions

Stress-induced lipocalin-2 controls dendritic spine formation and neuronal activity in the amygdala.

This is a freely-available open access publication. Please cite the published version which is available via the DOI link in this record.Behavioural adaptation to psychological stress is dependent on neuronal plasticity and dysfunction at this cellular level may underlie the pathogenesis of affective disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Taking advantage of genome-wide microarray assay, we performed detailed studies of stress-affected transcripts in the amygdala - an area which forms part of the innate fear circuit in mammals. Having previously demonstrated the role of lipocalin-2 (Lcn-2) in promoting stress-induced changes in dendritic spine morphology/function and neuronal excitability in the mouse hippocampus, we show here that the Lcn-2 gene is one of the most highly upregulated transcripts detected by microarray analysis in the amygdala after acute restraint-induced psychological stress. This is associated with increased Lcn-2 protein synthesis, which is found on immunohistochemistry to be predominantly localised to neurons. Stress-naïve Lcn-2(-/-) mice show a higher spine density in the basolateral amygdala and a 2-fold higher rate of neuronal firing rate compared to wild-type mice. Unlike their wild-type counterparts, Lcn-2(-/-) mice did not show an increase in dendritic spine density in response to stress but did show a distinct pattern of spine morphology. Thus, amygdala-specific neuronal responses to Lcn-2 may represent a mechanism for behavioural adaptation to psychological stress.Marie Curie Excellence Grant from the European Commission.Medical Research Council Project GrantCOST Action ECMNe