Role of Mifepristone in treatment of uterine fibroid: an experience from tertiary care centre in South India

Background: Uterine fibroid are the most common benign tumour of the uterus and is seen in 20% of women in their reproductive age group. The aim of the study was to evaluate effect of Mifepristone on uterine fibroid with reference to reduction in size of fibroid and change in symptomatic profile.Methods: It is a hospital based interventional study conducted at KIMS Hubli hospital. 98 patients with symptomatic fibroid uterus were given 50mg of Mifepristone on alternate day for 3 months.Results: Mifepristone treatment significantly reduced mean PBAC score from baseline score of 212.61 to 20.39 at the end of 3rd month of therapy. Mean fibroid volume also reduced significantly from baseline value of 237.95cm3 to 30.45cm3 after 3 months of treatment. At the end of therapy hemoglobin was raised from 9.57g/dl at baseline to 10.42g/dl after 3 months of treatment. No major side effects were observed, and 7% patients had hysterectomy.Conclusions: Mifepristone is very useful option in perimenopausal women with symptomatic fibroid. It reduces fibroid size and its symptoms without any major side effects. However, future long term RCTs are needed to assess the safety and efficacy of Mifepristone

Probing the massive star forming environment - a multiwavelength investigation of the filamentary IRDC G333.73+0.37

We present a multiwavelength study of the filamentary infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G333.73+0.37. The region contains two distinct mid-infrared sources S1 and S2 connected by dark lanes of gas and dust. Cold dust emission from the IRDC is detected at seven wavelength bands and we have identified 10 high density clumps in the region. The physical properties of the clumps such as temperature: 14.3-22.3 K and mass: 87-1530 M_sun are determined by fitting a modified blackbody to the spectral energy distribution of each clump between 160 micron and 1.2 mm. The total mass of the IRDC is estimated to be $~4700 M_sun. The molecular line emission towards S1 reveals signatures of protostellar activity. Low frequency radio emission at 1300 and 610 MHz is detected towards S1 (shell-like) and S2 (compact morphology), confirming the presence of newly formed massive stars in the IRDC. Photometric analysis of near and mid-infrared point sources unveil the young stellar object population associated with the cloud. Fragmentation analysis indicates that the filament is supercritical. We observe a velocity gradient along the filament, that is likely to be associated with accretion flows within the filament rather than rotation. Based on various age estimates obtained for objects in different evolutionary stages, we attempt to set a limit to the current age of this cloud.Comment: 26 pages, 20 figures, accepted by Ap

CRITICAL REVIEW ON AGASTHYAHAREETAKI AVALEHA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SWASAHARA KARMA

Respiratory disorders are one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide. In Ayurvedic classics many poly herbal preparations are mentioned for curing respiratory disorders. Agasthyahareetaki avaleha is one such formulation mentioned in classical text books specially indicated for curing Swasa, Kasa, Vishamajvara etc. A detailed literature survey has been conducted to explore the probable mode of action of Agasthyahareetaki Avaleha in Swasa Roga. Most of the ingredients are having anti asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, immune modulator and antimicrobial activities may works on respiratory pathology. Apart from this Katu, Tikta Rasa, Ruksa, Lagu Guna and Kaphavata hara, Swasa- Kasa- Sopha Hara property of ingredients will hamper the pathology of Swasaroga

The risks for thromboembolism following caesarean section

Background: Maternal mortality can be due to various reasons. Maternal mortality following thromboembolism is a cause for concern. Venous thromboembolism is a very serious condition following caesarean section. Thromboprophylaxis should be given to the mothers with high risk for thromboembolism, who deliver by caesarean section. The objective of this study was to do to assess the risk status for thromboembolism among women delivered by caesarean section.Methods: A hospital based cross- sectional study was conducted among four hundred mothers who delivered by caesarean section. The study was conducted for a period of eight months from January to August 2017. The risks for thromboembolism was assessed and as per the guideline and hospital policy, thromboprophylaxis was given.Results: Out of four hundred patients, medical comorbidities were present for three patients. Patients who were overweight were 122. Two had systemic infection. The number of patients with high, intermediate and low risk of venous thromboembolism were 4,65 and 331.Conclusions: The study suggests that thromboprophylaxis is to be given for all the patients with any risk for thromboembolism, after caesarean section

Entangled Hawksbill Turtle Saved by Fisherfolk of Muloor, Karnataka

On October 3rd 2015 the fisherfolk of Muloor, Udupi District of Karnataka, India, found a hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) entangled in a ghost gillnet and struggling to swim at a depth of 6m around 3km from the shore of Kaup Beach (13º13’25.14”N, 74º44’14.58”E). As they were aware that turtles need to be protected, they brought the turtle to the shore, cut the entangled net and released it back to the sea. The curved carapace length was measured at 65cm and the weight estimated at ~48kg. The hawksbill is a critically endangered sea turtle as per global IUCN listing. In India, hawksbill turtles nest in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and to a lesser extent in Lakshadweep (Andrews et al., 2006). There are no confirmed reports of hawksbill turtles nesting along the Karnataka coast, but fisherfolk have previously reported sighting hawksbill turtles offshore of Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts in Karnataka (Ravi & Rakesh, 2013) and hawksbill turtle carapaces have been found in fishers’ houses in Karnataka (Sharath, 2006)

Lamin C and chromatin organization in Drosophila

Drosophila lamin C (LamC) is a developmentally regulated component of the nuclear lamina. The lamC gene is situated in the fifth intron of the essential gene tout velu (ttv). We carried out genetic analysis of lamC during development. Phenotypic analyses of RNAi-mediated downregulation of lamC expression as well as targeted misexpression of lamin C suggest a role for lamC in cell survival. Of particular interest in the context of laminopathies is the caspase-dependent apoptosis induced by the overexpression of lamin C. Interestingly, misexpression of lamin C in the central nervous system, where it is not normally expressed, did not affect organization of the nuclear lamina. lamC mutant alleles suppressed position effect variegation normally displayed at near-centromeric and telomeric regions. Further, both downregulation and misexpression of lamin C affected the distribution of heterochromatin protein 1. Our results suggest that Drosophila lamC has a tissue-specific role during development and is required for chromatin organization

Friend Turns Foe: Transformation of Anti-Inflammatory HDL to Proinflammatory HDL during Acute-Phase Response

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a major carrier of cholesterol in the blood. Unlike other lipoproteins, physiological functions of HDL influence the cardiovascular system in favorable ways except when HDL is modified pathologically. The cardioprotective mechanism of HDL is mainly based on reverse cholesterol transport, but there has been an emerging interest in the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant roles of HDL. These latter activities of HDL are compromised in many pathological states associated with inflammation. Further, abnormal HDL can become proinflammatory contributing to oxidative damage. In this paper, we discuss the functional heterogeneity of HDL, how alterations in these particles in inflammatory states result in loss of both antioxidant activity and reverse cholesterol transport in relation to atherosclerosis, and the need for assays to predict its functionality