Field evaluation of a previously untested strain of biolarvicide (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis H14) for mosquito control in an urban area of Orissa, India.

A previously untested strain of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) serotype H14 (ID No. VCRC B17) has been evaluated under field conditions in an urban area of Rourkela city, India for its impact on the larval density of different mosquito species in a variety of habitats. The persistence of the biolarvicide used in an aqueous solution varied in different habitats.

Burden of cerebral malaria in central India (2004-2007).

A study on the clinicoepidemiology of cerebral malaria (CM) and mild malaria (MM) among adults and children attending NSCB medical college hospital Jabalpur and civil hospital Maihar, Satna, in central India was undertaken. Of 1,633 patients, 401 were Plasmodium falciparum and 18 P. vivax.

A role for neoadjuvant gemcitabine plus cisplatin in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: a retrospective experience.

Background: Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy improves survival in muscle-invasive urothelial cancer, with MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) considered the standard regimen. Gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) has similar efficacy and less toxicity than MVAC in metastatic disease, but is untested as neoadjuvant treatment.

Methods: The authors retrospectively evaluated patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma who received neoadjuvant GC before radical cystectomy between November 2000 and December 2006 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Biological control of mosquito populations through frogs: opportunities & constrains.

The use of frogs and tadpoles for disease vector control is still largely unexplored. Frogs are an important part of the ecosystem with a role for insect and pest control including mosquitoes. Available information suggests the existence of many direct and indirect factors affecting the growth and survival of both prey and predators.

Therapeutic responses of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum to chloroquine, in an area of western India where P. vivax predominates.

In 2003-2005, following an increase in the local incidence of human malaria, the therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine (CQ) in the treatment of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum malaria was evaluated in the Anand district of Gujarat state, in western India. After oral administration of CQ, clinical and parasitological responses were measured over a follow-up period of 28 days, following the standard protocol of the World Health Organization.

Bioevaluation studies of 32P incorporated mould brachytherapy sources for potential application in treatment of superficial tumors.

Aim: To prepare 32P-based user-friendly mould brachytherpy sources for the treatment of superficial tumors.

Methods: 32P as orthophosphoric acid was adsorbed on 15-25 mm (diameter) circular sheets of cellulose-based adsorbent paper to prepare sources containing approximately 37-74 MBq of 32P per cm of strip. The sources were immobilized between plastic sheets of 40 microm thickness.

Migraine and audiovestibular dysfunction: is there a correlation?

Purpose: To study the audiovestibular functions in cases of migraine with or without vertigo.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective study involving 50 cases of migraine who were divided into 2 groups: patients with vertigo and those without. All patients underwent a detailed otological and neurootological examination followed by full audiological and vestibular investigation including pure tone audiometry, speech reception threshold, speech discrimination score, tone decay, short increment sensitivity index, auditory brainstem-evoked responses, and electronystagmography (ENG).

Efficacy of culture filtrates of Metarhizium anisopliae against larvae of Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus.

Efficacy of culture filtrates of five strains of Metarhizium anisopliae isolated from insects were evaluated against Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus. The culture filtrates released from the strains of M. anisopliae in the YpSs and chitin broths were filtered and used for the bioassays after a growth of 7 days.

In vitro antiprotozoal activity of some xanthones isolated from the roots of Andrographis paniculata.

Four xanthones isolated from the roots of Andrographis paniculata were tested in vitro for antiprotozoal activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum. Compound TDR13011 (1,2-dihydroxy-6,8-dimethoxy-xanthone) showed good activity against T. b.

Insecticidal activity of Valeriana jatamansi (Valerianaceae) against mosquitoes.

A root extract of Valeriana jatamansi (code BAL-O) exhibited larvicidal and adulticidal activity against different mosquito species. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of BAL-O against larvae of Anopheles stephensi, Anopheles culicifacies, Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus were 68.1, 42.

Malaria persistence in Kumaon foothills of District Nainital, Uttarakhand, India.

Clinic data depicted a high incidence of malaria in a forest ecotype in the Kumaon foothills of District Nainital, Uttarakhand, India. A study was therefore conducted to determine the risk factors associated with the transmission of malaria from 2002 to 2004. The man-hour densities of Anopheles culicifacies and An.

The usefulness of a new rapid diagnostic test, the First Response Malaria Combo (pLDH/HRP2) card test, for malaria diagnosis in the forested belt of central India.

Background: Malaria presents a diagnostic challenge in tribal belt of central India where two Plasmodium species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, are prevalent. In these areas, rapid detection of the malaria parasites and early treatment of infection remain the most important goals of disease management. Therefore, the usefulness of a new rapid diagnostic (RDT), the First Response(R) Combo Malaria Ag (pLDH/HRP2) card test was assessed for differential diagnosis between P.

Failure of percutaneous endoscopic resection of a renal cystic nephroma on longer-term follow-up.

In 2005 we reported in this journal the treatment of cystic nephroma, a rare but presumed benign renal tumor, with percutaneous resection. Initial follow-up confirmed removal of the intra-pelvic portion of the cystic nephroma and persistence of the unresected intra-parenchymal portion. Surveillance with computed tomography revealed gradual regrowth of the mass, ultimately resulting in a size greater than that at the time of initial resection.

Antibody responses to the merozoite surface protein-1 complex in cerebral malaria patients in India.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum infection causes cerebral malaria (CM) in a subset of patients with anti-malarial treatment protecting only about 70% to 80% of patients. Why a subset of malaria patients develops CM complications, including neurological sequelae or death, is still not well understood. It is believed that host immune factors may modulate CM outcomes and there is substantial evidence that cellular immune factors, such as cytokines, play an important role in this process.

Building small dams can decrease malaria: a comparative study from Sundargarh District, Orissa, India.

The adverse health effect of environmental changes brought about with the construction of large and small dams has often been reported. Here, we present results of a 5-year (2001-2005) study documenting the positive effect of such developmental projects in reducing malaria in an area where malaria transmission is mainly due to the highly efficient anthropophagic vector Anopheles fluviatilis with some contribution from Anopheles culicifacies. The former breeds exclusively in the slow-flowing streams and the latter breeds in a variety of habitats.

Fine-scale genetic characterization of Plasmodium falciparum chromosome 7 encompassing the antigenic var and the drug-resistant pfcrt genes.

The fact that malaria is still an uncontrolled disease is reflected by the genetic organization of the parasite genome. Efforts to curb malaria should begin with proper understanding of the mechanism by which the parasites evade human immune system and evolve resistance to different antimalarial drugs. We have initiated such a study and presented herewith the results from the in silico understanding of a seventh chromosomal region of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum encompassing the antigenic var genes (coding pfemp1) and the drug-resistant gene pfcrt located at a specified region of the chromosome 7.

Development of technology for the large-scale preparation of 60Co polymer film source.

(60)Co sources ( approximately 37 kBq) in the form of a thin film are widely used in position identification of perforation in offshore oil-well explorations. This paper describes the large-scale preparation of such sources using a radioactive polymer containing (60)Co. (60)Co was extracted into chloroform containing 8-hydroxyquinoline.

Plasma IP-10, apoptotic and angiogenic factors associated with fatal cerebral malaria in India.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum in a subset of patients can lead to cerebral malaria (CM), a major contributor to malaria-associated mortality. Despite treatment, CM mortality can be as high as 30%, while 10% of survivors of the disease may experience short- and long-term neurological complications. The pathogenesis of CM is mediated by alterations in cytokine and chemokine homeostasis, inflammation as well as vascular injury and repair processes although their roles are not fully understood.

Determination of nitric oxide metabolites, nitrate and nitrite, in Anopheles culicifacies mosquito midgut and haemolymph by anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography: plausible mechanism of refractoriness.

Background: The diverse physiological and pathological role of nitric oxide in innate immune defenses against many intra and extracellular pathogens, have led to the development of various methods for determining nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. NO metabolites, nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) are produced by the action of an inducible Anopheles culicifacies NO synthase (AcNOS) in mosquito mid-guts and may be central to anti-parasitic arsenal of these mosquitoes.

Method: While exploring a plausible mechanism of refractoriness based on nitric oxide synthase physiology among the sibling species of An.

A novel nanoparticle formulation for sustained paclitaxel delivery.

Purpose: To develop a novel nanoparticle drug delivery system consisting of chitosan and glyceryl monooleate (GMO) for the delivery of a wide variety of therapeutics including paclitaxel.

Methods: Chitosan/GMO nanoparticles were prepared by multiple emulsion (o/w/o) solvent evaporation methods. Particle size and surface charge were determined.

Expression, purification, and characterization of the immunological response to a 40-kilodalton Plasmodium vivax tryptophan-rich antigen.

We describe here an approximately 40-kDa Plasmodium vivax tryptophan-rich antigen (PvTRAg40) which contains 321 amino acids and 11.4% tryptophan residues. This protein shows 65% homology (35% identity) with the previously described PvTRAg, besides sharing 23 of 27 positionally conserved tryptophan residues and similar genomic organization.

Efficacy of female Culex quinquefasciatus with entomopathogenic fungus Fusarium pallidoroseum.

This study was conducted to isolate and identify natural entomopathogenic fungi from female Culex quinquefasciatus and to test their adulticidal activity. Field-collected female C. quinquefasciatus died early and were placed on a Saboraud's dextrose agar plates for growth and isolation of natural entomopathogenic fungi.