Rural Libraries in Support of Rural Reconstruction: Tagores’ Thinking and Reality

It is admitted that to make overall development of any citizen rural and urban areas are to be given equal importance and sometimes rural areas may be given more emphasize than urban areas to confirm all wide development. Gurudeva Rabidranath Tagore was one of the pioneers who have given enough attention for the rural communities and to materialise his dream of rural reconstruction he has introduced several project for the welfare of the rural people. To reach the village people and also to eradicate the illiteracy he introduced ‘CHALANTIKA’ library which was meant for the dissemination of library services to the nearest village people. At present, there are total 38 village libraries are existed but 34 are in functioning conditions which was managed and controlled by the Rural Extension Centre (REC), Visva-Bharati and jointly funded by Visva-Bharati and Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation (Kolkata). In the present electronic information era, these village libraries are under great challenges with the competition of different electronic Medias. But, both the authority Visva-Bharati and RRRLF are trying their level best to meet the challenges with the help of cordial and active support by the REC, Visva-Bhaarti. In view of the above the present paper is an attempt to explore the genesis and growth of rural library services as introduced by Gurudeva Rabindranath Tagore

Interlink between cholesterol & cell cycle in prostate carcinoma

Background & objectives: Earlier reports have shown hypocholesterolaemia in cancer patients and high number of lipid rafts in cancer cells. The primary objective of this study was to compare the intracellular cholesterol turnover in non-cancerous (benign) prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and carcinoma prostate (CAP) with normal prostate cells obtained from patients undergoing radical cystectomy for carcinoma bladder (sham control). Methods: ELISA-based estimation of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), evaluation of expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) and cyclin E, immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, measurement of integrated optical density of the diaminobenzidine (DAB)-stained immunohistograms, isolation of nucleus and cell cytoplasm from prostate tissue by ultracentrifugation followed by estimation of cholesterol spectrophotometrically in isolated nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions were performed. Results: Seventy five individuals, 25 for each group (BPH n=25; CAP n=25 and sham control n=25), were included in the study. Cholesterol was increased in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the prostate cancer cells along with elevated expression of LDLR. Increased cholesterol concentration in the cell nucleus was found comparable with the increased expression of cholesterol transporter viz. PBR in the prostate tumour tissues as compared to its expression in normal prostate cells obtained from individuals undergoing radical cystectomy for carcinoma bladder. Cell cycle protein cyclin E was also highly expressed in cancer tissues. Interpretation & conclusions: The present findings along with increased expression of cell cycle protein cyclin E in the cell nucleus of the tumour tissue suggested the possibility of an intriguing role of cholesterol in the mechanism of cell cycle process of prostate cell proliferation

Cholesterol homeostasis in isolated lymphocytes: a differential correlation between male control and chronic lymphocytic leukemia subjects

Background: This study was performed to investigate any association between cellular cholesterol homeostasis and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). CLL is characterized primarily by an abnormal accumulation of neoplastic B cells in the blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes and spleen. Methods: Men aged >50 years participated in this study. Enzyme-based plasma lipid profile estimations, peripheral blood lymphocyte isolation, lysate preparations, SDS-PAGE, western blotting, dil-LDL uptake and ultracentrifugation were employed. Results: Our study demonstrated hypocholesterolemia in lymphocytic leukemia in addition to hyper-expression of LDLRs in leukemic lymphocytes. Breakdown of intracellular cholesterol homeostasis and failure to maintain the feedback mechanism normally processed by the transcription factor SREBP-2 in the cytoplasm was apparent. The presence of cholesterol in the nucleus was noted in leukemic lymphocytes. A comparison of cholesterol homeostasis between healthy controls and CLL subjects showed that cholesterol may contribute to lymphocytic leukemia. While plasma cholesterol levels decreased (p < 0.0005), hyper-expression of LDLR (p=0.0001), SREBP-2 (transcription factor of LDLR) (p=0.0001) and PBR (nuclear cholesterol channel protein) (p=0.016) was observed in lymphocytes isolated from CLL subjects in association with a significant increase in intracellular cholesterol in the nuclear (p=0.036) and cytoplasmic (p=0.004) compartments. Conclusion: This study provided insights into cholesterol homeostasis in CLL subjects regarding LDLR, SREBP-2 and PBR. Cholesterol may enter the nucleus through highly expressed PBR and may be involved in development of leukemia by influencing cell cycle mechanisms in the lymphocytes of CLL subjects