Treating cancer with heat: Hyperthermia as promising strategy to enhance apoptosis

The fundamental idea and the effects of heat on cancer cells are well known. However, the results obtained in therapy by hyperthermia (HT) alone have been only partially satisfactory. Treatment at temperatures between .40 and 44 degrees C is cytotoxic for cells in an environment with a low oxygen partial pressure and low pH, conditions that are found specifically within tumour tissue, due to insufficient blood perfusion. Under such conditions radiotherapy is less effective, and systemically applied cytotoxic agents will reach such areas in lower concentrations than in well-perfused areas. Therefore, clinically, it is preferred to use hyperthermia in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Hyperthermia can be applied by several methods: local hyperthermia by external or internal energy sources; regional hyperthermia by perfusion of organs or limbs, or by irrigation of body cavities; and whole-body hyperthermia. Number of studies have reported the combination of thermo-radiotherapy. Consequently, much attention has been focussed on identifying agents among the conventional chemotherapeutic substances that can sensitise tumour cells to hyperthermia-induced damage with minimal effects on normal cells. In this review, we overviewed important mechanisms of hyperthermia-induced apoptosis and the substances which can act as heat sensitisers in cancer therapy

Groundwater pollution risk mapping using modified DRASTIC model in parts of hail region of Saudi Arabia

© 2018 Korean Society of Environmental Engineers. The present study deals with the management of groundwater resources of an important agriculture track of north-western part of Saudi Arabia. Due to strategic importance of the area efforts have been made to estimate aquifer proneness to attenuate contamination. This includes determining hydrodynamic behavior of the groundwater system. The important parameters of any vulnerability model are geological formations in the region, depth to water levels, soil, rainfall, topography, vadose zone, the drainage network and hydraulic conductivity, land use, hydrochemical data, water discharge, etc. All these parameters have greater control and helps determining response of groundwater system to a possible contaminant threat. A widely used DRASTIC model helps integrate these data layers to estimate vulnerability indices using GIS environment. DRASTIC parameters were assigned appropriate ratings depending upon existing data range and a constant weight factor. Further, land-use pattern map of study area was integrated with vulnerability map to produce pollution risk map. A comparison of DRASTIC model was done with GOD and AVI vulnerability models. Model validation was done with NO3, SO4 and Cl concentrations. These maps help to assess the zones of potential risk of contamination to the groundwater resources

ROLE OF EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN REDUCING DRUG DEVELOPMENT COST

ABSTRACTPharmaceuticals are passing through the difficult phase due to increasing numbers of patents expiry along with increasing cost of drug development.Protocol design, regulatory cycle time, site selection, patient enrollment and monitoring are some of the cost contributing elements for late phaseclinical trials. This paper applies the principles of project management and suggests means to reduce the cost of late phase drug development. It alsothrows light on the critical role that a project manager can play in overall drug development process.Keywords: Cost of drug development, Effective project management, Reduction in cost of drug development

Epidemiological ins and outs of helicobacter pylori: A review

Helicobacter pylori infection is now recognised as a worldwide problem. It is the most common cause of chronic gastritis, and is strongly linked to peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. A comprehensive understanding of epidemiological ins and outs of H. pylori infection is very important in solving the patho-physiological enigma and might help in leading towards better management and prognosis of infection. This article presents a review of the literature on the epidemiology of H. pylori infection from 2006 to 2011. The authors used Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms \u27Helicobacter\u27 with \u27epidemiology,\u27 \u27transmission\u27 or \u27risk factor\u27 to search PubMed database. All relevant studies identified were included. Despite extensive medical advancement, many questions on Helicobacter pylori epidemiology still remain unanswered. Further studies are, therefore, required to gain a better understanding of the transmission pathway of this notorious pathogen

Current status of Helicobacter pylori association with haematological and cardiovascular diseases: A mini review

Helicobacter pylori infection is considered the most commonly prevalent gastrointestinal pathogen where it manages to survive despite the hostile environment of human stomach, leading to various gastric diseases including gastric cancer. Due to the chronic inflammatory state induced by H. pylori and its interaction with host immune system have diverted researchers to investigate its correlation with systemic diseases outside of the gastrointestinal tract. This literature review was done to explore the association of H. pylori infection with haematological and cardiovascular diseases. We used medical subject heading (MeSH) terms Helicobacter pylori with inflammation, haematological diseases, coronary heart diseases or vascular diseases to search PubMed database. All relevant studies identified from 2005 to 2015 were included. As many of the studies are small-scale or showed weak association, further studies are needed to address the role of H. pylori in pathogenesis of haematological and cardiovascular diseases

Antibiotic resistance among Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A in Pakistan (2001-2006).

Objectives: To compare antimicrobial resistance in S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A isolates from Pakistan. Methods: Blood samples were collected through \u3e 175 laboratory collection points in major cities and towns across the country. The study included 3,671 S. Typhi and 1,475 S. Paratyphi A isolates (2001-2006). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was defined as resistance to first-line agents co-trimoxazole, chloramphenicol and ampicillin. Results: In total, 79.3% S. Typhi and 59.9% S. Paratyphi A were isolated from Patients under 15 years of age. During the study period, the MDR rate increased in S. Typhi (34.2 to 48.5% p 1 microg/ml) increased in both S. Typhi (1.6 to 64.1% p4 microg/ml) was greater in S. Paratyphi A when compared to S. Typhi. Resistance to first-line drugs was higher in those Conclusion: Differences between S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A, in terms of evolution of resistance to first-line agents and to quinolones, are evident in this population. The rapid increase in quinolone resistance in S. Paratyphi A when compared to S. Typhi is concerning and requires further study

Pan-resistant Acinetobacter infection in neonates in Karachi, Pakistan.

Background: Pan-resistant Acinetobacter infection has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in our inPatient neonates over the past few years. Methodology: We performed a retrospective chart review during a five-year period (July 2003 - June 2008) of all neonates hospitalized in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) who developed Acinetobacter infection to identify mortality-associated risk factors in Acinetobacter neonatal infection. Results: During the five-year study period, 122 cultures from 78 neonates grew Acinetobacter. Source sites of positive culture were in the following descending order: blood (n = 57), trachea (n = 55), tissue/wound/body fluids (n = 4), eye (n = 4), urine (n = 1), and cerebrospinal fluid (n = 1). Twenty-four (31%) Patients had Acinetobacter isolated from more than one site. At the time of admission the mean age was 2.08 +/- 4 days and mean weight was 1.77 +/- 0.88 kg, 75% were premature. Pan-resistance (87/122, sensitive only to Polymyxin) was present in 71% of Acinetobacter isolates. Crude mortality rate of this cohort was 47%, while 70% of Patients died within four days after positive Acinetobacter culture. We identified weight of less than 1 kg on admission (p 0.06, adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 1.53), gestational age 28 weeks or less (p 0.011, AOR 2.88), poor perfusion (p 0.007, AOR 2.4), thrombocytopenia (p 0.01, AOR 1.6) and metabolic acidosis (p 0.01, AOR 1.67) as predictors associated with poor outcome. Conclusion: Pan-resistant Acinetobacter infection is exceedingly fatal in newborns, particularly in premature and very low-birth weight neonates. Rational antibiotic use and vigilant infection control in NICUs are key to controlling multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter infection and improving clinical outcome

Knowledge management strategic context in technological trajectories of firm influences their innovation strategy: Looking at Malaysian multinational firm

The paper study on the knowledge management strategic context in technological trajectories of firm influences their innovation strategy. Thus, to make use of technology as a competitive weapon; managers must manage it as a part of the business system. Failure to develop and integrate technology strategy and business is a major contributing factor in the decline of a firm's competitiveness In a turbulent and rapidly changing environment, every organization faces the challenge of how to best manage its knowledge assets to generate value for the market place and obtain competitive advantage Such advantage derives from special capabilities that are rare, valuable, nonsubstitutable, and costly to imitate. Historically, the focus was on capabilities involving tangible assets; now, knowledge is widely recognized as the source for competitive advantage, with the tangible assets representing the physical manifestation of but a fraction of this knowledge As companies scramble to develop strategies for more proactively and strategically managing their knowledge, the field of knowledge management (KM) receives increasing attention from trade organizations and academic journals. From this study it was found that to improve the chances of conclusively demonstrating value to the K-Economy, a new KM implementation in an innovation organization should address issues such as organization's goals and strategies, access tacit knowledge, provide search tools, promote creativity, capture new learning and build a supportive culture,insufficient communication, failure to integrate knowledge, lack of time to learn, lack of training a senses there was little personal benefit in knowledge management