Integration of Tobacco Control in Masters of Public Health Curricula of India

Yadav, Aman,Goel, Sonu,Sharma, Vijay Lakshmi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Context: Tobacco is the single largest cause of preventable death among adults globally, as it is in India. Despite this alarming situation, there is very minimal inclusion of tobacco in formal education systems, including the medical discipline, in India. Aims: The present study analyzed the extent of integration of tobacco control related content in Masters of Public Health (MPH) curricula of various institutes in India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during January 2011 to May 2011 in all colleges of the country offering a MPH course. The colleges were enlisted using various internet search engines (Google Scholar, Pubmed, Medline), other published literature and snowball technique. A 50 items semi-structured questionnaire was designed, posted and e-mailed (followed by hard copy) to the Person-In-Charge of the MPH program. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to profile the tobacco control content in respective institutions. All data entry and analysis was conducted using SPSS (version 16) for windows. Results: The duration of the MPH course was two years in all institutes and had accreditation with some affiliated body. Tobacco related diseases were covered under 'non communicable diseases' section by every institute. However, a mere 41.4% of institute's had faculty who had received specialized training in tobacco control. More coverage was given to health risks and effects of smoking as compared to cessation interventions (5 A's), symptoms of withdrawal and pharmacological treatments. Only 25% of institutes were in process of introducing tobacco courses into their curricula. Lack of expertise and administrative barriers were cited as perceived major problems in inclusion of tobacco control in MPH curricula. Conclusions: It can be concluded that tobacco control is not receiving adequate attention in public health curricula in India. There is a need for coordinated efforts in the area of tobacco control so as to reduce morbidity and mortality from tobacco induced diseases.

Bactericidal and wound disinfection efficacy of nanostructured titania

Azad, Abdul-Majeed,Aboelzahab, Asem,Goel, Vijay Techno-Press 2012 Advances in materials research Vol.1 No.4

Infections are caused due to the infiltration of tissue or organ space by infectious bacterial agents, among which Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are clinically most relevant. While current treatment modalities are in general quite effective, several bacterial strains exhibit high resistance to them, leading to complications and additional surgeries, thereby increasing the patient morbidity rates. Titanium dioxide is a celebrated photoactive material and has been utilized extensively in antibacterial functions, making it a leading infection mitigating agent. In view of the property amelioration in materials via nanofication, free-standing titania nanofibers (pure and nominally doped) and nanocoatings (on Ti and Ti6Al4V implants) were fabricated and evaluated to assess their efficacy to mitigate the viability and growth of S. aureus upon brief (30 s) activation by a portable hand-held infrared laser. In order to gauge the effect of exposure and its correlation with the antibacterial activities, both isolated (only titania substrate) and simultaneous (substrate submerged in the bacterial suspension) activations were performed. The bactericidal efficacy of the IR-activated $TiO_2$ nanocoatings was also tested against E. coli biofilms. Toxicity study was conducted to assess any potential harm to the tissue cells in the presence of photoactivated materials. These investigations showed that the photoactivated titania nanofibers caused greater than 97% bacterial necrosis of S. aureus. In the case of titania-coated Ti-implant surrogates, the bactericidal efficacy exceeded 90% in the case of pre-activation and was 100% in the case of simultaneous-activation. In addition to their high bactericidal efficacy against S. aureus, the benignity of titania nanofibers and nanocoatings towards tissue cells during in-vivo exposure was also demonstrated, making them safe for use in implant devices.

Design and testing of a minimally invasive intervertebral cage for spinal fusion surgery

Anderson, Walter,Chapman, Cory,Karbaschi, Zohreh,Elahinia, Mohammad,Goel, Vijay Techno-Press 2013 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.11 No.3

An innovative cage for spinal fusion surgery is presented within this work. The cage utilizes shape memory alloy for its hinge actuation. Because of the use of SMA, a smaller incision is needed which makes the cage deployment minimally invasive. In the development of the cage, a model for predicting the torsional behavior of SMAs was developed and verified experimentally. The prototype design of the cage was developed and manufactured. The prototype was subjected to static tests per ASTM specifications. The cage survived all of the tests, alluding to its safety within the body.

Expression Levels of Tetraspanin KAI1/CD82 in Breast Cancers in North Indian Females

Singh, Richa,Bhatt, Madan Lal Brahma,Singh, Saurabh Pratap,Kumar, Vijay,Goel, Madhu Mati,Mishra, Durga Prasad,Srivastava, Kirti,Kumar, Rajendra Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.7

Background: Carcinogenesis is a multifaceted intricate cellular mechanism of transformation of the normal functions of a cell into neoplastic alterations. Metastasis may result in failure of conventional treatment and death Hence, research on metastatic suppressors in cancer is a high priority. The metastatic suppressor gene CD82, also known as KAI1, is a member of the transmembrane 4 superfamily which was first identified in carcinoma of prostate. Little work has been done on this gene in breast cancer. Herein, we aimed to determine the gene and protein level expression of CD82/KAI1 in breast cancer and its role as a prognosticator. Materials and Methods: In this study, 83 histologically proven cases of breast cancer and a similar number of controls were included. Patient age ranged from 18-70 years. Quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (q-RT PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to investigate KAI1 expression at gene and protein levels, respectively. Statistical analysis was done to correlate expression of KAI1 and clinicopathological parameters. Results: It was revealed that: (i) KAI1 was remarkably diminished in metastatic vs non metastatic breast cancer both at the gene and the protein levels (P < .05); (ii) KAI1 expression levels were strongly correlated with TNM staging, histological grade and advanced stage (p<0.001) and no association was found with any other studied parameter; (iii) Lastly, a significant correlation was observed between expression of KAI1 and overall median survival of BC patients (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Our results suggest that lack of expression of the KAI1 might indicate a more aggressive form of breast cancer. Loss of KAI1 may be considered a significant prognostic marker in predicting metastatic manifestation. When evaluated along with the clinical and pathological factors, KAI1 expression may be beneficial to tailor aggressive therapeutic strategies for such patients.

Evaluation of KiSS1 as a Prognostic Biomarker in North Indian Breast Cancer Cases

Singh, Richa,Bhatt, Madan Lal Brahma,Singh, Saurabh Pratap,Kumar, Vijay,Goel, Madhu Mati,Mishra, Durga Prasad,Kumar, Rajendra Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.4

Background: Breast cancer is the commonest female cancer worldwide and its propensity to metastasize negatively impacts on therapeutic outcome. Several clinicopathological parameters with prognostic/predictive significance have been associated with metastatic suppressor expression levels. The role of metastatic suppressor gene (MSG) KiSS1 in breast cancer remains unclear. Our goal was to investigate the possible clinical significance of KiSS1 breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 87 histologically proven cases of breast cancer and background normal tiisue. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to investigate KiSS1 at gene and protein levels, respectively, for correlation with several patient characteristics including age, family history, hormonal receptor status, stage, tumor size, nodal involvement and metastatic manifestation and finally with median overall survival (OS). Results: Our study revealed (i) KiSS1 levels were generally elevated in breast cancer vs normal tissue (P < 0.05). (ii) however, a statistically significant lower expression of KiSS1 was observed in metastatic vs non metastatic cases (P = 0.04). (iii) KiSS1 levels strongly correlated with T,N,M category, histological grade and advanced stage (p<0.001) but not other studied parameters. (iv) Lastly, a significant correlation between expression of KiSS1 and median OS was found (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Conclusively, less elevated KiSS1 expression is a negative prognostic factor for OS, advancing tumor stage, axillary lymph node status, metastatic propensity and advancing grade of the breast cancer patient. Patients with negative KiSS1 expression may require a more intensive therapeutic strategy.

Design and testing of a minimally invasive intervertebral cage for spinal fusion surgery

Walter Anderson,Cory Chapman,Zohreh Karbaschi,Mohammad Elahinia,Vijay Goel 국제구조공학회 2013 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.11 No.3

An innovative cage for spinal fusion surgery is presented within this work. The cage utilizes shape memory alloy for its hinge actuation. Because of the use of SMA, a smaller incision is needed which makes the cage deployment minimally invasive. In the development of the cage, a model for predicting the torsional behavior of SMAs was developed and verified experimentally. The prototype design of the cage was developed and manufactured. The prototype was subjected to static tests per ASTM specifications. The cage survived all of the tests, alluding to its safety within the body.

A Comparative Biomechanical Analysis of Various Rod Configurations Following Anterior Column Realignment and Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy

Muzammil Mumtaz,Justin Mendoza,Ardalan Seyed Vosoughi,Anthony S. Unger,Vijay K. Goel 대한척추신경외과학회 2021 Neurospine Vol.18 No.3

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the biomechanical differences of different rod configurations following anterior column realignment (ACR) and pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) for an optimal correction technique and rod configuration that would minimize the risk of rod failure. Methods: A validated spinopelvic (L1-pelvis) finite element model was used to simulate ACR at the L3–4 level. The ACR procedure was followed by dual-rod fixation, and for 4-rod constructs, either medial/lateral accessory rods (connected to primary rods) or satellite rods (directly connected to ACR level screws). The range of motion (ROM), maximum von Mises stress on the rods, and factor of safety (FOS) were calculated for the ACR models and compared to the existing literature of different PSO rod configurations. Results: All of the 4-rod ACR constructs showed a reduction in ROM and maximum von Mises stress compared to the dual-rod ACR construct. Additionally, all of the 4-rod ACR constructs showed greater percentage reduction in ROM and maximum von Mises stress compared to the PSO 4-rod configurations. The ACR satellite rod construct had the maximum stress reduction i.e., 47.3% compared to dual-rod construct and showed the highest FOS (4.76). These findings are consistent with existing literature that supports the use of satellite rods to reduce the occurrence of rod fracture. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the ACR satellite rod construct may be the most beneficial in reducing the risk of rod failure compared to all other PSO and ACR constructs.

The Ser/Thr protein kinase PrkC imprints phenotypic memory in <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> spores by phosphorylating the glycolytic enzyme enolase

Virmani, Richa,Sajid, Andaleeb,Singhal, Anshika,Gaur, Mohita,Joshi, Jayadev,Bothra, Ankur,Garg, Richa,Misra, Richa,Singh, Vijay Pal,Molle, Virginie,Goel, Ajay K.,Singh, Archana,Kalia, Vipin C.,Lee, Ju American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Bi 2019 The Journal of biological chemistry Vol.294 No.22

<P><I>Bacillus anthracis</I> is the causative agent of anthrax in humans, bovine, and other animals. <I>B. anthracis</I> pathogenesis requires differentiation of dormant spores into vegetative cells. The spores inherit cellular components as phenotypic memory from the parent cell, and this memory plays a critical role in facilitating the spores' revival. Because metabolism initiates at the beginning of spore germination, here we metabolically reprogrammed <I>B. anthracis</I> cells to understand the role of glycolytic enzymes in this process. We show that increased expression of enolase (Eno) in the sporulating mother cell decreases germination efficiency. Eno is phosphorylated by the conserved Ser/Thr protein kinase PrkC which decreases the catalytic activity of Eno. We found that phosphorylation also regulates Eno expression and localization, thereby controlling the overall spore germination process. Using MS analysis, we identified the sites of phosphorylation in Eno, and substitution(s) of selected phosphorylation sites helped establish the functional correlation between phosphorylation and Eno activity. We propose that PrkC-mediated regulation of Eno may help sporulating <I>B. anthracis</I> cells in adapting to nutrient deprivation. In summary, to the best of our knowledge, our study provides the first evidence that in sporulating <I>B. anthracis</I>, PrkC imprints phenotypic memory that facilitates the germination process.</P>