Digital holographic testing of biconvex lenses

Lenses are one of the most important optical elements for manipulation of wavefronts. For their proper selection, the wavefronts produced by the lenses should be analyzed. Digital holography is a tool which provides whole-field reconstructions of wavefronts, and here the use of digital holographic interferometry in complete characterization of wavefronts from lenses is investigated. Digital holograms of the wavefront from the test lens are recorded for various positions of the test lens from a point source. The reconstructed phase of the wavefront from the test lens is compared with a digitally inputted wavefront for measurement of parallelism as well as curvature. The focal length of the test lens is computed by measuring the change in curvature of the wavefront for two positions of the test lens. The radius of curvature of the test lens is determined by using the test lens in the reflection mode. Refractive index of the lens material is also determined using this method. Detailed theoretical and experimental analysis is provided.

The effectiveness of hyaluronic acid intra-articular injections in managing osteoarthritic knee pain

INTRODUCTION

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and progressive joint disease. Treatment options for knee OA vary from simple analgesia in mild cases to knee replacement for advanced disease. Knee pain due to moderate OA can be targeted with intra-articular injections. Steroid injections have been used widely in managing acute flare-ups of the disease. In recent years, viscosupplementation has been used as a therapeutic modality for the management of knee OA. The principle of viscosupplementation is based on the physiological properties of the hyaluronic acid (HA) in the synovial joint. Despite a sound principle and promising in vitro studies, clinical studies have been less conclusive on the effectiveness of HA in managing osteoarthritic knee pain. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of HA intra-articular injections in the management of osteoarthritic knee pain.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was performed using MEDLINE®, Embase™ and CINAHL® (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature). The databases were searched for randomised controlled trials available on the effectiveness of HA intra-articular injections in managing osteoarthritic knee pain.

RESULTS

The search yielded 188 studies. Of these, 14 met the eligibility criteria and were reviewed in chronological order.

CONCLUSIONS

HA intra-articular injections have a modest effect on early to moderate knee OA. The effect peaks at around 6-8 weeks following administration, with a doubtful effect at 6 months.

The effectiveness of hyaluronic acid intra-articular injections in managing osteoarthritic knee pain

Introduction

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and progressive joint disease. Treatment options for knee OA vary from simple analgesia in mild cases to knee replacement for advanced disease. Knee pain due to moderate OA can be targeted with intra-articular injections. Steroid injections have been used widely in managing acute flare-ups of the disease. In recent years, viscosupplementation has been used as a therapeutic modality for the management of knee OA. The principle of viscosupplementation is based on the physiological properties of the hyaluronic acid (HA) in the synovial joint. Despite a sound principle and promising in vitro studies, clinical studies have been less conclusive on the effectiveness of HA in managing osteoarthritic knee pain. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of HA intra-articular injections in the management of osteoarthritic knee pain.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was performed using MEDLINE®, Embase™ and CINAHL® (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature). The databases were searched for randomised controlled trials available on the effectiveness of HA intra-articular injections in managing osteoarthritic knee pain.

Results

The search yielded 188 studies. Of these, 14 met the eligibility criteria and were reviewed in chronological order.

Conclusions

HA intra-articular injections have a modest effect on early to moderate knee OA. The effect peaks at around 6–8 weeks following administration, with a doubtful effect at 6 months.

Tropical storm off Myanmar coast sweeps reefs in Ritchie's Archipelago, Andaman

The reefs in some islands of Andaman and Nicobar suffered severe damage following a tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal off Myanmar coast during 13-17 March 2011. Surveys were conducted at eight sites in Andaman, of which five were located in the Ritchie's Archipelago where maximum wind speeds of 11 m s(-1) was observed; and three around Port Blair which lay on the leeward side of the storm and had not experienced wind speeds of more than 9 m s(-1). Corals in the shallow inshore reefs were broken and dislodged by the thrust of the waves. Significant damage in the deeper regions and offshore reefs were caused by the settlement of debris and sand brought down from the shallower regions. The fragile branching corals (Acropora sp.) were reduced to rubbles and the larger boulder corals (Porites sp.) were toppled over or scarred by falling debris. The reefs on the windward side and directly in the path of the storm winds were the worst affected. The investigation exposes the vulnerability of the reefs in Andaman to the oceanographic features which generally remain unnoticed unless the damage is caused to the coastal habitats.

Unexpectedly high HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Bangkok, Thailand in a respondent-driven sampling survey

The pattern of sex work in Thailand has shifted substantially over the last two decades from direct commercial establishments to indirect venues and non-venue-based settings. This respondent-driven sampling survey was conducted in Bangkok in 2007 among female sex workers (FSW) in non-venue-based settings to pilot a new approach to surveillance among this hidden population. Fifteen initial participants recruited 707 consenting participants who completed a behavioural questionnaire, and provided oral fluid for HIV testing, and urine for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. Overall HIV prevalence was 20.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 16.3-24.7). Three-quarters of women were street-based (75.8%, 95% CI 69.9-81.1) who had an especially high HIV prevalence (22.7%, 95% CI 18.2-28.4); about 10 times higher than that found in routine sentinel surveillance among venue-based FSW (2.5%). STI prevalence (Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) was 8.7% (95% CI 6.4-10.8) and 1.0% (95% CI 0.2-1.9), respectively. Lower price per sex act and a current STI infection were independently associated with HIV infection (P < 0.05). High HIV prevalence found among FSW participating in the survey, particularly non-venue-based FSW, identifies need for further prevention efforts. In addition, it identifies a higher-risk segment of FSW not reached through routine sentinel surveillance but accessible through this survey method.

Decreased functional response to Toll like receptor ligands in patients with oral cancer

Patients with oral cancer (OC) show dysregulation of variety of anti tumor immune responses. To assess the role of Toll like receptor (TLR) signaling in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from OC patients, we analyzed the expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and TLR9 on various lymphocyte subsets. Results revealed an increased expression of TLRs on unconventional T cells (like γδ T cells, NKT cells and CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells) as compared to conventional αβ T cells. Functional studies using TLR ligands (CpG, Poly I:C, LPS and Pam3CSK4) showed defects in the TLR mediated signaling in PBLs of OC patients. Proliferation of OC PBLs in response to stimulation with TLR ligands was significantly decreased. TLR ligand induced IFN-γ production by PBLs from OC patients were low as compared to HI. Stimulation with TLR ligands upregulated the levels of activation markers (CD25 and CD69) on PBLs from HI but not from OC patients. TLR ligands CpG, Poly I:C, LPS and Pam3CSK4 significantly augmented the tumor directed cytotoxic response of PBLs from HI but not from OC patients. Our data suggests that impairment of TLR function on PBLs may be another strategy adopted by tumor cells to dampen tumor directed immune responses.

Successful treatment of pulmonary paragonimiasis in a German shepherd dog with fenbendazole

Pulmonary paragonimiasis is an important zoonotic disease reported from many parts of the world. It is an endemic problem in human population in north-eastern states of India. There seems no report of pulmonary paragonimiasis in canine population from India. The present case describes first report of pulmonary paragonimiasis in a female dog suggesting possibility of this fluke becoming established in canine population in the country. The dog revealed mild coughing with serous nasal discharge. Faecal sample revealed eggs of Paragonimus spp. Treatment with fenbendazole resulted in marked improvement as revealed by clinical signs and chest radiography.

Soluble VEGFR1 (sVEGFR1) as a novel marker of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the North Indian ALS patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

  North Indian patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) exhibit substantially extended survival time after onset of the disease as compared to their Western counterparts. Earlier, we found that vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) may be associated with increased survival of these patients. We now measured soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR1), an inhibitor receptor for VEGF-A, in these patients with ALS.

METHODS

Patients with sporadic ALS (n = 36) attending the Neurology Outpatient at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) at Chandigarh were included on the basis of El Escorial criteria. The sVEGFR1 levels were analyzed in serum of these patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared with normal controls (n = 36).

RESULTS

  Soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 was found to be decreased significantly in serum of patients with ALS. Serum obtained from definite ALS revealed significantly lower sVEGFR1 as compared to probable ALS. However, there was no difference in serum sVEGFR1 levels between male and female patients with ALS.

CONCLUSIONS

Soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 downregulation may result in increased serum VEGF-A reported previously in our patients with ALS and may indicate the activation of compensatory mechanism in response to neurodegeneration. The lower serum sVEGFR1 levels may have a possible clinicopathological association, if not causal, to the extended survival of North Indian patients with ALS; however, the result needs further investigations particularly in comparable Caucasian ALS population.

Cefoperazone sodium impregnated polycaprolactone composite implant for osteomyelitis

The use of local antibiotics from a biodegradable implant for chronic osteomyelitis is an attractive alternative. The implant delivers high antibiotic concentration at tissue levels, obliterates dead space, aids bone repair and does not need to be removed. The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a calcium sulphate and polycaprolactone based composite biodegradable implantable delivery system of cefoperazone sodium. Implants were prepared by modified fabrication technique to avoid solvent use. Interaction studies were carried out to check any incompatibility between ingredients. Prepared implants were evaluated for various in vitro parameters like dimensions, hardness, tensile strength, drug release profile and sterility. Morphological changes in pellet before and after drug release were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The pellet were also tested for microbiological efficacy and compared with plain drug solution in different concentrations. Developed pellets are regular in shape and size with good tensile strength. The release profile displayed drug levels above MIC continuously up to 2 months. Wide zone of inhibition by pellet against Staph. aureus as compared to drug solution proves its efficacy in treatment of osteomyelitis.

Evaluation of circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration as an efficacy response biomarker of overall survival (OS) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC): Planned final analysis (FA) of COU-AA-301, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study of abiraterone acetate (AA) plus low-dose prednisone (P) post docetaxel

LBA4517

Background: A preplanned interim analysis of COU-AA-301 showed that AA, a selective androgen biosynthesis (CYP17) inhibitor, significantly improves OS in mCRPC. This is the first phase III study to prospectively assess CTC as a surrogate biomarker as part of a regulatory qualification process, here using updated OS data. Methods: 1,195 patients (pts) with mCRPC post docetaxel were randomized 2:1 to AA (1 g QD) + P (5 mg BID) (n = 797) or placebo + P (n = 398). CTCs (screening and baseline [BL]; post BL at weeks 4, 8 and 12) were enumerated (cells/7.5 mL) at MSKCC and The ICR using CellSearch and analyzed with other prognostic covariates as dichotomous and continuous variables using updated OS data at 775 events (prior to crossover from placebo to AA). CTC (as part of a biomarker panel - LDH, PSA, Hg, AlkPhos) was examined as a surrogate for OS. Multivariate (Cox model) analyses were conducted. Results: At median follow up (FU) of 20.2 mo, the difference in median OS between the 2 groups improved from 3.9 to 4.6 mo (AA 15.8 mo vs placebo 11.2 mo; HR = 0.74; p < .0001). CTC counts were evaluated in 972 pts at screening and BL, 838 at 4 wks, 783 at 8 wks and 723 pts at 12 wks. High concordance between screening and BL values was observed (r = 0.83). CTC conversion using standard definition for unfavorable (CTC ≥ 5) and favorable (CTC < 5) counts was predictive of OS as early as 4 wks after treatment and its inclusion significantly reduced the treatment effect at all post-treatment time points (HR: from 0.74 to 0.97). A reduced model incorporating CTCs and LDH was developed. Conclusions: The magnitude of the treatment effect of AA on OS increased with longer FU. Using standard definition of CTC conversion, the biomarker panel demonstrated a level of surrogacy for OS by correlating well with survival and in a model-adjusted analysis dramatically attenuating the treatment effect. BL CTCs and CTC conversion, along with LDH, were key predictors of OS. Future trials will further evaluate the CTC-based surrogate developed from COU-AA-301.