Bone Marrow Quality Index: A Predictor of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Thalassemia.

Bone marrow (BM) continues to be the preferred source of stem cells in allogenic transplantation for nonmalignant disorders. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-primed BM is associated with low rates of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and allows reduced collection volumes while ensuring speedy engraftment. However, variability in BM harvest quality is a concern.

Musculoskeletal Disorders in Tyre Manufacturing Workers.

Background: Tyre manufacturing workers are at risk of developing WRMSDs as their job repeatedly involves elevated arm postures, lifting of tyres, pushing or pulling trolleys, trunk bending and twisting.

Aim: To assess WRMSDs in tyre manufacturing workers.

Methodology: This was an observational study involving 99 tyre manufacturing workers.

Design and development of safe gait prosthetic knee joint in India.

Context: The prosthetic technology in recent years has grown by leap and bounds. The most advanced gadgets like microprocessors are available worldwide at exorbitant costs. Developing countries have issues with terrain, access to services, and cost.

Setting up and sustaining blood and marrow transplant services for children in middle-income economies: an experience-driven position paper on behalf of the EBMT PDWP.

Severe blood disorders and cancer are the leading cause of death and disability from noncommunicable diseases in the global pediatric population and a major financial burden. The most frequent of these conditions, namely sickle cell disease and severe thalassemia, are highly curable by blood or bone marrow transplantation (BMT) which can restore a normal health-related quality of life and be cost-effective. This position paper summarizes critical issues in extending global access to BMT based on ground experience in the start-up of several BMT units in middle-income countries (MICs) across South-East Asia and the Middle East where close to 700 allogeneic BMTs have been performed over a 10-year period.

Functional ambulation with bent knee prostheses for an adult with bilateral 90 degrees knee flexion contractures-A case report.

An adult male who never stood, ambulating on all four due to bilateral severe knee flexion contractures, since his childhood, was 21 years of age, and not deterred by his condition, was pursuing his higher education. He was coaxed by his friends to seek medical opinion and it was decided to give a trial and let the client have a feel of bipedal stance and ambulation. Although there is a paucity of recent evidence on the use of bent knee prosthesis, the trial successfully restored the dignity.

Life expectancy and risk factors for early death in patients with severe thalassemia syndromes in South India.

In spite of advances in chelation therapy and screening of blood, mortality associated with the most common life-threatening noncommunicable disease of children in India, transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT), remains poorly defined. This study aims at estimating death rates and mortality risk factors associated with TDT. The clinical records of 1087 patients from 5 thalassemia centers in India were retrospectively analyzed from 2011 to 2018.

Information Technology-Assisted Treatment Planning and Performance Assessment for Severe Thalassemia Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Observational Study.

Background: Successful models of information and communication technology (ICT) applied to cost-effective delivery of quality care in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are an increasing necessity. Severe thalassemia is one of the most common life-threatening noncommunicable diseases of children globally.

Objective: The aim was to study the impact of ICT on quality of care for severe thalassemia patients in LMIC.

The effect of positional changes on oxygenation in patients with head injury in the intensive care unit.

Background: Following head injury, cardiopulmonary functions are impaired and this disturbs the oxygenation transport pathway. Expanding cardiopulmonary physical therapy to encompass the oxygen transport system as a whole has implication for treatment as well as assessment and treatment outcome. Therefore, the aim of the study is to assess the oxygenation level in head injury patients with relation to body positioning in the intensive care unit (ICU).

ATG vs thiotepa with busulfan and cyclophosphamide in matched-related bone marrow transplantation for thalassemia.

Matched-related bone marrow transplantation (BMT) may cure >80% of low-risk children with severe thalassemia (ST). Very long-term follow-up studies have shown how the standard busulfan-cyclophosphamide (BuCy) regimen may be associated with normalization of health-related quality of life, no second malignancies in the absence of chronic graft-versus-host disease, and fertility preservation in many patients. However, because BuCy may be associated with high rejection rates, some centers incorporate thiotepa (Tt) in busulfan- or treosulfan-based regimens, a combination that may increase the risk of permanent infertility.

The Case for High Resolution Extended 6-Loci HLA Typing for Identifying Related Donors in the Indian Subcontinent.

Three-loci low-resolution (LR) or intermediate-resolution HLA typing is generally considered adequate in the related blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) context. However, a single high-resolution (HR) mismatch may have a similar adverse impact on BMT outcome as an LR one. We sought to determine the frequency of mismatches that may go undetected when standard typing (LR or 3-loci HR) is used compared with 6-loci HR typing for related donor compatibility testing, and to assess its impact on relevant BMT outcomes.

The TNF-α antagonist etanercept reverses age-related decreases in colonic SERT expression and faecal output in mice.

Treatment for chronic constipation in older people is challenging and the condition has a major impact on quality of life. A lack of understanding about the causes of this condition has hampered the development of effective treatments. 5-HT is an important pro-kinetic agent in the colon.

Complications related to blood donation: A multicenter study of the prevalence and influencing factors in voluntary blood donation camps in Karnataka, India.

Introduction: Complications associated with blood donation significantly lower odds of subsequent donations. The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of complications related to blood donation, identify the influencing factors, and come up with suggestions for minimizing discomfort to donors and making outdoor voluntary blood donation camps safer.

Materials And Methods: This study covered 181 blood donation camps organized by Sankalp India Foundation where 16 blood banks participated from 01-04-2011 to 01-08-2014 in Karnataka.

Genetic diversity of wild and cultivated genotypes of pigeonpea through RAPD and SSR markers.

Eight wild and four cultivated pigeonpea genotypes were subjected to RAPD and microsatellite analysis, with 40 primers each. Out of these, eight RAPD and five SSR primers were found polymorphic. RAPD primers showed 100% polymorphism and produced a total of 517 DNA fragments, whereas SSR primers produced 67 fragments and they too showed 100% polymorphism.

A study of the noncompliance of blood banks on safety and quality parameters in blood donation camps in Bengaluru.

Aims: The compliance of safety and quality parameters laid out by national and international guidelines in outdoor blood donation camps has not been studied in India. Our study aimed at identifying, monitoring, analyzing, and developing preventive strategies for several key parameters associated with the quality and safety of outdoor voluntary blood donation camps (VBDC).

Settings: The study covered a total of 424 VBDCs at various locations in Bengaluru, Karnataka (South India) from 2009 to 2013.

Chromatographic analysis of age-related changes in mucosal serotonin transmission in the murine distal ileum.

Background: In the upper bowel, alterations in motility and absorption of key nutrients have been observed as part of the normal ageing process. Serotonin (5-HT) is a key signalling molecule in the gastrointestinal tract and is known to influence motility, however little is known of how the ageing process alters 5-HT signalling processes in the bowel.

Results: An isocratic chromatographic method was able to detect all 5-HT precursors and metabolites.

Mutations in the regulatory subunit of soluble phosphofructokinase from yeast.

Mutant alleles of the gene PFK2 have been obtained that alter the sensitivity to ATP inhibition of the soluble yeast phosphofructokinase. One of the alleles makes the enzyme sensitive to micromolar concentrations of ATP. Intragenic revertants of PFK2 mutants confirm that the PFK2 gene determines not only the regulatory properties of the soluble enzyme but also the catalytic activity of particulate phosphofructokinase.

Multiple genes control particulate phosphofructokinase of yeast.

Mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking the particulate phosphofructokinase define at least four unlinked genes, PFK2, PFK3, PFK4 and PFK5. A structural role of PFK2 is indicated. Mutations in the other three have pleiotropic effects.