miR-217-5p NanomiRs Inhibit Glioblastoma Growth and Enhance Effects of Ionizing Radiation via EZH2 Inhibition and Epigenetic Reprogramming.

: CSCs are critical drivers of the tumor and stem cell phenotypes of glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Chromatin modifications play a fundamental role in driving a GBM CSC phenotype. The goal of this study is to further our understanding of how stem cell-driving events control changes in chromatin architecture that contribute to the tumor-propagating phenotype of GBM.

Clinical and Operative Risk Factors Associated With Prolonged Length of Stay After Endoscopic Pituitary Adenoma Resection.

Background And Objectives: Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are the most common intrasellar tumor. Clinically relevant adenomas have a prevalence of 1 per 1000 in the general population. Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) is the most common surgical treatment and is the first-line management for most PAs.

Application of the Robotic-Assisted Digital Exoscope for Resection of Posterior Fossa Tumors in Adults: A Series of 45 Cases.

Background And Objectives: Complete safe resection is the goal when pursuing surgical treatment for posterior fossa (PF) tumors. Efforts have led to the development of the exoscope that delineates tumors from non-neoplastic brain. This investigation aims to assess patient outcomes where PF tumor resection is performed with the exoscope by a retromastoid or suboccipital approach.

Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics reveal cancer-associated fibroblasts in glioblastoma with protumoral effects.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were presumed absent in glioblastoma given the lack of brain fibroblasts. Serial trypsinization of glioblastoma specimens yielded cells with CAF morphology and single-cell transcriptomic profiles based on their lack of copy number variations (CNVs) and elevated individual cell CAF probability scores derived from the expression of 9 CAF markers and absence of 5 markers from non-CAF stromal cells sharing features with CAFs. Cells without CNVs and with high CAF probability scores were identified in single-cell RNA-Seq of 12 patient glioblastomas.

Epidemiology of Community-Acquired Sepsis: Data from an E-Sepsis Registry of a Tertiary Care Center in South India.

The study aims to characterize community-acquired sepsis patients admitted to our 1300-bedded tertiary care hospital in South India from the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guideline-compliant e-sepsis registry stratified by focus of infection. The prospective observational study recruited 1009 adult sepsis patients presenting to the emergency department at the center based on Sepsis-2 criteria for a period of three years. Of the patients, 41% were between 61 and 80 years with a mean age of 57.

Correlation between tumor volume and serum prolactin and its effect on surgical outcomes in a cohort of 219 prolactinoma patients.

Objective: Prolactinoma is the most common pituitary adenoma and can be managed medically or surgically. The authors assessed the correlation between tumor volume and prolactin level and its effect on surgical outcomes.

Methods: The authors reviewed 219 patients who underwent transsphenoidal prolactinoma resection at a single institution from 2012 to 2019.

A quality improvement initiative to improve the appropriateness of candidemia management by the implementation of a comprehensive candidemia care bundle at a tertiary care hospital in South India: Results of a quasi-experimental study.

Management of candidemia in developing countries like India encounters laxity in appropriate clinical management and challenges in terms of healthcare capacity, despite its association with high morbidity and mortality. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive candidemia care bundle implementation on appropriateness of therapy and major clinical outcomes.The single-center, quasi-experimental study conducted at a south Indian tertiary care center included adult patients diagnosed with candidemia.

Identifying risk factors for postoperative diabetes insipidus in more than 2500 patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery: a single-institution experience.

Objective: Diabetes insipidus (DI) following transsphenoidal surgery can adversely impact quality of life and be difficult to manage. This study sought to characterize pre- and perioperative risk factors that may predispose patients to DI after pituitary surgery.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated at a single institution from 2007 to 2019 was conducted.

A scientific pharmacognosy on Gaucher's disease: an in silico analysis.

From ancient times, studies on herbal medicine and pharmacognosy have increased gradually worldwide, due to the increased side effects, adverse drug reactions, and charge lines of modern medicines. Plants are well known for their medicinal effects and nutritional values. They contain bioactive compounds which display a wide spectrum of therapeutic effects.

ATRX regulates glial identity and the tumor microenvironment in IDH-mutant glioma.

Background: Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies report that IDH-mutant gliomas share a common hierarchy of cellular phenotypes, independent of genetic subtype. However, the genetic differences between IDH-mutant glioma subtypes are prognostic, predictive of response to chemotherapy, and correlate with distinct tumor microenvironments.

Results: To reconcile these findings, we profile 22 human IDH-mutant gliomas using scATAC-seq and scRNA-seq.

Role of c-Met/β1 integrin complex in the metastatic cascade in breast cancer.

Metastases cause 90% of human cancer deaths. The metastatic cascade involves local invasion, intravasation, extravasation, metastatic site colonization, and proliferation. Although individual mediators of these processes have been investigated, interactions between these mediators remain less well defined.

Antimicrobial Stewardship and Its Impact on the Changing Epidemiology of Polymyxin Use in a South Indian Healthcare Setting.

Polymyxins being last resort drugs to treat infections triggered by multidrug-resistant pathogens necessitates the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) initiatives to support its rational prescription across healthcare settings. Our study aims to describe the change in the epidemiology of polymyxins and patient outcomes following the implementation of ASP at our institution. The antimicrobial stewardship program initiated in February 2016 at our 1300 bed tertiary care center involved post-prescriptive audits tracking polymyxin consumption and evaluating prescription appropriateness in terms of the right indication, right frequency, right drug, right duration of therapy and administration of the right loading dose (LD) and maintenance dose (MD).

Plurihormonal PIT-1-Positive Pituitary Adenomas: A Systematic Review and Single-Center Series.

Objective: The 2017 World Health Organization classification of pituitary adenomas identified the plurihormonal PIT-1-positive (PP1) adenoma as a distinct subtype. The reported data suggest that PP1 adenomas encompass the former class of silent subtype 3 (SS3) adenomas and might have an aggressive phenotype. In the present study, we summarized the current clinical data on PP1 and SS3 adenomas and compared the reported data with the data from a single institutional cohort.

The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Progression.

In the era of genomic medicine, cancer treatment has become more personalized as novel therapeutic targets and pathways are identified. Research over the past decade has shown the increasing importance of how the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is a major structural component of the TME, regulate oncogenic functions including tumor progression, metastasis, angiogenesis, therapy resistance, and immune cell modulation, amongst others. Within the TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been identified in several systemic cancers as critical regulators of the malignant cancer phenotype.

A new species of Euphranta Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae: Trypetinae: Adramini) from India.

A new species of Euphranta Loew, E. siruvani David, Hancock Sankararaman, sp. n.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes in elderly patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma.

Objective: Life expectancy has increased over the past century, causing a shift in the demographic distribution toward older age groups. Elderly patients comprise up to 14% of all patients with pituitary tumors, with most lesions being nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). Here, the authors evaluated demographics, outcomes, and postoperative complications between nonelderly adult and elderly NFPA patients.

WHO Grade I Meningioma Recurrence: Identifying High Risk Patients Using Histopathological Features and the MIB-1 Index.

In this study, we identify clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic prognosticators of overall, early, and post-median recurrence in World Health Organization (WHO) grade I meningiomas. We also determine a clinically relevant cutoff for MIB-1 to identify patients at high risk for recurrence. A retrospective review of WHO grade I meningioma patients with available MIB-1 index data who underwent treatment at our institution from 2007 to 2017 was performed.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of null-cell versus silent gonadotroph adenomas in a series of 1166 pituitary adenomas from a single institution.

Objective: Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas present without biochemical or clinical signs of hormone excess and are the second most common type of pituitary adenomas. The 2017 WHO classification scheme of pituitary adenomas differentiates null-cell adenomas (NCAs) and silent gonadotroph adenomas (SGAs). The present study sought to highlight the differences in patient characteristics and clinical outcomes between NCAs and SGAs.

Implementation and Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Tertiary Care Center in South India.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health threat internationally but, particularly in India. A primary contributing factor to this rise in resistance includes unregulated access to antimicrobials. Implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in the acute hospital setting will help curb inappropriate antibiotic use in India.

Fascin regulates nuclear actin during Drosophila oogenesis.

Drosophila oogenesis provides a developmental system with which to study nuclear actin. During Stages 5-9, nuclear actin levels are high in the oocyte and exhibit variation within the nurse cells. Cofilin and Profilin, which regulate the nuclear import and export of actin, also localize to the nuclei.

Efficacy of Mannheim Peritonitis Index (MPI) Score in Patients with Secondary Peritonitis.

Background: Despite advances in diagnosis, management and critical care of patients with peritonitis due to hollow viscus perforation, prognosis remains poor. Early assessment by scoring systems will influence the management and prognosis.

Aim: Evaluation of Mannheim Peritonitis Index (MPI) score for predicting the outcome in patients with peritonitis.

Ileo-ileal Intussusception in an Adult Caused by Vanek's Tumour: A Rare Case Report.

Adult intussusception is relatively rare in patients with bowel obstructions. Adult invagination is mostly caused by benign tumours. Intussusceptions caused by inflammatory fibroid polyps (IFPs) are uncommon.