Effect of Washing and Non-washing of Seeds on Growth of Papaya Seedlings (Carica papaya L.) cv. Pusa Nanha

The present experiment was carried out to investigate the response of washing and non- washing of seeds on growth of papaya seedling at the CRC Farm, ITM University, Gwalior (M.P.). The experiment was set up in the Randomized Block Design using 4 media with or without washing of seeds with tap water comprising 12 treatments combinations (viz., controlled (soil + water), vermiwash (50%) + wood dust, vermiwash (50%) + cocopeat, vermiwash (50%) + pond soil, cow-urine (50%) + wood dust, cow-urine (50%) + cocopeat, cow-urine (50%) + pond soil, vermiwash (100%) + wood dust, vermiwash (100%) + cocopeat, vermiwash (100%) + pond soil, cow-urine (100%) + wood dust, cow-urine (100%) + cocopeat, cow-urine (100%) + pond soil which were replicated thrice. For experimental purpose, freshly ripe fruits of papaya were purchased from the papaya-growing farmer of IARI, New Delhi and seeds were sown in the poly bag (4x24 inch sized). The results indicated that the application of application of Vermiwash (100%) + pond soil recorded maximum height of seedling (cm), number of leaves per seedling, stem diameter (cm), leaf area (158.41 cm2), fresh weight of seedling (8.49g), dry weight of seedling (1.17 g), dry weight of shoot (0.334g), dry weight of root (0.779), root/shoot ratio (2.34) as compared to without washing of seeds and other rooting media. Thus, application of Vermiwash (100%) + pond soil was found to the best treatment among all the treatments and it gave the maximum growth attributes which will inturn improve the yield of papaya.

Ketamine but not glycine potentiates antidepressant like action of citalopram in mice exposed to chronic mild stress

Background: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of citalopram, ketamine, glycine and their combinations on animal models of depression. Methods: Swiss Albino male mice were subjected to chronic mild stress for 6 weeks for inducing depression, and randomly divided into different groups: citalopram (5 and 10 mg/kg), ketamine (17.5 and 35 mg/kg), glycine (50 and 100 mg/kg), ketamine (17.5 mg/kg) + citalopram (5 mg/kg) and ketamine (17.5 mg/kg) + glycine (50 mg/kg). Two behavioural tests were utilized for the assessment of depression, namely tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). Immobility time was recorded for 6 min, before and after administration of drug. Results: Citalopram (10 mg/kg) administration caused significant decrease in the immobility time in TST model only but not in FST. Citalopram (5 mg/kg) and ketamine (17.5 mg/kg) caused insignificant decrease in immobility time in both the models. Moreover, ketamine in combination with Citalopram significantly reduced the immobility time in both the models. Glycine at a dose of 100 mg/kg (but not 50 mg/kg) significantly increased the immobility time in both the models as compared to control group. Further, ketamine when administered with glycine caused increase in the immobility time on both the paradigms, though insignificant. Conclusions: Ketamine demonstrated antidepressant like action in both TST and FST models. Moreover, it potentiated the antidepressant effect of citalopram that might be due to the role of NMDA receptors.

Efficacy and safety of SilverNovaTM skin cream as adjuvant to oral and topical antifungals in treatment of fungal skin infections

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of SilverNovaTM skin cream, composed of SilverSol® (a patented colloidal nano silver technology from American Biotech Labs, USA) with other skin rejuvenators (coconut oil, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid), as an adjuvant to topical and oral antifungals in the treatment of fungal skin infections like tinea and intertrigo. Methods: This prospective clinical study enrolled 80 patients with tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea manus, tinea pedis infections, and intertrigo. The patients were randomized to receive either SilverNovaTM skin cream and clotrimazole cream (n=40) or clotrimazole cream (n=40) alone applied topically as an adjuvant to oral antifungal therapy for 14 days. The primary endpoints were the reduction of clinical signs and symptoms of the infection at the end of the treatment and the proportion of patients with therapeutic cures. Results: SilverNovaTM skin cream exhibited better efficacy and safety than clotrimazole cream, though without reaching clinical significance at the end of the treatment. On the 14th day, there was an improvement in clinical signs and symptoms of fissuring/cracking, erythema, maceration, scaling, pruritus, and burning/stinging from baseline in patients with tinea infections, and intertrigo in both the treatment groups. A higher proportion of patients reported therapeutic cures at the end of the treatment, numerically better with SilverNovaTM skin cream group. No drug-related adverse events occurred. Conclusions: SilverNovaTM skin cream is effective and well tolerated as an adjuvant to topical and oral antifungals for the treatment of fungal skin infections like tinea and intertrigo.

Efficacy and safety of SilverNovaTM skin cream in post-aesthetic skin procedures

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SilverNovaTM skin cream composed of SilverSol® (a patented colloidal nano silver technology from American Biotech Labs, USA) with other skin rejuvenators (coconut oil, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid), in post-aesthetic skin procedure subjects. Methods: In this prospective, interventional, open-label, multicentric study, subjects who undergone post aesthetic procedures were enrolled to receive the application of SilverNovaTM skin cream twice daily. The subjects received the topical application for seven days, after which they were followed up for the next seven days. Endpoints were assessed at baseline and the end of the treatment (EOT). Primary endpoints were the investigator-assessed erythema, edema, dryness/scaling score, and the subject-assessed product tolerability in terms of burning, stinging, itching, and dryness/tightness. Results: A total of 60 subjects completed the study. There was a significant improvement in erythema, edema, and dryness/scaling score (p<0.0001). There was also significant improvement in burning, itching, and dryness/tightness scores. The physician global improvement assessment scale score was reduced from 3.3 to 1.38 (p<0.0001), showing the resolution of the symptom severity post-treatment with SilverNovaTM skin cream. Colorimetric characterization showed significant improvement in values at the end of the study, reflecting the improvement in skin color and erythema reduction. No adverse events were reported during the study. Conclusions: The application of SilverNovaTM cream in the immediate post procedure period significantly reduced the downtime of the treatment and improved patient acceptance of the treatment. This indicates that SilverNovaTM skin cream is a promising therapeutic option for managing the complications associated with aesthetic skin procedures without any safety concerns.

Role of Dietary Management and Physical Activity in Control of Hypertension in Rural Areas of Punjab-A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: As reported by WHO, hypertension is the third ‘killer’ disease, accounting for one in every eight deaths worldwide. Many modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors are found to be associated with the disease. The present study aims to determine the role of dietary management and physical activity in the control of hypertension in a given population. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted that. Study included all hypertensive patients (290) from the field practice area of a tertiary care institute. A self-constructed, pretested questionnaire was used to enquire about the socio- demographic factors and other risk factors associated with hypertension. The data was analyzed using SPSS 23 and valid conclusions were drawn by using the chi-square test. Results: Out of 290 patients, 204 (70.3%) were females and 86 (29.7%) were males. Univariate analysis identified decreased salt intake, decreased fatty food consumption, physical activity, stress management, and spiritual help as highly significant factors affecting hypertension. On multivariate analysis, physical activity, stress management and spiritual help were found to be significant. Conclusion: The study showed that physical activity, stress management and spiritual help were significantly associated with hypertension control among the elderly. Measures should be taken to create awareness about lifestyle modifications in the control of hypertension.

A mixed-method study to evaluate the knowledge and marshalling of untied funds in rural area

Background: NRHM provides health facilities with unlimited flexible funds to improve the quality of care, in addition to funds for the upkeep and improvement of health facilities, human resources (contractual appointments), equipment, supplies, and medicine, training, and capacity building. The Untied Funds (to be used at the discretion of the facility in charge, primarily as a contingency fund). This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the financing strategy, knowledge, facilitators, and barriers to underutilization of untied funds. Methods: A mixed-methods study was carried out to determine the utilisation patterns and knowledge of health workers about untied fund. A qualitative study that used a grounded theory approach to identify the facilitators and barriers to effective use of Untied funds. RHTC-Mandawar and its six subcenters were included in our study. Results: The entire mixed-method study clearly demonstrated the barriers and facilitators observed at the subcenter sites. Because health workers were understaffed and overburdened with work, their knowledge was also alarmingly low. Furthermore, no refresher training was provided to them. Finance, a tricky aspect of this programme, was handled with extreme caution. Conclusions: Before untied funds lapse, they must be reviewed and monitored. Refresher training and detailed guidelines are required before funds can be used to improve the health facility and provide additional services to beneficiaries.

Myeloid sarcoma presenting as nasopharyngeal mass: A rare clinicopathological scenario

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is considered as an extramedullary manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with or without concurrent AML. It can present at any age and any site, however, nasopharynx being an extremely rare site of manifestation. MS may precede AML by weeks, months or years, thereby necessitating an early diagnosis and timely intervention and treatment. We report a case of MS in a young female who presented with nasal obstruction and epistaxis for 3 months. The present case also highlights the significance of judicious use of immunohistochemistry panel while dealing with a hematolymphoid neoplasm devoid of expression of B-cell or T cell specific markers in head and neck region.

Correlation NKX2.2 IHC and EWSR1 break-apart FISH in the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma: Can combined NKX2.2 and CD99 immunoexpression obviate or minimize the need of FISH testing? First assessment study from Indian tertiary cancer care center

Context: Ewing sarcoma (ES) are malignant small round cell tumors (MSRCT) characterized by rearrangements of EWSR1 gene. Although gold standard for diagnosis is detection of specific fusion genes by molecular testing, these ancillary tests are costly and only available in limited number of settings. There is a persuasive evidence for reliability of NKX2.2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a surrogate marker for EWSR1 gene rearrangement in ES. Aims: The aim of this study is to correlate the NKX2.2 immuno-expression with genetically confirmed ES cases and also to assess the reliability and accuracy of NKX2.2 along with combined positivity of NXX2.2 and CD99 in diagnosing ES and differentiating it from other relevant histological mimics. Settings and Design: The present study is a retrospective study conducted over a period of 6-year duration in a tertiary cancer care center. Methods and Material: We evaluated NKX2.2 immunoexpression in 35 genetically confirmed cases of ES and also in pertaining differential entities (n = 58) of ES including rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 20), lymphoblastic lymphoma (n = 14), Wilms tumor (n = 10), poorly differentiated synovial sarcoma (n = 4), small-cell osteosarcoma (n = 4), neuroblastoma (n = 5), and mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (n = 1). CD99 was performed in the category of MSRCTs showing NKX2.2 positivity to evaluate combined specificity for the diagnosis of ES. Results: Of the 35 genetically confirmed cases of ES, 29 cases (83%) showed NKX2.2-positive expression (83% sensitivity). Compared to ES, NKX2.2 was positive in only 05% cases (3/58 cases) of non-ES MSRCT. Only two of five cases of neuroblastomas and one case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma showed NKX2.2 positivity. CD99 positivity was seen in 100% of ES and in the single case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. All five cases (100%) of neuroblastoma were negative for CD99. Conclusions: The presented study, which is the first from an Indian oncology center, showed NKX2.2 IHC is quite reliable in diagnosis of ES in the right clinicopathological context. With remarkable sensitivity and specificity of NKX2.2 IHC for diagnosis of ES, we propose that combined positivity of CD99 and NKX2.2 IHC can obviate or minimize the need of EWSR1 gene rearrangement molecular testing for diagnosis of ES.

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma: Report of two cases, initially construed as sarcoma with unusual clinico-pathological features

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare soft tissue tumor of uncertain differentiation with low metastatic potential, most commonly occurring in children, adolescents, and young adults, involving extremities. Due to its rare nature and diverse presentation, both clinically and morphologically, it is often misdiagnosed. It becomes important to correctly diagnose this lesion, given its distinct therapeutic implications. Here, we present the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings of two rare cases of AFH. Since AFH is a rare soft tissue tumor with low malignant potential, both pathologists and clinicians should be aware of this entity, when encountered with a soft tissue mass in extremities of a child or adolescent, so as to accord appropriate treatment in such cases.

Molecular stratification of high-grade urothelial carcinoma by immunohistochemistry with its histomorphological and clinical correlation

Introduction: Urothelial carcinoma poses a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The recent classification of Tumors of Urinary System by World Health Organization fourth edition) has elucidated its molecular subtypes and its associated prognostic significance. Methods: We used immunohistochemistry marker expression (CK5/6, CK20, CD44, EGFR) as a surrogate marker, to stratify 150 cases of high-grade urothelial carcinoma into the intrinsic molecular subtypes. A correlation was also done with immunohistochemical markers p53, p21, E-cadherin and Ki-67. Results: On subtyping, 47.3% cases were basal, 42.7% luminal and 10% remained unclassified. We did not find GATA3 useful for molecular stratification in our study. Muscle invasion was seen in 59% of basal and 31% of luminal subtype (P = 0.016). Squamous differentiation was most commonly associated with basal subtype (P < 0.001). EGFR expression was seen in 62% of basal and 38% of luminal subtype (P = 0.014), and thus can be used as an additional marker for molecular stratification. Overexpression of p53 was seen in 64% cases of muscle invasive and 36% of non-muscle invasive high-grade carcinomas (P < 0.0001). An inverse relationship was observed between p53 and p21 immunoexpression (r = –0.494) (P < .0001). The overall survival at 1- and 2-year interval was more in the luminal subtype, suggesting an early mortality in basal group, (P = 0.827), and at 6 years both the groups had almost similar results. Conclusion: High-grade urothelial carcinoma is challenging in terms of therapeutic strategy. Increased understanding of underlying molecular basis helps identifying targetable treatment options, and newer biomarkers will enhance predictive and prognostic stratification.

Retrospective Observational Study to Compare Xpert MTB/RIF Assay with other Diagnostic Tests in Lymph Node Tuberculosis

Background: Lymph node tuberculosis (TB) is the most common form of extrapulmonary TB in India. Standards for TB care in India recommend microscopy/culture/CBNAAT/molecular test/histopathology examination and drug sensitivity testing on appropriate specimens from the presumed sites of involvement for all patients with presumptive extrapulmonary TB. Objectives: To analyze the utility of Xpert MTB/ Rif assay in lymph node TB. Methods: All patients who underwent lymph node sampling between July 2014 and June 2017 and for whom Xpert MTB/Rif assay was done were included. Demographic profile, Xpert MTB/Rif assay result, histopathology/cytology findings, smear acid-fast bacillus (AFB), and AFB culture results were noted. A composite reference score (CRS) was made. Results: Xpert MTB/Rif assay was positive in 63 of the 81 patients. Xpert had a sensitivity of 82.14% and specificity of 86.18%when compared against AFB culture and 75.61% and 98.97% when compared against CRS. Conclusion: Xpert MTB/Rif assay is a valuable test for rapid diagnosis of lymph node TB.

Challenges faced by clients of RBSK: A mixed method study from Uttarakhand, India

Background- Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram was launched in 2013, to reduce mortality and morbidity in children due to prevalent birth defects, diseases, deficiencies, and developmental delays. The strategy employed is early detection and management of health conditions. Mobile health teams (MHTs) and District early intervention centers (DEIC) are set up for screening, management, and referral of beneficiaries. Methodology – A concurrent mixed method study was conducted in Uttarakhand for exploring challenges faced by clients and to assess client satisfaction regarding services provided under the program. Caregivers of beneficiaries were interviewed telephonically about the challenges they faced while availing the facilities. Result- It was found that out of 41 caregivers of beneficiaries, 13 (31.7%) faced challenges while availing the services, and 2 (4.87%) were dissatisfied with the services. Challenges faced by caregivers were out-ofpocket expenditure on transportation, food and stay, long time in referral and unavailability of beds, unavailability of medicines, and failed treatment. Conclusion- The majority of the caregivers were satisfied with the referral and treatment provided. RBSK provides free-of-cost treatment to children but the indirect cost that the caregivers have to pay for travel, stay and multiple visits pose a challenge for utilization of the services.

Addressing obesity among females: The need for focused strategies in National programmes

Prevalence of obesity is increasing in both developed and developing countries. India is also facing a double burden of malnutrition as already existing malnutrition and increasing prevalence of obesity. Evidence suggests that prevalence of obesity is more in women as compared to men due to consumption of pre-packed energy-dense food, hormonal change during pregnancy and menopause. Obese females are more prone to life style diseases and abdominal obesity increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and is strongly related to poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Obesity’s impact can be seen in the life cycle of women. It not only impacts the physical health of women but on her psychological, social, reproductive and social well-being which hampers her overall health. To address obesity various programmes and interventions have already been formulated by the Government of India. Need is to address the issue of obesity at every stage of women’s life cycle and this can be done by adding some interventions in already existing programmes.

Epithelioid haemangioma of bone: A series of four cases with a revision of this contentious entity

Epithelioid hemangioma of bone is a rare and locally aggressive vascular neoplasm of bone associated with a good prognosis. Because of its worrisome histomorphologic features and aggressive clinicoradiologic findings, at times with multifocal presentation, they tend to simulate malignant tumors. We report a series of four cases of epithelioid hemangioma of bone with their clinicopathologic characteristics. All had adjacent soft tissue involvement and two had multifocal bone disease. Microscopically, all cases had a tumor in lobular configuration, composed of epithelioid endothelial cells with the formation of well-formed vessels or grew in solid sheets. The tumor cells lacked significant cytologic atypia, necrosis, and increased mitosis. All cases were immunohistochemically positive for vascular markers CD34, CD31, ERG1, whereas negative for CK. Two of the cases were treated with excision, and the other two underwent curettage. None had local recurrence or metastasis on follow-up. This study highlights the importance of recognizing histomorphological and clinicoradiological features for distinguishing epithelioid hemangiomas from malignant vascular neoplasms of bone because of their distinct therapeutic implications and clinical outcomes.

Study Of Association Between Vaginal Infection And Preterm Labour

Background:Preterm birth is the most common of neonatal morbidity and mortality. 85% of neonatal morbidity and mortality is due to premature birth. A large number of studies demonstrate an association between specific organisms and preterm delivery. Material And Methods:A retrospective cohort study of pregnant women who received antenatal care between august 2017 and November 2018 at our tertiary care hospital. 70 Cases with high risk for preterm labor were included in the study and 70 cases with term labor in the control group. High vaginal swabs were collected from the posterior fornix of the vagina. Result:This study shows that there is no association of preterm labor with age, parity and numbers of previous abortions. There are high chances of preterm birth in patients with history of previous preterm birth. 48(68%) patients with preterm labor had vaginal infection in which bacterial vaginosis is more common. Other contributing factors for preterm delivery: Anaemia and lower socio-economic status. Conclusion:In this study, a significant difference in the presence of vaginal infection in patients of preterm labor and term labor was found (P<0.05).Women at risk for preterm birth or preterm premature rupture of membranes because of vaginal infections should be screened, diagnosed, treated , reevaluated, and re-treated if necessary.

Maternal Near Miss-Experience At A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital In Western India

Background:Pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality continue to have a huge impact on the lives of Indian women and their newborns. Any pregnant woman can develop life-threatening complications with little or no advance warning. All women need access to quality maternal health services that can detect and manage such complications1. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth remain a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in India2. Each year in India, roughly 28 million women experience pregnancy and 26 million have a live birth. Of these estimated 67000 maternal and 10,00000 newborn deaths occur every year3. The maternal near-miss event was defined as “any acute obstetric complication that immediately threatens a woman’s survival but does not result in her death either by chance or because of hospital care she receives during pregnancy, labor or within 6 weeks of termination of pregnancy4.Maternal mortality data in practical terms is the tip of an iceberg while the maternal near-miss data is invisible and whic h is a very important tool to reduce maternal mortality.Material And Methods:This is a retrospective observational study carried out among 80 maternal near-miss cases who were admitted in obstetric ICU fulfilling criteria for identification for maternal near-miss cases as per Maternal Near Miss Review Operational Guideline (December 2014)in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in our tertiary care teaching hospital, between October 1, 2018, to October 31,2020.Patient fulfilling criteria for identification of near-miss cases as per Maternal Near miss Review Operational Guideline (December, 2014)Minimum 3 criteria were included in the study.Result:During the study period total of 18360 obstetric patients were admitted, out of which 80 patients ended up becoming maternal near-miss cases. Among them majority of patients were in age group of 18-25 years and occurrence was high in multipara women. In many patients more than one underlying disorder was present. Hemorrhage (67.5%) followed by a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (30.0%) was the commonest presenting disorder in near-miss cases. In spite of being highly preventable, maternal sepsis (6.2%) also contributes to being a major cause of morbidity.In our study, 15% of near-miss cases had associated medical conditions. 5 % of cases (n=4) in the present study faced acute severe respiratory depression (ARDS) after getting infected with covid-19 infection. There was need for massive blood transfusions in 63.75 %, magnesium sulfate therapy in 17.25%, use of cardiotonic /vasopressor drugs in 10.0%, obstetric hysterectomy in 23.75 % of cases. More than one management modality was followed in many patients. All the near-miss cases were covered with broad spectrum antibiotic therapy. Total 21 near-miss cases (26.25%) were identified to have delays. Delay in the decision to seek care (Delay 1) occurred in 2.5% of women. Educational backwardness, ignorance of pregnancy itself, lack of regular antenatal care, and failure to give importance to warning signals may be the contributing factors. Delay in accessing adequate care (Delay 2) was identified in 7.5% of women. Conclusion: Hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, abnormalities of labor, anemia, and sepsis are still major contributing factors for maternal near-miss cases. Anticipation, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment of maternal complications can reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Sensitization of the population for proper utilization of available maternal health care facilities is very vital for reducing maternal near-miss cases.All the maternal near-miss cases are living le ssons, who de spite their misery show us our deficiencies.

Conformal radiotherapy plans for palliative bone metastasis - comparison of dosimetric parameters

Background:Palliative radiotherapy offers significant relief in the huge physical distress of patients with bony metastasis. The enormous potential of conformal techniques has not been tested in palliative settings. However,the increasing life span of patients with metastatic disease demands to optimize the radiotherapy techniques to provide maximal durable symptomatic relief. Despitean increase in the utilization of the 3DCRT technique for palliative bony metastasis, the optimal beam arrangement remains unknown. Materials and Methods:Ten patients of vertebral bony metastasis were retrospectively selected and four virtual 3DCRT plans were generated for each patient. The field approaches were a single field, two fields, three fields and five field approaches. For PTV, D90, D50, Dmean, Conformity index (CI) were evaluated.Dmean was evaluated for the esophagus, bowel, kidneys, and combined lungs. Dose-volume histograms were computed for the various treatment plans and compared. Statistical analysis was done by ANOVA test. Results:A total of forty radiotherapy plans were generated. PTV parameters were significantly better with two field plans over one field plans in terms of D90 (p= 0.002), D50 (p= 0.02), Dmean(p=0.0009). Dmeanwassignificantly better with three field approach compared to two field approach (p=0.0006). The Dmeanwas significantly increased for organs at risk in two fields and three field plans.Five field approach did not showan advantage in terms of dosimetry of PTV but there was a significant rise in the dose to Organs at risk (OAR’s). Conclusion:The three field plans showed better dose distribution to the PTV with an acceptable increase in the dose to OAR’s.

In Vitro And In Vivo Anticancer Efficacy Of Adiantum Capillus-Veneris L. Against Some Selected Human Cancer Cell Lines And On Eac Mouse Model

Adiantum capillus-veneris, commonly known as maidenhair fern belongs to family Pteridaceae, has traditionally been used in various medicinal preparations as demulcent, expectorant, emmenagogue, diuretic etc. in the form of oil, paste, decoction and powder. It has also prominent role in hair growing and has anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-nociceptive and antioxidant properties of therapeutic interest. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro cytotoxic activity of fractions of ethanolic extract isolated from the aerial part of A. capillus-veneris against some human cancer cell lines such as colon (HCT-116), lung (A549), breast (MCF-7) and pancreatic (MIA PaCa-2) and tumor cell proliferation/inhibition was assessed using MTT assay. The in vivo anticancer activity of hexane fraction was also evaluated against murine Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) model. The results confirmed that all the fractions of ethanolic extract exhibited promising in vitro inhibition of tumor cell proliferation when tested against different human cancer cell lines. Among all, hexane fraction proved to be more effective having IC50 values 21.72, 22.67, 26.25 μg/mL, for HCT- 116, A-549, MCF-7, respectively, but chloroform fraction revealed to be more cytotoxic against Mia-PACA-2 having IC50 value 14.72 μg/mL. Higher cytotoxic activity is found to be associated with lower IC50 values. The findings showed that all five fractions exhibited dose-dependent killing capabilities in various human derived cancer cell lines at 48 h of treatment. Hexane fraction was found to inhibit tumour growth development by 16.95%, 41.12% and 82.07% at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Additionally, this fraction was predicted to be non-toxic at the tested doses. The findings indicate that A. capillus-veneris herb is an antineoplastic agent and suggest that further studies evaluating the isolation of active antitumor compounds from A. capillus-veneris and their mechanism(s) of action are necessary.

To compare intralesional and oral propranolol for treating periorbital and eyelid capillary hemangiomas

Purpose: A pilot randomized control trial to compare the efficacy and side effects of intralesional and oral propranolol in periorbital and eyelid capillary hemangiomas. Methods: Twenty patients were prospectively randomized to two groups of ten each. Group 1 was initiated on oral propranolol 1 mg/kg/day titrated to final dose of 3 mg/kg/day over 1 week which was continued for 6 months and then tapered over 1 week; Group 2 received 3 doses of direct intralesional propranolol hydrochloride 1 mg/ml; 0.2 ml/cm 4�6 weeks apart. Hemangioma area and corneal astigmatism were measured. Results: Within each group at 6 months there was a significant reduction in area (group 1: 83.48 � 11.67%,P= 0.0019; group 2: 67.78 � 21.71%,P= 0.0019) and improvement in astigmatism (pre, post: group 1: 2.98D @ 179.8�, 1.13D @ 179.8�,P= 0.0045; group 2: 1.62D @ 90.16�, 0.75D @ 179.9�,P= 0.0001). There was no difference in area reduction (P = 0.056), change in appearance (P = 0.085), ptosis (P = 0.23) and side effects (lethargy, poor feeding;P= 0.171) between the two groups. Conclusion: Efficacy and side effects with intralesional propranolol are comparable to oral propranolol for periorbital and eyelid lesions.

Dosimetric parameters of heart and left ventricle – comparison of 3D CRT and IMRT in left cancer breast

Background: Conformal Radiotherapy techniques adapting to the ballistics of delineated volumes allowed significant reduction in excess radiation induced mortality however the increasing number of long-term survivors and expanding use of cardiotoxic drug highlight the persistent need for maximal cardiac possible sparing. The low dose volume of left ventricle are better predictor of acute coronary events than mean heart dose. Materials and Methods: 38 post-MRM patients were randomized to treatment by 3Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy (3D CRT) and Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) technique. Two tangential beams were used in 3D CRT technique while five to seven (mostly tangential beams) were used in inversely planned IMRT technique. The dose volume parameters of planning target volume, heart and left ventricle were compared. Results: The dosimetry of Planning target volume showed significantly better coverage in IMRT technique (D90, D95) however the D50 was comparable in both the techniques. In dosimetry of heart, the high dose volumes (V30, V40) were nearly comparable in both the techniques. The other dose volume parameters (V5, V10, V20, V25, D33, D67, D100) and the mean dose were significantly lesser in 3D CRT technique along with significantly better sparing of left ventricle (Dmean and V5). Conclusion: The dosimetry of target volume was better with IMRT technique, but this was accompanied by a huge increase in dose to whole heart and specifically the left ventricle which has strong potential to translate into an increased cardiotoxicity. A better distribution of the target region may be obtained by multiple segmentation of the two tangential fields in 3D CRT plans with further reduction in dose to heart and left ventricle.