Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Thakur.
Ten patients with idiopathic hemifacial spasm were subjected to transtympanic needling of the horizontal segment of the affected facial nerve. Seven patients showed relief of symptoms. This treatment modality is advocated.
To document the normal values of pulmonary function tests in children and changes occurring in their values with various respiratory disorders, a study was carried over a period of one year in 95 healthy controls (39 females and 56 males) of 8-13 years of age and 51 cases with respiratory disorders (bronchial asthma-31, pneumonia-10, empyema-10) of matched age, sex and height distribution. The lung functions studied were FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR and FEF25-75%. In children with bronchial asthma, the FEV1/FVC%, PEFR and FEF25-75% were reduced in accordance with the severity of the disease. A typical restrictive pattern of equivalent decrease in FVC and FEV1 along with insignificant lowering of flow rates, i.e., PEFR and FEF25-75% was observed in pneumonia whereas in patients of empyema a combined pattern of significantly decreased FVC and FEV1 along with mildly reduced FEV1/FVC%, PEFR and FEF 25 75% was observed.
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Association of thyroid carcinoma in thyrotoxicosis is uncommon. Preoperative diagnosis of such association is difficult. In a retrospective study of 49 operated cases of Graves' disease (GD) such an association was found in four patients. Findings of a palpable nodule, calcification and a cold nodule on scanning in Graves' disease should increase suspicion for such an association and a frozen section study should be underken in all these cases during surgery to exclude possible co-existing malignancy.
Ventilatory capacity of 32 control and 318 asymptomatic male jute mill workers of the Calcutta area, India was measured by Wright's Peak Flowmeter. Mean values of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was 514 +/- 66.41 l/min in Control and 475 +/- 66.02 l/min and 462 +/- 67.42 l/min in exposed non-smoker and smoker workers respectively. The relationship of PEFR with age, height, duration of exposure and smoking habit were studied. Multiple regression techniques were used to determine the form of the relationship of age, height, exposure and smoking habit with PEFR. The findings have been compared with those of Indian and foreign authors. The possible reasons of difference includes smoking habit, occupational exposure, physical background and residence in polluted area etc.
The human cadaveric styloid process was used as a homograft material for ossicular chain reconstruction in 41 cases of chronic suppurative otitis media over a five-year period. Although technical success was achieved in about 88.23 per cent of the cases, actual patient benefit was around 70.58 per cent; this is comparable to results obtained with most other homologous graft materials. The problem of breakage while remodelling the bone has also increased the risk of transmitting the AIDS virus and consequently undermines the use of this material.
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One hundred and two cases of viable pregnancies with threatened abortion were studied in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Kamla Nehru Hospital, IG Medical College, Shimla between November 1987 and February 1989 and their perinatal outcome was evaluated. The pregnancies continued beyond 28 weeks in 61.7% of the cases. The incidence of prematurity was 19.0%. The incidence of low birth weight (LBW) babies was 23.8%. Apgar score was less than 7 in 22.3%. The incidence of neonatal complications was 25.3%. There was no perinatal mortality. In a control group of 50 cases, the incidence of prematurity and LBW was 8% and 4% respectively. Apgar score less than 7 was noted in 4% and neonatal complications were observed only in 4% of newborns.
The NF-kappa b/Rel and I kappa B proteins are important regulators of lymphocyte activation and gene expression. We have identified a rearrangement of the NFKB-2 gene in the HUT 78 human cutaneous T-cell leukemia (CTCL) line, cDNA and genomic DNA sequence predicted the presence of a truncated 80 kD NFKB-2 precursor protein (p80HT), instead of the normal p100 protein. No wild-type allele was identified. Elevated levels of two aberrantly sized RNAs were detected, and high levels of p80HT and processed p52 protein were present in HUT 78 cell nuclei. The p52 protein bound to a palindromic kappa B DNA motif, however p80HT did not. Rearrangement of the NFKB-2 gene was also detected in DNA from two patients with CTCL. Rearrangement and overexpression of the NFKB-2 gene may contribute to the genesis of a subset of T-cell malignancies.
AIM: To study group A meningococcal vaccine delivery to infants less than 2 years of age in Auckland in 1987 to control epidemic disease. METHODS: Mechanisms of vaccine delivery and its facilitation are described. A detailed audit of delivery of vaccine to children less than two years using signed consent forms determined delivery source. This was the age group at highest risk, and poorly covered by routine childhood vaccines. Primary health care source of children presenting with disease was determined by telephone. RESULTS: The epidemic of group A meningococcal disease in the winters of 1985 and 1986 abated most likely due to the vaccination of high risk children (3 months-13 years) in 1987. 90% of the target population were vaccinated. In south Auckland the majority (92%) of vaccine doses for children less than two years of age was delivered by the Plunket Society with Department of Health backing aided by community health workers. By contrast delivery by, general practitioners was greater in north-west and central Auckland (approximately 25%, of dose 1), especially after the publicity over possible side effects (approximately 50% of dose 2). Coverage for dose 1 of children < 2 years was similar (89%) in south Auckland. Of children presenting with meningococcal disease 1 in 4 did not have an identifiable general practitioner. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccines to prevent serious paediatric illness are known to be highly cost effective. The best method of delivery of vaccinations may vary from area to area. Major community involvement including community health workers for the Maori and Pacific Island communities may have facilitated the dissemination of information in this campaign.
Several pharmacologically active catecholamines have been shown to react covalently with CNS proteins, namely species of 47, 40, 22, and 20 kDa. Of these, the 47-kDa protein showed the greatest incorporation of tritium following treatment with [3H]dopamine, [3H]ADTN, or [3H]N-propyl-norapomorphine. Labeling was accomplished by incubating the tritiated ligands with crude membrane preparations in the absence of reducing agents. These proteins displayed several unique characteristics: 1. The proteins are distributed throughout the CNS, but no evidence was found for their presence in other tissues; 2. The proteins have a unique pharmacological profile, interacting with dopamine, ADTN, N-propyl-norapomorphine, and apomorphine, but not with ligands specific for other proteins known to interact with these compounds; 3. The labeling of these proteins is not inhibited by several similar catecholamines and other catechols, suggesting specific structural requirements; and 4. These proteins exhibited stereoselectivity with respect to this labeling. These results demonstrate the existence of novel CNS proteins capable of covalently absorbing several physiologically important catecholamines in vitro.
One-thousand-and-sixty-five pregnant mothers among a rural population of 30,000 in Uttar Pradesh were followed for 1 year. A still birth rate of 26.1 and perinatal mortality rate of 121.1 per thousand births were registered. Early neonatal mortality rate was found to be 97.4 per thousand live births. Twenty per cent of the women were identified with high risk factors. Inadequate or no antenatal care, bad obstetric history, and prolonged labour attributed to 13, 20, and 27 per cent of the risk, respectively, with a respective relative risk of 2.23, 3.1, and 4.09 times. These three factors were found to be the major and significant contributors to high perinatal mortality amongst the 'high risk' group. Selective extension of comprehensive M.C.H. Care to this group using the high risk approach is expected to lower perinatal mortality in rural community where M.C.H. services are far from optimum.
There is evidence that the practice of yoga improves physical and mental performance. The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of yoga training on visual and auditory reaction times (RTs), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), 40 mmHg test, breath holding time after expiration (BHTexp), breath holding time after inspiration (BHTinsp), and hand grip strength (HGS). Twenty seven student volunteers were given yoga training for 12 weeks. There was a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in visual RT (from 270.0 +/- 6.20 (SE) to 224.81 +/- 5.76 ms) as well as auditory RT (from 194.18 +/- 6.00 to 157.33 +/- 4.85 ms). MEP increased from 92.61 +/- 9.04 to 126.46 +/- 10.75 mmHg, while MIP increased from 72.23 +/- 6.45 to 90.92 +/- 6.03 mmHg, both these changes being statistically significant (P < 0.05). 40 mmHg test and HGS increased significantly (P < 0.001) from 36.57 +/- 2.04 to 53.36 +/- 3.95 s and 13.78 +/- 0.58 to 16.67 +/- 0.49 kg respectively. BHTexp increased from 32.15 +/- 1.41 to 44.53 +/- 3.78s (P < 0.01) and BHTinsp increased from 63.69 +/- 5.38 to 89.07 +/- 9.61 s (P < 0.05). Our results show that yoga practice for 12 weeks results in significant reduction in visual and auditory RTs and significant increase in respiratory pressures, breath holding times and HGS.
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During two consecutive winter seasons (1985 and 1986) Auckland, New Zealand, experienced epidemic rates of Group A meningococcal disease, a pattern not previously recognized in New Zealand. The overall rate was 8.3/100,000/year. The highest annual rate (64.7) occurred in children 0 to 23 months of age. A city-wide vaccine campaign commencing in May, 1987, was conducted over 6 weeks among children 3 months to 13 years of age with special emphasis on reaching populations at highest risk (Maori and Pacific Island Polynesian children in certain geographic regions of Auckland). Children from 2 to 13 years of age received a single dose of monovalent Group A meningococcal vaccine. Children ages 3 to 23 months received two doses at least 1 month apart. Overall approximately 130,000 doses were delivered; coverage was approximately 90% in the single dose target group. Among the younger children approximately 89% received the primary dose. Only approximately 26% received the recommended "booster" dose. After 2 1/2 years of active surveillance (1987 to 1989) there were no cases of invasive Group A meningococcal disease in children appropriately vaccinated for age. In contrast to this 100% efficacy the efficacy of a single dose of monovalent Group A meningococcal vaccine to prevent illness in the youngest children during the 1987 epidemic period was 52% (95% confidence interval (-330%, 95%)) falling to 16% (95% confidence interval, (-538%, 90%)) after 1 year. Four cases that occurred in infants 3 to 7 weeks before the scheduled "booster" campaign supports limited true efficacy. However, the prescribed 1 to 3-month interval between the two doses in infants may be too long.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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