Acetylsalicylic acid treatment reduce Fusarium rot development and neosolaniol accumulation in muskmelon fruit.

Fusarium rot of muskmelon is a common and frequently-occurring postharvest disease, which leads to quality deterioration and neosolaniol (NEO) contamination. New strategies to control postharvest decay and reduce NEO contamination are of paramount importance. The effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) treatment on the growth of Fusarium sulphureum in vitro, and Fusarium rot development and NEO accumulation in fruits inoculated with F. sulphureum in vivo were investigated. The results showed that ASA inhibited the growth of F. sulphureum, evident morphological and major cellular changes were observed under the microscope. In vivo testing showed that 3.2 mg/mL ASA significantly suppressed Fusarium rot development and NEO accumulation after 6 and 8 d of pathogen inoculation. Meanwhile, Tri gene expressions involved in NEO biosynthesis were down-regulated after treatment. Taken together, ASA treatment not only reduced Fusarium rot development by inhibiting the growth of F. sulphureum, but decreased NEO accumulation by suppressing NEO biosynthesis pathway.

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma in a juvenile patient.

Juvenile differentiated carcinoma thyroid is a rare entity. It differs from adult differentiated thyroid carcinoma in a variety of ways, including large tumor volume at presentation with early involvement of the capsule, more frequent nodal and distant metastases, greater expression of sodium-iodide symporter and early recurrence. The overall survival seems to be better than for adult patients; however, due to high and early recurrence rates, prompt and adequate treatment is advocated. The mainstay of treatment includes total thyroidectomy, central lymphadenectomy with modified radical lateral lymphadenectomy, followed by ablation with radioactive iodine (RAI). Both modalities improve the final outcome, but RAI ablation decreases cause-specific death risk independent of the extent of surgery. We present the case of a 5-year-old girl, the youngest ever treated in our country with surgery and RAI therapy successfully after being diagnosed as papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, follicular variant.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Perceptions of Medical Students from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: In view of the increasing popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), it is imperative that medical students, the health professionals of tomorrow, possess adequate knowledge on the topic. OBJECTIVES: This is a descriptive study designed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of medical students about CAM and to capture their perceptions and opinions about its integration into the medical curriculum. METHODS: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was done on 198 medical students selected randomly from a Pakistani medical college. Associations between different variables were tested using the χ2-test of significance. RESULTS: Among the 198 participants, a majority believed that some of the CAM modalities are useful; they lacked knowledge, however, about their safety and efficacy. Most of the students believed that it should be used in conjunction with conventional medicine and that, if given adequate training, they would incorporate it in their future medical practice. One-third of the respondents voted in favor of incorporation of CAM into the medical curriculum. CONCLUSION: Despite being aware of the usefulness of CAM only a few medical students had pursued further knowledge. In order to prepare the medical students of today to better fulfill their duties as tomorrow's physicians, consideration should be given to incorporating CAM in the medical curriculum.