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Introduction: Rabies continues to be a significant concern in India, with lots of deaths reported annually. Approximately one million people undergo post-exposure prophylaxis treatment annually, despite nearly two million dog bites occurring across the country. Notably, dogs are responsible for more than 99% of these bites. Public understanding of rabies treatment remains limited, with many incorrectly believing that it involves 14 injections following a dog bite. However, there is limited awareness about the potential severity of the disease if dog bites are not properly managed. Rabies, an ancient ailment, remains the most dreaded among all contagious diseases., Aim: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the people residing in rural Patna and also to identify the sociodemographic factors that might influence KAP regarding dog bites and their management., Methodology: A field-based cross-sectional study was carried out in the rural field practice area of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna. The study population comprised the patients attending the outpatient department (OPD) at the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC), Maner, during the study period. The study duration was about six months, that is, from November 2023 to April 2024., Result: The majority (56.4%) of the study population were of the age group 18-40 years. The major bulk of the study population was male, and most of them were illiterate, that is, 67.6%; only 5.2% of the study population were graduate and above. A higher percentage (30.9%) of the study population were farmers or laborers by occupation. About 53.9% of the study population belonged to the upper middle class. A significant difference was seen among age groups in knowledge concerning the cause of rabies (p=0.023), the spread of rabies by dogs (p=0.001), symptoms of rabies such as altered personality (p=0.001), the possibility of rabies cure (p=0.001), and the importance of seeking medical help promptly after a dog bite (p=0.004). Generally, younger patients showed higher awareness and knowledge regarding these aspects compared to older age groups., Conclusion: The present study showed a significant knowledge gap with respect to cases of dog bite management in rural Patna. Even though awareness of rabies is present, there is an alarming lacuna in this awareness being converted to wound-washing practices and timely seeking of medical care. To decrease the risk associated with dog bites and rabies transmission, structured educational campaigns and community-level interventions are important. These measures can significantly improve rabies prevention in general and rural areas in particular., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Ethics Committee of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) issued approval 128//IEC/IGIMS/2023. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Amit et al.)

Brain and heart interact through multiple ways. Heart rate variability, a non-invasive measurement is studied extensively as a predicting model for various health conditions including subarachnoid hemorrhage, cancer, and diabetes. There is limited evidence to predict delirium, an acute fluctuating disorder of brain dysfunction, as it poses a significant challenge in the intensive care unit (ICU) and post-operative setting. In this systematic review of 9 articles, heart rate variability indices were used to investigate the occurrence of post-operative and ICU delirium. This systematic review and meta-analysis reveal evidence of a strong predilection between postoperative and intensive care unit delirium and alterations in the heart rate variability, measured by mean differences for standard deviation of NN-intervals. Other heart rate variability indices [root mean squares of successive differences, low-frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF), and LF:HF ratio] showed lack of or very weak association. A non-invasive tool of brain and heart interaction may refine diagnostic predictions for acute brain dysfunctions like delirium in such population and would be an important step in delirium research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Skin Cancer is caused due to the mutational differences in epidermis hormones and patch appearances. Many studies are focused on the design and development of effective approaches in diagnosis and categorization of skin cancer. The decisions are made on independent training dataset under limited editions and scenarios. In this research, the kaggle based datasets are optimized and categorized into a labeled data array towards indexing using Federated learning (FL). The technique is developed on grey wolf optimization algorithm to assure the dataset attribute dependencies are extracted and dimensional mapping is processed. The threshold value validation of the dimensional mapping datasets is effectively optimized and trained under the neural networking framework further expanded via federated learning standards. The technique has demonstrated 95.82% accuracy under GWO technique and 94.9% on inter-combination of Trained Neural Networking (TNN) framework and Recessive Learning (RL) in accuracy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Bioactivity refers to the ability of a material to interact with living organisms or biological systems in a way that elicits a specific response. In the context of materials science and medicine, bioactivity is particularly important because it can determine the suitability of material for various applications., Objective: To evaluate and compare different commercially available calcium silicate-based materials regarding: 1. Morphological and elemental analysis at the dentin/material interface. 2. Calcium and silicon release and uptake by adjacent root canal dentine by evaluating the calcium and silicon incorporation depth in adjacent root canal dentin., Materials and Methods: This study examined four calcium silicate-based cements: Biodentine, MTA Angelus, BioAggregate, and MTA Plus. One hundred extracted human teeth with intact apices and no cavities were selected. Root sections measuring 3 mm in length were created at the mid-root level using low-speed diamond discs. Bioactivity was evaluated at 1, 7, 30, and 90 days, respectively., Results: The principal composition of the interfacial dentine layer and incorporation of calcium and silicon into dentine was measured at 1, 7, 30, and 90 days. Statistical analysis was performed by multiple comparisons using post hoc Tukey HSD., Conclusion: All the materials have shown bioactivity, i.e. release of calcium, silicon, and their uptake in the adjacent dentin in the presence of phosphate-buffered saline., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with cognitive decline. Lifestyle behaviors such as yoga practices play a significant role in preventing cognitive decline., Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess the effect of yoga intervention on working memory and prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation in T2DM patients., Methods: Twenty T2DM participants, aged between 40 and 60 years, volunteered for a 6-week study. Participants were randomized into a yoga practice (n = 10) and a waitlist control group (n = 10). The n-back task was administered to evaluate working memory before and after the intervention. While performing the working memory task, PFC oxygenation was monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy., Results: The yoga group showed a significant improvement in working memory performance. The accuracy improved in 1-back (mean difference of 4.73%, 95% CI[0.69,8.77], P = .026) and 2-back (8.0%, 95% CI[1.89,14.1], P = .016) task conditions. The reaction time improved in 0-back (mean difference of -79.07 milliseconds, 95% CI[-128.3,-29.8]), 1-back (mean difference of -119.17 milliseconds, 95% CI[-217.5,-20.8] ) and 2-back (-76.06 milliseconds, 95% CI[-148.8,-3.3]) task conditions. In the yoga group, at post-intervention, higher oxygenation was observed during 0-back and 1-back task conditions (Beta coefficient mean difference of 211.3, 95% CI[2.8, 420.0], P = .048 and 80.5, 95% CI [3.7,157.2], P = .042 respectively) in the left PFC region compared to the pre-intervention values. The control group showed no significant change in working memory performance and PFC oxygenation., Conclusions: The study suggests that yoga practice may improve working memory performance and facilitate higher PFC oxygenation in T2DM patients. Further studies with a larger sample and a longer intervention period are required to strengthen the findings.

Context: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are at increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia compared to healthy individuals. Lifestyle practices such as yoga can have a vital role in preventing and managing T2DM. Some studies have found that yoga can positively impact cognitive function in T2DM., Objective: The study aimed to investigate the benefits of short-term yoga practice on heart rate variability (HRV) and cognitive function for T2DM patients, without a matched control group, to address the paucity of data on the effectiveness of yoga practice on cognitive health on T2DM individuals., Design: Current study is a single group pre post design., Setting: The study took place in the Department of Yoga and Life Sciences at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) in Bangalore, India., Participants: Participants were 21 T2DM patients from various hospitals, clinics and community setups, in different parts of Bengaluru city in India., Intervention: The participants took part in one month of yoga practice., Outcome Measures: The research team used the Madrid card sorting test (MCST) to assess participants' executive function (EF) at baseline and postintervention. In addition, the team monitored participants' heart rate variability (HRV) in a resting phase and during task performance., Results: Between baseline and postintervention: (1) participants' reaction time for the MCST decreased for overall task performance (P = .01) and during rule shifting (P = .03); (2) a significant reduction occurred in participants' random errors (REs) and incorrect responses, at P = .02 for both, whereas a significant increase occurred in correct responses and efficient errors (EEs), at P = .03 and P = .01, respectively; (3) the low frequency (LF) and LF/high frequency (HF ) ratio for the HRV decreased; HF increased but the difference wasn't statistically significant; and (4) a statistically significant decrease occurred in LF and LF/HF and an increase in HF occurred during task performance., Conclusion: Yoga therapy had beneficial effects on cognitive performance for the T2DM participants. The yoga practice also positively affected autonomic functions during task performance and suggesting that it can reduce task-induced stress. It's important for the future studies to validate the current findings with a randomized controlled trial.

Aims: The current manuscript explores the viability of reverse sagittal split osteotomy technique for correction of ankylotic cases with post gap arthroplasty mandibular retrognathia to achieve socially acceptable esthetic results., Method: Reverse sagittal split osteotomy which was introduced by Collins et al in 1983 was performed with certain modifications on two cases to correct mandibular hypoplasia in post gap arthroplasty cases. The paper also highlights intraoral as well as extraoral approach for performing the osteotomy along with better management of bad split under direct vision., Result: It was observed that the reverse sagittal split technique for advancement of mandible in cases of tmj ankylosis-induced dentofacial deformity provided better proximal control, reduced chances of bad split, greater range of advancement (11-14 mm) with esthetically acceptable results. The osteotomy cuts on lateral surface of mandible make the procedure effectively easier and quicker with better control over proximal segment and management under direct vision., Conclusion: When Distraction Osteogenesis and conventional orthognathic is not a choice in management of dentofacial deformity of post-release ankylosis cases due to the poor proximal control and concern over bad split, reverse sagittal split can be an appropriate choice to manage these deformities without any donor site morbidity., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestI declare that I do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (© The Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India 2021.)

Melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer with poor prognosis and survival rates and limited therapeutic options. Here, we report the anti-melanoma effect of 3-O-prenyl glycyrrhetinic acid (NPC-402), a derivative of glycyrrhtinic acid, from a reputed medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra against B16F10 cells. We studied the cytotoxic effect of NPC-402 on melanoma cells and investigated the role of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, AKT axis, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress/unfolded protein response (UPR)-mediated autophagy as the involved signaling cascade by studying specific marker proteins. In this study, 4-phenylbutyric acid (4PBA, a chemical chaperone) and small interference RNA (siRNA) knockdown of C/EBP Homologous Protein (CHOP)/growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene 153(GAD153) blocked NPC-402-mediated autophagy induction, thus confirming the role of ER stress and autophagy in melanoma cell death. NPC-402 induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in melanoma cells, which were effectively mitigated by treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC). In vivo studies showed that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of NPC-402 at 10 mg/kg (5 days in 1 week) significantly retarded angiogenesis in the Matrigel plug assay and reduced the tumor size and tumor weight without causing any significant toxic manifestation in C57BL/6J mice. We conclude that NPC-402 has a high potential to be developed as a chemotherapeutic drug against melanoma., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Nazir, Shahid, Amit, Umar, Rajni, Bharate, Sangwan and Tasduq.)

Competing Interests: None

Background: India carries one-fourth of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden. Hence the country has drafted the ambitious National Strategic Plan to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025. To realise this goal, India's Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and partners piloted a novel strategy to engage private-providers for tuberculosis care via a "Private-provider Interface Agency" (PPIA) in Mumbai and other locations., Intervention: The program mapped and engaged private-providers, chemists, and laboratories; facilitated TB notification via call centers and field staff; provided free tuberculosis diagnostic tests and anti-TB drugs using novel electronic vouchers; monitored quality of care; and supported patients to ensure anti-TB treatment adherence and completion. This report summarises the descriptive analysis of PPIA implementation data piloted in Mumbai from 2014 to 2017., Findings: The program mapped 8789 private doctors, 3438 chemists, and 985 laboratories. Of these, 3836 (44%) doctors, 285 (29%) laboratories, and 353 (10%) chemists were prioritized and engaged in the program. Over three and a half years, the program recorded 60,366 privately-notified tuberculosis patients, of which, 24,146 (40%) were microbiologically-confirmed, 5203 (9%) were rifampicin-resistant, and 4401 (7%) were paediatric TB patients. Mumbai's annual total TB case notification rate increased from a pre-program baseline of 272 per 100,000/year in 2013 to 416 per 100,000/year in 2017. Overall, 42,300 (78%) patients completed the TB treatment, and 4979 (9%) could not be evaluated., Interpretation: The PPIA program in Mumbai demonstrated that private-providers can be effectively engaged for TB control in urban India. This program has influenced national policy and has been adapted and funded for a country-wide scale up. The model may also be considered in conditions where private-provider engagement is needed to improve access and quality of care for any area of public health., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have none to declare, (Copyright © 2020 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background & Objectives: Primary chest wall sarcomas are rare and therapeutically challenging tumors. Herein we report the outcomes of a surgery-based multimodality therapy for these pathologies over an 11-year period. In addition, we present a case that illustrates the surgical challenges that extensive chest wall resection may pose., Methods: Using the Society of Thoracic Surgeons general thoracic surgery database, we have prospectively collected data in our institute on all patients undergoing chest wall resection and reconstruction for primary chest wall sarcomas between June 2008-October 2019., Results: We performed 28 surgical procedures on 25 patients aged 5 to 91 years (median age 33). Eleven tumors were bone- and cartilage-derived and 14 tumors originated from soft tissue elements. Seven patients (7/25, 28%) received neo-adjuvant therapy and 14 patients (14/25, 56%) received adjuvant therapy. The median number of ribs that were resected was 2.5 (range 0 to 6). In 18/28 (64%) of surgeries, additional skeletal or visceral organs were removed, including: diaphragm [1], scapula [2], sternum [2], lung [2], vertebra [1], clavicle [1] and colon [1]. Chest wall reconstruction was deemed necessary in 16/28 (57%) of cases, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Gore-Tex patches was used in 13/28 (46%) of cases and biological flaps where used in 4/28 (14%) of cases. R0, R1 and R2 resection margins were achieved in 19/28 (68%), 9/28 (32%) and 0/28 (0%) of cases, respectively. The median follow up time was 33 months (range 2 to 138). During the study period, disease recurred in 8/25 (32%) of patients. Of these, 3 were re-operated on and are free of disease. At date of last follow up, 5/25 (20%) of patients have died due to their disease and in contrast, 20/25 (80%) were alive with no evidence of disease., Conclusions: Surgery-based multimodality therapy is an effective treatment approach for primary chest wall sarcomas. Resection of additional skeletal or visceral organs and reconstruction with synthetic and/or biological flaps is often required in order to obtain R0 resection margins. Ultimately, long-term survival in this clinical scenario is an achievable goal.

Erythema gyratum repens (EGR) is a rare paraneoplastic dermatosis known to be associated with internal malignancy. Herein, we report a case of EGR with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in a young farmer who presented with generalized massive lymphadenopathy and wood-grain pattern dermatosis. Lymph node biopsy with immunohistochemistry established the diagnosis of DLBCL. He was managed by the oncologist with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) regimen which alleviated his symptoms considerably after completion of three cycles and was under follow-up., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Gastro-Intestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST) is a malignant, non-epithelial, mesenchymal tumor of the digestive tract that is not uncommon in clinical practice nowadays; diagnosis being based upon immuno-histo-chemical analysis of the resected or biopsied (FNAC) specimen. Abdominal lump with or without intra-luminal bleed is a common mode of presentation. Early diagnosis and appropriate management with surgery and/or Imatinib therapy improves recurrence free survival and may impact overall survival. We present here our institutional experience of four patients, admitted in Onco-Surgery Dept., with pain abdomen and upper/lower gastrointestinal bleed, which, on subsequent workup were diagnosed to be cases of GIST, were appropriately managed according to their disease stage and show recurrence-free survival on follow-up.

Background: Traditionally GS is used to treat diabetes mellitus. Drug-herb interaction of GS via cytochrome P450 enzyme system by substrate cocktail method using HLM has not been reported., Objective: To evaluate the in-vitro modulatory effects of GS extracts (aqueous, methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and n -hexane) and deacylgymnemic acid (DGA) on human CYP1A2, 2C8, 2C9, 2D6 and 3A4 activities in HLM., Material and Methods: Probe substrate-based LCMS/MS method was established for all CYPs. The metabolite formations were examined after incubation of probe substrates with HLM in the presence or absence of extracts and DGA. The inhibitory effects of GS extracts and DGA were characterized with kinetic parameters IC50 and Ki values., Results: GS extracts showed differential effect on CYP activities in the following order of inhibitory potency: ethyl acetate > Chloroform > methanol > n -hexane > aqueous > DGA. This differential effect was observed against CYP1A2, 2C9 and less on CYP3A4 and 2C8 but all CYPs were unaffected by aqueous extract and DGA. The ethyl acetate and chloroform extract exhibited moderate inhibition towards CYP1A2 and 3A4. The aqueous extract and DGA however showed negligible inhibition towards all five major human CYPs with very high IC50 values (>90μg/ml)., Conclusion: The results of our study revealed that phytoconstituents contained in GS, particularly in ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts, were able to inhibit CYP1A2, 3A4 and 2C9. The presence of relatively small, lipophillic yet slightly polar compounds within the GS extracts may be attributed for inhibition activities. These suggest that the herb or its extracts should be examined for potential pharmacokinetic drug interactions in vivo . Abbreviations used: GS: Gymnema sylvestre , GSE: Gymnema sylvestre extract, DGA: deacyl gymnemic acid, CYP: cytochrome P450, DMSO: dimethylsulphoxide, HLM: human liver microsomes, LC-MS/MS: liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy, NADPH: reduced nicotinamide adeninedinucleotide phosphate, NRS: nicotinamide adeninedinucleotide phosphate regenerating system, CHE: chloroform extract, EAE: ethyl acetate extract, NHE- n -hexane extract, AE: aqueous extract, ME: methanol extract.

Chyluria is endemic in the Gangetic belt of India with an average of 90 cases treated annually at our institute. It is almost exclusively caused by Wuchereria bancrofti in tropical areas. Chylomicrons and triglycerides are lost in the urine from an abnormal lymphourinary fistula due to obstructive lymphatic stasis, most commonly at the renal pelvis. It is a distressingly recurrent condition with multiple exacerbations and remissions over years. Severe weakness, weight loss and haematuria occur in some patients. Diagnosis can be made by visual examination of milky urine along with the ether test of urine for chylomicrons. Intravenous urography is used to locate the site of the fistula, although the detection rate is poor. Treatment starts with conservative measures such as a high-protein low-fat diet and diethylcarbamazine therapy. In cases where conservative measures fail, endoscopic sclerotherapy (renal pelvic instillation of silver nitrate, povidone iodine or others) and surgical therapy are used., (2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

Carcinoma cervix is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide, and it remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in women in developing countries. The use of radiation therapy to treat cancer inevitably involves exposure of normal tissues. As a result, patients may experience symptoms associated with damage to normal tissue during the course of therapy for a few weeks after therapy or months or years later. Here we describe few cases developed normal tissue complications following radiotherapy to the pelvis. Many factors contribute to risk and severity of normal tissue reactions; these factors are site specific and vary with time after treatment. Treatments that reduce the risk or severity of damage to normal tissue or that facilitate the healing of radiation injury are being developed. These could greatly improve the quality of life of patients treated for cancer.

Background: Enhancement of bond strength between new and old composite usually requires increased surface roughness of old composite to promote mechanical interlocking and subsequent coating with bonding agents to improve surface wetting and chemical bonding. So this study was carried out to evaluate and compare the effects of different surface treatments and repair materials on the shear bond strength (SBS) of composite repairs The mode of failure of repaired composites whether cohesive or adhesive was also evaluated., Materials and Methods: The substrates for 60 composite specimens were fabricated and aged with water treatment and subjected to various surface treatments. The surface treatment regimens used in the study were: No surface treatment, abraded with diamond bur, air abraded (sandblasted) with 50 µ aluminum oxide particles. Specimens were then repaired with fresh composite using either Clearfil(™) repair or all-bond two adhesive systems. Specimens were water stored, thermocycled and tested for SBS using universal testing machine. Fractured specimens were then examined under stereomicroscope to determine the mode of failure., Results: It was clearly showed that surface roughening of the aged composite substrate with air abrasion, followed by the application of Clearfil(™) repair adhesive system (Group IIIa) yielded the highest repair bond strength (32.3 ± 2.2 MPa)., Conclusion: Surface treatment with air abrasion followed by bonding with Clearfil(™) repair adhesive system can be attempted clinically for the repair of composite restorations.

The aim of this study was to assess the decomposition efficiency of earthworms, local (L.mauritii) as well as exotic (Eisenia foetida) in vermicomposting of garden litter in SRM University campus. The vermicompost produced through vermicomposting of garden litter mixed with cow dung in the ratio of 3:1 by using local and exotic earthworms (Eisenia foetida) was rich in ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, total potassium and TKN, and there was a reduction in total organic carbon and carbon to nitrogen ratio. The study reveals that the decomposition efficiency of exotic earthworms is better compared to local earthworms.

The present study evaluated the integration of elderly people who migrated to Israel during their lifetimes. Subjective well-being, as measured by the immigrants' perception of quality of life, satisfaction with life and emotional state, served as a general indicator of integration. The integration of elderly immigrants has not received adequate attention in the literature. A unique database (SHARE-Israel) that was recently released has made study of this topic possible. The current study sample was composed of former migrants aged 50 and older (n = 930). The analytic model examined ethnic origin and migration variables in relation to the respective subjective outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic background, human and social capital and health. The findings show that in general, ethnic origin seems to matter less for the evaluation of immigrants' subjective well-being than other socio economic factors such as economic status, social capital and health status. However, recent arrivals from the Former Soviet Union do differ from all other immigrant groups in their lower levels of well-being. In addition, the study points to the importance of language proficiency as a central means for integration in the destination country.

Addressing psychological literature's deficiency in research on the early development of leaders in everyday life (e.g., leaders in the workplace, leaders in social settings, leaders in organizational settings), this study assumed that central psychological capacities required for such leaders can be predicted and explained by J. Bowlby's (1969) attachment theory concerning developmental processes in infancy. The authors administered a series of questionnaires to 402 participants. The authors analyzed data by using structural equation modeling. Findings indicate a potential-to-lead construct that forms in infancy. The results fully supported the authors' main arguments: that secure attachment style influences the potential to lead and that this capacity is essential for leadership as measured by leadership ranking.

In this study, the dynamics of living cells (LC) and dead cells (DC) in a laboratory-scale biofilm membrane bioreactor for waste gas treatment was examined. Toluene was used as a model pollutant. The bacterial cells were enumerated as fluoromicroscopic counts during a 140 operating day period using BacLight nucleic acid staining in combination with epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CSLM). Overall, five different phases could be distinguished during the biofilm development: (A) cell attachment, (B) pollutant limitation, (C) biofilm establishment and colonization, (D) colonized biofilm, and (E) biofilm erosion. The bioreactor was operated under different conditions by applying different pollutant concentrations. An optimum toluene removal of 89% was observed at a loading rate of 14.4 kg m-3 d-1. A direct correlation between the biodegradation rate of the reactor and the dynamics of biofilm development could be demonstrated. This study shows the first description of biofilm development during gaseous toluene degradation in MBR.

Objectives: The transcriptional factors Snail and Slug have been reported to be important in cell migration during development and also during tumor metastasis. Their expression and role in ovarian cancer, hitherto unexplored, was examined to understand the molecular events in ovarian cancer metastases since the latter is responsible for the high degree of mortality associated with the disease., Methods: Ectopic expression of mSnail and mSlug in the epithelial ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 was carried out and stable clones were selected. These were used to examine specific repression of the adherens, tight and desmosomal junction components by the two transcription factors. Furthermore, functional implications with respect to enhanced migration of cells, tumorigenecity and metastasis were also studied., Results: The ectopic expression of Snail or Slug resulted in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), enhanced motility, invasiveness and tumorigenecity in the cell line SKOV3. In addressing the mechanism by which Snail and Slug lead to loss of intercellular adhesion, specific repression of adherens junction components (E-cadherin and betacatenin), tight junction components (Occludin and ZO-1) and desmosomal junction components (Dsg2) were observed. Snail suppresses expression of adherens and tight junction components, while Slug suppresses expression of all the three junction components; concertedly, bringing down the intercellular adhesion between cells. Further activation of these transcriptional factors in hypoxic conditions revealed a rapid upregulation of Slug expression as an immediate reaction that probably triggers off a signaling cascade leading to Snail expression., Conclusions: These results indicate distinct roles of the transcriptional factors Snail and Slug during ovarian cancer metastasis and cell survival through mediation of EMT.