Nano-Bio Engineered Carbon Dot-Peptide Functionalized Water Dispersible Hyperbranched Polyurethane for Bone Tissue Regeneration.

The present study delves into a combined bio-nano-macromolecular approach for bone tissue engineering. This approach relies on the properties of an ideal scaffold material imbued with all the chemical premises required for fostering cellular growth and differentiation. A tannic acid based water dispersible hyperbranched polyurethane is fabricated with bio-nanohybrids of carbon dot and four different peptides (viz.

Epidemiology of adult-onset hydrocephalus: institutional experience with 2001 patients.

OBJECTIVE Adult-onset hydrocephalus is not commonly discussed in the literature, especially regarding its demographic distribution. In contrast to pediatric hydrocephalus, which is related to a primary CSF pathway defect, its development in adults is often secondary to other pathologies. In this study, the authors investigated the epidemiology of adult-onset hydrocephalus as it pertains to different etiologies and in reference to age, sex, and race distributions.

Spinal meningiomas: clinicoradiological factors predicting recurrence and functional outcome.

OBJECTIVE Spinal meningiomas are benign tumors with a wide spectrum of clinical and radiological features at presentation. The authors analyzed multiple clinicoradiological factors to predict recurrence and functional outcome in a cohort with a mean follow-up of more than 4 years. The authors also discuss the results of clinical studies regarding spinal meningiomas in the last 15 years.

Immunomodulatory and Anti-cancer Properties of Pharmacologically Relevant Mushroom Glycans.

The review of patents reveals that for decades, mushrooms have been regarded as an ethnic medicine and widely used in the treatment of various life-threatening diseases. One of the most important bioactive compounds isolated from these mushrooms are polysaccharides or glycans which exhibit potential immunomodulatory and anticancer properties. The immune stimulating properties of these glycans are linked to their origin, structure, composition, water solubility and conformations in solution.

Modified Far Lateral Approach for Posterior Circulation Aneurysms: An Institutional Experience.

Objective: The modified far lateral approach is a modified version of the far lateral approach without drilling of the condyle. This approach can be used for accessing aneurysms anterior and anterolateral to the brainstem and craniovertebral junction. We describe the surgical outcome and complications of the modified far lateral approach for vertebrobasilar, proximal posterior inferior cerebellar artery, and vertebral artery aneurysms.

Outcome of resection of WHO Grade II meningioma and correlation of pathological and radiological predictive factors for recurrence.

This study investigated whether extent of surgical resection (Simpson and Shinshu grade) along with pathological and radiological factors influence the tumor control and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with World Health Organization (WHO) grade II meningiomas. The clinical, radiological and surgical notes on the 59 patients with WHO grade II meningioma managed at our institution over 20years were retrospectively reviewed. In this study, median survival time was 41months.

Superior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysms, the "Sui Generis" in Posterior Circulation: The Role of Microsurgery in the Endovascular Era.

Background: Endovascular treatment in the present form has almost taken over the management of posterior circulation aneurysms. However, superior cerebellar artery (SCA) aneurysms are among the few that are said to be surgeon friendly with comparable outcome with microsurgery. This study includes a comparative analysis of the SCA aneurysms treated with microsurgery and endovascular techniques at our institute along with a pooled analysis of available literature on overall outcomes in these 2 forms of treatment.

Intra-operative micro-electrode recording in functional neurosurgery: Past, present, future.

The field of functional neurosurgery has experienced a rise, fall and lastly a renaissance over the past 75years. Micro-electrode recording (MER) played a key role during this eventful journey. However, as the intra-operative MRI continues to evolve, a pertinent question about the utility of MER has been raised in recent years.

Olfactory Groove Meningiomas: Comparison of Extent of Frontal Lobe Changes After Lateral and Bifrontal Approaches.

Objective: Olfactory groove meningiomas often are behaviorally silent. Numerous surgical approaches have been described in the literature for the successful removal of these meningiomas. Lateral (pterional/frontolateral) and anterior (bifrontal/fronto-orbito-basal) approaches with their various modifications remain the 2 major corridors in resecting them.

Outcome of ventriculoperitoneal shunt and predictors of shunt revision in infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus.

Object: Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts in infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) are prone to failures, with some patients at risk for multiple revisions. The objective of our study is to observe long-term outcomes and identify factors leading to proximal and distal multiple failures.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of infants with PHH that required VP shunt placement between 1982 and 2014.

Identification and product optimization of amylolytic GAA 31.1 isolated from gut of .

An attempt has been made to isolate potent amylase producing gut bacteria from . Out of 82 isolates, GAA 31.1 was selected as potent producer, having enzyme activity 9.

Abrus Agglutinin, a type II ribosome inactivating protein inhibits Akt/PH domain to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress mediated autophagy-dependent cell death.

Abrus agglutinin (AGG), a type II ribosome-inactivating protein has been found to induce mitochondrial apoptosis. In the present study, we documented that AGG-mediated Akt dephosphorylation led to ER stress resulting the induction of autophagy-dependent cell death through the canonical pathway in cervical cancer cells. Inhibition of autophagic death with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and siRNA of Beclin-1 and ATG5 increased AGG-induced apoptosis.

Neuromodulation in intractable pain management: outcomes and predictors of revisions of spinal cord stimulators.

OBJECTIVE Spinal cord stimulators (SCSs) appear to be safe and efficacious for chronic intractable back pain. Although there are many reports on percutaneous SCSs, there are very few studies on outcomes of paddle lead SCSs. In addition, the predictors of requirement for SCS revision have not been well established.

Tailor-Made Temperature-Sensitive Micelle for Targeted and On-Demand Release of Anticancer Drugs.

The design of nanomedicines from the tuned architecture polymer is a leading object of immense research in recent years. Here, smart thermoresponsive micelles were prepared from novel architecture four-arm star block copolymers, namely, pentaerythritol polycaprolactone-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and pentaerythritol polycaprolactone-b-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam). The polymers were synthesized and tagged with folic acid (FA) to render them as efficient cancer cell targeting cargos.

Gelatin/Carboxymethyl chitosan based scaffolds for dermal tissue engineering applications.

The present study delineates the preparation, characterization and application of gelatin-carboxymethyl chitosan scaffolds for dermal tissue engineering. The effect of carboxymethyl chitosan and gelatin ratio was evaluated for variations in their physico-chemical-biological characteristics and drug release kinetics. The scaffolds were prepared by freeze drying method and characterized by SEM and FTIR.

Variable selection for binary spatial regression: Penalized quasi-likelihood approach.

We consider the problem of selecting covariates in a spatial regression model when the response is binary. Penalized likelihood-based approach is proved to be effective for both variable selection and estimation simultaneously. In the context of a spatially dependent binary variable, an uniquely interpretable likelihood is not available, rather a quasi-likelihood might be more suitable.

Relevance of Simpson grading system and recurrence-free survival after surgery for World Health Organization Grade I meningioma.

OBJECTIVE The clinical significance of the Simpson system for grading the extent of meningioma resection and its role as a predictor of the recurrence of World Health Organization (WHO) Grade I meningiomas have been questioned in the past, echoing changes in meningioma surgery over the years. The authors reviewed their experience in resecting WHO Grade I meningiomas and assessed the association between extent of resection, as evaluated using the Simpson classification, and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients after meningioma surgery. METHODS Clinical and radiological information for patients with WHO Grade I meningiomas who had undergone resective surgery over the past 20 years was retrospectively reviewed.

Potential of non-mulberry silk protein fibroin blended and grafted poly(Є-caprolactone) nanofibrous matrices for in vivo bone regeneration.

An in vivo investigation is conducted to evaluate effectiveness of poly(Є-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibrous matrices, with non-mulberry silk fibroin (NSF) (from Antheraea mylitta) inclusion, for bone tissue engineering. Inclusion is achieved by either blending NSF with PCL prior to electrospinning substrates or by grafting NSF onto electrospun PCL substrates. Proceeding from our previous in vitro results, showing that NSF grafted matrices have an edge when it comes to aiding cellular adhesion and proliferation, animal trials using rabbits are planned.

Non-mulberry silk fibroin grafted poly (Є-caprolactone)/nano hydroxyapatite nanofibrous scaffold for dual growth factor delivery to promote bone regeneration.

Hypothesis: This study aims at developing biodegradable, mineralized, nanofibrous scaffolds for use in bone regeneration. Scaffolds are loaded with combinations of bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and evaluated in vitro for enhancement in osteoinductivity.

Experiments: Poly(Є-caprolactone) (PCL) doped with different portions of nano-hydroxyapatite is electrospun into nanofibrous scaffolds.

Management of Recurrent Trigeminal Neuralgia Associated with Petroclival Meningioma.

Objective Petroclival meningioma (PM) presents with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) in < 5% of cases. Neurosurgeons often face the dilemma of formulating a treatment protocol when TN recurs. In this study, we sought to set up a protocol in patients with PM who had a recurrent TN.

Surgical Outcomes and Predictors of Recurrence in Elderly Patients with Meningiomas.

Background: Meningiomas are more prevalent with increasing age, and there is no general consensus of surgical management for this group of tumors. The role of resection and the predictors of recurrence of meningiomas in elderly patients have not been well established. The authors reviewed their experience of surgical resection of these tumors in elderly patients and determined the factors for recurrence.

Abrus agglutinin is a potent anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic agent in human breast cancer.

Abrus agglutinin (AGG), a plant lectin isolated from the seeds of Abrus precatorius, has documented antitumor and immunostimulatory effects in murine models. To examine possible antitumor activity against breast cancer, we established human breast tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice and intraperitoneally administered AGG. AGG inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis as confirmed by monitoring the expression of Ki-67 and CD-31, respectively.

Anomalous Origin of the Right Vertebral Artery: Incidence and Significance.

Objective: Detailed knowledge about anatomic variations of the aortic arch and its multiple branches is extremely important to endovascular and diagnostic radiologists. It is often hypothesized that anomalous origin and distribution of large aortic vessels may alter the cerebral hemodynamics and potentially lead to a vascular pathology.

Methods: In this article, we describe a case of anomalous origin of the right vertebral artery, which was detected during an intervention.